……
"I happened to be in Muxian City in Northern Zhou for so business and heard about the 'White-clothed Phoenix King' Wang Ningyu," Wang Shouye chuckled. "It was quite a show you put on. That entrance of yours—'Linglong Ice Phoenix with a Thousand Feathers, like an immortal descending from the heavens.' If I were a girl, I'd probably be smitten by you too."
"You're too kind, Seventh Grandfather," Wang Ningyu replied awkwardly, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into. "I only did it to complete Ancestor Shouzhe's task."
"That's good. Young people should be energetic and lively. You two are over a hundred years old now, aren't you? It's high ti you got married and had children, contributing to the family. Take this opportunity to find soone you like and bring her ho," Wang Shouye praised them, then suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard you two still haven't graduated from the advanced Clan School?"
Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu imdiately looked embarrassed.
Seventh Grandfather, could you not bring up the sore spots?
Finally getting a chance to travel abroad, enjoy so leisure, make a na for themselves, and perhaps woo so girls, and now he was pouring cold water on their fun.
"You two need to set a good example for your children, so you don't end up attending advanced Clan School alongside them," Wang Shouye said with the authority of an elder, speaking earnestly. "When I was in Clan School, I worked so hard. You two, over a hundred years old, still haven't graduated. Sigh~~"
"Yes, yes, Seventh Grandfather, you're right. We'll definitely work hard when we return," Anyuan and Ningyu said, their expressions as awkward as could be, while inwardly complaining.
Back when you were in Clan School, what was it like? And what is it like now? Don't you have any idea?
Especially now, the advanced Clan School's knowledge system expands every year. If you learn a bit slowly, you can't keep up with the knowledge updates.
After scolding the two juniors, Wang Shouye politely cupped his hands toward Prince Shengjun: "Your Highness, it's been a long ti. You look even more handso than before."
Prince Shengjun hurriedly returned the courtesy: "Dan King, you flatter . Compared to your unparalleled elegance, I'm far behind."
Although Prince Shengjun was the eldest son of Prince An, he dared not put on airs in front of Wang Shouye.
Wang Shouye was not only Wang Shouzhe's seventh brother but also the renowned Dan King of the Great Qian, second only to the True Man of the Mysterious Pill from Lingyun Holy Land in the field of alchemy. Many predicted that Wang Shouye might beco the greatest alchemist in the Great Qian in the future.
Thus, although their cultivation levels were not much different, Prince Shengjun held Wang Shouye in high regard.
After exchanging pleasantries, they sat down and chatted leisurely.
anwhile, in another luxurious private room in the Seeking Phoenix Tower.
Two young n, both handso and with extraordinary temperants, sat facing each other, sipping tea and discussing matters.
If anyone else were present, they would imdiately recognize these two as the current geniuses of the King of Wei's Mansion, Wei Donglai and Wei Yuansheng. One occupied the first place on the Purple Mansion Talents Ranking, and the other on the Celestial Talents Ranking, both at the peak of their fa.
Despite an age difference of nearly a hundred years, they both appeared young and handso, exuding an extraordinary aura and a composed deanor.
The older Wei Donglai sipped his spiritual tea leisurely: "I didn't expect Wang Ningyu to be so troubleso. Even Little Holy Master Jiang Yuanwu could only fight him to a draw. This makes things a bit tricky."
"Uncle, rest assured, Yuansheng will do his utmost to defeat them," Wei Yuansheng said confidently, his sword-like eyebrows raised. "I won't tarnish the reputation of the King of Wei's Mansion, nor delay your important matter of marrying Princess Luojia."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Wei Donglai asked, squinting.
"The titles 'Lonely Sword Saint' and 'White-clothed Phoenix King' may be a bit exaggerated, but their strength is real. As for a guaranteed win..." Wei Yuansheng hesitated slightly. "I can only say I'll do my best."
