“This is a saber technique, isn’t it? This is a saber technique disguised as a sword.” Tianyi felt a vein throbbing on his head as he practiced the One Clawed Dragon Sword Arts. “Did the Dragon Emperor create this to hoodwink sword wielders to switch to the saber!?”
Still, although it had hints of saber techniques under the sword strikes, this was still a bonafide sword art, just that it incorporated some saber concepts. Thus the slashes of the One Clawed Dragon Sword Art were particularly powerful.
Alternating practice between the One Clawed Dragon Sword Art, Heaven Suppressing Palm Arts, Heartless Sword Art, Tianyi practiced them all. Within a few days to a few weeks, he had already entered the beginner stage in all of them.
Mastery of techniques was divided into several stages: beginner, intermediate, advanced, master, and grandmaster. Beginner and intermediate allowed one to use the techniques in battle, but it was only during the advanced stage that one could understand the concept behind the technique. The master stage allowed the user to fully display the technique's full might and modify it to suit the user. Grandmaster meant completely understanding the concept behind the technique even more than the original creator, allowing the user to improve it or taking the advantages while discarding the disadvantages.
But the time he spent most on was his self-created unnamed hand art.
His mother had said that his talent in the sword was decent, but his talent in hand arts was the highest she had ever seen, and since then, whenever Tianyi learned any arts or technique, he would try to incorporate the concepts into his self-created hand arts. As for why no one knew he was most talented in hand arts? It was simply because Tianyi wanted to hide it away and then one day reveal it to shock the world.
In other words, he wanted to act cool.
Thus Tianyi continued his leisurely days. Sometimes he would train his martial arts, do some martial cultivation, cultivate tribulation essence into his spiritual qi, and practice his Three Pure True Self Visualization Technique. When he was bored, he would even walk around the sect or even go pick some weird techniques in the Immortal Scripture Repository for fun.
However, today was destined to be different because Xi Mengfei came to look for Tianyi. Aside from the time Tianyi visited her, the number of times Mengfei came to look for Tianyi could be counted on one’s hand, and thus Tianyi was naturally confused as to why his mother sought him out.
“Mother?” Tianyi said.
Seeing Tianyi’s serious look, Mengfei felt a strange sense of disappointment that was unknown to her. Naturally, she didn’t show it, and her face was the same as always, expressionless. “Yi’er, the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony will start soon.”
Tianyi nodded. Every ten years, the Buzhou Immortal Sect will open its doors to the world to accept disciples. The age of the disciple had to be fifteen or lower. If they were too old, they would have missed the most opportune time to be cultivating, and their future potential will be diminished. Naturally, if a mortal with heaven-defying talent appeared, accepting him was not out of the question, even if he was a bit old.
“This time, my Emperor-Brother has sent word to me that there are some promising seedlings in the Xi Dynasty. I haven’t visited Emperor-brother in a while, so I will be traveling there. Do you want to go with me?” Mengfei asked.
As your child, shouldn’t you decide for me? I’m not even twelve yet, yet you’re asking me like an adult. Do you think you’re raising a mini adult? Wait, I am an adult inside. Tianyi nodded. Although he had just returned from the Fleeting Mist Sect not long ago, Tianyi was exceptionally excited about leaving the sect. He was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so he was only able to leave the sect to temper himself after reaching the Core Formation Realm. “Yes, I haven’t been to mother's birthplace yet. I’m very interested.”
Mengfei nodded as she produced an immortal boat Artifact and brought Tianyi onto it. The boat was the size of a small yacht and had a grand decoration along with a phoenix at the helm with no sails giving an aura of otherworldly elegance and grandeur.
“Mother, we’re leaving now?” Tianyi said, surprised at the speed that they were leaving the sect.
“Mmmm, I haven’t visited Emperor-Brother in a while, your Emperor-Uncle. So I want to spend a few days before returning. But the distance is quite far, and the journey will take a while since I have to take Yi’er.”
Tianyi twitched. Are you calling me a burden? Fine, if you fly on your sword, naturally, you will be able to fly faster, and I can’t stand the speed of an immortal yet.
