Real-World Reckoning

"I've inquired, and among the current royal family members under the age of fourteen, those who have broken through to the Divine Aperture Stage stage in the Blood-Qi Stage are fewer than a handful."

There isn't a single person like you who has such a solid foundation and has cultivated a level 5S martial art to its peak.

"As long as you can demonstrate your skills in the martial arts competition and attract His Majesty the Emperor's attention, given your talent, you will be the next Sky Moon Princess in just a few years," Kong Yu said.

"Sky Moon Princess, Qin Yingyue, I remember that when she was at the Great Extreme Realm of Blood-Qi, she broke through the third Divine Aperture, the Upper Divine Aperture."

Even if I could go to Canglong Star and borrow the Void Heaven Pagoda to cultivate, I could only break through the second Divine Aperture and the Middle Divine Aperture at most. How could I compare to Sky Moon Princess?

Moreover, in terms of seniority, Sky Moon Princess is of the same generation as her father, making her her aunt.

"Don't underestimate yourself. Sky Moon Princess was able to break through to the third Divine Aperture due to a stroke of luck. You are no worse than Sky Moon Princess at the same stage. When the opportunity comes in the future, you may very well be able to reach the third Divine Aperture as well."

Qin Bailing hummed in agreement. "By the way, Sister Yu'er, has that person come to the Marquis's residence?"

Which person?

"That's the guy who made outrageous demands, asking for a treasure-level resource like ours for just one Spirit-Nourishing Grass," Qin Bailing said.

"No, if that kid knew what was good for him, he wouldn't have come here to make a fool of himself. I'm too lazy to bother with him anymore."

"But if someone is a fool and dares to come to the Marquis's mansion to collect a debt, they're just asking for death!" Kong Yu sneered, "Dare to make such an exorbitant demand of me? They're really tired of living."

"Sister Yu'er, if you ask me, that person did give us the Spirit-Nourishing Grass after all. If he comes to the Marquis's mansion to ask for the treasure back, we definitely won't give in to him. Let's just give him the corresponding Galactic Coin based on the normal price of the Spirit-Nourishing Grass," Qin Bailing said.

"Little Ling'er, you're too kind. If that person isn't so greedy, just ask for the normal price. If he's nice, I might even give him double the Galactic Coin."

"But that heartless fellow dared to make such an outrageous demand, so you can't blame us for being ruthless. He's gone so far as to try to extort the Sacred Martial Dynasty. It's already merciful of us not to execute him outright," Kong Yu said.

"What if the other party also has an extraordinary background?"

"That's impossible. Didn't you notice the fearful reaction of that group of people when they heard the name of the Sacred Martial Dynasty?"

As a member of the royal family, you shouldn't be so cautious. Looking across the Canglan Star Domain, how many forces are stronger than the Sacred Martial Dynasty?

On Canglong Star, the Blood God Sect is somewhat stronger than our Sacred Martial Dynasty, but not by much.

That guy who made such a huge demand—as long as he's not from a top-tier noble family of the Upper Three Stars, even if he's from the Ten-Star Alliance planet, I'll make sure he regrets it this time!"

"Sister Yu'er, how can someone like me, a fallen member of the royal family, represent the Holy Imperial Court?"

Qin Bailing gave a bitter smile.

"I already reminded you, don't underestimate yourself. You should learn from your father. Back then, your father was only one step away from becoming the crown prince. In the history of our Sacred Martial Dynasty, there have been examples of empresses ruling as emperors."

An empress ruling from behind the throne? Will she ascend to the imperial line?

Qin Bailing dared not even think about this. Although the current emperor of the Sacred Martial Dynasty had passed his prime, he still had a long lifespan. Even if the emperor abdicated to pursue a higher level of martial arts, there would still be the Sacred Martial Crown Prince to succeed him. In any case, it would not be her turn.

At that moment, the bell in the central Drill Ground of the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence suddenly rang.

The melodious chimes resounded throughout the entire Border Pacifying Marquis Residence.

Upon hearing the bell, Kong Yu's expression shifted, and he asked in confusion, "Strange, why is the giant bell at the Marquis's mansion's Drill Ground ringing at this time?"

"Sister Yu'er, what's wrong?" Qin Bailing asked.

"The bell at the Marquis's Drill Ground rang. There is a giant bell at the Marquis's Drill Ground's drill ground that rings once a month at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) at the beginning of each month, reminding all the Marquis's sons to go to the Drill Ground for the morning assembly."

All the sons of the Marquis's family who heard the bell had to rush to the Drill Ground immediately.

I don't know what happened, someone actually rang the bell at this time."

"Do you want to go take a look?" Qin Bailing asked.

"Of course I'll go!"

"I'll go with you!"

As they spoke, Qin Bailing and Kong Yu arrived together at the Drill Ground in the center of the Marquis's residence.

The Kong Clan the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence is a top-tier noble family in Beimang Star, with tens of thousands of members in both the main branch and the collateral branches.

