Against The Heavens 68 Future Rulers.

The sun had just barely risen over the headquarters of the Tian clan as Tian Gong slowly made his way towards a certain building. The building he was heading to was a one-story, one room house made out of stone that was a deep gray in color. Once he reached the door to the house, he stopped and took a deep breath, putting a pleasant smile on his face and pus.h.i.+ng open the door, speaking out with a cheerful and admiring voice.

"Good morning, Junior Sister Ying. I see that you are already diligently training, truly a role model one should aspire to follow."

Tian Gong closed the door behind him and took a step to the side, politely standing there and waiting for a response. The inside of the house was far larger than it looked from the outside, a powerful array compressing s.p.a.ce inside the building, much like an interspatial ring. Even though it was called a room, it was, in fact, a wide-open plain, tall trees and several stones of varying colors spread around.

Fang Ying was currently clad in a pair of white tight-fitting s.h.i.+rt and pants which were drenched in sweat, causing them to stick to her skin and accentuate her curves. She was in the midst of doing push-ups, a black rock the size of a human head placed on her back. The black rock was a special type of material simply called a Gravity Stone, and it weighed tens of times more than any rock its size. Fang Ying turned towards Tian Gong, the black rock sliding off her back as she moved. Langshen was curled up on the ground at her side, glaring at Tian Gong, but it calmed down as she pat it on the head and spoke up.

"Senior Brother Gong, to what do I owe the pleasure of your unannounced visit?"

Her voice was calm, but it contained a tinge of anger that Tian Gong immediately detected. Very few women liked being seen when they were covered in sweat, their clothing sticking to their skin. Tian Gong stealthily swept his eyes over Fang Ying's body, swallowing a bit of saliva as he quickly responded.

"What else but Elder Brother Zeng? The people we sent to the Cloud Wilderness have returned, so Elder Brother Zeng is having a meeting with some of the people from the clans and sects to discuss the results. He would like to extend an invitation to you, hoping that you would grace them with your delightful presence. What do..."

Before Tian Gong was able to finish his sentence, the door to the building was flung open once again, an adorable 10-year-old brown-haired girl clad in a light pink robe running in, waving a piece of paper as she called out in an excited voice.

"Big Sis! Another letter has arrived for you!"

Tian Gong was standing very close to the door, so in her excitement, the girl could not avoid b.u.mping into him and interrupting his sentence. Tian Gong glanced at the girl, his eyebrows scrunched up slightly as he acted on instinct, slapping out with his hand and scolding the girl.

"Do not interrupt me."

The girl was a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, a child born between someone from the Tian clan and an outsider. If she had good talent, that would not matter, she would be considered a true Tian clan member. But her talent was only ordinary, so she was lower than even the weakest Tian clan member. If it was anywhere else, no one would pay any mind to his slap, considering it completely normal. But Tian Gong had completely forgotten exactly where he was. Before his slap managed to hit the girl, Xuegang, his arm stopped mid-air. The veins on his arm protruded, wriggling like snakes as his arm was forced back, the calm voice of Fang Ying sounding out.

"Elder Brother Gong, I do believe you should already know how I feel about violence against my aides?"

Tian Gong's entire face paled, pain flooding his arm as it refused to listen to his orders, his own blood revolting against him. He turned his head back to Fang Ying, whose calm gaze seemed to drill into his very soul. He quickly swallowed some saliva, giving her a deep bow.

"Please...Please forgive me... It was a mere moment of forgetfulness."

Only when his arm had returned to hanging at his side did he regain control over it, stealthily heaving a sigh of relief. When he regained control over his arm, he suddenly noticed a slight burning pain on his throat, a thin red line having appeared on it without him noticing it. His eyes landed on Langshen, who was still glaring at him with narrowed eyes. He once again swallowed a deep breath, his gaze returning to Fang Ying as she spoke up.

"Please do not repeat it in the future. You can tell Senior Brother Zheng that I will certainly accept his invitation, but first I must take a shower."

Fang Ying waved her hand, showing Tian Gong that it was time for him to leave. He quickly gave her a bow and thanked her, hurrying out of the building, leaving only Fang Ying and Xuegang. Fang Ying quickly stood up, bringing out a towel from her interspatial ring and wiping her sweat as she moved towards Xue Gang.

"Little Xue, you said that a new letter arrived?"

