The Observance Begins

Three days passed in a flash, and the day of the Dharma demonstration arrived.

In a royal estate within the Chongtian Palace, Li Yuande, clad in a white robe, sat upright on a meditation cushion.

The spiritual energy here was remarkably dense, more than double the effect of Chen Yang's spiritual gathering!

Three maidservants and two attendants stood in the courtyard. A closer look revealed that all five were actually in the early stages of Condensed Origin.

During the three years Li Yuande had spent in the royal palace, they had attended him without leaving his side.

"Senior, please have some tea."

Li Yuande accepted the clear tea offered by the maidservant and drank it in one gulp.

"Senior, please scent the incense."

After the tea, an incense burner was presented before him.

Li Yuande leaned forward slightly and inhaled the wisp of fragrant smoke.

This was followed by many other rituals, such as "Senior, please partake of the spirit fruit" and "Senior, please listen to the music."

Whether it was the tea he drank, the incense he smelled, the fruit he ate, or the music he heard, all were of Condensed Origin quality.

All of this was to ensure that on this important day, he could demonstrate the Qi-Fall Condensed Origin at the absolute peak of his condition.

Whoosh—

A figure slowly descended into the courtyard. The attendants and maidservants bowed their heads and withdrew.

"Yuande, it has been some time."

The newcomer was a Confucian cultivator in official robes, holding a three-colored square ruler. His True Essence was condensed like stars, glowing with inner spiritual light.

It was clear that this man had reached the Perfection stage of the twelfth level of Condensed Origin, already showing faint signs of Spirit Communion.

"I pay my respects to Lord Xuan."

Seeing the man, Li Yuande prepared to bow.

This man was Xuan Zhou, the Deputy Patrol Chief of the Immortal Patrol Office headquarters in the royal capital, and the liaison for Li Yuande's Dharma demonstration.

"Yuande, no need for formalities. How do you feel today?" Xuan Zhou asked with a wave of his hand.

Li Yuande paused. He straightened up and said softly, "Excellent. It is the best day I have had since I began cultivating the Dao."

"Good. Today is your great day. A Imperial Consort will also attend in the form of an avatar."

Xuan Zhou's gaze remained fixed on Li Yuande's face as he continued, "I inquired on your behalf. That girl from your family secured a seat to observe the ceremony. She is waiting with the others in the observation stands of the Morning Sun Hall."

The first statement informed Li Yuande that an important figure would be arriving; the second carried a clear threat.

Li Yuande revealed a faint smile. "Please rest assured, Lord Xuan. I have prepared for this day for several years. There will be no mistakes."

"Good. I trust you, Yuande. Follow me."

Xuan Zhou waved his hand, and their figures dissolved like foam blown away by the wind.

Morning Sun Hall, observation stands.

The stands were divided into three tiers. The first-class seats, naturally the best, were reserved for the princes and princesses of the Tiger-Chasing Royal Family.

Among those Yang Lingrui could name, only Murong Qiuhan had the right to sit there.

Furthermore, this stand was veiled by an extremely high-level concealment technique, preventing even a Spirit Communion cultivator from prying inside.

The second-tier seats belonged to the representative geniuses of the younger generation from the great families and Sects.

The He Family, He Shenglai.

The Su Family, Su Lingyun and Su Lixue.

The Feng Family, Feng Lan.

Myriad Transformations Sect, Xiao Yize.

Daoyuan Mountain, Qiu Ran.

The Academy, Shen Yue.

The Martial Academy, Wu Zhao.

...

These were the geniuses recognized by the Wangchao, the ones destined to lead the next era.

Further back were the "second-tier" figures, such as Yang Lingrui and the others.

Zi He, Chu Hao, and their group stood at the very front of the third-tier stands. Behind them, everyone silently lined up according to their selection rankings.

Thanks to his outstanding performance in the second round, Yang Lingrui stood directly behind Zi He. Not far to his left were Li Qingwan and Ye Lan.

The two women seemed to have grown closer after the trial, standing shoulder to shoulder with their hands clasped.

Zi He turned his head to glance at them. A flash of purple light flickered in his eyes, and he instantly understood the situation.

Ye Lan's condition was extremely poor. She could no longer suppress the restless spiritual energy within her on her own.

Had Li Qingwan not been quietly passing spiritual energy through their joined palms, Ye Lan would never have managed to stand there today.

"Qingwan, thank you," Ye Lan murmured weakly.

Li Qingwan shook her head. "Senior Sister, do you feel any better?"

"Yes. I should be able to hold on through this."

Holding Ye Lan's hand, Li Qingwan could clearly feel the turbulent surges of spiritual energy within her body.

A wave of profound sorrow washed over Li Qingwan's heart.

If her Ancestor had not sacrificed himself to demonstrate the Dharma, her own fate would likely be even worse than Ye Lan's.

Without a powerful background to rely on, the more outstanding a cultivator's appearance and talent, the more they drew the eyes of the powerful-reduced to pawns, playthings, or even sustenance.

Li Qingwan suddenly thought of Yang Lingrui and the Yang Family.

Fortunately, they now had the backing of the Wangchao and the He Family, sparing them from the Li Family's tragic path.

Being a pawn was still infinitely better than becoming a plaything or food.

Ding—

A clear, melodious chime rang out. The observing crowd instantly felt their minds clear and their bodies ease.

The young cultivators were just marveling at the sensation when wisps of fragrance drifted into their noses, bringing a soothing numbness to their limbs. One after another, they exhaled mouthfuls of gray-black turbid qi.

With just one chime and one breath of incense, they had miraculously undergone a minor marrow-cleansing and body refinement!

"Music and incense-truly the methods of the royal family. It is an eye-opener!"

"The effects are miraculous. If we could cultivate in such an environment, how wonderful would that be?"

Feeling the changes in their bodies, the young cultivators murmured in awe.

Ye Lan also felt much better after inhaling the fragrance, a trace of color finally returning to her pale cheeks.

"The Western Consort arrives!"

A loud proclamation echoed. The crowd looked up to see a swath of pink auspicious clouds drifting slowly toward them.

Upon the clouds stood a woman wearing a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes. A striking, heroic aura rested between her brows as she appeared before the crowd, surrounded by a retinue of maids and guards.

"May the Western Consort be blessed with boundless fortune! Your subjects bow to the Consort! May the Consort live a thousand, thousand, thousand years!"

"We pay our respects to the Western Consort!"

The two ministers overseeing the Dharma demonstration led everyone in the stands as they knelt and bowed.

The Western Consort stood atop the clouds, glanced down at the assembly, and softly ordered, "Rise," before seating herself on a velvet couch.

"Summon the Patrol Chief," the Western Consort commanded lightly.

"Summoning-Deputy Patrol Chief Xuan Zhou!"

Whoosh—

The murmuring ceased. A massive bubble of spiritual light rose from the center of the observation stand.

As the bubble popped, the figures of Xuan Zhou and Li Yuande appeared before them.

"Your humble servant pays his respects to the Western Consort."

"Everyone is present. Begin the Dharma demonstration."

"Yes."

Xuan Zhou turned toward Li Yuande. The old man smiled and nodded, signaling that he was ready.

Xuan Zhou then stirred his True Essence, shaping it into a lotus-leaf platform that carried Li Yuande into the dead center of the arena.

Once the lotus platform came to a halt, four Condensed Origin cultivators descended from the pink clouds, taking up positions at the four cardinal directions around Li Yuande.

They were there to serve as his Dharma Protectors-and to keep him under strict surveillance.

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