Chapter 40: A Battle of Trump Cards—The Hopelessly Lost Xiao Ling’er, How Shameless!

“And another thing, old man—how much is your dignity worth?”

Hearing these words, Yan Chen’s previously despondent expression was instantly replaced by a gleam of amusement. He had been worried Ling Tian would actually agree, which would mean he’d lose his chance to kill him. Who’d have thought this old fellow, after benefiting all this time from his own spiritual energy, would hesitate now that it was time to pay up? Ling Tian and the other man were already at daggers drawn, and yet the old man still dreamed of reconciling the two.

Ridiculous.

But now that Ling Tian had spoken, surely Shen Yan wouldn’t shamelessly insist on such things again?

How curious—what trump card did this boy have, to be so brazen?

Well, he was bringing this upon himself. He’d have no one else to blame.

“Insolent!”

Shen Yan bellowed, unable to contain his fury. In his previous life, he had been an emperor—now, to have his authority challenged by a younger generation, how could he endure it? Reputation follows a man’s shadow, even in death; this brat had no right to treat him thus!

“Old man, stop throwing your weight around here. Today, neither of you is walking away!”

Ling Tian snorted coldly, ignoring the enraged Shen Yan and speaking his mind. With things at this point, Shen Yan wasted no more breath and immediately possessed Yan Chen’s body. Since it had come to this, Ling Tian shouldn’t expect to leave alive.

As one who had achieved the Emperor’s throne, Shen Yan understood many things—chief among them, to never leave hidden threats behind.

“Boy, I wield two flames, named Life and Death, ranked sixty-seventh on the Celestial Fire List.”

Shen Yan, now inhabiting Yan Chen, appeared unchanged in form, but his bearing, tone, and very aura had transformed utterly. Raising his hand, Yan Chen extended his forefinger; at its tip, two flames—one black, one white—converged into a sphere.

Ling Tian gazed at these flames, eyes filled with greed.

Yet Yan Chen’s expression flickered—he seemed to struggle to control the flames in his grasp. Shen Yan forcibly suppressed them with his cultivation; otherwise, it would have been far too humiliating.

“Go!”

Without hesitation, Shen Yan hurled the black-and-white fireball.

Where the black flame passed, the vegetation withered and died. Where the white flame touched, the plants seemed to surge with newfound vitality.

Such contradictory fires, coexisting within one person, were indeed a marvel!

A sudden sense of danger welled up within Ling Tian as he faced the fireball. No, his clothes wouldn’t protect him—the flames had a searing effect that mere fabric could never withstand.

“Well, in that case…”

Ling Tian exhaled lightly. Since Yan Chen had used a cheat, he would do likewise without restraint. Producing a token inscribed with the character “Ye,” he called forth one of three attacks imbued with power equal to his mother’s cultivation.

It felt almost excessive.

But Ling Tian felt no regret—after all, he possessed many such attacks. He rarely used them, but since his opponent played dirty, he would not stand idly by and be beaten.

To meet trickery with trickery—why not?

“If you wish to pit trump cards, then let’s see who wins!”

“Attack!”

Ling Tian activated the token, unleashing a strike so powerful that the very heavens seemed to pale.

“Damn, an Emperor’s strike!”

Shen Yan turned ashen, swearing inwardly. He’d thought this boy had run out of tricks, never expecting an Emperor’s attack! The force of it surpassed even his own peak.

Shen Yan cursed Yan Chen under his breath—curse it, of all people to provoke, he’d chosen a death-bringer!

Against an Emperor’s strike, the fireball was pitifully inadequate.

“Run!”

Shen Yan, controlling Yan Chen’s body, dodged desperately. To take that blow head-on would be suicide. Simultaneously, he launched various skills behind him to dampen the attack.

Boom…

The strike detonated at Yan Chen’s side in a thunderous roar. As the dust settled, Ling Tian approached slowly. Somehow, he doubted the two would die so easily; otherwise, wouldn’t he have received a system alert?

Perhaps something like: “Yan Chen’s mission failed”?

[Yan Chen’s Dao Heart damaged: 25%]
[Mission Reward: Ancestral Blood +1]

Heh, as expected—they were hard to kill!

Ling Tian murmured to himself as the system notification echoed in his mind.

“Cough… Tian Ling, I’ll kill you!”

Yan Chen’s left arm had been blasted away, his hair hung in filthy tangles, his eyes wide with fear, his body soaked in blood. Gravely wounded, Shen Yan’s aura was weak—he’d expended much mental energy to save Yan Chen just now. White flames danced over his body, working to heal his wounds.

“Still dreaming?”

Ling Tian said, raising his hand and drawing out the token once more.

“Go!”

