Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

236: Section 236However, she quickly suppressed the throbbing in her heart, calmed herself down, and completed the tasks of the first stage.

At that moment, a crisp and pleasant voice rang in her ear, ”Hello?”

Little Princess Heavenly Moon was slightly taken aback. Turning her head, she saw Xiao Yan, who had just shone brilliantly in the crowd, looking at her with a smile. It turned out that Xiao Yan had noticed the little princess’s gaze on her all along. Now that the competition had ended, she took the initiative to approach her.

Looking at the petite, cute girl before her, whose temperament carried a hint of the nobility unique to the royal family, a strange sense of closeness welled up in Xiao Yan’s heart.

She couldn’t help but think to herself:

Hmm, this is also a cute child... Senior Brother will surely like her, right?

173 Old Fellow

Little Princess Heavenly Moon hadn’t expected Xiao Yan to take the initiative to talk to her. She was both surprised and nervous, her small face flushing slightly as she replied somewhat stutteringly, ”Your alchemy skills... are very impressive.” She praised sincerely.

”Mhm, yours are very impressive too!” Xiao Yan said with a bright, enthusiastic smile. She reached out and naturally took Little Princess Heavenly Moon’s hand, saying:

”Come on! Let’s go see what level the medicinal pills we refined actually are!”

Being held by the hand by Xiao Yan, the little princess’s heart was in an even greater mess. She nervously followed Xiao Yan, her mind racing. This Xiao Yan was Yun Xiancheng’s junior sister! And... looking at her intimate posture with Yun Xiancheng, their relationship was clearly extraordinary! This... wasn’t this a perfect opportunity?!

Could she... could she use Xiao Yan as a channel to take the chance to strike up a conversation with that heart-stirring Young Sect Master of Yunlan Sect? The little princess imagined this in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt it was a good opportunity, involuntarily clenching her small fists.

Meanwhile, the exchange between Yun Xiancheng and Princess Yao Ye continued. ”Princess,”

Yun Xiancheng’s gaze swept over the venue below, finally locking onto a mysterious-looking Alchemist dressed in grey robes. He whispered, ”That person is likely the Poison Master sent by the Izumo Empire this time.”

”Oh?” Princess Yao Ye looked in the direction he pointed, a flicker of gravity passing through her eyes.

”His soul power is very strong,” Yun Xiancheng continued, ”at least at the level of a Fourth-Grade Alchemist.” ”A Fourth-Grade Alchemist?!”

Hearing this, Princess Yao Ye’s elegant brows furrowed tightly, her tone carrying a hint of surprise and confusion:

”That’s impossible! I’ve checked the information of the Alchemists participating this time. The data on this grey-robed Alchemist shows he’s very young; he absolutely cannot be a Fourth-Grade Alchemist!”

All the information regarding this Alchemist flashed through her mind, and she quickly reached a conclusion:

”In all probability, he’s some veteran fourth-grade Poison Master from the Izumo Empire who, in order to hide his identity, took an expensive Face-Changing Pill to disguise himself as a young man and came to this gathering alone.”

”But why do such a thing? Does he intend to take first place?”

Yao Ye muttered to herself, seemingly analyzing the Alchemist’s purpose, and continued:

”What if he gets first? At most, we lose a bit of face. When the time comes, we’ll just capture him directly, or even kill him on the spot.”

”Trading reputation for the tangible loss of a fourth-grade or even potentially fifth-grade Alchemist is quite worth it.” As a princess holding real power, she always analyzed interests from a practical standpoint.

”Hehe,” Yun Xiancheng chuckled, a light of confidence flashing in his eyes. ”I believe Yaner can defeat this person.” ”You really are confident in your junior sister.”

Seeing Yun Xiancheng’s full-of-confidence look, Princess Yao Ye couldn’t help but tease:

”You should know, her opponent is a genuine Fourth-Grade Alchemist, and a disguised old fellow at that.”

As Yao Ye spoke, her body unconsciously moved a bit closer to Yun Xiancheng, as if she wanted to feel his unique charm more clearly.

”Because she’s my junior sister.” Yun Xiancheng turned his head and gave Princess Yao Ye a warm and doting smile. ”You guy...” Princess Yao Ye’s heart trembled at his smile, and a blush crept onto her face.

