Chapter 394: By Myself Alone
That same day, Yun Che left the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, riding the Snow Phoenix Beast southward. Two days later, he returned to Cangfeng Imperial City and landed at Lanyue Palace.
Cang Yue and Xiao Lingxi were already there waiting for him.
“Xiao Che!!”
Seeing Yun Che descending from the sky, Xiao Lingxi let out a sweet cry and flew forward to embrace him. The moment Yun Che’s feet touched the ground, he was tightly wrapped in soft warmth. Xiao Lingxi clung to his neck, happily bouncing up and down.
“Husband, you’re back.” Cang Yue walked over. Her long hair was tied up, and her peerless beauty radiated a noble grace that ordinary women could never possess.
“Ah!” Xiao Lingxi released Yun Che and stepped aside, grinning mischievously. “Sorry, Princess Sister, Che’er is your husband, so you should have hugged him first… Ah ah! Xiao Che, hurry up and hug your princess wife! You just finished your honeymoon, and then you ran off to the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, leaving Princess Sister alone at Lanyue Palace! Hmph, even I feel indignant on her behalf.”
Over these past few months, the bond between Xiao Lingxi and Cang Yue had evidently grown much deeper. Nominally, Xiao Lingxi was Yun Che’s little aunt, and Cang Yue was Yun Che’s wife, but Xiao Lingxi and Cang Yue often addressed each other as sisters, and neither found anything wrong with that.
Yun Che stepped forward and gently embraced Cang Yue, saying guiltily, “Xueruo, it’s my fault. We had just gotten married, and I left you for so long. I promise you, after I return from the Shenhuang Kingdom, I will stay by your side every day.”
Cang Yue gently shook her head, a soft smile on her face. “Husband, you are the finest man in all the world. Never say you are at fault. Marrying you is the greatest fortune and happiness of my life. In the future, you will surely soar like a dragon emerging from the sea, flying to ever greater heights, and I never want to be a burden or obstacle on your path. What you just said is already more than enough.”
“Xueruo…” A wave of warmth surged in Yun Che’s heart, and he couldn’t help but hold Cang Yue even tighter, unwilling to let go. Though she was a princess by birth, she was as gentle as a warm breeze or soft water. After marrying him, she regarded him as her entire world, and everything she did was for his sake… After a month of marriage, he had been away for four consecutive months. When he saw her again, her beautiful eyes held only joy, not a trace of resentment. This only made Yun Che feel even more guilty… and he silently resolved that after returning from the Shenhuang Kingdom, he would always stay by her side, being a true husband worthy of her deep affection.
Watching the two of them being so affectionate, Xiao Lingxi felt a strange sourness rise from her heart to the tip of her nose. She simply turned around, refusing to look at them anymore, but her lips and nose were pouting high, and her small hands kept twisting the hem of her clothes.
“Where is Grandfather now? Has he adapted to life here?” Yun Che asked.
Cang Yue smiled gently. “Grandfather is now at the Taixuan Hall of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace, managing the various Xuan arts and technique tomes on the second floor. At first, when the Mystic Palace disciples learned that he was our grandfather, they were very respectful toward him. According to Palace Master Dongfang, they even trembled when speaking to him… But Grandfather has a gentle demeanor and shows no arrogance even toward the lowest-level Mystic Palace disciples. Gradually, he’s become good friends with many disciples and mentors there. People now genuinely respect and like him, not because of us. Now, Grandfather has many friends, young and old, over there. He’s always in high spirits—sometimes he stays there for over ten days and doesn’t even want to return to the imperial palace… So there’s no need to worry about Grandfather. He might not even have time to see you now.”
“That’s good…” Yun Che smiled from the heart.
“Father has been waiting for you. Judging by how anxious he looks, he must have something very important to discuss with you… He’s in the Imperial Study right now.”
“Alright, I’ll go now.”
Yun Che left Lanyue Palace and headed straight for the Central Palace. As soon as he stepped into the Imperial Study, Cang Wanhe came forward to greet him. “Che’er, you’re finally back. I thought you would only stay at the Bing Yun Fairy Palace for a few days, but it turned out to be several months.”
“Father, judging by your expression, is there something urgent?” Yun Che asked, looking at Cang Wanhe’s expression.
“Sigh!” Cang Wanhe let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not exactly urgent, but this matter could have a significant impact on you. Starting last month, I had people send letters to the major sects regarding the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, preparing to organize our nation’s young Xuan talents to participate… But seven days ago, I received a reply from the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. They refused to let Xia Qingyue go to the Shenhuang Kingdom.”
“I know about this. But the Bing Yun Fairy Palace does have its reasons for doing so,” Yun Che said.
“Oh?” Cang Wanhe glanced at Yun Che and continued, “A nineteen-year-old Middle-stage King Xuan—the first in Cangfeng’s history! If she goes, she will surely astonish the other six nations, not only raising our nation’s prestige but also bringing great renown to the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. So I truly cannot understand why they would refuse to let Xia Qingyue go. But it seems you already know the reason… However, it’s not just the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. The other sects I sent letters to have all refused as well.”
