Free Web NovelChapter 39: Chapter 39: The Princess’s Arrival (Part 1)
Chapter 39: The Princess Arrives (Part 1)
In response to Nan Huairun’s words, Li Qiye said matter-of-factly, "Of course. Since I’ve already said it, why would I take it back?"
The master-disciple pair, Nan Huairun and Guardian Mo, couldn’t help but exchange a glance. Nan Huairun even stuttered as he spoke, "B-but, she’s the heir of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, the princess of the Ancient Ox Territory."
"So what?" Li Qiye’s expression was as tranquil as a still well, as if the matter Nan Huairun brought up was utterly trivial.
As for Nan Huairun and Guardian Mo, they were left speechless for a long while. ’So what?’ The words were spoken so casually, yet they required an incredible level of arrogance, an insane amount of confidence.
Li Shuangyan—heir to the Nine Saints Demon Gate, princess of the Ancient Ox Territory, one of the greatest geniuses of the current generation, possessing an Emperor Body, Imperial Wheel, and Holy Destiny! What an extraordinary set of talents.
Whether in terms of talent or beauty, Li Shuangyan’s qualities were exceptionally outstanding, not just in the Great Middle Realm but even in the entire Human Emperor Realm! Across the Great Middle Realm, the line of men wishing to marry her would stretch from the eastern to the southern border of the Ancient Ox Territory.
And yet, Li Qiye treated this incredible woman as if she were nothing special, worthy only of being his Sword Attendant. If all the other talented young men were to find out, countless of them would probably want to kill Li Qiye.
In the end, Nan Huairun and Guardian Mo were at a complete loss for words. It wasn’t the first time they had witnessed Li Qiye’s arrogance and confidence. They could only let out a soft sigh. ’Thankfully, we haven’t told the Six Great Elders about this. Otherwise, his words would have frightened them out of their wits.’
"Do the elders know?" Li Qiye asked Nan Huairun.
Guardian Mo shook his head. "We haven’t reported it to the elders yet. We decided to inform you first, then report to them." The master and disciple had now made their choice. Between the Six Great Elders and Li Qiye, they had chosen Li Qiye!
To an outsider, such a choice would seem utterly inconceivable, but Guardian Mo had already thought it through and come to a decision!
"Then go report it to the elders." Li Qiye simply nodded, not paying it much mind. An event like this was nothing significant in the context of his innumerable years of existence.
The world might hold the Nine Saints Demon Gate and Li Shuangyan in high regard, but to Li Qiye, they were nothing special. Li Shuangyan was outstanding, yes, but could she compare to the Bingyu Immortal Emperor of the past?
After leaving Solitary Peak, Guardian Mo immediately reported the news to the Great Elder. Upon hearing the news, Elder Gu, the sect’s Great Elder, could no longer remain seated.
"What? Princess Li is coming?" In stark contrast to Li Qiye’s indifference, the Great Elder’s reaction was intense. The moment he heard the news, he shot up from his seat in excitement!
After receiving confirmation from Guardian Mo, the Great Elder began pacing back and forth in his room. It was obvious that he was incredibly excited.
This caused Guardian Mo to sigh to himself. ’This is the gap between them.’ When Li Qiye heard the news, he didn’t treat it as a big deal at all. The Great Elder, however, was treating it with the utmost seriousness and was incredibly excited. Without a doubt, the Great Elder placed immense importance on the marriage alliance with the Nine Saints Demon Gate.
After some effort, the Great Elder finally calmed down. He ordered, "Relay my command to Li Qiye. Tell him to prepare himself and welcome Princess Li in his best possible state!"
"Yes, sir." Guardian Mo acknowledged, not mentioning that he had already informed Li Qiye.
"Relay my orders! Notify all elders, guardians, and every disciple in the sect to welcome Princess Li with the grandest possible ceremony. During her visit, absolutely no mistakes will be tolerated. Am I clear?" the Great Elder said in a grave voice.
Guardian Mo received the command and said nothing more. It was understandable that the Xiyan Ancient Sect valued its relationship with the Nine Saints Demon Gate. In the past, Guardian Mo would have thought the same way.
However, influenced by Li Qiye recently, his perspective on such matters had begun to shift. ’Just as Li Qiye sees it, relying on the Nine Saints Demon Gate isn’t a viable long-term strategy! Strengthening ourselves is the only true path forward.’
Of course, Guardian Mo was also well aware that the current Xiyan Ancient Sect lacked senior members capable of holding their own and revitalizing the sect!
"Since Princess Li is coming to our sect, was there any mention of the marriage alliance between our two sects?" the Great Elder couldn’t help but ask after he finished giving his orders. He knew in his heart that the Xiyan Ancient Sect had grown weak. With the dawn of a new era, if the Xiyan Ancient Sect wanted to survive, it needed the protection of a powerful existence like the Nine Saints Demon Gate!
Therefore, the Great Elder placed immense importance on this marriage alliance. If it were to succeed, the Xiyan Ancient Sect would at least have an extra layer of security.
"Well..." Guardian Mo didn’t know where to begin. He had, in fact, heard some whispers from the elders of the Nine Saints Demon Gate. If Li Qiye had stayed at the Nine Saints Demon Gate back then, the matter between him and Princess Li would have been a done deal!
