Frank

Zhuo Junjie and Zhong Ling stared at each other with grim expressions, not uttering a word, creating a strange atmosphere.

Chang Tianyou instinctively frowned, a sense of unease rising in his heart. He couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you two talking?"

"Congratulations, Senior Sister Zhong!"

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhuo!"

Zhong Ling and Zhuo Junjie said in unison. As soon as the words left their mouths, their expressions turned even uglier.

"What do you mean?"

They both asked in unison again. Each thought the other was mocking them. The other person had clearly broken through, yet they were congratulating themselves. Wasn't that mockery?

Were they congratulating themselves for falling behind the other?

Chang Qianqian and Chang Hao stared at the scene in a daze. The simple-minded Chang Qianqian subconsciously asked, "Could it be that neither of you broke through?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ling and Zhuo Junjie froze. Their expressions were incredibly complex, filled with surprise, disbelief, and bewilderment.

"Wasn't the heavenly tribulation caused by Senior Sister Zhong? I didn't break through either," Zhuo Junjie quickly said, causing Chang Tianyou's face to turn ashen.

"It wasn't me," Zhong Ling shook her head, her face filled with emotion. "I thought it was Junior Brother Zhuo. It seems it must have been some senior in the sect."

Chang Tianyou and the elders exchanged glances, their faces growing more and more grim.

Almost all the elders of the Xuanling Sect were present. This immediately ruled out the possibility of an elder in the Golden Core Realm breaking through to the Mortal Transformation Realm. Now that both Zhong Ling and Zhuo Junjie denied causing the heavenly tribulation, who could it be?

"Could it be Qin Jun and his group..." Chang Hao suddenly asked. He deliberately only said half the sentence, appearing embarrassed.

Chang Qianqian knew Qin Jun's special identity. Furthermore, she had promised Qin Jun. Now that Chang Hao mentioned it, her father would definitely press for details.

What a foolish Senior Brother!

"The people who saved you?" Chang Tianyou asked, frowning.

To resist the heavenly tribulation, their Xuanling Sect had activated the sect-protecting formation, consuming Spirit Stones equivalent to more than half a year's expenditure for the entire sect. Now, hearing that the heavenly tribulation might have been caused by outsiders, he felt like he had been used as a shield.

Growing increasingly angry, he quickly shouted, "Bring them up!"

"Father! They're all resting. Can we discuss this tomorrow?" Chang Qianqian quickly interjected. She wasn't defending Qin Jun, but Chang Tianyou.

Even a fierce person like Xiahou En had met a tragic end at Daji's hands. Coupled with the incident at Qing Tan City involving the Cheng family, she understood that neither Daji nor Qin Jun were benevolent individuals.

Looking at Chang Tianyou's current expression, if the two groups met, a conflict would surely erupt.

And then...

It wasn't that Chang Qianqian looked down on her own sect, but Daji had displayed incredible power. Moreover, the Howling Celestial Dog was a Demon King. Both of them were super experts at or above the Mortal Transformation Realm. If a fight truly broke out, she worried the Xuanling Sect would be razed to the ground.

"Absolutely not!" Chang Tianyou refused instinctively. The thought of the Xuanling Sect helping outsiders block a heavenly tribulation made him feel suffocated.

"Don't you even care about your daughter's life-saving grace?" Chang Qianqian feigned a pitiable expression.

Hearing this, Chang Tianyou immediately felt guilty. Because Chang Qianqian's mother had passed away when she was young, he doted on his daughter immensely.

He doted on her as if she were a treasure to be held in his palm.

When he heard that Chang Qianqian had been abducted by Xiahou En this time, he had broken out in a cold sweat. Therefore, upon hearing Chang Qianqian's words, he couldn't insist on summoning Qin Jun and the others immediately.

"Alright, invite them up tomorrow morning!"

Chang Tianyou waved his hand. Although the elders were somewhat reluctant, they did not dare to object when he spoke like this.

Zhuo Junjie and Zhong Ling exchanged glances, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

Who was Qin Jun?

