Against such an opponent, there was simply no chance of victory.
Several people silently wiped the cold sweat from their brows.
They only hoped that the younger generation of their own families would not be so unlucky.
The rest of the banquet was spent in Yun Heng's boasting and fabrication—oh, no, factual presentation—of the Yun Family's circumstances.
Some listened with trepidation.
Some secretly admired her.
Still others did not care too much.
No matter how strong the Yun Family was, they were ultimately just a family that had only recently entered the secular world.
The cultivation world had maintained its current structure for many years.
The relationships between the six top-tier forces of the Central State, the sects of various regions, the great families, and the imperial dynasties were incredibly intricate.
Could a single Yun Family really turn the entire Taiyan Continent completely upside down?
Everyone had their own thoughts.
And starting from this night, the news of the secluded clan, the Yun Family, formally emerging into the world began to spread rapidly from Shuolin City across the entire Northern Wilderness.
After the banquet ended, Yun Heng and Xiao Cen returned to the City Lord's Estate's guest courtyard together.
When they reached the entrance, both of them stopped in tacit agreement.
Yun Heng turned around.
Xiao Cen happened to look over at her as well.
The two locked eyes for a moment, and it was Xiao Cen who spoke first.
“Young Lord Yun, let us exchange spiritual breaths.”
Yun Heng quickly took out her Transmission Jade Slip.
Each of them channeled spiritual energy into their respective jade slips, leaving behind their spiritual breaths.
Xiao Cen put away her jade slip.
“I will be leaving Shuolin City tomorrow.”
“I look forward to meeting you again in the Central State three months from now, at the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering.”
The corners of Yun Heng's mouth curved upward slightly.
“Likewise.”
Two months later.
Tianduzhou, Central State.
Outside Tiandu City, airships from all over the Taiyan Continent arrived and departed daily.
The Five Domains Prodigy Gathering was about to begin.
The sects, great families, and imperial dynasties that had secured spots to compete had begun arriving in Tiandu City one after another.
The group from the Mirror Moon Sect also arrived on this day.
The Mirror Moon Sect had two spots for the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering this time.
One naturally belonged to their Eldest Disciple, Yan Yi.
The other belonged to Yan Yi's direct junior sister, Jiang Qian.
Jiang Qian was also a direct disciple of the Mirror Moon Sect's Sect Master, Zhu Shuang, and was second only to Yan Yi among the younger generation of the Mirror Moon Sect.
Aside from Yan Yi and Jiang Qian, who were participating in the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering, those from the Mirror Moon Sect who had come this time included Sect Master Zhu Shuang, several sect elders, and a few young disciples brought along to broaden their horizons.
The group walked along the streets of Tiandu City.
On the surface, Yan Yi was observing the surrounding sights, but her divine sense remained focused on her Transmission Jade Slip.
She sent a message to Yun Heng.
“I have arrived in Tiandu City.”
“When will you get here?”
Before long, Yun Heng's reply appeared in the jade slip.
“In ten days.”
Seeing the message, a smile immediately broke out on Yan Yi's face.
“Alright, I will wait for you.”
Elsewhere, the delegation from the Eastern Region Imperial Family had also just arrived in Tiandu City.
The Eastern Region Imperial Family had five spots in total.
The Third Prince, Xiao Cen, and the Fifth Prince, Xiao Jingheng, were both among them.
The remaining three spots were secured by three other princes in the Nascent Soul Realm.
Aside from the five participants, Emperor Xiao Yin of the Eastern Region had also come in person.
Accompanying her were several imperial elders of extremely high cultivation, as well as some princes who had not secured spots but were brought along to broaden their horizons.
Xiao Yin walked at the very front.
Behind her, Xiao Cen and Xiao Jingheng walked side by side.
Xiao Cen glanced at Xiao Jingheng out of the corner of her eye, her gaze carrying a hint of dismissiveness.
She had always looked down on this fifth imperial brother of hers.
