Chapter 736: Meeting of the Three Kings

While Lei En was observing the Dwarf King, the other party was also sizing up Lei En.

A faint flash of lightning flickered in the eyes of the King of the Hills, as if he sensed something, and a slight change crossed his dignified face.

Lei En also sensed something unusual.

It was the aura of thunder.

The Dwarf King's affinity for thunder was extremely high, far surpassing anyone Lei En had ever seen, even stronger than Lei En himself, who possessed six thunder forms.

Legendary Element Thunder Lord!

Although the Soul Eye could not clearly see the Dwarf King's Element, like a flower in the mist, it still sensed a previously unseen powerful force. Unlike a Holy Soul Wizard or spellcaster, it belonged to a melee profession, around Thirty-level!

This was the second melee profession above Thirty-level that Lei En had encountered.

The first was Eternal Chosen Aikon; the Dwarf King before him is the second. Perhaps because they are not hostile, the Dwarf King's pressure on him is far less than that of the Eternal Chosen, but he must not be underestimated.

The Thirty-level King of the Hills already stands at the pinnacle of the world.

"Lei En," Bulestein introduced, "This is His Majesty Magnus *Copper Ring* of our Rongyanbao Kingdom."

"I have met His Majesty Magnus," Lei En saluted to show respect.

"Welcome, Earl of Glamorgan," Magnus said with a smile, his deep yet clear voice adding, "Rongyanbao has not had foreign guests for years; the arrival of the Earl of Glamorgan is eagerly awaited throughout Rongyanbao."

His expression was sincere, evoking goodwill.

Lei En's Soul Eye also perceived his goodwill; although he spoke polite words, his hospitality was genuine.

The king himself personally greeting at the teleportation array says it all.

In a previous life, it would be equivalent to a head of state meeting at an airport.

"His Majesty's personal welcome makes me nervous," Lei En also expressed his friendliness.

Although Rongyanbao's earlier actions were displeasing, Lei En came out of courtesy to Zuo Ertan; now that he is here, the matter must be settled to avoid a wasted trip.

"The Earl of Glamorgan speaks heavily," Magnus nodded slightly, "If it were not that I cannot easily leave my people, I would certainly go to the Empire to discuss with Your Excellency, please understand."

"It is an honor to have the chance to visit Rongyanbao," Lei En smiled, also speaking politely, his words half true, half false.

The truth is that the Dwarf King truly cannot leave the Shi Jie Shan Mai at will, and this time three kings traveling together has a huge impact; the falsehood is that with a teleportation array, the meeting could be conducted covertly, never publicized, without fanfare.

Magnus insisted on conducting talks in Rongyanbao, seeking home‑field advantage to press his opponents.

Lei En knew well that from the moment the invitation to Rongyanbao was extended, negotiations had already begun, and bringing Zuo Ertan made refusal impossible; the tactics were indeed clever.

Thus it is clear the dwarves have demands of Lei En, and they seek much.

Lei En already formed a judgment in his mind.

"Your Excellency, please follow me," after some small talk, King Magnus made a beckoning gesture.

A royal guard of over thirty fully‑armed dwarf warriors led the way; these dwarves were elite among elites, their rune‑etched armor finer than the steel shield guards of the great hall, and despite being under one‑and‑half meters tall, they were like an impenetrable wall of steel.

Yet today, the dwarves of the royal guard seemed lacking in vigor.

While Lei En spoke with King Magnus, the dwarves' eyes hidden behind helmets kept glancing at the Extreme Warrior. They did not know the Extreme Warrior was a barbarian; his blue armor bore no runes, was of superb material without enchantment, yet could not conceal the powerful aura it emitted.

These towering super‑beings were all legends!

The dwarves were shocked; the royal guard is Rongyanbao's most elite force, the vast majority are high‑rank, and only those above squad leader are legendary warriors—about one in twenty.

A super‑legion composed entirely of legends completely upended the dwarves' expectations.

The Extreme Warrior's weapon, a massive Bolt Gun in his hand, also drew the dwarves' attention; they had never seen such a huge soul gun.

The royal guard led the way, with the Extreme Warrior following behind.

Amid the booming footfalls, the party emerged from the great hall.

A massive underground city unfolded before him, and Lei En could feel only one thing: grandeur!

He had once entered Longshande's underground Iron Must Fortress, so dwarf cities were not unfamiliar, but the Iron Must Fortress had been abandoned for millennia, severely collapsed, devoid of any sign of life, like a silent tomb.

