《As A Deposed Prince, My First Check-in Awards Me A Snow Dragon》 Chapter 1 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Great Xia. Chang¡¯an. Within the Imperial City. Tianwen Palace. This was the only cold palace in Xia Palace. Compared to the majestic and towering palace of Great Xia, the Tianwen Palace was dilapidated and desolate. Weeds reached knee-high, and the palace had been in disrepair for many years. It could collapse at any time. This was simply a dangerous house. The bright morning sun shone through the window and into the hall. A man sat in front of the desk in the room, holding a scroll in his hand and reading it carefully. He had a delicate appearance and an elegant temperament. He was the master of Tianwen Palace, the deposed Crown Prince of Great Xia, Ye Xuan. He put down the scroll in his hand and walked to the window. ¡°It¡¯s been three years.¡± Three years ago, he had transmigrated here and obtained this body. From his memories, he learned that he had been imprisoned in the cold palace because of his mother. His mother was originally the princess of the Tianyu Empire and later married Emperor Xia and became the empress. The two empires were on good terms with the Qin and Jin Dynasties. There had never been any wars, and they had always been trading. However, it was three years ago that Great Xia and Tianyu were constantly at war. In the battle of Hantian Pass, the 200000 soldiers of Xia were completely annihilated. The ministers in the imperial court jointly accused his mother, saying that she had secretly passed the information to the Tianyu Empire, which led to the great defeat of Xia. In a fit of anger, Emperor Xia wanted to kill the empress, but she was saved in time of crisis. Ye Xuan was not so lucky. He was supposed to be executed, but in the end, Emperor Xia went against all opinions and banished him to the cold palace. In the past three years, Emperor Xia had not come to Tianwen Palace even once, as if he had long forgotten about him. Fortunately, he transmigrated here and had the check-in system. It was a system that allowed one to check in at different places and receive different rewards. There were also monthly and annual check-ins. The rewards for each check-in were different, especially for the annual check-ins, which were very generous. After three years of check-in, he finally broke through to the Great Grandmaster realm. In this world, martial arts were divided into the following levels: Body Tempering, Qi Refining, Bone Molding, Xiantian, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, Tongxuan, Mingxuan, and Poxuan. Each realm was further divided into ten levels. Ye Xuan had read many ancient books about the nine states. So far, the only martial artists in Great Xia who had reached the Grandmaster realm in their early years were the first emperor of Great Xia. Currently, the most powerful cultivator in Xia was in the Mingxuan realm. He was the old ancestor of the Xia royal family. It was rumored that he was in the royal family¡¯s ancestral land. He would only make a move if Great Xia was in danger of being destroyed. Although he was already a Great Grandmaster, it was far from enough, so he never planned to leave the Tianwen Cold Palace. He decided to leave until he was truly invincible. In the past two years, he had obtained pills, secret techniques, divine powers, and cultivation techniques through monthly and annual check-ins. In the first annual check-in, he obtained the loyalty of the commander of the embroidered uniform guards, Cao Zhengchun, and five thousand members of the embroidered uniform guards who supervised the world (Note: Tongxuan realm). During the second year¡¯s check-in, he obtained the loyalty of the Ghost God Lu Bu (Note: Great Grandmaster). Looking at the time, it was time for the annual check-in again. He didn¡¯t know what kind of surprise there would be this time. The rewards for each year¡¯s check-in were more impressive. ¡°Ding, Master, a reminder for you. Do you want to start the third annual check-in immediately?¡± ¡°Start immediately.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations Master, check-in successful, you have obtained the loyalty of 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry (Note: Xiantian Level Ten). It can be summoned and used at any time.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations Master, your cultivation has broken through to the Great Grandmaster realm. System reward: a cultivation gift bag, you can use at any time.¡± A cultivation gift bag. 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry? Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed, and he was shocked. This cavalry was unparalleled in the world and would definitely be the champion of the nine states. It was said that Guangling did not know the cold, and the great snow dragon rode down to Jiangnan. Among the vassals of the world, there had always been a saying, ¡°the armored cavalry of Northern Liang is the best in the world, and the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry is the best in Northern Liang.¡± The Great Snow Dragon Cavalry¡¯s soldiers and generals were all ruthless people who could fight one against a hundred. In terms of battle records, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry was also shocking. The ten thousand Great Snow Dragon Cavalry didn¡¯t even waste a single soldier and directly scared off sixty thousand enemy troops. Wherever it passed, all the soldiers in the world changed their expressions. This cavalry appeared in the nine states, and once they appeared on the battlefield, their name would shake the world, and they would be listed as one of the strongest armies. Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He suddenly thought of handing over the 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry to Lu Bu. What kind of legend would they create on the battlefield? Then, he looked at the cultivation gift bag. ¡°System, open the cultivation gift bag immediately.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master. You have successfully opened the cultivation gift pack. You have received one Tongxuan Inheritance Card, one Instant Kill Card, and one Berserk Card.¡± Hearing the system¡¯s notification, Ye Xuan was stunned. He slowly raised his arm, and three cards appeared in his palm. For Tongxuan Inheritance Card, one¡¯s cultivation could instantly break through to Tongxuan level one after using it. The Instant Kill Card could kill an enemy of any realm in seconds after use. For the Berserk Card, one¡¯s entire body would enter a berserk state, and one¡¯s cultivation would instantly increase by several realms after using it. Ye Xuan looked at the introduction of the three cards in front of him, and his expression changed slightly. This was too strong. With these three cards, he was considered invincible. No one in the Great Xia Empire could do anything to him. Even if the royal family¡¯s ancestor were to make a move, it would only take an Instant Kill Card to deal with him. There was a moment of silence. He turned to the wooden table and sat cross-legged, preparing to use the Tongxuan Inheritance Card to raise his realm to the Tongxuan realm. Only with great strength could he protect himself. Since this world was ruled by the strong, he had to be the strongest. ¡­. At this moment, in the imperial study of the Xia Palace. The officials stood in the hall, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. All of them were silent as if they were walking on thin ice. Emperor Xia said in a deep voice, ¡°the army of the Northern Barbarian Empire has returned and taken down several cities in succession. All the generals sent to the north have fallen. My three princes have also been buried in this war. My dear ministers, what do you think the empire should do in this war?¡± Everyone remained silent. Emperor Xia continued, ¡°Grand Tutor, speak.¡± Grand Tutor Li Lingxiao stepped out of the ranks and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, the battle at Hantian Pass three years ago had caused great damage to Xia. These past few years, the surrounding countries have invaded our borders. Their rapacious ambitions are clear as day. The Northern Barbarians have raised their troops and are charging straight into our borders. They want to completely destroy Great Xia. I think that we should negotiate peace with the Northern Barbarians and agree to their request to solve the urgent situation first.¡± Emperor Xia¡¯s gaze fell upon Li Lingxiao. ¡°Grand Tutor, your intention is to seek peace. If we agree to the Northern Barbarian Empire¡¯s request, the other countries will gang up on us and completely divide up Great Xia. This is a precedent that can not be set.¡± Li Lingxiao replied, ¡°Your Majesty since you do not want to make peace, we can only continue fighting. The number of soldiers the empire can mobilize is too small. The three princes have been buried at the border. Right now, the Sixth Prince is the only hope for the empire.¡± ¡°If the Sixth Prince is defeated, then there really won¡¯t be any more generals to deploy.¡± Emperor Xia¡¯s face was as dark as water. Since the war with the Xia barbarians, 51 generals of Great Xia had died in battle. If the Sixth Prince could not turn the tide, Great Xia would really be in danger. At this moment. Li Lingxiao shot a look at the old man beside him. The latter stepped out of the ranks and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, the Directorate of Celestials has been observing the stars at night. The jinx is still in the east. If we don¡¯t get rid of it, the Great Xia will be in danger.¡± Emperor Xia was imposing without being angry, and his expression was extremely ugly. The Directorate of Celestials mentioned the jinx once again. He could not help but think of what had happened three years ago. When Empress Yu was rescued, these people said that Crown Prince Ye Xuan was a jinx. In the end, Emperor Xia went against the will of the masses to protect Ye Xuan and could only imprison him in the cold palace. Now that the old matter was brought up again, they pointed the spearhead at Ye Xuan. ¡°Minister Wu, you said that the dethroned Crown Prince is a jinx, but you still haven¡¯t given me any evidence even after three years.¡± Wu Yinting replied, ¡°Your Majesty, the jinx has descended, devouring the empire¡¯s fate, the dark vortex devouring dragons, and the green nether devouring the Heavens. When the empire¡¯s fortune is gone, the limitless Great Xia will fall.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please reconsider. Eliminate the jinx and bring prosperity to Great Xia.¡± As his voice fell, the ministers in the hall appeared one after another to echo his words. ¡°Your Majesty, please eliminate the jinx and bring Great Xia to prosperity.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please eliminate the jinx and bring Great Xia to prosperity.¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xia Palace. In the Golden Palace. The ministers all agreed, hoping that Emperor Xia would get rid of the jinx and bring Great Xia to prosperity. The empire suffered a defeat in the war, but they pushed the responsibility to someone who was imprisoned in the cold palace. In Emperor Xia¡¯s eyes, it was extremely ridiculous. Emperor Xia had a cold expression as his eyes swept across the ministers. ¡°Can killing Ye Xuan really change the situation in Xia? It¡¯s not a single person who can change the fate of the empire, but the people of the empire.¡± Wu Yinting replied, ¡°Your Majesty, we can¡¯t do anything about the will of the heavens. Getting rid of the jinx isn¡¯t just a warning from the heavens. It¡¯s also the request of the people, the will of the people.¡± Emperor Xia was speechless. Without evidence, they wanted him to kill his own child. Back then, there was no evidence either, and the ministers forced him to kill Empress Yu. Even though three years had passed, Emperor Xia still did not believe that the news of the defeat was leaked by Empress Yu. All these years, he had never been to Tianwen Palace. It seemed that he had ignored Ye Xuan¡¯s existence, but in fact, he had been protecting him. Now that things had come to this, he seemed to be unable to continue protecting Ye Xuan. At this moment, outside the hall, a figure descended from the sky. He was dressed in white and looked like a celestial being. The moment he appeared, all the officials in the hall looked at him with great respect. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that this person¡¯s status in Great Xia was very high. To be able to fly within the palace was not something an ordinary person could do. Emperor Xia¡¯s gaze fell on the person who had arrived. ¡°The master is here.¡± Lin Mo replied, ¡°Your Majesty, didn¡¯t you want evidence? I¡¯m here to deliver the evidence to you.¡± Emperor Xia was speechless. In the Great Xia Empire, Lin Mo was the most powerful person besides the royal family ancestors. He was the teacher of the Chang¡¯an Academy and the former commander of the Directorate of Celestials. He was also known as the wise man. Peeking at the creation of the heavens and earth, understanding the fate of the heavens. Wu Yinting was his disciple. Lin Mo stood in the long corridor outside the main hall. ¡°Your Majesty, please come and take a look.¡± Emperor Xia walked down from the seat of honor and led the officials to the long corridor. Lin Mo slowly raised his arm, and a terrifying cyclone appeared behind him. Silver light flickered on his fingertips. ¡°A Mingxuan expert.¡± Emperor Xia was shocked. He had not expected Lin Mo¡¯s cultivation to be at the Mingxuan level. It seemed that his realm had upgraded very quickly in the past few years. Whizz. Whizz. Spirit stones appeared in the sky one after another, shooting straight up to the heavens. In an instant, a totem appeared, covering the sky. As the spirit stones turned into nothingness, the totem became clearer and clearer. ¡°Your Majesty, the natural phenomenon will reveal everything,¡± Lin Mo said in a deep voice. As soon as he finished speaking, a black ray of light shot up from Tianwen Palace and entered the totem. The shadow of a black beast appeared. It was ferocious and terrifying. Then, a dragon shadow appeared from the totem and confronted the black beast. This was¡­ The officials looked at the strange phenomenon in the void and were all shocked. Although they did not know what the strange phenomenon meant, they could clearly see that the black beast was swallowing the dragon shadow. ¡°Wild sparrow swallowing dragon!¡± ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Lin Mo said in a deep voice, ¡°the deposed Crown Prince is the body of a wild sparrow and is plagued with misfortune. He must be eliminated. If the empire¡¯s fate dragon is devoured, Great Xia will fall. Emperor Xia looked at the strange phenomenon, his eyes filled with shock. Could it be that everything was true? Seeing that the time was right, Wu Yinting hurriedly bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, please issue a decree to kill the deposed Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please issue a decree to kill the deposed Crown Prince.¡± ¡­. Emperor Xia fell silent, not knowing what to do. At this moment, in Tianwen Palace. Ye Xuan came to the courtyard, stood under the eaves, and looked at the strange phenomenon in the void. A system notification rang in his ears. ¡°Ding, Master. Here¡¯s a reminder. The check-in location has been refreshed ¡ª there¡¯s a strange phenomenon in the void. Do you want to check in immediately?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check in immediately.¡± Ye Xuan said without hesitation. He would use the check-in opportunity whenever there was one, and he did not want to waste it. ¡°Ding, congratulations Master, you have successfully checked in to the strange phenomenon in the void. You have received the reward: the Golden Dragon of Providence.¡± As the system¡¯s notification fell, a dragon¡¯s roar resounded through the nine Heavens and ten lands. On the totem of the wild sparrow swallowing the dragon, the black wild sparrow suddenly disappeared and was replaced by an extremely powerful golden dragon. An infinite amount of golden light enveloped the sky above the Xia Palace. Everyone seemed to be bathed in divine light. The dragon¡¯s might was everywhere, filling every inch of space. Lin Mo¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief as he saw the change in the phenomenon. The terrifying golden light fell and sent him flying. He crashed hard into the giant pillar of the Golden Palace. A stream of blood spurted out of his mouth and splattered on the long corridor. That was impossible. That definitely impossible. Emperor Xia¡¯s gaze fell on the Golden Dragon of Providence. ¡°Minister Wu, what is this phenomenon?¡± Even if he did not know about celestial phenomena, he could recognize the Golden Dragon in front of him. With such a powerful Golden Dragon, who would dare to say that Emperor Xia¡¯s fate would be devoured? Wu Yinting was extremely terrified, and his heart filled with shock. The words that were at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down¡­ The Golden Dragon soared through the nine heavens as if it was galloping through the clouds and waves. The next moment, it looked down, bringing with it endless divine light that fell into the Tianwen Palace, directly entering Ye Xuan¡¯s body. ¡°Ding, congratulations Master, you have obtained the Golden Dragon Body Barrier.¡± Outside the Golden Palace, Emperor Xia looked at the place where the Golden Dragon had disappeared and was instantly overjoyed. ¡°Gao Ying, is the place where the Golden Dragon disappeared at the Tianwen Palace?¡± Gao Ying was the chief eunuch of the Xia Palace, so he knew the entire Xia Palace like the back of his hand. ¡°Your Majesty, it was the Tianwen Palace.¡± Emperor Xia nodded. ¡°My son is the son of a true dragon. Anyone who dares to call him a jinx will be executed.¡± As he said this, he turned to look at Wu Yinting and said in a low voice, ¡°Minister Wu, what was the strange phenomenon just now?¡± Wu Yinting was terrified. ¡°Your Majesty, the Golden Dragon that descended from the heavens is the symbol of the empire¡¯s prosperity and its boundless history.¡± ¡°Your teacher is injured,¡± Emperor Xia said, ¡°send him back to the academy!¡± Wu Yinting bowed and hurriedly went forward to help Lin Mo up. The two of them walked out of the palace. Behind them, Emperor Xia¡¯s voice came, ¡°Summon Crown Prince Ye Xuan into the palace. ¡°From now on, the Directorate of Celestials will be abolished!¡± Wu Yinting¡¯s body trembled slightly. Just as he was about to turn around, he was stopped by Lin Mo. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the Xia Palace first!¡± ¡­ The officials dispersed, and Emperor Xia returned to the Golden Palace. He sat in front of the dragon table and muttered to himself, ¡°Yu¡¯er, our child is the son of the true dragon. We, father and son, will definitely find you and bring you back.¡± As he finished speaking, he was immersed in endless memories. At this moment, outside the Golden Palace. An eagle¡¯s cry was heard, and an eagle descended from the long corridor and appeared on Gao Ying¡¯s arm. He took the letter from the eagle¡¯s foot and quickly walked into the hall. ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s another military report from the north.¡± Emperor Xia took the letter, opened it, and quickly read through it. ¡°The sixth brother died in battle. The Northern Barbarian army has already captured three counties in the north.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince is a Xiantian level ten cultivator. If a Grandmaster doesn¡¯t show up, no one can defeat him.¡± Gao Ying quickly said. Emperor Xia said, ¡°The Northern Barbarians sent five Grandmasters, led 100,000 Tiger leopard cavalry, and 50,000 elephant armored troops. 52 generals of the Great Xia died in battle. The Northern Barbarian army pointed their swords at Chang¡¯an.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°My three princes were buried in the battlefield, and 100,000 soldiers were wrapped in horse hide. No one could lead the army. It seems that I have to lead the army this time.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s still Crown Prince Xuan,¡± Gao Ying said. Emperor Xia sighed softly and shook his head. ¡°Xuan¡¯er¡­ I can¡¯t let him take the risk.¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Tianwen Palace. Ye Xuan was immersed in joy. The sudden phenomenon allowed him to obtain the Golden Dragon Body Barrier. This kind of unexpected gain was ridiculous, and to be honest, it was really¡­ awesome. He didn¡¯t know that his life would completely change after he checked in to the strange phenomenon in the void. A series of footsteps came from outside the palace, and Ye Xuan was slightly startled. Why would someone come to Tianwen Palace at this time? In the past three years, the servants would come to deliver food at a fixed time. Other than that, no one would come to Tianwen Palace. In the bustling Chang¡¯an City and the bustling Xia Palace, the Tianwen Palace was a forgotten place. He looked out of the palace and saw two servants appear. They walked through the overgrown path and came to the main hall. One of the servants bowed. ¡°His Majesty has an order which is to summon Crown Prince Xuan into the palace.¡± ¡°Please follow us to the Imperial Study, Crown Prince.¡± Ye Xuan became more and more confused when he heard this. In the past three years, the servants in charge of his meals had been very polite to him on the surface, but they had always called him the deposed Crown Prince behind his back. Today, these two servants were addressing him as the Crown Prince. Furthermore, Emperor Xia had even summoned him to the Imperial Study. His first reaction was, did his identity expose because of the strange phenomenon in the void that he had just checked in? That shouldn¡¯t be the case. He had the system with him. As long as he didn¡¯t release spiritual Qi, no one could see his realm. How could he be exposed? Just as he was deep in thought, the voice of the servant came from outside the hall again. ¡°Please enter the Imperial Study, Crown Prince.¡± Ye Xuan sorted out his feelings and walked out of the hall. After three years, he finally had the chance to walk out of Tianwen Palace. It really felt like a lifetime had passed, and he felt like he had been reborn. It was impossible to refuse Emperor Xia¡¯s decree, or else he would be charged with disobeying the decree. He could also take this opportunity to go out and see the beautiful mountains and rivers of this era, and see if they were as magnificent and majestic as the books recorded. Under the guidance of two servants, Ye Xuan stepped out of Tianwen Palace for the first time. He looked at the majestic palace of Great Xia in front of him. It was empty and illusory, beautiful like flowers, and surrounded by spiritual Qi. The ancient totems on the palace were vivid and lifelike. It was as if they could break the void at any time and soar to the top of the celestial vault. Along the way, everyone he met bowed to him with great respect, which made Ye Xuan even more suspicious. The servants in the palace knew how to judge the situation. The news that Emperor Xia abolished the Directorate of Celestials for Ye Xuan spread throughout the palace. Rumors began to spread in the palace that the Crown Prince would soon return to the Eastern Palace. Walking along the long corridor, from Tianwen Palace to the Imperial Study, they crossed the entire Xia Palace. After the servant entered the Imperial Study to report, Gao Ying¡¯s voice came from the palace, ¡°Summon the Crown Prince to the palace.¡± Ye Xuan entered the hall and raised his head to look forward. His eyes fell on Emperor Xia, who was sitting in front of the dragon table. ¡°I, subject, Ye Xuan, am here to pay my respects to Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Xia¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he was somewhat moved. Ye Xuan referred to himself as a subject and did not call him father. He knew that the two had drifted apart and had become familiar strangers. He gave Gao Ying a look, and the latter understood tacitly. He bowed and retreated out of the hall. Emperor Xia slowly rose and walked down from the dragon table, appearing beside Ye Xuan. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, we haven¡¯t seen each other for three years, but you haven¡¯t changed at all. Do you still hate me for throwing you into the cold palace?¡± ¡°I dare not!¡± Ye Xuan said in a deep voice as he secretly observed Emperor Xia¡¯s cultivation. He was actually an expert at Tongxuan level nine. Emperor Xia took a step to the window. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I banished you to the cold palace in order to protect you. Under those circumstances, I could only use this plan!¡± Ye Xuan was silent. Seeing that Ye Xuan was silent, Emperor Xia asked, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, don¡¯t you want to know why I banished you to the cold palace?¡± ¡°My mother colluded with the enemy and caused the entire Xia troops to be annihilated,¡± Ye Xuan replied. Emperor Xia shook his head helplessly, his expression dejected. ¡°Things are not that simple. Your mother was also a victim. The real person who leaked the news was someone else. I have been investigating this for many years.¡± ¡°If I had not banished you to the cold palace back then, the officials would not have let this matter rest.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Plotting against you and your mother is only the first step of the murderer. Their real goal is to completely destroy the Great Xia Empire. Even two hours ago, the Directorate of Celestials and the officials ordered me to kill you on the grounds that you are a jinx.¡± ¡°At present, Great Xia is surrounded by enemies on all four sides. The situation in the court is unstable, and the successive defeats at the borders are all fueled by someone. I¡¯m not asking for your forgiveness for saying so much. I just want to tell you that as the Crown Prince of Great Xia, you can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ye Xuan said. Emperor Xia wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words. ¡°Gao Ying, send the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace. From now on, you will stay by the Crown Prince¡¯s side to protect him.¡± Outside the hall, Gao Ying bowed. ¡°I understand.¡± Emperor Xia looked at Ye Xuan¡¯s back as he left and let out a long sigh. After meeting again after three years, the two of them had become too unfamiliar. The son did not know his father, and the father did not know his son. After leaving the Imperial Study, the two of them walked towards the Eastern Palace under Gao Ying¡¯s lead. As they walked, a system notification suddenly rang in Ye Xuan¡¯s ears. ¡°Ding, here¡¯s a reminder, Master. The check-in location has been refreshed ¡ª the Imperial Study. Do you want to check in immediately?¡± This worked too? It was great. Ye Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°Check in immediately.¡± ¡°Ding! Congratulations, Master. You have successfully checked in to the Imperial Study. You have obtained the system reward ¡ª Forbidden Emperor Sutra.¡± The Forbidden Emperor Sutra was a gradeless cultivation technique that could be upgraded infinitely. Ye Xuan looked at the system¡¯s introduction in front of him. As he moved forward, Gao Ying suddenly said, ¡°Crown Prince, the Eastern Palace hasn¡¯t changed all these years. His Majesty has been waiting for Your Highness to return. I have served His Majesty for fifty years, and I can see that His Majesty dotes on Your Highness the most.¡± ¡°His Majesty was forced to do that. Your Highness, if he didn¡¯t banish you to the cold palace, the people hiding in the dark will definitely attack you.¡± He glanced at Ye Xuan and continued, ¡°I spoke too much.¡± Ye Xuan asked, ¡°Eunuch Gao, who was the person who saved my mother?¡± Gao Ying shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. That person has great strength.¡± Ye Xuan continued, ¡°Eunuch Gao, tell me about the current situation in Great Xia.¡± Emperor Xia was right about one thing. If Great Xia was destroyed, he, as the Crown Prince of Xia, would naturally not be able to stay out of it. With his current strength, he could completely protect himself. However, the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. It was better to understand more. Gao Ying said, ¡°The Northern Territory has fallen, and three counties have fallen. The Northern Barbarians sent 150,000 troops, and 52 generals of Great Xia died on the battlefield, including three princes. Even the most talented Sixth Prince has fallen.¡± The Sixth Prince, Ye Chen? Three years ago, before he was banished to the cold palace, Ye Chen had always been by his side. After he entered the Tianwen Palace, Ye Chen had not appeared again. ¡°Why did the Northern Barbarians suddenly attack Great Xia?¡± ¡°Three years ago, in the battle at Hantian Pass, 200,000 of the empire¡¯s troops were annihilated. Since then, other countries have been eyeing Great Xia covetously. The Northern Barbarians, Tianyu, Dagan, and the great Han countries have begun to invade Great Xia¡¯s territory one after another. Among them, the Northern Barbarians have suffered the most.¡± Gao Ying said in a deep voice. As they spoke, the two arrived at the Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze fell on the palace, and memories of his life here appeared in his mind. Everything was familiar yet strange. ¡°Eunuch Gao, the war in the north is so serious. Who does His Majesty plan to send?¡± ¡°His Majesty plan to personally lead the army!¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Gao Ying was speechless. Chapter 4 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan returned to the place where he used to live. Just as Gao Ying said, everything here had not changed. It was spotless, and even his favorite crossbow and sword were still on the weapon rack. He raised his hand and touched the weapon. The memories in his mind flowed. He knew clearly that no matter what, his identity as the Crown Prince of Great Xia could not be changed. Gao Ying, who was standing behind him, suddenly said, ¡°Your Highness, three years ago, those people wanted to kill you. Now that Your Highness has returned from Tianwen Palace to the Eastern Palace, they will definitely make a move again. Your Highness, please stay in the palace and do not go out.¡± Ye Xuan turned around and looked at Gao Ying. ¡°Eunuch Gao, you should know some of the secrets of what happened back then, right?¡± Gao Ying had served Emperor Xia for many years, so he should know a little about everything that happened in the palace. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ye Xuan didn¡¯t continue asking. It was not without reason that Gao Ying could obtain Emperor Xia¡¯s trust. He knew how to speak and act cautiously. ¡°Eunuch Gao, you may leave!¡± ¡°If Your Highness has any needs, you can summon me!¡± Gao Ying slightly bowed and left the Eastern Palace hall. Ye Xuan restrained his aura and tried hard to recall what had happened back then. He remembered that the battle at Hantian Pass had taken place in late autumn. Emperor Xia had originally brought a group of princes for an autumn hunt. An urgent military report was sent to the hunting ground, and Emperor Xia returned to the capital. All he got was an imperial edict. From then on, he was imprisoned in Tianwen Palace. The news of his mother¡¯s disappearance was accidentally revealed by a servant half a year later. What exactly had happened that year? He sensed a conspiracy. If he could find his mother, he might be able to get the answer. There was a moment of silence. Ye Xuan began to cultivate the Forbidden Emperor Sutra. Before this, the cultivation technique he cultivated was the Celestial Devil Creation Technique, which was also a very domineering cultivation technique. However, Great Xia¡¯s spiritual Qi was weak and thin, slowing down the improvement of the Celestial Devil Creation Technique. When he circulated the spiritual Qi in his body and started to cultivate the Forbidden Emperor Sutra, the Celestial Devil Creation Technique started to operate automatically. In an instant, the spiritual Qi in his body was divided into two and complemented each other. The Forbidden Emperor Sutra was divided into ten levels, and when one cultivated each level to the realm of great completion, one could comprehend a divine power. Ye Xuan was very excited and entered meditation. ¡­. Chang¡¯an Academy. Lin Mo and Wu Yinting appeared on the mountain behind the academy. Lin Mo¡¯s body had already recovered slightly. ¡°Emperor Xia is starting to suspect us.¡± Wu Yinting said, ¡°Teacher, we¡¯ve been planning this for so many years. Xia is already on the verge of death. As long as you give the order, the entire Xia will be completely destroyed.¡± Lin Mo placed his hands behind his back and stood straight on the cliff. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The one from the royal family¡¯s ancestral land hasn¡¯t appeared yet, and Crown Prince Xuan is also an anomaly.¡± ¡°When Crown Prince Xuan was born, he caused a heavenly phenomenon. The royal family¡¯s ancestor paid the price of being heavily injured to cover up the heavenly phenomenon and even ordered for the news to be sealed. Thus, no more than five people in the empire know of this matter.¡± ¡°How can the golden fish stay in the pond forever? Crown Prince Xuan is indeed not simple. He attracted the Golden Dragon of Providence and is forcefully extending the fate of Great Xia.¡± Wu Yinting¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°No wonder the royal family¡¯s ancestor has not appeared even once all these years. It turns out that he was severely injured back then and has been recovering all this time.¡± Lin Mo nodded. ¡°He is recuperating, but he is definitely not dead. We can¡¯t expose ourselves now. Let¡¯s get rid of Emperor Xia and the Crown Prince first. Ye Wu¡¯s only children are Ye Xuan and the princesses.¡± ¡°If we kill Ye Xuan, Xia will have no successor.¡± Wu Yinting said, ¡°Teacher, Ye Xuan has been imprisoned in Tianwen Palace for three years. Gao Ying has been protecting him in the dark. Who should we send to assassinate him?¡± ¡°Tian Sha!¡± Lin Mo said. Wu Yinting was stunned. ¡°Teacher, Ye Xuan can attract the Golden Dragon of Providence. Will it be risky to send Tian Sha?¡± ¡°With Tian Kui personally taking action, it¡¯ll definitely be foolproof.¡± Lin Mo said confidently, ¡°When Ye Xuan was imprisoned in Tianwen Palace three years ago, he was only in the Bone Molding realm. No matter how monstrous he was, he couldn¡¯t have become a Grandmaster in three years. Tian Kui has already entered the Tongxuan realm, so killing him would take no effort.¡± ¡°Tonight, our men will attack Emperor Xia and the Crown Prince at the same time. I have already made arrangements. Immediately send a message to General Tuoba of the Northern Barbarians and ask them to speed up.¡± ¡°After the death of Emperor Xia and the Crown Prince, Xia will be in complete chaos. By then, all the other countries will take action as soon as they hear the news. Hence, the Northern Barbarians will not have much time left.¡± Wu Yinting bowed. ¡°I will do it now! ¡­. At night, in the Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan had just stopped cultivating when he heard Gao Ying¡¯s voice from outside the hall. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± He stood up slowly and stretched his body. ¡°Come in!¡± Gao Ying pushed open the door and motioned for the palace maid to put the dinner on the table. He looked at Ye Xuan suspiciously. He had clearly sensed a strong spiritual Qi fluctuation just now, but it had disappeared. His Highness had a secret. Ye Xuan looked at the food placed on the table and took a seat beside the table. Compared to the food in Tianwen Palace, it was simply a world of difference. Just as Gao Ying was about to speak, he suddenly turned to look outside the hall, and his expression became serious. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t leave the Eastern Palace. I will be back in a moment.¡± Ye Xuan came outside the hall and looked at Gao Ying, who had disappeared into the night. ¡°Xia Palace is so lively tonight.¡± The assassin entered the palace, and the golden hall was stained with blood. The palace was heavily guarded, and these assassins were able to sneak in so easily. Other than having powerful cultivation, they also had a good understanding of the palace¡¯s terrain. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Are you coming for me?¡± Ye Xuan discovered that ten powerful auras were shooting toward the Eastern Palace at an extremely fast speed. These people had indeed come prepared. They first lured Gao Ying away, and then attacked him. Whoosh. Whoosh. Like ghosts, the figures floated down from the sky and appeared in front of the Eastern Palace. The maids were so scared that they shivered and curled up. Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze fell on the people who had come. There were exactly ten of them. They were all dressed in black robes and wore terrifying helmets as if they were ghost generals from the Nine Hells. The terrifying blood Qi swept out and filled every inch of space. Tian Kui glanced at Ye Xuan. ¡°Kill!¡± At his command, the nine people behind him attacked Ye Xuan at the same time. At that moment, the imperial guards outside the palace appeared. Before their swords could be unsheathed, they were killed by Tian Kui. Outside the Imperial Study. Emperor Xia and Gao Ying were fighting fiercely with the man in black. ¡°Gao Ying, who asked you to come? Go to the Eastern Palace to protect Xuan¡¯er.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I was too careless,¡± Gao Ying said. However, when he wanted to leave for the Eastern Palace, he was stopped by the black-clothed man and could not escape at all. The more this was the case, the more anxious the two of them became. Emperor Xia knew very well that the imperial guards in the palace would not be able to protect Ye Xuan in the face of such a powerful expert. He continued to rush in the direction of the Eastern Palace, but he was still blocked by the three people, unable to split himself. In the Eastern Palace, Ye Xuan stood as straight as a ramrod as he watched the assassins approach. He was as steady as an old dog, no, as steady as a rock. Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky. ¡°How dare you? You¡¯re courting death!¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the night falls, the Xia Palace was in an intense battle. Tian Kui thought that he could easily kill Ye Xuan, but when the sudden voice came, they stopped. A terrifying pressure fell, and everyone was on guard. A figure descended from the sky. It was none other than Cao Zhengchun. He was dressed in a long black robe and stood with his hands behind his back. He released the power of a level ten Tongxuan realm and bowed. ¡°I pay my respects to Your Highness!¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Zhengchun, you¡¯ve become stronger again.¡± ¡°My cultivation has improved by a little bit. How should we deal with these people, Your Highness?¡± Cao Zhengchun asked. ¡°Kill them!¡± Ye Xuan said. Whoosh. Cao Zhengchun¡¯s figure flickered as he charged toward the ten of them. His figure was like a ghost, and the ten of them paled in shock. They had never expected such a terrifying expert to be by Ye Xuan¡¯s side. They had confirmed with their eyes that he was the one who could kill them instantly. Tian Kui was also in the Tongxuan realm, but he was ten small realms away from Cao Zhengchun. The difference between one realm was an insurmountable gap. Whish. Whish. As their figures were sent flying, bloody holes appeared on their chests. It was a bloody and shocking sight. The scene was too brutal to describe. Even Tian Kui was no match for Cao Zhengchun and was killed in an instant. These people were willing to be sacrificed, and there was no value in keeping them alive, so Ye Xuan ordered them to be killed. Ye Xuan¡¯s face darkened. He had just left the Eastern Palace, and the other party couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Tonight¡¯s assassination in the Eastern Palace was only the beginning. The days to come would probably not be peaceful. ¡°Zhengchun, dispose of their bodies.¡± Cao Zhengchun slowly raised his arm, and a ball of fire appeared in his palm. With a wave of his hand, the corpse was burned to ashes. Not even a speck of dust was left. Ye Xuan turned to look at the trembling maidservants in the hall. ¡°All of you, leave.¡± The maidservants were stunned for a moment. When they came back to their senses, they ran out of the hall in a hurry and forgot to bow to Ye Xuan. ¡°Zhengchun, come in and have a chat.¡± ¡°Your Highness, there are still assassins in the palace. Should we kill them as well?¡± ¡°No need. If we can¡¯t even kill these assassins, then there¡¯s no hope for the Great Xia Empire.¡± Ye Xuan gestured for Cao Zhengchun to take a seat. ¡°Zhengchun, how¡¯s the development of the embroidered uniform guards this year? What major events have happened in the nine states?¡± Cao Zhengchun raised his hand and handed a scroll to Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, the flames of war are raging in the nine states. All the major empires and sects are eager to make a move. During this period, the Northern Barbarian Empire has begun to attack the border. Xia has lost three counties in succession.¡± ¡°The embroidered uniform guards have secretly investigated. The Northern Barbarian army is being manipulated. This person is hiding in Chang¡¯an Academy.¡± ¡°Zhengchun, from what you¡¯re saying, the embroidered uniform guards have already gotten hold of the information of the person behind this,¡± Ye Xuan asked in a low voice. ¡°Your Highness, not yet. We are still trying to identify this person. I believe we will have news soon.