Chapter 44

Although only Lin Yi was speaking, the atmosphere throughout the palace had become oppressive.

Pei Yuhan and Lu Jiajing remained silent. Watching Lin Yi's leisurely appearance, they were somewhat unsure where Lin Yi's confidence came from.

Did Lin Yi have confidence?

He did, but not much.

But he had to appear full of confidence.

A long, long time passed.

"What do you have to rely on?" the Dwarf Old Man's voice came.

"The Dragon King's daughter, Liuli, and the Saint's daughter, Nangong," Lin Yi said indifferently.

"Very well, we are in."

Chapter 80: New Task: Daoist Fairy Pei Zhaoji

They were all old monsters who had lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years; who didn't know of Liuli and Nangong?

Lin Yi smiled calmly, "Then it is a happy cooperation. When the time comes, not only will you occupy the Dragon Vein, but you will also have the support of the Taixia Dao Vein. Then… Dao Integration is within reach…"

"What do we need to do?" the Dwarf Old Man's voice came.

"Now is not the time. When I need you, I will let you know," Lin Yi shook his head, then looked at Old Man Yuan.

Old Man Yuan stood up, "Alright, you two, what follows is the private business of my Xuanyuan Clan."

Deep within the imperial palace.

The Dwarf Old Man and the Lotus Seat Old Man withdrew their gazes. They exchanged a glance, and after their expressions flickered slightly, they lowered their eyes and closed them again in silence.

Old Man Yuan nodded at Lin Yi.

Only then did Lin Yi look at Xuanyuan Yi, "Your Majesty, it is time. Let the banquet begin."

A trace of a smile appeared on Xuanyuan Yi's naturally imposing middle-aged face. He stood up and strode toward the door.

Lin Yi watched Xuanyuan Yi's figure silently. He now held the initiative in the cooperation, and Xuanyuan Yi and the Dwarf Old Man were somewhat passive. This was what Lin Yi wanted to see.

As for whether he would keep his promise after killing Yin Yang… of course he would; after all, he was an honest and trustworthy person. But… why couldn't the Xuanyuan Clan be led by Xuanyuan Xier? Whether the Dwarf Old Man and the Lotus Seat Old Man could hold onto their share of the incense after getting it was another matter entirely.

Lin Yi was not a good person.

He was not honest either.

Just like Xuanyuan Yi and the others right now, they also had their own secret agendas, such as… both sides suffering and a third party benefiting, or… monopolizing the incense and merging the Dao Veins.

Lin Yi looked at Pei Yuhan and Lu Jiajing. None of the three hesitated to assume the worst about Xuanyuan Yi and his group; one was an emperor, two were vermin—none of them were good things.

Following Xuanyuan Yi's orders, a family banquet was held throughout Qianming Palace. With cups clinking and wine flowing, Lin Yi and Xuanyuan Yi appeared for a moment to be a harmonious son-in-law and father-in-law.

Pei Yuhan and Lu Jiajing did not drink; they simply ate some of the delicacies with composed expressions.

Yu Xiaotang and Su Lingshu had no appetite. The former had keen senses, and the latter, relying on the experiences of Xia Qianzhen herself, could feel the undercurrents beneath the harmonious surface.

Li Tiaodeng sat obediently in her seat, eating and drinking. She would glance at Lin Yi from time to time, then lower her head again with an inexplicable smile on her face.

Xuanyuan Xier accompanied Lin Yi, listening to Xuanyuan Yi's instructions as if they were a normal family.

After the lunch banquet, Xuanyuan Yi saw them out of Qianming Palace.

Lin Yi followed etiquette and spoke a few words to Xuanyuan Yi with all seriousness.

Finally having left Qianming Palace, Su Lingshu breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately leaned over, hugging Lin Yi's arm, "So disgusting."

Watching Su Lingshu's disgusted look, Lin Yi found it amusing and patted the back of her hand, "He is the emperor of the Mortal World, after all. If he were still so shallow and naive, not to mention others, even his own brothers and sisters would let him know what the treachery of the human heart means."

"Just like that Third Prince," Su Lingshu pouted.

"Qi practitioners are no different," Lu Jiajing commented indifferently.

"They are all just a bunch of spineless, petty people," Pei Yuhan nodded.

"Wow! Master, aren't you scolding us too!!" Yu Xiaotang protested.

"I think… Grandmaster is right…" Li Tiaodeng felt that Pei Yuhan made sense.

"Of course, it definitely doesn't include you, Master!!" Li Tiaodeng hurriedly added.

"No, I am that petty person," Lin Yi smiled, then changed the subject, "However… for your sake, there is nothing wrong with being a little petty."

