CHAPTER 441: FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-ONE, YOU SAID HIS NAME IS YUN XIAO?

Yun Xiao held tightly with his feet to keep from being thrown off by the Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion, while the Ice Cold Power in his left arm continued to flow into the Yin Chen Wood.

Yin Chen Wood inherently contained Extreme Yin Qi, and now, with the power of the Cold Ice Ancestor Vein added, this breath entered the lion’s body, giving it a very bizarre sensation.

The Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion was massive and had been poisoned for a long time, so this detoxification was bound to take more than a short while, and it posed a great challenge to Yun Xiao’s consumption of Meridian Qi.

However, Yun Xiao always aimed for perfection in his actions, and now, he felt a different kind of expectation; if he succeeded, perhaps he would gain a very powerful life-saving ability.

Lingtian Royal Family!

In a certain grand hall, a noble young figure with a rather somber expression was Nie Qianqiu, the Crown Prince of the Empire, who had dealings with Yun Xiao at the Meridian Refining Master Guild!

Having lost face to Yun Xiao at the Meridian Refining Master Guild, Nie Qianqiu was naturally in a foul mood. When he returned to the Imperial Palace and thought more about it, he became more outraged but could not afford to capture anyone from the Meridian Refining Master Guild, which was extremely frustrating.

As the Crown Prince of the Lingtian Empire, a brilliant talent, Nie Qianqiu would never allow anyone in the Lingtian Empire to have stronger talents than himself; at this moment, he even harbored a subtle intent to kill.

Tap tap!

Just as certain thoughts arose in Nie Qianqiu’s mind, footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall, not pausing at all and walking straight into the grand hall.

This was the residence of the Crown Prince, and in the entire Lingtian Empire, probably only the current Lingtian Emperor would dare to enter without being announced.

However, when Nie Qianqiu looked up, he did not see his father, but a black-robed elder with a menacing air.

"Mr. Ran Xing, you’ve returned?"

It’s worth mentioning that although this black-robed elder was not the Lingtian Emperor, Nie Qianqiu, the Crown Prince, showed him considerable respect, advanced to give a formal greeting, and then spoke.

"Uh!"

The expression on the black-robed elder’s face wasn’t very pleasant either, but Nie Qianqiu seemed not to have noticed until the former walked directly to the chief seat and sat down, prompting him to speak again.

"Mr. Ran Xing, with your personal intervention, the Lingyun Sect must be deeply grateful, right?"

The Crown Prince clearly knew what this elder had been up to a few days ago, hence offering words of praise, but this only made the elder’s expression even uglier.

This black-robed elder was none other than Ran Xing, the Earth Rank Low Level Meridian Refining Master who had had several encounters with Yun Xiao; after his scheming in the Xuanyue Empire failed, somehow he ended up in this Lingtian Empire.

Yet, his long-planned scheme was once again ruined, how could Ran Xing be happy? Moreover, whenever he thought of the boy who thwarted his plans, still being Yun Xiao, he wished he could tear him to pieces to quench his hatred.

"Let’s talk about this matter later!"

Unable to discuss his failure in front of the Crown Prince, Ran Xing just waved his hand, yet this gesture and tone still let Nie Qianqiu guess some clues.

"However... there is a matter that you, Crown Prince, might be interested to know!"

Suddenly, Ran Xing raised his gaze, staring at the Crown Prince with a peculiar look, speaking words that mystified Nie Qianqiu. What could it be that made this man’s eyes so strange?

"Crown Prince, you should have affection for Xu Hongzhuang, the daughter of the Sect Master of Lingyun Sect, right?"

Ran Xing paid no heed to Nie Qianqiu’s puzzled glance, instead smoothly changing the subject, touching upon an issue that was almost known to all within the royal family.

"This shouldn’t be a secret, and I, as the Crown Prince, am confident that one day I will win her hand!"

Speaking of this, Nie Qianqiu’s confidence seemed to return. His admiration for Xu Hongzhuang was something he never hid, and as the Crown Prince, he had the grounds to be confident.

"Heh heh, that remains to be seen!"

Ran Xing didn’t show reverence for the Crown Prince, chuckled in response and said, "You should know, Xu Hongzhuang was betrothed before she was even born, right?"

Nie Qianqiu frowned but responded, "Of course I know. I heard it was to some waste from a small family in the Xuanyue Empire; moreover, that family was exterminated years ago, and no one survived. Why bring this up?"

"No one survived, you say? This time, Crown Prince, you are very wrong indeed!"

Ran Xing shook his head again, and this time, the words that came out finally made Crown Prince Nie Qianqiu’s eyes flash with brilliance, a hint of murderous intent rising unmistakably.

"Mr. Ran Xing, are you saying that the person to whom Hongzhuang was betrothed as a child, is still alive?"

Thinking of a possibility, Nie Qianqiu could no longer contain himself and stepped forward, staring at Ran Xing and asking with a voice filled with repressed fury.

