Ling Tian Sword God

”Hmm.” Ling Chen nodded. Xu Ruoyan wasn’t sure whether he had genuinely listened or was merely giving her a casual response.

Before she could say more, Ling Chen had already squatted down, searching Shentu Yan’s body. He then retrieved an ancient-looking token.

”The Void Emperor’s Royal Decree!”

Xu Ruoyan recognized the token in Ling Chen’s hand. She had seen it before in the Tienzong Ruins, so she still remembered its appearance.

”Correct.” Ling Chen nodded. ”It is this very Void Emperor’s Royal Decree that cost your father his life, and perhaps it is also this that drove Shentu Yan to such madness.”

”What?” Xu Ruoyan’s pretty face was visibly shaken. So her father, Xu Feihong, had been plotted against by Shentu Yan all because of this token?

”What exactly does this Void Emperor’s Royal Decree contain?” Xu Ruoyan murmured, her voice laced with disbelief. A mere token, yet it can bring such devastation to the Martial World. Every time the Void Emperor’s Royal Decree has appeared, it has invariably brought catastrophe, leading numerous Martial World titans to fight to the death over it.”

”Indeed, there is a great secret within.” Ling Chen shook his head and tossed the Void Emperor’s Royal Decree into his Heavenly Mansion Ring. He would examine it carefully when he had the time.

According to the Human Emperor, there are nine False Emperor tokens in total, scattered throughout the Tianyuan Continent. Each Void Emperor’s Royal Decree seals a unique, world-defining martial arts secret. Each martial art within a Void Emperor’s Royal Decree is independent and powerful. The collection of all nine False Emperor tokens can allow one to master supreme, world-creating martial arts. This was what the Human Emperor had said, and he himself had once gathered eight of the Void Emperor’s Royal Decrees. Therefore, it shouldn’t be wrong.

Shentu Yan had merely practiced the martial arts from one Void Emperor’s Royal Decree, yet he had nearly swept through the Five Kingdoms’ Martial World, becoming invincible. One could only imagine how powerful the martial arts sealed within the Void Emperor’s Royal Decree were.

Putting away the Void Emperor’s Royal Decree, Ling Chen immediately moved to the side of the Dragon Puppet, gently lifting Xia Yunxin’s body in his arms. Even if he couldn’t revive Xia Yunxin right now, he absolutely couldn’t let her body rot. He had to find a place to preserve it.

”Where is the Alliance Leader going?” Lin Ya suddenly appeared at Ling Chen’s side and asked.

”To find a place where a body won’t decompose,” Ling Chen replied truthfully. Generally, in the Extreme Northern Land, there are places of extreme cold where a body can be preserved for several years.

”If it’s just to preserve Miss Xia’s body, there’s no need to go to such lengths.” Lin Ya shook her head and continued, ”Our Black Market’s Golden Jade Pavilion possesses a Fixed Body Bead, an ancient artifact. If placed in a body’s mouth, it can ensure the body remains incorruptible and that its life force is preserved.”

”There’s such a thing?” Surprise flashed across Ling Chen’s face. This Fixed Body Bead is truly invaluable! Otherwise, I would have had to journey to the Extreme Northern Land to find an ice cave to store her body and then slowly figure out a solution. But this Fixed Body Bead can directly solve the problem of preserving her body!

”I will immediately dispatch someone to Black Devil Island to retrieve the Fixed Body Bead,” Lin Ya said.

”No need. I will go to Black Devil Island myself. Lin Ya, you will accompany me.” Ling Chen couldn’t wait for someone else to retrieve it. Xia Yunxin’s body was too precious to risk any delay; he had to go to Black Devil Island immediately.

Lin Ya cupped her fists. ”Yes.”

”Junior Brother Ling Chen, with Shentu Yan’s defeat, his army will surely crumble. How should they be dealt with?” Just as Ling Chen was about to leave with Xia Yunxin’s body, Liu Feiyue also arrived at his side, asking.

”Those who surrender may be spared, but anyone found to have colluded with Shentu Yan will be executed without exception,” Ling Chen said coldly.

”Understood. But how will the entire Divine Intent Sect be dealt with after this battle?” Liu Feiyue stared at Ling Chen. After all, the Divine Intent Sect was Ling Chen’s former sect; he likely already had a plan in mind.

