0p0 Chapter 1752
Chapter 1752
"What... This... How is this possible!" Lin Yuqiong stared at the six petals that had turned to ashes, and was so shocked that she stood up abruptly, almost dropping the jade cup in her hand.
He stared at Chen Xuan with wide eyes. Seeing that although the other man's brows were slightly furrowed and his face was only slightly gloomy, he was not seriously injured. He breathed a sigh of relief, and his palms were already sweaty.
Chen Xuan stared intently at the direction where the petals had vanished. The stars in that area of the star map remained dim, as if they had never existed.
He then turned to look at the other three petals that had landed steadily on the star map, tapping the table lightly with his fingertips, a cold smile curving his lips: "Interesting. Among these three, two have such terrifying backgrounds that they could even forcibly block my deductions."
He didn't dwell too much on the missing clue, but instead pointed to the spot on the star map where petals had fallen and asked, "Brother Yuqiong, where is this place?"
Lin Yuqiong leaned closer to the star map, comparing the stars with her fingertips for a moment, her expression growing increasingly solemn: "This is the location of the 'Feather Transformation Sect,' about twelve nebulae away from Qilin City."
"The Feather Transformation Sect?" Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, his fingertips lightly tapping in the air. "This name seems familiar..."
"Behind this sect is one of the representative sects of the Immortal Dynasty 'Feathered Divine Dynasty' in the outside world." Lin Yuqiong's voice deepened, her fingers unconsciously clenching. "Although the Feathered Sect is only a branch of the Divine Dynasty in the outside world, its true status and strength far surpass the Ten Holy Cities. Why would they send an outstanding disciple to meddle in the mess in Qilin City?"
Chen Xuan's fingertip hovered over the star map as he pondered, "How does this Feathered Divine Dynasty compare to the Ten Great Holy Lands?"
"The only ones that can truly surpass the Ten Great Holy Lands are the Supreme Daoist Temples in the core region of the Starry Universe and those eternally immortal families that have been passed down for thousands of years."
Lin Yuqiong replied almost without hesitation, her tone filled with awe for the top powers, "Although the Feathered Divine Dynasty is not as powerful as the Ten Great Holy Lands, it is far superior to the Ten Great Holy Cities."
"Supreme Daoist Temple... Eternal Immortal Family..." Chen Xuan repeated softly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, before looking at the area where the petals had vanished.
"In that case, the other two outside aids must either be from a holy land or possess the foundation of a dynasty of the Feathered God Dynasty. Otherwise, with my mastery of deducing the Great Dao, I would not have been unable to even determine their location."
"What?" Lin Yuqiong exclaimed, his chair sliding back half a foot as he stood up. "Why would a place like the Feathered Divine Dynasty or a Holy Land like this set of existences set their sights on a small place like my Qilin City?"
He looked at Chen Xuan, his eyes filled with disbelief. "This is against the rules! According to the ironclad law passed down from the Immortal Ancient Era, Holy Lands and Immortal Divine Dynasties must never interfere in the struggles between the Ten Great Holy Cities and forces below them!"
"Oh? Who made this rule?" Chen Xuan asked with great interest.
“Naturally, it was established during the Immortal Ancient Era by those powerful beings above the Eternal Realm. It is said that ten Great Emperors swore an oath to witness it.” Lin Yuqiong’s tone was certain, then she showed a puzzled look, “But why would they make an exception?”
Chen Xuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze sharp as a sword: "Brother Yuqiong, if you still consider me an outsider, I can help you through this current difficulty, but I cannot guarantee what the future troubles may bring."
Lin Yuqiong was startled upon hearing this and was about to speak in defense when Chen Xuan raised his hand to stop her.
"Logically speaking, Qilin City should never have become the focus of competition among various parties, much less attract the secret intervention of an existence like the Immortal Divine Dynasty." Chen Xuan's voice deepened.
