Chapter 81: Takes Action In Advance

Mei Xiang stood frozen in place, his entire body immobilized by an overwhelming Saint power. Helpless, he could only watch as the other party effortlessly rescued Mei Linglong. His heart pounded in disbelief, and his thoughts raced. When he heard the Second Elder's terrified cry, the world seemed to tilt off its axis. Mei Kai had broken through to the Saint Realm?

Impossible!

The spiritual energy in their Star Domain was far too thin to allow for such a breakthrough. It was common knowledge that the Saint Realm was unreachable within their realm. The saints of the Saint Land were said to come from distant Star Domains, where spiritual energy was abundant. But now, reality defied everything he'd believed.

"The Land of Emperor's Fall? Did you obtain some heaven-defying opportunity there?" Mei Xiang's voice trembled as he looked at Mei Kai, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening.

"So what if I did?" Mei Kai responded coldly. With a mere flick of his finger, a beam of Saint light shot forward, piercing through Mei Xiang's body. Mei Xiang screamed in agony as blood poured from his seven orifices. His body collapsed weakly to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

"You... you ruined my cultivation?" Mei Xiang stammered in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. All the cultivation he had painstakingly built over the years—gone. It was as if his entire being had been stripped away. Now, not only was he no longer a cultivator, but he had become weaker than even an ordinary mortal.

"You betrayed the Mei family," Mei Kai replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Destroying your cultivation is the least of your punishments. You will spend the rest of your life in the dungeon."

Despite their familial connection, Mei Kai showed no mercy. Mei Xiang was his blood brother, but that did not change the fact that Mei Xiang had betrayed the Mei family. For Mei Kai, family loyalty meant everything—only for those who remained loyal in return. Mei Xiang no longer held that place in his heart.

"Hahaha!" Mei Xiang's bitter laughter filled the air. "To think it would all end like this!" Regret flickered in his eyes as he looked at Mei Kai, who had ascended to the Saint Realm. He had aimed too high, sought shortcuts, and now, it had all come crashing down.

The Second Elder of Taicang Sect, who had watched the events unfold in shock, trembled as Mei Kai's gaze landed on him. Desperate, the elder stammered, "It's all a misunderstanding, Chief Mei! We were deceived by Mei Xiang. We never intended to harm the Mei family! If you spare me, I will personally ask the Sect Leader to come and apologize!"

"There's no need," Mei Kai interrupted icily. "I'll visit the Taicang Sect myself when the time comes. But know this: if you dare strike against my Mei family, be prepared for your sect's destruction."

As Mei Kai's words settled, his Saint power surged once again, crashing down like an unrelenting tidal wave. The Second Elder, along with the disciples of Taicang Sect present, were swallowed by the Saint energy. None of them survived.

Mei Kai's eyes softened as he looked down at his unconscious daughter, Mei Linglong, who lay before him. Beads of cold sweat covered her forehead, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her condition had worsened; once, she had been able to endure her illness without fainting, but now, her body couldn't even remain conscious.

"I wonder if my newfound strength can cure her illness," Mei Kai muttered quietly, attempting to probe her condition. Yet, no matter how deeply he searched, he found nothing—no signs, no clues as to the cause of her affliction.

Left with no other options, he infused his Saint power into her body, hoping it might ease her suffering. While it had a small effect, it wasn't enough. It merely dulled her pain temporarily.

"I hope that senior can truly find a cure," he whispered, sending another pulse of Saint energy to soothe her. Moments later, Mei Linglong stirred awake, blinking groggily at the figures before her.

"Father... Sister..." Mei Linglong smiled weakly, despite the clear pain etched into her features.

"Don't worry, Linglong," Mei Rong, her sister, said reassuringly. "This time we've truly found a way to heal you. Soon, you'll be able to live a normal life."

"Really?" Mei Linglong's voice was laced with doubt. "You've said that so many times, but nothing has ever worked..."

"This time it's different," Mei Kai interjected, his tone firm and resolute.

Though eager to have her treated immediately, Mei Kai knew the importance of decorum, especially when dealing with the mysterious senior who promised to help. He gestured for Mei Rong to take Linglong away so she could clean up and prepare.

Once alone, Mei Kai made his way to the ancestral temple. The heavy atmosphere of the hall pressed down on him as he gazed up at the portrait of their Great Emperor ancestor. Sighing deeply, he murmured, "My foolish brother... The Mei family's Imperial Scripture is hidden within this portrait, Yet you never cared to look."

Only the bloodline of the Mei family could unlock the secrets within that portrait, and Mei Xiang, in his impatience and greed, had never bothered to explore it.

Meanwhile, Shen Su and his group, having received word of the events at the Mei residence, approached cautiously. Shen Su ordered his subordinate, Zhang Kui, to remain near Mingyue Restaurant in case the target appeared there. But as they arrived at the gates of the Mei household, the scene before them was unnerving—bodies of Taicang Sect disciples littered the ground.

"What in the world happened here?" one of Shen Su's men exclaimed in horror. "How could all the guards be dead? Is there some conflict between our sect and the Saint Land?"

It seemed impossible that anyone in this city would dare kill disciples of Taicang Sect—unless they were from the Saint Land. But even then, Taicang Sect would normally avoid any conflict with Saint Land disciples.

Shen Su's brow furrowed as he stood frozen outside the gates, observing the unsettling sight. He had heard rumors that the Mei family was hiding a treasure, one that Taicang Sect had long been searching for. Could it be that someone from the Saint Land had discovered the treasure and a violent conflict had erupted?

"Brother, what should we do now?" one of his companions asked, visibly shaken. If they entered the Mei residence, they risked becoming the next casualties. None of them were prepared to die.

"I sent a message to the Second Elder, but I haven't received a response," Shen Su muttered, deep in thought. "Something must have gone terribly wrong."

After several tense moments, he made a decision. "We're leaving. Return the way we came."

"But what about the elders? What will they think when we report back empty-handed?" one of the others asked, his voice filled with worry.

Shen Su waved him off. "We'll just say that we were in the middle of a critical cultivation session and couldn't respond in time."

Though they didn't fully understand what had transpired within the Mei family, one thing was clear—the situation was dangerous. It wasn't worth the risk. Moreover, Shen Su knew there were still hundreds of thousands of spirit stones waiting for them at Mingyue Restaurant, a safer and more profitable pursuit.

Before they left, however, Shen Su instructed the others, "Make sure to send a message to the sect. Report that we found something suspicious at the Mei family's residence and that the sect should act quickly to investigate."

As they prepared to leave, one of the disciples suddenly spoke up. "Wait! What about the person at Mingyue Restaurant? If he pays off the remaining spirit stones, we won't be able to track him down after all this."

The realization hit them like a brick. If they missed their chance, their plan would fall apart.

Shen Su's eyes narrowed. "Then we move now. Before he slips away."

With a nod of agreement, they hurriedly set off, their minds already formulating a new plan.