Beneath the Ancient Desolation Tower.
Leng Qianyu and Nangong Yi stared at each other across the space.
Everyone around felt a strange illusion—like the instant their gazes met, the air between them sparked with flames.
But before long, a wave of sandalwood fragrance drifted in, bringing a sense of clarity and calm to all.
Then two monks appeared—one tall, one short.
Both wore crimson-red monk robes.
The older monk had a kind and gentle look, while the younger one had a goofy charm.
They wore plain straw sandals, worn through from the soles—clearly, they had walked a long distance on foot.
"Who are they?"
"Never seen them before? They're obviously monks from the Great Buddha Temple."
"I've heard the monks of the Great Buddha Temple live like ascetics. Looks like it's true. While everyone else arrived on spirit beasts or carriages, they came on foot."
"That little monk must be the famous young Buddha child, Kongxing."
Even though the two monks appeared plain and modest, no one dared look down on them.
After all, the Great Buddha Temple ruled over the Kunlun Plateau.
Its territory was no smaller than that of a great empire.
Just as people began to focus on Kongxing, a white crane descended from the sky.
When it landed, another pair appeared—an old man and a young boy.
"I recognize that boy. That's Baili Guan, a true disciple of Taoshan and a prince of the Skyfeather Empire."
"Tsk, today really is a gathering of stars, a rising storm of destiny."
"Just witnessing all this will be enough to brag about for the next ten years!"
From initial shock, the crowd gradually grew numb.
There were just too many geniuses gathered here today. Nothing could surprise them anymore.
Not long after Baili Guan arrived, a golden eagle descended.
Riding it were three people—an old woman and two young girls.
The older girl looked about twelve, the younger around four.
"They're from the Yu clan of Phoenix Island overseas."
"I've heard of them—two newly risen prodigies, Yu Mengqi and Yu Ruoxi."
The crowd stirred with whispers.
The Yu clan of Phoenix Island possessed phoenix bloodlines. Though not among the top-tier powerhouses, they were definitely a major rising force.
Normally they'd command awe, but here they didn't draw much attention.
In truth, it wasn't just them.
All the great factions had sent more than just their top prodigies.
Take the Great Zhao Empire for example—besides Nangong Yi, other talents had arrived too.
They just weren't getting any attention today.
"Where are the Great Zhou's geniuses? Why aren't they here yet?"
Someone suddenly asked.
"I heard the royal family of Great Zhou has been making waves lately—two of them awakened divine powers."
"Yeah, I've heard that too. Apparently the Crown Prince and Sixth Prince both awakened powerful physiques."
People grew more curious.
While they were still discussing, a golden tabby beast appeared.
Riding it was a boy—none other than the Great Zhou's Third Prince, Yang Ye.
"Yang Ye, I haven't forgotten what happened at Snow Mountain."
Leng Qianyu looked at him coldly.
Yang Ye chuckled awkwardly. "Come on, Lady Leng. It was just an accident. No need to hold a grudge."
Those nearby perked up—clearly there was more to their history.
But their exchange was short-lived.
Because just then, a dusky yellow flood dragon appeared in the sky.
All the spirit beasts present grew uneasy in an instant.
"A flood dragon!"
"I remember—doesn't the Zhuang clan of Great Zhou have one?"
"The Zhuang clan? That must mean the Sixth Prince, Yang Xiu, has arrived."
Sure enough, as the flood dragon descended, more figures became visible on its back.
The most eye-catching of them were a stern middle-aged man and a two-year-old boy.
The man exuded a half-step Martial Sovereign aura.
It was Yun Xiangtian, Grand Elder of the Yun clan.
And the two-year-old boy could only be Yang Xiu.
"That's your sixth brother? He's already at the late-stage Xiantian Realm at age two. Don't you feel a little ashamed as his older brother?"
Leng Qianyu scoffed at Yang Ye.
Yang Ye scratched his nose, speechless.
Yang Xiu didn't glance at anyone else. His gaze remained fixed on a certain direction in the forest, as if he were waiting for something.
Others caught on and turned their eyes that way too.
Dozens of gazes followed that direction.
From deep in the forest, a golden carriage slowly rolled out.
Driving it was none other than Yun Jinghuai.
The Marquis Champion of Great Zhou had willingly taken the reins himself.
No one needed to guess who sat inside the carriage.
Even though Tuoba Xiao had been killed, the Great Yan Dynasty still had other young talents.
"Marquis Champion…"
Several geniuses from Great Yan stared at Yun Jinghuai, unable to hide the hatred and fear in their eyes.
Yun Jinghuai had truly left the Great Yan shaken.
Everyone else also kept their eyes on him.
In recent days, there hadn't been a single faction in the Eastern Wastes who hadn't heard his name.
Leading 100,000 troops, he had marched straight into the Great Yan capital and wiped out the emperor, crown prince, and multiple princes and palace lords in one sweep.
It was one of the most legendary military feats in the history of the Wasteland Realm.
Then, the curtain of the carriage opened.
Two young girls stepped down.
One of them, about eleven years old, had a graceful air and a budding elegance.
Her aura was somewhat similar to Leng Qianyu's, but not as cold—more on the refined and elegant side.
