# Chapter 367: Tian Xuan Seven Nations Ranking Battle
Cang Wanhe stepped forward, his face still filled with deep disbelief. Although this young man possessed an extraordinary bearing that made even him, an emperor, feel a slight tremor in his heart, he still could not believe that an actual prince of the Shenhuang Empire would personally come to his Cangfeng Empire. He hesitated before asking, "Are you truly... the crown prince of the Shenhuang Empire?"
Feng Xichen smiled faintly. "The Phoenix God Jade is proof enough."
As he spoke, Feng Xichen extended his right hand, and in his palm appeared a blood-red phoenix-shaped jade pendant. The moment this blood-colored jade appeared, an intensely dense fire element crazily dispersed outward, as if a towering blaze had suddenly ignited within the hall, causing the faces of those with lower profound cultivation to instantly turn crimson, their entire bodies feeling as if they were about to burn.
At this, Cang Wanhe no longer had any doubt, and at the same time, the shock in his heart surged sharply. He stepped forward again, and although he tried his best to maintain imperial dignity, his demeanor now showed clear signs of unease. He said with a calm smile, "I never expected that a distinguished guest from the Shenhuang Empire would grace us with their presence. This is truly an unexpected delight."
Feng Xichen put away the Phoenix God Jade, tapping his jade fan against his wrist, and said unhurriedly, "Emperor of Cangfeng, you flatter me. I dare not call myself a distinguished guest. Rather, I have come uninvited today, and I hope you will not hold it against me."
"Hahahaha!" Cang Wanhe laughed heartily. "Thirteenth Prince, what words are these? The Shenhuang Imperial Capital is tens of thousands of miles from our Cangfeng Imperial City. For the Thirteenth Prince to travel such a long distance to reach us, our Cangfeng Imperial Clan is truly honored. We are delighted to welcome you, so how could there be any talk of blame? ... Servants, quickly arrange seats of honor for these three distinguished guests from the Shenhuang Empire."
"No need." Feng Xichen waved his hand and said with a playful smile, "I have specially come to your country on important business. Since this coincides with the grand occasion of Your Majesty marrying off your daughter, I dare not take up too much of your time... I wonder if the Emperor of Cangfeng can guess why I have come?"
Before the emperor of a nation, to leisurely ask him to guess one's intentions was undoubtedly disrespectful and extremely arrogant. Yet, almost no one present felt that Feng Xichen's actions were inappropriate... because he was a prince of the Shenhuang Empire. To put it bluntly, in terms of influence on the Tian Xuan Continent, he surpassed the Emperor of Cangfeng by an immeasurable margin! Even if he had been rude and condescending from the moment he arrived, Cang Wanhe would never dare to start a conflict with him. And no one present would dare to offend or show displeasure.
Cang Wanhe thought for a moment and said, "Could it be... the Tian Xuan Seven Nations Ranking Battle?"
"Hahahaha!" Feng Xichen laughed loudly. "The once-every-twenty-five-years Seven Nations Ranking Battle will be held in less than half a year. The other five nations have repeatedly inquired with our Fenghuang God Sect about the relevant matters, and began extensive preparations as early as three years ago. Only your country has remained quiet all this time. I thought perhaps your nation had forgotten all about it."
From the moment Feng Xichen entered the hall and revealed his identity, although his words carried an air of arrogance, they still contained a trace of respect. But after saying this, unless one was an idiot, everyone could clearly hear his contempt for the Cangfeng Empire. Some profound practitioners present felt anger, but more than that, they felt deep helplessness and humiliation... because in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, the Cangfeng Empire had only ever reaped humiliation—the humiliation of being trampled and mocked by the other six nations.
The other six nations participated in the ranking battle to display their strength and let other nations witness their might.
But the Cangfeng Empire seemed to participate in the ranking battle every time just to be trampled. Over a thousand years, in every Seven Nations Ranking Battle, the strongest carefully selected from the Cangfeng Continent would suffer devastating defeats no matter which nation they faced. In every ranking battle, they were like a joke, enduring repeated defeats and humiliation year after year.
Feng Xichen's words and laughter were also a wanton vent of contempt and mockery toward the Cangfeng profound realm.
