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

She repeated the names to herself, lost in thought.

"It seems that even after all these years, there are still many people who want to ascend to the Spirit Realm."

She looked up at the dark figure kneeling on one knee in the hall, her tone still calm and collected, yet it sent chills down one's spine for no apparent reason.

"Keep an eye on these forces for me, especially those in Qingzhou. They're far away, so keep a close watch. If you spot anything suspicious, come and tell me immediately."

"Yes! I understand!"

The dark figure responded in a deep voice, then shrank and disappeared into the hall like a wisp of smoke.

The main hall returned to silence.

Shangguan Qianqiu sat alone for a while, her fingertips still tapping on the armrest.

His gaze drifted to the endless sea of ​​clouds outside the palace, lost in thought.

After a long while, she gave a soft scoff and shook her head.

……

Meanwhile, the Taoist Alliance and the Scripture Repository.

Lin Fengmian had been wandering around this huge pavilion for almost half an hour.

He originally intended to take advantage of this rare free time to understand the landscape of the continent beneath his feet and to see what other world existed beyond the Zhao Kingdom.

After all, although he had memories of his past life, the distribution of power and the inheritance of sects in the cultivation world were completely different from what he remembered.

Since joining the Hehuan Sect, he has been either busy cultivating or dealing with all sorts of troublesome matters, and has never really learned about these things systematically.

Now that we've joined the Daoist Alliance, we have an opportunity.

The first floor of the Sutra Repository mainly contains miscellaneous books such as the General History of the Mainland, the Records of Sects, and the Geography Records.

After flipping through several volumes, Lin Fengmian finally had a general idea of ​​the vast land known as the "Xuantian Continent".

The Xuan Tian Continent is vast and boundless, where all kinds of living beings coexist, sects stand in great numbers, and noble families are everywhere.

The cultivation realms range from Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul, with even higher levels beyond that.

As for the State of Zhao, it was merely a small corner of this continent; the truly top-tier powers were all entrenched in more central regions.

This information gave him confidence and made him realize that his current achievements were far from enough to find his parents and unravel the mystery of the jade pendant.

After learning all this, Lin Fengmian went upstairs to the second floor.

The second floor is the area for practicing martial arts.

His gaze swept over rows of simple wooden shelves, which were filled with all kinds of jade tubes.

Each jade tube had a label attached to it, indicating the name of the cultivation technique, its rank, and the alliance points required to exchange for it.

Lin Fengmian looked around, his brows gradually furrowing.

"High-grade Xuan-rank... High-grade Xuan-rank... Still high-grade Xuan-rank..."

He casually picked up a jade tube, scanned it with his divine sense, and then put it back.

"Low-grade Earth Rank...Middle-grade Earth Rank..."

Lin Fengmian shook his head.

His horizons have now been broadened.

The dantian nurtured the peerless sword technique "Starfall Sword Manual," which had no rank, and the jade pendant contained many legacies left by that mysterious woman.

It's really not interesting to ask him to cultivate these Xuan-level and Di-level techniques again.

It's not that these techniques are bad.

In the Zhao Kingdom, Earth-rank cultivation techniques are already at a level that only core disciples or even elders can access.

For most cultivators, a single Earth-rank cultivation technique is sufficient to serve as a lifelong legacy.

But Lin Fengmian is different.

He has so many good qualities, so his horizons naturally broaden as well.

He walked all the way to the end of the cultivation technique area, and just as he was about to turn around and leave, he saw a wooden sign standing in the corner that read:

"Cultivation techniques of Earth Rank Upper Grade and above require Elder privileges to view."

Lin Fengmian's lips twitched.

"...I wouldn't even look at such a lousy technique."

He muttered something to himself, then turned and walked away without lingering any longer.

Although I didn't find a suitable cultivation technique on this trip, at least I gained a clear understanding of the landscape of this continent, so it wasn't a wasted trip.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door of the library, and the sunlight rushed in, making him squint slightly.

But the next moment-

A fragrant breeze wafts by!

The fragrance was sweet and delicate, with a hint of orchid, and it went straight into his nose.

Immediately afterwards, a surprised voice rang in my ears:

"My dear disciple! I've finally found you! So you were here all along!"

Before Lin Fengmian could react, his wrist was grabbed.

He looked closely and saw that it was indeed Gongsun Chan.

Today, Gongsun Chan wore a light purple dress with a slightly open neckline, revealing a section of her fair collarbone. Her bright, peach-blossom eyes looked at him with a face full of joy.

"Master? How did you find your way here?" Lin Fengmian asked, somewhat surprised.

He remembered that he hadn't told anyone when he came to the library.

Gongsun Chan, however, didn't bother to explain. She grabbed his hand and pulled it back, her tone urgent:

"Oh no! Never mind that! Something terrible has happened!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengmian's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What serious incident has occurred?"

"Oh dear!" Gongsun Chan said rapidly, pulling him forward.

"I don't know which gossipy person told my dad that I'd taken on an apprentice! My dad insists on seeing you!"

Lin Fengmian paused slightly in his steps.

...Meeting the parents?

No, that's not right, it's to see the master.

"Moreover—" Gongsun Chan's voice trailed off with a hint of gritted teeth.

"My older brother! He's the father of Mimi! He recently took on a disciple, and I heard he's incredibly talented! After finding out I took on a disciple, he insisted on having you two have a competition!"

She grew angrier and angrier as she spoke, and stomped her foot:

"That old bastard! He just wants to show off in front of me! He compared his cultivation level with me when we were kids, and now he compares his disciples! Humph!"

Upon hearing these words, Lin Fengmian felt a bit confused.

This generational hierarchy is really messed up.

There was an ambiguous relationship between him and Gongsun Mili, and Gongsun Yan was practically his father-in-law.

Now, I must go to see him again as Gongsun Chan's apprentice...

He thought of that aloof and noble woman, and then of his master who was pulling him forward, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

However, seeing Gongsun Chan's sullen appearance, and her bright, peach-blossom eyes full of expectation and dependence, his heart softened a little.

After all, Gongsun Chan had nothing but praise for him.

Although he was a cheap master whom he picked up halfway through his life, the master taught and protected him wholeheartedly, both in terms of cultivation and in his daily life.

Moreover... she is Gongsun Mili's biological aunt.

It's only right to help her save face in front of her family.

Thinking of this, Lin Fengmian couldn't help but let his mind wander again.

If I were to actually win over both Gongsun Mili and Gongsun Chan one day, how would we determine their seniority?

Each side should have its own interpretation?

He shook his head, banishing the absurd thought from his mind, and looked at Gongsun Chan beside him, who was gazing at him expectantly, and said:

"Alright, Master, don't worry, I certainly won't let you lose face too much."