Chapter 1006: Chapter 1006

"You... you... where is your heart? You still call me ’Royal Brother,’ yet how can you bear to see me lose my appetite, tossing and turning day and night?" The Honorary Emperor spoke with deep emotion. "Don’t you want me to live a bit longer?"

By the end, his eyes had welled up with tears.

Siheng’s expression remained unchanged. "Royal Brother, you’ve already changed your fate several times and lived many more days. The most important thing in life is contentment; one must not be too greedy, lest one fall into delusion."

"You still haven’t changed, always spouting such grandiose ideals," the Honorary Emperor sighed, leaning back against the soft cushions and adjusting his cloak. "True, my life has already been fortunate enough."

Siheng nodded. "It is best that you think so."

The Honorary Emperor’s gaze grew distant as he muttered, "Now, my only wish is to see the sixth girl safely give birth. Her belly has grown much larger, it shouldn’t be long now, right?"

He had read from the classics that cultivators could sometimes be pregnant for years, and that it was not unusual for celestial children to be born after a lengthy period.

His obsession with cultivation was due to his fear of not being able to wait.

When Nanli was mentioned, Siheng’s face softened considerably, but there was also a touch of worry between his brows. "It won’t be too long."

He had to figure out where the Demonizing Dragon Lantern was. If it ended up in the Demon Domain again, he would have to find another way.

East of the Dense Forest.

Chi Yun, after using a Transfer Talisman to escape, had been severely wounded. He could only take the high-grade pills he carried with him and sat down to meditate, trying to heal himself.

Though the forest was vast, he hadn’t set up a magical barrier to conceal his energy fluctuations before meditating. As a result, several cultivators, using their magical tools, detected the spiritual energy emanating from his position.

As the setting sun sank below the horizon, seven or eight cultivators arrived.

They were members of a Treasure Hunting Group, who regularly sought treasures throughout the lands.

They had been to this forest many times before, but today, they had found an unexpected prize.

One of the cultivators looked at Chi Yun, who was covered in blood and meditating to heal, and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn’t this the head of the Chi family?!"

"Yes, it’s him! It’s really him!" The others were overjoyed, shouting that they had struck gold.

To these cultivators, "treasure hunting" included both material treasures and living beings.

Jialan Celestial Mountain had publicly declared they would capture Chi Yun, and anyone who brought him back would be rewarded handsomely.

Chi Yun was severely wounded, meditating to heal, and it would be easy for them to capture him!

Excitement filled the air, and without a word, the cultivators sprang into action.

Although Chi Yun was in meditation, he could still sense the movements around him. His heart raced with panic.

He was the head of the Chi family, a man of great renown. Could he really die at the hands of these insignificant underlings?

Before the cultivators could strike, he lost his composure, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He was violently ripped from his meditative state, further exacerbating his injuries.

Even though he had broken free from his meditation, he had no strength left to fight back.

At the same time, the cultivators’ weapons descended upon him.

Chi Yun shut his eyes, awaiting his death.

But suddenly, a violent gust of wind swept through the area, followed by the sounds of bodies collapsing to the ground.

A voice rang out: "You are too useless, junior. What was the point of saving you?"

Chi Yun opened his eyes and saw all the cultivators lying on the ground, their deaths gruesome.

A man stood before him, wearing silver-white robes. His sword-like brows were sharp, his nose high and his expression heroic. His black eyes gleamed with an unyielding, merciless sharpness.

The man’s power seemed unfathomable, like an eagle in the night, exuding an overwhelming pressure and an aura of dominance over all.

He gazed at Chi Yun as though he were looking at a piece of trash.

Not only that, but the man also had an attendant. The attendant’s forehead bore a fallen celestial mark!

The attendant’s cold eyes swept over the scene and said, "Then kill him."

Ancestor Chi hurriedly knelt and kowtowed. "Please, esteemed one, show mercy! This is the most gifted member of the Chi family’s younger generation. His talent is unmatched!"

The man did not respond immediately but instead released a pulse of spiritual energy to probe Chi Yun’s condition.

After a moment, he lowered his hand and stood with his arms behind his back. "He has consumed a forbidden celestial pill, which healed his wounds but has already sealed his fate. He will fall into demonic madness. He is completely useless now."

Ancestor Chi froze, then turned to Chi Yun in disbelief. "You... what were you thinking?!"

As a cultivator, how could he casually consume such a pill and destroy his future?

The Chi family was finished.

Chi Yun clutched his chest, panic-stricken. "No! This is a celestial pill! How could I fall into madness?! Who are you? Stop spouting nonsense!"

His tone was disrespectful, and it was obvious that he was furious.

Ancestor Chi’s face turned pale as he trembled.

The attendant moved swiftly, like a streak of lightning.

The man, however, reminded him coldly, "Do not use that technique."

The attendant raised an eyebrow and drew a dagger from his waist, swiftly decapitating Chi Yun.

"Yun!" Despite being mentally prepared, Ancestor Chi couldn’t hold back the sorrowful scream when Chi Yun’s head rolled away.

The man sneered at Ancestor Chi’s display of grief. "Useless people, what are you crying about?"

"But... he was the most talented member of the Chi family’s younger generation..." Ancestor Chi choked out. "Now that we’ve offended Jifeng Celestial Sovereign, even if I manage to install a new family head, Jifeng Celestial Sovereign might never let us off!"

"Even without him, there are others." The man’s gaze dropped to Ancestor Chi. "The Chi family has a branch that was destroyed by Chi Yun years ago. But in that branch, there was a child who survived, and his innate talent is even greater than Chi Yun’s. He only lacked resources and proper training."

"Could it be... could it be him...?" Ancestor Chi faltered as he tried to recall the name.

"Chi Xun." The man provided the name.

"Yes, yes, that’s him!" Ancestor Chi nodded eagerly.

He quickly remembered the child. Chi Xun had remarkable talent and was the only child from that branch who showed any potential. However, he was still too young and didn’t know how to control his power. In a family competition, he had humiliated Chi Yun.

The former family head, unable to tolerate the humiliation, ordered the extermination of the entire branch. Ancestor Chi, as the Chi family’s elder, could have stopped this tragedy but didn’t, choosing instead to support Chi Yun, who had already been chosen as the successor.

He never imagined that Chi Xun would survive.

Now, that child had drawn the attention of this powerful figure!

Suddenly, Ancestor Chi shuddered and dared not meet the man’s gaze.

"Did you... did you save him, esteemed one?" he asked with a trembling voice.

The man smirked. "What do you think?"

Ancestor Chi dared not ask further and lowered his head. "It is an honor and blessing for Chi Xun to be noticed by you."

Regardless of what the man’s intentions were, Chi Xun was undoubtedly a gifted individual and had the potential to lead the Chi family.

A weight in Ancestor Chi’s heart was slightly lifted.

However, another concern remained. "But the Chi family... we’ve already offended Jifeng Celestial Sovereign. Even if I support the new family head, Jifeng Celestial Sovereign may not spare us."

The man’s smile deepened, but he said nothing more.