Chapter 960: Xuan Yuan, Break
Xuan Yuan Po participating in the Celestial Selection Ceremony? And he even won nine consecutive matches? Tomorrow he would enter the Celestial Tree to undergo the trials of the Wildfire and the Ancestral Spirits?
Upon hearing this news, Luo Luo was extremely shocked. She was dazed for a long while before coming to her senses.
She took the silk cloth from Lady Li's hand and wiped away the spilled tea, but the furrow between her brows could not be smoothed away.
She knew that once news of the Celestial Selection Ceremony spread, Xuan Yuan Po would definitely do something. So she had sent people to keep an eye on him in advance. But after two days without any reply, she thought there was no need to worry anymore. Who could have imagined that Xuan Yuan Po would actually sign up to participate in the Celestial Selection herself?
She couldn't understand why Xuan Yuan Po would take part in the Celestial Selection Ceremony.
Given his personality, directly grabbing a kitchen knife and charging into the imperial palace to try to rescue her seemed more like something he would do.
"What is this guy trying to do?"
Lady Li looked at Luo Luo's slightly furrowed brows and sighed inwardly, deeply worried.
She had thought of a certain possibility, but it was truly hard to accept.
Did Xuan Yuan Po like Her Highness the Princess?
But Her Highness liked His Holiness the Pope.
Why did everyone in the Academy of State Education have to be like this?
...
...
Once Xuan Yuan Po's identity and background were known, countless gazes fell upon him.
Those richly dressed upper-city residents and those reserved noble ladies opened their mouths, shocked and at a loss for words. As for the lower-city commoners who had followed Xuan Yuan Po, they already knew something beforehand, but after confirmation, they still couldn't suppress their excitement.
The expression of the high official in charge of the Celestial Selection Ceremony turned extremely ugly. He looked at Xuan Yuan Po's face, still full of beard but not yet entirely free of childishness, and said in a cold voice, "Why have you come to participate in the Celestial Selection Ceremony?"
Logically speaking, this question was meaningless and didn't need to be asked, because everyone knew what benefits participating in the Celestial Selection Ceremony would bring. Otherwise, why would the young elites from all the demon tribes have rushed to White Emperor City in such a short time?
But specifically regarding Xuan Yuan Po, this question was very meaningful, and it was the question everyone present wanted to know the answer to.
Because if that rumor was true, then besides being a student of the Academy of State Education, Xuan Yuan Po was also a student of Her Highness Luo Luo.
"Could it be that you also want to marry Her Highness the Princess?"
The high official stared into Xuan Yuan Po's eyes, his voice low and filled with anger and contempt: "Don't forget, although the imperial court has no records, everyone knows that back in the Academy of State Education, you once bowed as a disciple!"
A master and disciple eventually becoming partners—such things had happened on the continent before, but it was ultimately not a good thing.
Especially for a student, if he had such thoughts, it was seen by everyone as an improper desire.
Xuan Yuan Po said, "Being able to become Her Highness's student is my greatest honor. Whether Her Highness acknowledges it or not, I will always be her student."
The high official grew even angrier and scolded coldly, "Then why are you still participating in the Celestial Selection Ceremony! Are you trying to humiliate Her Highness?"
Xuan Yuan Po said, "I have never thought of marrying Her Highness. Where is the humiliation?"
The high official said, "If that's the case, why are you here?"
Xuan Yuan Po thought for a moment and said, "I'm here to cause trouble."
When he said this, his expression was very serious, and his tone was very firm.
He was like a muddy monkey that had just crawled out of a rice paddy, a mischievous kid who had jumped from a tree into a lake, yet he spoke like an old scholar.
The high official couldn't believe his ears and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Xuan Yuan Po explained, "By 'cause trouble,' I mean I want to prevent the Celestial Selection Ceremony from proceeding smoothly."
The high official vaguely understood his meaning and said, "You don't want Her Highness to marry?"
