221-230

Chapter 221 Mother or not?

"Are you okay?"

Xuefeng didn't know what he expected but it definitely wasn't this long. The moment the Cube covered their bodies and limited his vision, he felt his body drifting with rapid speed yet everything was dark. They seemed to be locked inside the Cube as it traveled back.

"Mhmm… I'm fine," Sena replied in confusion. "Where are we…?"

Sena was immediately knocked unconscious and it took her a minute to get back to him.

"We are traveling back to Heaven Realm. It's actually my first time using it so I'm not sure how long it will take us," Xuefeng explained as he rubbed her back. "Just stay put and hug me tight."

Xuefeng didn't want to disrupt the Cube by moving around. He didn't know how many people the Cube could carry so he didn't want to risk.

Sena didn't seem to mind.

"Your chest is hard but I like when you hug me…" Sena muttered softly as she rubbed her cheek against him. "It's the first time someone hugged me… Even the maids barely touched me…"

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Xuefeng replied with a pat, having no choice but to bear with her display of affection. He couldn't help but feel weird when he hugged women that weren't his wives.

How often did this happen? Did he have some sort of magnet in his body?

"Are you really going to take me to my mother and sister?" Sena questioned with excitement in her voice. "I wonder if they look the same as on the paintings… Ah, I can't wait to see them."

"Huh? What…? You have never seen them?" Xuefeng asked back confused. "Your mother isn't Ming…?"

For a second Xuefeng thought he made a huge mistake but Sena denied, "No, she is my mother. At least that is what my father told me. He said she left to look for my sister but she never returned for so many years. I never believed my father who said she abandoned us and I'm glad I didn't. I could always tell whenever someone lied and my father was always lying."

"I see, but the Ming I know wouldn't leave her real daughter behind. Something feels wrong here," Xuefeng muttered before trying to reach his two Fate Spirit wives. 'Hey, can you two hear me?'

He once again received no answer so he separated his consciousness and sent it knocking to Ling's world inside the crystal on his neck. He squinted his eyes when he reached the crystal, realizing there was some type of Soul barrier covering it, preventing him from going inside.

Pa!

He broke it with a little bit of pressure and he immediately heard two lovely voices calling to him.

'Xuefeng!!! You finally freed us!' Ming and Link cried out in relief. 'We were wondering how long will it take you to realize— huh? Who is this girl?'

Just as she asked, the Cube started shaking and rapidly braked. He didn't have time to reply as the Cube's momentum pressed them against the walls before he was spat out.

Ah!

Sena cried out as they smashed against a stone floor and rolled a few times till they hit the wall.

"Are you okay?!" Sena called out worriedly but Xuefeng only laughed, releasing her from his embrace. Such fall wasn't even enough to tickle him, not even mentioning inflicting any damage.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry," Xuefeng assured as he stood up, lifting her as well. To his surprise, they returned back to what looked like the top floor of the Dragon Tower.

It was a round room completely made of white marble that had a black podium in the middle of it with a black box on top of it. Besides the displayed prize, there were also three chests opposite the same stairs he climbed earlier.

That was exactly how he imagined it. What happened to the white light and the Heavenly clouds?

"It seems like the entry through the Heavenly Gate was a one-time thing," Xuefeng muttered to himself before looking at the floating Cube. It seemed like it still had some energy stored inside of it.

He was about to check it when Ming reminded him of her presence.

'Xuefeng? You got some explaining to do…' Ming called out. 'Where did you get another Fate Spirit?'

"Right…" Xuefeng recalled the important matter at hand. "Ming, Ling, can you come out for a second? I think it would be best if you face her directly."

His wives trusted him fully and came out of the crystal, not expecting what was about to happen.

"Mother!" Sena cried out happily with tears in her eyes and rushed towards Ming with her arms wide open. She was looking for a hug but Ming only extending her hand to stop her.

"I don't recall having two daughters..." Ming replied confused as she pressed two fingers on Sena's forehead.

They lit up with golden light that sank into Sena's body. She didn't resist at all, holding still with a smile.

After a second, Ming frowned, then raised her eyebrows in surprise before she looked at Sena in shock.

"How…? You have my genes… but how? I didn't give birth to you," Ming questioned speechlessly, looking at Xuefeng for an answer. "Where did you find her?"

"We came from the Fate Kingdom. Xuefeng appeared from nowhere and brought me here," Sena informed happily as she grabbed Ming's hand and placed it on her chest. "My name is Sena. I have always wanted to meet you."

"Wait, what?!" Ming and Ling exclaimed. "Fate Kingdom?! Xuefeng! What happened while we were locked?"

Xuefeng scratched his head, wondering how he should explain it when the girls recalled their ability. They were linked so they could enter Xuefeng's mind at any time to check his memories.

He didn't expect Ming to instantly burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Good! You played this bastard so well!"

"To think you would be sent to the Fate Kingdom…" Ling pointed out astonished but then her gaze fell on Sena. "But then what about her?"

"To be honest, she does look similar to you two," Xuefeng commented, compering the girls side by side. Her white hair was like Ling's but shorter while their face was just slightly more fluffy, making her look cute.

"Damn! I think I know what happened," Ming suddenly cursed. "This bastard must have used my egg that I once saved."

"Egg?" Xuefeng repeated confused.

"I can only get pregnant once every few thousand years so I once saved my egg just in case I wanted to get pregnant when it wasn't the time yet," Ming explained. "I never got a chance to use it after I had Ling and I completely forgot about it. He must have used it to give birth to Sena."

"Does that mean you are really my mother?" Sena asked excitedly and dove into Ming's arms. "I knew it the moment I saw you! I love you, mom!"

"Uhmm…"

This time Ming didn't stop her but Xuefeng could see a dilemma in her eyes. If one looked at their blood, she was definitely her mother but she didn't give birth to her, no even raise her.

Xuefeng left it to Ming to solve as he approached the stand instead, too curious to see the rewards. He was glad to see that his trip to Heaven Realm and the Cube wasn't the only prize for his hard climb.

Too bad, the small black box didn't contain any treasures aside from a communication crystal that played the recorded message as he opened the box.

"Welcome back, young man."

Chapter 222 Blood Pact

Despite it being just the recording, the power behind that male voice was astonishing. Xuefeng could feel the vibration in the walls as if the Dragon Tower was reacting to it.

"How was the trip to the Fate Kingdom? If you returned I can assume you reassembled my Cube and used it to come back. Impressive. I wish I could meet a hero who can climb my tower and even escape from under the bastard King of Heaven's nose, but unfortunately, I'm probably dead by now."

The girls approached Xuefeng and Ling even entered his embrace, letting him wrap his arms around her. Ming was still busy with Sena who kept hugging her tightly.

The recording still played as the man let out a deep sigh.

"Anyway, I don't want to bore you, so let me get straight to the point. I need your help. In return for my inheritance inside the three chests in the room, I wish you can fulfill my request. Before I say what I want, I'm giving you a choice to walk away. Naturally, you will have to leave the Cube behind. Touching my inheritance without permission will also trigger the Spirit to kick you out so I wouldn't try it. If you agree to help me though, pour your blood onto the crystal. Take your time to consider."

Xuefeng rolled his eyes at the man's proposal. He suffered so much just to get to the top of the Dragon Tower and he was supposed to leave with nothing? It wasn't even an option for him.

"Is there a chance you know who that might be?" Xuefeng wondered as he turned to Ming but she shook her head.

