66: Chapter 66 Ancestor Linghai, the Crown Prince's Trump Card

[In front of the palace gates, blood flowed like a river.]

[Chu Sheng and the Crown Prince fought side by side into the enemy formation, and wherever the sword light passed, the private soldiers of the Qian Family fell one after another.]

[With the yan king sword in hand, the Crown Prince seemed like a different person; every strike carried sharp killing intent, causing Qi Induction Realm private soldiers to die upon contact or suffer injury upon being grazed.]

['Charge!' the Crown Prince shouted in a low voice, 'The palace gate is right in front!']

[Chu Sheng forced back three private soldiers with one sword strike and looked up—]

[The palace gate was wide open, and the outline of the Golden Throne Hall was vaguely visible inside.]

[As long as they charged in and occupied the main hall, they could announce the Crown Prince's return to the throne.]

[Just at this moment—]

[A figure swept out from the flank, as fast as a ghost!]

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family!]

['Watch out!' Chu Sheng's pupils constricted, but he had no time to react.]

[The speed of the Hua Zhen Realm was too fast.]

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family struck a palm towards the Crown Prince's back; before the palm wind even arrived, the sharp killing intent already made Chu Sheng's entire body turn cold.]

[The Crown Prince turned around abruptly, holding the yan king sword horizontally across his chest.]

['Bang!']

[Palm and sword collided, and violent spiritual energy exploded!]

[The Crown Prince was sent flying, crashing heavily into the palace wall, and spat out a mouthful of blood!]

['Your Highness!' Chu Sheng rushed over to support him.]

[The Crown Prince's face was pale, his hand gripping the sword trembling slightly, but he still gritted his teeth and stood up.]

['Li Family...']

[He stared at that figure, his eyes cold, 'I have treated you well.']

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face.]

['Your Highness, please forgive me.']

[He said unhurriedly, 'This old subject has no choice. Once the purge begins, I must leave myself a way out.']

[He took a step forward, his aura surging.]

[The Hua Zhen Realm, even if injured, is still the Hua Zhen Realm.]

[And the Crown Prince had just stepped into the Condensing True Essence realm.]

[They were two whole major realms apart.]

['If Your Highness surrenders, this old subject can leave your corpse intact.']

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family took out two magic treasures from his sleeves—]

[A bronze mirror with dark light flowing on its surface; and a jade ruler with its body carved full of runes.]

[Two profound-grade medium-rank magic treasures!]

['Otherwise...' he sneered, 'This old subject will have to do it himself.']

[The Crown Prince gripped the yan king sword tightly; the blade hummed, but it could hardly conceal the weakness within.]

[With that palm strike just now, he had already been severely injured.]

[Critical Choice Triggered: At a critical moment, how to respond?]

[1. Wait and see. Wait for reinforcements, but the reinforcements were entangled by the Family Head and other ancestors, and could not break free for a while.]

[2. Escape. Break out with the Crown Prince, but with the speed of the Hua Zhen Realm, could they escape?]

[3. Use the demon refining pot. Use the life-bound magic treasure to block, but the demon refining pot is a low-grade earth artifact, and taking a Hua Zhen Realm attack head-on would very likely damage it.]

Chu Sheng watched this scene, his palms sweating.

'Wait and see? That's waiting for death. Escape? A Hua Zhen Realm expert could kill them with one slap. The only option is to use the demon refining pot...'

He gritted his teeth.

'Select 3.'

'Although the demon refining pot is precious, life is more important. Besides, if the pot is broken, it can be repaired, but if a person dies, they are truly gone.'

[Chu Sheng took a deep breath and blocked in front of the Crown Prince.]

['Your Highness, forgive me.']

[He took the demon refining pot from his bosom; the pot was still warm, the Remnant Soul of the Red Python inside had long been refined away, leaving only an empty small bronze pot.]

[But the material of the low-grade earth artifact remained.]

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family saw the pot, his pupils constricted slightly.]

['This is it?!' A fierce light flashed in his eyes, 'Good lad, you dare to show off such a treasure?']

[He raised his hand, the bronze mirror shone brightly, and a dark light shot straight at Chu Sheng!]

[Chu Sheng gritted his teeth and activated the demon refining pot to meet it!]

['Boom!']

[The two magic treasures collided, and violent spiritual energy exploded!]

[Chu Sheng was sent flying, bleeding from his seven orifices, but he held onto the demon refining pot tightly.]

[The pot body shook violently, and the patterns on its surface began to dim.]

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family frowned.]

['It didn't break?']

[He snorted coldly, swung the jade ruler, and a stream of runic light blasted towards the demon refining pot!]

[Chu Sheng exhausted his last bit of spiritual energy and activated it again!]

['Bang!']

[This time, the demon refining pot finally couldn't bear it.]

[A crack appeared on the pot body, followed by a second, a third...]

['Crack—']

[Amidst the crisp sound of shattering, countless fine cracks appeared on the surface of the demon refining pot, and the spiritual light dimmed rapidly.]

[Finally, it turned into a tattered bronze pot and slid from Chu Sheng's hand.]

[Chu Sheng stared blankly at the pot on the ground, his mind blank.]

[The demon refining pot... is broken?]

[His life-bound magic treasure, a low-grade earth artifact, the demon refining pot that had subdued a Condensing True Great Demon... is broken?]

Seeing this, Chu Sheng was also stunned, then immediately cursed loudly.

'Damn it! Old dog of the Li Family, I'll remember you! When I have the chance in the future, I must refine you!'

But cursing aside, he was more worried about the situation ahead.

The demon refining pot was gone, Chu Sheng was seriously injured, the Crown Prince was seriously injured, and the Old Ancestor of the Li Family was still standing there perfectly fine.

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family looked at the broken pot on the ground, a flash of regret in his eyes.]

['What a pity,' he shook his head, 'an earth rank magic treasure, ruined just like that.']

[He looked up at Chu Sheng and the Crown Prince, a smile appearing on his face again.]

['Now, it's time to send you on your way.']

[He took a step forward, and the palm wind rose again!]

[Just at this moment—]

[The Crown Prince suddenly laughed.]

['Family Head Li,' he said softly, 'do you know why I dared to return?']

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family paused.]

['Because of you?' he sneered, 'What other trump card do you have?']

[The Crown Prince did not answer.]

[He just looked up at the sky.]

[The next moment—]

[A figure descended from the sky and landed in front of the Crown Prince.]

[It was an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a worn-out linen robe, barefoot, his aura... unfathomable.]

[Spirit Sea Realm!]

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family's pupils constricted, and he froze on the spot.]

['Spi... Spirit Sea?!']

[His voice trembled, 'How is this possible? How could there be a Spirit Sea Realm expert in the Yan Kingdom?!']

[The old man did not look at him, but only watched the Crown Prince, his eyes complex.]

['Similar,' he said slowly, 'very much like your grandfather.']

[The Crown Prince knelt on one knee and cupped his hands in a salute.]

['Unworthy descendant Ji Yuanzhao pays respects to the Ancestor.']

[The old man nodded, then turned to look at the Old Ancestor of the Li Family.]

[With just one glance.]

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family was struck by lightning, and his whole body was sent flying backwards.]

['I do not want to kill,' the old man said indifferently, 'Get lost.']

[The Old Ancestor of the Li Family struggled to get up, covered in blood, but he did not dare to say a single harsh word and turned to run.]

[The old man looked at the other battle groups again.]

[Wherever his gaze passed, the Family Head, the Sun Family Ancestor, and the Zhao Family Ancestor all stopped, their faces deathly pale.]

['Enough,' the old man said, 'stop fighting.']

[The Hua Zhen Realm battle ceased.]

[The old man finally looked at Chu Sheng.]

[Chu Sheng sat paralyzed on the ground, holding the broken demon refining pot in his arms, covered in blood and in a sorry state.]

[The old man walked up to him and looked down at the pot.]

['low-grade earth artifact,' he said indifferently, 'What a pity.']

[Chu Sheng's heart tightened.]

[Would the Spirit Sea Realm Ancestor kill him to seize the treasure?]

[But the old man just took one look and then shifted his gaze away.]

['The pot is broken, its spirituality completely lost,' he shook his head, 'it's not worth anything anymore.']

[After speaking, he turned and left, stepping into the void and disappearing.]

[Chu Sheng was stunned on the spot, and it took a while for him to react.]

[The Spirit Sea Realm Ancestor... just left like that?]

Chu Sheng let out a long sigh of relief and then smiled.

This is a blessing in disguise.

The pot broke, but it saved his life instead.

If the pot had been intact, that old man might have really been tempted.

Although the Spirit Sea Realm is strong, earth rank magic treasures are still considered good things to them.

He looked at Chu Sheng in the screen, who was dazed while holding the broken pot, and couldn't help but tease.

'Don't be sad, if the pot is broken, it can be repaired. As long as you're alive, there's still hope.'

[The Crown Prince walked to Chu Sheng's side, looked at the broken pot in his arms, and was silent for a moment.]

['I owe you a life,' he said softly.]

[Chu Sheng shook his head: 'Your Highness, you speak too seriously. This subordinate just did what he had to do.']

[The Crown Prince didn't say much, just reached out and helped him up.]

['Let's go,' he said, 'there is still a battle to fight.']

[Chu Sheng nodded, holding the broken pot, and followed behind the Crown Prince.]

[In the distance, the palace gate remained wide open.]

[The outline of the Golden Throne Hall shone brilliantly under the setting sun.]

[Behind him, the broken demon refining pot lay quietly in Chu Sheng's arms.]

[As if saying: I am not dead, I can still be used.]