King of Ten Thousand Years

Under the guidance of the Cloud Heaven Sect Master, Luo Tian arrived at Zhengtian Palace.

”Luo, His Majesty the Monarch holds you in high regard. The banquet is being held in Zhengtian Palace!”

The Cloud Heaven Sect Master said with a faint smile.

Luo Tian raised his gaze slightly, his face devoid of expression.

Luo Yicheng and the petite young woman, on the other hand, were dumbfounded and utterly incredulous!

Zhengtian Palace was where banquets were held only for momentous occasions like the Monarch’s coronation, his grand birthday celebration, or a Prince’s wedding, hosting the most powerful and influential people in the land.

This was the first time they had ever heard of a welcome banquet being held in Zhengtian Palace.

Luo Yicheng stared at Luo Tian, his eyes practically bulging out of his head.

’Luo Tian isn’t much older than me, yet the Monarch is holding a reception for him in Zhengtian Palace. What is his identity? Could he be a Prince from the Chilong Dynasty? But Luo Tian had said his home was in Qingchang City of Lingyun County.’

”Come on, let’s go in and see what’s good to eat.”

Luo Tian said to Luo Yicheng and the petite young woman.

The two nodded eagerly, intrigued by the Monarch’s banquet.

When the Cloud Heaven Sect Master heard this, he felt that Luo Tian wasn’t here to cause trouble, but rather to negotiate a truce. He breathed a small sigh of relief.

Following his lead, the group entered Zhengtian Palace.

What should have been a festive banquet was unusually quiet. After Luo Tian and his group arrived, the entire hall fell into a dead silence!

The Azure Cloud Monarch, the Empress, the Crown Prince, and everyone else stared over, their eyes laced with fear.

But the corners of Luo Tian’s mouth suddenly curled into a smile.

’After two years, I’m finally seeing these enemies again! Once, I saved the lives of the Monarch, the Third Prince, and the Seventh Prince. But for the sake of the Royal Family, they repaid my kindness with betrayal, seeking to have me killed. They even sent Supreme Elder Li Changqing to hunt me down personally! That chase lasted for weeks, all the way to the borders of the Azure Cloud Kingdom. The slightest misstep, and I would have died at their hands!’

Luo Tian also saw the Eldest Princess.

The Eldest Princess, dignified and graceful, looked at Luo Tian with an expression full of apology.

Apart from them.

Luo Tian also saw Lin Dongfeng!

”Luo Tian, how you handle this is your decision!”

Lin Dongfeng looked at Luo Tian, his face filled with relief, and sent a voice transmission. ”The Monarch invited me here two days ago, hoping I would help persuade you. But I didn’t agree!”

The Azure Cloud Monarch looked to the Cloud Heaven Sect Master and asked via voice transmission, ”How is it?”

”Monarch, Luo Tian probably won’t take things too far. We should be able to negotiate.”

The Cloud Heaven Sect Master shared his intuition with the Sovereign of Azure Cloud Country.

The Sovereign of Azure Cloud Country’s unease lessened somewhat.

”Luo Tian, welcome back to the Azure Cloud Kingdom! We have all been eagerly awaiting the return of our kingdom’s greatest genius, and at last, you are here!”

The Azure Cloud Monarch declared, his face wreathed in smiles and his tone grand and impassioned.

”Indeed!”

”Luo Tian, the pride of our nation! The number one genius in the Azure Cloud Kingdom!”

The other high-ranking members of the Royal Family chimed in with fawning agreement. This was a game they excelled at.

Luo Yicheng and the petite young woman were too shocked to speak.

’Luo Tian? Wasn’t he a wanted criminal? A wanted criminal is having the Monarch himself throw a welcome banquet for him, with all the top royals here to greet and flatter him!’

The two felt their entire worldview being turned upside down.

’They... don’t seem to know what happened at the Celestial Pride Conference...’

Luo Tian concluded, based on their words and actions.

’The Azure Cloud Kingdom is too weak, a nobody among the hundreds of nations in the Eastern Domain. No one from here has made it onto the Spirit List for over a century, so they never pay any attention to the Celestial Pride Conference.’

