Cao Shaoqing frowned, watching everyone take the poison. He then said to Zi Linling, "Miss Zi, we Cao family have done as you asked. Can you now remove the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array?"
"Is that so? Are you sure everyone has done as I asked?"
Zi Linling's meaningful gaze fell upon Cao Shaoqing and Cao Shaochen, and she asked.
Cao Shaoqing was taken aback. The amiability on his face instantly vanished, replaced by displeasure. "What does Miss Zi mean?"
The amiable smile on Cao Shaochen's face also froze. He said angrily, "We have shown our sincerity. Is Miss Zi trying to go back on her word?"
"No, no, no!"
Zi Linling waved her hand and smiled, "Elders, don't be so hasty! Think carefully, what did I say just now?"
Cao Shaoqing knitted his brows and said, "You said that cultivators above the Divine King realm must have a soul imprint planted by you, and cultivators below the Divine King realm must take President Rong's Hundred Days Heartbreak Pill. We have done both of these things. What more do you want?"
Cao Shaochen also said with a hint of anger, "Yes, what more do you want?"
Zi Linling gave a cold smile and said, "You have indeed done the second point, but regarding the first point, I said cultivators above the Divine King realm."
She deliberately emphasized the word "above," intending to remind the two of them.
With Zi Linling's reminder, Cao Shaoqing and Cao Shaochen suddenly understood.
The cultivators above the Divine King realm that Zi Linling spoke of clearly included the two of them.
But as Supreme Elders of the Cao family, how could they allow someone to plant a soul imprint on them?
The expressions of Cao Shaoqing and Cao Shaochen simultaneously turned grim.
Cao Shaoqing said, "Miss Zi, this is too much!"
Cao Shaochen agreed, "The two of us were in seclusion. You insisted we come out to meet, and now we see you were waiting for us here!"
Zi Linling said with a half-smile, "Was it me waiting for you here, or you waiting for me here?"
"You agreed to my two conditions precisely to have me remove the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array, and then combine your strength to kill me and seize my destiny as a chosen one, didn't you?"
Cao Shaoqing and Cao Shaochen, their intentions exposed, immediately revealed their ferocious nature.
Cao Shaoqing said angrily, "Brat, since you've seen through us, there's no need to hide anything! Are you going to remove the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array or not? Are you going to hand over the antidote for the Hundred Days Heartbreak Pill?"
Cao Shaochen also said fiercely, "Brat, if you obediently remove the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array and hand over the antidote for the Hundred Days Heartbreak Pill now, we can promise to leave your body intact after seizing your destiny!"
"Leave my body intact? Heh heh!"
Zi Linling gave a cold laugh and said, "You've indeed made a clever plan, but is the price of using all the Cao family members as bargaining chips too great?"
Cao Shaoqing sneered, "As long as we kill a few of you, no one else in the Cao family will die, so there is no price to speak of."
Cao Shaochen also sneered, "Even if those who took the Hundred Days Heartbreak Pill die, as long as all the Divine King realm cultivators of the Cao family survive, the Cao family's foundation will not be affected, and the Cao family can still dominate Crimson Blood City!"
"Oh?"
Zi Linling said sarcastically, "What about the world-ending calamity of Azure Star? Can you also escape it?"
Cao Shaoqing smiled sinisterly, "The calamity of Azure Star? That's just a legend. Who knows if it exists or not?"
Cao Shaochen continued, "Even if it exists, so what? Azure Star has three continents, and there are countless ants. What does it matter if a few die?"
Upon hearing this, Zi Linling's aura turned cold. With killing intent, she said, "Two fools! How can a nest remain intact when the eggs are smashed? Do you really think it's just a matter of some people dying?"
"Forget it. I'm too lazy to talk to you further. Today, I will first slaughter the two of you, and use your heads to consecrate the banner of resisting the great tribulation!"
"Boasting!"
Cao Shaoqing sneered and roared at the Cao family members, "If you don't want to die, quickly retreat to the Cao family and activate the clan protection array!"
Cao Shaochen also roared at the more than forty Divine Kings, "You all retreat too!"
"But we..."
Cao Youwei wanted to remind Cao Shaochen that since they had soul imprints planted on them, hiding was useless, but Cao Shaochen glared at him, "I told you to retreat, so retreat! What's there to say!"
Cao Shaochen dared to scold everyone so confidently because he was certain that Zi Linling would not do anything to these Divine Kings.
In fact, since Zi Linling had planted soul imprints on these more than forty Divine Kings, she would not eliminate these Divine Kings unless absolutely necessary.
Even though Cao Youwei was the head of the family, in front of Cao Shaoqing and Cao Shaochen, he was no different from anyone else.
He shook his head helplessly, led the more than forty Divine Kings back through the Cao family's main gate, and activated the clan protection array.
Zi Linling waved her hand and shot a stream of spiritual energy into the sky.
This spiritual energy quickly transformed into a pattern, the same pattern she had activated at the sealed land of the Sky Origin Continent.
The pattern was neither a cauldron nor a palace, its sphere had sharp spikes, resembling a dagger or a stone, trailing a long tail.
This was her signal to communicate with Xuanyuan Xun and the others.
After this signal was sent, the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array instantly contracted, confining only the entire Cao family and exposing Zi Linling, Cao Shaoqing, and Cao Shaochen outside.
Zi Linling said to Rong Guang, "Take Zhuang Xing and the other ten, and return to the formation immediately!"
"En!"
Rong Guang did not delay. He said to Zhuang Xing and the other ten, "Follow me!"
With that, he led the ten people and disappeared through the Cao family's main gate.
Cao Shaoqing and Cao Shaochen wanted to intervene, but they were locked onto by Zi Linling's aura.
Even though the two of them were already at the Half-step Divine Lord realm, their soul power was still stuck at the Ultimate Attainment realm. However, Zi Linling's soul power had already reached the Origin Return realm, just one step away from the legendary Creation realm.
Cao Shaoqing said coldly, "Brat, if you relied on the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array, we two would have to be cautious. But you arrogantly released us from the array's range, so don't blame us for being ruthless!"
"Enough talk, the two of you, come at me together!" Zi Linling provoked calmly.
She would never tell them that the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array restricted her strength, preventing her from communicating with heaven and earth with some of her trump cards.
Only by stepping out of the Four Seas and Eight Desolations God Punishing Array could she attack without any scruples.
Cao Shaochen said angrily, "Hmph! You, a peak Great God realm cultivator, are worthy of me and my brother attacking you together? I alone can defeat you with no chance to retaliate!"