Chapter 699: Chapter 395 Yongning_2

Not far away,

Yan Hong watched the scene with slightly furrowed brows.

The assembly of numerous grandmasters by Dragonwood Island to jointly explore the Xunmu Cave Heaven, comprising formidable masters from both Da Xuan and the Outer Sea, was indeed a blessing since the Spirit People Race represents a common enemy for everyone.

Yet, ultimately, the exploration of the Xunmu Cave Heaven was still about competing for resources. It was manageable before dealing with the ancient ancestor of the Spirit People Race. Should everyone join forces to repel or injure the ancient ancestor, it would undoubtedly lead to a scenario of fierce competition among them.

With Hong Shida and Grandmaster Zonggang joining forces, two unparalleled grandmasters working together in a place like the Xunmu Cave Heaven, which the Blood Exchange Realm could not access, was undoubtedly a significant threat. Ordinary seven or eight top grandmasters might not even be considered by them.

In her team, only three people were comparable to top grandmasters; the others were slightly inferior.

If her brother, Prince Yan, were here and another unparalleled grandmaster were leading, they would undoubtedly feel much more confident. Facing the strong alliance of Hong Shida and Grandmaster Zonggang, they inevitably had to give way somewhat.

“With both of them here, it is a good thing. After all, the ancient ancestor of the Spirit People Race is by no means an ordinary foe,”

Yan Zhengyang spoke quietly beside her.

Entering the Xunmu Cave Heaven, being too strong is problematic, as is being too weak; the former leads to infighting due to unchecked power, and the latter results in being pursued by the Spirit People Race, forcing one to hide and seek Spiritual Objects within the cave heaven.

“Hmm.”

Yan Hong nodded pensively.

Even though she understood Yan Zhengyang’s point, three top grandmasters seemed slightly insufficient in her view.

Just then,

her gaze shifted slightly, and she looked towards a distant direction. There, she saw a young man clad in commoner’s clothes leisurely walking nearby, inspecting his surroundings and the towering Dragonwood tree crowns at the center.

Upon seeing this newcomer, a flicker of light flashed in Yan Hong’s eyes. She took a few steps forward to greet him, saying, “Brother Mu, it’s been many days; I thought you wouldn’t come.”

The young man who walked leisurely was Chen Mu.

After departing from Yunmu Island, he had been rushing non-stop to Dragonwood Island, and now it was almost the last two days at the invitation of the island master; he had arrived in anticipation of this timing.

“A lively event like the Xunmu Cave Heaven is something I can’t resist getting involved in,”

Upon seeing Yan Hong approaching, Chen Mu also gave a slight bow and greeted her, then cast his gaze towards the center. He quickly surveyed the area, sensing the aura of at least a hundred grandmasters gathered there, and a trace of light flickered in his eyes.

Although previously the opening of the Ice State Abyss in Cold North had drawn a similar number of grandmasters, the overall quality could not compare to that of those who were here for the opening of the Xunmu Cave Heaven this time.

The grandmasters present, in his perception, almost had no weak auras!

They were at least on par with masters like Feng Hongsheng and Shi Zhenyong, including no fewer than twenty or thirty grandmasters on par with Jiang Changsheng, and even included unparalleled grandmasters like Grandmaster Zonggang and Hong Shida who were temporarily absent in the Cold North.

Upon hearing Chen Mu’s words, Yan Hong couldn’t help but smile and said, “Given the realm you have reached, Brother Mu, you don’t need much, but the treasures of Dragonwood Island and Tingchao Cliff are still quite extensive. I see Brother Mu seems to have come alone, and you might not know much about the Xunmu Cave Heaven; it is quite perilous, so how about we join hands?”

With that,

Yan Hong paused briefly, then said apologetically, “I won’t hide it anymore; Yan Hong was a pseudonym I used in the past. My real surname is Ji, and my name is Hong. I have some reputation in the capital.”

To invite Chen Mu to join in the exploration of the Xunmu Cave Heaven, she naturally couldn’t continue using the pseudonym as before. Although she still didn’t know Chen Mu’s true background, revealing her true identity was undoubtedly necessary to gain his trust.

“So you are Princess Yongning; my apologies.”

Chen Mu, upon hearing Yan Hong reveal her identity and origins, was not surprised but simply bowed slightly to her.

Ji Hong.

He had heard of this name before, and just a few days ago, had casually mentioned Yan Hong to Hua Nongyue and Hua Nongying. Both women had simultaneously guessed who she was and relayed to Chen Mu many details about Ji Hong.

