Chapter 557: Mighty Reputation

"What is Purple Dream talking about?"

Qing Fen Marquis frowned,

"She said I hid a Great Venerable? Inside this city?"

If not for the fact that Purple Dream Marquis's expression at the end didn't seem fake, Qing Fen Marquis would probably have directly concluded that Purple Dream Marquis was spouting nonsense.

"A Great Venerable?"

Qing Fen Marquis once again used the grand Formation within the city to carefully investigate several times.

Azure Ember City had long been set up with a Formation specifically designed to detect the depth and weight of life,

and if a powerhouse at the Great Venerable level had sneaked in, he, Qing Fen Marquis, would definitely have noticed it the very first moment.

"Those Puppets?"

Qing Fen Marquis looked at the numerous Peak Sovereign Realm Puppets rampaging through the city, and with a slight movement of his mind, put them all away.

These Puppets were things specially used by Purple Dream Domain to wreak havoc in Azure Ember City and cover up their true intentions. Since Qing Fen Marquis saw them, he naturally resolved them in passing.

"It seems that during the hundred breaths of time I was trapped in the dreamscape, quite a significant change must have occurred within the city."

Qing Fen Marquis's eyes became profound, and the Azure Ember City in his eyes began to 'retrace' toward the past.

As a Great Venerable-level existence, his attainment in time was naturally very high, allowing him to easily 'retrace' the time within a city.

Of course, it was only 'retracing' and could not be altered.

Clatter.

Time flowed backward.

In the blink of an eye, it arrived at a hundred breaths ago.

At this moment, everything in Azure Ember City was very calm.

Until Purple Dream Marquis descended an Incarnation.

The moment Qing Fen Marquis fell into the sweet dream already woven by Purple Dream Marquis,

a large number of Peak Sovereign Realm Puppets instantly appeared within Azure Ember City.

"These Puppets?"

Qing Fen Marquis did not pay attention to these Puppets, his gaze falling on the group of the Purple-haired woman hiding in the dark.

Peak Sovereign Realm Puppets had limited destructive power, and when Qing Fen Marquis fell into the dreamscape, he had already given orders to his Disciples, telling everyone to guard the core of the Formation.

Therefore, Qing Fen Marquis did not think these Puppets would pose any threat.

And indeed that was the case;

after Qing Fen Marquis woke up, the destruction caused by those Peak Sovereign Realm Puppets to Azure Ember City was negligible.

It was all thunder and no rain.

"Are they the ones executing Purple Dream's plan?"

Qing Fen Marquis thought to himself that those Sovereign Realm Puppets were only used to attract attention.

The true scheme was probably placed on these people.

Qing Fen Marquis continued to watch.

Very quickly.

Qing Fen Marquis saw the Purple-haired woman and the others wandering around the various Formation nodes of Azure Ember City.

But what Qing Fen Marquis found strange was that the Purple-haired woman and the others merely strolled around once,

and even when approaching the core of the Formation, they made no moves,

leaving quietly after staying for several breaths.

"What are they trying to do?"

Qing Fen Marquis realized something was amiss.

A sweet dream woven by Purple Dream Marquis at the cost of an Incarnation containing her true body's Origin and tens of thousands of years of time,

was just to have her subordinates stroll around Azure Ember City?

"Could it be?"

Qing Fen Marquis vaguely had a guess.

Right at this moment.

The group of the Purple-haired woman arrived in front of Burning Heaven Courtyard.

Unlike before, this time the Purple-haired woman and her group did not leave.

Instead, they actively began to attack Burning Heaven Courtyard.

"Hmph."

"A group of Dominators still want to make a move against my Disciple?"

Qing Fen Marquis sneered,

the Formation of Burning Heaven Courtyard had been specially adjusted by him;

it was definitely one of the places with the highest defense degree in Azure Ember City.

Just by relying on a mere dozen or so Peak Sovereign Realm individuals?

Qing Fen Marquis did not have the slightest bit of worry.

Sure enough.

Seeing the defense strength of Burning Heaven Courtyard, the Purple-haired woman and her group immediately chose to give up.

At this moment, a scene that astonished Qing Fen Marquis occurred.

