"G-Great Lord..."
Just as Ling Xiao turned, holding Ye Qingchan's hand and preparing to leave, a flicker of hesitation crossed Emperor Xia's face.
"What is it?"
"The matter of the alliance with Great Qi..."
To be honest, Emperor Xia himself no longer cared much about Great Qi or any other Qi.
With this supreme expert here, why would Great Xia need any allies?
Although this lord's current strength was only at the Divine Emperor realm, his methods were surely beyond mortal comprehension!
"My Great Xia... does not need trash."
Ling Xiao's gaze was clear and cold. He glanced deeply at Xia Yanran, a mysterious, profound meaning hidden in the curve of his lips.
"Yes! Master!"
Emperor Xia's eyes narrowed, a sudden understanding dawning in his heart.
Perhaps, the master's earlier protection of Jiang Yu was merely testing Great Xia's attitude.
Had we shown the slightest disrespect towards the dragon talisman, Great Xia would have been doomed.
As for Jiang Yu...
Hehe, a good-for-nothing, how could he possibly catch the eye of this Supreme Being of Heaven and Earth?
At this moment, Xia Yanran surprisingly didn't feel again.
Was it an illusion? She vaguely felt... that this Upper Realm Supreme Being had glanced at her just now.
And his gaze... was somewhat... somewhat... uniquely meaningful.
If... I could become this lord's maidservant...
Wouldn't that be a truly joyful thing?
Quite suddenly, Xia Yanran no longer wanted to solely devote herself to the Dao.
Simultaneously, she also felt the lord's words made perfect sense. To conquer the world, Great Xia did not need trash!!
Huh?
Trash?
Ding! The Daughter of Fate harbors resentment, deepening the rift with the Son of Fate. Congratulations, Host, on plundering 300 Luck Points and 3000 Villain Points.
Buzz.
The world seemed to tremble slightly. A vast dragon aura instantly swept through the entire hall.
Ling Xiao and Ye Qingchan's figures then appeared on the other side of the spiritual vortex.
A towering stone staircase materialized, connecting to an ancient palace standing at the pinnacle of the sky.
"Gulp."
Even after the spiritual vortex gradually dissipated, Emperor Xia and the others remained prostrate on the ground, not daring to move an inch.
Pfft!
Within the Domain World, Ye Qingchan suddenly covered her mouth with a light laugh, shooting Ling Xiao a fierce glare. "Young Master, you are truly wicked!"
"Oh? In which aspect is Qingchan referring?" Ling Xiao's lips curved slightly, a flicker of flame seeming to dance in his eyes.
"Young Master... it's daytime now..." Ye Qingchan's pretty face flushed red.
But Ling Xiao suddenly shook his head, waved his hand lightly, and the Golden Crow instantly descended. A black moon hung in the sky, and the entire Domain World was instantly plunged into darkness.
"It's nighttime now."
"Young... Young Master!" Ye Qingchan let out a plaintive cry, but had no time to resist.
Ling Xiao's thin lips pressed against hers as he held her tightly in his embrace.
"Mmm..."
A bout of passionate rain descended from the heavens.
Ye Qingchan's beautiful eyes grew dazed, wisps of cold air puffing from her lips, her body swaying.
It feels like it's been a long time since I've been happy with the Young Master.
Approximately... four days.
Until the very world grew fervent, their figures remained entwined, embracing as if their lives depended on it.
"Young Master, have some tea..."
Once the world had returned to clarity, Ling Xiao sat before the palace hall, examining a stone ring in his hand.
Ye Qingchan brought over a cup of clear tea, her smile as bright as a flower.
If she had to choose, she would abandon the Great Dao, willing to do so for just one person.
"Young Master, is there something special about this ring?" Seeing Ling Xiao's serious expression, a trace of curiosity also flashed in Ye Qingchan's eyes.
"Of course. It's a token." Ling Xiao smiled faintly. He had roughly figured out the path this good-for-nothing son-in-law Jiang Yu was following.
Since Jiang Yu didn't know the ring's purpose, it meant the force behind him must have faced an annihilating disaster back then.
Perhaps because of the Spirit Flame sealed within him, or perhaps due to his awakened alchemy physique.
In any case, the person who sealed the Spirit Flame within him must have prepared a backup plan.
And this ring...
When the three-year period ends, the seal breaks.
Use the power of the Spirit Flame to ignite the soul imprint within this ring, summoning the guides.
As for the enemies who hunted him back then...
