Two days after parting ways with Queen Medusa, Lin Yuan and Qing Lin finally arrived at the imperial capital of the Jia Ma Empire, Jia Ma Sacred City.
Lin Yuan swept his gaze over Jia Ma Sacred City and could not help but offer a quiet word of praise in his heart. With a scale this vast, among all the cities he had seen so far, it could be considered one of the most magnificent.
Holding Qing Lin, Lin Yuan descended steadily on the outskirts of the city. His gaze then shifted toward the northern side of the imperial capital. There, a towering mountain range rose majestically, like a colossal dragon coiled in slumber, faintly emitting a heaven-piercing spiritual aura.
That place was none other than the Misty Cloud Sect, a location that could truly be called a land of destiny on the Dou Qi Continent.
Lin Yuan pondered silently, "How could one tolerate another snoring beside one's own bed? With the Jia Ma Imperial Family and the Misty Cloud Sect living side by side as two colossal powers, and with precedents like the Mu Lan Empire nearby, it is only natural for both sides to remain wary of each other."
After steadying his thoughts, Lin Yuan turned his attention to Qing Lin beside him and asked solemnly.
"Qing'er, can you establish contact with the Jade Scale Snake to the north?"
Qing Lin nodded slightly, closed her eyes, and focused her mind to sense it. After a moment, she opened her eyes, delight flashing within them.
"Young Master, I sensed Little Zi over there. It was previously in a dormant state, but I've already awakened it just now."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan felt a surge of joy. With the help of the Purple Jade Scale Snake, he would be able to conduct covert communication with Yun Shan from within Jia Ma Sacred City.
"Qing'er, help me connect with the Purple Jade Scale Snake over there. I need to contact Yun Shan," Lin Yuan said in a low voice.
"Yes, Young Master!" Qing Lin replied immediately. She then focused once more, assisting Lin Yuan in transmitting the message. Strands of concealed fluctuations silently spread out, traversing the barriers of space.
At this moment, within the training grounds of the Misty Cloud Sect, the sect competition was in full swing. Yun Shan sat quietly upon the high platform, his expression dignified and imposing, eyes sharp as torches as he watched the matches below. Seated beside him were the First Elder Yun Leng, Pill King Gu He, and others, all of whom were equally focused on the competition.
On the field, Nalan Yanran wore the sect's uniform, her posture tall and upright like a pine, resembling a lotus in full bloom. Her cultivation had reached the Six-Star Dou Master level, and at this moment, she was facing an opponent slightly older than herself, whose cultivation had reached Seven-Star Dou Master.
Just as the match reached its most intense stage, Yun Shan suddenly sensed a faint movement within his sleeve. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he thought to himself, "It's finally here…"
He quickly recalled the contents of the communication handbook and realized that this was the signal for long-distance communication. Without revealing any emotion, he followed the coded method described in the handbook, lightly tapping the Purple Jade Scale Snake hidden within his sleeve with Dou Qi in a peculiar rhythm. Qing Lin, in turn, interpreted the rhythm of Yun Shan's taps through the Purple Jade Scale Snake and relayed the information to Lin Yuan.
In this way, Lin Yuan and Yun Shan established a covert communication channel between them through a unique method based on the Heavenly Canopy Network, with the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils as its core.
"Are you currently under Protector Wu's surveillance? Is he at the Misty Cloud Sect right now?" Lin Yuan asked first.
"No. He seems to have gone out to carry out a mission and is not in the Jia Ma Empire at the moment," Yun Shan replied.
"Did the desert incident last time arouse any suspicion?" Lin Yuan continued.
"No," Yun Shan answered.
"Has Soul Hall sent any new personnel to contact you?" Lin Yuan pressed on.
"No. It's still only Protector Wu who contacts me," Yun Shan reported truthfully.
"Have you discovered anything regarding the Xiao Clan and Soul Hall?" Lin Yuan asked further.
Yun Shan pondered for a moment before replying, "Yes. Soul Hall does not seem to intend to act against the Xiao Clan for the time being, but they appear to have secretly controlled certain individuals to conduct investigations."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan felt reassured and continued.
"I've made some progress on my end as well. During this period, I've studied certain matters related to the soul and have already devised a method to resolve the restriction on your body. Once the right opportunity arises, I will be able to help you remove this trouble. For now, pay attention to collecting these items: Jade Bone Flower, Hundred-Spirit Fruit…"
Upon hearing that Lin Yuan had already figured out a way to lift the restriction on him, Yun Shan could not help but let out a sigh of relief. He sent back a grateful message.
"Many thanks for your assistance, my friend."
