Pat paced around the office anxiously with the printed report in his hands.

He didn’t know how much time Tang De could buy for him, or whether it would be enough for him to go to Lan Ze and discuss whether to tamper with the data.

Just as he was about to exit the office, he was taken by surprise as Oser stepped in toward him. He backed away, and the report scattered all over the floor.

“Y-your Highness Oser, good morning, ah. You came so quickly, haha…..” Pat laughed dryly.

His gaze drifted toward Tang De not far behind Oser, and the man sent him a helpless gesture.

Oser’s gaze dropped toward the floor, and Pat bent down to clean up: “I was just about to report to you that the medical college’s equipment seems to be broken. There’s something wrong with the test data. Don’t bother looking at all this, it’s just scrap paper.”

The toe of a shiny shoe stepped on the scattered papers, and Pat’s outstretched hand froze mid-air.

Oser turned his head slightly, giving Tang De a clear signal, and then took a step back.

The report was quickly picked up and sorted out, and Tang De handed it to Oser.

The first half was an analysis of the composition of Ling Yi’s pheromones, filled with chemical formulas and professional terminology. Oser glanced at it and tossed it aside.

The second half matched Ling Yi’s pheromones to the other unpaired Alphas in the medical college’s records. Generally, a matching rate of over 60% was considered qualified, 70% was a recommended match, 80% was an excellent match, and 90% was commonly known as ‘the chosen one.’

In first place, of course, was Fengdi Oser himself, who topped the list with a 100% matching rate, surpassing Group A.

He was followed closely by his half-brother Fengdi Disi, with a matching rate of 99.65%.

But anyone who had a blood relationship with Oser, even if they were from a marginal royal family, all had an astonishing matching rate with Ling Yi. Even his uncle Lu Dawa, whom Ling Yi had killed himself, had a glaring 91.20% after his name.

Oser knew most of the people at the top, but those farther down were more and more unfamiliar. After turning over an entire page of Chosen Ones, there were actually four pages of excellent pairings.

But Oser knew that only a tiny fraction of the empire’s population could leave physical records at the Royal Medical College. Most were members of the royal family or patients with rare diseases worthy of research.

There were occasional exceptions, such as one name Oser spotted amongst the group of nobles: Xi Lei, at 87.77%. He had undergone biological sampling due to his injuries, and was also included in the statistics.

Tang De stood slightly behind Oser, doing his best to suppress his curiosity and not lean in for a look. Gradually, his eyes seemed to become glued to it, and his expression grew increasingly astonished.

The most nervous person in the room was Pat: “Ling Yi’s new pheromones turned out exactly as expected. Whether in the surgical simulations or the actual operation, there were no errors at all…..Junior Lan Ze can also vouch for this!”

After each sentence, he would steal a glance at Oser’s reaction.

“As for why the results are like this……don’t even mention analyzing the cause, I’ve never seen this before in all my years in medicine. It seems that not only does he match your pheromones, he reacts chemically with all Alpha pheromones.”

Oser: “You mean, he’s the only one who matches me, and I’m only one percent of who he matches with?”

Pat: “Strictly speaking, it’s 0.00000…..1%”

Oser smiled.

Pat’s heart sank when he saw this smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The Crown Prince Oser he was familiar with had returned.

“You really didn’t let me down by handing me such a ‘high scoring’ paper. Neither the position of Vice President nor the Royal Medical Award do you justice. You should be promoted to President — no, only President of the Medical Association is worthy of you.”

“Y-y-y-y-your Highness, listen to my excuses…..no, listen to my explanation!”

Pat’s talking speed was proportional to his desire to survive: “A single Alpha mark lasts for thirty days before fading, and an Omega needs three months to entirely metabolize the Alpha pheromones. In essence, you only need to mark Ling Yi once per month to ensure that he always has your mark on him!”

“There are a lot of people on this list, but few of them have the ability or courage to cover your mark. As long as you keep marking him, what’s the difference between Ling Yi and an Omega exclusive to you?”

Oser tilted his head: “Is that so?”

Tang De asked himself the same thing as Pat nodded like a woodpecker, and the answer he came up with was ‘yes.’ 

Pat’s words were just common sense, but common sense was just cold knowledge to Oser.

“Doctor Pat, please take a look at today’s physical examination report—” Luo Li pushed open the door and walked inside. “So many people, ah.”

Oser: “How is Ling Yi?”

“There are no serious problems, but his body temperature is rising instead of lowering. Why can’t he get rid of his heat fever?” Luo Li asked himself.

“What happens if it doesn’t go down?” Oser asked.

“Um, he’ll be in a constant state of agitation and tend to stick to his Alpha. The chances of pregnancy will greatly increase, and…..”

Pat wanted to shut his mouth. Why did this Luo Li always say the things His Highness wanted to hear?

He took over the topic: “It’s also easy for him to overdraw his physical strength and become mentally exhausted, which is not conducive to recuperation. These are all disadvantages of a long-term heat period.”

“And?”

“You haven’t been trained to control your pheromones, and if you continue remaining close to him, he’ll likely stay like this. You and he are 100% compatible. Any mood fluctuations on your part will affect his hormone levels, so Your Highness would do well to rein in your emotions. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Oser: “Nope.”

Pat: “…….”

. . . . . 

Ling Yi watched Oser’s guards come in and out, replacing all of the furniture and furnishings.

“Is this necessary?” Seeing the grandeur of the ward after the renovation, Ling Yi felt very much like a nouveau riche who didn’t know how to spend his money.

Tang De was hanging up Oser’s clothing one by one in the closet: “His Highness was worried that you might find this place too simple and crude, and wants you to live more comfortably. These are all clothes His Highness has worn – he said you can wear them if you want.”

Ling Yi rolled his eyes behind Tang De’s back.

“His Highness is truly wasting talent, making the captain of the guard handle such trivial matters.”

Tang De closed the closet door and turned around: “That’s not true. When it comes to you, nothing is trivial. If you need anything, you can tell me directly.”

“Then…..I want to go see my adoptive father.”

“Okay, no problem.” Tang De easily acquiesced. “I’ll take you there.”

When Xi Lei saw Ling Yi coming, he got a bad feeling.

“What are you doing here?”

“I haven’t seen Uncle Xi En in ages. I came to see how he’s doing.”

He turned his back to Tang De and gave Xi Lei a signal.

When Xi Lei understood, his face darkened and he moved closer reluctantly, standing side by side with him outside the intensive care unit as they visited Xi En through the glass.

“Dad is fine. You don’t need to worry about him.”

Ling Yi crossed his arms and felt a pill being pressed into his palm.

“What’s it to you if I’m worried?”

He then lowered his voice and said: “Three of them.”

Xi Lei’s expression reflected in the glass grew even worse: “You must understand that he’s my father, not yours. If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be like this.”

Then, in the same low voice, he said: “One pill at a time!”

“Do you think I wanted Uncle Xi En to end up like this? If you have the guts, go find the culprit and settle the score. Why get angry at me?”

He turned his face slightly: “Three.”

Xi Lei practically gnashed his teeth as he said: “Don’t worry, I’ll settle this account sooner or later!”

“One pill!”

Tang De couldn’t help but laugh, feeling helpless.

“All right, stop arguing. The relationship between you two brothers is truly unfathomable.”

“Who’s his brother?” Ling Yi turned his head away in disdain and quickly swallowed the medicine while Tang De wasn’t looking.

“Exactly!” Xi Lei also turned his head away angrily.

Having solved his urgent problem, and hearing that Oser had to “follow the doctor’s orders” and keep his distance from him, Ling Yi’s happiness doubled.

When he returned to the ward, he saw guards coming out of the next room.

He sent Tang De an inquisitive look.

“Oh, I asked them to renovate the ward next door as well, so that His Highness can work and rest nearby. And he can get to you quickly if any special circumstances pop up.”

Ling Yi was speechless: “So this so-called “keeping his distance” means keeping a distance of one wall between us?”

Tang De smiled and answered: “This is the furthest distance His Highness is willing to maintain.”

As the two were conversing, a guard with a very familiar face turned around.

Although Ling Yi had only met You Lin once, his experience of being persecuted by Lu Hulun to the extent that his entire family was destroyed caused Ling Yi to feel some sympathy toward him.

But the way he was looking at Ling Yi right now was the complete opposite.

“Omega pheromones, as expected…..is this the reason you stayed?” he said in a questioning tone.

These words weren’t very pleasant to the ear. Tang De was about to warn him to be polite, but Ling Yi admitted without hesitation: “That’s right. Everyone has their own methods of survival.”

“Your method of survival is to persuade His Highness to exercise his power of pardon for you and give up the throne?”

“What else could I do? Become a hunted criminal and live in hiding for the rest of my life?”

Tang De noticed that the atmosphere wasn’t right and immediately flashed between them, blocking their view of each other.

“Don’t forget that you were smuggled back into the country and His Highness arranged for you to pretend to be a guard. How about you keep a low profile?” he whispered.

You Lin glanced across Tang De to give Ling Yi a deep look, then turned and left without another word.

Tang De comforted Ling Yi: “Don’t worry, his experience is rather unique, and he’s inevitably a little radical sometimes.”

“I understand. His Highness Oser told me that I was almost his successor.”

“You won’t be,” Tang De blurted out. “His Highness was still young when the You family was in trouble. His Highness has regretted for many years that he was unable to save his family. But His Highness has accumulated sufficient experience now, and possesses the ability to stand up to the Prime Minister. He will never allow the tragedy that befell You Lin to happen to you.”

Ling Yi seemed to have discovered a new world: “Can I understand this to mean that whether or not I asked him for help, he wouldn’t have let them die? Not only would I not die, but my entire family would have been able to escape Lu Hulun’s pursuit safely?”

Tang De was terrified: “I never said that!”

“So making myself an Omega was completely unnecessary?”

“…..Please don’t tell His Highness I said that. Please!”

Ling Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “What can I do? Even if I don’t say anything when I’m awake, I can’t control what I say in my sleep. It would be fine if there was no one beside me, but if there is someone…..”

Tang De forced a smile and said: “Is there anything you want to do, or anything you need? As long as I can help, I’ll do my best.”

“Let me think about it.” Ling Yi pretended to ponder for a moment: “The ward is so boring, ah. If there was something to distract my attention, I wouldn’t be thinking about it all the time. Unfortunately, all of my belongings, including my cell phone, were confiscated when I was arrested.”

“No problem,” Tang De assured, patting his chest. “I’ll take care of it.”

Tang De invited Ling Yi into the room with great trepidation, and slapped his head in regret. He really had figured out a lot of things.

“Now I know how His Highness Oser fell into this trap.”

. . . . . . .

That night, Ling Yi finally had the peace and quiet he had been yearning for, but he tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep.

The new bed must be too soft. After sleeping in a military academy dormitory and then a dungeon, his body couldn’t adapt to this level of indulgence.

He climbed out of bed in a daze, instinctively walked to the closet, and sucked in a deep breath.

A faint, pleasant pheromone scent met his nose, and his irritable mood immediately calmed.

After enjoying the afterglow of the moment and realizing what he had done, Ling Yi quickly closed the closet door.

“Are you crazy?” he asked himself. During the day, he had been genuinely disgusted with Oser leaving his clothes here.

But after standing there for a few seconds, he opened the door again and grabbed something at random.

“Fuck it, whatever.”

Ling Yi prided himself on adaptability being one of his strengths, and would never wrong himself if the opportunity permitted.

It didn’t even matter that he had made himself an Omega. Only an idiot would regret something that had already happened.

There was a faint sound at the door, and Ling Yi immediately snapped to alertness from his semi-conscious state. He found a set of medical scissors and hid behind the door.

The uninvited guest pushed open the door and walked in, finding the huge bed empty.

Just as he was feeling confused, something sharp pressed against his back.

“Who are you?”

You Lin slowly turned around and came face to face with Ling Yi.

“So it’s you.” Ling Yi glanced at the travel bag in his hand. “Are you here to assassinate me too?”

You Lin’s grip loosened, and the travel bag fell to the floor.

“Put on my uniform and pretend to be a guard. No one will stop you. The bag contains your ID, plane tickets, and various notes I’ve made. It will be enough for you to survive abroad.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to leave here. Now.”

---

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Chapter 19 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 21

Chapter 35 – Leverage

If Administrator Zhang knew something, it could be said that the entire sect knew it. He was Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ultimate gossip-monger.

This time, the news he received from Fang Yang was told to others less than an eighth of a shichen after he said goodbye to him.

One person told ten people, and ten people told a hundred. Gossip always spreads faster than any urgent military intelligence.

But this time there weren’t as many lively onlookers or discussions, because everyone had more important things to focus on.

The day before had been the competition for the Qi Refining disciples. One hundred spots had been confirmed, but there were still ten places for Foundation Establishment disciples that had yet to be assigned. These ten places would be decided through today’s Foundation Establishment competition.

This competition was held in the same arena, and the onlookers were no fewer than the previous day. Most of those watching yesterday had been Qi Refining disciples, because the inner sect Foundation Establishment disciples were somewhat disdainful of it and declined to attend.

But today, regardless of cultivation level, everyone who was free formed a dense crowd around the arena.

A simple martial arts competition shouldn’t have been such a big deal. The culprit for this crowded scene was the sect leader’s renowned second disciple – Cao Zirui.

Since the day Cao Zirui entered the sect, he had been wreathed in a nearly blinding halo. He had a one-in-a-million top-grade single spiritual root, and it was a miracle that he could reach Foundation Establishment within a year.

He was only 1.7 meters tall, but people looked at him as if he was standing atop a platform, gazing up at this legendary genius. 

However, although he was a genius, nobody knew his true strength.

As the sect leader’s direct disciple, he never practiced swordplay or cultivated with the other disciples. And he was a solitary person by nature. It was difficult for him to warm up to people when approached, much less when he was kept apart in such a way.

Apart from his master and Elder Zhou, he basically didn’t have any friends he could talk to in Lingxiao Sword Sect, and nobody had seen him in action. 

But the more this was the case, the more curious everyone else became. They were curious as to whether this genius was really as they imagined, a natural-born prodigy who left everyone in the dust, so far ahead that they couldn’t even see his back.

Today was a good opportunity. Cao Zirui would be participating in this competition, so everyone could take this chance to observe and learn.

The competition started on time at chenshi, and Sect Leader Ji took his seat on the viewing platform slightly before it began. As for Elder Zhou, who was supposed to have come with him, he was unable to watch the competition due to some urgent matters that had come up.

The Foundation Establishment tournament was different from the Qi Refining one – the mere fact that these disciples had reached Foundation Establishment was already a demonstration of their strength and talent.

Compared to the large amount of people at Qi Refining stage, which was a mixed bag of talent, Sect Leader Ji attached more importance to today’s competition. After all, his treasured young disciple would also be participating – in the first round, even – so he couldn’t be late.

As for his not-so-treasured eldest disciple, Xue Ren had learned his lesson the previous day and forwent diligently serving tea and water. Instead, he stood quietly beside Sect Leader Ji and awaited instructions.

However, this did not win him praise. Compared to the endless praise he gave Cao Zirui, when it came to Xue Ren, the sect leader treated praise like gold and rarely handed it out.

At the referee’s command, the competition officially began. 

Standing in the ring, Cao Zirui attracted the attention of the entire audience. With him present, all of the other contestants were mere supporting roles.

The mood of Cao Zirui’s opponent was the same as that of the junior disciple named Zhou Liang, who had been matched against Fang Yang the day before. There were no other words in his mind besides “bad luck,” and he was entirely lacking in fighting spirit.

Ten moves. He didn’t even last ten moves against Cao Zirui. His sword was sent flying, and he met defeat.

Everyone: “…..”

Was that all?

The audience, which had been eagerly awaiting an incredible fight, were surprisingly unanimous in opinion. There were no dazzling magic spells or impressive sword moves, and Cao Zirui had defeated his opponent without using any spiritual power.

This was different from what was agreed, ah! The show was no good, they wanted a refund!

Even though they hadn’t bought tickets, and wouldn’t get a refund even if they had.

They were all unresigned, and waited to watch the next match. The next opponent was better, and lasted for twenty moves, but his sword was also knocked away by Cao Zirui.

The crisp sound of the sword hitting the ground echoed in everyone’s hearts.

No, was it that easy to win?

They hadn’t even seen what happened, ah!

But Cao Zirui, the star of the show, couldn’t hear their heartfelt wishes at all. And even if he did, he wouldn’t care. He continued to do things his own way and maintained his efficient attack style all the way to the finals.

