" The Divine Sea Realm Eighth Level?"
Ling Changkong gasped, frozen in shock. " Heavenly Origin Realm Fifth Layer... forcibly leaping to the Divine Sea Realm Eighth Level? How could such a domineering and bizarre secret technique exist in this world?!"
"God-level... Could it be the legendary god-level secret technique?"
Inside the cave, only the gurgling sound of churning lava could be heard, a deathly silence that was suffocating.
After a long while, the shock in Ling Changkong's eyes slowly subsided, turning into a weary sigh.
He looked at Ling Zhantian, his eyes filled with disappointment.
"I warned you long ago not to betray those who helped you."
"He saved you, he saved the royal family, yet you went out of the city to ambush him, and now you've ended up like this. If this is exposed, what will become of the Great Qian Imperial Family's reputation for ten thousand years?!"
"Face?"
As if struck on a sore spot, Ling Zhantian abruptly sat up, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace as he growled, "Elder, are you still trying to talk about face with me?"
"I have been tormented by the Dao injury within my body for twenty years, and my cultivation has stagnated. If I do not eliminate him and seize his source to resolve the Dao injury, that Blood Baleful Intent Tower will crush the Great Qian sooner or later!"
"Don't forget, that monster has already broken through to the Dao Mysterious Fourth Stage; what he wants is the entire Eastern Continent."
"My Great Qian is his biggest obstacle."
"We have no idea how many people within the Seven Sects have been infiltrated by him. In the face of life and death, you're talking to me about face?!"
Ling Changkong's lips moved, but in the end, it turned into a helpless sigh, and he remained silent.
Ling Zhantian gasped for breath, staggered to his feet, and dragged his broken body step by step into a pool of spiritual spring deep within the cave.
The warm spiritual liquid soothed the wound, barely suppressing the rampant Sword Qi within his body.
Ling Zhantian closed his eyes and circulated his internal energy. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his voice chillingly cold. "Elder, my injuries are extremely severe. There's simply no time to treat them according to the prescribed methods."
"That little beast Chu Yunfei's growth rate is terrifying. The Blood Baleful Intent Tower's blade is already hanging over my head. I can't wait any longer."
"Go, secretly bring Ling Chenglie into this forbidden area to see me."
Upon hearing this name, Ling Changkong's heart skipped a beat. "You want to activate that demonic array right now?!"
"Good."
Ling Zhantian's eyes remained devoid of emotion. "Cheng Lie's Mysterious Yang Physique is the weakest among them, so he can serve as a catalyst to help me heal some of my Dao injuries."
"As for Ling Chengyuan and Ling Chengxuan... we'll proceed step by step after I've refined Chenglie's essence."
"Besides..."
Ling Zhantian paused slightly, his gaze passing over Ling Changkong and landing on the vast depths of the imperial palace outside the cave.
"And Xueyao."
" Ling Zhantian! You still don't intend to let her go?!"
Ling Changkong was completely enraged at this moment. His Dao Mysterious Realm aura surged out uncontrollably, causing the entire mountain to shake violently.
You've completely gone mad!
Ling Changkong pointed at the man in the spirit pool, his finger trembling uncontrollably, and shouted sharply:
"The three princes are one thing, but they were abandoned infants with special physiques that you secretly searched for from all over the Eastern Continent to cultivate this forbidden secret technique. They are princes in name only, but in reality, they are nothing more than 'medicinal ingredients' that you have kept under your control for twenty years."
"But what about Xueyao?"
"With Chu Yunfei's help, Xueyao has now completely broken through to the Divine Sea Realm."
"According to the requirements of that evil formation, only Pure Yin Spirit Physique that has not broken its primordial Yin and has not Divine Sea can exert the greatest effect of merging with the Dao."
"Her Flawless Spirit Physique has already merged with her Divine Sea, making her completely unsuitable for the grand formation."
"If we forcibly extract her inner essence, even if she manages to survive, she will be completely reduced to a useless person with no foundation in cultivation!"
Ling Changkong's eyes reddened, and his voice trembled with an almost pleading tone:
"Although this girl is not your flesh and blood, she was raised in the palace from a young age and has called you 'Father Emperor' for twenty years."
"For the past ten years, she has traveled far and wide, enduring countless hardships, in her search for an antidote for you."
"Everyone has a heart, after all these years together... can you really bear to do this to her?!"
Ling Zhantian leaned back against the pool wall, letting the spiritual spring water wash over his chin.
