Chapter 804 Subjugation and Rescue

The three-flower-shaped emerald pattern between Yao Ming's eyebrows was slowly receding, its shimmering light gradually fading until it became a barely perceptible emerald mark, quietly disappearing beneath his withered flesh. Only the faint, strange connection remained, like an invisible thread, binding his soul and Qing Lin tightly together.

As this energy settled, the dazedness he had been in due to the tearing of his will gradually faded, and his scattered gaze gradually focused, slowly regaining its clarity.

When he reopened his eyes, his gaze almost uncontrollably fell on the girl in green in front of him. The shock, anger, resentment, and doubt in her deep-set eyes had faded, replaced by an unprecedented, almost instinctive obedience.

His gaze was filled with pure submission, as if the young girl before him was the only master to whom he should bow in this lifetime.

But beneath this compliance lay a turbulent, indescribable mix of emotions.

Although he was subdued by Qinglin using the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil, his memories were not altered in the slightest by the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil.

But now, even though he knew that the girl in front of him had forcibly subdued him, and even though his reason told him that the girl's strength was far inferior to his own at his peak, he felt no aversion or resistance whatsoever.

A sense of submission, originating from the deepest part of the soul, like an innate instinct, forcefully suppressed all resentment and bitterness.

Even though he roared with resentment in his heart, his body still instinctively maintained awe towards Qinglin. In fact, the moment his eyes met hers, he would involuntarily soften his gaze. That obedience was not a pretense, but an absolute restriction imprinted on his soul by the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupil, which left him with no way to resist and no way to resist.

The complex emotions churning in his chest had nowhere to go, and Yao Ming felt a tightness in his throat. Finally, he slowly raised his withered neck and sighed deeply into the dark void at the bottom of the Yellow Springs.

The sigh was hoarse and dry, echoing softly in the silent, sealed land.

As the sigh subsided, he did not hesitate for a moment, as if he had already accepted this predetermined fate. He slowly lowered his head and bowed to Qinglin. Although his voice was still hoarse, it carried a respect and obedience from the depths of his soul: "Yaoming greets Master."

From this moment on, this top expert with the strength of a two-star Dou Sheng, the former leader of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, was merely a snake-like magical beast under Qing Lin's command, controlled by the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil.

As Qinglin watched him bow and salute, she subconsciously raised her hand to rub her temples, and could still feel a faint trace of fatigue.

The subjugation of Yao Ming by activating the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil seemed to go smoothly, but in reality, the consumption far exceeded expectations. This was the first time she had subjugated a snake-type magical beast with the strength of a Dou Sheng at this level.

If it weren't for the fact that she had never slackened in cultivating her spiritual power under Xiao Ling's guidance over the years, and that her spiritual power was now far superior to that of her peers, and that the demon beast race inherently had a weakness in their soul power, coupled with the fact that Yao Ming had been sealed for many years and that his body and soul were in an extremely weak state, then she would have been able to subdue him so easily.

If the timing were different, or if Yaoming were at his peak, this subjugation would likely have been a hundred times more difficult.

After recovering from the slight fatigue, Qinglin looked at Yaoming bowing before her, her tone still carrying the sweetness of a young girl, but with an added air of undeniable seriousness: "No need for such formalities."

She paused, then turned her gaze to Xiao Ling, who stood calmly to her side, and continued, "From now on, you will only need to follow Young Master Xiao Ling's orders. Do exactly what he says without the slightest disobedience."

As she spoke, the soul bond originating from the Jade Serpent's Three-Flower Pupil flowed quietly with her voice, silently confirming this unquestionable command.

Yao Ming felt no affection whatsoever for Xiao Ling.

After all, if Xiao Ling hadn't given the order himself, Qing Lin wouldn't have been able to use the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil to forcibly subdue her. The humiliation of being manipulated and reduced to a vassal clearly stemmed from this indifferent human in front of her.

However, due to the soul restriction of the Azure Serpent's Three-Flower Pupil, he could not harbor even the slightest resentment towards Qing Lin. The obedience from the depths of his soul had already smoothed out all resistance. But towards Xiao Ling, that hidden resentment always lingered in his heart and never dissipated.

However, Qinglin's command was like an invisible shackle, and the instinct to obey deep in his soul instantly overwhelmed his resentment, forcing him to suppress all his emotions.

