Shen Tang returned to the city walls, presenting the Energy Crystal Core with both hands, spirited and exuberant, "Sky King Your Majesty, I have done it. Will you keep your promise to me?"
"Good, good, good, Night Glow Monarch today has truly made me see him in a new light!"
Sky King clapped his hands, personally poured two cups of wine, and handed one to her, "This cup, I personally toast to you!"
Shen Tang took the cup and drank it all in one go.
Sky King finished the wine in his cup and turned to look down from the city wall.
Below the city tower, thousands upon thousands of Beastmen had already gathered.
Having witnessed todayâs thrilling battle, the hearts of all the citizens were stirred with excitement!
Standing on the high platform, Sky King announced loudly, "Everyone! The Monarch of Night Glow Empire personally acted to eliminate the Thundercloud Jellyfish that plagued the citizens! Such grace, we at Yunding Empire cannot go unreciprocated!"
With a grand flourish, she declared with great spirit, "This king decides to immediately dispatch forces to support Night Glow Empire! From today onwards, our two kingdoms shall be allied forever!"
The crowd below burst into cheers, voices of jubilation rising and falling,
"Thatâs great!"
"Support His Majestyâs decision!"
"Night Glow Monarch is truly remarkable, earning our utmost admiration!"
The entire square was filled with a warm atmosphere, not a single voice of dissent.
Shen Tang stood aside, looking at the grand scene, finally breathing a sigh of relief â this difficult negotiation had finally reached a satisfactory ending!
Sky King turned to Shen Tang, a sly glimmer in her eyes, "Thatâs settled then. But..." She deliberately drew out her voice, "Lu Xiao must stay behind."
"Your Majesty, didnât you just agree..." Shen Tang felt a jolt in her heart, her words cut off before she could finish.
"Hahaha!" Sky King suddenly burst into laughter, slapped Shen Tangâs shoulder heavily, "Look how nervous you are! This kingâs words always count, and since I said we spoke only of national affairs, not private matters, naturally there is no going back."
She gestured towards Lu Xiaoâs direction, teasingly, "Besides, even if I truly wanted to keep this lad forcibly, look at him, that soul-lost expression of his â his heartâs long since flown back to your side, I can keep a person but I canât keep a heart!"
Lu Xiao coughed lightly, "Mother, if you have something to say, please say it quickly."
"Look at your impatience! Then fine, this king will speak plainly â inside you, Xiaoâer, flows the noble bloodline of our Golden Feathered Roc Clan. Alas, since you werenât raised with me since childhood, itâs hard for your bloodline to awaken, so I want you to stay in the clan for a time and send you to the Trial Ground within the clan to help awaken your bloodline!"
Sky King earnestly guided, "Child, your talent is not limited to this. Our Golden Feathered Roc Clan is of extraordinary origin, possessing unmatched powerful strength."
"Once you can awaken the Roc bloodline, you will surely achieve greater accomplishments, assisting this beloved Female Master of yours to soar higher and further."
Lu Xiaoâs heart trembled slightly, casting a complex gaze on Shen Tang, lips slightly pursed, "Female Master, I..."
Shen Tang held his hand, laughing gently, "Do what you wish to do, follow your own heart, I will always support you!"
Lu Xiao took her into his arms tightly, a profound longing that could not be dispelled in his eyes.
Moments later, Lu Xiao spoke with resolve, "Mother, Iâm willing to stay in the clan to undergo the trial."
Sky King laughed, "Good, good, good, now this kingâs wish is fulfilled! Otherwise, my heart always worries about you, this child."
Nonetheless, this separation means not knowing how long before they meet again.
Lu Xiao is destined to be separated from Shen Tang for a time.
He looked at the bright eyes of the female in his arms, looked at her rosy lips, unable to suppress his yearning, lowered his head to kiss those red lips.
"Female Master, take care."
"Ah Xiao, you too."
Seeing the coupleâs affections so harmonious, Sky King showed an auntâs smile, "Oh my, young people being lovey-dovey, reminds this king of those romantic days gone by~"
Lu Xiao quickly separated from Shen Tang, face calm, though the redness at the tip of his ears betrayed him, "Mother, donât tease us."
