Immortal Kingdoms

As Leonardo expected, by the next day, word had been transmitted to the various factions in Valdmor to distance themselves from the conflict between Xavier and Leonardo. Furthermore, the orders were passed down directly from the high crowns, leaving no room for discussion whatsoever.

It was said that when the orders were passed down, Andrew had a fit of anger and ended up directly killing three of his attendants then and there. As for Mason, the businessman was awfully silent. Jeffery was told by Leonardo to withdraw from the contest for the energy vein and keep to himself as any gains during the calm before the storm was akin to a fleeting cloud.

They can toss their net around it but they'd never be able to hold it down.

As the news of the incoming conflict of tigers spread through the upper echelons of Arcadia, the civil unrest began to creep into the day-to-day lives of the common populace, especially in the lawless Forbidden Domain.

Skirmishes riddled the forsaken land.

Man killing beastkin.

Beastkin killing elven.

Elven killing man.

Man killing man.

It was like the previous chaos wasn't enough as a massive dark hand, or perhaps several dark hands began to steer the public opinion in various directions.

Curiously enough though, the small settlement renowned as a home for the vilest of convicts throughout the domain was exceptionally peaceful.

Its people are well dressed and well fed, their sins bond them together as citizens bred from the ugliness in humanity, only for a trace of compassion to bubble in their hearts.

The people of the lower rugs are thankful to a white-robed scholar they mention in their prayers as Godfather Leonardo, while those of enough influence and power remained indifferent to it all. To them, Leonardo's charity was just a surplus and not a necessity.

In the depths of the settlement was a massive, bulky figure running through the dilapidated buildings, his destination a wrecked building teetering on the edge of collapse.

Once within close proximity to the building, his footsteps grew lighter and more cautious, as though afraid to bring the entire thing crumbling down.

Once inside, he made his way downstairs to a well-preserved basement floor linked to a long, spiral staircase headed underground.

Without a source of luminosity, almost instinctively, this man descended the staircase. The further down he went, the colder he felt.

His thick skin and explosive muscles did little to ward off the biting cold.

Frost began to coat his bronze skin with each step, plumes of vapor discharging with each of his heavy breaths.

It was unknown how long it had been but the man's bronze skin was already a deep shade of blue. With each step, ice clattered on the ground from his body, and he could hear the sound of ice shattering around his joints and tendons.

He was muttering and cursing at the start, but he didn't have the strength to even do that anymore. His only aim was to trudge forward stubbornly.

Eventually, he entered a spacious room with a high platform with an altar at its center. On the high platform sat six old men in white robes, their hair resting on the ground, eyes closed, and hands in a particular seal while pointing at the altar.

The six old men were maintaining a Six-Pointed David Star formation around the altar. As for the altar, it housed a rectangular block of ice nine feet long, three feet wide, and two feet high.

Inside the block of ice rested a middle-aged woman of peerless beauty. She had a river of midnight black hair, smooth skin, and sharp features. However, there were little to no fluctuations of life radiating from her being.

Nonetheless, six streams of energy flowed from the six old men and into the altar, causing some strange symbols to pulsate off the ice. These symbols seemed ancient yet modern, strange yet familiar, meaningless yet profound…

Furthermore, if one was to pay close attention to the fluctuations of those energy streams, one would be shocked that each stream contained enough essence and laws to be categorized under high sainthood.

However, the muscular man barely saw anything before his vision went dark and he collapsed on the ground, frozen to the core.

Luckily, before this ice statue smashed into the solid ground, a black streak of light shot from a hidden corner and carried the man all the way back to the ground floor.

A moment later, the man drew in a deep breath while he went through a violent fit of coughing.

Trembling, this muscular man looked up at the handsome middle-aged man dressed in black in front of him.

The middle-aged man shook his head as he patted the other man's back, relieving him from the cold and pain effortlessly.

"Muscle head Henry, how many times must I tell you not to descend the staircase? Your cultivation is already wasted, are you looking to die that badly?"

This pitiful man was Henry, the ruffian that saw Leona and Kieran off with Leonardo the other day.

"Can't be helped, I've got urgent news."

Henry sat up, thanking his lucky stars that his friend was in that room.

The middle-aged man is no other than the mysterious figure from House Eternus, who also happened to be the biological father to Leona and Kieran.

"What news could be so bad you almost died to deliver? What if I wasn't in that room just now?" The man from House Eternus rolled his eyes impatiently.

"This planet is about to become the focal point of a storm involving at least two houses from the higher realms, and that brat Leonardo is in the heart of it all!" Henry reported, being short of breath.

"Oh? That's all?" The man raised his eyebrows, not particularly interested.

"You Eternus bastard!" Henry raged, exasperated. He stood up despite his weakness and throttled the other man, his eyes red, "Don't you care for the little brats?!"

The other man was throttled so much he began to see the midday stars in the sky, almost tripping over his own feet.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Relax! The two of them are in safe hands!"

The man in black struggled himself free, adjusted his collar, and sighed.

"I can sense a familiar aura on that Leonardo brat, furthermore…" He was about to mention the little fox that even gave him a sense of danger but decided against it.

"Oh?" Henry was somewhat baffled, "You mean to say he's also a plan-…Hmmmfff!"

"Shut up you fool!" The man immediately covered Henry's mouth, glaring at him.

"If you mention that term in front of me, or speak my name, this whole planet is done for! Why else would I keep my identity a secret?" The man rolled his eyes.

Henry also realized he almost made a grave mistake, his expression turning pale with fright. Seeing that the muscle head calmed down, the man referred to as Eternus relaxed and released him.

"Well, if things are about to get lively, I better grab myself a first-row seat!" Eternus patted Henry's shoulder and went around him.

It took Henry a second to register the meaning of those words. Shocked, he turned around to inquire about Eternus' destination, but the man was already gone.

Enraged, Henry could only swallow his anger and strut away, cursing.

"Fucking Eternus Bastard!"