What?
You think you're the best candidate?
Shen Qing's lips twitched.
"My dear disciple, do you misunderstand what 'best candidate' means?"
She held back from criticizing and instead said, "The truth of the matter remains uncertain."
"But..."
Ling Qingzhu wanted to continue, but Shen Qing interrupted her, "Let's wait until everything is clear."
She knew this wasn't baseless gossip. But she was determined not to let her go.
Ling Qingzhu grew anxious, "Master! We can't afford to wait!"
"Go back and focus on your training. Leave the rest to me."
Shen Qing firmly refused.
"Alright then... sigh..."
Seeing her master's resolve, Ling Qingzhu had no choice but to sigh, reluctantly turning to leave. Her elegant steps seemed to float on lotus petals as she disappeared.
Watching her leave, Shen Qing sighed in frustration.
What a pity.
Chen Xuan was such a promising student, and now her own disciple had driven him away.
She felt a tinge of fear, wondering: If Chen Xuan had truly gone berserk that day, would even she, his master, have been harmed?
After all...
He held the power to slay a Samsara Realm expert.
Although she didn't know how he'd obtained it, there was no doubt it was some divine treasure.
The treasure itself was secondary; more importantly, Chen Xuan's presence had immensely aided Ling Qingzhu's growth.
She pondered if stepping forward as his master could salvage the situation.
She could even let him choose a few other talented female disciples as concubines if he wished, as long as he forgave Qingzhu and returned to the Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace.
---
Meanwhile, in the Great Yan Dynasty, at the Lin Family residence in Lin City.
Lin Fan scowled at the assembled group, shouting, "You useless bunch! It's been ages, and you've yet to find a trace of him! What good are you?"
The elders dared not make a sound.
The Great Elder, Lin Mu, stepped forward and said cautiously, "Patriarch, that person is a Nirvana-level master. Our limited power makes it nearly impossible to track him."
"Excuses! All excuses! If you were truly dedicated, you would have found something by now!"
Lin Fan was enraged. This was a great chance for the Lin Family's rise. If the royal family got to him first, they'd suffer a huge loss.
As Lin Mu shrank back, just as he was about to say something, Lin Fan burst in excitedly from outside.
"Patriarch! Great news! Tremendous news!"
"What news?" Lin Fan leapt up, moving like a phantom to Lin Fan's side, startling him.
Steadying himself, Lin Fan explained, "Patriarch, word has it there was a monumental battle in Qingyang town, Yan City!"
"What? Tell me everything!"
A glint of excitement flashed in Lin Fan's eyes, his intuition telling him the victor of that battle was who he sought. This was his best chance to ally with someone powerful enough to ensure the Lin Family's future.
---
At the same time, in the royal palace of the Great Yan Dynasty's capital city.
The man in a dragon robe, black and white hair framing his dignified face, was none other than Emperor Mo Jingtian.
"Your Majesty, we've confirmed it."
A black-robed elder bowed.
Mo Jingtian was overjoyed. "Tell me, what did you find?"
The elder disclosed the rumors of a great battle witnessed in Qingyang town, sparking excitement in Mo Jingtian.
"Elder Hei, let's make haste to Qingyang town!"
"Your Majesty, as emperor, it would be unwise—"
But Mo Jingtian interrupted him, "If this is indeed the person rumored to have slain a Nirvana-level master with a single strike, he's worth the journey!"
Mo Jingtian had already sent men across the Great Yan Dynasty in search of this mysterious master after hearing from Wang Lei and Huang Pulong of their disciples' defeat.
Months of searching had finally borne fruit.
With this ally, Mo's imperial rule would be strengthened, possibly enough for the Mo clan to flourish for centuries.
And if he secured him for the Hundred Dynasties Battle? Their dynasty could ascend their rank
---
After days of travel, Mo Jingtian and his party reached Qingyang town, where he sensed a powerful aura nearby.
"What is it, Your Majesty?" asked the elder.
"Heh, just a familiar presence," Mo Jingtian replied, his frown easing into a smile.
A robed figure and a man in purple appeared.
Both sides exchanged wary glances before Lin Fan addressed Mo Jingtian, "Your Majesty, it's been a while."
"Lin Fan, are you here for a reason?"
"Just checking in on the Lin branch here," Lin Fan smiled evasively.
"Is that so? And I suppose my royal inspection here is unexpected?"
They shared a knowing laugh, each aware of the other's motives, and agreed that regardless of who succeeded in winning over the powerful master, neither would banish the other from the Great Yan Dynasty.
Following their intel, they entered the Thousand Gold Commerce Guild.
A guard was about to draw his weapon in anger at the intrusion but froze when the elder announced, "This is the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty!"
But the guard scoffed, "Old man, if you want to lie, find a better script."
"You!"
Then a woman's voice interrupted, "What's going on here?"
Everyone turned to see, it was Xuan Su.
She walked over slowly. The guard stepped forward and explained attentively: "Manager Su, these people are liars. Please wait a moment, I will drive them away!"
You are the emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty. Why don't you say that you are the super overlord of the Eastern Xuan Region?
Who would believe it?
Xuan Su waved her hand to stop the guard.
Then he turned his head and looked at a few people.
At the same time, Mo Jingtian and others also looked at her.
Suddenly.
They were all stunned.
They were horrified to find that there was a magical treasure in the form of a hairpin on Xuan Su's head!
Moreover, judging from the aura emanating from the hairpin.
It is a spiritual treasure of excellent quality!
It is also an extremely rare defensive spiritual treasure!
You know.
Spiritual treasure is an extremely rare treasure even for the Lin clan and the royal family.
Even if you are the top genius in the family, you must meet certain conditions to be worthy of it!
They never thought that they would see an ordinary woman wearing a hairpin-shaped spiritual treasure in this small Yan City!
