From afar, Yu Shiyi cast a quick glance at Yun Jin, then quietly pretended not to know her as he found a seat among the crowd.
He was deep in thought.
If Yun Jin had managed to cross the Ferocious Beast Mountain Range and make it here alive, then she must've... gotten her hands on the final treasure from that trial space. Otherwise, how could someone at the Tribulation stage possibly survive that deathtrap and cross into another continent?
But then again, that automaton called Yuan Yuan in the trial space had displayed a terrifying ability. It could create a spatial passage between two distant locations instantly.
Back then, everyone who'd taken part in that trial had been teleported from all over the world. Some came from the Extreme North Ice Fields, others from the Boundless Sea, and Yu Shiyi himself had been on the Nanlan Continent.
That meant the automaton must've possessed some kind of spatial control power.
So, if Yun Jin had obtained the greatest treasure from that place, one capable of traversing space, it all made sense now. Still, treasure or not, no one could just turn that kind of gain into raw strength in only a year.
Even so, Yu Shiyi couldn't help feeling a faint itch in his heart. That trial space was obviously extraordinary, and the final treasure must've been unimaginably powerful.
Now that Yun Jin had walked right into his reach... maybe he could—
He stopped himself before the thought could finish forming.
Sure, Yun Jin's cultivation wasn't that impressive, but if she really did have some kind of spatial ability, then if he failed to capture her and she escaped instead, he'd just be creating a future nightmare for himself.
No. Today's goal was to divide the Shi Tribe's interests. Everything else could wait.
With that decision made, Yu Shiyi's expression returned to calm.
"We of the Shi Tribe have always treated the rare races with kindness. Today, we've even invited their representatives to perform for us. Next, let us welcome—"
The speaker didn't get to finish.
Suddenly, a Shi noble leapt to his feet.
"Kindness? You call this kindness?"
His voice boomed through the square, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Onstage, Yun Jin and the other rare races smiled faintly, as if watching a show.
"Shi Mo." The king, Zhi Yue, spoke calmly. "What's the meaning of this? Are you suggesting that performing at the Shi Tribe's festival somehow wrongs them?"
"Your Majesty!" Shi Mo stepped forward, his face twisted in pain. "These years, I've been tortured by my conscience day and night. I haven't had a peaceful night's sleep in decades! At first, I told myself you must've had your reasons. Then, I told myself that no matter what you did, you were still the king of the Shi Tribe. Your shame was our shame. So, even when I saw things that were wrong, I stayed silent! But my conscience can't take it anymore. I can't just watch any longer."
Zhi Yue's expression didn't change, but her lips curved slightly, that faint smile as cold as frost. "Oh?"
The king's calmness was unsettling. Shi Mo's heart trembled, a chill creeping up his spine, but it was too late to back down now.
"The arrow's nocked," he muttered under his breath, and then raised his voice again. "Today, before the envoys of every race, I'll expose the king's crimes! For the past fifty years, she's secretly captured and slaughtered countless rare races, leading to their deaths. The common folk have been whispering about it for years, and it's brought disgrace upon the royal family and the entire Shi Tribe! I know that persuasion alone can't stop her anymore. So I beg the envoys of all races to help us return the Shi Tribe to its rightful path!"
And how would they help?
By forcing the king off her throne, of course.
With Shi Mo taking the first step, other nobles began standing up one after another.
Their faces were filled with mock shock.
"What? Why would the king do such a thing?"
"Su Yuan Zhēnzūn once said that senseless slaughter between races is forbidden in the Nanlan Continent! If the king really did this, once Su Yuan Zhēnzūn finds out, she'll definitely take action herself!"
"That'd bring disaster upon the Shi Tribe!"
They surrounded Zhi Yue with their accusations, throwing out moral platitudes like arrows.
Yun Jin tilted her head, curious, and sent a voice transmission to the elven girl beside her. "Su Yuan Zhēnzūn?"
The elf's eyes sparkled with awe. "Su Yuan Zhēnzūn is the greatest person in the whole world. Thousands of years ago, when the hundred races of the Nanlan Continent were locked in endless wars, she appeared out of nowhere. With her overwhelming strength, she subdued every race and forced their leaders to sign a peace accord. Thanks to her, the ten great races were formed, and the rest were free to thrive under that order. She also left behind rules to govern racial conflicts—one of them forbids senseless killing between races.
After establishing that order, Su Yuan Zhēnzūn personally oversaw the continent for a thousand years, making sure peace held. Then one day, she vanished. But before she left, she said that if injustice ever returned to the world, she'd appear again.
She hasn't been seen for a thousand years. Some say she's fallen, some say she's chasing the supreme realm, and some believe she's gone to another continent altogether.
That's why the Shi King dared to do such insane things. Without Su Yuan Zhēnzūn around, no one can stop her."
Listening to that, Yun Jin couldn't help feeling a flicker of curiosity. To single-handedly end the Nanlan Continent's ancient racial wars, then leave behind lasting peace...
Su Yuan Zhēnzūn was definitely a legend worth meeting. If she were still alive, Yun Jin would've loved to see her in person.
Back on the stage, the Shi nobles were still shouting themselves hoarse.
"The rare races in the Hundred Tribes Hall grow fewer every year, and even those left are old and frail!"
"Every festival, rare races perform, and after that, they vanish without a trace!"
"There are places in the royal city where screams echo day and night!"
They listed every suspicious thing they could think of, spittle flying everywhere.
The elves and other rare races listened in silence. None of them felt grateful. If these nobles had truly cared, they'd have acted long ago. They didn't give a damn about rare races. They just wanted the king to fall harder, to make their rebellion look righteous.
Zhi Yue sat quietly, listening to their accusations. Her mind drifted slightly as her lips curved faintly.
These people... were just too noisy.