Don't Worry

Qingjian Sect.

Three Golden Core venerates stood in the courtyard. The leading venerate had just finished reading the contents of the imperial decree.

As soon as his voice faded, the surrounding air seemed to stagnate.

Lin Qingyan suddenly took a step forward, shielding Gu Chengyin behind her.

In the next breath, golden lightning burst forth with a resounding boom.

It surged madly from Lin Qingyan's entire body. These were not mere hair-thin sparks, but the true power of heavenly thunder.

The golden arcs of electricity resembled countless wildly dancing snakes, frantically slithering around her.

They emitted crackling explosions, burning and twisting the surrounding air.

The pupils of the three Golden Core venerates contracted sharply. Before they could even react,

they saw that Lin Qingyan's eyes had already turned a blazing white tinged with gold.

This was her battle form!

The battle form of Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion!

The three Golden Core venerates took a step back almost simultaneously.

All three were veteran Golden Core cultivators who had practiced for many years and considered themselves to have seen their fair share of storms.

Yet at this moment, facing Lin Qingyan's blazing white and golden eyes, and the berserk golden lightning surrounding her,

the three actually felt a bone-piercing chill rise from their spines.

This was spiritual pressure.

The spiritual pressure of the Golden Core realm.

But this pressure was far too strong!

Wasn't it said that Lin Qingyan had only just broken through?

How did the intensity of this pressure feel like the middle stage? It could clearly rival the late stage or even the great perfection stage.

Right at that moment, Lin Qingyan spoke.

Her voice was as cold as if it came from the depths of the netherworld, carrying an undisguised killing intent:

Are you certain this is His Majesty's decree?

The hearts of the three Golden Core venerates trembled.

The leader opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but the words caught in his throat.

They were forcefully suppressed back down by Lin Qingyan's spiritual pressure.

He felt as if his throat was being gripped by an invisible hand; he could not spit out a single word.

He grew so anxious that cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

It is over, it is over.

Could Lin Qingyan think they were forging an imperial decree?

But this decree was indeed sent directly from the Grand Secretariat to the Celestial Master Mansion, specifically ordering the three of them to deliver it in person.

They were just following orders and had absolutely nothing to do with the contents of the decree!

Wait.

Could it be that Lin Qingyan wanted to beat a confession out of them and forcibly label this decree as a forgery?!

When this thought surfaced, the leading Golden Core venerate panicked even more.

The current Lin Qingyan was clearly in a state of furious rage, with lightning dancing wildly around her and chilling killing intent in her eyes.

It was obvious that she did not believe it at all and unilaterally considered it a fake decree.

If a fight really broke out over this, the unlucky ones would definitely be the three of them.

Even at the early Golden Core stage, Lin Qingyan could fight three at once. Now that she was at the middle stage, would she not just unilaterally slaughter them?

The three Golden Core venerates exchanged glances, all seeing the panic in each other's eyes.

They finally understood now.

Why was the imperial decree sent to the Celestial Master Mansion?

Why were the three veteran Golden Cores specifically requested to come together?

They originally thought it was to prevent Gu Chengyin from running away.

But looking at it now, if anyone with slightly weaker strength had come, they would have already been blasted away by Lin Qingyan's lightning.

Even though the imperial decree represented Emperor Luo and the authority of the Great Luo imperial family,

Lin Qingyan would still strike without hesitation.

Because all the venerates of the Celestial Master Mansion knew.

The last time Lin Qingyan got angry, she smashed Emperor Luo's warm pavilion to pieces.

That was about a month ago. Lin Qingyan had gotten angry over some unknown matter.

After smashing it, she stormed out of the Divine Capital and went to Luoshui Commandery.

At that time, Emperor Luo was so angry his face turned green, but in the end, he did not do a single thing about it.

He merely ordered people to rebuild the warm pavilion, without issuing even the slightest punishment.

That was the warm pavilion.

The residence of the Son of Heaven.

Lin Qingyan dared to smash even that place, let alone a mere imperial decree?

The more the three venerates thought about it, the more panicked they became, but they did not dare to move. They could only stand frozen in place, enduring Lin Qingyan's increasingly strong spiritual pressure.

The air in the courtyard completely solidified.

The golden lightning continued to dance wildly, the crackling explosions echoing endlessly.

Lin Qingyan's blazing white and golden eyes stared fixedly at the three venerates, the killing intent in her gaze almost materializing.

The cold sweat on the foreheads of the three venerates was already streaming down their cheeks.

Just at this moment.

A slender and powerful hand gently rested on Lin Qingyan's shoulder.

Amidst the wildly dancing golden lightning filling the sky, this action seemed so abrupt, yet so gentle.

Auntie.

A gentle and familiar voice sounded by Lin Qingyan's ear.

The tone was neither loud nor rushed, as if calling out to a child throwing a tantrum.

Lin Qingyan's entire body trembled.

The golden lightning around her seemed to be soothed in that instant, its wild dancing gradually calming down.

The crackling explosions also gradually weakened, eventually turning into the faint sound of electrical currents.

She turned her head.

Gu Chengyin stood right behind her, merely inches away.

His hand was still on her shoulder, and his deep eyes were looking at her with an incredibly gentle gaze.

Gu Chengyin smiled faintly, though it was just a slight curve of his lips.

But that curve was filled with the certainty and composure that Lin Qingyan was so familiar with.

It is alright, Auntie.

Lin Qingyan looked into Gu Chengyin's eyes, looking at his unhurried expression.

The furious flames in her heart gradually subsided.

She did not know why, but just moments ago, after hearing the contents of the decree, she felt like she was going to explode.

What did they mean by usurping the position of the Qingjian Sect Master?

What did they mean by specially ordering Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion, Lin Qingyan, to follow the imperial command and apprehend him immediately?

This was clearly attempting to convict Gu Chengyin!

They wanted her to personally arrest the person she cared about the most!

How could Lin Qingyan tolerate this?

At that moment, she only wanted to blast these three veteran Golden Cores who delivered the decree all the way down the mountain.

And then take Gu Chengyin and fly far away. To hell with the imperial decree, to hell with Emperor Luo!

But Gu Chengyin's single word quelled all her anger.

Not because this address held some sort of magic.

But because of Gu Chengyin himself.

His voice, his gaze, his smile, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Everything was telling Lin Qingyan:

Do not worry, I can handle this.

Lin Qingyan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

The golden lightning surrounding her finally dissipated completely.

Those blazing white and golden eyes also gradually returned to their normal color.

She looked at Gu Chengyin, did not speak, and gave a slight nod.

Gu Chengyin gently patted Lin Qingyan's shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

Then he stepped past her and walked toward the three Golden Core venerates.

Seeing Gu Chengyin approaching, the three Golden Core venerates subconsciously took another step back.

But after retreating, they felt something was wrong.

They were Golden Core venerates of the Divine Capital's Celestial Master Mansion, here to deliver an imperial decree.

How could they be scared into retreating by Gu Chengyin, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Yet, they simply could not bring themselves to step forward again.

Gu Chengyin walked up to the three Golden Core venerates and stopped.

He cupped his hands in greeting, his attitude respectful yet measured:

Please forgive us, my three lords. My auntie was simply anxious for a moment; I hope you three can be magnanimous.

The three Golden Core venerates exchanged glances, their hearts filled with mixed feelings.