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Imperial palace, meeting hall.
“Chang’an Mansion’s Chen Mo pays respects to Your Imperial Majesty, long live Your Imperial Majesty.”
Chen Mo stood before the emperor. He did not follow etiquette and kneel. Rather, he cupped his fist.
Compared to the stern and austere Tang Mingshi, the current and newly ascended Great Chong Emperor, Tang Shijin,1 had more of a scholarly air, though the yellow robe he donned did not detract from his majesty.
“Dear Courtier, you have left seclusion at last. This is worthy of celebration.” Tang Shijin faintly smiled. “The Great Chong Dynasty’s four seas are calm, and all in the world acknowledge you. Dear Courtier, your contributions cannot go unnoticed. Should there be anything you require for your cultivation, speak forthrightly with Us.”
“Many thanks for the favorable treatment, Your Imperial Majesty.” Chen Mo respectfully answered. “Your Servant indeed has a request.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Your Servant wants to go to the Seven Stars Palace.” Chen Mo had certainly not forgotten about the Seven Star Stones to forge his Flying Swords.
Tang Shijin had already prepared for this, “Supervisor Xue, lead His Highness Chen Mo to the ‘Northern Mansion.'”
“As you command.” The newly assigned eunuch official curtly responded.
“Your Highness, if Your Servant may make your acquaintance.” He walked before Chen Mo and adopted a posture of supplication.
They exited the discussion hall and moved into the depths of the imperial palace. Chen Mo remembered this path was indeed in the direction of the Seven Stars Palace. “With Huan Wen’s Starfall, the Seven Stars Palace has already been renamed to the Northern Mansion Hall. It is currently the palace of Princess Chang.” Supervisor Xue explained.
Chen Mo immediately understood.
A magnificent palace of red walls and glazed tiles gradually came into view. The Seven Stars Palace had already undergone a complete renovation. White crystals were embedded in the walls, and whereas the previous Seven Stars Palace gave people a sense of solemnity and inviolability, the current Northern Mansion Hall was much more gentle even though it appeared vastly more impressive.
Thick trumpet vines could be seen in the courtyard from faraway, making one unable to help but stop.
Soldiers stood guard outside the Northern Mansion Hall, however, they were no longer imperial guards. Instead, they were the Star Soldiers, the Northern Mansion Soldiers.
The Supervisor did not dare advance another step, “Your Highness, please enter on your own. Princess Chang has waited for Your Highness for a long time.”
“Many thanks for leading the way, Supervisor.” Chen Mo expressed his thanks, then quickened his pace towards the Northern Mansion Hall.
The Northern Mansion Soldiers were silent, letting Chen Mo enter the premises.
Xie Diaobing emerged sitting on a wheelchair from within the palace. An old man slowly followed behind her. Chen Mo recognized that old man, for he was the Daoist who originally gave him the pill that cultivated pure Yang Star Energy.
“Your Highness, it has been a long time. This Daoist, Wu Tunan, greets Your Highness.” Wu Tunan cupped his fist.
“This Daoist was the one who made me dispel your Cold Qi back then, Princess Chang.” Chen Mo nodded and said.
Xie Diaobing said: “This is Daoist Skyless. When Keyan and I were born, he was a specialist in the imperial court for concocting pills. He is the imperial court’s pill master.”
“Princess Chang and This Daoist share a connection. This is why This Daoist informed you.” Wu Tunan saw that Chen Mo was becoming more and more opaque. He never imagined this young man would actually one day not only kill Huan Wen, but also be able to dispel the Cold Qi…
“So that’s how it is.”
“Chen Mo, would you take a stroll with Diaobing?” Xie Diaobing made an invitation.
“It would be my honor to be able to accompany the Princess Chang.” Chen Mo smiled. He then walked behind Xie Diaobing and helped push her wheelchair.
“Then This Daoist shall go concoct pills for now.” Wu Tunan bowed and excused himself.
“Thank you for your troubles, Daoist.” Xie Diaobing warmly expressed her gratitude. This attitude gave Wu Tunan genuine joy.
Chen Mo pushed the wheelchair into the Northern Mansion Hall’s courtyard. Huan Wen’s Seven Stars Palace was originally constructed to be vast, so much so that there was even a hunting ground and a garden that was just like a small town.
“Is Princess Chang not melancholy living here?”
Xie Diaobing gazed at this scenery. There were still faint traces of Huan Wen’s martial arts training here. The girl’s voice was gentle and slightly sorrowful: “This is our predestiny. What is there to be melancholy about.”
“Maiden Mountain, I really don’t know just what Maiden Mountain is.” Chen Mo muttered.
“Diaobing also wants to know.”
“Princess Chang, are you still unable to walk right now?” Chen Mo asked. He had thought that Xie Diaobing’s wheelchair was the result of the Cold Qi. He could not help but be a bit puzzled to see her still confined to a wheelchair.