Shen Yan, still in control, fled at full speed using body arts.

“You think you can escape my grasp?”

Ling Tian watched Yan Chen’s retreat with a playful smile. A fine black thread appeared at his fingertip, subtly pointing in Yan Chen’s direction.

Chaotic energy.

Ling Tian had marked Yan Chen in the confusion earlier.

He hadn’t yet squeezed all the secrets out of Yan Chen, and he had no intention of killing him so quickly. He wondered what reward the system would grant in the end.

So far, the system’s rewards had been quite satisfactory. Killing Yan Chen was easy, but the rewards were rare even across the entire Dao Domain.

“Let’s see if you can surprise me.”

With Yan Chen out of sight, Ling Tian followed in pursuit.

…

“Damn it, how does he have such a trump card? Is he the Chaos Emperor? Why?”

Having fled to a hidden spot, Yan Chen clenched his remaining hand into a fist, teeth gritted in frustration.

“This boy is no ordinary person—his background is unfathomable and dangerous. Once you’ve obtained the thirty-sixth ranked Azure Lotus Flame from the Celestial Fire List, leave the Dao Domain at once!”

Shen Yan’s lower body was fading, his form nearly transparent, his voice weak.

Indeed, their true purpose for coming here was to obtain the Azure Lotus Flame.

The Life and Death flames were powerful, but inherently opposed, repelling one another; this discord kept them from unleashing their full power. The Azure Lotus Flame, though lower-ranked, was gentle and could harmonize the two—a path of moderation.

With it, their strength would double.

Even so, Shen Yan had abandoned any thought of killing Ling Tian. He couldn’t be killed—simply couldn’t.

He would wait until they acquired the flame, then use the teleportation array to leave.

“But it’s so hard to swallow…”

Thinking of Xiao Ling’er, Yan Chen’s fist tightened.

Smack—

“Fool! A true man waits thirty years for revenge—how could you lose your head over a woman?”

Furious, Shen Yan slapped Yan Chen. Was this boy determined to get both of them killed?

He had truly misjudged him!

Seeing Yan Chen dazed by the blow, Shen Yan’s tone softened a little as he consoled him:

“Only by surviving can you take revenge. You follow the path of fire, aiming for the summit—once you achieve the Emperor’s throne, he’ll be no match for you.”

By the end, Shen Yan’s confidence wavered. Would Yan Chen, even as an Emperor, truly be able to defeat him?

He was uncertain—heavily so.

“Master, you’re right. Let’s go!”

Yan Chen, stunned for a moment, contemplated deeply before making his decision.

Fear had crept into his heart—Ling Tian was simply too terrifying.

If he died, there would be nothing left.

Sometimes, retreat is wisdom. He’d seen the gap between them and knew he had to catch up.

With mastery of fire, as long as he acquired rare flames quickly, his cultivation would soar—soon, Ling Tian would pale in comparison.

…

“Heh heh, you can’t escape!”

Han Yuntian, having just drained another Puppet Sect disciple at the Dao Palace stage, fixed his predatory gaze on Xiao Ling’er, who huddled within a protective shield.

Han Yuntian sensed her bloodline was extraordinary; simply by approaching, his beast blood boiled. That was why he lay in ambush here.

Bang—

He struck the barrier again, causing it to tremble and crack.

“Damn you, fiend!”

Xiao Ling’er glared at Han Yuntian, face flushed with fury, wishing she could rush out and strike him down.

But she was no match for him.

“Yes, yes, I deserve to die—why don’t you come out and do it?”

Han Yuntian slapped his own face mockingly, taunting her.

He was hoping she might actually emerge!

“You—!”

Xiao Ling’er’s cheeks burned red, never before had she heard such shameless provocation.

Yet infuriatingly, she couldn’t go out and fight him—how hateful!

“If you won’t come out, then I’ll come in.”

A cruel smile curled Han Yuntian’s lips as he smashed his fist against the shield, unleashing the power of his Supreme Demon Bone.

Bang, bang, bang—

With each relentless blow, the protective barrier cracked further.

Xiao Ling’er drew a sword, gripping it tightly, prepared to fight to the death.

At first, Han Yuntian had been unable to do anything to her, but over time, by preying on others, he had reached the third stage of the King’s realm and gained the strength needed.

Xiao Ling’er had received a summons to regroup, but thanks to her hopeless sense of direction, she’d gone astray and run into Han Yuntian mid-slaughter—landing herself in this predicament.

A rare misfortune indeed.

Watching the shield about to shatter, a manic gleam filled Han Yuntian’s eyes:

“Heh heh, once I catch you, I’ll slowly drain your blood—make sure you feel the pain, the despair, the hopelessness… all while you’re still alive…”