"A Sovereign Envoy?"
Ninisha was stunned for a moment. Then a hint of joy appeared on her face, and she dropped to her knees with a thud.
Becoming a Sovereign Envoy meant receiving a Sovereign Artifact from a Sovereign, and possibly Sovereign's Might as well. It was an honor countless High-Gods across the divine planes yearned for, and Ninisha was no exception.
Moreover, aside from Paragon High-Gods, no Asura would turn down the chance to become a Sovereign Envoy. Nor did they have the right to refuse a Sovereign's invitation.
"What kind of Sovereign Artifact would you like?"
Hope didn't grant her one right away. Instead, he calmly asked Ninisha what she wanted.
Generally, a Sovereign took on an envoy to serve as a useful aide. The Sovereign could simply offer an Artifact they considered suitable without asking the envoy's preference.
But Ninisha had the potential to become a Paragon. She might one day reach Paragon status in the Lightning Element, so Hope was willing to be patient with her.
"Sovereign, I'd like an offensive spear-type Sovereign Artifact!"
Ninisha thought for a moment, then made her request.
Hope nodded slightly and waved his right hand. Three glowing objects appeared in midair. One was a purple-gold spear wreathed in faint flashes of lightning, radiating the pressure of a Sovereign Artifact.
Another was a collection of eleven small, semi-transparent vials. The largest held about a hundred drops of Lightning Sovereign Power, while each of the other ten contained ten drops of Sovereign's Might from a different element. The last item was a Magic Rune Parchment covered in unusual markings.
At the sight, surprise flashed in the Zijing Sovereign's eyes. Leisijing's eyes widened, filled with astonishment.
In theory, a Sovereign only needed to give an envoy one Sovereign Artifact. Sovereign's Might wasn't necessary. Some Sovereigns tossed in a little extra, while others didn't bother.
But even when a Sovereign did grant Sovereign's Might, it was usually either of an element the envoy was proficient in or the Sovereign's own element. Giving her Sovereign's Might of eleven different elements showed just how highly Hope regarded her.
Magic Rune Parchment that could summon a Sovereign was even rarer. Usually, only a Sovereign's children had one; Sovereign Envoys weren't entitled to it.
The few Sovereign Envoys allowed to use one were all longtime subordinates who had served their Sovereigns faithfully and held positions such as Sovereign Legion Commander. Dili was one of them, though the Sovereign she could summon was Palhouse.
Legion commanders might need to discuss the Plane Battlefield's arrangements with their Sovereigns at any time, so they were specially given the parchment. As far as Leisijing knew, his mother's other two envoys, Leihong and Busili, didn't have Magic Rune Parchment.
"I grant you an offensive Lightning Element Sovereign Artifact. Here is Sovereign's Might of every element, along with Magic Rune Parchment to contact me. You are now the second envoy under my command!"
Hope ignored the doubtful looks on Zijing and Leisijing's faces and spoke in the same calm tone.
He had treated Palhouse and Bayer the same way when he took them on as envoys, so he naturally wouldn't treat Ninisha any differently.
"I... Thank you, Sovereign!"
Ninisha stared blankly for a few seconds, her lips parted and shock written across her face. Fortunately, she quickly came to her senses, knelt, and thanked him.
"All right, you can continue traveling for a while. After some time, go to Cangming Island in the Water Elemental Plane. Dili, accompany her."
Hope nodded slightly, then turned to Dili, who stood behind them like a wooden statue.
"Yes, Sovereign!"
Dili bowed slightly and answered with composure, despite the shock she felt inside.
"All right, you may leave."
Hope waved a hand and said no more. Ninisha had the potential to become a Paragon, but she wasn't one yet. There was no need for him to make too much of it.
Dili and Ninisha exchanged a glance, bid them farewell, and hurried out of the small dining room, leaving the two Sovereigns and Leisijing behind.
"Sovereign, you seem to think very highly of Ninisha!"
After Ninisha left, the Zijing Sovereign spoke slowly, still somewhat surprised.
As far as the Zijing Sovereign could remember, Hope, the Sovereign of Water, had only ever taken two envoys: Palhouse and Bayer. Now that Palhouse had become a Sovereign, only Bayer remained.
Countless powerful beings had emerged in the Water Elemental Plane since the beginning of the world, including some unusual divine beasts. Yet none had ever caught the Sovereign of Water's eye.
So when Hope took Ninisha on, Zijing couldn't help but feel unsettled. She even wondered whether Ninisha might have the potential to become a Paragon.
"I have high hopes for Ninisha. If you don't mind, I could take Leisijing on as an envoy too."
Hope said simply, then glanced at the bald youth standing beside the Zijing Sovereign and chuckled.
"Huh? I can? Sovereign!"
Leisijing couldn't help exclaiming when he heard Hope's words, and answered without thinking.
"Jingjing!"
Zijing shot her son a reproachful look, then shook her head slightly.
Although the Sovereigns had no explicit rule forbidding their children from serving as another Sovereign's envoy, no Sovereign's child had ever done so.
"Leisijing, if you became a Sovereign Envoy, your mother might lose face."
Hope chuckled and shook his head. As a Super Divine Beast, Leisijing was certainly qualified to serve as a Sovereign Envoy. After all, High-Gods who were Super Divine Beasts were exceedingly rare.
The children of the Four Divine Beasts only carried half their bloodline. Though they could use their Innate Divine Ability, it was far weaker than that of the Four Divine Beasts, and they couldn't fuse their Innate Divine Abilities. By comparison, Leisijing was truly one of a kind.
However, Sovereigns' children represented their parents. Serving another Sovereign as an envoy would somewhat dishonor them.
Zijing might not mind, given how much she cared for Leisijing, especially since becoming a Sovereign Envoy would earn him another Sovereign Artifact. But as a Sovereign of Destruction, her actions reflected on the Sovereign of Destruction, and she still had to consider what that Sovereign would think.
Hope had only said it offhandedly. He hadn't expected Leisijing to get so excited.
"All right, I've been on Zijing Continent for a while now, and I've taken on a new envoy. It's time for me to leave."
Hope set down his teacup, slowly stood, and spoke.
"Farewell, Sovereign!"
The Zijing Sovereign slowly rose and bowed slightly.
Hope nodded. His figure vanished in an instant, and the dining room returned to its peaceful state, as if nothing had happened.
"Mother, what's so special about Ninisha that the Sovereign of Water thinks so highly of her?"
As soon as Hope had left, Leisijing couldn't help asking. Having fought Ninisha at close quarters, he admitted that she was strong.
But he truly couldn't see what made her so appealing to the Sovereign of Water. If Leisijing weren't the child of the Zijing Sovereign, he might not even qualify to become a Sovereign Envoy.
"Jingjing, all you need to remember is never to offend Ninisha."
The Zijing Sovereign rubbed her brow, then looked at Leisijing sternly and gave him a serious warning.
"That? I don't have a problem with that for now. But why? What makes Ninisha so different?"
Seeing how serious his mother was, Leisijing softened his tone, but still couldn't help muttering.