Indeed, Nie Qianqiu had long known about Xu Hongzhuang’s betrothal, but as the Crown Prince of Lingtian, he merely inquired about the family’s situation and then paid no further attention.

Even so, Nie Qianqiu only knew that the small family in the Xuanyue Empire had the surname Shang, and how could such a weak family ever compare to the exalted Crown Prince of Lingtian Empire?

In time, Nie Qianqiu was destined to become the great figure who ruled Lingtian as Emperor. Then, even across the entire Hidden Dragon Continent, probably no one would dare to provoke him lightly. A small family like the Shang Family, even within the Xuanyue Empire, could be extinguished in a flick.

Nie Qianqiu had always believed Xu Hongzhuang was a favored daughter of heaven, and only a peerless genius like himself was worthy of her. That person, who emerged from nowhere, even if by chance he survived, could not possibly compete with him.

"Heh, not only is he alive, but that young fellow also practices Soul Martial Dual Cultivation, and his talent is extraordinary. I was quite shocked when I saw him at the Lingyun Sect!"

Ran Xing did not mention his and Yun Xiao’s encounter in the Xuanyue Empire, knowing what mattered most to the Crown Prince, so he only mentioned the man’s talent to incite a serious sense of crisis in him.

"He went to the Lingyun Sect?"

Nie Qianqiu seized upon a crucial point, wondering if that Shang family boy thought to climb the high branch of the Lingyun Sect after achieving some cultivation, seeking to honor the marriage pact.

"Of course, if it weren’t for that Yun Xiao, how could my plan possibly have failed?"

Ran Xing finally couldn’t help but express his resentment, but when he uttered the name "Yun Xiao," the eyes of Nie Qianqiu in front of him nearly burst into flames.

"Yun Xiao? You say his name is Yun Xiao?"

Nie Qianqiu appeared to grit his teeth, his words imbued with a trace of bitterness; it was too much of a coincidence. If it weren’t for a namesake, wouldn’t that be the same youngster who embarrassed him in the Meridian Refining Master Guild?

"How so? Crown Prince, do you know Yun Xiao?"

This time, it was Ran Xing’s turn to be surprised. He clearly knew that Yun Xiao had recently come from the Xuanyue Empire to the Lingtian Empire, and the Crown Prince had previously disregarded him; logically, the two should have no interaction.

Little did Ran Xing know that in just a few short days, Yun Xiao had already caused such a disturbance in the Lingtian Imperial City’s Meridian Refining Master Guild, leaving the Crown Prince rather disheveled.

"What... what is he doing in the Lingyun Sect?"

Nie Qianqiu naturally wouldn’t disclose his own embarrassing incident, instead, he asked a crucial question. If it was true that Yun Xiao went to the Lingyun Sect to honor the old promise and Xu Hongzhuang agreed, that would be dreadful.

"Crown Prince need not worry, Yun Xiao went to the Lingyun Sect actually to break off the engagement!"

Ran Xing’s expression was somewhat odd; recalling the scene he witnessed in the wife of the Sect Master’s room at the Lingyun Sect, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.

"Breaking off the engagement?"

Nie Qianqiu’s gaze faltered, as if he didn’t hear clearly. Shouldn’t that young man seize the opportunity to climb the big tree of the Lingyun Sect? Why would he break off the engagement instead?

"Ah, I understand now, Miss Hongzhuang must be dissatisfied with this marriage, and with Sect Master Lingsong adding pressure, that young man must have proposed breaking off the engagement out of concern for his reputation under pressure, right?"

Nie Qianqiu felt he found an excellent reason, and such speculation seemed to make sense—considering Xu Hongzhuang, a daughter of heaven, and the deep-rooted Lingyun Sect. How could a young man from a destroyed family possibly have the right to break off an engagement?

"I’m afraid that’s not the case!"

Ran Xing, reflecting on the events at the Lingyun Sect, shook his head slightly, but he only guessed part of the details. Regardless, Yun Xiao’s breaking off the engagement seemed proactive rather than coerced.

"Damn it, a trash from a destroyed family dares to humiliate Miss Hongzhuang like this; he’s utterly courting death!"

Nie Qianqiu was initially stunned, then anger surged from his heart. Xu Hongzhuang was the treasure of his heart; even though she had not yet agreed to his proposal, he would not allow others to humiliate her.

If Xu Hongzhuang initiated this, Nie Qianqiu would not be so angry. But what is Yun Xiao in the Lingtian Empire to behave so unbridled?

With new resentment and old grudges surging in his heart, Nie Qianqiu turned a fierce gaze to Ran Xing beside him, already making a decision.

"Mr. Ran Xing, since Yun Xiao ruined your plan, would you be interested in taking back this scene?"

Nie Qianqiu seemed to have regained the rationality of the Empire’s Crown Prince. From the conversation with Ran Xing, he inferred some facts. Murder and arson, as the Crown Prince, could not be done in the open, but the man before him was the perfect collaborator.