Chapter 23: The Divine Snow Decree, Deterring Zhong Cheng
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The newcomer was a graceful woman dressed in palace attire. She was dignified and splendid, though her presence was considerably weaker than Zhong Cheng’s. Even so, she was unquestionably a powerful cultivator of the Divine Soul Realm.
Her appearance immediately caused the expressions of everyone present to shift. Luo Xiu, patriarch of the Luo family, looked especially grim.
As for the Lin family, they all revealed delighted expressions. Their reactions were identical to Luo Xiu’s when Zhong Cheng had appeared moments earlier.
“Who are you?”
If she had merely been an ordinary Divine Soul Realm cultivator, Zhong Cheng naturally would not have cared. However, the palm she had just unleashed was the Divine Firmament Soul-Splitting Palm, a profound-grade spiritual art of the Divine Firmament Sect.
Ordinary disciples of the Divine Firmament Sect had no qualifications to cultivate such an art. Only the personal disciples of certain elders, or even of the sect master himself, were permitted to learn it.
“Lin family’s third daughter, Lin Qiuyan!”
Before Lin Fan appeared, Lin Qiuyan had been the most gifted member of the Lin family. If she had not been uninterested in managing family affairs, she would have been the current head of the Lin family.
In pursuit of a higher martial path, she had been taken as a disciple by an elder of the Divine Firmament Sect. More than a decade had passed since then.
No one could have imagined that Lin Qiuyan had actually reached the Divine Soul Realm.
“No wonder the Lin family has remained so fearless. So the Third Miss Lin has already reached the Divine Soul Realm.”
“That can’t be right. Zhong Cheng of the Origin Beginning Sect is clearly far stronger than the Third Miss Lin in terms of aura. Even if they truly fought, the Third Miss Lin would undoubtedly lose.”
“The Ten Outstanding Figures of the Southern Wasteland are individuals capable of ranking among the top ten before countless prodigies of the Divine Soul Realm. Zhong Cheng definitely possesses the potential to break into an even higher realm. Why would he fear the third daughter of the Lin family?”
Lin Qiuyan’s appearance had failed to convince the crowd that she alone could reverse the Lin family’s desperate situation.
After all, the Origin Beginning Sect and the Divine Firmament Sect were both among the Eight Great Divine Sects. Zhong Cheng was the personal disciple of the Origin Beginning Sect’s master, as well as one of the Ten Outstanding Figures of the Southern Wasteland. Even among Divine Soul Realm cultivators, his strength was at the very pinnacle.
“So you are the one behind this rabble of ants.” Zhong Cheng smiled indifferently, his eyes filled with contempt as he looked at Lin Qiuyan. With a single glance, he had seen that she had only recently entered the Divine Soul Realm. At her age, possessing such cultivation did not even qualify her as a genius throughout the Southern Wasteland.
Could someone like this truly cultivate the Divine Firmament Soul-Splitting Palm?
Zhong Cheng began to doubt Lin Qiuyan’s identity, which was why he deliberately displayed such disdain.
“I naturally cannot.” Lin Qiuyan calmly turned her wrist and produced a white token from thin air. “However, I believe that with this token, protecting the Lin family should not be a problem.”
She looked at Zhong Cheng composedly, seemingly unmoved by the surging chill with which he had locked onto her.
That was…
The moment Zhong Cheng saw the token, his expression changed abruptly. He blurted out, “How did the Snow Decree come to be in your hands? What is your relationship with Shen Aoxue?”
At the mention of Shen Aoxue’s name, Zhong Cheng’s eyes became complicated. Apprehension, greed, and fear all flickered within them.
“So you still recognize this token.”
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Lin Qiuyan put away the token and continued in a cool, detached voice, “If you dare lay a hand on anyone from the Lin family today, you will be showing disrespect to the Snow Fairy. One day, you will surely fall beneath the Snow Fairy’s Divine Firmament Sword.”
Just as expected.
Hearing the intense threat in Lin Qiuyan’s words, Zhong Cheng’s expression shifted repeatedly. He had thought he was merely dealing with a pack of worthless stragglers.
He had never expected them to invoke the Snow Fairy, a figure of such terrifying stature.
Seeing Zhong Cheng’s gloomy and uncertain expression, Luo Xiu wisely stepped forward with a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha… Young Master, this is all a misunderstanding. Patriarch Lin, now that the heir of your Lin family has returned, surely our misunderstanding can be put to rest as well? I will not pursue your misunderstanding of my Luo family either. In my opinion, let us simply leave matters here today.”
Luo Xiu’s words were clearly meant to give Zhong Cheng a way out. There was an easy smile in his voice, as though this had been nothing more than a trivial interruption.
