Princess Linglong left, leaving behind a group of Heavenly Prides whose composure had shattered.
Fang Tian stared at Chu Kuangren and said, "I'll defeat you at the Tournament to Find a Spouse and prove to the princess that I'm stronger than you!"
"The same goes for me," Lin Batian said coldly.
Some of the Heavenly Prides made threats.
Some of the Heavenly Prides gave Chu Kuangren a long, searching look.
Once most of them had left, Li Xingchen approached and looked at Chu Kuangren with boundless admiration. "Brother Chu, you truly live up to your name. You're incredible. Even Princess Linglong can't resist your charm."
Chu Kuangren stood there, rubbing his chin. "Brother Li, I seriously suspect Princess Linglong is setting me up."
"Eh, how could that be? If I were a woman, I'd definitely be smitten with you too, Brother Chu," Li Xingchen said.
"Forget it. Let's stop talking about this and find somewhere to stay first."
The three found a luxurious inn and settled in for the time being.
That night, Li Xingchen dragged Chu Kuangren along to the Thousand-Island Lake Princess Linglong had mentioned to attend the banquet.
Thousand-Island Lake, as its name suggested, was an immensely vast lake dotted with numerous islands, hence its name.
Thousand-Island Lake boasted beautiful scenery, and Princess Linglong's banquet was being held on an island at its very center.
Heavenly Prides from all quarters gathered inside a palace, including quite a few disciples of Saintly Dao Traditions, such as Fang Tian and Lin Batian.
When Chu Kuangren entered with Lan Yu and Li Xingchen, everyone's gaze converged on him, some curious, others hostile.
Chu Kuangren had long since grown accustomed to being the center of everyone's attention. He calmly found a place to sit.
Go ahead and look. It's not as if I'll lose a piece of flesh.
Besides, with how handsome I am, it'd be a shame not to let people look.
"Her Highness the princess has arrived!"
Just then, a voice rang out from outside.
A woman dressed in magnificent robes slowly walked in.
Her brows resembled distant mountains, her lips were cinnabar-red, and her splendid robes draped over a graceful figure. Her bearing was noble, and her face was extraordinarily beautiful.
Hers was a lofty beauty, like that of a queen.
Everyone instinctively glanced at Lan Yu beside Chu Kuangren.
Both women were peerless beauties of their age.
One was cool and sacred, beyond violation.
The other was unrivaled in her splendor, yet difficult to approach.
If Lan Yu was a snow lotus growing on a sheer cliff, then Princess Linglong was a precious, sumptuous peony. Each had her own merits.
"Greetings, Princess Linglong."
"Princess Linglong truly is as beautiful as the rumors say."
"Seeing Your Highness today has made this trip worthwhile."
The Heavenly Prides rose to greet her.
Chu Kuangren, however, remained comfortably seated. He glanced at Princess Linglong, then at Lan Yu. "My Lan Yu is still prettier."
Hearing Chu Kuangren's words, Lan Yu's heart blossomed with joy. An irrepressible smile appeared on her face, adding a touch of enchanting beauty.
"Oh, is her name Lan Yu?"
Princess Linglong seemed to have heard Chu Kuangren's words.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am Lan Yu." Lan Yu cupped her hands in salute.
"No need for ceremony."
Princess Linglong turned to Chu Kuangren again, an exceptionally radiant smile on her face. "Fellow Daoist Chu, I'm delighted you could come."
The Heavenly Prides were so angry their teeth itched.
Damn it, this again.
The princess only has eyes for Chu Kuangren again.
"You're too kind, Your Highness." Chu Kuangren felt increasingly certain that Princess Linglong was setting him up. What princess was this lacking in reserve?
The banquet began.
The Heavenly Prides all sized one another up.
They knew that everyone present was a rival.
Naturally, they had to take this opportunity to observe carefully. Chu Kuangren, in particular, drew the most scrutiny, and the gravest gazes.
"Rumor has it that Fellow Daoist Chu once used a wisp of Hongmeng Purple Qi to slay the White Cloud Sword Venerable and wipe out the entire White Cloud City Lord's Manor. Such formidable methods truly inspire admiration," a Heavenly Pride said just then.
