"What are you all trying to do?!"
Chen Sanshi frowned and looked toward the assembled crowd.
"Grand Commander!"
Zhao Kang was the first to speak. "The Great Sheng Dynasty is foolish and corrupt. The court has no righteousness. First they poisoned the realm with spiritual grain tea; later came the Ten Days of Yunzhou and the blockade at Guandu. They have long since lost the people's hearts—their national destiny is exhausted!
"What virtue or ability does that Sixth Son of the Cao family possess to continue sitting upon the throne of the Son of Heaven?!
"Since joining the army, Grand Commander, you have achieved extraordinary feats time and again—from leading the people across the river from Poyang, to the Four Crossings of Hongze, to reclaiming Mount Ziwei and beyond.
"These years you have campaigned north and south, pacifying the realm. You have long been the one the people yearn for and the one all hearts support!
"The people of the realm have suffered under the Cao family for far too long. As things stand, only if Grand Commander ascends the great position can the people be reassured and the realm set right!
"Therefore, we ask Grand Commander to ascend the throne!"
As his words fell,
The remaining generals shouted in unison:
"Please, Grand Commander, ascend the throne!!!"
"Nonsense!"
Chen Sanshi swept his gaze across the assembled generals. Seeing the imperial-yellow robe upon his body, his first feeling was surprise—
And yet, within reason.
At this point, he was no longer a solitary man. In many matters, the course of events had become inevitable. To put it another way, even if he returned to Northern Liang, in the eyes of many he would be no different from an emperor.
But for now,
Chen Sanshi truly still had many matters to handle. He had no heart for such trivialities. Sixth Son Cao was merely someone doing the work.
When he had once called him "Gan Yu Huokuo," it had not been mere talk.
If Sixth Son Cao failed to perform well, he would simply replace him again.
This return to Northern Liang was meant to recuperate and conserve strength, focusing first on resolving the matter of the ancestral vein.
With this in mind, Chen Sanshi reached to pull the imperial-yellow robe from his shoulders.
Yet unexpectedly, Sixth Senior Brother Wang Zhi and Ninth Senior Sister Rong Yanqiu each seized one of his arms.
"Junior Brother! You're being foolish!"
"Now that things have come to this, ascend the throne first!"
"That's right, Grand Commander!"
"If you refuse today, we will have committed treason punishable by extermination of our nine clans. We… we will have no choice but to go to Chang'an to accept death!"
"Exactly!"
"If Grand Commander does not agree, we will go and submit ourselves for execution!"
As the soldiers spoke, they made as if to lay down their weapons and head toward Chang'an. A cool wind swept past, and outside the great tent, silence fell.
Standing at the forefront, the man in white robes grew suddenly calm. Yet it was precisely that calm which made the generals feel—
Fear.
"What?"
Chen Sanshi looked at them faintly. After a long pause, he said, "Are you forcing me?"
"Grand Commander!"
"We absolutely have no such intention!"
The generals hurried to explain. "We only believe that Grand Commander deserves this position!"
"The Cao family's sins are monstrous. Why should they continue to sit upon the dragon throne as rulers and fathers of the realm? Are they worthy?
"Grand Commander, you are now unquestionably the number one under Heaven. To speak bluntly, who could truly force you?
"Yes, yes."
"We know Grand Commander has endured in silence. That is why we resorted to this measure."
"Grand Commander, please consider carefully!"
"Zhao Kang."
Chen Sanshi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Those words at the beginning—who taught you them?"
Zhao Kang stammered, "I—I thought of them myself!"
"You?"
Chen Sanshi's gaze shifted toward a distant corner. "Xu Wencai, stop hiding. Come out."
"My lord, my lord."
Xu Wencai hurried forward at a trot and bowed deeply. "It was indeed I who taught them. Please do not blame everyone else."
"Very well."
Chen Sanshi said evenly, "Then speak."
"My lord."
Xu Wencai lowered his head respectfully. "Today's matter was discussed between Fang Qingyun and myself. Moreover, Mr. Fang has invited someone else to come. Why not hear him out first?"
Before he even finished speaking,
Chen Sanshi already knew who it was.
At the rear of the crowd stood a tall, broad-shouldered figure in a long robe, his face pale and somewhat weak. It was Lü Ji.
"Junior Brother."
Lü Ji stopped a few paces away and met his eyes calmly. His tone was unhurried. "Whether you acknowledge me or not, so long as Master has not expelled me, I am still your Senior Brother.
