In the Eastern Wastelands, many Sacred Lords of the sacred lands and palace lords of the Dao Palaces had heard that a figure from the Upper Realm had arrived. However, only the Palace Lord of the Xianyun Dao Palace and the Sacred Lord of Wandao Sacred Land knew Qin Tian's true identity.
"Young Master, will you see them?" Chu Xinyue glanced at Qin Tian, knowing that to win the favor of this man, she needed to serve him wholeheartedly.
Qin Tian took a sip of his wine without replying. Whether or not he wanted to meet someone was entirely up to his mood.
Ding! New Fortune Female Lead detected!
"Name: Ji Lingxian."
"Realm: Origin Stage, Fourth Layer."
Qin Tian chuckled. "I didn't expect the second Fortune Female Lead to appear so soon. Then again, it makes sense. A Child of Fortune can't have just one female lead. But in the end, the Fortune Child and his leads are all just resources for me."
...
"Princess, why are we requesting an audience with him? It's not like we don't have connections in the Upper Realm," a palace maid, with delicate features, asked the woman next to her, who was dressed in men's clothing.
The woman in the male outfit was strikingly handsome. There was an undeniable charm about a beautiful woman in men's attire, exuding an unusual allure.
"You don't understand," the woman sighed. Being born into the royal family brought pains unknown to outsiders. The saying "there is no familial love in the imperial family" was no joke.
Her position in the Da Zhou imperial family had always been precarious. And now, as misfortune loomed, the few uncles and elders who had supported her had all passed away.
Even worse, her most respected grandfather was now on his deathbed, and when he was gone, her fate would be sealed.
Although the Da Zhou Dynasty appeared to be one of the top powers in Zhongzhou, the reality was far bleaker. While Da Zhou had once been a prominent force, decades ago, their once-great emperor, who had brought Da Zhou to its peak, passed away. This secret had been guarded fiercely by every Da Zhou emperor since then.
Externally, the dynasty maintained its image as a top-tier power, but without their strongest force, Da Zhou's strength had diminished considerably.
The trouble deepened when the former crown prince, dissatisfied after being deposed, revealed this secret to Da Zhou's long-time rival, the Da Xia Dynasty.
The ensuing chaos shook the dynasty, and the current Da Zhou emperor was ambushed and severely injured. Meanwhile, internal strife grew as royal family members competed for power, tearing the empire apart.
With no other choice, the emperor appealed to their Upper Realm backers, only to be met with indifference. Rumor had it that Da Zhou had been abandoned by the very forces that were supposed to protect them.
At the same time, their rival, the Da Xia Dynasty, had managed to curry favor with their own Upper Realm patrons, receiving powerful boons that strengthened their position. Da Xia's emperor was now preparing to slowly annex Da Zhou.
In this time of crisis, the Da Zhou royal family should have united. However, as was common in large families, many had their own ambitions, especially within the imperial clan.
This time, the former emperor of Da Zhou publicly claimed to be holding a royal artifact to secure rare medicines for the younger generation, but Ji Lingxian knew better. Her grandfather intended to use this opportunity to obtain a royal-grade medicine to extend his life. If he could break through to the Human Emperor Realm in the process, that would be even better.
It was a hopeful fantasy, though. Even Human Emperor-level powerhouses faced certain death in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land, let alone her aging grandfather, who was only half a step into the Human Emperor Realm and whose vitality had long since waned.
Sighing again at the thought of her grandfather's peril and the desperate situation facing Da Zhou, Ji Lingxian couldn't help but feel the weight of it all.
In this critical moment of life and death, those who had once been close to her had vanished. Initially, some had offered help, but as soon as it became clear that the Da Xia Dynasty had gained favor with an Upper Realm power, everyone stepped aside.
No one would offend an Upper Realm force over a mere mortal empire. The difference in strength between the Upper and Lower Realms was insurmountable.
At first, Ji Lingxian had been prepared to fight Da Xia to the death, but when she heard that someone from the Upper Realm had arrived in the Eastern Wastelands, she decided to take a gamble. Perhaps this person was connected to the Upper Realm faction that supported Da Zhou.
If not, she thought, maybe the Da Zhou royal family could offer something valuable in exchange for his aid.
"What business do you have with me?" Qin Tian hadn't planned on meeting anyone. He didn't care who they were. But since the system had identified her as a Fortune Female Lead, he figured he might as well see what she had to say.
As Qin Tian glanced at the woman dressed in men's clothing, he had to admit that, like all Fortune Female Leads, she was a rare beauty. There was something particularly intriguing about her androgynous look.
Seeing that the rumored Upper Realm figure was a young, handsome man close to her own age, Ji Lingxian felt a twinge of disappointment. No matter how powerful his background, someone so young couldn't possibly hold much sway in a major Upper Realm faction.
"You seem disappointed to see me," Qin Tian said, his ancient dual-pupil eyes allowing him to see every subtle movement in her expression. Her disappointment had been brief but obvious to him.
Had it been anyone else, Qin Tian wouldn't have cared. But since she was a Fortune Female Lead, he was mildly curious.
"No, not at all," Ji Lingxian quickly shook her head. That was the last thing she wanted to admit.
"Young Master, she is Princess Ji Lingxian of the Da Zhou Dynasty. Her family's former emperor intends to wield a royal artifact to break into the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Land," Chu Xinyue whispered discreetly to Qin Tian. As the Saintess of Wandao Sacred Land, she was well-informed about such matters. The Da Zhou Dynasty had approached them for help, but they had refused. It was simple—they didn't want to get involved with an Upper Realm force, despite having their own backers.
After all, Wandao Sacred Land wouldn't risk offending the Qin Clan. One wrong move, and they could be cast aside like pawns. To the Immortal Qin Clan, Wandao Sacred Land was expendable.
"So, you're here to ask for my help?" Qin Tian smiled faintly, looking warmly at the beautiful Ji Lingxian in her male disguise.
"I..." Ji Lingxian hesitated, unsure how to begin. But after thinking about the dire situation her family was in, she bit her lip and asked, "Young Master, might you have any ties to the Da Zhou Celestial Court, my family's ancestral faction in the Upper Realm?"
The first emperor of the Da Zhou Dynasty had been a lesser member of the Da Zhou Celestial Court's imperial clan. Though they were distant relatives, the connection existed.
"Da Zhou Celestial Court?" Qin Tian shook his head slightly, indicating he had never heard of them. It wasn't surprising. The Qin Clan stood at the pinnacle of the Upper Realm, and not every faction was worth knowing.
As the Young Master of the Immortal Qin Clan, Qin Tian was only familiar with factions on par with or slightly weaker than the Qin Clan. A group like the Da Zhou Celestial Court, far weaker by comparison, wouldn't have crossed his radar.