Chapter 39: All Emperor Venerables Arrive

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: All Emperor Venerables Arrive

"To think that three colors—red, yellow, and green—can construct all things in the world. This... is bordering on the Dao itself." With his eyesight and Divine Thought, the Sword Emperor could clearly see the pixels on the screen.

"Our Jiuzhou Sect believes that the Dao of Heaven and Earth encompasses all things and exists equally within these microscopic details," Shen Yun said, standing off to the side with Wei Er and Miao Yun. The Sword Emperor was similarly flanked by his disciples.

It looked just like a summit between world leaders. No, in a sense, it was exactly that.

"I didn’t expect your esteemed sect to possess such profound foundations," the Sword Emperor said. He turned around and glanced at their surroundings, a half-smile playing on his lips. "The Azure Emperor will surely be beside himself with rage when he sees this."

The Azure Emperor wanted revenge, but his chances of killing Shen Yun were slim. Therefore, he could only vent his anger on the other disciples of the Jiuzhou Sect. He had held back, biding his time just for today. Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations for such a grand title-conferring ceremony, there wasn’t a single disciple present.

"Disciples are the foundation of a sect’s prosperity," Shen Yun said with a smile. "How could we casually put them at risk?"

"Indeed." The Sword Emperor suddenly sighed. "After our conversation the other day, I scoured the sect’s ancient texts. During the Ancient Times, our Sword Pavilion boasted tens of thousands of disciples. Now, we have less than a thousand. I have failed my sect."

In truth, he had done more than just consult ancient texts. He had personally visited Sword City, which was under the Sword Pavilion’s jurisdiction, to ask the manager if they could multiply the population tenfold within a decade. The answer he received was grim. Merely sustaining population growth was difficult enough. A staggering eighty percent of commoners died from starvation, disease, and various accidents. Few mortals ever lived to see their fiftieth birthday. This was precisely why the Sword Emperor valued the Jiuzhou Sect so highly.

"My sect has a saying: ’Where there’s a will, there’s a way,’" Shen Yun said calmly. "Since you have identified the problem, there will always be a solution. Moreover, on this matter, the interests of us Cultivators are perfectly aligned."

"Hahaha! Well said!" the Sword Emperor laughed heartily.

The atmosphere between them grew increasingly harmonious. Wei Er and the others had already intended to rope in some of the local factions. This would reduce their initial investment and maximize their early gains.

"Your Majesty the Thunder Emperor," the Sword Emperor’s fourth Grandmaster disciple suddenly spoke up, seizing the friendly mood. "May I ask if Fairy Miaoyun is your wife?"

"Hm?" Shen Yun glanced at Miao Yun and shook his head. "No, she is not."

"She isn’t?" The Sword Emperor seemed surprised as well, while all of his other disciples—except for Mu Hui—visibly brightened.

There were those annoying stares again. Miao Yun pouted slightly, her face filled with helplessness.

"What’s the matter?" Shen Yun was somewhat baffled.

"You hadn’t emerged in the world prior to this, Thunder Emperor. Do you know how many Female Grandmasters there are in the world today?" Seeing Shen Yun’s confusion, the Sword Emperor smiled and explained. "A mere six. And most of them are of ordinary appearance and well past their prime. Only Fairy Yansha was exceptionally beautiful. After her first husband died, it caused quite an uproar. In the end, she was taken in marriage by the Red Emperor of the Buren Empire, drawing the envy of many."

Sixty-two years old... Shen Yun was still slightly bewildered. What was there to be envious of? Were Female Grandmasters in this world really that highly sought after? Then again, it made sense; the gender ratio was completely skewed.

"Oh, speak of the devil." The Sword Emperor chuckled, pointing toward the horizon. "Here he comes."

Above the southern clouds, a streak of fiery red appeared. It was a luxurious palanquin drawn by several giant birds wreathed in flames, heading straight toward them. Almost simultaneously, two streaks of light zipped across another section of the sky.

The rest of the top-tier Grandmasters had finally arrived.

The opulent palanquin arrived first. A man with crimson hair and beard, clad in a red silk robe, stepped out alongside a voluptuous, elegantly charming woman. It was none other than the Red Emperor and his wife.

