At that thought, even Yun Qing, who stood high above the clouds and had weathered countless storms, could not stop his heart from jolting.
Had this flourishing age truly grown so insane?!
Yun Qing had always thought the Yun Clan stood alone in its madness. Only now did he realize that beneath this continent's deep waters lurked two more giant crocodiles, equally audacious and possessed of unfathomable reserves!
"When you find one cockroach..." As he watched the faint divine light lingering on the divine list, that crude analogy from his previous life rose unbidden.
The thought had barely surfaced, and he had not even had time to consider its second half, when an intensely oppressive gaze suddenly swept toward him from beside him!
Yun Huang's pale golden eyes swept backward like cold stars. His gaze was a set of invisible ice needles, stabbing precisely into Yun Qing's spiritual perception with a hint of warning and scrutiny.
Yun Qing's heart tightened sharply, and every stray thought vanished at once! His survival instincts made him reflexively lower his head a little. His thick, long lashes fell, concealing the turbulence deep within his Double Pupils, while his handsome, refined face swiftly assumed an impeccably obedient, well-behaved expression-as though he had merely been daydreaming and had harbored no disrespectful thoughts whatsoever.
Yun Huang's gaze lingered on him for a moment. Seeing that he was behaving himself, he withdrew it and looked once more toward the divine list above the nine heavens, imperial majesty blazing around him.
Only after that scalp-prickling gaze moved away did Yun Qing slowly straighten. The little figure in his heart quietly breathed a sigh of relief. That was close, so close. I almost got purged from the clan.
He gathered himself and cautiously glanced at the black-robed figure ahead. Once he confirmed that Yun Huang was no longer paying attention to him, Yun Qing rebelliously resumed his interrupted train of thought and completed the second half:
...it means there must be a whole nest of cockroaches hiding in the dark!
Comparing those ancient beings to "cockroaches" was profoundly disrespectful, but at that moment, Yun Qing found it incredibly apt, both in terms of their "numbers" and their "concealment."
He would wager his own Double Pupils, which could pierce falsehood, that the "old monsters" brought here by the great powers through heaven-defying means were by no means limited to the three who had just appeared on the divine list!
Among the "Divine Palaces of the Nine Heavens," were the Ji Clan, the Jiang Clan, the Azure Lotus Sword Palace, the Great Xia Ancient Dynasty... really all innocent little white flowers? Who knew whether they had a fourth or fifth tucked away?
Even if they did not, there was no guarantee they would not entertain the idea after today.
Wind and cloud converged; dragons and serpents rose from the land.
Yun Qing gazed at the sky with its surging undercurrents, light flickering deep within his Double Pupils. Three known "old monsters" have entered the fray, and there may be more hiding in the shadows. How is this a contest between prodigies? It's clearly a bunch of ancient big shots using alt accounts to stomp noobs!
The mere thought that that blazing Radiant Sun might truly appear in the Azure Cloud List's arena, competing alongside-or rather, crushing-a crowd of "juniors" made Yun Qing feel the scene would be far too "beautiful" for him to bear watching.
Steady as Yun Qing was, even he rarely found his thoughts veering so wildly out of control. The sheer volume of information was explosive enough to blast his composure apart.
An intense sense of urgency clenched his heart.
The muddier the waters, the greater the opportunities-but the danger also rose exponentially!
He had to resolve the internal threat posed by the Twelfth Elder as soon as possible before he could devote himself fully to facing the tremendous storm about to sweep through the entire era!
Yun Qing's gaze could not help returning to the noble figure standing ahead with his hands behind his back. The Reincarnated Immortal Emperor who could make the Heavenly Dao's divine list change with a single displeased thought.
He prayed devoutly in his heart, Little brother Huang, can you let me cling to your mighty leg a little longer?
Before Perching Phoenix Hall, the phenomenon spanning heaven and earth finally faded completely, and the vast resonance of the Dao gradually subsided.
Yun Huang still gazed at the sky, his golden eyes utterly calm, as though the phenomenon that had shaken all living beings had been nothing more than an ordinary fireworks display to him.
At last, he spoke, his voice breaking the silence. "A few years earlier than expected."
Without lingering further, he swept his black sleeve and turned back into the hall.
Yun Qing followed closely, matching him step for step.
Inside the hall, radiant pearls shimmered. Yun Qing came to a stop below the jade steps. As his thoughts raced, his fox's tail... ahem, his wise Double Pupils shifted slightly, and a plan took shape.
Facing the figure on the jade throne, who was beginning to radiate an air of "keep your distance," he let just the right amount of "worry" and "urgency" color his Double Pupils.
