Chapter 1062: Father and Son

The Iola Core lifts the soul binding, and there are only two possibilities: either its holder is killed and the soul dissipates; or the holder voluntarily relinquishes it.

Kai Er Si Tong had the binding lifted before being killed, clearly the second case.

But how could that be possible?

ParrasFloatingCity is the most important thing in Kai Er Si Tong's life, into which he poured countless effort and wealth, and it is also his reliance for a comeback; how could he voluntarily give it up?

Unless…

Lei En quickly thought of a conjecture: unless there is something more important than ParrasFloatingCity that forces Kai Er Si Tong to give it up.

What in the world could be more important than this? There is only one answer, and it is obvious.

It is his life!

Kai Er Si Tong, before heading to Fu Bei Deng Square, had already foreseen his inevitable death, but he devised a deception plan to fool his own eyes into thinking he truly died. The plan has a flaw: ParrasFloatingCity.

If the real Kai Er Si Tong hasn't died, the Iola Core would still be in his grasp.

So he must forgo voluntarily lifting the binding.

This fake‑death escape plan was almost flawless; had he not been careful enough to let Reslin slip into the control room the moment Kai Er Si Tong left the floating city, the problem would not have been detected, and to this day they remain oblivious, believing Kai Er Si Tong truly died.

"How did he do it?" Lei En frowned.

The Kai Er Si Tong killed on that day at Fu Bei Deng Square was undoubtedly himself!

The Soul Eye confirmed it many times, destroying his body three times in a row; after the soul detached, it was immediately shattered by lightning magic, annihilating both form and spirit.

Kai Er Si Tong's emotions and reactions showed no abnormality.

At the time, he looked like a dying person.

If one had to point out something off, it would be that killing him was too easy.

Kai Er Si Tong once boasted as the "Number One Human Genius," founded the Spirit‑User branch, and before reaching four hundred years old had ascended to Level 33, becoming one of the Empire's three great heads. Essentially, he is another Augulevi Master, possessing god‑like intelligence and limitless potential!

Although Kai Er Si Tong's spirit and lightning spell systems are both restrained by himself, it would not leave him completely powerless.

Real Mirror Image?

Clone?

Or some other little‑known magical duplicate?

Lei En racked his brain without solution, feeling as if a thorn had been stuck in his mind, constantly uneasy. If it were just a Kai Er Si Tong, it would be nothing, but Kai Er Si Tong is an uncontrolled duplicate created by Augulevi.

Suppose there is also Augulevi's shadow behind this…

"That old monster!"

Lei En muttered a God's Curse under his breath.

Why does everything, once it reaches a certain level, always involve Augulevi? He seems omnipresent; no matter which direction one goes, this insurmountable mountain appears.

The Black Robe Duke Tu Zi Lei vanished after the Empire Council's voting concluded.

In the battle between the Star Destroyer and the floating city, and in his duel with three Holy Soul Wizards, Tu Zi Lei never appeared, his whereabouts hidden as he observed from the shadows.

"So troublesome…"

Lei En felt greatly troubled, yet had no better solution for the moment.

Kai Er Si Tong should be alive, with over eighty percent likelihood. Even if the chance were only ten percent, treat it as certainty. Preparation ensures success; lack thereof leads to failure. He must prepare for Kai Er Si Tong not only being alive but also seeking revenge in the future.

"Father Emperor."

Lei Ke Si saw his father standing before the Iola Core, his complexion shifting repeatedly, silent for a long while, and couldn't help but call softly.

Lei En snapped back to attention and glanced at his son.

He suddenly asked, "Lei Ke Si, do you resent me?" Lei Ke Si's face showed bewilderment, "Father Emperor, I don't understand."

"Hehe…"

Lei En laughed, looking at his son who resembled him about seventy percent, teasingly: "You are thirteen; many children from poor families at this age are already working, earning a living, supporting their families. Lei Ke Si, you are smarter than other kids, you should know what I'm saying, otherwise I'll suspect whether your mother has done her best to teach you."

The bewilderment on Lei Ke Si's face turned to panic; he lowered his head and said, "Sorry, Father Emperor."

"It's fine." Lei En patted his shoulder.

He said sincerely, "Lei Ke Si, you are my first child. Do you know? The day you were born, I took you from your mother's arms, and the first sight of you made me extremely happy and excited, because it was my first time being a father."

Lei En paused, then gently said, "Son, you are my first true blood relative in this world."

Lei Ke Si's eyes widened.

He sensed the hidden meaning behind that sentence, involving the Father Emperor's astonishing secret!

"Shh…"

Lei En made a quiet gesture toward him, "Don't tell anyone."

