Chapter 2757: Wyatt Barnes Enters the Arena

The Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation is a tall middle-aged man with a square face, wearing a golden dragon robe, and his long black hair draped behind him, exuding an air of authority without anger.

As he entered, a middle-aged man followed closely behind him, along with six elderly men who were divided into two groups, three on each side, guarding him like an impenetrable fortress.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

...

With the entrance of the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, the group of people in the vast hall of Glory Palace immediately bowed in salute.

Only a sparse few did not have the intention to bow in salute.

Among them were Wyatt Barnes and Leilany.

Additionally, there was a young woman standing beside the Fourth Prince of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, who was an old acquaintance of Wyatt, none other than the Third Miss Campbell, Annie Campbell!

"Annie is here too?"

Amidst the dark mass of bowed people, the three who did not bow naturally stood out, catching the attention of the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, Leif Dragonsmith.

But, his gaze quickly settled on Annie Campbell, and he greeted her with a kindly smile.

"Your Majesty."

Faced with this active greeting from the Emperor, Annie Campbell responded with a slight nod.

Not only was Leif Dragonsmith not angry, but he also stepped forward, approached Annie Campbell, and said with a smile, "Annie, I’ve told you many times, I’m your ’uncle’... Regardless of the occasion, you can directly call me ’uncle’. There’s no need to be so formal."

"Your Majesty, considering it’s a public occasion, it’s not appropriate to directly call you ’uncle’."

Annie Campbell shook her head and said.

"Well, you stubborn girl, once you’ve made up your mind, not even ten oxen can pull you back, you’ve been like this since you were young."

Leif Dragonsmith shook his head. After speaking, he looked solemnly at the Fourth Prince Kye Dragonsmith beside Annie Campbell and said, "Old Four, you must treat Annie well... If Annie is unhappy, don’t blame Father for punishing you!"

"Don’t worry, Father. Annie is my cousin, I will surely take good care of and entertain her."

Kye Dragonsmith promptly responded.

Meanwhile, he was somewhat puzzled, unable to understand why his cousin would be interested in today’s selection and even come personally with his little cousin Jenny Campbell.

"Annie, Uncle needs to preside over today’s selection... so I can’t stay here longer. If you need anything, just go to Old Four; if he makes you unhappy, just say the word, and I’ll send him to the cold palace for a few days!"

Leif Dragonsmith looked at Annie Campbell again, speaking with a doting expression.

In his words, it seemed as though Kye Dragonsmith wasn’t his biological son, but Annie Campbell was his biological daughter instead.

"Mhm."

Annie Campbell nodded, saying nothing further.

As Leif Dragonsmith departed, the middle-aged man who followed him, along with the six elderly men, also uniformly greeted Annie Campbell, "Miss Campbell!"

During the greeting, their tones were filled with respect, without the slightest bit of negligence.

If it were any ordinary young woman enjoying such treatment, it would have been enough to frighten countless people.

After all, besides Leif Dragonsmith being the supreme Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, the seven people accompanying him were pillars of the Imperial Family, mostly ’Heavenly Stage Love Upper Immortals,’ with only two being ’Earthly Stage Love Upper Immortals.’

Those able to follow the Emperor on the earthly level naturally were not ordinary earthly upper immortals.

Their strength was unmatched among all earthly upper immortals of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, closely rivaling the heavenly upper immortals.

Yet now, none were surprised by the treatment Annie Campbell received; instead, they found it completely justified.

In their eyes, the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation is high and mighty.

However, Annie Campbell’s additional status is even more transcendent...

The closed-door disciple of the previous Sect Leader of the Thousand Spiders Immortal Sect, one of the three great sects of the Desolate Territory, and the junior sister of the current Sect Leader of the Thousand Spiders Immortal Sect.

Such an existence is incomparable to the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation.

While heading toward the central ’stone platform’ in the grand and glorious hall of Glory Palace, the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, Leif Dragonsmith, instinctively glanced at Wyatt Barnes and Leilany.

"Who exactly are these two?"

"Even Annie... cannot do anything about them."

As the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, Leif Dragonsmith, although seeing Wyatt Barnes and Leilany for the first time, was already aware of their existence and had even launched an investigation into their origins.

However, in a short period, he hadn’t uncovered any useful information.

"The intelligence network of my Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation cannot compare to that of the Thousand Spiders Immortal Sect... Since Annie, knowing her sister suffered so greatly at their hands, did nothing to them, it shows that Annie likely already knows their origins, and their origins are complex."

Precisely because he realized this, even when Wyatt Barnes and Leilany appeared somewhat ’disrespectful’ upon seeing him, he had no intention of holding it against them.

If it were two people he knew well, and whose background was far inferior to that of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation’s Imperial Family, he would have already exploded in anger and ordered severe punishment, accusing them of ’great disrespect’ in front of him, the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation!

