bookandnovel Chapter 14575 Don’t mess with him
Chapter 14575 Don’t mess with him
Qingluan raised her eyes, her smile deepening, but there was little warmth in her eyes: "For people of our cultivation level, fifty years is but a blink of an eye. But you, Aying, your progress is astonishingly rapid... With your current cultivation level, you're probably only one step away from the Returning to Truth Realm, aren't you?"
Upon hearing the long-unheard name "A-Ying," Lin Muying's eyes glazed over for a moment, as if recalling the distant past. She then sighed softly, "Yes, since I took control of Jue Ling City, no one has dared to call me that anymore."
Qingluan chuckled, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Now you are the city lord who rules over a remote and desolate place, holding the power of life and death in your hands. Naturally, things are different from before. Past friendships are ultimately worthless in the face of power."
Lin Muying didn't respond, but changed the subject, her expression becoming more serious: "Recently, the Silent Realm seems to be quite turbulent."
Qingluan picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and asked in a calm tone, "Are you talking about the Temple of Annihilation?"
“Exactly.” Lin Muying nodded, her gaze fixed on Qingluan’s face with inquiry. “A ‘Watcher’ level being from the Holy Temple was killed in the outer realm. Even his stronghold, which he had been operating in the Silent Realm for hundreds of years, was uprooted. It is said that… not a single tile remained, and not a single survivor.”
She paused, then said, word by word, "And all of this seems to be inextricably linked to that young man named Ling Xiao that you brought."
Qingluan put down her teacup, her smile unchanged, but her tone became more serious: "Your information network is quite impressive. Indeed, he carries the hope of leaving the Realm of Annihilation."
"The hope of leaving the Realm of Annihilation..." A burning greed flashed undisguisedly in Lin Muying's eyes, her voice trembling slightly, "Who could resist such an opportunity?"
"So what?" Qingluan leaned forward slightly, her eyes suddenly sharpening as she stared directly at Lin Muying. "You want to steal it?"
Lin Muying met her gaze for a moment, then, without looking away, slowly asked, "Can I take it?"
"Yes." Qingluan answered crisply, then changed the subject, her tone as cold as frost, "As long as you are not afraid, the foundation of Jueling City for thousands of years will be completely destroyed because of your momentary greed."
Lin Muying's pupils suddenly contracted, and her face instantly darkened. The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly, and even the flame of the ancient bronze lamp flickered a few times.
Qingluan leaned back in her chair, resuming her previous languid posture, her tone calm, yet every word carried immense weight:
"For the sake of our past relationship, I'll be frank with you... What Ling Xiao possesses is not something you can touch. Even if you manage to get your hands on it, what you bring to Jueling City will not be a great opportunity, but rather an irreversible catastrophe."
Lin Muying remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, her tone carrying a hint of reluctance and certainty:
"My Spirit City has been able to stand in the Realm of Annihilation for thousands of years. Although its foundation is not as strong as those ancient sects, it is by no means a force to be trifled with. You should know that the founder of my Spirit City, he... is still alive."
“Of course I know.” Qingluan interrupted her, gently shaking her head, her smile carrying an indescribable meaning. “But some beings have already transcended the scope that ‘foundation’ and ‘realm’ can measure. That’s all I have to say. The choice is yours.”
Lin Muying suddenly stood up, walked to Qingluan, reached out and tightly grasped her wrist, her tone carrying a rare pleading, even a hint of entreaty:
"Qingluan, if you hadn't risked your life to save me back then, I would have died in the belly of a demon beast long ago. I've always considered you my only true friend. That treasure is of great significance to me and to the entire Jueling City. I don't ask for your help, I only ask that you... not interfere in this matter, okay?"
Qingluan quietly observed the ambition, greed, and unease intertwined in her eyes, slowly withdrew her hand, and asked calmly, "Do you know who is standing behind him?"
“A woman named Yue Nu,” Lin Muying replied immediately, her tone certain. “I have already sent people to investigate, and that woman’s strength is unfathomable.”
"Do you know what level of cultivation that Moon Maiden possesses?" Qingluan asked.
Lin Muying pondered for a moment, her tone filled with awe: "Her exact realm is unknown, but judging from the methods she has displayed, she should at least be at the Returning to Truth Realm!"
The Return to Truth Realm is the highest level that countless martial artists in the Silent Extinction Realm can hardly reach in their entire lives; it is the realm of true giants!
Qingluan suddenly laughed, a laugh that carried a mockery and deeper meaning that Lin Muying couldn't understand: "Return to Truth Realm? You think... Return to Truth Realm is the end of the path of cultivation?"
Lin Muying was jolted awake, as if struck by lightning. She staggered back half a step, her face turning deathly pale. She exclaimed, "Could it be... that he's still above the Returning to Truth Realm?!"
Qingluan did not answer directly. She turned and walked to the window, her purple robe fluttering in the dim light. Her gaze pierced through the palace and looked towards the vast and ethereal sky.
There, clouds and mist churned, exuding the unique stillness and vastness of the Desolate Realm. Her voice was as light as drifting clouds in the deep sky, yet carried immense weight: "In this vast world, there are always some beings whose power has long transcended all constraints, defying any realm known in this world..."
She paused, her fingertips brushing the dust from the window frame, her tone calm yet each word piercing: "I know treasures are tempting, and it's not just you; countless eyes are already eyeing them covetously. I can't dissuade you, nor do I want to. If you insist on reaching for them, go ahead... but you'll bear the consequences."
As soon as she finished speaking, the figure in purple transformed into a streak of light, piercing through the palace gate and disappearing into the dark corridor, leaving only a faint fragrance that mingled with the solemn atmosphere inside the palace.
Lin Muying was left alone in the hall, enveloped in shadow, the glow of the ancient bronze lamp casting interlaced patterns of light and shadow on her face.
After a long while, a dark shadow condensed behind her like smoke, transforming into a gaunt old man in black. His aura disappeared into the darkness, as if he had become one with the shadows.
"City Lord, shall we make a move?" The old man in black asked in a hoarse voice, "He is currently in the Soul-Slaying Arena, isolated and helpless. Even if the Azure Phoenix wants to protect him, it is too far away to do so. This is the best time to eliminate him and seize the treasure."
Lin Muying did not answer immediately. She slowly sat back in the main seat, the cold armrest sending a chill down her spine. Her fingertips unconsciously tapped the armrest, the "tap, tap, tap" sound particularly clear in the silent hall, revealing her inner struggle.
"How strong is the Temple of Annihilation?" she suddenly asked, her gaze fixed on a certain spot in the void.
“Unfathomable.” The old man in black answered without hesitation, “A ‘Watcher’ level being is already a mid-level combat force in the Holy Temple, with countless warriors under his command.”
“But one of their ‘watchers’ is dead.” Lin Muying raised her eyes, a sharp glint in them. “The Holy Temple is furious, yet it has remained silent so far, daring not to make the slightest move… This is unlike them.” (End of Chapter)