Chapter 154 - Claim the Top Spot, Marry Divine Dawn!
At the Grand Temple, atop the Star Scholar Platform, this was a battle platform forged from Nebula grade spirit ore, spanning ten thousand feet in both length and width. It was impervious to both physical and magic attacks.
For thousands of years, countless prodigies dueled here. Some shed blood and tears, while others rose to the heavens in a single step. Their tales, weathered by sun and rain, were washed away, lost in the river of time.
Generations of the Immortal Empire's pillars had, in their youth, risen like stars on this very platform.
Around the Star Scholar Platform, there were tens of thousands of seats. Now, they were filled with numerous students of the Grand Temple, sitting solemnly. They were people of etiquette, respectful in this formal setting, whispering among themselves but not daring to raise their voices.
Their hushed conversations, of course, revolved around the recent clash in the Lesser Temple Hall. And the juicy scandal revealed by the Supreme Marshal. Suspicion-filled and indignant gazes from the students were cast upwards to the sky above the platform.
Floating there was a massive orb, several thousand feet in diameter. This was the Scholar Temple! Its exterior was engraved with myriad runes, along with portraits of past sages. It hung in the sky, watching over the later generations.
Whenever there was a duel on the Star Scholar Platform, the upper echelons of the Grand Temple and major figures of the Immortal Empire would watch and supervise from within this Scholar Temple. Their bird's eye view, authoritative and imposing, added even more pressure on the dueling students, testing their mental fortitude.
Now, Mu Tianshi and his entourage took their seats within the Scholar Temple ahead of the others. Beside him, in the quietest spot, apart from Mu Lingyi, there were two others.
One was his wife, Ye Qingli from the Ye Royal Family. Freshly grieving the loss of her beloved son, her eyes were bloodshot and filled with murderous intent. She was enveloped in a cloud of despair.
The other was a young man in a golden robe. With a long face, prominent nose, and thin lips, he radiated an aura reminiscent of an angry dragon.
This young man was named Ye Shengyin, a direct descendant of the Ye Royal Family. His father was the current clan leader of the Ye Royal Family and also the Temple Master of the Ancestral Temple.
Years ago, before the Divine Dawn Empress ascended to the heavens, his father Ye Qingtian held the title of Emperor of the Immortal Empire, and Ye Shengyin was the crown prince. Now, he could only be seen as a pretender to the throne.
"Shengyin!" Ye Qingli, suppressing her grief, looked intensely at the young man in gold. "The Imperial Seal, can you truly control it?"
Just last night I mastered it. Originally, I was saving it as my trump card for the War of Immortals. But today... for the sake of avenging Shuofeng and Xingchen, I'll bring it out,” Ye Shengyin said, his gaze fixed intently on the two white figures below the Grand Temple.
With the death of Ye Xingchen, everyone on the Dragon Ranking had advanced a rank. Now, the most glorious name at the top was none other than Ye Shengyin!
“Auntie, my condolences,” Ye Shengyin whispered, noting the depth of grief in Ye Qingli's eyes. His urge to kill only intensified. Ye Xingchen was his sworn brother, and it was by this bond he called Ye Qingli his aunt. Only her, Mu Tianshi, and Mu Lingyi were genuine family.
“Use it!” Mu Tianshi's face was an icy mask, still stung by the humiliation he'd suffered earlier. “The War of Immortals will commence in a few days. With a Galaxy grade treasure like the Imperial Seal at your disposal, your opponents won’t have time to prepare.”
“Rest assured, uncle,” Ye Shengyin nodded.
“Your father spared no expense to help you control the Imperial Seal. He wanted you to overpower all those human and demon prodigies, to emerge as the victor of the War of Immortals, and to marry the Divine Dawn Empress. This battle with Chen Xi is inevitable. Sooner or later. Think of today as a warm-up,” Mu Tianshi said coolly.
“Now, in our Heavenly Realm's Immortal Empire, it's just you and her at the Establishment Wind Fire Tribulation Realm. Defeating her would surely boost our Ye Royal Family's prestige,” Ye Qingli chimed in.
A fight was imminent, and both Mu Tianshi and Ye Qingli wanted revenge for their son, wanting to embarrass their enemies on the spot.
“Marry the Divine Dawn Empress...” The thought of defeating Chen Xi didn’t excite Ye Shengyin much. He had only one true rival before: the meteorically rising Ye Xingchen, his sworn brother. Ye Xingchen had trailed behind him for years, only to surpass him recently and topple him from the top rank. As for Chen Xi... well, he'd bested her at least ten times since childhood.
He knew her all too well. Chen Xi's only accomplishment since her return was defeating a few novice and mid-level cultivators. Hardly noteworthy. But winning the War of Immortals, marrying the Divine Dawn Empress, producing heirs, and restoring the Ye Royal Family's dominance was his true ambition.
“With Shengyin's abilities, even without the Imperial Seal, defeating Chen Xi should be easy, right?” Mu Lingyi asked softly. She knew just how formidable her cousin was—born to be a crown prince, limitless potential, unparalleled lineage, endless resources, and an unmatched work ethic.
“Lingyi,” Ye Shengyin shook his head. “Defeating her is easy, but to obliterate her in a flash in front of the Supreme Marshal, I'll need the Imperial Seal. She’s too confident, so she probably has some trick up her sleeve. We can’t be careless and give her any chance of escape. Otherwise, our reputation in the Grand Temple will never recover.”
