Chapter 108: Rivalry in Chu Capital: Guest Master

Yanfeng Ancient Nation, Chu Capital, outside the East City Gate.

At this moment, elite troops had already respectfully gathered outside the East City Gate, and numerous large ships and flying vessels were moored nearby, all awaiting with bated breath.

“I heard this newly appointed Marquis Chu Yu was directly granted the rank of First-Class Marquis.” On one of the flying vessels, a group of imperial clan and royal clan youths gathered together, also waiting.

“Marquis Chu Yu devotes himself entirely to comprehending the Dao of Laws and wields the Infinite Divine Body! With the potential of the Infinite Divine Body, it’s natural he became a First-Class Marquis the moment he broke through.” One imperial clan youth spoke with immense pride.

“Marquis Chu Yu himself once guided me! Possessing the Infinite Divine Body, his status within our clan was always unique. Now that he has broken through to the Chaos Realm, he has directly become a core member of our Di Chu lineage.”

All these imperial clan youths belonged to the Di Chu lineage and felt deeply honored.

“Impressive.”

“Marquis Chu Yu is truly extraordinary.”

The royal clan youths lavished praise—within the Yanfeng Ancient Nation, the thirteen branches of the imperial clan were the absolute core; all other royal clans were vastly inferior. As for Chaos Realm families? Unless they produced a “Chaos Realm Transcendent,” they were utterly mediocre and had no place in the circles of the imperial or royal clans.

On another luxurious large ship.

Two figures drank together, attended by serving maids.

“A First-Class Marquis is truly different—he’s granted a First-Class Marquis residence, a personal guard, and his fief is a ‘First-Class Large City.’” A stout man sighed. “He even has the privilege to appoint two Guest Masters.”

“And us? We, as Third-Class Marquises, get a small city as fief, a tiny dwelling, and a handful of personal guards. We don’t even qualify to apply for a Guest Master.” The stout man muttered.

The tall woman beside him laughed heartily: “You still have hope—you’re at least mid-level Chaos Realm. But me…?” She pointed to herself. “Among the twenty-nine Marquises of Di Chu, including Marquis Chu Yu, only two are ordinary Chaos Realm. I’m one of them! I’ve been in the Chaos Realm for over three thousand cycles and still remain ordinary. I’m far, far from the top tier.”

As these two Marquises chatted, they suddenly sensed a tear in the distant spacetime, forming a spacetime passage.

“Here he comes.” Both Marquises perked up.

All those present to welcome—the Marquises, imperial and royal clan youths, personal guards—turned toward the distant spacetime passage.

From within the spacetime passage, five figures emerged.

Marquis Chu Yu led the Deputy Director, while Luo Feng brought Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Qingyan.

“Hmm? The man beside Marquis Chu Yu?”

“He stands shoulder to shoulder with Marquis Chu Yu—clearly, Marquis Chu Yu holds this black-clothed man in high esteem.”

All eyes turned to the figure in black robes: Luo Feng.

“He is Luohe the Great Sage from Yu Nation.” Some Marquises and imperial clan youths, well-informed about the powerful figures of the Origin Continent, immediately recognized his identity.

“This Luohe Great Sage crushed Marquis Liu Yin in the Huyang City battle. His physical cultivation has reached an unimaginable level—he can tread the earth while touching the stars!”

“He is a peak Chaos Realm existence.”

“He’s with Marquis Chu Yu? Could Marquis Chu Yu have chosen him as his first Guest Master?”

“He’s with Emperor Chu Yu? Could it be that Emperor Chu Yu has chosen him as his first retainer?”

Luo Feng and Marquis Chu Yu traveled through the spacetime passage, arriving directly from the distant Yu Nation’s Huyang City to the Yanfeng Ancient Nation’s Chu Capital. This left Luo Feng deeply awed: “Spacetime teleportation is truly wondrous. Even I must rely on a spacetime artifact to perform it once.”

Almost no Chaos Realm cultivator can teleport by their own power.

They all rely on artifacts.

Artifacts capable of sustained spacetime teleportation are prohibitively expensive. Luo Feng possessed a single-use talisman—once activated, it was destroyed. A spacetime teleportation talisman requires Chaos Realm strength to activate and sells for one hundred million Cosmic Sands. Even for Chaos Realm cultivators, it’s used only in critical moments.

Emerging from the spacetime passage, Luo Feng immediately saw the imposing army outside the East City Gate and the multitude of ships and flying vessels awaiting them.

Emerging from the space-time passage, Luo Feng immediately saw the army outside the eastern gate of the majestic city, along with numerous ships and flying vessels come to welcome them.