“Does Your Highness feel pushing is exhausting?” Xie Diaobing cutely smiled.
“Your Servant is able to accompany Princess Chang, how can this be exhausting.”
“There should still be some time before Diaobing can walk.” Xie Diaobing explained: “The Cold Qi seeped in deep. Perhaps Diaobing will have to reach Yellow Court Realm to be able to recover.
When she said this, Chen Mo had a very big suspicion.
Just who was so formidable of skill that they were able to use Cold Qi to seal Xie Diaobing’s Star Energy.
Xie Diaobing slightly sighed.
“Chen Mo, this is also a reason why I sought you out today.
“Hm?”
“Can you agree to This Princess request?”
“Please speak, Princess Chang.” Chen Mo creased his brow at her serious atmosphere.
The wheelchair stopped at a riverbank in the hunting grounds. Xie Diaobing lifted her gaze to the boundless blue sky. The cold late autumn swirled a swathe of fiery red leaves, fluttering between the two of them.
After a long while, the Northern Mansion Soldier Master finally made her request: “Chen Mo, you must hurry and leave the Tail Fire Star Field.”
“Princess Chang, what are you worried about?” Chen Mo knew that Xie Diaobing did not have evil intentions at all, but he was very perplexed as to the anxiety contained in her tone.
“The ‘Great Yin Cold Poison’ that sealed Diaobing hails from the Inner Star Field. She and Huan Wen are cohorts.” Xie Diaobing slowly said: “Back then, after Keyan and I inherited Star Names, a person found the Tail Fire Star Field we were in charge of. In the end, Keyan submitted to her, ad thus, the growth of Diaobing’s Star Name was sealed. I could only rely on Soaring Flame Mountain’s flames to stave off the cold poison in my body.
“Princess Chang, your meaning is…that even greater forces were still behind Huan Wen.” Chen Mo paused.
“Yes. Your Highness, are you not one bit surprised?”
“There’s no use being surprised now that things are at this stage. However, I indeed am preparing to enter the Inner Star Fields.” Chen Mo was truthful. He defeated Huan Wen and fulfilled his promise to Auntie. There was no existence worthy for him to challenge in the Great Chong Dynasty, perhaps even in the Tail Fire Star Field.
“Then, good. These are the Seven Star Stones you want. Diaobing kept them for you.” Xie Diaobing waved her hand, and she handed the five Black Turtle Seven Mansion Spirit Stones that Huan Wen took to Chen Mo.
This way, Chen Mo obtained the complete set of seven Spirit Stones. In addition to the Black Turtle True Spirit in his body, the first sword of the Without Ultimate Primordial Dual Modes Four Symbols Sword, the “Black Turtle,” finally could be forged when he was entering the Second Layer Thunder Tribulation, Fate Realization Realm.
“Many thanks to Princess Chang.” Chen Mo thanked her.
“You saved Diaobing’s life, what is there to thank.” Xie Diaobing gently smiled. “You are truly incredible. The Flying Sword you are forging is actually one of Star World’s Three Great Primordial Sword Chants.”
“A Primordial Sword Chant is too difficult to forge, and I don’t even know when I can complete it.” If it was not for having Northern Dipper for protection, Chen Mo already would have wanted to renounce these Flying Swords.
“If you are in the Inner Star Fields, there should many opportunities.”
“Perhaps.”
“There will be. Diaobing will definitely also enter the Inner Star Fields to see. When the time comes that Your Highness achieves meteoric success, do not forget Diaobing.” Xie Diaobing joked.
“How could Your Servant dare to compete with the Northern Mansion Soldier Master in growth.” Chen Mo was ashamed of his inferiority. The “Northern Mansion Soldier Master” Xie Xuan in Chinese history commanded the Battle of Fei River and was able to reverse the course of history. His lifetime of battles could be recorded into historical records. Even in Star World, this was a famous Star Name. The Innate Skill “Northern Mansion Soldier” was but one of Star General’s renowned “Heavenly Five Armies.”
The two chatted cheerfully and wittily, like they were old friends who had known each other for a very long time, right until the sun set behind the mountains in the west, and only then did Chen Mo leave the Northern Mansion reluctantly.
The third day after learning that Chen Mo left seclusion, the Great Chong Dynasty’s Three Dukes, Nine Marquis, and other noble families all issued banquet invitations to Chen Mo, a gesture of friendship. Chen Mo was looking after the still unconscious Nianyou, declining every single invitation.
Today, Chen Mo had just finished teaching his big sister the Northern Dipper Great Overflow and was preparing to go see how Nianyou was.
Jiang Yanyu suddenly paid a visit.
