266-274

Chapter 266 - Rachel's Tears

In the garden behind the Lancaster mansion, a young lady was seen sitting directly in front of a bucket of red blood. The bucket of blood was a mixture from various beasts that could easily be bought with the Lancaster's prestige and network.

Although it was not human blood, it did not matter as the intended result was still the same. The trauma in Rachel's childhood memory was invoked. This could easily be determined from the pale complexion and slight trembles of the delicate figure.

At the side, two servants patiently waited to serve the delicate figure.

The servants immediately spotted Leon upon his entry into the back garden and wanted to offer their greetings, but before they could, he shushed them with a simple gesture of pressing a finger against his lips.

Leon quietly observed the delicate figure that was akin to a single stalk of grass swaying in a violent storm, fighting a battle against her helpless past with determination.

If this were in the past, Rachel would have been completely rooted at the sight of blood and faced with violent flashbacks that replayed like a loop until she passed out. However, she was now holding her ground as she stared daggers at the bucket of blood like she was staring at her worse nemesis.

Perspiration could be seen, and her lips cracked with dryness. It was apparent that she had been going at it for some time.

Leon was moved by Rachel's determination to overcome her weakness with her own efforts rather than relying on the effects of pills. If she succeeds, he could see the prospect of her forging herself a strong heart.

If a cultivator wants to walk far on the road of cultivation, a strong heart was imperative. There would always be ups and downs in life, wins and losses are to be expected. If they cannot accept defeat with grace and move forward from life's setback, they would not be able to achieve great things.

Leon did not have any ill feelings towards the fact that his efforts to help had not been appreciated. He was not so narrow-minded. As a man, he should have a bigger heart and not be so petty, especially when it considers one's future.

Nevertheless, he still could not help but shake his head as he took out the two pills and glanced at them in his palm.

Everyone had inner demons and he was no exception. The helplessness, injustice, grievance, despair he experienced during his father's moments of death was his own inner demon.

Despite the collected way he usually behaves, only he knew that he was like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any given moment.

If he could not find tranquility and settle the blazing fury of in his heart, the inner demon would fester and consume him during the Soul Tribulation that practitioners must undergo to advance their stages during the Divine Transformation realm.

That being said, his divine cultivation had reset back to ground zero. He was a long way away from reaching the Divine State.

In his past life, he had only reached the Divine Origin realm, not even the Divine Star realm, let alone reaching the Divine Transformation realm.

However, if he took that as an excuse for himself to delay ridding his inner demon until he was more advanced in his cultivation, that would be irresponsible of him.

The presence of an inner demon represents the imperfection in one's state of mind and a weak heart. Only by ridding the inner demon would he have a strong heart, and a strong heart will be universally useful throughout his journey to the apex of life.

The world is unforgiving and dangerous. Trials, challenges, and tribulations exist at every turning point in one's life. Sometimes, they would be nigh impossible to overcome, felling even the best of men and making one feel nothing but utter despair.

It is especially during these times that a strong heart would show its true worth. Only by not giving up, would it be possible to subvert the odds and turn the impossibility into a possibility.

The wise sages of old once said, "When there's a will, there would be a way. The world is unforgiving, but never shuts off all doors to life, and helps those who help themselves."

Nothing is possible if you give up when the odds are against you but anything is still possible when you do not give up.

In any case, he was practicing myriads of thing and he also could not be sure that there will not be a similar tribulation like the Soul Tribulation in the path of awakening cultivation.

Leon had to be prepared for anything. He decided that he would delegate some efforts to get rid of his existing inner demon.

Knowing there is a problem is not a problem. Knowing there is a problem and not being proactive to resolve the problem, however, is a problem.

It is fortunate that he was quite self-aware and knew his flaws. At least, that was what he believes. It would be quite frightening if one does not even know there was a problem when there is one, and only realize that fact when it is too late.

At this point, Rachel seemed to have exhausted herself and fell weakly sideways. Leon's thoughts were interrupted by the change. His feet were quick, but light. In an instant, he arrived by her side and caught her leaning figure with one arm before the servants could do so.

"Thank you, Garnet." Rachel said weakly, but then she felt something was not right about the servant's arm that caught her. Turning her head, she froze. It was not her female servant that caught her as the female servant, Garnet went to carry the bucket of blood away.

"Why are you so silly?" Leon asked.

"Why are you here?" Rachel said coldly.

"I came to visit you." Leon scratched cheek at the cold treatment before he smiled lightly. "Also, I needed to thank you. I just realized something while watching you."

"You realized something while watching me?" Rachel's heart skipped a beat, but she remained cold. "I know we are engaged, but so long as you haven't left those two women, it's not possible between us. I will not accept it."

"Hm? You have misunderstood me but never mind that. It is impossible for me to abandon Aria and Lynne just for you. It is not my principle. If I am that type of person, what makes you think I would not abandon you when I find someone better? Anyway, we were at least friends before we learned about the engagement, is there a need to treat me so coldly?" Leon shook his head and said helplessly.

Rachel freed herself from Leon's arm support and bit her lips with her head lowered. Is it possible to have a pure friendship between girls and boys? Perhaps, it could be. But she knew it was not the case for her. She was already crushing on Leon from an earlier time, although she kept it hidden.

"I don't want to see you." She said.

"I'll come to visit you again sometime." Leon took out an interspatial ring with an enchanted sword inside it and slipped it into Rachel's hand as he said wryly.

There were some things that were out of his control. Some women did not mind sharing their men with other women, but others also abhorred it. Rachel belonged to the latter.

After Leon left, Rachel's eyes welled with redness at his disappearing figure.

Feeling something in her hand, she glanced down and saw the item. What is the meaning of this? Because they were engaged, he decided to gift her an ugly ring? There was no sincerity at all. Is this to spite her for what she said?

A wave of indignance and grief welled up inside as Rachel threw the ring away and cried to herself. The ring drew an arc in the air and disappeared into the big garden.

The female servants were not sure how they should deal with this and went to inform the Duchess. A few minutes later, Amelia arrived and was stunned.

"What is wrong, my baby girl? Who bullied you? Mother will take revenge for you." Amelia tried to console her daughter.

Rachel shook her head and hugged her mother with tears. She was unwilling to say. Instead, she asked, "Why are boys so fickle and promiscuous?"

Amelia took a moment to process, before she asked, "Are you talking about Leon?"

"I… I… was not." Rachel denied.

Amelia shook her head at her daughter's obvious lie. She had more or less figured out why her daughter was crying as she had met Leon on the way home. She understood her daughter's bias against men with multiple wives.

"Leon is a bit fickle in relationships, but do you think he is only capable of loving physically and not spirituality?"

Rachel thought and nodded.

"It's true that there are many men who only love women for their looks, and women who share a man are usually not happy, but there are also a select few who are. Take Baron Sterling for example. Despite having 4 wives, his wives are happy and harmonious. Baron Sterling treats them all very well. The key is sincerity. Do you think Leon is an insincere person?" Amelia said.

Recalling the ugly ring, Rachel's eyes reddened and nodded.

Amelia was stunned as she did not expect this answer. She pulled her daughter away and looked her in the face seriously. "How can that be? I feel Leon is a very sincere person who treats his relationships very seriously.

Rachel felt something off about her mother's grip on her shoulders. Seeing a similar black ring on her mother, she froze. Didn't she already throw this ring away? Why does her mother have it?

"Mom, why do you have this ring?"

"Interest? Probably, not. You must have also gotten one, that's why you are asking, right? It's a bit crude in design since the boy forged it himself, but it's still a priceless treasure."

Rachel's heart trembled slightly with regret. The ring was forged by Leon, himself?

"Why is it a priceless treasure?" She asked doubtfully.

"The ring is an artifact with an interspatial storage. Why wouldn't it be a priceless treasure? Look." Amelia thought it was strange that her daughter didn't know yet, but she still explained and demonstrated for her daughter to see.

Rachel saw a piece of clothing appeared and disappeared back into her mother's interspatial ring. She suddenly paled and her heart trembled furiously. A look realization dawned on her. She had misunderstood him!

She wiped her tears and convinced her mother she was fine before sending her away.

After Amelia left doubtfully, Rachel immediately dive into the garden and searched for the ring desperately.

'Where is it? Why can't I find it?'

Rachel was desperately anxious. She did not know how an artifact was created, but it must have taken a lot of effort! If she knew the ring was forged by Leon, she would not have thrown it away!

She did not mind that her clothes were soon dirtied by the soil and continued to search for the ring. When she found it a pot plant after half an hour, she hugged the ring close to her heart like it was very dear to her.

There was a big difference between receiving a crude ring forged by the person and receiving a crude ring bought cheaply by the person.

Chapter 267 - I Can Explain

After leaving the Lancaster's mansion, Leon headed to check on the Golden Lion Gang in the new Lower West District. He wondered if they had reverted to their old ways and up to no good during his absence.

The Golden Lion Gang's headquarters was one of the buildings that took priority during the reconstruction project. Not only was it one of the first buildings to be completed, but it was also opened for business.

This was an amazing feat to accomplish in such little time. The building was not very tall, having only three floors, but it was very wide and capable of housing over two hundred people.

Considering that he left the wealth of the Four Great Families in their hands to manage, even if the Golden Lion Gang did not open for business, it would still be enough to support the Golden Lion Gang for a lifetime.

That being said, the wealth was considered the prince's property. The Golden Lion Gang would not dare to use it wantonly without his permission. Given that Leon rarely visits to manage the gang, they had no choice but to open business early to produce some form of revenue.

