Love Travels through Time (My father who traveled through time and space to cultivate immortality came back to pick me up) - Chapter 99
Chapter 99: Finale (Part 1)
The Meng Patriarch breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s good that you remember.”
“Time is short. Hurry.”
With a flick of his finger, Jing Ran sent the fish-bone spike pinned in midair flying back before Xiang Tianqing once again.
Kneeling on the ground, Xiang Tianqing looked up, refusing to accept it for a long while.
The Meng Patriarch sent a voice transmission: “Daughter, of your two brothers, one is severely injured, and the other has already been driven to death by Xiang Haikui…”
Learning of Meng Nanting’s death, Xiang Tianqing collapsed onto the ground.
She shook her head in agony, still making no move to take the fish-bone spike.
Who was she, really?
Was she human, or was she of the Celestial Clan?
Xiang Tianqing was terribly conflicted. Why did her father say her brother was driven to death by Xiang Haikui?
Wasn’t the one who killed her brother with his own hands her father himself?
And wasn’t the one who was truly forcing them the Emperor?
Her father showed not the slightest trace of guilt or self-reflection, nor did he harbor any resentment toward the Emperor—only fear.
What would happen if it were Father Xiang Heng instead?
No, Father Xiang Heng would never have agreed to this method of accumulating merit from the very beginning.
It was unimaginable—how could she have agreed to such a method back then?
Why had she viewed human lives as cheap as weeds beneath her feet?
“This Emperor can somewhat understand your current state of being unable to discern your ‘true self.'”
When he had first awakened, Jing Ran had also experienced a similar sense of aimless confusion.
Humans and the Celestial Clan possessed two vastly different civilizations that stood in stark opposition in certain aspects.
Yet in a mere instant, his mind cleared.
“Xiang Tianqing, let this Emperor tell you: who your father is doesn’t matter, nor does it matter whether you are Celestial or human. You only need to align with the strongest version of yourself—that is your ‘true self.'”
As his words fell, Jing Ran flicked a stream of golden light from his fingertips.
Enclosed within the golden flames was the formidable Inspiration innate to the Celestial Clan, awakening the latent power within Xiang Tianqing’s body. Both her hands burst into flames with a sudden whoosh.
This flame of Inspiration gradually illuminated Xiang Tianqing’s clouded eyes.
In the end, she rose to her feet and grasped the fish-bone spike.
Jing Ran knit his brows slightly, having not expected the Inspiration endowed within Xiang Tianqing to be so refined.
“So that’s how it is.”
He cast a side-glance at the Meng Patriarch.
The Meng Patriarch lowered his head in fear, yet a flicker of hope sprouted in his heart.
He sent a voice transmission: “Daughter, this time we can only succeed and not fail. The entire future of our Meng family hinges on you…”
…
At the first sign of movement within the Celestial Clan, Han Qi received word immediately.
The ten-day deadline was fast approaching.
Han Qi had been standing by the cliff’s edge for several days, utterly silent.
Knowing that her Master’s choice this time was of critical importance and required utmost caution, Star Slave stood silently behind him, not daring to lightly interrupt.
Upon receiving the latest message, she couldn’t help but ask, “Master, you said the Emperor brought Miss Xiang to the Meng family… What exactly…?”
Han Qi turned around and pointed at her.
“Go deliver a message to Bai Xingxian at once.”
“Yes, Master.”
Star Slave nodded hurriedly, well aware in her heart that her Master had chosen a side—it was only that Lord Changli’s odds of winning were too low, so her Master could not openly oppose the Emperor for the time being.
Still, one question remained.
“Will Bai Xingxian believe us?”
“Then that depends on his capability.”
Han Qi motioned for Xingnu that there was no need to explain too much to Bai Xingxian.
“If he lacks even this much judgment, he deserves to lose.”
“Master speaks the absolute truth. But between Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao, can the two of them successfully receive Miss Xiang?”
“It isn’t about going to the Upper Realm; tell them to head to Jinling at once to find Xiang Heng.”
Han Qi produced a flying magic treasure and handed it over.
Star Slave froze.
“The Emperor is going to move against Xiang Heng? Xiang Heng is no ordinary person; wouldn’t this be unwise?”
When humans stayed too long in the Upper Realm, descending back to the mortal realm made it difficult for them to endure its turbid qi—let alone those born and bred of the Celestial Clan.
Apart from the Emperor, only Dugu He possessed such ability, yet he disdained doing such things.
As for the Emperor, he was currently keeping watch over Xiang Haikui and guarding against Lord Changli; if his avatar suffered damage descending to the mortal realm, it would harm his true body.
“Do not forget Xiang Tianqing.”
A fierce gust of wind came sweeping in.
Bai Xingxian, who was rushing along his way, quickly turned back and pushed out a palm strike.
The two forces collided in midair with a deafening explosion.
The gale had come wrapping around a storage bracelet.
Once the bracelet shattered, a message jade slip and two black-and-white chess pieces fell from midair.
Bai Xingxian drew both items into his hands using his spiritual energy.
Having appraised countless treasures since childhood, he instantly recognized that the two chess pieces were a rare set of flying magic treasures, in no way inferior to his uncle’s little black orb.
“This should be Senior Han Qi’s ‘Star Translocation’.”
Bai Xingxian was baffled.
Casting his divine sense into the jade slip to take a look, he promptly passed it to Lu Xiqiao.
“We’re in trouble.”
Having read it, Lu Xiqiao remained calm instead.
“Can Han Qi’s words even be trusted? Eight out of ten chances, it’s a trick meant to deceive us.”
“However, I once heard my uncle mention that Star Translocation is Senior Han Qi’s cherished treasure…” Bai Xingxian recalled.
It was a consumable artifact whose spiritual energy depleted with every use.
“Usually, he can’t even bear to use it himself. To use it just to trick us, isn’t it a bit…”
He felt too embarrassed to finish his sentence.
Lu Xiqiao chimed in, “We’re not worthy?”
Bai Xingxian nodded.
“In his eyes, we really aren’t.”
Lu Xiqiao thought that made sense. Then, as if suddenly snapping out of a daze, he jumped up like a grasshopper.
“Fuck! What did I say earlier? Sister Kui really ran into trouble!”
The letter hadn’t mentioned Yin Changli. Bai Xingxian had been solely focused on deciphering Han Qi’s intentions, but at Lu Xiqiao’s reminder, he also remembered the sharp pain that had flared in his sea of consciousness earlier.
