A thousand miles from the Void Sect, a disheveled old man leaned against a large tree, panting heavily.

He glanced back in the direction of the Void Sect, his eyes filled with resentment.

’Damn that Mo Qi! To think he was hiding so much!’

This man was none other than Wang Xinglong, who had used the distraction of Yang Ming and Zhang Shao’s great battle to hastily flee from a side hall on the main peak.

The moment the three ancestors of the Ni Clan appeared to back Mo Qi, he knew he had lost.

All his preparations and plans had come to nothing.

If he hadn’t fled, certain death would have awaited him.

He highly doubted Mo Qi would spare him.

’What in the world did that good-for-nothing find in the Wailing Abyss? How did a mere cook become so formidable that even the three ancestors, who haven’t appeared in over a thousand years, came out for him?’

After much thought, Wang Xinglong took a Jade Talisman from his Storage Space. It was engraved with the word "Empire."

’Mo Qi, you’ve won this round, forcing me to flee the Void Sect. But just you wait. Someone will come and take care of you!’

He sent a wisp of his Divine Sense into the Jade Talisman, engraved a message inside, and then crushed it in his hand.

A faint green light shot up into the sky, pierced the clouds, and flew toward the Mountain and Sea Empire Imperial City.

’Hmph. As his father and mother, I’d like to see just how you react when you learn of Hao’er’s death!’

He definitely couldn’t stay in the Void Sect’s territory any longer. Just as Wang Xinglong was wondering where to go, a bloody light descended from the sky and landed before him.

The light dissipated, revealing several figures. Leading them was none other than Zhang Shao, who had fled after his defeat.

"It’s you, Zhang Shao!" Wang Xinglong’s expression changed, and he instinctively tried to run.

But in the next moment, he saw that Zhang Shao was covered in blood, his body withered, and a foot-long gash stretched across his lower abdomen. He was so weak that he needed several disciples to support him just to stand.

A Zhang Shao like this posed no threat to him.

"You actually lost to Yang Ming!" Wang Xinglong said, his face a mask of disbelief.

Zhang Shao’s expression was devoid of joy or sorrow. He gave a light wave of his hand.

THUD!

Fang Min’s body landed in front of Wang Xinglong.

"You recognize her, don’t you?" Zhang Shao asked, his voice hoarse and weak.

How could Wang Xinglong not recognize Fang Min? To him, this bitch was the second person responsible for Wang Hao’s death.

He raised his hand, intending to obliterate Fang Min’s corpse...

"I’d advise you not to do that," Zhang Shao said faintly.

"You want to stop me?" Wang Xinglong sneered, looking Zhang Shao up and down. "In your current state, I doubt you have the ability."

Zhang Shao didn’t get angry. Instead, a mocking smile played on his lips. "I won’t stop you if you wish to act. However, before you do, you should probably examine her closely."

Wang Xinglong’s raised hand paused in mid-air. He stared suspiciously at Zhang Shao, not understanding what he meant.

In the end, Wang Xinglong swept his Divine Sense back and forth over Fang Min’s corpse.

When his Divine Sense probed inside Fang Min’s body, the old man’s face changed drastically. He leaped up as if electrocuted and stumbled backward.

"Her... What is that flame-like cluster of vitality inside her?! Speak!"

Wang Xinglong stared intently at Zhang Shao, his expression agitated as he shouted his question.

Zhang Shao chuckled lightly and glanced at Wang Xinglong. "Don’t tell me you didn’t know your grandson was intimate with this girl."

"Impossible!" Wang Xinglong shook his head repeatedly. "It’s only been a short while, how could she be pregnant with Hao’er’s child? Besides, she’s dead! How could the fetus in her womb still be alive?!"

That’s right. Wang Xinglong had sensed a living fetus within Fang Min’s corpse, its Life Force exceptionally strong.

"Whether it’s possible or not, you’ve seen it for yourself. And you know in your heart whether it’s of the Wang Family’s bloodline," Zhang Shao said faintly.