¡± Cao Zhengchun paused for a moment before he continued, ¡°Your Highness, it was the Directorate of Celestials, the Grand Preceptor, and the Left Minister who worked together to put pressure on His Majesty. The Grand Preceptor¡¯s identity is suspicious, but he has hidden it very well. I did not investigate it thoroughly and did not dare to conclude on my own.¡± ¡°What I can be sure of is¡­ The people who had leaked the army¡¯s situation back then were the Directorate of Celestials, the Grand Preceptor, and the Left Minister.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s already very good that you can investigate so much in a year.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Do you have any clues as to who saved my mother?¡± Cao Zhengchun shook his head. ¡°No. There are no clues.¡± Ye Xuan was a little surprised. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Take your time.¡± Cao Zhengchun said, ¡°Your Highness, the Northern Barbarian army has 150,000 soldiers and is marching straight in. If no one stops them, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t take long for them to arrive in Chang¡¯an.¡± ¡°The Northern Barbarian army only wants to occupy the territory of Great Xia and plunder its resources. However, the target of the person behind this should be Your Highness. On the assassination roll, Your Highness is ranked third.¡± ¡°Why third place?¡± Ye Xuan was a little puzzled. ¡°Did you find out who issued the kill order?¡± Cao Zhengchun replied. ¡°No. The kill order came from Yama¡¯s Pavilion. The identity of the other party is well protected. This is the rule of Yama¡¯s Pavilion. The employer¡¯s information will never be revealed.¡± ¡°Your Highness, as for why you¡¯re ranked third, it¡¯s because the assassin thought it was easy to assassinate you. I also received the news, so I came to the Xia Palace as soon as possible.¡± Was it that easy? Ye Xuan laughed bitterly. He was so weak. ¡°Zhengchun, continue your investigation and try to find out who is hiding in Chang¡¯an Academy.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I think it¡¯s better for me to stay with you. The killer may come at any time.¡± Cao Zhengchun was a little worried. Ye Xuan shook his head. ¡°No need. Assassins can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, spiritual Qi appeared from his body and enveloped Cao Zhengchun. The latter¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Your Highness, your realm¡­¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°I just entered Tongxuan. I can still protect myself.¡± Cao Zhengchun nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now. If Your Highness has anything to say to me, you can ask the commander of the imperial guards to send me a message.¡± Ye Xuan was stunned. He knew that the commander of the Imperial Guards was already a member of the embroidered uniform guards. In just a year, Cao Zhengchun was able to develop the commander of the imperial guards into an embroidered uniform guard. He had some tricks up his sleeve. Cao Zhengchun left and disappeared into the night. He returned to the courtyard and looked into the distance. He looked in the direction of the Imperial Study. The sound of fighting had disappeared. The battle had ended. At this moment, a figure appeared in front of the palace. It was Gao Ying. Seeing that Ye Xuan was safe and sound, the worry on his face disappeared, and his heart was filled with curiosity. He had clearly sensed that a strong master had arrived in the Eastern Palace. ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Gao Ying wanted to say something but stopped. ¡°Eunuch Gao, do you want to ask about the assassin?¡± Gao Ying nodded. ¡°Did those assassins escape?¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°The ten assassins were all killed, and not even their bodies were left. It was done by a mysterious expert. He left after killing them.¡± A mysterious expert. Gao Ying¡¯s mind was spinning, but he couldn¡¯t figure out who the mysterious expert Ye Xuan was talking about. ¡°Eunuch Gao, do you know the identity of the assassin who entered the palace at night?¡± ¡°Your Highness, the assassin is from the Dark Net. This force has existed in Great Xia for a long time. The demon-suppressing division had once destroyed their branch, but the members of the Dark Net are everywhere. They are like a centipede that will not fall apart even after death.¡± ¡°His Majesty has ordered the demon-suppressing division to track down their whereabouts and completely annihilate the Dark Net.¡± Gao Ying bowed slightly and slowly said. Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s late. Eunuch Gao, you may leave!¡± ¡°Your Highness, I will order the servants to prepare dinner again,¡± Gao Ying said. ¡°No need,¡± Ye Xuan turned around and walked into the hall. As he was moving forward, a system notification suddenly rang in his ears. ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master. The new check-in location has been refreshed ¡ª Eastern Palace. Do you want to check in immediately?¡± ¡°Ding, a reminder to Master, system mission triggered: destroy the Dark Net. Mission completed. The system will reward one time after the mission is completed.¡± ¡°Ding, a reminder to Master. System mission triggered: Defeat the Northern Barbarians and reclaim lost land. Mission completed. System gift bag received.¡± The system had given him a mission, which meant that he could not continue to live. ¡°Immediately check in to the Eastern Palace.¡± He shall check in first, and talk about the mission later. Chapter 6 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Ding, Master, congratulations for successfully checking in and obtaining the loyalty of the Dragnet organization. Core members: Zhao Gao, Six Sword Slave, Xuan Jian, Jing Ni, Yan Ri, Jue Ying, and Sheng Qi.¡± Hearing the system¡¯s voice in his ears, Ye Xuan was shocked. The rewards for this check-in were a little too generous. With Dragnet pledging their allegiance, they would be able to infiltrate Great Xia. This force was different from the embroidered uniform guards. Dragnet was hidden in the dark while the embroidered uniform guards were out in the open. This way, he could easily obtain any information in the world. Dragnet was like an inescapable net, and it was pervasive. He would recruit a large number of prisoners and wandering swordsmen and train them cruelly. The main reason was that they were absolutely loyal to him. The next moment, twelve figures appeared in front of Ye Xuan. They were the members of Dragnet, led by Zhao Gao. ¡°Your subordinate Zhao Gao pays his respects to Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd, and he raised his hand slightly to signal them to stand up. ¡°Zhao Gao, you¡¯ve come at the right time. I have a task for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to share your worries, Your Highness,¡± Zhao Gao replied. Ye Xuan said, ¡°Xia has the Dark Net, and they want to assassinate me. Go and investigate and destroy the Dark Net. Remember, from now on, there is only Dragnet in this world, no more Dark Net.¡± Zhao Gao nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. The Dark Net will be destroyed in a month.¡± Ye Xuan was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Zhao Gao to be so confident. ¡°Go!¡± Zhao Gao turned around and looked at the people behind him. ¡°Jue Ying, you stay here to protect His Highness. The rest of you, follow me!¡± The 11 of them left and disappeared into the night. Gao Ying sensed the aura of an expert and rushed to the outside of the hall. ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Eunuch Gao, go and rest!¡± Gao Ying¡¯s expression was grave. The aura of a powerful expert had appeared several times, but he couldn¡¯t even see a trace of the other party. This only meant one thing, this person¡¯s realm was above his. In the main hall, Ye Xuan looked at Jue Ying. ¡°From now on, you will stay by my side, hiding in the dark and being my shadow.¡± Jue Ying was wrapped in a black robe. Under the huge cloak, his appearance couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. There was no spiritual Qi fluctuation on his body, just like a mortal, but Ye Xuan knew that he was a peak Tongxuan expert. He had cultivated the most powerful cultivation technique, the thousand shadows divine technique, which could hide his aura. ¡°Your subordinate obeys!¡± Jue Ying turned into a cloud of black mist and disappeared from the hall like a ghost. Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He had gained a lot from this Eastern Palace check-in. Among the Dragnet members, Zhao Gao was at Mingxuan level seven, Jue Ying, Xuan Jian, Jing Ni, and Yan Ri were all high-level Tongxuan realm cultivators, and Six Sword Slave was at Tongxuan realm level four. A Dragnet organization had greatly increased his trump cards. Or rather, one Dragnet could shake an empire. Ye Xuan restrained his aura and came to the wooden bed. He was immersed in cultivating the Forbidden Emperor Sutra that night. ¡­.. The next day, at dawn. Ye Xuan was still immersed in cultivation when a burst of hurried footsteps came from the hall, and he heard Gao Ying¡¯s sharp voice. ¡°Your Highness, something has happened.¡± ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty has been poisoned.¡± Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and walked out of the hall. ¡°Eunuch Gao, you said His Majesty was poisoned.¡± Gao Ying nodded. ¡°His Majesty has been poisoned, and the situation is critical. Your Highness, please hurry over.¡± Ye Xuan was confused as to why he was suddenly poisoned. ¡°Eunuch Gao, how did His Majesty get poisoned?¡± Gao Ying replied, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s Noble Consort Wan. She¡¯s a member of the Dark Net. Last night, she poisoned His Majesty¡¯s dinner. Now, Noble Consort Wan and two other members of the Dark Net have committed suicide.¡± Femme fatale. Ye Xuan was a little shocked. The members of the Dark Net had infiltrated the palace and even became noble consorts. He didn¡¯t dare to imagine how many people there were in the Dark Net within Great Xia. An organization that could threaten the empire was not simple. ¡°Eunuch Gao, what did the imperial physician say?¡± ¡°Your Highness, the poison that His Majesty was poisoned by is the devil-brand poison pattern of the Northern Barbarian Poison Sect. This poison is very terrifying.¡± Ye Xuan was shocked. It turned out to be the devil-brand poison pattern. It was rumored that this poison was one of the ten most strange poisons. The poisoned person would not be able to circulate his spiritual Qi, and the poison mark would crazily eat away at his meridians and spiritual Qi until the poisoned person was dead. He had read about this poison in ancient books. According to Emperor Xia¡¯s strength, which was at the peak of Tongxuan, he could only last for two months at most. If he could not get rid of the poison, he would die without a doubt. If he wanted to detoxify the poison, he needed a divine flame. The divine flame was a spiritual object of heaven and earth. It could only be encountered by chance and not sought. It was impossible for the entire Great Xia to possess it. There was a wisp of flame on Cao Zhengchun¡¯s body, but it was not a divine flame but a spiritual flame. Very quickly, the two came to the Imperial Study. Gao Ying bowed and motioned for Ye Xuan to enter the hall. The latter pushed the door open and entered. He saw Emperor Xia lying on the wooden bed. His face was as pale as paper, and his breath much weaker. This made Ye Xuan feel a little strange. The devil-brand poison pattern shouldn¡¯t have made Emperor Xia so weak. Emperor Xia heard the sound of footsteps and turned to look at Ye Xuan. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you¡¯re here. Come, sit beside me.¡± Ye Xuan hesitated for a moment, then came to the wooden couch and sat down. ¡°F-Father¡­ Why did you call me over?¡± Emperor Xia said, ¡°I¡¯ve been poisoned, and I became a disabled man. A country can¡¯t go a day without a ruler. I¡¯ve decided to hand Xia over to you. The Northern Barbarian Empire has been preparing for many years. This time, they will definitely not give Great Xia a chance.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s hard on you, but you¡¯re the crown prince of Xia. It¡¯s your responsibility to protect the people of Xia. I don¡¯t want you to be like your mother, sacrificing yourself for Great Xia.¡± After saying this, he sighed helplessly. ¡°I let both you and your mother down.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed. He didn¡¯t expect his mother to sacrifice herself for Great Xia. ¡°Father, wasn¡¯t my mother rescued by someone?¡± Emperor Xia said, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, if Great Xia can survive this calamity, I¡¯ll tell you about your mother. At present, the Great Xia Empire has no generals to use. You can go to the ancestral land and find the ancestor. After that, you can find Old General Ji. Only then will the empire have a chance of survival.¡± With great difficulty, he raised his arm and handed a token to Ye Xuan. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, this is the emperor¡¯s token of Great Xia. With this token, you are the emperor of Great Xia.¡± Ye Xuan looked at the emperor¡¯s token of Great Xia. ¡°Father, you can keep this token with you. I don¡¯t need it. But don¡¯t worry, Father. I will make sure that Great Xia is safe. When the war between Great Xia and the barbarians is over, please tell me about my mother.¡± Emperor Xia nodded. ¡°I promise you. Gao Ying, come in.¡± Gao Ying entered the hall. ¡°Your Majesty, this old servant is here.¡± Emperor Xia continued, ¡°Gao Ying, in the following days, the Crown Prince will be in charge of the country. You will assist him. Do you understand?¡± Gao Ying bowed slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± Emperor Xia continued, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I¡¯ll leave Great Xia to you.¡± Ye Xuan hesitated. ¡°Father, what should we do about the poison in your body?¡± A bitter smile appeared on Emperor Xia¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can still hold on for another month.¡± Ye Xuan wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back. ¡°Rest well, Father. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Outside the main hall, his figure stopped, and he turned to look at Gao Ying. ¡°Eunuch Gao, you should stay by my father¡¯s side to take care of him.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you need not worry. Princess Yongle and Consort Yang are taking care of His Majesty.¡± Gao Ying said in a low voice, ¡°Your Highness, you are supervising the country for the first time and don¡¯t understand the ministers of the imperial court. I can share your worries.¡± ¡°Your Highness, do you want to go to the ancestral land or Old General Ji¡¯s army headquarters?¡± Ye Xuan shook his head. ¡°Return to the Eastern Palace.¡± Gao Ying was speechless. Chapter 7 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Outside the Eastern Palace. Gao Ying¡¯s figure stood with a slight bow, his heart full of doubts. Emperor Xia was poisoned, and the Northern Barbarian soldiers were marching straight in. He thought that Ye Xuan would go to find Old General Ji as soon as possible, or go to the ancestral land to ask the ancestor to come out of seclusion. Instead, Ye Xuan returned to the Eastern Palace and stayed in the main hall. If this continued, Great Xia would be in danger. In the palace, Ye Xuan stood in front of the window, taking in the spring scenery in the garden. Two years ago, the system had issued a mission to find his mother. In addition to the mission yesterday, defeating the Northern Barbarians, recovering the lost land, and destroying the Dark Net, there were three missions to complete. He could no longer keep a low profile. It was time to fight back. ¡°System, immediately summon Lu Bu and the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully summoned Lu Bu and the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry. They are now stationed at the foot of Mount Taicang outside Chang¡¯an City.¡± Ye Xuan nodded, got up, and walked out of the hall. He decided to go to Mount Taicang personally to order Lu Bu to go to the north. After three years, he could finally leave the palace. Gao Ying saw Ye Xuan coming out of the hall and quickly went up to him. ¡°Your Highness, are you going out?¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°Prepare the horse. I¡¯m leaving the palace.¡± Gao Ying¡¯s face was filled with joy. ¡°Your Highness, are you going to the ancestral land or Old General Ji¡¯s residence?¡± Ye Xuan turned his head and looked at Gao Ying. The latter was terrified. ¡°I was too rude. I¡¯ll go prepare the horse.¡± After a short while, Gao Ying arrived with his horse and appeared outside the palace walls. Ye Xuan took the reins from him. ¡°Eunuch Gao, you stay. You don¡¯t have to leave with me.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡± ¡°If I leave the palace alone, no one would notice. If Eunuch Gao came with me, I would become an obvious target.¡± Ye Xuan said lightly, then mounted his horse and left. Gao Ying looked at the figure that disappeared under the palace wall, his face filled with worry. He quickly turned around and headed towards Yangxin Hall¡­ ¡­ In Chang¡¯an. Ye Xuan galloped his horse forward. According to his memory, he soon left the city and galloped in the direction of Mount Taicang. He was not in the mood to enjoy the scenery of Chang¡¯an. Even in a foreign land, Chang¡¯an City was still majestic and had visitors from all over the world. This place seemed to contain the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth and was the place that all cultivators in the world yearned for. Chang¡¯an Academy was one of the four major academies in the world, and it attracted countless cultivators to study there. However, the war was raging in the empire, and Chang¡¯an had lost its color. It was no longer as prosperous and beautiful as it used to be. The people were in a constant state of panic, worried that the Northern Barbarian army would come. Arriving at the foot of Mount Taicang, the setting sun was like blood, shrouding the sky. Ye Xuan looked into the distance and landed at the foot of the mountain. With the long neigh of a horse, a man arrived. The person who had just arrived had an imposing appearance and an awe-inspiring aura. He rode on a horse and held a halberd in his hand. It was Divine General Lu Bu. He was an outstanding man. These words were not false. Although Lu Bu was only a Great Grandmaster, the killing intent he exuded was extremely strong, like a God of Slaughter from the nine nethers. ¡°General Lu Bu pays his respects to Your Highness!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± Ye Xuan motioned for Lu Bu to stand up, and his gaze fell on the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry at the foot of the mountain. They only had three thousand people, but they released an unstoppable pressure. ¡°Feng Xian, the war in the north is very tense. The Northern Barbarians raised an army of 150,000. I plan to send you to stop the enemy.¡± Lu Bu clenched his fist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll head over immediately.¡± Ye Xuan continued, ¡°Feng Xian, there¡¯s a great disparity in the number of troops in the north, and there¡¯s no food and supplies. You¡¯ll have to rely on yourself, understand? If you encounter any problems along the way, you can act first and report later.¡± Lu Bu nodded his head. ¡°I understand. I will not let the Northern Barbarian army take a single step forward.¡± Looking at Lu Bu¡¯s back as he left, Ye Xuan said, ¡°Jue Ying, inform Zhao Gao and ask him to send people to support General Lu.¡± A wave of spiritual Qi spread out, and Ye Xuan knew that Dragnet had left. Immediately after, the sound of horse hooves rang out, and smoke and dust swept up. Lu Bu led the army and galloped away. Ye Xuan looked around, and his eyes fell in the direction of Chang¡¯an City. Ever since Lu Bu sent his army to the north, his time had come, and Chang¡¯an City was bound to become the most powerful city in the world. Looking back at the sunset, Chang¡¯an should be there. His life would also begin in Chang¡¯an. ¡°Ding, Master, a reminder to you, a new check-in location has been refreshed ¡ª Mount Taicang. Do you want to check in immediately?¡± Ye Xuan was stunned. Did he have to check in at every place he went? This feeling¡­ was awesome. ¡°Check in immediately.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully checked in to Mount Taicang. You have obtained the reward, Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame.¡± Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame was the original number one divine flame in Taicang. It was a fire born from Taicang¡¯s fire domain. This fire was extremely overbearing and had infinite power. It appeared in the form of a fire sword. Ye Xuan slowly raised his arm, and a fire sword appeared in his palm. In an instant, the air became hot, as if it would burn the space into ashes at any time. Now that he had this divine flame, could he help Emperor Xia get rid of the devil-brand poison pattern in his body? ¡°Ding, Master, a reminder to you, this is the first time you¡¯ve mastered the divine flame, so you¡¯re still unable to remove the devil-brand poison pattern. In order to remove this poison, you must become a tier-five alchemist.¡± An alchemist? Ye Xuan knew that in this world, there were cultivators of all kinds of professions, and alchemists were one of them. The requirements to become an alchemist were very harsh. In addition to having a divine flame, one must also have a strong spiritual power. He had read about alchemists in ancient books, but there were no alchemists in the world. He remembered that the ancient books mentioned that there was an alchemist in the Tianyu Empire, who was called a tier-four alchemist and was also a consecrated official of the Tianyu Empire¡¯s royal family. He didn¡¯t think that he would need to become a tier-five alchemist to get rid of the devil-brand poison pattern in Emperor Xia¡¯s body, even though he had the divine flame. From this, one could see how terrifying the poison was. The Dark Net had this poison, and it could not be underestimated. After Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame was absorbed into his body, Ye Xuan pulled the reins back to his horse and galloped toward Chang¡¯an. ¡­. Under the night sky. Chang¡¯an was brightly lit, and there was still some time before the curfew. The streets were filled with people. At this moment, within Chang¡¯an Academy, Wu Yinting appeared on the mountain behind the academy. He had a hurried expression on his face and was pacing back and forth, trying to hide his anxiety. At this moment, a figure walked out from a stone room. It was no one else but Lin Mo. Previously, in Xia Palace, he had suffered a backlash from the Golden Dragon of Providence. After a period of closed-door cultivation, his injuries had recovered a little, and he looked very good. ¡°Yinting, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you so flustered?¡± ¡°Teacher, Noble Consort Wan has succeeded. His Majesty¡¯s body has been struck by the devil-brand poison pattern,¡± Wu Yinting said in a low voice, then paused before continuing, ¡°but Tian Kui¡¯s group of ten has disappeared. There¡¯s no news of them even now. They¡¯re probably dead.¡± ¡°Just now, I received news that His Majesty had the Crown Prince govern the country, but Crown Prince Xuan was unscathed from Tian Kui¡¯s assassination. This is too unbelievable.¡± Lin Mo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°We can¡¯t let him live. He¡¯s more difficult to deal with than we thought. No one in the Xia Palace can kill the ten people including Tian Kui unless the royal family¡¯s ancestor makes a move.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t gain anything this time. Emperor Xia is poisoned and is no longer a threat. As for Crown Prince Xuan, it¡¯s too easy to get rid of him.¡± ¡°Yinting, get someone to spread the news that the Northern Barbarian army has arrived and that His Majesty has been poisoned. I believe that the Left Minister and the Grand Tutor will take action and let us know what methods Crown Prince Xuan has up his sleeves. We can just sit back and reap the benefits of their struggle.¡± Wu Yinting nodded, ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio On this day, at dawn. Ye Xuan was still immersed in his cultivation when Gao Ying¡¯s voice came from outside the hall. ¡°Your Highness, the officials have arrived. It¡¯s time for the morning court.¡± Ever since Emperor Xia was poisoned, there had been no morning court sessions. Today, the officials took the initiative to come to court. Gao Ying knew that the news of Emperor Xia being poisoned had probably been leaked. This morning¡¯s court session would put Ye Xuan under great pressure. The Grand Preceptor, who had been in the manor, had appeared with ill intentions. The Grand Preceptor had many students, and many officials in the imperial court were his students. He would not come here for no reason. Ye Xuan pushed open the door of the palace. Dressed in a python robe, he was in high spirits. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He was already in charge of the country and would have to face the officials sooner or later. He shall see what kind of ghosts and monsters they are. After three years, Ye Xuan returned to the Golden Palace. His figure appeared at the head of the table, looking at the officials in front of him with a light expression. Beside him, Gao Ying said in a deep voice, ¡°My Lords, why haven¡¯t you paid your respects to the Crown Prince?¡± When the ministers heard this, they all bowed. ¡°Your humble servant greets Your Highness.¡± When many people saw Ye Xuan¡¯s appearance, they were very surprised. The deposed Crown Prince, who had once been imprisoned in the cold palace, had actually regained his freedom and become the governor of Great Xia. But on second thought, they let it go. Emperor Xia was poisoned, and the princes had fallen. Now, Ye Xuan was the only one left in Great Xia. In their opinion, Ye Xuan¡¯s governance of the country was Emperor Xia¡¯s last choice. Ye Xuan raised his hand slightly and motioned for all the officials to stand up. ¡°Why have you all entered the palace?¡± As his voice fell, a figure appeared and said in a deep voice, ¡°Your Highness, the Northern Barbarian army is marching straight into the heart of the empire. If we don¡¯t send any troops to stop them, the capital will be in danger.¡± ¡°Eunuch Gao, who is this person?¡± Ye Xuan asked in a low voice. He had no memory of this person in the court three years ago. ¡°Your Highness, Lord Xiao is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.¡± Ye Xuan nodded, and his eyes fell on Xiao Rui. ¡°Lord Xiao is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Since the Northern Barbarian army is being so rampant, and I think that you¡¯re a loyal minister, why don¡¯t you lead your troops to fight against the Northern Barbarian Army?¡± Xiao Rui¡¯s expression changed greatly, and he hurriedly said, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Looking at him stammering, Ye Xuan continued, ¡°Looking at Lord Xiao¡¯s reaction, are you afraid to go?¡± Xiao Rui said, ¡°Your Highness, it is my duty to be loyal to the country. However, I am old, and my body is not well. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. ¡°Lord Xiao since you¡¯re ill, you can spend the rest of your life in the manor. After the morning court session, you will submit a document, and I will sign it for you.¡± Xiao Rui was speechless. The ministers looked at each other and looked at Ye Xuan in disbelief. They didn¡¯t expect him to ask Xiao Rui to resign as soon as he came up. It has been three years, and they couldn¡¯t see through the crown prince. Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian gave a look, and the person beside him stepped forward. ¡°Your Highness, the empire¡¯s top priority is to resolve the external threat. Lord Xiao has been in the Ministry of War for many years. If he resigns now, the Ministry of War will fall into chaos.¡± Ye Xuan looked at the plump middle-aged man in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re from the Ministry of Revenue, right?¡± This was purely a blind guess. ¡°Your Highness, I am the Minister of Revenue, Qian Feng.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Lord Qian, I was just looking for you.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°It is often said that the army has yet to move, but the provisions and supplies have already been prepared by the Ministry of Revenue. I wonder if they can be sent to the border at any time to provide the best protection for the army.¡± This question stunned Qian Feng. He obviously didn¡¯t expect Ye Xuan to play his cards so abnormally. When didn¡¯t he talk about Xiao Rui but ask about the supplies? ¡°Your Highness, the war between the Xia barbarians has been going on for almost a year, and the supply of grain to the battlefield has never stopped. Now, the national treasury is empty, and there is a lack of money and grain. It is very difficult to collect grain in a short time.¡± Hearing Qian Feng¡¯s words, Ye Xuan was very calm and not surprised at all. ¡°Lord Qian, the news I received was not like this. Someone told me that it was not that the national treasury was empty and that all the silver and spirit stones had fallen into Lord Qian¡¯s pocket. Is that true?¡± This was creating something out of nothing, and secretly making a move in the east while striking the west. ¡°Your Highness, please investigate thoroughly. Someone must have framed me. I have done my duty all these years and have never overstepped my boundaries.¡± ¡°Lord Qian, don¡¯t be nervous. I won¡¯t believe one side of the story.¡± ¡°Someone, immediately go to Lord Qian¡¯s mansion and investigate. I can not let Lord Qian be framed.¡± Ye Xuan said in a low voice as he looked out of the Golden Palace. The next moment, the commander of the imperial guards, Ling Fusheng, entered the palace. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Commander Ling, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to go to Lord Qian¡¯s mansion and investigate.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ling Fusheng bowed and left. At this moment, Qian Feng could no longer remain calm. He cast a pleading look at Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead. His heart was in a state of panic, and he regretted standing out. Xiao Rui would only be fired, but if he didn¡¯t handle this well, he would lose his life. Ye Xuan glanced at Qian Feng. ¡°Lord Qian, don¡¯t be nervous. I believe that you are innocent, but I can¡¯t tolerate a single grain of sand in my eyes. If I find out that someone pocketed it, I will exterminate nine generations of their family and cut them into pieces!¡± So brutal? Qian Feng¡¯s heart tightened, and he felt his vision darken. The others were also trembling in fear. Li Chuntian said, ¡°Your Highness. The empire¡¯s greatest threat is the Northern Barbarians. Your Highness doesn¡¯t want to send troops because you want to clean up the court. If this causes the officials to be disappointed, the foundation of Great Xia will be shaken, and Great Xia will be in danger!¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s combination of punches caught Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian off guard, and he was somewhat dumbfounded. The morning court had only just started, and the Minister of Revenue and Vice Minister of War were already in grave danger. This was no different from cutting off his left and right arms. Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze landed on Li Chuntian. ¡°Grand Preceptor, you¡¯re here. It¡¯s been three years, but you¡¯re still so old and strong.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Great Xia has internal and external problems. If we don¡¯t get rid of them, how can we defend against them? As for the Northern Barbarian army, they can¡¯t cross Sky Mountain. They will leave Great Xia within two months.¡± His voice was loud and clear, each and every word striking the souls of the officials. However, none of the officials believed Ye Xuan¡¯s words. Retreating in two months was a fantasy. The Northern Barbarian army was brave and skilled in battle, and Great Xia no longer had any generals to fight. ¡°I wonder who Your Highness intends to appoint as the commander? Grand Xia no longer has any battle generals.¡± ¡°Who said that Great Xia has no generals!¡± A vigorous and powerful voice resounded in the hall. Everyone turned around to look. At this moment, an inner strength expert entered the hall and said fearfully, ¡°Your Highness, I really couldn¡¯t stop him.¡± Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, an old man appeared in the hall with a giant coffin in his hand. It was none other than the old general, Ji Ye. Ji Ye carrying a coffin shocked everyone. The 100-year-old man¡¯s beard was completely white, and a terrifying murderous aura shot out from his body, instantly filling every inch of space. ¡°Your Highness, I, Ji Ye, pay my respects!¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed a little as he hurriedly came down from the high platform. ¡°Get up, Old General Ji.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m willing to carry this coffin and go to war to protect Great Xia,¡± Ji Ye said. Chapter 9 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A hundred-year-old general had set out with his coffin. All the ministers in the hall were shocked and looked at Ji Ye in disbelief. They knew the old general¡¯s temper very well. He was upright and could not tolerate a grain of sand in his eyes. He was also known as the Human Slayer on the battlefield. At his peak, Ji Ye led 10,000 of the Ji family¡¯s army and defeated the 100,000-strong cavalry camp of the great Han Dynasty, killing them in the Long Rock Valley. It was also the battle in Long Rock Valley that made Ji Ye famous. If he wasn¡¯t so old, he would have been the next Great Xia general. In fact, the main reason why Ji Ye left the temple was that he didn¡¯t want to get involved in politics. Now that Emperor Xia had personally invited him to go on an expedition, Ji Ye had no reason to refuse. He was the cast stone of Xia and had a deep friendship with the empire. He could not accept the destruction of Xia. Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes landed on Ji Ye. ¡°Gao Ying, give the old general a seat.¡± Ji Ye said. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯m here to ask for your permission to go on an expedition.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°As long as I¡¯m still alive, Great Xia will not be lost. If the Northern Barbarian army wants to attack the capital, they will have to step over my dead body.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed. If Xia had a general like Ji Ye, how would the other countries dare to invade? ¡°Old General Ji, how many soldiers do you have?¡± Ji Ye replied, ¡°Your Highness, the 50,000-strong Ji family army is still in the imperial capital. They can return with my order.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Alright, I agree to let you go to war. However, it will take time to prepare the supplies. Old General, you should gather the army first, then set off for the North immediately after the supplies are ready.¡± ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble.¡± Ji Ye¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°I sold all my property before entering the palace. The gold and spirit stones I have are enough for the army this time.¡± Sold his property and cut off his means of retreat? Ji Ye was the soul of the empire¡¯s army and a military hero. How could he be left homeless? Ye Xuan turned his head and glanced at Qian Feng, Li Chuntian, and the others. ¡°Old General, you are the pillar of the empire. How can I let you have no home to return to? Leave the matter of food supplies to me.¡± Li Chuntian, Qian Feng, Xiao Rui, Li Lingxiao, and the others had complicated expressions on their faces. Ji Ye¡¯s appearance completely changed the situation, and the development of the situation was completely different from what they had expected. Everyone was shocked by Ji Ye¡¯s determination. He was willing to sacrifice everything for a great war. Some people thought that Ji Ye was hot-blooded and dared to sacrifice for the empire, while others thought he was stupid. Li Chuntian said in a low voice, ¡°Your Highness, the Northern Barbarian Empire has a strong army and strong horses. There are also many martial arts experts. How can Old General Ji¡¯s 50,000-strong Ji family army attack the Northern Barbarians? This is not appropriate.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze landed on Li Chuntian. ¡°Grand Preceptor, are you doubting the Old General¡¯s strength? The Northern Barbarians entered Xia and attacked three counties. They killed 52 generals and countless soldiers. The people were in great misery.¡± ¡°Grand Preceptor, now that Old General Ji is willing to fight for the country, you have once again boosted the morale of others and diminished your own prestige. I see that you are getting on in years and can retire and return home.¡± Li Chuntian was speechless. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m worried that Old General Ji would be in danger.¡± ¡°Then sorry for troubling you, Grand Preceptor,¡± Ye Xuan said with a smile. At this moment, Ling Fusheng led his men into the main hall and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, I found a hundred spirit rings and countless treasures in Lord Qian¡¯s mansion.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. He thought that the Qian family must have gained something, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so greedy. His wealth could rival a country. ¡°Lord Qian, I¡¯ll give you a chance to quibble.¡± When Qian Feng heard this, he knelt down with a thud. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m innocent. Please give me a chance.¡± Ye Xuan also didn¡¯t expect the Minister of Revenue, Qian Feng, would be so greedy. If he raided the residences of other people, wouldn¡¯t he gain more? For example, Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian. Grand Tutor Li Lingxiao. ¡°Lord Qian, you¡¯ve been caught red-handed, and you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯ve been wrongly accused. Do you think that I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°Commander Ling, throw Qian Feng into the prison.¡± Qian Feng knew that he was in deep trouble and quickly turned to Li Chuntian, ¡°Teacher, save me. Teacher, save me.¡± Li Chuntian said in all seriousness, ¡°To think that I¡¯ve always trusted you and recommended you to His Majesty to be the Minister of Revenue. I didn¡¯t expect you to embezzle from your own watch. You¡¯ve let down His Majesty¡¯s trust, let down the people, and let down your master.¡± ¡°Commander Ling, quickly take him away!¡± Qian Feng was completely dumbfounded. In the past, he embezzled the military¡¯s pay, and most of it was sent to the Grand Preceptor¡¯s residence. Now, Li Chuntian actually treated him like this. Since he was unkind, then he shall not blame him for being disloyal. ¡°Your Highness, I want to impeach.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I want to impeach.¡± Struggling madly, Qian Feng broke free from the two soldiers¡¯ restraints and rushed toward Ye Xuan. Upon seeing this, Li Chuntian had a bad feeling. He knew that Qian Feng was desperate and would definitely rat him out. In a moment of desperation, his figure flashed, and he slapped Qian Feng¡¯s forehead, causing blood to splatter all over the Golden Palace. Qian Feng died. The officials turned pale with fright and looked at Li Chuntian in shock. They did not expect him to kill someone in the Golden Palace. ¡°Your Highness, Qian Feng was up to no good, so I killed him!¡± ¡°The Grand Preceptor is right.¡± Ye Xuan thought to himself, what a sly old fox. ¡°Now that Lord Qian is dead, we can leave the matter of gathering food to the Grand Preceptor.¡± ¡°Old General Ji will send troops to the north in ten days. I believe that Grand Preceptor will be able to prepare the provisions and supplies.¡± Li Chuntian¡¯s face turned extremely ugly as if he had just eaten sh*t, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Grand Preceptor.¡± Ye Xuan nodded, and his eyes fell on Ji Ye. ¡°Old General, we¡¯re not going to the Northern Territory to defeat the Northern Barbarian Army. We¡¯re going to kill our way into the Northern Barbarian Empire. I have never thought of just forcing them back. I want the Northern Barbarians to pay a painful price. Only then will they understand that foreign races are forbidden from entering Great Xia.¡± ¡°I also want to tell you one more thing. If the enemy can go forward, so can I.¡± ¡°Old General, you¡¯re confident?¡± Ji Ye said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll definitely recover the lost land and kill my way into the Northern Barbarian¡¯s imperial capital.¡± What a line. Within the borders of Great Xia, foreign races are forbidden. However, Great Xia was in danger from all sides, with many countries eyeing it covetously, and generals everywhere had their own troops. The problems of Great Xia were deep-rooted, and Ye Xuan couldn¡¯t reverse the situation with a few bold words. ¡°That¡¯s it for the deployment of the army to the Northern Barbarians. My father is not well, so I will be in charge of the country for the time being. If you need anything, you can come to the Eastern Palace.