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Chapter 553: Emperor\'s New Clothes!

"Taiping, it\'s through your efforts I have this beloved disciple," General Cao said with a laugh.

"Not at all, not at all." Jiang Taiping chuckled, glancing towards the core of the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office, then whispered beside General Cao, "Just now, several awe-inspiring presences descended. Hearing you had acted first, they all withdrew."

General Cao grinned. "These old fellows, with noses so keen, are used to snatching up talents."

He knew Jiang Taiping was underlining his own role in making these connections!

There was no need for him to promise anything to Jiang Taiping! The connection was already in place!

Moreover, if Jiang Heqing and Jiang Haiyan performed well in the selection for the Immortal Tournament, Jiang Taiping\'s tenure in the Thunder Department would be paved forward with gold!

Overwhelmed with congratulations, General Cao was in high spirits. He then looked at the youth\'s face! A spitting image of the face that had appeared in the sky just moments before.

It was a striking visage, unlikely to find a match throughout the sacred land of the Thunder Department.

"A talent with an Immemorial Thunder Seed was born! And he was instantly snatched up by me! What a stroke of luck!" General Cao inwardly mused. He then beckoned to Yun Xiao, "Come here, my dear disciple.

\'Yes, Master." Yun Xiao approached him.

"Good, good!" General Cao laughed, patting Yun Xiao\'s shoulder with a vigorous hand. "It\'s time for you to show everyone your Immemorial Thunder Seed!"

"Immemorial Thunder Seed?" Yun Xiao blinked in surprise. He looked around and saw dozens of officials gazing at him expectantly.

"You still don\'t realize it?" General Cao smiled wryly, cheerfully adding, "No matter, just manifest your spirit. I reckon there\'s at least a hundred of us here that can see the true vastness of your essence!"

It appeared only the powerful could discern the special potential of the Immemorial Thunder Seed!

Clearly, General Cao was the most familiar with it.

"He can see the unique aspects of the spirit of the Creator Immortal?" Yun Xiao thought to himself. That was indeed impressive

So it was, under the gaze of countless eager eyes, that Yun Xiao let his spirit emerge from his body. Invisible to others, his spirit appeared just as his mortal self.

"Manifest!" Amid a hush, with a mere thought from Yun Xiao, a cluster of white mist gathered a mere foot before him.

Curiosity shone in the eyes of all who surrounded him.

"The Immemorial Thunder Seed!"

Before the mist even fully condensed, the excitement of the crowd surged.

With the intense focus of thousands upon him, the form of Yun Xiao\'s spirit emerged before him, twin-like in its appearance.

The Creator Immortal\'s spirit! Enveloped in mist, it exuded an ethereal grace, clad in garments of white untouched by worldly dust, pure as a newborn soul, calming the hearts of all who beheld it.

"Wow! Is that the Immemorial Thunder Seed!?"

"As handsome as Lu Yao!"

"He looks just like Lu Yao!"

A deafening chorus of awe and exclamations echoed around.

Indeed, everyone was in admiration!

Clearly, this was related to General Cao\'s earlier statement. None were among that hundred, but all aspired to be!

"Wow!"

These exclamations stunned Yun Xiao himself.

"Do they all recognize the greatness of my spirit?" Just as this thought crossed his mind, Yun Xiao felt the air stiffen, the temperature seemingly dropping. What was happening? He looked up!

Before him, General Cao, Jiang Taiping, and Dongfang Sheng stared at his spirit. Their smiles froze, their eyes flickering with too much—shock, confusion, disbelief, and even anger?

Anger blazed in General Cao\'s eyes. His gaze, fiery and unyielding, fixed upon Yun Xiao\'s spirit form, his face twitching uncontrollably.

Tens of thousands cheered!

Only about a hundred, much like General Cao, had their faces tightened, as if scrutinizing the Emperor\'s new clothes.

"Is that... the Immemorial Thunder Seed? Why does it look just like a true-self spirit?"

A crisp voice rang out, suddenly loud amidst the silence.

People turned in shock to see a little boy speaking, his voice tentative, "Doesn\'t it look exactly like him? Isn’t that just a true-self spirit? My father says that’s the most useless spirit in the Celestial Court. A spirit that manifests as oneself means that for a thousand generations, none of his ancestors were stronger than him, not even a single one..."

His words trailed off into a hushed silence.

By the time he finished, the once-boiling scene froze over.

Everyone glanced at Yun Xiao, then at General Cao... the absurdity of the situation sent a ripple of unease through the crowd.

"Stop talking nonsense! That\'s the Immemorial Thunder Seed!" The boy\'s father dashed over, covering his son’s mouth, and dragging him to kneel before General Cao, his forehead sweating as he bowed deeply. "General Cao, my son knows not the heights of heaven nor the depths of earth, speaking out of turn. Please, for his youth, spare us!"

His face was ghostly pale as he spoke. His words plunged the scene deeper into deathly silence.

"..." General Cao’s face twitched violently. His eyes moved from Yun Xiao\'s spirit, turning away coldly, thunder flashing in his gaze as he bellowed, "Jiang Taiping!"

"General Cao!" Jiang Taiping, sweating profusely, his face contorted, "It can’t be, sir. He looks the same, yes, but surely the manifestation of the Immemorial Thunder Seed is just deeply hidden?"

General Cao gave him a cold glance, then ordered another, "Take this portrait and search throughout the Thunder Department!"

"Search for whom?" The official, holding the portrait, was confused.

"One who looks like this!" General Cao, without another glance at Yun Xiao, gestured dismissively behind him.

After speaking, his face dark as stormy waters, General Cao stepped past Jiang Taiping and vanished from the sight of the gathered masses. He was in search of one who looked like this, but not this very one!

"Huh?"

"Did he rush to court a genius only to become a laughingstock?"

The crowd remained frozen in place, dumbstruck for a long while.

"What now?"

Suddenly, a sly and mocking voice carried through the air.

All eyes turned to see Zhao Danming, who seemed to have just climbed out from a well, stretching his voice with a laugh, "After all that fuss, it turns out to be just a possum masquerading as a prince. Look at him earlier, all puffed up with pride—it\'s hilarious, haha..."

Beside him, Dongfang Yong and Chen Yu shook their heads, their laughter tinged with deeper meaning.

"Sister!" It took a moment for Jiang Heqing to catch on, then once again, she asked in confusion, "So, does that mean Yun Xiao still counts as General Cao\'s disciple or not? Should we still cozy up to him?"

Jiang Haiyan pursed her lips, replying, "Let\'s not talk anymore. Let\'s head back to the Hall of Soaring Thunder and focus on this afternoon\'s selection for the Immortal Tournament."

With that, Jiang Haiyan and her group were the first to leave.

Yun Xiao was left alone, under the gaze of tens of thousands, feeling as if he were stripped bare. Fortunately, he had not acknowledged a foster father; otherwise, he would have seemed even more foolish now.

"How does it feel?" Blue Star couldn\'t help but chuckle.

"It\'s like I just rode on the Soaring Thunder Leap again. I was lifted up to the heavens, and then cast down to hell. How thrilling…!" Yun Xiao squinted at these cynical people and laughed.

He had thought the stepping stone under his foot would launch him skyward in an instant. But to speak truthfully, this was the stark reality!

"No stepping stone, no matter. I am in a hurry, but not desperate." Yun Xiao looked towards the distant expanse of thunder palaces and smiled. "As for what kind of spirit mine truly is, everyone in the Thunder Department will soon have another chance to recognize it again."