"Hahaha, whatâs there to be ashamed of being affectionate with your Female Master? Besides, youâre off to the Trial Ground, wonât come back in ten days half a month. If you donât spend time being mushy now, youâll have nowhere to regret when you get there!"
Sky King squeezed an eye at them mischievously, lowering her voice, "Tonight Iâll arrange a residence in the palace for you, ensuring peace, no outside disturbance~ Talk as much âheart-to-heartâ as you want~"
Putting extra emphasis on "heart-to-heart" in her tone.
With that, their faces turned red!
...
Not wanting to delay for even a moment, after resting a night, at the crack of dawn, Lu Xiao sought out Sky King, requesting immediate entry into the Trial Ground.
"In such a hurry?" Sky King frowned, "Typically, clan members prepare for at least a month before entering the Trial Ground. You child..."
"Mother, my mind is made up." Lu Xiaoâs gaze was resolute.
Sky King stared at him for a while, finally sighing, "Fine, go as you wish."
The stubborn boy really was eager to return, wanting to keep him by her side a few more days seemed impossible.
A son grown cannot be kept!
Before departing, Shen Tang personally escorted Lu Xiao to the entrance of the Trial Ground.
Only to see mist coiling around in the embrace of mountains, like a natural barrier shrouding the entire trial area, mysterious and unfathomable.
Though this was Lu Xiaoâs first step into Yunding Empire, his identity in the clan was no secret. Hearing that this Venerable Kingâs illegitimate child scattered outside was entering the Trial Ground, clan elders crowded to watch.
"Just like! Truly like!"
"That brow, those eyes, exactly like Your Majesty in youth!"
"No wonder he carries the Venerable Kingâs bloodline, valiant and handsome, bearing of an extraordinary character!"
The elders praised in unison, their eyes full of astonishment.
Lu Xiao only calmly paid respects to everyone, turned himself into his Golden Eagle form, and flew into that fog.
Aside from the high-level elders in the clan, three young Beastmen stood at the forefront, two males and one female, all tall and handsome in appearance, upon closer inspection, also bore similarities to Lu Xiao, easily revealing their identities.
The tallest among them, a young male beast, was the Eldest Prince, born of Sky King and her main husband, appearing roughly the same age as Lu Xiao, handsome and dignified.
Behind him, the younger female and male stood.
The younger sister presumably the youngest, looked around fourteen or fifteen, biting on a candy, a long golden-brown braid tied up with a big bow at the back, pretty and charming, carrying some aristocratic familyâs pride and noble air in her gestures.
As she looked at Lu Xiao not far away, a gleam of amazement flashed in her eyes which quickly turned into some form of disdain; more precisely, contemptuous unwillingness.
She mumbled around her candy, "So this is the brother weâve never met~ Looks quite good, but trying to pass the clanâs trial wonât be so easy."
Another prideful Prince snorted coldly in agreement, "Exactly, none of us succeeded, where does he, a mongrel from outside the clan, get his confidence?"
Little Princess sneaked a glance at the silent Eldest Prince ahead, pouting, "Precisely, even big brother failed last time, big brother holds the noble pure-blood Roc lineage. If this half-breed outsider succeeds in passing the trial, wouldnât that be a slap in big brotherâs face?"
"Speaking of which, Mother shows him an outsider great favor; growing up by Motherâs side, none of us ever saw her smiling at us like that even a few times."
"Exactly, even big brother too... Hmph, people who donât know would think Mother wants to make that outsider the heir."
The Second Prince quickly interrupted, "You girl, shut up, stop spouting nonsense!"
The Eldest Prince heard the discussions of his younger siblings behind him, hands slightly clenched, dangerous blue eyes narrowed, stared fixedly in the direction Lu Xiao disappeared into the clouds, a cold chuckle in his heart.
An illegitimate child cast outside coming back at this time, intending to fight for the throne?
Best be buried in those mists.
Never return.