Chapter 32: Eruption — A Terrifying Presence.
The eldest princess, Xia Zixuan, was the first legitimate daughter of the current Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Unlike most women of noble birth, this princess had no interest in scholarly pursuits from a young age. Instead, she displayed a remarkable passion for the art of war and martial cultivation.
Over the years, she frequently journeyed to the frontier, where she commanded a formidable army of three hundred thousand battle-ready troops. She even established a personal all-female military unit of one hundred thousand soldiers.
Rumor had it that this women’s corps had a unique battle formation. Their combat strength was said to rival, if not surpass, the top elite forces of the empire.
Of course, none of this would be possible without Xia Zixuan’s leadership. It was said that her iron-fisted rule had brought about a level of military discipline that was the most flawless in Great Xia’s history.
As a result, in recent years, even the other dynasties eyeing Great Xia with ill intent had grown wary of her.
However, ever since the power struggle for the position of crown prince began, this princess retreated to the frontier and appeared to have no intention of intervening in the fight for succession.
But now, her sudden appearance here was something Ye Wushang had not expected at all.
Curious, Ye Wushang made his way to the main hall.
Walking toward him were two women and one man. The man appeared to be in his thirties or forties, but judging by his facial features, he was at least a century old.
As for the two women, though they were clad in military armor, it did little to suppress their striking beauty.
Each had her own unique charm. The leading woman was tall and carried a commanding presence between her brows, exuding a dominating aura that tolerated no disobedience.
Her features were stern, and unlike Yue Rushuang’s porcelain-white skin, hers was more of a wheatish tone—healthy and bronze.
The second woman was slightly shorter, with a softer, rounder face that leaned more toward a cute aesthetic.
In her hand, she held a long spear that perfectly complemented her heroic demeanor—an image that left people awestruck.
Seeing the two women together genuinely made Ye Wushang’s eyes light up.
[Ding! Potential marriage candidate detected. Would you like to view details?]
[Ding! Potential marriage candidate detected. Would you like to view details?]
Two back-to-back system prompts left Ye Wushang momentarily stunned.
But soon, he came back to his senses, his heart filled with surprise.
To think that both of these women were considered potential marriage candidates?
With renewed curiosity, he began to inspect the system’s information on them.
Innate Talent: Heart of the Empress
Cultivation: Sixth Layer of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm]
[Heart of the Empress: A natural-born ruler. Only by ascending the throne can this talent fully awaken, enabling her to soar into the heavens and become an Empress of an era.]
Innate Talent: Innate Spear Master, Reincarnation of the Spear God
Cultivation: First Layer of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm]
[Innate Spear Master, Reincarnation of the Spear God: Has fused with a remnant soul of a Spear God from ancient times. With each major realm breakthrough, she will merge with more of the Spear God’s memories. A natural sovereign in the way of the spear.]
Ye Wushang secretly clicked his tongue. These two women were anything but ordinary.
Without lingering any longer, he lifted his foot and strode directly into the reception hall.
“To think the esteemed Eldest Princess would grace my humble estate with her presence. I must apologize for not welcoming you personally.”
Hearing his voice, the three turned to look at him.
The moment they laid eyes on Ye Wushang, they all revealed a trace of surprise.
The image of a sword cultivator often evoked coldness, aloofness, and overbearing dominance.
But Ye Wushang, with his gentle smile, seemed more like a refined nobleman basking in the spring breeze. He was entirely unlike the typical blade-wielding warrior.
Fortunately, they quickly regained their composure.
Xia Zixuan, nothing like an ordinary woman, smiled openly. “No need for formalities. We are the ones who came unannounced.”
“Young and accomplished indeed—Ye Clan Leader, I am truly impressed. We three were simply passing by and had no intention of stopping. But we sensed a powerful aura erupting from this place, as if someone was breaking through a major realm, so we decided to investigate.”
At this, she smiled at him. “Allow me to offer my congratulations. The world believes that after only a few short years, the Ye Clan Leader’s cultivation should still be below the sixth layer of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm. Who would have thought you’ve already broken into the Purple Mansion Realm!”
As soon as she spoke, Ye Wushang’s expression subtly shifted.
His breakthrough had indeed caused a significant commotion, but the moment the aura leaked out, he used a Spirit-Gathering Array to seal it off.
Aside from Yue Rushuang, no one in the Ye Clan had even noticed.
To think that Xia Zixuan had detected it. That alone spoke volumes about how extraordinary this princess truly was.
He responded with a faint smile. “This clan leader is equally surprised. It’s long been said that Her Highness the Eldest Princess possesses a woefully poor cultivation talent, yet here you are—a mighty expert at the sixth layer of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.”
At these words, the expressions of all three visitors changed.
The man who had been silent until now suddenly widened his eyes, and a wave of terrifying killing intent surged from him, locking directly onto Ye Wushang.
In an instant, a frightening aura of a Purple Mansion Realm powerhouse bore down on Ye Wushang.
The pressure was intense, clearly from someone at the sixth layer of the Purple Mansion Realm.
Yet, just as the aura came within three meters of Ye Wushang, it was completely neutralized by a mysterious force, unable to harm him in the slightest.
The three were visibly shocked.
They were well aware of the middle-aged man’s strength—even most cultivators at the seventh layer of the Purple Mansion Realm weren’t a match for him.
And yet now, without even exchanging blows, his aura failed to rattle someone who had just broken through to Purple Mansion? It defied all logic.
Xia Zixuan quickly regained her calm. “The Ye Clan Leader truly has sharp eyes. I’m impressed. I won’t hide it from you—this time, we’ve come to invite you to collaborate on a grand undertaking.”
Ye Wushang picked up his teacup and took a slow sip before answering casually.
“Your Highness, what makes you think I would agree?”
Before Xia Zixuan could reply, the man beside her stepped forward and said coldly, “Do you think you have a choice when the Eldest Princess speaks?”
Hearing this, Ye Wushang chuckled, giving the man an amused look. “Are you threatening me?”
The man lifted his chin slightly, his brows exuding arrogance. “Yes. And so what?”
Clearly, even though Ye Wushang had blocked his aura, the man still didn’t consider someone who had just entered the Purple Mansion Realm a true threat.
At that moment, Ye Wushang noticed that Xia Zixuan remained indifferent to her subordinate’s attitude, and he instantly understood her stance.
The next second, he calmly placed the teacup down, then suddenly raised his head.
In an instant, a terrifying aura erupted.
The entire reception hall was engulfed by a fearsome blade intent.
The three visitors felt their scalps go numb—it was as though countless sharp blades were pressed against their necks.