Fu Lingxi’s breathing stagnated, her gaze rapidly flashing with a trace of fear, her entire body completely sinking into coldness.
But very quickly she fell into stillness, not saying any words, raising both hands to let the Sky Sacred Knight put shackles on her.
She had long anticipated this scene, had she not?
Otherwise, she would not have gone to see Sauron today, speaking those strange words.
But when this scene truly arrived, Fu Lingxi still felt boundless fear, fear released from the depths of her soul.
She was a person of the Dragon God Temple, an exalted being above the secular world, completely looking down upon the power of the mortal world.
She had thoroughly offended Sauron to the death, yet even if Sauron controlled the entire Fury Wave Kingdom, he could only retaliate against Count Fu E, not against her, Fu Lingxi.
Even if Sauron became Regent King in the future, he would still be helpless against Fu Lingxi, because she was a person of the Dragon God Temple.
But faced with the power of the Dragon God Temple, Fu Lingxi had no room to resist whatsoever.
Luo Ge and Ge Li’s martial arts were shockingly profound.
But when arrested, they dared not show the slightest resistance. Let alone the ones arresting them being Sky Sacred Knights, even if it were an ordinary priest with no strength to bind a chicken, Luo Ge and Ge Li could only submit to arrest.
Because everything they had came from the Dragon God Temple.
The collective will of the Sky Sacred Hall, no one could defy! The might of the Sky Sacred Hall, only top figures like Luo Ge and Ge Li truly knew.
Probably several hours ago, Fu Lingxi learned that in Zhi Li’s confession, there was actually her name.
At that time, Fu Lingxi was extremely astonished. One must know that in the Zhidu Dragon God Temple, she merely ranked around the top thirty, hardly a major figure.
Why would her name, Fu Lingxi, be among the mere five names in Zhi Li’s confession!
This time, Zhi Li named five people respectively: Ge Li, Luo Ge, Fang Qingyi, Fu Lingxi, and one alchemist from the temple laboratory.
But among these five people, the only one truly related to demon blood was that alchemist from the laboratory. He had stolen a portion of demon blood and given it to Fang Qingshu, who then passed it to Zhi Li.
The remaining four people were at least innocent in this matter.
Zhi Li naming Ge Li, Luo Ge, and Fang Qingyi was still excusable. This was to protect the Fury Wave Kingdom.
But naming Fu Lingxi, this relatively minor character, had only one reason: for Sauron.
Yes, Zhi Li was helping Sauron take revenge, helping Sauron vent his anger.
Sauron had once been Zhi Li’s greatest enemy, but not the person he hated most!
When all ambition faded, when all grand aspirations flowed away like water, the person Zhi Li hated most in his heart was the Dragon God Temple, was Hidden Continent.
It was these two forces that turned Zhi Li from a man into a ghost.
Whereas Sauron had instead become his kindred spirit.
Zhi Li naming Fu Lingxi to take revenge for Sauron was a reconciliation across the void, and entrusting him to protect and care for his family, to protect the entire Fury Wave Kingdom.
In this matter, Fu Lingxi was truly an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, a gift from Zhi Li to Sauron.
What a thorough tragedy!
…
With the arrest of Sacred Priest Ge Li, Grand Inquisitor Luo Ge, and Inquisitor Fu Lingxi, the entire Zhidu Sacred Hall fell into incomparable panic, as if the sky had collapsed.
Most people within the Zhidu Sacred Hall had never left the Fury Wave Kingdom in their entire lives, had never been to the Yan Capital Sacred Hall, even less to the Sky Sacred Hall.
For them, the Zhidu Sacred Hall was their entire world.
Luo Ge and Ge Li were their heavens!
Everyone in the Zhidu Sacred Hall had thought that even if the Fury Wave Kingdom was destroyed, the Zhidu Sacred Hall would remain safe and sound. Luo Ge and Ge Li, these two supreme beings, would stand firm and unmoving.
