Chapter 937: The Performance of Cousin Lingjing

In the quiet cabin, as the heavy cauldron landed, the atmosphere fell into a sudden silence.

Many eyes turned toward the young woman who had made the move. She had a fair and pretty face, her dark hair tied up casually, and a faint smile played on her lips. Within her dark, bright eyes, a flowing light swirled, and faintly, she seemed to radiate an indescribable, eerie charm.

Aside from those from the Dragon Tooth Lineage, everyone else was filled with shock and suspicion, for they did not recognize Li Lingjing. Where did this one pop out from? To think she could blast Li Wuyuan’s heavy cauldron away with a single punch! One had to know that Li Wuyuan’s cauldron was something that almost no one below the Eight-Star Heavenly Pearl stage could shake.

Clap, clap!

Li Luo was the first to applaud, then he gave Li Lingjing a thumbs-up and praised, "Cousin Lingjing, that punch was truly cool."

Li Lingjing smiled sweetly and said modestly, "You flatter me."

Li Fengyi’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed Li Lingjing’s arm, saying excitedly, "Cousin Lingjing, how did you become so strong?"

Ever since Li Lingjing arrived at the Dragon Tooth Mountains, Li Fengyi had rarely seen her, so in Li Fengyi’s memory, she was still the Li Lingjing who had just left the Xiling region, and at that time, she seemed far less powerful than she was now.

Li Lingjing smiled slightly: "I’m not that strong; that heavy cauldron was just quite ordinary."

Li Fuling, who was to the side, also came back to her senses at this moment. She looked at Li Lingjing with a complex expression and said slowly, "You’ve broken through to the Eight-Star Heavenly Pearl stage?"

Although that Li Wuyuan was annoying, his strength was unquestionable. His Eight-Star Heavenly Pearl strength gave him a place in the Dragon Blood Guard, and since Li Lingjing could blast his heavy cauldron away with one punch, her strength must have already surpassed the Seven-Star Heavenly Pearl stage.

"Is that so? I’m not really sure."

Li Lingjing tilted her head slightly and gave Li Fuling a playful smile: "The current me is a bit different from before."

Regarding this strange answer, Li Fuling took it as an admission, and for a moment, her expression became even more complex. She had not expected that after experiencing such a huge upheaval back then, Li Lingjing could still return to her peak.

The noble, gifted girl of Xiling City from back then had not been defeated by the hardships she had endured.

Although she had not entered the Twenty Banners, nor had she gone to the Dragon Tooth Guard, she was still shining brightly now.

"Who are you? There’s no one like you in the Dragon Tooth Guard." While Li Fuling was feeling conflicted, Li Wuyuan stared at Li Lingjing with sharp eyes and asked in a deep voice.

The strength Li Lingjing had just displayed made Li Wuyuan feel threatened.

Li Luo smiled: "This is our Dragon Tooth Lineage’s Cousin Li Lingjing. Come to think of it, she and Brother Li Wuyuan are from the same generation. If not for some mishaps back then, she might have been in the Twenty Banners, competing with Brother Li Wuyuan for the position of Dragon Head."

"Li Lingjing?" Li Wuyuan frowned, vaguely feeling the name sounded familiar.

A companion stepped forward at this time and whispered a few words in his ear, presumably to remind him.

A few seconds later, Li Wuyuan’s expression shifted slightly, and he said, "So it’s that Li Lingjing from Xiling City back then. I’ve heard this name quite a few times."

When he first won the position of Dragon Head, there were always rumors saying that if that Li Lingjing from Xiling were there, she would certainly have been qualified to compete for the position.

At that time, Li Wuyuan scoffed at this, treating it as the excuses of a loser. After all, what kind of threat could a so-called collateral-line talent who hadn't even entered the Twenty Banners pose to him?

But who could have imagined that years later, he would actually meet this Li Lingjing here.

And judging by the power she displayed just now, she did indeed have the strength of an Eight-Star Heavenly Pearl.

What on earth had this woman experienced? After years of no news, how could she still keep up with the pace of people like them?

"That is truly an honor," Li Lingjing said with a faint smile.

She then glanced at the blasted-away heavy cauldron and said, "So, can we discuss the matter of the leader again?"

Li Wuyuan frowned deeply. He beckoned, and the heavy cauldron turned into a streak of light and flew back, simultaneously shrinking rapidly until it was the size of a palm, hovering above his hand.

He stared at Li Lingjing with flickering eyes, seemingly wondering if he should thoroughly test the other party’s strength right here.

