Meng Qi’s heart leaped to her throat, suddenly beating wildly. The figure of the girl in red she had anticipated did not appear; instead, following the hand, the corner of a white robe was revealed. Before Meng Qi could react, a man in a white robe stepped out from the stone.
So-sovereign Qingyan?!
Meng Qi heard the grumpy voice again: “Heh, when I said the most trusted person, it’s the most trusted person. Kid, this is Ten Absolutes Mountain, not a vegetable market where you can pick and choose! Naive!”
Meng Qi: “…”。
Yun Qingyan’s gaze suddenly shifted behind Meng Qi, to the empty stone wall.
Meng Qi instinctively followed his gaze, but she saw nothing there.
“Damn! This kid has gotten even more powerful!” the voice suddenly exclaimed in shock. “I’m off then, enjoy your twenty-four hours, because you’ll soon find out this is your last bit of happiness, hahahaha…”
As the voice faded into an arrogant laugh, it seemed to drift further away until it dissipated into a breeze and vanished altogether. His parting words were clearly audible to everyone else, and those in the grotto-heaven didn’t even have the time to wonder about the identity of the person Meng Qi trusted the most before going on high alert.
“Sove—…” Meng Qi barely got half a word out before she quickly shut her mouth. She wasn’t sure if Yun Qingyan would want other people to know his identity and status.
“Hmm?” Yun Qingyan turned to look at Meng Qi. When he looked toward the voice from Ten Absolutes Mountain, his gaze was as cold as frost, causing others to instinctively avoid his sharp edge. But when he turned to Meng Qi, the coldness had dissipated, replaced by a warmth and gentleness like the spring breeze itself.
“Xiao Qi?” When he saw Meng Qi looking troubled, Yun Qingyan called her softly.
“??!!” Meng Qi shivered in response. What did Sovereign Qingyan just call her?! Xiao Qi?!
W-what… what the… Her name in Beyond The Heaven was Xiao Qi, yes, but she also used to call the little white tiger ‘Xiao Qi.’ She now knew that the little guy was Sovereign Qingyan, but… it still felt odd!
In an instant, Ling Ji’s gaze became sharp and piercing, and his expression darkened. His penetrating stare seemed to drill holes into Yun Qingyan, as if wishing to see through him completely.
Meng Qi’s most trusted person was this guy?! His cultivation was imperceptible… Well, since this is only the peak of the Spirit Severing stage, his real cultivation must be above that.
Ling Ji could recognize most of the famous young cultivators in the Three Thousand Worlds, especially those geniuses from major sects. This man clearly did not belong to any known major sect.
Who is he?!
Why does Meng Qi trust him so much?!
What is their relationship?!
Countless questions flashed through Ling Ji’s mind in an instant, and if it weren’t for the importance of the Ten Absolutes Mountain trial for Meng Qi, he would have wanted to pull this guy aside and test his cultivation level right then and there.
To earn Meng Qi’s… trust! No, since he dared to call Meng Qi ‘Xiao Qi’ in front of this Ling Ji, he would have to pass his test first!
Meng Qi looked around and suddenly realized everyone was staring at her and Yun Qingyan. She hadn’t thought much of it at first, but after he called her ‘Xiao Qi’… her face turned red immediately!
Qin Xiumo: “…”
Ling Ji: “…”
Xue Chengxuan: “…”
Qiao Ran: “…” So scary! Master seems to be furious!
Meng Qi quickly tugged at Yun Qingyan’s sleeve, leading him to a corner. This grotto-heaven was not that big, and Meng Qi knew that others could still probably hear her even if she tried to keep her voice low, but she explained the whole situation in a hushed tone anyway. In the end, she pressed her palms together apologetically, “I’m sorry, Sovereign Qingyan, I meant to summon Xingxing, but the stardust stone infused with Tianming flower essence brought you here instead.”
She raised her hands above her head, her face flushed with embarrassment as she bowed, “Sorry, I’m really sorry. You must be very busy. I shouldn’t have disturbed you.”
