Chapter 274: "Do you know what it means to have a Dragon Father?"

Chapter 274: "Do you know what it means to have a Dragon Father?"

Oh, no, this is bad.

Feeling the sudden surge of power and the formation array enveloping the entire Ling Pavilion, Tao Li sighed deeply, looking at the empty table. It seemed that the feast today wouldn’t be as easy to enjoy as he had hoped.

This funeral banquet was clearly not a friendly gathering.

But at least at a Honeymoon Feast, you get to eat a few dishes before the real game starts. Here, they hadn’t even served the appetizers, and the Honeymoon Feast had already begun.

Is the Honeymoon Feast the main course now?

He leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat dejected.

The leaders of other factions, seeing Tao Li’s expression, were already used to it. People at their cultivation level had tasted all kinds of delicacies and had no particular attachment to a single meal. But if it was Tao Li, this was quite normal.

Tao Li’s mind was a bit off.

How to put it? This person’s way of thinking was very peculiar. And Ling Shiqi was Tao Li’s only friend. The two became friends solely because one loved to boast and the other enjoyed listening to boasts.

It was a perfect match, as if ordained by heaven.

Apart from young prodigies like Ling Shiqi, people at their cultivation level were generally far from arrogant. They rarely boasted, fearing the exposure of their true strength and past deeds.

There were precedents for this.

Someone who, after getting drunk in a tavern, boasted about ambushing a disciple of a certain sect a few years back was hung at the city gate the next day.

Another person who boasted about having a treasure was visited by countless waves of people as soon as night fell. Those who arrived late only found bone fragments.

It was chaotic.

Only Ling Shiqi would act this way, but the arrogance of a young prodigy was understandable. After a few setbacks, they would naturally become more cautious. However, Ling Shiqi had only experienced one setback in his life, and that setback had completely crushed him.

"Gentlemen."

The Ling Pavilion Master stood on the high platform, looking down at the guests with a somber expression. "There’s no need to panic. Although I am saddened by the loss of my son today, I will not unjustly kill the innocent."

"I am only curious about one question: Chen Qiu has never set foot on the Jiang Taiping Continent. How did he know Ling Shiqi’s appearance and activate the ‘Void Targeting’ to launch a long-distance attack?"

"What do you think?"

"Does Chen Qiu have some means to obtain the name and true appearance of those who attack him?"

"Or is there someone harboring resentment who secretly contacted Chen Qiu and provided Ling Shiqi’s true appearance?"

As he finished speaking, almost all the guests instinctively turned their gaze toward the Bai Jia Jiuzhu sitting in the corner.

In terms of motive.

Everyone saw the Bai Jia Jiuzhu being called to the back garden by Ling Shiqi and coming out with a slap mark on his face, clearly harboring resentment.

In terms of opportunity.

The Bai Jia Jiuzhu possessed the ability to travel between different tiers of continents, a rare skill even on a Fourth Tier Continent. Originally, Ling Shiqi also had this ability, but after his death, the Ling Pavilion lost it.

The Bai Jia Jiuzhu’s home, the Heaven-reaching Continent, was also Chen Qiu’s superior continent.

In terms of means.

It was rumored that the Bai Jia Jiuzhu’s daughter had contracted ‘Immortal Cancer,’ causing her cultivation to decline until death. The higher the tier of the continent, the faster she would die. She had already been sent to the Vast Continent to spend her last years, which happened to be where Chen Qiu was located.

Everything matched up.

"..."

"..."

A few people sitting near the Bai Jia Jiuzhu quietly stood up and moved to other seats. The area around the Bai Jia Jiuzhu almost instantly became empty. Originally, he had been sitting quietly in an inconspicuous corner, but now he had become the focus of everyone’s attention.

"What do you think?"

The Ling Pavilion Master, expressionless, looked at the Bai Jia Jiuzhu. "Who do you think this person could be?"

"..."

The Bai Jia Jiuzhu’s lips twitched slightly. Who else could it be? He had come here thinking about how satisfying it would be to stand in front of Ling Shiqi’s tombstone, but he had forgotten about this.

If he had known, he wouldn’t have come. But if he hadn’t come, he would have been suspected, and now he was directly implicated.

He needed to think of a way to defend himself, but it seemed there was no room for argument.

Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind, but he soon frowned and said, "This person sounds like someone who has a grudge against Ling Shiqi. Although it seems to fit my profile, I have no reason to do such a thing."

