349: peers

Xiao Ya's faint but clear words seemed somewhat abrupt in the slightly tense atmosphere.

Xiao Lin's brow furrowed, secretly blaming his sister for her lack of discretion.

Although the other party looked young, their bearing and the strength displayed by the two attendants behind them showed they were by no means easy to deal with.

Just as he was about to speak to ease the tension, he saw Qin Tianhai's brow twitch slightly, as if he were scrutinizing them more closely.

Qin Tianhai's gaze swept over the four of them, pausing for a moment on the Spirit Soul Clan's Soul Abyss and Soul Silence, before he spoke: "We are of the Qin Imperial Clan."

His voice was flat, yet it carried a natural nobility and authority that required no emphasis.

"The Qin Imperial Clan?!"

Those four words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of Xiao Lin, Xiao Ya, Soul Abyss, and Soul Silence.

Xiao Lin's pupils shrank, and his heart jolted violently.

While the Xiao Family of the Vast Cold Domain was considered a power in its own right, compared to the Qin Imperial Clan—which inherited its Legacy from the Primeval Era and looked down upon the Boundless Domain—the difference was like that between a firefly and the bright moon!

He never expected that he would encounter a Prodigy of the Qin Imperial Clan deep within this Origin Secret Realm!

Xiao Ya immediately covered her small mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Subsequently, the way she looked at Mu Zun became even more peculiar, even carrying a hint of reverence that she herself hadn't noticed. The Qin Imperial Clan! No wonder he possessed such elegance!

Soul Abyss and Soul Silence's faces turned several shades paler instantly. They subconsciously took half a step back, the wariness in their eyes turning into deep awe.

To the Spirit Soul Clan, the Qin Imperial Clan was a true behemoth, an existence they could not afford to provoke.

They had previously harbored vigilance and a hint of displeasure toward these people; thinking back on it now, they had simply been courting death.

Xiao Lin took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart. He lowered his posture even further, cupping his hands in salute with an incredibly respectful tone.

"So it is the prodigies of the Qin Imperial Clan. I am Xiao Lin, and this is my younger sister, Xiao Ya; we hail from the Xiao Family of the Vast Cold Domain. These two are Fellow Daoists Soul Abyss and Soul Silence of the Spirit Soul Clan. We were unaware of your identities earlier; if we have offended you, we hope for your magnanimity!"

He specifically mentioned his Family and companions, both to state their identities and in hopes that the other party would not make things difficult for the sake of the Xiao Family and the Spirit Soul Clan.

Though this weight might be negligible before the Qin Imperial Clan.

Qin Tianhai merely nodded slightly without saying much. Qin Xinghe, however, curled his lips into a faint, half-smile, seemingly enjoying Xiao Lin's respect. When his gaze swept over Xiao Ya again, it carried a hint of scrutiny.

As for Mu Zun, from beginning to end, his attention didn't seem to be on any of them; not even a flicker of emotion appeared in his eyes.

He turned his gaze back toward the deep entrance of the ancient mine, and with a slight movement of his feet, he actually intended to enter directly.

Seeing that Mu Zun and the others had no intention of speaking further and were about to leave, thoughts raced through Xiao Lin's mind.

This ancient mine was unfathomably dangerous. They had explored it for a long time without finding a way in, and had repeatedly encountered harassment from Yin Souls and Remnant Thoughts.

If they could follow the prodigies of the Qin Imperial Clan, especially this unfathomable youth in white, their safety and the possibility of finding an Opportunity would undoubtedly increase greatly.

This was a rare chance!

Ignoring everything else, he hurriedly took a step forward, cupping his hands again with an earnest tone: "Wait, Young Masters!"

Mu Zun paused his steps but did not look back.

Xiao Lin spoke quickly: "To be honest with the three Young Masters, this ancient mine was mentioned in the ancient texts left by my Xiao Family ancestors, where it is called the 'Star Burial Ancient Mine.' It is rumored to be related to the extinction of stars in the Immortal Realm, containing great danger, but also potentially great opportunities."

"I have brought a crude map drawn by my ancestor based on the ancient texts. Although it is incomplete, it might be of some help to the three Young Masters in exploring this mine."

As he spoke, he carefully took out a roll of beast-hide map emitting a faint ancient aura from his robes, offering it with both hands.

"This Junior is bold enough to request to travel with the three Young Masters! We are willing to follow your orders and would never dare to be a burden! We only ask to follow you to catch a glimpse of the ancient mine's secrets!" Xiao Lin lowered his posture to the extreme, requesting almost as a subordinate.

Hearing her brother's words, Xiao Ya was first startled, then her eyes lit up with brilliance as she looked expectantly at Mu Zun's back.

If she could go on an adventure with this Young Master of the Qin Imperial Clan... her heart fluttered like a trapped bird.

However, the expressions of Soul Abyss and Soul Silence instantly became somewhat unsightly.

They were originally helpers invited by the Xiao siblings, and the exploration of the ancient mine was supposed to be led by their Spirit Soul Clan's Divine Soul techniques.

Now, Xiao Lin not only wanted to share the potentially extremely precious map but also took the initiative to attach himself to the people of the Qin Imperial Clan. This made them feel instantly insignificant, even somewhat redundant.

If they followed the Qin Imperial Clan and found an Opportunity, would there still be a share for them?

The two looked at each other, seeing the displeasure and hidden worry in each other's eyes, but they didn't dare to show it. They could only secretly complain in their hearts that Xiao Lin was too eager to "social climb."

Qin Tianhai looked at Mu Zun, waiting for his decision.

Qin Xinghe raised an eyebrow, noncommittal about Xiao Lin's proposal, but his gaze swept over the roll of beast-hide map, seemingly showing some interest.

Mu Zun still did not turn around; only his calm, rippleless voice slowly drifted over, carrying a hint of indifference:

"Leave the map. As for the people, if you can keep up, then follow."

As his voice fell, he had already taken a step forward, his figure appearing to merge into the thick, sinister aura of the ancient mine's entrance, vanishing from sight.

Qin Tianhai immediately followed. Qin Xinghe glanced at Xiao Lin, reached out with a beckoning motion, and the beast-hide map flew into his hand. He then also vanished into the mine shaft.

Xiao Lin was overjoyed and hurriedly said to his sister and Soul Abyss and Soul Silence: "Quick! Keep up!"

After saying that, he was the first to rush toward the mine entrance. Xiao Ya quickly lifted her skirt to follow, her face flushed with excitement.

Soul Abyss and Soul Silence's expressions shifted, but in the end, they could only grit their teeth, suppress the displeasure in their hearts, and follow closely behind.

Circumstances were stronger than people; facing the Qin Imperial Clan, they simply had no room for choice.