Yelena was walking through the corridors of an exquisite mansion. Although this mansion may pale in comparison to Duke's and Grand Duke's Mansions. It was the best in the Vrigaipis Marquessate and had a soothing feeling when one walked through the corridors because of the powerful Dao Intent that was exuded by various profound paintings. These paintings usually had pictures of a calm sea and gentle clouds breezing through the winds and various similar paintings that would make anyone relax their minds.
But-
Yelena was tense as she took slow steps. Soon she reached the guest hall that had marvelous white marbles adorning the entire ground, ceiling, and walls. A door came into her view that had beautiful engravings of dragons and phoenixes coiling around majestically.
'Focus Yelena! It is impossible for them to find that I am an Ozonal Demon. All they can do is guess. The probability of them investigating us three is negligible. They will send low-level cultivators to look into this matter first' She took a deep breath to calm down her chaotic emotions.
Although terrified, she tried to reason and find the best outcome possible. 'Even if they find any of us three suspicious, we would be able to escape before they send reinforcements.' She calmed her mind and tried to think of several countermeasures in the worst-case scenario.
A maid, standing by the door, opened the gates to the guest hall upon seeing Yelena.
Yelena felt her knees weak when she saw the two figures inside the room. Her eyes palpitated and her breathing turned haggard. Shock and fear engulfed Yelena when she tried to probe the cultivation of one of the figures.
'We are fucked!' She thought and left herself in the hands of fate.
.......
Sometime later, Kora went back to his room after arduous physical training as he felt reaching closer to Rank-5 Elementary Profound Realm. He laid on the bed to rest...when...
*Knock!* *Knock!*
"Hmm?" Kora was confused, so he got up, and opened the door where a maid was standing.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Guests from the Royal Palace arrived in the Vrigaipis marquessate, Junior Marquess. Marquess has requested for your presence." A maid spoke neutrally.
Kora squinted his eyes a little, but unlike Yelena, he didn't fear death. If he has no chance to escape, then he could only die gracefully and accept his fate while fighting until his last breath.
He moved towards the guest hall with steady breath and an indifferent gaze that seemed to understand the illusions of life and death.
'On the air they rise and fly an invisible course, gathering nothing, storing nothing… Joyous and clear like the lake, still as the stone at the door, free from life and death.' Kora recalled an old saying that meant, 'Observing the natural order is an important part of life. Seeing how not all creatures are tied to fear of death can be empowering,' and he has been enlightened after his own death. He kept moving towards the guest hall with confident steps.
.............
Jazmine who had a silly smile on her face was almost unconscious on the bed. She felt like she was soaring through the seventh heavens as an expression of pure euphoria emblazoned her beautiful face. She was jovial as she felt like she could breakthrough to the Spirit Realm any second and the heavenly pleasure that Kora's techniques brought, made her compare him to Bruce. In every aspect, Kora had conquered her in both body and mind. She would never be able to escape from Kora's claws and has fallen too deep when she didn't feel guilt for cheating on Bruce but instead compared Kora to Bruce. And unbeknown to Jazmine, her thinking has changed slightly and her fall would be inevitable!
*Knock!* *Knock!*
She broke out of her reverie and quickly dressed up. Only then does she remember that nobody would have disturbed her when the entire mansion knows that she was in 'closed doors' cultivation.
"Y-Yes?" She asked confusedly. After all, except Kora, nobody knew about her facade of cultivating to escape from Bruce. Kora seemed to have a natural talent for understanding women, and he deduced everything about her relationship with Bruce in a single glance. He immediately called her out for her pretense a few months ago.
"Lady Jazmine, guests from the Royal Palace arrived in the Vrigaipis marquessate. Marquess has requested for your presence." A maid spoke respectfully and left.
Jazmine flinched as she gulped audibly.
'I am FUCKED!' She thought of escaping but that would prove her guilty, so she calmed down as she thought nobody would notice unless they check her stomach for the 'Q' shaped mark.
