Xiao Ruoling was about to say goodbye to Chu Zhiyuan when she suddenly turned to look.
The sound of galloping hooves rapidly approached from a distance, arriving in front of them in the blink of an eye.
With a neigh, a snow-white steed halted not far from them, rearing up on its hind legs. The two Celestial Dragon steeds glanced at it before turning away, too lazy to pay attention.
Seated on the horse was a woman in white robes as white as snow, her face covered by a white veil, revealing only a pair of bright, beautiful eyes, clear and radiant. Chu Zhiyuan immediately perceived that she was a stunning beauty, appearing to be two years younger than Xiao Ruoling.
A coldness resided between this woman's brows, and she surveyed the crowd with an inviolable air. Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.
This was also a female disciple of the Moon Invitation Palace, at the Perfected Innate stage, her cultivation no different from Xiao Ruoling's.
Xiao Ruoling was calm and peaceful, deep and gentle, while she was arrogant and imperious, clearly a young prodigy. "Shen Hanyue of the Moon Invitation Palace!"
"Junior Sister Shen."
Two young women smiled and clasped their fists: "Junior Sister Shen, you've come at the right time. This is Senior Sister Xiao, who just arrived as well."
Shen Hanyue, still seated on her horse, perfunctorily clasped her fist in return, her clear gaze falling upon Xiao Ruoling's face.
Xiao Ruoling's face was also covered with a white veil, as per the Moon Invitation Palace's rule that all disciples must conceal their true appearance. Worthless men are not worthy of seeing the true faces of Moon Invitation Palace disciples.
Although Xiao Ruoling's face was veiled, her eyes were deep and enchanting, causing people to involuntarily become lost within them. Even if her other features were ordinary, these eyes alone were enough to captivate, making her a beauty.
She averted her gaze, looking at Chu Zhiyuan, and immediately revealed a look of disgust. Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.
He considered himself to be a handsome and radiant man, a prince by birth, a Grandmaster in cultivation, and possessing god-like extrasensory perception, granting him a calm and composed demeanor. Even if he couldn't make every woman fall in love at first sight, this was the first time someone had directly expressed such disgust.
She snorted lightly, causing the veil covering her face to flutter: "A man?" Xiao Ruoling said: "So it's Junior Sister Shen, I've heard much about you."
This was the suddenly rising prodigy, one of the most promising contenders for the position of Holy Maiden.
Chu Zhiyuan looked at Xiao Ruoling: "Ruoling, then I shall be off. I'll come back in a few days to see the results." Xiao Ruoling said softly: "Be careful on the road."
"Haha..." Chu Zhiyuan laughed: "If those heretical sects really want to ambush me, they'd have to be able to catch up to me."
Once the Celestial Dragon steeds began to gallop wildly, no Grandmaster's lightness skill could ever hope to match their speed. It would be too difficult to catch up to him. Moreover, he possessed a premonition of danger, allowing him to immediately change direction if he sensed trouble ahead.
He leaped onto his horse, waved to Xiao Ruoling, and nodded to the two white-robed young women greeting guests from the Moon Invitation Palace. Then, two golden streaks shot away, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. "Such fast horses!" the two white-robed young women exclaimed.
One of the young women asked curiously: "Senior Sister Xiao, what kind of horses are these, so fast?" "Celestial Dragon steeds," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile.
"Celestial Dragon steeds..." The two white-robed young women tilted their heads, then clapped their hands: "I remember now, the Celestial Dragon steeds of Great Zhen. These Celestial Dragon steeds have actually been tamed?" Then, they suddenly realized: "It's the Fourth Prince."
Xiao Ruoling nodded slightly.
It seemed that news from Jade Capital could also reach the Moon Invitation Palace.
The two white-robed young women exclaimed: "The Celestial Dragon steeds live up to their name, they're really fast!" The two young women clearly adored the steeds, praising the Celestial Dragon steeds endlessly.
They also asked Xiao Ruoling if riding them was particularly enjoyable, particularly exciting, particularly exhilarating. Xiao Ruoling smiled and nodded, describing her experience.
Sitting on the back of a Celestial Dragon steed was like sitting in a chair, without feeling the horse running at all. There was no bumpiness, and no sense of speed.
Yet the actual speed was incredibly fast, far surpassing her own lightness skill. It only took two hours to run from Jade Capital City to here, making a round trip in a day easy and comfortable. The two women were repeatedly amazed by this.
They wished they could try riding them themselves.
