Chapter 1253: Long Awaited Arrival
The Underworld Officials in the spectator stands all had their own conjectures regarding the ten special seats above. While their guesses weren't entirely identical, they shared common ground.
The common point was that they all believed the foremost special seat belonged to Luo Yao, the Great Emperor of Jingling Continent. The difference lay in their varied conjectures about who occupied the remaining nine seats.
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing entered the martial arts arena, their expressions unchanged despite the lively scene. They found a secluded corner in the spectator stands and took their seats.
"Heh heh, it's been several years since we became Emissaries of Death, and this is our first time visiting this martial arts arena. It's also the first time I've witnessed such a bustling sight."
After sitting down, Yang Haoran glanced at the vibrant martial arts arena and said with a smile to Xu Meijing.
"As long as you don't say it, no one will know it's your first time here. Don't make us look like country bumpkins who've never seen the world."
Xu Meijing rolled her eyes at Yang Haoran, responding indifferently. Yang Haoran was long accustomed to Xu Meijing's sharp retorts, so his expression remained unchanged, and he felt no dissatisfaction.
"Heh heh, those ten special seats up there, who do you think they're reserved for?"
"Does that even need asking? The foremost seat is, of course, for our former superior. The other nine seats are naturally for his nine Guardians."
Xu Meijing shot Yang Haoran an exasperated look, as if to say, "How could you ask such a idiotic question?"
"Heh heh, if these nine seats are reserved for the Emperor's nine Guardians, but there are only seven Guardians under the Emperor right now, why would he prepare nine seats?"
Yang Haoran continued to ask with a smile. Xu Meijing, without a moment's thought, gave a cool reply.
"It's true the Emperor currently only has seven Guardians. After the competition, counting you and me, wouldn't that make exactly nine?"
While Yang Haoran chatted idly with Xu Meijing, a petite young woman in the spectator stands stood on tiptoe, looking around as if searching for something.
This young woman was none other than Yun Yao, the Emissary of Death from Bamboo Sea City in Qingshan Continent. The reason she was looking around was to see if Yang Haoran had arrived.
"Oh my, there are even more people in this martial arts arena today than I imagined. I can't believe so many people came to join the fun."
Yun Yao grumbled as she looked around. All she could see was a dense sea of heads, with no sign of Yang Haoran.
After searching for a while to no avail, Yun Yao stamped her foot in annoyance and simply flopped back into her chair, deciding not to continue her search. She knew that continuing to look like this wouldn't yield much result; after all, there were too many people in the martial arts arena today. Trying to blindly search for someone in such a crowd was too difficult, like searching for a needle in a haystack. Unless her luck was through the roof, it would be impossible to find the person she was looking for.
"Never mind. The competition is about to begin anyway. If that honest person is participating, he'll show up when it starts. Why should I waste any more time searching?"
Thinking this to herself, Yun Yao, with nothing better to do, simply pulled out her Underworld Iron Tome and began flipping through it to pass the time, waiting for the competition to begin.
Meanwhile, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's conversation continued. Although Xu Meijing maintained her usual aloof demeanor, her emotions completely unrelated to joy, she still responded to everything Yang Haoran asked, never ignoring him entirely.
That Xu Meijing could do even this was already quite good. If it were anyone else, given her personality, she probably wouldn't even offer a minimal response. Yang Haoran understood this, so he felt no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, he actively sought various topics to chat with Xu Meijing, unwilling to let an awkward silence fall.
"Xiao Jing, what kind of format do you think the Emperor will arrange for this competition? Will it be a free-for-all mass elimination, or a one-on-one progressive screening?"
The competition format had not yet been announced, so neither Yang Haoran nor Xu Meijing knew what it would be. Now that Yang Haoran had brought it up, Xu Meijing pondered for a moment before responding.