"Hmm? Wasn’t it said... that the white-robed lady was less than a hundred years old? Seems like the rumors might not be true."

After extending his divine sense, Leif Dragonsmith detected the blood and flesh aura of Leilany beside Wyatt Barnes, which was not the aura of someone less than a hundred years old. For a moment, he felt the rumors were likely false, untrustworthy.

Nevertheless, he dared not underestimate Wyatt and Leilany.

After all, in his view, even Annie Campbell wouldn’t easily provoke them!

He was unaware that the reason Annie Campbell hadn’t acted against Wyatt Barnes might change his perception if he knew.

"Brother Leandro... that emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation just used divine sense to probe me."

Leilany, who had already broken through to become an ’Upper Immortal of the Earth Realm of Love Rowan,’ could easily sense the divine sense of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation’s Emperor.

After all, the emperor’s cultivation level was only one tier higher than hers.

"He probably wants to investigate your age... As for your cultivation level, he doesn’t yet have the ability to discover it."

Wyatt said.

Although Leilany did not have anything like a faulty iron piece protecting her soul and hiding her cultivation level.

But as a ’Thousand Illusion Ice Fox,’ her soul was protected by a force of inheritance, making it difficult for people to perceive her cultivation level through her soul aura.

Wyatt had known this for a while.

"Everyone."

Shortly after, the Emperor of the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation, Leif Dragonsmith, stepped onto the ’stone platform’ in the center of Glory Palace hall, glanced around, and loudly declared: "Today’s selection, the rules you all should understand, so I won’t elaborate further."

Leif Dragonsmith was very straightforward, announcing the commencement of the selection in just a few words.

And today’s selection, the rules were indeed already known by everyone present:

The under-hundred-year-old young strong contenders recruited by various royal palaces and those gathered by the princes will compete, and the fifty most outstanding individuals will obtain the only fifty spots to participate in the ’Desolate Territory Contest’ from the Ascendant Dragon Celestial Nation.

These fifty people will be divided into factions belonging to either the royal palaces or the princes, to decide on ’Royal Palace Number One’ and ’Prince Number One’ respectively.

However, once classified into either the royal palace faction or the prince faction, it cannot be changed arbitrarily.

Just look at Wind Pole, a well-known under-hundred-year-old Purple Sun Golden Immortal from Kingston Majestic Royal Palace; originally, everyone thought he would represent Kingston Majestic Royal Palace in this selection, but unexpectedly he would finally represent the Seventh Prince in battle.

In this way, he belongs to the prince’s faction.

No matter whether he can win the ’Prince Number One’ honor for the Seventh Prince, he can no longer participate in the competition for ’Royal Palace Number One’ from the royal palace faction.

This arrangement is also to prevent one person from simultaneously winning ’Prince Number One’ and ’Royal Palace Number One’ for a prince and a royal palace.

All in all, today’s selection is still very humane.

...

Shortly, the selection began.

Because of Wind Pole, this under-hundred-year-old Purple Sun Golden Immortal, even though some under-hundred-year-old Blue Sun Golden Immortals appeared among the various royal palaces, it did not cause a significant sensation.

"Wind Pole has not taken action yet... If he does, obtaining a spot will be a breeze, and he might even win the ’Prince Number One’ honor for His Highness the Seventh Prince!"

Currently, many within Glory Palace held this thought.

As time passed, Wind Pole also took action, sweeping forward invincibly, with no one able to stop him.

The fifty spots were also about to be decided.

"Thirteenth Brother... why haven’t your people arrived yet?"

The Seventh Prince ’Kye Dragonsmith’ and the Thirteenth Prince ’Crue Dragonsmith’ were far apart. He conveyed a teasing message to Crue Dragonsmith, "It seems you know you can’t win ’Prince Number One’ and have voluntarily given up... Such a pity."

"Actually, even if you know you can’t win ’Prince Number One,’ you shouldn’t abandon it... Maybe if you find several young strong contenders who can win a spot to participate in the ’Desolate Territory Contest’ for Father, Father might even praise you."

"If you don’t even bring a single young strong contender who wins a spot... Father might see you even less favorably."

As he continued to convey his message, Kye Dragonsmith’s tone was increasingly mocking.

"Humph!"

Upon hearing Kye Dragonsmith’s words, Crue Dragonsmith snorted coldly, "The young strong contenders I gathered have arrived long ago, it’s just that you, Seventh Brother, have an eye problem and didn’t see them."

Crue Dragonsmith’s words were just shy of outright calling Kye Dragonsmith ’blind.’

And just as Kye Dragonsmith heard Crue Dragonsmith’s words, becoming furious.

Swish!

Wyatt Barnes moved, like an arrow released from a bow, shooting into the field with his target squarely set on Wind Pole.