A streak of light descended onto the martial field, and the maidservant appeared once more.
Everyone knew full well that her arrival must have brought an order from the Supre Elder. Tens of thousands of disciples wore grave expressions, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Under the gaze of the crowd, the maidservant bowed toward the high platform.
"Palace Master."
"By the decree of the Supre Elder, Fu Haotian is to be imprisoned in the Forbidden Dungeon!"
Whoosh!
Millions of heads snapped up in shock!
To think he would sacrifice even his own kin...
What?
Was this still the sa domineering and autocratic Supre Elder from before?!
Disciples from both the inner and outer sects wore expressions of disbelief, yet none dared utter a word. The periphery of the martial field fell into deeper silence, while many elders pondered deeply, their eyes flickering with strange lights.
Fu Haotian, covered in dust and gri, turned deathly pale with horror!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"My grandfather would never issue such an order! It must be you, this treacherous wench, betraying us and forging his decree!"
Harsh curses spilled from his lips, his deanor bordering on madness.
The crowd stood frozen in shock, too stunned to react.
Only Nanli Qingming's clear voice rang out in response.
"In accordance with the Supre Elder's decree, take Fu Haotian away!"
His tone was utterly composed, as if he had expected this all along.
Several elders imdiately obeyed, swiftly binding Fu Haotian.
"No! NO!"
Amidst his hoarse, broken screams, the once-arrogant Young Master Fu was dragged away. His furious roars echoed in the distance, finally convincing the tens of thousands of disciples that this was truly happening.
Instantly, heated discussions erupted, and cheers shook the heavens!
"Holy shit! Fu Haotian finally got what was coming to him!"
"The Supre Elder is wise!"
"This year's Chief Disciple Ceremony was insane—both sides pulled out all the stops! But in the end, Senior Sister Zhong Ling was the one who outmaneuvered them all!"
"Twists and turns beyond imagination!"
"Hah, I always said Senior Sister Zhong would win!"
"Shaless bastard, you changed your stance three tis already!"
"Congratulations, Senior Sister Zhong!"
"Long live the Palace Master! Long live the Supre Elder!"
The deafening cheers filled the air as tens of thousands of disciples buzzed with excitent.
Zhong Ling stood surrounded by well-wishers, basking in the glory she had once only dread of. It all felt too surreal, a mont she would rember for the rest of her life.
On the high platform, the gathered experts also smiled warmly, the scene one of harmony and satisfaction.
……
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The entrance to the Chief Disciple's courtyard was crowded with figures as guests gradually took their leave. The air still carried the lingering fragrance of fine wine, and the tables inside and outside the courtyard were strewn with dishes and cups in disarray.
Inside the main hall, $2 few junior brothers were tallying up the congratulatory gifts, their exclamations never ceasing.
"The Nine-Fire Master sent a Nine Revolutions Solar Yang Pill—a Heaven-grade elixir! If Senior Sister takes this during her breakthrough, it’ll boost her chances by at least thirty percent!"
"Longyue Xuanji gifted Moonlight Heart-Dew Elixir! Rumor has it this treasure preserves one’s beauty for ten thousand years—another legendary Heaven-grade treasure!"
"That’s nothing! The Grand Elder of the Qianyuan Heavenly Sect sent a Flowing Veil Phoenix Dress, explicitly labeled as Heaven-grade Tier Two!"
"Wha—Heaven-grade Tier Two?!"
"Good heavens! Just these treasures alone surpass the entire wealth of so minor sects! Even Palace Master Nanli Qingming might be tempted!"
"Nonsense! The Palace Master would never covet Senior Sister’s gifts!"
"Right, right! The Palace Master would never wear won’s robes!"
The junior brothers gasped and marveled, their eyes nearly blinded by the dazzling array of treasures.
They sucked in sharp breaths, their excitent bordering on hysteria.
Zhong Ling, too, was deeply moved by the generosity of the senior experts from various sects. But being level-headed, she quickly composed herself.
She quietly intervened, stopping the increasingly wild speculations.
"Junior Brother Lu, all of you—let’s not speak carelessly about the Palace Master and the esteed seniors."
The group settled down slightly, but their admiration and curiosity toward Zhong Ling only grew.
"Senior Sister, I heard the Supre Elder has gone into seclusion recently. What do you make of it?"
"Senior Sister, why did Elder Wei help you so much anyway?"
"Who knew Elder Wei had such ans? Truly, a hidden master!"
"Senior Sister, you can’t keep secrets from us! We’ve been through life and death together! Now that you’re Chief Disciple, don’t treat us like outsiders..."
Though they tried to act normal, their words and deanor lacked their usual ease, now tinged with a hint of reverence.
Zhong Ling remained as warm and approachable as ever, smiling and responding to each in turn.
But faced with their barrage of questions, she was just as baffled.
"This..."
"To be honest with you all, I don’t know the details either."
