Ling Qingzhu bit her lower lip. How could this guy leave without the slightest reluctance? But reason also told her.
They really couldn't be together right now.
Yet seeing him like this still made anger well up in her. Those conflicting feelings made her expression shift unpredictably.
Xiang Yun was about to use his Origin Energy to leave when he heard Ling Qingzhu speak. "Xiang Yun..."
"What is it?"
Xiang Yun turned around.
Granted, leaving just like this did seem a little like that sort of thing, but they hadn't come here together.
Besides, the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace and the Primordial Hall were in different parts of the Eastern Xuan Region. The Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace was in the center, while the Primordial Hall was in the south.
Naturally, they couldn't travel together.
"I want..."
Ling Qingzhu wanted to ask for a hug, but that wasn't her style either. After a moment's silence, she said, "Nothing..."
Before she could finish, a masculine scent rushed toward her as he swept her into his arms.
Ling Qingzhu instinctively hugged Xiang Yun back, clutching the clothes on his back as she pressed against his chest.
"If you want a hug, just say so," Xiang Yun said with a smile.
Although he was much younger than Ling Qingzhu, his unusual physique made him much taller than her.
"Don't worry. Even if the Palace Master of Taiqing Palace won't let you visit the Primordial Hall, I'll have my master take me to see you."
"Isn't it perfectly normal for the eight great sects to exchange visits?"
Seeing Ling Qingzhu hesitate over her words, Xiang Yun chuckled softly.
Relations between the eight great sects weren't as good as one might imagine, but they weren't as bad either.
Although the eight great sects competed, their rivalry remained at a fairly moderate level.
Even the overbearing Yuan Sect didn't dare overturn the table. That was also why the Yuan Sect continued to hold sway over the Eastern Xuan Region.
The other six great sects still maintained relations with the Yuan Sect that were neither good nor bad.
As for the Dao Sect and the Yuan Sect, the first and second were bound to have friction. Over time, it had grown into a life-and-death enmity.
So.
If Xiang Yun said he wanted to visit the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace for an exchange, no matter how displeased the Palace Master of Taiqing Palace was, she couldn't refuse.
"All right!"
Ling Qingzhu's face beneath her veil had turned completely red.
The next moment, seemingly unwilling to dwell on it any longer, she became a streak of azure light and flew into the distance.
Xiang Yun savored the fragrant breeze the beauty had left behind and chuckled softly.
She really is innocent.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on a spot in the Tianyan Mountain Range.
A figure was crouched on a tree, with a presence concealing him.
For anyone else, that concealment would have been enough.
But he had the Innate Dao Embryo and was exceptionally sensitive to unusual presences, especially now that he had also mastered the Supreme Induction Art.
Although the presence was barely perceptible, that was enough. No one else could possibly have had the nerve to do this.
The only possibility was Lin Dong, with Little Marten's help.
"Lin Dong... I hope you grow stronger quickly."
The Martial Ancestor had yet to come into his own and was no match for him now. He looked forward to crossing hands with Lin Dong.
He wanted to see just how strong the chosen one of the original timeline really was.
He had no interest whatsoever in the other fortuitous encounters in the Great Yan Dynasty. He had previously considered approaching Jiang Yinyin ahead of time.
But on second thought, he had nothing that could awaken Jiang Yinyin early.
Even bringing her back to the Primordial Hall wouldn't help at all.
If he could get in touch with the Immortal Sacred Whale clan, though.
He could reveal some information to them in exchange for resources, or perhaps some support.
As for the Devouring Ancestral Symbol and the Ancient Qiankun Formation, they were even less useful to him.
A so-called divine object of heaven and earth like the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.
If the World Tree sapling inside him wanted to suppress it, it could do so at any time, let alone if he wanted to speed up his cultivation.
With the Great Devouring Technique and the World Tree.
Did he still need to snatch away opportunities that belonged to the Martial Ancestor?