Fang Ying's voice was filled with joy as she questioned because she knew that Xuegang would only be this rushed to bring her the letter if it came from the sender she had told Xuegang about. Just like she thought, Xuegang quickly nodded her small head, handing Fang Ying the small piece of paper.

"Yes, we received it from the Royal Dragon Pavilion not too long ago. The letter was signed with the same name as the previous one, so I did as you said and got it to you as quickly as possible!"

Fang Ying grabbed the paper, which seemed to only contain two short lines of text. She put on a sweet smile, patting Xuegang on the head and ruffling her hair.

"I see, thank you."

Xuegang rubbed her head against Fang Ying's hand, letting out a cute giggle as she enjoyed the sensation. When she got a.s.signed as Fang Ying's aide, she had resigned herself to spending her life as a Tian clan slave, but Fang Ying had always been good to her, treating her like a friend.

Fang Ying quickly read the letter, which indeed only contained two short lines of text. 'You won't believe the surprise I have for you, Li Yang.' After reading the very short message, she could not help but let out a cute snort, puffing out her cheeks slightly.

"Trying to surprise me, so you won't say where you are? Just you wait and see how I am going to bully you once we finally do meet up again, don't think that it will end like it used to."

Fang Ying grumbled slightly, as she had hoped Li Yang would at least tell her where he was so that they could meet up ahead of time. But she also knew that while he usually didn't act like it, he still had his own pride as a man. If he was too weak, he would not meet up with Fang Ying, as he would only be a burden on her. Seeing Fang Ying mumbling like this, Xuegang could not help but speak out in a slightly uncertain voice.

"Big Sis..."

Fang Ying quickly stopped her mumbling, her face blooming into a smile as she grabbed Xuegang's small hand, dragging her along as she left the building.

"It's nothing to worry about. Come, Little Xue, help me take a shower before meeting Senior Brother Zheng."

Fang Ying returned to her own home and took a quick shower, changing into a delicate and exquisite robe that was light green in color. She had Xuegang braid her hair into a neat braided ponytail, and then brought along Langshen and headed towards the place where she was to meet with Tian Zheng.

The place where she was going to meet Tian Zheng was one of the nine spires that surrounded the headquarters, the tower known as the Ascended Jade Tower. The tower was constructed entirely out of white jade that automatically absorbed the Qi from the sky, using it as fertilizer for the rare plants that served as decorations inside the tower.

When she arrived outside the tower, Tian Zheng was already standing outside the door that was engraved with the emblem of the Tian clan, a tall mountain that pierced a lone cloud. Tian Zheng looked like a youth in his twenties, but he was already over 200 years old, his high cultivation having preserved his youth.

He had silky hair that was emerald green in color, it was tied into a neat ponytail that stretched out behind him, swaying in the wind. He had skin as smooth as a woman's, and light brown eyes that contained a warm light. His nose was a bit short, emphasizing his delicate features. He was clad in an emerald robe, his face blooming into a bright smile when he spotted Fang Ying.

"Junior Sister Ying! It is wonderful that you have decided to grace us with your presence!"

He bent his body slightly, trying to grab onto her hand so that he could give it a kiss, but Fang Ying pulled it back slightly just before he could get a hold of it. He quickly straightened up his back, acting like nothing as he pushed open the door and speaking casually.

"I heard that you have received a letter today. Is it perhaps from someone I know?"

Tian Zheng was the future patriarch of the Tian clan, so he had no shortage of loyal subordinates that constantly fed him information. The moment Fang Ying, one of the women he had settled on as one of his future wives, received a letter from an unknown sender, he was immediately informed. Fang Ying stepped into the tower, letting out a light laughter and giving a slight shake of her head.

"Senior Brother Zheng, are you trying to pry into the privacy of a fair maiden?"

She had no interest in telling Tian Zheng about Li Yang, nor did she have a reason to, so she simply refused to answer. Tian Zheng followed her into the tower, letting out a calm chuckle as he waved his hand in an unconcerned manner.

"Forgive my rude words, it was simply a moment of curiosity. Sister Liuxian, Brother Hanying, Brother Peng, Sister Xiuying and Brother Xieren have already arrived, they are waiting for us inside. Sister Qing and Brother Zemin will also arrive shortly, but I am uncertain whether or not Sister Jingyi and Brother Yuns.h.i.+ will join us. But you know how those two are, so please don't hold it against them."

