Chapter 247: Shock

That day, Bai Ta Holy Lord contacted Lin Qing again and invited him to meet Marquis Yuan Xueqiu in a private auxiliary space with excellent scenery.

In a lush garden, standing beside Bai Ta Holy Lord was a tall silver-haired woman with an icy temperament, wearing a black cloak-like coat and a strange pendant around her neck.

"So this is Marquis Yuan Xueqiu?"

Lin Qing sized up the other party subtly; after all, she was a Void Sovereign who wielded a Seven-Colored Divine Artifact, and her strength was considered quite good among Void Sovereigns.

"Lin Qing," Bai Ta Holy Lord transmitted via sound, "Although Marquis Yuan Xueqiu has not yet agreed, she does not wish to offend you, so she will likely propose some conditions. As long as you agree, she should consent."

Lin Qing's heart stirred; he understood that Bai Ta Holy Lord must have already persuaded her and likely informed her of his special nature.

Otherwise, as a newly ascended Secret Realm Lord who had only just become a Void Being, Marquis Yuan Xueqiu would not have paid him much heed.

"Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, Mr. Lin Qing."

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu looked at Lin Qing and said softly, "I will not beat around the bush. If you wish for Qiu Yue to go to your place, I have three conditions. As long as you agree, I will consent."

"Please speak," Lin Qing said.

"First, I hope Mr. Lin Qing will become an honorary guest elder of my Yuan Xue family," Marquis Yuan Xueqiu added. "Normally, you only need to hold the title. If in the future my Yuan Xue family faces a crisis of destruction and Mr. Lin Qing has the ability to save us, I hope you will lend a hand. If you lack the ability, then forget it."

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and said, "What is the second condition?"

"The second condition," Marquis Yuan Xueqiu said, "Qiu Yue is the genius I value most, with great hope of inheriting my position in the future. Now that she has been taken away by Mr. Lin Qing, I fear there will be a shortage of talent. If our Bai Ta civilization ever has the opportunity to visit the Mountain and Sea Realm for exchange, I ask Mr. Lin Qing to take good care of the Yuan Xue family's geniuses."

Lin Qing pondered briefly and said, "Agreed. Tell me the third."

"Qiu Yue is a junior I like very much; she is my only bloodline."

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu said slowly, "I have already prepared a chance for Qiu Yue involving a 2.9-level civilization ruin. Currently, she is still fusing with the teleportation token of that ruin. In another few hundred years, she should succeed."

Bai Ta Holy Lord, standing nearby, glanced at her and said, "It's the Cangxue Divine Palace, isn't it? You are truly generous."

"I truly like this child," Marquis Yuan Xueqiu shook her head slightly.

She then looked at Lin Qing and said, "But that 2.9-level civilization was destroyed by the Yu Xingyuan Demon Clan, and a trace of the Yu Xingyuan Monarch's will remains within. Anyone attempting to enter the Cangxue Divine Palace will attract the attention of the Yu Xingyuan and draw Void Demons."

"Yu Xingyuan Monarch? A trace of will?" Lin Qing frowned and said, "Do you mean Void Demons will target Yuan Xue Qiu Yue? How could she still be alive?"

As far as he knew, once a Void Being lived for over thirty-eight million years, it would attract Void Demons dwelling on the eleventh layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

After that, living through a second thirty-eight million years would attract Void Demons from the twelfth layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

Living through a third thirty-eight million years would attract Void Demons from the thirteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

By extension, every thirty-eight million years lived would attract Void Demons from a deeper layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

Every thirty-eight million years is a threshold, a great calamity.

Even Void-level Divine Officials usually have lifespans of only several hundred million years!

Most terrifyingly, when Void Demons descend to attack, they can directly pull the target into the Yu Xingyuan world they inhabit, leaving outsiders almost unable to save them!

Yet Yuan Xue Qiu Yue, a Primordial Being targeted by Void Demons, has somehow survived until now?

"It is not as Mr. Lin Qing thinks."

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu nodded and said, "Although Qiu Yue is targeted by Void Demons, she will not be pulled into the Yu Xingyuan. Moreover, the Void Demons attacking her are at most those dwelling on the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan, so in the past, elders of my clan have blocked them for her."

Lin Qing understood.

As far as he knew, the elders of the Yuan Xue family were peak existences among Void Beings, often capable of creating their own Five-Phase Divine Arts, possibly possessing high-level Divine Artifacts, and almost all possessed strength equivalent to the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

Since they could pass the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan, they could naturally deal with Void Demons from the fourteenth layer.

"Therefore, Mr. Lin Qing needs to wait several hundred more years."

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu said, "Although Mr. Lin Qing is the Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, you have only recently transformed into a Void Being, and your current strength cannot protect Qiu Yue. Does the Mountain and Sea Realm even have such powerful figures?"

She paused and said, "Alternatively, having an elder from our clan accompany Qiu Yue to the Mountain and Sea Realm to protect her for several hundred years would also work."

Lin Qing understood her meaning.

