Chapter 329: Two Hearts Are Not Too Many

At this time, in the mountain cave mansion of Lv Man, Bai Ya had just returned from the highest-level meeting of the She Tian Mansion.

"So most of the Dou Zong Guardians agree with She Tianhao's decision?" Lv Man asked with a serious expression.

Bai Ya sighed and nodded. "They have no intention of giving up the Qi San Hua Tong."

A look of disdain crossed Lv Man's delicate face—they had already guessed this. The half-Sage who founded the She Tian Mansion, the Biyan She Sheng, also possessed the Qi San Hua Tong; even if she were made Mansion Master, she would not have abandoned it. Qing Lin is tied to the core future interests of the She Tian Mansion.

Whenever interests clash, whether human or beast, control is lost. Just as the Gu Clan could never allow Xun Er to leave and marry Xiao Yan—it would be tantamount to challenging the entire young generation of the Gu Clan, with stakes far too immense.

But Bai Ya and Lv Man, who had followed Qing Lin for five years, understood: though Qing Lin appeared silent and devoted solely to cultivation and unlocking the She Sheng's legacy, in truth she had zero interest in the Dou Sheng's inheritance—her goal was simply to grow strong, unlock the legacy, and leave immediately.

Qing Lin did not wish to be entangled with the She Tian Mansion. She had voluntarily proposed joining the She Tian Mansion because she saw that if Xiao Yan were to save her, he would have to pay a price—she refused to let him pay it.

So Bai Ya and Lv Man had long understood: the She Tian Mansion could never keep Qing Lin. She carried a longing within her—a white moonlight too powerful for the She Tian Mansion to ever overcome.

Bai Ya's expression hesitated; after long thought, he asked: "Should we not tell the Mansion Master that Xiao Yan's behind-the-scenes faction is the Hun Palace?"

Lv Man glanced at Bai Ya and said slowly: "Would telling the Mansion Master help? You went to Zhong Zhou's Dan Tower to investigate the Hun Palace—you should know their methods. If Xiao Yan were a Hun Palace Guardian, he would have killed us long ago."

"Even if the Mansion Master learns Xiao Yan is from the Hun Palace, it won't make him wary—it will only make things worse. Not just humans, even beasts cling to wishful thinking. We already know the Mansion Master will never abandon the Qi San Hua Tong."

Bai Ya fell silent. Xiao Yan was indeed from the Hun Palace, but they did not know his exact status. More importantly, unless Xiao Yan were the son of a Hun Palace Dou Sheng, his background would not make the She Tian Mansion wary.

Just like an Ordinary Disciple who joins the She Tian Mansion—no other faction fears him, unless he is the Mansion Master's son.

Worse still, the She Tian Mansion already has conflicting interests with Xiao Yan. People die for wealth, birds die for food. When Xiao Yan revealed his Hun Palace identity, Bai Ya and Lv Man still did not abandon their pursuit of Qing Lin, willing to risk everything for the She Tian Mansion's rewards—how much less likely would the She Tian Mansion give up now?

The reason Bai Ya and Lv Man acted this way was not because Xiao Yan was from the Hun Palace—it was because of Qing Lin.

Within the She Tian Mansion, there had always been two factions. One, naturally, was the old guard led by Mansion Master She Tianhao, who believed Qing Lin must remain in the She Tian Mansion, that it was the best place for her, and that the She Tian Mansion's interests came first.

The other faction stood with Qing Lin—Snake Race members who prioritized Qing Lin's will, who believed in her future strength and intended to follow her. The old woman who just asked Qing Lin her wishes was one such member.

Lv Man gave a knowing smile, slowly flicking her snake tongue. "Those foolish old fools still think Qing Lin will stay in the She Tian Mansion. Qing Lin will leave—conflict is inevitable."

"Originally, our plan was to help Qing Lin leave the She Tian Mansion, then support her to become the new Mansion Master once her cultivation reached peak strength, expelling She Tianhao's line. But now perhaps we should change course. That Xiao Yan is a variable. If the Yan Alliance can match She Tianhao's faction in strength, we can make Qing Lin Mansion Master sooner—and then we shall naturally be her greatest contributors."

Bai Ya hesitated. "Won't this be… inappropriate?"

Lv Man flicked her snake tongue. "Humans have a saying: two hearts in one person is not too many."

Even Xiao Yan probably hadn't imagined that within this small She Tian Mansion, Qing Lin had stirred up a storm—and many were quietly watching this Sect Grand Meeting, for its outcome would affect many things.

Time passed quickly. Two days later, the Sect Grand Meeting commenced as scheduled.

The Sect Grand Meeting was held within the She Tian Mansion. On the eastern Shan Mai, as the sun rose, the area was already filled with powerful figures, its defenses as solid as gold and bronze. In the thousand years since its founding, the She Tian Mansion had weathered countless storms, and its reputation had gradually risen through countless faction battles, until it reached its current status.

