16
It was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.
Qing Yanjing slowly raised her head, meeting Xiao Qing's deep, profound gaze.
Those eyes were terrifying, so deep they seemed capable of piercing through everything.
Qing Yanjing only locked eyes with him for an instant before subconsciously lowering her gaze, her heart skipping a beat.
Her concealment methods might have been able to deceive Cultivators below the Heavenly Sovereign level, but before the Heavenly Emperor, who was an Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign, she had likely already been exposed.
What's done is done; she would have to face it.
Qing Yanjing stood with her eyes lowered, her fingertips tightening slightly as she waited for Xiao Qing to question her.
From the moment she joined the Heavenly Court two years ago, she knew this day would come.
She just didn't expect it to arrive so soon.
She was already prepared for her identity to be exposed; she would tell the truth as soon as he spoke.
After a long while, Xiao Qing finally spoke.
"The Heavenly Court welcomes talented individuals from all corners of the Great Thousand Worlds. As long as one passes the trials, we do not excessively investigate their backgrounds or pasts."
His voice was calm, yet carried an intangible majesty.
Qing Yanjing's heart tightened; she knew the main topic had arrived.
Xiao Qing's tone shifted abruptly, a flash of sharpness appearing in his eyes.
"This includes, but is not limited to, those who joined the Heavenly Court while hiding their identities or harboring ulterior motives—"
He paused, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp. An invisible pressure instantly swept through the entire Council Hall, bearing down directly on Qing Yanjing.
"But the prerequisite is that you must not harbor the slightest disloyalty toward the Heavenly Court!"
That pressure was too terrifying.
Qing Yanjing felt the blood in her body surging, her face turning slightly pale, and even her breathing became somewhat rapid.
She circulated her spiritual power frantically, attempting to resist this pressure, but found it completely useless.
She had met Elders of the Peak Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign level within her clan, but none had ever exerted such intense pressure on her.
This feeling was something only that Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign, Grand Elder Futu Xuan, could bring her.
But Grand Elder Futu Xuan was a peerless powerhouse at the Middle Stage of the Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign, an old monster who had lived for tens of thousands of years.
Yet the Heavenly Emperor before her had only just achieved a breakthrough to the Early Stage of the Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign.
Could it be that although the Heavenly Emperor was only at the Immortal Grade, his strength was already comparable to the Saint-Rank?
A storm surged in Qing Yanjing's heart.
Impossible...
Perhaps it was just an illusion caused by the massive gap between herself and such a peerless powerhouse...
Even so, Qing Yanjing finally understood why this person could defy the odds and defeat an Immortal Grade while still at the Spiritual Grade, and why he was so highly regarded by the Great Thousand Palace.
This was no ordinary Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign.
This was a true peerless monstrous talent!
Qing Yanjing took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart.
She knew she could no longer hide.
Qing Yanjing bit her lip gently and slowly raised her eyes, meeting Xiao Qing's gaze.
"Heavenly Emperor, please understand, I did not intend to hide anything."
Qing Yanjing's voice carried a hint of helplessness, yet was also sincere.
"My real name is Qing Yanjing, and I am from the Qing Lineage of the Futu Ancient Clan."
A flicker of surprise crossed Xiao Qing's eyes, but he did not interrupt her.
Qing Yanjing continued, "Three years ago, to escape an arranged marriage by my Clan, I used an alias to go out and train."
"Two years ago, upon learning that the Heavenly Court was recruiting talent, I joined, hoping to achieve a breakthrough to the Heavenly Sovereign level here and change my own fate."
She paused, her tone becoming more sincere.
"I have absolutely no ill intentions toward the Heavenly Court."
Xiao Qing did not speak, simply watching her quietly.
Qing Yanjing took a deep breath and continued to explain.
"Currently, my father, Clan Leader Qing Muxuan, is stationed at the Holy Abyss Continent, unable to attend to affairs within the clan."
"The Xuan Vein and the Mo Branch within the clan have joined forces to suppress the Qing Lineage."
"The Qing Lineage is weak; I fear this marriage has already been tacitly approved by many Elders in the clan."
She lowered her head, her voice softening.
"I do not wish to become a sacrifice in the clan's power struggle..."
Xiao Qing listened, falling silent for a moment.
Qing Yanjing...
He repeated the name in his heart, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
Of course, he knew this name.
The peerless Genius of the Futu Ancient Clan's Qing Lineage, who manifested eight purple moons at birth and possessed the Eight Godly Veins talent.
She was a once-in-a-millennium peerless Genius of the Futu Ancient Clan, with the potential to challenge the Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign level in the future.
More importantly, her attainments in Spirit Arrays were unparalleled.
In the original story, not only did she breakthrough to the Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign, but she also became a rare Saint-grade Spirit Array Grandmaster, with combat power far exceeding her peers, enough to rival a Middle Stage Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign.
Xiao Qing knew all of this.
He also knew that in the original story, after Qing Yanjing's father fell, the Qing Lineage suffered a precipitous decline.