The inside of the tower that they stepped into was filled with colorful plants and flowers, each one releasing a sweet and calming fragrance, Qi radiating from them and showing how valuable they were. This was only the first room in the tower, the waiting room, so the only pieces of furniture were two crystal tables and four silk couches.

Fang Ying could not help but be slightly surprised after hearing all the names that Tian Zheng listed, as each of the listed people was the future leader of their respective clan or sect. It was exceedingly rare for all of them to gather together. The two walked towards the door that was located at the other end of the room, Langshen calmly following at Fang Ying's side as she let out a casual laugh.

"Of course not, they are certainly very busy with their respective sects."

Fang Ying did not really have any interest in the meeting that was taking place here, or in Tian Zheng for that matter. But the Tian clan had adopted her before she had regained all her memories, so she had already been living here for quite a while already. Because of that, she had to at least humor Tian Zheng slightly and pretend that she was interested.

The two pa.s.sed through the door, entering the room where meetings were supposed to take place. The room was surprisingly simple, a long jade table placed at the center of the room, carved crystal chairs surrounding the table. There were multicolored lotuses lined up against the walls, filling the room with their intoxicating fragrance.

The jade table was covered with various tables filled with food as well as several porcelain kettles filled with fragrant tea. Sitting around the table were five youths, three men and two women. When Tian Zheng and Fang Ying entered the room, the five youths stood up and cupped their fists in greeting, one of the men speaking out in a loud voice.

"Fairy Ying, Brother Zheng said that you would delight us with your presence, but I a.s.sumed him to merely be boasting!"

The man who spoke was Yuan Peng, the future patriarch of the Yuan clan. He had a bald head that was polished until it shone, a tattoo of a crimson eagle covering the left side of his face. He was a bit short, but his body was very rugged and burly, rippling with muscles. Unlike normal people, his eyes were two different colors, his left blue, and his right crimson. Fang Ying cupped her hands in greeting, taking a seat at the table.

"Greetings Elder Brother Peng. Please do not mind me, I will do my best to not disturb your pleasant mood."

A light laughter sounded out after she spoke up, another one of the men speaking out as he chuckled.

"Nonsense, how could you possibly disturb our mood, you even serve to raise it!"

The one who spoke out this time was Xiong Xieren, the future patriarch of the Puppet G.o.d Sect. He had a body that was a little over two meters tall and had shoulder-length black hair that hung down freely. He had pitch black eyes, a slight stubble of white hair decorating his chin. Shortly after Fang Ying and Tian Zheng sat down at the table, the door to the room opened once more, a man and a woman entering, cupping their hands as they spoke out, their voices slightly apologetic.

"It seems we are the last ones to arrive, please forgive our tardiness."

The people who had just sat down stood up once again, cupping their hands in greeting. Tian Zheng stepped forward, beckoning towards two empty chairs with one hand and casually waving his other.

"Sister Qing, Brother Zemin. Do not pay it too much attention, times are very busy right now after all."

The ones who arrived now were Zhong Qing, the future matriarch of the Zhong Clan, and Hao Zemin, the future patriarch of the Endless Horizon Sect.

Zhong Qing had loose orange hair that hung down all the way to her knees, her features somewhat sharp and dignified. Because of a fight she had gotten into as a child, her nose was a bit crooked. Her emerald green eyes were constantly slightly narrowed, giving her a perpetually vigilant appearance.

Hao Zemin had blonde hair that was shaved shorter at the sides of his head, while the longer middle portion was combed to the right. He had two large scars on his face, one that split his mouth down the middle and one that went diagonally across his entire face. His light brown eyes seemed to constantly have a curious light in them, sweeping the surroundings as he moved.

The two quickly sat down at the table, the others following suit. Tian Zheng waited for a few more minutes, checking if the last two were going to arrive. But when they did not show up after a few more minutes pa.s.sed, he decided that it was time to start the discussion.

"It is quite rare for all of us to gather together, but while I would love for us to have a pleasant chat over a cup of tea, I believe that all of you have decided to show up because of the topic of our discussion, the reports we received from our subordinates."

The atmosphere around the table quickly grew a bit more solemn after Tian Zhen spoke out. After a short moment of silence, one of the women around the table asked the question they were all wondering about.

"Have you managed to confirm that the one they met was indeed the Golden Dragon Prince?"

