Before long, the audience’s voices had died down, and the only one who remained on the rings was Ou Yangming.
The much-acclaimed Martial Arts Battle had been reduced into a joke throughout the Myriad Treasure Meet.
Sure, some had still used the rings to settle their disputes, but by the end of the event, the only one who was qualified to stand in the rings was only one person.
Even the boldest of fools would think twice before standing in the ring, as they would no doubt incite the wrath of the masses.
Nevertheless, while perched high above on the ring, Ou Yangming’s expression had remained relatively neutral as he observed the incoming elders.
As for the audience below the ring, they observed Ou Yangming with much excitement. After all, they could vaguely sense that he was humanity’s new star!
Chapter 319 - The Five Imperial Elders
Chapter 319 The Five Imperial Elders
Wu Xuanji, Wu Xuanzhuo, Wu Xuanzhen, Wu Hongliang, and Wu Hongshen.
The Five Imperial Elders were the five renowned Supreme Great Ancestors in the world. Any of them could represent the imperial family and could stir up a situation anywhere.
Although the Myriad Treasure Meet was held by the imperial family, for many generations, only one Extreme Grade powerhouse would be sent by the imperial family to the venue at the end of the meet. It was unprecedented that five Extreme Grade powerhouses from the imperial family showed up at the same time.
The crowd looked at Ou Yangming enviously.
They understood that the young fellow would certainly receive the finest treatment from the aristocrats for having developed a batch of Supreme Great Ancestors. Nonetheless, it was a rare honor for the Five Imperial Elders to appear together.
The elder who led the way was Wu Xuanji, who was known as the number one Extreme Grade powerhouse in the imperial family. He was slightly white-haired, and he gave off a dignified momentum when he walked with his back straight and with majestic strides.
The graceful and distinguished bearing of the imperial family was perfectly displayed by the elders.
As they slowly walked to the center of the square, the guards around them dispersed. Wu Xuanji waved his hand at Ou Yangming, who was the only person in the ring. “Lil’ Friend Ou, please come to have a chat with
us.”
The crowd clamored because of the deferential treatment that was given to Ou Yangming when Wu Xuanji called out to him in public.
Nevertheless, on second thought, Ou Yangming had indeed contributed to the birth of 26 Supreme Great Ancestors. Besides, nobody knew how many more Extreme Grade powerhouses would be helped by him in the future.
Therefore, it would not be strange no matter how friendly the imperial family was to a figure like him.
Ou Yangming bowed at Wu Xuanji from a distance away. The Supreme Great Ancestor was not His Majesty, but the young fellow knew that the imperial family’s great elder was a top-notch being, who was only second to the emperor.
He took powerful strides to the center of the square.
Wu Xuanji nodded and noted, “The Humans are blessed to have you participating in this Myriad Treasure Meet, Lil’ Friend.”
Ou Yangming quickly replied to him, “Senior, you’re overpraising me.”
Regardless of his glorious achievements, he had to keep a low profile and must not be arrogant.
“You deserve it!” Wu Xuanji chuckled and commented, then he turned toward the crowd and said out loud, “I hereby announce that the Yi Pavilion earns the highest prestige in this year’s Myriad Treasure Meet. Brother Bai, are you here?”
His voice spread far and wide so not only the people from the crowd, but everyone in the area heard him.
A hoarse voice was heard. “Thank you, Great Elder!”
Nobody knew where Bai Cangling had been hiding, but he suddenly came out of nowhere and arrived at the center of the square.
The Extreme Grade powerhouse narrowed his eyes so much that they were almost not visible.
Even though the Yi Pavilion was one of the great forces in the Wu Dynasty, they did not seem to have the upper hand against the other superb aristocratic families and their competitors.
They had gained remarkable prestige in the past Myriad Treasure Meets, but they always failed to clinch the first place. This time, Bai Cangling could finally stand at the center on behalf of the Yi Pavilion, where he received the long-desired glory. Wu Xuanji nodded and continued to announce, “The second place goes to Secret Realm Sect. Brother Fei, are you here?”