That is alright. This was not a problem. However, the problem was the type of business they were doing!

When Leon arrived at the finished building, he almost spat blood in anger.

"What the… fuck!"

A big plaque was hung in front of the Golden Lion Gang's main building depicting the building's name in three big, conspicuous, and… jarring words!

"The Lion's Paradise…!"

The building design based on a brothel from his previous world had turned into a real fucking brothel!

At the front entrance, there were two pretty courtesans with voluptuous figures in incredibly attractive and seductive maid uniforms, serving as the front entrance receptionists. They enticed customers with sweet words and welcomed them with alluring smiles.

No matter how Leon saw it, this was without a doubt, a brothel!

Leon stood there like a block of wood, too shocked for words. He had this urge to collapse the entire building and erase its proof of existence! Such a building! Such a name! This was too damaging to his image! Or perhaps, the damage had already been done!

After all, there was only a letter difference between Leon and lion, not to mention that they essentially have the same meaning.

'The Lion's Paradise? Fuck, might as well call it the Prince's Harem!' Leon almost fainted from anger.

"Hi~ Handsome, why are you just standing out here? Would you like to dine in and have a good time?" One of the pretty courtesans came over and greeted with enticement.

Leon calmed himself before glancing down at the two giant 'mounds' pressing against his arm. His mouth twitched unnoticeably.

'Very big, but strange.' He frowned. Something was off.

They were very domineering and stood out like two pointy erected mountains. He did not notice from a distance, but now that they were up close and personal, everything about these two 'mounds' was very unnatural. In fact, they were more like oval melons. The shape and size defied the logic of gravity.

'Torpedo tits.' He secretly labeled the two big pointy melons that managed to stand without being weighed down by gravity. It looked quite uncomfortable and the person most likely experienced bad back pain quite often.

"These are fakes, right?" Leon said drily as he pointed.

'How rude! Hmph, just you wait! I am going to milk you dry!'

The alluring courtesan was immediately irked by his words with pursed lips, thinking Leon was also making fun of her breast like the rest of the male customers.

However, in order to attract Leon, the courtesan tried not to show her displeasure and bit her lip enticingly like a temptress instead.

"Won't you know if they are fake or not after you touch them? Do you dare? It's not free though~ " The courtesan said seductively as her lips curved up into an alluring smile.

She had studied Leon's features. He might not have the best of faces, but he had the presence and looks of a noble, and nobles usually tend to be rich.

The pretty receptionist lady with odd boobs was already secretly concocting an evil plan to make Leon select the most expensive menu and empty out his pockets.

Women were vengeful creatures. One rude remark could put you on their blacklist for life!

'F**k!'

Such seductiveness was quite a lethal weapon against men! If Leon had not awakened his memories and merge his past and present self, the innocent version of himself might have already gotten a nosebleed from the excitement like other ordinary boys would.

However, Leon was not someone ordinary. He would not shy away from something like this, not to mention he was quite curious how such voluptuous melons were able to defy gravity unnaturally and stand.

"How much do you charge for a touch?" Leon's lips curved up and looked like a big bad wolf. Despite that, he was not interested in the courtesan. Strictly speaking, he only wanted to cop a single feel for scientific research purposes.

The courtesan was surprised by Leon's response. She thought he would at least blush as young boys do, but she was wrong. This person was an experienced veteran. His wicked smiled made her feel uncomfortable like she had been stripped bare and seen through.

She unconfidently raised on five fingers and sound him out. This was not part of the establishment's provided service, but her own special service for rude customers who doubt her own assets.

She could prove their authenticity while collecting some interest. It was killing two birds with one stone.

"5000 Craws, huh? Alright."

Leon found it quite pricy, but he was not one to haggle over such minor details and just nodded. The courtesan stunned at his Leon's misunderstand. She only meant to say 500 Craws, but before she could correct him, he had already inserted the 5000 Craw notes in between her melons and copped a feel.

"Here you go."

"Ah?"

A soft moan escaped her lips and made her flustered. She did not expect to lose her composure so easily to a brat. She looked at the boy's hand like they were a pair of magical hands. It was strange. She had not felt this great from having her bosom touched before.

It was a single touch. Nothing more, nothing less. Leon had got what he wanted to know.

The secret behind the courtesan's abnormal melons was quite simple. There was a congestion of earth elements that accumulated inside, which caused them to become stiff and rigid.

It was not some rare disease or anything like that and would only cause some minor inconvenience in the back for a normal person. Any cultivator with a slightly stronger body than normal people will not have this problem. The only problem would just be the appearance.

"Young Master, you have misunderstood. I only meant 500 Craws. You can touch me some more—No, please touch me some more."

The courtesan said pleadingly with pink luster in her eyes and rosy cheeks. She was immediately ashamed that she was actually making such a shameless request.

However, Leon pretended not to have heard her.

On the second floor, Manager Doug was sitting by the balcony while looking up at the sky with a pensive mood. It has been some time since the prince, the boss had visited them, but there was also a part of him that hoped the prince does not. He was a bit afraid of what could happen.

He sighed as he looks down at the bustling street. In the next moment, he was shocked at the sight of a familiar figure and immediately ducked down into hiding.

'Oh shit, the boss is here. Did he see me? Is the boss angry?' Manager Doug thought nervously. In truth, there was no reason for him to be.

'Weird, why am I hiding from the boss, and why am I so nervous? It's not like I did anything wrong nor am I operating any illegal business, right?'

Manager Doug peeked over the balcony, but he froze in the next moment as his eyes directly met with the boss's gaze.

"Come out and greet me now, Doug."

The boss's young voice was heard. Manager Doug secretly cursed his bad luck that he was the first to encounter the boss and not any of the other core members.

Since the boss called, he dared not delay and quickly went down to the entrance. Having not seen the boss for a while, the boss's pressure and aura were stronger than ever.

"Hahaha… You are finally back, Boss! We really miss your presence!"

Seeing the Manager of the establishment bootlicking and hugging the young boy's thigh, the courtesan was stunned.

'The Manager is calling this boy the boss? But the boss would mean…" The front entrance receptionist with odd boobs gasped with surprise and her eyes began to sparkle along with the other receptionist. They had finally met the prince.

"Fuck off." Leon kicked away the bootlicking manager and glared at him. "Quickly explain to me what the hell is going on here, and what the hell is up with that name? You have some galls to open a brothel under my name, huh?"

"B-Boss, I can explain. I-It's not what you think."

Manager stuttered with a bit of embarrassment as he also knows that the current establishment had strayed a bit from the adventurer's guild plan the boss had envisioned.

"It's not a brothel!"

Chapter 268 - Frightening Cultivation Speed

"It's not a brothel!"

When Manager Doug said these words, Leon flashed him a disdainful glance.

"Who are you trying to fool? Are you taking me for a 3-year-old? That name and these busty ladies with maid uniforms say it all." Leon said.

'Not to mention, with some cash, she let me cop a feel.'

Leon cast a sidelong glance at the courtesan with odd boobs.

Manager Doug could not read Leon's thoughts, but he did not need to. He only needed to look at the courtesan with odd boobs to understand everything.

"Boss, it's really not like that."

Manager Doug tried to explain before casting the courtesan a glare.

"Have you been charging customers to touch your breast again, Khloe?" He interrogated.

"No, Manager Doug." Khloe denied with her neck shrunk like a turtle hiding its head inside its shell. However, the cash stuffed in the valley of her twin mountains were clearly seen. "Yes…"

Khloe ultimately admitted as the evidence was in plain sight. Manager Doug harrumphed.

"Ahem, Boss. Khloe was a courtesan in the past. Actually, most of the female workers inside were all courtesans from a brothel in the past… but we really aren't operating brothel, Boss. There's a reason for this." Manager Doug explained awkwardly.

"That's right. This is a legitimate restaurant and bar. There is nothing dirty going on here." Khloe added.

"Nothing dirty going on, huh? Not very convincing. Why don't you go ahead and tell me what this reason is?"

Khloe wanted to explain but she was immediately shot down by a glare from Manager Doug, especially when the cash was still protruding from her chest.

"Actually… it wasn't our intention to recruit these ladies, but they all came flocking over when they learned that you, Boss, was our backer. Most of these ladies were pitiful and unwilling souls who were forced into the brothel business during the tyranny of the four gangs and great families."

"I found it hard to reject their request since there were many regulars even amongst the commoners. They would be harassed constantly without our protection. After all, no one would dare to misbehave in the territory of our Golden Lion Gang back by the prince."

"Ahem, the name was something we came up after. After all, these ladies are no longer working as courtesans, but waiters and they also have our protection. Men can see but they can't touch."

After listening to Manager Doug's explanation, Leon's mood did not improve. In fact, it got worse as it basically reinforced his first impression.

Basically, all the courtesans were under his protection. However, this could be easily misunderstood as all the courtesans working as waiters in the 'The Lion's Paradise' as his women.

Leon almost fainted from anger.

"You… you're really good." He spat the words out sarcastically. Veins could be seen protruding from his forehead as he glared at Manager Doug.

A mountain of pressure similarly gushed out and weighed down on the Manager and two receptionist ladies, making the surrounding air feel suffocating. This was not Leon purposely pressuring them, but a result of his depressive mood.

His reputation was basically down the drain… not that he really cares about his reputation. But it would be a problem if his own family and ladies ask about it. He could feel an incoming headache.

