C47 Ring of Chaos

An elder murmured in agreement, "Exactly. The Empress has shown far too little regard for the Tianqi Royal Family. In recent years, the Immortal Domain has seen a surge of talent, and our strength has grown considerably. We have no reason to fear the Devil Domain any longer. Jiang Su is, after all, a member of the Tianqi Royal Family. If we let this issue be hastily resolved, the people of the Immortal Domain will surely hold us in even lower esteem!"

"I intend to plant our spies within the Devil Sect during the recruitment of disciples by the ten great Devil Sects! They will then collaborate with the Seventh Prince."

He was cut off mid-sentence by an icy voice.

The white-robed elder seated at the head of the table spoke sharply, "What fools you all are. It seems comfort has dulled your wits! The Empress of the Devil Sect is not to be trifled with. We stand no chance against her. Even if she were to execute the Seventh Prince, we'd be powerless to retaliate. Do you honestly believe a spy could escape the Empress's notice?"

This man was Ye Qing, Deputy Sect Master of the First Immortal Sect and Cabinet Master of the Tianqi Royal Family. He cast a disdainful glance at the three elders, fully aware of their motives.

The Emperor of Tianqi had yet to appoint a crown prince after all these years, and these elders were staunch supporters of the First Prince. They were pushing for First Prince Jiang Wen to be named heir, fearing Jiang Su might disrupt their scheme.

Jiang Su's birth had been marked by extraordinary omens, and his striking looks had captivated every maid in the palace.

Lacking a spiritual root, he was unable to cultivate and was essentially a mortal. Yet, his beauty alone might persuade the Empress to request the Emperor of Tianqi to declare him the Crown Prince.

Naturally, they were determined to nip any such possibility in the bud.

Ye Qing held nothing but contempt for these men, who were willing to sacrifice a promising future for immediate gains.

Jiang Su, an unpredictable element, was unable to cultivate and his days were numbered. Even if the Empress of the Devil Sect extended his life with her elixirs, his demise was inevitable. Furthermore, how long could the Empress's favor possibly last?

The three elders were visibly rattled after he saw through their intentions. They should have exercised more patience.

"Enough," he commanded. "I will have Rong Yu present gifts to the Seventh Prince and the Empress. Should you dare to infiltrate the Devil Domain with spies, I will petition the Emperor of Tianqi to have you executed!"

Ye Qing's directive swiftly reached Rong Yu, an Inner Sect disciple of the First Immortal Sect.

"Senior Brother, why would our master send you to the Devil Domain for such a worthless cause? Jiang Su is merely of noble birth and betrothed to the Empress. He hardly merits our master dispatching someone of your caliber," a charmingly cute girl remarked, her eyes burning with indignation as she read the letter from their master, Ye Qing. Her voice dripped with contempt when she mentioned Jiang Su.

Her senior brother, Rong Yu, held the fourth spot on the Azure Cloud Rankings in the Cultivation World. His looks and prowess set the standard for young male cultivators.

The room was bathed in the glow of the moon, casting light on its elegant simplicity and the striking figure of a young man in black by the window. His features were handsome, his presence more refined than the moonlight itself.

"Don't spout nonsense. My primary mission is to meet with the Empress. The Seventh Prince is a secondary concern," he clarified.

Ye Yan playfully stuck out her tongue. Rumor had it that the Empress of the Devil Sect was not only formidable but stunningly beautiful.

"Senior Brother, they say the Empress is breathtakingly beautiful, and that every male cultivator who has seen her has fallen for her. Be careful not to be ensnared by her charms," she teased.

Ye Yan was only joking, yet he paused to reflect before responding earnestly, "Though I've never met her, I hold great admiration for her."

Her frustration boiling over, Ye Yan stormed off, leaving Rong Yu puzzled in her wake. He couldn't fathom why she was upset.

He had only spoken the truth. The whims of a girl's heart were indeed enigmatic. Resolved, he decided to promptly gather the items his master had instructed him to prepare.

