stonecrandall 504. Eldar Arrangements
504. Eldar Arrangements
"Great-grandmother, what do you need me for?" Ling Zhuo walked into the hall, only to find that there were no servants in the hall at the moment, and even his great-grandmother Ling He was standing there with her hands tied.
Following Ling He's gaze, Ling Zhuo looked towards the dark center of the hall, where there was another figure, but he didn't notice it for a moment because the latter was so well hidden.
Upon recognizing the newcomer, Ling Zhuo was startled and immediately bowed respectfully, saying, "Junior Ling Zhuo greets the Supreme Elder!"
Ling Zhuo's mind was in turmoil. Ling Haonan, the Supreme Elder of the Ling Clan whose status was equal to that of the Clan Chief, had actually come to Saint Pill City under these circumstances, without any warning to Ling Zhuo. With Ling Haonan's arrival, even his great-grandmother Ling He had no choice but to submit to his orders.
"I already know everything about your situation through your great-grandmother. You've also absorbed the essence of those five people. How is it?"
"I've successfully crossed that threshold. My soul realm has now reached the late stage of the Spirit Realm. If I weren't worried about absorbing too much wood-attribute battle qi and affecting the stability of the Pill Gathering, I could have advanced even further." Ling Zhuo reported anxiously, afraid of displeasing the person in front of him.
Ling Haonan's status within the Ling Clan is such that a single word from him can determine many things.
Ling Haonan nodded approvingly: "Judging from the ancient books, the Source Spirit Pattern Crystal is one of the best things for us Spirit Clan people. You are lucky. The fact that you were able to improve so much after obtaining it proves its effectiveness."
"Take a look at this." Ling Haonan didn't make any move, and a scroll suddenly appeared in front of Ling Zhuo.
"The Dan family?" Ling Zhuo had been in seclusion since the end of the Heavenly Talent Ranking, so he was quite surprised to see this information. As he read on, he could no longer suppress the joy in his eyes.
"Thank you, Grand Elder!" After reading the scroll given by Ling Haonan and understanding everything that had happened during this period, Ling Zhuo's previous unease completely disappeared: "The five major families have all joined our ranks, the situation at the Pill Gathering is settled, and those guys at the Pill Tower will definitely not be able to hold on."
"That's how it should be." As Ling Haonan spoke, he repeatedly rubbed the rim of his teacup with his fingertips. He particularly favored tea that could calm the mind, so he almost never let it out of his hand. "If you successfully climb to the top of the Heavenly Talent Ranking."
"Ling Zhuo is incompetent and is willing to accept punishment upon returning to his clan."
"If I really wanted to punish you, do you think I would have let you cultivate peacefully until today?" Ling Haonan's tone was gentle, completely like that of a kind elder.
"Xiao Zhuo, do you know? I'm actually very dissatisfied with you."
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhuo dared not object and immediately admitted, "It was my fault for not being careful enough and for failing the Supreme Elder's expectations."
"That's not what I meant. Everyone has a youthful phase. Among the descendants of Dou Di, which family doesn't have people like you who are arrogant and haughty?" Ling Haonan lowered his eyelids. "However, other people's arrogance is based on their ability to win, while your arrogance is just a facade."
"There's no other way..." Ling Haonan said, taking a sip of tea. "Among your generation, only you and Ling Fengzhui are even remotely worthy of my attention. I have no choice but to train you."
Having said all that, Ling Zhuo and Ling He could only stand there with their hands at their sides, not daring to make any unnecessary movements.
Ling Haonan didn't look at the two of them, but instead sighed softly to himself, "The Ling Clan is doomed..."
"Elder, what you said is inappropriate!" Linghe retorted through gritted teeth.
"Hahaha, what's wrong with that? The other families have produced many talented people, but what about our Spirit Clan? We've poured all our efforts into nurturing Ling Zhuo, yet Xiao Yan, who came from a humble background, is stronger than him. Not to mention, any two young people from the Soul Clan or other ancient clans are insurmountable mountains for them. What good will it do if we stubbornly refuse to admit it and try to cover it up? It will only make us a laughingstock."
"If the Spirit Clan hadn't fallen, why would we have come to this Pill Tower? That little brat from the Thunder Clan has arrived just in time. Isn't he enough to shatter the last shred of meaningless dignity in your hearts? Ling He, you say you don't dare to attack him. If it were me, I wouldn't dare either, I really wouldn't dare..."
"Lingzhuo, tell me, why is that?"
Ling Zhuo was speechless for a moment, but Ling Haonan added directly: "Because the Lei Clan is stronger than us, not just by a little bit, but by far. If we are not strong enough, we can only be in such a sorry state."
"But!" Ling He's tone shifted, "We were able to rise up back then, and we still have the opportunity to revive today. Our clan has stood on this continent for so many years, and neither I nor any of the other elders of the Ling clan will sit idly by and watch the Ling clan fall."
"Our ancestor overcame numerous difficulties and ascended to the throne in such a challenging era. We, his descendants, should learn from his courage, even if we do not have his abilities."
"Ling Zhuo, I can tell you clearly: I will no longer hold your previous defeats against you, and no one will have a single question about you." Ling Haonan's originally gentle voice remained unchanged, but the firmness in it was clear to everyone: "But you must win the Dan Tournament, and you must win decisively and beautifully!"
"Ling Zhuo obeys!"
"Tell me the truth about how confident you are."
Ling Zhuo glanced at Ling He again, but the latter dared not give him any hints. After some hesitation, Ling Zhuo said, "With the help of the Dan family, we're 90% confident!"
"I know your personality. You say it's 90%, but it might actually be only 80% or even lower."
"This is what you've always wanted." Ling Haonan walked up to Ling Zhuo and gave him a storage ring, then patted him on the shoulder: "Besides Xiao Yan, you have another opponent who is at least at the mid-level of the eighth rank, a disciple of the ninth-rank alchemist Shennong, named Wei Jiangyuan."
"He was kept hidden by the Pill Tower and didn't make a move until he was ready to deal with you at the Pill Gathering. His foundation is stronger than Xiao Yan's. The only good news is that he doesn't have a different kind of fire."
Ling Zhuo's eyes were wide open, clearly shocked by the news; he hadn't even had time to check his storage ring. Ling He asked in confusion, "Elder, how did you manage to hide this news so well from the Pill Tower...?"
Ling Haonan revealed a meaningful smile: "They thought they could hide forever by not taking action, but there's no such thing as a truly airtight secret, especially when there are problems within their own ranks."
Ling Zhuo understood something, and his surprise and delight became hard to contain: "You had a backup plan even within the Pill Tower?"
"That's right, and he's already here." Ling Haonan pointed towards the gate.
The person who pushed open the door was someone both Ling Zhuo and Ling He recognized—someone they never expected.
One of the three giants of the Pill Tower—Xuan Leizi!