Yet now, these two supreme beings had actually been arrested.
The heavens had truly collapsed. Everyone was in constant fear and anxiety, truly as if the end of the world had arrived.
And clearly, the arrest of these three people was merely the beginning.
Next, the inspection teams from the Yan Capital Sacred Hall would enter the Zhidu Sacred Hall. Only then would the true great purge begin.
Uprooting a great tree pulls up its roots with it. By then, who knew how many inquisitors, how many priests, how many cultivators would suffer.
According to past examples, the fall of a Sacred Priest-level big shot basically meant the arrest of several thousand to ten thousand people. And among them, half would be burned alive.
This was also the unwritten rule of the Dragon God Temple. The fall of one Sacred Priest required at least three thousand people to be buried with them.
How many Sacred Priests were there in the entire human world? Merely around twenty or so!
And this time, with both the Grand Inquisitor and Sacred Priest falling together, how many people in the entire Zhidu Sacred Hall would die? Truly only heaven knew!
Undoubtedly, everyone who had been close to these two supreme beings could not escape.
Moreover, this time it was the Sky Sacred Hall’s supreme holy maiden who had raised this heaven-shaking great case. Behind her stood a world hegemon, the Yan Empire, and at least three Sky Priests.
By then, perhaps half of the Zhidu Sacred Hall’s middle and upper-level members would all suffer catastrophic disaster.
A true great purge, a great catastrophe!
…
Ge Li, Luo Ge, and Fu Lingxi arrested!
Zhi Li already dead!
Half an hour later, Sauron formally received the news.
Then, he was stunned for a full several minutes!
Regarding this result, although Sauron had once harboured extravagant hopes and fantasies, when it truly arrived, he was still thoroughly shaken!
Shocked like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Ji Xiuning was truly remarkable, truly too remarkable!
This heaven-shaking great case, she had actually raised it.
She had actually truly opposed two colossal entities, Hidden Continent and the Zhidu Sacred Hall, with her own strength alone, and behind them was even Demon Continent.
What kind of will was this? What kind of difficulty? The web of interests here, how intricately tangled was it?
She had actually truly done it!
At this time, Sauron finally somewhat understood why Fu Lingxi had come to see him, speaking those very strange words.
But he only understood half of it. The other half he still did not understand.
Fu Lingxi had said that a thoroughly base and shameless person wanted to feel the warmth and guilt brought by a noble one.
This point Sauron could understand. Just like at Zhi Li’s final moments, because of the brilliance of humanity from his wife Fang Qingzhuo, there was a trace of warmth in his heart, no longer completely despairing of this world.
So before dying, Zhi Li also chose to use his own life to protect the Fury Wave Kingdom, to protect his wife and daughter, to protect the entire Zhi Clan.
Moreover, there was actually Fu Lingxi in his confession?
Undoubtedly, Zhi Li’s move was a gesture of goodwill toward Sauron, taking revenge for Sauron.
But after Sauron refused to release Fu E, refused to give Fu Lingxi final warmth, she had actually let out a sigh of relief. This point Sauron could not understand.
…
Sauron asked for a pot of wine and poured two cups.
“Brother Zhi Li, I have received your message. I will protect the Fury Wave Kingdom, protect your family. This cup of wine is raised to you!”
Then, Sauron poured the first cup of wine onto the ground.
The other cup, he drank in one gulp himself!
After finishing the wine, Sauron let out a long breath of relief and sat back in his chair.
Truly nothing was wrong anymore. All crises of the Fury Wave Kingdom had passed. There would no longer be any danger!
Originally, even if Sauron had recovered eleven million gold coins of reserves, even if he had thwarted the city guard army’s rebellion conspiracy, even if he had filled the treasury deficit by raiding the homes of corrupt nobles, the danger to the Fury Wave Kingdom still existed.
Hidden Continent would not let matters rest, they would certainly retaliate.