“Uncle…”
Bai Xingxian lost his composure, realizing that Han Qi’s warning was trustworthy.
He made a prompt decision.
“Let’s go! To Jinling!”
Perhaps due to the stifling heat, Xiang Heng felt restless and sat in the courtyard for the entire night.
As early morning approached, a drizzle began to fall, finally easing his discomfort a little.
Just as Xiang Heng was about to return to his room to rest, Xiang Tianqing unexpectedly returned once more.
Drenched by the rain, her expression appeared even gloomier than before.
“Little Qing?” Xiang Heng suspected nothing, only feeling concerned for her state of mind.
Xiang Tianqing walked slowly toward him, her hand beneath her sleeve clutching the fish-bone spike tightly.
“Father…”
The more Xiang Heng looked at her, the more worried he became.
“What’s wrong?”
“I…”
The fish-bone spike was nearly snapped in half by her grip.
Shaking her head, she said, “Nothing. I just suddenly remembered that I haven’t accompanied you for breakfast in many years.”
In truth, it had been Xiang Heng accompanying her.
When Xiang Tianqing was young, the demon poison had invaded her body, leaving her weak and reliant on medicinal food.
Xiang Heng had tried all sorts of ways to coax her into eating.
“Let’s have breakfast together; I’ll go prepare it.”
Xiang Tianqing turned on her heel, almost as if fleeing.
A moment later, father and daughter sat beneath the eaves, drinking porridge.
Listening to the pitter-patter of rain tapping against the roof tiles, Xiang Heng sighed with emotion.
“Jinling really gets a lot of rain—unlike our Silver Sand, where it never rains at all. No wonder Jinling nurtures people so well, while Silver Sand is filled with all kinds of monsters and demons.”
Xiang Tianqing said quietly.
“Yet you still prefer Silver Sand—fewer worldly hypocrisies, less intrigue and deception, where you only need to see whose fist is harder.”
Xiang Heng sighed.
“Can’t be helped. When it comes to playing mind games with people, your old man can’t compete. A person always has to know where their strengths lie…”
Xiang Tianqing wanted to say that it was only because he was carrying a burden like her that he had to consider where was best to settle down.
But she couldn’t say any more; she couldn’t continue chatting casually with Xiang Heng.
The more they talked, the harder it became to strike.
All the memories of the past resurfaced, triggering yet another fierce internal conflict that caused her immense agony.
Father, I’m sorry… As the meal came to an end, tears welled up in Xiang Tianqing’s eyes.
She bit her lip and steeled her heart.
Just as she was about to make her move, she heard Xiang Heng say, “Silly child, your father has never blamed you.”
Xiang Heng assumed her return and apology meant she was finally no longer so stubborn and was willing to accept the future dream Xiang Haikui had seen.
“I can’t be sure about your senior brothers, but I know you. You could never deal a fatal blow to me for fame or fortune; if you ever did, it would surely be to grant me release.”
As he spoke, he patted her arm.
“Fate has changed, and none of it has come to pass, so don’t take it to heart too much. It’s enough that you’re willing to believe Little Kui was merely stating the facts and never intended to target you. Little Kui has a straightforward personality and won’t hold it against you. If you two can reconcile later, I…”
Xiang Heng’s words struck like a bolt out of the blue, exploding inside Xiang Tianqing’s head!
Stating the facts?
The only person capable of making her awaken was the Emperor.
In the future dream Xiang Haikui had seen, the Emperor hadn’t intervened—she had simply been Xiang Tianqing.
And Xiang Tianqing would never commit patricide!
Having stolen the fatherly love that originally belonged to Xiang Haikui, she didn’t believe for a second that Xiang Haikui could selflessly accept it without wanting to steal it back.
This was clearly Xiang Haikui’s scheme to compete for their father’s heart.
It suddenly hit Xiang Tianqing: she couldn’t make a move against Xiang Heng—she couldn’t!
Once she did it, wouldn’t Xiang Haikui’s slanderous accusation of her committing patricide be proven beyond a doubt?
Wouldn’t her insistence over the past dozen years truly become a complete joke?
How could she ever hold her head up high before Xiang Haikui in the future?
The Emperor had said that the “true self” was the strongest version of oneself.
Then it had to be a version of herself that would never lose to Xiang Haikui!
“Father, you believe in this matter without a shadow of a doubt, don’t you?” Xiang Tianqing wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, her voice abruptly turning icy and resolute.
Just as Xiang Heng was about to speak, she added, “Then I’ll prove it to you that she was lying—that she did it on purpose just to leave a lump in your throat regarding me!”
“Tianqing!” Xiang Heng lost his temper, slamming his palm onto the tabletop.
As if showing off, Xiang Tianqing produced the fish-bone spike and displayed it right before him.
“Do you know what this is? This was given to me by the Emperor of our Celestial Clan. The Emperor and my father from the Upper Realm have arrived…”
Xiang Heng took a look at the fish-bone spike in her hand, utterly shocked.
Once she finished explaining, he stood up in uncontainable fury, sweeping his sleeves back.
“Where are they?!”
He possessed some understanding of the Celestial Clan. He couldn’t beat their true bodies, but what right did an avatar descending to the mortal realm have to be so arrogant?
He had not yet Joining Dao and could not enter the Celestial Well to reach the Upper Realm to rescue Little Kui, but suppressing an avatar of the Emperor could still be considered helping her out.
Xiang Tianqing grabbed his sleeve.
“Please calm down first…”
How could Xiang Heng possibly calm down?
“Think about me!” Xiang Tianqing pleaded anxiously.
“They can’t do anything to you, but it’s easy for them to deal with me. Could you stop them? If they turn around and use my life to threaten you, what will we do then?”
Xiang Heng paused in his tracks.
“Isn’t one of them your biological father?”
Xiang Tianqing offered a bitter smile in response.
“Father, there are many humans in Jinling, and the turbid qi is mixed. The restrictions on the Celestial Clan are even stronger here. Nearby are the King of Jinling, the Sword Dao Academy, and my Master as well. We only need to lay down an array to lock down the residence, and they won’t dare act recklessly. Hiding for a few days to get through this crisis—so that Xiang Haikui has no worries from behind—can also be considered helping her…”
After calming down, Xiang Heng remembered that when Yin Changli had accompanied Little Kui here previously, he had given him quite a few treasures.
