The Imperial Dynasty Restaurant was brightly lit.
This place, which should have been a place for revelry and entertainment, was now filled with an unusually somber atmosphere.
Inside a private room on the third floor, three men were gathered together. Two of them looked helpless and hesitant as they watched the other man drink one glass of wine after another.
No.
This doesn't even count as drinking.
It should be said that he was making himself drink!
His face was full of cynicism, and the amber-colored wine dripped down his lips, soaking a patch of his collar, but he did not stop. Instead, his cheeks flushed, he gritted his teeth and poured himself another glass.
Bang!
Another glass of wine down the drain.
He slammed the empty porcelain cup onto the table with a loud bang, the sound particularly clear in the silent space.
The man also let out a burp, and along with the burp, a look of resentment and jealousy appeared on his face.
His voice was tinged with alcohol as he said bitterly, "... Why should I?"
"I don't understand, why should I!"
"No matter what, I, Dugu Yun, come from the Third Prince's Manor, and I've already achieved the status of Half-Saint before I'm even fifty. Lin Xuan? What is he?!"
"How dare someone I've never even heard of take my place in the Dark Orchid Secret Realm!"
"One step! I'm just one step away!" Dugu Yun's hands trembled, his hatred and resentment bursting forth. "As long as I can reach the Dark Orchid Secret Realm, there's a high probability I can break through to the Saint Realm. At that time, Xue Yan will be nothing more than a stepping stone for me, a defeated opponent!"
"I'm not reconciled! I'm not reconciled!"
Every word, every sentence, was almost soaked with blood and tears.
These words caused the two people beside him to frown deeply. They didn't know where to begin to comfort each other, and could only sigh endlessly and express their dislike for the guy named Lin Xuan who had suddenly appeared.
Given the current situation, the spots in the Dark Orchid Secret Realm should have been allocated to those three in the first place.
Although the princess didn't say it explicitly, isn't this something everyone subconsciously knows?
They assumed it was already a predetermined fact!
As a result, a complete stranger suddenly appeared, without saying a word, but took Dugu Yun's place.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, the Dark Orchid Secret Realm only opens once every thousand years, and the next time it will open will be a thousand years from now.
A thousand years!
Times have changed.
A century of change has passed in the blink of an eye, with countless heroes and geniuses rising like new stars only to fall at the speed of light.
If we really wait a thousand years, by then it will be too late.
It's safe to say that after missing out on the Dark Orchid Secret Realm, they'll probably never have such a good opportunity again in their lifetime.
Although they weren't directly involved, just by thinking about it, they could completely understand Dugu Yun's current behavior.
Moreover...
Compared to Dugu Yun, whom they knew well, this unfamiliar guy who suddenly appeared made them feel even more displeased.
The three of them were known as the Three Heroes of the Imperial City. They were extremely close, their cultivation levels were on par, and they joined the princess's tutelage to serve her.
It's fair to say that the three of them were almost never apart.
Now this situation has suddenly arisen...
"I don't understand what the princess means." Wan Hao's face was solemn, and he pursed his lips in displeasure. "The three of us cooperated seamlessly, and the strength we could unleash far surpassed that of other prodigies. The princess didn't even inform us before so easily replacing Brother Yun. Where does that place us?"
Ji Yanbai beside him, also sneered, "Who knows? I really don't know what the princess is thinking!"
"Anyway, this matter has already spread throughout the Divine Dynasty. Believe me, Lin Xuan definitely won't stay in the Princess's residence for long!"
"That would be for the best." Dugu Yun took a deep breath and drank another cup of wine.
Losing the exploration slot for the secret realm is a big deal, but being considered by the princess to be less capable than this suddenly appearing nobody is an even bigger deal!
For him, this was an utter disgrace.
Wan Hao patted his shoulder reassuringly and said, "Brother Dugu, don't worry too much. Do you know that everyone in the manor is speaking out for you? This petty scoundrel who appeared out of nowhere is not worthy to travel with us."
"In my opinion, instead of sitting here idly, we should go to the princess and ask her about this matter!"
Ji Yanbai nodded in agreement.
"That's right."
"This matter cannot be left unresolved. Although it may seem to be only Brother Yun's affair, the fact that the princess could replace Brother Yun without prior notice today means that any one of us could be replaced in the future. Moreover, this is a matter of great importance concerning Brother Yun's entire cultivation level. How can we be at ease until we get to the bottom of this?"
Listening to the two of them talking back and forth in his ear, Dugu Yun's heart stirred.
He pondered, and a hint of interest gradually appeared in his eyes.
