Chapter 446: The Welcome

By this point, the Rakshasa Holy Lord and the other two had already come to a clear and painful realization that their reputation throughout the martial world had likely been irreparably damaged.

But as once-towering, legendary elders of the martial world, now reduced to the wretched state of stray dogs on the run, being recognized by a group of young juniors in this condition was something they had absolutely no wish to face, a humiliation that felt worse than death itself.

Meanwhile, Li Musheng, riding ahead atop his camel, had no idea what the Rakshasa Holy Lord and the other two were thinking, and naturally cared little for it either way.

Even so, Li Musheng had also caught the conversation drifting back from the group of young people ahead.

"A prodigy who comes along once in a thousand years? The way you all describe it, I'm starting to develop a bit of interest in this person myself."

Li Musheng murmured to himself while rubbing his chin. At those words, Shen Anran beside him, her fine, delicate face turning suddenly serious, spoke up, "In all of history, who throughout this entire world could possibly compare to my lord when it comes to martial talent and ability? In my heart, my lord is the truly singular, unparalleled prodigy. No one else even comes close."

As Shen Anran said this, her expression carried both genuine seriousness and unmistakable admiration, her eyes shining brightly, as though Li Musheng were the only person who existed in her world.

Cang Yinyue, listening nearby, gave her close friend a long, searching look, then bit her lip thoughtfully for a moment before speaking up, "As far as I'm concerned, even being called a prodigy is merely the bare minimum standard for getting an audience with my lord."

At those words, the surrounding area fell into sudden silence, and Shen Anran, Ah Xiu, the Fifth Elder, and the others all turned their heads at once to look at Cang Yinyue.

In that moment, everyone present shared the exact same thought: how could this girl possibly have come up with a line like that?

That single sentence was nothing short of the absolute pinnacle of flattery. Even the Rakshasa Holy Lord and the other two, still crammed together on their camel, found themselves momentarily stunned into a daze.

In all their years ruling over the Yellow Spring Tribe, they had heard no shortage of flattering words directed their way, but none of it combined could possibly compare to the sheer impact of this single line from Cang Yinyue, leaving them with a shiver running down their spines, genuinely moved despite themselves.

At this point, faced with everyone's eyes turning toward her, Cang Yinyue's pretty face flushed slightly, an unusually rare occurrence for her. Only Li Musheng gave her a nod and offered praise without the slightest hesitation, "Miss Cang, I clearly didn't waste my efforts teaching you how to be impressive. I've been waiting a long time to hear a line like that from you."

With that, in noticeably good spirits, Li Musheng reached down and gave the large black cat crouched before him a satisfying pat.

The large black cat narrowed its round green eyes and shot Cang Yinyue a wary glance, having immediately marked her as a formidable rival for affection.

If only it weren't unable to speak, that line would surely have come from its own mouth instead of Cang Yinyue's.

At the same time, Ah Xiu and the Fifth Elder exchanged a glance, each harboring their own private thoughts.

Even so, both of them found themselves instinctively comparing the prodigy from White Emperor City to this Eighth Prince of Great Li before them.

Unfortunately, there was a noticeable age gap between the two, and the prodigy's reputation throughout the Western Desert was already substantial. Even having personally witnessed Li Musheng single-handedly subdue three Holy Lords with their own eyes, they understood that it would be nearly impossible for the prodigy to reach Li Musheng's level of martial cultivation at the same age.

But the martial world held no shortage of shortcuts to advancing one's cultivation, and Li Musheng had, on top of everything else, cultivated the Demonic Patriarch's own legacy. Taking all of these various factors into account, neither of them could confidently determine which of the two possessed the greater martial talent.

At this point, since Li Musheng's group hadn't bothered to keep their conversation private, it had naturally also reached the ears of the formidable young martial world figures riding ahead.

In an instant, every young man and woman on horseback heading toward White Emperor City pulled sharply on their reins and turned to look back as one.

Cang Yinyue's remark that "a prodigy is merely the bare minimum standard for getting an audience with my lord" had given all of them quite a jolt.

At this moment, every one of them wanted to see for themselves exactly what kind of person could be so arrogantly self-assured as to look down on even that prodigy from White Emperor City, who came along once in a thousand years.

But upon catching sight of Li Musheng's group, this strange collection of unfamiliar faces riding on camels, men and women of various ages, with even a blind man trailing behind on foot, every one of them furrowed their brows.

Finally, the group of young men and women's eyes swept over the fine, beautiful faces of Shen Anran, Cang Yinyue, and Ah Xiu, before finally settling on Li Musheng.

"Who exactly are you all? Quite the bold tongue you have."

A young man in blue robes with striking, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes spoke up, his sharp gaze sweeping up and down over Li Musheng.

At this moment, in the eyes of this group of young men and women, Li Musheng, showing not the slightest trace of martial aura about him, appeared to be nothing more than a wealthy, well-off young dandy from a good family.

Faced with the young man's question, Li Musheng appeared rather indifferent about the whole thing.

The Rakshasa Holy Lord and the other two behind them, watching this unfold, regarded the group with looks reserved for the already dead, thinking to themselves that these reckless youths, unaware of the heavens above them, were essentially courting death, having absolutely no idea what kind of terrifying demon lord they were currently facing.

"Allow me to deal with them."

Just then, Ah Xiu suddenly spoke up of her own accord to Li Musheng.

Though she wasn't certain which of the two, the prodigy of White Emperor City or Li Musheng, possessed the greater martial talent, in terms of actual martial strength, if this Eighth Prince of Great Li before her were to move against that prodigy, it would undoubtedly be no different from crushing an ant underfoot.

But before Ah Xiu could make any move, Li Musheng simply waved a hand, looked up toward the direction of White Emperor City, and said, "No need. Someone's already coming."

The moment the words fell, the sky above the road leading to White Emperor City ahead suddenly darkened, and at the same time, everyone present, Ah Xiu and the Fifth Elder included, changed expression sharply all at once.

A river of killing intent, as though powerful enough to crush the very void itself, surged forth from White Emperor City, a terrifyingly murderous aura blanketing the entire stretch of road above.

The blind man instinctively gripped the bamboo staff in his hand. Though he couldn't see, he could clearly sense the storm-tossed sea of killing intent now hanging overhead.

Ah Xiu, the Fifth Elder, and the others felt their scalps prickle with dread as well. Looking up, they saw nothing at all, and yet it felt as though tens of thousands of blades hung suspended directly over their heads, each and every one of them carrying the threat of mortal danger.

The young men and women who had been riding ahead on horseback toppled off their mounts one after another, their faces drained of all color beneath that overhead river of killing intent, collapsing to the ground and trembling uncontrollably with terror.

"This is... assassins from the Hidden Kill Pavilion."

Someone murmured in a trembling voice. At that very moment, several figures materialized without a sound beside the terrified, prostrate young men and women.

These figures radiated a bone-chilling aura of slaughter, moving toward the people before them like venomous serpents emerging from hiding, then bowed in unison toward Li Musheng, seated atop his camel.

"We have come at the Pavilion Master's command to receive Your Highness."

At those words, the terrified young men and women on the ground instinctively glanced over, only to see Li Musheng, seated calmly atop his camel, remaining entirely composed throughout, facing these assassins from the Hidden Kill Pavilion. He simply raised a hand casually in acknowledgment.