Despite the fawning admiration and insincere compliments from all around, Luo Tian’s expression remained unchanged. His gaze was glacial as he stared coolly at the Azure Cloud Monarch.

The hall gradually fell silent.

The Azure Cloud Monarch felt his skin crawl under Luo Tian’s stare. His expression stiffened, and he shot a glance at the Cloud Heaven Sect Master, sending a voice transmission. ”Didn’t you say it would be fine?”

The Cloud Heaven Sect Master’s expression was awkward. He couldn’t figure out what Luo Tian was thinking either.

”My son, aren’t you going to offer Luo Tian a toast?”

The Azure Cloud Monarch commanded.

”Luo Tian, I’d like to propose a toast. I hope you can forget the past unpleasantness between us.”

The Third Prince, Li Yi, who had a scholarly air about him, walked over with a raised cup of wine.

But the Third Prince realized Luo Tian was just standing there, not even sparing him a glance.

’This is humiliating. I’m a Prince of the Azure Cloud Kingdom, personally offering him a toast, and he’s just ignoring me.’

Just then, Luo Tian’s chillingly deep eyes swept over him.

’Back then, to get to me, Third Prince Li Yi kidnapped Lin Dongchuan’s entire family. He killed his two sons, and Lin Qinghan was nearly gang-raped. Lin Dongchuan died of a broken heart because of it. How could I ever forget that!’

Under Luo Tian’s gaze, the Third Prince felt as if he’d been plunged into an ice pit. A bone-deep chill seized him, and his legs began to shake uncontrollably. The hand holding the wine cup trembled.

’Luo Tian’s eyes are terrifying! So cold, so merciless... it’s like he’s looking down at an ant. And there’s a hint of killing intent! And how easy it is to crush an ant!’

Just then, the Crown Prince also picked up a cup of wine and walked to Luo Tian’s side. ”Luo Tian, I’ll toast you as well. We’re all people of the Azure Cloud Kingdom. From now on, let’s be one family!”

’One family?’ Luo Tian found it laughable. ’Disgusting, even. Being born into a family like this would be the greatest misfortune imaginable! I remember with perfect clarity how the Crown Prince personally led the Celestial Cloud Iron Cavalry to hunt me down!’

”Brother Luo...”

The petite young woman and Luo Yicheng stared blankly at the scene.

’The Prince and the Crown Prince both seem to be fawning over Luo Tian, even trying to apologize. But Luo Tian hasn’t said a word or made a single move. The Prince and Crown Prince are just standing there awkwardly, holding their cups, looking completely mortified.’

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly oppressive.

”Luo Tian, the Crown Prince is offering you a toast. You should return it!”

The Empress frowned, her voice laced with displeasure.

’The Crown Prince is my son! How dare Luo Tian give him no face at all, just leaving him hanging there? His behavior is infuriating.’

”Fine. I’ll return his toast.”

Luo Tian finally spoke.

At his words, all the high-ranking members of the Royal Family sighed in relief.

’It seems there is room for negotiation after all.’

”Bottoms up! Brother Luo, drink as you please!”

The Crown Prince also broke into a smile and drained his cup in one gulp.

”I’m not much of a drinker. You can drink this for me.”

Luo Tian picked up a cup of wine from the table in front of him and threw it.

SPLASH!

The cold, bitter wine splashed directly across Crown Prince Li Sheng’s face.

What?

Everyone stared in shock. No one had expected Luo Tian to throw wine in the Crown Prince’s face right in front of all the Royal Family’s senior members, including the Monarch and Empress!

Crown Prince Li Sheng’s face twisted in fury. He clenched his jaw, fighting to control his rage, and growled in a low voice, ”Luo Tian, what is the meaning of this?”

”Luo Tian, what are you doing?! My son offered you a toast, and you threw wine in his face!”

The Empress, seething with uncontrollable anger, shrieked.

The Azure Cloud Monarch quickly grabbed the Empress’s hand, urging her to calm down.

’If a cup of wine is all it takes to appease his anger, then I can tolerate it.’

”What, do you want some too?”