After a long pause, he steeled himself and nodded in agreement.
"That's right, you're right. Let's go find the princess and ask her!"
Since his spot has already been taken, he has nothing to be afraid of now.
There's nothing I can't lose anymore.
Besides, everyone in the princess's residence is on his side now!
In terms of background and ability, in what way is he not a hundred times better than that so-called Lin Xuan?
The three hit it off immediately, stopped drinking, and set off for the princess's residence.
Meanwhile, at the Princess's residence.
Following Commander Liu, they traveled at breakneck speed, and the flying boat finally arrived, where Lin Xuan was able to see Dongfang Muxue once again.
Upon seeing Lin Xuan standing before her, Dongfang Muxue could barely contain her joy and excitement.
She rushed forward to greet her.
"Thank you so much for saving me that day. Muxue thanks you again!"
Dongfang Muxue adopted a very humble posture.
His tone was also full of respect.
She never acts like a princess when dealing with powerful people.
Showing off one's status in front of the powerful is something only a fool would do.
Dongfang Muxue was clearly a smart person.
Lin Xuan waved his hand casually.
"No need to be so polite. It was just something I did on the spur of the moment."
Seeing that Dongfang Muxue seemed about to say something more polite, Lin Xuan lost interest in listening. He said directly, "No need for formalities. I'm not one to enjoy trouble. However, now that I'm here, I won't just abandon you."
Both of them knew exactly what they were in charge of, but neither of them said anything directly.
Lin Xuan then changed the subject.
"But let's keep things separate. I think the princess should know that I am not from the Taiyu Divine Dynasty. I come from the Sword Pavilion. I came to the Taiyu Divine Dynasty to find someone, and this Dark Orchid Secret Realm is somewhat related to the person I am looking for."
Sword Pavilion...
Dongfang Muxue repeated these two words to herself several times, silently memorizing them.
After listening to Lin Xuan's words, she finally understood what it was about her that had moved him, and couldn't help but feel somewhat fortunate for her decisiveness, however...
A look of difficulty appeared on the girl's face, and she spoke in a low voice.
" Pavilion Master Lin, I don't actually know much about the Dark Orchid Secret Realm..."
The reasons for the formation of the Dark Orchid Secret Realm were explained in detail by Dongfang Muxue.
She and Lin Xuan sat down in the center of the hall, and she quietly told him everything she knew about the Dark Orchid Secret Realm.
Finally, Dongfang Muxue felt a little embarrassed.
"As for that sword immortal... to be honest, my ancestor was extremely afraid of him back then. The only records he left were a few words, without even any information about his gender or appearance."
Even if each orchid petal is in bloom, it's difficult to determine if the other person is a woman.
In the history of the Eastern Continent, more than 100,000 years ago, there was an Ancestor Orchid Lord, who was a man; tens of thousands of years ago, there was also a Orchid Swordsman...
Youlan could not provide any proof.
Lin Xuan couldn't help but frown slightly.
So it seems I won't be able to get any useful information from Dongfang Muxue. To find out more specifics, I'll have to go into the secret realm.
Fortunately, he had planned to enter the secret realm anyway, so he wasn't disappointed.
Regarding the secret realm, Dongfang Muxue briefly told Lin Xuan about her experiences and observations from exploring the secret realm over the years.
What she said was basically something that the people of the Taiyu Divine Dynasty already knew.
After all, the Divine Dynasty had no intention of hiding what it had seen and heard during its exploration of the secret realm.
However, Lin Xuan was not a member of the Divine Dynasty, so there were some things he might not know, Dongfang Muxue naturally had to say a few more words.
As she was speaking, she suddenly heard a commotion.
The loud and chaotic sounds made Dongfang Muxue involuntarily frown.
What happened?
She got up unhappily and looked outside.
The noise outside grew louder, accompanied by rapid footsteps that landed heavily, filled with anger.
"Let me in! I need to speak with the princess and get some answers!"
"Get out of the way!"
There were occasional attempts to dissuade them, but most people just enjoyed the spectacle.
A man burst in and met Dongfang Muxue's displeased gaze. Dugu Yun's expression froze slightly, but his gaze quickly fell on Lin Xuan beside Dongfang Muxue. After a brief look, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You're Lin Xuan?"
Lin Xuan naturally had no intention of denying it.
He glanced at the group indifferently, and although he didn't say anything, his unwavering attitude spoke volumes.
Knowing the situation clearly, Dugu Yun sensed the vigorous life force emanating from Lin Xuan and deduced that the other party was no more than fifty years old. He paused slightly, but when he realized that Lin Xuan's cultivation level was only that of Great Emperor, the anger in his heart exploded instantly.
