Chapter 411: Everyone is Thinking

"Master, is it really appropriate for the Spirit Realm Pavilion not to come forward?"

In the Medical Department, Jiujie, on the second floor of the Spirit Realm Pavilion, Meng Qingyao stood beside a middle-aged cultivator wearing a wide-sleeved green robe and a calm face, frowning at the farce happening on the Pill Cauldron Altar Plaza.

On the plaza, two of Princess Lingyuan's subordinates were viciously pushing Wan Feng of Pill Origin Peak. Wan Feng's face was pale, and there was blood at the corner of his mouth.

Behind them, Princess Lingyuan, surrounded by a group of cultivators, was walking towards Pill Origin Peak aggressively.

This scene attracted a large number of onlookers.

Everyone was scattered around the plaza in twos and threes, whispering to each other while their eyes frequently swept towards the Pill Origin Peak and Princess Lingyuan's side.

The green-robed middle-aged cultivator was the Great Elder of the Xia family, a guardian family—Xia Ji.

Xia Ji was Meng Qingyao's master. Hearing the intolerance in Meng Qingyao's tone, he smiled gently: "Qingyao, people who do big things cannot be swayed by emotions. You must look at the whole thing from the big picture."

Meng Qingyao heard this, but her brow did not stretch, and her face also showed some disagreement.

Xia Zhen, who was on the side, saw her like this and interjected: "The Great Elder is right. Qingyao, you must remember that only focusing on small things will make you unable to see the face of the whole situation, thereby affecting your judgment and leading you to make unfavorable decisions."

"The current situation is that everyone wants to verify Hua Changxi's identity."

"Why do you think Princess Lingyuan dares to make such a big scene?"

"Because she is a princess of the imperial family? Or because she is the wife of Shen Qianfan, the Pavilion Master of Qihuang Pavilion?"

"Neither."

"It's because everyone is willing to see her make such a scene, and everyone wants to see her force Hua Changxi out."

Saying this, Xia Zhen cast his gaze toward the few Jiujie Hall managers hidden in the crowd on the east side of the plaza.

"Otherwise, why would the Jiujie Hall, which usually jumps around accusing and finding trouble for the Spirit Realm Pavilion and the Qi Huang Pavilion, be so quiet this time?"

"Even Gu Xing from the plaza's old courtyard hasn't said a word, has he?"

"Determining the true identity of the Ling Guang Palace Master is a concern not only for the entire Medical Department but also for other forces outside; this is already the will of the people."

"What is the will of the people?"

"It is the general trend."

"And people cannot go against the trend."

Seeing Meng Qingyao's hesitation and her wanting to say something but stopping, Xia Ji knew that Xia Zhen's words had not completely convinced her, so he asked with a smile: "Qingyao, what do you want to say?"

Meng Qingyao looked up at Xia Ji and Xia Zhen: "Qingyao understands the Sixteenth Elder's words, but, Qingyao is the Pavilion Master of the Spirit Realm Pavilion."

"The Dan Yuan Peak is also part of the Spirit Realm Pavilion's jurisdiction. As the Pavilion Master, if I let Princess Lingyuan bully the Dan Yuan Peak while I sit by and do nothing, wouldn't that be too irresponsible?"

Hearing this, Xia Ji and Xia Zhen were both a bit surprised.

Xia Ji smiled with relief: "It seems Qingyao has grown a lot in the Medical Department these years; you even know how to take initiative and be responsible."

"It is very good that you have a sense of responsibility."

"However, one cannot be too serious about everything. You cannot go against the outside world and do things that are clearly detrimental to yourself just because you want to prove that you are worthy of the position of Spirit Realm Pavilion Master."

Xia Zhen knew that although the Spirit Realm Pavilion was established with the promotion of the Xia family, because of Gu Xing's intervention, at the beginning of the Spirit Realm Pavilion's establishment, the Pavilion Master was rotated among all the secret realm masters.

More than ten years had passed, and except for Hua Changxi, all other secret realm masters had taken turns as Pavilion Master.

After the first Alchemy Conference ended, under the Xia family's planning, Qingyao became the sole Pavilion Master by virtue of her excellent alchemy skills.

This girl was strong-willed; she was probably anxious to prove that she was a true Pavilion Master, so she was a bit too serious when dealing with things.

"It is lonely at the top." Xia Ji looked up at the flowing clouds in the sky, "Qingyao, don't push yourself too hard. In many cases, following the trend is the best strategy."

Seeing Meng Qingyao lost in thought, Xia Ji turned his gaze back to the plaza.

Seeing this, Xia Zhen said: "The pressure from the royal family is increasing. It seems the royal family is determined to force Hua Changxi out."

Xia Ji's eyes flickered as he looked at Xia Zhen: "Do you think Hua Changxi is the Ling Guang Palace Master?"

This question stumped Xia Zhen.

He both hoped it was true and was unwilling to accept it.

If Hua Changxi really were the Ling Guang Palace Master, once the Alchemy Saint Palace reappeared in the future, the people of the Holy Land would certainly not allow her to hold too high a position. In this way, Qingyao and the Xia family would have one less powerful opponent.

However, he felt very uncomfortable that a little girl with no family background, no cultivation, and no vision had bypassed the elites and geniuses of the guardian families and noble clans to become the Ling Guang Palace Master commanding one hundred thousand Zhu Que Army soldiers.

"Moo~"

Just as Xia Zhen was organizing his words, he heard a deafening ox roar from the plaza.

Everyone looked up in horror, only to see a mountain-like Kui Ox phantom soaring from the Dan Yuan Peak. The Kui Ox's blue-black scales shimmered with thunder. Accompanied by a deafening roar, a bolt of lightning struck down from the firmament, accurately hitting Princess Lingyuan's subordinates who were trying to force their way into the Dan Yuan Peak.