"Ling Shiqi recognized and promoted me. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today."

"Furthermore, although my daughter is on the Vast Continent, the Vast Continent is currently in the midst of a throne contest, and there are Celestial Constraints between the provinces. My daughter and Chen Qiu are in different provinces, so they could never meet, let alone have any connection with me and Chen Qiu."

"Moreover, there are others who possess the ability to travel between lower-tier continents."

"For example..."

The Bai Jia Jiuzhu pointed directly at a middle-aged man standing beside the Ling Pavilion Master. "For example, your son. Ling Shiqi was your youngest son but enjoyed the greatest privileges in the Ling Pavilion. This naturally caused a lot of dissatisfaction, especially after he obtained the Heavenly Dao Entry Group, making him the obvious future Ling Pavilion Master. Some people might remove obstacles to achieve their goals, which is quite normal, right?"

He no longer cared about offending anyone. The only thing he knew was that he needed to muddy the waters as much as possible today, or he would likely not leave here alive.

He would try to implicate as many people as he could.

After all, he was only a suspect, not a confirmed culprit.

"You’re bullshitting!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man standing behind the Ling Pavilion Master turned red with anger and snarled, "You beast, don’t spew lies! Father appointed me as the master of the ‘Heavenly Grotto’ in the Ling Pavilion, and I am very grateful. I have never had any desire for the position of Ling Pavilion Master."

"Besides, everyone knows how much I love my younger brother. How could I possibly harm him?"

"Hmph!"

Ling Pavilion's Master, who had initially only suspected, now had his suspicions confirmed by seven parts. He looked at Bai Jia's face, which grew colder, and said, "Do you have any last words before you die?"

His son was dead, and he very much wanted to kill, but he couldn't kill indiscriminately.

Many of the powers here were Ling Pavilion's partners, all with intricate connections to Ling Pavilion. He had to gather evidence before killing, or else, if he gave in to his emotions and killed without reason, these partners would gradually distance themselves. No one would establish a deep relationship with someone who was unreasonable and easily lost control.

Moreover, several people here had even stronger backing than him, with ancestors who had ascended to the Immortal World. He had imprisoned everyone here to get answers, and while they would give him this face, if he went on a killing spree, they wouldn't tolerate it.

When someone is in extreme pain, those around them often give them some face, even if it's an excessive request. This was why he had held the funeral banquet and invited everyone before his son's body had even cooled, as after this point, many wouldn't have been so accommodating.

The surrounding crowd shook their heads helplessly, seeing that Bai Jia's behavior was too hasty. This kind of crazed, random biting was clearly a sign of guilt. It seemed that Ling Shiqi's true face had indeed been leaked by Bai Jia.

Bai Jia, who was usually kind and liked to send gifts, was unexpectedly ruthless.

Bai Jia was actually quite clever, known for his gift-giving. Many here had received gifts from Bai Jia, and not just a few.

"Is that so?"

Bai Jia calmly stood up, took out a soundstone from his chest, and crushed it. Soon, a voice rang out across the entire banquet.

"Old man Bai, we're all smart people, so I'll be blunt. My father asked me to procure a batch of Illusion Stones. Your Heaven-reaching Continent is known for producing these, with top-notch quality and quantity. But another Third Rank Continent, Jiangbei Continent, also produces these Illusion Stones. How should I choose?"

"Twenty points is too little, how about thirty?"

"Although you're currently working for my little brother, today I'll treat you as a confidant and speak from my heart. The position of Pavilion Master will never fall to my little brother. I can't say more, but I can tell you that if I wanted to, I could bring him down at any time. Don't believe me? I'll show you one day."

"Only by giving me these spirit stones can you live more comfortably in the future."

"..."

The recording from the soundstone suddenly made everyone's expressions strange. It wasn't unusual for such a situation to occur in a large family, but it was surprising that someone had recorded it.

"You motherfcker!"

The middle-aged man behind Ling Pavilion's Master, finally reacting, blushed with shame and anger. "You're spouting nonsense! Everyone knows soundstones can be faked. If you have the skills, bring out a shadow stone!"

"I also have a shadow stone."

Bai Jia silently took out a shadow stone from his chest.

In the image, the middle-aged man, whose defenses were broken, was deeply demanding kickbacks and trying to pull Bai Jia to his side, even adding strength to his competition for the Pavilion Master position.

