Live-in Son-in-law-Chapter 1202 - 1102: Eldest Prince

No matter how heart-wrenchingly Yun Qinglian cried, pleading to the heavens, the thunderstorm wouldn't heed his cries. The violent thunder filled the entire Thunder Zone, and Qin Yi was nowhere to be seen.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A muffled sound came from outside the mountain, causing it to tremble as boulders tumbled down. Another violent thunderbolt struck, coursing down the steel column on the dome. It was split by eight finer steel spikes, like a domineering silver demon dragon crashing toward the Thunder Tree.

Centered on the Thunder Tree, the area within a ten-meter radius turned into a Thunder Pool, terrifying just to look at.

Yun Qinglian was in a panic, his mind in chaos, utterly helpless, not knowing how to save Qin Yi.

As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Suddenly, Yun Qinglian's eyes lit up. He remembered Qin Yi mentioning that the thunder spread down the steel column because there was also an exposed steel column at the mountain's peak meant to attract thunder. If the steel column at the mountaintop were destroyed, wouldn't that stop the thunder from entering from the outside?

Yun Qinglian believed his guess was correct.

"Qin Yi, wait for me. I'll be right back." Yun Qinglian dashed toward the outside.

Qin Yi had placed an Isolation Array at the passage entrance, but it was only to prevent outsiders from entering, not those inside from leaving.

Yun Qinglian bent low and sprinted down the passage, not daring to stop. The sooner he destroyed the steel column, the greater Qin Yi's chance of survival. He had to race against time.

The passage was narrow, and Yun Qinglian moved so fast that he collided with the stone walls several times, tearing his clothes and leaving bloody scratches on his skin from the sharp rocks. Despite wincing in pain, he dared not halt.

After an hour and a half, Yun Qinglian finally burst out.

When they went in, unfamiliar with the route, it took them a slow three full hours. But coming out, Yun Qinglian sped the entire way, cutting the time in half.

Outside, the weather was gloomy, the sky filled with rolling black clouds, though no thunder or lightning was visible.

Thunderstorms typically don't last long. By the time Yun Qinglian stepped outside, the lightning had ceased, although the black clouds hadn't dissipated.

Nevertheless, worried the clouds might linger and the lightning could strike again, he charged straight to the mountaintop.

The mountain was vast, and it took Yun Qinglian half an hour to find the steel column Qin Yi had described, standing on the highest bough in the dense forest. The column had been camouflaged, its color matching the tree's trunk, and he had passed it several times without noticing.

Yun Qingliang's aura surged, and he struck with a palm, unleashing terrifying power from his palm.

"Boom!"

The steel column, as thick as a thigh, exploded but didn't fall.

Yun Qinglian pushed his cultivation to the extreme and delivered another strike.

"Boom!"

This time, the column broke off at the base and crashed down.

Having destroyed the steel column, Yun Qinglian turned to run back.

Yet, as he turned, his steps faltered, and his whole body tensed instinctively, his eyes full of wariness.

Since when? Not far ahead, several figures were quietly watching him.

He didn't recognize the others, but standing foremost, wearing a yellow brocade robe embroidered with gold thread pythons, was a young man he knew all too well... the Eldest Prince, Yun Chengtian.

Yun Qinglian couldn't fathom that Yun Chengtian would actually appear here.

Yun Chengtian's appearance seemed honest and guileless, nothing like a shrewd man.

But Yun Qinglian knew well that it was all a facade, masking a deceitfully insidious heart beneath a guileless face.

Yun Chengtian smiled innocently at Yun Qinglian, waving his hand.

Yun Qinglian knew she couldn't avoid it, so she slowly approached, gracefully bowed, and smiled, "Brother Prince."

"Why would the Eldest Princess be here?" Yun Chengtian asked with a grin, "Sneaking out like this, I and Father would be worried sick. Such mischief."

Yun Qinglian sneered internally, knowing Yun Chengtian was feigning ignorance.

"The Imperial City was too stifling, so I came out for a stroll. Unexpectedly, I ran into Brother Prince here," Yun Qinglian said with a smile, then paused. "With Brother Prince leaving the Imperial City, aren't you afraid Father would worry? Father dotes on you the most. If you went missing, I fear Father would send people to find you."

"Since you disappeared suddenly and Father was worried, I told him I was out searching for you. Come back with me quickly, or else everyone in your estate might die."

Yun Qinglian's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean by that, Brother Prince?"

Yun Chengtian chuckled, "You disappeared, and Father was furious, believing your estate failed to protect you. In his rage, he ordered the deaths of half the people in your estate. If you don't return soon, they might all be killed."

Yun Qinglian's face changed.

"I disappeared, and surely it was Brother Prince who informed Father, correct?"

Typically, the Emperor summoned her only once a month, if that. This time she had only been out for a few days before the Emperor found out; it must have been Yun Chengtian who told.

"When you disappeared, as your brother, I was concerned and couldn't find you. I had no choice but to inform Father. After all, you're the Eldest Princess of Yunyue Empire. A princess going missing isn't trivial."

Yun Qinglian's gaze turned icy. She hadn't expected Yun Chengtian to be so sinister, taking advantage of her absence to massacre her estate. Ultimately, it was her fault those people suffered.

"Sister, I just saw you knock something down. What might that have been?" Yun Chengtian asked curiously.

Yun Qinglian answered carelessly, "Nothing much, I was just bored and knocked down an old tree. Now that Brother Prince has found me, let's hurry back and not worry Father."

Yun Chengtian waved his hand, smiling, "No rush."

With that, he signaled an elder by his side.

The elder's figure flickered and vanished, reappearing by the steel column.

Yun Qinglian's eyes contracted sharply; this man's cultivation was terrifying.

Soon, the elder returned and whispered a few words to Yun Chengtian.

"Sister, you weren't being truthful. That was clearly a steel column, so why claim it was a tree?" Yun Chengtian laughed as he questioned.

Feigning surprise, Yun Qinglian replied, "Was it? I shattered it casually, and I didn't realize it was a steel column. Strange, why is there a steel column in the forest?"

Yun Chengtian chuckled at Yun Qinglian, "Indeed, why would there be a steel column in the forest? Qiu Ben, what do you think?"

The elder who had checked, Qiu Ben, slightly bowed and said, "In response to the Eldest Prince, the steel column extends into the mountain's core. I suspect there is something in this mountain."

Yun Chengtian grinned and said, "Could it be some treasure?"

"Very likely," answered Qiu Ben.

Yun Chengtian smiled at Yun Qinglian, "Sister, your luck is enviable. A casual strike, and you might have stumbled upon something extraordinary. Let's search around and see if there's a way into the mountain's core. There might be treasure inside. We can't miss this opportunity."