61: A first meeting under the moon, the goddess tests her sword.

The Star Festival Ceremony concluded amidst a subtle atmosphere.

Xia Qingyue's arrival was like a giant stone cast into a lake of surging undercurrents, instantly shifting everyone's attention. The wretched state of Grand Elder Lin Yuan's lineage and Fourth Elder's crippling seemed to lose their importance under the brilliance of the Great Xia Dynasty's Eldest Princess.

Atop the high platform, Lin Zhan sky personally rose to welcome her, inviting Xia Qingyue to the seat of honor with the highest etiquette. This Great Xia Goddess carried herself with decorum and spoke elegantly. After brief pleasantries with the Clan Leader and several important guests, she sat down quietly and spoke no more. Only her clear, cold eyes would occasionally sweep over Lin Fan below as if inadvertently, a hint of scrutiny hidden deep within her gaze.

Following the ceremony, a grand banquet was held according to custom. However, Xia Qingyue politely declined on the grounds of "travel fatigue," only requesting to use the Lin Family's "Star-Viewing Platform" to observe the constellations tonight. The Clan Leader naturally agreed and appointed Lin Fan as her guide—this was both a matter of courtesy and perhaps held a deeper intent.

The night deepened, and the stars emerged.

The Lin Family Star-Viewing Platform was located on the back mountain of the ancestral land. Standing nine stories high and built from "Star Illusion Stones," it emitted a soft silver-white glow, appearing like a jade pillar connecting heaven and earth. The top was flat and spacious, furnished with simple stone tables and stools, and surrounded by white jade railings. The night breeze carried the fresh scent of the distant mountain forest.

Lin Fan led Xia Qingyue up the steps. Behind them followed only Xia Qingyue's personal maid and two Lin Family deacons, who stood waiting far off at the entrance to the stairs.

“This is the top of the Star-Viewing Platform.” Lin Fan stopped at a railing and gestured. “This spot offers the best view; one can observe the stars of the heavens and overlook the entire Lin Family ancestral land. Please, Princess.”

Xia Qingyue nodded slightly in acknowledgment and walked slowly to the railing. The night wind stirred her skirt and hair, and the moonlight fell upon her, draping her in a hazy veil of light that made her look even more like a cold immortal, not of the mortal world.

She looked up at the sky, her gaze resting on the vast river of stars, remaining silent for a long time.

Lin Fan stood half a step behind her, also looking at the starry sky, but his mind was racing with calculations. This Great Xia Goddess's sudden visit was definitely not as simple as "observing the ceremony" or "star-viewing." Although the Great Xia Dynasty and the Lin Family had been friendly for generations, the arrival of an Imperial Princess—especially this Eldest Princess known for her transcendent talent and reclusive nature—must have a deeper purpose.

“Young Master Lin Fan.” Xia Qingyue suddenly spoke, her voice like clear spring water hitting stone, crisp but carrying a natural sense of aloofness.

“Please speak, Princess.” Lin Fan withdrew his thoughts.

“At the ceremony today, you defeated your enemy in two moves and publicly exposed the scum of your clan. Such thunderous methods were impressive.” Xia Qingyue did not turn around, still gazing at the stars. “However, this Princess has one point of confusion. Since you already held concrete evidence, why did you not take the opportunity to drag out the even greater figure behind the scenes?”

Lin Fan's heart chilled slightly. This Xia Qingyue had such sharp eyes! She had clearly seen that Fourth Elder was merely a pawn and that the true mastermind was the Great Elder, Lin Yuan.

“The Princess is perceptive.” Lin Fan's expression remained unchanged. “The internal affairs of the Lin Family are intricate. If one only cuts the branches and leaves of a poisonous vine that appear above ground, the roots beneath will instead hide deeper and grow even more vigorously next year. Only by finding the right opportunity to pull it out by the roots can the future trouble be eliminated forever. The time has not yet come; it is not wise to alert the enemy.”

Xia Qingyue finally turned her head and glanced at Lin Fan. Under the moonlight, her beautiful face seemed to glow like jade, and a very faint trace of surprise and appreciation flashed in her eyes.

“At such a young age, you possess such shrewdness and patience.” She said softly, “It seems the rumors outside that you only rely on your Divine Body and possess nothing but brute force are quite mistaken.”

“The Princess overpraises me. It is merely a bit of thought for self-preservation,” Lin Fan said modestly.

Xia Qingyue turned back, was silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, “Do you know why this Princess has come?”

“I would like to hear the details.”

