“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
The immortals of the Fire Cloud Empire rose one after another, saluting the Fire Cloud Emperor. This included Dongguo Ying, Dongguo Wuji’s father (previously miswritten as Dongguo Xun, now corrected), who also clasped his fists in respect.
“Everyone, please sit,” the Fire Cloud Emperor gestured, taking his seat first.
The others followed suit.
Lin Yun also signalled his friends and family to sit. The arena at Mingyue Terrace was vast, with an abundance of spectator seats surrounding it.
Once everyone was seated, the Fire Cloud Emperor turned to Dongguo Ying. “Brother Dongguo, how have you been? Any hope of progress?”
“Sigh, still stuck at the bottleneck. I fear I’ll never reach the Mahayana realm in this lifetime,” Dongguo Ying said with a helpless sigh.
“Don’t lose heart. Breaking into the Mahayana realm is, after all, incredibly difficult,” the Fire Cloud Emperor consoled.
“Haha, don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’ve long prepared myself mentally. I’m not the only one stuck at this bottleneck,” Dongguo Ying chuckled.
In the path of cultivation, countless practitioners were trapped at bottlenecks, unable to advance. Every major realm was a chasm that held back droves of cultivators.
Then, Dongguo Ying turned to Lin Yun. “This must be Lin Yun, the one making waves in recent years, yes? Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Dongguo Ying. You’ve likely heard of me. Though this is our first meeting, my son has spoken of you often. Seeing you today, you’re indeed a dashing young man.”
“You’re too kind, Senior Dongguo,” Lin Yun replied with a faint smile.
“Lin Yun, you’re competing in the ranking today, aren’t you? I’m curious to see how you’ll perform,” Dongguo Ying said with a seasoned smile.
In the past, when Lin Yun competed at the Heavenly God Palace, Dongguo Ying hadn’t been present. If Lin Yun participated today, it would be the first time Dongguo Ying witnessed his strength.
“My modest abilities are hardly worth Senior Dongguo’s notice,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
“Haha, such humility. A hero rises in youth. Who knows, your strength might already rival mine,” Dongguo Ying said, still smiling.
“How could I dare compare myself to Senior Dongguo?” Lin Yun responded modestly.
Of course, Lin Yun was just being polite. He could hardly say he could trounce Dongguo Ying, could he? That wouldn’t do.
“No matter, just a jest,” Dongguo Ying said with a seasoned smile. Naturally, he didn’t believe Lin Yun could be his match, considering how young Lin Yun was.
At that moment, the immortals of the Shadow Hall entered slowly, led by the Shadow Hall Master. Mo Qing was among them.
“That’s the Shadow Hall Master leading them? First time I’ve seen him,” Lin Yun murmured.
Many of the immortals present today were ones Lin Yun was seeing for the first time.
“It’s Sister Mo Qing!” Yu Ying gently tugged Lin Yun’s arm, smiling and waving at Mo Qing in the distance.
Su Yan, Qin Shi, and a few others also waved eagerly at Mo Qing.
Lin Yun, smiling, gave Mo Qing a wave as well.
Mo Qing, from afar, returned a smile and waved back.
The Shadow Hall immortals took their seats on the opposite side of the arena.
Once they were settled, Lin Yun sent a message to Mo Qing via his communication bracelet. “Senior Sister, how’s your cultivation going?”
“I’ve made some decent progress. I’m planning to try that ruin again in a few days. Didn’t you say there’s an opportunity there to break through to the Myriad Things realm?” Mo Qing replied.
“Yes, if you pass, tell the Tree Spirit you want to observe the Derivation of All Things. It’ll understand,” Lin Yun transmitted.
Lin Yun naturally hoped Mo Qing could reach the Myriad Things realm soon, but that major bottleneck was no small hurdle.
At that moment, the Tianqiong Clan Chief entered with the Tianqian Emperor’s entourage.
“Lin Yun, I’m going to greet the Tianqiong Clan Chief. Though the Tianqiong Clan once opposed us, they did raise me, after all,” Yu Ying said.
“Go ahead,” Lin Yun nodded.
“Lin Yun,” a voice called out. Turning, Lin Yun saw it was the Xiaoyao Building Master.
“Building Master,” Lin Yun stood, offering a polite smile and a respectful salute.
“No need for such formality, Lin Yun. Sit. I heard you visited the Dragon Clan again and became an honorary elder of the West Sea Dragon Palace. You must have gained quite a bit from that trip, yes? If you’re competing in the ranking today, I’m looking forward to seeing your performance. I wonder what level your strength has reached,” the Xiaoyao Building Master said.
The last time Lin Yun publicly displayed his strength at the Heavenly God Palace was during his entrance trial, quite some time ago.
“I did gain something,” Lin Yun replied.
“By the way, Building Master, has Senior Gong Yi returned from the ruins?” Lin Yun asked.
The last time they explored the Human Emperor’s ruins, Gong Yi had been trapped at the Consciousness Seal stage, and much time had passed since.
“No, I fear the odds are against him,” the Xiaoyao Building Master said, shaking his head helplessly.
He continued, “But that’s the nature of exploring ruins. Risk and reward go hand in hand. Choosing to venture in means being prepared to bear the consequences.”
Lin Yun nodded, saying no more.
He had a good impression of Gong Yi, but this world was cruel. Gong Yi had chosen to undertake the Consciousness Seal trial, despite the Tree Spirit’s warnings about the consequences.
Having made his choice, he had to face the outcome.
At that moment, the Kunlan Empire’s immortal delegation entered Mingyue Terrace, led by the Kunlan Empress.
As the Kunlan Empress entered, she led her group straight to Lin Yun.
This caused a stir among the immortals present, as the Kunlan Empress was known for her aloofness. Why was she approaching Lin Yun? It struck everyone as odd.
“Your Majesty,” Lin Yun said with a smile, saluting her.
“Lin Yun, you haven’t forgotten our wager, have you?” the Kunlan Empress said coolly.
“How could I forget a bet with Your Majesty? It’s just about breaking into the top thirty or forty, isn’t it?” Lin Yun replied with a smile.
With the Kunlan Empress’s approach, many immortals turned their attention to the scene, and Lin Yun’s words reached their ears.
His statement caused an uproar.
“What? Lin Yun’s aiming for the top thirty or forty?”
“Is he joking? To achieve that ranking, you’d need at least the strength of the Third Layer Myriad Things realm. How long has Lin Yun even been an immortal?”
“His talent is impressive, sure, but he’s so young. Even if he’s reached the Third Layer Eternal realm, fighting and defeating someone at the Third Layer Myriad Things realm? That’s absurd!”