The main branch of the Marquis's mansion selects outstanding young talents from the minor branches to enter the mansion to learn martial arts. Therefore, when the bell rings to summon the clan members at the Drill Ground Drill Ground, thousands of disciples gather there, most of whom are collateral descendants of the minor branches.

When Kong Yu arrived, he saw that many members of the Marquis's clan had already gathered and were lined up neatly.

In the middle of the viewing platform of the Drill Ground, Kong Yu saw his eldest uncle, Kong Yue, the eldest of the second generation of the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence, standing in the middle of the viewing platform with his hands behind his back.

Kong Yu guessed that something big had happened to the Marquis's mansion, otherwise they would never have summoned all the members of the Marquis's mansion so abruptly. Kong Yu asked Qin Bailing to wait on the side of the viewing platform, while she herself joined the line of the Marquis's mansion members.

Seeing that no more clansmen were arriving, Kong Yue, the eldest of the second generation of the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence, waved to the steward below the viewing platform.

"Steward Wang, please take a count and record which members of the Marquis's residence were absent from this gathering."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the steward immediately summoned a large number of servants from the Marquis's residence to count those who were absent.

Seeing the steward leave, Kong Yue walked to the front of the viewing platform with his hands behind his back, glanced around at the many members of the Marquis's family, and secretly amplified his voice with a secret technique, saying, "Fellow clansmen, the reason I have summoned you here today is not a big deal, but it is not a small matter either."

I'm going to ask you a question now, and you must answer it honestly.

"Any member of our clan who went to the Trading Market on Canglong Star the Sumeru Illusion Realm over the past five days, please step forward."

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of people from the thousands of members of the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence's clan in the Drill Ground stepped forward.

Although Kong Yu was puzzled, she had indeed been to the Canglong Star Trading Market in the Sumeru Illusion Realm during this period, so she took a few steps forward like the other dozens of disciples.

"Those who went to the Canglong Star Trading Market, stay here. The rest of you, disperse!" Kong Yue said.

The young men of the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence were all puzzled. The bell had rung, and so many people had just gathered and lined up. Why were they being asked to disperse?

Although many of the noble family's sons were puzzled, they still left.

"Which of you acted as a guarantor for someone at the Canglong Star Trading Market in the Sumeru Illusion Realm on November 27th of the Galactic Calendar?"

As soon as Kong Yue said this, the rest of the Kong Clan members shook their heads in denial.

Kong Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "Uncle, why are you asking this? Has something happened to the family?"

"As I just said, it's neither a big deal nor a small matter."

This morning, the Marquis's residence received an Imperial Court decree from the His Majesty.

At the same time, they also received a Tianming Star Star-Domain Saint Envoy Order from the Star Seeker Canglan Saint Envoy Hall of Tianming Star.

The two instructions are identical, stating that a member of the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence's family guaranteed a transaction at the Canglong Star Trading Market in the Sumeru Illusion Realm on November 27th.

Neither the Saint Envoy Hall Saint Envoy Hall the Imperial Court Imperial Court knew the specifics of the transaction, but both sides made it clear that the Marquis's residence should conduct a self-examination and investigation to find the guarantor of the transaction and urge the guarantor to abide by the agreement and fulfill their guarantor responsibilities.

If a fair guarantee cannot be provided, the consequences will be borne by the individual.

"Who among you guaranteed this transaction at the Canglong Star Trading Market?" Kong Yue asked.

When questioned, dozens of members of the Kong Clan from the Marquis's mansion denied everything.

Kong Yu breathed a sigh of relief and admitted, "Uncle, it's me!"

"It was you? Who exactly did you vouch for? What transaction did you vouch for that made both the Saint Envoy Hall and the Holy Imperial Court issue orders to urge action?"

Kong Yu was also helpless and answered truthfully, "It was Xiao Ling'er. She asked someone for a Spirit Medicine at the Canglong Star Trading Market. The other party asked her to exchange it for a treasure, so I acted as guarantor."

That person concealed his identity; I don't know who he is. This transaction is a trivial matter for both the Saint Envoy Hall and the Holy Imperial Court. Why would both sides issue orders to investigate simultaneously?

"Isn't it simple? The person you traded with has incredibly powerful connections! He must have realized you were trying to renege on your debt, so he instructed the Saint Envoy Hall and the Holy Imperial Court to give you a warning."

The Saint Envoy Hall governs the Canglan Star Domain, while the Holy Imperial Court is the supreme authority over all forces on Beimang Star, including the Border Pacifying Marquis Residence's residence.

The other party is warning you that if you dare to renege on your debt, you won't be able to escape as long as you're within the Canglan Star Domain.

Did you let the other party realize that you wanted to renege on your debt?

Kong Yu was stunned for a moment. She was obviously trying to renege on her debt, and she wasn't surprised that the other party could see through it. She simply asked, "Who else in the Canglan Star Domain can command the Saint Envoy Hall?"

"It's not within the Canglan Star Domain, but what about outside of Canglan Star Domain?"