Yun Che’s brow twitched slightly, then he said, “Isn’t that normal? When one competes with others abroad, the main purpose is naturally to gain fame and prestige. But if going only brings ridicule and humiliation instead of glory, then no one would be willing to get involved.”
“Exactly.” Cang Wanhe sighed heavily. “In fact, I already expected this outcome. Because that’s how it’s been in previous Seven Nations Ranking Battles. In terms of Xuan power, the gap between us and the other six nations is indeed far too great. In the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, excluding the Shenhuang Kingdom, the other five nations send participants who are at least at the Heavenly Xuan Realm. But in the thousand-year history of our Cangfeng Nation, there has never been a Heavenly Xuan Realm cultivator under the age of twenty-five. So in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, our Cangfeng Nation has always been a laughingstock. Those so-called top geniuses of Cangfeng, full of pride and confidence, go to compete, only to be thoroughly crushed, lose all dignity, and return in disgrace… Over time, even the Four Great Sects no longer send their disciples to represent Cangfeng in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle. I thought that with Xia Qingyue emerging from the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, they would seize the chance to gain glory, but unexpectedly, they still refused.”
“The reason the Bing Yun Fairy Palace won’t let Xia Qingyue go to Shenhuang City is not from lack of confidence, nor from unwillingness to gain glory, but because of a special reason that cannot be disclosed to others,” Yun Che briefly explained for the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. “Father, since the sect disciples are unwilling to go, how did Cangfeng arrange participants in the past Seven Nations Ranking Battles?”
Cang Wanhe shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. “Though they don’t want to participate—going only invites ridicule and humiliation—they have no choice but to go. Otherwise, Cangfeng would lose even its last shred of dignity. So in the past few sessions, we would select ten talented disciples under twenty-five who had graduated from the Cangfeng Mystic Palace and joined the imperial forces, purely to go through the motions… Afterward, the former emperors never bothered to ask about the results, because even using one’s toes, one could imagine the outcome.”
“…Ten? So each nation sends ten participants?” Yun Che asked.
“Correct.” Cang Wanhe nodded. “Each nation officially sends ten participants, but up to a thousand accompanying personnel are allowed! The Seven Nations Ranking Battle is held once every twenty-five years. It is seldom mentioned in our nation, because every time it is brought up, the people of Cangfeng think only of disgrace. But to the other six nations, it is the grandest event in the Xuan world! Even the emperor of a nation may set aside state affairs to personally accompany and watch the battles. The powerful sects also dispatch their most elite forces. The quota of a thousand accompanying personnel sounds large, but those spots are fiercely contested among the powerful sects. Those who cannot get into the thousand will still flock to Shenhuang City… Some even enter the city a month or several months in advance just to obtain tickets to watch and cheer for their nation’s Xuan practitioners. During the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, the clamor in Shenhuang City far exceeds your imagination.”
Cang Wanhe was right. Within Cangfeng, especially in the Xuan world, the “Cangfeng Ranking Battle” had a high degree of attention. But “Seven Nations Ranking Battle,” the five words symbolizing the greatest grand event of the entire Tian Xuan Continent, were almost never mentioned by Yun Che—even though there was less than a year until this once-every-twenty-five-years grand event. If not for Feng Xichen crashing his and Cang Yue’s wedding and handing the invitation to Cang Wanhe, Yun Che wouldn’t have even known about the “Seven Nations Ranking Battle.”
At the same time, Cang Wanhe’s brief words had already painted a vivid picture of just how grand the “Seven Nations Ranking Battle” was for the other six nations and the entire Tian Xuan Continent! Perhaps right now, over eighty percent of the topics in the other six nations revolved around the upcoming Seven Nations Ranking Battle.
The sects that had obtained their nation’s participation eligibility were also in the most intense, cautious, and excited preparations in twenty-five years.
Only in Cangfeng was everything calm and still, like a pool of stagnant water, unremarked and undiscussed, as if it were an affair of another continent, completely irrelevant to them.
This was avoidance, but also helplessness and humiliation.
He could even foresee that in Shenhuang City, crowds of Xuan practitioners from the six nations would be surging densely, yet hardly a single person from Cangfeng would be seen. In that grand arena, every time a participant stepped onto the stage, it would be accompanied by the fervent cheers and shouts of their nation’s fellow combatants. But when a Xuan practitioner from Cangfeng stepped onto the stage…
That scene, just imagining it, was already utterly miserable and sorrowful.
Yun Che suddenly raised his head and said with utmost seriousness, “Father, regarding this Seven Nations Ranking Battle, you don’t need to make any other arrangements or preparations. Cangfeng Nation… I will participate alone!!”
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My keyboard broke, and it broke the “D” key, which happens to be a very frequently used key! Ah, I really miss that membrane keyboard that I used to finish entire novels like *Shura*, *Tianchen*, and *Xie Long*… It cost 19 yuan and still hasn’t broken! In comparison, this 1099-yuan Razer BlackWidow is utter garbage! It broke after just one *Tianqian* and a quarter of *Xie Shen*! And dammit, only one key broke!! Just one key… Do I repair it or not?!
Fortunately, I still have nine spare mechanical keyboards.
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