The Earth won't allow someone as awesome as me to exist!

Right now, Zhang Heping wished he could shoot Qin Chuan dead.

The hatred for killing one's son is irreconcilable!

Many high-ranking figures or powerful martial artists may have more than one child, but Zhang Heping only has one son.

He understood the whole process and believed that even if his son had said or done something wrong, it was not a crime deserving of death.

Now that I have the Duke's backing, why should I be afraid of a mere warrior?

"Marshal Huo, you are the Duke's man, not Qin Xian's man. Be mindful of your position!"

After saying this, Zhang Heping snorted coldly and got into the car.

Only after the car had driven away did Huo Chen and the others breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Earth Immortal level experts are indeed terrifying. Just the release of their aura is beyond our ability to withstand." The Divine Realm experts who were escorting them all breathed a sigh of relief.

This was their first time facing a powerful Earth Immortal, and they could hardly believe how terrifying a battle between Earth Immortals could be.

It's even more unimaginable how powerful Qin Xian, who can casually kill Earth Immortals, must be.

"Why."

Huo Chen sighed heavily.

"Grandpa, I think everything should be alright, right?"

Huo Shuihe didn't think there was any problem, even though the other party's methods were a bit forceful: "We are also under the Duke's command. There's no problem handing the Mountain and River Lamp over to them. They can restore the Dragon Vein and then return it to Qin Xian."

After all, they're all on our side.

Huo Chen glanced at his granddaughter and said with a hint of helplessness, "Shuihe, you're still too naive."

"Huh?" Huo Shuihe looked puzzled.

She really didn't understand. Whether it was the Duke or Zhang Heping, weren't they all on the same side?

Huo Chen gazed in the direction the car had gone, his eyes filled with worry: "Do you know why the Duke of Long wants this Mountain and River Cup?"

"It's not that they have a powerful Earth Immortal escorting them, which would make the Mountain and River Lamp safer, allowing them to restore the dragon veins," Huo Shuihe replied.

"It's not that simple."

Huo Chen gave a wry smile: "If that's really the case, even without the Dragon Token, I would still hand over the Mountain and River Lamp to them. Why would I need to resort to such methods?"

"Grandpa, what does that mean?" Huo Shuihe didn't understand, but she also began to feel uneasy.

"Do you know how old the Duke of Longguo is this year?" Huo Chen's expression was extremely solemn.

"I think it's over a hundred years old..." Huo Shuihe pondered.

Huo Chen answered accurately, "He is 176 years old!"

"At this age, whether it's a Divine Realm expert or an Earth Immortal... the lifespan they can live is ultimately the limit. Hong Ming, who lived for over two hundred years, did so because of the special cultivation method he practiced, and he also needed to castrate himself. But for ordinary martial artists, unless they have stepped into the Celestial Immortal realm, it is difficult to live past two hundred years old."

At this point, Huo Chen paused, a shadow falling over his eyes: "Moreover, the Duke suffered a serious injury years ago, and the reason he hasn't shown his face since is that he spends most of his time recuperating. His health is deteriorating day by day, and it's already a miracle that he's lived to this age."

"Grandpa, do you mean that the Duke wants to use the Mountain and River Lamp to prolong his life?" Huo Shuihe asked in surprise.

Huo Chen nodded: "That's right, that's what I was most worried about."

"Grandpa, aren't you overthinking this?"

Huo Shuihe felt that the Duke shouldn't be that kind of person, after all, he held the most powerful authority in the Dragon Kingdom's martial arts: "A person like the Duke should care about the entire martial arts world. Even if he really wanted to use the Mountain and River Lamp to prolong his life, I think he would restore the Dragon Vein first..."

"Although the Mountain and River Cup still needs to be returned to Qin Xian, we can let the Duke keep it for a maximum of three days. I think he will agree."

In Huo Shuihe's mind, the higher-ups in the martial arts world should be devoted to the martial arts, rather than satisfying their own selfish desires.

Therefore, she still believes that the Duke's primary task in obtaining the Mountain and River Lamp is to restore the dragon vein, and he may eventually use the Mountain and River Lamp to recover from his injuries.

"Shuihe, some things are not as simple as you think."

Huo Chen gently rubbed his granddaughter's head, his eyes filled with a sense of vicissitude: "Once he reaches the position of Duke, do you really think he'll still be devoted to martial arts?"

"The higher a person's position and the stronger their realm, the more insignificant everything in the world is in their eyes than ants."

"Grandpa, is this really true...?" Huo Shuihe couldn't believe it.

"No matter what kind of magical artifact it is, it's limited by the number of uses. Do you think the Duke would prioritize using it to restore the dragon vein?"

Huo Chen sighed again as he said this, "I just hope I'm overthinking it all."

Huo Shuihe didn't say anything more. Even if she was simple and naive, she knew what her father meant.

However, she also hoped that her father was overthinking things and that such a thing would not happen.

"Grandpa, should we talk to Qin Xian about this?" Huo Shuihe asked.

"Don't do it yet." Huo Chen shook his head. "If we tell Qin Xian now, he might just storm the Duke's mansion. Besides, I hope I'm just overthinking it."

He had naturally heard of and witnessed Qin Chuan's ruthlessness; wasn't Zhang Heping's son killed by Qin Chuan?

Meanwhile, in the black car heading to the Duke's mansion.

"This celestial artifact is indeed extraordinary..."

Zhang Heping looked at the immortal artifact in his hand, his eyes filled with undisguised shock and fervor.

Who wouldn't be bewildered if they came into contact with such a magical artifact?

Not to mention Zhang Heping, even the powerful Earth Immortal in black robes couldn't help but reach out and touch the Mountain and River Lamp, his aged hand trembling slightly.

Celestial artifact!

This is a legendary magical artifact.

Historically, the highest level of magical artifacts has always been divine artifacts. While divine artifacts are rare, they do exist.

Immortal artifacts are truly unheard of and unseen before.

If it weren't for Guiwu Shi giving this ranking, many people wouldn't even know that there are immortal artifacts.

Now that they see it, everyone can tell that celestial artifacts far surpass divine artifacts.

This level of celestial artifact cannot be measured by its value alone.

"Can it bring the dead back to life?" Sensing the powerful vitality of the Mountain and River Lamp, Zhang Heping even harbored some evil thoughts.

The black-robed immortal glanced at Zhang Heping, a chill flashing in his eyes: "Zhang Heping, mind your place. This is the Duke's Mountain and River Cup, not yours!"

"I...I understand." Zhang Heping instantly returned to reality.

He did have some wicked thoughts just now, but the black robe extinguished them and brought him back to his senses. He didn't have the strength to take the Mountain and River Lamp right under the nose of a powerful Earth Immortal.

Moreover, even if they did take it, they would most likely be hunted down afterward.

Duke...

We can't afford to mess with them.

"Speaking of which..."

Zhang Heping chuckled sinisterly, then changed the subject: "Even the magic artifact Qin Xian casually borrowed was a celestial artifact. Do you think he has any other celestial artifacts?"