With the ambush taken care of, their way back to Rejuvenation was wholly uneventful.
In a few hours, the airboat had returned to the core Rejuvenation island, where the imperial family resided. That family fell short in comparison to that of Eternal Divine Nation or even the Bluesmoke Isles.
The core island had its own unique charm. However, Jiang Chen didn’t particularly like the atmosphere in Rejuvenation. There was a distinct lack of an established foundation.
Nonetheless, he wasn’t here for a tour, but to acquire the spirit stones the imperial prince had promised him. It’d facilitate his plan significantly.
Meanwhile, Rejuvenation was boiling in anxiety.
The imperial family had received a secret report that the Tritalent Isles had gathered a group of desperados to attack Imperial Prince Huo.
Unfortunately, the imperial family couldn’t afford to send any reinforcements. The aristocratic families of Polylore Divine Nation had killed many of them in fits of unreasonable rage and robbed Rejuvenation of a great fortune.
They were too weak to respond to the ambush. The imperial family debated among themselves and couldn’t agree on a rescue plan.
Some were in favor of rescuing the imperial prince. Others were against it.
The emperor was naturally in favor of a rescue mission. He and the other supporters knew very well how important the imperial prince was to the imperial family and Rejuvenation at large. If he died, Rejuvenation really would have no more talent to be found within its borders.
However, the opposition had a solid argument as well. Rejuvenation had a great shortage of manpower. If their experts were further spread thin, it’d be easy for their enemies to divide and conquer.
What would they do if attacked while part of their cultivators were away for a rescue mission? They had enough difficulty defending their territory as it was. They’d fall easily with only part of their forces.
If imperial prince was truly Rejuvenation’s hope, he would overcome the challenge and survive. If he didn’t, he wasn’t the savior they were looking for.
The two sides clashed furiously and prevented a decision from being made. Just as they were stuck in a stalemate, Imperial Prince Huo returned, alive and well!
Rejuvenation rejoiced at the good news.
The opposition didn’t feel embarra.s.sed at all. They believed they’d been proven right. Since the imperial prince was the true savior of Rejuvenation, it only made sense for him to return safely.
With the prince came shocking news.
They’d a.s.sumed the imperial prince must have evaded the ambush, or the ambushers must have targeted the wrong location. That was the only explanation for his safe return. However, according to his words, Tritalent had end up attacking, and had deployed a staggering number of twelve advanced empyrean cultivators!
Everyone in Rejuvenation worried and feared for their home.
They wouldn’t have believed the imperial prince had survived such a scenario if he wasn’t standing before them without a single scratch! It defied common sense for the imperial prince and his companions to come back uninjured.
“Your Highness, an intense fight must have broken out if you encountered that large group of advanced empyrean experts. Why does it seem like neither you nor Chief Warden Ding has gone through a fight? Those from Tritalent couldn’t have let you go out of the kindness of their heart, could they now?”
Many believed that the imperial prince might have exaggerated to make himself look better, which was exactly what they had to avoid in current times. Any misinformation could lead to them misjudging the situation.
Imperial Prince Huo smiled easily. “I understand why you’d be skeptical. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there myself. However, the ambush did happen, and the one in charge was Gao Kui.”
“Gao Kui? He’s hostile to Rejuvenation. Why would he let you off the hook?”
“Let me off the hook? No, he did no such thing. He launched an attack without so much as a warning.”
“Then how did it go…?”
Imperial Prince Huo chuckled. “They’re dead! All twelve of them!”
“They’re all dead?!”
None of them believed his words. What a blatant lie! It was impossible for the imperial prince and his companion to eliminate all twelve advanced empyrean cultivators. His party didn’t even look like they’d been in a fight!
The story was more unbelievable than the most fantastical fairytale. Unstoppable laughs of incredulity burst forth.
“You said they all died, Your Highness, but how? They couldn’t have killed themselves out of shame, could they?”
“You’re putting words in my mouth,” Imperial Prince Huo retorted calmly. “They were killed, and it was a quick death. They all died in only a few breaths of time.”
“A few breaths of time? Well, Your Highness, that… sounds a little surreal. If Rejuvenation is that powerful, we wouldn’t have...”
“Did I say we were the ones who killed them?” Imperial Prince Huo questioned coldly, his gaze sweeping over those who were antagonistic to him.
They started.
Imperial Prince Huo didn’t spare another glance for them and instead bowed to the emperor. “Royal brother, I have wonderful news for you!”
The emperor perked up. “What is it, brother? Let’s have it.”
“I’ve found Rejuvenation a great patron!”
“Patron?” This elicited another round of surprise. The emperor was curious as well.
“What patron?” asked the emperor. “Tell me.”
The word patron conjured some traumatic memories. Many were reminded of the whole ordeal with Polylore Divine Nation. That was why many of them harbored grievances towards the imperial prince.
He was the one who had brought in Polylore Divine Nation, which had led to a series of unfortunate events.
“Imperial Prince Huo, why would you seek someone to be a patron again? Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?”
“Haha, speaking of patron makes me think of the nightmares that Polylore Divine Nation brought down on us.”
They mocked and ridiculed the imperial prince, making their stance against the idea known. They also knew that most in Rejuvenation shared their sentiments.