Chapter 151: The First in History

At the same time, within the borders of Yunzhou territory, a massive procession was making its way back to the Great Chu Dynasty.

At the forefront, atop a fierce beast, stood a golden-haired man with his hands behind his back. His gaze was indifferent, staring into the void with an unreadable expression.

“My Lord, why did you just now...?”

Behind him, a Marquis of Great Chu spoke up.

However, before he could finish, the golden-haired man turned slightly and cast a meaningful glance at the speaker. With a smirk, he said, “Divine Arrow Marquis, are you asking why I didn’t kill Li Xun just now?”

“Indeed.”

The Divine Arrow Marquis nodded.

In his view, the strongest individuals present at the time were merely at the peak of the Life and Death Realm. Even if the First Prince and Li Xun joined forces, they wouldn’t have been a match for this golden-haired man.

Perhaps, they could have even taken the opportunity to eliminate the First Prince of the Great Zhou Empire as well.

That way, a significant threat to the Great Chu Dynasty would be removed. Although such an act might provoke a war between the two dynasties, the rewards would be well worth the risk.

Moreover, after destroying the Great Bright Monastery, Great Chu had seen a continuous emergence of powerful figures over the past century. Many believed that the dynasty had reached a new peak.

At this moment, it was doubtful that the Great Zhou Empire could match the might of Great Chu.

“Divine Arrow Marquis, you are thinking too simply!”

“A Divine Physique is not so easy to kill. A prodigy who has survived the nine lightning calamities tribulation is beyond estimation in strength—I am not certain I could have killed him.”

A Divine Physique was called so not just because of its rarity, but also because of the invincible combat power it could unleash within its own realm.

Even though the golden-haired man was a whole realm stronger than Li Xun, he had no absolute confidence in victory.

He let out a cold chuckle and continued, “Furthermore, today’s events are not as simple as they appear on the surface.”

“The forces at play behind the scenes are deeper than you can imagine!”

“My Lord, are you saying there were other powerful figures from the Great Zhou Empire watching in secret?”

The Divine Arrow Marquis frowned, startled.

“The Champion Marquis’ little schemes may fool others, but there is one person in the Great Zhou Empire who would never be deceived. The fact that his plan failed is actually fortunate for him.”

“If he had succeeded, his injuries would likely have been far worse than they are now.”

“If things had gone badly, he might have lost his life in Yunzhou territory.”

The golden-haired man glanced at the unconscious Champion Marquis behind him, his eyes filled with amusement.

This Champion Marquis—no doubt a remarkable talent—but he thought too simply of the world. Did he really believe that a mere external avatar technique could sweep away all the young elites of the Great Zhou Empire?

In the end, wasn’t it up to him to clean up the mess?

Without his intervention, that Li Xun from the Great Zhou Empire alone could have taken the Champion Marquis' life!

“My Lord, the person you speak of is...?”

“The Northern King.”

The golden-haired man slowly uttered three words.

As soon as those words fell, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and many people’s faces darkened.

The northern frontier of the Great Zhou Empire directly bordered the Great Chu Dynasty.

And the title “Northern King” carried an all-too-obvious meaning.

The presence of the Northern King served primarily to deter the Great Chu Dynasty. Because of him, Great Chu had been unable to cross the border for two thousand years!

The Northern King had risen to fame long ago—two thousand years ago, he was already a peak Divine Palace Realm powerhouse.

Now, no one knew what his current cultivation level was.

Perhaps he was still at the peak of the Divine Palace Realm.

But it was also possible that he had long since stepped into Sainthood!

“The Northern King was specifically assigned to protect Ji Hong?”

The Divine Arrow Marquis was shocked.

He felt that the Great Zhou Empire had gone too far—sending a royal prince under the personal protection of a king?

That was simply unheard of.

After all, many sects stop assigning protectors to their disciples once they reach the Life and Death Realm.

At that point, they usually just let an old servant of similar strength follow them.

After all, there has to be an end to protection. They can't possibly guard them all the way until they become Saints, can they?

In this brutal world of cultivation, one cannot grow without experiencing storms. Before reaching the Life and Death Realm, disciples do not yet possess the strength to protect themselves, so having a protector follow them is reasonable.

But after breaking through to the Life and Death Realm, continuing to rely on a protector would suggest a certain fear of death.

However, the Divine Arrow Marquis suddenly thought of the Great Zhou Emperor's children, and he understood.

The Great Zhou Emperor had only two heirs. If another one were to die, the Great Zhou Empire might truly have no successors left.

“At first, perhaps it was about protecting Ji Hong, but later... hehe.”

The golden-haired man’s gaze became distant as the image of Li Xun flashed through his mind. He murmured, “If I had made a move against Li Xun back then, the first one to die would have been me!”

He was well aware of his own strength. Even if he were twice as strong, he still wouldn’t be a match for the Northern King…

Even if the Northern King hadn’t yet become a Saint, he must have already reached the Half-Saint Realm.

And he himself was merely an ordinary Divine Palace Realm cultivator.

If he were to fight the Northern King, he doubted he could last more than three moves!

“I failed to consider this properly.”

The Divine Arrow Marquis nodded slightly, acknowledging his mistake.

“Just wait.”

The golden-haired man smiled meaningfully and said, “Before long, Li Xun may enter the Great Chu Dynasty. When that time comes, perhaps there will be another good show to watch.”

<+>

Outside Blackstone City.

On a small mountain, there stood a solitary pavilion.

At this moment, within the pavilion, stood two figures—one standing and one sitting.

The standing figure was none other than Ji Hong, the First Prince of the Great Zhou Empire.

As for the seated figure, his entire body was shrouded in divine radiance, making it impossible to discern his appearance. He sat there motionless, yet an overwhelming aura spread from him, sending shivers down one’s spine.

It was as if he were an eternal heavenly king, inspiring reverence and worship.

“Ji Hong greets Royal Uncle.”

Ji Hong bowed respectfully. Even he couldn’t help but feel insignificant before his royal uncle.

Because everyone in the Great Zhou royal family knew that the Northern King’s talent far surpassed that of the Great Zhou Emperor. The only reason he hadn’t competed for the throne back then was that he had no interest in ruling.

Otherwise, who would be sitting on the Great Zhou throne today was still uncertain.

“Rise.”

A warm and gentle voice rang out.

A light breeze swept by, lifting Ji Hong to his feet.

“You did well today.”

The Northern King spoke slowly, offering a faint praise.

“Royal Uncle means…?”

Ji Hong hesitated. He felt that he hadn’t done anything particularly remarkable today. Instead, it was Li Xun who had defeated the Champion Marquis of the Great Chu Dynasty in one fell swoop.

Li Xun had become a rising sun that no one could ignore.

As for himself, he had merely assisted Li Xun in a minor way.

“A prodigy who has survived ten lightning calamities tribulation—this is the first in history.”

The Northern King said solemnly.