The Sacred Palace Plaza.
Not only were the seats within the plaza completely filled, but the skies beyond the plaza were packed with people as well.
Whether they were elders or young juniors, every single one of them wore a heavy expression.
They already knew that the power of the Era of the Gods had entered the Seven Realms Heavenly River.
At a time like this, the Palace Master of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace summoning them all together surely meant something momentous was about to happen.
And whether that something would be good or bad was the weight that sat on every mind.
"Young Master Ling Xiao, when did you get back?"
Suddenly, a sweet, girlish voice rang out from somewhere in the plaza.
In an instant, countless gazes converged upon a young man, causing quite a stir.
The Seven Realms Sacred Palace operated under a strict hierarchy of status. Those who were granted seats within the plaza were all individuals of considerable standing.
And this particular section was home to the nobility among nobles.
Either their personal strength was formidable, or they stood behind an overwhelmingly powerful background.
The reason the young man the girl had addressed could generate such a commotion was because his name was Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao — before the emergence of Jie Tian, he had been the most renowned genius of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace.
And though Ling Xiao was a member of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace, he was perfectly capable of distinguishing right from wrong. Back at the peak of the Nine Heavens, he had not only fought alongside Chu Feng but had also come to admire the man, and the two had even struck up a rapport.
"I only just got back not long ago," Ling Xiao said with a faint smile.
But no one noticed that beneath that genial face of his, he too was carrying worries of his own.
"Ling Xiao, I hear you've already stepped into the ranks of Fifth Rank True Dragon Spirit World Master?" an elder asked with a smile.
Though this was an elder of extraordinary status, his attitude toward Ling Xiao was courteous and notably warm.
"Reporting to the Elder — it was only recently that I broke through," Ling Xiao replied.
"Truly worthy of being our Seven Realms Sacred Palace's foremost genius!"
The crowd exclaimed in admiration. Although they had already heard the rumor was true based on their own sources, hearing Ling Xiao personally confirm it was an entirely different matter.
"If not for the resources the Sacred Palace provided, I would never have achieved such a thing," Ling Xiao said.
"Oh, that's not something you should say."
"The Sacred Palace's resources are indeed abundant, but in the end, it still comes down to talent. Aside from Young Master Jie Tian, you are the strongest genius our Seven Realms Sacred Palace has to offer."
Once those words left the elder's mouth, the crowd nodded in agreement.
"I can hardly claim the title of strongest genius. Little Jie Baobao's cultivation is already above mine," Ling Xiao said.
"Jie Bao—?"
"No… Jie Baobao?"
"Could it be she's already stepped into the ranks of Sixth Rank True Dragon Spirit World Master?"
"Wasn't she in seclusion this whole time? Has she come out?"
The crowd was stunned.
They all knew that Jie Baobao had always been a genius on par with Ling Xiao.
They simply hadn't expected that Jie Baobao would have now surpassed him.
"Yes. Just before I returned, she had just emerged from seclusion," Ling Xiao said.
Hearing this, the crowd's amazement quickly gave way to wild joy.
After all, every one of them was a genius of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace. For the Sacred Palace, this was undoubtedly a tremendous boon.
While the members of the Seven Realms Sacred Palace were conversing among themselves, Jie Tianran had long since arrived at the plaza — only he hadn't made his appearance directly. Instead, he remained in the sky above the plaza, observing everything from within a concealed palace.
Although Chu Feng's grandmother had already been bound and stripped of her freedom, within this palace, Jie Tianran had at least allowed her to take a seat.
"Nianqing, the show… is about to begin," Jie Tianran said.
As he spoke, the storage formation in his palm blazed with light.
Then, a figure tumbled out from his palm and landed on the ground.
"Jie Tianran, what did you capture her for?"
Upon seeing this person, Chu Feng's grandmother's face tensed with alarm.
Because this person's name was Shuang Xue.
She was one of Chu Feng's grandmother's own people. Back when Grandmother had still been cultivating at the Divine Heritage Ground, she had dispatched Shuang Xue to protect Chu Feng.