Chapter 1111: Chapter 1111: The Dark Underground Palace

Lincoln had given him directions in his message. Zen and Freya traveled through Auspice City and after a few minutes found themselves in a commoners' district.

People from different levels and social status lived in the area. Most of them were ordinary people, but some of the wealthiest men were able to afford to hire some martial artists who served as guards to their houses. Thus, low-level martial artists, such as those in the Illuminating Soul Realm, could be seen occasionally.

In this kind of setting, the arrival of two martial artists of the Soul Sea Realm was something that immediately attracted curious gazes.

Young boys watched Zen and Freya with yearning. The auras that surrounded the two were far stronger and more arresting than those of the martial artists they usually saw. Soon, these boys trailed behind them, no doubt attracted to their energy.

A frown appeared in Freya's face even as she followed closely after Zen. She did not understand why they were in this place.

They walked for a short distance. Then, a large manor came into their sight. A fat landlord bowed respectfully at the entrance, leading the two into the manor.

He was one of the affluent merchants in this region. That was what common people thought. All of his wealth would amount to no more than one or two thousand supreme life vitality crystals-a number that, to martial artists, was not even worth mentioning. However, it was quite an accomplishment for an ordinary mortal to earn this much without a martial artist's ability. After all, this was the rough equivalent to the annual expenditure of a third-grade clan.

The landlord did not know who Zen was. None of the several martial artists that he hired to guard his house did, either. They could not even tell Zen's and Freya's cultivation levels, more so their identities. All the landlord knew was that the two had unimaginable strength. For a mere mortal, he possessed shrewdness that served him well.

He had always treated martial artists with reverence, no matter who or what level they were. Upon their arrival, he would respectfully lead them into his mansion and ask his wife and children to stay in other places in Auspice City, leaving behind some servants to serve his guests. All of this served to his self-interest as well. He knew that with their strength, they could easily turn decades of hard work into dust, and there was no one to help him if that happened.

Zen and Freya were led into a room that seemed like a cellar.

The oil lamps that hung on the wall had all been extinguished, and no lamps provided light. He had been given explicit instructions not to light any lamps, and did not dare to disobey.

Right now, he only wished for these martial artists to leave as soon as possible. He tiptoed around his own mansion, afraid of unknowingly offending them in some way. Their motives were unclear to him, but he did his best to satisfy them, in the interest of protecting the wealth that he and his family had accumulated bit by bit for three generations.

The dark cellar led to an open space. In the middle was a round table, around which sat eight people.

All of them tried their best to conceal their cultivation bases, but the faint auras they gave off were telling of their strength. Zen had sensed their auras immediately after entering the cellar. A trace of wariness appeared on his face.

“Zen, here you are,” Lincoln spoke. He was sitting on one side of the round table and laughed heartily upon seeing Zen's expression. “Sit down first, and then we'll talk.”

The light in the space was dim, but it hardly mattered to these warriors. They did not need much light to be able to observe one another.

There seemed to be something amiss with the atmosphere, as if all of them were animals that would strike at the slightest provocation.

Zen had expected Lincoln to have other companions. However, he did not think that he would invite martial artists at the Spirit Supreme Realm. These men gave off an aura that was almost sinister, and Zen was immediately on guard at their presence.

Just when Zen and Freya were about to sit down on two empty chairs, one of the martial artists spoke up derisively, “Lincoln, why did you bring these two good-for-nothings along to explore the Dark Underground Palace?” ℞ÅΝ𝘰ʙƐ𝓢

Zen's brow creased at his words.

Lincoln had previously told him that he was the only one who knew about the secret treasures of the Dark World, so the upcoming exploration should be led by him, but it seemed that it was no longer the case.

Lincoln tried to smooth things over, laughing away the beginnings of embarrassment. “Don't say that. I was able to leave the Villain World with Zen's help, so he must be part of the expedition to the Dark Underground Palace.”

“Humph! With one portion for you and one portion for him, how much would be left for me and my brothers?” another martial artist said, clearly dissatisfied.

Lincoln was visibly displeased at his words. His expression turned cold as he answered, “I have already made an agreement with Adrian. You and your brothers will be taking thirty percent of the secret treasures in the underground palace. I will decide what to do with the rest. ”

Lincoln was at the later stage of the Soul Sea Realm, and he possessed incredible talent. With the Wrath of the Ocean, he had no reason to be afraid of these martial artists who were at the Spirit Supreme Realm.

“Thirty percent? Are you insulting us? You will only be leading the way. Why are you entitled to take away seventy percent? What qualifications do you have to do that?” another martial artist challenged.

A disdainful glint passed through Lincoln's eyes. “Well, then. I'd like to see you try and get it alone. Since you think I do not have the qualifications, then you are free to leave. The underground palace is right below the city. I'm sure all of you can find the treasures of the Dark World on your own,” he said in a voice that was almost freezing in its coldness.

“Cut the garbage, Lincoln. Who do you take us for? If you don't bring us into the underground palace, then don't even think about leaving the Dark World,” another one of the men threatened. An intimidating aura exuded from him as he finished his words. It was as if they were in the presence of a demon.

Above the cellar was the landlord's courtyard. The sinister aura penetrated through the walls and spread out, forming tremendous force on mortal souls. In an instant, all the people within a ten-mile radius fainted.

Lincoln remained calm in the face of such an overwhelming soul force. Zen's gaze, similarly, was indifferent.

Ordinary Soul Sea Realm martial artists stood no chance against Spirit Supreme Realm warriors, but both Lincoln and Zen had the qualifications to enter the Gauze Pavilion. In the instance that a fight erupted, the two men would have no fear of the people in front of them.

Seeing that a fight was threatening to break out before the group set off, a warrior in the corner laughed dryly and began to mediate. “Men, let's not fight over such a trivial matter. We should follow the agreement.”

The man who spoke was Adrian, the warrior who had devised the plan against Zen and Layla back on Willow Island.

Lincoln had promised Adrian thirty percent of the secret treasures of the Dark World if he helped Lincoln regain his freedom. Adrian was extremely smart, but his cultivation and strength were far from enough, so he invited those seven brothers to come together.

They were independent warriors from the Upper World. Upon receiving the invitation, they found out that the one who was able to open the underground palace was a warrior who was merely at the later stage of the Soul Sea Realm. It wounded their pride, and they began to hold Lincoln in contempt. Moreover, they would get only thirty percent of secret treasures, which was far from enough for them.

To their surprise, Lincoln had invited Zen in addition to Adrian and themselves. This newcomer's cultivation level was even lower. What right did he have to get a portion?

Adrian's words worked. He had managed to persuade the two sides and the tension on the atmosphere thawed out.

Of course, the seven brothers didn't want Zen with them. He was a nobody. However, only Lincoln knew the way to enter the underground palace. With Adrian's persuasion, they had no choice but to temporarily restrain their tempers.

Lincoln had a fiery disposition, but he had always been a man of his word. He had promised Adrian thirty percent, and temporarily set aside his own anger. “The complexity of the underground palace far surpasses your imagination. Before we enter it, we need to make some preparations. We can't set out without being fully prepared,” he said, more calmly now.

He knew very well that they would have to fight against the evil energy in the underground palace. After devising a good plan, they left the mansion and headed to Auspice City to secure some items. Then, they gathered once again at the place that Lincoln had designated.