Rong Hua continued, "You have no grudges against him, nor any disputes over interests. I'm very curious, for what reason do you want to kill him?"
Lin Wudi smiled faintly, "Madam, does one need a reason to kill someone?"
"This..."
"He and I are not enemies now, but we might be in the future. After all, I am destined to ascend to that position!"
Lin Wudi stated his purpose directly.
Upon hearing that he intended to take that position, Rong Hua felt a pang in her heart. Her son had once been in line for that very position.
But now that the Crown Prince was dead, that position fell to Lin Wudi.
"I understand!"
Rong Hua said, "Every Heavenly Emperor is subject to the constraints of the Ghost Valley Sect. Therefore, you plan to eliminate the one who balances your power in advance!"
"Madam is wise!"
Lin Wudi said, then left directly.
...
For the past two days, Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng had been continuing their investigation. It had to be said, Lin Wudi was clever, leaving no trace.
Of course, this was not a problem for Ye Qingcheng and Yun Fan. Although Lin Wudi seemed to have no flaws.
However, as long as they traced the mysterious force that Lin Wudi was secretly cultivating, his true colors would be revealed.
Today, Yun Fan received a notification from Ye Qingcheng and got into her car, leaving the Jinling urban area.
"What are you taking me outside the city for?"
Yun Fan asked speechlessly.
Jinling City was vast, and it would take a whole day to drive from the city to the outskirts.
Ye Qingcheng said, "We have overlooked a very important point all along!"
"The mysterious force that Lin Wudi is training cannot remain within the city, as it would inevitably be discovered! Therefore, I am certain that there is a secret base of his outside the city. Through two days of investigation, my subordinate Liu Ming has roughly located the position of this base, so we are heading there now!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan nodded. Indeed, dealing with intelligent people was satisfying.
At a training camp fifty miles outside Jinling City.
Lin Wudi said to Lin Wushuang, "Wushuang, have you prepared everything I asked you to?"
"Grandpa, everything is ready!"
Lin Wushuang was somewhat confused. This was one of the Lin family's training camps, not very large, and not a critical one.
Yet, every time he came here, his grandfather's men would stop him from entering.
But this time, his grandfather had ordered him to bring a large contingent of men to set up defenses here. With such a massive undertaking, he was certain that even if he tried to break in, he would not survive.
He didn't know who his grandfather was targeting.
At this, he curiously asked, "Grandpa, why are we wasting so much energy here?"
Lin Wudi said, "Because tonight, a few rats from the darkness will try to sneak in. You must eliminate these rats!"
"What?"
Lin Wushuang was instantly stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa, why would they want to break into this seemingly ordinary training camp?"
"Wushuang, you are grown now, so I will no longer hide it from you!"
Lin Wudi said, "Do not mistake this for just an ordinary training camp; it contains my lifelong efforts!"
"Therefore, there can be no mistakes here!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Wushuang nodded as if he understood, though he did not. He did not know what his grandfather meant by lifelong efforts.
However, at this moment, he still complied with everything.
Just then, Lin Wudi said, "Someone, hang up the corpses!"
Immediately, several corpses were hung at the entrance of the base, the most prominent among them being Liu Ming.
"It's him!"
Lin Wushuang was shocked. Liu Ming was Ye Qingcheng's butler, deeply trusted by her. This suggested that the person planning to raid this place tonight was likely Ye Qingcheng.
He harbored no good feelings towards Ye Qingcheng, but he harbored a hint of suspicion in his heart. What exactly was inside that could make the Ye family so eager to seize it?
Taking advantage of the pause, he quietly slipped into the training camp.
Upon entering the camp, he discovered that so many secrets were hidden here.
Because this was a training camp for death warriors, housing many underage children who were covered in scars, many of them had already gone mad.
The children were taken for experiments, forcibly injected with potent drugs, and the vast majority could not survive.
Those who managed to survive were gathered in a larger room and forced to fight each other.
Only the child who survived in the end could emerge from the room. With such a process, it was fortunate if even one out of a hundred children survived.
But this clearly did not meet his grandfather's objectives. Even the sole survivor would have to face various battles and struggles.
This method of training death warriors was too brutal. What made it even more ironic to Lin Wushuang was that a respected family like the Lin family possessed such a dark side.
He was instantly filled with disappointment towards his grandfather. What was the meaning of the Lin family doing this? His grandfather was about to become the Heavenly Emperor.
Was it really necessary to harm so many innocent lives?
Thinking of this, he became increasingly unsettled. What he witnessed tonight completely overturned his worldview.
