The capital of Xi Kingdom, under Yan Wushuang's rule, and because he was the master of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan's branch, had specially constructed a majestic and magnificent Sky Divine City. It stood as the foremost among the myriad kingdoms of the Nine Colors Emperor Star, lofty and aloof, overlooking the entire Imperial Star.
Amidst the continuous celestial palaces and the towering main hall, a majestic figure stood tall, wearing a crown and dragon robes, his imperial aura vast and mighty. It was Yan Wushuang.
Hundreds of years had passed. This former Crown Prince of Xi Kingdom had long shed his youthful naivety, but his increasingly profound cultivation allowed him to retain his youth, untouched by the passage of time. He remained very young, with hair as black as a waterfall and eyes like starry skies, growing more powerful with each passing day.
He stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the entire Nine Colors Emperor Star from the capital.
Within his gaze, one could clearly see that from every corner of the Nine Colors Emperor Star, endless streams of Faith Power surged skyward at all times, pouring into the capital of Xi Kingdom, accumulating day by day into an increasingly vast ocean of Faith Power.
There was also Faith Power originating from the starry sky, from other ancient life stars ruled by the Jiuyan Imperial Clan, breaking through the barriers of space and time, continuously rushing over in great quantities.
"Divine Lord."
Behind Yan Wushuang stood numerous supreme experts, bowing with fervent gazes.
These were all his followers.
Some had followed him since the days of a small kingdom, others were followers from within the Jiuyan Imperial Clan. All had been subdued by Yan Wushuang over the years and were utterly loyal to him.
Now, Yan Wushuang commanded the Nine Colors Emperor Star, and the world called him the Divine Lord!
Yan Wushuang continued to gaze down at the Nine Colors Emperor Star and asked softly, "What is the situation?"
One of the followers from the Jiuyan Imperial Clan respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Divine Lord, the master of the Main Branch is leading opposition within the Imperial Clan, claiming that you, Divine Lord, are audacious and reckless for publicly erecting your own divine statues. He insists they should all be removed and replaced with statues of the Great Emperor. Within the clan, led by the Main Branch, many Elders are echoing this sentiment."
"Is that so?" Yan Wushuang let out a derisive snort. "To deal with me, that Yan Gushen is becoming increasingly shameless. Unable to contend with me openly, he resorts to underhanded schemes in the shadows. Truly despicable."
Yan Gushen was precisely the master of another important branch of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan. The previous generation's chieftain had come from this branch, which was currently the Main Branch.
Generally, the Main Branch held absolute authority within the Imperial Clan. However, Yan Wushuang possessed astonishing skill. In the years since entering the Imperial Clan, he had gradually subdued branch after branch, uniting them into a faction that was now no less significant than the Main Branch.
After all, over the years, members of the Main Branch had often used their status to bully those from the side branches, plundering various resources, which had long accumulated sufficient resentment. This was also why Yan Wushuang had been able to gather them so smoothly.
One of the Imperial Clan Elders sighed. "Divine Lord, although our branch also has Ancestral Elders in support, I've heard that Yan Gushen has gained the appreciation of the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor. If the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor speaks in support during this chieftain election, then no matter how many support our branch, it will be useless."
The emergence of the Golden Age, coupled with the fall of the Nine Colors Monarch, had caused a slumbering Ancient Monarch to awaken and take over guarding the Imperial Clan.
On the surface, it seemed the chieftain held the clan's authority, but in reality, if an Imperial Clan Monarch spoke, they could overturn any command, including the appointment of the chieftain.
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang frowned slightly. This was indeed a troublesome matter.
The words of an Ancient Monarch greatly influenced the chieftain election.
He said, "The Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor has always paid no heed to clan affairs, immersed in cultivation. He should not interfere with the chieftain election."
Several Imperial Clan Elders, however, smiled bitterly. "Divine Lord, the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor is the ancestor of the Main Branch. That's hard to say."
"Enough. You may withdraw. Let me be alone for a while." Yan Wushuang waved his hand, dismissing his numerous followers. He remained alone in the ancient hall, silently gazing down at the Imperial Star. With a slight grasp of his hand, brilliant rays of dawn light gathered and surged toward him—this was precisely the Faith Power of all living beings.
He stared silently at this Faith Power, lost in thought, and murmured softly, "The path I, Yan Wushuang, walk is the Path of Faith. It was the path my Master pointed me toward back then, even bestowing upon me the power of Imperial Bloodline and various opportunities. If I fail in this chieftain election, all my efforts over the years will likely come to naught."
He knew that if Yan Gushen of the Main Branch became the contemporary Imperial Clan chieftain, then the divine statues he had gradually erected over the years on the Nine Colors Emperor Star and other ancient life stars would likely be destroyed.
The Path of Faith would likely be severed.
Yan Gushen had always been at odds with him. Moreover, over these years, Yan Wushuang had seriously threatened his bid for the chieftainship. If Yan Gushen truly became chieftain, he would most certainly not let Yan Wushuang off.
"I've worked so hard to reach this point. I'm truly unwilling."
"But the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor is an Imperial Clan Monarch, lofty and supreme, capable of influencing all decisions within the clan. If he supported me, how would that old fellow Yan Gushen dare to act like this?"
"Unfortunately, the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor is the ancestor of Yan Gushen's branch. Why would he help me?"
Yan Wushuang raised his head, looking toward the deep, dark starry sky, at the myriad twinkling stars, and whispered, "Master, if you were here, what would you do?"
"If it were me, I would walk the path to its end and persevere to the very last!"
Suddenly, a clear and bright voice rang out.
Hearing it suddenly, it carried a faint sense of familiarity. But Yan Wushuang had no time to ponder this, because someone had actually evaded his divine sense and arrived here silently. Such a person was undoubtedly a peerless existence, far surpassing him.
Could it be someone sent by Yan Gushen to kill me?
Yan Wushuang smiled bitterly. He did not flee. If such a person wanted to kill him, with his current cultivation, escape was impossible. It was better to die with dignity. He cupped his fists and said, "I wonder which Fellow Daoist has arrived. Please show yourself for a discussion. I have not summoned anyone else, so you need not worry."
"Haha, you do have some courage."
That light laughter sounded again, carrying a hint of appreciation.
Then the tone shifted, carrying a note of teasing. "I say, disciple, you've already asked me a question, and you're still guessing who I am?"
In the void, the figure of a young man who could be described as flawlessly perfect appeared, as if he were the most perfect and complete person between heaven and earth, flawless and without blemish. A faint, gentle smile played at the corner of his mouth, like a spring breeze.
Yan Wushuang was stunned for a moment, then his expression shook violently as he looked at the person before him in shock. "You... you are Master?"
Ye Chen smiled. "Who else could it be but your master?"
Yan Wushuang stared at Ye Chen in astonishment. Although his Master's appearance had changed greatly, he could still vaguely see traces of his former visage in his face, along with that familiar aura of origin. It was indeed his Master, the Battle Saint King.
Immediately, he dropped to both knees, performing the three bows and nine kowtows, the sound echoing clearly. "Your disciple, Yan Wushuang, pays respects to Master!"
His voice was sincere, without a hint of falsehood.
Hundreds of years had passed since their parting. He never thought he would see his Master again.
When they had first met, he had been fleeing pursuit by the Jiuyan Imperial Clan. Seeing him now was thus somewhat startling, because he deeply knew that the divine sense of the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor, the Imperial Clan Monarch, constantly enveloped the entire Imperial Star. Just how had his Master managed to enter?