The Qin Family Armory was nestled deep within a valley of the Ancestral Dragon Divine Continent, where spiritual energy was extraordinarily dense. Guarded year-round by multiple Supreme Elders, it was one of the most vital foundations of the Qin Family.
The entire Armory was not a traditional pavilion, but rather a vast plaza forged from a special divine metal.
Countless jade slips, bone fragments, stone carvings, and even phantom weapons floated above the plaza, each radiating various colored lights. Every single item represented a powerful technique or legacy.
It was rumored that the Qin Family Armory contained everything, ranging from the most basic body-tempering fist techniques to legendary fragments of Emperor Scriptures.
However, the legacies within the Armory could not be chosen at will. The more powerful a technique or legacy was, the more spiritual it possessed, and it would choose its own master. Only those whose talent, temperament, and serendipity aligned with it could win its recognition and inherit it. It could not be forced.
At that moment, a young girl of about twelve or thirteen, dressed in a fiery red dress with exquisite and breathtaking features, slowly walked to a stone tablet in the center of the plaza engraved with ancient phoenix patterns. Although young, her slender figure, wrapped tightly in her dress, was already exquisitely proportioned, revealing the beginnings of a womanly shape.
"Look, it's Senior Sister Qin Yao! Is she going to resonate with the Phoenix Pattern Tablet?"
"Keep your voice down! That little ancestor is not someone to mess with!"
"Her temper might be a bit fiery, but her talent is truly beyond reproach. They say she was born with the rare Phoenix Fire Spiritual Body, allowing her cultivation of fire-type techniques to progress by leaps and bounds daily. What a pity..."
The Qin Family disciples whispered among themselves, glancing at the girl standing before the ancient phoenix-patterned stone tablet.
Qin Yao was second only to Qin Tianlong among the younger generation of the Qin Family. Her temper was fiery, and her talent was exceptional. Had she not been suppressed by the First Elder's Faction and had her resources docked, she might have been able to contend with Qin Tianlong. It was simply a pity that she had backed the wrong faction. The faction she belonged to were staunch supporters of the Patriarch.
Qin Yao extended her jade hand and gently pressed it against the stone tablet.
The tablet erupted with a brilliant cyan divine radiance, and a lifelike cyan bird phantom soared into the sky, letting out a clear and resonant cry. Ultimately, it transformed into a stream of light and submerged into the space between the young girl's brows.
"It's the Cyan Bird Precious Art! Heavens! That is a sub-top-tier precious art, second only to top-tier legacies!"
"Senior Sister Qin Yao succeeded! She actually won the recognition of the Cyan Bird Precious Art!"
"As expected of a direct-line genius loyal to the Patriarch's faction. Truly formidable!"
Bursts of exclamation and envious murmurs erupted from the crowd.
Right at that moment, a figure walked in unhurriedly from the entrance. It was none other than Qin Wudao.
He had not asked Qin Zhan to accompany him; he came entirely alone. He wanted to keep a low profile and find an opportunity to sign in as soon as possible.
Alas, things did not go as planned. His reputation within the Qin Family was already known to all.
The moment he appeared, everyone's gaze in the plaza instantly converged on him. The previously noisy murmurs fell silent as well. The atmosphere turned somewhat peculiar.
The vast majority of gazes carried scrutiny, curiosity, disdain, and even hostility.
"Is that Qin Wudao? The good-for-nothing who caused the Ancestral Bell to ring nine times?"
"I heard he agreed to a life-or-death duel with Brother Tianlong in three months. He's simply overestimating himself..."
"Hmph, even if he miraculously awakened some kind of constitution, what can he accomplish in three months? Just wait for him to be crushed by Brother Tianlong!"
Although no one dared to provoke him to his face due to the Old Ancestor's verdict and the Patriarch's attitude, the whispers behind his back and the contempt in their eyes were completely unmasked.
Qin Wudao remained as if he heard none of this, walking straight toward the depths of the Armory.
Qin Yao, who had just acquired the Cyan Bird Precious Art, also noticed Qin Wudao. A look of extreme complexity flashed through her beautiful eyes—curiosity, sympathy, and even a trace of indescribable... resentment?
Because they firmly supported Patriarch Qin Zhan, her faction had suffered crazy suppression over the years from Qin Yuan and the First Elder's Faction. Their resources had been docked, and they were ostracized at every turn. During this time, many had urged her father to defect to the First Elder's command, but her father had sternly refused them all.
Precisely because of this, her cultivation had stalled, leaving her deeply dissatisfied with the Patriarch's faction and harboring quite a bit of grievance toward this Young Lord who had suffered for eight years.
