Immortal Kingdoms

As Leonardo found a direction to guide his cultivation path, on the other end of planet Arcadia in the depths of the Elven Domain, Xavier stepped foot into the territory of the High Elf Lord.

It was a vast forest surrounded by tall mountains and gushing waterfalls. The trees were arrayed in a natural formation conforming to the cycle of the sun, moon, and stars. Thick green canopies separated the land from the sky as the silver rays of three moons sprinkled past the green leaves.

There wasn't a sign of advanced constructions, or industrial revolutions, not even a block of clay or concrete. However, curious enough, each tree's bark was as thick as a house, some of them with a circumference vast enough to house a mansion.

In the center of it all was a towering tree with branches so high it gave the illusion that this tree was holding up the heavens with minimum difficulty. Some of its smaller branches were the size of the aforementioned tree barks on the peripheral regions of this fantastical territory.

As Xavier progressed through the trees flanked by a procession of elven saints, he couldn't help but marvel at the deep foundations the Elven Royal Family had. Unlike the three ruling powers of the Human Domain, the Elven Royal Family has the entire population united under their rule.

Xavier knew that his visit to the Elven Royal Family was under Leonardo's predictions. Actually, he knew that he was forced into this path by a masterful move on Leonardo's end by utilizing human psychology. Nonetheless, he didn't care, as he had a surprise prepared for Leonardo as well.

On top of the World Tree, a middle-aged man stood, cold and dignified.

A beautiful woman with blonde hair, and blue eyes, dressed in a floral imperial dress stood intimately close to his right side.

Further back was another exceptionally beautiful woman who looked very much like an older version of Juvia before her transformation. This woman had a cold countenance, hate etched deep within her eyes that she didn't bother to conceal.

"Your Majesty, you said that this young human will aid us in attacking the Human Domain?" The first woman asked in a coy tone, sneaking a glass at the former High Elf Queen standing a bit further.

"We're not attacking anyone— I simply intend to bring back my niece to where she belongs." The man responded.

A cold snort sounded from behind accompanied by a sarcastic voice, "Please— you're afraid that Juvia will birth a male son with rights of succession to the throne while running outside. After all, you've surely plotted deeply, even killing your own brother. Why would you sit around while allowing a threat to your rule to run rampant?"

The woman next to the dignified man snarls fiercely, her narrow eyes spitting fire as she glares at the former High Elf Queen.

Smack!

Bang!

Juvia's mother backhanded the woman across the face, sending her smashing into one of the inner walls of the tree. She then flung the remnant blood off her dainty hand while speaking in a cold tone, "A mere concubine dare look me in the eye? Truly tired of living!"

"Valeria!" The man shouted, furious that his favorite concubine was beaten right under his nose.

"You shut up, Richard!" Valeria glared at Richard, her gaze cold and equally as dignified.

"You were never a match for my late husband, let alone me. If you didn't secretly poison the Vein of Eternal Spring while Reinard was cultivating, crippling his cultivation momentarily, you wouldn't have been his match even if the sky was torn asunder."

"You barely qualify as a High Saint, yet you're already so full of yourself. Let alone me, you wouldn't even manage to survive one on one with a Sky Angel. If not for me and the Seven Supreme Guardians, you would have long kissed the title of an Emperor goodbye!"

Valeria spat on the ground before turning her back to the fuming Richard, heading into the depths of the World Tree without sparing him the least bit of face. This man's stupidity is incurable, getting himself involved in a fight between two houses from the higher realms.

As Valeria was making her way into the World Tree, its branches twitched ever so slightly and a wisp of soul energy descended from the top and into Valeria's soul seed, presenting her with a vision that shook her to the core.

Her expression went as pale as a sheet of paper. Looking back at the foolish so-called emperor, she cursed under her breath that he was playing with fire before she rushed to her private quarters.

At the same time…

Exodia Imperial Capital, Royal Palace.

