"Lin Ming!"
"Brother Lin Ming!"
"Sect Master!"
Three anxious shouts pierced through the clouds, urgently coming from the direction of the Five Elements Sect Main Hall.
Before the words were even finished, three figures transformed into streaks of light, bursting through the dome of the main hall and hurtling straight toward the sky—it was none other than Elder Yao, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin, who had hastily withdrawn from sect affairs under the oppressive Dragon Emperor Pressure that shook the heavens and earth.
When the three of them reached mid-air and saw the scene above, their pupils shrank dramatically, and they gasped in shock, their faces draining of color instantly.
All they could see was their Sect Master, Brother Lin Ming, whom they had been longing for day and night, hovering high in the sky, his black robes fluttering in the wind.
He was surrounded by a visible Purple-Gold Dragon Might, like a tangible, raging torrent. A purple-gold Reverse Scale shone brightly between his brows, radiating a supreme pressure that made all living beings bow down.
His eyes, usually gentle and smiling, were now as cold as ice, and his Killing Intent was like a blizzard in the dead of winter, almost freezing the entire sky.
What horrified the three even more was that not far from Lin Ming, two figures were kneeling in the void, looking utterly disheveled.
They were two powerful figures, one old and one burly. The old man wore a gray-blue robe, his hair and beard were white, yet he was still vigorous. At this moment, however, his face was flushed, veins bulged on his forehead, and his hands were pressed tightly into the air, as if bearing a tremendous burden. The young man beside him was also burly, covered in black armor, his muscles as bulging as iron blocks, but he too was clenching his teeth, his bones creaking under the weight, and a trickle of blood had already seeped from the corner of his mouth.
These two were none other than Elder Zhu Li of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, who had recently saved the entire Five Elements Sect from the Soul Hall Demon Claw, and Hei Qing!
"Lin Ming! Stop! It's a misunderstanding! This is a huge misunderstanding!" Xiao Yi Xian reacted the fastest, immediately shouting in a shrill voice, her voice trembling slightly with urgency, fearing that Lin Ming might actually do something to the two of them in his rage.
"Brother Lin Ming, Stop Quickly! Elder Zhu Li and Big Brother Hei Qing are here to help us!" Qing Lin followed closely behind, her young face filled with anxiety. She hurriedly waved her hand to signal, "They saved the Five Elements Sect, they saved all of us!"
Elder Yao, having recovered his composure, his hair and beard bristling, hurriedly echoed, "Sect Master! Do not act rashly! Brother Zhu Li and his companion are great benefactors of our Five Elements Sect. We must not harm the innocent!"
Before the words were even finished, the three of them had already rushed to Lin Ming's side. Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin grabbed his arms on either side, and when they touched him, they felt the icy coldness of the Dragon Might's might surrounding Lin Ming, which made even them feel a chill in their hearts. Elder Yao stood in front, looking at Lin Ming earnestly, afraid that he might lose control and make a big mistake.
"Lin Ming, you've just returned, so you must not know the details! A month ago Third Heavenly Venerate of Soul Hall led an attack, and the sect's defenses were breached in an instant. The disciples suffered heavy casualties, and the main hall was razed to the ground!" Xiao Yi Xian spoke very quickly, her voice filled with the lingering fear of surviving a disaster.
"Just when we were about to perish, Elder Zhu Li and Big Brother Hei Qing appeared out of nowhere. The two of them defeated the Soul Hall members and pulled us back from the brink of death!"
Qing Lin quickly added, "Yes, Brother Lin Ming! If it weren't for Elder Zhu Li and the others, the Five Elements Sect would already be a wasteland, and we wouldn't be alive today! They are our saviors!"
Elder Yao nodded anxiously.
The three of them took turns explaining the whole story concisely and clearly, their earnestness and anxiety evident in their tone.
Lin Ming stood frozen in place, letting Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin pull his arms, their explanations echoing in his ears, his gaze slowly sweeping down.
Although the once-familiar sect was in ruins, with traces of battle still remaining among the broken walls, all the buildings had been repaired. Although a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air, there was no Death Qi of new loss; instead, it exuded a vitality of rebirth after calamity.
Then, turning their gaze to the kneeling Zhu Li and Hei Qing, they showed no sign of ferocity, only the frustration of being forcibly suppressed, the shock and bewilderment at the situation before them, and a hint of humiliation at being misunderstood.
Boom--
As if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, Lin Ming's mind, which had been filled with rage, instantly cleared.
At that moment, he finally realized what an absurd mistake he had made!
An indescribable sense of embarrassment and deep regret instantly overwhelmed Lin Ming, replacing all his previous anger.
Upon his return, he unleashed his supreme Dragon Emperor Pressure upon his benefactors and Zi Yan's closest clansmen, humiliatingly suppressing them to the ground!
"Receive!"
Lin Ming's mind raced, and without any hesitation, the purple-gold Reverse Scale between his brows instantly retracted all its light. The Dragon Emperor's Seal floating above his head also receded like the tide, and the heavy Dragon Emperor Pressure, as heavy as Mount Tai pressing down, vanished without a trace in an instant.
As soon as the oppressive force was removed, Zhu Li and Hei Qing felt the suffocating pressure on their bodies suddenly disappear. Their bodies, which had been stretched to the limit, felt instantly light, and they almost collapsed in mid-air.
The two staggered, panting heavily, their faces still as pale as paper, their foreheads covered in beads of sweat, and their eyes still showing the horror of the terrifying pressure they had just experienced.
That oppressive aura was the suppression emanating from the emperor deep within their Ancient Dragon Clan, rendering them utterly powerless to resist, as if they were facing a supreme Dragon Emperor from ancient times.
