Chapter 1032: Refuse to Monopolize the Gains

The young man in the ornate robe's voice, laced with anxiety, reached the blood mist, and he immediately plunged in, disregarding his own safety. Simultaneously, his cultivator guards unleashed their full combat power.

These numerous personal guards, arranged by the young man's family, possessed formidable cultivation. With their combined might, even the extraordinary blood mist could not withstand their assault. In the next instant, a colossal roar erupted as the blood mist shattered, as if an invisible giant hand had struck it. It fragmented, swept away by a furious wind amidst thunderous rumbling.

Revealing three figures within!

One was Yuedong, her expression cold and emanating a chilling aura as she cast a spell, sending out immortal technique fluctuations. Opposite Yuedong stood a seven or eight-year-old black-faced corpse puppet. Together, they formed a pincer attack, cooperating to cast spells and bind the Blood Dust Child in the center. Numerous colorful threads, manifested from the immortal techniques of Yuedong and the corpse puppet, had enveloped the Blood Dust Child, with some already linked to his destiny. Evidently, at this rate, the Blood Dust Child would soon be refined by the immortal technique.

The Blood Dust Child was struggling, but to little avail. However, the sudden upheaval outside, and the rumbling from all directions that collapsed the blood mist, also impacted the refining process underway. The sweeping wind was originally intended to disperse those fighting, an act of rescue by the young man in the ornate robe. Yet, by an unforeseen twist of fate, it became the Blood Dust Child's saving wind.

In a flash, the Blood Dust Child's struggle intensified dramatically. His entire cultivation burst forth recklessly; he even collapsed two of his own great worlds, unleashing destructive power that swept in all directions. The rapidly approaching young man in the ornate robe, with his anxious cries, made Er Niu's eyes widen and his mind waver, seemingly disrupting his concentration and causing ripples in the immortal technique threads! In the next instant, the corpse puppet assisting her was also affected, its body trembled, and the threads broke.

This caused the struggling force from the Blood Dust Child's collapsing worlds to surge and recede, instantly churning. His body erupted in a bloody radiance as he unleashed a secret technique, one that significantly damaged his foundation, transforming into a streak of blood light. With a flash, he finally broke free. He vanished from between Yuedong and the corpse puppet, reappearing in the distance. The moment he reappeared, he didn't hesitate, bursting with blood light again as he gave his all, surging towards the horizon, and suddenly vanished.

He had escaped!

Meanwhile, the seven or eight-year-old child corpse puppet, which Xu Qing had transformed into, remained expressionless in mid-air. Permeated with death energy, its lifeless eyes stared unmoving in the direction the Blood Dust Child had fled. It did not give chase. This was because the puppet he had transformed into only possessed Gui Xu cultivation and lacked its own consciousness, so any unusual movement would reveal its true nature. Although the young man in the ornate robe's arrival unintentionally allowed his prey to escape, a trace was left behind. Therefore, Xu Qing was in no hurry; the prey would not escape.

Ultimately, however, this incident had introduced an unexpected complication. While Xu Qing might not care, Er Niu, in the form of Yuedong, felt compelled to react. So she sharply turned her head, glaring intently at the young man in the ornate robe.

"What do you mean by this?!"

This scene indeed caught the eager young rescuer off guard. He offered a wry smile, realizing his good intentions had backfired, and quickly began to explain. "Miss Dong'er, I heard you were back while on the way and was worried about your safety, so I rushed here immediately. I didn't expect this... I..."

"Shut up!" Yuedong snarled, her eyes flashing with displeasure. The other party's interference had already annoyed Er Niu, and being repeatedly called "Miss Dong'er" made him uncomfortable. What bothered him most was that while Yuedong's memories contained faint traces of suitors, they were so vague that it was clear she had paid them no mind. Consequently, Er Niu couldn't immediately identify the person standing before him.

Between his annoyance and discomfort, his killing intent began to rise. However, Er Niu's gaze swept over the surrounding guards, and he suppressed his murderous thoughts. Recalling Yuedong's usual aloofness, Er Niu gave a cold snort. "Don't let me see you again!"

