Chapter 1543 - 447: You... You, You, You...

That was because at that time, the Holy Martial Dynasty only had seventeen in the Spirit Severing Realm.

Mo Tianheng could hardly contain his excitement and grabbed Zhou Qing’s arm: "Where have you been all these years? Why no news at all?"

Zhou Qing sighed softly: "It’s a long story. I came this time to fulfill an unfinished promise from back then."

Back then, Mo Tianheng had placed his bets on the Fourth Prince Xuanyuan Crane—the prince with eyebrows like comical caterpillars, who renamed himself "White Crane".

He had hoped that once that person ascended to the position of Human Emperor, he could obtain for himself the secret potion to break through the shackles of his realm.

After all, all the cultivators who had used the Xuanyuan Family’s secret potion to rise to the Spirit Severing Realm remained forever stuck at the early stage.

Even as the helmsman of the Duobao Trading House, possessing endless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Mo Tianheng still couldn’t make any progress.

So he speculated that the Xuanyuan Family had kept an ace up their sleeve for everyone.

Unfortunately, White Crane had no interest in this and was indifferent to the throne.

It wasn’t until Zhou Qing appeared that Mo Tianheng regained hope and shifted his stakes onto him.

And Zhou Qing had also promised to do his utmost to assist.

The moment he heard the word "promise", a gleam flashed in Mo Tianheng’s eyes: "Have you found a way to break it?"

Zhou Qing, however, shook his head: "Not yet. But—"

He lightly tapped his storage bag, causing a jade box to materialize in his palm, "He might know."

The moment the box lid was lifted, revealing the miniaturized Primordial Spirit sealed within layers, Mo Tianheng was struck as if by lightning, staggering back several steps.

His face changed drastically, his voice trembling: "You, you you you....."

"Soul Search." Zhou Qing’s voice was eerily calm, "Once it’s done, there will be no more Xuanyuan Hao in this world."

Mo Tianheng stared hard at this familiar yet unfamiliar old friend before him, feeling a tightness in his throat.

The indifferent demeanor of the other seemed as if he had just done something trivial.

"Xuanyuan Sha is already dead," Zhou Qing continued, "Next will be Xuanyuan Chong and Xuanyuan Shuo. You should also start preparing!"

These words were like a thunderclap from the Ninth Heaven, causing a buzzing in Mo Tianheng’s mind.

He seemed to see Zhou Qing clearly for the first time—at this moment, the other was surrounded by a tangible sinister aura, like a Demon God returning from hell.

"Did you... do it alone?" Mo Tianheng’s voice was hoarse.

Zhou Qing chuckled softly: "Could there be anyone else?"

Mo Tianheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, momentarily at a loss for words.

He realized he had underestimated Zhou Qing’s growth rate by far.

This junior, who once needed his care, now dared to treat the late-stage Spirit Severing Realm Old Emperor as insignificant.

A chill crept up his spine, and Mo Tianheng felt his scalp tingling.

"Time is of the essence." Zhou Qing pushed the jade box forward again, "It’s possible that Xuanyuan Chong has already started looking for his son by now."

Mo Tianheng stared at the jade box sealing the Human Emperor’s Primordial Spirit, gritting his teeth.

After a brief hesitation, he suddenly pointed a finger at the waning Primordial Spirit in the box. Xuanyuan Hao’s Primordial Spirit immediately convulsed violently.

After a few breaths, Mo Tianheng withdrew his finger, looking at Zhou Qing with a completely changed gaze.

He had seen memories he shouldn’t have, finally understanding why Zhou Qing was targeting the current Human Emperor.

"Did you find it?" Zhou Qing asked.

Mo Tianheng shook his head: "No one else knows the Secret Technique held by the Old Emperor, including the current Human Emperor."

"But it also confirmed my suspicion—the Xuanyuan Family’s concocted secret potion had indeed been tampered with, meant to forever imprison us in the early-stage Spirit Severing Realm."

Zhou Qing nodded and stood up: "Alright, then I’ll go eliminate Xuanyuan Chong and come back."

As Zhou Qing put away the jade box and was about to leave, Mo Tianheng suddenly stepped forward: "Zhou Qing, no, Zhou... Brother Zhou! Since you are at odds with the Xuanyuan Family to the death, why not form an alliance and strategize together on this matter?"

Zhou Qing turned around, a slight smile on the corner of his mouth beneath the mask: "I thought we were already allies."

Mo Tianheng was taken aback, then clapped his hands and laughed: "Indeed, indeed! Look at my memory."

"Don’t worry." Zhou Qing waved his hand, "I’m enough by myself. By the way, does the trading house still have any Wood Attribute Spirit Stones?"

"Yes! Yes!" Mo Tianheng quickly responded, a glint flashing in his eyes, "I’ve saved all the top-grade Wood Spirit Stones accumulated over the years for you!"

"Very well. Once I’ve taken down Xuanyuan Chong, I’ll come to claim them." Before the words had barely left his mouth, Zhou Qing’s foot lightly lifted, and in the blink of an eye, he had disappeared from the spot.

It was only then that Mo Tianheng realized his back was drenched in cold sweat.

He looked at the spot where Zhou Qing had just stood, feeling as if that suffocating pressure could still be felt.

"Indeed..." He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "Offering help in a snowy winter... is truly more heartwarming than a mere decoration on a cake."

In that moment, he was immensely grateful for what seemed like a casual decision back then.

...

Meanwhile, after Xuanyuan Chong had found nothing in the cave, he returned to the palace with a sullen face.

However, he waited for a long time, but Xuanyuan Hao did not return.

"What’s going on..." He frowned, taking out a Communication Jade Scroll, and sent several messages in succession, but they disappeared into oblivion, with no response at all.

"Humph, just because of a few threats from the Yan Family, he came back with his mind unsettled....."

He muttered, but halfway through speaking, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill surged up his heart.

"Not good!"

He suddenly stood up, turning into a beam of golden light, and shot straight towards the Hidden Dragon Path beneath the palace.

When he landed in the core area, the scene before him made his face turn ashen—

The giant Teleportation Array was still operating silently, but the entire square had been transformed beyond recognition.

The ground was cracked, the Spirit Pattern shattered, the air permeated with the lingering scent of blood.

Most strikingly, the scattered golden armor fragments, gleaming coldly in the dusk—that was the only remnant marking the death of thirty thousand Golden Armor Guards.