A young woman walked forward. She had an elegant figure with a slim waist, mid-length hair tied into a ponytail, and energetic eyes. These features were accentuated by the Myriad Monarch Sect's robes, colored crimson signifying the Extreme War Mountain, her supple yet firm red lips, and jet-black hair. She was human.
When her words resounded, the eyes of the young elites turned to her. A few at her level and above were clearly caught off guard by her announcement. A male elf with light pink hair exclaimed, his robes as crimson as hers, "Hong Chunhua? What are you saying?! You can't decide this!"
The young elf bore the symbol of a Sky Noble, the same as Hong Chunhua. This seemed to have sparked an internal debate as the rest decided to act as spectators, a hint of amusement in their eyes. Most of these young elites were familiar with their counterparts.
Hong Chunhua maintained a cool expression, her eyes swept the young elf. "Wong Yu, I've made my decision." Her tone brokered no discussion, she walked forward towards Wei Wuyin and arrived a few feet away from him.
Wei Wuyin's silver eyes analyzed this young woman. Her innate energies were light, not as robust as the others. From her body, he could feel a trace of Sword Intent with a fragrant smell. At her hips were a lanyard that carried a long sword with a crimson hilt. At the base of this hilt was the depiction of a rose in bloom.
"The Three Flowers of the Sword?" Wei Wuyin quietly realized their identity. This was an organization formed by three Sky Nobles, an alliance that turned a full faction with three leaders. From what he understood, this was Hong Chunhua and she held the least amount of reputation within the faction. Wong Yu was the leader, his strength superior and at the top of Sky Nobles in the Extreme War Mountain. The second member was beyond three hundred years of age, nearing Elder-compulsory age, so he was unable to participate in the trials.
Hong Chunhua looked at Wei Wuyin in the eyes, her gaze unflinching and resolute. Within those black eyes of her was the elegantly wave light of Sword Intent. In a moment, she unsheathed her sword and revealed its shine. Then, unexpected by all present, she kneeled on one knee and offered her sword with both hands.
"I, Hong Chunhua, pledge my sword to you. I and my sword are yours to command." With her head bowed, she spoke these words which instigated a wave of silence. The others who felt an instinctive urge to refuse Wei Wuyin's offer were dumbfounded.
Wong Yu was one of them, but his stupor was brief as he raged with a red face. "We won't agree! If you want to leave, do so yourself. You will not take our efforts nor make one-sided decisions." In his heart, she lacked the qualifications. Furthermore, the thought of kneeling before another in such a manner was repulsive to him. While she might have long since gotten used to it, he wasn't!
Wei Wuyin glanced at Wong Yu. He kept his thoughts to himself, "Hong Chunhua, I'll accept you. Any of those within your faction willing to follow, I'll accept as well." After saying that, he swept his silver eyes over the others. The next set of events were quite anticlimactic. A few Earthly Elites and Mortal Commons decided to make the switch, seeking Wei Wuyin's approval. Besides Hong Chunhua, no other Sky Noble accepted. As for Heavenly Kings? Absolutely not.
If Wei Wuyin was a true King of Everlore or a Prince of Everlore, they might throw their pride and effort at his lap, but he wasn't. In their hearts, this was a title forged by others, and while he was catered to by the upper elites, it wasn't sufficient enough for them to relegate themselves into a lower commanding position. Perhaps this was the flaw of the Myriad Monarch Sect's modus operandi and belief of hard work equates to a limitless future.
They all remained silent. While they didn't dare insult Wei Wuyin to his face, their eyes reflected a hint of prideful disdain. They were all talented geniuses that carved their own path and developed their own forces with blood, sweat, and tears. How could they be willing to simply allow another to swoop in and claim it all?
But this was fine.
"How many people will likely be included with you?" He asked this of the Earthly Elites, Mortal Commons, and Hong Chunhua. He didn't care about talent for his second unit. As an Alchemist, he can redefine someone's cultivation talent to a certain extent and supplement their speed with alchemical products. What was important was essentially their numbers and willingness.
He needed to forge a second unit that could handle less important matters for him, and what came with these Earthly Elites and Mortal Commons disciples were clans and families. He could field more members from these connections. He didn't want to be picky with this unit as their importance wasn't too great.
After tallying their presumed numbers, he nodded. He turned towards Hong Chunhua, who was now standing with a calm expression and bright eyes. She seemed to not regret her decision in the slightest. He calmly smiled, then he said to the others: "Is there no one else?"
"…" Met with silence, he wasn't bothered at all.
"Hong Chunhua, from henceforth you'll be the First Commander of the Ascendants. In six months, you'll exceed every Heavenly King present." His bold declaration induced an uproar amongst these young talents, and even Long Chen and Qing Qiumu were stunned. There were only four Heavenly Kings present, two from the Extreme War Mountain and two from the Extreme Origin Mountain. They were Soul Idol Phase cultivators with at least five-rings, their foundation was impeccable in this current era.
They had combat strength at the peak of their cultivation level, and a few might even be able to hold their own against the current era's Spatial Resonance experts.
Hong Chunhua's eyes reflected her astonishment. She didn't dare to believe this declaration nor question it, merely nodding her head in acceptance of her position. She was his First Commander? That had to be impressive. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
If she knew how important her decision had been, deciding to throw away everything, who knew how she would react.
Afterwards, Wei Wuyin ignored the others.
Pa!