That was a loser's way of thinking!
He had already crossed the most crucial threshold between the Creation Realm and the Nirvana Realm: he had entered Half-Step Nirvana.
Once he had entered Half-Step Nirvana, he was already close to breaking through to the Nirvana Realm.
All he needed was a vast amount of Nirvana Qi to condense his Nirvana Golden Body.
And the resources needed to condense a Nirvana Golden Body were considerable.
Even if he stripped the entire Great Yan Dynasty bare, it still wouldn't provide him with enough Nirvana Pills.
"I'll go to the Great Desolate Dynasty first. I can break through to the Nirvana Realm there."
"Otherwise, if I suddenly tell the old man that I plan to marry Ling Qingzhu, he'll probably think I've been bewitched by her beauty."
"No wonder he's so hot-tempered every day. He doesn't even have a master's wife to help him vent."
Xiang Yun shook his head.
Just then, a voice came from beside him. "Young master, there's something strange about that person. Shall I go investigate?"
This was his Dao protector, a Life Profound Realm expert.
Ling Qingzhu was the unusual one.
As the young palace master, she traveled without a Dao protector. Did she really think some super sects wouldn't dare kill her?
Of course, the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace might have had other means.
At least the Primordial Hall had assigned him an elder.
His name was Hong Wu.
Hong Wu was talking about Lin Dong. Even if the Primordial Hall specialized in the physical body, it wasn't as though he couldn't sense Lin Dong's presence.
Not even with Little Marten concealing him.
Little Marten had probably lain dormant in the Ancestral Stone for too long and misjudged his own strength.
He even dared to come back.
Or did he think Xiang Yun wouldn't make a move?
If Xiang Yun suddenly said, "Young friend, what are you looking at?"
Wouldn't he jump out of his skin?
The bold ate their fill, while the timid starved.
As for those independent cultivators from before, they had long since died in the Ancient Tomb Mansion. How could a Nirvana Realm expert's ancient tomb be a place that Body Tempering Realm cultivators could explore as they pleased?
If Xiang Yun hadn't driven all three great clans away, they wouldn't even have been qualified to enter the Ancient Tomb Mansion.
Xiang Yun withdrew his gaze from Lin Dong and said, "No need. There are countless talented people under heaven, and it's only natural for them to have fortuitous encounters."
"If I had to investigate everyone unusual, that would mean I lacked confidence in myself."
"Only with enough geniuses can I walk the path to invincibility, step by step."
"Otherwise, without opponents, I'd only feel lonely!"
He had an endowment more terrifying than even Great Emperor Wushi of the Shrouding the Heavens World. If he still had to eliminate the geniuses he knew about in advance.
That would be far too boring.
Besides, Ling Qingzhu was already his woman, so he could hardly wait for Lin Dong to grow stronger!
The strong had to beat the hell out of the strong!!
With his Innate Dao Embryo as well, only when there were enough geniuses and powerful opponents could he grow faster.
The same was true of the Heavenly Tyrant Body.
He would use the many outstanding talents of his generation to forge his invincible heart.
Hearing Xiang Yun's tone, Hong Wu wholeheartedly agreed.
This was the invincible heart of their Primordial Hall!
Xiang Yun suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, right. Have someone wipe out the Wang Clan when the time comes. I didn't like the way that brainless fool looked at her earlier."
"Yes!"
Hong Wu agreed. Even though the Great Yan Dynasty wasn't Primordial Hall territory, wiping out a clan in a low-tier dynasty was still within their power.
Xiang Yun gave it no further thought.
A clan with only an ordinary Nirvana Realm expert wasn't worth his consideration.
Of course, he wasn't exactly one to treat others kindly, either.
Ling Qingzhu didn't care how Wang Yan had looked at her, but he did.
"Let's go!"
Phoenix wings appeared behind Xiang Yun, and he became a streak of violet light flying in a certain direction. Hong Wu vanished as well.