Wang Ba suddenly announced his identity, leaving everyone present utterly speechless.
Everyone turned to look at Ye Qianqian, gaining a new understanding of her.
Just what kind of existence was the Yun Lan Ancestor? Even a Hall of Souls branch hall master had come to kneel before her with the utmost respect.
Ye Qianqian raised a hand, signaling Wang Ba to rise, and smiled. "Wang Ba, the fact that you were able to come here means you already know your family's secrets."
Wang Ba nodded and said bitterly, "This junior was kept in the dark by those bastards from the Soul Clan all this time. If my ancestor's Zanpakuto hadn't been reactivated by the hot blood in my heart, I'd probably still be the lackey serving the Soul Clan and the Hall of Souls."
No wonder Wang Ba was so radical. Someone who had knelt for a long time and suddenly wanted to stand up would naturally have an indescribable state of mind.
From that recording, he had learned how glorious the Wang Clan had once been. Yet all that glory had been seized by the scum of the Soul Clan. Anyone else would have felt unwilling to accept it as well!
"As for how to unseal the second seal of the Zanpakuto, I naturally know."
Seeing the excitement in Wang Ba's expression, Ye Qianqian began spouting nonsense again. "Your ancestor, Wang Qi Ichigo, was once my close friend. At the same time, he also revealed to me how to undo the second seal of the Zanpakuto.
"Once the second seal is undone, Zangetsu can transform into Tensa Zangetsu. The wielder's speed will increase explosively, to the point that even the speed of lightning cannot compare. Enemies can be slain within a single breath. Back then, Wang Qi Ichigo relied on this ability to kill over a hundred Dou Saints in the blink of an eye. That unparalleled speed remains vivid in my memory even now. It was called the Final Release."
"Gasp!"
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath. Wang Ba's ancestor truly had been terrifying beyond belief.
Wang Ba was stunned by Ye Qianqian's words. What this Yun Lan Ancestor had said completely matched what his own ancestor, Wang Qi Ichigo, had told him. It seemed that this Zanpakuto truly possessed extraordinary powers.
"But why should I tell you how to unlock the second seal of the Zanpakuto?"
At that moment, Ye Qianqian's words interrupted Wang Ba's overwhelming excitement.
Wang Ba hurriedly said, "Senior, I know you still hold some resentment toward me. But I have already turned back from the wrong path and seen the error of my ways. I will absolutely never again become a hound serving the Soul Clan and the Hall of Souls. Please forgive this junior's past ignorance.
"Moreover, Senior, you are currently rebuilding your cultivation after dispersing your power, so your strength must be far inferior to before. Many difficulties will surely await you in the future. As long as Senior is willing to help me unlock the second seal of the Zanpakuto, I am willing to walk alongside you. After all, Senior and I share a common enemy, do we not?"
These words had been analyzed for Wang Ba by his military adviser, Zhou Tong. Wang Ba had repeated them to Ye Qianqian word for word.
Ye Qianqian secretly laughed. She felt that Wang Ba was truly all muscle, making him far too easy to deceive.
She pretended to ponder, then stood up and sighed.
"All right. I shall tell you, little fellow, how to unlock the second seal of the Zanpakuto!
"First, there are three methods to unseal a Zanpakuto. The first method requires Saint blood."
"Saint blood?"
"That's right. Saint souls." Ye Qianqian continued to spout nonsense. "The Zanpakuto grows stronger when faced with stronger opponents. As long as you kill a Dou Saint and let the Zanpakuto absorb their soul, the seal will naturally be undone."
Wang Ba found this absurd. With his current strength as merely a Dou Venerate, killing a Dou Saint was utterly impossible. Even with the Zanpakuto's power enhancing him, at best he possessed the combat strength of a five-star Dou Venerate. Killing a Dou Saint was out of the question.
"May I ask, Senior, what is the second method?"
Ye Qianqian continued, "You need the blood of the wife you love most to drip into it. However, that woman's life will rapidly wither away until she dies."
Wang Ba: "..."
He was currently a thoroughly single man, and he had little interest in starting a family. Asking him to find a wife who loved him would be a hundred times more difficult than the previous method. Besides, who could bear to watch his beloved wife die horribly beneath the blade?
"As for the third method!" Ye Qianqian paced back and forth through the great hall, her imagination expanding as she continuously thought of more nonsense.
"The third method requires the heart blood of an emperor—an emperor recognized by the laws of heaven and earth. Once a month, you must drip her heart blood onto the Zanpakuto. Only after twelve consecutive months can the second seal of the Zanpakuto be undone."
The third method was even more difficult, leaving Wang Ba somewhat dispirited.
Where was he supposed to find an emperor recognized by the laws of heaven and earth?
Ye Qianqian said righteously, "Wang Ba, why are you discouraged? I was once the supreme emperor of the Dou Qi Continent. With my heart blood, I can naturally unlock the Zanpakuto's seal for you. The only problem is that every drop of blood will cost me eighty years of life."
Wang Ba's despair suddenly lifted. That was right—Lady Ye Qianqian had once been a supreme ruler of heaven and earth!
