The cultivators stationed at the perimeter checkpoints around the Profound Abyss Heavenly Palace were all high-level cultivators of the Divine Dao. It was clear that regardless of whether this Celestial Emperor was legitimate or not, the basic forces at his disposal were formidable.
Regardless, anyone who could ascend to the position of Celestial Emperor was inevitably someone with vast resources and countless soldiers and generals at his command.
An ordinary Divine King or vassal lord, even if he harbored such ambitions, would lack the confidence and the strength to command such a vast situation.
Moreover, once someone sat upon the throne of the Celestial Emperor, powerful cultivators of all kinds would naturally come to pledge their allegiance, vying for a position however minor.
And so, this current Qingtian Celestial Emperor, though he had not gained Creation's recognition, nonetheless commanded a retinue — an elite force at that.
One need only look at the checkpoint forces at the perimeter to see that the power wielded by the men under the Qingtian Celestial Emperor was truly no small thing.
"We pay our respects to the Crimson Water Divine King." The checkpoint guards first bowed to the Crimson Water Divine King, then proceeded to carry out their inspections.
These inspecting cultivators appeared to hold the Crimson Water Divine King in a certain respect, but it was clearly only a surface-level courtesy.
Judging by their manner, they were clearly the type to lord their connections over others — relying on their status as the Celestial Emperor's personal guard, their conduct carried a subtle undercurrent of frivolity and arrogance.
After a thorough three or four rounds of inspection, finding nothing amiss, one of them finally offered the Crimson Water Divine King a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Your Divine Majesty, we are merely carrying out our duties. Please understand."
The Crimson Water Divine King offered a faint smile, waved his hand dismissively, and said nothing.
As a Divine King, the Crimson Water Divine King possessed sufficient composure and forbearance for such matters. Though he was not exactly pleased at being subjected to such inspections, now was clearly not the time to quibble over such trifles.
"Let us go."
With a wave of his hand, the Crimson Water Divine King signaled, and the procession set off once more.
The second checkpoint awaited them just ahead.
Then came a third.
Along the way, they encountered a total of four inspections — one had to admit the Qingtian Celestial Emperor was exceptionally cautious. This caution, to a certain degree, also reflected the reality that he was not entirely confident in his position.
The Crimson Water Divine King, for his part, cooperated throughout without showing any displeasure or anger.
Only after all four inspections were completed did the procession finally enter the Profound Abyss Heavenly Palace. The Crimson Water Divine King, being among the more prominent of the vassal lords, had his entourage housed in a particularly prestigious guest villa within the Profound Abyss Heavenly Palace.
This villa had originally been intended for receiving distinguished guests of the Profound Abyss Heavenly Palace, but now it served to accommodate these eminent vassal lords.
In the Profound Abyss Greater World, the vassal lords who qualified for lodging in such a villa — the Crimson Water Divine King among them — numbered no more than ten.
By the time the Crimson Water Divine King and his entourage arrived, the villa was already bustling with activity.
Numerous other lords' parties had already taken up residence.
It was evident that many of the vassal lords maintained cordial relations with one another, as there were quite a few acquaintances among the various parties exchanging warm greetings.
Upon seeing the Crimson Water Divine King arrive, many of these acquaintances rose to their feet in welcome.
The villa grew even livelier at that point. As soon as the Crimson Water Divine King appeared, four or five Divine Kings emerged from their respective quarters to greet him.
Jiang Chen, traveling within the procession, did not draw attention to himself. Instead, he observed silently — studying each Divine King and vassal lord who appeared.
Clearly, he wished to gauge these lords' personalities and moral character through their words and conduct, to discern where each of them stood.
Such detailed observation could reveal a great deal.