Chapter 1997: Lin Divine Gathering (Part 2)
On the Mysterious Ark, Helian Lingzhu stood tall, her eyes full of worry.
The young Xuan adepts of the Helian Celestial Mansion were all brimming with excitement, their faces unable to hide their anticipation and exhilaration.
The Linyuan Realm all knew that the Helian imperial clan was gradually declining, and that this had persisted for several eras. However, they were completely unaware of the dramatic changes that had occurred... They did not know that the Worship Qilin Sect had gained the support of three sects, nor that the Worship Qilin Sect would participate in this Lin Divine Gathering, and they were even unaware that the Abyss Knight witnessing this Lin Divine Gathering was from the Worship Qilin Sect.
They still believed that the Helian Imperial Clan would enter the Lin Divine Realm as in every previous era... albeit with only the lowest authority.
Regarding the words declared by Zhai Liancheng and Xi Menqi when they visited that day, Helian Jue not only could not make them public, but had to suppress them tightly, otherwise it would inevitably cause great panic and unpredictable chaos — what's more, Helian Jue directly suffered a severe relapse afterward and had no time to attend to other matters.
This time, Helian Jue was unable to attend in person due to "serious injuries not yet healed," which was a reasonable justification.
But having Helian Lingzhu lead instead left everyone's jaws on the ground.
Especially the Crown Prince Helian Linglang, whose confusion, resentment, fear, and fury could well be imagined. Even when Helian Jue was in seclusion for healing, he sought an audience many times, and eventually even resorted to forcing his way in... but was undoubtedly thrown out immediately.
However, the Crown Prince was still the Crown Prince, and Helian Lingzhu was merely a woman in the eyes of the mundane world. Even though she had been personally appointed by the Helian Nation Lord, the top geniuses of the Helian Imperial Clan and Celestial Mansion still gathered around Helian Linglang.
Helian Linglang stood on the other side of the Mysterious Ark, his gaze constantly sweeping over Helian Lingzhu and Yun Che, his expression dark and uncertain.
"Imperial Brother Crown Prince, why must you be so concerned?" said a Helian prince beside him. "It's rumored that Father's injuries were healed by Elder Sister. Father appointing her to this task is merely a reasonable reward. As for her shaking your position as Crown Prince, that's pure nonsense."
"That's right," interjected Fang Zhonghe, the chief disciple of the Helian Celestial Mansion this term. "Although the Eldest Princess has considerable prestige, the Helian Imperial Clan has the Crown Prince to hold the reins. How could it ever fall to her?"
Helian Linglang's expression showed no sign of easing. He glanced at Mo Cangying, who had always been unyielding toward him, and then glared fiercely at Yun Che: "It's all because of that pretty face... just what is his background?"
"Who cares what his background is," another Helian prince said with full disdain. "He's just a pretty face kept by Elder Sister at the end of the day. Speaking of which, Mo Cangying hasn't looked too good these days. I'm afraid it won't be long before... hehehe."
A burst of laughter erupted, and Helian Linglang's lips curled slightly as well.
Although far apart, as the most outstanding disciple to emerge from the Helian Celestial Mansion in this era, Mo Cangying had a cultivation at the third level of the Divine Lord Realm, and he could hear the laughter clearly.
He clenched his fists tightly, his brows deeply furrowed, but remained motionless for a long time.
Yun Che, however, came to his side.
"Elder Brother Mo," he began, "the Eldest Princess seems to be in low spirits. At a time like this, you should be by her side."
Mo Cangying maintained his original posture, not even glancing at him, his face expressionless: "Wouldn't it be better if you went?"
"Me?" Yun Che looked perplexed and confused, then gave a wry smile. "Elder Brother Mo, I don't understand what you mean."
"You understand," Mo Cangying's tone grew colder by a degree. "Her eyes and heart are now full of you! You've been lingering, and everything you've done is for her... Don't treat me like a fool!"
"From the time she entered the Helian Celestial Mansion as an ordinary disciple, I've been watching her. I know her best," Mo Cangying averted his gaze. "Whom she fancies is her freedom. It's only natural for you to fancy her. I have nothing to say and wouldn't stoop to resentment over it."
