The crowd surrounding the Ling family was immense, but this time, the Lings did not hold back, unleashing their full strength. Even so, it took another quarter of an hour to completely subdue them.
Witnessing the annihilation of their enemies, the Ling family finally shed their burdens, erupting into unrestrained laughter, followed by uninhibited weeping, tears mingling with blood as they fell. They cried and laughed, appearing utterly deranged.
However, the onlookers understood that the Ling family's long-held grievances had finally been avenged, and their hearts were filled with exhilaration. Ling Huayu, in particular, threw his head back and roared with laughter, "Hahaha! Father, Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother's wife, all my kin, the Ling family's great revenge is finally repaid today! Do you see it from below?! Hahaha!"
The spectators, though witnessing a bloody scene, couldn't help but feel happy for the Ling family. Glancing at the corpses on the ground, they couldn't help but sigh; the Wei family, after all, was once the foremost aristocratic family in the Tianwu Kingdom, and remained so until Ling Luoyi's return. In just over four months since Ling Luoyi's return, the Wei family had fallen so drastically.
Ling Luoyi looked at them, her heart also filled with joy. Suddenly, she felt a massive stone that had been pressing on her heart disappear, leaving her with an immense sense of lightness. Then, waves of powerful spiritual energy began to emanate from her.
Gu Yuncheng and Qiu Yuanxi, who had been watching her intently, noticed immediately. They looked at her in astonishment. This was... a breakthrough! But it couldn't be happening here!
Ling Luoyi raised her hand in a daze, feeling her spiritual energy repeatedly striking a barrier, creating miniature spiritual tides.
Qiu Yuanxi quickly regained her composure and said to Ling Luoyi, "Xiao Lu'er, you go first. I'll handle things here!"
"Mm." With no time for anything else, a formation appeared beneath Ling Luoyi's feet. With a flash of golden light, Ling Luoyi vanished.
The commotion from Ling Luoyi's side was quite significant. The dense spiritual energy had suppressed everyone around her. Although it lasted less than a breath, many still sensed the immense spiritual fluctuation emanating from the Ling family's main gate.
The Ling family, being the closest, were the first to feel it. However, the spiritual energy had rendered them immobile. Only when the fluctuation subsided did they look towards its source, only to find Qiu Yuanxi standing alone at the gate, with Ling Luoyi nowhere to be seen.
Seeing his granddaughter gone, Ling Huayu grew anxious and, in his panic, mistakenly believed that some powerful individual had abducted Ling Luoyi during the spiritual fluctuation. He urgently asked, "Miss Qiu, where is my Luo'er?"
Upon hearing this, the other Ling family members also turned to Qiu Yuanxi. Although Qiu Yuanxi had arrived after Ling Luoyi's journey to the Longqing Kingdom, Ling Luoyi had often brought her into the small world when she had free time, allowing them to interact for about two months. They naturally recognized her.
Qiu Yuanxi, already worried, turned at the sound of her name. Seeing Ling Huayu, she quickly replied, "Grandpa Ling, you don't need to worry. Xiao Lu'er is just about to break through. She'll be back shortly."
"Break through?" Ling Huayu exclaimed, realizing, "Could that spiritual fluctuation just now have been caused by Luo'er?!"
"Yes," Qiu Yuanxi replied nonchalantly, waving her hand. "Grandpa Ling, you should focus on handling the Ling family's affairs first. Most of the attackers have been dealt with, but are there any who haven't arrived yet? If you're going to seek revenge, you should do it thoroughly."
Hearing Qiu Yuanxi's words, the Ling family began to take stock. They remembered clearly who had participated and how many had been involved over the years. Even in their bloodlust, they had not killed anyone who hadn't participated.
At this moment, less than ten percent of the families, led by the Wei family, who had come to the Ling residence, remained alive. They knelt in the center, having witnessed the Ling family's ferocity, and had lost all will to resist.
After a while, the Ling family finished their count. Eighty percent of those who had participated were dead, while others had not shown up. Ling Huayu ordered his four brothers and five elders to lead people to search the entire city, ensuring no one escaped!
By this time, the events at the Ling family's main gate had spread throughout the entire city. Consequently, families with poor relations with the Ling family had sealed their gates, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
Because of this, even though it was past the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), no one dared to move within the city. Even the Song and Fang families, who had come to help, had returned to their residences to screen their households for anyone associated with the implicated families.
While the Ling family was carrying out their grand revenge, the families involved in the past were praying for the royal family to intervene and save them. With such a significant disturbance from the Ling family, it was impossible for the royal family to be unaware. They were gambling that the Emperor would not stand idly by while the Tianwu Kingdom's strength declined.
However, they forgot that if the royal family truly intended to intervene, they would have had ample time to act. Yet, there was no movement from the royal family, and even the city gates had not yet opened, indicating their complete non-interference.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, at the Hall of Thousand Mechanisms.
The Emperor of Tianwu was reviewing memorials. Below him, officials in court attire were reporting on the day's events concerning the Ling family. The Emperor listened impassively, saying nothing.
The official waited for a long time. Seeing the Emperor's lack of reaction, he couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, the Ling family is engaging in widespread slaughter within Yunyuan City. Will Your Majesty not intervene?"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor chuckled and asked, "Why should I intervene?"
"This... the Ling family is killing the citizens of the Tianwu Kingdom, and not a small number. If the Tianwu Kingdom suddenly loses so many people, its strength will undoubtedly decline!" the official said with a heavy heart.
This man was the Minister of War of the Tianwu Kingdom, and also the biological father of the current Empress, the Grandfather of the Nation. As he managed the military affairs of the Tianwu Kingdom, and now the Ling family was massacring its families, which would surely weaken the Tianwu Kingdom, he felt compelled to advise the Emperor to stop them.
Hearing this, the Emperor put down his brush and said, "Minister Kong, ten years ago, when the Wei family led people to attack the Ling family, I did not intervene. Today, the Ling family is merely seeking revenge. Why should we interfere?"
"But..."
"Furthermore, the Ling family has Ling Luoyi, a seventh-grade alchemist," the Emperor hesitated for a moment, saying, "perhaps even a ninth-grade alchemist. With her here, why worry about the Tianwu Kingdom's strength declining? Minister Kong, do not forget that three months ago, the Ling family patriarch, Ling Huayu, was merely a ninth-stage spiritual practitioner. Yet today, the Ancestor states his cultivation should be at least second-stage spiritual scholar. In such a short time, to improve by at least three levels, is that not proof enough?"
Minister Kong considered this and agreed. If the royal family maintained good relations with the Ling family, and given Ling Luoyi's attitude towards the Tianwu Kingdom, there was no need to worry about the Tianwu Kingdom's inability to improve its strength.
Thinking of this, Minister Kong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It was my oversight, Your Majesty. I did not consider this point. However, Ling Luoyi is only eighteen years old. Could she truly be a ninth-grade alchemist?"
The Emperor also smiled helplessly at this, saying, "How would I know? After the Ling family's affairs are settled, we will know if she can produce ninth-grade pills. However, were there not many people surrounding the city walls today?"
"Yes, it is said that many people were standing along the entire city wall, and within three feet of the base of the wall, it was already packed. People were crammed in." Recalling the strange expressions of the messengers who reported the news of the city walls, Minister Kong was also very curious about what it looked like.
"Heh heh." The Emperor chuckled, with a hint of schadenfreude in his voice, "With so many people, it seems the Eldest Miss Ling will have to spit blood."
Thinking of Ling Luoyi's potential distress, the Emperor's laughter became uncontrollable. His laughter echoed from within the hall, leaving the Empress outside utterly bewildered.