The final opponent was a powerful fellow disciple in the late Foundation Establishment stage, named Wu Kai. Cao Zirui had only been cultivating for a year, and although he was also at Foundation Establishment, he was in the initial stages at best.

His opponent was two levels higher than him, a situation that was extremely unfavorable for Cao Zirui.

There was no sign of worry on Cao Zirui’s face, which surprised nobody. They would be surprised if there was any expression at all on that icy face.

This time, Cao Zirui seemed to be facing a tough fight. He fought his opponent for a hundred rounds without either of them winning.

This fellow disciple named Wu Kai, who was in the late stage of Foundation Building, didn’t hold back in the least. He possessed spiritual roots of gold, fire and earth. When he drew his sword, he infused it with gold spiritual power, making the blade much sharper than an ordinary iron sword.

The instant the blade flashed out, the strong gust it created brought with it a wave of scorching heat that distorted the air. 

However, this heat wave turned into a plume of white mist when it met Cao Zirui’s sword.

Cao Zirui had a single water spiritual root. Water and fire were incompatible, and it had always been the case that the stronger one would subdue the other. Moreover, the spiritual power of a person with three spiritual roots was far inferior to that of Cao Zirui’s one spiritual root.

Wu Kai’s one advantage was that his cultivation was higher, which allowed him to maintain the current balance without showing signs of defeat for the time being.

But this was only temporary. He knew that if he continued to drag it out like this, he would lose.

Cao Zirui had been taught by Sect Leader Ji himself, and his sword skills were so advanced that he was far ahead of his fellow disciples who had to learn everything on their own.

Since the first match, Cao Zirui had never actually used his full strength. Nobody knew what was on his mind, but he didn’t use spiritual power if he could avoid it, and didn’t use any spells.

If not for this, the competition would have already ended.

Although it was unknown if Cao Zirui was doing this out of underestimation for his opponent or for other purposes, Wu Kai was holding back his anger. Was this high and mighty disciple of Sect Leader Ji really that good? Were ordinary disciples like them destined to be trampled under Cao Zirui’s feet for the rest of their lives?

He had to win at least once!

With his sword in his right hand, he made hand gestures with his left hand hidden in his sleeve.

He had used both of his gold and fire attributes, but had not used his earth-based spiritual power thus far. 

This was the moment he had been waiting for!

A section of the stone ring suddenly turned into a soft, muddy swamp directly where Cao Zirui was about to step. He didn’t seem to notice.

As long as Cao Zirui steps into the quagmire, I can take advantage of this opportunity to win! Wu Kai thought excitedly.

However, when Cao Zirui stepped into the quagmire as expected, he showed no signs of sinking or tripping.

Only then did Wu Kai discover that a thin layer of ice had formed over the ground, and that Cao Zirui had not stepped into the swamp created by his magic spell, but onto the ice.

“Seven.” Wu Kai was so shocked that he didn’t even have time to react when Cao Zirui spoke a number.

He swung his sword horizontally, forcing Wu Kai to take a large step back.

“Six.” The second slash came a moment later, faster and more powerful than the previous one. Wu Kai hurriedly raised his sword and was barely able to parry it.

“Five.”

“Four.”

Each of Cao Zirui’s attacks was faster and more powerful than the previous one.

He was imitating the Seven Strike Takedown Feng Ye had displayed yesterday, which had ultimately sealed his victory.

It was a pity that when Cao Zirui got to “three,” Wu Kai’s wrist was numbed by the powerful, unrelenting force, and the hilt of his sword slipped out of his hand.

The winner was decided. Cao Zirui sheathed his sword and put his hands behind his back.

It came as no surprise that he was the champion. Sect Leader Ji on the viewing stand was filled with joy, but Cao Zirui’s face showed none.

Instead, he was frowning slightly.

It didn’t work, he thought to himself. In fact, when he got to “three,” even if Wu Kai’s sword hadn’t fallen out of his hand, Cao Zirui wouldn’t have been able to perform the last two strikes.

The key to these seven strikes was that each one must be stronger and faster than the previous strike, so as not to give the opponent time to accumulate strength and counterattack.

But there was always a limit to human strength and speed. Distributing the power and speed of each strike sounded easy, but was actually difficult to implement.

Too light, and it would be unable to stop the opponent. Too heavy, and it would be like when Cao Zirui reached the number “three” and couldn’t go on.

In the battle yesterday, Feng Ye hadn’t used any fancy or flowery sword techniques. He simply regulated each of his sword strikes with an almost terrifying level of control.

Cao Zirui stood in awe of such control. And today, he attempted to accomplish it himself. However, although he tried to hit the same spot with every strike, he was unable to succeed more than thrice. The opponent’s sudden changes in sword trajectory disrupted his precision.

He had tried to use the Seven Strike Takedown, but failed.

Perhaps, leaving aside my cultivation and spiritual root, I’m far inferior to that junior disciple at the third level of Qi Refining, Cao Zirui thought absentmindedly.

“Zirui, well done!” Sect Leader Ji’s smiling voice finally brought back Cao Zirui’s wandering soul.

Only then did he return to his senses. He walked from the ring to the viewing platform, stood in front of his master, and saluted.

Sect Leader Ji looked upon Cao Zirui with satisfaction and gratification, thinking that his young disciple was perfect in every way. He had great talent, cultivated diligently, and was neither arrogant or impatient. His only drawback was his expressionless face, but such a minor flaw could be ignored.

It likely wouldn’t take many years for Cao Zirui to reach Nascent Soul, and then Sect Leader Ji could step down from the burden of his position and hand Lingxiao Sword Sect over to him.

Just like when Shifu handed Lingxiao Sword Sect to Shixiong…..

Ling Yun had failed at the responsibility their master had entrusted him with. He committed a heinous crime, angered the gods, and caused Lingxiao Sword Sect to suffer heavy losses. A large number of elite disciples had died in that nightmare.

And before they could recover from that fire that burned the world, they also faced accusations of shirking their responsibility by other sects.

Under such pressure, as one of the only remaining Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect, Ji Chengyue was forced to succeed the position of sect leader, where he served for one hundred years.

But he knew that his abilities were limited. Although he was at Nascent Soul stage, among Nascent Soul cultivators, his strength was at most average.

Therefore, under his leadership, Lingxiao Sword Sect hadn’t shown any signs of rising. He gave it his all, but could just barely manage to keep the sect from falling completely out of the top ten sects in the world.

He could never truly become a powerhouse that shocked the world like his shixiong, nor could he lead Lingxiao Sword Sect to its true pinnacle.

He could only hope that the next generation would be able to accomplish what he couldn’t. He placed that hope on Cao Zirui.

With these thoughts in mind, he couldn’t help but say aloud: “Zirui, ah, one year ago, you were still a boy who couldn’t use a sword. But in the blink of an eye, you’re an independent swordsman. It probably won’t take long before the thousand steps and one hundred checkpoints pose no problem at all for you.”

Half-joking, he expressed his great expectations for Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui’s reaction was mild. He completely missed the point of the last sentence, which basically pointed out that he would be the next sect leader.

But Xue Ren was different. He had always been intelligent, and would think deeply on words that had no special meaning, let alone such obvious hints.

His master was biased to such an extent?! Even the sect leader position was to be given to him?!

Why?!

Why Cao Zirui?!

Xue Ren’s jealousy at this moment was like the rising tide of a river. Unable to hold it back any longer, it burst free.

He looked at Cao Zirui with a dark expression, nearly overwhelmed by the resentment he had accumulated over these days. He almost wanted to step forward and loudly question his master’s injustice.

He was obviously a direct disciple of their master too. Why was the sect leader so harsh to him, not even sparing him a kind look?

And as for Cao Zirui, their master gave him nearly everything he could, including praise and the Lingxiao swordsmanship, and now he was even going to give him the sect leader position!

Xue Ren clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His remaining sanity prevented him from taking action.

Going on like this wouldn’t get him what he wanted…..no! What he deserved!

What Lingxiao swordsmanship? It was the position of sect leader that should be his!

It’s Cao Zirui who showed up at the last moment and snatched it from me! Xue Ren thought with gritted teeth.

He did his utmost to remain calm and not reveal any abnormalities in front of his master. But his uncontrollable anger still revealed itself somewhat in his gloomy eyes.

Fortunately, the entirety of Sect Leader Ji’s attention was on Cao Zirui, so he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

The competition was over at last, and Sect Leader Ji announced the winner. After he said a few more words to encourage the other disciples to follow Cao Zirui’s example, everyone dispersed.

“Zirui, come with me to Cloud-Step Hall. There is still room for improvement in some of your moves today,” said Sect Leader Ji.

“Yes,” Cao Zirui replied with a bow.

“Shifu, I’ll leave first.” Xue Ren suddenly said farewell.

As if he had just remembered something, the sect leader turned around to glance at his eldest disciple, whom he had completely forgotten about. He gave Xue Ren a nod.

Then, without looking back, he left with Cao Zirui.

Xue Ren bowed toward their receding backs. Once the two of them were far enough away, he abruptly shook his sleeves as if to vent his anger, shattering the stone bricks within a three-foot radius.

This still failed to slake his hatred. As long as Cao Zirui appeared before him, the fury in his heart would not subside.

He had no affection for his fellow junior disciple. Cao Zirui had only joined the year before, and he had already reached Foundation Establishment stage. Xue Ren had been away from the sect for most of the year, so it could be said that he’d only met Cao Zirui a few times.

His fellow junior disciple was a natural-born iceberg. He couldn’t string many sentences together, and had never shown any respect to his shixiong. It would be strange if Xue Ren did have any feelings toward him.

No, it couldn’t be said that he had no feelings. 

After all, hatred was an emotion. His hatred for Cao Zirui was as deep as the sea. He wished he could cut him to pieces and make Cao Zirui return everything he had taken from him.

It was just that…..

He couldn’t do anything to Cao Zirui himself.

No matter how talented Cao Zirui was, he had only just reached Foundation Establishment. Compared to Xue Ren, who was already in the middle stage of Golden Core, he could be crushed to death with the flick of a finger.

However, if he left any traces behind after doing the deed, and his master found out…..

The results would not be what he wanted.

His master practically cradled Cao Zirui in his heart. If anything happened to his precious little disciple, he would definitely get to the bottom of it.

Therefore, he must never lift a hand himself.

But who could he turn to?

This matter must never be spread outside, and if something happened, that person must never implicate Xue Ren.

Unlike the unpopular Cao Zirui, Xue Ren had a very good reputation in the sect, and there were quite a few people who could be considered his friends.

But these friends were of no help at the moment, and Xue Ren couldn’t rest assured at all. If even a hint of news about what he intended to do leaked out, he would be doomed.

He had to find someone he could trust completely, but who would be able to fit that description…..?

Xue Ren was walking with his head down, his mind full of thoughts. He wasn’t paying attention to whether there was anyone in front of him.

“Aiyo!” Someone suddenly shouted.

Xue Ren was already in a bad mood, and to make matters worse, some unscrupulous person had just bumped into him.

Just as Xue Ren was about to lose his temper, he saw the junior disciple who had been knocked to the ground quickly get to his feet and apologize.

“I’m sorry, pardon me.”

Xue Ren was about to vent his anger, but suddenly stopped. Not because of the apology, but because…..he vaguely felt that this person looked familiar.

Where had he seen this person before?

He narrowed his eyes at the other person. He didn’t know if this junior disciple was afraid of his gloomy expression, but after giving his apology, he rushed off.

Xue Ren had no solutions for the moment, and continued onward with some doubts.

He reminisced as he walked, feeling that he had overlooked something very crucial.

He went over all of the minor details that had happened these past two days, gradually stringing those unrelated fragments together.

The collision…..the yellow flowers falling out…..Blazing Sun Flowers…..poison!

Xue Ren swung his head toward the direction that person had just left. He finally remembered who he was. Wasn’t he Lu Chengye, the champion of yesterday’s Qi Refining competition? Although he’d been defeated by another junior disciple who appeared at the last moment, Lu Chengye was still the nominal champion.

Lu Chengye was also the person who’d bumped into him at the corner yesterday morning, and when they collided, yellow flowers had fallen out of the other man’s clothes.

Xue Ren hadn’t paid attention to Lu Chengye’s guilty, panicked expression at the time, but now that he was thinking about it, he recalled it very clearly.

The unlucky person Administrator Zhang mentioned who’d accidentally eaten the Blazing Sun Flower had most likely been targeted by Lu Chengye. His purpose was naturally to eliminate his most capable competitor.

Unexpectedly, Xue Ren had accidentally discovered a case of poisoning.

He normally wouldn’t even bother with this sort of thing.

But this incident gave him inspiration, and he finally realized what kind of person he could put his complete trust in. 

Naturally, it was someone he had leverage on.

Gazing after Lu Chengye’s back, a malicious smile appeared at the corners of Xue Ren’s mouth.

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36

Chapter 34 – Confrontation

“Shixiong, Hao-dage, go to bed early.” Fang Yang said his farewells to Feng Ye and Hao Chen when they reached the dormitories.

Feng Ye nodded. “Good night,” he said.

Hao Chen followed suit: “Good night.”

With that, Fang Yang turned toward his residence and went back to sleep.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen remained standing there. Although they also lived in the same area, their rooms were in different directions, one to the left and one to the right.

It was getting late, and all beings were asleep aside from the bats. They should have parted ways at this point, but neither of them intended to be the first to leave.

Feng Ye folded his arms and waited silently for a while. Seeing as Hao Chen still didn’t speak, he could only take the initiative to prompt: “If Fellow Daoist Hao Chen has something to say, he might as well say it now.”

Hao Chen’s eyes glittered. He looked at Feng Ye as if he wanted to say something, but stopped. It was unknown what he was holding back, and Feng Ye sent him a puzzled look.

Hao Chen was slightly taken aback by his words, and his lips curved into a smile: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye understands me the best.”

Leveling him with a steady look, Feng Ye proceeded to say bluntly: “No, I don’t understand you.”

He didn’t even know who Hao Chen was, and also didn’t understand why he was following him around.

Hao Chen raised his eyebrows: “Why? Am I difficult to understand?”

He shook his head as he spoke, with a hint of sadness at not being understood: “Am I not easier to understand than that two-faced shixiong of yours? After all, my deep affection for Fellow Daoist Feng Ye comes from the bottom of my heart. I haven’t concealed anything.”

Feng Ye had noticed Xue Ren’s change of expression, and so had Hao Chen. Among the three of them, only Fang Yang was completely unaware.

“I turn my heart to the bright moon, but it only shines upon a ditch.”^[1] Hao Chen grew increasingly sorrowful as he spoke, and even recited a poem.

Feng Ye: “……”

He had only spoken one sentence, but Hao Chen said so much in response without getting to the point at all.

Seeing that Hao Chen was addicted to poetry recitation and was about to say a couple more lines, Feng Ye turned and left.

Hao Chen was forced to break off his poem: “Where is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye going?”

Feng Ye said without even turning his head: “This ditch is going to bed.”

Hao Chen: “……”

After a moment of silence, he quickly caught up with Feng Ye and kept pace with him, saying: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, don’t be in such a hurry to leave.”

Feng Ye had no intention of slowing down, because he knew that if he didn’t do this, Hao Chen would never get to the point.

Sure enough, this strategy of retreating in order to advance was successful. Hao Chen finally got to the point and repeated his previous words: “Does Fellow Daoist Feng Ye require a little…..assistance?”

Although he couldn’t openly show off his wealth, Hao Chen couldn’t help but reveal a hint of his hidden riches. If Feng Ye could lower his head and beg him, that would be the best. 

Feng Ye finally came to a stop. Hao Chen had been hesitant to speak the whole way, but it turned out that he still wanted him to bow his head and beg for help.

He couldn’t help but scoff: “Is Fellow Daoist Hao Chen referring to the Ice Grass?”

Hao Chen shook his head with a smile, saying: “No, Jianmu.” Although he didn’t know Feng Ye’s identity, the man could definitely obtain something like Ice Grass.

Hao Chen had blind confidence in Feng Ye. After all, this was the person he fancied. Therefore, he switched the bait to Jianmu, which Feng Ye had mentioned repeatedly.

This was likely the real reason Feng Ye had come to Lingxiao Sword Sect. Hao Chen didn’t actually have any clues about Jianmu. In fact, it was from Administrator Zheng that he had learned that this legendary sacred tree actually existed.

But even though he had no information at all, Hao Chen was still very confident in his power and abilities, and was certain that there was nothing he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it.

And as it turned out, his guess was correct – Jianmu was indeed Feng Ye’s purpose for coming here.

