While Xuanyuan was immersed in his cultivation, a huge storm had swept the capital of the Northern Dynasty.
Xuanyuan, one of the top talents of the Eastern Dynasty, had defeated the Sage King. He had also received the Devouring Energy Source and the statue of Gluttony. In addition, he had exposed the vile deeds of Cheng Men, and ruined its reputation.
Cheng Men used to be a powerful force, and it had collapsed in just a few short days. The chain of events that followed it were dire. Many people had disappeared or died overnight as a result of the collapse of Cheng Men. There was no doubt that Xuanyuan had dealt a severe blow to Cheng Yin.
His name spread throughout the capital; there was no one who didn’t know him.
Within the surveillance department, Cheng Yin stood boiling with rage. His killing intent surged, ready for everyone to see. However, Cheng Yin was good at controlling his emotions.
“Xuanyuan… He actually dared to come face against me on his own. The inheritor to the Emperor of Acquisition, he is a bigshot isn’t he.” Suddenly, he said, “I want to enter the Endless Misery!”
Cheng Yang, Cheng Xu, and Yuechang had come to visit him. All three of them looked shocked when they heard his words.
“Elder brother, please reconsider. The Endless Misery is very dangerous. While one day of punishment within it can offset one year’s worth of punishment, it’s all for naught if you die inside.”
The Endless Misery was a top-secret location set up by the surveillance department. The inside of the room was filled with Misery Blades that pierced the flesh and soul. If one could survive one day inside, they could negate one year’s worth of punishment. Originally, Cheng Yin planned on staying imprisoned for 6 years, and control everything from the inside. However, within just a week, Xuanyuan had already made his Cheng Men collapse. If he continued to stay imprisoned, he didn’t know what else would happen. He decided to undertake such drastic measures in order to get out so he could manage the situation himself.
“Master, don’t worry. I’ll kill him at all costs. Please, don’t risk your life.” Yuechang anxiously told Cheng Yin.
“Elder brother, I feel it’s best you reconcile with Xuanyuan. People like him don’t offend others unless they are offended first. It’s natural for Xuanyuan to avenge s.h.i.+guan, since she’s his lover. You are to blame in this situation. You already have a bad reputation right now. If this continues, you will lose your position as the Crown Prince.” Cheng Xu sighed and tried to reason with Cheng Yin.
“So what? Cheng Yang can succeed the throne, and stop the ministers from ganging up on me. I can still command the Northern Army and fight the world, eventually achieving my dream of world domination. Anyway, I’ve already realised that second brother is more suited to lead a country than me. It doesn’t matter; after all we are destined to complement each other. Who is emperor is irrelevant.” Cheng Yin waved his hand dismissively. He was resolute in his decision. His Cheng Men, which took several years of hard work to establish, was destroyed by Xuanyuan. There was no chance of reconciliation.
Cheng Xu also knew that Cheng Yin was far too angry to convince right now. It would take time, and had to be done slowly. Knowing that, he changed the topic.
“You do realise that the Endless Misery is extremely dangerous? After all, as you said, you and Brother Yang complement each other. Combined, the two of you can rival even the legendary Saint Body. Six years will pa.s.s in a flash. Why nother risking your life now? Even Xuanyuan said that the matter has come to an end. Why bother stirring a hornet’s nest?” Cheng Xu persuaded Cheng Yin to abandon his reckless plan.
“Hmph, if I die, then that’s all I was destined to achieve. Don’t try to convince me any further. I will not let Xuanyuan go.” Saying this, Cheng Yin turned and left.
Cheng Yang was nervous. Looking towards the other two, he said, “Xuanyuan destroying Cheng Men was a big blow to brother. Let him go, I guess. After all, the Endless Misery is also a great place to temper one’s will. If he survives all 6 days, he will surely receive great benefits. It may be a blessing in disguise.”
“I hope brother can get through it safely. I’ll take this chance to talk to Xuanyuan. Once it all comes to an end, we must take a chance to reconcile if we can. Xuanyuan is also ruthless. Furthermore, he also has the protection of the Nightmare Ghost. Brother will have to use the entire power of the royal family, and unleash the secret weapon to even stand a chance of killing Xuanyuan.” Cheng Xu said helplessly.
