Immortal Kingdoms



Shock resided in Emily's eyes, albeit not in a positive light. 

She felt skeptical about Leonardo's boasting. She asked about the duration in correlation to the temporary measure intending to test what kind of a martial intent was Leonardo's innate ability. 

Innate martial intents were beyond the laws dictated by a plane. Thus, they were exalted as profound and mysterious. However, no matter how exalted they were, these were just rumors and word of mouth. 

Leonardo could tell how disappointed Emily was and couldn't help but shrug and say, "It's for your own good; your body hadn't been augmented with the necessary bloodline to wield this power and it would only do you harm if you used it extensively. In the best-case scenario, your brain would crumble under the pressure… Ah— whatever… Just wait and you'll understand on your own." 

Emily's lips thinned behind her mask, even a mask couldn't hide the displeasure in her expression. 

"Fine," she snorted coldly, picking a direction and shooting off like a falling star yet there was no theatrics such as a sonic boom, rattling wind, and space quacking. 

As Leonardo understood how valuable stealth was in this operation, he also shot silently after Emily not relying on speed but rather a movement technique. 

Wherever his spiritual domain reached, he could take a step into the void and walk out from the other end. 

Emily was ever so annoyed to see Leonardo walking languidly by her side, even though she understood while she was taxing her ether essence, the latter was likewise taxing his spiritual essence. 

With the stars in their backdrop, the two quickly crossed over the Xia Sector and kept moving toward the power responsible for keeping a balance check on the former, the Renhuang Sector. 

… 

The Renhuang Sector was a boiling hubbub as of recently as they had received the delegates from the ever-silent Qing Sector. The two military bases had a line of three houses between them and hence, their track history of communication was rather bleak. 

Not many houses had the 'ideal' geographical disadvantage like House Qing, placing them in a tightly knitted formation between three houses, respectively speaking the Xias, Freyas, and Levis.

The foot soldiers might be unaware of the chaotic situation that riddled the alliance of seven ancient families, but they could still smell the gunpowder in the air due to their years and years of honing a soldier's instincts. 

The outer area of the sector had an inkling, the inner area of the sector was discussing in hushed whispers, and the core area of the sector was boiling over with discussions within the confines of the hidden dimensions. 

This was a hidden dimension of mountains and rivers, each mountain housing an array of lavish pavilions, unlike the modern architecture of solid buildings and towering pagodas. 

In a particularly conspicuous pavilion due to the powerful auras twisting space from within and out sat a group of formidable great figures. 

On his high throne, the Commanding General of the Renhuang Sector sat with a devastating waterfall in his backdrop, but the crashing tides and violent currents of this waterfall seemed awfully docile and quiet, not a hint of sound could penetrate the invisible wall of his presence. 

There was no aura about him whatsoever, but the laws in the dimension seemed rather apprehensive, taking the initiative to bend and twist reality into favorable terms for his comfort. A silver longsword stabbed into the ground by his right side, a few inches away from his resting arm. 

This man sat quietly as he watched the left-wing advisor who wore a silver mask discussing back and forth with the officials of the military. This was a man who acknowledged strength above all else but had a fleet of formidable minds working under him. 

From their speech, he understood the cunning nature of the Qing Sector and had tolerated their existence as an extra pawn on this chessboard. He hadn't expected the Qing Sector to seek an alliance with his Renhuang Sector, and quite honestly, he didn't care. 

Roxfield had always been and will forever be a man of few words and fewer actions, but his actions would have an everlasting impression on his peers of the same era. This particular trait about the mighty swordsman is what drew Leonardo's attention to this military base. 

He knew that no matter how eloquent the advisors beneath this man were, in his eyes, mortals would forever be mortals. Anyone below the rebirth realm in the eyes of such experts was mortal. 

As he silently watched the left-wing advisor wax beautifully the image of a powerful alliance between strength and intelligence, with the latter provided by the Qing Sector, he almost lost his patience and waved the meeting off with a hand. 

