179: Song Xian's romantic encounter

Song Qingqing's eyes were red, mist swirling within them.

"Young Miss," Uncle Cao, the old servant beside her, said in a low voice,

"Forgive this old servant for speaking frankly, but he hasn't even made it onto the fledgling tiger ranking. The Master will never agree.

If you take him to Qingchuan, you'll only be harming him."

These words were like a cold needle, piercing Song Qingqing's last shred of hope.

Yes, no matter how much her father doted on her, he would never allow an unknown "Brother Xian" to marry into the Song Clan.

The threshold of the Qingchuan Song Clan was too high.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of bitterness, and turned to the young man beside her, saying firmly,

"Brother Xian! Your Foundation is not bad, and with your Clone Talent, given time, you will definitely make it onto the fledgling tiger ranking!

At that time, Father will certainly agree!" It was as if she was trying to convince him, but even more so, herself.

A faint light flashed at her fingertips, and a colorless, transparent pearl appeared in her palm, emanating strange spatial fluctuations.

"Brother Xian, take this!" Song Qingqing, without explanation, pushed the pearl towards the young man. "This is a teleportation pearl; it can save your life at a critical moment!"

"Young Miss!" Uncle Cao exclaimed anxiously, his brows tightly furrowed. "You don't have many teleportation pearls left yourself, and the Master...

"Uncle Cao!"

Song Qingqing abruptly cut him off, her tone carrying a hint of suppressed irritation and determination.

"I'm grown up! I know what I should and shouldn't do!" She was no longer the little girl who needed everything arranged for her.

Seeing that the young man seemed about to refuse again, Song Qingqing simply pressed the teleportation pearl forcefully into his embrace, her fingertips even trembling slightly.

"Take it!"

Just then, a rainbow light tore through the sky, descending with a sharp whoosh!

The dust slightly dispersed, revealing Zhang Sheng's tall and straight figure.

"Song Xian?" Zhang Sheng's gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto Song Xian.

"Why are you here, kid?"

"Brother Sheng?! Why are you here?" Song Xian's shock was equally great; he hadn't expected to encounter his mansion lord here at all.

"Good kid, you're asking me now?" Zhang Sheng raised an eyebrow, but his gaze had already swept over Song Qingqing and Uncle Cao, scrutinizing them.

"Brother Xian, who is this?" Song Qingqing quickly composed herself, looking at Zhang Sheng and asking softly.

"Oh, Qingqing, this is the one I told you about, our Huafu's mansion lord, Zhang Sheng! His strength is very high!"

Song Xian quickly introduced him.

Just at this moment, Uncle Cao's lips moved slightly, and an invisible sound transmission accurately entered Song Qingqing's ear.

Song Qingqing's eyelashes trembled imperceptibly.

"Brother Sheng, this is my friend, Song Qingqing, and Uncle Cao." Song Xian turned to Zhang Sheng to introduce them.

Zhang Sheng had already taken in the two of them.

Song Qingqing had delicate features and a refined temperament. Although she was only in the Divine Breath Realm, the spiritual energy within her body was unusually profound, so much so that even his proud Insightful True Pupils couldn't see clearly, as if separated by a blurry barrier.

And the "Uncle Cao" beside her, seemingly old and frail, had an aura as deep as the ocean, vast and masculine, definitely a Divine Power Realm expert, and by no means ordinary!

Most importantly—her surname was "Song."

Zhang Sheng's mind raced, but his expression remained calm. He cupped his hands in a salute: "Zhang Sheng of Huafu, greetings to you both."

Song Qingqing curtsied slightly, her demeanor flawless:

"Qingchuan Song Qingqing."

"Brother Sheng, Qingqing is returning to Qingchuan, and I came to see her off. I didn't expect to run into you so coincidentally."

Song Xian explained, then asked in return, "But Brother Sheng, why are you here?"

Zhang Sheng didn't avoid Song Qingqing and the other, directly stating: "I've come to visit Commander Song Hao of the Qinglan Guards, hoping to gain his recommendation to enter Qinglan Academy."

"What?!" Song Xian cried out in surprise, his eyes instantly blazing with intense envy. Then he thought of something.

"Brother Sheng, could it be... could it be that you've made it onto the fledgling tiger ranking?!"

Uncle Cao, who was nearby, snorted coldly at the words, his gaze sharp as a knife as it swept over Song Xian:

"Listen up, young Song Xian! If you want to marry into the Young Miss's household, you must at least be like your mansion lord and make it into the top ten thousand of the fledgling tiger ranking!

Otherwise, if the Master finds out, he'll break your legs!"

"Uncle Cao! You're still talking!" Song Qingqing couldn't help but chide, her cheeks slightly flushed with a maiden's annoyance.

"Qingqing!" Song Xian clenched his fists, his knuckles white, but his voice was exceptionally firm.

"I will definitely work hard! Believe me!"

Song Qingqing gazed deeply at him, her eyes filled with affection, and nodded heavily.

"Mm! Brother Xian, I believe you!" She suppressed her reluctance.

"I... I should go. You must come to Qingchuan to find me! I'll wait for you!" The last few words were as light as feathers, yet carried a heavy promise.

"Uncle Cao, let's go!"

The two no longer lingered, their figures quickly disappearing in the direction leading to the Central Command City—only there was a large-scale teleportation array leading to Qingchuan Province.