He knew better than anyone that the orders of the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupil were absolute ironclad rules, allowing him no room for resistance and preventing him from even having the thought of resistance.

"Yes, I understand." Yao Ming bowed to Qing Lin and replied, his voice still hoarse, but full of obedience, without the slightest hesitation.

As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly turned his gaze to Xiao Ling, who remained calm beside Qing Lin, a complex emotion flashing across his deep-set eyes.

He composed himself, his tone respectful yet barely concealing his urgency: "Your Excellency Xiao Ling, the situation is now clear, surely you can trust me completely?"

He paused, his withered hand clenching unconsciously, before continuing.
"Afterwards, I would like to ask for your assistance in breaking free from this seal and seeing the light of day again. Then, I would like to trouble you to lend me a hand in regaining control of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan and reclaiming power within the clan. On the day I regain control of the clan, the entire Nine Netherworld Python Clan will be at your service. In the future, if you have any instructions, please inform me, and my entire clan will do its utmost to assist you without the slightest hesitation."

These words conveyed a sense of urgency to escape his predicament, the confidence of a former clan leader, and the restraint of someone forced to bow down. He knew that his fate was now tied to Xiao Ling and Qing Lin, and only by using their power to escape and seize control could he find a way out, even if it required complete submission. This was the most advantageous option for him at the moment.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling's lips curled into a faint yet knowing smile. He nodded slowly, his tone remaining as calm and collected as ever, yet carrying an undeniable certainty.
"Now that you have been subdued by Qinglin, you are considered one of our own."

"I am never stingy with my help to my own people. Rest assured, I will break this seal and shackles for you, and help you escape from this dark and hopeless underworld."

Xiao Ling's words ignited a genuine fervor in Yao Ming's eyes, a longing to see the light of day again after being trapped for hundreds of years, dispelling most of his forbearance and resentment.

He immediately nodded to Xiao Ling, his hoarse voice filled with barely concealed urgency: "Thank you, Your Excellency."

Seeing this, Xiao Ling did not say anything more. The corner of his lips still held that faint smile, and his gaze had already passed over Yao Ming and landed on the chains wrapped around his back.

The chain was as black as ink, its surface covered with ancient and obscure runes. As the runes flowed, they emitted a faint sealing power. One end was firmly locked to Yao Ming's body, while the other end extended along the ground, deeply embedded in the surrounding steep cliffs, and finally disappeared into a black mountain not far away.

The mountain was not very large, only a few dozen feet high. It was pitch black like obsidian, and its surface was so smooth that no cracks could be seen. It looked as if it had been carved from a single piece of black iron.

However, even from a distance of several dozen feet, the chilling energy emanating from the mountain was still biting and piercing. Even though Xiao Ling was surrounded by the warm aura of the strange fire protecting him, he could still clearly feel a chill. This pure and domineering chilling energy was clearly the key to the seal's ability to trap Yao Ming for hundreds of years.

"It seems that the source of the Yin energy in the Nine Netherworlds is this mountain. Yao Xiaotian really went to great lengths to trap you."

Xiao Ling moved slightly, his figure appearing like a ghost in an instant before the black mountain. He raised his eyes and looked at the mountain, which was completely black without any other color. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly concentrated his strength in his palm, and a vast amount of battle qi surged out without reservation, transforming into a giant energy palm as solid as iron in front of him.

The giant hand, accompanied by a whistling sound that tore through space, pushed aside the surrounding icy Yellow Spring water and slammed into the mountain with overwhelming force!
"boom--!"

A dull, deafening roar exploded at the bottom of the Yellow Springs, causing the surrounding water to surge violently and ripples to spread outwards.

However, the seemingly indestructible black mountain, after being hit by this palm strike, only showed a few fine cracks on its surface, which disappeared in an instant, without even the slightest sign of collapse.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling raised his eyebrows even higher. Although he hadn't used his full strength in that palm strike, he had still held back seven-tenths of his power. An ordinary Dou Sheng would be severely injured if struck by such a blow, and a Half-Saint would die instantly.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly inconspicuous black mountain was able to withstand the damage with minimal damage, which shows the special nature of its material or the powerful restriction placed inside the mountain.

