"Dao Principle Spirit Fruit?!"
Lin Xi's eyes widened abruptly.
Although he had never heard the name of this spirit fruit, the words "Dao Principle" alone were enough to spark the imagination.
Moreover, even the usually calm and composed Elder Ling was showing excitement. One could imagine how extraordinary this Dao Principle Spirit Fruit must be.
"Correct, it is the aura of a Dao Principle Spirit Fruit." Elder Ling's voice trembled slightly.
His original body was destroyed; now he existed only as a remnant soul within Lin Xi's ring.
Spirit fruits born between heaven and earth held immense benefits for the recovery of his soul.
Especially this Dao Principle Spirit Fruit, which could help him regain half of his peak soul power.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to hide miserably inside the ring all day.
He could materialize his soul and appear in the outside world.
For a remnant soul trapped in a ring for thousands of years, what was the deepest desire?
Women, of course.
No! Freedom!
"Could it be..." A thoughtful look flashed in Lin Xi's eyes, and several speculations seemed to arise in his heart.
"However, the aura of the Dao Principle Spirit Fruit seems to be concealed by someone, and it hasn't ripened yet." Although Elder Ling had fallen for countless years, his soul perception was far beyond ordinary people's.
Even Emperor Realm experts would find it hard to compare.
This was naturally the main reason Lin Xi had been able to turn danger into safety and develop steadily over the years.
Having a treasure-finding companion by his side who could foresee danger and sense opportunities in advance—even an idiot could probably be nurtured into a top expert.
"Concealed by someone? No wonder..." Lin Xi was now absolutely certain that the Fire Wolf in the Sunset Mountains had likely come for this Dao Principle Spirit Fruit in the first place.
The fruit just hadn't ripened yet, and he couldn't pick it prematurely, hence the claim of living in seclusion.
His goal was naturally to wait for the spirit fruit to mature.
"It seems I misunderstood the Undying Heartflame. Those people who mysteriously disappeared were probably killed by that Fire Wolf." Lin Xi murmured to himself, then asked Elder Ling, "Elder Ling, can you tell when the spirit fruit will mature?"
"At most, three more days. Otherwise, its aura wouldn't be this strong."
"Three days... perfect!" Lin Xi sneered. Right now, the attention of all the powerful sects in the Eastern Frontier was drawn to Ling Xiao and Nian Qingyun's engagement banquet.
Probably very few would be focusing on this remote little city.
Moreover, Sunset City bordered the Ling Clan's sacred territory. As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest.
Who would have thought that a mere Divine Marquis Realm demon beast would dare to pull the wool over the Ling Clan's eyes right under their noses?
Brilliant.
He never expected that coming to the Ling Clan would not only lead him to the trail of the Undying Heartflame but also bring him such a heaven-defying opportunity.
So, Fortuna truly is the key factor driving the plot forward!
"Elder Ling, with your power, is there a way to steal that spirit fruit?" Lin Xi asked himself: with his Profound Clear Realm cultivation, he might still put up a fight against someone at the Paragon Breakthrough Realm.
If he used all his trump cards, he might even contend with a Divine General expert.
But the Divine Marquis Realm...
He probably wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
But Elder Ling was different. He had helped Lin Xi out of dangerous situations numerous times.
The cost was, at most, falling into a deep sleep for a period.
If he could obtain this Dao Principle Spirit Fruit, even if there was only a one-in-ten-million chance of comprehending a trace of Dao Principle power, it would cause a earth-shaking change in his strength.
"Xi'er, if you merge with the Undying Heartflame, you will inevitably comprehend Dao Principle power. Could this spirit fruit be given to me?" Elder Ling could clearly sense the greed in Lin Xi's heart and spoke with a bitter laugh.
"If I can consume this spirit fruit, I can at least condense a soul body. In the future, if there is danger, I can fight alongside you."
"Oh?" A trace of gloom flashed imperceptibly in Lin Xi's eyes, but he immediately laughed with great relief, "Elder Ling, what are you thinking? I originally intended to seize it for you."
What a joke. He was still counting on Elder Ling to lead him to more opportunities involving spirit flames. Now was obviously not the time to offend him.
Just a spirit fruit? Why be reluctant?
"Xi'er, thank you. Without you, I don't know how long I would have remained dormant. Rest assured, if I can merge with this spirit fruit, even if the Ling Clan discovers the location of the Undying Heartflame, I have a way for you to obtain it."
"Thank you, Elder Ling. Then what should we do now..."
"Don't rush. There's still some time before the fruit ripens. Don't you have an Iron Corpse Puppet? When the time comes..." Elder Ling's voice gradually lowered, and an unconscious smile crept onto Lin Xi's lips.
"Hehehe, Elder Ling, truly a figure from a thousand years ago. Your plans are indeed meticulous..."
...
Meanwhile, Ling Xiao, riding the Nine Dragon Golden Chariot, traveled all the way from the Ten Thousand Daos Demon Sect back to Hantian City, where the Ling Clan's sacred territory was located.
Calling it a city was an understatement; it was actually a magnificent ancient palace built by generations of Ling Clan disciples on the dragon vein of the Sunset Mountains.
Although the Ling Clan was an ancient clan and didn't recruit disciples like sects or imperial dynasties, after thousands of years of accumulation, it had nine major branch lineages.
The Ling Clan disciples were prosperous; if one person married a dozen wives, the momentum of the ancient clan surged instantly.
Moreover, being an ancient clan, there were always subordinate forces behind it.
Over time, this Ling Clan sacred territory became a vast city accommodating hundreds of thousands of people.
Now, high in the sky, Ling Xiao looked down at the bustling crowds in the city, feeling somewhat shocked.
Although he knew from his memories that the Ling Clan, as one of the few ancient clans in the Holy State with a millennium-long heritage, was extremely powerful, seeing the thousand-zhang high city walls below and the powerful auras scattered everywhere, he felt he had underestimated the nobility implied by the title "Young Master of the Ling Clan."
No wonder even Wan Rendí, the master of the Ten Thousand Daos Demon Sect, who was also a Divine Emperor, was so wary of the Ling Family.
With just a quick glance, Ling Xiao sensed several auras no weaker than Divine King experts.
In the center of the ancient city, a seven-colored light pillar connected heaven and earth.
That was the entrance to the Ling Clan's sacred territory.
The city below was merely a place for the Ling Clan's subordinate forces to reside.
The true members of the Ling Clan lived in their own small world.
Legends said that small world was created by a Ling Clan ancestor who forcibly captured the dragon vein of the Sunset Mountains.
One could imagine how terrifyingly dense the spiritual energy inside must be.
"Ling Tian, you good-for-nothing, you dare come to the martial platform? If you weren't a young master of the Ling Clan, you would have been beaten to death long ago."
Just as Ling Xiao put away the dragon chariot and prepared to head to the sacred territory, a sharp shout reached his ears from a corner of the ancient city.
"Ling Tian? Good-for-nothing?" A smile instantly appeared on Ling Xiao's lips as he looked down.
Sure enough, he saw a young man in blue robes stubbornly standing on a martial platform, gripping a green ancient sword with determined resolve.
Heh. What a familiar scene.