Her expression grew serious.
"You might find it hard to believe, but I truly don’t understand. Elder Wei’s intervention was strange in hindsight—I can’t fathom his motives."
"Judging by those terrifying demonic corpses, Elder Wei must have so formidable backing. But as for who’s truly behind it all... I have no clue."
"Still, I must remind you all—from now on, never show any disrespect toward Elder Wei!"
Her grave tone left the junior brothers half-convinced, half-doubting.
Had they not known Zhong Ling’s character so well, or heard her sincere warning, they might have assud she had risen too high and left them behind.
Grateful, they bowed in thanks, their eyes warm with affection.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister!"
"So you really don’t know... We misunderstood. Please forgive us!"
Light laughter eased the tension slightly.
The youngest, Thirteenth Junior Brother, stepped forward with the most pressing question.
"Senior Sister, have you never asked Elder Wei directly?"
The others perked up, eager for the answer.
Zhong Ling smiled wryly and shook her head.
"He won’t tell either."
Elder Wei wouldn’t say?
After helping so much, he just wanted to remain an anonymous benefactor? How bizarre.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, none any wiser.
Hearing this, they dropped the subject. No matter how close they were, everyone had their secrets—so things couldn’t be shared completely.
This was only natural, and none took it to heart.
Little did they know, Zhong Ling had indeed tried to probe Elder Wei several tis.
Each ti, the old man had rely smiled mysteriously and uttered three words, as if they were priceless treasures:
"You understand."
Recalling that enigmatic smile, Zhong Ling was still utterly lost.
What did she understand?
She understood nothing at all.
Just then, $2 disciple arrived and bowed respectfully.
"Chief Senior Sister, the Palace Master summons you!"
……
In the grand hall of the celestial palace, $2rnate chairs stood in perfect rows, lining both sides in solemn silence.
Normally, one could only see the Palace Master on special occasions, with the hall packed with elders seated in order of rank, the right side reserved for the most honored.
Today, however, the hall was empty.
The magnificent chamber felt vast and eerily quiet.
Nanli Qingming sat leisurely on his jade throne, exuding an air of approachability.
To his right, Zhong Ling sat nervously in the seat of honor, still sowhat ill at ease with her new status. Her responses to his casual remarks were awkward at best.
After sipping immortal tea, Nanli Qingming’s smile grew even warr.
"Chief Zhong Ling, with no outsiders present today, there’s no need for such formality."
"Back in the day, your father and I were old friends. As the daughter of a dear comrade, you may call Uncle. From now on, when we’re alone, I’ll address you as my niece. How does that sound?"
The tone grew even more familiar, now carrying a warmth that seed to set aside formalities, making it sound like a conversation between old friends rather than a palace master exchanging pleasantries with a chief disciple.
If others were present, they would likely be stunned.
Zhong Ling was flattered and overwheld, rising to her feet with a nervous bow.
"Palace Master, you honor far too much. This Zhong Ling does not dare to accept such praise..."
Seeing her reaction, Nanli Qingming slowly waved a hand to reassure her.
"There’s no need for formalities, niece."
"I’ve long known of your exceptional talent and have wished to support you. My decision to appoint you as the chief disciple of our Heavenly Palace was genuine—you deserve this position. And the title of 'niece' is no re courtesy; it reflects the truth of our bond."
Hearing this, Zhong Ling could only bow gratefully, not daring to refuse.
Seizing the mont, Nanli Qingming continued with an even warr smile.
"Niece, since we are old family friends and will soon succeed one another in leading the Heavenly Palace, fate has truly intertwined our paths. There are so matters… that should no longer be kept in the dark."
Lowering his voice slightly, his smile faded a touch.
"Tell … who exactly is the figure behind you?"
Finally, understanding dawned in Zhong Ling’s eyes.
So, this was the reason for Nanli Qingming’s sudden warmth and familiarity.
His motive was only natural—no different from the other senior sect leaders who had approached her before.
In theory…
Nanli Qingming was no outsider, and he had staunchly supported her before. It wouldn’t be inappropriate for Zhong Ling to share a few details with him.
Yet, she could only force an apologetic smile.
"Palace Master, please forgive …"
"But regarding this matter, I truly know nothing."
At this, Nanli Qingming feigned displeasure, turning his head away.
"Co now, niece. Even from , you withhold the truth? That’s too distant of you."
"Though this matter is of great importance, there’s no need to guard against . Aren’t we family?"
Faced with the palace master’s smiling expression, Zhong Ling could only awkwardly mirror his smile, inwardly exasperated.
The entire world seed to be pressing her for answers—but who could she turn to for them?
She genuinely had no idea where that terrifyingly mysterious force behind her ca from, nor why she—of all people—had been elevated to such heights.
While her current achievents filled her with excitent, the lack of clarity left her uneasy. No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t find even a shred of a clue.
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