The instant the word “Jianmu” was spoken, Feng Ye’s expression went cold. The smile on his face vanished in a flash, leaving only two tightly-furrowed sword-like eyebrows.

At this moment, he transformed into the man in the ring, destroying the opponent in seven blows while leaving him with no avenue for retreat.

Just looking into his eyes gave one the chilling sensation of having a knife pressed against their throat.

However, Hao Chen was only a little surprised when he saw his expression. His heartbeat lost its rhythm again, beating wildly in his chest and clamoring to fight his opponent without any regard for the consequences.

Feng Ye looked at Hao Chen coldly, and his tone was just as cold as his eyes: “You need to stay out of this.”

This was almost a threat.

If he wasn’t entirely certain that Hao Chen had nothing to do with the disaster in his dream, his words wouldn’t have been a threat, but a death notice.

He knew that Hao Chen had only mentioned Jianmu to test him, but he wasn’t going to fool around with Hao Chen regarding this matter, and gave him a clear warning not to interfere.

Unfortunately, his threat didn’t make Hao Chen back off. Instead, Hao Chen took a step forward. The two of them were already standing close, and with this step, their noses nearly brushed.

Feng Ye always took care to keep a distance from Hao Chen, and would lean back slightly when Hao Chen leaned in to whisper to him.

But Feng Ye didn’t retreat at Hao Chen’s sudden approach. He stood there without evading, maintaining his grave expression as he regarded the other person coldly.

Hao Chen also returned his gaze without evading, and the two stared at each other from such a close distance that they could hear each other’s breathing.

Contrary to Feng Ye’s coldness, Hao Chen was all smiles. This pleasure came from the heart, and he wasn’t at all displeased with such provocation.

The corners of his lips curved up, and when he spoke, his breath gusted against Feng Ye’s lips two finger-widths away. His voice was very soft, with an alluring hoarseness: “What if I don’t?”

Feng Ye stared at him motionlessly. In the face of Hao Chen’s smile, the aura around him grew colder and colder, so cold that one might think that the lingering warmth of mid-autumn had turned into winter.

The originally relaxed and casual atmosphere condensed. The peaceful moonlight held a chill, and the chirping of insects became war drums. The tense situation was on the verge of snapping.

Hao Chen’s fingers clenched tightly around his fan. Spiritual power gathered at his fingertips, but he didn’t take the initiative to attack. He waited for Feng Ye to move.

He felt that as the Lord of the North Sea, he shouldn’t bully such a junior, but he couldn’t help but fight back in the face of Feng Ye’s provocation.

So as a compromise, he gave the first strike to Feng Ye. This way, it wouldn’t be too embarrassing to tell others about it.

Although it wasn’t much better. Other than those great gods who were qualified to be his opponents, it could be considered bullying no matter who he fought.

And Feng Ye didn’t take the opening to attack, because he was still hesitating over whether or not to take advantage of the quiet night to get rid of his sticky candy Hao Chen entirely.

Although Hao Chen’s goal was different from his, having such a suspicious fellow with unknown aims around was always a hidden danger.

The only problem was that Hao Chen was likely from the North Sea, and the Kunpeng of the North Sea was said to be very protective of his people. If he really attacked Hao Chen tonight, would that Kunpeng come to cause trouble for him?

Feng Ye wasn’t afraid of the Kunpeng, but it was better to have less trouble than more. The matter he was investigating was already troublesome enough without adding to it.

There was, in fact, a permanent solution – kill Hao Chen and bury him in a hole. Nobody had to know he was the one who did it.

However, he wasn’t the villain in a story, killing anyone he didn’t like. Although Hao Chen was suspicious, he hadn’t done anything harmful thus far. Apart from flirting with Feng Ye, he could be said to be innocent.

And mere flirting wasn’t a crime worthy of death.

Even if he took action tonight, he would do the bare minimum to get his point across and make Hao Chen vow not to interfere in the Jianmu matter. When Hao Chen went back to file a complaint, that Kunpeng would definitely know.

When the time came, he would bring a large number of shrimp soldiers and crab generals to seek revenge, and there would be no way for Feng Ye to keep his identity as a junior disciple.

But he felt that if he didn’t teach him a lesson, Hao Chen would continue to push the limits even more…..

I can still just bury him….. Feng Ye couldn’t help but think, staring at Hao Chen’s punchable smiling face.

Just as his dark thoughts were stirring, the sound of approaching footsteps brought Feng Ye back to his senses.

Someone was coming.

“Tsk,” Hao Chen said softly. Tonight’s good deeds had been ruined by an outsider.

“Shixiong! I’ve still got your fan!” Fang Yang called breathlessly. He’d been curious about the earth-grade magic weapon on the way back, so he had borrowed the white jade bone porcelain fan to play with for a while and forgot to return it.

When he got back to his residence, he remembered that he still had it and rushed out to return it to his Useless Shixiong.

He just didn’t expect that his Useless Shixiong hadn’t gone back to his room like he should have, nor had Hao-dage. The two of them stood facing each other, doing who knew what.

Fang Yang rushed over to them. Seeing how their noses were almost touching, he asked hesitantly: “You guys…..”

Since fighting was no longer possible, Feng Ye took an immediate step back to distance himself from Hao Chen. He explained to Fang Yang: “We’re chatting under the moon.”

Hao Chen added in coordination with Feng Ye’s lie: “Yes, we were enjoying our chat so much that we stuck together.”

This statement was exactly the same as the one Fang Yang used last time when he saw them sleeping together.

Fang Yang had believed it the first time, and he believed it the second time as well.

He immediately nodded, then returned the fan to Feng Ye and went back to his room to sleep.

Looking at the white jade fan in his hand, Feng Ye imitated Hao Chen and used it to fan himself. Then, without even a perfunctory goodbye, he went back to his room.

Hao Chen stood there for a moment, gazing after Feng Ye’s back. It wasn’t until he lost sight of him through the door that he put away his fan and returned to his residence.

The next day, Fang Yang got up to do his chores as usual, and also met with Administrator Zhang again.

Administrator Zhang conversed with him for a while, and the conversation turned to the events of the previous night. Fang Yang recounted everything he had seen and heard word for word.

After listening to this, Administrator Zhang was silent for a long time. In the end, he ultimately gave him one piece of advice: “Next time you see something like this, don’t bother them. No matter how important the matter is.”

“Why?” Fang Yang asked in confusion.

Administrator Zhang: “……”

Facing Fang Yang’s naive eyes, he could only lament: Is there any need to ask why? A daoist couple who practice dual cultivation are chatting under the moon so excitedly that they stick together? What else could they be doing!

This silly child was always ruining others’ good deeds!

---

[1] This poem by Gao Ming means that the speaker treated the other person sincerely, but the other party was indifferent to his efforts. ⮐

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

Xi Lei turned around, as stiff as a mummy.

The temperature of the medicine box in his sleeve gradually increased, like a bomb ready to go off at any time.

He gulped, then blurted out the “confession” he had just exchanged with Ling Yi.

“Reporting to Captain Tang De! I came here to inform him of my dad’s latest condition! I thought he was awake, but later found out he wasn’t. This is all because I was too impatient!”

Tang De was amused by his appearance and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Look how scared you are. Am I that frightening?”

To prove his friendliness, he stepped forward and patted Xi Lei on the shoulder.

“I did threaten you last time, but that was just a test. You’ll be able to report to the Guard Corps soon. We’ll be colleagues in the future, so don’t be so nervous.”

Xi Lei stood at attention: “I dare not!”

“You dare not join?”

“No! It’s my honor to join the Guard!” Xi Lei covertly nudged the medicine box inward. “You’re the Captain of the Guard, my immediate superior. I dare not…..call myself a colleague.”

Tang De felt that this young man was cute. If he trained him well, he might be able to free himself from the burden of following His Highness day and night.

“Relax, we don’t have such a strict hierarchy here. All team members are divided into three shifts that take turns on duty. Everyone is equal and works the same amount.”

“Why? I thought I would have to serve a few years and put a lot of effort in before I could join His Highness Oser’s personal guards.”

Xi Lei felt adrift, as if he had lost his goal.

Tang De thought to himself that apart from him, who else wouldn’t lose their mind spending extended amounts of time with His Highness Oser? Working in three shifts already put the ultimate pressure on their team members.

But he naturally couldn’t say that, so for fear of scaring this person away, he just smiled and didn’t explain.

“Let’s go up to the terrace and smoke.”

“Captain Tang De, I’m still a student. I can’t smoke.”

“There aren’t many students as obedient as you. Back when we were at Luban, we secretly broke the rules several times.”

Tang De shook a cigarette from the box and held it between his fingers: “Then join me while I smoke a cigarette. I have something to give you.”

He casually glanced at the door when they passed by Ling Yi’s ward, and Xi Lei took the opportunity to slide the medicine box hidden in his sleeve into his shirt pocket.

After making sure it wasn’t exposed, he smoothed the hem of his shirt and quickly followed.

Tang De didn’t light the cigarette in his hand until he was outside.

Xi Lei asked as he breathed in the fresh air: “Captain Tang De, you just said you have something to give me?”

Tang De handed him a paper bag. Xi Lei poured out the contents, and the look on his face changed.

Tang De blew a smoke ring: “These are the documents for your family of three, right?”

Xi Lei’s throat tightened slightly: “Y…..yes.”

“Please keep important documents in a safe place so that you don’t lose them. It would be very troublesome to get them reissued. As for Ling Yi’s copies, I’ll keep them for now and return them when he needs them.”

Xi Lei responded unconsciously: “O….okay.”

“By the way, along with these four sets of hard copies, I found another four sets. You’re a good student, so you know that some things shouldn’t be copied casually. If you do so, you might even go to jail.”

Tang De shook the ash from his cigarette: “I’ll destroy the sensitive items for you first. The forger has been apprehended. Don’t try this again.”

Xi Lei stared wide-eyed at the four identical certificate covers.

He had hidden the eight sets of documents Tang De mentioned in what he’d thought was the most secluded place, and he was also a quasi-graduate who had received professional military training.

How naive he had been to think he had the ability to take his entire family away.

“Just to satisfy my personal curiosity, where did you originally plan to escape to?”

Xi Lei knew there was no use hiding anything at this point, so he stiffly uttered a name: “Tiansu.”

With a deep sense of respect, Tang De gave him a thumbs up: “You have courage and insight.”

Fearing that this well-behaved young man would make a big mistake in a moment of impulsiveness, he gave him warning in advance: “But don’t underestimate His Highness’s perseverance. If the person he wants flees far away to Tiansu, he’ll send an army to bring him back.”

For the first time, Xi Lei distinctly felt the disparity in power between their two sides.

No, let alone making it to Tiansu, he feared that their entire family would be apprehended before they crossed the border.

“I’m giving you advice because I truly admire you. In addition to this, you can’t spend time with Ling Yi as casually as before. I know that your relationship is like that of brothers, but things are different now – you aren’t related by blood, so you must take care not to raise suspicions. Do you know why I took you away from there just now?”

Xi Lei shook his head blankly. He really thought that Tang De just wanted to give him these documents.

“Because His Highness Oser will arrive in a minute. He is an Alpha who just completed a marking, and is at the peak of his protectiveness and possessiveness. If he found another Alpha in Ling Yi’s room at this time, what do you think His Highness would think?”

The night wind blew through his clothes that were soaked through with cold sweat, chilling him from head to toe.

“But when I left, there was still another Alpha in the room.”

Tang De’s fingers shook as if he’d been burned by the cigarette butt: “What did you just say?”

. . . . . . .

Pat’s legs trembled. If this was a survival game, he would be able to accurately choose the option that led to death every time.

The good news was that His Highness Oser had been called to the royal palace for most of the day but was unusually full of vigor. When he spoke, his voice was a little hoarse and leisurely: 

“And who is this? Isn’t this Doctor Pat, the next winner of the Imperial Medical Award?”

The ending tone of each word touched Pat’s fragile little heart. Lan Ze had said the exact same thing. He’d thought it was sarcasm at first, but later realized he was serious.

Similarly, when His Highness Oser said this, he thought it was sarcasm, but later realized…..it was definitely sarcasm.

Pat smiled and said: “You flatter me. I should be congratulating Your Highness. The operation was very successful, and there were no adverse reactions. There were some minor incidents, but the success is due to Your Highness’s merit and virtue.”

“Do you have nothing else to explain to me?”

“What explanation does Your Highness wish to hear?”

Oser readjusted his legs: “If you can’t think of anything, just ponder it slowly. You should know that I’m always very patient when listening to someone’s last words.”

Pat shrank his neck in fear: “Your Highness, accidents can happen in medicine, like a healthy person suddenly dying or a terminally ill person suddenly recovering. No one can explain these things clearly. The fact that there’s no 100% guarantee is the charm of medicine, isn’t it?”

His voice became weaker and weaker, lowering to a mosquito’s buzz toward the end. He must be at a loss for words to use Lan Ze’s unusual logic to convince His Highness, a logic that he couldn’t even convince himself of.

“Yes, like a healthy person suddenly dying…..who can explain that?” Oser repeated.

Pat: “……”

Ling Yi yawned at the right moment, and Pat immediately saw hope of survival.

“I know Your Highness is always full of energy, but Ling Yi is weak after the operation, and he especially needs to rest after receiving such a fright. His pheromone sample has been sent for analysis. Tomorrow…..tomorrow morning at the latest, I’ll give you detailed results!”

Oser turned his head to look at Ling Yi sitting on the bed. He wore a sleepy look, with tears at the corners of his eyes.

For some reason, the words Ling Yi had spoken not long before came to mind: I’m an Omega now, can’t I be a little more delicate?

Seeing Ling Yi’s defenseless “weak” side exposed, Oser unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth. Even Pat was dumbfounded.

Such a harmless, innocent smile actually existed? Was this still the same Highness he knew, the one who sneered, ridiculed, smiled maliciously, and mocked anything and everyone?

At this moment, Ling Yi had no desire to guess what was going on in these two peoples’ heads. He had exaggerated his eye symptoms to Pat, but it was also a fact that they had been irritated by the poison gas.

Just now, Pat had insisted on giving him eye drops again. After yawning, the drops mixed with natural tears and flowed out, prompting him to rub his eyes. He was completely unaware of Oser’s strange imaginings.

Oser was in an unusually good mood. He waved his hand, indicating that Pat could leave. Such a nonchalant response made Pat uneasy.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have advised His Highness to rest early. Perhaps he should have restricted his access to Ling Yi in his capacity as a doctor.

“Um, Your Highness Oser…..”

Oser’s attention was still on Ling Yi, but he eventually realized that there was still an extra light bulb in the room, dazzlingly bright.

“Do you have something else to report?”

Pat wanted to persuade Oser not to rush things, as there was plenty of time, but although the words were on the tip of his tongue, he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

“No, nothing, just a little thing…..nothing important…..”

“If there’s nothing, then get out.”

“Eh.” Pat responded quickly: “Then the two of you should rest well.”

Ling Yi watched Pat leave. But Oser had no intention of leaving, so he said directly: “Doesn’t His Highness need to return to his own residence?”

“Are you that eager for me to leave?” Oser asked. He already knew the answer.

“This is a hospital, and accommodations are simple and crude. I don’t want to wrong Your Highness.”

A single bed in the medical college was 1.5 people wide. It wouldn’t be difficult for two people to sleep in, but the conditions were far inferior to the crown prince’s bedroom.

“You think this place is simple and crude?” Oser looked around. “I’ll send someone to replace all the furniture in here tomorrow.”

Ling Yi had nothing to say about Oser’s ability to grasp the key point. He had perfected the art of avoiding important issues.

Oser handed him a folded handwritten note.

“These are Luo Li’s instructions.”

Ling Yi unfolded it and read it line by line.

“Things to note after marking: Try to spend time with the Omega, especially at night.”

“Maintaining close physical contact helps alleviate the insecurity an Omega feels after being marked.”

“If you must leave, leave behind clothing that smells of your own pheromones to comfort them.”

“Words can be a supplement to physical contact. You should express your love for your Omega more often. You can refer to books like <<Three Hundred Sweet Words>> and <<Cheesy Love Sayings For An Entire Year>>.”

“What do you think?” Oser asked.

Ling Yi folded the note back with an expressionless face: “I miss Nan Ting very much.”

Oser was like a patient’s family member who strictly followed the doctor’s orders as he held him in his arms. Ling Yi’s pheromones were even more intense and attractive at night than during the day.

This scent was so impossible to resist that Oser didn’t notice that he was getting closer and closer to the source of it – the back of Ling Yi’s neck.

While he was savoring Ling Yi’s scent, Ling Yi was also continuously receiving a pheromone baptism from Oser.

