The Shining Star Above The Heaven

At the teleportation formation in Aldrian's palace grounds, the formation shone for a moment before a few figures suddenly appeared. These figures were actually a group from the three great sects of the central continent.

The group consisted of an elder from the Xin family, the three sect masters, the sword maiden and her friend, the two red-haired twins, and a few other elders from their respective sects. The moment they appeared on the teleportation formation, they were amazed by the grandness of the palace. They had never seen anything like it, and even before they arrived here, they were already amazed by the scenery of it and the core region environment.

The dense heaven and earth energy, the strange golden river containing rich unknown power, the regal giant statues, and the floating land so high and so immense that it could lift an entire city—all of this made them feel like country bumpkins. Moreover, after stepping onto the floating land, they felt this place was on another level, as the grand palace seemed to be where the concentration of energy gathered.

The grand palace itself was the most magnificent palace they had ever seen in their lives. Even while still standing outside, they could already feel the luxury within. More importantly, they felt its sacredness. The aura of the palace seemed to declare, This is the palace of the true sovereign who rules this land. You had better show the utmost respect for him.

"This way, your excellencies. Let me escort you to meet His Majesty," the elder from the Xin family said as he guided them into the palace.

Once they entered, they could not help but observe the interior, marveling as though they were experiencing such luxury for the first time like bumpkins. However, one person was slightly stunned when she sensed something the moment she stepped inside.

The Sword Maiden detected a strong sword intent somewhere in the inner palace. What shocked her most was that she recognized it.

'This is that man's sword intent,' she thought, recalling the time she had met Aldrian. Back then, when she sparred with him, he had unleashed his sword intent, and she had memorized its uniqueness. To sense his sword intent here made her wonder what that man was doing in this place.

What she sensed was actually the sword intent that Aldrian had created inside Zander's training room, something that someone like the Sword Maiden could detect with ease. Her special physique made her especially sensitive, after all.

As they continued walking toward the throne hall, they finally reached the circular hallway that surrounded it, where statues of Aldrian's closest followers were erected. The three sect masters could not help but fix their eyes on one statue nearby, feeling an inexplicable pull toward it.

They felt a strange sense of connection and even reverence when they gazed upon this statue, as if compelled to prostrate before it. It was the statue of a man, and though he merely stood there in silence, it already exuded a regal aura. Just looking at it gave them the urge to submit.

They did not understand why and simply brushed off the feeling. The demon cultivators among them were also drawn to this same statue, their gazes lingering upon it.

If only they knew that this statue depicted the very one they all unknowingly revered as their god—the sole god of the demon cultivators, the Heavenly Demon.

They did not linger in the hallway for long, for they were immediately greeted by the massive double doors, which swung open the instant they stood before them. The moment their eyes fell upon the throne hall's interior, their gazes glimmered with astonishment. And when they finally saw Aldrian seated upon his throne, their hearts could not help but skip a beat.

For Sect Master Han, who had already seen Aldrian's true face, it was not so surprising. But for the others, it was a different story. From their information gathering during the journey here, they had learned that the emperor was young—seventeen years old.

Seventeen years old!

Seventeen years old, already at the pseudo-immortal establishment stage! And possessing power so overwhelming that it made every one of them seem no more than a passing fart before him!

They could not fathom how someone like Aldrian the Great could exist. There was no explanation, except that this emperor must have been sent by the heavens themselves.

Although they were prepared to meet Aldrian, the moment they finally saw his face, they were still shocked. His flawless, handsome features were enough to be fatal for any woman who laid eyes on him, even more so now, when his charm was heightened to its peak by his aura and imperial attire.

However, for the Sword Maiden, her shock came from another reason. She finally understood what that mysterious man had meant when she once asked if they could meet again. The presence she sensed from the emperor before her and from that mysterious man was the same.

'He is that man!' she thought, her usually calm expression breaking into one of astonishment.