"On the bright side… business has been really good. The ladies attract a lot of customers to come to dine in." Manager Doug coughed and said drily with difficulty.

"I'll be the judge of that."

"After you, Boss." Manager Doug respectfully gestured for Leon to enter the premise and see for himself.

"Hmph!"

Leon strolled inside The Lion's Paradise and the boisterous and rowdy atmosphere of the interior blasted in his ears. There was nothing sketchy going on at first glance and Manager Doug really did not lie to him. The business was going really well.

The first floor was filled to the brim with people and activity. Members of the Golden Lion Gang intermixed with other customers as they cheered, bumped their wooden mug,s and downed their cold beverages.

As Leon observed the layout of the first floor, he nodded. The Golden Lion Gang did not make any changes to his arrangements.

The first floor was a public space for both members and non-members alike. It was, however, separated into three sections; a restaurant to serve the food, a bar to serve the drinks, and spare socializing spots with tables and seats provided.

There was also a receptionist counter and a large mission board in that section. However, there weren't much many mission available as the guild was still in its infancy of planning, but the ones that were available all had to do with odd jobs around the Capital.

There were traces of tasks being ripped off the mission board, a few of which could be seen in the hands of some core members.

Leon scrutinized his eyes to read the details from a distance. The task was not a difficult one. It was posted by the Cromwell family, looking to hire more earth-users for the construction projects.

Indeed, earth-users were more desirable for construction projects compared to ordinary works as they were more work efficient. However, this only applies if the earth-users were adept with their earth manipulation.

At this moment, all three sections were fully occupied as waiters busily brought out food and drinks from the kitchen to provide for the customers. They were all construction workers that came to relax during their breaks.

As the first restaurant and bar to open in the Lower District, the popularity of the place could be clearly seen.

Leon hummed a low tune. The previous ill-feelings had dissipated with the wind. The Golden Lion Gang did not disappoint him.

The build exterior was too misleading, making people believe the place was a brothel, but he was quite satisfied with everything he had seen inside.

"What do you think, Boss?" Manager Doug said carefully. He was quite proud of what they achieved, but it was not about what he thinks. It was about what the Boss thinks.

"Very good."

Leon did not to attract too much attention. As such, he discouraged Manager Doug from announcing his presence. He quietly finds a spot on the second floor and listened to the Manager Doug recount of events in his absence.

The second floor was like the first floor, except it was reserved for VIP members, while the third floor was for accommodations.

After refining a few batches of True Awakening Pills, Leon handed them over to the manager to manage and reward some core members that had yet to awaken.

Leon soon left after listing a few arrangements for the manager to handle. Everything was basically on track. He did not have any hopes that the Golden Lion Gang would become a powerful force that could aid him on his journey. His only

Many of the core members were quite aged and had low potential. Training them into experts would cost much more resource than training younger people.

The core members were disappointed that they missed the opportunity to thank their boss in person before Leon left. As for the female waiters, they were devastated to learnt that the prince that they had been hoping to meet had passed them by without them even knowing.

Anyone who could catch the elusive prince's interest would have been able to ascend to the top of the social ladder in one breath. It was unfortunate that the prince was not interested in any of them.

Leon dropped by the pill refining room in the palace to check on his disciple's progress and offered some pointers before he heads back to his own courtyard and whipped out the pill cauldron to refine a few pills.

Amongst the various healing pills, he needed to restock as life-saving measures for unexpected situations, Leon also refined some Spirit Enhancing Pills, Spirit Condensation Pills, and Core Strengthening Pills, the same pills he assigned his disciple to refine.

After Leon was done with his pill refinement session, he selected another three books from the Archive to study, before researching his new ability some more.

The usefulness of his new ability was far too great as it had a wide range of applications that could not be fully explored in one sitting. For such a powerful ability, he decided to name it Divine Will; the ability to command anything with his will.

It was previously established that he could only conjure elements he had comprehended, but anything already existing between heaven and earth was for him to command… naturally, this should include the energy between heaven and earth!

Leon tested the full extend of his Divine Will as he faced the sky. The tranquility of the energy between heaven and earth within 200 yards of Leon was disrupted and stirred into being as they gathered to him like the gushing tide.

Such an ability to gather energy far outstripped any divine breathing technique in his collection. His meridians could feel the pain from the overabundance of energy flooding into his body as they made their way to the black vortex.

Leon bore the pain with gritted teeth as he wondered if there was a way to channel the energy into his black vortex directly.

As soon as he had that thought, a channel was opened directly at his glabella as the energy funneled through there like a twisting tornado.

The change in the sky did not go unnoticed to the palace inhabitants. All the palace guards and maids turned to look.

In the king's study, Heinrich paused his writing to look in Leon's courtyard direction. In one of the pill refining room, Grandmaster Don got distracted and another pill cauldron wen kaboom.

In the Guest Courtyard, the Supreme Elder opened his eyes.

"Did you sense that, Supreme Elder?" Princess Faelyn asked.

Supreme Elder, Haldir nodded. "Let's go take a look. I have not seen such a monstrous gathering speed."

Princess Faelyn agreed.

Back in Leon's courtyard, his eyes had already been shut as he focused in on his sea of consciousness.

Energy flood his black vortex as they were rapidly grinded, fused, and refined. As his cultivations rapidly rose, he could sense his mental strength decline even more rapidly!

In a short instance, he was already experiencing mental fatigue as the tornado of energy dispersed and ended.

Leon reopened his eyes with some regret.

"Haiz, just a little bit more and I would have broken through to the 9-star level." He lamented, but did not dwell on the matter. This sort of cultivation speed, although it was short, it was indeed quite frightening.

If he had such an ability back in the Divine Realm, perhaps achieving the Divine King realm within three years might not be impossible, provided that there was no bottleneck and he does not die to his own tribulations.

"An afternoon nap might be good." He lazily thought, feeling a bit sleepy. It was only midday though…

Leon soon shook his head out of that thought and took out a Soul Enhancing Pill. It was one of the last 7 pills from the batch of Soul Enhancing Pills he refined the first time a while back.

The Soul Enhancing Pill could replenish his mental fatigue and strength his soul, killing two birds with one stone. He felt he was ready to take another Soul Enhancing Pill.

In fact, Leon felt he could take quite a few Soul Enhancing Pills.

After comprehending the great law, his soul had undergone a qualitative transformation like upgrading from a rubber band that can stretch a bit to a rubber band that can stretch a lot.

Chapter 269 - Gifting A Pill As Compensation

After popping the Soul Enhancing Pill in his mouth, Leon worked to replenish his mental strength by spreading the medicinal efficacy to work its magic quickly.

A cold soothing sensation waved over his soul. His mental fatigue was elevated and 50% of his mental strength was recovered.

The core of the Soul Enhancing Pill was to enhance and not to recover. As such, he did not recover as much mental strength as he had hoped to, but his soul did improve a bit.

His divine sense and Divine Will could now reach up to 220 yards away. It was an improvement of 20 yards with one pill.

The range of Divine Sense for a Divine Origin practitioner was up to 1000 yards. Compared to a Divine Origin realm practitioner, he was still far from his peak. But compared to Revolving Core practitioners, his soul was already many folds more powerful.

"If I want to sustain such a frightening cultivation speed for longer periods, I have two choices. I can continue to enhance my soul, or refine some soul recovery pills that focus on the replenishment of mental strength." Leon ruminated.

Ideally, enhancing the soul was the better choice as he could also improve his divine sense and Divine Will ability.

However, he was not sure how many times he could enhance his soul with Soul Enhancing Pills before his soul starts to feel the strain from overstretching. If that happened then, the loss would far outweigh the gain.

He was quite sure that the secret to breaking past the Divine King realm was greatly related to the soul.

"It seems I should start looking into soul recovery pills." Leon decided. "But before that… let me test one more thing."

He was not done with his Divine Will experiment. There was one more test, possibly the one he is most curious about.

Leon expanded his divine sense and gathered all the faint traces of spirit energy in the sky to his palm. The scarcity of spirit energy only allowed him to gather enough to produce a speck of azure glow.

He creased his brows, thinking that such a pitiful amount was not even close to drawing the simplest of runic circles.

Could his grey ring of energy also transform into spirit energy to compliment what was lacking?

Sure enough, the grey ring of energy began to change under his Divine Will and a stream of spirit energy channel out of his body and merged with the tiny speck in his palm.

In a brief moment, the tiny speck became the size of a walnut. Under his Divine Will, the walnut-size spirit energy began to flatten and spread to form a simple array of runic circles and symbols interlinked together.

The process only lasted a couple of breaths before the array was formed. It was much quicker than manually engraving runes. If Leon had a clear and concise image in his mind, the array would easily from like its been drawn from several points rather than from a single point.

Crack…

Unfortunately, the fire-type attack array he invented on the spot with the help of his rich runic knowledge fragmented and dispersed the moment it activated upon its completion.

"Sure enough, there is no spirit energy in the surrounding to support the activation of a spiritual array, causing it to consume its own energy and collapse."

The ancient spiritual array master did not die out without reason.

Leon shook his head. He had met the prerequisite to becoming a Spiritual Array Master, but the scarcity of spirit energy between heaven and earth did not allow him to witness the might of a spiritual array as vaguely mentioned in the inheritance.

A series of distant footsteps immediately perked Leon's ears as listened to the sounds drawing closer. He turned towards the courtyard entrance as expected incoming guests.

Leon smiled wryly as he did not find it strange at all for his eye-catching experiment to draw other people's curiosity over. In fact, it would be strange if it did not.

