Chapter 247

Outside the capital city.

A hidden underground palace.

This is the Cheng Emperor's secluded cultivation site; most of the Zhu family's old relics do not remain in the imperial palace, but instead have their own palaces built outside.

Deep within the palace are two people: an old man who is the Cheng Emperor, and a middle-aged man who is his most beloved son, Zhu Hong.

They consume dragon energy selectively, always leaving behind a few of their most cherished offspring.

Zhu Hong poured two cups of wine and handed one to the Cheng Emperor: "Father, do you really think the Martial Emperor will return this time?"

"He has said before that he would return, but each time he did not."

The Cheng Emperor took the cup, drank a sip, and his eyes turned icy: "This time he truly will return, as the Martial Saints themselves have sent back the news."

Zhu Hong looked worried: "If the Martial Emperor learns of what we have done, following his habits, I have no doubt he will slaughter us all and then raise a new generation."

The Cheng Emperor glanced at him: "What do you think we are doing now? We only need to kill those inside the palace, and the Martial Emperor will never know of this."

"So as long as Shen Qing agrees not to interfere, and we eliminate Zhu Lingyue and her group, no one will know of this!"

At that moment, footsteps echoed in the underground palace; the door opened, and Eunuch Xu entered the room.

Seeing Eunuch Xu walk in alive, the Cheng Emperor's mouth curled slightly upward.

"How did Shen Qing respond?"

Eunuch Xu knelt on the ground: "Reporting to the Cheng Emperor, Shen Qing said he can negotiate, but he wishes to speak with you personally..."

Before his words finished, Eunuch Xu felt a wave of dizziness, and then he saw his own headless corpse.

The Cheng Emperor laughed loudly: "It seems Shen Qing is not exactly a clever man either."

"A bunch of short-sighted rats!"

Zhu Hong quickly chimed in: "Indeed, after all, not everyone possesses wisdom like your father."

The Cheng Emperor laughed: "Good! Then we have already succeeded halfway; I want to see what conditions Shen Qing will demand."

"No matter what he asks, in the end he will obediently spit it out!"

"Hong'er, you must depart immediately to bring Zhu Lingyue's mother! Within seven days, dispose of Zhu Lingyue!"

Indeed, this is the leverage the Jing Emperor holds over Zhu Lingyue—her mother was hidden away by the Jing Emperor.

Zhu Lingyue's mother was merely a palace maid, so during Zhu Lingyue's childhood, when she suffered endless bullying, she had only her mother to rely on.

One could say that in Zhu Lingyue's early life, there were only two people: her mother, and everyone else.

Until Zhu Lingyue displayed terrifying talent, she was also selected by the palace inhabitants as the next emperor.

This licentious and decadent Jing Emperor, at this moment, suddenly had a thought and seized Zhu Lingyue's mother, hiding her away.

This also became Zhu Lingyue's sole weakness.

But just then, a blood shadow shattered the wall and burst in from outside, accompanied by Shen Qing's delighted voice.

"It seems I have overheard something significant through eavesdropping."

Immediately, a dark blade light flashed, slicing straight at the two.

It was precisely the Gui Xu Yin.

Shen Qing appeared too suddenly; the two had no time to react.

In an instant, all sound vanished as the blade light swept past the Cheng Emperor's arm and Zhu Hong's half-body.

Next, a terrifying black hole appeared, its immense suction pulling the two toward it.

By now, the Cheng Emperor finally reacted, gritting his teeth as his dragon energy erupted instantly, creating a repulsive force at the cost of massive dragon energy consumption, pulling the two out of the Gui Xu Yin's range.

However, his severed arm and Zhu Hong's lower body could not be restored, having been completely annihilated by the Gui Xu Yin.

Zhu Hong let out a painful scream, and the Cheng Emperor's face also turned somewhat red, clearly having become flushed from anger.

"Shen Qing! How dare you commit such despicable acts!"

Shen Qing sneered.

"Ridiculous—do you still have the face to use the word 'despicable'? Who could be more despicable than you? Kidnapping others' mothers to threaten them, and you still dare to call others despicable?"