Lin Yuan, who had been staying nicely inside Burning Heaven Courtyard, actually walked out on his own initiative.

"This—"

Qing Fen Marquis was somewhat puzzled.

But the scene that happened next left Qing Fen Marquis extremely shocked in his heart.

He saw Lin Yuan casually slapping out a few palms, instantly killing that group of Peak Sovereign Realm Experts,

and finally, Purple Dream Marquis even descended an Incarnation, which was likewise slapped to death by Lin Yuan with a single palm.

That was Purple Dream Marquis, a Great Venerable-level existence.

Even if it was just an Incarnation, it was not something the Sovereign Realm could deal with.

An Incarnation of a Great Venerable might not be able to crush those extremely powerful Sovereign Realm individuals, but it was impossible to be counter-crushed like this, right?

Time returned to the normal flow trajectory.

However, Qing Fen Marquis fell into silence.

"This Disciple of mine… is a Great Venerable?"

Qing Fen Marquis found it unimaginable. The Purple-haired woman's group, and even Great Venerables like Purple Dream Marquis, merely thought that he, Qing Fen Marquis, had left behind a trump card,

specially hiding a Great Venerable-level existence within the city.

But one knew one's own affairs best.

Qing Fen Marquis really hadn't done such a thing.

Furthermore, Lin Yuan was a Disciple he had just accepted.

All of this was a fact.

He, Qing Fen Marquis, had no need to lie about this.

"That's not right."

"My Disciple is not a Great Venerable."

Qing Fen Marquis suddenly reacted; the Formation within the city that measured the importance of life thickness had not issued any warning.

If Lin Yuan truly were a Great Venerable, it would be impossible for him not to notice at all.

"Not a Great Venerable, yet possessing such strength."

Qing Fen Marquis fell into thought, once again retracing each and every scene from just now.

"Blazing Sun Divine Body?"

"He awakened the Blazing Sun Divine Body so quickly?"

Qing Fen Marquis's expression stirred. "Could it be Bloodline… the Blazing Sun Bloodline?"

In the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom, any living being capable of condensing a Blazing Sun Seed contained more or less Blazing Sun Bloodline within their body.

That was the imperial Bloodline of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom.

Of course, the Blazing Sun Bloodline within normal living beings was extremely thin and could almost be neglected.

The reason why the imperial Family of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom could rule the entire Ancient Kingdom was precisely because the Blazing Sun Bloodline flowing in them was constantly maintained at a certain concentration.

But there were exceptions to everything.

Living beings outside the Blazing Sun imperial Family also had a tiny possibility of undergoing Bloodline atavism.

After atavism, the Blazing Sun Bloodline would become rich and dense.

The specific characteristic was that they could more easily condense individual Blazing Sun Seeds and endure the brilliance of the blazing sun, allowing their own strength to reach the Sovereign Realm at a terrifying speed.

In addition, the Awakening speed of the Blazing Sun Divine Body would also be frighteningly fast, completely unreasonable compared to normal living beings.

Moreover, the ultimately awakened Blazing Sun Divine Body would also be even more powerful than living beings who awakened the Blazing Sun Divine Body through normal methods.

In addition to the above, living beings with a dense Blazing Sun Bloodline possessed extremely terrifying combat power—invincible among the same rank? Or even fighting across ranks? Both were possible.

"Could it be that the Bloodline inside this Disciple of mine has undergone atavism? Has the Blazing Sun Bloodline become extremely dense?"

Qing Fen Marquis thought to himself.

This reason also explained why Lin Yuan could condense so many Blazing Sun Seeds.

As a living being with an incomparably dense Blazing Sun Bloodline, condensing Blazing Sun Seeds was much easier.

As for why no life weight at the Great Venerable level was detected?

Because Lin Yuan was simply not a Great Venerable, but a Sovereign Realm lifeform with a dense Blazing Sun Bloodline.

"However, to be able to wield combat power close to a Great Venerable while in the Sovereign Realm, the concentration of the Blazing Sun Bloodline within this Disciple of mine should not be inferior to those core imperial families of the Ancient Kingdom."

Qing Fen Marquis thought to himself secretly.

The so-called fighting across ranks also depended on what Realm one was in.

