Chapter 1106: Cabinet Elder

The Elder had not intended to speak at length, but recalling their teacher-student relationship, even if not direct, there remained some affection. He sighed softly.

“You are the Overseer; in the future, you might become an Elder.”

The middle-aged cultivator, the "Overseer," quickly bowed and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”

The Elder glanced at him indifferently and continued. “The higher your position, the broader your perspective must be. With a broad perspective, you can stand tall, see far, and know where to go. If your perspective is narrow, your vision will be limited, and if you go in the wrong direction, the higher you stand, the harder you will fall.”

“People only seek fame, fortune, and power. Yet they don’t realize that fame, fortune, and power must be supported by a broad perspective and controlled by a firm Dao heart. If one’s perspective is narrow or their Dao heart is not steadfast, they will be consumed by these desires, leading to their own ruin…”

The Elder pointed skyward and asked the Overseer, “What defines a Son of Heaven?”

The Overseer frowned and replied, “The lineage of the Dao Sovereign, who serves the Heavenly Dao above and carries the destiny of all living beings below, is the Son of Heaven.”

The Elder shook his head, pointing at the Overseer. “You are a ‘Son of Heaven’.”

The Overseer immediately felt cold sweat break out and stammered, “Elder…”

The Elder then pointed to himself. “I am also a ‘Son of Heaven’.”

The Overseer was stunned.

“Not just you and I…” The Elder gestured to the various cultivators around them, differing in cultivation level and wealth. “…All these people are ‘Sons of Heaven’.”

The Overseer paused, deep in thought.

The Elder said, “Every person living in this world stands on the earth and beneath the sky. In this world, everyone is born of heaven and earth; thus, everyone is a ‘Son of Heaven,’ a master of this realm. All cultivators in the world seek the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, this heaven belongs to everyone under heaven, not just the Dao Court…”

The Overseer’s brows furrowed deeply. After a moment of thought, he sighed inwardly, feeling helpless. He silently mused that the Elder was, after all, old, and spoke only of impractical, grand, and empty notions.

The Elder glanced at the Overseer and sighed inwardly.

The atmosphere grew heavy, and no one spoke for a while. Cultivators came and went around them, making a noisy clamor, but no one seemed to notice the Elder and the Overseer.

After a moment of silence, the Overseer spoke again, asking, “Elder, why have you elevated the Grand Void Sect so much this time?”

The Elder replied calmly, “They earned the top spot in the Dao Discussion themselves. How can you call it elevation?”

“Elder, being the head of the Four Sects is completely different from the title ‘Three Mountains and Four Sects’…” the Overseer whispered.

“That was decided by the Heavenly Mandate Pavilion. What does it have to do with me?” the Elder said.

The Overseer was helpless. “The predecessor of the Grand Void Three Mountains was, after all…”

The Elder shook his head. “That’s ancient history. Why bring it up now?”

The Overseer had nothing more to say.

The Elder looked calmly at the Overseer and asked, “Have you handled everything?”

The Overseer froze, then his face turned pale. “I…”

The Elder said, “You have the means, the background, and you can leverage connections; these are all good. This position of ‘Elder’ truly suits no one better than you. But it goes back to what I said before: before you seek to obtain something, first see if you can hold onto it. You must have the capacity to sit in this position.”

The Overseer bowed. “Yes…”

The Elder sighed. “I’m old now, and my energy is failing. I couldn’t remain an Elder for much longer anyway. This situation with Qianxue is also the last game I’ll play. The outcome of this game clearly displeases many. Since they are dissatisfied, they naturally want to find someone else, someone who can satisfy them, to play…”

The Elder looked at the Overseer.

The Overseer’s face showed shame, and he lowered his head.

The Elder had nothing more to say and waved his hand. “All right, the time is nearly up. You should go back… If you want something, then strive for it. Once you’ve attained it, then do it well. There’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t be indecisive, and don’t be afraid to act.”

The Overseer bowed his head. “Yes.” Then he looked up at the Elder again. “And you, Elder…”

The Elder replied calmly, “I’m old; I don’t tolerate noise well. Let me have some peace for a while…”

Seeing the Elder’s weary face, the Overseer sighed, stood up, and bowed deeply. “Please take care of yourself.”

The Elder softly hummed in acknowledgement.

The Overseer maintained his bowed posture as his figure gradually dissipated, leaving the teahouse. Only the Elder remained, along with the chessboard before him.

