"She left just like that?"
Ling Xiao turned his head and glanced at Lin Xi in the crowd. The latter's earlier excitement hadn't escaped his notice.
It was clear that the black-clothed girl was undoubtedly his long-lost sister.
Of course, the fact that the girl left so decisively showed she had some brains.
Direct confrontation wasn't something these Blood Hall assassins were good at anyway.
What they excelled at was assassination techniques.
But how should he go about conquering this little girl?
A pensive look flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes, and a faint coldness even emanated from the aura around him.
The prodigal geniuses who had been watching the spectacle instantly turned into afterimages, frantically dashing towards the distant sky.
Dammit.
Watching a show is fun for a moment, but watching it continuously might lead to a fun death.
"Young Master, I, Su Yan... will take my leave now."
Su Yan glanced at Ling Xiao, gave a slight nod, then turned and left, leading her entourage of lapdogs.
The once bustling secret realm entrance instantly became deserted.
"Young Master..."
Just then, a figure suddenly rushed over from the distance. It was none other than the Young Master of the Wu Clan, Wu Ya.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, some novel ideas sprouted in Ling Xiao's heart.
Since Lin Xi hadn't dared to show himself from beginning to end, his apprehensions about Ling Xiao were probably too great.
So great that they... outweighed his longing for his sister.
After all, they hadn't seen each other for seven years. Reuniting now, things must have changed.
That girl would definitely appear again, attacking him from the shadows.
But a little girl at the mid Breakthrough Realm, no matter how many tricks she had, how could she possibly threaten Ling Xiao?
When the time came, he just needed a moment alone with her to make her believe that perhaps the current Lin Xi was no longer her dear older brother.
But before that...
"Heh, so it's Young Master Wu Ya."
Ling Xiao smiled faintly, a soul light flickering in his eyes.
Wu Ya instantly broke out in a cold sweat, trembling as he bowed to Ling Xiao.
"Before the Young Master, what kind of Young Master am I, Wu Ya? If the Young Master doesn't mind, you can call me by my childhood name, Yaya."
"Oh, there's something I'd like you to help me with."
Ling Xiao grinned, reached out, and patted Wu Ya's shoulder. "If you do well, how about following me from now on?"
"Please speak, Young Master!"
A flash of excitement instantly appeared in Wu Ya's eyes. Ling Xiao simply leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words before turning to leave.
For extras like Wu Ya, he couldn't even be bothered to waste a shred of soul power.
Offering him some benefits was enough to make him go through fire and water.
"Oh? Hmph, a mere early Breakthrough Realm dares to covet Divine Maiden Nian's beauty? Brothers, the Young Master said to teach him a lesson!"
Wu Ya turned his head, glanced at Lin Xi who was hurriedly leaving, waved his hand, and immediately chased after him with several followers.
At the same time, Ling Xiao focused his mind. Far away in a certain part of the secret realm, Shui Yue'er's delicate body trembled, her expression inexplicably turning grave.
"Yue'er, what's wrong?"
Seeming to notice Shui Yue'er's strange behavior, Xia Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked with concern.
"Holy Son, originally I didn't want to leave you. But staying by your side, Yue'er really can't help you with anything. Why not... let me go to Lin Xi's side and act as a hidden agent for you?"
A mist seemed to rise in Shui Yue'er's bright eyes, her face wearing an expression of grievance and resolve.
"Hmm? Yue'er... You..."
How clever!
Xia Chen pretended to hesitate, but in his heart, he was already calculating how to smoothly deliver Shui Yue'er to Lin Xi.
After all, the relationship between those two couldn't be called friendly before.
"Holy Son, say no more! Come on, scourge me! Let everyone in the secret realm know that you and I have fallen out. Only then can Yue'er win Lin Xi's trust."
"This... Alright, Yue'er, endure it for a moment."
Xia Chen hesitated slightly, then suddenly swung his hand down, slapping Shui Yue'er to the ground.
Dammit!
The sharp pain on her face made Shui Yue'er freeze for a full three seconds. Then, the last trace of resistance in her heart instantly vanished.
"Xia Chen!! You are fickle and heartless, hypocritical and sinister! You will die without a burial place sooner or later!!"
Shui Yue'er covered her face, her bright eyes crimson, wearing an expression of hatred.
"Hmm?"
Xia Chen's expression stiffened momentarily before he understood Shui Yue'er's intention. A magnificent spiritual light surged around him, his voice echoing for a hundred li around. "Shui Yue'er, don't think I don't know what's on your mind? Hmph, today I'll let you know the consequences of betraying me!"
"Ah! Xia Chen, I hope you die a horrible death!!"
In the void above, two streaks of light chased each other, attracting countless peeping eyes.
"Is that Xia Chen and Shui Yue'er?"
"Those two? Had a falling out?"
"Are you blind? Look how swollen Shui Yue'er's face is! They've clearly split."
"Ah, faced with opportunities, it seems there's no room for affection."
The prodigies who had initially gathered together immediately grew vigilant, becoming wary of these "like-minded" sect brothers beside them.
"Hmph! Shui Yue'er, don't let me run into you again!!"
After chasing for half a day, Xia Chen finally stopped reluctantly, a playful smile on his lips as he watched Shui Yue'er disappear over the horizon.
Perhaps he was the only one in the entire secret realm who knew that Lin Xi possessed a spirit flame.
And from what Lin Xi had said before, Xia Chen faintly felt that he was likely targeting some relic within this secret realm.
With him leading the way, Xia Chen only needed to appear at the critical moment. When that time came, wouldn't all the opportunities fall right into his hands?
Lin Xi, don't blame me for being cruel. Blame yourself for daring to scheme against me.
Xia Chen stood in the void, lost in thought for a long time, before finally darting off in the opposite direction.
Now that the matter of the relic was settled, it was time to make Nian Qingyun understand who her true destined one was!
Ling Xiao stood on a distant mountain, guiding Shui Yue'er towards Lin Xi's location.
This Yin Fan Divine Maiden wasn't even worth considering as a servant to him—she was too tainted.
Her role was probably no different from Qin Leng's.
Just a camera attached to the Son of Fate.
Xia Chen wanted to be the mantis stalking the cicada; he would be the oriole behind, eating the mantis.
After all, these two had completely fallen into Ling Xiao's control.
What he needed to do next was prepare a grand gift for the Tai Xuan Dao Sect.
This ancient sect was truly too mysterious.
Although the Tai Xuan Dao Master and the Dao Son hadn't shown him the slightest hostility,
any force with even a hint of threat was still... better off destroyed.
That way, the entire Eastern Jiang would truly fall into the Ling Clan's hands.
But before that, he should still be cautious.
The Tai Xuan Dao Master had made it clear: once a powerful expert above the Divine Marquis level arrived, the natives in this secret realm would notice.
He had to ensure that the strongest beings here posed no threat to him, or that the threat was manageable, before he could let loose and go all out!
"Xiao Tu, Senior Sister Fu, you... go seek treasures on your own. As long as you don't go to the very center, there shouldn't be too much danger."
Ling Xiao casually gave each of them a talisman, then finally stopped hesitating and stepped towards a distant high mountain.
There, he faintly sensed a powerful aura intimidating the surrounding thousand li.