Great Heavenlaw Domain, Central Region.
At the very center of Great Heavenlaw Domain—an area resembling a miniature continent—stood a towering, majestic peak that rose straight into the clouds like a divine sword piercing the sky.
This mountain was known as Heavenlaw Peak, the most important place in all of Great Heavenlaw Domain. Not only was it the seat of the Three Emperors, who governed all affairs of the Great Heavenlaw Domain, but it was also rumored that the elusive Domain Lord, who rarely showed himself, was in seclusion within this very mountain.
It could be said that this was the absolute core of Great Heavenlaw, and even of the entire Great Heavenlaw Domain.
When Liu Bai and the others arrived, they discovered that the place was already bustling with activity.
The Nine Kings' Assembly of the Great Heavenlaw Domain was held once every six months, making it a major event throughout the domain. Jiuyou had deliberately timed her return to the Great Heavenlaw Domain to coincide with this assembly.
At the summit of Great Heavenlaw Peak stood a vast and ancient grand hall. It emanated an aura of antiquity, as though it had survived since primordial times, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.
Before the hall stretched a ten-thousand-zhang stone staircase. All those who had gathered stood on the platform at the base of the steps, none daring to fly directly to the summit. Instead, they chose to ascend step by step on foot.
There were many people on the platform, but they were clearly divided into small groups, each cluster distinct and separate from the others.
The Great Heavenlaw Domain's territory was simply too vast, which was why it was jointly governed by the Three Emperors and Nine Kings. Although the kings appeared to belong to the same overarching power, their relationship was much like an alliance of independent states—similar to a federation—each maintaining its own autonomy.
And where there was independence, conflict over benifits was inevitable.
This was made perfectly clear simply by observing how the various factions stood on the platform.
However, when Jiuyou appeared together with Liu Bai and the others, shock spread across every group present.
Clearly, this was something no one had expected—
The Nine Nether King, who had long been presumed to have perished outside, had returned!
Not only had she returned, but judging from the faint yet profound aura emanating from her, she had also successfully survived her tribulation…
Shedding the Mortal and Transforming into the Divine.
Everyone knew what this meant for a spiritual beast. Moreover, if Jiuyou were judged by the age of divine beasts, she had only just reached adulthood.
To succeed in tribulation at such an age and complete her transformation—Jiuyou's future was boundless.
With this, her status within the Great Heavenlaw Domain would be completely different from before. And considering how the Blood Hawk King and several other kings had once joined forces to suppress Nine Nether Palace so ruthlessly, anyone could imagine that, given Jiuyou's temperament, she would never let the matter rest.
"Things are about to get interesting…"
This was the first thought that arose in the minds of all unrelated onlookers.
A direct confrontation between two kings was guaranteed to be an exceptionally thrilling spectacle.
Jiuyou paid no attention to the surrounding whispers. She lifted her delicate face and gazed at the ancient grand hall atop the stone staircase. Her long, narrow eyes slowly narrowed.
Liu Bai stood behind her together with Tang Bing and Tang Rou, quietly conversing.
"See that person? That's the Asura King—currently the strongest among the Nine Kings. Given enough time, he might even be qualified to enter the ranks of the Three Emperors," Tang Bing whispered as she introduced the powerful figures present.
Following her introduction, Liu Bai looked in the indicated directions.
The Asura King was a middle-aged man dressed in black robes, his expression cold and indifferent. When Liu Bai looked more closely, he noticed that the man's pupils were dark red, giving off a chilling, blood-curdling feeling.
Standing behind the Asura King was a younger man.
He was tall and upright, wearing a green robe, with sharp brows and a handsome appearance. Faint yet formidable fluctuations of spiritual energy surrounded him. After a brief sensing, Liu Bai confirmed that he was a Second-Grade Sovereign.
Recalling Tang Bing's earlier explanation, Liu Bai easily guessed his identity.
After all, he was nothing more than a minor character. Had it not been for Tang Bing's introduction, Liu Bai wouldn't even have remembered who he was.
"So this is Xu Qing? Judging by his looks, he seems quite interested in Jiuyou…" Liu Bai remarked casually.
Tang Bing pressed her lips together, while Tang Rou cautiously glanced at Liu Bai.
What surprised them, however, was Liu Bai's amused and interested expression.