"But for you to come forth like this, being so sarcastic," he let out a cold sneer, "that's really beneath you."
The smile on Yun Che's face vanished. Instead of leaving, he moved a few steps closer and stood shoulder to shoulder with Mo Cangying.
"Elder Brother Mo, have you ever calculated how much time I've spent interacting with the Eldest Princess?"
Mo Cangying: "..."
Yun Che said unhurriedly: "Excluding when you brought me from the sandstorm to the Helian Celestial Mansion and the journey from the Celestial Mansion to the Imperial City, the time I've had any contact with the Eldest Princess totals less than three Shi Chen."
"And you, Elder Brother Mo, you have known the Eldest Princess since youth, started from humble beginnings together, and have accompanied, supported, and grown with each other. Such a bond is etched into the marrow, incomparable to any other person or feeling."
"Thus, when the Eldest Princess entered the Mist Sea alone, you, Elder Brother Mo, without hesitation, charged in with lone courage and risked your life to save her. I believe that if the roles were reversed, the Eldest Princess would do the same."
"As for me, I am merely an outsider. I have known the Eldest Princess for less than a month, our interactions are as shallow as water, and mutual understanding is out of the question." Yun Che shook his head. "How could I even have a shred of qualification to compare with the bond between you and the Eldest Princess?"
Mo Cangying turned his head, his face showing a hint of emotion: "But..."
"No buts," Yun Che smiled. "I can prove that what you think is wrong."
"You say I fancy the Eldest Princess, but in truth, everything I've done for her is to repay the debt of saving my life. At the same time, I also have a selfish motive: to take a look inside the Lin Divine Realm. After all, it is a secret realm related to the Abyss Emperor, which inevitably arouses curiosity and longing."
He said with complete frankness: "As a man, the debt of a life-saving grace is paramount. How could I not repay it with full effort? If it were you, Elder Brother Mo, you would certainly do the same."
"..." Mo Cangying's lips moved as if to speak, but then he heard Yun Che continue: "After the Lin Divine Gathering, I will leave the Linyuan Realm immediately. From then on, we will likely never meet again."
He turned sharply: "You... will leave?"
"Of course." Yun Che's face showed not a trace of reluctance, only a matter-of-fact attitude. "This place is not where I was born. After repaying the favor, naturally there is no reason to stay. So your saying that I fancy the Eldest Princess is simply wrong."
"And similarly, your saying that the Eldest Princess fancies me is also wrong."
Mo Cangying's expression clearly fluctuated. The previous stiffness was completely gone.
"The Helian Imperial Clan is gradually declining, and the Eldest Princess learned in advance of the Worship Qilin Sect's ambitions. She was so helpless and desperate that she ventured into the Mist Sea alone. My appearance was like a straw of hope that might bring a slight turn of fortune. In her hopelessness, she naturally had to grasp it tightly."
"That's why she appeared overly eager and overly trusting toward me. I imagine her greatest stake and hope now lies in my origins."
"As for fancying me," Yun Che shook his head and laughed, "that's simply out of the question."
Mo Cangying was clearly convinced... or rather, suddenly enlightened.
"To her, you are as close as siblings, already indispensable. To her, I am merely a coat that appeared just in time when the cold wind struck — there is no comparison."
He turned his eyes, indicating toward Helian Lingzhu's direction. "Elder Brother Mo, if you are not by her side at this moment, she will be sorrowful."
Mo Cangying's upper body straightened abruptly, and then he directly dashed toward Helian Lingzhu... but immediately he stopped and turned back to Yun Che, saying: "Brother Yun, your kindness to Lingzhu and to the imperial clan is a kindness to me, Mo Cangying."
"If you truly can help the Helian Imperial Clan enter the Lin Divine Realm... while you remain in the Linyuan Realm, whatever you ask, I would die ten thousand deaths to fulfill!"
His words were emphatic. Having said that, without waiting for Yun Che's response, he had already gone to Helian Lingzhu's side.