"If you have the skills, bring out a shadow stone with divine sense!"

"I have that too."

Bai Jia silently nodded and took out another shadow stone from his chest, ready to crush it, when a cold shout interrupted.

"Enough!"

Ling Pavilion's Master, his face darkening, waved his hand to stop Bai Jia from crushing the shadow stone. "Even if this shadow stone is real, it only proves that my incompetent son took your kickbacks. It doesn't mean he would kill Ling Shiqi for these kickbacks."

"Oh."

Bai Jia, feeling a bit reckless today, pointed at a beautiful woman behind Ling Pavilion's Master. "Maybe it was your concubine who killed Ling Shiqi."

"Alright."

He crushed another soundstone.

"Little girl, guess what my father would do if I told him about our affair. Would he kill me or you?"

"If you refuse me today, tomorrow I'll make sure your bones are scattered."

"This is the soundstone of Ling Shiqi forcing your concubine to sleep with him. Your concubine has sufficient motive, right? It's normal for someone under constant threat to want to eliminate that threat, isn't it?"

"Especially since your concubine is from the Phoenix Clan of the Vast Continent. They have their own special methods. Transmitting a real shadow stone isn't that difficult or time-consuming."

"..."

Ling Pavilion's Master's expression darkened further as he looked at the beautiful woman behind him. The woman, filled with fear, suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud.

"Master, Master, it was Ling Shiqi who forced me, I had no choice!"

"When I was with him, I was always thinking of you, Master, please spare me!"

"Huff"

Ling Pavilion's Master took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said through gritted teeth, "Ling Shiqi is my son. A son's actions are a father's actions; we share the same root. It's not a big issue."

"Go on, I want to see how many suspects you can point out today."

"Oh."

Bai Jia calmly nodded, licked his finger, and took out another soundstone from his chest. "There are many, let me count them for you."

He turned his head towards the nearby Taoli.

"This Taoli is also highly suspicious."

"Hmph."

Taoli, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was suddenly mentioned. He shook his head with a fearless smile. "I'm Ling Shiqi's only friend. What benefit would I get from harming him?"

As soon as he finished speaking...

Bai Jiajiuzhu, the head of the Bai Family, crushed the shadow stone in his hand.

"Ling Shiqi, if I were to kill you one day, would you be sad?"

"Hey, why aren't you answering me?"

"I was just joking, you don't actually believe me, do you?"

Bai Jiajiuzhu calmly explained, "There's no need for you to investigate further. I've already gathered the information myself. Taoli, from the hidden power 'Taoyuan' in the Jiang Taiping Continent, has had all his friends die due to various accidents. Before Young Master Ling's accident, Taoli was talking to him in the rear mountain of Ling Pavilion, but suddenly left."

"This is the reason, and everyone here has their own conclusions."

"Just now at the tomb, Taoli didn't shed a single tear."

". . ."

Taoli's smile froze on his lips. This conversation was between him and Ling Shiqi in private, so how could it have been recorded?

"There's more."

Bai Jiajiuzhu didn't single out Taoli, but instead turned to another leader of a different power beside him, "The helmsman of another top-tier power in the Third Rank Continent, during Ling Shiqi's hundredth birthday banquet, you brought people to Ling Pavilion. Your son was humiliated by Ling Shiqi."

"This is the soundstone recording from that day, and the vow you made to your son in private. You said that one day, you would definitely kill Ling Shiqi. And on the day when the Young Master was taken advantage of by someone else, you were the happiest. Don't deny it, I have the shadow stone recording from that day, let me play it for you."

"This smile can no longer be suppressed."

"And you, I'm talking to you. Stop looking away. Last time when I came to your family with gifts, you clearly told me..."

At this point, Bai Jiajiuzhu had completely lost his mind, pointing fingers and naming names like the King of Hell, and his accusations were all backed by evidence. No one knew how these shadow stones had been secretly recorded, but they exposed all the secrets between them without any reservation.

"Stop!"

Just then—

The master of Ling Pavilion, with a dark expression, stopped this farce with a wave of his hand, "Serve the food!"

The situation had become quite serious. He had only intended to investigate his son's death, but he had uncovered so many secrets. There were so many rotten apples within Ling Pavilion, including these collaborating powers who held grudges against him, and almost every one of them had a reason to kill his son.

This was fucked up!

