Chapter 1963: Dim Lights, A Single Leaf Obscures the Eye

On the black earth, the autumn wind swirled. This was a season where the chill had just set in but warmth lingered. Outside Black Stone City, mountains and forests stood, and a few withered leaves rose with the wind.

A single withered yellow leaf spun in mid-air, carried away by the wind, and landed outside Black Stone City, momentarily obscuring the focused gaze of the man and the woman.

Once the leaf scattered, Wang Lin retracted his gaze. This was a very ordinary woman. She possessed the Ancient Fey's Bloodline, yet there was not a trace of Demonic Qi surrounding her; instead, she gave off a feeling of purity, like a white lotus.

Under the woman's right eye was a mole. It was small, and its presence not only failed to detract from her purity but actually added a hint of charm. The combination created a beauty that, while not absolutely stunning, was enough to make a heart pound.

Just like her name, Song Zhi was exquisite, like someone stepped out of a painting.

"Song Zhi greets Your Highness the Prince and all the Lords of the dao ancient delegation." The woman in green, after stepping out of the city gate, blushed slightly, lowered her head, and bowed toward the crowd.

"Her surname is Song? Is this the person Your Highness the Prince mentioned?" The old man standing atop the Ancient Demon had now recovered his composure. He glanced at the woman, his expression becoming solemn.

"Indeed, her surname is Song." Prince Jidu smiled faintly and continued, "In truth, she is also a branch descendant of the Great Heavenly Venerate Song Family within my Shi Gu lineage. It's just that the Great Heavenly Venerate Song Family has many members, and her Bloodline is distant. However, within this Black Stone City, she is considered a prominent Family."

"Thank you for the Prince's assistance. I shall take this woman away now. If she is not selected to become a consort, I will personally ensure she is returned." The old man atop the Ancient Demon pondered for a moment, then cupped his fist toward Prince Jidu.

"Very well, Song Zhi, you shall accompany the dao ancient delegation." Prince Jidu was completely unconcerned by this matter. After nodding with a smile and giving his command, he looked toward Wang Lin, his eyes filled with fervor.

The woman in green named Song Zhi seemed to sigh softly. However, her temperament was gentle, and she could not refuse this matter, so she could only bite her lower lip and walk lightly toward the location of the Ancient Demon.

Wang Lin's position was directly along the woman's path. As she approached him, she slightly bowed her body to show respect, then walked past Wang Lin toward the Ancient Demon.

A faint fragrance drifted into Wang Lin's nose, gradually dissipating as the woman moved further away.

Only after stepping onto the top of the Ancient Demon and standing beside the old man did the woman's hair get lifted by the wind, covering her face. But it could not conceal her gaze toward her homeland, a look filled with melancholy and reluctance.

"I hope I won't be chosen… I'm not that beautiful to begin with, so I shouldn't… be chosen… Aunt Chang, Dong Mei, they are still waiting for me…" The woman lowered her head, and tears seemed to glisten in the eyes hidden by her hair.

After receiving Song Zhi, the dao ancient delegation cupped their fists toward Prince Jidu and Wang Lin, exchanging polite words. The Ancient Demon suddenly lifted its head, let out a roar toward the sky, and leaped up, heading straight for the Rift that had been torn open earlier in the sky. It transformed into a ball of black mist, burrowed in, and vanished.

This place was extremely far from the Dao Ancient Imperial City. Even with this Great Ancient Demon serving as transport, it would still take several months for them to return home.

After the dao ancient delegation left, the Armored Man and others outside Black Stone City respectfully retreated at the Prince's wave of the hand. Moments later, the area outside the entire city was empty, with only Wang Lin, the trembling Ancient Fey, Prince Jidu, and the woman behind him remaining.

"I still do not know Senior's name. Would Senior mind telling Jidu?" Prince Jidu smiled and cupped his fist toward Wang Lin.

"Wang Lin." Wang Lin glanced at the Prince and spoke slowly.

"So it is Senior Wang. Senior, this is not the place for discussion. Junior has a temporary palace in You Prefecture nearby. If Senior does not mind, why don't we go there to talk in detail, allowing Junior a chance to compensate for his earlier rashness." Prince Jidu's expression was quite sincere as he cupped his fist and bowed toward Wang Lin.

Observing Prince Jidu's attitude—indifferent moments ago, now respectful—Wang Lin's eyes flashed almost imperceptibly.

"Imperial power… even it is fragile and vulnerable before a strong cultivator… The reason the Ancient Clan's imperial power can suppress the Great Heavenly Venerates is actually deeply related to the Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate. Once the deterrent force of the Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate is gone, the Ancient Clan's imperial power will inevitably become like that of the Immortal Clan!" Wang Lin pondered briefly, then nodded.

Prince Jidu was overjoyed. He quickly and respectfully moved aside, ushering Wang Lin to step onto the body of the Ancient Fey first. The woman beside Prince Jidu pouted, seemingly about to speak, but the Prince glared at her, forcing her to swallow her words with a wronged expression.

The tens of thousands of feet tall Great Ancient Fey became extremely docile immediately after Wang Lin stepped onto its head. Although the red light in its eyes remained, it was no longer manic, and it didn't even roar. Instead, it leaped up, rushed into the Rift in the sky, and vanished.

As it disappeared, the Rift in the sky slowly vanished as well, causing the sky to return to normal, as if nothing had happened before.

However, as the Great Ancient Fey departed, a cold and authoritative voice transmitted into the ears of the Armored Man Liang Yun, Kong Si, and the black-clothed youth.