"You and I do not have much personal interaction. You may not listen to what I say. But I must say it regardless.
"If I were in your position today, I would take this throne without hesitation. It is responsibility. A master has a master's responsibility. A senior brother has a senior brother's responsibility. And the number one under Heaven must also bear the responsibility of being number one.
"I understand your thinking. You believe that sitting upon the throne of the Son of Heaven will bring endless troubles and affect your cultivation.
"You think that as long as you remain the strongest in the realm, even if the court grows corrupt, you can simply replace the emperor at will.
"But have you considered one question?
"A stable court is equally tied to whether the realm remains at peace.
"If emperors are replaced again and again, will the common people you claim to care about truly live well?"
At this point he suddenly stopped, as if giving the other party time to think. After several breaths, he continued, "As you said, no one in this world can truly force you. In the end, what to do will still depend on your own decision.
"I have said all that needs to be said.
"Junior Brother, farewell."
Lü Ji had come swiftly and left just as swiftly. After leaving behind those words, he vanished without a trace.
Chen Sanshi nodded, deep in thought.
He truly was worried that it would affect his cultivation.
"My lord!"
Xu Wencai stepped forward and said, "What General Lü just said, my lord may choose to disregard. However, there is one point you must not ignore.
"Many years ago, while traveling, I once obtained a strange book.
"Within it were a few scattered records concerning national destiny. They may be related to the times when my lord deployed the Heavenly Book formations."
"National destiny?"
Chen Sanshi took the book handed to him.
On one fragmentary page, a few words caught his attention—
Transform the people's hopes into national destiny.
Having used the Heavenly Book formations several times, he had roughly concluded that the mysterious energy within the Mystic Pearl was closely tied to the direction of the people's hearts.
For that reason, when Liang Jinian of Mingzhou once allowed his subordinates to burn, kill, and plunder, the Red Brows Army was shunned wherever it passed. In the end, it became nearly impossible to use the Heavenly Book formations.
Moreover,
All the formations Chen Sanshi had deployed so far were, in truth, incomplete versions. He had never displayed their full power.
Take the Zhou Tian Star Formation, for example.
If it were sufficiently empowered by mysterious energy and other conditions were met, what descended would not be mere fragments of stars, but true celestial bodies capable of blotting out the sky—perhaps not even just one.
Only—
There was not enough mysterious energy.
Though Chen Sanshi had campaigned north and south and accumulated the people's mysterious energy from roughly 70–80% of the realm, it was still far from sufficient to unleash the true Heavenly Book formations.
Even if he were to gather the mysterious energy from the southern lands as well, it would still not be enough.
Therefore—
The people's hopes had to be transformed into national destiny.
Thinking back carefully,
It was only with the mysterious energy condensed from vast swathes of the realm that Chen Sanshi had barely managed to wrest the Dragon Abyss Sword from Cao Kai's hand. This meant that an equal amount of national destiny possessed greater might than mysterious energy alone.
And to transform national destiny—
One must naturally establish a state.
"My lord!"
Xu Wencai continued, "Though I do not understand the path of cultivation, I do know that the great pacification of the realm is only temporary. The extermination of immortals is not yet over. In the future, we may well need to make use of this profound power."
Chen Sanshi remained silent.
Whether it was what his Senior Brother had said or what Xu Wencai now argued, both made sense.
Especially the matter of national destiny and mysterious power. If one day he were truly forced to face cultivators from Heavenly Water Isle, relying solely on the people's faith and will might not suffice.
Seeing the Grand Commander deep in contemplation, Xu Wencai hurriedly signaled to the others.
Zhu Tong and the rest immediately brought forth a hastily crafted dragon throne and set it in place. Senior brothers and sisters surged forward together, pressing the man in white robes down onto the seat.
All the other generals knelt in unison.
"This humble general pays respects to the Son of Heaven!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live, long live, ten thousand times long live!"
Chen Sanshi, clad in imperial yellow, sat upon the dragon throne. Looking at the officials kneeling below, he could not help but think of the mountain of memorials from one capital and 36 provinces that he would have to handle every day in the future. A headache began to form.
"You really have made things hard for me!"
The assembled officials rejoiced and kowtowed once more.
"Enough. All of you, rise."
Chen Sanshi understood that for the sake of national destiny alone, some matters seemed unavoidable.
Since that was the case, then he would see it through to the end.
But not now.
