"However, your attendants cannot go in with you; they can wait in the resting room nearby."
He pointed to a small house next to the mansion.
Cao Xing looked at Assam and the others.
"Itās snowing now, so you better not wait here."
"Go to the resting room, Iāll call you if I need anything."
Assam glanced at the small house, which was not far from the room Cao Xing was in.
If anything happened, they could come quickly.
So, he respectfully said, "As you command."
After saying this, they headed towards the small house.
Cao Xing himself pushed open the grand door of the mansion in front of him.
"Creak!"
As soon as the door opened, warmth rushed out to greet him.
Inside was a room with a classic, ancient style.
Carved pillars, wooden floors, and some ancient-looking furniture.
In the depths of the room, three figures sat quietly.
Besides General Kro, whom he had met yesterday, there was an elder with white hair and beard, with a solemn face.
Though his aura was decayed, he exuded a sense of valor!
He was sitting upright on a large chair with his back straight, appearing dignified.
Clearly, this was the King of the Ice Crystal Kingdom, the pinnacle of power in the entire kingdom!
Cao Xing inwardly sighed, "Though Iāve always heard that the King is old, I didnāt expect him to have aged to this extent."
"But the lifespans of these strong ones are long; judging by his aura, he should be able to hold on for another decade or so."
He didnāt pry into the Old Kingās information because he knew it would just be a bunch of question marks.
Also, doing so would be somewhat impolite.
These strong ones were extremely sensitive to all kinds of auras.
Apart from Kro and the Old King, there stood a young man nearby.
He seemed a bit uneasy, standing with his head down behind the King.
From time to time, he would raise his head curiously and look at Cao Xing.
Cao Xing didnāt know his identity.
He walked straight ahead, then solemnly said,
"Greetings to His Majesty the King!"
He didnāt kneel, just slightly bowed.
The Old King didnāt speak; instead, he placed his gaze on Cao Xing, examining him.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat silent.
Neither Kro nor the young man dared to speak.
A moment later, the Old King slowly said,
"Iāve long heard that you otherworldly lords are all brazen, and it seems your reputation is well-deserved."
Cao Xing understood he meant his failure to kneel before the King.
However, he still didnāt make any gesture.
Even Kro couldnāt help but feel the urge to remind Cao Xing.
The Old King seemed indifferent and simply waved his sleeve, saying,
"Sit."
Cao Xing looked at the stool next to Kro, then calmly walked over and sat down.
Kro was sitting upright next to the Old King, appearing more like a new recruit than his usual unruffled self.
The Old King picked up a cup of hot tea from the table and first asked, "I heard youāve amassed 140,000 honor points and even exchanged them for my Legendary Dagger?"
"Yes." Cao Xing nodded slightly.
Upon hearing this, the Old King sighed.
"Ah... General Kro is still too earnest."
"He doesnāt know that you otherworldly lords have hardly seen the world, treating even golden weapons as treasures."
"If it were me, Iād have given you a few pieces of epic equipment and sent you off."
"Now, the kingdom has lost another legendary weapon..."
Beside him, Kro immediately broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.
Especially when he heard that he had caused the kingdom a loss, his face turned pale with fright.
The atmosphere in the room once again became tense.
The Old King changed his tone and then laughed, "But, given is given."
"I wouldnāt want the nearby Youlan Kingdom and Ostia Palace to laugh at me."
Cao Xing twitched the corner of his mouth and then said, "Your Majesty jests..."
Even Kro beside him couldnāt help but let out a sigh of relief.
Though they knew the Old King was joking, it still made them somewhat nervous.
"Iāve heard you want access to our Eternal Frost Main Cityās teleportation array?"
"And you also want the locations of all the Light Church strongholds we control?" the Old King asked again.
...