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Xuan stood up and walked out of the Golden Palace¡­ Outside the hall, he turned to look at Ling Fusheng. ¡°Invite Xiao Rui to the Eastern Palace in a while.¡± After saying that, he stood up and left. In the hall, the officials finally heaved a sigh of relief. It was only now that they realized they had underestimated Ye Xuan. The crown prince¡¯s methods were not something they could bear. He had thought that the crown prince¡¯s administration would be in chaos, and the empire would fall into the hands of the Grand Tutor and the Grand Preceptor. He had never expected that Ye Xuan¡¯s manipulation would make the Grand Preceptor helpless and only follow orders. Li Chuntian looked at Ye Xuan¡¯s back as he left. He angrily waved his sleeves and walked out of the Golden Palace. The officials behind him hurriedly chased after him. The Grand Preceptor¡¯s anger would cause the capital to tremble. Chapter 10 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the Eastern Palace. Ling Fusheng had come with Xiao Rui. He had wanted to leave the palace with Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian, but he had been stopped by the imperial guards. When he learned that Ye Xuan wanted to see him, an ominous premonition struck him. In the Golden Palace, Li Chuntian killed Qian Feng in anger because he was afraid that he would reveal what had happened between them in his desperation. Now that Ye Xuan had summoned him alone, no matter what he said in the Eastern Palace, Li Chuntian would not believe him. Just now, when he was coming to the Eastern Palace, Li Chuntian had not forgotten to remind him to be careful with his words and actions and also not to forget about his family in the residence. This was a blatant threat. In the main hall, Ling Fusheng bowed. ¡°Your Highness, Lord Xiao is here.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes fell on Xiao Rui. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can leave!¡± Ling Fusheng left the hall, leaving Ye Xuan and Xiao Rui alone. The latter said in a deep voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Your Highness called me here.¡± Ye Xuan raised his hand slightly and motioned for Xiao Rui to take a seat. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk about the recruitment of soldiers. The war in the north is tight, and the number of the empire¡¯s army is rapidly decreasing. We need to recruit new soldiers to strengthen the three armies.¡± When Xiao Rui heard that Ye Xuan wanted to discuss the recruitment of new soldiers, his hanging heart instantly relaxed. ¡°Your Highness, the front line has been defeated one after another. It¡¯s not easy to recruit soldiers now.¡± ¡°And the training of new recruits consumes manpower, material resources, and financial resources. They can¡¯t participate in the war in a short time.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Your Highness, this lowly subject is already advanced in age and is preparing to resign and return to his hometown. As for the matter of recruiting new soldiers, Your Highness should find someone else.¡± It was really obvious who was better. Ji Ye, the hundred-year-old man, appeared in a fury. Xiao Rui was in his sixties, but he was preparing to resign. Ye Xuan laughed and said, ¡°Since Lord Xiao is ready to resign, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what else Your Highness would like to talk about,¡± Xiao Rui said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Qian Feng,¡± Ye Xuan said. Xiao Rui¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Your Highness, Lord Qian is already dead. What is there to talk about?¡± Ye Xuan slowly stood up and walked toward Xiao Rui. ¡°Lord Xiao, why are you acting dumb? I know that Qian Feng is embezzling money, but do you think I don¡¯t know what you and the Grand Preceptor are doing in secret?¡± Xiao Rui¡¯s figure trembled slightly as he saw Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze fall on him. That sharp gaze could penetrate people, and he seemed to have no privacy in front of Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan continued, ¡°Lord Xiao, I didn¡¯t punish you in the Golden Palace because I wanted to give you a chance. I also know that you¡¯re just their chess piece. The Grand Preceptor is the main culprit.¡± ¡°You saw with your own eyes how the Grand Preceptor killed Qian Feng in the Golden Palace. Tell me, if I were to tell the Grand Preceptor that you betrayed him, what would the result be?¡± Xiao Rui was terrified. ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Ye Xuan stepped forward and patted Xiao Rui¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Lord Xiao, you didn¡¯t say anything, but from the moment you stepped into the Eastern Palace, the Grand Preceptor no longer trusted you.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°The opportunity is right in front of you. It¡¯s up to you to grab it.¡± Xiao Rui knelt down with a thud. ¡°Your Highness, the Grand Preceptor forced us to do this. If we didn¡¯t follow the Grand Preceptor¡¯s orders, he would have killed our families.¡± ¡°Minister of War, Lord Hong refused to listen to the Grand Preceptor and was bedridden after being poisoned.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°I know all this. Tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡± Did he really know? What did he know? All is fair in war, and he had been lying from the beginning. Now that Qian Feng was exposed, Xiao Rui had no reason not to believe Ye Xuan when he said that he had evidence of everyone¡¯s crimes. Cold sweat broke out on Xiao Rui¡¯s forehead. He knew that Li Chuntian would make a move on his family, but if he didn¡¯t tell the truth, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk out of the palace. ¡°Your Highness, the Grand Preceptor, the Left Minister, and the Grand Tutor are actually the three malignant tumors of the empire. His Majesty has always known that they are harming the empire.¡± ¡°Three years ago, during the battle at Hantian Pass, the entire army of Xia was annihilated and lost to the Tianyu Empire. It was not because Empress Yu had leaked military secrets, but because the Grand Preceptor had secretly sent someone to spread the news.¡± ¡°From what I know, the Grand Preceptor, the Left Minister, and the Grand Tutor all have the support of a mysterious force. They are making a fortune through their hands. Qian Feng is just the tip of the iceberg. Their disciples are spread all over Great Xia.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Continue.¡± Xiao Rui suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Your Highness, I once heard the Grand Preceptor mention that the force behind the Left Minister is hidden in Chang¡¯an Academy. He also said that the world will be completely unified in the future and there will be no more competition between countries.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I only know this much. Your Highness, please spare my life and save my family.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°The Grand Preceptor threatened you with your family.¡± Xiao Rui nodded. ¡°Just as Your Highness said, I am only the smallest chess piece in their hands, so I can¡¯t come into contact with many core members.¡± Ye Xuan raised his hand slightly and motioned for Xiao Rui to get up. ¡°Lord Xiao, you didn¡¯t say anything just now. You were discussing the recruitment of soldiers with me. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Xiao Rui shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m slow.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°If you want your family to be safe, you have to make the Grand Preceptor believe you. In the future, you will be my spy. I will ensure your safety. This is your chance to atone for your crimes.¡± Xiao Rui was speechless. He knew that no matter what, he couldn¡¯t stay out of this. Now that he had become the crown prince¡¯s chess piece, his life would be like walking on thin ice. It was too exciting. Ye Xuan waved his hand. ¡°Lord Xiao, you may leave. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll send someone to find you.¡± Xiao Rui left the Eastern Palace in a daze. As he moved forward, his mind was filled with thoughts. It was too difficult to think of a way to make Li Chuntian believe him. Ye Xuan looked outside the hall. ¡°Commander Ling, inform Cao Zhengchun to enter the palace.¡± Ling Fusheng bowed outside the hall and left quickly with the broadsword at his waist. At this moment, Gao Ying appeared outside the hall. ¡°Your Highness, the Xuanyuan family has sent someone.¡± The Xuanyuan family? Ye Xuan gestured for Gao Ying to enter the hall. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the Xuanyuan family?¡± Gao Ying replied, ¡°Your Highness, the Xuanyuan family is one of the four largest Chambers of Commerce in the capital. The treasure auction house and the slave market are their businesses. As for why the head of the Xuanyuan family is here, I have no idea.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Since they¡¯re here, we¡¯ll meet.¡± Just as Gao Ying was about to leave to summon the Xuanyuan family head into the hall, Ye Xuan said in a deep voice behind him, ¡°Eunuch Gao, wait.¡± ¡°Your Highness, what is it?¡± ¡°Eunuch Gao, my father clearly knows that there is something wrong with the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Left Minister. Why did he allow them to exist until now?¡± ¡°Your Highness, the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and the Left Minister¡¯s problems were known to His Majesty three years ago. He did not attack them because he was afraid of the sects behind them. He had the three of them remain in the court so that they could keep each other in check.¡± Gao Ying said in a deep voice. Ye Xuan was suspicious. How strong were the forces behind the three of them to be able to threaten an entire empire? It seemed that things were much more difficult than he had imagined. ¡°Go and summon the Xuanyuan family into the palace.¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The Eastern Palace. In the main hall. Ye Xuan sat alone in front of the desk, thinking in his mind that a force that could make Xia fear and make Emperor Xia balance out the power should be quite powerful. During the three years in the cold palace, he had familiarized himself with the ancient books and scrolls of the empire. There were quite a number of sects in Great Xia, but none of them were above the empire. Furthermore, the sects had never interfered with the affairs of the imperial court. This made him even more curious about the forces behind the Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and Left Minister. Gao Ying returned with a middle-aged man. ¡°Your Highness, Patriarch Xuanyuan is here.¡± Xuanyuan Tuo bowed. ¡°I, Xuanyuan Tuo, pay my respects to Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuan raised his hand slightly, indicating for Xuanyuan Tuo to stand up. ¡°I wonder why Patriarch Xuanyuan has come to the palace.¡± Xuanyuan Tuo went straight to the point. ¡°Your Highness, I came to the palace because I want to cooperate with you.¡± Cooperation? Ye Xuan gestured for Xuanyuan Tuo to take a seat. ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, please tell me how we can cooperate.¡± Xuanyuan Tuo sat across from Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, the Northern Barbarians have sent their troops to invade Great Xia, and the people have been tormented by the flames of war. The Xuanyuan family is willing to provide financial assistance to Great Xia in repelling the Northern Barbarians.¡± Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes and sized up Xuanyuan Tuo. Businessmen would not get up early if there was no profit. Since Patriarch Xuanyuan had taken the initiative to invest, there must be something they wanted. ¡°What do you want, Patriarch Xuanyuan?¡± Everyone was understanding. Being straightforward could solve things quickly. Nobody liked to beat around the bush. Xuanyuan Tuo said, ¡°Your Highness, our Xuanyuan family¡¯s request is very simple. When Your Highness has unified the world, our Xuanyuan family will control the business world.¡± He was quite ambitious. The business world. In other words, the Xuanyuan family would control all the businesses in the world. Ye Xuan replied without hesitation, ¡°I can agree to your request, but our cooperation must be changed to submission.¡± Xuanyuan Tuo¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Your Highness, this¡­¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°The fact that you dare to enter the palace means that you have confidence in me. I don¡¯t like working together. If the Xuanyuan family doesn¡¯t agree to surrender, I can still support an imperial merchant.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, you don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry to answer me. I¡¯ll give you two months to think about it. In the meantime, we can have temporary cooperation.¡± ¡°What do you mean by a temporary cooperation, Your Highness?¡± Xuanyuan Tuo asked. Ye Xuan said, ¡°In these two months, the Xuanyuan family will provide enough food and supplies for the empire, and I will still pay you spirit stones. After two months, the Xuanyuan family will make a decision. If you don¡¯t want to submit, I won¡¯t force you.¡± He was very confident that the Xuanyuan family would choose to surrender in two months because, by that time, the news from the front lines would have already reached the capital. It would not be difficult for Lu Bu to lead the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry to defeat the 150,000 troops of the Northern Barbarians. 3,000 defeating 150,000 troops would definitely become the most memorable stroke in the history of the nine states war. Ye Xuan had chosen the Xuanyuan family for a simple reason. The Xuanyuan family had a mature business system, which could save a lot of time for cultivation. Besides that, there was another important reason. Xuanyuan Tuo had come to him to cooperate at this time, which meant that he knew Ye Xuan well. Therefore, the Xuanyuan family was not as simple as they seemed. They were definitely not as simple as merchants. Xuanyuan Tuo was also a straightforward person. ¡°Alright, I agree to work with Your Highness for a short time. How much grain does Your Highness need? Send someone to inform me. The Xuanyuan family will prepare it in the shortest time possible and send it to the battlefields at the fastest speed.¡± Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s cooperate well!¡± Xuanyuan Tuo stood up, bowed, and left the Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan called Gao Ying over and asked, ¡°Eunuch Gao, the Xuanyuan family¡¯s business is only within Great Xia?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m not sure about this,¡± Gao Ying replied. Ye Xuan nodded. He planned to have Cao Zhengchun investigate the Xuanyuan family in secret. At that moment, Ling Fusheng entered the hall and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, Lord Cao is here.¡± ¡°Let him in!¡± ¡°Your Highness,¡± Cao Zhengchun said as he entered the main hall. ¡°Follow me to Chang¡¯an Academy,¡± Ye Xuan said. Gao Ying¡¯s face was filled with suspicion as his gaze fell on Cao Zhengchun. Since when did His Highness have such a powerful person by his side? He was also a Tongxuan realm cultivator, but he could not see through Cao Zhengchun. After confirming his gaze, he was someone he couldn¡¯t beat. He suddenly felt that the people of the empire had underestimated Ye Xuan. The crown prince had hidden himself so deeply. From the methods in the Golden Palace, the crown prince¡¯s growth in the past three years in the cold palace had exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination. Gao Ying knew that Cao Zhengchun was probably the one who had killed the Dark Net that night. ¡°Your Highness, why are you going to Chang¡¯an Academy?¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes fell on Gao Ying, and he slowly said, ¡°If I remember correctly, Chang¡¯an Academy was established to protect the safety of Great Xia. It is a royal academy, right?¡± Gao Ying nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ye Xuan continued, ¡°Since it¡¯s the royal academy, the empire is in danger. Chang¡¯an Academy should go through difficulties together with the Great Xia. I¡¯m going to the academy to select some disciples and let them go to the border to fight enemies and gain experience.¡± Gao Ying¡¯s face was filled with shock, and he hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, you may not know this, but times have changed. The current Chang¡¯an Academy is gradually drifting away from the empire.¡± Ye Xuan laughed. ¡°Is that so? If the academy can¡¯t share the empire¡¯s burden, then there¡¯s no value in its existence.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he left with Cao Zhengchun. Gao Ying quickly caught up with him. He was extremely shocked, knowing that Ye Xuan was about to make a move on Chang¡¯an Academy. Once upon a time, Emperor Xia had wanted to bring Chang¡¯an Academy under control, but he failed in the end. He did not know if the Crown Prince would succeed this time. ¡­. Chang¡¯an Academy On the back mountain. Four figures stood at the edge of the cliff. They were Grand Tutor Li Lingxiao, Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian, Left Minister Yan Yong, and Sage Lin Mo. It was not easy for the four of them to be able to gather together. This was because each of them represented a different power. No, to be precise, there were three powers. Yan Yong and Lin Mo belonged to the same power. Li Lingxiao said in a low voice. ¡°Crown Prince Xuan is already a threat to us. Since things have come to this, there¡¯s no need to hide anything. Let¡¯s work together to get rid of the Crown Prince and discuss the rest.¡± ¡°Grand Tutor, tell me how to get rid of Ye Xuan,¡± Lin Mo said. Li Lingxiao continued. ¡°Back then, the royal family¡¯s ancestor was willing to injure himself to cover up the phenomenon that Ye Xuan had caused. All these years, His Majesty has been protecting him. In the three years that he was left in the cold palace, Ye Xuan has changed a lot. He¡¯s now unfathomable.¡± ¡°Also, the things on Empress Yu should have been left to Ye Xuan. It¡¯s unrealistic to assassinate her in the palace, but we can lure the Crown Prince out of the palace and then kill him.¡± As he said this, his gaze landed on Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian. ¡°How to get the Crown Prince out of the palace will depend on Grand Preceptor.¡± Just as Li Chuntian was about to speak, a figure appeared on the mountain peak. This person was none other than Wu Yinting. He bowed. ¡°Teacher, the Crown Prince has arrived at the academy. The principal has invited you over.¡± Lin Mo¡¯s gaze swept across Li Lingxiao and the others. ¡°Look, our chance has come.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to make a move in the academy?¡± Li Chuntian asked. Lin Mo laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not worried, so what¡¯s the Grand Preceptor afraid of? Let the Crown Prince be buried here!¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio On the cliff. Li Chuntian said, ¡°Brother Lin, you have to consider this carefully. If the assassination fails, Chang¡¯an Academy might be held accountable. Also, we have to get rid of Ye Xuan, but we can¡¯t be too hasty.¡± ¡°Many things are still unclear. After getting rid of Ye Xuan, no one will threaten us, but it¡¯s also possible that we¡¯ll be happy for nothing. We don¡¯t want to have all these years of planning go to waste.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recommend assassinating the crown prince in the academy.¡± ¡°Grand Preceptor, you mean¡­¡± Lin Mo said. Li Chuntian continued, ¡°The crown prince letting Xiao Rui form a new army will be an opportunity. After the recruitment of new soldiers is over, the crown prince will head to the military drill ground to test the soldiers. At that time, we will kill them in one fell swoop.¡± ¡°During this period of time, we will speed up our search for what we want. In any case, Great Xia is still in our hands. Even His Majesty can¡¯t do anything to us. I don¡¯t care about a mere crown prince.¡± Li Lingxiao shook his head. ¡°Grand Preceptor, you¡¯ve forgotten how the crown prince managed to get rid of Qian Feng in the Golden Palace. You can¡¯t be overconfident, or it¡¯ll be too late for regrets.¡± ¡°What do the two of you mean? Are we going to kill him or not?¡± Lin Mo asked. Li Chuntian did not hesitate. ¡°We won¡¯t kill him. Let¡¯s see what the crown prince is going to do in the academy first. We¡¯ll wait for Brother Lin¡¯s news here.¡± Lin Mo shook his head and left in disappointment. From the very beginning, he knew that it was impossible for him to reach an agreement with Li Chuntian and Li Lingxiao. If they could cooperate, things would not have developed to this stage. Emperor Xia¡¯s art of balance would not work either. If one only valued their own interests, how could one achieve great things? Little did they know that the power behind Li Chuntian had never wished for Xia to be destroyed. They had not found what they wanted, and at the same time, they firmly believed that Empress Yu would return. Ye Xuan was not their target, but Empress Yu. Chang¡¯an Academy. The main hall. After Lin Mo and Wu Yinting appeared and greeted him, Principal Gu Tiangang said, ¡°Sage, His Highness has come to the academy to recruit a group of disciples to train on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Training?¡± Lin Mo knew Ye Xuan¡¯s intention. He wanted to use the academy¡¯s power to stop the Northern Barbarian army. ¡°Your Highness, the academy is a place for the disciples to learn. They have long stopped participating in the empire¡¯s affairs. Please understand.¡± He would never allow anyone to ruin his plans. He was the one who had called for the Northern Barbarian army. How could he let the academy¡¯s disciples stop them? He thought he knew Ye Xuan very well, but in fact, he knew nothing about him. Ye Xuan¡¯s real purpose in coming to Chang¡¯an Academy was to take control of the entire academy and find the hidden forces in the academy. Even if he couldn¡¯t take control of the academy, he would still ban them and not let the academy become the enemy of the empire. He¡¯d destroy it if he couldn¡¯t get it. Ye Xuan nodded and smiled. ¡°So the royal family doesn¡¯t have the final say in the academy. It¡¯s Mr. Lin who makes the decisions.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°If I remember correctly, Chang¡¯an Academy is a royal academy. It was established to cultivate talents for the empire. Now that the academy¡¯s disciples are not involved in the empire¡¯s affairs, there is no meaning to the academy¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°For so many years, the academy has been protected by the empire and has never paid any taxes. Shouldn¡¯t Principal Gu and Mr. Lin pay the owed taxes and then dissolve Chang¡¯an Academy?¡± Lin Mo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Your Highness, do you know how dangerous it is to dissolve the academy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an academy that can¡¯t be used by the empire, so why should I keep it?¡± Ye Xuan replied. ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Lin Mo said coldly. Ye Xuan was not to be outdone. ¡°Mr. Lin, you mean¡­ I don¡¯t have the final say in the Great Xia Empire?¡± ¡°Even His Majesty wouldn¡¯t dare to disband the academy. I advise Your Highness to think twice before you act,¡± Lin Mo said. ¡°You¡¯re teaching me what to do?¡± Ye Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°You have three days to pay all the taxes and close Chang¡¯an Academy. If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll send people to seal it up.¡± Lin Mo turned to look at Gu Tiangang and gave him a look. The latter understood tacitly and said, ¡°It seems that Your Highness can¡¯t tolerate Chang¡¯an Academy. Then Your Highness can stay in the academy.¡± ¡°Men, invite His Highness to the Cliff of Reflection!¡± ¡°Principal Gu, are you trying to lock me up in the academy?¡± Ye Xuan asked casually. ¡°Your Highness, you should go to the Cliff of Reflection and think about it,¡± Gu Tiangang said. A wave of spiritual Qi fluctuated, and a figure entered the hall. It was an expert from the academy¡¯s law enforcement hall, and he instantly surrounded Ye Xuan and the other two. Imprisoning Ye Xuan was only the first step. The real purpose was to prevent him from leaving Chang¡¯an Academy. ¡°Teacher Han, please invite His Highness to the Cliff of Reflection,¡± Gu Tiangang said in a deep voice. ¡°Your Highness, please!¡± Han Changkong said. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Ye Xuan asked. Spiritual Qi burst out from Han Changkong¡¯s body, and his Tongxuan level one strength burst out. ¡°Please forgive me for offending you.¡± He raised his hand and grabbed Ye Xuan¡¯s shoulder. Suddenly, a powerful spiritual Qi shot out and directly sent him flying. He fell outside the hall, blood spurting out of his mouth. Ye Xuan said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve given you a chance, but you didn¡¯t know how to cherish it. Don¡¯t blame me for being merciless.¡± Gu Tiangang and Lin Mo¡¯s gazes landed on Cao Zhengchun, and they had alert expressions. They clearly did not expect Ye Xuan to have such an expert by his side. A half-step Mingxuan realm, was this Ye Xuan¡¯s source of confidence? Lin Mo¡¯s figure emitted spiritual Qi as if a celestial mountain had appeared in the main hall. ¡°Crown Prince, this is Chang¡¯an Academy. It¡¯s not up to you to make decisions.¡± He had already shed all pretenses of cordiality, so he could use this opportunity to get rid of Ye Xuan. Cao Zhengchun stepped in front of Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, you should leave first. I¡¯ll stop them.¡± ¡°I never said I was going to leave!¡± Ye Xuan said indifferently, ¡°Zhengchun, I¡¯ll leave Gu Tiangang to you. As for this sage, I¡¯ll kill him myself.¡± Cao Zhengchun nodded his head as he charged toward Gu Tiangang. As the sound of an explosion rang out, the two of them burst out of the hall and appeared in the void. Lin Mo¡¯s eyes fell on Ye Xuan. ¡°You must be daydreaming if you want to kill me, Crown Prince.¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Lin Mo, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Tell me who are the forces behind you, and I¡¯ll consider leaving your corpse intact.¡± ¡°I am a Mingxuan expert, the strongest in the entire Great Xia. Crown Prince, since you want to know my true identity, I will grant you your wish.¡± Lin Mo¡¯s face was filled with arrogance. ¡°We are all going to die. I will let you die with a clear understanding.¡± ¡°I am the third elder of the Xuantian Sect!¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Alright. You can die now.¡± Lin Mo¡¯s figure flickered and he suddenly rushed forward. The might of his Mingxuan realm fell, and the space collapsed inch by inch. Spiritual Qi raged on Ye Xuan¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be alone on the road to the netherworld. Your father will be with you.¡± Ye Xuan looked at the huge palm coming at him, and his figure flew backward. He raised his hand and a sword light flew out. With a flash, the sword was invincible¡­ Whoosh. The sword Qi shattered the giant palm and pressed against Lin Mo¡¯s forehead. The sword went in half an inch, and blood flowed out. Lin Mo was terrified, his eyes filled with disbelief. With a soul bound, a bone-chilling coldness spread through his body, and even his soul trembled. That was impossible. That was absolutely impossible. He was a Mingxuan expert. The next moment, the sword light pierced through his eyebrows, and the blood was like a column. The figure fell to the ground. A Mingxuan realm expert was killed in one shot? Chapter 13 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the main hall, Lin Mo was lying in a pool of blood, breathless. Wu Yinting was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground and peed himself. He had never dreamed that Ye Xuan would be so powerful. In the entire Great Xia Empire, there were only a handful of people who were above Lin Mo. Ye Xuan killed him in one strike. Could he be a Mingxuan realm expert? Wu Yinting was shocked by his own thoughts. Impossible. How could he have the strength of a Mingxuan realm expert at such a young age? Gao Ying was also shocked. He had thought that Ye Xuan¡¯s trump card was Cao Zhengchun, but it turned out that Ye Xuan was the true expert. In the next moment, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. He muttered to himself, ¡°The Crown Prince is so powerful. Xia will be saved.¡± Little did he know. Ye Xuan only had the strength of a Tongxuan, so it was impossible for him to kill Lin Mo. The reason he could kill Lin Mo in one strike was that he had used the Instant Kill Card. The invincible sword could kill everything in an instant. He didn¡¯t feel that it was a waste to use the Instant Kill Card to get rid of Lin Mo. Killing the chicken to warn the monkeys had a huge effect. Killing one person could shock the entire Great Xia, so the use of the Instant Kill Card was very valuable. Seeing Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes on him, Gao Ying seemed to suddenly think of something and quickly said, ¡°Your Highness, the sun is shining brightly today. The weather is really good. The sun is hanging high in the sky. It¡¯s really good, really good.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Your Highness, I did not see anything.¡± This was a smart person. He knew that Ye Xuan didn¡¯t want to reveal his strength, so he could only pretend to be blind. Ye Xuan said, ¡°Eunuch Gao, take Lord Wu back. I want to have a chat with him. Also, inform Commander Ling to seal Chang¡¯an Academy and the Wu Manor.¡± ¡°I will do it now,¡± Gao Ying said. Just as he was about to leave the great hall with Wu Yinting, a powerful spiritual Qi descended from the sky and appeared beside them. The person who had arrived was none other than Cao Zhengchun. In his hand was a bloody head. It was Gu Tiangang. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me. I didn¡¯t control myself and accidentally killed him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you killed him.¡± ¡°Your Highness, why did you call me back?¡± Cao Zhengchun asked. Ye Xuan glanced at Gao Ying, signaling for him to take Wu Yinting and leave. In a moment, only the two of them were left in the broken hall. ¡°Zhengchun, I asked you to come back because I want you to investigate the power behind the Grand Tutor and the Grand Preceptor, and also Xuantian Sect.¡± Cao Zhengchun nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± The two left the hall and came to the square. The previous battle had alarmed the academy¡¯s teachers and disciples. They were gathered in the square when they suddenly saw Ye Xuan and his companion walking over, and their eyes all fell on Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan¡¯s expression was calm as he swept his gaze across the crowd. ¡°Principal Gu Tiangang and Sage Lin Mo have plotted against me and tried to assassinate me. They have been killed on the spot. From now on, the royal family will take control of the academy and will not affect the lives of the teachers and disciples.¡± ¡°As for the position of the principal, I will send someone here. From now on, Chang¡¯an Academy will take orders from the empire. If there are any disloyal people, you will leave the academy immediately.¡± Everyone in the square was shocked. Many disciples didn¡¯t know Ye Xuan¡¯s identity, but they knew the strength of the principal and Lin Mo. The two of them were easily killed, so this was a real fight. A few teachers knelt down, and an old man said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll follow Your Highness¡¯s arrangements.¡± Ye Xuan glanced at the old man. ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m Ning Bai,¡± the old man replied. Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re the vice principal of Chang¡¯an Academy, and you¡¯ll be in charge of everything. Before the principal comes, you can report to me directly in the palace if you have any questions.¡± Ning Bai was stunned for a moment. ¡°I thank Your Highness for your grace. I will definitely manage the academy well.¡± Ye Xuan stood up and left, with Cao Zhengchun following closely behind. He left Gu Tiangang¡¯s head in the square. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on the head, and they retreated in fear. Ning Bai watched Ye Xuan leave and muttered to himself, ¡°The Crown Prince is overbearing!¡± As he moved forward, a system notification rang in his ears. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, the check-in location has been refreshed ¡ª Chang¡¯an Academy!¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations Master for killing Mingxuan expert Lin Mo. You have received a system reward gift bag.¡± Ye Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°Check in immediately.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations Master, you have successfully checked in to Chang¡¯an Academy and obtained Zhang Sanfeng¡¯s loyalty, Poxuan realm.¡± Taoist Spiritual Master Zhang? Ye Xuan looked at the information displayed by the system. Character: Zhang Sanfeng Title: Taoist Spiritual Master Zhang Realm: Poxuan Realm Level Five Cultivation Technique: Tai Chi Mystic Technique, Nine Revolutions Mystic Technique, Nine Suns Clear Sky Technique! Martial Arts Technique: Tai Chi Sword Picture, Xiantian One Sword Divine Power: True Body of Tai Chi, Righteousness Qi. Not bad, not bad. Ye Xuan was very satisfied. He had been worried that Chang¡¯an Academy didn¡¯t have a principal. Now that Zhang Sanfeng was here, who was more suitable than him? He was very assured to leave Chang¡¯an Academy in Zhang Sanfeng¡¯s hands. Great Xia already had a Poxuan expert, and his foundation had become stronger again. ¡°System, I¡¯ll collect the gift bag immediately.¡± ¡°Ding! Congratulations, Master. You have successfully received the system gift bag. You have been rewarded with 100 Bloodline Pills, the divine weapon Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a cultivation technique Eternal Indestructible Golden Body, and part one of the pharmacopeia. The reward for killing Lin Mo was so generous. The Bloodline Pill could awaken and improve one¡¯s bloodline. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade was not Brother Guan¡¯s weapon. However, when he saw the contents of the system¡¯s introduction, he could not remain calm. There was a green dragon sealed within the blade. It could make the blade recognize its owner and have the opportunity to open the seal and use the green dragon for himself. Ye Xuan was shocked. Even if it was sealed now, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade was still an invincible weapon. For the Eternal Indestructible Golden Body, once it was cultivated to the peak, it would be undying and indestructible. No attack could break through his defense. The pharmacopeia was a supreme secret manual that recorded countless methods of refining medicine, pill recipes, and insights. It was known as the number one divine book for refining medicine. After leaving Chang¡¯an Academy, Ye Xuan was in a good mood. After parting with Cao Zhengchun, he walked down the long street alone. The lights were on, and Chang¡¯an was bustling. He did not return to the Eastern Palace but instead walked toward Old General Ji. At this moment, at the back mountain of Chang¡¯an Academy. The Grand Preceptor, the Grand Tutor, and the Left Minister were still waiting at the edge of the cliff. It was already late at night, but Lin Mo had yet to arrive. The three of them looked puzzled and were certain that something big had happened in Chang¡¯an Academy. The three of them didn¡¯t go to the academy to check it out but chose to leave instead. Under unknown circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t risk their lives. ¡­.. Ji Manor. Ye Xuan appeared outside the mansion and was stopped by two guards. ¡°May I know why you are here, Young Master?¡± It was obvious that the two guards didn¡¯t know Ye Xuan, but they couldn¡¯t be blamed. He was banished to the cold palace for three years, so it was normal for him to be forgotten. ¡°Please inform Old General Ji that Ye Xuan requests an audience!¡± The two of them saw Ye Xuan¡¯s extraordinary temperament and knew that he must have a great background. One of them quickly turned and ran into the mansion. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Ji Ye and his family came to the door of the Ji Manor. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Your Highness was coming. Please forgive me for not welcoming you.¡± Ye Xuan helped Ji Ye up. ¡°Old General, you¡¯re too serious. I came to the manor on a whim.¡± ¡°Your Highness, please enter!¡± Ji Ye hurriedly said. Chapter 14 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Ji Manor. Under the dim light, the whole mansion looked very solemn and quiet. It gave people a feeling of simplicity. Compared with the prosperity and luxury of Chang¡¯an, the old general¡¯s mansion was a little shabby. This wasn¡¯t the treatment an old general should receive. Ye Xuan kept silent and remembered everything in his heart. When Old General Ji returned from the expedition, he would prepare a new mansion for him. He could not disappoint the empire¡¯s cast stone. Ji Ye asked his family to leave and took Ye Xuan to the study alone. ¡°Your Highness, do you have something important to tell me since you¡¯ve visited so late?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here for a visit, and also to give you something.¡± Ye Xuan said lightly, and his eyes landed on a black armor. He stood up and came to the armor. ¡°Elder Ji, this is your armor.¡± ¡°Your Highness, this is my armor. It¡¯s called the Green Dragon Jet Black Armor, passed down by my ancestors.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. The armor was as black as ink and had a green dragon totem engraved on it. It was lifelike and intimidating. The cold killing intent it exuded could tell that this armor was not ordinary. The Ji family¡¯s ancestor must be quite something. He turned to look at the weapon rack. There was a huge saber that was a head taller than him. ¡°The General Slaying Saber.¡± Ji Ye took down the General Slaying Saber and handed it to Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, this is my old friend. He fought with me on the battlefield all my life, killed countless enemies, and drank blood.¡± ¡°A good blade!¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. He slowly raised his arm, and a Jade bottle appeared in his palm. ¡°Elder Ji, this is a Bloodline Pill. Take it before you go to war. It will help you improve your realm.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come to deliver the pill.¡± Ji Ye hurriedly bowed. ¡°Thank you for the reward, Your Highness. How can I have the honor to have Your Highness deliver the spiritual pill at night?¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Old General Ji, you¡¯ll be famous for protecting Great Xia for a long time. I¡¯m just here to give you some pills. It¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Ji Ye took the Bloodline Pill. ¡°I also have something for you, Your Highness.¡± As his voice fell, he left the study with Ye Xuan and walked towards the ancestral hall of the Ji family. Outside the ancestral hall. Ji Ye pushed open the door to the hall and motioned for Ye Xuan to enter. The moment the door opened, a powerful spiritual Qi fluctuation rushed toward him. ¡°Your Highness, please!¡± Ye Xuan entered the ancestral hall, and his eyes fell on the desk in front of him. A black wooden box came into view. The powerful spiritual Qi just now came from this wooden box. Ji Ye stepped forward and handed the wooden box to him. ¡°Your Highness, please take a look.¡± ¡°Elder Ji, what¡¯s in this box?¡± ¡°Your Highness, it is a sword. When I was attacking North Vietnam, this sword fell from the sky and landed in a mountain not far from the camp. I brought it back.¡± ¡°However, this sword is too strange. Ever since I obtained it, no one has been able to unsheathe it.¡± Ji Ye handed the wooden box to Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, you can give it a try.¡± Ye Xuan opened the wooden box, and an ancient sword appeared. The sword had a powerful aura around it. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, divine sword Xuanyuan has been discovered. Do you want it to acknowledge you as the master immediately?¡± Xuanyuan Sword? ¡°Acknowledge Immediately!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the Xuanyuan Sword flew out of the wooden box and floated into the ancestral hall. In an instant, infinite sword Qi shot out and filled every inch of the ancestral hall. The golden sword Qi enveloped Ye Xuan¡¯s body, and his whole body seemed to be bathed in divine light. The next moment, the sound of a sword rang out, and Xuanyuan turned into a bright light and entered Ye Xuan¡¯s body. An infinite amount of sword Qi gushed into his body. The ancestral hall returned to normal as if nothing had happened. Ji Ye was shocked. ¡°Your Highness is indeed a fated person. This sword will shine in your hands in the future.¡± ¡°Elder Ji, you have given me a big gift.¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. With a wave of his hand, a terrifying dragon might appeared, and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade floated in the air. ¡°What do you think of this blade, Elder Ji?¡± Ji Ye¡¯s burning eyes landed on the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. ¡°Your Highness, this blade is an invincible divine weapon.¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. Elder Ji, try and see if you can make it recognize you as its master.¡± Ji Ye was terrified. ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t. This blade is too precious. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°It¡¯s just a blade. How can it compare to you, Elder Ji? I only hope that you won¡¯t bring shame to this blade and use it to expand the territory of Great Xia and to gain great merits.¡± Ji Ye was a little moved. He knew that the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in front of him was many times stronger than his General Slaying Saber. If he used this saber on the battlefield, he would be invincible. ¡°Try it!¡± Seeing that Ji Ye was still hesitating, Ye Xuan urged him in a deep voice. Ji Ye hesitated for a moment before he walked toward the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. He slowly raised his arm and tried to grab the handle. The next moment, a shocking scene happened. A huge vortex appeared on the blade and swallowed Elder Ji. A man and a blade were spinning in the air. Ye Xuan said in a deep voice, ¡°One with the blade.¡± Immediately after, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade appeared in Ji Ye¡¯s hand. He held the blade in one hand like a God of War. The aura on his body soared wildly, and his realm instantly rose to Great Grandmaster level ten. After all, Ji Ye had been in the Great Grandmaster realm level five for ten years. He found it unbelievable that he had suddenly advanced by five small realms. However, in Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes, it was just a normal procedure. Anyway, his breakthroughs had always been like this, soaring rapidly. Ji Ye restrained his aura and floated in front of Ye Xuan. He held his crescent blade tightly. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuan motioned for him to stand up. ¡°Elder Ji, you and the crescent blade are fated, and it recognized you as its master. Your cultivation has also improved a lot. In the next few days, consolidate your strength at home. When the preparation of food is completed, we will immediately send troops to the Northern Barbarians.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ji Ye said. Ye Xuan walked out of the ancestral hall. ¡°Rest early, Elder Ji. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± ¡°I will send Your Highness back to the palace.¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s a quiet night, I¡¯ll walk alone.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master. Ji Ye has obtained the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. He is 100% loyal to you.¡± Was this even possible? It was an unexpected gain. Under Ji Ye¡¯s gaze, Ye Xuan left the Ji Manor. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, a new check-in location has been refreshed ¡ª Ji Manor. Do you want to check in immediately?¡± Ye Xuan raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was really leaving little spirits as he walked. No, it should be checking in everywhere he went. ¡°Check in immediately!¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master. You have successfully checked into the Ji Manor and obtained the system reward ¡ª Divine General Tower.¡± Divine General Tower, what¡¯s that? Ye Xuan¡¯s mind stirred as he looked at the system¡¯s introduction. The so-called Divine General Tower was a divine artifact. If a divine general obtained the recognition of this tower, he would obtain a wisp of attribute battle soul. How awesome, it was his tower. With this tower, Great Xia would become even stronger in the future. In addition, this tower had another very impressive feature, and that was group attacks. Divine generals could enter this tower and fuse with the power of battle generals to launch this tower attack. It was terrifying. Under the night sky, Ye Xuan flew through the air and rushed towards the Eastern Palace. He was in a good mood that night, but when he was not far from the Eastern Palace, his expression suddenly became serious¡­ Someone wanted to mess with him. Chapter 15 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Chang¡¯an City. The night was dark, and the wind was strong. Ye Xuan stood at the top of the pavilion and looked in the direction of the Eastern Palace. Emperor Xia¡¯s palace had almost become their back garden, where they could come and go as they pleased. This was a serious problem. Since when could assassins enter the imperial palace so easily? The dignity of the royal family was completely gone. He moved his body and silently headed toward the Eastern Palace. The assassins didn¡¯t notice his existence at all. In the Eastern Palace courtyard, Ye Xuan appeared behind the two assassins. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± As the voice fell, the two of them quickly turned around and looked at Ye Xuan with guarded eyes. They were shocked. When did he appear? He didn¡¯t make any sound at all. Ye Xuan said, ¡°You¡¯re the guest. Take off your veil, and let¡¯s have a chat.¡± The two of them had well-defined curves. Although their faces could not be seen clearly under the cover of their black long robes and capes, one could tell that they were women based on their figures. The two of them were only at Tongxuan realm level two, yet they dared to sneak into the Eastern Palace. They were simply too bold. What was the person behind them thinking? Sending them to their deaths? However, they¡¯re quite capable to be able to enter the Eastern Palace without a sound. Next, he shall strip them ¡ª no, he shall unveil their mysterious veil. The two women exchanged a look, and as light as a swallow, they suddenly attacked Ye Xuan at an extremely fast speed. Hidden weapons flew out one after another, like a rainstorm of pear flowers, and enveloped Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan was calm and composed. He stood still and looked at the hidden weapon quietly. The next moment, the space seemed to stop, and the hidden weapon instantly turned into powder and disappeared in the night. ¡°The two of you had better surrender, or else I will make you suffer.¡± The two women stopped and looked at Ye Xuan in shock. He was so powerful. What realm was he in? They knew that they had underestimated the enemy. To be precise, they had been careless. Entering the Eastern Palace without knowing anything about Ye Xuan was a risky thing to do. At this moment, the pressure from Ye Xuan¡¯s figure descended and enveloped the entire Eastern Palace. The two women¡¯s expressions changed. The pressure was too strong, like a celestial mountain falling on their backs, making them nervous. Before they even fought, they already knew that they had lost. The two women¡¯s clothes fluttered in the air. They tiptoed in the air and prepared to escape the Eastern Palace. Just as they turned around, a black shadow appeared not far away. It was none other than Jue Ying. He was like a ghost and as fast as a monster. Before the two women realized what was going on, two sword lights had pierced through their shoulders. Blood gushed out, and their figures fell from the sky. ¡°Jue Ying, bring them into the palace.¡± The two women still wanted to struggle, but Jue Ying released the sword Qi and pointed it at their necks. If they moved, the sword would cut their throats. In the main hall, the lights were bright, and it was as bright as day. Ye Xuan sat in front of the desk, his eyes falling on the two women. At this time, the light gauze on their faces had been removed, and they looked pretty. There were blood stains on the corners of their mouths, and they looked very weak. Just as he was about to interrogate the two women, Gao Ying rushed into the main hall. ¡°I came late. I¡¯ve frightened Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Eunuch Gao, please get up. I¡¯m fine.¡± Gao Ying stood up and his gaze fell on the two women. His expression suddenly changed, ¡°You two¡­ You dare to assassinate His Highness?¡± Ye Xuan was startled. ¡°Eunuch Gao, do you know them?¡± ¡°Your Highness, the two of them are maids in the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace, and there¡¯s also an older sister. They¡¯re Jin¡¯er, Ping¡¯er, and Mei¡¯er. These three people have served the Empress Dowager for many years.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. The names of these three women were quite interesting. They were Empress Dowager¡¯s maidservants. He didn¡¯t know if Empress Dowager had ordered them to come and assassinate him. ¡°Eunuch Gao, you interrogate them.¡± Gao Ying¡¯s gaze landed on Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er. ¡°Speak. Who sent you here to assassinate me? Don¡¯t try to hide it. You know my methods.¡± The two women were silent and expressionless as if they were not afraid of death. ¡°Your Highness, I will bring them down for interrogation,¡± Gao Ying said. Ye Xuan shook his head. ¡°Take them away and lock them up. Tomorrow, they will go to Eternal Peace Palace with me.¡± Gao Ying knew that Ye Xuan was going to ask the Empress Dowager for an explanation. The Empress Dowager had lived in the Eternal Peace Palace for a long time and had not left for several years. She had only appeared once when Emperor Xia was poisoned. The Empress Dowager was definitely the most powerful person in the palace. She was in the Eternal Peace Palace and knew everything in the world. If she had not been obsessed with Buddhism, she would probably still be in the dark. Ye Xuan had some memories of Empress Dowager, but they were very vague because he hadn¡¯t seen her for a long time. If the assassin hadn¡¯t appeared, he would have thought that she had passed away. Gao Ying accepted the order and left with the two girls. Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes and watched them leave. The palace was not safe, so it was time to take care of it. ¡­. The next day. Morning court. Ye Xuan had learned from Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian that he had already prepared some food and resources. It was estimated that it would be completed in ten days. He didn¡¯t make things difficult for Li Chuntian and gave him ten days. Following that, the officials submitted a few documents, all of which were irrelevant matters. The morning court session ended quickly. Li Chuntian, Li Lingxiao, and left Left Minister Yan Yong left the Xia Palace and appeared at the Grand Preceptor¡¯s residence. At this moment, an old man appeared in front of them and bowed. ¡°Greetings to the three lords.¡± Li Chuntian gestured for the person to take a seat, ¡°Master Bai, what happened in the academy yesterday?¡± Bai Chi replied, ¡°Reporting to Grand Tutor. Yesterday, the Crown Prince entered the academy and killed the principal and the sage. The academy is now temporarily under Ning Bai¡¯s management.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chuntian and the other two could no longer remain calm. They hurriedly placed the teacups in their hands on the stone table. ¡°Master Bai, are you telling the truth? How could the Crown Prince have killed Principal Gu and the Sage?¡± Bai Chi replied, ¡°My Lords, how can I joke about this? Yesterday, I saw the corpses of the principal and the sage. Besides the Crown Prince, there were two experts. They should be the ones who killed the two of them.¡± Li Chuntian forcefully suppressed the shock in his heart. ¡°Thank you, Master Bai. Please return to the academy earlier!¡± Bai Chi bowed, turned around, and left. For a moment, the three people under the pavilion were dumbfounded. Their eyes were filled with disbelief, and they could not accept that Lin Mo had been killed. If a Mingxuan expert was killed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to touch Ye Xuan. Li Chuntian said, ¡°The Crown Prince is indeed extraordinary. The two of you should return to the residence first. In the future, we should meet less. Don¡¯t let the Crown Prince get a hold of us.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince is a huge threat. It¡¯s time to send the news back to the sect,¡± Li Lingxiao replied. His words were obviously for Li Chuntian and Yan Yong to hear. Seeing the two of them leave, Li Chuntian called the butler over, ¡°Immediately inform the Thousand Gold Association and have them prepare the necessary provisions and supplies.¡± ¡°Master, I thought you weren¡¯t in a hurry?¡± the Butler asked. Li Chuntian said, ¡°Hurry it up. It must be completed within seven days. Do you understand?¡± The Butler didn¡¯t dare to hesitate. He quickly stood up and left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the master? I¡¯ve never seen him so flustered.¡± Li Chuntian stood up and left the ancient pavilion, walking towards the backyard of the mansion. With the sound of a flute, a flying crane swooped down and appeared in the mansion¡­ He was planning to spread the news that Ye Xuan had killed Lin Mo and ask for help from the force behind him. Ye Xuan had killed Lin Mo to intimidate them, but he had never thought that Li Chuntian and the others would be so afraid. At this moment, in the Xia Palace, Ye Xuan led the two women toward Eternal Peace Palace¡­ Chapter 16 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Eternal Peace Palace. When the Empress Dowager received the report that Ye Xuan had arrived, she was puzzled. Why would the Crown Prince come to the Eternal Peace Palace? Because of Ye Xuan¡¯s mother, Empress Yu, the Empress Dowager had never liked Ye Xuan, so they had almost no interaction with each other. The Empress Dowager slowly stood up, and the old servant hurriedly helped her up. The maidservants followed closely behind her as they walked out of the hall. At this moment, Ye Xuan was standing outside the Eternal Peace Palace with Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er. When he saw Empress Dowager He, he bowed. ¡°Greetings, Empress Dowager.¡± Empress Dowager He was expressionless. She waved her sleeve lightly and asked, ¡°What business does the Crown Prince have in Eternal Peace Palace?¡± Ye Xuan stood straight, and his eyes fell on Empress Dowager He. She was actually a cultivator, and her realm was not low. She also looked very young, graceful, and elegant. She must have cultivated a cultivation technique that allowed her to retain her youth forever, or she had taken a pill that could maintain her youth permanently. ¡°Empress Dowager, someone sneaked into the Eastern Palace to assassinate me last night. I caught them by accident and found out that they came from the Eternal Peace Palace. I brought them here to you.¡± As his voice fell, Gao Ying brought Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er out. Empress Dowager He¡¯s expression changed slightly, and her gaze fell on the two girls. ¡°How dare you, maidservants, to actually dare assassinate the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Since the Crown Prince has caught them, you can deal with them however you want it. There¡¯s no need to send them back to Eternal Peace Palace.¡± Ye Xuan asked, ¡°Empress Dowager, aren¡¯t you going to explain why they wanted to assassinate me?¡± ¡°Crown Prince, what do you mean? Are you suspecting me?¡± Empress Dowager He asked. As she said this, her face turned cold. ¡°Every year, the palace selects many maidservants to enter the palace. How could I know that they have evil intentions?¡± This was removing herself completely from the picture. Did she really not know, or was she just hiding? Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Since the Empress Dowager has handed them over to me, I¡¯ll take them back. I don¡¯t know if they can resist the interrogation, but the Eastern Palace¡¯s punishments are ever-changing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read about a secret technique in an ancient book that can extract a person¡¯s memory. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not.¡± As he finished speaking, his eyes were fixed on Empress Dowager He. He wanted to see the change in her expression. Empress Dowager He was not surprised. ¡°Since you¡¯ve sent them here. They will be executed in Eternal Peace Palace.¡± ¡°This way, we can also intimidate the harem and make everyone know their place.¡± Ye Xuan said with a smile, ¡°No need. Eternal Peace Palace is the Empress Dowager¡¯s palace. It can¡¯t be stained with blood. Eunuch Gao, take them back.¡± Although the Empress Dowager had hidden very well, Ye Xuan was sure that the two women¡¯s assassination had something to do with the Empress Dowager. He already had the answer he wanted, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t leave them in the Eternal Peace Palace. Empress Dowager He could only watch helplessly as Ye Xuan took the girls away. A sharp killing intent shot out of her eyes. ¡°Li Zhongxian, do it yourself. Don¡¯t leave any flaws.¡± Li Zhongxian gestured for the maidservant behind him to step down. ¡°Empress Dowager, this matter is a little tricky. The Crown Prince is not as simple as we think. He¡¯s very meticulous. He should be starting to suspect that you have sent Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er to assassinate him.¡± ¡°So what if he knows?¡± the Empress Dowager said. ¡°Would he dare to touch me?¡± Li Zhongxian continued, ¡°Empress Dowager, I¡¯ve been sensing the direction of the Eastern Palace for the past few days. There¡¯s a strong aura, but that person is very well hidden. I don¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡± ¡°This is my humble opinion, but we should wait and see. I do not believe that the Crown Prince has the ability to extract people¡¯s memories. He was only testing us by saying that just now to see our reaction.¡± ¡°If I were to personally go to the Eastern Palace and make the slightest mistake, it will be revealed that we sent the two girls.¡± The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait and see.¡± In the eastern Palace. Ye Xuan knew that Empress Dowager He wanted to get rid of him. Since that was the case, he could only strike first and gain the upper hand. ¡°Gao Ying, who is that old man beside the Empress Dowager?¡± Gao Ying replied, ¡°Your Highness. He¡¯s the Empress Dowager¡¯s personal eunuch, and the general manager of the Eternal Peace Palace, Li Zhongxian. He used to serve the retired emperor, but later, he stayed with the Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°Do you know what his realm is?¡± Ye Xuan asked. Just now, outside Eternal Peace Palace, he couldn¡¯t see through Li Zhongxian¡¯s realm, but he was very sure that he was an expert. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve never seen Eunuch Li in action. I don¡¯t know what realm he is in,¡± Gao Ying replied. Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Bring them in!¡± Ling Fusheng led the two ladies into the hall. Ye Xuan said in a deep voice, ¡°I know that it was the Empress Dowager who sent you here. That¡¯s why when you were outside the Eternal Peace Palace, the Empress Dowager chose to give up on you and let me kill you on the spot.¡± ¡°But I want to give you a chance, a chance to live. As long as you tell me what you know, you will be the servants of the Eastern Palace, and no one will dare to hurt you.¡± ¡°You only have one chance. Make your choice.¡± The two women looked at each other. They had seen Jue Ying the expert and knew that if they could stay in the Eastern Palace to serve the Crown Prince, there might really be a chance of survival. After all, the entire Great Xia would fall into the crown prince¡¯s hands in the future. Jin¡¯er¡¯s voice was weak. ¡°Crown Prince, will you really let us stay in the Eastern Palace.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to question. I never break my promise.¡± ¡°Your Highness, we are here on Eunuch Li¡¯s orders to assassinate you,¡± Jin¡¯er replied. Ye Xuan raised his eyebrows. It was just as he had guessed. ¡°Continue. Tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡± Jin¡¯er continued, ¡°Your Highness, there are 1,000 people like us in Eternal Peace Palace who are suicide soldiers. They are scattered in every corner of the palace. The scrolls that record their identities are in Eunuch Li¡¯s hands.¡± He didn¡¯t expect there to be a thousand suicide soldiers who were living in Xia Palace. The water in the Xia Palace was unusually deep. Ye Xuan remembered that Emperor Xia had governed the country well and made great efforts to rule it. How could he have turned Xia into a mess in just three years? The rebels in the court were treacherous, and the suicide soldiers who were living in the palace were cunning. ¡°What is the Empress Dowager and Li Zhongxian¡¯s purpose in raising so many suicide soldiers?¡± Jin¡¯er shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Three years ago, I joined the suicide soldiers. At that time, there were only 100 people. I vaguely heard Eunuch Li mention the Nine States Alliance.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll stay in the Eastern Palace and be my personal maids.¡± Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er hurriedly knelt down to thank Ye Xuan for his kindness and swore a blood oath that they would be loyal to Ye Xuan once it was in effect. If they betrayed him, they would die. Once a blood oath was made, one had to abide by it for life. Otherwise, one would be tainted by karma. ¡°Eunuch Gao, Commander Ling, there are two pills here. Take them with you.¡± The two of them received the pills and quickly thanked him for his kindness. After a short while, the crowd dispersed, leaving Ye Xuan alone in the hall. His mind was racing. Based on the information he had so far, the forces that wanted to attack him were the Nine States Alliance and Xuantian Sect. As for the forces behind the Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and the Left Minister, they had yet to surface. This meant that the internal problems were more serious than the external ones. He had to speed up and uproot the people these forces had planted in the imperial capital. Anyone who wanted to harm him must be killed in the cradle. Ye Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°System, summon Zhang Sanfeng immediately!¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully summoned Zhang Sanfeng. He will arrive at Xia Palace in two hours.¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Zhang Sanfeng became the principal of Chang¡¯an Academy, and Ning Bai was the vice principal. No one had any objections to Zhang Sanfeng becoming the principal. The strong were always convincing. In the past few days, Ye Xuan had been cultivating in the Eastern Palace. The three cultivation techniques, the Forbidden Emperor Sutra, the Eternal Indestructible Golden Body, and the pharmacopeia, were all very important to him. On this day, he was immersed in his cultivation when Gao Ying¡¯s voice came from outside the hall. He knew that Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian had requested to see him. Ye Xuan¡¯s figure appeared in the main hall. Not long after, Li Chuntian appeared. ¡°Your humble servant greets Your Highness.¡± ¡°Grand Preceptor, have you prepared the provisions and supplies?¡± Li Chuntian nodded. ¡°Your Highness, I do not dare to delay in the slightest. I personally went to gather the rations and have already completed the supplies needed for the war. Old General Ji can set off at any time.¡± ¡°Eunuch Gao, summon Old General Ji to the palace,¡± Ye Xuan ordered. Gao Ying bowed. ¡°I will do as you command.¡± Li Chuntian continued, ¡°Your Highness, the provisions and supplies are ready. If you still need me to do anything, please feel free to instruct me.¡± Ye Xuan glanced at Li Chuntian. ¡°Grand Preceptor, your work is not bad. I¡¯m very satisfied. Go back to the manor first. I¡¯ll send someone to inform you if there¡¯s anything.¡± Li Chuntian felt relieved. ¡°Your humble servant will accept your orders.¡± When he left, Jin¡¯er appeared in the hall and came to Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, after five days, I¡¯ve confirmed the identities of the 100 suicide soldiers.¡± ¡°Get rid of them!¡± ¡°Your Highness, if Ping¡¯er and I were to make a move, I¡¯m worried that Eunuch Li would stop us.¡± Jin¡¯er voiced her concern. Ye Xuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Someone will support you in secret. I have the final say in Xia Palace. It¡¯s not up to a eunuch to make threatening gestures.¡± Jin¡¯er bowed. ¡°I understand.¡± The reason why Ye Xuan kept them behind was so that they could help him get rid of the hidden danger in the palace. He had learned from Jin¡¯er that the three sisters were the best among the 1,000 suicide soldiers. It was impossible to leave all the matters of the palace to Gao Ying. If he were to re-train and recruit people, it would take a great deal of time. Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er were familiar with everything in the palace, so it was more valuable to keep them. In just five days, she had helped him get rid of a hundred suicide soldiers in the palace. Ye Xuan really wanted to know what Empress Dowager He¡¯s reaction would be when she found out that the suicide soldiers she had trained were killed. The battle between them had just begun, and sooner or later, he would get rid of the Empress Dowager and Li Zhongxian. As for the Nine States Alliance behind them, as long as they dared to come to the imperial capital of Great Xia, they would definitely not be able to return. After two hours, Ji Ye came to the main hall. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Old General Ji, the provisions and supplies are ready. We can send out the army tomorrow.¡± Ji Ye nodded. ¡°Your Highness, the 50,000 soldiers of the Ji family¡¯s army are eager to give it a try. I will send troops to the Northern Barbarians tomorrow.¡± Ye Xuan looked at Ji Ye. After the Green Dragon Crescent Blade recognized him as its master, coupled with the Bloodline Pill, this 100-year-old general had been reborn. The battlefield would be his and Lu Bu¡¯s home field. ¡°Old General Ji, I¡¯ll be waiting for your return in Chang¡¯an. When you return, I¡¯ll personally come out to welcome you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Your Highness,¡± Ji Ye said. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t return until I destroy the Northern Barbarians!¡± ¡­. The next day. Chang¡¯an. In the city. Ye Xuan was dressed in white, his figure as straight as a spear as he looked at the 50,000 Ji family soldiers in formation in the wilderness outside the city. Smoke and dust swept through the air, the flags fluttered, and a powerful and overbearing murderous aura filled the air. ¡°Your Highness, Old General Ji has come out.¡± Gao Ying reminded. Ye Xuan looked down, and his eyes fell on Ji Ye. He was wearing the Green Dragon Jet Black Armor, holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and riding a reddish-brown divine steed. He was a hundred-year-old general, but he still looked as elegant as ever. All the men of the Ji family had gone to the battlefield, and only the women and children were left in the residence. A giant coffin? The giant coffin appeared again in the group. Ji Ye¡¯s determination was evident from his coffin. Ye Xuan¡¯s ears rang again with his words, ¡°I swear I won¡¯t return until I destroy the Northern Barbarians!¡± He was prepared to die on the battlefield. Elder Ji was a man with a strong character and was known as the number one War God of Great Xia. ¡°Eunuch Gao, after you return to the palace, order Commander Ling to send guards to the Ji Manor to protect the women and children of the Ji family. We cannot allow Old General Ji to be distracted on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. I will do it.¡± Gao Ying didn¡¯t dare to show any neglect. Ji Ye¡¯s spirit of facing death calmly moved him. He had to treat his family well when the general had already shown his sincerity. The sun was setting in the west, and the evening wind blew gently. The 50,000-strong army left like a long dragon in the wilderness. Ye Xuan looked into the distance and watched them disappear. ¡°The Great Xia¡¯s army left Chang¡¯an and fought for thousands of miles. They are famous all over the world.¡± ¡­ At night, in the Eternal Peace Palace. Li Zhongxian quickly walked into the main hall and bowed. ¡°Empress Dowager, Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er have indeed betrayed us. They have started to attack our people. I have just received news that hundreds of people from each palace have died in their hands.¡± Empress Dowager He said in a deep voice, ¡°When the Crown Prince made them stay, I knew it would be a disaster. They got rid of a hundred suicide soldiers. The Crown Prince wanted to use them to get rid of our deployment in the palace.¡± She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Where¡¯s the Crown Prince?¡± Li Zhongxian answered, ¡°Empress Dowager, Old General Ji went to war today. The Crown Prince went out to see the army off. He should be back in the Eastern Palace soon.¡± Empress Dowager He nodded. ¡°The Crown Prince is placing his hopes on Ji Ye. The old general has indeed made great military achievements, but it¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s not the same as before. He¡¯s old, and the battlefield no longer belongs to him.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince has already started to attack us. Tell the suicide soldiers of the various palaces not to act rashly. When our reinforcements arrive, we will kill the Crown Prince.¡± Li Zhongxian nodded. ¡°The news that the Crown Prince killed the sage and the principal of Chang¡¯an Academy has spread all over Chang¡¯an City. For the safety of the Empress Dowager, we¡¯d better wait for the reinforcements!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent the news back to the alliance,¡± Empress Dowager He said. ¡°What you need to do next is to collect information about the Crown Prince and send someone to Chang¡¯an Academy to find out what realm the principal is in.¡± ¡°We only have one chance. We must know ourselves and our enemy.¡± Li Zhongxian bowed and left the Eternal Peace Palace. Empress Dowager He looked at his back and knew that only one of them could live in the Xia Palace. It had reached a point where they would fight to the death. Her many years of planning could not be ruined by Ye Xuan¡¯s appearance. ¡­. Two months later. Outside Xiayang City. Lu Bu led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and appeared. The three thousand soldiers were like a flood that broke through a dam, charging toward the city in a grandiose manner. As they advanced, the black dragon flag fluttered in the wind, and the black dragon totem on the flag was extremely lifelike as if it would soar into the nine heavens and leave in the next moment. This flag is exclusive to the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry. In an instant, Lu Bu led the army and arrived at the city. The generals guarding the city looked at the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry that had suddenly appeared outside the city, and they had puzzled expressions. Were these reinforcements sent by the empire? How could a mere 3,000 men stop the 150,000 armored cavalries of the Northern Barbarians? Chapter 18 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio On top of Xiayang City. When the city guard battle general saw the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry outside the city, he quickly went to report to the county governor. Soon, two figures appeared in the city. They were Liu Mang, Xiayang County Governor, and Xue Wanqing, the Battle General. ¡°My Lord, are these the reinforcements sent by His Majesty? With only 3,000 soldiers, how can they stop the 150,000-strong Northern Barbarian army? The 100,000 tiger leopard cavalry and the 50,000 elephant armored army are light and heavy cavalry respectively. They are unstoppable. How can the 3,000 reinforcements stop them?¡± Liu Mang looked at Xue Wanqing and said in a deep voice, ¡°General Xue, how many soldiers do you have? Do you have the confidence to stop the enemy?¡± ¡°My Lord, aren¡¯t you asking the obvious?¡± Xue Wanqing asked. ¡°Since General Xue can¡¯t defeat the enemy,¡± Liu Mang said, ¡°and his Majesty has sent 3,000 reinforcements, we¡¯ll hand over the defense of the city to them. Even if we lose, it¡¯s not our responsibility.¡± ¡°My Lord, it is you, who is far-sighted,¡± Xue Wanqing said with a smile. ¡°Someone come and check the documents, and then let them enter the city.¡± Lu Bu had been ordered by the Crown Prince to kill the Northern Barbarian army, so he did not have any military documents. However, he had the Crown Prince¡¯s token. Although this token was not as useful as the Great Xia emperor¡¯s token, Liu Mang and the other man still opened the city gate to let Lu Bu in. At the city gate. Liu Mang came in front of Lu Bu. ¡°General, may I know your name? His Majesty has sent you to stop the enemy. There is hope for Xiayang City.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lu Bu,¡± Lu Bu replied. ¡°I¡¯m here on the Crown Prince¡¯s orders to defeat the Northern Barbarian army.¡± Liu Mang was stunned and looked puzzled. ¡°The Crown Prince you mentioned is¡­¡± In his memory, there was only Crown Prince Xuan in Xia, but he had been imprisoned in the cold palace three years ago. Could it be that the Emperor had sent Crown Prince Xuan back to the Eastern Palace after the other princes were killed on the battlefield? Lu Bu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°My Lord, you don¡¯t even know who the Crown Prince is. You don¡¯t need to keep your position as the county governor.¡± As he said this, his gaze fell on Xue Wanqing. ¡°You are the general in charge of Xiayang City?¡± Xue Wanqing clenched his fist and replied, ¡°General Lu, I am Xue Wanqing. I am the general in charge of the defense of Xiayang City.¡± Lu Bu nodded his head. ¡°Tell me about the situation of the defending army and the enemy army.¡± Xue Wanqing quickly replied, ¡°General Lu, there are only 10,000 people defending the city. The tiger leopard cavalries are light cavalry, and there are 100,000 of them. The elephant armored army is heavy cavalry, and there are 50,000 of them. According to the news from the scouts, the enemy will arrive at Xiayang City in 10 days.¡± Lu Bu¡¯s eyes swept across the city, and he knew that Xue Wanqing had already built some fortifications. However, Xiayang City did not have a natural moat barrier, and these fortifications alone would not be able to stop the attack of 150,000 troops. ¡°Lord Liu, prepare food for the armies and let my soldiers eat their fill. Two days later, I will leave the city to kill the enemy.¡± Liu Mang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°General, you can¡¯t. How can 3,000 soldiers fight against 150,000?¡± ¡°Are you telling me what to do?¡± Lu Bu asked. Liu Mang could feel the strong killing intent from Lu Bu, and he was terrified. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°I will go and make arrangements for the food.¡± Lu Bu¡¯s gaze fell on Xue Wanqing. ¡°Send me a map.¡± Xue Wanqing bowed and left. Lu Bu climbed up the city wall alone and looked in the distance at the vast wilderness. He was not a reckless person, and with such a huge difference in strength between the two armies, he naturally could not defeat the enemy in a head-on battle. He had to catch them off guard and deal them a fatal blow at the speed of the ringing of the bell. He had to make full use of the advantage of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry. He had to be like an unsheathed sword and stab into the heart of the Northern Barbarian enemy. ¡­ The Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan was listening to Xiao Rui¡¯s report on the recruitment of new recruits. He had only recruited five thousand soldiers in two months, which was a bit unsatisfactory. He listened to Xiao Rui¡¯s sophistry, no, it should be an explanation. So the problem of not being able to recruit soldiers, as Xiao Rui said, was it really the problem of the people of the empire? Ye Xuan didn¡¯t think so. The people had never wanted the empire to fall, to be homeless, buried in the wilderness, or to be whipped by the enemy¡¯s cavalry. The real problem was that the people had lost confidence in the empire¡¯s army. Right now, the Great Xia Empire was in urgent need of a victory to restore the people¡¯s confidence in the empire¡¯s army. ¡°Lord Xiao, you¡¯ve done a good job. I¡¯ll leave the new recruit training to you.¡± Xiao Rui was startled and a little surprised. He had thought that Ye Xuan would punish him. ¡°Your Highness, I really can¡¯t do the training for new recruits.¡± Ye Xuan glanced at Xiao Rui. He was already in his 60s and had ordinary martial arts. ¡°Lord Xiao, do you have any suitable people to recommend?¡± Xiao Rui answered, ¡°Your Highness, the former general of the left Dragon Guard, Wei Tianhao, is a good choice. You can find him and bring him back.¡± The general of the Left Dragon Guard, Wei Tianhao? Ye Xuan remembered this person. He was once a famous battle general in Great Xia. ¡°Why did General Wei leave the court? Where is he now?¡± he asked. Xiao Rui replied, ¡°Your Highness, the former General Wei¡¯s illness has relapsed. He resigned and returned to the manor. These years, he has not cared about the secular world. He has been immersed in martial arts.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Xiao Rui bowed and turned to leave. At this moment, Gao Ying hurriedly entered the hall. After Xiao Rui left, he said, ¡°Your Highness, the poison in His Majesty¡¯s body has relapsed, and the situation is very critical.¡± Only then did Ye Xuan remember that two months had passed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Yangxin Hall.¡± The two of them left the Eastern Palace and quickly arrived at Yangxin Hall. Ye Xuan said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take a look!¡± Pushing open the door and entering the main hall, the rich smell of herbs hit him in the face. These ordinary herbs had no effect on the devil-brand poison pattern. Ye Xuan came to the dragon couch and saw that the poison gas of Emperor Xia had already seeped out. In these two months, Emperor Xia¡¯s cultivation had plummeted under the torture of the poison, and he had become much thinner. Ye Xuan slowly raised his arm, and the Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame appeared in his palm, enveloping Emperor Xia¡¯s body. This divine flame was too overbearing. In addition, he was only a tier-three alchemist now, so he was still unable to completely expel the poison in Emperor Xia¡¯s body. He could only use Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame to refine a portion of the poison to alleviate Emperor Xia¡¯s pain and extend his life. After two hours, Emperor Xia slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ye Xuan, who was sweating. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, are you expelling the poison for me?¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°Father, a third of the poison in your body has been expelled. Your life won¡¯t be in danger for a while.¡± Then, a Bloodline Pill appeared in his palm, and he continued, ¡°Father, taking this pill will greatly benefit your body. I will think of a way to expel the poison from your body.¡± Emperor Xia took the Bloodline Pill and put it into his mouth without any hesitation. He didn¡¯t care even if it was poisonous because he trusted Ye Xuan. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, what pill is this?¡± ¡°The Bloodline Pill!¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. ¡°Father, I have a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Emperor Xia said. ¡°Father, do you know about Xuantian Sect?¡± Ye Xuan asked. Emperor Xia squinted his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°I know!¡± He propped himself up and leaned on the dragon bed, indicating for Ye Xuan to sit in front of him. ¡°There are two sects in the Northern Barbarian Empire. Xuantian Sect is one of them. Five years ago, Xuantian Sect and the poison sect took control of the Northern Barbarian Empire.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Do you know about the Nine States Alliance?¡± Emperor Xia¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°The number one alliance in the nine states? Xuan¡¯er, how do you know about them?¡± Ye Xuan had no intention of hiding it. ¡°Father, I suspect that the Empress Dowager is a member of the Nine States Alliance.¡± Emperor Xia was speechless. He had only been poisoned for two months. Why did he feel that the outside world had changed completely? Chapter 19 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In Yangxin Hall. Emperor Xia¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed as a look of worry appeared on his sickly face. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, the Nine States Alliance has always been above the empire and the sects. They rarely interfere in the matters of the empire.¡± ¡°How could my mother have anything to do with the Nine States Alliance? From what I know, the Nine States Alliance is located in Celestial City, where martial arts is at its peak. It¡¯s known as the place where all cultivators in the world yearn for the most.¡± ¡°Celestial City is simply too far away from Great Xia.¡± ¡°Father, the situation in Xia Palace is more complicated than you think,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Li Zhongxian, the eunuch servant of the Empress Dowager, has secretly trained suicide soldiers and distributed them in various palaces. Two months ago, he even sent suicide soldiers to assassinate me.¡± At this point, his face turned solemn and he continued, ¡°Father if I were to fight with the Empress Dowager, who would you help?¡± Emperor Xia did not hesitate. ¡°Anyone who wants to overthrow the empire is my enemy.