Eden Formation.
The hour was early morning. While students of the number one Martial school woke up and headed from their dorms to the cafeteria building, Zax, the other three representatives and Don, just entered and left the school’s grounds in a rarely seen triangular, blue aircraft with compact yet lavish interior.
The destination was the Tongguo region, cave five hundred and twelve, the “Path Arena”.
In Kingdom Earth’s the Path Arena was a popular location for the common folks. This piece of property belonged to the Strong Arm League, which managed the Earth’s Core’s showdowns and especially in this place, the advanced Showdowns League.
Whenever there was a large fighting event that was supposed to be held in Tongguo, it would have taken place in the Path Arena, through the management of the Strong Arm League.
More often, the said “large fighting event” would be Showdowns League related fights of experts between level C to A, which anyone can either view by purchasing a high priced ticket or by subscribing to the Showdowns League’s channel.
Event such as the Martial compet.i.tion that being kept from the general public and handled very discreetly, are only available to watch and partic.i.p.ate by those with great status.
Since the arrival of many luxury vehicles and even aircrafts can attract an unwanted attention, the Strong Arm League arranged for this day a series of highly antic.i.p.ated fights for the common folks, as pretense to conceal the momentous, half century event.
The Path Arena was a dome shaped building with four different floors and enough s.p.a.ce to accommodate a hundred thousand people. Its first floor had twenty rings, the second floor had ten rings, the third floor had five rings and the fourth floor only had three rings. With this many rings, the Path Arena could conduct thirty eight fights at the same time, but the most it ever held were thirty five, since the three rings in the fourth floor were solely used for C level experts champions.h.i.+p, B level experts champions.h.i.+p and A level experts champions.h.i.+p.
Although small enough to enter any of the four floors, the blue aircraft landed in one of the helipads near the Path Arena’s building.
Exiting the blue aircraft, a young female attendant in a black suit, next to a long limousine with the logo of the Strong Arm League, waited for the five.
“Representatives of Eden Formation, Miss Don Dauch, please enter the limousine. You will shortly arrive to the partic.i.p.ants’ area. Afterwards, you can get together with your entourage”. The young female attendant said in a sweet tone of voice and a humble manner.
Following Don’s lead, after she signaled the pilot to take off, the four entered the limousine pa.s.sively. They did not express awe when for the first time in their lives they got to be in an aircraft, so no matter how extravagant the limousine was, the four almost seemed indifferent toward it.
To be honest whether if it was Zax, the chief representative, or any of the others, the only thing in their mind was the Martial compet.i.tion and what is waiting for them at the final destination.
The young female attendant drove the limousine toward the Path Arena’s building, but when it was about to reach the parking lot designated for very important guests and fighters, a tremor ran through the road and the lane the limousine was on started to descent, revealing an opening to an underground paved tunnel.
The lane ascended back to its place at the same time the limousine crossed the threshold to the tunnel, and the walls surrounding it lit up like a wide corridor of an old castle.
The drive felt rather uncanny to the four representatives. During the flight, when they recognized the Path Arena they thought the Martial compet.i.tion will take place in its famous fourth floor. They did not imagine that instead their final destination will be a secret and huge underground compound.
The limousine parked right past the long tunnel and inside what seemed to be a well decorated lounge.
The group’s limousine was not the only one to arrive the lounge. There were five tunnels leading outside, to several of the different roads and helipads heading to and belonging to the Path Arena building.
After exiting the limousine, a young male attendant welcomed Zax and the rest to enter and enjoy the lounge. As he gestured for them to enter, the young female attendant drove the limousine back in the same direction they arrived.
The lounge was circular, large enough to comfortably entertain roughly two hundred people. There were no sitting places, only an abundant dining area with all kinds of bite size delicacies.
As Zax and the rest made their way to the center of the hall, more limousines arrived with other partic.i.p.ants and backers. There were also thirty something people, who were divided into several small groups of five to two people or just standalone individuals, which already arrived before Zax and the rest.