“The ministers already held a meeting. They said that the handling of Cheng Men had disgraced the royal family’s reputation. I heard the Emperor of Mount Tai and several other important figures banded together. I wonder if father can protect brother.” Worry flashed in Cheng Yang’s eyes.
Yuechang didn’t say anything. She loathed the fact that she couldn’t do anything to Xuanyuan. Suddenly, she seemed to think of a plan, and a glint ran through her eyes.
Seeing this, Cheng Xu tried to persuade her. “Yuechang, this is a grudge between brother and Xuanyuan. I know you are loyal to brother, but don’t do anything stupid.”
“Thank you for your concern, Prince Xu. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything reckless.” Yuechang smiled charmingly, weakening Chang Xu’s resolve.
Yuechang was a demon that a teenage Cheng Yin had encountered when he entered a cave by mistake. She had inherited the blood of the ancient moon rabbit, and possessed extraordinary strength. Ever since she could transform into a human form, she became more and more attractive as time went by. Cheng Xu was already weak to the looks of women, and he found it hard to resist her.
“Well, there’s nothing to do but wait for brother.” Cheng Yang sat down as he waited for Cheng Yin.
The day after, a shocking piece of news ran throughout the capital. Cheng Yin’s ruthless means had resulted in an unimaginable amount of loss of life. However, the fact that his Northern Army had made countless contributions to the Northern Dynasty remained irrefutable. As such, while he escaped the death penalty, he was dismissed from the position of Crown Prince. The position was still to be filled.
The bigshots of the Northern Dynasty knew that the Cheng Men incident was the opportune moment to dismiss Cheng Yin as the Crown Prince. Xuanyuan had to be credited for the most part. Were it not for him, Cheng Yin would have come out in a few years and a.s.sumed the position of Emperor.
For a royal dynasty, dismissing someone from the position of Crown Prince was a serious affair. However, the people had lost faith in Cheng Yin. As a result, they had no choice but to acquiesce to public demand.
“As expected, brother has been dismissed. Alas…” Cheng Yang sighed. He had no intention of fighting for the throne before. Now that Cheng Yin had lost his position, should he try to fight for it? He knew that Cheng Yin would be disappointed if he didn’t fight for it, but at the same time he didn’t want to fight against his other brothers.
Yuechang grit her teeth when she heard the news. She vowed to herself, “Xuanyuan, you are the one responsible for the young master’s plans to be destroyed. I’ll never forgive you.”
Cheng Xu shrugged and said, “The throne of the emperor is like a floating cloud. After all, the only thing that matters is that you enjoy your life, and are happy.”
All those who had banded together to support Cheng Yin fell apart. After all, the sole reason they had banded together was because of Cheng Yin. Now that he was out of the running, they ran to find different princes to support.
The cause of all this was the arrival of Xuanyuan. The b.u.t.terfly effect had escalated his arrival to such an extent. The entire political balance was destroyed, and a brutal political power struggle began to brew.
Originally, the Lady of the Nine Heavens had wanted to invite Xuanyuan, but she was caught up between the entire political mess, The Saintess of the Bingleng Sect also realised that Xuanyuan would wish to spend some time cultivating with the spiritual ice he had received, and thus didn’t disturb him either. Anyway, it was not like Xuanyuan would simply escape from the Emperor’s mansion.
The Xuanwu Saint had sent people to keep an eye on where Xuanyuan was staying. He was very invested in knowing every move that Xuanyuan made.
Apart from them, a few people from the Eastern Dynasty had heard that Xuanyuan was here, and they came to kill him. A brutal fight was on the horizon.
Outside the imperial capital, three people stood talking in a dense forest.
“Little sister, you are acting recklessly. Just come back with us!” s.h.i.+ Ba was armed with a ling spear, and was angrily scolding s.h.i.+guan.
“Little sister, how can you disobey us so easily? If you face some accident, how can we ever explain it to Father?” s.h.i.+ Da also scolded her.
s.h.i.+guan wanted to go to the capital of the Northern Dynasty to apologise to the people of the Northern Dynasty. Everything had happened due to her, and countless people had died as a result. Although the war had subsided, it didn’t mean that it just didn’t happen. s.h.i.+guan wanted to heal the pain that the people felt.
Her idea was unanimously opposed by the both of them, They thought she was too reckless.
