The First Deepest Affection of the Tai Xuan Holy Land

"As expected, it's here."

Watching the flying boat approach, Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes, his expression looking somewhat strange.

Just like before, the script provided by the System was cliché and terrible; if written as a novel, it would definitely be a flop.

According to the System, after the Original Owner escaped with his sister while being hunted by the Black Tiger Gang, they would encounter a Saintess from the Linglong Holy Land.

Then, following the standard "trash-tier protagonist" trope, the Original Owner's sister was actually a peerless Genius with a hidden Spiritual Root, spotted at a glance by the passing Saintess and taken back to the Linglong Holy Land for careful cultivation.

Meanwhile, the "trash" Original Owner, due to his poor Aptitude and mismatched gender, was ruthlessly rejected by the Linglong Saintess, left behind to grieve, eventually turning his sorrow into motivation and vowing to slap the faces of everyone who looked down on him... in Qi Yuan's past life, this would be considered a third-rate melodramatic plot, and one that had been outdated for over a decade.

However, reality was always so surreal. Ever since this brain-dead System appeared, even his actions as a Genius Dao Child had begun to turn strange.

Sigh, considering the System gave quite a few benefits, he'd just treat it like playing a cultivation mini-game; burying oneself in cultivation all day was quite boring anyway.

Just as Qi Yuan was trying to convince himself, the flying boat arrived before the two of them.

This Spirit Boat looked extremely luxurious, with carved beams and painted rafters. Its surface was covered in dense, pale golden patterns, faintly connecting into a sturdy defensive Formation, and it was also equipped with Restrictions to block Divine Sense, making it difficult to peek at the scene inside.

In the next moment, the doors opened, and a group of men and women with extraordinary auras stepped out.

Leading the way was a young male Cultivator with his hair tied in a high Daoist Bun and a face full of righteousness. He had a broad face and large ears, a full forehead, and thick, straight eyebrows, giving off a sense of ancient and heroic majesty.

In other words, he looked... uniquely (ugly).

Beside him followed a peerless beauty of extreme loveliness.

The woman wore a Water-blue Neon Dress with a jade-white silk sash around her waist. She possessed a celestial appearance and graceful demeanor, with skin as white as snow, radiating a refined and transcendent aura.

Like a Moon Palace Fairy descending from the Nine Heavens to the Mortal world, she was cold, holy, and untainted by the dust of the world.

In her presence, the other female Cultivators, who were originally quite beautiful, paled in comparison, reduced entirely to supporting roles.

"Junior Brother Qi, why are you here?"

Upon seeing Qi Yuan, the only male Cultivator among the newcomers was the first to ask, his expression filled with confusion.

This male Cultivator was none other than Qi Yuan's fellow Disciple, Lu Changfeng, the First True Disciple of the Taixuan Holy Land's Sect Master of the Holy Land.

And the peerless beauty beside him was none other than the contemporary Linglong Saintess, Xiao Yueni.

Xiao Yueni was the representative of the Linglong Holy Land who had specifically come to attend the Dao Child Investiture Ceremony. Now that the ceremony was over, she had departed from the Taixuan Holy Land to return to her Sect and happened to pass by Azure Cloud Town.

Compared to Lu Changfeng, Xiao Yueni's attention was now fixed on the Mortal girl behind Qi Yuan, a look of interest appearing in her beautiful eyes.

Qi Yuan smiled slightly and explained:

"So it's Senior Brother Lu and Fairy Xiao. I also happened to be traveling through here and found a group of wicked people committing grave sins and terrorizing the area. I couldn't help but step in to destroy the Black Tiger Gang and saved this Mortal girl in the process."

It was Qi Yao's first time facing so many glamorous and beautiful Cultivators. Hearing Qi Yuan mention her, she immediately gripped the corner of her clothes nervously, wishing she could bury her head in her chest, looking extremely uneasy.

"So that's how it is. Just a group of eyesore ants; killing them is no big deal."

