Emperor’s Domination

Yes, Vajra's reach didn't fully extend to Black Wood Cliff. Nonetheless, they were still the legitimate ruler of the holy ground after being granted permission by Sacred Mountain.

Therefore, the cultivators here might not care about Vajra but still needed to give Sacred Mountain some face.

Moreover, Wei Qianqing was a legion commander. Her power and influence in this region shouldn't be underestimated. Thus, these experts had no problem with building a good relationship with her.

"Miss Wei, we didn't know you were coming or we would have personally welcomed you." Three Slashes revealed a smile as bright as the sun and as pleasant as the spring breeze.

His enthusiasm and happy expression made it apparent that he wished to court her.

"You're too kind, Young Lord." Wei Qianqing nodded and said.

"The peak is getting awfully crowded. Would you like to observe the ceremony with me?" Three Slashes enthusiastically asked.

The crowd exchanged glances. The older characters could see that this was political outside of his own interest in her.

A marriage between the two would be quite favorable for the Biandu. Though Wei Qianqing wasn't a supreme genius, she was absolutely among the upper echelon of the young generation in terms of talent and power.

Furthermore, she came from a prestigious clan with immense influence in Vajra and the plateau. This was before taking into account her current position as a legion commander.

In the case of success, the Biandu would have an even stronger grasp on Black Wood Cliff. Plus, it would give the clan a chance to extend their influence into the central region.

All of these above reasons contributed to Three Slashes' intent on courting Wei Qianqing without holding back.

Unfortunately, this was bad news for her fans in the audience. She had no lack of suitors but now, they were smart enough to know the disparity between them and Three Slashes. It would be idiotic competing against him for her love. They lacked the qualification to even try.

Qianqing was about to respond but her eyes happened to fall on Li Qiye not far from there.

She was pleasantly surprised to see him and immediately came over. Three Slashes didn't expect her to just walk away from him like that, the same with the spectators.

Most thought that they would make a perfect pair, a match made in heaven. Thus, her dismissiveness towards him caught everyone off guard.

The next development would shock them even more. She got in front of Li Qiye and bowed: "Greetings, Young Master. Please apologize for the lack of reception since I didn't know you were coming. It is my mistake…"

The crowd was astounded, unable to close their mouth. Who was Wei Qianqing? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she has the same status as any princess from Vajra Dynasty.

Why would someone so prestigious bow down to this youth? With the exception of Sacred Mountain's important members, Archaic Sun King would be the only person deserving of this treatment.

Alas, they didn't recognize Li Qiye and found him to be an average brat. He didn't look like a big shot from any angle. Once they calmed down, they began to speculate about his identity.

"Who is this kid?" A youth asked.

The locals didn't recognize Li Qiye because Black Wood Cliff was far removed from the holy ground.

"His name is Li Qiye." An expert from the plateau recognized Li Qiye. He didn't expect to see the guy here.

"Is his background something impressive or is he really strong?" Another spectator took another look at Li Qiye and asked.

Wei Qianqing didn't show the same respect to someone as mighty as Three Slashes at all so this was surprising.

"No, no prestigious background, just a woodchopper from Myriad Beasts Mountain. He became a student of Duality later. The only thing notable is how he recently defeated Li Xiangquan and Zhang Yunzhi, two members of the five heroes of Duality." The expert said. Since he had left the plateau a while ago, his information was delayed.

"Hmm, so what if he beats some students, still only a woodchopper." Someone else said.

Confusion ran amok because Li Qiye didn't look like a strong cultivator either.

Li Qiye waved his hand and said: "Stand up, I'm just here to take a look and follow the flow, there's no plan."

She naturally didn't buy it but still respectfully said: "Just say the words if you ever need my service."

He smiled and nodded.

"Fellow Daoist, how should I address you? Miss Wei, could you please introduce us?" Three Slashes came over with a smile as well.

Qianqing glanced at Li Qiye, not daring to take the initiative.

"Li Qiye." Li Qiye said flatly.

Unfortunately, this was viewed as arrogance by the crowd.

"So haughty when the young lord is being polite." A young local complained.

For the locals, especially the young ones, they believed that Three Slashes might be one of the best geniuses in the holy ground, or even all of the southern West King.

Virtually everyone treated him with respect. This applied to the older cultivators too. After all, he had a chance of becoming a dao lord. Thus, Li Qiye's casualness was misinterpreted as a deliberate insult.

"Zhang Yunzhi and Li Xiangquan can't hold a candle to our young lord, he thinks too highly of himself after beating them." Another genius snorted.