After suppressing his Reverse Scale, Lin Ming flashed and appeared in front of Zhu Li, who had just struggled to stand up, as if by Instantaneous Movement.
At this moment, Zhu Li and Hei Qing were looking at him with complicated expressions, including surprise, doubt, lingering anger, and even more confusion and inquiry about the Dragon Emperor Pressure.
Under the watchful eyes of the two men, Lin Ming did something that surprised everyone present.
He bowed deeply to Zhu Li, his waist bent extremely low, his tone filled with unbearable shame and sincere apology:
"Elder Zhu Li, Big Brother Hei Qing, I acted impulsively and rashly just now, attacking without considering the consequences and nearly injuring you both. The blame and fault lie entirely with me! I sincerely apologize to Elder Zhu Li Big Brother Hei Qing and hope that you can forgive my mistake!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ming stepped forward again, reached out his hands, and carefully supported Zhu Li, whose breathing was still a little Zhu Li. Lin Ming's movements at this moment were gentle and respectful, completely different from his Killing intent and arrogant appearance just now.
Zhu Li was stunned, Hei Qing was stunned, and even Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and Qing Lin beside him were somewhat caught off guard.
They never expected that Lin Ming, with his current strength and status, would so humbly apologize to two powerful figures he had only recently met, all because of a misunderstanding.
Zhu Li composed herself, looked at Lin Ming bowing and apologizing, felt the warmth from his palm and the genuine apology, and recalled the undeniable Dragon Emperor Pressure from his bloodline, as well as the fleeting rebellious Reverse Scale between Lin Ming's brows. The anger and doubt in her heart were instantly replaced by a greater shock and urgency.
He abruptly grabbed Lin Ming's arm with his other hand, the force almost crushing Lin Ming's bones. He disregarded any semblance of elder decorum, his voice filled with unprecedented urgency and trembling, even containing a barely perceptible sob:
"Lin Ming! Put aside these formalities for now! Tell me quickly, where is Zi Yan now? Is she safe?! And... Reverse Scale on your brow, and that Dragon Emperor Pressure just now... come from?!"
These two questions weighed heavily on Zhu Li's mind like huge rocks.
Ever since Zi Yan left the Ancient Void Dragon Clan with Lin Ming, the clan has been deeply concerned. The reason he and Hei Qing appeared here was to search for Zi Yan's whereabouts. The Dragon Emperor Aura emanating from Lin Ming made him even more terrified.
That is the supreme power that only the emperors of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan can possess!
Lin Ming felt the urgency and trembling from Zhu Li's arm, and his sense of guilt deepened.
However, Lin Ming did not speak immediately. Instead, he steadily helped Zhu Li up and glanced down at the ground with a serious expression.
At this moment, the disciples of the Five Elements Sect were all attracted by the commotion just now. They all looked up at the sky with curiosity and awe on their faces, and the entire sect was in an uproar.
"Elder Zhu Li," Lin Ming said in a deep voice, "The questions you have asked are of great importance and involve many aspects, which cannot be explained in just a few words. There are too many people and too many eyes here, so this is not the place to talk. Please come back to the sect with me, and I will explain in detail."
Zhu Li calmed down somewhat, realizing he had indeed lost his composure. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, glanced at the disciples watching below, and nodded. "Alright! Let's go quickly!"
Qing also put away the complicated expression on his face and stared intently at Lin Ming, clearly eager to know Zi Yan's whereabouts.
At that moment, Lin Ming gave Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and Qing Lin a reassuring look, indicating that they didn't need to worry. Then, the group transformed into several streaks of light and sped towards the Five Elements Sect Main Hall, which had been initially repaired.
A moment later, the group arrived at the main hall. Although the main hall was not as magnificent as before, it had been completely renovated and was spotless.
Lin Ming first glanced at Xiao Yi Xian, Elder Yao, and Qing Lin, giving them a look that said, "Don't worry, leave it to me," indicating that they should wait outside. Then he gestured to Zhu Li, "Elder Zhu Li, please come with me."
Without hesitation, Zhu Li nodded and followed. Hei Qing followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, clearly protecting Zhu Li's safety.
Lin Ming led the two directly through the main hall to his secret cultivation chamber at the back. This chamber was personally arranged by him years ago; it had excellent soundproofing and was equipped with multiple layers of Restriction to ensure the absolute confidentiality of their conversation.
"Boom--"
The heavy Stone Door slowly closed, completely isolating the outside world from all sounds and prying eyes.
However, Lin Ming did not stop after closing the Stone Door. Instead, he walked to the center of the secret chamber, quickly formed hand seals, and a faint light shone again from between his brows. A powerful surge of Soul Power poured out, setting up an even more stringent isolation Restriction around the secret chamber to ensure that no one could detect their conversation.
After doing all this, Lin Ming turned around and looked at Elder Zhu Li, who was already unable to contain his eagerness.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the secret room instantly became extremely solemn and heavy.
Dim light emanated from the luminous pearl at the top of the secret chamber, illuminating the faces of Lin Ming and Elder Zhu Li. Zhu Li's gaze was intense, fixed intently on Lin Ming. Although he did not speak, the urgency, expectation, and worry in his eyes spoke volumes.
As for Hei Qing, under Lin Ming's serious and solemn words, it was said that this matter was too important and could only be known by Elder Zhu Li. After he told Elder Zhu Li could decide for himself whether or not to tell Hei Qing. Hei Qing was then arranged by Zhu Li to guard outside the door and not allow anyone to approach.