At his words, everyone's gaze immediately turned somewhat strange.
At first, those words sounded like praise for Chu Kuangren.
That was not actually the case.
By stressing the word "used," he was saying that Chu Kuangren had killed a Supreme Supreme not through his own cultivation, but by relying on something external, so it did not count.
As for wiping out the entire White Cloud City Lord's Manor, that was a veiled jab at Chu Kuangren for being ruthless and slaughtering people like mowing hemp, sparing neither the old nor the young, women nor children.
"Such a way with words. An old hand at barbed insinuations."
Chu Kuangren smiled faintly.
Then he looked at that Heavenly Pride. He knew him: Huayun of the Lingxu Sacred Land, who had fought the Ziyang Valley Heavenly Pride in the street earlier that day.
"When I killed the White Cloud Sword Venerable, I used two sword strikes. How many do you think I'd need to kill you?" Chu Kuangren asked coldly.
At those words, the atmosphere instantly grew tense, as though swords had been drawn and bows bent.
Huayun's expression changed. "What do you mean, Fellow Daoist Chu? There's no grudge between us. Why are you threatening me in front of everyone?"
"Can't answer? Why don't we give it a try?"
Chu Kuangren smiled, then slowly stood.
The gesture made everyone's heart tremble.
Damn it.
Was he really planning to kill someone at the princess's banquet?
Huayun's pupils contracted slightly, his heart pounding. Under Chu Kuangren's stare, his body trembled as though a venomous snake had coiled around his neck.
"Haha! The world-renowned Chu Kuangren certainly cuts an imposing figure!"
Just then, loud laughter came from outside the palace.
A man of distinguished bearing walked in, dressed in yellow robes.
"Third Brother," Princess Linglong called upon seeing him.
"Greetings, Imperial Sister."
The newcomer was the Qingyun Dynasty's third prince.
His name was Gu Changfeng.
Gu Changfeng looked at Chu Kuangren. "I've long heard of your formidable cultivation, Fellow Daoist Chu. Might I have the honor of experiencing it?"
"You'd like to give it a try, Your Highness?"
"Yes."
Chu Kuangren nodded in agreement.
Once they reached an open space outside the palace, Gu Changfeng assumed a fighting stance, Daoist Rhymes swirling around him. "My imperial brother lost to you. As his younger brother, I must do something. Take this!"
As his words fell, golden dragon qi soared into the air, and a dragon's roar echoed overhead. He threw a punch-the Sage Law, Dragon-Killing Fist!
Chu Kuangren's expression showed neither sorrow nor joy. With Kunwu in hand, he slashed.
Purple sword light instantly lent stunning brilliance to the night.
That strike shone far more brilliantly than the star-filled sky!
The sword light flashed past, instantly shattering the dragon-shaped fist energy. Yet the terrifying sword light did not pause in the slightest, shooting straight toward Gu Changfeng.
"How could this be!"
Gu Changfeng's pupils abruptly contracted, and his expression changed drastically.
He watched the sword light approach, powerless to resist or even dodge. Terror appeared on his face.
Just then, a figure appeared before him and thrust out a palm, unleashing terrifying spiritual power. It collided with the sword light, and a savage shock wave swept in every direction. The entire island shook, and the lake churned.
"It's Princess Linglong!"
"The princess actually has such profound cultivation."
Everyone's heart quaked.
They were both stunned by Chu Kuangren's sword strike and astonished by Princess Linglong's cultivation, unable to recover their senses for a moment.
"He's actually this strong!"
Fang Tian, who had still intended to challenge Chu Kuangren earlier that day, turned pale after witnessing that sword strike. His Daoist heart was shaken.
He knew he could not withstand that strike!
He was not the only one. Huayun's calves were trembling with fright.
He had actually provoked such a terrifying figure just now!
He now wondered whether he really would have died here if Gu Changfeng had arrived a moment later!
That night, Chu Kuangren dazzled everyone with a single sword strike, stunning the entire gathering with his prowess!
Before you continue