Chapter 481 - 479: Soaring Dragon City

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was the next to yield. With Qingcheng Mansion being so overbearing, how could they not? Zi Yi no longer had to hide in Qingcheng Mansion and returned directly to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, easily taking the position of Pavilion Master.

Of course, this was the position of a branch Pavilion Master, the same status as before, but the treatment she received was a world of difference. As long as Qingcheng Mansion stood, and as long as Lin Xuan was around, they wouldn’t dare say a word out of line.

It was the same with Zhao Fei, whose Dantian had been crippled by him. The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion didn’t dare say a single word, let alone seek revenge. This was normal. Strength could suppress everything, leaving them unable to utter even half a word, forced to swallow their anger.

Especially since both the Divine Seal Sect and the Royal Family had been annihilated. The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s overall strength was probably on par with the Divine Seal Sect’s, so if Qingcheng Mansion decided to attack, how could they possibly defend themselves?

Regardless, everything had entered a period of unprecedented stability. There were no more enemies to speak of, no need to live in constant fear. They could just focus on their Cultivation in peace.

After recovering significantly, Tuo Zhanhong and Tuo Shengfeng left to return home. Tuo Yunhai looked around for a bit before bidding farewell to Lin Xuan and the others. The Tu Family had many matters to attend to, so he had to leave as well.

Overall, nothing special had changed. The only major development was Lin Xuan’s status, which had skyrocketed. He had been appointed as an Elder of Qingcheng Mansion! And not just any Elder—the Grand Elder!

That’s right. At only about twenty years old, Lin Xuan had become the Grand Elder of Qingcheng Mansion, completely shattering the previous record set by Qing Liuyun.

But this was only natural. Lin Xuan had the strength and the talent, so of course they would allow it. Especially after they witnessed his earth-shattering battle where he soundly defeated Xu Qianlong. Forget Grand Elder; he was qualified to be the Mansion Master himself.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the time for the Empire War finally arrived. It was time for them to set out. Qing Deyun and his group accompanied Lin Xuan to the designated entry point for the Empire War—Soaring Dragon City!

Soaring Dragon City wasn’t a large city; it was just a small town. It wasn’t prosperous either. The main reason they came here was that it housed the Teleportation Array leading to the Empire War.

The name Soaring Dragon City was quite imposing. The Empire itself was called the Soaring Dragon Empire, so to name a small town like this certainly meant it was important. This was the starting point for a meteoric rise, so of course it was important.

"So this is Soaring Dragon City..."

Lin Xuan surveyed his surroundings. The place was quite remote, with no residents, only Guards. The journey from the Imperial Palace alone had taken over half a month. They had traveled by horse-drawn carriage, so their slow speed was to be expected. They couldn’t just fly the entire way, as it would have been too draining.

Bu Cheng had said one month, but it had actually been closer to two, so they still had plenty of time after arriving.

When they arrived, they saw another carriage parked nearby. Soon after, the familiar figure of Zi Yi appeared, followed by several powerful experts. Without a doubt, these were the Pavilion Masters of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

The one with the most powerful aura was the Chief of the Main Pavilion of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Zi Yanyun! He watched them with a smile, accompanied by a young man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. The young man’s Cultivation was at the Second Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage; he must be the other participant.

But there was only one of them. It seemed the Soaring Dragon Empire was only sending two participants in total! It sounded rather pathetic, but at least Lin Xuan wouldn’t be going alone.

"Pavilion Master Zi, it’s been a while." Qing Deyun stepped forward with a calm smile and greeted him.

"I’ve been well. Lord Qing, you’ve certainly taken in a fine disciple!" Zi Yanyun said with a laugh, looking at Lin Xuan. "Truly, a hero emerges from the young. Our family’s Zi Yanqian pales in comparison. Now *this* is a true one-in-a-million super genius!"

Standing beside him was his son, Zi Yanqian, the disciple participating in the selection tournament this time. However, Lin Xuan’s ears were about to fall off from hearing the phrase "a hero emerges from the young."

"Not at all, not at all... Your son is quite outstanding himself!" Qing Deyun’s face was beaming, though he was undoubtedly bursting with joy on the inside. What family wouldn’t be thrilled to produce such a genius?

While the two leaders were exchanging pleasantries, Zi Yanqian approached Lin Xuan and said with admiration, "Brother Lin, you are truly as strong as they say. I am no match for you! Regarding the matter with Zhao Fei, I apologize. We will not be pursuing the issue. The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion has already issued an order to expel Zhao Fei. I hope Brother Lin can find it in his heart to forgive us."

As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face. Since the other party had put it that way, Lin Xuan felt it would be inappropriate to blame them further. "It’s alright. Once the Empire War begins, we should help each other. Nothing else matters!"

"Right, right!" Zi Yanqian said with a smile. "That’s exactly what I mean. The past is in the past. The Empire War is all that matters now!"

Zi Yanqian knew how to handle things. He didn’t hold any resentment toward Lin Xuan, nor did he dare to. This was the expert who had killed Xu Qianlong; how could he possibly compare? If he made Lin Xuan unhappy, things would likely become very unpleasant for him, so it was wiser to lower his pride and apologize first.

"This is a small token from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Please accept it!" Zi Yanqian said, handing over a Storage Ring. As the Chief of the Main Pavilion, it was awkward for Zi Yanyun to apologize directly, but he could have his son do it for him. The peace-offering gift could also be presented through his son, providing an easier way to resolve the situation.

"Then I won’t be polite." Lin Xuan didn’t stand on ceremony. He accepted it without hesitation. After all, if they were offering it, there was no reason to refuse a free gift.

Zi Yi simply nodded at him without saying anything, but that was enough. She had always known Lin Xuan was a dragon among men, someone truly extraordinary. She had really bet on the right person.

"This is our Pass Token. Please have a look." Qing Deyun took out a Token and presented it. The two Essence Pill Stage Guards glanced at it before letting them pass.

It was obvious the people inside were not managed by the Soaring Dragon Empire; they were clearly Guards sent by the Bu Family.

Calling this place a city was an overstatement; it was more like a village. There were only a few houses that could accommodate a dozen or so people at most. Any more than that, and they would have to stay outside.

"Hm? You’re here. How many people are participating in the Empire War this time?" an old man asked, rising from his chair. His Cultivation wasn’t high, only at the Spirit Pill Stage Level.

Qing Deyun, however, replied very politely, "Elder De, a total of two people from our side are participating this time."

The two were Lin Xuan and Zi Yanqian. There was no one else.

"Two people..." Elder De was taken aback and frowned. "So few? In the past, there were always quite a number of participants."

The number of participants was linked to his own merits. As long as the people sent from the Teleportation Point under his jurisdiction achieved a decent ranking, he would receive a reward.

Just two people was far too few. Bu Cheng would also benefit; if anyone from the empires they managed ranked well, they would surely be rewarded. The Super Races were by no means stingy.

"It’s about quality, not quantity," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile. "The two of us are enough. Any more would be useless."

"There’s strength in numbers. It’s better for fending off attacks from others," Elder De snorted coldly. He took out a Crystal Stone and said, "Place your hands on this. I need to check your Cultivation and Bone Age."

To participate in the Empire War, one had to pass a test. Those who failed were not allowed to enter. It was similar to the test with the Talent Stele—a fundamental prerequisite that absolutely could not be faked.