Ling Xiao opened his eyes, somewhat annoyed, and looked toward the source of the chaotic aura.
In that instant, a flush rose to his face.
He couldn’t help but feel a stir of restlessness.
The provocative scene before him, intense enough to dry the mouth, sent his fourteen-year-old blood surging and his true essence roiling, inexperienced as he was in matters of romance.
This caused his previously well-hidden aura to leak out.
“Who’s there?”
Wang Feng and Xu Ying, caught in the act, jumped in fright. They hastily dressed in an instant and stared intently in Ling Xiao’s direction.
Xu Ying?
Wang Feng?
At that moment, Ling Xiao clearly recognised the two.
He was a bit surprised. How did these two end up together? Hadn’t Xu Ying sworn to avenge her fiancé, Zuo Leng?
How long had they been in the sect, and they were already engaging in such scandalous behaviour?
And in the Guanghan Palace, no less!
If the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable found out, these two would likely be executed on the spot.
“Come out, you sneaky, shameless wretch, spying on intimate affairs!” Xu Ying shouted angrily.
Heh, the guilty party accusing first.
Ling Xiao dispelled the outer Concealment Array and slowly revealed himself.
Of course, he had already recalled his two clones beforehand.
Hm?
The moment he recalled his clones, Ling Xiao was surprised.
He had finally broken through the last barrier and mastered the final move—Destruction!
This was a culminating punch, devastating to both soul and body, its power surpassing all previous moves combined.
“Ling Xiao!”
Xu Ying and Wang Feng recognised him, instantly positioning themselves to flank him. If Ling Xiao tried to escape, they could attack simultaneously, leaving him no chance to flee.
Boom~
Two powerful auras surged toward Ling Xiao.
“Didn’t expect you to have advanced too.”
Ling Xiao noticed that Xu Ying was now a Mortal Realm first-level martial artist.
It seemed that training under the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable was faster than his own cultivation pace.
Xu Ying’s cultivation had likely surpassed Zhao Zhi’s by now.
Despite their equal potential initially.
Both opponents were Mortal Realm first-level martial artists, their combined auras enough to overwhelm an ordinary half-step master.
Clearly, they intended to kill him.
But Ling Xiao’s aura was far stronger than that of a typical half-step master, so their attacks had little effect on him.
“Ling Xiao, if you can’t explain yourself today, we’ll drag you, you shameless rogue, to our master, the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable, for judgement!” Wang Feng barked.
“What a joke. I was cultivating here when you two decided to engage in this disgraceful act nearby, and you dare call me shameless? Talk about twisting the truth!” Ling Xiao retorted, eyeing Xu Ying and Wang Feng, calculating the consequences of killing them here.
He was genuinely surprised to encounter these two here.
One had sworn to kill him.
The other had already tried to.
One sought revenge for her fiancé, the other for a sworn brother.
Even more interesting, both were disciples of the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable.
It was fair to say there was deep enmity between him and these two.
If he didn’t kill them, they’d try to kill him.
Was this a chance granted by the heavens?
“By the way, how did you two get into the Guanghan Palace? I heard that for the past month, no one could enter without the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable’s token. Where’s yours?”
Ling Xiao suddenly realised they might have slipped in through the formation’s flaws.
If so, this was getting interesting.
As expected, when he mentioned the Guanghan Token, both Wang Feng and Xu Ying’s faces paled.
They had no token, having bribed a Formation Hall disciple to sneak in for cultivation.
If the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable found out, the consequences would be severe—they’d likely face cultivation crippling and expulsion from the sect.
After all, it was well-known in the sect that the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable and the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable were at odds.
Who could guarantee she wouldn’t use this to strike back?
“You’re questioning us? How did you get in? Surely you, a mere outer sect disciple, don’t have a Guanghan Token!” Xu Ying countered.
For inner sect disciples trespassing in a forbidden area, the worst outcome was expulsion and cultivation crippling.
For an outer sect disciple, there was no excuse—just death.
Xu Ying felt smug, relieved she’d reacted quickly, nearly falling into Ling Xiao’s trap.
Ling Xiao sneered, raising his hand to reveal a pristine jade token.
The intense cold emanating from it was unmistakable.
“You actually have a Guanghan Token!” Xu Ying and Wang Feng’s faces changed, their killing intent intensifying.
Looking at them, Ling Xiao made his decision.
He’d considered that killing Wang Feng and Xu Ying here would only deepen the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable’s hatred for him.
But it wouldn’t violate sect rules.
Holding the Guanghan Token, he had the authority to act against intruders.
If they resisted or attacked first, he could kill them without consequence.
Now, he just needed them to make the first move.
“Didn’t expect that, did you?” Ling Xiao said with a faint smile. “Master Yang refined a batch of precious pills for the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable, so she gave me this token, allowing me free access to cultivate here and maintain the palace’s formation. I didn’t expect to run into you two sneaking into this forbidden area. What should I do with you?”
His voice was soft, devoid of harshness, but to Xu Ying and Wang Feng, it left no room for retreat.
They exchanged a glance, seemingly reaching a decision.
If they killed Ling Xiao here and then eliminated the Formation Hall disciple, no one would know. Not only would they escape punishment, but they might even return here to dual cultivate in the future.
“Hmph, Ling Xiao, don’t get cocky. With our master, the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable, behind us, even calling the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable won’t help you,” Xu Ying sneered, clearly stalling while secretly gathering true essence, preparing to strike with Wang Feng in a swift, lethal attack.
They absolutely couldn’t let Ling Xiao use the Guanghan Token.
Once he recited the incantation, the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable would know something was wrong, and they’d be doomed.
But they also didn’t want their master to know, and they believed that together, they could kill Ling Xiao instantly without issue.
