Chapter 1027: You Pay the Bride Price, I Enter the Bridal Chamber

Beneath the glacier, in the Northern Reaches near the Eastern Borders, it was pitch black. Thick layers of ice formed the ceiling of the ice river, enveloping the entire area.

The piercing cold of the ice river and its deep chill should have caused the water to freeze. However, the river water here was peculiar, containing both foreign matter transformed by divine aura and spiritual power. Depending on the distribution at different depths, the freezing point also varied. The deeper one went, the more the freezing point defied comprehension. Even though Xu Qing and Second Bull could no longer feel any heat within their bodies, relying solely on their cultivation to sustain their life force, the water still hadn't frozen!

Meanwhile, the cold intensified with their descent!

By the time they reached a depth of approximately thirty thousand zhang, Xu Qing paused! While his physical body could naturally withstand further descent, his soul was already feeling the pressure! But he could at least endure another ten to twenty thousand zhang of descent!

However, Feng Lintao and Yue Dong had already reached their limits! Any deeper, and they would be unable to manifest their immortal arts and inheritances!

Second Bull, on the other hand, displayed his peculiarity to the fullest, remaining completely unharmed. In fact, it felt to Xu Qing that Second Bull was much more at ease in this icy river than he was outside!

"Your Senior Brother will always be your Senior Brother!"

Noticing Xu Qing's gaze, Second Bull looked smug! Hearing this, Xu Qing cooperatively showed an expression of admiration, which greatly pleased Second Bull. However, Second Bull also knew that Feng Lintao and Yue Dong were not suited for deeper exploration!

So, after the two exchanged glances, they decided to initiate Feng Lintao's inheritance here!

With a wave of his hand, Second Bull caused Feng Lintao's soul to appear in the ice river. The moment it materialized, his soul body immediately trembled and visibly began to freeze! The intense life-or-death crisis made Feng Lintao's mind reel, and he unleashed all his soul power without hesitation, attempting to resist the intense cold! But the effect was minimal! So Feng Lintao had to float upwards. It wasn't until he ascended three thousand zhang that he barely managed to stabilize himself, preventing his soul body from turning into an ice sculpture!

"So useless." Second Bull frowned and rebuked him!

Feng Lintao felt wronged deep down. He wanted to tell Second Bull that he was a soul body without a physical form, so his manifested strength was naturally much weaker! Moreover, none of this was his wish; it all happened because he was lured. Furthermore, he had been restrained by the two of them along the way, so his strength was naturally very limited! However, he dared not voice these grievances, burying them in his heart while still maintaining a fawning expression!

The truth was, he was very worried that after handing over the inheritance, his value would become infinitesimally small... If he displeased the other party, he feared that by then, he would surely face death!

Although he had constantly pondered how to break free along the way, he had not yet found any solution! At this moment, under the watchful gaze of Second Bull and Xu Qing, those tiger-like gazes made Feng Lintao's heart tremble. Yet he dared not disobey, so he steeled himself and looked at Xu Qing!

"Fellow Daoist Xu Qing," he began, "Next, I will sincerely and honestly, without any concealment or detrimental methods, fully exert myself to transfer the inheritance and help you transform it into an authority!"

"I have no other requests, nor do I hope you will restore my freedom. I just want to live, even if I become a slave, it doesn't matter. So, Fellow Daoist Xu Qing..."

"I wish to trust you, and I hope you can give me a promise."

Feng Lintao looked at Xu Qing. After he finished speaking, before Xu Qing could say anything, Second Bull, who was nearby, became displeased!

"What do you mean you don't want to trust me?"

Feng Lintao's heart trembled, and he was about to explain when Xu Qing's voice interrupted him!

"I will do my best within my capabilities to send you back to the Human Race. As for your life and death, that will be decided by the Empress!"

The moment Xu Qing's words were spoken, Feng Lintao's heart finally settled, and he let out a long sigh of relief! If Xu Qing had fully agreed, he would have felt uneasy instead, but Xu Qing's words demonstrated sincerity! So Feng Lintao's eyes showed resolve; he no longer hesitated nor made any more demands. At this moment, he formed a hand seal and pressed it to his glabella!

Immediately, his soul body shone with brilliant light, like a star within this dark ice river! Furthermore, strands of silk-like lines, due to the extreme cold, emerged on his soul body, intertwining and outlining a blooming flower! The moment this flower totem appeared, a strange fragrance wafted out!

As it expanded outwards, a sense of primal and vast power rose from this flower. That was... the aura of a Great Emperor! If this aura were to manifest in the outside world, it would be illusory! But appearing in this icy river, it gained substance, becoming a ring composed of countless imprints, manifesting around Feng Lintao, continuously rotating and shining! It shimmered in harmony with the flower totem! Ultimately, this ring, as if an emanation of that flower, materialized into a flower outside Feng Lintao's soul body.

Each imprint forming this flower exuded a sense of Dao essence. Upon closer inspection, these imprints were blank, containing no will and no trace of magical arts! All they contained was the purest, most fundamental essence of the Grand Dao!

