True Martial World
chapter-864

"Luo Xiaodie, Luo Kui… "

Yi Yun looked at the man and woman, whose physiques were highly disparate. According to what Luo Huo'er said, Empress Luo had many geniuses under her. Luo Xiaodie and Luo Kui were only two of many.

In a sense, Empress Luo's banquet had achieved the effect of displaying a show of force. Empress Xuan was inferior to her in every single way.

However, Empress Luo was not satisfied with this. Empress Xuan had deliberately avoided any conflict at the banquet by not bringing the Xuan family geniuses. This made Empress Luo feel like she was punching into cotton, it did not feel effective.

"Without Xuan Junyue here, it sure is boring!" Luo Kui said in an unruly manner, his voice echoing throughout the venue.

The impression that Luo Kui gave others was that he was an uninhibited boor. And he was apparently using this to deliberately say things that were out of line. He had challenged Empress Xuan's bottom line again and again.

As Empress Luo ate some grapes, a smile hung on her face. She did not have any intentions of reprimanding Luo Kui.

Luo Kui felt as though he had been encouraged. Standing up from his seat, he cupped his hands and said to everyone, "Everyone, if it's just eating and drinking, it might be somewhat boring. Let me add some excitement for everyone."

After Luo Kui said this, he swept his gaze across the young elites on Empress Xuan's side. Although there were quite a number of young elites clearly on Empress Xuan's side, for example, Yi Yun, Gu Qing, Ling Wu, etc, Luo Kui could not call them out to thrash them. This was because the result of using them as targets was highly ineffective. Take Yi Yun for example, he was only at the beginning stages of the Heaven Ascension realm. Even if Luo Kui thrashed him, there would not be any sense of accomplishment. Instead, he might be rebuked as being a bully.

However, if he did not thrash these people, there was truly no one on Empress Xuan's side either.

Luo Kui stroked his chin and as his gaze swept across the banquet hall, it ended up on Luo Huo'er. Immediately following that, a smile suffused across his lips.

"Your Highness! It was said that Your Highness' attainments in fire-elemental laws are matchless and Your Highness is well-versed in the Desolate Heaven technique. No peer your own age can match you. This lowly one has recently been researching fire-elemental laws and the Desolate Heaven technique and he is very interested in these aspects. However, this lowly one isn't very well-versed at its practical effects. Will it be possible for Your Highness to give some advice?"

When Luo Kui said this, everyone in the audience was stunned.

Luo Kui may be asking for advice, but if Luo Huo'er were to accede to his request, he might do something nasty during the ‘advice-giving’. If that was the case, it would no longer be a simple problem of ‘advice-giving’!

What sort of identity did Luo Huo'er enjoy!? It was unexpected that Luo Kui would target Luo Huo'er after failing to find a target to thrash. This was practically him being lawless!

Indeed, Empress Xuan's expression had already sunk.

She came knowing that Empress Luo would flaunt her power, and she had tolerated this repeatedly. However, it was unexpected that Empress Luo had set her sights on Luo Huo'er.

For a princess of the country to compete with a boor like Luo Kui, it would be a sully to Luo Huo'er's reputation regardless of the outcome!

Actually, if it was just the Desolate Heaven technique, Empress Xuan believed that Luo Huo'er would win. However, it was most likely that Luo Kui was just a probe. After beating Luo Kui, it was certain that a better person would replace him. If Luo Huo'er accepted Luo Kui's challenge but did not accept the match after his, it would not prevent others from thinking that Luo Huo'er feared the challenge because she was feeling unconfident of herself.

At this moment, Crimson Firmament said with a smile, "It is good for young people to desire to do better. Princess Purple Spirit is a person of a kindly disposition and it is well known for her love of talents. If you sincerely ask for her advice, she would definitely not hesitate to advise you."

Crimson Firmament's words were equivalent to acknowledging Luo Kui's sudden thought. People had the belief that Empress Luo was only planned on suppressing the young elites on Empress Xuan's side, but they never expected that they were planning on sullying Princess Purple Spirit's good name!

At this moment, Luo Huo'er spoke with a sneer as she looked at Luo Kui. "Luo Kui, have you been conferred nobility?"

Facing Luo Huo'er’s question, Luo Kui failed to answer immediately. Amongst the younger generation of the Fey race, his background was definitely not bad. He was from the Cloud Sun Luo clan, so although it was inferior to Luo Huo'er, it was still one of the top twenty factions in the Luo clan. Compared to Ran Xueyi and Donglin Yu, he was not one bit inferior. However, Luo Huo'er had deliberately avoided Luo Kui's background and she instead pointed out his lack of nobility.

Descendants of a noble family could easily enjoy a life of luxury, but if they wanted to be conferred nobility, they needed to accomplish actual meritorious achievements for the country!

Luo Kui was still young, so how could he have any merits whatsoever. He was not conferred nobility, but for Luo Huo'er, as an heir to the throne, she had already been conferred the title of royalty!

The difference in their background may be small, but the gap in their nobility ranks was huge!

When Luo Huo'er hit Luo Kui on a soft spot, his expression turned ugly. He said with a muffled and unhappy voice, "This lowly one's status is humble. According to the rules, there is truly no right to receive advice from Your Highness. However, rules are not absolute at times... For example, at this banquet, aren't the seats also not determined according to the rules?"

When Luo Kui said this, everyone's eyes could not help but drift towards Yi Yun.

Luo Huo'er had rebuked Luo Kui for not abiding the rules, but Luo Kui had struck back while keeping his countenance. Indeed, it was out of line for Luo Huo'er to allow Yi Yun to sit beside her.

"This brother, you truly have a good appetite." Luo Kui said with a faint smile as he looked at the spiritual food that had been reduced to a large bone pile in front of Yi Yun.