The head of the Supreme Elder and Princess Faelyn soon popped around the corner with two palace maids. If not for some procedures that had to be done to enter the Inner Palace, they would have arrived much sooner.

"Good afternoon, Esteemed Envoys. How may I help you?" Leon greeted and asked casually, but it was enough to cause the Supreme Elder to flinch. He was immediately amused as he could see a trace of fear in the person's eyes. A powerful Transcendent was afraid of him? Why is that so?

"Ahem, greetings, Your Highness."

"Pardon our sudden visit, Your Highness. We were curious about the phenomenon that just happened here. If I may be so impudent as to ask, what was it?" The Supreme Elder continued while maintaining a respectful distance from Leon and under his curious gaze.

"Oh, that? Just something I was testing out. Since you are both guests here, please allow me to perform as a proper host. Come, have a seat while we chat over tea. I believe it's hardly appropriate to talk over such awkward distance." Leon invited them over to the tea-table.

He had missed the negotiation talk previously, but his father had informed him afterward about what went down. He was quite surprised to learn that the elves were willing to become vassals of their Crawford Kingdom to overcome a calamity that may or may not happened.

Nevertheless, he highly doubted that their only reason for coming here. Surely, they had come from the World Tree. The timing was too coincidental.

"It's fine… Since your Highness is unwilling to divulge, we do not want to impose upon you." The Supreme Elder respectfully rejected the offer.

"You seem to be afraid of me?"

The Supreme Elder was caught off-guard by Leon's bluntness and coughed, "Ahem, no… that is certainly not the case…"

"Is that really not the case?" Leon moved forward a few steps as the Supreme Elder retreated and responded with, "It definitely isn't."

Leon took another step forward, and the Supreme Elder retreated again.

"…"

A drop of sweat ran down the side of the Supreme Elder's face. Afraid? Of course, he was afraid! The boy in front of him had robbed a chunk of his cultivation when he was still unconscious! Who knows what could happen now that the boy was awake? If he is not cautious, he might just get his entire cultivation stripped with a touch!

Princess Faelyn was also a bit nervous but she stepped forward to explain.

"Your Highness… it was like this... While you were unconscious, your father, the king had permitted us to demonstrate our medical expertise by treating you. However, we are quite ashamed that not only were we unable to rouse you awake, but the Supreme Elder had also lost a portion of his cultivation to you, Your Highness."

"I see…"

Leon was quite surprised when he heard the Princess's explanation. No wonder there was a sudden surge in his cultivation. It came from the Supreme Elder.

It appeared that he also had the ability to steal other people's cultivation. Leon was both pleasantly surprised and guilty at this revelation as he glanced at what had become of a proud Transcendent.

He had no scruples when it comes to robbing the cultivation of his enemies, but if it happened to his allies, and future subordinates, he felt compelled to compensate the other party.

But… what would be suitable as compensation for someone's loss in cultivation? Leon wracked his brain in thought.

Seeing that the prince was at a loss, the Supreme Elder did not want to make it difficult for him. He was a temporary Marquis of the Crawford Kingdom now, and his own stubbornness was to blame.

"There's no need to feel guilty over something… something like this, Your Highness. My own stubbornness was to blame." He waved it off lightly, but everyone present could tell that the Supreme Elder's expression was a bit forced.

Within the Transcendent Realm, the further one progresses, the more difficult it becomes. At the Seeking Insight stage, hard work was no longer enough. Innate talent was more important. If one did not have a high level of perceptiveness of the laws, it was difficult to progress further.

What the Supreme Elder lost was equivalent to a few decades worth of cultivation. His talent was considered ordinary within the tribe. The reason he was the strongest was that he was also the eldest in the tribe. He had cultivated longer than the others.

But now, it was just a matter of time because one of the elders of the council or royal members surpasses him unless he receives another spark of insight or lucky chance.

"Regardless of what happened, it can also be said that you have aided me greatly in my own cultivation. As my father has granted you the status of a Marquis, your contribution could be considered merit worthy of a reward."

"But…"

Leon raised a hand to stop the Supreme Elder from interrupting him and continued, "As a royal member of the Crawford Kingdom, we do not treat our people unfairly. I will see to it that you will be rewarded and compensated fairly for your loss. Take this pill as compensation. You may find it unexpectedly useful."

Leon was firm in his words and decisive in his choice, handing over a Soul Enhancing Pill to the Supreme Elder. He would be left with 5 Soul Enhancing Pills afterward.

It was only a Tier-1 Spirit Pill and the effects are not too strong, but an enhancement in the soul covered a wide range of aspects such as improving mental strength, fortifying memory, heightened perception, quicker reaction, and information processing.

Supreme Elder Haldir accepted the Soul Enhancing Pill with doubt. A single pill was his compensation? What does it even do?

"May I ask what kind of pill this is, Your Highness?"

"It's called the Soul Enhancing Pill. As for its exact effects, you'll know when you take it."

The Supreme Elder appeared shocked when he heard Leon's vague explanation, but he swallowed the pill without hesitation. Princess Faelyn also covered her mouth in shock.

Leon raised an eyebrow at their shocked reactions.

"You know about Soul Enhancing Pills?" Leon asked Princess Faelyn curiously, seeing as the Supreme Elder had quickly entered deep meditation to absorb the pill's efficacy.

Chapter 270 - Having Tea With The Elven Princess

"There isn't a single elf in Elvengarde that doesn't know about Soul Enhancing Pills. The Soul Enhancing Pill is regarded as a divine pill in our tribe." Princess Faelyn explained with a rare trace of envy on her face.

"Why is it considered a divine pill in your tribe?" Leon knitted his brows together as he failed to understand what was so great about it. Did he miss something?

"Not just our tribe. I believe any Awakener would also regard it as a divine pill. As you know, innate talent is extremely difficult to improve. If a person's innate talents are terrible, it would be difficult to achieve anything in awakening cultivation. However, Soul Enhancing Pills can improve a person's innate talent, allowing them to progress further and smoother in cultivation. The Supreme Elder was fortunate enough to consume one in his younger days. Wouldn't your Highness also agree that something like this should be regarded as a divine pill."

"That's true��� in that case, it is truly deserving to be considered a divine pill." Leon agreed with a wry smile, but he was rather startled.

If that was true, why had he not realized such benefits yet? Because his starting point was originally much higher than others as a former Divine Origin realm practitioner? These Soul Enhancing Pills were like icing on the cake for him, but that was not the same for others.

Leon gave it some thought and smiled wryly. If the soul could be quantified in numerical values, his soul would be at 220 points, a normal person's soul would be roughly around 20 points, and a Transcendent's soul would be around 40 points.

A single Soul Enhancing Pill would grant around 20 bonus points to one's soul. It would make sense that a normal person has a different reaction to Soul Enhancing Pills in comparison to him.

Also, he had been increasing his awakening cultivation through unconventional methods such as cultivation resources. He had not sat down and cultivated normally as his focus has always been on divine cultivation and body forging.

Furthermore, only when he had reached the Transcendent Realm, would the importance of one's innate talent be highlighted.

"Your Highness… are these Soul Enhancing Pills easy to manufacture in the Human Domain?" Princess Faelyn asked hesitantly.

What she was actually hoping to ask was if she could also have one. However, she found it quite inappropriate as she was not sure if Soul Enhancing Pills were also extremely rare in the Human Domain.

Leon felt that he should not carelessly let other people know that he could refine soul-related pills, lest he carelessly arouses the greed of unscrupulous hidden Transcendents, and gets himself kidnapped to become a pill slave.

The Crawford Kingdom was no longer the strongest kingdom in the Human Domain like it was 500 years ago. The fact that there was absolutely no information on the Geyser Kingdom had made him even warier.

As the only kingdom that had access to the open sea, they cannot possibly be weaker than the other three kingdoms, right?

"Hmm, it's not easy to manufacture. In fact, I do not know anyone who can refine these Soul Enhancing Pills in the Human Domain. I was just lucky to find these on an underground trip."

"Oh…"

The disappointment in Princess Faelyn's eyes could be clearly seen. She was still hoping she could at least buy one for herself. She was not so ignorant that she did not understand the importance of strength in this world, especially for one as beautiful as her.

Where there are people, there would always be conflict. Even if you are minding your own business and did your best not to offend anyone, there was a chance that someone would still find trouble with you.

Leon felt a heartstring being pulled but there was no other way. An urge to spill his secrets to make the elven beauty in front of him came abruptly, but he resisted. They were not familiar with each other enough for him to trust her with a secret that could endanger his life.

"Thank you for bestowing such a treasured pill to this one, Your Highness. This one will forever remember your grace and benevolence." The Supreme Elder said subserviently with a heart full of emotion after he had finished absorbing the Soul Enhancing Pill.

A single Soul Enhancing Pill was far more valuable than his few decades of cultivation. He would at most, spend a few years to regain his cultivation as it was easier to re-cultivate to a previous level than to cultivate to a higher level.

But now that he had ingested another Soul Enhancing Pill, his soul had reached a new state of clarity and clearness. Comprehending the law of wood has become 50% faster for him. In other words, his cultivation speed has increased by 50%! The difference was clear who had gained more out of this.

If the Elven King, Queen, and elders of the council saw the current Supreme Elder, they would have felt nothing but betrayal. Their pride did not allow them to become human vassals, but their strongest expert was kneeling with gratitude to a human.