"Senior Sister Xiao, can we try riding them too?"
"They don't allow anyone else to ride them, only the prince can," Xiao Ruoling said helplessly.
Shen Hanyue, who had been silent, ears perked, listening carefully, suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Lying, if they don't let anyone else ride, how did you get here?" Xiao Ruoling smiled: "Junior Sister Shen, I came with the prince on the same horse."
"Two horses, and you only rode one?" Shen Hanyue scoffed. Xiao Ruoling nodded.
Shen Hanyue said: "You are a disciple of the Moon Invitation Palace, how can you ride on the same horse as a man?"
Xiao Ruoling smiled: "I am the future princess consort, riding on the same horse is not considered a transgression of etiquette."
"... ... ... ... Can disciples of the Moon Invitation Palace marry?" Shen Hanyue was somewhat bewildered. Xiao Ruoling said: "Didn't my master marry the emperor?"
The true strength of the Moon Invitation Palace was always unclear, how many Grandmasters, how many Great Grandmasters, how many disciples there were. This had always been a mystery.
Xiao Ruoling hadn't been able to find out either. Consort Zeng Yuan of the West Palace had said that these were all top secrets, not to be divulged. Even the emperor didn't know.
As a disciple of the Moon Invitation Palace, she could see for herself, but she shouldn't discuss it with outsiders, and she couldn't even tell her future husband.
Since he couldn't see, Chu Zhiyuan didn't waste any more time, releasing the Celestial Dragon steeds from their restraints, allowing them to gallop freely. When he was with Xiao Ruoling, he still restrained the Celestial Dragon steeds a bit, but without Xiao Ruoling, he completely let go.
The two horses kicked up their hooves and galloped wildly, no longer holding back their power, like two golden streaks sweeping across the road.
Wherever they passed, dust flew, like a yellow dragon rising, accompanied by thunderous hoofbeats. The two horses created the momentum of two hundred horses.
Chu Zhiyuan, riding on the horse, curled his lips, excited and stimulated.
He ran back to Jade Capital City in one breath, returned to his own Prince's Mansion, and let the two horses go to the back garden to roam freely.
Every two days, he had to take them out for a run, to let them run freely, so that he could be happy and they could be happy. Then, he began to cultivate diligently.
Ruoling and Shen Hanyue followed the two white-robed young women, skimming through the trees upwards, until they reached the mountainside.
An ancient and fragrant palace stood majestically on the mountainside, and a group of women in white martial attire were practicing in the training ground in front of the main hall. The bright sunlight shone on the training ground, creating a lively scene.
Xiao Ruoling found that all of the more than one hundred women here were young girls, not very old.
On the steps in front of the main hall, a middle-aged woman stood solemnly, her eyes occasionally sweeping over the young girls in the training ground.
The two white-robed young women flew along the treetops, whispering: "These are the junior sisters who have just entered the sect, that is Elder Meng, who is the strictest." As they spoke, they shrank their necks, obviously having been scolded by Elder Meng.
Shen Hanyue frowned: "Their cultivation is too weak, isn't it?" "They only entered the sect a year ago."
"Let's continue upwards, the senior sisters are all above." They continued to skim upwards.
Soon they saw small deer scattered in the forest, and various other small beasts, all with cute appearances, that they had never seen before. Shen Hanyue immediately widened her bright eyes, not having enough eyes, chasing after one cute little beast after another.
Xiao Ruoling also curiously scanned around.
"These are our own raised playmates, after finishing their practice every day, they can play with them."
"The Moon Invitation Palace can raise these?" Xiao Ruoling asked in surprise.
This was the first time she had heard of this.
"You can raise them, and you can not raise them, there is no compulsion, but you must never abuse them, you must treat them as your own friends and relatives, and even consider them as disciples of our Moon Invitation Palace."
"I want to raise a little fawn!" Shen Hanyue said quickly.
The two women smiled and nodded, then talked about the characteristics of various small beasts.
Although the fawn was cute, it was very mischievous and not worry-free. The little fox didn't like to pay attention to people, and the little spirit dog was the most fun. While introducing them, they continued upwards, and soon saw another palace, a white jade palace.
In front of the palace was a white jade square.
On the square were more than one hundred Innate experts.
Then continuing upwards, there was another white jade palace. In the training ground in front of the palace, there were more than one hundred women, all of whom were Grandmasters. Finally, they came to the top of the mountain, where they landed, arriving in front of the last white jade palace.
In front of the white jade palace, stood nine young and beautiful women.
