Chapter 3: Looming Crisis

Because Yun Lintian's back was facing the crowd thus, no one noticed his current severed expression. Yun Lintian frowned deeply, thinking of something until the girl came back with the medical ingredients.

Yun Lintian retrieved all the medicinal ingredients and started to concoct a pill with a small copper cauldron. An intense fragrance immediately spread through the hall upon Yun Lintian finished refining the medicinal ingredients.

The concoction was smooth-sailing, and he also took this chance to teach everyone from time to time throughout the process. Thirty minutes later, the medicinal liquid in the cauldron slowly blended together under Yun Lintian's complicated hand-seals and began to take shape — forming into nine thumb-size blue pellets shortly afterward.

Yun Lintian brought the nine pellets into a jade bottle and went to Yun Xiaotong's side before feeding her one pellet. Following that, he poured his profound energy on the tip of his index finger and pointed at the silver needle between her eyebrows to protect her Soul Gate while waiting for the pill to work. In the next moment, a cold current gradually spread throughout Yun Xiaotong's body, her former red skin slowly returned to its former color.

It took twenty minutes before the effect of the pill had reached its limit. Yun Lintian retracted his hand, observing Yun Xiaotong again. After confirming everything went well, he turned to Yun Xiaohong and gave her the jade bottle. He said, "Give her a pellet every half an hour, a total of three pellets and call me again after it's done."

Yun Xiaohong gripped the jade bottle tightly and nodded her head firmly: "Understood. Thank you, Senior Brother Yun." Her eyes filled with gratitude and admiration.

Yun Lintian waved his hand dismissively, walking to the snake's remains, and took it along with him, went out of the recovery hall. He headed to a building that stood at the topmost of the Misty Cloud Peak.

The Misty Cloud Sect had around one thousand disciples and was entirely made up of females. The Sect would select only females as their disciples. It was a long tradition since the Sect's founding date over five thousand years ago. The arrival of Yun Lintian broke this tradition, and he became the first male disciple in the Sect's history. However, this limited within the Sect only; the outsider never knew about his existence at all.

Yun Lintian grew up under the status of the Sect Master's foster son. Surprisingly, no one opposed him even once. The relationships of everyone in the Sect were extremely harmonious. It was to the point that turning Yun Lintian's belief upside down.

Yun Lintian had witnessed many dark sides of humans while he was on Earth. Even blood-related siblings could kill each other in front of benefits, and this happened in a modern society that was abided by laws and rules. Then, what about here, Azure World, where lives were worthless than grasses? He firmly believed no organization in the world entirely without internal conflict.

Perhaps it was because the Misty Cloud Sect mainly recruited orphans most of the time, and everyone had regarded this place as their home deep down in their hearts — allowing the Sect to reach this level of harmony. Anyway, it was a myth to Yun Lintian until now.

The hierarchy of the Misty Cloud Sect was similar to other sects. Except there was no vice-sect master, The Sect consisted of Sect Master, Supreme Master, Four Hall Masters, and Twelve Elders. As for a disciple, there was no other classification except for a direct disciple, which could be counted in one hand.

Yun Lintian wanted to change this hierarchy system initially, but his authority and status were too low. It could easily cause a conflict among them if he were to suggest changing. Therefore, he gave up on this matter thoroughly in the end.

Arriving in front of a unique building made of ice, Yun Lintian stood before an ice curtain and said calmly, "Disciple Yun Lintian asking for permission to see Sect Master."

"Come in." A cold and arrogant female voice sounded from within the ice chamber.

As the voice fell, the ice curtain before Yun Lintian slowly opened. Countless ice crystals dispersed out from within the room and didn't fall for a long time.

In the center of the chamber, a woman with a devilish figure sat upright on a blue-colored ice throne. The throne constantly emitted an ice-cold aura, shrouding her entire body within the hazy fog of ice. Upon Yun Lintian walked into the chamber, her closed eyes opened gently. This was a pair of magnificent eyes brimming with boundless coldness and arrogance deep in the bone. It was as if nothing could be worthy in her eyes.

She had a long black-as-ink hair stretched all the way to her waist, gleaming with a misty blue light. A celestial countenance, alluring to the extreme. Crescent eyebrows, cherry thin lips that could be compared with the most delicate petal in the world.

Wrapping with snow-white robes, blue-ribbon around her waist, highlighting her seductive curves and abundant chest. Her body exuded an indescribable charm that could easily bewitch any man in this world. She was the current Misty Cloud's Sect Master, Snow Cloud Fairy, Yun Qianxue.

Her cold and indifferent expression quickly dispersed when her gaze landed on Yun Lintian's body. It was replaced with a gentle, full of love and affection instead. Her lips parted gently, "Come here, let mom take a look at you closer. Mom hasn't seen you for a day. I don't know how much you have grown."

