Immortal God of War

The woman didn't answer, walked into the ice cellar, stood in front of the ice sculpture, and looked at the face of the elderly man in black, silent for a long time.

Qin Feiyang and the Ghostly Snake Emperor exchanged glances and also entered the ice cave, standing next to the woman, sizing up the old man in black.

The old man was about 1.85 meters tall, his eyes tightly shut, and his aged face was full of wrinkles.

He sat cross-legged within the ice, with gray hair at his temples, extremely thin in front, looking like skin and bones.

It was evidently due to the end of his lifespan, leading to the loss of blood vitality.

But!

Even though he was nearing his end, the whole person gave off a sharpness like a divine weapon.

"Huh!"

Suddenly!

The Ghostly Snake Emperor looked at the old man's forehead, astonished and doubtful, "Look quickly, there's a brand on his forehead!"

"A brand?"

Qin Feiyang and Heart Demon were taken aback, and when they looked closely, a touch of astonishment crawled into their eyes.

On the old man's forehead, there really was a brand, only it was obscured by the ice, not very noticeable.

The brand was a character!

— Prisoner!

The Heart Demon asked doubtfully, "Why is it the character 'Prisoner'?"

The woman said, "Because he is a prisoner."

"A prisoner?"

Qin Feiyang and the Ghostly Snake Emperor exchanged bewildered glances.

Such a powerful Pseudo God was actually a prisoner, are you sure it's not a joke?

"I'm not joking, he is a prisoner."

"And the character 'Prisoner' was personally branded on his forehead by the late Emperor."

The woman said.

"What?"

"Mother means, this person coexisted with the late Emperor during the same era?"

Qin Feiyang exclaimed.

The woman said, "Indeed, he was born in the era of the late Emperor, but when the late Emperor founded the Great Qin Empire, he was just an 18 or 19-year-old youth."

"Then who exactly is he?"

Qin Feiyang asked.

The woman paused for a moment, then turned to look at Qin Feiyang, "The great achievements of the late Emperor, you should know a thing or two about them, right?"

Qin Feiyang nodded.

"Back then."

"Under his command, besides these War Gods like the Mermaid Emperor, there were countless other valiant warriors."

"They were all unrivaled figures, unruly, but they were fiercely loyal to the late Emperor."

"Later, many of them died in battles against the Sun Empire."

"To compensate them, and to express gratitude and apology, the late Emperor rewarded and conferred the descendants of a hundred warlords as Marquises."

"This legacy was to be passed down unaltered through the generations."

The woman explained.

"I also know about this."

Qin Feiyang nodded.

"One such Marquis was the first Martial Marquis Zhuge."

"At the empire's founding, the world was not yet stable, and the late Emperor himself controlled the court affairs."

"And this first Martial Marquis Zhuge had three sons at that time."

"The eldest and the second were arrogant, domineering, relying on their ancestry's merits, they often committed misdeeds."

"Initially, the late Emperor, out of past loyalties, didn't bother with them but warned the first Martial Marquis Zhuge to rein in his two sons."

"Knowing the late Emperor's methods, the first Martial Marquis Zhuge quickly punished his two sons."

"But these two sons were incorrigible, showing restraint publicly but being more rampant in secret, bullying and committing any conceivable evil."

"Finally, one day, they were accused in the Golden Throne Hall."

"The late Emperor was enraged and was ready to execute them."

"However, after the first Martial Marquis Zhuge's earnest pleas, the late Emperor spared their lives."

The woman explained.

The Heart Demon angrily said, "Such scoundrels deserve a thousand deaths, the ancestor was too merciful to spare them."

"Indeed!"

"But that's how the late Emperor was, broad-minded and kind."

"However, he didn't let them off lightly."

"First, he used the Elixir of Misfortune to abolish their cultivation, then branded the character 'Prisoner' onto their foreheads with a hot iron, and banished them from the Imperial Capital forever."

"From then on, these two disappeared, as if they vanished into thin air, never to be seen again."

The woman said.

"Elixir of Misfortune?"

"Banished from the Imperial Capital?"

Qin Feiyang frowned and looked at his mother, "Why does their experience resemble mine exactly?"

The woman glanced at him, then turned to the old man in black, "And this person is the eldest son of the first Martial Marquis Zhuge, Zhuge Shenfeng."

"Zhuge Shenfeng?"

Qin Feiyang scrutinized the old man in black, puzzled, "I've gone through all the records in the imperial archives, how come there's no record of such a person?"

The woman said, "It's of course due to the first Martial Marquis Zhuge's plea, not wanting such a disgraceful matter recorded in history. No one wishes to pass down such a blemish to future generations."

Qin Feiyang said, "Then how did Mother know?"

"Your grandfather-in-law told me."

"Back then, your grandfather-in-law's ancestors were sworn brothers with the late Emperor, so our Luk Family is well aware of these secrets."

The woman smiled.

"This..."

Qin Feiyang and the Heart Demon exchanged looks.

His grandfather's lord and his ancestor, actually sworn brothers? How deep the involvement ran!

No wonder Luk Zheng always acted so self-important in front of them, it turns out he had this backing.

"But mother, something doesn't add up."

"The character 'Prisoner' on his forehead was simply branded with an iron."

"Such a scar could easily be healed with a healing pill or a Rebirth Pill, so why is it still there?"

Qin Feiyang asked suspiciously.