The Zhidu Sacred Hall would not let matters rest, they would certainly retaliate.
Moreover, the moment Princess Zhi Yan ascended the throne, perhaps the Yan Empire and the Western Liang Kingdom would both be restless.
Sauron still needed to tread on thin ice. The entire Fury Wave Kingdom was still in danger.
But now, all danger had vanished!
Hidden Continent and the Zhidu Sacred Hall were already in enormous crisis, unable to protect themselves. It was impossible for them to come looking for trouble with the Fury Wave Kingdom.
And the Yan Empire was wholeheartedly focused on dealing with the Zhidu Sacred Hall and Hidden Continent, no longer possible to invade the Fury Wave Kingdom.
Even when necessary, the Yan Empire royal family would ally with the Fury Wave Kingdom to jointly deal with Hidden Continent and the Zhidu Sacred Hall.
And without the Yan Empire, the Western Liang Kingdom was even less likely to cross a thousand li of desert to expedition against the Fury Wave Kingdom!
Not only that, this high-level struggle within the Dragon God Temple was a protracted struggle that would not end in two or three years.
Now, it was merely the beginning!
Perhaps some would say that Zhi Li’s confession clearly had problems at first glance. One could see at a glance that it was framing and false accusation to protect the Fury Wave Kingdom, to incite internal struggle within the Dragon God Temple.
Of course, many people could see this point, including Holy Maiden Ji Xiuning who also saw the flaws in this confession at first glance.
But Zhi Li was already dead. This flaw was equal to having disappeared.
Moreover, and more importantly, was Holy Maiden Ji Xiuning truly raising this heaven-shaking great case for a tube of demon blood?
Of course not!
Zhi Li’s demon blood was merely her excuse, merely the fuse to detonate this heaven-shaking upheaval.
Her purpose was to thoroughly rectify the dark forces within the Dragon God Temple, to thoroughly purge the corruption of the Dragon God Temple’s high levels.
After several thousand years, whether it was the Zhidu Sacred Hall, the Western Liang Sacred Hall, or the Northern Court Sacred Hall, they were no longer bright and just. They had thoroughly degenerated, filthy beyond measure.
And the Four Secret Continents were even more evil and dark, unfathomably deep.
Not only that, the Four Secret Continents and the local sacred halls had thoroughly colluded, already becoming a force too big to cut off.
Every time the Sky Sacred Hall issued an order, the local sacred halls would openly comply but secretly defy.
What happened to Ashiluo made Ji Xiuning shudder with cold!
If not for the darkness of this world, for the Four Secret Continents under the Dragon God Temple being so evil, how could Ashiluo have degenerated into a Hell Knight?
Ashiluo had never seen the World-Destroying Demon Emperor, yet in the end he would rather die than remain loyal to the World-Destroying Demon Emperor, firm in his dark faith.
If there were tens of thousands like Ashiluo, then the entire Dragon God Temple would be thoroughly reduced to ashes, and all human civilization would be destroyed.
Ji Xiuning could understand that the Dragon God Temple used rather special means to rule the human world, hence the existence of the Four Secret Continents.
But now, the Four Secret Continents had degenerated into thorough evil, becoming the Dragon God Temple’s dark backyard garden.
When Ashiluo became a male companion, how many Dragon God Temple Sacred Priests had enjoyed his body?
Every year, how many handsome boys and girls disappeared from human kingdoms, sent to Demon Continent, sent to Hidden Continent?
Every year, how much land in human kingdoms became private property of the Four Secret Continents? Every year, how many landlords and peasants in human kingdoms went bankrupt?
The Dragon God Temple expanded every year. Every year people joined the Dragon God Temple. They did not engage in production yet wanted fine clothes and good food, completely sucking blood from atop human nations.
At this rate of development, one day the Dragon God Temple would make all human nations unable to bear the burden.
All these dark curtains made Ji Xiuning decide that no matter the cost, she would pierce through this sky, thoroughly cleanse this darkness and filth, restore a bright and clear world to all human nations, let the world restore its faith in the Dragon God Temple.