Fighting a Dominator from one's own Dao Realm was still possible, but a Sovereign Realm fighting a Great Venerable? That was as hard as ascending to heaven.

Even among the Blazing Sun imperial Family, those who could achieve this feat were few and far between.

"I never expected that I, Azure Ember, could accept a Disciple whose Blazing Sun Bloodline is comparable to the core imperial Family?"

Qing Fen Marquis sighed with emotion.

Compared to a Great Venerable, the core imperial Family of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom was much more important.

Every core imperial Family member had an incomparably dense Blazing Sun Bloodline and frighteningly high combat power,

and almost had no Bottlenecks when growing up.

Even without cultivating, eating and drinking all day, under the shroud of the blazing sun's brilliance, they could quickly grow to the Sovereign Realm.

As for the Great Venerable Realm? It indeed took some effort, but as long as they worked hard a bit, they could reach it.

You must know that to step into the Great Venerable Realm, Qing Fen Marquis did not know how much resources and mental effort he had expended, but the core imperial Family of the Ancient Kingdom?

Of course, the core imperial Family members with a dense Blazing Sun Bloodline indeed possessed freakish talent and Aptitude, but their upper limit was the Great Venerable; as for the Heavenly Venerable?

Wanting to become a Heavenly Venerable could not be achieved by relying solely on Bloodline.

However, a core imperial Family member of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom, even if they only stepped into the Great Venerable Realm, possessed such terrifying combat power that they could be invincible among Great Venerables, or even challenge Heavenly Venerables.

"This luck of mine…"

Qing Fen Marquis's thoughts were complex. Having picked up such a Disciple destined to be invincible among Great Venerables in the future, Qing Fen Marquis almost felt like he was dreaming until now.

Outside Burning Heaven Courtyard.

Lin Yuan slapped to death Purple Dream Marquis's Incarnation with a single palm, and then saw Feng Wanxing, who had just rushed over here.

"Senior Brother Feng."

Lin Yuan took the initiative to greet him. During the period of cultivating in Burning Heaven Courtyard, Lin Yuan had also gotten along quite well with this Senior Brother.

"Junior Brother?"

Hearing Lin Yuan call him Senior Brother, Feng Wanxing dared to reply. The scene he had just witnessed was simply too terrifying.

The dignified Purple Dream Marquis was just slapped to pieces by Lin Yuan like that?

Feng Wanxing deduced that Purple Dream Marquis should only be an Incarnation, and her true main body probably did not dare to enter Azure Ember City.

But even if it was just an Incarnation, it was an Incarnation of a Great Venerable. How could it be so easily slapped to pieces?

"Junior Brother, just now?" Feng Wanxing looked at Lin Yuan and asked cautiously, "Just now."

"Just now," Lin Yuan explained casually, "some Dominators from Purple Dream Domain sneaked into Azure Ember City stealthily and even wanted to make a move against me. The commotion in the city should have been caused by them, so I directly made a move and solved them."

"Some Dominators from Purple Dream Domain?"

Feng Wanxing glanced around.

Although he did not know which Dominators Purple Dream Domain sent to sneak in, anyone daring to sneak in at this time must have strength at least at the Peak Sovereign Realm.

"In the end, Purple Dream Marquis also descended an Incarnation and even threatened me, making demands of me. How dare a mere Incarnation of his do that? So I solved her too."

Lin Yuan said.

"Purple Dream Marquis?"

"How dare he?"

Feng Wanxing only felt that the Junior Brother before his eyes had become very unfamiliar.

He never could have imagined that the usually quiet and low-key Junior Brother actually possessed such strength?

"Junior Brother, your strength…?"

Feng Wanxing swallowed hard.

"I just made a Breakthrough." Lin Yuan had no intention of hiding it.

After the Awakening of the Blazing Sun Divine Body, the resources required for Lin Yuan's subsequent Cultivate could be described as vast as mountains and seas.

Even if he hid his strength, the demand for cultivation resources definitely could not be hidden.

Therefore, it was better to display it openly and generously.

According to Lin Yuan's understanding after descending into this Origin World for so long, a Great Venerable-level existence could basically dominate a region.

