Heng Country Duke residence, the main hall.
The increasingly aged Duke of Heng Country sat in the seat of honor, with Lin Yue also sitting in a seat of honor beside him.
Below were the Qi Family members and the Guest Elders.
"Regarding the Dragon Essence that His Highness Prince Xuan sent over, I have discussed it with Young Master Mu Yue and have already come to a conclusion."
The Duke of Heng swept his gaze over those below, smiling as he said, "This Dragon Essence was sent over in the name of Young Master Mu Yue by His Highness Prince Xuan, without any other intentions. For Yinmo to have this opportunity is also a good thing for my Heng Country Duke residence."
Lin Yue observed the changing expressions of those below without betraying any emotion.
Within the Duke of Heng residence, those supporting the direct bloodline obviously all wore happy expressions, making no attempt to hide it.
After all, many years ago, the position of Duke of Heng rightfully belonged to the Qi Family’s eldest direct son.
But the eldest direct son was backstabbed, turning into Life and Death Chess.
Though the second son was of the direct bloodline, his talents were rather ordinary, making it difficult for him to handle great responsibilities.
The eldest daughter, as a direct descendant practicing the mysterious Heart Phase Cultivation Method, was not suitable to inherit the Duke of Heng’s special bloodline.
Thus, of the direct line, only the fifth daughter, who was a martial arts prodigy, was qualified to contend for the position of Duke of Heng.
Now that the fifth daughter had received the Dragon Essence, her talents were even higher and her potential even greater, naturally giving her more of a chance!
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The faces of others did not look so good.
Some supported the third young master from the second branch, and others supported the fourth young master from the third branch. Now, with the fifth daughter standing out, naturally only the direct bloodline was happy.
"Additionally, today is the Inner Hall examination of Ancestor Hall, and I have also been invited to observe."
The Duke of Heng swept his gaze over those below, "Among the fifty-three individuals participating in the Inner Hall examination, aside from Young Master Mu Yue, my Heng Country Duke residence also has three individuals partaking."
His gaze looked specifically toward Qi Tianxing, the Third Young Master of the Qi Family, and two Upper Ministers, saying, "Tianxing, Zhao Leqin, Xu Qingming, you three must make extra efforts."
Qi Tianxing, the Third Young Master of the Qi Family, had passed the entry test of Tianxia Building many years ago, so last month during the Outer Hall examination, he didn’t even need to lift a finger to earn his qualification for the Inner Hall examination.
And the other two Upper Ministers had also entered the Outer Hall of Ancestor Hall years ago and joined Tianxia Building before reaching thirty years old, naturally qualifying them for the Inner Hall examination.
The qualification to enter Tianxia Building is even harder to obtain than qualifying for the Inner Hall examination.
Like during the Outer Hall examination, some of those who earned the Inner Hall qualification might not even pass the entry test of Tianxia Building.
Such strength, if they come from a prestigious holy land and have a decent background, would qualify them to become Patrol Envoys.
"Yes, Father."
Third Young Master Qi Tianxing clasped his hands, calmly saying, "In this Inner Hall examination, Tianxing will certainly not disappoint Father."
"Oh?" The Duke of Heng was a bit surprised by his son’s confidence and could not help but smile and nod, "Good, then I will be looking forward to it."
The major lady had a slight foreboding, smiling as she spoke, "Does Tianxing have confidence in advancing to the Inner Hall?"
"Over these years, there has been some progress, you will know when the time comes," Qi Tianxing responded respectfully with a clasped hand.
The major lady maintained a calm smile on the surface, yet felt uneasy inside.
Qi Tianxing had been cultivating outside for many years, and she wasn’t very familiar with his situation, only hearing that Qi Tianxing’s rankings in Tianxia Building weren’t outstanding, which logically should mean he didn’t have much hope of passing the Inner Hall examination.
But Qi Tianxing’s self-assurance seemed to indicate he had considerable confidence.
Although the second lady was also puzzled, seeing her son so confident brought a smile to her face.
The position of Duke of Heng primarily depended on one’s ability to command respect, and backing from all sides of the Duke’s residence was crucial. The Duke of Heng couldn’t act arbitrarily, otherwise, it would only lead to disunity.
If he could become a disciple of the Inner Hall of Ancestor Hall, that was almost certainly tantailing the next Duke of Heng!
"Having confidence is a good thing."
The Duke of Heng looked at Lin Yue with a smile and said, "Young Master Mu Yue, the Inner Hall examination is drawing near, shall we depart now?"
Lin Yue glanced at Qi Tianxing below and with nothing much to add, calmly nodded, "Good."
"You all go and prepare," the Duke of Heng commanded, waving his sleeve.
And Qi Tianxing also glanced coldly at Lin Yue before turning to leave.
He naturally knew that this Young Master Mu Yue was the Seventeenth Prince, but he didn’t have anything to fear, even harboring a sense of hostility.
After all, he was backed by the Twelfth Prince.
And this Seventeenth Prince, without any real foundation or background, merely marrying into the Qi Family, wished to take control of the Heng Country Duke residence?
Dream on.
With the guidance of the Feather Sword Saint over the past half year, he had made rapid progress. Even if he didn’t have the confidence to surpass Baili Fengzhi, he was utterly confident of securing one of the three Inner Hall spots.
Once he became a disciple of the Inner Hall in Ancestor Hall, his reputation within the Duke of Heng residence would definitely skyrocket, and with the support of the Twelfth Prince, even if his younger sister had high qualifications and had received the Dragon Essence, she would still be overshadowed by him.
Before long, the Duke of Heng would pass away, and then he would be the most likely candidate to inherit the position!
Once he became the Duke of Heng, why would he need to regard this weak prince?
Thus, he naturally felt no awe towards Lin Yue.
…
"Your Highness."
After leaving the main hall, Baili Fengzhi, who followed close to Lin Yue, suddenly transmitted his divine thoughts, "Just now, that Third Young Master of the Qi Family seemed to have a strange look in his eyes when looking at you?"
"I know," Lin Yue nodded calmly.
Others facing a Prince generally showed considerable awe, even Great Cultivators maintained respect.
But Qi Tianxing was different.