The Shining Star Above The Heaven

The moment the dragon king and the other leaders' entourage appeared and saw Aldrian, their faces brightened. They ignored the elves' entourage, focusing only on Aldrian as they walked past, sparing the elves just a brief glance before turning their attention back to him.

However, the elves also seemed to know what kind of beings they were and understood their character, which kept them from feeling offended by how these spiritual beasts acted. These prideful beings were among the strongest in the entire heaven, and with their strength, it was no wonder they carried such arrogance.

The only exception was the Spirit Ancestor, who was accompanied by her guardian and retainer. She stopped for a moment and looked at Princess Vaeril. Smiling at her, she caused the princess to instantly bow before the Spirit Ancestor continued walking. The princess's entourage could only watch as they finally greeted Aldrian with a level of respect that left them astonished.

"Your Majesty, I'm glad to see you again," the dragon king said, cupping his hands. "And I'm truly baffled by this place, Your Majesty. As expected of someone of your status, I expected nothing less."

Aldrian smiled as he nodded. "Well, welcome to my palace, my home. I hope you enjoy your time here." He then looked at the phoenix queen as she also cupped her hands.

"Your Majesty, it's truly a pleasure to meet again," she said, to which Aldrian responded with a nod.

"You too, Phoenix Queen. I hope you enjoy your time here." He then turned his gaze to the Spirit Ancestor. He could not help but feel bad for the old woman, who had made such a long journey just to see him. Although she was a peak pseudo-immortal stage cultivator, her elderly appearance stirred a sense of pity, like watching a warm grandmother who should be resting at home instead of traveling.

"Elder, you must be tired after such a long journey. Let's go inside, where we can settle in a more comfortable place. It would not be good for you to keep standing here in the open," Aldrian said.

"Your Majesty jests. There is no way I could feel fatigue here with such a refreshing atmosphere. This is the densest concentration of energy I have ever experienced in my entire life, and it revitalizes my whole body," the Spirit Ancestor replied.

Aldrian smiled. "Let's go. I will guide you inside," Aldrian said as he led them into the palace.

The elves could only watch them leave. At this moment, it felt as if they were seeing different characters from the figures who usually displayed their arrogance all the time. For the dragons and the phoenixes to show such respect to Aldrian, had they met him in the past? From the way they conversed, it seemed as though they already knew each other.

Suddenly, the Xin family's elder, who had been ignored since earlier, spoke to them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, would you like to come down with me? The formation will be active shortly."

The elves turned to the elder, who was already standing on the teleportation formation. The princess released a slow sigh before stepping onto the formation, followed by the others. The moment they were all ready, the formation shone briefly before they disappeared, teleported to the palace below the floating land.

For the next hour, Aldrian conversed with the groups from the Beast Continent. As with all visitors who came to see him before, they too presented Aldrian with precious gifts. Their conversation was mostly about the Barisan Continent, and since their visit was more of a courteous greeting, they did not stay long before deciding to take their leave.

However, the groups from the Beast Continent would remain for some time, as they also wished to explore the Barisan Continent before returning to their homeland.

After their visits, more delegations arrived from other powers, whether from distant continents or even from different stars. All of them came with the same intent, to build a good relationship with him, and so each brought a gift. Over the last few days, Aldrian had received many gifts from these visiting powers, which made him feel like a bully waiting for deposits from his victims.

However, he did not refuse the gifts. If they could enrich his family, he gladly accepted them, since they were given to him willingly. This continued for the next three days until Aldrian finally paused from receiving guests. The reason was simple, today was a great event for the Barisan Continent, and as its emperor, he could not miss it.

Today was the day of the Grand Tournament.

Across the Barisan Continent, the populace was alive with excitement and festivity for the tournament that was about to commence. They did not know exactly what the tournament would provide, but many believed that whatever it was, it would place the talents of the continent's cultivators in the limelight.

With so many participants, the Grand Tournament was expected to reveal the best of their abilities, the true measure of their strength, and a display of the continent's greatness.

Moreover, with many outsiders from beyond the continent present, they too would witness the tournament. The participants themselves did not want to embarrass their empire or their emperor, who had given them the stage to display their strength.

They would give the best performance they could!

The cities around the core region of the Forest of Eternal Sanctuary had already been completed, and now they functioned normally like any other cities. The influx of people into these cities had begun more than two weeks ago, but the peak came in the last few days, especially in one of the largest cities built near the core region.

That city, called Caelestis, was the city where the vast stadium had been erected, the place where the Grand Tournament would be held. The grand stadium, capable of holding millions, was designed for many purposes, but its main function was to serve as a place of entertainment for the people.

The stadium's design was unlike any other on the Barisan Continent. Its structure was far more sophisticated and advanced, with new technologies embedded into its construction. From above, the building formed an ellipse, with rows of spectator seats encircling a vast arena platform at its center.

The arena itself was strong enough to host even battles between cultivators at the Immortal Transition Realm!

This was possible thanks to the protective formation that Aldrian had personally formed. It surrounded the arena and could withstand even the attacks of a peak pseudo-immortal stage cultivator. With his current strength and mastery of formations, setting up a barrier of that level was no difficult task for him.

Because of this formation, even if the participants unleashed their full power, the spectators near the arena would remain unharmed.

The stadium's grandeur could be seen from hundreds of kilometers away due to its immense scale. Its vastness also allowed for countless possibilities events within, which only added to the excitement surrounding the Grand Tournament.

Caelestis City was packed with people who had arrived long before the tournament began. Many had already entered the stadium and taken their seats after purchasing entrance tickets near the gates.

The outsiders also did not pass up this grand event, as they too wanted to witness the talents of the continent. By now, all of them knew how weak the overall power of the Barisan Continent truly was, and the information that had spread a few weeks earlier had proven to be true.

They had finally learned of the powerful barrier that once covered the continent, which had hindered its growth and development. That same barrier was also the reason none of them had been able to enter the continent in the past.

The only reason this continent had not already fallen into chaos despite the influx of outsiders was the presence of its absolute ruler, Aldrian the Great. Without him, many believed the continent would quickly descend into disorder, with battles breaking out everywhere, especially among foreign powers coveting its lands.

Still, despite knowing the continent's weakness, these outsiders wished to see its talents and potential. The average cultivation level might be lacking, but the potential and talents of its people could be exceptional. Since this land had given birth to someone like Aldrian the Great, their expectations for the talents of the Barisan Continent remained high.

The stadium grew more crowded as many high-status nobles from across the continent and beyond took their designated seats. The arena also provided numerous VIP rooms for important guests to watch the tournament, with enough rooms to accommodate the many nobles who had come.

The VIP rooms were positioned above the regular seats, fitted with wide glass panels that overlooked the arena. There were also VVIP rooms, far more spacious and luxurious, though fewer in number, situated at an even higher level than the VIP section.

However, the most special location was the vast balcony at the northernmost peak of the stadium. From there, anyone standing on it could see everything below. This balcony was reserved exclusively for the emperor, where Aldrian would watch the tournament alongside his family.

Although it was located in the open, unlike the enclosed VIP and VVIP rooms, the balcony was reinforced with a powerful protective barrier capable of withstanding attacks from even a pseudo-immortal stage cultivator.

Aldrian had also set up an additional protective formation to ensure his family's safety while they watched the tournament. It was a precaution, a safeguard against anyone who might attempt to harm them.

As the stadium grew increasingly crowded, a middle-aged man in a white robe suddenly appeared at the center of the arena. His cultivation at the low emperor stage, could be sensed by everyone present.

Confidence was written across his face as he smiled and raised his voice to address the spectators, stirring their excitement.

"Welcome to the day you have all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen!"