On this day, Qin Yan and Little Liya finally concluded their cultivation.
They had been inside for quite some time and were ready to head out and see the world. Cultivation, after all, emphasized steady progress and a balance between labor and rest; overexerting oneself would only lead to diminishing returns.
Furthermore, the appointed time with Luo Fei and the others was drawing near. Before Luo Fei and Er Niu had set off to travel the continent for their own training, they mentioned they would participate in this year's World's Number One Magic Martial Arts Tournament.
At the time, they had invited Qin Yan to join them, but he had declined. It was a joke to even consider it; with a Power Level as high as his, entering a martial arts tournament was like playing house. However, not wanting to disappoint them, Qin Yan promised he would be there in person to watch their performance, which had left them beyond excited.
Calculating the time, the World's Number One Magic Martial Arts Tournament had likely already begun. Time truly flew; three years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Deep within the Primeval Mountains.
At the peak of a gnarled, ancient tree.
The figures of Qin Yan and Little Liya appeared out of thin air. They greedily inhaled the fresh air they hadn't tasted in so long, gazing out at the boundless sea of clouds. The scenery was as enchanting as ever.
Qin Yan looked around. Everything was much the same as usual, with the only notable difference being that the wooden cabin looked a bit more dilapidated on the outside.
But when Qin Yan stepped inside, the room was as clean and flawless as ever. There wasn't a speck of dust or a single cobweb to be found, clearly indicating that someone came by frequently to clean and tidy the place.
It was likely Luo Xuanyi and Xiaobei who did it.
With that in mind, Qin Yan decided to go look for them first.
As he stepped out of the wooden cabin to see where everyone was, he spotted several dark shadows flying toward them in the distance.
Squinting, he realized it was Luo Xuanyi, Xiaobei, and Dabai.
"Brother Qin Yan, it's Sister Xuanyi and the others!"
"Hey! Sister Xuanyi! Xiaobei! Dabai!"
The little girl recognized them instantly and shouted happily, her small, tender arms waving frantically.
"Oh! Qin Yan, Liya!"
Hearing Little Liya's call, Luo Xuanyi and the others spotted them as well. They responded with excitement, accelerating their flight speed to rush toward them.
Seeing this, Little Liya couldn't wait and flew up to meet them. Before long, the group was locked in a joyful embrace.
Qin Yan arrived a moment later. At his first glance of Luo Xuanyi and Xiaobei, he was slightly surprised.
He had assumed that after they returned to Shengzai Village, they would be distracted by various chores and fall behind in their cultivation. He hadn't expected that after not seeing them for so long, their strength had improved significantly.
Their Power Level had actually reached 190. It seemed they hadn't allowed their peaceful lives to make them complacent.
Luo Xuanyi pulled the little girl aside to recount everything that had happened over the past few months, while Little Liya gave them a brief summary of their recent cultivation.
"How did you all end up coming here? we were just about to head out and find you," Qin Yan interrupted with a smile.
"Oh! It's like this the World's Number One Magic Martial Arts Tournament is starting, so we came to get you so we could head to the Imperial Capital together," Luo Xuanyi explained, having a moment of realization.
She had been so happy to see them that she almost forgot her purpose. "We've been coming here every day, but we never ran into you. We thought you might have left early. If we hadn't found you today, Xiaobei, Dabai, and I were going to head out on our own."
"Mm-hmm," Xiaobei added, nodding along from the side.
"I see. What about Luo Fei and the others? Any news from them?" Qin Yan nodded, having suspected as much. He then asked about the status of the two boys.
"Oh, we got a letter from them a few days ago. The tournament has already started, and they successfully registered. They told us to get there as soon as possible so we can meet up," Luo Xuanyi explained.
"In that case, is there anything else that needs to be prepared? If not, let's head out now!"
After asking if anyone had other arrangements and receiving negative replies, Qin Yan prepared to lead the group to the capital of the Radiance Empire, the venue for the tournament.
"Nothing else. Let's go!"
After sharing a glance, they all agreed they had everything they needed and were ready to depart.
"Alright. In that case, come over here and put your hands on me. We're leaving now." Seeing everyone's agreement, Qin Yan had them all place a hand on him. He planned to use Instant Transmission; if they let these little ones fly there on their own, who knew how long it would take.
The group was already familiar with what Qin Yan was planning. They weren't surprised at all since he had taken them along for Instant Transmission several times before. They all placed their hands on his shoulders.
Once everyone was ready, Qin Yan took a moment to sense the Ki. After locking onto a target, he willed it into action.
Whoosh! With a soft sound, everyone vanished from the spot.
Radiance Empire.
City of Holy Light.
A sacred, towering, and magnificent palace stood at the center of the holy city.
