Silence returned to the luxurious private room. Outside the window, the sea of clouds surged, and the Dao Bell above the floating city echoed softly, forming a stark contrast to Ye Ting's account of his life-and-death experience.
Qin Yu did not speak immediately. He looked down at the ancient scroll in his palm, his gaze gradually becoming deep.
After a moment, he slowly raised his right hand, and a wisp of extremely gentle divine sense slowly covered the surface of the scroll. He was not impatient at all, nor did he rashly try to break the seal. Instead, he explored the scroll step by step along each ancient pattern.
As the divine sense continued to penetrate deeper, the golden seal on the surface of the scroll faintly glowed, as if resisting external probing, or as if hiding some unspeakable secret.
Qin Yu calmly withdrew his divine sense, not attempting to force a solution. He gently closed the scroll, storing it in his storage crystal core, then looked up at Ye Ting, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You did very well."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ting immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and became even more respectful. Qin Yu continued, "I will take this scroll back and study it carefully." Then, he changed the subject. "Has there been any unusual activity from the Shangguan Lineage?" Ye Ting pondered for a moment, then respectfully replied, "Reporting to Master, the Shangguan Lineage has not made any unusual moves at the moment. I have already arranged for a true disciple to lie in wait nearby, secretly observing their every move."
He spoke with a serious expression. "If the Shangguan Lineage makes any unusual moves, that disciple will report to his subordinates immediately." Qin Yu nodded slightly after listening, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Hmm." "That's for the best." He picked up the spiritual tea on the table and took a small sip, his voice still calm, but with a touch more solemnity.
"Ye Ting." "From now on, you will remain in the Holy Clan." "Notify me immediately if anything happens." At this point, Qin Yu's gaze slowly fell on Ye Ting. "And one more thing." "Remember." "Absolutely do not reveal our relationship." "Under no circumstances should outsiders know about our connection."
Ye Ting's expression turned solemn, and he immediately bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Your subordinate will remember." Qin Yu nodded slowly and continued, "As for the position of the Holy Clan Chief..." "When you take over is up to you." "If you encounter anything you can't handle, I will step in for you." Upon hearing this...
Ye Ting felt a warmth in his heart, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes, but quickly, he solemnly shook his head. "Master." "There's no need for Master to take action personally." As he spoke, his gaze was firm, and his back involuntarily straightened slightly. "Please trust me, Master. Two and a half years... Just two and a half years... I am confident that I can completely control the entire Holy Clan and succeed as Clan Chief."
When he said this, there was no arrogance in his voice, but rather a resolute determination born of deep thought. Qin Yu looked at him quietly for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Good." "Since you're confident," "then go for it." "I'll wait for your news."
Ye Ting clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply to Qin Yu, a bow more solemn than ever before. "Thank you for your trust, Master." "Your subordinate will never disappoint you." He then slowly took a few steps back and bowed again. "Master." "Your subordinate takes his leave."
Qin Yu waved his hand gently. "Go." Ye Ting didn't say anything more, slowly turned around, and as the door opened gently, his figure stepped out and gradually disappeared into the crowd of people coming and going in Heavenly Ruins Floating City. The private room returned to silence once again.
Qin Yu sat alone by the window, his gaze slowly falling on the ancient city floating among the clouds in the distance. His fingertips tapped lightly on the table, his expression calm, yet thoughtful.
The First Multidimensional Universe, East City of the Skeleton Star Sea, Returning Light Heavenly City, Hua Lineage --- Hua Lineage Land of the Skeleton Star Sea.
The magnificent main hall is nestled among the mountains, its buildings stretching for tens of thousands of feet. The ancient walls, painted in shades of blue and gold, are covered with patterns and seals, and spiritual mist swirls around it year-round. The entire Hua Lineage exudes an ancient and profound majesty.
Deep within the main hall, in a quiet side hall, Hua Yin, the eldest elder of the Hua Lineage, sat alone by the window.
He wore a dark blue robe, his temples were slightly gray, and his brows exuded an air of authority that came from long holding a high position. His slender fingers gently lifted a cup of celestial tea, and the wisps of tea fragrance slowly rose and filled the room.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. Immediately afterward, a disciple of the Hua Lineage rushed out, his expression panicked and his breathing rapid. "Reporting... reporting to the Grand Elder!"
Hua Yin frowned slightly and slowly put down his teacup. "Come in." The door opened. The disciple strode into the hall, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. He clasped his hands and knelt down. "Reporting to the Grand Elder, Hua Lei and the others were ordered to go out on business a few days ago, and they still haven't returned."
He paused noticeably at this point, his face growing even paler. "And..." "Elder Hua Lingxi went to meet them..." "And to this day... she hasn't returned."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent. Hua Yin paused slightly, his previously calm eyes slowly lifting. For the first time, a hint of seriousness appeared in his gaze. "What?" "Hua Lingxi..." "Hasn't she returned either?"