"Regarding everything concerning Senior Wang here, the three of you are forbidden from spreading it, and you must not allow anyone else to spread it. Keep this matter sealed! If even a whisper gets out, all three of your nine clans shall be exterminated!"

This voice belonged to Prince Jidu!

In the Shi Gu lineage, within the Twelve Prefectures, lay You Prefecture. This prefecture was perpetually shrouded in a dense, sky-covering mist, giving it a somber color, hence its name.

Legend has it that beneath You Prefecture, a mass of mist is Sealed. This mist is a life form of another dimension, which was captured by an Ancient Ancestor and Sealed to form the prefecture.

Inside the mist, amidst a cluster of mountains, there was a horseshoe-shaped mountain range. Within it lay a temporary palace, incredibly vast, its numerous halls exuding an imposing grandeur.

Many servants and guards lived within, protecting the area with great strictness. On this day, the mist in the sky above the palace suddenly churned violently, rolling away in all directions to reveal the night sky. A massive Rift abruptly appeared in the night sky, and out of it squeezed a tens of thousands of feet tall Great Ancient Fey!

The moment the Great Ancient Fey appeared, it was immediately noticed by everyone inside the palace. Every single servant and guard knelt down on the ground.

"Respectfully welcoming His Highness the Prince back to the Palace!"

The unified voices, the respectful postures, and the fervent expressions all revealed that Prince Jidu was an incomparably noble existence in the hearts of the people here.

The Great Ancient Fey swayed and landed on the vast bluestone plaza surrounding the main section of the palace. This plaza was clearly prepared for the Great Ancient Fey, allowing it sufficient space to stand. With a loud boom, the Great Ancient Fey landed on the plaza, knelt on one knee, and pressed its head to the ground.

Wang Lin calmly stepped down from its back. Only then did the Prince and the still-aggrieved woman follow behind him.

"This Ancient Fey is decent." After stepping down, Wang Lin turned and glanced at the docile Great Ancient Fey.

"It is this Great Ancient Fey's honor to receive Senior's praise. It was a gift from my Imperial Father, usually used for transport and protecting my safety. A Great Ancient Fey of this caliber is quite rare. In its former life, it was a Guard Warrior of my Shi Gu lineage, but unfortunately, after the Twenty-Seven Stars Fusion, it failed to gain the Ancient Ancestor's acknowledgment and degenerated back into a Fey Body, losing its consciousness." Prince Jidu sighed as he spoke.

Wang Lin nodded, sweeping his gaze over the Great Ancient Fey again before turning to look at the surrounding palace complex.

Prince Jidu saw this action and, after a moment of hesitation, gritted his teeth and spoke.

"If Senior Wang likes this Great Ancient Fey, Junior is willing to gift it to Senior."

"Oh?" Wang Lin glanced at Jidu.

Prince Jidu also looked at Wang Lin, his expression extremely sincere.

"Is this what you meant by compensation?" Wang Lin spoke slowly.

"Senior misunderstands. How could a mere Great Ancient Fey used for travel serve as compensation? Senior, let us enter the palace to discuss the details." Prince Jidu smiled, leading Wang Lin and the woman into the main hall directly ahead of the plaza.

The hall was extremely luxurious but still exuded dominance. The moment Wang Lin stepped inside, Prince Jidu immediately rushed forward a few steps, cupped his fist before Wang Lin, his expression extremely solemn, and suddenly bowed deeply.

"Junior, Shi Gu Prince Jidu, pays respects to the White-Haired Sky Venerate!" As Prince Jidu spoke, a gasp immediately came from behind him. It was the woman, who retreated several steps with a look of disbelief, covering her mouth, frozen in shock. She was completely stunned by those five words uttered by her Imperial Brother.

White-Haired Sky Venerate!!

The three lineages of the Ancient Clan continuously probed the movements and major affairs of the Immortal Clan, paying especially close attention to newly emerging powerful figures. Given Wang Lin's reputation in the Immortal Clan, the Ancient Clan naturally regarded him highly. In fact, the degree of importance they placed on him surpassed that of the five Great Heavenly Venerates of the Immortal Clan. After all, the Ancient Clan largely understood those five Great Heavenly Venerates, but they knew very little about the White-Haired Sky Venerate, who was renowned as the foremost expert below the Great Heavenly Venerates!

Surprise appeared in Wang Lin's eyes. He looked at Prince Jidu before him, and his gaze slowly turned cold.

"Junior was not testing Senior. Senior appeared in Black Stone City, which is close to the Boundless Sea and separated from the Immortal Clan. Senior possesses the power to terrify a Great Ancient Fey comparable to a Sky Venerate, and Senior did not bother to conceal his identity, revealing his name.

"Furthermore, Junior possesses a Roster of Immortal Clan Powerful Figures, upon which a portrait of Senior has recently been added. However, this roster can only be viewed by the Royalty of the Three Clans, which is why outsiders who encounter Senior do not recognize you." Prince Jidu, stared at by Wang Lin's cold gaze, immediately broke out in a cold sweat. But he gritted his teeth and remained bowed, merely pulling out the roster Jade Slip and respectfully handing it to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin's expression remained cold. He took the Jade Slip and, with a glance, immediately saw that it contained the portraits of the five Great Heavenly Venerates of the Immortal Clan and all the Sky Venerates, along with quite a few ordinary Sky Venerates.

However, only his own portrait and those of the five Great Heavenly Venerates emitted golden light; the rest of the portraits were quite ordinary.