“Brother, sister, the two of you don’t treat me as my own person. I have my own ideals and morals, and you must let me act in accordance with them. I believe that the Mo clan and the humans can coexist peacefully. Why must there be war? It only results in pain and countless casualties.”
s.h.i.+guan firmly looked at her siblings. She had wanted to ask Xuanyuan to accompany her, but he had left before she had the chance to ask him. Regardless, she was prepared to face everything by herself if it was for her ideals.
“Didn’t we already listen to you and announce the armistice?” s.h.i.+ Ba was furious. While he felt like hitting sense into s.h.i.+guan, he couldn’t bear to raise his hands at her. He knew his sister very well. Her kindness usually meant that she was very gullible and would easily fall for traps.
“Once the war has ended, we must follow through with our responsibilities. While Cheng Yin may have started the war, the Mo clan also razed several cities. The people are innocent! They didn’t ask for a war. As the cause of the war, how can I just stand by? You don’t slaughter the emissaries of the opposing sides of the war, do you? I just wish to express my apologies to the people of the Northern Dynasty, and maybe appease their anger and sorrow. Why must you stop me?”
“Little sister, you underestimate the humans. They are not trustworthy. You should not be deceived by their pretty lies.” s.h.i.+ Da snapped.
“What’s more, it’s not your fault at all. Do you see the Northern Dynasty try and extend the war? No, they also realise that it was Cheng Yin’s fault. If they had continued, they would have lost the support of the people. Why must you apologise? Regardless, we will not let you enter the capital..”
Just when s.h.i.+ Da had finished talking, a dark shadow appeared.
“Greetings to the first prince, the first princess, and the little princess.”
“What’s the news from the capital?” s.h.i.+ Ba asked.
“It appears that Xuanyuan wrecked havoc at Cheng Men, the gambling house that belongs to Cheng Yin, all for Princess s.h.i.+guan’s sake.” The shadow proceeded to fill them in.
“Well, look at that. Xuanyuan is a man after all. It’s no wonder that my little sister took a fancy to him.”
s.h.i.+ Da was also surprised. Looking at s.h.i.+guan, she murmured, “I didn’t expect him to receive the inheritance of the Emperor of Acquisitions. He really cares for s.h.i.+guan. It looks like her dedication is getting repaid. I’m sure that s.h.i.+guan must be ecstatic.”
s.h.i.+guan’s eyes were filled with tears as she sobbed.
“Mister Xuanyuan is really reckless. Going so far just for me. Is he not afraid of danger? Entering the capital all by himself, just to avenge me…”
Despite her words, a strong sense of joy lit her heart up. The person she liked had gone to such extents for her sake.
“Is there anything else?” s.h.i.+ Ba raised his eyebrows. He was in a good mood when he heard that Cheng Men had been brought to ruins. It was a huge economic blow to Cheng Yin. He couldn’t fund the Northern Army for much longer.
“Xuanyuan currently rests at the mansion of the Emperor of Mount Tai. Cheng Yin has been dismissed as the Crown Prince due to facing a lot of backlash, which has resulted in a power struggle boiling.” The shadow continued to fill them in.
“Haha. Very well, that’s good news. I finally fee avenged. There’s nothing better than hearing that there is a political struggle brewing. This Xuanyuan is good. I admit that he has both the ability and the backbone. It doesn’t matter that he may be weak right now. Little sister, if you want, I can arrange for Xuanyuan and you to get engaged, and I will hold the wedding for you once we return to the Mo Land.”
s.h.i.+ Ba was in a good mood. The Mo always valued strength, and Xuanyuan had displayed the worth of a million elite Mo soldiers.
Hearing this, s.h.i.+guan cheeks flushed in embarra.s.sment. “Elder brother, please stop talking nonsense. If you go on, I will ignore you. Anyway, Mister Xuanyuan likes someone else.”
As she said that, her expression became gloomy. She knew that the person whom Xuanyuan must like should be Yin Zhenluo.
“What?! That kid dares to like someone else when my little sister likes him? Who is that girl? It’s that lady from the Yin family, Yin Zhenluo right?”
s.h.i.+ Da couldn’t help but roll her eyes. s.h.i.+ Ba’s reaction left her speechless. Women could take care of their own problems, here was nothing he could do to help.
“Big brother!” s.h.i.+guan exclaimed.
s.h.i.+ Ba started to say something more, but immediately shut up when he saw s.h.i.+ Da glaring at him. He waved at the shadow to leave, and changed the topic.