"Shen Muxue."
"A prodigy from the Great Zhou Dao Academy."
Clearly, quite a few people recognized Shen Muxue. Her reputation was no small thing.
The other person was a delicate and innocent-looking little girl, about three years old.
The moment she appeared, Baili Guan's eyes lit up. "Tangtang!"
That tiny girl was none other than Tang Xingyu.
When she heard Baili Guan's voice, her face showed a blank look. "You're talking to me?"
"Of course! Tangtang, don't you remember me? I'm Brother Baili."
Baili Guan spoke warmly.
Tang Xingyu shook her head without hesitation. "I don't remember you."
Her memory was actually very good.
But her teacher had taught her: if someone wasn't important to her, there was no need to waste mental effort remembering them. It could affect her martial heart.
Baili Guan's expression froze for a second before he forced a smile. "When you were a year and a half old, you lived in the Skyfeather Empire. I played with you all the time back then..."
"You don't have to tell me. I'm not interested," Tang Xingyu cut in. "Also, don't call me Tangtang. Only Teacher and Chengcheng can call me that."
Baili Guan wanted to crawl into a hole.
When he noticed how many people were watching him, his face burned even hotter.
Just as he was about to say something else, the carriage curtain rustled again.
A boy and a girl stepped out.
The girl looked about six and didn't stand out much.
The boy appeared to be around the same age as Yang Xiu.
He wore a white brocade robe embroidered with golden dragon patterns, a pearl-adorned jade belt at his waist, and soft cloud-patterned boots lined with gold.
His hair was tied with a red coral bead, revealing a pair of eyes black as obsidian, bright and full of light.
His long lashes were thick and dark like crow feathers—just one look was enough to draw people in.
The moment people laid eyes on him, many froze for a second.
This boy was the perfect blend of royal dignity and divine beauty.
"Is this a celestial child from a painting, fallen into the mortal world?"
A girl sighed in awe.
Other girls were just as taken. The little Crown Prince of Great Zhou was too charming.
It felt like their hearts were about to melt.
"You're the Crown Prince of Great Zhou, Yang Cheng?"
A little girl came skipping over to Yang Cheng, her shiny eyes locked on him, drooling slightly at the corners of her mouth.
Yang Cheng looked surprised. "That's me."
The little girl had a round, rosy face—her cuteness was just one step below Tang Xingyu's.
"I'm Yu Ruoxi from the Yu clan of Phoenix Island."
She clutched her sleeve with both hands and asked eagerly, "Can… can we be friends?"
Not far away, Yu Mengqi looked unhappy. She felt utterly embarrassed by her little sister.
"Of course we can," Yang Cheng said with a gentle smile.
How could he say no to such an adorable girl?
Yu Ruoxi instantly blushed, her heart pounding. "That's great!"
"Not great at all. Chengcheng is my junior disciple. I'm his best friend."
Beside them, Tang Xingyu suddenly felt a little sour inside.
Yu Ruoxi nervously said, "Then… can I be your sidekick?"
"Huh? You want to be our sidekick?"
Tang Xingyu blinked, and that sour feeling faded by half.
"Of course," Yu Ruoxi nodded.
"Why?"
Tang Xingyu was confused. If it were her, she'd never agree to be someone's sidekick.
"Because Yang Cheng looks really handsome. And you're great too."
Yu Ruoxi replied without hesitation.
"Heehee, you've got good taste."
Tang Xingyu immediately dropped her guard. "Since your taste is that good, I'll let you be our friend."
Yang Cheng couldn't help but laugh.
"Ruoxi, get back here."
Yu Mengqi's cold voice rang out.
Yu Ruoxi clearly feared her sister and obediently walked back.
Tang Xingyu didn't mind much.
After all, she and Yu Ruoxi weren't that close. At best, she just didn't dislike her.
The person she liked most was Chengcheng.
As long as Chengcheng didn't leave her, she didn't care about anything else.
But this scene made Baili Guan's expression darken.
Tangtang had brushed him off completely, even said she didn't remember him.
Now she was openly getting jealous over the Crown Prince of Great Zhou.
Before, he hadn't really planned on picking a fight with the Crown Prince.
After all, Great Zhou was strong.
But now he was a little annoyed.
Of course, that bit of irritation wasn't enough to spark real hostility.
After all, the Crown Prince was just a two-year-old brat.
He figured that with his own abilities, it'd be easy to overshadow a toddler.
Once Tangtang realized who was more impressive, she'd naturally lean toward him.
"A two-year-old kid—how strong could he possibly be? Look at the way people are treating him. They're just flattering Great Zhou."
Baili Guan let out a cold snort.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Great Zhou is impressive in his own right," said the half-step Martial Sovereign beside him.
The Emperor Qian Yuan had the Divine Dragon Sword Body.
And now, the Crown Prince also had the Divine Dragon Sword Body. He was destined to become a powerhouse.
That only made Baili Guan even more frustrated.
He immediately turned to Yang Cheng and said, "I've heard of the Crown Prince of Great Zhou for a long time. I wonder if the name lives up to the reality, or if it's just an empty title?"
The noisy scene around them suddenly fell silent.