The girl who spoke was Duan Liuxian, the future matriarch of the Duan clan. She had deep blue hair that was tied into a long ponytail, similar to the one Tian Zheng had. Her skin was a bit rough because it was constantly battered by the coastal winds, her black eyes hiding away her emotions. In response to her question, Tian Zheng gave a slight shake of his head.

"It is still uncertain. His appearance fit the description we have of the Prince, but I have never received a report that the Prince is adept in using arrays. There is also that special golden lightning and strange ice that he used, I have never heard about anyone from the Demon Emperor's family using anything like it."

Even though the royal family of the Demon Race did not a.s.sociate much with the outside world, how could the rulers of the continent not know a thing or two about them? Hearing the words golden lightning, Fang Ying's interested was piqued, her eyes lighting up slightly. Seeing her reaction, Tian Zheng a.s.sumed it to be curiosity, so he quickly explained.

"Ah, I forgot that you haven't heard about this. Some time ago, we sent a few people to the Cloud Wilderness to investigate a slight disturbance. But strangely enough, not too long ago, everyone we sent was either killed or forced to leave the Cloud Wilderness, all by a single youth. He fit the physical description of the Golden Dragon Prince, he also used the golden flames that the prince is known for, but he also used an unknown type of ice and golden lightning, as well as a strange trapping array that could utilize illusions and sap the strength of anyone within it. We have never heard about the royal family of the Demon Race specializing in any of these things, so there is a chance that he is a mere impostor."

Only Fan Long and the survivors of the Puppet G.o.d Sect had seen Li Yang use his three elements, but as they had shared all the information they had acquired about Li Yang, the information had also reached the other clans and sects.

Fang Ying's eyes grew even brighter after Tian Zheng explained everything, especially when she heard about the array that was used. She forced her excitement down, acting calm yet somewhat interested as she spoke up.

"Sounds interesting. Do you have a description of his looks?"

Tian Zheng was more than willing to take any chance he could get to talk more with Fang Ying, and this was the most interested in something he had ever seen her, so he did not think much about it as he responded.

"According to the reports we received, it should be something like this."

He stretched out his arm, strands of Qi flying out of his fingertips and quickly forming an image. The image was of Li Yang after he had fused with Shenlong and Jinwu, and thanks to being drawn with Qi, it was very lifelike. Seeing those familiar features, a sweet smile appeared on Fang Ying's face as she grew certain that this 'Golden Dragon Prince' was, in fact, Li Yang. No matter how much time pa.s.sed, no matter how many things she went through, that was the one face she would never forget. She gazed at the image a little longer before turning back towards Tian Zheng.

"I see, I see. How do you plan on dealing with him?"

Tian Zheng could not quite put his finger on why, but he did not like the smile that had appeared on Fang Ying's face when she saw the image. The smile was beautiful, but seeing it made his chest feel stifled. He quickly swallowed the uncomfortable feeling, putting on the same calm and casual smile he always wore.

"The rulers do not wish to risk anything, as he might truly be the Golden Dragon Prince, so we have been ordered to stay out of the Cloud Wilderness for now. But what do you think, Fairy Ying?"

Fang Ying's eyes returned to the image that floated in the air, a light chuckle escaping her lips as she spoke out in a mysterious voice.

"What I think? I think that the Cloud Wilderness should truly be feared. After all, one never knows what sort of monsters can be born there, hidden from the eyes of the world."

No one else in the room understood the hidden meaning behind her words, understood the true terror that was Li Yang. In their past life, he had only been able to use the elements of lightning and destruction, but now he seemed to have also gained the ability to control both fire and ice. This was simply adding wings onto a tiger! Of course, since no one understood the true meaning of her words, Tian Zheng could only nod his head with a smile.

"Your words are quite wise, the unknown should be feared."

Tian Zheng dissipated the image that was floating in the air, feeling an inexplicable sense of uncomfortableness whenever he looked at it. He was just about to continue the discussion when the door to the room was suddenly thrown open, two people entering and interrupting Tian Zheng.

"Is Fairy Ying here?"

The two people that entered were a man and a woman, a few servants with panicked expressions rus.h.i.+ng in after them. One of the servants quickly bowed to Tian Zheng, nodding his head at the two people.

"Forgive us, Elder Brother Zheng, they ignored our words and simply barged in."

