Chapter 1023: Truly a Master of Sound

With a single word, he astonished three people, demonstrating the immense power of Er Niu's rhetoric. Others might spend one lifetime refining their eloquence, but Er Niu had cultivated his verbal prowess for generations, mastering it completely. If there were a system for cultivating verbal skills, Er Niu would be infinitely close to its pinnacle.

Even Xu Qing, whose divinity now predominated, cast a glance at Er Niu beside him.

Er Niu, feeling triumphant, held his head high, puffed out his chest, and wore an arrogant expression. He suddenly found a new challenge in Xu Qing.

"Making a normal little Ah Qing adore me is no challenge; it's too easy. What I truly aim for is to earn the rational respect of little Ah Qing, even when his divinity is dominant. That would be real skill."

Er Niu coughed, about to continue speaking.

Just then, outside the pagoda, on the broken glacial landscape, the drama involving Yue Dong and the other two reached its first climax.

As Yue Dong raised her hand and pointed, Lan Yao, who had regained her senses, experienced another violent surge of emotions. Her seven emotions and six desires erupted continuously from Lan Yao, manifesting as threads that were drawn from her body and spread towards Lu Lingzi.

Lan Yao trembled all over, her expression contorted in pain. She wanted to struggle, but soon even the thought of resistance was drowned by her emotions. Beside her, Yue Dong ignored Lan Yao's pain and looked towards Lu Lingzi.

"Lu Lang, I previously disordered Lan Yao's seven emotions and six desires, preparing a fertile ground. Now, I have caused her emotions to erupt. All conditions are met! After your success, remember our agreement. I want Feng Lintao's inheritance to brand my immortal techniques with authority, and you will then rise swiftly to the highest rank, achieving the position of Grand Minister."

Lu Lingzi, his eyes tender, gazed at Yue Dong, nodding with a sincere smile as he softly spoke. "I will certainly not forget. In the future path of the Great Dao, you and I shall walk together!"

Yue Dong fell silent for a moment after hearing his words, then took a deep breath, her expression resolute. She formed a hand seal and pointed again, and instantly, the last shred of consciousness in Lan Yao's eyes dissipated. All that remained was emptiness and bewilderment. She was now ready for fusion.

Lu Lingzi took a deep breath, a hint of anticipation rising in his eyes, and walked towards Lan Yao. As his right hand lifted, it made contact with the threads of seven emotions and six desires emanating from her. The moment they touched, these threads rapidly merged into Lu Lingzi's fingers, fusing with his flesh and blood, and connecting with his soul.

The next moment, Lan Yao's trembling intensified, her aura gradually weakening. The threads of fate, formed by her seven emotions and six desires, continuously flowed into Lu Lingzi's body. Along with them, Lan Yao's flesh and blood also transferred. She rapidly wasted away. Furthermore, her cultivation power also flowed along the threads of seven emotions and six desires, surging into Lu Lingzi.

Most importantly, Lan Yao's pure bloodline, inherited from the Great Emperor, also began to transfer.

The emptiness in Lan Yao's eyes deepened, and her bewilderment grew more profound. Yet, as if guided by an unseen sorrow, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, gradually becoming crystalline before flowing down her emaciated cheeks.

Lu Lingzi saw these tears and, with a soft sigh amidst the fusion, he paused.

Yue Dong, witnessing the scene from the side, suddenly spoke. "Can't you bear it?"

Lu Lingzi shook his head. "It's not reluctance. I'm merely wondering when this act you two are performing will take a turn. Even tears have appeared; it looks incredibly real. Is it perhaps the moment I completely fuse with her? Yue Dong!"

"The backlash method you concealed within Lan Yao's seven emotions and six desires, though cunning, was still detected by me!" Lu Lingzi smiled, looking at Yue Dong.

Inside the sky pagoda, Xu Qing watched the scene expressionlessly, his focus on observing Lu Lingzi. Er Niu, beside him, clearly focused on the unfolding plot, heard the words and his eyes instantly lit up. He then shouted, "It's going to reverse! I knew it! These three are truly making things exciting! Yue Dong, your plan has been seen through! Quickly counterattack, or if you miss this window, succeeding again will be infinitely harder!"

As his words rang out, Yue Dong frowned, ignoring Er Niu to gaze at Lu Lingzi. "Lu Lingzi, what do you mean?"

Lu Lingzi smiled, a peculiar glint appearing in his eyes. "Didn't you hear what that fellow Daoist in the pagoda just said? Although you still wish to continue this charade, I've lost interest... What I mean is, I no longer want this fusion!"

With that, Lu Lingzi suddenly raised his right hand and reached for Lan Yao. The power of his Nine God-蕴 Realms erupted with a roar, unleashing a fatal strike that caused winds from all directions to howl as it surged directly towards Lan Yao. He intended to crush Lan Yao, who was currently unconscious.

Yue Dong's expression instantly changed. She felt Lu Lingzi's killing intent—it was genuine, not a mere test. Immediately, she formed hand seals and pointed. Instantly, the threads of seven emotions and six desires emanating from Lan Yao shone with dazzling light, each transforming into a curse that branded itself onto Lu Lingzi. Moreover, the seven emotions and six desires he had already fused with within his own body also transformed into curses at that moment, erupting within him.