"That's not enough. This matter is of great importance. You must not only win but win beautifully," Wei Donglai's eyes flashed coldly. "The Emperor's public reason for Princess Luojia's open marriage proposal is to give her more choices, but everyone knows he's trying to suppress our Wei Mansion."
"Princess Luojia is exceptionally talented, no less than you or , and her reputation is imnse within Northern Zhou. Everyone originally thought that only I, Wei Donglai, was worthy of Princess Luojia. The Ancestor even personally discussed this marriage with the Emperor. If she ends up with soone else, it will be a huge blow to our Wei Mansion's prestige."
"So, Uncle, what do you an?" Wei Yuansheng asked, slightly lowering his head.
"Desperate tis call for desperate asures. Since the Emperor wants to use Princess Luojia's marriage to suppress our Wei Mansion's reputation, we might as well turn the tables and make him lose both the bride and the battle," Wei Donglai said coldly. "As long as we thoroughly crush everyone, unless the royal family is willing to completely break with our Wei Mansion, Princess Luojia will have no choice but to choose . Yuansheng, it's ti to use your trump card."
"Uncle!" Wei Yuansheng's face changed, and he said anxiously, "That thing harms greatly and could ruin my foundation."
"Yuansheng, you're just a direct descendant. Don't forget who has been secretly helping you reach this point," Wei Donglai's eyes flashed with sternness, applying pressure, then comforted, "Don't worry. Now that our Wei Mansion is flourishing, it won't be difficult to spend so resources to restore your foundation. Besides, this is the Ancestor's will. Can you defy the Ancestor?"
Wei Yuansheng's face turned pale, but he couldn't withstand the pressure and said, "Uncle, I understand. Just please keep your promise once it's done."
"Of course, the family has invested a lot in your developnt, and it won't be wasted," Wei Donglai reassured him softly. "For now, you must make so sacrifices for the family's rise."
"I understand."
Wei Yuansheng's eyes gradually turned from hesitant to determined.
……
As the two discussed, the entrance to the private room where Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu were was surrounded by a crowd of young ladies from various clans, making it difficult for the family guards to hold them back. They had no choice but to report the situation truthfully.
"Anyuan, Ningyu, hiding like this isn't a solution," Wang Shouye instructed. "Go out and et those young ladies from the clans, exchange contact information, and get to know each other. If you find soone you like, I'll help you propose when we return."
"But Seventh Grandfather, there are too many people outside. We've never seen such a scene," Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu said, a bit apprehensive.
"What's there to fear with so many people? We have plenty of unmarried boys in our family," Wang Shouye said leisurely. "You can gather information on the young ladies from the clans, and if you find soone good, you can give your brothers at ho a heads-up."
Is that even possible?
Are you planning to take all the young ladies from Northern Zhou's clans back to our Wang Clan?
Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu exchanged glances but dared not disobey Seventh Grandfather's orders, so they reluctantly stepped out of the private room.
"The Lonely Sword Saint and the White-clothed Phoenix King are coming out!" a sharp-eyed girl imdiately noticed them.
As soon as she spoke, all the girls excitedly began to push forward.
Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu were instantly swallowed by the surging crowd.
"Don't push, don't shove jade pendants, one at a ti..."
Their weak voices erged from the gaps in the crowd, sounding desolate and pitiful.
At that mont, a sour voice ca from the sky: "Brother Anyuan, Brother Ningyu, you two are truly blessed, making others envious."
The surging crowd paused slightly, and everyone instinctively looked toward the source of the voice.
A young man with a tall figure and extraordinary temperant was hovering in mid-air, looking over with a sideways glance.
"It's Wei Yuansheng, the first on the Celestial Talents Ranking!" many young ladies whispered. "What's he doing here? Could he be feeling threatened by our Anyuan and Ningyu and wants to admit defeat in advance?"
"Although Wei Yuansheng's strength is so-so, he's currently ranked first due to battles with talents from various countries. But in terms of looks and temperant, he's far inferior to the Lonely Sword Saint and the White-clothed Phoenix King."
