Heard you founded a clan in the Holy State and dominate a region?"
Ling Xiao's tone was teasing, as if he wasn't surprised by anything in front of him. This was just a mere outsider slave—Ling Xiao could decide his life or death with a single thought. Moreover, this Huang Hong was the lowest-ranked servant of the Ling family, several tiers below Elder Yin.
Of course, everyone could understand boasting; Ling Xiao wasn't even angry about that. The problem was that Huang Hong's boasting had annoyed him—and for that, he would have to be punished.
"An… ancestor?"
At this moment, Huang Qi was completely dumbfounded. He never would have imagined that the ancestor he'd regarded as unreachable—who received the worship of the world—would kneel before a young man!!
Everyone looked at Young Master Ling Xiao, whose expression remained calm, and for a moment, no one knew whether to kneel or stand. After all, if a powerhouse at the Illusion-Breaking Realm was kneeling, wouldn't standing seem disrespectful?
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
One after another, many of the prodigies from various forces knelt down, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"Since you're here, handle this yourself."
Ling Xiao stood up and walked straight past Huang Hong.
"I don't want anyone to know about my business in the Northern Wasteland."
After speaking, Ling Xiao didn't glance at Huang Qi again. He took Ye Qingchan's hand and walked out of Zui Xian Lou directly. He trusted that Huang Hong would know what to do. Not to mention a mere Northern Wasteland clan—even in the Holy State, if anyone dared to offend Young Master Ling Xiao, there would be only one outcome: the entire clan would be exterminated!
Ye Sheng and Feng Jiao'er followed Ling Xiao and Ye Qingchan with proud expressions, enjoying the worship of everyone present.
"An… ancestor…"
After Ling Xiao and the others had walked far away, Huang Qi finally looked at Huang Hong, who was slowly standing up, with fear in his eyes. For some reason, he sensed a hint of decline in his ancestor's aura at this moment.
"You brought this on yourself. The Phoenix Clan… is ruined because of you…"
Huang Hong closed his eyes, a sorrowful look on his face. Then he directly wrapped Huang Qi up and vanished into the void.
"Young Master, was that Illusion-Breaking Realm powerhouse really a servant of your family?"
On the streets of Qingfeng City, Ling Xiao held Ye Qingchan's hand and wandered aimlessly. Here, he could feel a genuine sense of worldly life. Ordinary commoners didn't recognize him at all, and even ordinary cultivators—though they might have heard his name—had never seen his true face. It was just that Ye Qingchan and Feng Jiao'er were so beautiful that they attracted most of the glances from passersby.
"Yes. Most people who step into the Holy State from the Four Wastelands end up as servants of ancient clans or major sects. For them, this is already a stroke of good fortune."
Ling Xiao nodded with a smile, his eyes gentle—completely different from the cold and ruthless person he'd been earlier.
"Good fortune?"
Ye Qingchan was stunned. How could being someone's servant be considered good fortune?
"That's right. Anyone who enters the Holy State from the Four Wastelands is like a wild beast in the mountains—whoever catches them owns them. Many of them become pill slaves, sword slaves for powerful cultivators, or even refined into puppets, losing their freedom for life. Tell me—isn't becoming an outsider servant a kind of good fortune?"
Ling Xiao smiled calmly. He wasn't exaggerating to scare Ye Qingchan. In fact, the darkness of the Holy State was far more cruel than his few words could describe. In a world where the strong ruled, the weak didn't even have dignity—their lives didn't belong to themselves.
The Holy State was filled with powerful cultivators, and countless clans stood side by side, most of them bearing grudges against one another. So even the supreme powerhouses had to check their "lucky calendar" before going out, lest they be ambushed accidentally. Death was a common occurrence.
"Ah? So the Holy State is that terrifying?"
Ye Qingchan and Feng Jiao'er's pretty faces paled—they were clearly nervous.
"What did you think? Besides, beautiful young girls like you are often targeted by old monsters. If they kidnap you, you'll become their cultivation cauldrons. Not only that—some perverts even turn young girls into specimens, and then… tsk, it's really too perverted."
Ling Xiao shuddered, scaring Ye Qingchan and Feng Jiao'er so much that their faces turned white.
"Young… Young Master, you'll protect me, right?"
Ye Qingchan quickly clung to Ling Xiao's arm. The softness of her chest made a smile involuntarily curl up at the corner of Ling Xiao's lips.
"Of course. In the Holy State, there's no one the Ling family can't protect. As long as you're obedient, no one can hurt you."
"Thank you, Young Master. You're the best."
Ye Qingchan pressed her face contentedly against Ling Xiao's arm.
"Young… Young Master, what about me?"
Feng Jiao'er hesitated for a long time before gathering the courage to ask.
"You? We'll talk about it later."
Ling Xiao shook his head calmly. Feng Jiao'er was practically worthless to him. The reason he hadn't refused her earlier was that she had 50 points of Destiny Value. Ling Xiao had just been curious about where a woman with such mediocre talent could have gotten her Destiny Value. Now he knew—it must be related to Ye Fan.
However, Ling Xiao had no intention of chasing her away now, because she was useful to him.
"Hm?"
Just as the four of them walked along the street toward the center of the ancient city, a familiar fluctuation suddenly made Ling Xiao pause in the crowd ahead. It was a figure wrapped in a black cloak, with only two eyes exposed. The aura of a Peak Void Spirit Realm cultivator surged around them—they were already one foot into the Soul-Awakening Realm.
"That outfit… interesting."
Ling Xiao let out a laugh. Just from the outfit, he could tell Ye Fan definitely had a story. The fact that he was hiding his identity so carefully meant he must be up to some shady business.
"What kind of trick could he be playing?"
Ling Xiao lifted his foot and followed in the direction Ye Fan had left.
"What did you say, Young Master?"
"Oh? Nothing, nothing. When I went out today, I saw colorful auspicious clouds in the sky—maybe something good will happen soon."
Ling Xiao held Ye Qingchan's jade-like hand and followed Ye Fan all the way to a remote market north of Qingfeng City. But what was sold here wasn't ordinary goods—it was all kinds of strange spiritual treasures and elixirs.
As expected! This kind of market was exactly where a Chosen One should come!
Ling Xiao suddenly felt a little excited. If Ye Fan was indeed the Chosen One he was looking for, then all he had to do next was wait for Ye Fan to go out and find treasures for him.
"Young Master, why would you come to a place like this?"
Ye Qingchan furrowed her delicate eyebrows, looking confusedly at the vendors setting up stalls around them. To put it nicely, this was a place where cultivators searched for treasures. To put it bluntly, it was a place for swindlers. And with Young Master Ling Xiao's status—someone who could casually give away inherited divine artifacts—how could he be interested in this junk metal?
Of course, Ling Xiao hadn't come here to hunt for treasures. He just wanted to see if Ye Fan could find something here!
Soon, Ye Fan's figure stopped in front of a stall. The owner of the stall was an old man with a white beard, dressed in shabby clothes. When the old man saw Ye Fan, he looked disdainful and didn't even move from his chair.
This was exactly the attitude! There must be a rare treasure at this stall!