Inside a silent and solemn grand hall of the palace, a massive circular stone table sat in the center of the room. In the middle of that table were three sacred and beautiful Holy Grails.
Directly above the Holy Grails was a circular, domed ceiling from which hung a massive, exquisite glass chandelier.
Exquisite stone stools were arranged neatly around the circular table, twelve in total. Currently, all twelve seats were occupied by people dressed in various styles, deep in discussion.
A familiar figure sat among them: Long Weiwei. She was dressed in a long, flowing dress of purple silk. Her aura was cold and indifferent, yet she looked profoundly beautiful and divine, her graceful figure even more pronounced than before.
She was currently conversing eloquently with the others.
"Hi!"
"Who's there?!"
The sudden voice startled everyone present. They immediately went into a state of high alert, ready to strike as the atmosphere grew instantly tense.
Everyone turned their gaze behind Long Weiwei. The voice had come from right behind her. Several figures were now standing there it was Qin Yan and his group.
Qin Yan had locked onto Long Weiwei's Ki and brought everyone here via Instant Transmission. As for why he hadn't teleported directly to Luo Fei and Er Niu, he was worried they might be in the middle of a fight and didn't want to interfere with their match.
The moment she heard the sound, Long Weiwei whipped around. She had initially thought it was an enemy attack, but as soon as she saw who it was, her mood shifted instantly to pure excitement. She shouted happily, "Qin Yan! Xuanyi! Liya! Xiaobei! And Dabai! It's you! You're all here! I've been waiting for you for so long!"
Without another word, she couldn't suppress her joy and rushed forward to embrace them.
The rest of the people in the room exchanged bewildered looks, completely stunned by the situation.
These children had appeared out of nowhere, yet they were clearly acquaintances of Princess Vivi. What was more terrifying was that not a single person in the room had sensed their arrival. One had to realize that those sitting here were among the top powerhouses on the continent. This realization sent a chill down their spines. It was simply too frightening.
"Your Highness Vivi, who are these people?"
One man stood up and voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"Oh, right! They are my best friends. My apologies, please continue your discussion without me. We're leaving now."
Immersed in the joy of their reunion, Long Weiwei had momentarily forgotten where she was. Hearing the question, she finally snapped back to reality and gave a hasty explanation. Without waiting for a reaction, she grabbed Qin Yan and the others and headed for the door.
The stunned crowd remained speechless. Friends?
What kind of friends would warrant such treatment from Princess Vivi? She was nothing like the cold and aloof princess they knew. Furthermore, she had just abandoned such an important meeting to bolt out the door. It was almost a joke; she was treating them as if they didn't even exist.
That being said, no one dared to chase after her to complain. After all, her status was no longer what it once was. Moreover, everyone's eyes had been glued to Qin Yan and the others from the moment they appeared.
They had sensed that two of them possessed strength likely on par with their own, while the other two were complete enigmas who looked like ordinary people. However, these veterans were all sharp-eyed;
anyone who could appear out of thin air and be best friends with Long Weiwei was clearly not simple. Most importantly, the large white tiger by their side radiated a terrifying aura that made them feel rooted to the spot.
This was the real reason they didn't dare move they were afraid of offending a power they couldn't handle.
After leaving the grand hall, Long Weiwei pulled them along as they hurried through the city.
"Sister Vivi, where are you taking us?" Luo Xuanyi asked.
"To see Luo Fei and Er Niu. Those two have been dying to see you," Long Weiwei said as she walked.
"Really? Where are they? Take us quickly!"
Luo Xuanyi and Xiaobei were delighted and urged her on, eager to see the boys as soon as possible.
"Mhm, they're over by the arena. They finished today's written exams. They're actually very powerful now; even I'm no match for them," Long Weiwei explained, tossing a bit of praise their way.
A short while later, Qin Yan and the others were led into a rest area by Long Weiwei.
There, they finally saw Luo Fei and Er Niu. When the two boys saw Qin Yan and the group, they were so moved they nearly wept with joy.
A round of warm greetings followed. Once the pleasantries were over, the group headed to a restaurant to eat.
Qin Yan and Liya hadn't had a good meal in a long time. Combined with their Saiyan appetites, a mountain of plates soon piled up in front of them.
Luo Xuanyi and the others watched the scene in stunned silence. Although they had seen Qin Yan and Liya's appetites before, they were shocked every single time.
From their conversation, they learned that the World's Number One Magic Martial Arts Tournament had already been underway for ten days. Luo Fei and Er Niu had won all their matches and had already advanced to the Round of 16. The battle for the Quarter-finals would begin tomorrow.
Fortunately, they had arrived in time. If the tournament had already ended, the two little guys would have been devastated.
After eating and drinking their fill, Long Weiwei acted as the hostess and guide, taking everyone around to explore all the interesting and fun places the city had to offer.
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