People in Doupo: The beginning of the game intercepts the rich woman Xun'er

Yan City is located within the territory of Tiandu County.

Although this city bears the "Yan" character from the Great Yan Dynasty in its name, seemingly possessing some legitimacy of the dynasty, its territory is actually quite small, its martial arts foundation shallow, and it is merely an inconspicuous ordinary city within the dynasty's borders. It has neither a large army to guard it nor any top forces to establish themselves there. Among the many cities of the vast Great Yan Dynasty, it has always been unknown and inconspicuous.

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the official road leading to Yan City was already teeming with people. Merchants, cultivators on their way, and ordinary citizens mingled together, carriages and horses moved incessantly, and the air was filled with the hustle and bustle of people. The atmosphere was lively and bustling, a scene of bustling city life.

A simple, elegant carriage with a sturdy interior traveled steadily along the central road.

Inside the carriage, Ling Qingzhu sat upright to one side, her eyes closed in meditation. Her posture was serene and composed, surrounded by a faint, cool aura, untouched by the hustle and bustle of the outside world, maintaining a tranquil and otherworldly demeanor.

Ying Huanhuan, on the other side, couldn't stand the quiet in the car. She lifted the side curtain with her little hand, her bright eyes curiously observing the passersby and scenery along the way. She looked at the fireworks in the fields outside the city and the various scenes of daily life along the way, her eyes full of novelty and interest. After a moment, she turned to look at Xiao Ling sitting beside her and chattered casually about the trivial and interesting things she had seen along the way. Her words were cute and lively, revealing her childlike nature.

Xiao Ling listened quietly to Ying Huanhuan's rambling, a gentle smile always on his lips. He would occasionally respond in a low voice, offering a few words of comfort, which made the little girl beside him very happy.

The carriage moved slowly and steadily through the bustling crowds, its pace calm and composed, until it reached the outskirts of Yan City.

Upon reaching the imposing city gate, the accompanying attendants paid a small entrance tax as required. With the formalities completed, the guards dared not question them further and quickly let them pass. The carriage then slowly drove into the city.

As soon as you pass through the dark, shadowy tunnel beneath the city gate, where the sun never shines, the deafening clamor of the outside world surges in like a tidal wave. Shouts, the rumble of carriages and horses, and the cries of vendors mingle together, overwhelming you with an incredibly lively and frightening atmosphere.

After entering the city, the carriage slowly traveled along the crisscrossing streets, passing through the bustling city streets and alleys, bypassing the noisy and chaotic core area of ​​the city, and gradually went deeper and deeper, finally coming to a steady stop outside an ordinary courtyard that looked unremarkable and inconspicuous.

"Gentlemen, we have arrived at the Flame City Talisman Masters Gathering."

The steady, unassuming voice of the coachman drifted slowly through the carriage curtain, settling into the quiet cabin.

Upon hearing the sound, Ling Qingzhu slowly opened her eyes, which had been slightly closed for rest. Her clear and cool gaze looked up and saw Ying Huanhuan, who was playfully teasing and joking with Xiao Ling.

The young girl, lively and carefree, completely shed her icy aura, leaving only a heart full of playful joy. She circled around Xiao Ling, constantly teasing and flirting, displaying an innocent and naive demeanor. Xiao Ling's expression was gentle, his eyes filled with helplessness yet revealing an unyielding doting indulgence, allowing Ying Huanhuan to act as she pleased without the slightest intention of scolding her.

Witnessing this vibrant and heartwarming scene, Ling Qingzhu's eyes flickered slightly. Helplessly, she shook her head gently. A faint, gentle smile appeared on her usually aloof and indifferent face, which was untouched by worldly affairs. Her cool temperament instantly gained a touch of human warmth, and she lost some of her aloofness and arrogance.

Xiao Ling raised his eyes and looked at Ling Qingzhu with gentle eyes. A faint smile appeared on his lips. He then said nothing more and took the lead in lifting the curtain and stepping out of the car.

He casually took out some silver and handed it to the driver to settle the fare. His movements were calm and efficient. He then turned around and strode straight into the gate of the Flame City Talisman Master Association.

"Huanhuan, let's follow."

Ling Qingzhu gently greeted the girl beside her, her tone tender and serene. As soon as she finished speaking, she and Ying Huanhuan followed closely behind, their steps light and steady as they kept pace with Xiao Ling, entering the Talisman Master Association together.

The so-called Talisman Masters Association is an exclusive force where talisman masters from all over the world gather together to exchange cultivation techniques and manage talisman resources.

Throughout the vast territory of the Great Yan Dynasty, every city of any size and with a certain foundation has its own dedicated talisman master guild, which oversees the talisman cultivation order in its region.

These talisman masters, with their unique talisman techniques and array formations, almost always rank among the top forces in their respective cities, wielding immense influence and commanding respect from all.

