Just as Lin Yan spotted Old Daoist Hongjun, Old Daoist Hongjun also saw the suddenly appearing Lin Yan, and a trace of great surprise flashed through his eyes. Clearly, Old Daoist Hongjun recognized him as that little earth dragon.
Besides Old Daoist Hongjun, Lin Yan also noticed the other great figures seated around the white jade square table.
One of them had Yin Yang Qi flowing endlessly around him, his features obscured by faint Clear and Turbid Radiance. Half of his Daoist robe was pure black and the other half pure white, while Taiji Fish Diagrams seemed to circulate faintly around his cuffs. His aura was mysterious and unfathomable. This was Ancestor Yin Yang, a top-tier Innate Divine Being who wielded the Great Dao of Yin and Yang.
There was also a middle-aged Daoist wearing a Heaven and Earth Crown and a Purple Gold Dao Robe. He had a square face and was majestic without anger. Invisible spatial ripples seemed to spread with every gesture, as though a world had formed around him. He was none other than Daoist Qiankun, renowned throughout the world for the Great Dao of Qiankun.
The most eye-catching one, however, was a figure shrouded in faint Black Mist. His exact appearance could not be seen, with only a pair of indifferent and icy eyes exposed. His aura was strange and sinister, seemingly connected to destruction and slaughter, making one's heart tremble at the sight of him.
The remaining few were all people with steady auras and profound cultivation.
Besides those seated around the white jade table, several young cultivators stood solemnly at the edge of the pavilion. Each possessed an imposing manner and extraordinary bearing, and their cultivation was at least at the Mysterious Immortal Realm.
At this moment, everyone was curiously examining the three people before them, who clearly had yet to understand what was happening.
Mo Xuan and Ao Ye had also been teleported over. The two were clearly even more confused than Lin Yan. Mo Xuan blinked at Ancestor Qilin in the seat of honor, froze for two seconds, then suddenly came to his senses and respectfully said, "Mo Xuan pays respects to Old Ancestor!"
Hearing this, Lin Yan and Ao Ye hurriedly stepped forward as well. "We pay respects to Senior Ancestor Qilin!"
"Hahaha, today I brought several friends to tour Qilin Cliff, only to happen upon you little fellows comprehending the Dao before the cliff. So I summoned you over. Little Mo Xuan, now that you've returned to Qilin Cliff, why haven't you come to pay your respects to this old man?"
"I originally intended to visit you and pay my respects as soon as I returned, but my parents said Old Ancestor had distinguished guests visiting and told me not to disturb you, so I had not gone yet. But Old Ancestor, while I was traveling through the Prehistoric World, I thought of you day and night," Mo Xuan said obediently.
"Haha. You little brat, you're quite the sweet talker. You clearly had so much fun that you forgot all about me, your Old Ancestor, yet you dare say you missed me day and night. This old man won't believe your nonsense. Come, come, greet these great figures. Every one of them is elusive. If you miss this chance, there won't be another." After saying that, Ancestor Qilin turned and winked at Mo Xuan.
Mo Xuan understood immediately. After thinking for a moment, he pulled Lin Yan and Ao Ye forward with him, and the three of them greeted each of the great senior figures present one by one.
Which of those present had not lived for hundreds of millions of years? They saw through Ancestor Qilin's little scheme at a glance. He had suddenly brought over several nephews and nieces and had them pay respects to them—he was obviously asking for benefits.
As senior great figures, they naturally had to bring out meeting gifts for juniors they were meeting for the first time.
"That old kirin is already filthy rich, yet he still has his eye on what little family fortune we have. What a shameless old man." The senior great figures accepted the three's bows with smiling faces, but inwardly grumbled.
Though they were rather displeased, no one wanted to lose face here. One after another, they brought out high-grade treasures as meeting gifts for the three.
Ancestor Yin Yang gave each of them a Yin Yang Spirit Pearl containing a trace of Yin Yang Dao Rhyme. It could help one comprehend the transformations of yin and yang and the Way of Life and Death Balance.
Daoist Qiankun brought out three Qiankun Stones. Each stone contained a trace of a Space Law Fragment. They could improve a cultivator's perception and use of space, with Infinite Marvelous Uses in evasion techniques, defense, and even storage.
The person who had remained concealed in Black Mist, his appearance unseen, brought out three Battle Soul Crystals containing Infinite Battle Intent. The battle intent within could temper the physical body and counter the malevolent qi of ferocious beasts.
When the three arrived before Hongjun and bowed in greeting, Old Daoist Hongjun spoke. "Little Friend Lin Yan, we have not met for several thousand years. I never expected that you had already reached the Heavenly Immortal Late Stage. This cultivation speed truly surprises this old Daoist."
