At the position where the Yunshui Long Family stood, the leading figure was unmistakably the supreme genius of the Yunshui Long Family, Long Aotian.

Long Aotian stood in mid-air with his hands behind his back, his indifferent gaze slowly drifting over the sea of people below. It was unclear what he was pondering, but a subtle murderous intent emanated from him, making his presence somewhat chilling.

"Eldest Cousin, you promised me! If Ye Fei dares to show up, you'll personally kill him during the Palace Contest!" Long Potian, standing behind Long Aotian, said with a fierce expression.

"Rest assured, even without your involvement, he is destined to die! Personally speaking, as long as he hands over that item, it doesn't matter to me if he lives or dies. Regrettably, the millennium-long reputation of the Yunshui Long Family cannot be tainted. If someone tries to smear our Yunshui Long Family's name, there's only one outcome for them death." Long Aotian's eyes twitched for a moment before speaking emotionlessly.

"But will Ye Fei participate in this Palace Contest?" Long Potian's gaze scanned the surroundings for a moment before speaking with a touch of reluctance.

"He will definitely come," Long Aotian said with a faint smile. "He's not a fool. He understands that it's not easy to win the Palace Contest, but if he just waits in the imperial capital, his fate after the contest might be even more tragic than if he participated. So, one way or another, he'll definitely seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"What if he clinches the top position?" Long Potian suddenly voiced his concerns.

"You don't have to worry about that. The Junwu Sect has dispatched two people to assist our Long Family. It's just Ye Fei; it's not like he can fly into the sky or something," Long Aotian stated nonchalantly.

"But."

"There are no 'buts'. Ye Fei will definitely participate in the Palace Contest! And there's only one possible outcome for him!" Long Aotian interrupted Long Potian, "If you're still worried, bring more people to join the Palace Contest this time. If it comes to it, and you end up with a numbers advantage against him, I'll just turn a blind eye."

"Thank you, Eldest Cousin!" A joyful expression appeared on Long Potian's face as he quickly bowed in gratitude.

Soon after, a malicious expression surfaced on his face, and a shrill roar surged from the depths of his heart: "Ye Fei! This time, I will make you understand that the only consequence of offending the Yunshui Long Family is a death with no place for burial!"

"Rumble—"

Amidst the conversation between Long Aotian and Long Potian, a sudden intense spatial fluctuation accompanied by a thunderous sound resonated throughout the entire imperial capital.

At that very moment, the previously noisy Big Bone Plaza immediately plunged into absolute silence. Subsequently, everyone's gaze was instantly drawn to the center of the Big Bone Plaza.

In the center of the Big Bone Plaza, strange spatial waves spread out. In the originally stable space, a rift gently appeared. Following that, a large bronze gate slowly emerged from the space, soon manifesting in the middle of the Big Bone Plaza.

The moment this bronze gate appeared, an ancient and desolate aura instantly spread out, causing many to involuntarily take a sharp breath. Afterward, a faint oppressive aura permeated the area. Under this ancient pressure, the figures of the crowd hovering mid-air seemed to be pushed down a bit. Evidently, in the face of such ancient might, regardless of how powerful one was, it couldn't be ignored!

Moments later, a cacophony of voices rose to the skies.

"It's the Ancient Imperial Gate!"

"I never expected this Palace Contest to be held in the ancient imperial capital. It seems this Palace Contest will certainly be much more exciting than the previous ones!"

"It's said that the ancient imperial capital is fraught with danger, but due to the great battle from years ago, there are also many treasures within. This time, it truly is a combination of risk and opportunity!"

As the crowd below burst into a noisy discussion, those from major powers hovering above also had a hint of eagerness flash in their eyes.

Truth be told, everyone present was familiar with this Ancient Imperial Gate and the ancient imperial capital.

It's said that the Palace Contest, as per the rules set by the Nine-heaven Xuan Sect, chooses a venue randomly from over twenty dangerous locations every year.

And this ancient imperial capital is the most perilous among those twenty-plus dangerous locations.

At the same time, while the ancient imperial capital was immensely perilous, it was filled with various treasures because it was once the capital of an ancient dynasty.

Legend has it that the ancient imperial capital was located at the heart of an exceptionally vast mountain range. This range was primarily occupied by powerful Demon Beasts, and under normal circumstances, no one could enter. Only during the Palace Contest did one have a certain chance to access this place! The most recent opening of the ancient imperial capital was sixty years ago. During that Palace Contest, many did not achieve the top rank, but they benefited greatly within the ancient imperial capital. Some of the emerging powers in the Da'an Dynasty even originated from participants of that contest sixty years ago!

For this reason, when people realized that the location for this Palace Contest was the legendary ancient imperial capital, many involuntarily gasped. Their eyes glowed with intense excitement. Even those who initially didn't intend to enter were filled with fervor, clearly hoping to test their luck inside.

"So it's the ancient imperial capital." Lv Yu looked at the scene, his eyes filled with astonishment, before turning to glance at Liu Hong.

Liu Hong's eyes also flashed with surprise, and after a moment he calmly said, "The situation this time is different. Relay the order: all members of the Junwu Sect present who are at the Half-step Martial Master pinnacle can participate in the Palace Contest."

