If someone else had been the High Priest of the Flower Rain Temple, he wouldn't have said anything like this. As someone who could hold the position, their understanding of the laws and divine arts would surely be no less than his, so why would they need his reminder? However, Mu Hanyan wasn't someone else; Sikong Qinglan had already guessed some of her background. Over their time together, he'd also discovered that while Mu Hanyan was incredibly talented, her time on the Divine Continent had been relatively short, and her understanding of divine arts was still somewhat superficial. This was likely due to the influence of her previous training, hence the reminder.
Mu Hanyan's eyes lit up after hearing Sikong Qinglan's words. Sikong Qinglan had guessed correctly; her understanding of the priest's divine arts was indeed largely influenced by her sword practice. Although the sword practice of the Holy Court Continent did involve laws in the later stages, generally speaking, the key to measuring strength was still Qi, and the interaction between laws was not emphasized.
Mu Hanyan had originally considered using the Chaos Sword, or perhaps even her sword cultivation, if she couldn't do it. Being more careful, others might not notice. But after Sikong Qinglan's reminder, she suddenly understood. In fact, after watching the competition between the priests of the various halls today, she had already noticed the difference between swordsmanship and divine arts, and realized the application of the laws of life and death, but she hadn't thought much about it.
"Qinglan, thank you so much. It's a good thing you reminded me, otherwise I would have really overlooked it." Mu Hanyan said to Sikong Qinglan.
"Your Excellency the Chief Priest is too kind. I was just saying it casually. Even if I didn't say it, I believe you would have thought of it soon." Sikong Qinglan blushed shyly after being praised by Mu Hanyan, and said embarrassedly.
"You go back and rest, I'll think about it carefully." Every time Mu Hanyan saw Sikong Qinglan blushing, she would secretly laugh, and she would involuntarily think of Mu Hanfeng when he was a child, and a sense of intimacy arose in her heart.
"Then I'll take my leave." Sikong Qinglan also returned to the room.
As soon as he left, Mu Hanyan put aside all distracting thoughts and began to ponder carefully...
At the same time, in the Long family mansion, the twelve chief priests and the twelve priests who successfully advanced to the next stage of the competition also gathered together.
"Everyone knows the importance of this competition, so I won't say anything more. The twelve temples, including Tianyang Temple, Lingyu Temple, and Fengcheng Temple, have reached an agreement that no matter who can obtain that rare treasure of heaven and earth, the benefits will be shared equally. So in the next competition, everyone should just stop when it's due and decide the winner. There is no need to risk life." Long Ao said.
The other chief priests also nodded, agreeing with Long Aoli's words.
"Don't worry, Master Priest, we will be careful about what we do." The twelve priests said.
It is not easy to get to the current position, and they don't want to fight to the death. It would be best if the chief priests could reach an agreement.
"However, Mu Hanyan is a variable. Her strength is said to be that of an eighth-rank divine priest, but according to our understanding, it should be far more than that. If something unexpected happens and the treasure of heaven and earth falls into her hands, I'm afraid our Twelve Temples will not be able to gain any benefit at all." Ou Dechuan added.
Most of the twelve priests were slightly surprised. They did not expect that the chief priests would value and fear Mu Hanyan so much.
Only a few priests from the Tianyang, Lingyu, and Fengcheng Temples remained relatively calm. Because of Long Wudang and Ou Mingzhi's failed return from Huayu City, the Tianyang and Lingyu Temples had invested more time in understanding Mu Hanyan, gaining a better understanding. They suspected that her abilities might not be as simple as they appeared.
Fengcheng Temple was Mu Hanyan's original choice, but Kang Qingyuan's actions led to a falling out. It was Kang Qingyuan's obstruction that caused both the left and right priests of Fengcheng Temple to suffer at her hands. Mu Hanyan hadn't even become a priest yet, but she was already so formidable. Now that she was the head priest, her strength couldn't possibly be just that of an eighth-rank divine priest.
"Don't worry, gentlemen. We will do our best and will never let Mu Hanyan have the chance to enter the final stage of the competition." After a brief surprise, a priest said solemnly.
Even the chief priests were so wary of Mu Hanyan, so he didn't dare to underestimate her.
"If she is smart, she will give up early tomorrow. But if she insists on being stubborn, we will teach her a lesson she will never forget." Another priest said confidently.
Even if Mu Hanyan is really like what the chief priests said, so what? If she challenges the twelve of them one by one, she will be exhausted to death. What is there to worry about?
"It's okay as long as you understand. But she is the chief priest of a hall after all, so don't harm her life. Just don't ruin our big plan." Chu Yanghe said.
Although Mu Hanyan ultimately rejected his offer, he was somewhat angry. But then he thought about it carefully. After all, the incident was caused by Kang Qingyuan, and he couldn't afford to cripple his right-hand man just because of Mu Hanyan. If she really joined Fengcheng Temple, she might be retaliated against and controlled by them. It was understandable that Mu Hanyan didn't join Fengcheng Temple.
So even if he was unhappy, he would not hate Mu Hanyan for it, and he did not want to do things too drastically.
"Yes, yes, Chief Priest Chu is right. We just need to let her give up and not harm her life, otherwise we will have to explain ourselves." Several other chief priests also echoed.
This time, it was clear that the twelve chief priests had teamed up to embarrass Mu Hanyan. If word got out, it would already damage their reputation. If Mu Hanyan was actually killed by them, it would be an infamy for eternity. If anyone investigated in the future, they would be implicated.
Besides, they were the chief priests, and Mu Hanyan was also the chief priest. Some rules could not be broken, otherwise, one day, others might join forces to deal with them, and they would be killed without justice. Leaving a way out for Mu Hanyan was also leaving a way out for themselves.
The chief priests expressed their opinions and told their subordinates to be merciful and careful, but Long Aoli said nothing and secretly winked at Long Wucuo.
When Long Wucuo received his signal, he sneered slightly, with murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
Others may not have noticed their abnormality, but Chu Yanghe did, and a chill rose in his heart.
…
The night passed quickly. Yesterday the sky was clear, but today it was overcast. Even the long horn sound seemed dull and depressing.
Thirteen chief priests sat high on the platform, watching the battle from below. Tens of thousands of priests from various temples also watched, their expressions unusually solemn. On one side of the platform, twelve priests, including Long Wucuo, stood side by side, exuding a faint, oppressive aura.
Perhaps because of the weather, or perhaps because of the oppressive atmosphere, the mood of the audience also became heavy.
He subconsciously looked at Mu Hanyan, feeling some inexplicable sympathy.
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