Chapter 1384: Saint Origin Arrives

On the city wall, Zhou Yuan waved his hand, and the many powerful figures in the void bowed slightly, then moved and vanished into thin air. Only a few figures slowly descended from the void, appearing behind Zhou Yuan.

“Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, is this the Great Zhou Dynasty?” Xi Jing asked with great interest. “It’s quite remarkable that someone like you could emerge from this place.” In her view, the Great Zhou Dynasty was unremarkable; after all, the Heavenly Abyss Territory used to control eight hundred states, each vastly more expansive and powerful than the Great Zhou Dynasty. Yet, precisely from such an ordinary place, a prodigy like Zhou Yuan had appeared.

Zhou Yuan smiled, then introduced them to Zhou Qing and Qin Yu: “This is my second senior sister, Xi Jing. When I first arrived in Hunyuan Heaven, she took great care of me.”

Zhou Qing and Qin Yu quickly bowed in thanks.

Xi Jing politely returned the greeting, smiling, “Your Majesty and Queen are truly capable, to have raised such a talented junior brother.”

Zhou Qing gave a wry smile. “We are ashamed. Neither of us nor the Great Zhou Dynasty could offer Yuan even a little help. Instead, we held him back. If it weren’t for him, the Great Zhou Dynasty would have ceased to exist long ago.”

Qin Yu, standing nearby, also had slightly reddened eyes. Her son had endured much suffering since birth, and after reaching adulthood, he left home to cultivate. She didn’t know how much hardship he had faced, yet she couldn’t offer him any help at all, which pained her deeply as a mother.

“Your Majesty, Queen, do you still remember me?” Just as she was feeling saddened, a clear, melodious laugh suddenly rang out.

Zhou Qing and Qin Yu both looked over and saw a graceful figure in a purple dress. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her skin fairer than snow, and her bright, intelligent eyes seemed to sparkle with spiritual energy, making anyone who looked at her feel a sense of closeness. Her figure was slender, her waist like a willow branch, and her legs straight and long. Her beauty and temperament were rarely seen, capable of captivating an entire nation.

Looking at such an outstanding girl before them, Zhou Qing and Qin Yu were both stunned. After a long moment, Qin Yu hesitantly asked, “You, are you Youwei?!”

Zhou Qing then realized, with a hint of surprise. He had, of course, met Su Youwei back then, when she was just a budding beauty. He never expected that after so many years, she would have grown into such a stunning woman, capable of captivating all. Moreover, he could sense a faint, subtle pressure emanating from Su Youwei, stronger even than that of Shen Taiyuan. This indicated that Su Youwei was also a Law Domain expert!

This made Zhou Qing feel a profound sense of reflection, realizing that unbeknownst to them, those children from back then had already far surpassed their older generation.

However, Qin Yu wasn’t concerned with Su Youwei’s strength. Her gaze kept shifting between Zhou Yuan and Su Youwei, seemingly with a deeper meaning. Zhou Yuan noticed her gaze and naturally understood what his mother was thinking. He quickly changed the subject and introduced the others as well.

However, when he introduced the last person, his voice suddenly paused, for it was Wu Yao, dressed in a long red gown.

“You…” Zhou Yuan gave a wry smile. He hadn’t invited Wu Yao, nor did he want her to feel awkward here, but it seemed she didn’t share his sentiment. He turned to glance at Zhou Qing and Qin Yu, who also looked somewhat puzzled, and sighed helplessly.

“Some things must be faced,” Wu Yao said indifferently, though her slightly clenched hands in her sleeves also revealed some of her inner emotions.

After speaking, she walked directly forward, her narrow phoenix eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at Zhou Qing and Qin Yu. “Your Majesty, Queen, my name is Wu Yao. I am the daughter of King Wu of the former Great Wu Dynasty.”

As her voice fell, the previously harmonious atmosphere on the city wall instantly froze. Numerous gazes fixed on Wu Yao with shock. Some of the important ministers present, in fact, had joined the Great Zhou Dynasty after its annexation of Great Wu, having surrendered from the former Great Wu Dynasty. Thus, the name Wu Yao was not unfamiliar to them… She was the Eldest Princess of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Zhou Qing and Qin Yu were also stunned for a moment by the name. The Wu family had been nothing short of a nightmare for them. King Wu’s rebellion against Zhou years ago had culminated in him brazenly seizing Zhou Yuan’s Sacred Dragon Qi within their very sight, transferring it to one of his sons and one of his daughters… The Wu Yao standing before them was one of those children. Originally, they had believed their grievances with the Wu family were completely over, and had buried that painful history deep in their memories. But no one had expected that today, they would once again see someone from the Wu family…

Zhou Qing and Qin Yu stared intently at Wu Yao’s face, their expressions constantly shifting, at times sorrowful, at times angry.

Seeing the atmosphere freeze, Zhou Yuan spoke up to break the silence: “Father, Mother, the Great Wu Dynasty has been destroyed, and I have fully recovered the Sacred Dragon Qi. Wu Yao previously helped me, effectively saving my life. Therefore, let the past grievances vanish completely, along with the demise of Great Wu.”

Zhou Qing and Qin Yu were silent for a long moment, then exchanged glances. Finally, they nodded and said, “You are no longer a child. Your mother and I have no other thoughts. As long as you think it’s good, we will support you.”

Zhou Yuan felt a warmth in his heart. He naturally knew how much pain King Wu had caused them back then. Now that he and Wu Yao had put aside their past differences, it was inevitable that his parents would recall those old memories.

Wu Yao bowed to Zhou Qing and Qin Yu. She could naturally sense their complex emotions towards her, so she didn’t say anything more. She turned, avoided the crowd, and walked to a distant part of the city wall, looking wistfully towards the horizon, where the Great Wu Dynasty once stood. Su Youwei followed, gently comforting her.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu took the opportunity to pull Zhou Yuan aside and whispered, “You’re not bringing a wife back for us to inspect, are you?”

Zhou Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Qin Yu ignored him and said, “That girl Su Youwei is excellent; I liked her very much back then. But Wu Yao…” She hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed helplessly. “Never mind. As long as you like her. As the Prince of Great Zhou, it’s only natural to have many consorts.”

Qin Yu then immediately asked, “What about Yaoyao? Girls like Su Youwei and Wu Yao are not easily managed by just anyone. For peace in the inner chambers, I’m afraid only Yaoyao can keep them in line.”

Zhou Yuan was dumbfounded, then gave a wry smile. “Yaoyao’s situation is a bit special, and she hasn’t returned this time. But Mother, you are truly overthinking things.”

“You’re planning to have Yaoyao manage the inner chambers? I’m afraid your son would be the first one she puts in line!”

Qin Yu was about to say something more, but Zhou Yuan’s expression suddenly changed. He pulled her behind him and his gaze became sharp, staring at the void outside the city. The void there twisted, and the next moment, a figure in a sacred white robe slowly appeared. The figure had the face of a youth, skin like an infant’s, white hair flowing behind, and a pair of eyes as deep as the starry sky, inspiring awe in anyone who beheld them.

And when he appeared, the very world seemed to quietly fall silent.

On the city wall, everyone’s voices froze, and gazes filled with boundless fear turned towards the void. Shen Taiyuan’s pupils contracted to pinpricks, and the next moment, a horrified voice shrieked.

“Palace Master Sheng Yuan?!”