“You!”
The two Darkness Palace elders looked at Lin Dong in astonishment. Within the bloody mist that filled the air, the latter’s smile appeared just like a devil’s. It made a chill rise inside one’s heart.
“Bang!”
However, the shock on their faces merely lasted for an instant, before quickly transforming into ferocity as mighty Yuan Power suddenly swept out from their bodies. With a low cry, two powerful streams of Yuan Power spluttered out. They were accompanied by intense killing intent as they ruthlessly shot towards Lin Dong.
Lin Dong still wore a faint smile as he looked at the both of them. He did not show any signs of attacking. However, the bodies of the two elders suddenly stiffened just as their attacks were about to reach Lin Dong.
The mightily churning Yuan Power within their bodies also froze along with their bodies as true horror finally rose into their eyes. They had discovered that they had lost control of their bodies at this moment!
This was the first time they had encountered such a situation. They had not felt so helpless even when facing the old palace master in the past.
“You… who exactly are you?!” The two elders involuntarily exclaimed with horror.
“Friend, we are from Darkness Palace. If you are willing to let us off, we will apologise if we have offended you in any way. Our Darkness Palace will also become your friend. You only need to let us know if there are any matters we can help with!”
Behind him, Mu Sha, Chen Gui and the others who had been caught, were stunned as they watched the rapidly changing expressions of the two elders. The group involuntarily inhaled a deep breath of air and looked at Lin Dong as if he was a ghost. Those two elders were top experts even in their Darkness Palace. Yet, they actually appeared so weak in the hands of this young man, who seemed to be in his twenties?
Chen Gui was clearly the most shocked amongst them. He had met Lin Dong in the past. While Lin Dong’s strength had surprised him three years ago, it was not much greater than his own. Yet, in the short three years since they last met, Lin Dong’s strength... had actually reached such a frightening level?
“That little girl you mentioned earlier is Qingtan, right?” Lin Dong smilingly looked at the two elders from Darkness Palace and asked.
The two elders’ expressions changed slightly when they heard this. Soon after, they gritted their teeth and nodded. They seemed to be grasping onto a strand of hope as they asked, “Could this sir have some grudge with her?”
“Didn’t I say this earlier… Qingtan is my younger sister. I am her big brother!” Lin Dong smilingly said. However, his smile was exceptionally icy.
The pupils of the two elders shrunk as they repeatedly complained in their hearts. Who could have imagined that the seemingly solitary little girl would actually have such a terrifying big brother. Moreover, they were unfortunate enough to bump into him.
“Oh, so you are the big brother of the palace master. Ha ha, we are family. Today, this traitor, Chen Gui, was planning on betraying our Darkness Palace. The two of us came to capture him on the orders of the palace master.” One of the elder laughed dryly.
“Oh, so that’s what happened.”
Lin Dong smiled and nodded. The chill in the hearts of those two elders rose when they saw Lin Dong’s smile. They were after all extremely experienced and cunning individuals, hence they immediately sensed the great danger. With a cry, Yuan Power swept out from their bodies without reserve, allowing them to escape Lin Dong’s restrains in a split second. After which, they moved, turning into two rays of black light that shot out in two different directions.
Anxiousness instantly flooded Chen Gui’s face the moment he saw that these two old fellows were about to flee. However, he calmed down when he saw Lin Dong’s unconcerned expression. Although both he and Lin Dong were not very close, the methods he had displayed in Unique Devil Region were clear evidence that he was no saint. He would never do something like letting a potential threat go.
It was just as Chen Gui had expected. Lin Dong merely calmly watched the two shoot away. He waited till they were about to charge into the dense fog, before he finally extended his hand. With a light grasp, black light flashed.
Ch!
The moment Lin Dong closed his hand, Chen Gui and the others saw the space in front of the two elders suddenly distort. Two huge black hole surfaced out of nowhere as Devouring Power erupted and swallowed them before they could even scream.
Bang bang bang!
Violent shaking noises were emitted from within the black hole as if the two elders were frantically struggling within it. However, this struggle did not continue for long, before it gradually weakened within the swiftly rotating black hole.
The black hole rotated for quite some time, before Lin Dong gently waved his hand. The black hole then faded together with the two Samsara stage Darkness Palace elders.
The empty land once again became completely quiet. Both Chen Gui and Mu Sha were stunned as they watched this scene. Those two elders had simply… died in such a manner?
“Brother Chen Gui, are you alright?” Lin Dong chuckled while everyone were stunned. He flicked his finger and the glowing black chains, which were covering their bodies, were completely shattered.
“Senior brother Chen Gui, are you alright?” Mu Sha pounced over at this moment. She immediately started to weep when she saw Chen Gui’s injuries.
Chen Gui comforted her. After which, he stood with great difficulty and cupped his hands together towards Lin Dong while wearing a complicated expression, “We meet again brother Lin Dong. I would never have imagined that you would have already become so powerful within a short three years.”
Chen Gui was considered an extremely talented individual. Otherwise, he would not have managed to become the most outstanding person on the Eastern Xuan Region sect wanted list. Yet, he had barely advanced to the Profound Death stage after three years, a speed which was honestly not bad. However, when compared to a irregular like Lin Dong, it was after all rather lacking.
“Senior brother Chen Gui, are you actually acquainted with big brother Lin Dong?” By the side, Mu Sha rubbed her eyes and could not help but ask. She was still holding the notion that Lin Dong had been joking earlier.