Tian Zheng and the others stood up from their seats upon seeing the two people. He waved his hand at the servants, indicating for them to leave before he cupped his hands at the two newcomers.

"Don't worry about it, there is nothing you could have done to stop them. Brother Yuns.h.i.+, Sister Jingyi, I am glad that you have decided to join us today."

The two people that had arrived were Quan Yuns.h.i.+ and Mao Jingyi, the future patriarch of the Heaven's Gate sect and the future matriarch of the Roaring Soul Sect. With the two of them arriving, all future leaders of the ten great powers had gathered in the room.

Quan Yuns.h.i.+ looked exceedingly normal, his body somewhat slim, his black hair hanging down to his ears and slightly covering his brown eyes. But his entire body radiated an overbearing pressure that pushed down on the surroundings, making it clear to all that he was a strong person.

Mao Jingyi had a tall body that lacked the normal softness that one would expect from a woman, rippling with slender muscles filled with explosive power. Her violet hair was just as long as Quan Yuns.h.i.+'s, hanging down to her hair, but not covering her emerald eyes.

The two of them completely ignored Tian Zheng, their eyes landing on Fang Ying. They both gave her a slight bow, cupping their hands as they spoke out.

"We greet you, Fairy Ying. Our masters, Fang Xiulan and Fang Yazhu, asked us to come here today so that we could ask you a question. What does the evening sun s.h.i.+ne upon?"

Quan Yuns.h.i.+ and Mao Jingyi were actually rather confused about this current situation. Their two sects had always had a rival-like relations.h.i.+p, the sect matriarchs seeming to have some feud with each other. But after their people returned from the Cloud Wilderness with a message, the two matriarchs had met in person, ending all hostilities and entering an alliance.

Fang Ying was also a bit surprised at the turn of events, but the moment she heard their question, her face lit up with a smile, quickly and naturally responding.

"The evening sun s.h.i.+nes upon the lonely monarch scavenging for food."

This was a saying from her past life, a saying that very few people in the world knew, a saying known only to Li Yang's closest friends. Quan Yuns.h.i.+ and Mao Jingyi matched eyes, nodding their heads and pulling out two interspatial rings, handing them to Fang Ying.

"It seems you are the person they hoped you would be. Please take these, they asked us to hand them over if you gave the correct answer."

The interspatial rings were handed to them by their masters, the matriarchs of their sects, so out of respect, they had not checked the contents. But even if they wanted to, the rings were sealed with a special method, preventing them from being opened by those who didn't know how to undo the seal. The two cupped their hands once more to Fang Ying, bidding her a quick farewell.

"Sadly, we must leave now, as there are still many things we need to handle. May you have a pleasant day, Sister Ying."

With the two sects now entering an alliance, as the future rulers, there were a lot of things that the two of them had to handle. The two left the room, not having looked at Tian Zheng or the others even once. Tian Zheng's mouth twitched slightly at being ignored like that, even after he went out of his way to greet them, but his face quickly returned to its normal smile as he turned towards Fang Ying.

"What a surprise, Junior Sister Ying. I was unaware that you knew the matriarchs of the Roaring Soul Sect and the Heaven's Gate Sect. Would you perhaps regale us with the tale of how you met?"

His eyes narrowed slightly after he spoke. He had never heard about Fang Ying having met anyone from the Roaring Soul or Heaven's Gate sect, much less the matriarchs. First, it was those two letters, then the sweet smile when she saw the image, and now this. Tian Zheng felt that he was slowly losing the control he had over Fang Ying, filling him with a sense of unease.

Fang Ying looked at the two rings, her lips curling into a reminiscing smile when she saw the seal within the rings. So despite the long pa.s.sage of years, those two jealous crybabies had managed to survive? She quickly put away the rings, cupping her hands at Tian Zheng and the others.

"It is a very dull story, so as to not spoil the mood, I won't bore you all with it. Please forgive me, but something that requires my immediate attention has popped up, so I will take my leave now."

She did not bother waiting for any response after speaking, immediately leaving the room. Tian Zheng wore an ugly expression, something that the servants outside the room saw after Fang Ying opened the door. One of the servants stretched out his arm to say something, but a silver line flashed through the air, slicing open the hand of the servant. He quickly pulled back his arm, looking at the now growling Langshen with an aghast expression. In the end, no one stopped Fang Ying from leaving the tower and returning to her own house to undo the seal on the two rings.