Emperor Jianwu could no longer hold on. He was going to abdicate to his legitimate heir.
After tonight.
The throne would change hands.
And it would have a brand new body.
But none of this had anything to do with Su Chen.
A Grandmaster-level Demon Fiend.
This Grand Ancestor of Liang was not someone he could afford to provoke.
Right now, Great Liang's First Grade experts—whether in the court or the Jianghu—had all been grievously weakened. The only reason the powerful neighboring nation of Great Zhou hadn't brazenly marched into the Imperial City was their fear of the Grand Ancestor of Liang, who had made a fleeting appearance and revealed he had survived for three hundred years since the dynasty's founding.
Below the Grandmaster Realm, all are ants. First Grade experts were no exception.
Great Zhou had no Grandmasters.
Thus, even if Great Liang was on the verge of collapse, as long as the Grand Ancestor of Liang lived, Great Zhou wouldn't dare take a single step into the Liang Imperial City.
Su Chen made his way to the back of the pharmacy. After seeing that the wizened Chen Ge was already fast asleep, he went to an old tree on the premises and began to dig.
Soon, he unearthed a square wooden box.
Inside the wooden box, were two vials of Heart-devouring Powder, a Copper Ring that resembled a Storage Ring, a round bead that looked like it contained a tiny dragon, and the shriveled Thousand-year-old Ginseng King.
Su Chen had toyed with the Copper Ring and the Dragon Pearl for years, but he had never been able to figure out their secrets.
But these two items had to be extraordinary—one had been hidden within the Eldest Prince's ribs, and the other was the Holy Sect's Secret Treasure, stolen by Black Abyss from the Royal Treasure Vault. He simply hadn't unlocked their secrets.
'I've been in this pharmacy for three years.'
'It's been so long I'm starting to forget that I'm Su Chen, not Xu Ge.'
Su Chen lamented to himself.
Afterwards, streams of Longevity True Qi surged into the withered Thousand-year-old Ginseng King. Soon, an unusual fragrance filled the herb garden, and even the surrounding medicinal herbs seemed to brim with new vitality.
The Thousand-year-old Ginseng King was a Thousand-year-old Ginseng King once more!
The two qi-and-blood-replenishing Thousand-Year Treasure Medicines used to initiate his Eighteen Golden Body Technique had pushed Su Chen to the dual Extreme Realms of Fifth Grade Blood and Flesh and Fourth Grade Bone Marrow before their medicinal properties were exhausted.
Now, just as the Grand Ancestor of Liang was in the process of changing bodies, Su Chen could finally consume this Thousand-year-old Treasure Medicine King and charge toward a higher level of the Third Grade Marrow Cleansing Realm.
'Three years have passed.'
'Although I've consumed some hundred-year and Thousand-Year Treasure Medicines, their effects have been subpar...'
'Fifth Grade to nourish qi and blood, Fourth Grade to make the bones and tendons ring, Third Grade to make the marrow like jade...'
Three years passed.
Su Chen had cultivated the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm to a profound level, reaching the Peak of Third Grade.
The Peak of Third Grade was also divided into different tiers.
For ordinary Third Grade practitioners who had exhausted their potential, the peak they reached was called White Marrow. They could not advance further to cleanse their Internal Organs and enter the Second Grade.
A Martial Arts Prodigy, however, could attempt to break through to the Silver Marrow Realm.
And the greatest of prodigies had a sliver of hope to achieve the Golden Marrow Realm.
At this moment, the marrow in Su Chen's bones was like silver, with a faint golden sheen. If he were willing to give up on further polishing his foundation to reach the Third Grade Extreme Realm, he could use the Thousand-year-old Ginseng King to break through to the Second Grade Internal Organ Realm tonight.
'I don't lack time.'
'Worst case, I just need to spend more time polishing my foundation.'
Su Chen swallowed the entire Ginseng King.
Instantly, the qi and blood in his body flared like a Flame, and his bones and tendons boomed like a Thunder Roar.
It was a good thing this place was so secluded.
Otherwise, the commotion would have certainly alerted the Forbidden Guard.
