"Are you sure?" cried Iron-Armed Elder Xiong Batian in astonishment.
"I am quite sure. Niaoniao is indeed a Divine Beast, and her bloodline is superior to the three existing Divine Beasts on the mainland."
Sect Master Cheng Zhiyuan pondered for a moment, his eyes lighting up. *Splendid, a Divine Beast bloodline is simply splendid.*
"Hahaha! Heaven protects our Lingxiao Sect! With a Divine Beast offspring among us, our sect is bound to shine brilliantly at the grand tournament a decade from now."
Cheng Zhiyuan glanced around at the assembled elders and warned in a deep voice, "Since the Patriarch made no effort to conceal Niaoniao's aura, he wasn't afraid of us knowing her identity. But that doesn't mean we can spread the word. You must remember that raising any Divine Beast to maturity is no easy task."
"We'd hide something like this if we could; how could we possibly broadcast it for the entire Cultivation World to know? Playing the pig to eat the tiger is the proper way."
"I truly want to see the looks of utter devastation on the faces of the other sects. I am so looking forward to the tournament ten years from now."
Elder Xiong Batian waved his arms, fantasizing about the scene of the Lingxiao Sect stealing the spotlight a decade later.
Sect Master Cheng Zhiyuan also curved the corners of his lips into a beaming smile. "Very well, have Mingan Peak, which is in charge of sect affairs, get Niaoniao's identity jade token and monthly stipend sorted out as soon as possible. All her provisions and treatments shall be handled according to the standards of a inner-sect direct disciple."
Sects in the Cultivation World are typically divided into outer and inner disciples. Above ordinary inner disciples are registered disciples and direct disciples, with direct disciples holding the highest status. Unlike other sects, where outer disciples consist entirely of cultivators with poor spiritual roots, the Lingxiao Sect requires everyone to enter the outer sect first—except for disciples who are able to take a master immediately upon joining. Outer disciples who successfully achieve Foundation Establishment become inner disciples directly.
However, most outer disciples are cultivators with three-element spiritual roots, four-element spiritual roots, and five-element spiritual roots. Not only are their spiritual roots and purity poor, but they must also complete tasks assigned by the sect every day, such as raising bees, weeding, and other miscellaneous chores. Consequently, the number of disciples who successfully enter the inner sect each year is pitifully small.
***
The Hehuan Sect.
As the name suggests, it is hardly an upright sect. Women make up the majority of the membership, and the few male disciples possess special constitutions and tend toward a delicate, feminine appearance.
Towering silk tree blossoms can be seen everywhere within the Hehuan Sect. Pink flowers drift down on the breeze, and the ground is covered in layers of fallen petals, creating an extremely picturesque scene.
Passing female disciples in revealing attire added a hint of ambiguity to the ethereal scenery.
"Tsk, have you heard? Divine Lord Linghan has a daughter! That lofty Fairy Biyao of ours is probably heartbroken to death."
"I wonder who managed to conquer that high-altitude flower of a man, Divine Lord Linghan!"
"Heh, she certainly is heartbroken to death. Word is she threw a tantrum and smashed everything in her room. Someone she chased after for several hundred years without success—what's so worthy of her arrogance?"
"I wonder if Fairy Biyao will tear off her fake mask. She always thought Divine Lord Linghan was just like her other admirers who come running at the flick of a finger. She never expected to kick an iron board."
...
A group of female disciples gathered beneath a silk tree, discussing major gossip from the Cultivation World.
Fairy Biyao is a direct disciple of Elder Yanran, one of the three great elders of the Hehuan Sect. Her status within the sect is quite high, but she couldn't help the fact that her personality drew the disgust of far too many people.At this moment, in an elegant courtyard near the core area of the Hehuan Sect, the flowers, plants, and trees looked as though they had been ravaged by a violent gale. Meticulously tended blossoms had been snapped off at the waist, the tree trunks were covered in gouges, and the ground was littered with broken branches.
Inside the house, various precious ornaments had been reduced to fragments. A woman sat in the center of the room, her face covered in tear tracks.
"Why? Exactly which bitch dares to touch the man this Fairy has set her sights on! Where on earth did that little bastard come from?"
The maliciousness between Fairy Biyao's brows ruined features that were otherwise merely delicate. In the Cultivation World, where beauties were as numerous as clouds, Fairy Biyao's appearance was barely passing, but her aura of utter vulnerability made it very easy to stir up a man's desire to protect her.
"Master, you must help me! Divine Lord Linghan can only be mine! Only mine!"
Fairy Biyao looked imploringly at the middle-aged woman sitting in the corner, roaring with unreconciled fury.
"Enough, clean yourself up. What kind of behavior is this? Look at what you've become—who could possibly like you looking like that?"
Elder Yanran, the middle-aged woman, sharply interrupted Fairy Biyao's roar, a flash of impatience crossing the depths of her eyes.
What a useless thing! After all this time, she hadn't even been able to touch the hem of Divine Lord Linghan's robe, wasting all the effort she had poured into her for so long.
Fairy Biyao was startled by Elder Yanran's stern attitude and hurriedly used a cleansing spell to make both herself and the room spotless once more.
"She's just a little brat, what are you afraid of? Plenty of children die young in the Cultivation World, and it's common for geniuses who haven't yet matured to perish. Making a mere little girl disappear is a very simple matter.""What you need to do is make Divine Lord Linghan fall head over heels for you as soon as possible. You must remember, the Sect Master is about to come out of seclusion, and we need to speed up and suppress the other two elders."
"If I fail to become the next Sect Master, not only will your position be in jeopardy, but you might even lose your life. You understand that, right?" Elder Yanran said earnestly. Although she looked down on Fairy Biyao's competence, for now, the two of them were grasshoppers tied to the same rope.
"Master, I know. I will win over Divine Lord Linghan's heart as soon as possible."
Fairy Biyao was well aware of her master's ambition, but she didn't see anything wrong with it. Her master was already one of the top three elders, second only to the Sect Master; wanting to take it a step further wasn't an issue at all. Besides, only if her master became the Sect Master would her own status rise along with it.
"Very well, I'll be heading back then. Handle things as you see fit."Elder Yanran no longer wished to expend her energy on this matter. To her, Fairy Biyao was merely a disciple under her tutelage; had it not been for her exceptional talent and that temperament of hers which stirred a protective urge in men, Elder Yanran would never have invested so much in her.
"Damn old hag. One day, I will trample you beneath my feet."
As soon as Elder Yanran left, Fairy Biyao could not help but curse under her breath.
"Divine Lord Linghan, you can only be mine. That little wild brat should not exist. I will not allow her to defile you!"
Fairy Biyao pulled a portrait from her Storage Bag, unfurled it, and caressed the man depicted upon it. Her eyes were filled with obsession as her fingertips gently traced the man's sharply defined, handsome face.
In a single day, the news that Divine Lord Linghan had a daughter caused an uproar throughout the Cultivation World.