Tuo Bihan clapped his hands, the world quaking as a result which caused the clamor to instantly cease. "We're returning to the sect. You have six months of preparations, be thorough." After those words, he urged everyone to the Void Gate.
Wei Wuyin sent Hong Chunhua off, his eyes turned towards Qing Qiumu. He walked over and said with a smile, "How about we stay back for a little bit?" His ask caught Qing Qiumu off-guard, her emerald eyes radiating a hint of shock. She didn't know why Wei Wuyin would want to stay back, and the others were already being brought away. They were urgent to cultivate and improve, gathering trump cards for the trials.
As for Wei Wuyin's offer and declaration, they placed it at the back of their minds as they focused on the future.
In the end, she nodded. Her actions were caught by Long Chen, who stopped his steps and turned back. He asked Qing Qiumu, not even bothering to glance at Wei Wuyin, "You're coming, Qing'er?" His question was odd, clearly his powerful physical sense of hearing should've heard Wei Wuyin.
Wei Wuyin remembered the first time he met Long Chen. It was after he had met Qing Qiumu. They spent half a day in conversation, losing track of time, and he walked her back to her Inn. He was there, his eyes sharp and calm, but within was a storm of murderous intent. If it wasn't for his desire to hide in the capital for the wedding while his forces gathered, unwilling to cause a commotion, he might've attacked to kill Wei Wuyin.
Thinking of Qing Qiumu's growing beauty and talent, he couldn't help but knowingly smile.
Qing Qiumu saw Long Chen's face. She knew that he wanted to pull her away from Wei Wuyin. He was giving her a way out, publicly attracting the attention of others to prevent Wei Wuyin from forcibly keeping her. But she knew that Wei Wuyin didn't have any ill-intentions.
So she reassured, "Not yet. I'll catch up with you later." Her words caused Long Chen to frown, and he stayed. He seemed unwilling to leave her alone with Wei Wuyin.
Wei Wuyin was quietly laughing in his heart. 'Your insecurity is showing.' But he wasn't willing to deal with the jealousy of this little man. "If you want to stay, I'll have your qualifications to participate in the trials stripped. Then you can stay for as long as you want."
Long Chen started, so did Qing Qiumu. The aggressiveness in his words was clear, and so was the threat. Long Chen clenched his teeth, his jawline becoming prominent, and his eyes lowering a few degrees in temperature. "You want to use your status to force Qing Qiumu by your side?!"
Wei Wuyin AND Qing Qiumu were taken aback. His words were a huge leap, and it was clear that they both hadn't expected that accusation. "No. I want you to leave. Isn't that clear?" Shaking his head, he clarified.
Long Chen clenched his fists, Slaughter Sword Intent flickered within his normally dark eyes. He seemed ready to fight at a moment's notice like a threatened animal. Qing Qiumu panicked slightly in her heart, unsure as to why Long Chen's temper was shorter now. She had been in seclusion, so she didn't know that Na Xinyi had refused to sleep with him and damaged her innate foundation instead.
The effect on his mentality had not been small nor was the pressure for helping her return to normal. This was further exacerbated by Wu Yu's revealing Wei Wuyin's talents. He was the next King of Everlore.
"Long Chen, I'm fine. Trust me." Qing Qiumu had to reassure him, stepping forward before Long Chen calmed down.
Long Chen stared at Qing Qiumu's gorgeous face for a long moment, his heart racing as her beauty was truly growing to untold limits. He nodded, giving Wei Wuyin one last look before turning around and meeting up with the others.
Before long, they left. Wei Wuyin couldn't help but feel pity for Long Chen. In his alternate future, Long Chen had killed Wei Wuyin and closed off any future connections. In this present, Wei Wuyin had undetermined connections with two of his female companions which ate at his heart. Now, both wanted the other dead but for vastly different reasons.
In the end, Long Chen was living on borrowed time. The moment Wu Yu was no longer an adequate protective charm was the day…
"Wei Wuyin?" Qing Qiumu seemed slightly hesitant. Her relationship with Long Chen was longer, thorough, and they fought against several crises of life and death in the Myriad Yore Continent. She cared about his opinions, thoughts, and well-being.
But Wei Wuyin was her savior. Without him, she would likely be dead. It wasn't just once, but twice. At the Myriad Yore Continent and the Execution Platform on the Myriad Monarch Planet. She literally owed him her life, twice. Moreover, she felt incomparably comfortable around him like kindred spirits, as if her innermost worries faded into the wind.
She wasn't like Na Xinyi, because her feelings for both hadn't developed to the level of deciding between them nor was she ready to decide. In truth, her thoughts towards Wei Wuyin were unprecedentedly pure. She wasn't cultivating for power, but to see how far she could go on this road.
Wei Wuyin casually stretched his arms, "It's been a while since we talked. I have more stories, wanna hear them?" He grinned, while lifting his eyebrows up and down, his eyes brightly lit as his heart relaxed. The time of the past at that restaurant was sublime.
Qing Qiumu was briefly stunned, and then a gentle smile formed on her face. Even her limpid eyes were suffused with a relaxed light. In minutes, they were already walking through the vast Junia forest landscapes, the sounds of chatter, laughter, and gasps resounded wherever they went. The vivid tellings of various tales that could enthrall the heart was exchanged.
From dusk to dawn to dusk, time flowed without notice.
There wasn't a single gorgeous landscape on the planet that went unvisited.