Wang Xinglong collapsed to the ground, utterly devastated, his gaze fixed on Fang Min’s corpse.

The familiar feeling of his own bloodline washed over him, and he knew Zhang Shao was telling the truth. The fetus in Fang Min’s womb was indeed Wang Hao’s child.

After a long while, Wang Xinglong raised his head, his gaze firming with resolve.

"Speak. What do you want me to do?"

He knew that since Zhang Shao had brought Fang Min’s corpse to him, it couldn’t just be to inform him that he, Wang Xinglong, now had an heir.

"Excellent! It’s so refreshing to speak with an intelligent man!" Zhang Shao clapped his hands and laughed. "You and I share a common enemy: Mo Qi. So, I want to join forces with you to eliminate him!"

Wang Xinglong was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "You saw it yourself. With those three ancestors protecting him, it’s impossible to harm a single hair on his head within the Void Sect."

Zhang Shao smiled faintly. "But what if he leaves the Void Sect?"

"Impossible!" Wang Xinglong shook his head. "Mo Qi isn’t a fool. Why would he leave at a time like this? Besides, the three ancestors wouldn’t let him go."

Zhang Shao gave a mysterious smile. "I have my ways. No matter how strong those three old geezers are, would they dare to challenge the Mountain and Sea Empire?"

Wang Xinglong’s expression changed slightly. "You’re not thinking of reporting Mo Qi to the Mountain and Sea Empire, are you? If he gains their favor, he’ll be even harder to kill."

Zhang Shao said confidently, "Rest assured, he won’t get the chance to gain the Mountain and Sea Empire’s favor. Besides, I’ve prepared a backup plan, just in case."

Wang Xinglong pondered for a moment, thought of the message he had just sent, and couldn’t help but nod.

"Fine, I agree to cooperate."

’Sending Mo Qi to the Mountain and Sea Empire is risky, but it also greatly increases the chances of killing him.’

The corners of Zhang Shao’s mouth turned up. He pointed at Fang Min and said, "Then now, you’ll need to be the first to make a small contribution."

Wang Xinglong was confused. ’A contribution? What kind of contribution?’

"You don’t really think a corpse can nurture a growing fetus, do you?" Zhang Shao wore the expression of a man looking at an idiot. "I placed a technique within her beforehand to temporarily preserve the fetus’s life, that’s all."

"If you want your grandson’s child to be born, you—his great-grandfather—will need to provide the nutrients for its growth. Specifically, your bloodline essence."

"What?! Bloodline essence!" Wang Xinglong exclaimed.

Bloodline essence is the foundation of a Cultivator’s physical body, and also the key component polished during the Three Refinements stages of Refining Essence, Qi Refining, and Refining Divine Being.

To lose one’s bloodline essence is equivalent to self-disintegration. The consequence is having one’s soul obliterated.

"Of course it’s bloodline essence," Zhang Shao said as if it were obvious. "Without the protection of a mother’s body, a fetus can’t develop normally. Even if you somehow force it to grow, it would be weak and sickly, destined to be a cripple who dies young."

"You’re the only one here who shares his bloodline, so only your bloodline essence can allow him to grow. Moreover, spurred on by my special Secret Technique, a fetus that absorbs the bloodline essence from an expert at the Peak of the Vajra Realm... its future achievements will be limitless."

"Of course, you could also do nothing and let the fetus die. It’s a descendant of the Wang Family, not mine. I couldn’t care less."

Wang Xinglong fell silent. He stared at Fang Min’s abdomen for a long, long time, saying nothing. The resentment in his eyes gave way to confusion, which finally melted into tender affection.

"Fine, I’ll do it!" Wang Xinglong slapped his thigh, his tone resolute.

"But... how can I trust you?"

Zhang Shao pointed a finger at the spot between his eyebrows, drew out a wisp of his soul, and swore an oath to the heavens. "I, Zhang Shao, swear here today that I will do everything in my power to help this fetus grow, and will treat him as my own son. If I break this vow, may heaven and earth strike me down!"

An oath sworn on one’s soul would have real, dire consequences if broken.