”Today’s battle was entirely due to Shentu Yan’s personal ambition; it has little to do with the Divine Intent Sect,” Ling Chen stated calmly. Only those connected to Shentu Yan will be dealt with. Others will not be punished. As a former disciple of the Divine Intent Sect, he naturally wouldn’t exterminate it completely. It was, after all, his father’s Sect. His previous expulsion had been entirely orchestrated by Shentu Yan and had little to do with the Divine Intent Sect itself.

”I’ll leave all matters here to you, Senior Sister Feiyue.” The outcome of the battle here has just been decided. What follows will merely be some finishing touches. The majority of the experts from the Divine Intent Sect have already been killed by Shentu Yan, and the few remaining ones don’t pose much of a threat. The remnants of the Divine Intent Sect’s forces will inevitably be swept away. The various factions, while launching their counteroffensive, will surely negotiate how to divide the territories, thereby redefining the future landscape of the Martial World. Right now, he needed to rush to Black Devil Island and naturally didn’t have time to handle matters here.

”You can leave with peace of mind. I will take care of things here.” Liu Feiyue nodded her elegant head. Even if Ling Chen wasn’t physically present, his deterrent power would remain. It wouldn’t affect how the Cyan Robe Association carves up the territories.

”I will go with you,” Xu Ruoyan said, stepping forward to look at Ling Chen.

”Let’s go.” Ling Chen nodded, then whistled. A Qingfeng Jue flew over, landing before him.

Cradling Xia Yunxin’s body, Ling Chen, Xu Ruoyan, and Lin Ya mounted the Qingfeng Jue. With a powerful flap of its wings, the Qingfeng Jue soared into the northern sky.

「Black Devil Island, Black Market Headquarters.」

In an exquisitely arranged room, Xia Yunxin’s body lay on a bed, her face as pale as death, without a trace of blood. Beside her, a beautiful woman was checking her pulse. This beautiful woman was none other than the Doctor Immortal who had saved Xu Ruoyan previously.

During their journey to Black Devil Island, Ling Chen had used several precious Elixirs to ensure Xia Yunxin’s body wouldn’t show any signs of decomposition, successfully bringing her to Black Devil Island completely unscathed. After placing the Fixed Body Bead in Xia Yunxin’s mouth, Ling Chen entrusted her to the Doctor Immortal for treatment.

However, after checking Xia Yunxin’s pulse, the Doctor Immortal shook her head, stood up, and cupped her fists towards Ling Chen. ”Sect Leader Ling Chen, please forgive my incompetence. I am truly helpless.”

”Helpless? Is there absolutely no way?” Hearing this, Ling Chen’s last glimmer of hope vanished. He quickly asked, ”Last time, wasn’t Yan’er also in critical condition? Yet, Senior, you managed to restore her, didn’t you?”

”Yes, Senior! If there are any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures you require, like Deer Reviving Grass, please just say the word. We will do everything in our power to find them!” Xu Ruoyan also chimed in.

”The two situations are entirely different,” the Doctor Immortal couldn’t help but glance reproachfully at Ling Chen. ”Last time, Miss Xu had merely suffered completely severed meridians. This time, this Miss Xia’s soul has already dispersed. How am I to save her? Do you truly believe I can bring the dead back to life?”

”In any case, I am powerless. Even if you were to bring Deer Reviving Grass from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, it would be of no use,” the Doctor Immortal said with a look of regret.

Is there truly nothing that can be done... Ling Chen’s face fell, his expression utterly dejected. Even Deer Reviving Grass from the Hundred Thousand Mountains can’t save Xia Yunxin. This Doctor Immortal is already the most skilled physician in Jianghu. If even she is helpless, who else could possibly save her?

”Wait… Hundred Thousand Mountains… Deer Reviving Grass… Barbaric Temple… the High Priest!” Suddenly, Ling Chen’s eyes lit up.

He vividly recalled what the Barbarian High Priest had told him. That man claimed to know a Soul Returning Technique, capable of recalling a person’s departed soul! Xia Yunxin has lost her soul now… wouldn’t that Soul Returning Technique be exactly what’s needed to save her and bring her back to life?