Chapter 517
**Chapter 584: What Could Happen with So Many Strong Figures in the Imperial Capital?**
Little Li delivered a speech at the Hundred Flowers Festival, expressing gratitude to his fellow townsfolk, the Emperor of Dayu, the heavens and the earth, and even to the ice chunk.
All of it felt like a distant memory from his past life, devoid of any real emotion.
As he finished his last few words, the grand painting of the nation in the sky radiated a brilliant light, casting a glow over the clouds, revealing a tumultuous scene within, as if something was brewing.
"With the peace of the four seas and the heavens, it is all thanks to young talents like you. I am greatly comforted," the Emperor Jing Tai personally took the stage, his tone revealing his delight.
Li Mo was taken aback; he hadn’t expected the Emperor to personally commend him.
"Come, let us present an honor to the young hero Li."
With a wave of his sleeve, a member of the Sky Patrol approached with a tray.
Lifting the red cloth revealed a plaque inlaid with gold and jade, inscribed with the characters "Hundred Flowers." The material... didn’t seem to be pure gold?
Its symbolic significance was likely akin to the banners of honor from his past life...
Just as Li Mo reached out to take it, the Emperor extended his hand first, personally handing the gold plaque to him.
Then, he exchanged a knowing glance with a nearby eunuch, who immediately smiled and said, "Young hero Li, this is a great honor bestowed by His Majesty. You must carry it with you at all times; if you lose it, it would be a betrayal of the Emperor's grace."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Li Mo couldn’t discern anything particularly special about the plaque, but he couldn’t refuse the Emperor’s goodwill, so he tucked it into his robe.
"The Tianren City will soon open, young hero Li," the Emperor said with a smile.
Li Mo was momentarily stunned.
He knew that already; did he really need the Emperor to remind him?
But the Emperor was clearly not just reminding him of the opening date; he was hinting at wanting something in return.
The Tianren Divine Sword.
So, the gold plaque was meant to seal his lips in exchange for the sword.
"Since that’s the case, the divine sword should return to Tianren. A gentleman does not take what belongs to others; there should be a give-and-take."
Li Mo nodded and removed the Tianren Divine Sword from his waist.
The purple-clad eunuch smiled, realizing that this young hero was quite perceptive, and reached out to take it. However, as he grasped it, the sword didn’t budge an inch.
Little Li, with a righteous demeanor, had his own ideas.
"Huh?"
Let go, will you?
The purple-clad eunuch pulled harder.
The Emperor Jing Tai raised an eyebrow: "What’s going on here? In broad daylight, you two are tugging at each other like this?"
He cleared his throat and said, "Young hero Li, you are a hero in your youth, and you have organized this grand event. Is there anything else you wish for as a reward?"
"Well, now that you mention it, there is something."
Li Mo let the eunuch take the sword, then awkwardly smiled, "Your Majesty, we seem to have a good rapport. How about you take me as your sworn brother..."
The Emperor Jing Tai was momentarily speechless, then burst into laughter. This kid, while looking serious, was actually quite bold, daring to play tricks on him and even suggesting to become his sworn brother...
"Sworn brothers of different surnames."
The Emperor: "Huh?"
Jiang Yu: "Huh?"
Everyone else: "Huh?"
"Hahaha, you little rascal, you really know how to bring joy. No wonder the Cold Fairy likes you."
After a moment of silence, the Emperor suddenly laughed heartily.
Of course, he couldn’t agree to such a request, and no one would take Li Mo’s words seriously; they would just think he was joking.
Once the joke was made, there was no need for him to worry about rewards anymore, especially since he truly didn’t know what else to give Li Mo.
Li Mo felt a bit reluctant to part with the Tianren Divine Sword, but he knew it had to be returned.
However, if he were to ask for something, he genuinely didn’t lack for anything.
So, he decided to play along and let it slide.
The Emperor shook his head with a smile, taking the Tianren Divine Sword from the purple-clad eunuch, then gazed up at the sky.
He pointed his sword towards the heavens, and the grand painting of the nation suddenly expanded.