Still, their moment of being petrified did not last long, for they had to approach Aldrian, who sat upon his throne.

"Your Majesty, I have brought the group from the central continent as guests before you," the elder of the Xin family said, bowing deeply to Aldrian.

Aldrian nodded. "Alright, you may leave. Thank you for guiding them."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The elder then took his leave, leaving Aldrian alone with the group from the central continent. Aldrian smiled as he rose from his throne and walked toward them.

"Welcome to the Barisan Continent, and welcome to my palace, esteemed guests. It is truly my pleasure to receive your visit," Aldrian said as he walked down the stairs.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. To be honest, I still feel overwhelmed by my experience here. This place is truly like heaven. In my entire life, I have never seen anything like this. It is as expected from the man who rules over the entire continent, and it is truly worthy of Your Majesty," Sect Master Han replied.

"Sect Master Han, you exaggerate, but I hope you enjoy your stay during this visit. What you have seen is only a small part of this palace and the core region as a whole," Aldrian said.

"I would be glad, Your Majesty."

Aldrian nodded before turning his gaze to the two other sect masters. "Sect Master Jang, Sect Master Baek, this is our first time meeting without me wearing my mask. I must apologize, as I had my own considerations at that time."

"Ah, no, Your Majesty, you don't have to apologize. I understand that you have your own circumstances, and even if it were just your preference, we would not say anything," Sect Master Baek said.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is really not a problem," Sect Master Jang added.

Aldrian nodded, then turned his gaze to the red-haired twins, who immediately bowed to him. "We greet Your Majesty and the succe—"

"Do not say that I am the successor of the Heavenly Demon."

The twins froze mid-greeting as Aldrian's sudden voice transmission reached their minds. In an instant, they understood and stopped what they had been about to say. They knew without doubt that the man standing before them was the same one from that time—the successor of the Heavenly Demon.

The resonance within their souls was unmistakable. Only the successor of the Heavenly Demon could trigger it, just as he had done before.

Aldrian smiled and nodded before turning his gaze toward the beautiful veiled woman who could sway any man who looked at her. Her eyes had never left his face until now, which made Aldrian smile teasingly at her.

"Well, Miss Meilan, I already told you that we would meet again sooner than you thought. And here I am," he said, making the Sword Maiden let out a quiet sigh.

"You truly got me, Your Majesty. I honestly did not expect to meet you like this. Now I feel that I acted inappropriately back then."

Aldrian's smile did not fade. "Miss Meilan, you don't need to feel bad about it. In fact, I enjoyed our spar at that time. Facing someone like you was an experience for me, it was also a form of learning."

"You are too humble, Your Majesty. How could you possibly learn anything from me?"

Her friend still felt lost at this moment. At first, she asked herself why these people seemed to already know this emperor. Who was he? Could anyone tell her so she could understand better?

Then it finally clicked in her mind when the emperor mentioned meeting Meilan again. She instantly realized that this emperor was the same man as the masked man from that time.

Aldrian then looked in her direction, leaving her stunned. She forced herself to smile, but it was a rigid one, for she was standing before the very legend so many had spoken of.

"Miss Rei, you too, please feel free to enjoy this place. There is no need to feel pressured here," he said.

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty. Thank you," she replied.

"So, how about I take all of you for a stroll through the palace? It will be a good experience for you," Aldrian said as he turned his gaze to the others.

"Ah, thank you, Your Majesty. It will be our honor to be guided by Your Majesty himself," Sect Master Han said before Aldrian led all of them outside the palace.

While Aldrian was receiving his guests, in another place, a few figures gathered in a restaurant within the capital city of the Doria Kingdom. They sat around a large table, seemingly in the middle of a discussion, and from their expressions alone, it was clear this was a serious matter.

These figures were actually spies from the Barevisk family who had already been turned into slaves by Aldrian.

Vars, their leader, appeared deep in thought when one of his men spoke up.

"So, what are we supposed to do, sir?"