"It is what you deserve. Quickly get up, it's not appropriate for the Supreme Elder to kneel." Leon did not dare to accept the Supreme Elder's kneeling. The other was considered his senior in terms of both age and cultivation.

"Hahaha, appropriate… totally appropriate…" The Supreme Elder chortled.

Princess Faelyn felt a bit helpless as tried to pull the Supreme Elder up with an expression that says, 'I understand how you feel, but think about your status.'

"Your Highness, this one had gained some sudden insights and would like to request his leave to cultivate."

"Insights are indeed rare opportunities and hard to come by. You may leave." Leon nodded and permitted helplessly. With such a reason, he could not keep the Supreme Elder around for a chance to learn more about Elvengarde.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The Supreme Elder did a traditional elven half-bow gesture to show his highest degree of respect, but it did not appear solemn as he could not hide the glee on his face.

Regardless of whether they came because of the upcoming calamity or for the World Tree, just the fact that he had received a Soul Enhancing Pill had made the trip worth it.

After receiving Leon's permission, the Supreme Elder turned to Princess Faelyn and his eyes turned bright. "Princess Faelyn, please accompany his Highness in my stead."

"Yes, Supreme Elder."

Princess Faelyn complied but she was a bit speechless as she saw through the Supreme Elder's hidden intention.

The Supreme Elder had promised her not to force her into a political marriage, but he could still try to matchmake them.

"Princess Faelyn, I am quite curious about your Elven Tribe. Would you care to join me for a chat over tea?" Leon asked after the Supreme Elder was gone and out of sight.

"Your Highness, you can just call me Faelyn. I would love to join you for a chat over afternoon tea. I do have a few questions of my own if you don't mind me asking." Faelyn said courteously.

"Feel free to ask, but I can't promise I will answer all of them. You can also just call me Leon. It'll be easier for us to communicate seeing as we are of similar age."

"Y-Yes."

Faelyn was surprised at how easily the prince had agreed and how easy going he was. She thought that the prince only said so because he was interested in her beauty. However, the prince's calm collectedness did not show any sign that implied he was interested. She blushed for thinking too much.

"Is there something on my face?"

"N-No…" Faelyn's ear went red.

"Please have a seat." Leon took his seat and gestured for Faelyn to sit on the steel stool across the tea table.

"Your Highness, shall I go prepare the tea?" One of the two palace maids accompanying Faelyn asked.

"No need. I will prepare it myself."

Although that was what Leon said, he was already seated and did not seem to have any intention of touching the teapot on the table.

As the palace maids were confused and wondering whether to pick up the teapot and go brew the tea, the teapot began moving on its own as it hovered up.

The lid came off, after which a block of ice entered the teapot while a ball of flame was alighted underneath. After the teapot was given a round of cleansing, the teapot was drained of its contents before a new block of ice was tossed inside to be melted.

A dried stalk of Tier-3 Achromous Valerian Root appeared in his hand before it was sealed inside the teapot. Leon casually and patiently waited for the herbal tea to reach a boiling point. When steam began to escape the mouth, Leon extinguished the fire and proceeded to pour the princess before pouring himself a cup.

Sure, there was a more refined way of prepare herbal tea, but considering he had used a Tier-3 Spirit Herb, Leon didn't feel the need to go through the additional troublesome steps when the quality and taste is all but guaranteed.

Throughout the process, Faelyn was too stunned for words. What had she just witnessed? Earth… Fire… Water… and… the Crawford Royal family was apparently a family of metal-users.

Four elements?! That was unheard! And did she just see an herbal plant appearing out of thin air? What was that? Magic?

Leon picked up his teacup and an unknown gust of wind cooled the herbal tea for him to drink.

Five elements?!

Faelyn found it hard to keep a calm look. The person in front of her had shown her one too many surprises.

"What would you like to ask me first, Faelyn?" Leon gave her the honors of having the first question as he sipped on his herbal tea. The fragrance of the herbal tea assaulted the princess's senses and immediately made her captivated.

"This isn't tea, is it?" Faelyn asked dazedly amongst the myriads other questions she could have asked as she took a sip.

Chapter 271 - You Are Adopted, Right?

"This isn't tea, is it?"

It was Leon's turn to become dazed as he did not expect that to be the elven princess's first question. He shook his head with a soft laugh as he could also see that Faelyn had wanted to ask something else. She had a look that could not wait to dig out his secrets.

"That's right, it's not traditional tea. It's called herbal tea." Leon smiled, thinking back to the number of times he had to explain the same thing.

Herbal tea was a concept new to the current world. He was not exactly sure which noble sage came up with it either.

"It's very invigorating." Faelyn found herself really liking the herbal tea. It smells nice, tastes nice, and feels nice. But then she recalled the Mandrake Root-like herb Leon placed in the teapot and she was no longer smiling.

"What herb did you use? It looked like a Mandrake Root. Mandrake Roots might look like a plant, but it also has a life of its own. It's pure evil to kill it for tea." Faelyn admonished.

"Now, now. I believe it is my turn to ask the question. If you find it evil, then stop drinking the herbal tea." Leon chuckled slyly.

Faelyn opened her small mouth dumbfoundedly before closing them with a pouted.

"What do you want to ask?" She asked gloomily as she quietly sipped her tea.

"Wow, someone's not happy." Leon found the princess easy to tease and laughed lightly. "The herb used for herbal tea is called the Achromous Valerian Root. It's not one of those mischievous little plants that like to prank people, so you can rest easy and drink with a piece of mind."

"En."

"My question is how big is your Elven Tribe, Elvengarde?"

"Elvengarde is a mid-rank tribe with a population of 800,000 elves," Faelyn said in a forward manner that even surprised Leon.

It appeared that Faelyn was much easier to talk to than Lilith.

"800,000 elves, huh?" Leon mumbled.

The Capital only holds a population of 50,000 people. If he were to calculate all the people scattered throughout the Crawford Kingdom, it would still only add to a mere 500,000. Yet, a single mid-rank tribe in the Wildlands has a population of 800,000.

It should also be mentioned that elves had low reproductive rates. Their longer lifespans made it harder for female elves to conceive, while male elves were not sexually driven like humans.

"How do you feed such a large population?" Leon could already guess the answer, but he still felt it was important to ask.

Faelyn gave him a dirty look for asking another question. Nevertheless, she still answered with a proud look.

"Any other tribe can go hungry, but our elven tribe will never be."

"I thought as much." Leon nodded. It was not the exact answer he was looking for, but he understood the reason behind it. The elves were highly sustainable at cultivating crops.

If they could incorporate the elves into their kingdom, they would never experience a shortage of food again. Although Lina's parents were doing their best, two wood-users were hardly enough to feed the Capital, not to mention trying to expand it.

"Alright, ask me any two questions."

"How many elements can you control?"

"Now that is an interesting question." Leon smiled. In essence, he had comprehended six elements, but with Divine Will, all the elements were his to control so long as they exist in his surroundings. "It depends on how you view it guess. It can be six or it can be all."

Faelyn's curiosity was drawn.

"What do you mean?"

"Is that what you really want to ask for your second question?"

"Leon, you are being very unfair. You did not answer my question properly!" Faelyn pouted with annoyance. She had been straightforward with her answers. Was it too much to ask for the same?

'Sigh, women.' Leon shrugged his shoulders. Faelyn did not go into details about how her tribe themselves either.

"It's a bit hard to explain. I am not sure if you can understand it. Basically, I have six core elements I can control, but due to a special ability I have awakened, I can control anything, understand?"

"What do you mean?" Faelyn did not understand at all.

"…And that is exactly what I mean." Leon sighed helplessly. Divine Will was still new to him. It was hard to find a precise explanation for something he had yet to fully comprehend the full extent of. The reason he even bothered to mention it at all was due to Faelyn being quite open.

"Exactly what you mean? If you don't want to answer, then just say you don't." Faelyn pouted.

Leon was speechless.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me about the World Tree yet. Isn't that what you came for?" Leon shook his head and said.

Faelyn did not expect Leon to be the first person to bring it up and her eyes opened wide with surprise.

"You are willing to talk about that?" Faelyn asked with a bit of excitement.

Leon nodded.

"Fire away your questions. I will do my best to answer them. Oh, did I also forget to mention that probably no one else in this kingdom knows more about the World Tree than me?"

"Che! Brag some more." Faelyn curled her lips into a smile. They were of similar age. How much could you possibly know? However, Leon was very mysterious to her so he might actually be stating the truth.

"I personally saw it ascended myself," Leon stated confidently.

"Anyway, that is what you said! You can't go back on your words!" Faelyn said. Her eyes were lit up as she took a deep breath. "How old is the World Tree? How did the World Tree ascend? What happened during its ascension? Is the land there opened? Can my tribe move there? Do we have—"

"Hold it right there!" Leon stopped her from talking further while his mouth twitched unnoticeably. "One question at a time. I can't answer them all at once."

Faelyn realized she was carried away in questioning and blushed.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Leon waved it off nonchalantly. "Anyway, I cannot give an exact number, but the World Tree is at least 10,000 years old, old enough to witness the destruction of the ancient civilization."

Leon paused and peeked at Faelyn. She was listening very intently.

"As an elf, you should already know that sunlight and adequate water is vital for the survival and growth of a plant. Before the World Tree ascended, it had been buried underground all this time. I played a part in allowing it to receive its first ray of sunlight and push for ascension."

"You did?"

Faelyn's twinkling eyes of admiration made Leon embarrassed. In some sense, he did play a part by ordering the palace guards to dig the tunnel and arrangement of sunlight through mirrors. But if he was asked how much he contributed, the answer was he had put in zero effort.