"I think it's more likely to be a mass elimination of a portion of the contestants. After all, the entire New Beginning Realm isn't peaceful right now, and our Jingling Continent Underworld Office is more unstable compared to other continents. If the competition takes too long, it won't be good for our Jingling Continent Underworld Office. I believe our old superior must have considered this, so I think this competition will likely eliminate most participants first."
Yang Haoran thought for a moment, then nodded with a smile. In truth, his thoughts were the same as Xu Meijing's; he also believed Luo Yao wouldn't spend too much time on this competition, as doing so would be too risky. Therefore, one-on-one progressive screening was probably out of the question.
He deliberately paused and thought a little before nodding, despite agreeing with Xu Meijing, purely to humor her proud nature.
Just as Yang Haoran was about to say something more, a violent fluctuation suddenly erupted in the space above the black clouds.
The spatial fluctuation was considerable, attracting not only Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's attention but also that of the other Underworld Officials and Ghost Officials present.
The violent fluctuations in the space above the black clouds quickly silenced the noisy martial arts arena. Whether they were Underworld Officials preparing to participate or those who came to watch the excitement, all eyes turned to the sky above the black clouds at that moment.
A spatial rift, far larger than a typical one, appeared, and several figures emerged. The first to step out of the spatial rift was none other than Luo Yao, the newly appointed Great Emperor of Jingling Continent Underworld Office.
As Luo Yao stepped out of the spatial rift, four figures followed simultaneously. All four were Guardians, and specifically, Luo Yao's Guardians. Among them, one person was very familiar to both Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing: Huo Laoban, the Guardian newly promoted by Luo Yao.
Without anyone needing to announce it, the martial arts arena, which had been incredibly noisy moments before, suddenly fell into an extreme silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The ten graceful young women in charge of service were already standing behind the ten special seats. Although they had long prepared everything, this was not the end of their work, but the beginning of their day's duties, as they still needed to serve the masters of these ten special seats throughout the event.
When Luo Yao, the Great Emperor, and the four Guardians appeared, the ten graceful young women immediately bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Great Emperor!"
The ten graceful young women bowed in unison. Their voices, though not loud, were exceptionally clear in the quiet martial arts arena, echoing throughout the entire venue.
"Greetings, Great Emperor! ! !"
In the spectator stands around the martial arts arena, everyone stood up, bowing in unison towards Luo Yao above. Their voices resounded throughout the Underworld.
Not all the Underworld Officials in the spectator stands were from Jingling Continent, nor did all of them genuinely revere Luo Yao as the Great Emperor. However, Luo Yao was an Emperor after all, his status noble beyond compare. Now that Luo Yao had appeared, it was only natural for them to bow. Even if they were unwilling, they still had to perform the courtesy.
"Hmm, take your seats first."
Luo Yao spoke indifferently, signaling for the crowd in the spectator stands to sit. However, since he himself had not yet sat down, how could the crowd dare to? Not only did the Underworld Officials in the stands not dare, but even the four Guardians behind Luo Yao likewise dared not.
Only after Luo Yao took the main seat did the four Guardians behind him successively sit down. Once these four Guardians were seated, the Underworld Officials in the spectator stands finally dared to return to their own seats.
At this moment, Luo Yao's face was grim, his expression looking rather displeased. In the spectator stands, Yang Haoran observed Luo Yao's facial expression, and a few guesses formed in his mind.
"Heh heh, the Great Emperor doesn't seem to be in a very good mood."
Yang Haoran turned to Xu Meijing, lowering his voice, and chuckled softly.
"Out of his seven Guardians, only four have arrived, even though he, the Great Emperor, is here. The other three are nowhere to be seen. In a setting like this, showing such disrespect is a blatant slap in the face. If it were you, would your expression be pleasant?"
Xu Meijing countered, Yang Haoran thought for a moment, then chuckled and nodded gently.
"Heh heh, if it were me, my expression wouldn't change, but I'd definitely feel uncomfortable inside."
