After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

Apart from Chu Qingyi, who was well aware of the situation, the other disciples all keenly sensed that the sect leader seemed to have changed.

She became radiant, no longer aloof, and breathtakingly beautiful.

But her demeanor was more aloof than before, as if she was deliberately keeping her distance from people.

"Set off."

Master Honglian spoke softly, her voice as cold as frost.

The flying boat slowly rose, transforming into a streak of light as it sped towards the central square of the Great Yan Dynasty.

……

Central Square of the Great Yan Dynasty.

When the airship arrived, the area below was already packed with people.

Looking out, the square is vast and boundless, seemingly without end.

The stands around the room were packed with cultivators.

There were disciples from more than thirty sects of varying sizes, rogue cultivators who came to participate in the competition, scions of various families, and many cultivators who had settled in the Great Yan Dynasty, all of whom came to watch the spectacle.

The place was bustling with noise and incredibly lively.

As a grand event held every five years in Qingzhou, all the major sects are eager to show their prowess.

If they can rank among the top five, they will not only win a huge amount of cultivation resources for the sect, but also gain an advantage in recruiting disciples, and their influence will also increase.

The ranking of sects may seem like a nominal title, but in reality, it concerns the rise and fall, survival and destruction of the sects over the next three years.

The allocation of cultivation resources and the recruitment of outstanding disciples alone are enough to determine whether a sect can remain strong.

The Hehuan Sect's flying boat slowly descended and came to a stop in the designated area.

The crowd filed out and, led by True Person Red Lotus, headed towards the seats of the Joyful Union Sect.

Lin Fengmian followed in the crowd, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

More than a dozen sects were already in place in the stands.

Their attire varied, and their auras were diverse. Some disciples of various sects stood tall and proud, full of self-satisfaction; others had solemn expressions, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Looking at the sea of ​​people, Lin Fengmian's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile.

He has now reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, and his spiritual power is so abundant that it is comparable to that of a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation.

It even exceeds the total spiritual power of an ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator by a fraction.

Most of the cultivators participating in the competition were at the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage or the Pseudo-Core Formation stage.

Lin Fengmian secretly calculated in his heart—dealing with them shouldn't be too difficult.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep and his demeanor calm and composed.

Behind him, Xiao Xiyue watched his retreating figure, a complex look flashing in her beautiful eyes.

For the past two days, Lin Fengmian has remained secluded at home. She tried to contact him several times, but he always declined, citing the need to "stabilize his cultivation level."

She didn't know what was wrong with her.

Mingming only wanted to help him improve his cultivation so that he could achieve good results in the competition.

But every time he rejected me, I always felt a little empty inside.

Xiao Xiyue bit her lip, looked away, and stopped looking at him.

On the other side of the crowd, Chu Qingyi was also looking at Lin Fengmian's back, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions.

She recalled the sounds that came from her Uncle Honglian's room that night, and a pang of sadness welled up in her heart.

The two of them... were just healing.

She tried to comfort herself in this way again, but she couldn't suppress the bitterness.

The Crimson Lotus Immortal sat upright in the main seat, gazing straight ahead with a cold expression.

She deliberately avoided looking in Lin Fengmian's direction, but a vague unease lingered in her heart.

Will others find out what happened that night?

Especially Chu Qingyi...

When Master Honglian glanced at Chu Qingyi out of the corner of her eye and saw that she looked perfectly normal, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

probably not.

She withdrew her gaze, sat up straight, and resumed her aloof and authoritative demeanor as the sect leader.

Lin Fengmian stood in the crowd, his eyes scanning the surroundings, a smile playing on his lips, his heart filled with eager anticipation.

The Grand Competition of Talented Individuals is finally about to begin.

Lin Fengmian stood in the crowd, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the Red Lotus Immortal sitting in the main seat.

She wore a red palace dress, her black hair was styled in a high bun, her skin was as smooth as jade, and her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings.

She sat there, like a blooming red lotus, pure, noble, and beyond compare.

Lin Fengmian secretly pondered – since his martial uncle values ​​this competition so much, he would give it his all this time.

Perhaps... I can unlock another opportunity for dual cultivation with this stunningly beautiful senior sister.

Just thinking about the intoxicating pleasure of that night filled Lin Fengmian with anticipation.

That supple body, that coy shyness that seemed to both resist and welcome, and those suppressed moans…

It truly leaves one wanting more, with an unforgettable aftertaste.

As expected of the most beautiful woman in the Hehuan Sect, the pleasure she gave was truly incomparable to that of ordinary women.

Lin Fengmian sighed inwardly—the young man didn't know the value of a young woman, mistaking a young girl for a treasure.

Unfortunately, only I can experience this feeling.

He smiled slightly, looked away, and waited for the competition to begin.

……

Just then, everyone from the Hehuan Sect had arrived.

Beside True Person Honglian, two senior disciples stood on either side, their auras calm and their expressions solemn.

The dozen or so participating disciples stood in turn, each with a different expression.

Some were eager to try and determined to succeed; some looked solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy; and others remained calm and composed.

Chu Qingyi stood in the crowd, her gaze sweeping over Lin Fengmian's back without leaving a trace, before quickly moving away.

Xiao Xiyue stood quietly to the side, her cold face revealing no emotion.

At that very moment—

A powerful bell suddenly rang out, resounding throughout the heavens and earth!

"clang--!"

The melodious chimes echoed throughout the central square.

The previously noisy chatter suddenly stopped.

As if an invisible hand had pressed the mute button, the vast square instantly fell silent.

All eyes turned to the high platform in the center of the square.

There, a figure was walking on air.

The man was dressed in a black dragon robe, wearing a flat-topped crown, with a resolute face, thick eyebrows, and fierce eyes, exuding an imposing aura even without anger.

With each step he took, a visible ripple spread through the air. His majestic stride exuded an aura of imperial authority that looked down upon the world.

A faint golden dragon aura surrounded him, surging endlessly, and even the faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard from the void, shaking one's soul.

The visitor was none other than the ruler of the Great Yan Dynasty—

Yan Tianqing!

Upon seeing this, the surrounding cultivators immediately began to whisper among themselves.

"It's the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty! Yan Tianqing!"

"Wasn't he in seclusion? Why is he personally hosting this competition?"

"I heard he's nearing the end of his life and his vital energy is severely depleted, but judging from his aura... he doesn't look injured at all!"

"Tsk tsk, this kind of pressure... it must be at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, right?"

Amidst the murmurs, Yan Tianqing had already walked to the front of the main seat.

His gaze was sharp and penetrating, sweeping across the entire room. His eyes were intense and profound, as if he could see into the hearts of everyone present.

Every cultivator whose gaze swept over him felt a chill run down their spine and instinctively lowered their head.

Yan Tianqing withdrew his gaze, waved his sleeve, and sat down in the main seat.

With just this simple movement, the aura around him surged out like a tide, sweeping in all directions!