Immortal Supreme: Sovereign of the Grand Dao-Chapter 285: Artificial Martial Spirits?

Arthur returned to the palace still late in the night as darkness settled over the capital. The guards stationed at the main gates bowed deeply as he passed through.

They recognized him immediately. He walked through the familiar corridors of his residence with steady steps. The hallways were quiet at this hour. Most servants had retired for the night.

Once inside his private chambers, Arthur closed the door behind him. He activated the privacy formations with a wave of his hand.

His fingers moved through the air. Energy rippled outward from his gesture. Multiple layers of protective barriers sealed the room completely.

After thus he entered the inner world of the Serene Palace Painting.

The next moment Arthur appeared in the magnificent palace within the inner world. The transition was instant and seamless. The structure before him was vast and beautiful.

Towering pillars supported high ceilings. Intricate carvings decorated every surface. Spirit energy filled the air thickly. It was far more concentrated here than in the outside world. Breathing it felt refreshing and invigorating.

At this time, Cora was already waiting for him in the main hall. The large chamber stretched out before him. She sat on a cushioned seat near the center. Her posture was relaxed but her mind seemed elsewhere.

She appeared seemingly lost in thought. Her pink eyes stared into the distance without really seeing anything. Her expression was contemplative.

Arthur thought briefly about Philia and Touki as he walked forward. The sister and younger brother duo had been with him for some time now, spending the days in the inner world.

But he hadn’t interacted with them much recently. His attention had been focused elsewhere. He made a mental note to make proper arrangements for them soon.

They would settle down permanently in the empire and live under the Hartfield Empire’s banner. That way, their enemies wouldn’t dare make moves against them.

The empire’s protection would shield them. This was something he’d already discussed with them previously. They’d agreed readily.

As for preventing them from leaking his secrets about the painting and other matters, Arthur had his ways around that. There were techniques and oaths that could ensure silence.

Cora woke from her contemplative state. She noticed Arthur’s arrival and turned to look at him.

Something flashed in her eyes. She stood up from her seat to face him properly. "Thank you for tonight," she said sincerely.

"For going to the Three Mysteries Pavilion and gathering that information."

Arthur smiled warmly. "It’s nothing really. I already gave my word previously that I would help you find your sister, didn’t I? What kind of master would I be if I don’t keep my word?" His tone was light and reassuring.

Cora finally smiled in response. Her expression brightened considerably.

The worry that had been on her face faded slightly. She decided to compliment Arthur directly. "Indeed, you’re the best!" She smiled warmly this time.

"Yeah, I know," Arthur said with a smug expression. His lips curved upward. He looked quite satisfied with himself. There was playful arrogance in his bearing.

Then his tone became serious. The playfulness left his voice completely. His expression changed to match. "The person with our clue is staying in the palace. This makes things much easier for us."

Cora nodded in agreement. She understood this point immediately. Having the lead so close was incredibly fortunate. She waited for him to continue speaking.

Arthur gestured for her to sit. He moved to take a seat across from her. Both settled into comfortable positions. "Let me explain what the Emperor told me about them," Arthur said. "The full story from the beginning."

Cora leaned forward slightly in her seat. Her full attention was on Arthur now. Her pink eyes focused intently on his face. She didn’t want to miss a single detail.

"On a certain day when I was still at the Heavenly Sword Sect, around a year ago, something significant happened," Arthur began. "The masters of the palace sensed a spatial disturbance somewhere on the southern continent. It was massive in scale. Impossible to miss."

Cora’s eyes narrowed with interest. Spatial disturbances of that magnitude were rare. They usually indicated something important.

"The Emperor decided to go investigate himself," Arthur continued. "He didn’t send subordinates. He went personally. And he brought other powerful warriors with him for backup. Old Man Whitebeard went along. Kira’s grandfather, Darius Noir, went too. They took several other Martial Ancestors as well."

Cora listened carefully to every word. Her mind was processing the information.

"What did they find?" Cora asked urgently. She couldn’t contain her impatience.

"A group of women," Arthur said clearly. "They’d just emerged from the spatial disturbance when the Emperor arrived. The space around them was still unstable. They looked disoriented and exhausted and we’re already attempting to infiltrate and blend in."

"Their leader was a woman named Lady Ayara," Arthur explained. "She was severely injured when they found her. Weakened significantly. Blood stained her robes. But despite her condition, she spoke directly with the Emperor. They concluded a deal on the spot."

"What deal?" Cora pressed. She leaned forward.

"The empire would shelter them from their enemies," Arthur said. "Provide protection and a safe place. Also assist them in returning back to their homeland eventually. In return, they would share some valuable treasures with the empire. And when the fusion of the continents happens, they would become allies."

Cora processed this information carefully. Her mind worked through the implications. "Their enemies?" she asked. "Who was pursuing them?"

"Already taken care of in the past year," Arthur said. "The Emperor mobilized forces to eliminate those threats. The enemies are all gone now."

"The Emperor also mentioned something about Lady Ayara’s group," Arthur continued. "He said that they had strange methods. Unusual techniques. One of them being particularly unusual."

Arthur paused for effect. He wanted to see her reaction. "Multiple women in their group all had Black Cat Martial Spirits."

Cora’s entire body went rigid. Her spine straightened. Her eyes went wide with shock.

"Multiple women with the same martial spirit is very strange," Arthur said. He watched her carefully. "It’s almost unheard of. And these martial spirits didn’t have ranks. As if they were different from normal ones. They didn’t follow the usual classification system."

Cora’s eyes lit up with intense excitement. She stood abruptly. The cushion shifted. "Great! If I wasn’t sure before, then now I am completely sure. This is definitely a force my sister built!" Her voice rose with emotion.

Arthur watched her reaction. He remained seated and calm.

"She has a method," Cora explained quickly. Her words rushed out. "A method of bestowing artificial martial spirits. It’s not natural awakening. She can create them and grant them to others. But before we crashed into this realm, she hadn’t verified it yet. It was still in the research phase."

"Artificial martial spirits?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. This was fascinating. "That’s possible?"

Now he was surprised...in all his past life it was a theory but no one ever succeeded.

Cora nodded vigorously. Her pink hair bounced. "Her latest research was specifically on Black Cat Martial Spirits with the darkness attribute. She was obsessed with perfecting it before we separated. She spent years working on it."

Arthur became thoughtful as he added. "There’s one more thing the Emperor mentioned."

Cora looked at him intently. Her eyes bore into his. "What? Tell me."

"Lady Ayara said that the name of their sect is the Evil God Exterminating Sect."

The moment those words left Arthur’s mouth, Cora’s eyes seemed to widen even more. A stunned expression appeared on her face. Her lips parted but no words came out. She stood completely frozen.

Arthur watched her reaction closely.

"That’s..."