212: Chapter 212 So What?

Di Wenlong met Ling Hao's calm gaze, his heart pounding wildly. He suppressed the chill in his heart and hurriedly defended himself:

"Heavenly Venerable, please see clearly! This… this really wasn't killed by this Junior personally! It was that arrogant fellow I just stomped to death! Look, all these people behind can testify!"

He hurriedly pointed to the group of Cultivators kneeling on the ground.

Those Cultivators kowtowed like they were pounding garlic, scrambling to chime in:

"Yes, yes, yes! The Lord is right!"

"It was that damned guy who killed them!"

"We saw it with our own eyes!"

Di Wenlong indeed hadn't done it himself. But which of those tragic deaths of the merfolk hadn't happened under his tacit approval or even greedy gaze?

The glowing merfolk pearls at his waist were ironclad proof!

Ling Hao slowly shook his head,

"No, you killed them."

"?!"

Di Wenlong looked up abruptly,

"Heavenly Venerable! So many people are testifying, you… you cannot…"

He tried to refute, but when he met Ling Hao's deep eyes again, all his words froze in his throat.

A cold chill shot from his spine through his entire body, making him involuntarily shiver violently.

"Cannot… what?"

"N-nothing…"

Di Wenlong's voice instantly withered. He gritted his teeth, feeling extremely aggrieved.

Admit it then! It was just a few lowly merfolk! As the dignified Young Lord of the Wanxian Dynasty, could he really not be worth more than a few fish tails?

This Moonshadow Heavenly Venerable surely wouldn't actually kill him over such a "trifle," right? He probably just wanted an out, wanted some Face!

He squeezed out a forced, respectful smile and quickly took out several radiant treasures from his Magic Treasure storage.

A sixth-grade Spirit Medicine "Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Grass," a piece of "Heavenly Star Meteorite" the size of a fist containing pure starlight power, and a bottle of "Jade Marrow Nectar" emitting misty spiritual light. These were treasures that would make even Soul Transformation Cultivators jealous.

"Heavenly Venerable, please see clearly! It is because this Junior failed to discipline his subordinates! These few merfolk… were indeed killed because of this Junior! This Junior is willing to…"

He glanced at Xia Yingying, who was following Ling Hao, and continued,

"Offer a small gift to this Fairy, and beg for the Heavenly Venerable's forgiveness! I wonder… I wonder if these can enter the Heavenly Venerable's Dharma Eye?"

As soon as these words were spoken, hatred erupted in the eyes of Mo Yun, Mo Li, and Mo Lan! They stared fixedly at Di Wenlong, wishing they could eat his flesh!

Di Wenlong felt those three hateful gazes and felt even more irritated, but he endured it, not daring to show it, only looking eagerly at Ling Hao, waiting for his "magnanimity."

"Heh…"

A snort escaped Ling Hao's lips, carrying a trace of faint mockery. He slowly raised his right hand.

"Heavenly Venerable, you…?!"

Di Wenlong's pupils contracted sharply, and the shadow of death enveloped him. He was terrified, his mind blank. It was just two or three merfolk, right?!

Was it worth it?!

I already admitted it!

I already compensated you!

I didn't even offend you!

At the moment Ling Hao raised his hand, the few Soul Transformation guards beside him were already unable to move. Only the old man who had been resting with his eyes closed, at the critical moment of Di Wenlong's life and death, erupted with the powerful aura of a Void Tempering level 1 Cultivator, forcibly breaking free from part of the Restriction and instantly blocking in front of Di Wenlong!

The old man's hair and beard stood on end, his old Face flushed red, as he tried his best to resist the omnipresent terrifying pressure, his voice hurried and hoarse:

"Heavenly Venerable, calm your anger! My Young Lord… my Young Lord is young and ignorant, and has already admitted his mistake! My Wanxian Dynasty also has an Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestor! Killing the Young Lord of my Wanxian Dynasty over the lives of a few mere merfolk, causing a feud between the two families, is truly not a wise move! I hope the Heavenly Venerable will think twice!"

Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestor? Ling Hao raised an eyebrow. Was it Di Fuling who returned so quickly? Or did the Wanxian Dynasty itself have another old monster hidden?

However… not to mention the deep blood feud because of Lin Xiwei, the Wanxian Dynasty and he were already mortal enemies. Just the death of that old guy Di Hongshen alone meant the two sides were already in an irreconcilable situation.

What would it matter to kill one more Di Wenlong? Even if it were known, it wouldn't matter at all.

Because… the pawn Di Fuling had already been placed. Di Wenlong was no longer of any use.

"So what?" Ling Hao curled his raised right hand and flicked it lightly.

Puff!

Di Wenlong's body turned into a mist of flesh! Immediately after, a force of annihilation swept over, and that mist of flesh was completely reduced to nothingness.

Seeing this, how could the Void Tempering Elder not understand? This Moonshadow Heavenly Venerable didn't care about the threat of the Wanxian Dynasty at all! There must be a reason behind this that he didn't know! Since that was the case…

A flash of determination crossed the old man's eyes. Taking advantage of the gap after Ling Hao's flick, the space around his body distorted violently, and he was about to tear through space and flee!

Ling Hao's gaze didn't change, and his left hand casually grabbed into the void.

The old man and the few immobilized Soul Transformation guards had their bodies explode instantly, turning into several bloody mists, which were then completely purified and dissipated into nothingness.