“In three months, the ‘Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly’ will be held in the Great Xia Imperial Capital, ‘Tianyang City’.” Xia Qingyue's voice was calm. “This is a centennial grand event of the Human Realm. At that time, the top prodigies of various regions, ancient families, and the outstanding youth of top Sects will all gather together to compete and discuss the Dao.”

Lin Fan's heart stirred. The Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly! This was the core event of the second volume; he hadn't expected the foreshadowing to begin so early.

“As descendants of the Primordial Divine Clan, the Lin Family has always been on the guest list.” Xia Qingyue continued. “This Princess's trip has two purposes: one is to deliver the invitation by my Father Emperor's decree; the second is to see for myself if this generation's Lin Family Divine Son has the qualifications to bring glory to our Human Realm on that true stage of prodigies.”

As she spoke, a gold-leafed invitation slid from her sleeve. Sealed with profound jade and faintly wreathed in Dragon Qi, she handed it toward Lin Fan.

Lin Fan accepted it with both hands. The invitation felt warm and heavy, its material clearly extraordinary. He opened it for a quick glance; the content was formal, stamped with the Great Xia Imperial Seal, inviting the Lin Family to send no more than three disciples under the age of twenty-five to attend.

“Thank you for the kindness of His Majesty and the Princess. The Lin Family will certainly attend on time.” Lin Fan put away the invitation.

“The invitation has been delivered.” Xia Qingyue's words did not stop there. “But what I just said about ‘seeing for myself’ was no idle talk.”

She slowly turned to face Lin Fan directly. The night wind suddenly grew stronger, blowing her robes. An Aura as cold as ice yet as magnificent as the sun rose from her body.

“Young Master Lin Fan.” A sword light seemed to flicker in Xia Qingyue's eyes. “Would you care to grant me a sword strike?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the maid and the Lin Family deacons standing in the distance were all shocked. Her Highness the Eldest Princess was going to test his sword personally?!

A golden light flickered in Lin Fan's eyes. Under the Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils, he could see the Imperial Sword Qi within Xia Qingyue's body, refined to the extreme like a dormant dragon vein. Once it left the scabbard, it would surely be earth-shattering. Her cultivation had actually reached the Divine Power Realm! Furthermore, her Foundation was so deep it far exceeded ordinary practitioners of the same stage!

This Great Xia Goddess truly lived up to her reputation.

“The Princess's status is noble; how would I dare to offend you?” Lin Fan cupped his hands.

“There is only you and I here, no outsiders. In discussing the Dao with swords, where is the offense?” Xia Qingyue's tone was indifferent, yet carried a meaning that brooked no refusal. “I only wish to see how much true ability the person recognized by the ‘Eternal Indestructible Body’ actually has. Could it be that the Young Master does not dare?”

The last five words were light, yet they carried a subtle provocation.

Lin Fan smiled. He raised his head, the golden light in his eyes growing even brighter. The blood and Qi around his body surged slightly, and a majestic Aura no less than hers faintly rose.

“Since the Princess has such an interest, I shall respectfully obey.”

“Good.” A hint of Battle Intent flashed in Xia Qingyue's eyes. She raised her jade hand and held her fingers like a sword. A speck of pure white light condensed at her fingertips. Though no sword was drawn, a sharp Sword Intent had already locked onto Lin Fan.

“I will only strike once. If you can withstand it, you pass.” As her voice fell, Xia Qingyue moved.

There was no world-shaking momentum; she simply pointed forward lightly. The speck of pure white light at her fingertip suddenly bloomed! A strand of Sword Qi, refined to the extreme and seemingly capable of slicing through moonlight, pierced through the air! Wherever the Sword Qi passed, space distorted slightly, emitting a faint hum that was even accompanied by the sound of a dragon's roar!

This strike was fast! Precise! Concentrated! There were no redundant changes, only a pure "thrust"! All power, Concept, and dao rhyme were compressed into this three-foot sword glow! This was the manifestation of simplifying the complex, achieved by cultivating the Way of the Sword to an extremely profound Realm!

Before the Sword Qi even arrived, Lin Fan's skin felt a slight stinging pain. The Eternal Indestructible Body operated automatically, and a pale golden halo appeared on his body's surface.

The light in his eyes exploded! Facing this strike, which was enough to threaten an ordinary Mid-stage Divine Power Realm expert, he did not choose to dodge—nor was there anywhere to hide, as the Sword Intent had completely locked onto him!

“Good timing!” Lin Fan gave a low shout and likewise held his fingers like a sword, pointing out! Golden light condensed at his fingertip, with the phantom of stars faintly surrounding it!

