157: This trip down to the mortal realm was definitely worthwhile!

The woman looked at the proud figure outside the door and chuckled.

This was a woman of mature charm. Although she wore a loose Daoist robe, it still couldn't conceal her ample figure. There was a tiny red mole the size of a grain of rice between her eyebrows, and her every gesture exuded a grand demeanor. The arrogance emanating from her brows was exactly like Leng Lingshuang's.

This was Leng Lingshuang's Revered Master, the First Mountain Revered Master Zhao Qi!

Her status in the Heavenly Sword Sect was second only to Sect Master Wang Cuihua. Besides her Great Perfection of Soul Transformation strength, she had another relationship with Wang Cuihua.

She was Wang Cuihua's Senior Sister, having joined the Heavenly Sword Sect's old Sect Master's tutelage earlier than her.

Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples rarely saw Zhao Qi, the reason being the resentment and dissatisfaction hidden deep in Zhao Qi's heart. She was there first, so why did Revered Master let Wang Cuihua inherit his mantle? She could have made the Heavenly Sword Sect flourish!

Over the years, although Zhao Qi appeared kind on the surface, in reality, there wasn't a day she didn't dream of sitting in the Sect Master's position. However, after Wang Cuihua established her dao palace, the gap between them was like a chasm. In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks were meaningless, not to mention she couldn't bring herself to betray the Heavenly Sword Sect.

At this moment, Leng Lingshuang stood outside the door with a cold expression, her eyes seemingly holding a trace of chill. Just now, she heard the news that Shen Nian had returned to the Ninth Mountain and intended to question him about why he exaggerated his own achievements, but unexpectedly encountered the Sect Master at the foot of the Ninth Mountain.

After reporting the unsuccessful search for a Void Returning Sword Dao Grandmaster, she planned to go up the mountain but was stopped by the Sect Master, who then said meaningfully, 'Give up, Shen Nian is not on the same level as you.'

And she simply couldn't accept this explanation, nor could she believe that the Sect Master, who had placed such high hopes on her, would change her attitude so much!

She retorted directly.

"I don't believe it. I will personally challenge him in tomorrow's Grand Competition!"

Then she turned and left, leaving behind a helpless Wang Cuihua.

"Shen Nian, I absolutely don't believe you could have done such outrageous things in such a short time. It must be someone else!" Leng Lingshuang's eyes turned cold, and she thought again, "Tomorrow, I will expose you in front of the entire Great Xia!"

The next second, she stepped into the room.

"Revered Master!"

Leng Lingshuang took a small step forward, shedding her usual arrogance, and cupped her hands. At the same time, she noticed the man sitting beside Zhao Qi, who had been lowering his eyes and drinking tea, and a flicker of surprise crossed her face.

The man looked no older than thirty, dressed in brocade robes, with a purple-gold glazed jade hanging from his waist. His demeanor was noble, and purple Qi swirled in his eyes as they opened and closed.

"Such a powerful aura!"

"A Soul Transformation Realm Cultivator so young?"

While Leng Lingshuang was shocked, she heard her Revered Master Zhao Qi quickly say, "Lingshuang, why don't you greet Lord Xu?"

"Lord Xu!" Leng Lingshuang cupped her hands upon hearing this.

Zhao Qi then smiled and said, "Lord Xu is from the Upper Realm you've always dreamed of, and he's also a Prodigy Disciple of the Xu Family, a prominent Family in Eastern Profound's Lingwu City. At just thirty-one years old, he's already a Soul Transformation Realm expert. This level of talent makes even this Revered Master feel ashamed..."

As she spoke, Zhao Qi looked at Xu Wei with a hint of reverence.

She had only heard of Eastern Profound and had never been there. As for the standing of Lingwu City in Eastern Profound and the level of the Xu Family, she had no idea!

But one thing she was certain of was that the other party was indeed from the Upper Realm, and only Upper Realm Disciples would have a Great Perfection of Soul Transformation Dao Protector!