Cang Wanhe's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, smiled faintly, and said, "Such a grand Tian Xuan event occurring once every twenty-five years, I would certainly not forget it. However, I was ill a few years ago and bedridden, so I had no energy to attend to this matter. Has the Thirteenth Prince come this time to deliver the invitation for the Tian Xuan Seven Nations Ranking Battle?"
"Correct." Feng Xichen nodded, then extended his fingers and pulled out a gilded invitation engraved with a crimson phoenix: "Five months from now, the thirty-ninth Tian Xuan Seven Nations Ranking Battle will be held in our Shenhuang Empire's 'Phoenix Realm.' Since it is called the 'Seven Nations Ranking Battle,' naturally not one of the seven nations of Cangfeng can be absent. At that time, our Fenghuang God Sect will await the great Tian Xuan experts in Phoenix City. The ranking battle aims to exchange skills and display national prestige. I believe the Emperor of Cangfeng is well acquainted with the rules and details, so I will not elaborate further. However, this edition of the ranking battle will have one difference from previous ones... May I ask if the Emperor of Cangfeng has ever heard of the 'Primordial Mystic Ark'?"
"Primordial Mystic Ark?" Cang Wanhe was slightly stunned, then a look of shock appeared on his face, and he blurted out, "Could it be... that the Primordial Mystic Ark has reappeared in the Shenhuang Empire?"
As soon as the four words "Primordial Mystic Ark" were uttered, most people in the hall looked bewildered. Yun Che also showed a questioning expression, while Ling Yun, Ling Jie, Chu Yueli, Xiao Juetian, and others all changed color.
"Could it be that the Primordial Mystic Ark has appeared again?" Ling Jie muttered in a low voice.
Ling Yun frowned deeply and said softly, "In recorded history, the Primordial Mystic Ark appears once every three hundred years on average. According to the timeline, it has indeed been about three hundred years since its last appearance... It seems the Tian Xuan Continent is about to be stirred up again for a while... But it has nothing to do with our Cangfeng. Over so many years, the experts of Cangfeng have never even had the chance to get close to the Primordial Mystic Ark."
"Indeed!" Feng Xichen nodded. "Half a month ago, the Primordial Mystic Ark once again appeared above our Phoenix City. According to records of the Primordial Mystic Ark, half a year after its appearance, its door will open on its own. If my calculations are correct, that time will coincide with the end of the Seven Nations Ranking Battle. Legend has it that the Primordial Mystic Ark contains earth-shattering treasures and world-shaking secrets. However, the time during which the door of the Primordial Mystic Ark remains open is not only short but also allows only a very limited number of people to enter. Only the strong have the qualification to explore the Primordial Mystic Ark. At that time, the three nations that achieve the top three rankings in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle will obtain the qualification to jointly explore the Primordial Mystic Ark. I believe the Emperor of Cangfeng and the many experts of your country will have great interest in this Primordial Mystic Ark."
The legends of the Primordial Mystic Ark were incredibly wondrous, and anyone who heard them would yearn for it. But Cang Wanhe knew the limits of the Cangfeng Empire, so he naturally dared not have any extravagant hopes. Without such hopes, he would not get excited or lose his composure. He nodded slightly and said, "So that's how it is. This is indeed news that will excite the world's strong. The Thirteenth Prince holds a venerable status. I didn't expect that for this Seven Nations Ranking Battle, the Thirteenth Prince would personally deliver the invitation and inform us of the relevant matters. Your nation is really going to great lengths for this, making me feel a bit uneasy, hahahaha. Wang Hai, go ahead and receive the invitation."
This was supposed to be the grand wedding ceremony of Yun Che and Princess Cang Yue. Yun Che, renowned throughout Cangfeng, was naturally the primary protagonist of this grand event. But Feng Xichen's appearance drew everyone's attention to him, almost making people forget that this was Yun Che's wedding ceremony... because Feng Xichen's identity as a prince of the Shenhuang Empire was simply too shocking, completely overshadowing Yun Che's brilliant halo.
Feng Xichen handed over the invitation, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth—a smile that seemed both contemptuous and playful. His half-squinting eyes shifted toward Yun Che: "The Emperor of Cangfeng seems to have misunderstood. My personal visit here this time has only half its purpose related to the ranking battle. As for the other half... it concerns this new son-in-law of your country... Yun Che."
"His body involves a major matter related to our Phoenix bloodline!!"