Yun Che leaned his back against the cabin wall, his eyes as calm as dead water.
Mo Cangying's words were perhaps only a small part out of gratitude toward Helian Lingzhu; the larger part was out of guilt for his "misunderstanding" and gratitude for the "sudden enlightenment."
He was, after all, a straightforward person, easily placated with a few words.
The word "love" — eternal as sky and earth — often cannot withstand a single instant.
This applies to both women and men.
Apparently Mo Cangying didn't quite understand that. But with this, at least he wouldn't be a variable, and perhaps... he might even be useful.
After merging with Chi Wuyue's memories, his methods of probing people and his behavioral habits had somewhat become closer to hers.
........
The center of the Linyuan Realm is called the Qilin Divine Domain.
The entrance to the Lin Divine Realm is here. Inside are the most violent rock sands of the Abyss and the last Qilin of the Abyss.
The name "Last Qilin" undoubtedly attracts longing, but few outsiders set foot in the Linyuan Realm. Because the Lin Divine Realm that protects the existence of the last Qilin was established by the Abyss Emperor and is sealed all year round. Who would dare to intrude without permission?
Today in the Qilin Divine Domain, the sky was filled with Mysterious Arks of all sizes.
The Lin Divine Realm had always been controlled by one imperial clan and three sects. Thus, what everyone knew as the Lin Divine Gathering was merely a struggle among these one clan and three sects over distribution rights.
However, those who could participate in this struggle were undoubtedly the top geniuses of the younger generation. Entering the Lin Divine Realm would allow them to advance even further, even undergo a complete transformation, and in the future, they would surely grow into the highest-level existences of the Linyuan Realm.
Thus, the young Xuan adepts participating in each Lin Divine Gathering were basically the controllers of the next era of the Linyuan Realm. Naturally, all major forces came to observe, so as to see the future basic structure of the Linyuan Realm in advance.
Nearly a hundred thousand people spread across the skies of the Qilin Divine Domain. In the God Realm, this would be a small affair, but in the Abyss, where living beings are scarce, it was already a considerable scale.
The three great sects — Pan Xuan, Wan Ren, and Lie Sha — had all arrived, positioning themselves on three sides in the central area. The Mysterious Ark of the Helian Imperial Clan landed on the fourth side, but... any Xuan adept could perceive that its overall aura was clearly weaker than that of the three sects.
The three great sects were growing stronger and stronger, while the Helian Imperial Clan weakened with each generation — this was a well-known reality in the Linyuan Realm. It seemed that this time's Lin Divine Gathering would still be a contest among the three sects... with the Helian Imperial Clan, which had been consistently last for several eras, merely going through the motions.
Taking charge of such an occasion for the first time, Helian Lingzhu did her utmost to maintain an appearance of composure and dignity. But in truth, her inner tension and anxiety surpassed that of any time in her life.
Her gaze quickly found the Worship Qilin Sect in a distant corner... and they responded with an arrogant, faint smile.
"Yun Che," she cautiously transmitted, "is it really... really all right?"
"Just trust me, and also trust yourself," Yun Che replied gently. "I have never broken a promise I made."
That was right. He regarded neither the Pan Xuan Sect nor the Worship Qilin Sect as worthy of attention. What even the Guardian Patriarch found impossible, he could accomplish easily... Helian Lingzhu took a deep breath, her heart settling slightly.
"Oh? The imperial clan actually sent a little girl to lead this time?"
A harsh voice came from the side.
The speaker was Wan Zhongyue, the young sect master of the Wan Ren Sect. He looked askance, his tone arrogant, with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Little girl?" Mo Cangying's eyes instantly turned sharp as an eagle's hook, stabbing at Wan Zhongyue. "Are you blind? How dare you show disrespect to the Eldest Princess!"
"Oh~~ so it's the Eldest Princess." Wan Zhongyue pretended to realize, then laughed even more wildly. "Disrespect? So what? Exile to the Sand Abyss? Or execution of the entire clan? I'm trembling with fear, you know."