¡± With this sentence, Ye Xuan knew what to do. ¡°Father, the poison in your body has weakened a lot. There won¡¯t be any major problems in the future. I will think of a way to expel the poison from your body as soon as possible.¡± Ye Xuan said lightly, ¡°Father you should recuperate. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Emperor Xia¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, if you want to remove the devil-brand poison pattern, you must have a divine flame.¡± Ye Xuan slowly raised his arm with his palm facing up. A fire sword appeared. It was Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame. In an instant, a blazing aura filled the great hall. Emperor Xia turned pale with fright and asked in disbelief, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, is this divine flame?¡± ¡°Yes, this flame is known as the Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame.¡± ¡°Son, your fortune is profound, and your future is limitless.¡± Emperor Xia looked at Ye Xuan¡¯s back as he left and muttered to himself, ¡°Ah Yu, Xuan¡¯er has changed, and he has become stronger. He might really be able to reunite our family.¡± After leaving Yangxin Hall, Gao Ying followed closely behind Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty¡¯s poison¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°Eunuch Gao, how many of the suicide soldiers hidden in the palace have been eliminated?¡± Ye Xuan asked in a low voice. ¡°Your Highness, of the 300 suicide soldiers, the identity of the rest can not be determined. There are 10,000 maidservants in each palace, so it will be difficult to identify them quickly.¡± Gao Ying said with a slight bow. Of the 1,000 suicide soldiers, 300 had been killed and 700 remained. ¡°There¡¯s no need to continue the investigation.¡± ¡°Your Highness, if we don¡¯t drag them all out, they¡¯ll still be a hidden danger.¡± ¡°Eunuch Gao, the national treasury is empty, and the ten thousand servants of the inner palace spend far too much silver a year. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Ye Xuan moved forward along the long corridor, his deep eyes flashing with slyness. Obviously, he had already thought of a way. ¡°His Highness, you meant to reduce the number of palace maids and let them out of the palace,¡± Gao Ying said. Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The palace maidservants can handle daily life, so let the others leave the palace. Remember to spread the news and then send out all the maids in the palaces, especially Eternal Peace Palace.¡± Those who were left behind were the trusted aides, and he wanted to get rid of the trusted aides of the various palaces. He would first clean up the harem and then recruit new people in the future. Gao Ying understood Ye Xuan¡¯s intentions. ¡°I will do it immediately!¡± Ye Xuan was thinking when the 700 suicide soldiers were sent out of the palace, what would the Empress Dowager and Li Zhongxian use to fight him? In the future, the Xia Palace would have embroidered uniform guards in the open and Dragnet in the shadows. If the Empress Dowager dared to make a move, they would be instantly annihilated. The reason why he had not made a move against the Empress Dowager was that he wanted to boil the frog and see if he could make the Nine States Alliance¡¯s powerhouse behind her appear. ¡­. Under the night sky. A black shadow appeared on the top of the pavilion, looking into the distance in the direction of the Xia Palace. No one knew when, but another person was suspended in the air and appeared behind the black shadow. ¡°You¡¯ve found it? Who destroyed our Dark Net¡¯s deployment in Chang¡¯an City?¡± ¡°Venerable, we¡¯ve found some clues. The organization that massacred the Dark Net is called Dragnet. They¡¯ve hidden very well, and each of their strength is unfathomable. Until now, our people still don¡¯t know who they are or which organization they belong to.¡± The Black Shadow¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Dragnet? Lin Mo has been carefully planning in Chang¡¯an for decades, but in the end, he still failed. If we want to destroy the Great Xia Empire, we still need to do it personally.¡± ¡°Let our people investigate. As long as there¡¯s news of Dragnet, we¡¯ll immediately crush them.¡± ¡°The waters in Chang¡¯an City are deeper than we thought. The current Crown Prince is much more difficult to deal with than Emperor Xia.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± the person said. ¡°Lin Mo and Gu Tiangang were killed by the Crown Prince. The current principal of Chang¡¯an Academy was also arranged by the Crown Prince. As for his strength, it¡¯s still a mystery.¡± ¡°Because he has never made a move. He should be one of the Crown Prince¡¯s trump cards, so we must be on guard.¡± The Black Shadow nodded. ¡°Then let the people from the sect go and test it out. It¡¯s a big matter for the sect. Anyone who blocks it will die.¡± ¡°Venerable,¡± the person said, ¡°the arrangements at the Prime Minister¡¯s residence have been made. You can go at any time.¡± The Black Shadow waved his hand. ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay in the Wanhua House in the city. If there¡¯s anything, you can come and report it at any time!¡± The night grew darker and darker. With a breeze, the two disappeared into the sky above Chang¡¯an City. ¡­. On this day. Outside Xiayang City. Lu Bu led the three thousand Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and left, moving forward in a grandiose manner, like a black dragon soaring in the wilderness. On the city walls, Liu Mang and Xue Wanqing watched as the army left, their faces filled with disbelief. ¡°3,000 men against 150,000 wolf cavalry,¡± Liu Mang said in a deep voice. ¡°Lu Bu is truly arrogant. I really don¡¯t understand why the Crown Prince would send him here. Xiayang City is finished. We have to make preparations in advance.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think General Lu is a reckless person. The 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry are like dragons. Perhaps they can really defeat the enemy,¡± Xue Wanqing replied. Liu Mang sneered. ¡°So what if he¡¯s strong? The difference in numbers is too great. We can¡¯t fight against them. We can¡¯t.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up and left the city. At this moment, his family had already been ordered to pack up and prepare to leave Xiayang City. In Liu Mang¡¯s eyes, Lu Bu would not be able to return, and it would also anger the Northern Barbarian army, causing the fall of Xiayang City. At dusk. When Xue Wanqing received the news, Liu Mang had already left the city. The general beside him said, ¡°General, what should we do?¡± ¡°Seal off the news immediately and close the city gate. We can¡¯t leave. Even if we die, we must live and die with Xiayang. Don¡¯t forget that General Lu is still outside the city.¡± Xue Wanqing¡¯s face was serious. He was initially disappointed with the 3,000 reinforcements that the empire had sent, but after spending these two days with Lu Bu, he had gained a detailed understanding of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, so he believed that Lu Bu could deal a heavy blow to the enemy. ¡°General, it¡¯s not too late to leave now.¡± ¡°Defend Xiayang to the death. Whoever messes with the morale of the army will be punished by military law!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Liu Mang¡¯s escape from Xiayang City had put all the pressure on Xue Wanqing. He knew very well that escaping was only a temporary measure. If the Northern Barbarian army broke through Xiayang and attacked the imperial capital, Great Xia would no longer be safe. No matter where they fled, they would become the slaves of the Northern Barbarians. There was still a chance of survival, so why should he give it up? Three counties of Great Xia had fallen, but no one had ever heard of a city commander fleeing without a fight. Chapter 20 - The Xia Army Is Here to Court Death Again Chapter 20 The Xia Army Is Here to Court Death Again Xia Palace. In the Eternal Peace Palace¡¯s hall. Li Zhongxian quickly walked into the hall and bowed. ¡°Empress Dowager, something bad has happened.¡± Empress Dowager He kept the letter in her hand and slowly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Zhongxian told the Empress Dowager about the Crown Prince¡¯s order to reduce the number of servants in the palaces. The Empress Dowager¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°Ye Xuan, you¡¯re going to make a move on me.¡± 300 suicide soldiers were killed, and the remaining 700 went into hiding. Now that Ye Xuan had reduced the number of servants in the various palaces, he wanted to expel the 700 hidden suicide soldiers from the inner palace. Her many years of deployment would be destroyed by Ye Xuan. ¡°Zhongxian, you must make the palaces keep our people.¡± Li Zhongxian said, ¡°Empress Dowager, Gao Ying is in charge of this matter. I¡¯m afraid that the Crown Prince has already planned everything. He wants to take this opportunity to get rid of our 700 suicide soldiers. If I interfere in this matter, I might expose them instead.¡± Empress Dowager He¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m still one step too late. The alliance just sent word that they will arrive in Chang¡¯an in ten days, but Ye Xuan won¡¯t leave the last ten days for me.¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, we might not be able to keep the suicide soldiers. It might not be a bad thing to let them leave the palace. At least you¡¯re safe,¡± Li Zhongxian said in a deep voice. ¡°However, I have one more thing to report. It should be helpful for your deployment.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, two months have passed. His Majesty has been poisoned by the devil-brand poison pattern, but he is safe and sound. I have heard from the servants of the Yangxin Hall that His Majesty¡¯s body has recovered a lot. This is a chance for us.¡± Empress Dowager He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Looks like I¡¯ll have to personally make a trip to Yangxin Hall.¡± She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°The people from the alliance just so happen to be arriving during my birthday. At that time, they can enter the palace with a proper reason.¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, the Eternal Peace Palace needs a lot of manpower for your birthday,¡± Li Zhongxian said. ¡°We also need to buy a lot of things. When the time comes, I can let the suicide soldiers who left the palace enter again.¡± ¡°No matter how powerful the Crown Prince is, he wouldn¡¯t be able to predict that we would attack them during the birthday celebration.¡± Empress Dowager He stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Yangxin Hall.¡± Outside Yangxin Hall. The servant saw the Empress Dowager arrive, but before he could say anything, Li Zhongxian gave him a look. The servant bowed slightly and quickly got up to leave. The Empress Dowager pushed the door open and entered the hall. Her gaze fell on the dragon bed. ¡°My son, I¡¯ve come to see you.¡¯ Emperor Xia had long sensed their arrival. He looked in the direction of the voice and said weakly, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re here.¡± In fact, Empress Dowager He was not Emperor Xia¡¯s biological mother. When Emperor Xia¡¯s biological mother died due to complications of labor, the previous emperor handed Emperor Xia over to Empress Dowager He to raise. This was no secret at all in the palace. After Emperor Xia ascended the throne, Empress Dowager He naturally became the Empress Dowager of the Great Xia Empire because of her son. She had once ruled behind the curtain for a period of time. It was only in the 10th year of Great Xia¡¯s Xuan calendar that she handed over the power to Emperor Xia. As such, Emperor Xia had always been somewhat fearful of his mother. When he found out that she was a member of the Nine States Alliance, Emperor Xia was not surprised at all. As a woman who craved power, it was not surprising for her to do anything. ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve arrived. Please forgive your son for not being able to stand up and bow.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite, my son,¡¯ Empress Dowager He said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to see you. Seeing that you¡¯ve recovered a little, my hanging heart can finally be at ease.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made you worry, Mother,¡± Emperor Xia said. Empress Dowager He continued, ¡°My son, this period of time has been an eventful period for Great Xia. I¡¯ve found someone to do a reading. This is a sign of the country¡¯s decline. However, I¡¯ve already found a way to break it.¡± ¡°In a few days, it will be my birthday. I¡¯m preparing to make a big celebration to rid the empire of bad luck. At that time, the master will also enter the palace and help you to remove the poison.¡± Emperor Xia was stunned for a moment. ¡°Mother, I almost forgot about your birthday. This year, I¡¯m unable to prepare for your birthday, so I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± A hint of slyness flashed in the depths of Empress Dowager He¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re fine. You should rest well!¡± After leaving Yangxin Hall, they left quickly. After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Emperor Xia ordered an internal servant to inform Ye Xuan to come to Yangxin Hall. Lieyang Pass. This was the closest pass to Xiayang City. However, the garrison here had been withdrawn a month ago. Lu Bu led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry to set up camp at Lieyang Pass. According to the reports of the scouts, the Northern Barbarian army would not come to Lieyang Pass. Instead, they would march straight into Xiayang City. In this way, the Northern Barbarian army would pass by the side of Lieyang Pass. This was also the reason why Lu Bu was stationed here. The most dangerous place was always the safest. If the Northern Barbarian army found out that they were stationed at Lieyang Pass, they would be at risk of being surrounded. If they were not discovered, they would have the chance to split the Northern Barbarian army into two like a divine weapon. Even if they wanted to retreat, the Lieyang Valley behind them was the best choice. A scout galloped over and appeared in the pass. He pulled the reins and said, ¡°General, the Northern Barbarian vanguard is approaching Xiayang City.¡± Lu Bu jumped onto the horse¡¯s back, holding the halberd in his hand. He was clad in silver robes and white armor, looking extremely majestic. ¡°Get on the horse and follow me to kill the enemy!¡± With an order, 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry appeared on their horses. They were like a flood that burst through a dam, rushing through Lieyang Pass with unstoppable momentum. The Northern Barbarian army marched very slowly. Along the way, no one in the Xia army could stop them. As a result, the general in the lead thought that it was the same for Xiayang City and that it would be broken through very soon. ¡°Great General, the women of Great Xia are not bad. They have fair skin and are very beautiful.¡± ¡°A hero is matched with beauty. There are this many beauties in Xiayang City. Take down city and take all the women away to reward the three armies,¡± the Great General of the Northern Barbarians, Yuwen Hong, said in a deep voice. ¡°Send an order to General Tuoba. Tell his elephant-armored army to speed up. Otherwise, we won¡¯t even be able to have a hot meal when we enter the city.¡± ¡°I will take all of the beauties.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the ground began to shake as if it would collapse at any moment. Yuwen Hong¡¯s face was filled with doubt as he asked, ¡°Where did the sound of horse hooves come from?¡± He looked over and saw Lu Bu¡¯s troops. He sneered. ¡°You want to ambush the army with such a small number of people? Xia is too naive. Don¡¯t worry about them, and let¡¯s keep going. Xiayang City is just ahead.¡± ¡°Great General, what should we do with the Xia army?¡± ¡°With General Tuoba¡¯s elephant-armored army, what are you worried about?¡± Yuwen Hong was carefree and didn¡¯t put the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry in his eyes at all. Tuoba Zhan was leading 50,000 elephant armored troops, and they were all heavy cavalry that could take on 100 enemies at once. However, the Xia army didn¡¯t even have 5,000 soldiers. Were they sure that they weren¡¯t here to be a joke? Xiayang City was just a stone¡¯s throw away, and that was his true target. At this moment, Tuoba Zhan looked at the 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry charging over and said with a mocking expression, ¡°Xia army is here to court death again!¡± However, what happened next made him dumbstruck. He was instantly scared silly. Chapter 21 - Dare to Fight Against Great Xias Lu Bu? Chapter 21 Dare to Fight Against Great Xia¡¯s Lu Bu? Whoosh. Whoosh. The three arrows tore through the air, and the soldiers on horseback fell to the ground, blood flowing out of their wounds as they took their lives. Tuoba Zhan was shocked and in disbelief. The elephant-armored army was heavy cavalry, and their armor was extremely hard. Ordinary arrows could not penetrate it at all, but Xia¡¯s general¡¯s three arrows could fly at the same time and kill three people in an instant. This person¡¯s strength was not ordinary. On the battlefield, Lu Bu galloped over on his horse. He held the Dragon Tongue Bow in his hand and nocked an arrow again, pointing it at Tuoba Zhan. The latter saw the arrow and jumped off his horse, the spear in his hand moving like a windmill. Bang! Bang! Two arrows were shot to the ground, and the last one pierced through his forehead. Tuoba Zhan¡¯s pupils dilated. Even in death, he could not believe that he had been killed by a single arrow. With a Grandmaster¡¯s cultivation, he was invincible. The Sixth Prince Ye Chen had died at his hands, but now he could not even stop a Xia general¡¯s flying arrow? Little did he know that he and Lu Bu were not in the same dimension at all, and a Great Grandmaster like Lu Bu would be a little too much of a blow to him. To capture the bandits, capture the leader first, and to shoot the man, shoot the horse first. When the elephant-armored army saw that Tuoba Zhan had been shot dead, they instantly lost their formation. Their general had died, and their morale had fallen. The elephant-armored army didn¡¯t become a pile of scattered sand, which showed their military accomplishments. However, when the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry charged in with their weapons, the elephant-armored army had no power to resist. The Great Snow Dragon Cavalry were like dragons, and all of them had a cultivation at Xiantian level ten. The elephant-armored army couldn¡¯t even withstand a single blow, the armor they were so proud of shattering into pieces. Lu Bu took the lead, placing the Dragon Tongue Bow on the side of the horse¡¯s back, and took out his Fang Tian Halberd to stab left and right. No one in front of the horse could match him as if he had entered a no man¡¯s land. In an instant, they had killed a hundred people. The Fang Tian Halberd was dripping blood. The elephant-armored army retreated in defeat. They abandoned their armor and fled. However, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry had no intention of letting them escape. They did not even give them a chance to catch their breath. The dragon riders were as swift as the wind and as fierce as fire. Wherever they passed, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers. The killing was still ongoing, and the news had already reached Yuwen Hong¡¯s ears. When he learned that Tuoba Zhan had been killed by an arrow and that the elephant-armored army had fled in defeat, Yuwen Hong found it hard to believe. When did Xia have such brave and fierce soldiers? He looked at the easily obtained Xiayang City and could only order the army to surround and annihilate Xia¡¯s army. In an instant, the rear army turned into the front army, and they moved like lightning toward Lu Bu. The 100,000 tiger leopard cavalry were light cavalrymen. Their marching speed was extremely fast. They were all riding on the strongest divine chariots of the Northern Barbarians. The troops galloped on the battlefield in 10 different directions. Their momentum was great, and their aura was shocking. The mighty Northern Barbarian cavalry charged over. Their black armor covered the sky, and their murderous aura filled every inch of the space. In the city, Xue Wanqing looked at the retreating Northern Barbarian army and seemed to have suddenly thought of something. The battle general on the side was still in shock. ¡°General, why did the Northern Barbarian army withdraw?¡± ¡°Gather the soldiers and go out of the city to kill the enemy!¡± Xue Wanqing said in a deep voice, and the deputy generals beside him were shocked. ¡°General, the enemy has retreated. If we leave the city now, aren¡¯t we sending sheep into the tiger¡¯s den?¡± ¡°The Northern Barbarian army has given up on attacking the city,¡± Xue Wanqing said. ¡°They¡¯re probably going to encircle and annihilate General Lu. This is our chance to take advantage of the chaos and deal a heavy blow to the enemy from behind.¡± The Deputy General said, ¡°General, even if that¡¯s the case, we only have 10,000 troops. We are no match for the Northern Barbarian army. Leaving the city is equivalent to suicide.¡± Xue Wanqing glanced at the Deputy General. ¡°General Lu has 3,000 soldiers, and they dared to go against the enemy. Do we have to hide in the city with 10,000 soldiers?¡± With a serious expression, he said coldly, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for General Lu¡¯s warhorse, would we have been able to escape the Northern Barbarian army? The people in the city are our family. We have no reason to retreat if we want them to live.¡± ¡°Those who are willing to leave the city to fight, follow me. Those who are unwilling, I won¡¯t blame you.¡± Leaving behind these words, Xue Wanqing raised his spear and set off. When he arrived at the foot of the city, he leaped onto his horse and shouted with a thunderous voice, ¡°Open the city gates!¡± Boom. Boom. The city gate opened. Xue Wanqing rode in the lead, his cold spear striking the soul. He appeared in the wilderness outside the city. He turned back to look at the city gate. In an instant, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and 10,000 soldiers followed closely behind. In the wilderness, smoke and dust swirled as warhorses galloped. A great battle was about to begin. When they arrived at the wilderness outside of Lieyang Pass, the battle in front of them made everyone gasp. 3,000 against 150,000, standing in an undefeatable position. After charging back and forth, they actually had the upper hand. What kind of immortal¡¯s combat strength was this? Xue Wanqing knew that the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry were powerful, but he never expected them to be this terrifying. The Deputy General at the side swallowed his saliva. ¡°General, General Lu is too fierce. He can fight 10,000 people alone?¡± One against ten thousand, he was too narrow-minded. Xue Wanqing said indifferently and immediately urged his horse forward. ¡°All soldiers, listen up. Follow me to kill the enemy. The appearance of the ten thousand strong armies had helped Lu Bu relieve a great deal of pressure. Lu Bu didn¡¯t expect Xue Wanqing to lead the army here. His eyes swept across the battlefield and finally fell on Yuwen Hong. The Red Hare he was riding on flew off. Yuwen Hong turned pale with fright. For 3,000 Xia soldiers to be able to put them in such a sorry state, the combat strength of this army had completely changed his understanding of the world. Seeing Lu Bu suddenly gallop over on his horse, his heart was filled with fear. A man, a halberd, and a horse could charge through an army of thousands as if no one was there. He was an advanced Grandmaster? Yuwen Hong was at Grandmaster level seven, but he could not see through Lu Bu¡¯s realm. He guessed that Lu Bu was an advanced Grandmaster. The neighing of a horse could be heard as the Red Hare rose into the air. The halberd in Lu Bu¡¯s hand was pointed at Yuwen Hong, ¡°Those who enter Great Xia shall die!¡± Yuwen Hong could feel the pressure that Lu Bu was exuding, and he suppressed the fear in his heart, ¡°Who are you? Do you dare to leave your name?¡± ¡°I am Great Xia¡¯s Lu Bu. Do you dare to fight me?¡± Lu Bu¡¯s voice was like thunder, and a terrifying aura burst forth from his body, giving off the feeling that he would kill anyone who stood in his way. ¡°Great Xia¡¯s Lu Bu, I will remember you,¡± Yuwen Hong said. After saying this, he pulled the reins and prepared to leave. To think that he could escape in front of Lu Bu was simply wishful thinking. ¡°You want to escape?¡± Lu Bu¡¯s face was as calm as water. He urged his horse to gallop forward, and his Fang Tian Halberd pierced through Yuwen Hong¡¯s back, and he lifted him with his halberd. ¡°The enemy general is dead. Follow me to kill the enemy, reclaim our lost territory, and kill our way into the Northern Barbarians!¡± On the battlefield, Yuwen Hong was hanging upside down on the Fang Tian Halberd, and blood flowed down the handle. The Northern Barbarian army looked toward the source of the sound, and their eyes landed on Yuwen Hong¡¯s corpse. Their great general was dead. Their backbone was gone. Their morale plummeted, and they instantly became a pile of loose sand. Lu Bu¡¯s appearance had ended their constant victories. A few of the Northern Barbarian generals fled on their horses. ¡°Retreat, hurry up and retreat!¡± The sun was setting in the west, vultures swayed in the air, and sharp cries came from the celestial dome. Corpses piled up like mountains on the ground, and blood dyed the earth red. The ground was covered in broken weapons, and all that could be seen was devastation. The thick smell of blood filled Lu Bu¡¯s nose. He raised his halberd and rode his horse. He turned to look at Xue Wanqing and said, ¡°Order someone to send the good news back to Chang¡¯an. Follow me and hunt down the enemy. Xue Wanqing turned his head to look at the Deputy General beside him. ¡°Use the Celestial Pole Eagle to send a message back to the capital.¡± The Deputy General nodded. ¡°General Lu, don¡¯t chase after a cornered enemy. We¡¯ve already won.¡± Lu Bu said, ¡°The barbarian army¡¯s morale is low. We must pursue them. This is the best time to annihilate them.¡± At this point, he paused and looked into the distance in the direction where the Northern Barbarian army had fled. ¡°I¡¯m not here just to defeat the barbarian army. My goal is the Northern Barbarian¡­ Empire!¡± Everyone was speechless. Chapter 22 - Cultivators Restricted Area Above the Xia Palace Chapter 22 Cultivators¡¯ Restricted Area Above the Xia Palace In the wilderness, the Northern Barbarian army fled in a panic. They had never thought that they would be defeated by Xia. Previously, they were still talking about the gentleness of Xia beauties. Now, they could not wait to escape. The 3,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry gathered behind Lu Bu, and he turned to Xue Wanqing. ¡°General Xue, follow me into the Northern Barbarians and make a name for yourself. When the war is over, you will definitely be conferred the title of a great general.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m willing to follow you to kill the enemy and protect Xia. As for becoming a great general, I dare not think about it,¡± Xue Wanqing said. Lu Bu¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°How can a man live under someone for so long?¡± It was as if he was telling Xue Wanqing that if he didn¡¯t want to be conferred the title of a great general, he was no different from a salted fish. The Deputy General said in a deep voice, ¡°General, the enemy suffered heavy losses in the battle at Lieyang Pass, but we only have 13,000 men. If we attack the Northern Barbarians, our chances of winning are not high. The Northern Barbarian army consists of 500,000 soldiers. This trip is too dangerous. General, please think twice.¡± Lu Bu looked at the Deputy General, but he did not get angry. He knew that he was also worried about the safety of the army. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Although there are ten million people, I will go.¡± The Deputy General looked at Lu Bu¡¯s back as he rode away, and he was deeply shocked. ¡°General Lu, you¡¯re so overbearing!¡± The imperial capital. The Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan read through the documents sent by the head of the Secretariat and had a new understanding of the various places in Great Xia. A cult had appeared in Anyang County in the West, bewitching the people and seriously threatening the local safety. The governor of Anyang County submitted a document, hoping that the imperial court could send troops to suppress the cult. Putting down the document in his hand, Ye Xuan shook his head. Xia was in a period of trouble. It was like a house that was leaking when it rained overnight. The war in the north had not ended yet, and a cult had appeared in the west. The local problems were serious, and the imperial capital was not peaceful. Although he had not left the palace these days, he knew that many martial world powerhouses had gathered in Chang¡¯an City. Their intentions were not clear. The embroidered uniform guards and Dragnet were secretly monitoring them. He was not worried that there would be any problems, but he knew in his heart that something big would happen in the imperial capital soon. It would set off a storm of blood. Outside the main hall, a series of footsteps could be heard as Gao Ying entered the main hall and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, tomorrow is the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. His Majesty will also be present.¡¯ Ye Xuan saw him hesitating and said in a low voice, ¡°Eunuch Gao, if you have anything to say, just say it.¡± Gao Ying continued, ¡°Your Highness, the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday is being held in Eternal Peace Palace. The Ministry of Rites is not involved. Instead, Li Zhongxian is the one who has been handling it. Many underworld experts have entered the palace on the grounds of praying for His Majesty and expelling the poison. I¡¯m worried that they have ulterior motives.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go to Eternal Peace Palace tomorrow to celebrate the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday.¡± The entire Xia Palace was under his control, and the Empress Dowager could do whatever she wanted. Since she could not escape from his grasp, he could take this opportunity to see the experts of the Nine States Alliance hiding behind her. Since they had taken the initiative to come to his door, he naturally had to entertain them well and let them know the enthusiasm of Great Xia. As the saying went, ¡°If a friend comes from afar, he must be killed even if he is far away.¡± The next day. Early in the morning. In the main hall of the Eastern Palace, Ye Xuan was immersed in cultivation when Jin¡¯er¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the hall. ¡°Your Highness, the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday is about to begin. His Majesty and the officials have all gone over, and Eunuch Gao has told me to help Your Highness change.¡± Ye Xuan stopped cultivating and let out a long breath. He pushed open the door and walked out. ¡°I don¡¯t need to take a bath or change clothes. I¡¯m just attending a birthday celebration, so there¡¯s no need to be too grand.¡± Jin¡¯er looked at Ye Xuan, who was dressed in white. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re dressed in white and silver, and you look suave and elegant.¡± Ye Xuan smiled indifferently. ¡°Jin¡¯er¡¯s mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter.¡± Jin¡¯er bowed, her cheeks blushing. Seeing Ye Xuan leave the Eastern Palace, she quickly chased after him and walked behind him. They arrived at Eternal Peace Palace. The music and dance moved with the wind and floated above the hall. As Li Zhongxian¡¯s voice sounded, Ye Xuan entered the hall with Jin¡¯er. At this moment, the officials had arrived and sat on one side of the hall. There were quite a few people on the other side. Ye Xuan didn¡¯t know any of them, but he knew they came from the martial world. Empress Dowager He was sitting at the head of the table, with two tables below her. On one side was Emperor Xia, and on the other was an empty seat. Ye Xuan was just about to walk towards the empty seat. Li Zhongxian¡¯s sharp voice was heard again. ¡°The Mohists of Donghai are here to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday.¡± When Empress Dowager He heard this, she quickly stood up and walked out of the main hall with the help of an inner servant. Ye Xuan was puzzled. Donghai was not in the great Han Empire, so why would they come to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday? The Empress Dowager¡¯s network was quite wide. She had even made friends within the great Han Empire. ¡°White Emperor City¡¯s Xiao Clan has come to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday!¡± ¡°The Chu Clan of the Green Emperor City is here to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday!¡± ¡°The Kong Clan of the Heavenly Lake has come to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday!¡± As the voices fell, the martial artists in the hall smiled, but the officials were terrified. The forces mentioned by Li Zhongxian were all world-famous existences. They had come from thousands of miles away to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, which made the officials very curious about the Empress Dowager¡¯s identity. Ye Xuan knew that it was not because the Empress Dowager had a wide circle of friends. These forces were able to come because they were all part of the Nine States Alliance. At this moment, Gao Ying came to Ye Xuan¡¯s side and bowed. ¡°Be careful, Your Highness. Why don¡¯t you go out and take a look?¡± Ye Xuan turned his head and looked at Emperor Xia. He knew that it was Emperor Xia who had asked Gao Ying to come. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and take a look!¡± Empress Dowager He stood outside the main hall and looked up into the void. Flying swords appeared one after another. The people from the various forces stood proudly on the flying swords and looked down. They didn¡¯t care about the royal family of Great Xia at all. Their eyes were full of contempt. ¡°Gao Ying, tell them that above Xia Palace is a restricted area for cultivators. Tell them to quickly leave and enter through the palace gates.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Just as Gao Ying was about to leave, he was stopped by Li Zhongxian. The latter had obviously benefited from the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager turned to look at Ye Xuan. ¡°Crown Prince, do you know that they are all my distinguished guests?¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because they¡¯re the Empress Dowager¡¯s distinguished guests that I¡¯m giving them a chance,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Otherwise, if they dared to stand above Xia Palace, they¡¯d be dead bodies by now.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Since they are the Empress Dowager¡¯s distinguished guests, then please have them follow the rules of the Xia Palace.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s expression was extremely unsightly. ¡°Are you deliberately embarrassing me? Do you know the consequences of offending them?¡± ¡°Gao Ying, what are you waiting for?¡± Ye Xuan asked. Li Zhongxian once again tried to block Gao Ying, but the latter directly attacked and pushed him back with a palm. His feet fell on the ground, and he rose into the air, appearing in the void. ¡°Everyone, above Xia Palace is the restricted area for cultivators.¡± ¡°Everyone, quickly retreat and enter through the palace gates!¡± Hearing this, the crowd was disdainful and didn¡¯t take Gao Ying seriously at all. At this moment, Ye Xuan put his hands behind his back and flew into the air. ¡°You are guests, but you must follow the rules of Xia Palace.¡± A white-robed man on the flying sword said coldly, ¡°And who are you? How dare you meddle in our business?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ye Xuan,¡± Ye Xuan said casually. ¡°I¡¯m the Crown Prince of Great Xia, Ye Xuan. Everyone, please retreat.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince?¡± the white-robed man asked. Anyone can become the Crown Prince now. Why do I see that you will have a bloody disaster?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ye Xuan asked. I also see a bad omen on you, and it¡¯s a big¡­ bad omen.¡± Chapter 23 - Empress Dowagers Birthday, Good News From the Border Chapter 23 Empress Dowager¡¯s Birthday, Good News From the Border Xia Palace. In the void. The white-robed man was disdainful. ¡°It¡¯s your honor that we can come to Xia. You don¡¯t bow and kowtow, and you still dare to control us? What are the rules of Xia?¡± ¡°Rules?¡± Ye Xuan asked. ¡°I am the rule.¡± The white-robed man¡¯s figure flickered, and he rushed forward. ¡°I love breaking rules.¡± Ye Xuan stood proudly in the air, his white clothes dancing in the wind. It seemed like he would soar into the sky in the next moment. Facing the attack of the man in white, he was as steady as a rock and fearless. Clang. A sword pierced through the air and came right at Ye Xuan. In front of the Eternal Peace Palace, all the ministers were shocked. The Crown Prince had offended these people. They were afraid that he would not be able to escape and would bring trouble to the Great Xia Empire. He was still too young. He didn¡¯t know that the martial world was dangerous and the strong were respected. A smile appeared on Empress Dowager He¡¯s face. Although things had developed beyond her expectations, Ye Xuan had crazily sought death and would immediately die under the sword of the man in white. The final result would still be the same. In the air, Kong Ningfeng pointed his sword at Ye Xuan and said sarcastically, ¡°What? You don¡¯t even have the courage to attack?¡± Buzz. A flash of sword light cut through the air, piercing through Kong Ningfeng¡¯s shoulder. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and his figure was sent flying backward. Kong Ningfeng was terrified. He knew that the sword had wanted to kill him just now, and it could easily cut his throat. The person who had come had only severely injured him. He could be considered to have been merciful. At this moment, Jue Ying appeared beside Ye Xuan. ¡°Your Highness, kill him?¡± ¡°In the future, kill him with one sword, understand?¡± Ye Xuan said. Jue Ying turned into a ghost, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air. Before Kong Ningfeng could stabilize himself, the figure shot past him. He raised his hand to cover his neck, blood spurting out from the gaps between his fingers. ¡°Tongxuan¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s expression changed when they saw Kong Ningfeng¡¯s figure fall from the sky. They all turned to look at Jue Ying. The people from the Kong Clan of Heavenly Lake were furious. They didn¡¯t think that Ye Xuan would really dare to kill. Ye Xuan stepped into the air, and his eyes fell on everyone. ¡°This is my rule. You may leave the palace now.¡± The cultivators of the Kong Clan were furious, and spiritual Qi burst out from their bodies. They were obviously going to attack Ye Xuan, but they were stopped by someone. After a moment of hesitation, they left on their swords and exited the Great Xia Palace. Ye Xuan landed from the sky and appeared beside Empress Dowager He. ¡°I have no right to question the Empress Dowager¡¯s interest in making friends. However, your friends are here as guests and don¡¯t follow my rules. I¡¯ll have to teach them a lesson.¡± As he said this, his gaze fell on Li Zhongxian. ¡°Eunuch Li, I have something to ask you.¡± Li Zhongxian was terrified. He bowed and said, ¡°Your Highness, just ask.¡± ¡°Eunuch Li,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°I don¡¯t have the final say in the palace?¡± Li Zhongxian was speechless. Ye Xuan restrained his breath and smiled lightly. ¡°Today is the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, a grand event in Great Xia. Don¡¯t let a small episode ruin the mood of the ministers. The birthday celebration should continue¡­¡± As his voice fell, he got up and entered the hall. He came to the table opposite Emperor Xia and took a seat. Empress Dowager He saw Ye Xuan sit down, and her face was extremely ugly. She gave Li Zhongxian a look, and the latter understood and got up to leave. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, these people don¡¯t come with good intentions. Be careful,¡± Emperor Xia warned in a low voice. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. They are very weak.¡± ¡°Xuan¡¯er, the White Emperor City, the Green Emperor City, and the Heavenly Lake are all famous martial arts giant cities in the martial world. Since they are able to come to Great Xia, they should have joined the Nine States Alliance.¡± Emperor Xia was deeply worried. ¡°The sudden appearance of the Nine States Alliance will definitely stir up a storm in the world. I can sense a conspiracy with their arrival.¡± Ye Xuan said with a smile, ¡°Father, attend the birthday celebration well. I heard that the Empress Dowager has found an expert to help you detoxify the poison.¡± anger The Empress Dowager suppressed the her heart and returned to the center seat. Beside her, Emperor Xia said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. Xuan¡¯er is doing this for the Great in Xia Empire. All the officials are watching. We can¡¯t let the empire lose its reputation.