Chapter 1608: Greeting Old Friends

When the crowd on the wall sighed over how the Xia Kingdom would soon change, the First Princess led Qin Zhenjiang, Qin Zhulu, and the rest towards Li Luo. The face that was once beautiful and charming now had a sense of regal majesty to it as she had grown into her position of authority over the years.

"It's good to see you after many years, Li Luo and Qing'e. The two of you are even more graceful than before." First Princess Gong Luanyu gave a refreshing smile as she looked at the couple with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Li Luo clasped his fist respectfully with a smile. "It has been a while since we’ve met, First Princess. No, perhaps it’s more appropriate to call you ‘Your Majesty.’"

She helplessly replied, "Honorable Li Luo, please don't tease me. I'm merely the ruler of a small country. I simply can't bear to receive such praise from someone with your status and background. If you still care about our relationship from the past, you can address me as ‘Luanyu.’"

She had managed the royal court for years at this point and had gained a shrewd nature out of necessity. The moment Li Luo returned with the figurative cavalry, she knew that he was no longer the downtrodden Young Lord of House Luolan. In fact, it wasn't only her—perhaps no emperor or ruler in the entire East Divine Continent would dare to put on airs before him.

That was without even taking his lofty background into consideration. Just the terrifying army he led was more than powerful enough to vanquish the entire Xia Kingdom.

Li Luo grinned as he understood the meaning behind the First Princess' words. "You provided crucial support during the Housemeet, First Princess. That was akin to delivering coal in the deepest winter. Furthermore, you have watched over House Luolan during my absence. This is a favor that I will forever engrave in my heart. When the Xia Kingdom returns to a state of normalcy, it will be up to you and the royal court to restore peace."

He had no interest in letting House Luolan take over the royal court and become the ruler of the Xia Kingdom. If he did so, the pure memories he had of House Luolan would undoubtedly be tainted. As for the elders who wish to broaden their horizons, he could bring them back to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li, which was certainly more attractive than remaining here either way.

Jiang Qing'e, on the other hand, gave the First Princess a warm and genial smile, not speaking a word and leaving it all to Li Luo. Li Luo was no longer the Young Lord with a blank palace who required her constant protection. He was now the sixth Lineage Chief of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li. As he had emerged victorious at the Housemeet, he was officially the House Lord of House Luolan as well.

When the First Princess confirmed Li Luo's intentions, she heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. She was extremely grateful that she had decided to build a relationship with Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e. This long-term investment had clearly reaped returns beyond her imagination. With Li Luo's attitude and support, the Xia Kingdom's return to prosperity was just around the corner. She also understood that the bond she had with Li Luo and Qing'e could become a prosperous opportunity for the Xia Kingdom. As a result, she did not mind Li Luo becoming the true ruler of the kingdom. In that case, they would be able to rely on him and the behemoth that he represented. At that point, the Xia Kingdom would be the undisputed tyrant of the East Divine Continent.

Meanwhile, Li Luo looked at the robust youth beside Qin Zhenjiang and grinned. "Qin Zhulu, weren’t you always begging me to spar in the past? Why are you so deflated now?"

Qin Zhulu grumbled, "I enjoy fighting, but I'm not a fool. Even my dad is an ant in your eyes, much less me. There's no way I can beat you."

Qin Zhenjiang's wizened face turned black. What his stupid son had said was true, but why had he dragged his father in as well? Li Luo grinned and patted Qin Zhulu's shoulder. They exchanged a few more words before he went to greet Yu Hongxi, Duze Yan, and the rest.

Yu Hongxi's mature but charming face remained indifferent as she looked at him. She had shown him favor in the past, but that was purely due to her daughter. Alas, Lu Qing'er had assimilated the Permafrost Sacred Seed and sealed her emotions away to prevent any future entanglements with this youth. Thus, Yu Hongxi couldn't be bothered with him anymore. While the First Princess was wary of him due to his background, Yu Hongxi wasn’t concerned.

Duze Yan, however, couldn't remain as calm as her. After all, he had just personally witnessed Li Luo slaying a King. He had defeated the Enchanting Fox King, a being that instilled untold amounts of fear in him.

Thus, when he faced him, his usually cold demeanor was a little unnatural and any heroic aura he had was stripped away.

Duze Honglian, who was behind him, could sense the changes in her father and her gaze turned complicated. She then turned towards Li Luo with a strange look in her eyes. She was cold and arrogant, but deep down, she possessed great admiration for the strong. Her attitude towards Jiang Qing'e was precisely because of this, and in her heart, her father was a true hero. Unfortunately, the man who she considered omnipotent had revealed a different side of himself before Li Luo, someone she had even looked down on in the past.

Her heart was filled with tumultuous feelings and the shock caused her to tremble.

Duze Beixuan, on the other hand, had lowered his head long ago, searching for ants on the ground. He simply didn't even dare to meet Li Luo's eyes. He truly admired his own lionhearted courage for daring to cause trouble for Li Luo time and time again. In fact, he was amazed that he was still alive.

"House Lord Duze and Senior Honglian."

As the three individuals from House Duze arranged the conflicting thoughts in their minds, Li Luo warmly and courteously greeted them, causing all of them to heave sighs of relief. They all felt as though they had dodged a bullet after what they had done all those years ago. If not for Duze Yan interfering at the last moment and choosing to stand on House Luolan's side during the attack on the Housemeet, things would be vastly different.

"House Lord Li Luo." Duze Yan gave a rather forced smile as he clasped his hands.

Li Luo clasped his hands in response. "I have to thank you for your assistance all those years ago, House Lord Duze. My mother is currently at the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li, but when she comes here later, she'll offer her thanks personally."

"Tantai Lan?" Duze Yan was a little taken aback as the image of the woman who had shocked the Xia Kingdom appeared in his mind. He shuddered secretly when he remembered the fact that that woman was even more vicious than Li Taixuan. When he challenged House Luolan many, many years ago, he had been ganged up on by the couple, leaving him with not only physical injuries but also mental trauma. That was one of the key reasons why he had decided to step in and help House Luolan. However, he was surprised to hear that only Tantai Lan had safely left the Nobles' Battlefield. What about Li Taixuan?

Clearly, the Xia Kingdom's fools were naive to believe that the couple would die there. Considering the fact that their son had grown mind-blowingly quickly, it was hard to imagine just how frightening those two had become. If Si Qing found out what had happened today, would he regret the choices he made back then?

After expressing his gratitude to House Duze, Li Luo walked towards the last group of individuals atop the wall.

Pang Qianyuan, Vice Principal Su Xin, and Mentor Chi Chan. Also present was the team who had come from the Academic Federation to support them, namely Sheng Qiao'er, Ning Meng, Yue Zhiyu, and the rest.

When Pang Qianyuan looked at Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e, he paused briefly. He could see how they resembled Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan. When those two first arrived in the Xia Kingdom, he was not aware of their true identities. However, he could instantly tell that they were extraordinary individuals, so he had decided to build a relationship with them despite being a King. The reason why he had taken care of and trusted Li Luo was because of his familiarity with his parents. That said, he had never expected that the one who would eventually resolve the problem plaguing the Astral Sage College would be none other than the young boy whom he had met just a few years prior.

In a few short years, the youth who had just entered the Astral Sage College had become strong enough to kill a King's true body. Such talent moved even Pang Qianyuan. Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan were demonic geniuses in their own right; who would have expected that their son would be even more terrifying?

"Principal Pang, it's been many years. Are you satisfied with my gift?"

Everyone else had complicated looks in their eyes. The strapping young man before them with an intimidating aura flashed a casual smile.