From the nine immortal-beast carriages descended nine individuals—six men and three women.
The men were each handsome and dashing, like blazing suns in the sky. Their powerful auras enveloped everything around them, inspiring reverence and fear, making others dare not raise their heads, dare not speak, and dare not look directly at them.
The three female Immortal Nobles were each like celestial maidens, beautiful as flowers, resembling delicate, enchanting roses that stirred one's imagination—but only imagination. For everyone knew these roses were thorny roses, noble palace consorts they could only look up to, adorned with all manner of precious magical treasures and ornaments. The value of a single hairpin alone was likely more precious than a sect's spirit-vein heart.
"Murong Han, Grand Prefect of the Northwest Immortal Estate, pays his respects to Noble Scion Star-Shining, Noble Scion Red Cloud, Noble Scion Heroic-Year, Noble Scion Ruolan..." As the nine noble scions stepped out from their carriages, Murong Han was the first to rush forward and kneel in welcome. As the Northwest Estate's prefect, he understood better than anyone how exalted the status of these nine noble scions was. Each came from a terrifyingly powerful family background, and each had the backing of a major sect.
Their family backgrounds were not something the clans of the Great Northwest could compare to. Even the Huwei Wang Family of the Great Northwest would only have the qualification to kneel and lick their boots before them. As for the major sects backing them, they were similarly beyond comparison with the sects of the Great Northwest. Likewise, the so-called giants of the Great Northwest, like the Hunyuan Gate, were like small fish compared to the great whales of the sects behind these scions—utterly incomparable.
The backgrounds of these nine noble scions were extremely complex, not to mention their immortal parents.
Especially Noble Scion Star-Shining. His parents were the famous Twin Stars Flying Immortals, both hailing from powerful aristocratic families of this world and serving as court officials of the Immortal Dynasty. Star-Shining himself was a disciple of the renowned major sect, Luotian Sect. Not to mention in the Great Northwest, even in the dragon-and-tiger-infested Divine Land, no one dared to provoke him.
"Prefect Murong, there's no need for such formality. Rise and speak."
Noble Scion Star-Shining appeared to be around thirty years old, dressed in a white robe that made him look elegant and poised. While the other noble scions each carried an overbearing aura, he alone seemed gentle as jade, a spring-like smile hanging at the corner of his mouth. He glanced up at the Northwest sky and said with a faint smile, "They all say the Great Northwest is a remote borderland, sparsely populated, with fierce folk customs, gathering places for demons and evil spirits, sparse spiritual energy, and poor resources. But looking at it now, that doesn't seem to be the case."
Murong Han stood up, bowing his body and lowering his head as he replied with utmost respect, "That was indeed true in the ancient era. However, since the revival of all things in the current era, our Northwest region has also seen some improvement."
He paused, then, seeing Noble Scion Star-Shining smiling without speaking, cautiously inquired, "Lord Star-Shining, may I ask when the other Immortal Nobles will arrive?"
"They may still need some time."
Murong Han knew that the envoys from the Immortal Dynasty this time were not just the several hundred Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables, nor just these nine Immortal Dynasty noble scions. Over a thousand Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables, several hundred Nine-Star Immortal Officials, and nearly sixty Immortal Dynasty noble scions were coming.
Was that all?
No.
There were also over twenty Earth Immortals and two Edict Envoys. As for when the two Edict Envoys and the over twenty Earth Immortals would descend, he did not know and dared not ask further.
"Murong Han, does your Northwest Immortal Estate only have this many people?"
A young noble scion beside Star-Shining suddenly spoke. Murong Han's heart sank, and he hurriedly explained, "Lord Heroic-Year, our Northwest is, after all, a border region. Whether in cultivation resources or talented individuals, we cannot compare to the Divine Land. I hope you can understand."
"Hah, Heroic-Year, just look at the kind of people the Northwest has. Each one rat-faced and shifty-eyed, their cultivation realms utterly disgraceful, their spiritual auras turbid beyond belief. Even if there are a few with decent cultivation, they've basically accumulated it over a thousand years."
An ostentatiously dressed Immortal Noble, holding a spirit fox in her arms, glanced at the crowd kneeling all around, her eyes filled with contempt. Then she looked at the estate members kneeling by the estate monument and mocked, "Not even the people of the Immortal Estate are presentable, let alone the so-called sect geniuses of the Northwest. They're probably not even as good as beggars in our Divine Land."
This was naked contempt, naked mockery, without the slightest attempt at concealment.
Yet, when these words reached the ears of the estate members, though they were furious inside, they all dared to be angry but not speak out, remaining kneeling on the ground, not even daring to lift their heads.
Not just them, even the three estate prefects—Murong Han, An Qiongshan, and Li Feiyuan—were the same. Not only did they dare not say anything, they even had to force smiles.
Others might not know, but the three estate prefects knew these two Immortal Dynasty noble scions were absolutely not to be offended.
That Noble Scion Heroic-Year, despite his young age, was already a Dharma Aspect Grand Venerable, possessing three great innate fortunes and three great acquired guardians. His strength was unfathomable. On the journey here, Murong Han and the other two had personally witnessed this very Noble Scion Heroic-Year annihilate over a dozen people in the span of a few breaths—and those dozen were all Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables who had cultivated for many years.
As for this beautiful female Immortal Noble named Ruolan, her status, background, cultivation strength, and fortune realm were no lower than Noble Scion Heroic-Year's, if not higher.
Noble Scion Heroic-Year was wildly arrogant, quick to slaughter at the slightest disagreement. But Noble Scion Ruolan was even worse. If she was even slightly displeased, she would flay and skin people. On the journey, while Heroic-Year had killed over a dozen Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables, Ruolan had not only flayed and skinned over a dozen Dharma Aspect Grand Venerables but also refined their primordial spirit Dharma Aspects, cooked their Dao-hearts, and fed them to the spirit fox in her arms. Her heart was as venomous as a snake's, her methods extremely cruel.
"Murong Han, didn't you say your Northwest Immortal Estate already had a hundred reincarnated individuals residing here? Why don't I see them?"
Noble Scion Heroic-Year was overbearing, his entire presence feeling like a sharp sword ready to be drawn at any moment. So was his voice, carrying a sharp, piercing edge.
"This..." Murong Han was worried, or more accurately, somewhat afraid, momentarily unsure how to respond.
"Speak!"
Noble Scion Heroic-Year's angry shout pierced Murong Han's ears, making his spirit tremble as if he had fallen into an icy cavern. Terrified, he immediately knelt on the ground, cupping his hands and saying, "Lord Heroic-Year, it's like this... Those reincarnated individuals, though they have taken up residence in our Northwest Immortal Estate and accepted the Immortal Dynasty's conferment... they... they rely on their past lives as immortals, considering their status noble. Though they cultivate in our estate after reincarnation... they do not obey the estate's authority. We... also... also... are powerless..."
"Trash! What use are you as an estate prefect!"
Noble Scion Heroic-Year roared in anger, raising his hand. A flash of light erupted as he slapped Murong Han through the air, sending blood spurting from his mouth and nose.