"Who allowed you in?"
Lin Wudi's roar came from behind him.
Instantly, numerous death warriors surrounded them, their eyes filled only with killing intent. However, as long as Lin Wudi did not give the order, they would not act.
Seeing these numb and heartless killing machines, Lin Wushuang questioned, "Grandpa, why are you doing this?"
"Our Lin family is already the foremost family in the military. Is that not enough for self-preservation?"
"Foolish!"
Lin Wudi said coldly, "Although our Lin family is unrivaled in the secular world, after I ascend to the throne, I will still face even stronger opponents!"
"The hidden sects?"
Lin Wushuang asked.
Lin Wudi said, "The hidden sects are only one of the enemies. The more terrifying opponent is the Ghost Valley Sect!"
"What?"
Lin Wushuang's eyes were filled with confusion.
"The past Heavenly Emperors had to rely on Ghost Valley to suppress the hidden sects. The consequence of this was that if the Heavenly Emperor made a mistake, Ghost Valley would intervene, even overthrowing the Heavenly Emperor's position! I do not wish for this to happen to me!"
Lin Wudi said, "If I am to be the Heavenly Emperor, I must truly control everything. Therefore, I must cultivate this force that belongs solely to me!"
"Isn't that for the best?"
Lin Wushuang said, "The past sect leaders of Ghost Valley never interfered in secular affairs, merely supervising the Heavenly Emperor to be strict with himself. Because of their existence, the past Heavenly Emperors all acted with impartiality and cared for the world."
"Hmph! What do you know?"
Lin Wudi rebuked, "They merely treat the Heavenly Emperor as a pawn! Therefore, this time, I will completely obliterate the Ghost Valley Sect, an element that influences my rule, and ensure that our Lin family sits on the throne of Heavenly Emperor for generations to come!"
"I want this world to become my Lin family's!"
As he spoke of these ambitions, Lin Wushuang was utterly shocked. No matter what, he had never expected his grandfather to harbor such ambitions.
He knew that if they truly acted on this, it would only lead to their own destruction. He wanted to persuade him, but he knew that once his grandfather made a decision, he would not change it.
Therefore, he chose to remain silent.
Lin Wudi said, "Do you know who I am waiting for tonight?"
"Isn't it Ye Qingcheng?"
Lin Wushuang asked doubtfully.
"It's certainly not just her. The most important person is Yun Fan. He is the current sect leader of Ghost Valley, and I must kill him. After I ascend to the position of Heavenly Emperor, it will be the Old Heavenly Master's turn to die!"
At this moment, Lin Wudi had completely blackened, or rather, his eyes had been blinded by ambition and power.
Lin Wushuang's heart turned to ashes. He had never imagined that his just and upright grandfather would become this way.
"Wushuang, I value you greatly. I hope you will not disappoint me, as you will succeed me in the future!"
He patted Lin Wushuang's shoulder.
At this moment, Ye Qingcheng and Yun Fan had already infiltrated the vicinity of this mysterious training camp.
However, upon seeing Liu Ming's corpse, Ye Qingcheng became agitated, her eyes filled with fury.
Seeing this, Yun Fan quickly pulled Ye Qingcheng back, "The opponent has already seen through our plan. At this time, you absolutely cannot act impulsively!"
In his opinion, although it appeared calm on the surface, it was likely fraught with danger. They had underestimated Lin Wudi after all.
"No, I must avenge him today!"
Ye Qingcheng had no intention of retreating. Liu Ming had served her for over ten years; he was her most loyal subordinate. His death here was undoubtedly a provocation to her.
"Listen to me this time!"
Despite his powerful strength, Yun Fan was not blinded by overconfidence. In an unknown situation, he would not mindlessly charge forward.
Moreover, their opponent was Lin Wudi. Facing such an enemy, they had to be extremely cautious.
"Are you afraid?"
Ye Qingcheng said coldly, "You are the most cowardly Ghost Valley Sect leader I have ever seen!"
"You..."
Yun Fan was infuriated on the spot. What did he mean by cowardly? This was called preserving one's strength! It was so obviously a trap, and the other party was trying to lure the enemy deeper. He was not a fool.
However, before he could react, Ye Qingcheng darted out, disappearing into the darkness after a few flashes.
"Alas!"
Yun Fan sighed. He finally understood Ye Qingcheng's flaw. Although this woman was exceptionally intelligent and in control of everything.
As soon as she was provoked, her intelligence would drop to negative numbers. Since they were teammates, he could not simply abandon her.