Watching them disappear, Zhang Sheng turned to Song Xian, a playful curve on his lips:

"Song Xian, with you attracting so much attention, does Zhao Xue know?"

Song Xian's expression sobered, and he said frankly: "Brother Sheng, don't worry, my other Clone is with Little Xue right now.

Qingqing's identity is special. This Upper Realm is a huge hunting ground where the weak are prey to the strong.

What I'm doing is not just for myself, but also to better protect the people around me in the future. Little Xue... she can understand."

"Alright then," Zhang Sheng didn't delve deeper, merely patting his shoulder, his tone carrying a reminder.

"You need to handle things properly, keep both sides clean, and don't let it become a mess that you can't clean up in the end."

"I understand, Brother Sheng!" Song Xian nodded heavily.

"Let's go, into the city!"

Zhang Sheng said no more, turning and walking towards the magnificent Central Command City gates.

Watching Zhang Sheng's back as he entered the commandery city unimpeded, without needing any proof, a strong desire ignited in Song Xian's eyes, and a thought became incredibly clear in his mind:

Become stronger! He must get onto the fledgling tiger ranking as soon as possible!

The interior of the Central Command City was distinctly different from the outside districts. The streets were wider and more orderly, with few pedestrians, but every hurried figure exuded cultivation fluctuations that could not be underestimated.

Following the map provided by Feng Yin, Zhang Sheng quickly found a mansion with a solemn and imposing air.

He transmitted a message to the young attendant standing at the entrance:

"Please inform Commander Song Hao that Zhang Sheng, the mansion lord of Huafu from Heavenly Injury City, requests an audience."

The attendant's face was expressionless, and he replied via sound transmission:

"Zhang Sheng? Do you have proof?"

Zhang Sheng was prepared. A small storage ring was silently handed out: "A small token of my regard, for you, young brother, to enjoy some tea. To be honest, I received guidance from Commander Song Hao some time ago and have come specifically to pay my respects and participate in the Qinglan Academy assessment."

The attendant's Divine Sense probed the storage ring, and seeing the accumulated spiritual crystals shimmering with pure light inside, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

He weighed the storage ring, and his tone softened a bit:

"Since you've received guidance from the Lord, I'll inform him. The Lord happens to be in the mansion."

A moment later, the attendant returned: "Zhang Sheng, follow me."

Zhang Sheng felt a sense of relief and followed closely.

"Zhang Sheng, I didn't expect you to be one of the top ten thousand on the fledgling tiger ranking," the attendant transmitted as they walked, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible flattery.

"My Lord most appreciates talented young people like you."

"Oh? How so?" Zhang Sheng asked calmly.

"My Commander Lord recruits some Geniuses from the fledgling tiger ranking every year.

Once you Break through to the Divine Power Realm, that's when you truly leap over the Dragon Gate!

The Lord will directly recommend you to the Imperial City!" The attendant's tone was full of longing.

"The Imperial City... that's a place countless powerful cultivators dream of going!

To be able to go there in the Divine Power Realm is the supreme glory!"

He changed the subject, a hint of complaint entering his voice:

"Hmph, but seriously, you people who Ascend to the Upper Realm are too quick to forget your roots!

Have any of those guys the Lord sent to the Imperial City come back to visit all these years?

Not even a single message!

They're all ungrateful!

If you ask me, the Lord promoting you is a complete waste of effort, he gets absolutely no benefit!"

No benefit at all? Zhang Sheng was suspicious, but his expression remained calm.

Upon reaching a spacious and solemn main hall, the attendant stopped.

"Zhang Sheng, the Commander Lord is inside, please enter." With that, he turned and left.

Zhang Sheng straightened his robes and stepped inside.

Inside the main hall, Qinglan Guards Commander Song Hao sat alone in the center, with two pots of wine on a low table in front of him.

An invisible pressure permeated the air.

"Junior Zhang Sheng, greets Lord Song Hao! A small token of my regard, please accept it!"

Zhang Sheng bowed respectfully, and a storage ring flew out of his hand, steadily moving towards Song Hao.

Song Hao's eyelids slightly lifted. He took the storage ring and swept his Divine Sense through it.

"Heh, a few hundred beast cores... you're quite thoughtful." His tone was flat, with a hint of the indolence of a superior.

"Unfortunately, the bodhi leaf from Zhenshi Tower are too young. They're fine for feeding True Fetus Realm youngsters, but for us Divine Power Realm cultivators, they're barely better than nothing."

He casually placed the storage ring aside, his gaze falling on Zhang Sheng like a tangible entity.

"Boy, since you've already made it onto the fledgling tiger ranking, why didn't you go directly to Qinglan Academy to report, and instead came to me?"

Zhang Sheng lowered his posture even further, answering respectfully:

"To answer Lord, Junior heard that there are also factional divisions within Qinglan Academy, and entering directly might cause complications.

Junior boldly came to request Lord's recommendation, so as to have some backing."

"Heh heh," Song Hao chuckled softly, with a hint of understanding.

"Factional disputes indeed exist, but they're not as intense as you imagine. In the end, everyone serves the Imperial Dynasty."

He changed his tone, his gaze suddenly sharp.

"Recommending you isn't impossible. However, you must agree to one condition."

Zhang Sheng's heart tightened, his expression becoming even more deferential:

"Lord, please speak!"

Song Hao's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed in the main hall: "Zhang Sheng, I want you to—Break through to the Divine Power Realm within twenty years!"