It was normal to have some hidden intentions, but did they have to have so many? If he had been unaware of these schemes, he could have turned a blind eye, but now that they were exposed, it would create a rift in their future collaborations.

The dead cannot be brought back to life, but Ling Pavilion must continue. He was not only the master of Ling Pavilion but also a father.

For now, he would temporarily put this matter aside. Once things calmed down, he would slowly settle the scores.

"Phew," Bai Jiajiuzhu breathed a sigh of relief, licking his slightly dry lips before sitting down again. Damn, if he had to expose all the secrets, it would cause an uproar across multiple continents.

His intelligence network on the continent wasn't just for show.

"In any case, let's begin the feast. At least we can finally eat."

There was a minor issue during the process, but the outcome was good.

Taoli, expressionless, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. For some reason, no matter how he chewed, the food today seemed bitter and hard to swallow. He still couldn't understand how Bai Jiajiuzhu had managed to do it.

It was impossible to secretly record such private conversations without leaving any traces and hide the shadow stones in advance. With their cultivation level, even if the shadow stones were hidden deep, they couldn't escape their divine sense.

Taoli looked up at Bai Jiajiuzhu, and at that moment, the others also turned to Bai Jiajiuzhu with complex expressions.

Bai Jiajiuzhu, however, completely ignored the surrounding gazes and continued to eat heartily, ensuring that the master of Ling Pavilion wouldn't kill him today. Otherwise, with only suspicions of murder, no one present would survive.

You don't know what kind of person your son was.

This person's social skills were at rock bottom.

Even without this incident, he wouldn't have lived long, given his poor relationships. No one could guarantee that someone wouldn't take action against him in the future.

After this banquet, he would hide in the Heaven-reaching Continent and never return. Without Ling Shiqi's title of "Heavenly King," Ling Pavilion had no means to cross between the First Rank and Second Rank Continents.

As long as he could return, this crisis would be resolved.

Damn,

That was scary.

". . ."

In the Profound Heaven Continent, the Mystic Heaven State, Chen Qiu was also holding a funeral, but without a mourning feast. In the rear mountain of the Little World, a tombstone was erected, and it was none other than Xiao Yue's grave. All the members of the Mock Heaven Sect had gathered, dressed in black, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Although they still didn't know how Xiao Yue had died or when she had become his maid, Chen Qiu prepared a grand funeral for her.

After all, this was the first death in the Mock Heaven Sect, so a funeral was necessary. It was also a rehearsal, ensuring that future funerals would be handled smoothly.

After the third incense stick was lit, the funeral was successfully concluded.

Xiong Gao had invited a group of chefs, and a banquet was held outside the Celestial Palace. How could they not have a feast during a funeral?

The black-clad disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect ate while listening to a slightly sorrowful tune, creating a somewhat solemn atmosphere.

"Brother Fatty Dragon," Black Dragon cautiously approached at the dining table, "Didn't we already hold a funeral for you when we were in the Dragon Island of the Mystic Heaven Continent?"

"That doesn't count."

Fatty Dragon casually replied, "That time you didn't actually die, but when you do die one day, don't worry, I'll make sure Qiu Ge gives you an even grander funeral."

"That's not necessary," Black Dragon said awkwardly, "My status doesn't warrant such a grand funeral. I think a funeral like Xiao Yue's is already very grand."

"

".

"

Fei Long glanced at Hei Long with a hint of exasperation, as if the man's brain had rusted. Couldn't he tell that he was being mocked?

Just then—

In the distant sky, a large number of powerful cultivators in the Body Fusion Essence Refinement stage rapidly approached. In the blink of an eye, a middle-aged man appeared, followed by a group of attendants, and landed on the ground.

As soon as he landed, a hearty laughter echoed.

"Greetings, I am the Dragon Clan Chief, and I have come to offer my congratulations."

The voice suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

The middle-aged man's smile froze on his face, and he stood still, looking dazed. His bright red robe stood out starkly, and the numerous exquisite gifts carried by his attendants using Spirit Qi seemed extremely inappropriate.

The atmosphere became eerily quiet.

Countless eyes of the Mock Heaven Sect disciples stared expressionlessly at him, not a single person spoke, and even their breathing was silent. The entire scene was deathly silent.

All the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect were dressed in black, surrounded by white wreaths, creating a stark contrast with the man's bright red robe and the numerous gifts behind him.