After the Overseer left, the Elder’s earlier weariness vanished, and his expression relaxed. He began to idly clear the chessboard in front of him, his gaze drifting to the distant city gates of Yundu. In front of the city gates, traffic flowed like a river, and people surged like a tide.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a slender youthful figure indeed emerged from the crowd. The Elder’s eyebrows rose, and his heart stirred slightly. This was the first time he had seen this child up close. At first glance, he was greatly impressed: the boy’s face was as smooth as jade, his eyes clear as water, and his features were as beautiful as a painting.

“What a handsome child…”

But at the second glance, a chill instantly ran through him. A fierce destiny, a confluence of great ominous energies, the augmentation of the Qian Dao, resonance with the earth, an intertwining of great good and great evil, interspersed with various unpredictable karmic energies of both righteousness and wickedness. These karmic forces coexisted and cohabited within one “person.” Even the Elder subtly gasped.

“Just who… raised this little monster…”

The Elder stared, silently watching Mohua.

Mohua, blending into the bustling crowd, entered Yundu City and walked straight to the ferry. He looked up at the sky, presumably seeing that it was still early, and found an eatery nearby to eat noodles. Sitting amidst the bustling marketplace, Mohua ate his noodles alone. He simply looked like a young cultivator who had left his hometown and was wandering alone. There was no indication that he was the junior senior brother of the Grand Void Sect, the largest sect in Qianxue; the two-time champion of array formations; the top contender in the Qianxue Sword Discussion; the slayer of countless demons; and the disassembler of the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Array.

“Harmonizing with the light and blending with the dust…”

The Elder’s pupils trembled slightly, and he was momentarily lost in thought. People came and went all around, while Mohua continued to meticulously eat his noodles alone. And the venerable Elder, a high-ranking and unfathomable figure from the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion, one of the Dao Court’s Seven Pavilions, sat in the distance, inexplicably watching Mohua eat an entire bowl of noodles.

It wasn’t until Mohua finished his noodles and drank all the soup that the Elder came back to his senses, letting out a soft sigh and thinking to himself: “It’s time to go.” His purpose had been achieved. He had come to Yundu City because he had divined Mohua’s whereabouts and, out of curiosity, wanted to see him before he left. Now that he had seen him, it was naturally time to depart.

The Elder began to put away the chessboard, but halfway through, he suddenly paused. Looking up, his gaze met Mohua’s. Mohua seemed to have looked at him across the crowd as well. The Elder was surprised. “Did this child… see me?” But Mohua’s gaze seemed to have merely glimpsed something for an instant before moving away. After looking away, Mohua’s expression turned puzzled, and he scanned the surroundings, unsure if he was observing something or searching for something. After searching around, Mohua found nothing, and his gaze finally settled back on the Elder. More precisely, it landed on the chessboard in front of the Elder. Then, Mohua looked up, and through the haze, he saw the old man in front of the chessboard, his eyes instantly lighting up.

The Elder watched, bewildered, as Mohua stood up and walked directly towards him, stopping right in front of him. Mohua first glanced at the chessboard, then looked up at the Elder, his face full of anticipation, and asked: “Elder, do you play chess?”

The Elder nodded.

Mohua thought, ‘Just as I expected,’ then asked, “Elder, how about we play a game?”

The Elder pondered, saying nothing.

Mohua explained, “I’m taking the Yundu ferry, but it’s still early, and I have nothing to do. I saw you playing chess by yourself, so I thought I’d like to play with you for a while.”

The Elder showed some interest and countered, “Why me?”

Mohua looked at the Elder, saying with certainty, “Your beard, your demeanor—it’s clear at a glance that you’re a chess master!”

See! In this world, there truly are people who know talent when they see it! This child was indeed worthy of being the dual champion of Qianxue’s array formations and the top contender in the Sword Discussion, capable of discerning his extraordinary chess skills from a crowd at a single glance. The Elder, widely known as the “terrible chess player” of the entire Heavenly Pivot Pavilion, felt as if he had encountered a drought-breaking rain. A sense of “kindred spirit” spontaneously arose within him.

“Come, let’s play a game!” The Elder, who was about to pack up, instantly became enthusiastic. With a flick of his sleeve, he set up the chessboard.

Mohua respectfully bowed to the Elder, then sat opposite him, his posture straight, dignified, and polite.

“You first,” the Elder said.

