It turns out, they were the main characters.

Or perhaps I was hallucinating—

Just as Mu Zhi'an thought of this, that old voice, like a ghost, came to his ear again:

"my child……"

Mu Zhian felt his hair stand on end, and he looked up, staring at the direction of the altar with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

The sound came from the altar!

Chapter 114 Meeting the Empress (3.5K)

The voice kept lingering in Mu Zhian's ears, and under the clear sky, it sent a chill down his spine for no apparent reason.

Mu Zhian rubbed his arm while looking up at the crowd around him.

The expressions of each sect disciple were no different from usual, gazing at the sect leader before the altar with worshipful eyes, as if they had not heard a sound.

"Child...I'm here..."

The aged voice rang in his ears again, sending shivers down Mu Zhian's spine. He looked up at the woman before the altar.

Senior Sister Lan's master is one of the world's top experts, so she should be able to sense this voice... What exactly is this voice?

However, when Mu Zhian looked up, he found that Shang Yanfei seemed to know nothing, her gaze calmly fixed on the altar, performing an ancestral worship ceremony.

"my child……"

The voice was like a haunting demon, causing Mu Zhian's forehead to break out in a cold sweat. In the crisp autumn air, his back was unknowingly covered in cold sweat.

Wei Mengrou clearly noticed this as well, and whispered, "Are you alright? If you're not feeling well, don't push yourself. Let's leave first."

Mu Zhian shook his head slightly and stared intently at the altar.

Could something be sealed inside?

Even so, it doesn't explain why only he could hear the voice while others couldn't.

The chosen one should be Ye Yu... Shouldn't this "opportunity" be given to him?

No... this shouldn't be called an opportunity, but rather a "bad luck" thing.

Could it be that I'm being punished by heaven for dating too many girls?

It was rare for Mu Zhian to still have the mind to joke in his heart at this moment. He covered his forehead tightly, feeling that the voice kept penetrating his brain and reaching his heart.

Everything before my eyes seemed to become somewhat hazy, as if shrouded in a layer of white mist.

Wei Mengrou turned her head to look at him, her usually indifferent eyes now showing a hint of worry.

At the same time, in front of the altar, Shang Yanfei seemed to have completed the ancestral worship ceremony, and placed three incense sticks in front of the altar.

Boom!

Thunder roared and echoed across the sky.

At this moment, the voice that had been lingering in Mu Zhian's ear suddenly disappeared, and the whispers among the newly joined disciples clearly reached his ears.

At this moment, large drops of cold sweat had already seeped from Mu Zhian's forehead.

Shang Yanfei stepped down from the altar and returned to the high platform. She glanced at the Grand Elder beside her and transmitted her voice, "Notify the others that the selection ceremony for inner disciples will be postponed to two days later."

The Grand Elder was clearly taken aback for a moment, but without any hesitation, he nodded slightly and immediately transmitted his voice to the person in charge of the sect's opening ceremony.

Shang Yanfei's gaze then fell on a cold and beautiful woman in a moon-white dress in the crowd.

Lan Mulian clearly noticed her master's gaze and looked up, just in time to hear Shang Yanfei's voice floating lightly in her ear: "Bring Mu Zhian to the back mountain."

Mu Zhian...?

A hint of doubt appeared in Lan Mulian's eyes.

Why would Master know Mu Zhi'an's name...?

And what does she want with this junior monk...?

"Yes."

Although somewhat puzzled, Lan Mulian still answered in a respectful tone via telepathy.

Master's orders should be obeyed unconditionally.

As the person in charge announced that the subsequent selection ceremony for inner disciples would be postponed, the disciples of the sect left one after another, but as they left, they discussed with their companions the reasons for the postponement of the selection ceremony.

"I think it's because there are too many geniuses among the disciples who joined the sect this time, so even the head disciples need to consider it more carefully."

"Hmm... There are indeed quite a few geniuses among the disciples who have entered the sect this time. It can be called a golden age."

"And there are also many beautiful junior sisters..."

As the disciples left the pilgrimage hall, they couldn't help but discuss this matter.

No matter the era, the word "beautiful woman" is always the most discussed topic among men.

This is true even in the world of cultivation.

"But if we're talking about the most beautiful junior sister, it should be Bai Ruoxi, right?" Among the departing disciples, someone suddenly mentioned this name.

"Considering all factors, the young lady of the Bai family in Xuancheng that day was indeed a great beauty, probably comparable to Senior Sister Lan..." someone sighed.

"Wasn't Junior Sister Bai supposed to be here for the opening ceremony? Why don't I see her?"

"Isn't it over there?" Someone glanced in a direction not far away.

Many people turned their heads to look.

In a corner of the bustling square, Bai Ruoxi, with her cool and gentle demeanor, was holding Mu Zhian's arm as they sat on a step, gently wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Her elegant palace dress accentuated her snow-white skin, and even with just a touch of makeup, her exquisite profile was captivating.

A seemingly frail young man is being carefully cared for by such a beautiful woman; any man would be envious of such a sight.

Many sect disciples who were about to leave involuntarily slowed down, gazing at this enviable scene, and suddenly couldn't help but whisper, "Who is that male cultivator next to her?"

