Apotheosis

Lincoln had given him directions in his message. Zen and Freya traveled through Auspice City and after a few minutes found themselves in a commoners' district.

People from different levels and social status lived in the area. Most of them were ordinary people, but some of the wealthiest men were able to afford to hire some martial artists who served as guards to their houses. Thus, low-level martial artists, such as those in the Illuminating Soul Realm, could be seen occasionally.

In this kind of setting, the arrival of two martial artists of the Soul Sea Realm was something that immediately attracted curious gazes.

Young boys watched Zen and Freya with yearning. The auras that surrounded the two were far stronger and more arresting than those of the martial artists they usually saw. Soon, these boys trailed behind them, no doubt attracted to their energy.

A frown appeared in Freya's face even as she followed closely after Zen. She did not understand why they were in this place.

They walked for a short distance. Then, a large manor came into their sight. A fat landlord bowed respectfully at the entrance, leading the two into the manor.

He was one of the affluent merchants in this region. That was what common people thought. All of his wealth would amount to no more than one or two thousand supreme life vitality crystals- a number that, to martial artists, was not even worth mentioning. However, it was quite an accomplishment for an ordinary mortal to earn this much without a martial artist's ability. After all, this was the rough equivalent to the annual expenditure of a third-grade clan.

The landlord did not know who Zen was. None of the several martial artists that he hired to guard his house did, either. They could not even tell Zen's and Freya's cultivation levels, more so their identities. All the landlord knew was that the two had unimaginable strength. For a mere mortal, he possessed shrewdness that served him well.

He had always treated martial artists with reverence, no matter who or what level they were. Upon their arrival, he would respectfully lead them into his mansion and ask his wife and children to stay in other places in Auspice City, leaving behind some servants to serve his guests. All of this served to his self-interest as well. He knew that with their strength, they could easily turn decades of hard work into dust, and there was no one to help him if that happened.

Zen and Freya were led into a room that seemed like a cellar.

The oil lamps that hung on the wall had all been extinguished, and no lamps provided light. He had been given explicit instructions not to light any lamps, and did not dare to disobey.

Right now, he only wished fo

Lincoln had promised Adrian thirty percent of the secret treasures of the Dark World if he helped Lincoln regain his freedom. Adrian was extremely smart, but his cultivation and strength were far from enough, so he invited those seven brothers to come together.

They were independent warriors from the Upper World. Upon receiving the invitation, they found out that the one who was able to open the underground palace was a warrior who was merely at the later stage of the Soul Sea Realm. It wounded their pride, and they began to hold Lincoln in contempt. Moreover, they would get only thirty percent of secret treasures, which was far from enough for them.

To their surprise, Lincoln had invited Zen in addition to Adrian and themselves. This newcomer's cultivation level was even lower. What right did he have to get a portion?

Adrian's words worked. He had managed to persuade the two sides and the tension on the atmosphere thawed out.

Of course, the seven brothers didn't want Zen with them. He was a nobody. However, only Lincoln knew the way to enter the underground palace. With Adrian's persuasion, they had no choice but to temporarily restrain their tempers.

Lincoln had a fiery disposition, but he had always been a man of his word. He had promised Adrian thirty percent, and temporarily set aside his own anger. "The complexity of the underground palace far surpasses your imagination. Before we enter it, we need to make some preparations. We can't set out without being fully prepared," he said, more calmly now.

He knew very well that they would have to fight against the evil energy in the underground palace. After devising a good plan, they left the mansion and headed to Auspice City to secure some items. Then, they gathered once again at the place that Lincoln had designated.