Immediately, her gaze fell on the corner behind Xu Wei, where an old man with white hair and a youthful face stood, eyes closed, with an arrogant look between his brows.

"Mountain Revered Master Zhao overpraises..." Xu Wei's voice came out indifferently. Only then did he slightly raise his head, casually glancing at Leng Lingshuang, and spoke with a calm demeanor, "This must be Miss Leng, the Disciple whom the Mountain Revered Master praises so highly. She is indeed a Dragon among Phoenixes; it's a pity she's in this Lower Realm..."

Although he appeared calm on the surface, there was a hint of excitement in his heart.

"This woman is good!"

"Having her serve me along with her Revered Master would be quite a different flavor..."

"This trip to the Lower Realm was truly not in vain!"

"Look, that woman's excited eyes, she'll probably beg to climb into my bed!"

"It's so much better in the Lower Realm!"

This sense of superiority he felt in the Lower Realm made him incredibly comfortable.

Xu Wei's identity was indeed extraordinary, but he couldn't be considered a Prodigy of the Xu Family. It was only because he was born into the main lineage, a Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator nurtured by Medicinal Pills, and favored by his mother, that he was assigned a Great Perfection of Soul Transformation Dao Protector. Although he was a Dao Protector, Xu Wei could feel that the Xu Family's Guest Elder somewhat looked down on him.

And the Xu Family he belonged to was indeed a prominent Family in Eastern Profound; he wasn't boasting about that. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to join the Ji Family in activating the spatial teleportation array to travel to the Lower Realm.

Logically, with Xu Wei's status, it would be easy to toy with women in the Upper Realm. However, there was no choice; the Family had been rectifying its conduct in recent years, strictly prohibiting Disciples from misbehaving. The goal was to become an affiliated Family of the Eastern Profound overlord Shen Family this year and manage Lingwu City. This was extremely important. If he could attach himself to the Shen Family, the Human Race's strongest support, wouldn't Xu Wei soar?

So, with some sense in his head, he hadn't dared to mess around in Lingwu City all these years, suppressing over a decade of pent-up desire. As soon as he heard that a prominent figure from the Ancient Ji Family was coming to the Lower Realm, he immediately begged his mother, spent a great deal of effort, and finally secured a peripheral position, successfully coming to the Lower Realm.

Not long after arriving, he encountered this charming woman of mature beauty. With a little manipulation, she was utterly impressed. Having nothing else to do, and hearing that she had a beautiful female Disciple, Xu Wei followed without a second thought.

At this moment, Leng Lingshuang secretly glanced at Xu Wei, somewhat excited.

Someone from the Upper Realm!

He was actually a prominent figure from the Upper Realm!

Since she embarked on her cultivation path, she had yearned for the lands of the Upper Realm, especially after hearing that the Human Race's strongest Sword Cultivators resided there. She had dreamed countless times of witnessing the peerless demeanor of such figures, and even harbored the dream of one day becoming their Disciple.

She felt that with her talent, she should be in a major sect in the Upper Realm, not in this Lower Realm of Great Xia, which was called a mere speck of land!

For so many years, she had disdained the Cultivators of the Lower Realm, only finding a handful worthy of her attention.

It was no wonder she showed a rare naive expression at this moment. After all, people from the Upper Realm hadn't appeared in the Lower Realm for many years. The Void Returning Sword Cultivator whom the Sect Master had previously suspected to be from the Upper Realm—Leng Lingshuang searched so diligently precisely because she truly wanted to meet that person.

Coupled with his remark, "It's a pity..." Leng Lingshuang felt a sense of finding a kindred spirit, and a glimmer of excitement shone in her beautiful eyes.

At this moment, Zhao Qi's gaze shifted, revealing a hint of emotion as she said, "Lord Xu is absolutely right. Lingshuang's talent is indeed buried in this Heavenly Sword Sect..."