"Ahem, yes," Leon responded with a dry cough.

"Ehhh, really?"

"Of course."

"Why are you looking away then?"

Faelyn had inched closer to pry for any falsity from his expression.

"Because you're being too close."

"Is that the only reason though?"

"Stop asking."

"Oh, okay," Faelyn said with a smile. She sat back down jovially with a carefree expression like she had just won a victorious battle.

Leon was not sure if this was what her true nature was like or if it was the tea that made her relaxed like this, but she was really enjoying herself, huh?

"How childish. Are you really a royal princess?" Leon doubted.

"I could ask the thing the same about you." Faelyn giggled.

"If I'm a royal princess or not?" Leon joked.

"…"

Faelyn pouted.

"You know what I mean."

"Haha, what can I say? I spent 17 years as a commoner." Leon shrugged his shoulders. "It's not strange for me to be more comfortable speaking informally."

If he did care about formality, he would have never asked Dwight if the old man was an idiot for spending decades without success in alchemy the first time they met.

Of course, he had also taken into account the old man's good nature at that time. Otherwise, any other noble would have swatted him to death.

"You spent 17 years as a commoner?" Faelyn blinked and restudied his features that looked no older than the number of years he had mentioned spending as a commoner. Her eyes widened as she asks with surprise, "Did you get adopted into royalty? Do the King and Queen have trouble conceiving a child?"

"Pft." The maids quickly covered their mouths.

"Ugh…" Leon groaned like he had just suffered critical damage. "How did you even arrive at such a conclusion?"

"Eh, it's not?" Faelyn appeared shocked that she had guessed wrong.

'Why are you so shocked for?!' Leon was between laughter and crying. No, rather he wanted to puke blood from holding back at cursing!

"NO!"

"Uh… Sorry… I didn't mean it." Faelyn awkwardly apologized while fiddling her fingers.

"Forget it."

Leon waved it off grudgingly before rubbing his temples like he was suffering from a migraine.

What a disaster.

If such a serious misunderstanding made their way to the ears of his father and mother… Even with all the love that they have for him, he was afraid that someone would still have a hard time avoid getting their ass flogged, and by someone, he meant himself.

He was an ex-Divine Origin realm practitioner and the son of the Divine Medicine King. He refuses to be subjected to such possible humiliation.

"Not a word of this gets out, understand?"

He glared at the palace maids with a piercing look.. The palace maids nodded meekly like pecking ducks.

Chapter 272 - Stepping On A Series Of Landmines

At the tea-table within the prince's private courtyard, there was a period of silence as Leon readjusted his riled emotions.

During this time, Faelyn fiddled her fingers and feet nervously like a bad child who knew she had done something wrong and was waiting to be punished. Perhaps, she had gotten too comfortable and uttered some shocking things that should not be said normally.

The maids knew it was wrong, but they were caught off guard and failed to hold back their laughter. Leon could no longer hear their muffled laughter, but their shoulders still shook from time to time.

'I'm so dead. I'm going to be punished for this.' Was what the two maids were thinking when the prince glared at them.

"Anyway, the World Tree already has owners. If your tribe wants a place by the World Tree, you will have to consult them and not me. However, if you do not know the ancient language, then it'll be difficult to negotiate since communication won't be easy."

Leon was not sure how much knowledge from the basic language package the elder had absorbed, but it should not be that much. A language was not something that can be learned overnight.

Of course, this also only applies to normal people. A Transcendent's learning speed was slightly faster than a normal person. As for Leon, his learning speed was over tenfold quicker than a normal person. It all had to do with the strength of one's soul.

"The ancient language? I don't know any ancient language."

"Then it will be difficult. You can wait until Elder Evergreen becomes proficient in the Gaian language before trying." Leon shrugged his shoulders. "Other than that, there isn't many other choices. I don't have the time to teach you the ancient language."

Faelyn's eyes lit up when she minced over his words.

"But you do know the ancient language, right?"

"That's right."

"Wow! That's incredible! My tribe has a few relics and ancient texts, but none of our elders had been able to make any heads and tails out of it. How did you manage to decipher the language?"

"I'm a genius. I did it with this." Leon pointed to his own head and said shamelessly.

In a way, he was not lying. With his super-fast learning speed, he could be considered a genius at this point. However, he did not decipher the ancient language with his own efforts but inherited it from his previous life.

Nevertheless, Faelyn did not seem to doubt Leon as she totally believed him. Leon had shown her too many surprises.

"Incredible."

"Oh, you actually believe it?" Leon was intrigued.

"Should I not?" Faelyn asked with a confused look.

"No."

"That's good then."

Leon was puzzled by Faelyn's relieved expression and asked, "What's good?"

"It's good that I didn't believe in vain. You should reward for it." Faelyn said.

Leon was immediately amused. He seemed to have understood where she was getting at and played along with a sly smile. "And what kind of reward do you want from me?"

"Teach me the ancient language!" Faelyn said with a hopeful gaze. Seeing Leon's lips curving up into a big smile after what she said, she felt excited with rising anticipation. There was a chance!

"No." Leon rejected flatly.

Faelyn was appalled and devastated like her hopes were dashed just like that. "What! Why??? That's too cruel." Faelyn whined.

"I don't have time." Leon chuckled.

As the onlookers, the palace maids felt like the prince and elven princess were almost flirting with each other. They glanced at each other incredibility and wariness and decided to keep their interaction with the prince to a bare minimum.

'As expected of the womanizing prince. His skills are off the charts. Even the elven princess was not spared.'

If Leon could read their thoughts, he would have cried injustice!

"You don't have time to teach me, but you have the idle time to chat?" Faelyn gave Leon the dirty look.

"This is not idle chat but an exchange of information, don't you agree? I have been answering your questions for some time now. Don't you think it's you answer some of mine?" Leon stated while casually pouring himself a new cup of tea. He did not forget to do the same for Faelyn

Faelyn opened and closed her mouth several times before she grudgingly asks, "What do you want to know?"

"How much do you know about the Wildlands? I would like to know about the general division of strength between the tribes."

"Why do you want to know about that? Aren't you interested in learning more about my tribe at all?" Faelyn raised an eyebrow.

They had been talking for so long, but Leon had been composed the entire time and moved by her beauty in the least. Was he not actually not interested in women? Faelyn gave Leon a peculiar look.

"Of course, I'm interested."

"Then why—"

"This is more important," Leon said firmly.

Faelyn did not know why, but she felt extremely uncomfortable hearing this, so much so that her gloomy aura could be felt as she gritted her teeth. Her tribe was not as important as the rest of the Wildlands, is that right?

"If the world is going to be hit by the second coming of the Cataclysm, the beasts will go wild and out of control. Don't you think its reasonable that I would at least want to know what their strengths and numbers are, so the Human Domain could prepare for what's to come?" Leon explained with a bit of speechlessness.

"Eh, you're right. That makes sense." Faelyn felt better and giggled with a bit of awkwardness and shyness. What was wrong with her?

"Elvengarde only occupies one corner of the Wildlands so we don't know too much about the whole situation. But generally, low-rank tribes are ruled by Transcendents at the Preliminary Accession stage or beasts with an equivalent level of strength and their population usually does not exceed 200,000."

"Mid-rank tribes like ours are ruled by a Transcendent at the Seeking Insight stage with a population ranging anywhere between 1 million to 2 million beasts and beastkins. As for High-rank tribes, they are ruled by Paragons with populations usually over 10 million."

Faelyn patiently explained. Leon was mentally prepared to hear some ridiculous numbers considering the sheer size of the Wildlands, but the numbers still shocked him deep. These were only the numbers for a single tribe of each rank.

"How many tribes are there?" Leon said drily.

"I'm not sure. There are too many low-rank tribes and mid-rank tribes." Faelyn shook her head. "But heard there are 12 high-rank tribes. And…"

"And?"

"This is just hearsay, but I heard there's an even higher rank tribe than high-rank tribes called king-rank tribes. Supposedly there are four such tribes, each ruled by demigod-level existences that had taken half a step into divinity." Faelyn said hesitantly, unable to confirm the rumors.

Leon felt an unprecedented level of pressure at the revelation of such news, but he also sneered at the mention of demigod-level existences.

Faelyn was frightened by Leon's attitude. Does he look down on the demigod-level existences?!

"Careful! I heard that these demigod-level existences also possess powerful consciousness that could reach very distant lands." Faelyn warned.

"Didn't you say that these were just rumors? Look how frightened you are."

"It's still good to be careful, lest you accidentally court a calamity onto yourself. Hmph!"

Leon chuckled lightly, but he acknowledged her warning and no longer openly show his disdain.

Still, even the peak Divine Kings of the Divine Realm did not dare to claim that they have reached the level demigods nor anywhere remotely close to it. Leon felt that these four so-call demigods-level existences were quite audacious.

Hm?

Leon frowned as he entered a deeper level of thought. It might not be all that audacious. Celestials were existences capable of living as long as the sun and moon if they refine celestial bodies and become Celestial Rulers.

Even if they were not as powerful as True Gods, they would have at least gained the lifespan of one. Putting it nicely, it was not farfetched to be called a demigod-level existence at the Half-step Celestial realm.

"Thank you, that was highly informative. I want to hear more about your elven tribe now."

"Hmph! Teach me the ancient language first." Faelyn made stand with her hands pressed on her hips. She had the look of one that would not yield unless he gave her what she wanted.