Those molecules poured uncontrollably into his nasal cavity, and there was a restlessness in his body that responded to their call.

Ling Yi clamped his legs together in discomfort. His body temperature continued to rise, and his lips became dry due to lack of water.

“Your Highness, you can stay, but can you please control your pheromones?” He really couldn’t bear it any longer, and began to negotiate.

It was unknown if Oser didn’t hear him or was deliberately turning a deaf ear, but the pheromones not only failed to subside, but only became more rampant.

Ling Yi’s rationality was almost gone, and he struggled to raise his head in a final effort: “Your Highness?”

“How do I control them?”

Ling Yi: “……”

. . . . . .

Tang De had accumulated a lot of experience in just two days, and had already prepared a change of uniform in advance as he waited outside the door.

The styles of royal uniforms were complex and varied, with standardized combinations for different seasons and occasions. Even minor things like ribbons or buttons had strict regulations.

In the palace, there were special servants who selected and dressed Oser in these accessories and clothing every day. Oser hadn’t brought any servants with him to the hospital, so Tang De had to do everything himself.

If he continued to have to do the work of several people, he’d have to ask His Highness Oser for a raise.

When he was allowed inside, Oser had just come out of the bathroom. He was wrapped in a simple bath towel, steam coming off him from head to toe.

His sculpted figure made Tang De, a fellow man, envious. Perhaps heaven was envious of him too, not allowing such a top-tier specimen to enjoy the favor of an Omega for thirty-five years.

The bed was empty, and dripping water could be heard through the half-open bathroom door.

Tang De had been with Oser for a long time, and was much more daring than Pat when it came to giving bold advice.

“Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking frankly. The first time was out of necessity, but considering his physical condition, it’s better to exercise restraint.”

Oser tossed aside the towel he’d used to wipe his hair: “It’s not my fault. A certain person kept rubbing himself against me in my arms. How could I control myself?”

A dark form flew out of the bathroom. Tang De had years of professional training and experience, and knew that even if it was a bullet or a missile, he would intercept it at the risk of his life.

He caught the “concealed weapon” without thinking, and upon closer inspection, he found that it was a shower gel bottle.

Oser immediately sent him a meaningful look.

Tang De decisively smacked the bottle against his head and let it fall to the floor, shouting toward the bathroom: “Aiya! Your Highness, are you alright? Does it hurt?”

After the performance, Tang De assisted Oser in getting dressed, whispering: “Hurry, hurry.”

Oser couldn’t grasp the intentions of his capable subordinate, and impatiently followed his pace until he was ready.

Tang De practically shoved Oser out of the ward, and before leaving, he shouted toward the bathroom again: “Your Highness, Doctor Pat said that the report you requested has been completed. Please come over now!”

He didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the door closed behind them.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw that many details of the uniform were improperly applied, and didn’t meet standards.

If the palace etiquette officer saw this, he would definitely be severely punished.

“What are you doing?” Oser asked in dissatisfaction.

Tang De replied: “Based on my understanding of Omegas, if he threw shower gel now, there’s no telling what he would throw next. It’s better to just remove yourself from the situation.”

Oser shook his head in disdain: “What a fuss.”

“Besides, I wasn’t lying. Pat did send me a text message, but I haven’t had time to read it yet. He should be asking you to come over.”

Tang De opened the text message and read: 

[Pat: Brother, save me! Try to delay His Highness longer, please, please. (folding hands together)]

Tang De: Oh…..

---

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Chapter 18 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 20

Chapter 33 – Blazing Sun Flower

It hadn’t taken long to retrieve the magic weapon, but it had taken quite a while to listen to the story.

When Feng Ye and the others went down the mountain, it was already a moonlit night with a sparse array of stars. Under the glowing moon, the group once again arrived at Administrator Zhang’s residence.

In fact, not one of the three people had any expectations whatsoever for Administrator Zhang. They had already recognized the fact that this barefoot doctor was an uncertified physician.

However, when they had no expectations of the man, Administrator Zhang actually became more reliable. He proudly showed off to the three of them: “I’ve figured out what you were poisoned with.”

Fang Yang gave him a look of surprise and said: “What poison is it?”

“Strictly speaking, it isn’t exactly a poison.” Administrator Zhang kept them in suspense.

“Then what is it, ah?” Fang Yang tugged at Administrator Zhang’s sleeve anxiously.

When Administrator Zhang felt he had kept them in suspense long enough, he said unhurriedly: “You must have mistakenly eaten a Blazing Sun Flower.”

“Blazing Sun Flower?” the three uneducated people repeated in unison.

This greatly satisfied Administrator Zhang’s vanity as the most educated person there. He raised his head and puffed out his chest, answering with pride: “It is an herb that can remove impurities from the body’s spiritual power.”

“No way, this sounds like an herbal medicine that’s beneficial for people. How could it make my cultivation drop to the third level of Qi Refining?” Fang Yang was the first to ask.

Administrator Zhang waved a hand to urge Fang Yang to be patient, then continued: “That’s because the medicinal properties of the Blazing Sun Flower are so strong that it doesn’t just remove impurities from spiritual power – spiritual power that isn’t pure enough will also be treated as an impurity.”

“And especially for a junior disciple like you who has not yet undergone a true cleansing of the essence and marrow, the spiritual power in your body isn’t pure enough, and the mixed spiritual energy occupies the majority of your dantian. If you directly take in the Blazing Sun Flower, there will be no other outcome than a significant drop in your cultivation base.”

The three of them immediately nodded.

Now that they knew the cause, the next question was…..

“Since it’s not a poison, is there any way to recover the lost cultivation?” Feng Ye suddenly asked.

Administrator Zhang thought about it, and said without much certainty: “Logically speaking, only when the Blazing Sun Flower is taken in conjunction with Ice Grass to neutralize its medicinal properties can it achieve the effect of purifying one’s spiritual power without lowering one’s cultivation level. But you’ve already mistakenly eaten the Blazing Sun Flower. If you eat the Ice Grass…..perhaps you’ll be able to recover your cultivation?”

In the end, he actually threw the question back to them.

Feng Ye, Hao Chen, and Fang Yang: “…..”

Sure enough, a person couldn’t change their nature in such a short time. Administrator Zhang was still totally unreliable.

The expressions of the three were so uniform that Administrator Zhang also realized that he was unreliable. But he wasn’t ready to admit it, and instead set the issue aside: “There’s no point in asking this question anyway. The Blazing Sun Flower grows toward the sun, and we have them in the back mountain. But do you know how rare Ice Grass is?”

Administrator Zhang held up five fingers when he said this, but then he felt that five fingers weren’t enough, so he raised both hands and wiggled his ten fingers, saying: “At least this expensive! More expensive than an earth-grade magic weapon! Ice Grass grows in an extremely cold environment, and there are very few places in the world that can meet its growth needs. That’s why the price of it has soared sky-high. Otherwise, if the Blazing Sun Flower that can be found everywhere was able to purify spiritual energy, wouldn’t such a wonderful cheap thing be known to everyone?”

“You fellows shouldn’t even think about it. You…..” Administrator Zhang took in the three peoples’ simple attire. They didn’t even have jade pendants around their waists, and looked penniless.

He didn’t finish his words, but his meaning was evident.

He was saying they couldn’t afford it.

Feng Ye and Fang Yang really couldn’t afford it, even if they sold Feng Ye’s new white jade bone porcelain fan.

Hao Chen, however…..he cast his gaze toward Administrator Zhang and smiled, saying nothing.

His North Sea was rich in coral, pearls, rare treasures, and everything else one could think of.

It took more than a month to take inventory of his warehouses. It had taken the same amount of time for Prime Minister Turtle to confirm that the thief had only stolen a drop of water from his North Sea.

It could be said that Hao Chen’s wealth was as thick as his skin.

Whatever else could be said about him, he couldn’t be called poor.

However, it wasn’t suitable for him to show off his wealth at this time. After all, he was just an ordinary disciple of Tiangong Pavilion. Hao Chen tapped his fan regretfully. Not being able to put his wealth on display was indeed a great pity.

While Hao Chen was lamenting, Feng Ye was frowning in thought. He suddenly asked: “Where does Ice Grass grow?”

Administrator Zhang was baffled when he heard this, thinking that Feng Ye was too poor to afford it, so he wanted to go out and find it himself. However, he immediately shot down Feng Ye’s idea: “Don’t even think about it. The danger levels of those locations are too high for a Qi Refining stage disciple.”

Fang Yang could only sigh when he heard this. He had also wanted to ask this question, but Useless Shixiong asked first. Administrator Zhang’s words put an end to his thoughts. It seemed his cultivation was unable to be restored.

However, he would no longer be depressed and listless over this, hiding his room and crying alone.

Useless Shixong had already demonstrated to him with his own actions that cultivation wasn’t everything. Plus, if he could cultivate to the seventh level of Qi Refining once, he could do it again.

It was only starting over again!

What was the big deal! He was determined to defeat the almighty God of War, Yinglong!

Fang Yang had received a lot of encouragement today, and his blood was boiling.

Administrator Zhang could hear Fang Yang’s sigh, but not his true thoughts. Feeling a little sorry for him, he comforted: “There is actually Ice Grass in the Floating Island Secret Realm that’s opening in a few days, although…..”

Although it grew on the most dangerous seabed in the secret realm, and was guarded by powerful monsters comparable to someone at Nascent Soul stage.

But Administrator Zhang didn’t say this. Instead, he said: “Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to pick some up.”

“Then I’ll accept your auspicious words.” Fang Yang thanked him, his bright eyes full of expectation for three days later.

Feng Ye listened to the conversation between them with a gentle smile. Fang Yang didn’t know what Administrator Zhang had omitted, but Feng Ye did.

How could such an expensive herb be that easy to pick up?

But he also didn’t expose it. Feng Ye glanced at the sky outside the window. The moon was at his zenith – he normally would have gone back to his room to sleep by this time.

Whether he actually slept or not was another matter, but in the eyes of others, he was asleep.

So Feng Ye feigned a yawn and said his goodbyes: “It’s getting late. We’ll head back first.”

Just as Administrator Zhang was about to reply, there was a knock on the door.

Administrator Zhang called loudly to the visitor: “Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and the visitor turned out to be a celebrity everybody knew.

The eldest disciple of Sect Leader Ji – Xue Ren.

Xue Ren came to visit in the middle of the night with a sheepish look on his face. Even though he was the sect leader’s direct disciple and had absolutely no need to show respect to an administrator who managed chores, he was still polite to Administrator Zhang.

This was how he always was. Compared to the iceberg-like Cao Zirui, Xue Ren was like a warm spring breeze. No matter who he was dealing with, he could always make them feel at ease, and in terms of popularity within the sect, he crushed Cao Zirui to pieces.

It was a pity that his tactful character was unable to win the favor of Sect Leader Ji. And the selection of a successor did not take popularity into account. Therefore, he was only a direct disciple, not the successor to the sect leader’s position.

He was slightly surprised to see the other three people in the room, and belatedly nodded in greeting.

Feng Ye and Fang Yang quickly returned their shixiong’s greetings. Hao Chen wasn’t a member of Lingxiao Sword Sect, so he just responded with common courtesy.

When the greetings were over, Xue Ren directly told Administrator Zhang the purpose of his visit: “I went to Administrator Zheng to retrieve a magic weapon, and he suddenly discovered that the key to the warehouse where the magic weapons are kept is missing. He probably left it here when he was drinking at your place last time. I’m in a hurry to get it, which is why I came here in the middle of the night. I hope I haven’t disturbed you?”

There was no fault in Xue Ren’s words. Even if there was any displeasure at being disturbed, it would have been dispelled by his humble attitude.

Administrator Zhang hurried to say: “It’s no bother, no bother. Lao Zheng is just careless. I’ll help you look for it right away.”

Having said this, he turned to go search around the table.

Seeing the situation, Feng Ye said goodbye again: “Administrator Zhang, we’ll leave first.”

Administrator Zhang just waved, not looking back.

Feng Ye stepped forward to leave, and Hao Chen and Fang Yang followed.

When the three were about to step out of the room, Xue Ren turned sideways at the door to make room for them.

However, the door wasn’t very wide, and Fang Yang accidentally bumped his shoulder against Xue Ren.

Xue Ren’s originally amiable expression suddenly turned into pure disdain. But it only lasted a brief moment, and in the next second, he was the gentle, smiling shixiong again.

After exiting the room, Fang Yang turned and apologized to Xue Ren, who smiled and said: “It’s nothing.”

Feng Ye observed Xue Ren’s smile thoughtfully. Fang Yang hadn’t caught Xue Ren’s instantaneous change of expression, but Feng Ye had.

It seemed that the amiable shixiong in everyone’s eyes didn’t live up to his reputation in private.

He stared for a long time, so long that Xue Ren met his gaze in confusion. Feng Ye was quick to don an apologetic smile, then turned around and left with Fang Yang and the sticky Hao Chen.

Xue Ren didn’t pay much attention to Feng Ye. People often stared at him. After all, he was Sect Leader Ji’s eldest direct disciple, and there was a world of difference between him and these juniors.

With this in mind, he brushed off the shoulder Fang Yang had hit as if dirt had been left behind.

He waited quietly as Administrator Zhang searched for the warehouse key.

But while he was quiet, Administrator Zhang was unable to keep his mouth shut and chatted continuously as he searched: “Those three who were here just now came to me for medical treatment, saying one of them was poisoned.”

“That kid Fang Yang is unlucky. I don’t know if it was an accident or if he was actually poisoned by some black-hearted villain, but after eating the Blazing Sun Flower, he fell directly from the seventh level of Qi Refining to the third.”

“Is that so?” Xue Ren replied perfunctorily. With his identity, what was there to chat about with an administrator in charge of chores?

But Administrator Zhang was completely unaware of Xue Ren’s superficial response and continued to talk incessantly, sharing all of the gossip he had collected.

When veins were practically popping out of Xue Ren’s forehead and he was almost unable to maintain his image as a kindly shixiong, Administrator Zhang finally found the key.

“I don’t know how it got under the cupboard. I had to look all over.” He dusted off the key and handed it to Xue Ren.

Using his last bit of self-control, Xue Ren thanked him, then turned and left.

---

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Chapter 32 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 34

Chapter 32 – Love

At Administrator Zheng’s reminder, Feng Ye retracted the foot that had already stepped over the threshold of the armory.

Watching Feng Ye walk back toward him, Administrator Zheng’s mood swung back and forth between bewilderment and speechlessness.

This was an earth-grade magic weapon! A disciple would normally have to save for a hundred years without eating or drinking to afford one. He didn’t know where this fellow had gotten enough luck to earn the favor of the sect leader and be directly awarded the item.

But as a result, he completely forgot about this magic weapon.

Forgot!

Most people would want to hug a magic weapon to sleep when they received it. Administrator Zheng judged others based on how he would feel in their shoes. Although he guarded the armory and saw countless magic weapons every day, they didn’t belong to him in the end. He was just their caretaker.

Was this fellow really so careless, or did he actually look down on an earth-grade magic weapon?

Were all junior disciples these days so unique in character?

Although Administrator Zheng didn’t say anything, the expression on his face revealed his inner ridicule.

Feng Ye could only give a dry cough and change the subject: “How do I choose the magic weapon?”

Administrator Zheng stretched out his hand, pointing at a shelf of jade slips. He said to Feng Ye: “The items on that shelf are all earth-grade magic tools. The jade slips record the information about them. Tell me when you’ve chosen one, and I’ll go to the warehouse and get it for you.”

Feng Ye thanked him and walked to the shelf he’d pointed out. Facing those piles of jade slips, he began to feel overwhelmed.

There were so many. He didn’t know which one to choose.

Feng Ye didn’t have the patience to look through them one by one. Compared to such an unimportant matter as an earth-grade magic weapon, obtaining the qualification to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm was much more urgent.

He closed his eyes and let his fingers wander over the jade slips, counting in his head in preparation to select whichever one he landed on.

Administrator Zheng watched as Feng Ye looked at the numerous jade slips for a while, then closed his eyes.

Administrator Zheng: “ ? ? ? ” Was this fellow choosing blindly?!

He had been guarding the Armory Pavilion for many years, and had seen many disciples come to select the magic weapons they were awarded. All of those disciples had made their choices carefully, considering the characteristics of the tools and the direction of their own cultivation, the properties of their spiritual roots, and other aspects that should be considered comprehensively to choose the most suitable one.

Administrator Zheng had also honed his patience on this group of people. For those who came to choose magic weapons, it was considered fast if they took three to five hours. If they encountered a difficult choice, they might spend ten days to half a month without coming up with a result.