"This is the authority transformed from the Great Emperor's inheritance of my Liaoxuan Holy Land," Feng Lintao explained. "It is blank, and suitable magical arts and divine abilities can be imprinted onto it to form an authority. However, not all magical arts can succeed, and each failure will cause some of the inheritance imprints to permanently dissipate, so it's best to succeed on the first try!"

Feng Lintao immediately spoke, his expression twisted. Clearly, manifesting the inheritance, even with the aid of the environment, was still difficult for him!

"Fellow Daoists," he added, "I can only sustain this for the duration of an incense stick. Decide quickly what magical art you want to imprint."

Xu Qing and Second Bull exchanged glances! This opportunity meant they didn't have to choose Yue Dong's immortal art. However, since Yue Dong had planned to imprint her immortal art into an authority, she must have made preparations, making success highly probable! Xu Qing pondered! Second Bull narrowed his eyes!

"Little A'Qing," Second Bull said, "I'm thinking about something. Is Yue Dong's plan truly just to transform her immortal art into an authority? Based on my several encounters with Yue Dong, this woman feels incredibly cunning to me! So, isn't it possible that she has subsequent plans? Transforming it into an authority might just be an important part of her ultimate plan!"

After Second Bull finished speaking, Xu Qing was pensive! Recalling Yue Dong's previous cooperation with Lan Yao, if she truly was only after Feng Lintao, then there would have been no need for her to deeply involve herself in the struggle between the Lan family and the Great Emperor's disciple, Lu Lingzi. She should have had other ways to bypass the Lan family and seize Feng Lintao's inheritance! Yet she specifically chose the path that, if successful, would yield the greatest gains for the Lan family!

"She definitely has other motives."

Xu Qing and Second Bull exchanged glances. Then, as he raised his hand, Yue Dong, controlled by the shadow, appeared in the river! The moment she appeared, Yue Dong's body trembled, her eyes still filled with malice. But her body was controlled by the little shadow; she couldn't resist, only allowing the little shadow to control her words!

"Master," the little shadow conveyed, "No other motives were found in this woman's memory. It seems transforming the immortal art into an authority is her ultimate plan!"

Xu Qing's eyes were cold. He looked at the malice in Yue Dong's eyes and spoke indifferently!

"Control this woman, unleash her immortal art," Xu Qing commanded. "This inherited authority won't be imprinted with other magical arts; only her immortal art will be used."

The little shadow obeyed! Under its control, Yue Dong raised her hands, and the immortal art, Six Thieves of Delusion, immediately unfolded! As the seven-colored light shone, the malice in Yue Dong's eyes was swiftly replaced by anxiety. But it was no use; she could only watch helplessly as her physical body uncontrollably performed the immortal art!

Soon, a brilliant seven-colored light erupted from her body, forming a sea of seven-colored light that completely enveloped the flower formed outside Feng Lintao's body! Those blank imprints, under this illumination, rapidly absorbed the seven-colored light, turning into seven colors. Finally, when the little shadow made Yue Dong raise her hands and forcefully strike forward! Immediately, the connection between the sea of seven-colored light and Yue Dong was directly severed! All the seven-colored light poured into Feng Lintao's inheritance flower, dispersing into all the imprints, turning the blooming flower into a seven-colored flower!

Gazing at this flower, a conflict arose in Feng Lintao's heart; he had the urge to claim it for himself. But the next instant, Xu Qing's figure appeared behind him, and Second Bull stood before him! Under Xu Qing's cold gaze and Second Bull's half-smile, Feng Lintao had to suppress the stirring unrest in his heart and spoke sincerely!

"Fellow Daoists," he said, "by pouring Liaoxuan Holy Liquid, you can completely solidify it!"

"The Liaoxuan Holy Liquid is hidden in my soul. In my current state, outsiders cannot retrieve it, which would affect the formation of the authority. So please, release my restraint and retrieve it on my behalf!"

Feng Lintao tried his best to make his expression appear utterly sincere! This was his last trump card! He had fundamentally misjudged one thing, however: Xu Qing also possessed Liaoxuan Holy Liquid, and far more than he did.

So the next instant, Xu Qing raised his right hand, took out a bottle, and with a wave, dozens of times more Liaoxuan Holy Liquid than Feng Lintao possessed poured out from the bottle! The moment it landed on the seven-colored flower, its sufficient quantity caused the flower to rapidly solidify, transforming completely from an illusory state into reality!

The next instant, as Xu Qing raised his hand, a 'crack' sound echoed, and the seven-colored flower suddenly detached from Feng Lintao, flying towards Xu Qing! It was caught by Xu Qing and held in his palm! This scene made Feng Lintao's eyes widen, and his mind roared!

"So much..." He immediately guessed the reason, realizing that on that day in the Liaoxuan Holy Liquid cave, the holy liquid wasn't as scarce as he had thought, but had been taken by Xu Qing in advance. His mind churned, countless emotions surged, but he had to suppress them, enduring the humiliation and bitterness, continuing to display a fawning expression while also placing his hope on that seven-colored flower!