With a flash, he followed her.
As the two infiltrated the training camp, they immediately sensed dozens of powerful auras.
"Indeed, this is their base!"
Ye Qingcheng's gaze turned cold. This Lin Wudi was truly an ambitious individual.
Yun Fan said, "I didn't expect them to use such a brutal method to train this unit. The Lin family is truly damned!"
Just as the two were capturing evidence, the base gate was suddenly shut.
However, for Yun Fan, this was no longer surprising. After all, from the moment he stepped in here, he knew this outcome was inevitable.
Next, it would be a contest of strength.
At this moment, the base lights were turned on.
Lin Wudi looked down at the two from above.
"Young Yun, you couldn't resist curiosity and came in after all. They say the inheritors of Ghost Valley are exceptionally wise, but in my opinion, you are no different. You fell for such a simple trap!"
Facing Lin Wudi's mockery, Yun Fan was speechless. If not for that impetuous woman Ye Qingcheng, Lin Wudi could have waited until the end of time, and he would not have come.
At this, Yun Fan said, "I truly misjudged you. I previously thought you were a respected elder, unparalleled in the world, but now I realize you are inferior to even the likes of Yu Shuai!"
Lin Wudi smiled, "If one does not live for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them. Young Yun, can't you see this point?"
"I don't understand. You already hold great power and will soon ascend to the position of Heavenly Emperor. Why are you still doing this?"
Yun Fan asked in confusion.
Lin Wudi said, "Because I want to create an unprecedented prosperous dynasty, and you are standing in my way. Therefore, I must eliminate you!"
"Greed makes a snake swallow an elephant. Lin Wudi, you will not succeed!"
Yun Fan said coldly.
"Whether I succeed or not will be judged by posterity. I only know that whether it is your Ghost Valley Sect or Ye Ji, you are blocking my path. I will start clearing you away!"
Saying this, Lin Wudi instantly unleashed a pressure. This pressure was immense, undoubtedly that of a congenital level expert.
It seemed the rumors about his realm were inaccurate; they said he was half-step congenital, but he had already reached congenital.
"The Heavenly Emperor would be very disappointed if he knew!"
Yun Fan said.
After all, he was a person personally appointed by the Heavenly Emperor. It was just that the Heavenly Emperor probably never expected that Lin Wudi harbored such treacherous intentions.
"Let him be disappointed! After I eliminate you two major enemies, it will be time to force him to abdicate!"
Lin Wudi did not hide his intentions at all.
"He has less than a year before he abdicates. Can you not wait?"
Yun Fan asked doubtfully.
"A person's life is limited. I cannot wait any longer. In a month at most, I will ascend to that position!"
He said impatiently.
"Then I can only tell you, you will not succeed!"
Yun Fan said seriously.
Dealing with Lin Wudi was not within his master's assigned tasks, but it was within his responsibilities. As the sect leader of Ghost Valley, he should resolve unstable factors.
Wild individuals like Lin Wudi were even more within his obligations as the sect leader of Ghost Valley.
"Hahahaha!"
Lin Wudi laughed, "Yun Fan, you are too arrogant. Although you are the sect leader of Ghost Valley, I have set up an inescapable net here. Tonight, you are destined not to leave alive!"
As soon as he said this, dozens of people surrounded Yun Fan and the two, including two who were half-step congenital. These were Lin Wudi's trump cards.
"I seem to have made a mistake!"
Ye Qingcheng was an arrogant person. She never believed her decisions were wrong, but this time, she clearly recognized her error.
Yun Fan said, "It's too late to say anything now. Let's work together and clear out these ants first!"
"Alright!"
Ye Qingcheng took the initiative, charging directly at a half-step congenital.
"On!"
At Lin Wudi's command, dozens of people charged forward. However, they were merely post-celestial, not a match for Yun Fan.
After all, he was a genuine congenital expert. Where he passed, there was no opponent who could withstand him for even one round. However, the strength of these people exceeded his expectations.
Of course, it was not that these individuals were powerful, but their willpower was too tenacious. They feared no death, and even as they fell, they tried to inflict heavy damage on him.
At this moment, these people's eyes held only killing intent and orders.
It was imaginable that among those of the same realm, few would be their match, for they were killing machines.
At this moment, the entire hall was filled with the sounds of battle. After Ye Qingcheng dealt with the half-step congenital, she was injured.
The opponent attacked like a madman, relentlessly. Before dying, he inflicted a stab wound on her, and now her wound was bleeding profusely.
"Are you alright?"