Yet... this grievance was hers alone to voice. No one else had the right.
After a moment of thought, Qin Yao proactively went up to him. "You are Qin Wudao?"
"That's right, I am Qin Wudao."
Seeing the young girl walking toward him, Qin Wudao frowned slightly. The First Elder and his faction certainly had good methods. They had barely left the Zichen Hall before sending someone to obstruct him? They were quite impatient!
The spiritual energy within his body stirred slightly, and he was already prepared to make a move to suppress her and establish his authority.
Yet who would have thought that upon confirming his identity, Qin Yao would directly bow deeply? "Qin Yao greets the Young Lord!"
Hearing this, Qin Wudao was stunned inwardly.
She wasn't here to provoke him?
The surrounding crowd was even more astounded. Was this still the Fairy Qin Yao known for her fiery temper? Why did she offer such courtesy upon their very first meeting?
One must know that she hadn't shown a single shred of respect even toward Qin Tianlong, the strongest of the Qin Family's younger generation!
Just what kind of magical charm did this Qin Wudao possess to make Qin Yao take the initiative to bow upon their initial encounter?
Before Qin Wudao could think further, Qin Yao spoke up once more, saying rapidly in an extremely low voice: "Over there in the corner, that unassuming black stone tablet is rumored to have been left behind by the First Ancestor and contains great secrets, but no one has ever been able to comprehend it. You can go give it a try."
Qin Wudao nodded, accepting Qin Yao's goodwill.
Yet at that very moment, a sharp and caustic voice rang out.
"Yoh, isn't this our illustrious Young Lord? What? Do you also want to come to the Armory to try your luck? With trash like you, you still vainly hope to obtain top-tier techniques? What kind of spring and autumn dreams are you having!"
A gorgeously dressed girl with a caustic gaze, accompanied by several followers, blocked Qin Wudao's path.
The girl's name was Qin Meier. She was the granddaughter of a core elder from Qin Yuan's faction. She usually did not get along with Qin Yao, and at this moment, she made no effort to conceal her mockery of Qin Wudao.
Qin Wudao glanced at her, not yet having time to speak, when he saw Qin Yao raise her head, her pretty face carrying a stern frost as she shouted coldly: "Scram! Qin Meier, what kind of thing are you?! How dare you point fingers at the Young Lord?!"
As soon as these words fell, the entire plaza dropped into pin-drop silence.
The crowd first looked at Qin Yao, who had always possessed a fiery temper, then looked at the bitterly berated Qin Meier, and finally shifted their gaze to the Young Lord, Qin Wudao.
One had to realize that although Qin Yao had a fiery temper, she had never before in such an occasion given Qin Meier so little face.
Viewed this way, Qin Yao... she truly acknowledged Qin Wudao's identity as Young Lord.
Yet, Qin Wudao was so weak—could he possibly suppress Qin Meier and Qin Tianlong behind her?
After being scolded, Qin Meier was stunned for a moment before reacting with sudden, blazing fury. "Qin Yao! You... who did you call a cheap thing?!"
Qin Yao took a step forward, rebuking her relentlessly: "You heard it clearly enough. I said you!"
"I've found you unpleasing to the eye for a long time—relying on someone backing you up to act arrogant and domineering!"
"If you talk about me, I couldn't be bothered to care!"
"But you dare to ridicule the Young Lord?"
"What do you think you are?"
"What qualifications do you have to point fingers at the future leader of the clan?!"
Qin Yao did not truly acknowledge Qin Wudao's status as Young Lord; she merely used this opportunity to ruthlessly suppress Qin Meier's arrogance and vent all the accumulated resentment she had harbored in her chest for so long.
As for Qin Meier, she was scolded into a state where her face turned alternately blue and white, yet she could not directly deny Qin Wudao's status as Young Lord. After all, even the Mystic Ancestor had not refuted him. What qualifications did she have?
She could only swallow this grievance, staring fixedly at Qin Yao with eyes full of hatred.
Of course... the person she hated even more was Qin Wudao. Without Qin Wudao, Qin Yao would never have dared to act so presumptuously.
Regarding this, Qin Wudao did not have much to say. Although Qin Yao's actions were abrupt, she was also upholding his face. As for Qin Meier's thoughts, he couldn't care less. She was merely an ant, unworthy of being kept on his mind. Stooping to her level would only lower his own status.
Ignoring the scene unfolding before him, Qin Wudao walked into the Armory and approached the place to sign in.
"Sign in."