Albert nodded inwardly. That had to be it.

City Lord Grey must have encountered a Heavenly Lotus far more powerful than his own.

Only that could explain how Grey had risen so absurdly fast, leaping across realms as if cultivation laws didn't apply to him.

Yet confusion still lingered.

Albert could clearly sense Grey's life level. It was firmly at the 2nd rank. He hadn't undergone the 3rd-rank metamorphosis yet. And still, Grey could fully transform into a beast, something that should have been exclusive to true 3rd rankers.

Of course, Albert had heard rumors before. Rare cases of early transformations, abnormal constitutions, evolutionary shortcuts tied to bloodlines. They existed, though they were vanishingly rare.

If that was the case…

Wouldn't that mean City Lord Grey was following the bloodline evolutionary path?

After all, the Heavenly Lotus and the Heaven Opening Immortal Sutra were clearly designed for the immortal evolutionary path. They weren't meant to grant beast transformations at all.

So he was rather doubtful.

Grey, on the other hand, remained calm.

"Indeed," he said evenly. "That's the case, City Lord Albert. I did encounter something similar to the Heavenly Lotus and the Heaven Opening Immortal Sutra."

Albert's gaze sharpened.

"But in my case," Grey continued, unfazed, "it was called the Bloodline Lotus, and the technique was the Heavenly Bloodline Sutra."

"Really?" Albert was visibly stunned.

"That's right," Grey replied without hesitation, lying as naturally as breathing. "It seems our encounters were similar in nature, which is why some of the techniques overlap."

He paused briefly, as if recalling the "past".

"I encountered it several years ago. Its effects were far more potent than the Heavenly Lotus you described, which is why I was able to reach this level despite remaining at the 2nd rank."

Grey nodded slowly, letting the logic settle in Albert's mind.

"But when that strange heavenly phenomenon occurred near Ashspire City," he added, "my own lotus was destroyed as well."

"So that's how it is…" Albert murmured.

Any lingering doubt vanished.

Having personally experienced the Heavenly Lotus, Albert was far more inclined to believe this explanation than any outrageous notion about heaven-defying comprehension. The similarities were too precise, the timing too perfect.

He didn't doubt Grey at all.

After all, only someone who had truly experienced such a miracle could describe it so convincingly.

And having experienced it himself, Albert believed it completely.

On the other hand, Grey sighed inwardly.

This guy… wasn't he a little too easy to convince?

What he had said was naturally all a lie.

There was no such thing as a Bloodline Lotus.

As if.

If something like that truly existed, Grey would have already hoarded it long ago. Entirely for himself.

Or perhaps it did exist somewhere in the vast universe, just not on this planet.

Either way, the result was clear.

His gaslighting had worked perfectly.

The final hurdle had been cleared. From this point onward, Albert would no longer doubt his comprehension. That alone was worth everything. Grey could finally act without constantly worrying about someone prying into the source of his growth.

After this, he planned to go overseas. First the eastern region, then he would search for the Chaos Seal. If he was lucky, he might even stumble upon something that could help him step into the 3rd rank.

Opportunities like the one Albert mentioned likely already existed in this world.

He just needed to find them.

"Why do you think the lotus withered when that light appeared, City Lord Grey?" Albert asked, confusion evident in his eyes.

Truthfully, he didn't care whether the Heavenly Lotus had withered or not.

His goal had always been simple, to reach the 3rd rank within this lifetime. He already knew he would never touch the 4th. His potential was exhausted. He could feel it clearly. Before consuming the seeds, his advancement had been steady. After reaching the 2nd rank, however, progress had slowed to a crawl.

He doubted the lotus would have helped him much further even if it had survived.

Still, curiosity lingered.

Grey, naturally, had no real answer.

'Could it be related to the Heavenly Dao?'

A thought surfaced in his mind.

The Heavenly Dao that descended that day was not the oppressive one.

It was the other one.

The one that supported him.

Could the so-called Heavenly Lotus have been a creation of the oppressive Heavenly Dao, and the benevolent one simply took the opportunity to erase its influence from this region?

It sounded far-fetched.

But unless Grey personally observed the lotus, or thoroughly studied the Heaven Opening Immortal Sutra Albert used, there was no way to confirm it.

"I don't know," Grey shook his head, his expression turning 'bitter'. He had no intention of revealing even a hint of his theories. "I hope we find the answer someday."

"Yes…" Albert let out a long sigh.

He understood better than anyone how important the lotus must have been to Grey. It was the foundation of his terrifying rise. Losing it would inevitably slow him down.

"Alright," Grey said after a brief pause. "We'll continue this discussion another time. What do you say, City Lord Albert?"

He still wanted to take a closer look at this so-called Heaven Opening Immortal Sutra, after all.

Then he spoke again, his tone shifting.

"And what are your plans from here on out? You have two options. You can retire, or you can continue managing the city."

Grey looked at him steadily.

"I'm assembling a team I can trust. I can't manage the entire region alone. If you're willing, you can stay on. If not, you're free to refuse. I'll simply find someone else."

Grey had already checked Albert's records.

They were extensive, spanning centuries. Despite the countless corrupt elders within the alliance, Albert had never crossed the line. He had remained righteous from beginning to end.

That alone made him a good candidate.

Moreover, Albert had already managed multiple cities through the alliance. If he agreed, he could simply continue as before, only now reporting directly to Grey before making major decisions.

"I accept," Albert said with a faint smile.

Why wouldn't he?

Being able to continue managing his own province and alliance was hardly a loss. As a 3rd ranker, his lifespan had increased exponentially. For the first time in centuries, he could afford to slow down.

With Grey above him, his burden would be lighter. And Grey's terrifying army of summons, most likely obtained from ruins as well, made opposing him a meaningless endeavor.

"Good," Grey nodded. "Then we'll deal with the alliance elders next."

The alliance elders were all City Lords of provinces or major cities.

And conveniently enough, many of them were already present.

Grey's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had already sent out the challenges hours ago.

Now, he would jump them all at once and make sure they accepted.

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