Yun Fan asked urgently.
Let alone Ye Qingcheng nearly failing, just now, when a half-step congenital and three post-celestial experts jointly attacked him.
Even he had been in a sorry state, but fortunately, he had dealt with the half-step congenital in time.
"I'm fine, not dead yet!"
Ye Qingcheng and Yun Fan stood back-to-back, scanning the surrounding enemies. Although there were many corpses on the ground, these people still looked at the two with eyes full of killing intent.
Seeing these death warriors acting like rabid dogs, Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng felt fortunate. If Lin Wudi were allowed to continue developing, he would surely become a formidable enemy in the future.
At this moment, Lin Wudi, watching from above, had no fluctuations in his eyes.
With another command, these assassins, who acted like rabid dogs, charged at the two again.
Just then, he suddenly activated a mechanism. Yes, to kill Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng, he intended to use these people as bait.
Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng, though they discovered it, were already too late. They could only watch helplessly as Lin Wudi activated the mechanism.
"Not good!"
It turned out this was Lin Wudi's true tactic. The two were trying to evade these people, but the mechanism was activated, and many of these emotionless assassins died under the traps.
As two iron mechanisms began to close in on them, they sensed danger.
Just then, the iron mechanisms suddenly stopped moving.
"Hmm?"
Lin Wudi revealed a hint of confusion. Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng below breathed a sigh of relief. That was close; they had almost perished there.
"Now!"
Yun Fan seized the opportunity and leaped up, escaping the trap. Ye Qingcheng followed closely behind.
At this moment, Lin Wudi's eyes were filled with murderous intent, because the one who had disabled the trigger system was none other than Lin Wushuang.
"Bastard, what are you doing?"
Lin Wudi angrily reprimanded Lin Wushuang.
Lin Wushuang's eyes revealed a look of desolation. "Grandpa, stop! Don't be deluded any longer and make one mistake after another!"
"You are not qualified to lecture me!"
Lin Wudi was furious. What was supposed to be a perfect kill was thwarted by Lin Wushuang. It turned out Lin Wushuang's earlier meekness was a pretense.
Lin Wushuang said, "Grandpa, the situation in Huaxia has persisted for a hundred years; you cannot break it. If you truly take that step, it will be the downfall of the entire Lin family!"
"Slap!"
Lin Wudi slapped him to the ground.
"You traitor!"
Lin Wudi cursed him furiously, disappointed that he had turned against him.
Just then, Yun Fan said, "Lin Wudi, even your grandson can see through the situation in Huaxia. You are even inferior to your grandson!"
"Even the Heavenly Emperor would not defy the general situation. What right do you have to do this?"
Lin Wudi said coldly, "Because he is an incompetent person. Once I ascend to the throne, I will do ten times better than him!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan sneered. The current Heavenly Emperor was a once-in-a-million-year wise ruler, praised by his master more than once.
He did not believe Lin Wudi had this capability.
"Now that your scheme has been shattered, the next step is my battle with you, a fair fight!"
Yun Fan said.
Lin Wudi laughed, "They say you are the first prodigy of Ghost Valley in a hundred years. I want to see how much substance this young brat has!"
Saying this, he charged directly at Yun Fan.
"Grandpa!"
Lin Wushuang knew that the situation today was probably irreversible. The reason he had disrupted his grandfather's plan was not to side with Yun Fan, but to uphold justice.
At this, Ye Qingcheng said to him, "Lin Wushuang, this is their battle. I hope you will not interfere!"
If Lin Wushuang had not stepped forward to save them just now, Ye Qingcheng might have already attacked Lin Wushuang.
At this moment, Yun Fan and Lin Wudi engaged in a head-on confrontation.
"Boom!"
After one exchange, both were forced back, their strengths being evenly matched.
"As expected, you are strong. It's a pity that you are destined to die by my hand today!"
Lin Wudi attacked again, his moves ruthless, showcasing his strength to the fullest.
Yun Fan did not yield, skillfully deflecting every move Lin Wudi made.
Such strength was indeed terrifying.
Subsequently, they exchanged blows for dozens of rounds, still without a victor.
"Slash!"
Lin Wudi aimed a "Black Tiger Steals Heart" directly at Yun Fan's heart.
Yun Fan used an unexpected palm technique, blocking his fatal blow. The battle between them had reached its climax.
At this moment, Lin Wudi suddenly stopped attacking.
"What? Not fighting anymore?"
Yun Fan asked coldly.
