The Jun family's martial arts arena was located on a giant island suspended in the void.
Many younger members of the Jun family would cultivate in the martial arts arena.
It not only had dueling platforms but also various places to test cultivation levels, available for the Jun family descendants to examine themselves.
The Taiyue Ancient Stele had been directly and forcibly seized by a great power of the Jun family and moved into the martial arts arena for the clan's disciples to test their physical body cultivation.
At this moment, beside the Taiyue Ancient Stele, a young girl in palace attire was regulating her breath, preparing to challenge the Taiyue Ancient Stele.
The girl was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with long, golden, slightly curled hair that cascaded down like waves, each strand crystalline and dazzling.
Her skin was like congealed fat, her lips like cherries, and her temperament noble and refined.
Although young, her delicate body, wrapped in a tight-fitting palace dress, was already exquisitely proportioned, showing early signs of her figure.
"I wonder what result Jun Linglong will achieve this time?"
"She possesses the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart and comprehends various cultivation techniques extremely quickly. She must have mastered various body refining techniques by now."
"I heard that several Sequence members wanted to recruit Jun Linglong as a follower, but she refused them."
Many Jun family disciples around looked at the girl named Jun Linglong, whispering amongst themselves.
Jun Linglong, though not one of the ten Sequences, was considered a rather famous noble lady in the Jun family.
Because she possessed the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart.
This type of heart was also known as a Saint's Heart, meaning that if Jun Linglong did not fall prematurely, she was destined to become a Saint.
Although for an ancient aristocratic family like the Jun family, a Saint wasn't particularly rare.
But looking at the entire Desolate Heaven Immortal Realm, Saints were definitely great figures standing at the apex.
Because Jun Linglong had the potential to become a Saint, some Sequence members were willing to extend an olive branch to recruit her, but all were refused by Jun Linglong.
"Heaven Suppressing Golden Palm!"
Jun Linglong raised her snow-white, jade-like hand and struck towards the Taiyue Ancient Stele.
Her seemingly slender and delicate body erupted with seemingly endless power at this moment.
Boom!
After a loud bang, light shone on the Taiyue Ancient Stele.
One hundred and fifty thousand jin!
"Jun Linglong is so strong! She has increased her strength by another thirty thousand jin since last time."
"Yeah, an ordinary prodigy, even at the peak of physical body cultivation, would only have about one hundred thousand jin of strength. Jun Linglong has already broken through that barrier."
Sounds of admiration came from all directions, not lacking the fervent gazes of a group of simps.
Jun Linglong's snow-white, jade-like face remained calm, without a ripple.
Just then, a piercing female voice sounded.
"Jun Linglong, how come after so long, you've only increased your strength by thirty thousand jin?"
A woman in a blue dress swayed her slender waist as she approached.
Her face was charming and coquettish, but her words were sharp.
"It's Lan Qingya, follower of the Tenth Sequence, Jun Zhangjian."
"Her status is higher than a mere follower. I heard Jun Zhangjian favors her quite a bit."
Lan Qingya was not a Jun family member but a follower recruited from outside by the Tenth Sequence, Jun Zhangjian.
Jun Linglong ignored her, but Lan Qingya spoke sharply, "Young Master Zhangjian left a record of five million jin of strength on the Taiyue Ancient Stele, dozens of times yours, yet you refused his recruitment. Do you now realize how ignorant you are?"
Lan Qingya couldn't stand Jun Linglong's feigned aloofness.
Jun Zhangjian had already personally offered to recruit her, yet Jun Linglong still refused him.
In Lan Qingya's eyes, Jun Linglong was just a pretentious "green tea bitch" (a term for a manipulative, seemingly innocent woman).
"Although Jun Zhangjian is very good, he is not the best. The one I, Jun Linglong, will follow, will be an existence capable of suppressing an entire era," Jun Linglong said faintly.
No one knew that the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart had another hidden ability: to vaguely glimpse a corner of the future.
Of course, this ability was heaven-defying and could not be actively used.
Jun Linglong had only triggered it once in her life so far.
In that corner of the future, Jun Linglong saw a blurry, transcendent figure, dressed in white, with his back to all living beings.
Billions of creatures, the myriad ancient races, were all prostrating behind him, hailing him by the name of Jun Heavenly Emperor.
At that time, Jun Linglong became convinced that in this era, the Jun family would definitely produce a true dragon that would suppress all of ancient space-time.
It was just...
In that glimpse of the future, the Jun Heavenly Emperor worshipped by all beings, which prodigy of the Jun family's Sequence did it refer to?
Because of this doubt, Jun Linglong had never followed anyone.
