Jiang Wuhen’s voice boomed like a great bell, detonating over the Heavenly One Divine Hall.
Everyone turned toward the sound and clearly saw a young man in black standing atop the skull of an enormous ancient dragon peng.
His gaze swept over all with imperial disdain, his bearing supremely domineering.
“So this is… the Youth Supreme who possesses the ancient double pupils and the supreme bone. Jiang Wuhen?”
“His presence is extraordinary, just as they say.”
“Only, he’s far too brazen. Not my type at all…”
Lin Ziyan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of disgust crossing her beautiful eyes.
Beside her, Yun Lan wore a cool expression, yet her heart was ice-cold.
Hmph. A rotten tree bears rotten fruit. Luo Qingning may style herself an empress, but to countless righteous cultivators she is nothing more than a ‘deviless.’
This boy is Luo Qingning’s disciple, and sure enough, he is cut from the same cloth as her.
Arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone, showing no respect for his elders. With such a disposition, even heavenly talent is not enough to achieve great things!
Yun Lan mused inwardly, her eyes full of contempt.
And just then, Jiang Wuhen leaped down from the golden roc’s skull and landed steadily beside Luo Qingning.
“Shizun, your disciple has returned!”
Jiang Wuhen cupped his fists respectfully.
Luo Qingning gave a subtle nod, then her gaze shifted to the Dragon Peng Venerable, who had transformed back to human form and now stood behind Jiang Wuhen.
“Hen’er. Who is this?”
Luo Qingning asked.
“This person calls himself the Dragon Peng Venerable of the Great Desolation Domain, a nirvana realm ancient dragon peng. We happened to cross paths today in the spirit cultivator market, and he willingly pledged himself to my service to serve as a mount for your disciple.”
“Seeing his sincerity, I accepted…”
Jiang Wuhen said with a light chuckle.
At these words, the Dragon Peng Venerable’s expression turned peculiar.
Willingly?
Did you see the look in my eyes? Where in it was there the faintest trace of willingness!
Luo Qingning nodded.
“A nirvana realm ancient dragon peng. Its bloodline and realm are a touch lacking, but it can serve well enough as a mount. Passable, I suppose.”
Hearing this, the corners of everyone’s mouths twitched.
The Dragon Peng Venerable was a renowned powerhouse of the Great Desolation Domain. Even on the grand scale of the entire Desolate Ancient Continent, he was a figure of some small fame.
Being captured by Jiang Wuhen as a mount and considered barely passable at that…
Was this the arrogance of the Heavenly One Immortal Sect’s Empress and Imperial Son?
Not far away, Yun Lan studied Jiang Wuhen and narrowed her eyes.
“So you are the Imperial Son who suppressed Xiao Chen, bears the supreme bone and ancient double pupils, and triggered a phenomenon of heaven and earth unseen across the ages. Jiang Wuhen?”
“You look… rather ordinary.”
“I wonder if all these recent rumors are just bluster…”
Yun Lan said disdainfully.
Jiang Wuhen smiled at this.
“And you are the Divine Maiden Sect’s Yunshang Divine Maiden, Sect Master Yun Lan?”
“I had assumed that anyone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with my Shizun, regardless of strength, would at the very least be a person of remarkable insight and wisdom.”
“I never expected a short-sighted, overrated barbarian woman instead.”
Jiang Wuhen laughed.
“What did you say?”
“Junior! How dare you be so insolent!”
Yun Lan snapped.
“Insolent? I’m merely stating facts.”
“You took one look at me, learned nothing else, and declared me ordinary. Even went so far as to call it bluster.”
“Let me ask the Yunshang Divine Maiden: in your eyes, what constitutes heaven-sent talent? Someone like Xiao Chen?”
“As I see it, the verdict you’ve rendered is nothing but personal bias wrapped in petty grudges.”
“Arrogance, prejudice, and short-sightedness. Is this what the so-called Yunshang Divine Maiden amounts to?”
Jiang Wuhen said with a contemptuous laugh.
Beside him, Luo Qingning smiled radiantly.
“The so-called ‘Peerless Twin Beauties’ of the Desolate Ancient Continent? That’s just idle chatter from idle tongues. This Shizun has never acknowledged being ranked alongside such a foolish woman.”
Jiang Wuhen nodded hastily.
“Naturally. Shizun, you’re not one to lower yourself to that level.”
Watching the master and disciple play off each other, anger rose to Yun Lan’s face.
Still, she was a powerhouse of the Divine Maiden Sect. She was hardly the sort to lose her head to a few sharp words from a junior.
“Silver-tongued and quick-witted. Truly Luo Qingning’s disciple.”
“This Sect Master deems it beneath her to trade barbs with a mere child. Today’s visit serves one purpose alone: resolving the Heavenly One Immortal Sect’s detention of our Divine Maiden Sect’s people.”
