Chapter 50

After hearing the discussions of the surrounding crowd, Yun Yun and Yun Ling narrowed their eyes slightly, cold glints flashing within them. Clearly, they had firmly remembered the enmity between the Xiao Clan and the Wu Clan.

Yet Xiao Ming, who was deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range, knew nothing of any of this.

At this moment, Xiao Ming had no idea that Yun Ling and Yun Yun had already set off for Wu Tan City.

After breaking through in cultivation, Xiao Ming's combat strength had now reached a level comparable to that of a Dou King.

Although Xiao Ming still stood no chance against someone like Yun Ling, he possessed a supreme divine artifact that no one else had—Gungnir.

Relying on Gungnir's utterly unreasonable, heaven-defying properties, Xiao Ming's true combat strength could now be called invincible beneath the Dou Emperor realm.

Unfortunately, Xiao Ming did not have much time left.

That was because the date of Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran's three-year agreement was drawing near.

In order to learn of the Misty Cloud Sect's next move in advance, Xiao Ming could only choose to secretly head for the Misty Cloud Sect.

On one hand, he could monitor the Misty Cloud Sect's movements at the earliest opportunity. On the other, despite having been on the Battle Qi Continent for so long, Xiao Ming had never truly come face-to-face with the legendary Flame Emperor, Xiao Yan.

Realizing that going to the Misty Cloud Sect to watch the three-year agreement was something he could not avoid, Xiao Ming immediately rose and left the cave where he had been staying.

After briefly determining the direction of the Misty Cloud Sect, Xiao Ming gathered his strength and shot toward it.

After Xiao Ming left the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Yun Yun and Yun Ling, who were in Wu Tan City, might have possessed formidable strength, but they were unfamiliar with the place and could not find any trace of the Xiao Clan in a short time.

Thus, with no other choice, Yun Ling could only follow Yun Yun's orders and return to the Misty Cloud Sect to oversee the three-year agreement.

Yun Ling and the Misty Cloud Sect's experts all arrived one after another and began preparing for the opening of the three-year agreement.

There were an enormous number of people waiting at the Misty Cloud Sect for the three-year agreement to begin—over ten million in total. Countless people flooded into the Misty Cloud Sect every day.

At the various branches of the Misty Cloud Sect, after Yun Ling and the others arrived, additional personnel were dispatched to properly receive these distinguished guests.

After all, these were the Misty Cloud Sect's true honored guests. Moreover, the Misty Cloud Sect enjoyed a great reputation and wielded immense influence throughout the Misty Cloud Empire, so it naturally did not dare to be careless in receiving important guests.

Just as the Misty Cloud Sect was bustling with activity, in the imperial capital of the Jia Ma Empire, tens of millions of kilometers away from the Misty Cloud Sect—

On this day, a large procession came galloping in from the horizon.

With the appearance of this procession, the area around the imperial capital of the Jia Ma Empire was shrouded in an aura of grim slaughter.

"His Majesty has arrived...!"

"His Majesty has arrived...!"

Following the shrill blast of a horn, an exquisitely luxurious carriage came to a halt in the most prosperous square of the Jia Ma Empire's imperial capital.

Amid a burst of hurried hoofbeats, a group of soldiers clad in armor, carrying weapons, and wearing precious swords at their waists stepped down from the carriage.

Among these soldiers, an elderly man wearing a golden crown and yellow robes, his face full of majesty, slowly stepped out of the carriage.

Surrounded by the soldiers, the elderly man, whose face was filled with majesty and pride, slowly entered the Jia Ma Empire's imperial palace.

With the entrance of this imposing elder, the previously noisy imperial palace immediately fell silent.

After the Jia Ma Empire's emperor entered, the cavalrymen who had just leaped down from their horses quickly dispersed.

As each cavalryman departed, the entire Jia Ma Empire fell into an eerie silence.

At this moment, a guard approached the elder and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, everything ahead has been arranged. It has all been set up according to your wishes!"

Hearing the guard's words, the imposing elder nodded before lifting his feet and walking directly toward the main hall of the imperial palace.

When the imposing elder entered the imperial palace, the vast main hall was already filled with people.

All of them wore uniform black robes.

Looking at the densely packed crowd, the imposing elder smiled and nodded before walking directly to the seat of honor and sitting down. Yet when the people around him saw him enter the hall, they showed no reaction at all. They remained seated, lowering their heads to drink tea and chat as though it had nothing to do with them.

Seeing this, the imposing elder could not help but frown.

No matter what, these people were important ministers of the Jia Ma Empire and high-ranking figures of the Misty Cloud Sect. They had received no small amount of courtesy from him, the ruler of the empire, in the past.

Yet upon seeing him, they did not even show the most basic respect. It was simply outrageous.

With that thought, the imposing elder directly slammed the wine cup in his hand onto the table, producing a tremendous sound.

Only after hearing the cup hit the ground did dozens of gazes turn toward the elder.

There was a trace of disdain in those gazes, along with a trace of wariness. Within those complex looks, there also seemed to be several hints of displeasure.

Seeing this, the imposing elder could not help but furrow his brow.

Though he liked being respected by others, that did not mean he could tolerate others looking at him with disrespectful eyes.

However, the imposing elder also understood that his identity and status had changed drastically from what they once were. He no longer had the qualifications to reprimand others.

After all, over the past few years, the Jia Ma Empire's royal family had gradually revealed signs of decline, while the Misty Cloud Sect's overall strength had soared by leaps and bounds.

Now, even he, the ruler of a nation, had to be extremely careful with his words before the Misty Cloud Sect's Sect Master.

One misstep, and overnight, the sky over the Jia Ma Empire might become the Misty Cloud Sect's.

"Everyone, having summoned you here today, I believe you have already guessed My intentions, have you not?" the imposing elder slowly said as he looked at those present.

"Hehe, Your Majesty's intentions are naturally clear to us. Because of this, the situation in our Jia Ma Empire has stirred up many waves recently. What some of the surrounding empires have done during this time should already be plain for all of you to see."