Which Realm Are You From?

Li Guanqi trotted over to the old man's side, looking so meek and obedient that it was hard to imagine he was actually a wild, untamed sort. The old man looked Li Guanqi up and down, his eyes filled with playful amusement. "Li Congxin, wasn't it?" Li Guanqi nodded in agreement and quietly waited for him to continue. Immortal Elder Yu made no effort to conceal his intention to recruit him, speaking plainly. "Boy, do you want to come back with this old man to the Nine Tripods Heavenly Palace?" Li Guanqi smiled, cupped his hands in a polite salute first, and chuckled. "Many thanks for Elder Yu's high regard, but... junior's personality is better suited to tempering myself through training in a tumultuous place like the Ten Lands." Immortal Elder Yu was rather taken aback upon hearing this. Frowning slightly, the look in his eyes turned somewhat more complicated as he gazed at Li Guanqi. Had it been an ordinary cultivator, they would likely have been beside themselves with excitement. Who could possibly refuse an olive branch extended by the Nine Tripods Heavenly Palace? To any cultivator, this was an opportunity to ascend straight to heaven in a single bound! Yet Li Guanqi had rejected it outright without the slightest hesitation! Immortal Elder Yu was not angry. Tucking his hands into his sleeves, he looked at Li Guanqi with keen interest and chuckled softly. "Oh? Why refuse? You should know that the Nine Tripods Heavenly Palace where this old man belongs is a tremendously powerful clan force, even within Emperor Heaven of the Nine Heavens. Could it be that you look down on it?" The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched, and he hurriedly said in an apologetic tone, "How could this junior dare look down on it... Elder Yu, you flatter and shame me all at once." Li Guanqi thought for a moment before finally speaking. "After ascending from the Spirit Realm, junior already had an original sect, so I still must seek out that original sect of mine." Only then did Immortal Elder Yu come to a sudden realization. Even so, he remained deeply astonished that Li Guanqi could decline his invitation. This required a cultivator to possess an exceptionally steadfast Dao heart, capable of resisting sheer temptation. Compared to cultivators who only knew how to obey, Immortal Elder Yu held those capable of speaking up and saying no in far higher esteem. Anyone knew how to climb up a ladder by following the current. Yet when faced with immense temptation, very few cultivators possessed the resolve to refuse. Stroking his beard with a chuckle, the elder remarked casually, "I wonder which realm my young friend ascended from, and which sect was blessed with such good fortune to nurture a disciple as outstanding as you?" Li Guanqi's heart jolted. On the outside, however, his expression remained perfectly composed without the slightest ripple, while his mind raced at full speed. *Does this old man know, or doesn't he? How much does he know? Did Wanshu mention which realm she came from?* Just as Li Guanqi fell silent, the elder glanced sideways at him. "What? Is it so difficult to say which realm you ascended from?" Li Guanqi hurriedly broke into a smile. "How could it be? I was only trying to recall what that realm of ours was called... As you know, not many cultivators actually know the name of their realm. If I remember correctly, it was called Guang-something." Immortal Elder Yu picked up the thread. "Guangxing Realm?" Li Guanqi's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly. "Right, right! It seems it was called the Guangxing Realm. My sect can't be considered any great power, but it at least gives me a modest place to plant my feet." Immortal Elder Yu nodded as well, murmuring to himself, "The Guangxing Realm is indeed a major realm. That works too..." With that, he looked at Li Guanqi and smiled. "You are still young, very young. It doesn't matter much either way. If you ever wish to come up in the future, contact me anytime." As he finished speaking, Immortal Elder Yu handed over a jade pendant, upon which three large characters were inscribed with sweeping, vigorous strokes: *Immortal Elder Yu!* Li Guanqi bowed and accepted the jade token with both hands. After handing the jade pendant to Li Guanqi, the elder smoothed his ornate dharma robes and took another look at the young man. Deep down, the elder thought very highly of this youth. "You probably know nothing of our Palace Master's character, nor have you witnessed her magnificent grace. But there is no need for you to worry that the Saintess will be subjected to things like 'arranged political marriages.' The Nine Tripods Heavenly Palace has never resorted to such methods to strengthen itself. Because... we are already powerful enough on our own!" Li Guanqi visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the old man say this. In truth, he had been terribly worried that such massive clan forces might engage in that sort of maneuvering. Just as Li Guanqi was about to express his thanks, the elder changed his tone, clasping his hands behind his back as he rose to his feet with a laugh. "However... the Saintess is far too exceptional. It will be inevitable for her to draw considerable attention and suitors. When the time comes, whether you can protect your wife will depend entirely on yourself, boy." A smile appeared on Li Guanqi's face, his eyes brimming with absolute confidence as he met the old man's gaze. "Elder Yu may rest assured. When it comes to my own wife, I can certainly protect her." Immortal Elder Yu looked deeply at Li Guanqi and said, quite out of the ordinary, "Indeed, I believe you can protect her too!" Li Guanqi was momentarily stunned by those words. He had no idea that certain secrets within his body had already been discerned, yet the old man chose not to pry into the matter. Which cultivator who had managed to reach this level didn't carry a few secrets of their own? What the elder did not know, however, was that within Li Guanqi's sea of consciousness lay another sealed power. This power had been left behind by Su Xuan, sealed away by Li Guanqi in the deepest recesses of his sea of consciousness, hidden with extreme secrecy. Li Guanqi dared not reveal anything related to Su Xuan in front of anyone. Even when Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu were alone together in the room, the two of them had tacitly refrained from mentioning anything about Su Xuan. Moreover, with Meng Wanshu's sharp intuition, she had long sensed that something was amiss with the Youhuang Realm where they originated. That was why, from beginning to end, she had remained deliberately vague whenever asked which realm she hailed from. Meng Wanshu, who had just stepped out of the room, had also overheard Li Guanqi claiming he was from the Guangxing Realm, and she committed it quietly to memory. Immortal Elder Yu did not give Li Guanqi much else. When it came to good karma forged on a whim, the elder did not wish to make the karmic ties too heavy. Standing up, Immortal Elder Yu looked toward Meng Wanshu on the third floor and bowed slightly in greeting. "Saintess, this old man shall take his leave first." Meng Wanshu bowed in return and said softly, "Elder Yu, you may have the cloud boat halt for now. I shall accompany my husband to greet the elders, and afterward we can set off for Emperor Heaven." The old man's eyes brightened instantly upon hearing this. "The Saintess has changed her mind and will not cultivate here in the Ten Lands? Hahaha, wonderful!" Meng Wanshu turned to Li Guanqi and said softly, "It was my husband's wish. He did not want to delay my cultivation, thinking it would be far better for me in Emperor Heaven." Immortal Elder Yu looked upon Li Guanqi with even greater regard; this young man clearly understood what was best. "Good, good, good." The old man suddenly felt that giving away that jade pendant had not been a losing trade after all... Li Guanqi saw the old man off with a smile, then slipped away downstairs alongside Meng Wanshu. On the second floor, Lin Jinting and Lin Shengwu were both meditating with their eyes closed. The effects of that sandalwood incense were truly extraordinary! *Knock, knock, knock.* Lin Jinting woke from his cultivation. The bottleneck in his realm, which had been stagnant for several decades, had actually loosened slightly! Lin Shengwu also emerged from his meditative state, feeling lingering satisfaction. The two stood up and opened the door to receive them. The moment the door swung open, they saw Meng Wanshu holding Li Guanqi's arm, standing right outside. "Hahaha, you boy, still so courteous! Quickly, come inside!"