Everyone in the great hall was horrified and hurriedly tried to stop her. "Ancestor, you can't! You are the backbone of the Misty Cloud Sect. How could you waste your lifespan for this man?"
To every powerful expert on the Dou Qi Continent, lifespan was more precious than anything.
Although reaching the Dou Venerate realm granted one more than a thousand years of life, once one's lifespan was exhausted, one's realm, body, and soul would all decay. How could anyone squander it like this? Was that not simply courting death?
Ye Qianqian gave a weathered smile. "Wang Ba's ancestor was once my close friend. If I do not help his descendant, I fear I will be unable to face Wang Qi Ichigo's spirit in the afterlife."
Wang Ba trembled all over. Deep in his heart, indescribable gratitude and shame surged forth. He thought, The Yun Lan Ancestor truly is an extraordinary figure. Even after several thousand years, she still hasn't forgotten her bond with my ancestor. Although I, Wang Ba, am not a good person, I am not someone who fails to repay kindness. I will certainly do everything in my power to repay this favor in the future!
If Ye Qianqian had known what Wang Ba was thinking, she would certainly have burst out laughing.
Her main purpose in saying all this was to bind Wang Ba to her side for a year while stabilizing the Hall of Souls in the Central Continent. Once she had grown strong enough, the Hall of Souls would be nothing in her eyes.
After that speech, Qianqian's little lesson finally came to an end. Everyone dispersed, each preparing for the integration of their forces the following day.
Thus, within just a few days, Medusa returned to the Snake People Clan and migrated the entire tribe to the Sacred Capital City of the Misty Cloud Empire, adding another source of strength to the empire.
Xiao Yi Xian did the same. After becoming an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, she led the disciples of the Poison Sect flocking toward Sacred Capital City, where they merged with the former disciples of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate.
For a time, buildings rose throughout the vast Misty Cloud Mountain Range. Each faction occupied a spiritual mountain or blessed land, and the area was divided into numerous cultivation grounds.
All the Poison Masters and other poison cultivators were placed under the control of Xiao Yi Xian and Xie Biyan.
The Heavenly Snake Mansion and the Snake People Clan were placed under the control of Medusa and She Xiuyue.
The original disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect remained under Yun Yun's command.
The Mu Lan Three Elders and Yan Luotian each took charge of a spiritual mountain.
Sword cultivators, Poison Masters, Snake People Clan members, wild goose tamers, and other cultivators stood in orderly ranks, presenting a flourishing scene throughout the sect.
Because Yun Shan had eaten tree bark, his strength had already reached the Dou Venerate realm. With Ye Qianqian backing him, he could have commanded the entire situation and seized all authority within the Misty Cloud Sect.
But he knew that doing so would provoke dissatisfaction from every faction and cause the people to lose unity. Therefore, he decided that the sect master would be elected by the various elders every two years.
She Xiuyue, Medusa, Xiao Yi Xian, Yan Luotian, Yun Yun, Xie Biyan, and even the Mu Lan Three Elders all possessed the right to vote. Anyone who made sufficient contributions to the sect could be elected as its sect master.
This decision won everyone's wholehearted approval. She Qingqing, in particular, was even more impressed by Yun Shan's actions.
When Kaguya had appeared back then, she had forcefully absorbed the Heavenly Snake Mansion and compelled She Qingqing to submit. But Yun Shan's decision completely swept away the resentment in her heart.
He dared to consider the greater good and voluntarily relinquish power. Yun Shan truly was an extraordinary man!
Jia Nan City.
On a high mountain outside Jia Nan Academy, a beautiful young woman with a pure appearance, as breathtaking as a white lotus, was speaking with an old man at the Dou Emperor realm.
"Elder Ling, I ordered you to secretly protect Brother Xiao Yan. Do you know how Brother Xiao Yan is doing now?"
The old man furrowed his brows. "Young Miss, Xiao Yan is indeed a talented young man, and his mind and perseverance are also exceptionally strong. However..."
"However what?" Gu Xun Er asked anxiously.
She was extremely worried about Xiao Yan, afraid that he would be bullied after going to the Misty Cloud Sect.
Ling Ying sighed. "However, that boy Xiao Yan did not defeat Na Lan Yan Ran in the battle of the Three-Year Pact. Moreover, the Xiao Clan was destroyed by a mysterious force. Everyone believes the Misty Cloud Sect was responsible, but after investigating carefully, I found quite a few traces of the Hall of Souls."
Ling Ying truthfully reported everything he had seen and heard along the way to Gu Xun Er.
"Misty Cloud Sect, you're bold indeed!" Gu Xun Er's willow brows rose in anger as she hurriedly asked, "What about the Tou She Ancient God Jade?"
"Reporting to Young Miss, the ancient jade is still in Xiao Yan's hands."
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" Gu Xun Er finally breathed a sigh of relief. If the ancient jade had fallen into the hands of the Soul Clan, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"The Misty Cloud Sect has acted so arrogantly, even daring to bully Brother Xiao Yan. This young lady has decided to teach them a lesson. Elder Ling, I want to send a message back to the Ancient Clan and have them dispatch an expert to completely destroy those ants of the Misty Cloud Sect!"
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