Jing Xiao hadn't expected Ling Yuxian to suddenly interrupt her reunion with Gu Changge.
Her willow-like eyebrows immediately furrowed, and her expression became somewhat displeased.
However, in this setting, she chose not to make a scene. Instead, she softly said to Gu Changge, "It's been days since we last met, and there's much I'd like to discuss with you, Senior Brother Gu. But since there are important matters at hand now, we'll have to talk privately later."
After saying this, she glanced lightly at Ling Yuxian, her eyes carrying a meaningful look, slightly cold and hostile.
Hearing this, Gu Changge still smiled warmly and said, "At this critical moment, it's natural to prioritize the bigger picture."
Jing Xiao let out a soft sigh.
She could clearly sense that Gu Changge also seemed to have something to say to her.
But perhaps because Ling Yuxian was present or for other reasons, he had to let it go.
"Senior Brother Gu must have his reasons…"
If he truly was as Ling Yuxian had described that day, then why would Ling Yuxian try so hard to get close to him?
Wasn't this a case of protesting too much?
Ling Yuxian, however, acted as if she hadn't seen Jing Xiao's look or heard her words at all.
Her originally cold and elegant face now revealed a stunning smile as she said to Gu Changge, "Senior Brother Gu, let's continue discussing what we were talking about earlier."
She felt that Gu Changge was deliberately trying to make Jing Xiao misunderstand her.
So, as she smiled, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with a hint of threat and warning.
Gu Changge, however, acted as if he hadn't noticed at all, nodding slightly and smiling, "Senior Sister Yuxian, we were just talking about the Jing Kingdom behind Junior Sister Jing Xiao. Now that Junior Sister Jing Xiao is here, many things can be clarified by asking her."
Hearing this, Ling Yuxian felt a surge of annoyance in her heart.
This was truly bringing up the most inconvenient topic. She couldn't help but feel that Gu Changge was deliberately stirring the pot, trying to provoke conflict between them.
However, since Jing Xiao was present, she had no choice but to go along with Gu Changge's words. Otherwise, all her previous efforts would be in vain.
Afterward, Ling Yuxian, while smiling, subtly explained and revealed the current connection between the Jing Kingdom and the Imperial Immortal Palace, mentioning the relationship between the Imperial Immortal Palace's founder and the Jing Kingdom.
Jing Xiao, hearing this for the first time, was somewhat surprised. But as Ling Yuxian spoke, she kept glancing at Gu Changge, her beautiful eyes shimmering as if filled with tenderness, a look that, in Jing Xiao's eyes, was nothing short of affectionate.
Thinking of the various rumors about the two of them recently, Jing Xiao's heart felt even more sour and uncomfortable.
"The matter of the Jing Clan's ancestral land is likely something Jing Xiao doesn't know about. We'll have to ask her parents for clarification."
Seeing Jing Xiao's gaze, Ling Yuxian felt slightly helpless, but this was unavoidable. She silently apologized in her heart, resolving to explain everything to Jing Xiao when the time was right.
Then, under Ling Yuxian's orders, the many elders on the ancient warships began to display their great divine abilities, using various spatial treasures to store the disciples they had brought with them.
Some elders stayed behind, while others followed them to the Jing Kingdom.
The void around them became blurred as someone activated a cosmic sleeve technique, shaking their sleeve and causing the stars in the sky to seemingly dissolve into it, forming a small world.
Another elder summoned a Myriad Laws Bag, capable of containing heaven and earth, effortlessly storing the disciples inside.
Even Elder Jiu Lin summoned a spatial treasure, a small bell the size of a star. With a gentle shake, spatial ripples spread out, and many disciples were drawn into it.
The mission to rescue the founder was of utmost importance. Apart from Palace Lord Ling Qiuchang and a few others, nearly all the elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace had been mobilized.
Meanwhile, some of the ancient elders and living fossils had also left the Imperial Immortal Palace, hiding in the shadows to stabilize the spatial-temporal channel, ready to bring the trapped founder back to the Imperial Immortal Palace at any moment.
