Chapter 16 Stop Pretending

Ye Wentian withstood the pressure and took a step forward, shielding everyone behind him. He looked up and shouted sternly, "How bold! You dare to trespass into my Qingyun Sect and call our Old Ancestor by his name!"

"Trespass?"

In the Void Realm,

a figure sneered, "Ye Wentian, having not seen you for several hundred years, you've certainly grown more arrogant in your role as Sect Master. What, do you no longer hold us, the Five Saints of Zhongzhou, in your eyes?"

The Five Saints of Zhongzhou!

They were the five top-tier Tribulation Transcendence Stage powerhouses in Zhongzhou!

They had been famous for thousands of years, and usually, they were as elusive as dragons. Who would have thought they would come together today because of the movement in the heaven-reaching tower!

"So it is the Five Saints of Zhongzhou who have graced us with their presence. Please forgive me for failing to welcome you properly from afar." Ye Wentian's heart sank, but he remained neither humble nor arrogant as he cupped his hands.

These five were in no mood for pleasantries with him.

One of them looked at the heaven-reaching tower in the distance and said greedily, "Enough nonsense! The revival of such a supreme treasure and the resonance of heaven and earth is an Opportunity for all living beings in this realm. It is not something your Qingyun Sect can monopolize!"

"Indeed. Qingxuan, come out and speak! Stop hiding in the back and playing dead!"

"Today, we must enter this heaven-reaching tower and investigate it thoroughly!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan heard these words, yawned, and slowly walked out from the crowd.

"You old fogies, instead of staying in Zhongzhou to wait for death, why have you come to this remote corner of the Eastern Province?"

When those few heard this, their expressions shifted. One of them pointed at him and said angrily, "Qingxuan! We are all at the Tribulation stage. Do you think your mere Qingyun Sect can withstand the five of us joined together?"

"Withstand?"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan extended a finger and beckoned toward the sky. "Not convinced? Come down and practice a bit?"

"You!"

"Alright, Third Brother, calm down."

The white-haired old man at the head stopped him. He looked at Old Ancestor Qingxuan and spoke slowly, "Fellow Daoist Qingxuan, we have no intention of becoming enemies with the Qingyun Sect. It's just that this heaven-reaching tower is of great importance. Our Lifespan is nearly at its end, and we wish to strive for one more Opportunity for our descendants before our Ascension. We hope you can make it convenient for us."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan laughed upon hearing this.

He placed his hands behind his back, paced slowly for two steps, and looked up at them with a half-smile.

"Be my guest."

He spread his hands. "This old man isn't stopping you. The tower is right there, and the door is there too. If you have the ability, go in yourselves."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Five Saints of Zhongzhou were stunned.

They looked at each other.

When did this old ghost Qingxuan become so easy to talk to? There must be something wrong when things are so unusual!

"However..."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan added leisurely,

"Before you go in, I must remind you of one thing."

He pointed his finger at Qingyue beside him.

"You should also know that this girl is the one chosen by that Empress of the Upper Realm. In a few days, a Divine Envoy will descend from the Upper Realm to guide her into the sect."

"This heaven-reaching tower is the Trial Grounds prepared for her. Are you... sure you can afford to offend her?"

As soon as these words were spoken,

the five of them immediately began communicating rapidly using their Divine Thought.

"Big Brother, this is no small matter! We've heard rumors about that Empress choosing a disciple in the Lower Realm before, but we didn't expect it to be true!"

"Rumor has it that Piaomiao Palace obtained a token of guidance; it seems it's this girl! No wonder Piaomiao Palace has been sealed recently; they were handling such a major affair!"

"...That person is a supreme existence who has suppressed the ages! Forget the five of us, even if you tied all the Tribulation Transcendence Stage Cultivators in the entire cultivation world together, we probably wouldn't be worth a single glance from her!"

"Big Brother, this... this Opportunity, are we still going to fight for it?" a voice asked weakly.

The white-haired old man fell silent.

To offend a supreme existence they didn't even have the right to look up to, all for a vague Opportunity?

The pressure inadvertently weakened a lot.

After a long time, the leading white-haired old man took a deep breath, put on a smile, and cupped his hands toward Old Ancestor Qingxuan.

"So that's how it is! We were reckless! Since it is the trial ground for her Personal Disciple, we naturally wouldn't dare to touch it!"

"However, Fellow Daoist Qingxuan, look... this massive Opportunity is right before our eyes. Although we don't dare to hope for it, you can't let us have come all this way for nothing, right?"

"How about this? We will never interfere with the core Opportunity of the heaven-reaching tower, nor will we compete with Fairy Lin. It's just... the matters between the younger generation should be settled by the younger generation themselves."

"We also have a few untalented Juniors under our command. Why not let them follow in to broaden their horizons? Whether they live or die, find fortune or calamity inside, it will have nothing to do with the Qingyun Sect. We will have no complaints. What do you think?"

