Chapter 34: The Unveiling of Ancient Qi

“Lin Fengting! What exactly are you doing?!”

Yun Haoxiong was the first to act.

An overwhelming aura surged from his body like a torrent, permeating the air and causing the surrounding temperature to noticeably rise.

Sensing Yun Haoxiong’s hostility, Lin Fengting merely chuckled softly.

He appeared oblivious to the faint, yet palpable, murderous intent that radiated outwards.

“Girl!”

Lan Wu Xi abruptly stepped forward, seizing Lin Yufei’s soft, pale hand without a word.

His eyes were filled with tension and solemnity, his focus instantly sharpening.

Should any anomaly arise, he was prepared to flee with Lin Yufei at once, no matter the cost.

“You idiot!? What are you…”

“If anything happens later, stay close to me and don’t leave my side!”

Lin Yufei was no fool; the current situation was undeniably strange.

The atmosphere had grown exceptionally eerie, particularly with the ominous black mist rising from the mysterious runes on the stage, instilling a sense of unease.

“But Young Master Yun and the others…”

“Trust me, they’ll be fine with the Yun family protecting them.

You just need to stay by my side…”

At Lan Wu Xi’s words, Lin Yufei, uncharacteristically, didn’t press further.

She fell silent, allowing him to hold her hand.

“Don’t be so nervous. As I said before, this is merely a performance specially prepared by our Lin family.

After all, this is Yunxiao Royal Family’s territory; we wouldn’t dare to do anything untoward.”

Lin Fengting’s smile was sinister, rendering his words highly suspect.

Yet, one point was undeniably true: this was indeed within the jurisdiction of the Yunxiao Royal Family.

The Hall of Judgment members were even stationed nearby, ready to respond swiftly to any disturbance.

Should the Lin family offend them, they would incur the wrath of the entire Yunxiao Royal Family.

Such a choice would be utterly foolish, for even tolerance has its limits.

Crossing that boundary would only lead to self-inflicted suffering and irreparable loss.

No sooner had he spoken than specks of starlight began to materialize from around the runes.

Then, countless green phosphorescent lights converged orderly into the sky, as if illuminated by a sudden epiphany.

Finally, under the collective gaze of everyone present, they coalesced into a radiant orb, floating in mid-air.

“These… these are all Profound Origin Qi?”

Yun Haoxiong was utterly stunned by the sight before him.

Such an immense amount of Profound Origin Qi was simply unprecedented, a truly eye-opening experience.

“How beautiful! What exactly is that thing?”

Tian Yilan exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with desire.

It was indeed typical for girls to be drawn to such glittering objects; even Lin Yufei was captivated by the dazzling orb in the sky.

Lan Wu Xi gazed at the luminous orb, betraying no other emotion.

His mind instantly engaged in a dialogue with the System.

“System, are you there?”

“[Beep! This System is here. What does Host require of this System?]”

“What exactly is this orb, and what scheme is the Lin family concocting?

I need to check the current progress.”

Lan Wu Xi spoke plainly, hoping to ascertain the Lin family’s true intentions through the System’s information.

His aim was to ensure the utmost safety for himself and Lin Yufei.

“[Beep! Host has no permission. No permission to view progress.]”

“What?! Why don’t I have permission? Didn’t I complete the mission last time?”

“[Beep! This event is outside the Host’s designated storyline, therefore Host cannot view the plot progression.]”

“[It is temporarily classified as a special plot. Host may choose to participate or withdraw. Please note, there is no penalty for withdrawal~]”

“You… are you sure you’re not messing with me?

I feel like you’ve become increasingly human-like lately.”

“[No, no, this System has always adhered to a selfless and impartial nature. Absolutely no other emotions have been incorporated!]”

“Really? I felt your tone waver just now.”

“[Nonsense! If Host continues to question this System, Host will be forced to undertake a mission, and failure will result in death!]”

“I love the System the most! The System is the best!”

Since there was no penalty, Lan Wu Xi finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

It seemed he wouldn’t need to get involved this time, as he had no interest in being entangled in the conflict between the Yun and Lin families.

According to his calculations, he had already secretly partnered with Lin Hong.

Although Lin Hong hadn’t explicitly given him a clear plan, from their brief exchange earlier, Lan Wu Xi had seen a flicker of complexity in Lin Hong’s eyes, indicating that Lin Hong was considering his words.

This was a promising start, and he was confident he could win over this formidable force.

He only needed to present something Lin Hong would believe in, which he had already prepared, simply awaiting their next meeting.

“Speaking of which, do you know what that thing in the sky is?”

Lan Wu Xi asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

For some unknown reason, he could sense a familiar aura emanating from these luminous orbs.

It felt as if a certain function within his own body was beginning to intertwine with it, as if invisible chains were binding him to the light mass.

His blood began to boil furiously; a normal person would have surely exploded by now.