Even a Secret Realm Lord, when the will of the Yu Xingyuan descends, must yield the world power of the Secret Realm, so a Secret Realm Lord cannot use the Secret Realm to fight Yu Xingyuan Demons.

Otherwise, as long as a Secret Realm Lord was careful, no Secret Realm Lord would ever perish.

But in fact, there are many fallen Secret Realm Lords!

Even a Secret Realm Lord, when facing Void Demons, can only rely on their own strength.

Normally, a newly ascended Secret Realm Lord naturally possesses strength at the lowest tier.

"No need."

Lin Qing shook his head and said, "My Mountain and Sea Realm civilization is still developing, and it is temporarily inconvenient to let outsiders stay in the Mountain and Sea Realm for a long time."

Of course, this was just an excuse.

In reality, Yuan Xue Qiu Yue is destined to undergo cultivation in the Primordial Realm, which involves secrets of the Vacuum Great Tomb, so he naturally would not allow outsiders to pry.

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu nodded slightly and said, "Then let Qiu Yue stay in the Bai Ta World for now; we can discuss it again in several hundred years. At that time..."

"No."

Lin Qing said, "What I mean is, let Yuan Xue Qiu Yue come directly; I will be enough to protect her."

Both Bai Ta Holy Lord and Marquis Yuan Xueqiu were slightly stunned.

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu frowned slightly and said, "Mr. Lin Qing was only a Star Being a hundred years ago, wasn't he?"

Her words naturally meant—Lin Qing had broken through at most a hundred years ago; how could he possibly have the strength to protect Yuan Xue Qiu Yue?

"Does Mr. Lin Qing have confidence?" Bai Ta Holy Lord asked.

"Of course," Lin Qing said.

He said no more and casually opened the results of his previous Yu Xingyuan trial, displaying them before the two of them.

【Yu Xingyuan Fourteenth Layer Cleared】

"Truly..." Marquis Yuan Xueqiu was stunned, finding it hard to believe.

Bai Ta Holy Lord was also unable to suppress her shock.

In merely a hundred years, creating a Divine Art reaching the level of the Yu Xingyuan Fourteenth Layer?

This was not the real-world Yu Xingyuan Fourteenth Layer, but the Yu Xingyuan Fourteenth Layer of the Yu Xingyuan Trial!

The meanings of these two are completely different.

After all, in the Yu Xingyuan, external tools like Divine Artifacts cannot be used.

Within the Yu Xingyuan trial, even if one creates a single-aspect Divine Technique, one generally reaches only the peak of the eleventh layer; even with a high Gene Index, mastering various special secret arts, and creating multiple single-aspect Divine Techniques, one merely crosses the threshold into the twelfth layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

To reach the strength of the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan, one must at least create multiple five-aspect Divine Techniques, right?

Creating multiple five-aspect Divine Techniques in merely a hundred years?

Unbelievable!

Now... Bai Ta Saint Lord and Marquis Yuan Xueqiu somewhat understand why the Ancestral Founder of the Tianyuan Seat treated the Lord of the Shanhai Realm with such special regard.

Reaching the strength of the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan in merely a hundred years is simply too fast.

Moreover, it is the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan trial!

If his own strength is already so terrifying, what if he possesses a suitable Divine Artifact?

"How is it?"

Lin Qing looked at Marquis Yuan Xueqiu and said, "Now Marquis Yuan Xueqiu can rest assured, right?"

With his Gene Index, plus the two perfect-grade combined Divine Techniques he created, although they only contain the spatial mysteries of three aspects merging into one, they still rival normal five-aspect Divine Techniques!

That is why he possesses the strength of the fourteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

Moreover, at this moment, part of his consciousness is still in the state of fusing with the Origin of the Secret Realm, so his comprehension speed of the true form of the Void is unimaginably fast.

Before long, he will be able to comprehend all spatial mysteries.

By then, it will only take some time to have the Blood Cauldron King Clone create a five-aspect Divine Technique; combined with those two five-colored Divine Artifacts, he will likely possess the strength of the fifteenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan very soon!

Such strength can already be called a peak existence among Void Beings!

Even those Void Beings who created seven-aspect Divine Techniques, without seven-colored Divine Artifacts, generally possess only this level of strength.

"In that case, I entrust Yuan Xueqiu to Mr. Lin Qing." Marquis Yuan Xueqiu took a deep breath and said.

Lin Qing nodded slightly and said, "It seems you truly like this child."

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "I owe the mother of this child, so I wish to compensate her and let her go further."

If it were not for this, she would not have agreed to entrust a genius like Yuan Xueqiu to the other party.

Within the Yuan Xue Clan, under her cultivation, even if Yuan Xueqiu achieved great heights, she could at most become the next Marquis Yuan Xueqiu.

But in the mysterious and special Shanhai Realm, perhaps she can go even higher.

However, no matter how high she goes, it has little to do with the Yuan Xue Clan; if she did not truly wish well for Yuan Xueqiu, how could she allow this heir to leave the clan?

"At that time, it will trouble the Saint Lord to send Yuan Xueqiu and the Divine Artifact over together."

