Instantly infused with the shattered fragments of a Saint King's entire Dao rules, he took that crucial step, akin to a dragon entering the sea or a phoenix soaring through the nine heavens.
With a roar, he ascended to the Saint King realm.
Zhou Fusheng was overcome with excitement.
Simultaneously, a look of profound shame crossed his face as he abruptly knelt before Ling Fan.
With Xiahou Canghai dead,
Xiahou Xing, Xiahou Hu, Xiahou Yuan, and all other powerful figures of the Xiahou clan were plunged into utter despair, crying out and begging for mercy.
Alas, life offered no medicine for regret.
Their Xiahou clan had committed a transgression, and they would pay with their lives as atonement.
"Kill!"
The single word was uttered.
Heads rolled.
The corpses of all the Xiahou clan powerhouses were disintegrated, transforming into streams of vital energy and fragments of rules, which were then absorbed into the bodies of the Zhou family powerhouses and the descendants of the other Ten Great Saint Generals.
Boom boom boom!
This action,
led to many more powerhouses breaking through their realms.
The Zhou family's crisis,
was completely resolved.
The gloom that had enveloped the Zhou family's ancestral land instantly dissipated, revealing a clear and bright sky!
"Saint Ling is mighty, Saint Ling is invincible!"
Ling Fan's figure stood amidst an endless radiance,
appearing incredibly majestic.
The three Grand Ancestors of the Zhou family were the first to kneel,
their hearts filled with submission.
Following the three of them,
all other powerhouses bowed down like a surging tide.
Such a display of power, turning clouds and rain with a flip of the hand, and single-handedly averting disaster, left them in awe, reverence, and admiration!
"Now is not the time for celebration. You must seize this opportunity to improve your strength and take possession of the foundations and wealth of all Saint Lands and Saint Clans in Xingzhou and Yaozhou. Do not be stingy in the slightest; take it all to enhance your power. Although we have now purged the internal enemies of Jiuhua Realm, the situation in the outer realms is precarious, and the Demon Emperor of the Heavenly Demon Realm remains the greatest hidden threat."
"Yes, we shall strictly obey Saint Ling's decree."
"Xueyi, come with me. We are going to the source of the Saint River in Jiuhua Realm."
Ling Fan swept his hand, and Xueyi appeared beside him. With a grasp of his fingers, the void tore open, revealing a surging Saint River before them. The two stepped into it, disappearing above the Zhou family's ancestral land.
Only the powerhouses remained,
gazing with reverence at the spot where the two had vanished.
After a long while, everyone finally recovered from the series of shocks.
"Saint Ling is truly a divine being!"
The Grand Ancestor of the Zhou family sighed with emotion.
...
At this moment,
within the Saint River of Jiuhua Realm,
the Saint River flowed ceaselessly, as if it had flowed since time immemorial.
An Emperor Sword, emanating boundless, sharp sword energy, was lodged diagonally at the source of the Saint River.
"That is... the Emperor Sword!"
Xueyi's eyes widened, and she spoke dazedly.
"Indeed, that is the personal sword of the Zhou family's ancestor, Emperor Zhou Yun Chang, the Emperor Sword Yun Long Yin. It is used to suppress the Saint River and seal the realm gate."
Ling Fan said, "Xueyi, you have already mastered the tributary of the Saint River in Wuzhou. Now, you must seize the opportunity to gain control of the Jiuhua Realm Saint River in the shortest possible time. I will assist you."
"Alright!"
Xueyi knew that Ling Fan never spoke without purpose, so she did not ask further. This was her absolute trust in Ling Fan.
...
Time flowed by rapidly.
Three days.
Five days.
Ten days...
There was no day or night cycle in the Saint River; time seemed to have lost its meaning.
After an unknown period,
with a roar,
Xueyi's aura advanced from the seventh stage of the Manifestation Realm to the eighth stage, finally stabilizing completely at the peak of the eighth stage.
However, she had attempted several times to use the power of the Saint River to break through to Saint King, but all had failed.
The gap between the Saint King realm and the eighth stage of the Manifestation Realm
was as vast as the difference between a Quasi-Saint and a Manifestation Realm cultivator.
Ling Fan sensed Xueyi's failure, stood up, and walked to her side. He reached out and grasped, his palm like a net that controlled all things in heaven and earth. The Jiuhua Realm Saint River began to boil, and endless streams of light converged. With a clap from Ling Fan, they were all infused into Xueyi's body.
Boom boom!
Xueyi's aura surged to its apex, forcefully breaking through the threshold of Saint King and entering this peak level.
Her connection with the entire Jiuhua Realm Saint River also became intimately close. It was as if she had transformed into the most powerful and primordial Saint Spirit within this Saint River, capable of borrowing the immeasurably vast and majestic power of the Jiuhua Realm Saint River with every movement.
Within this Saint River, she was like an omnipotent and eternally undefeated existence.
"Good! Xueyi, your talent is indeed extraordinary. You are truly worthy of the Nine Deaths Spirit Phoenix Body. You have mastered the Jiuhua Realm Saint River faster than I anticipated. It seems my plan can be implemented ahead of schedule."
Ling Fan said with a slight smile.
"What plan?"
Xueyi asked.
"Annihilate the Emperor!"
Ling Fan slowly uttered two words.
Xueyi could hardly believe it, murmuring, "Annihilate the Emperor... You mean, annihilate that Demon Emperor from the Heavenly Demon Realm!"
"Yes."
"During your cultivation period, I have already discussed many methods with the Emperor Sword Yun Long Yin, and the plan is essentially mature. You are that crucial 'east wind,' and now that the east wind is complete, it is time to execute the plan."
Ling Fan said calmly, his voice filled with powerful confidence.
If people knew that he, having only recently ascended to the Saint realm, dared to set his sights on a Demon Emperor of the Heavenly Demon Realm, they would likely be scared to death.
His audacity was beyond description.
"That is a Demon Emperor. Although I have now advanced to Saint King and even control the power of the Jiuhua Realm Saint River, even so, I can more clearly perceive the immense chasm between a Saint King and an Emperor realm! If a Demon Emperor is an adult holding a weapon, then a Saint King is, at best, a naked infant! Perhaps we should wait a little longer, until our strength is sufficient to shake an Great Emperor, and then we can make our move," Xueyi said with concern.
"No. Even if the Heavenly Pride Saint King and others were not suppressing and refining the Emperor Sword, the Great Emperor from the Heavenly Demon Realm in the outer realms would eventually break through the realm gate. Rather than passively waiting for it to attack in its full glory, it is better for us to take the initiative now to gain the advantage!"
"Currently, that Demon Emperor should not know what has happened in Jiuhua Realm. This is our advantage, and we must make good use of it to plot against it fiercely!"
Ling Fan's eyes flashed with sharp brilliance.
"Alright!"
Xueyi also made up her mind.
As long as it was Ling Fan's decision, she would support him unconditionally.
"How can I help you?"
Xueyi asked.
Ling Fan replied, "I will deal with the Demon Emperor alone. You just need to be responsible for intercepting other Heavenly Demon Realm powerhouses along with the powerhouses from the Zhou family and the Ten Great Saint Generals' descendants."
Xueyi was immediately startled by Ling Fan's words, "What, you intend to face the Demon Emperor alone! That won't do, it's too risky. I cannot just watch you go to your death. I have also advanced to Saint King now, and I have the power of the Jiuhua Realm Saint River to assist me. I have the strength to fight! I can help you."