The two were trembling with excitement.
Xuanhuang Heaven!
One of the nine heavens that stood above even the Upper Realm, it was a supreme, sacred place.
Years ago, Xuanhuang Heaven was attacked by a mysterious force and fell into the lower realms. Ever since, many factions from the Upper Realm had been searching for it.
After all...
As one of the nine heavens, Xuanhuang Heaven possessed unimaginable depth and heritage. Even though it had fallen, it was bound to recover one day!
In fact, every one of the nine heavens had gone through such cycles. They had endured endless trials, only to emerge even stronger. It was for this reason that they stood tall among the nine heavens, reigning supreme over the Upper Realm.
Whenever one of the nine heavens rebounded from a period of decline, it would erupt with countless fortunes and opportunities, much like a spring rebounding after being compressed.
If they could ride the coattails of Xuanhuang Heaven's revival, their cultivation would soar as well, growing in tandem with its resurgence.
This was an unprecedented opportunity!
"Should we inform the family?"
The fat man glanced at the thin man.
"Maybe... not just yet?" the thin man suggested cautiously, as though afraid of committing some grave error.
"That... doesn't seem right," the fat man hesitated, but a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, though he tried to suppress it.
"It's fine. We've only discovered Xuanhuang Heaven. It's not a big deal. What's more important is completing the mission the family assigned to us," the thin man said with a stern, righteous expression.
"Right! Mission first!"
The fat man nodded. Then, the two exchanged a glance, gradually revealing smiles of mutual understanding.
An opportunity this good? Of course, they'd keep it to themselves.
"So, where do we find the bastard child?"
After a while, the fat man asked.
"I heard that the Holy Maiden left the family's sacred relic with that bastard child. The Elder gave me a jade talisman that can sense the direction of the relic."
The thin man pulled out a verdant green jade talisman from his robes.
However, the talisman remained completely inert.
"This... Did the Holy Maiden seal the relic?" The two exchanged uneasy glances, their mouths twitching in frustration.
How were they supposed to find him now?
Even though Xuanhuang Heaven wasn't as vast as the Upper Realm, it was still large, and it was home to countless beings. Finding someone here would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"I've got it!"
Suddenly, the fat man exclaimed with a smile.
"No matter what, that bastard must have half the bloodline of our Phoenix Clan, so he can't be an ordinary nobody. If we start by investigating the top talents of this generation in Xuanhuang Heaven, we're bound to find him!"
The thin man's eyes lit up at the idea, and he slapped his thigh. "Let's do it!"
"Let's grab someone to question first," said the fat man, his divine sense spreading out again, radiating across the land.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, space rippled, and a young man dressed in black appeared before the two of them, seemingly out of nowhere.
"You... who are you?! Why did you bring me here?"
The black-clad youth looked around warily, his face tense with vigilance.
Just moments ago, he had been meditating in seclusion within an ancient ruin, attempting to break through to the Skysoar Realm. Suddenly, a force beyond his resistance had enveloped him, and before he knew it, he had blacked out and reappeared here.
"Don't be afraid. We just have a few questions. Answer them, and you're free to go," the thin man said calmly.
Hearing this, the black-clad youth visibly relaxed and respectfully said, "Seniors, please ask. This junior will answer to the best of his knowledge."
"Hmm, tell me, who are the most outstanding geniuses of your generation?" the thin man asked.
The black-clad youth thought for a moment and said, "With the revival of the world, many ancient prodigies have awakened. There are plenty of outstanding figures, like Qiao Feng, Ming Lingzi, Cang Lang, and Prince Kunpeng..."
The fat man interrupted, "Don't tell me about ancient prodigies. Just talk about those born in this era. Who's the most dazzling?"
The black-clad youth thought for a bit longer before saying sincerely, "If we're talking about this era, the most exceptional talent is undoubtedly Qin Zi. He's a true monster, a once-in-a-lifetime genius. Even many ancient prodigies pale in comparison to him."
He sighed, his tone filled with admiration and wistfulness.
"At one time, I thought I could compete with him. But now, I've given up that idea. There's just no way I can match up to him."
"Qin Zi..."
The two etched this name into their minds. Then, the thin man asked, "Anyone else? Tell us the names of anyone with some reputation."
"Of course," the black-clad youth said earnestly. "Besides Qin Zi, there's the likes of the True Dragon Jin Zhi, Chu Zhongtian, Xuan Tianji, Zhao Yunsheng, Shui Qingrou, Yu Wanqing, Shui Qinghan, and the little monk Ruoyu. All of them have had great luck over the years and gained tremendous power."
As he spoke, the youth hesitated for a moment, then added shyly, "Actually, to be honest, this junior has a bit of a reputation too."
He was hopeful.
He could sense that these two were unfathomably powerful. If he could catch their attention and perhaps become their disciple, it would be a golden opportunity.
The fat man cast a sideways glance at the youth, a trace of disdain in his eyes.
Just a mere Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator who hadn't even reached the Skysoar Realm, and he dared to call himself a genius?
However, in order not to come off as too arrogant, the fat man asked, somewhat perfunctorily, "What's your name?"
"This junior's name is Lin Yi!"
The black-clad youth quickly answered, sensing that his opportunity was drawing near.
"Mm."
The fat man nodded casually, glancing at Lin Yi before moving on.
The thin man also gave Lin Yi a cursory look before losing interest entirely.
He was definitely not the one.
If this kid had been the bastard child, their bloodline would have reacted at such close range. But they felt nothing at all from him.
He was just an ordinary young man from the lower realms.
Unremarkable. Not worth mentioning.
"Alright, we've gotten what we needed. Here, take this as a reward."
The fat man pulled out a brightly glowing five-colored pill and handed it to Lin Yi.
"This... Thank you, seniors!"
Lin Yi was taken aback. In his mind, being allowed to leave with his life was good enough. He hadn't expected these seniors to even reward him with a pill.
Such generous people!!
Just a moment ago, he had been trembling with fear, imagining them as terrifying beasts. Now, it seemed he had underestimated their magnanimity.
He felt ashamed of his own narrow-mindedness.
"Off you go."
The fat man waved his hand impatiently, then flicked his sleeve. Lin Yi's body disappeared instantly, returning to where he had come from.
"Fatty, giving him a five-colored Divine Glow Pill? Looks like you've been raking it in lately."
The thin man squinted, smiling.
"Heh, not at all. Last time, Prince Huang Tian sent me to deliver a letter to the Xiao family. The Xiao family is very hospitable, so they gave me some gifts. Oh, and the Xiao family's goddess also sent her maid with a few offerings," the fat man said humbly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Xiao family sure is willing to spend. They really want to marry off their goddess to Prince Huang Tian, huh?"
The thin man chuckled, a hint of envy in his voice.
"Of course! How many forces in the Upper Realm can match the eternal might of our Phoenix Clan?"
The fat man said proudly.
"But in the past few million years, the Xiao family has produced several peak figures. They're doing well. Do they really need to cozy up to our Phoenix Clan like this? Could there be some hidden agenda?"
The thin man frowned.
"Hey, is that something we small fries should worry about? Let the bigwigs handle that."
The fat man waved dismissively, then said, "Let's focus on the task at hand. We'll deal with that bastard child first."
"Shall we go after Qin Zi?"
The thin man suggested.
"From my experience, someone like Qin Zi, who looks like an obvious suspect, often isn't the one. We should start by investigating the ones who seem less suspicious."
The fat man analyzed calmly.
"That makes sense."
The thin man nodded thoughtfully. Then, the two took to the skies, flying toward their next target.