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

"Oh, Imperial Advisor, you're here?"

"What is the reason for your urgent summons of me, Lu?"

"Has something major happened in the court that requires my assistance?"

His words were perfectly watertight—directly blocking any potential attacks from the other party, giving the impression that he was busy and needed to get to the point quickly, leaving no opportunity for the other party to make a fuss.

Zhao Yuanlong's gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed intently on Lin Fengmian.

The pressure from the Nascent Soul stage cultivator was like an invisible mountain, slowly spreading out and causing the faces of several ministers with slightly lower cultivation levels in the hall to turn pale and their foreheads to sweat.

But he didn't speak immediately, seemingly preparing a thunderous strike.

Ling Yuanshan was so angered by Lin Fengmian's nonchalant attitude that he choked on his words, his face turning ashen. He slammed his hand on the armrest and shouted sharply:

"Lin Fengmian! Stop pretending to be stupid!"

"I ask you, did you openly cripple the cultivation foundation of Zhao Yan, a high-ranking disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect, outside the imperial city that day?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengmian blinked, revealing a "That's it?" expression.

He shrugged, his tone utterly innocent:

"Oh, you mean that fair competition? Yes, it did happen."

"What, does the Grand Preceptor think that in a martial arts contest, only he can hit me and I can't fight back? Or does the loser have the right to deny the defeat and complain to their parents?"

He said it so casually, yet in just a few words he firmly pinned the accusations of "fair competition" and "being a sore loser who complains."

A slight commotion arose in the hall. Several ministers looked at each other, their lips twitching, wanting to laugh but daring not to.

Ling Yuanshan's face turned pale and then red, he was choked half to death:

"You...you're just making excuses!"

He forced a strong stance, his voice becoming noticeably sharper:

"The Blazing Sun Sect is an important ally of my Phoenix Cry Kingdom. Your actions have severely damaged diplomatic relations between our two countries..."

"Alright, alright."

Lin Fengmian waved his hand impatiently, interrupting him directly, as if shooing away a buzzing fly:

"If the Grand Preceptor summoned me here today just to dredge up these trivial, old matters, then I'm sorry, I have no time to entertain you."

"I have to go back and help my Lan'er practice her cultivation techniques. Goodbye."

As he spoke, he made a move to turn and leave.

His demeanor was so carefree, as if he truly regarded the Golden Palace as his own backyard.

Ling Yuanshan trembled with rage, abruptly standing up from his seat and pointing at Lin Fengmian's back as he roared:

"You...stop right there!"

"Furthermore! In the Fallen Dragon Mountains, you used intrigue and trickery to cruelly murder Zhao Gang, the Grand Elder of the Blazing Sun Sect! Do you acknowledge such heinous crimes?!"

Lin Fengmian stopped in his tracks.

He slowly turned around, tilted his head, and looked at Ling Yuanshan with an expression as if he were looking at an idiot.

Then, he chuckled softly, but his voice carried clearly throughout the entire hall:

"Imperial Advisor, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just spout nonsense."

"You're saying I killed Zhao Gang?"

"Where's the evidence? Witness testimony? Physical evidence? Or did you see it with your own eyes?"

"We can't just—"

He deliberately dragged out the sound, a mischievous smile playing on his lips:

"You can't just make up a crime to frame me because your wife has a crush on me, can you?"

"puff!"

In a corner of the hall, one of the ministers couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a very faint hiss. He then covered his mouth tightly, but his shoulders still twitched a few times.

Ling Yuanshan's face turned pale and then red from the retort. He pointed at Lin Fengmian, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

"You...you..."

I talked for ages, and I almost fainted from anger.

This time, he's wearing his green hat properly!

Seeing that Ling Yuanshan was easily defeated by Lin Fengmian in just a few words, Zhao Yuanlong knew it was time for him to step in.

Otherwise, in terms of momentum, you'll be at a disadvantage compared to others.

He slowly got up.

The movements were neither hurried nor slow, yet a heavy, oppressive feeling, as if a mountain was about to collapse, permeated the air.

The terrifying pressure from the early Nascent Soul stage was no longer held back; it swept across the entire hall as if it were a tangible force.

The air suddenly froze, as if an invisible giant hand was pressing down from the dome. The faces of all the civil and military officials changed drastically, their legs went weak, and those with lower cultivation levels almost collapsed to the ground.

Even breathing became difficult.

The flames of the nine eternal lamps in the Golden Palace all shrank simultaneously.

It then shook violently, casting flickering shadows on everyone's faces.

"Lin Fengmian".

Zhao Yuanlong's voice was as cold as ice from the depths of hell, each word uttered through gritted teeth, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

"I advise you to keep a low profile. You murdered my father and ruined my only son."

No matter how eloquent you are, I will demand an explanation today.

Whether you admit it or not is irrelevant—I will search your soul and refine your spirit, and naturally I will know the whole truth. Then, I will make you pay the price you deserve.

As soon as the words were spoken, the temperature in the hall dropped sharply, and even the gold paint on the gilded dragon pillars seemed to dim a bit.

The air around him distorted slightly, and the spiritual pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator was like an invisible mountain, making everyone in the hall feel suffocated.

"Yo yo yo".

Faced with this palpable pressure, Lin Fengmian picked at his ear.

He did feel a slight pressure; his shoulders felt heavy, as if he were carrying an invisible mountain, and his bones made a faint creaking sound.

But his body was strong enough to hold on, and he kept his back straight.

His face, however, remained calm and composed, even carrying a slightly smug smile.

The curve of his lips was just right on his face.

"Who do we have here? No wonder this old dog looked so familiar when he came in—it's the father of that good-for-nothing Zhao Yan."

He tilted his head, his tone full of casual mockery, as if he were chatting idly.

"What, you only come when the younger ones can't beat the older ones, and the older ones are already dead? The order in which you all deliver these gifts is wrong too."

"You little beast, it really was you who did it!"

Zhao Yuanlong's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and his overwhelming killing intent almost materialized.

His body was filled with surging spiritual energy, and the jade brick beneath his feet cracked open with a "crack," sending fragments flying everywhere.

You're really asking for it.

Zhao Yuanlong had never suffered such humiliation before.

Since achieving the Nascent Soul stage, he has been respected and admired wherever he goes.

The master of a temple, wherever he goes, is he not obsequious and sycophantic? Has he ever been publicly called an "old dog"?

The hatred of abandoning his son, the resentment of killing his father, and the humiliation he was experiencing now were all overwhelming his reason.

His body was filled with surging spiritual energy, his robes fluttered wildly, billowing even without wind, and he looked ready to make a move without saying a word.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Advisor Ling Yuanshan was also fanning the flames.

He had just been humiliated in public by Lin Fengmian and was looking for an opportunity to retaliate. Now, seeing Zhao Yuanlong truly enraged, he immediately added fuel to the fire, shouting angrily: