‘’So it will be.’’ The old man nodded. ‘’Then get him into Zhu family’s registry.’’

‘’I am working on it.’’

‘’Good.’’ The Imperial Ancestor looked at Li Ao. ‘’Are you willing to trade your Divine Art with the Two-Fold sect?’’

Li Ao shook his head.

‘’Nothing I can help?’’

Frowning at Li Ao’s silence, the Imperial Ancestor turned his head away.

‘’For Miss Fan’s sake, try not to be so difficult.’’

He was too high-profile. That, Li Ao understood. Fan Yueyin had given him a summary of the talks between several families and the Two-Fold sect upon the high seats.

Still, it didn’t truly matter. He didn’t have a long time left.

‘’Thank you your highness for your guidance.’’

‘’Hm. Zhu child, the message.’’

Zhu Qiu nodded.

‘’Excuse me—’’

Li Ao rose to his feet and came to stand behind Zhu Qiu’s crouched back. Red Qi gathered around his fingers like a blade.

With a swing, he cut Zhu Qiu’s long hair. Every few swings, patches of hair floated to the ground in bundles.

In a few minutes Zhu Qiu’s head went bald. Behind his head, at the intersection between neck and skull, laid a small wound the size of a fingernail. It had a few cracks around the entrance.

Li Ao put two fingers around it, then with a bump of Zhu Qiu’s Qi caught the emerging capsule.

It was an infinitely small jade slip. Blood poured out of the wound like a waterfall.

With a hand, he took out a jade box and applied a salve from it. With the other, he pressed on Zhu Qiu’s left chest to help him circulate.

The jade slip flew over to the Imperial Ancestor by itself.

As his divine sense went inside, The Imperial Ancestor's expression changed.

It took him a few moments to gather himself. Then, with a wave of his hand two pairs of pills appeared in front of them.

Making quick use of his week’s worth of lessons, Li Ao recognized them both.

One was a 7-th grade Core Formation pill. It could help someone increase the chance to form their core by %20, or increase the quality of their core to Silver when they were forming.

It could be priced around fifty high-grade Spirit Stones, or five thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Unlike other 7-th grade pills, it was harder to concoct, and even harder to access with just money.

The other pill was a 6-th grade Constitution Pill. It could only be made by a Grandmaster Alchemist. Just the materials of it cost around a hundred high-grade spirit stones.

This pill could heal hidden injuries, reinforce meridians and veins, and cleanse the dantian.

In short, it was a miracle pill that could develop your latent potential.

Li Ao wasn’t very excited for both pills.

After all, he was a young master of the Li family.

His current latent potential was already awakened by dozens of 6-th and 7-th grade pills in his youth.

At this point only those of 5-th grade and higher could help him in some way. Even Li family would be hard-pressed to find them for their most exemplary members.

As for the Core Formation Pill, there was nothing else to say. It could be useful, but nothing super helpful.

Still, the transactional value of both pills made them amazing gifts.

‘’Thank you, your highness!’’

‘’Thank you, your highness!’’

The Imperial Ancestor shook his hand, and the long gates flew open.

‘’You are excused.’’

The duo bowed again, then left towards the corridor. Bai Chengyun, the imperial relative, received them with a warm smile on his face and led them out of the complicated pathways.

Noticing Li Ao’s silence, Zhu Qiu knocked his shoulder. ‘’What happened?’’

Li Ao, his face a scowl, muttered.

‘’He warned me to not cause trouble in the awarding ceremony.’’

Bai Chengyun burst out laughing.

‘’You are indeed impressive at wreaking havoc, little Liao.’’

‘’Please don’t spoil him, your highness. He doesn’t deserve such lavish praise.’’

Li Ao wanted to kick Zhu Qiu’s kneecaps, but there were a dozen guards around them.

Of course, he couldn’t shame his elder cousin in front of these people.

Bearing the urge, they walked fifteen minutes inside the huge palace to reach an open space.

A hubbub of talk and cheering, there were at least two thousand people within the long hall. There were seven layers of seats, each layer carved onto the walls, and at the end was a long golden platform for the Imperial Ancestor to sit at.

Below it were eleven seats, and the rest of them spread around in a U shape. Chandeliers cast bright white and gold lights over the hustling crowd. A few people greeted them at the start, mainly for Bai Chengyun.

Parting ways with Zhu Qiu and Bai Chengyun, Li Ao rushed to Fan Yueyin and the others’ side. He took a seat between Sun Jian and Qing Yan.