Finally, Ling Hao's gaze fell on the remaining Fu Tiansong and Gan Wenzhu.

The two were already scared out of their wits, paralyzed on the ground, tears and snot streaming down, kowtowing like pounding garlic:

"Heavenly Venerable, spare us! Heavenly Venerable, spare us!"

"We didn't kill the merfolk! We really didn't do anything!"

"We… we are willing to follow the Heavenly Venerable! Be your servants! Be your slaves! We will have no second thoughts!"

Seeing that Ling Hao "dealt with" them last, a ridiculous hope arose in their hearts.

Could it be that this Heavenly Venerable was interested in their looks or abilities?

But Ling Hao's next words made them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave:

"Lin Yiyi, do you recognize her?"

Lin Yiyi?! This name exploded in their minds like a thunderclap!

Gan Wenzhu's heart pounded wildly, suppressing her fear, and she replied tremblingly:

"R-recognize… Lin Yiyi is, is this Junior's good friend… Unfortunately… unfortunately she suffered a great disaster and her whereabouts are unknown, this Junior has always been heartbroken…"

"Friend?" Ling Hao's mouth hooked into a mocking arc,

"Heh… would you like to… see her now?"

Fu Tiansong and Gan Wenzhu looked up abruptly, a cold figure they had glimpsed in the Guest Welcoming Hall of the Moonshadow Sect flashing through their minds!

At that time, they only felt she was familiar yet strange, and her temperament was like a different person… Now that it was pointed out, that blurred outline instantly overlapped with the person in their memory!

It… it was her?! How is it possible?! She didn't die?! And…

The two looked at each other, seeing horror and disbelief in each other's eyes!

Not only was she alive, but she had actually climbed up to the Moonshadow Heavenly Venerable?! Then everything they had done in the past…

"Heavenly Venerable, that's great. We two have always wanted to meet her…"

The mocking smile on Ling Hao's Face instantly faded, leaving only icy, bone-chilling indifference:

"Your memories don't tell me that."

The two shook violently, not understanding what Ling Hao was referring to, but the instinct to survive made them kowtow frantically:

"Heavenly Venerable! It was the people above who forced us! It was the Di Family! We couldn't help it, Heavenly Venerable!"

Ling Hao remained unmoved. With a wave of his sleeve, two invisible Restrictions were instantly cast into their bodies, imprisoning them on the spot like dead dogs, unable to move, even their voices sealed.

"Xiao Wei's revenge, let her take it herself."

Ling Hao's voice was flat, but it decided their fate of being worse than dead.

"Revered Master, what about them?"

Xia Yingying pointed at the group of "onlooker" Cultivators who were already scared paralyzed on the ground, shaking like chaff.

That group of Cultivators woke up as if from a dream, crying and begging for mercy:

"Heavenly Venerable, spare us! We were just following to watch the fun!"

"We didn't kill any merfolk! We swear to the heavens, Heavenly Venerable!"

"We don't know anything! Please, Heavenly Venerable, show mercy!"

They couldn't fail to see now that these merfolk had already hugged the towering tree that was the Moonshadow Sect!

Ling Hao swept a cold gaze over them. Being able to go deep into this place and participate in the "treasure hunting" team, how could their hands be clean? More or less, they were all stained with the Karma of hunting merfolk or aiding the evildoer. Keeping them would only be a bane.

He waved his hand casually.

A series of slight popping sounds rang out, and the group of Cultivators vanished into nothingness.

Ling Hao finally looked at the few merfolk corpses. Pointing his hand, a gentle spiritual power brushed over the bodies.

Visibly, the withered, shriveled bodies quickly plumped up, the dim, peeling scales regained their luster, the twisted limbs returned to the peaceful posture they had in life, and their Faces looked as if they were just deep in sleep. Only the empty eye sockets and traces of blood tears…

These corpses, with their appearances restored, slowly floated in front of Mo Yun.

"Your clansmen…"

Mo Yun, Mo Li, and Mo Lan looked at this scene, complex emotions surging in their hearts.

This Moonshadow Heavenly Venerable actually crushed the Young Lord and Void Tempering Elder of the Wanxian Dynasty without hesitation for the sake of them, a few lowly merfolk, completely forging a deadly feud with an eighth-grade power???

He even cleared out all the involved Cultivators! Finally, with such Divine Ability, he collected the corpses of their tragically deceased clansmen, allowing them to leave with dignity…

This kindness, this determination to protect… What right did they have?

Mo Yun only felt her eyes heat up. She held back her tears, bowed deeply to Ling Hao with great solemnity, and then whispered to Mo Lan:

"Collect the clansmen well. After we retrieve the Holy Land… let them rest in peace."

That was the final destination of the merfolk Soul.

Mo Lan's eyes were red. She carefully wrapped the few corpses in special merfolk silk and put them away.

Mo Yun turned her head, only to see Mo Li gazing blankly at the back of Ling Hao as he walked with Xia Yingying toward the Moon-Tear Coral Grove deeper in the cave.

In the girl's pure silver-blue eyes, that black-robed figure was reflected, intertwined with gratitude and awe, and perhaps a trace of hazy, unusual emotion?

Mo Yun sighed softly in her heart and gently stroked her daughter's hair.

"Let's go, Li'er,"

"Let us go see if our Holy Land… is safe."