The burly man guarding outside finally couldn't help but ask, "Old Fang, he's just a prince who's been lost outside. Why are you so respectful to him?"
"That soul form just now was at the Saint Realm. If we sold it, it could fetch a high price."
Fang Xing glanced at him and shook his head slightly, "Old Zheng, you're underestimating our Ninth Prince."
Zheng Tuo, the Marquis of the Broken Army of the Great Qin Empire, had long reached the mid-stage of the Sage Realm and was a fierce general on the battlefield.
He and Fang Xing were both tasked with searching for the lost Ninth Prince near the vast mountains.
"What underestimating, haha, he's been missing for almost twenty years. If the Imperial Capital wanted to find him, they would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?" Zheng Tuo said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"I heard that when the Ninth Prince was born, his bloodline regressed to that of our ancestors, so..."
"Ancestral regression of bloodline?" Fang Xing shook his head slightly, "I don't think so."
The so-called ancestral regression of bloodline they mentioned was not about the bloodline transforming into that of the Great Qin Empire's ancestors, like the founding emperor.
Instead, it meant reverting to the ancestors of the human race, ordinary humans.
The ancestors of the human race, after countless generations, achieved their current status, with the emergence of various powerful beings and continuous evolution of the bloodline.
The strong remain strong, and if one regresses to the ancestors, it means returning to a state of poverty and hardship, requiring several times the effort and toil of others, and still not necessarily getting enough reward.
"Do you know what our Ninth Prince was doing when I first arrived?" Fang Xing asked.
"What was he doing?"
"He was undergoing the trial of the Tai Xu Sacred Land. To be precise, he was being judged as the Holy Son of the Tai Xu Sacred Land!"
"Holy Son? This Ninth Prince actually became the Holy Son of the Tai Xu Sacred Land?" Zheng Tuo immediately put away his disdainful attitude.
Anyone who could become the Holy Son of a sacred land had the potential to become a Saint.
"Though it was said to be a trial, I think our Ninth Prince is quite fearless of authority, as he dared to confront a Sage."
"Moreover, he seemed to know I would appear."
Fang Xing's words shrouded Qin Luo in a layer of mystery.
"I feel like everything is unfolding according to our Ninth Prince's expectations, and he actually possesses several Sacred Artifacts!"
The Tai Xu Bell was still in his possession, and the rope Qin Luo had just used was also a Sacred Artifact.
Even the thing in the room that was obscuring their perception was a Sacred Artifact.
"All his?" Zheng Tuo was shocked. As a Sage, all he had was a single Sacred Artifact, a giant axe.
Yet Qin Luo, a mere Divine Ability Realm cultivator, had several Sacred Artifacts.
This was a case of comparing oneself to others and getting frustrated.
Fang Xing glanced at Zheng Tuo, a mysterious look flashing in his eyes, and patted Zheng Tuo's shoulder.
"Brother, if you want to return to the Imperial Capital for revenge, the Ninth Prince might be a good choice." Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Tuo's expression immediately turned serious.
For years, he had been suppressed and dared not return to the Imperial Capital, where he had enemies with considerable power.
If not for his reputation and achievements in the military, he would have been eliminated long ago.
Revenge was something he had only dared to think about but never act upon.
Fang Xing's words made him ponder deeply.
"The Ninth Prince is the only one among all the princes without a background. Offering help in times of need is far better than adding to the splendor," Fang Xing said.
Zheng Tuo nodded, "Let me think it over."
Meanwhile, inside, Qin Luo continued to whip Xi Huang, each strike affecting her soul, making her feel humiliated while inflicting continuous soul damage.
This was worse than killing her.
Finally, after 999 lashes, Xi Huang gave in.
"I... agree... I agree with you, isn't that enough..."
"Heh heh heh! Why didn't you agree earlier? You just had to suffer."
"I think you have a masochistic tendency."
As soon as Qin Luo finished speaking, Xi Huang shivered. How could she have a masochistic tendency? How could she possibly have one!
"Enough with the nonsense. The Human Emperor Banner welcomes your arrival!"
Boom! Xi Huang's joining caused the Human Emperor Banner to begin upgrading, its power becoming exceptionally strong.
After refining for a day and a night, Qin Luo finally emerged.
This day and night were particularly torturous for the Tai Xu Sacred Land.
Having watched a grand drama, they felt no joy at all.
Especially Liu Ruyan, who never expected that Qin Luo was not the culprit behind the theft of the Tai Xu Bell, but Ye Chen was.
"Ye Chen, you actually deceived me." Liu Ruyan felt a heart-wrenching pain.
She had decided to sever ties with Qin Luo and planned to fall into Ye Chen's embrace, but never expected it was all a lie.
Ye Chen was just using her.
[Liu Ruyan is extremely disappointed in Ye Chen, losing 5000 Fortune Points, host gains 5000 Villain Points]
"Hmm?"
"Already disappointed?" Qin Luo sneered inwardly.
In novels, there's always a brainless female lead who fawns over the protagonist, no matter what mistakes he makes or what heinous acts he commits.
Even if he killed her entire family, she would still find reasons to excuse him.
It seems Liu Ruyan is not such a female lead.
"Perhaps it has to do with Ye Chen fleeing. If Ye Chen were in control now, who knows what would happen."
Qin Luo didn't dwell on it. He looked at Xi Huang and asked, "Where is your obedient disciple now?"
This question stirred unpleasant memories in Xi Huang.
She had acted for Ye Chen, and how did Ye Chen repay her?
Ye Chen abandoned her!
She was absolutely confident that if Ye Chen had helped her, she could have escaped, avoiding the pain of Qin Luo's binding and whipping.
But Ye Chen didn't want to take even the slightest risk.
From today on, she and Ye Chen were completely severed.
[Xi Huang voluntarily severed ties with Ye Chen, losing 10000 Fortune Points, host gains 10000 Villain Points]
Damn, it's much easier to fleece the Child of Fortune. A single move yields ten thousand points, making Liu Ruyan's points seem stingy by comparison.
"The place he went is random, but it must be thousands of miles away from here." Xi Huang didn't know the exact location, which made Qin Luo a bit regretful.
However, it wasn't particularly important. Even if he knew Ye Chen's location, he had no one to use.
"Next, I should refine his Sword Bone."
In Xi Huang's stunned expression, Qin Luo took out Ye Chen's Sword Bone and began to absorb and refine it!
After watching in a daze for a while, Xi Huang finally understood.
She exclaimed, "Devour-Heaven Demon Art! You actually obtained the Devour-Heaven Demon Art!"
Qin Luo gave an evil smile and began to devour...
***
In a vast forest, Ye Chen spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression filled with pain and hatred.
"My Sword Bone... is gone forever!"
[Devouring Ye Chen's Sword Bone, Ye Chen loses 20000 Fortune Points, host gains 20000 Villain Points]
...