The two streaks of light landed closely behind them, revealing a hunchbacked old woman and a burly, bear-like man. These were the Insect Emperor and the Beast Emperor of the Hundred Barbarian Alliance.

"I didn’t expect to see such a beautiful Female Grandmaster here." The elderly Insect Emperor immediately fixed her gaze on Miao Yun. Her voice was raspy. "And a virgin, no less. Rare, truly rare. Beast Emperor, if you can take her back as your bride, our Hundred Barbarian Alliance will likely gain several more Grandmasters in less than a century."

"Not bad. Not bad at all," the Beast Emperor agreed, nodding solemnly after glancing at Miao Yun.

Shen Yun narrowed his eyes. Shifting his stance slightly, he stepped directly in front of Miao Yun to shield her. He had already guessed that they must have missed a crucial piece of Information. The situation was starting to look a bit dicey.

"Hahaha! The Hundred Barbarian Alliance can only rely on such methods to produce talented individuals," a voice boomed as two more streaks of light appeared in the sky.

They were here! Shen Yun’s heart tightened. The two arriving figures were a handsome man in battle armor and an old man with a ruddy complexion and snow-white hair. The War King and the Azure Emperor!

The one who had just spoken was the War King.

The Insect Emperor and the Beast Emperor instantly glared at him. An indescribable murderous aura began to spread. These top-tier Grandmasters were clearly not on friendly terms.

Under this stifling pressure, the ordinary Cultivators—including the Eighth Prince—could only cower in place, absolutely terrified to step forward. Of the seven top-tier Grandmasters in the world bearing the title of Emperor Venerable, six had already gathered here!

Upon landing, the Azure Emperor’s Divine Thought instantly swept across the entire mountaintop. His face darkened immediately. Glaring daggers at Shen Yun, he said chillingly, "To humiliate me like this, your sect has gone too far!"

He had come fully prepared today, dead set on settling the score. Yet, this place was entirely populated by Puppets without a single disciple in sight! However, his gaze shifted and landed on Miao Yun. Once again, a light flashed in his eyes.

"Excellent. Truly excellent. You killed a Grandmaster from my clan, so I shall abduct a Female Grandmaster from your sect. It is perfect karmic retribution."

At those words, Shen Yun and Wei Er both scowled, their killing intent fully unleashed. Miao Yun bit her lower lip, glaring at him furiously. Why were all these men exactly the same? Had they never seen a woman before!?

"Hahaha! Who in the world doesn’t know that you, Azure Emperor, are old and impotent?" The Sword Emperor roared with laughter, his face full of mockery. "Even if you were given a Female Grandmaster, you’d likely fail to sire any talented offspring."

Talented offspring? So that was it. Shen Yun and Wei Er both had a sudden epiphany. It seemed that the offspring of two Grandmasters would possess exceptional talent. If that was the case, bringing Miao Yun here might have been a grave mistake.

Miao Yun was positively fuming. She abhorred this sort of thing more than anything else.

"Hmph, I won’t bicker with you." The Azure Emperor’s face contorted through several shades of anger under the Sword Emperor’s taunts, but he managed to suppress it. He fixed his cold glare on Shen Yun and sneered. "In front of the other Emperor Venerables, how about you and I have a match to settle this once and for all?"

"Just what I had in mind!" Arcs of electricity were already crackling around Shen Yun’s body.

"If you lose, then this Female Grandmaster of your sect..." The Azure Emperor stroked his beard. "Heh. I will gladly accept her."

"Lose?" Shen Yun’s eyes were brimming with murderous intent. He then turned around and gently patted the shoulder of the trembling, enraged Miao Yun, softly comforting her. "It’s fine. Let’s not take the words of a dead man to heart."

"...Okay!" Miao Yun stayed silent for a moment before nodding vigorously. She raised her small fists and looked at Shen Yun, saying in her soft voice, "I will cheer for you, Fellow Cultivator!"

"Haha." Shen Yun chuckled softly, then exchanged a glance with Wei Er.

Wei Er mouthed that everything was ready.