She quickly put on conservative robes that hid most of her skin to the hilt. With raspy breathing and a disrupted state of mind, Jazmine prepared a few talismans to escape if worst comes to worst. Flimsily, she also trod towards the guest hall.
.........
Jazmine and Kora arrived in the corridors leading towards the guest hall at the same time. Kora's gaze was calm as the sea, while Jazmine was terrified. Kora reassured her by giving a peck on her lips, sneakily in the corridors. She looked at Kora begrudgingly with threatening eyes. How could Kora be so calm and even kiss her in the middle of the corridors where anyone could notice them if not careful?
But as they reached closer to the guest hall, they could feel another familiar presence walking towards the hall, coming from another connected passageway,
'Athelisia?' They both thought in unison.
{They must be investigating all of us!} Jazmine concluded and warned Kora through a mental message. Unfortunately, Kora couldn't reply as mental messages could only be sent when one becomes a Nascent Profound Realm cultivator.
{Do you have a plan?} She asked and looked into Kora's eyes for a solution.
"If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved, worrying will do you no good." Kora spoke in a scholarly tone and looked towards the ceiling like a lunatic who talks to himself.
Jazmine felt her blood boiling as she clenched her fists and controlled herself not to punch Kora's face. He was too relaxed! 'Does he not fear death?' was the only thought that came to Jazmine's mind. Little did she know that she was correct. Kora didn't fear death. Although he was not a suicidal maniac, if he couldn't survive, he would accept death without any fear!
Athelisia, who was getting close to them felt something was off between Kora and Jazmine, but she quickly threw those thoughts to the back of her mind and sneered haughtily when her gaze met with Kora's jade eyes that were glimmering with a sharp glint. Kora had an indifferent and cold expression on his face and didn't mind the overbearing personality of Athelisia. He just didn't care.
Ignoring the pair completely like a spoiled princess, she stepped towards the guest hall, where a maid opened the doors for her. Kora and Jazmine followed suit.
Jazmine felt like she was thrown into the deepest abyss as she tried to probe the cultivation level of the people in the room.
'WE ARE ALL DOOMED! Even my talismans won't work on this monster!' Her expression turned to that of horror as she glanced at Yelena, who was sitting there on the couch with Edwardson by her side. Yelena had a forced smile plastered on her face and Jazmine knew that they have fucked up seriously.
Edwardson seemed to be in his mid-thirties. He had a mustache, black hair, and black eyes. His physique was similar to Kora's as they both had a height of about 1.9 meters (6.2 feet). Kora was slightly thinner than Edwardson Le Blank but still had muscles in all the right areas, and broad shoulders giving him the appearance of an athletic young man.
On another couch, Bruce was waiting for them as well. But everyone seemed to be clueless, even, Edwardson had no idea what was happening. He only followed the instructions given to him, which was to gather all the family members. He didn't question why or what or how as the person asking for an audience had one of the highest authorities in the Glipike Kingdom.
Everyone's gaze moved towards the fairy-like figure sitting on another couch, gracefully. The figure had the aura of a gentle sovereign. The figure's body language and movements were ineffable and sparkling.
The Ralvuzeth standing behind the figure had a cultivation level of Peak-Stage Ace Tribulation Realm that sent shivers down everyone's spine. She was strong as fuck! Unlike the Ralvuzeth maid of Scarlet O Conailli, who was a High-Stage Ace Tribulation Realm, this maid was at Peak-Stage. Nobody in the entire Marquessate could resist her if she wishes to destroy the Vrigaipis Marquessate any second. They were just chickens waiting to be slaughtered.
Even Edwardson was only an Early-Stage Ace-Tribulation Realm who inherited the marquessate after his father died due to old age.
Efficacious, the figure smiled as a picturesque image formed on the windows of the hall that reflected the figure's portrait. The sweet breeze of the wind brushed inside and touched everyone elegantly sending chilling currents through 2 women's spines and the rest were just confused.
'Fourth Princess Arcene O Conailli?' They all thought.