"I don't but he definitely belongs to the Ancient Race. If you look at those chests, you will spot weird engravings on the sides. It's the language of the Ancient Race," Ming replied confidently. "No matter what he requests, I don't think we can afford to reject him. We lost Titan Bloodline to get here so we need something in return."

She already gave up on moving Sena away as she was stuck to her like glue.

"Why does he need my blood though?" Xuefeng wondered cautiously.

"It's the Ancient Race's secret Art, a Blood Pact. Whenever two people had an agreement, they always signed a Blood Pact. If any party failed to deliver their promise, they would die from a curse. Since our two races hated each other, they didn't want to swear on the Heavens so they invented their own method," Ming explained.

"Hah, as if the Heavenly Tribulation can do anything to me," Xuefeng laughed, not scared of Heavenly Lightning at all. He has been struck so much that he gained immunity to it.

Ming was quick to humble him with the reality.

"Don't underestimate the power of Fate Kingdom. Heavenly Tribulation is the weakest form of attack that the Fate Kingdom has at its disposal. Did you already forget about the Heavenly Chains that split us apart? We were attacked because we kept challenging the Heavens and my Uncle wasn't happy. They are not even the strongest and we couldn't deal with them."

Ling and Sena listened curiously as she continued, "Just like my Uncle, the King of Heaven controls half of the Heavenly Power and can command it at wish. There is a reason why the Ancient Race left the Heaven and God Realm. They didn't want to be controlled by the power they couldn't defeat so they created the Ancient Realm which wasn't regulated by the Fate Kingdom. Right now we are safe only because the Heavenly Gate is closed and his influence can't reach us."

Ming paused as she looked worriedly at him.

"Now that you provoked him and Sena is here, we don't have much time before he opens the Heavenly Gate and starts looking for us. Earlier he didn't want to provoke my Uncle but now he has no choice but to confront us."

Xuefeng calmed down while taking a deep breath. She was right. Even though he could protect himself with the Elemental Bracelet, he didn't have the power to protect his wives yet.

"How long do you think it will take him to target us?" Ling asked as she observed Sena. "It seems like everyone in the Fate Kingdom loves her. They won't stop pressuring him till he brings her back safely."

Ming opened her mouth to speak but Sena cut her off, "He won't come any time soon."

"Hmm?"

All three of them stared at her in wonder. She looked as if she was trying to get mad but she only looked cuter.

"I have been asking my father to find you for so many years that I already lost count. I really don't know the real reason why he is keeping the Fate Kingdom closed and why he doesn't want to search for you but I know one thing for sure." Sena paused before revealing.

"It doesn't feel like I'm his daughter at all."

Seeing the change in their expressions, Sena immediately explained.

"My whole life I was treated like a trophy or a mascot, not like his own daughter. All the other kids spent time with their parents but we only ate dinners together whenever he wanted something from me. I knew he was just using me but I didn't know what else to do nor did I have anywhere else to go. I wanted to leave and find you on my own but when I proposed it, father got so mad I couldn't leave my room for a year…"

They could feel the pain in her voice but Sena shed no tears. She gripped onto Ming's dress and reached out for Ling's hand as she announced, "In the last minute I felt more love compared to my whole life. Thank you."

How could they not melt instantly?

"Aww, come here." Ming finally hugged her tightly on her own. "You are a really strong lady. I am sorry you had to go through this for so long."

"It's okay Mom," Sena assured with a back rub. "If I was married to a man like my father I would leave too."

"Pfft!"

Xuefeng kept his cool this time while Ming snicked loudly.

"That's right, he was not a good man for me," Ming stated as he gave Xuefeng a flirtatious glance.

"He will probably try to calm down the people by lying again but I doubt he can," Xuefeng pointed out as he returned to the topic, not trying to start another session of questions. "Either way, we don't have much time."

He let go of Ling and extended his wrist above the stand, slashing it across. Blood spilled everywhere, turning the crystal crimson before all the blood was sucked inside.

"Good… So I guess there is still hope for our race…"

Chapter 223 Rescue Mission

Click! Click! Click!

Just as the man spoke, the three chests by the wall unlocked and opened. Each chest shone with gold light as Fate Stones almost spilled from the inside. Aside from the stones, there were three more objects laying on the top of each chest.

A compass, a Storage Ring, and a rolled parchment with a seal protecting it.

Just the Fate Stones alone were a nice complementary reward while the other three could make the whole climb worth it. Just as Xuefeng planned to approach and check the contents of the Storage Ring, the man spoke again.

"Now that you signed the Blood Pact, let me get straight to the point. I am Bard, the main Architect behind the Ancient Realm project and the creator of Dragon Tower which I created as a backup plan in case something went wrong. If you are listening to this recording, it means the project really failed as I predicted and we are in desperate need of your help," Bard introduced himself, causing Ming's eyes to widen.

"I think I know this man…" Ming muttered but Bard continued right away.

"When I discovered the potential dangers of the Ancient Realm being unstable, I reported it to the Leaders but they still insisted on proceeding forward. Since that decision didn't belong to me, I could only prepare a backup plan that could save us all from doom. You are my backup plan," Bard announced.

"Does that mean Ancient Race is still alive?" Xuefeng wondered out loud and Bard provided answers.

"The truth is, our Race is still alive and I want you to travel to the Ancient Realm to rescue us. I created Dragon Tower with the sole purpose of finding the right person who can achieve that and you are our chosen one. There is only one problem you need to solve before you can set off."

Bard paused before revealing.

"The Cube you are already familiar with should be empty after you came back from the Fate Kingdom. The energy required for such multi-realm travel is enormous and the Fate Stones in my possession are not enough. You will have to find a new source of Fate Stones inside the Heaven Realm and my Inheritance will help you with that. Once you fill it back up and arrive in the Ancient Realm, follow the instructions you find in my Storage Ring. It will lead you to our location."

"Oh, and one more thing—"

Bard's voice turned silent mid-sentence as the Communication Crystal lost its luster and suddenly cracked.

"It seems like it has been far too long and the Qi inside of it leaked. We won't be able to recover the last part of the message," Ling reported as she approached the stand. "Let's hope it wasn't anything important."

Xuefeng rubbed his forehead as if he knew something bad like this would happen. "Knowing my luck, it definitely was. Ming, did you say you know this guy?"

"Yes and I think we can trust him," Ming nodded. "I met him a long time ago as he was one of the people responsible for negotiations between our races. He actually liked the idea of joining the reincarnation cycle but unfortunately, the Ancient Race leaders didn't want to accept being controlled."

"I see," Xuefeng muttered as they approached the three chests.

Xuefeng picked up the compass and the needle inside immediately started spinning. Curious, he took a few steps back, and the needle straightened, pointing with its thinner tip at the chests.

"It seems like Bard was talking about this Artefact. It helps you to find big sources of Qi," Xuefeng figured out.

"The Storage Ring is full of raw ore and various materials. If I'm correct, the Parchment should contain the secrets to his Artefact Crafting," Ming explained as she passed him the other two items. "You can't imagine how many people would kill to have this."

Xuefeng only smirked when he collected them into his ring. "Imagine how mad they would be if they knew I'm not even gonna study it right away. Crafting takes so much time which we don't have. Right now we have to find a way to charge this Cube and it just happens I know a good place for that."

Xuefeng and his wives exchanged glances.

"Hell Hole." They called out at the same time.

"We should get out of here," Xuefeng proposed but then his eyes fell on Sena.

