Chapter 724: The Weakest King-Level Faction
"Make him a commander of my Silver Mist Palace?"
The silver-haired girl froze at Qianqiong's words. Her brows knit slightly as she looked over at Lin Langtian, her tone cool. "Teacher, it's true that Silver Mist Palace is short one commander, but there's no need to assign someone whose identity is this unclear."
As the master of a palace, she knew almost every notable expert in the Qiankun Sect by name. The fact that Lin Langtian was a complete stranger told her he almost certainly wasn't from within the sect.
Lin Langtian felt an awkward twist at the corner of his mouth as her chilly gaze fell on him.
So this really was going to be a difficult superior.
"Hehe, Jiang girl," Qianqiong said lightly, "this new commander is named Lin Langtian. He holds a Qiankun Gold Token. That hardly makes him an outsider."
He had clearly anticipated his disciple's temper and took no offense at her reaction. With a small smile, he explained Lin Langtian's origins in full.
"A lower-plane cultivator… and the holder of the Song Clan's Qiankun Gold Token…"
At that, countless eyes from the Silver Mist disciples turned to Lin Langtian. Both parts of his story—his ascent from a lower realm and his possession of the token—sparked open curiosity.
But the silver-haired girl soon drew back her gaze.
Aside from his good looks, she found nothing particularly special about him at a glance.
"Even so," she said calmly, "the disciples of Silver Mist Palace are almost all people I personally recruited. I'm not used to having someone parachuted in above them.
"Please assign him elsewhere, Teacher."
Qianqiong sighed softly. "I know you, Jiang girl. You're cold outside but soft within, deeply attached to your people and unused to outsiders.
"But because of that, Silver Mist Palace has fallen to the bottom of the Nine Palaces. You don't even have two full commanders.
"Lin Langtian may be from a lower plane, but this old man thinks highly of him. I didn't bring him here only to honor the Gold Token's promise—I'm also hoping to strengthen your Silver Mist Palace.
"You should think carefully. The Qiankun Spirit Pool is about to open."
At those words, Lin Langtian's eyes flicked curiously toward her.
So beneath that frosty exterior lay a heart that clung fiercely to bonds.
Unfortunately, that kind of temperament was ill-suited to leadership.
Any force that refused to accept fresh blood was doomed to stagnate, no matter how gifted its master.
The girl's expression tightened at the mention of the Spirit Pool, a hint of struggle flickering in her eyes.
As Palace Master, she had hoped to raise Silver Mist by her own strength. But reality had not cooperated. Despite ranking near the top among the Nine Kings in personal power, her palace trailed near the very bottom in overall strength.
If this went on, it might one day be little more than a name.
Perhaps Silver Mist really did need to change.
After a long silence, she exhaled softly and turned to Lin Langtian.
"Fine. I'll accept him as commander of Silver Mist Palace.
"But let me be clear: if he ever does anything to betray this palace, I will remove him myself—without hesitation."
"Hehe. Once he's under your command, you can handle him however you like," Qianqiong said with a faint smile.
He glanced at Lin Langtian. "But I have a feeling this new commander may bring Silver Mist Palace more change than you expect."
With that, he waved a hand and lifted off, vanishing in an instant.
As Grand Elder of the Qiankun Sect, he had little idle time to linger, especially with the sect master in long seclusion.
After seeing him off, Lin Langtian turned and offered the silver-haired girl a formal salute.
"Subordinate Lin Langtian greets Palace Master."
With that bow, he formally pledged himself to her banner. From this moment on, he was a man of Silver Mist Palace.
As for his new superior, cold and beautiful as she was, he felt neither particular fondness nor dislike—only a wary respect.
Her aura was powerful, at least at the level of a Fifth Rank Supreme.
Such strength, at her age, marked her as a true prodigy.
"Mm."
She nodded once, then held his gaze.
"From now on, you are one of us," she said evenly. "Remember this well: you are never to bring shame upon Silver Mist Palace, or harm its interests, under any circumstances."
"Rest assured, Palace Master. This subordinate understands," Lin Langtian replied, his tone firm.
"Good." Her eyes softened a fraction. "My name is Jiang Yinlan, Palace Master of Silver Mist Palace.
"She is Mu Honglian—like you, a commander of this palace."
As she spoke, she pointed to a tall woman in light red robes nearby.
That woman's features were soft and lovely. Unlike Jiang Yinlan's ice‑cold calm, Mu Honglian's presence was gentler, more approachable.
"Hello, Commander Lin. I'm Mu Honglian. Please look after me from now on," she said with a sweet smile.
Lin Langtian felt his mood ease a little at her warmth.
"There's no need for such formality, Commander Mu," he said with a small chuckle. "You're the senior here. I'll be counting on your guidance. Just call me Lin Langtian."
"Hehe. For the Grand Elder to value you so highly, and for you to have broken through the shackles of a lower plane to reach the Great Thousand World—you must be anything but ordinary.
"With Commander Lin—no, with Lin Langtian here—Silver Mist Palace won't have to suffer in front of the other eight palaces anymore. In the past…" she began with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Honglian."
Jiang Yinlan's brows drew together, and she cut her off with a quiet rebuke.
Another moment, and Mu Honglian would have been airing all of Silver Mist Palace's secrets in public.
"But Yinlan," Mu Honglian said with a small pout, "Lin Langtian is one of us now. Isn't it normal for him to know about the palace's situation?"
Her tone was light, her smile sweet.
Jiang Yinlan could only sigh softly at her antics. She glanced at Lin Langtian, lips pressing together as she weighed her thoughts—then said nothing.
Mu Honglian was right. If she had already decided to accept him, then keeping him at arm's length would only breed distrust.
If you used someone, you should not doubt them. If you doubted them, you should not use them.
Seeing her silence, Mu Honglian smiled and turned back to Lin Langtian.
"You've probably already guessed," she said. "Palace Master Jiang is the Grand Elder's disciple, and her background is exceptional. Combined with her own talent, that allowed her to found Silver Mist Palace while still very young and take a place among the Qiankun Sect's Nine Palaces.
"On paper, Silver Mist is a King‑Level faction.
"But… we were created last, and…"
She shot a sideways glance at Jiang Yinlan and let the rest of the sentence fade.
Lin Langtian understood instantly.
As a cultivator, Jiang Yinlan was peerless. As a leader… not so much. Heaven seldom gave one person everything.
With a late foundation and shaky management, it was no surprise Silver Mist sat near the bottom of the Nine Palaces.
Jiang Yinlan clearly heard the implication, but only frowned slightly without protest.
She knew her own weaknesses.
And she and Mu Honglian were as close as sisters. A few blunt words would not stir her anger.
"Because of all that," Mu Honglian said with a wry smile, "we've slowly fallen behind the other eight palaces over the years.
"Some even say that in the coming battle for the Qiankun Spirit Pool, Silver Mist will be cut from the competition entirely."
She lifted her eyes to Lin Langtian, a hint of bitterness in their depths.
"So in a way, your joining us is a kind of misfortune.
"Of all the King‑Level factions in the Qiankun Sect… you've landed in the weakest one."
(END CHAPTER)
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