Yet the fortress before him teemed with life.

In the endless vast cavern, precious crystal lamps were everywhere, their warm glow illuminating the meticulously planned wide avenues. The ground seemed cut from a single slab of rock; the buildings along the streets were all hewn from stone—steps, columns, porches, roofs—all perfectly aligned, seamless, adorned with countless exquisite reliefs, and statues of dwarf deities or heroes, exuding solemnity.

Dwarves are usually under one‑and‑half meters tall, yet their architectural style prizes "largeness" as beauty, followed by solidity and durability to withstand the ages.

Such boldly massive architecture creates a tremendous impact, evoking a sense of smallness.

Lei En has been to the Storm Sanctuary.

Rongyanbao's grandeur rivals that of the Storm Sanctuary; its energy application may be less than the Sanctuary's, but in scale it perhaps even surpasses it.

If one did not look up to see the hundred‑meter‑high dome and only saw the brightly lit city, it would be hard to imagine it lies deep underground within the Shi Jie Shan Mai.

Upon exiting the great hall, Lei En's party was immediately surrounded by dwarves.

"Your Majesty!"

"Salutations, Your Majesty..."

Dwarf civilians on the road stepped aside to both sides, bowing to King Magnus. Their eyes were full of respect and affection, their admiration heartfelt, like seeing a deity, showing how highly Magnus is regarded by the people.

Then the dwarves' gazes were drawn to Lei En and the Extreme Warriors.

The towering, powerful Extreme Warriors gave the dwarves a massive sense of pressure, causing many dwarves to stare blankly, unable to recover for a long time.

Where the Extreme Warrior passed, it was like a whirlwind, becoming the focus of everyone.

Magnus walked while introducing Rongyanbao to Lei En, occasionally raising his hand to greet his people. Though he appeared composed, Lei En's Soul Eye sensed his thoughts shifting, his attention also turning to the Extreme Warrior.

"Your Excellency, your Extreme Warrior has opened the dwarves' eyes," King Magnus praised, a barely perceptible hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, his plan to hold Lei En at Rongyanbao has collapsed.

"Your Majesty overpraises me," Lei En said with a smile, modestly, "They are merely barbarian soldiers, formed only a few years ago; compared with dwarf warriors who have achieved countless glorious feats in history, the Extreme Warrior still has a long way to go."

Magnus sighed, "The former glory has ultimately passed."

Lei En felt a slight stir; the words revealed much information.

He knows two dwarves, Zuo Ertan and Blaimit, both citizens of Rongyanbao, who have previously spoken of Rongyanbao and the dwarves' current state.

The Third Epoch was the dwarves' most glorious era, contending with the elves for supremacy alongside Ai Lun E Si, dividing the New Continent. After the epoch ended, both races were severely weakened and retreated to their homelands. The dwarves withdrew to underground fortresses within the Shi Jie Shan Mai; during the lowest point of the Dark Millennium, only three fortresses remained unconquered, Rongyanbao being one of them, the others being Zhigao Shan and the Lone Peak.

Mithril Palace and Nine Peaks Valley were only reclaimed after the New Era began.

These five underground strongholds, with Zhigao Shan holding the highest status, the largest scale, and the longest history, are the birthplace of all dwarves.

In the past, the King of Zhigao Shan, also called the "Supreme King," ruled over all dwarves.

But now, the dwarves' structure has changed.

Each underground stronghold governs itself; a city is a kingdom that supports a king. The King of Zhigao Shan enjoys higher prestige than other dwarf kings, but his authority is limited to the Zhigao Shan stronghold, and the dwarf Supreme King is now merely a figurehead.

King Magnus, who hails from the Copper Ring Clan, had been the royal family of Rongyanbao since the early Third Epoch, ruling Rongyanbao for nearly ten thousand years.

This underground stronghold, second only to Zhigao Shan in scale and history, after more than two thousand years of restoration has a population of over five hundred thousand, approaching the limit that Rongyanbao can sustain.

According to Bulestein, Rongyanbao has continuously expanded the stronghold, excavating larger caverns, and even establishing hidden dwarf villages in the surface Shi Jie Shan Mai to alleviate pressure on the stronghold.

The other underground strongholds, Mithril Palace and Nine Peaks Valley, are still in the restoration phase and currently have no issues.

The situation in Zhigao Shan and Dufeng is similar to Rongyanbao.