“Great Elder, I’m here.” A faint voice was heard as a thin elder made his way to the center of the square. He seemed to be walking slowly but was actually fast.
Ou Yangming was moved. Secret Realm Sect was an extremely unique force as it was between being a merchant and being an aristocratic family. On the first day of the Myriad Treasure Meet, he even had a conflict with a martial artist from that sect.
Fei Daming-a Supreme Great Ancestor-was one of the people leading the Secret Realm.
Though it could not be mentioned on equal terms with the imperial family, it must not be underestimated at all.
Bai Cangling smiled brighter than before. “Brother Fei, congratulations!”
Fei Daming scoffed and said, “Brother Bai, you’re incredibly lucky!”
“Brother Fei, why do you say so?” Bai Cangling asked while stroking his beard.
He pretended as though he had not gained anything. Fei Daming’s face darkened as a result, but instead of replying to Bai Cangling, he cupped his hands at Ou Yangming and apologized, “Master Ou, I’m sorry.”
Ou Yangming was stunned. “What?”
“My son wasn’t aware of your background, so he offended you during the Myriad Treasure Meet,” Fei Daming responded in a deep voice. He later brushed his hand across his waist and retrieved a jade porcelain bottle. “This is a Spirit-connecting Pill, which can assist you in mental power cultivation as it has unmatched wonderful effects. If you’re able to forgive me, please accept it, Master Ou.”
Wu Xuanji and the other people kept a straight face, but their hearts skipped a beat.
The Spirit-connecting Pill was a treasure that even the imperial family could not present. It was clear that Fei Daming did not offer the item just to resolve the grudge; he was certainly going to move up the ladder once Ou Yangming accepted it.
Bai Cangling was hesitant but decided not to stop Ou Yangming because he knew better than anyone else how precious the Spirit-connecting Pill was.
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“The Myriad Treasure Meet is meant to let participants strive for prestige, so it’s normal for one to use different means. Senior, you’re being too polite.” Ou Yangming’s face changed, and he waved his hand. “I can’t accept such a valuable item.”
He did not know much about medicine, but the words Spirit-connecting Pill resounded in his ears.
It was recorded in the Ni family’s inheritance that the pill was not from this world, or perhaps it was exceedingly tough to refine the pill in this world.
The existing Spirit-connecting Pills were acquired from beyond the world by past generations, and it was not recorded in detail in ancient books how the treasure could be obtained. Even so, the fact that it was gained from outside the world proved how precious it was.
Perhaps the Secret Realm genuinely wanted to offer an apology. After all, it was quite shocking that 26 Supreme Great Ancestors were born.
As long as Fei Daming had normal to high IQ, he would mend the Secret Realm’s relationship with Ou Yangming at all costs. Despite that, there was only an argument between them because of their respective forces.
If a Spirit-connecting Pill was needed to make up for the enmity, it would be too unbelievable.
“Master Ou, apart from increasing one’s mental power, the pill has another function.” Fei Daming chuckled and continued after a short pause, “If an elder consumes this pill, he or she will gain good health and longevity.”
/> Ou Yangming’s face changed, and he looked deeply at the man. Fei Daming kept a friendly smile on his face. The young fellow later sighed. He did not want to accept the item at first, but Fei Daming’s words hit his soft spot.
Even if it was for Old Craftsman, he could not miss the pill.
Ou Yangming reached out to accept the jade porcelain bottle, then he thanked the great ancestor seriously, “Thank you, Senior Fei.”
“Master Ou, you’re most welcome.” Fei Daming waved his hand and smiled, then he added after a pause, “This Spirit-connecting Pill is just a gift from us to make amends. When I visit you in the future, I’ll definitely prepare some modest gifts.” “I look forward to welcoming you.” Ou Yangming nodded after some thought. Since Fei Daming paid such a huge price, Ou Yangming was naturally going to let the elder visit him. Moreover, the young fellow did not mind grooming a Supreme Great Ancestor for the Secret Realm. “Brother Fei, are you satisfied now?” Bai Cangling scoffed.
