Gathering...

" Kulande, you summoned us in Lord Dao Lan's name, but now you're announcing that Lord Dao Lan is dead. What exactly do you mean?"

When the Dark Curtain fell and the morning sunlight once again filled the city square, most of the remaining powerful forces in the city had gathered together. Compared with the previous gathering, there were far fewer people this time, and everyone seemed to be in poor spirits.

It was obvious that too much had happened yesterday, and it had dealt a heavy blow to everyone's morale.

The gathering took place in a floating crystal square. Kulande stood at the podium in the very center. This had once been a place where bards from many countries performed. Now that he was standing here to speak of matters concerning life and death, Kulande felt somewhat wistful.

"Lord Dao Lan did indeed meet with misfortune..." Kulande spoke with regret. "We learned this news from his First Mate, Brandt. According to what he and his surviving subordinates said, Dao Lan died in yesterday's sudden attack by the mutated Crystal Palace..."

Upon hearing this, everyone glanced at Brandt and his group standing beside the square. The knight group that had once been second only to Fording now consisted of only four or five lonely figures. They looked haggard and were in extremely unstable states, as though they had experienced some great horror.

"That's not what I'm asking..." The burly man covered in lumps sneered. "Since Lord Dao Lan is dead, why did you summon us here in a dead man's name? What's the meaning of this? Do you want to replace Dao Lan and become the leader?"

As soon as he said this, the people around him burst into mocking laughter, disdain flashing in their eyes. Although many of the