She plucked up her courage, extended her slender finger, and lightly flicked Yun Xiancheng’s forehead. The movement carried a hint of feigned anger yet was full of ambiguity. Then, as if she had touched an electric current, she rapidly withdrew her hand, her two fingers twisting together uneasily, her eyes darting away, looking quite nervous.

Yun Xiancheng was also stunned by her action, not expecting this princess to be so proactive. Proactive was good; he liked those who were proactive.

Down in the venue, Xiao Yan and Little Princess Heavenly Moon had already placed their respective refined pills into the evaluation machines.

Two dazzling pillars of light shot up from the evaluation machines almost simultaneously, piercing the clouds! The pillars were so bright that they instantly attracted the gaze of everyone in the audience!

This meant that the quality of the pills they had refined far exceeded the level of the other Alchemists! The evaluation machines gave them extremely high ratings!

Among these two pillars of light, the color of the pillar from the pill Xiao Yan refined was much deeper than that of Little Princess Heavenly Moon, presenting a mysterious and noble purple-gold hue.

Clearly, its quality was superior!

Just as the entire venue was erupting in cheers for the stunning performance of these two young Alchemists.

That Old fellow in grey robes, whom Yun Xiancheng and Princess Yao Ye had been watching, slowly walked forward.

He expressionlessly tossed the pill he had refined into the evaluation machine. ”Whoosh!”

Another pillar of light shot into the sky!

However, unlike Xiao Yan and Heavenly Moon’s pillars, this pillar was actually pure gold! The golden light was dazzling, piercing the clouds, and its height even faintly surpassed Xiao Yan’s purple-gold pillar! This meant that the quality of the pill he refined was actually higher than Xiao Yan’s!

”It seems Yaner might have encountered a formidable opponent,” Princess Yao Ye said with a smile upon seeing this.

Meanwhile. ”How dare he?”

Medicine Lady, curled up in Xiao Yan’s mind, said with half-annoyance the moment she saw the golden pillar rise:

”Yaner, this old fellow is provoking us! Let’s crush him!” Xiao Yan also furrowed her brows, her gaze looking coldly at the Grey-Robed Person.

She could feel that the energy fluctuations contained within that golden pillar of light were exceptionally pure, definitely not something an ordinary Alchemist could refine.

Moreover, she faintly felt an ancient aura emanating from this Grey-Robed Person that did not match his outward age. ”You are not someone of this age,” Xiao Yan said coldly, her tone certain.

Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, the Grey-Robed Person was first stunned, then, as if he had heard some huge joke, he let out a burst of piercing, mad laughter.

”Hehehehe, people of the Jia Ma Empire, when your skills are inferior and you can’t win the competition, you start insulting a true genius?” As he laughed, he slowly raised his hand and took off the hood on his head.

What was revealed was a young face that looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, completely inconsistent with his voice.

He wore a smile of almost pathological confidence, as if he had already foreseen the scene where he would win the cheers of the entire audience. However, awkwardly, the cheers he expected did not ring out from the spectator stands.

Instead, bursts of whispers and merciless ridicule came through. ”Does this guy with that intoxicated look actually think he’s handsome?”

”Tch, just this piece of trash? Can he even compare to half a hair of the Young Sect Master of Yunlan Sect?”

”Exactly! It’s one thing to be ugly, but to be this arrogant too!” ”This guy seems to be from the Izumo Empire.”

The waves of merciless ridicule were like slaps landing hard on the face of this ”genius” disguised by an old fellow, causing his originally incomparably confident smile to instantly freeze!

He clenched his fists tightly, a flash of fierce resentment from embarrassment passing through his eyes!

”You group of ignorant fools!” he roared, Dou Qi erupting within him to amplify his voice, ensuring everyone present could hear: ”Your Jia Ma Empire’s alchemy level is simply too low! You are nothing but frogs in a well!”

”Obediently accept your fate; not a single person of your generation of Alchemists can compare to me!” His extremely arrogant words instantly ignited the fury of the entire audience!

”What?! What did this bastard say?!” ”Izumo Empire dog! Get out!” ”Arrogant! Too arrogant!”

The audience was boiling with indignation, roars of anger rising one after another, and the entire venue instantly became chaotic. On the Dou Huang seats...

