Chapter 329 - 325: Gathered Once More
In the Grand Monarch Central Palace, located upon the sixth layer of the Extreme Imperial Mountain, there was a gathering of the highest rank figures within the Myriad Monarch Sect. While there were a few key individuals missing, such as Tuo Bihan and Yao Zhen, the other three Grand Imperial Sages were present.
These three figures were each located on one of the five thrones beneath a larger, grander throne. These thrones weren't present during the Recognition Ceremony, but they signified their position within the sect: Above All, Below One.
These thrones were all differently colored, with the one Qin Rui sat on being white, while Ji Changkong was red and Zen was golden. At the top of each throne was the name of their respective mountains etched in gorgeous characters. They each sat calmly on the throne, overlooking the lower platform with various expressions.
Qin Rui's expression, while hidden behind a veil, was furrowed brows with a wisp of a sigh between them. Ji Changkong was seemingly indifferent, but was faintly betrayed by a unique light of gentleness that wasn't originally there. As for Zen, despite her wrinkled and scaly face, she had a seemingly contemplative look plastered for all the see.
Beneath their thrones, the reason for their varied expressions, were not one, but ten individuals. The lead figure amongst these ten was a youth that they were all too familiar with, the same one who had completed his recognition ceremony and officially became the successor to the Grand Monarch Lineage—Long Chen.
As the Grand Prince, his status was forcefully elevated and he now was adorned in light-grey sect robes with the embroidery on his heart area that read: Grand Prince. There wasn't a single individual in the sect with the same colored robe, not even the multicolored robes lacked this color. With the fancy design and innate regal disposition brought about by the Imperial Heaven Qi Method, he could usually be seen as a noble of the highest order.
The other nine were all women! They formed an array of astonishing beauty that could make most men feel as if they were in a dream, one they would never wish to extricate themselves from.
There was Wu Baozhai, the Princess from the Myriad Yore Continent. When she was on the Myriad Yore Continent, she exuded a bearing of innate authority and an distinctive imperial demeanor that one would possess if they were born into royalty. It was a belief, a form of aura, that told the world that they were innately superior.
She no longer possessed such exquisiteness. Her demeanor had mellowed, her expression became more gentle and careful, while her presence wasn't as strong. That being said, she still was an exceptional beauty that could topple nations, a fact that could not be etched out of her except via disfigurement. Those crystal clear eyes, peach-colored lips, ample breasts coupled with her body's delicate curves and perky bottom told the world that she was one hell of a woman.
The second was Lian Yu, the sapphire goddess of the Aqua Echo Sect of the Myriad Yore Continent's Wu Country. With those eyes and hair of hers that were like genuine sapphires, dazzling and gorgeous, as well as a figure that was as or even more voluptuous than Wu Baozhai, she was a feast for the eyes.
Thirdly, there was Xiang Ling, otherwise known as Fairy Blessed Spirit by title. Her jade skin, signature red-colored lips, limpid eyes, and minimalistic yet perfectly applied make-up that made her already magnificent features a work of art. She was dressed in her Elder robes, and next to her was a young girl in a veil—Long Tingyu.
Long Tingyu had long since grown up from her porcelain doll-like years, becoming a gorgeous teenaged lady that had very little development left to achieve a perfect state. Be it her waist-length black hair with violet highlights or dark eyes that contained a demonic allure, she was truly in the running to become a vixen. And if one were to compare bust, she was looking capable of surpassing all the women present.
The fifth was a woman whose beauty had seemingly decayed. Her aura was frantic and unstable, while her eyes were greyed out and lacking an innate feeling of intelligence, wisdom, and presence. It was quite ghastly. It was further exaggerated by her skin that seemed to be cracked, but heavily concealed with make-up and such. Each strand of her light-brown hair had dulled, seemingly losing any hint of a healthy luster. Even her body seemed somewhat deflated, with what could be assumed to be perky breasts and an ample bottom had become saggy and flat.