What kind of family is this?
Several people looked at each other with strange expressions.
Could it be that she...
Just at this moment.
Sudden.
A woman with beautiful cheeks and a slightly cold expression appeared in a green dress.
The woman in green glanced at Mo Jingtian and the others, raised her eyebrows slightly, and asked, "Aunt Su, who are these people?"
"I don't know." Xuan Su shook her head
The woman in green heard the words and looked at the group warily.
Her sudden appearance left Mo Jingtian and the others completely stunned. They exchanged glances, each seeing disbelief in the others' eyes.
She also had the same spiritual treasure hairpin!
While they were still in shock, another figure appeared—a woman in purple, walking briskly toward them.
"Aunt Su, Sister Zhilan, why are you all gathered here?"
Mo Jingtian and the others turned to look, their eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. The woman in purple also wore a similar, top-quality hairpin!
Wait, when did these spirit treasures become so common? Is this even Yan City? It feels more like we've stumbled into a walking treasure trove!
At that moment, their worldview was completely shattered.
"Sister Ziyue."
"Sister Ziyue."
Both Xuan Su and Xia Zhilan greeted her in unison.
Aunt Su? Sister Zhilan? Sister Ziyue? The different, close terms they used completely confused the onlookers.
What... what's going on here? Are they not all on the same level? And with their gestures and interactions, they seemed as close as sisters.
The group was dumbfounded. What exactly is their relationship? And why do they all have the same spirit-treasure hairpin?
Could this have something to do with that man?
Various guesses floated in their minds.
While they were still dazed, Shi Ziyue walked over and asked curiously, "Aunt Su, who are these people?"
"I don't know them either," Xuan Su replied with a smile, shaking her head.
Shi Ziyue added, "My father said he needs to see you for something."
"What's it about?"
"…"
The two started chatting as if no one else was there, making Mo Jingtian and Lin Fan, once top elites of the Great Yan Dynasty, feel very awkward.
Around them, they could hear whispers from the crowd.
"Who are these people, daring to shout in the Thousand Gold Chamber of Commerce?"
"From what they said, one of them seems to be the emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty."
"An emperor? Sure, why don't they claim to be from a major sect too?"
"The chief manager, Su, is that man's woman. If they anger her, they could get crushed by a single slap!"
"Shh! Do you have a death wish? These aren't people you want to offend!"
Hearing this, the man in black's expression grew dark, and he was about to speak up.
But Mo Jingtian stopped him with a glance.
He knew these three women surely had a connection to the mysterious man they were seeking, so they needed to tread carefully.
In fact, it was even possible that all three women were his.
Otherwise, how could they all possess identical hairpins?
That was no coincidence; these were treasures far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
With that thought, Mo Jingtian decided not to create conflict here.
When the two women finished their conversation, Mo Jingtian cautiously stepped forward, putting on a friendly smile and introducing himself, "Ladies, I am Mo Jingtian, and this is Lin Fan. The others are... friends of ours."
The rest of the group also tried to appear harmless, smiling as they introduced themselves.
"Mo Jingtian? Lin Fan?"
The crowd murmured, finding the names familiar, though they couldn't immediately recall where they'd heard them.
"Do you need something?" Xuan Su asked with a smile.
Mo Jingtian rubbed his hands together. "Ladies, do you happen to know that person?"
"Which person?" Xuan Su asked, momentarily puzzled.
Lin Fan quickly added, "The powerful figure who recently visited Qingyang Town."
Realizing he hadn't expressed himself well in his excitement, Mo Jingtian was grateful for Lin Fan's clarification.
"Oh, you mean Brother Xuan?" Xuan Su replied, her eyes lighting up with understanding.
Brother Xuan? The group exchanged glances, feeling overjoyed. They'd come to the right place!
Lin Fan became even more eager. "Miss, could you perhaps introduce us? We have something very important to ask of him."
Mo Jingtian echoed, "Yes, we have a crucial matter that requires his help."
"You're too late," Shi Ziyue replied, her voice cool.
They froze.
He'd left?
Xuan Su explained with a polite smile, "I'm sorry, but Brother Xuan has temporarily left Great Desolate County. We're not sure when he'll return."
Gone? Lin Fan quickly asked, "Miss, do you know where he went?"
Xuan Su shook her head apologetically. "No, we don't."
A short while ago, Chen Xuan had entrusted the Lin family to the city lord's care and left with Lin Qingtan.
Just then, Xia Zhilan looked at Mo Jingtian and asked, "Are you really an emperor?"
Mo Jingtian was about to nod when a shocked voice interrupted them.
"You're... the emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty?"
Shi Haotian looked at Mo Jingtian in surprise. Years ago, he'd attended a conference Mo Jingtian hosted on behalf of Yan City, catching a distant glimpse of him.
After so long, he couldn't be sure he hadn't mistaken him. But when Mo Jingtian nodded, the crowd gasped, their faces full of astonishment.
No way! He's actually the emperor!
And the man beside him... could he really be the head of the Lin Clan, Lin Fan?
Everyone was stunned. These were top figures from the Great Yan Dynasty, rarely seen in public. And now they were here, together, in Yan City?
What were they doing here? Oh, they were searching for that young powerhouse!
That explained it.
Xuan Su and the others were surprised but understood that Mo Jingtian and the others were being so respectful because of Chen Xuan's influence.
Eager to find Chen Xuan's whereabouts but hesitant to offend these women, Mo Jingtian and his party accepted Shi Haotian's invitation, heading to the Thousand Gold Inn, hoping to find an opportunity to learn more about Chen Xuan's location.
Little did they know, Chen Xuan had already left and was approaching Huangpu City with a White-Headed Pleasure Ape by his side.
---
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