He retrieved two items from his storage bracelet—one was a whisper-thin garment like a cicada’s wing, and the other was a square, bronze formation disc.
Yin Changli had warned him that Little Kui had made many enemies by now, and the Celestial Clan might move against him.
Although it would be exceptionally brainless, one couldn’t rule out someone jumping over the wall out of desperation like a cornered dog.
It turned out that the “dog” referred to the Emperor of the Celestial Clan.
This formation disc was an isolation array with excellent effects; defense was no issue at all, but it could only last for three days, after which it would disappear on its own.
Three days were more than enough.
As for the cicada-wing garment, it was said to have been crafted specifically to resist the Celestial Clan.
Although Yin Changli hadn’t stated it outright, Xiang Heng knew it was given to guard against Xiang Tianqing, hoping he would keep a necessary grain of suspicion.
Yet Xiang Heng had felt it unnecessary at the time and shelved it as soon as he received it.
Thinking back now, Yin Changli’s meticulous arrangements and generous gifting of various defensive treasures had all been planned for Little Kui’s sake, yet he hadn’t taken them seriously at all.
As a parent, he had indeed failed far too miserably.
After putting on the cicada-wing garment, Xiang Heng tossed out the bronze formation disk.
Hum…
A layer of fluorescent light arced through midair, laying down a barrier that sealed off the entire residence.
On the tenth day, just past noon, Xiang Haikui—who was meditating—heard a faint whistling sound.
It was drawing closer and closer… the whistle of an arrow?
Senior Zhuque was here?!
Sure enough, that half-arrowhead carrying Senior Zhuque’s divine sense bore straight into her spiritual platform without a word.
Scorching hot, like molten lava flowing in.
“Senior Zhuque?”
“You’ve waited long, little Kui.”
This was a female Zhuque, her voice like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
“Shanhai Zhuque Clan, Zhuque…”
She seemed to have forgotten her own name.
“Your Master calls me sister; you can just call me Aunt Zhu.”
“Aunt Zhu,” Xiang Haikui called out directly.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come until sunset?”
In her heart, she also wanted to ask why they had to wait ten days.
Yet she feared hearing an answer that would make her vomit blood, spoiling her mood for the upcoming fight.
“Did you really not notice that the moisture between heaven and earth is extremely heavy today?” Zhuque had plucked a few feathers to test it out—they didn’t spontaneously combust, so she stepped out early.
“It seems even the Heavenly Dao is aiding our Shanhai Clan.”
Xiang Haikui finally knew the reason for waiting ten days.
Not bad, not bad—this powerhouse was quite reliable.
In an instant, her confidence surged.
“Unfortunately, I made a bet with the Emperor. We have to make our move after sunset…”
After listening to her explain what had transpired, Zhuque asked,”Little Changli hasn’t appeared at all?”
Xiang Haikui: “Mm.”
Zhuque went silent for a moment.
“It seems Little Changli’s situation isn’t good.”
For the past ten days, Xiang Haikui had tried her best not to think about this matter.
Now that Zhuque brought it up, her mood sank once more.
“You don’t need to worry; he’ll be fine. At worst, he’s just trapped and can’t get out for the time being.”
Xiang Haikui rested her hand on the sword case beside her, pressing down firmly.
“If he can’t come out, I’ll do what needs to be done for him.”
There were too many reasons—she had to fight to carry away these formation discs and treasures completely intact.
Zhuque actually burst into laughter.
“You say with such certainty that Little Changli is safe and sound, yet why do you sound like you’re preparing to carry on Changli’s dying wish?”
Xiang Haikui was taken aback.
“How could I?”
Zhu Que teased.
“How could you not? When you carved letters on the arrowhead to state your background, you only said you were Brother Qi’s disciple without mentioning your connection to the Patriarch of our Shanhai Clan. Should I call you my little niece or the Patriarch’s Wife?”
Xiang Haikui originally wanted to defend herself with “It was your Patriarch who clung to me; I never agreed,” but she swallowed the words back down right at her lips.
As long as he could return safe and sound, that was more important than anything else.
“Aunt Zhu, let’s get back to business.”
Since there was time right now, she wanted to first understand how to borrow the flying divine ability.
As for the escape route later, she wondered if Aunt Zhu had any good suggestions.
“Oh~” Zhuque dragged out her tone, deliberately dramatic and dramatic.
“Aunt Zhu, do you still want your freedom or not?” Xiang Haikui threatened her.
“Alright..”
Zhuque adopted a tone of yielding to her, putting on a posture of getting down to business.
“Pick a color and style.”
Xiang Haikui: “…”
Zhu Que explained.
“When you borrow my divine ability later, a pair of phantom wings will manifest when executed. In my half-lifetime, I’ve cultivated one hundred and ninety-six wing forms and two hundred and twenty-eight color combinations. Pick one you like.”
Xiang Haikui’s eyelids twitched.
“Please don’t joke around with me.”
“Hmm? Are you doubting my abilities?”
The moment Zhuque finished speaking, an illustrated handbook flashed and scrolled through Xiang Haikui’s sea of consciousness.
It truly was filled with all kinds of magnificent wing designs and unique color combinations.
Originally, Xiang Haikui’s emotions had been rather complex—intertwined with sorrow and fervor, mixed with a hint of embarrassment.
Now, only a feeling between laughter and tears remained.
Sure enough, she had thought too highly of them—it was impossible for the powerhouses of Shanhai to be truly reliable.
However…
“So beautiful!” Xiang Haikui praised sincerely.
“Pick one.”
Having received praise, Zhuque was immensely satisfied.
“Is there any difference in effect?” Seeing the situation, Xiang Haikui had no choice but to pick one out first; otherwise, who knew what sort of trouble might arise when borrowing the wings later.
Zhuque: “The effects are all the same.”
Xiang Haikui was reassured and seriously selected a set that caught her eye.
Zhuque praised, “You have good taste. This combination suits the black flood dragon body after the Tian kuang transformation best.”
“Is that so?” Xiang Haikui was flattered.
“This is the first time junior has been praised for her taste.”
What taste did she have?
Even when picking men, she had picked the absolute worst one.
Xiang Haikui opened her eyes and looked at Jing Ran, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation in the distance.
Something wasn’t quite right.
Earlier in the secret chamber, when she had released the arrow, he should have felt some faint sensation.
Now, under these completely exposed conditions, he hadn’t noticed a thing?
Jing Ran opened his eyes as well.
“What are you looking at?”
