"Judging from the information you brought back, what those two Dao Origin Realm brats carried is undoubtedly a Red Dust Token. Anyone can forge a Red Dust Token, but the power infused within it... is not something just anyone can channel in." Wen Zishan smiled and said, "Though on the other hand, who would want to forge such a token..."
"How did those two come to possess the Red Dust Emperor's Red Dust Token?" Qiu Ran furrowed his brow.
Wen Zishan shrugged. "That person's style of conduct... hehe, no one can ever predict it. It's not strange at all that those two have a Red Dust Token. Who knows—maybe one day, a whole bunch of beggars and brothel girls will show up at my Qingyang Temple holding Red Dust Tokens!"
Everyone wore expressions of disbelief.
"Don't you believe it!" Wen Zishan said. "Back in the early days when I established the Qingyang Temple, a group of brothel girls came to me with a Red Dust Token, demanding money! Ah, none of you were around back then. Only little Xueting was by my side, so naturally, you wouldn't know about it."
"There was really such a thing?!" The crowd was stunned.
Qiu Ran wore a speechless expression, muttering, "The Red Dust Token actually ended up in the hands of such women. This person really is..."
"Unpredictable in his ways!"
"Impossible to figure out!"
"The Red Dust Emperor truly lives up to his reputation!"
At this moment, Chen Qian—the young girl who had previously used a soul secret technique on Steward Tao and had been hovering silently in midair without a word—suddenly spoke in a faint voice: "Speaking of which, doesn't it feel to me like the Temple Master's style is somewhat similar to that Emperor's?"
The moment these words left her lips, everyone fell into contemplation, and the more they thought about it, the more they felt the observation made perfect sense.
"The Temple Master is also nonsensical all day long, never serious about anything!"
"And dresses just as tastelessly!"
"Especially lacking in self-respect!"
"I'm right here, you know," Wen Zishan said with a stern face. "Discussing me right to my face—do you think I'm... deaf?"
Qiu Ran glanced at him, cupped his fists, and said, "Temple Master, this subordinate has heard that when the Temple Master was young, he was adopted by the Red Dust Emperor for a time? I wonder if this is true or false?"
"Absolutely not!"
"This subordinate has also heard that the Red Dust Emperor once passed on his teachings to the Temple Master..."
"Baseless rumors!"
"What?!" Many people were shocked upon hearing this. "There was such a thing? The Temple Master actually has that kind of connection with the Red Dust Emperor?"
"So that's how it is!"
"I understand now."
Wen Zishan looked down at the group below, saying feebly, "What do you understand? Are you trying to say that my personality was influenced by that old fool? Nonsense! I have no relation whatsoever to that old man—neither kin nor friend. How could I possibly be influenced by him?"
"Then why does the Red Dust Token keep appearing at our Qingyang Temple?" Qiu Ran asked. Counting this occasion, the Red Dust Token had now appeared at the Qingyang Temple twice.
And there was no word of any other faction receiving one!
"Hmm, I'm quite curious what those two want by bringing the Red Dust Token to our Qingyang Temple. Let them in," Wen Zishan suddenly said in a serious tone.
Qiu Ran let out a deep sigh, feeling more and more that his Temple Master was rather like the Red Dust Emperor.
But he didn't dither. With a wave of his hand, the palace gates swung open, and he simultaneously sent a voice transmission outward.
Outside the palace, Yang Kai and Qin Zhaoyang exchanged a glance, both putting on solemn expressions as they walked side by side into the hall.
Once the two entered the great hall, the doors closed behind them.
Inside the hall, a group of Emperor Realm masters—even without deliberately releasing their power—exerted an omnipresent pressure that was more than two Dao Origin First Layer cultivators could bear. Yang Kai managed somewhat better. Though he felt as though he were wading through mud, at least he didn't make a fool of himself.
Qin Zhaoyang, however, was trembling with fear. With every step he took, clear water marks appeared on the floor beneath his feet, his robes thoroughly soaked with sweat.
When they drew near, the two cupped their fists and bowed to the assembly.
The others merely regarded them in silence. Wen Zishan waved his hand, and an invisible wave of force radiated outward, making Yang Kai and Qin Zhaoyang feel considerably more at ease.
"Thank you, Temple Master Wen!" Yang Kai cupped his fists toward the raised dais in gratitude. No one had introduced anyone to him, but whoever sat in the seat of honor up there and wore those distinctive purple robes could only be the Qingyang Temple Master.
"Having been verified by this Temple Master, the token you brought is genuine!" Wen Zishan's expression turned solemn as he looked down and spoke. "This Temple Master asks you both—why have you come to my Qingyang Temple with this token?"
Yang Kai glanced at Qin Zhaoyang beside him, only to find the old man cowering, seemingly too afraid to speak.
With no other choice, he replied, "Reporting to Temple Master Wen, we come from Maple Forest City. That token was given to this Brother Qin twelve years ago by a mysterious expert who appeared and disappeared without a trace. He instructed Brother Qin to come to the Qingyang Temple after twelve years and request that Temple Master Wen grant a spot to enter the Land of Four Seasons!"
"Oh? The Land of Four Seasons?" Wen Zishan showed a trace of surprise, and the others all wore peculiar expressions.
They had assumed that these two, having brought a Red Dust Token to the Qingyang Temple, would probably make some extraordinary demand. Who would have thought they merely wanted a spot to enter the Land of Four Seasons?
Wen Zishan swept his spiritual sense over Qin Zhaoyang and said calmly, "This old man hardly appears to be someone of exceptional talent. Then why would that old... that Emperor want him to enter the Land of Four Seasons? The Land of Four Seasons is not exactly a remarkable secret realm, but because entry spots are limited, only the elites of the great Sects and clans have historically been allowed in to seek fortune and destiny. Is there some compelling reason he must enter?"