"The eldest son of the Mu family is said to have been obsessed with beautiful women in the past. I wonder how he managed to win over Junior Sister Bai."

"A genius at the Refining Spirit Realm was actually pursued by a Qi Refining Fifth Grade cultivator... This young master Mu seems to know how to woo girls."

Hearing the disciples' hushed discussions, one of those who had previously received favors from Mu Zhi'an finally couldn't help but speak up in his defense:

"Young Master Mu is quite capable. He single-handedly led us through the assessment at Canghai Peak, and he also reportedly performed exceptionally well in Senior Linglong's cave."

"The assessment at Canghai Peak?"

Everyone was deeply moved, clearly aware of just how extraordinary the sect's assessment on that main peak was.

"A cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining can lead a group of disciples through the Canghai Peak assessment?"

"Senior Linglong's cave heaven... I once heard my senior brother say that most people can't even get past the first level, the puppet dragon... How could he possibly do it?"

The whispers of these disciples naturally reached Mu Zhian's ears.

Bai Ruoxi frowned slightly and said softly, "These people are really annoying."

Despite Mu Zhian's excellent past performance, some people have described him as unacceptable and even questioned him.

Mu Zhian was sitting on a set of steps near the Pilgrimage Hall. Bai Ruoxi was sitting to his left, while Wei Mengrou stood quietly to the side without saying a word.

Mu Zhian gently patted Bai Ruoxi's small hand, shook his head and chuckled, "Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain. My past performance is too different from my current performance, so it's natural that people will question me... Besides, at the fifth level of Qi Refining, under normal circumstances, it is indeed impossible to lead other disciples to pass the assessment."

If it weren't for the formation within Canghai Peak, Mu Zhi'an wouldn't have been able to lead the other disciples through the assessment.

Moreover, some of these people didn't actually doubt him at all; they were just a little jealous to see Bai Ruoxi sitting next to them.

This is understandable... After all, it's inevitable that a pampered young lady and a spoiled brat would cause some controversy if they were together.

But at least these disciples are all smart and won't directly confront others like Ye Yu or Gongsun Cheng; at most, they'll just talk about it in private.

Bai Ruoxi was an intelligent woman, and she naturally knew that it would be useless to just speak up for Mu Zhian now. She needed to take it slowly and gradually change other people's opinions.

She also believes that Mu Zhian will eventually be able to change the minds of those who question him.

After all, she, like everyone else, had a prejudice against Mu Zhian in the past, didn't she?

It wasn't until I got together with him that I gradually came to understand his charm.

It's not that he's powerful, but that being with him makes you feel very safe.

It's just that sometimes when we're in bed, he likes to stop halfway through and tease the other person, which is a little annoying...

As if recalling some unpleasant images, Miss Bai's face flushed with a shy blush.

She wiped the cold sweat from Mu Zhi'an's face with a handkerchief, gazed into his eyes, and barely managed to suppress her chaotic thoughts. She asked, "Mu Lang, what happened to you just now? Why are your lips so pale?"

Those bright eyes held undisguised worry.

Looking at the stunning face and the concern in the girl's eyes, Mu Zhian shook his head and smiled, "It's nothing, it's not a big problem."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ruoxi, though still somewhat worried, stopped asking further questions after Mu Zhian had gone this far. Instead, she quietly stayed by Mu Zhian's side, waiting for him to recover some strength before leaving the Pilgrimage Hall.

Not far away, Ye Yu, dressed in a black robe, watched this scene from the crowd. Especially when this beautiful and refined woman showed concern for Mu Zhi'an in such a girlish manner, revealing her gentle side, he couldn't help but recall the cold indifference she showed when she handed him the annulment letter.

The contrast between the two left Ye Yu with nothing but endless rage.

As if sensing Ye Yu's gaze, Mu Zhian looked up and saw Ye Yu amidst the bustling crowd.

Ye Yu also noticed Mu Zhian's gaze, his lips parted slightly, and he mouthed two words: Serves you right.

Clearly, when Ye Yu said that Mu Zhi'an deserved it, he was referring to Mu Zhi'an's current "weak" state.

Mu Zhian naturally didn't care about this, since Bai Ruoxi was with him now, how could he possibly pay attention to those who were jealous?

He was about to look away.

Just then, a clear, melodious voice, like the sound of silver bells, suddenly rang out from afar: "Brother Mu."

Mu Zhian looked up and saw Ye Qian running up in a pair of cloud-embroidered short boots. Her skirt fluttered, revealing glimpses of her smooth, white legs, and her chest swayed gently with her movements.

She came to Mu Zhi'an's side, leaned down slightly, looked at his pale face, and asked worriedly, "Are you alright, Brother Mu?"

Mu Zhian forced a smile, gently shook his head, and said, "It's nothing, thank you for your concern."

After he finished speaking, he asked Ye Qian to sit down next to him, then looked up at Ye Yu, who was staring intently at him, and mouthed in response: Your sister is so cute.

Seeing that Ye Yu's body stiffened and his expression was somewhat unnatural, Mu Zhian smiled calmly and looked away.

Although I was feeling a bit tired because of that strange sound, the two girls beside me, plus Mengrou's caring gaze, were enough to heal everything.