Yan Dansheng stared blankly at Ye Ling, not expecting Ye Ling to spare his life!
To be honest, he had already prepared to sacrifice himself for the Shadow Hall!
It was the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu beside him who quickly recovered her senses, pulling Yan Dansheng and saying excitedly, "You silly boy, what are you still standing there for? Quickly thank the Emperor for sparing your life!"
Awakened by the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu, Yan Dansheng also came back to his senses and thanked Ye Ling, "Thank you, Emperor, for sparing my life."
Ye Ling waved his hand, "You may go. You are now a cripple, and the Shadow Hall probably won't care for you. Find yourself a livelihood in Huaguo, and you can live your remaining hundred years peacefully."
"Of course, if you ever change your mind, you can come to the Demon Palace to find me. I can restore you to your Saintly body."
Yan Dansheng bowed deeply to Ye Ling, "Thank you, Emperor, for your consideration. However, the Shadow Hall has shown great kindness to my sister and me, and I truly cannot betray the Shadow Hall."
Ye Ling waved his hand, "You go. Blood Lotus Xuan Nu, escort your brother and settle him down properly."
"Yes... Your subordinate will take leave first."
The Blood Lotus Xuan Nu knew that this was the best possible outcome and dared not ask for more. She also bowed deeply to Ye Ling before taking Yan Dansheng away.
Now that Yan Dansheng had lost all his cultivation and become a completely ordinary person, if his enemies in the Three Realms knew of his current state, they would surely come for him. Therefore, the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu had to be prepared to hide Yan Dansheng and prevent outsiders from finding him.
At this moment, the Qilin Muirui, carrying the unconscious Wang Le in its mouth, walked up to Ye Ling and tossed Wang Le in front of him. It then looked up at the departing Blood Lotus Xuan Nu and Yan Dansheng and asked Ye Ling, "Emperor, did you really just let Yan Dansheng go?"
It had watched the entire process and felt that it was a waste to let such a Saint go.
Ye Ling smiled and asked, "What? Do you think what I did was inappropriate?"
The Qilin shook its head, "I just feel it's a waste, Emperor. Although your strength is unmatched in the Three Realms, there are countless beings in the Three Realms, and countless matters. You cannot personally attend to everything. Having a group of Saints help you would undoubtedly make things much easier for you."
"Although Yan Dansheng is stubborn and loyal to the Shadow Hall, I believe you could still have brought him under your command. After all, he is a Saint and can help you with many things. It's a pity to have wasted him like this."
Hearing the Qilin's words, Ye Ling shook his head and smiled, "If I had truly abandoned him, why would I have said so much afterwards?"
The Qilin was stunned, "Emperor, you mean?"
Ye Ling looked in the direction where the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu was taking Yan Dansheng, his eyes becoming deep, and he murmured, "I have had many dealings with the Shadow Hall and know their temperaments. Moreover, the Shadow Hall is internally divided, and contradictions easily arise within them."
"Yan Dansheng's existence infringes upon the interests of others within the Shadow Hall. Now that Yan Dansheng has lost his cultivation, the others in the Shadow Hall will not let this opportunity pass."
The Qilin shivered, "Emperor, you mean someone in the Shadow Hall will make a move against Yan Dansheng?"
Ye Ling nodded, "There's an eighty percent chance."
The Qilin suddenly understood and sighed, "So that's why you let the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu take Yan Dansheng away. That way, even if the Shadow Hall makes a move against Yan Dansheng, the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu can protect him, and Yan Dansheng can also see the true face of the Shadow Hall through this incident and choose to join the Demon Palace!"
Ye Ling chuckled, "You guessed correctly, but that's only one reason why I let him go."
"Emperor, you have other plans?"
"That's none of your business. Let's see how things unfold."
Ye Ling did not intend to explain his plan in detail to the Qilin. He glanced at the unconscious Wang Le on the ground, then patted the Qilin's head, "This fellow has a considerable amount of energy within him, and that energy has not yet been absorbed. It's a reward for you."
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, the Qilin's eyes lit up with surprise. It forgot about Yan Dansheng's matter and excitedly thanked Ye Ling, "Thank you, Emperor, for the reward!"
As long as it absorbed the power within Wang Le, it would be able to break through to the True Martial realm, and even be just one step away from becoming a Saint!
This way, it would be considered a top-tier powerhouse in the Three Realms and have the ability to protect itself!
The thought of receiving so many benefits so soon after following Ye Ling made it even more devoted to him.
Ye Ling watched the Qilin wagging its tail in excitement and shook his head with a smile. He no longer paid attention to the Qilin dealing with Wang Le's corpse, but instead looked up at the night sky, his eyes becoming even deeper.
"How many more events will unfold tonight?"
Southwest Huaguo, on the border of Miao territory.
The Blood Lotus Xuan Nu brought Yan Dansheng to a mountain and set up a barrier around them. After quickly building a wooden house with the surrounding trees, she turned to Yan Dansheng and said, "Stay here for now. After I finish the task assigned to me by the Emperor, I will settle you properly and find you a new path."
Seeing how concerned the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu was about Ye Ling's affairs, Yan Dansheng asked, "Sister, when did you betray the Shadow Hall and join the Demon Palace?"
The Blood Lotus Xuan Nu smiled, "As for joining the Demon Palace, it was before you contacted me. It was when I sent my puppets to pursue the Emperor."
"At that time, the Emperor, with just a wisp of his divine sense, broke into the Blood Lotus Fire Valley and conquered me with his overwhelming strength. Now, I follow him willingly, as with the Emperor's power, following him will surely lead to a bright future."
"However, if you say betraying the Shadow Hall, that was a long time ago. I had already become utterly disappointed with the Shadow Hall. If it weren't for you, my brother, being so devoted to the Shadow Hall, I would have left it long ago."
"Why?" Yan Dansheng was still confused, "The Shadow Hall saved us when we were in trouble. Shouldn't we repay kindness with enmity?"
Seeing Yan Dansheng's confused gaze, the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu sighed slightly, "Silly boy, the truth is not what you think. But I don't have much time to explain now. I'll tell you slowly when I have time later."
"As long as I earn merit with the Emperor, I can also plead with the Emperor for you, and then you can regain your cultivation."
"Sister, you don't have to do this..." Yan Dansheng's expression was complicated, and he felt immense guilt.
The Blood Lotus Xuan Nu smiled, "Alright, that's all for now. I must leave."
"Leave? Where are you going?"
Just as the Blood Lotus Xuan Nu was about to leave, a sinister voice suddenly sounded in their ears!
The Blood Lotus Xuan Nu's expression changed drastically!