Chapter 1964: Dim Lights, A Retreat!

"This Prince Jidu has such deep scheming… The portrait on this map scroll is almost identical to my appearance, allowing anyone to recognize me instantly. It seems he already harbored suspicion the moment he first saw me appear in Black Stone City!

"Yet he hid it extremely well, so much so that even I didn't notice." Wang Lin held the Jade Slip and glanced at Jidu, who looked respectful but whose forehead was already beaded with sweat and whose face was faintly pale.

"Therefore, he deliberately let that Great Ancient Fiend attack just to verify if his suspicion was correct. After confirming it, he then displayed a perfectly timed shock, and immediately followed up by being extremely deferential to make me stay.

"However, for this person to dare to reveal my identity here and bow to me, he is clearly showing that he harbors no malice. But why does he believe an Immortal Clan's Heaven-Ascending Venerate, after arriving in the Ancient Clan, wouldn't kill him, a mere Prince… Unless…" Wang Lin's expression was calm. He withdrew his gaze after letting it linger on Prince Jidu for a moment.

"To dare to act like this in front of me, Wang, I suppose you already know my identity." Wang Lin spoke slowly.

Hearing this, Prince Jidu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that his actions just now were equivalent to dancing around death, but his resolve was firm. Especially since he had indeed encountered Wang Lin, he would absolutely not give up this Opportunity that could even determine the fate of his entire life!

"The only Disciple of the dao ancient Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo, named Wang Lin—although this matter is secret within the Ancient Clan, the Imperial Family is still capable of knowing it. When Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo returned from the Immortal Clan back then, he immediately chose to enter seclusion. My Shi Ancient Lineage began investigating, and eventually, with the help of Great Heavenly Venerate Song Tian, we managed to guess most of the truth.

"However, even at that time, Imperial Father and Great Heavenly Venerate Song Tian did not confirm that Wang Lin, the white-haired Heaven-Ascending Venerate of the Immortal Clan, was the same person as Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo's Disciple.

Even this Junior only realized the truth after seeing Senior in Black Stone City—that Senior is Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo's Disciple!" Jidu sweated even more and quickly spoke. Near Wang Lin, he felt immense pressure, a pressure even more severe than when facing his Imperial Father, comparable to facing Song Tian.

The woman behind him heard these words, her face pale, her eyes still filled with disbelief. However, the fact that she could follow Jidu and was allowed to stay without being told to leave clearly meant she was someone Jidu trusted.

Wang Lin's gaze swept over the woman's face. Her appearance bore some resemblance to Jidu.

"This is my Imperial Sister. We share the same mother." Jidu quickly explained.

"Since you know my identity, know that I am Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo's Disciple, and just saw me ask for the map Jade Slip leading to dao ancient, you should know that I need to go to dao ancient. So now, why do you bow to me!" Wang Lin said calmly.

"Senior, the Dao Ancient Lineage is not a good place to rely on… Even if Senior has Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo as Master, the Ancient Sovereign of the Dao Ancient Lineage has no tolerance for others. If Senior goes there, you will surely be miserable…" Before Prince Jidu could finish speaking, Wang Lin's eyes flashed, and he let out a cold snort.

He flicked his large sleeve, turned, and walked toward the outside of the grand hall.

"Senior!!" Gritting his teeth, Prince Jidu actually dropped to one knee with a thud! As a Prince, he had only ever knelt before his Imperial Father and Imperial Mother in his life, never before anyone else, yet at this moment, he knelt before Wang Lin.

If this were in the Immortal Clan, it wouldn't be too major an issue, but in the Ancient Clan, where imperial power reigns supreme, Prince Jidu's action was enough to shock everyone who knew about it!

His Imperial Sister was completely stunned where she stood. After a moment of hesitation, she also knelt down.

"Senior, this Junior is willing to become your adopted son. From now on, you will be my Adopted Father. If I can become the future Sovereign of Shi Ancient, then Senior will be the Father of the Nation in the Shi Ancient Kingdom!!

I beg Senior to help me!! Imperial Father has seven sons, and I am the fifth. If Senior assists me, I can satisfy all of Senior's demands!" Prince Jidu said loudly, his expression full of sincerity and expectation.

Wang Lin paused his steps, turned to look at Prince Jidu, and a faint, dark light gradually appeared in his eyes.

"As a Prince of the Shi Ancient Lineage, where imperial power is supreme, you actually kneel before me, Wang… Answer me, who instructed you to accompany the dao ancient envoy group on this selection of consorts!

"Who told you that if you encountered me, Wang, you must kneel and beg me to stay!

"And who told you that you would encounter me, Wang, in Black Stone City!" Wang Lin absolutely refused to believe that there was no Karma involved in all of this. Otherwise, it would be impossible for this Prince to kneel like this. There must be a key figure who guided this person beforehand!

Moreover, this figure was clearly someone the Prince trusted implicitly, believing every word without hesitation!

Prince Jidu's face immediately turned pale. Although he possessed high intelligence, facing Wang Lin at this moment made him feel as transparent as glass, seen through instantly by the other party.

"It was… it was the State Preceptor… The State Preceptor is my uncle, the younger brother of my Imperial Mother… Ten years ago, he emerged from seclusion and, at the cost of consuming his life force, performed a divination for me. He instructed me that when the dao ancient Envoy Group came again, I must accompany them, and he told me that during this trip, I would encounter an Opportunity that would change my destiny… If I could grasp this Opportunity, my fate would change, and my future would be limitless… But if I failed to grasp it, I would not live past a hundred years… As for the specifics, he couldn't see clearly, only vague feelings, and after he finished speaking, he… passed away."

