Divinesprings were graded according to their diameters. For instance, those smaller than two centimeters were grade one, and those between two and three centimeters were grade two. Those that were nine centimeters and beyond were grade nine and almost larger than an open palm. In the legends of the divineglorians, divinesprings as large as ten centimeters existed and were considered grade ten. However, nobody could say for sure if they had actually existed.
Usually, any divinespring wider than seven centimeters would be considered the mark of a top talent, with a grade-eight divinespring being the absolute peak. As for those with nine centimeter or wider divinesprings, they would be considered ruler material. More than eighty percent of divineglorian rulers had grade-nine divinesprings.
With that said, the status of Princess Shen Yu was clear to see. Tianming noted that the violet divinespring at the center of her chest was more or less nine centimeters in diameter despite being under her clothes. While staring like that was quite impolite, it was hard to resist the glow of a divinespring. Little did Tianming know that among divineglorians, staring at oneâs divinespring was an act of disrespect without regard to gender. That was why most people only dared to look down when standing in front of the princess. Only an outsider like Tianming would be completely ignorant of such conventions.
Feeling the divinespringâs power, he thought, the universe truly is diverse. Thereâs races with both male and female characteristics in every individual, as well as divineglorians and wargodeansâŠ. There were all kinds of races, even the wondersky race and sky plunderers. Perhaps that was why the phrase âthe myriad races of the cosmic aetherâ existed.
âHave you stared enough?â the princess said with a smile. She didnât seem the least bit offended. In fact, she seemed like she enjoyed the attention.
âYour Highnessâs grade-nine divinespring is too impressive. Iâm sorry for the hard stare. I wonder for what reason I was summoned here?â Surely it wasnât just for a leisurely chat.
âStraight to the point, eh? Then Iâll be direct.â While the princess seemed proud and aloof, it wasnât to the point of distaste. Her beauty made almost whatever she did forgivable, and she had more than enough inner character to complement that beauty.
âPlease do.â
âYes. Last time, I asked you whether you had a faction backing you, right?â
âYes.â
âIf the faction backing you isnât the Violetcloud Imperium, then I would like to know if itâs related to them at all.â
âIs Your Highness trying to ascertain whether I am friend or foe?â This was the first time Tianming had met a princess of such high status. From every aspect, including her looks, aura, and demeanor, she was indisputably regal.
âAnswer me first.â
âIâm not part of the Violetcloud Imperium and have nothing to do with them.â
âThatâs good.â Her brows seemed to relax somewhat. âThen you should know that there are only two large factions on our star, us and the Violetcloud Imperium. While this world is vast, there is no middle ground. Itâs either black or white. The middle is for the common rabble to dwell in, and your shocking talent is definitely not common. Do you understand that someone like you canât afford to stand in the middle?â
âOf course. Your Highnessâs words are clear.â
âIâm glad you understand. Then let me be straightforward with you. Before we met the last time, I had yet to see you fight Mu Sha. Since then, our dynasty has greatly increased our evaluation of you. The elders think the faction thatâs backing you can no longer afford to not pick a side. Since youâre willing to come to me for a talk, that shows that we might still have a chance. I represent the dynasty in extending an invitation to your faction, including your master, family, friends, and all of your associates to join the Divineglory Alliance. Weâll give you the best protection and offer you the best of resources. Your associates will also be cared for. If your backers are a sect, weâll make sure they prosper. Additionally, Iâve asked my imperial father to personally grant you a gift.â
There was extra emphasis on the word âgiftâ. Even someone like Tianming knew that such a gift definitely wouldnât come cheap. He was quite troubled by what he heard. He had thought that simply mentioning that he already had a backer would be enough to keep people away from inviting him. He didnât think that the dynasty would even want to absorb his entire secret faction. The problem was that the faction had never existed in the first place and he wasnât even on the Violetglory Star, so no promise of gifts would be useful to him.
Right as he was about to refuse, the princess said, âThe divineglorians will grant you two seven-star universal manna.â
Tianming was stunned. Weisheng Moran had only gotten one of them from a dragon palace in the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb. Not even the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect might be able to give him something like that. He didnât think the dynasty would be so generous as to offer two.
âComing to join our dynasty wonât conflict with you being a member of your original faction.â As she had said, there were only two sides on the Violetglory Star. If Tianming and his backers werenât part of the Violetcloud Imperium, it would be easy to deal with. âYou can have those backing you, perhaps even your master, directly negotiate with us. My uncle, the Minister Supreme, will personally negotiate with them. Weâll give you all kinds of allowances as a sign of our sincerity.â
Being talented truly opened doors anywhere. The divineglorians knew that it was crucial to snatch up any talent that wasnât affiliated with either side as soon as they could. The princess was sincere in everything she had said.
âThisâŠ.â
Before Tianming could speak, she interrupted again. âI know you must have qualms about your safety. Donât worry. Iâll personally send those two universal manna to you. You can even specify the elemental attributes. If a princess like me dares to come to you alone, surely you wouldnât be afraid, right?â
Tianmingâs head was about to explode. He desperately wanted to ask her to come to Orderia with the manna, but he had a feeling that he shouldnât reveal his location; otherwise even his access privileges to the Violetglory Pagoda might be affected.