CHAPTER 743 THE XIMEN CLAN

"I didn't expect him to come here..." Priest Dean stood in awkward silence for a little while, as he was

caught off-guard by Sheridan's appearance.

"Master Sheridan, I'm sorry for your loss but you have to calm down." As surprised as he was, the

emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire couldn't help but pacify him. Nobody expected Sheridan to come,

as he was always hidden in seclusion, and it was even more unexpected to see him so stricken by

Basil's death.

"Your Majesty, how did your son become my disciple? He shouldn't have been allowed to fight on that

dangerous border. And now, he's gone..." Sheridan broke down and wailed, unable to choose his

words properly over his grief.

In a different setting, this could've caused Sheridan's death, but this time, the emperor of the Holy

Dragon Empire only shook his head and released a deep sigh. He understood that Sheridan sounded

impolite only because of his great love for Basil.

"Sheridan, I'm sorry for your loss," Lance said as he hurried to Sheridan's side. He laid a comforting

hand on his shoulder and guided him aside.

Sheridan let himself be led away, as he wiped his cheeks dry, but pain and heartbreak were apparent in

his eyes. His shoulders curved inward as if he wanted to sink into himself and away from the world.

Once Sheridan had settled at the side, and everyone settled down, the ceremony was allowed to

continue. Then, an announcement came from the entrance to the tomb, "The chief of the Ji Clan has

come to pay his respects!"

Not long after, a thin and tall man with thick eyebrows and greying hair entered the imperial tomb. He

was at the Divine Stage, and his majestic demeanor was enough to shock everyone present.

It was Elvis, chief of the Ji Clan, and directly behind him stood Allen.

Elvis's appearance destroyed the frayed silence in the imperial tomb, as all at once the people began

to talk.

Although Basil had died protecting the empire, and he was buried with honors by the emperor of the

Holy Dragon Empire, only those in the Imperial City should know about this, as it would take time for

the news to spread throughout the whole Holy Dragon Empire. But Elvis, on behalf of the Ji Clan, went holds © this.

all the way to the Imperial City to pay his last respects.

If it was done by anyone else, no one would've looked twice at him. But since Elvis was the head of the

second strongest spirit manipulator family in the Holy Dragon Empire, only second to the Ximen Clan,

he was regarded as a big shot in the country. Thus, people couldn't help but feel intrigued, and they

wondered why he would exert the effort to come in person. It also reflected well on Basil's reputation,

that someone so remarkable paid homage to him.

Of course, Elvis had another reason to come beside Basil's death, and it was Sabina. He had learned

from Allen that Prince Basil had saved Sabina from Alyssa, who was a master at the Divine Stage. He

couldn't be more grateful to Basil once he had learned that, as Sabina was the future successor of the

Ji Clan, so her safety also affected the future of the Ji Clan. Thus, Basil didn't just save Sabina's life,

but he also saved the Ji Clan.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of the royal members and military officials, the event had grown more

impressive with his appearance. They thought that Basil was even more powerful than they had

imagined because the chief of the second-largest spirit manipulator clan in the Holy Dragon Empire

had come personally to mourn him.

"Your Majesty, Elvis is here!" As Elvis entered the mourning hall, he bowed deeply to the emperor.

"No need for these pleasantries, Elvis. I didn't expect you to come such a long way to mourn Basil," the

emperor remarked. He sounded surprised as well, but he managed to maintain his composure easily.

"Since His Royal Highness died with honors and saved Sabina's life, I should come and pay my

respects. It's a pity that I didn't meet such a young hero!" Elvis said to the emperor with a regretful look

on his face.

After that, he stepped forward and offered some incense. When he was done, he turned and glanced at

Sabina to gauge her reaction to his presence.

But it became clear that she was still mad about what happened between them previously because just

as their eyes met, Sabina quickly looked away as if the very sight of him pained her.

Both he and Allen noticed this, so they placed themselves quite far from Sabina. And as everyone

settled into their places, the ceremony proceeded.

Unexpectedly, shortly after the ceremony started, many famous people of the Holy Dragon Empire

came one after another to mourn Basil. Many of them were chiefs of mediocre spirit manipulator clans,

while some were renowned families and rich people of the empire. Although most of them didn't know

Basil, they had heard of Rocky Bai, who fought valiantly in Evian City. His various achievements had

also made a stir everywhere in the empire. And now that they knew Rocky Bai's true identity as Prince

Basil, they came to mourn him with respect.

The ceremony, which was supposed to be short, lasted until dusk because so many people gathered to

pay tribute.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lance, who hadn't approached the coffin until then, now sat in

front of it. He lit three incense sticks and raised them above his head. Then, he did something

unexpected. Lance, one of the Three Great Generals of the Holy Dragon Empire, knelt in front of the

coffin.

"Father!" Isis cried out, moved and surprised by her father's heartfelt gesture. She didn't say anything

else though, as silent tears ran down her cheeks, and she trained her eyes on the floor once again.

Of course, everyone present was shocked by Lance's action. He was a person with high authority, and

the fact that he knelt down was a great courtesy even for Prince Basil.

"General Lance, why are you doing this?" The emperor's face looked confused but awed at the rare

sight before him.

"His Royal Highness risked his life to defend the Crimson Dragon Group repeatedly, and if it wasn't for

him, the Crimson Dragon Group would be in trouble now. What he did for the Crimson Dragon Group is

beyond my imagination! I admire his daring and courage! He was the hero of the Crimson Dragon

Group and my benefactor. My kneeling speaks for my immeasurable gratitude for everything His Royal

Highness has done," said Lance, his voice firm and passionate.

The people who heard his declaration whispered to each other in excitement and awe.

And even the emperor was rendered speechless by Lance's devotion.

It seemed that Lance's unexpected words and gesture moved all those who were listening. But

suddenly, just before the end of the ceremony, a voice came from the outside of the imperial tomb,

"The chief of the Ximen Clan and Miss Shirley are here to pay tribute..."

The voice immediately attracted everyone's attention. Their heads swiveled with one mind to the

entrance at the same time.

There, they saw two figures enter the imperial tomb. One of them was a tall man with sharp eyebrows

and grey hair, and he seemed full of energy and vigor, and his power was at the Immortal Stage. It was

Bryant, and following closely behind him was Shirley.

For over a year, she seemed to have grown a lot, and she was now close to the Heavenly Stage,

probably with the help of several treasures of heaven and earth. She gave off an impression of maturity

and beauty that could even rival Marcia, and with her inherent pride, she stood out above all the other

ladies.

Bryant and Shirley's appearance brought silence to the whole imperial tomb.