"Let me stay with you, please. I will not cause problems," Sena pleaded immediately while showing puppy eyes.

„Don't worry, I didn't take you here only to send you back. Was just wondering how to smuggle you out of here. It is better if the crowd outside doesn't see you else there would be unnecessary questions," Xuefeng explained as he gave Ming a wink. "How about you stay with your mother for the time being? You two can catch up on what you missed."

Sena momentarily brightened while Ming squinted her eyes at him.

"Yes, please!" Sena called out happily and turned to Ming who switched to a gentle smile.

"Sure, come with me."

Ming embraced Sena and they both disappeared inside his necklace. Ling's world was made out of Fate Qi and since Sena was a Fate Spirit, she shouldn't have problems staying there for as long as she wanted.

Mhmm…

Just as Xuefeng turned to Ling, she was already pulling down on his shirt while claiming his lips. He thought she missed physical touch so he embraced her body but it was something else.

"Please be careful around Sena," Ling pleaded.

"Why? What happened?" Xuefeng questioned confused.

"She is smart and will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals. Even though she is innocent, it is only temporary. When she learns we are your Fate Spirits, she will try to get close to you to stay with us forever. She will not hesitate to do anything," Ling explained carefully before kissing him again. "Just be aware of that."

"Don't worry. I can keep myself in contro—"

Xuefeng tried to assure her but seeing her look, even he doubted his words. Ling didn't comment and entered her world, leaving him alone with his demons.

"One smart woman is scarier than thousand warriors…"

Chapter 224 Gone

"It's him! Liu Xuefeng finally descended!"

Xuefeng already expected cries and cheers the moment he left the Dragon Tower but the colossal number of people crowded inside the base floor was overwhelming. To make it even worse, he could guess all of them were some kind of important figures as none of them was below Celestial Stage.

He spotted Sect Master Liu as well who was already approaching him with tens of experts following after him. Xuefeng didn't care about them one bit. His gaze was scanning the crowds for the only people that mattered to him.

His wives.

He couldn't find them no matter how much he searched but before he could ask, he heard a sweet voice of Tianshi in his mind.

'Baby, we are waiting for you in our flying ship. There were too many people there so we left first.'

'Alright, I will be there in a second,' Xuefeng replied as he walked down from the podium. The whole base floor was packed with people but he was determined to leave, walking straight at them.

They split apart, giving him the way when a young couple stepped forward and blocked his way. The man had a weird single blue horn in addition to flaming-red hair. It was obvious he was a Beast in his human form as scales covered his arms and neck.

While he acted cool and collected, his woman seemed stressed as she clutched onto his hand. The crowd immediately brightened as if the ultimate confrontation was about to happen.

"Is Sir Morgan going to challenge him?!"

"Are they going to fight for the top spot on the Dragon Steps?"

Xuefeng heard the gossips from the crowd and couldn't care less. The only purpose of Dragon Steps was to flex and spread his popularity. By beating the Dragon Tower, he was already popular enough where Dragon Steps weren't even needed.

"Move aside," Xuefeng ordered as he passed them but the man blocked his way again.

"Wait, I'm not trying to challenge you. I just want to be friends. My name is—"

"I don't care what your name is," Xuefeng replied coldly. "If you don't move aside I will move you on my own."

Xuefeng already had his wives to think about and didn't need a friend to worry about. There was already enough on his plate.

He was about to break through but Sect Master Liu finally reached him from behind.

"Xuefeng. Stop and tell us about the Dragon Tower. What did you find at the top?" Sect Master Liu questioned. "What Artefact did you create from the Cursed Fragments?"

His words created silence. Everyone wanted to know the same thing: What was hiding at the legendary Top of the Dragon Tower?

Too bad, Xuefeng didn't have any plans on entertaining them.

"And why should I expose my secrets to the whole world?" Xuefeng asked with an eye roll. "Whatever was on the top floor, I have it now. Even if someone repeats my feat, they will only find an empty floor so it doesn't matter what it was. I would like to keep it a secret."

His response naturally caused a commotion. The whole Sect was gathered in anticipation to learn the secrets of the Dragon Tower and Xuefeng refused to give them anything.

"Xuefeng, you know you can't do that," Sect Master Liu replied sternly. "It was House of Dragons that allowed you to step in the Dragon Tower. Before entering, you signed an agreement that states you have to report what you took away from it. I don't want any trouble so just answer my questions."

"And what if I don't?" Xuefeng asked casually as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his Elemental Bracelet. Immediately the people closest to him backed away, not wanting to be the first to be hit in case a fight broke out.

Xuefeng's feat of climbing to the top of Dragon Tower was enough to prove his strength. Even if he was just a God Stage cultivator, his power exceeded their own.

"I already said I don't want any trouble. Are you trying to set the whole Sect against you? Everyone is waiting for the news. Do you want me to go out and tell the whole Sect you refused to reveal anything? We would be lucky if the ruckus would stop at curses," Sect Master Liu said. "If I was in your place I would also prefer to keep this information private but you are too high-profile now. You have to give us something."

"Alright then," Xuefeng finally nodded. "I'm willing to compromise and reveal the truth about the Dragon Tower but firstly, I will meet with my wives. Only after that, I will give the speech outside to everyone."

He couldn't expose his possession of the Cube but maybe he could share the origin of the Dragon Tower. If anyone learned he had a multi-realm teleportation device, he would immediately become a number one hunted cultivator in the world of cultivation.

Maybe it wasn't as useful to a solo cultivator but the top Sects from the God Realm would do anything to have it. Who wouldn't kill for a chance to enter the Ancient Realm or even the Fate Kingdom? The possibilities were endless.

Xuefeng was ready to leave after his decision but Sect Master Liu wasn't exactly satisfied with it.

"No, do it here. We don't know how sensitive your information is. Only the core members of our Sect are around here," Sect Master Liu suggested. "Once we know the information is safe, we can announce it to the public."

"Haha," Xuefeng laughed as he walked towards the exit. "I already decided. If you think you can stop me from leaving then you overestimate your strength."

The core Disciples and Elders looked at Sect Master Liu for the action plan but he shook his head. "Let him go. Let's see what he has to say."

Xuefeng knew Sect Master Liu couldn't risk an all-out battle in such a crowded and tight place. Especially knowing Xuefeng had the power to potentially win.

"It's Xuefeng! He came out!"

Cheers resounded the moment Xuefeng left but he quickly teleported away, appearing back in their Flying Ship. He couldn't do so earlier as the Dragon Tower had its space locked.

"Xuefeng!" Yiren was the first to yell out his name and jump into his embrace. The rest followed suit as he suddenly became a human sandwich.

He made sure to give each of them a hug before announcing without any warning. "I know you all have a lot of questions but it is best if we first leave the Capital."

"That will not be easy. The whole area is surrounded by people and Flying Ships. It will take us at least ten minutes before we can break through," Katherine reported. "Are you worried we will be targeted?"

"It's better safe than sorry," Xuefeng replied with a shrug, thinking about his wives' safety as a priority. "Since we are already finished with the Dragon Tower, there is no need to stay here. Let's travel to different Lands and focus on cultivation before we can go to Hell Hole."

His wives nodded eagerly but there was one problem.

"How are we going to sneakily leave?"

Xuefeng thought about his options and suddenly pulled out the Cube.

"I got an idea."

———

"Is he still inside?" Sect Master Liu questioned as he stared at Xuefeng's Flying Ship but before he received a reply, Xuefeng came out.

