Ballom shifted his gaze from the Primordial Queen, and then looked towards the Innkeeper. Despite the location, despite the company, the Innkeepers demeanor had not changed in the slightest. It seemed as if the Innkeeper was neither impressed nor bored of the company he was keeping. In short, he was treating everyone the same as he did with all his guests.

Ballom pondered a little about the details of the Innkeepers Dao, and if it had anything to do with hospitality. As unusual as it seemed, it was entirely possible. For a moment, he imagined the Innkeeper with his Dao of Ultimate Hospitality, asking his enemies if they wanted a drink before thoroughly extinguishing them. As bizarre as it seemed, Ballom had to admit, he could see it happening.

"You already know - as I've already told you countless times - the Innkeepers background is unknown. Even the Alliance has not been able to peer into his origins, nor find any connections between him and any of the known, missing Dao Lords," Ballom explained.

"Since he seems to generally mind his own business, and focuses solely on his inn, none of the major forces are too interested in probing him at the moment. The few who tried to probe him indirectly were faced with Wu Kong instead. How he was able to persuade one of the most notorious Dao Lords in the universe to do his bidding is an entirely separate matter.

"What is known, or at least theorized about, is that the Innkeeper seems to have remarkable insight into karma, and he is supposedly in the process of turning his personal realm into a Seat of Power."

Bridget listened with great interest, not only because it was rare for Ballom to be so forthcoming, but also because she could sense that this was a rare opportunity. Whatever she could learn, and gain from this tea party might aid her for a long, long time.

"What's a Seat of Power?" she asked, naturally curious about the unfamiliar term.

Naturally, since he mentioned it, Ballom was ready to explain.

"A Seat of Power is a place carefully and meticulously created by a Dao Lord. Each and every law operates as the Dao Lord wants, granting them familiarity that far exceeds what normal Dao Lords can achieve in any random location. Ultimately, it becomes an area where they are absolutely dominant, able to exert far more power than the ordinary peak that their realm allows."

What Ballom did not say was that it was theorized by many across the universe that the Seats of Power were the key to entering into the next cultivation realm. Of course, this was just a theory, and no one could confirm it. Or to be more specific, those who could confirm or reject it kept the knowledge to themselves.

How or why a Seat of Power may allow one to transcend the Dao realm, Ballom could not say. While Ballom was no weakling, he was far from reaching such a realm. His current goals were more aligned with developing his own Dao.

Someone like Ballom was not satisfied with mere titles. He could not care what the alliance thought of him, or what honors the Devils gave him. Each of those were things he earned with his strength, and so if his strength were even greater, he would earn even more of them.

Mediocrity… was never an option for him.

"Even if he has a Seat of Power, that doesn't really make him equal to a Dao Queen, does it? Dominance in one's own realm is not the same as having an unbeatable Dao," Bridget continued as she assessed the Innkeeper.

"That is true. While there are many potential or supposed Dao Kings or Queens, there is only one that no one provokes," Ballom explained. "But who can say what makes one worthy? If the Primordial Queen acknowledges him, what other qualification does he need?

"Compared to the Innkeeper, that 'other guy', as you so aptly put it, is a well known entity in the universe. No one knows his true name, or even his true race, which is why he is called by the name of his academy - Ventura. He is the owner of the Ventura academy, and master of multiple Major realms. Beneath him is a small army of Dao Lords, and a network that spans the entire universe. Whether in terms of personal strength, influence, and character, he is no push over.

"Ordinarily, even the representative of the Devil race itself would not be able to get a personal audience with him. The fact that he is here now is equally an impressive deal, and that only serves to elevate the standing of this tea party further."

Once again, Ballom refrained from mentioning the rumors that said that Ventura was an entity that had crossed the Dao realm. Something like that could not be confirmed easily, and he himself had not openly declared as much, so there was no point in mentioning it.

After all, whether he was in the next realm or not, he was not somebody Ballom or Bridget could mess with.

"In that case, this is quite the collection of personalities," Bridget said, beginning to understand just how unusual this tea party was. "In that case, I wonder what the Innkeepers real reason for hosting this tea party is. It can't just be to mingle or network, can it?"

A gleam of light flashed through Ballom's eyes as countless thoughts raced through his mind. Of course, he did not mention them all - just one.

"Even if nothing else of consequence happens in this tea party, the Innkeeper has, in one move, cemented his position among the upper echelon of the universe, marking himself as equal of the Primordial Queen and Ventura. Considering the upcoming war, this is a masterstroke, making it highly unlikely that someone will target him. Of course, it also means that if someone does challenge him, they will have sufficient background and strength, so he will need to be ready for that.

"Yet somehow, knowing the Innkeeper, I doubt that is all he has planned. From my experience, the Innkeeper is a mastermind at making layered moves. Each one of his words carries layers and layers of hidden meanings that you will only understand years later. A mere show of status is not enough to warrant him making an appearance like that. No, I bet he is waiting for the right moment to unveil his real plans."

Ballom was absolutely confident in his assessment, causing even Bridget to view the Innkeeper with a solemn gaze.

The Innkeeper himself, though, knew none of that. In his mind, the Innkeeper was just counting his payments.

"That's seven Dao materials, and thirty one gifts, not to mention all the extra loot I got from Wu Kong. Pay-to-play, here I come!" Lex thought internally as he casually sent another sealed piece of Dao material to the museum in his home within the Inn.

Lex was now, probably, the richest immortal in the universe, and his scams were just getting started!

From deep within his heart, Lex could feel waves of satisfaction radiating out. His inner capitalist was incredibly pleased with how things were going.

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