At dawn the next day, Sword Wing Peak was shrouded in mist.

Jiang Su rose and stepped outside, encountering Wang Tian in the courtyard. They had arrived almost simultaneously. Sharing a knowing smile, they each began their morning practice.

Time had slipped by quietly, and it was now the hour for the Cook Disciple to bring Wang Tian his meal.

Yet, today's mealtime was unusual, as Wang Tian spent the entire time engrossed in conversation with the Cook Disciple. It was an odd sight.

Once Wang Tian had finished his meal, Jiang Su approached him and inquired, "What have you two been discussing for so long? You should be focusing on your cultivation."

Wang Tian, brimming with excitement, began to relay the intriguing tales he had just learned to Jiang.

"Jiang, did you know that the Empress's husband is Jiang Su, the prince from the Royal Family of Tianqi?" he said.

Hearing this, Jiang Su's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He mused silently, "The story Wang Tian has stumbled upon is about me!"

Seeing Jiang's acknowledging nod, Wang Tian went on, "Today, the Royal Family of Tianqi sent an envoy to the First Devil Sect to pay homage to the Empress and Jiang Su. This visitor brought with him many extraordinary items that were clearly no mere trinkets. However, the Empress has yet to decide whether she will grant this visitor an audience."

A shadow crossed Jiang Su's eyes. He reasoned that if the visitor truly wished to meet with the Empress and himself, the proper place would be the Devil Palace, not the First Devil Sect.

Jiang Su pondered, "How did the Royal Family of Tianqi find out I'm not at the Devil Palace but at the First Devil Sect instead? Could there be a spy from the Royal Family within our ranks?"

"How did the visitor know to find the prince at the First Devil Sect?" Jiang Su questioned.

Wang Tian paused, deep in thought, before responding, "I'm not sure. Why didn't the visitor approach the Devil Palace? The Empress seldom spends her time at the First Devil Sect."

"It's obvious," Jiang Su concluded internally. "The visitor must be aware that I'm presently at the First Devil Sect."

He then turned his attention to the mission details:

"Registration location: At the base of the First Devil Sect mountain."

"Time limit: 30 minutes."

"Reward: The Ring of Chaos."

Jiang Su felt a surge of astonishment, "The Ring of Chaos? Such an impressive reward from the system!"

The Ring of Chaos was a fabled ancient divine artifact, long lost to the annals of the Cultivation World for over ten thousand years.

This ring had the power to contain the souls of the mighty. Once a soul was ensconced within it, it would remain intact for eternity.

In its most exalted form, the Ring of Chaos has the power to manipulate time, fracture the void, and even create entire worlds!

Jiang Su marveled to himself, "The Ring of Chaos is truly a remarkable artifact!"

"Jiang, are you interested in meeting the visitor? I've heard that the Royal Family of Tianqi has sent Rong Yu, who holds the third spot on the Azure Cloud Rankings. But I bet he's not as handsome as you."

Jiang Su replied with a hint of resignation, "The Azure Cloud Rankings are based on strength. Rong Yu must be a formidable young prodigy. Let's go have a look."

Descending from Sword Wing Peak, they were oblivious to the dire straits of the visitors at the mountain's base.

A young man dressed in black stood with a retinue of guards, each cradling a box. It was easy to surmise that these boxes held the treasures the Royal Family of Tianqi intended to offer the Female Ruler.

The black-clad youth stood tall and was strikingly handsome.

"Rong Yu does have good looks. But when you compare him to our Eldest Senior Brother, he just doesn't measure up."

"Exactly. After spending so much time with the Eldest Senior Brother, other male cultivators just seem average. Despite Rong Yu's third-place ranking, his looks are quite ordinary."

"I had imagined Rong Yu's looks might rival those of our Eldest Senior Brother, but seeing him now, he's rather plain. Let's move on. I doubt the Female Ruler will grant him an audience. Even when the Emperor of Tianqi himself visited the Devil Palace to honor the Female Ruler, she offered him no acknowledgement."