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince is amazing. He dared to kill someone on my birthday. He doesn¡¯t respect me at all.¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m only protecting the dignity of the empire,¡± Ye Xuan said lightly as his gaze fell on the entrance of the hall. At this moment, the people from the White Emperor City¡¯s Xiao Clan, the Green Emperor city¡¯s Chu Clan, and Heavenly Lake¡¯s Kong Clan appeared. ¡°Zhongxian, lead the honored guests to their seats!¡± Everyone took their seats, and Ye Xuan could clearly feel a few killing intents. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as if saying, ¡°I like it when you can¡¯t stand me and can¡¯t kill me.¡± Emperor Xia said, ¡°Mother, everyone¡¯s here. The birthday celebration can begin.¡± There¡¯s no hurry,¡± the Empress Dowager replied. ¡°There are still two important guests who have not arrived.¡± When Ye Xuan heard this, he knew that the people from the Nine States Alliance had not arrived yet. After a short while, Li Zhongxian entered the palace again and bowed. ¡°Empress Dowager, Blood Daoist, and Mr. Long are here.¡± ¡°Quickly invite them in,¡± the Empress Dowager said with a smile. The next moment, two figures entered the hall. The leader was a wearing long black robe and looked a little evil. He held a white horsetail whisk in his hand. He was the Blood Daoist, Yang Daji. The other person was like a floating cloud as he slowly walked over. He was calm and steady. Ye Xuan guessed that this person was a member of the Nine States Alliance because the moment he appeared, everyone looked over with respect. The Empress Dowager stood up slowly and waved her sleeves. ¡°Mr. Long, Master, it is Great Xia¡¯s fortune that you are here to attend my birthday celebration.¡± Long Hua said, ¡°The people praise Chang¡¯an as the first Imperial City in the world. It is full of talents and has great luck. Today is the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday, so I came to take a look.¡± I and At this point, his eyes swept past Ye Xuan, he continued, ¡°However, on the way here, heard that Great Xia was at war and lost the border. The Northern Barbarians have already taken over three counties.¡± ¡°Xia is a good country. It will not fall into the hands of the Northern Barbarians.¡± The Empress Dowager looked at Ye Xuan coldly. ¡°Mr. Long, you may not know this, but the Crown Prince is currently in charge of the country. Let¡¯s have the Crown Prince talk about the defeat at the border.¡± Ye Xuan smiled. ¡°Mr. Long, is it? You might have stayed in Chang¡¯an City for too long, so your news is a little outdated. It has been two months since the Northern Barbarians attacked the three counties.¡± ¡°With the speed of the Northern Barbarian cavalry, even if they can¡¯t reach the imperial capital in two months, they should be close. Why is there no news of the Northern Barbarian army? Aren¡¯t you all curious?¡± The officials nodded and discussed among themselves. Long Hua remained calm, but he was shocked and knew that he had underestimated Ye Xuan. At this moment, a servant appeared outside the hall with an eagle on his shoulder. ¡°Your Highness, an urgent report from the border!¡± Ye Xuan glanced at Gao Ying, who quickly left and returned with the military report. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s good news from the border!¡± ¡°Read!¡± ¡°Your Highness, in the battle of Lieyang Pass, General Lu led 3,000 soldiers to kill the enemy¡­. Ye Xuan saw that Gao Ying had stopped. ¡°Continue!¡± Gao Ying swallowed his saliva and calmed down. ¡°General Lu¡¯s 3,000 troops killed 70,000 enemies and defeated the tiger leopard cavalry and elephant armored army of the Northern Barbarians.¡± His words shocked everyone and set off waves. The scene instantly fell silent, and even the sound of everyone¡¯s breathing could be clearly heard. Ye Xuan said casually, ¡°Eunuch Gao, report this to my father and the Empress Dowager!¡± The Empress Dowager was speechless. Chapter 24 - Im Sorry, Youre the Ones Who Are Surrounded Chapter 24 I¡¯m Sorry, You¡¯re the Ones Who Are Surrounded In the Eternal Peace Palace. Emperor Xia handed the report to Empress Dowager He. ¡°Mother, please take a look! Empress Dowager He took the report and read its contents. Her arms were trembling. Three thousand soldiers slaughtering seventy thousand soldiers, this was simply a legend on the battlefield. No wonder the Northern Barbarian army had not arrived at the imperial capital after two months. After a moment of silence, she seemed to have thought of something. The shock on her face disappeared, and a trace of ruthlessness flashed across the depths of her eyes. Although she had hidden it very well, it could not escape Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°It is normal to defeat the Northern Barbarian army. You don¡¯t have to be like this,¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. ¡°I heard that the Empress Dowager has found an expert to expel the poison for father. I wonder who it is.¡± Empress Dowager He clenched the report in her hand. She looked at the Blood Daoist and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Master.¡± The Blood Daoist stood up and walked toward Emperor Xia. Beside him, Ye Xuan was as steady as a rock. He said, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Does the Crown Prince have any objections?¡± ¡°Empress Dowager, I¡¯m just curious. How does the master dispel the poison for father?¡± Ye Xuan looked at the Blood Daoist. ¡°As far as I know, to get rid of the devil-brand poison pattern, you need a divine flame and a tier-five alchemist.¡± ¡°Master, are you an alchemist?¡± The Blood Daoist said, ¡°It¡¯s just devil-brand poison pattern. There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. I can do it with ease.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Since the Crown Prince knows about alchemists, so you naturally understand how difficult it is to obtain the divine flame. If your father¡¯s poison is not expelled soon, the poison will attack his heart. At that time, even the gods can¡¯t save him.¡± Ye Xuan slowly raised his arm, and Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame appeared in the form of a fire sword. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be very difficult to obtain the divine flame. Also, Master, you said that my father¡¯s heart will be attacked by poison, but why do I feel that his complexion looks very good?¡± D-Divine flame¡­ The Blood Daoist said with a trembling voice as he looked at Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame. At this moment, in the main hall. All the cultivators looked at Ye Xuan with greedy eyes. Even Long Hua was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe that there was a divine flame in the Great Xia Empire. He thought that he just didn¡¯t understand Ye Xuan, but now it seemed that he knew nothing about him. The Blood Daoist¡¯s face turned ashen, feeling humiliated by Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan didn¡¯t believe that the Blood Daoist was here to help Emperor Xia dispel the poison. If his guess was right, the Blood Daoist¡¯s real purpose was to get rid of Emperor Xia. The Empress Dowager had gone through so much trouble to gather these people at the Eternal Peace Palace. It was definitely not just to celebrate her birthday. Her intention was clear, and Ye Xuan could only play along with her. There was a saying that the best hunter often appeared as the prey. Now that he had revealed his divine flame, his goal was to catalyze the development of the situation. Looking at their covetous eyes, Ye Xuan knew that a great battle was coming. The Blood Daoist stood in the center of the hall. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would have a divine flame, Crown Prince Xia. May I have a look?¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Of course. Master, catch it.¡± He wasn¡¯t a stingy person. With a casual wave of his hand, he threw the Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame at the Blood Daoist. The Blood Daoist¡¯s expression changed drastically. The tip of his feet streaked across the ground, and his figure flew out of the palace. Taicang Emperor¡¯s Flame was too powerful. It wasn¡¯t something he could touch. If he touched it, he would definitely die and turn into ashes. Ye Xuan¡¯s mind moved, and the fire sword flew back. ¡°Master, I gave you a chance, but you didn¡¯t use it! It¡¯s such a pity that you¡¯ve missed a chance to come into contact with the divine flame at close range.¡¯ The Blood Daoist was speechless. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, you have gone too far. You were deliberately toying with me.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s face was full of innocence. ¡°Master, everyone heard it. You were the one who wanted to look at the divine flame. How can you say that I was toying with you? Be careful. I¡¯ll sue you for slander!¡± The Blood Daoist was furious. He turned to Long Hua, who said, ¡°Crown Prince Xia is quite lucky to have a divine flame. You will definitely have great achievements in martial arts in the future. On behalf of the Nine States Alliance, I will give you a chance to join.¡± ¡°As long as you join the Nine States Alliance, the Great Xia Empire will be able to obtain limitless benefits. It will only be a matter of time before you unify the world.¡± Ye Xuan looked at Long Hua quietly as if to say did he think he was stupid? Joining the Nine States Alliance was just a cover, and their real goal was the divine flame. ¡°I refuse!¡± After saying this, he stood up, and his eyes swept across the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. I won¡¯t play with you anymore. Let¡¯s get down to business!¡± ¡°Mr. Long, did you really come to the Xia Palace on behalf of the Nine States Alliance just to attend the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday celebration? And you guys, stop hiding. If you want to kill me, you can do it now.¡± As he finished speaking, the cultivators from the White Emperor City¡¯s Xiao Clan, the Green Emperor City¡¯s Chu Clan, and the Heavenly Lake¡¯s Kong Clan all stood up. An elder looked at the Empress Dowager and said, ¡°Branch Leader, as long as you give the order, we will instantly massacre the Xia Palace.¡± Empress Dowager He said, ¡°Ye Xuan, you¡¯re seeking your own death.¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°Finally, you can¡¯t pretend anymore. Who are you? Do you dare to show your true face?¡± Empress Dowager He was stunned. ¡°You found out? Impossible. When did you find out?¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been to Eternal Peace Palace once. At that time, I had my suspicions. After returning to the Eastern Palace, I read a large number of royal family books and checked everything about you.¡± ¡°Even if a person is changing, the details of her living habits will not change. If I remember correctly, Empress Dowager He does not eat meat, and I found a large amount of meat in Eternal Peace Palace.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so meticulous.¡± Empress Dowager He was very surprised. Ye Xuan continued, ¡°The real reason I was sure of your identity was¡­ Jin¡¯er¡¯s words. She said that you¡¯re the same as me, never letting anyone serve you when you bathe. What are you hiding? You¡¯re worried that your servant will find out you¡¯re not the Empress Dowager, right?¡± ¡°Since you already know, I don¡¯t have to hide it anymore,¡± Empress Dowager He laughed wildly. She turned around, and her inner strength burst out, instantly dazzling. When she reappeared, she was a beauty about the same age as Ye Xuan. The moment he saw her, Ye Xuan thought of two words: Round and big¡­ ¡°Now, can you tell me your true identity? Also, what is your intention in hiding in Xia Palace?¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°Nine States Alliance, Green Cloud Branch¡¯s Branch Leader ¡ª Shi Xiangxiang.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. This name¡­ was wonderful! ¡°As for why I¡¯m hiding in the Xia Palace,¡± Shi Xiangxiang continued. ¡°you¡¯ll never know because dead people don¡¯t need to know too much.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°I beg for death!¡± ¡°Kill Ye Xuan and Emperor Xia,¡± Shi Xiangxiang said coldly. With an order, everyone walked toward Ye Xuan and Jue Ying. Gao Ying and Jue Ying stood in front of the two, ready for a big fight at any time. ¡°Ye Xuan, you¡¯ve been surrounded. The entire Eternal Peace Palace is under my control. You can¡¯t escape!¡± Ye Xuan shook his head and smiled. ¡°Excuse me. You¡¯re the ones who are surrounded.¡± Hearing this, Shi Xiangxiang didn¡¯t care. ¡°Ye Xuan, you¡¯re too naive. Li Zhongxian, pass down my decree. Seal the entire Eternal Peace Palace, and no one is allowed to enter or leave.¡± Bang! With a loud sound, a figure flew in from outside and landed in the middle of the hall. It was none other than Li Zhongxian. Shi Xiangxiang was speechless. Chapter 25 - My Son Has the Bearing of an Emperor Chapter 25 My Son Has the Bearing of an Emperor In the Eternal Peace Hall. Li Zhongxian¡¯s figure fell in the middle of the hall. He tried to stand up but failed after several attempts. He stuck to the ground and looked at the Empress Dowager. ¡°Gao¡­¡± Shi Xiangxiang turned pale with fright. Li Zhongxian was a Tongxuan realm expert, but he was defeated. What realm was his opponent? One after another, black figures walked into the hall. In an instant, a powerful pressure enveloped the entire hall. The people who had just arrived were none other than Zhao Gao and Cao Zhengchun. Behind them were the experts of Dragnet and embroidered uniform guards. They all stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuan raised his hand slightly, signaling them to get up. Seeing Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s frightened face, he said, ¡°Miss Shi, kill me. I beg you to kill me.¡± Shi Xiangxiang was at loss for words. She had never seen such a shameless person. He clearly had the upper hand, yet he still had to say such provocative words. It was too¡­ lowly. Ye Xuan saw that Shi Xiangxiang didn¡¯t move. ¡°Is it so hard to die? Since I can¡¯t die, then you can all die! Zhao Gao, Zhengchun, make your move!¡± With a single order, the members of the embroidered uniform guards and Dragnet attacked the people in the hall, killing intent filling every inch of space. The officials were dumbstruck and couldn¡¯t believe it. Since when did Great Xia have so many experts? The Grand Preceptor and Grand Tutor rejoiced in their hearts that they had not rashly attacked Ye Xuan, or they would have ended up like Lin Mo. It was terrifying. Just the thought of it made their stomachs clench. Shi Xiangxiang knew that a battle was inevitable. In a flash, she took the lead and attacked Ye Xuan. As long as she killed Ye Xuan, everything would be over. Ye Xuan stood up straight and looked at Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s figure. ¡°Zhao Gao, leave her alive!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow appeared, and a powerful spiritual Qi swept out, sending Shi Xiangxiang flying. Zhao Gao stood in front of Ye Xuan, and a terrifying pressure descended. Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s expression changed drastically. There were so many powerful cultivators in Great Xia. She had been in seclusion in the Xia Palace for ten years and thought that she knew Xia like the back of her hand. Now it seemed that she knew nothing about Xia. She didn¡¯t know how strong Xia was. Zhao Gao¡¯s palm pressed down, and Shi Xiangxiang was sent flying. She hit a giant pillar in the hall, and blood spurted out of her mouth. Before she could struggle, a stream of spiritual Qi had sealed her meridians. With her meridians sealed, it would be difficult to die even if she wanted to. Shi Xiangxiang was terrified. She looked at the Blood Daoist and Long Hua, who were retreating under the attacks of Cao Zhengchun and Xuan Jian. At this moment, the Blood Daoist suddenly attacked Emperor Xia. He waved his horsetail whisk, and spiritual Qi shot out. When the horsetail whisk was just inches away from Emperor Xia, an ancient sword appeared and wrapped the horsetail whisk around the body of the sword. The long sword in Ye Xuan¡¯s hand trembled, and sword Qi shot out, sending the Blood Daoist flying. All the officials were shocked and looked at Ye Xuan in disbelief. So the Crown Prince had always been a strong man. This was hidden too deeply. Xuan Jian¡¯s sword swept across the hall, and blood stained the hall. The Blood Daoist fell to the ground, dead. In less than the time for one incense stick to burn, the hall was filled with dead bodies and blood. Except for Shi Xiangxiang and Long Hua, no one else survived. Ye Xuan¡¯s gaze swept across the officials. ¡°Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and Left Minister, you can stay. The rest of you may leave.¡± The officials were terrified. They stood up and walked out of the hall. In the long corridor outside the hall, many people were holding onto the railing and retching. Most of them were scholars and had rarely seen such a bloody scene, so it was normal for them to feel a little uncomfortable. ¡°Zhao Gao, take them away.¡± Grand Tutor Li Lingxiao bowed. ¡°Your Highness, I do not know what I have done.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you have done?¡± Ye Xuan asked. ¡°Must I say it?¡± Li Lingxiao turned to Emperor Xia. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve been wronged!¡± With the help of Gao Ying, Emperor Xia slowly stood up. ¡°Grand Tutor, the innocent will know their place. I believe that the Crown Prince will not wrong you. If you¡¯re really innocent, the Crown Prince will let you go back to the manor.¡± Li Lingxiao was speechless. Just like that, Grand Tutor Li Lingxiao, the Grand Preceptor, and the Left Minister were taken away. Ye Xuan waved his hand, signaling for Cao Zhengchun to leave with the embroidered uniform guards. ¡°Commander Ling, take care of the corpses.¡¯ In the harem, in the long corridor. Ye Xuan and Emperor Xia moved forward, and Gao Ying followed closely behind them. Emperor Xia said in a low voice, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, we¡¯ve killed the people of White Emperor City, Green Emperor City, and the Heavenly Lake. They won¡¯t let this matter rest so easily. I¡¯m worried¡­¡± Ye Xuan said calmly. ¡°Father, let them be. If they send people here, we¡¯ll just take care of it. In Eternal Peace Hall, if they don¡¯t die, then we will.¡± Emperor Xia said, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, the Xiao Clan, the Chu Clan, and the Kong Clan are all reclusive families in these three places. Their foundations are unfathomable.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Father, the people from the three clans who came to the Xia Palace are not the core members of the reclusive clans. The true experts are cultured people and are not as brainless as them. If I¡¯m not wrong, the people who came from White Emperor City, Green Emperor City, and Heavenly Lake are just ordinary clans.¡± He knew very well that people who did not come from awesome places must be very awesome. What interested him was the Nine States Alliance. Shi Xiangxiang was only a branch leader, and above her were the hall masters, guardians, elders, and the alliance leader. The Nine States Alliance still had a lot of resources. At the end of the corridor, Emperor Xia put his hands behind his back. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I wish I had handed Great Xia to you earlier.¡± Ye Xuan shook his head and smiled. ¡°Father, I¡¯m only supervising the country.¡± Emperor Xia continued, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I really want to know how General Lu managed to defeat 70,000 soldiers in the northern region. If I remember correctly, there is no general with the surname Lu among the generals of Great Xia.¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°Father, I have a master, and all the experts that have appeared in the empire today were sent by my master.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Emperor Xia said doubtfully. Ye Xuan naturally couldn¡¯t reveal the system. This secret would rot in his heart, and he would give the system the name of the master, so everything would be logical in the future. As for whether Emperor Xia would believe it or not, it was not important at all. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, no matter what crime the Grand Tutor has committed, remember to leave his corpse intact. After all, he is my teacher.¡± Emperor Xia¡¯s expression was dejected. ¡°Also, interrogate Shi Xiangxiang and find out the Empress Dowager¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°I will do it!¡± Ye Xuan bowed and turned to leave. Emperor Xia looked at his back as he left. ¡°Xuan¡¯er is different now. Even I can¡¯t see through him.¡± At this point, he sighed softly and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m not a good Emperor, nor a good husband, and I¡¯m not a good father.¡± ¡°Your Majesty has done very well,¡± Gao Ying quickly said. Emperor Xia laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that we have Xuan¡¯er. Our Great Xia will not be destroyed. My son has the bearing of a great emperor.¡± In Chang¡¯an City, in a house. Zhao Gao bowed slightly and said, Highness has arrived.¡± ¡°His ¡°Have you interrogated them?¡± Ye Xuan asked. ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for Your Highness¡¯s arrival,¡± Zhao Gao continued. I¡¯ve sealed their meridians. It¡¯s impossible for them to commit suicide.¡± ¡°Lead the way!¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. In the depths of the house, a huge stone opened, and Zhao Gao led them to a dungeon. Shi Xiangxiang, Long Hua, Li Chuntian, the Left Minister, and the Grand Preceptor were all tied to wooden pillars. When everyone saw Ye Xuan appear, their expressions became unnatural, as if they had guessed what they would experience next. Ye Xuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I just want to have a chat with you.¡± Chapter 26 - Want to Die? In Your Dreams! Chapter 26 Want to Die? In Your Dreams! In the dungeon, everyone looked at Ye Xuan and knew that it was definitely not as simple as a simple chat. He was hiding a dagger behind his smile. He must be holding it in again. Ye Xuan came in front of Shi Xiangxiang. ¡°Let¡¯s have a deeper understanding first¡­ I hope you can be honest, otherwise, my small whip and big bat are very cruel.¡± ¡°Kill me,¡± Shi Xiangxiang said. Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°You want to die? In your dreams!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he came to Long Hua¡¯s side and asked, ¡°What about you? Do you want to have a chat with me?¡± Long Hua replied, ¡°No comment. Just give me a quick death!¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Do you all want to die so much? I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡± With a sword cry, the Xuanyuan Sword was unsheathed, and it cut his throat, and blood splattered. Long Hua looked at Ye Xuan in shock as if to say you¡¯re being serious. Ye Xuan returned to Shi Xiangxiang. ¡°What are you not going to talk about? Miss Shi¡¯s beauty is extraordinary, it¡¯s a pity to kill you. If I cripple your cultivation and send you to the Hundred Flower Inn¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Ye Xuan, I can be killed but not humiliated!¡± Ye Xuan said with a smile. ¡°Zhao Gao, cripple her cultivation.¡± Zhao Gao accepted the order and walked toward Shi Xiangxiang. The latter¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You can continue humiliating me. Ye Xuan, what do you want to know?¡± ¡°Why did the Nine States Alliance send you here?¡± Ye Xuan asked. ¡°Where is the Nine States Alliance¡¯s headquarters? And where is the Empress Dowager?¡± Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s face was ashen. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that death would be such a luxury to her. ¡°The order I received was to overturn Great Xia. The Nine States Alliance¡¯s headquarters is in Nine States City. As for the Empress Dowager, she was killed by me ten years ago.¡± Subverting Great Xia. Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m easy to fool?¡± Buzz. The Xuanyuan Sword cut across Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s body. Blood gushed out, and the wound was so deep that one could see her bones. Cold sweat broke out on Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ye Xuan, I¡¯ve told you everything I know. Just give me a quick death.¡± Ye Xuan gave Zhao Gao a look. ¡°Arrange it. I hate it when people lie to me.¡± Zhao Gao stepped forward and crushed Shi Xiangxiang¡¯s Dantian with his spiritual Qi. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll send her to the Hundred Flower Inn now.¡± The Six Sword Slave was about to leave with Shi Xiangxiang when a weak voice came. ¡°Ye Xuan, will you kill me if I tell you?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll depend on whether your information is valuable or not,¡± Ye Xuan replied. ¡°The Ninth Prince, I¡¯m here on his orders to overturn Great Xia and take the throne for him,¡± Shi Xiangxiang said. He didn¡¯t expect to have an unexpected harvest. The Ninth Prince was in charge of the Southern Kingdom, which was the richest place in Great Xia. He did not expect him to be interested in the throne. ¡°The Ninth Prince is also a member of the Nine States Alliance.¡± ¡°Yes, he has a very high status in the Nine States Alliance,¡± Shi Xiangxiang said weakly. ¡°Your performance was very good, so I will grant you death.¡± Ye Xuan watched as Zhao Gao was leaving with her. ¡°You three, are you going to confess, or do you want me to interrogate you?¡± Li Lingxiao, Li Chuntian, and Yan Yong were all terrified. It was only at this moment that they realized they knew nothing about Ye Xuan. Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, on the account that I have been preparing the rations, please give me another chance.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Preparing rations. How much money have you embezzled that was used to buy rations over the years? Just this alone is enough to kill your entire family. Xuan Jian, write down everything they say. If they don¡¯t say anything, kill them all.¡± After saying that, he walked out of the dungeon. In the house, Zhao Gao followed Ye Xuan closely. ¡°Take Dragnet to the Southern Kingdom and bring the Ninth Prince back.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Zhao Gao bowed. The Eastern Palace. In the study, Ye Xuan stared at the map in front of him and raised his hand to circle the Nine States City with cinnabar. This city was thousands of miles away from Great Xia, but they could reach the Xia Palace. They were definitely not just here to assist the Ninth Prince in his ascension. The Nine States Alliance¡¯s true scheme was to control the world. ¡°Your Highness, Patriarch Xuanyuan has arrived.¡± Ye Xuan turned to look at Gao Ying and put down the brush in his hand. ¡°Let him in!¡± Xuanyuan Tuo entered the main hall. ¡°I, Xuanyuan Tuo, pay my respects to Your Highness.¡± ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, you have entered the palace. Are you planning to submit?¡± Ye Xuan knew that the Xuanyuan family would surrender when the news of the northern victory spread, so he had expected Xuanyuan Tuo to come. ¡°Your Highness, the Xuanyuan family shall submit!¡± Xuanyuan Tuo replied respectfully. ¡°I came to the palace because I want Your Highness to take a look at the Xuanyuan family¡¯s property.¡± Ye Xuan replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m free today, so lead the way, Patriarch Xuanyuan.¡± After leaving the palace, Xuanyuan Tuo led them to the Xuanyuan family¡¯s slave market. ¡°Your Highness, there will be a slave fight later. Are you interested in watching?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Anyway, there was nothing to do in the palace for the time being, so he can stay in the slave market and watch. Xuanyuan Tuo explained, ¡°Your Highness, the slaves here come from all over the world. There are swordsmen from the Great Han Empire, elves from Tianyu Empire, barbarians from the Northern Barbarian Empire, and fox men from the Green Hill Forest. The fox women are especially popular, and they are even more priceless now.¡± Ye Xuan nodded, and with his hands behind his back, he walked over to where the slaves were displayed. ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, besides participating in the fights, are these slaves also for sale?¡± ¡°Barbarians, fox men, and elves are easier to sell,¡± Xuanyuan Tuo responded. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to sell the swordsmen of the Great Han Empire because they¡¯re cultivators. Ordinary people can¡¯t control them.¡± At this moment, a low roar was heard, like that of an angry beast. Ye Xuan looked in the direction of the sound. ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, this is¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, this is a barbarian. Ever since he was bought, he would go crazy from time to time. He would be like this every time, and his destructive power is extremely terrifying. I can¡¯t do anything, so I can only lock him up.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Take me to see.¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, this person is extremely powerful and brutal. For your safety, it¡¯s better not to go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Xuanyuan Tuo saw that Ye Xuan was determined to go, so he could only lead the way. A figure appeared in the huge black iron cage. He was shaped like a tower and his muscles and bones were bulging. It was as if there was a volcano in his body that could erupt at any time. Ten dark iron chains bound his body, but every time he roared, the cage would move. ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, what¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Your Highness, he doesn¡¯t have a name. I gave him the name Iron Slave.¡± ¡°Open the cage. I¡¯ll go in and take a look!¡± Ye Xuan knew that Iron Slave was a fierce person. If he could take him under his command, he would be an expert with a little training. ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t. If Iron Slave is enraged, I¡¯m afraid it will hurt you.¡± Ye Xuan walked to the front of the cell and looked at Iron Slave. ¡°I¡¯ll take you out of here, how about it?¡± Iron Slave looked at Ye Xuan quietly, and the manic aura on his body was restrained a lot. ¡°Open the door.¡± Xuanyuan Tuo gestured to the old man beside him. ¡°Hurry up and open the door!¡± Ye Xuan entered the cage and stood in front of Iron Slave. ¡°Do you want to go outside? I know you want freedom. I can give you all of this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Iron Slave replied. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly launched an attack on Ye Xuan in a frenzy, and the sound of dark iron chains clanking against each other was heard¡­ ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Xuanyuan Tuo was shocked. If Ye Xuan was injured in the slave market, the Xuanyuan family would be doomed. ¡°Hurry up and invite Elder Wu here.¡± ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, tell everyone to leave. I have something to say to Iron Slave. This is an order,¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. His body flashed and he dodged Iron Slave¡¯s violent attack. ¡°You can¡¯t hit me.¡¯ Iron Slave glared at Ye Xuan as if to say, let you run, but when I catch you, I¡¯ll¡­ Hehehe¡­¡± Chapter 27 - Iron Slave Is Not Serious Chapter 27 Iron Slave Is Not Serious In the slave market, Xuanyuan Tuo stood outside the arena, his heart in his mouth, afraid that Ye Xuan would be hurt. He knew the horror of Iron Slave. Although he was not very old, his strength was infinite. Once he was angry, even an expert at Xiantian level ten could not do anything to him. Iron Slave had once fought against ten Xiantian experts by himself. In the end, he was suppressed by Elder Wu, and the ten Xiantian experts were crippled. They could no longer cultivate, and they had to spend a lot of effort to deal with the aftermath. If Iron Slave had not participated in the slave fight, which could bring great rewards to the slave market, Xuanyuan Tuo would have ordered him to be killed long ago. He would not have to live in fear every day. Besides Elder Wu, no one in the slave market could suppress him. Two more roars resounded and echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. They looked toward the source of the sound and saw figures like immortals flying and sweeping. The ground trembled and shook, and traces of explosions appeared. After more than a dozen attacks, Iron Slave couldn¡¯t hit Ye Xuan, so he became more and more irritable. He waved his arms crazily, trying to break free from the shackles of the iron chains. Ye Xuan stood in the air, and his body was as straight as a spear. ¡°You can¡¯t hit me. Let¡¯s have a chat!¡± Iron Slave glared at him with a ferocious expression. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you. You are all bad people.¡± Ye Xuan laughed. ¡°Will bad guys give you freedom? I can let you leave this place and live a normal life.¡± Iron Slave fell into silence. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m stronger than you. I¡¯m the master of the entire slave market. Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Iron Slave asked. Ye Xuan replied, ¡°I control your life.¡± Iron Slave was stunned. ¡°Okay, you win. Untie the chains for me first, and I¡¯ll follow you from now on.¡± Ye Xuan raised his hand and unsheathed the Xuanyuan Sword. Sword Qi streaked across the air, cutting off the chains binding the iron slave¡¯s hands and feet. The latter rushed forward like an angry beast. ¡°You¡¯re too bold. You really dare to let me go.¡± ¡°Haha, watch how I tear you apart.¡± His voice reverberated as he ran. Ye Xuan was calm and collected. The Xuanyuan Sword floated in front of his chest. In an instant, countless golden sword lights appeared behind him. A huge sword Dao light screen enveloped him, and his whole person seemed to be bathed in divine light. The name of this sword Dao divine power was Xuanyuan Myriad Dao. In the Ji Manor, the Xuanyuan Sword had recognized him as its master, and he had comprehended this divine power. The dazzling sword light shot out. Iron Slave raised his hand to cover his eyes and stopped in his tracks. What dazzling light¡­ Iron Slave saw Ye Xuan walking towards him, and he restrained his breath. ¡°That¡­ Your sword is not bad, it looks powerful. I¡¯ll follow you in the future.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to hit me?¡± Ye Xuan asked. ¡°Come on!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess around,¡± Iron Slave quickly said. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person. How could I attack my savior? You can¡¯t misunderstand me.¡± Some people looked honest, but they were not necessarily honest. Iron Slave was such a person. He looked burly and simple-minded, but he was actually very smart. He observed people¡¯s words and expressions and judged the situation. Whoever was fooled by his appearance would definitely suffer a great loss. Ye Xuan restrained his aura, and the sword light behind him disappeared. ¡°Iron Slave, come here!¡± Iron Slave was on guard. ¡°You won¡¯t hit me, will you?¡± ¡°I mean you no harm,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have lived until now.¡± Iron Slave hesitated for a moment and came to Ye Xuan¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re so strong. You¡¯re the strongest person I¡¯ve ever seen since I came here. I still don¡¯t know your name.¡± ¡°My name is Ye Xuan!¡± ¡°You can call me Young Master from now on!¡± Ye Xuan looked at Iron Slave and said in a low voice. At this moment, Xuanyuan Tuo appeared with the person he brought. When Iron Slave saw Elder Wu, he quickly hid behind Ye Xuan. ¡°Young Master, that old man is very bad. He keeps stabbing me with needles.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me around, they won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°Your Highness, this is¡­¡± ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan. Iron Slave has already surrendered. I will take him back to the palace.¡± ¡°Your Highness, Iron Slave is wild and hard to tame. Will it be dangerous to keep him by your side?¡± Xuanyuan Tuo was still a little worried as he warned. Ye Xuan turned to look at Iron Slave. ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, you¡¯re overthinking. Iron Slave is very obedient.¡± Iron Slave leaned against Ye Xuan in a very docile manner, which looked a little disgusting. If it wasn¡¯t for his ragged clothes and messy black hair, it would be hard to associate him with a slave. Elder Wu stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Your Highness, Iron Slave has the blood of the mad demon. It will act up from time to time. It¡¯s not safe to keep him by your side.¡± ¡°Patriarch Xuanyuan, this is¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, he¡¯s Elder Wu, and the Xuanyuan family worships him.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Wu. I know what to do, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me. Let¡¯s go to the arena, Patriarch Xuanyuan!¡± Ye Xuan said in a low voice. Elder Wu still wanted to say something, but Xuanyuan Tuo shot him a look and left with Ye Xuan. As he moved forward. Ye Xuan noticed that Iron Slave had suddenly stopped. He looked back and saw that Iron Slave¡¯s eyes were on several women. ¡°Sexy, fair-skinned!¡± He fiddled with his messy long hair, and his burning gaze swept across the women. ¡°Young Master, I like the women here. They¡¯re sexy and fragrant. Every time I see them, I can¡¯t help but be impulsive.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. Did he have to be so direct? Iron Slave¡¯s eyes flickered. He then looked at the young masters in embroidered clothes. ¡°Young Master, they¡¯re not bad either!¡± Ah, this¡­ Iron Slave, these were men. Ye Xuan suddenly suspected that Iron Slave might be someone like Lord Long Yang, or that he had been imprisoned for too long, so he was interested in everyone that he saw. After watching the fight, Ye Xuan left with Iron Slave. Xuanyuan Tuo watched the two of them leave, and Elder Wu said in a deep voice, ¡°Master, we¡¯ll suffer a great loss if we let the Crown Prince take Iron Slave away.¡± ¡°Elder Wu, Iron Slave has already submitted to the Crown Prince. We have no reason to keep him here.¡± ¡°Too many things have happened in Great Xia ever since the Crown Prince supervise the country. Compared to a slave, the Crown Prince¡¯s backing will bring us greater benefits. The Xuanyuan family¡¯s future is limitless if we have a relationship with the royal family.¡± ¡°Not to mention a slave, if the Crown Prince wants it, we can give him the entire slave market.¡± Elder Wu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been rude.¡± He was only worshipped by the Xuanyuan family, and he had no right to participate in the development of the family. He didn¡¯t want to lose Iron Slave¡¯s true desire because he wanted to obtain Iron Slave¡¯s blood. The Eastern Palace. Iron Slave stood in front of the palace that was brightly lit. He was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t believe it. He was originally a captive slave, but now he had come to Great Xia Palace. This change was too big. ¡°Young Master, you are the master of this palace.¡± ¡°I am the Crown Prince of Great Xia. From now on, you will stay in the Eastern Palace and be my personal guard,¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. Gao Ying walked over. ¡°Eunuch Gao, take Iron Slave to wash up.¡± Gao Ying looked at Iron Slave with a puzzled expression. Iron Slave looked like a beggar, so he couldn¡¯t understand why Ye Xuan would take him back to the palace. After the two of them left the Eastern Palace, Ye Xuan entered the main hall. At this moment, a system notification rang in his ears. ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully made Iron Slave submit to you and have received a system reward.¡± ¡°Activate it immediately!¡± Chapter 28 - Background and Secrets Chapter 28 Background and Secrets ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have obtained the system¡¯s reward, purple gold behemoth bloodline, and Xuantian Heavy Sword.¡± As the system prompt was heard, Ye Xuan looked at the system page internally to check the introduction of the purple gold behemoth bloodline and Xuantian Heavy Sword. Purple gold behemoth bloodline: The user can obtain the inheritance of the purple gold behemoth bloodline and the berserk attribute. The Xuantian Heavy Sword was formed from meteoric metal. It was completely black and incomparably huge. These two rewards were very suitable for Iron Slave. By giving him the bloodline and the heavy sword, he could easily cultivate him into a powerful warrior. Ye Xuan nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness!¡± Ye Xuan turned around and saw Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯ er standing outside the hall. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve brought Mei¡¯er here to ask for your forgiveness,¡± Jin¡¯er said. The two women retreated to the side, and a beautiful figure knelt in the courtyard. ¡°I, Mei¡¯er, pay my respects to Your Highness.¡¯ Ye Xuan came to the outside of the hall and glanced at Mei¡¯er. This woman was the most beautiful of the three sisters. Even though they were triplets, they were still different. ¡°Jin¡¯er, take her away. She will stay in the Eastern Palace from now on.¡± Jin¡¯er and Ping¡¯er quickly thanked him and helped Mei¡¯er up. The three women left the Eastern Palace courtyard. The triplets served him and played with him. On this day, Jue Ying sent over the confessions of Zhao Gao¡¯s interrogation of the Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and Left Minister. Ye Xuan took the document. ¡°Has Zhao Gao left for the city?