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

A complex light flashed in her beautiful eyes, a mixture of wariness, inquiry, and a hidden expectation that she herself was unwilling to admit.

"So, is his arrival a blessing or a curse for this desolate land shrouded in demonic energy? Or perhaps he is from the upper realm and has come here for another purpose!?"

The female guard was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

"What does the Empress intend to do with it?"

Su Miaoyun withdrew her gaze and said calmly:

"No rush, let's see what he's up to first. If he really had malicious intent, he wouldn't be so brazenly pointing fingers at those girls."

She paused, a faint smile suddenly appearing at the corner of her lips. "Besides... he does have some skill. Those girls' cultivation has improved considerably these past few days."

Upon hearing this, the female guard opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

She had served the Empress for many years and had never seen her show such an expression to any man.

Although it was only for a moment, that smile was definitely there.

……

Inside the main hall of the Lieyang Sect, the atmosphere was solemn.

Elder Zhao Tiande bowed deeply, tears streaming down his face, his voice filled with grief and indignation:

"Sect Master! That Lin Fengmian has gone too far! Not only did he destroy my grandson Zhao Yan's mid-grade magic weapon, but he also crippled his cultivation foundation! This is an irreconcilable feud! I beg you, Sect Master, to avenge my grandson and restore the honor of my Blazing Sun Sect!"

His tone was heavy, and his words were firm and resounding.

Zhao Yan was his most prized grandson and the most promising Foundation Establishment genius of the Lieyang Sect in this generation.

Now that his foundation has been destroyed, it's as if half a lifetime of hard work has been ruined.

Seated in the main seat was a middle-aged man with a deep aura and a dignified appearance.

It was the sect leader of the Blazing Sun Sect, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He frowned, looking down at the Grand Elder who seemed to be going mad, but in the end he could only sigh deeply:

"Hmph! Elder Zhao, your grandson Zhao Yan challenged someone in front of everyone, but he was outmatched and ended up like this. He only has himself to blame."

My Blazing Sun Sect was founded solely to guard the Demon Abyss and protect the safety of the countless people of Phoenix Cry Kingdom. We would never seek revenge for your sake, even for our own selfish gain.

Zhao Tiande suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief:

"Sect Master! You watched Yan'er grow up! He's been crippled like this, and you... you're just going to let it go?!"

The sect leader stood up, hands behind his back, looking down at him with a voice as deep and resonant as an ancient bell:

"Elder Zhao, ask yourself honestly, did Lin Fengmian ever intentionally attack your grandson on the arena?"

Zhao Tiande opened his mouth, but couldn't speak. Everyone had seen what happened that day clearly.

Zhao Yan unleashed his magic weapon with all his might, but Lin Fengmian remained motionless. The magic weapon shattered on its own, turning against its master.

"He didn't," the sect leader answered for him.

"Your grandson was defeated by his own hand, who can you blame? Besides, Lin Fengmian is now the Empress's chosen husband, representing the face of the Fengming Kingdom's royal family."

If my Blazing Sun Sect were to retaliate against him for personal grudges, what would the world think of my Blazing Sun Sect?

Zhao Tiande wanted to say something more, but the sect leader raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone softening slightly:

"Elder Zhao, I know you are grieving. But the path of cultivation is inherently against the will of Heaven; life and death are preordained, success and failure are in the hands of fate."

This calamity for your grandson may simply be his fate. If you truly care, you should spend more time with him and help him find another way out, instead of resorting to violence and threats here.

Zhao Tiande stood there in a daze for a long time before slowly kneeling down and kowtowing heavily.

"Thank you for your instruction, Patriarch... It was I who was... confused."

He stood up, his back hunched, and walked out of the main hall step by step.

The sect leader watched his aged figure, sighed deeply, and turned his gaze back to the distance. Above that horizon, a faint wisp of black demonic energy could be seen churning.

"Lin Fengmian... a person from beyond this realm..." he murmured to himself, a complex light flashing in his eyes, "Is your arrival here a blessing or a curse...?"

Pride of the Sun Sect, Council Hall.

Zhao Tiande suddenly stood up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the sect leader who had remained silent in the main seat. His voice was hoarse and low, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Since the sect leader is unwilling to seek justice for my grandson, then I will seek it myself!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around, not even glancing at the person in the main seat, and strode towards the palace gate.

His back was ramrod straight, every inch of his spine like a taut bowstring, ready to burst at any moment.

"Zhao Tiande! How dare you! Come back here!"

Upon seeing this, the Grand Elder slammed his fist on the table and rose abruptly, his angry roar echoing throughout the hall. His beard and hair stood on end, and his aura surged, clearly indicating that he was truly enraged.

However, Zhao Tiande did not stop walking, as if the angry rebuke behind him was just a passing breeze.

He pushed open the palace door, stepped over the high threshold, and his resolute back cast a long shadow in the sunlight before disappearing into the dazzling halo outside the palace without looking back.

Inside the main hall, there was a deathly silence.

The elders looked at each other, some hesitant to speak, but ultimately just sighed silently.

On the main seat, the Sect Master of the Pride of the Sun Sect slowly closed his eyes, a deep weariness and heartache appearing on his face.

That usually dignified face now appeared somewhat aged.

Our ancestors founded the Pride of the Sun Sect to gather the power of the nine great immortal sects and protect the peace of this land.

As one of the leaders of the righteous path, the entire sect should uphold its responsibilities and always remember its original aspirations.

But nowadays, within the sect, there are more and more cultivators like Zhao Tiande whose eyes are blinded by personal gain. The morale is declining, and people's hearts are scattered. How can we face the ancestors who shed their blood in the Demon Suppression Abyss?

On the long corridor outside the palace gate, Zhao Tiande's face was so gloomy it was almost as if water could drip from it.

Each step was taken with extreme force, as if to crush all the anger in one's heart into the stone slabs beneath one's feet.

He paused, stopping in the shadow of the pillars. With a flick of his wrist, a sound transmission talisman burned to ashes at his fingertips.

A moment later, a dark figure silently landed behind him, bowed, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and lowered his voice to an almost inaudible level:

"Elder."

"Has that boy been staying in the palace lately? Has he shown any signs of leaving?"

Zhao Tiande did not turn around, his voice as cold as if it had been chilled to the bone.

The shadowy figure hesitated slightly, then whispered:

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, my men have been keeping a close watch. Since entering the palace, Lin Fengmian has not stepped out of the palace gates once, it seems... he has been hiding in the palace. With the Empress and several Holy Maidens protecting him, my men dare not act rashly."

Zhao Tiande snorted coldly, the cold light in his eyes almost solidifying, but a cold, sharp smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"He can hide forever, but can he? Sooner or later, he'll have to come out of the palace!"

He whirled around, his chilling gaze like two invisible blades, fixed directly on the shadowy figure: