Chapter 26: Low-Grade Origin Vein

Bai Ling blinked, then suddenly sat upright. Seeing the three familiar figures in the room, he felt a bit dazed and whispered, "I... I am still alive!"

Bai Zhentian, his hair entirely white, stood with his hands behind his back, his face showing a trace of anger. "Ling'er, I have never married to this day, and... well, that has nothing to do with you! You need not blame yourself!"

Xuan Ningyue’s expression remained unchanged. She walked to Bai Ling's bedside, picked up a steaming bowl, scooped up a spoonful, brought it to her lips, blew on it gently, and held it out to him.

Looking at the broth in the spoon, Bai Ling felt a sudden ache in his nose. He stared blankly at Xuan Ningyue, then at her slightly indignant expression and Bai Zhentian’s thunderous demeanor. A joyful smile bloomed on Bai Ling’s face.

He was alive!

"Ah... ahhh, it’s... it’s so hot!" After swallowing the broth, Bai Ling puffed out his cheeks, slurping and crying out in surprise.

He looked up at Xuan Ningyue’s pretty, angry face. Where there was usually joy at seeing him, there was now only a blank expression. This girl must be truly furious! Under her piercing, soul-consuming gaze, Bai Ling gave a bitter smile and gulped down the rest.

Ji Kun and Bai Zhentian stood by, holding back their laughter.

Bai Ling reached out and took Xuan Ningyue’s hand; the cool, gentle touch made him believe once more that this moment was truly real.

"Yueyue, I swear, I promise you—if I ever say such things again, let the heavens strike me down!" Bai Ling said with utmost seriousness.

"See, I’m perfectly fine, hiss..." He tried to rise, but the pain shooting through his chest and spine made his face contort in agony.

Xuan Ningyue stood before the bed, the jade bowl still in her hand.

"Ah... Yueyue, are you trying to burn me to death? I... I'll drink it in a bit!" Bai Ling took a sharp breath, offering a sheepish grin.

"Such things?" Xuan Ningyue asked, feigning anger.

"Er... I mean... the part where I told you to... to forget about me." Bai Ling gave a wry smile.

Then, he watched as Xuan Ningyue suddenly sat on the edge of the bed, cornering him. It was the first time Bai Ling had looked at her face from such a close distance; her exquisite features and natural, unadorned beauty left him mesmerized. Her current look of anger made him swallow hard.

He felt an inexplicable heat rising within him.

"Is that so?" she asked.

Bai Ling nodded and repeated his promise.

"Am I nothing but a speck of dust in your heart?" Xuan Ningyue asked softly, her eyes misty.

Bai Ling was shocked. Looking at her up close, seeing the flicker of despair in her beautiful eyes, he suddenly wanted to slap himself.

"Of course not! Yueyue, don't be angry. The situation was dire; only I could... hold Xiao Li back. As long as the two of you escaped, I was certain I could get away!" Bai Ling explained earnestly.

"Arrogant!" Xuan Ningyue spat the word out coldly and turned to leave.

Just then, Ji Kun coughed a few times.

"Ling'er, a source of primordial energy has appeared in the mountains east of Liuyue City. Are you interested in competing for it?"

"Only when you possess great strength can you protect the people you care about," Ji Kun said.

Bai Ling’s eyes lit up. Ji Kun was right. If he had possessed the strength of the Earth Origin Realm, today’s desperate crisis would never have occurred. He didn't dare to imagine the consequences had he lost the two people who mattered most to him: Xuan Ningyue and Bai Zhentian.

"Ten days from now, at dawn, the energy from the source should erupt. That will be the perfect opportunity."

"However, this exploration is open to all cultivators in Liuyue City below the Spirit Origin Realm," Ji Kun added.

Bai Ling smiled. "What a great opportunity!"

"It will be dangerous, so you must be extremely careful," Ji Kun said, patting him on the shoulder.

Bai Ling clenched his fists, his gaze resolute, and nodded.

***

In the Xiao family’s main hall, Xiao Li’s corpse had already turned cold, a pool of blood gathering on the floor.

Suddenly, his storage ring emitted a black light. A phantom, identical to Xiao Li, emerged and mimicked his posture before merging with the body.

Xiao Li’s eyes snapped open. His face twisted into a savage sneer as he growled, "Bai Zhentian, Bai Ling, and that woman by your side... You have wasted the souls I spent three years collecting! Ahhh... I will make you pay! I will make you wish for death!"

At that moment, the Xiao family’s Great Elder stumbled into the hall. Seeing Xiao Li resurrected, he was terrified out of his wits.

"You... are you a man or a ghost?" the Great Elder gasped.

Xiao Li fixed a chilling gaze upon him, making the old man tremble. He reached out into the air toward the Great Elder. A giant hand formed from primordial energy manifested around the Elder’s neck, squeezing tightly until he could hardly breathe. His feet left the ground as he was pulled toward Xiao Li.

"No... don't... don't kill me! Patriarch... it was my mistake! I didn't realize Bai Zhentian had recovered his cultivation!" the Great Elder stuttered, his eyes wide with horror.

"Bring me Bai Ling, or else..." Xiao Li snarled, his face contorted with malice.

"Yes... yes, at once!" The Great Elder was frozen with terror.

"If Father wants Bai Ling, there is a good opportunity in three days."

An unexpected voice drifted in from outside the hall. A youth of about twenty, with handsome features and sharp, sword-like brows, walked slowly into the hall. A closer look revealed a striking resemblance to the Great Elder. He was Xiao Li’s eldest son, Xiao Wuhen.

The aura Xiao Wuhen exuded made Xiao Li’s eyes narrow. He had heard rumors of his son being a good-for-nothing, no different from his youngest, Xiao Kuangyun—a complete waste of space.

Xiao Li, still holding the Great Elder by the throat, turned his gaze to his eldest son.

Xiao Wuhen looked at the Great Elder, his mouth twitching slightly, and said coolly, "A low-grade primordial energy source has appeared in the mountains east of Liuyue City."

Xiao Li scoffed. "The energy sources are controlled by the successive City Lords. What does that have to do with Bai Ling?"

A strange smile crept across Xiao Wuhen’s face. "The rumor in Liuyue City is that Ji Kun, ever the 'man of the people,' has decided to gift this source to the citizens. Whoever manages to seize it, keeps it."

"Ji Kun has publicly admitted it, though he stated that only those in the Initial Origin Realm are permitted to participate. Anything obtained from the source belongs to the finder—no need to hand it over."

"I am certain Bai Ling will go. The mountains will be the perfect place to strike."

Xiao Li laughed toward the heavens, mocking, "Ji Kun really tries to play the saint, doesn't he? Truly a man of the people!"

Xiao Li then stared coldly at Xiao Wuhen. "Your condition?"

Xiao Wuhen replied, "Only that you promise me that I shall be the next Patriarch of the Xiao family."

Xiao Li smiled. "If you can bring Bai Ling to me, let alone the position of Patriarch, I will make the Li family, the Ye family, and even Ji Kun kneel at your feet and await your command. In the future, you shall be the 'King' of Liuyue City!"

Xiao Wuhen wore a cryptic smile as he turned and left.

Watching his son depart, Xiao Li turned back to the Great Elder. "Do you know that your five brothers all died by my hand? Do you know why I never killed you?"

The Great Elder shook his head frantically, terrified.

"Because Xiao Wuhen is your son!"

"Heh, hehe... My wife had an affair with you, you old dog. You bastard, I will make you watch as your own son, Xiao Wuhen, steps into the abyss one step at a time!" Xiao Li threw the stunned, speechless Elder aside like trash and sneered.

"Help your son bring me Bai Ling. Otherwise, I will make him suffer the pain of a thousand needles in his heart!"