The disciple lowered his head, not daring to look up, his voice trembling slightly. "Yes... yes." "This disciple has already contacted the Gui Clan's inner Soul Sound Talisman, but has received no response." "I request the Grand Elder to personally investigate."
Hua Yin slowly closed his eyes and remained silent for a few breaths. Then he gently waved his hand. "Alright." "I understand about this matter." "You may leave now." "Yes." The disciple felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly left the main hall. Only after the door closed again did the calm on Hua Yin's face slowly disappear. He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the hall.
His brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Hua Lingxi Eternal Silence Realm · Supreme and carried Primordial Dao Supreme Treasure bestowed upon her by her clan. Logically speaking, unless she encountered a truly top-tier expert, she should not be unable to send back even a single message.
Now, even the soul sound has been completely cut off. Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Hua Yin's eyes. He slowly took out an ancient Soul Sound Talisman from his sleeve. Then, he infused it with a wisp of divine sense, and a deep voice slowly entered the Soul Sound Talisman. "That matter..." "It may have been exposed." "The secret scroll is currently missing." "You and I must meet at our usual place immediately."
After speaking, he gently clenched his fist, and the Soul Sound Talisman instantly transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into the depths of the void. Hua Yin did not linger at all, taking a step forward. A dark rift slowly opened in the space in front of him, and his figure immediately disappeared into it.
... Half an hour later, in the western part of Heavenly Ruins Floating City, an inconspicuous ancient mansion quietly sat deep in the bamboo forest. The mansion was not large, but it was surrounded by layers of restrictions. Even if a cultivator of the Eternal Silence Realm scanned it with their divine sense, they would only find that the place Emptiness.
In the center of the courtyard Hua Yin sat quietly beside the stone table, on which sat a pot of freshly brewed immortal tea, its aroma wafting gently. The entire courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. After an unknown amount of time, three soft knocks sounded at the door. "Knock." "Knock." "Knock."
Hua Yin slowly set down his teacup, his voice still calm, "Come in." The courtyard gate slowly opened, and a mysterious figure shrouded in a black robe stepped in. He casually closed the gate, and the surrounding restrictions simultaneously re-closed. The mysterious man walked to the stone table, his brows slightly furrowed. "What's wrong?" "Has something happened?"
Hua Yin didn't rush to answer, but simply gestured, "Sit down and talk." The mysterious man slowly sat down. Hua Yin stared at the tea on the table, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke slowly. "A few days ago," "I sent my disciple to retrieve the secret scroll from you," "Now..." "It's gone missing."
The mysterious man visibly trembled. Hua Yin continued, "The disciples responsible for escorting the secret scrolls... have all perished." The mysterious man's pupils constricted sharply. "What?" "How could this happen?" "Who dared to be so audacious?" "To dare steal the secret scrolls we were trading?"
Hua Yin gently shook his head, his eyes filled with solemnity. "The most crucial thing is... another elder of our clan... Hua Lingxi went to meet him, but she has also perished." Hearing this, the mysterious man finally couldn't sit still any longer. He abruptly stood up, his eyes constantly shifting. "Hua Lingxi..." "Wasn't she Eternal Silence Realm · Supreme?"
Hua Yin nodded slowly. "That's right." "Moreover," he continued, "She also possesses a Primordial Dao Supreme Treasure bestowed upon her by our clan for protection." He then slowly raised his head, his voice lowering slightly. "Unless those Five Great Heavenly Prodigies personally intervene," he added, "otherwise," "even if the two elders of the Chi Lineage and Ju Lineage were to arrive, it would be difficult to completely annihilate her." "At least," he said, "She could still escape unscathed."
The mysterious man frowned and slowly sat back down. He said in a low voice, "But..." "That's impossible." "What happened between you and me..." "No third party could possibly know." "Moreover..." "To avoid attracting attention..." "Neither of us personally appeared..." "We simply sent our disciples to complete the transaction..." "How could the Chi Lineage and the Ju Lineage have found them so precisely?"
The courtyard fell silent again. Hua Yin tapped the table lightly for a long time before slowly speaking, "So... this matter... is definitely not simple." The mysterious man slowly raised his head. "Then what do we do next?" A cold glint gradually appeared in Hua Yin's eyes. "While we have time... before things are completely exposed... you immediately return to your clan. Secretly dispatch your clan's Eternal Silence Realm · Middle Stage experts and Eternal Silence Realm · Supreme experts to investigate the whereabouts of the secret scroll." "As for me..."
He slowly stood up and lightly waved his sleeve. "I'm returning to the Hua Lineage." "I'll personally dispatch another elder to secretly investigate." "The Four Clans Grand Competition is imminent." "We absolutely cannot let this matter leak out at this time." The mysterious man nodded solemnly. "Alright." "I'll go back and make the arrangements immediately."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and in the next instant, Hua Yin took the lead and stepped into the void rift, his figure slowly disappearing. The mysterious man also turned and left, and the once quiet courtyard returned to silence.