A sardonic smile played on Luo Tian’s lips as he waved his hand lightly.

SPLASH!

The wine cup flew from the Third Prince’s hand, splashing its contents all over the Empress’s face. Her makeup was ruined, revealing the wrinkles beneath, and she looked an absolute mess.

”You—”

The Empress, utterly incensed, pointed a trembling, furious finger at him, her face contorted with rage!

”Luo Tian, what do you think you’re doing?”

The Azure Cloud Monarch’s face darkened.

’Luo Tian is far too audacious! At a formal banquet like this, he doused the Crown Prince and the Empress. I’m afraid I’ll be next! Even if he is a disciple of the Yunxiao Sect, that doesn’t give him the right to act so outrageously. The Azure Cloud Kingdom now has Prince Zheng’s backing, and his connections reach the highest levels of the Yunxiao Sect!’

”Luo Tian, the Crown Prince and the Prince took the initiative to offer you a toast! How could you act this way?”

”Splashing wine on the Crown Prince and the Empress in front of everyone is completely unreasonable! Hurry up and apologize!”

The same high-ranking royals who had previously insisted there was no need to apologize now stood up, pointing fingers and voicing their displeasure.

”Hehe, Luo Tian, don’t be angry. Let’s all just sit down and have a nice meal!”

The Cloud Heaven Sect Master, standing beside Luo Tian, tried to persuade him in earnest.

Seeing that Luo Tian was unmoved and ignoring him, he turned to Luo Yicheng and the petite young woman. ”Come now, you two have seats as well. Sit down and have a taste!”

’In his view, since Luo Tian had brought these two along, they must be important to him. He could try to get through to them.’

”What is this stuff? Is it even fit for humans to eat?”

Luo Tian said with a look of disgust, then kicked out with his foot.

CRASH! BANG!

The several-meter-long white jade table was sent flying, scattering food and wine all over the floor.

The hall fell deathly silent.

No one had imagined Luo Tian would go this far and actually flip the banquet table in Zhengtian Palace!

At this moment, the high-ranking royals finally realized: Luo Tian wasn’t here for a meal or a discussion. He was here for provocation and revenge!

And they were right!

Luo Tian was never merciful to his enemies!

Back when he was hunted by the experts of the Azure Cloud Kingdom and pursued to its very borders, Luo Tian had faced innumerable dangers. The slightest misstep would have meant death.

Such a deep-seated hatred!

’And they think a single apology and a banquet can erase all that? What a joke!’

Just then, a noble and stunningly beautiful woman appeared at the entrance to the hall.

”Brother Luo...”

The newcomer was none other than Princess Yunxiu.

She had been in closed-door cultivation, which was why she arrived late.

”Yunxiu, you’ve come at the perfect time! Talk to Luo Tian!”

”Luo Tian, if you are willing to reconcile, we can pretend today never happened. I can even betroth Princess Yunxiu to you! If you want the Eldest Princess, I will permit that as well!”

The Azure Cloud Monarch’s face was grim, a trace of his usual authority returning as he laid his cards on the table.

Hearing this, a blush crept across Princess Yunxiu’s dignified and serene face.

’Ever since her cultivation broke through to the Middle Tier Spirit Sea Realm, the Royal Family’s leaders had begun to value her highly, planning a political marriage for her with a Prince from another powerful kingdom. Princess Yunxiu was vehemently against such a political marriage, but if the groom was Luo Tian... that didn’t sound so bad.’

”What?”

The Eldest Princess, however, looked both shocked and panicked, glaring furiously at the Azure Cloud Monarch.

’This brother of mine... he’d truly do anything to save his own skin! Offering his own sister to someone in front of all these people!’

”Heh! Li Changsheng!”

Luo Tian let out a soft laugh.

”Insolence! How dare you speak the Monarch’s name directly!”

”That’s a crime punishable by death!”

Several high-ranking royals immediately erupted in angry shouts.

”I’ll be frank. I’m here today to take your damn head!”

A wild, unrestrained smile touched Luo Tian’s lips as an invisible storm of power erupted from him, sweeping across the hall!