Chapter 145 Too...

This was clearly a brother and sister.

They had come from the far reaches of the Spirit Qi Universe, born of the most mysterious Immortal Lineage clan. Their arrival in the vast Starsea was presumably to take part in the struggle for the Simple Divine Realm.

Did some great figure stand behind them, protecting them?

The cultivators fishing nearby watched with curiosity. Among the Nine Saints of the Starsea, two were Immortal Saints who had also come from the far reaches of the Spirit Qi Universe.

“I don’t know.”

The Immortal Lineage youth spoke in a cool, steady voice.

A golden token shot forth, its brilliant light illuminating the immortal cloud beneath Feng Xiang. The cloud trembled, and an aura of recognition rose from it.

“Who are you? Why are you disturbing my fishing?”

Feng Xiang frowned. He had paid a fortune to Xu Nanbai for this immortal cloud—ninety-nine thousand Divine Spirit Stones, no less. Since when had it become theirs?

“You. Get out.”

The immortal radiance dimmed, revealing the youth’s true appearance. His hair was ink-black, his brows sharp as swords, his eyes bright as stars, and his features sharply defined. A cold, handsome air surrounded him as he delivered those five words to Feng Xiang.

Feng Xiang’s pupils tightened. For a moment, the whole area fell silent. Then a flurry of discussion broke out. The brother and sister were actually trying to wrest the immortal cloud from someone.

“You disrupt my fishing, then tell me to get out?”

Feng Xiang rose to his feet. A piercing light gleamed from the corners of his eyes as he stared at the pair.

“You stole our place and made yourself at home,” the Immortal Lineage girl said, pouting. She was beautiful, with clear, lively eyes and a delicate, exquisite face. Though still young, she was already captivating.

“I made myself at home?”

Feng Xiang sneered and produced the golden token Xu Nanbai had given him. It gleamed as a ray of golden light shone down, setting the immortal cloud trembling in response.

“How can this be?” The Immortal Lineage girl stared in astonishment. They had reserved this cloud half a month ago, and their golden token had been sent to them through a domain gate long before.

How could he have one too?

A beautiful woman in a jade-green gown came over. She examined Feng Xiang’s token, then looked at him with surprise.

“May I take a closer look at your token, young master?”

Feng Xiang gave an impatient snort and tossed it to her.

The woman caught it and inspected it carefully, passing a wisp of spiritual energy over its surface as she examined it from every angle. Then she even sent her divine sense inside.

A moment later, her brows drew together in perplexity.

It was genuine.

“Master, this is bad. You made the token too convincing. Even the Holy Residence’s steward can’t tell them apart.”

Far away, across a boundless sea thousands of miles wide, Xu Nanbai sat cross-legged in a little boat, holding a fishing rod made from deadwood. A tiny snow-white tortoise perched on his head. Before him, a water mirror showed the image of the isolated island.

“How was I supposed to know that woman had such poor eyesight?” the little tortoise grumbled. “I left flaws in it on purpose. There are differences in the details.”

Xu Nanbai was speechless.

…

“Well?” Feng Xiang asked, watching the woman impassively.

“This token is genuine, young master.” The woman shook her head and handed it back.

“Why not check theirs too? Maybe they forged a token to get a free ride.” Feng Xiang turned his accusation on the Immortal Lineage siblings.

“Ours could never be fake!” Ji Feifei glared, deeply offended. How could a clan of their standing stoop to such dishonorable deeds?

“Come to think of it, I sensed something amiss on the way here. It’s possible the tokens were switched.” The Immortal Lineage youth’s gaze flickered. Profound principles flowed in his eyes as stars appeared, evolved, and collapsed—a truly terrifying sight.

“Ridiculous. Are you going to turn around and accuse me?” Feng Xiang scoffed. Young and proud, he stood atop the immortal cloud and stared coldly at the youth.

“I never said that. Why are you so worked up? Is it because you have a guilty conscience?” the Immortal Lineage youth replied calmly.

A terrifying gleam flared in Feng Xiang’s eyes. His hair bristled with anger at the youth’s words. Among his peers, no one had ever made him feel such immediate dislike.

He forced himself to calm down and sneered. “Then hand over your token and let them check whether it’s genuine.”

“True or false, we couldn’t have forged it. We reserved the immortal cloud half a month ago.” The Immortal Lineage youth casually handed his token to the woman.

“This one is genuine too.”

After a long examination, the middle-aged woman shook her head.

Both tokens were real, and she was utterly baffled.

“Perhaps someone made a mistake. There are more and more immortal clouds these days; mix-ups are bound to happen.”

A woman in a pale violet palace gown rose from afar and approached, smiling. The middle-aged woman immediately bowed to her. This was Lady Qiuzhuo, the one truly in charge here.

With a wave of her hand, Qiuzhuo summoned both golden tokens. She did not even glance at them before smiling.

“Since the tokens have been confused, I’ll hold on to them for now.”

“You must be from the Ji clan. You’ve come a long way, and we failed to welcome you properly. Instead, we’ve caused you this embarrassment. I apologize. I’ll arrange another immortal cloud for you. As for this one, would you be willing to leave it to this young master?”

“Fine,” the Immortal Lineage youth said indifferently.

Everyone exchanged glances. Had the Starsea Holy Residence really made a mistake? Or was one of the two golden tokens indeed counterfeit?

But since Lady Qiuzhuo had spoken, the matter was settled, and no one brought it up again.

With a wave of her hand, Qiuzhuo summoned immense power. An immortal cloud took shape high above, matching Feng Xiang’s in size. She had shown no favoritism.

The Ji siblings stepped onto their cloud. Ji Feifei mischievously turned back and made a face at Feng Xiang.

Feng Xiang remained as calm as still water, though he found himself thinking of the plump man in the blue robe. Surely he wasn’t a swindler? After all, the token he had given Feng Xiang was genuine.

“No clash broke out.”

On a lone boat thousands of miles away, Xu Nanbai let out a breath for reasons he could not explain. The snow-white tortoise on his head shook its little head.

“How dull. I was hoping those two would come to blows.”

Xu Nanbai smiled wryly. “Master, I don’t think your plan can possibly work. This is the Inner Sea, guarded by two great lords. How could they let a fight break out right under their noses?”

“So now you’re mocking me?” The little tortoise glared.

Xu Nanbai hurriedly waved his hands. “Your plan may not have worked immediately, Master, but the grudge has been planted. They already dislike each other. When the Simple Divine Realm opens, how could they possibly meet without fighting?”

“Mm, you have a point. You’ve got a clever head on your shoulders,” the little tortoise said with a grin.

…

“Well?” asked the man wreathed in red flames. Though he held a fishing rod, its crystal line extended only ten feet into the Starsea. He was merely pretending to fish.

Qiuzhuo frowned and shook her head. “Feng Xiang’s token is fake. But judging by his temperament, he wouldn’t do such a thing. Someone must be interfering. And the method used to make this counterfeit is…”

“Is what?” Chi Yunxiao pressed. He disliked how his junior sister never finished what she was saying.

“Too masterful. I only spotted a flaw after examining it several times. The maker may even have left it there on purpose.”