Fan Yueyin, to Sun Jian’s right, gave him a serene look.

‘’How did it go?’’

Li Ao bowed to his master. ‘’I refused.’’

‘’Alright.’’

Sun Jian and Qing Yan cast a weird glance at the duo.

‘’Junior brother...’’

‘’Yes?’’

Sun Jian’s frown seemed reluctant. ‘’...is it decided yet?’’

‘’Talk about it later.’’ Fan Yueyin said from their right. ‘’In a suitable place.’’

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As she said so, Fan Yueyin cast a look at Li Ao’s blank gaze. He seemed to be looking at the air, unfocused.

The crowd’s movements didn’t stop until an hour later.

The Imperial Ancestor materialized in front of the platform, then with a cough silenced the wide hall.

The judge of the competition appeared beside him like a shadow.

With his hand seal, the lights turned dim. Only the stairs leading to the platform, as well as the judge remained under the light.

‘’First, let me welcome and congratulate those who participated and their immediate family members...’’

Again, he spoke and spoke for a whole ten minutes before someone coughed in the crowd.

Li Ao, recognizing the sound, saw Jie Mentai crossing her arms. She had cut her hair short, only shoulder-length.

The judge ended his conversation right there and furled a list.

‘’For the first segment— winners of the fighting competition! Let us welcome the top four!’’

‘’Yun Fanghe of Two-Fold Sect!’’

‘’Zhen Zedong of Two-Fold Sect!’’

‘’Jie Mentai of Northern Gates Sect!’’

‘’Xu Liao of Zhu Noble Family!’’

Step by step, each of them leaped onto the ground and stood side by side. Li Ao nodded at Zhen Zedong and Yun Fanghe.

Jie Mentai had a...peculiar gaze on him, and pulled his sleeve twice.

‘’Yo, have some time after this?’’

‘’...what do you need?’’

As the duo talked and walked, however, the crowd was in an uproar.

Most noble families, more so those of Northern origin turned around in fright.

‘’He was from the Zhu family?’’

‘’Is there any subsidiary of Zhu family surnamed Xu?’’

‘’No—there is none. What about Xu family of Northwest?’’

‘’Is he an illegitimate child?’’

Then there were some more talks about Jie Mentai, but those sharp enough knew beforehand of the Sealing Arts of Northern Gates sect.

The Northern Gates sect was one of the pillars of the Northern Border. They sealed Great Demons numbering dozens within their Sect Dungeons.

Her method of sealing her cultivation base was a signature move of the sect.

As the four of them reached the bottom of the stairs, they cupped their hands and bowed at the Imperial Ancestor.

The old man nodded, looking dignified, and waved his hand. Two orbs of light descended in front of Heaven's Children.

‘’Third and Fourth place, Zhen Zedong and Yun Fanghe! As talented youngsters of their generation, wielding majestic strength and will, as such their rewards shall be this; Five thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, one thousand Spirit Cows, Spirit Bulls, Spirit Chickens, Spirit Roosters, two hundred pieces of meteorite iron, one hundred pieces of Spirit Pearls, thirty pills of 8-th grade, one spiritual tool, and a deed for twenty acres of land within the Northern Border!’’

The crowd was stunned.

The children were stunned.

Even the judge, as he read, scowled and heaved.

Fan Yueyin’s, as well as some other grandmasters’ eyes lit up.

Within the orb of light, everyone could see a bag of holding. The two Heaven’s Children received them while kneeling, then took a few steps back in gratitude.

Smiling, the Imperial Ancestor waved his hand. Another orb of light shot to Jie Mentai. The girl received it with a glistening spark on her eyes.

The judge stammered as he began reading.

‘’Second place, Jie Mentai! As a woman of immense strength, wit, skill, and cool headedness, and as one of the leading figures of her generation, her rewards will be as such; Ten thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones, two thousand Spirit Cows, Spirit Bulls, Spirit Chickens, Spirit Roosters, five hundred pieces of meteorite iron, two hundred pieces of Spirit Pearls, fifty pills of 8-th grade, ten pills of 7-th grade, two spiritual tools, and a deed for thirty acres of land within the Northern Border!’’

The girl almost squealed as she hugged the spatial bag. She bowed three times, then shot out of sight to some middle-aged woman’s side to cradle her rewards.

Li Ao’s cheeks twitched as he came forward and bowed.

‘What will it be with me, now?’

‘How did I manage to become so rich!?’