"Young Lord," Yun Qing took half a step forward, keeping his voice soft and measured, with a barely perceptible hint of "dependence." "The Azure Cloud List has opened abruptly, throwing every faction into turmoil. If there is unrest within the clan, we may struggle to give our all in the contest. Should the Yun Clan's prestige suffer as a result..."
He left his words unfinished, gazing imploringly at Yun Huang with his Double Pupils.
Yun Huang's gaze settled on him with the suggestion of a smile, but he did not expose his little scheme. "What do you propose?"
Yun Qing knew his opportunity had arrived. He took another step forward and spoke respectfully, his reasoning clear. "Young Lord, the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List is of tremendous importance. We cannot afford any missteps. Yet the positions of the clan's 'Twelve Young Masters' have remained fixed for nearly thirty years. Though there is no shortage of talent among them, such a long period without change inevitably breeds complacency. In my humble opinion, we could perhaps use the impending opening of the Azure Cloud List to bring forward... the Cloud Summit Tournament."
The moment he said "Cloud Summit Tournament," the air within the hall seemed to grow even stiller.
Bringing forward the Cloud Summit Tournament would be like hurling a thunderbolt onto a tranquil lake. It would inevitably send violent tremors through every household and lineage, reshuffling the balance of power among the younger generation.
A flicker of interest finally crossed Yun Huang's golden eyes. He leaned forward slightly, his invisible pressure making even Yun Qing's breathing more cautious. "Oh? Bring forward the Cloud Summit Tournament? Your reasons."
Yun Qing lowered his eyes, avoiding that overly piercing gaze, and answered steadily. "First, to weed out the weak and retain the strong, selecting only the best. Only by facing the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List at our absolute peak can we demonstrate the Yun Clan's true depth. Second, we can use this opportunity to remove certain... chronic afflictions that have long outlived their place." His words were veiled, but they both knew perfectly well whom those "chronic afflictions" referred to.
Yun Huang fell silent. His fingertip moved unconsciously across the dark jade armrest, tracing runes no one could decipher.
Only the faint crackling of burning incense and Yun Qing's deliberately slowed breathing remained within the hall.
After a long while, just as Yun Qing thought this inscrutable ancestor would reject him outright, Yun Huang suddenly spoke, his voice betraying neither pleasure nor anger:
"Come here."
Something stirred in Yun Qing's heart. He obeyed, ascending the cold jade steps and stopping three paces from Yun Huang. This was already far beyond the bounds permitted to an ordinary attendant, carrying a dangerous sense of intimacy and probing.
Yet Yun Huang seemed to find it insufficient. His pale golden eyes flicked toward him. "Closer."
Yun Qing's heart tightened slightly, but he showed nothing on his face as he obediently took another step forward. Now, only a single step separated him from Yun Huang, and he could almost feel the oppressive aura capable of burning all things to ash.
Yun Huang suddenly raised a finger and pressed it straight against Yun Qing's forehead!
Yun Qing instinctively wanted to recoil, but his powerful will nailed him firmly in place.
Yun Huang lightly swept his fingertip across the purple-gold Immortal Seal on Yun Qing's forehead. Radiant Sun Divine Power passed over it, and the Immortal Seal was instantly erased.
Looking at his unblemished forehead, Yun Huang finally felt some relief from his lingering irritation.
Yun Qing blinked in confusion, then understood. Of course-ancient aristocratic clans all possessed secret methods for concealing these Heavenly Dao Marks. After all, sending their prodigies outside with such conspicuous marks on their foreheads would be far too eye-catching.
He had intended to seek out the Second Elder for help later. He had not expected Yun Huang to take the initiative and conceal it for him.
At least all his efforts to raise this little ancestor's affection had not gone to waste. Yun Qing was moved to tears.
"Turn around," Yun Huang suddenly ordered.
Yun Qing obeyed, turning his back to Yun Huang. He could feel that gaze resting on his straight back as though it had substance, as though it could penetrate his clothing and perceive every thread of spiritual energy circulating within him.
The next instant, a pair of slightly cool hands settled on the back of his neck with irresistible force!
Yun Qing's body instantly went rigid!
Thank you to Shattered Jade, Faded Fragrance for the update-demand talisman.
Thank you to Su Wangji Who Likes Bravery for the like.
Thank you to Ji Ruqianhuang for the flower.
And to all you sweethearts who sent support through Generate Love-I'm so touched.
All I can do to repay everyone is keep writing!
Before you continue