1574 Martial Island
"No one from the other kingdoms come to this island?" Alex asked the Queen's brother in surprise when he learned about the fact.
"No," the young man said. "It's kind of a thing that has been going on for a long time. People don't want to have to reveal themselves to others from their kingdom, so they usually stay away."
"If you didn't already know, there is a competitive aspect to kingdoms as well in the competition."
Alex nodded. "I knew that," he said. "I just didn't expect them to go so far as they stay in different cities before entering the secret realm."
"If you think that is too much, wait until you find out there are 6 different entrances to the Marital Ground on the Martial Island," the young man said. "Each one for participants from one continent alone to enter."
"That is surprising," Alex said. "So everyone I see here is from the Silver Kingdom, huh? No wonder I haven't seen any familiar faces around. I would've expected to see a few by now."
The man nodded.
They arrived at a courtyard that had been prepared for Alex beforehand. There he waited for the Queen to do what she had to and come back to him when the time for the secret realm's opening was at hand.
The Queen arrived 4 days later, tired from all the work. She met with Alex for a bit before retreating to rest a bit herself. The next day, she came to meet Alex again.
"Your Majesty, are you ready to leave?" the Queen asked with a wide smile on her face. Her happy personality was back once more.
A few large ships had been prepared at the shore of the town, to carry many people to the Martial island where the secret realm was. Alex found that most of the ships had already been filled with thousands of individuals, of which a large portion were going to enter the secret realm.
The rest of them were elders or friends to keep them company.
Alex met with a few important figures with cultivation bases in the Early Saint Transformation realm.
Immortal Saint Pavilion, the Huang Family, and many other big figures from sects and families with bigger names arrived to converse with Alex.
Alex gave them a few minutes to talk about things they were interested in. Most of them invited Alex to visit them if he ever went around to their hometowns, and a large number of them even insisted on buying pills from him directly.
Alex gave some false promises and outright refused where he felt he should. After the people left for their own ships, the ship finally started flying.
"Just 10 more hours until the secret realm opens up, Your Majesty," the Queen said with a giddy expression. "Are you excited?"
Alex couldn't help but nod. "It is quite exciting," he said. "I've been in a lot of secret realms before, but this is the only one where I will have to remain inside for 2 entire years."
Alex didn't count the Demon realm where he had been stuck for 3 years. That was entirely something else.
"I've been to one that takes half a dozen months or more, but even that never reaches a year," he said. "So I'm looking forward to what sort of experiences I'll get."
"I'm sure you will find it all fun, Your Majesty," the Queen said. "I remember the first time I entered. I was merely a young girl with a Saint Foundation realm cultivation base. I got eliminated in just 2 months, hehe."
"It was that difficult?" Alex asked.
"I was just that weak," the Queen said. "Oh right, don't forget about our bet."
"I won't," Alex said. "I hope you didn't forget your side either."
"100 thousand Saint Spirit stones is a lot, but so is surviving 10 months of Transcendent Martial Ground. I hope you're not going to lose too early," she said.
"Wouldn't you actually hope that I lose?" Alex asked.
"Haha, I might want to win, but I also want you to keep your reputation, Your Majesty," the Queen said.
Alex simply grinned and changed topics. "Why don't you join in?" he asked. "Surely there are enough competent men and women outside that you won't have to stay."
The Queen shook her head. "I don't really have any interest in it. As I've mentioned, I used to enter this a long time ago, and I've entered at least 10 times by now throughout the many years," she said. "There's no point for me to enter anymore."
Alex was a little surprised. "You aren't blocked from entering, right?" he asked.d
"No, but we will have an unfair advantage, just because we are monarchs of our kingdom," the Queen shrugged. "Besides, I can't join even if I wanted to."
"Why?" Alex asked curiously.
"Responsibility," the Queen said. "After everyone here enters the secret realm, I have to rush to the Golden Auction this time around. It starts in 2 days and people won't stop entering for another week."
"That sounds like an intense week," Alex said. He enjoyed the view of the ocean he hadn't seen in a long time and watched as the island arrived and went away on his journey.
After 2 hours, the ship arrived at a small, but densely populated city in the middle of nowhere in the ocean. The island was surprisingly tiny, with only a small forest at the center, and a few scattered buildings around the side that made it look like it had human influence.
That and the tens of thousands of people that gathered in and around the island.
The ship landed outside the shore of the island, and everyone had to float away from there.
"Yingkong, take care of His Majesty," the Queen said. "I will go make the final preparation."
The younger brother of the Queen nodded and showed Alex the way to a building in the distance, that seemed particularly larger than many that were surrounding it.
The two of them flashed past many people. Most of them were ordinary cultivators, but Alex noticed quite a few of the military individuals as well.
He couldn't help if they were part of the Body Legion or the Tail Legion.
When he landed at the large building, Alex was surprised to see many figures that he hadn't seen for a long time.
"Your Majesty!" Jin Xiaojian, the Emerald King spoke out loud with a boisterous laugh. "Haha! I'm so happy to see you again."
"King Jin," Alex said with a wide smile. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"
"A decade, Your Majesty," the man said. "You just don't come to the Emerald Kingdom anymore."
"I'm sorry. I haven't had the time," Alex said. "I will try to visit when I have the time."
"Greetings, Your Majesty," the Queen of the Ivory region bowed a little.
"It is great to see you after a decade, Your Majesty," the new Gold King spoke as well.
Aside from them, there was another individual there. One that Alex hadn't seen since the first time he had met them all.
The black-robed King of the Ebony Kingdom, Wan Deming. He bowed deeply and greeted Alex.
"I am happy to meet you again, King Alex."