As long as one honestly didn't clash with the imperial families of the Ancient Countries, they could basically live very leisurely.

And Lin Yuan's current comprehensive strength had basically reached the threshold of a Great Venerable,

Even in certain aspects, he was stronger than ordinary Great Venerables.

Feng Wanxing had all kinds of doubts in his heart, but he didn't know how to ask.

Just made a Breakthrough? And he could easily slap a Great Venerable Incarnation to death?

Just at this moment.

A figure wearing a crimson robe appeared not far away.

"My Lord Marquis."

Seeing this, Feng Wanxing immediately bowed and saluted.

"You may withdraw first."

Qing Fen Marquis glanced at Feng Wanxing.

In the time-reversal scene, he had also seen his eldest Disciple's concern for the Junior Brother.

Therefore, he did not pursue the matter of the other party leaving the core of the Formation without authorization.

"Master."

Lin Yuan said to Qing Fen Marquis.

Toward Qing Fen Marquis, he still held a lot of respect.

If he hadn't Cultivated wholeheartedly in the Burning Heaven Courtyard,

the time required for Lin Yuan to grow to his current strength would probably have to be extended several times over.

And there would be no guarantee against unexpected events happening.

"Mm, let's go inside and talk."

Qing Fen Marquis nodded, then walked into the Burning Heaven Courtyard together with Lin Yuan.

"I didn't expect your Blazing Sun Bloodline to be so dense."

Inside the Burning Heaven Courtyard, Qing Fen Marquis looked at Lin Yuan and said with emotion.

"Blazing Sun Bloodline?"

Lin Yuan's heart stirred, and he immediately knew that Qing Fen Marquis must have attributed his strength to the Blazing Sun Bloodline.

As for the so-called Blazing Sun Bloodline, Lin Yuan had also learned a lot from the countless classics and Legacies within the Burning Heaven Courtyard.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan immediately felt that he didn't need to explain too much.

Everything could be pushed onto the Blazing Sun Bloodline.

"I'm not clear either, I just feel that the more I Cultivate, the easier it becomes."

Lin Yuan said immediately.

"Your situation of ancestral reversion halfway through is naturally different from those core imperial Family members who have been nurtured since childhood,"

Qing Fen Marquis said, shaking his head.

Even among the imperial Family of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom, it was extremely rare for Bloodline concentration to reach the core level,

Lin Yuan's case of causing his Bloodline concentration to surge drastically through ancestral reversion had only a few examples since the existence of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom.

"Yes."

Lin Yuan said, following Qing Fen Marquis's words.

"What do you plan to do in the future?"

Qing Fen Marquis looked at Lin Yuan and asked.

"What does Master think I should do?"

Lin Yuan immediately tossed the question back.

"Your Bloodline concentration has reached the height of the core imperial Family. Logically speaking, you should head to the capital as soon as possible and integrate into the imperial Family."

Speaking up to this point, Qing Fen Marquis paused for a moment, "But you have no Foundation whatsoever within the imperial Family. Returning rashly is not a good thing."

"Not a good thing?"

Lin Yuan immediately understood.

Even within the imperial Family, there were conflicts and factions.

Lin Yuan's Blazing Sun Bloodline concentration reached the core level, but he did not originate from any main lineage of the imperial Family. Returning suddenly would involve too much.

Just like a folk prince returning to the palace and wanting to inherit the throne? It definitely wouldn't be that smooth.

"Therefore, I suggest you continue staying in Azure Ember City and wait until you step into the Realm of Great Venerable before returning to the capital."

Qing Fen Marquis said.

A core imperial Family member at the Great Venerable Realm would have a terrifyingly strong combat power. Returning at that time would at least give them the power to protect themselves.

"Then I will listen to Master." Lin Yuan responded immediately.

In fact, Lin Yuan didn't want to integrate into the so-called imperial Family either, because he didn't rely on the Blazing Sun Bloodline at all to achieve his current strength.

Returning to the capital and integrating into the imperial Family would probably require testing Bloodline concentration.

By then, Lin Yuan would definitely be exposed.

Therefore.

If Qing Fen Marquis asked Lin Yuan to return to the capital,

then during the period of returning to the capital, Lin Yuan would suddenly 'disappear' and change to another place for diligent cultivation.