He rose to his feet and issued a stern command: "All of you are to withdraw and arrange the matters of the army's withdrawal. If today's events are leaked in the slightest, the offender's nine clans will be executed!"
To contend for the throne—
He had sufficient strength and ample troops.
But at present, two shortcomings remained.
First, a just cause.
Sixth Son Cao might lack in many talents, but he was adept at winning hearts.
While Northern Liang fought on the front lines, he personally went to the fields behind them to uproot spiritual grain. Whatever Northern Liang did, he followed suit.
The final result was that the scholars of the realm believed that "exterminating immortals" and "eliminating traitors" were policies enacted by the orthodox court, with Northern Liang merely carrying out orders.
After the war ended,
Sixth Son Cao showed great trust toward the Northern Liang army, which held military power. He even willingly entrusted the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal to the King of Northern Liang for safekeeping.
Adding to that their previous fraternal closeness—
In thousands of years, what court had ever treated a subject with such generosity?
All these factors combined left him with no real reason to act—at least not for the moment.
Second, the oriole behind.
Guiyuan Sect was watching hungrily from the rear. Acting now would be too risky. The "Forbidden" character technique within the Mystic Pearl still could not be used. He needed to first find a way to lure the oriole into making a move.
With these two obstacles in place,
Even if Chen Sanshi intended to contend for the throne, he would need to withdraw to Northern Liang and prepare first.
"My lord."
Xu Wencai hurried after him and swallowed nervously. "There is no need to withdraw the army. By the timing, we can head straight for Chang'an now."
Chen Sanshi continued striding forward. "Xu Wencai, you should understand my concerns."
"My lord…"
Xu Wencai followed closely behind, his face troubled and hesitant. After a long moment, he finally steeled himself and flicked his sleeve. "Your two concerns—Mr. Fang has already considered them and resolved them in advance for you."
"What did you say?!"
Chen Sanshi's body stiffened. "Xu Wencai, what did you say? How did my Fourth Senior Brother resolve them?"
Xu Wencai bent low, gripping his feather fan with both hands. His eyes fixed on the yellow earth beneath his feet, not daring to look up. His voice trembled slightly.
"Early this morning, Mr. Fang headed east along Chengming Road, passing Golden Crane Mountain. By now… he has likely already reached—Falling Phoenix Slope."
Chang'an.
The residence of the Guiyuan Sect cultivators.
"Never expected that the one surnamed Chen would be so obedient."
"He should be withdrawing in the next couple of days."
"Let a few more years pass. Once the ancestral vein revives, at the end of the day he's only at the middle stage of the True Force Realm. What does that amount to?"
"The Dragon Abyss Sword and the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal—we can simply take them back then."
"He's just a grasshopper after autumn. He won't be hopping for many more days."
"Exactly. I thought he was going to oppose us. Didn't expect him to be this compliant."
"Senior Brothers, Sima Yao requests to see us. He says he has important information regarding Chen Sanshi."
As the group discussed among themselves, a cultivator came to report.
The Sima clan had originally been allies who came to Eastern Divine Continent together with the Guiyuan Sect.
"Sima Yao? What is he here for?"
Qian Qiren stroked his chin. "Let him in."
"Fellow Daoists!"
Sima Yao hurried into the courtyard, his expression tense. "Something has happened! There's movement on Chen Sanshi's side."
"What movement?"
Qian Qiren said gravely, "Is he really marching on the capital? Quickly, prepare the formation!"
"No!"
Sima Yao cut him off. "The Northern Liang army has already begun preparing to withdraw. Chen Sanshi is not heading toward the capital. Instead, he left a clone within the army, while his true body departed the ranks and headed east."
"East?"
Qian Qiren was not particularly concerned, only mildly puzzled.
"Fellow Daoist Sima."
Huang Laojiu, who had not been present moments ago, suddenly appeared without a sound. He grabbed Sima Yao's wrist and asked urgently, "You're certain he went east?"
"Yes!"
Sima Yao nodded emphatically. "Absolutely certain!"
"This is bad!"
Cui Zichen suddenly understood. "Continuing east past Guandu lies the mountain ancestral vein! He's heading for the mountain ancestral vein!"
"Sun Xiangzong—could it be Sun Xiangzong?"
Qian Qiren exclaimed loudly, "Back at The Edge of the World, Sun Xiangzong once used a Spirit-Sealing Grand Formation to destroy an ancestral vein!
"Now that Chen Sanshi has broken through to the middle stage of the True Force Realm and has mostly recovered from his injuries, could he be planning to imitate his master and destroy the ancestral vein?!"
