Chapter Ten: Princess Chongming

The venue for the martial arts contest was called Jinwu Terrace, a vast arena. Many spectators surrounded the area—ordinary cultivators as well as nobles from the royal palace seated in the stands. Among them, Qin Tian's attention was drawn to a woman in the middle of the viewing platform, her face veiled with white silk. She was in the Nirvana Realm, exuding an extraordinary aura. Dressed in a flowing white gown, her figure was exquisitely shapely—a rare beauty indeed.

Finding it a rare opportunity to join in the excitement, Qin Tian decided to watch. He took out a set of table and chairs from his storage ring and found an open spot to sit. Before long, several women among the onlookers noticed him.

“Who is that man? He’s so handsome!” one whispered.

“Yeah, I wonder if he has a special someone in his life!” another murmured.

Even Ming Yilian, the veiled woman in the center of the stands and the Grand Princess of Chongming, couldn’t help but glance at Qin Tian a few extra times. Having seen countless handsome men, she had never encountered anyone quite like him.

Unbothered by the attention, Qin Tian brewed himself a cup of tea. The fragrance soon filled the air.

“Is that... Enlightenment Tea?” someone whispered.

“Yes, that’s Enlightenment Tea,” another confirmed.

“The value of Enlightenment Tea rivals that of mid-tier spiritual herbs. This young man is no ordinary person,” the group of cultivators murmured among themselves.

Qin Tian sipped the tea calmly and continued watching the contest. Many beautiful women approached him, attempting to strike up conversation, but he politely declined all advances.

After a while, bored, he stood up to leave.

At that moment, a group of figures clad in black robes charged toward the stands.

“Protect the princess!” shouted soldiers clad in golden armor, quickly forming a defensive line in front of Ming Yilian.

Qin Tian’s expression darkened with disdain. The black-robed assailants were members of the Demonic Sect. Known for their ruthless and merciless methods, Qin Tian detested them.

Upon recognizing the Demonic Sect, the crowd scattered in fear. No one wanted to provoke them.

Once the crowd dispersed, only Qin Tian remained standing in the arena as the two sides began to clash.

The Demonic Sect was clearly prepared, led by an elder at the second level of the Fate Realm. Ming Yilian’s side had only a captain of the guards at the third level of the Nirvana Realm as their strongest warrior.

Ming Yilian watched anxiously as her guards fell one by one, even the captain wounded. Her chest tightened with worry. Possessing the bloodline of the Azure Phoenix, she knew the dreadful consequences if the Demonic Sect captured her.

Determined, she vowed she would not let them succeed, even if it cost her life.

In her despair, she noticed Qin Tian nearby. Apart from the two opposing forces, he was the only other person there.

His calm and composed demeanor suggested he had some powerful backing.

Instinctively, she ran toward him, hoping to clutch at this lifeline.

The Demonic Sect pursued close behind.

“Sir, I am Ming Yilian, Grand Princess of Chongming,” she said earnestly. “I hope you can help me. There will be a generous reward.”

Qin Tian smiled but said nothing, instead turning his gaze toward the Demonic Sect disciples behind her.

“You’ve got some nerve, kid,” one of the Demonic Sect disciples sneered.

Before he could finish, Qin Tian waved his hand.

Smack!

The disciple was blasted backward, his face bloodied and mangled.

Ming Yilian’s eyes brightened with hope.

The Demonic Sect elder’s face grew grave. The young man appeared to be only at the Spiritual Realm, yet he had easily defeated a first-level Nirvana Realm disciple with a single palm strike.

Something was amiss—this youth was no ordinary cultivator.

“Young man, the Demonic Sect asks you to show some respect and leave peacefully,” the elder’s voice echoed nearby.

“What if I refuse?” Qin Tian replied coolly.

The elder’s expression twisted with anger. “Then you shall die!”

With that, he transformed into a black mist and surged toward Qin Tian.

An ancestral dragon claw strike!

Boom!

Qin Tian did not transform. Instead, he struck with a palm. The elder was sent flying into the air.

Ascendant Dragon!

A golden fist shot upward, smashing the elder midair and extinguishing his life instantly.

Everyone watched in shock.

So young and yet so formidable? Surely he must be an elder who had preserved his youth!

With their leader dead, the Demonic Sect disciples scattered and fled.

Ming Yilian, relieved, gratefully said, “Thank you, sir, for saving my life. Please come with me to the palace. My father will reward you generously.”

“No time,” Qin Tian shook his head and turned to leave.

Suddenly, he received a system notification:

[Rescue the Qingqiu Imperial Princess. The princess is being pursued at the Twin Realms Mountain. Establish a master-servant contract with her to complete the task.]

It was rare for the system to issue a mission like this, so he decided to investigate.

Elsewhere, An Miaoling and her companions had successfully entered the Carefree Secret Realm.

“The secret realm opens once every twenty years. Each time it does, many gifted disciples perish. Be cautious,” Yan Qingsi, the senior sister, warned.

“What’s there to fear with Sister An by our side?” Xuan Lei laughed.

Since An Miaoling had defeated Bai Shaohua and restored honor to the sect, he had begun to admire her greatly.

“Better safe than sorry,” An Miaoling said as they began exploring.

Deep within the secret realm, inside the Demonic Palace, Leng Ya led a group of black-robed Demonic Sect members, respectfully addressing a soul entity.

“Palace Lord, among the entrants to the secret realm is a woman who has awakened the ancient Ice Phoenix bloodline.”

“Is that so?” came the response.

“Indeed. I previously met her under the guise of Elder Penglai.”

“In addition, she has comprehended the perfected sword intent.”

Ha ha ha!

“After all these years, finally a suitable vessel for me. Bring her here by any means.”

The soul entity speaking was Mu Yihan, Palace Lord of the Celestial Demon Palace in Zhongzhou. Once a top sect in Zhongzhou, it had fallen into decline after offending a ruthless Empress—none other than An Miaoling in her previous incarnation.

That battle had nearly wiped out the sect. Mu Yihan’s physical body was destroyed, leaving only her soul to escape.

She fled with her remaining loyalists to Dongzhou and hid within this secret realm.

Due to restrictions, cultivators above the Nirvana Realm could not enter. Even those using special means were repelled. But as a soul entity, she was unhindered.

Her remaining followers had since established the Demonic Sect and were growing in strength.

Among them were infiltrators like Leng Ya, embedded in other factions.

Leng Ya reported, “I have released the treasure map. She should come.”

“If necessary, I will pay any price to unseal my power and forcibly bring her here.”

Mu Yihan nodded approvingly.

“You have worked hard all these years, attracting so many talented cultivators for me to devour. Otherwise, my soul would have long since destabilized.”

“Once I regain a body, I will unify Dongzhou. You will not be forgotten then.”

Leng Ya was overjoyed.

“Thank you for your trust, Palace Lord. I will go out and observe the situation.”

Meanwhile, An Miaoling and her group entered a dense forest. The towering ancient trees limited their vision.

During their journey, they gathered many thousand-year spiritual herbs, each person benefiting from the harvest.

But the good fortune was short-lived. Suddenly, mist rose within the forest, and a pack of demonic beasts burst forth.

Many were at the Nirvana Realm level. An Miaoling chased after a third-level Nirvana beast.

After slaying it beneath her sword, she realized she had become separated from Yan Qingsi and the others.

At that moment, she noticed something glowing inside the beast’s body.