“It’s okay.” Yun Qingyan looked at Meng Qi with amusement, his voice revealing his good mood, “My side hasn’t started yet, we have to wait for your situation here to conclude before ours begins.”
“Huh?” Meng Qi widened her eyes in surprise.
“Really, so I’m completely free now and can help you with this battle.” Yun Qingyan smiled. Unable to resist, he reached out to the top of Meng Qi’s head and gently ruffled her hair, “Don’t worry, with me here, we’re sure to win.”
“Th-thank you, Sovereign Qingyan.” Meng Qi stammered her thanks. She had never seen… or rather, she had actually seen this side of Yun Qingyan before. Even she could tell he was in a particularly good mood right now. If he hadn’t said it himself that the fight for the Demon Monarch’s order hadn’t started, Meng Qi might have thought he had already won.
“Don’t worry.” Yun Qingyan gave her another reassuring smile and ruffled her hair again, “Just stay close to me.” He took Meng Qi’s hand and led her back towards Ling Ji and the others, “Let’s go.”
“Just… just go over like this?” Noticing Ling Ji’s unsettling silence, Qiao Ran took it upon himself to step in for his master.
“Otherwise?” Yun Qingyan glanced at him, his tone lazy.
“There are over a hundred people on the other side.” Qiao Ran was stunned. He didn’t know why, but even though the man before him was only at the peak of the Spirit Severing stage like him, standing before this person felt like standing before his full-strength master. That overwhelming sense of oppression was suffocating, even though the man in the white robe appeared laid-back and non-aggressive.
“Heh—”
“Hehe.”
This time, the laughter came simultaneously from Yun Qingyan and Ling Ji.
Qiao Ran: “…” Perhaps it was best to keep quiet!
Qin Xiumo’s gaze fell on Yun Qingyan and Meng Qi’s clasped hands, “Meng Qiqi, who is he?” he suddenly asked.
All eyes once again focused on Yun Qingyan.
“He…” Meng Qi turned to look at Yun Qingyan. She had been so nervous all this time, to the point that she completely overlooked how intimately their hands were intertwined. From other people’s point of view, they certainly looked very close and affectionate.
“I am her Dao companion,” Yun Qingyan declared.
“What?!” Ling Ji almost jumped up. A sharp clang rang out as his narrow, nearly transparent natal sword appeared beside him. “Tell me again: who, are, you?!”
Ling Ji’s voice was even colder and sharper than his sword. He stared icily at Yun Qingyan, clearly not approving of the situation. Qiao Ran had just briefly informed him about the events after entering Ten Absolutes Mountain. His Meng Qi was innocent and kind, and a man of unknown origin like this suspicious guy was definitely not worthy of her!
Yun Qingyan simply smiled lightly and flicked his finger, causing a spark of starlight to slowly rise from his fingertip.
—If it comes to a fight, then so be it. He had been too lazy to engage in battle in recent years, but it didn’t mean he had grown timid.
Meng Qi: “…”
“Wait a minute!” Meng Qi took a deep breath, glanced at Qiao Ran, and then at Qin Xiumo and the others, quickly interjecting, “This is a long story, we can discuss it after we get out.”
Her words were mainly directed at Qin Xiumo. As for the others, Pei Mufeng likely didn’t mind who she chose as her Dao companion, and Xue Chengxuan, Xu Zijun, and Qiao Ran weren’t so well-acquainted with her that they would care about her private life. As for Yan Xuan, he probably didn’t care much about such gossip.
“She has the final say,” Yun Qingyan said with a light smile, unconcerned.
Meng Qi: “…”
“Xiao… Meng Qi.” Ling Ji called out unwillingly, “Who exactly is he? Are you sure you weren’t deceived by him?”
“Deceived?” Meng Qi was startled for a moment, then instinctively stepped forward to stand in front of Yun Qingyan, facing Ling Ji.
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Superb! Should not have rushed… Now there is nothing to read but wait for more..
Son in law vs father in law🤣