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The Wandering Palace announced that everyone should first return to their quarters to rest and treat their injuries, and that in three days, the Wandering Palace would hold a grand feast for its guests, during which they would announce the young palace lord’s choice and the Wandering Palace’s allegiance.

Everyone went back upon hearing this. As he was leaving, Tang Jie saw Xu Miaoran looking at him with a resentful gaze. He knew that she was unhappy that he had gotten a spot, particularly a spot that wasn’t from the Stop Gate Banner. Chuckling to himself, he took out a paper crane and messaged, “I didn’t have any other options. Relax; the young palace lord won’t choose me.”

Tang Jie truly had no other choice. Horizon Ocean Pavilion had three treasures while the Basking Moon Sect had only two people. Tang Jie could let one treasure go to the Seven Absolutions Sect because of the lack of manpower, but he couldn’t let two of them go. This would be letting down the Basking Moon Sect.

And so long as there were two treasures, according to the rules, they would be automatically divided between the two. There was no such thing as Wei Tianchong taking both for himself, unless there were more treasures than people.

Tang Jie originally could have given his spot to someone else, but everyone had run off, and then Horizon Ocean Pavilion just so happened to have three treasures. Everything had happened in such a way that Tang Jie had to take a spot. The situation had forced his hand.

Xu Miaoran’s reply came back quickly: “Why?”

Tang Jie chuckled. “I’ve used up my message talismans, so I’ll tell you next time. In any case, you can relax.”

Xu Miaoran relaxed upon seeing this message, and she went back with the masters from Horizon Ocean Pavilion. Tang Jie watched Xu Miaoran as she left, until someone blocked his view.

Lan Yu.

He still had that cross-shaped scar on his face, and he was staring at Tang Jie with eyes brimming with resentment.

Tang Jie simply chuckled in the face of this fiery gaze, not taking it seriously, and he left with Yiyi and the little tiger.

Everyone had free time after this, free from the shadow of death and battle, but most of the students shut themselves in their rooms rather than seeking amusements on the streets.

This life-or-death contest was actually a rare experience for all the surviving students, signifying huge growth in cultivation, combat, personality, and experience. These students were now seizing this opportunity to meditate on what they had learned, digesting their experiences. It wasn’t just them. Even those students who hadn’t participated, like Cai Junyang or Ping Jingyue, had profoundly benefited from spectating the competition.

In contrast, Tang Jie didn’t have much to comprehend.

He had experienced far more life-or-death battles than the other students, and this battle’s intensity wasn’t worth thinking over. As he had nothing else to do, he played around with Yiyi and the little tiger, making up for how he hadn’t been with them in this period, and also used the time to solidify his cultivation.

When he returned that night, as agreed, Mu Yi handed over the Stop Gate Banner to Tang Jie, in addition giving him twelve thousand spirit coins—the price for selling the sixth art relic. Tang Jie had planned to use this money to pay his debt, but thanks to Xie Fengtang, he could save it for a rainy day.

On the third night, a grand banquet was held within the Wandering Palace.

As the Wandering Palace floated in the air, for a moment, the cultivators from all around the world filled the air above Red Plum Ridge as they flew up to the palace in a magnificent spectacle.

Tang Jie and the others accompanied Xie Fengtang and the other masters up above the clouds, and only when they were inside the clouds did they realize how resplendent this celestial palace was.

Numerous palace halls floated in the clouds, flowing with golden light. In the front was a giant gate made from white jade bricks, and lined up in front of it were two rows of golden-armored guards. These were actual disciples of the Wandering Palace, however, and not puppet guards.

Xie Fengtang led the group in, and Tang Jie and the other students discovered that these clouds were solid. It seemed that the white fog was hiding what was truly beneath, endowing the entire place with a heavenly mystique.

“It’s quite impressive. Someone not in the know might take it for a supreme Immortal palace, the court of a cultivation realm king,” Tang Jie chuckled.

“‘An Immortal court’?” Xie Fengtang scoffed. “With just this? Compared to a real Immortal court, it’s only a toilet at best.”

The Wandering Palace guards were infuriated by these words, but they didn’t dare to speak.

Tang Jie was quite curious. “Hm? Headmaster, does the Rosecloud Domain really have an Immortal court?”

“This…” Xie Fengtang hesitated for a while before saying, “It did in the past, but now, it’s no longer just the Rosecloud Domain, but the Court of Myriad Domains.”

“‘The Court of Myriad Domains’?” everyone exclaimed. “A royal court that leads all the myriad domains? How can that be?”

