Chapter 1132: Joining the Preliminaries

After dawn, Ye Liuyun let Lei Ming and his clone continue cultivating, while he himself rushed to the imperial palace to find Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan.

The imperial palace today had even tighter security.

Following the guards inside, Ye Liuyun felt the probing Divine Sense was much stronger than before.

"Looks like many young strong ones have arrived today, so the palace guards have been reinforced!"

Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan was hosting a grand banquet to entertain them.

They were all under thirty, and their realms were almost uniformly Zhaohua Ninth Level.

These individuals were the heavens' prodigies from various great families and sects, all below the Earth Sovereign realm.

The reason they are called heavens' prodigies is that they are geniuses among geniuses, far stronger than other talented disciples within their own sects.

Thus, these prodigies gathering today in the Great Xia Imperial Palace also represent the highest level of power among the younger generation on the Zhongyang Dalu.

Each of them is proud and aloof, and they hardly converse with one another.

Many have suppressed their realms, not yet breaking through to Earth Sovereign, and are waiting for this chance to enter the Imperial Family Secret Realm.

When each of them arrived, a host would announce their sect and name for everyone's information.

Ye Liuyun was no exception; as soon as he arrived, a host shouted inside: "Brave and Fierce King, Imperial Prince Consort, Demonic God Sect Sect Master, Ye Liuyun has arrived…"

…

Hearing someone call him that, Ye Liuyun felt a bit embarrassed. He wanted to stop it, but it was already too late.

The shout wasn't wrong, just overly exaggerated; he himself never regarded himself as a Sect Master or a Prince.

The people inside, upon hearing such a grand title, all looked toward the doorway, thinking a dignitary had come to visit Fourth Prince.

These prodigies spend most of their time immersed in cultivation, rarely caring about outside affairs.

Only a few residents of the imperial city know Ye Liuyun's strength and deeds.

Many of them learned through family connections about the feud between Ye Liuyun and the Cheng Clan.

"Did the Fourth Prince also invite him?"

"Yes! At the last martial matchmaking tournament, the Fourth Prince seemed quite familiar with Ye Liuyun!"

Hearing Ye Liuyun's title, they immediately whispered among themselves. Some even stood up to greet him, trying to get close.

Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan himself stepped forward to welcome him.

Ye Liuyun's reputation certainly warranted such a reception.

"Did you arrange this? That's over the top!"

Seeing everyone in the Grand Hall staring at him, Ye Liuyun felt a bit embarrassed and immediately blamed Xia Tian Yuan.

"Ha ha, that was my oversight! I only instructed the Servant to announce each guest's title. I hadn't checked before, didn't expect them to spill all your background! But it's quite majestic and imposing, isn't it?"

These days Xia Tian Yuan has been busy recruiting and screening people, leaving no time for such details.

He also knew Ye Liuyun disliked such exaggerated introductions, so he apologized while joking with him.

Ye Liuyun could do nothing; once shouted, it couldn't be taken back.

So he walked in side by side with the Fourth Prince, greeting some imperial city youths who knew him.

Next to Xia Tian Yuan, a seat was always left vacant, reserved for Ye Liuyun.

This seat signified Xia Tian Yuan's regard for Ye Liuyun.

The prodigies who didn't know Ye Liuyun were now speculating.

"So young a Prince, yet a Prince Consort?"

"The Demonic God Sect Sect Master looks quite young, and his realm isn't high!"

"With such a realm, how could he be the Demonic God Sect Sect Master? Maybe it's a mistake?"

They all looked at Ye Liuyun with skeptical eyes.

They hadn't expected that Ye Liuyun was going to join them in the Preliminary Contest.

It wasn't until Xia Tian Yuan announced that all participants for the preliminaries had arrived that someone realized Ye Liuyun, just like them, was also slated to compete in the Preliminary Contest.

A young man sitting beside Ye Liuyun asked Xia Tian Yuan in confusion.

"Fourth Prince, this person…"

He suddenly didn't know how to address Ye Liuyun, so he glossed over it vaguely.

"… is also here to join the preliminaries?"

"Yes! He's just like you, also here to help me!" the Fourth Prince admitted.

Ye Liuyun also knew that his realm might still be looked down upon.

His Divine Sense swept over their gazes and he understood immediately.

Those who didn't know him wore faces of contempt and disdain. m.

The ones who knew him were now snickering. If anyone dared to look him in the eye, they'd have a lively show.

Now Ye Liuyun has advanced two levels since the martial matchmaking tournament; back then he could defeat a Martial Cultivator of Zhaohua Ninth Level, and now it should be even easier.

Moreover, behind Ye Liuyun stand hundreds of thousands of troops, Demon Cultivators, and the three strongest forces on the Zhongyang Dalu supporting him.

Anyone who provokes him will likely meet the same tragic fate as those princes he annihilated!

At this moment, they all thought only one thing: "This Ye Liuyun is practically a pig pretending to eat a tiger! Those who die by his hand are truly wronged!"

However, most of the prodigies in the Grand Hall knew nothing of Ye Liuyun's past.

Someone immediately began to mock Ye Liuyun.

"Competing for the prince's succession is such a big matter; how dare someone with no strength just join in?"

"Exactly, thinking that because of his background and deceiving the princess, he now has the strength to stand with us?"

Some even couldn't be bothered to look at Ye Liuyun, turning their heads away.

When Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan saw this, he silently thought it was bad, fearing Ye Liuyun might lose his temper on the spot and kill those people outright!

Ye Liuyun knows exactly how he dealt with the Cheng Clan.

So he immediately cut them off: "Everyone, don't judge strength by cultivation level. Since I'm the one who brought these people, I certainly have my reasons. As for whether they're qualified, we'll see on the arena later!"

Hearing this, the many proud geniuses actually fell silent for a moment.

Even if they look down on Ye Liuyun, they still have to give the Fourth Prince face. After all, the final choice is still up to the Fourth Prince.

If they offend the Fourth Prince, no matter how strong they are, they won't be able to enter the Secret Realm.

Some people remained doubtful, thinking Ye Liuyun might actually have something special about him.

Ye Liuyun himself, however, acted as if nothing were wrong, seizing the time to eat and drink.

His cultivation level is low, and he has already been looked down upon more than once.

Over time, he grew accustomed to it and couldn't be bothered to argue with others.