Learning of her visit, Chen Mo did not refuse her. As far as Princess Yanyu was concerned, Chen Mo was still very favorable to her. This young lady was like himself, possessing a True Spirit’s protection. Mysteriously or inexorably, this was considered fate that brought people to together. Although she did not battle Huan Wen during the Title Bestowal Ceremony, that she intervened against Emperor Tang was considered helping him.
Chen Mo himself had things he wanted to ask this Princess Yanyu.
The beautiful woman seemed to always draw no shortage of male attention to herself; a man came to Chang’an Mansion with Jiang Yanyu. His figure was upright and tall, and he was dressed in a crescent moon white and gold dragon-patterned brocade, appearing extraordinarily respectable. The man’s bearing was majestic and outstanding. Both his eyes were bright, his breathing calm, as if he was an immortal.
This was the first time that Chen Mo had seen such a man in the Great Chong Dynasty.
His cultivation was vaguely and surprisingly above his father’s.
The man glanced at Chen Mo, as if he was sizing up an item. His expression was not comforting at all.
“Chen Mo.” Jiang Yanyu smiled and greeted him.
“This is Luo Changqing,2 my senior brother from the same sect.” The girl introduced him.
This Luo Changqing man faintly smiled, which was considered his response.
Senior brother from the same sect?
No wonder he was so lofty. Beneath the surface, he had a kind of superiority, like he saw the Great Chong Dynasty as the countryside. Chen Mo remembered the Jiang Yanyu had studied under a sect in the Inner Star Fields. Since this was her Senior Brother, clearly he came from the Inner Star Fields.
That immortal-like air appeared to be cultivation above Human Sovereign.
Human Immortal?
Chen Mo was expressionless, politely nodding in response.
So what if the man was a Human Immortal. When he could defeat even Huan Wen, he would even still dare to slap a Human Sovereign in the face.
Chen Mo invited Jiang Yanyu into the drawing room for tea, but the girl did not have any interest. She suggested they walk along the riverbank, thus the two rode swords and flying tools to arrive at the banks of the Wei River in Chang’an.
Luo Changqing seemed to deliberately keep a distance away from the two, walking several meters behind him, minding his own business.
“Why has your Senior Brother come to the Outer Star Fields. Are you returning to the sect?” Chen Mo asked her.
Jiang Yanyu replied: “Yes. It has already been some time since I came to the Tail Fire Star Field. Other than participating in the Divine Warrior Examination, there are some personal matters to attend to. Originally, I still wanted to stay two more years. Now that Huan Wen’s Starfall has shaken the sect, there have been changes to the inside of the sect. Master specifically dispatched Senior Brother to inform me, to prepare to make me attend the ‘Sword Ceremony Under Heaven’ that happens once every ten years before I return to the sect.”
“With Little Sister Yanyu’s talent, you will definitely be able to stand out in the Sword Ceremony Under Heaven.” Chen Mo complimented her.
“Chen Mo, you do not need to comfort me. Yanyu is very self-aware. In the Inner Star Fields, those in the same age group who are more formidable compared to Yanyu…even compared to you, Chen Mo, are so numerous.”
“No way, even more formidable than me?” Chen Mo was not convinced.
Jiang Yanyu smiled: “Chen Mo, you have not gone to the Inner Star Fields, so you would not know. The Inner Star Fields have the ‘Xuan Nü Seven Stars,’ the best seven cultivators of the current generation. Their ages are all not so different from yours or mine.”
“Xuan Nü Seven Stars? Are they very strong?” Chen Mo asked.
“The Xuan Nü Seven Stars are seven cultivators who are comparable to the Xuan Nü of the Nine Heavens. Of course they are powerful. Rumor is that the number one star is a young girl named Su Mian.3 She is but able to fight a hundred thousand bouts evenly with the God Of Slaughter Bai Qi, debate tactics with the founder of military strategy Sun Wu, and receive the personal instruction of the founder of the School of Diplomacy Guiguzi. Compared to her, Yanyu truly is like a child.” Jiang Yanyu’s voice could not help but show envy when she mentioned these names.
“They cannot be so formidable.” Chen Mo suffered a small blow. He had a string of happy encounters to have today’s results. When he learned that the Inner Star Field actually even had girls of similar age to him who were already capable of fighting evenly with the God Of Slaughter Bai Qi, the injury to his ego did need not be mentioned.
“Junior Sister Yanyu, there is no need to frighten him. That Su Mian person is known as the ‘Dream In A Millennium,’4 a character that could only appear in a dream once every thousand years. Compared to the best Star Generals, she is not to be outdone.” When Luo Changqing said these words, the immortal air about him immediately became as mundane as a normal person. It appeared that Su Mian indeed was an exceptional beauty.
Chen Mo finally found a bit of consolation.
“We had better speak about the main topic.” Luo Changqing added.
Jiang Yanyu retracted her mood to tease Chen Mo and seriously said: “Chen Mo, do you know when you will die?”
“Hm?”
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