Such words of contempt for the imperial clan were not stopped by anyone around him; instead, there was a burst of laughter.
"Pay no attention," Helian Lingzhu said. She had always known that the imperial clan's authority only worked on commoners and small-to-medium sects; to the three great sects, it was nothing but a joke.
The Wan Ren Sect was relentless. The sect master's youngest son, Wan Zhongshan, deliberately raised his voice. "I heard that the Helian Nation Lord has been tortured to the brink of death by the Xuan force that Senior Mo struck into him back then, and could die at any moment. Now, at such a major event as the Lin Divine Gathering, he is not seen. Do you suppose it might be..."
"Hahaha!"
"No, no, no. It might also be that he heard some news and was scared out of his wits, too afraid to come."
"Courage? Does Helian Jue have such a thing?"
Another wave of unrestrained laughter rang out.
Mo Cangying's eyes blazed with fire. Seeing that Helian Lingzhu's expression was still relatively calm, as if she couldn't be bothered to respond, he managed to hold back his eruption.
On the other hand, Helian Linglang's face was livid, and he muttered through gritted teeth: "It's all because Father insisted on appointing her... Such a disgrace!"
At this moment, the top participant of the last Lin Divine Gathering, the current sect master of the Pan Xuan Sect, Zhai Kexie, soared into the air, his voice like a great bell: "The time has come. Let us welcome the Abyss Knight from the Pure Land, who will witness this Lin Divine Gathering."
The barrier of the Lin Divine Realm was set by the Abyss Emperor, and its opening required the Pure Land divine pattern. Thus, before each opening of the Lin Divine Realm, an Abyss Knight would arrive, both to open the Lin Divine Realm and to act as a supervisor during its opening.
Later, as the three great sects gradually rose, the Lin Divine Gathering came into being. Thus, the arriving Abyss Knight would be invited as a witness to the Lin Divine Gathering, as a sign of respect.
A figure rose into the air. The silver armor and cape of the Abyss Knight reflected a chilling light, piercing everyone's eyes and hearts.
And the Pure Land divine pattern shining on the back of his hand released a divine might that almost overwhelmed the entire Qilin Divine Domain.
"Welcome, Lord Knight."
Zhai Kexie was the first to bow, and the Pan Xuan Sect members behind him followed suit.
Instantly, all Xuan adepts present bowed their heads and held their breath in reverence, as if worshipping a descending deity.
To all beings of the Abyss, the Pure Land was the supreme sacred ground. Those from the Pure Land were naturally as holy as gods.
But immediately, gasps of shock rang out involuntarily.
"Th... that is..."
"Xi Men... Boyun?"
"Xi... Xi Men Boyun!!"
Countless people raised their heads in shock, and the uncontrolled shouts rapidly spread, stunning everyone.
"No mistake! That is the vice leader of the Worship Qilin Sect, Xi Men Boyun!"
"Wasn't he dead?"
"He... actually became an Abyss Knight!"
"That absurd rumor turned out to be true! Not only did he not die in the Mist Sea, he became an Abyss Knight of the Pure Land!"
"Then the Worship Qilin Sect would be... shooting up to the heavens?"
"..."
Shouts of surprise filled the sky, unceasing.
Soon, gazes of shock, suspicion, or pity turned toward the Helian Imperial Clan's position.
The Worship Qilin Sect's rapid rise was well known; it had already gained momentum to become the fourth great sect.
Now, with one of its members become an Abyss Knight... wouldn't its momentum directly surpass that of the Helian Imperial Clan?
Then at this Lin Divine Gathering...
If the Worship Qilin Sect also participates, will there be one more force entering the Lin Divine Realm, or will one party be squeezed out?
If it were the latter...
More gazes found the location of the Worship Qilin Sect, and only then noticed that they were already in full battle readiness.
The sect leader Xi Men Borong and the young sect leader Xi Men Hong were both present, along with all the branch leaders and hall masters.
The young Xuan adepts behind them were also clearly in a state of combat readiness.
What they were going to do next was patently obvious.