Under Ling Yuxian's arrangements, everything proceeded orderly.
Soon, several divine rainbows streaked across the sky, disappearing in an instant as they descended toward a remote area of the Western Yan Province.
Jing Xiao led the way, with Gu Changge, Ling Yuxian, and others following behind her. The remaining elders hid in the shadows, not revealing themselves.
Vast mountains and rivers flew past their eyes. Towering peaks and ancient, lush trees came into view, along with the outlines of many ancient cities. Cultivators and beings of various races moved about, filling the area with vibrant life.
Jing Xiao, returning to the place where she had grown up after several years, felt a mix of complex and joyful emotions.
Thinking that she would soon see her parents and her older brother, her previously gloomy mood lifted, becoming more cheerful and excited.
The group headed straight for the capital of the Jing Kingdom. For cultivators of their level, this was merely a matter of a thought, taking only a few breaths.
It was only after Jing Xiao had reached a profound level of cultivation that she finally realized the extraordinary nature of the Jing Kingdom's capital.
Divine light surged, and immortal mist swirled, transforming into auspicious beasts like cranes, white tigers, and qilins, either perched on mountain peaks or soaring above mansions.
In ordinary times, this was invisible, but if a powerful cultivator passed by, they would undoubtedly notice that this was a blessed land, filled with extremely dense spiritual energy, perfect for cultivation.
"Senior Brother Gu, this is the place I've told you about before, where I grew up."
"The Jing Kingdom isn't very large, and its history spans only a thousand years…"
Along the way, the group had been mostly silent. Now, Jing Xiao finally had a chance to speak with Gu Changge, taking the opportunity to introduce the Jing Kingdom.
"But it doesn't seem like a kingdom with only a thousand years of history. It's truly a mysterious and profound place," Gu Changge replied with a smile.
Jing Xiao also sensed this peculiarity. She had previously been curious about her parents' ages.
But now, it seemed that since they were old acquaintances with Ling Qiuchang, they must have lived for an extremely long time. How could the history of the Jing Kingdom be only a mere thousand years?
In the eyes of Dao Realm cultivators, even a thousand years was less than the fraction of a single seclusion period.
"I'll ask my parents about these things when I see them," Jing Xiao thought to herself.
The group, still hidden, soon descended from the sky. The capital of the Jing Kingdom wasn't very large. On the ancient streets, cultivators and beings of various races moved about, making it seem unlike an ordinary small kingdom.
Jing Xiao led the way toward the Jing Mansion. Along the way, she greeted some familiar faces with a smile.
After all, this was the place where she had lived for many years. Every blade of grass, every brick, and every tile felt exceptionally familiar.
However, when she returned to the familiar Jing Mansion, Jing Xiao didn't see her parents.
The mansion was empty except for a few maids and servants. Even her older brother was nowhere to be seen.
"Miss, you're back?"
A maid named Ling'er and another young girl looked at Jing Xiao with delight.
Then they glanced at the people following her.
They naturally recognized Ling Yuxian, as she had stayed at the Jing Mansion for a period of time in the past.
But who was that elegant and handsome young man?
Could he be the one that the King and Queen had mentioned before they left, the one who had captured Miss Jing Xiao's heart?
Their eyes showed a hint of admiration. It was their first time seeing such a graceful young man. No wonder even Miss Jing Xiao, who had always pursued the Great Dao, had her Dao heart shaken.
"Ling'er, Ya'er, I didn't realize you both had cultivation as well…"
"Where are my parents and brother? Why aren't they in the mansion?"
Jing Xiao examined the two maids responsible for serving her brother, feeling somewhat surprised.
In the past, she hadn't noticed, but now, with her cultivation and strength, she could see at a glance that the two maids had clearly cultivated and possessed profound cultivation bases.
This made her even more curious about her parents and the origins of the Jing family.