He smiled and waved to the crowds, bringing out cheers. Only after a moment did they turn silent and finally gave him a stage to speak.

"Everyone, thank you for being here for me. I am sure you are curious how I climbed to the top of the Dragon Tower and to be honest, It wasn't easy," Xuefeng spoke normally but his voice still reached far and wide.

"I almost died multiple times during my climb but I pushed through thanks to my hard work, determination, and of course my wives. I wouldn't be able to do it without them." Xuefeng paused, looking lovingly at the Flying Ship.

"Awww."

Many found it lovely but Sect Master Liu rolled his eyes. He already knew Xuefeng was tricky to deal with and he could already smell something wasn't right.

"I want you to lock the space within the area," Sect Master Liu ordered to the elders. "I don't trust him."

"It was worth it," Xuefeng continued without knowing of the actions behind the scenes. "The pain all over my body and the loss of countless treasures was worth it. I reached the top and created history."

"He is stalling for time…" Sect Master Liu commented when Xuefeng finally reached the main point.

"I am sure you wonder what I found on the top floor and I am going to tell you just that. I found out the Dragon Tower was actually created by the Ancient Race and I even spoke to one of their members who left their Soul fragment."

The words Ancient Race were enough to cause the crowd to buzz with chatter. Many speculated about that fact but they finally had confirmation.

"He told me the truth about the creation of the Ancient Realm but that's all I can tell you. I was asked to sign a Blood Pact before I learned anything. If I say anything, It will kill me so I don't want to risk it. I hope you will forgive me for keeping it to myself," Xuefeng explained calmly, leading to a big disappointment. "Anyway, thanks for listening to my talk. I will rest now."

Before anyone could react, he returned back to the Flying Ship. Sect Master Liu was far from happy. Xuefeng didn't plan to share anything from the very beginning.

"Damn it, follow me. We need to know more," Sect Master Liu cursed as he led the way, storming the Flying Ship with tens of elders. Unfortunately, they were too late.

"Sect Master Liu! They are gone!"

Chapter 225 Chaos

"What did I do to deserve King of Heaven's visit?"

A lone middle-aged man was sitting in front of a board of Go when he suddenly lifted his gaze, spotting another person in front of him. The top of the mountain where he spent most of his time rarely had visitors.

"Brother, I want it back," King of Heaven announced right away, causing the middle-aged man to chuckle.

"Hah, of course you do. You wouldn't come to meet me after so many years if it wasn't for your powers."

He placed one black piece on the board, no longer looking at the King of Heaven.

"Let me guess. Something forced you to open the Fate Kingdom but then you realized you have no Heavenly Power anymore and now you are panicking. How does it feel to be powerless outside of your home?"

"Chaos!" King of Heaven shouted his name. "Don't play games with me. Give back what you stole."

"Oh, I didn't steal anything," Chaos replied as he scratched his chin, thinking about the next move. "You left me alone to handle everything while you were hiding in your Fate Kingdom, away from any responsibilities. Since you were away, someone had to take control over the other half of Heaven. Did you think I wouldn't take it?"

"I had my reasons. Now I'm back and I will take what's mine," King of Heaven declared.

Chaos didn't pay him any attention.

"What do you think would be the best move now?" Chaos asked casually. "I think white can go here—"

Swoosh!

The board flew away from the wooden table and smashed against the only tree on top of the mountain. It broke into pieces while the white and black stones spilled all over the cloud-covered ground.

Chaos glanced at the board, then at the stones, and finally sighed as he glared at his ungrateful brother.

"This is why our mother didn't love you."

Ugh!

The King of Heaven grunted in pain as his body momentarily broke in half, forced to kneel on the ground. His arms twisted and locked against his chest. No matter how much he resisted, he couldn't fight back against the full force of Heaven.

Chaos finally stood up and walked up to his brother. He poked at his arm that had a different color from the rest of his body.

"Did you already forget my rules? You break something of mine, I will break something of yours," Chaos said as he grabbed his brother's wrist. "To think you found a way to regenerate your arm after your daughter took it away. I hope you got used to having one arm."

Aaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

King of Heaven screamed as his arm deteriorated into small particles till nothing was left. His sleeve was hanging on its own as his face cringed from pain.

"I hate you!" King of Heaven snapped, causing Chaos to smile.

"See, we do have something in common in the end," Chaos teased and went back to pick up his board. The pieces lifted from the ground and connected, recreating the board without a scratch.

"Too bad, you can't make another arm this easily," Chaos commented, driving King of Heaven crazy.

"Come on, do it! Kill me! I'm sure that is what you always wanted. Kill me and take over all the power," King of Heaven called out madly.

"Tsk, look at you. Power got into your head and now you go crazy," Chaos snickered. "I already got all the power there is. What is there left to take? Also, who said anything about killing? Everyone plays a certain role in the universe and your role is not over. Your time will come when it's meant to come."

"The power you stole from me… I can still feel it. I will rip it from you piece by piece until I get it all back…" King of Heaven declared as he stared at Chaos hatefully. "It's rightfully mine and always will be."

"Sure, go ahead. You abandoned your duties, so I punished you by taking away something you care about. I can't stop you from taking it back," Chaos replied with a shrug. "I wonder how long it will take you though. Maybe you can finish before he comes for you."

King of Heaven's expression visually changed as his eyes squinted.

"That's right, I know about him. The person you are after. The one that forced you out of your hiding," Chaos revealed playfully. "I wonder if I will have a new partner in the near future. Someone is after my brother's position."

"You…" King of Heaven muttered as his face turned red from anger. "I knew it! There is no way he entered the Fate Kingdom without help! It was you! You sent him there to mess with me!"

"I didn't but think whatever you want," Chaos shrugged in response. "I will just sit back and enjoy as your life crumbles. Been a while since I was having so much fun."

With that said, King of Heaven's body dropped to the ground, released from Chaos' power. He quickly grasped his shoulder where he lost his arm and jumped away, creating distance between them.

"I will remember this!" King of Heaven shouted from afar before he disappearing on the spot.

Chaos didn't mind that and sat down on his usual spot while the board set itself in front of him.

"Interesting game ahead…" Chaos muttered as he placed one piece in the middle.

———

The news of Liu Xuefeng conquering the Dragon Tower spread far and wide across the whole Heaven Realm but for the next half a year, no one has heard of him. Even the House of Dragon slowly forgot about the event even though there were unanswered questions everyone wanted to ask.

Where was he? Why did he go into hiding? What secrets did he take with him?

It has been half a year of living in suspense and people have already lost hope of learning the truth. Xuefeng stopped being the talk for every dinner or party until one day when the whole world turned upside down.

The Fate Kingdom reopened.

Naturally, the sheer opening wouldn't be so surprising if not for the global announcement coming from the Heavens and the fact it involved Xuefeng.

"I, King of Heaven announce that Liu Xuefeng is now an official enemy of the Heavens. Anyone who kills him will be blessed by the Heavens and will live forever."

(Read me) Author thoughts:

Heyoo, I will be joining win-win in June so you will see more chapters~ I would also like to invite you all to read my Spirity novel, Avatar Online <3 You will get hooked right away and I'm sure you will love it. Cheers~

Chapter 226 Breakthrough

Out of everyone who was supposed to hear the King of Heaven's announcement, the most important person was still oblivious to that fact. Xuefeng would be soon targeted by the most powerful individuals from all Realms yet he was sitting crossed-legged at the top of a mountain, completely relaxed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Another series of lightning struck him from the dark sky but he didn't even shiver, absorbing the Lightning Qi into his body. He was in his trance, cultivating his last remaining element without a break for the last week.

