King Risselle was not a man of complex politics or strategy, but his battle instincts were terrifying. He had progressed further than anyone in their bloodline in many generations. His eldest daughter was even more monstrous in that respect.
Yet, he trusted his instincts for all of his life. He knew long ago the practice of marrying the lower royals to the beast lords was necessary but undesired in many ways. Still, he had not lied to his children that their ti could co.
He knew the terrible price it would bring them but they needed the beasts to guard the areas their kingdom did not reach. There had been many tis invaders had co and only the power of the beasts kept them at bay.
It was not only wicked powers or bandits but legitimate powers trying to get their resources improved.
Fallen lands were treasure troves even in the new age of tainted Qi. Maybe especially so.
He knew his father had weathered the initial storm with his other children but the results had been clear even then. Over the last million years, the various branches of the royal family had shrunken drastically due to those marriages.
There were spare royals still single that were fulfilling roles in the kingdom but they could be replaced as he had finally been able to have children.
Now, it was his children's turn but things had gone awry.
His son, currently ranked 5th, had gone to Lord Erald Immortal and a storm had been unleashed on the palace.
He had known the man was strong but the sheer authority and power left him in awe. He wanted to fight with him! He wanted it more than anything but the fact Lord Erald Immortal could tear through space despite their formations was terrifying.
Even before the Corruption swept the 2nd layer, the formations locked the space inside the capital alone yet the Erald Immortal did it without an issue!
His father had been taken during a eting like it was nothing!
Now, a day after, he learned such a powerful being was in charge of the 5 beast lords!
The powers that had only allied with his kingdom under duress were under the command of a single being like it was nothing. Yet he had heard Lady Chu had gone after her husband with a vengeance.
"So, we no longer have to send off my children?" He was in a private room with only his father and no one else. The older man nodded as he looked older by centuries just standing there.
When he took over before the fall, they had imagined a bright future for the kingdom but the Corruption had robbed them of all their plans.
Later, when the bloodline array was exposed, they realized many people had died for no reason and they were luckier than most thanks to the crystal that seed to act as an inhibitor to the array.
King Risselle went over the quick report that the border of the fallen land had been extended to the new border of the 'lower' lands now too. The purifying effect once restricted to the original floating lands was now covering it all!
The village overlords reported ease with cultivation they had never felt before and again it was thanks to Lord Erald Immortal.
"So what exactly has happened in the villa since then?" After Lady Chu slapped the Erald Immortal, no one had seen him despite a full day passing.
"As I understand things, Lord Erald Immortal was not supposed to strain himself in any way but now that he has, he is under strict observance of Lady Chu." King Risselle found it almost hilarious but then he recalled his own wife and shivered.
She was a force of nature he could never defy if angered. He almost pitied the man but then addressed the issue of how he healed the 5 beast lords without effort.
"Your Majesty, an envoy from Lord Erald Immortal has arrived." A servant poked their head into the open air training arena. It was the place most likely to find him when not dying slowly inside during noble etings.
The King nodded as both n returned to a private eting hall. It was a smaller affair for simpler or personal matters that did not need a full noble audience. The king sat on a simple stone throne carved from the volcano rock itself.
It was tempered by the sa Laws they comprehended and could act as an amplifier. It was a simple trick many rulers used that never seed to occur to possible assassins or attackers.
The whitened head of the old World Realm man ca in. He wore simple robes but King Risselle felt all his instincts scream at him. He had thought so before but if Lord Erald Immortal was a storm without end, the simple old man was a knife in the dark.
Despite the chasm of strength between them, King Risselle was only 50% certain he would survive attacking him.
The old man bowed low before smiling at them.
"This one brings a few ssages. First, my Master apologizes for his overbearing nature as his temper is rarely riled, yet there is one thing to keep in mind for the future." Oz looked deadly serious at that mont.
"People are not things." It was a simple and often naive statent but King Risselle was just reminded that such simple beliefs held by powerful people could beco pillars of power.
His old man beca uncomfortable but neither man could profess innocence.
"That being said, survival drives us all to extres. Ultimately, the Fiends will be held accountable but know my Master is not happy about any further secrets on that bottom line." The King nodded as he could accept it.
If they wanted to benefit from this agreent, it was actually rather cheap. Even nobles that would decry such an agreent normally would happily out their more nefarious mbers to get benefits.
"While I know we would make the sa choice again in the sa circumstances, please deeply thank your master for freeing us from this burden." Oz seed amused as a jade slip appeared.
"There is a thod in here to use the Law Crystal to maintain the effects he did on the beast lords and other Immortals. The effect will vary since there is no mind behind it, but he did state that if Princess Fyre can master her new abilities, she may be able to replicate it as well." Shock flooded his veins!
His heir could do the sa thing in ti?! How?! He sunk his senses into the slip but it was gibberish to him. He tossed the slip to his old man who sighed with his eyes. Rolling his eyes was forbidden and sighing was not good either but his old man had long revealed all his facial tics to him!
Oz did not move but waited as there seed to be more.
"Did Lord Erald Immortal have more for us?" A chuckle from Oz as he shook his head.
"My Master likely wishes to do more but he has to do penance first. I am afraid he will not be available but my Lady wished to convey another issue as she is, um, how do I put this politely?" Oz scratched the side of his face before a smile spread across it from ear to ear. "Love sick puppies are no longer welco so get it resolved now."
The King was confused. He did not understand but he saw a smirk flash across his old man's face. What was going on?!
His confusion seed clear to both old n who simply nodded as if that was the end of the discussion!
Oz bowed and was turning to leave when the King could no longer suppress himself.
"Wait." It was only a request but Oz slowly turned back to resu his bow until spoken to. The King had acted on instinct and he wanted to know.
"There once was a legendary assassin. He was rumored to be an old monster that no one could stop once they were chosen to die. It was said he had so principles but any contract would be honored. He was known as the Inevitable Slumber Immortal." There was no flinch on the wrinkled face but the eyes were pointed to the floor.
"I have heard of such a man but only in legends, Majesty. I was not an innocent man before I was enslaved and my Master knows that. He has used my knowledge to get a better picture of the darkness which included such rumors." The King found that response odd. It acknowledged the shady history of the old man in front of him but a Diamond Tier should not be a threat to an Immortal.
Yet, his instincts scread at him, danger was in front of him!
"I always wondered what happened as after the Corruption it was like he vanished. Many breathed a sigh of relief but I always wanted to fight him. I wanted to know if I could." Oz made no move and no sound. It was not just a pause, it was like the world tried to swallow his presence even from the power of Immortals.
"Was there sothing you wanted to ask, your Majesty?" The King paused but then shook his head.
"Never mind, it was simply a whim." Oz bowed lower, turned and left. The King's crimson eyes narrowed as he noticed the old man refused to look at him. He turned back to his father and asked for confirmation.
"What was that old monster's na?" A Dao title could be chosen, earned, or given by the masses. It was such for that assassin as he never claid such a na.
"My spies always kept an eye out for dangerous individuals but understand I only have a slight lead, my son. The last I knew, before he was given his Dao title, the legendary assassin had used another na. A na he chose to give publicly." The old and current king looked after the shadow of the old man walking away.
"Ozymandias." The King felt a chill down his spine but it left a mystery. Oz was a peak Diamond Tier without question. So if he was the fad assassin, what had happened to him? There was no chance of getting answers but the King felt his instincts were right.
If so, that left one last question. Just who was the Erald Immortal that the Heavens granted him such stunningly powerful allies in such a small group?!
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