Yang Haoran answered honestly. Upon hearing this, Xu Meijing couldn't help but curl her lip.
"Tsk, do you think everyone's like you, a smiling tiger?"
Yang Haoran merely smiled and didn't respond to Xu Meijing's words. After all, the entire martial arts arena was very quiet at the moment. Even if their whispers couldn't reach Luo Yao's ears, they were surrounded by people. If their conversation reached those people, it might not necessarily be harmful, but it certainly wouldn't be beneficial.
Yang Haoran didn't know the exact process of Luo Yao's struggle for the Great Emperor's position, but he guessed that the process must have been inextricably linked to the former Guardians. Now that Luo Yao had become the Great Emperor, putting aside the newly promoted Huo Laoban, the other six Guardians probably wouldn't be too pleased. After all, Luo Yao used to be their equal, but now he had become their superior. It was normal for them to feel uncomfortable.
Among the original six Guardians, only three had appeared so far. The fact that these three were with Luo Yao indicated they had been with him previously. Perhaps these three had already accepted Luo Yao's ascension to Great Emperor and had chosen to submit. No one knew what they truly thought, but on the surface, they had indeed submitted to Luo Yao, otherwise how could they have appeared here with him?
As for the other three Guardians, they clearly had not yet accepted Luo Yao's new status as Great Emperor, nor had they willingly submitted to him. Hence, the current scene: Great Emperor Luo Yao had appeared, but the three Guardians were nowhere to be seen.
Luo Yao's face was grim, and he remained silent. Since he, the Great Emperor, had not spoken, others naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to speak up, especially those who had guessed why Luo Yao's expression was so grim. They dared not make the slightest noise at this moment, because they knew very well that doing so might very well bring trouble upon themselves.
A moment later, the space in front of Luo Yao violently fluctuated, and then a spatial rift appeared. A graceful figure emerged from the spatial rift.
"Greetings, Great Emperor!"
The woman appeared to be around thirty, with a charming smile on her face. As soon as she stepped out of the spatial rift, she immediately bowed to Luo Yao.
Luo Yao looked at the woman, his grim expression neither lessening nor deepening. After several seconds, he spoke in a deep voice.
"You're late. Find a seat and sit down."
Luo Yao did not ask the woman for her reasons, nor did he give her a chance to explain.
"Yes, Great Emperor!"
The woman offered no explanation, responding with a smile before rising and walking towards the empty seats behind Luo Yao. The four Guardians already seated behind Luo Yao were arranged from left to right. Huo Laoban was in the fourth position. When the woman arrived, she chose the fifth seat, directly behind Huo Laoban.
No sooner had the woman sat down than the space in front of Luo Yao, which had just stabilized, fluctuated violently again. Immediately after, another spatial rift appeared, and a middle-aged man with a grim face stepped out.
His expression was even gloomier than Luo Yao's at the moment, indicating his mood was far from pleasant.
"Your subordinate greets the Great Emperor."
The man said in a low voice, bowing symbolically to Luo Yao.
"Hmm, go sit in the back."
Luo Yao's eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression became a little more somber than before. However, he didn't make things difficult for the man, merely speaking in an unconcerned tone.
"Yes."
The man responded indifferently, then walked towards the back of Luo Yao and sat beside the woman who had just arrived, taking the sixth seat.
With the appearance of the middle-aged man, six of Luo Yao's seven Guardians had now appeared. However, one person still had not shown up.
Luo Yao did not announce the start of the competition just because the middle-aged man had arrived. From his demeanor, it seemed he wouldn't declare the competition open until the last Guardian appeared.
In the spectator stands of the martial arts arena, whispers gradually began to rise. Except for a small number of people whose minds were not quick enough to grasp the situation, everyone else understood what was happening. Not only were Underworld Officials from other continents and Ghost Officials from the Underworld whispering, but even many Underworld Officials from Jingling Continent itself were now talking amongst themselves.