"Exactly." Xuan Yuan Po looked at Xiao De, the Second Prince of the Western Continent, and the other candidates in the distance, then raised his head to look at the heights of the imperial city, saying seriously and firmly, "No one is going to marry Her Highness, because I won't let you win."
The area in front of the imperial city was very quiet. His voice was very clear and could be heard far away.
The high official sneered and said, "The Celestial Selection Ceremony is for the Ancestral Spirits to choose a husband for Her Highness the Princess. What right do you have to stop it?"
Xuan Yuan Po said, "No one can decide Her Highness's marriage—not the Celestial Tree, the Wildfire, or the Ancestral Spirits."
Hearing this, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
The high official trembled with rage and shouted harshly, "How dare you blaspheme the Celestial Tree and disrespect the Ancestral Spirits!"
"If it were truly the Celestial Tree, the Wildfire, and the Ancestral Spirits making the choice, the Celestial Selection Ceremony wouldn't proceed according to the current process, and the second round wouldn't involve receiving the Wildfire's baptism. What is called 'Celestial Selection' is ultimately self-selection. Her Highness's marriage can only be decided by Her Highness herself."
Xuan Yuan Po looked toward the heights of the imperial city and said, "I know that Her Highness the Princess would absolutely never agree to marry an outsider."
No matter how angry the high official was, no matter how aloof and intimidating that palace was, his expression remained as steady as ever, even somewhat dull. His voice was the same, yet it carried a strangely persuasive power.
Cheers erupted from all around the imperial city.
These voices came from the most ordinary demon commoners, whether from the upper city, the middle city, or the lower city.
Because Xuan Yuan Po had spoken their hearts.
According to rumors, the Empress had been determined to marry Her Highness Luo Luo to her own nephew. It was only because the elders of the council of tribal chiefs strongly opposed it that she was forced to hold the Celestial Selection Ceremony. Even so, the Empress had not changed her mind.
Look, that Second Prince of the Western Continent was standing not far from the imperial city.
How could Her Highness Luo Luo marry this outsider? What right did he have to become the next White Emperor?
The vast majority of demon commoners thought this way, but they dared not show it due to the Empress's centuries of authority.
Until Xuan Yuan Po said these words, they felt an immense sense of relief.
"Those who participate in the Celestial Selection Ceremony and pass through layer after layer of selection to stand here are all true strong ones, just like you."
A clear, cold, yet authoritative voice rang out from the highest point of the imperial city, piercing through the clouds and reaching the ground.
The White Emperor was in seclusion for cultivation, so this was now the only voice in the entire demon tribe.
The area around the imperial city immediately fell silent.
Many demon commoners knelt on the ground.
"How do you know that Luo Luo wouldn't be willing to marry one of you?"
Hearing this, many demon commoners looked confused. They thought, whether it was the Celestial Selection or the Ancestral Spirit trial, that Second Prince of the Western Continent, being an outsider, couldn't have any advantage. Could it be that the rumor was false? Had everyone wronged Her Majesty?
Yes, the entire continent knew that Her Highness Luo Luo was the Empress's only daughter and had always been deeply loved. How could the Empress possibly harm her? She was probably just trying to secure the best marriage for Her Highness.
Thinking this, the gazes of the commoners toward Xuan Yuan Po began to change.
—In that case, coming here to cause trouble was uncalled for.
Xuan Yuan Po looked toward the heights of the imperial city and said, "Her Highness won't like anyone here."
Madam Mu's voice remained cold: "How do you know?"
This question was very difficult to answer.
Madam Mu was Luo Luo's biological mother. If she didn't know something, how could Xuan Yuan Po know? Did that mean there was really something between him and Her Highness?
Countless gazes once again fell on Xuan Yuan Po.
Some commoners wanted to know his answer, but more commoners and those important figures hoped he wouldn't say another word.
Xuan Yuan Po had no idea what they were thinking, nor did he think about it himself. He simply gave the answer.
"Of course I know. Everyone in the Academy of State Education knows."
He said seriously, "Her Highness likes the Dean. How could she be willing to marry anyone else?"