Lei Ke Si nodded repeatedly, feeling both nervous and excited; the Father Emperor had told him such an important secret, and he instantly felt their relationship had drawn much closer. He silently vowed to keep this secret, not even telling his mother.

"Now tell me, do you resent me?" Lei En asked again, his tone and demeanor relaxed.

"I…" Lei Ke Si began, then stopped, still not daring to answer.

The answer was obvious.

"It's okay, speak up." Lei En encouraged, "Lei Ke Si, remember, I am first your father, then any other identity; between us father and son there should be no hesitation."

Lei Ke Si's eyes glistened with tears, and he whispered, "Yes."

"Do you resent me for choosing Ao Ke Ta Wei Si as heir?" Lei En asked again.

"Yes."

Lei Ke Si nodded, then quickly shook his head, explaining, "Father Emperor, I bear no resentment, I'm just envious of my younger brother and a bit dissatisfied. I am your eldest son; I have done nothing wrong, mother is also the queen, why wasn't I considered?"

After speaking, Lei Ke Si's heart became uneasy again; he hadn't forgotten that a few hours earlier his mother had just angered the Father Emperor, and now it was his turn.

However, Lei En showed no sign of anger; instead, he nodded with satisfaction.

The Soul Eye saw that everything his son said was the truth.

This was his genuine thought.

But it was clearly under the influence of Ai Mi Li Si, who constantly instilled the idea of competing with brothers and sisters; I called him here today precisely to correct those mistakes.

"Lei Kesi, what do you think are the benefits of being my heir?" Lei En asked directly.

"Obviously it's inheriting the Empire's emperor—"

Lei Kesi realized it was wrong the moment he spoke and quickly stopped.

"To inherit my throne, you must wait until I die," Lei En said unreservedly, laughing: "With my lifespan, living another two thousand years is easy. Unless I have an accident, you have no chance, for in this world, aside from deities, who can kill me?"

He spoke to his son without reservation, proudly declaring: "In a few decades, even the true form of a deity descending would be nothing but courting death!"

Lei Kesi was stunned by what he heard.

He knew his father's power was immense, standing at the peak of the Prime Material Plane, invincible among mortals, yet he hadn't expected his father to fear not even a god!

If that were true, then neither the heir nor the title of "crown prince" would matter.

"He who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight."

Lei En said solemnly: "The crown of the Empire's crown prince shines brightly, but it is also dangerous. I have many enemies, including several evil gods; if they cannot kill me, they will turn on you. And the crown prince is the primary assassination target of those enemies."

Lei Kesi's scalp prickled the moment he thought of being targeted by an evil god.

He even began to worry about Ao Ke Ta Wei Si.

"Whether it's you, Ao Ke Ta Wei Si, or Yi Li Sha Bai, you are all my children, born with great advantages over others, but danger comes with that," Lei En said seriously. "You are far from the time to consider inheriting the throne."

He smiled suddenly.

"If you wish to inherit the throne, the first thing to consider is staying alive; advancing to Saint Rank grants the strong self‑preservation power, allowing one to live at least several hundred, even a thousand years, before qualifying to compete for the throne."

"Living is the only way to have a future."

"And you must live as long as I have," Lei En lightly patted his son's shoulder in encouragement. "I don't want to one day give you a funeral with my own hands, understand?"

Lei Kesi nodded heavily and shouted back, "I understand, Father Emperor!"

All the grievance in his heart vanished.

"Very good."

Lei En wore a look of satisfaction; his Soul Eye saw that Lei Kesi had truly come to terms, not uttering false words to flatter him.

His counsel was not in vain; it untied his son's knot.

"In a few years Ao Ke Ta Wei Si and Yi Li Sha Bai will have grown up, sensible like you; I will say the same to them, and Luo Lan and Bu Lai En as well," Lei En said gently. "You siblings must get along harmoniously and care for each other. Lei Kesi, as the elder brother, you must set an example."

"Yes, I will take good care of my younger brothers and sisters," Lei Kesi solemnly nodded.

Lei En's face broke into a smile.

His tone suddenly shifted as he asked, "What do you think of the ParrasFloatingCity?"

"Extremely powerful," Lei Kesi said after opening his heart to his father, no longer so cautious, stating his impression honestly: "Three days ago it truly deserved the title of the world's most powerful magical construct, but now that it has been shot down, it shows it is far inferior to the Father's Star Destroyer."

"Then do you want it?" Lei En smiled.

Lei Kesi froze for a moment, then his heart hammered wildly.

Although he had just disparaged the floating city compared to the Star Destroyer, when he heard the Father Emperor seemed about to give it to him, he instantly cast that assessment aside.

