Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Mighty people gathered outside the imperial mausoleum where the royalty used to be. Everyone from Zhongzhou City gathered there. It was some grand event they deemed necessary to attend, given how the representatives from holy lands from all over the Nine States were there.
The Barren State never had an event as massive and as grand. Some of those who came from top-notch clans and forces even dreamed that members of their clan from the younger generations would be lucky enough to catch the attention of the elders and big shots from said holy lands and be taken in as students.
Xia Qingyuan sat at the top of a restaurant quietly, surrounded by mighty figures. Top-notch figures from holy lands from all over the Nine States were literally everywhere beneath her. Even Saint Xia himself was present, as well as Saint Li from the Nine State College and Saint Ji from the Hall of Holy Light. Those three were three most powerful on the rankings, right below the Great Shaman and Ji Yuan the Reaper, and all three were there. It was a testament to how significant and grand the event was.
Saint Xihua, the Zhou Sacred King, and many others were naturally there as well. Xia Qingyuan’s identity was common knowledge now—the princess who was most doted upon by Emperor Xia—and she came all the way to the Lower Worlds. As such, none of the top figures saw a reason to not show up. Other than that, all saints throughout the Nine States wanted to move forward with their training. Not even the saints would easily be able to meet Emperor Xia. With the imperial mausoleum revealed to the world and the rumor about it being a ruin of Renhuang, it was all the more reason for the attendees to explore the place.
While there was no certainty that they would be able to return home with something, especially with Xia Qingyuan around, they did not see that to be good enough a reason to miss the event. Other than that, everyone brought the best among the younger generations of their respective clans and forces, especially those who had been listed by Xia Qingyuan as Heavenly Chosen Ones. Getting familiar with the princess would benefit their future in many ways, and the members of the younger generations who got lucky would definitely be able to go further than their predecessors.
“The princess is here in the Lower Worlds as the Supervising Inspector. The Renhuang Ruins were found as soon as she got here. It sure looks like the princess has a knack for bringing luck with her,” Saint Xia said with a smile.
“Peril awaits in the imperial mausoleum. It’s not yet known if the emergence of the place is a good or bad thing just yet,” Xia Qingyuan said. If it had been something left behind by Renhuang, it was anything but simple and straightforward.
“With the people of many holy lands gathered here today and the blessing of your luck on all of us, the perils will be insignificant in comparison. We shall enter the mausoleum once that part of the place is clear,” Saint Xia said.
“Are all holy lands throughout the Nine States here today? From what I can tell, there are some who are not yet here.” A group of people was sitting not far away from Xia Qingyuan. These words were uttered by a woman with an exceptional bearing and striking appearance. Many, including Saint Xia, turned around to look at the woman, who looked elegant and aloof. She was from the Upper Worlds, and because she was able to sit near the princess, her status was just as exceptional as her features.
Few saints from the Upper Worlds came. Most who were present from the Upper Worlds were of the younger generations. It was not to say that they had no personal agendas with the mausoleum, but given how the princess was there, it was puzzling as to what else they could be doing.
Fight with Xia Qingyuan over the place? Who dares to do something like that? The older generations from the Upper Worlds were reluctant to just come and make Xia Qingyuan look good, as the old monsters were all prideful people, unlike Saint Xia, who was an amiable old fellow. Regardless of how exceptional Xia Qingyuan was, she was just the daughter of Emperor Xia, and that was far less than enough to put the old monsters in their place. Only Emperor Xia’s direct subordinates were willing to follow her. For instance, the few beside Xia Qingyuan all definitely had exceptional powers.
Saint Xia looked at the woman who had spoken. He knew that she came from Lihen Heaven of the Upper Worlds, which was the number one holy land in terms of swordsmanship in Emperor Xia’s Realm.
“What are you referring to?” Saint Xia asked with a smile.
“This place seems to be the turf of the Barren State of the Nine States. Why is the lord of the state not here?” The woman was Fengxiao from Lihen Heaven, the student of Lihen Heaven who had made Ye Futian at the Ninth Layer of Heaven, which meant that the man by her side was Mo Li.
