"This..."
Cao Shaoqing didn't know how to answer, so he could only steal a glance at Zi Linling.
As a God Lord realm expert, how could the old patriarch of the Cao family not sense Cao Shaoqing's furtive movements?
He looked inquiringly at Zi Linling but felt no trace of the Cao family bloodline from her.
This made him confused, and his expression turned grim.
He said sternly, "You are not of my Cao family, so how did you enter our Cao family's secret realm?"
Then, he sternly reprimanded Cao Shaoqing.
"Shaoqing, as a member of the Cao family, you not only violated the rule that no one below the God Lord realm is allowed to enter the Jinghua Secret Realm, but you also brought an outsider in. What crime do you deserve?"
"Old Patriarch, this..."
Cao Shaoqing panicked but didn't know how to tell the old patriarch of the Cao family that the entire Cao family had already surrendered to Zi Linling.
Zi Linling smiled provocatively and said directly, "The entire Cao family has now surrendered to me, so why can't I enter this Jinghua Secret Realm?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Shaoqing's face changed drastically.
With such blunt words, how could the old patriarch not be enraged!
As expected, the Cao family's old patriarch, who was already displeased, turned as black as ink upon hearing Zi Linling's words.
"What did you say? What do you mean the entire Cao family has surrendered to you?"
His voice was icy, and a killing intent flickered around him.
Seeing this, Cao Shaoqing quickly explained, "Old Patriarch, listen to me, the matter is..."
"Silence!"
"Silence!"
Two scolding voices rang out simultaneously, one from Zi Linling and the other from the Cao family's old patriarch.
Cao Shaoqing's half-finished words were choked in his throat, leaving him in a difficult position. He could only force a wry smile.
He didn't want Zi Linling and the Cao family's old patriarch to clash. Neither of them getting hurt or defeated would benefit him.
But now, everything was beyond his control.
The Cao family's old patriarch looked at Zi Linling grimly and said, "Speak! What did you mean by your words just now?"
Zi Linling sneered coldly, without a trace of fear, "Exactly what it means!"
The Cao family's old patriarch clearly hadn't expected that Zi Linling, a peak Great God realm spirit cultivator, would be so assertive in front of him, a God Lord realm expert.
He was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter for a while, before speaking in a chilling tone, "Bold! It's been a long time since anyone dared to be arrogant in front of me. Because, all those who were arrogant before me are probably buried with grass as tall as a man growing on their graves."
Zi Linling was unconcerned, "Is that so? Then I am the opposite of you. All those who have seen my arrogance have likely turned to dust!"
Hearing their diametrically opposed words, Cao Shaoqing's face turned ashen.
Given this highly volatile atmosphere, it would be strange if they didn't clash.
The Cao family's old patriarch's eyes were cold, "Hmph! You're just a peak Great God realm spirit cultivator. Who gave you the guts to be so arrogant and presumptuous in front of this seat?"
Zi Linling refused to back down, "If one needs someone else to give them guts, they might as well go and drown themselves in a puddle of tofu!"
The Cao family's old patriarch chuckled sinisterly, "Interesting! I'd like to see what your backing is?"
"Little brat, don't say I'm bullying you! You must have also felt that you cannot use spiritual power or the power of laws within this Jinghua Secret Realm. So, if you can withstand eighty percent of my strength and remain undefeated under eighty percent of my soul power, I will spare your life!"
Zi Linling scoffed, "Spare my life? You'll need the ability for that!"
As they spoke, they assumed their stances and entered a state of combat readiness.
Cao Shaoqing was burning with anxiety, seeing that the battle could no longer be stopped.
Just then, four words suddenly appeared in his mind: "Chosen One!"
That's right!
If he could just reveal Zi Linling's true identity as the "Chosen One," this battle might not even happen.
No sooner said than done.
Cao Shaoqing shouted at the Cao family's old patriarch, "Old Patriarch, Miss Zi is the Heaven..."
"Silence! Even if she were the Jade Emperor, she has no right to run amok in our Cao family!" the Cao family's old patriarch roared.
Zi Linling smiled coldly, "Cao Shaoqing, since he doesn't appreciate your effort, why bother? Now, let me see what is so extraordinary about this old patriarch of the Cao family that he dares to speak so boastfully to the Jade Emperor!"
Then, she provocatively said to the Cao family's old patriarch, "Come on, bring it on. Don't just use eighty percent, even if you use your full ten percent power, let's see if I, Zi Linling, fear you!"
"You'll regret this!"
With that, the Cao family's old patriarch struck Zi Linling with a palm.
This palm strike, though seemingly slow, reached Zi Linling in the blink of an eye.
This palm strike appeared ordinary, but the gust of wind it generated seemed to cut through the air.
Zi Linling did not dodge. She raised her palms and met the attack head-on.
There were no flashy techniques; it was a direct test of raw strength.
"Bang!"
A muffled sound echoed, and Zi Linling retreated three steps, dissipating the force of the impact.
Although her internal energy churned, she was not injured.
The Cao family's old patriarch, however, remained as steady as a mountain, his feet firmly planted on the ground.
But a flush of red appeared on his face.
This flush appeared and disappeared so quickly that it was hard to catch.
The Cao family's old patriarch's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced down the coppery taste in his throat.
"You lost!"
He said this calmly on the surface, but inside, a storm was raging.
In that palm strike, although his power hadn't reached eighty percent, it was still a genuine fifty percent of his strength.
And Zi Linling only retreated three steps and remained uninjured, demonstrating her formidable strength.
No!
This was no longer just formidable; it was exceptionally formidable.
After all, he had used fifty percent of his God Lord realm strength, while Zi Linling was merely at the peak of the Great God realm.
"Could it be that she cultivated a body-refining technique?" the Cao family's old patriarch mused inwardly.
"I lost? Not necessarily!"
Zi Linling chuckled sarcastically, "If you had also retreated a few steps like me, you wouldn't have sustained such a minor injury! But your foolishness lies in your inability to save face, forcing yourself to endure the recoil, which severely impacted your internal organs. If I'm not mistaken, your portal vein of the heart and liver has developed a slight crack from the churning blood?"
What a joke!
Zi Linling was a ghost-handed poison doctor. Her skills in the four diagnostic methods—observation, listening, inquiring, and palpation—had been honed to perfection.
How could the Cao family's old patriarch's subtle movements and the flush on his face escape her discerning eyes?
The Cao family's old patriarch was greatly alarmed. He quickly checked his portal veins of the heart and liver and found that everything was exactly as Zi Linling had said.