“Alright.” Mohua, being the junior, didn’t decline. He picked up a chess piece and, after careful consideration, placed it on the board. Any discerning eye could tell at a glance that this move also belonged to a “terrible chess player.” Yet the Elder was quite moved: “Your chess… it’s good!”

Mohua was startled, and instantly felt a sense of finding a kindred spirit. It had been a very long time since anyone had praised his chess skills. The last time he was praised was when he played chess with Puppet Grandpa. Mohua couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of his lips.

The Elder also placed a piece. Of course, it was also a terrible move.

Mohua, however, looked astonished: “Elder, your chess skills are truly divine!”

The Elder stroked his beard. “They’re alright.”

Mohua gazed at the board, frowned, fell into thought, and then placed another piece. The Elder glanced at it, nodded, and said, “Not bad, not bad.” Then he looked up at Mohua and asked, “Do you usually play chess often?”

Mohua sighed, a bit regretfully. “I haven’t played in a long time.”

The Elder asked, “Why?”

Mohua looked puzzled. “I feel like I should be a chess master, but my fellow disciples won’t play with me. They think I’m terrible, which I find very confusing. So, I’ve had to ‘seal away’ my chess skills, rarely revealing them to others.”

The Elder was momentarily filled with a sense of “shared suffering” and “mutual appreciation,” sighing, “Indeed, this old man experiences the same.”

Mohua was shocked: “Elder, with your truly divine chess skills, are there still people who don’t appreciate your talent?”

The Elder shook his head and lamented, “People in this world are simply so dull.”

Mohua nodded in deep agreement.

The Elder asked again, “Who did you learn chess from before?”

Mohua said, “No one. I just used to play chess with Puppet Grandpa a lot when I was little.”

The Elder’s eyelids twitched slightly.

Mohua placed another piece and said, “Elder, it’s your turn.”

The Elder looked, gradually brightening, and slowly said, “Alright, let me see…” The Elder thought for a moment and also placed a piece.

An old man and a young one, one holding black and the other white, placed their pieces one by one, locked in an inextricable struggle within this remote immortal city’s teahouse. To outsiders, they were simply two terrible chess players engaged in an inscrutable game, yet both were having a wonderful time.

Time passed imperceptibly. It wasn’t until the sun set in the west, painting the sky with evening glow, and the melodious sound of the cloud flute drifted from the distant Yundu ferry, that Mohua came back to his senses. He looked at the half-finished game and sighed: “The time has come, Elder; I must go.”

The Elder looked at the unfinished game, also feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

Mohua said sincerely, “Elder, your chess skills are truly formidable. If fate allows us to meet again, I’ll play another game with you.”

The Elder looked up at Mohua, feeling a momentary sense of having met too late, and said with some reluctance: “Good. The next time we meet, we’ll play chess together again.”

Mohua respectfully bowed. “Elder, until we meet again.”

The Elder gazed deeply at Mohua, as if trying to imprint the boy’s face in his mind, and said gently: “Until we meet again…”

The cloud flute of Yundu sounded again. Mohua knew he couldn’t delay any longer, so he cupped his hands in farewell, left the teahouse, and walked straight towards the Yundu vessel. When he reached the Yundu, Mohua turned his head, wanting to wave goodbye to the Elder again, but found the area in front of the teahouse empty. The chessboard was gone, and so was the Elder’s figure.

Mohua felt a bit regretful. However, partings and reunions, joys and sorrows, are all common occurrences in life. Thinking of this, Mohua suddenly felt a pang of melancholy.

“Finally… it’s time to leave…”

He recalled how he had once traveled thousands of miles alone on the Yundu to Qian Province to seek enlightenment from a sect… Mohua, just like before, looked down at the vast earth, then looked up at the boundless sky, feeling a profound sense of connection.

“As Heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should unceasingly strive for self-improvement. As Earth’s strength is its capacity, a gentleman should bear all things with broad virtue.”

Living between heaven and earth, no matter where one goes, the sky is above, and the earth is below. Above, there is the eternal, ceaseless Grand Array of the Heavenly Dao; below, there are ancient Daoistic principles that sustain all things with abundant virtue. “I, too, should embrace the heart of heaven and earth, cultivate the Dao, strive for self-improvement ceaselessly, use array formations to aid the world, and bear all things with broad virtue. By following heavenly principles, one attains the Dao; by benefiting all living beings, one achieves longevity.”