His pupils widened in disbelief as he stared at the princess, casting aside all thoughts of personal gain and social status.
"Princess, this is Lin Xuan, the one who's supposed to replace me, and he's just a Great Emperor?!"
He was furious and became even more reckless. "Over the years, even if I haven't achieved anything remarkable, I've certainly worked hard. In terms of strength, I'm firmly in the top three among the prodigies; in terms of talent, I'm second to none and can rank first-rate; in terms of seniority, I'm a veteran of the Princess's residence. Why?!"
"Princess, I'm asking you, on what grounds!"
Why should my spot be taken by an Great Emperor?
Dongfang Muxue stared coldly at Dugu Yun, her face growing increasingly grim as she listened to his questioning.
In front of Pavilion Master Lin, she was forced into her residence by her own subordinates and confronted with their accusations and questions. This was a complete humiliation for her!
This made her involuntarily begin to reflect.
Have I been too lenient with these people all these years?
Immediately, Dongfang Muxue simply ignored Dugu Yun.
She took a deep breath, looked at Lin Xuan, and her eyes were full of apology.
Lin Xuan was well aware that Dongfang Muxue was innocent in this matter, and he could also see her anger.
Therefore, before Dongfang Muxue could speak, Lin Xuan waved his hand and said, "It's alright."
Seeing that Lin Xuan didn't care and wasn't provoked into leaving, Dongfang Muxue breathed a sigh of relief.
But soon, her heart was filled with anger. She looked at Dugu Yun and said coldly, " Dugu Yun, I have said more than once before that any spot in the trial realms within the Princess's residence is reserved for the most capable."
"What explanation do you want? This is the only explanation! He's stronger than you, it's that simple!"
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because once he did, Dugu Yun couldn't hold back any longer.
He immediately laughed in anger, raised his hand and pointed forward, his finger pointing at Lin Xuan's face, asking incredulously, "Him?"
Then he pointed back at himself.
"Better than me?"
Dongfang Muxue neither dodged nor avoided the question, but calmly nodded.
However, she was also somewhat surprised at this moment.
She hadn't looked closely before, but now, upon closer inspection, she realized that Lin Xuan's cultivation level was only at the Great Emperor stage, and his life force was incredibly vigorous, definitely below fifty years old...
She appeared calm, but inside she was utterly shocked.
Even if Lin Xuan wasn't Great Saint, his Late Saint Realm at only forty-something years old was still terrifying!
She never considered that perhaps Lin Xuan really was just Great Emperor, and that he was only Thirty.
Leaving aside the shock that Dongfang Muxue was experiencing, Dugu Yun's heart was already burning with rage when he saw her nod so solemnly. It was like a volcano about to explode.
In an instant, he became enraged and let out a low growl.
"Very well! Since that's the case, according to the tradition of our Taiyu Divine Dynasty, you! You dare to fight me!"
He pointed at Lin Xuan, his eyes blazing with fury.
"I'm not having my spot taken away like this! Let's have a contest. If I win, you get out of here right now and give me back my stolen spot!"
Dongfang Muxue's expression changed.
She hadn't expected Dugu Yun to provoke Lin Xuan like this.
She immediately retorted angrily, " Dugu Yun! I decided on the quota myself. There was never any question of anyone stealing anyone else's quota. You..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xuan had already stood up.
He glanced indifferently at Dugu Yun, whose face was flushed with anger, and casually shook his head.
"Let's skip the war."
At the Half-Saint realm, he feared he might not be able to control his strength, and his opponent would be severely injured or crippled, if not killed.
He came to participate in the secret realm, not to make enemies.
However, this behavior, in Dugu Yun's eyes, immediately became a handle for Lin Xuan to fear him.
He suddenly sneered, "You're scared? Coward, you don't even dare to fight me, a mere Great Emperor..."
Before he could finish his rambling remarks, halfway through his sentence, he saw the young man in white opposite him frown slightly, as if displeased by his offense.
then...
An overwhelming pressure, without any warning, was suddenly released, crushing the entire area and pressing heavily on Dugu Yun!
In an instant, Dugu Yun didn't have time to utter any of the words he wanted to say.
As if his legs had been suddenly broken, he knelt on the ground with a thud, his back bent under the weight, groaning in pain. The contempt he had shown moments before vanished from his eyes, replaced by bewilderment and utter terror!
Dugu Yun's mind was in a daze, his eyes filled with terror.
this...
What's this?
Is this the Great Emperor's aura?
Don't joke around!!