Xiang Haikui made no attempt to hide or dodge, speaking bluntly.
“I’m in better shape than I was ten days ago, but you seem to have grown weaker.”
“You actually noticed?” Jing Ran knit his brows.
“I am indeed weaker than before, because I split off an avatar and sent it to the mortal realm.”
Xiang Haikui was taken aback.
“To capture my father and exchange him for the formation discs?”
Her tone was calm, not particularly worried about her father.
The difficulty level of this task was extremely high. Jing Ran didn’t dare split off too much power into his avatar right now; if he fought her father head-on, he might end up being beaten to death by him.
She knew her Boss had given her father plenty of treasures to deal with the Celestial Clan.
Unless… Xiang Tianqing…?
She knit her brows. Certain words were difficult for her to say, but her Boss was far-sighted and must have instructed him on everything that needed to be instructed.
She had already become as incompatible as fire and water with the supreme ruler of the Celestial Clan.
Even if her father didn’t consider himself, he would surely take some precautions against Xiang Tianqing just so she wouldn’t have any worries while acting outside, right?
Jing Ran knew what she was thinking.
“You guessed wrong. Your father took no precautions whatsoever against Xiang Tianqing.”
Xiang Haikui’s heart sank.
“However, your father taking no precautions was not due to carelessness but because he possessed absolute confidence and trusted Xiang Tianqing implicitly.”
Jing Ran stared into Xiang Haikui’s eyes.
“As it turns out, he was right. Xiang Tianqing did not make a move. For the sake of her ‘foster father’ in the mortal realm, she betrayed her biological father, and she betrayed our Celestial Clan as well.”
The heart in Xiang Haikui’s throat settled back down.
“Trying to provoke me? As long as my dad is fine, that’s all that matters.”
“Of course he’ll be fine; I knew long ago that capturing him was impossible.”
Jing Ran flicked his fingers, sending a sphere of golden light shooting forth.
The light orb floated into the midair between the two of them. Like a wizard’s crystal ball, images materialized within the sphere.
The angle was an “overhead shot,” encompassing the entire Jinling residence within its view.
Xiang Haikui clearly saw a protective barrier, knowing it was a treasure sent by her Boss.
She grew increasingly unable to understand.
“You knew it was impossible, yet you still did it?”
Splitting an avatar consumed a massive amount of strength. Shouldn’t he save all his power to take her down?
Did he look down on her that much?
“I never intended to deal with your father.”
The corners of Jing Ran’s lips curled up, though the emotions deep within his eyes were difficult to discern.
“That fish-bone spike…”
Inside Xiang Haikui’s spiritual platform, Zhuque chimed in, “That fish-bone spike is a treasure of our Shanhai Jiao Clan. It’s useless against humans and specially crafted to deal with the Celestial Clan.”
As sunset approached, Xiang Tianqing—sitting alone in the courtyard—suddenly felt a prick of pain in the wrist wearing the storage bracelet, as if poked by a needle.
Lifting her arm to look, there truly was a pinprick on the skin near the bracelet.
First frowning, she was then filled with shock and dread.
Earlier, she had stored the fish-bone spike inside the storage bracelet; unexpectedly, the spike had come out on its own and pierced into her skin.
Hearing her cry of agony, Xiang Heng rushed into the courtyard and was startled by what he saw.
Clasping her head with both hands, her skin was covered in cracks, resembling an eggshell on the verge of shattering into pieces.
“Little Qing?!” Xiang Heng sprinted toward her.
“Don’t come over!” Xiang Tianqing backed away.
For some reason, Xiang Heng’s approach felt like a stormy, crashing wave slamming into her face, causing her excruciating agony.
Right at that moment, Jing Ran’s avatar appeared outside the barrier.
Though unable to break through the barrier, he constructed another barrier outside it, isolating the residence from the city.
Ordinary people could not perceive anything happening in this place.
“Xiang Heng,” Jing Ran’s voice transmitted inward, “the Guihai Hualing Array you are using and the Fengling Xuanyi garment you wear are both treasures of the Shanhai Clan. They will resonate with the Jiao spike inside Xiang Tianqing’s body. With the powers of the three intersecting, she will be left begging for life and unable to die.”
Beside him, the Meng Patriarch felt a surge of horror in his heart, yet dared not make a sound.
Xiang Heng had no time to pay them any mind. He hurriedly removed the cicada-wing garment, then teleported to Xiang Tianqing’s side, slamming a palm onto her spiritual platform to capture the fish-bone spike wandering through her meridians.
Though unable to draw it out in an instant, he managed to freeze the fish-bone spike in place.
Just as Xiang Tianqing’s pain eased slightly, a bolt of purple lightning crashed down heavily from the barrier above!
Xiang Heng raised his arm to block it, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth.
It appeared Jing Ran’s words were true. With a shift of his thought, the formation disc gifted by Yin Changli flew before his eyes.
Just as he prepared to destroy the formation disc, he forcibly compelled himself to stop.
Once the barrier vanished and she remained in this state, he would be left entirely at their mercy.
What would happen to Little Kui then?
Xiang Heng fell into the most agonizing dilemma of his life.
“Jing Ran!”
Seeing this point, Xiang Haikui leaped up holding her sword case, the case strapped behind her back with Tian kuang already in her hand.
She had originally wanted to say he had broken the rules by forcing her to draw her blade, so he couldn’t blame her.
Then she noticed that the sun had already set—their duel, postponed for ten days, had begun!
Yet the light sphere was still hovering overhead, and her father’s situation was visible to her with complete clarity.
How was she supposed to make a move?
A cluster of red light flashed in Xiang Haikui’s eyes.
“Threatening Yin Changli with me, threatening me with my father, and threatening my father with Xiang Tianqing—you’re a figure standing high in the clouds, yet besides pulling off these chain-threat tricks, what else can you actually do!”
“Don’t be in a rush.”
Jing Ran stood up as well.
Right now, the entire Celestial Clan was watching; he wanted a handsome victory, so this fight inevitably had to take place.
“I never thought of using your father to exchange for the formation discs and will not move against him; rest assured.”
Xiang Haikui would be a fool to believe him.
Jing Ran: “I’m merely brooding over a single line of yours… You said it’s not that you can’t understand my ‘having no choice’, but that there aren’t actually that many ‘no choice’ situations in this world.”
Xiang Haikui looked at him coldly without a word.
Jing Ran looked up at the light sphere in midair: “Look, your father now must choose between you and Xiang Tianqing. Tell me, does this count as him having no choice?”
