Chapter 153: Chapter 152 Heavenly Shadow Poison_1
Ling Chen and Liu Xiling stood on opposite sides of the mountain stream, looking at each other. The atmosphere was extremely subtle.
"Saintess, since Ling Chen is your son, why not bring him back to the Saint Witch Religion and nurture him well? I believe that before long, the Ten Outstanding Talents of the Demonic Sect will have one more member," Xia Ji suddenly suggested, bowing to Liu Xiling.
Hearing this, the two Supreme Demonic Grandmasters couldn’t help but sneer. "What a joke! It’s already a disgrace that this boy is alive in the world. Now you want to bring him into our Holy Church? Do you think the Saintess hasn’t endured enough disgrace?"
"Exactly. Seeing as he has blood ties to the Saintess, we will spare his life today. But if we encounter him again, he will be killed without mercy!"
Truly foolish and shortsighted. A look of disdain flashed through Xia Ji’s beautiful eyes. These two are truly obstinate old fools.
Liu Xiling had yet to say a word when, suddenly, a burst of loud laughter came from a distance.
"Hahaha... Truly interesting! I didn’t expect to witness such a moving scene of a mother-son reunion as soon as I arrived."
As the laughter faded, a black silhouette swept over from the distance, moving closer. Behind him followed more than ten blood-robed experts, who landed atop the nearby large trees.
When Ling Chen saw the black silhouette’s appearance, his pupils shrank. This figure was very familiar; it was none other than the Demon Elder who had escaped from Black Wind Ridge.
"Your Excellency Saintess, how do you intend to handle this boy today? In my humble opinion, why not let him join our cult? After all, he is your and Ling Tianyu’s son—a heaven-gifted talent. If he can serve the Holy Church, his future will surely be boundless." The Demon Elder merely glanced at Ling Chen before offering a sinister smile.
How did this fellow show up? Xia Ji frowned. Within the Saint Witch Religion, factions were numerous, engaging in intense struggles and ostracizing outsiders. Although the Demon Elder had only recently escaped, he belonged to Saint Witch Sect Master Sikong Yi’s faction, which was ambitious, bellicose, and at odds with Liu Xiling’s faction. With this man watching nearby, it was likely impossible for Liu Xiling to even try to share a heartfelt mother-son moment with Ling Chen.
Liu Xiling paid no heed to the Demon Elder. She leaped down from the mountain stream’s bank, landing lightly on the ground before Ling Chen.
"I didn’t expect you to still be alive. I thought you had died in that chaos," Liu Xiling’s voice was exceptionally cold, devoid of any emotion.
"Mother, what exactly is going on?" Ling Chen grabbed Liu Xiling’s snow-white sleeve, his hand closing around her soft one. "What exactly happened that night? It’s widely rumored in Jianghu that you betrayed Father, colluded with the Saint Witch Religion from within and without, and attacked the Divine Intent Sect. I know these things are surely baseless rumors and have nothing to do with you, Mother. But what is the truth? Can you tell me?"
However, the next moment, Liu Xiling ruthlessly flung Ling Chen’s hand away. "That’s right," she stated. "The rumors in Jianghu are true. I infiltrated the Divine Intent Sect for over a decade, all for the day I could find a chance to scheme against Ling Tianyu."
"He was too strong and had almost no weaknesses. Only by gaining his trust could I have an opportunity to kill him. I never thought it would take me a full fifteen years," Liu Xiling stated coldly.
"Impossible!" Hearing these words, Ling Chen felt as if struck by lightning. He froze on the spot, his spirit utterly crushed.
How could this be? Could it be that Ling Chen’s mother is truly as ruthless and vicious as the Jianghu rumors say? Is this her true face? Xiao Muyu began to worry for Ling Chen. She was starting to question what kind of person Liu Xiling truly was.
Ling Chen took a deep breath and shook his head. "You weren’t like this before. I know how gentle and kind your heart is. Are you only saying this because there are other people here?"
"Gentle and kind?" Liu Xiling sneered. "Those things are merely a facade to achieve my objectives. To achieve my goals, feigning a kind personality is an effortless matter for me."
"You have only two paths now. First, join the Saint Witch Religion. Once you enter the Demonic Sect, you will still be my son. You will then have no connection whatsoever to the Divine Intent Sect or the Righteous Martial World. Both you and the girl hiding behind you can live. Otherwise, your only path is death."
Liu Xiling’s words, like steel needles, pierced Ling Chen’s heart, shattering the last sliver of hope he had clung to.
He had previously been convinced that Liu Xiling was his birth mother, that no one in this world understood her better than he. The Jianghu rumors couldn’t possibly be true. Even if the Great Elder had said anything unfavorable about Liu Xiling, he wouldn’t have believed it.
But now, he felt a sense of despair greater than death itself.
"Join the Saint Witch Religion?" Ling Chen let out a derisive laugh, yet his smile was more painful to look at than tears. "Apologies, but the righteous and demonic paths cannot coexist. The Saint Witch Religion is responsible for my father’s death; joining the Saint Witch Religion is utterly impossible."
"Moreover, I swear I will personally destroy the Saint Witch Religion! For this Demon Cult, you betrayed your husband and abandoned your son. I truly want to see what you will become when it is annihilated, and whether your conscience will finally awaken!"
Ling Chen’s expression became exceedingly calm. He merely slanted a glance at Liu Xiling, then turned to walk away.
"Aren’t you afraid of death?" Liu Xiling’s icy voice came again from behind him.
"I don’t believe you would attack me." Ling Chen paid her no mind and continued to stride forward.
The next instant, WHOOSH! The sound of wind abruptly came from behind. Ling Chen whirled around to see Liu Xiling already before him, her palm striking squarely on his chest.
PFFT!
A mouthful of blood sprayed out as Ling Chen’s body flew backward, feeling as if he would be shattered by the force of the blow.
This palm strike held absolutely no mercy.
As the palm struck him, complex emotions flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes: shock, disbelief, disappointment, and even despair.
When one is about to be killed by their closest kin, only despair remains in their heart.
The instant after sending Ling Chen flying, Liu Xiling flickered and reappeared before him. A Black Jade Bottle suddenly materialized in her hand—it was the very bottle containing the Heavenly Shadow Poison.
The bottle was already open. Liu Xiling gripped Ling Chen’s chin with her left hand and poured all the blackish-red liquid from the bottle into his mouth.
Isn’t that the Heavenly Shadow Poison? Master actually gave Ling Chen this to drink! Is she really planning to kill her own biological son here? Xia Ji covered her cherry-like mouth, an irrepressible horror surging in her beautiful eyes.
Even a Top Sky Apex Strong could not withstand the Heavenly Shadow Poison. Ling Chen, with his meager strength, would likely be devoured by this Heavenly Shadow Poison until not even his bones remained.