Currently,the people Ling Xiao truly trusted, aside from his parents, were only Ye Qingchan, Jiu You, and Xiao Tu, whose mind he controlled.
But Ye Qingchan and Xiao Tu's cultivation was too low; they were far from being able to assist him properly.
Only Jiu You, with her formidable strength in her previous life, would become a trump card in Ling Xiao's hand once she regained her physical body.
But with just the two of them, even if they reached the Divine Emperor Realm, they could never hope to shake the colossal entity that was the Holy Church.
Therefore, what Ling Xiao needed was a force completely loyal to him.
"Young Master, rest assured. Jiu You will assist you with all her heart, helping you topple the Holy Church as soon as possible." Jiu You gritted her teeth. Heaven had given her a second chance; she must cherish it properly.
The hatred for the annihilation of her clan was irreconcilable.
"Mmm, you can cultivate here peacefully. No one will disturb you." Ling Xiao nodded with a smile, then vanished from the spot in a flash.
Some things couldn't be rushed.
The top priority now was to lay low and strive to improve his strength.
...
Inside the Myriad Worlds Glazed Pagoda, the Si family ancestor, Si Zhengnan, looked in terror at the figure shrouded in overwhelming demonic energy before him, his face ashen.
He was, of course, aware of the Si family's plan to seek refuge with the ancient Qin Clan.
But he never expected that fool Si Lin would let things escalate to this point.
Now, not only had they failed to join the Qin Clan, but they had dragged the entire Si family to their doom.
Fortunately, Ling Xiao hadn't destroyed his soul; he probably still had some use for him.
If he could just舔 (lick, i.e., flatter) him properly later, he might save his wretched life.
"Buzz."
Space rippled. Ling Xiao's figure appeared out of thin air.
"Young Master!!" The once-proud Si Zhengnan now knelt instantly upon seeing Ling Xiao. "Young Master! This old slave knows he was wrong! This old slave is willing to be your ox or your horse! I beg you, spare my life!"
"Spare your life?" Ling Xiao shook his head. "Ancestor, you're just a soul now. What use is sparing you to me?"
"Young... Young Master, I can possess a body and work for you from the shadows. With my Divine King level perception, no one will discover me."
"Oh?" Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow. He had to admit, the offer was tempting.
He currently had no one capable around him, and Si Zhengnan was a genuine Divine King expert.
Keeping him close might yield unexpected benefits.
"It's not impossible. But, Ancestor, you must open your mind and let me plant a Soul Brand." Ling Xiao grinned, demonic light shining in his eyes.
"This... Alright, I'll listen to the Young Master." Si Zhengnan hesitated for a moment, then suddenly gritted his teeth and opened his mind.
"Buzz."
But!!
Just as Ling Xiao's divine sense spread out, heading towards Si Zhengnan's sea of consciousness, a sinister look suddenly appeared on the latter's face.
"Hehehe, possessing someone else is too troublesome. Young Master, I quite like your body!" Si Zhengnan's soul light fluctuated violently. He transformed into a blur and shot straight into Ling Xiao's sea of consciousness.
"Hmm?" A mocking smile touched Ling Xiao's lips. This world truly had no shortage of fools seeking death.
Beside him, Mi Yong also shook his head with a faint smile. One who brings disaster upon himself cannot be saved.
He had once had the same idea as Si Zhengnan, actively entering Ling Xiao's sea of consciousness.
The result...
He became Ling Xiao's slave.
"Huh? What is this place?" The smile on Si Zhengnan's face froze before it could fade completely.
Like Mi Yong before him, he stared blankly at the pitch-black palace within Ling Xiao's sea of consciousness.
Damn it, did I take a wrong turn? Did I enter that demonic figure's sea of consciousness by mistake?
"Ancestor, surprised?" Ling Xiao's figure appeared atop the palace, looking down mockingly at the stunned Si Zhengnan.
"You... How did you do this?!" Si Zhengnan trembled from head to toe and knelt before Ling Xiao once again.
"Young Master is mighty! This old slave knew the Young Master was exceptionally gifted, blessed with great Fortuna! Testing it proves it true! I beg the Young Master to quickly plant the Soul Brand in my sea of consciousness! This old slave can't wait to serve you!"
"Hehe, no rush. You'll get your wish very soon." Ling Xiao laughed coldly. Demonic patterns bloomed around him, and a vast demonic energy surged forth.
Si Zhengnan felt his soul lighten, as if an immense, invisible force wrapped around him, pulling him towards Ling Xiao.
"Young... Young Master, your method of planting a Soul Brand is quite unique. Worthy of my Ling Clan's Young Master, your methods are truly unconventional!" Si Zhengnan's smile didn't reach his eyes. A thick sense of unease had already settled in his heart.
With Ling Xiao's methods, he definitely wouldn't let him off easily.
But trapped within this strange soul palace, his soul body had no strength to resist.
What could he do?
He wanted to fight back!
But he simply couldn't!
"Ancestor, my Soul Palace is missing something. Why don't you go down and see what's lacking?" Ling Xiao's eyes were pitch-black, radiating an eerie aura. Then, under Si Zhengnan's stunned gaze, he hurled him violently down towards the palace below.
"Thud!"
Like mud hitting a hard wall, Si Zhengnan felt his entire soul body was about to split apart.
Immediately after, a terrifying suction force surged over, devouring every bit of his soul power clean.
"No!!! No!!!!" Si Zhengnan's helpless roars echoed, but Ling Xiao just watched calmly as the ancient palace gradually grew taller, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
The soul power of a Divine King expert was enough to make his Soul Palace break through a thousand zhang.
It was worth noting that even the Soul Palace of a Divine Marquis expert was at most a hundred zhang in scope.
This showed that Ling Xiao's soul level had already stepped into the Divine King Realm.
Who would have thought that beneath the disguise of the mere Profound Clear Realm, Ling Xiao possessed soul power no weaker than a Divine King expert's?
But that wasn't the main point. Given the terrifying might of the Primordial Pangu Stone, even a Divine King expert entering his sea of consciousness was doomed.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger was indeed comfortable.
No wonder those damn authors in his previous life could never write enough of it!
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Ling Clan's territory.
Dozens of magnificent palaces stood amongst blossoming exotic flowers and towering spiritual trees.
Several elders with terrifying auras sat around a stone table under a peach tree, intently studying a Go board before them.
"Did you all hear the Clan Master's message?"
"Mmm. The heir will be decided tomorrow. Hehe, he really is in a hurry."
"What are your thoughts?"
"Our Ling Clan has stood for a thousand years not because one branch dominated, but because all nine branches prospered together."
"That kid Ling Xiao has some talent, but he's not exactly monstrous. For the Clan Master to push him into the heir position so urgently seems a bit premature."
"Hmph, that brat is too arrogant. Our Ling Clan's heritage has always upheld the eight-character ancient motto: 'Diligence, Low-Profile, Harmony, Friendliness.' If the Ling Clan truly falls into his hands, it'll be finished within a few years."
"Since we're all in agreement, then at the Clan Elder Assembly tomorrow, we'll jointly oppose Ling Xiao becoming the heir!"
The elders spoke casually, not even looking up from the board.
"Hey, what kind of move is that? Do you even know how to play? If not, move aside!"
"I'm playing! Stop blabbering on the side!"
"Go to hell!"
Boom!!