Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chapter 256: 256 Zhao’s Residence

Xuanyue Empire, Royal Family!

This area, Baiyue City in the Xuanyue Imperial City, is the core of the territory, and generally, outsiders dare not enter at will, because the ones residing here are the controllers of the entire Xuanyue Empire.

The Xuanyue Empire has been established for a thousand years, its roots deeply entrenched in this territory; its overall strength is perhaps much more formidable than Jade Pot Sect, and perhaps only the royal families of other empires on the Hidden Dragon Continent would dare to provoke it.

Magnificent and splendid is the Royal Palace, within a particularly grand hall stands a tall and lean young man, his demeanor exuding an air of nobility, signifying his distinguished status within the Xuanyue Royal Family.

In his hands, he holds a piece of letter paper, yet a calm and confident smile appears on his face a moment later, and as he brings his hands together, the paper turns to dust, slipping through his fingers, never to exist again.

”Hehe, a Spiritual Rank Intermediate Meridian Treasure, huh?”

A soft voice escapes him, immediately followed by a mocking smile transforming on his face, his chilling tone continues to reverberate within the grand hall.

”My dear younger brother, since you pose a threat to my position, blame me not, this time, let that Spiritual Rank Intermediate Meridian Treasure be your final resting place!”

As his voice fades, the figure of the young man in the luxurious robe disappears into the depths of the hall, but the indelible chill of murderous intent still echoes throughout, lingering persistently.

...

Somewhere in the northwest of the Xuanyue Empire.

Suddenly, on a sprawling avenue, four figures of different appearances appear, they are Mo Qing, Yun Xiao, and others who have rushed here from the Jade Pot Sect.

Since leaving the Jade Pot Sect, about half a month has passed; during this half-month journey, although they encountered some minor troubles, as soon as their identities as disciples of the Jade Pot Sect were revealed, most troublemakers would back off.

This area is already within the northwest territories of the Xuanyue Empire. Due to the distance between the location of Ningfeng City and the Meridian Treasure, Ling Wan is no longer with the group at this moment.

”Do you... sense it?”

Just after turning a bend on the avenue, Mo Qing abruptly stops, speaking after a moment, her beautiful eyes casting toward the distant northwest.

”That must be where the Meridian Treasure is located, right? We need to hurry up, don’t let Yue Qi and his fellows get there first!”

Xue Gong seems somewhat excited, evidently sensing what Mo Qing referred to, his words also revealing their stance; despite being from the same sect, they are potential competitors with those from the Poison Vein.

At this moment, Yun Xiao, holding a slightly cold Task Token, secretly thought it quite miraculous; the closer to the Meridian Treasure, the colder the Task Token becomes, did the elders who distribute the Task Tokens tamper with them?

Yun Xiao didn’t delve much into these details, but having such precise guidance indeed spared them many detours. Immediately, Mo Qing waved his hand, and the four hastened towards the northwest.

What Yun Xiao did not know was that as they hurried towards the Meridian Treasure, not far from their location in Ningfeng City, something closely related to him, or rather his good brother Ling Wan, was unfolding.

...

Ningfeng City.

”Zhao Residence...”

In front of a somewhat imposing gate stands a plump young boy, who upon lifting his head and seeing the words ”Zhao Residence” on the gate, murmurs softly, his voice filled with a hint of emotion.

This plump young boy is naturally Ling Wan, who had separated from Yun Xiao and others. Honestly, though it’s only been a few months since leaving the Zhao Family, it felt like a lifetime to him.

When he left, Ling Wan was only in the middle stage of the Meridian Introduction Realm, his cultivation talent vastly inferior to his two older brothers.

Furthermore, due to his unique physique of Mixed Element Qi, within the entire Zhao Family, apart from his mother, everyone treated him as a freak, even fearing he might bring disaster to the Zhao Family.

Just half a year later, as Ling Wan stands before the Zhao Family gate again, his mindset has somewhat changed. By now, he could barely control the Mixed Element Qi and at least wouldn’t easily transform into that plump form in front of others.

Thus, Ling Wan still harbored a glimmer of hope that his stern father, upon seeing his now evident talent, would no longer despise him and would treat him as his own son like Zhao Ningshu and Zhao Xingwu.

It must be said that Ling Wan was indeed naively adorable. Despite all that the Zhao Family did to him, he still harbored such hope. What he didn’t know was that once he returned to the family this time, leaving again would not be so easy.

”Ah? Isn’t this Ling Wan... Young Master?”