However, given Xiao Ling's current cultivation level, vision, and personal foundation, the ordinary Talisman Master Association and its internal Talisman Master Tower in Yan City are nothing to him, and naturally hold no appeal whatsoever.

Xiao Ling made this special visit with a clear and pure purpose: to enter the Talisman Master Tower and search for information related to the ancient ancestral talisman hidden there.

Xiao Ling and his group strolled slowly through the courtyard of the Talisman Master Association. As they walked, their outstanding appearance and unique temperament naturally attracted the attention of countless people along the way.

However, everyone in the Talisman Master Association cultivates spiritual power, and their perception far surpasses that of ordinary people; each of them has extraordinary eyesight.

Although they did not know the exact level of cultivation of this group of people, they could vaguely sense an invisible and intangible, yet heavy and oppressive feeling emanating from the three of them.

That aura was subtle yet emanated from the depths of one's soul, inspiring awe and an instinctive sense of dread that one dared not provoke.

Therefore, even though countless people looked on with curiosity, no one dared to approach and strike up a conversation or disturb them at will.

The three of them walked forward calmly, their expressions indifferent, their eyes fixed on the road ahead. Despite the stares and scrutiny of others, they remained composed and unharmed, making their way straight into the heart of the Talisman Master Association.

The three of them walked slowly, passing through the courtyards of the Talisman Master Association. After about ten minutes, they finally arrived at the core of the deepest part of the compound.

Xiao Ling suddenly stopped, raised his eyes, and looked directly at the ancient gray tower that stood not far away.

This tower is the foundation and important site of the Flame City Talisman Master Association, the Talisman Master Tower.

This item is a treasure forged by countless talisman masters throughout history, who exhausted their life's energy and accumulated their efforts over time.

The tower itself forms a mysterious and profound realm, possessing an exceptional effect of tempering the spirit. For all talisman masters, it is an unparalleled treasure land for cultivating and strengthening their spiritual power.

It is precisely because of the extraordinary value of the Talisman Master Tower that many cities within the Great Yan Dynasty often erupt into fierce battles over the competition for a Talisman Master Tower of outstanding quality. The fact that various forces fight each other fiercely and refuse to give way is enough to show how precious it is.

Xiao Ling gazed at the tower, silently nodding to himself, and murmured, "The effect of this spiritual cleansing is quite remarkable. When the time is right, I can imitate it in the Dou Qi Continent and build a few similar Soul Cultivation Towers." With his mind made up, Xiao Ling briefly explained his purpose to the person on duty at the Talisman Master Association.

The guard had keen eyesight and had already discerned that Xiao Ling and his group possessed unfathomable auras and were no ordinary people. He dared not be negligent or obstructive in the slightest. Without a word, he granted their request to enter the tower and allowed them to pass without daring to make things difficult for them.

The three then stepped into the gate of the Talisman Master Tower.

Within the tower, a powerful and overwhelming spiritual pressure suddenly swept over, enveloping the entire tower. Ordinary low-level talisman masters who stepped into this place would instantly have their souls tremble and their minds suppressed, making it difficult for them to stand firm.

However, such mental pressure, when it falls on Xiao Ling now, is not even a gentle breeze, and has no effect whatsoever.

As for Ling Qingzhu and Ying Huanhuan, although they had not specifically cultivated their soul and spirit power, their cultivation had already reached the Nirvana Realm. With the feedback from their cultivation, their spiritual power was naturally boosted as well.

With their current spiritual foundation, the upper limit of the mental pressure they can withstand has long exceeded the ultimate limit that this small Flame City Rune Master Tower can bear.

Inside the tower, the powerful and vast spiritual energy surged endlessly, solidified like a substance, and distorted the void. It seemed imposing, but it could not get even half an inch close to the three of them, and could not have any effect on Xiao Ling, Ling Qingzhu, and Ying Huanhuan at all.

Xiao Ling was too lazy to linger, so he led the two women up the tower. The ascent was smooth and unobstructed, and in the blink of an eye, they had reached the ninth floor of the Talisman Master Tower.

The ninth floor of the Talisman Master Tower was unusually simple and ordinary, quite different from the magnificent scenes of the floors below.

The space here is cramped and small, covering only a few dozen feet in circumference. The ground is covered with a thick layer of dust, and the area is messy and desolate, showing no signs of being maintained.

It is obvious that this place has been deserted for a long time, and no one has set foot here for many years. No talisman master has been able to reach this place by their own strength.

The vast ninth floor was empty and desolate, with nothing but the mottled tower walls.

On the walls of the tower on both sides, countless dense and obscure ancient patterns are engraved. The patterns crisscross and interlock, eventually converging and merging to outline and piece together two extremely complex and profound ancient runes, which are quietly imprinted on the stone walls of the tower, silent for eternity.

