Chapter 47. Departing One After Another, Congratulations from All Sides!
After the Chu Emperor departed, a trace of chill lingered in his tone.
The crowd watched his retreating figure and quietly speculated whether it was because he had been reprimanded by that mysterious old ancestor of the Great Chu Dynasty.
However, the thought quickly passed.
Ever since the Chu Emperor had failed in his attempt to break through with a divine art, he had suffered severe damage to his vitality. There had been many rumors claiming he would not live much longer—perhaps only a few months.
Yet from the current situation, although his condition was indeed poor, he did not appear as though he would die within a few months.
Could it be that he still had a few years left?
For most cultivators, a few years were no different from a few days.
They passed in the blink of an eye.
Many cultivators would enter seclusion for hundreds of years at a time.
If the Chu Emperor truly had only a few years to live…
At that thought, many people’s expressions stiffened.
Once the Chu Emperor died, no one knew what chaos might erupt within the Great Chu Dynasty.
At the very least, those Imperial Princes would certainly not remain obedient.
After the Chu Emperor left, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed.
However, one great figure after another began departing, and many others rose to their feet, unwilling to linger.
Before long, more than half of the imperial dignitaries and prodigies had left.
At the banquet, Chu Feng and Consort Yu remained seated.
Consort Yu sat quietly, lively light flickering beneath her long eyelashes.
She seemed lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng’s gaze shifted to the other side.
There—
stood his first follower.
The Eldest Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Zixuan!
A faint, playful smile curved upon Chu Feng’s lips.
He had lived through two lifetimes. He was no fool.
Before he had risen to prominence, how could a blazing figure such as Xia Zixuan have chosen to become his follower without reason?
If there were no ulterior motive, it would have been impossible.
With a little thought, Chu Feng could roughly guess her intentions.
She had likely chosen him precisely because of his former reputation as a wastrel.
She must have believed that a wastrel like him would be unable to control her.
A prodigy like Xia Zixuan—if her dynasty were not in imminent peril—would never willingly submit beneath another.
Thus, choosing to follow him had likely been a temporary expedient.
At the banquet, Chu Feng rose to his feet, clearly intending to head toward Xia Zixuan.
He wished to have a proper meeting with this Eldest Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty.
After meeting her, he would proceed directly to the Dragon Transformation Pool and push his cultivation to an even higher level.
“Feng’er, it is time for you to meet your follower,” Consort Yu said softly at his side. “Your future is boundless. One day, your name will resound throughout the Eastern Wasteland, and even across the entire Ancient Immortal World. But to fight alone is ultimately too lonely. You must properly cultivate those who follow you.”
Chu Feng nodded slightly and strode directly toward Xia Zixuan.
On the other side—
The prodigies who had come from all over the Eastern Wasteland had gathered together.
Many of them still wore expressions of shock.
What had happened today was truly astonishing.
No one had expected that a Heavenly Hunt Ceremony would encounter such twists and upheavals.
First, more than half of the Great Chu Dynasty’s prodigies had perished mysteriously within it. Even the Fifth Prince, Chu Xinghe—who possessed the Domineering King Physique—had died.
His followers’ eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets in disbelief.
Then came Chu Feng, long known as a wastrel, who had overwhelmingly crushed everyone and seized the position of champion.
Many gazes turned toward Xia Zixuan, filled with complicated emotions.
At the time, they had sneered and spoken scornfully of her decision.
After all, a prodigy of Xia Zixuan’s caliber had a promising future. Becoming the follower of a wastrel had seemed like a humiliation to her status—and to the entire Great Xia Dynasty.
But now—
They only felt their faces burning with shame.
This was a resounding slap to their pride.
A monstrous talent like Chu Feng likely surpassed even the Fourth Prince and Fifth Prince.
He was already qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with the long-renowned First Prince and Second Prince!
Xia Zixuan stood quietly, her expression as still as an ancient well. No one knew what she was thinking.
At that moment, a group approached her. Each of them bore a long sword upon their back.
They were from Yunhai Sword Manor.
“Congratulations, Princess Xia,” one young swordsman said sincerely. “With the Third Prince’s heaven-defying talent, it will not be long before his name resounds across the Eastern Wasteland.”
People from the Myriad Beast Divine Mountain, the Nangong Family, and other major powers of the Eastern Wasteland also came forward.
They offered their congratulations to Xia Zixuan.
Who would not wish to follow a top-tier prodigy?
Many were now envious and filled with regret. If only they had chosen Chu Feng back then!
Yet they seemed to have forgotten how disdainful they had been toward him before arriving.
Just then—
The crowd surrounding Xia Zixuan suddenly trembled.
They felt an incomparably sharp aura, as though capable of piercing through everything, sweeping toward them.
When they looked up, they saw Chu Feng approaching with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger.
“Third Prince!”
“Your Highness!”
“Champion!”
Prodigies from across the Eastern Wasteland bowed respectfully. Even the usually arrogant members of the Western Heaven Battle Hall behaved themselves and inclined their bodies.
Today, Chu Feng had not only displayed unparalleled talent and claimed the championship—
He had also shown that behind him stood an incomparably terrifying and mysterious powerhouse.
That mysterious existence had silenced even the four Imperial Princes. When the supreme Chu Emperor was reprimanded, he had not dared to retort.
Many speculated that behind Chu Feng stood a terrifying existence of the Self-Severing Realm!
Perhaps even… a Saint Realm giant!
Monstrous talent, the backing of the Great Chu Dynasty, and possibly a Self-Severing or Saint Realm colossus as his trump card—
Although Chu Feng said nothing and deliberately released no aura—
Everyone present felt immense pressure.
He strolled forward with calm composure, listening to the flattery from the various prodigies.
He nodded slightly, then waved his hand.
The prodigies of the Eastern Wasteland tactfully stepped aside, opening a path for him.
They even withdrew to a distance, not daring to disturb him and Xia Zixuan.
Chu Feng walked directly before Xia Zixuan and carefully examined the face of his first follower.
Her beauty was peerless. Though still a princess, she already possessed an imperial majesty capable of commanding all directions.
Her eyes were slightly lowered. A few strands of dark hair brushed across her jade-like cheeks, as delicate as if they could be broken by a breath.
Chu Feng’s expression remained indifferent as he said, “As my follower, when you see this prince, do you not even know proper etiquette?”
His tone was domineering, leaving her no room to save face.
Upon hearing this, Xia Zixuan’s body stiffened. Her rosy lips pressed tightly together for a brief moment.
It was as though she had not yet fully shed the impression of Chu Feng as a wastrel.
Moreover, she was the Eldest Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty—the future successor of that dynasty.
Others had always bowed to her. When had she ever bowed to anyone else?
However, Xia Zixuan took a deep breath.
She understood the principle of living under another’s roof—one must bow one’s head.