Qin Ruqing noticed that both directors seemed quite amusing, each holding a grudge against the other.

One called the other a “coward,” while the other described him as “a child.”

Qin Ruqing nodded, “But I didn’t agree.”

Just as Fifth Ziyan let out a sigh of relief, his brows furrowed again. “Wait, you were at the ninth level of Qi Training before entering the Small Floating Island, and after entering, you jumped straight to the mid-foundation stage. The heavenly book can monitor the movements inside the Floating Island; they must have noticed your cultivation changes.”

“If being a congenital great perfection body isn’t a big deal, your rapid progress certainly raised some eyebrows. How could they just let you go so easily?” Fifth Ziyan’s gaze on Qin Ruqing became uncertain.

had an expression like, “So my territory was indeed stolen,” which startled Qin Ruqing, who nervously glanced to the side.

Fifth Ziyan, in a friendly tone, reassured her, “Don’t worry. I know your heart is with Nanling, and you would never do anything harmful to it. Just tell me what you agreed to.”

Qin Ruqing hesitated, “But the director of West Ridge said this matter is of great importance…”

“It’s fine. Whatever he wants you to do, I already have an idea. Just share it with me.”

Swallowing hard, Qin Ruqing made up her mind and said, “The director of West Ridge promised many benefits for the Qin family and asked me to represent the Fifth Celestial Family, representing him, Fifth Lingyu, to go to the Sixth Domain…”

“What!” Fifth Ziyan’s eyes widened in shock, and the recording official’s expression also changed dramatically.

Both were genuinely taken aback.

Fifth Ziyan nearly dropped his whisk in disbelief. “He even told you about the Sixth Domain…”

He looked up and down at Qin Ruqing, astonished. “He thinks so highly of you that he believes your talent can reach that level?”

Qin Ruqing feigned innocence but couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, thinking, see, it worked!

Fifth Lingyu hadn’t told her about the Sixth Domain; that was merely the ancestor’s speculation.

But it was fine—if they wouldn’t tell her, she could coax it out herself! It’s a game of wits.

Not only resources but also the information held by the Celestial Families, she would extract bit by bit.

She was determined to uncover what she wanted to know.

Fifth Ziyan, still in shock, asked, “You… you agreed to this?”

Qin Ruqing…

She said hesitantly, “It’s not that Ruqing wanted to agree, but he offered so much… Ruqing thought this was different from representing Xiling at the Hundred Clans Conference, as it wouldn’t harm Nanling’s interests, so i agreed.”

Fifth Ziyan was silent.

It was different, but the end goal of participating in the conference was still the Sixth Domain.

However, it wasn’t that far yet.

Even though Qin Ruqing was talented, she was still far from the level of the Sixth Domain.

Fifth Lingyu was likely just interested in her potential, offering her great benefits to persuade her.

Seeing Fifth Ziyan silent, Qin Ruqing nervously asked, “Is the director upset with the Qin family because of my actions?”

Fifth Ziyan snapped back to reality, noticing her worry, and shook his head. “Not at all. Your actions don’t harm Nanling’s interests; it’s just a promise.”

But his expression turned serious as he warned, “You must not trust the words of the Xiling director easily. He just wants to use you! The Sixth Domain is extremely dangerous. If you don’t meet the requirements to enter, you’ll be eliminated on the spot. Fifth Lingyu is just using you as an experiment. Even if you meet the requirements, entering would still be perilous… At your current level, there’s no chance of survival!”

Qin Ruqing was shocked. “It’s that dangerous!”

Fifth Ziyan nodded gravely. “So, regarding his request, just listen and brush it off. You absolutely cannot go. As for the benefits he offers, you can take them; it’s not important. Those things definitely aren’t his, so he won’t miss them.”

Fifth Lingyu, as the director in Xiling, controlled a floating Island’s secret realm and was tied to the Celestial Bureau.

If he hadn’t done anything shady, Fifth Ziyan could lose his head! At the very least, he must have profited from it.

The Xiling Celestial Bureau had so many valuable resources, and tricking a small family member was an easy profit!

Fifth Ziyan inwardly scorned this, while continuing to criticize Fifth Lingyu, describing him as a cunning little man.

After venting, he noticed Qin Ruqing’s awkward expression and realized he might have shared too much, risking his own image.

He coughed and was about to say something else when he frowned…

Wait, if he was insulting Fifth Lingyu, then Fifth Lingyu must have…

He stared wide-eyed and asked, “Did he also say bad things about me in front of you?!”

Qin Ruqing chuckled nervously.

Fifth Ziyan inhaled sharply—so he did!

“Tell me what he said.”

“Uh, director, isn’t that inappropriate…”

“It’s fine; he won’t know. Don’t worry, just say it.”

People are often curious about what others say about them, even if it’s bad.