She had been waiting for the person who most resembled Jun Heavenly Emperor to appear.
Jun Zhangjian, as the Tenth Sequence, though very strong, did not give Jun Linglong that feeling.
However, when Lan Qingya heard Jun Linglong's words, she found them extremely laughable.
"Hehe, suppress an era? Jun Linglong, your excuse is a bit ridiculous."
Even the current strongest First Sequence of the Jun family wouldn't dare to say this with one hundred percent certainty.
Because this was an era of great contention, where myriad races rose, and prodigies emerged in droves. No single prodigy dared to claim they could suppress this entire era.
And just at this moment, in the distant sky, a white crane attracted everyone's attention.
On the white crane sat a figure like a young deity.
It was precisely Jun Xiaoyao.
He had only just broken through the five Shenzang realms and had not yet gained the ability to fly, so he could only arrive riding a white crane.
"Who is that figure?"
"He looks so young. Is he coming to the martial arts arena at such a young age?"
A group of Jun family disciples started discussing.
Since his birth, Jun Xiaoyao had always stayed within the Heavenly Emperor Palace and had never moved about the Jun family grounds.
Therefore, apart from the Eighteenth Ancestor, a group of clan elders, and his birth mother Jiang Rou, no one else had ever seen Jun Xiaoyao.
"Hmm? He..."
Jun Linglong's beautiful eyes fell on the young figure, and the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart within her suddenly trembled.
A palpitation arose in her heart.
"No way..." Jun Linglong's beautiful eyes gradually widened as an intuition welled up in her mind.
The white crane landed, and Jun Xiaoyao tapped his toes, landing lightly.
"What a handsome little boy! I really want to pinch his cheeks..." a Jun family young lady said, her beautiful eyes shining.
"Cute, I want to ride..." another buxom and domineering Jun family woman stared intently at Jun Xiaoyao, a痴女 (infatuated girl) smile on her face.
Being stared at by such a group of wolf-like Jun family women, Jun Xiaoyao felt a little creeped out.
His kidneys were indeed quite strong, but he was still just a three-year-old child.
He didn't want a "small horse pulling a large cart" (a metaphor for being overwhelmed or taking on too much).
"This child's vital energy and blood are too powerful. How come he feels stronger than all of us?"
A young Jun family member couldn't help but ask, "Kid, which branch of the Jun family are you from? Why have I never seen you before?"
Jun Xiaoyao said casually, "Of course you haven't seen me. This is my first time out of the Heavenly Emperor Palace."
"First time out of the Heavenly Emperor Palace..."
As the young Jun family member spoke, his body suddenly trembled.
The Heavenly Emperor Palace, that was a place where only the highest-ranking members of the Jun family were qualified to reside.
The young man looked at Jun Xiaoyao with shock in his eyes and said, "You... could you be the one from three years ago..."
"That's right, I am Jun Xiaoyao," Jun Xiaoyao said lazily.
Whoosh!
As soon as the words fell, the entire martial arts arena erupted in an uproar.
Jun Xiaoyao was now arguably the most mysterious and highest-ranking junior in the Jun family.
Born three years ago, he alarmed the Eighteenth Ancestor, who personally bestowed upon him the status of Divine Son.
It could be said that Jun Xiaoyao's current status and position were in no way inferior to the ten Sequences!
"Greetings, Lord Divine Son!"
In the martial arts arena, all the Jun family disciples bowed in unison.
Jun Linglong's eyes showed a peculiar light, but she also bowed to Jun Xiaoyao.
Lan Qingya's expression also changed. As a family retainer with a different surname, she dared not offend Jun Xiaoyao even more and hurriedly bowed.
Looking at the Jun family disciples bowing respectfully to him, Jun Xiaoyao secretly clicked his tongue and thought to himself.
"This isn't right. According to the usual tropes, shouldn't someone come out to question me in this situation, and then get brutally face-slapped by me? Behaving so obediently, how am I supposed to show off?"
Jun Xiaoyao felt a sense of punching cotton, unable to exert his strength.
He had wanted to find someone to show off to—no, to spar with.
However, Jun Xiaoyao had underestimated the status of the Divine Son.
There was probably no one present who dared to show him the slightest disrespect.
"Forget it. Since no one is provoking me, I should hurry up and sign in."
Jun Xiaoyao shook his head slightly and walked directly to the Taiyue Ancient Stele.
At this moment, the system's mechanical voice sounded in his mind.
"Ding, you have arrived at the sign-in location: Taiyue Ancient Stele. Do you wish to sign in?"
"Sign in!" Jun Xiaoyao silently recited in his mind.
(End of this chapter)