When Ye Wentian heard this, his expression instantly became strange.

This is interesting... sending their own Juniors in to die?

He glanced at Old Ancestor Qingxuan and found that the same expression was on the ancestor's face.

Well, in reality, these five Tribulation experts had no idea how dangerous the heaven-reaching tower actually was.

They just treated it like an ordinary Secret Realm exploration, thinking that with the strength of their own Prodigies, even if they couldn't get the best stuff, they could still get some scraps.

But this was fine too.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan thought the same.

"Hmm... this proposal is quite reasonable."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan pondered for a long time before nodding slowly, "Very well, seeing as it wasn't easy for you old fellows to travel all this way, I will reluctantly agree."

"In two days, at the Hour of Chen, assemble at the Guest Welcoming Hall square. All Juniors who wish to enter the heaven-reaching tower must be present. If you are late, we will not wait!"

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Qingxuan for fulfilling our wish!"

The Five Saints of Zhongzhou were overjoyed and hurriedly cupped their hands in thanks.

Having achieved their goal, they did not linger.

The five figures tore through the void and instantly disappeared into the horizon.

As they left, the pressure that had loomed over the Qingyun Sect vanished into thin air.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, gasping for air.

The looks they gave Old Ancestor Qingxuan were full of awe.

However,

at this moment, Gu Heng was calculating another matter in his mind.

"Two days..."

His brow furrowed slightly; he felt that a cultivation level of Spirit Severing Peak was still a bit low.

Above Soul Transformation is Void Refining, then Body Integration, Mahayana, and finally Tribulation Transcendence and Ascension.

"No, this cultivation is still not secure enough."

He thought to himself, "Shouldn't I quickly max out my cultivation and reach Tribulation in one go?"

While lost in thought,

he followed everyone back into the Guest Welcoming Hall and took his seat.

"Haha, I've let you all see a joke."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan sat back in the main seat, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "Alright, alright, it's getting late. If there's nothing else, everyone disperse and go back to rest early."

Upon hearing this,

everyone stood up to salute and prepare to take their leave.

At that moment,

the Young Valley Master grew anxious.

Lin Qingyue hadn't agreed to take the spirit fox yet, and he hadn't given away his Nine-Tailed White Fox!

This was a key step in building favor; how could he miss it?

"Old Ancestor, wait! Sect Master, wait!"

The Young Master rushed to the center of the hall and spoke urgently, "Fairy Lin! The grand gift this Junior mentioned earlier has not yet been presented!"

He pointed to the golden cage.

Inside the cage,

the Little White Fox curled up in a corner, shivering, her sapphire-like eyes filled with fear.

She let out a few mournful whimpers.

"This is an ancient spirit fox, a perfect match for Fairy's temperament. I hope Fairy can accept it!"

Everyone's gaze fell on Lin Qingyue once more.

Lin Qingyue looked at the Little White Fox. She didn't refuse and nodded slightly to the Young Valley Master.

"In that case, I thank the Young Master for his kind intentions."

As she spoke, her voice fell.

The Little White Fox, who had been curled up in fear, slowly stopped shivering after hearing Lin Qingyue's consenting voice.

She stood up on somewhat trembling legs and raised her small furry head.

She looked up in the direction of Lin Qingyue.

"Heavens! Look!"

"This... this spirit fox really is sentient; it understood Fairy Lin's words!"

"It's acknowledging a master! This is a sign of an ancient Spirit Beast taking the initiative to acknowledge a master!"

This scene

made everyone in the hall ecstatic, and they all let out exclamations of wonder.

Ye Wentian nodded with satisfaction, "Good, good! A Spirit Beast chooses its master based on Luck. Niece Lin truly possesses great Luck, for even such an unruly ancient spirit fox to take the initiative to recognize her. Her future achievements will be limitless!"

Old Ancestor Qingxuan also muttered, "Hmm... this little thing has quite a bit of discernment."

The Young Master of Wanshou Valley's face turned red with excitement; he felt his move was absolutely brilliant!

Not only did he successfully deliver the gift, but he also highlighted Lin Qingyue's extraordinary Luck in front of so many big shots. Wouldn't her favor for him be maxed out?

For a moment,

the hall was filled with words of praise.

Lin Qingyue was also a bit surprised. She looked at the Little White Fox with a soft smile on her face.

Amidst the festive atmosphere, only one person had a very strange expression on his face.

Gu Heng looked at the Little White Fox and couldn't help but mock in his heart.

Are these people blind?

Clearly, this white fox's eyes are glancing sideways, okay?

But looking at this Little White Fox, she was actually looking at him?

But it's useless to look at him, little thing.

Did she expect him to rescue her from the hands of the Saintess of Piaomiao Palace? Don't be ridiculous.

However...