Anyway, with his current strength, he could come and go freely in the surrounding major domains and even the surrounding Ancient Kingdoms.

"As for your identity."

Qing Fen Marquis fell into thought, "The identity of the core imperial Family definitely cannot be exposed."

A core imperial Family member with an incomparably dense Blazing Sun Bloodline, if not hiding in the capital, would inevitably face assassinations from surrounding Ancient Kingdoms, and even Experts at the Celestial Venerable level might make a move.

"I will announce to the outside world that you are a Disciple I took in many years ago, except that you were always kept outside for cultivation, and were only brought back not long ago after stepping into the Great Venerable Realm."

Qing Fen Marquis said.

This explanation was quite reasonable: Qing Fen Marquis occasionally roamed the Azure Ember Domain, and when passing by the Yu Family, he perceived Lin Yuan's talent and Aptitude, so he secretly took him in as a Disciple.

As for the time not matching? Yu Yan was less than five hundred years old?

A Great Venerable-level Expert could completely open up a small world and then accelerate the time flow rate, making the rule fluctuations similar to the outside world.

Within the small world, many rules could be mapped from the outside world, and in the vast Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom, there were some strange and perilous places where the time flow rate was also very fast.

"Yes."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Mainly because he displayed Great Venerable-level combat power; even if Qing Fen Marquis wanted to suppress this side, Purple Dream Domain would probably still investigate Lin Yuan's identity.

Under this circumstance, it was better to proactively forge an identity for Lin Yuan.

Next, Qing Fen Marquis gave a few more instructions and then got up to leave.

Inside the Burning Heaven Courtyard.

Lin Yuan fell into thought.

"The core imperial Family of the Blazing Sun Ancient Kingdom?"

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

It was said that living beings whose Bloodline concentration reached the level of the core imperial Family had peerless combat power and were expected to achieve the feat of a Sovereign Realm defying a Great Venerable.

This was also the reason why Qing Fen Marquis was certain that Lin Yuan's Blazing Sun Bloodline was incomparably dense.

Apart from the core imperial Family, who could unleash Great Venerable-level combat power without reaching the Great Venerable Realm?

"Is this a Thirteenth Order Bloodline?"

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly, marveling quite a bit.

A Dominator defying a Great Venerable was equivalent to a Dominator rivaling a Chaos Venerable in the Chaos Void.

At least up until now, Lin Yuan had never heard of such a thing at all.

But in this Origin World, there was indeed a trace to follow.

"However, I am not a Dominator."

Lin Yuan thought to himself. His true Realm was the Dao Realm.

Proving Dao defying a Great Venerable? Even with a Thirteenth Order Bloodline, it was impossible to achieve.

As Azure Ember City gradually calmed down,

Intelligence regarding Lin Yuan began to spread rapidly.

Outside the Burning Heaven Courtyard, Lin Yuan erupted with Great Venerable strength, slaying the Experts of Purple Dream Domain who had sneaked in in one fell swoop, tearing apart Purple Dream Domain's plot, and shattering an Incarnation of Purple Dream Marquis.

One could imagine the commotion this news caused among the various forces and Families in the Azure Ember Domain.

"Th-Th-This—" Qing Fen Marquis's various Disciples received this news at the very first moment and were instantly dumbfounded.

Their Junior Brother was a Great Venerable?

"Senior Brother, is this matter true or false?"

A Disciple immediately found Senior Brother Feng Wanxing, wanting to verify it.

"Naturally it is true, I saw it with my own eyes." Feng Wanxing nodded.

Originally, he still harbored many doubts, but upon hearing Qing Fen Marquis's explanation, he instantly figured it out.

No wonder Qing Fen Marquis personally brought the Junior Brother back; it turned out he had already taken him in as a Disciple many years ago.

"From now on, do not address me as Senior Brother anymore." Feng Wanxing thought for a moment and immediately instructed.

Among Qing Fen Marquis's Disciples, strength was supreme. It would be one thing if he didn't know before, but now knowing that Lin Yuan was a Great Venerable,

how could Feng Wanxing still dare to let people continue calling him Senior Brother.