Chapter 268

"I'd like to see who really pushed me out of the picture!"

Third place: Lin Zhaoyu

Affiliation: Yang Prefecture Lin Clan, Easternmost Region

Realm: Eleventh level of the Life and Death King Realm

Seeing Lin Zhaoyu's ranking, Meng Qi felt depressed.

"She actually pushed me out of the way..."

When the Lin clan members saw Lin Zhaoyu's name appear in the third place, they all became excited.

"Haha, Sister Chaoyu has surpassed Meng Qi, we're in third place now!"

Strangely, the Lin clan members seemed to have split into two factions.

"What's there to be so smug about? Who knows how you'll die in the ancient tomb later?"

They were both members of the Lin clan, yet they stood on the other side, speaking in a sarcastic and unfriendly manner.

Xiao Minghuang noticed the internal divisions within the Lin family and thought to herself, "Those who support Lin Zhaoyu should be the Lin Ancestor's lineage, while those who oppose her should be the Taiyin Supreme lineage."

Next, the list revealed the second place winner, Ren Wuqing, the Red Dust Path Holy Son from the Southern Wilderness.

"This must be the demon leader that Princess Xiao mentioned who infiltrated the Eastern Pole, right?"

"I've heard that demons are masters of transformation, able to disguise themselves as ordinary disciples and act with extreme secrecy. Fellow practitioners, please be careful!"

However, some people disagree.

"I know every one of our fellow disciples who came this time. How could they have been switched out? I think this is probably a trick by some people to sow discord. Fellow disciples, don't fall for it!"

This is a disciple from the Ziwei Sacred Land speaking. Although he did not explicitly name "certain people," the implication was clear enough.

They're talking about Xiao Minghuang!

"That's not necessarily true. Better safe than sorry. What if there really is an evil spirit?"

"I trust the Holy Court; they won't lie!"

Fortunately, most cultivators were relatively rational. Apart from a few members of forces closely connected with the Ziwei Sacred Land, most other cultivators adopted a cautious attitude.

340. Number one in the Five Realms!

This had already achieved Xiao Minghuang's goal; as for whether the Ziwei Sacred Land would be ambushed by demons, she didn't care.

Once inside the ancient tomb, a battle is inevitable.

With the announcement of the second-place winner on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the first-place winner is almost certain.

First place: Xiao Minghuang

Realm: Tenth level of the Life and Death King Realm

Affiliation: Eastern Pole Sacred Academy

"As expected, it's Princess Xiao!"

"Just a passerby, but I have a question quietly: Princess Xiao is only at the tenth level of the Life and Death King Realm, what are her achievements? Why is she ranked first?"

"You don't know this? When Princess Xiao was in the Nascent Soul Realm, she wreaked havoc in the Tiangang Secret Realm, killing countless people. A few days ago, the Buddhist disciple of the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land and the Ji Clan Divine Son joined forces to intercept Princess Xiao, but they were killed instead!"

"Even if she can kill these two, is she necessarily stronger than Ren Wuqing Lin Zhaoyu?"

"Who knows? They probably have other achievements that we just don't know about."

Xiao Minghuang's battle record is unknown to ordinary cultivators, but the top geniuses of various forces are well aware of it.

"Why is she ranked first?!"

Meng Qi gazed at that aloof and elegant figure from afar, gritting her teeth as she spoke.

"Sister Wanqiu, is this the person you like?"

Among the Lin clan members, a figure in pale blue murmured to himself.

"The number one prodigy of the East? If I could kill you, it would prove my Dao!"

Among the crowd, an inconspicuous figure lowered his head and whispered.

"Your Highness... I feel like I'm becoming less and less worthy of you..."

Lin Wanqiu stepped out of the cabin and looked at the figure that seemed like a celestial being descending to earth, a deep sense of humility appearing on her face.

Xiao Minghuang was completely unaware of what everyone was thinking. After the entire Hidden Dragon Ranking was announced, she returned to her cabin.

With less than a day until the tomb opens, all that's left is to wait.

As news of the demons' infiltration into the Eastern Pole was released, several low-profile figures in the crowd quietly took action, hiding in even more inconspicuous corners.

"Your Highness, Hong Li has been killed!"

"That Ye Ruoshui, only at the first level of the Life and Death King Realm, actually managed to kill Hong Li? How is that possible?"

"Hong Li is dead, and the goods the Devil Lord wanted must have been obtained by the cultivators of the Eastern Pole. What should we do?"

"Don't panic! Our main mission this time is to obtain the supreme inheritance; the goods are just a side matter. Once this is done, I'll speak to the Devil Lord."

"Yes!"

After the demons finished their discussion, they quickly dispersed and disappeared into the crowd, becoming indistinguishable from the others.

In the process of inheritance.

"Your Highness, congratulations on reaching the top of the Hidden Dragon Ranking!"

As soon as Xiao Minghuang entered the cabin, Lin Wanqiu came to greet him with a faint smile on her pretty face.

"Just an empty reputation."

Xiao Minghuang smiled and didn't take it to heart.

Then, she took Lin Wanqiu's hand, and the two sat down on the soft couch.

Since entering the Holy Academy, she has been busy with cultivation and rarely has the opportunity to spend time alone with Lin Wanqiu or have a proper heart-to-heart talk.

