Although Yang Kai had been on the Tongxuan Continent for three or four years, he still only had a vague understanding of most things here.
After listening to the inn waiter's account, he realized that the procession of the Holy Maiden from the Nine Heavens Holy Land must be a truly earth-shaking event!
What's more, only now did he understand that the Nine Heavens Holy Land had more than just the one Holy Maiden he had already encountered!
There were four in total, each heading in a different direction, their journeys covering virtually all territories inhabited by humans.
These Holy Maidens had grown up within the Nine Heavens Holy Land from a young age. After ten to twenty years of cultivation and going through rigorous rounds of selection, each one was a beautiful young woman who had mastered the Nine Heavens Holy Land's unique cultivation techniques.
Their primary purpose in setting out was to find the next Holy Lord for the Nine Heavens Holy Land!
The current Holy Lord was advanced in years and likely would not live much longer, which was why these four Holy Maidens had embarked on such a grand tour.
As for what methods the Holy Maidens would use to find the Holy Lord, nobody knew. All that was known was that every previous Holy Lord of the Nine Heavens Holy Land had been found by a Holy Maiden.
According to historical records, the nine Holy Lords before the current one had been all sorts of people before being discovered by a Holy Maiden.
Some had already been celebrated young prodigies, some were nothing more than ordinary merchants and peddlers, and others were entirely unremarkable mediocrities. But once a Holy Maiden found them and they entered the Nine Heavens Holy Land, they would blaze with astonishing brilliance and undergo a complete transformation!
And when these nine individuals were found, their ages ranged from their teens all the way to sixty years old!
The Holy Maidens seemed to possess a unique insight that set them apart from ordinary people.
Because of this, wherever a Holy Maiden from the Nine Heavens Holy Land arrived, those harboring fantasies would carefully put their best foot forward. If a Holy Maiden actually chose them, it would be the kind of fortune that made one's ancestors' graves emit auspicious smoke.
That was why so many people on this island were putting on affected airs and deliberately trying to stand out.
None of them knew what method the Holy Maiden would use to select the Holy Lord, nor did they know whether the powerful figures around her were already monitoring the entire island. All they could do was strive for perfection and avoid any mistakes.
Yang Kai listened with growing astonishment. Before this, he had never imagined that such a bizarre thing existed in the world.
"You seem to know quite a lot, brother," Yang Kai said with genuine admiration.
The waiter chuckled. "It's something everybody knows. Seems like you're the only one on the island who didn't."
"Don't you have any aspirations of your own?" Yang Kai asked meaningfully. According to what the waiter had said, there was a real possibility that the Holy Lord had been a completely ordinary person before being found. The waiter himself could have a chance.
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?" The waiter nodded emphatically. "But someone like the Holy Maiden — I know I'm not good enough for her. If she takes a fancy to me, that's my good fortune. If she doesn't, that's only natural. I'll just keep living the way I always have. I'm no good at putting on an act anyway."
"I'm impressed!" The waiter's easygoing attitude genuinely surprised Yang Kai. He cupped his fists in respect. "Well then, I wish you good luck, brother."
"Thank you for your kind words!" The waiter beamed and went back to his work.
After eating and drinking at the inn for a while and gathering all the information he wanted, Yang Kai took his leave.
He had no urgent matters to attend to at the moment, so there was no rush to leave. He was quite curious about the Holy Maiden's search for the Holy Lord and wanted to see what kind of person she would find.
Naturally, he wanted to stay and watch the spectacle.
The twenty-odd islands nearby were all buzzing with activity. Ever since the Holy Maiden's arrival, the young men on each island had become as excited as if injected with adrenaline, fired up to an incredible degree.
Yang Kai stayed in the area for about ten days, visiting islands both large and small. He took in the local customs and purchased a good amount of herbs, but the thing he had been keeping an eye on showed no signs of activity.
Since the Holy Maiden arrived here, she had seemingly vanished without a trace, to say nothing of finding the mysterious Holy Lord.
Meanwhile, as Yang Kai toured the archipelago, on one particular island, inside a grand palace, a man surnamed Qi — a Transcendent Stage Three expert — respectfully approached the Holy Maiden and asked nervously, "Miss, still no reaction?"
The Holy Maiden slowly shook her head.
Qi Shu's expression dimmed, and he let out a soft sigh. "This is already the eighth place we've visited. It seems the Holy Lord is not here. Let's stay a few more days and then move on to the next location."
The Holy Maiden gave a slight nod without objection. She had known from childhood what responsibility rested on her shoulders, and she had always worked toward that goal. She and her three sisters would, among the vast sea of humanity, eventually find the next Holy Lord.
"Qi Shu, since we've been here for so many days and I haven't gone out at all, I'd like to take Bei'er out to see the scenery today. Would that be all right?" the Holy Maiden suddenly asked.
Qi Shu pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine! But Miss, you'll need to disguise yourself a little."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" With Qi Shu's permission, the Holy Maiden's spirits seemed to lift considerably.