"So disgusting! I'll beat you to death, you bastard!"

Saying this, Shen Qing swung a dark blade light, the Gui Xu Yin clearing the path.

The Cheng Emperor, now prepared, dared not directly block the Gui Xu Yin; he used his vast dragon energy to propel himself, swiftly dodging the Gui Xu Yin.

But Shen Qing seized this opportunity to close in for the kill; behind him hung a black sun, and his right fist executed the Black Tiger Heart-Rending Strike.

Golden light blazed, three golden dragon phantoms roared, and his left hand used the Heavenly Dragon Finger, pointing directly at the Cheng Emperor's vital point.

Shen Qing's killing moves followed one after another, exploiting his lack of one hand, aiming for a close-quarters, swift victory.

The commotion here was significant; who knows if other Zhu family relics are hidden nearby.

This combination has left the Cheng Emperor suffering terribly.

He had thought that even if Shen Qing possessed half-Saint combat power, it would merely be the initial stage of half-Saint, given his age.

But now, upon exchanging blows, it appears this can already be considered invincible half-Saint combat power.

Moreover, he enjoys launching surprise attacks, his killing moves are numerous, and his strikes are ruthless.

The Cheng Emperor let out a low shout while rapidly retreating: "Dragon Energy Entwines the Body!"

Only then did terrifying dragon energy coil around his flank; it seems this old relic has indeed consumed a great deal over the years, his dragon energy now so abundant.

"Shen Qing, do you truly think you have me beaten? Invincible in half-Saint realm? Once my dragon energy entwining is complete, I too can become briefly invincible in half-Saint realm!"

"Can you really take me down in such a short time..."

What he must now do is create distance, wait for the dragon energy entwining to finish.

But suddenly, he froze—where was the person who had just been standing where Shen Qing stood?

The next moment, a black shadow had already reached his flank and struck him squarely in the face!

Bang!

The terrifying qi wave erupted, and the magnificent underground palace began to collapse rapidly.

Before Cheng Di could even rise to his feet, Shen Qing had already arrived before him, terrifying divine patterns glowing around his eye sockets as the light of annihilation shot forth.

Crack!

A blood-red small hole appeared at Cheng Di's dantian, his dantian already shattered by Shen Qing.

The dragon qi on his body began to dissipate, Shen Qing extended one hand and seized his neck, sneering.

"You think wrapping yourself in dragon qi makes you half-saint invincible? Then I'll just prevent your dragon qi from completing its wrapping, won't I?"

Saying this, Shen Qing casually swung a blade, beheading the half-bodied Zhu Hong on the ground, allowing the Dragon-Slaying Blade to devour the dragon qi.

Thereafter, he brought Cheng Di and swiftly vanished from the underground palace.

Cheng Di's eyes were filled with dead ash, just a little bit away.

After roughly the time it takes to finish a cup of tea.

Shen Qing brought Cheng Di to a desolate wild ridge, and casually tossed him aside.

"Old thing, speak up—where did you hide Zhu Lingyue's mother?"

Cheng Di gritted his teeth: "Shen Qing! Do you think I'll tell you?"

Shen Qing walked toward Cheng Di with a bland expression, now holding various instruments of torture—scissors, iron awls, and the like—these were just taken from the underground palace; Shen Qing had long known this old thing would surely clench his mouth shut.

Cheng Di panicked, bracing his hands on the ground and continually retreating: "Shen Qing! Shen Qing! What are you going to do! I am Cheng Di!!"

"No!!!"

After roughly the time it takes to finish a cup of tea.

This Cheng Di had already curled into a ball on the ground, trembling occasionally.

Shen Qing casually swung the Dragon-Slaying Blade, directly ending his life, while intense dragon qi violently coiled around the blade.

Cheng Di had already revealed the whereabouts of Zhu Lingyue's mother, also located in Wuyang Prefecture.

Shen Qing directly shot up into the sky, flying toward that direction.

The corner of Shen Qing's mouth slightly lifted.

"Zhu Lingyue, Zhu Lingyue, this time you truly owe me a great debt."

"What will you use to repay it?"