"I divined that he wouldn't meet his end here, so I didn't intervene. Everything is predetermined. It has nothing to do with you. Rise."
Ling Xiao spoke calmly, then looked up at Qiao Yunli and Sikong Yu. "You two, your cultivation is passable. Are you willing to become my servants?"
"Hmm?"
Qiao Yunli and Sikong Yu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with intense shock.
Become your servants?
So direct?
"Those who serve me will one day ascend to the Immortal Realm and achieve transcendence. If you are unwilling… you die."
Boom!!
Seeing their hesitation, a thunder sun instantly materialized above Ling Xiao's head.
A complete Dao Principle inherently contained peerless, domineering power.
Not to mention, although Qiao Yunli and the others were Divine Emperors, they hadn't even begun to comprehend the power of Dao Principles. Hesitation instantly appeared on their faces.
Being a 'servant'… it certainly didn't sound like a good position.
However, transcending the mortal world and ascending was indeed the yearning in every cultivator's heart.
Could it be… this lord came from the Upper Realm?
How is that possible?!
Never mind traveling to the lower realm for experience, no one from the Sacred Continent had ascended for centuries.
How did he cross the Domain Worlds to descend here?
"Lord… how can we believe what you say?"
Sikong Yu frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice.
But the moment his words fell, he saw a trace of gloom flash in Ling Xiao's eyes.
Immediately after, the world above his head descended, actually sucking Sikong Yu directly into it.
In an instant, both figures vanished, leaving only the bewildered people in the hall looking around in shock.
"Where is this…?"
Sikong Yu was suspended mid-air, his mind reeling.
What appeared before him now was a scene straight out of a paradise.
Clear blue skies, a bright sun, high mountains, and great marshes.
Rich spiritual energy flowed past his ears like water, yet for some inexplicable reason, he felt… a little cold.
Because standing before him now was the lord in white, looking at him with a faint, ambiguous smile.
Surrounding them were several figures emitting terrifying auras.
Sikong Yu, a fourth-grade Divine Emperor, while not the absolute pinnacle in the Western Frontier, was still considered a powerful figure.
But…
Now, Huo Heng's cultivation had completely stabilized at the fourth grade, and Xing Shen had reached the peak of the fourth grade, just a step away from breaking into the fifth grade.
Furthermore, another from the Xing Clan with Divine King cultivation had broken through to the Emperor Realm.
With the three of them joining forces, plus the restraint of the Nine Dragon Prison Heaven Formation, a mere Sikong Yu…
Of course, to be safe, Ling Xiao hadn't brought Qiao Yunli in with him.
Applying both kindness and pressure simultaneously was the way to truly… convince someone.
You don't want to be a servant? That's fine.
Then just become my nourishment.
"L-Lord, who are they?"
Sikong Yu gulped hard.
"They are all my servants."
Ling Xiao smiled faintly, then turned and walked towards the direction of the Heavenly Hall.
"L-Lord!! I submit!! No, I am willing to be your servant! No, I am willing to be your dog! Woof, woof, woof!"
Behind him, Sikong Yu screamed hoarsely, but Ling Xiao shook his head and vanished on the spot without looking back.
"Being my dog isn't an honor just anyone can have. It's a privilege. A pity you missed it."
"No!! Lord!!!"
Boom!
Spiritual light began to surge, and space shattered layer by layer.
Ling Xiao stood before the Heavenly Hall, watching Ning'er in the distance channeling her spiritual power to activate the white lotus, and Ye Qingchan beside her guiding her cultivation. A smile instantly lifted the corner of his mouth.
The matters in Great Xia were basically concluded.
Next, he didn't plan to head to Great Qin immediately. Instead… he was going to first release his War God from his cage.
That Great Qin Empress, Qin Wushuang, after all, bore the title of Demon Empress.
Such a figure would inevitably not relinquish her throne easily.
Xiao Beifa was very strong, that Path of Slaughter born from a sea of corpses was undoubtedly tempered through countless massacres.
But… when it came to leading armies and waging war, Ning Tiance was clearly stronger.
When the time came, he would arrive in Great Qin with the prestige of two imperial dynasties. Even if that Empress possessed peerless luck and demonic arts, what could she do?
"Young Master!"
"Big Brother!"
Ye Qingchan and Ning'er turned their heads, their eyes filled with joy.
"Mm! Ning'er, in a couple of days, I'll go to Great Zhou and rescue your father. Then you and your father can be reunited."
Ling Xiao reached out and rubbed Ning'er's little head, a smile curling his lips.
With Ning'er in hand, he would always hold Ning Tiance's weakness.
But… if he forcefully kept her by his side, it might inevitably cause the former to harbor resentment.
Someone with a Heavenly Formation Dao Heart—how could they be compared to a fool like Xia Sheng, who would willingly open his sea of consciousness after just a few words of sweet talk?
Anyway, Ning Tiance was already completely convinced. At this time, using emotion to influence him would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.
A War God—his template destined him to be someone who valued love and righteousness.
It's just a pity that this time, he trusted the wrong person.
If not for Ling Xiao's instigation, perhaps many years later, Zhou Minruo might not have been without a guilty conscience.
Zhou Minruo's regret before her death was something Ling Xiao witnessed.
Or perhaps, in the end, Zhou Minruo would have died from her heart ailment. Ning'er and that Ninth Prince, Xia Chuan, would have coincidentally come to Great Zhou, the father and daughter reunited, the son-in-law and father-in-law together restoring the War God's majesty, crushing the eight dynasties, and dominating the Western Frontier.
The story's ending would have been perfect, but ultimately…
It's all Xia Chen's fault for having to be reborn and return. If not for him, how could Ling Xiao have had nothing better to do than stroll around a minor border dynasty in the Western Frontier?
How could he have met Ning'er and learned of Ning Tiance's existence?
Now, even if the latter restored the War God's glory, at best, he was nothing more than a battle blade in Ling Xiao's hand, no longer a protagonist of heaven and earth.
"Big Brother… are you abandoning Ning'er?"
Ning'er's small face instantly filled with grievance.
From childhood until now, she had never once seen Ning Tiance. Although the bond between father and daughter, blood being thicker than water…
Ling Xiao was the one who truly warmed her life!
The grief from when Granny died still lingered in her heart. Ling Xiao's companionship and care had long made this twelve-year-old little girl harbor admiration for him.
Although, at her age, she didn't really understand what love was, it didn't affect her desire to stay by her big brother's side in the slightest.
"How could I abandon you? Ning Tiance is, after all, your father. You should be by his side…"
"No, I won't! I just want to follow Big Brother, follow Sister Qingchan."
Ning'er turned her head, her eyes tearful as she looked at Ye Qingchan. "Sister Qingchan, didn't you say Big Brother would never leave me? Were you lying to me?"
"How could we lie to you?"
Ye Qingchan smiled and rubbed Ning'er's little head. "Young Master…"
"Alright! If you really want to follow me, then when the time comes, you can tell Ning Tiance yourself."
Ling Xiao smiled wryly. Looking up, he saw Xing Shen descending from the sky, carrying a figure.
Sikong Yu was already beyond recognition as human. Ling Xiao shot a glance at Ye Qingchan, who immediately understood and led Ning'er into the hall.
"Master!"
"Mm, well done. You may withdraw."
Ling Xiao casually tossed Xing Shen a Qiankun bag filled with pills, then stepped forward to stand before Sikong Yu. A soul light flickered in his eyes as the Primordial Demon Blade in his hand simultaneously slashed out.
Buzz!
Heaven and earth trembled.
The Great Xia's Count of Loyalty and Righteousness, deceased.
Age at death: One hundred and seven years.