Hey there fam, Nyt_city here. I don't say this a lot but thank you guys as always for the powerstones. Have a fabulous week
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The voice came suddenly, carrying a sort of nonchalant casualness.
Han Xuanji turned to look and saw a middle-aged man walking slowly from the top of the stairs.
This man was of medium build. A majesty born of holding a high position for a long time lingered between his brows, but the strange lines at the corners of his eyes gave him a slightly sinister look.
His pace was unhurried, as if he had traveled a long distance and had just sat down to rest, only to be dragged back up by something.
Han Xuanji was slightly startled.
His perception had not relaxed for a moment since he entered the pavilion, yet until this person spoke, he had not sensed any aura at all.
It wasn't that the other party was intentionally hiding it, but rather that his presence was too natural—so natural that one would subconsciously ignore it.
Like air, omnipresent yet noticed by no one.
Furthermore, although there were no guards here, Elder Meng, an Eternal Saint, was right in front of him.
Han Xuanji did not panic. He calmly activated his System to investigate.
[Mo Chenxiao: Three-Turn Holy Lord, Lord of Jiuxuan Prefecture, Deputy Master of the Tenth Sanctuary of the Holy Court, specializes in the Dao of the Divine Soul, and minored in the Great Dao of Destiny.]
Looking at this information, Han Xuanji's heart skipped a beat.
The Nine Profound Holy Lord?
Han Xuanji thought to himself, 'Holy cow.'
This was a supreme figure who held the power of life and death over an entire province. However, on the surface, he still maintained just the right amount of surprise and bewilderment. He turned to look at Elder Meng, his eyes filled with inquiry.
The meaning was clear: Who is this? What's going on?
Elder Meng's expression at that moment was extremely colorful. The calm composure on his face vanished, replaced by a trace of helplessness. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, casting a dark look at the newcomer. The resentment in his eyes was almost tangible.
"Lord Jiuxuan,"
Elder Meng finally spoke, a hint of helplessness in his tone,
"didn't you say that this matter was to be left entirely to my responsibility?"
Mo Chenxiao waved his hand, sat down by the low table on his own accord, picked up the cup of tea originally prepared for Han Xuanji, took a sip, and said unhurriedly:
"I said 'you go keep an eye on things for me first,' I didn't say I wouldn't come."
Hearing this, Elder Meng could only curse his bad luck.
When a Holy Lord wanted to play word games with him, he could only endure it.
The Nine Profound Holy Lord coughed lightly, set down his teacup, and looked past Elder Meng, his gaze landing on Han Xuanji. He sized him up, the corner of his mouth curving slightly:
"Not bad, indeed worthy of being the champion of this term's Law Conference. Little Meng, thank you for your hard work."
Elder Meng's mouth twitched, completely giving up the struggle:
"Scouting talents for Lord Jiuxuan is my duty..."
After saying that, he muttered in a low voice:
"Now that you're here, you take over."
As he spoke, he took half a step back, yielding the space in front of Han Xuanji.
Seeing him like this, Mo Chenxiao didn't tease him further, but turned his gaze back to Han Xuanji.
This time, he looked even more closely than before. Those eyes carried an indescribable meaning, as if flipping through an interesting book, page by page, without any rush.
When Han Xuanji was stared at by those eyes, he felt an indescribable sensation.
That gaze seemed to penetrate his skin and flesh, landing directly upon his Divine Soul.
A flash of thoughtfulness seemed to cross Mo Chenxiao's eyes, but he quickly returned to his casual demeanor.
"You are Han Xuanji? The young man who defeated even the Saint King Bloodline?"
Mo Chenxiao smiled as he looked at Han Xuanji, his tone very gentle, showing none of the majesty of a province's ruler.
Han Xuanji cupped his fists in salute:
"Junior Han Xuanji greets the Nine Profound Holy Lord. It was by luck that I defeated Xiao Yan, and it was a narrow victory. If we were to fight again, the outcome would be uncertain."
His tone was neither obsequious nor arrogant, showing no loss of composure despite facing such a prominent figure.
Mo Chenxiao waved his hand:
"No need to be so restrained. Actually, I just came today to watch the fun."
Hearing this, Elder Meng finally couldn't help but roll his eyes.
But at this moment, Mo Chenxiao didn't seem to care, merely picking up his teacup to take another sip, as if he hadn't seen it.
The relationship between the two was clearly much closer than outsiders imagined; otherwise, Elder Meng would not be so casual, and Mo Chenxiao would not have arrived uninvited and acted so unreasonably.
Mo Chenxiao set down his teacup, his gaze falling back onto Han Xuanji. After watching him for a moment, he suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of emotion:
"Little Meng, you said just now that you wanted to take him as your sole Direct Disciple. Actually, I can understand.
Such a talent is indeed rarely seen."
Elder Meng stood to the side, his mouth twitching slightly, but he did not respond.
He was thinking to himself:'Since you understand, why are you still coming to snatch him?'
Mo Chenxiao seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled:
"You don't have to look at me like that.
Over on Xiao Yan's side, the Master of the Seventh Sanctuary has already personally spoken up, so I won't go join that bustle.
Besides, you also know that those Sanctuary Masters are fighting tooth and nail over him, and I can't be bothered to mingle with them."
Elder Meng fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Xiao Yan's identity and potential were right there. Multiple Sanctuary Master-level figures in the Holy Court had taken an interest, but in the end, the Master of the Seventh Sanctuary spoke up first to claim him, so others could no longer compete.
For experts of their caliber, nurturing a Sage was not difficult.
With resources, Cultivation Methods, and guidance in place, as long as one's natural talent wasn't poor, stepping into the Saint Realm was only a matter of time.
But teaching a Holy Lord was an entirely different level.
That required not just resources, but a deep understanding of the essence of the Great Dao, as well as the Disciple's own Comprehension and Mental State.
Xiao Yan had the potential of a Holy Lord, which was visible to everyone.
And at this moment, looking at Han Xuanji, Mo Chenxiao made the same judgment in his heart.
The stability of this boy's Dao Foundation, the strength of his mental will, and his adaptability in battle shown during the Law Conference far surpassed his peers.
His victories over Ling Cang, Song Tiancheng, and Xiao Yan were not based on luck, but on a solid, all-around crushing advantage.
Given enough time and resources, such a person also had the possibility of breaking through to become a Holy Lord.
"Actually, I have only ever taken one Direct Disciple, and that was many years ago. Now, they have already stepped into the Saint Realm and no longer need my assistance."
Mo Chenxiao withdrew his gaze, his voice unhurried.
He spoke in a casual tone, as if talking about an ordinary, everyday matter.
Standing to the side, Elder Meng's face completely fell upon hearing this.
He had finally taken a liking to an apprentice, but before he could even finalize the relationship, he was intercepted by this guy who had jumped in halfway.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a sigh.
Mo Chenxiao glanced at him and casually added:
"But don't worry, I won't let your efforts go to waste. I can handle that matter you mentioned to me before on your behalf."
Elder Meng's expression startled slightly, then became complex.
Mo Chenxiao smiled without speaking.
In the end, Elder Meng nodded heavily and closed his eyes, as if saying to just pretend he didn't exist.
Standing to the side, Han Xuanji heard their entire conversation.
Becoming a Disciple under a Holy Lord seemed even better.