Witch God Abyss (Lily) - Chapter 2

White Tiger Avenue, leading to the imperial palace, was fifty zhang wide.

High walls on both sides exuded a majestic aura.

The ornate procession of sedan chairs, walking down the center of the road, seemed insignificant.

Among them were imperial relatives, high-ranking court officials, and families of military generals.

However, the three girls in the sedans were the ones Emperor Long Qianshan summoned today.

They were all potential heirs to the throne.

Yes, they were all girls.

First, Emperor Long Qianshan himself was a barbarian.

In his tribe, the eldest daughter had the same right as the eldest son to inherit the position of clan leader.

Second, Long Qianshan honored his promise to Holy Lord Qingxuan to return the empire to the Duan family after his death.

But when he unified the Central Plains and seized the Duan family’s empire, he killed every male of the Duan family…

With no prince to succeed him, Long Qianshan decided to choose an imperial daughter.

He sternly “reprimanded” several stubborn ministers in court, “Who says the empire can only be ruled by men? Since ancient times, no barbarian has been emperor of the Central Plains, yet I became your emperor. Since there’s no candidate for crown prince, we’ll choose a crown princess!”

This year marked the thirtieth year of Long Qianshan’s reign.

He wanted to designate the crown princess while he was still in his prime and could control court affairs.

After discussions among the court ministers, they selected sixteen-year-old Zhao Beijin from the previous emperor’s concubine line, eleven-year-old Zhou Yizhi from the previous emperor’s brother, the Third Prince’s line, and seven-year-old Duan Yule from the previous emperor’s brother, the Seventh Prince’s line.

Long Qianshan issued an edict summoning the three to the palace, to be personally taught by the Grand Tutor.

One would be chosen as the crown princess to succeed him after his death.

As the procession of sedan chairs passed through each gate, the number of attendants dwindled.

Outside the main hall, the parents of the three princesses, along with the three sect disciples who accompanied them, knelt.

Only the three princesses entered the hall.

Long Qianshan sat high on his throne.

Beside him stood National Master Wen Li.

The three princesses wore red court robes, their ceremonial crowns so heavy they dared not move their eyelids.

They performed the etiquette they had practiced hundreds of times at home, bowing.

Outside the hall, the parents of the three princesses knelt in front.

The three sect disciples knelt behind.

National Master Wen Li stepped out from the hall.

He looked in his twenties, with one jade-colored eye, wearing a moon-white wide robe with open sleeves.

“Where are the three sect disciples?”

Fu Fengli, Shen Yuan, and Li Mushang, dressed in identical blue court robes, stood from the back row and said in unison, “The disciples are here.”

“State your names.”

One with entirely white hair, styled in a high topknot, adorned with a full set of ornaments, lowered her eyes respectfully and said, “I am a disciple of the Wind Sect, Fu Fengli.”

National Master Wen Li observed her closely.

Her hair was completely white, but her eyebrows, eyelashes, and eyes remained black, and her face was that of a young girl.

Wen Li asked, “Which ‘Li’?”

“The ‘Li’ of a raccoon dog.”

“Good name. Impervious to blades, controls the wind, and her soul can be revived. Next.”

Shen Yuan, with twin buns, raised her jade-blue eyes, paused upon seeing the National Master, then said, “Divine Sect, Shen Yuan.”

National Master Wen Li asked no further questions, only saying coldly, “Next.”

The smallest one, who looked about seven or eight, wore only a ceremonial crown with no other ornaments.

Her hair barely reached her ears, unstyled, and her head was deeply bowed as she said, “Li Mushang.”

Wen Li said, “Raise your eyes.”

The girl’s emerald-green eyes flickered.

Wen Li thought, only her eyes show change—truly remarkable.

“You’re from the Wood Clan. You preserve the immortality of all things.”

“Yes, I am from the Wood Clan, Li Mushang.”

National Master Wen Li stood and said to the guards behind him, “Open the hall doors.”

He turned back to the three and said, “Come. His Majesty wants to see your skills.”

Fu Fengli asked, “Here? Now?”

“Yes.”

Fu Fengli glanced at the two younger girls and asked, “Competing with them?”

“Yes.”

Fu Fengli’s expression was full of disdain.

She spread her arms, and a massive white bird flew out from behind her.

Wen Li looked up. “A white phoenix?”

The enormous white phoenix soared into the sky, circling above the palace, crying out.

