"Senior, my royal father has agreed to let me enter the secret realm."
"This way, I can find the saintly medicine to heal your injuries, Senior."
A clear, cold female voice echoed in Hua Qingyu's mind. "You have a kind heart, Yu'er."
"Senior, this is what Qingyu promised you; it is what I should do."
Speaking of which, her awakening of the Phoenix Holy Body was indeed due to a fortuitous encounter.
A month ago, she had gone out for a stroll and stumbled upon a strange ring in a valley. Finding it quite beautiful, she brought it back with her.
Who would have expected that within the ring dwelled a remnant soul the very "Senior" she now spoke of?
She had agreed to help this Senior find saintly medicine to nourish the divine soul and to safeguard the ring. In return, the Senior had expended a great deal of magical power to help her awaken her holy body.
However, without the corresponding cultivation method, she was unable to fully unleash its power and the Senior had admitted there was nothing she could do about that.
Usually, the two of them communicated through divine sense.
Qilin Royal Palace.
By now, it was filled with people.
After discussing some issues regarding the secret realm, everyone dispersed to wait for its opening.
As usual, within the secret realm, the size of one's power didn't matter. Whoever was capable could take possession of any unowned items, all depending on individual strength.
If disciples were killed in the secret realm, no sect, including the holy lands, could seek revenge afterward; otherwise, they would be attacked by the masses. This showed how cruel it was.
This was also tacitly approved by the power holders of the various forces. A trial ground with many opportunities; those who came out alive would naturally become the core of their sects, while those who died represented their lack of strength and luck.
The sects naturally had no need to waste their efforts on weak disciples who had already died.
"Very well, everyone, let's conclude our discussion here. The secret realm is about to open. Please rest in my royal city for a while."
The Qilin monarch stood up and said with a smile.
["Detected the third talented disciple. Please proceed as soon as possible, Host. Massive rewards will be granted upon mission completion."]
"So it's the Qilin Dynasty's princess."
"And she has a fortuitous encounter?"
Feng Qingyang opened her personal panel and muttered to himself.
Name: Hua Qingyu
Title: Princess of the Qilin Dynasty
Cultivation Realm: Late Golden Core Realm
Physique: Phoenix Holy Body
Status Report: One month ago, Hua Qingyu picked up a mysterious ring containing the remnant soul of the Water Immortal Empress from the Central Region, who used her divine power to awaken Hua Qingyu's Phoenix Holy Body; however, due to the lack of a corresponding cultivation method, she is currently unable to fully harness its power.
"Where did the Water Immortal Empress come from? A golden-finger grandma?"
"The two of you find a place to rest for a while. Master has some business to attend to."
Feng Qingyang gave Shi Hao and Lin Bai a few instructions and then turned to leave.
"Sigh, what is Master going to do?"
Lin Bai wondered.
"I don't know. Could Master have acquaintances here?"
"Let's go, junior brother."
"We can go explore the city. It's not often we get to go out. Last time, when you and Master went out, you didn't bring me along."
Shi Hao dragged Lin Bai towards the city.
"By the way, junior brother."
"Speaking of last time, how's your fiancée? I haven't heard you mention her."
"When you went home last time and could cultivate again, you must have given her a big surprise."
Shi Hao asked with envy.
He was too miserable. His junior brother even had a fiancée, but as the eldest senior brother, he hadn't even held a girl's hand in eighteen years...
"Don't mention it, senior brother."
"I have already reached the state of having no woman in my heart, and my sword will naturally be divine."
Shi Hao saw that although his junior brother spoke lightly, there was still a hint of pain in his eyes.
He knew he had touched a sore spot. Now he finally understood why his junior brother's temperament had changed completely after returning that day.
Women, so terrifying!
Fortunately, he didn't have one... or was it fortunate?...
Outside the royal palace, Hua Qingyu walked on for a while before noticing a figure trailing behind her.
"A stalker?!"
"How dare someone set their sights on this princess!"
This lecher sure had some guts!
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Hua Qingyu turned around and shouted.
As her voice fell, a handsome young man in azure and white robes walked over.
Seeing the person, Hua Qingyu lowered her guard slightly. Such a handsome young master probably wasn't the stalker she imagined.
But she still cautiously asked, "Who are you? Why are you following this princess?"
Her hand rested on the sword she carried, ready to strike at any moment.
"Hua Qingyu, is it?"
Feng Qingyang glanced at the girl before him and asked.
"How does he know my name?"
As the third princess of the Qilin Dynasty, she should have been a well-known figure throughout the court, but her physique had never been awakened, so she never showed her face in public.
People only knew that there was a mysterious third princess in the dynasty, and nothing else.
"Why do you know my name?"
"Also, what do you want?"
Hua Qingyu asked with a slight frown.
"This seat knows the celestial phenomena above and the earthly principles below, knowing everything and understanding everything."
"Knowing everything and understanding everything?"
"You must be bragging!"
Hua Qingyu was speechless. This person must have inquired about her name from somewhere.
"I'm here this time to give you a chance to change your destiny. It just depends on whether you can seize it."
"Change my destiny? Tell me."
Hua Qingyu wanted to hear what this person in front of her was going to do.
"It's very simple. Take me as your master, join my Azure Cloud Sect, and I guarantee you a smooth path to success."
"Oh, so you're recruiting for your sect."
She wondered what it was all about. So it was just sect recruitment? You should have said so earlier!
"Why should I join your Azure Cloud Sect?"
"How does your Azure Cloud Sect compare to my Qilin Dynasty?"
"Easily destroyed with a flip of the hand."
Hearing her words, Feng Qingyang chuckled lightly and said.
"Hmph! Then how does your Azure Cloud Sect compare to the holy lands?"
"Holy lands? Mere ants, only fit to be trampled underfoot."
"How audacious!"
She swore these were the two most arrogant statements she had ever heard in her life!
An overlord-level force, destroyed with just a flip of the hand?
Holy lands, nothing more than stepping stones to be trampled underfoot?
However, the remnant soul in the ring nodded in agreement with Feng Qingyang's words. Back in her prime, these so-called forces weren't even qualified to carry her shoes.
Though she nodded in agreement, she couldn't understand why this early True Realm cultivator before her would say such things.
Could it be that he had a powerful force from the Central Region backing him?
"I'm right, aren't I, Water Immortal Empress!"
Before Hua Qingyu could recover, the young man in front of her said another sentence that left her completely bewildered.
"Water Immortal Empress? Who is the Water Immortal Empress?"
"Who is he talking to?"
The remnant soul in the ring was greatly shocked! How did he know!
Could it be that Emperor Wuchen sent him?
They thought my soul had been completely destroyed. It's impossible for them to find me here.
Then who is this person...?
"You don't need to know who this seat is. If you want to know more, first join my Azure Cloud Sect. This sect has no obligation to waste words with you here."
Buy one get one free, what a deal!
Although this female emperor was just a remnant soul, she could still be used a bit, barely enough to be an inner elder. It would be convenient to have a female elder anyway.
"Yu'er, agree to him."
"Senior..."
Mu Shuixian told Hua Qingyu through divine sense that no matter what this man was like, being able to know her identity definitely meant he was no simple person.
"Alright, I'll join the Azure Cloud Sect."
"Qingyu greets Master."
The Senior had shown her great kindness and definitely wouldn't harm her.