Heavenly Venerable Li Tian said nothing more and immediately flew downward. The three of them landed directly in front of Xiao Wu. Seeing Yi Tianyun, Xiao Wu, who had been leading the training, stopped instantly. He didn't recognize the other two, but seeing Yi Tianyun filled him with joy.
"Emperor Tianyun!" Xiao Wu exclaimed happily. He quickly tossed aside the massive boulder he was carrying. With a loud boom, it crashed into the ground, leaving behind a deep pit.
All the disciples behind him followed suit, dropping their boulders and respectfully shouting, "Emperor Tianyun!"
Yi Tianyun's prestige in this realm was unquestionable. Practically everyone knew who he was, even newborns. Every city had a statue of him, not because he ordered it, but because Shi Xueyun had erected them to inspire absolute devotion.
After all, if someone didn't even know who their own emperor was, how could they talk about loyalty? The statues ensured his name was known even to the newest of residents.
Yi Tianyun had been a bit embarrassed when he first found out, but since Shi Xueyun was handling it, he let her be.
Suddenly, Heavenly Venerable Li Tian grabbed Xiao Wu and sent a surge of energy into his body. That power instantly flowed through every corner of Xiao Wu's body, examining every detail inside and out.
"Y-You…!" Xiao Wu was startled. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't escape Li Tian's grasp. His entire body was paralyzed.
"Xiao Wu, don't panic. His bloodline is the same as yours. He's helping to awaken your inner bloodline power to make you stronger," Yi Tianyun explained calmly.
Xiao Wu completely trusted Yi Tianyun, so he relaxed right away. He allowed Heavenly Venerable Li Tian to inspect him. Not that he had a choice, he couldn't break free even if he wanted to.
After a thorough examination, Li Tian's eyes suddenly flashed with brilliant light. His piercing gaze locked onto Xiao Wu's eyes.
At that moment, Xiao Wu felt as if he had been marked by a predator. It made his skin crawl. He didn't know who this man was, but it was clear, he was extraordinarily powerful.
Heavenly Venerable Li Tian was indeed formidable, tall and broad, over three meters in height, like a small giant. While not as large as some of the taller races, the sheer density of his strength far exceeded theirs.
That was Xiao Wu's instinctive impression, and probably not wrong.
"Good… very good! Hahahaha!"
The usually calm and composed Heavenly Venerable Li Tian suddenly burst out in booming laughter. His voice echoed throughout the entire Three Realms. Countless people looked up in confusion, unable to fathom where that voice had come from, it penetrated their very souls.
It was the laugh of a High-level Heavenly Venerable, and its power was nothing short of overwhelming. The laugh alone could send enemies fleeing.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother Li Tian, on finding your descendant," Yi Tianyun congratulated him sincerely.
Only then did Jian Si Heavenly Venerable snap out of it. He gave Yi Tianyun a thumbs-up, surprised that the junior had been sharper than him.
"I'll add my congratulations too, Senior Brother Li Tian. What a coincidence! Who would've thought your descendant would be in our junior brother's faction, and even one of his top subordinates. Truly remarkable…" Jian Si shook his head in amazement. There was no writing better than fate, it was all too coincidental.
"There's nothing more to say. I'll handle the God Territory War!" Heavenly Venerable Li Tian declared. "However, in exchange, he's mine to train now. Don't worry, I won't take him away. He'll stay here, and I won't restrict his freedom."
Heavenly Venerable Li Tian immediately agreed to serve as protector for Yi Tianyun's territory. Finding his descendant was no small favor, he owed Yi Tianyun now. How could he possibly refuse?
Besides, there was no way he'd let his own descendant enter the God Territory War without protection. What if he died?
"Then I'll leave Xiao Wu's training to you," Yi Tianyun said, eyes gleaming. Being trained by a Heavenly Venerable and having his bloodline awakened, Xiao Wu's future was bound to be bright.
The Three Realms would soon gain a powerful new general.
"Xiao Wu, listen well to Senior Brother Li Tian. He's not only a peerless powerhouse, he's your ancestor!" Yi Tianyun said seriously. "Train hard. The defense of the Three Realms rests on your shoulders!"
"Yes, Emperor Tianyun!" Xiao Wu replied with a determined gaze. If nothing else, he was obedient to the core.
Without further delay, Heavenly Venerable Li Tian left with Xiao Wu. Where they were headed wasn't Yi Tianyun's concern. It was clearly for awakening Xiao Wu's bloodline and teaching him powerful techniques. When he returned, he would be far stronger than before.
"Junior Brother, now it's my turn to congratulate you," Jian Si said. "With the three of us as your protectors, there should be no major threats to your God Territory, unless your enemies send several top-tier High-level Heavenly Venerables. Otherwise, it's secure!"
"Then I'll be counting on you, Senior Brother Jian," Yi Tianyun nodded.
"Well, that's that. If anything else comes up, come find me," Jian Si said, then frowned slightly after calculating something with his fingers. "But the God Territory War will probably start soon, likely in less than a hundred years."
"So soon?" Yi Tianyun was surprised. "I heard it usually takes at least a thousand years before it begins."
"Normally, yes. But this time, things are ahead of schedule. I suspect it's related to changes happening in the Inner God Territory," Jian Si said, patting him on the shoulder with a grin. "If you really intend to go to the Inner God Territory, you'll need power to protect your people. That place is a hundred times more brutal than here."
"But don't worry. Master won't just stand by and let something happen to you. He'll definitely step in when the time comes. That's another reason I'm willing to participate in the God Territory War."
"If your faction were too weak, unable to protect itself and with no outside help, then going to the Inner God Territory would be a death sentence. But now things are different. With the three of us by your side, and Master's support, you'll have a solid foundation."
"Still, during this time, do your best to improve both yourself and your faction. I know that's not easy, developing an entire force takes an immense amount of resources."
With that parting advice, Jian Si turned and tore open a rift in space, disappearing.
Yi Tianyun stood there deep in thought.
"Less than a hundred years until it begins…"
He now felt a greater sense of urgency. He had assumed he had more time, enough to dramatically elevate the strength of his entire faction. But it seemed the window for preparation would be far narrower than expected.