What does my ancestor's pregnancy have to do with me, a mere servant?

The so-called "helping her enter the Nascent Soul stage" is nothing but empty talk to deceive ghosts.

She didn't reply, but simply closed her eyes and turned her head away.

"go out."

Sima straightened the hem of his wedding robe, his gaze finally lingering on Li Lan's alluring curves outlined by the gown.

"I hope you'll cooperate with me well once we reach the secret realm."

He turned around, flicked his sleeves, and pushed open the door.

The moment he stepped across the threshold, the gentle smile on his face vanished, replaced by a chilling aura and a sinister, determined look.

……

The next day.

The sky had just begun to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Above the main peak of the Xuan Yin Sect, a black flying boat, hundreds of feet long, hovered above the clouds.

The flying boat was made entirely of Nether Jade and the bones of demonic beasts. Its hull was as black as ink, with dense array patterns flowing across its surface, exuding a rich aura of darkness.

The bow of the boat is carved with a lifelike, menacing dragon, its eyes inlaid with two fist-sized luminous pearls that emit a cold, eerie green light in the morning light.

This treasure is named the Black Jade Netherworld Boat.

It is a large flying magic weapon that has been passed down for thousands of years by the Xuan Yin Sect, and its speed is extremely fast.

The Taixu Secret Realm is tens of thousands of miles away from the Xuan Yin Sect. We can reach it in a few days by taking this boat.

Below the deck of the flying boat were cabins that could accommodate two hundred ordinary cultivators. The Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators were crowded on the lower level, each sitting cross-legged in meditation, conserving their energy for the upcoming journey to the secret realm.

The top floor of the flying boat is a spacious hall.

The interior of the hall was simply furnished yet imposing. A row of long black wooden tables were laid out, upon which were placed spiritual tea and fruit.

There are five armchairs on each side.

Lin Yuan and Li Yang sat side by side in the last seat on the left.

Li Yang wore a gold and red tight-fitting long dress, which perfectly outlined her full curves.

After Lin Yuan's several adjustments, her aura was now calm and restrained, and her magical power was as profound as an abyss. Her cultivation foundation at the late stage of the Golden Core realm was in no way inferior to anyone else present.

Lin Yuan, dressed in a plain white robe, was tall and slender with a fair and handsome face. Sitting among a group of murderous Golden Core cultivators, he stood out quite a bit.

In the main seat at the very center of the hall sat a woman in gray.

She had delicate features and looked to be no more than forty years old, but her deep, calm eyes held the weight of centuries of experience. No magical power emanated from her, and her breathing was long and deep, as if she were one with the heavens and earth.

Sima Lingbo is one of the five Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Xuan Yin Sect.

Sima Duan's great-aunt. The pillar of the Sima family.

Lin Yuan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

His complexion was rosy and his breathing was steady.

However, the methods of Nascent Soul cultivators are unfathomable, and maintaining a good appearance is merely a basic operation.

The true decline lies hidden deep within the Dao Infant, completely invisible to outsiders.

Several subtle divine senses probed over silently.

After all, anyone would be curious to see a Foundation Establishment cultivator here.

"snort!"

A cold snort, like a thunderclap.

Li Yang sat upright in the armchair, her golden-red skirt cascading down like a waterfall.

Her usually charming eyes, which always held a hint of a smile, now gleamed with a chilling light.

A powerful magical force belonging to the late-stage perfection of the Golden Core realm suddenly erupted, transforming into an invisible barrier that repelled all the probing divine senses.

Several Golden Core cultivators groaned, their expressions changing slightly.

"Everyone," Li Yang glanced at the crowd, his tone as cold as a knife, "If you don't need your eyeballs, you can gouge them out and give them to me. I happen to be short two medicinal ingredients for alchemy."

The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly froze.

The Golden Core cultivators, whose divine senses had been shaken back, looked grim, but due to the strength that Li Yang had just displayed, they said no more.

But the way they looked at Lin Yuan only made them more curious.

Why would Li Yang protect a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator so much?

What is their relationship?

What's the background?

These people aren't fools; they're obviously not simpletons to be here at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Sima Lingbo remained motionless in the main seat.

But her gaze passed over everyone else and landed on Lin Yuan.

Those deep, calm eyes also held scrutiny and inquiry.

Lin Yuan felt that gaze and looked back at him calmly.

His posture was respectful, his breathing was steady, and his face displayed just the right amount of humility.

Neither overbearing nor overbearing.

She naturally knew the inside story of the quota allocation. The Xuan Yin Sect had ten core quotas, with two allocated to each of the five Nascent Soul Ancestors.

Shen Guiyan gave one of her two spots to Li Yang, and the other—to the young man in front of her who was in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Shen Guiyan is a woman with a cold and aloof personality, and she has high standards. The only people she would be willing to give up a core spot for are either her bloodline descendants or someone extremely important to her.

Sima Lingbo withdrew her gaze and surveyed the hall.

"With the opening of the Taixu Secret Realm, the ten of you will represent my Xuan Yin Sect to enter the core spirit gathering array."

"The sect has only one requirement for you: to condense your Nascent Soul and strengthen our sect. I don't need to say anything more about this."

The crowd responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, their eyes filled with undisguised ambition and desire.

Crossing this threshold signifies true power. One's lifespan is a thousand years, and one can turn the world upside down with a flick of the wrist.

If you can't overcome that, even if you're at the peak of the Golden Core stage, you're nothing but an ant.

The ten people present had each prepared for this day for decades or even centuries.

"In addition," Sima Lingbo changed the subject, her tone becoming serious, "there is another task."

The atmosphere inside the main hall changed slightly.

"The spy planted by the sect in the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect sent back an extremely important message three days ago."

"Besides arranging for their disciples to form Nascent Souls, the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect seems to be secretly plotting something big when they enter the secret realm this time."

"The specifics of their plot are too obscure to be determined by our undercover agents. However, it is certain that this matter is related to an ancient relic deep within the Taixu Secret Realm."

Her voice was even lower.

"After you enter the secret realm, if you have the opportunity, pay close attention to the movements of the core disciples of the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect. Especially Ji Qingying."

"This matter cannot be forced. We should act according to our abilities. Condensing the Nascent Soul is the top priority. However, if we can uncover the truth and even gain some benefits—"

Sima Lingbo's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

"After leaving the secret realm, the sect will surely reward you handsomely."

Lin Yuan paused for a moment while holding the teacup.

The Tai Xuan Immortal Sect. Secretly plotting. Ancient relics.

The image of Gu Jiusi's beautiful and refined face instantly flashed into his mind.

She has peach blossom eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a gentle, sweet smile.

Back in the Blood Forbidden Land, Gu Jiusi infiltrated for several years just to take this item away.

Now that the Tai Xuan Immortal Sect has entered the Tai Xu Secret Realm in a large-scale operation, their plans must be inextricably linked to this compass.

After giving her instructions, Sima Lingbo stood up. She glanced at Sima Duan, who was sitting in the first seat on the right, and nodded slightly.

With a flash, he disappeared into thin air from the main hall.

As soon as the Nascent Soul Ancestor left, the oppressive atmosphere in the main hall instantly dissipated.