This is a floating city!

And it is the largest and most magnificent ParrasFloatingCity in history!

Duke Hong Shi poured countless resources into its construction; the initial cost alone exceeded one hundred million Gold Shield, and over the subsequent two hundred years of continual expansion, even after severe damage, the city's value remains over two hundred million Gold Shield, with the Iola Core alone worth fifty million Gold Shield!

"Lei Kesi, do you want this floating city?"

In a daze, Lei Kesi heard his father ask again, and immediately shouted, "Yes!"

"The ParrasFloatingCity will belong to you from now on."

Lei En made the decision casually, as if he were giving away not a multi‑billion‑worth floating city but a small trinket bought on the street.

Lei Kesi was so excited he nearly leapt up.

He knew this was the Father's compensation; he had just undergone his first Soul Transformation last year and had unhesitatingly chosen the path of a battle Wizard. After nearly a year of diligent cultivation, although he is still a Level‑1 Wizard, he is confident he can advance to Level‑2 within two months.

A Level‑1 Wizard possessing a floating city is unprecedented!

And I'm only thirteen!

If this spreads, who knows how many will be envious.

Immediately, Lei Kesi grew anxious, uneasy, and said, "Father Emperor, I'm only a Level‑1 Wizard; I'm afraid I can't control the floating city properly."

"Don't worry, I will send a Grand Mage to assist you," Lei En smiled.

Lei Kesi felt reassured.

"Go ahead," Lei En pointed at the Iola Core. "Bind yourself to this Iola Core, and you will become the new master of the ParrasFloatingCity." He taught the binding method and experience, and bestowed several spells on his son, enabling him to withstand the city's information‑flow impact.

Lei Kesi, excited, stepped forward, took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, then placed his hand on the Iola Core.

Instantly, his pupils dilated as if witnessing something incredible.

Gradually, Lei Kesi's complexion turned pale, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, yet he clenched his teeth and refused to let go.

Lei En continued to observe his son's condition.

It was a test for Lei Kesi; if any problem arose, he would intervene to stop it.

One and a half hours later.

Lei Kesi opened his eyes, drenched in sweat, feeling his strength and spirit drained, yet his excitement could not be hidden.

He exclaimed excitedly, "Father Emperor, I succeeded!"

"Not bad."

Lei En felt very satisfied.

The time taken to master the floating city can indirectly gauge a person's talent; Lei Kesi, without multiple core crystals, completed it in half an hour, already very fast, comparable to the speed Duke Yin Xing displayed when mastering the Erasuo Floating City.

However, Lei Kesi is only a Level‑1 Wizard, while Duke Yin Xing is already over Level‑20.

Thus Lei Kesi's talent still has the edge!

Lei Ke Si closed his eyes to sense the Fu Kong Cheng's information, quickly discovering many places damaged, more than half of the rune formations unable to operate, unable to rise again, let alone jump across the starry realm.

"Don't be impatient." Lei En laughed: "I will have the Thundercast Celestial Soldiers repair the Fu Kong Cheng; at most three months, it will be able to restart."

Lei Ke Si gratefully said: "Thank you, Father Emperor!"

He knew how difficult it was to repair a Fu Kong Cheng, and that it would require enormous costs; given the extent of damage to the ParrasFloatingCity, at least thirty million Gold Shields were needed.

"Father Emperor, I want to transfer the Fu Kong Cheng to Kang Jia Te Luo, is that possible?"

Lei Ke Si asked eagerly.

Kang Jia Te Luo is now a vassal state of the Empire, relying on the Empire's power, the rule of the Zhuo Geng Bao family is as stable as a mountain, but Mother has always wanted a Fu Kong Cheng to garrison the kingdom: first, to unite the people's hearts and believe in the God of Magic; second, to intimidate other duchies and completely eliminate their disloyalty.

Lei En laughed: "Of course you can, your Fu Kong Cheng, go wherever you want."

Lei Ke Si smiled happily.

"Once the Fu Kong Cheng is repaired, I will also give you a thousand Thundercast Celestial Soldiers; this legion will help you control the Fu Kong Cheng and obey your commands completely." Lei En has always been generous to his son, but Lei Ke Si is still young and must consider things more carefully.

A thousand Thundercast Celestial Soldiers!

Lei Ke Si's breath halted; although the Thundercast Celestial Soldiers are not legendary, each possesses power rivaling legends, this thousand-strong legion is enough to sweep across Kang Jia Te Luo.

However, something even more exciting awaits him.

Lei En said full of expectation: "Lei Ke Si, if you can ascend to Holy Soul Wizard, I will give you a Star Destroyer."

(End of chapter)