The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

After returning to the Wanxiang Sect, Liu Ming was forced to drink the truth serum and finally revealed the truth about that night. It turned out that Lei Kuo had bribed Liu Ming with 10,000 mid-grade soul crystals to help him cover up the truth. Similarly, the other inner sect disciples present that night had also accepted Lei Kuo's bribes to keep quiet about his absence.

However, another shocking and heartbreaking discovery was made—Lei Xiang had disappeared!

When Qin Wushuang and the others rushed to the scene where Lei Kun's body was found, the gatekeeping disciples reported that Lei Xiang had abruptly left the sect.

"It seems that our Punishment Elder, Lei Xiang, has also colluded with the Black Blood Tribe," Qin Wushuang said coldly after learning the news.

The matter temporarily came to an end with Lei Kun being laid to rest, and Lei Kuo's body being chopped up and fed to dogs by Lei Heng. The Wanxiang Sect issued a public statement to the entire Linhai Province, declaring that the sect's Punishment Elder, Lei Xiang, had defected and colluded with the Black Blood Tribe. The statement also provided detailed information about the Black Blood Tribe, warning other forces to guard their ancestors' tombs.

Soul martial artists' bodies are naturally strong and resistant to decay. According to Wei Wushuang's analysis, the Black Blood Tribe member, likely injured and on the run, had fled to Linhai Province, desperate to use a blood-nurtured corpse to heal himself. The presence of such an outsider in human territory was certainly not good news.

The entire Linhai Province was shaken by the Wanxiang Sect's statement. While some were shocked by the defection of the Punishment Elder, it was the revelation of an alien race that caused the most uproar.

Many people in Linhai Province, like Lin Qian and Lei Qian, had never known that such non-human races existed. Suddenly, the entire province was abuzz with discussions about these "aliens." For a long time, the people of Linhai Province had believed that humans were the only intelligent beings in the world.

In a small, unremarkable farmhouse outside a minor town under the jurisdiction of the Wanxiang Sect, two figures conversed. One was a pale-skinned man with silver hair, who angrily scolded an elderly man before him, "Your grandson was utterly useless!"

"How can you blame everything on my poor grandson?" Lei Xiang retorted, glaring at the silver-haired man. "If you had explained things clearly from the start, none of this would have happened, you outsider!"

"My situation has now been exposed to the entire Linhai Province, making it much harder to act as I did before. I never expected such a backwater place to produce someone so troublesome," the silver-haired man muttered as he paced back and forth, visibly agitated. "Time is running out. If I don't recover before that relic emerges, it will be a wasted opportunity."

"It's all Wei Wushuang and Lin Qian's fault!" Lei Xiang growled, his eyes filled with hatred.

The silver-haired man frowned at the mention of those two names. "Moving around has become more difficult now. It's truly inconvenient."

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a realization, and he turned to Lei Xiang. "Your Linhai Province is by the sea. Have you ever encountered the Sea Tribe?"

"Sea Tribe?" Lei Xiang looked puzzled and shook his head slowly. "I only learned about non-human races after meeting you. As for the Sea Tribe, I've never seen them."

"Impossible! Near such a vast ocean, how could there be no Sea Tribe? Wherever there is a sea, there are Sea Tribe members," the silver-haired man said, his eyes gleaming with malice. "There's only one possibility—near Linhai Province lies a holy land of the Sea Tribe!"

"A holy land of the Sea Tribe, no matter which branch they belong to, is a sacred place where the royal family's remains are kept. The Sea Tribe is forbidden from approaching such a place," he said with a sinister smile. "If I can find the Sea Tribe's holy land near Linhai Province, my recovery will be within reach."

"Entering the sea?" Lei Xiang's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the silver-haired man, clearly hesitant.

Seeing his reaction, the silver-haired man chuckled coldly. "No need to worry. I have a soul weapon that allows me to survive underwater, but there's only one. I'll handle this alone. You just stay here and wait for my return."

With that, the silver-haired man donned a black cloak that concealed his entire figure and left the farmhouse, leaving Lei Xiang alone.

"Damn Lin Qian, how dare you kill my grandson!" Lei Xiang seethed with rage, his fists clenched tightly as faint arcs of electricity flickered around his body. His gaze became as venomous as a serpent lying in wait, ready to strike at any opportunity.

At the summit of Maoqing Mountain, in the courtyard of Wei Wushuang's residence, the elder placed an empty crystal vial on the table. "Everyone connected to Lei Xiang, even Lei Heng and Lei Qian, has taken the potion, but we've found nothing," Wei Wushuang said, shaking his head as he addressed his disciple.

Lin Qian nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that the only ones involved in this matter were Lei Xiang and Lei Kuo."

"There's another matter," Wei Wushuang said, his tone growing serious. "I heard that during your match, you summoned an army of three thousand soul martial artists, all at the ninth level of the Nirvana Realm. Is that true?"

"An ancient soul weapon I found in the ruins can temporarily summon a puppet army. I found it along with those potions," Lin Qian replied smoothly, as if he had expected the question.

Wei Wushuang looked at his disciple skeptically, clearly doubting the existence of such a soul weapon. "Where is this soul weapon now?"

"It broke after one use."

"..."

Wei Wushuang clearly didn't believe his disciple's flimsy excuse. However, dealing with such a talented but occasionally frustrating student left him feeling helpless. Sometimes, having such a brilliant disciple could indeed be troublesome.

"Well, since you won't tell me the truth, let's talk about something else. When do you plan to break through to the Nirvana Realm?" Wei Wushuang asked, his tone becoming more formal.

Breaking through to the Nirvana Realm was a significant milestone for any soul martial artist. Moreover, his disciple had achieved an unprecedented twelve rounds of Nirvana, making this breakthrough all the more important.

"Tonight, I'll reach the ninth level of the Forming Realm, then break through to the Nirvana Realm," Lin Qian said, his expression full of anticipation. The Nirvana Realm was a departure from the foundational realms, a whole new level of existence. He couldn't wait to see how his twelve rounds of Nirvana would enhance his abilities.

"Ye Xin recently broke through to the Nirvana Realm and already defeated a well-known ninth-level Nirvana expert. She's being hailed as the next Sword Saintess," Wei Wushuang remarked. "Given her potential, the Shengtian Sect will likely target her during the relic event. You should work on strengthening yourself to protect her."

Wei Wushuang's words made Lin Qian burst into laughter. "If the Shengtian Sect dares to make a move, I promise not a single one of their disciples will leave that relic alive."