Chapter 666: This Man Truly Bears the Bearing of a Sovereign
Lei Zhonghe smiled, "Retainer Shen, this is the second great gift from my Thunder Prison Clan. Are you satisfied?"
Shen Mo nodded. "Not bad."
A few days ago, when leaving Blackstone Mountain, Lei Zhonghe had ordered Lei Chuan to stay behind—it was clearly to deal with Shaoyang Manor.
The Thunder Prison Clan was indeed decisive.
Shaoyang Manor, along with three other minor sects, had all been eradicated in one sweep.
Clearly, they had recognized his value and wished to curry favor.
Such a grand offering delivered straight to his door—naturally, Shen Mo was pleased.
Seeing Shen Mo's satisfied expression, Lei Zhonghe waved his hand, motioning for Lei Chuan to take the items away.
"Zizhen, take Retainer Shen to rest."
Lei Zhonghe said with a smile.
"Yes," Lei Zizhen replied respectfully. "Benefactor, please come with me."
Shen Mo rose and departed.
Only then did Lei Chuan step forward to Lei Zhonghe's side and take out a jade slip.
"Clan Head, this is the confession of the Shaoyang Manor lord."
"He admitted that with Lei Hao's tacit approval, he rallied Tuling Sect and other sects to jointly attack the Douxuan Sect."
Lei Chuan reported in a deep voice.
Lei Zhonghe tapped his fingers lightly on the table, remaining silent.
Lei Hao was one of the elders of the Thunder Prison Clan.
However, he did not belong to the clan head's faction—he was aligned with Grand Elder Lei Mingyuan.
Lei Zhonghe was part of the direct line of the Old Sovereign.
Lei Mingyuan, on the other hand, was the direct subordinate of the newly ascended Sovereign, Lei Jinglong.
The entanglements among them were far too intricate to explain simply.
Lei Hao's tacit support for Shaoyang Manor may very well have been a move to win over supporters.
And above Lei Hao was Lei Mingyuan—who could say for sure whether he had played a part?
Lei Chuan lowered his voice. "Clan Head…"
Lei Zhonghe shook his head. "Keep it hidden. Put it away for now."
Lei Chuan nodded. "Understood."
Lei Zhonghe looked at him and suddenly asked, "Lei Chuan, what do you think of this Shen Mo?"
Lei Chuan replied earnestly, "Unparalleled in the world. Astoundingly brilliant. A rare gem. Born with the potential of a Sovereign."
Lei Zhonghe let out a chuckle. "Rare to hear you describe a young cultivator in such terms."
Lei Chuan sighed, "Clan Head, if you had witnessed what happened on Blackstone Mountain with your own eyes, you wouldn't be laughing."
"This man… truly bears the bearing of a Sovereign."
Lei Zhonghe fell into silence.
After pacing for some time, he suddenly spoke, "Lei Chuan, from today onward, you'll stay by Shen Mo's side. Protect him at all times."
Lei Chuan nodded respectfully. "Yes."
So-called "protection" naturally included the intent to monitor.
As the clan head's trusted confidant, Lei Chuan understood this well.
…
Thunder Saint Tower.
Shen Mo and Lei Zizhen arrived beneath the massive tower.
Shen Mo looked up and saw that the tower soared into the clouds, vast and majestic.
Many of the thunderbolts surging across the lofty sky were being absorbed by Thunder Saint Tower.
At the tower's entrance, cultivators came and went.
These cultivators were almost all dressed in Thunder Clan robes—clearly, they were descendants of the Lei Clan.
Upon seeing Lei Zizhen, every one of them respectfully bowed without exception.
Lei Zizhen accepted their gestures calmly.
"Benefactor, this is Thunder Saint Tower."
"Ordinary cultivators reside throughout Thunder Saint City. Only Nirvana Realm cultivators may cultivate within Thunder Saint Tower."
"The tower has nine levels, each corresponding to the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal ranks of our retainers."
Lei Zizhen smiled, "Benefactor, as a Heaven-ranked retainer of our Thunder Prison Clan, you may enter level seven and above."
"What is your current total number of Dao Patterns, benefactor?"
Shen Mo thought for a moment. "Ninety patterns."
His total Dao Patterns had already exceeded one hundred.