Lin Wudi smiled, "Our strengths are not vastly different, and neither of us can overcome the other. Further fighting will result in mutual destruction. Clearly, neither of us wants to die! Therefore, how about we cooperate?"
Yun Fan was speechless. They were about to kill each other, yet he was proposing cooperation. This old man was truly an oddity.
"What do you want to cooperate with me on?"
Yun Fan patiently asked. He had expended too much energy in the previous battle and was secretly conserving his strength at this moment.
Lin Wudi said, "If you and I cooperate, we can take down the Ye family, and then our grievances will be settled!"
"Then you will likely be disappointed!"
Yun Fan said, "Give up! I will not cooperate with you!"
"You will,"
Lin Wudi said, "I already know your origins. The Ye family stole your Long family's assets years ago and then abandoned you like a chess piece! Your return to Jinling now is nothing more than a desire for revenge!"
"You are spouting nonsense!"
Ye Qingcheng said angrily.
But Lin Wudi ignored her and continued speaking to Yun Fan, "Therefore, you need to cooperate with me! Because you alone are no match for Ye Ji! Not only will you not get everything back, but you will also die by her hand!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan calmly said, "You don't need to worry about this. You should worry about yourself first!"
"You might not know, but I have already fought Ye Ji!"
Lin Wudi said to Yun Fan, "She defeated me within ten moves. And your strength is about the same as mine, so you won't be able to withstand her for ten moves either!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan was moved. He had thought that after breaking through to congenital, he would be able to contend with Ye Ji for a while.
He hadn't expected reality to be so cruel. Ye Ji's strength was completely beyond his expectations.
"Do you feel despair?"
Lin Wudi laughed, "If you join forces with me, there is still a chance of victory. If you refuse to cooperate with me, even if I don't kill you, you will die by her hand!"
"Old man, stop trying to sow discord. You probably know a lot about the truth behind how my Ye family replaced the Long family back then, don't you!"
Facing Ye Qingcheng's questioning, Lin Wudi still said, "That was because your Long family raised a tiger that became a threat. A hundred years of foundation was replaced by your Ye family in one go!"
"Enough!"
Yun Fan said, "I will resolve the conflict with the Ye family, but before that, I must first deal with you!"
"Arrogant!"
Just then, Lin Wudi decisively attacked Yun Fan. He was not a hesitant person. Upon realizing he could not sway Yun Fan, he attacked decisively.
Yun Fan chose to fight him head-on. The destructive power of their battle was astonishing, and the entire training camp was severely damaged.
At this moment, Yun Fan found an opportunity and restrained Lin Wudi.
Lin Wudi could not break free, and the two were locked in a stalemate.
Ye Qingcheng saw this and quickly approached the two.
"Yun Fan, aren't you going to let go? She wants to kill us!"
Lin Wudi shouted at Yun Fan.
But Yun Fan had no intention of releasing Lin Wudi.
At this critical moment, Ye Qingcheng decisively attacked, charging directly at Lin Wudi.
"Grandpa, be careful!"
At this extremely dangerous moment, Lin Wushuang leaped up and stood in front of Lin Wudi.
"Bang!"
With one move, Lin Wushuang spat out blood, his entire body on the verge of death.
"Wushuang!"
Lin Wudi had not expected that at this crucial moment, the one saving him would be Lin Wushuang.
"Grandpa..."
Lin Wushuang glanced at Lin Wudi and then fainted.
"Ah!"
Lin Wudi roared, broke free from Yun Fan, and then, carrying the unconscious Lin Wushuang, leaped down.
"Chase!"
The two quickly pursued, but it was too late. They could only watch as Lin Wudi escaped in a pre-prepared war chariot.
"Yun Fan! You will regret this. Soon you will know what it feels like to wish for death rather than life!"
Lin Wudi threatened Yun Fan.
"You won't have that chance!"
Yun Fan responded coldly.
At this, Ye Qingcheng said worriedly, "Lin Wudi will not give up. We must split up now!"
"I will go find Mother and hope she can intervene. You go see the Heavenly Emperor and give him all the evidence, so he can control the situation and absolutely not let Lin Wudi gain power!"
At this moment, she had regained her composure and quickly devised two countermeasures.
"Alright!"
Knowing the gravity of the situation, Yun Fan did not delay and set off immediately to see the Heavenly Emperor.
"I hope it's not too late!"
Yun Fan was somewhat worried. After all, Lin Wudi controlled two-thirds of the military, a force strong enough to crush everything. If Lin Wudi were to mobilize this force prematurely, the consequences would be unimaginable.