At the same time, Lan Yao, who had been empty and bewildered, suddenly revealed intelligence in her eyes. Her body swayed, and she astonishingly regained full mobility, her expression now chilling. She then slapped her forehead with her right hand. With a boom, the seven emotions and six desires she was emitting erupted even more intensely, actively surging the threads of fate towards Lu Lingzi! She, remarkably, had not lost consciousness from beginning to end. This hunt, originally targeting her, now appeared to have turned, with the prey becoming the hunter.

Her coordination with Yue Dong was incredibly tacit, clearly the result of multiple rehearsals. The moment they acted, the curses formed by the seven emotions and six desires immediately surged.

A voice then echoed in all directions. "Lu Lingzi, this entire scenario today was arranged for you. Do you truly believe I, Lan Yao, am unaware of your intentions? Let me tell you, little Lu Zi, I know everything about your schemes."

The speaker, however, was not Lan Yao. It was Er Niu from inside the sky pagoda, who, not one to shy away from a good show, imitated Lan Yao's voice and sent out the message.

At this moment, neither Lan Yao nor Yue Dong was in the mood to pay attention to Er Niu's words. Their attacks were sharp, and the curses instantly erupted from Lu Lingzi's body. Lu Lingzi's body swayed, his aura turbulent, showing signs of weakness. Yet, his expression remained unchanged throughout; he even smiled at this moment, just as he was about to speak.

The voice came again. "Yue Dong, you vile woman! Lan Yao, you vile woman! Do you two truly believe victory is within your grasp? I, your great Lu Zi, a disciple of the Great Emperor, have never trusted you. Since I've made my move today, I naturally have absolute confidence to ensure your utter failure."

It was still Er Niu, who had preemptively spoken. He was like a voice actor, narrating the story for the three participants.

Hearing these words, Lu Lingzi's smile widened. Even while suppressing the curses within his body, he looked up at the pagoda. "This fellow Daoist has indeed spoken my mind!"

As he spoke, a sharp glint flashed in Lu Lingzi's eyes. He took a step, not towards Yue Dong and Lan Yao, but into the mid-air. He raised his right hand towards an empty space and suddenly unleashed a punch. The nine great worlds within him roared in unison, infusing terrifying power into the punch, making it seem capable of shattering everything.

The moment his fist landed, the empty space suddenly twisted with ripples, and six figures surprisingly flashed out from within, directly confronting Lu Lingzi. Tremendous rumbling sounds surged heavenward. Blood overflowed from Lu Lingzi's lips, and his body rapidly retreated. The six figures also spat out blood and retreated, revealing their middle-aged appearances. Their appearances held subtle similarities to Lan Yao. All of them now glared at Lu Lingzi, their killing intent permeating the air.

"Six elders of the Lan family from the Nine God-蕴 Realms have secretly descended upon Wang Gu! It appears this hunt isn't Lan Yao hunting me, but rather your Lan family hunting me! And speaking of which, since the Lan family's Old Ancestor has arrived, why does he not show himself?"

Lu Lingzi looked up towards that empty space. At that moment, the space twisted again, and the figure of an old man in luxurious robes materialized from within. The instant he took a step, the heavens and earth changed color, winds surged, clouds gathered, and the terrifying might of a Sovereign descended. The moment he walked over, both Lan Yao and Yue Dong immediately bowed to him, as did the other six elders.

The old man was expressionless. After nodding slightly to Lan Yao and Yue Dong, he looked at Lu Lingzi and spoke indifferently. "Although you do not possess the Great Emperor's bloodline, you do have a demonic eye, a rarity seen once in ten thousand years. This is why the Ancestor Great Emperor accepted you as a disciple, and also why our clan accepted you as a son-in-law! As for the hunt... you coveted my clan's bloodline, and my clan coveted your demonic eye. It's quite fair!"

This scene unfolded before Xu Qing's eyes within the pagoda, a thoughtful look flashing within them. Er Niu, beside him, witnessed all of this. He blinked. "Oh my, this situation has escalated quite a bit! I wonder what fallback little Lu Zi has prepared!"

Outside the pagoda, Lu Lingzi looked at the newly descended Lan family's Old Ancestor and his party, nodding with a smile. "Indeed fair! Therefore, from the moment I married into your Lan family and became a disciple, I have never trusted any of you, nor my master!"

Seeing the situation reach this point, Lu Lingzi remained composed. Both Lan Yao and Yue Dong, along with the Lan family's Old Ancestor—the sole Sovereign of their clan—felt their hearts sink slightly.

"Lu Lingzi, I know you are extraordinary. That's why, before descending, I used the ongoing war to neutralize all your fallback plans within the sacred land, tying them all down! At this moment, you have no escape route!"

As the Lan family's Old Ancestor spoke, the aura from his body transformed into a suppressive force that enveloped all directions. The might of a Sovereign caused the winds and clouds to change color, as if all power converged within him, making him the master of this place. He then stepped towards Lu Lingzi. With every stride, the heavens and earth rumbled, as if the very world was shaking.

Yet, facing all this, Lu Lingzi's expression remained serene, a smile still gracing his face. He spoke softly. "My fallback?"

As he spoke, he looked up at the Sacred Sky Pagoda standing in the sky. He looked at Er Niu.

Er Niu froze.