Xiao Ling's gaze was fixed on the ancient runes on the tower wall, his eyes darkening slightly, and he murmured softly:
"This must be a fragment of the ancestral symbol's imprint. Although it is not the true, complete original form of the ancestral symbol, but merely a surviving imprint of the rune, ordinary people have no chance to touch it, let alone inscribe it. The fact that such an ancestral symbol imprint could be left on the ninth floor of this Rune Master Tower shows that the first builder of this Rune Master Tower was no ordinary person."

"Ancestral Symbol?"

Ying Huanhuan, who was curiously looking around at her surroundings, became interested as soon as she heard the words and quickly looked up at the runes on the tower wall.

However, the ancient runes were intricate and complex, so mysterious and obscure that just one glance made her head feel dizzy and throbbing. The little girl quickly looked away, not daring to examine them any further.

"I never imagined that such a remote Great Yan Dynasty would still have records related to the Ancestral Symbol. With such a hidden clue in this place, it's no wonder you went to the trouble of bringing us here all the way."

Ling Qingzhu's gaze swept lightly across the runes on the stone wall, instantly discerning their extraordinary nature. Her clear, cool voice rang out, and she said softly, understanding.
"However, since the builder of the Talisman Master Tower knew the location of the Ancestral Talisman, why didn't he go and retrieve it himself? The Ancestral Talisman must be very attractive to talisman masters, right?"

"I have no way of knowing the specific details at the moment. I suppose the ancestors who built this Talisman Master Tower must have accidentally discovered the traces of the Ancestral Talisman's appearance. Unfortunately, their own cultivation was insufficient to subdue such a heaven-defying treasure. They could only leave the hidden clues related to the Ancestral Talisman here in the form of rubbings of runes, waiting for a destined person in the future. It is precisely because of this that I have saved a lot of trouble."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ling slowly extended a fingertip, and a wisp of pure and condensed spiritual power quietly emanated from the fingertip, transforming into fine, silky rays of light that precisely landed on the Dao Ancestral Symbol imprint on the wall.

As the spiritual light illuminated the runes, the ancient ancestral symbol imprint on the stone wall, silent for millennia, suddenly stirred. Layers of faint light reflected and rose, and strands of radiance intertwined and flowed, illuminating the air in front of him. The light and shadow swirled and converged, faintly outlining a clearly defined landscape.

"This is... a map of the Great Yan Dynasty's territory?"

Ying Huanhuan opened her eyes wide and stared at the terrain map formed by her spiritual energy in mid-air. A look of surprise appeared on her face, and she exclaimed softly.

As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze was instantly drawn to a point on the topographic map. Deep within the map's territory, a striking and glaring crimson dot was clearly imprinted, vivid and eye-catching.

Xiao Ling remained calm, his gaze gazing peacefully at the light and shadow in mid-air. He explained in a low voice, "This is the hidden map marking the location of the Ancestral Symbol. It is likely that the person who built the tower back then witnessed the Ancestral Symbol appear in this place marked by the red dot."

"There are actually traces of two ancestral symbols..."

Ying Huanhuan blinked her bright eyes, her gaze fixed on the map that had materialized in her mind, her eyes filled with shock.

She examined the map carefully for a moment and could clearly see that, apart from one red dot located within the territory of the Great Yan Dynasty, another crimson dot was located in a completely unfamiliar territory, which was already beyond the boundaries of the Great Yan Dynasty.

"If such a shocking secret were to be leaked, and the news of the two ancestral symbols were to spread, the entire Great Yan Dynasty would probably be instantly trampled and torn apart by top experts from all sides, turning into scorched earth. I really don't know where you, big brother, learned such an extremely secretive piece of information."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling chuckled and shook his head, a gentle, playful smile curving his lips. He reached out and gently ruffled Ying Huanhuan's soft, icy-blue hair, his tone tinged with affection as he teased:
"What's so surprising about me knowing these secrets? The secrets I keep hidden and the opportunities I have to know them are far more numerous than you, little girl, can imagine. Besides, even you, the future Little Ice Lord, weren't you someone I saw through long ago and protected beforehand? Didn't I discover you early on, right?"

"Ugh! You're teasing me about this again, bullying me! I hate it, stop saying it!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Huanhuan's pretty face instantly turned red, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. It was unclear whether it was the shy feeling stirred by Xiao Ling's affectionate hair-rubbing gesture or his teasing words that made her feel bashful, but she was immediately filled with embarrassment.

She gently pushed Xiao Ling's hand away with her small hand, her lips slightly pouting, looking both shy and coquettish, as if she were playfully scolding him. Her earlier interest in curiously examining the map vanished instantly, replaced by a girlish shyness and bashfulness. (End of Chapter)