“I was able to get Master Ou’s forgiveness so of course, I’m satisfied,” Fei Daming responded casually, then he smiled faintly at Bai Cangling and asked, “Brother Bai, are you not content?”
Bai Cangling was startled, and he answered with a false smile, “Content! Of course, I’m content! The Yi Pavilion’s ranked first for prestige, so how could I not be content?”
Fei Daming twitched his mouth without saying a word. When Ou Yangming watched them from aside, he figured that the two Supreme Great Ancestors held grudges against each other, or they would not oppose one another.
In any case, Ou Yangming was still with the Yi Pavilion.
On the other hand, Wu Xuanji shook his head. His voice continued to echo in the square as he announced the top ten forces of the Myriad Treasure Meet.
Ou Yangming was surprised to hear that the He family from Linlang County was part of the top ten forces, and He Hanyang was the one who came to the center of the square. The He family’s Supreme Great Ancestor had a smile on his face, and he did not treat the young fellow with an unusual attitude as there were no unpleasant affairs between them.
The top ten forces of the Myriad Treasure Meet would be given certain authorities and huge benefits.
Needless to say, they had nothing to do with Ou Yangming. At last, when Wu Xuanju declared that Ou Yangming was the victor of the Martial Arts Battle at the Myriad Treasure Meet this year, the square was filled with rumbling cheers.
Although the crowd did not observe tragic life-or-death fights, they were pleased to have witnessed the birth of more than 20 Supreme Great Ancestors.
As for the people who challenged Ou Yangming… When more than 30 powerhouses at the peak of Yang Grade Class Five went up to the ring at the same time, nobody dared to challenge him anymore. After all, offending Ou Yangming would mean offending those powerhouses and their respective forces. Even Zuoqiu Hongyuan and Wu Hanning withdrew themselves and left, let alone the other people.
Once Wu Xuanji was done making his announcement methodically, he turned to ask, “Ll’ Friend Ou, His Majesty would like to meet you. What do you think?”
“His Majesty the Emperor?” Ou Yangming raised his eyebrows as he was surprised.
“That’s right.”
Ou Yangming had a strange look on his face. It was then that he finally realized that his status had indeed become completely different from before.
Back then, he would have to go through strict selection to present himself before His Majesty the Emperor; now, the emperor had to send the imperial family’s great elder to ask for his opinion.
The difference between both cases was unbelievable.
Ou Yangming inhaled deeply, and his eyes glowed. “It’s my honor to be able to have an audience with His Majesty.”
“Very well.” Wu Xuanji and the four other elders exchanged glances. They were very pleased with Ou Yangming’s attitude.
“Lil’ Friend Ou, Hanning will bring you to the palace later. We’ll be making a move first.”
With that, the Five Imperial Elders left with smiles. When Ou Yangming turned to look, he was greeted with a black scarf, which made his heart beat.
In the crowd, Bai Shixue scoffed softly as she was disgruntled. ‘When did the imperial family become so lowly? How could they let Her Royal Highness seduce him? They’re so shameless!’
Chapter 320 - This Power!
Ou Yangming and Wu Hanning sat opposite each other in a spacious and luxurious carriage. They barely communicated ever since they entered the carriage.
Although the thick-faced Ou Yangming greeted the princess, he did not receive any response.
If Ou Yangming was faced with someone else —even if it was Bai Shixue, who had the Body of Cham-he would have spoken bluntly to that person. However, the young fellow was reminded of red and green clothes whenever he looked at Wu Hanning, so he naturally lacked confidence.
The carriage finally stopped after a long journey.
Ou Yangming secretly sighed a breath of relief because the awkward and unbearable atmosphere was going to end.
After he left the carriage with Wu Hanning, he looked around and noticed towering walls from the inside, which was when he realized they had entered the imperial palace.
Wu Hanning turned to look at Ou Yangming, and she finally spoke for the first time since they entered the carriage.
