Vermilion Bird Stage

A young man in a black brocade robe with gold trim emerged from the foremost carriage. He wore a jade crown, and his handsome face bore a faint smile that exuded a sense of disdain. A bronze sword hung at his waist, its scabbard inlaid with five differently colored gems that subtly refracted light.

"Crown Prince Zhu Yishi of the Cang Lan Kingdom pays his respects to the Dry Emperor on behalf of our nation!"

The young man's tone was neither servile nor overbearing. He bowed slightly, clasping his hands in a formal salute. As he was not from the Gan Yue Kingdom, he had no need to kneel before the Dry Emperor.

As soon as he finished speaking, the occupants of the three carriages behind him also emerged: a great general and two cultivators. Although they concealed their Mortal Transformation Realm auras, their presence was still imposing.

The great general was clad in formidable black armor, his black hair casually draped over his shoulders. With thick eyebrows and eyes like a leopard's, he was exceptionally burly. His black cloak fluttered slightly behind him in the wind, resembling a drawn sword, exuding a terrifying presence. He spoke first, "Cang Lan Kingdom's Grand General of Cavalry, Xiao Beilong, greets the Dry Emperor!"

"Cang Lan Kingdom's Zhen Hun greets the Dry Emperor!"

The speaker was the cultivator in the blue robe. He appeared to be middle-aged, with black and white hair, deep-set eyes, and a hooked nose, giving him a sinister impression.

"Cang Lan Kingdom's Song Lang greets the Dry Emperor!"

The remaining grey-robed cultivator followed suit, cupping his fist in greeting. He had an ordinary appearance and, standing beside Xiao Beilong and Zhen Hun, was easily overlooked.

The moment the three spoke, a stir rippled through the cultivators gathered around the Vermilion Bird Stage.

"It's said Xiao Beilong broke through to the Mortal Transformation Realm ten years ago!"

"Zhen Hun and Song Lang are also powerhouses no less than Xiao Beilong, renowned throughout the Cang Lan Kingdom's cultivation world."

"Indeed, these two are said to control major sects, no less influential than our kingdom's three great sects!"

"Doesn't that mean they are all Mortal Transformation Realm experts?"

"Hiss— Our kingdom only has Great General Nan Meng at the Mortal Transformation Realm... We're finished!"

Qin Jun and the others, hidden within the crowd, silently observed the trio from Cang Lan Kingdom.

From his vantage point on the pavilion, Qin Yu gritted his teeth as he gazed at Zhu Yishi, the Crown Prince of Cang Lan Kingdom. To the outside world, both were future emperors of their respective kingdoms. Although Qin Yu was exceptionally outstanding among the princes, the gap between him and Zhu Yishi was not insignificant.

However, Zhu Yishi was nearly thirty years old, giving him many times Qin Yu's experience. This was why the citizens of the Gan Yue Kingdom still favored Qin Yu.

"Take your seats!"

The Dry Emperor said expressionlessly, but a sense of helplessness washed over him. Looking at Xiao Beilong and the other two, he knew that the Gan Yue Kingdom would most likely lose this bilateral competition.

Still, one must maintain appearances even in defeat, at least outwardly appearing unfazed!

Unmoved even as Mount Tai collapsed before him!

Supported by Shen Yan, the Grand Steward of the Imperial Palace, the Dry Emperor proceeded to the pavilion. Zhu Yishi, along with Xiao Beilong and the others, followed.

"Clatter!" "Clatter!" "Clatter!"

Just then, the sound of loud hoofbeats echoed from a distant street. The crowd parted automatically, creating a path. Great General of the Nation, Nan Meng, rode forth on a magnificent black horse, a full ten feet tall.

He appeared to be riding a black dragon, exuding an extraordinary martial presence.

"Great General of the Nation!"

"Long live the Great General!"

"Great General, fight hard, and crush them!"

The common folk cheered excitedly, as if a superstar had arrived. It had to be said that in the Gan Yue Kingdom, Nan Meng's popularity was absolutely number one, surpassing even the Dry Emperor, because he was the strongest expert in the Gan Yue Kingdom, and his achievements were unparalleled.

