Chapter 26: Jin Meiyu and Long Chen

They stood up and flew toward the Talent Stone, which still shone brilliantly, standing alone, embedded in the mountain’s ground.

Jin Meiyu used an artifact that allowed her to float and fly at nearly the same speed as her grandfather and the Sect Master, if not slightly slower.

The elders of the Hidden Dragon Sect had been so overwhelmed by surprise after surprise that, at this point, nothing could faze them anymore.

On the ground, the disciples watched streaks of light soaring toward the Talent Stone’s location. Among them, Long Chen’s gaze was drawn to the veiled beauty flying at the forefront, with only two men ahead of her.

Almost immediately, Long Chen felt an irresistible attraction toward this mysterious woman. He wanted to fly over, introduce himself, and leave a good impression.

Even though he was still standing on the ground, his vision—enhanced by the Qi condensed in his dantian—allowed him to observe her with remarkable clarity.

[What?! Have some backbone, young lad. If you get attracted to every woman you see, how will you ever progress?]

His master’s voice suddenly rang in his mind, snapping him out of his daze.

"Master, weren’t you going to sleep and not come out until the guests had left?"

[Oh, that. I thought my enemies had arrived.]

"Master, you always talk about enemies. Who exactly are they? And if even you couldn’t handle them when you were alive, how am I supposed to?"

[You want to get to know that girl, don’t you?]

"Yes, Master, but how?" Long Chen immediately changed his inquiring look into a pitiful, puppy-eyed expression.

[Didn’t the sect give you a one-month deadline to prove your worth?]

A light bulb went off in Long Chen’s mind, and he immediately dashed toward the Talent Stone’s location.

[Xu Mo's POV]

Lying on the rough surface of my cell’s bed, I turned my head to the left, squinting at the shadow blocking the light that had been irritating my sleep for a month.

"How’s it going?" Long Bai’s voice echoed in my mind. My eyes refocused, and I recognized the silhouette—it was Elder Long.

"How does it look?" I replied with a weary smile.

"You’ve gotten thinner. Just what did you and the Sect Master discuss that day to leave you in this state?" Elder Long asked, clearly confused. I understood his curiosity—he had been asked to leave that day, and only the Sect Master and I knew what had been said.

"Don’t worry, it’s not a punishment. Think of it as training my mind."

"With Qi-dissipating bracelets on your wrists?"

"Yeah, that too. But I’ll be out in seven months."

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I didn’t bother sitting up—I barely had the strength to talk. I never imagined that simply losing my sense of taste would make life so difficult.

What will happen when all my senses are gone?

A shiver ran down my spine. In the end, I was just a seventeen-year-old boy. If I lost everything, would my mind survive?

My neck started to ache from talking like this, so I turned back and stared at the ceiling.

"Do you need something?" Elder Long’s voice wavered slightly, but I ignored it and answered.

"N-No… Well, actually, there are two things I want to know. What happened to the girl in the opposite cell—the one accused of murder?"

My heart pounded in my chest. Losing a friend, even one I had known for only a short time, was difficult. I hoped for a miracle—that somehow, she had been spared from execution. What angered me the most was my own incompetence. She had only acted in self-defense after being bullied for over a year, and despite having the power to help her, I had done nothing.

"T-That… well, she was found innocent. She only acted in self-defense."

"B-But… h-how?" My voice trembled.

"I don’t know. The Sect Master ordered an investigation, and it turned out she was the victim."

Hah… Agh… Cough, cough—

I tried to laugh, but my throat protested violently, sending me into a fit of coughing.

So, the sect is truly righteous. Even if some people are corrupt, as long as those in power remain just, the organization will continue to flourish for years to come.

"What’s the second thing?"

"Where has everyone gone?"

"Some guests are visiting. I don’t know much, but they seem to be the Ancestor’s friends."

"Ancestor?!"

"Oh, sorry. It might be new to you, but the Ancestor was the previous True Successor. Now, it’s you."

I was genuinely confused. Previous True Successor? If he had been the True Successor, why hadn’t he become the Sect Master?

"Forget that. I have some bad news for you."

Elder Long’s voice grew serious.

"You might soon have a new rival, so get out of this place as soon as possible."

Jin Meiyu arrived in front of the Talent Stone with the others. She stepped forward toward the towering, two-meter-tall stone.

Jin Wuyuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Sect Master, who quickly averted his gaze, pretending to busy himself with the elders around him, asking where Long Bai had gone.

The reason? Jin Wuyuan had been questioning him about the spiderweb-like crack running through the center of the Talent Stone—so severe that it had nearly split the entire structure in two.

Jin Meiyu, familiar with the awakening process from accompanying her grandfather to recruitment ceremonies for the Jin Family Army, also noticed the crack running through the stone’s center.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her dominant hand on the stone, steadying her racing heart. She was eager to discover her talent but also nervous. A quick glance at her grandfather’s youthful face reminded her of the countless hidden scars beneath his seemingly unaged appearance. She didn’t want to disappoint him—especially not in front of so many strangers.

Seconds passed.

Then, once again, the same powerful momentum that had shaken the entire sect during Xu Mo’s awakening returned. However, in comparison, it was only about fifty percent as intense.

Still, the ground trembled, though not enough to force the disciples to their knees.

The Inner Sect elders and the Sect Master could barely contain their joy, their smiles reaching their eyes. The Sect Master exchanged glances with the Inner Sect elders, their excitement unspoken but clear.

The Outer Sect elders, however, were not permitted to witness this event—after all, the guests were far too important.

Meanwhile, Long Chen, racing through the rugged mountain terrain, felt the disturbance. Excitement surged through him.

Another strong talent had emerged—someone he could recruit into his group.

It would be even better if it’s that veiled beauty, he thought.

Jin Meiyu’s presence exuded quiet dignity. Her robes, woven from celestial silk, shimmered subtly under the light. The deep sapphire-blue outer layer, embroidered with golden patterns resembling flowing rivers and soaring cranes, draped over a pale silver inner robe, enhancing her ethereal beauty.

Her long, billowing sleeves bore intricate threadwork of ancient runes, their craftsmanship hinting at a noble lineage long removed from the mortal world. A high collar concealed her neck, while a nearly translucent veil covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible—serene yet piercing, like twin cold stars reflecting an unfathomable depth of wisdom and strength.

Her jet-black hair was tied into an intricate high knot, secured by a jade hairpin shaped like a phoenix in mid-flight.

Despite the simplicity of her attire, her presence commanded respect—not through ostentation, but through the quiet majesty of someone who did not need to declare their worth.