“Brother Lin Dong is palace master’s elder brother. Palace master is finally saved this time.” Joy was revealed in Chen Gui’s eyes as he stared at Lin Dong and laughed.
“Brother Chen Gui, just what has happened? Why has Qingtan become the palace master of Darkness Palace?” Lin Dong frowned slightly and inquired.
Chen Gui smiled bitterly upon hearing this. He was quiet for a moment before he replied, “Brother Lin Dong, do you still remember that incident from three years ago? Back then, Qingtan had to watch as you were forced to leave by the three great heads. No one knew whether you were dead or alive. In her fury, she wanted to fight it out with the three great heads. Fortunately, master appeared and rescued her.”
“However, Qingtan seemed to have completely changed after she returned. Her previous liveliness was now nowhere to be seen. She became extremely quiet and was frequently lost in thought. Soon after, she took the initiative to ask master to let her enter Darkness Judgement Hall.”
“Darkness Judgement Hall?” Lin Dong’s eyebrows were scrunched together as unease surged within his heart. “ What kind of place is it?”
“A place with the greatest authority within Darkness Palace, but it is also the most cruel… since our Darkness Palace leads the Northern Xuan Region, there are naturally many factions that oppose us. Darkness Judgement Hall is where rebels are punished. It is a place with no mercy, only blood.” Chen Gui revealed a bitter expression as he slowly explained.
“What?!”
Lin Dong boiled with rage while he listened. In his eyes, Qingtan was ultimately still that same a little girl who was constantly buzzing at this side since young. She was kind hearted, a little silly and adorable. Back at the Qingyang Town, she had refused to voluntarily train because she was afraid of hardship. Yet, she had actually gone to this so-called Darkness Judgement Hall and drenched her hands with blood. This made his heart ache and his eyes redden.
Although Lin Dong’s cultivation journey was also built on blood and flames, it would be better if he was the one who ended up being soaked in blood, than to see the little girl, who had always hid behind him, become just like him!
He spared no effort in his training and struggled through numerous dangerous life and death situations. What he sought was extremely simple; to protect those whom he cared about and allow them to have the purest smiles. Yet, the little girl whom he doted on the most had now ended up being dyed in blood like himself!
“Is she asking for a beating!”
Lin Dong’s fists were so tightly clenched that creaking noises could be heard as his voiced seeped out from between his grinding teeth. Chen Gui smiled bitterly when he saw Lin Dong’s furious state. After witnessing how lively Qingtan was in the past, and seeing what she had now become, one would indeed feel an incomparable heartache.
“I asked her once… she said that as long as she could exterminate Yuan Gate one day, she did not care what she would become.” Chen Gui looked at Lin Dong with a complicated expression in his eyes as he spoke. “She… the only reason she is doing this… is to avenge you.”
The fury on Lin Dong’s face froze at this very moment. He quickly shut his eyes and deeply inhaled. His voice was a little hoarse as he mumbled, “This foolish girl. Does she really have so little faith in me?”
Lin Dong was quiet for a long time. Finally, he waved his hand and said, “What is the current situation in your Darkness Palace?”
“Qingtan spent two years to become the head judge of Darkness Judgement Hall, thus gaining control of the greatest power within Darkness Palace. Later on, master failed in his attempt to breakthrough to the Reincarnation stage. In his final moments, he passed on his inheritance and the Darkness Ancestral Symbol to Qingtan and bestowed onto her the position of the new palace master of Darkness Palace.”
“However, Darkness Palace is far too large. Although Qingtan had improved by leaps and bounds in the last three years, there was still a gap in terms of experience when compared with several elders. Hence, some elders secretly did not accept her and attempted to join forces to remove Qingtan. Nevertheless, the present Qingtan is different from the past. She is likewise in control of a rather powerful force. Hence, she constantly fought against those who opposed her in Darkness Palace during the past.”
Lin Dong’s expression became volatile as he listened. He was really unable to imagine how such a naive young lady could fight with those cunning and ruthless old fellows of Darkness Palace. Just thinking about it was enough to understand just how much hardship and grievances this little girl had suffered.
“Qingtan is no pushover. She initially displayed a weak front while buying time to absorb the inheritance left to her by master. Moreover, she also quietly gained complete control over the Darkness Ancestral Symbol. After which, the retaliation began. Those elders suffered great losses and were utterly crushed two months ago. However… just as Qingtan was about to stabilize the situation, the elders managed to invite the two oldest elders of Darkness Palace. Both are peak experts who have stepped into the Reincarnation stage. With them personally stepping forward, the situation of Darkness Palace was reversed once again. Other than the Darkness Judgement Hall that Qingtan is in control of, most others have leaned towards the opposition…”
“Those of us who support Qingtan were also quietly eliminated.”
Chen Gui smiled bitterly and continued, “If my guess is right, they plan to force Qingtan to hand over her palace master position and the Darkness Ancestral Symbol during the religious ceremony three days later… Qingtan will have no longe have any way out.”
Lin Dong’s originally ashen complexion gradually turned to calmness after hearing Chen Gui’s words. He shut his eyes. A long while later, he waved his hand and said, “Brother Chen Gui, bring me to Darkness Palace.”
“Regardless of how much I dislike this girl doing such things, she is still my younger sister. Anyone who wants to bully my younger sister will be slaughtered by me!”
Lin Dong opened his eyes. The baleful aura within them caused a chill to rise from the bottom of Chen Gui and the rest’s feet. Qingtan, who had come out from the Darkness Judgement Hall, really paled in comparison…