If this were ancient Earth, such immense prestige would surely lead to ruin. But in this world of gods and demons, cultivation was the true power. The Dry Emperor dared not harm Nan Meng, nor did he have the ability to.

"Quite the showman, aren't we?"

Qin Jun couldn't help but whisper in admiration. He arrived even later than the Emperor.

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes narrowed as he looked at Nan Meng, a look of disdain in his eyes.

To ordinary people, Nan Meng was a god, but in his eyes, he was a mere weakling. He was confident he could take Nan Meng's head with a single strike.

"Your Human Race puts on quite a display. If it were our Demon Race, we'd have started fighting already,"

Howling Celestial Dog said disdainfully, standing at Qin Jun's feet. Qin Jun curled his lips. What would your Demon Race know about the joy of putting on a show?

Because of the large crowd and the excessive noise, as long as Howling Celestial Dog kept its head down, it had no fear of being discovered.

After the envoys from both nations were seated, a song and dance performance was held on the Vermilion Bird Stage to liven things up. Qin Jun watched with great interest, but the rest of the common folk and cultivators were already impatient.

"I wonder if Young Master Jun and the others have arrived yet."

Seated behind the Dry Emperor, Qin Yu constantly scanned the crowds around the Vermilion Bird Stage. However, even from the height of the pavilion, he could not find Qin Jun and his companions. All he saw was a dense mass of heads.

More importantly, there were at least five hundred, if not a thousand, cultivators in black robes among the crowd. It was impossible to spot Qin Jun and his group with the naked eye.

"I wonder if our Gan Yue Kingdom can win this time," one of the princes sighed wistfully.

Qin Yu sneered. Useless gluttons, holding prince titles but achieving nothing, unable to even discern the situation.

"Of course! With my father here, we'll definitely win!" Nan Yu Xin, seated in the row behind the other princes, declared proudly. Qin Yu couldn't help but shake his head. What's the use of Nan Meng being strong?

It was a best-of-three match!

The Dry Emperor, seated on the dragon throne at the very front, turned and smiled. "Five years ago, when Minister Nan had not yet taken the position of Great General of the Nation, he did not participate in the last bilateral competition. I am very much looking forward to his performance this time."

Receiving the Emperor's praise, Nan Yu Xin smiled, her eyes narrowing into crescents.

On the other side, Zhu Yishi also overheard their conversation. The corner of his mouth curved upwards, revealing a slight, disdainful smile.

The song and dance performance lasted for a full quarter of an hour, after which the Grand Eunuch Shen Yan—no, Grand Steward Shen Yan of the Imperial Palace—ascended the stage to host the bilateral competition.

"Next, the Gan Yue Kingdom and the Cang Lan Kingdom will engage in a friendly sparring match to deepen the ties between the two nations. Each side will send three representatives, with the winner determined by a best-of-three format. The matches will stop once a victor is decided."

Shen Yan announced loudly, his voice sharp yet incredibly penetrating.

I wonder if this old eunuch has managed to fix the missing parts down there, now that he's reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm, Qin Jun thought with a touch of malice as he stared at Shen Yan.

Shen Yan had treated his previous self quite well, showing no favoritism.

Rumor had it that Shen Yan had grown up with the Dry Emperor, and the Dry Emperor had used resources to push him to the peak of the Golden Core Realm. Qin Jun wasn't sure if this was true.

If it were true, their relationship would be worth investigating. The thought of a certain wicked scenario sent a shiver down Qin Jun's spine, and he hoped his cheap father Emperor wasn't as twisted as he imagined.

"Please, both sides, send one representative to the Vermilion Bird Stage."

As soon as Shen Yan finished speaking, a general standing next to Nan Meng flickered and appeared on the Vermilion Bird Stage out of thin air, eliciting cheers from the commoners and cultivators below.

"Just entered the Mortal Transformation Realm," Guan Yu murmured.