Cui Zichen asked nervously, "Can he do it?"
"Hard to say!"
Qian Qiren paced back and forth. "Back in the capital of Youlan, I deliberately got close to Sun Xiangzong's fourth disciple, Fang Qingyun—the Phoenix Chick—to probe for secrets about the Guardian Envoy. From what he let slip, Sun Xiangzong may truly have left something behind!"
Very few knew of the Guardian Envoy's affairs.
"If that's the case—"
Cui Zichen's expression grew increasingly grave as he urged anxiously, "Then Chen truly might be able to destroy the ancestral vein?! If that happens, wouldn't all our immense sacrifices have been in vain? Senior Huang, you—"
Before he could finish speaking, a donkey's bray rang out beside them. The donkey cart soared into the sky and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"What is that old Huang going to do? Chase Chen Sanshi? Can he manage it alone?"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go together!"
"No!"
Cui Zichen watched the old farmer's disappearing figure and let out a long breath. "Senior Huang has finally made his move. We should not go and become a burden."
"Him?"
Qian Qiren scoffed. "Brother Cui, what nonsense are you spouting? Can Old Huang alone defeat Chen Sanshi?"
"Qian Qiren!"
Cui Zichen could not help but exclaim, "Are you confused? Do you still not understand?! It's not that the sect didn't send an elder—they already did!"
Upon hearing this,
Not only Qian Qiren, but all the cultivators present froze in place, then felt disbelief surge through them.
"Brother Cui, you're the one speaking nonsense."
"We've been in the Guiyuan Sect for so many years and never heard of an elder surnamed Huang."
"Wait—I think of one."
Qian Qiren said somewhat uncertainly, "Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, have you ever heard of our Guiyuan Sect's Supreme Elder?"
"Supreme Elder?"
Most of the cultivators present were under 50 years old, but they had heard of the sect's Supreme Elder.
Generally speaking, every sect would have a sect master, elders, and Supreme Elders among its upper ranks, with the Supreme Elder being the most revered.
The Guiyuan Sect's Supreme Elder—True Person Fengqi—had been in closed-door cultivation for more than 80 years.
None of these younger disciples had ever seen him.
"Qian Qiren!"
"You're saying that Huang Laojiu is our Supreme Elder?!"
Golden Crane Peak.
Layer upon layer of mountains rose one behind another, forests dyed in vibrant hues.
Towering peaks stood like silent giants, majestic and austere as they overlooked the land below. The last rays of the setting sun spilled across them, radiating lingering warmth.
A spirited figure in white robes skimmed low through the forest on a flying sword. He gazed at the sunset over thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, feeling the breeze brushing against his face, naturally spreading his arms to embrace the qi of Heaven and Earth.
Huang Laojiu—or rather, the Guiyuan Sect's Supreme Elder, True Person Fengqi—had already arrived behind the white-robed figure. Above his crown floated an ancient, worn compass. It was spinning wildly on its own, cracks spreading across its surface.
The Wind Queen's Qimen Compass!
This was a treasure the Guiyuan Sect had expended tremendous effort to obtain from a ruin in Heavenly Water Isle. In Heavenly Water Isle, there was only this one.
Its function was to conceal heavenly secrets—even the seal over Eastern Divine Continent could not detect what lay beneath it.
But that was only if one did not act.
The moment he made a move, the seal would detect him. The Wind Queen's Qimen Compass would suffer damage, losing its ability to fully conceal heavenly secrets, and would self-destruct in an extremely short time.
If he dared to make a second move, he would die under the suppression of the Heaven-and-Earth Seal.
In other words,
After a single strike, this Supreme Elder—even with his late-stage Golden Core cultivation—would not dare to unleash his full power again. He could only rely on Golden Core-level escape techniques to flee this place as swiftly as possible. Otherwise, he would perish and his Dao would vanish.
But the ancestral vein concerned the sect's prosperity for a thousand years and held many hidden secrets. Huang Laojiu had to come personally to be absolutely certain.
This trip had been well worth it.
The Dragon Abyss Sword.
The Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal.
The Heavenly Book formations.
The Mystic Pearl.
In this barren land where spiritual energy had withered away, how many supreme treasures lay hidden? If he could seize them all, what an immense providential opportunity it would be.
For the Guiyuan Sect to rise into a Nascent Soul sect was only a matter of time.
And within this continent, there was also that astonishingly gifted young man before him.