Looking at this farce below, Green Savage couldn’t help but let out a burst of charming laughter: ”Ha, quite a good show. This trip wasn’t in vain.” She loved watching the excitement and was also curious about how Yun Xiancheng would resolve this matter.

Big Lion looked at Yun Yun and asked, ”Izumo Empire? Is their relationship with the Jia Ma Empire very bad?”

Yun Yun gave a brief introduction to the history of the two countries. Then, she smiled and said:

”Are you worried about Xiao Yi Xian? It’s fine. Since she has joined our family, she is naturally one of us. If anything happens, I will give her some guidance in her cultivation.”

Purple Wing nodded. ”She is a good girl.”

After the family network was set up, the communication between Yun Xiancheng’s wives increased significantly, becoming much better than before.

174 The Emperor is Assassinated

”Let’s go, Princess.”

Yun Xiancheng looked down at the impassioned scene below and spoke to Yao Ye beside him.

”There is nothing left to see in this competition. The priority now is to find out the Izumo Empire’s true plot this time.”

”Mhm.” Princess Yao Ye nodded, her expression becoming solemn. She pondered for a moment, seemingly thinking of something, and said, ”Let’s... go to the Imperial Palace and take a look.”

She looked up at Yun Xiancheng, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

”I’ve thought about it for a while. According to common logic, if the goal is to slap our faces, taking the top spot at the Alchemist Convention is indeed one way. But if they want to cause even greater chaos or even shake the foundation of the state...”

”Only the Imperial Palace could be their true target.”

When Princess Yao Ye voiced this speculation, her heart was actually quite conflicted.

Although this idea sounded a bit like ’filial piety,’ she truly... didn’t have much respect or love for her father sitting on the throne. In her eyes, her father was weak and incompetent.

He had allowed imperial power to slip away, leading to the current state of the Jia Ma Empire where clans ran rampant. In ordinary cities, any family with a bit of influence could act like a local tyrant, and the official prestige of the empire had long since vanished.

What made her even more disdainful was that her father’s own cultivation level was extremely low.

Approaching sixty, he only had the strength of a one-star Dou Wang. In a world where the strong are respected, this was simply unimaginable. And the most important point was... Yao Ye could clearly feel that her father hated her.

He hated that she was a daughter, yet possessed cultivation talent far exceeding that of the Crown Prince. At only twenty-some years old, she was already at the Peak Dou Ling, her brilliance so dazzling that it made the mediocre Crown Prince look pale in comparison.

He hated her for being rebellious and wanting to change things.

Hearing Princess Yao Ye’s somewhat ’treasonous’ speculation, Yun Xiancheng was not surprised and simply nodded calmly.

The two no longer hesitated and immediately set off towards the Jia Ma Empire’s Imperial Palace. Outside the palace, security was tight.

Just as they were about to enter the palace gates, a man dressed in luxurious Crown Prince’s robes, looking to be about thirty years old with a face somewhat similar to Yao Ye’s but with a decadent aura, happened to walk out from the palace.

When he saw Yao Ye, his brow immediately furrowed, and his tone carried a hint of impatience and reproach.

”Yao Ye? Why aren’t you over at the Alchemist Convention maintaining order? What are you doing at the Imperial Palace?”

Then, his gaze fell upon Yun Xiancheng beside Yao Ye. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a warm smile.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Yun Xiancheng and said, ”This must be the Young Sect Master of Yunlan Sect, Lord Yun Xiancheng, right? I have long heard of your great name. Seeing you today, you are indeed as elegant and extraordinary as the rumors say!”

An ambiguous ’I understand’ smile appeared on his face, and he even winked at Yun Xiancheng. ”Perhaps before long, I should change how I address you and call you... brother-in-law?”

Looking at this Crown Prince before him, Yun Xiancheng felt no ripple in his heart; he had no interest in men at all. He simply nodded faintly. ”The Crown Prince may call me whatever he wishes.”

Seeing Yun Xiancheng’s flat reaction, the Crown Prince seemed to feel he was boring himself. He stopped pestering and turned his gaze back to Yao Ye, his eyes looking like he was watching a sister about to be married off.

