Published: February 25, 2025
“Tan Yun, the young sovereign, speaks quickly. Then we shall meet again in nine years,” Zheng Long of the Wind Thunder Lineage said with a slight smile, cupping his hands in respect.
In Zheng Long's heart, regardless of whether Tan Yun could defeat the holy sons and saintess of various lineages nine years later, even if he could win, what would it matter?
At that time, the situation might be very different. The competition would not merely be about strength, but also about the connections and alliances one could forge in that period.
The Murong family, known for their intricate political maneuverings, would not sit idly by while Tan Yun rose to prominence.
Zheng Long understood that the path ahead for Tan Yun would be fraught with challenges, and those challenges would be more than just battles.
As he observed the young sovereign, he could see the potential that lay within, but potential alone was not enough to overcome the entrenched interests of the four great sacred dynasties and the three great ancient sects.
With a final nod, Zheng Long turned and left, leaving Tan Yun to ponder the weight of his future.
Nine years could change everything, and the choices he made in that time would determine not only his fate but also the fate of many others.
Tan Yun clenched his fists, determination burning in his heart. He would not only face these trials but would rise above them.
The Heavenly Punishment Continent awaited, and he was ready to carve out his own destiny.
At that time, not only would Tan Yun fail to become the next sovereign, but he would also be stripped of his position as the young sovereign!
This thought was shared not just by Zheng Long, but also by the high-ranking members of the other nine meridians.
With over seven million disciples witnessing the struggles Tan Yun faced from the ancestral patriarchs of the seven lineages, most of them concluded that Tan Yun could only hold the position of young sovereign for a short nine years, after which his glory would fade and his life would be in jeopardy…
Afterward, Dantai Xuanzhong distributed rewards to Tan Yun, Zhong Wu Shi Yao, and other disciples who made it to the top ten in the competition.
Tan Yun received a fire seed of inferior saint level: Heavenly Profound Holy Fire.
Tuoba Yingying, after receiving an Ice Attribute Middle Grade Saint Level Fire Seed: Profound Holy Flame, handed the box containing this fire seed to Tan Yun.
Once the rewards were distributed, the ten ancestral patriarchs of the nine meridians took their leave from Dantai Xuanzhong one after another.
The remaining high-ranking members of each lineage, after receiving Dantai Xuanzhong's permission, also left with their disciples.
Before long, in the vast square, apart from everyone from the Meritorious Lineage, only a few people from other lineages remained.
Among them was Tang Xinying, dressed in a black long dress, resembling a black-clad angel.
There was also Murong Shishi, wearing a delicate pink floor-length dress, possessing a beauty that could make fish sink and birds fall.
Additionally, there was Zhongli Yuxin in a green dress, with a charm that could outshine the moon and flowers, and Feng Qingcheng in a blue dress.
"Shi Yao, Ruoxi, come here." Murong Shishi waved to Zhong Wu Shi Yao and Gongsun Ruoxi.
"Disciple greets Master." Zhong Wu Shi Yao and Gongsun Ruoxi approached Murong Shishi with sweet smiles.
Murong Shishi looked at the two girls and said, "Follow me, I have something to discuss with you."
After speaking, Murong Shishi soared into the air, rising tens of thousands of feet before standing in midair above the Sea of Clouds.
In the square, after exchanging greetings with Tan Yun, Zhong Wu Shi Yao flew up with Gongsun Ruoxi, arriving beside Murong Shishi.
"Buzz—"
With a wave of her right arm, Murong Shishi created ripples in the void, enveloping Zhong Wu Shi Yao and Gongsun Ruoxi in a soundproof barrier.
"Master, what do you need to discuss with me and Senior Sister?" Zhong Wu Shi Yao asked respectfully. Although she had left the Artifact Lineage, she still believed that once a disciple, always a disciple.