He then looked at her again.
“If he chooses to preserve Xiang Tianqing and falls into my hands, all your efforts will vanish into thin air. Will you be able to understand his ‘having no choice’ then?”
Xiang Haikui’s eyes blazed with fierce fury.
“Don’t tell me you went through all this trouble just to slap me in the face.”
Jing Ran met her gaze.
“If your father chooses Xiang Tianqing in a moment, and you can still understand him, then please swallow every single argument you used to accuse me right back into your stomach!”
Xiang Haikui raised her sword and pointed it at him.
“How can these two things be lumped together for comparison?!”
“Of course they can. In essence, your father and I are exact carbon copies.”
Jing Ran’s gaze turned dark and cold, his tone merciless.
“In our ‘having no choice,’ you are never the most important one. No matter how reluctant we are, you must be sacrificed!”
“Shut up!”
Unable to suppress herself any longer, Xiang Haikui gripped the sword hilt with both hands, leaped into the air, and slashed downward!
The violent sword aura crashed onto the spot where Jing Ran stood, but he vanished on the spot.
A moment later, he materialized in midair, half a body higher than Xiang Haikui, looking down at her.
“What’s the rush? Don’t want to see your father’s choice? Or do you not dare to look?”
“Cut the nonsense!” With a twist of Xiang Haikui’s wrist, the sword tip drew a line of fire in front of her, sweeping out a wave of sword aura!
Jing Ran vanished once more, and the Tian kuang sword aura slammed onto the golden lotus petals with a loud clang.
Like a striking bell in an ancient mountain temple, the continuous echoes radiated outward.
Like a signal, it transmitted defensive orders to all corners of the royal palace.
“Why aren’t you transforming?”
Jing Ran suddenly flashed atop the tip of the golden lotus petal, shrouded in golden light like a celestial god.
With a sharp crack, the Dragon-Taming Whip reappeared in his hand.
Assuming a posture awaiting the dragon’s submission, he sneered, “Is it because transforming makes you look even more like a trapped beast, making yourself seem all the more pitiful?”
“Shuluohe really is still the same Shuluohe.”
Inside Xiang Haikui’s spiritual platform, Zhuque recalled the crushing defeat of the Shanhai Clan back then and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
Every single imprisoned clan member had been targeted precisely through their weaknesses, taken down one by one.
Including herself.
Evidently, he had locked onto Xiang Haikui’s weakness with equal precision.
No matter how indestructible all things in the world seemed, they would always have weaknesses—or rather, the stronger something was, the easier it was to be overcome by tiny, soft things.
For instance, a hard, massive boulder could withstand a sharp axe head-on, yet was utterly powerless against wind erosion and dripping water.
Zhuque didn’t know the full story, yet she could feel that under his psychological assault, Xiang Haikui could no longer maintain her “madness.”
Even though she still put on a fierce front and her sword aura remained fierce and unyielding, that mad, unbridled intent was rapidly diminishing.
The situation was taking a sharp turn for the worse.
This battle hung in the balance.
“Transform! Go on, transform!”
Jing Ran snapped his long whip, his brows cold and sharp, overbearing and arrogant.
“Just because I let you taste a bit of sweetness earlier, did you really think you were qualified to be this Emperor’s opponent?!”
When it came down to it, it was merely that he couldn’t bring himself to truly harm her in the past!
…
Listening to Han Qi’s explanation, Star Slave couldn’t help feeling a chill down her spine.
“The Emperor is truly terrifying…”
“That’s why I said Brother Changli’s idea was good, yet extremely difficult to execute.” Han Qi shook his head.
Star Slave felt a wave of regret in her heart. If they could win this battle, her Master might not have to work so hard in the future.
An idea struck her.
“Since the Emperor has no intention of moving against Xiang Heng, why did you instruct Bai Xingxian to go find Xiang Heng?”
And timed it so precisely, no less.
“There is little use in them charging up to the Upper Realm; it’s very difficult to get near the royal palace in a short time.” Han Qi naturally had his own considerations.
First, upon arriving at Jinling and seeing Xiang Heng surrounded, the two of them would fight the Emperor’s avatar with everything they had.
Pinning down the avatar would lighten the pressure on Xiang Haikui as she faced the true body.
If they could destroy the avatar, the Emperor’s true body would suffer irreversible damage.
Regardless of whose side Han Qi took, it worked to his advantage.
“Second, the Emperor is playing a game of heart-slaying and will surely let Xiang Haikui see Xiang Heng’s situation with her own eyes. With Bai Xingxian and the other charging over, she will fight even harder to lighten their burden against the avatar.”
As for the third point.
“The Emperor has no intention of harming Xiang Heng for now, but that doesn’t mean that if he fails to capture Miss Xiang and falls into a disadvantage, he won’t change his mind out of desperation like a cornered dog. This serves as a safety measure.”
Last time, Han Qi had used Xiang Haikui to scheme against Qi Yin, leaving a lingering trace of guilt in his heart.
It was rare to find a girl he held in high regard, so consider this a form of compensation for her.
Star Slave wasn’t as optimistic.
“But Miss Xiang’s state of mind has already been damaged…”
“The Emperor underestimatied her.”
A mocking smile gradually surfaced at the corners of Han Qi’s lips.
“Brother Changli and I both recognized reality after being slapped in the face, yet only the Emperor—who has suffered the biggest loss—continues to look down on her.”
Perhaps the Emperor considered himself exceptionally cautious this time, yet he failed to realize that the moment a man harbors the thought of conquering a woman, he has already underestimated her.
“Send someone to…”
Just as Han Qi was about to instruct Star Slave to handle another task, he suddenly froze.
He raised his eyes to look at the sky, observing the cloud layer.
Star Slave followed his gaze up to the sky. The sun had set, the cloud layer was thick, and the sky was dark and gloomy.
Apart from that, she couldn’t see anything unusual.
“Master, what do you need your disciple to send someone to do?”
“No need anymore.”
Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao arrived in Jinling in a burning rush.
Reaching the back gate of the residence, it looked as peaceful as usual from afar, but as soon as they drew close, they immediately realized something was wrong.
“There’s an isolation barrier.” Bai Xingxian reached out his hand to sense it.
“The entire manor has been isolated.”
He tried to break it, but couldn’t.
“Move aside, move aside, let me!” Lu Xiqiao pushed him to the side and raised his arm. His poison aura condensed into an axe, but even after chopping a dozen times, he couldn’t break it open.