A myriad of profound and heavy lights descended, and this heavenly artifact slowly unfolded above the sky, revealing the gates of Tianren City, which opened wide, illuminating everything.
The divine sword was thrown out, flying back to Tianren City.
"At this opportune moment, the Tianren Trials will commence, and all beings may witness it together."
The Emperor’s voice echoed down like a thunderclap.
All the sects and martial artists present were moved; the inner workings of Tianren City contained unparalleled methods, and it was rarely shown to the public. Usually, only after the trials would the court announce the results.
Now, they were actually going to share it with everyone?
"This is the heavenly artifact..." Murong Xiao exclaimed in awe, then curiously asked, "Abbot, how does this compare to your mustard seed Xumi?"
"What mustard seed Xumi?" the monk Huikong blinked, looking confused.
Murong Xiao: "..."
Well, it seemed the difference between the mustard seed Xumi and the grand painting of the nation was not trivial.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t enter, so he would have to wait for the next Hidden Dragon Conference.
"This is the other half of the Tianhuang Domain..."
Li Mo looked back as he walked off the stage.
Through the grand painting of the nation, he could sense the atmosphere within, which felt even more magnificent and imposing.
If in the future, the small world could project this, would it also have such grandeur?
"Brother Li, take these."
Huang Donglai handed him a pouch filled with jars and bottles, each labeled with their uses in small writing.
"These are all carefully crafted by me; you might find them useful."
"Even the Face-Change Powder is included?" Li Mo took it.
"The Face-Change Powder is the mildest of them all."
"....."
From the bottom of his heart, Li Mo felt that using these things might be somewhat morally questionable.
But after squeezing the ice chunk's delicate hand, he still accepted the pouch.
"The Tianren City is changing; I wonder what the changes will be..." Ying Bing furrowed her brows in thought.
"The person who wrote that letter couldn’t foresee the future; the information might be incorrect," Li Mo scanned the Sky Patrol and the powerful figures from various sects, all focused on the grand painting of the nation, and felt a bit more at ease.
With so many experts gathered, especially near the imperial capital, what could possibly go wrong?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a thick black mist suddenly rose from the distant imperial city, resembling a world-ending black flame shooting into the sky.
Boom—
In the moment the flames erupted, a deafening roar of beasts shook the heavens and the earth, stirring up a boundless wind that nearly blinded martial artists below the third realm.
In an instant, a corner of the imperial city was engulfed, the earth-shattering noise echoing throughout the entire capital.
"Enemy attack!"
"Protect His Majesty!"
The clashing of armor rang out as over a hundred members of the Sky Patrol quickly surrounded Emperor Jing Tai.
Calm in the face of danger, the Emperor said, "What’s all the fuss about? First, find out what’s happening! In the imperial capital, can there really be thieves who dare to cause such a ruckus?"
"We’ve found out."
The purple-clad eunuch was drenched in sweat.
"A small matter has you looking so pale. What’s happened?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it’s... your harem."
**Chapter 585: The Scene Was in Utter Chaos**
The black smoke, seemingly formless, was thick and dense. Upon closer inspection, it was composed of countless tiny, strange insects, their colors not purely black but tinged with a sinister blood-red glow, even possessing human-like features.
The Feathered Forest Army within the imperial capital responded immediately.
"How bold of these thieves!"
A brilliant blade light erupted from within the black mist, dominating the sky. This strike was honed to perfection, chillingly cold.
The one wielding this blade was undoubtedly at the Law Body realm.
However, as the blade light pierced the black smoke, it only illuminated it for a brief moment before quickly dimming, until it vanished completely.
Countless insects not only survived the strike but devoured the blade energy, their ferocity overwhelming!
"What kind of insects are these?"
Li Mo’s first reaction mirrored Ying Bing’s; their hands instinctively clasped together.
"These are not living beings, but a manifestation of a 'Dao.'"
"What Dao?"
"The Dao of Devouring. The one behind this must be the Vice Master of the Demon Cult, Yu Wen Cuo Jin."
The middle-aged scholar, who had been scared into a cold sweat, was indeed a master of the Profound Realm.
Table of Contents