A Thousand-year-old Ginseng King could help a modern-day First Grade expert attempt a breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm! Yet now, Su Chen was using it just to reach the Extreme Realm of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. If anyone else found out, they would surely think it an outrageous waste of a heavenly treasure.
Even if he really did reach the Third Grade Extreme Realm, he would at best be able to fight a Second Grade expert. But if given to a Peak First Grade practitioner, it could create a First Generation Grandmaster, a figure capable of altering the destiny of a Dynasty!
Soon, the silvery luster of the marrow in Su Chen's bones completely faded.
In its place, a brilliant golden sheen spread throughout.
Success!
His marrow was like molten gold!
The Golden Marrow Realm, a state that might only be achieved by one in ten thousand Martial Arts Prodigies who reach the Third Grade, had just been accomplished by Su Chen.
There might be a few at the Silver Marrow Third Grade.
But across the entirety of Great Liang's Third Grade Marrow Cleansing Realm, one would be hard-pressed to find a second person at the Golden Marrow level.
'Next.'
'I'll use the remaining medicinal power to cleanse my Internal Organs in one go and break through to Second Grade...'
The increase in physical strength from reaching the Golden Marrow Realm wasn't as great as Su Chen had imagined.
About seventy percent of the Thousand-year-old Ginseng King's medicinal power still remained.
It was the perfect amount to reach the Second-Grade Internal Organ Realm.
Just then, a suction force emanated from deep within Su Chen's golden marrow.
In that instant, his golden marrow, which had already reached its limit, began to change, taking on a faint, translucent jade color.
'What is this?'
'Golden Marrow isn't the limit of the Third Grade? Is this... the Jade Marrow Realm?'
'No, that's not right.'
'Shouldn't the Third Grade Extreme Realm recorded in the texts be Golden Marrow? When the Grand Ancestor of Liang was young, he used the Golden Marrow state to slay a Second-Grade Internal Organ expert and raise the world-conquering Dragon Guard...'
Reaching the Jade Marrow Third Grade devoured the remaining seventy percent of the Thousand-year-old Ginseng King's medicinal power, and even then, it was just barely achieved.
One must understand that seventy percent of that medicinal power was enough Primordial Qi for a Peak First Grade expert to attempt a breakthrough into the ranks of the Grandmasters.
It was all gone!
The medicinal power was completely exhausted!
Su Chen felt a surge of emotion. He had originally thought he could use the cover of the Grand Ancestor of Liang's body-swapping to safely break into the Second Grade Internal Organ Realm tonight.
But in the end, he was still in the Third Grade.
'But with this Third Grade Jade Marrow... I feel like I could kill a Second Grade expert with a single punch...'
At that moment, under the bright moon and amidst the falling snow, Su Chen stood in the herb field, his marrow like jade, his bones and tendons rumbling like thunder. A thin layer of a fiery aura—his qi and blood—enveloped his body. Although he was only Third Grade, he looked more like a Junior Grandmaster than a First Grade expert, possessing a transcendent, almost inhuman air.
Just then, from the direction of the Imperial Palace in the distance, a wave of wailing cries arose.
A Forbidden Guard galloped out, holding an imperial edict, and rushed toward the bustling avenue outside the Imperial Palace where the court's high officials resided.
"His Majesty has passed away!"
"Tonight,"
"the throne is officially passed to his sole heir, the Crown Prince! The new emperor has taken his place! All lords of the court are to come and pay their respects at once..."
Wanting to see what was happening, Su Chen left the pharmacy, leaped onto a palace roof, and peered toward the Imperial Study. He could faintly make out a young Prince in the study, steadying a coffin as he emerged from the room.
Behind him, the Five Great Red Robes and the Commander of the Three Guards clustered around the new emperor.
'Looks like Emperor Jianwu's "abdication" was a success...'
'Hm?'
'No, wait.'
Su Chen's expression changed.
In his vision, the light of lifespan emanating from the young Prince was still his own. In the coffin, however, the light representing Emperor Jianwu's life force was struggling frantically...
Emperor Jianwu hadn't succeeded in passing on the "throne"...
He had been locked inside the coffin, alive and struggling for his life...
Meanwhile, the young new emperor was pressing down on the coffin lid, wailing in anguish.
"Father, how could you leave me like this..."