"Yes, yes, yes... just as you said. Anyway, I couldn't stand it because Xue Wulei has now developed a severe inner demon. He can't hear any word associated with 'Lin Hei'. Therefore, I wanted to kill Lin Hei to erase Xue Wulei's inner demon so he could stand up again. I was wrong. I shouldn't have been involved in this. But you all... can understand the deep affection of a father, right?" Xue Chunqiu's voice even revealed a hint of pleading.

On one hand, he was vying for sympathy; on the other hand, he indeed found it hard to persist here!

His foundational Dao has been severely eroded and began to rot. If this continues, his realm might truly fall from the Saint Realm. So, under no circumstances can he continue to drag this out.

He wanted to leave this place, but forcefully doing so would only cause more severe damage to his foundational Dao. Thus, he had to pin his hopes on Lin Hei, who had been quiet all along.

"Pah!" Liu Yunfeng sneered: "Deep fatherly affection? Do you have no shame? A Saint, entering the Trial Field to kill a supreme, and you have the audacity to claim fatherly affection? Is this how the ancient Xue Family conducts itself?"

Xue Chunqiu's old face had turned pitch-black as he loathed Liu Yunfeng to death.

At this moment, Zi Dao also felt it was almost enough.

Because Zi Dao could clearly sense that Chu Mo didn't really want to trap and kill a Saint here.

Trapping and killing a Saint would have too great of an impact—it truly wasn't something these few young people could bear at the moment. Evidence or no evidence, these things are sometimes useful, but at other times, they're not.

There must be people in the Xue Family who knew Xue Chunqiu came to the Trial Field to kill Chu Mo. Therefore, if Xue Chunqiu fell here, the Xue Family would undoubtedly be rocked to its core, and everyone would be uncontrollable in their rage.

When the matter escalated, it would not benefit the three brothers at all.

So, at this time, Zi Dao knew that it was time for him to step forward. He calmly looked at Xue Chunqiu and said, "Senior Xue, I am Zi Dao."

"Hm? Ah? Zi Dao? You... are you the number one on the Heavenly Ranking, Zi Dao?" Xue Chunqiu's astonishment was not feigned; he widened his eyes, looking at the handsome young man in white, feeling waves of regret sweeping through him once again.

Damn it!

Lin Hei is actually mixed up with Zi Dao!

How is this possible?

This is truly absurd!

"Yes, I am currently the number one on the Heavenly Ranking, Zi Dao." Zi Dao looked at Xue Chunqiu with a gentle smile and said, "I can understand the senior's thoughts. I also happen to know your son Xue Wuqing, although our relationship... is not very harmonious. However, I wouldn't want anything untoward to happen to the senior here."

Upon hearing these words, Xue Chunqiu felt even more humiliated, thinking to himself what a predicament this was! That a junior was speaking to him in such a tone, he had thoroughly lost all face today.

However, he finally understood why Hu Xiao had been defeated. With a master like Zi Dao by his side, along with the deep connections between the Hu and Zi Families... this defeat was inevitable. Hu Xiao, the little beast, I'll remember you!

By then, Zi Dao continued, "You see, this whole matter was a misunderstanding from the beginning. Don't blame my friends here for the disrespect shown to you. You acted without careful consideration, which was quite inappropriate and undignified."

Xue Chunqiu let out a 'wah' and spat out a mouthful of blood, his face swelling to the color of liver. These words inflicted even greater damage than the sly bastard who kept calling him a thief!

"Senior, you hold high status and power, your identity and position are not something us young juniors can compare to. So, I hope you will refrain from such actions in the future. As for this Shadow Sound Stone..." Zi Dao paused, glancing at Chu Mo and Liu Yunfeng.

Both were thoroughly astute people and nodded immediately.

Zi Dao then went on to say, "We won't take it out lightly."

Xue Chunqiu still felt an urge to vomit blood—what does 'not taking it out lightly' mean? Isn't that just a threat? But this was a threat he had to bear! Otherwise, what else could he do?

In a place like the Dead Leaf Forbidden Ground, killing them would be impossible. Once they left the Dead Leaf Forbidden Ground, it would be even less plausible because who knows into whose hands they might place these Shadow Sound Stones? Each of these top geniuses has a host of followers, right?

Just thinking about such a significant leverage falling into the hands of others made Xue Chunqiu feel the urge to go mad.

At the Saint Realm, cultivating one's heart, nurturing one's character, and controlling emotions had long reached an unimaginable level for ordinary people. But at this moment, Xue Chunqiu felt no different from a common mortals in rage.

"What do you intend to do then?" Xue Chunqiu asked in a deep voice.

"We don't intend to do much. We don't want to stand against a senior or the imposing Xue Family. But we are timid and dare not ask the senior to swear with your life-bound primordial spirit and your cultivation. We just hope the senior can give us a pledge, and we believe, with your status and position, you'll honor your word," Zi Dao said with a slight smile, "As for your two sons, whether they seek revenge or battle, we don't mind."