After a long while, the middle-aged man spoke with a grim expression and a hoarse voice, "A funeral..."

He had been waiting outside the Mystic Heaven State for almost a year, hoping to enter and present gifts to Chen Qiu after the provincial shackles were lifted. However, after the shackles were removed, Chen Qiu suddenly disappeared.

He waited for several days and finally sensed Chen Qiu's aura within the Mystic Heaven State. Sensing from a distance, he discovered that a feast was being held.

He thought to himself that it was indeed a cause for celebration, having obtained the Sole Emperor's position.

So, he appeared with a hearty laugh, hoping to leave a good impression on Chen Qiu.

But to his surprise, it turned out to be a funeral! This made his carefully planned entrance seem extremely abrupt.

"Er..."

The Dragon Clan Chief immediately spotted Chen Qiu sitting in the center of the crowd. His indifferent gaze caused a deep sense of fear to stir within the man, and he unconsciously took a step back before whispering, "Er... I'll come back another day."

With that, he prepared to leave with his clansmen, considering this entrance a complete failure.

The next moment—

A calm voice suddenly rang out.

"Hold on."

".

"

Sitting in the main seat, surrounded by the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect, Chen Qiu looked calmly at the unexpected guests and the numerous exquisite treasure chests behind them. After a brief pause, he continued in a soft voice, "Are you here to offer gifts?"

"Yes."

The Dragon Clan Chief stopped and turned to face Chen Qiu, forcing himself to say, "It seems today is not an appropriate time. I'll come back another day."

Chen Qiu interrupted, "Read the gift list."

"3 million spirit stones, various heavenly treasures, nearly a hundred Dragon Clan exclusive treasures, and some gifts for the young dragons."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded in satisfaction at the words and waved his hand, "Someone, please offer this fellow cultivator a seat, the main seat!"

"Yes, sir!"

As the words fell, the atmosphere instantly softened. The Mock Heaven Sect disciples' gazes towards the Dragon Clan Chief became much gentler, as those who brought gifts were all good people.

The tense atmosphere transformed into a harmonious one in an instant.

The Mock Heaven Sect disciples resumed their lively conversations, drinking and exchanging stories.

Led by Xiong Gao, the Dragon Clan Chief cautiously approached Chen Qiu's table and sat down. Originally, his strength was inferior to Chen Qiu, and his aura was already one level lower. With this incident, he felt two levels lower.

However, his mind was still pondering.

Although it was a funeral, the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious, and everyone appeared cheerful without much sadness. Could it be a joyous funeral?

No, that didn't make sense. Joyous funerals were a custom of mortals, but did such a concept exist in the cultivation world?

That was complete nonsense. Although every cultivator had a lifespan limit, almost none died of old age. As their end approached, no one wanted to passively wait for death. Instead, they would drag their frail bodies to the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm to test their fate, often meeting their end there.

For this reason, it was rare for a cultivator to die of natural causes.

"The Dragon Clan of the Vast Continent?"

Chen Qiu peeled a peanut and tossed it into his mouth, glancing at the middle-aged man beside him. "I heard that your lineage has some conflicts with my brother Ao Tian's lineage, is that true?"

"There were some issues in the past."

The middle-aged man was honest and didn't beat around the bush. "But that was a long time ago. I came here mainly to take some dragon cubs back with me. The Dragon Clan's reproduction ability is too poor. Although I don't know how the Dragon Clan in the Mystic Heaven Continent has such excellent lineage, I want to borrow some ideas."

"Hmph."

Before Chen Qiu could speak, Ao Tian, sitting beside him, laughed, "So, you came for this? You want to borrow dragon cubs? Guess the bloodline of these cubs I have here."

"Is it very low?"

The middle-aged man paused, slightly disappointed. Bloodline played a significant role in the Dragon Clan, and although he could sense the presence of numerous dragon cubs playing behind the Celestial Palace, he couldn't perceive their specific bloodlines without a bloodline stone.

Indeed, such an unreasonable reproduction rate must have involved some sacrifices.

"Tsk tsk."

Ao Tian looked at the middle-aged man, whom he had never met but felt a bloodline connection with, with a sigh, "I can only tell you that if you came for this, you didn't bring enough spirit stones. The bloodline of these cubs will shock you!"

"Do you know what a Dragon Father is?"

"It's an existence beyond your imagination."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end