Zhong Cheng cast Luo Xiu a deep look, a profound meaning flashing through his eyes. He then turned toward Lin Qiuyan.
“Since it was a misunderstanding, I naturally will not rely on my power to bully others, lest people accuse me of abusing my strength. I hope this young lady will convey my greetings to the Snow Fairy.”
The moment Zhong Cheng finished speaking, a low uproar arose among the surrounding crowd. They exchanged glances, disbelief in their eyes. No one had expected that Zhong Cheng, the personal disciple of the Origin Beginning Sect’s master, would actually yield.
For a moment, everyone was stunned. They began speculating about what kind of extraordinary person the Snow Fairy was, that she could force Zhong Cheng, one of the Ten Outstanding Figures of the Southern Wasteland, to back down.
She had not even appeared in person. Merely a token had been enough to intimidate Zhong Cheng.
“Who exactly is this Snow Fairy?”
The Heavenly Wind Empire lay on the frontier of the Southern Wasteland and knew little about the region. They were not even certain who the Ten Outstanding Figures of the Southern Wasteland were.
Seeing Zhong Cheng voluntarily descend the steps, Lin Qiuyan seemed to understand that she could not press him too hard. This time, she had indeed been borrowing the Snow Fairy’s prestige to overawe him.
If Zhong Cheng truly lost his mind, not a single person from the Lin family present would likely be able to escape his grasp.
“I will certainly convey your words, Young Master Zhong.”
Lin Qiuyan nodded, then prepared to lead the members of the Lin family back home.
At that moment, a cold voice suddenly rang out from within the Luo residence.
“Wait!”
As the voice fell, everyone craned their necks to look.
A beautiful young woman slowly emerged from the Luo residence. She wore a long azure dress, its hem swaying gently with every step like a river of stars flowing across the night sky. A quiet, mysterious charm radiated from her.
Her features were as cool and pale as moonlight, and her eyes resembled deep pools, exuding an icy aura.
Yet within that coldness, there was also a faint, barely perceptible trace of resentment.
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“It’s Luo Qingyi!”
“She truly is an astonishing talent. Luo Qingyi is only seventeen, yet she has already reached the Origin Mansion Realm. In the future, she may even have a chance to break into the Divine Soul Realm before the age of twenty. Now that she has become a disciple of the Origin Beginning Sect’s master, she will likely become one of the future Ten Outstanding Figures of the Southern Wasteland!”
This young woman was none other than Luo Qingyi, who had emerged from seclusion.
She had now reached the Origin Mansion Realm. Her aura was completely restrained as her cool eyes swept across the crowd, finally settling on Lin Fan.
“Junior Sister Qingyi, Master ordered me to come and escort you. I simply did not expect such a change to have occurred within your family. Rest assured, if today’s matter concerns you, then even if I incur the Snow Fairy’s wrath, I will certainly avenge you.”
Upon seeing Luo Qingyi emerge from seclusion, a trace of affection suddenly flashed through Zhong Cheng’s eyes. He spoke softly.
“Thank you, Senior Brother Zhong. However, my Luo family’s affairs require no trouble from you.”
Luo Qingyi inclined her body slightly. Though her words appeared grateful, they carried an unmistakable chill. Throughout the exchange, her gaze never left Lin Fan.
“Lin Fan, that day in the Lin family’s main hall, you humiliated me. Now you have had the members of the Lin family surround my Luo family so completely that not even water could pass through. For these old and new grievances, once I enter the Divine Soul Realm, I will settle accounts with you.
“When that time comes, I do not care who stands behind you. You will still fall by my hand.”
Hearing Luo Qingyi’s words, Lin Fan smiled faintly.
“There is no need to wait until you enter the Divine Soul Realm. If you dare fight, I can accompany you right now.”
As he spoke, his aura surged violently, revealing his cultivation in the Heavenly Pill Realm.
“I know you possess a method of recovering your former peak. But I can tell you this: no matter how hard you strive, I will certainly reach the Divine Soul Realm before you.
“Just wait. My words are like a blade suspended above your head. The moment I break into the Divine Soul Realm will be the moment you, the true dragon of the Lin family, perish.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the Luo residence without looking back, not even giving Lin Fan the chance to respond.
As for Zhong Cheng, he cast Lin Fan a deep look. He could not understand why Junior Sister Qingyi cared so much about a Heavenly Pill Realm martial artist.
At such an age, having only reached the Heavenly Pill Realm, Lin Fan had no chance whatsoever of entering one of the Eight Great Divine Sects of the Southern Wasteland.
Lin Fan calmly watched Luo Qingyi’s departing figure. From this moment onward, every trace of their former affection vanished like smoke and dispersed like clouds.
“Xiaofan, let’s go home!”
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