In their minds, Liu Bai—the obvious "rich benefactor"—had such a close relationship with Jiuyou and was even willing to give them Sovereign Spiritual Liquid so freely. His intentions seemed obvious to anyone. If he learned that someone else harbored feelings for Jiuyou, shouldn't he be angry?
But his current reaction was completely unexpected.
Had they misunderstood something?
The sisters exchanged a glance. Tang Bing nodded and said, "That's right. The one behind the Asura King is Xu Qing, the head of the Four Great Commanders. His strength is extremely formidable."
Unfortunately for Xu Qing, he was destined to be infatuated alone.
Because at this moment, Jiuyou merely nodded briefly to the Asura King as a form of courtesy. As for anyone else, she couldn't even be bothered to spare them a glance.
One should not assume that Jiuyou was easygoing just because she could joke casually with Liu Bai. Back on the Northern Heaven Continent, whether it was Liu Bai's relatives from the Liu Clan or the upper echelons of the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy, the only ones Jiuyou truly acknowledged were the Northern Sea Dragon—a Divine Sovereign–level divine beast and the Headmaster of Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy.
As for Heavenly Seat Elders or leaders of various factions, Jiuyou never once gave them a second look.
Her identity as one of the Nine Kings and her divine beast bloodline ensured that Xu Qing could never enter her sight. No matter what feelings he harbored, they were nothing more than wishful thinking.
Below the Asura King stood the Mountain Splitting King, the second-strongest among the Nine Kings. His appearance was equally distinctive—his hands were enormous, veins bulging like coiling dragons, clearly capable of splitting mountains apart.
Behind him stood Zhou Yue, the second-ranked among the Four Great Commanders. He was a robust and rugged-looking man, and like Xu Qing, he kept glancing in Jiuyou's direction.
But unlike Xu Qing, Liu Bai noticed that Zhou Yue's gaze was fixed on Tang Bing beside him.
"Heehee, that guy seems to like Sister quite a bit. He used to sneak into Nine Nether Palace to peek at her. Later, when Sister caught him, she chased him out with a sword," Tang Rou whispered mischievously, leaning closer to Liu Bai.
Tang Bing shot her sister a fierce glare and ignored Zhou Yue's gaze entirely, preparing to continue her introductions.
But at that moment, a sudden voice rang out across the platform.
What caught Liu Bai's attention was that, the instant this voice sounded, all three women beside him revealed unmistakable looks of disgust.
Well—no guessing was needed.
Just from their expressions, the identity of the newcomer was obvious.
The Blood Hawk King.
A man despised by everyone in Nine Nether Palace.
One could even say he was Jiuyou's mortal enemy.
Liu Bai turned his head to look at this man—who could also be considered his own "enemy." The man's wildly flamboyant, blood-red hair was strikingly conspicuous.
Especially his eyes—sharp and sinister—like an eagle falcon surveying its prey from above, ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment.
Liu Bai raised his brows slightly. The aura on this Blood Hawk King was stronger than that old Mu fellow whom he and Jiuyou had jointly killed before. Clearly, he was at the mid-to-late stage of the Fifth-Grade Sovereign. At present, Jiuyou was likely still no match for him.
That said, Liu Bai was extremely confident in Jiuyou. Within a year, this so-called Blood Hawk King would probably be crushed by her…
Of course, it was also possible that he himself would be the one to crush him.
For now, however, Liu Bai's main targets were not the Blood Hawk King himself, but the two people behind him.
One of them was a middle-aged man with an extremely sinister expression. At this moment, he was smiling as he stared at the sisters beside Liu Bai, whose beautiful eyes were blazing with anger. Deep within his gaze surged a thick, undisguised lust; he even lightly licked the corner of his mouth, as if he wanted to swallow the two sisters whole.
The sight made goosebumps rise all over Liu Bai's arms.
He had seen no shortage of greedy, lecherous people before—Young Master Kidney Deficiency-types included but someone so full of naked desire and malice at first glance was truly rare.
This kind of person gave him an immediate urge to slap him to death the moment he laid eyes on him.
"This Blood Hawk King really does gather any kind of trash under his command. Doesn't he find it disgusting to even look at?" Liu Bai frowned in disgust and quickly shifted his gaze away.
Naturally, that scene also fell into the other man's eyes. Seeing Liu Bai standing among three beauties, Wu Tian felt an intense sense of irritation. The sinister look in his eyes instantly overflowed with killing intent.
