The training grounds.
At a moment of clear eastern sky, Dongfang Qingkong received a message from the Guiyuan Sect, his expression turning peculiar. He then looked towards the direction of the Imperial Palace.
"Master, junior sister."
"My father has investigated. The one who annihilated the Wanbing Chamber of Commerce a month ago was..."
Dongfang Qingkong sighed as he spoke, "Long Qiye, the second prince of the Longyang Empire, and his maternal clan, the Ji family."
Boom!!
Upon hearing Dongfang Qingkong's words, Bing Xiaoxue's face turned ashen. Although she knew that the enemy who destroyed her family was not simple, she had never imagined it would be Long Qiye, the current second prince of the Longyang Empire, and his maternal clan, the Ji family.
"How could this be?"
Upon hearing Dongfang Qingkong's words, Bing Xiaoxue's face turned as white as snow. She couldn't believe this information.
"Junior sister, this matter is absolutely true!"
Seeing his junior sister in such a state, Dongfang Qingkong felt pity, but he knew he absolutely could not deceive her.
"The second prince of the Longyang Empire has been in overt and covert competition with the first prince, Long Zetian, but has mostly ended in failure. A part of this is due to his maternal clan, and their deep foundations are also a crucial factor."
"Therefore..."
"The second prince, Long Qiye, in order to increase his capital in the struggle with the first prince, annihilated the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce with his maternal clan, the Ji family, intending to strengthen himself."
Clearly, Dongfang Qingkong understood that the Wanbing Chamber of Commerce had become a sacrifice in the struggle for the throne.
"This..."
Hearing Dongfang Qingkong's words, Bing Xiaoxue's face turned ashen. The second prince of the Longyang Empire, and the Ji family, who were royalty themselves, with countless experts within their clan. How could she be their match?
"What, Xiaoxue, are you scared?"
Seeing Bing Xiaoxue's appearance, Ye Xuan comforted her by gently ruffling her head. "It's just the second prince of the Longyang Empire, and a family with no small influence."
"But don't forget, you are an awakener of the ancient Ice Scar bloodline. Your future achievements will make the Longyang Empire merely your starting point. Mere imperial princes and noble clans of the Longyang Empire are insignificant."
"But, Master, I..."
Hearing her master's words, Bing Xiaoxue's eyes were filled with pressure. She was currently only at the peak of the second stage Great Emperor, and not to mention the second prince, the Ji family alone had experts who were at least ninth stage Venerables, or even stronger.
"That's enough."
"Having such a powerful enemy that you haven't seen is not a bad thing."
Ye Xuan comforted her. "Instead of worrying about the pressure, use it as motivation to break through."
"Revenge is too far off for you. The most important thing right now is to reach the Venerable realm in the shortest possible time."
He looked meaningfully at Bing Xiaoxue. "There are two fastest ways to break through: one is resources, and the other is actual combat!"
"Place yourself in a life-or-death situation. Only in the midst of life and death can one's potential be maximally stimulated."
"And the Lei Wang Mansion now happens to be an excellent place for such life-or-death training..."
As he said this, Ye Xuan's gaze fell upon Mo Xuanyou and the other two. "This applies to both of you as well."
Upon hearing Ye Xuan's words, Bing Xiaoxue and Mo Xuanyou both fell silent. However, their gazes soon turned firm.
Seeing the three like this, Ye Xuan smiled slightly. It was clear they had made their decision.
To become a strong person, the first prerequisite is to have the ambition to become a strong person. Otherwise, if one doesn't even dare to think about it, how can they become such a strong person?
"Heh heh, Little Friend Ye is truly extraordinary."
While teaching his disciples, a hearty voice came from afar, and then a figure appeared in sight. This person was none other than Tong Wuya.
"Oh."
"Guest Minister Wuya!"
Upon seeing the approaching person, Ye Xuan was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting him to seek him out.
"Little Friend Ye, publicly displaying the corpses of dozens of assassins in front of the Lei Wang Mansion, judging by this, you are very confident in your strength. Could it be..."
As he said this, Tong Wuya's eyes flickered as he stared at Ye Xuan. "Little Friend Ye's strength has advanced again!"
Before coming, Tong Wuya had indeed seen the dozens of assassins at the mansion's entrance and had guessed this.
"Heh heh, a slight advancement."
Hearing Tong Wuya's words, Ye Xuan said it with a lighthearted tone, as if he were speaking of a very common occurrence.
However, these words, when heard by Tong Wuya, were like rolling thunder.
He broke through again??
How long had it been since the last time in the Liuli Secret Realm? This fellow had broken through again. This speed was by no means ordinary.
He recalled that he had already reached the first stage Venerable back then. Could he have already become a peak first stage Venerable? Thinking of this, Tong Wuya couldn't help but tighten his focus. If this speed continued, let alone his combat power, his realm might soon surpass his own.
After all, although he was only a fourth stage Venerable, he had seen countless geniuses in his life, and there were more with better talent than him.
Of course!
If Tong Wuya knew that Ye Xuan's current strength had already reached the fourth stage Venerable, who knew what his reaction would be.
After a long period of conversation and pleasantries, Tong Wuya finally stated his purpose.
"By the way, Little Friend Ye."
Tong Wuya thought of the selection competition for Guest Ministers of the Longyang Empire and said with a smile, "In two days, it will be the centennial Guest Minister Selection Competition of our Longyang Empire. Each time, many geniuses and experts are absorbed by the Longyang Empire."
"Time flies, and two sessions have already passed."
Tong Wuya sighed, then continued, "I wonder if Little Friend Ye is interested in participating."
Although Ye Xuan's strength was only at the peak of the first stage Venerable, his combat power was far beyond that level. This was why Tong Wuya had come to find Ye Xuan.
"Moreover, there will also be a challenge for Guest Ministers to the Twelve Thrones, which is a rare spectacle."
"Is that so."
Hearing Tong Wuya's words, Ye Xuan looked at his three disciples. Now that they had just arrived in Longyang Imperial City, it would be good for them to see more battles between experts.
"Ding! Host has triggered a selection mission: Participate in the Guest Minister Selection Competition and gain renown in the Longyang Empire!"
"Mission Choice One: Accept the mission, receive tenfold rebates, with a rebate cap of 10,000 Silver River Coins, and an additional 30,000 top-grade Imperial Crystals!"
"Mission Choice Two: Reject the mission, wealth reduced by 30%!"
The system's voice, as expected, rang in his ears again. Ye Xuan was slightly taken aback. He had to admit that the system was becoming more and more adept.
"Alright."
Ye Xuan nodded, agreeing to it. However, seeing Ye Xuan agree after a moment of thought made Tong Wuya somewhat surprised, as participating in this competition carried considerable risk.
Ye Xuan was already considered a celebrity in the Longyang Empire. Once the Guest Minister Competition began, there would definitely be people who wanted to challenge him to seize an opportunity to become famous. This was beyond doubt.
And this was precisely what Tong Wuya was worried about.
However, he also had the Emperor's intentions in coming here, so he couldn't say much. After all, if this scene reached the Emperor's ears, he might be killed with a single palm strike if he was not careful.
Therefore, there were some things he didn't want to say, but couldn't, and wouldn't say.
However, what Tong Wuya did not know was that the Guest Minister Selection Competition two days later would become an unforgettable experience of his life. Of course, this is a story for another time.