The entire army shouted in unison, bowing respectfully.

Marquis Chu Yu smiled faintly and said to Luo Feng beside him: “This is my personal guard, granted to me after I reached the Chaos Realm. These are elite troops cultivated by our Di Chu lineage.”

Luo Feng surveyed them: the guard consisted of a thousand Eternal True Gods and countless Void True Gods. Even outside the city, under their formation commander, they moved as one unified whole—his aura far more dominant than the Nine Jiang Marquis’s army or the Xin Ying Gate’s forces.

Within the Yanfeng Ancient Nation, this elite guard alone could sweep aside the Xin Ying Gate’s army and the Nine Jiang Marquis’s forces.

In the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom, even counting this elite guard unit, they were sufficient to sweep away the entire Xin Ying Gate army and the Nine Jiang Marquis’s battle array.

“Father!”

Before the formation, a dignified woman led three young men, their eyes filled with excitement as they gazed at Marquis Chu Yu. Their father, who had been traveling and cultivating, had become a Chaos Realm cultivator—and a First-Class Marquis! It was a fortune from heaven.

Before the battle array, a dignified woman, accompanied by three young men, looked at Emperor Chu Yu with excitement— their father, who had been traveling and cultivating outside, had now reached the Chaos Realm, and even became a First-Rank Marquis! This was a fortune descending from heaven.

Marquis Chu Yu brought Luo Feng and the others forward, glancing at the three young men with a hint of headache.

“Chu Yu, upon hearing you were granted a marquisate, I immediately brought our three children back from Fengye City,” the dignified woman said.

“Father, the news of your First-Class Marquis title has spread throughout the entire Chu Capital.”

“Among Di Chu’s twenty-nine Marquises, only seven are First-Class. You are one of them.” All three sons were thrilled.

Marquis Chu Yu nodded, then introduced Luo Feng beside him: “This is my closest friend, Luohe the Great Sage. From now on, treat him as you would treat me—show him not the slightest disrespect.”

“Hail, Uncle!” The three young men bowed respectfully at once, realizing this man must be their father’s powerful ally.

“Greetings, Luohe the Great Sage,” the dignified woman said politely.

“Madam, you are too kind,” Luo Feng smiled. He could tell Marquis Chu Yu’s relationship with this woman was distant—after countless eons apart, there was no warmth. Instead, Marquis Chu Yu walked over to an elderly servant beside his children, showing clear affection.

“Marquis,” the old servant said, his expression trembling with emotion.

“Zheng Lao, it’s been a long time,” Marquis Chu Yu said, looking at the old servant, who was merely a Void True God.

“Your humble servant finally sees Your Highness granted a marquisate—even a First-Class Marquis!” Zheng Lao was deeply moved.

This old servant had been left behind by Marquis Chu Yu’s mother; during his weakest days, it was this servant who had faithfully followed and cared for him. Though called a servant, he was, in truth, family.

This old servant had been left behind by Emperor Chu Yu’s mother; during Emperor Chu Yu’s weakest days, it was this old servant who had constantly followed and cared for him! Though called an old servant, he was in truth a closest kin.

Just as their family reunited—

“Brother Chu Yu!”

One by one, the other Marquises of the Di Chu lineage appeared.

Marquis Chu Yu looked up and saw the Marquises within his clan—those of high status—now rushing forward with overwhelming warmth.

Emperor Chu Yu looked up and saw the Marquises, who held considerable status within the clan, all warmly rushing forward to greet him.

Luo Feng observed it all. Before arriving in the Yanfeng Ancient Nation, Marquis Chu Yu had provided him with detailed intelligence on the true top-tier powers of the Origin Continent—including full records of every Chaos Realm cultivator within Yanfeng.

Luo Feng observed all of this; before arriving at the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom, Emperor Chu Yu had already provided him with detailed intelligence on the true top-tier experts of the Origin Continent, including comprehensive records of every Chaos Realm cultivator within the Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom.

“The Di Chu lineage of Yanfeng Ancient Nation has twenty-nine Marquises. Seven came to welcome Marquis Chu Yu today: five Third-Class Marquises and two Second-Class Marquises.” Luo Feng instantly discerned.

Not a single First-Class Marquis, equal in status to Marquis Chu Yu, had come.

“I heard internal competition within the imperial clan is fierce, and among First-Class Marquises, it’s outright rivalry,” Luo Feng understood.

Third-Class Marquises, in truth, were half-abandoned by the imperial clan—given only the barest resources, nothing more!

Second-Class Marquises received significantly more resources.