Qin Ruqing hesitated, then said quietly, “The Xiling director said you’re a coward, that your investments are sneaky, and you’re too scared to act openly. He’s not like that; he dares to invest openly.”

“He also said that following him is more promising than following you…”

Fifth Ziyan was left dumbfounded.

With a deep breath, his expression darkened, clearly frustrated.

“He actually… said that about me!”

“It’s laughable! He thinks being with him has a future? He’s the one being suppressed so much! If he really had a future, he wouldn’t have ended up in that awful place in the Western Redge!”

The recording scribe cleared his throat, reminding everyone to pay attention.

Fifth Ziyan was jolted awake from his thoughts, abruptly stopping his complaints, though he still looked angry, his face a mix of green and white—quite dramatic.

Fifth Ziyan was so upset partly because Fifth Lingyu was badmouthing him, and partly because someone had hit a nerve with the truth.

He had indeed been secretly planning an investment, thinking about the Qin family nearby.

He figured they wouldn’t be able to escape, so he wanted to keep a low profile and invest in a more sophisticated way.

This way, the Qin family would be even more surprised and willing to cooperate.

But then Fifth Lingyu unexpectedly revealed everything.

Now, the reputation of the Southern Ridge’s Celestial Bureau was ruined, and his careful plans were exposed, while Fifth Lingyu’s actions seemed impressive, making them look inferior!

Looking at Qin Ruqing’s innocent face, Fifth Ziyan tried to cover up his embarrassment: “The Qin family is a prestigious family in Southern Ridge. If they perform well, it’s only natural for the Celestial Bureau to reward them. There’s no need to act shamelessly like Fifth Lingyu…”

After saying that, he felt his words were hollow, like painting a picture in thin air, only making the younger ones laugh at him.

Remembering Qin Ruqing’s talent, he gritted his teeth and added:

“As long as your Qin family performs well in the upcoming Hundred Clans Conference and ranks in the top ten, the Southern Ridge Celestial Bureau will reward you with an extra portion of Mysterious Heart Liquid.” He looked at Qin Ruqing and continued, “Your ancestor has been in seclusion since you returned, so I’m sure you’ve obtained some Heart Liquid. Its rarity is something I don’t need to explain.”

Qin Ruqing’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “Is what the Director said true?!”

Fifth Ziyan snorted, flicking his dust brush with flair. “The Director’s promise is serious. If it’s not, your Qin family can spread the word everywhere that the Southern Ridge Celestial Bureau is refusing to give you your reward. We’re right here—where could we possibly run off to?”

This was very straightforward, and Qin Ruqing appreciated the Director’s honesty.

She rubbed her hands nervously and said, “Of course, I trust the Director… so, the token?”

You trust me, yet you still ask for a token?

Fifth Ziyan was so angry he almost blew his mustache off.

He immediately tossed a jade pendant into Qin Ruqing’s arms and huffed, “You little brat, are you really afraid I’d go back on my word? Hmph!”

Qin Ruqing took the jade pendant without looking at it, lightly pinching it like she was playing mahjong, her smile growing wider.

Perfect!

Another valuable pendant to shake people up!

Qin Ruqing carefully tucked the pendant away, feeling closer to Fifth Ziyan, and asked, “The Director only said to aim for the top ten. But what if I manage to get first place in the conference?”

“First place?” Fifth Ziyan actually laughed.

This girl really had guts!

He didn’t underestimate her—he believed in her talent.

But first place in the Hundred Clans Conference wasn’t something just anyone could claim.

Instead of answering directly, he asked back, “Do you know what the reward is for first place in the Hundred Clans Conference?”

Qin Ruqing shook her head.

“Thousands of strands of divine silk! One Yuan Ying fruit!” Fifth Ziyang spoke these words in a booming voice.

Even he couldn’t help but click his tongue afterward.

The rewards for this Hundred Clans Conference were unprecedentedly generous.

In the past, it would have just been a Yuan Ying fruit and a few strands of divine silk, but this time, the rewards were directly doubled.

Thousands of strands of divine silk—he was quite envious himself.

“Divine silk?” Qin Ruqing asked, sounding inexperienced.

The recorder beside her chuckled, “When a Nascebt realm cultivator generates a virtual fetus and refines their body to the utmost, the next step is to transform the spirit, which requires tempering the primordial spirit. The primordial spirit is incredibly important, and there’s basically no cultivation method for it; you must rely on external substances for nourishment.”

“Purple Qi Yuan silk, also known as divine silk, appears as purple mist and can directly nourish the primordial spirit. It is a treasure sought after by both Golden Core Formation true practitioners and Nascent Realm masters.”

Qin Ruqing was taken aback.

It wasn’t the title of Nascent Realm that startled her, but the recorder’s description… purple mist?

It sounded increasingly like the purple mist she had brought back from the Small Floating Island.

