Chapter 614: She's Accounted For, Don't Overstep!

The nine thunderous eyes of the Nine Thunders Divine Ark unleashed vast streams of energy from their Celestial Sourcecores, igniting the ship's arrays. The divine vessel shuddered, abruptly turned, and then surged into the sky, rocketing towards the east with a roar!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Nine Thunders Divine Ark sliced through the skies of the Thunder Department, speeding beneath the Thunder Immortal Formation and drawing cheers from the masses below.

"Victory at the outset, triumphant return!"

The Immortal Tournament was a martial tournament for Arbiters. This glory belonged to the Arbiters of the Celestial Court. Whether it was the champion, runner-up, or third place, all should have come from the Thunder Department.

Why should these honors go to outsiders?

For years, the Thunder Department had simmered with resentment over this, a stain on their honor, yet without remedy.

"This time, each participant is a dragon among men, this is our most hopeful generation!"

"We have nine spots in the battle; we must at least secure third place…"

"Third place? This time, the daughter of our Nine Thunders Sovereign herself is joining the tournament! She'll surely be the champion!

The Thunder Department was abuzz with talk.

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Soon, the divine vessel burst out of the sacred land and began its voyage through the Great Dao Celestial Realm, where the surrounding void boiled with fiery chaos. The ark's electric nets clashed with rolling celestial fires, creating explosions of thunder and fire that were deafening!

"All nine of you, assemble!" Yun Yin let the ship navigate automatically before reemerging on the deck.

The nine finalists of the Thunder Department's selection lined up before Yun Yin.

It was said that this selection had been a breeding ground for elites, many of whom had hidden their true capabilities. Now, the nine chosen were the cream of the crop, the weakest among them at least being on the level of Feng Qi.

"Supreme General."

A group of valiant and respectful youths greeted him.

Yun Yin swept his gaze over them, his eyes finally resting on Yun Xiao as he spoke gravely, "Regarding the last stage at the Divine Gateway, I won't say much. Just remember, once you enter the Divine Gateway, every action you take represents the honor of the entire Thunder Department.

"Although the final battle is also an elimination round, I hope you can support each other. You have a promising chance this time. But be warned, the other seven honorary Arbiters are also stronger than in previous generations. If you persist in your internal strife, it will only bring further disgrace to the Thunder Department. Understand?"

"Understood."

In short, the nine representatives of the Thunder Department needed unity.

Among these nine, there was just one who did not favor unity, and that was Yun Xiao.

So, when Yun Yin spoke, his gaze was fixed upon him. After finishing, he asked, "Do you know any of your fellow representatives?"

"No," Yun Xiao replied.

"The journey is long, get to know each other, enhance your bond," Yun Yin suggested with a smile. "Youth should be spent with the young. Set aside your differences, and you might bring eternal glory to the Thunder Department."

With those words, Yun Yin entered the cabin, leaving Yun Xiao alone with the other eight representatives in silence.

"Yao'er, come here," Gu Suwan, understanding Yun Yin's intentions, approached Yun Xiao and guided him by the shoulder to meet his

teammates

.

She introduced him first to a young girl.

In truth, Yun Xiao knew of her already.

From the start of the Thunder Department's selection, she had been the most stunning, the center of attention. She was a girl with violet hair and eyes, her hair a lighter shade than most, tinged with soft blue, giving it an exquisite quality.

Her appearance and figure were arguably superior to that of Bai Ling'er.

Yun Xiao couldn't quite put into words her beauty; it was exquisitely perfect. Whether it was her skin, her features, or her aura, there was not a flaw to be found. She was spirited yet serene, ethereal yet celestial.

Beyond her ethereal beauty and charm, she carried an elevated demeanor, a sense of dominion as if she stood above the celestial thunder, which made her seem disinterested in everything since day one.

She was indeed the daughter of the Nine Thunders Sovereign!

She hadn't grown up in the Thunder Department, yet she was known as the department's most beautiful woman.

In contrast to the down-to-earth Thunder Emissary Cao, she seemed like a celestial being too ethereal for earthly matters, unapproachable to most.

Yun Xiao remembered her name was Nine Kites. Her beauty was almost divine, approaching that of Lian Xi.

However, Yun Xiao had hardly interacted with her from the beginning to the end. Given her aloof nature, he had no desire to get closer.

At this moment, Nine Kites was dressed in a violet dress adorned with pearls and jewels that twinkled faintly. Her hair was decorated with silver ornaments, with strands of blue and purple lightning weaving through her hair and dress.

After the introductions, Gu Suwan whispered into Yun Xiao's ear, "She is promised by imperial decree. After the Immortal Tournament, she will join the Celestial Court's imperial family and marry the sixth prince. She is spoken for; do not overstep."

"Am I that sort of man?" Yun Xiao replied.

Gu Suwan eyed him critically and said, "You don't look it, but it's in your bones."

She then introduced Yun Xiao to the others.

Among them, like Feng Qi, there were three geniuses whose one parent was a Rank 2 Heavenly Officer of the Celestial Court.

The first two were the son of Gu Zhenxiao named Gu Zhenshi, and the son of the Five Directions Barbaric Grand Thunder Marshal named Man Huo.

Gu Zhenshi, much like his father, was a young man with platinum thunder wings sprouting from his back. He had a prominent nose and a somber demeanor, paying no heed to Gu Suwan.