Inside an isolated cultivation chamber, King Ivar was silent drawing the energy from the underground veins into his body, trying to comprehend the essence of his own energy in an attempt to advance in the realms of his cultivation.

Although Leonardo had already stated that advancing past High Sainthood is practically an impossibility, he wasn't convinced.

Suddenly, space rippled and the phantom of an old man with long white hair phased into existence without disturbing King Ivar's meditation. Observing the young king, the old man sighed with remorse.

This sigh seemed to gently pull King Ivar from his state of cultivation. The next moment, his expression changed as he hurriedly knelt respectfully.

"I greet the Human Sovereign!"

Although this old man was also a member of House Exodia, the status of a Sovereign transcends familial bonds from the secular world.

The old man didn't say anything, he merely tapped King Ivar's forehead, transmitting a certain image that turned King Ivar's complexion white from fright.

Without even the presence of mind to continue his cultivation, King Ivar stormed out of the room.

The same scene replayed itself in the depths of the Beastkin Domain as the Beast Emperor roared to the heavens above with abject horror and anger.

…

Grace Imperial Palace.

The little fox Aria was laying down on Leona's lap, gently humming a comfortable tone as she was experiencing the pampering of her life. Suddenly, her perky ears twitched, and she raised her crimson eyes to stare into the void.

Her vision went through the walls, the formation, the skies, the atmospheric membrane of Arcadia, and traveled an unknown distance in the sea of stars.

There, she saw a fleet of spaceships led by a powerful half-step divinity who had a sinister expression.

Narrowing her eyes, she found a group of people with the aura of the higher realms delegated in the vessels, as well as a group of powerful combatants with the aura of the middle realms. Apparently, the factions from the upper realms are planning to use a borrowed knife to kill Leonardo and destroy Nier's private planet.

However, Aria can't possibly tell Nier about these developments for a few reasons.

One, Nier is already a divinity and she can't descend to the middle realms.

Two, this planet isn't under the protection of House Hestia, but Nier as an individual. Hence, even if she knew, there was nothing she could do about it.

Three, how would she explain to her daughter if she were to ask something like, how did you know?

Anyway, even if things got to the worst-case scenario, Leonardo could always use the talisman to escape the planet. Thus, she lazily closed her eyes and decided it wasn't something worth disturbing Leonardo over.

Just like that, except for Aria, no one else within the borders of the locked-down Grace Imperial City was aware of the encroaching danger stretching its claws in Arcadia's direction.

Time quickly trickled by, the outside world once again descended into an era of silent turmoil with the masses blissfully unaware, and Leonardo's days of cultivation progressed smoothly…

…

Cultivation Chamber, Day 90.

Countless sword marks scarred the four walls of the cultivation chamber.

Some were long, others were short.

Some were shallow, others were deep.

Some were elongated, others were even.

Some were straight, others were curved.

Some were vertical, others were horizontal.

In short, there were plenty of sword marks. However, under deep scrutiny, one would notice that they've accumulated to an overall of twelve variations, representing the twelve changes to the form of the moon.

Leonardo spent the last ten days standing still in the middle of the room while facing a blank region of the wall that was yet to be scarred by his sword.

Over the eighty days prior, Leonardo kept going through a brutal cycle of trial and error, eventually managing to establish a minute control over the strands of death essence, successively and smoothly striking with the sword while simultaneously compensating for the depleted energy.

However, that wasn't enough for Leonardo as the essence behind the form of the moon is to deliver the twelve charges within one finite strike.

The minor accomplishment realm is when Leonardo could alternate between the twelve stances at will without a specific order.

The major accomplishment realm is when Leonardo is capable of going through three to six changes in a single strike, as the changes from the seventh to the twelfth mirror the first to the sixth.

As for complete mastery, that would have to be the realm where the twelve changes are gathered into one seamless strike.

Leonardo spent the final ten days processing the changes from the first stance to the last. This was a process he was keenly aware of, as his body was intimately familiar with the raw forms after practicing for decades in the Exiled Paradise…