Immortal Kingdoms

Grand caves and ancient pavilions decorated the hundreds of mountains under the natural illusion formation. Looking from above, these mountains resembled feral beasts clawing at one another while contesting over which beast would occupy the central mountain.

As the central mountain was grand and steady, multiple gashes riddled the skirt and waist of this mountain, but the gashes dimmed out nearing the peak, and an invisible pressure pressed down to prevent people from climbing to the top.

There were seventy-two claw marks on the skirt of the mountain, and thirty-six claw marks around its waist, and some ancient texts mention that the mountain peak had a stone tablet with nine claw marks.

The text also mentioned that those nine claw marks were left behind by the same God Beast, carved by three strikes, each strike leaving behind three marks.

The first strike barely scratched three feet into the stone tablet, the second strike barely scratched six feet deep, and the third and last strike went nine feet deep.

Since the stone tablet was nine feet thick, it was possible to see through the other side.

It was also mentioned that the stone tablet had the mysterious ability to absorb the power of each strike.

However, since the last strike of the God Beast tore through to the other side, the remnant power of that claw spilled out and covered the mountain peak, disallowing any other beast from reaching the peak.

The Ancient God Beast sect was founded with the heritage of the ferocious law contained within the beast claw pressure, but it was also said that the members of this ancient sect blasphemed the God Beast by claiming it was the pet of their first ancestor, provoking the remnant will to exterminate them all.

Countless years later, the pressure formed a natural illusion formation of barren mountains ravaged by the ferocious essence of energy.

Junior Brother and company came to the entrance to this illusion formation where they met up with three level 88 divinities, clearly, they were no ordinary High Divinities either.

As a level 68 High Saint, Leonardo was naturally uncomfortable with their heavy presence in such close proximity.

They were two men and one woman, all of them dressed in deep gray garbs similar to Junior Brother's with the overlapping M characters on their backs.

They also wore black face masks with overlapping light gray M characters on the forehead.

Junior Brother passed a similar mask to Leonardo and said, "You might wanna put this on, you don't want anyone to find out that you're a Memento Mori guy."

"Alright," Leonardo didn't hesitate and put the mask on his face. Of course, he didn't wish for his identity as a Memento Mori member to be exposed.

The moment he put the mask on, a black ripple of energy washed over his body. Very quickly, his hair and clothes turned pitch black as the overlapping M characters appeared on his back.

Length grunted with a bit of discomfort, but he knew that it was childish to complain about the color of his clothes.

Maiden 001 seemed to already be prepared as she received a mask from one of the three and put it on without hesitation.

"The little vampire girl doesn't need a mask, she's already a public enemy just like us anyway," Junior Brother said, but everyone else knew this was a mere excuse.

Memento Mori doesn't simply hand out their things to strangers. This also meant that if Leonardo and Maiden 001's identities were exposed, she would be the first and only suspect.

It wouldn't be that difficult for Memento Mori to find the hidden vampire clan and wipe it out of existence then.

Zaylee understood this point and kept silent, she would simply prove herself with actions.

…

In accordance with the marks left behind by the ancient beasts, the Beast Claw sect had thirty-six grand elders and seventy-two elders.

This was something irrelevant to the cultivation level but it was strictly determined by individual comprehension.

Anyone who could reach the skirts of the mountain without going insane from the ferocious martial intent is qualified as a sect elder while those who can climb to the mountain's waist are qualified as grand elders.

Other than the elders and grand elders, the sect had a group of grand protectors determined based on the cultivation level.

The grand protectors were always in secluded cultivation while elders handled the matters between the sect and the two factions outside; the martial world and the secular world.

At this moment, the seventy-two elders responsible for the secular world affairs gathered in one of the great halls to discuss their recent interactions with the great officials of the Lush Skirts Plains Province.

Other than the elders, there were three people dressed in layers of black that obscured their figures and faces while blocking their spiritual sense.

These three simply stood to the side while waiting for their turn at the table of discussion.

"I received a flying sword message from Greenheart City inquiring whether our outer sect disciples are helping the rise of a new official. If yes, they demand we stop harming the interests of 'some' people… While if no, they are offering to hire our disciples to keep watch for anyone completing four-star missions near Greenheart City for the next two decades." A middle-aged High Divinity elder spoke up, his brows furrowed while crossing his arms.

Another elder hummed for a moment while knocking on the armrest of his chair, "I got the news that a great official is behind this request. Not only that, but he relayed his intentions to multiple hidden sects the past few days, clearly feeling threatened."

Everyone immediately understood what the elder meant. If they refused while other hidden sects agreed, they might be framed as the sect helping in the shadows, and that great figure would find it to be too easy manipulating the other hidden sects into destroying them.

An elder sneered, "Those city great figures look down on our hidden sects too much! Do they really think we're scared of them?! What can they do to us on our home ground?!"

Someone immediately countered with a sigh, "You might not fear them, but if they coerce the other officials against hiring our sect members, we will lose out on a lot of resources and ether fragments."

That elder was lost for words.

"There's also this other question everyone seemed to overlook," an aged elder in the corner spoke up, his heavy eyelids twitching a bit.

"What would that be?"

The other elders looked at this old man in confusion.

"It's clear that our hidden sect isn't responsible for supporting that rising official, and I'm confident that the other hidden sects won't make this foolish mistake of supporting a new official to disturb the delicate relationship between the hidden sects and the secular factions…"

Everyone came to a sudden enlightenment.

If even the great figures in the city couldn't see through this mysterious official, wouldn't that mean…

The elders suddenly felt hot and suffocated, as though caught in someone's scheme to be used.

"That great figure wants to use our power to probe the background of that official. Clearly, we can't simply be used, but we can't ignore this predicament either…" The old man coughed lightly and continued.