"He's only temporarily ranked first. Our Ningyu is so handso; he can definitely beat him."
"You shaless girl, Ningyu belongs to our family."
"My Anyuan is even better. His lancholic and deep eyes are so captivating."
Celestial Realm cultivators have keen hearing, and every word of those discussions reached Wei Yuansheng's ears, making him tremble with anger.
He was clearly the first on the Celestial Talents Ranking, so why was his popularity not even a tenth of Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu's?
He wasn't that bad-looking, was he? He just didn't know how to put on a show like those two.
With Wei Yuansheng drawing attention, Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu felt much relieved.
They both cupped their hands toward Wei Yuansheng: "Greetings, Brother Yuansheng."
Their posture and deanor were excellent, respectful and courteous, with bright and clear eyes, exuding a unique charm of "a well-read person exudes elegance."
Of course, this refers to cultural cultivation. Even though Anyuan and Ningyu's overall performance in the advanced Clan School was diocre, years of study had enriched their knowledge in both humanities and sciences, as well as their understanding of the essence of the world, making them stand out.
In the Clan School, they might not seem special, but once outside, compared to other clan scions, their unique temperant beca apparent.
"Brother Anyuan, Brother Ningyu," Wei Yuansheng remained hovering in the air, his eyes sharp. "As the saying goes, 'It's better to choose a day than to wait for it.' Since today is lively, why don't we determine the true 'First on the Celestial Talents Ranking'?"
Wang Anyuan and his nephew exchanged a glance and nodded: "Since Brother Yuansheng has such an elegant idea, we are willing to accompany you."
As mbers of the Wang Clan, they represented the clan's reputation, and in such a situation, they couldn't shy away from a challenge.
"Ningyu, you've just fought a match," Wang Anyuan stepped forward. "I'll go first in this battle."
As he spoke, his deanor changed.
An aura of endless loneliness seed to envelop him, and even his calm eyes couldn't hide the faint lancholy. In a sorrowful voice, he said, "Brother Yuansheng, please enlighten ."
"Interesting, Brother Anyuan's Lonely Sword Intent is quite unique. Please enlighten ," Wei Yuansheng sneered.
With that, the two flew to the arena of the Seeking Phoenix Tower.
After so polite exchanges, a fierce battle ensued, with both sides evenly matched.
"Hmm?" Wang Shouye, watching from the private room, was also surprised. "Anyuan's self-realized Lonely Sword Intent is indeed novel. The sword energy is elusive like an antelope hanging its horns, and the emotions it exudes can affect the opponent's state of mind."
"Could it be that there are too few assignnts in the Clan School, leaving him idle enough to comprehend this? No, no, I must suggest to Fourth Brother to increase the educational intensity in the Clan School."
Prince Shengjun, sitting beside him, was at a loss for words.
Dan King, you really have no idea. Your Wang Clan School is already so intense, and you want to increase the intensity? How can anyone survive?
"The Lonely Sword Intent indeed has so rit," Wei Yuansheng, unable to defeat Wang Anyuan, had a flash of determination in his eyes, and his profound energy suddenly surged. "But fake is always fake. You don't understand what 'loneliness' truly ans!"
"Boom!"
Wei Yuansheng's profound energy ignited, and his montum suddenly soared.
"Let show you the 'Blazing Battle Body' that our Wei Mansion uses to dominate the battlefield!"
In that instant, Wei Yuansheng seed to transform, with both his strength and speed increasing significantly, and even the Dharma Aspect behind him beca more solid.
In a contest between experts of the sa level, it's often a matter of fine margins.
After his outburst, Wei Yuansheng began to suppress Wang Anyuan. No matter how ingenious his sword intent and moves were, they couldn't turn the tide under the absolute pressure of strength and speed.
In just twenty or thirty breaths, Wang Anyuan was punched away, spewing blood from his mouth.
Seeing this, Wang Shouye flashed and appeared behind him to catch him, then announced loudly, "We, the Changning Wang Clan, concede this match."
