He carried himself with an air of authority.
"You!"
Guo Pangzi immediately stopped in his tracks.
At this moment.
Ling Fan, who had been watching the scene unfold, smiled faintly and said in a gruff voice, "What kind of exclusive circle is this? Is it so noble that one needs your permission to join for a drink? The more you want me to leave, the more I want to stay."
As he spoke.
With a casual wave of his hand.
A new chair appeared, and he sat down.
Hearing Ling Fan utter the words "exclusive circle" and then brazenly refusing to leave.
Chen Tao's expression immediately soured.
"You're asking for trouble."
From him, a powerful fourth-tier Xuan Di pressure erupted, pressing down on Ling Fan like a surging tide.
"Enough! Chen Tao, our guest is here. There's no need to be so aggressive."
A pleasant voice chimed in.
Just hearing the voice, one could imagine the beauty of this woman.
Ling Fan followed the sound and looked.
Indeed, he saw a woman with beautiful hair adorned with flowers, exceptionally beautiful.
"Brother Fan Lin, this is Lu Wei, whom I told you about. Her sister is a true disciple of the Qing Xuan Sect, the great beauty Lu."
Guo Pangzi introduced.
"This beauty is quite reasonable. Thank you."
Ling Fan casually cupped his hands, appearing somewhat nonchalant.
He didn't consider himself an outsider at all.
He immediately began to eat.
"This young master has an extraordinary demeanor and shows no fear. May I ask if you are a descendant of some renowned great family?" the beautiful woman asked.
"Renowned great family is an exaggeration. I am merely an unknown rogue cultivator."
Ling Fan waved his hand. "By the way, I heard from Guo Gui that your sister is a true disciple of the Qing Xuan Sect, which means she must be a fifth-tier Xuan Di? I also wish to develop long-term in the Qing Xuan Sect, so I'll need your guidance and care."
The beautiful woman frowned imperceptibly.
She offered a polite smile.
And said nothing.
Chen Tao, however, sneered dismissively, "You truly are unceremonious. I've never seen someone with a face as thick as a city wall before."
"You flatter me."
Ling Fan was not offended.
He suddenly felt that if he could integrate into this small group and participate in the Qing Xuan Sect's disciple selection, it would be a good approach.
Chen Tao was left speechless and let out a heavy snort.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Guo Pangzi, in an attempt to break the ice, said to the beautiful woman Lu Wei, "Beautiful Wei Wei, you were just talking about some secrets of the Qing Xuan Sect. Please continue, I haven't had my fill yet."
Lu Wei glanced at the others.
Then she looked at Ling Fan.
Ling Fan asked curiously, "What is it? Is it some kind of shameful secret? Go on, I'm listening."
Lu Wei was almost speechless.
The others were also somewhat surprised.
They were all the cream of the crop, geniuses from renowned great families.
In their speech, demeanor, and all other aspects, they were meticulous about maintaining a dignified appearance.
Encountering Ling Fan, a crude and even somewhat rogue individual today, Lu Wei felt like a scholar facing a soldier, unsure how to respond.
"It's not a shameful secret. In fact, many powerful individuals in Jinzhou are aware of this past of the Qing Xuan Sect."
Lu Wei said, "Of course, I've only heard it second-hand and cannot vouch for its accuracy. Since Young Master Fan wishes to hear it, I shall continue."
Ling Fan made a gesture of listening attentively.
Lu Wei said, "If everyone present can successfully become a disciple of the Qing Xuan Sect, once you enter the sect, you must be extremely careful not to offend anyone surnamed Gao."
"This is something my sister specifically warned me about. She said that the current Qing Xuan Sect is dominated by the Gao family. Even the current Sect Master of the Qing Xuan Sect is mockingly referred to as the Gao family's slave Sect Master by the upper cultivation circles of Jinzhou!"
She added after a moment's thought.
Ling Fan's gaze suddenly sharpened. "That's incorrect! The 'Qing Xuan' in Qing Xuan Sect is taken from the name of the founding ancestor, Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable. The Qing Xuan Sect should be under the control of the Qing family!"
With his statement.
Everyone looked at him with peculiar eyes.
"Am I wrong?"
Ling Fan frowned.
Lu Wei smiled, "Young Master Fan seems to have some knowledge of the Qing Xuan Sect. However, your words would have been correct a thousand years ago. But now, the Qing Xuan Sect has undergone a change of regime."
"What happened? What transpired in the Qing Xuan Sect after that incident?"
Ling Fan's brow furrowed even tighter.
His intuition told him.
The matter was not simple.
Chen Tao scoffed, "Truly ignorant!"
Lu Wei also looked at Ling Fan with the gaze of someone looking at an ancient relic isolated from the world, "Young Master Fan, are you genuinely unaware, or are you pretending? A thousand years ago, Emperor Venerables from the Ten Great Heavenly Realms mobilized their forces to hunt down that person. The Qing Xuan Sect chose the wrong side, resulting in the tragic death of the founding ancestor, Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable. The Qing family was consequently purged, and the Qing Xuan Sect has since become the domain of the Gao family. This is common knowledge in Jinzhou."
"What!"
Ling Fan suddenly slammed his palm on the table.
His expression turned extremely stern.
Everyone suddenly felt an bone-chilling cold emanating from him.
Even Chen Tao, a genius fourth-tier Xuan Di, shivered involuntarily.
But he would never admit it.
This person appeared to have ordinary strength, and he, Chen Tao, was a genius. How could he be intimidated by him?
"I see, no wonder the Qing Xuan Sect still exists. Such a tragic event must have occurred."
A strong killing intent surged from the depths of Ling Fan's heart.
In a sense.
Qing Xuan Emperor Venerable had died because of him.
The Qing family had also suffered great misfortune because of him.
"Are there any surviving members of the Qing family?"
Ling Fan sat down again, his expression returning to calm, his eyes, as still as a well, fixed on Lu Wei.
Seeing Ling Fan's completely different gaze from before, Lu Wei was slightly surprised.
She said, "There are still living members of the Qing family, but..."
Ling Fan pressed, "But what!"
Lu Wei shook her head, her tone tinged with pity, and said, "The Qing family has suffered too much. It would be better for them to be dead than alive. My sister told me that the Heavenly Court specifically issued a decree that any member of the Qing family in the Qing Xuan Sect who dared to associate with that person would be punished to suffer eternally, generation after generation! The thirteen Heavenly Emperors and two hundred and thirty-nine Xuan Dis of the Qing family have their imperial origin essence extracted day and night, moment by moment, making their lives worse than death. The descendants of the Qing family have all been demoted to the lowest-ranking slaves of the Qing Xuan Sect, and the women of the Qing family... alas! It's too tragic."
Lu Wei could not continue.
Ling Fan fell into a terrifying silence.
After a long while.
He asked, "You mentioned earlier that the people of Jinzhou jokingly referred to the Sect Master of the Qing Xuan Sect as the Gao family's slave Sect Master. What is the story behind that?"
Lu Wei paused, her divine sense sweeping over the surroundings, and said, "This matter concerns Heavenly Emperor level powerhouses. It cannot be spoken of. If you can enter the Qing Xuan Sect and at least become a true disciple, you will be qualified to know these secrets. In fact, these things are not considered secrets among the high-ranking members of the Qing Xuan Sect."
"When does the Qing Xuan Sect selection begin?"
Ling Fan no longer pressed further.
Instead, he inquired about the timing of the Qing Xuan Sect selection. He was now eager to enter the Qing Xuan Sect, to thoroughly investigate everything, and to rescue the members of the Qing family.