They all knew that Luo Yao used to be a Guardian of the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, and not even the oldest one. Now that he, a former Guardian, had become the new Great Emperor of Jingling, it was certainly not easy for those who were once his peers to submit to his authority. The Guardians' tardiness today was, in essence, a silent form of resistance.
However, choosing to resist Luo Yao in such a public setting was a blatant slap in the face to him as the Great Emperor. After all, there were tens of thousands of people watching in the martial arts arena today. For subordinates to resist their newly appointed superior in such a manner, anyone would feel uncomfortable.
After roughly another ten minutes, the space in front of Luo Yao fluctuated violently again. A spatial rift appeared, and an old man leaning on a crutch stepped out of the spatial rift with a smiling face.
"My apologies, Great Emperor. Some Spirit Masters caused trouble, and your subordinate rushed here immediately after dealing with them. It caused some delay. I hope the Great Emperor will not blame me."
Upon appearing, the old man even skipped bowing to Luo Yao, directly starting his smiling explanation.
Although Luo Yao's face was grim, he did not fly into a rage. He didn't say a single word, merely nodded gently, signaling the old man to take a seat in the back.
The old man, a smile on his face, did not continue to explain anything to Luo Yao. Perhaps he felt his explanation was already sufficient, or perhaps he believed there was no need for further explanation. Leaning on his crutch, he walked as if on flat ground, step by step, towards the back of Luo Yao, then sat down in the seventh seat.
"Hmph, this Luo Yao guy is no good. He can even tolerate this? If it were me, I'd have slapped him already!"
In the spectator stands, Yun Yao watched the old man hobble step by step towards the seventh seat, and couldn't help but think to herself.
At this moment, Yun Yao was not the only one with such thoughts. Many people now felt that Luo Yao, the new Great Emperor of Jingling, was inadequate. Being openly provoked by his subordinates like this, even if he didn't immediately dismiss them from their Guardian positions, he should at least have reprimanded them. Yet, Luo Yao didn't even utter a harsh word, simply letting the three take their seats. This indeed gave people a feeling of excessive weakness.
Some even thought that Luo Yao, the new Great Emperor of Jingling, probably wouldn't sit in this position for long. Perhaps before his seat was even warm, he would be forcibly ousted by others with ambitions.
However, Yang Haoran's thoughts at this moment were different from theirs. Among Luo Yao's current seven Guardians, apart from the newly promoted Huo Laoban, the other six had all once been Guardians of the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, just like Luo Yao. The fact that Luo Yao was able to surpass the other six and successfully claim the Great Emperor's position was enough to prove his capabilities. If Luo Yao were truly as weak as he appeared at the moment, without any formidable abilities, then how could he have possibly surpassed the other six to become the new Great Emperor of Jingling?
Being able to tolerate does not mean being weak. On the contrary, those who can tolerate are truly capable of great things.
Given that the three Guardians had so blatantly slapped Luo Yao's face today, Yang Haoran felt that this matter definitely wouldn't be easily dismissed. Even if Luo Yao didn't rage now, settling scores later was inevitable.
With the arrival of the old man, all seven of Luo Yao's current Guardians had assembled. Luo Yao stood up just as the old man sat down, whether intentionally or not.
As he stood, the Guardians behind him naturally followed suit. The old man, who had just sat down, saw his smile freeze. After a moment's hesitation, he too stood up.
The Underworld Officials in the spectator stands of the martial arts arena, seeing Luo Yao stand up, all realized that the competition was about to begin, and therefore all stood up one after another. No one dared to remain seated.
Two of the nine seats behind Luo Yao were still empty, but Luo Yao did not glance at them at this time, nor did he show any intention of waiting further. From this, it could be deduced that these two seats were not reserved for others; ten to one, they were for the two Guardians to be newly selected today. Since the competition had not yet begun and the two Guardians had not been chosen, these two seats remained vacant.
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