After hearing Gong Chenying's words, the Great Elder was still alright. His face just stiffened for a moment before he resumed his smile.
The Second Elder, in his astonishment, had a sharp glint flash through the depths of his eyes, but he too quickly returned to normal. No one knew what he was thinking.
"He saw the navel ring..."
The peerlessly beautiful Third Elder, who had been surprised countless times today, rarely lost her usual composure. She couldn't help but blurt it out, while looking at Li Yan with a strange gaze, as if to say.
"Could it be such a coincidence? Such a coincidence...? You couldn't have known the reason, you... you did it on purpose, didn't you?"
The powerful cultivation Li Yan had displayed earlier had now, in the minds of others, turned into a means by which he could have plotted against Gong Chenying.
Li Yan felt a little uncomfortable under the gaze of the Third Elder's beautiful eyes, but he maintained a calm expression.
"Yes! But at that time, Little Martial Uncle's cultivation was only at the Qi Condensation stage."
Gong Chenying's high, cloud-piercing chest rose and fell. After seeming to take a deep breath, she instantly regained her cold and stunning demeanor. She had also noticed the Third Elder's gaze and added another sentence.
"I was wondering why you kept turning down so many outstanding young talents in the clan. So this was the reason!"
The Third Elder nodded. The women of their Tianli Clan placed the utmost importance on clan rules, especially the one concerning the "navel ring."
However, there were actually strong opinions within the Tianli Clan against marrying outsiders. They felt that the bloodline of the offspring born from such unions would be impure.
Especially for Gong Chenying, whose status was even more special; she might one day take over the position of Clan Head. However, these were all Nascent Soul old monsters, each with deep thoughts. They all just pondered this secretly in their hearts.
Gong Chenying had probably never mentioned this matter to the Clan Head, Gong Shanhe. Otherwise, how could they have not heard even a whisper of it?
Gong Shanhe had once expressed his worries to them about A Ying's future Dao Companion, and his expression did not seem feigned.
Although their minds were racing, none of them said anything. This Li Yan was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and Gong Chenying had personally acknowledged him as her martial uncle. Whether in terms of his formidable combat strength or their close relationship, it was not appropriate to speak up now.
So, for the time being, they all felt that this matter needed to be discussed privately later.
"The reason my martial uncle came here was also because of an agreement we made. I hoped he would come to help me when he had the strength..."
Then, Gong Chenying briefly explained the reason for Li Yan's arrival.
Li Yan, for his part, listened, a faint light occasionally flashing in the depths of his eyes. He noticed that Gong Chenying had been upfront about their relationship, but had not mentioned the matter of "Qing A Wang" since.
'Is this related to me having cultivated the Qiongqi Purgatory Art in advance? Back then, A Ying did say that I could cultivate the first three layers in advance, but I would need to pass an assessment later.'
'If I fail the assessment, my cultivation of this technique will be crippled. It seems my decision not to use the Qiongqi Purgatory Art earlier was a wise one.'
Li Yan's mind raced, but his face remained impassive. However, for a moment, he couldn't be sure of Gong Chenying's true thoughts.
Because, both before and after he took Gong Chenying into and out of the Spirit-Storing Pouch, she had not reminded him about the Qiongqi Purgatory Art. Only now did she seem to have intentionally omitted it.
Logically speaking, if Gong Chenying felt that his cultivation of the Qiongqi Purgatory Art could not be exposed for the time being, she should have reminded him in time, or anxiously asked him afterward if he had used the art.
Li Yan silently pondered these things...
"This time, thanks to Fellow Daoist Li's timely intervention, the entire Tianli Clan is extremely grateful. Otherwise, today might have truly been the day our city fell."
The Tianli Clan's Great Elder stood up and gave Li Yan a deep bow with a sincere attitude. Seeing this, Li Yan also quickly stood up.
"That matter is in the past. I wonder if you could tell me about the situation with the Wind Beasts here, as well as the situation of the Tianli Clan. Although I am weak, I will naturally do my best to fulfill the promise I made to my Sixth Senior Sister."
Li Yan also returned the bow with cupped hands.
"Fellow Daoist Li, we are truly grateful for what happened before, but do you know that we and the three Wind Beast clans are mortal enemies? If you help... that won't be a matter of a day or two."
"Moreover, if you leave the Tianli Clan in the future, A Ying may not be able to go with you. She carries more of the clan's heavy responsibilities..."
Just as Li Yan was asking the Great Elder, the Second Elder suddenly interjected. The meaning and tone of his words were not peaceful, which made Li Yan frown.
"Elder Miao, you have said too much! I will say it again, if not for Fellow Daoist Li's intervention today, we would have faced the destruction of our city and people. I ask you, on this entire continent, who else would be willing to help us resist the Wind Beasts?"
A sharp glint flashed in the Great Elder's eyes as he couldn't help but reprimand him.
On the Wind God Continent, the Wind Beasts had carved out their own territories. They occupied vast lands. The Tianli Clan dared not venture out to help others, and others likewise dared not come to help the Tianli Clan, fearing that their own lairs would be attacked by the Wind Beasts in a move to pull the rug from under their feet.
In the end, it was because the overall strength of the cultivators on the Wind God Continent was not as great as that of the Wind Beasts. This also led to very few Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators traveling outside on the Wind God Continent. They usually just dared to stay obediently at home.
Even if one or two Nascent Soul rogue cultivators occasionally appeared, they would be the target of competition for various sects and families, all wanting to recruit them as guest elders.
