AGM 306 - Ouyang Ting
Qiyun Country was a country under the administration of the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan, their relationship was the same as that of Chu and Nine Mystical Palace. Now that people from the Ouyang Clan appeared in Qiyun, it was no wonder even the High Princes had to be polite to them.
Back then when Xiao Lan from the Nine Mystical Palace arrived at Chu, Chu Tianjiao similarly bowed his head in submission and was extremely respectful to Xiao Lan.
At this moment, the Heavenly Dipper Sovereign cast his glance over at Qin Wentian’s group. A bright light could be seen flashing past his eyes as he marveled at what he saw. The rest of the cultivators of Qiyun all held their breaths, not even daring to move.
“Who was the one that inscribed these Divine Inscriptions?” the old man faintly questioned, and momentarily, the gazes of the crowd all landed onto Qin Wentian.
The countenance of the old man changed as he stared intently at Qin Wentian, as though his eyes had the ability to see through him.
“All of you were trapped here because of this guy?” That young lady from the Ouyang Clan turned her question disdainfully to the High Princes. Her head was proudly inclined, like a princess from the Heavens, completely looking down on this group of people from Qiyun.
So many experts, all stopped by a single, young man. How shameful was that?
The two High Princes lowered their heads, not daring to refute the young lady’s words. The Qiyun country was subordinate to the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan, similar to the Nine Mystical Palace and Chu. But the main difference between them was the physical distance between the country of Qiyun and the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan, which meant a much higher degree of control being exercised over the other.
Not only that, but there would also be many disciples from the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan that would frequent the Gazing-Dragon Mountain Rampart to comprehend the insights as well.
“Young Master Ouyang, the capabilities of this young man is extraordinary. He would serve the Ouyang Clan well.”
King Yi then turned to Qin Wentian and added, “Miss Ouyang and Young Master Ouyang are both from the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan, situated in the Azure Continent. You would be considered quite fortunate if you were recruited within their ranks.”
Obviously, King Yi wanted to use this matter to form better relations with Qin Wentian, hoping he would be spared, and also hoping his words of praise would gain the goodwill of the Ouyang Clan. Only then would he be able to escape this calamity.
“Oh?” The young man glanced at Qin Wentian as he asked. “What do you mean extraordinary?”
“This man is at the fifth level of Yuanfu, but the will of the Mandate he comprehended is extremely strange, he can freely control the trajectory of arrows, easily slaying opponents at the same level as him. This herculean guy has a cultivation base at the seventh level but despite being the same level, was strong enough to fight equally against me. And as for that last guy, he has enough power to trap all of us here.” At this moment, to preserve his life, King Yi seemed to have forgotten the grudge between him and Qin Wentian.
As a conferred King that had undergone the tempering of political wars, he naturally understood the logic of adapting. At this moment, preserving his life was the most important.
“The might of these Divine Inscriptions are truly powerful,” the Heavenly Dipper Sovereign added. The silhouette of the young lady from the Ouyang Clan flickered as she instantly appeared before Qin Wentian. Her speed was extremely terrifying. She had a cultivation base at the sixth level of Yuanfu and had already comprehended a Mandate. At that moment, an ice-covered dagger appeared in her hands as she abruptly stabbed it towards Qin Wentian’s throat.
The speed of this strike was superbly quick, her actions like a bolt of lightning. The ice-dagger emanated an overwhelming frosty air, and as it neared the throat of Qin Wentian, the frigid aura dulled Qin Wentian’s reactions as his body stiffened.
Qin Wentian lifted a finger and flicked out, the beam of Astral Light knocked the dagger askew, almost causing it to fly out of the young lady’s hands. Only then did she retreat, returning to her original location.
“You guys, follow me back to the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan in seven days,” the young lady imperiously commanded, with the impression of granting a great boon to Qin Wentian and the others.
To those from Qiyun, being selected to enter the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan was undoubtedly something they yearned for, even in their dreams. Expressions of envy appeared on the faces of the crowd when they heard what the young lady had said.
Who would have thought that Sleeping God and Axe Demon possessed such a level of power, they were even eligible to enter the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan? This was a heaven-sent opportunity, and with that invitation, no one in Qiyun would even bother pursuing the death of the second High Prince. The authority of the Ouyang Clan far exceeded the royal authority in Qiyun; nobody would dare defy them.
