Chapter 1256: Seed Demon Forbidden Record

Shi Ling was stunned. "I don't know..." He then realized that after fighting for a long time, he still didn't know his opponent's identity. The other demonic experts also recovered their wits, wondering who this person truly was.

The women accompanying him were all incredibly powerful. Initially, they had assumed he was a kept man living off powerful women, but it turned out he was equally formidable himself. His tone suggested a formidable background, perhaps even more powerful than the Lion Clan. A flush of excitement crossed Princess Changning's face; she resolved to seize this opportunity. Given her beauty and family status, she believed she could become good friends with him. If becoming the Crown Princess didn't work out, this man seemed like a promising alternative. The only minor issue was that the women around him appeared to be very strong rivals. Princess Soren, meanwhile, felt bewildered, mentally sifting through all the prominent young talents from various demonic tribes, but none matched the man before her.

"Who exactly are you?!" Shi Ling demanded, voicing the question on everyone's mind.To their surprise, Zu An responded with a smile, "It's perfectly fine that you don't know who I am. That way, even if I kill you, the Lion Clan won't be able to trace it back to me."

Shi Ling: "???"The others: "..."Everyone had been expecting him to reveal some incredibly impressive background, but who would have thought such an answer awaited them?

Yun Jianyue let out a chuckle. "That boy is truly devious."Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. Both women found it peculiar; they used to dislike such behavior, yet now they not only felt no aversion but also found it quite amusing.

"Are you toying with me?" Shi Ling was both shocked and furious. He had never been toyed with like this before.Rage from Shi Ling +555+555+555...

Zu An's expression turned cold. "So what if I am toying with you? Hurry up and open this; it might just save your life.""Hmph, even if I don't know your identity, my father and elder brother will certainly find out," Shi Ling sneered.

Zu An frowned, about to make a move, when Yun Jianyue reminded him, "His gauntlet still carries his aura; it should be able to open the storage bag." Zu An's eyes lit up. He immediately put on the gauntlet—heaven-grade weapons are not divine artifacts, so they don't require master recognition—and probed the storage bag. Sure enough, he successfully opened it.

Inside, there was a large collection of various spirit herbs, each no less valuable than those found on the cliff earlier. There was also a pile of bottles and jars containing various elixirs; he didn't have time to examine them closely at the moment, but anything stored there was clearly extraordinary. A significant quantity of sparkling essence stones, all clearly of heaven-grade quality, also filled the bag. Although Zu An didn't need these for his current cultivation, they were hard currency in the cultivation world and represented a substantial fortune. Additionally, there was a scroll made of beast hide, adorned with various diagrams and lines, and at the very top, large characters spelling out: "Lion's Roar Skill"! Zu An's heart stirred; this appeared to be the cultivation method for the "Lion's Roar Skill," a top-tier area-of-effect ability. He hadn't anticipated such an unexpected find.

Shi Ling's eyes were bloodshot with rage. "My father and my elder brother will absolutely not let you go! Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, they will find you, skin you alive, rip out your tendons, and grind your bones to dust!"Rage from Shi Ling +999+999+999...

Zu An's expression turned cold. "Since this is the inevitable outcome, I might as well kill you first." Feeling his killing intent, Shi Ling shivered, regretting his earlier defiance. However, his nature had always been arrogant. Since matters had come to this, he refused to show weakness and become a laughingstock. "If you want to kill me, then kill me," he declared. "My father and elder brother will avenge me regardless, and you will suffer ten times worse than I!"

The other demonic experts gloated, but only Qiao Heng and Princess Soren spoke up to intervene:"Young Master, please show mercy!""You absolutely must not!"

Zu An acted as if he hadn't heard them, striking directly at his opponent's head with a palm."Hmm?" Yun Jianyue couldn't help but remark, "He's not usually this ruthless." She had long criticized him for being too soft-hearted, so seeing this scene today actually brought her a touch of delight.

Yan Xuehen frowned slightly. As someone from an orthodox sect, she disliked bloodshed. Although Shi Ling certainly deserved his fate, she was more concerned that Zu An might become a bloodthirsty individual from this point forward. Yu Yanluo, on the other hand, worried that completely offending the Lion Clan would put Zu An in danger. However, the Snake Clan was not to be trifled with, and the Lion Clan certainly couldn't meddle in her domain, hmph!

