This thought was filled with extreme jealousy, resentment, bitterness, and a naked desire for that treasure, like a ferocious, roaring venomous dragon!

But it appears quickly and disappears even faster!

Ling Xiao's powerful willpower was like the ice of the heavens, instantly freezing, suppressing, and sealing the erupting volcano!

Almost in the next instant, the cold, perfect, and orderly "calm" returned to the depths of his consciousness.

He even slightly adjusted his posture, appearing even more respectful and humble.

Found it!

That's it! Jealousy of my master! A mad desire and resentment for the Spirit-Nourishing Lotus!

Jiang Chan was overjoyed! This idea was ruthless! Profound! And the connection was incredibly clear—"Master" and "Spirit Lotus"! The trigger point was the sect competition! As long as she found the key scene that could trigger this association…

However!

Just as she locked onto her target and her mind relaxed slightly!

A torrent of intent, ten times stronger and a hundred times colder than before, carrying a clear sense of "exploration," swept across the entire sea of ​​consciousness like a god looking down on an ant from the heavens, instantly enveloping the jade pendant area where Jiang Chan was hiding!

Ling Xiao is conducting a self-examination!

He sensed something was amiss!

That scorching heat, like a red-hot needle, pierced Jiang Chan's consciousness!

pain!

Intense pain, as if it were tearing her apart, suddenly exploded from the depths of the jade pendant!

She felt as if her "body" had been hit hard by an invisible hammer, instantly shrinking into a ball, and all her senses became blurred.

The feeling of "reaching out" that I had when scanning Ling Xiao's sea of ​​consciousness was forcibly cut off, like a tentacle being severed by a sharp blade.

The jade pendant itself emitted an extremely faint, almost inaudible "crack" sound. It wasn't heard by the ears, but perceived by the mind. It seemed that a tiny, cold crack had appeared inside the jade.

What's even more dangerous is what's outside.

The gentle, flowing voice of the sermon paused very slightly, for less than half a second, before resuming immediately, but the smooth, flowing rhythm was interrupted.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Chan felt the warm chest pressed against the jade pendant, and the muscles seemed to tense up slightly for a moment.

The hand, with its distinct knuckles and slender, jade-like shape, rose, not as a gesture, but unconsciously, with a hint of inquiry and vigilance, gently stroking the jade pendant on its chest.

With calloused fingertips, she traced the smooth surface of the jade pendant. The touch, transmitted through the cold jade, sent a chill through Jiang Chan's consciousness.

"Just now... there seemed to be a hint of something else?" Ling Xiao's voice remained gentle, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps questioning the jade pendant itself.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, the tiny wrinkle so quick it was almost an illusion, but Jiang Chan noticed it clearly!

Danger!

Extremely dangerous!

Jiang Chan didn't even dare to cry out in pain. She suppressed all fluctuations of her consciousness, shrinking herself to be smaller than a speck of dust, and pressed herself tightly against the most inconspicuous corner of the jade pendant, simulating the pendant's own weak and pitiful spiritual fluctuations—like a real, mindless piece of jade.

She could feel a grander, colder, and purer intent, like an invisible searchlight, slowly sweeping across the inside of the jade pendant! It was Ling Xiao's "inner inspection"! He was searching for the source of that slight disturbance!

The intent to scan was cold and sharp, carrying an unquestionable sense of order.

Jiang Chan felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into the freezing snow, every "thought" could be frozen and shattered, so she disguised herself to the extreme.

Time seemed to stand still.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Finally, that cold and sharp thought slowly moved away... No obvious "foreign object" was found, and it seemed to attribute the previous anomaly to a slight disharmony in the operation of its own Dao thought, or a slight unconscious fluctuation of the jade pendant's own spirituality.

Ling Xiao stopped stroking the jade pendant, put it back by his side, and resumed his sermon in a smooth voice, as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Chan's extremely tense consciousness dared to relax even slightly; it was too close! She was almost dragged out and crushed!

The risks of the scan were greater than she had anticipated! Ling Xiao's Daoist power and his control over his own consciousness were so strong that they were practically abnormal!

But the mission must continue; if she doesn't find that "thorn," she will eventually be worn down!

We must be more careful and more discreet! We can no longer conduct large-scale scans like before; we need to pinpoint the target and locate it precisely!

Jiang Chan began to adjust her strategy. She no longer tried to delve into the core of Ling Xiao's consciousness. Instead, like an experienced spy, she lurked on the edge, only carefully, like the most precise probe, capturing the slightest possible ripple when he faced specific people, events, or things and his emotions might fluctuate.

Objective 1: To face Master Qingxu Zhenren.

Ling Xiao was extremely respectful to his master, and performed the rituals with utmost courtesy.

Jiang Chan carefully observed each time he bowed or listened to his teachings.

In my conscious mind, there is only pure admiration and respect.

On one occasion, Master Qingxu casually bestowed upon Ling Xiao a bottle of precious "Nine-Turn Spirit Gathering Pills," which Ling Xiao accepted with both hands and respectfully expressed his gratitude.

Just as he looked down at the pills, Jiang Chan caught a fleeting, extremely faint thought: "Another Spirit Gathering Pill... When will Master bestow upon me the 'Purple Mansion Nourishing Essence Pill'? That is the key to helping me condense a perfect Golden Core..."

The thought carried a subtle sense of dissatisfaction beneath a feeling of "it is only right," but it was quickly suppressed by the thought that "Master has his own reasons."

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