As a result, Lin Wanqiu has developed serious psychological problems, and there is even a risk that it may develop into a demonic possession. This is undoubtedly a dereliction of duty on her part as Dao Companion.

She planned to have a good talk with Lin Wanqiu during this half-day.

However, before Xiao Minghuang could speak, Lin Wanqiu spoke first.

She sat up straight, her expression extremely serious, and said, "Your Highness, there is something I need to discuss with you."

"Hmm? Wanqiu do you say?"

Seeing her so serious, Xiao Minghuang couldn't help but become serious as well.

"It's about me and the Lin family."

Lin Wanqiu slowly began to speak, "When the Taiyin Supreme brought me back to the Lin Clan, she asked if I could follow her in cultivation, but I didn't agree at the time. After that, I thought about it and realized that perhaps I should agree."

She lowered her head, seemingly afraid to look Xiao Minghuang in the eye, and whispered, "When we came to the Holy Academy together, we were both at the Spirit Seed Realm. Now Your Highness is number one on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the most outstanding genius in the Eastern Pole, while I am stuck at the Nascent Soul Realm."

"The Taiyin Supreme is right. I should focus more on cultivation so that we can have a longer future."

By the end, her voice was heavy, even tinged with a hint of tears.

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Xiao Minghuang looked at Lin Wanqiu with a complex expression, and a wave of bitterness welled up in her heart.

After a moment of stunned silence, she sighed softly and hugged Lin Wanqiu tightly, "Wanqiu, I know."

"You are my wife, how could I not know what you're thinking?"

"Actually, when you broke through to the Primal Embryo Realm, I sensed something was off about you. You were always alone, with a very repressed expression, and you spoke much less than before."

"I think something must have happened to you back then, but I was busy preparing for the Heavenly Dipper Assembly, so I didn't investigate further."

"Later, you followed the Taiyin Supreme to cultivate and returned to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, but you seemed even more depressed, and were sullen every day."

"Now that you've told me this, thank you for your trust in me."

Xiao Minghuang's thoughts were complex and difficult to understand, so she finally spoke out everything she had kept hidden for so long.

She gently stroked Lin Wanqiu's smooth, silky hair, looked down at the girl in her arms, and her beautiful eyes revealed deep affection.

"But... does the Taiyin Supreme really understand you? Do you really think what she said is correct and suitable for you?"

"Your Highness..." Lin Wanqiu raised her head, her eyes reddening, her lips trembling, and tears rolling down her cheeks.

Xiao Minghuang gently kissed away her tears and said softly, "Whether you choose to follow the decision of the Taiyin Supreme, or listen to what I have to say next, I will support you!"

The sun is setting in the west, and the waning moon hangs high in the sky.

Inside the cabin, the lights were on.

Xiao Minghuang sat on the soft couch, her gaze deep and unfathomable.

Lin Wanqiu sat in front of her without saying a word, her eyes slightly red, but her expression had improved considerably.

Both of them were immersed in each other's emotions.

Suddenly.

Rumble!

The cabin shook violently, as if a thunderclap had exploded.

"It must be an ancient tomb that has been unearthed!"

Xiao Minghuang suddenly stood up.

"Let's go!"

Xiao Minghuang reached out and grasped Lin Wanqiu's hand, and the two rushed out of the cabin hand in hand.

In the unfathomable abyss, an ancient, dark stone gate could be vaguely seen standing there, ancient and weathered, seemingly immortal and indestructible, making one feel insignificant.

With a flick of her sleeve, Xiao Minghuang shrunk the enormous Azure Sea Ship countless times and took it into her cave.

Let's go!

She gripped Lin Wanqiu's hand tightly and flew towards the abyss stone gate first.

"Within the ancient tomb, we will avenge our humiliation!"

Meng Qi stared at Xiao Minghuang's retreating figure, said coldly, and then leaped down.

Immediately afterwards, hundreds and thousands of cultivators filed in, continuously passing through the stone gate.

On the other side of the stone gate was a wide passageway, pitch black all around, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

341. I admire you.

The passageway was long, and the group continued forward.

Gradually, the darkness ahead faded, replaced by a vast and desolate landscape.

Xiao Minghuang appeared in a desert, her feet treading on yellow sand, the wind whistling all around her.

She looked around, and the view stretched as far as the eye could see, vast as a world, endless.

"The Spiritual Qi here... is so thin?"

She tried to circulate her cultivation technique, but found it difficult to absorb enough Spiritual Qi from the world. The area seemed to be many times more barren than the Southern Border.

Xiao Minghuang looked around but found no trace of anyone. Even when she released a wisp of her Primordial Spirit power, she could not sense the presence of anyone else.

"Sigh, I've lost Wanqiu. I should have kept her in my cave."

She sighed softly.

Next, Xiao Minghuang took out a communication talisman and tried to contact Lin Wanqiu, but after making a few rustling sounds, there was no further response.

"I sense that the Supreme Dao still exists here, suppressing all other Daos that might invade from the outside!"

She then took out the map of the ancient tomb that the Sun Hall Mistress had given her. After examining it, she discovered that it was not a complete map, but only a part of it.