All the guards couldn’t help but look up.

Fu Fengli stood there, smug.

Wen Li looked at the other two and asked, “What are you waiting for?”

Shen Yuan’s eyes darted.

“National Master, can I really use it? My master said I can only use magic against enemies on the battlefield. If he finds out I used magic in the palace and attacked other sects, he’ll make me copy those boring spell formations a hundred times.”

“Go ahead and use it.”

Shen Yuan extended her right index finger, tracing from her lips to above her head, pointing at the white phoenix.

Everyone looked up, but after three snaps of a finger, nothing appeared.

As Fu Fengli’s lips curled into a sneer, the white phoenix above suddenly screamed and plummeted.

The crowd looked up.

From nowhere, a giant falcon swooped down, its two bright yellow claws gripping the phoenix’s neck.

Eight claw tips pierced the phoenix’s neck like daggers, and bl00d and white feathers fell with the phoenix.

Fu Fengli reached out, trying to control the white phoenix to fight back, but the phoenix didn’t even flap its wings again and crashed to the ground.

The giant falcon stood on the phoenix’s neck, tilting its head to look at Shen Yuan, as if asking, “Can I eat this?”

Fu Fengli rushed forward, trying to shoo the falcon away, but it wasn’t afraid of her and didn’t move.

Fu Fengli turned back and shouted, “My white phoenix! You! This is our Wind Sect’s divine bird, you!”

Shen Yuan said, “It’s nice to look at—I was stunned earlier. But it’s useless. That thing’s only good for livening up a ceremony. Mine can kill enemies on the battlefield!”

Fu Fengli raised her left arm in the air, and a small white whirlwind rose behind Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan said, “My master was right. Because the Wind Sect has always had female leaders, you like making these flashy but impractical things.”

A blue ice blade in Shen Yuan’s hand was already at Fu Fengli’s neck.

But in an instant, the Fu Fengli before Shen Yuan turned into a whirlwind.

The two whirlwinds, front and back, lifted Shen Yuan into the air.

The giant falcon immediately rushed up, as if to rescue Shen Yuan, but it couldn’t break through the wind.

Shen Yuan spun in the whirlwind, trying to reach out a hand to grab the falcon.

Li Mushang, who had been still beside Wen Li, now shifted her eyes and muttered under her breath.

A massive flock of green birds appeared from all directions, directly dispersing the two whirlwinds and catching Shen Yuan.

But Shen Yuan wasn’t grateful.

She let her falcon scatter the green birds in a few swipes.

Stepping on a few green birds, Shen Yuan climbed onto her falcon’s back.

Holding her ice blade, she searched for Fu Fengli.

A white wind blade swept from behind the falcon.

The falcon flapped its wings upward to dodge, but the force of the wind still sent it tumbling several times.

Shen Yuan fell from the falcon’s back.

The falcon rolled in the air a few times, quickly adjusted its direction, and flew back.

…

They fought back and forth in the sky.

Inside the hall, Long Qianshan had already stepped out.

Wen Li raised his hand, and the dragon throne from the hall appeared outside.

Long Qianshan sat down, squinting at the sky, waving to dismiss the canopy.

“No sense blocking my view!”

Wen Li laughed at him.

“Your Majesty, you’re forty-eight this year. Be more composed.”

Long Qianshan laughed too.

“Do you remember Muxue and those three little monsters? Always fighting endlessly, driving the Holy Lord mad.”

Wen Li said, “These three girls are much stronger. They have masters to teach them and sect siblings to train with. It’s different.”

Long Qianshan asked, “You’ve taught Shen Yuan well. But in this competition, shouldn’t I count her as cheating?”

Wen Li smiled.

“It’s all about skill. How can it be cheating?”

Long Qianshan said, “I’m old, not foolish. Bujian Tian lent his little general to Shen Yuan. It seems you’re determined to win this time?”

Wen Li just chuckled, saying nothing.

Long Qianshan said, “Always playing crazy and acting dumb with me, treating me like a child. Don’t think I don’t know. Though the Divine Sect is far in Wubei, it’s been dominating the other sects thanks to you and Bujian Tian, hasn’t it?”

“Your Majesty, us? I’m not involved. It’s Demao, Huiyi, and Bujian Tian pulling the strings. I don’t have time for that.”

“Right, you spent over twenty years in Yudong with General An. You don’t have time.”