"This is it."
Inside the palace, the emperor sat in the legendary Hall of Supreme Harmony. It was said that no one had ever sat on this dragon throne since the collapse of the previous dynasty. As the one now universally recognized as the supreme ruler, this was the first time he had ever sat on it.
As soon as the emperor sat down, he felt a strange difference. In that atmosphere, it seemed as if something had been perfected, something that had never existed in the capital.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had a vague feeling. "Is this the destiny that the Black Queen spoke of?"
Inside the King Xiang Palace, standing upside down beneath the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he felt as if he were an emperor. With his eyes closed, King Xiang recalled the scene when he led his strongest army and almost conquered Cloud Capital. Why was he so persistent back then?
It seems they were also attracted by this so-called "Kingly Dao destiny."
It wasn't that he had no attachment to this place; it's just that both he and the current emperor were very calm and knew that this place was not to be touched for the time being.
They never expected that the Celestial Master Mansion would take the initiative to invite them to this palace!
What's this?
Surrender? Or temptation?
He had already decided to launch an attack on the Northern Lands, charging towards the ancient power that had ruled the world for countless years. At this moment, this mysterious power suddenly showed him goodwill. What were their true intentions?
"I'm curious, as an emperor, being invited to attend the ceremony, will it have any impact on this election?" King Xiang asked curiously.
The Samsara he belonged to didn't have Warlock Dynasty, so it was quite interested in this mysterious force.
"According to past history, emperors have the right to set tests. The people from the Celestial Master Mansion did not mention this to me, so I am curious whether I will actually be allowed to set the questions for the second test." A faint smile appeared on the emperor's lips.
The fortune of Cloud Capital filled the last void in my life, and now that I'm returning to the capital, I feel somewhat out of place. But... will the Celestial Master Mansion really give this place to me?
It seems highly unlikely, at least not to me for free.
So, what exactly do you want?
"The second challenge?" King Xiang was unusually talkative. "What was the first challenge?"
The emperor explained the rules of the Four Symbols Gate Four Symbols Gate, King Xiang listened with some astonishment. " Ziyue? The one you personally recruited?"
"That woman is no ordinary person," the Emperor murmured. "She's been hunted by the Warlock Dynasty for ten thousand years, yet she's still alive. Even without the protection of the Great Jin Dynasty, the Celestial Master Mansion can't do anything to her. And what's even more interesting is..."
"Interesting?" King Xiang asked doubtfully, "What do you mean?"
"In recent years, Ziyue's shadow can be found among all the famous people in the world!"
"Ah?" King Xiang's interest was piqued even more. "What do you mean by that?"
"A thousand years ago, it is said that the ancestor of the Shen Family met a benefactor, and he, who was originally unremarkable, eventually became the totem of the Shen Family in the previous generation. Ten thousand years ago, an Ancient Insect invaded the East Sea, and the Spell Formation Clan appeared to stop its advance. As far as I know, the ancestor of the Spell Formation Clan, that mysterious woman, also began to rise to prominence after meeting Ziyue."
"To put it simply, two hundred years ago, Liu Yu only became the successor of the Evening Elephant family after meeting her, thanks to her connections. And then there's Chen Qing this time."
"You didn't include yourself in the calculation?" King Xiang laughed.
The emperor remained silent. To be honest, he didn't think Ziyue had helped him in any way, but when Ziyue was by his side, those years seemed to be the smoothest period of his life. He was somewhat reluctant to mention this, always feeling that if he believed in this, then he believed that fate was controlled by others.
Everything I have today is earned by myself, through my own abilities and opportunities, and is by no means the result of anyone's manipulation!
Seeing that the other party remained silent, King Xiang didn't want to make a fool of himself. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "At the Four Symbols Gate, the participants choose which gate to challenge themselves, right? I imagine there will be quite a few challenges before the Ziyue Gate."
"I think whoever chooses her will likely suffer some hardship." The Emperor laughed, "But there might be quite a few people who choose her. Zhang Zhiyun and Murong Ziyi are both popular choices. Unless someone is overly arrogant, I doubt anyone will deliberately challenge them."
King Xiang nodded. The selection of the Celestial Master has three stages. We should conserve our energy. If we want to challenge the more difficult stages for some empty fame, that's not bravery, that's stupidity.
"That Zhang Xiaoyun "
"It's an obvious trap," the emperor asserted. "Unless the Zhang Family is out of their minds, they wouldn't let someone with no fighting ability guard the gate. That kid must have some trump card up his sleeve."
"But I can't sense it." King Xiang frowned. It was Zhang Xiaoyun who came to pick them up at the East Gate. The boy gave him the feeling of being an ordinary person without any power. Whether by his own perception or by sensing power, he couldn't sense that Zhang Xiaoyun was a person with power.
"That's why I said the Celestial Master Mansion is no ordinary place," the Emperor laughed. "This time, they've extended invitations to the entire world, even inviting those monsters from the Northern Lands. It's not without purpose that they're trying to demonstrate their power. With the current chaotic situation, the Celestial Master Mansion, which has been dormant for ten thousand years, has finally decided to make its move."
--
"You're definitely coming along?"
Ziyue looked at Chen Qing beside her, her brows furrowed.
"Isn't this because I care about you?" Chen Qing laughed. "I was worried about you, so I came here with you. How could I let you go to that Celestial Master Mansion to test the props alone?"
"Oh, that's really touching." Ziyue pursed her lips. She couldn't tell whether Chen Qing was sincere or not. Chen Qing didn't seem like someone who truly valued relationships, but several times he had risked his life to protect the people under his command, especially the time at the King Xiang Palace when he protected Murong Yunji, which really surprised her.
She didn't know if it was genuine or not, but if someone could pretend for a lifetime, then they were truly a virtuous person.
"No need for gratitude, I'm also a bit curious." Chen Qing smiled and said, " The Warlock Dynasty is known as the pinnacle of the Warlock Era. I originally thought it referred to the Mortal Realm, so I really didn't think Cloud Capital Du back then. But now it seems that I was wrong."
"Were you startled by that sudden invitation?" Ziyue asked with a smile.
"It was indeed frightening." Chen Qing nodded. "If it were man-made, I could understand it. After all, it's impossible for this world to be without beings who can wield ancient powers. Take Kagura, for example; she forcibly descended, didn't she? But what I fear is that this power that suddenly sent the invitation isn't an individual, but a technology."
"Technology, huh?" Ziyue understood what the other person meant. An individual's strength was merely that of a single person, but technology represented the strength of an entire force—they were completely different things.
"Now, with Cloud Capital's inexplicable memory loss, and even Kagura unable to escape it, I increasingly suspect that the Warlock Dynasty of yesteryear possessed something somewhat ahead of its time."
"Perhaps," Ziyue nodded. "After all, the forbidden power from beyond the heavens is something even the ancient forces of the third version cannot reach."
"But you've mastered it." Chen Qing looked at the other person. "You really don't remember? That Xiaopang just said you were the King of Artifact Arts, a Weapon Master. I remember that was in the next version, right? How come I've never heard you mention it before?"
"I forgot." Ziyue lowered her head, her expression complicated.
Chen Qing: "."
"How much do you remember now?"
"I remember some things." Ziyue gazed at the vast Celestial Master Mansion ahead and said, "Once we're inside, I might remember even more. Are you sure you want to come in with me?"
Ziyue turned her head, looking at Chen Qing with a half-smile, "Perhaps... when I remember everything, I might not be on your side, you know?"