A strange sight had appeared in the Spirit Pagoda.
Beside the cold, proud, and unapproachable Heavenly Phoenix Douluo stood a handsome young man with white hair.
What shocked everyone in the Spirit Pagoda even more was that the lofty Heavenly Phoenix Douluo behaved with extreme respect before this young man, like a junior before an elder.
For a time, countless Spirit Pagoda members became curious about Leng Hanyuan's identity.
Just who was he, to make the vice tower master, who dared to confront the tower master head-on during Spirit Pagoda meetings, act this way?
Yet because of the authority Leng Yaozhu had established within the Spirit Pagoda over the years, no one dared step forward to ask.
"Tell me, Little Yaozhu. How is our Phoenix Family doing these days?"
Leng Yaozhu, who had not been addressed like that in a very long time, looked at Leng Hanyuan's face, which seemed even younger than her own, and found it rather strange.
But when she recalled his identity, she could find nothing wrong with it.
She could only suppress the odd feeling in her heart and answer:
"Ancestor."
"Didn't I say not to call me Ancestor? It makes me sound old."
"Do I look like some decrepit old man?"
"Yes, Brother Hanyuan." Leng Yaozhu awkwardly changed how she addressed him.
Calling an ancestor from ten thousand years ago her brother.
Leng Yaozhu felt as though the seniority of the entire family had been thrown into chaos.
Although Leng Hanyuan had looked even younger than her before sealing himself away.
He was still her family's ancestor from ten thousand years ago. That was an indisputable fact.
But since this ancestor, Leng Hanyuan, insisted on it, she had no choice as a junior but to go along with him.
When it came to the Phoenix Family, Leng Yaozhu's voice gained a hint of pride and satisfaction.
She softly introduced the Phoenix Family's current influence to Leng Hanyuan.
"Our Phoenix Family currently controls..."
"..."
"We are absolutely the number one family in the Spirit Pagoda apart from the Qiangu Family!"
After saying that, Leng Yaozhu looked at Leng Hanyuan, anticipation appearing in her beautiful eyes.
She waited for this ancestor's approval of the Phoenix Family's current prestige.
Yet Leng Hanyuan merely frowned.
"The Spirit Pagoda's second family."
He was somewhat disappointed.
Before sealing himself away, he had left behind all those ideas for development.
Yet ten thousand years later, the Phoenix Family's course of development still differed little from that of the original story.
They were still being suppressed by the Qiangu Family.
Damn it!
The Qiangu Family was not some newly risen family.
They had already possessed a lineage during Tang San's era.
They still existed in Leng Hanyuan's time and had developed fairly well.
But back then, that insignificant Coiling Dragon Staff had not even been qualified to appear before him!
Coiling Dragon?
How laughable!
It was merely a broken staff that could do nothing but tremble beneath his Phoenix Cry!
And now this bunch of stick-wielders had actually surpassed the Phoenix Family?
The young ancestor felt a surge of frustration at their failure to live up to expectations.
Leng Yaozhu gradually noticed that something was off about this ancestor's expression as well.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She cautiously asked:
"An... Brother Hanyuan, what is it?"
"Could it be that the family's current situation does not quite meet your expectations?"
Leng Hanyuan let out a soft sigh and waved his hand.
"It is nothing. I am merely lamenting the changes of the world. The seas have turned to mulberry fields, that is all."
Then he changed the subject.
His voice carried an absolute confidence that allowed no doubt.
"However, now that I have unsealed myself, the Phoenix Family will become the foremost family in this world. We will never remain beneath any other family."
His voice was not impassioned. It was exceedingly calm.
Like a placid lake without the slightest ripple, as though he were merely stating an ordinary fact.
Leng Yaozhu was stunned.
For some reason.
Although she did not know much in detail about this ancestor from ten thousand years ago, after hearing his rather "arrogant" words.
Leng Yaozhu did not feel the slightest doubt.
Instead, an inexplicable trust rose in her heart.
She could not explain the reason.
She merely felt that this ancestor would definitely be able to accomplish it.
As Leng Yaozhu took Leng Hanyuan, this ancestor from ten thousand years ago, on a stroll through the Spirit Pagoda.
The news naturally soon reached the ears of Spirit Pagoda Tower Master Qiangu Dongfeng.
"You are saying that a handsome young man has appeared beside the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, and she even seems to treat him with great respect?"
"Yes, Tower Master."
"Many people in the tower saw it. The Vice Tower Master is taking that young man around the tower."
Listening to his subordinate's report, Qiangu Dongfeng narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly.
A gloomy glint flashed through his gaze.
Qiangu Dongfeng had designs on the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu.
This was no secret among the upper echelons of the Spirit Pagoda.
It was simply that Leng Yaozhu had no interest in Qiangu Dongfeng.
Although Qiangu Dongfeng was the Spirit Pagoda's tower master, wielded supreme authority, and stood at the pinnacle of the entire Federation.
Leng Yaozhu disliked his personality.
She even found him rather detestable.
Yet Qiangu Dongfeng had never given up on this idea.
He remained quite fixated on Leng Yaozhu.
One reason was personal affection.
The other was the Phoenix Family behind Leng Yaozhu.
Qiangu Dongfeng was an absolute hero of ambition.
Under his leadership, the Qiangu Family had tightened its control over the Spirit Pagoda more and more over recent years.
Yet several long-established Spirit Pagoda families could still join forces to restrain the Qiangu Family.
The Phoenix Family was among the foremost of them.
If he could use Leng Yaozhu to win over the Phoenix Family behind her.
The entire Spirit Pagoda would become a place where Qiangu Dongfeng's word alone was law!
The Qiangu Family's influence would reach another peak!
Thus, upon hearing that a handsome young man had suddenly appeared at Leng Yaozhu's side, Qiangu Dongfeng immediately took notice.
Qiangu Dongfeng understood Leng Yaozhu's character very well.
After the incident involving Yun Ming, she had sealed away her feelings.
Ordinarily, she showed no favor to any member of the opposite sex, keeping everyone at arm's length.
For someone to be at Leng Yaozhu's side and receive special treatment from her...
All of it indicated that the relationship between that so-called handsome young man and Leng Yaozhu was certainly far from ordinary!
Respectful?
What kind of joke was that?
Who in this world could possibly make the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo behave respectfully?
Could that so-called handsome young man possibly be Leng Yaozhu's elder?
That was simply absurd!
Therefore, in Qiangu Dongfeng's eyes, Leng Yaozhu's supposed respect toward Leng Hanyuan naturally took on another meaning.
This immediately sounded an alarm in Qiangu Dongfeng's mind.
Although there had been no substantial progress over the years.
Qiangu Dongfeng believed that as long as he persisted and dealt with Yun Ming according to plan.
Leng Yaozhu would one day accept his feelings.
But this handsome young man who had suddenly emerged seemed to have introduced an unexpected variable into his plan.
Qiangu Dongfeng would never allow any variable beyond his control to appear before him!
"I would like to see just who this person is who has appeared beside our Vice Tower Master..."
Qiangu Dongfeng muttered in a low voice.
He slowly rose to his feet.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he left the tower master's office and headed outside.
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