The second round of the competition would take place in the imperial city. The Three Directors and Nine Ministers would personally come to preside over this event.
The number of people who could enter the Imperial City to watch the battle was limited. Only cultivators who had reached a certain level of cultivation and a high enough status were qualified to enter the Imperial City.
It was still divided into ten platforms, and the battles would be fought in pairs. The winner would advance to the next round, and the loser would be eliminated.
This was a true showdown at the peak. Even the Jin Emperor and the four Divine Consorts would come. Princess Luofu herself would inspect the ten stages in order to pick her husband.
After all, she was the princess of the imperial family. Moreover, she was also picking a groom for her. Geniuses who caught her eye would receive special treatment in order to gain an advantage over others.
"Do you think the Jin Emperor will show up today?" Ningshuai asked.
Both Feng Feiyun and Ningshuai entered the imperial city at the same time. They rested in a side chamber with maids waiting on them.
There were other prodigies in the chamber, but most of them were holding spirit stones with their eyes closed in order to maintain their peak condition for the upcoming battles.
Only Feng Feiyun and Ningshuai were this relaxed. They drank the nectar brought by the maids while looking at the stages outside.
"The Jin Emperor might not show up, but Consort Hua and Princess Luofu will definitely come." Feng Feiyun sent a telepathic message.
"Haha!
Of course, of course, if Princess Luofu marries Prince Hongye, she won't even have time to cry.
Oh right, who do you think she will pick as a groom candidate? "Ningshuai didn't know that Feng Feiyun and Princess Luofu were having an affair, so he didn't hold back.
If the princess took a liking to him and he became a groom candidate, then he would be able to qualify early.
The others would continue to fight until the winner of the competition was decided. This person would then fight against the groom candidate to decide who would be the groom.
Feng Feiyun said: "Given the current situation, the princess has no other choice.
If I were her, I would pick between Dongfang Jingshui and Li Xiaonan. "
"Why those two?" Ningshuai curiously asked.
"First, Dongfang Jingshui and Xiaonan are strong enough."
"Second, they won't marry Princess Luofu."
"Third, even if they marry Princess Luofu, she will still be able to compete for the throne. Plus, she will have a great support."
Feng Feiyun analyzed from the most objective perspective. Of course, if the princess knew that the demonic successor was Feng Feiyun, then her first choice would naturally be Feng Feiyun.
The sound of footsteps came from outside. Then, the dignified Divine Consort Hua walked into the side hall surrounded by a group of princesses. She was dressed in a palace dress with her hair tied up in a bun.
Consort Hua was Princess Luofu's birth mother. To be able to give birth to a daughter as beautiful as Princess Luofu, she was naturally as beautiful as an immortal. Her noble aura was even stronger than Princess Luofu's.
The monstrous geniuses in the hall opened their eyes and stood up at the same time before bowing toward Consort Hua.
Consort Hua's eyes were full of wisdom. She glanced at the geniuses and finally fixed her gaze on Dongfang Jingshui. She smiled: "The Grand Tutor has mentioned Young Master Dongfang to me many times. Seeing you today, you are indeed a dragon among men."
Jingshui cupped his hands together and spoke in a neither servile nor overbearing manner: "May I ask, Your Highness, when will the battle begin?"
The consort smiled: "The Grand Chancellor, Grand Tutor, and Grand Tutor are discussing the details and will inform you soon."
After Divine Consort Hua left the side chamber, all the prodigies returned to their seats.
"It looks like the consort wants a muddle-headed person to be the groom candidate." Ningshuai smiled.
Feng Feiyun glanced over at Jingshui and said: "If that's the case, then the consort and the Yin Gou must have discussed the price already. They might be secretly forming an alliance."
More and more cultivators were arriving in the imperial city. Occasionally, there would be some major figures descending. Even some of the sect leaders of the immortal sects with high statuses had come. Even two of the Corrupt path's palace masters had come.
Feng Feiyun looked outside through the window and saw a white crane carriage slowly coming from the imperial palace. It stopped and a supreme beauty wearing a blue veil came out. She looked weak, only sixteen or seventeen years old. Her face was sickly without the slightest radiance.
She was draped in multicolored light. Only two palace maids were supporting her as she walked down from the carriage. She stepped onto the thick snow and coughed softly.
She wiped her mouth with a cloth. There were a few bloodstains on the cloth. She held it tightly in her hand, not wanting others to see.
The two palace maids were comforting her in a low voice. As they spoke, the two palace maids began to cry.