"Ah—"

Screams rose one after another.

Any cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage hit by the lightning fell to the ground, twitching all over. At the same time, they curled up, clutching their heads, and bled from their seven orifices; clearly, even their sea of consciousness had been injured by the Kui Ox's thunderous sound.

Princess Lingyuan stood at the eastern edge of the Dan Ding Altar Plaza, her phoenix eyes wide open as she looked at the miserable state at the foot of the Dan Yuan Peak. Her brows were knitted, and she was hesitating whether to send the Spirit Platform stage cultivators beside her down when she felt the space beside her fluctuate.

The next moment, a vortex appeared above the head of Wan Feng, whom she was using as a hostage.

Immediately after, a hand reached out, seemingly wanting to drag Wan Feng away directly.

"Take them down for this Princess!"

Princess Lingyuan shouted. Instantly, the dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators behind her attacked simultaneously, leaving only two Spirit Platform stage cultivators who did not move.

"Bang~"

The void vortex trembled violently under the bombardment of spells. Before it could even touch Wan Feng, the vortex collapsed with a boom. At the same time, Zhao Xi fell out of the crack, rolling several times in a sorry state before avoiding the attack.

"Roar~"

The moment Zhao Xi fell out of the void, a heaven-shaking beast roar came from the direction of the Dan Yuan Peak.

A "mobile fortress"-like tiger and a mountain-like Kui Ox rushed out from the Dan Yuan Peak and landed on the plaza. Without a word, they broke out into a great battle with Princess Lingyuan's subordinates.

Everyone recognized that the three were Zhao Xi, the Hall Master of the Dan Yuan Peak's Merit Hall; Zhou Shou, the Hall Master of the Mission Hall; and Yu Fu, the Hall Master of the Mission Hall.

Regarding Hua Changxi's appointment of four former eunuchs to manage the affairs of the Dan Yuan Peak, all parties found it somewhat difficult to understand.

Seeing the three fighting desperately, Princess Lingyuan was both angry and furious: "Daring to ambush this Princess, do you not want to live?"

Yu Fu roared: "Forcing your way into the Dan Yuan Peak, you are the ones who truly don't want to live!" The Kui Ox phantom flickered behind him, and the rolling thunderous sound made the onlookers' eardrums ache.

The onlookers who heard his words could not help but gasp.

Princess Lingyuan had the royal family and the Qi Huang Pavilion behind her; how could Yu Fu dare to say such tough words?

In the crowd, Wei Zhenjie, who had just arrived after receiving the news, raised his eyebrows and said playfully: "The people of the Dan Yuan Peak have plenty of confidence."

Yun You, who had been temporarily called by him to the Medical Department to seek medicinal pills and physicians, had flickering eyes, with a clear look of anticipation in them.

She also really wanted to know if the Palace Master was Hua Changxi.

"The Minister of the Heaven Department is here."

Although Wei Zhenjie was very low-key, as soon as he appeared, all parties noticed him.

On the plaza, the great battle was still continuing.

Zhao Xi's "Space-Splitting Earth-Escaping" divine ability caused Princess Lingyuan's Nascent Soul subordinates to be ambushed from time to time. Although none were fatal wounds, people would die if they were wounded enough.

As for Zhou Shou, there were no moves to speak of; he relied entirely on his sturdy, fortress-like body to ram through. Those who were hit were all splattered with blood.

Yu Fu was also extraordinary, summoning a bolt of lightning from time to time, striking the cultivators until they jumped around.

Seeing that Yu Fu and the other two had actually suppressed more than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators, Princess Lingyuan's face turned completely black. She turned her head to look at the two Spirit Platform cultivators behind her, signaling them to attack.

After receiving the instruction, the Spirit Platform cultivators were just about to attack when they sensed that they had been locked onto by an invisible force.

The two dared not make any rash moves; they clearly sensed that as long as they moved, they would immediately have their souls scattered.

Seeing that the Spirit Platform stage cultivators did not move, Princess Lingyuan was just about to scold them when she saw the two suddenly freeze in place, beads of sweat the size of beans seeping from their foreheads, their eyes terrified as if they had seen a ghost.

Seeing the appearance of the two, Princess Lingyuan swallowed her saliva. Although she did not sense any danger, her hair stood on end.

"Whoosh"

After Yu Fu and Zhou Shou blocked the Nascent Soul cultivators, Zhao Xi rushed toward Princess Lingyuan like lightning.

During his charge, a lifelike mouse manifested behind him.

When he was about to get close to Princess Lingyuan, the mouse lit up its sharp claws, which were emitting a cold glint, in a posture of wanting to tear Princess Lingyuan in two.

"You dare!" Seeing the falling mouse claws, Princess Lingyuan was shocked.

Just a moment before the mouse claws fell, a gust of wind struck, blowing Zhao Xi, Yu Fu, and Zhou Shou to the ground, and the cultivators brought by Princess Lingyuan were also blown to the ground, unable to get up.

The gust of wind rose suddenly and fell just as suddenly.

Zhao Xi, Yu Fu, and Zhou Shou reacted quickly, springing up almost the moment the wind passed, their movements as smooth as if they had practiced them a thousand times.

The three did not pay attention to the other fallen cultivators, nor did they look at Princess Lingyuan, who was still in shock. Instead, they looked around vigilantly, their eyes as sharp as hawks, scanning every corner where a threat might be hidden.

Soon, the three's gazes finally fixed in the same direction—on the south side of the plaza, on a red figure that seemed isolated from the noise.

The three were stunned for a moment, then bowed in greeting at the same time.

Seeing this, everyone's gaze followed the direction in which Yu Fu and the others bowed...