While her beauty had faded, those with keen eyes could see that she was absolutely gorgeous at a point in her life.
Just a glimpse at her would create a regretful and forlorn feeling to emerge in the heart and mind. She was Na Xinyi!
Xiao Bing was the sixth, her beauty and white hair that faintly released frosty light was also present. Unfortunately, the yang to her yin, Hong Ru, was not present. Since that day, her beautiful face had never worn a smile or any other expression besides wintry indifference.
The seventh was in a wheelchair, covered in a veil. Her thin, bony hands and fragile looking nails betrayed the ill condition of her body. If Wei Wuyin was here, he would easily recognize this woman simply by her life aura! She was Lin Ziyan, Godlord Lin, and the woman who he once thought of marrying.
Her once pristine brunette hair had greyed, as if she had aged a hundred years. It was frizzled, lacking an essential healthiness that no product could conceal. While those blue eyes that seemed to contain the essence of an ocean, vast and endless, might no longer carry that same feeling.
The eighth woman was tall, slender, and seemingly in her late-twenties. She was an elf. Her bright green eyes, pale skin, and deeply black hair was accentuated by her perfectly symmetrical figure and features. It bestowed her a beauty that could be called quite balanced.
She was Qing Qiumu's Ancestor, a Prime Imperial Sage! She was present during Long Chen's Recognition Ceremony, and was also investigated after Qing Qiumu had used a talisman that she had created for her to kill the Ji Clan's Astral Core Realm experts. She went by Qing Yawen, or Prime Sage Qing.
The last, but certainly not least, woman was Qing Qiumu. She stood beside her Ancestor, her emerald-colored eyes looked at the thrones from above, but her expression was calm and collected. Inwardly, however, she was somewhat troubled. Her gaze would sometimes shift to Long Chen's back, a little bit of worry within.
Long Chen had now become the Grand Prince of the Myriad Monarch Sect. He had cemented his position as the legacy successor of the Grand Monarch Lineage, and the only one with the qualifications to unite the Myriad Monarch Sect officially beneath his banner. The world that Long Chen, that these women had lived in before, had now changed as he took this position.
Or so they thought.
She quickly discovered that there was very lax authority given to Grand Princes. In fact, they weren't in much of a better position than some Sky Nobles, and they have difficulty compared to Heavenly Kings. They still had to compete, fight for every inch of territory, for every bit of resource, and had to follow almost all rules established by the sect.
Being the Grand Prince even meant that you were held to a higher standard than others in the same level. Moveover, there were harsher punishments towards Abuse of Authority. The title Grand Prince merely showed the world that the Grand Monarch Lineage had a rightful successor. After all, for the last thousand or so years, the Myriad Monarch Sect had no Grand Monarch.
When she thought of the Grand Prince, not just her but most, the mental image of Wei Wuyin emerged. He was just a junior, but he carried some insane level of influence. His very name provoked fear, and he could cause the collapse of entire factions and clans with merely a few sentences.
He could blow a hole in the Sky Layer, and be congratulated. Just his name would have the Knights of Enforcement shake at the knees, and the Grand Imperial Sages to feel utterly helpless. He had freedom, a say if he wanted, and endless resources and support from the sect. It was this image that she thought Long Chen would possess.
Alas, reality was often disappointing.
Even Long Chen's name was bypassed by Tuo Bihan, the first natural Realmlord born in the sect in over a thousand years.
Despite that, Long Chen still had some benefits. This was the Three Orders of the Imperial Prince. It wasn't really an 'order' but more a series of requests. The Three Orders of the Imperial Prince was a deliberate bypass of the Power of Authority. It would allow them to request something from the sect three times, usually exceeding their authority or influence. The previous iterations of the Grand Prince had used this for resources, mostly resources.
These would typically be made for territory, rare materials, or alchemical products used for their cultivation. It could also be used to be acquitted of certain criminal charges that went against the Myriad Monarch Sect's rules. Which meant they could, in theory, kill first and be absolved later.