Saint Xia naturally knew what she meant. She had sent people to look into what Ye Futian had done in the Upper Worlds. It was hardly surprising that she knew Ye Futian, but the ones from other holy lands of the Nine States were left feeling puzzled instead.
How does someone from the Upper Worlds know that the master of the Barren State isn’t here? Saint Xia took a look at Xia Qingyuan. Her cold expression showed no signs of her being fettered. A face came to mind, an impossibly arrogant face who dared to refuse her twice.
All major representatives of the holy lands of the Nine States were all there, except those of the Barren State. Furthermore, they were precisely somewhere within the Barren State. It was a testament of how pompous Ye Futian was. He had never bothered bowing and greeting her when he last saw her and had left just like that.
Many drank silently, listening to Fengxiao talk about the Barren State. That guy from the Holy Zhi Palace of the Barren State? Since when did he know anything about manners? He had refused Xia Qingyuan after all.
“That b*stard Ye Futian. He actually dared to refuse you, the princess, and didn’t bother with manners. I’ll send someone to get him here right away,” Saint Xia shouted and spoke to one person beside him telepathically, who stepped away and took their leave, heading for the Holy Zhi Palace.
Saint Xia was feeling rather exasperated. They were at the Barren State at the moment and it was a golden opportunity for Ye Futian. He could have even invited the princess to visit the Holy Zhi Palace. Regardless of whether she would have agreed to it, it was required of him as a host to be connected with the princess in some ways.
That b*stard sure has his way of offending people. The princess asked for him to follow her for further training and he refused. The princess came all this way to the Barren State and he didn’t even bother showing up. That is…I want to beat that b*stard up so bad.
“Why do you see the need to do that, Saint Xia?” Saint Ji jested sarcastically. “He went to wipe out Zhisheng Cliffs and that is something no sage dared to do. And you actually see any use of talking about manners to him?”
Kong Yao and Saint Zhi sat somewhere with a cold expression. Saint Zhi drank with cold eyes and Kong Yao behaved in a similarly cold manner. His murderous intent shot to the heavens when he caught wind of the news that Ye Futian had wiped Zhisheng Cliffs out. That insignificant punk all those years ago dared pull off something like that?
“The Holy Zhi Palace was in the middle of a Sacred War and Zhisheng Cliffs was about to join in the fray. Are you saying that the Holy Zhi Palace should have just rolled over without doing anything?” the Moon Saint added calmly.
Saint Ji turned his very sharp eyes at the Moon Saint and smirked as he answered, “I heard that you sent a girl from your clan into the Holy Zhi Palace as a concubine. What generosity you’ve there indeed. But I seem to recall that he has yet to agree to it.”
Saint Ji was ranked fifth on the Saint Ranking, which meant that he had little need to care about the feelings of anyone else. He did not see anything wrong with taking a jab at the Moon Saint like that.
The Moon Saint’s face turned cold. Saint Ji did not only take a jab at the Moon saint but also attempted to ruin the relationship between the Yue clan and Ye Futian with just one line.
“Palace Lord Ye is married and he might have refused the proposal on accounts of the girl’s status as a daughter of the Yue clan. By the way, I’ve heard that Palace Lord Ye and his wife are a match made in heaven who have been through thick and thin together. Maybe he really is that loyal to his wife,” the Glass Saint elaborated in good fun. Her smile was dazzlingly beautiful, so much so that the Zhou Sacred King went on to take a good look at her.
Saint Ji’s expression remained cold. He had no appreciation for beautiful women and the Glass Saint’s charm had little sway over him. He had warned the Glass Saint once and it seemed that the woman paid no heed to his words, getting rather close to Ye Futian instead.
Hearing the conversation between them all, Fengxiao and the others from the Upper Worlds recalled how insufferably arrogant Ye Futian had been at the Jiutian Temple, getting to know the guy who seemed to see himself above everything. He was only an upper-level mage, but even saints split into factions over him. It was no wonder why he had deemed himself peerless in the Nine States, as he was actually that renowned in the Nine States.
