"Lily, stop talking nonsense. If we want to form an alliance with Dragon Forge, it depends on whether they have the strength to do so!"
At this moment, Xirwei finally spoke up. She first scolded Lily, then turned her gaze toward Lin Lie:
"So, you're the highest authority in the Yan Kingdom? You've cultivated two gold-type Dao bodies and one fire-type Dao body. Your cultivation is decent, but you're severely injured, barely holding on here!"
"Your real strength now is probably not much stronger than a seventh-level warrior, right? If you're the king of Yan, I really worry about the future of your country!"
"You figured out my strength so quickly..."
Lin Lie's pupils contracted as he realized the person before him was not simple, but his aura remained undiminished:
"I'm just a mere commoner, how dare I claim to be the king? Our king is busy at the moment and cannot see visitors. Please return..."
He couldn't say that the king was in seclusion—when a grandmaster is in seclusion, it's the most dangerous time, and outsiders must not disturb them.
"Heh, we've come all the way here, why leave so easily?" Xirwei said dismissively, then called out, "Let's go, Lily. Let's stay in the capital for a while and take a good look around."
To be honest, Xirwei had lost interest in the Yan Kingdom. She had flown all the way to the capital, only to be stopped by an injured grandmaster.
With the talent pool of Yan Kingdom... forming an alliance with such a country would be like inviting disaster.
The king, usually so thoughtful, had really come up with a foolish idea this time!
But since they've come, they might as well make the best of it and have some fun. After all, the capital seemed interesting enough.
"Whenever your king has some free time, tell him to come find me," Xirwei said, grabbing Lily's hand, and the two of them vanished in a streak of light.
Lin Lie furrowed his brows. The situation was troublesome...
A grandmaster from another country had openly entered the capital, and yet he couldn't do anything about it.
"Sigh..." Lin Lie sighed helplessly, slowly descending toward the ground.
---
Days passed, and since Xirwei's arrival in the capital, the entire Southern Town Protector's Office had been on high alert, working non-stop.
Just to monitor Xirwei's movements, the office had mobilized a large number of personnel.
If the opponent had started slaughtering right away, these grandmasters would have been ready to fight to the death.
However, Xirwei hadn't done anything of the sort. It was as if they were tourists in a foreign land—shopping around, eating at every restaurant, trying something new every day.
They even paid for their meals!
This behavior was better than some of the city's pampered rich kids.
Speaking of pampered rich kids... Just yesterday, a few arrogant second-generation officials tried to harass Xirwei and Lily, and were immediately killed by them.
This angered their powerful fathers, who were about to send troops to arrest Xirwei and Lily. However, after the Southern Town Protector's Office found out, those fathers were removed from their posts, and the matter was quietly resolved.
Given the current situation of the Yan Kingdom, the high-level officials wouldn't start a conflict with foreign grandmasters over a few spoiled second-generation officials. They could only turn a blind eye.
"What are they really up to? They don't seem like they're here to invade us. Could they really want to form an alliance with us?" In the Protector's Office, Zhong Chunhua asked with a puzzled look.
"Impossible. Our country is weak. What would they want from us to form an alliance?" Jiang Tao, who had just returned from Jianghaizhou, shook his head.
"No matter what their intentions are, we can't let them discover the king's seclusion," Liu Yuan added. "Otherwise, if they develop malicious intentions, it could be troublesome."
As a result, Lin Lie, the grandmaster, had been guarding the palace gates day and night, acting as a protector for Fang Yuan.
"But we don't know how long His Majesty will be in seclusion," Zhong Chunhua frowned. After all, when a grandmaster cultivates Dao bodies, it usually takes a long time.
"Don't worry about that. It won't take too long," Jiang Tao reassured the others.
"Don't worry about what!" said Xiao Jun coldly. "When a grandmaster cultivates Dao bodies, it usually takes years!"
"So, he'll be in seclusion for at least a few years! I thought you were supporting a wise monarch, but it turns out he's just an absentee ruler!"
When Xiao Jun spoke, several of the generals slightly nodded in agreement, and even Zhong Chunhua and Liu Yuan were momentarily speechless.
Only Jiang Tao remained calm and continued, "The king once cultivated a wood-type Dao body in just three days in Yongnan Province's Protector's Office. I saw it with my own eyes."
As soon as he said this, the entire hall fell silent. There was only the sound of people gasping in disbelief. Did they hear that right? He cultivated a Dao body in three days?
Was this even human?
Amid the uncertainty, a voice suddenly sounded in the ears of the generals: "It seems like you're facing a dilemma?"
Jiang Tao, Zhong Chunhua, and the others immediately showed joy, while Xiao Jun had a shocked expression. What kind of technique was this? Was it remote telepathy?
It seemed that the king's cultivation had made terrifying progress...
Jiang Tao quickly suppressed his excitement and responded, "Your Majesty, it's like this..."
He hastily explained the situation with Xirwei to Fang Yuan.
"I see..." Fang Yuan's tone was calm. "I've completed my cultivation and feel great. Now, have that foreign grandmaster come to the palace to meet me."
"Understood!" Jiang Tao nodded and immediately rushed out of the Protector's Office.
As for Xiao Jun and the others, who had never met Fang Yuan, their expressions were conflicted, as if they were pondering something.
---
Outside a restaurant, Xirwei and Lily walked out, both rubbing their round bellies, burping.
"I have to say, the food in Yan Kingdom is really delicious!" Xirwei said, her face full of contentment.
"Mm-hmm." Lily nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Too bad we won't have the chance to eat it again. We'll leave tomorrow," Xirwei added.
"Leave? Aren't we going to meet the king of Yan?" Lily asked, surprised.
"The king is in the process of refining his Dao body... we won't be able to meet him for a few years, maybe even decades," Xirwei shook her head.
Although she had appeared to be eating, drinking, and having fun these past few days, she had actually been secretly investigating. How could the spies of the Protector's Office keep track of her?
If she wasn't mistaken, the emperor of Yan was most likely refining his Dao body in the royal palace.
The high-level officials of Yan had kept this secret tightly, afraid she might cause trouble, but they didn't know she already knew.
However, Xirwei didn't intend to stir up trouble. She preferred to avoid complications.
She had already made her judgment about Yan Kingdom. It was a hopeless nation with extremely scarce top-tier strength. They had no future in the upcoming wars between nations.
Forming an alliance with such a country would be like seeking their own demise.
Just as Xirwei and Lily were about to leave, Jiang Tao suddenly appeared in front of them, descending from the sky and landing steadily.
"Lady Xirwei, Lady Lily," Jiang Tao bowed respectfully. "His Majesty requests your presence."