"Since you are not from the Twenty Banners, nor from the Five Guards, what qualification or title do you have to appear here?" At this moment, Li Hongli suddenly sneered.

Li Lingjing thought for a moment and said, "My title... is Cousin Li Luo’s personal bodyguard."

She chuckled: "This is a task given to me by the Lineage Head. If you have any questions, go and question the Lineage Head."

Li Hongli choked and let out a muffled grunt. As for going to question Li Jingzhe, let alone her, even her father wouldn't dare.

At this time, Li Guan, who had come from the Dragon Scale Guard of the Dragon Scale Lineage, spoke up to mediate: "Actually, there is no need to argue so intensely. After all, the so-called leader is only a nominal position. Since the strength of both Li Wuyuan and Li Lingjing is convincing, why not have them both serve as leaders, consolidate our forces, and seek opportunities together?"

He was clearly urging both sides to take a step back; there was no need to make the argument look too ugly.

People from the other lineages also spoke up, expressing their agreement.

Li Wuyuan’s eyes shifted for a moment, then his expression softened, and he said with a faint smile, "It is a good thing to have the assistance of Cousin Li Lingjing for this trip to the Spirit Phase Cave Heaven."

"Very well, I am willing to take a step back and have you and me serve as joint leaders to seek opportunities for our respective lineages."

At this point, Li Wuyuan could only swallow his displeasure; after all, Li Lingjing’s strength had made him feel a sense of wariness.

It was just that, in this way, his plan to use the leader’s status to suppress Li Luo had fallen through.

Li Lingjing chuckled: "I have a solitary personality and am not cut out to be a leader. However, Cousin Li Luo is handsome, has a good personality, and speaks well, so he is very suitable to be this leader."

Everyone else was speechless. Do the three points you mentioned have anything to do with the traits required for a leader?

"Having the leaders be from two generations of Dragon Heads is quite convincing," Li Guan thought for a moment and said with a smile.

Li Luo sighed: "Since Cousin Lingjing has pointed out my three most excellent points, I have no choice but to accept the responsibility."

Everyone looked at him; this skin was indeed top-notch, but this face was also truly thick enough.

Li Wuyuan remained expressionless, too lazy to say anything else, and simply flicked his sleeves and turned away. With his dignified Eight-Star Heavenly Pearl strength, he didn't know how far Li Luo was behind him, yet he could actually serve as a joint leader with him? This was simply an insult to him, Li Wuyuan.

Following Li Wuyuan’s departure, the people from the Dragon Blood Lineage also followed suit. Looking at this, the so-called selection of a leader had fallen through.

However, this was merely Li Wuyuan’s suggestion to begin with, so the other lineages shrugged, glanced at Li Lingjing with varying expressions, and gradually dispersed.

Seeing this, Li Luo smiled: "Cousin Lingjing makes a move, and she immediately thwarts the ambitions of the Dragon Blood Lineage. She is truly the strongest trump card for our Dragon Tooth Lineage’s trip to the Spirit Phase Cave Heaven."

Li Lingjing smiled brightly: "I am just a hired hand on call. If Cousin Li Luo has any business, please feel free to command me."

"I wouldn't dare. I'm afraid that if you get carried away fighting, you'll end up hitting me too," Li Luo said hurriedly.

Li Lingjing couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle, feeling that talking to Li Luo was inexplicably light and pleasant.

However, as she laughed, her delicate brows suddenly furrowed slightly, and she looked in one direction. In that instant, she felt as if an inexplicable chill had risen in her heart.

In a dark, secret chamber, a mysterious altar loomed in and out of sight.

In the darkness, a figure completely wrapped in shadows walked out slowly and arrived at the altar. From within the shadows, a cold gaze shot out, watching the several bronze lamps on the altar. The flames within were like beans, flickering and emitting an icy, sinister aura.

"The Spirit Phase Cave Heaven is about to open."

"Many young talents have come; it truly is a feast."

From within the shadows came a laugh, filled with greed and longing: "What a great opportunity. So many elite talents with outstanding natural gifts—if used to feed these exotic seeds, it should accelerate their maturation, right?"

"After years of preparation, it is time for some action," the figure muttered to itself.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, the mysterious figure let out a sound of surprise, and then its gaze turned toward a bronze lamp on the altar that had long since extinguished. Just now, it seemed to have detected a faint fluctuation within the long-dormant bronze lamp.

"This exotic seed..."

"Is actually quite interesting."

Where the face was wreathed in black mist, the mysterious figure’s gaze became increasingly deep and eerie.