Fairy, I am truly a virtuous gentleman!

Ji Changhong could sense the resentment in the girl's words and couldn't help but sigh softly.

"If you can really get Ning Muxian's son to be your male concubine, then it means you've really made something of yourself."

Ji Daoyun remained noncommittal and gave a soft hum.

Seeing this, Ji Changhong had no choice but to continue, "You say you have a trump card, but doesn't the Holy Son of the Golden Lotus Sect have one too? He was defeated by you before he could even use it."

Ji Daoyun defended herself, saying, "But I'm not him!"

"But you are not Chu Lingci! If I hadn't intervened in time, you would have been seriously injured. How would you have entered the Crimson Abyss in a couple of days?"

Ji Changhong said earnestly, "To be able to comprehend sword intent at the Divine Palace Realm is a rare talent even in the Immortal Sects and Holy Lands. As for you, if you can refine the Great Sun Flame to the Mahayana level, you might be able to fight it. Otherwise, you are definitely no match for it, at least not now. You might as well focus on obtaining a high-grade Golden Core."

Ji Daoyun's face turned slightly pale, and she wanted to refute.

But she also understood that her brother was doing it for her own good; otherwise, he wouldn't have removed the sword intent from her injuries so that she could recover completely in a short time.

Inside the hall, the brother and sister looked at each other in silence.

"Then I'll ask you one more time: are you willing to accept Ning Yuan?"

After a long silence, Ji Changhong spoke again: "The Grand Preceptor is of unfathomable power and is an unparalleled expert. Although our Ji clan has its own contingency plans and is not afraid, winning him over and binding him with us is the best strategy. Moreover, the Grand Preceptor is a close friend of my father and is an indispensable person for the long-term plan of Dali. Your Great Sun Flame is also a gift from his cave heaven. Therefore, both in public and private matters, your union with Ning Yuan is the best choice."

Ji Daoyun gradually calmed down, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

Seeing this, Ji Changhong did not press the matter further, but instead said calmly, "Of course, if you are unwilling, this matter will end here. Even if we do not form a marriage alliance, there are other avenues for cooperation."

The young girl bit her red lips and finally replied, "A king's word is his bond. Since Your Highness has already made a promise, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the Ji family to go back on your word for my sake?"

After saying that, Ji Daoyun's figure burst out with a burst of golden fire and disappeared in an instant.

Unlike Chu Lingci, who was born with a pure and indifferent nature due to his sword-heart-clear body.

Ji Daoyun's aloofness stemmed from her lofty ambitions, her family background, and her own talents.

She was too proud, but too much pride leads to weakness. If she couldn't even handle the slightest setback, she would be more likely to perish in the foreseen calamity.

Ji Changhong did not stop Ji Daoyun from leaving.

He slightly raised his eyes, as if passing through palaces and paradise to see the enormous heavenly gate standing in the ninth heaven.

Having held the position of Crown Prince for nearly a century, the Great Li Kingdom has been at the forefront of turmoil since its investiture, though most of the time it has weathered the storms without serious incident.

However, in recent years, the Great Xuan Heaven has been shrouded in turmoil and undercurrents, with constant friction between the heavens and the universe. Furthermore, the elders of the clan have divined that a crisis is about to befall them.

Perhaps, the intervention of Daoist Yu Shu is a sign.

"Father..."

Inside the vast palace, Ji Changhong sighed to himself.

...

...

Before the Nine-Colored Heavenly Cloud Chariot had traveled far, a beam of light enveloped Ning Yuan and his group.

The eight azure-gold and crimson dragons roared and struggled, but no sound came out, as if they were imprisoned by a great supernatural being.

Qiao Shuang leaped forward, her expression calm. Her brows furrowed slightly as she scanned the surroundings, and she said coldly, "Senior Brother Xuan Gu, what is the meaning of this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a divine general's figure, gleaming with silver light, materialized out of thin air. The newcomer was surrounded by a solemn aura and had a dignified expression; it was none other than Xuan Gu.

"Junior Sister Qiao, please come out for a chat, young master."

Xuan Gu said calmly.

Qiao Shuang replied without any politeness, "I'm sorry, young master is drunk and unwell, and is resting at the moment, so he cannot see you."

At the banquet, Ji Changhong suddenly put pressure on Ning Yuan. Although there was no real threat, Qiao Shuang still had some complaints about Xuan Gu standing idly by, since they were both Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Xuan Gu was Ning Muxian's eldest disciple.

Xuan Gu's eyes narrowed, and he was about to speak when he heard a voice.

"Qiao Shuang, you may leave."

Ning Yuan pushed aside the jade curtain of the precious carriage, walked to the edge of the carriage, and looked at Xuan Gu across the distance.