She had asked her ancestors about it, but they didn’t know what it was.

To find out it could directly nourish the primordial spirit, something even Nascent Realm masters coveted, was shocking!

Qin Ruqing pretended not to understand and asked again, “Then, a thousand strands of divine silk—doesn’t that sound a bit few?”

Fifth Ziyang puffed out his cheeks in frustration, “Silly girl, one strand of divine silk equals one strand of primordial spirit! A normal Golden Core practitioner needs at least a year and a half to cultivate even a single strand, and they require specific cultivation methods.

Now, you’re being given a thousand strands! Can you imagine what that means?

With a thousand strands, your primordial spirit could grow a hundred times stronger, allowing you to directly advance to Nascent Realm!”

She understood…

Qin Ruqing felt only one thing in her heart: she had truly bitten off a huge piece of meat from an Celestial family!

That purple mist and the spirit of the earth were probably the most precious things from the floating Island, and she had managed to take them all away.

No wonder Fifth Lingyu wanted her to work for him; normally, such treasures could indeed buy someone’s loyalty and make them work wholeheartedly.

She hadn’t expected such a great surprise from this trip, which directly confirmed what the purple mist was.

However…

Qin Ruqing’s eyes flashed as she looked at the two plump sheep in front of her, thinking she could still gain more.

She blinked and, with a naive gasp, quickly shook her head and sighed, “With such generous rewards, the competition must be extremely fierce. Those talented seeds from the golden families will probably be unable to resist competing for the top spot. I likely have no chance.”

Fifth Ziyang was pleased; he didn’t see Qin Ruqing as lacking ambition.

Instead, he appreciated her ability to see reality and not aim too high. “So, your biggest goal this time is to strive for a place in the top ten.”

“Director, you keep emphasizing the top ten, but what’s so special about it?” She continued to ask, eager for more!

Seeing the confused look in Qin Ruqing’s eyes, Fifth Ziyan hesitated.

Normally, this kind of information shouldn’t be disclosed…

But considering Qin Ruqing was the first person he had openly invested in, and the Qin family was likely to rise in status soon, it wouldn’t hurt to tell her in advance.

He sighed.

“You even know about the Sixth Domain. It’s fine to share this with you.”

With a serious expression, he continued, “The Hundred Races Conference is just a preliminary selection. The real purpose is to compete for a place in the entrance.”

“This place is called: Gui Xu!”

When Qin Ruqing left the South Ridge Celestial Bureau , she didn’t use her flying device but slowly walked down the stairs.

She was reflecting on her gains from this trip.

First and foremost, she confirmed that the Sixth Domain is not a legend; it truly exists!

The Fifth Lingyu wants to go there because it relates to the opportunity for ascension.

This is a top-secret matter for the continent, something closely monitored by the powerful figures behind the scenes.

Secondly, she finally got the old turtle, Fifth Ziyan, to openly invest, directly promising her a share of Mysterious Heart Liquid.

With this, her Qin family could have another spot for forming a core.

As for why it’s a spot and not for herself, Qin Ruqing believed she could rely on her own abilities to form a core without external help.

Additionally, she figured out what that purple mist she brought back from the floating realm was.

This stuff is incredibly precious; it directly nourishes the divine spirit, even coveted by Nascent masters.

She just didn’t know how much she had—was it a few strands, hundreds, or thousands?

Since it was in a clump, she couldn’t tell how many were inside.

Finally, she learned the truth about the Hundred Races Conference.

While it seems like a competition for reputation among the noble families, it’s actually a battle for interests.

The quota for Gui Xu…

Qin Ruqing recalled Fifth Ziyan’s words:

“Gui Xu is an ancient battlefield, a place where ancient powers opened up a separate world at the border of the human and beast realms, also known as the Third Realm.

Countless ancient powers fell here, leaving behind estates and legacies beyond your imagination.

The Hundred Races Conference is about selecting the top hundred races to compete for the Gui Xu entry quota.

Only the top ten can truly participate and have the chance to benefit.”

Qin Ruqing murmured, “It’s all a game for the powerful. If you’re not strong enough, you don’t even qualify to know the secrets…”

After saying that, she smiled, “But it doesn’t matter; I will take action.”

“Still the same: You see me as a small fry without qualification, but I see you as my big, fat sheep.”

“The Sixth Domain, Gui Xu, the truth about the Hundred Races Conference… Even things I shouldn’t know have come to light for me.”

Looking down the long stairs, she didn’t want to walk anymore, so she summoned her flying sword and lightly jumped onto it.

“Indeed, it all depends on the Celestial Families. The more you pull, the more you gain!”

“Today’s haul was so satisfying. Hmm, I’ll definitely do it again next time.”

As she spoke, Qin Ruqing rode her flying sword, using the wind and invisible benefits, happily leaving the place.