"Easy, easy. With us old folks around, there’s nothing we can’t handle!" one elder boasted shamelessly.

  This only added to Nan Gong Qian’er’s confidence.

  She held her head high and strode over to Nan Gong Huan, her demeanor full of pride, like a peacock showing off its feathers. It was as if she had completely forgotten the pain she had just endured.

  "Huan sister, you should know that some people are born in the dirt. No matter how hard they try, they’ll never become the clouds in the sky," Nan Gong Qian’er said triumphantly.

  The more she had suffered in the trial, the more she now reveled in her victory!

  Nan Gong Huan smiled and said, "Then, oh cloud in the sky, do you know who saved your life?"

  Nan Gong Qian’er’s smile suddenly froze, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. "Who saved me?"

  Only now did she fully recall that she had been infected with the child Gu worm, and since the mother Gu worm was dead, she should have died too. So why was she still alive and feeling no pain?

  "Your mother," Nan Gong Huan tilted her chin slightly, pointing toward Shen Ye Rong’s corpse, which had been kicked into a corner and trampled several times.

  "Mother?!" Nan Gong Qian’er was shocked and immediately rushed over, cradling Shen Ye Rong’s body in her arms. Her trembling hands touched her mother’s cold face, feeling only endless chill.

  "Mother... how did she die..." Tears welled up in Nan Gong Qian’er’s eyes as she saw the bloody hole in Shen Ye Rong’s chest, and anger surged within her once more.

  The crowd remained silent, their condemning gazes fixed on her. Shen Ye Rong’s death was entirely deserved, a consequence of her own actions!

  Only the clueless elders were moved, thinking that the Purple Star was truly a woman of deep emotions and loyalty. Unfortunately, the dead could not be brought back to life, and all they could do was offer their condolences.

  "Your mother was killed by her own actions. Of course, you were her accomplice," Nan Gong Huan’s clear voice rang out.

  The Gu worms harmed others, and playing with fire only led to self-destruction.

  "You’re lying! It must have been you! You killed my mother!" Nan Gong Qian’er stood up, her emotions becoming agitated once more.

  At that moment, Wei Yu Gong and Nan Gong Jing Tian stood by her side.

  "Qian’er, everyone saw it. It was Nan Gong Huan who killed your mother," Wei Yu Gong leaned in close to Nan Gong Qian’er, pointing out the culprit.

  Wei Yu Gong’s fickle behavior amused Nan Gong Huan. When Nan Gong Qian’er was down and out, he hadn’t stepped forward to help. Now that Nan Gong Qian’er had risen to prominence, he shamelessly stood up to bask in her glory.

  "Nan Gong Huan!" Nan Gong Qian’er spat out the name through gritted teeth, glaring at her with hatred. "I’ll make you pay for my mother’s life!"

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  The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

  The elders’ hostile gazes turned toward Nan Gong Huan, and she could feel the killing intent swirling above her head.

  "If her existence troubles the Purple Star, I wouldn’t mind eliminating her," one elder stepped forward, releasing a powerful pressure that bore down on Nan Gong Huan.

  Nan Gong Huan felt her shoulders grow heavy, as if a mountain had suddenly been placed on her back. Her knees bent, and her feet sank into the ground, her bones creaking under the pressure.

  The two spiritual platforms within her body rapidly absorbed spiritual energy from the earth, using its steady and heavy force to resist the elder’s pressure.

  To everyone’s astonishment, she actually... held on!

  Although Nan Gong Huan’s body trembled, her expression remained resolute, exuding an unyielding spirit.

  This impressed the elders.

  The scene also struck Kong Tong Yuer, who stared in shock. Seeing the immense strength emanating from Nan Gong Huan’s small frame, she suddenly began to doubt whether she had chosen the wrong person.

  At that moment, Nan Gong Huan was not faring well. Her heart raced, and her internal organs were under intense pressure. She knew she couldn’t hold on for much longer.

  But... die? She absolutely would not die here!

  Nan Gong Huan had prepared a backup plan. With great difficulty, she glanced toward a certain direction, where a woman in a bamboo hat stood in the corner of the crowd.

  That’s right, she had asked Ye Sang to play the role of her "senior sister," Black Lotus. As long as Black Lotus was here, the certification association would undoubtedly stand by her side, and Xue Lao would find a way to protect her.

  Ye Sang received the signal and immediately stepped forward.

  But a gray-robed elder moved faster than her, brushing past her like a gust of wind and arriving by Nan Gong Huan’s side in an instant.

  His hair was coarse and gray, his cheeks sunken and wrinkled, and his eyes bloodshot. His tightly furrowed brows gave him a stern and imposing presence.

  The elder waved his hand, dispersing all the pressure, and Nan Gong Huan felt her body lighten.

  "Moon Sovereign," the elders quickly suppressed their auras and bowed respectfully to the elder.

  Even those on the judges’ platform stood up, including Song Xi Ran and Song Que, showing great respect to the elder.

  Moon Sovereign? Nan Gong Huan finally caught her breath and stood steady, looking up at the elder beside her. Who was he, and why had he helped her?

  Whispers spread through the crowd: "Could the Moon Sovereign be planning to deal with her himself? After all, she’s the Purple Star’s enemy."

  "That’s probably it. Nothing is more important than the Purple Star."

  These few words only bolstered Nan Gong Qian’er’s confidence. If even the elders were bowing to him, he must be someone of great importance!

  Nan Gong Qian’er handed Shen Ye Rong’s body to Nan Gong Jing Tian and then stepped forward, declaring loudly, "Moon Sovereign, I am willing to become your disciple, but please kill her first!"

  She pointed at Nan Gong Huan with a hateful glare.

  That Nan Gong Huan is doomed! The elders thought to themselves. But if the Moon Sovereign took her as a disciple, they would have no chance to obtain the Purple Star.

  However, the Moon Sovereign merely glanced at Nan Gong Qian’er with disdain, even showing a hint of annoyance.

  He then turned to Nan Gong Huan, his expression softening as he spoke in a gentle tone, "I am Yue Jianqing. What is your name?"

  Ignored, Nan Gong Qian’er froze in place, her outstretched finger feeling the cold breeze in the air. She felt as if she had plummeted from the peak to the abyss. Why was this elder so kind to Nan Gong Huan but so cold to her?!

  She had lost all face!

  "My name is Nan Gong Huan," Nan Gong Huan replied, her heart pounding. She sensed that this elder meant no harm, and there was something about him that reminded her of her grandfather.

  Yue Jianqing’s lips twitched into a stiff smile, clearly trying to appear more amiable, but it only made him look awkward.

  "Good heavens, I’ve never seen the Moon Sovereign smile before," one elder whispered in shock.

  "What’s wrong with the Moon Sovereign? He’s acting so strangely, it’s unsettling."

  Yue Jianqing took out a white stone and placed it in Nan Gong Huan’s hand, saying, "Little Huan, I’ve studied the histories of various races extensively. Consider this stone a gift for our first meeting."

  His hands trembled slightly, barely noticeable, as he tried to contain his excitement.