Man Huo, on the other hand, was a hulk comparable to Cao Sheng, like a wild thunder bear, also quite aloof.

There was also a handsome young man in white, whose father was Yun Yin, the head of today's group. He was the only one who approached Yun Xiao warmly, greeting him, "Nice to meet you, Brother Lu. My name is Yun Xiao."

"Yun Xiao?" Yun Xiao was startled, then asked, "Which Xiao?"

"The

Xiao

for rustling in the wind." Yun Xiao laughed.

The two shared nearly the same name! Fortunately, it wasn't the

Xiao

for

leisurely and free

, or it might have confused even Yun Xiao himself.

He was basically an alternate Yun Xiao, a Yun Alter.

Aside from Yun Alter, the others left after exchanging a few words, including the daughter of the Nine Thunders Sovereign.

She spoke neither to Yun Xiao nor to anyone else, as she usually mingled with the royal princes and princesses, a class above.

"Because of what happened to Feng Qi, these guys don't have a great impression of you, please understand," Yun Alter explained.

"And you?" Yun Xiao asked with a smile.

"I didn’t get along with Feng Qi, haha," Yun Alter laughed.

It seemed honest enough. Linked through their shared name, Yun Xiao chatted with him for a while, and so made at least one

friend

.

As for the other seven, there was no direct conflict, but becoming close was out of the question.

"Here's your key to your private cultivation room. Once we reach the Divine Gateway, there'll be little time for rest before the battle begins. I need to brush up on some techniques myself." Yun Alter handed a key to Yun Xiao.

"Thanks, see you later," Yun Xiao replied with a smile.

"Uh-huh."

The two then parted ways, each heading into the cabin toward their respective cultivation rooms.

Meanwhile, Gu Suwan lingered at the ship's rail on the deck, engaging in casual conversation with other parents. They were all from the same circles and naturally acquainted.

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Inside the cabin of the Nine Thunders Divine Ark, it was somewhat dim.

Yun Xiao walked down a broad, open, and deep corridor, searching for his private cultivation room.

The cultivation rooms on the Nine Thunders Divine Ark were luxurious, nine in total, each a separate and expansive space. It was said that each room contained various arrays that could aid in cultivating physical strength and celestial power.

Yun Xiao glanced down at his key, which was blue. As he had walked along, he'd seen doors to cultivation rooms colored red, black, and white—all closed, indicating others were already inside practicing.

"The key is blue, so the door must be blue as well."

Yun Xiao continued deeper into the ship. Soon, he came upon a door wrapped in a blue-violet hued lightning!

The door was slightly ajar.

"This is it."

Curious to see what was inside, Yun Xiao quickened his pace and pushed the door open.

Before he could step in, the sounds of electric currents from the Lightning Tempering Array within crackled, heightening his anticipation.

BOOM!

The door swung open.

Yun Xiao looked up. Before him unfolded a vast interior space, at its center a thunder array with a diameter of 100 meters, rising into a cylindrical tower teeming with tens of thousands of writhing electric snakes!

"Hmm?" Yun Xiao focused his gaze, then paused in astonishment.

Inside the Lightning Tempering Array, unexpectedly, there were people—nine of them, to be exact!

Nine delicate figures hovered amidst the encircling lightning, their long hair flowing and their bodies shimmering with lightning, possibly to avoid damaging their clothes. So, none of the nine beauties wore a shred of fabric... a stunning scene fully in view!

And they all looked exactly the same?

BOOM!

As Yun Xiao entered, the nine beauties simultaneously opened their violet-blue eyes, and thousands of electric snakes surged towards him.

Each one was Nine Kites.

"How did you get in here?" Her voice was chillingly cold.

After she spoke, garments materialized upon their bodies, and they surged out of the Lightning Tempering Array, descending before Yun Xiao.

"The door was open," Yun Xiao said.

"Open or not, you shouldn't have entered," Nine Kites replied, visibly angered, glaring at Yun Xiao. Had it not been for his connection as the son of the Chaos Sovereign, she would have already taken action.

Confused, Yun Xiao took out his blue key and said, "Isn’t this the cultivation room assigned to me?"

"You have a key for the blue door; this is the violet door," Nine Kites replied coldly.

She had heard of Yun Xiao's reputation, and now he seemed to confirm her suspicions of his ill repute.

"Violet door?" Yun Xiao turned and pushed the door behind him, stating, "But this is blue, isn’t it?"

"Are you color-blind..." Nine Kites, unable to restrain her irritation and about to scold him, suddenly realized that the door indeed was blue.

She had made the mistake. Taking a deep breath, she and the other eight gave Yun Xiao a cold look, then silently moved past him and headed outside.

Once outside, she turned back, her expression frosty, "If you weren’t the son of the Chaos Sovereign, I would have gouged out your eyes."

Yun Xiao, who hadn't been holding a grudge, now felt provoked. He scoffed, "Odd, isn’t it? I'm a man who strolls among melons, who craves your plain dumplings?"

Nine Kites was aware of his rumors with Cao Shuo. But she had never heard such coarse talk in her life. She was left utterly speechless.

"No, wait." Yun Xiao suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "29 and 16 makes... You’re far older than me, apologies."

JustLivingJL's Thoughts

"No, wait." Yun Xiao suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "29 and 16 makes... You’re far older than me, apologies."