It was no exaggeration to say that choosing a magic weapon required the same mentality as choosing a wife. After all, magic tools and weapons were precious things to young disciples with no background.

It may be the only one they had in their life. Not everyone could marry three wives and four concubines. What if they married someone they didn’t like? Wouldn’t they suffer in vain?

Feng Ye, however, didn’t seem to harbor such worries at all. Closing his eyes to choose a magic weapon was like entering a dark bridal chamber, not even knowing if his wife was a human or a ghost. 

While Administrator Zheng was speechless over Feng Ye’s actions, Fang Yang ultimately couldn’t help but speak up: “Shixiong, isn’t it too casual to choose a magic weapon like this?”

After saying this, Fang Yang immediately added: “Shixiong, if you don’t know which one to choose, how about asking Hao-dage?”

This one sentence took both Feng Ye and Hao Chen aback.

In fact, Feng Ye hadn’t paused at Fang Yang’s first sentence, and simply went on with his blind selection.

But his second sentence reminded him that, yes, there was also Hao Chen.

Hao Chen’s excuse for coming up the mountain with them was to help him choose a magic weapon. Now that he was here, how could Feng Ye not make full use of him?

Although he knew that Hao Chen wasn’t actually a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion, his understanding of magical instruments was likely much better than his own. But he was still very happy to make Hao Chen lose face.

So as Hao Chen was surprised by Fang Yang’s words, Feng Ye turned to him and said with an entertained expression: “Troubling Fellow Daoist Hao Chen.”

Administrator Zheng approved of this, saying: “The disciples of Tiangong Pavilion are well-versed in the characteristics of various magic instruments. With him to help you choose, you’ll definitely pick out the right one. It just so happens that while I’m the caretaker of these magic instruments, I don’t know the ins and outs of each of them, so I’ll take the opportunity to learn more about them today.”

These words implicitly praised Hao Chen and placed him on a pedestal, but at the same time cut off his retreat. Hao Chen had no choice but to choose. And not only did he have to choose – he had to give an explanation as well.

He looked at Feng Ye, then at Administrator Zheng and Fang Yang. Suddenly, he flicked open his fan and covered his face, saying with a smile: “It’s no trouble. This is what I ought to do.”

As soon as he spoke, he went to Feng Ye’s side with a furrowed brow, donning a serious and professional look. He solemnly picked up a jade slip and briefly glanced at the information recorded on it, then shook his head and placed it back on the shelf.

It seemed that this magic weapon was no good. But as for why it was no good…..Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng pricked up their ears, ready to listen to Hao Chen’s advice.

Hao Chen maintained his serious attitude as he said to Feng Ye: “This sword is too gaudy. It doesn’t suit you.”

Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Administrator Zheng: “……”

Before they could recover from their speechlessness, Hao Chen picked up the next jade slip, which was a small cauldron that could only make elixirs.

He peered at it for a moment before shaking his head again: “This little cauldron is pitch black. It’s ugly.”

Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Administrator Zheng: “……”

“What’s painted on this gourd? Is it a regular duck or a mandarin duck? It’s so ugly.” Hao Chen picked up the third jade slip and threw it back in disgust.

The ellipses in the three peoples’ hearts were about to break through the sky.

When they saw how serious Hao Chen looked, they had thought he would have some insightful comments to make. It turned out that Hao Chen’s so-called review of the magic instruments was just commentary on their appearances.

Was there any fundamental difference between this selection method and Feng Ye’s?!

The important things about magic tools were their properties and functions, ah! What was the point of just looking at their appearances!

Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng roared the same words in their hearts.

The corners of Feng Ye’s mouth twitched. 

It was said that a shameless man was invincible, and the truth of this statement had been proven again and again by Hao Chen.

“Oh!” Hao Chen’s eyes suddenly lit up. He picked up a jade slip with a delighted look on his face and handed it to Feng Ye: “This one’s good.”

Feng Ye lowered his head doubtfully, only see that there was a fan recorded on the jade slip. An ivory white fan, which contrasted with the black one in Hao Chen’s hand.

He looked at the summary: “White jade bone porcelain fan, attack level: D. Defense ability: D….”

The attack and defense statistics were divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. Power decreased in sequence, with D being the lowest.

Generally speaking, among the four levels of magic instruments, namely heaven, earth, black, and yellow, only yellow-grade magic instruments would have a D rating. In the black or earth grades above it, a D-level rating was rarely seen. If there was, it must be the case that this magic weapon was extremely powerful in another attribute, so strong that the other attributes could be ignored.

However, this white jade bone porcelain fan’s attack and defense were both D-level. If it didn’t have any strong points, how could it be labeled an earth-grade magic weapon?

“Why is it an earth-grade magic weapon?” Fang Yang couldn’t help but ask after seeing both D attributes. He was standing at Feng Ye’s side, peering at the jade slip.

Feng Ye continued reading with the same misgivings. There was a line of clarification written after the introduction: The material used for this fan is rare white jade from Nanshan Mountain, and its worth is unquantifiable. In terms of value, this fan is equivalent to an earth-grade magic weapon.

Feng Ye: “……”

That was to say, this fan had no other advantages other than being expensive.

His expression was too obvious. Hao Chen understood what he was thinking and shook his head, denying in all apparent seriousness: “Besides being expensive, it’s also very nice to look at.”

He brought his fan in front of Feng Ye and compared it to the white jade bone porcelain fan on the slip: “Look, one black and one white. What a perfect match.”

His words had a double meaning. Black and white referred to the two fans, and also to their black and white daoist robes. One set was the uniform black and white robes of Lingxiao Sword Sect, and the other the gold-edged white robes of Tiangong Pavilion. 

His meaning was that just as the fans matched, they matched as well. 

Just like Feng Ye always wanted to embarrass Hao Chen, Hao Chen always wanted to flirt with Feng Ye – even though he wasn’t certain if he was attracted to him.

But there’s no problem with flirting first, thought a fat black fish with wicked intentions.

Feng Ye understood, but wished he didn’t. Unlike the simple Fang Yang, who didn’t grasp the implication in Hao Chen’s words at all.

He was terrible at dealing with this sort of thing, because aside from Hao Chen, no one else spoke to him in such a flirtatious manner.

But Feng Ye was unwilling to be defeated like this. He stared at Hao Chen’s fan for a moment before saying abruptly: “Since Fellow Daoist Hao Chen thinks this fan is so good, how about I give it to you, and you give me the fan in your hand?”

The white jade bone porcelain fan looked good, but wasn’t practical. At least it had value though. And from the outside, Hao Chen’s black fan didn’t even look like a magic weapon, just an ordinary folding fan. 

Trading an earth-grade magic weapon for Hao Chen’s ordinary folding fan…..either Feng Ye had been kicked in the head by a donkey, or…..

Perhaps this is love, Administrator Zheng thought.

He and Administrator Zhang were good friends, so he naturally knew all of the gossip Administrator Zhang knew. 

And Fang Yang was thinking, Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage are indeed good friends. He’s even giving an earth-level magic weapon to him so casually.

In everyone’s opinion, this was a sure win for Hao Chen.

Only Hao Chen knew that if they really traded, he would suffer a great loss. This fan was made using one of his tail feathers, of which only one fell off every thousand years. Its value was far beyond that of an earth-grade magic weapon, or even a heaven-grade magic weapon

Thus, he maintained his false smile and rejected the offer: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye may not know, but although this fan is worthless, it carries great meaning for me.”

Feng Ye became more certain when he heard this. He knew that the fan in Hao Chen’s hand must be out of the ordinary, otherwise, why would he carry it with him everywhere?”

He raised an eyebrow and asked with a hint of coercion: “Is there anything more meaningful than Fellow Daoist Hao Chen and I exchanging fans? Or is it that Fellow Daoist Hao Chen is unwilling to give his up?”

“This…..” Hao Chen was momentarily stumped. He glanced at Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng, who were awaiting his explanation, and an idea suddenly occurred to him. He said with a sigh: “There is nothing to be unwilling about. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye wants it, don’t even mention taking the fan – he can also take me at will.”

Feng Ye: “……”

No. He didn’t want him at all.

Before he could express his rejection, Hao Chen suddenly unfolded his fan and used it to cover both himself and Feng Ye. He then leaned closer to Feng Ye’s ear and whispered half-truthfully: “This fan is so important to me that I can only give it to my future life partner. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye takes it, he’ll be responsible for me, ah.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He looked from Hao Chen to the fan in his hand, then immediately took three or four steps back, fearing that Hao Chen would blackmail him if he happened to break it.

Hao Chen continued to stand there, covering his lips with his fan. The smile on his lips was hidden, but his exposed peach blossom eyes still revealed his delight at having teased him.

The fans were not traded in the end, but Feng Ye didn’t pick out a different earth-grade magic weapon. He was going to choose blindly anyway, so it would be the same no matter what.

He was also too lazy to bother. Holding the newly-acquired white jade bone porcelain fan, he descended the mountain along the usual route with Hao Chen and Fang Yang.

Standing at the entrance of the Armory Pavilion, Administrator Zheng gazed after the two figures, one in white and one in black, with their matching black and white fans. He stroked his beard with a sigh: This is love, ah…..

---

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Chapter 31 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 33

“Your Highness, there is news from the palace that His Majesty’s health has declined. You are requested there immediately.”

Tang De pressed his uniform flat with both hands and lowered his head deferentially.

As expected, Oser’s glance was brimming with dissatisfaction.

During this sensitive period, it might be more difficult to separate Oser from Ling Yi than to apply for a raise.

“Father’s health hasn’t declined just once or twice. There’s been—-”

“Your Highness!” Tang De cut in anxiously, fearing that someone might overhear. “You can’t just say that.”

Ling Yi was looking forward to Oser’s departure, but since he couldn’t show that too obviously, he pretended to be reluctant to part with him: “It’s okay, Your Highness. I can take care of myself. Besides, I still have your mark on me.”

The mark left by an Alpha with strong mental strength was like a talisman for an Omega, causing all other Alphas to keep their distance.

Oser knew that he must go, but the resentment contained within him was about to burst through the roof.

“I’ll be back soon.”

He casually grabbed his uniform jacket, swung the long sleeves and hem through the air, and put it on with a fwip of air, looking heroic.

Tang De believed that if he were an Omega, he wouldn’t be able to resist the Alpha’s charm after witnessing this scene.

But Oser was indeed a person who was disregarded by all Omegas. Even when he looked so cool, the burly Omega nurse next to him kept sending Tang De flirtatious glances. The noble eldest prince didn’t even exist in his eyes.

Tang De blamed his parents for giving him a handsome face. He wondered if it was too late to disfigure it now.

Oser closed his eyes as he unhurriedly buttoned his uniform.

“If someone of questionable character gets in this time—”

Tang De stood at attention and swore: “I promise it won’t happen again, Your Highness!”

Luo Li wore a beaming look on his face as he saw Tang De off, and when he turned around, he found Ling Yi hooking his index finger at him.

He covered his pounding heart and remembered that not long ago, this was also an outstanding Alpha with the label of “Military Academy Idol.”

Not only that, but Ling Yi was the kind of Alpha who exuded a sort of bad boy aura underneath his handsome appearance, which had a strong appeal in itself. After the case went public, he had become the dream lover of Omegas across the country.

He approached excitedly: “What’s wrong, handsome? Let me check for you.”

Ling Yi grabbed his hand just in time: “Nothing’s wrong. I just became an Omega not long ago, and have no experience. I have a question for you.”

“It’s that kind of question, is it?” Luo Li covered his mouth with a giggle. “Then you’ve come to the right person. I’m an expert on gender issues!”

“Yeah…..” Ling Yi leaned over and lowered his voice. “Do you know under what circumstances an Omega can become pregnant?”

The love-struck look vanished from Luo Li’s eyes, replaced by a love for gossip: “As long as the mark has integrated, there is a chance of pregnancy. And the closer to your heat, the higher the chance rises.”

“Then I—”

“Your temperature was high when I measured it, but your other indicators were normal. I highly suspect it was stress-induced.”

Luo Li’s eyes lit up as if he had discovered a whole new world: “The whole country says that His Highness Oser is impotent, but it seems that the rumors may not be true.”

He nudged Ling Yi with his elbow: “How is His Highness Oser in that area? Will you tell me about it?”

Ling Yi rubbed his forehead, hating Lu Hulun to death in his heart, and even cursing Oser.

“Can you…..” He mumbled a few words that Luo Li couldn’t hear clearly.

“What did you say?” Luo Li put his ear closer to him.

Ling Yi repeated the words in his ear, and Luo Li stepped back in shock.

“You want Omega birth control pills?”

“Shh!” Ling Yi worried that Oser had left guards at the door, and quickly warned him to be quiet.

Luo Li lowered his voice as well: “Of course I can’t! Not to mention that I’m just a nurse and don’t have the authority to prescribe medicine, even if I did, what if the birth control pills conflict with your other medications? Whether it be injections or oral medications, or even your diet, only Doctor Pat can make those decisions.”

Ling Yi pretended to be unconcerned, and raised the corners of his mouth: “That’s true. How can medicine be taken carelessly? I was just joking.”

He pulled the blanket up and laid down: “I’m a little tired, so I’ll take a rest first.”

Ling Yi looked calm on the surface, but his brain was working at high speed, searching for someone he could use.

It went without saying that Pat, Tang De, and the others were Oser’s people; Lan Ze only cared about money, and Ling Yi was penniless. If Nan Ting were here, she might be willing to help, but she was unfortunately still unconscious.

“Um…..”

Ling Yi returned to his senses and found that Luo Li was still in the room, twirling his index fingers around each other.

“Is there anything else?”

“I won’t tell anyone what you just said. Not even His Highness Oser.”

Ling Yi never thought that Luo Li would have such a delicate heart under his rugged appearance, and couldn’t help but look at him with admiration.

“Then can you do me another favor? I need to meet with someone.”

. . . . . . .

There was a staccato knock on the door to the ward. This was the unified communication code of Luban Military Academy.

Ling Yi: “Come in!”

The door was pushed open, and Xi Lei reluctantly showed his face: “You were looking for me?”

He had been caring for Xi En in the intensive care unit when the pheromone tide occurred, and was lucky enough to be the only Alpha at the scene who wasn’t affected. He wasn’t even aware of what was happening outside.

This was his first time seeing Ling Yi after the operation, and he was not yet prepared to face him.

But then his brow furrowed, and he subconsciously flared his nostrils: “What’s that scent? It smells good.”

In the next second, he covered his nose tightly with a look of horror on his face.

Hidden behind that unfamiliar fragrance was another domineering, exclusive, and possessive pheromone scent.

He had once been tortured by the owner of those pheromones with a cigarette, and that was an impossible experience to forget.

When one set of pheromones covered another, there was only one possibility.

“You’ve been marked by His Highness Oser? You’ve really become an Omega?”

Even though he had known this would be the result, it was still difficult to believe when he saw it with his own eyes.

Ling Yi didn’t have time to talk nonsense with him: “Come here, I need to tell you something.”

Xi Lei took a couple of steps forward.

“Come closer! Do you think I’ll eat you?” Ling Yi said ferociously.

Xi Lei reluctantly moved closer to him, but his head continuously swiveled to look elsewhere.

Ling Yi really wanted to grab his collar and yank this person over: “I need you to help me get something. As soon as possible.”

Xi Lei’s eyes darted around as he avoided looking at Ling Yi: “What is it?”

“Special Omega contraceptive pills. Strong ones.”

This time, not only did Xi Lei look at Ling Yi, but his eyes almost popped out onto him: “You and His Highness Oser…..?!”

Ling Yi always took pleasure in irritating Xi Lei, and his bad habit relapsed: “That’s right, I slept with your idol. Are you jealous?”

“It’s already come to this, and you still have a mind to joke around?!”

Ling Yi abandoned his nonchalant expression and said: “I really need it right now. Lives are at risk.”

Xi Lei didn’t intend to ask whose lives were at risk, nor did he dare to ask: “Then why not just ask His Highness Oser?”

“I promised to bear him a child.”

“You’re deceiving His Highness?”

“It’s called a tactical delay, don’t ask so many questions. I recall that this medication is only effective within twenty-four hours. It won’t work if taken after that.”

Xi Lei still didn’t understand: “But why me?”

“His Highness Oser has eyes and ears everywhere. You’re the only one I trust in the entire medical college.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you?”

“You won’t,” Ling Yi said firmly. “I know you admire His Highness Oser, but you’re also a member of my family.”

The “family member” was stunned. Ling Yi urged anxiously: “Hurry up, ah!”

