The sun reached its zenith.
The Tianyan Mountain Range gleamed beneath the blazing sun.
At that moment, Ling Feng followed the Myriad Gold Merchant Association through what seemed to be a natural forest barrier and emerged before an enormous mountain.
The mountain had no pointed summit. Lush greenery spread across its slopes, but faintly visible amid the verdant growth at the top were ancient buildings resembling massive boulders.
So this is where the Ancient Tomb Mansion is?!
As Ling Feng gazed at the summit, a flicker of excitement crossed his eyes.
"Young Master Ling, quite a few powerful figures from other factions have come this time. I hope you can lend our Myriad Gold Merchant Association a hand."
Xia Wanjin stepped forward and made his request.
Ling Feng surveyed the distance and discovered that numerous factions had already established themselves there. Among them was the Lin Clan, with Lin Dong in its ranks.
"Rest assured. For Su'er's sake, I'll look after you a little."
As he spoke, Ling Feng looked back at Xuan Su in her red dress. A roguish curve tugged at his lips, bringing an immediate blush to her cheeks.
Watching their flirtatious exchange, Xia Wanjin felt secretly pleased. With Xuan Su as his sister-in-law, he had managed to latch onto Ling Feng's powerful coattails.
Smiling, Xia Wanjin thanked him. "Thank you, Young Master Ling."
Then Xia Wanjin tactfully withdrew.
Just then, the factions gathered around them suddenly turned their gazes in the same direction.
A moment later, a rumble erupted in the sky, and a streak of red light tore swiftly through the air.
"Screee!"
Accompanied by a piercing eagle cry, an enormous, magnificent scarlet eagle swept out of the red light. Beneath its wings, the faint roar of wind and thunder resounded.
"It's Lin Langtian!"
"To think the first to arrive would be Lin Langtian, the Lin Clan's greatest genius!"
The disciples of the various factions erupted into heated discussion. The spectacle also drew Ling Feng's attention. Looking up, he saw a figure in green standing on the eagle's back with his hands clasped behind him. His loose robes fluttered in the breeze, lending him an air of effortless grace.
Perhaps sensing the crowd below, the green-robed figure swept his gaze over them. Even when he spotted the Lin Clan's party, his eyes lingered only briefly, as though nothing in the world deserved his attention.
Lin Langtian certainly knows how to show off. That entrance is something else. I could borrow a trick or two from him someday.
Having witnessed Lin Langtian's entrance, Ling Feng smiled breezily and paid him little further mind.
Still, when it came to Lin Langtian, Ling Feng found him rather pitiful. He clearly enjoyed all the perks of a protagonist, yet he had run into the king of cheats and ended up getting slaughtered by Lin Dong.
Then again, that was the fate awaiting a supporting character.
Of course, Lin Dong was still in his beginner growth phase, when Lin Langtian could crush him.
But none of that interested Ling Feng. To him, both men were stalks of chives, ready to be harvested whenever he pleased.
After all, with his current foundations, Ling Feng could take on anyone within the Creation Realm, the equivalent of a Peak Dou Wang.
Rumble!
Shortly after Lin Langtian arrived, another series of thunderous sounds tore through the sky. A streak of golden light came hurtling from the distant horizon, and a formidable aura rippled between heaven and earth.
"Brother Wang Yan is here!"
Below, the members of the Wang Clan burst into cheers as they watched the figure riding an enormous golden spear through the sky.
Immediately afterward, delight appeared on the faces of the Qin Clan members, and they all turned toward the horizon. A rainbow streak swept in from the edge of the sky, followed by blue light that filled the heavens. A Wind Luan more than ten zhang in size hovered overhead, beating its wings as an immensely powerful aura surged from its body.
A man in blue stood smiling upon the Wind Luan.
His features were so handsome they bordered on bewitching. In looks, he fell only slightly short of Ling Feng, but the deep-blue feather fan he gently waved lent him an air of aristocratic elegance.
Wang Yan of the Wang Clan and Qin Shi of the Qin Clan?
Looking up at the two men who had arrived in succession, Ling Feng thought, The geniuses of the three great clans are all here. Ling Qingzhu should be arriving soon too.
I really am looking forward to seeing the leading heroine's splendor...
Ling Feng gazed into the distance, seemingly awaiting something. Meanwhile, the three newly arrived geniuses began to converse.
"Why isn't Huangpu Jing here yet?"
Wang Yan surveyed their surroundings with a slight frown, then looked at Qin Shi and Lin Langtian. "The four great clans agreed to break the seal on this Ancient Tomb Mansion together..."
Lin Langtian smiled at that. "Huangpu Jing has something to attend to and can't make it. But she's invited someone even more formidable than herself."
"Oh? Who? There aren't many people in the Great Yan Dynasty whom you, Lin Langtian, would call formidable..."
Qin Shi asked curiously, while Wang Yan likewise watched Lin Langtian with keen interest.
Before Lin Langtian could answer their question, a light, lilting voice suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.
"Hehe, Qingzhu is hardly so formidable. Brother Langtian, you flatter me."
The voice was exquisitely beautiful, as though imbued with a peculiar magic. At once, a dazed, entranced look appeared in many people's eyes.
She's here!
The corner of Ling Feng's mouth lifted into a mysterious smile. A moment later, a green lotus appeared in his sight. Upon it stood a graceful, enchanting figure. Though a thin veil covered her face, her crystal-clear eyes seemed to dim the entire world around her in an instant.
So this is Ling Qingzhu?
As the breathtaking beauty suddenly appeared before his eyes, even Ling Feng briefly lost himself, though he quickly recovered.
Only now that I've seen her do I understand: in the north there is a beauty, peerless and standing alone. One glance topples a city; another topples a kingdom.
His eyes flickered as he silently marveled, Ling Qingzhu truly is a beauty without equal!
Ling Qingzhu's beauty was like that of an immortal descended to earth. Of course, Xuan Su and Ya Fei were no less lovely. Each woman possessed her own charm and bearing. To Ling Feng, they shared the autumn splendor equally, and every one was just his type.
"Ahem..."
While Ling Feng was wholly absorbed in admiring Ling Qingzhu, a soft cough suddenly sounded behind him.
He knew that voice all too well. It belonged to Xuan Su.
Ling Feng's expression immediately changed. He felt as though an icy laser beam were shooting toward him from behind, sending a chill down his back.
He glanced sideways and saw Xuan Su smiling at him. Yet no matter how he looked at it, that smile seemed filled with coldness.
Clearly, Ling Feng's behavior had made Xuan Su jealous.
His bold pursuit over this period had deepened their feelings by the day. All that remained was to pierce the paper window between them and lay themselves bare to each other.
Now that Ling Feng was openly admiring Ling Qingzhu right in front of her, it would have been strange if Xuan Su weren't angry. But given her temperament, she would not scold her man like a shrew. Instead, she would choose another form of "loving" instruction.
"Heh... hehe..."
Noticing Xuan Su's mood, Ling Feng gave her a stiff smile that never reached his eyes, then turned away and stopped looking at Ling Qingzhu.
"Hmph!"
At his reaction, Xuan Su gave a soft, private huff. Her beautiful eyes shifted toward Ling Qingzhu in the sky, and her delicate brows drew together as she felt an inexplicable sense of danger. This woman...