There were many princes and princesses in the current Royal Family, but only eight were titled as ‘Prince’ and very few as ‘Princess,’ with just nine bearing that title. Ji Hong was one of them, her title being ‘Yongning.’

In the Da Xuan Dynasty, where martial prowess was held in high esteem, princes and princesses, unless highly favored or the legitimate eldest son or daughter, who were appointed by imperial jade decree, generally had to reach the status of Grandmaster and enter the Marrow Cleansing Realm to qualify for the titles of Prince or Princess.

Ji Hong was not a legitimate eldest daughter and came from a more distant line among the many princesses. Her mother also lacked significant background or influence. Ultimately, however, by virtue of her own talent and martial skills, she attained the status of Grandmaster and was conferred the title ‘Yongning.’ She currently also held the position of Vice Chief of the Imperial Court’s Demon Slaying Chief Officer, having suppressed many demonic uprisings and enjoyed a good reputation within and outside the Imperial Court.

At this moment, Yan Hong smiled gently at Chen Mu and said, “Brother Mu, no need for such formalities. In the Martial World, titles are but mere formalities. This world ultimately respects martial power, so you may simply call me ‘Miss Yan’.”

Upon hearing this,

Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile. He had not planned to join anyone, even after noticing Liu Qingyan, a master of the Hehuan Sect; he had no intention of greeting her. However, Yan Hong’s words quite suited his temperament. Given the lack of maps and detailed information about Xunmu Cave Heaven from Hua Nongyue and Hua Nongying, he nodded slightly after pondering briefly.

“Thank you for your kind words. I would be remiss to decline such an offer.”

“Good, Brother Mu, please.”

Seeing Chen Mu agree, Yan Hong also showed a hint of a smile.

Although the details of Chen Mu’s background were somewhat unclear, this was not a primary concern. Firstly, only Grandmasters could enter Xunmu Cave Heaven, and within it, the Spirit Human Race was a common enemy to everyone. Additionally, her team already included three top-tier Grandmasters who were completely trustworthy. Even if Chen Mu’s origins were vague, and not entirely trusted, he could not possibly be one of the Spirit Human Race.

Furthermore, Chen Mu’s own strength was remarkable. Even though he hadn’t shown his full strength during the time they had traveled together, he was undoubtedly among the top tier of Grandmasters. With him, the team now consisted of four top-tier Grandmasters, which allowed for a greater assurance of handling any perilous situations that might arise in Xunmu Cave Heaven.

Soon,

Yan Hong led Chen Mu to the front of Yan Zhengyang and the others.

“This is Grandmaster Yan Zhengyang, like me, a Vice Chief of the Demon-Slaying Bureau. This is Grandmaster Wei Shuxian, from the Orthodox Sects ‘Heavenly Guardian Pavilion,’ endorsed by the Imperial Court. This is…”

Yan Hong briefly introduced Chen Mu to the various Grandmasters, the majority of whom came from Central Prefecture and had intricate connections with the Royal Family or were supporters of her lineage.

Although Yan Hong was not one of the Eight Princes, as one of the titled Princesses, she indeed had the qualifications to inherit the throne. Throughout the history of over a thousand years of Da Xuan, there had been an Empress. She was the only one among the vast number of royal bloodlines who had entered the Blood Exchange Realm and had the qualification and intent to vie for the throne, eventually ascending to the highest position.

The Blood Exchange Realm and the Marrow Cleansing Realm represent fundamentally different levels of attainment.

It could be said that among the current Eight Princes, if any were to advance into the Blood Exchange Realm, it would be challenging for the others to contend against them, making the succession almost a foregone conclusion!

Similarly, if Yan Hong were able to break through life and death into the Blood Exchange Realm and aspired for the throne, she would certainly qualify and have the confidence to do so, possibly even holding an advantage over the Eight Princes who had not reached the Blood Exchange Realm.

However,

attaining the Blood Exchange Realm is exceedingly difficult.

Typically, among ten or even twenty Grandmasters, it is rare for even one to break through death and enter the ultimate Blood Exchange Realm.

Through Yan Hong’s introductions, Grandmasters like Yan Zhengyang also greeted Chen Mu one by one. While all were significant figures from Central Prefecture, in a world where strength reigns supreme, Chen Mu had barely revealed a hint of his power. The mere degree of this concealment technique alone was quite extraordinary, and there were few among those present who could achieve this.

Therefore, whether it was Yan Zhengyang or Wei Shuxian, all were quite courteous.

After brief introductions, Yan Hong then took out a map she possessed detailing the internal structure of Xunmu Cave Heaven and handed it to Chen Mu to examine.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

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