Lost?!!
The scene fell silent. Many young ladies from the clans seed unable to accept this reality, looking bewildered and at a loss.
"Seventh Grandfather, I..." Wang Anyuan said with a face full of guilt, but before he could finish, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth again.
"Victory and defeat are common in military affairs," Wang Shouye said, feeding him a healing pill. "At your age, losing a match might not be a bad thing. It will teach you that 'there's always soone better.'"
"Yes, Seventh Grandfather, you're right," Wang Anyuan said, sincerely convinced.
Unexpectedly, Wei Yuansheng, having just defeated Wang Anyuan, turned his gaze to Wang Ningyu: "Brother Ningyu, please enlighten ."
"Alright."
Wang Ningyu remained indifferent, stepping onto the arena as if walking on snow.
Another fierce battle ensued.
This ti, Wei Yuansheng didn't "hide his strength" but went all out from the start, suppressing Wang Ningyu. Even though Wang Ningyu had many tricks up his sleeve, he couldn't reverse the situation.
"Good, good, good."
The seven permanent Divine Realm judges, after their initial surprise, all showed expressions of satisfaction.
One of the Divine Ability Masters couldn't help but praise: "Yuansheng is truly unexpected~ He even hid his strength. He indeed has the qualities of our top young talents in Northern Zhou. Our Northern Zhou is destined to rise."
"I feel sothing is off," another Divine Realm judge found it strange. "Wei Yuansheng's previous performance was on par with Wang Anyuan and Wang Ningyu, but now his strength seems to have a bloodline suppression effect. Could he be a Peerless Prodigy bloodline? Just hiding his true abilities?"
"Impossible! If Wei Yuansheng were a Peerless Prodigy, with the Wei Mansion's style, they would have already publicized it. I think it's more likely so secret technique to temporarily boost bloodline power!"
Amid the judges' discussions, Wang Ningyu ultimately couldn't turn the tide and was defeated again!
Of course, Wang Ningyu had so life-saving trump cards hidden in his storage ring. In a life-and-death battle, he might have been able to turn the tables, but those were for ergencies and not suitable for use in the arena.
"No worries, no worries," Wang Shouye stepped forward to comfort him. "Losing once is good for tempering your inner restlessness."
"Seventh Grandfather," Wang Ningyu said helplessly. "I'm not afraid of losing. I'm used to it at ho. But Wei Yuansheng pretending to be weak and then striking is really shaless. Clearly, he has a Peerless bloodline, yet he hides it, making embarrass the family."
Being suppressed by soone of the sa level felt just like facing the family's Peerless at ho... A bloodline suppression of a major level difference made it difficult to fight back in the arena.
"It might not necessarily be bloodline suppression. You have nothing to be ashad of," Wang Shouye said aningfully, glancing at Wei Yuansheng from afar, but ultimately said nothing more.
Unexpectedly, after winning two matches, Wei Yuansheng wasn't satisfied and even challenged Little Holy Master Jiang Yuanwu.
Jiang Yuanwu was formidable, but similar to Wang Ningyu. Even though he fought with all his might, he couldn't avoid being knocked off the arena.
Three consecutive victories!
For a mont, Wei Yuansheng's montum soared.
He stood in mid-air, hands behind his back, looking around arrogantly: "Who else?"
Silence fell around.
With Wang Anyuan, Wang Ningyu, and Jiang Yuanwu all defeated, who could possibly beat him?
"Wei Yuansheng's three victories make him the undisputed first on the Celestial Talents Ranking," one Divine Realm judge said. "We should report the results to the Emperor and request a reward."
"Indeed, with such talent from the Wei Mansion, our Northern Zhou is destined to rise."
As the judges praised, Wei Donglai flew to Wei Yuansheng's side, patting his shoulder amiably: "Yuansheng, well done. Now, let handle the rest."