Thus Tianyi silently cultivated along the way. Although Mengfei said it would take a while with Tianyi, the journey was actually much shorter than the one he had with Elder Shan.
“Mother, what kind of person is uncle?” Tianyi asked when he was resting from cultivating.
Mengfei, who was cultivating with her eyes shut, opened them and looked at Tianyi, showing no displeasure at having her cultivation interrupted. “Call him Emperor-Uncle. He is still an emperor of the Xi Dynasty. As for what kind of person your Emperor-uncle is... the best word to describe him is magnanimous.”
Mengfei gained a faraway look in her eyes as if recollecting long-forgotten memories. “Even when I was an unfavored princess, unloved by my Emperor-Father and disdained by my Consort-Mother, Emperor-Brother showed me more respect than my pure-blooded brother. Had it not been for Emperor-Brother, I would have perhaps died long ago.”
“Although Emperor-brother was kind and generous, he was ruthless when the situation called for it. He had great foresight and is a great emperor for the people. That’s why when I gained power, I supported Emperor-brother onto the throne instead of my full-blooded brother.”
Tianyi nodded. It was said that the imperial family was the most heartless in the world. Although this Emperor-Uncle of his may not have love for his mother, he showed more concern and respect than anyone else. “What about the Xi Dynasty? At the sect, I have never heard of any empires having first-rate powers.”
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“That’s because the talent pool is too limited. The imperial family will keep the best resources for themselves and further their bloodline, but this causes a big dip in the overall potential of the nation. Thus their overall power is actually weaker than of most sects who choose disciples from everywhere. At most, they will be a second-rate power.” Mengfei said.
Tianyi nodded and continued to ask more questions.
Soon the immortal boat arrived at a city that resembled the capital of the Pan Kingdom, only far more prosperous. Just the sheer number of people Tianyi could see with his eyes was shocking. It was even comparable to the metropolises Tianyi had seen in his previous life. He could see cultivators flying on their Artifacts and even mortals running street stalls.
The immortal boat ignored the city walls and flew directly past them and into the inner city where a second wall had been constructed. There, a grand palace could be seen. Tianyi was nearly shocked silly at the sight of the greeting team. Over a hundred people were in front of the imperial palace gates of the Xi Dynasty.
In the center was a middle-aged man with a majestic aura around him, like he was the master of the world, and next to him was a few women of elegant temperament. Their looks ranged from plain to extremely beautiful, and their ages varied from those who looked to be in their late twenties to even over their forties, but Tianyi could sense some qi fluctuations from them. They were cultivators, and their physical appearances were often deceiving.
He saw a few younger men and women wearing imperial robes, but younger was relative to the former group as some of them looked even older than his mother. They, too, had an unordinary aura that set them apart from the common mass.
Even in the sect, there weren’t many people with this type of aura. I guess those who grew up as imperial royalty do have a different air to them.
Beside the imperial family were the hundred officials, all of them wore the official ceremonial court robes that would be worn outside of celebrations. Like the imperial family, they all had cultivation bases, but they all ranged from Qi Gathering to Foundation Establishment Realm. Tianyi could only less than four that had Core Formation cultivation bases.
“Greetings to the Supreme Sword Empress Xi!!!”
All of them, without fail, kneeled the moment Mengfei and Tianyi stepped out of the immortal boat and kowtowed. Tianyi felt goosebumps at extreme deference the greeting team showed. Although his mother was the Grand Elder of the Buzhou Immortal Sect, Tianyi had never seen anyone bow to his mother like that. Mostly because his mother hardly left Jade Peak, but still. And when he went to the Fleeting Mist Sect, although the members were respectful, they were not this worshipful as the members of the Great Xi Dynasty to his mother.
Tianyi glanced at his mother only to see her expressionless as if this was the most natural thing in the world. Tianyi took a look back at the greeting team, his Emperor-Uncle bowing with no shame and foregoing even the legendary pride of an emperor.
It was only at this moment that Tianyi understood the worship given to those of power, like his mother. It was alluring to have so many people bow before him. Even though Tianyi knew they were giving deference to his mother, he still felt that his ego had been stroked. It was like something had clicked inside Tianyi’s head, but it was ephemeral, and he couldn’t quite grasp it.
