I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts

The Life Mark was removed from Rong Ao’s body and transferred into the critically injured, near-death Han Zhan.

This transition of power.

Rong Ao, already gravely injured by the Sword Qi, had not fully healed from his wounds.

After losing the Life Mark, the suppressed Sword Qi within him erupted again, rendering his entire body a bloody mess.

"Are you insane?"

Seeing this, Emperor Rong’s grip on the Black Blade slackened, his voice trembling with a shout.

He never imagined that Rong Ao would give the Life Mark to Han Zhan.

This wasn’t just giving away the Life Mark; it was throwing away his life!

"What is he to you? Without the Life Mark, the Sword Qi in your body will obliterate you and you will die!"

Facing the agitated Old Emperor Rong, Rong Ao managed a twisted grin.

He wanted to laugh, but the Sword Qi was gnawing away his flesh, distorting his smile.

"He means nothing to me, he’s even my opponent."

"But this time, his life is more important than mine."

The bloodied Rong Ao staggered to his feet, trying to maintain his balance, only to collapse to the ground once more in the next moment.

Rong Ao refused to give up, enduring immense pain again as he rose from where he had fallen.

This time, he slowly adapted to his candle-in-the-wind body, dragging himself step by step to stand between Old Emperor Rong and Han Zhan.

Once again, he stood as a barrier between them!

This was the second time Rong Ao defied Old Emperor Rong’s will.

The first was just moments ago.

Such was the defiance in Rong Ao that Old Emperor Rong had never seen before, and he asked in a low voice, "Why."

"Because you’ve forgotten the original intent of becoming an emperor."

Despite his aura waning, Rong Ao’s voice grew firmer.

A belief, an impulse, sustained his spirit, allowing him to voice everything on his mind.

"What is an emperor?"

"An emperor expands territories, conquers fortresses, protects the people, but none of these compare to the importance of eradicating the divine punishment!"

"To completely resolve the divine punishment would be a monumental benefit for thousands of future generations, earning praise for millennia."

"If accomplishing this feat, what difference does it make if he’s a Quanrong?"

"So, grandfather, what you truly care about isn’t Quanrong, nor its people, but your own power, which you can’t let go of, fabricating these grandiose reasons for Quanrong!"

Rong Ao’s words were powerful and forceful.

Straining himself, more blood oozed from his body, pooling into a small red puddle at his feet.

Old Emperor Rong fell silent at these words.

"Ji Fa can resolve the divine punishment. If Ji Fa dies, the Celestial God sacrifice can’t be completed."

"He’s the only hope to resolve the divine punishment; even if I die, he cannot!"

Upon hearing this, Old Emperor Rong let out a deep sigh.

The murderous intent gradually dissipated from his ruthless eyes.

"I underestimated you."

Old Emperor Rong looked at his grandson, speaking plainly.

"From the start, I never had high hopes for you. I know the limit of your Talent, so even when you excelled, you were still far from being the strongest Quanrong warrior in my mind."

"I never praised you. Not once."

"But today, you dared to defy me, to rebuke me, to risk your life for an unrelated person, to give away your only reliance, the Life Mark."

"Rong Ao, you’ve proven yourself qualified to be the strongest warrior of Quanrong."

A great warrior isn’t just strong in force.

Inner strength is even more vital.

Being stopped repeatedly by his grandson, all killing intent left Old Emperor Rong as he chuckled wryly and shook his head.

"I’ve really become foolish in my old age, missing such a simple truth."

"If not for your awakening me with harsh words, I would still be lost in pursuit of power, unable to extricate myself."

"Age... it catches up."

Shaking his head, Old Emperor Rong began to retract the Black Blade.

Seeing this, Rong Ao felt a small relief in his heart.

But the next second, a sudden flash of the blade appeared.

The wailing black light flickered by.

Rong Ao looked down in incomprehension and shock, at his bloody body, split in two by the descending Sword Qi!

Blood splattered onto Han Zhan’s face behind him.

Scalding, frigid.

Rong Ao was dead!

Old Emperor Rong sheathed his blade expressionless, as if the one he killed wasn’t his grandson, but a stranger.

"Do you have any last words?"

Old Emperor Rong’s gaze fell upon Han Zhan.

Han Zhan looked at Old Emperor Rong and suddenly let out a light laugh.

"Why hide? Show yourself already."

His sudden words brought silence across the scene.

Without moving, Old Emperor Rong simply watched him quietly.

Han Zhan continued indifferently:

"The game’s decided, Rong Ao is dead, Old Emperor Rong is fully under your control, and in such an assured victory, you dare not make an appearance?"

His voice echoed in the expansive darkness, eventually dispersing.

No one responded at first.

When Han Zhan thought no reply would come, a graceful feminine figure suddenly appeared not far behind Old Emperor Rong.

"It seems I’ve underestimated you; you’re smarter than I thought."

"When did you realize?"

Seeing Bai Shang appear before him, Han Zhan’s eyes held no surprise.

Just some disappointment.

He had merely suspected, never fully certain, hoping against possibility that he was wrong.

Because Bai Shang’s appearance before him revealed one truth alone.

Bai Shang was the mastermind behind Chang Hao’s death!

"I had suspicions early on, though I lacked the evidence."

"The Telepathy Skill isn’t as simple as you claimed; such a skill that can peer into minds also logically suggests it might manipulate them?"

Indeed.

Bai Shang’s Telepathy can control minds.

This explains why Chang Hao would choose suicide, assuming all those charges; it seems to fit.

"Not merely mind control; Telepathy can subtly increase psychological suggestion without arousing suspicion."

Han Zhan recalled earlier, how improbably, with his cautious nature, he had agreed to venture into an unknown place.

Even for power’s sake, such rashness was impossible.

And Rong Lie, just a Trade Team Captain, what right did he have to promise Han Zhan one of the Supreme Treasures?

These, in fact, were all psychological suggestions Bai Shang subtly implanted.

Everyone harbors obsessions, and she merely gave those desires a gentle nudge.

After Han Zhan finished, Bai Shang shook her head with a faint smile.

"Stop trying to stall for time."

"Your defeat is assured."

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