Hehe, given this Son of Fate's Luck, those so-called enemies have probably been wiped out over these past three years.
Now, the forces behind Jiang Yu are most likely searching the entire world for him.
And the one elder who knew his whereabouts has probably already perished.
The ring is the token.
Ah, the Spirit Flame within his body is perhaps another layer of insurance.
After all, even if someone stole the ring, how could they coincidentally possess a Spirit Flame?
This plan could be considered quite thorough. But the Jiang Clan elder who devised it probably never dreamed that in this world, there existed a villain named Ling Xiao!
If Ling Xiao hadn't been in the hall today, even if Jiang Yu gave this ring as a gift to the Empress Dowager, Emperor Xia would likely have taken it as an insult, thrown the ring back to Jiang Yu, and expelled him from the palace.
The Son of Fate's seal would break, he would unintentionally activate the soul imprint in the ring, summoning the guides, instantly achieving a supreme status. Then, relying on his Spirit Flame and alchemy, he would slap the faces of all the princes and the Emperor.
This Xia family isn't worth staying with anyway!
Luck is truly mysterious and unpredictable.
Pity.
He encountered Ling Xiao.
"Interesting. I just wonder what Jiang Yu's true identity actually is." A cold smile suddenly spread across Ling Xiao's face.
Immediately, Spirit Flame flickered at his fingertip, and the simple stone ring instantly turned fiery red.
The coiling dragon carved on its surface seemed to awaken, suddenly opening its eerie, bloody eyes.
Hmm?!
Far away, tens of thousands of miles distant, in a magnificent hall.
A middle-aged man in blood-red robes, his aura terrifying, suddenly opened his eyes.
"It's... the Blood Dragon Soul Ring!!! The Young Lord... is indeed still alive!!!!"
Boom!!
"Long Da, Long Er, come with me to the Great Xia capital! We welcome the Young Lord back!!!"
Three ferocious, baleful auras instantly shot into the sky, speeding rapidly towards Dragon Fortune City. They were actually three Divine Emperor experts.
Hmm? This aura... so fast? Within the Domain World, Ling Xiao could clearly feel an aura from the ancient ring quietly locking onto him.
However, this lock held no threat; it felt more like a form of... submission.
"Qingchan, wait for me inside the realm." The corners of Ling Xiao's mouth lifted, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot.
Outside Dragon Fortune City, atop a desolate mountain.
Ling Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, poised at the mountain peak. His white robes fluttered in the wind, portraying an indescribable air of free-spirited grace.
Thus, three hours later.
When the sound of rushing wind finally echoed from the horizon, a playful glint appeared in the young man's eyes.
They're here.
Boom!
A powerful pressure descended, without even a hint of probing.
Three figures dropped from the sky, landing directly in front of Ling Xiao.
The leader had crimson hair and black pupils, stood eight feet tall, was handsome, and was surrounded by the aura of a Blood Dao Principle – he was actually also a... bearer of a Dao Principle.
The Dao Principle of the Corpse Sea. Clearly, this was a powerhouse who had grown through countless battles, forged in slaughter.
Fourth-grade Divine Emperor, slightly stronger than even Ning Tiance.
However, Ning Tiance's path lay in the art of command, while the one before him was focused on killing, slaughtering, and annihilating.
He carried no Luck Points. That figured; such fierce generals often did not meet peaceful ends.
"Great Qin's Guardian War General, Xiao Beifa, pays respects to the Young Lord!!"
Huh? Guardian War General? Xiao Beifa? Young Lord?
Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. His face was obscured by immortal radiance, his tone consistently calm.
"Rise. My family... how are they?" Ling Xiao probed. After all, he wasn't Jiang Yu; how could he know if Xiao Beifa would see through him?
"Young Lord!! Back then, I was campaigning on the frontier and couldn't return to the capital in time, allowing the traitors to succeed. The Lord... fell in battle. The Qin Clan's direct bloodline... was completely slaughtered. The one currently ruling Great Qin is your cousin, the daughter of the Prince Who Pacifies the South, Qin Wushuang. The rebellious ministers and traitors... have all been executed!"
Xiao Beifa remained on one knee, refusing to rise.
Yet, Ling Xiao couldn't help but feel a surge of delight. Slaughtered to the last? The Qin Clan's direct line?
And that cousin... Qin Wushuang – she sounds like someone with Luck!
Marvelous!
The good-for-nothing son-in-law trope truly never disappoints.