This was merely a safety net for Grand Princes devised to give them some shadow influence. Of course, they were unable to request anything unreasonable or initiate war. This wasn't meant to be a means to rule the sect, merely to bypass some obstacles in a quick and easy fashion, not order around the sect as they pleased.
When Qing Qiumu learned of this, she could only sigh. Long Chen had told her of his unwillingness to announce his legacy, but he had to. She could feel that he was pressured by Wei Wuyin's presence. After his dominance in the Grand Spirit Trials, Zuhei's remarkable abilities, and his ring once more being taken by Wei Wuyin, he probably felt that he had no other choice. If he wanted to sit on that throne with certainty, he needed every advantage possible.
While he might have an empty title, his sect status would no longer be inferior to Wei Wuyin. But when she learned of his requests, her expression became extremely odd. It wasn't just her, the three Grand Imperial Sages all had varying shifts in their expressions, and their emotions were complex.
Zen swept her wizened eyes over the gathering of beauties that Long Chen seemingly obtained through his experiences and journey. There were women of extraordinary talent, but also women who've suffered disastrous fates.
She spoke, "Prince Long, are you certain that you wish to make your three orders now? And for it to be those three?" Her eyes were fixated on Long Chen, exuding an unintentional pressure simply from her questioning gaze. But Long Chen was steadfast and certain, his expression unwavering.
"Yes, I am absolutely certain." He left no room for retreat, his eyes filled with indisputable resolve.
Behind Long Chen, Na Xinyi bit her lower lip softly as her eyes flashed a complex light. She had given up two of her Primal Yins, damaging her meridians and body as a result. In exchange, Long Chen had reached the Zenith Mortal State with both of his Natal Souls. With that and Wu Yu's support, he merged his two Natal Souls and went undefeated as he swept through the juniors and elites of the Haungfu Clan.
It was a moment of unprecedented glory. But in the end…
It wasn't hers…
She had chosen this devastatingly damaging method instead of simply giving her body to Long Chen. While it might've been slower, her cultivation base would've jumped also. At least, for a while. She couldn't help but look at Lian Yu, Wu Baozhai, Qing Qiumu, Xiao Bing, and Long Tingyu.
They had all ascended into the Astral Core Realm while radiating beauty of the ages, but she had fallen to this position. She didn't have Lian Yu's mystical healing arts and wholehearted devotion, Wu Baozhai's intelligence and management skills, Qing Qiumu or Long Tingyu's extreme innate talent, or Xiao Bing's background. She was merely a girl with a precious body that men could obtain benefit from.
Even Su Mei, that girl that she had once clashed with in the Myriad Yore Continent, who she had won an exchange against, had surpassed her in a massive way. While her cultivation was still in the Qi Condensation Realm, Su Mei could fight against the top-tier geniuses of the entire starfield with utter ease.
She couldn't help but think...what if…
Just as her mind was lost in this thought, Zen nodded towards Long Chen. "Then so be it."
She sent a transmission message to Tuo Bihan.
A sensation shook the hearts of everyone present. Some with anticipation, a few with anxiety, and others with complex emotions that were extremely hard to describe. It wasn't because of Tuo Bihan, this newly ascended Realmlord! It was…
A flash of silver light burst into existence directly beside Zen.
"..." Everyone could only stare in silence as two figures were revealed. Before they could catch a solid look at them, one of the figures started to walk with crisp steps.
Step. Step. Step.
The figure walked upwards, not downwards, approaching the grand throne that overlooked the entire whole like an Emperor. The figure turned to face those below, revealing a faint smile filled with an indescribable yet unforgettable quality. With a slight movement, he sat.
"..." Everyone's breathing seemingly stopped at that moment.
On the grand throne, Wei Wuyin folded his left leg over his right, leaned comfortably back, and said: "I'm here."