"Tell me honestly, what kind of fortune or opportunity is hidden in Qilin City that would make these top forces disregard the rules and get involved? Explain the reasons, and I might be able to completely resolve your crisis."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuqiong immediately became anxious, her cheeks flushed red, but she forced herself to suppress her emotions and carefully recalled: "The biggest trump card of my Qilin City is the Holy City itself and the remains of the Holy Qilin that are suppressed in the core of the star... But those remains are ancient relics, and their inner essence has long since dissipated. They are just an old antique."
He looked at Chen Xuan with utmost sincerity, and even raised his hand as if to swear an oath, "Besides this, I really can't think of anything that could catch the eye of the Immortal Divine Dynasty!"
Chen Xuan shook his head slightly, his fingertips stroking his chin: "My intuition tells me that what they want is not that skeleton..." He sighed, "It seems that you also have many secrets you don't know."
The clues ended there, and Chen Xuan didn't bother to ask any more questions. The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly oppressive, and even the candlelight seemed to be trembling slightly.
Just then, a girl's tearful cry came from outside the hall, her voice choked with sobs and full of grievance.
The two turned their heads at the same time and saw that Lin Yuyao's eyes were red and swollen, and tears were streaming down her cheeks like broken pearls. Her skirt was slightly disheveled, and she had obviously run here crying all the way.
As soon as Lin Yuyao rushed into the main hall, she saw Chen Xuan and could no longer hold back. She burst into tears and threw herself into his arms, clutching his clothes tightly.
The maids and guards behind him arrived in quick succession, and upon seeing this scene, they all stood frozen at the palace gate, their expressions varied.
"All of you, step back!" Lin Yuqiong stood up abruptly, her face ashen, and shouted sternly.
"Yes, young master!" No one dared to say anything more, and they hurriedly retreated with their heads down, but couldn't help but steal a glance at the two embracing as they left.
Chen Xuan held Lin Yuyao in his arms, his gaze sweeping over the retreating crowd like an icy blade, a faint killing intent emanating from his body. If it were an ordinary relationship, he might have just watched coldly, but now that she was his Daoist partner, how could he allow her to suffer such grievances?
"Waaah... I don't... I don't want to..." Lin Yuyao buried her face in Chen Xuan's arms, her tears soaking his clothes, her body trembling slightly from crying.
Lin Yuqiong paced anxiously around the hall, then hurriedly asked, "What happened? Who bullied you?"
Chen Xuan gently patted her back, his voice gentle yet strong: "Don't rush, speak slowly, I'll hold up the sky if it falls."
Lin Yuyao sobbed, recounting in broken sentences, "I went to pay my respects to my father, master, and elders... I said I had found a powerful ally to help Qilin City overcome its difficulties, but the Second Elder and the other six immediately objected..."
Chen Xuan and Lin Yuqiong exchanged a glance, both seeing the understanding in each other's eyes—it was indeed this group causing trouble.
"The Second Elder said they've found reinforcements capable of withstanding the five holy cities, and that... that only the people they've found can guarantee Qilin City's victory..." Lin Yuyao said, her voice breaking with grievance as she burst into tears again.
“When I asked who it was and why they were helping us, they pressured my master and father, and only then did they tell me… that afterwards I had to choose one of the two young men from those three outside helpers to be my Daoist partner, or choose that female cultivator to be my cultivation companion…”
"You bastard!" Lin Yuqiong's eyes widened in fury. She slammed her fist on the table, shattering the exquisite white jade cup into pieces that scattered all over the floor.
Chen Xuan's eyes remained calm and unwavering, as if he were listening to something ordinary. He gently pushed Lin Yuyao away slightly, looked into her eyes, and asked, "What does 'accompanying cultivation' mean?"
"Waaah... Being a companion means... means being a maid..." Lin Yuyao cried even harder, her tears falling like beads from a broken string.
"Interesting." Chen Xuan wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, his fingertips slightly cool. He suddenly smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Now, we finally have some progress."
Lin Yuqiong and Lin Yuyao were both taken aback and looked at him in confusion.
Chen Xuan's gaze swept over the two of them, finally landing on Lin Yuqiong's face. His tone was resolute: "All the previous schemes and plots, the fact that various forces were willing to break the rules to intervene, were ultimately all for Yao'er."