Hearing Qi Yuan's explanation, Lu Changfeng nodded, casually brushing the matter aside. Then he turned his gaze back to Xiao Yueni and said softly:

"Fairy Xiao, since that fluctuation of magic power just now came from Junior Brother Qi, let's continue our journey. I'll escort you a bit further."

His words carried an uncontrollable tone of sycophancy.

Qi Yuan felt a wave of disgust.

Wait, this place is over a hundred thousand miles from the Taixuan Holy Land's mountain gate. Escorting a guest this far is already ridiculous enough, and you even want to keep going... However, Lu Changfeng's next words shocked him even more:

"Fairy Xiao, the journey to the Linglong Holy Land is long, and there are Demonic Path Evildoers rampaging in some areas. A group of women like you might encounter danger on the road. Why don't I accompany you to ensure your safe return to your Sect, if that's alright?"

Ah?

Qi Yuan was stunned.

Although he had heard that Lu Changfeng harbored feelings for the Linglong Saintess, he hadn't expected him to be so deeply devoted to this extent.

What a Simp this guy is!

The Linglong Saintess is a powerful figure at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, carrying the supreme Legacy of the Linglong Holy Land. In terms of combat power, she's practically invincible below Soul Transformation. Does she really need a Nascent Soul Mid-stage Cultivator to be her Flower-protecting Envoy?

"Greetings, Dao Child Qi."

Xiao Yueni first nodded to Qi Yuan as a greeting, then her jade-like face turned cold as she spoke dismissively to Lu Changfeng:

"Our Linglong Holy Land is not just a name. We can take care of ourselves, so there's no need to trouble Junior Brother Lu to continue escorting us."

This world is named the Yunmeng Great World, inhabited by trillions of living beings and countless races. Its area is vast and boundless, and the Human Race only occupies a small corner of it.

Among the Human Race, aside from those few Demonic Path Sects that are not tolerated by the world and act in secret, all other cultivation forces revere the Seven Great Holy Lands.

As one of the Seven Great Holy Lands, although the Linglong Holy Land consists entirely of female Cultivators, it has a long history and deep foundations, with more than one Mahayana Ancestors presiding over it. It is not inferior to the Taixuan Holy Land.

Lu Changfeng's words implied that the Linglong Holy Land was just "a group of women" who "needed protection." Xiao Yueni was already being very restrained by not losing her temper on the spot, so naturally, she wouldn't give him any face.

After speaking, Xiao Yueni ignored him and, moving with graceful steps, came directly before Qi Yuan and said seriously:

"Dao Child Qi, to be honest, the little girl behind you has a special Physique and possesses a very rare hidden Spiritual Root that happens to align with a Legacy within our Linglong Holy Land. I wonder if you could do me a favor and let her join the Linglong Holy Land?"

"If you agree, consider it a favor I owe you, and I will surely repay you in the future."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

As expected, just as the System described, the Linglong Saintess still discovered Qi Yao's hidden Aptitude and wanted her to join the Linglong Holy Land.

It seemed that while the parts involving the main protagonist were wildly inaccurate, the information about others was true.

Seeing Qi Yuan remain silent, Lu Changfeng's mouth hung open, and his eyes nearly bulged out.

This is a favor from the Linglong Saintess! You're actually f*cking hesitating?

If it were me, I'd probably wake up laughing in my dreams!

Thinking of this, Lu Changfeng's gaze toward Qi Yuan was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, wishing he could strangle the guy and take his place.

Even when Qi Yuan snatched the Position of Dao Child from him before, he hadn't been as angry as he was now.

For a moment, Lu Changfeng fell into deep internal conflict.

He wanted Qi Yuan to refuse so he would completely offend the Linglong Saintess, making her remember his own merits, yet he feared seeing the disappointed expression on his goddess's face... Just as Lu Changfeng was worrying about gains and losses, Qi Yuan suddenly smiled faintly and said sincerely:

"I'm sorry, Fairy Xiao, but Xiao Yao is not my private servant or maid. I believe I have no right to decide her future; the choice should be hers to make."

Saying this, he turned to Qi Yao and said:

"Xiao Yao, are you willing to become a Disciple of the Linglong Holy Land?"

