Upon hearing this, Liu Qingtian's face turned ashen. He said nothing more and then issued a family head order, summoning all the Liu family's senior members to discuss important matters.
"Cloud Peak Immortal Palace? Never even heard of it. Who knows where this wild brat came from, daring to ride roughshod over our Liu family?" the Second Elder roared angrily. He was from Liu Qingtian's faction and supported Liu Wanqing as his successor.
"You can't be so absolute. With the Thundercloud Lion as his mount and his own Nascent Soul stage combat power, if it weren't for an ancient lineage, which sect could cultivate such a terrifying genius?" the Seventh Elder retorted.
Facing a group of Nascent Soul stage experts from the Liu family, the young man remained neither humble nor arrogant, and even dared to point at Liu Qingtian and curse him. That kind of imposing aura of a superior was something that no hothead could do.
Courage, strength, and foundation are all indispensable. Just consider the matter of reshaping a divine spiritual vein. Tell me, which powerful lineage in the Tianchen Continent can accomplish this?
If Lin Fan were to jump out now and say that he was just bragging and that the Cloud Peak Immortal Palace did not exist, they would not believe him.
"This matter is still undecided, but he has provoked our Liu family like this. Are we just going to swallow our anger?" the Third Elder said coldly.
No one has ever dared to provoke the Liu family like this, showing them no respect and humiliating them. This is intolerable.
"Heh, you should ask the patriarch's good daughter about this. When people came to the Liu family as guests, she did the opposite, forcibly taking their carriage without saying a word. Would you have accepted that?" the Fourth Elder said sarcastically.
"Alright, things have come to this point, there's no point in arguing here. Let's find out what his purpose is in coming here," the elder said in a deep voice.
"I think it would be better to let him have the patriarch sign that contract, so that he will have no reason to stay in the Liu family!" the Second Elder said calmly.
If Liu Mengli continues to stay in the Liu family, it will be very disadvantageous for them. Liu Wanqing's status is the biggest obstacle if she wants to inherit the position of family head.
Although Liu Wanqing was recognized by her ancestors, Liu Mengli had an unfathomable lineage behind her. If she withdrew from the Liu family, she would have no further connection with them and would naturally have no reason to compete.
Liu Qingtian's face turned ashen. If things really came to this, he would become a laughingstock in the Four Saints County.
"Second brother, what you've said is tantamount to rejecting the Liu family's prodigy and cutting off your own arm. Wouldn't that make you a laughingstock?"
"If it is truly a reclusive lineage emerging, there must be great fortune to attract them. If we push them out and let others benefit, then our Liu family will truly decline."
The Fourth Elder roared in fury.
Seeing Liu Qingtian's faction prioritizing their own interests over the interests of their family infuriated them.
"There's no need to discuss this further. Let's wait and see what he does next!" Liu Qingtian said coldly, having calmed himself down.
Liu Mengli returned to the family, her cultivation level returned to its peak, and she still had the advantage of being the legitimate daughter, with many elders in the family willing to support her.
Not long after Lin Fan left the South Courtyard, the Liu family sent someone to invite him to discuss matters.
"Why did the Grand Elder invite me?" he asked curiously.
"We don't know, we've only come to invite you on orders!" the Liu family member said respectfully.
Their gazes were fixed on Lin Fan, filled with reverence. People admire strength, and even though he wasn't a member of the Liu family, it didn't diminish his charm.
"Okay, I'll go with you!" Lin Fan said with a smile.
He was confident that the Liu family wouldn't make a move against him before they figured out his identity, and even if they did, he was confident he could escape.
He then followed them to the residence of the Grand Elder, where several other elders, all of whom were from the Grand Elder's faction, were waiting.
"Young friend, please have a seat!"
The Grand Elder greeted Lin Fan with a smile as he approached.
He reserved a seat for Lin Fan, without putting on airs, and the atmosphere was very casual.
"Then I shall accept your offer. May I ask what business the Grand Elder has with me?" Lin Fan sat down naturally, without any restraint. His temperament was otherworldly, ethereal and aura-filled, as if he had been living in a secluded cultivation sanctuary for many years.
"We are just curious. After Liu Mengli left the Liu family, we haven't heard from her since. How did she come to be associated with your sect?" the Grand Elder asked curiously.
According to the rumors they received, Wang Qingxian sent people to hunt down Liu Mengli after she escaped from her family. They originally thought she would encounter misfortune outside, but instead she met a great opportunity, which could be considered a strange encounter.
Lin Fan smiled and said, "There's no point in hiding this. The day my master was comprehending the secrets of heaven, he had a feeling that someone destined for our sect would appear in the north. He went out in the morning and brought my junior sister back by noon."
"However, my junior sister was seriously injured and her spiritual veins were stripped away. Her life was in danger, so I used my extraordinary abilities to rebuild her divine spiritual veins and heal her in the process."
He sipped his tea, glancing at the group of people. He saw their faces filled with shock, and a hint of a smile in their eyes.
As expected, they were all stunned. Clearly, only this explanation could explain why Liu Mengli was able to return alive and even rebuild the divine spiritual veins within her body.
The elders exchanged glances, sensing the presence of a reclusive sect or an unparalleled master. With a single thought, they could see a destined person, travel thousands of miles to save them, and even heal and reshape their spiritual veins. Such methods were truly astonishing and perfectly matched the image of an unparalleled master in their minds.
"So, young friend, you brought Mengli back this time to settle this karmic debt?" the Fourth Elder asked tentatively.
If such an ancient lineage truly exists, the Liu family, with their support, may well be able to recapture the glory of their ancestors in the future.
