Zhou Xuancheng and the others all cupped their hands in greeting.
"Yes."
Sun Meng withdrew his spiritual power and turned to leave.
Wang Zhenshan followed closely behind.
Before leaving, Zhao Yuangeng only glanced at the breach in the palace out of the corner of his eye. His expression was no different from usual. After bowing, he followed Zhou Xuancheng away.
Shen Qianyue did not move.
Ling Changkong glanced at him.
"He's badly injured."
"He won't die."
Shen Qianyue's answer remained brief.
Ling Changkong nodded, not letting him leave.
Ling Xueyao had already walked over quickly.
Upon reaching Ling Changkong, she first sheathed her golden slender sword, then solemnly bowed.
" Yao'er greets the clan elder."
The coldness on Ling Changkong's face finally dissipated.
He looked at Ling Xueyao, and a few more smile lines appeared at the corners of his aged eyes.
"You silly girl, it's been quite a while since you've come to see this old man in the forbidden area."
"You've grown quite a bit more."
Ling Xueyao removed her veil, her clear phoenix eyes still holding the joy she had just felt.
"It's not that Yao'er doesn't want to go."
"Since Father fell into a coma, we must be careful in all matters of the palace. Grandfather has been in seclusion, so Yao'er dares not disturb him."
She looked at Ling Changkong's full head of white hair, and her voice lowered slightly.
"But the clan elder looks much older than when I last saw him."
Ling Changkong stroked his beard.
"As people get older, they naturally change every day."
Ling Xueyao immediately said, "Although the clan elder is old, that punch he threw just now was still very powerful. Even the deputy master of the Blood Baleful Intent Tower could only retreat after taking that punch, right?"
"You're getting better and better at talking, aren't you?"
Ling Changkong laughed loudly.
Shen Qianyue's tense expression eased slightly.
Chu Yunfei stood not far away, watching Ling Xueyao and Ling Changkong talk.
This princess, who usually refers to herself as "this palace" and maintains an air of authority, is like an ordinary junior in front of Ling Changkong.
I worry about the elderly person's health.
They might also say a few things that are clearly meant to coax or flatter.
Ling Xueyao quickly remembered Shen Qianyue's injuries.
She turned around and quickly walked up to Shen Qianyue.
" Elder Shen, take the medicine first."
"I can still hold on."
"The foundation has already been damaged, and tonight's burning of vital essence will only worsen the damage if this continues."
Ling Xueyao took out the fifth-grade pills she had bought from the Pill Pavilion during the day and stuffed them directly into Shen Qianyue's hand.
"Take it now."
Shen Qianyue glanced at her and did not refuse again.
The elixir was ingested.
The gentle medicinal properties quickly penetrate the body.
Shen Qianyue sat down cross-legged, temporarily suppressing the bleeding wound on his chest.
Ling Xueyao then introduced Chu Yunfei to Ling Changkong.
"Grandpa, his name is Chu Yunfei."
"If he hadn't pulled Yao'er away from that palm strike in time, Yao'er would probably have been injured."
She paused for a moment, then added, "Not just tonight."
"When Yao'er was attacked while out, he shielded Yao'er from a palm strike by a Divine Sea Realm expert."
Ling Changkong's gaze fell on Chu Yunfei.
Although he was in the back mountain when that palm print landed, he clearly saw Chu Yunfei carrying Ling Xueyao away.
First Level of the Heavenly Origin Realm.
He was no more than twenty years old.
Faced with an attack from the Dao Mysterious Realm, the first reaction is not to flee alone, but to take those around him with him.
This reaction cannot be faked.
Chu Yunfei stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Senior Ling."
Ling Changkong sized him up for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"At such a young age, he has already reached the Heavenly Origin Realm; his physical body, spiritual power, and divine soul are far superior to those of others in the same realm."
"Good."
He turned his head to look at Ling Xueyao, his smile widening.
" Girl Yao excellent taste."
Ling Xueyao's ears instantly turned red.
"Grandpa Elder, Chu Yunfei is just..."
"Just a future prince consort."
Chu Yunfei took over the conversation for her.
Ling Xueyao turned her head abruptly.
Chu Yunfei!
Ling Changkong was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Well."
"No wonder you were protecting him earlier."
Ling Xueyao's cheeks flushed, and just as she was about to explain, Chu Yunfei had already walked towards the palace.
"Senior Ling, now that the crisis outside has been resolved, I will go in first to dismantle the defenses."
Ling Changkong looked at the still dissipating poisonous fog.
"Arrangement?"
Ling Xueyao suppressed her embarrassment and anger, and explained to Chu Yunfei how he used the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison to create a false impression.
Upon hearing that the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison in Ling Zhantian's body had been completely removed, Ling Changkong's smile instantly froze.
"What did you say?"
Ling Xueyao's eyes welled up slightly.
"Father's poison has been cured."
"His physical body and soul have begun to recover, and he should wake up in three days at most."
Ling Changkong suddenly looked towards the black palace.
A few breaths later.
The poisonous fog in the palace began to dissipate rapidly.
Chu Yunfei put most of the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison back into the Divine Cauldron, and then used the Myriad Poison Tyrant Body to absorb the small amount of poison gas that Ling Zhantian had just inhaled.
This amount of toxin enters the five internal organs in a very short time.
It did not penetrate the meridians, nor did it touch the soul.
It was completely removed in less than fifteen minutes.
Chu Yunfei rechecked the circulation of the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill's medicinal effects, confirming that Ling Zhantian was still recovering steadily, before leaving the palace.
"You can come in now."
Ling Changkong took a step.
The person had already appeared before the dragon throne.
He raised his hand and pressed down on Ling Zhantian's wrist, his divine sense first scanning through the five internal organs and meridians, and then probing into the sea of consciousness.
