“Just like, strikingly similar.”
Lu Changsheng released Dantai Meng from the Mountain and Rivers Chart, and as the old crone scrutinized Dantai Meng’s features, she couldn’t help but lament.
“Hmph, of course I look like my father.”
Dantai Meng took it for granted.
She didn’t believe the old crone would dare to do anything to her.
After all, her father is the Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable. If Mount Taihua Sacred Land dared to mess with her, the Venerable would, at a great cost, utterly decimate Mount Taihua.
“No, this old one means, you greatly resemble your mother.”
“You’ve met my mother?”
“What, you haven’t?”
“Ever since I can remember, my mother has not been by my side,” Dantai Meng said, her spirit dimming, “My father never speaks of her either. Do you know who my mother is?”
“This old one cannot say.”
“Then, is she still alive?”
Hope flickered in Dantai Meng’s despairing gaze, wishing to glean information about her mother from the old crone of Mount Taihua Sacred Land.
The old crone slowly said, “She might not be in this world anymore.”
“…”
The light of hope in Dantai Meng’s eyes shattered, leaving her expression even more wistful. She had finally met someone who knew of her mother’s identity, only to receive such grave news.
This girl has grown up motherless since a young age, raised by the harsh and decisive Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable and spoiled by him due to her elevated status. No wonder she commits misdeeds everywhere she goes, causing trouble.
Someone with a somewhat similar experience to Dantai Meng is Lu Qinglian.
However, having received careful guidance from Lu Changsheng, and influenced by her fellow disciples and brothers, Lu Qinglian, although mischievous, does not go out of her way to do evil.
Dantai Meng lacks such discipline at home.
“Young man, you cannot lay a hand on her, not just because of the Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable, but also for her mother’s sake. Her mother was a benefactor to this old one.”
The old crone reminded Lu Changsheng.
“Mhm.”
Lu Changsheng had no intention of doing anything to Dantai Meng, at most to teach her some life lessons. That’s not too much to ask, right?
Suddenly, above Mount Taihua, auspicious multicolored clouds gathered, a glory bathing tens of thousands of miles, with the sound of the Great Dao resounding like thunder.
“Someone is undergoing Tribulation… that’s my sister’s Cultivation Ground.”
Lu Changsheng noticed a mountain peak emitting a multicolored pillar of light piercing the sky, stirring the clouds.
That mountain peak was exactly where the Holy Maiden Lin Qinghan’s cave dwelling was.
The old crone spoke: “She is on the verge of a breakthrough to the Divine King Realm.”
“It seems that sister has obtained the true legacy of the Mount Taihua Goddess in the Goddess Daoxu. Her cultivation has progressed so swiftly.”
Lu Changsheng felt genuinely happy for Lin Qinghan’s breakthrough.
Before entering the Goddess Daoxu, Lin Qinghan was indeed a prodigy, but at most, she could only rank within the top fifty of the Qilin Ranking.
Yet, coming out of the Goddess Daoxu, Lin Qinghan’s talents have greatly improved. In an ordinary era, she could easily rank first on the Qilin Ranking.
After a period of secluded cultivation, Lin Qinghan’s attempt to break through to the Divine King Realm truly demonstrates her astonishing potential.
“Who is making the breakthrough?”
“Isn’t that the Holy Maiden’s training ground?”
“Could it be that our Mount Taihua Sacred Land is about to witness another peerless genius emerge?”
“Following the Holy Son becoming renowned, the Holy Maiden has also grown in strength significantly. It seems that the heavens favor our Mount Taihua Sacred Land!”
The Elders and Disciples of Mount Taihua Sacred Land were greatly exhilarated to learn about the Holy Maiden Lin Qinghan’s realm breakthrough.
The Holy Son and Holy Maiden are the most outstanding talents of the younger generation, arguably the future of the Sacred Land. The stronger they become, the more the Sacred Land’s power will increase a million years hence.
The Ancestors of the Mount Taihua Sacred Land emerged from their seclusion to congratulate the Elder Ancestor of Lin Clan and Lin Xuantong: “Lin Qinghan has likely awakened the bloodline power of the Taihua Sword Maiden, enabling her cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. Her future accomplishments might very well rival the Taihua Sword Maiden herself. Coupled with Lu Changsheng, our Mount Taihua Sacred Land needn’t worry about future successors for at least a hundred million years.”
“The lack of successors? It’s more like the new waves of the Yangtze River pushing the old ones ahead, and the new waves are knocking us old folks flat.”
“Hahaha, being surpassed by the younger generation is something countless old ancestors of Sacred Lands would pray for, as many are constantly worried about the future and the potential decline of their lands.”
“It seems my position as Saint Lord should be passed on, to allow Changsheng and Han’er to learn to stand on their own. This would be an excellent opportunity for me to focus on studying ‘One Sword Across Ages.'”
Seeing that his daughter Lin Qinghan’s cultivation was nearly catching up to his own, Lin Xuantong considered abdicating his position.
With Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan at the helm of Mount Taihua Sacred Land, Lu Changsheng has never liked to deal with the trivial matters of the Sacred Land, so the real power still lies in the hands of the Lin Family. Lin Xuantong doesn’t mind stepping down.
“Xuantong, I initially thought you’d hold the position of Saint Lord for tens of millions of years. I didn’t expect that with the emergence of geniuses in our Mount Taihua Sacred Land, it would be your turn,” said the Elder Ancestor of Lin Clan.
The Elder Ancestor of Lin Clan also believed that Lu Changsheng and Lin Qinghan were growing too quickly.
Normally, Lin Xuantong, at his prime age, could lead the Sacred Land for tens of millions of years, just as the Saint Mother of Yaochi has led the Yaochi for eighty million years.
Lin Xuantong shook his head: “With the abilities of these revered Ancestors, any one of them could lead the Sacred Land. It doesn’t matter who is in charge.”
Among the people of Mount Taihua Sacred Land, Jiang Yu’s expression was less than pleased.
Lu Changsheng was already outshining him in the Sacred Land, and now with Lin Qinghan’s increased potential, she had left him far behind.
Originally, Jiang Yu’s talents were comparable to Lin Qinghan’s, but now, it seemed that not only did he not qualify to be a Holy Son, but with two unparalleled geniuses ahead, he appeared utterly lackluster in comparison to the ordinary Elders.
“I cannot accept this defeat so easily; life is long, and I, Jiang Yu, am determined to defy the heavens and change my fate.”