Xi Lei turned and walked toward the door, but stopped moving when he placed his hand on the door handle.

He lowered his head slightly, as if facing the door to reflect on his mistakes.

“I really detest you, you know. Whether you’re an Alpha or an Omega, my feelings toward you won’t change.”

Ling Yi pursed his lips: “I wouldn’t be surprised if you detested me even more from now on.”

“But what I said on the rooftop that day still stands. If you ever want to leave, I’ll find a way to take you, Dad, and Xi Lan away from here.”

Ling Yi was stunned for a brief moment, then smiled in relief.

“I owe you a thank-you. Both for taking the risk to break me out of prison, and for now.”

He said from the bottom of his heart: “Thank you, Brother.”

Xi Lei’s hand froze on the door handle, as if he had heard some terrible curse. He felt unnatural from head to toe.

“I’m so unlucky to have a little brother like you!”

Having said this, he slammed the door and left.

Ling Yi laughed, and only now did his nerves briefly ease.

“What a two-faced tsundere.”

. . . . . .

Ling Yi knew that obtaining the medicine would not be an easy task for Xi Lei, but didn’t expect that he would have to wait till nighttime.

The emperor’s condition didn’t seem to be ideal, and Oser had yet to show up. 

When a staccato knock sounded at the door again, Ling Yi immediately rolled over and got out of bed: “Come in!”

There was only a small nightlight in the room, dimly outlining Ling Yi’s silhouette.

Xi Lei was about to reach out and press the light switch when Ling Yi stopped him.

“Don’t turn on the light! The patrolling guards will see it.”

His eyes had long since adjusted to the light: “Do you have it?”

Xi Lei silently slipped a box of medicine from his sleeve: “How are you going to take it in the dark?”

“You don’t need to see to take medicine.”

He roughly tore open the package. There was one board, which contained eight tablets.

Xi Lei: “You should at least check the packaging to see how many to take, right?”

He was about to use the nightlight to take a closer look, when he saw Ling Yi raise his hand, tilt his head back, and swallow the medicine dry.

Xi Lei snatched back the remaining pills and found that they were half gone.

“Are you crazy?! You took too much!” he hissed in a low voice.

“No time to read it.”

“What if it poisons you?” Xi Lei cursed.

“A medicine sold in eight units definitely won’t kill someone if they take half.”

“Even if it doesn’t poison you, there might be side effects!”

“Side effects are better than no effect. I can’t take any risks.”

Xi Lei was speechless: “You…..lunatic!”

The remaining half of the medicine was in Xi Lei’s hand, but Ling Yi didn’t take it.

“You keep the rest. Give them to me next time.”

“Next time? There’s going to be a next time?”

“I don’t have anywhere to hide them here, and if someone finds out, I’m finished.”

Ling Yi carefully inspected the scene to make sure there was no suspicious debris.

Xi Lei was puzzled: “What do you mean you’re ‘finished?’”

“Finished means I’ll be imprisoned in the palace by His Highness Oser. I won’t be able to go anywhere for the rest of my life, only able to bear children for him.”

“His Highness Oser isn’t that kind of person!” Even if Ling Yi was his family, he couldn’t be allowed to slander His Highness Oser.

“Don’t let anyone find out. Find a way to burn the packaging and instructions,” Ling Yi directed.

Xi Lei’s mood was complicated. He’d never imagined that one day he would keep secrets with the person he hated while deceiving someone he admired.

Ling Yi pushed him and said: “His Highness will be back at any moment. Hurry!”

Xi Lei was even less willing to stay longer. If His Highness Oser found out he’d been here late at night, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself even if he had ten mouths.

As soon as he reached for the door, it opened by itself. Xi Lei was walking too fast to stop, and the person coming in bumped into him. Something flew out of his sleeve and fell to the floor.

The two exclaimed at the same time, then fell silent. It was obvious that neither of them wanted to make a ruckus.

“Who is it?!” the other person asked in a low voice, and turned on the light in the room.

Pat had heard that Oser hadn’t returned from the palace yet, and wanted to sneak over and check on Ling Yi’s physical condition. But he was caught off guard by the scene before him.

“Xi Lei? Why are you here so late?”

The moment the light came on, Ling Yi clearly spotted the medicine box on the floor and his heart immediately jumped into his throat.

Thinking quickly, he picked up the cup of water next to him and threw it on the floor.

The tableware in the hospital was made of special material, and even though it made a loud noise when it dropped, the cup remained intact.

Pat’s attention was indeed drawn.

“Ling Yi, what’s wrong?”

“I…..” Ling Yi held his forehead. “My head hurts.”

Pat was nervous: “Your head? Why does your head hurt?”

Xi Lei reacted immediately and stepped on the medicine box.

Ling Yi: “I want to drink some water…..my hands are too weak…..”

Pat: “Ah? Your hands are weak too? How long has this been going on?”

“I don’t know…..”

Ling Yi continued to press his head and cover his mouth, which made Pat so anxious that he hurried over to investigate.

“Where exactly does it hurt? Here? Or here?”

Ling Yi kept up the act to fool Pat while secretly monitoring Xi Lei from the corner of his eye.

He saw the other party cautiously bend down, trying to pick up the medicine box at his feet without Pat noticing.

Pat may have been ignorant for the moment, but then he thought about the person he was ignoring.

“Say, why on earth did you run to Ling Yi’s room in the middle of the night?”

Xi Lei straightened so quickly that he nearly sprained his waist.

“Well…..I…..” He never told lies, and even felt disgust toward those like Ling Yi who lied so easily.

“I asked him to come.” Ling Yi took over, his voice still a little weak. “I’m really worried about my adoptive father’s condition, so I asked him to notify me if there are any changes.”

“That’s right,” Xi Lei agreed stiffly. “Dad seemed to be waking up just now, so I came to tell him.”

Pat was surprised: “Xi En woke up so soon?”

Xi Lei: “Not really…..now that I think about it, I may have been mistaken.”

“What you think about during the day is what you dream about at night. Of course you saw wrong,” Ling Yi said disdainfully. “Next time, don’t come here and get people’s hopes up if you can’t see clearly.”

Pat was skeptical about these two singing the same tune.

“If that’s the case, why not turn on the light?”

Ling Yi said without thinking: “My eyes were irritated by something before and I couldn’t see anything. I can see a little better now, but I still can’t open my eyes around a strong light source.”

“When you turned the light on, Doctor Pat, I suddenly felt dizzy and dropped the cup.”

Eye problems were no small matter. Pat set the matter of Xi Lei aside and carefully examined Ling Yi’s pupils.

Ling Yi covered his eyes halfway and gave Xi Lei a meaningful look. He understood and bent down to pick up the medicine, then left and closed the door in one go.

It wasn’t until he completely left the ward that he breathed a sigh of relief.

Ling Yi was right. If this happened a few more times, someone was definitely going to die.

Xi Lei turned to go back to his room, but he had just taken a step when he was nailed to the spot by a voice behind him.

The question this person asked was familiar:

“What were you doing in Ling Yi’s room so late?”

---

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Chapter 17 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 19

Chapter 31 – Seed

This was the first time Feng Ye had spoken since Administrator Zheng began talking about past events.

Fang Yang looked toward him and nodded vigorously. He still remembered the story Useless Shixiong had told him a few days ago, about the common jiao that could be found everywhere in the eastern sea turning into a yinglong. And there was only one. In tens of millions of years, there was only ever one.

Then the yinglong who killed Jianmu a hundred years ago was probably the one in Useless Shixiong’s story.

From this moment on, he set a goal for himself. He would be like Yinglong, becoming the one who stood out from amongst the thousands of ordinary jiao in the eastern sea. 

And the aforementioned goal was actually not contradictory to his previous goal. Wanting to become as powerful as Yinglong had just transformed into wanting to defeat Yinglong.

In short, it was just as Useless Shixiong said. He would have to become very strong.

Fang Yang clenched his fists, setting an extremely ambitious goal in his heart.

Administrator Zheng took in that ambitious look for a moment, and in the end, he swallowed down words that would have been a blow to Fang Yang’s confidence.

A mortal wanted to defeat a god? And it was the ultimate heavenly God of War? His madness was on par with that of Ling Yun, who dreamed of reaching the heavens a hundred years ago.

Administrator Zheng didn’t believe that Fang Yang could do it. He wanted Fang Yang to face reality, but Fang Yang’s resolute expression made him swallow his words.

He had been young once, and young people were like this, ignorant of the immensity of the world. They would not listen to the lectures of their elders. Only when they personally hit a wall would they understand what lay beyond human control.

“And how was Jianmu after the fire?” Feng Ye suddenly asked.

Administrator Zheng was somewhat puzzled, as he had obviously already given a clear answer.

But Feng Ye likely hadn’t been paying attention, so Administrator Zheng repeated once more: “Jianmu was reduced to ashes by the fire. Not even a branch or leaf was left.”

“Not even a branch or a leaf?” Feng Ye repeated in a vaguely probing tone.

Now Hao Chen was a little confused. In this story from a hundred years ago, Hao Chen and Fang Yang were focused on Ling Yun and Yinglong, which was a normal reaction. But Feng Ye didn’t care about these two people at all. On the contrary, he was very interested in Jianmu instead.

“Naturally, in a fire like that, only a few people survived. How could something as flammable as wood and leaves survive?” Administrator Zheng proceeded to answer.

“Did you see it with your own eyes?” Feng Ye asked again, almost a little aggressive.

“I…..” Administrator Zheng wanted to claim to have seen it with his own eyes, but he hadn’t. He had only just entered the sect a hundred years ago, and his cultivation was similar to the level three Qi Refining disciple in front of him. He couldn’t even fly on a sword. 

Naturally, he hadn’t participated in the grand ascent to heaven over the eastern sea. Otherwise he wouldn’t be standing here telling the story to these three. 

Everything he knew was either hearsay or his own imaginings. But Feng Ye’s questioning made him feel a little embarrassed, so with a hint of displeasure, he gave the following testimony: “Although I didn’t see it with my own eyes, after the fire, many people went to the eastern sea to search for their friends and relatives who died in the disaster.”

“The island made of Living Soil was covered in ashes, and the ashes of people couldn’t be distinguished from those of the tree. But those searching for their friends and relatives still turned over the ashes cun by cun, trying to find their remains.”

“If Jianmu had escaped being burned entirely, it would have been discovered long ago. With so many eyes searching, it would have been impossible to hide.”

“But after that incident a hundred years ago, there has been no news of Jianmu in this world. It was most likely completely reduced to ashes,” Administrator Zheng said firmly.

Feng Ye didn’t ask further questions after hearing this, but his expression made it clear that he was still doubtful.

He crossed his arms and thought, What Administrator Zheng said actually makes sense. With so many people searching for the remains of their friends and relatives in full view of everyone, if someone had discovered something related to Jianmu, then why was there no news at all?

But if Jianmu had truly been burned to ashes, what about his dream?

Every scene in that dream matched the events of one hundred years ago. Feng Ye had actually heard about this event not long before Hao Chen and Fang Yang, about a month ago.

A month ago, when he infiltrated Lingxiao Sword Sect under his current identity. That night, while the junior disciples nearby were fast asleep, he sneaked into the library on the peak of the mountain without anyone noticing.

Hao Chen’s supposition was actually correct. He went to sleep earlier than a chicken and woke up later than a dog, not because he actually liked to sleep in, but because he really was going out like a thief in the middle of the night.

He had learned about Ling Yun’s efforts to ascend to heaven from the files in the library, and knew that the figure with his heart dug out in his dreams was Ling Yun.

Ling Yun’s ending was just as he had seen in his dream. He had turned to ashes along with Jianmu.

But this was not the end. At least, it wasn’t the end of his dream.

Once the flames died down, something broke through the ashes and emerged from the ground.

By its shape, it was clearly the seedling of Jianmu.

He wouldn’t be having the same dream over and over for no reason. And the heart-stopping sensation he felt upon seeing the newly-grown seedling at the end of the dream was so real. So real that when he awoke from the dream, he was unable to recover from the shock of impending disaster for a long while.

Jianmu must still exist somewhere in the world.

Feng Ye’s first suspect was Ji Chengyue, Ling Yun’s fellow disciple.

The relationship between these martial brothers was pretty good. At least, it was pretty good before Ling Yun became an eternal sinner.

In fact, Ji Chengyue was probably the closest person to Ling Yun after their master passed away.

He was also the most likely person to have hidden Jianmu. 

The shixiong had failed, so the shidi inherited his legacy. This was a logical assumption.

Thus, taking advantage of Ji Chengyue’s absence, Feng Ye once again sneaked up the mountain in the middle of the night and entered Ji Chengyue’s rooms. He turned the rooms upside down, but didn’t find anything that resembled a seed or a sapling.

There wasn’t even a trace of Ling Yun inside Ji Chengyue’s rooms.

Normally, when a friend or relative passed away, people would put a portrait or the belongings of that person in their rooms to remember them by. But Ji Chengyue’s rooms had none of these.

He seemed to be like everyone else, regarding his shixiong as an eternal sinner for whom even death was an insufficient punishment. He refused to even display a symbolic object in mourning. 

After hunting in vain, Feng Ye temporarily gave up his search.

Apart from Ji Chengyue, he had no idea who else would have hidden Jianmu.

But conspiracy and ambition had long been quietly surging in unseen places. The abyss in his dream and the person watching him from behind it was the real culprit in all of this.

Unfortunately, Feng Ye didn’t know who the other party was, nor what their plans were.

In such a situation where the enemy was in the dark and he was standing in the light, Feng Ye had adopted the most conservative and helpless method – sit still and wait.

He could only wait, for he had no leads.

He had chosen to do his waiting in Lingxiao Sword Sect, because it had been the beginning of the events of one hundred years ago, and was also the location the other party was most likely to appear.

He waited for a month, serving as a junior disciple. But apart from sweeping the floor and sleeping, nothing else happened.

Until four days ago, when Hao Chen showed up.

This guy somehow knew about his fake identity. His origins were suspicious, and his purpose was even more suspicious. Thus, when Feng Ye saw Hao Chen making up all sorts of excuses to stay in Lingxiao Sword Sect, he didn’t stop him.

He actually only let Hao Chen stay in order to act according to the situation. Otherwise, no matter how shameless Hao Chen was, he wouldn’t be able to stay if Feng Ye really didn’t want him to.

He was waiting for the other party to show his true colors, while at the same time sounding him out.

After four days of testing him, Feng Ye could pretty much rule out Hao Chen as the party in his dream who would bring about disaster. This guy had no idea about the events a hundred years ago, and didn’t care about Jianmu. Instead, his focus was all on Feng Ye himself.

Although Feng Ye was somewhat puzzled, having ruled out the other party as a suspect, he couldn’t be bothered to care about Hao Chen anymore. He planned to continue being an ordinary, diligent, though sometimes lazy junior disciple as he waited for the true culprit behind the scenes to show up.

Administrator Zheng’s recitation of past events was pretty much the same as what Feng Ye had read in the library files. The only difference might be that Administrator Zheng was a good orator and told the story more vividly.

But hearing the story again gave Feng Ye some inspiration.

“You just said that Ling…..” Feng Ye was about to directly say the name, but when Administrator Zheng heard that first word, he looked as terrified as if calamity was about to befall him. Feng Ye was forced to change his words halfway through: “That he…..found the seed in a secret realm?”

Fang Yang, Hao Chen, and Administrator Zheng were all unable to keep up with Feng Ye’s train of thought, and didn’t understand why he changed the subject so quickly.

But Administrator Zheng still nodded and answered affirmatively.

“Which secret realm was it?” Feng Ye asked.

“By coincidence, it was the same one that’s opening in a few days.” Administrator Zheng said with a sigh: “A hundred years ago, the Floating Island Secret Realm wasn’t as unstable as it is now. Back then, the lowest cultivator qualified to enter had to be at Golden Core stage.”

Having said this, he gave the three of them a warning: “Be careful if you go to the Floating Island Secret Realm. Although the highest level of cultivation of those entering the secret realm cannot exceed Foundation Establishment due to the secret realm’s impending collapse, the monsters inside are not subject to such restrictions.”

“The previous sect leader single-handedly fought two Nascent Soul monsters at the bottom of the sea in the Floating Island Secret Realm and obtained the Jianmu seed under their protection. It’s unknown if it was because he brought the Jianmu seed out of the Floating Island Secret realm, but after that, the secret realm showed signs of collapse. It was also after that when he established the convention that cultivators above Foundation Establishment were no longer allowed to enter the secret realm.”