“Emperor-Brother quickly rise.” Mengfei waved her sleeve, and the emperor was forced up into a standing position by an unknown force.
“Hahaha, Younger Sister, you are an Immortal expert after all and a Grand Elder of the Buzhou Immortal Sect. This is the minimum requirement to receive someone of your status. We originally wanted to greet Younger Sister from the outer city gates and then have a parade into the palace.” The Xi Emperor saw the flash of displeasure flash in Mengfei’s eyes and quickly added. “Of course, knowing Younger Sister’s preference, we arranged for this greeting. Come in. We have prepared a banquet for Younger Sister’s arrival!”
The officials and imperial family opened up a pathway as the Xi Emperor led Mengfei and Tianyi into the palace. As for the immortal boat, it had already been stored away the moment Mengfei and Tianyi stepped onto the ground. Naturally, the Xi Emperor didn’t directly lead Mengfei and Tianyi into the banquet hall by foot. Instead, they flew to the banquet hall on a flying treasure that resembled a palanquin.
“This must be Nephew Tianyi.” The Xi Emperor said as he smiled amiably at Tianyi, greatly reigning in his Nascent Soul cultivation pressure and majesty so that Tianyi wouldn’t be affected.
Tianyi cupped his fist towards his Emperor-Uncle. “Emperor-Uncle, I finally met you today. Mother has told me a lot about you.”
The Xi Emperor smiled as he heard Tianyi’s words. There was no hint of condescension or superiority in the emperor’s action, and he acted like an ordinary kind elder towards Tianyi. “We hope there were mostly good words.”
Tianyi laughed. “Mother said you were a good emperor and that it is the common people’s luck for you to be emperor.”
The Xi Emperor laughed at the praise. If it were anyone else, he would have thought the compliment was a calculated move to gain his favor but coming from Tianyi, who didn’t need anything from him, he took it as a compliment purely from the heart and as a compliment from his younger sister.
Very soon, they arrived at the banquet hall that was constructed nearly all from white jade and gilded with gold. The walls were decorated with relief sculptures of dragons, phoenixes, and Immortals, and the pillars holding up the ceiling had dragons coiling around them. Tianyi’s eyes brightened at the grandiose display as it was very much to his taste.
Xi Mengfei sat at the highest level on the right of the emperor with Tianyi on her right. And the empress was sitting on the left of the emperor. As for his consorts and children, they sat a level lower. And below them were the officials of the fourth rank and above as well as their family members. Those of the lower ranks did not have the qualifications to attend this welcoming banquet.
After a few words from the emperor and a few noncommittal words from Mengfei, the banquet began.
Tianyi observed the reverent and worshipful tones that the empress and a few imperial consorts used to speak to his mother. It was an incredibly disconnected way of talking, Mengfei by nature, was one of few words, and the only reason she was sitting at the banquet was to give her brother face and some ingrained etiquette taught to her during her youth.
The imperial women had to deliberate all the words they spoke in fear of displeasing Mengfei since she could wipe the Great Xi Empire with a flick of her finger. It wouldn't reach that point, but if they displeased Mengfei, then they would lose the emperor's favor. So while trying to make Mengfei feel welcomed, they had to revise their words at least thrice before speaking. Tianyi, on the other hand, was far more relaxed as he observed the attendees.
“Nephew Tianyi, that’s my third son Xi Yao. And that is my fifth son Xi Qi, My sixth son Xi Chen,” One by one, the Xi Emperor introduced his children to Tianyi before finally stopping at the youngest, who looked to be only a few years older than Tianyi himself. “And that’s our ninth son Xi Ri. Although our third son is in the Core Formation Realm, he is already over three hundred years old. But our youngest, although only at the Qi Gathering Realm, has a Heavenly Fire Spiritual Vein, and his potential is near limitless.”
Tianyi nodded in agreement. This must be the person that mother will bring back to the sect.
By chance, Tianyi’s eyes connected with Xi Ri’s, Tianyi raised a cup, and Xi Ri raised his cup of wine with both hands before drinking it. His actions were neither arrogant nor needlessly lowering his position giving one a pleasant impression of him.