With this person's martial talent, if one day he were to obtain a legacy beyond the True Force Realm, and with the Mystic Pearl in his hand as well—the consequences would be unimaginable.
Precisely for this reason,
Huang Laojiu had refrained from making a move all this time, instead borrowing another's blade to kill.
Whenever either Emperor Longqing or Chen Sanshi died, that would be the moment he acted. Only in that way could he ensure his own safety while eliminating them both.
Of course,
It would be best if the two perished together, leaving the Wind Queen's Qimen Compass for other uses afterward.
The plan had been proceeding smoothly.
Even if the boy surnamed Chen had seen through his identity, he still had no choice but to fight Emperor Longqing to the death. Yet after calculating everything, Huang Laojiu had never anticipated this—
The Mystic Pearl in the boy's hand contained an Azure Profound Qi that radiated a terrifying pressure.
It made Huang Laojiu afraid to act rashly. Even now, he had not figured out what it truly was.
But since the white-robed figure did not take the initiative,
He would not either.
They would simply remain in this stalemate. After all, the ancestral vein would revive day by day.
Who would have thought—
That this boy had been plotting against the ancestral vein all along!
If the ancestral vein were destroyed, everything would be finished.
He could wait no longer!
No matter what, Huang Laojiu had to gamble.
The fact that the other party had not pursued him meant that whatever lay within the Mystic Pearl might not truly be able to restrain him. Otherwise, why would they remain deadlocked?
With the ancestral vein on the brink of destruction, he could no longer afford to hesitate. If the compass was ruined, so be it!
Even if his strike failed, he could still use Golden Core escape techniques to flee. In this land, no one could stop him.
Within the clouds, Huang Laojiu's entire aged arm transformed into a branch entwined with vines. His neck, face, and even beneath his pupils bore clearly visible plant roots, as though he were not of the human race at all. With a mere lift of his hand, the whole arm turned into supple wooden spikes that suddenly extended, appearing hundreds of zhang away in an instant.
As for everything behind him,
The white-robed figure ahead seemed utterly unaware, merely accelerating toward the mountain ancestral vein.
Twenty years.
From the 58th year of the Longqing Era to the first year of the Zhengtong Era, Fang Qingyun had sat in a wheelchair for a full 20 years. This was the first time he had enjoyed the freedom of soaring through the sky.
As a child, Fang Qingyun loved chess. By the age of 8, he had defeated all opponents across the prefecture, his name resounding through town and countryside. Later, after hearing tales of immortals in storybooks, he developed a longing for the path of seeking immortality, yet found no method.
At 16, he entered Sun Xiangzong's sect and learned one of the finest sword techniques in the continent. But in his heart, he still yearned for the immortal path.
It was not until the latter years of the Longqing Era that Fang Qingyun finally reached The Edge of the World. Under the guidance of immortals, he entered Heavenly Water Isle.
Possessing a Heavenly-grade spiritual root, he soon entered a top-tier immortal sect and became a true disciple. There, he also met the love of his life, willing to become his Dao companion.
Yet at that time, his master had been schemed against and imprisoned in the capital. Needing him to accomplish certain tasks, he went without hesitation—and became what he was now.
Thus, he never returned to Heavenly Water Isle, remaining in this continent ever since.
After seeing and experiencing so much, his obsession with seeking immortality had long since faded.
So-called immortals were merely locked in endless strife and struggle unto death, no different from mortals.
The only regret was that he was no longer worthy of that immortal maiden—an enduring sorrow.
Through all the twists and turns of life,
He had once been a prodigious martial artist, then a genius cultivator with a Heavenly-grade spiritual root, and later a peerless strategist known throughout the land.
His life, it could be said, had been magnificent.
In a trance,
Fang Qingyun had already passed beyond the overlapping peaks. Before him stretched unending slopes and ravines.
From the map deeply imprinted in his mind, he found the name of this place—Falling Phoenix Slope.
The scholar could not help but smile.
"What a fitting resting place."
In this life of his—
In martial arts, he was a genius!
In cultivation, he was a genius!
In commanding armies and waging war, he stood among the best in the world!
And now, even in death, he would forge the destiny of a nation.
How exhilarating!
Killing intent descended.
Wooden tendrils like sharp arrows shot in from behind, piercing through the scholar's chest. In an instant, they absorbed and transformed his five organs into nourishment. Blood burst forth in a violent spray, blooming like a crimson lotus beneath the golden light of the setting sun.