This flower emitted a vast aura, and its strong Dao essence transformed it into a true authority! Moreover, it was unowned; once fused, it could transform into a Dao mark! Such a creation, if placed in the outside world, would certainly drive countless cultivators mad, and even deities would be tempted!

"But there's only one," Feng Lintao muttered inwardly beneath his fawning exterior. He asked himself, if it were him, even if it were his own brother, he would fight for it, let alone merely fellow disciples!

But the next instant, a scene that made his heart clench appeared! After Xu Qing played with the seven-colored flower for a moment, he actually flicked it, throwing it to Second Bull! Second Bull caught it, held it in his hand and examined it, then looked up at Feng Lintao! Feng Lintao's fawning expression intensified! Second Bull grinned!

"Little Feng," Second Bull said, "I'll show you a magic trick. Speaking of which, this trick also had its foundation laid by your generosity!"

After speaking, as Feng Lintao looked somewhat bewildered, Second Bull glanced at Xu Qing! They had already found a solution for this matter on their way here! So as Xu Qing raised his hand, his Saint Heaven Divine Vine suddenly flew out, straight towards Second Bull! Second Bull also swayed his body, and his Saint Heaven Divine Vine also flew out! These two divine vines were once one entity, separated into two when Second Bull bit through them. Now, as they approached each other, they actually began to merge anew, and quickly became one again!

Subsequently, to Feng Lintao's shock, Second Bull threw the seven-colored flower in his hand towards the divine vine! The divine vine opened its maw and swallowed it in one gulp! Instantly, its entire body shone with seven-colored light, which circulated throughout, then transformed into Dao marks that spread over its entire form. Then it separated on its own, each returning...

After merging into Xu Qing and Second Bull's bodies, both of them trembled, their eyes closed, an aura of authority rising from them as they began to merge! The immortal art, Six Thieves of Delusion, was perfectly split into two!

Feng Lintao's heart sank continuously, and a strong sense of helplessness surged within him! Yue Dong, who was nearby, had similar emotional fluctuations in her eyes! At this moment, the two of them felt a resonance for the first time in their lives!

But the outcome could not be changed. What shocked them even more was that tens of breaths later, as Xu Qing and Second Bull each opened their eyes, they simultaneously turned their heads in unison, looking at Yue Dong!

"So that's how it is."

"She actually hid the thought containing her ultimate purpose within the immortal art, and it was very well concealed... Had it not been transformed into an authority, it would have been extremely difficult to detect!"

"No wonder the little shadow couldn't see it in your memory; Yue Dong indeed has a deeper plan, and that was her ultimate reason for choosing to cooperate with the Lan family!"

This core reason was erased from her own memory at a critical moment and transferred into the immortal art, which is why the little shadow couldn't detect it earlier! At this moment, after Xu Qing and Second Bull merged with the authority, they finally understood the general picture!

Refining Feng Lintao's inheritance and imprinting the immortal art to become an authority was only the second step of Yue Dong's overall plan! The first step was her cooperation with the Lan family, helping to attract the Great Emperor's disciple while also coveting Feng Lintao's inheritance! The second step was merging with Feng Lintao to transform the immortal art, Six Thieves of Delusion, into an authority! As for the third step, that was her ultimate goal!

She had an agreement with the Lan family that after the Lan family took the Great Emperor's disciple's demonic eye, his physical body would be handed over to her for her to refine into an emotional puppet! Then she would control this puppet and approach the Great Emperor's secluded cultivation grounds with the Lan family to seize the Great Emperor, who was suspected of having died in seclusion. The Lan family seemed to have hidden some means, but they were absolutely certain and had informed Yue Dong that the Great Emperor was not merely suspected of having died, but had truly perished! Furthermore, his secluded cultivation grounds were sealed, and the Dao essence and cultivation scattered by the Great Emperor's demise would precipitate. If absorbed, it could lead to rapid advancement in cultivation! They claimed that according to the plan, success was guaranteed! At that time, the Lan family would obtain the Great Emperor's other inheritances and cultivation! As for Yue Dong, she would use her authority to imprint it onto the Great Emperor's corpse and refine a Great Emperor Corpse Puppet!

This plan clearly required many more details, and there were obvious schemes and infighting involved, since, broadly speaking, Yue Dong's role didn't seem that significant! Yet the Lan family still chose to cooperate with Yue Dong... However, the specifics of this were not present in this thought! It was unknown if it was hidden by other methods, or concealed within the emotions of others, or perhaps with the Lan family!

Even so, Second Bull was still stirred by the audacity of this plan!

"This Yue Dong is so crazy, so bold..." he mused. "I like it."

Second Bull's eyes soon lit up, and he suddenly turned to look at Xu Qing!

"Little A'Qing," he said, "since Yue Dong has a connection with us and has done this much for us, next, should we go to the Great Emperor's secluded cultivation grounds and do something big?!"