Lin Qing looked at Bai Ta Saint Lord and said, "In the future, once my Shanhai Realm is stable, I will also welcome geniuses from the Bai Ta Civilization to exchange experiences; at that time, I will leave a batch of the Shanhai Realm's Welcoming Marks for the Saint Lord."

Bai Ta Saint Lord felt a surge of joy in his heart and immediately smiled, saying, "It is a small matter; many thanks to Mr. Lin Qing."

Lin Qing nodded slightly and said, "In the future, after Yuan Xueqiu transforms into a Void Being, I will also trouble Bai Ta Saint Lord to let her integrate into the Origin of the Bai Ta World for cultivation."

"A small matter." Bai Ta Saint Lord nodded.

This was already part of the cultivation plan set by the Yuan Xue Clan originally, so it was naturally agreed upon with her long ago.

"Then I take my leave." Lin Qing said no more and departed immediately.

That same day, Bai Ta Saint Lord used the vast and peerless power of the Bai Ta World to directly open a spatial wormhole leading to the outer edge of the Shanhai Realm.

Marquis Yuan Xueqiu personally brought Yuan Xueqiu and that Life-attribute five-colored Domain Divine Artifact, handing both the person and the object over to Lin Qing.

However, before leaving, Marquis Yuan Xueqiu left Lin Qing with a single sentence:

"For now, there is no need to let Yuan Xueqiu know the truth; anyway, no one in this clan is someone she cares about, so let her continue to despise the Yuan Xue Clan."

Immediately, Marquis Yuan Xueqiu returned through the wormhole without looking back.

Yuan Xueqiu looked exactly like the image Lin Qing had seen through the Heart of Limitless.

A disabled, frail girl, still at the level of a Primordial Being, entirely silent and quiet.

Lin Qing also understood why Marquis Yuan Xueqiu had said those words.

After all, the current plight of this disabled girl was all to temper her will, caused by the Yuan Xue Clan pushing things behind the scenes; in her eyes, the clan did not favor her, made her experience much suffering, and she had almost no relatives.

Naturally, she could not have much loyalty or attachment to the clan.

According to the original cultivation plan, only after her will was tempered sufficiently would the truth be revealed to her, accompanied by compensation to win back her heart for the clan.

However, Marquis Yuan Xueqiu obviously truly liked this child and specifically asked Lin Qing to keep it hidden so the child could rest assured while staying in the Shanhai Realm.

"Yuan Xueqiu."

At the summit of the giant peak in the center of the Shanhai Realm, Lin Qing sized up the girl before him and said, "I believe you already understand your situation."

"Thank you, Senior, for saving me; it's just... my aptitude is extremely poor, and I fear I will disappoint you," Yuan Xueqiu said softly.

"Your aptitude is poor?" Lin Qing laughed and said, "Believe me, as long as you work hard, perhaps in the future you could become a super powerhouse in this Void Sea."

Yuan Xueqiu was stunned.

Although she felt her comprehension was good and she learned combat techniques and secret arts quickly, her strength was so poor that she couldn't even reach the level of a High Primordial Being; if not for her mother's connection, she would likely have been driven out of the clan long ago.

"You will understand soon." Lin Qing said no more.

At this moment, the Heart of Limitless integrated into his body had already transmitted new information about Yuan Xueqiu.

【Raise her to achieve the Star-level Rare Divine Office 'Lord of Hunting the Heavens', and you may accept the tomb inheritance of the Flying Kite City Lord; the more outstanding the inheritor, the higher the reward the Gravekeeper receives.】

Lin Qing raised an eyebrow slightly. "Lord of Hunting the Heavens?"

He also knew this Star-level Rare Divine Office was a Destruction-type Divine Office with extremely strong killing and destructive power; compared to a Star God, the difficulty was not considered high.

If Yuan Xueqiu's aptitude was good, he could certainly cultivate her to this point.

"Fortunately, it is not a Star God."

Lin Qing breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Otherwise, the difficulty would be too high."

However, Star Gods are mainly more special in other aspects; the combat power of those with rare divine roles is not necessarily inferior to that of Star Gods, and being even stronger is quite normal.

Star Gods appear to be very strong, but that is mainly because they are generally strong, with a high baseline.

After all, the competitors are the peerless geniuses of various civilizations.

But peerless geniuses are not necessarily all Star Gods; achieving other rare divine roles is also quite normal, and their combat power can naturally be extremely strong as well.

"Starting today, you will cultivate under my guidance."

Lin Qing said, "I will provide you with cultivation resources, secret arts, treasures, and so on. You only need to cultivate diligently and meet my requirements."

"I will do my best..." Yuan Xueqiu took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

Lin Qing thought to himself that having the Blood Cauldron King's clone protect this child would be enough.

This child has fused the so-called Cangxue Divine Palace's teleportation token within their body and will be targeted by the Void Demons, who could launch an attack at any moment.

However, the Blood Cauldron King's clone should be sufficient for the job.

Over these few hundred years, it has already been enough time for him to make significant progress.

(End of this chapter)