He did not use the Indestructible Divine King Fist. Instead, using his finger as a sword, he channeled a sliver of what he had just comprehended from the star pagoda—not a specific sword move, but a Concept, a Concept that channeled the Power of the Stars, indestructible and capable of suppressing all things!

The Origin power of the Eternal Indestructible Body, combined with the star dao rhyme of the star pagoda, fused into this one finger!

Ding!!! Fingertip and sword glow collided precisely in mid-air! There was no explosion, no airwave. Only a crisp ring, as if the edges of two peerless divine swords had lightly touched.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The pure white sword glow and the golden starlight stalemated, eroding and wearing each other down. The surprise in Xia Qingyue's eyes deepened. She could feel that her Imperial Sword Qi could not easily break through the opponent's seemingly simple finger strength; instead, it was firmly resisted by a heavy, resilient force filled with the vast Aura of the stars!

Lin Fan felt a sharp, peerless Sword Qi carrying imperial majesty pierce through his fingertip, invading upward along the Meridians of his arm! The Eternal Indestructible Body operated frantically, golden light blocking and dissolving it layer by layer. Simultaneously, the star pagoda within his Dantian shook slightly, and a wisp of pure Power of the Stars surged out through his Meridians, merging into his finger strength.

The stalemate lasted for only a breath.

In the next moment, the pure white sword glow and the golden starlight dissipated simultaneously, turning into countless tiny specks of light that vanished in the night wind.

Both of them retreated half a step at the same time.

Silence returned to the Star-Viewing Platform. Only the night wind whistled.

Xia Qingyue looked at her slightly trembling fingertip, where a trace of burning and heavy alien force remained, being slowly neutralized by her internal Imperial Sword Qi. She raised her head, and the way she looked at Lin Fan had completely changed.

That one finger had not only blocked her strike at seventy percent power but also contained an ancient and vast star dao rhyme she had never seen before! This youth's Foundation far exceeded her estimates!

Lin Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, quietly circulating his blood and Qi to settle the sharp Sword Qi remaining in his right arm's Meridians. Xia Qingyue's strike was indeed powerful. Had it not been for the toughness of the Eternal Indestructible Body and the assistance of the star pagoda's Power of the Stars, it would have been difficult to take it head-on with his cultivation alone.

“The Young Master is indeed extraordinary.” Xia Qingyue restrained her Aura, returning to her cold demeanor, though her tone now held a trace of genuine recognition. “In that strike, this Princess used seventy percent of her power. For you to take it head-on means you are already qualified to be among the top tier of this year's Prodigy Assembly.”

“The Princess's Way of the Sword is divine; I am impressed,” Lin Fan said sincerely. The purity and sharpness of that strike had left a deep impression on him.

“There is no need for modesty.” Xia Qingyue turned and looked at the starry sky again. “The Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly will gather the top young generation of the entire Human Realm. Among them are no lack of ancient inheritors, Saints from hidden Sects, and even infiltrators from other Realms testing the waters... It will be a true clash of dragons and tigers.”

She paused, her voice growing slightly heavy: “Our Human Realm has been weak among the Six Realms for nearly ten thousand years. This Prodigy Assembly concerns not only personal honor but also the face and Luck of an entire Realm. I hope to see an even more stunning performance from you then.”

Lin Fan heard the expectation and gravity in her words and said solemnly, “I will do my utmost.”

Xia Qingyue nodded slightly and said no more.

The two stood quietly for a few more moments before Xia Qingyue, citing weariness, signaled her maid to prepare for departure.

As she walked down the Star-Viewing Platform, Xia Qingyue suddenly stopped. With her back to Lin Fan, she said softly, “Young Master Lin, be careful of that Grand Elder in your clan. According to my dynasty's secret reports, his connection with certain ‘outside’ forces is deeper than you imagine.”

Lin Fan's heart jolted. “Thank you for the warning, Princess.”

Xia Qingyue did not stay any longer, drifting away surrounded by her maid and guards.

Lin Fan stood alone at the base of the Star-Viewing Platform, watching her receding figure with a profound gaze.

The Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly, outside forces, Grand Elder Lin Yuan... a storm was brewing. He gripped the gold-leafed invitation in his hand and looked up at the brilliant river of stars.

“The Prodigy Assembly, huh...” Lin Fan muttered to himself, the golden light and starlight intertwining in his eyes as his Battle Intent rose. “Then let me see just how much weight the prodigies of these myriad worlds truly carry!”

In the night sky, a star that was originally dim suddenly brightened for a moment, as if responding to his vow.