Not long after Ling Luoyi left with the little one, people arrived at the foot of the mountain. Due to the numerous illusory beasts on the mountain, they dared not ascend and could only wait for them to leave before going up to investigate.
After the beast herds on the mountain saw Ling Luoyi leave with the Holy Light Unicorn, they also slowly retreated.
The demonic and illusory beasts in the other four regions, upon sensing the disappearance of the aura from that area, also got up and returned to their own territories.
Ling Luoyi entered the Fengxi Realm and simultaneously restored the water mirror. The image on the water mirror showed Ling Luoyi setting up a tent, entering it, and never emerging.
Although the water mirror had not been able to locate Ling Luoyi before, the golden light that had just appeared was seen by everyone present.
"What was that golden light just now?"
"Was the beast tide earlier caused by that golden light?"
"Was that golden light some kind of treasure?"
"That's unlikely. This secret realm has existed for over a thousand years; any treasure would have been taken long ago."
"Then what do you think that golden light was?"
"How would I know!"
"Did the water mirror not show Ling Luoyi's image all along? What happened to her?"
...
Listening to the discussions, Long Qinghuang looked at Ling Luoyi's tent with deep eyes, lost in thought.
Elder Qu was also by his side. Seeing Long Qinghuang's expression, he felt puzzled. What exactly was Miss Ling doing? Didn't she know what kind of attention her sudden disappearance would attract? Why did she still do it?
Ling Luoyi knew, of course. However, while she could create a false impression like everyone else, wouldn't doing nothing arouse even greater suspicion? After all, she had the highest cultivation among them. If she did nothing, and something happened to the noble disciples of the Long Qing Kingdom, she would likely face considerable trouble upon her return.
And that damned responsibility!
Since she couldn't reveal what she had done, she simply made herself unfoundable by the water mirror, allowing them to indulge their imaginations.
Long Qinghuang suddenly said to Elder Qu, "Elder Qu, it seems I should meet this eldest miss Ling."
Elder Qu was startled but maintained a calm expression. He said, "Your Majesty, a fourth-grade alchemist is highly respected even in the upper kingdoms."
Their words seemed unrelated, but they both understood each other's meaning.
Long Qinghuang knew Elder Qu was reminding him and smiled, "Naturally. Alchemists have always been the most respected, especially the current sole supreme-grade alchemist."
The Dean of Long Qing Academy, standing nearby, said, "Elder Qu, I heard that in the Ling family's Pill Pavilion in Yunyuan City, Tianwu Kingdom, they sell a detoxification pill specifically for pill poison. Is this information true?"
Elder Qu cursed the old fox inwardly. He took out a pill and said, "This information is indeed true. I went and bought three pills for no reason and have already used two. The pill poison in my body has indeed reduced by twenty percent."
Several people looked at the pill in Elder Qu's hand and felt its medicinal efficacy. It was indeed more potent than the high-grade pills they had bought from the Alchemist Guild, undoubtedly a supreme-grade pill.
Someone asked with confusion, "Elder Qu, why did your pill poison only reduce by twenty percent after you took two pills?"
Elder Qu chuckled twice and said, "I have consumed countless pills with pill poison over the years, and the accumulated pill poison in my body is immeasurable. To have two pills reduce it by twenty percent, I am already very satisfied. Moreover, eldest miss Ling also said that the detoxification pill remains effective regardless of how many are taken."
"Elder Qu, are you telling the truth?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, what I said is naturally true."
"Elder Qu, I have something I wish to ask you." Seeing Elder Qu's consistent protection of Ling Luoyi, Long Qinghuang was very curious, especially about the rumors outside.
"If Your Majesty wishes to ask, I will naturally answer," Elder Qu said. "Actually, I also asked eldest miss Ling about that matter, and she said that rumors cannot be fully believed."
Elder Qu particularly emphasized the word "fully."
Upon hearing Elder Qu's reply, Long Qinghuang's mind churned.
"Cannot be fully believed" meant that some parts could be believed. And she was likely referring not to the rumors themselves, but to the speculations underlying them. Connecting the two, it meant their speculations contained both truth and falsehood. So, which part was false?
Thinking of the five spots for the Ling family, Long Qinghuang guessed that this was likely true.
Those who were unaware of certain matters listened to their conversation with blank expressions.
"Elder Qu, I understand."
Seeing Long Qinghuang say this, Elder Qu breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of anything else, he had passed this hurdle with Long Qinghuang.
Within the Fengxi Realm, Ling Luoyi placed the little one on the table. The other little ones gathered around.
"Master, this looks like a Holy Light Unicorn?" Chen Sha asked.
"It is a Holy Light Unicorn, and it has just hatched."
Wei Yu suddenly pointed at the little one, her expression anxious, and asked, "Master, you're not thinking of contracting it, are you?!"
"No," Ling Luoyi said. "This little fellow is of the light element, and my uncle is also of the light element. It would be good for him."
"Master, although this fellow has just hatched and its cultivation is only at the first-tier Spirit Apprentice stage, it is a divine beast bloodline after all. Can your uncle contract it?"
Guang Yue's words, though sharp, were factual.
Mystic Beasts were equivalent to the Spirit King realm in human cultivation. Her uncle was currently only at the Spirit Apprentice realm, a significant difference.
"Why worry? Don't I have my contract talismans?"
Thinking of Ling Luoyi's almost monstrous contract talismans, Guang Yue shook her head and said, "I am worrying too much."
Wei Yu didn't care who would contract this Holy Light Unicorn, as long as it wasn't her master.
"Alright, let's not worry about these things for now. Guang Yue, Wei Yu, Chen Sha, Little Feng Xi, I cannot release this Holy Light Unicorn into the outside world, so I will entrust it to your care."
"Oh, okay." Wei Yu replied, "Master, I will take good care of it."
As long as it wasn't here to compete with her for master's attention, she quite liked this little Holy Light Unicorn.
"Then I'll trouble you all."
"Master, it's not trouble. I will be a good older sister," Wei Yu said with a harmless smile.
Guang Yue, Chen Sha, and Little Feng Xi looked at the cooing Wei Yu speechlessly. She had been hostile towards the Holy Light Unicorn just moments ago, and now she was a good older sister.
"Alright, I have matters to attend to outside, and I must leave."
"Master, don't forget to let me out."
Ling Luoyi patted Wei Yu's head and said, "I remember. Once the competition ends and those people return, I can bring you all out."
Ling Luoyi returned to the tent in the secret realm, still thinking about the Holy Light Unicorn.
Holy Light Unicorns were divine beasts. Even newborn Holy Light Unicorns possessed divine beast bloodlines. The restriction on this continent was the Spirit King realm; upon reaching Spirit King, one would be sent to the upper realm.
Therefore, logically speaking, there should be no divine beasts on this continent. But why was there a divine beast egg?
And where did this secret realm come from? Why did it become the venue for the Long Qing Kingdom's积分赛 (Jīfēn sài -积分赛 means points competition or ranking competition)?
Ling Luoyi pinched her temples. She had only stayed on this continent for two years and lived in Luoxia Forest for a year and a half. Her understanding of this continent was too limited, and she had only learned a little from the Ancient Profound Continent, mostly by flipping through records.
Never mind, she would take it step by step. She would eventually find out.
After a morning of activity, Ling Luoyi took out the meals she had ordered from Mingyue Tower in Nanxin City and began to eat with relish, her mood gradually shifting from gloomy to sunny.
Indeed, good food was the best comforter.
As Ling Luoyi was eating, she suddenly heard a woman's voice from not far away.
"Brother, look, that tent ahead seems to be the same one as the young lady from last night."