The domains of the Great Stellar Chiliocosm were all like solitary isles in the ocean, and it was difficult to go between them. Even if Immortal Platform Titans could do it, how could Immortal Platform Titans cross all the myriad domains to lead them all?

If the Court of Myriad Domains was really capable of this, didn’t that mean that it had tens of thousands of Immortal Platform Titans under its command?

The number alone gave everyone chills.

Xie Fengtang firmly nodded. “Yes, but it doesn’t exist now.”

“‘Doesn’t exist’? How did that happen?” everyone asked.

Xie Fengtang shook his head. “I don’t know either. It’s a secret matter from far in the past. Too many truths have been lost in the river of time. Unless you can comprehend the Dao of Time and trace things back to the origin, you will never know the answer to countless riddles.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Jie suddenly recalled the scene he had seen when unlocking the Parting Classic—in the infinite void, a giant person spanned the heavens, furiously bellowing at a supreme palace…

As they were talking, the group passed through the gate. A long bridge appeared before them.

This bridge was carved from jade and was about one hundred meters long. Atop the bridge were three beautiful viewing pavilions. The rails of the bridge were carved with animal heads—128 to each side. On the left were birds while on the right were terrestrial beasts, and each head was unique.

As they stepped onto the bridge and looked down, they saw a black river slowly flowing beneath.

“This is the Yin River, the Wandering Palace’s guardian river. If this water touches your skin, at your current level of cultivation, it won’t take forty-five minutes until you’re completely shriveled up,” Xie Fengtang said.

He looked at Tang Jie and added, “You might last for fifteen minutes more.”

Everyone trembled, and Ye Tianshang sighed, “Beneath all the splendor is boundless lethality. This is the real face of Immortals.”

Xie Fengtang chuckled. “It’s good that you understand.”

Wei Tianchong was looking at the animal heads on the bridge, finding them very lifelike. As he was walking, he met the eyes of a monkey head and then gave it a slap. The monkey head slowly turned and stared at him.

Wei Tianchong said in alarm, “It’s looking at me!”

Everyone turned to look, but Xie Fengtang kept walking. “These are the Yin River Nether Beasts, guardian beasts that the Wandering Palace has refined to protect the Yin River. Each one has the power of a peak Mortal Shedding cultivator.”

They thought about what would happen if some unlucky soul tried to walk across this bridge and was ambushed by these 256 Nether Beasts. Even a Celestial Heart True Person might die on the spot.

Tang Jie saw those Nether Beasts standing still like statues. He had a sudden idea, and pressed his hand on the leg of a Nether Beast as if he was admiring it. The golden needle emerged from his palm and silently pierced into the Nether Beast. Bound by a formation, the Nether Beast couldn’t attack, but it suddenly scowled and angrily glared at Tang Jie. Tang Jie didn’t care. Through his will, the needle became hollow, and a drop of blood flowed out and fell into the bottle Tang Jie had hidden in his sleeve.

Placing the needle under his nose and sniffing, Tang Jie immediately confirmed that the Nether Beast blood was a superb spiritual material, though he wasn’t sure what it was good for yet. Thus, he began to gather drops of blood while walking.

By the time they were at the end of the bridge, Tang Jie had taken the blood of several dozen Nether Beasts, getting almost an entire bottle of blood. Tang Jie was planning to go back in a while for more when Xie Fengtang suddenly said, “Nether Beast blood can’t be replenished, so you should stop here. Haaa, you need to control this habit of yours of trying to pluck feathers from every passing goose. After all, this place isn’t the Basking Moon Sect.”

Tang Jie went red in the face and silently dropped his head.

The others only then realized what Tang Jie had been doing. Wei Tianchong curiously asked Tang Jie, “Why were you getting Nether Beast blood? What does it look like? Let me see.”

Tang Jie wiped the blood on the needle onto Wei Tianchong. “Oh, this is it.”

There was a hiss as white smoke erupted from Wei Tianchong’s hand, causing Wei Tianchong to wince in pain. He wanted to cry out, but he didn’t dare, so he endured it.

Tang Jie was given a fright from his reaction. Fortunately, he had been careful and hadn’t touched it. Forcing back his smile, he dropped his head and obediently followed behind Xie Fengtang.

After stepping off the bridge, they walked some more and finally arrived before a resplendent palace. Tables made from white jade had been arranged in front of it, laden with various fruits in dishes of colored crystal. Countless maids went to and fro, and when the guests were seated, they would be liberally served drinks. There were also dancing girls singing and dancing.

“This is extravagant to the extreme,” a student blurted out.

A feast of such scale and magnificence was rare to see, even in the cultivation world.

