Chapter 552: Envoys Dispatched to Dayin

Chapter 552: Envoys Dispatched to Dayin

As Emperor Feng left the Buddha's Grotto, Xiao Nanfeng sent a mental transmission to the black lotus. "Senior, how strong is Emperor Feng?"

"His soul was used to purify and filter the power of a hidden realm for a whole century, so it has decayed to a rather significant extent. However, after reclaiming all that power from the cursed effigies' bodies, he has recovered a fair amount of strength. His soul is now a complex amalgam that renders him roughly a mid-stage Golden Immortal in strength. He's superior to me by quite a bit."

"Oh?"

"Aren't you going to come out?" Emperor Feng shouted.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to Zhang Lingjun. "Let's head out, Princess."

Zhang Lingjun nodded.

As the two of them were about to step out, the praying mat suddenly flew out of Zhang Lingjun's hands.

It began to absorb the fragments of the Buddha's Grotto that had broken off when Emperor Feng created an exit, then the rest of it wholesale.

"What's going on?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"I don't know either. The praying mat did this on its own accord. Perhaps the Taiqing Grandmaster cast some technique," Zhang Lingjun murmured.

Outside the Buddha's Grotto, Emperor Feng narrowed his eyes. "Your praying mat really is filled with cursed spiritual power, isn't it?"

He seemed to notice something amiss, but didn't provide an explanation.

The praying mat's suction grew more and more intense as it devoured the grotto whole.

After four hours, it had consumed the entirety of the grotto, leaving nothing but a huge hole underground.

Only then did the praying mat rein in its aura and fly into Zhang Lingjun's hands.

"Let's go," Emperor Feng said again.

"Let's go!" Xiao Nanfeng echoed.

The three cultivators flew away. Zhang Lingjun couldn't help but glance at Xiao Nanfeng from time to time. Her father's words flashed in her mind. "Pay more attention to the opposite sex!"

She felt as though she had suddenly learned how to do so. For some reason, Xiao Nanfeng's body now seemed of interest to her; she wanted to explore and investigate it in detail.

When Xiao Nanfeng glanced toward her, she turned her head away anxiously, flushing red.

"Princess, what's the matter?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Nothing. I was just wondering how you advanced so quickly," Zhang Lingjun replied, flustered.

"It was only a matter of luck." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

Ao Shuai stiffened. He continued, vexed, "I knew it. He's more slippery than a loach. He deliberately chose not to go, I'm sure. What's his punishment for deliberately ignoring the mission?"

"The Eastern Aspect imposed no penalty on Xiao Nanfeng's mission," the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost said.

"What? Why?!" Ao Shuai exclaimed.

"I don't know." The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost shook his head.

He did know a little of what was going on, but he couldn't let Ao Shuai learn of it. Otherwise, if the information were to leak..."

"Haven't you considered how to deal with Xiao Nanfeng?" Ao Shuai continued, upset.

"We haven't." The Martial Aspect of Violetfrost maintained his silence.

Ao Shuai knew that the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost had to be lying. "Xiao Nanfeng would never go to the capital of Dayin. Is he a fool? Just what are you planning?"

Suddenly, one of Ao Shuai's subordinates rushed into the pavilion. "Master, we've received word of Xiao Nanfeng!"

"Oh?" The two cultivators looked at Ao Shuai's subordinate.

"Just now, a representative of Xiao Nanfeng's manor headed to the Hall of Rites and Rituals to petition the Heavenly Emperor to grant Xiao Nanfeng the status of envoy and diplomat to Dayin. Two months later, Xiao Nanfeng will officially set off to Dayin."

"Two months later? And he intends to head there publicly as an envoy of the Imperial Court?" Ao Shuai exclaimed.

"Indeed!" his subordinate reported.

"Is Xiao Nanfeng crazy? He intends to advertise his own presence? There are plenty of cultivators in Dayin waiting to assassinate him!" Ao Shuai shouted.

"No—this is his safest course of action," the Martial Aspect of Violetfrost replied, frowning.

"Oh?"

"There are plenty of strong cultivators in Dayin. If Xiao Nanfeng were to head there in private, he would quickly be discovered and killed stealthily. That's why he has to head there in public. If he were to perish, someone would be held accountable."

"Would the divine empire of Dayin protect Xiao Nanfeng? Surely not!" Ao Shuai retorted, frowning.

"In public, certainly, but perhaps not in private. It's only natural that the divine empire of Dayin wouldn't be able to guard an envoy of the Imperial Court from an assassination attempt."

"What's the point of announcing his visit, then?" Ao Shuai asked.

"At the very least, no one would dare to strike him publicly, and if he does suffer an assassination attempt, he need only escape, fly into the air, and howl loudly to garner attention. Any would-be assassins would have to retreat then."

"Does he really intend to reclaim 60% of the fortune that the divine empire of Dayin currently possesses? They would never agree. Just what is he planning?" Ao Shuai frowned.

"I can't tell myself."

"Should we sneak over and have a look?" Ao Shuai asked in anticipation.