Seeing Xiao Ling's powerful palm strike land on the mountain, leaving only a few fleeting traces, Yao Ming's heart sank instantly. The eagerness that had been burning within him because of the hope of escaping was now quietly overshadowed by worry.

His thin body tensed slightly as he gazed at the still intact black mountain, and he hurriedly spoke to Xiao Ling's retreating figure, his tone tinged with urgency as he explained.
"Your Excellency is unaware! This mountain is forged from Yellow Spring Yin Stone, a rare object refined over millions of years by the chilling power of the Nine Netherworlds. Its hardness far surpasses that of ordinary ores; even a full-force attack from a Dou Sheng would find it difficult to damage its core!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling didn't turn his head. He remained standing before the mountain, his tone still calm and unwavering.

"It's alright." These two words were spoken casually, yet they carried absolute certainty. "I have my own way of overcoming this obstacle. Just wait patiently."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ling slowly extended his slender hand, his five fingers slightly clenched.

In an instant, a long spear appeared out of thin air in his palm; it was the Fallen God Weapon, which contained the ultimate flames and spatial mysteries.

As Xiao Ling thought for a moment, the Fallen God Weapon split apart, turning into countless tiny, star-like metal fragments that swirled and danced in front of him.

Immediately afterwards, he frowned slightly, and his mental energy spread out like invisible threads, drawing the fragments together rapidly. In the blink of an eye, a sharp blade with distinct edges and corners had already taken shape.

The blade is made up of countless tiny fragments closely pieced together, with clearly visible patterns, as if it was born with the sharpness to tear everything apart.

Xiao Ling did not stop; his vast battle qi and condensed spiritual power surged into the blade simultaneously.

Battle aura, like a surging river, infuses the blade with immense power, while spiritual energy, like a fine carving knife, firmly engraves the power of space upon it.

In an instant, a rich silver halo appeared around the blade, and a powerful spatial fluctuation suddenly spread out. The surrounding air seemed to be twisted and cut by an invisible force, emitting a hissing sound.

Spatial rifts spread silently around the blade like a spider web, then quickly closed. The almost tangible sharpness rushed towards them, and even the distant demon held his breath involuntarily. He felt that this sharp blade could cut through everything in the world. Even the previously indestructible Yellow Spring Yin Stone was as vulnerable as rotten wood in front of it.

Immediately, Xiao Ling brought his two fingers together, his fingertips twitching slightly. His mental power acted like an invisible rein, steadily controlling the metal blade that was swirling with spatial fluctuations.

The sharp blade pierced the air, accompanied by a piercing shriek, and slashed fiercely down at the Yellow Spring Yin Stone Mountain in front of him.

The dark rock, which was strong enough to withstand a blow from a Dou Sheng, was as vulnerable as tofu in front of this blade that incorporated the mysteries of space. The blade cut into it without any resistance, making only a slight "sizzle" sound, and went straight into the depths of the mountain.

Just as the blade touched the center of the mountain, Xiao Ling keenly sensed a slight resistance, as if he had struck some extremely tough core.

He raised an eyebrow and unhesitatingly increased his mental energy output, unleashing a torrent of spatial cutting power that poured down the blade.

With a crisp "crack," the hard sphere hidden in the core of the mountain was split in two.

As the blade flashed, a grotesque crack appeared in the middle of the entire Yellow Spring Yin Stone Mountain, which was tens of feet high, and then it collapsed with a roar.

With a deafening roar as the mountain shattered, a strange energy surge suddenly spread outwards. The black chains that were wrapped around Yao Ming and connected to the mountain seemed to lose their energy support instantly, breaking inch by inch. The shattered chain pieces flew in all directions, making crisp popping sounds.

As Yao Ming stared at the shocking scene before him, his deep-set pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

As someone who had been sealed away for hundreds of years, he knew better than anyone the toughness of the Yellow Springs Yin Stone. Yet now, under Xiao Ling's sharp blade, it was cleaved open like rotten wood, and even its core toughness was not spared.

This incredible power caused his emaciated body to tremble involuntarily, and his heart was filled with turbulent waves. What kind of method was this? Just how unfathomable was Xiao Ling's strength?

The humiliation and resentment of being forcibly subdued vanished at this moment, replaced by an indescribable sense of relief.

He suddenly felt that submitting to such a powerful being might not be such a bad thing after all. (End of Chapter)