Inside the carriage, soft animal hides were laid out, swaying gently as the wheels rolled.
Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of the car windows, casting dappled, soft shadows.
Ah Yin sat upright on a soft cushion covered with brocade, her hands elegantly folded on her knees.
Her back was ramrod straight, and her exquisite face carried an innate nobility and tranquility belonging to the Blue Silver Emperor, as if she were a well-mannered young lady from a noble family attending an elegant tea party, rather than a spoil of war with an uncertain future being transferred.
She turned her head slightly, her gaze calmly landing on Ye Qing, who was also resting with his eyes closed, his small face displaying a composure beyond his years.
Deep within those deep, lake-blue eyes, curiosity, inquiry, and a barely perceptible expectation stirred quietly, like an undercurrent beneath the surface.
Finally, amidst the rhythmic rumble of the wheels, Ah Yin softly spoke, breaking the silence inside the carriage.
Her voice was gentle and melodious, like a clear mountain spring, with just the right amount of inquiry:
"Where... are we going next?"
Ye Qing slowly opened her eyes.
Those dark, clear eyes seemed to reflect all of Ah Yin's emotions.
He didn't evade the question, nor did he feign mystery; he simply gave the answer calmly and directly:
" Heaven Dou City ".
" Heaven Dou City?"
Upon hearing the name, a perfectly timed look of surprise appeared on Ah Yin's exquisite face. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she pressed, "What are you going there for?"
The capital of the Heaven Dou Empire is one of the most prosperous and complex cities on the continent.
The Heaven Dou Imperial Family, numerous nobles, and a complex web of other forces were entrenched there.
Having just escaped the turmoil of entanglement with the Clear Sky Sect and the Spirit Hall, why would they plunge headlong into the center of that power vortex?
"Go retrieve something..." Ye Qing's answer was still concise and his tone was flat, as if he were just saying that he was going to retrieve an ordinary item that had been left behind.
"Things?" Ah Yin's curiosity deepened.
She leaned forward slightly, her posture still elegant, yet with a natural sense of intimacy, and tentatively asked, "Something very important...?"
Ye Qing remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing how much information to reveal.
Finally, he nodded, looked at Ah Yin with his clear eyes, and slowly said:
"Yeah, more or less. Otherwise, we wouldn't have come all this way."
Although the statement was still vague, it at least affirmed the importance of that thing.
Ah Yin's curiosity grew stronger, as if a kitten was gently scratching at her.
What is that thing?
Why did it end up in Heaven Dou City?
What is their connection to Ye Qing and the others?
Countless questions swirled in her mind.
But she also knew her limits.
My current status is that of a prisoner or an accomplice, not a partner who can equally explore all my secrets.
Asking too many questions may cause resentment or even danger.
However, her curiosity about Ye Qing's identity and background, her desire to explore that mysterious place, and her vague anticipation of her own future fate still made her unable to resist. After a brief hesitation and weighing of her options, she spoke again softly, with a hint of caution:
"Can I... ask you one more question?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qing's gaze returned to Ah Yin's face.
He neither immediately agreed nor refused, but simply said:
You can ask, but I might not be able to answer.
This gives Ah Yin the choice, but also sets a boundary.
Ah Yin took a deep breath, her red lips pursed slightly, as if she had made up her mind.
She raised her head, her gaze no longer darting away, looking directly at Ye Qing, and asked the question that had been swirling in her mind for so long in that gentle yet clear voice:
"From your previous conversation and the attitude of those people from the Spirit Hall... you are from a place called Sea God Island, right?"
Ye Qing nodded, which was considered a pre-arranged decision.
"Then... can you tell me, what kind of place is Sea God Island?" Ah Yin's eyes were filled with pure curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
Her understanding of the mainland was mostly limited to the Star Dou Great Forest and her limited travels; she knew almost nothing about the mysterious and unpredictable forces overseas.
Especially a force that the Spirit Hall treats with such seriousness, and even shows a hint of cooperation and apprehension.
Upon hearing Ah Yin's question, Ye Qing's lips curled up into a barely perceptible smile.
He did not directly describe how majestic, mysterious, or powerful Sea God Island.
Instead, in a guiding, slightly playful tone, he asked in return:
" Sea God Island... as the name suggests, is a power located on the high seas."
"So, what kind of power do you think would be qualified to make the Spirit Hall, which has a history of ten thousand years, willing to cooperate with it, and even go to great lengths to personally intervene and seek justice for it when its treasures are stolen?"
"What kind of power could command such respect, even... equal dialogue, from Pope Qian Xunji and Grand Pontiff Qian Daoliu?"
Although Ye Qing's words did not provide a direct answer, they were like a lighthouse clearing away the fog, guiding Ah Yin in the right direction.
Ah Yin is not a dull person.
She possesses the wisdom and experience of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Upon hearing Ye Qing's suggestion, she blinked her clear eyes, seemingly processing the information.
Immediately, her pupils contracted sharply!
Even her delicate body trembled slightly involuntarily!
An unbelievable yet logically sound answer flashed through her mind like lightning!
The forces that can command such treatment from the Spirit Hall...
Also known as the Sea God, he reigns supreme overseas, mysterious and powerful...
Engaging in "equal dialogue" with the Spirit Hall...
Could it be...?
Ah Yin suddenly raised her head and looked at Ye Qing, her beautiful face filled with shock and disbelief.
"You... you mean... the Sea God Island you mentioned, like... like the Spirit Hall, is... a place of divine inheritance?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ah Yin couldn't help but gasp, feeling a chill mixed with indescribable excitement instantly sweep over her entire body!
The Land of Divine Legacy!
These six words, like a thunderclap, exploded in her heart!
She finally understood!
I completely understand now!
Why would the Spirit Hall go to such lengths for a single Soul Beast from Sea God Island, even risking a complete falling out with the once number one sect in the world and forging a blood feud?
Why would figures like Qian Xunji and Qian Daoliu be so polite to Ye Qing, a child, even to the point of almost fawning over him?
Everything now has the most reasonable explanation!
Because Sea God Island is a sacred land of equal caliber to the Spirit Hall, possessing true divine inheritance, and transcending ordinary forces on the continent!
Before the land where the gods passed down their legacy, what is the Clear Sky Sect, which has lost its Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle and is only relying on its remaining prestige?
Offending the Clear Sky Sect might invite the revenge of a Peerless Douluo.
However, offending a divine lineage power of equal caliber would not only mean losing future strategic allies, but could also trigger conflict and confrontation at the divine level!
The price was far greater than what Tang Chen could ever pay!
If Ah Yin were in the position of the Spirit Hall, facing the same choice, she would probably make the same decision as Qian Xunji, or even more decisive!
After all, she had personally witnessed the Angel God ascend to the Divine Realm and leave the continent.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen the path of human transformation after his cultivation reached 100,000 years.
Ye Qing smiled.
He neither admitted nor denied it.
However, in Ah Yin's view, this attitude was tantamount to a pre-set assumption.
Upon seeing this, she took several deep breaths to barely suppress the turmoil churning within her.
At this moment, the way she looked at Ye Qing had completely changed.
It's no longer like looking at a mysterious and intelligent child, but rather like looking at a future deity walking among humans!
They are the true guides and hope leading to that supreme realm!
She swallowed hard, moistening her throat, which was dry from shock, and asked again, her voice trembling with a barely perceptible sense of awe:
"So... you... you really... received... the inheritance of a god?"