"Extraterrestrial region?" Kong Yu murmured, "Even if a mere treasure is precious, it shouldn't warrant both the Saint Envoy Hall and the Holy Imperial Court issuing orders for investigation at the same time, right?"

"Or perhaps what others value isn't some treasure, but rather their inability to bear your refusal to pay?"

Kong Yu felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Who was that person I met at the Canglong Star Trading Market that day? They actually had such power that they could warn me through both the Saint Envoy Hall and the Holy Imperial Court.

She had originally planned to detain the other party when they came to collect the debt, but now it seems that was just wishful thinking.

"Sister Yu'er, have we run into some important person?"

Qin Bailing, who was standing next to the viewing platform, also heard what had just been said and quickly went up to ask her questions.

Qin Bailing couldn't fathom what kind of person the Saint Envoy Hall Trading Market Hall of the Canglong Star Canglan Star Domain and the Emperor of the Holy Imperial Court had personally ordered to investigate.

After all, the Saint Envoy Hall is the highest authority in the Canglan Star Domain, nominally representing the Central Galactic Empire in inspecting the entire star region. The only people who can command the Saint Envoy Hall are probably from outer star regions.

"Yu'er, Bailing, I'm warning you, now even the Saint Envoy Hall and His Majesty the Sacred Martial Emperor are personally supervising, you must not cause any trouble."

Let alone one treasure, even if it were ten or a hundred, even if it drained the wealth accumulated by the Marquis's family over generations, we cannot break the contract.

"This time it's a warning, a reminder, but next time it might be different," Kong Yue said solemnly.

"We know!"

Kong Yu and Qin Bailing Shuangshuang nodded in response.

Faced with this situation, which of them would dare to renege on their debt?

What was originally a transaction in the Sumeru Illusion Realm has now turned into a real-world transaction, prompting the Saint Envoy Hall and the Holy Imperial Court to directly investigate.

The saying goes, "Courtesy first, then force." This time, the other party showed courtesy; if they still don't understand, the next time it will be force.

"You should take care of yourselves. If you encounter any difficulties in this matter, report it to the Marquis's residence immediately. The family will help you resolve the issue and collect the treasures."

After receiving a few words of advice from his uncle, Kong Yu left the family Drill Ground.

After walking a distance, Qin Bailing asked, "Sister Yu'er, when do you think that person will come looking for us?"

"No matter when, we just need to be prepared."

Kong Yu thought he was an easy target, but he never expected to run into a brick wall.

Fortunately, it's just a rare and precious resource. Although it's expensive, it's not something I can't afford.

On the other side, after several days of consuming Spirit Medicine Meal, Chen Lie's Blood Qi Value had broken through the 7,000-calorie mark, reaching 7,500 calories. With the 15.99x boost, his strength had reached a terrifying 120,000 jin (approximately 60,000 tons).

Chen Lie's current qi and blood are so abundant that when he fully unleashes them, it is almost like a golden sea of qi and blood.

He is getting closer and closer to the perfect level of the <Flood Dragon Rebirth Technique>, the Third Ultimate Realm his qi and blood are 'violent like a dragon and vast like the sea'.

On this day, Chen Lie and Ji Lingxuan took the High-Speed Airship from Blue Star University back to Chuanzhong.

Before heading to Starry Sky University and leaving Blue Star, Chen Lie and Ji Lingxuan both had to go home.

The High-Speed Airship was very fast, and it arrived in Cloud River Province in about three hours.

Chen Lie landed the airship and sent Ji Lingxuan down.

"Ji, we're almost at your house. May I come in with you to visit your mother?"

Ji Lingxuan was somewhat embarrassed and said, "I'm sorry, Chen Lie, but ever since you came last time, my mother has repeatedly told me not to bring anyone home again."

"Alright then, since your mother doesn't want to see outsiders, I won't go in."

Ji Lingxuan's mother must be an unfathomable figure in martial arts. If given the chance, Chen Lie would naturally like to visit her more often, but since she is unwilling to meet people, there's nothing he can do about it.

"My mom is just too lazy and doesn't like having outsiders come to my house. I'll have a good talk with her about it."

"If there's another chance, I'll definitely invite you into my home," Ji Lingxuan said.

"It's alright, you go back now. I'm going home too. I'll be here waiting for you tomorrow, and we'll go back to Blue Star University together."

Ji Lingxuan hummed in agreement.

After saying goodbye to Ji Lingxuan, Chen Lie boarded the airship and returned to East River Province.

It only took Chen Lie a little over half an hour to get home.

He parked the airship not far from his home and went home.

When Chen Lie pushed open the door to his home, he saw that his parents were not home, so he sat on the sofa in the living room, turned on the TV, and waited.

The television channel was East River Satellite TV, and the program was showing footage of Chen Lie a candidate for the Administrator of Blue Star.

Chen Lie switched several TV stations in a row and found that they were all about him. Even Blue Star Satellite TV was broadcasting news about Blue Star becoming Permanent Councilor Star and praising the contestants in the competition, with Chen Lie being the first to be mentioned.