Chronicles of Heaven's Chosen - Chapter 65

Elder Yan swept a sharp gaze over Yuan Yao, seemingly trying to intimidate her.

She was not afraid in the slightest.

“Why aren’t you punishing them?” she asked.

Elder Yan’s expression grew darker.

Nearly everyone in the courtyard sucked in a breath at this young woman who did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. Elder Yan might hesitate to touch Cang Li out of fear of Immortal Lord Qianshan, but she was different. She was merely a minor disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, yet she dared provoke the Grand Elder of the Sacred Order!

Was she tired of living?!

Everyone knew that seven renowned sects stood on the Ninth Continent: the Sacred Order, Tianyun Sect, Taisui Sect, Xiaoyao Sect, Chongxu Sect, Thunder Sect, and Dual Poles Sect.

Of them all, the Sacred Order possessed the greatest overall strength.

As its Grand Elder, Elder Yan was feared and respected wherever he went. Only the Five Disciples of Qianshan refused to treat him as someone extraordinary.

More precisely, they did not flatter him as everyone else did.

For that reason, he had always disliked the Five Disciples of Qianshan.

Yet they had not only Qian Jueshan behind them, but mysterious origins of their own. He did not dare make a move against them lightly.

Elder Yan stared at Yuan Yao, a trace of killing intent flashing through his eyes.

How dare an insignificant Xiaoyao Sect disciple question him?

Cang Li caught his expression and guessed that he intended to attack Little Junior Sister. His heart tightened. He was about to reveal that she was Master’s sixth disciple when Feng Degang of the Chongxu Sect spoke.

“This is nothing more than a squabble among juniors. There is no need to take it to heart. Our immediate concern should be deciding how to resolve the crisis in Yunming City.”

He had given both sides a graceful way out.

Elder Yan still looked displeased. His gaze swept sharply over every disciple in the courtyard as he warned, “If this old man finds anyone fighting in this place at a time like this again, I will show no mercy!”

“Yunming City is in grave danger, and you still have the inclination to brawl?”

With those words, he not only mocked Cang Li and Yuan Yao, but also reprimanded the disciples of the Severed Affections Sect.

Then he flicked his sleeve and turned toward the inner hall.

The other powerful cultivators followed.

Feng Degang turned to the Chongxu Sect disciples. “You will remain here.”

“Yes, Elder Feng!” they answered respectfully.

As Feng Degang passed Cang Li, he said, “Cang Li, you should join the discussion as the Xiaoyao Sect’s representative.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Elder Feng.” Cang Li nodded with a smile.

He was about to take Yuan Yao into the inner hall when the man in charge stopped them.

“Fellow Daoist Cang, you may enter, but she may not.”

Cang Li frowned. “Why?”

“Each sect may send only one representative.” The man gave an awkward smile.

That was not the real reason. In truth, he did not believe Yuan Yao was worthy of entering the inner hall to deliberate with the powerful representatives of the various sects.

A little girl wanted to participate in their discussion?

The very idea was laughable.

Besides, she had offended the Grand Elder of the Sacred Order. That made it even more impossible to let her inside.

“Third Senior Brother, you should go.” Yuan Yao felt no resentment and smiled at Cang Li.

Still worried, Cang Li said, “Stay here. Don’t run around, and don’t sneak away. Otherwise, I’ll die right in front of you!”

At the final words, he dragged a finger across his throat.

The man in charge stared at him in confusion.

Was this little girl Cang Li’s sweetheart?

No wonder he indulged her.

Cang Li had clearly lost his head. Even if he liked the girl, he should never have allowed her to behave so recklessly before the Grand Elder of the Sacred Order!

Cang Li fixed the man with a stare. “Keep an eye on my Little Junior Sister for me. If anything happens to her, none of us will survive.”

“What?” The man froze.

“Third Senior Brother, don’t frighten him.” Yuan Yao frowned and tugged at Cang Li’s arm. “And don’t implicate innocent people.”

“Then promise you won’t sneak away.” Cang Li stared intently at her.

Yuan Yao held up two fingers, her expression solemn.

“I promise I won’t sneak away!”

The sight of those two raised fingers made Cang Li feel as though she were provoking him.

“Fine. I believe you.” He sighed.

Then he entered the inner hall.

In truth, Yuan Yao had no intention of sneaking off. She now understood how mysterious Yunming City was and how much danger might be hidden there.

The threats lurking within it were invisible and intangible.

Suddenly remembering something, she quickly took out her message crystal and sent messages to Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister, Fourth Senior Brother, and Youngest Senior Brother.

Once she had finished, she remembered that Youngest Senior Brother had arrived only a day before them…

If he was not at the City Lord’s Estate right now, there was a good chance he had already ventured deep into Yunming City to investigate!

Yuan Yao put away the message crystal and looked up. Many people were watching her, but when her gaze met theirs, they looked away.

They seemed afraid of being associated with her.

Yuan Yao did not feel dejected. She walked toward the corridor beside the courtyard and soon found a place to sit.

The moment she settled down, every nearby disciple moved away, as though afraid the trouble surrounding her might rub off on them.

Rather than becoming upset, Yuan Yao smiled brightly at them.

The disciples suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

Still, no one approached her.

No one dared offend Elder Yan for her sake.

Yuan Yao took a book from her storage space. Before anyone could make out its title, she opened it and began to read with complete concentration.

A disciple of the Severed Affections Sect sneered. “She can still read at a time like this? Hasn’t she noticed that everyone is shunning her?”

“She’s probably pretending to be calm,” mocked the young man from the Severed Affections Sect, Ye Guqiu.

A female disciple asked ingratiatingly, “Senior Brother Ye, would you like me to teach her a lesson?”

Ye Guqiu’s gaze darkened. “No. If we cause trouble again now, it will only make the Severed Affections Sect look guilty.”

The disciple Cang Li had stabbed clutched his wound and protested resentfully, “Senior Brother Ye, are we simply going to let them go?”

“There will be other opportunities.” Ye Guqiu glanced at him.

Many disciples in the courtyard quietly discussed Yuan Yao, Cang Li, and Ye Guqiu.

Yuan Yao, meanwhile, was earnestly studying the formations recorded in the *Heaven-and-Earth Formation Diagram*.

Time passed.

Gradually, the disciples moved on to other topics and stopped paying attention to her.

…

Inside the inner hall, Cang Li saw leaders from many sects and factions.

He was the youngest among them.

Seated at the head was none other than Elder Yan, the Grand Elder of the Sacred Order.