Hearing this, Qi Yao's delicate body trembled, her eyes filling with tears of emotion. She looked up at the Linglong Saintess standing nearby and answered with a determined expression:

"Brother Qi, I... I am willing to join the Linglong Holy Land. Only in this way will I have a chance to repay your kindness."

She naturally knew that the Linglong Holy Land was one of the top powers in the Cultivation World, and receiving a personal invitation from the Linglong Saintess was an Opportunity beyond most people's imagination.

Therefore, although she was very reluctant to leave Qi Yuan, she was even more aware of the gap between them, and joining the Linglong Holy Land was currently her only way to change her destiny.

"Good."

Qi Yuan gave her a gentle smile, then turned and cupped his hands to Xiao Yueni, saying:

"Fairy Xiao, I hope you will take good care of Xiao Yao in the future."

In reality, even if Qi Yao hadn't agreed, he would have found a way to persuade her.

Originally, Qi Yuan had planned to bring Qi Yao back to the Taixuan Holy Land to look after her, but the newly appeared task made him immediately abandon that idea.

If Qi Yao's destiny underwent a major change, wouldn't he be at a loss when he received tasks regarding the Original Owner's sister in the future?

To be safe, it was better to let nature take its course until he fully understood the characteristics of the System.

Now that Qi Yao had made the right choice, it saved him some effort.

On her side, Xiao Yueni took a deep look at Qi Yuan, her favorable impression of him increasing greatly as she thought to herself:

This Dao Child of Tai Xuan is handsome and possessed of an extraordinary bearing, and he is modest and polite in his dealings, truly having the air of a gentleman. He is indeed a worthy Prodigy chosen by the Taixuan Holy Land's Sect Master of the Holy Land.

As the thought passed, her expression became even more gentle and soft, and she praised:

"Dao Child Qi, I didn't expect that despite your young age and high position, you would be so upright and benevolent as to care about the thoughts of a Mortal girl. It is truly commendable."

"Rest assured, as long as I am here, the Linglong Holy Land will never mistreat her."

With that, she gave Qi Yuan a beautiful smile, like flowers in first bloom, her spring-like eyes rippling like water, breathtakingly perfect.

Even with Qi Yuan's extensive experience, he couldn't help but be momentarily dazed, thinking to himself:

No wonder the Linglong Saintess is hailed by many busybodies as the Number One Beauty of the Righteous Path; without some mental fortitude, one really couldn't withstand it.

She smiled!

Watching Xiao Yueni's flower-like smile, Lu Changfeng was completely stunned, his expression full of infatuation.

Not only Xiao Yueni, but the other female Cultivators from the Linglong Holy Land also cast their gazes toward Qi Yuan, their respect evident in their expressions.

"Thank you, Dao Child Qi, for fulfilling this matter. Yueni will surely provide a generous reward in the future."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the women of the Linglong Holy Land departed with the somewhat reluctant Qi Yao, completely ignoring Lu Changfeng, who stood there dazed.

"Senior Brother Lu, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to the Sect first."

Seeing this, Qi Yuan shook his head and took the initiative to say goodbye.

After a long while, Lu Changfeng finally snapped out of it. He slapped his forehead hard and said with great regret:

"That's right, it's indeed inappropriate for a grown man like me to be mixed in with their Reed Flower Treasure Boat. No wonder Fairy Xiao wouldn't accept my kindness."

"In that case, I'll follow them in secret to ensure Fairy Xiao's safety... Junior Brother, you go back on your own."

After muttering to himself, he didn't hesitate, immediately leaping up and using a movement technique to give chase.

Holy crap!

Qi Yuan was dumbfounded. Usually, his Senior Brother Lu Changfeng was quite normal, and his Aptitude was definitely not inferior to his own. He hadn't expected him to be such an Eccentric.

At this moment, he finally understood why his Master had skipped over Lu Changfeng and chosen him to be the Dao Child.

This is a f*cking Simp through and through!

If this fellow Lu Changfeng really ascended to the position of Sect Leader, he'd probably pack up the entire Taixuan Holy Land and give it away...