The child's innocent question emerged abruptly in the deathly silent forest, startling everyone. His mother quickly pulled him into her embrace to protect him, whispering, "Hush, don't speak recklessly."
The vast Danxue Mountain, blessed with spiritual essence and natural treasures, was home to many enlightened beings, including various mythical creatures who had cultivated themselves into minor deities. As residents of Danxue Mountain, they always abided by the law, not daring to overstep even the slightest rules.
The lineage of phoenixes on Danxue Mountain stemmed from divine beasts kept by the Father God during the creation of the universe. They were one of the highest divine clans. As the Three Realms were established, everything esteemed the Celestial Realm the highest. In recognition of the phoenixes' distinguished contributions, the Father God decreed the mountain as an empire for them to rule through heredity.
The lineage of the Ancient God, Phoenix, was already among the highest and most esteemed. However, the lineage of the Second Crown Prince was even more illustrious because his father was the Vermilion Bird, one of the four celestial creatures.
The Four Celestial Creatures are the supreme deities, consisting only of four lineages, illustrating the high regard in which the Second Crown Prince was held.
Moreover, barring any accidents, the Second Crown Prince was destined to become the Emperor of Danxue Mountain in the future.
If not for a significant incident that had occurred on Danxue Mountain many years ago, which deeply affected the Second Crown Prince and left him uninterested in politics, the mountain would not have suffered the scourge of the Malignant Spirits.
Initially, all were diligent cultivators, extremely cautious of any contact with malevolent beings, until recently when the Second Crown Prince had purged various corrupt and evil entities, allowing them to finally emerge from their safe havens.
It was unknown what virtues or abilities allowed this ordinary mortal from another world to not only receive personal rescue from the Crown Prince of the unapproachable Danxue Mountain but even to have his injuries personally inspected by him…
Considering the vastness of Danxue Mountain and the multitude of accomplished mythical beings, most never even had the chance to glimpse the royal family…
Yet today's scenario was unheard of, a shockingly unprecedented event!
Amid the astonishment of all the beings, the Second Crown Prince lightly lifted two fingers, forming a sword technique, and cut his own wrist, intending to use his blood to save the foreign mortal.
"Please reconsider, Your Highness!" an Elder's voice boomed like a great bell. Immediately, an old man with a long beard hastened from the trees and kneeled at a distance, pleading, "Your Highness, with blood so noble and precious as the heavens and earth themselves, you must not perform such an act of mercy, absolutely not!"
Following him, many elders came out from the woods, each one dissuading him.
"Your Highness, the grand Danxue Mountain has never before involved any ordinary mortal, and the sudden appearance of a mortal from another world may bring disaster in the future. He is currently afflicted by the nefarious aura of the Malignant Spirits; it is his fate to suffer thus. I implore you not to act on your compassion!"
"Your Highness, even if you wish to save him, your blood, even a single drop, may be too much for him to bear. Please reconsider and prioritize your divine well-being."
Unshaken by these words, the Second Crown Prince pinched Lin Suqing's cheeks to force his mouth open.
At this point, the shadows in the grove dispersed, revealing all the mythical beings under the sunlight, who, as if cutting wheat in unison, all kneeled down together and pleaded, "Please reconsider, Your Highness!"
Despite everyone's united efforts in dissuasion, the Second Crown Prince paid no heed, indifferently allowing his dripping blood from the wrist to fall into Lin Suqing's mouth.
The child, holding a bamboo tube, sat by foolishly, as the vile energy from the Malignant Spirits fundamentally corrupted him. Despite appearing unharmed on the outside, the malevolent energy would seep through him gradually. In two days, he would suffer excruciating pain and die from his internal organs being corrupted. Even if there were a way to save him, it would not work on his mere mortal body.
Moreover, this was the blood of Danxue Mountain's Second Crown Prince, the bloodline of the highest and most noble.
His blood, if consumed by other deities, could not only significantly enhance their cultivation but also rid them of demonic afflictions, protecting them from future harm and even bringing them back from the brink of death in dire times.
Being of the highest nobility, the prerequisites for the recipient in terms of personal conditions and cultivation were extremely stringent.
