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"Zi...Zi Yue?"

Chen Qing was quite surprised to receive the invitation, as he had been focused on the situation in Digital City these past few days.

Having divided the internal factions of Digital City, he could now confidently use a large number of people from the Federation to replenish his troops and enhance the quality of the research institute, which was quite significant for the future.

After the matters there had come to a conclusion, Chen Qing had been busy these past few days planning the major battle to come after the spring.

Yet, before the preparations had gone on for even a few days, such an incident had occurred, leaving Chen Qing and the others looking at each other in stunned silence.

The Shen Family members who had not yet left were also shocked by this invitation, showing expressions of surprise and bewilderment.

Chen Qing looked at the Shen Family members with curiosity, "It’s rare to see you all with such expressions. I’ve often heard of this Heavenly Master Mansion, but what exactly is it all about?"

The Shen Family members snapped back to reality, and finally, Second Elder Shen explained to Chen Qing, "Your Majesty, the Heavenly Master’s inheritance in Yundu has a long history; it is said to be the legacy of the State Preceptor of the Sorcerer Dynasty.

After the Sorcerer Dynasty collapsed, the Sorcerer Families of the world esteemed it highly.

Before the Great Jin Dynasty was established, the edicts issued by the Heavenly Master Mansion were no different from imperial decrees to the Sorcerer Families. .."

"That exaggerated?" Chen Qing was startled, immediately followed by a skeptical expression, because he truly hadn’t felt it.

Since he rose to prominence, he had crossed paths with quite a number of influential figures: the Duke of Qin who held sway over the nation, the leading magician of the Great Jin, Song State Duke, and later Princess Royale Siao Mingyue, all among the most powerful and influential people of the time.

While he had heard of the Heavenly Master Mansion, during all the major events that had unfolded, it seemed to play an inconsequential role, and he hadn’t paid it much attention.

"Actually... we’ve only heard..." Second Elder Shen reluctantly showed an embarrassed smile, "The Heavenly Master Mansion hasn’t issued orders to outsiders for three hundred years now, and only the older generation of magicians understand this matter.

Our previous family head has apparently received such orders, but our current Family Head, including my elder brother, has never received orders from the Heavenly Master Mansion. "

"Why is that?" Chen Qing was surprised.

"It seems to be related to the secrets of the former dynasty," Third Elder Shen joined the conversation, "Although the Great Jin was established only twenty years ago, the former dynasty had already fallen into chaos nearly four hundred years ago.

When the last emperor of the previous dynasty died violently, the Strife of the Eight Princes ensued, with Tiandu declaring a citywide lockdown.

The last generation of the Heavenly Master Mansion secured the peace of Tiandu, and throughout four hundred years of military turmoil, the flames of war never reached Tiandu Prefecture.

During that time, there were forces that foolishly challenged it and met with tragic ends. "

"After the establishment of the Great Jin, Tiandu never explicitly recognized the current imperial court.

Even when our Shen Family had already been bequeathed a title by the Emperor, the Heavenly Master Mansion remained silent, and even that member of the Siao Family has not dared to move against Tiandu City to this day. "

"It does sound quite mysterious..." Chen Qing stroked his chin, "What’s this selection of the Heavenly Master all about?"

"That’s even more eerie." Third Elder Shen spoke with a grave expression, "It is said that during the Sorcerer Dynasty, the State Preceptor was recommended by various factions, screened by the Emperor, and finally selected through the Heavenly Master’s Convention to determine the candidate for the new Heavenly Master. It’s said that during the Sorcerer Dynasty, the selection of the Heavenly Master was even more important than the choice of successive emperors. "

"But the thing is, the last Heavenly Master, it’s said, was chosen during the reign of the final emperor of the Sorcerer Dynasty, surnamed Zhang.

Because the Zhang Family was the last Heavenly Master, their status in the Sorcerers’ Realm was particularly high.

Afterwards...that is, during the former dynasty, after the Zhang Family helped establish the new dynasty, they had been the default clan for the Heavenly Master, and it remained this way for a thousand years.

What I didn’t expect was that, after so long, with many families beginning to forget this tradition, Tiandu is now starting to select a new Heavenly Master anew. "

"Huh?" Chen Qing figured out the gist of it, "Are you saying that this is the first selection of the Heavenly Master since the Sorcerer Dynasty?"