“I understand,” Mu Lingyi nodded obediently.
Ye Shengyin sighed. “It's heartbreaking that a kind soul like Lingyi has lost two important people in her life. Just what kind of monsters are those two from the Chen Heavenly Mansion to be so heartless? And Shuofeng, who never did anything wrong in his life, was taken from us just like that. If they think life is so cheap, they can't blame me for showing no mercy today!”
Upon hearing those words, tears silently fell from Mu Lingyi's eyes. She seemed to have conveniently forgotten about Ye Xingchen's grim wedding gift, the arranged life-or-death duel, and how her father conspiring with demons had led to her brother's death.
"Evil roams unchecked in these times," Mu Tianshi said with a sigh. "The righteous are hard-pressed to stand against it."
At that moment, the doors of the Grand Temple swung open, and a dense mist rolled in.
"Ah, our friends from the Demon Continent have arrived." Mu Tianshi quickly rose from his seat to greet the esteemed guests.
A group of demons, transformed into human forms, swaggered into the Grand Temple of the Immortal Empire. Leading them was a burly man with golden eyes. Though he was well-muscled and brimming with vitality, he donned a loose and elegant white robe, paired with golden-rimmed glasses. The lenses of these glasses shimmered with runes, clearly an artifact of the human race.
Li Shishi stood beside him, indicating the importance of this golden eyed man. Of course, he was the Ape Saint! Though he was a figure of reverence, he wasn't the most eye-catching.
Beside the Ape Saint, amidst the white fog, walked a woman dressed in a cherry blossom dress. She seemed like a figure straight out of a painting: graceful, with a face full of gentle allure, eyes that seemed to weep and plead, so enchantingly beautiful. This fairy-like delicate beauty captured everyone's gaze.
Even Mu Lingyi, a human beauty herself, was momentarily stunned upon seeing the woman and blurted out, "She's so beautiful..."
"Ape Saint, Fox Saint, please, have a seat," Mu Tianshi said, keeping his eyes straight, ever the professional.
The golden-eyed man chuckled softly, "Mu Tianshi, this lady prefers not to be called Fox Saint."
Mu Tianshi smiled apologetically, "My mistake, Lady Hua Lian."
"I've troubled you, Dean," she replied in a voice as soft as velvet brushing against one's ear, sending tingles down their spines. Everyone who heard her felt a pleasant shiver.
"It's really no bother," Mu Tianshi replied with a gentle smile. He then glanced behind the Ape Saint and noticed more than twenty youths. Each one seemed formidable, with a brooding look and clad in Desolation Armor, constantly training their physiques. They all looked terrifying.
Mu Tianshi couldn't help but admire the efficiency at which the demons produced such formidable talents. They breed 'em strong, don't they? he inwardly remarked.
"Ape Saint, who are these individuals?" Mu Tianshi asked.
"A bunch of unruly youngsters. They've heard of a heated clash between top talents from the human race and wanted to learn," the Ape Saint with a chuckle.
Musingly, Mu Tianshi replied, "You're being too modest! Every generation in the Demon Continent produces prodigies, something the Immortal Empire can't quite match."
The Ape Saint smiled faintly, countering, "And you're being even more modest. Just the emergence of one Divine Dawn Empress from the human race could overshadow a million of our prodigies. If anyone should be envious, it's us."
At that, Mu Tianshi was at a loss for words, especially since he didn't wish the Divine Dawn Empress to be too strong. His gaze wandered over to the lady with the cherry blossom dress, noticing a silver-haired individual standing behind her. Their delicate features were intriguingly androgynous, and even he found it hard to discern their gender. The Ape Saint brought over twenty progeny, yet she only brought this one person?
"Lady Hua Lian, may I inquire about this young... lady?" Ye Qingli asked out of curiosity.
Lady Hua Lian shook her head, murmuring, "He is my disciple, not a young lady."
"Not a lady?!" Both Ye Qingli and Mu Lingyi exclaimed in surprise.
After a brief pause, Ye Qingli commented with a smile, "I've heard of your fondness for peace and quiet. This young one must be incredibly talented to have caught your eye."
Lady Hua Lian looked back at the silver-haired youth, nodding gracefully. "His name is Moon Fairy. Though not of pure bloodline, he... is a Primeval Demon."
"Primeval Demon?!" The revelation made Ye Qingli and others draw in a sharp breath. Their perception of Moon Fairy shifted immediately.
"Congratulations!" Mu Tianshi said, paying his respects.
"While he has potential, his future still depends on personal fortune and fate. His journey is still long," Lady Hua Lian said, admiration clear in her gaze. Here, she was an oddity, seemingly uninterested in the ongoing events or the clash of talents.
However, even the Ape Saint seemed to be hearing about this Primeval Demon for the first time. He squinted slightly, adjusting his golden spectacles, but remained silent.
At that moment, Han Jingli from the Ministry of Rites entered the Scholar Temple, bringing three young individuals. The Dragon Ranking was a matter of face and prestige among the various factions of the Immortal Empire. While the Mu Clan and Ye Royal Family at most held two spots in the top ten, the Han Clan held three, truly a matter of family pride! Strong youth meant a strong faction!
With these three prodigies, the Han Clan's prominence in the Immortal Empire was secured. Born into the Han lineage, all three possessed exceptional poise, humility, and grace. Masters of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, they were also paragons of poetry, scholarship, and etiquette, rightfully called the Three Hans.
Each was a student of renown from the Grand Temple!
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