The Soul-Devouring Nether Poison is truly gone.
The meridians that had been necrotic for many years have been rebuilt.
On the surface of the soul, the medicinal power of the Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill was slowly circulating. Although consciousness had not yet awakened, the origin had begun to recover on its own.
Ling Changkong's fingers lingered on Ling Zhantian's wrist, remaining there for a long time.
In order to find out what was wrong with Ling Zhantian, he had searched through all the ancient royal books over the years and had also secretly consulted many alchemists and poison masters.
No one can find an antidote.
No one could even utter the name of the Soul-Devouring Nether Poison.
This young man, who was only at the First Level of the Heavenly Origin Realm, actually did it.
Ling Changkong slowly stood up.
He turned around, for the first time withdrawing the scrutinizing gaze of an elder towards a younger person.
Then, he solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Young friend Chu."
"On behalf of the Great Qian Imperial Family, I thank you for saving Zhantian."
Chu Yunfei raised his hand to support his arm.
"Senior Ling, there's no need for that."
" Xueyao and I are very close friends. She paid a heavy price to save me."
Upon hearing the name Ling Xueyao, Xueyao's fingers tightened slightly.
Chu Yunfei usually addressed her as "Your Highness" or deliberately flirted with her using his status as the prince consort.
Now that the elders had suddenly changed their form of address in front of her, she was momentarily at a loss as to whether to reprimand them or pretend she hadn't heard them.
Ling Changkong glanced at the two of them, and a smile returned to his face.
"Whether he's a close friend or a prince consort."
"The royal family will remember this kindness."
Chu Yunfei did not dwell on the matter of address.
"The emperor's physical body has mostly recovered, Soul-Consolidating Origin-Returning Pill is sufficient to awaken his consciousness."
"He will surely wake up in one day at the earliest, or three days at the latest."
Ling Changkong nodded.
Tonight's probing by the Blood Baleful Intent Tower has proven that outsiders had long been aware of Ling Zhantian's coma.
The first group consisted of three masked assassins and a purple-faced deputy building master.
If they discover that tonight's test went wrong, there will only be more to come next time.
Ling Changkong walked to the palace gate.
"I have personally guarded this place for the past three days."
Upon hearing these words, Ling Xueyao's heart, which had been tense all night, finally relaxed a little.
It's not because the Blood Baleful Intent Tower has already retreated.
Instead, a Dao Mysterious Realm expert appeared before this black palace.
She looked at the palace gate where the dragon bed was located, and then at Ling Changkong's aged back. The stone that had been pressing on her chest for many years seemed to be supported by someone.
The Emperor's poison has been cured.
The clan elders personally oversaw the operation.
For at least the next three days, no one will be able to easily touch Ling Zhantian on the dragon bed.
But she quickly remembered the slap she had just received.
When the hundred-foot palm print descended, if Chu Yunfei hadn't laid down the illusion of poisonous fog beforehand and helped her avoid it in time, plus Ling Changkong's breakthrough and appearance, the consequences tonight would have been unimaginable.
The Blood Baleful Intent Tower dared to storm the imperial palace.
This is no longer an assassination attempt.
This is stepping on the face of the Great Qian Imperial Family, testing whether the royal family can still draw their swords.
After taking the pill, Shen Qianyue's breathing stabilized slightly.
He stood up, leaning on his silver spear. The wound on his chest was still bleeding profusely, but his voice remained steady.
"The three golden-masked figures who arrived tonight worked together seamlessly, and the one who stopped me on the Cloud-Chasing Boat was also quite strong. The Blood Baleful Intent Tower probably has more than just these Late Divine Sea Realm experts."
He had fought the masked assassin before and understood that kind of oppressive aura better than anyone else.
Those people were not only highly skilled in cultivation.
They act cleanly and have clear escape routes; they can cut off their opponent's path to survival with almost no communication between them.
This is not a team hastily assembled by Rogue Cultivator.
This is a killing formation honed over many years with life and death experiences.
Ling Changkong stood before the broken palace gate, gazing at the lingering spiritual energy gradually dissipating in the night. His aged eyes held little ease.
" The Blood Baleful Intent Tower is no simple matter."
Upon hearing these words, Ling Xueyao's heart sank.
She turned around and looked at Ling Changkong: "Did the clan elder fight them before?"
Ling Changkong did not answer immediately.
The night wind blew in through the crack in the palace door, ruffling his grey sleeves.
This old man, who had been silent in the forbidden area of Great Qian for many years, seemed to recall an old story he was unwilling to mention.
After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Twenty years ago, a group of royal guards were wiped out in the southern border of the Eastern Continent. Those guards were originally investigating the whereabouts of several missing elders, but in the end, they couldn't even bring back their remains intact. I went to investigate myself and encountered the two purple-faced deputy leaders of the Blood Baleful Intent Tower."
Ling Xueyao's pupils contracted slightly.
Shen Qianyue tightened his grip on the gun.
Two purple-faced deputy building owners.
Twenty years ago, the Blood Baleful Intent Tower was able to send out two Dao Mysterious Realm experts at the same time.
This foundation is enough to make any top-tier sect wary.
Chu Yunfei stood aside without saying a word.
But his mind was already racing.
An assassin organization could not possibly grow to this size in the shadows if it only killed for money.
The golden-masked assassin is at the Late Divine Sea Realm, the purple-masked deputy leader is at the Dao Mysterious Realm, and there is another leader behind them who has never shown himself.
This is unlike any ordinary underground organization.
It's more like a net that's been laid underground in the Eastern Continent for decades.
Ling Xueyao pressed further, "What happened to the two deputy tower masters in the end?"
Ling Changkong said calmly, "One dead, one injured."