1530 Return

"Your Majesty? You should have told me. I would have come to meet you." The King of the Gold Kingdom spoke respectfully as Alex entered his place of stay. 

"My apologies, King Qian. I heard you came seeking for me a few times and had to be sent back," Alex said. "I was busy dealing with my breakthrough's aftermath and didn't think anyone would be looking for me."

"Oh no, it's fine," the king said. "Congratulations on reaching the Saint Soul realm, your Majesty."

"Thank you," Alex said with a slight bow. He wondered if he sensed a hint of envy in the king's voice. Alex wondered if the King knew how old he was and was feeling jealous of Alex's cultivation base.

Qian Yanglin was at least 2 thousand years old and was only in mid Saint Soul realm. If he knew how fast Alex's cultivation base had improved, then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to think he envied him.

"Also, congratulations on clearing all the trials in the Painting trials as well, your Majesty," the King said. "I was not aware of your talent in painting."

"It's… good enough," Alex said. "I wouldn't say painting is what I can do best, but I was taught by the best."

"Right, I heard young Honglui taught you some of it," the king said. "He had done our kingdom proud by teaching you to a level that not many can ever even hope to reach."

"You should be proud of him for his achievements," Alex said with a shaking of his head.

The two kings sat and talked for a while, most of the conversation being King Qian asking a question and Alex answering it. After a while, the conversation reached its end.

"Do you plan on entering the Formation or Artifact trials to get a better result?" the king asked.

"No, I'm done with the trials," Alex answered.

"So you'll go back to traveling the kingdom?" the king asked.

"No, I'm done with that too," Alex said with a small smile. "I'm returning to the Dragon Capital now."

"Oh," the king was a little surprised. "But you've only been here for… what, 7 months?"

"A bit more, but yeah," Alex said. "I don't have anything else I need to visit here. And I have found myself in need to return to the Dragon Capital at once for something. So as soon the trial is over, I will leave with my alchemists."

"I see," the King said with a bit of understanding. "I hope your time here has been wonderful."

"It has."

Alex returned to his hotel room afterward and met up with Jai Heiyun and the others. Jai Heiyun had failed the very last test to take two pills in one cauldron and hadn't tried going in again after the second time.

Two others had reached the same level as her, failing at the final stage. Wu Shun, the alchemist he found in the Hundred Blossom Valley, had reached the 2nd to the last trial before failing. His improvement had been extraordinary as well.

"How did you pass that trial, your majesty?" Jai Heiyun asked. "I think I found the right technique, but my head hurt from having to control multiple things at once. I wasn't even dividing my attention that much more than normal, but somehow I still failed."

"It's all about Intent," Alex said. "You'll have to train your intent when you can."

"How do we do that?" Jai Heiyun asked.

Alex thought for a bit. The easiest method was to fight against someone else's Intent, but that was not so easy to find in this place. He would have to create some of his own.

"On your own, you can just push your Intent to the peak by forcing yourself to push the limits of what you can do. Make many pills at once, in multiple cauldrons. Make pills without break, day after day. That sort of thing. The more you push yourself, the stronger your Intent will be. It's not the fastest method, but certainly the one that doesn't cost you a lot."

"As for the fastest… I'll see what I can do once we return," he said. He had some ideas.

The ones that had yet to be done with the trials returned after 3 days, and Alex prepared to leave. It was time to return to the Dragon capital.

After saying his farewell to the Gold King, Alex used a teleportation platform to return to the Dragon Capital. He had wanted to take the scenic route back, but after what had happened with the Oathbreakers, he rarely got to fly around in the Gold Kingdom. 

Most of the time, he was forced to use the teleportation formations.

Alex walked out of the teleportation, looking around at the bustling city that was the Dragon Capital. He got on the carriage that had been prepared for him and left his alchemists, making his way to the Dragon Palace.

The one in the carriage this time had been the old man that Alex believed was the Dragon Emperor's personal guard. The one that went by the name Guqing. Alex had always wondered if he was a member of the Long family or not.

"Senior Guqing," Alex called out to him. "Has the Emperor left closed cultivation yet?"

"No, Your Majesty," the old man said. "His Royal Majesty is still in closed cultivation. If you need something from him, I can help relay the message. I believe he is not as busy as he was before."

Alex thought for a bit. "Can you ask him when he can make some time? I have something important to talk to him," he said.

"I will let him know as soon as we arrive." The old man bowed and the conversation ended.

After returning to the Dragon Capital, some servants took Alex to the Swan courtyard, while the old man went to relay the message. After a few hours, he came looking for Alex again.

"His Royal Majesty has responded," the old man said. "He will see you in 2 days. I hope that is okay."

"That is perfectly fine," Alex said.

For the next two days, he cultivated and got used to his new soul and Soul Space that was made available to him. Then, after 2 days, one of the servants came to relay the information that the Dragon Emperor was waiting for him.

"Let's go," Alex said and followed the servant to the hall.

The Dragon Emperor turned his head to look at Alex as he entered. "I didn't expect you to message me so soon," he said. "Is it about the trade?"

"I'm afraid not," Alex said, pausing for a second before speaking. "Well, it could be."

"What did you want to talk about?" the Dragon Emperor asked.

"You are aware of the things happening in your empire, correct? Namely, the one where the players are trying to return home," he said.

"The one that is spread by that Saint Soul realm girl you brought? Yes, I'm aware of that," the Dragon Emperor said.

Alex was a little surprised, but maybe he shouldn't have been. 

"It is about that," Alex said. "I was hoping you could approve it. I was hoping you would approve sending the players home."