“Now that Xuanyuan made Cheng Yin abandon his position for you, it’s no longer safe for you to go to the capital. Hurry up and return with us. I’ll find a way to bring Xuanyuan to the Mo Land later, and there you can do whatever you want to do. I won’t intervene any further.”
s.h.i.+guan blushed, embarra.s.sed at her brother’s words. “Elder brother, don’t worry about my affairs. Anyway, I still wish to go to the capital. Don’t worry about me. See, isn’t Xuanyuan fine despite making such a mess? I believe that the people there are very reasonable.”
“Little sister, why don’t you understand. Xuanyuan is a human, and he is one of the top disciples of the Eastern Dynasty. Killing him is not so easy. However, they can do anything they want to you, they don’t require a reason to harm the Mo clan. The humans and the Mo clan are different.” s.h.i.+ Da was tired, her words were weak.
“Elder Brother, elder sister, can you trust me? If not me, trust the integrity of the Emperor of Mount Tai. I’ll head there first to meet Xuanyuan. From there on, he will accompany me. If that’s the case, will you be able to rest a.s.sured?”
“The Emperor has a strong sense of justice. I’m sure you’ll be safe as long as you are under his protection.” s.h.i.+ Da unconsciously said.
“s.h.i.+ Da!” s.h.i.+ Ba raised his eyebrows questioningly.
“I always knew that big sister was the best. Since you said it’s ok, I shall head off now. Don’t worry, I’ll head to the Emperor’s mansion first so that you can rest a.s.sured.” s.h.i.+guan was very happy that she could meet Xuanyuan.
s.h.i.+ Da and s.h.i.+ Ba were helpless.
“Don’t worry. I still have something that father gave me. If you don’t trust the Emperor of Mount Tai, at least trust in Father.” s.h.i.+guan rea.s.sured s.h.i.+ Ba and s.h.i.+ Da.
“Be careful”
“I will. Take care.”
s.h.i.+ Ba and s.h.i.+ Da couldn’t help but worry for her safety. How could they not, after all she was their one and only blood-related little sister. However, she was naive and stubborn, and there was nothing they could do.
Xuanyuan had been cultivating all this while. Seven days had pa.s.sed without notice, and Xuanyuan was immersed in an endless Qi. The Qi had taken the form of all sorts of exotic plants and animals of all colours.
Spiritual ice had been nurtured for countless years, and their essence was purer than that of pure energy source. Furthermore, the Qi from the spiritual ice had a wisp of intelligence. As a result, the benefits of cultivating with it were unimaginable.
Xuanyuan felt extremely comfortable, and his strength had increased dramatically. He currently had six emperor dragons of strength.
Inside his universe, nine stars glowed with a soft, complete light. These stars represented his Tianrong Aperture, Tianchuang Aperture, Tiantu Aperture, Futu Aperture, Tianding Aperture, Quepeng Aperture, Renyin Aperture, Shuitu Aperture and Qishe Aperture in his neck. Xuanyuan had already condensed 19 apertures in his body.
The nine apertures that were connected were being nourished by the spiritual ice. While his speed of cultivation was amazing, the speed of consumption was also very high.
In just seven days, he had absorbed 400 pounds of pure spiritual ice. If others heard this, they would die of shock.
400 pounds of spiritual ice was equivalent to using 400,000 pounds of pure energy source. Despite consuming all this, he had only refined 9 apertures completely. This clearly showcased the terror of the Body of All Creations, and the difficulty it faced in cultivation. It already consumed so much, how much would it be once he broke through to the xian realm?
It was no wonder that the Body of All Creations was rejected by the heavens and the earth. It required such a ma.s.sive amount of Qi to be absorbed. Even Master Teng only had 800,000 pounds of pure energy source as his life savings. Xuanyuan had absorbed the amount that a first circle xian realm expert had saved over his entire life in a single go.
Now that the nine apertures were connected, the hidden Qinglong Acupoint and Kangjin Aperture were revealed. These acupoints were under the Adam’s apple. Xuanyuan looked at the acupoint from inside and saw a huge portal. Without any hesitation, he began to attack it. He didn’t realise that the outside world saw a huge turmoil due to s.h.i.+guan’s arrival.