Among the many imperial children of the Eastern Region, Xiao Jingheng was neither in terms of cultivation nor personality someone capable of inheriting the throne.
Yet, his luck happened to be quite good.
Just the day before the imperial selection began, Xiao Jingheng had suddenly broken through to the Soul Transformation Realm, surpassing many of his brothers and sisters in one fell swoop.
In the end, he had actually managed to secure a spot.
However, Xiao Cen did not take him seriously at all.
The remaining imperial siblings were currently of no concern to her.
Most of them had even given up on the idea of competing for the throne.
Only this fifth imperial brother refused to accept his fate.
Even though his scheming and methods were far inferior to hers, he was still stubbornly bent on fighting her for the throne.
He suffered setbacks at her hands time and again, yet he still refused to give up.
Fine.
Xiao Cen wanted to see what else Xiao Jingheng was capable of.
Walking beside her, Xiao Jingheng was somewhat trembling with apprehension.
The sense of pressure radiating from his third imperial sister was simply too overwhelming.
Even without turning his head, he could feel that Xiao Cen had been looking at him just now.
In truth, Xiao Jingheng had always been somewhat afraid of her.
Back then, how glorious had the First Prince and Second Prince been, and each had possessed quite a few supporters behind them.
Yet, in the end, they had all suffered defeat at her hands.
He knew full well in his heart that his current strength and influence could not compare to his third imperial sister.
But as an imperial prince, how could he shrink back without even putting up a fight?
Regardless of whether he could ultimately ascend to that seat, he had to try.
Xiao Jingheng silently cheered himself on in his heart.
As long as he performed well at the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering this time and let the Empress see his potential, he would still have a chance.
Compared to the lively scenes of the Mirror Moon Sect and the Eastern Region Imperial Family, the groups from the Xuanxiao Sect and the Taihua Sword Sect appeared exceptionally desolate.
Having suffered a devastating blow five years ago, both major sects had been severely weakened.
The pillars of the sects had perished, and a large number of elders and elite disciples had been injured.
There were also many disciples whose foundations had been destroyed because of that battle, making it impossible for their cultivation to progress any further in this lifetime.
By now, the two major sects had almost been removed from the ranks of the Five Great Sects of the Eastern Region.
However, the spots for the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering had already been determined ten years ago.
Thus, even though the two sects' strength was greatly diminished now, they were not excluded.
This time, both sects were represented by their Eldest Disciple leading another direct disciple to participate.
The original Grand Elders had respectively taken over the positions of Sect Master.
The people they brought were few, and they kept a very low profile after entering Tiandu City, not attracting too much attention.
With still a month left before the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering formally commenced, the sects, great families, and imperial dynasties from all over the Taiyan Continent that had secured spots had basically all arrived.
The entire Tiandu City had become unprecedentedly bustling.
The city was packed to the brim.
Aside from the cultivators actually participating in the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering, there was also a massive crowd of people who had traveled specifically to watch the excitement.
Every time the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering was held, the organizers would open one hundred thousand spectator seats.
Being able to witness the battles between the young prodigies of this generation on the Taiyan Continent with their own eyes was a rare opportunity for many cultivators.
Anyone with the means who could make it to Tiandu City in advance was unwilling to miss it.
On this day, a silver-white airship slowly descended at the airship ferry dock outside Tiandu City.
The Liujing Vessel came to a steady halt on the stone platform.
The cabin doors opened, and Yun Heng stepped down from the airship.
Just as she landed, a male cultivator quickly walked up to greet her.
“May I ask if you are Pavilion Master Yun Heng?”
Yun Heng stopped her steps and cast a puzzled glance at him.
“I am.”
A smile immediately blossomed on the male cultivator's face, and he bowed to her.
“This lowly one is a manager of Tiandu City's Wanbao Tower.”
“By order of the Chief Pavilion Master, I have come specifically to welcome Young Lord Yun.
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