Just then, a terrifying fluctuation rippled outwards. Shi Ling, who had been pinned to the ground and utterly immobile, suddenly raised his hand and blocked Zu An's strike. Another burst of golden light erupted, and Zu An, sensing danger, swiftly activated his movement technique, retreating dozens of feet away. "So, you've finally decided to show yourself?" he called out.

At this moment, Shi Ling was bathed in golden light, slowly ascending into the sky. His eyes were utterly cold, devoid of human emotion. "Oh, so you knew of my existence?" he asked.Seeing this sudden change, the demonic cultivators were all dumbfounded. What was happening with Shi Ling? He clearly hadn't reached the Grandmaster realm, so why could he float in the air so effortlessly? And what about the terrifying pressure emanating from him? Even they felt a sense of dread rising within them.

Yu Yanluo was also utterly bewildered. Just a second ago, Shi Ling had been as helpless as a dead dog; what was the meaning of this sudden burst of power? She instinctively glanced at the two Grandmasters beside her.

Yan Xuehen frowned. "Two souls in one body?""Not quite," Yun Jianyue shook her head. "If it were two souls in one body, how could the other soul be so much stronger than the host personality? It looks more like possession.""It doesn't quite look like possession either," Yan Xuehen observed carefully. "Shi Ling's aura hasn't disappeared; true possession wouldn't allow for Shi Ling's continued presence. It looks more like someone has temporarily parasitized their spirit onto him."

"Shi Qian, is that you?" At that moment, Princess Soren's expression drastically changed, as if something had just clicked for her."What?"Hearing that it was the Lion Clan's Great Prince, the others stared at the young man in the sky with immense shock. Wasn't that Shi Ling? How had he become the Great Prince? The Lion King had promoted the knightly code throughout the clan—Humility, Integrity, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, Soul—and his sons were named accordingly.

The "Shi Ling" in the sky ignored Princess Soren, instead staring intently at Zu An. Zu An observed the figure in the air but offered no reply. He had previously encountered Emperor Zhao Hao's soul clone hidden within the Crown Prince during his time in the secret realm. He had sensed a similar peculiarity in Shi Ling's situation just moments before; possessing the Rage Value system, he was far more sensitive to matters of the soul than others. The opponent's concealment was nowhere near as flawless as Zhao Hao's had been, allowing Zu An to discern a hint of something amiss. This prompted him to strike with killing intent as a test, and sure enough, he had forced the other party to reveal themselves.

Yun Jianyue suddenly recalled something. "Legend has it there's a malevolent cultivation technique called the 'Demon Seed Forbidden Scroll.' Those who practice it can find many talented 'cauldrons' and implant special marks within them. As these cauldrons cultivate and gain strength, the practitioner's own power also grows. When the technique finally reaches grand completion, the cauldrons' entire cultivation will be completely absorbed by the practitioner, unknowingly turning their life's efforts into another's gain."Upon hearing this, the other young demonic experts looked bewildered. They clearly hadn't heard of this technique, but it sounded utterly sinister! No wonder Shi Qian's cultivation had progressed so rapidly, allowing him to become one of the five paramount young talents of the demonic race at such a young age.

The "Shi Ling" in the sky's expression flickered, but quickly returned to normal. "What nonsense are you spouting? I merely understood my younger brother's arrogant and reckless nature; being young, he struggles to discern priorities and easily offends those he shouldn't. That's why I left a life-saving measure within him. Young lady, don't go slandering and attempting to sow discord between us brothers!"Yun Jianyue gave a cold smile, not bothering to waste any more words on him. The other demonic cultivators largely believed him; his explanation seemed entirely reasonable. After all, they were blood brothers; even if he were seeking a cauldron, it was unlikely he would choose Shi Ling.

Zu An frowned. "I get the feeling you're a bit perverse. Secretly parasitizing your younger brother's body... when your brother is intimate with his wife, is it really him sleeping with his wife, or is it you sleeping with your sister-in-law?"