One would think his wives would be there to warn him about the future danger yet all of them paid even less attention to their surroundings than him. Xuefeng and his wives sat in a circular array, cultivating Lightning Element together. After he attracted the lightning, he would then split it into even portions and redistribute it between everyone.

"Mhmm…" His wives let out a moan each time lightning fell from the sky but no one complained. The lightning transferred to them was nothing compared to what Xuefeng experienced.

'I'm at my limits… My body is breaking…' Lisa reported, being the first to fill her soul to the full capacity. Xuefeng immediately cut the connection with her, splitting her share to the rest.

One by one, the girls stepped out with only Yiren and Nuwa left behind. Their souls were the strongest of all Xuefeng's wives, even more than his own.

"Oof… It's finally full…" Xuefeng muttered when his Soul was ripping in size. He felt so full as if his body would explode any minute.

It took them half a year of traveling from Land to Land to cultivate each element. Being at the border of Immortal Stage, Xuefeng's Soul was twenty-eight times bigger than his own body. If not for his sturdy constitution, he would already break.

"Now all that we have left is creating our own Nine-elemental Core," Xuefeng reminded, causing everyone to nod. They didn't move from their positions and instead closed their eyes again, beginning the compression.

To create an Elemental Core and thus break into the Immortal Stage, one had to compress all their Qi to the size smaller than their head. The more Elements one picked, the harder it was to compress it. There was a reason why Cultivators with Nine-Elemental Qi were considered geniuses.

"Ling, I will leave that to you."

While Xuefeng was following Ling's instructions, Ming decided to leave them for a moment. Compared to the rest, they heard King of Heaven's announcement clearly.

"Are you going to see Uncle?" Ling asked in wonder, causing Sena to brighten.

"Uncle? Is mom going to visit dad's older brother? Please take me with you!" Sena called out excitedly.

"I am but I can't take you," Ming replied as she patted her on the head. "Who is going to take care of Mona while we are gone?"

Mona was a beast so she didn't cultivate in the same way as humans did. While Drakos decided to roam freely, Mona ended up staying inside Ling's world to not disturb the group cultivation.

Sena hugged Mona and sighed, sitting back down. "Okay… I will stay."

"Good girl," Ming praised before she created a portal in front of her and disappeared inside. She was still the Queen of Heaven and even though Ming didn't have the same power, one couldn't underestimate her.

"I was waiting for you," Chaos called out the moment Ming stepped on the cloud-like ground. "You are my second visitor today."

"Huh, second?" Ming asked confused.

"Your ungrateful husband came here not too long ago," Chaos revealed. "Do you want to play?"

"He is not my husband anymore," Ming replied sternly as she walked up and sat by the board. She placed a black piece across his own and muttered, "I have a new husband and his name is Xuefeng."

"I know. I have been observing you all. I was treating him like a mere human but since he claimed your heart, maybe I should consider him part of our family now?" Chaos teased casually but Ming took it seriously.

"You should since he will become the next King of Heaven," Ming announced.

Chaos smiled, placing his own piece. "I guess I was right about your plans. I hope you know it won't be easy for you to take him down."

"I never said it will be easy," Ming shrugged while fixing her golden hair. "What did he want from you?"

"He was angry that I took away his control over half of Heaven," Chaos replied honestly, causing Ming's eyes to widen.

Ming burst out right after. "Hahaha! No wonder he didn't hunt us down himself and decided to use the people's help. So you took away all of his power. That should buy us some more time."

"I didn't do it for you," Chaos said calmly. "I did it because he broke the rules. Anyway, he should get his powers back sooner or later. I can't claim them forever. He and I each have half and nothing will change that. I can only hold onto it temporarily."

"It's fine. That's more than enough. Thank you, Uncle," Ming acknowledged happily as she stood up. "I wish I could finish the game but I need to go back to my husband."

"You feel different now that you found a new man," Chaos pointed out. "You are radiating with positive energy. Back then I rarely saw you smile."

"Is that so?" Ming asked back with a smile. "I think so too. Life has been more fun since I reunited with my daughter and found Xuefeng."

Ming waved with her hand and created another portal back to the mortal world.

"I will not meddle in between your confrontation so make sure you kill him before he recovers all his powers. Even with Ling's power, you can't win against him if he goes on the full offensive," Chaos suggested before she stepped in. "I will only interfere if your life is in danger but I will not save anyone else. Remember that."

Ming paused at the last moment. "Thank you but that won't be necessary. If Xuefeng dies, I will die with him."

Her surroundings changed after leaving those last words and she reappeared back in the Lighting Land. The familiar naked back of Xuefeng was right in front of her. He was sweating all over as he continued to compress the Qi with all his focus.

Ming couldn't help but smile and approached, sitting right behind him. She placed both of her hands on his back and they shone with gold, helping him from outside.

"You will be the King of Heaven and we will rule together…" Ming muttered to herself and kissed his tensed back. She rubbed each muscle and helped him relax.

Although Ming couldn't help him with the breakthrough, she still wanted to be as close as she could. She hugged him gently when his hand moved and wrapped around her own.

He knew she was there for him but that was all he could do to show it.

Swoosh!

Just as they shared their moment, Nuwa's eyes snapped open, sending a shockwave of pressure with just her presence alone. The strength of her Soul and her control over the elements was the best from their group, clearly showing by finishing first.

She looked around everyone and pulled her brand new core, shining with nine colors. Xuefeng was just a moment slower as his own core saw the light of day for the first time. He quickly kept it after a quick look as if afraid to disturb his wives.

"First~" Nuwa mouthed proudly, causing Xuefeng to chuckle. Ming liked she was even more competitive than him, pushing him to try harder every time.

"Thank you for the massage," Xuefeng whispered quietly as he pulled her closer to kiss her from behind. For some reason, his lips tasted so much better than usual and she felt excited kissing him.

Was she really that much happier with Xuefeng? She rubbed his cheek and didn't need to answer as her smile did it for her.

"I have something to tell you but let's wait for everyone," Ming reported as she moved to the front and sat down on his lap. Being hugged by his huge arms made her feel like a teen once again.

One by one the girls awakened as their cores shine with their own light until everyone broke through. All of them had Gold Cultivation talent, making the process much smoother.

Too bad, just as everyone wanted to celebrate, Ming revealed the good and bad news.

"So basically the whole cultivation world is after us? Is that any different compared to before?" Xuefeng asked casually with his chin on Ming's shoulder. "I don't think we are in any immediate danger."

"We should still be careful. Who knows what powerhouses will be tempted to target us this time," Tianshi commented as she looked at Xuefeng worriedly.

"Our target is the King of Heaven. Since he wants me killed so badly, we can only return the same. Now that he is weakened, it is our prime opportunity to strike," Xuefeng decided.

"He will stay in the Fate Kingdom where he is pretty much safe. Unless he leaves, we don't have enough power to kill him. Right now the Elemental Bracelet is still too weak to challenge Heavenly Power," Ming suggested. "Our only option is to continue getting stronger until we can finally contest him."

"So it is time," Xuefeng announced with a serious expression as he glanced at everyone.

"Let's find out why everyone is scared of this Hellhole."

Chapter 227 Hope

Hu… Hu...