Even for highly cultivated deities, merely consuming a drop could possibly burn through their soul and spirit due to being unworthy, causing them to disintegrate utterly.
And yet, Lin Suqing was merely an ordinary mortal.
Thinking this over, the child unwittingly murmured under his breath, "This fool was going to die anyway, why should the master trouble himself and suffer an injury for him."
The Crown Prince withdrew his wrist, pinched his left hand over the wound on his right wrist, and in a mere instant, there was no trace of injury remaining when he opened his hand.
He felt for Lin Suqing's pulse at her neck and spoke indifferently, "Zhui Feng, one must see through appearances to grasp the essence."
Zhui Feng did not expect the Crown Prince to reply and was initially shocked but after thinking about it, he shivered all over—having been reminded by the Crown Prince, he now noticed the uncertainty in the situation.
It was strange indeed, even highly skilled supernatural beings, when facing the Malignant Spirits, would normally have their souls taken and perish immediately. Yet, Lin Suqing, a mere ordinary person, not only retained her soul but even managed to escape hundreds of miles bearing the air of demonic obstacles. Truly bizarre and wondrous.
Could it be that the Crown Prince's bestowal of blood was merely to test Lin Suqing's identity?
He hurriedly set down the bamboo tube, cautiously sniffed Lin Suqing's breath, and scrutinized her injuries in detail.
He was utterly taken aback and fell to the ground, finding it hard to believe everything that had happened to this mortal.
Even immortals of high cultivation, who could hardly tolerate the supreme Divine Blood, and here this foreign mortal had ingested at least three to four drops without any sign of veins bursting; even her complexion gradually recovered from purplish-black to a healthy rosiness.
He raised his little paw pointing at Lin Suqing and stammered, "My lord! She, she, she…"
The Elders, who had been observing from a distance, also noticed that the mortal, having drunk the Crown Prince's fresh blood, did not display any reactions of veins bursting.
They were now rigorously discussing this unusual phenomenon.
At that moment, among the kneeling Elders and commoners, a long-browed, brown-bearded old man slowly stepped forward. The magic wand in his hand carried a bright lantern that shone, even in broad daylight.
As he advanced, he planted the staff beside him, then bowed deeply to the Crown Prince, advising, "Your Highness, I have heard previously that the Malignant Spirit halting midway in the process of seizing her Primordial Spirit was greatly startled. Now, she can withstand the highest Spiritual Power in your blood with relative ease…"
The old man clasped the wand and knelt down, laying the wand on the ground, and the light from the lantern dimmed with his bow as he solemnly said, "Since ancient times, no foreign mortal has ever intruded, let alone one as extraordinary as her, potentially bringing disaster. Your Highness, not only are you the Crown Prince of Danxue Mountain but also the highest deity. I beseech you to consider the welfare of the whole world, and do not leave this hazard existing."
With these words, the other Elders also approved, "We strongly urge Your Highness to prioritize the welfare of the whole world and not to leave this hazard existing."
For a time, even the small supernatural beings watching around also bowed continually in plea, creating a mighty appeal that even made Zhui Feng somewhat indecisive to join them in begging.
After all, the miraculous phenomena currently manifesting on this mortal were truly shocking.
To forcefully rationalize it as something customary, in his view, there was only one possibility…
Zhui Feng had just started thinking when he immediately covered his mouth, fearful of inadvertently saying it out loud.
He could not speak, nor dare to.
It was a matter no one dared to speak again about; even a single word referring to it would result in the extermination of an entire tribe, under the Emperor's strict decree.
Zhui Feng shook his head furiously, forcing himself to forget what he had just thought of, forcing himself not to think about it again.
...
Upon seeing that Lin Suqing was out of danger, the Crown Prince finally stood up, dusted his sleeves, turned away with his hands behind his back, and haughtily looked upon the kneeling Elders and small supernatural beings.
His gaze made everyone tremble.
Still forcibly trying to avoid remembering the forbidden matter, Zhui Feng's ears suddenly twitched, and he regained his senses, looking up at the figure of the Crown Prince—Hmm... The lord seems a bit displeased...