Chapter 285 - 255: The Situation is Temporarily Settled

Chaos spread throughout the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Guard and the Inner Guard were wary of each other.

Meanwhile, masters from all walks of life infiltrated the grounds, fighting to the death for the supreme position on behalf of their chosen candidates.

There were no large-scale army confrontations, but small skirmishes erupted in nearly every corner of the Imperial City.

This situation was more conducive for experts from the Martial World to display their skills.

BOOM!

A majestic building that had stood for many years collapsed with a roar, and two figures flew out from it, one after the other.

"What is Sumeru?"

The voice of Ouyang Chengxuan, the Celestial Intent Sect Master, was unhurried.

"In its greatness, it is Sumeru Mountain; in its smallness, a mustard seed. The Physical Body gains the ability of a Thousand Transformations, transcending heaven and earth."

"Senior, you have been trapped in the Inner Palace for a hundred years. Although your power is profound, you have long since lost the Martial Arts Will to transcend all things."

"Junior," the old man said, taking measured steps. His seemingly slow movements were actually faster than Ouyang Chengxuan’s.

"Anyone can speak of principles, but how many can actually achieve them?"

"I have sat in meditation for more than a sexagenary cycle. My Martial Arts Will has long been connected to this land. Within this Imperial Palace, unless a Human Immortal appears, no one can defeat me."

"The Celestial Intent Sect Master..."

"...is no exception!"

He clenched his five fingers into a fist and swung it down lightly.

But in Ouyang Chengxuan’s perception, it was as if the sky was falling, the earth was collapsing, and the sun and moon were sinking. Infinite power covered all directions.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

CLANG!

The melodious ring of a sword echoed.

A Soft Sword shot out from his waist like a Flood Dragon, unleashing a streak of Sword Light that illuminated the entire Imperial Palace.

Celestial Intent Sword Technique!

At this moment.

Ouyang Chengxuan was the heavens, the master of this world. Even the flowing Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi stagnated.

But in the next moment.

BOOM!

The Sword Light shattered.

The so-called boundless Celestial Intent was surprisingly fragile before that skinny, skin-and-bones fist.

"From the day I was born, I was soaked in all kinds of Spiritual Medicine. I began Martial Arts at six, and reached the Fourth Grade in a single day."

The old man’s steps were slow and his strikes seemed loose, but his every move was like a majestic mountain on the move.

He was imbued with infinite power; he didn’t need to do anything at all. Simply plowing forward was enough to crush everything.

"At seven, I advanced to the Upper Three Grades. At thirteen, I became a First-Grade Grandmaster. At sixteen, I became a Martial Saint by Opening the Divine Treasure."

"For the next twenty years, I traveled the thirty-six prefectures of Daqi incognito, witnessing countless prodigies. After returning to the palace, I advanced to the Vajra realm and was listed as one of the seven Princes who could inherit the throne that year."

"I had no interest in the throne; I sought only the Great Dao."

"At sixty, I reached Sumeru!"

"For the next hundred-plus years, I’ve spent most of my time here in the Imperial Palace. The world calls me mediocre, but has anyone ever considered that I, too, once looked down upon the world with pride?"

He was young once, too!

He had witnessed the world’s geniuses and even stood at the pinnacle of Martial Arts alongside several others, though his fame was not widespread.

His strength,

could not be faked in the slightest!

The old man extended a single hand, his five fingers curling slightly inward, and Ouyang Chengxuan’s body was instantly immobilized.

His other hand balled into a fist and smashed forward.

BOOM!

A house collapsed.

In an instant, Ouyang Chengxuan shrank to the size of a fist and somersaulted away, escaping from under the Fist Force.

Unlike the Bone Shrinking Skill.

Ouyang Chengxuan had shrunk proportionally, becoming a fist-sized man, his internal organs and bones shrinking along with him.

It was like a legendary technique of the Immortals.

And though his body had shrunk, his power had not weakened. Instead, it became more condensed, which was how he was able to break through the Fist Force and escape.

"Sumeru Mustard Seed?"

The old man paused, stunned.

"You actually managed to do it."

"Indeed." Ouyang Chengxuan’s body flickered, and he suddenly grew to a height of thirty feet, as if he would burst through the heavens.

It wasn’t just his height and size that changed.

It was his power.

Power far exceeding that of an ordinary Sumeru Realm expert erupted from the giant’s body and flowed into the relatively tiny Soft Sword.

Myriad rays of Sword Light suddenly blazed.

HISS...

SCHH!

The hard ground was sliced with countless fissures. Within a hundred-zhang radius, only the spot where the old man stood remained unscathed.

Ouyang Chengxuan’s eyes narrowed.

"Thousand Transformations?"

"Yes," the old man nodded.

At some unknown point, his body had become covered in a layer of what looked like fish scales, blocking the incoming Sword Light.

"Sumeru Mustard Seed, Thousand Transformations."

"Now, let’s see what you think of my Flying Dragon Transformation."