It was a pity that while Administrator Zheng exhorted them earnestly, Fang Yang was the only one listening attentively to his enthusiastic advice.

When Feng Ye heard the words “Floating Island Secret Realm,” he had fallen deep into thought once more. He was just wondering why the Floating Island Secret Realm sounded so familiar, and it turned out that he had actually seen it.

At least, he had seen its name in the files in the library. Unfortunately, he had sneaked in during the middle of the night, and guards would walk past the door from time to time. He had read the files very hastily, and didn’t catch how Ling Yun had obtained the Jianmu seed.

After hearing Administrator Zheng’s words today, he suddenly realized that the seedling in his dream may not be the same one as a hundred years ago.

Who stipulated that there could only be one Jianmu tree in the world? Was there another seed where Ling Yun had found the first one?

The answer was unknown. The monsters at the bottom of the sea in the Floating Island Secret Realm were terrifyingly powerful, and ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t dare to stray down there. Only Ling Yun, who was at Hedao stage, dared to go in alone.

Therefore, only Ling Yun knew if there was an additional seed there.

It seems that no matter what, I must personally go to the Floating Island Secret Realm, Feng Ye thought.

Feng Ye was lost in thought, and so was Hao Chen. All of the questions Feng Ye asked were related to Jianmu. It seemed Feng Ye had a great interest in this topic. 

Why? Hao Chen looked at Feng Ye and pondered this question.

“The Floating Island Secret Realm is so dangerous? There are actually Nascent Soul stage monsters there?” Unlike the two who were distracted, Fang Yang was slightly apprehensive after hearing what Administrator Zheng said.

Although he was unable to participate in the afternoon competition due to his poisoning, the ranking he achieved that morning qualified him to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Administrator Zheng comforted him: “There’s no need to worry too much. The powerful monsters are all hiding at the bottom of the sea, and there aren’t any particularly strong ones on the island. As long as you’re careful, you shouldn’t run into any major problems.”

“Oh, I see. Many thanks.” Fang Yang thanked him very politely.

Feng Ye’s musing was interrupted by their conversation. He also gave thanks, then turned to leave.

He wasn’t qualified to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm. It was his own fault for not noticing the secret realm’s name in the files, and for not thinking that there might be another Jianmu seed. He hadn’t even registered, and now he had to go through the trouble of somehow getting a spot.

The Floating Island Secret Realm was opening in three days. He had to make haste.

Thus, he was in a hurry to leave.

Administrator Zheng stopped him in disbelief: “Wait, did you just come here for a story? Aren’t you here to select an earth-grade magic weapon?”

Feng Ye paused: “……”

He had completely forgotten.

---

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Chapter 30 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 32

Although Luo Li had a rugged appearance, his movements were agile as he performed disinfection, bandaging, and temperature measurement in one go.

“He only suffered superficial injuries, Your Highness. His other indicators are normal, aside from his elevated temperature.”

Oser: “What is the cause of it?”

“There could be many reasons, such as an inflammatory reaction, postoperative rejection, or others. The specific cause can only be determined by sending a blood sample for testing.”

“In your experience, which is more likely?”

“A reaction to the mark,” the experienced male Omega answered without hesitation.

“What does it mean?”

Luo Li covered his face again and giggled: “Your Highness has to be joking. The meaning of a marking reaction? It’s what you already know.”

“……”

Seeing his strange expression, Luo Li remembered that the Alpha before him was no ordinary Alpha: “Your Highness doesn’t know?”

Oser wore a displeased expression: “Either communicate better or I’ll replace you.”

Luo Li immediately became serious: “When an Omega is first marked by an Alpha, it causes a non-infection related temporary increase in body temperature due to the fusion of foreign pheromones. He’ll recover naturally in three to seven days, with the recovery speed depending on the individual’s constitution. As an Omega is repeatedly marked by the same Alpha, the marking reaction will weaken as the number of markings go up, until there are no symptoms at all. However, if marked by a new Alpha, the symptoms will increase significantly. In severe cases, it can lead to symptoms such as persistent fever and loss of consciousness.”

“Is that so? So a new Alpha can mark him,” Oser said coldly.

“I just memorized the introduction to physiology class material. An existing Alpha mark can only be overwritten by an Alpha with stronger mental power. A wise and powerful Alpha like Your Highness certainly doesn’t need to worry about such a problem.”

Having said this, he gave the wise and powerful Alpha a meaningful wink.

Tang De had just come in when he witnessed this striking scene.

He gasped in fear and inhaled the mixture of Ling Yi and Oser’s pheromones, feeling like his death was just around the corner.

Ling Yi, who had been sleeping soundly in bed, suddenly rolled over and sat up, as alert as a hedgehog with its spines standing on end.

“He’s here!”

Oser hastened over and took the man into his arms, but found that his eyes weren’t open.

“Who’s here?”

“The one who injected poison into the oxygen tube.”

Oser sent Tang De a suspicious look. The latter waved his hands fearfully, indicating that it had nothing to do with him.

Ling Yi couldn’t see, but he was very confident: “That person’s pheromones smell like methyl tert-butyl ether. I remember it very clearly.”

Tang De: “……”

It suddenly occurred to him: “Is it because I touched the assassin and the scent of his pheromones is still on me?”

“Why did you touch him?” Oser asked unhappily.

“You injured him so badly that there’s an eighty percent probability that he’ll die. I wanted to return him to the Prime Minister as a warning not to do anything rash. But Doctor Lan Ze said he has other uses for the body, so I gave it to him.”

Oser patted Ling Yi gently, coaxing him: “It’s okay, it’s okay. That person is gone. He won’t come back.”

The person in his arms visibly relaxed.

Tang De asked curiously: “It can’t be that you can distinguish every Alpha by their pheromones, right? What do mine smell like?”

Ling Yi thought for a moment, then said, “Probably…..isoamyl acetate.”

“Doctor Pat?”

“Cedrane epoxide.”

“And His Highness Oser?”

Ling Yi tilted his head to take a sniff, and said after some time: “I can’t describe it.”

Tang De endeavored to hold back his laughter. He knew His Highness was not a product of the natural world.

Oser glared at Tang De, not only because Ling Yi couldn’t describe his pheromones, but even more so because Ling Yi could describe so many other Alphas’ pheromones.

Then he asked Luo Li: “What’s wrong with his eyes?”

Luo Li: “Let me see……it’s not a big deal. He just suffered a shock before and is too afraid to open his eyes.”

He applied a few eyedrops to Ling Yi’s eyes: “Don’t be afraid, open your eyes slowly.”

Ling Yi slowly opened his eyes under his guidance. The first thing that entered his vision was a heroic, rugged face, which startled him.

“Who are you?”

Oser was once again unhappy. Pat had clearly promised that the first person Ling Yi saw when he opened his eyes would be Oser.

Tang De introduced him to Ling Yi: “This is Luo Li, the new nurse who will be taking care of you.”

Luo Li shyly hooked his pinky fingers together: “You can call me Luoluo or Xiao Luo.”

Ling Yi was in a stupor, and felt that it would be better if the world was a little hazier.

“Where’s Nan Ting?”

Tang De: “She was seriously injured while protecting you, but fortunately, her life is not in danger. The best treatment has been arranged for her, you can rest assured.”

“How is Doctor Pat?”

Tang De: “He’s still alive, but…..”

Oser continued: “How long that lasts depends on my mood.”

“And Doctor Lan Ze—”

Oser interrupted him: “Are you going to ask after everyone you know?”

It was only then that Ling Yi’s attention turned to Oser for the first time.

He looked as if he wanted to execute Pat thrice over.

With just one glance, everything that had occurred in the haze came to mind.

Although he hadn’t witnessed those wanton, obscene, and physically intertwined moments with his own eyes, they seemed vivid in his mind.

Ling Yi had imagined that since he made this deal with Oser in order to survive, no matter how well he prepared himself mentally, the first time he surrendered his body would inevitably be accompanied by humiliation and unwillingness.

But he had never expected that when the moment came, he would be the one clinging to Oser.

He was clearly no match for Oser in a fight, so why had he been so strong at that time?

The eye contact lasted three seconds before Ling Yi looked away in discomfort.

Luo Li stared at the two men. Sensing the unspeakable atmosphere between them, he stuffed a medicinal solution and cotton swab into Oser’s hands and began to command the prince in a booming voice.

“Your Highness used considerable force when you marked him. If the wound is not immediately disinfected, it could easily become inflamed. The back of the neck is very sensitive, so Your Highness should do it yourself.”

He gave Tang De a wink and hinted: “I need to send the blood and pheromone samples for testing, but the lab is on the sixth floor. What if some unscrupulous person breaks in? I’m so scared.”

Goosebumps rose all over Tang De’s body, but he could only bite the bullet and acquiesce: “How about I escort you there?”

Luo Li giggled: “Then I’ll have to trouble Captain Tang De to protect this flower.”

“Ai…..” Ling Yi started to stop them, thinking that a blood sample didn’t require mobilizing this many people. But the two of them fled in a hurry before he could even raise his hand. Nobody wanted to stay and act as a third wheel.

The ward was suddenly much emptier, making it even more difficult to ignore the fiery intensity of Oser’s gaze.

He had just been lowering the air pressure in the room, but now he was in such a good mood that it seemed Pat’s death sentence would be suspended.

In fact, the curve to Oser’s mouth was almost out of control.

Just as Ling Yi had thought. The resentment he had accumulated due to various trivial matters had vanished without a trace the instant Ling Yi looked away guiltily.

Because from the moment he met Ling Yi, he had always exuded an extreme rebelliousness, and actively controlled the rhythm of their interactions. Even when he pretended to be well-behaved, it was all a pretense.

This was the first time he had ever seen such an almost deflated expression on Ling Yi, and it was so genuine that it endeared him.

Compared to this, all of those messy trivialities seemed inconsequential.

“You were so enthusiastic before. Why are you shy now?” Oser teased.

What goes around comes around. Ling Yi’s usual shameless tactics weren’t going to work this time.

“Is it too late for me to pretend to have amnesia?”

“It’s not impossible. I didn’t intend for our first time to be so hasty. I originally at least wanted to cover my bed in rose petals…..”

“Stop!” Ling Yi shouted, unable to bear it. “Just don’t.”

Oser lowered his head, not wanting his smile to be too obvious.

Ling Yi slumped down on the bed in despair, exposing his neck. “Weren’t you going to apply medicine? Go on.”

Behind him, Oser didn’t move for a long time, and Ling Yi knew that he was admiring his masterpiece.

He hadn’t hesitated at all when he bit down, and the bite mark must look clean and sharp.

Ling Yi was waiting for the medicine to be applied, but what he felt was the back of Oser’s fingers gently gliding along the curve on the back of his neck.

When his knuckles glanced over the location of the gland, Ling Yi arched his back in discomfort.

An Alpha’s gland was absolutely not allowed to be touched by others, unless one was deliberately challenging the other party’s authority. This conditioned reflex developed over years made Ling Yi tense up in desperate resistance.

And an Omega’s gland was extremely sensitive. The slight touch made his limbs go weak and powerless, and an uncontrollable croon escaped from the corners of his mouth.

Oser heard the faint sound and asked: “Does it hurt?”

Ling Yi’s voice was muffled in the pillow: “I’ll bite you, and you can see if it hurts.”

Oser put two fingers together and lightly flicked the mark: “Naughty.”

“Ah—-”

This time, Ling Yi couldn’t help but cry out.

Oser was surprised: “It really hurts that much? I barely used any force.”

His surprise was swallowed up by Ling Yi’s angry glare. There were even traces of redness at the corners of his upturned eyes.

Oser now believed that he wasn’t exaggerating, but was simply puzzled: “I had the impression that you have a strong resistance to pain.”

At the execution grounds, he had gritted his teeth and said nothing even with a scalpel pressed against his gland.

Ling Yi stared at this Alpha who completely lacked any common sense biology knowledge, and said in a temper: “I’m an Omega now, can’t I be a little more delicate?”

Oser believed him, and said with a look of realization: “Then I’ll be a little gentler.”

Ling Yi buried his head in the pillow again and attempted to divert his attention by talking.

“Did anything go wrong with the surgery?”

Oser gazed at the back of his exposed neck, hands applying medicine mechanically as he was lost in thought.

He answered casually: “The mark is complete. How could there be a problem?”

“Thanks to Your Highness arriving in time, everything turned out fine. If you’d come a little later, I would have been marked by more than a dozen Alphas in turn.”

Crack.

A small noise cut through Ling Yi’s words, and Oser stopped applying medicine.

Ling Yi waited quietly, but there was no movement behind him.

He raised his head slightly: “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Oser threw away the broken cotton swab as if nothing had happened and replaced it with a new one. “I’ll ask Pat for an explanation for this when I see him.”

. . . . . . 

A figure sneaked into Lan Ze’s operating room. 

This was the special operating room provided to Lan Ze by the medical college for his personal use. Due to his unpredictable personality, no one dared to enter without permission, which made it one of the safest places in the medical college.

“Congratulations, Doctor Pat.”

Pat slipped and nearly fell.

When he looked up, Lan Ze was sitting in front of the operating table with his back toward him. He hadn’t even looked back.

Lan Ze’s tone was devoid of any warmth or emotion, but to the anxious Pat’s ears, his tone was full of sarcasm.

“Congratulations for what?”

Lan Ze proceeded to speak in a mechanical tone: “Congratulations on putting your theoretical research into practice. You are the first person in medical history to complete AO reassignment surgery. Next year’s Imperial Award for Medicine will be yours.”

Pat circled around Lan Ze to see that he was being earnest rather than sarcastic, which made him feel even more desperate.

“Isn’t there a possibility that I won’t live to see the award ceremony next year?”

“The award only honors achievements, so it can be given posthumously if the winner passes away.”

“Thanks so much, ah. When you go onstage to receive it for me, don’t forget to thank my mother,” Pat said bitterly.

Only then did he spare the energy to glance at Lan Ze’s surgical patient. The man was lying face down with a bloody mess on the back of his neck.

“Eek—” His reaction was pained, and he proceeded to express his doubts to Lan Ze: “I don’t understand. You smelled the cultivated pheromones and participated in the surgery, so what went wrong?”

“Perhaps there was nothing wrong with any of the steps.” Lan Ze removed a piece of bloody tissue from the back of the patient’s neck. 

“Then tell me why this pheromone tide induced almost all of the Alphas in the entire hospital to go into rut!” Pat gritted his teeth and repeated: “The entire hospital! This was completely different from what my reports deduced!”

“The beauty of medicine is that there are no 100% guarantees.”

Pat murmured helplessly: “Medicine may be beautiful, but I’ll be dead soon.”

He gazed up at the ceiling in a daze for a long while. When he looked back down, he saw Lan Ze putting a piece of tissue back onto the patient’s neck. For some reason, this action looked a little familiar.

After being here for so long, he finally remembered to ask: “What sort of surgery are you performing? Who’s this unfortunate fellow?”

“The assassin sent by the Prime Minister. He’s suffered damage to his gland, and won’t live long.”

Pat: O口O！？

Lan Ze: “Your research inspired me. If a healthy gland is transplanted, perhaps he will still survive.”

Pat: “Why are you saving him? This person came to assassinate Ling Yi, and nearly killed us all!”

“I just want to study the feasibility of this matter. Why not use a ready-made experimental subject?” Talking did not affect Lan Ze’s skillful suturing at all.

“…..Fine. Now that he’s in your hands, living isn’t necessarily more fortunate than being dead.”

Pat waved his hand. He didn’t have the energy to care about the fate of another person, and adopted a laissez faire attitude.

He asked casually: “But I recall that the medical college only cultivated one artificial Omega gland, the one that was just transplanted onto Ling Yi. Where did you get this healthy one?”

“It was ready-made.”

Pat: “Oh.”

Pat: “……”

Pat: O口O！！！？？？

He pointed at Night Crow in disbelief: “Y-y-you…..you gave him Ling Yi’s gland?!”

“Is there a problem?”

“Of course there is! That’s Ling Yi’s gland! From the moment he got off the operating table alive, he was the future consort!”

“I figured the future consort wouldn’t need his factory-issue gland anymore.”

“It seems he really doesn’t……but don’t talk about human organs like they’re machine parts! You should at least respect human beings, a highly intelligent life form. You can’t treat them like Legos, building them up and then tearing them down, right?!”

Lan Ze disagreed: “Since the advent of organ transplant technology, the average life expectancy for patients with various terminal illnesses has been extended by thirty-six years.”

Pat absolutely couldn’t listen to this. He covered his face in despair: “I’m done for. If His Highness Oser finds out, even having a few extra lives won’t stop my execution.”