Wei Donglai then turned to a certain private room at the top of the Seeking Phoenix Tower, cupping his hands: "I've long admired Princess Luojia. Since the princess wishes to choose a husband openly, our Wei Clan is willing to cooperate."
"Our Wei Clan's performance is evident, not disgracing our Northern Zhou. Here, I formally propose to the princess, hoping for a closer alliance between the Northern Zhou royal family and the Wei Mansion, creating a glorious future together."
With the montum of the Wei Clan's top rankings on both the Celestial and Purple Mansion lists, he publicly proposed to Princess Luojia, making it seem like an unstoppable force.
For a mont, all eyes turned to the private room where Princess Luojia was, holding their breath and waiting for her response.
Wei Donglai's face showed a hint of satisfaction, confident in his victory.
However, inside the private room, Princess Luojia's expression was exceptionally grim, her eyes sharp.
Seeing Wang Shouye earlier had put her in a good mood, but Wei Donglai's sudden move had ignited her anger.
Now, she was being put on the spot.
Although the open marriage proposal wasn't a martial contest where the winner would marry her, with the Wei Clan's overwhelming victory, if she rejected their proposal, it would publicly expose the hidden tensions between the royal family and the Wei Mansion.
Now, there was only one solution.
Princess Luojia stood up with a cold face, ready to use her strength to teach Wei Donglai a lesson, showing him that he wasn't worthy of marrying a Peerless Prodigy.
But if she did, the secret she had painstakingly hidden would be exposed.
Unwilling~~
Just as she was about to step out, Wang Shouye's image flashed in her mind, and her eyes lit up.
That's right! Young Master Shouye!
At this mont, only Young Master Shouye could help.
As Wang Shouye was about to help Wang Ningyu and Wang Anyuan back to the private room for treatnt, he heard Princess Luojia's voice transmission: "Young Master Shouye, could you do Lingxiao a favor?"
"Lingxiao?" Wang Shouye paused slightly, his gaze turning to the private room from which the voice ca.
"Given the situation, Lingxiao won't hide it from you anymore," Princess Luojia sighed. "I am Princess Luojia, and Ji Lingxiao is my real na, though it's rarely ntioned."
Wang Shouye was taken aback.
He never expected that the protagonist of the much-publicized open marriage proposal by Princess Luojia was Ji Lingxiao, whom he had t by chance in the Ghost Sea of Reefs.
"Young Master Shouye, Lingxiao knows you must have many questions, but please believe that Lingxiao has her reasons," Princess Luojia softened her voice, pleading, "Lingxiao doesn't want to reveal her Peerless bloodline yet. Please help ."
Wang Shouye hesitated briefly but nodded.
At that mont, Wei Donglai began his second round of "urging": "If Princess Luojia is shy, I can go directly to the Emperor for a decision."
As Princess Luojia remained silent, the previously quiet surroundings gradually beca restless, with many people whispering.
Seeing this, Wang Shouye's eyes flashed, and he said loudly, "Wait, I have an opinion."
With those words, everyone's attention focused on Wang Shouye, speculating on his intentions.
Could he be trying to steal the bride?
With his handso appearance and extraordinary deanor, if he wanted to steal the bride, he might indeed catch Princess Luojia's eye.
Wei Donglai's face twitched, never expecting soone to disrupt at this mont, and he angrily said, "You must be from the East Qian delegation, right? Are you still dissatisfied after losing?"
"Indeed, I'm not quite satisfied," Wang Shouye released the two juniors, stepped forward, and looked at Wei Donglai with a calm voice. "If it were a fair fight, a loss would be a loss. But your Wei Mansion used so underhanded tricks to win, and yet you have the audacity to flaunt it here. It's truly eye-opening for ."
"What?"
The crowd erupted in astonishnt.
Wei Donglai's face changed rapidly, and he shouted, "Who are you? How dare you speak such nonsense without evidence?"
"Without evidence?" Wang Shouye sneered. "Your underhanded thods are indeed hidden, and most people wouldn't notice. But unfortunately for you, you ran into ."
……
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