“Be careful.”
Ou Yangming was stunned, and his eyelids twitched. ‘She asked me to be careful. What does that mean?’
Nonetheless, when Ou Yangming fixed his gaze at Wu Hanning, the noble princess looked away as though she was not the one who spoke.
Ou Yangming frowned and continued to follow Wu Hanning inside, but countless thoughts crossed his mind.
“Judging from Wu Hanning’s status, she won’t speak without thinking; there must be a reason she gave me that reminder.
‘But it’s impossible for the imperial family to scheme something against me.’
After all, Ou Yangming had just gotten the limelight at the Myriad Treasure Meet. The birth of 26 Supreme Great Ancestors was enough to change the Humans’ fate. As long as not everyone from the imperial family went crazy, they would not harm or trouble the young fellow.
He suddenly thought of a possibility.
Perhaps he offended someone influential from the imperial family by wanting to promote the upgrade of affordable weapons.
Nevertheless, it also seemed quite unbelievable if the imperial family wanted to go against him because of that.
Ou Yangming thought about various possible scenarios, but none of them made sense.
Before long, Wu Hanning slowed down and stopped in front of a flowerbed.
The young fellow was dumbfounded, and he felt strange when he looked at the surroundings. “Your Royal Highness, is this… His Majesty’s residence?”
The environment was marvelous, especially the flowerbed, which was carefully taken care of. Despite that, the only buildings around were low single-story houses, thus Ou Yangming found it hard to believe that a country’s ruler resided here.
Wu Haning looked deeply at him and pointed at the door in front of them. “You’ll find out once you go in.”
Ou Yangming responded after some thought, “Okay, please lead the way, Your Royal Highness.”
It would be fine if it was a blessing, but if it was a curse, he would not be able to hide from it anyway.
Since he was already here, he might as well be bold instead of trying to hide.
Needless to say, Ou Yangming was able to think that way because he knew he would unlikely be in huge danger, or he would have escaped even if he was in the imperial palace.
The young fellow went forward and placed his hand on the door for a brief moment before he pushed it open.
His eyes glowed strangely all of a sudden.
This was because he realized he could not clearly see the view inside.
Given Ou Yangming’s cultivation base and vision, he could only spot some blurry items even when
he looked closely. It seemed like everything became mysterious as it was being masked by a certain power.
Ou Yangming turned around in shock and looked at Wu Hanning.
Her Royal Highness nodded and reminded him once more, “Be careful.”
This time, Ou Yangming understood what she meant. She was not alerting him of lurking dangers, it was more like a friendly hint.
Ou Yangming turned around and entered without any hesitation.
‘Maybe I’ll be given a test inside? I probably have to pass the test to meet the supreme man in the Wu Dynasty.’
The moment he entered the door, he felt a faint obstruction. It was not strong, but the fact that the power appeared out of nowhere in the void was surprising.
Ou Yangming’s eyes lit up after he entered.
He was greeted with a field.
Yes. Amidst the row of houses deep inside the palace laid a boundless field.
Ou Yangming twitched his mouth, and he did not know what to feel.
He looked around to scan the field, but his neck was suddenly turned in a certain direction. Due to the huge force and the speed, he almost twisted his neck.
An elder with a bamboo hat was seen working in the field.
As compared to the field size, the elder’s lonely figure appeared to be tiny, making him look miserable and pitiful.
Even so, Ou Yangming’s eyes were bright and he was alarmed.
He was sure he did not see the elder earlier. In a way, the elder had shown up without warning through a miraculous method.
The trick must be incredibly peculiar to allow the elder to hide from Ou Yangming’s senses, and the young fellow believed that even a Supreme Great Ancestor could not have done that.
“Be careful.”
Wu Hanning’s reminder echoed in his mind.
Ou Yangming vaguely understood that the princess was probably referring to the elder.
He hesitated for a while before he bit the bullet and approached the old man.
While the field looked massive, Ou Yangming walked swiftly, so he arrived behind the elder in no time.
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