Mohua’s Dao heart became even clearer. Above the vast sky, the Qian Dao’s aura of destiny circulated. Mohua stepped onto the deck and boarded the Yundu. Half an hour later, the melodious flute sound rang out again. The colossal Yundu finally set sail, carrying Mohua away from the Qianxue Province boundary, heading towards the boundless sea of clouds and the wider cultivation world…

***

Several days later.

The mist arranged by Old Master Xun dispersed, and only then did the various forces in Qianxue Province gradually react, their thoughts diverging. News also spread within the long-silent Demon Slaying Alliance token:

“I heard Mohua left…”

“Who said that?”

“The sect’s old ancestor divined it, told the sect master, the sect master told my father, and my father told me…”

“I also heard that some aristocratic families secretly set up schemes to intercept Mohua.”

“Unfortunately, Grand Void Sect’s Old Ancestor Xun’s cultivation was too profound. By the time they divined the karmic traces, Mohua had already departed on the Yundu ferry.”

The Demon Slaying Alliance token fell silent for a while.

A moment later, someone said, “It’s good that he’s gone. I really don’t want to see Mohua again…”

“You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“Shut up.”

Another person said, “The Sword Discussion is over, and Mohua has left. This ‘Demon Slaying Alliance,’ or whatever it’s called, should disband…”

“Disband it, it’s meaningless.”

“We never really had any deep-seated hatred for Mohua; it was just some grievances from the Sword Discussion…”

“Exactly…”

Suddenly, the ink patterns twisted, and some of those who had said “disband” were “silenced.” A thicker, higher-authority anonymous magnetic inscription coalesced into a line of text: “Ridiculous! Thinking of giving up so easily, with such faint spirit, how can you achieve anything great in the future?”

Silence fell within the Demon Slaying Alliance token.

Someone asked, “Who exactly are you?”

Anonymous Magnetic Ink: “You don’t need to know who I am. I only ask you one thing: Can you truly forget the humiliation Mohua brought upon you? How did he, for his own benefit and to show off, use an insignificant spell like the Fireball Art to humiliate and kill you? The scenes of you being ridiculed by Mohua were recorded with imitation images, circulated everywhere, and became a source of laughter. Your proud abilities were utterly suppressed by Mohua, causing the legacies of your sects and aristocratic families to be scorned. Some of you, who were once the top cultivators of your sects, brilliant talents admired by all, were turned into clowns by Mohua’s single sword strike. You all teamed up, ganging up on him, yet Mohua used array formations to blast you all to death… Have you forgotten all of this?”

Dormant memories began to assault everyone. The “humiliation” and indignation brought by Mohua, which had faded somewhat with the passage of time, reappeared in everyone’s minds. It was like having old scars reopened, painful and embarrassing.

“But… Mohua did save us, so it’s hard to keep hating him…” This person was silenced before he could finish.

Anonymous Magnetic Ink: “Did Mohua save you for your sake? Didn’t you stop to think, was he truly that kind-hearted? He saved you merely to increase his own reputation. His intentions were inherently selfish. Don’t let small advantages or trivial benefits blind you to what is right and wrong. And do not let the despicable, shameless, insidious, venomous, selfish, and evil Mohua bewitch your minds.”

These words met with agreement from the crowd:

“That makes sense.”

“Mohua, though he looks like a pretty boy, is actually incredibly insidious, dark-hearted, and extremely cunning. He is absolutely untrustworthy!”

“Therefore, the Demon Slaying Alliance must remain. It absolutely cannot disband!”

“The Grand Void Sect is now the largest sect in Qianxue, and will be our primary adversary among the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams. Mohua also holds a transcendent position within the Grand Void Sect. To catch the thief, first catch the ‘king’ – to deal with the Grand Void Sect, we must eventually deal with Mohua first. We must plan ahead and prepare early…”

“This Mohua, with his cunning nature and terrifying talent in array formations, will sooner or later become a major problem for us. This is not just personal grudge, but also for the future of our sects and the interests of our aristocratic families.”

“But…” someone said, “I heard from an elder in my sect that Mohua hasn’t even forged his core artifact yet. If he keeps procrastinating, he won’t form his core until who knows when… By then, we’ll be Golden Core or even Ascended, while Mohua will still be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, completely out of his league. Isn’t targeting him like this making a mountain out of a molehill?”