"Eldest Brother, isn't this a bit," Lv Yu hesitated for a moment.

"It's fine. Even if Master learns about this, he will understand. The opening of the ancient imperial capital is rare. We should gain as many advantages from it as we can. But no matter what, we can't let the royal family take all the benefits," Liu Hong responded lightly.

"Understood!" Hearing this, Lv Yu paused slightly, then nodded, his gaze sweeping around.

Upon looking, he saw that all major powers, including Yunshui's Five Families and the royal family, had now changed their strategies. They were dispatching all their powerhouses who were at the Half-step Martial Master pinnacle level. Moreover, many previously uncommitted lone powerhouses now emerged, their eager eyes fixed on the Ancient Imperial Gate. Clearly, once that gate opened, it seemed these people would rush in without regard for their own safety.

Seeing this scene, Lv Yu was momentarily taken aback. A brief moment later, he let out a faint cold chuckle. It seemed that this Palace Contest would be the most spectacular one in nearly a century.

......

"It's almost time," Long Aotian remarked, squinting at the sky.

"Ye Fei doesn't seem to have arrived yet," Long Potian commented, his gaze sweeping briefly before speaking with a malicious tone.

"Don't worry, with the opening of the ancient imperial capital this time, even if he had to crawl, he'd make his way here," Long Aotian said, his face calm. "If it were another battleground, he might have had a chance, but in the ancient imperial capita,l it seems his fate is sealed."

Just as his words ended, Long Aotian's figure quivered slightly. Moments later, his gaze slowly shifted to the distance, and he said with a cold smile, "Look, isn't that him rushing to his doom right now?"

"Whoosh—"

The moment Long Aotian's voice fell, many seemed to sense something and quickly turned their heads to look behind them. Their actions immediately caught the attention of the crowd, with everyone's gaze shifting in that direction.

Soon after, the sound of rapid wind-breaking was heard, and many instantly recognized the identity of the newcomer.

"That's Alchemist Ye Fei who's been causing a stir in the imperial capital these days. He really did come. I thought he had given up!"

"Who would have thought that after offending almost every major force in the imperial capital, he still dared to participate in the Palace Contest? Truly, the ignorant are the most fearless!"

"HIt seems the first dark horse of this Palace Contest has appeared. This guy can actually rival Long Aotian in strength! It seems this Palace Contest will have some unexpected developments!"

"Indeed! It makes me want to enter the ancient imperial capital and see for myself. If I miss this Palace Contest, I might never get another chance to witness such a spectacle in my lifetime. "

Amidst the whispers and murmurs, the silhouette in the sky quickly took form. Within a few breaths, accompanied by the sound of the wind, it finally appeared high above the horizon.

At that moment, Du Fei was dressed in a white robe, holding a Little Tiger in his arms. As his figure appeared above the Big Bone Plaza, he noticed that countless gazes from the dense crowd below were fixated on him. However, he didn't show any extra emotion, just casually scanned the crowd and then stood silently in mid-air.

Sensing this, the other figures hovering in the air also cast their gazes in his direction. Yet, no one said anything. It was as if the individual they were all so concerned about had arrived, and now they somehow couldn't muster the same level of interest.

Du Fei naturally ignored them. His gaze slowly settled on the Ancient Imperial Gate, his eyes narrowing slightly. Although the energy emanating from the Ancient Imperial Gate was not as intense as what he had experienced in the Millennium Ice Enclosure, this level of fluctuation was still not to be underestimated.

"The ancient imperial capital, huh? Interesting." Du Fei had some understanding of this Palace Contest, so after observing for a while, he commented lightly.

Hearing his words, the eyes of many in the crowd slightly contracted, but still, no one said much.

Du Fei's arrival, although causing a brief silence, soon gave way as the atmosphere in the plaza returned to its original state. Clearly, everyone was fervently discussing the potential benefits of venturing into the ancient imperial capital.

However, unlike the crowd below, the atmosphere amongst those hovering in mid-air was eerily silent. Not a single person spoke, yet many frequently cast their gazes towards the imperial city's direction. Clearly, that place was of utmost importance to them.

"Boom—"

Just as everyone's thoughts were in a peculiar state, suddenly, a faint aura began to emanate from the depths of the imperial city. This overwhelming pressure made the formidable figures present feel a weight in their hearts, and many weaker powerhouses immediately knelt on one knee.

"This is the Martial Master Realm of the fifth-grade!" Du Fei felt a slight shock in his heart, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes. His gaze quickly shot towards the direction of the imperial city, and he couldn't help but comment internally.

As this aura spread out, moments later, from the location of the Junwu Sect's main gate outside the imperial capital, another equally profound aura surged into the sky!

"Another fifth-grade Martial Master Realm." Du Fei's gaze slightly sharpened. This time, there wasn't much astonishment in his heart. Instead, a faint trace of murderous intent emerged. Shortly after, his gaze swiftly shifted towards the direction of the Junwu Sect's main gate, with a hint of intrigue flashing in his eyes.

"Junwu Sect, a fifth-grade Martial Master."