Two women breathed hurriedly while leaning against a cave's wall. Their hair and armor were dirtied with green blood from the battle that just occurred. If Xuefeng was there, he would recognize one of them, the blond beauty who now looked tired beyond recognition.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to split from the rest of the group? We barely beat this one…" Jiao questioned as she swallowed a healing pill, hoping to heal a deep wound on her arm. "Do you think it was poisonous?"

While they were exhausted, their opponent was lying some distance away, dead. A gigantic body of Immortal Stage Centipede was still twitching after Jiao impaled its head with an ice spike.

Before her friend Dandan was able to respond, the pill started to work. Anything that didn't belong inside her arm, like dirt or foreign blood, was ejected outside while the wound closed, recovering rapidly. Jiao couldn't be more thankful to her sister for the healing pills that saved her life a few times already.

"Aren't we doing good?" Dandan asked with a smile as she cleaned herself up. "Can't you see your progress? With each battle, your reflexes are quicker and your damage output multiplied. We wouldn't be able to train this efficiently if we stayed with that group of weirdos."

"Good? That Centipede almost ripped off my arm," Jiao mocked her own skills, causing Dandan to snicker.

"Tsk, you always look at the negatives. We still managed to defeat it without any major injuries. We should be celebrating instead."

Dandan closed her eyes and soon a steady flow of Qi entered her body. Even though she was mostly assisting while Jiao did most of the work, it was always best to be at the peak of one's strength.

The Hellhole was unpredictable.

"Look, you know who those people are," Dandan continued with her eyes closed. "Their main goal is to get the Fate Stones from the third zone. They don't care how many sacrifices they make to achieve their goal. We are too weak to follow them and even if we weren't, I doubt we would rip any benefits. It was best to go as a duo and create our own path."

"I know… I am just frustrated at my slow growth," Jiao admitted with a sigh while also switching to absorb Qi from their surroundings. "It has been half a year and I didn't even reach the peak of God stage. Filling all nine Elements is so time-consuming that even being in Hellhole where one can find all Elements doesn't help. I am sure Xuefeng already broke through to the Immortal Stage and is aiming for the Celestial while I'm still stuck."

"Maybe," Dandan nodded. "But what does it have to do with you? My Jiao is already doing her best and if you continue on such a path, good fortune will smile your way. I am sure when you two meet once again, he will rush into your embrace to squeeze you tightly. If I was him, I would definitely miss you."

The image of Xuefeng hugging and kissing her appeared in Jiao's mind but she quickly shook her head, trying to erase it.

Too bad, it was too late. Xuefeng's face was already deeply engraved in her mind as her thoughts could always find their way to him every little break she had. That man was her weakness her main motivation to keep pushing forward.

"I don't want to hope only to have it crushed later. I would rather not expect anything so I don't get disappointed," Jiao replied honestly as she looked at their surroundings to distract herself.

Hundreds of small crystals illuminated the caves but aside from the crystals getting bigger, nothing changed. All they saw were tunnels and more tunnels. Every day for the last few months they faced different underground beasts that grew stronger the further they traveled.

"Are you ready?" Dandan questioned when Jiao opened her eyes while her Qi was back to full capacity. "Let's go before another monster smells the Centipede's blood."

Jiao shivered remembering the first time it happened. They stayed in one place for too long and the blood attracted multiple beasts. They came out alive only because the beasts were more interested in the dead beast carcass instead of them.

They flew ahead but they didn't speed up. They had to always be on alert in case any beasts decided to burst out from the rock-solid walls for an afternoon snack. It happened a few times and will definitely happen again.

"From what I heard, when the crystal begins to turn blue, we should be nearing the second Zone," Dandan reported as she pointed at the crystal illuminating the tunnel. They were still white but one could see some of them had a light blue hue in them.

"I will require your help if we meet with any Celestial Stage Beasts," Jiao reminded as she looked around cautiously. The training was important but she didn't plan on dying here before she could even meet with Xuefeng.

"Hehe, of course. The first zone was just a warm-up. The real training will start now," Dandan announced with a giggle. "It is said that most inheritances can be found in the second zone so we should look around in some smaller tunnels. Maybe we will get lucky."

"I hope so, but I still doubt anyone would choose this place as their grave. I don't get what is so special about here," Jiao said in disgust.

One didn't need to look far to find leftover bones of beasts, scales, or a tone of dirt and stinky defecations. She cut her sense of smell months ago the moment they entered the Hellhole. No normal person would wish to die in such a place.

"Well, maybe that is why it is the safest," Dandan shrugged, not judging any experts. "Let's turn left here, maybe we—"

Just as she decided, the two felt a vibration in both the air and the ground. It hasn't even been a few minutes since the last battle and they already met with another beast.

"Prepare!" Dandan called out excited but that was the last time Jiao heard her voice.

BANG!

The ceiling exploded as the gigantic worm broke into the tunnel right above Jiao. A mouth with thousands of sharp teeth spread apart and collapsed at her with all its weight.

Ice Dome!

Jiao only managed to cast one last defensive spell before she lost consciousness as her body covered in ice.

Chapter 228 Dark Fate Sect

The Hellhole was well known to be located at the far south of the Heaven Realm but not many people knew its exact location. After all, only the most desperate criminals or people looking for death would want to find it.

Back in the past, the place was easy to spot from the sky but over the years, the situation has changed dramatically. Since no one wanted to even stay near the Hellhole, it became an asset controlled by a secret sect.

The whole mountain that was literally as dry as a desert was now fully developed into a hidden City while the Hellhole was protected. Anyone who wanted to gain access to it would have to pay with part of the treasures they can find in the Hellhole. Even the strongest Cultivations could only comply with the rules after realizing the power residing within the Sect.

"Sir! There is a group of individuals approaching the Sect. Shall we send a small force to intercept them?"

The day was boring for the Elder responsible for the Sect's defense until one of his subordinates entered into his office. Normally it wouldn't be that weird as Flying Ships come and go on a daily basis, but this one seemed weird.

"Huh?" The Elder looked outside the window on his own and sure enough, he spotted people casually flying towards their Sect. "Are they out of their mind? What maniacs fly through the whole desert without a flying ship or at least a beast?"

One should know the closest city with a safe zone in the Earth Land was separated from them by a hot desert. It would take weeks for someone to cross it by just flying.

The Elder stood up and grabbed his coat, putting it on hurriedly. "Gather the team, I am going with you."

"Yes, Sir!"

It was a rare occurrence to have any form of fun, especially if the whole Sect was made out of tough criminals who hated righteous Sects. The Elder couldn't miss this opportunity.

"Stop!" The Elder called out from afar, causing the group to head in his direction. To his surprise, there were only two men in the group while the rest were women.

So many breathtaking women!

They didn't even wear cloaks to protect themselves from the sun or the looks of horny males. The moment they enter the city they would immediately cause a scene.

Even the Elder didn't know which way to look and his subordinates were no different, clearly dumbfounded by their beauty. There were barely any women in the Sect so the sight of ten plus women in one group was shocking.

"Ehem, we are the guards from the City ahead. We came to ask for the purpose of your arrival!" The Elder called out friendly, hoping to make a good impression on the girls.

Too bad, they didn't even spare him a glance, focused on the city behind them. It was the handsome man at the front with white hair And golden wings that came forward to speak.

"We are searching for the Hellhole. Did we find the right place?"

"That's right. It's located in the city behind us. Our Sect is responsible for handling the Hellhole," the Elder replied honestly as he scanned the group with his gaze. "Can I ask for your identity? Do you belong to any Sects?"

