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**
On the other side, Xiao Lin naturally had no idea about the discussion Shui She and Huo She were having regarding him and Jia Nan Academy.
Of course, even if he had known, as long as the other party didn't harbor any specific malicious intentions against him or the Academy, he wouldn't have cared much.
Just like that, after staying in the capital of the Sky Serpent Empire for three to five days, the time for the Founding Ceremony finally arrived. Countless people from across the entire Northwestern Region swarmed toward the city.
Among them, some were invited guests, while others were simply there to join in the excitement. Regardless, on this day, the capital of the Sky Serpent Empire was a vast sea of people as far as the eye could see.
Despite the crowds, no one was foolish enough to cause trouble in the capital on such a day.
After all, the Sky Serpent Empire was the overlord of the Northwestern Region. They were holding their Founding Ceremony today; if you dared to cause a disturbance, it was likely that even your ancestral graves would be overturned by the Sky Serpent Empire.
During this period, the Imperial Family of the Sky Serpent Empire had only sent servants to attend to Xiao Lin's daily needs, mentioning nothing else.
This left Xiao Lin feeling puzzled while simultaneously increasing his secret vigilance toward the Imperial Family. Xiao Lin had originally thought the Imperial Family would seek him out for a discussion before the ceremony began.
But there was absolutely nothing!
It was as if the conversation between the Imperial Family and Grand Elder Su Qian of Jia Nan Academy had never happened!
This abnormal behavior felt wrong no matter how Xiao Lin looked at it.
Had Grand Elder Su Qian not mentioned that matter, Xiao Lin wouldn't have thought much of it. But now that the Sky Serpent Imperial Family chose to "selectively forget" this issue, how could it possibly be normal?
Moreover, the one who had gone to Jia Nan Academy to speak with the Grand Elder was one of the four great Dou Zong experts of the Imperial Family!
Would someone that powerful do something like that if they were just bored?
"Interesting. I'd like to see what kind of ghost of a scheme you're cooking up."
With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Lin finally reached the day of the ceremony.
Inside the Imperial Palace of the Sky Serpent Empire, the grand Founding Ceremony commenced!
As the envoy from Jia Nan Academy and a Dou Zong expert, Xiao Lin's seat was naturally very close to the front. He was positioned almost directly below the four great Dou Zong experts of the Imperial Family.
Oh, across from Xiao Lin sat three Dou Zong experts from the Sky Serpent Mansion. Shui She and Huo She, whom Xiao Lin had met once, were not present; they were likely still guarding the Spatial Wormhole.
It was evident that in the eyes of the Sky Serpent Imperial Family, Xiao Lin—representing Jia Nan Academy—was placed on an equal footing with the Sky Serpent Mansion.
Seated below Xiao Lin and the Sky Serpent Mansion were other Dou Zong experts from various first-class empires or sect forces. Xiao Lin took a look around; at this moment, the number of Dou Zong experts present at this grand feast was no less than thirty.
As for those below the Dou Huang level, their numbers were even greater!
Naturally, only forces with a good relationship with the Sky Serpent Empire were invited if they lacked a Dou Zong expert. Consequently, Xiao Lin didn't see a single familiar face from the Jia Ma Empire, including the Yun Lan Sect.
This actually made Xiao Lin quite disappointed.
However, he could understand why.
Setting aside the Jia Ma Imperial Family and the even weaker Mittel Clan—who had no connection to the Sky Serpent Empire and were separated by vast distances—they naturally wouldn't be invited.
As for the Yun Lan Sect, they certainly would have been invited during their peak years in the past. But the current Yun Lan Sect, which had declined to such a state, had obviously lost that qualification.
Of course, these were just Xiao Lin's speculations.
In reality, Xiao Lin's guess was only half-correct.
It was normal for the Jia Ma Imperial Family and the Mittel Clan to be ignored. However, in the hearts of the Sky Serpent Imperial Family, even if the Yun Lan Sect were at its peak, they would absolutely never invite them to this ceremony for a very specific reason!
This was an ancient secret.
Xiao Lin simply didn't know it yet.
Regarding that ancient secret, perhaps only the Sky Serpent Imperial Family and the Sky Serpent Mansion in the entire Northwestern Region were aware of it. Returning to the present, among the Dou Zong experts at this feast—besides Xiao Lin and the three from the Sky Serpent Mansion—
There were also representatives from the Liu Yun Empire, the Sea Emperor Palace, the Yuan Ling Empire, the Azure Water Pavilion, the Dark Abyss Gate, the Azure Wolf Valley, and other first-class empires and sects of the Northwestern Region.
Compared to second-class empires and forces like the Jia Ma Empire, Chu Yun Empire, Luo Yan Empire, the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate, the Gold Geese Sect, and the current Yun Lan Sect, these groups were simply not on the same level.
Much less compared to a continental hegemon like the Sky Serpent Empire.
Xiao Lin was finally seeing these first-class Northwestern forces that had never even shown their faces in the original novel. At this moment, besides a bit of curiosity toward these first-class empires and sects, Xiao Lin didn't have many other thoughts.
After all, with his current strength, these forces couldn't truly draw his serious attention.
On the other hand, once Xiao Lin's strength and identity were made known to the Dou Zong experts from these first-class powers, they all displayed very enthusiastic attitudes. It was clear that the weight of Jia Nan Academy in the Northwestern Region was still quite significant!
Some Dou Zong experts who were initially dissatisfied with Xiao Lin sitting above them immediately changed their tune once they learned he was from Jia Nan Academy. Xiao Lin responded to them with polite conversation.
Since they were all Dou Zong experts, Xiao Lin felt he should at least give them some face.
"I didn't expect the Sky Serpent Empire to actually invite Jia Nan Academy to this ceremony!"
"Isn't that the truth? I thought that as the two hegemon-level forces of the Northwestern Region, they would be like fire and water."
"I thought the same. I heard that Jia Nan Academy isn't even allowed to recruit students within the borders of the Sky Serpent Empire."
"Who knows? Anyway, it doesn't have much to do with us."
"True. Why should we meddle in the affairs of these two giants?"
...
Who says the strong don't gossip?
Right now, at this ceremony, Xiao Lin keenly overheard the Dou Zong experts from the first-class empires and sects below him discussing the relationship between the Sky Serpent Empire and Jia Nan Academy.
"So, this is how the outside world speculates about the relationship between Jia Nan Academy and the Sky Serpent Empire?"
After taking a sip of the wine brought by a palace attendant, Xiao Lin thought silently to himself. However, as long as these Dou Zong experts just gossiped without looking for trouble, Xiao Lin was quite content.
At least no cliché, melodramatic plot points were happening to him!
**
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