The green-veiled woman forced a smile and said something, but it was unable to conceal the sadness and desolation in her eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
Ningshuai followed Feng Feiyun's gaze and saw the girl. His eyes widened and lit up: "Oh my, who is this girl?
My goodness, whose family's sister is this? She's actually so beautiful. How come I've never heard of her before? "
Feng Feiyun said: "She's Divine Consort Ji, Princess Yue's mother."
Ningshuai quickly slapped his mouth, causing his facial muscles to twitch from the pain. He continued: "No wonder why she looks so familiar. Keke, why do I feel that she's even younger and prettier than her daughter?"
Feng Feiyun nodded. In terms of looks, Ji Lingxuan was prettier than Long Cangyue and even Princess Luofu. Moreover, she had an indescribable charm that few could resist.
This was why Feng Feiyun was afraid to see her.
A little monk dressed in white walked over, holding a wooden bead in his hand. His Buddhist robe was whiter than the snow on the ground. His round head shone with white Buddhist light, and his round eyes were filled with wisdom. He walked in front of Ji Lingxuan, put his palms together, and bowed. No one knew what he was discussing with Ji Lingxuan.
This was the abbot of the Southern Sky Temple, Buddha Maitreya. He had a special relationship with Lingxuan. Feng Feiyun had always suspected that Buddha Maitreya was from the Ji before becoming a monk.
Lingxuan's face was pale and pitiful. She continued to cough while speaking. Feng Feiyun clearly saw that her palms were stained with blood. This couldn't be faked at all. It seemed like Long Cangyue's death was a huge blow to her.
This was understandable. Lingxuan had been scheming her entire life and placed all her hopes on Long Cangyue. When all hope was gone, a woman, no matter how difficult things were, would become extremely fragile.
There was no greater sorrow than a dead heart. Lingxuan was like this right now.
"I need to find a chance to see her and let her know that Long Cangyue is still alive." Feng Feiyun couldn't bear to see this happen.
Lingxuan lost her power after Long Cangyue's death. She seemed a bit lonely and no longer as confident as before. Life was full of changes. People were created and destroyed at the same time.
Not long after, all the prodigies received the message and rushed to the Heaven stage.
Ninety-seven out of the one hundred prodigies were present. Outside of the Ancient Jiang prodigy who was killed by Feiyun, there were two more prodigies who couldn't come due to special matters and voluntarily withdrew from this top battle.
The Grand Chancellor, Grand Tutor, and Grand Tutor sat in the highest positions. They were the three with the highest status in the dynasty outside of the emperor. Their auras were extraordinary. Even though they were here, it was as if they were shrouded in mist. Only half-step Giants and above could see their true forms. Those below could only see three divine clouds floating above.
Nine old men wearing purple official robes lined up in a row, sitting on nine purple crystal jade chairs. Their faces were full of wrinkles. Although they did not have spiritual energy in their bodies and did not cultivate, they still had an extraordinary bearing and a threatening aura. Every one of them had lived for more than a hundred years.
These were the nine most powerful civil officials in the dynasty. They had an official's aura and used worldly medicines. Even without cultivation, they could still live up to 150 to 180 years. The nine ministers were: Minister, Minister, Guard, Grand Chancellor, Grand Servant, Minister of Justice, Dianke, Grain Administrator, and Assistant Prefect.
The Grand Chancellor was in charge of the imperial clan's affairs. He represented the three directors and read out a jade scroll: "Ninety-seven prodigies here today are the top geniuses of our dynasty, the future lords of the dynasty.
That's why the second round of the groom selection will only determine victory and defeat, not life and death. Anyone who dares to take another's life will be automatically disqualified. "
A man with a pair of black feathers on his back coldly said: "May I ask, Sir Grand Chancellor, have you fought anyone before?
No one can hold back in a fight between real experts. It's either you die or I die. If you don't even have the will to die, how can you say you won? "
The Grand Chancellor deepened his tone: "Each stage has a Giant standing guard to be the judge. They can stop the fight at the most critical moment, so there will be no deaths."
"Haha, I hope you can stop it." A skinny youth sneered.
The prodigies here were all devilish geniuses, proud and arrogant. The powers behind them were frightening. They didn't even care for ordinary Giants because they believed that they would definitely surpass Giants in the future.
Feng Feiyun, on the other hand, wasn't interested in the rules. He glanced around the stage and sure enough, the Jin Emperor wasn't here. However, the four Divine Consorts were here along with more than a thousand imperial concubines. All of them wanted to witness this showdown between the top geniuses.
There was a bronze cauldron in front of the Grand Chancellor with ninety-seven bronze balls wrapped in flames floating inside. "Now, Princess Luofu will draw the lots."