Xue Chunqiu took a deep breath, looking deeply at Zi Dao, then nodded: "Alright, I promise you. From this day forward, regarding any matters involving you, I, Xue Chunqiu, and the entire Xue Family, will not intervene. This includes teaching my two sons a lesson when I return home. They are not allowed to trouble you anymore."

At this point, Chu Mo indifferently remarked: "This is actually for their own good."

"..." Xue Chunqiu felt his chest constrict with every word, but he could only contain his anger and nod: "Right, you are correct."

"Alright, let's leave it at that. I hope the senior will remember the words you've spoken. Concerning our affairs, including our time here in the Dead Leaf Forbidden Ground, we hope the senior will abide by the pledge and not speak of it to others," Zi Dao said indifferently.

Xue Chunqiu thought to himself, you guys aren't speaking up, like I'd be full enough to go blabbering about it!

Now, he did not understand the implications of Zi Dao's words. When he would come to understand, he would rage furiously, yet he could only swallow his own teeth and blood. He simply dared not divulge the earth-shattering truth.

Xue Chunqiu nodded firmly: "I also hope that you will keep your promise and not leak the Shadow Sound Stone and what happened here today. Otherwise, it's a case of 'if the fish dies then so does the net'."

Zi Dao said with a smile, "Senior can rest assured, this kind of thing is absolutely impossible!"

"Good!" Xue Chunqiu felt that his cultivation foundation had been eroded to an unrecognizable state, and if it continued, serious problems would arise. He looked at Zi Dao and the other two.

However, Zi Dao pretended as if nothing had happened: "Then Senior, we will take our leave first."

Chu Mo and Liu Yunfeng turned their heads together, about to leave.

"You... wait." Xue Chunqiu felt that he had never been as embarrassed as he was today in his entire life. This feeling was too unbearable, compared to those demonic temptations he encountered while roaming the red dust, those were nothing but child's play!

"Is there anything else?" Zi Dao turned back in surprise, looking at Xue Chunqiu.

Xue Chunqiu with a heavy face said, "Please… Lin ****, guide me towards the way out of here." Having said this, Xue Chunqiu actually felt a desire to cry.

It's too bullying!

I am a Saint!

I came to kill you, not to be trapped by you!

Why are the children of today so terrifying?

Chu Mo did not mock Xue Chunqiu as expected, nor did he commit any extortion. Instead, he simply nodded calmly and directly told Xue Chunqiu several directions which combined into a line.

Xue Chunqiu looked deeply at Chu Mo before saying, "Lin Hei, rest assured, from this day on, the Xue Family will never bother you!"

Chu Mo nodded: "I hope you keep your word."

Xue Chunqiu didn't want to stay a moment longer, and with tears, he followed the line Chu Mo had indicated to leave.

He had to trust Chu Mo because he had no other choice!

If he left on his own, there was a nine out of ten chance that he would fall from the Saint Realm to the Supreme Realm. That would be more painful than losing his life. Thus, he could only place his hopes on "Lin Hei" to point him towards a clear path.

Fortunately, the route indicated by Lin Hei turned out to be the correct one. Although there were still strong forces that eroded his cultivation in many places, it was much easier than before.

Xue Chunqiu had mixed feelings, and his sentiments towards Zi Dao and Lin Hei were extremely complicated. However, he couldn't bring himself to hate them anymore. What they had done was indeed too magnanimous and dignified. By contrast, his own actions felt increasingly narrow-minded and limited in scope.

Once he left the dead leaf forbidden area, Xue Chunqiu's cultivation had been grinded down from mid-Saint Realm to the early stages of the Saint Realm, barely avoiding a fall into the Supreme Realm.

This outcome left Xue Chunqiu utterly inconsolable.

He came with full confidence and high spirits, only to return with such a result. He lost a huge amount of face and left behind a substantial handle for others to grab.

This loss... It was simply too great.

He stood at the edge of the dead leaf forbidden area for a long while, eventually murmuring to himself, "How come I don't have such a son?"

He originally thought his two sons were the most outstanding, but in this world, the worst fear is comparison.

Xue Chunqiu left with a sense of utter desolation.

Meanwhile, within the dead leaf forbidden area, Liu Yunfeng still had some dissatisfaction with Zi Dao and Chu Mo's decision. Although he understood everything, he just felt it was not gratifying to let Xue Chunqiu off so easily.

"That old thief came to kill the third, and upon seeing us, he even wanted us dead. Damn it, why should he? If it wasn't for the third using the dead leaf forbidden area to severely trick him once, which of us three could have survived? Now to let him go so easily. In my opinion, we should have extracted some benefits from him. Make him feel pain! Otherwise, such a person will never learn their lesson! If we didn't utterly trick him... it would already be a good deed!" Liu Yunfeng said indignantly.

Zi Dao said with a smile, "He already knows pain, the route given to him by the third, if I'm not mistaken, should have allowed him to barely maintain the Saint Realm, teetering on the verge of falling."

Chu Mo nodded: "Big brother is wise!"

Zi Dao smiled: "It's right to do this, let him not bear to hate us, and even have to be more grateful."

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