If Liu Mengli were to sever the karmic ties, that would be the real loss for the Liu family.
Back then, their Liu family ancestor fought against evil spirits all his life, but before the Liu family could leave any legacy, they encountered a calamity.
The four major families have developed to their current state only by relying on the prestige and legacy of their ancestors, which is far inferior to the true ancient traditions.
Lin Fan's expression hardened, and he said with some displeasure, "When Master saved Junior Sister, he saw purple qi rising in the north, indicating a great opportunity was about to be born. Therefore, he ordered me to take Junior Sister north to gain experience. Otherwise, who would want to come to this wretched place!"
His tone was very dissatisfied, and his expression was very displeased, clearly indicating that he was very disgusted by the Liu family's attitude.
"Hehe, young friend, don't be angry. We know that what happened to Mengli was the Liu family's fault, but we can guarantee that such a thing will not happen again in the future," the elder said with a smile.
"This is hard for me to believe!" Lin Fan said, arms crossed, his face full of sarcasm.
If these old fogies were truly reliable, pigs would fly. Liu Mengli's tragic death was due to their complete neglect; their promises now are hardly believable.
"Don't worry, we won't let Wang Qingxian run rampant!" the First Elder said coldly.
He took out a jade slip and said, "Young friend, you must have heard of the Four Saints Gathering, right?"
"I've heard of it by chance!" Lin Fan picked up the jade slip and released his divine sense to investigate, but found nothing special about it.
"There is a spiritual pool in the Four Sacred Mountains. Besides strengthening the body and tempering the bones, it is said that there is a Heavenly Saliva Incense that can temper the primordial spirit. Whoever wins the championship can preside over the sacrificial ceremony. Whether or not we can find the Heavenly Saliva Incense depends on our fate," the Grand Elder said with a smile.
"As long as Mengli wins the championship, we will strongly recommend her as the sole heir of the Liu family. Of course, when the time is right, we will also force Liu Qingtian to step down and give way to a more worthy successor."
Lin Fan tapped his fingers on the table. It was very quiet around him, and the sound of his fingers could be heard clearly.
His gaze was deep and unfathomable, like a still, deep pool, giving them the illusion that they were facing not a naive young man, but a cunning old fox.
The jade slip they gave us was the token for participating in the Four Saints Gathering. With this, Liu Mengli and Lin Fan could enter the Four Saints Mountain.
"What if Wang Qingxian and the others suddenly attack us from the front? After all, we're traveling without the protection of our sect, making us easy targets for those with ulterior motives!"
Lin Fan spread his hands and said, "Giving only one spot in the Four Saints Gathering is far from enough."
Several elders rolled their eyes. "Given your cultivation level, there aren't many people in the Liu family who can harm you, unless the ancestor comes out of seclusion."
Moreover, given his status, his sect must have given him many life-saving trump cards; only a madman would kill you.
"There is a set of defensive spiritual treasures here, which can withstand the attacks of Nascent Soul stage experts, as well as 100,000 spirit stones and more than 100 spiritual herbs. Please pass them on to Meng Li!" The Grand Elder took out a storage ring and smiled gently.
Lin Fan reluctantly accepted the storage ring, but he was secretly overjoyed.
They gave away 100,000 spirit stones and 100 spirit herbs in one go. As expected of a major clan in Zhongzhou, they are too generous. I have worked diligently in Qingxiao Sect for many years and have never been so wealthy.
"If there's nothing else, Elder, I'll take my leave now!"
After finishing his tea, Lin Fan lost interest in chatting and got up to say goodbye.
"Brother, we haven't even found out his purpose yet, and we're just letting him go back like this?" the Fourth Elder said in a low voice.
"Don't worry, he's unwilling to talk right now, and we can't force him. Let Xiao Qi get close to Meng Li; it would be best if we could get some information out of her," the Grand Elder said calmly.
As long as Liu Mengli and Lin Fan are willing to stay, it won't be difficult to extract the most important information.
Xiao Qi is the granddaughter of the Fourth Elder, ranking seventh in the Fourth Elder's family. She is also one of the unmarried girls in the Liu family, only sixteen years old, and about the same age as Liu Mengli.
Lin Fan returned to his residence, holding the storage ring given to him by the Grand Elder. The spirit stones inside were piled up like a mountain, making his eyes light up.
"Brother, I want to ask you something?" Fengxi came over, looking somewhat dejected. She looked at him cautiously, as if she had mustered all her courage.
"What is it?" Lin Fan asked curiously.
"What is your relationship with Yu Wushuang, the sect leader of the Hundred Flowers Sect?" She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, but her voice grew softer and softer, lacking confidence yet filled with anticipation.
She had thought about this question for a long time. Yu's wet nurse advised her not to ask, but after thinking about it for several months, she still couldn't help but ask.
"Why are you asking so many questions, little girl?" Lin Fan grabbed her by the back of her neck, lifted her up, and walked towards the door.
“I’m not a child anymore. Aunt Yu said I’m old enough to get married!” Fengxi struggled and pouted.
"How old are you?" Lin Fan asked again.
“You’re twelve years old!” Fengxi said.
Wasn't he only nine years old a few months ago?
"They remembered it wrong!"
"Still a little brat!" Lin Fan threw her out the door and set up a barrier to prevent her from running back in.
Her memory recovered quickly, probably due to her improved cultivation level.
"System, you haven't been issuing any missions lately. Are you just giving up?" Lin Fan asked curiously.
He felt that the system was starting to give up lately.
"I'd like to send it too, but you definitely won't accept it!" the system said.
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