'Just imagining all the delicious loot that would be huddled into one spot…' Knox thought, a creepy laugh escaping his lips. 'It's enough to make me drool, haha!!'
"???" "???" "???"
Noticing his audience, his expression instantly returned to neutrality. "You guys are still here?" he asked calmly, almost as if he had become an entirely different person from just a moment ago. "Go back to doing whatever you were doing. Also, it appears that I'll be temporarily heading out very soon, so take care of my cave abode while I'm gone."
Although still in shock from everything that had just happened, the Voidborn Elders found it in themselves to bow at a steep angle. A number of their decrepit bones creaked and cracked, but they ignored the pain for the sake of their continual chance at living.
"We'll do as you command, Sect Leader!"
"Don't call me Sect Leader," Knox ordered. "Why would I want to be the Leader of you bunch of idiots??"
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
Knox stared blankly at them.
However, after realizing he'd never get through to these boneheads, he sighed before turning around and teleporting away.
His destination: wherever the largest commotion was.
— Outside a giant pit in the ground, where huge violent tendrils of energy wildly fluctuated in and above it —
Tens of thousands of cultivators had flocked to the Devilstar Secret Realm as soon as they received the news. More than half the Sects in the Water Kingdom had joined in on the fun, bringing with them Spirit Ships and their best geniuses.
In a certain corner of the gathering spot, cultivators garbed in cloud-adorned blue robes were conversing with one another. As the conversation went on, however, their expressions underwent many changes.
"You're saying that your requisition of a small territory failed because of the interference of a Senior whose cultivation you couldn't discern?"
A Nascent Soul Realm Skycloud Palace Elder stood before the dozen or so disciples that had escaped Knox Falazar. His arms were folded behind his back, his gaze one of extreme intensity and profoundness.
When his thinned eyes fell on the ragged Lead Disciple, a frown formed.
"Rolo, do you have anything you wish to say for yourself?"
Rolo—the Lead Disciple—felt more shame than he had ever felt. Thinking back on the sequence of events, it was more than a little suspicious that the Senior Cultivator hadn't revealed his cultivation.
But regardless of whatever the Senior was hiding, the fact remained that Rolo had lost without even fighting…
"Please forgive this lowly one, Master!" Rolo shouted as he whacked his forehead against the ground, creating vibrational waves in the dirt. "Punish me however Master sees fit! This one will graciously accept whatever comes!!"
Nodding in satisfaction, the Nascent Soul Realm Elder forcefully pulled Rolo up with his Innate Energy. "There's no need for you to go so far," he said benevolently. "As long as you understand what you've done wrong, that is good enough for me. Now… This Senior you encountered—did he seem stronger than your Master?"
Rolo shook his head. "No, Master. Although the Senior was far stronger than me, his methods appeared too rudimentary. Almost as if he were limited to the Foundation Establishment Realm. With Master being in the Late Nascent Soul Realm, there's no way he'd be your match!"
"Good, good," the Elder tapped Rolo's shoulder. "Don't worry, then; your Master will avenge you. That mysterious cultivator shall learn to revere the status that our Skycloud Palace holds."
"Thank you, Master!"
GWORP! GWORP! GWORP!
Phasing in from the distance was another fleet of Spirit Ships, some smaller or larger than others. The quality of them also varied from hoisted insignia to insignia.
"The Buford Count Family has arrived!"
"Jade Water Pavilion has arrived!"
"Thundercloud Temple has arrived!"
"Frozen Lotus Palace has arrived!"
"Dharma..."
As the Faction Announcer called out over twenty prestigious Faction names, the cultivators from Skycloud Palace Sect and the other minor organizations watched with rapt attention. It wasn't very often that they could see a single First-rate Faction, let alone so many in one place.
The exploration of the Devilstar Secret Realm was beneficial to lower cultivators in more ways than one. For starters, it provided them with the chance to witness what the best of the Water Kingdom's powerhouses looked like.
After reading off a long list of new arrivals, the Faction Announcer took a longer-than-normal pause. Then he announced two very unexpected names:
"The Falazar Count Family has arrived!"
"The Dezmond Duke Family has arrived!"
"!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
"The Falazars as well as the Dezmond Duke Family!?"
"How insane!"
"Am I dreaming right now!? The War-hero Family as well as the Spirit Blacksmithing Duke Family!??"
"What a duo!"
Riding on the front of the Falazar's Spirit Ship was a woman with long black hair that extended below her plump bottom. Though mesmerizingly beautiful, the fiercely annoyed look glued to her face was enough to scare away any potential suitors. Today, more than most, was one where her mood was worse than usual.
As for why Nyx Falazar was so grumpy… Well, it was because of none other than 'him'…
From atop a high-reaching mountain peak, Knox surveyed the scene with interest.
"So this is the gathering spot for the Devilstar Secret Realm?" he mused. "I see a few familiar faces, but considering how angry a few of them look, I'm definitely not introducing myself."
In fact, for this little expedition, he wouldn't even be participating with his normal identity.
FWOOOSH!
Innate Energy wildly swirled around him as his physical appearance underwent a metamorphic change. His otherworldly handsome features were replaced by something far less attractive, though it was still enough for him to be considered charming. His height also decreased by a couple of inches. And to top things off, his aura and presence were completely altered, making him indistinguishable from his Knox Falazar self.
"The Half-step Sky Rank Martial Skill 'Heavenly Camouflage' is truly a wonder," Knox commented while appraising his new form. "It's so good that even I can't tell that I used to look and feel like someone else. Unless a Soul Transformation Realm Expert shows up, I doubt anyone will be able to figure out I'm the Eldest Son of the Falazars."