With that, Er Niu raised a hand and gestured towards Xu Qing, as if grasping invisible threads, preparing to leave with the corpse puppet Xu Qing had transformed into. The young man watched Yuedong cautiously, his face filled with apprehension, fearful of both gaining and losing. Seeing Yuedong about to leave, he panicked and quickly cried out. "Miss Dong'er, I truly didn't mean to. I... I was concerned for your safety. These past five hundred-plus days you've been gone, I've thought of you every single moment."

Er Niu felt even more disgusted and hastened his pace. Xu Qing remained expressionless, but inwardly, he paid close attention to the young man in the ornate robe. This kind of drama, playing out on his senior brother, was truly entertaining.

The young man in the ornate robe, now pale and filled with endless regret, watched Yuedong's increasingly distant figure. His face bitter, he murmured. "Dong'er, I really didn't mean it. For this meeting, I even painstakingly prepared a gift for you over these past five hundred-plus days..."

Er Niu, who was rushing away in the distance, suddenly halted. The young man in the ornate robe continued to murmur bitterly. "I know you won't take it. You've always refused my gifts before, I..."

Before he could finish, Er Niu suddenly turned around. "What gift?"

The young man in the ornate robe paused, then his face lit up with wild joy as he quickly spoke. "It's Star Dragon Marrow. I heard from the Lan family that your immortal technique cultivation can harm you, so I specifically asked my ancestor for this marrow for you..." As he spoke, the young man in the ornate robe immediately produced a jade bottle from his storage pouch.

In the next instant, Er Niu vanished from the distance, reappearing directly in front of the young man in the ornate robe. He snatched the jade bottle, opened it, sniffed it, put it into his robes, and spoke faintly. "I've accepted your gift, but your previous actions were still..."

The young man in the ornate robe was ecstatic. He had pursued Yuedong for years, and this was the first time she had accepted a gift from him. His heart surged with excitement; he believed this was a sign. A sign that Dong'er was moved by him! "Strike while the iron is hot!"

So, as Er Niu was speaking, he quickly pulled out another bracelet. "Dong'er, this is another gift I prepared for you, crafted from star crystals."

Er Niu's unfinished sentence halted abruptly. He blinked at the glittering bracelet, took it, tucked it into his robes, and then gave a cough. "Alright, alright, your sincerity is..."

"Miss Dong'er, I have more gifts. This hairpin is naturally formed from exquisite immortal jade..."

The young man in the ornate robe grew increasingly excited, continuously pulling out more gifts. As Er Niu accepted them, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. Finally, amidst the young man's adoring gaze, he proposed escorting them. Er Niu hesitated, and the young man in the ornate robe produced yet another gift. Gazing at the gift, Er Niu took a deep breath. He found himself unable to refuse, and could only nod with a faint smile. This smile made the young man's heart soar.

Xu Qing, standing by, witnessed everything. On the subsequent journey, he remained fully attentive, enjoying the spectacle. All along the way, the young man in the ornate robe spoke of the Holy Land's affairs during the five hundred-plus days since Yuedong's departure. Every word was incredibly gentle, every endearment filled with deep affection, accompanied by one gift after another... Er Niu had clearly never experienced anything like this, neither in this life nor in his many previous incarnations, to the point that by the end, he appeared somewhat bewildered. Through the young man in the ornate robe, Xu Qing also gained a deeper understanding of the latest developments in the Demonic Feather Holy Land.

In particular, the young man spoke of Lu Lingzi, Emperor Mingyan's disciple, and the Lan family. Er Niu paid close attention upon hearing these matters and then inquired further. In response to Er Niu's questions, the young man in the ornate robe provided more details. Lu Lingzi had returned a month ago!

"Regarding Lu Lingzi and the Lan family, what I knew before was merely superficial, so Miss Dong'er, please don't blame me for not telling you sooner. It was only recently, after my family status improved, that I heard our ancestor discuss it and realized... that the high-ranking officials throughout the Holy Land were well aware of the true reasons behind the conflict between the Lan family and Lu Lingzi. But they didn't intervene. For all parties, it didn't matter whether the Lan family or Lu Lingzi emerged victorious; they only needed to support the final winner.

