So He Is the Mysterious Ice Empress's Man!

Ling Rong's words plunged the entire scene into a brief silence.

Among those present, Bai Fengxin held the greatest cultivation and influence.

Since he had already declared his claim on the Longevity Flower, no one else was qualified to contend with him.

Yet Ling Rong spoke up at this moment, clearly positioning herself against Bai Fengxin.

Fight against Bai Fengxin, a Peak Shen Po Realm expert?

The result would not only be self-inflicted humiliation—it might even cost her life.

Lin Tong and the others shook their heads inwardly. The girl standing before them didn't seem like someone so ignorant of her limits.

Bai Fengxin let out a cold laugh. "Why do you want the Longevity Flower?"

Ling Rong's face was resolute. "Because I need to rebuild my spiritual root and reclaim my lost cultivation talent!"

Everyone showed expressions of sudden realization.

No wonder this girl was so determined to obtain the Longevity Flower—she had once been a martial artist herself.

Bai Fengxin gazed deeply at Ling Rong. "It seems you have a story. Tell me, what's your name, and which sect or school are you from?"

Sensing a stubbornness radiating from Ling Rong's very bones, Bai Fengxin grew somewhat interested in her.

Ling Rong clenched her fists and said, "My name is Ling Rong, from the Ling Family of the Great Xia Kingdom!"

Hearing this, Bai Fengxin, along with Lin Tong and the others from Chi Xiao Heaven, all had a sudden realization.

The Great Xia Kingdom was a mid-sized nation within Chi Xiao Heaven.

And in the Martial World of the Great Xia Kingdom, the most renowned was the Ling Family.

Legend had it that the Ling Family had existed for eight thousand years, making it an Ancient Martial Family.

Even across the entire Martial World of Chi Xiao Heaven, it was a clan that could hold its own.

Of course, what made the Ling Family most famous in Chi Xiao Heaven was their former prodigy, Ling Rong.

At the age of three, Ling Rong was discovered to possess the Rare in All Ages Five Elements Spiritual Root, with a cultivation talent that outshone all her peers.

The Ling Family had once regarded her as their future leader, another brilliant rising star in the Martial World of Chi Xiao Heaven.

Even the Great Xia King himself had personally visited the Ling Family, hoping to betroth her to the Great Crown Prince as his Crown Princess.

In the future, when the throne passed to the Great Crown Prince, she would become the rightful Empress of the Great Xia Kingdom.

A rising star of an Ancient Martial Family, the destined future Empress of the Great Xia Kingdom.

Such status had once been dazzling and glorious for Ling Rong.

But then...

Half a year after the Great Xia King delivered the betrothal agreement, Ling Rong lost her Five Elements Spiritual Root overnight.

From a heavenly prodigy, she instantly became a cripple unable to cultivate.

Though the Ling Family tried their best to conceal the matter, paper could not wrap fire, and the Great Xia King eventually learned the news.

The Great Xia King then sent the Great Crown Prince to her door to annul the engagement and revoke all previous promises.

After suffering blow after blow, the Ling Family never recovered.

They became a laughingstock across the Great Xia Kingdom and even all of Chi Xiao Heaven.

"So you're the woman who was cast aside by the Crown Prince." Bai Fengxin slightly nodded.

Ling Rong bowed respectfully. "Senior Bai, this little daughter only asks for a chance to compete. Please grant it!"

"Do you think you're qualified to say that?" Bai Fengxin frowned slightly.

"In terms of strength, this little daughter is as weak as a newborn, but I have no other path left—I must burn my bridges!" Ling Rong gritted her teeth.

"Naive! And childish!"

Bai Fengxin scolded.

"If it were anything else, this old man might make a small concession out of pity for your plight."

"But the Longevity Flower is something this old man is determined to obtain. Anyone who tries to take it is my enemy."

"You're just a woman. This old man doesn't want to dirty his hands with you. Get lost!"