He came to a decision, and warned Lan Ze in a fierce tone: “You and I know about this, but no third person can find out! If His Highness Oser discovers that someone arbitrarily gave his Omega’s gland to someone else, neither you nor I will live to see next year’s medical award ceremony!”

Lan Ze sighed and stopped what he was doing, as if he genuinely felt sorry for Oser.

“If His Highness could appreciate the fascination of medicine, he wouldn’t be so obsessed with Omegas.”

---

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Chapter 16 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 18

Chapter 30 – Emberless Horizon

“God of War Yinglong?” Fang Yang asked with some doubt.

No one answered him.

The God of War, Yinglong.

Hao Chen repeated this name to himself. He suddenly realized a small mistake in his previous thinking. What he’d said about all gods being born naturally was not entirely correct.

This statement was only correct up until one thousand years ago.

Gods must not only have power over mortals, but have a meaning or responsibility to justify their existence. 

Something that possessed only power was not qualified to be called a god. The meaning of a god’s existence was bestowed upon them by the Heavenly Dao at their moment of birth.

Most gods were born for the purpose of protection. Some protected very small things, such as a piece of land or a home. Others guarded very large things, such as the four seasons, the wind and rain in the mortal world, and the orbits of the sun, moon, and stars.

What Hao Chen guarded was the boundless North Sea, from which he took his title.

In this world, there were a limited amount of things worth protecting, and therefore a limited amount of gods. It was impossible for a new god to appear out of thin air.

But this absolute impossibility was overturned by one person a thousand years ago.

No, strictly speaking, it should be one dragon.

It was an ordinary dragon, a jiao, which could be found everywhere in the southern sea.

If there was one thing that was different about this jiao, it was that he was unlucky enough to accidentally enter the Emberless Horizon.

The spiritual energy in heaven had always been pristine, but as long as there was life in this world, absolute purity was impossible.

Hatred and resentment, the same as joy, were emotions that all living beings experienced.

Most resentment would slowly dissipate over time, but some resentment was so strong that time could not disperse it entirely.

But in order to maintain the purity of heaven, the Heavenly Dao naturally came up with a solution.

It opened up an additional space outside the three thousand worlds to accommodate the resentment that could not be dispersed.

Since the beginning of the world, all of the resentment that could not be dispersed had been dumped into this space like garbage.

Over tens of millions of years, this resentment had only grown larger and more terrifying.

It had grown to a scale comparable to that of a world.

At last, it was given a name – The Endless Horizon.

It was a world made of resentment, evil spirits, and every dark thing in existence.

There were three thousand worlds in existence, but the Endless Horizon was different from any of them. In this world formed from resentment and hatred, there was no sun, no moon, no stars – no light at all.

There was only darkness. 

Absolute, perpetual darkness.

The unfortunate jiao mistakenly entered such a place. Generally speaking, there should have been no return for him.

The word “endless” in Endless Horizon referred to endless darkness.

This was a world where only darkness could be seen. But there was another way to say its name. The word “endless,” 无尽, could be written as 无烬, or emberless.

In this world, besides the sun, moon, and stars, what else could shine?

Fire.

Fire able to ignite within the Endless Horizon could not be ordinary fire.

Soul fire was something that all living beings possessed. It was the radiance of the soul.

Only soul fire could be ignited within the Endless Horizon, emitting a brief burst of light.

It could only be brief, because in the Endless Horizon, the immense, heavy resentment would devour the souls that strayed into it and assimilate them into its uniform blackness.

The soul fire was swallowed by the darkness, then extinguished.

Once the embers of the flames dissipated, no light would remain.

Therefore, this place was also called the Emberless Horizon.

Anyone who strayed into it would have only one fateful outcome: they would be devoured and assimilated, without exception. No one had ever been able to escape from the Endless Horizon.

That jiao disappeared for three hundred years within the Endless Horizon. 

Three hundred years – more than a thousand days and nights, over a million shichen.

After such a long time, he should have been assimilated by the Endless Horizon like everyone else, his soul fire extinguished.

But contrary to expectations, this was not the case. Three hundred years later, he did something that shook heaven and earth.

Hao Chen still remembered it to this day. Even in the North Sea, which was thousands of li away from the southern sea, he could distinctly sense the unusual movement.

The North Sea was the northernmost point of heaven, a place of extreme cold. The monsters and spirits living there had long been accustomed to the biting cold there, and had their own ways to resist it.

But the coldness coming from the south still threw the creatures of the North Sea into a panic. Schools of fish were frightened and lost their way, whales were beached on glaciers, and shrimps and crabs floated to the surface.

Because that coldness was different from the chill in the North Sea. No matter how cold the North Sea was, it was just an external cold. But that chilling coldness penetrated into the bone marrow.

Hao Chen, who was sleeping as usual on the sea’s surface, awoke from his slumber the instant he felt that coldness, instantly transforming from a Kun fish to a Peng bird. He flapped his wings, creating waves three thousand li high.

He soared straight upward, and didn’t stop until he reached 90,000 li.

This was his defensive state. The fear brought on by the biting chill was not just felt by weak little creatures – he felt it as well.

He was already one of the greatest gods in heaven, and whatever could terrify even him was destined to be a disaster that swept across the entirety of the heavens.

He gazed far into the distance from the clouds. Although he didn’t know what sort of incident had taken place in the south, he could clearly see black qi rising into the sky.

This was the source of the coldness, resentment and evil so strong that it shook the heavens…..

Hao Chen immediately discovered the source of this black qi. There was only one place that contained such deep resentment…..the Emberless Horizon.

Someone had opened an entrance from the Emberless Horizon into heaven!

At this realization, Hao Chen immediately flapped his wings, a storm gathering beneath them as he formed a barrier. Whatever had escaped from the Emberless Horizon was undoubtedly an unprecedentedly powerful monster, a monster composed of all the resentment that had refused to dissipate since the beginning of the world. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what this monster would do upon reaching heaven.

Slaughter. Endless slaughter. This would be the doom of all of heaven.

All gods, big and small, were looking toward the south. Their reactions were exactly the same as Hao Chen’s. Upon realizing the terrifying nature of this newcomer, they did their utmost to protect the land they guarded.

However, before they could finish their arrangements, something unexpected occurred yet again.

Light appeared among the clouds obscured by black qi, breaking through the clouds and the darkness.

It shone almost gently upon the filthy clouds composed of resentment and hatred.

Iridescent clouds suddenly appeared on the horizon, and the divine bird symbolizing good fortune seemed to take inspiration from them. It spread its wings in the sky, spiraling and dancing.

A distant, solemn bell sounded in the sky, ringing in the hearts of all heavenly beings.

Hao Chen listened to the bell in shock. This was…..

Deification!

The Heavenly Dao had acknowledged this thing that had escaped from the Emberless Horizon!

It had acknowledged this utterly filthy person!

How could this be possible?

No matter how long these gods had lived, they were all stunned by this scene.

This was a miracle that had never happened before in the history of the world.

A common jiao that could be found everywhere had been deified? If this was told to the jiao in the southern sea, they wouldn’t believe it.

However, no matter how little everyone could believe it, it had already come to pass.

Moreover, this dragon was no longer a jiao. It had grown wings, and could fly across the earth and sky.

There were two horns atop its head, and sharp spurs on its tail. Its scales, which should have been green like other dragons, had turned black – exactly like the darkness of the Emberless Horizon.

Three hundred years.

Three hundred years in the Emberless Horizon.

He had thoroughly transformed from a jiao into an indomitable Yinglong. 

And he was recognized by the Heavenly Dao and bestowed a title…..

The God of War!

Hao Chen had never dealt with Yinglong before, partly because there was such distance between them. He didn’t have the leisure to visit him in the southern sea. 

His second reason was…..Yinglong had a bad reputation.

Although he was a god, an orthodox god acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao, he was ultimately different from an innately born god.

The other gods were born in heaven, and the source of their divine power was heaven’s pure spiritual energy. But he had been born in the Emberless Horizon, and the source of his power was the evil energy and resentment therein.

The resentment wasn’t too obvious, but the unconcealable evil energy was terrifying. One didn’t even need to get close – just seeing him from afar would make one’s mind and body tremble.

And Yinglong’s personality…..perhaps it had been influenced by the enormous resentment of the Emberless Horizon, because he was arrogant and cold, fierce and cruel.

In the thousand years since he became a god, he had conquered numerous lands and participated in battles of all sizes. Countless lives perished under his sword. And without fail, he emerged victorious in every battle.

His dissimilarity to other gods was reflected in every facet of his being.

The most prominent one was his title.

Other gods were born to protect, but he was born to kill and conquer.

The title “God of War” was well-deserved.

Hao Chen hadn’t expected this matter to be related to Yinglong.

He lamented to himself, Prime Minister Turtle is obviously a turtle, so why does he have such a crow mouth? Prime Minister Turtle had been worried that the thief was one of Yinglong’s people, but Hao Chen hadn’t taken him seriously at all.

Now, it seemed that although it was still unclear how the thief was related to Yinglong, the thief had stolen a drop of water – a drop of cold water from the abyss in the far north. This was too similar to what Administrator Zheng had said about the Xuanming water that condensed from the cold air of the snow-capped mountains on the northern border, which was used by Ling Yun to irrigate Jianmu.

Hao Chen was certain that the thief must have something to do with this past event, which was related to Yinglong.

This time…..we’re in big trouble….. Hao Chen thought with some anxiety.

While Hao Chen was lost in thought, the scene on the jade slip continued. When Yinglong appeared amongst the clouds, he gazed down at the mortals who were ascending to heaven via Jianmu.

The miniscule figures of the mortals reflected in those golden eyes.

So resplendent, so indifferent, so…..intolerant of even a speck of dust.

He suddenly raised his arm, and in his palm, light gathered into the shape of a dazzling, eye-catching sword.

However, this sword that shone on the surface actually contained a core of evil energy hidden inside the light.

This sword was made from a spur on Yinglong’s tail, and like Yinglong, the true source of its power was the resentment in the Emberless Horizon.

The light was just a cover bestowed by heaven when Yinglong became a god. But his essence was, after all, that of a filthy thing from the Emberless Horizon.

A dark, terrifying energy surged fleetingly through the sword.

Hence, the sword’s name – Fleeting Shadow.

When Fleeting Shadow was fully unsheathed, Yinglong swung the sword without hesitation. He cared not for the mortals on the tree, nor the disaster that would follow if it collapsed.

He was cold and determined, with an unshakable will.

The towering Jianmu tree was cut off at the waist.

The lower half of the tree remained standing on the island made of Living Soil, but the other half began to tilt and collapse.

Those who at the beginning were trying to be the first to reach heaven were now filled with terror. They wanted to run and hide, but there was nowhere to go.

In the end, they could only fall along with the collapsing Jianmu.

The falling Jianmu began to burn in the air, and the sound of ear-piercing wails met the others’ ears.

No matter how desperately they screamed, no matter how hard they wailed, the expression on Yinglong’s face never wavered. Fleeting Shadow disappeared from his hand, and he remained standing there after severing Jianmu.

He watched the heavenly flames falling to the ground, as well as the devastating tsunami caused by Jianmu’s fall into the eastern sea.

He stood there and observed this tragedy until…..the passage opened by Jianmu slowly closed, and Yinglong vanished from the sky.

The scene recorded on the jade slip was about to end. The last scene was that of lingering wails amongst a sea of flames.

Perhaps there were more sounds than that, but with so many people struggling within the sea of fire, they were difficult to distinguish.

Administrator Zheng put away the jade slip. Nobody spoke for a long time.

After a while, Fang Yang thought to say: “It’s so tragic…..” His voice was somewhat subdued. He had never witnessed such a tragic scene.

Some of those who climbed Jianmu fell to their deaths, and some burned alive. Human-shaped charcoal put up a last struggle before death, trying in vain to extinguish the flames on their bodies.

In the end, they could only die in burning agony.

There were some who survived by chance, but their numbers were very few.

“By the way, where is Ling…..the sect leader?” Fang Yang asked in sudden realization. He didn’t see Ling Yun on the recording.

But despite asking, he could probably guess Ling Yun’s ending.

Administrator Zheng confirmed his guess: “He’s dead.”

“He shared a connection and a heart with Jianmu. Jianmu burned to ashes, so he naturally died along with it.”

Fang Yang’s expression grew even more subdued, and he asked a question he had been wondering about: “Then why…..can’t we mention his name?”

Administrator Zheng glanced at Fang Yang and answered: “Because he committed a sin. He is a person condemned by history, an eternal sinner. It was his act of planting Jianmu that brought about this disaster.”

Fang Yang was momentarily stunned. Then he retorted angrily: “How can this be! He clearly did nothing wrong. What was wrong with him planting Jianmu? So many people wanted to climb to heaven on Jianmu, so why accuse him of a crime in the end?”

Hao Chen couldn’t help but send Fang Yang a glance when he heard this, thinking with some amusement: Why accuse Ling Yun of a crime? Isn’t the answer obvious?

Administrator Zheng made the answer clear: “Because he lost, so he was in the wrong.”

“Lost…..” Fang Yang repeated blankly.

It was a simple truth that right and wrong were determined by the victor.

Feng Ye also looked over at Fang Yang. When he heard Administrator Zheng’s words, he pursed his lips slightly.

“Yinglong…..why did he want to chop down Jianmu?” Fang Yang murmured after a moment of silence.

How could mortals guess the mind of a god? But…..since he’d already shared so much today, Administrator Zheng might as well share his own hypothesis: “Because he would not permit mortals to offend their superiors by trying to ascend to heaven.”

Hao Chen nodded in agreement. Based on what he’d heard of Yinglong’s character, it wasn’t surprising at all that he would chop down Jianmu. 

How could such a cold and arrogant god tolerate humans as tiny as ants trying to ascend to heaven?

Feng Ye didn’t speak, just staring at the floor in a trance.

“But…..but…..” Fang Yang grew angrier the more he thought about it: “But it’s clear that that disaster was entirely caused by Yinglong. If he hadn’t chopped down Jianmu, how could there have been so many casualties? Why did you all confuse right and wrong and put all the blame on Ling Yun!”

Due to his anger, he blurted out that taboo name.

He said it too fast, and Administrator Zheng didn’t have time to stop him. He could only cover Fang Yang’s mouth after he spoke.

“Mm, mmn!” Fang Yang glared at Administrator Zheng resentfully.

Still covering Fang Yang’s mouth, Administrator Zheng looked up fearfully. When he didn’t see anything unusual, he released Fang Yang with a sense of relief. 

He wiped his forehead, and his hand came away covered in cold sweat.

Seeing the furious look on Fang Yang’s face, he said tiredly: “Never mention that name again. If Yinglong hears it…..”

He didn’t continue, but it was easy to guess what would happen if Yinglong heard it.

After Yinglong severed Jianmu a hundred years ago, people harbored awe and fear for this great god, but was there no hatred among them?

Of course there was.

But they didn’t dare display it or speak of it.

In order to prevent Yinglong from taking his anger out on them, everyone tacitly pushed the blame onto Ling Yun. Such a heinous crime had been committed by Ling Yun alone.

It was just so. If Ling Yun hadn’t had the crazy idea to plant Jianmu, who else would have thought of it? If Jianmu hadn’t been planted, how could Yinglong have been drawn out?

In order to shirk responsibility, as well as to please that great god in heaven, Ling Yun was branded as an eternal sinner. In order to not upset Yinglong, no one dared mention Ling Yun’s name for fear of infuriating him. 

However, Administrator Zheng’s warning only made Fang Yang even angrier. He felt that what Ling Yun experienced was unfair. Ling Yun had done nothing wrong, yet he was accused of such a crime.

It was all because of that arrogant Yinglong.

With this in mind, Fang Yang clenched his fists and vowed: “One day, I’ll defeat Yinglong and make him admit his mistake!”

Upon hearing this, Hao Chen couldn’t help but shake his head with some mockery. Newborn calves really weren’t afraid of tigers.

How powerful was Yinglong?

He was so strong that there was likely nobody in the heavens who dared to stand up and say that they could definitely defeat him. Hao Chen also didn’t dare.

Yet Fang Yang, a human at the third level of Qi Refining, said he was going to defeat Yinglong?

This was probably the funniest joke he had ever heard in his life.

Even the absent-minded Feng Ye couldn’t help but smile. Unlike Hao Chen, his smile contained no mockery, but was more like an elder looking upon a boastful child with a smile of tolerance and helplessness.

“Then you must become very strong,” Feng Ye said softly. “Very, very strong.”

---

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Chapter 29 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 31