Chapter 529: A Very Troublesome Matter

"Sister Valeria, is that you?" Emma suddenly shouted, noticing the faint sound of footsteps in the distance. She flicked her long, snake-like tongue, catching the familiar scent of Valeria in the air.

"Sister Emma, it's me! You don't need to be on guard!" Valeria emerged from the woods, wielding the sword Yuan had given her earlier. Fresh bloodstains covered the blade.

Emma raised her brows at the sight of the blood. "Did you encounter any spiritual beasts in the forest? There's so much blood on your sword, Sister Valeria."

"Indeed. I ran into a few wild hyenas in the forest. Thankfully, their cultivation was only at the seventh level of Spirit Apprentice, or I wouldn't be here talking to you." Valeria replied with a proud grin.

"This secret realm is indeed dangerous. We must be more cautious and increase our cultivation as soon as possible," Emma said seriously, grasping the gravity of their situation. "It's fortunate those hyenas had low cultivation, and you managed to defeat them."

"It's good that we reunited quickly," Valeria suggested, a hint of concern in her voice. "Let's cultivate for a while and increase our strength before we search for the others. I fear we might not stand a chance against more powerful spiritual beasts."

"I see you're currently at the peak of Spirit Apprentice. I'm at the first level of Spirit Warrior. Thankfully, this secret realm seems to have a unique effect that accelerates our cultivation."

"Indeed. Let's cultivate and strengthen ourselves before seeking out the others. I bet Yuan and the others are already working to regain their former strength," Valeria remarked, nodding with determination.

"Yes, let's cultivate together under that massive tree," Emma suggested, pointing to a large tree in the distance, its shade covering a vast area.

Valeria nodded in agreement.

They both arrived under the massive tree and sat in a lotus position, activating their cultivation techniques. Within minutes, they achieved breakthroughs.

First, Valeria stepped into the first level of Spirit Warrior, followed by Emma, who reached the second level. Emma could feel her former strength returning, but she also sensed that she was becoming stronger than before, as if she was achieving double the effect.

In just a few hours, both Emma and Valeria made several breakthroughs. Valeria advanced to the sixth level of Spirit Warrior, while Emma reached the seventh. The rapid progress shocked them; what had previously taken Emma a week now took only a few hours.

"This is incredible... At this rate, we'll reach Spirit Master in no time," Emma muttered to herself, seemingly in disbelief. She closed her eyes again and focused on cultivating as the surrounding Qi rushed toward her, as if drawn by a powerful vortex.

—

"I'm close to breaking through to the first level of Spirit Master... I can sense a few Spirit Warrior-level spiritual beasts nearby. I should eliminate them before attempting the breakthrough."

Xi Meili stood up from her lotus position, looking to her left, where she sensed a few monsters. It would be difficult to break through with them nearby, so it was better to eliminate them before they attacked.

'I must find His Majesty as soon as possible. I hope he isn't away from the palace... If he is, it would be very troublesome for us.' Lord Ivan quickened his pace, arriving before the entrance to the King's palace.

The guards immediately bowed their heads upon recognizing Lord Ivan and quickly opened the gate, noticing the urgency in his demeanor. Without a glance at the guards, Lord Ivan rushed into the palace, heading straight for the King's study, where the King spent most of his time.

Shortly, he arrived at the study and knocked on the door, knowing it would be improper to enter without the King's permission. Entering unbidden could be seen as disrespectful to the King and his authority.

"Enter..." a voice called from within. Lord Ivan quickly opened the door and stepped inside.

"Your Majesty, I've received a very urgent report from the Lord of Roth City. It concerns a matter of great importance," Lord Ivan said, bowing slightly before the King.

King Richard raised his brows upon hearing this and asked, "From Roth City? Go on, what kind of report did you receive from Roland Roth, the Lord of Roth City?"

"The report states that Lady Valeria, along with several others, visited the abandoned ruins in their territory. They entered a crack that appeared in the air and disappeared along with it," Lord Ivan informed the King, his expression serious, reflecting the gravity of the situation.

"What did you just say?!"

King Richard immediately stood up from his seat, unable to remain calm. This matter was extremely serious; if the Emperor learned about this, it could provoke a war between the kingdom and the empire.

"Instead of hearing it from me, why don't you read it for yourself, Your Majesty?" Lord Ivan suggested, handing the letter to King Richard.

Without delay, King Richard began reading the letter, and his expression grew increasingly grave as he absorbed its contents. By the time he finished, he placed the letter on his desk with a heavy sigh, taking a deep breath to steady himself. A multitude of concerns crowded his mind, each one adding to the growing headache.

He then looked at Lord Ivan with a serious expression and said, "Lord Ivan, quickly assemble five thousand troops and prepare the carriages. We must depart for the abandoned ruins immediately."

"It seems that Roth City might be in danger of an attack by monsters of unknown origin. The crack in the air could appear anywhere in the territory, and monsters might emerge from it to attack the citizens."

"Lord Roland's young heir has proven capable. Before informing his father, he already secured the perimeter of the abandoned ruins, preventing civilians from approaching. Numerous archaeologists are currently working at the site."

"I'll inform my family about my departure. I think I'll take my wife, Aurelia, and my son, Tristan, along with me," King Richard added.

"As you wish, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, I'll arrange everything promptly." Bowing his head, Lord Ivan left the King's study hurriedly, as he had much to prepare.

King Richard also left his study shortly afterward to inform his family of the sudden and serious situation that had arisen in Roth City. After all, this matter concerned not just Roth City but the entire kingdom, especially since Lady Valeria was personally involved.