"Something important? What is it?"
Austin flatly asked.
"You just came back from outside, Gio. You may not know the current situation of the Spirit Cosmos,"
Rondo stated.
"You are right. I really don't know much about the situation in the Spirit Cosmos,"
Austin replied, nodding in agreement.
As he said so, he used his spiritual sense to check the elderly man dressed in a cyan robe.
He found that he was still in Rondo's mansion.
He was in a secluded place in the depths of the mansion.
Using his spiritual sense, Austin could perceive his aura in there.
"As long as you concede to Prince Rondo's authority, I will not do anything to harm you, brat.
But if you don't, I can't promise you'll leave this place in one piece!"
In the depth of Rondo's mansion, the elderly man found that Austin's spiritual sense was spying on him.
He looked at Austin and sneered.
"Well, Gio, let me fill you in with the details of Spirit Cosmos's current situation,"
Rondo offered.
"Okay."
Austin nodded.
The elder was still inside the mansion, so Austin was taking his time.
"Over the years, the Spirit Cosmos has been prosperous under the rule of our patriarch.
However, one fateful day, something unexpected took place.
Our patriarch got into a terrible accident and went missing."
Rondo told the story in a low voice, trying to emphasize the essential parts of the story.
The patriarch of the spiritual race was the supreme ruler of the Spirit Cosmos. Hence, throughout the
entire Spirit Cosmos, he was heralded as the most powerful.
"Oh, he went missing? What happened to him?"
Austin curiously inquired.
"Yes, he met a red-haired monster in the chaotic region near the Spirit Cosmos.
During that time, he and several elders of our race entered the chaotic region together. The monster
suddenly appeared and began to slaughter them.
Only one of them managed to escape.
Before he fled, the patriarch and the rest of their companions were in grave danger.
A few years have passed, and our patriarch hasn't come back. There is a huge chance that he already
perished there,"
Rondo elucidated.
"I see,"
Austin answered. He rubbed his chin in approval, clarified with how things went.
"Since the patriarch's death, the Spirit Cosmos has been in chaos.
All the masters of our race rose to fight for the dominion of the Spirit Cosmos.
Our members from various parties fought and killed each other. There were countless casualties.
Eventually, things turned for the worst, and it has reached a miserable state.
Soon, the most powerful masters are going to compete for the championship.
The winner is likely to control the situation and rule the Spirit Cosmos,"
Rondo sighed despondently.
"The situation is indeed very serious,"
Austin remarked with a nod.
"You're a prince of the spiritual race. What do you think of this conundrum?"
Austin shifted his gaze towards Rondo. He faintly smiled.
"They are usurping the power!
Only one of the three princes is qualified to be the new patriarch.
Before all this mess happened, only the three of us were chosen by the patriarch and conferred the title
of prince.
The whole spiritual race knows this clearly.
Now that our patriarch is no longer around, our ambitious clansmen are scrambling to rule the Spirit
Cosmos. They don't take us seriously at all,"
Rondo enunciated through gritted teeth.
"I think the best option is for you to recruit new people and strengthen yourself. It's best if you prepare
to fight for the position of the new patriarch,"
Austin suggested. He gave Rondo a warm smile.
"Yes, you are right."
Rondo heavily pondered upon this thought. "It does make sense," he admitted.
He was planning to recruit Austin in his team. He thought that it was a moot point to hide his intention.
"I guess the other two princes will not go down without a fight. I'm pretty sure they'll try their best to
rope in powerful cultivators,"
Austin said.
"You are right.
I have made myself clear, Gio.
I hope you can join me and help me fight for my rule in the Spirit Cosmos. After that, I will give you a
sumptuous reward."
After saying that, Rondo looked at Austin, hopefully waiting for his response.
Austin could tell that there was a hint of threat in Rondo's eyes.
The space around was emitting a faint energy pressure. Obviously, many masters were hiding in the
dark.
In the depths of the mansion, the elderly man was also staring at Austin with sharp eyes.
Austin immediately knew about it through his spiritual sense.
He could definitely tell that there were masters around him that would readily take him down in case
things went awry.
If he refused Rondo, these masters would directly kill him.
He was certain that Rondo wouldn't let him go, because he didn't want the other two princes to get him.
Rondo stared at Austin with meaningful eyes, waiting for his answer.
The atmosphere was heavily strained.
"Hahaha..."
Suddenly, Austin burst into laughter. He raised his glass and drank it up in one gulp.
"If I don't agree, what will you do to me?"
Austin laughed lightly, trying to break the ice.
"Gio, you are going to be a very wonderful asset to anyone who acquires your favor.
Therefore, if you don't want to join me, I won't let you join other forces.
So, if you don't agree to help me, I will keep you in my mansion until the matter is over.
But I don't want you to make such a choice,"
Rondo slowly explained.
"Prince Rondo, do you think these masters in your mansion have the ability to contain me?"
Austin asked, pointing around.
As soon as he finished speaking, he used the Secret Reincarnation Skill to teleport. Esther, who was
sitting next to him, and the small space where the two of them were situated, instantly disappeared.
The most brilliant part was the Secret Reincarnation Skill could not be tracked by the spiritual sense.
"Huh?"
Rondo, the masters lurking around, and the elderly man in the depths of the mansion were all stunned.
They couldn't perceive where Austin or Esther was.
Even with their spiritual senses, they couldn't decipher where they went. They scanned far and wide,
but to no avail. It was like they disappeared in the Spirit Cosmos.
They seemed to have left the Spirit Cosmos.
"Elder Payne, what's going on?
How could the two of them suddenly disappear without a trace?"
Rondo was exasperated. He still hadn't recovered from the way they vanished into thin air.
The elderly man dressed in cyan came to his side.
A large number of masters of the spiritual race also appeared around Rondo, surrounding him.
The faces of these masters darkened.
Austin had escaped under their noses without even breaking a sweat. They felt a little depressed and
dumbfounded.
"Prince Rondo, I have underestimated Gio. His strength is not inferior to mine,"
the elderly man in cyan commented seriously.
"The worst part is that I offended him.
There's a high chance that he'll join the opposing force.
He will surely become a huge problem for me,"
Rondo sighed.
Then, suddenly, a voice broke out.
"Surprised, aren't you?
As I said, it's impossible for your people to keep me here."
The voice seemed to be nearby.
Rondo, the elderly man, and the other masters of the spiritual race looked towards the direction where
the voice came from.
"How is that possible? !"
Each of them felt a chill down their spines.
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