“This Demon Slaying Alliance, in the end…” Before he could finish, he was quickly silenced again.

Anonymous Magnetic Ink: “Mohua is Mohua. Whether he is a Golden Core or a Foundation Establishment cultivator does not change his insidious malevolence. You must not take him lightly, and you certainly must not speak uncommitted words that might disrupt morale. Our purpose is singular: Slay Mohua to defend the Dao! Mohua must die!”

This statement rekindled the long-lost enthusiasm of the crowd.

“That’s right, slay Mohua to defend the Dao!”

“Mohua must die!”

“This Demon Slaying Alliance must never disband, lest the malignant tumor that is Mohua rise from the ashes.”

“Everyone, let’s unite our efforts, watch over each other, and one day make Mohua pay the price and avenge the Sword Discussion Assembly!”

“That’s excellent!”

Thus, the Demon Slaying Alliance, which had been gradually fading, began to regain momentum, bound together by its “hatred” for Mohua. It slowly transformed into a “dark” organization where Qianxue’s most talented disciples communicated and helped each other.

Most people in the Demon Slaying Alliance naturally still hated Mohua. After all, some of the things Mohua did were truly beyond what a human could achieve. Some, however, had a mixed bag of gratitude and resentment towards Mohua, with their feelings evenly divided between liking and disliking him. Merely because everyone else “cursed” Mohua and wished to kill him, they “followed the good” and joined the chorus in verbally attacking him.

A small number of people actually didn’t hate Mohua much at all. Some even, having experienced the Sword Discussion Assembly and the Blood Sacrifice Array, personally witnessed Mohua’s power, and received his kindness, had already become “fans” from “haters,” and inwardly held considerable admiration and respect for Mohua. But Mohua had already left the Qianxue Province boundary, with no further news. The Demon Slaying Alliance became the only organization related to Mohua. So they could only remain in the Demon Slaying Alliance, hoping that perhaps one day, they might hear news of Mohua. Even if they didn’t hear news of Mohua, listening to others “rant” about him daily, detailing his various misdeeds and crimes, at least gave them something to think about.

***

Outside the Demon Slaying Alliance token, Mohua’s influence gradually faded.

The Dao Court Bureau, and even the Central Dao Court, acting on someone’s orders, sealed Mohua’s personal records with the highest level of confidentiality. Ordinary Dao Court Bureau cultivators, even regional overseers, had no authority to access Mohua’s files. To protect Mohua, the Grand Void Sect also tried its best not to disclose any information about him to outsiders. The sect’s elders and disciples also followed the Old Ancestor’s orders, speaking as little as possible about Mohua to avoid inadvertently revealing any karmic links.

The name “Mohua” also became a shadow that almost all sects and aristocratic families in Qianxue Province preferred not to mention. Two-time champion of array formations, top contender in the Qianxue Sword Discussion—this was practically dancing on their faces. Not to mention, Mohua’s publicly known identity was that of a rogue cultivator. For a rogue cultivator to utterly suppress all their sect prodigies and aristocratic family direct descendants was an unbearable humiliation. All aristocratic families and sects desperately wished for everyone to forget the name “Mohua” as soon as possible. It was even less likely they would publicize Mohua’s achievements and let him overshadow their own sect geniuses and direct family descendants.

For most other cultivators, no matter how prominent Mohua’s reputation, he was just one among the many talents in Qianxue Province. Qianxue Province itself was a gathering place for geniuses. Each Qianxue Dao Discussion would produce several dazzling talents, and sometimes even a single prodigy who stole the show. This session it was Mohua; next session it would be someone else. Talents across the land are as numerous as fish crossing a river; it was nothing more than that. People are always forgetful and fond of novelty. With no one promoting him or mentioning his name, the legendary and controversial name of Mohua gradually faded from public view. Cultivators in Qianxue Province lived and cultivated as usual. The entire Qianxue Province also operated as usual…

However, a month later, another major event occurred in Qianxue Province. The Dao Court was coming to “hold them accountable.” The evil god’s conspiracy and the blood sacrifice disaster—the Dao Court would absolutely not let these pass lightly. Openly and covertly, many interests were still being divided and cut apart. This “accountability” was also the Central Dao Court’s first, and most legitimate, direct interference in the internal affairs of Qianxue Province.

