Chapter 278: You Look Like Someone, My Disciple From Years Ago, But She’s Gone

“Alright.” Meng Changqing nodded without requesting to see the items, trusting that a Human Royal wouldn’t lie about such matters.

Besides, as friends, a bit of trust was necessary.

“Where are you headed?” Meng Changqing pulled out a map and asked.

“Lan Domain, Huanlang Sky, Qingqiu Mountain,” the woman said slowly.

Meng Changqing searched the map and found the location, which was indeed far from the Black-White Academy.

There were even two regions in between.

Traveling to Huanlang Sky and then to the Black-White Academy would take a lot of time.

Even with Qingyu Phoenix, it would likely take five or six months.

However, for two spiritual items, it was worth the journey.

Plus, he could use this time to get to know the Human Royal better.

Since they’d be traveling together for a while, it would be a waste not to use the opportunity to improve their rapport.

After all, the woman had so many valuable attributes that relying solely on acquisition cards seemed wasteful.

Huanlang Sky was a region of intertwining mountains and waters, known for its breathtaking scenery.

Located in the northern part of the Lan Domain, it was often shrouded in mist, with only brief periods of clarity.

As a result, it was rarely visited.

Meng Changqing passed the route to Qingyu Phoenix and put the map away.

“Junior Meng Changqing,” he said with a smile, “I still don’t know Senior’s name.”

“Feng… Luange,” the woman hesitated before replying softly.

“Fake name, huh?” Meng Changqing mused silently.

It seemed she wasn’t willing to reveal her real name.

He didn’t mind. Encounters like this often involved some degree of discretion.

“Senior, why are you staring at me like that?” Meng Changqing noticed Feng Luange’s gaze fixed on his face, which made him a bit self-conscious.

He touched his cheek.

Could his appearance have captivated the Human Royal?

That seemed unlikely.

While he was confident in his looks, it didn’t seem enough to hold the attention of someone like her.

“You remind me of someone,” Feng Luange finally said, withdrawing her gaze.

“Who?” Meng Changqing asked.

Feng Luange didn’t answer, appearing lost in thought.

Over twenty years ago, she had a personal disciple, exceptional in every way.

She’d once believed that this disciple would inherit all her teachings.

But in the end…

Seeing Meng Changqing gave her the illusion of a long-lost figure reappearing.

Yet, according to her sect’s elders, Yaoge had died on the outskirts of Central Province, leaving no chance of any descendants.

Sigh.

Feng Luange let out a soft sigh.

Back then, she had been in seclusion and was unaware of the events.

By the time she emerged, it was already too late.

If she had been there, no matter the cost, such a tragedy would never have happened.

Crack!

Feng Luange clenched her fists, and the oppressive aura unique to a Royal Oath Realm cultivator caused the Qingyu Phoenix below to tremble.

“Senior, please calm down!” Meng Changqing quickly steadied Qingyu Phoenix and said in a steady voice.

What is this woman’s problem now?

“My apologies.” Feng Luange snapped back to her senses, surprise flashing in her eyes. “This Qingyu Phoenix of yours is extraordinary. Its ancient phoenix bloodline is incredibly potent.”

Upon closer inspection, she noticed its uniqueness.

This is clearly an Eastern Sect Qingyu Phoenix.

But one with such a high concentration of bloodline? That is unheard of.

Even the Eastern Sect Patriarch’s Qingyu Phoenix only had about 20%.

This one must be approaching 30%.

“Senior has keen eyes,” Meng Changqing replied with a smile.

“It seems you’re no ordinary person,” Feng Luange remarked, finally taking a proper look at him.

Her beautiful eyes suddenly showed a hint of shock.

At first, she thought Meng Changqing might have used some kind of youth-retaining elixir.

But it turned out he hadn’t!

He was genuinely just a young man!

A Marquis Realm cultivator in his early twenties?

That is absurd!

Even the top-tier geniuses of her Holy Land and Zhengyi Holy Land couldn’t compare to this.

“Which faction are you from?” Feng Luange asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Just a small sect in the southern region, nothing worth mentioning,” Meng Changqing replied with a polite smile.

Although he had a good idea of who might have caused his sect’s downfall, it wasn’t appropriate to discuss such things with someone he’d just met.

Besides, Feng Luange hadn’t revealed her real name, so he saw no reason to be entirely truthful either.

“The southern region?” Feng Luange frowned slightly.

A genius of this caliber coming from the southern region was hard to believe.

Could such a remote place produce such a prodigy?

Her thoughts drifted back nearly two centuries ago when an extraordinary figure from the southern region had emerged — Tai Xuan’s Eighteen Disciples.

The leader among them had been so remarkable that even her master had been deeply impressed.

Her junior sister had even fallen for him, yet fate had been cruel.

That story, too, ended in tragedy, leaving her Holy Land at the mercy of immense suppression, falling to the bottom of the Four Holy Lands, nearly losing its status.

“Keeping secrets, huh?” Feng Luange snorted softly as she returned to the present.

She then realized something was off.

Why had her emotions been fluctuating so wildly today?

Perhaps it was because this young man reminded her of her former disciple.

“So, Senior, which faction do you hail from?” Meng Changqing asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Take a guess.” Feng Luange’s tone lightened slightly, a rare moment of relaxation as old memories resurfaced.

—

“Master, look! I’ve mastered the eighth level of the Heart Sutra!”

“I’ll soon be unbeatable!”

“Master, I’ve become the top inner disciple. I didn’t let you down, right?”

“Master, I made some friends during this trial. They’re from the demonic path, but they’re not as bad as people say.”

“Master, Zhengyi Holy Land is so overbearing! Why should their word be law?”

“What is righteous, and what is demonic? In my eyes, they’re the real heartless demons!”

—

“A master playing guessing games? How childish…” Meng Changqing was speechless.