Even though the City was mostly open for any fugitives, there was an exception to this rule. No one belonging to a righteous sect was allowed to enter. Since most residents were criminals, it would only cause unnecessary chaos.

Just as the man opened his mouth to speak, his subordinate turned pale as he poked him on the shoulder.

"Sir... Do you remember that announcement from the King of Heaven? About that Liu Xuefeng?" he asked cautiously while pulling out his sword. "I think the man in front of us is him."

"Haha," The Elder chuckled at that comment. "There is no way that's true, right? He wouldn't come to a place like—"

The Elder's smile disappeared when he noticed the white-haired man did not deny that fact and instead smiled.

"That's right, it's me. To think people have heard of my name this far away. I'm honored," Xuefeng said proudly as he bowed respectfully.

The whole squad of guards froze momentarily as their bodies started to shake. They didn't even try to run, knowing they wouldn't be able to escape. Even the King of Heaven didn't personally go after him which revealed something about that man's power.

"S-sir… We don't want any trouble…" The Elder said with a shaking voice.

"Don't worry, I'm in good mood today. Just lead us to the Hellhole and we will be on our way," Xuefeng called out casually when his expression changed as if he remembered something. "Right, I also have a question. Hope you can answer it."

"Ask away, Sir!" the Elder answered on attention.

"We are looking for the Dark Fate Sect. Can you give me any information about them?" Xuefeng asked, giving the squad a scare. They glanced at the Elder who didn't hesitate to reveal the secrets.

"Actually, this whole city is managed by Dark Fate Sect. If Sir desires, I can lead you all to our City Leader. He is a high official of our Dark Fate Sect. Unfortunately, I can't tell Sir more since we are bound by a Soul Seal. We can't reveal secrets about Dark Fate Sect," The Elder reported.

"Oh, are you all part of the Dark Fate Sect?" Xuefeng questioned curiously.

"Yes, we are Dark Fate Sect disciples," the Elder admitted as he pulled out a black token.

Xuefeng glanced at the token and sighed, "Welp, I guess you are unlucky today."

"Hmm?" the Elder blinked confused when powerful force wrapped around his body, immobilizing him.

He instantly panicked, trying to resist the force only to stop, hearing ten popping sounds. Blood splashed on his face as all of his subordinates died on the spot.

"If you don't want to share the same fate as your men, how about you lead me to that City Leader?"

Chapter 229 Mona's Power

"Y-yes, Sir!"

When the elder regained his freedom of movement, he immediately nodded. No one in their right mind would reject a man who just killed ten people in a blink of an eye.

"Good, we don't like to waste time. Lead the way," Xuefeng ordered casually.

He almost forgot about the Dark Fate Sect but Ming reminded him at a perfect time. Before they enter the Hellhole they might as well clean up the Sect that has been killing Fate Spirits. Even though they were a curse for most Fate Holders, being weak is not a reason to get rid of them.

For Ming, each Fate Spirit was basically part of her so this matter was personal.

"Why don't we just bomb this whole place instead of searching for him?" Drakos suggested, looking eager to start destruction. "I think one small nuke will solve the problem."

"We can't do that. What if there are any civilians in the city? We don't want to cause any additional casualties," Xuefeng denied before turning to the Elder. "Are there any innocents in the city?"

"This…" the Elder hesitated as he swallowed hard. "The City ahead houses mostly criminals and fugitives who have nowhere else to go but I'm sure we can find some non-criminals who just want to make a living. The City is quite new so it's still growing and has many opportunities to earn money."

"Tsk, what a shame," Drakos snickered. "And here I wanted to see how much damage we can do together."

The Elder couldn't be paler as he listened to their talk.

"Sir… I am pretty sure we were discovered by the rest of the Guards. We are not far from the City my subordinates should send reinforcements soon," the Elder informed but Xuefeng only waved his hand.

"Don't worry about that. All you need to do is lead us to that City Leader. We will handle the rest," Xuefeng assured confidently. "It just happens that my wives are eager to test their skills."

Just as he spoke, a graceful white fox with eight long tails appeared out of nowhere. It sat down on Xuefeng's shoulder while wrapping around him with her tails to keep her balance.

"You want to come with me?" Xuefeng asked rhetorically as he rubbed her cheek and she responded by licking his long ear.

"Hehe, alright, let's go."

They didn't need to wait for long till they saw at least a hundred experts fly up in formation to face them. The City immediately covered in a shiny barrier but Xuefeng only chuckled at that sight.

"I will leave them to you while Mona and I search for that City Leader. You are free to kill whoever you want and loot the city but don't go overboard. I will leave the judgment to all of you," Xuefeng announced while giving Drakos a warning glance. "That was mostly for you. Don't be greedy if you find any Fate Stones."

Drakos pretended to be offended, "Ha? Excuse me? I'm the most innocent Dragon in the excistanc— Ouch!"

His words were cut off by Yiren who chopped at the top of his head. "Shush! You are going to behave!"

Drakos pouted but he didn't have the guts to go against her, causing everyone to laugh.

"I can already feel there are Fate Holders in this City so feel free to kill them. Any Fate Stones you collect, just pass them back to me afterward. You know how important they are now," Xuefeng added.

They were basically broke when it came to their Fate Stones' stash and the Cube was the culprit behind it. The amount of Fate Stones required to teleport inside a single Realm was much less compared to breaking through to another Realm. They were able to move from Land to Land without the need to use the Teleportation Stations in different Safe Zones.

"Hai!" His wives announced, drawing out their weapons for the incoming battle. Meanwhile, Xuefeng grabbed the Elder by his neck and teleported away, not even planning to bother with the guards.

"Where does the City Leader live?" Xuefeng questioned as he stomped on the sturdy barrier on top of the City.

"He lives in that black tower in the middle of the City," the Elder pointed with his finger. "That's also where the entrance to the Hellhole is located. If the City Barrier is turned on, I'm sure the City Leader already knows about the attack. He is the one responsible for turning it on and the Array is located right above his office."

"You really wanna live, huh?" Xuefeng teased, surprised the man was sharing so much information.

"Sir, I have nothing to do with Dark Fate Sect operations. I'm simple a watchdog to oversee the order in the City," the Elder informed innocently. "I swear, I didn't even visit the Sect's secret base so I only know matters related to this City."

"Alright then, step aside for now. I will use you to verify the information during interrogation."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Xuefeng barely finished talking when his wives already launched an offense, slicing and dicing the local guards. He couldn't help but be proud, seeing new abilities and powers being used by them this quickly.

While he only received the Cube and Ancient Realm inheritance, they got tens of Spirit Artefacts as well as many valuable Arts. He didn't even have time to spectate their training over the past half a year as he was focused on both refining their Qi and Dual Cultivation. He couldn't complain as he got to tighten his connection with all his wives.

His gaze followed Bella who burned her opponents with colorful flames. She was the one who received the least attention since she didn't require any Dual Cultivation from him. Xuefeng made a mental note to make it up to her once they find the Lightning Stone. Making love with her just a few times wasn't enough.

"Sir, are you sure you can break this barrier? It's pretty powerful."

The Elder's voice brought him back to reality.

"The barrier is powered by Fate Stones found in the Hellhole. Even the Sect Master Liu from House of Dragons would find it hard to break through it," the Elder added. "The control over Hellhole is pretty important to the Dark Fate Sect."