"I’m afraid only the Princess and the Sun Demon Emperor would know for sure," Guardian Mo could only reply. There were certain things he couldn’t elaborate on.
The Great Elder took a deep breath and said gravely to Guardian Mo, "Relay my order to Li Qiye. During the Princess’s stay at our sect, he must take excellent care of her. He absolutely cannot allow her to feel even the slightest displeasure, and he must do his utmost to win her favor! If the time is right, have Li Qiye propose marriage to the Princess! If he succeeds in marrying her, the sect will reward him handsomely!"
The Great Elder’s command left Guardian Mo at a loss for words. The truth was, Li Qiye had no intention of marrying Li Shuangyan at all. If Li Shuangyan was willing, the most she could be was his Sword Attendant! Of course, he couldn’t possibly say this to the Great Elder. If the Great Elder knew what Li Qiye was thinking, he would surely fly into a rage!
"Yes, sir." In the end, Guardian Mo could only obey. He would certainly relay the Great Elder’s command to Li Qiye, but he knew Li Qiye would simply laugh it off.
Overnight, the news that Li Shuangyan would be gracing the Xiyan Ancient Sect with her presence spread like wildfire. In an instant, the entire sect, from the highest echelons to the newest disciples, was buzzing with excitement.
The younger generation of male disciples, in particular, were beside themselves with excitement. The princess of the Ancient Ox Territory, the heir to the Nine Saints Demon Gate, peerless in talent and breathtakingly beautiful—even those who had never seen her true face had heard of her great renown.
Within the Xiyan Ancient Sect alone, countless young men had lost their hearts to Li Shuangyan. In their minds, she was the Divine Maiden they dreamed of day and night!
Hearing that Li Shuangyan was coming, countless male disciples erupted in excitement. One senior disciple muttered emotionally, "Li Fairy... she’s arguably the most peerless beauty in our Great Middle Realm. I went on a mission to the Ancient Ox Territory five years ago and only caught a fleeting glimpse of her, but she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!"
"With Princess Li visiting, maybe I’ll have a chance to win her favor!" another junior disciple daydreamed aloud. "In terms of looks and talent, I’m quite well-known in the Xiyan Ancient Sect. If I could win the Princess’s affection, my future would be set! Taking charge of the Xiyan Ancient Sect someday would be no problem at all!"
In an instant, many male disciples sprang into action. They meticulously groomed themselves, especially the more outstanding disciples, who went all out. They donned their finest Treasure Robes and adorned themselves with Treasure Artifacts, all in the hope of catching the Princess’s eye.
The next day, all the disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect gathered outside the Dao Platform. The Six Great Elders were all in attendance, along with the other guardians and hall masters. Every Guardian and Hall Master currently within the sect was present for this grand occasion!
All the disciples attending the event were dressed in their finest, and even the female disciples were dolled up for the occasion!
Naturally, only the upper echelons of the Xiyan Ancient Sect could stand upon the Dao Platform itself. However, aside from them, two other individuals were qualified to be part of the official welcoming party on the platform.
One was Li Qiye, one of the main figures of the day, and the other was He Yingjian, hailed as the genius of the Xiyan Ancient Sect!
He Yingjian was in his twenties, handsome and dashing. With his tall, well-built physique and confident smile, he certainly had the bearing of a genius!
He Yingjian was the closed-door disciple of the Second Elder, Cao Xiong. One could say he was the most talented among them. Hailed as the number one genius of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s third generation, his reputation was well-earned.
He Yingjian had studied under Cao Xiong for twenty years and had already reached the Canopy Realm. To have reached the Canopy Realm at his age truly made him a genius within the declining Xiyan Ancient Sect.
Back then, Second Elder Cao Xiong had harbored ambitions of vying for the position of Sect Leader, but Su Yonghuang had emerged and dashed his hopes. Cao Xiong had held a grudge about it ever since.
Now that Sect Leader Su Yonghuang had no successor, Cao Xiong was putting all his effort into cultivating He Yingjian, hoping he could ascend to the Sect Leader’s throne. Cao Xiong had long wanted to make He Yingjian the Chief Disciple, but Su Yonghuang had refused, and the Great Elder had not supported him either. This became another source of deep resentment for him.
Although Li Qiye had now become the Chief Disciple, Cao Xiong didn’t give a second thought to a piece of trash with a Mortal Body, Mortal Wheel, and Mortal Fate. A cultivator of Li Qiye’s caliber was completely unqualified to compete with his disciple, He Yingjian, for the position of Sect Leader!
Therefore, for Li Shuangyan’s visit to the Xiyan Ancient Sect, Cao Xiong had given his disciple, He Yingjian, special instructions: he must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he could win Li Shuangyan’s affection, becoming the Sect Leader of the Xiyan Ancient Sect would be a foregone conclusion. At that point, neither the Great Elder nor Su Yonghuang could stop his ascension!
Thus, He Yingjian had meticulously dressed for the occasion. He wore a Treasure Robe that emanated a rosy glow and a pair of Flowing Cloud Boots wreathed in mist. At his waist hung an Eight Treasures Pendant that faintly resonated with the rhythm of the Great Dao. Other Treasure Artifacts also adorned his waist, pulsating with a powerful aura.
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