As he spoke, his form blurred, and he seemed to become a Divine Dragon suspended in the sky, opening its great maw to bite down on Ouyang Chengxuan.

The dragon’s might was immense.

The Imperial Guard and Inner Guard across half the Imperial Palace were struck with terror, and even the Divine Treasure Martial Saints were no exception.

BANG!

Ouyang Chengxuan’s body shattered, but he reappeared a li away, his face pale and his body trembling.

"Mirror Flower Water Moon?" The old man froze for a second, then nodded dazedly.

"I’d forgotten the Celestial Intent Sect had such a Secret Technique. To create such a convincing illusion is truly remarkable."

’This old monster...’

Ouyang Chengxuan’s expression was grim.

Before coming, he had thought his opponent would be difficult, but he hadn’t expected him to be this troublesome. He had absolutely no chance of winning.

’Fortunately...’

’The old monster is too old, his reactions are a bit slow, and his mind is sometimes clear, sometimes muddled. Otherwise, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even have a chance to escape today.’

...

Meanwhile, the Combat between Xuan Chengzi and Master Yixing was also ongoing.

Unlike Ouyang Chengxuan and the old monster from the Royal Family, their Combat was more focused on Martial Arts Will.

The Martial Arts Will, condensed in a Physical Body that had absorbed a Divine Soul, could already manifest into a tangible form after advancing to the Sumeru Realm.

In the perception of the tens of thousands of commoners below, two ’divine beings’ stood in the void, facing each other.

One was a golden Buddha.

The other was a Daoist standing on a turtle and a snake.

Their formless Martial Arts Divine Intent clashed in the sky. Where the Buddha’s gaze fell, dark clouds scattered, and lightning flashed.

Around the Daoist, a Compass seemed to spin, controlling wind, rain, lightning, and thunder, as a Longsword periodically slashed out with infinite might.

Sumeru!

Two Sumeru Realm experts were engaged in Combat at the edge of the Imperial Palace, causing the nearby Imperial Guard to tense up and stand ready.

An army tens of thousands strong had gathered here to prevent any unforeseen incidents.

Until...

DONG!

DONG...

The deep, resonant toll of a bell rang out nine times in succession.

"The Emperor has passed away!"

*

*

*

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims:"

"We, having received the heavenly mandate to rule the world, have worked diligently day and night... Today, feeling our body fail and our spirit weary, and considering the eternal stability of the state and the welfare of the people, we hereby announce to the world: We have chosen Our nineteenth son, Wenlin, as the Crown Prince, to inherit the great line of succession."

"It is ordered!"

"The Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan, possesses both benevolence and virtue, and her wisdom is extraordinary. From a young age, she has practiced filial piety, is well-versed in the classics and history, and is familiar with the art of governance... We have personally examined her and confirmed that she is capable of bearing the heavy burden of state affairs and assisting Wenlin in continuing the prosperous era of our dynasty."

"Let this be observed according to the proper rites and ceremonies, and be proclaimed throughout the land so that all may know."

Emperor Chong’an had issued an edict: the Nineteenth Prince, Qii Wenlin, was to ascend the throne as Emperor, with the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan, as the Duke.

In that moment.

The Imperial Court was aghast.

’What is the meaning of this?’

The Crown Prince was trapped in the Celestial Prison, not yet sentenced. The Third Prince held sole military authority abroad. Yet the throne was given to the Nineteenth Prince.

And...

He had made the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan, become a nun without detaching from worldly affairs, and now he had appointed her as Duke to assist the Nineteenth Prince.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see.

Although Emperor Chong’an was dead, the struggle for the throne had only just begun. It was far from over.

There was another rumor.

The Duke, Qii Wanyan, intended to marry the son of Prime Minister Zhang.

Or rather,

Prime Minister Zhang’s son would marry into the Royal Family.

...

Ever since the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan, was appointed as Duke to assist the new emperor with state affairs, the status of Baiyun Temple—a place where she had once stayed—had risen accordingly.

Visitors came in an endless stream.

Emperor Chong’an wasn’t even buried yet, but many people were already thinking of switching their allegiance.

Unfortunately, the Temple Master of Baiyun Temple, Daoist Ziju, disliked disturbances. The Daoist Temple’s gates were tightly shut, forbidding outsiders from visiting.

The delivered invitation cards were stacked taller than a person, but very few were invited into the Daoist Temple.

"Daoist."

Now that Qii Wanyan could naturally not return herself, her personal maid, Li Ningxue, came in her stead.

"These are the items the Princess promised you: the Liu Family of West Shu’s Ten Thousand Swords Chaotic Heart Technique, and the Great Compassion Temple’s Tathagata Heart Spell."

Two thin booklets were placed on the table.

A satisfied smile appeared on Zhu Ju’s face. After flipping through them, he closed his eyes, only speaking slowly after a long moment.

"They’re fake!"

"Fake?" Li Ningxue was stunned and hurriedly said,

"Impossible!"