The Qing Lineage suffered heavy casualties under the joint suppression of the Xuan Vein and the Mo Branch.
In the end, it was only when the Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign Grand Elder Futu Xuan, who was in seclusion in the ancestral land, stepped in to stop it that the Qing Lineage was preserved.
Eventually, Grand Elder Futu Xuan decided to emerge from seclusion and temporarily take over the power of the Clan Head of the Futu Ancient Clan, waiting only for another Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign to emerge from the three branches to take over the position.
And Qing Yanjing was the one with the most hope.
A Saint-grade Spirit Array Grandmaster.
That was an existence a hundred times rarer than a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign.
For tens of thousands of years, there had only been two in the Great Thousand Worlds: the War Emperor and the Old Man of the Heavenly Array from the ancient era.
If such a prodigious talent could remain in the Heavenly Court...
A thought flashed through Xiao Qing's mind, but his expression remained unchanged.
"Since your father is the Clan Head of the Futu Ancient Clan, can he not even decide his own daughter's marriage?"
Qing Yanjing shook her head helplessly and explained in detail, "The Holy Abyss Continent borders the Extraterritorial Evil Clan and is one of the main battlefields between the Great Thousand Worlds and the Extraterritorial Evil Clan."
"Even a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign, when there, dares not act recklessly; a moment of carelessness can lead to their demise."
She paused and continued.
"All Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereigns in the Great Thousand Worlds take turns guarding the Holy Abyss Continent for a hundred years."
"Currently, it is my father's hundred-year term."
"He went to the Holy Abyss Continent when I was very young, and it has been decades since."
"I even feel that even if he knew about this marriage, he might tacitly approve of it for the sake of the Futu Ancient Clan and the Qing Lineage."
Xiao Qing nodded slowly.
So that was it.
In the original story, the fall of Qing Yanjing's father, Clan Leader Qing Muxuan, likely occurred while he was guarding the Holy Abyss Continent.
Calculating the time, I'm afraid there are not many years left.
Standing in the position of the Clan Head of the Futu Ancient Clan, Clan Leader Qing Muxuan probably really thought that way.
For the Futu Ancient Clan, marrying into the Mohe Clan was indeed a good opportunity to consolidate power.
Sacrificing one daughter in exchange for a powerful ally was a profitable calculation no matter how you looked at it.
Unfortunately, they didn't know that the people of the Mohe Clan were not good allies.
They also severely underestimated Qing Yanjing's peerless talent.
Which faction would be foolish enough to push away a descendant who was highly likely to become a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign and had the potential to become a Saint-grade Spirit Array Grandmaster for marriage?
Qing Yanjing was actually quite pitiful.
Being treated as a pawn by the Clan, and perhaps even tacitly sacrificed by her father.
Ultimately leading her to flee her homeland alone, hide her name, and seek refuge in a strange place.
If it were anyone else, they would have likely collapsed long ago.
But Qing Yanjing did not.
Not only did she not collapse, but in two years, through her own efforts, she became a Guest Elder of the Heavenly Court and won the respect of everyone.
This mental state and this resilience were truly rare.
Xiao Qing withdrew his thoughts, his gaze falling on the woman before him.
She stood there, her figure slender, her face stunningly beautiful, with a cold and distant temperament.
Yet in those eyes, a hint of undisguisable helplessness and stubbornness was hidden.
Strong on the outside, soft on the inside.
Even though she was the most outstanding prodigy of the Futu Ancient Clan, she was to be used as a political bargaining chip and married to someone she didn't even know.
Xiao Qing already had a decision in his heart.
"Since you have joined the Heavenly Court, you are a member of the Heavenly Court."
He said in a steady voice.
"As for the marriage, there is no need to worry; I will personally take action to help you."
Qing Yanjing looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Heavenly Emperor... is willing to help me?"
She never thought that Xiao Qing would take the initiative to help her.
The two had no deep friendship, and she had joined the Heavenly Court while hiding her identity.
If it were any other Heavenly Sovereign or faction in the Great Thousand Worlds, it would be impossible for them to face the majesty of the two Primordial God Clans for her sake.
Even a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign standing at the pinnacle of the Great Thousand Worlds would not do such a meaningless thing.
Qing Yanjing did not think her beauty could attract a figure like the Heavenly Emperor.
For a supreme powerhouse like him, standing at the pinnacle of the Great Thousand Worlds, what kind of woman could he not find?
With just a thought, countless beauties would be sent into the Heavenly Court.
The only thing the Heavenly Emperor could possibly value was her talent in the Dao of arrays...
A hint of bitterness welled up in Qing Yanjing's heart.
So, this man valued not her appearance, but her talent.
Her heart was filled with mixed feelings at this moment.
There was gratitude, bitterness, and also a hint of an indescribable emotion.
But upon further thought, Qing Yanjing felt relieved.
This was also good.
Relying on talent to make a living was always more secure than relying on appearance.