Though the Northwest Region's Sect Grand Meeting could not compare to the Dan Tower's Pill Gathering, it was still one of the rare grand events.

This Sect Grand Meeting did not merely test the old generation's strength—it tested the young generation as well. Naturally, the young representatives from each major sect of the Northwest Region were the most outstanding among their peers. These fresh bloodlines were the most vital element for every faction's continuation, and thus their cultivation was given extreme importance.

Amid this intense cultivation, many extraordinary talents emerged—not only Qing Lin of the She Tian Mansion, but also Lei Jun, the Young Sect Master of the Thunder Sect; Li Shi of the Yao Gu Sect; Shi Nian of the Shi Ming Sect. These individuals were renowned even across the entire Northwest Region.

Of course, the Northwest Region was full of hidden dragons and tigers—no one knew where a dark horse might suddenly appear. Yet every Sect Grand Meeting drew countless factions and countless young men who believed themselves strong enough.

Outside the She Tian Shan Mai, a blue streak flashed across the sky like a meteor, then a colossal azure dragon descended upon a peak. Its terrifying body and aura immediately drew many eyes.

Standing atop the Youhai Jiao Beast, Xiao Yan and the others looked down at the crowd below, resembling ants—and froze.

"There are too many people here—it's more than a thousand."

Jia Xingtian explained: "Not only the over a hundred sects and empires of the Northwest Region have come—every Grand Meeting draws observers from other regions, even Zhong Zhou sends delegates, such as the Huangquan Pavilion and the Dan Tower. After all, the strongest Alchemist in this Sect Grand Meeting is already the pinnacle of Alchemists in the Northwest Region, second only to the Alchemist Guild."

It was no surprise—after all, the Yao Gu Sect's Sect Master was once a Seventh-Rank Alchemist. Even at the Dan Tower, Seventh-Rank Alchemists were rare.

"Where is the Yan Alliance's Initiation Trial held?" Xiao Yan asked.

With over a hundred sects participating, the Sect Grand Meeting could not be a random draw or free-for-all. The Northwest Region was divided into four zones—East, South, West, North—for the Initiation Trials.

The first day was the young generation's Initiation Trial: each zone held elimination tournaments via lottery, and the four zone champions then faced off one-on-one. The winner became the most talented young person under thirty in the Northwest Region.

The young Alchemist competition was even simpler—just like the Alchemist Convention: all Alchemists refined pills simultaneously, and the one who produced the highest-quality Elixir won.

"The Yan Alliance belongs to the western zone, alongside the three empires," Yun Yun said, glancing at Xiao Yan. "But I heard Chu Yun Empire isn't participating—they say their strongest Poison Sect and Wan Xie Gate leaders and elites died inside a Secret Realm."

Xiao Yan merely shrugged, saying nothing. Chu Yun Empire's absence was expected—after all, so many powerful figures had died in the Deep Abyss Gorge.

"Yanran, be careful. Don't push yourself," Yun Yun gently stroked Nalan Yanran's hair. The first day would undoubtedly be Nalan Yanran and Princess Yue Er's battles.

Nalan Yanran's eyes instantly flared with Battle Intention. She had long awaited the Sect Grand Meeting—having spent so long in the Jia Ma Empire, she had only faced Dou Wangs from the Jia Ma Empire and the three empires. She wanted to know where she stood among the entire Northwest Region.

"Don't worry, Master. I won't bring shame to the Yun Lan Sect," Nalan Yanran nodded firmly.

Then she turned to Xiao Yan and said sternly: "When I win the title of Northwest Region's number one, I'll challenge you!"

Xiao Yan spread his hands helplessly. "You're lucky if you win the western zone. Winning overall? Unlikely."

Xiao Yan knew Qing Lin was already a Dou Huang. With Nalan Yanran still at the Ninth-Star Dou Wang stage, her chance of defeating Qing Lin was near zero—even if Xiao Yan gave her the Huang Tian Pill now to break through to Dou Huang, she still couldn't beat Qing Lin.

The young Alchemist competition began almost simultaneously, since refining pills for a full day was nothing to Alchemists.

The Yan Alliance was still a new faction and had no camp of its own. But Xiao Yan and the others didn't care—they didn't need one. With the Youhai Jiao Beast's massive body hovering midair, overlooking the Arena Stage was quite a sight.

"Is that the Yan Alliance?" She Tianhao asked, looking toward the Youhai Jiao Beast.

In the VIP seats, top-tier Northwest Region factions like the She Tian Mansion, Thunder Sect, Yao Gu Sect, and Shi Ming Sect each had their own designated VIP spots. Their leaders sat high above, watching the battles just beginning.

"Yes, Mansion Master," Bai Ya nodded.

"The Yan Alliance? What faction is that, to draw your attention?" Beside She Tianhao, an old man stroked his beard, glancing toward the Youhai Jiao Beast.

The old man was Shi Ming, Sect Master of the Shi Ming Sect, which he had founded. His cultivation reached Star Seven Dou Zong—equal to She Tianhao's.

(End of Chapter)