“The purpose of our visit this time around was to recruit talented elites to join our Ouyang Aristocrat Clan. In the future, if their performance is considered outstanding enough, they may even be bestowed with our surname ‘Ouyang’, and become a clan member of our Ouyang Clan.” The Heavenly Dipper Sovereign’s gaze roamed around the crowd, glancing at Qin Wentian’s group, before landing on the two remaining High Princes. “Settle this matter for me. We will stay at Qiyun for seven days. If there are talented elites who wish to apply, get them to see me. I will personally inspect their strength.”
The gazes of the two princes flickered; the recruitment for Ouyang Clan this time around seemed to be much earlier compared to the previous years.
However, this wasn’t something that they had the qualifications to inquire on.
“Leave it to us, Senior. We will go and prepare now.” The two princes respectfully bowed.
After the arrival of those from the Ouyang Clan, their conflict with Qin Wentian had been totally forgotten and pushed to the side, despite the fact that the area was still lit up by the glow from the Divine Inscriptions.
“King Yi, come back with us to the Royal Capital,” one of the princes coldly stated. They had no way to hold Qin Wentian responsible for the death of the second prince any longer, but King Yi still had to be made accountable for it.
King Yi’s countenance turned incredibly unsightly; he had no choice but to nod his head.
Qin Wentian and the other two all had dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Was this matter settled just like that?
Such a happening made them feel it was all rather laughable. Shaking his head, Qin Wentian glanced at Fan Le and Chu Mang, “Shall we leave for the Azure Continent seven days later?”
“Sure.” Fan Le nodded, as long as there were beautiful ladies, he didn’t care where he went.
“Anything,” Chu Mang also replied. Since the second prince had died, King Yi would be in for some tough times as well. They were content to let the Royal Clan of Qiyun handle the matter of his punishment.
The appearance of the Ouyang Clan’s members saved them some hassle. Since the other party wanted them to join the Ouyang Clan, there was no harm in going with them and taking a look.
In any case, it would be good to see how that brazen fellow was doing these days.The Ouyang Aristocrat Clan was his territory.
And as for the proud male and female in front of them, since they were sent out for such a meager task like recruitment, their statuses shouldn’t be very high up in the Ouyang Clan. At most, they would only be able to exhibit their supremacy over the people of Qiyun.
Qin Wentian’s guess was right. As a transcendent power, the number of people in the Ouyang Clan was staggeringly high. The levels of authority were all extremely strict, with those at the highest level of authority being naturally from the direct line of descent—they were the core members. Next in line, were the various side branches’ members, followed by the outsiders who were bestowed upon them the surname ‘Ouyang’. The lowest in the hierarchy, would undoubtedly be those newcomers that had been recently recruited.
Without outstanding talent, it was impossible to climb the higher levels of authority.
Evidently, these two young cultivators were people who were bestowed the surname ‘Ouyang’, hence, they were given such a meager task to fulfill. Back inside the clan, they would undoubtedly have to be at the beck and call of many.
Yet in Qiyun, they were considered existences at the peak.
As for the commotion Qin Wentian caused, that appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. No one dared to mention anything more regarding what had happened. For these few days, the young man and lady also sat in front of the mountain rampart, gaining insights and leaving the recruitment to the Heavenly Dipper Sovereign. After seven days, there were quite a few people that passed the selection, including the swordsman named ‘Thirteen’, who was still gaining insights in front of the mountain rampart.
Qin Wentian and the other two also spent these seven days in quiet cultivation. After they settled the matter of Ye Xi, they couldn’t be bothered with matters of Qiyun. Of course, they also didn’t take any offense at the arrogant attitude of the young man and lady who were bestowed the Ouyang surname. They were nothing but frogs looking out at the vast skies from inside a well.
“Time to depart.” At this moment, there were nine silhouettes that gathered at the rampart. Other than Qin Wentian’s group, as well as those from the Ouyang Clan, there was the swordsman ‘Thirteen’, the third prince of Qiyun, Ye Mo, and one more unknown youth.
The nine of them soared up into the air, beginning the journey back to the Ouyang Clan amidst the gazes of envy and admiration from the crowd.
The Ouyang Aristocrat Clan—that was a transcendent power!