In Ji Xiuning’s view, acting now was still in time. When this darkness and corruption penetrated to the Dragon God Temple’s core areas, it would already be beyond cure, thoroughly too late!
So, this heaven-shaking great case was merely the beginning of internal struggle within the Dragon God Temple!
The justice faction represented by Ji Xiuning, and the evil faction led by the Four Secret Continents, would engage in incomparably brutal struggle in the coming time.
By then, how many more would fall from power? How many would die?
Truly only heaven knew!
Even whether Ji Xiuning could preserve her position as holy maiden, whether she could successfully advance to Sky Priest in the future, whether she could successfully assume the leadership position of the Dragon God Temple, was still unknown.
But what could be certain was that in the coming few years, the Fury Wave Kingdom was safe!
These few years would be Sauron’s golden time.
In these few years, Sauron would thoroughly cleanse Hidden Continent’s infiltration in the Fury Wave Kingdom, carry out a certain degree of internal reform in the kingdom, let the entire nation restore its strength.
And, strive to establish the Southern Expedition Grand Camp within five years, assemble eight hundred thousand great troops, march south to attack the barbarian territories, continuing the Fury Wave Kingdom’s expansion strategy!
In the coming twenty years, Sauron would donate half of Tianshui City’s territory as the kingdom’s Southern Expedition Grand Camp!
Everything, for the Fury Wave Kingdom!
Within twenty years, Sauron must double the Fury Wave Kingdom’s territory!
…
“Master, Fang Qingdi of Hidden Continent requests an audience!” Zhuang Zhixuan said.
Sauron could not help being startled?
Fang Qingdi? The younger sister of Fang Qingzhuo, the wife of Ji Mengbai?
Why had Hidden Continent sent her at this time? To look for trouble with the Fury Wave Kingdom? Impossible. Now Hidden Continent faced a heaven-shaking crisis, impossible to have the leisure to come looking for trouble with Sauron.
“Please invite her in.” Sauron said.
A moment later, a pair of celestial companions, a match made in heaven, entered the royal palace.
Sauron saw Fang Qingdi!
In terms of looks and figure, Fang Qingdi was on par with Meng Tuoluo, both stunning beauties.
But in terms of charm, this Fang Qingdi was absolutely a stunning seductress.
She appeared very soft and gentle, her temperament somewhat similar to Fang Qingzhuo’s, both very gentle, gentle as water.
Fang Qingzhuo’s gentleness carried kindness and warmth, whereas the Fang Qingdi before him carried hidden allure in her gentleness, even demonic allure!
Speaking of which, her temperament was somewhat similar to Fu Lingxi’s.
And Ji Mengbai beside her truly made one feel inferior at first glance.
This was the most handsome man Sauron had ever seen, even surpassing Fang Qingshu and Sauron himself.
Moreover, his temperament was noble and pure, as if untainted by a speck of dust. It truly made one wonder if he were an immortal being.
In short, this was absolutely the number one beautiful man Sauron had ever seen!
No wonder Meng Tuoluo was so infatuated with him, would for this man transform from a fairy into a demoness.
Even after degenerating into the Black Widow, she still could not forget this man.
This man was truly the kind that women would throw themselves at like moths to a flame upon seeing once.
In pure appearance, his lethality to women was even above Sauron’s.
But Ji Mengbai was clearly very low-key, always following behind his wife Fang Qingdi, his face constantly carrying a harmless smile.
“Greetings, Lord Sauron.” Fang Qingdi meticulously performed a salute.
Sauron rose and said: “Greetings, Miss Fang Qingdi. Greetings, Young Master Ji Mengbai.”
Fang Qingdi said: “My elder brother Fang Qingyi once rudely offended Lord Sauron. Our Hidden Continent is very sorry. To express our apology, the Fury Wave Kingdom’s debt of over four million gold coins owed to the Hidden Origin Association is from today completely written off.”