However, at the moment, no one's attention was on the two of them. Whether it was the Tang sisters or the others present, all eyes were fixed on another figure behind the Blood Hawk King.
"Hehe, Cao Feng—this is your former lord. Wouldn't it be rather discourteous not to greet her?" the Blood Hawk King said casually, fingers interlaced, a smile on his face.
Hearing this, Cao Feng had no choice but to raise his head. With a stiff expression, he forced a smile at Jiuyou and said, "Cao Feng greets Lady Jiuyou."
Unfortunately, Jiuyou merely swept a calm glance over him, her eyes showing not the slightest ripple of emotion.
As always, the only ones qualified to converse with Jiuyou were the Kings present. As for someone like Cao Feng—what was he, really?
"Blood Hawk, everything you've taken from my Nine Nether Palace—prepare to spit it all back out."
Jiuyou's voice was flat and emotionless, yet the chill within it made the surroundings feel as though they were about to freeze solid.
Cao Feng's hand inside his sleeve clenched tightly. His head lowered slightly, his face twisting into a dark, distorted expression. So his betrayal couldn't even provoke anger from her?
This utter disregard was far more unbearable to him than the stigma of being branded a traitor.
Blood Hawk King looked at Jiuyou as she stepped onto the stone stairs. His eyes narrowed slightly, yet the smile on his face only grew broader.
"Hehe, who would've thought that after leaving for a few years, your temper has grown quite a bit."
"But trying to snatch food from my mouth won't be that easy!"
As for their confrontation, the other Kings merely watched coldly. The Nine Nether Palace had always been the weakest among the Nine Kings, and because Jiuyou's strength had once been insufficient, she was regarded as having obtained her Kingship through special connections. As such, her relationship with the other Kings had never been particularly good.
The Blood Hawk King, however, was different. While his strength might not rank at the very top among the Kings, whether in prestige or foundation, he was far beyond what the Nine Nether Palace could compare to.
Still, Jiuyou's successful tribulation this time had added weight to her side. As for who would ultimately prevail between the two, everyone would simply wait and see.
Once everyone entered the grand hall, the Conference of the Nine Kings officially began.
Liu Bai stood behind Jiuyou, his gaze steady. At this moment, the hall was filled with overwhelming auras. Apart from the Nine Kings, the three figures seated beneath the highest thrones were the most terrifying of all.
Three radiant figures.
The one in the center was a rather gaunt old man. His eyes seemed to constantly gather light, as if they could see straight through one's heart—so sharp it was chilling.
On his left was another elderly man with snow-white hair yet a youthful face. His entire body seemed to glow faintly, while his pupils were pitch-black, devoid of any whites—a darkness that inspired instinctive fear.
On the right sat a man who looked perpetually drowsy. His age was indiscernible, but his lazy posture made it seem as though he were on the verge of falling asleep at any moment.
These three were naturally the Three Emperors who currently held real authority over the Great Heavenlaw Domain.
The one in the middle was the Sky Vulture Emperor, who had deep ties with the Nine Nether clan and was also Jiuyou greatest backing within the Great Heavenlaw Domain. The other two were the Spiritual Pupil Emperor and the Sleeping Emperor.
Among the Three Emperors, when the Sky Vulture Emperor saw Jiuyou, a smile appeared on his otherwise stern face.
"It's good that you're back. And you've even successfully passed the Heavenly Tribulation—very good indeed. If this news were to spread to the Nine Nether clan, those old fellows would surely be delighted."
"Thank you for your concern," Jiuyou replied, giving the Sky Vulture Emperor a solemn bow. No matter what, he was considered one of her elders, and proper etiquette could not be neglected.
As for the Spiritual Pupil Emperor and the Sleeping Emperor, the two merely glanced at Jiuyou without saying a word.
Yet Liu Bai keenly sensed that when the Sleeping Emperor—who had appeared drowsy just moments ago—looked at Jiuyou, his gaze seemed to pause briefly on Liu Bai as well…
Looking at the figure who had once again tilted his head lazily to the side, Liu Bai frowned slightly, almost wondering if he had imagined it.
Still, he knew very well that among the Three Emperors, although it seemed that the Sky Vulture Emperor and the Spiritual Pupil Emperor handled most affairs while the Sleeping Emperor appeared indifferent to everything…
In truth, among the three, the Sleeping Emperor was the one who could truly decide everything.
Because only he represented the elusive Lord of the Great Heavenlaw Domain—Mandala.
....
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