"A month ago, Lu Lingzi returned with Ruler cultivation. He informed all parties that the Lan family had intended to harm him, but he turned their scheme against them, using their efforts to break through to Ruler, and then eliminated the Lan family's ancestor. There are clues regarding this matter, but all parties' attention has shifted elsewhere. Upon his return, Lu Lingzi did two things: first, he publicly revealed that he had obtained the Lan family's pure bloodline and integrated it into his demonic eye. Indeed, Lu Lingzi can now be considered Emperor Mingyan's true successor! And having ascended to Ruler, his power is now immense!

"The second thing Lu Lingzi did was inform all parties that in three months, he would travel to Emperor Mingyan's secluded cultivation site for the final inheritance. At the same time, Lu Lingzi proposed bringing all fellow Rulers and five clan prodigies with him, regardless of faction, to share in this great fortune! This proposal was lauded by all factions within the Holy Land, and even Emperor Moyu sanctioned it. After all, Emperor Mingyan's secluded cultivation grounds are sealed, requiring a specific method to open. Currently, only Lu Lingzi, who has integrated the Lan family's bloodline and is effectively the true inheritor, can open them, with the assistance of the Emperor's other disciples. Thus, one can imagine that over the next three months, undercurrents will certainly surge throughout the Holy Land as all factions vie for these five coveted spots.

"But Dong'er, you are still wise. Though your relationship with the Lan family was good, you didn't get involved in their conflict with Lu Lingzi. That's why, upon his return, Lu Lingzi didn't mention you at all." The young man in the ornate robe spoke gently.

Upon hearing this, Er Niu's mind trembled, and he subtly glanced at Xu Qing beside him. Xu Qing's expression remained neutral, but he too felt a ripple in his heart. They knew the truth. Therefore, listening to the account now, no matter how it was told, it seemed suspicious. However, with an outsider present, Xu Qing and Er Niu did not communicate.

Thus, under the young man's continuous overly affectionate words, three days passed. With his escort, Xu Qing and Er Niu finally reached a city, their pre-determined destination. Upon arrival, the young man in the ornate robe clearly showed reluctance to part. However, his jade slip vibrated continuously, and he eventually had to bid them a reluctant farewell, as he was needed on the battlefield. Before leaving, he sentimentally presented Er Niu with a few more gifts. As Er Niu accepted them, his expression grew complex.

After the young man in the ornate robe finally departed, repeatedly looking back, Xu Qing glanced at his senior brother beside him and spoke faintly. "Senior Brother has had quite a romantic encounter."

Er Niu's expression was peculiar, and after a moment, he sighed. "Damn it, next life I'm reincarnating as a woman! All the gifts I've received along the way make me feel like it's worth it for us to leave the Holy Land now..."

Seeing his senior brother's sigh, Xu Qing refrained from further teasing and instead brought up the matter of Lu Lingzi. Er Niu's eyes narrowed upon hearing this. "I have a feeling there's something off about Lu Lingzi's identity. Could my initial suspicions have been correct?!" As he spoke, Er Niu looked at Xu Qing. Xu Qing remained silent, also pondering the matter.

After a moment, Er Niu cleared his throat. "No matter what, they won't get to keep it all to themselves! In three months, we need to find a way to get in. Now, I'm preparing to go to the Immortal Technique Hall of Eastern Demonic Feather to help Yuedong fulfill her dream. Little A Qing, do you want to join me?"

Xu Qing shook his head, looking into the distance. "I won't be going to the Immortal Technique Hall. I'll go retrieve my identity."

Meanwhile, in Eastern Demonic Feather, not far from Emperor Mingyan's Dao platform, a colossal, earth-shattering peak had recently appeared. This peak had not existed a month ago. It had only recently risen. It was precisely the tenth Ruler Mountain, built after Lu Lingzi's return thanks to his Ruler cultivation.

Inside the grand hall atop the peak, Lu Lingzi, clad in a golden robe, sat with his eyes closed in meditation. His breathing echoed like heavenly thunder, shaking the hall and reverberating through the mountain, creating a terrifying pressure. The next instant, his eyes abruptly opened, as if stars within them simultaneously burst forth with brilliant light. His brow furrowed slightly as he raised a hand to retrieve a jade slip. Sensing the information within the jade slip about Yuedong's appearance, Lu Lingzi's brow furrowed even deeper.

"I'd already sent her so far away; how could she still manage to come here!"