"It's not a simple scar."

"When branding the character 'Prisoner' back then, the late Emperor used some tricks, so no matter what, that character can't be erased."

The woman smiled lightly.

Qin Feiyang asked, "Couldn't it be removed by cutting off that piece of skin?"

"Correct."

"Cut off the skin, and when it grows back, the 'prison' character will automatically appear again."

The woman said.

"The methods of the ancestors are truly awe-inspiring!"

Qin Feiyang sighed.

"Yes!"

"Being unable to remove this 'prison' character for a lifetime is equivalent to being unable to wash away this stain for a lifetime. It's more painful than killing them!"

The woman sighed.

"So how can it be removed?"

Qin Feiyang asked.

"Surpass the former emperor."

"But to surpass the former emperor, how many people in the world can do it? Simply none."

The woman said.

"How can there be none?"

"We can do it, one day we will surpass him."

"Isn't that right, Honorable One?"

The Heart Demon was unyielding.

"Hmm."

Qin Feiyang nodded.

The ancestor was the person he admired and respected the most, but he was also his target.

The woman was taken aback for a moment, looked at the two spirited people, shook her head with a smile, and said, "Having dreams and pursuits is good, but don't aim too high."

"We understand."

The two nodded.

The Heart Demon said, "Just now you mentioned that the first-generation Martial Marquis Zhuge had three sons, the eldest and the second were expelled from the Imperial Capital, what about the third?"

"The third was different from the eldest and the second, the third was amiable and courteous."

"It was thanks to this third son that the bloodline power of the Zhuge family could be passed down."

The woman said.

Qin Feiyang furrowed his brows and said, "Mother, are you saying that Zhuge Mingyang is a descendant of this third son?"

"Yes."

The woman nodded.

"I understand now."

Qin Feiyang sneered.

"Understand what?"

The woman looked at him, puzzled.

"I've been pondering the true identity of the State Preceptor these past days but had no leads."

"And now, knowing these secrets, I can finally confirm that this person is the second son of the first-generation Martial Marquis Zhuge."

"The truth has finally surfaced."

Qin Feiyang sneered.

The woman looked surprised and asked, "Tian Er, how can you be so sure?"

"First, the Senior Valley Master personally told me that Zhuge Mingyang is a descendant of the State Preceptor."

"Second, this place is the State Preceptor's stronghold."

"If they weren't brothers, would Zhuge Shenfeng feel at ease to self-imprison here?"

Qin Feiyang sneered.

"Zhuge Mingyang is a descendant of the State Preceptor!"

The woman's eyes trembled, and she asked, "Are you sure the Senior Valley Master didn't deceive you?"

"I'm sure."

Qin Feiyang nodded.

The woman said, "What else does he know?"

"Although he is a confidant of the State Preceptor, the State Preceptor is very cautious, so he doesn't know much."

"However, I can ascertain that Zhuge Mingyang is a descendant of the State Preceptor."

"Because when Zhuge Mingyang was breaking through to the War Emperor, the State Preceptor personally protected him."

"Think about it, Mother, if Zhuge Mingyang weren't a descendant of the State Preceptor, would the State Preceptor, with his usual lofty demeanor, help a mere Zhuge Mingyang with his breakthrough?"

Qin Feiyang said.

"No wonder the State Preceptor taught him the Azure Dragon Art, there was indeed this layer of relations."

The woman suddenly understood, thinking that the person and the Zhuge family were deeply hidden!

"The Azure Dragon Art was indeed given to him by the State Preceptor."

Qin Feiyang's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"Wait a moment."

Suddenly!

The woman suddenly reached out her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "I remember the Commander of the Kylin Army telling me that Zhuge Mingyang bid for a Potential Elixir and opened the Third Layer of the Door of Potential, but even with the Third Layer of the Door of Potential, could he break through to the War Emperor so quickly?"

"He was taking the Bloodfiend Pill."

Qin Feiyang said.

"The Bloodfiend Pill!"

The woman's eyes immediately flashed with a murderous intent, and she asked, "It must have been the State Preceptor who had him take the Bloodfiend Pill, right?"

"If not that old scoundrel, then who else?"

Qin Feiyang snorted through his nose and continued, "However, Zhuge Mingyang should also be killed."

The woman looked solemnly at Qin Feiyang and the Heart Demon and said, "Anyone who refines Bloodfiend Pill, no matter who, show no mercy!"

Her words were filled with a chilling coldness.

"Hmm."

Qin Feiyang and the Heart Demon exchanged a glance and nodded heavily.

The Ghost Snake Emperor asked, "Mistress, if the State Preceptor is truly the second son of the first-generation Martial Marquis Zhuge, what is his real name?"

"Zhuge Shenyun."

The woman said.

"Zhuge Shenyun..."

"Finally know the real name of that old scoundrel."

Qin Feiyang murmured.

The woman glanced at Zhuge Shenfeng within the ice sculpture and asked, "Tian Er, what do you plan to do with him?"

"The descendants here may not matter to the State Preceptor, but his dear brother, he must care."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have stationed ten Nine-Star War Emperors here, nor hidden it so well."

"So this person is an excellent bargaining chip."

Qin Feiyang smiled.

Initially, he thought those ten Nine-Star War Emperors were to guard his mother and the village, but now, thinking about it, they were actually protecting Zhuge Shenfeng.

Guarding his mother and the villagers was merely secondary.