A terrifying pressure suddenly erupted, slamming viciously into Ling Rong.

Ling Rong's pretty face turned pale. Her legs trembled, and she stumbled back several steps, nearly falling.

Bai Fengxin sneered with contempt. "You can't even withstand a single glare from me. What do you have to compete with?"

"In the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, those Demonic Beasts won't be as merciful as I am."

"Telling you to leave is me giving you a way out!"

Seeing Ling Rong pushed to such a state, the onlookers felt a twinge of pity.

Lin Tong stepped forward to console her. "Little girl, Sect Master Bai is right. The Secret Realm is full of unknown dangers."

"Let alone you—even if we run into a High Rank Demonic Beast, all we can do is flee."

"You should leave. In this life, there are some things you just can't force."

Ling Rong slowly raised her head, tears already glistening in her eyes.

The Longevity Flower Secret Realm was said to appear only once every few years.

She had exhausted all her efforts just to get here.

But now, with an expert like Bai Fengxin blocking her way, she was utterly powerless.

"Could it be... I'm destined to live in poverty forever, watching the entire Ling Family endure endless ridicule from others?"

Ling Rong's heart was filled with bitterness and unwillingness.

Whoosh—

Boom!!!

At this moment, a massive black shadow suddenly descended from the sky, landing in the middle of the crowd.

Everyone looked closely and saw it was a huge Iron Lion Monster.

When they made out the monster's pupils and the tree branch stuck in its body, the entire crowd gasped.

"A Ninth-Rank Iron Lion Monster!"

"My god, a demonic beast of this rank can only be dealt with by a Peak Shen Po Realm expert!"

"A single tree branch pierced through its chest—even a Peak Shen Po Realm expert probably couldn't do that, right?"

"Iron Lion Monsters have Bronze Skin Iron Bones and are extremely hard to injure. Just which mighty figure killed it?"

Even Bai Fengxin was stunned by the sight before him.

A Ninth-Rank Iron Lion Monster, when placed in the mortal world, was equivalent to a strong person at the Peak Shen Po Realm.

And that unknown expert had pierced it through with just a tree branch.

Such methods were utterly terrifying!

"Only an Emperor Realm expert could hunt an Iron Lion Monster like this," Bai Fengxin murmured under his breath.

At this moment, a crisp voice reached everyone's ears.

"Daddy, I saw it fall right up ahead!"

Soon after.

A Handsome Man in white robes, leading four Porcelain Doll Little Girls, appeared before the crowd.

Xuan Zhu and the others gathered around the Iron Lion Monster's corpse with shocked expressions.

"Wow, it's already dead!"

"I thought it was really tough, but it couldn't even withstand Daddy's beating!"

Xuan Zhu and Xuan Xi sighed in amazement.

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Lin Xuan with stunned gazes.

Bai Fengxin and Lin Tong, in particular, showed a hint of awe.

So it was this Handsome Man who had killed the Iron Lion Monster.

Just who was this Mighty Figure—so young, yet so powerful?

A man in a Gray-white Robe stepped out from the crowd, walked up to Lin Xuan, and bowed. "So it's the Imperial Husband. Greetings, Imperial Husband."

Lin Xuan asked, "You are?"

The man wore a flattering smile. "I am Ning Jie of White Deer Academy. I had the honor of witnessing the Imperial Husband's brilliance at the Literary Dao Discussion Conference a few days ago, so I recognized you at once."

"I see." Lin Xuan Slightly Nodded.

Hearing their exchange, Bai Fengxin and the others were filled with awe.

White Deer Academy was a famous Confucian academy in the North Profound Heaven.

Ning Jie calling Lin Xuan the Imperial Husband meant that Lin Xuan was the Empress's Man of the North Profound Heaven Empress.

"No wonder he's so elegant and free-spirited, and terrifyingly strong—so he's the Mysterious Ice Empress's man!"

Bai Fengxin and the others had a Sudden Realization.