Yi Yun did not expect that the arrows of conflict to suddenly shift back to him.

"I wonder which family clan does this brother come from and if he has a noble title?" He had knowingly asked the question.

Many people under Empress Luo's camp looked at Yi Yun and they waited for him to make a fool of himself. However, they failed to see any look of distress on Yi Yun's face. Yi Yun pulled out a snow-silk satin napkin from the table and he began slowly wiping his mouth. "This lowly one comes from a countryside in the lower realm. As for my background… my ancestors are all farmers."

Yi Yun's response made everyone’s eyes nearly pop out. Even Empress Xuan's people, such as Ling Wu and Gu Qing, were impressed at Yi Yun's nerves. If anyone was squeezed in such a way, one would typically hope to hide away. Yet, he had been able to answer in all seriousness.

"Hahaha!" Luo Kui laughed out loud. "Brother, you sure are 'simple'. Brother, you must have gotten to know Princess Purple Spirit in the lower realm. Her Highness is truly considerate and kind to men of talent, considering how she has given such a privilege to a human from the lower realm."

When Luo Kui said this, everyone was enlightened. So this fellow had gotten to know Princess Purple Spirit back in the lower realm. Princess Purple Spirit was surely immature. How could she favor a fellow that she got to know in the lower realm?

Empress Luo glanced at Empress Xuan as a teasing smile suffused across her lips. Although she did not believe that the extremely lofty-minded Luo Huo'er would fall in love with Yi Yun, if she were to embellish the story and report it to Emperor Luo, Empress Luo would definitely feel furious even if he was fond of Luo Huo'er. This would be shameful for the royal family.

At this moment, Yi Yun had just wiped his mouth and used a snow-silk satin napkin to wipe clean his hands. Then he threw the napkin down and said, "I learned a bit of the Desolate Heaven technique in the lower realm. I had received five or six months worth of education in the Desolate Heaven technique with Princess Purple Spirit, so I can be considered to have a tiny bit of success in it."

"Didn't you wish for Princess Purple Spirit to give you advice on the Desolate Heaven technique? You already said that you just began researching on the Desolate Heaven technique, and I guess that your standard can't be that high. You might not even be up to my level. If you were to directly get Princess Purple Spirit to give you advice, I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to comprehend it. Why not I give you some advice?"

When Yi Yun said this, everyone present was dumbfounded.

Even Empress Luo was somewhat stunned, much less Luo Kui.

Yi Yun's words were filled with information. They also knew that Yi Yun had come in first place at the Mt. Azure Billow collective training. With Yi Yun's background, it was already astounding to have such an achievement.

But… Yi Yun also knew the Desolate Heaven technique!?

"Five or six months worth of education in the Desolate Heaven technique"?

"Considered to have a tiny bit of success"?

The Desolate Heaven technique was intricate and profound. Without a few decades of hard work, it was impossible to have any success! Yi Yun was obviously bragging!

But if it was said that Yi Yun had been exposed to the Desolate Heaven technique for decades, it was also impossible. He was a warrior from the lower realm, with a bone age of less than forty. Martial arts would have taken a great deal of his time, so how could he spare the time to study the Desolate Heaven technique?

"Little Yun, what are you saying?" At this moment, Luo Huo'er's Yuan Qi voice transmission reverberated in Yi Yun's ear. "Little Yun, I know that you have some talent in the Desolate Heaven technique, but you do not know that the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven's Desolate Heaven technique is the best in all of the 12 Empyrean Heavens. It's completely different to the Desolate Heaven technique from the lower realm. Be it technique or hand seals, all the methods are different! After coming to the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven, have you learned the Desolate Heaven technique from the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven?"

Yi Yun shook his head. He obviously understood the rationale behind Luo Huo'er's words. Although Yi Yun had the Purple Crystal, the time he spent learning the Desolate Heaven technique was too short. Even in the lower realm, the time he spent learning the Desolate Heaven technique was counted in months, much less while he was in the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven.

"Hahaha!" Luo Kui suddenly burst out into laughter. "What did you say? Did you want to advise me? That's interesting. I had just nonchalantly mentioned that I'm a beginner at the Desolate Heaven technique, and a person like you who has only studied the Desolate Heaven technique for five or six months jumped out to advise me? A godly person like you has actually gained the favor of Her Highness? Are you not a cheat? You have used Her Highness' consideration of men of talent to fool her!" Luo Kui derided relentlessly.

He did not dare to insult Princess Purple Spirit, but he had no scruple when it came to Yi Yun. Regardless if Yi Yun had deceived Princess Purple Spirit or not, mocking Yi Yun would be equivalent to sullying Princess Purple Spirit's reputation.

At this moment, Yi Yun had already stood up.

Luo Kui gave Yi Yun a contemptuous look. He was ambitious and he belittled the geniuses present. He could only make a name for himself by trampling on the high and mighty princess. By aiding Prince Crimson Firmament in ascending to the throne, he would eventually be conferred nobility.

But at this point, he could not even trample on a princess, but a small fry had come courting death.

Luo Kui had been cultivating for eighty years and he had studied the Desolate Heaven technique for more than a decade. He had definitely come prepared! Even if he met Luo Huo'er, he was confident that he could match her.

There were many people present who knew of Luo Kui's background. As they looked at Yi Yun, they shook their heads. This was all a farce.

Seeing how this matter could no longer be prevented, Luo Huo'er's lips quivered. She eventually chose to remain silent. She understood Yi Yun. She knew that Yi Yun would often do unexpected things. Previously in the Tai Ah Divine City, Luo Huo'er had believed that she would definitely triumph over him, but she always ended up suffering.

But this time, Luo Huo'er had no idea how Yi Yun was going to beat Luo Kui.