War God Long Ao

"Long Fu, what should I do?"

"Master, it's very simple. Refine the Spirit Stone."

"Doesn't the Dragon Seal Space need Spirit Stones to recover?" Long Ao wasn't surprised in the slightest. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi contained within the Spirit Stone he had obtained before was immense. Once refined, it would be more than enough for him to devour.

"Master, this Spirit Stone is nowhere near enough to restore the Dragon Seal Space. Based on your needs, I've calculated that a quarter of it at most will suffice."

Under normal circumstances, Long Ao would never have chosen to refine the Spirit Stone. But the current situation was different. To prepare for any unforeseen variables, he had no choice but to refine the Spirit Stone and devour it.

Long Fu didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately split off a quarter of the Spirit Stone and tossed it directly into the Blood Pool.

Watching the Blood Pool bubble, Long Ao still couldn't figure out what exactly it was. It was simply heaven-defying. In addition to creating Soul Slaves and Corpse Slaves, it could also refine power and even Spirit Stones.

According to Long Fu, it would take at least three days to completely refine the Spirit Stone.

Three days was practically the blink of an eye for a Martial Artist. Long Ao left the Dragon Seal Space and found Linghu Ning and Bing Hun. He didn't tell them what was happening, instead saying, "Brother Linghu, Bing Hun, if you have nothing else to do, why don't you return to Flame City first?"

Long Ao didn't want to drag his friends into this, so they couldn't remain in Red Fire Town.

'He's trying to send us away?'

Linghu Ning and Bing Hun were very surprised. They couldn't understand why Long Ao would suddenly want them to leave. 'Did something happen to the Long Family?'

Before either of them could speak, Long Ao said, "To be honest with you, the Blood Sea Sect will be here soon, and I don't want you to meet Guan Feng."

With no other choice, Long Ao could only resort to deception. The truth was, the Blood Sea Sect had never said they were coming.

"Brother Long, is the Blood Sea Sect coming to cause trouble?"

"I'm not leaving, Long Ao. If you consider us friends, don't do this again. Can we only share good fortune but not hardship?"

Long Ao knew Bing Hun would say that. He smiled and said, "Bing Hun, the Blood Sea Sect is coming mainly to discuss the Kyushu Wind and Cloud Battle with me. It's not just the Blood Sea Sect; the other Five Great Sects will be coming as well."

"Brother Long, is this true?"

"Why would I lie to you? The Kyushu Wind and Cloud Battle is about to begin. As the third-ranked on the Wind and Cloud Ranking, I have a duty to represent the Celestial State. The Six Great Sects are coming this time, and each has its own agenda."

It had to be said, Long Ao's acting was superb. At the very least, Linghu Ning and Bing Hun didn't suspect a thing.

The three of them sat together and drank for the entire night. The next morning, the two of them got up and left Red Fire Town.

"Ao'Er, this must have been hard on you."

Without even looking, Long Ao knew who was standing beside him. On the walls of Red Fire Town, the father and son pair, Long Yi and Long Ao, faced the gentle breeze and gazed into the endless void in the distance.

"Father, if something happens to me one day, the family will be counting on you."

"Don't talk nonsense."

With a small laugh, Long Ao seemed to revert to that inexperienced young boy again. "Nothing will happen to me," he said. "I will stand at the Martial Arts Peak and look down upon the world. I will ensure my family faces no danger whatsoever."

Long Yi didn't speak, simply watching the son before him. In just a few short months, Long Yi realized that the distance between him and his son had already grown so vast.

「Dusk.」

With Ao Xue's arrival, the gloom on Long Ao's face was swept away. He took her small hand, led her into the Little Courtyard House, and they spoke of their longing for each other.

"Long Ao, have you been well?"

Nodding, Long Ao smiled gently. "I've been very well. Ao Xue, what's wrong? You look a little pale."

Startled, the fake Ao Xue feigned composure and said, "I'm fine. I came this time not just because I missed you, but for something more important. I heard from my father that you have a Treasure that can alter the flow of Time. Is that true?"

Looking at the Ao Xue before him, Long Ao couldn't help but feel that something was strange about her. Something seemed off, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Of course, Long Ao would never hide anything from Ao Xue. He nodded and said, "That's right. The Godslaying Mirror. It has two sides. The front can speed up Time by three seconds, and the back can cause a Time Reversal of three seconds."

This made Long Ao even more curious. Whenever he and Ao Xue met, she had never once asked about a Treasure right away. Despite his suspicions, Long Ao still chose to trust her.

"Can I see it?"

His brow furrowed slightly. It wasn't that Long Ao was reluctant to show it to Ao Xue, but the strange feeling in his heart was growing stronger. He nodded, stood up, and said, "Wait here. I'll go get it for you."

Halfway there, Long Ao suddenly turned around and said, "I'd really like to hear you call my name."

'Call him what?'

Long Ao's sudden action completely baffled the fake Ao Xue. She had no choice. To avoid blowing her cover, the fake Ao Xue called out, "Long Ao."

Hearing her call his name, Long Ao smiled and nodded. "Just a moment. I'll go get it for you."

Long Ao didn't stop again and entered the room a moment later. Through a tattered window, his eyes were fixed on the Ao Xue sitting on the stone bench.

'Your appearance is the same, your voice is the same, but there's one thing you don't know,' he thought. 'Ao Xue likes to call me 'Stinky Brat'.'

The fake Ao Xue never would have guessed that those two words, "Stinky Brat," would expose her. A full hour passed before Long Ao finally opened the door and walked out. His face was unreadable as he came and sat down beside her.

"Long Ao, where is the Godslaying Mirror?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ao Xue!"

"Who are you, really?"

"Long Ao, what's wrong with you? I really am Ao Xue! Have you forgotten even me?" The fake Ao Xue put on a sorrowful expression, and tears even welled up in her eyes, looking as if they might fall at any moment.

"I don't know who you are or why you're impersonating Ao Xue, but I can tell you one thing. Ao Xue—my woman—loves to call me 'Stinky Brat,' not 'Long Ao.' Understand?"

Her identity exposed, the fake Ao Xue's expression changed drastically. She shot to her feet, hesitating as if she wanted to say something, and her body even began to tremble.

"I'll ask you one last time. Who are you? If you tell me, I can let you go."

"I... I... I'm actually..."

CRACK! Before the fake Ao Xue could finish her sentence, a palm struck the top of her skull, killing her instantly. Looking at the two people who had suddenly appeared, Long Ao showed no sign of displeasure or anger.

"How dare she impersonate my daughter. She truly didn't know what's good for her. Long Ao, did you find out who she was just now?"

The newcomers were none other than the Ghost King Sect's Sect Leader, Ao Tian, and the Thunder Sect's Sect Leader, Xia Fang.