Chapter 642: How Much Longer Do You Plan to Keep It From Us?

Ling Tian and Ling Xianliu are brothers.

Although Ling Tian is not as astonishingly talented as Ling Xianliu, he was once one of the top geniuses of Beimingzhou. However, Ling Xianliu's brilliance was so dazzling that even the Heavenly Pride of his era paled in comparison.

The position of Lord of Dan Valley should have been inherited by Ling Xianliu, but back then Dan Saint Ling Xianliu suddenly left Dan Valley, and Ling Tian naturally succeeded him as the new Valley Master.

After all these years, Ling Tian has firmly settled into the position of Lord of Dan Valley, exuding the aura of one who has risen to power.

"Dean Li, long time no see!"

Ling Tian's gaze fell on Li Daoyun, and from afar he clasped his fist in greeting, his voice loud and powerful.

Ling Tian's face is smooth and beardless, his appearance handsome; perhaps his meticulous upkeep makes him look like a man in his twenties.

"Lord Ling has descended upon my Shenzhou Academy, bringing brilliance," Li Daoyun returned the salute, pointed toward Nan Gong Cang and said, "Did the two of you arrange this in advance? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that you appear here on the same day?"

Li Daoyun's words carried hidden meaning.

"Dean Li, you guessed correctly; I indeed discussed this with the Lord of Nangong City," Ling Tian said without hesitation, then turned his gaze to Nan Gong Cang, "Brother Cang."

"Brother Tian."

The two bowed their heads in acknowledgement, a faint glint flashing in each other's eyes.

"Oh?" Li Daoyun squinted, "I wonder what important business the two of you have arranged to come together to Shenzhou Academy?"

"Dean Li, you are asking knowingly."

A smile faded from Ling Tian's face, and his tone grew solemn.

The atmosphere, because of that sentence, suddenly dropped to freezing.

A dangerous aura spread through the air, and anyone could smell an unusual scent.

Ling Tian swept his gaze over the many Academy disciples, his voice cold as frost: "Who is Ye Qingran?"

"Father! You finally came!"

Ling Xueyao, seeing a person from Dan Valley arrive, was so excited she nearly fainted.

At this moment she could no longer contain her ecstatic joy and sprinted wildly toward Ling Tian.

"Xueyao?!"

Seeing Ling Xueyao, a rare hint of gentleness appeared on Ling Tian's face. Yet when he beheld her horribly disfigured face, his expression changed again.

Although he had long heard that his daughter Ling Xueyao's face was ruined by Ye Qingran, seeing it with his own eyes still made his anger flare.

"Tell me, who is Ye Qingran!"

Ling Xueyao pointed toward Ye Qingran and shouted, "Father, she is Ye Qingran! She is the scoundrel who expelled the Imperial Attendant and Qing Yuan from the Academy, and also ruined my daughter's cultivation and destroyed her appearance!"

Ling Xueyao wept bitterly, pitifully, "Father, you must avenge your daughter! Otherwise she will not live!"

Ling Tian felt deep compassion in his heart.

Among all his daughters, he cherished Ling Xueyao the most; seeing her tormented so badly by Ye Qingran, he couldn't help feeling pity.

"Good daughter, Father will vent this anger for you!" Ling Tian said, then his gaze flashed like lightning toward Ye Qingran.

"You ruthless, poisonous woman! Even though you're a Special Grade Instructor at Shenzhou Academy, your methods are so vicious!" he said, then glared at Li Daoyun, "Dean Li, why do you keep such a scandal-plagued Instructor? Are you planning to let her tarnish the reputation of Shenzhou Academy?"

Li Daoyun was unperturbed, smiling, "Has Lord Ling fully understood the whole situation?" He paused, then added, "If not, why not first look for reasons in his own daughter?"

Ling Tian furrowed his brow and argued slyly, "My daughter, I certainly understand her. Xueyao was born kind-hearted and never harms others; the fault must not be hers! Rather, some people are malicious and even target children!"

"Just because you're the Valley Master of Dan Valley, can you speak recklessly?"

Qin Zixie retorted.

Ling Tian's gaze shot toward him, and upon seeing that the speaker was Qin Zixie, he frowned.

He knows Qin Zixie.

He and his sister Qin Feixue are the most outstanding of the Qin Family's younger generation. Although the Qin Family is not as prominent as Dan Valley or Huangjin City in Beimingzhou, the Qin Family once shone brilliantly across Beimingzhou. Moreover, Qin Feixue and Qin Zixie's mother hail from Xi Ji Shengyu...

"Who in the Academy doesn't know Instructor Ye is the kindest and most magnanimous, always getting along with others?"

When Qin Zixie said that, the Academy disciples around nodded in agreement.

"Agree! Instructor Ye is a good instructor!"

"Last time I consulted Instructor Ye with a question, she answered patiently, without any impatience!"

"Instructor Ye cured my illness for free!"

In the past, due to misunderstandings about Ye Qingran and others' sowing discord, Academy disciples held some misconceptions about her; after all these events, nothing can now break their trust in Ye Qingran.

Ling Tian originally intended to label Ye Qingran as a vicious woman, which would have made the subsequent matters easier, but he didn't expect her to have so many supporters in Shenzhou Academy.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Regardless, Ye Qingran ruined my daughter's cultivation and destroyed her appearance; that's an established fact, and Dan Valley will not let this go peacefully!"

"Lord Ling, what do you plan to do?"

Li Daoyun's face grew solemn, and he asked coldly.

"Dispel her!"

"That may not be possible."

"Dean Li, are you planning to shield Ye Qingran?"

Li Daoyun gave no answer; to Ling Tian, it seemed an implicit approval.

"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Ling Tian said, waved his hand, and the dozen or so people behind him stepped forward, exuding a formidable aura.

When they looked closely, among those dozen-plus were eight Saints and four Peak Xuan Emperors!

Grand Elder Nan Xin was among them.

However, although he is the strongest alchemist among the many Elders of Dan Valley, his cultivation is not the highest.

"Half of Dan Valley's Saints have arrived!"

Someone exclaimed.

Dan Valley is a faction focused on alchemy, and its number of Saints cannot match Huangjin City.

However, among the Elder council of Dan Valley, of the sixteen Saints, half belong to the passive faction and will not obey Ling Tian's orders.

"Dan Valley, is this a plan to go hard?"

Ye Qingran curled the corner of her lips and asked with a smile.

Ling Tian squinted his eyes at her, "You can understand it that way."

Ye Qingran pretended to be serious, nodded, and her eyes flickered with wisdom.

"You mobilize and come to the Shenzhou Academy; may I ask whether the passive faction Elders are aware?"

At the mention of the passive faction Elders, Ling Tian's expression darkened again.

No one knows what medicine Ling Xianliu gave those passive Elders, but each one is stubborn and dull, ignoring his threats and temptations.

Over the years, as long as it doesn't involve Dan Valley's survival, those few stay secluded, never mixing in the valley's affairs; but once he wants to make a big move, those eight will step forward to oppose him, giving him a headache.

Winning them over is impossible, and they cannot be killed; over the years the few of the passive faction have become a thorn in his heart!

"What do you mean?"

"It means …"

Ye Qingran deliberately paused here, as if waiting for something.

"Ling Tian, you shameless scoundrel, how much longer do you intend to hide it from us?"

A shout of anger rang out.