Chapter Twenty-Eight: Emperor Xia’s Plan

Hearing the Great Sage’s words, Su Yang felt completely reassured.

At that moment, however, a terrible pain suddenly spread throughout his body. The golden radiance surrounding him slowly faded, and his face twisted into a frightening grimace.

With the spiritual energy within him gone, Su Yang plummeted helplessly from the sky.

“Big brother!”

The Purple Lightning Mad Lion reacted with incredible speed. It instantly transformed into a streak of violet lightning and caught Su Yang on its back.

The Purple Lightning Mad Lion landed in the Su residence, which had already been reduced to ruins.

At that moment, there was scarcely any sign of life inside or outside the estate.

Although Su Beilou had been taken to safety by Li Beiye earlier, the tremendous power unleashed by Elder Bi’s Moon-Watching Ascension Technique later proved too overwhelming. He died on the spot, his body reduced to nothingness.

As for the other elders of the Su family, they had escaped in time. Apart from suffering some injuries during their battle with the people from the Prince’s Estate, they were otherwise unharmed.

Now that the Sect Master of the Moonwatch Sect and the others had departed, they gradually emerged within the ruined Su residence.

“Hahaha, it’s over. It’s finally over. I’m still alive! I’m still alive!”

A figure crawled out from the wreckage, shouting in wild excitement.

It was Su Beilou’s son, the current heir of the Su family, Su Shaofeng.

He had originally intended to slip away while no one was paying attention. However, before he could escape, Wang Lang had already begun fighting his father. Then the appearance of Second Elder Su Qiang and the others caused him to remain behind instead of fleeing immediately, secretly watching the battle from the sidelines.

It was not until Su Yang appeared that Su Shaofeng was truly shocked.

He had believed that Su Yang would certainly die after being kept as Wang Yiyi’s blood slave for three years. The Su family would belong to him from then on. Although his father had been no match for Wang Lang and had nearly lost his life, that had nothing to do with him.

Rather than venturing outside and throwing away his life, it would be better to kneel before Wang Lang and beg him not to kill him. The Prince’s Estate could simply fall under the control of the Wang family afterward.

After all, being alive was better than dying. Perhaps Wang Lang might even take a liking to his talent and arrange for Wang Yiyi to marry him. That would truly be the best of both worlds.

Thus, carrying such foolish dreams, Su Shaofeng had remained hidden in the ruins until now.

When Su Qiang and the others saw that it was Su Shaofeng, they said nothing. They merely wore bitter expressions, uncertain what would become of the Su residence in the future.

“Where did this brat come from? What are you shouting about? If you make another sound, I’ll kill you right now!”

The Purple Lightning Mad Lion was already deeply frustrated. Su Yang was severely injured, and it did not know where to take him. Now Su Shaofeng was shouting at the top of his lungs. Had the lion not been too lazy to bother with him, it would probably have killed him already.

Su Shaofeng naturally knew that the beast before him was a sixth-grade monster. He trembled in fear and hurried behind Su Qiang.

But when he remembered that such a powerful beast actually obeyed Su Yang, jealousy surged within him. Summoning courage from somewhere, he pointed at the Purple Lightning Mad Lion and shouted, “You filthy beast, how dare you threaten me? Do you know that I am the heir of the Su residence?”

The moment those words were spoken, Su Qiang and the others nearly slapped Su Shaofeng to death themselves.

If he wanted to throw away his life, he should not drag them down with him.

The Purple Lightning Mad Lion glared at Su Shaofeng. Its already vicious features became even more terrifying, and it roared toward the place where Su Qiang was standing.

“Roar!”

Su Qiang and Su Shaofeng had no time to dodge. The roar sent them flying.

Su Shaofeng in particular was no more than an ant before the Purple Lightning Mad Lion, despite possessing a cultivation base at the peak of the Three Profound Realm. He was utterly incapable of resisting.

His body split apart inch by inch in midair.

He died on the spot.

As for Su Qiang, the Purple Lightning Mad Lion had not intended to kill him. It merely inflicted severe injuries upon him and shattered his dantian, turning him into a cripple.

“Hmph! I don’t care whether you’re my big brother’s family or not. Those who don’t want to die had better get the hell away from here!”

The Purple Lightning Mad Lion roared at the other two elders of the Su family.

The two men did not hesitate. They immediately fled as fast as they could and disappeared from sight.

“A bunch of useless trash!” the Purple Lightning Mad Lion snorted.

At that moment, Li Beiye appeared behind the Purple Lightning Mad Lion with his daughter, Li Shanshan, in his arms.