"It should be..." Old Qi also nodded, "There are many theories about the Zhang Family of Tiandu. Some say they broke the rules of the previous selections of the Heavenly Master; some say they took for themselves secrets of the Sorcerer Dynasty. Although nobody dared to provoke them and the Heavenly Master Mansion hasn’t issued the old Heavenly Master’s Orders in years, so everyone has mostly lived in peace, not many cared whether the title of Heavenly Master was monopolized by the Zhang Family, especially since the once powerful Heavenly Master Mansion no longer existed. "

"But this time it’s clearly different. After the Sorcerer Dynasty, the Heavenly Master had always been in the hands of the Zhang Family.

Yet, at this juncture, they’ve announced to the world to re-elect the Heavenly Master, and it’s just at this particular turning point, which makes things interesting. "

"Really..."

Chen Qing rubbed his fingers, pondering quietly to himself.

He had long heard of the name Yundu, a place that even the Emperor Siao and the former King of Qin dared not trifle with lightly. It definitely contained many astonishing secrets or formidable forces that should not be provoked easily.

Even in the Transcendent era, he had never seen the Emperor make a move there, nor had he heard the four major guilds take action there!

One should know that Yundu was the capital of the former dynasty and should also have a strong influence of human destiny. If one could occupy that place, many forces similar to the Mother and Child Ghost Temples should be able to spread quickly, right?

Why has no one targeted that place?

Has it been intentionally forgotten, or is it that now... everyone is afraid to stir trouble there?

Could that really be the case?

Chen Qing felt very puzzled. The Sorcerer Dynasty, was that something that also existed in the history of the previous game? He seemed to remember it did, but it wasn’t as mysterious.

Being a magician was originally a means he set up for humans to combat demons, and the Sorcerer Dynasty was the pinnacle of this means, a noble dynasty founded at the height of the magicians’ power.

The world had already cycled through three iterations, the original history should not be the same every time.

Could it be... that this cycle’s Sorcerer Dynasty is different from the past?

At least he didn’t remember any mention of the Heavenly Master Mansion in the history of the Sorcerer Dynasty he had planned.

Moreover, he didn’t remember this short-lived human Sorcerer Dynasty being a threat to the ancients.

"Right, their invitation for Mister Ziyue to participate, does it mean that Mister Ziyue also qualifies to become a Heavenly Master?" asked the curious Shen Eleven, a young man.

"According to the old rules..." Second Elder Shen nodded: "The new generation of candidates are ultimately nominated and invited by the Heavenly Master Mansion. The invitation says that Mister Ziyue is one of the four major candidates."

"On what basis are they selected?" Wei Gongcheng asked curiously: "Is it chosen solely according to the wishes of the Heavenly Master Mansion?"

"Based on the historical records of that time, it was the major Sorcerer Families who recommended their own, then the Emperor would do a preliminary filtering, with the final list going to the Heavenly Master Mansion for a first round of selection. Those who passed had the qualifications to participate in the Heavenly Master’s selection.

Beyond that, the Heavenly Master Mansion has the privilege to directly nominate at least four candidates for the competition.

By the rules of that time, this invitation doesn’t count as a violation. "

"Oh?" Chen Qing felt even more intrigued. He wondered if they were specifically targeting Ziyue?

Ziyue rarely spoke about the affairs of the Sorcerer Dynasty back then; whenever it came up in conversation, she seemed to consciously avoid the topic, and he didn’t feel it appropriate to press her. Now it seemed that others were coming to her.

Rumors said that back then, Ziyue was one of the human magicians experimented on by the Sorcerer Dynasty; she had been hunted for a thousand years, and now she was being nominated as a candidate for Heavenly Master, what exactly did that mean?

Could it be that there was something on Ziyue they desperately wanted?

While he was thinking this, someone outside relayed a message: "Lady Ziyue has returned!"

All eyes immediately turned.

Chen Qing also looked over. Ziyue had been in the Northern Wasteland, helping the young man from the Murong Family stabilize the situation, so busy she barely touched the ground.

Now, she had just received the news and had personally come back, which suggested.

.. that this matter was very likely going to be troublesome.

Indeed, Ziyue, still carrying the cold of wind and snow, walked in and immediately said to Chen Qing: "There’s trouble..."