Yun Lintian was speechless. Although he was accustomed to his godmother's unusual behavior, he would frustrate every time facing her. Yun Lintian admitted the woman in front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen so far in his two lifetimes. As a man, of course, he often had a wild thought about her. It just that, unless he could become stronger than her, it could be only a dream to bring this goddess down.

Nevertheless, Yun Lintian still took a step closer to Yun Qianxue after tossing the snake's remains aside. The latter reached out her slender hands to pull him into her embrace. With a blissful smile, she said, "Mhm, Mhm. You've grown up a little half centimeter."

Ah, here we go again… While Yun Lintian thought of this, a unique body fragrance immediately assaulted his nostrils. With a couple of soft sensations, it made his blood start to boil. Yun Lintian calmed himself down quickly and pulled himself away from the embrace slightly. He spoke. "Mom, please stop doing this already. Are you not afraid someone will see this?"

Yun Qianxue smiled charmingly as she replied in a domineering tone, "Who cares? I am the Sect Master anyway. Whoever dares to peek, I'll punish them!"

Yun Lintian was rendered speechless once again. He let go of this topic and quickly explained the matter: "Mom, I've discovered something. You can check this snake."

Yun Qianxue tilted her head to look at the snake's remains slightly. Her expression hadn't changed in the slightest as she asked, "How did you find it?"

Yun Lintian briefly recounted Yun Xiaotong's situation and added his conjecture in the end, "So… I think the Sacred Flame Sect should have reached an agreement with other sects already. From my estimation, they should take action during the Blazing Sun Mythical Realm's exploration."

Yun Qianxue nodded her head slightly and motioned with her chin, telling Yun Lintian to go on.

"I can finish the Heaven Suppressing Formation within this week. Unless they could find a Ruler Profound Formation Master, there shouldn't be a problem dealing with any Heaven Profound Realm's practitioner." Yun Lintian paused for a moment and continued. "I'll take part in this Blazing Sun Mythical Realm's exploration in the next two months. Mom will have to sacrifice your reputation a bit. I hope you don't mind about it."

Yun Qianxue laughed gently: "Since when did I care about my reputation? However, are you sure, you want to expose your identity now?"

Yun Lintian nodded: "There is no better time than this. We could delay them and attracting their attention by doing this. The problem is that many senior sisters have to take risks in this operation."

Yun Qianxue pondered for a moment before she responded, "let mom go with you then. It's too dangerous."

Yun Lintian shook his head, "No, mom. You need to stay here. Let Third Aunt send us there. Her spatial technique is unrivaled throughout the Heavenly Fortune Nation. She could easily escape from the siege. Besides, I will look for a place to set up another secret transmission point to bring everyone back as soon as possible."

"Naturally, when they are attacking our sect. They definitely set up a formation disruptor, but I have a way to bypass it. You don't have to worry about this. I only have one request. I want to choose people who are going to participate in this exploration by myself."

Listening to Yun Lintian's plan, Yun Qianxue nodded her head approvingly. At the same time, she was proud of her son. Although his talent in profound ways was ordinary, his mind and other aspects were far surpassed his peers.

"Let's do as you said." Yun Qianxue said softly while patting Yun Lintian's head lovingly.

Her action annoyed Yun Lintian a little. Being treated like a kid like this. It made him uncomfortable deep down.

"Then, mom. I'll take my leave first." Yun Lintian stepped back and hurriedly slipped away under Yun Qianxue's reluctant gaze.

The room returned to its usual calmness as well as Yun Qianxue's expression had returned to a previous cold and indifference. She frowned, pondering on something briefly before she asked, "What do you think?"

All of a sudden, a hazy mist gradually formed at the empty space beside Yun Qianxue, and a female figure instantly emerged behind it. She had a tall, slender figure, dressing in snow robes. Her long lustrous hair sprayed freely on her shoulders, and there was a black veil covering her entire face, hiding most part of her features except for her sparkled eyes. She was the Supreme Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Meilan.

"He could detect a trace of Spiritual Imprint left within the Fire Spirit Snake, despite he has profound strength at the third level of Essence Profound Realm. This said his perception is extremely keen. I have always doubted his soul power since he was young. If I guess correctly, he should possess an unprecedented soul and this incident has proved it once again." Yun Meilan paused briefly before she continued, "As for the plan he proposed, it was because he can't access crucial information, and this leads him in the wrong direction." Her voice was incomparably cold, without slight emotion.

Yun Qianxue did not respond right away. She thought of something for a while and said, "What I mean is, should I become more proactive?"

Yun Meilan glanced at Yun Qianxue, speechless.

Yun Qianxue sighed, "Alas, I shouldn't have made him my foster son in the first place."

Yun Meilan was silent for a moment before she uttered, "Old cow![1]" Following that, her figure instantly vanished from the place.