My Swordsmanship Has No Upper Limit

These people were Ji Qinghui’s supporters. Ordinarily, Luo Qinzhu should have been happy to see them arrive.

But had Zhong Ming been nearby, he would have noticed that their meeting lacked any of the joy or excitement of a family reunion. Instead, an icy aura emanated between them.

After a long silence, Luo Xiao, the cousin of Ji Qinghui and Ji Qinglian, was the first to speak.

"Auntie, cousin Qinglian has been too impulsive lately, and her emotions are too intense. This kind of temperament is unsuitable for the ritual to become a Goddess."

Luo Xiao’s tone was grave as he continued:

"So, I hope you’ll keep cousin Qinglian away from Zhong Ming. She needs to maintain the purity of her mind and body to be able to receive the boon of the Youtan Celestial God!"

"Hah..." Luo Qinzhu, Ji Qinglian’s mother, let out a dry, mocking laugh at Luo Xiao’s words. "I’m a priestess of the Youtan Church myself, yet I was unaware that the Youtan transformation required one to remain a virgin. In fact, I’ve long been a stranger to purity of body and mind. But in the end, didn’t my transformation succeed all the same?"

"..." Luo Xiao’s expression stiffened at her words, but he quickly composed himself. "Auntie, you were transformed into a priestess. Cousin Qinglian is to become a Goddess. The circumstances are different..."

Before he could finish, Luo Qinzhu cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Enough. There’s no need for such pretense with me. Do you think I don’t know what you’re scheming? You just want to marry Qinglian, don’t you?"

"I don’t object to that, actually. You’re my nephew, and you and Qinglian practically grew up together. I’d be quite happy to see our families become even closer through marriage."

At this, however, Luo Qinzhu’s gentle gaze suddenly turned sharp.

"But if you want to marry Qinglian, you have to earn her. I will not let my daughter marry a waste."

"That is all. I’m tired. You may go now."

With a wave of her hand, she lay back down on the soft couch and had a maidservant show them out.

Although Luo Xiao was unwilling to let the matter drop, he didn’t dare defy her. He could only lead his kinsmen away in sullen silence.

However, once they returned to the Luo Family’s quarters, Luo Xiao’s demeanor changed completely.

He looked toward a young man in their group with an expression mixed with respect and even a hint of awe.

"My Lord Divine Heir, my apologies for that indignity."

"It is of no concern," the young man replied, his expression kind and humble. "Besides, I am merely a candidate for the title. I still have a long way to go before I am a true Divine Heir."

But Luo Xiao dared not take him lightly. "Young Master Li Ye, you jest. With your strength, securing the title of Divine Heir is merely a matter of time."

"Haha, Junior Brother Luo Xiao, if you could bring the Qinghe Commandery Mansion into the fold of the Youtan Church, you could contend for the title of Divine Heir yourself."

At these words, Luo Xiao’s expression didn’t brighten. Instead, it grew somewhat grim.

The benefits of bringing the Qinghe Commandery Mansion into Youtan Heaven were indeed immense, but it was something that he, and the Luo Family, were simply incapable of achieving.

Prince Qinghe was no fool. Even Luo Xiao’s aunt had only been forced into becoming a priestess of the Youtan Church because she hadn’t anticipated the Luo Family’s betrayal.

But a mother’s love is a powerful thing. After her transformation, she initially had no will to live.

Later, the Luo Family elders appealed to her heart and mind. More importantly, they told Luo Qinzhu that the second impact was imminent, and it would be far from the last. A third, a fourth, and even a fifth would follow in quick succession.

It was an apocalypse.

"We can’t stop it. The Qinghe Commandery Mansion can’t stop it. Even the entire Frost Moon Dynasty will likely be destroyed."

"If we weren’t facing true despair, why would we have sought refuge with Youtan Heaven? Besides, we aren’t the only ones. It’s not just the Gentry Clans—even the Frost Moon Imperial Family has a branch that has secretly pledged allegiance to the Outer Divine Spirits!"

And Luo Qinzhu... believed them.

It was mainly because, when faced with an immense threat, it was common practice for Noble Families to split their assets and pledge allegiance to different factions to avoid total annihilation. This was the norm in their world.

For instance, during the era of the Three Kingdoms, the Zhuge Family famously had members serving in the kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu.

Faced with an apocalypse, Luo Qinzhu refused to believe that the imperial family of the Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty would risk everything and fail to preserve some hope for their lineage.

Seeing that her resolve was wavering, the Patriarch of the Luo Family pressed on.

"Your stubborn refusal might not be in line with the interests or wishes of Prince Qinghe... That Prince is surely looking for a way for his family to survive as well."

Those words finally made Luo Qinzhu yield, but she had conditions of her own.

Namely, that her own children had to receive the lion’s share of the benefits from this new allegiance.

After a round of negotiations, Luo Qinzhu secured a position for her daughter as a candidate to become a Goddess.

And transforming Ji Qinglian into a Goddess was only the beginning of their collaboration.

According to the original plan, once Ji Qinglian transformed into a Goddess—provided her power was immense and there were no unforeseen complications—

it would be Ji Qinghui’s turn. He wouldn’t just be a candidate; he would be transformed into a true Divine Heir.

Furthermore, the Youtan Church would throw its full support behind Ji Qinghui, helping him obtain the title of Prince Qinghe.

In return, once Ji Qinghui was in control, the Qinghe Commandery Mansion would give its full support to the Youtan Church.

—Since Luo Qinzhu had reserved all the benefits for her own children, there was naturally very little left over for Luo Xiao and the Luo Family.

However, Luo Qinzhu and the Luo Family were ultimately blood relatives; as the saying goes, bones may break, but the sinews remain connected. More importantly, even if the plan succeeded and Ji Qinghui truly became the Divine Heir, he would still need allies to climb to a high position within the Youtan Church.

Therefore, Luo Qinzhu and the Luo Family hadn’t completely turned on each other. She had even been willing to marry Ji Qinglian to Luo Xiao to maintain the relationship between the two families.

And Luo Xiao’s designs on Ji Qinglian were never just about romance; more importantly, they were driven by a web of conflicting interests.