Seth and Valic passed through the city, heading towards the mountain where the Demon Imperial Castle was.
When they were getting near, it was already possible to see that there was a very big building, protected by a lot of strong practitioners at the foot of the mountain. It was a building that had a teleportation channel connected with the entrance of the Demonic Shadow Royal Clan. A person could directly go to the castle atop the mountain when using it.
Why was there the need for something like that? Because the ten thousand meters tall mountain, was littered with traps and dark magical beasts.
That was the first defensive mechanism protecting the people that lived inside that castle. Not that they would need that kind of protection, but it would serve to deter any practitioner that wasn't right on their minds from trying to approach the castle. There was another function for it as well. It was a display of power, showing for any other external powers that the Demonic Shadow Royal Clan was supreme.
Valic and Seth used the teleport formation, to directly cross those rivers of traps, appearing a hundred meters in front of a huge black metallic door. To be able to use the formation, Valic had to take out a round and black object and unseal it, or else it would serve for no purpose at all. The guards stationed around that building didn't even dare to block Valic and Seth's path. They knew whose characters they were and all they did, was to respectfully greet them.
After passing through that metallic gate, the rich and frigid dark element was the first thing they felt. The quality of the darkness attribute around there was something hard to find on any other part of the entire continent. Seth felt that within this environment, he could endlessly display his skills, without feeling spent at all. That was because now, he had a perfect control over his Mana, making it enhance his dark abilities too.
Instead of taking the main passageway, Seth took a side route, going towards a distant place.
"Where are you going? Aren't you going to report to master?" Valic asked.
"Well, I'm just taking a stroll before going to talk with the Demon Emperor." Seth nonchalantly replied.
'That place is...' Valic kept following Seth, even though his task has already been completed.
After some minutes walking through the castle hallways, Seth arrived on a place that seemed to be like a garden, however, the flowers and plants growing here were all dark-colored and were emitting a death aura. This place was not only huge, but exotic too, it was beautiful yet eerie.
Instead of entering the garden directly, he kept observing it for a few minutes.
Valic knew that this was one of the places that the deceased Demon Empress valued the most. And the gardener that took care of this place, was one of the most trusted aids of the Devil Empress. Even after her death, she kept taking care of this garden with assiduity.
A few minutes later, an old woman approached them. It seemed to be the time of the day she would come here to take care of the plants, since she was holding some tools for that purpose.
"Young Master Seth, Mister Valic. Do you need something?" The old woman approached them with a thin smile.
"Miss Petunia, how are you?" Seth smiled back at her.
Valic bowed and said: "Miss Petunia, this old servant greets you."
Petunia was a servant that had more authority than him around here, since she was serving the Demonic Shadow Royal Family even before he started to work here. She was kind of a leader figure for the servants that took care of the palace.
"Sigh... I'm relatively good. Just that my old bones are getting easily tired nowadays."
"I see. You seem to be in a dire need for a rest." Seth replied.
"It is as Young Master is saying. Although I really wanted to rest for these days, I have to prepare some things for the visitors."
"Well, if you make sure to clean everything today, those who comes to visit tomorrow, will be able to appreciate it in peace." After saying those words Seth looked directly at her eyes.
"I'll certainly do it, Young Master." Petunia nodded, confirming that she would accomplish that.
"That's good then." Seth said with a smile.
Valic was thoroughly lost with their conversation. 'Why would Seth bother if the garden is clean? Is it possible that he wants that those Lion's Pride Golden Palace visitors to appreciate it?' All he could think, was that Seth wanted to impress those visitors with their hospitality.
"Let's go Valic, bring me towards master."
"Alright, Young Master. Excuse us, Miss Petunia."
Valic brought Seth towards a room located in the inner-parts of the castle. It was a relatively humble room that had a wooden door and no windows. However, a single look at it, would make one feel that this room was mysterious and profound.
"Young Master, please go in. I'll stay outside, waiting. Master has already been notified of your arrival." Valic bowed and stepped aside.
'Sigh...' Seth inwardly sighed and entered the room.
The room was more like a study room, full of old books and shelves. There was a wooden table on a corner, where a calm man was sitting on a chair nearby it. His appearance was a bit old, but he still had some vitality, his face seemed to always have an amicable semblance, but Seth could not help but feel apprehension before him.
That man was actually reading a book and did not stop reading it to greet his disciple.
Seth did not try to stop him too, letting he finish the reading. The aura he could feel from that person was able to suppress him in a single second. He knew that he could not hide his cultivation from his master, the difference between them was so vast that any attempt of hiding it, would be futile.
Seth took his bracelet off, since it meant nothing before his master and it wasn't his objective, to hide his strength from the Demon Emperor.
"Hm? So, you are a Mana Control initial-stage realm cultivator now? Impressive." An abnormal glint passed through his eyes.
The Demon Emperor continued: "I bet you must have come across some good opportunities at that barren place, right?" He was referring to the Blazing Phoenix Sect.
"Indeed, master. I entered the Fire Labyrinth and came across a huge opportunity. Well, it was to be expected, since it is a really mythical place." Seth said with no interest to give any deeper details.
"You do not need to tell me anything. I just wanted you to know that the Lion's Pride Golden Palace is coming to visit tomorrow and I plan to announce an alliance with them, however, I want to increase the gains from our alliance with them. For that, you will need to defeat their Young Master in a fight. But that should not be a problem, since you already a Mana Control cultivator. Give me your bracelet, I'll infuse my Mana inside it and it will be able to hide your real cultivation from their eyes. I don't want them refusing the fight just because you're leagues ahead of their trump "Lion Knight"."
Seth gave his master the bracelet he usually used to conceal his cultivation level.
The Demon Emperor took that bracelet and casually infused his Mana inside. However, the flux of energy was so fierce and rich, that Seth was having a hard time to even breath normally.
Seth felt that if he used his mana to attack, it would be possible to blast the entire Demon Imperial City to smithereens. That was the power of a Mana Sovereign cultivator. Something able to change the landscape.
The Demon Emperor stopped and gave Seth the bracelet back.
"Done, it will be able to fool even their "Lion King" senses for the time being."
Seth took the bracelet and put it on. It was a gift he received from someone and he treasure it.
"Is there anything else, master?"
"Nothing for now, you can go and rest. Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day."
"Excuse me then." Seth left the room and went towards his own room inside this immense castle.
He would really be taking the day off to rest, since he wanted to be prepared for tomorrow.
The Demon Emperor closed his book and kept musing over some things. There was a dangerous grin on his face and it seemed he was making some plans.
'As if a person could go from the Mana Perception initial-stage realm to the Mana Control initial-stage realm within half an year.'
"Valic, come in!"
Valic opened the door and directly knelt on the ground.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I want you to go back to the Blazing Phoenix Sect and observe if there is going to be any changes happening there. If you ever feel something out of the ordinary, report it back. Other than that, give me a detailed information about his moves when he was at that place."
"Yes, I'll do it."
While the Demon Emperor kept passing some instructions for his servant, Seth was already inside his own room.. He was eager for tomorrow to come; however, it was for a different reason than the other people.
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