Just as Ling Wan was examining the words ”Zhao Residence” at the front gate of the Zhao Family, the two guards stationed at the gate finally recognized him. One of them wore a strange smile, his voice filled with undisguised mockery.

Although Ling Wan had been at the Jade Pot Sect for half a year, these two guards, who were stationed at the gate all year round, had a deep impression of this family’s useless member.

Yes, a family’s useless member.

From the moment Ling Wan was born, the Family Head Zhao Huan treated him as a freak, and the cultivation resources he received were far less than even the younger generations of subordinate branches.

With such treatment, along with these condescending guards, no respect was shown for Ling Wan, who was referred to as ”Third Young Master”. Instead, they would often join Zhao Ningshu and Zhao Xingwu in bullying Ling Wan.

Ling Wan had long been accustomed to these opportunistic individuals. Now, he didn’t even consider these two worth his attention, and without a word, he directly walked towards the mansion gate.

This attitude seemed to irritate the guard who had spoken earlier. Seeing Ling Wan about to walk past him, he maliciously extended a foot, attempting to trip Ling Wan, making him fall flat on his face.

The guard’s mindset was clearly still stuck six months ago; he assumed that even after half a year, this recognized family waste could have only advanced to the Late Stage of the Meridian Introduction Realm at most. As a peak Meridian Introduction Realm guard, he was certain this would humiliate the young master.

But just as the guard extended his foot, Ling Wan’s right foot, whether intentionally or not, lifted just then. At the moment the guard thought Ling Wan would step over his foot, Ling Wan fiercely stomped down, immediately causing the guard to suffer a tragic fate.

”Crack!”

A teeth-clenching sound echoed, and the other guard, who had been silent, clearly saw his comrade’s right foot bend into a bizarre angle, having been stomped broken by Ling Wan.

”Lowly cur, I wouldn’t bother with you, but you had to overstep!”

Ling Wan turned his head and glanced coldly at the agonized guard, his voice icy. It seemed that controlling the Mixed Element Qi had occasionally made him unusually ruthless, a stark contrast to his original naive nature.

Initially, Ling Wan didn’t want to bother with these servants, but as he said, this fellow had eyes like a dog and dared to initiate a fight, so he had nothing else to say.

With Ling Wan’s cultivation at the Early Stage of the Meridian Rushing Realm now, this mere gatekeeping guard was absolutely no match for him. The pain of a broken leg could be considered a lesson for these two.

”You... you... you...”

With his lower leg broken, the guard’s face was covered in sweat, and he pointed bitterly at Ling Wan’s departing back. However, the next moment, he couldn’t even stand steady and fell to the ground, wailing in agony.

As for the other guard, he was utterly stunned by the scene. As a bystander, from Ling Wan’s seemingly effortless movement just now, he was certain that this once-known family waste was no longer the freak they remembered after leaving home for half a year.

Let’s not talk about these two guards with their own thoughts, as Ling Wan entered the Zhao Residence, he went straight to a familiar place – his mother’s dwelling.

In the entire Zhao Family, if there was any warmth Ling Wan had felt before, it possibly came only from his biological mother.

This was the reason why Ling Wan had rushed back to Ningfeng City without hesitation upon hearing that his mother was gravely ill. He could harbor hatred towards his two elder brothers, Zhao Ningshu and Zhao Xingwu, and resent his father, but he could never ignore his own mother.

Creak!

Pushing open the familiar gate of the courtyard, Ling Wan walked impatiently to the front of the main room and knocked while calling out, ”Mother, it’s Ling Wan, may I come in?”

However, just as Ling Wan’s voice dropped, the room door was pulled open from the inside. When he saw the person, his expression instantly darkened.

”Zhao Ningshu!”

Because the one pulling open the door was none other than Zhao Ningshu, Ling Wan’s biological elder brother from the Zhao Family, the one who had tried multiple times to put him to death... his dear elder brother!

”Hehe, Ling Wan, didn’t expect this, did you? Big Brother has been waiting for you for a long time!”

At that moment, Zhao Ningshu’s face held a very pleased smile. After speaking, he stepped aside, allowing Ling Wan to step inside. What Ling Wan saw next were a man and a woman.

”Mother!”

The first person Ling Wan saw was the one he had been constantly thinking about. However, upon seeing her, although she sat at the head of the room looking somewhat pale and unnatural, she did not appear to be gravely ill or dying.

Although Ling Wan was naïve and simple, he was not foolish. Seeing this scene, he stumbled, his face filled with disbelief as he stared at his mother at the head of the room, seemingly unable to accept everything unfolding before his eyes.