Fortunately, Lan Wu Xi’s cultivation was not weak, allowing him to regulate and mitigate this abnormal physical state.

“[Beep! These are likely Heavenly Profound Origin Qi, spiritual energy cultivated by heaven and earth in ancient times.]”

“[The energy they contain is incredibly potent; ordinary people would surely die if they inhaled it.]”

“[However, if cultivators use this to cultivate, their efforts will yield twice the results with half the effort!]”

“Ancient spiritual energy? I recall that ever since the legendary Holy Emperor’s War, the ancient realms had long since departed from the Azure Continent.

The spiritual energy in the air had lost its protection, becoming so sparse as to be negligible.

This led to the extreme scarcity of cultivators and severely wounded the entire Azure Continent, a blow from which it has yet to fully recover, even to this day.”

Lan Wu Xi gasped inwardly, his heart stirred with astonishment.

He had never imagined he would be fortunate enough to encounter ancient spiritual energy, having believed such legendary items had long vanished.

To witness it firsthand today was truly an eye-opening experience.

“[Beep! What’s so surprising? Host has always carried these.]”

“What?!”

Upon hearing those words, Lan Wu Xi nearly leaped in fright.

When had he ever carried this ancient energy? He hadn’t noticed even the slightest trace.

“When did I ever carry this thing? Are you playing a trick on me?”

“[Beep! Host is truly foolish. Last time, this System, in its great benevolence, awarded Host a Heavenly Profound Origin Pill. Does Host not remember?]”

“Don’t mention it, I truly don’t remember…”

It was then that Lan Wu Xi suddenly recalled that among his rewards for completing the last mission, there was indeed a Heavenly Profound Origin Pill.

Having been unconscious at the time, and due to various reasons upon waking, he had never given much thought to the rewards.

Such a disposition made him precisely the kind of diligent worker bosses adored.

“Does taking it also mean I absorbed this ancient spiritual energy?”

Only then realizing he carried such a profound treasure, a chill ran down Lan Wu Xi’s spine.

“Idiot, idiot.”

As Lan Wu Xi pondered, his hand was suddenly enveloped in warmth, making him pause.

He couldn’t help but look over.

He had initially been holding Lin Yufei’s hand, but at some point, their roles had reversed.

Lin Yufei had actively reached out, pressing her palm against his, their hands now clasped tightly together.

Anyone could see their relationship was extraordinary.

“Don’t look at me like that. I just saw you were breathing heavily and wanted to comfort you, don’t overthink it.”

Lin Yufei spoke softly, her face flushed as she lowered her head.

Due to the darkness and her downcast gaze, Lan Wu Xi couldn’t discern her expression, but he could guess at her shyness.

“Thank you, girl.”

Lan Wu Xi smiled gently, no longer teasing the girl.

He had indeed been a bit too nervous and cautious, but now everything was fine.

With her by his side, he would fear nothing!

“Idiot, what did you say these things are?”

“Oh, these should be…”

“If I’m not mistaken, these should be the Heavenly Profound Origin Qi recorded in ancient texts.”

Before Lan Wu Xi could explain, Yun Jing Tian spoke, causing the woman beside him to murmur in utter surprise.

“Heavenly Profound Origin Qi? It’s actually the legendary ancient energy!”

“Young Master Yun, what is this Heavenly Profound Origin Qi you’re talking about?”

Lin Yufei couldn’t help but ask, her curiosity piqued, releasing Lan Wu Xi’s hand to move closer.

She completely forgot about Lan Wu Xi, who had once again turned to stone.

“Wow! Young Master Yun is amazing; I can’t believe you even know about this!”

“It’s nothing, really. I merely perused several ancient texts out of boredom in the past and learned a thing or two.”

“System!”

“[Hm?]”

“Is there any way to kill someone without anyone knowing?”

“[Beep! There isn’t.]”

Meanwhile, on the stage, Lin Fengting gazed at his proud creation in mid-air, a gleam of excited bloodlust appearing on his face.

His efforts had finally not been in vain; after today, even the Huang family would no longer be their match!

“Please, everyone, don’t panic too much. This is an unexpected surprise specially prepared by our Lin family.

The object above is our gift to all of you: ancient spiritual energy.”

At this moment, greedy gazes shot out from all around.

Ancient spiritual energy indeed held immense allure.

“Hmph!”

Lin Yingnan let out a cold snort, stomping his foot.

A towering aura instantly gathered beneath him like a vortex, then spread outwards like a lotus flower.

A Golden Core Peak realm cultivator was considered the strongest in this small region.

His presence instantly suppressed the dishonest thoughts of some individuals.

After all, they needed to be alive to claim it; attempting anything under the nose of a Golden Core Peak expert would simply invite disaster and forfeit their lives in vain.

“Next, we will hold a competition.

Whoever can subdue this mass of spiritual energy will claim it as their own.

Any cultivator present who believes they possess the ability is welcome to step forward and try.”

“Whoever subdues it claims it?”