Chapter 399: Resolved

Having done everything he needed to, Li Musheng fixed the white-haired withered elder with a long look and said, "Remember what you said to me just now. What comes next depends on how you conduct yourself."

With that, Li Musheng had no further interest in lingering in the Great Xuan imperial palace.

In the next instant, without another word, he simply vanished from the hall.

The withered elder stared at the empty space before him, his eyes narrowing faintly. With his level of cultivation, he could naturally appreciate how formidable Li Musheng's movement technique was.

But he had no attention to spare for that right now. He immediately sat back down in cross-legged meditation and circulated his true qi with full force, attempting to drive out the Life and Death Talisman Li Musheng had left inside him.

While Li Musheng had been present, he could only attempt this subtly. Now that the man was gone, he had no further reason to hold back, and threw every method he knew at it.

After all, no one wanted a vulnerability like that planted in their body, leaving them at another person's mercy.

But no matter what he tried, it was the same result as before. He could not move the Life and Death Talisman within him by even a fraction.

The talisman clung like a tumor in the bone, as though it had taken root in his body.

"Such a terrifying demonic technique."

The Old Ancestor of the Great Xuan imperial palace could only give up for the time being. His expression shifted with unspoken thoughts, and his gaze settled on Zhao Kuang, who was still unable to move.

"Old Ancestor, help me."

Zhao Kuang had watched Li Musheng kill his father with a single finger from beginning to end, too afraid to so much as breathe too loudly. He had not dared say another word to Li Musheng about the throne.

Only once Li Musheng had left did he allow himself a quiet breath of relief, and immediately called out to the Old Ancestor of the Great Xuan imperial palace for help, hoping the man could undo the seals on his body.

The Old Ancestor looked at Zhao Kuang briefly, then without a word reached out and attempted to undo the seals.

But again, he tried everything he knew, and still could not break the seals on Zhao Kuang's acupoints.

"This person is not only overwhelming in raw power and leaves no trace with his movement technique, but even his acupoint sealing is at the absolute pinnacle. How does he train?"

The Old Ancestor's expression was thoroughly startled and unsettled. His impression of Li Musheng had deepened once again into something entirely beyond his ability to see through.

He had cultivated for so many years to reach his current level, and yet this person, not yet twenty years old, could have killed him without any noise or effort whatsoever.

Compared side by side, all his years of martial cultivation seemed almost laughable.

"Old Ancestor, how can this be? Even you cannot undo the seals on my body?"

At the sight, Zhao Kuang had become truly panicked. If the seals could not be removed, was he going to spend the rest of his life as a vegetable who could not move?

If that was the case, forget competing for the Great Xuan throne, his situation was worse than simply being killed.

At this, the Old Ancestor narrowed his eyes slightly. He did not admit outright that he could not undo the seals, but only said in a measured tone, "Zhao Kuang. You killed your father and murdered your brothers, throwing the court into chaos and the imperial capital into turmoil. As the guardian of the Great Xuan imperial palace, the time has come for me to give an accounting to all of Great Xuan."

At those words, Zhao Kuang's expression changed sharply.

He could naturally already guess what the Old Ancestor of the Great Xuan imperial palace was about to do next.

"Old Ancestor, you cannot listen to that Eighth Prince of Great Li. How can Zhao Muning sit on the throne of Great Xuan? You would be handing over the entire heritage our Zhao ancestors built to someone outside the lineage."

Zhao Kuang spoke urgently, trying to persuade the man to change his mind.

But the Old Ancestor was unmoved. He had already harbored killing intent toward Zhao Kuang before this, and the current turmoil of princes revolting in Taixuan City would need Zhao Kuang's death to bring to a close.

As for installing Zhao Muning as Great Xuan's emperor, unconventional as it was, he had no means of breaking the Life and Death Talisman and no way of bearing the consequences of betraying Li Musheng. For now, he had no choice but to go along.

"Everything is only temporary."

The Old Ancestor gradually composed his thoughts, glanced at the Great Xuan emperor's body, and gave a quiet shake of his head.

Everything the Great Xuan emperor had done for Great Xuan, the Old Ancestor had naturally seen in full. But the dead were gone like an extinguished lamp. The winner ruled and the loser was vanquished, and the man who was now a corpse was of no further use to him.

With that thought, the Old Ancestor reached out and scooped up Zhao Kuang in a single motion, then launched out of the hall and rose into the sky.

In the next moment, a dignified and commanding voice rang out across the entire Great Xuan imperial palace overhead, "All persons are to take heed. This old man, acting upon the charge left by the Zhao founding ancestors, hereby assumes command of the Great Xuan imperial palace from this night forward."

...

Once Li Musheng left the Great Xuan imperial palace and returned to the Qingxuan Temple, he dispelled the illusion Dream of a Thousand Autumns had cast.

Daoist Qingyu and the large black cat both came back to themselves.

Daoist Qingyu's expression was as composed as ever. She only came back to reality, looked at what was around her, and let out a deep, quiet sigh. Then she returned to her room.

The large black cat was clearly still reluctant to leave the illusion behind. Its round green eyes drifted about in a daze, circling where it stood.

It seemed confused about why all the treasures it had just been gathering had vanished the moment it blinked.

"That was a dream. Now come back to the inn with me."

Li Musheng glanced at the large black cat, then set off with Daoist Qingyu to leave the Qingxuan Temple.

But at that moment, the Inviting Moon Palace's First Palace Mistress moved quickly to intercept them. Though the terror of facing Li Musheng, an enormous demon lord, was something she could barely suppress, for her younger sister's sake she had no choice but to approach Daoist Qingyu and ask about her whereabouts.

"The Inviting Moon Palace's Second Palace Mistress was taken by the Great Xuan emperor. If the Great Palace Mistress wishes to rescue her, you will need to go to the Great Xuan imperial palace."

Daoist Qingyu shook her head. She had used the Soul-Searching Technique on Wenyue earlier and had used the younger sister's whereabouts as leverage to make Wenyue cooperate. But with her cultivation now stripped away, she had lost both her previous drive and her ambition to avenge her family, and the matter of Wenyue's younger sister would have to be handled by Wenyue herself.

The Inviting Moon Palace's First Palace Mistress's expression shifted with unspoken thoughts. The Great Xuan imperial palace was a dragon's lair and a tiger's den. Even she would need to think carefully before attempting anything there.

At this point, Li Musheng glanced at her and said, "Let me introduce you to someone. She might be able to help you get your younger sister back."

At those words, the Inviting Moon Palace's First Palace Mistress went momentarily blank, as though wondering if she had heard correctly.

But Li Musheng did not say it a second time. He turned and left with Daoist Qingyu and the large black cat in the direction of the inn.

Li Musheng had done this without any particular deliberation. As things stood, Zhao Muning and Wenyue both had something the other needed, which made them a convenient match.

Wenyue stood where she was for a moment in hesitation, but in the end she gritted her teeth and followed.

In the darkness, Theft Saint Bai Wuying, also having come back to himself from the illusion, stared at the direction Li Musheng had gone, raised a hand to touch his forehead, and felt a cold sweat break out all over him.