Chapter 1248: Burning Ambition

"Damn it! Trying to run?"

Lou Qianzhong roared and hurled his iron rod with full strength at Xuan Sha, then leapt forward to give chase.

"Wait."

Ling Feng stepped in front of him and said in a steady voice, "Brother Lou, never chase a desperate enemy!"

"Damn it!"

Lou Qianzhong clenched his fists tightly. "If that monster escapes, won't our presence here be exposed?"

Ling Feng shook his head slightly, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. "Even if it doesn't escape, our whereabouts are already known. The situation ahead is still uncertain. If we rush in blindly, we might fall right into their trap."

Lou Qianzhong exhaled heavily. "I didn't expect those monsters to be that strong. If not for you, we'd all be dead by now."

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"They aren't that powerful," Ling Feng replied calmly. "Their advantage lies only in their mutated hides and unnatural toughness."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "What we need to find out now is how many more creatures of that level exist on Heavenly Pool Island. And the island master's strength must not be underestimated."

"Then..." Lou Qianzhong hesitated. "Then should we still go to Heavenly Pool Island? It feels like walking straight into danger!"

Ling Feng gave a light smile as he replied, "You can't catch a tiger without entering its den!"

"

Heh.

You little brat," Lou Qianzhong chuckled. "If you're not afraid, how can I be?"

Lin Mu laughed boldly. "If we're heading into the tiger's den, count me in." Since he had come this far, turning back was no longer an option.

"Fatty, this grandaunt is following you no matter what!"

Lan Yuhuang blurted it out before realizing how her words sounded. Her face flushed red. She sneaked a quick glance at Ling Feng, but seeing no reaction from him, her annoyance grew.

Is this man really that dense?

Tuoba Yan covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh. She had long grown used to Ling Feng's blockheaded ways.

President Fang looked hesitant, but he understood that leaving Ling Feng's group would only lead to a quicker death.

After a brief discussion, everyone agreed to proceed toward Heavenly Pool Island.

With one of the two gatekeepers dead and the other fled, slipping onto the island would not be too difficult.

...

Not long after their departure, a flying vessel approached from afar. It carried the group led by the Venerable of the Desolate Sea.

He was clearly familiar with this region. Since entering the Sea of Miracles, his group had avoided the major space-time rifts, so they had suffered no losses.

"Soon we will reach Heavenly Pool Island," the Venerable of the Desolate Sea said in a low, commanding tone. "Once we arrive, you will all follow my orders! Anyone who acts without permission will not only lose the treasures but may lose their life as well. You've all seen for yourselves how terrifying the creatures here can be!"

His cold gaze swept across the gathered cultivators.

"Of course," they answered quickly. None dared to defy him.

Murong Zining sat quietly on the deck, her expression dark. Ling Feng's image flashed again and again in her mind, filling her chest with resentment.

That damned Ling Feng had ruined her plans time after time, humiliating her at every turn. Compared to her usual poise as the so-called first beauty of the Inner Sea, she now felt like nothing more than a defeated stray.

"Zining," said the Venerable of the Desolate Sea as he approached, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Do not dwell on the past. That boy is just a reckless youth. By now, he should already be dead beneath the waves."

Murong Zining looked up, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Grandfather, how can you be sure?"

"I have my ways," he replied calmly.

As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the surrounding reef islands. He knew that the Twelve Shas of Heavenly Pool Island guarded this area. With such beings standing watch, even if Ling Feng had three heads and six arms, survival was impossible.

But fate rarely followed expectation, and disappointment awaited the Venerable of the Desolate Sea.

Murong Zining bit her lip. "Part of me hopes he isn't dead. I want to kill him myself, to tear him apart and end this hatred!"

"Child, remember who you are," her grandfather said. "You are the most gifted descendant of the Murong clan. Your vision should not be limited to the Inner Sea. You must look to the world beyond. Do not waste your time on someone as insignificant as Ling Feng!"

His gaze deepened, filled with burning ambition. "Ling Feng is nothing. Soon, our Murong clan will no longer be confined to the Inner Sea. Even the Tiansheng Empire, and perhaps the Dongling Immortal Pool, will kneel beneath my feet. You will be my heir, the one destined to inherit it all. If you are meant to rule the world, why concern yourself with an ant beneath your notice?"

Murong Zining's eyes widened slightly. She looked at her grandfather in disbelief.

Over the past century, Tianhuang City had risen rapidly to dominate the Inner Sea. Her grandfather's strength had advanced just as swiftly, reaching the peak of the Human Emperor Realm in only a few years. The Murong clan's influence had expanded along with him. Could it be that he truly sought to rule the entire world?

The Murong clan might stand among the greatest powers of the Inner Sea, yet compared to the vast empires beyond, they were still insignificant.

Could the legendary treasures hidden within Heavenly Pool Island truly possess the power to change everything?

Taking a deep breath, Murong Zining lowered her head. "Grandfather, your lesson is right. I was being foolish."

"

Mhmm.

" The Venerable of the Desolate Sea nodded and patted her shoulder again. "Forget about Ling Feng or Long Fei. Once our grand plan succeeds, they can be crushed with a single hand."

Murong Zining's lips curved into a faint smile. The Venerable of the Desolate Sea's words reignited the fire within her heart. Though she was a woman, her ambition burned no less fiercely than any man's.

She was born to walk the path of dominion beneath the heavens, and Ling Feng was nothing more than an insect beneath her feet!

Seeing the resolve return to her eyes, the Venerable of the Desolate Sea smiled with satisfaction before addressing the others. "Everyone, we have endured countless dangers, but the heart of our journey lies just ahead. The rewards will be worth every hardship. Within the hidden trove are more than a dozen ancient secret arts, several king-tier arts, and rare medicinal pills that can directly enhance your cultivation aptitude!"

Most of those gathered had already reached the Human Emperor Realm. They all knew that natural talent was the greatest barrier to progress!

If their innate aptitude could be improved, the realm of Great Emperor might no longer be out of reach!

Hearing this, the cultivators of the Inner Sea grew excited. The promise of such treasures made every risk they had taken feel worthwhile.

As he watched their eager faces, the Venerable of the Desolate Sea smiled coldly to himself. Treasures awaited ahead, and he intended to claim them all.

The others were nothing more than stepping stones in his grand scheme!