"Hah, Liu who?" Xuefeng asked back with a chuckle as his arm covered with shiny scales. Since all of his Elements were refined to the Qi Incarnation Stage, he could now form a Dragon Claw with all of his elements.

His whole arm burst with force, pushing the Elder away with its sheer presence. His mouth was wide open but that wasn't all. Xuefeng activated his Elemental Bracelet, the Fate Qi nemesis, and covered his claws with a golden layer for additional penetration.

"Mona, hold tight," Xuefeng warned as he flew up to gain momentum and launched down with a smile.

BOOM!

The sound of barrier-breaking was outshone by the gigantic shockwave that flew straight down at the city below. Even Xuefeng was surprised as he watched the shockwave level the buildings down to the ground before demolishing one-fourth of the city structure.

"Hey, you said this barrier was strong!" Xuefeng called out, putting the blame on the Elder. "Now look what happened to the City. If I knew it was this weak I would've held back."

"..." The Elder opened his mouth but nothing came out, clearly speechless.

"Alright, never mind, come with me," Xuefeng ordered, putting that matter aside.

He wouldn't cry over spilled milk since he knew that place would be in ruins the moment his wives come over. They seemed to be already finishing with the guards as if they were jealous he gets to have fun first.

As Xuefeng flew past the barrier, he could already see hundreds of people rising up from under the debris. The shockwave was enough to destroy houses but not enough to kill the Cultivators.

He didn't pay them any attention as he hovered above the black tower.

"Hey! City Leader! Come out so I don't need to go get you myself. If you take longer than ten seconds, I will destroy this City with my next punch."

His voice reverberated throughout the city and it didn't take long for the City Leader to make his decision. Too bad, it was the wrong one.

A man in a black cloak teleported out of the tower and sped up in the opposite direction. He didn't hesitate to burn his Ether Qi as he teleported every other second to create a gap against them.

Xuefeng couldn't help but grin.

Who did he think he played against? There wasn't anyone in the Heaven Realm that matched Xuefeng's speed. He was readying himself for the chase when Mona suddenly smacked him with her tail.

"Allow me," Mona said sweetly as her eight tails wiggled in front of him. Its tips connected only to create a ball of light in between them. Xuefeng has never seen Mona fight or use any of her abilities so it was quite a surprise.

"Mona, you—"

He paused midway when the ball of light suddenly expanded and exploded.

Bzzzt!!!

A laser-like beam of light shot at the escaping man. He couldn't even react when it passed right next to him and slammed into the distant mountain. Xuefeng gawked with his eyes as the mountain literally evaporated, killing all living together with all the stones.

"Are you sure you want to run away?!" Xuefeng called out after the City Leader who paused his escape while staring at the moon-shaped mountain.

"I don't know who you are but you are making a mistake attacking this place!"

Chapter 230 Ming's Interrogation

"You will regret it," The City Leader warned coldly as he lost control over his body. "Dark Fate Sect is much stronger than you think."

Xuefeng raised his eyebrows in doubt. "Yeah, I saw that just now. That barrier of yours was so weak I almost destroyed the whole city with one punch. I think I'm actually overestimating you all."

The City Leader glared at Xuefeng, his bushy eyebrows giving him a laugh every time. They were inside the top of the tower after Xuefeng ripped the roof away. The place was filled with Fate Stones which powered the defensive array.

"It seems like taking over the Hellhole has been quite profitable for you guys," Xuefeng commented as he waved with his hand and all Fate Stones were sucked into his ring. "Too bad, it's all mine now."

Bang! Bang!

As he spoke, they were disturbed by the explosions coming from the City.

"Can you hear it? They are my wives who are killing all Fate Holders and looting this place till there is nothing left. Do you think I'm scared of your Dark Fate Sect?" Xuefeng asked with a proud expression, treating the sounds of battles like music to his ears.

He could hear all the communication happening between the girls and they were having a blast. Even Yiren and Lisa who were not that fond of battles were having fun. He trusted in their strength fully so he wasn't worried about them one bit.

"Fuck you," the City Leader cursed as he tried to spit at him but only ended up spitting at his beard. "Fuck you and your bitches!"

"Oyyy! And here I thought we will have a nice, cultured conversation. Why do you have to force my hand like that?"

Crack!

The City Leader's fingers bent in different directions, breaking all of them at the same time. Surprisingly, he managed to stay silent as he swallowed the pain by gritting his teeth.

"Is that all you have got? I have been through worse," the City Leader commented while smiling, blood oozing out of his teeth. "If you think you will get anything out of me through torture, then you are delusional."

Xuefeng only shrugged. "That was meant to be a punishment for your curses. If I didn't need answers from you, I would straight up kill you."

"Just do it then. You and I both know that I'm not gonna survive so no matter what you do to me, I will not talk. Do it bitch. I dare you," the City Leader challenged. "The reinforcements are already coming. They will avenge my death."

"Oh, really? That's great. It will save me time finding them myself," Xuefeng nodded in approval while the City Leader laughed.

"Hahaha, if you think you can win against the full force of the Dark Fate Sect then you are in for a surprise."

"Alright, I already heard that part. Now answer my question. Where does the Dark Fate Sect have its base?" Xuefeng asked as he tightened his lock. He was already regretting he chose the interrogation while everyone else was having fun.

"I am soul bound. I can't talk about our Sect's secrets or I will die. You will kill me after anyway so even if I could, I wouldn't tell you anything," the City Leader called out fearlessly. "I can actually trigger it on my own but I hope I can see you die when our leader arrives. Enjoy the last minutes of your life."

"Let me handle it from here," Ming called out as she appeared next to him and approached the man. "Physical pain won't work on him. We can only work on his soul."

Aaaaa!

The City Leader screamed when Ming tapped on his forehead, his body trembling while blood drained from his face. Tears poured out of his eyes as Ming stared at him ruthlessly.

"Done," Ming reported a moment later as the City Leader stopped screaming, looking like he lost focus in his eyes. "I ripped that curse apart. I wasn't a little bit gentle so his soul might be damaged. He should be able to talk and won't be able to kill himself."

Oof…

Xuefeng thought that handling matters around Souls were time consuming but it seemed like it was only the case when one wanted to create the least damage. He didn't want to think how much damage that caused.

"Can he even talk now?" Xuefeng wondered, causing Ming to turn around to the victim.

Pa!

She slapped him across the face. "Wake up and talk. You can either die quickly or die in suffering. The choice is yours."

The City Leader looked up with his bloodshot eyes. "Bitch, go to— Aaaaaargh!!!"

He couldn't finish the sentence as Ming tapped on his forehead, causing another series of pain. She had no mercy in her eyes as she tortured him till he didn't even have the strength left to lift his head up.

Xuefeng made a mental note to leave the future interrogations to Ming.

"Before you curse again, I will let you know that I can place a Forbidden Curse on your soul which will bring you pain forever. Even after you reincarnate, you will die in immense pain every time you are born. You will never find peace," Ming threatened coldly. "Now answer the question."

Xuefeng forced the man's head up but contrary to his expectations, the man was smiling.

"At least I will die happy that I didn't help a bitch like you…" the City Leader muttered with his bloody mouth.

"I warned you," Ming muttered as she extended her hand again.

"Mom! Don't kill him yet!"

Just as Ming was about to act, they heard Sena cute yell as she came out on her own. Xuefeng quickly got a scare as he blocked Sena's view with his body.

"Sena, get back inside," Ming ordered sternly. "This is not the sight you are allowed to watch."

Sena pursed her lips.

"But mom, I can help you."