He slowly set Li Shanshan on the ground, then knelt before the beast and bowed.

“Thank you, Senior Monster, for saving our lives. Please do not delay Su Yang’s treatment any longer. Why don’t you come to my residence to recuperate?”

Upon hearing this, the Purple Lightning Mad Lion looked at Li Beiye’s earnest expression and remembered that Su Yang had ordered it to rescue Li Shanshan. After a moment’s thought, it agreed.

Although the battle had caused widespread destruction, the City Lord’s Residence was still the pride of Northleaf City. It had suffered considerable damage, but at least it still possessed places where they could rest.

Before long, everything settled into silence. Su Yang and the Purple Lightning Mad Lion began slowly recovering within the City Lord’s Residence.

As for City Lord Li Beiye, he could only pace anxiously nearby. Li Shanshan’s condition was extremely dire, and frost had already spread across her entire body.

If this continued, even an immortal would be unable to save her.

Yet there was nothing he could do. Su Yang was still unconscious, and although Li Beiye had offered him the finest pills he possessed, Su Yang showed no signs of improvement.

Burning with anxiety, he could only pray silently that Su Yang would recover soon, while his daughter would somehow hold on a little longer.

Such was the greatness of a father’s love.

At that moment, within the Great Xia Dynasty—

The Great Xia Dynasty was the overlord of the northern region of the entire Profound Heaven Continent. It had stood for more than a thousand years.

Aside from the Moonwatch Sect, no one throughout the northern region dared claim superiority over the Great Xia Dynasty. The current Xia Emperor in particular was hailed as the strongest emperor in the dynasty’s history.

Even the three princes beneath him were extraordinary figures, each possessing astonishing talent.

…

Within the imperial palace of Great Xia.

The Third Prince looked at the Xia Emperor before him and said with utmost respect, “Imperial Father, I believe Wang Lang harbors great ambition. Although Wang Yiyi’s talent is indeed extraordinary, if the Wang family is not suppressed, it may become an enemy of Great Xia in the future.”

“Hmph. An enemy? It is merely a small Wang family. Even if a prodigy has emerged among them, what of it? Does Great Xia, with more than a thousand years of accumulated power, truly fear a minor clan?”

“Third Brother, although you possess decent talent, you lack something. Your elder brother and second brother both possess it, yet you alone do not. Do you know what it is?”

The Xia Emperor continued reviewing the memorial before him without even raising his head.

The Third Prince hurriedly replied, “Imperial Father, I understand. I lack the majesty of a true dragon. However, Wang Yiyi has now become a disciple of the Moonwatch Sect and will even become a direct disciple of its current Sect Master. Although the Wang family itself is nothing to fear, the Moonwatch Sect has always stood on equal footing with our Great Xia Dynasty. If Wang Yiyi matures, I fear the Moonwatch Sect may one day slip beyond our control…”

“Oh? You actually thought of that. Not bad.”

“Your concern is not without reason, but you are thinking too far ahead. Do not forget that the enemy the Moonwatch Sect is worried about now is not our Great Xia Dynasty, but the Profound Heaven Sect.”

“Do you think your father failed to consider this? Do you believe there is no hidden secret behind the rise of the Profound Heaven Sect?”

“Enough. Do not overthink matters. Although the Wang family rejected my will, someone has already punished them. We need not concern ourselves with it any longer. I now have another matter for you to handle. It is of great importance. If you accomplish it well, I may consider granting you the position of Crown Prince in the future.”

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince’s expression brightened with delight.

“Please give me your orders, Imperial Father. I will devote myself to the task with all my strength.”

“Good. Starting tomorrow, go to Northleaf City once more and find a young man named Su Yang. No matter what method you use, you must make him a member of the Great Xia Dynasty.”

“Remember, if he continues to refuse, do not allow him to die at the hands of the Moonwatch Sect.”

“Can you do it?”

Only then did the Xia Emperor raise his head. A formidable dragonlike majesty radiated from his eyes.

“Su… Yang? That name seems somewhat familiar,” the Third Prince said, frowning.

“Of course it is familiar. He is the prodigious young man from the Su family of Northleaf City three years ago.”

“It is him? But wasn’t he already…”

“Oh? I have only just learned that the boy not only survived, but was also the one who punished the Wang family moments ago. He possesses Supreme Bloodline power. To Great Xia, he will make a fine chess piece. Third Brother, whether this succeeds depends on you.”

After the Xia Emperor finished speaking, he vanished from the imperial palace.

Only the Third Prince remained, standing there in a daze.