Tang Jie casually said, “It’s not strange. This feast is the last feast the Wandering Palace will hold as a free state. It’s basically like a banquet being held to send off a daughter. They’re both marrying off the young palace lord and also marrying off themselves. That being the case, why shouldn’t they have one last moment of glory?”

Everyone froze. Only then did they realize that behind this grandeur was the misery of a curtain about to fall on a major cultivation organization. Perhaps they were simply using the resplendence to cover up the pain in their hearts.

Recalling Tang Jie’s conduct just now, would they have allowed him to act so brazenly if they were still a dignified free sect?

They were ultimately going to be married off and take shelter under someone else. They no longer cared about such external things.

Realizing this, Tang Jie suddenly felt like he had taken too little.

He would find another time to get something else. The Wandering Palace was probably at its most generous and most uncaring. If he didn’t take advantage of it now, when would he?

Everyone had no idea of the petty thoughts running around in his head. They followed Xie Fengtang to their assigned seats.

The feast hadn’t started yet, so Tang Jie made the excuse of “looking around” to leave. He then began to stroll around the Wandering Palace, acting as if he was taking in the sights.

As he was looking around with his thieving eyes, he suddenly heard a snort behind him.

He turned around and saw that Xu Miaoran was standing there.

“Miaoran?” Tang Jie said in delight. He was about to embrace her when Xu Miaoran backed away and pointed at him.

“You still haven’t explained to me why you got into the top ten.”

Tang Jie bitterly smiled. “I ran out of long-range message talismans, so I couldn’t finish explaining.”

Xu Miaoran snorted. “Then you had best explain everything now, or else you won’t need any more message talismans.”

Helpless, Tang Jie could only say, “I’ll tell you right now.”

Looking around to make sure that no one was around, Tang Jie got closer to Xu Miaoran and said, “The young palace lord is a fake.”

“What?” Xu Miaoran looked at Tang Jie in shock.

Tang Jie firmly nodded, telling Xu Miaoran what he had heard that night.

Xu Miaoran didn’t get it. “Even if the young palace lord is fake, what does that have to do with you? How can you be so sure that the young palace lord won’t choose you?”

“Silly.” Tang Jie tapped her nose. “If the true palace lord were choosing a groom, the Wandering Palace might consider her feelings, as her love might influence the future of the Wandering Palace. But the influence of the fake palace lord?”

Xu Miaoran froze for a moment, and then she said in realization, “So… you’re saying… It’s still the Wandering Palace that’s making the decision?”

Tang Jie’s grin grew wider. “Correct.”

The Wandering Palace, in order to push off responsibility and avoid being squeezed between the six major sects, had given the power to choose in the Immortal Fortune Conference to the young palace lord. But at the time, Tang Jie had found it rather absurd that the successor would decide something so significant, and through the method of choosing a husband. It was irresponsible for both the young palace lord and for the Wandering Palace.

But when he found out that the young palace lord was a fake, all the questions were answered. Since the one being presented was a fake palace lord, the nature of the event completely changed. It was not the young palace lord’s choice deciding the future allegiance of the Wandering Palace, but the Wandering Palace’s allegiance deciding the choice of the fake palace lord.

The cause and effect were completely flipped around.

“So what about it?” Xu Miaoran still didn’t understand.

Tang Jie answered, “An individual has their own thoughts and a sect has its choice. If the palace lord were choosing a husband, she would definitely choose the handsomest and most capable, like Lan Yu. But if the Wandering Palace is choosing a sect, it won’t do this. It will definitely choose the one that offers the most benefits.”

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“And who would that be?”

“From the look of it, Godhead Palace made them quite a few promises, and the Wandering Palace would probably have chosen them. But none of them got into the top ten, so that puts an end to that. The Wandering Palace can only choose from the remaining three sects. If I were the lord of the Wandering Palace, I would choose the Seven Absolutions Sect.”

“‘The Seven Absolutions Sect’?”

“Yes!” Tang Jie firmly nodded. “For the Wandering Palace, the best choice isn’t necessarily the strongest sect, but the one that gives the most. In this aspect, the Seven Absolutions Sect is the better choice. While their individual combat power is truly the weakest among the six sects, their comprehensive combat power isn’t weak at all. They’re weak in tournaments because of the rules, but in actual battle, the Seven Absolutions Sect doesn’t have so many limitations. Thus, when it comes to the strength of the backer, the Seven Absolutions Sect isn’t lacking. And when it comes to wealth, the Seven Absolutions Sect tops the six major sects. At the Seven Absolutions Sect, the same mission will pay out much more. Most importantly, since the Seven Absolutions Sect is weaker, it would value the Wandering Palace more than the other sects.”

