CHAPTER 3: KINGDOM CRISIS I
While lleus was drowning in his sorrow,
70km from the capital;
In an underground secret building in a dense forest filled with origin beasts, guards could be seen patrolling with strict discipline and vigilance.
With close scrutiny notice that the strength of the guards here was the middle stage of blood condensation realm (4-6 stages) with early stage mortal transcendents leading them to guard indicating they were serving powerful people.
On the second level of the underground structure, in one of the luxurious rooms, a number of young men could be seen in groups discussing their own matters. In the centre of the room five young looking men were sitting by a luxuriously looking table chatting with powerful auras.
"Drake, what do you think about why we were brought us here hurriedly?" A young man with sharp eyes, sharp jawline and a pale white looking face asked the young man in black suit sitting in a relaxed manner sipping red win made with grade 2 materials.
"Listen Jaden, I will not say it again, my father does not tell me such things, so I don't know anything about this. We were all there when we were all called to come here, so I think you should stop asking me about this and relax." Drake retorted to Jaden.
"Yeah Jaden,... I think you should stop. What are pestering about. Or are you worried about that girlfriend of yours." Another man in luxurious looking clothes with inscriptions written on it said.
"Aren't you worried about not knowing what is happening outside right now. I know we have come here before but come on... we have been here for three to four days now, with all digital access shut down, how do you think I should calm down about this?" Jaden asked annoyed.
"Then why don't you go down and ask your father about it?" The moment this was said all the people in the room who were also listening including the five young men sitting around the table turn and looked at the young man sitting at the small luxurious bar in the room, sipping a top grade 2 wine which non of the men here can drink now ,at least with their present cultivation radiating aura and power. This young man was called Kraden, the brother of Drake who Jaden has been pestering.
Jaden not wanting to be out shined and humbled by Kraden, the strongest of their generation,(they did not talk to lleus much, so they didn't know his strength) still tried to convince everyone that something significant was brewing, but Kraden did not say anything again and continued to sip his wine. But deep down he also knew that some thing was terrifyingly wrong, since they had never been outside the capital for so long .
While the younger generation was arguing and speculating, on the third underground level, in a room full of mature aura unlike the on the upper level, this one only had a single large round table eight beautifully decorated chairs on which sat eight strong looking men conversing in a tensed atmosphere.
"Brother Jake, have the information been received" said a middle aged man in fine stylish clothes.
"Brother Wes relax, we will be receiving it in any moment from now, stop being anxious. You are a duke for goodness sake" said another in an elegant suit.
"Hmp, who asked you to say anything Vamdis?" Duke Wes retorted sharply at Marquis Vamdis."
"hahahah, are you going to tell me not to speak because you are a Duke?. Don't, apart from the title, strength matters the most in the kingdom. if you have the guts, lets take it to the arena." Marquis Vamdis spoke with confidence and a smirk on his lips while starring at Duke Wes provokingly.
Duke Wes who saw this gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger. 'Just because you have currently have the same cultivation base as me (mid-level earth realm expert) , you think you can compete with me? You wait, i will show you why your family has not being able to take the position of Duke from us even after hundreds of years..'