"Husband…" Xuanyuan Xier looked at Lin Yi with gentle eyes.

Old Man Yuan ignored the conversation behind him. Hearing that his granddaughter was also involved, he decided to avoid the sight to avoid the annoyance, dropping a "I'm leaving first" before disappearing on the spot.

Xuanyuan Xier paid no attention to Old Man Yuan; her heart was now entirely set on Lin Yi.

"Self-interest outweighs justice. To involve everyone in the world for my own selfish desires… I know what kind of person I am; you don't need to look at me like that."

Lin Yi rubbed Su Lingshu's head beside him, "I never regret it."

Pei Yuhan and Lu Jiajing fell silent. In their eyes, Lin Yi was never a person who acted for himself; otherwise, he could have stayed in the Cold Palace and watched the world's events unfold.

But now… he had directly involved himself.

Stirring up the world's turmoil just for a few women… how ridiculous. In the stories of heroes, there had never been such a ridiculous thing. Either they pursued their own Dao, or they cared for the common people of the world…

Could it be that someone would really say, "I do not seek Immortal Ascension, I only wait for your return in the Mortal World"?

"Xiao Yi, actually… based on your Aptitude, you wouldn't need a hundred years to step into Dao Integration. It is completely unnecessary…" Pei Yuhan stepped forward, looking at Lin Yi seriously.

Lin Yi was speechless. What Aptitude could he possibly have?

He was entirely relying on the System to pretend to be a Genius. If he didn't have the System… he would probably fall from the realm of a peerless Genius to that of an ordinary person!

Forget about Dao Integration in a hundred years; he wouldn't even see a shadow of it by the day he died.

"Master, isn't a Qi practitioner just fighting heaven for that sliver of opportunity? If you let me go back to the Cold Palace and not care about the world's affairs, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to touch the threshold of Soul Transformation," Lin Yi took Pei Yuhan's small hand, comforting her.

"You are my only concern. As the saying goes, 'The Great Dao evolves into forty-nine, but one is hidden away'; you are that one that is hidden away."

"Not to mention anything else, just in terms of my state of mind, I might end up with frequent Heart Demons and a shattered Dao Heart."

"At that point, I might as well just disintegrate my physical body."

"Shut up!" Hearing Lin Yi talk about a shattered Dao Heart and disintegrating his body, Lu Jiajing's calm brows already carried a hint of annoyance.

"You are not allowed to say such things!" Lu Jiajing said in a deep voice.

Lin Yi smiled, "Then why do you say such things?"

Lu Jiajing and Pei Yuhan all fell silent.

"Alright, alright, 'I only wish your heart is like mine, so I will surely not fail our mutual longing'." Lin Yi looked at them with gentle eyes.

The group walked in silence on the plaza in front of Qianming Palace.

"What mutual longing, Senior Brother, you say things like this every day!" Finally, it was Yu Xiaotang's muttering voice that broke the silence of the moment.

"That's right! Honestly… it's too cheesy, Husband!!" Seeming to sense that the atmosphere was a bit strange, Xuanyuan Xier also smiled and chided him.

"Alright, alright, then I won't say it in the future?" Lin Yi asked tentatively.

"No!!" Su Lingshu was the first to jump out in opposition. She glared at Lin Yi, "You have to say it a hundred times every day from now on!!"

"A hundred times? Then spare me." Lin Yi pinched Su Lingshu's small face, and her cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish.

"No, hmph, now I order you in the name of your fiancée! From now on, you must say it to me… to us, a hundred times every day!!" Su Lingshu originally only intended to say for herself, but in the end, she added Pei Yuhan and the others.

"Isn't your fiancé Ye Linyuan?" Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.

"That's Xia Qianzhen, and she doesn't have those feelings for Ye Linyuan, okay!" Su Lingshu wrinkled her delicate nose. Actually, she only needed to say the first half; the second half was entirely due to her inexplicable state of mind.

Lin Yi nodded with a smile. He always had a strange feeling that he had NTR'd Ye Linyuan; his fiancée had become his own fiancée…

He was a Pure Love Warrior!

Forget it, anyway, Ye Linyuan was whole-heartedly focused on the Dao, so he would take care of Xia Qianzhen and Su Lingshu.

Ancestral Master, please go and pursue the Dao with peace of mind!

Lin Yi thought about these random things in his mind, chatting with Li Tiaodeng and the others while walking towards Fuxue Palace.

"Master, is this Qianming Palace?" The innocent youth looked at the magnificent palace complex in front of him with burning eyes.