“I see.” Xu Miaoran appeared enlightened. “No wonder you made a deal with the Seven Absolutions Sect. You knew that the Seven Absolutions Sect would win so long as it had a single treasure, right?”

“Right!” Tang Jie confirmed. “I didn’t realize it at first, but I gradually came to understand. When the Taiyi Profound Clarity Cup fell into the hands of the Seven Absolutions Sect, the Seven Absolutions Sect had actually already won. It was just that they themselves didn’t realize it. Once I understood, I knew that there was no point in fighting with them, so I moved to working with them. Otherwise, when I had Mu Yi at my mercy that day, why would I have woken him up? Just because of those four Seven Absolutions Sect students? I was confident that I could take them all on my own!”

These words were backed by a powerful self-confidence.

Xu Miaoran glared at Tang Jie and whispered, “If that’s the case, why did you scar my Senior Brother Lan’s face? Do you know how many junior and senior sisters are heartbroken because of him?”

Tang Jie chuckled. “Who made him fight over a woman with me? And not only that, he tried to hurt my brother. I couldn’t just let that be.”

Xu Miaoran kicked him. “He hates you to death for this.”

Despite her rebukes, deep down, she was touched by his words.

Tang Jie calmly replied, “I’m not afraid. I did this for the sake of the Basking Moon Sect. If the heavens come down, the Basking Moon Sect will be there to hold them up.”

He had personally promised Xie Fengtang that he would eliminate the most handsome, so the face-scarring was clearly to take care of an opponent of the sect. Thus, Tang Jie didn’t need to do anything. The Basking Moon Sect would ensure that Lan Yu had no chance to take revenge. Moreover, even if the Basking Moon Sect didn’t do anything, Tang Jie wasn’t afraid of him.

Xu Miaoran still couldn’t rest easy, asking, “Then what if the Wandering Palace chooses the Basking Moon Sect for another reason?”

The Basking Moon Sect had only two students, and there was no way the fake palace lord would choose Wei Tianchong.

Tang Jie chuckled. “Quite a few people know about our relationship. I’m sure that no matter what sort of developments are taking place in the Wandering Palace, they wouldn’t be so stupid as to pick me. If they really do that, then they can’t blame me for being heartless and exposing their fake. I’ll use that as an excuse to withdraw from the struggle, and then let’s see what they do!”

He spoke rather loudly, such that a maid was able to hear it.

The maid quietly walked past Tang Jie, made a turn, and vanished.

Xu Miaoran noticed that Tang Jie had been staring at the maid. After some thought, she understood and asked, “So your message was passed on?”

Tang Jie smiled and pinched her chest as he said, “If my senior brothers had been more capable, I wouldn’t have been forced to bring back a spot. Relax. It will be fine.”

Looking at the sincere look on Tang Jie’s face, Xu Miaoran felt an inexplicable sense of confidence.

As they chatted, the banquet finally began.

Tang Jie and Xu Miaoran returned to their seats. The Wandering Palace Lord had already taken her seat on the raised platform, and seated a little lower down was the young palace lord, her face covered by a veil.

Tang Jie’s heart thumped when he saw the figure of the fake young palace lord. For some reason, he found her familiar.

The Wandering Palace Lord raised her hand, and the lively conversation died away.

The palace lord thanked everyone for coming to offer their congratulations, and spoke about other customary things, like how this Immortal Fortune Conference was an immense success. When the time was right, she finally got to the point.

“In this struggle over the ten treasures, my Wandering Palace witnessed the talents of the students from the six major sects. All of them are bursting with talent, dragons among men. For a young maiden to pick a husband from among them is truly a blessing of three lifetimes. But this is ultimately the decision of the young maiden, and it is not right for us to make the choice for her. Thus, we will allow the young maiden herself to announce the rest.”

Everyone looked toward the veiled young palace lord.

The young palace lord was quiet for a moment, and then she began to speak. “In this struggle over the ten treasures…”

Tang Jie’s heart jumped when he heard this voice.

The young palace lord went on, “Those who performed the best were the Basking Moon Sect’s Tang Jie, the Seven Absolutions Sect’s Mu Yi and Lin Wang, and the Thousand Passions Sect’s Deng Xiaoyu and Mu Yu. This noble self has carefully selected from among these talented men, and the one chosen to be my husband for the rest of my life is…”

She suddenly looked at Tang Jie.

Tang Jie’s heart dropped, and he blurted out, “No!”

“Tang Jie!”

A voice like the warbling of an oriole resounded through the venue.