Being thought of by her own brother as being ’in love’ with Yun Xiancheng, Yao Ye’s pretty face couldn’t help but turn slightly red. However, she quickly suppressed the shyness in her heart and said with a serious expression:

”Brother, I have come this time to discuss with Father the matter of the Izumo Empire’s Poison Masters infiltrating the capital.” Hearing this, the Crown Prince waved his hand dismissively, his tone nonchalant.

”The Alchemist Guild and my Royal Family are merely in a cooperative relationship. The internal affairs of their guild are for them to handle themselves. Yao Ye, aren’t you meddling a bit too much?”

With just this simple exchange, Yun Xiancheng clearly perceived the deep-seated conflict between these two siblings.

The Crown Prince, and likely even the current Emperor, were probably of the ’governance through non-action’ school. If things are rotten, let them be; if the cities are controlled by clans, let them be. As long as life can go on, don’t mess with the bugs.

Princess Yao Ye, on the other hand, clearly harbored ambitions. She longed to revitalize imperial power and change the current awkward situation where the Emperor ’co-ruled’ with sects, guilds, and great families, hoping to achieve true centralization of power.

Mhm, the idea was good, and the ambition was grand.

The only flaw was... her own strength was currently only at the Peak Dou Ling.

In this world, wanting to centralize power was actually very simple—the Emperor’s own strength just needed to be powerful enough to suppress all dissent. ”Brother, you are mistaken!”

Princess Yao Ye was clearly extremely dissatisfied with the Crown Prince’s attitude and retorted with a frown:

”Since those Poison Masters from the Izumo Empire dared to infiltrate our capital, do you really think their target would only be the Alchemist Guild?!” Her tone carried a hint of frustration at his lack of initiative.

”Stop always acting as if it has nothing to do with you! As members of the Jiama Royal Family, we are ultimately the rulers of this empire! We should bear the responsibility of protecting the empire and its people!”

The Crown Prince let out a cold laugh upon hearing this and even gave an unrefined roll of his eyes.

”Enough, enough. Stop trying to put me on a pedestal! And stop trying to shoulder responsibilities that don’t belong to us!”

He said in a cold, detached tone, ”One should only do what their position requires. How much power does our Royal Family even enjoy in this empire? Why should we exhaust ourselves for this mess?!” ”You...!” Yao Ye was so angry at her brother’s cold and heartless words that her whole body trembled!

She reached out and subconsciously leaned on Yun Xiancheng’s shoulder, as if only by doing so could she draw a bit of strength. She shouted angrily at the Crown Prince, ”I can’t be bothered to say more to you! I will go find Father myself and speak with him!”

Having said that, she ignored the Crown Prince’s dark face and, pulling Yun Xiancheng along, walked straight into the Imperial Palace, hurrying towards the study where the Emperor usually handled government affairs.

However, the closer they got to that study, the tighter Yun Xiancheng’s brow furrowed. His keen sense of smell had caught a faint... foul stench.

This smell was definitely not something a normal palace should have. The two arrived outside the doors of the study.

Princess Yao Ye took a deep breath and was about to push the door open.

Yun Xiancheng suddenly reached out and stopped her. He shook his head with a solemn expression.

Then, he slowly raised his hand and used Dou Qi to gently push open the heavy palace doors. The moment the doors opened, an even denser foul stench rushed towards them.

Immediately after, what met their eyes was a... spine-chilling sight—

On the dragon throne that symbolized the supreme imperial power sat a figure wearing bright yellow imperial robes. It was a corpse that had already reached a high state of decomposition.

The skin had long since turned an eerie black-purple, the muscles were withered, and the eye sockets were deeply sunken, emitting a nauseating stench.

This decaying corpse still maintained a sitting posture, with one withered hand tightly gripping an imperial brush. Right until the moment death arrived, he had still been reviewing memorials.

No matter how calm Princess Gu Yue usually was, witnessing the horrifying sight of her father’s tragic death and his transformation into a decaying corpse with her own eyes caused her delicate frame to tremble. She subconsciously hugged Yun Xiancheng tightly, her face filled with terror and a hint of loss.

”It’s okay... it’s okay...” Yun Xiancheng gently patted her back and comforted her softly, ”Calm down, Yao Ye. Didn’t we already expect this kind of situation just now?”

Well, Yun Xiancheng admitted that for this Jia Ma Emperor, whose name never even appeared once in the original work and who could be called a ’super extra,’ his heart truly felt no ripple.