He didn't care how intelligent a soldier was, he only valued strength and loyalty. Furthermore, he understood the more intelligent someone was and that the further they understood the bigger picture, the more their hearts would waver. Stupid men had the brave heart to own up to their stupid decisions while smarter men lacked the drive.

They had that sense of self-confidence to always find themselves a way out, even at the cost of treason and treachery. 

Just as he was about to wave his hand, a pulse irked at his spiritual sense, altering him ever-so-slightly. 

The pulse of two powerful auras rippled in the skies of his military base, and he stood up in response. 

He took his sword in hand, hoisted it on his waist, draped over his thick military cape, and stepped out into thin air. 

Moments after he disappeared, everyone turned to glance at their Commanding General who was seated above with some suspicion in their eyes. 

"Your Eminence…" someone started talking, but at this time, the afterimage of the seated Roxfield crumbled away and dissipated. 

Everyone gasped collectively while the left-wing advisor's expression darkened, feeling as though he had screwed up this task.

With a silent boom, air quacked on a mountaintop in the rear regions of the Renhuang Sector, and a tall man of robust features walked out from the void and stood in a locked triangle formation with two young figures, their faces concealed behind intricate masks. 

… 

Roxfield's aura which resembles a tumultuous ocean suddenly stalled, a glint of hostility in his dark eyes as he leveled a gaze toward Emily. 

Even as he did so, he swept a cautious glance at Leonardo who stood silently to the side as though he was but a bystander. The caution in the man's eyes didn't escape Emily's perception, giving her a silent shock. 

She was no warrior and lacked the instinct of one, but she wasn't stupid. She understood that concept very well and she suddenly felt irritated that Roxfield sensed greater danger from Leonardo than he had from her, a peer from the same era. 

"Lord Renhuang," Emily started with a faint allure in her tone, the soft white dress she wore fluttering in the wind that caressed this mountaintop. 

"Lady Qing," Roxfield responded after withdrawing his gaze from Leonardo. 

"What is the meaning of this?"

He asked heavily, thinking that she was about to shed pretense and ambush him. However, he was confident he could lay Emily to waste while blocking the other young man from wreaking havoc in his military base while calling for support from the other sectors. 

He might be strong but he wasn't an idiot. 

He understood when he was overpowered and when he was in a position of power quite clearly. 

"We are here to extend an olive branch to Your Eminence, Lord Renhuang… Join us in an alliance to overturn this province," even as Emily was about to take the soft approach, Leonardo spoke up from behind his mask in a flat tone. 

Emily's heart dropped. 

As expected, Roxfield's aura grew intensely sharper as space within his immediate surroundings began to twist and churn under the influence of his battle intent. 

Who in this world would dare claim to extend an olive branch to him? 

His Renhuang Sector was one of the three core forces tying down the imperial family from sweeping clean the alliance of seven families. 

Not even His Majesty would dare talk down to him in such a manner, let alone a brat who had just achieved rebirth. Indeed, Leonardo's aura signified a Tier 5 cultivator in Roxfield's perception. 

Leonardo pretended to be overwhelmed by the aura as he struggled to say, "None of you understands the true power of Her Eminence Lady Qing!" 

Boom! 

A wave of ether essence crashed down on Leonardo. 

Boom! 

Emily stood in front of Leonardo and with a wave of her sleeve, the energy dispersed. Like every higher power in the Black Market, Emily enjoyed dual martial intents, one in the light and one in the shadows. 

"If you don't believe it, Your Eminence Lord Renhuang… How about a five-second spar?" 

Leonardo steadied himself from the 'overwhelming' presence and proposed, panting heavily as he did so. 

Emily's eyes twitched, but she didn't speak. 

She knew she wasn't powerful in a direct clash, but she understood that this proposal was practically a fight between Leonardo and Roxfield. In fact, it was a fight between the former's martial intent and the latter's wealth of combat experience. 

"What are the stakes?" 

Lord Renhuang kept his silence for a moment after failing to probe Leonardo's depth, then he posed a question.