“Still, at its heart, this matter is a conflict between juniors. As the saying goes, the one who tied the bell must untie it. Why not… resolve it in the same fashion?”
Yun Lan said gravely.
At these words, Jiang Wuhen and Luo Qingning exchanged a glance.
“How, precisely, do you intend to resolve it?”
Luo Qingning asked.
“Your disciple claims the title of natural born sage and Youth Supreme. Surely among his peers, he is unrivaled.”
“This Sect Master’s junior martial sister, while not exceptionally gifted, has made something of a name for herself in the Southern Desolation Immortal Domain. Today, when these two outstanding youths of the younger generation meet, a friendly exchange of martial arts would surely benefit both their future cultivation.”
“Thus, let us make a wager on their battle. If my junior martial sister wins, the Heavenly One Immortal Sect must release everyone from our Divine Maiden Sect without conditions. How about it?”
After all that maneuvering, Yun Lan finally got to the point.
This was the true purpose of her visit.
On the surface, it appeared she wanted to bring her people home. But her real aim was to use Jiang Wuhen’s fame and prestige to elevate Lin Ziyan!
If Lin Ziyan defeated Jiang Wuhen, it would deal a severe blow to the Heavenly One Immortal Sect’s momentum and might even plant the seed of an inner devil within Jiang Wuhen’s heart, hindering his future comprehension of the great dao and his rise to supremacy.
By contrast, Lin Ziyan’s dao heart would soar, reaping boundless benefits.
How could Luo Qingning fail to see the stakes involved?
Her gaze shifted to Jiang Wuhen.
Jiang Wuhen grinned at the unspoken prompt.
“And if she loses?”
Yun Lan sneered inwardly.
Lin Ziyan was no Xiao Chen. She possessed the complete inheritance of the Azure Nether Sword Emperor and had been nurtured with the full resources of the Divine Maiden Sect.
Not long ago, Venerable Qingyun had even passed her a mysterious trump card, more than enough to place her beyond defeat.
Lose?
What a joke!
At that moment, Yun Lan was about to speak, but Lin Ziyan stepped forward and said evenly, “If I lose, both I and First Elder Fengxi and the others shall be at the Heavenly One Immortal Sect’s disposal. Whether we live or die, or are sold for coin, is entirely up to the Heavenly One Immortal Sect.”
At these words, Luo Qingning gave a subtle nod.
“Hen’er. What do you think?”
Jiang Wuhen shrugged.
“She’s already put it that way. I’ve no reason to dodge the fight.”
“I simply wonder if this Saintess here has the authority to speak for the Yunshang Divine Maiden?”
Yun Lan nodded.
“Ziyan’s words are This Sect Master’s intent.”
“The only question is whether you dare accept.”
Jiang Wuhen waved a hand.
“Spare me your clumsy provocation.”
“I accept!”
The words left his mouth as Jiang Wuhen leaped down and landed in the broad, open plaza before the Heavenly One Divine Hall.
Then he beckoned to Lin Ziyan with his finger.
“System. This Lin Ziyan is the Azure Nether Sword Emperor’s successor and a top-tier talent among the younger generation.”
“Someone carrying such great fortune and opportunity, and the Son of Fortune’s fiancée no less, her fate grade should at minimum be that of a Daughter of Fortune.”
Jiang Wuhen inquired.
[Fate grades are esoteric and elusive things, not entirely tied to talent and fortune. Lin Ziyan can at best be considered half a Daughter of Fortune!]
“Half? What does that mean?”
Jiang Wuhen asked.
[Lin Ziyan possesses the fortune of a Daughter of Fortune, but it is unstable and easily lost. Whether it holds or not rests entirely on a single thought.]
“So does she currently count as a Daughter of Fortune?”
Jiang Wuhen pressed.
[For the time being, yes!]
The system responded.
That was good enough!
At that moment, Lin Ziyan moved with graceful poise, alighting lightly before Jiang Wuhen.
“The Divine Maiden Sect’s Purple Cloud Saintess, Lin Ziyan. I await your instruction!”
Lin Ziyan said serenely.
Jiang Wuhen smiled.
“Hold on a moment, Saintess. Before we begin, there’s a very important question I’d like to ask you.”
“What question?”
Lin Ziyan asked, puzzled.
“Is your mother perhaps surnamed Zhao, with the given name… Incense Censer?”
Jiang Wuhen asked.
Zhao? Incense Censer? “When sunlight shines upon the incense censer, purple Ziyan is born”?
In a flash, Lin Ziyan’s expression turned murderous.
“Pah! You lecherous cad! How dare you be so insolent!”
“Draw your sword!”
A purple longsword flew from its scabbard.
In an instant, sword qi crisscrossed the air.
Jiang Wuhen’s eyes blazed with the will to fight.
“Come on!”