Facing Wang Lin's majestic gaze, Prince Jidu's heart trembled, and he dared not conceal anything.

Wang Lin frowned. He harbored deep apprehension toward the title State Preceptor. These types of people specialize in deduction and calculation, and Wang Lin had experienced their terror firsthand in the Immortal Clan.

However, the State Preceptor of this Ancient Clan clearly couldn't compare to those in the Immortal Clan, and their deduction and calculation abilities were far less clear. With Wang Lin's cultivation, under careful observation, even if Prince Jidu's scheming was deeper, he could see through him completely and knew that the other party was not lying.

"If Adopted Father helps me, the great matter can be accomplished! Imperial Father is now old and has reached the point of abdication. The new Sovereign will be chosen from among us seven… Adopted Father does not need to make a decision immediately. If there comes a day when Adopted Father wishes to leave the Dao Ancient Lineage, and you have no set destination, please come to your son here, and let your son show his filial piety."

"Your son has prepared a gift for Adopted Father. This is a token of your son's filial devotion; please accept it, Adopted Father." Prince Jidu raised his right hand, patted his chest, and immediately, his right hand flashed with light, producing an object.

This object was a Jade Box, which he respectfully handed to Wang Lin with both hands.

Wang Lin pondered briefly, took the Jade Box, and swept it with his Divine Sense. Inside was a Jade Slip and a cylindrical tube about the thickness of a finger.

"That Jade Slip is a great treasure of my Shi Ancient Lineage. It was bestowed by Imperial Father when your son was born. Throughout the generations of the Shi Ancient Lineage, only a Prince can receive one, and only once in their lifetime.

This item is an Ancestral Slip, within which is Sealed the power of a single finger left by an Ancient Ancestor. This item possesses immense power, but its greatest function is for enlightenment. If one can use it to understand the changes contained within the Ancient Ancestor's finger power, it holds infinite wondrous uses.

However, no Prince of the Shi Ancient Lineage, including the Ancient Sovereign, throughout history has ever been able to gain enlightenment from it. But this item has become the highest token of a Prince, and your son gives it to Adopted Father!

The cylindrical tube contains a liquid whose Origin is untraceable. It was left by an Ancient Ancestor and contains extremely pure Wood Origin power. Your son knows that Adopted Father achieved great renown in the Immortal Clan, so you must cultivate the Dao of Origin, hence this item was prepared.

"Your son is only a Prince, not an Ancient Sovereign, but if I can become the Ancient Sovereign in the future, then Adopted Father can choose anything from the eternal reserves of my Shi Ancient Lineage. Your son will utilize the strength of the entire clan to repay Adopted Father's grace in assisting me to the throne!!" Prince Jidu spoke in a low voice, his words absolute, revealing a sense of determination and decisiveness.

Wang Lin held the Jade Box, his eyes thoughtful, but he did not put it away.

As Wang Lin pondered, the grand hall fell silent. Prince Jidu's expression was tense and unconcealed. Internally, he was even more nervous. He had already shown sufficient sincerity, even kneeling and recognizing Wang Lin as his father, and offering heavy gifts, all just to gain Wang Lin's approval and assistance.

He believed the words of his uncle, who had closed his eyes and passed away ten years ago, words spoken while clutching his arm. These words had been seared into his heart, word for word, over the last decade.

"I cannot calculate who this person is, but if he is willing to help you, you can become the Sovereign of Shi Ancient in the future, and there is even a slight possibility of becoming the true Ancient Sovereign who rules the Lands of the Three Clans!!

"I absolutely cannot be wrong. This is a sliver of the future I calculated at the cost of my life!

If he doesn't help you, then… you won't live past a hundred years…" In Jidu's mind, his uncle appeared, with his sorrowful gaze and slowly closing eyes, finally releasing his grip on Jidu's hand.

"Adopted Father!!" Jidu knelt there and began kowtowing to Wang Lin.

The thudding sounds echoed in the hall, breaking the silence, making his Imperial Sister's face pale. She realized how important this matter was to her Imperial Brother!

After a long time, amidst the thudding sounds, Wang Lin's voice rang out.

"Give me a Jade Slip that can locate you!"

Jidu's body trembled, and his face showed ecstasy. He immediately took a Jade Slip from his bosom and excitedly handed it to Wang Lin.

"If there truly comes a day when I, Wang, leave dao ancient, it won't be too late for you to call me Adopted Father then!" Wang Lin had made his decision. He couldn't put all his future prospects solely within the Dao Ancient Lineage. Taking advantage of this Opportunity, he planned to leave himself a retreat!

After speaking, Wang Lin put away the Jade Box and the Jade Slip Jidu had offered. After glancing at Jidu, he turned and walked out of the grand hall in a single step, his figure vanishing into the mist between heaven and earth, leaving no trace.

Not until Wang Lin had departed was Jidu's entire body soaked with sweat, but his expression was one of excitement and elation, and he tightly clenched his fist.

"Imperial Sister, based on my understanding of the Sovereign of dao ancient, Adopted Father will definitely be uncomfortable there. A powerhouse like him simply cannot be restrained by a mere Sovereign of dao ancient. Adopted Father will come and help me… definitely!"

"Was it worth it…" The woman stood up and spoke softly.

Prince Jidu laughed heartily.

"Yes! Adopted Father values emotion. Otherwise, given his status, he wouldn't have bothered seeking out Great Heavenly Venerate Xuan Luo. I sincerely respect him as if he were my birth father; he definitely won't harm me!"

Tomorrow, meeting Xuan Luo!! Asking for guaranteed monthly votes!!!