Indeed, facing enormous trouble, Hidden Continent showed no intention of demanding punishment, instead proactively showing goodwill.
However, Sauron had never intended to repay this debt anyway.
“Thank you, Miss Fang Qingdi.” Sauron said.
Fang Qingdi said: “May I ask, can we go visit my younger brother Fang Qingyi?”
“Of course you may.” Sauron said: “I will immediately send someone to take you to see him!”
Next, Sauron sent an imperial guard warrior to take Fang Qingdi and Ji Mengbai to the heavenly prison to visit Fang Qingyi!
Half an hour later, Fang Qingdi finished her visit and left the heavenly prison.
From beginning to end, the time she spent visiting Fang Qingyi was merely a few minutes.
She did not propose taking Fang Qingyi away, because this was impossible. Soon Sky Sacred Knights would come to take Fang Qingyi away. He was among the five names in Zhi Li’s confession.
After Fang Qingdi and Ji Mengbai left the heavenly prison, Fang Qingyi had someone send a message requesting to see Sauron, and asked Sauron to bring him a steamed bun and a bowl of braised pork.
…
Sauron took three steamed buns, a pot of coarse wine, and a bowl of braised pork, the pig hair on the pork skin not even completely scraped off.
Coming to the heavenly prison, he saw Fang Qingyi once more.
He had been imprisoned merely five days, and Sauron had even come to see him yesterday.
But now, Fang Qingyi seemed to have aged twenty years.
Yesterday, his gaze toward Sauron had still been lofty, filled with smugness and pride.
But today, his gaze was scattered, exhausted, and despairing.
His hair was like withered grass, his beard had grown nearly half a centimetre, his entire person appearing incomparably desolate and decadent!
“Did you bring the braised pork and steamed buns?” Seeing Sauron, Fang Qingyi was incomparably eager.
Sauron said: “I brought them, but I need to confirm whether I can give them to you to eat? In case you die immediately after eating, it would drag my Fury Wave Kingdom down.”
“Hehe…” Fang Qingyi said: “Now, no one wants to drag the Fury Wave Kingdom down. Ji Xiuning is too proud, disdaining to drag the Fury Wave Kingdom down. Our Hidden Continent, facing one Yan Empire and Ji Xiuning already finds incomparably troublesome, unwilling to provoke another Fury Wave Kingdom. I am truly too hungry, I beg you to let me eat.”
Sauron passed the braised pork, steamed buns, and coarse wine inside.
Fang Qingyi, who had always been clothed in fine silks and fed delicacies, immediately devoured them ravenously.
One hand grabbed steamed buns and gnawed madly, the other hand picked up braised pork, one large piece per bite, almost too fast to chew.
Such crude food, he would not even have glanced at before, yet now it was like supreme delicacy.
One bite of steamed bun, one piece of meat, one gulp of wine.
Fang Qingyi, hungry to the extreme, swept through it like wind and clouds. In merely four or five minutes, he ate everything cleanly.
A full three large steamed buns, one and a half jin of braised pork, one jin of coarse wine.
After eating, as if still not satisfied, he reluctantly licked the oil from his fingers.
Seeing this, Sauron’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said: “If you are still not full, I can have someone send another portion.”
Fang Qingyi let out an incomparably comfortable breath, leaned his body back against the wall, patted his stomach with his hand and said: “This is the most delicious meal I have ever eaten. Too comfortable. Truly not full, merely seventy percent full, but just right, excess is as bad as deficiency!”
Yes, excess is as bad as deficiency. When the moon is full, it wanes. When water is full, it overflows.
“Thank you, Sauron, for giving me a meal of supreme delicacy.” Fang Qingyi said.
“You’re welcome.” Sauron said.
Letting out a long sigh, Fang Qingyi said: “Sauron, I am going to die. Three days from now at this time, I will be dead!”