Furthermore, another important matter was the disposition of Qianxue’s Four Prodigies. These four top Qianxue disciples, bloodline prodigies revered by thousands, ended up tainted by demonic thoughts and strayed from the right path, which was already a colossal scandal. Various forces collaborated to suppress this matter to avoid negative repercussions, preventing damage to Qianxue Province’s reputation and preserving the Dao Court’s authority. How to deal with these four people became extremely tricky.

Bloodline prodigies are rare geniuses in the world. Both the Dao Court and the aristocratic families valued talent and were unwilling to waste their cultivation abilities. Moreover, these four were not merely Qianxue’s prodigies; as core direct descendants of fifth-rank aristocratic families, they were also connected to some powerful ancestors within the Dao Court. They all carried, to varying degrees, the blood of many powerful cultivators; otherwise, they could never have awakened their bloodlines. Prodigies of such standing, even if they made mistakes, no one would truly dare to kill them. Let alone killing them, even reprimanding or insulting them required extreme caution. Therefore, these four could only await the Central Dao Court’s judgment.

In the Grand Hall of Dao Discussion Mountain. High-ranking officials from Qianxue’s various aristocratic families and sects gathered, preparing to face the Central Dao Court’s accountability inquiry. This was bound to be an extremely difficult council. All present wore solemn expressions, and among them were many faces familiar to Mohua. These included the Chief and Records Officers of the Dao Court Bureau, the sect masters of the Grand Void Three Mountains, the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams, various sect masters and elders, and high-ranking members of some major aristocratic families. Almost none of the aristocratic families present were below fifth rank. The only exception was the Gu family. Although the Gu family was not quite fifth rank, it was considered a “quasi-fifth-rank” family, not weak in its own right, and had close ties with the Dao Court Bureau. For this meeting, the Gu family head, Elder Gu Hong, who was at the Ascension realm, was also present. Everyone took their seats according to the size of their aristocratic family and their social status.

Shen Linshu, Ao Zhan, Xiao Wuchen, and Duanmu Qing, the four Qianxue bloodline prodigies who once held immense prestige, now stood pale-faced below the grand hall. Their Immortality Talismans shattered, their Seas of Consciousness severed, the four were severely weakened. More importantly, the Dao hearts of all four were almost completely shattered. As peerless geniuses, they were inherently arrogant, and combined with their noble status, they felt secure. Although their faces were pale, their gazes remained arrogant, only now with an added touch of indifference and self-abandonment compared to before. Especially Duanmu Qing. Her expression was colder than ever, her eyes a desolate grey, as if everything around her was mere rotting wood in her mind.

In the dull and solemn atmosphere, time slowly passed. High-ranking members of the various aristocratic families and sects sat above, whispering among themselves. Duanmu Qing and the other three stood below the hall, their expressions aloof.

After an unknown period, an extremely powerful pressure descended from the sky. The sound of carriages and horses could be heard, occasionally accompanied by a low dragon’s roar. These were dragon-horses, possessed only by great clans of the sixth rank. Everyone looked towards the sound and saw, high above the clouds, eight golden-white dragon-horses, their bodies covered in dragon scales and their forms agile, pulling an extremely solemn and luxurious Nine Heavens Gilded Chariot. It descended from the sky and landed within the grand hall, an immense and honorable display.

The high-ranking members of the aristocratic families and sects frowned, but nevertheless rose one after another to bow to the chariot. The Nine Heavens Gilded Chariot halted, and one by one, high-ranking Dao Court cultivators, their cultivation profound, their faces arrogant, and clad in luxurious robes, began to disembark. The Qianxue higher-ups greeted them with bows, one by one. Even if displeased, they maintained meticulous etiquette in everything to avoid incurring the Dao Court’s displeasure and bringing the discussion to a stalemate.

Shen Linshu, Ao Zhan, and Xiao Wuchen paid them no mind. Duanmu Qing sneered inwardly, utterly disdaining such hypocritical coming and going among aristocratic powers. She couldn’t even be bothered to glance. It wasn’t until a white figure stepped down from the Nine Heavens Gilded Chariot that a soul-stirring aura spread forth. Throughout Qianxue Province, the pupils of all high-ranking family heads and elders trembled. The previously slightly noisy hall became so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. Duanmu Qing’s expression changed to one of daze, and she subconsciously looked. In that instant, it felt as if a night-blooming cereus had blossomed before her eyes, and heaven and earth paled in comparison. Her chest tightened abruptly, her bloodline began to boil, and a burning desire, like fire, made her entire body tremble.