'Even someone as ancient and powerful, along with such a rich history and almost endless resources as the Cardinal Royal Family, has to charge their own young disciples to participate in the Awakening Ceremony. So it is just insane to imagine how costly it is that only the truly rich and powerful can afford it. And I am almost certain that what the Royal Family is charging is not enough to recover that cost. But because of the Founding Emperor's teachings, they are doing their best to lower the cost so that everyone can afford it.'
Xiao thought.
'But unfortunately, even then they are suffering losses in the end by hosting an Awakening Ceremony, which produces talents for the Royal Family. Sadly, the ceremony is simply too costly even for the Royal Family. If it weren't for the Founding Emperor's belief in equality and that everyone deserves an opportunity to change their lives, then I don't think the Royal Family would host such a ceremony on such a large scale. To be honest, if it weren't for the current operating system, political structure, and the ideas, values, and beliefs our ancestors have passed down through generations, I don't think the current Royal Family would be in the position and status it holds today.'
He shook his head.
'Instead, it would be a crappy cultivation clan filled with nepotism, injustice, discrimination against the talented, and many other stupid things. Thank the Gods that my Royal Family is not like that. Otherwise, I don't know how I would have dealt with all that crap.'
Xiao felt truly grateful for his ancestors and the Founding Emperors' brilliance, strategic minds, long-term planning, and visionary policies, where talent was valued more than connections within the Royal Family.
'Damn, I really have to acknowledge those old folks for all the tears, sweat, blood, and effort they put into building the current Cardinal Royal Family and its prideful foundation and strength. Should I burn some incense and pray to them so that all my problems in life disappear and I receive their blessings?'
Thinking such amusing thoughts to himself, he continued ascending the stairs while thinking about many different things. After climbing for some time, he passed through another restriction formation using his token.
Then he reached the fourth floor of the Royal Library.
On this level, there were not many people. There might have been less than a dozen. Even though the people on this floor were not emitting any aura,
a strange feeling of overwhelming oppression lingered in the air, as though every single one of them was capable of shattering Heaven and Earth and collapsing the void.
Seeing Xiao's arrival, every one of them turned around to look at him. Xiao could feel many glances land on him as a single thought entered his mind.
'Estimated Ones! Every single one of them is an Estimated One.'
Even though they were suppressing their auras, the feeling they gave him was enough for him to guess that the people before him were Void-Shattering Estimated Ones.
But nonetheless, Xiao's heart didn't waver in fear or anything else. Instead, he remained calm and indifferent, whether in his mind, expression, or actions.
Seeing him like this, all of those Estimated Ones secretly nodded to themselves. It would have been too disappointing if the prince of the Royal Family couldn't even meet their gaze.
Seeing Xiao calmly return their gazes, they nodded and bowed to him.
Xiao also nodded and bowed back, not daring to disrespect them at all. And why would he? Aside from those crafty old monsters trying to test his courage,
they hadn't done anything disrespectful or harmful to him. Instead, they had even shown him respect by nodding and bowing. Xiao deeply understood how arrogant and prideful high level cultivators usually were.
So for them to show him such respect and courtesy was already enough.
'Truly a bunch of old frogs.'
After that, Xiao didn't waste any more time on them. Ignoring those people, he continued ascending the stairs.
Some time later, he once again encountered a restriction formation.
After passing through it by showing his library token, Xiao reached the fifth floor of the library.
He was expecting to see some more Void-Shattering Estimated Ones on this floor, but to his surprise, there was no one.
'Is this place completely empty? Well, what a shame. I was expecting to see some of them here.'
He thought as he prepared to make this floor his reading place for now.
But in the next moment, he suddenly noticed two people in a quiet corner of the library.
One was a beautiful woman wearing a pale white Daoist robe with a cold expression on her face, while the other was a woman with a gentle expression wearing an all black Daoist robe and holding several books and talismans.
The woman with the cold expression turned toward him and slowly nodded.
The woman with the gentle expression smiled warmly and waved her hand.
Xiao, with a calm expression and indifferent face, nodded back to them before continuing to climb the stairs.
Soon, he disappeared from the floor.
The gentle black robed woman turned to the woman in white and spoke.
"Ah, it looks like our Cardinal Royal Family is going to have another Great Emperor in this generation. Prince? What an interesting person."
The woman in the white robe replied indifferently without turning back.
"You're right. Most Heaven's Chosen would have been sweating in fear just by looking at us. But he? He didn't even flinch. It seems our Royal Family has produced another brilliant talent. Let's see how far he goes in the future."
The gentle black robed woman nodded.
"Exactly. I am also interested to witness his journey."
On the other hand, Xiao continued walking up the stairs toward the highest floor. His expression remained calm as he steadily climbed higher.
But inwardly, he was anything but calm.
'What the hell was that? Those women... Are they Supreme Beings?'
...
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