"Yes." The female cultivator wearing black and white Daoist robes nodded, "Qi'er, I brought you to Chengtian City not to let you…"

"I know, I know!! Master, you are too long-winded!!" Han Qi pouted and hummed softly, his gaze still not leaving the magnificent palace complex in front of him.

Pei Zhaoji shook her head, a trace of helplessness on her cold face. As the Dao Head of the Xuanmen Human Sect, she had to come to Chengtian City before the Dao Trial Conference, which only happened every five years.

Pei Zhaoji watched Han Qi's excited figure and shook her head again, "Let's go, Yu'er, Chong'er."

The two brothers, Huanyu and Huanchong, who were following behind Pei Zhaoji, nodded hurriedly. They looked at Pei Zhaoji walking in front with infatuation.

But at the thought of Pei Zhaoji's heaven-reaching cultivation, they subconsciously shivered and lowered their heads to follow behind Pei Zhaoji, but…

The two exchanged a glance, and each could see a trace of lewdness in the other's eyes.

Lin Yi was pulled by Su Lingshu, walking at the very front. He glanced at the group of four walking towards them not far away.

The clear and beautiful figure was like a snow plum in the middle of winter. The Fairy's posture was pure and bright, with a small red plum blossom mark between her brows, which made her small face look even more amorous.

Her voluptuous body was constrained by a black and white Daoist robe, and the waistband at her waist gave her a sense of allure that contrasted with her cold temperament.

"Sword Fairy Pei, Palace Master Lu, Princess, long time no see." Until they were close, the Fairy opposite greeted them first.

"Fairy Xueji, long time no see." Lu Jiajing, Pei Yuhan, and Xuanyuan Xier also replied.

"This is Pei Zhaoji, the Dao Head of the Xuanmen Human Sect." Xuanyuan Xier whispered an explanation to Lin Yi and the others.

The Xuanmen and the Yin Yang Pavilion were the two most prevalent Sects in the Qiongming Domain. The Xuanmen represented the official Xuanyuan Dynasty, and the Yin Yang Pavilion represented the Holy Land Floating Island.

The Xuanmen was divided into two. One was rooted in Chengtian City, serving the Emperor, known as the Xuanmen Heaven Sect; the other traveled in the wilderness to observe the times, known as the Xuanmen Human Sect.

Lin Yi looked at Pei Zhaoji. He always felt that the name of this Human Sect Dao Head was somewhat familiar. In this Inner World, a name that could make him feel so familiar…

[System? Not issuing a task?]

Lin Yi watched Pei Zhaoji and Pei Yuhan chatting, then turned his gaze to the three youths behind Pei Zhaoji.

One was timid and obsequious, looking like a victim; the other two were ugly in appearance, looking at Lin Yi with envy and jealousy.

Lin Yi withdrew his gaze. He decided that he would kill those two disgusting guys.

[Task detected: "Daoist Fairy? Fairy Xueji"]

[As the Dao Head of the Human Sect, Pei Zhaoji had always been worried about the cultivation of her disciple Han Qi; after all, he was a disciple she had watched grow up since childhood.]

[Although there was no mother-son affection, there was the duty of Master and disciple.]

[The upcoming Dao Trial Conference made her even more worried. For this reason, she even took on a pair of new disciples on the way to Chengtian City, just so that her own disciple Han Qi wouldn't get beaten up at the Dao Trial Conference.]

[Qi'er's cultivation was too low… how was he still in the Qi Refining stage after so many years… Although Pei Zhaoji was unwilling to admit it, this was her true thought.]

[As for Huanyu and Huanchong, whom she used as substitutes… she would compensate them later.]

[But… the Fairy did not know the treachery of the human heart, but the evil ones knew their own hearts were filthy.]

[Huanyu and Huanchong had ulterior motives towards their Master; however… this was quite normal in this disgusting world, right?]

[But as a Pure Love Warrior, how could you possibly tolerate such a thing??! Lin Yi! Go do what you think is right!]

[Daoist Fairy? Fairy Xueji: Expose the wolfish ambitions of Huanyu and Huanchong, and save Fairy Xueji from the Inner World.]

[Reward: Fifth Realm of Immortal Dao.]

[Note: Daoist Fairy is a series of linked tasks that can be triggered by relevant personnel.]

Looking at the data panel sliding past, he remembered. So it was that book… Although it wasn't as deeply memorable as Qiongming, he could recall it with a little reminder.

But it was, after all, a book written for "releasing", so compared to Qiongming, it belonged to the kind you forget after reading.

Fortunately, with the improvement of his cultivation, Lin Yi could look back at things he had read in the past; otherwise, he might never have remembered where Pei Zhaoji came from.