Lan Ling's cheek was swollen to twice its normal size, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She looked utterly pathetic.
She stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend why Ao Yan would slap her for no apparent reason.
Then, her jaw dropped, her eyes bulging as if they might pop out.
Ao Yan, acting like a subservient grandson, his face a mask of terror, trembled as he pleaded with Ji Mo, "Mr. Ji, this woman was audacious enough to insult you, a crime deserving of death. How you wish to punish her is entirely up to you."
Lan Ling was stunned. What was happening in this world?
The Holy Master of the majestic Panlong Holy Land, a dragon known for his unyielding nature, was now groveling before a human, acting like a fawning lackey.
Ji Mo glanced at Lan Ling and said, "I don't want to see this venomous woman again."
"I know what needs to be done!"
Seeing that Ji Mo did not blame him, Ao Yan's taut nerves relaxed. He turned and gave a signal.
Immediately, several Spirit Emperors moved to apprehend Lan Ling, sealing her mouth to prevent her from spewing more nonsense and endangering everyone.
Ji Mo couldn't help but nod, a hint of admiration in his eyes. This old man was quite something, helping him resolve the troublesome Lan Ling.
In the spirit of reciprocity, he took out several pills and said, "Elder, I noticed you have a wound on your shoulder. These are medicinal pills I refined; they have remarkable effects on external injuries."
Ao Yan respectfully accepted the pills Ji Mo offered, his hands trembling.
These were ninth-grade spirit pills! Mr. Ji was so generous, bestowing several at once. How extravagant!
He was certain it was his timely understanding and wise retreat that earned Mr. Ji's approval.
Ao Yan's worried brow smoothed. He thanked Ji Mo repeatedly before leading his entourage away.
They stopped after traveling a considerable distance.
Ao Yan removed the seal from Lan Ling's mouth, his face ashen.
"Holy Master, why?"
Lan Ling, regaining her ability to speak, was utterly bewildered.
"Why? Because he is Mr. Ji!" Ao Yan said coldly.
Lan Ling's actions had nearly cost them all their lives, and she still didn't understand her mistake. She was utterly foolish.
"Ji Mo is the legendary Mr. Ji."
Ao Tian harbored endless resentment towards Lan Ling, gnashing his teeth as he spoke, "Lan Ling, you deserve to die. If not for you, how could we have ended up in this predicament? Our sect wouldn't have lost seven Emperor-level experts."
The losses this time had severely weakened the Panlong Holy Land.
"The legendary Mr. Ji? Impossible, absolutely impossible..."
Lan Ling felt as if struck by lightning, shaking her head desperately.
Wasn't such an existence supposed to be aloof and look down upon the world?
How could he be lingering in the mortal realm, working for a good-for-nothing like Ying Tianbao?
"It must be a mistake, he's fake. How could Ji Mo be Mr. Ji?"
Lan Ling stumbled, unable to accept this reality.
"Heh, the willow tree Ji Mo planted can kill Emperor Realm cultivators like slaughtering pigs and dogs. I even witnessed him refining a divine artifact with my own eyes! If he isn't the legendary Mr. Ji, then no one in this world dares to claim the title!"
Ao Tian sneered, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Kill her..."
Several Emperor-level experts around them radiated killing intent. Keeping such a foolish woman alive was a disaster waiting to happen.
"Holy Master, I was wrong, I know I was wrong, spare my life."
Lan Ling collapsed to the ground in terror.
Recalling carefully, Ji Mo had indeed displayed his uniqueness from the very beginning. It was just that her eyes had been blinded by hatred.
Now, she was finally tasting the bitter fruit of her actions.
Ao Yan let out a cold snort and ended Lan Ling's life with a palm strike.
He then declared, "From now on, we must change our strategy towards the Luo family. We will sever ties with Luo Chaoqun and instead support Luo Li. As long as we can latch onto Mr. Ji's coattails, our Panlong Holy Land has hope for a resurgence."
Everyone nodded in agreement. With Luo Li having Mr. Ji as her backer, anyone who opposed her would meet a grim end.
Supporting Luo Li meant pleasing Ji Mo, which would undoubtedly bring unimaginable benefits.
The Panlong Holy Land marched out with high spirits, only to retreat in utter disgrace, causing another massive stir.
Everyone was bewildered, unable to fathom what had happened.
Had the Panlong Holy Land's grand mobilization been for nothing?
Then, observant individuals noticed that half of the Panlong Holy Land's Emperor-level experts were missing, which shocked them immensely.
Consequently, various forces in the Southern Domain began investigations to uncover the truth.
...
The Luo Family.
The Grand Elder's residence.
Luo Chaoqun slammed his fist down in anger, the white jade stone table before him instantly turning to dust.
His hair and beard bristled, his face flushed crimson.
He had received news that the Panlong Holy Land, with whom they had reached a cooperation agreement, had reneged. They had severed ties with him and instead thrown their support to Luo Li's faction.
This was outrageous! The Panlong Holy Land was untrustworthy, daring to go back on their word.
Moreover, for some reason, their attitude was incredibly firm, showing no fear of Luo Chaoqun's retaliation.
"Although Luo Li possesses exceptional talent and a boundless future, she is ultimately still a child. It is incredibly difficult for her to ascend to the position of Luo family head. Has Ao Yan lost his mind? Why would he choose Luo Li?"
Luo Chaoqun couldn't fathom Ao Yan's change of heart.
Furthermore, Luo Li's faction could never offer a higher price than he did. What on earth had swayed the greedy Ao Yan?
"Grand Elder, your subordinate heard that the Panlong Holy Land suffered losses of several Emperor-level experts a few days ago. Could it be that someone from Luo Li's faction took action, forcing the Panlong Holy Land to submit?"
A middle-aged man standing nearby spoke up.
This man was Luo Chaoqun's confidant, named Luo Yi.
"Impossible. Ao Yan is arrogant and stubborn. Subduing him would require a heavy price, a price that Luo Li's faction cannot afford,"
Luo Chaoqun shook his head and continued, "Dispatch more scouts. We must find out exactly what happened to the Panlong Holy Land. I suspect things are far from simple."
"Your subordinate will arrange it immediately," Luo Yi replied.
Just then, a servant rushed in and reported, "Grand Elder, we've just received intelligence that Luo Li has gone missing."
Luo Yi's eyebrows shot up. "Congratulations, Grand Elder, this is tremendous news. With Luo Li missing, no one will contend with you for the patriarch's position."
However.
Luo Chaoqun did not seem happy about this. Instead, his expression turned extremely grim.
Luo Li's disappearance was no trivial matter, for Luo Li held another identity: the Human King!
Her life and death were intrinsically linked to the fate of the entire human race. If anything were to happen to her, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar.
Moreover, everyone in the world now knew that he and Luo Li were vying for the position of Luo family head. If something happened to Luo Li, people would naturally suspect that Luo Chaoqun was behind it.
"Forget about the Panlong Holy Land. Mobilize all our forces to find Luo Li."
Luo Chaoqun's face was extremely grim.
"Find Luo Li? Grand Elder, shouldn't we seize this opportunity to strike while she's down?"
Luo Yi asked, clearly not understanding why Luo Chaoqun would act this way.
"Saving Luo Li is also saving myself. Otherwise, I'll be blamed, condemned by the world, and perhaps even Luo Li's ancestral elders might seek revenge against me."
The more Luo Chaoqun thought about it, the more his head throbbed. He felt that someone was not only targeting Luo Li but also plotting against him simultaneously.
This matter was definitely a conspiracy!