“Forget it, let me do it. There’s the Emperor’s Inspiration force inside the barrier; let me try again.”
Bai Xingxian took a few steps back. Following Lu Xiqiao’s example, he attempted to condense his Inspiration into an axe.
Within the region inside the isolation barrier but outside the protective barrier, the Meng Patriarch sensed Bai Xingxian’s Inspiration and hurriedly sent a voice transmission: “Emperor, that…”
Equally unsure of how to address Bai Xingxian, he added, “That child seems to have arrived.”
“No matter.”
Jing Ran had noticed long ago, not believing the two of them could be of any real use.
He had, however, come to understand one point: Yin Changli’s prolonged failure to show his face meant eight out of ten times he had met with some unexpected disaster.
“Xiang Heng, haven’t made up your mind yet?” Having achieved his goal, Jing Ran was in no rush, prompting him lightly with an indifferent tone.
In his heart, he was quite curious to see how Xiang Heng would choose.
…
Holding her sword, Xiang Haikui stood atop the tip of the golden lotus petal across from Jing Ran.
Faced with his taunts, she uttered not a single word.
Since she remained silent, Jing Ran didn’t move either.
“Little Kui?” Fearing her resolve might sink into further depression, Zhuque called out to her.
Xiang Haikui adjusted the shoulder straps of her sword case.
“Aunt Zhu, get ready to lend me your divine ability!”
Zhuque: “You can do it?”
“Why couldn’t I?”
Yin Changli’s condition was unknown; carrying thirty-seven formation discs and over one thousand eight hundred treasures on her back, she had become the hope of the ‘entire village.’ What reason was there to say she ‘couldn’t’?
Xiang Haikui looked up at the light sphere.
Xiang Heng was still holding on with grit. One hand was resting on the spiritual platform of Xiang Tianqing—who lay curled up on the ground—freezing the fish-bone spike in place for her.
His other hand held off the purple lightning crashing down from the barrier above.
From the looks of it, he could still hold out for a while longer.
She had thought it through; setting all else aside, this time she was the one who had dragged Xiang Tianqing into trouble.
Even if her father chose Xiang Tianqing, so what? Just on the single fact that Xiang Tianqing hadn’t made a move against their father, there was nothing to complain about.
Especially when comparing her to Xiang Tianqing’s biological father, it was no wonder she had been bent on competing with her for his love.
“Fine, stop it.”
Xiang Haikui raised Tian kuang once more, pointing it straight at Jing Ran.
“Since you said you wouldn’t coerce anyone, then please be a man of your word.”
Jing Ran was slightly surprised. Wasn’t her state of mind recovering far too quickly?
Before he could regain his composure from the surprise, Xiang Haikui suddenly called out, “Senior Brother.”
Jing Ran was startled once more.
Xiang Haikui: “With you drawing a comparison like that, when I think about it carefully, it really is a bit strange—why am I so uniquely harsh toward you?”
She was actually the type of person who remembered kindness while forgetting grudges.
Usually, if she had a grudge, she would settle it on the spot; if she couldn’t, she would constantly warn herself not to take it too seriously.
When an opportunity came, she would take revenge then, but she should never hold it close to her heart.
She had suffered too much since childhood and had long seen through the fickleness of human nature.
If someone smashed a beer bottle over her head and she kept dwelling on it, it would be equivalent to the enemy having already sauntered off into the distance while she was still walking barefoot back and forth across a floor covered in glass shards.
Torturing no one but herself—wasn’t that foolish?
“Those who dealt fatal blows to me—I don’t even bother to keep them in my heart. Why is it that toward you, my hostility is so heavy, wishing I could slice you into a thousand pieces?”
Betrayal?
In the past, hers was a unrequited love; where did betrayal come into the picture?
Theoretically speaking, “Senior Brother” wasn’t a person but a symbol—a lighthouse she had erected for herself in her adrift, helpless life.
She had relied on this lighthouse to reach the shore.
Later, she discovered that the lighthouse wasn’t a lighthouse at all, but rather the glowing dorsal fin of a shark.
Yet so what? She had already made it ashore.
And the shark had merely played the role of a lighthouse purely by chance, without any sinister intent at the time.
That period of time had been real and beautiful, untainted by even a drop of falsehood.
“‘Senior Brother’ did me a great kindness, while the ‘Emperor’ holds a great grudge with me.”
Xiang Haikui distinguished the two with crystal clarity at this moment, feeling a profound sense of relief, her gaze clear and bright.
“To tell you the truth, I have zero interest in your world. This time, after taking away the formation disks and treasures and tarnishing your reputation, all past kindness and grudges between you and me will be settled.”
Jing Ran was astonished for a good while, following her words to ask, “What kind of settling of kindness and grudges is this? After taking away the formation discs and tarnishing my reputation, does that not count as taking your vengeance?”
Was there any difference between that and killing him?
“It isn’t my own vengeance I’m taking!”
The sword aura around Xiang Haikui surged violently, the black flood dragon coiled around her blade stirring restlessly.
“It’s for that ‘child’ of mine that was dragged into your schemes… I have the right to decide whether it exists, but I have no right to ‘forgive’ on its behalf!”
“If it manages to fuse successfully, I will be its mother. Its vengeance—I must take it on its behalf!”
As her words fell, the Tian kuang sword aura rushed backward like crazy.
Her wild intent surging wildly, she transformed into a flood dragon in an instant.
With dragon whiskers dancing, the flood dragon emitting biting sword aura stretched its body in midair, stepping up a level compared to its previous state!
Forced by the sword intent that abruptly erupted from her, Jing Ran swayed beneath his feet.
She didn’t make a move immediately, only barking at him.
“Recall your avatar at once! Bring out your full strength to fight me, or else you will definitely fail to snatch the formation discs and suffer absolute defeat!”
…
Between Jing Ran and his avatar, consciousness was interconnected.
Seeing that the psychological attack had failed, the avatar was indeed considering whether to return to the main body.
Amid his deliberation, he looked up toward the sky above Jinling.
What was going on? Had Bai Xingxian’s power become this formidable?
Merely gathering strength was enough to stir the breath of heaven and earth?
…
“Brother Bai?”
Lu Xiqiao cast a glance at Bai Xingxian, who was condensing his Inspiration into a massive axe, then looked up at the sudden change in the wind and clouds in the sky.
