"Yes, Third Prince, it was all my foolishness! I listened to a scoundrel's slander, and that was how... how I came to do something so absurd. But I have elderly parents and young children to support. Your Highness, please spare my worthless life!"
Hu Lie dared not raise his head. Even after kowtowing until his forehead was covered in blood, he still dared not lift it in the slightest.
"So it really was him!"
Luo Xiaotian snorted coldly. "My eldest brother has always been consumed by jealousy. He's wanted to harm me since we were children. Even when I pretended to be a wastrel, he still had no intention of letting me off. Even after I left the court and the imperial palace, he still wanted to harm me!"
At that, Luo Xiaotian could not help bursting into laughter. By the time his laughter faded, his face was so dark it seemed water might drip from it.
"Fine, I'll let you off this once. But tomorrow, I'll still rescue the people of your Black Dragon Town with my fellow disciples."
"If you see Luo Feng, tell him this: I, Luo Xiaotian, have no interest in meddling in court affairs. This country belongs to him anyway, and I won't fight him for it. But if he dares to trouble me again, I'll make him regret it!"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Hu Lie nodded repeatedly. As long as he could keep his life, that was enough.
"Get lost."
Luo Xiaotian waved impatiently, and only then did Hu Lie scramble out, stumbling and crawling.
Xu Xuan could hardly say much about Luo Xiaotian's softhearted mercy. At worst, he could just kill Hu Lie next time.
"Luo Xiaotian, do you really not want to be emperor?"
Xu Xuan found it utterly baffling. An emperor ruled an entire nation-how glorious was that?
"No."
Luo Xiaotian shook his head slightly, smiling bitterly inwardly.
"If I could choose where I was born, I would never choose an imperial family."
Ever since childhood, he had grown accustomed to the royal family's struggles, the officials' open and covert battles, and the royals turning on their own.
He held it all in utter contempt.
"Let's stop talking about this. Those bandits are in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. Let's scout the place first."
Luo Xiaotian cut the conversation short, turned, and walked out of the room.
"Let's go!"
The Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.
The Ten Thousand Demon Mountains were one of the Black Dragon Empire's seven great mountain ranges.
As their name suggested, the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains had once been home to countless demonic beasts. But after the mountains came under the Black Dragon Empire's rule, those beasts had either fled or died.
Now, only demonic animals with little intelligence remained.
Atop a peak in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains stood a cavern named Black Wind Cave.
"If any disciple of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace steps into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains without knowing what's good for him, kill him."
A disciple dressed in the robes of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace took a sip of wine and spoke calmly.
"Aren't you from the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace yourself? Or do you have a grudge against this fellow?"
The leader of Black Wind Cave asked in confusion.
In truth, he had been colluding with people from the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace for years. Otherwise, the people of the Black Dragon Empire would never have been afraid to intervene.
Of course, ordinary people knew nothing of this.
"He has a grudge with my master. Don't forget who saved you back then. Besides, he's your enemy too, when you think about it. He accepted a mission from our Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace, and his goal is to come up the mountain and kill you. Surely you wouldn't go easy on him?"
"Kill me?"
As though he had heard the funniest joke in the world, the scar-faced man burst out laughing. "What a joke! Apart from your core disciples and Holy Sons, who could possibly kill me?"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he comes here and never leaves!"
The leader of Black Wind Cave gave a cruel smile, which then turned lecherous. "By the way, I captured a batch of young girls last month, all first-rate beauties. Want to have some fun?"
"Oh?"
The disciple slowly rose to his feet. "All right. Pick an untouched one and send her to my room. Don't worry, you'll be well rewarded."
"Sure thing, don't worry! I specially kept two untouched ones. I'll send both of them to your room."
The scar-faced man left with a sleazy grin.
Meanwhile, under cover of darkness, Xu Xuan and Luo Xiaotian had already entered the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.
"Black Wind Cave..."
Gazing at the brightly candlelit cave entrance ahead, Xu Xuan slowly murmured the name.
"That's right. This is the place."
Using the darkness as cover, Xu Xuan concealed himself in the undergrowth and observed carefully.
"Let me."
Luo Xiaotian lightly swept his hand across his eyes. A golden glow appeared on his face, and everything ahead came into his sight.
"Hm? What's he doing here?"
Luo Xiaotian muttered to himself in confusion.
"Who?"
"Qian Ren!"
Luo Xiaotian gritted his teeth.
Clearly, however, Xu Xuan had never heard that name. "You know him?"
"Yes. He's Ouyang Quede's disciple, and he joined the sect at the same time as me. He's at the third level of the Heavenly Mansion realm now. Though I've left him far behind, he was the reason I failed to become Ouyang Quede's disciple back then."
"Ouyang Quede isn't exactly a decent man himself. You should be thanking Qian Ren."
Xu Xuan spread his hands. Ouyang Quede had always wanted to take him as a disciple too, but Xu Xuan had refused and joined Mo Tianji instead.
Besides, one look at Ouyang Quede was enough to tell he was no good. Not becoming his disciple was something to be grateful for.
"But why would Ouyang Quede's disciple be here?"
A question flashed through Xu Xuan's mind. Could Ouyang Quede have ties to the bandits here too?
Though it was rather hard to believe, the possibility could not be ruled out.
"This is bad! That bandit actually captured two young girls and sent them to Qian Ren's room!"
Luo Xiaotian's eyes widened slightly. "We can't wait any longer. I'll clear a path for you. Find a way to rescue them first. They're in the back."
The moment Luo Xiaotian finished speaking, before Xu Xuan could react, he flew straight toward Black Wind Cave!
Xu Xuan was left standing there, utterly flustered.
"What the hell is this?"
Xu Xuan grumbled, but he dared not waste any time. Who knew how long Luo Xiaotian could hold out?
A child of the Heavenly Dao enjoyed its favor and would not die easily, but the bandits had strength in numbers. There was no guarantee something unexpected would not happen.
"Dragon Shadow Chasing the Heavens!!!"
A deafening roar rang out!
Luo Xiaotian slowly rose into the air, pointing a finger toward the heavens. His expression unchanged, he swept his hand down!
Boom!!
An earth-shaking roar sounded as an enormous black dragon descended from the clouds on the horizon!
This was precisely the high-grade earth-tier cultivation technique, Dragon Shadow Chasing the Heavens!
"Roar!!"
The massive black dragon roared. In an instant, the sky underwent countless changes, and the black dragon opened its enormous maw, biting down from above!
Boom!!
With a tremendous crash, the entire stretch of ground was shrouded by the black dragon's shadow.
An enormous crater appeared before Black Wind Cave.
Luo Xiaotian took a deep breath. That strike had drained him considerably, but fortunately, its effect was not bad.
Luo Xiaotian smiled, then turned and ran without the slightest hesitation.
"Who's there?"
Inside Black Wind Cave, the bandits streamed out, staring outside in horror.
A huge hole had been blasted into the ground!
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