Unfortunately, it was not easy for a rogue cultivator to even reach Foundation Establishment, let alone Golden Core or Nascent Soul. Even if you wanted to recruit them with a high price, very few appeared.
Hearing the Great Elder's reprimand, although the Second Elder said no more, the expression he gave Li Yan now carried a hint of coldness.
At the same time, Li Yan also noticed that Gong Chenying's gaze towards the Second Elder had also begun to turn cold.
"Fellow Daoist Li wants to know about the three Wind Beast clans besieging our clan. That's simple. Fellow Daoist Li has seen all three clans today. They are called the 'Wind Goose Beasts,' 'Wind Iron Beasts,' and 'Wind Elephant Beasts.'"
"Among them, the Wind Goose Beast clan is the strongest. The one who fought the Great Elder, named Yan San, is the strongest among the three clans at present..."
Just then, a voice like that of a crisp warbler came from the side. The Third Elder interjected with a smile.
With her smile, the entire pavilion suddenly felt as if it were in a field of blooming flowers. The hint of awkwardness that had just arisen instantly vanished without a trace...
After half an incense stick's time, Gong Chenying left the pavilion with Li Yan and the two demons. Only the Great Elder and the other two remained inside.
"Elder Miao, you were a little out of line just now!"
The Great Elder's smiling face instantly turned gloomy.
"Great Elder, I suspect that person has already cultivated the 'Qiongqi Purgatory Art,' and his purpose in coming to our clan is not only to win the beauty's heart, but more likely to covet the subsequent techniques!"
The Second Elder's gaze was fixed on the direction Li Yan had left, a gloomy light flickering in his eyes, his tone not showing any weakness.
"So what? As long as he hasn't cultivated the fourth layer and passed the 'Qing A Wang' assessment, it complies with the clan rules!"
The Great Elder, of course, knew what the Second Elder was thinking, and he was already dissatisfied.
"I suspect that person is not A Ying's martial uncle, and what if A Ying is deceived by his sweet words and gives him the techniques beyond the third layer?"
"Today, the physical strength he displayed, I can feel the shadow of our clan's technique in it. Can the third layer of the technique shatter the body of a fourth-rank 'Wind Elephant Beast'?"
"I don't need to say this, I'm sure you all know what kind of powerful strength is required for that!"
The Second Elder continued to speak slowly. Although his voice remained calm, the words he spoke were much more serious.
If Li Yan was not Gong Chenying's martial uncle, but her elder, and Gong Chenying was blinded by love and helped him weave a monstrous lie, it was not impossible.
Then this Li Yan would be harboring sinister intentions. There were too many instances of cultivators using any means necessary to achieve their goals. The Second Elder's words were not necessarily entirely wrong.
Gong Chenying's status was not that of an ordinary Tianli Clan cultivator. She was the strongest of the current younger generation, the next hope of the Tianli Clan.
Especially since so many young men and women of the Tianli Clan followed Gong Chenying's lead. If she were to be deceived, the blow to the future development of the Tianli Clan would be enormous.
"Oh, Elder Miao, our clan's is not the only top-tier body refining technique in this world. And we all know the principle of different paths leading to the same destination. A slight similarity in the aura of an attack doesn't prove anything!"
Just then, the Third Elder's voice came from the side. She glanced at the Second Elder with some dissatisfaction.
"Hehehe..."
This time, the Second Elder said nothing more, but just let out a chuckle, a noncommittal look on his face.
"Let's discuss this matter in detail with A Ying alone after her injuries have recovered. For the time being, let's save our energy to deal with the Wind Beasts!"
"Otherwise, I don't mind quelling the internal strife first. After all, we already owe Li Yan for today. Otherwise, we might not be sitting here chatting idly right now."
"My Tianli Clan has always repaid kindness. Otherwise, we would not have been able to stand united and survive to this day!"
The Great Elder's voice carried a stern warning!
...
In a courtyard, apart from a fence wall enclosing an area, there was only an octagonal stilted building inside.
Everything looked so simple, yet the environment was quiet and secluded. Within a five-li radius of this fenced courtyard, there were no other courtyards.
Since Li Yan arrived here a month ago, apart from a visit from the Great Elder, no one else had disturbed him.
After Gong Chenying brought them here that day, she went back into seclusion to heal her wounds.
On the way over, Gong Chenying had also asked about Zhao Min and the Malevolent Spirit Sect. At that time, looking at Gong Chenying's pale face, Li Yan had just smiled faintly.
"Senior Sister Min has also returned to Little Bamboo Peak. Everyone else is fine. I'll tell you the details after your injuries have healed."
Li Yan was worried about Gong Chenying's injuries. Matters concerning Lin Daqiao and the others would definitely affect her state of mind, so he simply concealed them all.
Gong Chenying, of course, had many questions, including why Li Yan and Zhao Min had lost all contact after falling into the Devil's Cliff Crevice.
And where had he come from now? But her injuries were not light. After listening to Li Yan's advice, she brought them here and then left directly.
Li Yan and the two demons temporarily settled down here. The entire stilted building was two stories high, fully equipped with cultivation chambers, artifact refining rooms, and so on.
Li Yan was completely unconcerned about this. He had come here to find Gong Chenying. Now that she was safe, he was at ease. He didn't care about any other external matters.
To be honest, now that he was here, even if the Wind Beasts breached the Tianli Clan's defenses, Li Yan wouldn't care. He could rely on his own cultivation to protect Gong Chenying and ensure her safe departure from this place.