This wasn’t right; usually, thunder and lightning would only be summoned after he swung his sword.
“You didn’t swallow a Myriad Tribulations Pill, did you?”
That was a type of medicinal pill capable of rapidly boosting one’s cultivation level in a short time, but it damaged one’s foundation, leaving one unable to make any further progress in cultivation forever after.
“What?” Bai Xingxian was in the middle of gathering his strength—and struggling with it at that—unable to grasp his meaning.
Distracted, he raised his head, and his eyes widened in shock.
The clouds in the sky were forming a vortex. The swirling vortex continued to expand, rotating faster and faster while covering an increasingly vast area.
Gradually, pedestrians in Jinling stopped in their tracks to watch in astonishment.
Word spread quickly, and residents indoors poured out onto the streets one after another.
In no time, the main avenues and narrow alleys of Jinling City were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with crowds.
“That wasn’t caused by me,” Bai Xingxian said.
“No need to explain,” Lu Xiqiao took a deep breath.
Just as everyone was filled with confusion, a terrifying explosion roared out. The surging cloud layers were blown apart, and the ground trembled violently.
People often spoke of “heaven collapsing and earth splitting.”
Earth splits were hardly rare, but heaven collapsing was usually just an exaggerated description.
Yet the scene before them at this moment truly resembled the sky collapsing.
A moment later, a beam of rainbow light descended from the heavens at an unimaginable speed.
Its target was none other than Jinling City!
Not long ago, Jinling had suffered under the devastation of the Lesser Jianmu tree roots. Reconstruction had only just begun, and the people were still in a state of panic, causing screams to erupt in waves across the city.
The City Lord’s reaction was lightning-fast; the moment the rainbow light burst forth, the city-sealing barrier was instantly activated.
“That is…”
“It’s an arrow!”
That arrow had created a massive commotion above the clouds, yet as it drew closer to the ground, it grew increasingly inconspicuous.
A loud roar with little impact—with a soft pop, it pierced through the city-sealing barrier and promptly vanished.
The crowd: “?”
“Where did it land?”
“Hurry, look for it!”
Seeing that nothing bad had happened, the citizens put away their terror and grew excited, beginning their search in the spirit of a treasure hunt.
Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao were close by and saw it with utmost clarity—that “arrow from beyond the heavens” had landed inside the residence.
The barrier Jing Ran had set up was as thin as paper, and the arrow pierced right through it without the slightest effort.
Taking advantage of the fluctuation in the barrier, the two of them slipped inside as well.
Xiang Heng was completely unaware of the situation outside.
Freezing the fish-bone spike and resisting the barrier had already consumed every ounce of his mental strength.
Though utterly exhausted, he could still hold out for a little longer.
Even he himself hadn’t known that he possessed such potential.
Or perhaps he truly could not make a choice and didn’t want to make a choice, leaving him to endure solely on instinct.
Amidst a loud buzzing in his ears, Xiang Heng thought he heard a faint trace of noise.
Thinking it was Jing Ran launching a hard assault, he was forced to split his divine sense—only to see a beam of arrow light poke straight toward the center of his forehead!
He didn’t even have time to offer any resistance before he was struck dead-center by the sharp arrow!
Like a fierce sun tearing through dark clouds, brilliant light erupted from his body in an instant.
Though in agony, he could feel a surging power filling all his limbs and bones.
With a grab of his five fingers and a pull upward, he drew the fish-bone spike straight out from Xiang Tianqing’s meridians!
…
The turn of events had come too fast; whether it was the avatar or the main body, Jing Ran hadn’t reacted in time.
Seeing this scene through the light sphere, Xiang Haikui was stunned as well.
Jing Ran didn’t know what it was, but she had guessed it.
It was precisely the “Heaven-Slaying Divine Artifact” Jing Ran had always wanted to obtain—the Heavenly Martial Divine Arrow.
No—it was the power of the divine arrow.
Yin Changli had found it inside the Nightmare Prison?
The natal companion spirit was the arrow thief?
Xiang Haikui’s head buzzed as well. Didn’t he say that once the power of the divine arrow left the body and her father took a new physical body, he had become an ordinary person, and even if the arrow’s power was retrieved, it would have nothing to do with her father anymore?
Why did it look like her father had absorbed this power…?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, she froze.
The pupil of the flood dragon’s two round, shiny eyes slitted like a cat’s.
She saw the shadowy silhouette of a black snake slither out from her father’s spiritual platform, land on the ground, and transform into a human form…
…
“Uncle!”
The moment Bai Xingxian entered, he witnessed this scene and was filled with wild joy.
He wanted to go over to his side but was blocked by a protective barrier.
After landing, Yin Changli still clutched an arrow in his palm.
Jing Ran’s pupils contracted sharply.
“You…”
It appeared to be merely a wisp of divine sense, flying over hidden within this arrow.
Shifting his gaze down toward the arrow, it was a treasure whose material could not be seen through.
“My apologies.”
Yin Changli ignored him, turning his head first to look at Xiang Heng.
Fearing Xiang Heng might be injured by the arrow’s power, he explained via voice transmission: “I was trapped deep within a secret realm and couldn’t break free in time. Out of necessity, I used you as a target and hitched a ride on a shortcut arrow.”
He had weakened more than half of the arrow’s power while covering the arrowhead with his divine sense, minimizing the impact of the divine arrow on Xiang Heng as much as possible.
Blowing a breath, the arrow in his palm turned into speckles of fluorescent light and scattered away.
All the painstaking effort he and Shuluoye had spent over the years went down the drain.
At least it had served a purpose in the end—not a complete loss.
“I’m fine.”
Drained and powerless, Xiang Heng stumbled slightly.
He first checked the physical condition of Xiang Tianqing, who had fallen unconscious, before cupping his fists and saying, “Senior arrived just in the nick of time.”
It truly was in the nick of time.
He finally didn’t have to make a choice.
He briefly explained the cause and effect in concise words.
Upon hearing this, Yin Changli instantly guessed Jing Ran’s intentions.
His first reaction was to look up at the midair—he knew a certain spot must hold a “Celestial Eye.”
“Little Kui, there’s no need to consider anything else anymore. Fight with everything you’ve got.”
Without a single word of nonsense, he spoke rapidly before Jing Ran could retract the Celestial Eye, “Once I destroy his avatar, I will come pick you up immediately.”
Jing Ran indeed retracted the Celestial Eye; the five words “come pick you up immediately” failed to transmit through.