The air was tense in the lounge. Everyone kept for themselves, not even interested in the appetizing food or making small talk with the new arrivals.
“Follow me”. Don instructed the four. After sweeping her gaze at the crowd, she gave the impression that no one noteworthy has yet arrived and those who have been in the lounge before them do not require any formalities, neither courteousness.
Each of the four had his and her own perspectives, at the moment, but following Don they walked and maintained low profile. When a number of Soul Senses tried to get a gist about them, Don repealed them. The Soul Senses were not too rude and retreated without a fight. Zax and the rest also did not retaliate; Don told them not to bother about inspecting anyone. Since like the four of them, many here were in possession of mist concealment jewels and even soul concealment jewels to hide their strength until the fights.
“Don Mor, what are we waiting for?” Jalal asked.
The five situated themselves beside a dessert table, away from the others. But when Jalal mentioned Don’s name a few sets of ears could be seen conspicuously p.r.i.c.king up, though, the reaction was short lived and no real change has appeared on everyone vacant faces.
“When all the partic.i.p.ants and all the backers will a.s.semble in this lounge, an emissary of one of the Supreme Rulers will get here to carry a traditional speech and state the structure of this year Martial compet.i.tion. Afterwards, we will be shown the way to the fighting stages ”. Don explained in a subtle manner.
Jalal and the rest were not the only ones listening to her. A great number of the people in the lounge were relieved to know the procedure of the compet.i.tion.
A hour pa.s.sed and the crowed inside the lounge increased to a hundred and eight people.
A few of the new arrivals exchanged looks with each other; even Don finally expressed some distant courtesy. But still, no one separated from his or her group or dragged it to converse with another one.
Fifteen minutes later, a rumbling sound reverberated, and when everyone turned their heads to see what was going on, their gazes locked at the closing entrances in which the limousines drove them to the lounge. One of the tunnels, though, was a little slower to close and the last limousine pa.s.sed through it just before the lounge was completely sealed.
“Everyone, stay ready. The emissary arrived. Be respectful and don’t let her level of cultivation fool you”. Don said. This time, to avoid careless display of ignorance, she intentionally spoke in an unreserved tone for everyone in the lounge to hear.
Quite a few people looked surprised after hearing Don, not due to her warning, but the mentioning of the emissary’s s.e.x.
A lot of people guessed that the last to arrive would be the emissary and predicted, since the tunnels were closing and there were not any more entrances to the longue, that he or she are within the last limousine. Thus, a number of probing and unrestrained Soul Senses were released for a swift examination of the exalted emissary of a Supreme Ruler. Nevertheless, a restrictive formation embedded to the interior section of the limousine obstructed all the Soul Senses and so no one could gather details of the person inside.
That was the reason why Don’s words attracted so much attention.
Indeed, the door opened and an enchantingly beautiful black skinned woman, donning a long red dress with an enthralling cleavage, exited the limousine.
Wondering about what a woman so unsullied has to hide, now that she was outside of the limousine, many of the monstrously genius youngsters around could not curb their temptation and again used their Soul Senses.
“The emissary sent for our group of expert is just a Mist Lord?” A girl, one of the partic.i.p.ants, said to the woman beside her, her backer, with a hint of scorn and discontent in her low voice.
Still, everyone in the room were experts. Even the attendants driving the limousine and directing everyone inside the lounge were Core Breakers and some Mist Lords. So hearing the voice of the girl partic.i.p.ant was done almost instinctively.
“Be silence, Elital”. The woman backer scolded through charred teeth. She was fuming over her young representative’s imprudent behavior, not because of what she said, but the embarra.s.sing bluntness that allowed everyone to hear her even after she was very generously warned.
“Greetings everyone”, a charming voice suddenly interrupted the pair of partic.i.p.ant and backer, seemingly as if not hearing their words.