“I heard that Ye Futian of the Barren State is peerless in the Nine States. There are many from holy lands all over the Nine States who were out with the princess for further training and are listed as Heavenly Chosen Ones. Is it true that none of his peers are able to surpass him?” Fengxiao asked.
Those who had been titled Heavenly Chosen Ones were all there.
“Peerless in the Nine States?” A voice speaking with an ironic tone was heard. A beautiful woman added, “My husband was one who beat him.”
Fengxiao turned to look at the woman who spoke. It was Zhou Ziyi, the princess of the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty, who became Liu Zong’s wife. Liu Zong was sitting right beside Zhou Ziyi.
Many in the lower portion of the restaurant took a great interest in the conversation. None of those people up there had bothered lowering their volume, and all in Zhongzhou City were able to clearly hear them discussing Ye Futian. They never expected the leader of their Barren State had become someone who was the talk of big shots of both the Lower and Upper Worlds, many of whom were saints. The phenomenon itself was deemed a kind of honor. No common, average folk would have been qualified enough to get talked about like that.
The people of Zhongzhou City doubted Zhou Ziyi’s claim about Liu Zong being able to beat the Palace Lord of the Holy Zhi Palace. They knew little of the battles that had taken place in Xihua Sacred Mountain, but it was not like they knew nothing at all. Can Liu Zong actually beat Ye Futian?
“Is that so?” Fengxiao caught the look of pride in Zhou Ziyi’s eyes. She then turned her eyes to Liu Zong, who was right beside his wife. Liu Zong looked at Fengxiao as well. The woman from the Upper Worlds had a far more striking appearance than his wife. He felt rather surprised at how Fengxiao came to know who Ye Futian was. So even people from the Upper Worlds came to hear about Ye Futian as well?
“The battle back in Xihua Sacred Mountain was but a friendly match. No wins or loses accounted for.” Liu Zong smiled and nodded at Fengxiao, looking rather humble.
Fengxiao took a look at Liu Zong and said, “Well, that is to mean that you got the upper hand in that battle. If any of his peers are capable of beating him, I could introduce and recommend them to train in Lihen Heaven, the number one force for swordsmanship in Emperor Xia’s Realm.”
If there was someone who was able to defeat that one person, who had been able to make it all the way up to the Ninth Layer of Heaven and completely overwhelm her younger brother in training, Pei Qianying, there was no problem of getting said someone into Lihen Heaven at all.
Many gasped. The number one force in swordsmanship in Emperor Xia’s Realm, eh? They were rather curious as to why the woman believed in Ye Futian’s powers so firmly. What was it that made her do so. Did she actually witness Ye Futian’s fights? Other than the ones from the Upper Worlds, only Saint Xia and the Glass Saint had an idea as to why.
Many in the lower portion of the restaurant felt rather antsy after hearing all that but soon felt dejected after the thought of Ye Futian’s fame came to mind. He was one who lived up to his reputation, and Ye Futian was currently a legendary figure throughout the Nine States. There was no way he could have been weak.
Those people continued to chat away. Sometime later, a group of people came. The one who took the lead looked extraordinarily dashing, catching the eyes of everyone present in an instant. The fame of said person was one that overshadowed even saints in the Nine States.
Ye Futian took his people from the Holy Zhi Palace there and arrived at the restaurant, before walking up to Xia Qingyuan and cupping his hands. “Ye Futian, Palace Lord of the Holy Zhi Palace of the Barren State. Greetings, princess.”
As Xia Qingyuan had come all the way as a princess, he, as a palace lord, was naturally required to come and greet her. With even Saint Xia getting someone to fetch him, there was simply no reason for him not to show up.
Saint Xia, who was watching from the side, felt very much like beating him up for being so carefree and nonchalant.
Is it so hard to just bow to the princess?