In his avatar state, he had remained calm and composed all along; even after Yin Changli appeared, he had merely tightened his nerves slightly.
It was only when Yin Changli finished saying these words to Xiang Haikui that the fire in his heart was completely ignited.
Pick her up?
On what grounds was he going to pick her up?!
“You are a mere wisp of divine sense. Wanting to slay this Emperor’s avatar—where do you get such confidence?!”
Although his avatar possessed little cultivation power, it was still stronger than a wisp of divine sense.
A wisp of divine sense was extremely fragile.
Jing Ran swept his gaze across the courtyard.
Xiang Heng was overly exhausted, beyond any hope of fighting.
“Relying on those two little brats?”
“Hey, who are you calling little?” Lu Xiqiao rolled up his sleeves.
“Want to whip it out and compare?”
Jing Ran cast a disgusted glance at him.
Bai Xingxian’s expression betrayed his confusion, but the atmosphere was hardly suitable for asking questions.
Yin Changli chuckled softly.
“Is the Emperor getting old, his eyesight failing him? From where can you tell that I am merely a wisp of divine sense?”
If he had only split off a fragile wisp of divine sense, why would he frantically waste a divine arrow just to run out here—what could he possibly accomplish with that?
…
Xiang Haikui watched as the light sphere vanished.
He was able to split off a wisp of divine sense just like Senior Zhuque; it appeared he was largely fine, or at least in no danger of losing his life.
“That wasn’t a wisp of divine sense,” Zhuque said.
“Hmm?”
Zhuque: “That was a demon core.”
“A demon core?” Xiang Haikui was stunned for a moment, then blurted out loudly, “A demon core?!”
She was still a long way off from the Tribulation Stage and had no clear idea what avatars or wisps of divine sense were truly about.
However, she understood what a demon core was—it was the springhead of a demon cultivator’s magic power.
Extremely nourishing, it could be eaten and could also be used to refine pills.
The issue was, she had never heard of anyone’s demon core leaving the body on its own to go fight someone.
“Is that even possible?”
“Of course it is,” Zhuque said calmly.
“After all, it is the source of power—immeasurably more formidable than an avatar or a wisp of divine sense. It’s just that it is far too fragile; once damaged…”
The consequences were easily imagined.
“What in the world!”
Xiang Haikui’s mind surged with turbulent waves, filled with anger and frustration.
“Do I need him to settle my ‘worries from behind’ for me? Who is he looking down on?!”
“Calm down,” Zhuque advised.
“You’re carrying my clan’s formation discs on your back; it’s only right that he ensures your safety at this moment. I’ve read countless men in my time, so take a piece of advice from Aunt Zhu: never think too highly of men. They’re nothing more than a bunch of self-dramatizing fools. They are the most profit-driven, shameless scoundrels in this world.”
“I’m angry—where is there any touching romance in this?” Smoke and fire began to snort from the flood dragon’s nostrils.
Zhuque didn’t argue with her: “Rest assured, he is shrewd as can be; he won’t suffer a loss.”
Xiang Haikui’s heart settled slightly.
Zhuque continued: “Look at his weakened state after the inner core manifested a physical form; his true body must have suffered severe damage, bringing the inner core to the brink of shattering. At any rate, even after patching it together, the inner core won’t be much use anyway, so he might as well smash it and re-cultivate. Before smashing it, he lets it leave the body for a little outing—slaying an Emperor’s avatar and putting in effort to snatch the formation discs—the better to trick a young girl’s heart. Tsk tsk, Little Changli is making a huge profit on this deal…”
Xiang Haikui nearly choked on her breath, almost falling from the high sky.
Every time she thought she was thick-skinned and carefree, the Shanhai powerhouses could always give her a sharp wake-up call.
When it came to being nonchalantly thick-skinned, they were the true professionals.
Shaking her flood dragon head, Xiang Haikui forced herself to stop overthinking.
Although Jing Ran had promised not to deal with her father, who knew if he had other tricks up his sleeve?
Now that the Boss, Little Bai, and Lu Xiqiao were all gathered together, it was as if she had taken a concentrated reassurance pill.
There truly were no more worries from behind; she could fight with everything she had.
Then, was there any better opportunity than this exact moment?
Her objective was to make off smoothly with the formation discs, not to engage in a duel to the death with Jing Ran.
The Boss’s appearance had drawn away a large portion of Jing Ran’s attention.
Controlling two bodies simultaneously, his focus was mostly concentrated on his avatar right now.
His main body hovered motionlessly in the air, looking like a mannequin.
“Aunt Zhu, divine ability!”
“Here it comes.”
…
Jing Ran’s attention was largely occupied by Yin Changli.
A shock hit his heart—it was a demon core!
“Uncle…” Bai Xingxian was filled with apprehension, but didn’t dare show it.
Jing Ran sneered.
“Yin Changli, this Emperor guessed correctly—you truly ran into disaster, forced to the point of driving out your inner core.”
“The wheel of fortune turns; the next one to meet with disaster will be You, Your Majesty.”
Yin Changli shattered the protective barrier overhead with a single palm strike, shooting a subtle look at Bai Xingxian.
Understanding his intent, Bai Xingxian shot a look at Lu Xiqiao as well.
The two walked up behind Yin Changli, simultaneously shielding Xiang Heng—who was sitting cross-legged adjusting his breath—behind them.
A demon core manifesting a physical form… Standing behind Jing Ran, the Meng Patriarch felt that his avatar was completely done for.
There was no escape now; Yin Changli would surely do his utmost to strike at the Emperor’s main body through the avatar, lightening the pressure on Xiang Haikui.
“So what?” Far from caring, Jing Ran relaxed slightly instead.
Even if Xiang Haikui smashed all the formation discs to pieces, the consequences wouldn’t be too severe anymore.
A mocking sneer curled on his lips.
“Is this Emperor afraid of Qi Yin? Is this Emperor afraid of that bunch of brainless fools from your Shanhai Clan?”
That group of fools had been subdued by him even at their peak—let alone after being imprisoned for years.
What Jing Ran truly feared was the divine artifact.
What he feared were the Shanhai prisoners after being deployed and commanded by Yin Changli.
Judging from the current situation, there was a high probability that the divine artifact was ruined.
And Yin Changli was also…
Bai Xingxian asked with concern,”Does my uncle losing his inner core have any effect on his brain?”
Jing Ran was caught off guard, left completely speechlessly stunned by the question.