His eyes twitched slightly, and his hand, hanging in the pool, unconsciously tightened in the depths where no one could see.
silence.
A deathly silence spread through the cave, broken only by the occasional crackling sound of lava bursting.
After a long while.
Ling Zhantian slowly opened his eyes. In the depths of those eyes, the last trace of fatherly warmth was completely extinguished, replaced by extreme ferocity and distortion.
Even if it's not a good fit, there's still a 30% chance of success.
Does it matter whether I can bear it or not?
Ling Zhantian abruptly straightened up from the spirit pool, the sword wound on his chest torn open, blood staining the entire white spring water red.
"Elder, don't you understand what we're facing now?"
"Six months."
"There are only six months left until the once-in-a-decade reception at the Vast Waves Sacred Academy."
Ling Zhantian's pupils contracted slightly, and his voice was as piercing as a vengeful ghost.
"Once the Holy Academy's envoys arrive in the Eastern Continent, with their extraordinary abilities, they will be able to see through Xueyao's Flawless Spirit Physique at a glance, and also see through her true background."
"By that time..."
Ling Changkong's body stiffened.
Ling Zhantian stared at him and slowly uttered the last sentence:
"By then, the shocking secret of how I joined forces with the Blood Baleful Intent Tower twenty years ago to intercept the Holy Academy's envoy and seize the Holy Academy's orphan... will no longer be able to be concealed!"
Rumble!
Deep within the cave, a thunderclap seemed to explode out of nowhere.
Ling Changkong's body swayed violently, as if all his energy had been drained, and his aged back instantly hunched over.
The tragedy that happened twenty years ago...
That was a heinous crime that completely altered the fate of the Great Qian Imperial Family family.
Back then, a top expert from the Vast Waves Sacred Academy suffered severe injuries and was passing through the Eastern Continent with an infant in swaddling clothes when he was ambushed by Ling Zhantian, who was eager to find a special physique, and the deputy leader of the Blood Baleful Intent Tower. He ultimately died in the wilderness.
The snatched infant, born with Flawless Spirit Physique, had an astonishing background...
It is none other than the current Princess of the Great Qian Dynasty, Ling Xueyao!
"Once the Holy Academy learns the truth, there will be no place for the Great Qian Imperial Family family in the entire Vast Waves Domain."
The madness in Ling Zhantian's eyes grew stronger.
"By then, let alone the fact that you, Elder, are only at the Dao Mysterious Realm Second Stage, even if my Great Qian Grand Founder Ling were to return, he simply wouldn't be able to withstand the Holy Academy's wrath!"
"The entire imperial city, millions of lives, will have to perish with that battle."
"So..."
Ling Zhantian took a deep breath, his voice low and chilling.
" Xueyao's realm must fall, and her spiritual essence must become the final stepping stone for me to enter the Dao Mysterious Realm."
"Only in this way can we cut off the possibility of the Holy Academy discovering her Flawless Spirit Physique, and I can also use this opportunity to break through to the Dao Profound, killing two birds with one stone."
Ling Zhantian sat back down in the spiritual spring, his tone eerily calm.
"I can promise you that I will try my best to save her life, only extracting her essence, and ensuring her a life of wealth and peace for the rest of her life."
Ling Changkong stood there, silent for a long time.
Looking at the emperor, who was acting like a madman in the spirit pool, he knew that no matter what he said, he couldn't stop this trapped beast that had been driven to the brink of destruction.
"Never mind..."
Ling Changkong exhaled a long breath, as if he had aged decades in an instant, and the light in his eyes turned completely to ashes.
He slowly turned around and moved towards the cave exit.
You'd better keep your word... don't cause her too much pain.
"Etc."
Within the spirit pool, Ling Zhantian's icy voice came from behind once more.
Ling Changkong paused slightly, but did not turn around.
Ling Zhantian's gaze swept towards the Crimson Flame Berserk Lion still sleeping in the center of the cave, and he said in a deep voice:
"After I have refined Cheng Lie's essence and stabilized my injuries these past few days, Elder, you must personally accompany me to the Jade Firmament Sect."
Jade Firmament Sect Ling Changkong: "That seventh-grade pill from the Jade Cloud Sect is their most prized possession."
They can't possibly hand them over to you.
Ling Zhantian leaned back against the pool wall and slowly closed his eyes.
"I know."
"But if he doesn't give it to me... I will exterminate his entire clan!"