"I personally saw these two Cultivation Techniques being delivered from the Liu Family of West Shu and the Great Compassion Temple. A copy was even made and placed in the Imperial Palace’s martial treasury. The Princess has absolutely no intention of deceiving you, Daoist. Besides, it would be meaningless."

Martial Arts for advancing to the Divine Treasure realm might be extremely rare for others, but they were nothing special to the Royal Family.

Offend a Vajra Martial Saint over them?

Not worth it!

Besides, it doesn’t match the Duke’s character.

"I’m not saying Qii Wanyan deceived me, but that there are problems with these two Cultivation Techniques themselves." Zhu Ju shook his head.

"They cannot be used to Open the Divine Treasure."

As an expert in this field, he possessed absolute authority. Both of these Cultivation Techniques were missing something.

"This..." Li Ningxue frowned.

"It’s true that in the last century, no one from the Liu Family or the Great Compassion Temple has become a Martial Saint by cultivating these two techniques."

"Could it be..."

"...that they don’t know the techniques are fake either?"

Deceiving Qii Wanyan now was equivalent to committing the crime of deceiving the sovereign. Not many people had the guts to do that.

The key was,

Qii Wanyan only wanted the Method for Opening the Divine Treasure, not the Cultivation methods for after the Martial Saint realm. Her demands weren’t high.

For most Martial Arts Families and Martial World Sects, the Cultivation after becoming a Martial Saint was the key to their legacy.

There was no need to commit the crime of deceiving the sovereign over this.

"Perhaps."

Zhu Ju was noncommittal.

"The Great Compassion Temple might not know the Tathagata Spell is fake, but the people from the Liu Family of West Shu definitely know."

"The Ten Thousand Swords Chaotic Heart Technique..."

"You haven’t read this Cultivation Technique, have you?"

"Without Her Highness’s and your permission, Daoist, this servant wouldn’t dare." Li Ningxue shook her head hastily.

"Take a look." Zhu Ju tossed a booklet over.

"Does it look familiar?"

’Hm?’

Li Ningxue took it with a suspicious look. After flipping through a few pages, her expression changed slightly, her eyes flickering back and forth.

"The Celestial Intent Technique?"

"This is the Celestial Intent Sect’s Celestial Intent Sword Technique!"

As the Saintess of the Celestial Intent Sect, although she hadn’t cultivated the Celestial Intent Sword Technique, she knew its secrets.

She naturally recognized it at a glance.

"A pale imitation." Zhu Ju shook his head.

"This Cultivation Technique is, at best, a defective version of the Celestial Intent Sword Technique. Perhaps the Liu Family has some connection to your Celestial Intent Sect."

"I’ve heard the Celestial Intent Sect Master likes to travel the world under a different identity. Perhaps the ancestor of the West Shu Liu Family was the Celestial Intent Sect Master of that generation."

"This..." Li Ningxue’s beautiful eyes darted around; she had to admit that what Zhu Ju said made a lot of sense.

"In that case, doesn’t it mean that not a single one of the things the Princess promised you, Daoist, has been fulfilled?"

"Such Methods are hard to find. I already expected this. You just need to inform the Duke of the whole story." Zhu Ju’s expression remained unchanged.

"If you really can’t find them, other Methods can be used as substitutes. I am also very interested in the Cultivation Technique that Eunuch Qu practices."

Eunuch Qu’s Body Technique was astonishingly fast. The Divine Treasure he opened must be the Heroic Spirit.

The Heroic Spirit!

The third Soul Zhu Ju planned to connect to was the Heroic Spirit, which governed speed. For this purpose, the more such Cultivation Techniques he had, the better.

"Yes."

Li Ningxue acknowledged, then added,

"There are a few other small matters."

"Hai Pig Jiaoru, who fled a few months ago after being implicated in the Crown Prince’s rebellion, has returned to the Divine Capital. He is still one of the Twelve Unscrupulous Marshals."

"Wang Yutang, the Heir of Marquis Jinghai, is dead..."

"That young master from the Wuu Family made a big name for himself this time. He’ll probably receive a lot of rewards."

"..."

A complicated look appeared in Zhu Ju’s eyes.

Qii Wanyan had a good relationship with the Crown Prince. Although she wouldn’t exonerate him, those who were caught in the crossfire would certainly be allowed to return.

It was normal for Hai Pig to return to the capital.

’Wang Yutang...’

’...is actually dead?’

This was a Martial Saint prospect he had his eye on. He had even appeared as a mysterious figure to give him some pointers.

’What a pity.’

Wang Yutang was too obsessed with Qii Wanyan. He had also shown up at the Imperial Palace that night and died in the chaotic fighting.

’Simps never have a good end!’

’Qii Wanyan probably never gave him a second thought.’

"Also,"

Li Ningxue said,

"Daoist, you can go to the Manufacturing Office and look for the craftsman Lu Gong. He can help you forge an Exotic Treasure."