“Young Master and Miss Ouyang, I seek your forgiveness for not properly receiving you during your trip this time around to Qiyun. I look forward to your guidance when we arrive at the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan.” The third prince of Qiyun took out two interspatial rings and passed it over to the two young cultivators from the Ouyang Clan. His movements were extremely slick, as expected of a noble. He knew how to act in certain circumstances.
The two of them casually accepted the ring; the young lady had no expression on her face, but a smile blossomed on the face of that young man. “Ye Mo, not bad. Experts are as common as clouds within our clan, but it isn’t so easy to obtain recognition. When we arrive there, I will introduce you to some seniors. You better pay your respects to them, it would be a smoother path for you if you can get one of them to accept you as a disciple.”
“Many thanks for Brother Ouyang’s guidance.” Ye Mo beamed with a radiant smile.
The Azure Continent and Moon Continent were both part of the Grand Xia Empire. When they crossed over to the Azure Continent, they couldn’t help but be impressed by the spectacular yet imposing landscape. There were many gigantic pathways, which were separated into nine different directions. When viewed from above, they resembled nine sinuous dragons stretching their bodies to nine different regions in the Azure Continent.
The Ouyang Aristocrat Clan was a transcendent power situated within the Azure Continent. To their surprise, the Ouyang Estate was actually built alongside tall mountains. They could see several palaces and grand halls towering over the rest of the estate, as though they wanted to reach the dome of the Heavens. The tallest building was an ancient castle over 1,000 metres tall, designed to resemble a sinuous, coiled dragon that projected an air of majesty.
The instant Qin Wentian and the rest took in the sight of the Ouyang Estate, their hearts couldn’t help but be filled with amazement. The impact they had when they gazed upon the lands from the air, couldn’t be described with words. The vastness and height of each lofty building were clearly of a different grade altogether. This wasn’t something small countries like Qiyun or Chu could match. The entire estate was so vast that it was impossible to see the ends of it with a single glance.
Even the two young cultivators from the Ouyang Clan couldn’t help but feel pride in their hearts every time they gazed upon this sight from the air. When would it be their turn to stand upon that ancient castle, disdainfully looking down on everything in the Azure Continent? Sadly, with their level of talent, this was destined to be nothing more than a beautiful dream.
“Is this the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan?” Qin Wentian murmured as he stared at the sprawling land space that the entire estate took up, as a faint smile appeared on his face. That stubborn fellow Ouyang Kuangsheng, how was he doing now? He insisted on training his sensory abilities to the point where he could condense an Astral Soul from the 4th Heavenly Layer before stepping onto the pathway of cultivation, all while ignoring the looks of contempt from others. Now that such a long time had passed since they last met, Qin Wentian wondered what was that fellow’s level of cultivation now.With the condition of his clan, the countless resources and the guidance of so many masters, then by all accounts, his cultivation progress should have improved by leaps and bounds!
“Let’s go,” the Heavenly Dipper Sovereign faintly spoke, and they all moved as a group towards the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan’s castle.
As they stepped inside, the vastness of the estate captivated their senses. They continued down the winding paths before arriving at a gigantic training ground. In front of them were two people currently in combat, which appeared to be soon coming to an end. A young lady clad in an orange-colored skirt directly sent a young man flying through the air. After crashing to the ground, the young man picked himself up and shook the dust off him before commenting, “Miss Ting is truly powerful indeed.”
The young lady didn’t say anything as she mounted a mighty steed—whose body was covered with flames—riding over towards Qin Wentian and the rest. As she neared, respectful expressions appeared on the faces of the Heavenly Dipper Sovereign and the two young cultivators as they dipped into a bow and greeted, “Miss Ting.”
These few people seemed so high and mighty in Qiyun, but at this moment, they took on a bearing akin to servants, their actions causing Qin Wentian and the others to felt extremely puzzled.
“These are the new recruits?” The young lady on the ember-steed calmly asked.
“Miss Ting, there are a few among them with extraordinary combat prowess. Coincidentally, two of them have cultivation bases on par with Miss Ting, so they could accompany Miss Ting in sparring, should you wish to test them out.” The young man at the side pointed to Qin Wentian and Fan Le as he spoke, neglecting the third prince of Qiyun. After his earlier words to the prince, they all wondered if he had left him out deliberately!