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

He spoke with absolute confidence.

Although the opponent was a powerful figure who was only one step away from the Nascent Soul stage, Lin Fengmian's strength was now vastly different from what it used to be.

With a late-stage Golden Core cultivation level, coupled with immense spiritual power comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator,

With the addition of the "Magnificent Sword Qi Gu" and numerous other techniques, even if they cannot win, they will certainly not suffer a humiliating defeat.

"Very good!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Chan's face lit up with a smile, and she tightened her grip on his wrist.

"I knew my apprentice was the most reliable! Let's go!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Fengmian felt a blur before his eyes, and the surrounding scenery twisted and blurred like flowing water—

The next moment, he was pulled by Gongsun Chan into a magnificent hall.

The interior of the hall is extremely spacious, with a high dome supported by dozens of dragon-carved stone pillars.

Directly above, a jade throne sits high above, behind which is a huge screen painted with a magnificent landscape of mountains and seas.

An old man sat on the throne.

The old man had white hair and beard, a dignified face, and somewhat cloudy eyes.

Yet his aura remained sharp as an eagle's, making it impossible to look directly at him. His presence was so thoroughly concealed that its depth was unfathomable.

But Lin Fengmian felt a chill run down his spine after just one glance from him.

Gongsun Gaishi was unparalleled.

An elder of the Daoist Alliance, the current patriarch of the Gongsun family, and also the person who, according to legend, obtained clues about the "Boundary-Breaking Pearl".

To the left of the throne, a middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back.

He had a square face, and his brows bore a resemblance to Gongsun Mili.

His eyes, however, held a scrutinizing and arrogant look as he observed Lin Fengmian with great interest.

Gongsun Yan, the father of Gongsun Mili.

Inside the hall, many elders and clan elders of the Gongsun family were also seated.

At this moment, dozens of gazes fell on Lin Fengmian, some with curiosity, some with scrutiny, some with disdain, and some with a hint of watching a good show.

"Father! Eldest brother! I've brought my apprentice!"

Gongsun Chan spoke with a grin, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness, as if she were showing off some treasure.

She released Lin Fengmian's wrist, stepped aside, and winked at him.

Lin Fengmian immediately composed himself, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully with hands clasped.

"Disciple Lin Fengmian greets Grandmaster and Uncle-Master."

He was composed and spoke calmly, without the slightest hint of stage fright.

On the throne, Gongsun Gaishi nodded slightly, his deep gaze lingering on Lin Fengmian for a moment, a barely perceptible ripple flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He didn't speak, he just hummed in response.

Gongsun Yan, standing to the side, laughed heartily, his loud voice echoing throughout the hall:

"Haha! Third Sister, I've long heard that you've taken in a one-in-a-million Pure Yang Body, is this the kid?"

He looked Lin Fengmian up and down, then nodded:

"Looking at him... he's quite presentable. His cultivation level is also decent, late-stage Golden Core, which is not bad for someone your age."

Gongsun Chan immediately puffed out her chest proudly, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and snorted:

"Of course! Look who chose this disciple! But, elder brother..."

She changed the subject, her tone becoming somewhat mischievous.

"You have to thank your daughter Yue'er for this! If she hadn't brought this precious disciple back to me from Qingzhou, where would I have found such a good disciple?"

"oh?"

Gongsun Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened, his previously relaxed and casual expression slightly softened, and his eyes became more scrutinizing as he looked at Lin Fengmian.

Did Mimi bring it back?

He knew his proud and arrogant daughter all too well.

From childhood to adulthood, the number of people who could catch her eye could be counted on one hand, let alone the kind of person she would actively bring home.

It's probably not that simple here.

But he didn't ask any more questions. He just gave Lin Fengmian a meaningful look and then raised his hand to beckon.

"Wang Teng, come here."

Beside him, a man in a brocade robe with a handsome face stepped forward in response.

This person was tall and slender, with a handsome face and a calm demeanor. His spiritual energy surged around him, giving off a sense of impending doom.

Lin Fengmian's gaze narrowed slightly.

Below the Nascent Soul stage.

There is only a thin line between them and the formation of the Nascent Soul stage.

The man walked to the center of the hall, first bowing to Gongsun Gaishi and Gongsun Yan, then turned around.

His gaze fell on Lin Fengmian, a humble smile on his face.

"My name is Wang Teng, and I greet you, junior brother."

He bowed respectfully, his posture extremely humble, and his tone gentle and polite.

But Lin Fengmian keenly noticed that deep within those humble eyes lay a subtle hint of arrogance and contempt.

It's like a hunter sizing up his prey.

Gongsun Yan indeed spoke, his tone carrying a hint of boastfulness:

"Wang Teng is my newly accepted disciple. He has reached the Great Perfection of Core Formation and is only one step away from Nascent Soul."

He cultivates the "Crimson Flame Heaven-Burning Technique" of my Gongsun family, a top-grade fire-based cultivation method, rarely matched by anyone of the same cultivation level.

He paused, then smiled and looked at Gongsun Chan:

"Third sister, as you know, our Gongsun family has an old tradition of accepting disciples—new disciples must learn from each other and test their character and aptitude."

Since you and your third sister have both taken on apprentices, why not have them have a competition? It would be good for your elder brother to see just how skilled your apprentices are.

In the end, it was nothing short of blatant boasting.

Gongsun Chan's eyebrows shot up instantly, and she stamped her foot, saying:

"Big brother! You're bullying me! My Lin Fengmian is only at the late Golden Core stage! Your disciple is almost at the Nascent Soul stage! How are we supposed to fight?"

Gongsun Yan smiled insincerely:

"I told you to ask Wang Teng to go easy on him."

It's just a friendly sparring match, why is Third Sister so nervous? Could it be... that she lacks confidence in her student?

"You—!" Gongsun Chan was so angry that her chest heaved, and she couldn't speak for a moment.

At this moment, Wang Teng also spoke up, his voice gentle and his attitude humble:

"Uncle-Master, rest assured, I know my limits. However, fists and feet have no eyes; if I accidentally injure Junior Brother Lu, I hope you will forgive me."

He said "please forgive me" but the contempt in his eyes was undisguised.

In his view, facing a late-stage Golden Core cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage was not a contest, but a crushing defeat.

"Master."

Lin Fengmian suddenly spoke.

His voice was calm, and there was even a faint smile on his face, as if he didn't care about the difference in cultivation level at all.

"It's alright. Since my master wishes to test me, I will gladly oblige. It's merely a friendly exchange."

He nodded to Gongsun Chan, indicating that she could rest assured.

Gongsun Chan was taken aback.

Looking at her apprentice's nonchalant demeanor, she swallowed back the words of dissuasion that were on the tip of her tongue.

After a long pause, she bit her lip and whispered:

"Then...then be careful. It's not shameful to admit defeat if you can't win!"

"knew."

Lin Fengmian nodded, then strode towards the center of the main hall.