Above the clouds, clear light poured down. The young man's face remained unchanged, showing no signs of drunkenness. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, his handsome appearance like that of a banished immortal, and his temperament was extraordinary.

In a daze, Xuan Gu seemed to see a trace of the spirit of the person he respected most in the young man in front of him.

You did a great job today.

Xuan Gu remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I thought you would still be the same as before, but you have grown up and become much more composed."

Surprisingly, Xuan Gu gave Ning Yuan a rare positive evaluation.

He gazed intently at the boy, whose demeanor, mannerisms, and speech were all vastly different from the arrogant boy he remembered.

But since Qiao Shuang stayed by her side day and night without any abnormalities, it meant that the person in front of her was indeed her master's only son, the 'Ning Yuan' who used to run rampant in Luodu.

In any case, this is a good thing.

"I've come to you with two things to tell you. First, about the Crown Prince's intentions. The reason he put pressure on you was most likely to test you, because when I made any unusual moves, he revealed someone's aura to me. That's why I held back."

"Someone's scent?"

Ning Yuan immediately asked, "Whose?"

"Princess Liuli, Ji Daoyun."

Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow, and in a flash, he understood the deeper meaning behind it.

Although the Great Li Immortal Dynasty is not a sacred land of immortal sects, it can be considered a giant in the Great Xuan Heaven.

Princess Liuli possesses exceptional talent and is backed by the Ji royal family, so she has no shortage of resources. As long as her marriage partner has a suitable status, cultivation level is not a necessary condition.

Even if you use miraculous elixirs to force him to become the son-in-law of a Golden Core True Person, there is hope for his primordial spirit to achieve immortality.

Moreover, Ning Yuan's father is Ning Muxian.

Therefore, in the eyes of Ji Changhong and others, as long as they are presentable and not completely hopeless wastrels, it would probably be considered a plus.

Ning Yuan smiled. "What's this? Testing me? Oh, so I've passed?"

Xuan Gu also looked puzzled. "It should be. Perhaps your past reputation was rather tarnished. Therefore, even though you didn't show anything special, the fact that you could handle the pressure from the Primordial Spirit True Monarch so easily is already quite remarkable."

Ning Yuan laughed and winked at Qiao Shuang beside him, saying, "This time it turned out to be a lucky accident."

Xuan Gu showed a hint of doubt, "What does this mean?"

Qiao Shuang parted her red lips slightly, paused, and explained, "My master was discussing with me a while ago that he wanted to propose marriage to the Ji family, and the object of his proposal is Princess Liuli."

Xuan Gu was speechless, not expecting this layer of cause and effect.

"Very well, as Ning Yuan said, this matter still needs to be decided by Master, so I will not say any more."

Ning Yuan nodded, then pressed on, "And what's the second thing Senior Brother Xuan Gu wanted to tell you?"

Xuan Gu's expression immediately became much more serious. "Are you really prepared to join the two-day Crimson Abyss expedition?"

Looking at the imposing figure in front of him, Ning Yuan said, "Senior Brother Xuan Gu, I've had enough of this muddled life. I'm determined to start taking cultivation seriously. Although I'm only a Qi Refining cultivator now, the Golden Core opportunity in the Crimson Abyss is truly rare and should not be missed. I need to make plans as soon as possible."

After all, everyone who enters the Crimson Abyss must sign a legal pact with the Ji clan, forbidding them from revealing the secrets of the Crimson Abyss. Therefore, I can only be confident if I try it myself.

Xuan Gu's thoughts raced. In fact, although the things in the Crimson Abyss were special and precious, they were not the only opportunities that could help condense a high-grade golden core.

If Ning Yuan is truly interested, he and his master can provide other options. Opportunity is secondary; the most important thing is that it is safer and more controllable.

However, it's rare to see someone so enthusiastic, so it's not good to dampen their spirits. Besides, it's good to let them broaden their horizons.

Thinking of this, Xuan Gu asked a question.

"Does Master know about this? The Crimson Abyss has a unique structure, so even Master cannot directly intervene. If you encounter danger, do you have a plan to deal with it?"

Ning Yuan said confidently, "I have already informed my father of this matter. As for the countermeasures... the reason I asked His Highness the Crown Prince for two more slots was to find two suitable attendants to protect my safety."

Reassured, Xuan Gu asked again, "Do you have a suitable candidate?"

Ning Yuan pondered for a moment, then deliberately said, "One of them already has a target, but the remaining one... well, we're still choosing."

The conversation traveled smoothly into the treasure room, which was separated only by a jade curtain.

A conflicted expression appeared on the face of one of the girls, sometimes tempted, sometimes hesitant.