As soon as Lin Qian finished speaking, Gao Benli’s eyes widened in shock, and he found himself at a loss for words while looking at his junior brother.
After a long pause, Gao Benli, frowning in confusion, asked Lin Qian, "What do you mean by saying my grandfather is already dead?"
Lin Qian sighed and produced a strange crystal, which he then tossed onto the table.
Everyone looked curiously at the crystal on the table, their eyes filled with both confusion and intrigue.
The crystal appeared spherical, yet one small face was a barrier. After Lin Qian threw it onto the table, it rolled to a flat position and settled firmly.
"Light and Shadow Crystal, Junior Brother, how did you manage to get this?" Gao Benli exclaimed in amazement as he looked at the object on the table.
Clearly, unlike the others who were puzzled about what the item was, Gao Benli was completely astonished that Lin Qian could acquire such a thing.
"What is this, Senior Brother?" Lei Qian, seeing that Gao Benli seemed to know about this object, asked curiously.
Gao Benli glanced at the Light and Shadow Crystal on the table and explained to the others, "This thing can store images and release them for viewing. However, they don’t have this device in Coastal State."
"This device was acquired from a Middle Ages relic," Lin Qian, pointing at the Light and Shadow Crystal before him, stated the origin of the item.
The treasury of the Dangyuan Sect, which was the foundation of this ancient sect, had all sorts of items one could think of.
Including the Light and Shadow Crystal before Lin Qian, which the Heavenly Art Department of the Huaxia Empire had completely analyzed and was fully capable of manufacturing.
Lin Qian extended his hand, a slight trace of Soul Power at his fingertips, which he flicked toward the crystal on the table.
Instantly, the flow of Soul Power emanated from the crystal, projecting a hazy light and shadow that formed a lifelike, three-dimensional scene above it, making one feel as though they were part of the setting.
In the three-dimensional image, it showed a secret valley that seemed like a miniaturized, real-life scenario before their eyes.
This secret valley was the forbidden ground of the Wanxiang Sect, where Gao Yuefei, who now controlled the sect, was in seclusion.
The image depicted a night scene where everyone clearly saw, under the moonlight, Gao Yuefei’s figure rushing out from the central mansion of the valley, hovering high in the air.
Hovering amidst the air, Gao Yuefei faced the bright moon above, performing a breathing exercise.
Not only that, his entire body was enveloped in a crimson aura, as though he were bathed in a mist of blood.
"How can this be, Grandfather’s Soul Power wasn’t ," Gao Benli, emotionally stirred, stood up, gazing intently at the scene before him.
Lin Qian also stood up and reached toward the image, his hand spreading wide, and the three-dimensional image instantly enlarged, making Gao Yuefei’s figure even clearer.
"This… This is!" Seeing the enlarged image, Lei Qian’s pupils contracted, pointing at the figure in shock, looking towards Lin Qian, "Boss, could it be…"
"That’s right, the Black Blood Clan, I estimate your grandfather is already dead, and now he is merely a Blood Nourishing Corpse of this exotic tribe!" Lin Qian also stood up, patted Gao Benli’s shoulder, "Brother, please accept my condolences."
Watching the image gradually fade and the glow on the Light and Shadow Crystal slowly dim, Gao Benli turned his head, "Junior Brother, is the content of this image real?"
Lin Qian looked seriously at Gao Benli and nodded in response, "It’s true!"
The footage in the Light and Shadow Crystal emerged after the complete annihilation of the Swift Soldiers, compiled by the Heavenly Art Department from their experiences and observations during their lives.
Previously in the footage, Gao Yuefei, suspended mid-air, was surrounded by a blood-red halo in which traces of black qi could be seen.
This scene was exactly how Lei Kun turned into a Blood Nourishing Corpse; Lin Qian and Lei Qian had seen it clearly.
"Black Blood Clan, they truly deserve to die!" exhaled Gao Benli, his expression ferocious as he looked towards the direction of the secret valley, "I must slay this Blood Nourishing Corpse and bring peace to my grandfather."
After his words fell, Gao Benli, with bloodshot eyes, attempted to rush outside but was grabbed by Lin Qian by the shoulder.
"Senior Brother, have you lost your mind? Calm down." At this moment, Lin Qian’s grip was like a vice, firmly locking Gao Benli’s left shoulder, preventing him from leaving.
Gao Benli turned around, his expression both angry and pained, and yelled at Lin Qian, "But my grandfather’s body has been desecrated; how can I, as his grandson, remain indifferent?"
"Old Master Gao had broken through to the Life and Death Realm. To refine him into a Blood Nourishing Corpse, wouldn’t the strength of this alien Black Blood Clan be formidable? If he’s also hidden within the Wanxiang Sect, going there would be suicide."
"Even if this alien from the Black Blood Clan isn’t there, although your grandfather has become a Blood Nourishing Corpse, he retains his strength. What can you possibly do?"
Lin Qian’s words gradually calmed Gao Benli down, and he sat down reluctantly.
His grandfather’s situation had made him lose his reason. After listening to Lin Qian, he came to his senses.
"So, Junior Brother, what should we do now?" Gao Benli looked at Lin Qian and asked.
Lin Qian pondered in silence before finally speaking, "Firstly, since Gao Yuefei, turned into a Blood Nourishing Corpse, has reached such a tacit agreement with the Shengtian Sect, promising peace and suggesting our sect’s allegiance, it’s likely they’ve had contact with the Black Blood Clan."
"That alone isn’t enough for me to make such a conclusion. However, Sect Master Zhang Dingyun of the Shengtian Sect once mentioned that once a certain person arrives, it will be their time to dominate Coastal State through corruption."
"I am certain this individual must be that powerful alien from the Black Blood Clan. This person from the Black Blood Clan, not having attacked any power in Coastal State and without leaving any trace, must have gone somewhere to prepare, judging by Zhang Dingyun’s words."
Hearing Lin Qian’s analysis, everyone was enlightened and nodded in agreement, finding it very reasonable.
"Strange, boss, you weren’t there at the time, how do you know what happened?" Following that, a surprised expression appeared on Lei Qian’s face.
Ding Zhirong and the other four also remembered and looked puzzledly at Lin Qian.
"Could it be that you’ve forgotten Senior Zhang Juncheng?" Lin Qian responded with a chuckle.
Zhang Juncheng was the master of that Small World, and through protective arrays, he could clearly observe what was happening around the ancient ruins.
At that time, inside that Small World, Lin Qian was observing the outside affairs. It was only after Zhang Dingyun and his group had left that he came out to give the Storage Rings to Sect Master Hai and Sect Master Mei.
Reminded by Lin Qian, Lei Qian then realized.
Seeing the tacit understanding between Lin Qian and Lei Qian, Ding Zhirong and others were even more baffled, querying curiously.
"Alright, there’s nothing much to talk about this. The issue we need to focus on now, if my speculation isn’t wrong, is that Coastal State is about to undergo a drastic change."