Bland City.
Footsteps echoed in a deep, dark underground place. They were the members of the Dragon Council, also known as Nine Heads.
"We've been walking forever... Just how deep is this place." Ninth Head said while looking around.
"Judging from the time and distance, we are one thousand meters below the surface." Third Head answered calmly.
Governor Ray, First Head, glanced at them from the corner of his eyes. He then asked, "How much of you know the history of Hall Plains?"
"The history of Hall Plains is pretty much nonexistent. From the records, there is a powerful country that existed here in the past." Fifth Head said while stroking his chin.
"That country is called the Hall of Power. Aside from that, I don't know anything else." Fourth Head said as he tried to remember the records he had seen before.
"So someone erased the history? Is it the Imperial Family in the central region?" Eight Head asked.
Governor Ray continued walking down the stairs while listening to their words. After a while, he opened his mouth and said, "Yes, there is a large country in Hall Plains a long time ago. It was the central power of Hall Plains, it's called the Hall of Power. The Hall of Power disappeared after a brutal war that occurred a long time ago. Right now, most of the top factions in the Hall Plains were once part of the previous Hall of Power."
Countless powerful experts died in that war and it reduced this land to its current state. A barren land without any sort of actual power. The experts of this land grew weaker as various spells, combat arts, and techniques were lost in the war. No faction in the entire Hall Plains could even produce an expert that broke a great shackle, Four Shackles Realm.
The emperor of the Imperial Family in the central region was only at the peak of the Three Shackles Realm. Even the increase in mana density couldn't help the emperor's breakthrough. It only made him stronger than the normal Three Shackles Realm.
Ray glanced at them from the corner of his eyes and said, "Some of you arrive at the Second Shackles after the increase in mana density while the others have reached Second Shackles a long time ago."
"Yep, it's not enough. I'm still thirty four years old this year and I think I could achieve more." Ninth Head nodded her head. "So I'm planning to go to any large country or Holy Lands to find some treasure or techniques that could help me reach the Fourth Shackle. The treasure that we could find here is only for Liquefying and Solidifying Realm. There are few for Shackled Realm but it's not enough."
"We're here." Ray suddenly said.
The rest of the heads looked up and saw a gigantic exquisite jade door filled with all sorts of seals and runes. It has a height of fifty meters and a width of ten meters. At the bottom part of the jade door, there was a small door in it that fitted their size.
Even though the jade door was sealed, they could still feel the intense oppression in the air. It was heavy and suffocating. The unknown being that lies behind this door possessed strength that could look down at them as if they were ants.
"This is the secret that the Governor of Mine Valley passed down from generation to generation. It's a secret buried deep in the mind of the previous Governors." Governor Ray said as he looked calmly at the giant jade door.
"This is..."
Ninth Head and the rest opened their eyes widely. They felt insignificant in front of this jade door. They didn't expect that something like this was hiding in the Mine Valley.
"It's too early to be surprised. Behind this door, you will find out what happened to the war a thousand years ago." Governor Ray said.
...
White Wheat City.
Elder Guan, Yuko, Yenxa, and the rest successfully captured the White Wheat City with the help of the forces of Second Head. The battle for the three cities was coming to end. One city had fallen within the hands of the Dragon Council.
They started to sort out all the resources in this area. The mining area became an exclusive possession of the Dragon Council. The profits from this would be handed to two major forces of the Dragon Council, the Second Head and Seventh Head. Both of their forces were the key that conquered this land so fifty percent of the territory was going to fall to them. As for the other half of the land, the rest of the Nine Heads were going to divide it for themselves.
Conquering the White Wheat City shook the other factions. At the same time, they begin their fierce assault on the remaining two cities. After all, the forces of the Second Head and Seventh Head were occupying the White Wheat City so they couldn't join the battle on the other two cities for the time being.
If they ever left the city, there was a chance that the other factions would attack them. So until they build a proper defensive barricade, Second Head's forces and Seventh Head's forces weren't going to leave this city.
They would stay here until they successfully rooted themselves.
Elder Guan was standing at the top of the city wall, looking at the land before his eyes. He could see that there was an army on the horizon but that army was just observing them. He could understand why.
The Feral Corps and the Witch Corps showed their fierce military might in this battle. Words of their feats were spread out in the other cities so it was natural that the other factions became cautious of them. Their brutal power and immortal-like characteristics spread out like a wildfire.
'So we are slowly showing ourselves in this world...'
Elder Guan muttered. If the Witch Clan had this sort of military power back in his homeworld, they could probably conquer everything except for the Monster Dungeon.
He didn't even expect that the Divine World from legends really existed.
"Is there something on your mind, Sir Guan?" A voice sounded behind him.
Elder Guan turned his head and found that it was the Second Head of the Nine Heads. A person that stood at the top of the Dragon Council.
"I'm just watching that army, wondering if they are going to attack or not." Elder Guan stared at the army several dozens of kilometers away.
"Probably not, that army is here because they wanted to pressure us to stay here so that the other factions could conquer the other two cities." Second Head said as he also looked at that army composed of hundreds of humans and demis.
"So if they sent some of our forces they are going to attack us?" Elder Guan raised his eyebrows.
"That should be their plan. To hold us here or maybe they are baiting us to attack the other cities so that they could conquer this place. Attacking other cities means dividing our forces, they are probably looking for that opportunity too. Either way, we'll stay in this place for a while." Second Head said.
"I see..." Elder Guan nodded. He then recalled something. "What about the villages and towns around the three cities?"
"Oh, those places? They became a camping area of various factions." Second Head said plainly.
Regarding this matter, the villages and towns couldn't resist the overlord of a city. The strongest expert in those villages and towns were just low-level B-rank. Some of them even called themselves nobles and created a fiefdom yet the only strongest expert they had was only a mere peak level B-rank.
In the eyes of the overlord organizations, they were all the same even if those people call themselves nobles. They were just ants that they could exploit anytime. It would be a different matter if those self-proclaimed nobles had powerful experts in their households. The overlord organizations would even welcome them on their land with open arms.
Footsteps sounded beside the two of them. Elder Guan and Second Head turned their heads only to see a guard rushing in their direction.
"What's the matter?" Second Head asked.
Elder Guan was curious so he looked at the guard waiting for him to catch his breath. This seems important or else this guard wouldn't dare to disturb the two of them.
"S-Second Head, our scouts have arrived!!" The guard said between his heavy breath.
"So what's the report of our scouts?" Second Head asked calmly.
"The various tribes in the Earthen Woods appeared and attacked the border of the Mine Valley! A city has already fallen in their hands!" The guard said with a trembling tone.
"What?!" Second Head and Elder Guan were both shocked at the report.
"The report says that a powerful tribe unified all the tribes in the Earthen Woods and now... They are thinking of invading the Mine Valley!"
Second Head and Elder Guan grew silent at this information. This was a sudden event that they didn't expect. The raid from those tribes would surely damage a part of the Mine Valley.
They needed to act quickly.
