She was a Great Emperor's daughter, and setting aside the fact that her beauty alone was enough to make any man's heart race, even if she were the ugliest woman alive, winning her favor would be worth centuries of struggle.
This scene caused Xiao Chen's expression to darken abruptly. He let out a soft humph and stepped forward to greet Lan Xun of his own accord.
When he drew near, he put on a gentle smile and said softly, "Princess, what brings you here?"
Lan Xun gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment, then composed her expression and parted her ruby lips. "By the decree of the Great Emperor, I bear his imperial words!"
The crowd's expressions grew solemn upon hearing this.
Though there were ten Great Emperors in the world, the one Lan Xun referred to was none other than the master of the Star God Palace — Bright Moon Great Emperor. He was the stabilizing pillar of the entire Southern Domain, much as Miao Dan Great Emperor was revered in the Northern Domain. Bright Moon Great Emperor was a figure held in universal reverence throughout the South.
"We humbly receive the Great Emperor's decree!" Wen Zishan called out with a solemn expression.
All the guests adopted serious faces and strained their ears to listen.
Lan Xun said, "This is not a suitable place for such matters. Uncle Wen, might I trouble you to prepare a private chamber?"
This was an obvious way of saying that too many people had loose tongues here, but none of the guests who had come to witness the ceremony dared show the slightest displeasure. In a sense, Lan Xun currently represented the Bright Moon Great Emperor himself — who would dare be disrespectful?
"This way, please!" Wen Zishan stepped aside and gestured behind him.
Lan Xun gave a small nod and took the lead toward the palace ahead. As she passed by Yang Kai, she paused and turned her head. "Senior Brother Yang, come with me."
Yang Kai considered for a moment, then stepped forward to follow. Lan Xun's appearance here was almost certainly related to him, and as the person at the center of all this, he naturally had to go along.
Xiao Yuyang and Xue Zhengmao exchanged a glance, then flickered and followed behind Lan Xun. Xiao Chen, ever the devoted guardian, was not about to fall behind.
Before long, the small group entered the great hall, and with a wave of Wen Zishan's hand, the doors swung shut.
Lan Xun ascended the elevated platform at the head of the hall, then turned and gazed down at those below. The three third-stage Emperor Realm masters stood before her, while Yang Kai and Xiao Chen, the two juniors, were positioned on opposite sides with clear separation between them.
She smiled and looked at Yang Kai. "First, let me congratulate you, Senior Brother Yang. From today onward, you are an Elder of the Azure Sun Divine Temple!"
The moment those words left her lips, Xiao Yuyang and Xue Zhengmao both furrowed their brows. The information hidden within that statement gave them a vague premonition of something.
Yang Kai replied, "Your Highness is too kind."
Lan Xun chided him, "Why are you being so formal with me, Senior Brother Yang? I'm like a sister to Little Seven, and you treat Little Seven like a brother — just call me Lan Xun."
"He wouldn't dare!" Xiao Chen immediately shot her a glare. Such an intimate form of address was not something just any man could enjoy. He had grown up with Lan Xun since childhood, and even he only called her by her name in private — in front of others, the distinction of status was always maintained.
"Since Lan Xun puts it that way, I won't stand on ceremony. I also congratulate you on your advancement to the Emperor Realm." As Yang Kai spoke, he glanced sideways at Xiao Chen, nearly making the man explode with rage.
The three third-stage Emperor Realm masters present were all startled — first by Lan Xun's attitude toward Yang Kai, and second by what she had said. The person she called "like a sister" was clearly no ordinary existence.
"Little Seven?" Xiao Yuyang murmured. "Could it be that girl from Spirit Beast Island?"
Xue Zhengmao and Wen Zishan suddenly came to their senses and looked at Yang Kai in shared astonishment. Neither had expected that Yang Kai could be connected to the princess of Spirit Beast Island, and judging by Lan Xun's words, this was no casual acquaintance.
"That's right — that girl from Spirit Beast Island," Lan Xun said with a hand over her smiling mouth. "You may not know this, but Little Seven and Senior Brother Yang are incredibly close. Last time I accompanied my father to Spirit Beast Island, she even asked me for news about Senior Brother Yang. Unfortunately, Senior Brother Yang is like a dragon — showing his head but not his tail — and I had nothing to tell her. She was quite disappointed."
Given the relationship between Mo Xiaoqi and Lan Xun, even if Lan Xun did know where Yang Kai was, she probably wouldn't have shared the information.
Lan Xun's words were spoken casually, but they stirred a tempest in the hearts of the three third-stage Emperor Realm masters.
Mo Xiaoqi herself was nothing remarkable. But the person standing behind her was not someone who could be taken lightly — that was an existence who stood on equal footing with Bright Moon Great Emperor. Yang Kai's close relationship with Mo Xiaoqi was tantamount to climbing the towering tree that was Spirit Beast Island. Anyone who wanted to move against him would have to weigh the consequences very carefully.
The Bright Moon Great Emperor doted on Lan Xun utterly, and the Beast Martial Great Emperor doted on Mo Xiaoqi just as thoroughly. If their daughters whispered a few words in their ears, even a Great Emperor's resolve might soften.
At this moment, Xue Zhengmao felt a measure of relief in his heart. Thank goodness he hadn't done anything to Yang Kai before this — otherwise, things might not have been so easy to resolve. The matter of Tan Junhao could only be handled by a Great Emperor.
A thought crossed his mind, and Xue Zhengmao asked, "Princess, what are the Great Emperor's instructions?"
Though he already had a vague idea, he still needed to hear it.
Wen Zishan and Xiao Yuyang both looked up at Lan Xun.