Only First-Class Marquises could access the true core resources of the Origin Continent—and among themselves, they engaged in brutal competition.

“As a Guest Master, the threshold to obtain resources is far higher than that of a First-Class Marquis,” Luo Feng knew. The Yanfeng Ancient Nation heavily cultivated its imperial clan’s First-Class Marquises—they were absolute elites.

As for Guest Masters? They were more a transactional relationship.

Guest Masters served the ancient nation, earning merit to exchange for resources—thus, their gains naturally fell far short of those of a First-Class Marquis.

Retainers serve the Ancient Kingdom, earning merits in exchange for certain resources—thus, the resources they receive naturally fall far short of those granted to a First-Rank Marquis.

After dealing with the many Marquises, Marquis Chu Yu finally led Luo Feng aboard the large ship.

Onboard the ship.

The woman and the three children had moved to the rear; Marquis Chu Yu and Luo Feng sat in the front hall, gazing ahead at the East City Gate.

“Those who came to welcome are all Second-Class and Third-Class Marquises,” Marquis Chu Yu explained. “Our Di Chu lineage has three Divine Kings. Divine Kings dwell far above and never handle trivial matters. Most affairs are decided by us First-Class Marquises.”

“So they’re here to flatter you,” Luo Feng understood.

Imperial clan First-Class Marquises must either possess the Infinite Divine Body in the Chaos Realm or reach peak Chaos Realm strength. Meeting either criterion qualifies one as a First-Class Marquis.

Of course, this applies only to imperial clan members.

For wandering cultivators like Luo Feng, becoming a Guest Master is already a complicated matter.

“I’ve already applied for your Guest Master status,” Marquis Chu Yu smiled. “Under normal circumstances, it will be approved.”

“What circumstances would cause it to be denied?” Luo Feng asked.

“One: insufficient strength. Two: problematic identity,” Marquis Chu Yu smiled. “You’re peak Chaos Realm strength—your power is certainly sufficient. As for your identity? It’s certainly flawless.”

“One, insufficient strength. Two, questionable identity.” Emperor Chu Yu smiled. “You’re at the peak of Chaos Realm—your strength is certainly sufficient. As for identity? Your identity is certainly fine.”

The large ship flew over the vast East City Gate of Chu Capital, the personal guard entering with them.

“How can you be certain my identity is flawless?” Luo Feng asked.

“Our Yanfeng Ancient Nation doesn’t care about a Guest Master’s origins—whether they’re steeped in sin, blessed with immense fortune, or entangled in terrifying karmic debts—we don’t care! We only require one thing: they must not be an alien race,” Marquis Chu Yu said.

“Our Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom does not care much about a retainer’s origins—whether they are steeped in sin, blessed with immense fortune, or entangled in terrifying karmic debts… we don’t care at all! We only require one thing: they are not an alien race.”

“Life from beyond the Cage,” Marquis Chu Yu said. “Our Yanfeng Ancient Nation’s inheritance resources may be taught to any life within the Cage—but never to an alien race.”

“That is, life beyond the cage.” Emperor Chu Yu said. “The inheritance resources of our Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom may be transmitted to any life within the cage—but never to an alien race.”

Alien race?

“When you entered Chu Capital, your identity as a life within the Cage was confirmed,” Marquis Chu Yu explained. “This city of Chu was personally forged by our Yanfeng Ancestor as a gift to the Emperor. Any alien race entering this city will be instantly detected!”

“When we enter the capital, you are recognized as a life within the cage.” Emperor Chu Yu explained. “This capital city was personally forged by our Yanfeng Ancient Kingdom’s founding ancestor as a gift to the Emperor. Any alien race entering this city will be detected!”

The most mysterious and terrifying entity of the Yanfeng Ancient Nation was the Yanfeng Ancestor—after him came the Thirteen Emperors!

“Hmm?” Marquis Chu Yu suddenly smiled. “You’ve just entered the city. Once your identity was confirmed, your Guest Master application was approved. You are now officially a Guest Master of our Di Chu lineage. Congratulations, Luohe Brother!”

“Hmm?” Emperor Chu Yu suddenly smiled. “You’ve just entered the city, your identity has been confirmed—your application as a retainer has already been approved. You are now officially my retainer, Luo He.”

Luo Feng smiled: “Thank you, Chu Yu.”

Thank you to the two new Alliance Masters: Yigenyi Luoqiu and Eternal Light Justice Hope

Gratitude to the two new Alliance Masters: Yigenjin Yiluoqiu and Yongheng Guangming Zhengyi Xiwang

(End of Chapter)