"You can join the class that will be teaching the ancient language at Crawford Royal University." Leon smiled with a hint of craftiness.

"Will be?" There isn't one yet?"

"Not yet, but there will be one. I still need to prepare the learning materials." Leon explained.

"Eh? Ah? Really? Wait no." Faelyn shook her head and recollected her thoughts. She was forgetting the point. "Why did you agree so easily?"

"You told me what I really wanted to know, so there's no need for me to hold back my cards further."

Faelyn's information on the Wildlands was much more detailed than the bit of information Lilith told him.

"Oh, so you were holding back for this reason." Faelyn frowned. "Why? Was I not being open enough?"

"That's hard to say." Leon shrugged. "I gotta prepare my cards for the worse. Women can be quite unreasonable."

Boom…

It was like Leon's word had set off a landmine as the palace maids looked at him with disapproving looks, while Faelyn felt especially riled. She felt Leon was implying that she was unreasonable. She did not hear the "can be" and only heard it as "women are unreasonable."

"You… Who did you say is unreasonable?" Faelyn gritted her teeth.

"Am I wrong?" Leon widened his eyes. "Are you telling me women don't have double standards?"

Leon felt this was quite true from what he had seen from Amelia and her mother. Their treatment of their husbands was quite the contrast.

Unfortunately, he was looking from the wrong point of view and stepped on another landmine.

"Y-You… Ah… I'll fight you!" Faelyn cried and immediately pounced on Leon like an angry cat.

Leon did not expect the elven princess to pounce of him and ended up getting tackled to the ground as Faelyn rained scratches on him.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm fighting for the dignity of all women! Who did you say is unreasonable?! Who did you say have double standards?!"

"Y-You're crazy!" Leon cussed.

Boom! Off went another landmine.

The things men should not say to women, Leon had said them, not once, not twice, but thrice! He was asking for trouble!

"Argh! You are driving me mad!"

Faelyn rained, even more, kicks and scratches on Leon. She was only a 7-star Ranked Awakener. Her strength could not break through the defense of Leon's arms but the same was not be said for the rest of his body.

Leon had been going easy as she did not try to seriously injure him, but he began fighting back when she tried to bite him and aim for his face! Things got heated!

He grabbed both her wrists and flipped over to be on top and pressed her to the ground.

"Let go of me!"

"No! You will just try scratching me again!"

The two palace maids had long run off to report. They did not like what Leon said either, but a fight between the prince and elven princess was a serious issue that could cause a diplomatic fallout!

"My son, what's going on?"

The king's voice was heard as his head popped around the corner and froze. Leon and Faelyn also froze when they looked at the king. Their clothes were messy, and their position was quite ambiguous.

"Oh… Ahem, hohoho… I seemed to have come at a bad time. Don't mind me, please continue on with your business." Heinrich coughed awkwardly and left after giving Leon a meaningful look.

Leon and Faelyn glanced back at each other, clearly dismayed by the situation and quickly separated.

Chapter 273 - Asking For Pen And Paper

While the king had left in a pleasant mood, there were two other maids who had remained behind and also seen the ambiguous position the prince and elven princess were in. Oh, how the tables have turned when they only left for a short while. The prince had tried to lay his wolfish claws on elven princess.

Leon could feel their cold contemptuous stares that seem to say, "you disgust me." He smiled ruefully. In their positions, it really did look like he was forcing himself on the elven princess.

'Ah, that's another image down the drain.' Leon inwardly lamented.

After the two had separated, Faelyn's head was a mess as she could not believe what she had done. She had lost her temper and assaulted the royal prince of a human kingdom.

Although she did not exert much strength at her level of cultivation as she still had some self-restraints, did not seek to harm the prince, and their scuffle could even be seen as intimate playfighting, it did not change the fact that she had indeed assaulted the prince.

She worried that there would be some diplomatic complications due to this and began to consider her apology.

At the same time, she subconsciously rubbed her stomach and frowned. Something seemed to have poked her tummy just now.

It was just a passing thought and did not dwell on it. When she looked at Leon while thinking of ways to apologize, she felt her anger rising again. Leon had truly infuriated her. That fella did not have any tact.

There were many things a man should not say nor question about a woman. For example, her age, her weight, her appearance, personality, her sanity, her—In short, if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say it at all.

Women only like to hear positive things, but even if you compliment them, they might not believe you. Oh, how women are truly hard to please creatures.

"I humbly apologize for what happened just now. It seems I have misspoken and provoked your ire. However, it was an enjoyable chat with your company, Princess Faelyn. How about we call it a day for today?"

Leon's unexpected apology caught Faelyn by surprise. She did not expect him to be the first one to apologize. She felt a tightness in her chest and veiled pressure from the way Leon had returned to using formal speech.

"Ah? No… I should be the one to apologize... It was my fault for not controlling my temper well. I beg for your forgiveness, Your Highness. I… I also enjoyed your company." Faelyn said apologetically.

By now, she understood that although Leon had said some infuriating things to her, it was completely unintentional and not him trying to pick a fight with her.

Leon shook his head and said, "Don't think too much. We both made mistakes, but as I said, I really enjoyed your company. If you do not mind, I will invite you for tea another time."

"So, you're not sending me away because you are offended by me, Your Highness?" Faelyn carefully asked.

"Not at all. I can at least tell you were pulling your punches and were not seriously trying to harm me. It's just that I still have things I need to do now." Leon explained.

Despite what he said, Faelyn still felt guilty for the few scratch marks on Leon's face. She was hesitant for a moment, but she still stepped forward towards Leon.

"One moment please, Your Highness."

Leon was a bit surprised by Faelyn's approach, but he calmed down after feeling a cool soothing sensation of Faelyn's hands on his cheeks that were coated in a layer wood element healing property.

It was the first time Faelyn was this intimate with another person of the opposite gender and she could not help but blush as she healed his light scratches.

Her blush accentuated her beauty and made her look more mesmerizing as Leon felt his heartbeat quickened slightly.

"Then… I'll be going now, Your Highness." Faelyn said softly and escaped with a flushed face after she was done.

Leon glanced at her retreating figure with a slightly dazed look. Elves really are one of the most beautiful races.

Leon shook his head as he made a mental note to be mindful of his words when he is in front of another woman in the future, lest he accidentally offends a powerful woman that can swat him to death with a single slap.

He had not realized the fact that he could say some displeasing words before because he was favored by his status and shared a good relationship with those he had interacted with, but the elven princess was different.

This was someone with a status of equal standing to his, or rather, Princess Faelyn's status could even be considered even higher than his.

After all, the present Elvengarde was bigger and stronger than the Crawford Kingdom. Just the fact that the Elven King, Queen, and twelve elders of the council were all Transcendent-level figures shows how powerful they were.

Not to mention, all the elves below them that had some form of accomplishment in cultivation.

As for the people of the Crawford Kingdom, most of them had barely stepped on the cultivation path. There was really no room for comparison. The disparity in the strength of the two nations was just that great.

They had really exhausted their luck for the elves to approach them with a humble attitude and willingness to become their vassals. It was like a pie falling out of the sky.

After Leon strictly reminded the maids to spread the word of the matter again, Leon went to trouble his father.

"How was it?"

Leon was dumbfounded by the first question his father posed upon greeting him.

"How was what?" Leon said with a puzzled look.

"Oh, don't give me that look, son. You know what I mean. How's your progress with Princess Faelyn?" Heinrich said with a meaningful smile.

Leon finally understood his father's meaning and shook his head helplessly. "It's not like that at all, father."

"It's not?" Heinrich's smile froze, before he barked, "Why is it not like that? Son, you better work hard to court Princess Faelyn, understand?"

"Are you asking me to bring home another wife, father?" Leon smiled wryly while scratching his cheek.

'There's Aria, Lynne, and Rachel. That makes it three already, yet you want me to get another one?? I'm afraid they will not be happy. Just how many grandchildren do you want to hold?' Leon thought.

Heinrich shook his head.

"Nothing is more unreliable than an oral promise. We cannot guarantee that the entire elven tribe is willing to become our vassals. Don't forget that the envoys are only here as representatives of their tribe. The keyword is 'representatives.' The Supreme Elder is a representative with high status, but he is not the ruler of Elvengarde himself."

"So long as it is not the Elven King of Elvengarde himself that spoke to us in person, there is still a chance that something could go awry. Does it even make sense that someone as powerful as the Supreme Elder would humble himself to us so willingly without an ulterior motive? Even if he has an ulterior motive, we can't do anything about it."

"This is someone with the strength to wipe out everyone in the Capital! However, it is fortunate there is still room to maneuver. A royal princess had accompanied the Supreme Elder on their trip to our kingdom. Marrying the princess will put us in a more favorable position, understand? The binding of marriage is much more reliable than an empty promise."

Leon was given an earful by his father.

At the same time, he was awed by his father. As expected of a ruler, his father had his own concerns and considerations. The king did not blindly believe that everything they had negotiated with the elven envoys would go smoothly.

"I understand, father. I will do my best." Leon complied with his father's wishes.

What his father said was not something that did not cross his mind, but like his father also said, they were too weak to do anything. The only person who could contest with the Supreme Elder when things go south is Elder Evergreen, but the elder was quite far from the Capital.

It was for that reason that he was still mindful of actions and did not dare accept the Supreme Elder's kneel of gratitude.

"Good!" Heinrich nodded approvingly before asking, "Oh right, what did you come to see me for?"