Population in these three strongholds has surged, slightly exceeding the peak period; in recent years, resources and food have become increasingly insufficient, and even underground mushroom farming is no longer enough. The only solution is, as in the Third Epoch, to leave the underground strongholds and forge new living space.

However, now is the New Era, and the Old Continent is the realm of humans; dwarves cannot compete with humans.

Bulestein and Zoltan have both expressed deep concerns about this.

Lei En thought of this, vaguely guessed the intentions of the three dwarf kings, his mouth curled slightly, and he already had a sense of the situation.

Dwarf underground strongholds usually have ten levels, with the top five being the main living zones.

All along, the caves were almost entirely populated by dwarves; the surrounding walls were carved with numerous deep rock hollows, also housing many dwarves. The dwarves' vigor and spirit were quite good, and they were not lacking in clothing, but most equipment was crude, and even the race best at forging lacked proper weapons, indicating strained resources.

King Magnus led Lei En, and under the gaze of many dwarves, moved from the third level to the fourth.

This level is the most important area of Rongyanbao.

Upon entering, Lei En immediately felt the temperature rise, as if stepping into a furnace.

In fact, the entire level is a massive forge, with a river of lava winding through the caverns; dwarves have dug channels to divert the lava, looping it around the caves to use its heat to forge mountain‑splitting armor. In the core cavern of the fourth level, scorching heat rolls, the red glow of magma illuminates the dome, and Lei En looks up to see a hundred‑meter‑wide lava waterfall cascading into a huge magma lake.

Hundreds of forges were erected along the lake's edge, with hundreds of dwarf blacksmiths working shirtless, sweating profusely, hammering metal on anvils.

The clanging of hammering rang continuously.

This is the historically famous "Great Forge" of the dwarves, and the namesake of Rongyanbao.

King Magnus, seeing Lei En's keen interest in the Great Forge, couldn't hide his delight, and led Lei En on a brief tour of the forge.

Leaving the Great Forge, the temperature gradually fell to a comfortable range as they entered the noble district.

There are nobles among dwarves, but the rank is not hereditary; it must be earned through battle achievements and contributions to the kingdom, usually by powerful warriors or master craftsmen.

Soon after, the party arrived at their destination.

A fortress carved out of rock stood before them, with hundred‑meter‑tall stone statues on either side of the gate; from the armor and crowns of the statues one can tell they model historic Rongyanbao kings, their demeanor solemn, wielding war hammers, guarding the throne of Rongyanbao.

Passing between the two statues, they entered the fortress and a massive palace unfolded before their eyes.

The elongated palace stretched over two hundred meters in length and more than forty meters in width; two rows of towering dwarf stone statues faced each other, supporting a dome over thirty meters high, their eyes emitting light, runes on their bodies subtly flowing, and the weapons in their hands were also metal, clearly more than mere statues.

At the far end of the palace stood a towering stone throne.

Beneath the throne, a large crowd of dwarves stood, clearly divided into two groups, their appearances, rune armor, and styles markedly different.

These dwarves were clearly not members of Rongyanbao.

The most obvious distinction was beard color: Rongyanbao dwarves mainly sport red or brown beards, while the left group had snow‑white beards and the right group's beards were as black as ink.

Each group clustered around a powerful dwarf crowned with a crown.

Lei En swept his gaze at the palace entrance, his pupils tinged red; both were Kings of the Hills. Especially the white‑bearded dwarf on the left, whose sharp eyes shone, clad in heavy golden armor, his beard neatly braided into a dozen elegant plaits, his broad build showing no bulk, radiating terrifying power.

Another King of the Hills above Thirty-level.

His Soul Eye quickly sensed that this dwarf king's strength surpassed Magnus's, nearly comparable to the Eternal Chosen!

In contrast, the black‑bearded dwarf on the right appeared much younger, his strength the lowest among the three kings, not even reaching th Level.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the palace.

All dwarves' gazes fell on the Extreme Warrior; Lei En waved his hand, signaling the Extreme Warrior to stay, and followed King Magnus forward.

Beneath the throne, everyone stood still.

Bulestein shouted, "Count, please allow me to introduce you." He pointed at the white‑bearded dwarf, "This is the King of Zhigao Shan, Suolin Geer*Sui Xing His Majesty." Then he turned to the black‑bearded dwarf, "This is the King of Dufeng, Dan En*Tie Shou His Majesty."

Under the dwarves' gaze, Lei En, neither obsequious nor arrogant, greeted, "I have met both Your Majesties."

(End of Chapter)