The next morning, the bright sun gradually illuminated every corner of the Xuanling Sect.

Qin Jun slowly opened his eyes. After cultivating all night, he didn't feel tired; instead, he felt invigorated.

The Purple Rainbow Lightning Method was indeed a Heaven Grade cultivation technique. Just one night of cultivation made his spiritual power increase significantly. Compared to it, the Qi Refining Art was like excrement, not worth mentioning.

After a simple wash, Qin Jun walked out of the courtyard. Daji and the Howling Celestial Dog were already waiting in the courtyard, along with Chang Qianqian.

"Qin Jun, you're finally awake. Was last night's heavenly tribulation because of you?" Chang Qianqian immediately came over and grabbed the fabric of Qin Jun's chest.

"Heavenly tribulation?" Qin Jun asked, confused. He still didn't know how immense the heavenly tribulation caused by the inheritance of his divine ability last night was.

Chang Qianqian quickly explained, focusing on how many Spirit Stones the Xuanling Sect had consumed because of it.

"It's related to me? I didn't break through to the Golden Core Realm," Qin Jun said with an innocent expression.

"Impossible. We've checked everyone in the Xuanling Sect, and no disciple broke through to the Golden Core Realm last night. It's even more impossible for anyone to have broken through to the Mortal Transformation Realm," Chang Qianqian said sharply. For some reason, she felt that the matter was related to Qin Jun and his group.

Qin Jun was puzzled. He suddenly recalled the thunderous roar that came with the inheritance of his divine ability last night. He couldn't help but mutter, "Could inheriting a divine ability also attract a heavenly tribulation?"

"Divine ability?" Chang Qianqian's beautiful eyes widened, filled with curiosity.

Daji covered her mouth and said charmingly, "Yes, but it's truly extraordinary for Young Master to comprehend a divine ability at such a young age!"

Qin Jun suddenly understood, while Chang Qianqian became even more curious about divine abilities.

"Alright, take me to see your father. I'll take responsibility for my actions!" Qin Jun waved his sleeve. Since it was his fault, he had no intention of shirking it. After all, he had no enmity with the Xuanling Sect, and he had his own moral standards.

Besides, he didn't have any Spirit Stones to compensate anyway!

The barefoot aren't afraid of those with shoes!

Chang Qianqian immediately let out a sigh of relief. Qin Jun's frank admission improved her impression of him, and she was not far from being completely smitten.

And so, Qin Jun, the woman with him, and a dog followed Chang Qianqian toward the Xuanling Sect's assembly hall.

Disciples they passed along the way looked at him with complicated expressions – jealousy, disbelief, and envy.

"Is that him, the one who caused the heavenly tribulation last night?"

"No way, he's too young!"

"Senior Brother Chang Hao already let it slip. It must be him. They're the only two outsiders in the Xuanling Sect right now."

"The woman next to him is so beautiful... even more so than Senior Sister Zhong and Junior Sister Qianqian..."

"Yeah..."

Qin Jun, at the fifth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, had extraordinary hearing and could faintly make out their conversations. He merely smiled slightly at this.

However, that brat Chang Hao was always causing trouble for him. It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to teach him a lesson again.

Chang Qianqian acted cheerfully, skipping along the way. In her eyes, as the Third Prince, Qin Jun would surely not be short of Spirit Stones. Once this matter was settled, her father would be even friendlier towards Qin Jun.

After that, everything would be easy...

Soon, they entered the assembly hall.

The Xuanling Sect's assembly hall was magnificent, giving Qin Jun a strange illusion of walking into an imperial palace. It was evident how high the status of the three great sects was in the Gan Yue Kingdom.

Ordinary powers and families would not dare to build in such a manner.

"You are Qin Jun, who broke through to the Golden Core Realm?" Zhuo Junjie asked first, his tone somewhat aggressive. Qin Jun was baffled. Had he offended this fellow before?

Shitty black carriage... 20 hours turned into nearly 40 hours. I'm dying