The beautiful emissary amiably smiled while walking to the center of the lounge. “And congratulations for being chosen to partic.i.p.ate in the fifty years Martial compet.i.tion”. She turned with her attractive body, gesturing for everyone to not stay so distance and approach. “Regrettably, we don’t have time for the ceremonial words or formalities, the Supreme Rulers have already arrived and are waiting, along with your crowed of spectators and supporters, in the lower floor. Please step inside the circular pattern around me. We will proceed to the next floor. There, you will be informed together with everyone about the structure and rules of the Martial compet.i.tion”.
From Don’s previous words, those who were newcomers to the compet.i.tion and been here before her group got to know about the speech and all that the emissary is supposed to convey. Now, a sudden change of plan has occurred that not just baffled them, but even Don and the other groups from big powers.
“Please come forward. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience of brining you all here for nothing. However, this year we experienced a need to rush the compet.i.tion. It will certainly be explained fully at the later part of the compet.i.tion, but for now all I can say that it has to do with this year’s prizes”. The beautiful emissary elucidated in order to answer the question in everyone’s minds. She deliberately divulged the topic of the problematic matter to avert further questions and to remind the partic.i.p.ants and backers what was important.
Unable to get an elaborate response, group by group and twelve people who appeared to be individual partic.i.p.ants with no prior relations entered the circle in the center of the lounge.
With the beautiful emissary, the circle was packed with a hundred and nine people, who were trying to preserve their detachment from those they were not familiar with.
Light golden aura was emanated from the emissary. She drew a few shapes with her index finger, causing the circle to emit the same dazzling golden hue.
The golden shapes activated a formation mechanism in the floor and friction sound discharged from the circle as it began to slowly sink.
After descending fifteen meters, light emerged from the slots between the circular floor and the shaft it went down through.
CLAP!
CLAP!
CLAP!
…
A hubbub of clapping hands welcomed the hundred and nine people on the circular floor as it continued to descend.
Sixteen meters, seventeen meters.
By now, the partic.i.p.ants, backers and beautiful emissary, could all see the hundreds of people that came to cheer for the compet.i.tion.
“Vice princ.i.p.al Mizuri, Anet, these should be the new leaders of the Disciplinary Cla.s.s and the Student Council Cla.s.s”. Zax vaguely recognized the other two, but whether he was right or wrong about their ident.i.ties he did not care.
Anet was in the crowd below and since he entered the secluded meditation to introspect himself he had not seen her. He was told by Don after his return that Anet was also in closed doors training.
‘Her soul level increased almost to the Intermediate phase of the Mist Lord level, she most likely diligently cultivated to receive Don’s permission to come here’. He was pleasantly surprised. Zax knew about Anet’s talent and pace of training, to make this advancement it should have taken her a lot longer according to the regimen of the Student Council Cla.s.s.
Inside the new hall were spectators’ seats for the nearly one thousand people waiting eagerly. Between the seats were four large fighting stages, made of meter tall white blocks and approximately eighty meters wide and long.
Sixteen elevators, with the capacity to hold thirty to forty people, at the corners of the hall were the spectators’ means of arrivals.
For the compet.i.tion, only half the size of the hall, most of the west side, was used for the fighting stages and seats. The other half, the east side, was designated for socialization and to accommodate, before the fight and during cessations, the guests, those who would be the spectators and those who would be the partic.i.p.ants.
There was also a medical area, but it was situated closer to the fighting stages, at the opposite side of the hall.
Lastly, the most eye catching construct in the hall was a secluded platform with three high seats and fourteen lower seats. These were the places of the esteemed Supreme Rulers and other important figures that have yet to show themselves.
Seeing those three high seats, the hearts of the partic.i.p.ants began to pulsate strongly and their eyes incomparably shone with reservation and craving.
For at least ninety five of them, this event would be their opportunity to see for the first time in their lives the Supreme Rulers together and moreover up close, just like they are described in historical records and countless legends!