"No need for courtesy. Our cooperation has always been mutually beneficial," Lin Yuan replied. Then he suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard that you exiled Yun Yun?"
Yun Shan sighed softly and explained,
"Placing someone in a desperate situation to give them a chance at rebirth, you should understand my intentions. If you encounter Yun Yun, I ask that you look after her on my behalf."
"I will," Lin Yuan agreed, then added,
"If there is any urgent information, notify me according to the method we agreed upon earlier."
"I understand."
The communication between Lin Yuan and Yun Shan thus came to an end. Meanwhile, the match on the training grounds had reached its decisive moment.
"Extreme Wind—Thousand Wind Blade!" Nalan Yanran shouted crisply. Brilliant light erupted from her longsword, and a vast, razor-sharp sword Qi burst forth from the blade's tip, shooting straight toward her opponent. Under the pressure of that ferocious sword Qi, the solid stone floor cracked apart, fissures spreading all the way to the edge of the square.
Seeing this, the disciple's expression changed slightly. His hand seals shifted rapidly as surging green Dou Qi poured out, forming a spiraling wind wall around his body.
"Wind Barrier Wall!" he shouted in a low voice, attempting to block the devastating sword Qi.
However, the sword Qi was simply far too powerful. After holding out for a brief moment, the whirlwind barrier was finally shattered. As the barrier collapsed, the disciple was violently blasted away by the remaining sword Qi, sent flying in front of the crowd's astonished gazes and crashing down at the edge of the training grounds. For an instant, the entire venue fell into silence, followed by thunderous applause and deafening cheers.
The referee slowly stepped forward and announced in a loud voice.
"The winner—Nalan Yanran!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire arena erupted. Nalan Yanran had taken first place in the sect competition with absolute dominance. Her strength and talent left everyone in awe.
"Senior Sister Nalan is incredible!"
"Congratulations to Senior Sister Nalan for winning first place!"
Yun Leng also walked up beside Yun Shan and said respectfully.
"Congratulations, Sect Leader. Nalan Yanran truly lived up to your expectations and guidance. Her performance was astonishing."
Yun Shan's expression remained unchanged, though a faint trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. He praised inwardly, 'This child Yanran truly did not disappoint my expectations. At her current rate of progress, it won't take long before she meets the requirements to enter the Life-and-Death Gate. At that time, it will be the best opportunity for me to carry out my feigned-death plan.'
"Three-year agreement, the Xiao Clan, the Ancient Clan—hmph!"
At this moment, Nalan Yanran stood alone at the center of the training grounds. Praise rang endlessly in her ears, yet she felt little joy in her heart. Without Yun Yun there to witness it, this victory seemed to have lost more than half its meaning. Thinking of Yun Yun, a faint sense of melancholy rose within her.
"Teacher… where are you now?"
After finishing his communication with Yun Shan, Lin Yuan flicked his fingers lightly and formed an intricate hand seal, immediately activating a secret technique to alter his appearance. His facial features gradually changed, eventually becoming the familiar appearance known to Hai Bodong.
Seeing this, Qing Lin's lips curved upward slightly as she revealed an expectant smile. She imitated Lin Yuan's movements and formed the same hand seal. In an instant, her appearance also began to change in a wondrous way. This appearance-altering secret technique had long since been taught to her by Lin Yuan.
Before long, Qing Lin's looks underwent a dramatic transformation. A face that was gentle yet carried a touch of brilliance appeared before Lin Yuan.
"However, Qing'er, this current appearance of yours…" Lin Yuan looked at Qing Lin's new face with a strange expression. It seemed to combine the traits of Qing Lin, the Little Fairy Doctor, and himself, faintly bearing the shadows of all three.
Mentioning this new appearance, Qing Lin became rather excited.
"Hehe, I designed it by referencing Young Master and Sister Little Fairy Doctor. What do you think, Young Master?"
"It's very good, very beautiful," Lin Yuan replied, his emotions somewhat complicated.
Seeing that face, he could not help but think of the Little Fairy Doctor, wondering whether she was doing well far away.
Shaking his head, Lin Yuan pushed those thoughts aside. He looked at Qing Lin and smiled.
"Let's go, Qing'er. We're heading in. Do you remember when we left the Magical Beast Mountain Range, I said I'd take you to stroll around a prosperous city? I didn't expect it to be delayed for so long. This time, I'll properly accompany you and explore this city."
"Yes, Young Master," Qing Lin replied happily. This was her first time personally seeing such a vast and prosperous human city, and her heart was filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Walking side by side, the two stepped into Jia Ma Sacred City.
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