Hearing this, Lin Yan hurriedly bowed once more to Hongjun alone. "Senior Hongjun, I have never forgotten our parting in the canyon. I was fortunate to receive your guidance that day, and only then did my subsequent cultivation improve."
Ancestor Qilin, standing nearby, could not help asking in surprise, "Oh? Fellow Daoist Hongjun, you already knew each other?"
Hongjun smiled calmly. "Several thousand years ago, this old Daoist was traveling across the Primordial Great Earth when I was drawn to a canyon surrounded by ferocious beasts. When I went over to investigate, I learned that the canyon had been built by Little Friend Lin Yan. Thus, we exchanged a few words. At the time, Little Friend Lin Yan had only just undergone Transformation. I never expected that in merely a few thousand years, he would cultivate to the Heavenly Immortal Realm. It is truly rare."
"Oh? He cultivated from the Earth Immortal Realm to the Heavenly Immortal Realm in only several thousand years? Isn't that a little too unbelievable?" Even Ancestor Yin Yang was rather shocked.
"In my view, this little earth dragon has not merely crossed one major realm. If this old man is not mistaken, this little friend has long since condensed a Dao Seed, and that Dao Seed is solid and full. I fear he will break through to the True Immortal Realm before long," Daoist Qiankun suddenly interjected.
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Which Primordial Creature advanced in cultivation without taking tens or hundreds of thousands of years for each small step? Advancing by an entire major realm in only several thousand years was already as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Yet they had never even heard of someone advancing through two major realms in succession.
At that moment, the person who had remained hidden in the Black Mist suddenly extended a finger. An extremely fine black line, nearly invisible to the naked eye, shot straight toward Lin Yan. Though the black line traveled slowly, it was incomparably sharp. Wherever it passed, cracks were torn through the surrounding space, and violent Spatial Power poured from those fissures, annihilating all matter around it into nothingness.
Lin Yan was greatly alarmed. He had no time to wonder why the other party had suddenly attacked him. The Earth Spirit Seal instantly guarded him from the front, releasing streams of dense Earthy Yellow Radiance. At the same time, he hurriedly communicated with his Kun Yuan Life and Death Dao Seed and drew upon the Law of Earth within it, pouring it into the Earth Spirit Seal. At once, the radiance released by the Earth Spirit Seal became several degrees more solid.
Mo Xuan and Ao Ye, standing nearby, were also horrified by the sudden turn of events. Without a second thought, Seven-Colored Light burst forth around Mo Xuan, and a Seven-Colored Spirit Light as solid as substance instantly appeared before Lin Yan. Meanwhile, a Dragon Pearl spinning wildly transformed into a flowing light and shot directly toward the Black Mist.
With a casual wave of his hand, the person in the Black Mist sent Ao Ye's hastily unleashed Dragon Pearl flying back.
When the Seven-Colored Radiance met the black line, it was pierced through in an instant. The black line did not slow in the slightest and immediately slammed into the light screen released by the Earth Spirit Seal.
The light screen was remarkably resilient. Though it dented inward into a soul-stirring arc, it successfully stopped the black line from advancing further.
Just as Lin Yan prepared to release the Heaven and Earth Bead and draw the black line inside it, the black line trembled slightly, then transformed into wisps of pure Black Airflow and dissipated into the air, as though it had never existed.
Everything had happened in the span of lightning and flint. Not until the attack vanished did Mo Xuan's cry of "Watch out!" reach them. By then, Lin Yan's back was already drenched in cold sweat. In that instant, he had truly felt the breath of death. The sharpness and intent of destruction contained in that black line had placed enormous pressure on him.
"Not bad reactions, a solid foundation, a solid Dao Seed, and a deep Connection with Heaven and Earth Laws. That old Hongjun did not lie." A cold evaluation came from within the Black Mist.
"In a crisis, you were willing to sacrifice yourselves to protect him. You two are not bad either." The person in the Black Mist paused, then added another sentence.
Only then did the three realize that this person had merely been testing Lin Yan's true cultivation.
Yet the three had clearly felt that if the Earth Spirit Seal's light screen had not blocked the black line's attack, Lin Yan would likely have had his blood splattered on the spot by now.
For a moment, an indescribably complicated mix of emotions surged through the three of them. There was afterfear, there was anger, but more than anything, there was helplessness in the face of an absolute gap in strength, along with a trace of... the absurd feeling of being "acknowledged"?
"Luo Hou, you old devil, why are you frightening the juniors!"
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