His heart beating, Li Ao saw another ball of light appear in front of his face.

He grasped it and sent his Divine Sense as the judge read.

‘’Champion of the Fighting Segment, Xu Liao! As the spearhead of the current generation, excelling in everything and lacking in nothing, his rewards shall be as such; two-hundred high-grade spirit stones, five thousand Spirit Cows, Spirit Bulls, Spirit Chickens, Spirit Roosters, one thousand pieces of meteorite iron, three hundred pieces of Spirit Pearls, one hundred pills of 8-th grade, thirty pills of 7-th grade...’’

The crowd fell silent.

The Judge, sweat drenching his beard, coughed.

Raising the scroll again, he read with wide eyes.

‘’...three spiritual tools, a deed for fifty acres of land within any unclaimed territory...and...’’

‘’...’’

People held back their curses at his second interruption.

‘’And...immunity to Imperial Edicts for him and his descendants!’’

For one moment, only the judge’s heaved breaths sounded.

The next moment, as if a bomb exploded, people turned to screeching.

‘’Immunity to edicts!?’’

‘’Not even Imperials are immune to their edicts! How is that possible!?’’

‘’What does this mean? Is the Imperial Court preparing to take him in as a consort!?’’

Imperial Edicts weren’t just parchments.

They were a sign of Bai Family’s supremacy, and a show of their strength.

And they also served as the means through which they deployed their authority.

Moreover, it also was a symbol of their relationship with the Six-fold Immortal Sect!

Anyone immune to edicts could already be considered the most free man or woman in the wide world!

By itself, it was a reward greater than any land.

But it also included his descendants.

That, to anyone with a few iq points, smelled like conspiracy.

It took a few minutes for the crowd to calm down, but questions remained, and eyes turned to the calm Fan Yueyin and other grandmasters seated around.

From their expressions, it was evident this was a discussed matter.

But the omitted details made it hard to bear further.

Returning to his seat, Li Ao hung the bag near his belt.

He already had two other spatial equipment within his spatial ring. At its level, the ring couldn’t contain any more spatial equipment without exploding in itself.

Under the feverish gazes around him, Li Ao sat down. Now Sun Jian rose among them and walked forward with a stern gaze.

Qing Yan, in the end, failed to enter the top four.

Her eyes straight, she suddenly squeezed his hand while watching Sun Jian’s solemn silhouette.

The conversation around him died as the judge’s loud voice proclaimed the rewards of the fellows on the stairs. Gasps and shouts still were there, but in Li Ao’s ears they sounded like a buzz.

He watched Yun Fanghe, Su Jingpei, Ren Shuren receive their rewards, but only recognized Sun Jian’s look.

He saw Sun Jian cast him a sidelong smile, and Li Ao smiled by himself. He put a hand on Qing Yan’s relaxed hand.

She nodded, then let go.

Li Ao glanced at her hooded figure, then around him.

He saw Chen Ping, his first opponent, in a corner, sitting by himself. He saw Jie Mentai talking with the middle-aged woman by her side, smiling like a child.

He saw Zhen Zedong and other heaven’s children beside Elder Wu, various gazes on Yun Fanghe’s graceful figure. He saw others in the formation segment, then the few alchemists that he took note of around the seats.

He saw Sun Zhongyan, Qin Tangshou, and Xin Xiayou sitting near each other, bickering and waving hands. He saw Lei Jin sitting with his family and, noticing him, wave a hand.

He saw Pu Shu and others, and he saw Bai Chengyun mingling with some officials, all in smiles.

He saw Zhu Qiu sitting behind them, eyes closed, arms crossed, resting. He seemed pale, with no hair on his head and a thick beard on his face. Only his heaving chest pointed at him being alive.

Turning around, eyes dim, Li Ao saw the brooding Fan Yueyin.

He saw her as she always was; her hair in a bun, wearing a black leather armor over a dark purple robe...one fist under her chin, the other hand loose, an indifferent look on her face.

On her right arm, a bracelet, an armband, and a ring. Under the dim lights, they seemed to sparkle.

He watched the rising edges of her lips as Sun Jian received his reward.

In the end, Li Ao looked down.

He saw a blinking notification occupying his face.

*Delivered the message of the Zhu Clan to the Imperial Ancestor of Bai Dynasty*

*Mission Accomplished, consult your superior for post-mision clean-up*

‘Xu’ Li Ao closed his eyes.

He sighed.

‘’Xu Liao!’’

As the judge announced 'his' name again, Li Ao stood up.