But saying he had one hundred didn't feel quite accurate.
So he simply reported ninety.
His Primal Elephant Manifestation had indeed reached ninety Dao Patterns.
"Benefactor, truly formidable!"
Lei Zizhen exclaimed in surprise, "A Heaven-ranked retainer with ninety Dao Patterns may cultivate on the ninth level of Thunder Saint Tower."
"Benefactor, please follow me!"
Lei Zizhen led the way like a guide, escorting Shen Mo steadily upward.
Along the way, the cultivators they passed all wore expressions of surprise.
This was the grandson of the clan head—an extraordinary talent who had reached the Nirvana Realm with seventy Dao Patterns in just five hundred years and was personally mentored by the Old Sovereign.
What qualifications did that black-robed cultivator have to be escorted by Lei Zizhen himself?
For a moment, all the cultivators were stunned, quietly speculating about Shen Mo's identity.
Just then, from a nearby corridor, a figure appeared—seemingly by coincidence.
This figure was tall and well-proportioned, his features upright and striking.
His appearance was such that anyone who saw him would instinctively feel goodwill.
He greeted joyfully, "Young Master! I didn't expect to see you here. What a pleasant surpr—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Because his eyes moved past Lei Zizhen and landed on the black-robed cultivator behind him.
In that instant, it was as if an invisible hand had gripped his throat—he couldn't speak.
"Huh? Shi Hao? You're here too?"
Lei Zizhen sounded pleasantly surprised. "When I went out for training, I heard you took on a mission and was a bit disappointed I didn't get to see you."
"But now we meet again! Must be fate!"
The young cultivator called Shi Hao by Lei Zizhen forced a hearty laugh, concealing his shock beneath the surface. "Yes, it truly is fate!"
"Young Master, weren't you off challenging the heroes of Eastern State? Why are you back?"
He turned to Shen Mo, feigning surprise, "And this is…?"
Lei Zizhen smiled and explained, "This is my benefactor."
He then looked at Shen Mo and introduced him, "Benefactor, this is Shi Hao—a friend of mine."
"We met a few years ago by chance. I snuck out of the Thunder Prison Clan for some fun and happened to run into him."
"We sparred and became fast friends. I later recommended him to the clan. Now he serves as a Mortal-rank retainer of the Thunder Prison Clan."
Shen Mo looked at Shi Hao and gave a slight nod.
Although this "Shi Hao" had changed his appearance and aura…
Although even the name was no longer his original…
Shen Mo still saw through him in an instant by glancing at his life panel.
Shi Tianhao!
This man was none other than Shi Tianhao, who had accidentally arrived in Eastern State through a void rift!
[Name: Shi Tianhao]
[Realm: Nirvana Realm, Forty Dao Patterns]
[Fate Traits: Half-Human Half-Dragon, Ancestral Dragon Bone, Defies Fate, Friends Across the World, Survivor of Great Calamities, Blessed Star, Calamity Star, Five-Dragon Annihilation Body, Clan Retainer]
[Destiny: Ultimately achieves Earth-Penetrating Saint. While attempting to break through to Heaven-Piercing Saint, suffers a heart-devil tribulation and is severely injured. Unable to reach Heaven-Piercing Saint in this life, dies with regret.]
Shen Mo pondered silently.
Though the Saint Realm was still far beyond him...
He had already gleaned its basic structure from Shi Tianhao's destiny.
It appeared to be divided into three stages: Earth-Penetrating, Heaven-Piercing, and Great Dao.
At first, Shi Tianhao had the potential to transcend this world—clearly a level above Great Dao Saint.
But later, he lost even the chance to reach the Great Dao level.
Now, Shi Tianhao couldn't even reach Heaven-Piercing Saint.
Whoever was siphoning his fortune had really done a thorough job—left him nearly stripped bare.
Truly unfortunate.
Shen Mo continued scanning, taking in Shi Tianhao's recent fortunes, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
As expected—
Even within this Thunder Saint Tower, there was a significant opportunity waiting.
And it was an important one—capable of activating the Ancestral Dragon Bone within Shi Tianhao's body.
However…
Shen Mo felt it might be necessary for him to kindly accept that opportunity on Shi Tianhao's behalf.
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