This little fox is of excellent quality. If it were taken to a major auction house in Zhongzhou, it would probably fetch an astronomical price.

It seems this Saintess, after having over two hundred million Spirit Stones 'pass through' her hands by him, has also started to calculate carefully and find ways to make up for the deficit.

As Gu Heng's thoughts wandered, the last glint in the Little White Fox's eyes gradually dimmed.

Desolation welled up in the Little White Fox's heart.

She, Bai Qianqian, was the princess of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox clan of the Far North Ice Field. With noble blood and extraordinary talent, she had been revered by all demons since birth.

Now,

she had fallen to such a state, locked in a cage like livestock, left to be judged and have her ownership decided by others.

She wondered how the clan was doing now...

Thinking of this, a flicker of hatred ignited in Bai Qianqian's eyes.

The damnable Shadow Moon Leopard Clan!

If they hadn't colluded with external enemies and launched a surprise attack while her father was in seclusion, how could the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox clan have ended up nearly extinct?

At that time, her father had fought alone against the three great experts of the Shadow Moon Leopard Clan to cover her escape, and his life or death was unknown.

And her elder brother and mother had exhausted their Origin blood to activate the teleportation array...

As for her, although she had narrowly escaped, she was severely injured, and her cultivation had plummeted to the bottom. In the end, not only did she fail to escape, but she also fell into the hands of these despicable human Cultivators.

Thinking of this, she could only sigh in her heart, "Father... Mother... your child is unfilial and cannot help you take revenge..."

"Cough, since the matter is settled," Old Ancestor Qingxuan coughed lightly, "then disperse. This old man still needs to study... what kind of chessboard this is..."

Everyone stood up.

"Sect Master Ye, Old Ancestor, we shall take our leave first."

"Farewell!"

Ye Wentian smiled and cupped his hands in return, and the hall quickly became empty.

Lin Qingyue did not stay long either. She bowed to Old Ancestor Qingxuan and Ye Wentian, and then gave Gu Heng a look of complex emotion.

"Young Master Gu, see you in two days."

After saying that, she casually confined the white fox, which floated behind her, and left behind a graceful silhouette.

The hall was instantly much emptier.

Zhao Qingfeng and the others, who hadn't had a chance to come forward, finally found their Opportunity.

They stepped quickly to Gu Heng and bowed.

"Senior! We take our leave!"

Gu Heng waved his hand casually, signaling them to do as they pleased.

In the Guest Welcoming Hall,

only Old Ancestor Qingxuan, Sect Master Ye Wentian, and he remained—three people.

The moonlight fell, casting long shadows of the three.

The atmosphere

became subtle at this moment.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan held his tea but didn't drink it, his old eyes half-closed, thinking about something unknown.

Ye Wentian's gaze shifted between Gu Heng and the ancestor, seemingly waiting for something.

Finally,

Old Ancestor Qingxuan put down his teacup, slowly raised his head, and spoke softly,

"You are not simple..."

Ye Wentian stopped and a smile appeared on his face as he added, "Old Ancestor, I told you long ago, he is not simple."

Gu Heng's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm.

Old Ancestor Qingxuan looked out of the hall, as if deep in thought.

After a long time,

a flash of determination crossed his eyes. He slowly stood up and said to Gu Heng word by word,

"You, come with me to the core Forbidden Ground in the back mountain."

"Wentian, you come too."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan took a step, and space suddenly tore open.

He motioned for Gu Heng to step inside.

Gu Heng took a deep breath, his mind working rapidly.

If this old man really wanted to harm him, he could have just slapped him to death in the hall earlier; why go to the trouble of bringing him here?

As far as he could see, these two had no ill intent.

Gu Heng weighed it in his mind; if there were ill intent, he would have run long ago, so why would he even attend the banquet?

While pondering, he had already stepped inside, and the next moment, the view ahead opened up.

Amidst the ancient trees, a grand hall stood on the mountain peak, and not far below on the cliff's edge, there was a pavilion.

"We're here."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan stopped. "Come in."

Gu Heng stepped inside.

The hall was very empty. Aside from a few stone pillars, there were only a few prayer mats, and... chessboards and ancient books scattered all over the floor.

"Sit."

Old Ancestor Qingxuan pointed to a worn-out prayer mat on the floor.

Gu Heng sat down as instructed.

Ye Wentian stood respectfully to the side. At this moment, he had none of the steady air of a Sect Master and looked like an obedient young page.

The hall

began to fall into silence.

The candlelight flickered. Old Ancestor Qingxuan didn't speak; he just paced around Gu Heng twice with his hands behind his back.

Gu Heng felt uneasy being stared at like that.

This old man... surely he doesn't have some special fetish?

Gu Heng thought.

Suddenly!!!

Old Ancestor Qingxuan stopped and leaned in close to Gu Heng.

"Alright, stop pretending."

"Regarding you, this old man has already seen through everything!"