"I was actually looking for some blank paper and a pen to write with. Seeing that father deals with paperwork every day, I figured that father would know where I can grab some."

"Is this enough?"

Heinrich rummaged his messy desk and pulled a few blank white sheets of white paper.

"Not enough. I need a lot. Preferably about this much." Leon gestured by displaying the gap between his hand. It was enough to fit a few hundred sheets of paper. "Oh, I will also need 10 extra pens just in case."

Dafuq?

"Get lost. Are you trying to empty out my office? Where would I find so much spare paper lying around here?" Heinrich chided. Why would he need so many pens and paper for?

"I'm being serious."

"You know there's are plenty of stores outside that sell these kinds of stationaries. Go look for them and stop troubling me." Heinrich shooed. His son was so crazy about cultivation. What is the need for so much paper and pen? Did he suddenly feel like becoming a scholar? He did not believe it.

Leon smiled wryly.

His father's study room was just a short walk away from his private courtyard.. Of course, he would come here to check first and save himself a potential trip outside.

Chapter 274 - It Was A Mistake

Just when Leon was at a loss and was prepared to go shop in the Upper District, Lily's weak voice rang out from the side.

"Your Highness, we have plenty of these stationaries back in Violet Plum Courtyard. If you would like, I can go fetch them for you now."

"That would be great."

Leon was not sure why there would be plenty of spare paper and pens placed there, but he did not think too much since he was getting his pen and paper. Perhaps, that was also where they store some miscellaneous items.

"You sound a bit unwell there, Lily. Is everything alright?" Heinrich asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Everything is fine." Lily said, but one could tell she was sleep-deprived from the bags under her eyes.

"You can go back and rest after you are done." Heinrich permitted with a look of understanding.

The palace maid curtsied and left. Violet Plum Courtyard was where the living quarters for the palace maids were located.

While the king seems to know why the palace maid was sleep-deprived, Leon did not. He glanced at his father with a bit of curiosity, but it was not enough to ask.

Nevertheless, Heinrich began to explain on his own accord. Just the thought of his son misunderstanding something gave him the chills.

"It should be her mother's illness acting up again. She used to be the head of the palace maids and was the one who took care of all my chores in the past. I am not sure what illness she had contracted but none of the doctors were able to find out." Heinrich sighed with a melancholic look.

"I wasn't asking."

"I'm just talking to myself."

Leon speechless.

After being told all that, it was clear that his father wanted him to do something about it, but was afraid to personally make the request. Was there some hidden story between his father and Lily's mother that he does not want mother to know about?

While waiting for Lily to come back with the items, Leon casually glanced at his father's work. Heinrich did not mind his son's presence and continued looking at an old map. It was an old map of the Capital.

As Leon's gaze shifted to the map, it naturally drew his attention. On the old map, there were a few dubious spots circled in red ink, some of which were crossed out. He immediately thought about the ongoing search in the Capital.

"What are these red circles for, father?"

"Hm? Oh, these red circles? These are the various abandoned and haunted areas within the Capital with backstories behind them. People tend to avoid these places in case they rub off some bad luck from the area, but that also makes them the most suspicious place to hide people."

"Haunted? Do people still believe in superstitions in this time and era where the supernatural is the norm?"

"Superstitions or not, every source has its origin. If you can see it, why wouldn't you believe it? Take this Silentside Avenue for example." Heinrich point to a red circle on the map. "On the night of every full moon, Silentside Avenue goes completely silent during the wee hours of 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM."

Silentside Avenue? Goes completely silent during a time people are usually dead asleep? Leon was curious who even came up with such an 'auspicious' name.

Heinrich studied his son's expression before he continued.

"If it were just this then it wouldn't really matter. But this is during the time when the moonlight is the brightest and the wandering spirits of children can be seen. It is said that hundreds of years back, there was a serial killer that kidnaps naughty children that do not sleep when they are supposed to."

"Although the serial killer was caught and hanged in the end, the children that were kidnapped were never found. Later, everyone believed that these wandering spirits were the souls of those missing children."

Leon gave his weird look. It sounded like some ghost story to scare the children to sleep.

"Fine, let me you about another one. This one was a pretty big case that happened 400 years back or more. I'm not too sure anymore." Heinrich pointed to Lost Isle Alley. "A young girl was humiliated to death by a group of young nobles and became a vengeful spirit that killed everyone, including their families. The family died of sickness while the young nobles were all died gruesome deaths. How about that? Did it give you the chills?"

Leon was speechless. When he ventured into Extreme Misty Forest, he had faced thousands of such vengeful spirits. What does one matter?

"Was the vengeful spirit every pacified or exterminated?"

"No. The people of that time had no idea how and just avoided it."

Leon frowned. That sounds like trouble. Letting a vengeful spirit grow like that. Fortunately, this was not Extreme Misty Forest, where the yin energy was dense and overflowing. The vengeful spirit should have been able to grow much despite the long years.

"Not even fazed, huh? Or perhaps these ghost stories are not interesting enough for you, son?"

"Rather than that… I'm more interested in how the search is going."

Heinrich appeared stunned and coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem, it appears that we have trailed off-topic, haven't we? Right, the search was it? The palace guards have not started the search on these areas yet, especially Lost Isle Alley. Don't you reckon some places are better left unchecked, son?" Heinrich's mouth twitched as he asked.

"Why not?" Leon was puzzled. Did his father like keeping rats?

"It won't be good if we provoke the vengeful spirit's ire."

Leon was dazed by his father's response.

"Father, you don't happen to afraid of ghosts, are you?"

"Nonsense! How can a King be afraid of some trifling spirits?!" Heinrich said with grandeur and majesty, but he could not hide the goosebumps on his arms.

Leon's lips curved upwards and came up with an evil thought.

The windows creaked open and a soft gust of wind sneakily entered the room. It roamed the room skillfully and avoided affecting the documents and papers on the desk. It only had a very singular purpose as it crept towards its prey and finally attacked!

Heinrich's slouched body suddenly sat upright with all his hair standing on end as he was assaulted by the chilly wind. Such sudden movements caused the king to thump the desk with his knee and exclaim with fright.

"Is something wrong, father?" Leon did his best to ask with a straight face, but his cheeks trembled from time to time. He could not believe that his father was really afraid of ghosts!

"Ah? Uh, no, it is nothing." Heinrich forced a laugh and commented, "The wind is a chilly, huh?"

"Pftt—Ahem, maybe?"

Heinrich looked Leon with doubt. "You did something just now, didn't you?"

"No, if there's nothing else. I'll be heading back first, father." Leon made an excuse to leave but failed to hold his laugh again. "Pft."

Heinrich widened his eyes and barked, "You dare prank me? You little rascal, come back here!"

Leon escaped in a fit of laughter. Heinrich shook his head and smiled after Leon was gone. Suddenly, the opened slammed shut with a bang and made him jumped again.

"Arghh!!"

…

Leon did not escape far, just around the corner outside the study room as he leaned against the wall. He was no longer jovially but rather depressive instead. A single teardrop had suddenly dripped from the corner of his eyes with a trail.

'Father, your son really misses you!'

He sighed at the sudden rush of sadness as he thought of his previous life's father. Sometime later, subtle footsteps could be heard, but Leon did not seem to have heard it.

"Your Highness?" Lily softly called out to him in a half-dosed and curious manner, while carrying the box of pens and papers. Seeing Leon like this, she was not sure why, but it invoked a strong feeling of sympathy from her. "Is everything alright?"

Leon wiped the faint trail on his face and glanced at the bewildered Lily, secretly embarrassed that someone saw him like this. Was it his time of the month?

"Yes, it's nothing. Thanks for fetching the stuff for me." Leon grabbed the box from Lilly's arms and said, "You should really get some sleep. You look like you are about to pass out."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but I will be fine," Lily said despite her baggy, sloppy, and red eyes.

"You do you." Leon shrugged. He had already advised her. He pocketed the box in his Worldspace and did not even take more than a dozen steps when he heard a soft thud.

He turned around and lo and behold, the palace maid, Lily had fallen asleep while standing with her head rested against the wall.

Leon was speechless. It takes some made serious skills or determination to be able to sleep while standing.

"Oi."

"Zzzz..."

Leon went back to shake her awake, but her body started tilting instead. It was no good. She had already entered deep sleep.

'Guess I'll take this chance to go check on her mother's condition on the way.' Leon mused.

Lily had a cute sleeping expression as she seems to mumble some incomprehensible food terms, but her drool made him frown. He decided to pick her up and place her over one of his shoulders like a dead log.

'I think Violet Plum Courtyard was in this direction.' Leon chose his direction.

"What are you doing with Lily?" Heinrich came out to check who banged on the wall and saw his son with a 'dead' Lily.

"Hm?"

Due to Lily being placed o Leon's left shoulder as he rotated his body back anti-clockwise, her head slapped the wall with another thud. Heinrich's eye twitched, while the corner of Leon's lips did.

"I'm taking her back to the maid's courtyard since she fell asleep as you can see."

Lily: "Zzz."

"I can see that, but why are you carrying her like that?"

"It's more convenient this, I think?" Leon said as he waved his spare right arm.

"Alright then... Be more careful on your way. Lily is still a delicate young girl."

"Yes, father."

Thud…

Lily's head slapped the wall again when Leon turned back.

"…"

"Ahem, that was a mistake, a mistake. I will be careful now." Leon coughed.

Heinrich was seen heaving up and down as he tried to calm his nerves and vexed mind.. If Lily were awake, she would have been in tears.