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

"It really works!"

Lin Fengmian's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed.

He stopped thinking about it, tidied everything up, and then prepared to leave the Frozen Cave.

"After all, I've been in this jade tube for quite some time. Although only a few days may have passed in the outside world, I still need to go out and see what's going on."

He vanished in a flash.

……

in the room.

Lin Fengmian's figure appeared out of thin air.

He glanced around; everything in the room was as usual, the restrictions on the doors and windows were intact, and there were no signs of them being touched.

"It seems everyone thought I was consolidating my cultivation and didn't come to disturb me."

He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to compose himself—

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Junior Nephew Lin! Are you there?"

It was Honglian's voice, tinged with an unusual urgency.

Lin Fengmian raised an eyebrow slightly and stepped forward to open the door.

Honglian stood outside the door, her expression complex, holding a communication jade tube in her hand, which she handed to him.

Something's happened.

Her voice was low, carrying an indescribable solemnity:

"Crown Princess Yan Qingluan... committed suicide in the Eastern Palace last night."

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengmian froze on the spot.

He was silent for a long time.

In that instant, that cool yet resolute face appeared in my mind.

That woman, though the Crown Princess, was never the kind of person who would easily admit defeat. The words she spoke by the Imperial Pool that day, though they sounded like a dying wish, were, as Lin Fengmian knew her, the kind of woman who would choose to end her life because of adversity.

"impossible."

He spoke, his voice calm, yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

"She's not that kind of person."

Honglian looked at him, without refuting, but simply said softly:

"The news came from the Prince of Zhennan's residence. The Prince of Zhennan invited us to his residence for a chat, saying that he has important matters to discuss."

Lin Fengmian remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"I'll go."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Whether this news is true or false, I have to go to Yanjiabao. The real truth is probably hidden there."

……

Outside the residence of the Hehuan Sect in the Great Yan King City, Lin Fengmian and Honglian walked side by side, heading towards the Zhennan King's Mansion.

A subtle silence hung between the two throughout the journey.

After the banquet scandal and those ambiguous and romantic moments before, many things are self-evident, and I don't know how to bring them up.

Despite their silence, the two of them still attracted countless glances as they walked along the bustling streets of the royal city.

"Look! It's Lin Fengmian from the Hehuan Sect!"

"Oh my god, it really is him! The champion of this year's competition!"

"That fairy-like woman beside him... is that Elder Honglian of the Hehuan Sect? She's absolutely stunning!"

"They look so well-matched walking together! They don't look like uncle and nephew, they're clearly a divine couple!"

A murmur of conversation rose and fell around them, and all sorts of gazes converged, some filled with envy, some with jealousy, and some with awe.

Although the surrounding whispers were quiet, how could they escape the cultivator's ears?

Honglian felt her ears burning and subconsciously wanted to quicken her pace to create some distance between herself and Lin Fengmian.

She turned her head to the side, pretending to look at the spiritual fruits on the roadside stalls, but actually glanced at Lin Fengmian out of the corner of her eye.

This guy, on the other hand, had a faint smile on his lips, as if the discussions were some kind of beautiful hymn.

"You've got some nerve," Honglian muttered irritably.

"Thank you for the compliment, Uncle-Master," Lin Fengmian replied without changing his expression.

The two walked side by side, tacitly refraining from saying anything more. The Prince's Mansion was in sight; they were just one step away from arriving by passing through the relatively secluded alleyway ahead.

Just as the two were about to step into the alley—

A sudden change has occurred!

Several extremely powerful auras locked onto the two of them without warning!

Those auras were as cold as venomous snakes and as sharp as blades, not at all what ordinary cultivators should have—they were old monsters in the Core Formation stage!

Immediately afterwards—

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

A fierce offensive erupted from the shadows on both sides of the alley!

On the left, three jet-black poison needles silently pierced through the air, their tips gleaming with a ghostly green light, clearly coated with deadly poison!

From the right, a bright sword light swept across like a bolt of lightning, its sword energy sharp and carrying an incomparably fierce killing intent!

Above their heads, a golden magic seal condensed and took shape, as huge as a millstone, and crashed down!

The three attacks came from different directions and in different ways, and the timing was perfect, clearly a well-planned joint assassination!

It's not a single sect's approach, but a joint hunt that combines sword cultivators, body cultivators, and even poison cultivators!

Clearly, this is a revenge alliance hastily assembled by several forces that harbor resentment towards Lin Fengmian!

"Be careful!"

Honglian reacted extremely quickly, and almost at the same instant, her cultivation at the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage erupted without reservation!

A light screen formed from pure spiritual energy suddenly rose around the two of them, like a semi-transparent giant bowl, enveloping them!

"Boom boom boom!"

Three attacks slammed into the light barrier!

The poison needles were deflected, making two crisp "clink" sounds as they embedded themselves into the stone wall; the sword light struck the light barrier, creating ripples; the golden magic seal crashed down, causing the ground to crack and sending fragments of stone flying!

The light screen trembled violently a few times, but ultimately held up.

But Honglian's face suddenly turned pale—

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood spurted from her lips, staining the front of her clothes red!

She stumbled and swayed, about to fall.

"Uncle-Master!"

Lin Fengmian reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and grabbing her arm, his heart filled with shock and anger. He clearly remembered that Honglian had been injured by Ling Yunzi of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Her cold poison had just been cured, and her meridians were already very weak, leaving her with less than one-tenth of her original strength.

Forcibly activating spiritual energy defense at this moment would undoubtedly make matters worse!

Several figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

There were five people in total, each with a powerful aura and a dense spiritual pressure around them. They were all cultivators in the Core Formation stage!

The leader was draped in a black cloak, his face hidden in shadow, only his sinister eyes visible, and his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping:

"Lin Fengmian, you can't escape today."

On the other side, a bald monk in a robe clasped his hands together, but his eyes were filled with a fierce glint.

"Amitabha Buddha, benefactor, you have committed too many sins. Today, this humble monk will act on behalf of Heaven to uphold justice."

Lin Fengmian's gaze swept over the five faces, and several thoughts quickly flashed through his mind. People from the Heavenly Sword Sect, monks from the Vajra Temple, and a few rogue cultivators whose identities were unclear... These people were clearly here for him!

He took a deep breath, shielding Honglian behind him, but his tone was surprisingly calm:

"Uncle-Master, you must leave! They're after me! I'll handle them!"

Honglian shook her head, a stubborn smile appearing on her pale face. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, pulled Lin Fengmian behind her, her voice weak but carrying an undeniable firmness: