Seeing Hun Qianling's sadness, Uncle Lin comforted her with kind words:
"The Saint Lord of the Hun Family hasn't necessarily fallen. His Excellency is a man of great fortune; perhaps he will return in a few days."
Hearing these words, Hun Qianling could only nod blankly, a flicker of hope rising in her heart.
Afterward, Uncle Lin led Hun Qianling and Han Xuanji to the rooms in the backyard to rest, leaving them undisturbed.
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.
Hun Qianling slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with deep guilt as she looked at Han Xuanji and said in a raspy voice:
"Xuanji, I'm sorry. I... I lied to you.
I always thought the Hun Family was still the same as before, able to provide you with a stable place to settle down. But I didn't expect the family to become like this. Now, with troubles both inside and out, it might even bring you trouble."
She paused, bit her lower lip, and continued:
"If you want to leave now, I completely understand. After all, you only agreed to stay with the Hun Family because you thought they could provide you with assistance. But now, the Hun Family might not even be able to protect itself, let alone help you.
The current situation of the Hun Family... you don't have to force yourself."
Han Xuanji looked at her guilt-ridden face and gently shook his head:
"Actually, I should apologize too. I've known about this for a while. However, since I promised you I would stay with the Hun Family for a time, I won't go back on my word just because of these changes.
I don't care about the Hun Family's predicament. I never expected them to give me much assistance anyway. Having a place to stay and Cultivate in peace is enough."
As soon as he finished speaking, his tone shifted as he added:
"However, there is one thing I hope you can understand. After arriving at the Hun Family, there's no need to publicly announce my talent. I don't want to attract too much attention."
Hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in Hun Qianling's eyes, and she couldn't help but ask:
"Your talent is so outstanding. If you reveal it, you might even take the opportunity to join the Holy Court."
Han Xuanji didn't explain much, simply saying calmly:
"I have my concerns, which are inconvenient to discuss for now. Please understand.
Acting low-key might be a good thing for both me and the Hun Family."
He didn't want to mention the secret of the System, nor did he want to expose himself too early and invite unnecessary trouble. Especially given the Hun Family's current internal and external crises, being too high-profile would only put him in danger.
Although Hun Qianling was puzzled, seeing that Han Xuanji was unwilling to say more, she didn't press further. She hurriedly nodded and spoke sincerely:
"I understand. Don't worry, I will definitely help you cover it up. Whatever you want to do, I'll listen to you. As long as you're willing to stay, that's enough."
Seeing that Hun Qianling was so sensible and didn't pester him, Han Xuanji felt a bit more satisfied. What he wanted was this kind of unspoken understanding. He didn't need Hun Qianling to fully comprehend, only to cooperate with his low-key approach; that was sufficient.
This was also why he hadn't chosen to join the Heiyan Fleet. It sounded like it had a broader future, but for him, freedom and privacy were more important.
At least in the Hun Family, he could have a certain degree of say at this time.
This could be considered Han Xuanji's comfort zone. Having a certain status without being flashy, needing only to develop in silence.
"Thank you."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of sincerity. Afterward, the two of them replenished some necessary Cultivation resources in Uncle Lin's shop.
Ten thousand Eternal Coins, several bottles of Eternal Spirit Liquid, and some single-use Magical Artifacts for dealing with danger.
After finishing their rest, the next day arrived.
The two bid farewell to Uncle Lin and left the place.
They still used the thousand spirits vessel, an amphibious and aerial warship, for travel.
The thousand spirits vessel slowly started up and sped off toward Qianhun City.
Along the way, Han Xuanji spent most of his time in the cultivation chamber refining spirit liquid to improve his cultivation.
This Eternal Spirit Liquid was quite expensive. It was a weakened version of the water of eternity—essentially a diluted product—but it was quite suitable for an Eternal Dao Lord Cultivator like him.
Occasionally, Han Xuanji would observe the wild scenery of the Eternal Continent.
He discovered that the wilds of the Eternal Continent were far more dangerous than he had imagined.
In the mountains and forests along the way, fierce auras of Vicious Beasts were often detected. Some were covered in hard scales and spat fire, while others could manipulate the energy of heaven and earth to launch powerful attacks.
These Vicious Beasts were actually left there intentionally by the Powerful Experts of the Eternal Continent. Their ancestors were the original lifeforms born at the beginning of the Eternal Continent, possessing incredibly formidable strength, with some even reaching the Eternal Saint Realm.
However, after countless generations of breeding, their descendants' intelligence had dwindled, leaving only instinctive Bloodline talents, and their strength was far inferior to their ancestors. The Powerful Experts of the Eternal Continent left them there for two reasons: first, to train junior Cultivators, allowing them to increase their strength through life-and-death battles with Vicious Beasts; and second, to maintain the continent's ecological balance and prevent the original lifeforms from going completely extinct.
Although these Vicious Beasts were fierce, most Cultivators of the Eternal Continent mastered powerful secret techniques and could use divine weapons and Magical Artifacts. Cultivators of the same level could easily handle these beasts that acted purely on instinct.
As for those Vicious Beasts with truly powerful Bloodlines, they were actually raised by major organizations. Their flesh and blood essence were rare Cultivation items, and their bones, feathers, and scales were top-tier refining Materials.
Throughout the journey, they didn't encounter any overly powerful Vicious Beasts, nor did any other accidents occur. The flying vessel sped smoothly toward Qianhun City.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In the council hall deep within the Hun Family estate in Qianhun City, the current family head, Hun Qianxue, sat in the main seat, listening with a solemn expression as a clan elder reported on the family's recent situation.
Hun Qianxue was dressed in a black brocade robe. He had a handsome face, and though there was a hint of fatigue between his brows, it could not hide the majesty surrounding him.
Since he had suppressed the internal strife and ascended to the position of family head, he had been working day and night, stabilizing the internal situation while dealing with external greed, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.
"Family Head, news has come from Jiuxuan City. Young Miss Qianling... Young Miss Qianling has returned. She is currently aboard the thousand spirits vessel, heading toward Qianhun City."
A messenger Cultivator quickly entered the hall and reported with a bow, his tone carrying a hint of joy.
Then he added another sentence:
"However, it seems there is a man accompanying the Young Miss."