Chapter 239 Ambition
Xiao Yun was forced by the female cultivator's pressure, feeling like a giant rock was pressing on his chest, making breathing difficult. But he quickly calmed down—the Xiao family entrusted him to deliver the Xuantian Cauldron to the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, so he was effectively working for the Immortal Spirit Holy Land!
He suppressed his anger, slowly put away his long sword, yet his eyes remained sharp: "Does the Fairy dare to announce her background?"
The female cultivator sneered: "Why would I not dare? I am Su Qingxuan, a personal disciple of the Heavenly Cloud Sect in the Azure Province."
Heavenly Cloud Sect? Xiao Yun breathed a huge sigh of relief in his heart, and a cold smile curled up the corner of his mouth. He held up the Xuantian Cauldron with one hand and said, enunciating every word:
"I am Xiao Yun, a disciple of the Xiao family in Jingning City. This cauldron is an item the head of the Xiao family ordered me to deliver to the Immortal Spirit Holy Land."
His gaze was like a knife, looking straight at Su Qingxuan: "Is the Fairy sure she wants to rob it by force? If the Immortal Spirit Holy Land assigns blame, I fear your noble sect... will have to face the consequences!"
"Immortal Spirit Holy Land?!" Su Qingxuan's outstretched hand suddenly froze in mid-air, and her pupils contracted abruptly. Being in the Azure Province as well, how could she not know what a terrifying existence the Immortal Spirit Holy Land was?
But her Junior Brother had a pure and kind character, so how could he lie? Moreover—she had a huge secret, which was that she could hear her Junior Brother's inner thoughts.
How could a person's heart lie? And at this moment, just as she predicted, that inner voice was screaming in panic: Oh no, oh no, that person did not carry such a precious treasure with him.
He insisted on placing it on a rock nearby while resting, and I thought it was an ownerless item. Now I have implicated Senior Sister and the sect!
Su Qinghan pursed her lips slightly; so that was it. Junior Brother was indeed of a pure and kind nature and innocent of the ways of the world. Fortunately, everything was just a misunderstanding.
She did not notice the change in the young man's expression behind her when he heard the words Immortal Spirit Holy Land. Seeing Su Qingxuan's attitude soften, Xiao Yun immediately took out the Xiao family command token from his bosom and said in a deep voice:
"This is the command token of the Xiao family direct line, which can prove that my words are not false."
It was no secret that Xiao Chen, the current Sect Master of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, was born in the Xiao family of Jingning.
Su Qingxuan took the command token, and her fingertips gently rubbed the seal character for Xiao. After confirming it was correct, the chill around her body finally dissipated. She handed the command token back and nodded slightly:
"It seems it is indeed a misunderstanding."
Xiao Yun put away the command token and coldly swept a glance at the young man hiding behind Su Qingxuan.
That young man was currently lowering his head, revealing a look of guilt, but Xiao Yun clearly saw a trace of a successful smirk flash across the corner of his mouth.
"Hmph!" Xiao Yun forcibly suppressed his anger and ultimately did not flare up again—firstly, he was wary of Su Qingxuan's unfathomable cultivation base, and secondly, he bore a heavy responsibility and did not wish to cause extra complications.
He gave a cold snort, rose up on his sword, and transformed into a stream of light on the horizon in the blink of an eye.
After Xiao Yun had gone far away, the aura around Su Qingxuan suddenly changed. The frostiness from a moment ago melted away completely; she turned to gently stroke the top of the young man's hair, her voice as gentle as water:
"You were scared, right? Do not be so rash again in the future."
The young man took the opportunity to lean into his Senior Sister's embrace, burying his face in her shoulder, and said in a muffled voice:
"Senior Sister, I know I was wrong..."
What Su Qingxuan did not see was that the eyes of the young man buried in her neck were flashing with a gloomy and cold glint.
Heh, Heavenly Cloud Sect... was ultimately still too weak. He felt the mysterious power surging within his body, which he had obtained in an ancient ruin three years ago.
"Gift."
Relying on this power, he easily played the entire Heavenly Cloud Sect within the palm of his hand—even making the exceptionally talented Eldest Senior Brother "voluntarily" leave the sect.
And now, even this Senior Sister known as the "Ice Soul Fairy," who had once pledged love for three lifetimes with Eldest Senior Brother, was she not also being deceived by him completely?
But it was not enough...
The young man sneered at an angle Su Qingxuan could not see.
The Heavenly Cloud Sect was merely a second-rate power in the Azure Province, and placed in the entire Xuanying Continent, it was not worth mentioning.
If he could use the Heavenly Cloud Sect as a stepping stone to enter that legendary Immortal Spirit Holy Land...
That would be the stage that truly belonged to him!
He heard that the daughter of that Holy Venerable of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land was born extremely beautiful, and was even Sect Master Xiao Chen's Little Junior Sister. If he could also win the beauty's heart...
Su Qingxuan was completely unaware of the thoughts of the person in her embrace, still comforting him with soft whispers.
The mountain breeze brushed past, blowing her snow-white sleeves, yet it could not blow away the fleeting ambition in the young man's eyes.
...
Amongst the towering mountains, clouds and mist lingered, and immortal cranes cried.
Xiao Yun stood before the mountain gate of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, looking up at the jade steps inserting directly into the clouds, his heart unspeakably shocked.
"Is this... the Immortal Spirit Holy Land?"
Jade towers and pavilions appeared faintly in the sea of clouds, spiritual springs and waterfalls hung down like the Milky Way, and the air was filled with rich spiritual energy. Every breath seemed to be washing the meridians.
Compared to that square inch of land of the Xiao family, this place could truly be called the atmosphere of an immortal home!
Xiao Yun took a deep breath and respectfully handed over the Xuantian Cauldron. However, it was not Xiao Chen who received him, but a solemn-faced inner sect disciple.
"The Sect Master has matters to attend to and has no time to see you; this item will be passed on by me."
That disciple took the Xuantian Cauldron, his tone flat, as if this supreme treasure of the Xiao family was merely a common object.
This was naturally vastly different from what Xiao Yun had initially thought.
He felt a burst of disappointment in his heart, yet dared not say much, only clasping his hands to retreat.
Just as he turned to leave, that disciple suddenly called out to him:
"Fellow Daoist, wait."
Xiao Yun looked back and saw the other party smiling, his temperament warm and gentle, unlike an ordinary disciple.
"The Sect Master has a sentence for me to pass on."
He looked at Xiao Yun, and using Xiao Chen's tone, said word by word:
"If you wish to join the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, your aptitude is sufficient to enter the outer sect, but your future development depends entirely on yourself. How about it?"
Xiao Yun's heart shook, almost daring not believe his own ears:
"I... can?"
That disciple smiled:
"Although it requires making an exception, with Fellow Daoist's aptitude, it is enough to make Elder Li of the outer sect nod. However—"
His tone became slightly solemn:
"The Sect Master also said, entering my immortal sect, future achievements depend entirely on oneself. The Immortal Spirit Holy Land will absolutely not treat you differently just because your surname is Xiao."
The light in Xiao Yun's eyes shone brightly; he knelt down without hesitation and bowed from afar towards the depths of the immortal mountain:
"Disciple Xiao Yun thanks the Sect Master for the grace of taking me in!"
He raised his head and said word by word:
"In this life, I will definitely not let down the Xiao family surname, and even more so, not let down the cultivation of the immortal sect!"
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