Chapter 18. The Four Great Princes Arrive, and the Ceremony Seethes with Turbulence!
The Great Chu Dynasty was a colossal behemoth of the Eastern Wasteland.
Founded one hundred thousand years ago, it had never fallen behind. Each generation was more terrifying than the last, with limitless potential.
As members of the Great Chu royal clan, it was only natural for them to possess pride in their bloodline.
Chu Feng and Consort Yu stepped into the royal hunting grounds.
Consort Yu was alluring beyond compare, a focal point wherever she went. Her arrival immediately drew the attention of more than half the people present.
Countless gazes turned toward her. Consort Yu remained composed, a faint smile on her face, as she headed toward the seating area.
At the same time, quite a few people stared coldly at Chu Feng beside her.
No one said anything. Given Chu Feng’s status, they could only let their eyes linger with a hint of amusement.
Chu Feng’s reputation as a wastrel was known throughout the Great Chu royal clan. Everyone knew he was a good-for-nothing who disgraced the bloodline of the Holy Emperor of Great Chu.
Many had guessed that Chu Feng would not participate in this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony. With his strength, he would only be courting humiliation.
Yet he had still come.
After taking his seat, Chu Feng’s expression remained calm.
He did not care in the slightest about those strange looks.
But then—
From the void, a gaze as sharp as lightning seemed to fall upon him.
Chu Feng’s heart stirred, and he immediately looked toward its source.
Then, within his sight appeared a peerlessly graceful young girl.
She was not very old, yet her beauty was unrivaled, her temperament ethereal. She wore a pale golden dress, and upon its hem was embroidered a lifelike phoenix.
“Who is she?”
Chu Feng’s expression did not change. He searched his mind for information about her, but he had no impression at all.
At this moment, Consort Yu parted her red lips and smiled. “That is the Eldest Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Zixuan.”
“Xia Zixuan?” Chu Feng repeated inwardly, still without any impression.
However, under his Chaos Dual Pupils, Xia Zixuan carried a strange, unusual hue about her.
This woman harbored a great secret. She was a true genius.
From her, Chu Feng sensed a terrifying presence lying dormant.
But why was she looking at him?
Could she have some past connection with the former Third Prince?
A trace of doubt rose in Chu Feng’s heart.
“Xia Zixuan is astonishingly talented, unrivaled among the young geniuses of the Great Xia Dynasty of this generation,” Consort Yu said leisurely. “Unfortunately, the Great Xia Dynasty has long since fallen into decline. Though she is blessed with extraordinary talent, who knows how long it will take for her to grow strong enough to stand on her own?”
“Her coming here also represents Great Xia’s wish to become a vassal of Great Chu. As for Xia Zixuan herself, she intends to become the follower of some Great Chu genius.”
After Consort Yu finished speaking, Chu Feng understood.
In this Ancient Immortal World, survival was extraordinarily difficult—especially for colossal forces that had reached a certain level.
Once they began to weaken, they would be dismantled in an instant.
Countless people would set their sights on them.
Just then, at the entrance of the royal hunting grounds, an aura of unimaginable terror appeared.
Everyone looked over and saw a middle-aged man in luxurious robes, somewhat plump in build, slowly approaching.
“That is Prince Canghai! A brother of His Majesty the Holy Emperor!” someone exclaimed.
Prince Canghai approached unhurriedly, his expression relaxed, and sat down as if it were nothing.
Soon after, terrifying presences appeared one after another.
“Prince Chenyuan!”
“Prince Tianji!”
“Prince Jiuxiao!”
“Hiss, so many princes have arrived at once? These are all the Great Chu Dynasty’s pillars of prestige—each of them an unparalleled genius from the previous generation!”
Many were moved.
Each of these princes was extraordinary, their strength unfathomably powerful.
In the past, they had been figures qualified to contend with the Holy Emperor himself. They were not ordinary in any sense.
In previous Heavenly Hunt Ceremonies, never had so many princes appeared at once.
Yet this time, it was extremely abnormal.
In that instant, everyone’s minds turned solemn!
With so many princes present, perhaps they had not come merely to watch the Heavenly Hunt Ceremony.
No matter how important the ceremony was, it could not possibly warrant the gathering of four princes all at once!
Rumor had it that today, the Holy Emperor would personally arrive at the royal hunting grounds to present the rewards to the champion of this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony.
Those four princes might have come for the Holy Emperor’s sake.
Could it be that they intended to observe the Holy Emperor’s current condition?
Many fell completely silent, not daring to speak further.
When it involved princes and the Holy Emperor, it was an undercurrent within the royal clan. Only the highest figures could interfere. For everyone else, even discussing it could invite disaster.
At that moment—
Three figures appeared at the entrance of the royal hunting grounds: two men and one woman, all extremely young. They wore specially made, noble garments that marked them as princes and a princess.
Their identities were obvious at a glance.
One young man wore a longsword at his waist. Its sharpness did not show, and his temperament was restrained, yet the moment he arrived, everyone felt their spirits tighten, as if that sword qi might erupt at any instant.
The other young man carried no weapon. He arrived with hands clasped behind his back, strolling as if in his own garden. A pair of tiger-like eyes held an arrogance that seemed to look down upon all living beings.
As for the young girl among the three, she was the youngest. Her spirit was bright and spirited, her brows filled with heroic vigor. She wore no makeup, yet the delicacy of her features could not be concealed. Even without adornment, she was still a peerless beauty.
“The Fourth Prince, Chu Tianchen!”
“The Fifth Prince, Chu Xinghe!”
“The Ninth Princess, Chu Mengyao!”
Everyone watched the three with blazing eyes.
In this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony, all believed the champion would be chosen from among these three—without exception.
Behind them, various members of the royal clan arrived as well, a crowd of boys and girls, all quite young.
Without anyone noticing, the number of royal participants in the Heavenly Hunt Ceremony had already reached several hundred!
These royal youths were all geniuses. None were below the Life Palace Realm. Upon arriving at the royal hunting grounds, they did not conceal their momentum in the slightest, like unsheathed blades.
From among the seats, Chu Feng’s gaze swept across them. It paused for half a breath on Chu Tianchen, Chu Xinghe, and Chu Mengyao, while he merely glanced over the rest.
“None of these people pose any threat.”
Chu Feng’s expression remained calm, but he had already made his assessment.
Only those three were somewhat stronger, possessing certain special traits.
Yet they amounted to nothing. They still posed no threat to him.
“Feng’er.”
Consort Yu’s light voice came from beside him. “In this Heavenly Hunt Ceremony, it is enough for you to maintain a top-ten placement. As for the top three or the championship, do not even think about it.”
“Among these children, more than ten have become stronger than they were not long ago.”
“This time, there may be some dark horses.”
Even her tone carried a trace of seriousness.
The Great Chu royal clan was vast, and there was no shortage of geniuses within it.
In Consort Yu’s eyes, the top three of the Heavenly Hunt Ceremony still held considerable suspense.
Chu Feng neither affirmed nor denied it. Having come here, he was not here for some mere top-ten ranking. His goal was the championship.
But it was not convenient to say so now, or else Consort Yu would think he had lost his mind.
A sharp glint flashed through Chu Feng’s eyes.
Starting today, he would soar into the heavens, shocking everyone. Some might suspect why he had suddenly become so strong.
However…
Chu Feng reached up and touched a token inside his robes.
In the Scripture Pavilion, there was that person who seemed to be one of Great Chu’s ultimate ancient monsters.
With this token in hand, anyone who wished to act against him would have to think twice.