Immortal Kingdoms

Greenheart City.

A newly appointed one-star civilian was completing star missions across the various districts in the city like crazy.

Within three months, 100 one-star missions were completed, 100 two-star missions were completed, and another 100 three-star missions were completed.

However, that civilian didn't come to the Magistrate Manor to validate his status and get the promotion to a four-star Soulscript Crystal Card holder, officially becoming a lower-class noble in the city.

Although no one could get access to the details of the missions cleared by Leonardo's maids, the display board would advertise the accomplishments under his name for every 100 completed missions. Thus, everyone in the city now realized that a person called Shi Yunhei was on his way to climbing the official ranks.

If he could reach the seven-star rank, he would easily get a position in the Magistrate Manor.

Nine-stars and he would become a low-ranking provincial official.

Even the slightest bit of provincial-level influence was substantial to someone from a city, let alone a mere shopkeeper.

Moreover, people also wondered how could he afford to constantly hire a team of efficient cultivators for these missions, while some suspected that this Shopkeeper Shi was supported from the shadows.

Most of the people concerned were seven-star and eight-star rank officials who hold District Director seats of power, especially the 7th District Director, as he didn't wish for his seat to be handed over to this Shopkeeper Shi.

Many people tried to visit Leonardo's private house but the butler denied them entry with the excuse that the house wasn't accepting visitors, gifts, or invitations.

Many people wanted to either connect with or harm Leonardo due to his sudden rise. Perhaps, most people simply wanted to know if they could hire the people Leonardo used for his star missions.

Nonetheless, there were also those who didn't care because the difference between three-star and four-star missions was too great, let alone from six-star to seven-star missions.

…

Of course, Leonardo didn't know about these developments nor did he care. At this moment, he was contemplating whether or not he should accept Zaylee in because he knew that figuratively speaking, her words hold no weight in the grand scheme of things.

"Let's discuss this matter later," Leonardo waved his hand and looked over at Junior Brother, "Did you stay behind to protect me or something?"

Junior Brother rolled his eyes, "Protecting you is simply a matter of convenience. However, my true purpose here is to annihilate a hidden sect that provides secret intelligence to the Jin Dynasty… Hm, since you're already here, you can use their cleansing pond to fully convert your ether and advance to divinity."

Leonardo didn't expect Junior Brother to help him achieve divinity just like that. Although, it probably isn't going to come cheaply.

As expected, Junior Brother continued, "I will handle their rebirth cultivators, you and the little girls will have to handle the normal sect members along with my team. Although they might take care of you three, don't rely on them too much."

Leonardo interrupted with a frown, "If it's a hidden sect, it most likely has more than one rebirth cultivator… Can you handle it? Oh yeah— do you have the complete arrow technique?"

Junior Brother gave Leonardo a weird look, "Do you mean the Ninth Inception Arrow? No, I don't. I'm a sword cultivator, why would I waste my time on archery? Furthermore, you're overestimating rebirth realm cultivators too much; a rebirth realm is also the zero realm, it basically gives someone the basic human rights to survive in the wilderness."

As Junior Brother waved his hand to grow the flying sword into a three-meter-long platform, he jumped on the hilt and continued, "Rebirth realm cultivators are split into zero rebirth and star rebirth. The former is when you create the star core, but it is no different from a standard beast core at best— you can even consider it a dantian. As for the latter, the star rebirth realm, that realm is split into the four cycles of essence melding, singularity, inception, and finally Star Lord. I am a Star Lord, a bonafide peak rebirth realm cultivator."

Hearing this, Leonardo thought back to Eternus' departing words and asked Junior Brother, "I'm curious, what is a World King?"

Junior Brother who climbed on the flying sword almost fell off, giving Leonardo another weird look, "You really are bold to ask about something like that, aren't you? Don't casually talk about a World King, perhaps you can ask someone like Grandmaster Sin about it, anyone else would either be confused or kill you on the spot."

With that said, Junior Brother waved his hand and brought Zaylee who didn't dare raise her head in his presence, and Maiden 001 together with Leonardo on the flying sword. Then, the sword shot into the clouds in a layer of sword light.

…

Beast Claw Sect is one of many hidden sects in the Core Mainland, and these sects number in the hundreds of thousands deep within the uncharted wilderness.

Although they're called hidden sects, that's only because they don't lean towards neither the martial nor secular worlds of the Core Continent but barely survive in the cracks.

There are many ancient ruins and grand protective formations established by the ancient ancestors who perished under the sands of time. The people left, yet the heritage remains behind.

Solo cultivators who stumble upon these fortunes often start their own sects that flourish from a small gang to a great family, and after so many years, a group of divinities establish a sect in the ruins while maintaining secret relations with the outside world for resources and sustenance.

It is also from these hidden sects that people hire divinities and rebirth realm cultivators to complete star missions, but it is said that they only accept four-star missions and higher as apparently, the low-class nobilities cannot afford their prices.

When Leonardo first learned of the origins of these hidden sects, his first thought was to go on a journey of locating similar ancient ruins and searching for treasures.

He then crossed that thought off because let alone his current High Saint, not even a High Divinity can afford to run around the uncharted wilderness with the limitations on their spiritual senses.

Perhaps once he achieved rebirth and molded his essence he might go around the uncharted wilderness for a spin. As for the Ninth Inception Arrow, he would have to depend on his innate martial intent to derive the nine original arrows.

"We've arrived," Junior Brother said, shaking Leonardo awake from his contemplation.

Looking down, all Leonardo could see was a barren mountain range that seemed otherwise too bleak.

"Where is it?"

Leonardo looked around and asked, a bit confused.

"It's a natural illusion formation," it was Zaylee who piped up and spoke, "The sect is most likely hidden behind the natural illusion formation, the entrance to my clan's hidden dimension is also concealed under layers of artificial and natural formations."

"So that's it!" Leonardo finally realized that the term hidden wasn't a simple figure of speech, but these places were truly hidden.

"It makes one wonder how people would find their way through these formations to find the ancient ruins," Leonardo rubbed his chin with interest.

Junior Brother explained, "These formations are faulted and their energy lags behind sometimes, creating openings that if you were lucky enough to be around by chance, you can easily get in."

In a sense, it was a matter of fate.