¡± ¡°Your Highness, we have already left the city for the Southern Kingdom.¡± Ye Xuan sat down in front of the desk and opened the document to read. Jue Ying quietly left the Eastern Palace as if he had never been there. Like Lin Mo, the Left Minister also belonged to Xuantian Sect. All these years, they had been sending disciples to Xuantian Sect through the Chang¡¯an Academy, helping Xuantian Sect accumulate wealth in the empire. Grand Tutor Li Lingxiao belonged to the Fuzi Palace. This force was rather mysterious and included all the scholars and calligraphers of the world. They cultivated the ancient books of the Saints and cultivated the Righteousness Qi. According to the Grand Tutor¡¯s instructions, Fuzi Palace was after him. Li Lingxiao had only been ordered to take his life and bring his body back. Fuzi Palace was a little interesting. They read ancient books of the Saints but killed people. He was also a scholar, and he studied the Spring and Autumn period. Why would he be afraid of Fuzi Palace? It was Grand Preceptor Li Chuntian¡¯s identity that surprised Ye Xuan. He was actually a descendant of the Dark Clan. It was recorded in ancient books that the Dark Clan was the most mysterious in the nine states. For a hundred years, the nine states were under the control of the Dark Clan. Later, the nine states were in chaos, and the Great Dark Empire collapsed. At this point, the nine states had been in chaos for 50 years. In the end, various major empires appeared one after another, occupied the nine states, and established new empires. It seemed that he had to have a chat with the Grand Preceptor personally. Ye Xuan put the document on the desk, thoughts flying through his mind. He was very confused. These people were after him, but he was ordinary and had no secrets. Why did they all want to kill him? After a moment of thought, he left the Eastern Palace and walked toward Yangxin Hall. Emperor Xia had said that when the battle of the north was over, he would tell Ye Xuan about his mother. Ye Xuan had always felt that the appearance of Fuzi Palace and the Dark Clan should be related to his mother. In Yangxin Hall. Seeing Ye Xuan¡¯s arrival, Emperor Xia motioned for him to take a seat. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, what brings you here?¡± Ye Xuan got straight to the point. ¡°Since we¡¯ve won the battle in the north, you can tell me about my mother.¡± Emperor Xia was not surprised at all. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to know. When I was traveling the world, I met your mother. After I found out that she was the princess of the Tianyu Empire, the two countries chose to marry.¡± ¡°Everything went smoothly until three years ago when we were defeated in Hantian Pass. All the blame was on your mother. I wanted to send her away, but she insisted on staying. At that time, the officials forced me to kill her.¡± ¡°That night, a hundred strong cultivators came to the imperial palace to assassinate your mother. The ancestor and I fought with all our might, but we were still at a disadvantage. At the most critical moment, a mysterious man came and saved your mother.¡± ¡°That night, before your mother left, she threatened me with her life and had the chance to tell me some secrets. She is indeed the princess of the Tianyu Empire, but she is also a descendant of the Yu Clan. The person who saved her was sent by King Yu.¡± ¡°The ancestor said that the person¡¯s strength is at least above Mingxuan realm.¡± A descendant of the Yu Clan? Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Father, do you know about Fuzi Palace and the Dark Clan?¡± Emperor Xia replied, ¡°The cultivators who entered the palace that night were from Fuzi Palace, the Dark Clan, the Blood Sect, and the Sky Demon Sect. Why they wanted to kill your mother is a mystery. But before your mother left, she begged me to protect you.¡± ¡°I have been mediocre all my life, and I have no achievements in governing the empire. I have also let down your mother. Xuan¡¯er, if you have the chance, you must save your mother from the Yu Clan.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°The Grand Tutor belongs to Fuzi Palace, the Grand Preceptor is a descendant of the Dark Clan, the Left Minister belongs to Xuantian Sect, and the Empress Dowager belongs to the Nine States Alliance. The Empress Dowager has infiltrated the palace under the orders of the Ninth Prince in an attempt to seize the throne.¡± ¡°I have found them all, but these people are only the lowest-level pawns of the various great forces. If they can¡¯t achieve their goals, they will definitely come back again.¡± To be honest, he really admired Emperor Xia. The entire court was filled with treacherous people, yet he was still able to keep the empire going until now. It could be called a miracle. Emperor Xia¡¯s expression was a little complicated. ¡°I don¡¯t know their true identity, but I always knew that they had disloyal intentions. If I remember correctly, these people appeared in Xia in the year of my wedding with your mother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they knew about your mother¡¯s identity a long time ago. There¡¯s one more thing that I have to tell you. When you were born, a strange phenomenon descended from the sky. Five-colored divine light enveloped you, and your luck filled the sky.¡± ¡°Your mother was worried that your identity would be exposed, so she asked the ancestor to cover up the phenomenon. It was also at that time that the ancestor was seriously injured. Even after more than ten years of recovery, he could no longer recover from the hidden illness.¡± ¡°The ancestor was once a half-step Poxuan, but now his cultivation has fallen to Mingxuan level two. Xuan¡¯er, if you have time, go and see the ancestor.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. He now knew why the Great Xia Empire had been able to hold on until now. It was because of the ancestor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. I¡¯ll go when I have time.¡± In fact, his heart was filled with doubts. Logically speaking, the previous owner of this body was the son of destiny or the destined one. How could he have transmigrated and taken over the body? ¡°Master, this means that your life is tougher than his.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. The system¡¯s words rendered him speechless. ¡°Father, I will take my leave first.¡± Knowing what had happened that year and linking everything together, it was time to meet Li Chuntian and the other two. Ye Xuan knew that they still had things to say. Zhao Gao left the imperial capital with Dragnet and handed the three of them over to Cao Zhengchun. They were now locked up in the embroidered uniform guards¡¯ command center. Ye Xuan¡¯s figure appeared in the manor, and Cao Zhengchun quickly came to his side. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re here. Are you here to interrogate Li Chuntian and the other two?¡± ¡°Bring them up. I have some questions to ask!¡± Chapter 29 - Princess Yongning, and a Secret Realm From Heaven Chapter 29 Princess Yongning, and a Secret Realm From Heaven In the Southern Kingdom. The vast palace was located in Nanjiang City. It towered into the clouds, and it was majestic and symbolized the authority of the Ninth Prince, Ye Lang. The mountain was high, and the emperor was far away. Ye Lang was the emperor of the Southern Kingdom. He raised private troops and recruited strong people. The economy of the Southern Kingdom was prosperous. Ye Lang pursued martial arts. This was why everyone in the Southern Kingdom worshipped martial arts. After so many years of planning and laying low, Ye Lang boasted that he had the strength to enter the imperial capital and easily ascend to the throne of Great Xia. Two months ago, Shi Xiangxiang had sent news that Emperor Xia was poisoned and would not live long. Ye Lang knew that his chance had come. If he had not broken through to the next realm in seclusion, the army of the Southern Kingdom would have arrived at the imperial capital by now. Now that he had broken through to the Mingxuan realm, everything was ready, and it would be easy for the army to enter Chang¡¯an. In the main hall, Ye Lang¡¯s figure appeared in the palace, and an old man in white quickly walked toward him. This man¡¯s name was Xu Changfeng, Ye Lang¡¯s chief tactician, who was in charge of the Southern Kingdom¡¯s Intelligence Agency and suicide soldiers. ¡°Your Highness, something has happened in Chang¡¯an.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has my brother passed away?¡± Xu Changfeng replied, ¡°Your Highness, Branch Leader Shi has been captured. None of the people who went to Chang¡¯an for the birthday celebration have returned. I¡¯m worried that the Crown Prince should know about your ambition to rule the world.¡± Ye Lang was shocked. ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°Ten days ago,¡± Xu Changfeng said in a deep voice. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± ¡°Speak,¡± he said. ¡°In the battle of the north, 3,000 Xia soldiers defeated 70,000 Northern Barbarian soldiers. Lu Bu led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and became famous in one battle.¡± Xu Changfeng looked at Ye Lang and continued, ¡°Your Highness, I have sent people to investigate Lu Bu, but he seemed to have appeared out of thin air.¡± Ye Lang squinted his eyes and said coldly, ¡°My brother has hidden himself so well. I¡¯ve been fooled by him for so many years. Cultivators from all forces have come to Chang¡¯an for the birthday celebration. With Branch Leader Shi, they are a force that cannot be underestimated.¡± ¡°To be able to annihilate their entire army is enough to show that the Xia Palace has countless powerhouses. 3,000 soldiers can fight against 70,000 armored cavalries of the Northern Barbarians. What kind of combat power is this army?¡± It was terrifying to think about it. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s true that Emperor Xia was poisoned. The Crown Prince is in charge of the country, and our understanding of the Crown Prince is too little. It¡¯s still at the level of three years ago.¡± Xu Changfeng paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Your Highness, are we still sending out troops?¡± Ye Lang fell into deep thought. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Long¡¯er?¡± ¡°Your Highness, the Prince went to the Myriad Demon Valley to gain experience, but there is no news yet.¡± ¡°Know yourself and know your enemy, and you¡¯ll always win. We know little about the Crown Prince, and it¡¯s too risky to send out troops rashly. Let our people figure out the situation in Chang¡¯an City, especially Crown Prince Ye Xuan.¡± ¡°He is a descendant of the Yu Clan. All forces want him dead. Let¡¯s wait and see. Ye Lang wasn¡¯t a reckless person. After lying low for so many years, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He could not let the Southern Kingdom fall into danger. ¡°Your Highness, Branch Leader Shi has been captured. If we are exposed, will the Crown Prince attack us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The Southern Kingdom is my territory. If the Crown Prince dares to send people here, I¡¯ll make sure they won¡¯t be able to return.¡± Ye Lang was full of confidence and firmly believed that in the Southern Kingdom, no matter who came, they had to know their place. On this day, Zhao Gao led the members of Dragnet and entered Nanjiang City quietly. After everyone went into hiding, they began to collect information about Ye Lang. With their arrival, a storm of blood was bound to rise in the Southern Kingdom. In the Eastern Palace. During this period, Ye Xuan had been in a state of confusion. He had learned from Li Chuntian and Li Lingxiao that both the Fuzi Palace and the Dark Clan wanted to obtain an item from him. They said that it was left behind by his mother. Ye Xuan thought for a moment. Other than the system, there really wasn¡¯t anything else on him. The main reason was that Li Chuntian and the other guy didn¡¯t know what they were looking for. The matter seemed to have fallen to a dead end, but Ye Xuan knew that the Dark Clan, Fuzi Palace, the Blood Sect, and the Sky Demon Sect had participated in the assassination of his mother. With Li Chuntian and the others removed, these forces would definitely send more people. Why was he suddenly looking forward to it? Could it be that he had masochism syndrome? Outside the hall, a burst of footsteps came, and Gao Ying appeared in the hall. He bowed and said, ¡°Your Highness, Princess Yongning is back. Governor Cao of the embroidered uniform guards is outside the hall, requesting to see you.¡± Ye Xuan put down the document in his hand and looked puzzled. Princess Yongning had returned. In his memory, there were four princesses in Great Xia, namely Changle, Yongning, Anning, and Ankang. As the eldest princess, Changle was older than him. The remaining three princesses, Yongning, Anning, and Ankang, were all younger than him. ¡°Eunuch Gao, where did Princess Yongning come back from?¡± Gao Ying replied, ¡°Your Highness, Princess Yongning is cultivating in Jingxiang Temple. Today, she has returned with her senior sister from the sect. Her senior sister is from the Tantai family. This family has some connections with Your Highness.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Xuan asked. ¡°Your Highness, the Tantai family, and His Majesty were good friends in the past. They traveled the world together to gain experience. If I remember correctly, His Majesty and the Tantai family were once engaged.¡± Gao Ying continued. ¡°After Empress Yu left, there was no more news about this matter. In the past, the Tantai family would send gifts to His Majesty every New Year¡¯s festival. In these three years, there has been no contact. Your Highness, if you have the time, go and ask His Majesty about what happened.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Let them enter the palace!¡± Gao Ying bowed and left the main hall. After a while, two beautiful figures appeared in the main hall. One of them was dressed in a light yellow dress and was full of vitality. The other had a peerless face and was dressed in a snow-white robe, like a true immortal descending to the mortal world. Even Ye Xuan, who had lived two lives, was stunned by the woman in front of him. ¡°Brother, why do you keep staring at Sister Tantai!¡± The woman in the light yellow dress said with an evil smile. She was Princess Yongning, Ye Qingxuan. Ye Xuan was a little embarrassed and blushed. ¡°Yongning, why don¡¯t you introduce her to me?¡± Ye Qingxuan turned to look at the woman in white. ¡°Sister Tantai, you should introduce yourself!¡± Tantai Lan bowed. ¡°Jingxiang Temple. Tantai Lan greets the Crown Prince!¡± Ye Xuan raised his hand slightly and motioned for Tantai Lan to stand up. ¡°Miss Tantai, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± His eyes fell on Ye Qingxuan as he spoke. ¡°Yongning, aren¡¯t you cultivating in the Jingxiang Temple? How did you have time to come back?¡±! In his memory, the person who had been taking care of him three years ago was Princess Changle, and the other three princesses were little girls who had been following behind In a short three years, she had grown up to be a beautiful and elegant woman. him. ¡°Brother, I have come back for two things.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Firstly, I want to visit my father and help the empire to drive out the Northern Barbarian army. Secondly, a secret realm has fallen from the sky. I want to enter the secret realm with Sister Tantai.¡± Ye Qingxuan said slowly, ¡°Brother, do you want to come with us?¡± A secret realm from heaven? Ye Xuan knew that Cao Zhengchun had come to report this matter. ¡°Yongning, go and see father first. I will come to you after I¡¯m done with my business.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ye Qingxuan took Tantai Lan¡¯s hand and turned to leave the hall. The next moment, Cao Zhengchun and Iron Slave entered. The latter said in a deep voice, ¡°Young Master, the two girls who just went out are not bad.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Rude. Yongning is my sister.¡± Iron Slave¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Young Master, I have been rude. I did not know.¡± Ye Xuan waved his hand, indicating for him to get up. ¡°How¡¯s the bloodline fusion going? You¡¯re out of seclusion so soon.¡± Iron Slave had a proud look on his face. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m very strong now. I can fight a hundred people by myself. If there¡¯s a fight, you can just send me there. I¡¯ll show you what it means to be invincible.¡± Chapter 30 - Marriage, Wei Manor Chapter 30 Marriage, Wei Manor In the Eastern Palace. Ye Xuan looked at Iron Slave quietly, as if he was saying, ¡°Can¡¯t you be more low-key?¡± However, Iron Slave had the mad demon bloodline. Now that he had merged with the purple-gold behemoth bloodline, his body became even more terrifying. With Xuantian Sword on his back, he seemed to be both a physical cultivator and a sword cultivator. He was like a walking tank. He did have the capital to be proud of. ¡°Zhengchun, why did you come to the palace?¡± Cao Zhengchun bowed. ¡°Your Highness, a secret realm has appeared in the celestial mountain range. All the forces in the world have arrived and have gathered in Celestial City.¡± Celestial City? Ye Xuan remembered that Celestial City was a city on the Western border of Great Xia, adjacent to the Dagan Empire. Princess Yongning had returned from Jingxiang Temple for the secret realm of the Celestial City. A secret realm descended, causing thunder to rumble in all directions. Since it was within the borders of Great Xia, he naturally had to go and take a look. Secret realm inheritances contained martial arts, divine power, and endless treasures. This was a fantasy world. If one wanted to become stronger and head to the secret realm to find opportunities, it was naturally the fastest way. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, a new check-in location has been refreshed Celestial City¡¯s Secret Realm.¡± Hearing the system notification, Ye Xuan wasn¡¯t surprised at all. This was very systematic. Whenever there was a new map, he had to check in. ¡°Zhengchun, go to Chang¡¯an Academy and send an order to Principal Zhang. Ask him to come to the palace.¡± Cao Zhengchun bowed and left upon receiving the order. It was obvious that he had to bring Zhang Sanfeng with him to the secret realm of Celestial City to be safe. At this moment, a eunuch from Yangxin Hall appeared outside the main hall. ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ye Xuan got up and left the hall, walking towards Yangxin Hall. After a short while, Ye Xuan appeared in Yangxin Hall. Seeing that Ye Qingxuan and Tantai Lan were also in the hall, he said, ¡°Greetings, Father.¡± After Ye Xuan¡¯s treatment, the devil-brand poison pattern on Emperor Xia¡¯s body had been suppressed. Although it had not been completely removed, he looked much better. ¡°Xuan¡¯er is here.¡± ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll introduce you.¡± Emperor Xia raised his hand slightly and motioned for Ye Xuan to come forward. His gaze fell on Tantai Lan. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Lan¡¯er is from the Tantai family. In the past, the head of the Tantai family and I had arranged a marriage for you two.¡± Ye Xuan was startled. ¡°Father, you mean that Miss Tantai is my fianc¨¦e, right?¡± Fianc¨¦e? Emperor Xia¡¯s face was blank, clearly never having heard of the word fianc¨¦e. Ye Xuan hurriedly explained, ¡°I mean¡­ Miss Tantai would be the crown princess.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± Emperor Xia nodded. ¡°Now that Lan¡¯er has entered the palace, the two of you should interact more. When you return from Celestial City, I will prepare for your wedding.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, so it¡¯s time to get married.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. He turned to look at Tantai Lan and saw that she had lowered her head. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked shy. It was a complete contrast to her unapproachable temperament. Emperor Xia glanced at Tantai Lan. ¡°Yongning, bring Lan¡¯er around the palace and familiarize the place.¡± Ye Qingxuan accepted the order and pulled Tantai Lan out of the main hall. ¡°Sister Lan, my brother is handsome and is a match made in heaven with you. I think he¡¯s very suitable for you.¡± Tantai Lan was speechless. In the main hall, Emperor Xia¡¯s gaze fell on Ye Xuan. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you must have many questions about me and Patriarch Tantai?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious why the Tantai family has not been in contact with you all these years,¡± Ye Xuan replied. Emperor Xia slowly raised his hand and handed the letter to Ye Xuan. ¡°This is the letter that Patriarch Tantai asked Lan¡¯er to bring. Take a look at it first.¡± Ye Xuan took the letter, opened it, and skimmed through it quickly. There were only a few words in the letter that mentioned the past. It was not that the Tantai family did not contact Xia Palace, but that the Tantai family had been in a difficult situation these years. Strong enemies were everywhere, and danger was everywhere. With Tantai Lan¡¯s display of martial arts talent and her becoming a direct disciple of Jingxiang Temple, the Tantai family¡¯s situation had taken a turn for the better. Now, the crisis between Xia and the Tantai family had been temporarily resolved. Only then did Tantai Zhan send his daughter to the Xia Palace, hoping to fulfill the promise made back then and complete the marriage agreement with Xia. Seeing Ye Xuan put away the letter, Emperor Xia slowly said, ¡°Back then, I knew that the Tantai family was in danger. However, I had the heart but was powerless.¡± Ye Xuan handed the letter to Emperor Xia. ¡°Father, the Tantai family is in Celestial City, but it¡¯s just one of the many aristocratic families in the martial world. Why would the martial world¡¯s forces attack them? Is there any hidden reason behind this?¡± ¡°Xuan¡¯er, the Tantai family has a supreme treasure that everyone wants. Hence, the Tantai family has become the target of public criticism,¡± Emperor Xia said. Ye Xuan finally understood. An ordinary man¡¯s possession of a piece of Jade was a crime. A supreme treasure had put the Tantai family in danger. Reality had proven that without absolute power, one would not be able to grasp it no matter how powerful the supreme treasure was. ¡°Father, the empire is fine today. A secret realm has appeared in Celestial City, and I¡¯m prepared to go there personally.¡± Emperor Xia nodded. ¡°You should go out and take a walk. The outside world is more exciting. However, you can not delay the matters of the empire.¡± Ye Xuan kept quiet. On the way back to the Eastern Palace, Ye Xuan was thinking. It would take at least a few months to reach Celestial City. The empire¡¯s crisis was temporarily resolved, and Fuzi Palace, the Dark Clan, the Blood Sect, Xuantian Sect, and other forces could send people over at any time. The empire needed a powerhouse to hold the fort, and Zhang Sanfeng could not be taken away yet. He could only leave with peace of mind with him in Xia Palace. Before he left, he had to go to the Wei Manor once more. The new recruits¡¯ training could not be neglected. A few months would be enough for the new recruits to be reborn. At the moment, Chang¡¯an had no generals, and Wei Tianhao was the most suitable candidate. In the Eastern Palace, Zhang Sanfeng and Cao Zhengchun had been waiting for a long time. After Ye Xuan entered the palace, he motioned for the two to take their seats. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave Chang¡¯an for a while. You¡¯ll stay in the Eastern Palace for the time being.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the safety of the imperial palace to you.¡± ¡°Zhengchun, the embroidered uniform guards are in charge of everything when it comes to Chang¡¯an City. If there is any situation, send someone to inform me at any time!¡± ¡°While I¡¯m away, I¡¯ll leave the defense of Chang¡¯an City to you two.¡± ¡°Your Highness, Celestial City¡¯s secret realm has opened, and the experts of the martial world have gathered there. It¡¯s better for me to follow Your Highness,¡± Cao Zhengchun said. Ye Xuan shook his head and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I have Jue Ying protecting me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The system had two monthly check-ins, but he had not been checking in yet. He planned to complete the check-in as soon as he set off for Celestial City. With the system¡¯s reward, he would naturally have more trump cards. He wasn¡¯t worried that someone would threaten him. Cao Zhengchun bowed. ¡°I understand.¡± After making all the necessary arrangements, Ye Xuan immediately headed to the Wei Manor. He didn¡¯t know much about Wei Tianhao, and his memory of him was also very vague. He had no confidence in getting him to train new recruits. On the streets of Chang¡¯an, Ye Xuan walked slowly with Gao Ying. It was already dusk, and the lanterns had just been lit. It was very lively as if nothing that happened in Great Xia had much effect on the people of Chang¡¯an. ¡°Old Gao, how much do you know about General Wei?¡± When Gao Ying heard the way Ye Xuan addressed him, his expression froze for a moment. He felt a sense of closeness and was very touched. His Highness finally treated him as one of them. ¡°Your Highness, General Wei is famous for being stubborn in the empire. If he doesn¡¯t want to do something, no one can change his mind.¡± ¡°Moreover, General Wei is unsociable and rarely makes friends. However, he¡¯s a martial arts fanatic, even though his cultivation isn¡¯t that great.¡± Old Gao¡¯s words didn¡¯t hurt much, but they were extremely insulting. Ye Xuan finally understood. Wei Tianhao was a little like those crazy students in the class. He was learning all the time. He thought he was the king, but he was actually very lousy after taking the exam. Wei Tianhao was a martial arts fanatic, but his cultivation level was average. The effort he put in was not proportional to the reward. This might be a breakthrough. Chapter 31 - Being Teased at Peace Square Changan Street. Chapter 31 Being Teased at Peace Square Chang¡¯an Street. The lights were bright, and the place was prosperous. The two appeared on a street, and voices came one after another. ¡°Master, come up and play!¡± The fragrance filled the air and filled the long street. The girls were very cool. Their sleeves swayed, and the waves surged. Under the light, the deep ravines seemed bottomless. Even a serious person like Ye Xuan couldn¡¯t help but look at them for a while. After all, he had never seen such a flirtatious scene. ¡°Old Gao, are you sure this is the way to the Wei Manor?¡± ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no mistake.¡± ¡°Across Heping Street is the Wei Manor.¡± Gao Ying said in a deep voice, looking to the side from time to time. Ye Xuan shook his head. Why did he have to peek? Can¡¯t he be as open as him? At this moment, a fragrance came over, and Ye Xuan only felt a burst of softness. Looking down, the woman was already in his arms. ¡°Aiyo, Young Master, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Ye Xuan smiled awkwardly. Was this considered as the villain complaining first? ¡°Young Lady, can I trouble you to move your body away from from my hands?¡± The woman steadied herself and circled around ye Xuan. The black silk of the embroidered handkerchief in her hand kept waving, and she said coquettishly, ¡°Young Master, this is your first time here, right? I¡¯ll take you to Peace Square to have some fun.¡± ¡°Once you enter Peace Square, you¡¯ll be as comfortable as a God.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. This was the famous Peace Square of Chang¡¯an? Chang¡¯an had Peace Square, where the prostitutes lived. The young heroes of the capital city mostly gathered here. ¡°Young Master, are you coming?¡± ¡°Let me make you happy.¡± The woman was charming, and her voice was sweet. Ye Xuan was unmoved and moved forward. The woman¡¯s figure was like a spirit snake as she kept circling around him. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be shy. If you don¡¯t understand, I can teach you.¡± Was he being teased? Who was she looking down on? He was skilled in all eighteen martial arts. He was an upright gentleman, so how could he be bewitched by these ordinary women? He walked quickly with his hands behind his back and quickly shook off the woman. When he looked back, he found that Gao Ying had not caught up. ¡°Old Gao, you seem to be reluctant to leave.¡± Gao Ying smiled awkwardly. ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± Only then did Ye Xuan remember that Old Gao was the head eunuch. Even if he was surrounded by beautiful women, he could only look at them, and he couldn¡¯t touch them. Asking how much worry a monarch could have was like a group of eunuchs going to a brothel. Walking out of the long street, Gao Ying followed Ye Xuan closely. ¡°Your Highness is really amazing. You were unmoved all the way here. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. Why did his words sound so strange? Was Old Gao referring to something else? He looked back at Peace Square. There was a steady stream of people entering the long street. Tonight, they were going to be trapped in the land of gentleness again. He did not know how many high-ranking officials, nobles, and martial world swordsmen would be here every night, sweating madly. The land of gentleness, the grave of a hero. ¡°Old Gao, who is controlling the business on Heping Street?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I truly don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Old Gao, don¡¯t you come here often?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you have wronged me.¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t know, find some time to investigate!¡± Gao Ying nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± After taking a few steps, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something. ¡°Your Highness, are you interested in the business of Peace Square?¡± ¡°Old Gao, you talk too much,¡± Ye Xuan said. Gao Ying was speechless. Wei Manor. It was a little deserted. There wasn¡¯t even a guard in front of the residence. The general¡¯s residence of the past was no longer visited by anyone. It was in stark contrast to the liveliness of Heping Street. Gao Ying stepped forward and knocked on the door. After about an hour, the door slowly opened, and a hunched old man appeared. He looked at the two of them, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°Eunuch Gao, why are you here?¡± ¡°His Highness, the Crown Prince has come personally. Please get Lord Wei to welcome him,¡± Gao Ying said. The old man glanced at Ye Xuan and was about to turn and leave. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go see Lord Wei personally.¡± Seeing the two enter the courtyard, and moved forward, the old man¡¯s expression was a little unnatural. He paused for a moment, then quickly caught up and led the way. At the end of the dark corridor, the sound of a musical instrument surrounded the beam and moved with the wind. Ye Xuan¡¯s sword-like eyebrows raised. Wei Tianhao was very refined and was actually proficient in music. However, what happened next almost made his jaw drop. In the main hall, the lights were bright, and it was as bright as day. The women danced and swayed under the music. In front of the central table, a big man¡¯s clothes were open, and he was hugging women on his left and right, looking very happy. Seeing this scene, Gao Ying¡¯s expression changed greatly. He had never thought that he would be able to see such a seductive scene in the quiet Wei Manor. Lord Wei really knew how to enjoy himself. Ye Xuan turned to look at Gao Ying. ¡°Is this what the outside world says about being obsessed with martial arts?¡± Partying every night, living a drunken life, what kind of martial arts was he cultivating? Gao Ying was dumbfounded. ¡°Your Highness, the rumors have misled me!¡± Ye Xuan moved and appeared outside the hall. The old man hurried in and appeared beside Wei Tianhao. After whispering in his ear for a while, he quickly dismissed the dancers and left. Wei Tianhao tidied his clothes in a hurry and came to Ye Xuan. ¡°I, Wei Tianhao, pay my respects to Your Highness.¡¯ Ye Xuan said, ¡°Lord Wei, you¡¯re in such a good mood. You knew how to live well.¡± Wei Tianhao panicked. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me.¡± Ye Xuan said in a low voice, ¡°Lord Wei, what crime have you committed? You¡¯ve already resigned from your post. It¡¯s your own choice to live what kind of life you want.¡± ¡°Your Highness, listen to my quibble. No, listen to my explanation.¡± Wei Tianhao lost his cool. ¡°Your Highness, my martial arts have been obstructed for a while. I¡¯ve been guided by experts, so I want to find some inspiration from them.¡± Fuck. This was the first time someone had described the land of gentleness in such a fresh and refined way. The person who guided Wei Tianhao was a talent. ¡°Your Highness, I only have two hobbies in my life, women and martial arts. It¡¯s a little ridiculous, but please forgive me!¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Lord Wei, you¡¯ve spent half your life in the military, expanding the empire¡¯s territory. You should enjoy it.¡± Wei Tianhao was a little uncertain about Ye Xuan. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Your Highness has come to the residence so late at night.¡± Ye Xuan had thought that it would be difficult to get Wei Tianhao out of the mountain, but now it seemed that this matter was much simpler. ¡°Lord Wei, I am recruiting a new army and need someone to train it. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m not in the army. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do it,¡± Wei Tianhao said. Ye Xuan did not get angry. ¡°Lord Wei, you will only shut yourself in when you pursue martial arts. How can you make any progress? Only military experience can improve your martial arts.¡± As he said this, he slowly raised his hand, and a Bloodline Pill appeared in his hand. ¡°I will give you this pill. I will be leaving the imperial capital tomorrow. General Wei, please make your choice in advance.¡± Wei Tianhao received the pill and was terrified. ¡°Your Highness, this pill¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a pill that can improve your martial arts,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°General, do you not trust me?¡± Wei Tianhao did not hesitate. He lifted his hand and put the pill into his mouth. ¡°Your Highness, this pill tastes good!¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. There was something wrong with Wei Tianhao. Chapter 32 - Leaving Changan, Dugu Qiubai Wei Manor. Chapter 32 Leaving Chang¡¯an, Dugu Qiubai Wei Manor. Wei Tianhao stood in the long corridor and watched Ye Xuan leave. ¡°His Highness entered the manor late at night and brought me a pill, which helped me improve my cultivation. This is a great favor.¡± ¡°Master, what are you trying to say?¡± the butler asked. Wei Tianhao said, ¡°My chance has come. His Highness is allowing me to train the new recruits. This shows his trust in me and his recognition of my abilities. In that case, shouldn¡¯t I perform well?¡± The butler nodded. ¡°Master, you will be returning to the imperial court and be in charge of the new army. Your name will definitely shake the world in the future.¡± ¡°Uncle Yun, do you think so too?¡± Wei Tianhao smiled. ¡°Master, you¡¯re brave and wise,¡± Uncle Yun said. ¡°You can make plans on the battlefield, and only on the battlefield can you display your true talents.¡± Wei Tianhao turned around and walked toward the hall. ¡°Uncle Yun, prepare my weapons and armor. I want to see the Crown Prince again before he leaves the capital tomorrow. I want him to see my true appearance. Tonight¡¯s meeting was too sudden, and it will damage my heroic image.¡± Uncle Yun was speechless. Chang¡¯an City. At the end of the night, it was not far from the curfew. Ye Xuan led Gao Ying to the palace. This time, he didn¡¯t pass by Peace Square. ¡°Your Highness, shall we go back to the palace directly?¡± ¡°What else do you think, Old Gao? Do you have other arrangements? Do you want to go to Peace Square and have some fun?¡± Gao Ying was speechless. One sentence and the conversation was over. After returning to the Eastern Palace, Ye Xuan entered the main hall and immersed himself in cultivation. He would have to face the experts of the martial world on his way to Celestial City, so he could only protect himself by becoming stronger. Early in the morning. Ye Xuan stopped cultivating, and Jin¡¯er¡¯s voice came from outside the hall. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re up? We¡¯ll come in and help Your Highness change.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already packed up.¡± Ye Xuan changed into a black brocade robe and walked out of the hall. Jin¡¯er and the other two girls had been waiting outside for a long time. ¡°Your Highness, Princess Yongning and Miss Tantai are here. They¡¯ll be sent out together with Your Highness.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± When Ye Xuan arrived at the main hall, Ye Qingxuan and Tantai Lan were sitting in front of the table. Seeing him appear, Ye Qingxuan stood up. ¡°Brother, you were not sleeping in, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very busy.¡± ¡°Brother, when are we leaving?¡± ¡°Immediately!¡± Ye Xuan ordered Gao Ying to prepare the carriage, and the group left the palace. He only brought Jue Ying and Iron Slave, as well as Ye Qingxuan and Tantai Lan. The five of them appeared outside the city on horses. In the wilderness, a man in armor was sitting on a horse. It was none other than Wei Tianhao. Seeing Ye Xuan¡¯s figure appear, he immediately urged his horse forward. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time.¡± Ye Xuan glanced at Wei Tianhao, who was covered in armor. ¡°General Wei, it seems that you have made your choice. I¡¯ll hand the new army to you.¡± Wei Tianhao said, ¡°Your Highness, please leave in peace. When you return in the future, I¡¯ll definitely hand over a group of tiger cavalry.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°General Wei, if you need anything, you can go to Xiao Rui. He will help you.¡± The Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, and Left Minister had been eliminated, but Xiao Rui had survived and had not been implicated. He was now loyal to Ye Xuan and did not dare to have any disloyalty. He didn¡¯t say that he wanted to retire and return to his hometown. He promised that he could work for another ten years. ¡°I understand.¡± Wei Tianhao said in a low voice. He looked at Ye Xuan and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Your Highness, can you give me one more of the pills from last night?¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Train the new recruits well, and I¡¯ll be back again. The pills from last night can only be taken once in a short period of time to have an effect. It¡¯s not good for the kidney if you take too much.¡± Wei Tianhao was speechless. The breeze was gentle, and the ancient trees swayed. The ancient road, west wind, pretty boy¡­ The group rode on their divine steeds and gradually went further and further away. ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t we ride a flying sword? Do you not know how to do it? If that¡¯s the case, we can let Sister Tantai teach you! Brother, how¡¯s your cultivation? You only brought one guard with you. If you encounter any strong martial artists, can he protect you?¡± ¡°Yongning, you talk too much,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m just concerned about you,¡± Ye Qingxuan said. Ye Xuan laughed but didn¡¯t say anything. On one side of the horse, Iron Slave said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Princess. I¡¯m very strong. If someone tries to harm us, you¡¯ll only need to hide behind me, and you¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qingxuan asked. Obviously, she didn¡¯t believe that the Iron Slave was an expert. In fact, even Ye Xuan didn¡¯t know how strong Iron Slave was. He only seemed to be at the peak of the Great Grandmaster realm. Ye Xuan tightened the reins in his hand and continued forward. With a thought, he opened the monthly check-in twice. ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully completed the monthly checked in. You have received a summoning card, Invincible Sword Box, and a Pickpocket Card.¡± Hearing the system notification, Ye Xuan looked at the system page and began to check the system rewards. There were three rewards in two monthly check-ins. He was familiar with the summoning card, so he just needed to use them. The Invincible Sword Box contained nine flashes of sword Qi. It could swallow all divine swords in the world and could also be used as a flying device. When the Pickpocket Card was randomly triggered, it could receive any item. This Pickpocket Card was a little interesting. It was similar to taking things from a distance, but it was random. This thing had to be used with caution because one wouldn¡¯t know if it was a surprise or a scare. ¡°System, use the summoning card immediately!¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, for successfully summoning the Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai. You have gained his eternal loyalty.¡± Ye Xuan was a little shocked. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be summoned. Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai was a truly invincible expert. He had lived a lonely life and only wanted to be defeated. He had roamed the martial world for more than killed all his enemies, and defeated all heroes. No one in the world could resist him. 30 years, Helpless, he could only live in seclusion in the deep valley and treat the eagle as a friend. Wooo! It was really lonely and embarrassing to seek an opponent in one¡¯s life but not be able to get it. Ye Xuan was very curious to see how much change there would be if he summoned Dugu Qiubai. Character: Dugu Qiubai. Title: Sword Demon Realm: Mingxuan peak Divine Power: With Dugu¡¯s nine swords, a demonic sword is nothing. Seeking defeat with one sword, an invincible sword realm. Divine Pet: Diamond Eagle Looking at the information about Dugu Qiubai, he realized that he hadn¡¯t changed much. Now that he was in another world, it was unknown if he could continue to be the legend and be the number one in sword Dao. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, Dugu Qiubai is waiting in Luoyang City.¡± He was already in Luoyang, so there was no need to rush. Within Anyang City. Ye Xuan and the others led the horses forward. Iron Slave took out a book and wrote something in it. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve been away from Chang¡¯an for 15 days. Can we rest in this city?¡± ¡°Iron Slave, let me see your book.¡± Iron Slave was a little hesitant, but in the end, he still handed the book to Ye Xuan and opened it to take a look. This guy was actually writing a diary. Looking at the contents of the book, Ye Xuan almost snorted. ¡°It was a sunny day today, and I was sleeping in the wilderness without a woman. I ate ten roasted rabbits.¡± ¡°It was drizzling today. I¡¯m sleeping in the old temple, and it¡¯s another day without a woman. I¡¯m eating dry food.¡± ¡°There was no woman.¡± ¡°There was no woman.¡± ¡°I want a beautiful lady¡­ Hehe, I don¡¯t even need to eat.¡± Which decent person would keep a diary these days? What was wrong with Iron Slave? Why did he have such an obsession with women? Ye Xuan threw the book to Iron Slave. ¡°It¡¯s the first day without a woman again.¡± Iron Slave smiled naively. ¡°Young Master, believe there will be.¡± As he finished speaking, he looked at the I woman on the long street. ¡°Hehe¡­ Beautiful lady.¡± The woman was with her husband, and Iron Slave was extremely wretched that he was thinking about her. How was this guy different from those creepy men? Chapter 33 - Improper Person Within Anyang City. Chapter 33 Improper Person Within Anyang City. Ye Xuan glanced at Iron Slave. ¡°Go and buy some dry food. We¡¯ll eat it while we¡¯re on the road.¡± Iron Slave raised his arm. ¡°Young Master, silver!¡± Ye Xuan waved his hand, and a bag of silver fell into the hands of Iron Slave. The currency used by ordinary people was still silver, but cultivators used spirit stones. This was why cultivators were above the people. Watching Iron Slave leave in high spirits, Ye Xuan turned to Ye Qingxuan. ¡°Let¡¯s find a restaurant to rest.¡± ¡°Brother, it¡¯s almost time for the secret realm to open. If we rush to Celestial City at our current speed, we¡¯ll miss the opening of the secret realm,¡± Ye Qingxuan said. ¡°Brother, are you really not worried at all?¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll wait for Iron Slave to return and travel on our flying swords. We¡¯ll reach Celestial City as soon as possible!¡± ¡°It should have been like this long ago.¡± After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Iron Slave returned with a bundle on his back. No one knew what he had bought, but from the grease on his mouth, it was obvious that he had eaten a lot of food on his way back. After leaving Anyang City, Ye Qingxuan¡¯s figure appeared in the sky, ready to leave on her sword. ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t we agree to ride on flying swords?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of the tail behind us before we hurry!¡± Ye Qingxuan landed on the ground with a confused look on her face. ¡°Brother, you mean someone is following us in secret?¡± Tantai Lan nodded. ¡°Ever since we left Chang¡¯an, they have been following us. Their numbers are still increasing.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t increased for a few days. I can catch them all in one fell swoop!¡± After leaving Chang¡¯an, he found that these people were following closely behind. They didn¡¯t choose to attack directly, so Ye Xuan didn¡¯t alert them and let them follow. Now that there were more than a hundred people gathered, he was ready to cut off the tail and make the first move. The five of them set off again and stopped outside a forest not far from Anyang City. One after another, figures descended from the sky and stood proudly on the top of ancient trees. The dense killing intent in the air filled the air and instantly enveloped the five of them. Ye Xuan looked up and a beautiful figure appeared in his line of sight. From their servants, he could tell that the hundred cultivators came from different forces. ¡°Qingxuan, Miss Tantai, do you know them?¡± Ye Qingxuan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know them. They¡¯re probably here for you.¡± As she said this, she took a step forward and stood in front of Ye Xuan. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Brother. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. Regardless of whether she was sincere or not, one action from her was enough to warm one¡¯s heart. Tantai Lan looked at the figure on the ancient tree. ¡°That woman is the demoness of the Sky Demon Palace, Yun Yaoyao. She¡¯s coming for me. The other forces have a strong killing intent. It should be an assassin organization.¡± Ye Xuan suddenly remembered something. In the past, Cao Zhengchun had mentioned that he was on the assassination roll, and he had almost forgotten about this threat. He had never left Chang¡¯an City, so the killers had no chance. Now that he was leaving the capital, it was the best time for them to make a move. ¡°These killers are coming for me.¡± Iron Slave looked at the assassin in black. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be afraid. I will protect you!¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. Iron Slave, don¡¯t look at him like that, okay? ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood me,¡± Iron Slave said with a serious face, ¡°I only like peach flowers, not chrysanthemums.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his feet fell on the ground, and he rose into the air, appearing in front of the killers. ¡°That¡­ All of you, come at me together!¡± Everyone was stunned. When they saw that Iron Slave only had the strength of a peak Great Grandmaster, they all laughed at his words. Was there something wrong with this person¡¯s brain? Being laughed at by the crowd, Iron Slave slowly took out the Tianxuan Sword from his back. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You guys don¡¯t have to move. I¡¯ll take the initiative.¡± Buzz. The giant sword pierced through the sky and slashed down. There were no unnecessary moves, just a simple violent strike. The crisp sound of a bell rang out. Yun Yaoyao¡¯s sleeves fluttered like a spirit snake, knocking the falling giant sword away. Even Iron Slave, who was huge, was forced to retreat. ¡°Little Lady, you¡¯re interesting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s very painful. You have to bear with it! Yun Yaoyao¡¯s figure flickered, and her sleeves were like a heavenly waterfall, instantly binding Iron Slave. Even the profound Xuantian Sword had been knocked away. Seeing Iron Slave wrapped like a dumpling, Ye Qingxuan shook her head. ¡°Brother, is he serious when he said he¡¯ll protect you?¡± ¡°He should be serious,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°You have to believe in Iron Slave.¡± Boom! An explosion was heard. The sleeves that bound Iron Slave¡¯s body were torn apart. Powerful spiritual Qi burst out, and he became violent in an instant. The Xuantian Sword on the ground let out a sword cry and rose up from the ground, appearing in Iron Slave¡¯s hand. Iron Slave¡¯s sword swept across the army, and the spiritual Qi fluctuation swept toward the crowd like a huge wave. Yun Yaoyao moved to block it, and her beautiful figure flew backward from the ancient tree. ¡°You¡¯re forcefully raising your realm. You actually have a secret technique.¡± ¡°What secret technique? I don¡¯t know!¡± Iron Slave said in a deep voice as he madly waved his giant sword, slashing down again and again. There were no fancy moves in his attacks, just random slashes. It was simply a miracle of strength. Yun Yaoyao and the others were forced to retreat, and the forest below was razed to the ground. Seeing that Yun Yaoyao and her group had escaped, Iron Slave asked, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? It¡¯s over before it even started?¡± His figure floated down and appeared beside Ye Xuan. ¡°Young Master, How was that sword attack just now? Was it powerful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Ye Xuan replied. ¡°Young Master, this is a sword technique I created myself. It¡¯s called Sealing Acupoints With a Big Sword. Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. The sword technique was decent, but the person and name were not. ¡°Brother, why did they leave?¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t beat them, we naturally have to escape. Otherwise, are we staying here to die?¡± Ye Xuan said lightly. ¡°It¡¯s mainly because I¡¯m too strong,¡± Iron Slave quickly replied. Everyone was speechless. Ye Xuan was speechless. Iron Slave was definitely a joke. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll set off for Celestial City. They¡¯ve failed this time, but they¡¯ll definitely come again. I¡¯ll look forward to our next meeting!¡± The five of them rode on their flying swords and disappeared into the void. At this moment, in the wilderness. Yun Yaoyao appeared on the peak of a lone mountain. A man stood in front of her with his hands behind his back. ¡°How did you fail?¡± ¡°Elder, we failed,¡± Yun Yaoyao replied. ¡°Tantai Lan is with the Crown Prince of Great Xia. There¡¯s a cultivator with them who has a secret technique that can forcibly increase their cultivation level.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. It was a secret technique that forcefully raised one¡¯s realm. ¡°It seems like I have to do it myself.¡± Yun Yaoyao nodded. ¡°Yes, Elder. It¡¯s Luoyang.¡± ¡°Enter the city. Luoyang will be their burial ground,¡± the old man said. Chapter 34 - Dragon Elephant Beast, Yuhua Sect Luoyang. Chapter 34 Dragon Elephant Beast, Yuhua Sect Luoyang. In the teahouse. Tantai Lan, Iron Slave, and Ye Qingxuan were drinking tea and eating snacks while watching the bustling crowd on the street. It was peaceful, and the people were happy. Looking at the scene in front of them, who would have thought that a few months ago, Great Xia¡¯s borders were at war and the empire¡¯s foundations were threatened? Ye Qingxuan slowly put down the teacup in her hand, her face full of doubt. ¡°Brother has an old acquaintance in Luoyang City.¡± Iron Slave ate the snacks in front of him, his mouth full. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have an old flame?¡± The two girls were speechless. Iron Slave was like this. It was fine if he never opened his mouth, but once he did, it was shocking. It was really shocking. At this moment, Tantai Lan¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°They¡¯re here again.¡± Following the sound, the two of them saw Yun Yaoyao walking toward them on the long street. ¡°This woman is really strange,¡± Iron Slave said. ¡°She¡¯s already escaped. Why did she come back to die? Isn¡¯t she afraid that I¡¯ll serve her with my big sword?¡± Before she arrived, her killing intent had already enveloped the teahouse. The people on the long street seemed to sense danger and backed away, pointing at Yun Yaoyao and her group. The Sky Demon Sect cultivators appeared outside the teahouse, and their gazes fell on Tantai Lan. ¡°Yaoyao. who did you say was the person who knew the secret technique?¡± Yun Yaoyao pointed at Iron Slave. ¡°Elder, it¡¯s that burly man. However, the Great Xia Crown Prince is nowhere to be found.¡± ¡°Ignore him,¡± Yun Huan said. ¡°Let¡¯s kill Tantai Lan first and take the secret technique. As for the Great Xia Crown Prince, he¡¯s not our target.¡± Yun Yaoyao nodded. With a light wave of her Jade-like hand, the Sky Demon Sect cultivator behind her flew out with his sword in hand. He suddenly charged forward and charged toward Tantai Lan and the other two. Iron Slave wielded Xuantian Sword and swept it horizontally, blocking the attack. The sword Qi spread out, and the teahouse was in a mess with wood chips flying everywhere. ¡°Use more strength, use more strength.¡¯ Under the merciless mockery, Iron Slave waved his giant sword and sent the Sky Demon Sect cultivator flying. He came to the long street and looked at Yun Huan. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest. Fight me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wild, but I was when I was younger. I forgot to tell you, my nickname is the craziest young man.¡± Iron Slave said in a low voice. He stomped on the ground and swung his giant sword down. Yun Huan was calm and collected. He slowly raised his arm and used two fingers to hold the sword, sending Iron Slave flying. ¡°Aiyo, you¡¯re quite strong?¡± ¡°It hurts!¡± Iron Slave steadied his body. The teahouse behind him shook and exploded. It could collapse at any moment. ¡°Use your secret technique and let me see.¡± Yun Huan wanted to see the secret technique that Iron Slave used to increase his realm, but he didn¡¯t know that it wasn¡¯t because of the secret technique but because of his bloodline. With the support of the two bloodlines, his realm rose rapidly. ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill your wish!¡± Iron Slave released two bloodlines, and his aura rose rapidly. A behemoth phantom appeared behind him, and he stabbed the Tianxuan Sword into the ground and punched Yun Huan. Yun Huan¡¯s expression changed, and he squinted. ¡°What a powerful bloodline.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Yaoyao, go and kill Tantai Lan.¡± Yun Yaoyao attacked Tantai Lan and Ye Qingxuan, and the Sky Demon Sect¡¯s experts instantly surrounded the two. For a moment, the sword shadows crisscrossed, and the silver light flickered like lightning. When Iron Slave saw that the two ladies were being attacked from both sides, he was worried that they would be in danger and bombarded Yun Huan with his iron fists. The latter¡¯s figure was like a ghost, and he easily dodged. At this moment, a ray of sword light fell from the sky and pierced through Yun Huan¡¯s body. He turned around, and his gaze fell on Ye Xuan and Dugu Qiubai, as if to say, ¡°You sneak-attacked and don¡¯t care about martial virtue.¡± He boasted that his movement technique was powerful, but he was killed in one strike. Yun Huan couldn¡¯t accept it even after his death. In the face of absolute strength, movement techniques were completely useless. Iron Slave saw Yun Huan lying on the street and quickly walked to Ye Xuan¡¯s side. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re finally back. We were so scared and were almost beaten up.¡± ¡°Dugu, just kill him!¡± Ye Xuan said. Dugu Qiubai waved his hand, and a wisp of sword Qi flew out. It was as fast as the wind, and in a flash, it cut through the necks of the Sky Demon Sect¡¯s people. The sword slit their throats, and blood gushed out. Tantai Lan and Ye Qingxuan stepped forward. ¡°Brother, this great master is¡­¡± ¡°My old friend, Dugu!¡± Ye Xuan said. Ye Qingxuan bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Senior Dugu. Your sword is so fast. Can you teach me?¡± Dugu Qiubai shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t teach my sword to outsiders.¡± Tantai Lan¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. Thousands of thoughts ran through her mind. There were only a few world-famous swordsmen, and Dugu was not one of them. However, his sword had already reached the pinnacle, and he could kill people invisibly. She was shocked that Ye Xuan had such an old friend. Although she had been with Ye Xuan all this time, she couldn¡¯t see through him and felt that he was unfathomable. Ye Xuan Let¡¯s go.¡± glanced at the bodies on the ground. ¡°The danger is gone. Not long after they left Luoyang City, soldiers appeared on the long street and began to clean up the corpses. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s the love and hatred of the martial world again. What can¡¯t be discussed? Why must you kill everyone?¡± The soldier mumbled to himself, but his hands did not stop moving. He took the money from the Sky Demon Sect cultivators and put them into his own pocket without any hesitation. If there was no profit these days, who would be a corpse mover? ¡°The things between me and the female cultivator.¡± The soldier found a book on Yun Huan¡¯s body and was instantly attracted by the pictures on it. He quickly put it away, his future happiness would depend on it. On this day, outside Celestial City. Ye Xuan and his group appeared and floated down from the sky. The flying swords under their feet returned to their sheaths, and they moved into the city. Ye Qingxuan turned to look at her. ¡°Sister Lan, you¡¯re familiar with Celestial City. After we enter the city, you have to take us around.¡± Tantai Lan looked at Celestial City in front of her. She had finally returned after going out to learn martial arts for five years. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, let¡¯s go to the secret realm first. After we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll bring everyone to play in the city and look at the four celestial treasures that are world-famous.¡± The four celestial treasures were the Celestial Flying Snow, the Celestial Biyao, the Celestial Beauty, and the Celestial Cave. As the secret realm was located in a mountain range not far from the city, cultivators from all the world gathered in the city. Along the way, cultivators were everywhere. The items sold on long street were also related to over cultivation. Suddenly, a loud rumble was heard. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the cultivators on the long street had all retreated. A group of people appeared. The mounts under them were incomparably huge. They were shaped like elephants, but their bodies were covered in black scales. It looked ferocious and terrifying. Dragon Elephant Beast. Ye Xuan recognized the giant beast in front of him at a glance. It was recorded in ancient books that the Dragon Elephant Beast was a unique mount of the Yuhua Sect, so he was sure that these people were from Yuhua Sect. At this moment, the Dragon Elephant Beast at the forefront stopped in front of Ye Xuan and his party. The young man in white on the beast¡¯s back looked at Tantai Lan. ¡°What a coincidence, you¡¯re back too.¡± Tantai Lan¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence!¡± The young man in white gave Tantai Lan a meaningful look and drove the Dragon Elephant Beast away. The beautiful eyes of the woman beside him flickered as she kept looking at Ye Xuan with an extremely fierce gaze. Ye Xuan noticed the woman¡¯s gaze and shook his head helplessly. ¡°My damn looks! Being born handsome is also annoying!¡± Chapter 35 - Tingyu Pavilion, Animal Skin Scroll In Celestial City. Chapter 35 Tingyu Pavilion, Animal Skin Scroll In Celestial City. As the Dragon Elephant Beasts left, the ground rumbled and shook as if it would collapse at any moment. Ye Qingxuan watched them leave. ¡°Sister Lan, you know that person.¡± Tantai Lan nodded. ¡°He is the eldest young master of the Huo Clan, one of the four great clans of Celestial City, Huo Du. He cultivates in Yuhua Sect and is the personal disciple of an inner sect elder.¡± ¡°Sister Lan, it was because of him that you left Celestial City back then!¡± Ye Qingxuan seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Brother, your love rival has appeared.¡± Ye Xuan glanced at Tantai Lan. ¡°Love rivals don¡¯t exist.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone walked toward the Tantai Manor under Tantai Lan¡¯s lead. The cultivators on the long street were in a heated discussion. They were very envious of Huo Du for being able to become a personal disciple of the Yuhua Sect. Yuhua Sect was one of the three oldest sects in the world, on par with the Heaven¡¯s Sect and the Dao Sect. At this moment, outside the Huo Manor. It was packed with people who had come to welcome Huo Du. Even the City Lord of the Celestial City was in the crowd. Because of the existence of Huo Du, the entire Huo Clan had become the strongest clan in Celestial City, standing above the City Lord¡¯s mansion. It was truly a case of one man¡¯s achievement, and the rest rode on his success. In comparison, the Tantai Manor was much more deserted. The doors were tightly shut, and no one was there. Tantai Lan knocked on the door for a long time before an old servant opened the door. ¡°Uncle Nan, it¡¯s me, Lan¡¯er!¡± Uncle Nan quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s you, Young Miss. Look at me, I¡¯m old, and my eyes are blurry. I can¡¯t even recognize you.¡± It was mainly because Tantai Lan had been gone for five years, and she had changed a lot. It was normal for Uncle Nan not to recognize her at first glance. ¡°Young Miss has entered the mansion. I will inform the master.¡± Tantai Lan led everyone into the manor. Looking at the familiar environment in front of her, it was as if a lifetime had passed. Everything was still the same as before. The group of people came to the front hall. Uncle Nan appeared pushing a wheelchair, and the person sitting on it was Tantai Zhan. Tantai Lan rushed forward and threw herself into Tantai Zhan¡¯s arms. ¡°Father, your leg¡­¡± ¡°Lan¡¯er, you¡¯re back.¡± Tantai Zhan caressed her long hair. ¡°My legs are fine. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡± At this point, his gaze fell on Ye Xuan and the others. ¡°Lan¡¯er, hurry up and introduce your friends to me.¡± Tantai Lan stood up and introduced, ¡°Father, he is Ye Xuan, the Crown Prince of Great Xia. Qingxuan, Princess Yongning of Great Xia, Iron Slave, and Senior Dugu are all Ye Xuan¡¯s old friends.¡± ¡°Ye Xuan, you¡¯re that child from back then.¡± Tantai Zhan¡¯s expression was a little agitated. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, come here. Let uncle take a look at you.¡± Ye Xuan came to Tantai Zhan¡¯s side. ¡°Greetings, Patriarch Tantai.¡± Tantai Zhan raised his hand and motioned for him to stand up. ¡°You look so much like your mother. How is your father?¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°Everything¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Uncle Nan, make the arrangements for everyone!¡± Tantai Zhan said in a low voice, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Lan¡¯er, follow me.¡± Tantai Lan pushed the wheelchair forward, and Ye Xuan followed closely by her side. The three of them walked along the long corridor and came to a Tingyu Pavilion. The two of them stood quietly behind Tantai Zhan. ¡°Lan¡¯er, when you return from the secret realm, go back to the imperial capital with Xuan¡¯er. Don¡¯t stay at home for too long.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Father, what happened?¡± Tantai Lan knew that Tantai Zhan was definitely hiding something. ¡°And your leg. Who was the one who injured it? Father, if there¡¯s anything you need to tell me, I can help you share your worries.¡± Tantai Zhan did not speak. He slowly raised his m, and an explosion rang out. The water on the lake in front of them shot up into the sky, splashing water everywhere and causing ripples to form. A rusty metal box appeared and floated in front of the three of them. ¡°Lan¡¯er, open the metal box!¡± Tantai Lan took the secret key and opened the rusty iron box in front of her. There was a roll of wet animal skin and a Seven Stars Divine Sword inside. ¡°Lan¡¯er, give the animal skin to Xuan¡¯er, and this sword is yours!¡± ¡°Patriarch Tantai, you can¡¯t. I won¡¯t accept a reward without any work!¡± Ye Xuan looked at the animal skin Tantai Lan handed over and took it to store in the system. ¡°How can I accept this?¡± He said no, but his body was very honest. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, this item originally belonged to you!¡± Tantai Zhan said in a deep voice as he fell into endless memories. ¡°This animal skin scroll was left behind by your mother. Back then, we had agreed that when you and Lan¡¯er got married, we would send the animal skin to the imperial palace!¡± ¡°All these years, the various forces had attacked the Tantai family for this item. Initially, they could have destroyed the Tantai family. However, since they could not find the item, they gave me a chance to survive.¡± ¡°Now that this item has fallen into your hands, I have fulfilled my promise to your mother. I can finally do something for the family.¡± At the end of his speech, his eyes were filled with cold killing intent. He was like a completely different person in an instant. The anger that had been suppressed in his heart seemed to explode at this moment. Ye Xuan knew that the animal skin scroll was not ordinary. So many people wanted it, so it must be a supreme treasure. Furthermore, his mother was the reason why Xia and the Tantai family were suffering. Were the descendants of the Yu Clan really like this? At this moment, a wave of spiritual Qi fluctuated, and the calm lake surface rippled again. A few figures fell from the top of the nine Heavens and stood on several ancient pavilions by the lake. When Tantai Zhan saw who had arrived, he was calm and collected. He was not surprised at all. What was supposed to come had come. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Lan¡¯er, you two can leave!¡± ¡°Patriarch Tantai, do you really not need my help?¡± Ye Xuan asked. Tantai Zhan replied, ¡°No need. Take Lan¡¯er and leave!¡± ¡°Father, I won¡¯t leave,¡± Tantai Lan said. Whoosh! An old man in a white robe stepped on the water and arrived. His eyes fell on the iron box, and finally on Ye Xuan. ¡°Kid, hand it over!¡± Ye Xuan was startled. ¡°Do I have to give it to you if you want it? Do you think I don¡¯t care about my reputation?¡± The old man in a white robe laughed. ¡°Your reputation? You¡¯ve already lost your life, yet you still cared about your reputation!¡± ¡°Old man,¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°I advise you to be kind and leave this place quickly. Otherwise, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. You¡¯re forcing me to personally take it!¡± The white-robed old man¡¯s figure flashed, and he charged toward Tingyu Pavilion. At this moment, a shocking scene occurred. Tantai Zhan stood up from his wheelchair and rushed out of the pavilion to meet the white-robed old man. ¡°Your leg has healed!¡± ¡°What, are you surprised?¡± ¡°If I can cripple you once, I can cripple you a second time!¡± The white-robed old man said coldly, ¡°Men, kill them and take their things!¡± At his command, the figures on the ancient pavilion on the lake turned into afterimages and charged toward Ye Xuan and Tantai Lan. This old man was a particular person. He was clearly robbing, but he insisted on saying taking it. Tantai Lan was the first to attack. She unsheathed her Seven Stars Divine Sword, and with a slash of the sword, the raging waves swallowed the sky, blocking the cultivators from flying over. ¡°Ye Xuan, it¡¯s none of your business. Leave quickly!¡± Ye Xuan laughed bitterly. ¡°It seems that the invincible me has to make a move!¡± At this moment, Iron Slave and Dugu Qiubai appeared behind him. ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re going to fight again. Let me show you a sword technique!¡± ¡°Please start your performance!¡± Ye Xuan looked at Iron Slave that has rushed out, and his face was full of helplessness. His swordsmanship was never proper. ¡°Dugu, pay attention to the person in the dark. If he dares to move, stab him!¡± Chapter 36 - God Yus Personal Letter Tantai Manor. Chapter 36 God Yu¡¯s Personal Letter Tantai Manor. On the surface of the lake, a great battle broke out. Spiritual Qi shot out, waves crashed against the shore, and human figures flashed through the mist. Gong Jiu¡¯s palm landed and sent Tantai Zhan flying. Instantly, he gained the upper hand. In a flash, he attacked Ye Xuan under the ancient pavilion. In his eyes, it was as easy as blowing off the dust to massacre the Tantai Manor. His true goal was to obtain the supreme treasure within the metal box. Whoosh. A wisp of spiritual Qi flew over, carrying the water column forward, turning into an indestructible spear as if it was going to penetrate Ye Xuan¡¯s body. Ye Xuan stood straight with his hands behind his back, calmly looking at the spear in front of him. Dugu Qiubai took a step forward, and an invisible energy barrier appeared, stopping the spear from moving forward. Beams of sword Qi flew out and shattered the long spears in a flash. Gong Jiu raised his hand to block the sword light when he saw it coming at him. However, the sword pierced through the air and went straight for his forehead. The sword was half an inch long, and blood dripped down. Gong Jiu turned pale with fright, and even his soul was trembling. Before he could react, the sword Qi had pierced through between his eyebrows, and his bloody figure fell into the lake. ¡°What a terrifying sword Qi!¡± A trembling voice came from the void. That person knew that they had failed their mission. There was an expert in the Tantai Manor who they could not touch. He glanced at Ye Xuan as if trying to remember his appearance. Since the item he needed was in Ye Xuan¡¯s hands, they would not attack the Tantai Manor in the future. Ye Xuan had become their new target. After Gong Jiu¡¯s death, the others retreated while fighting and disappeared from the sky above Celestial City. Tantai Zhan appeared under the pavilion and bowed. ¡°Thank you for your help, Senior Dugu.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯s what I should do,¡± Dugu Qiubai replied. Anyone who attempted to hurt Ye Xuan would die without a doubt. Ye Xuan saw Tantai Lan and Iron Slave walking over. ¡°Patriarch Tantai, what were the identities of those people just now?¡± Tantai Zhan replied, ¡°Fuzi Palace. The one who was killed was Gong Jiu, and the one who carried out this mission was Gong Qi. He didn¡¯t show up today.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. He knew that the person hiding in the dark was Gong Qi, and after seeing Dugu Qiubai¡¯s strength, he fled with his tail between his legs. After confirming his gaze, he was someone he couldn¡¯t beat. There were people from Fuzi Palace who sneaked into the palace in the past. What exactly were they looking for? ¡°Patriarch Tantai, the crisis has been resolved. We will be going to rest now.¡± Tantai Zhan hurriedly asked Uncle Nan to send Ye Xuan and his group to the side courtyard of the mansion to recuperate. In a moment, only the father and daughter were left in the ancient pavilion. ¡°Lan¡¯er, what do you think of Xuan¡¯er?¡± Tantai Zhan asked in a low voice. He raised his hand to support himself on the pillar of the ancient pavilion. His body was trembling as if he could fall at any moment. ¡°Father, your leg!¡± Tantai Lan quickly stepped forward to help him up. ¡°Father, Ye Xuan is unfathomable. The people around him are experts. I¡¯ve been in Xia Palace for a few days, so I have some understanding of him.¡± ¡°Emperor Xia was poisoned, and the Crown Prince supervised the country. In the war in the north, 3,000 cavalrymen of the Xia Army defeated 70,000 Northern Barbarian soldiers. He cleaned up the imperial court and got rid of the Empress Dowager, the Grand Preceptor, the Left Minister, and so on. He also made use of Old General Ji Ye. The people in Chang¡¯an have a high opinion of him.¡± Tantai Zhan nodded. ¡°He¡¯s so young, but he¡¯s so shrewd. There aren¡¯t many young people like him nowadays. I¡¯m very assured to hand you over to him.¡± Tantai Lan had a dejected expression. ¡°Father, he doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in anything.¡± ¡°Lan¡¯er, feelings need to be cultivated. Time reveals a person¡¯s¡­ heart.¡± As Tantai Zhan spoke, he pulled on Tantai Lan¡¯s hand. ¡°The two of you are already engaged. You have to take the initiative.¡± ¡°Father, this matter is not that simple. Huo Du has also returned to the city.¡± ¡°Huo Du, he¡¯s back from Yuhua Sect.¡± Tantai Zhan was a little worried. ¡°Lan¡¯er, you just have to remember that you have an engagement with Ye Xuan. Father will help you settle the matter of the Huo Clan.¡± He paused and sighed. ¡°Brother Wu has been poisoned, and my legs are crippled. The world belongs to you young people.¡± ¡°Father, hasn¡¯t your leg already recovered?¡± Tantai Lan asked. Tantai Zhan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve forcefully used it once. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll be very difficult to recover in the future.¡± The father and daughter stood quietly under the ancient pavilion, watching the sparkling lake. The two of them were silent as if they were enjoying their time. In the side courtyard. Ye Xuan returned to his room alone and sat in front of his desk. The animal skin scroll floated in the air and slowly landed in his palm. God Yu¡¯s Personal Letter! He opened the animal skin scroll and found that there was not a single word on it. It shouldn¡¯t be. Did this need special treatment? Roasting, dripping blood, or¡­ ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have obtained God Yu¡¯s Personal Letter. Do you want to learn it immediately?¡± ¡°Learn immediately!¡± Ye Xuan said without hesitation. In the next moment, the animal skin scroll was shrouded in golden light and transformed into a series of golden characters. It lingered around his body for a long time before disappearing into his divine sense. The golden scroll appeared in his mind, and Ye Xuan fell into meditation. He studied the contents and seemed to understand why the major forces wanted to snatch God Yu¡¯s Personal Letter. This letter recorded all the cultivation techniques, martial arts techniques, and divine powers that God Yu had collected throughout his life, as well as his understanding of martial arts. What Ye Xuan didn¡¯t expect was that God Yu was also a heaven-grade alchemist. Alchemists had a strict hierarchy. From tier one to nine, above them were King, Emperor, revered, Saint, heaven, and divine grade. God Yu, Yu Xiaoyao, was a ninth-grade alchemist with a deity-like cultivation base. He could be called an invincible existence, but he had fallen. Ye Xuan realized that his understanding of this world was simply as rare as a phoenix feather and a Qilin horn. The nine states were only a drop in the ocean. In the vast universe, there were countless star fields. This was what the world should be like. However, he understood that the vast and boundless world outside was simply too far away for him. Only by taking every step he be able to see the outside properly would world. One should take one step at a time in life. Sometimes, if one took too big a step, it would be easy to pull one¡¯s balls. The world was so big, and he really wanted to see it. However, his cultivation was too weak, and it was difficult for him to move forward. Next, he began to immerse himself in studying God Yu¡¯s Personal Letter. Among the many cultivation techniques, martial arts techniques, and divine powers, he chose the one that was suitable for his cultivation. However, there were too many of them, so it was very difficult to choose. Sometimes, having too many cultivation techniques and martial arts techniques was also annoying. The damn problem of having too many choices. The Art of Subduing Heaven. Tianyu Phantom. Burning Blood. They were cultivation techniques, martial arts techniques, and divine powers, which were also the most suitable for him. In comparison, Ye Xuan was more fond of God Yu¡¯s notes on alchemy, which gave him a new understanding of alchemy. At this moment, in a restaurant. A figure appeared and walked quickly to the private room on the top floor. ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve investigated thoroughly.¡± ¡°Come in and talk!¡± The man pushed the door open and entered the private room. He bowed and said, ¡°Elder, the person who appeared in Tantai Manor is the Crown Prince of Xia, Ye Xuan. He is also here for the secret realm.¡± Gong Qi nodded. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, he came at the right time. We don¡¯t have to go to Chang¡¯an to find him. Any news from the Young Palace Lord?¡± ¡°Young Palace Lord and Vice Palace Lord will arrive at Celestial City in two days,¡± the person said. Gong Qi laughed. ¡°Even the Vice Palace Lord is here. This time, the secret realm will definitely belong to Fuzi Palace.¡± Chapter 37 - The Secret Realm Opens, and Heroes Gather Chapter 37 The Secret Realm Opens, and Heroes Gather There were only two days left before the opening of the Celestial Secret Realm. In Tantai Manor, a group of uninvited guests arrived. They were the Huo Clan¡¯s sinecures. They had come with betrothal gifts. He had declared that he wanted to marry Tantai Lan. In the main hall, the attitude of the person who had come was very tyrannical. Clearly, he did not give the Tantai Manor a chance to refuse. Tantai Zhan sat at the head of the table, and his gaze landed on the person who had arrived. ¡°High Official Liu, Lan¡¯er is already engaged. Please leave.¡± Liu Hua replied, ¡°Patriarch Tantai, have you made up your mind? Our eldest young master is the personal disciple of Yuhua Sect. You should know what the situation of Tantai Manor is like now.¡± ¡°If Miss Tantai marries into the Huo Manor, at least the Tantai family will not be removed from Celestial City. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to rely on Yuhua Sect.¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Of course, you can also refuse. However, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. The consequences of refusing the Huo Manor are very serious. Perhaps the Tantai Manor will be gone one day.¡¯ Tantai Zhan remained unmoved. ¡°High Official Liu, go back and tell Young Master Huo that if he wants to make a move on the Tantai Manor, I will accompany him at any time. We are not worthy of the high branches of Yuhua Sect.¡± ¡°Patriarch Tantai, you are so boastful. I am afraid that you can¡¯t afford to entertain me.¡± A voice came from outside the hall. Huo Du came in with his men. Besides the experts of the Huo Manor, there were also cultivators of the Yuhua Sect. Tantai Zhan squinted his eyes slightly, his expression calm and composed. He had already expected Huo Du¡¯s arrival. ¡°Since Young Master Huo has come personally, I will still say the same thing. Lan¡¯er has already been engaged for a long time and will be married soon.¡± Huo Du laughed coldly, and his expression was sinister. ¡°May I ask Patriarch Tantai who Lan¡¯er¡¯s husband is? If Patriarch Tantai wishes to reject, can you find a better reason?¡± ¡°In the entire Celestial City, who doesn¡¯t know that Tantai Lan is my woman? Even if she ran away for five years, the result will still be the same.¡± ¡°In Celestial City, if I don¡¯t relent, who would dare to marry Tantai Lan!¡± Tantai Zhan had not expected that after five years, Huo Du¡¯s character had not changed at all. He was still so domineering and arrogant. It was true that the landscape could change easily, but a person¡¯s nature could not. ¡°Who said that the one who took Lan¡¯er was a cultivator from the Celestial City?¡± A voice came from outside the hall. Tantai Lan was seen holding Ye Xuan¡¯s arm as she walked in leisurely. Huo Du¡¯s eyes fell on Ye Xuan. ¡°You¡¯re the one Lan¡¯er is going to marry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Ye Xuan replied. He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Lan¡¯er is my fianc¨¦e. You can go back to where you came from.¡± Huo Du¡¯s expression was extremely unsightly. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Not interested,¡± Ye Xuan replied with a smile. Huo Du suppressed his anger. ¡°Do you dare to leave your name?¡± ¡°Ye Xuan, the Crown Prince of Great Xia.¡± ¡°Good, very good!¡± Huo Du said and left with his men. He stopped in the courtyard and said, ¡°Crown Prince Xia, we will meet again soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you anytime!¡± Ye Xuan was calm and couldn¡¯t be bothered with Huo Du at all. To be precise, he didn¡¯t care about the entire Huo Clan. Celestial City was a city of Great Xia, but it was controlled by the Huo Clan. The City Lord¡¯s mansion existed only in name. Even the City Lord had to flatter the Huo Clan, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. When did the cities of the empire become controlled by a single clan? He already had a plan in his heart. Before he left Celestial City, he had to solve Huo Manor¡¯s problem and was prepared to support Tantai Zhan to become Celestial City¡¯s city lord. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It¡¯s just a small matter for Lan¡¯er to ask me for help. Ye Xuan said in a low voice, his gaze landing on Tantai Lan. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me.¡± Tantai Lan gently nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Tantai Zhan looked at the two of them and said, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Huo Du is someone who will seek revenge for the smallest grievance. Furthermore, he has Yuhua Sect behind him. You can not let your guard down.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°I know.¡± At this moment, Dugu Qiubai¡¯s figure appeared. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Ye Xuan followed the voice and looked over. ¡°Patriarch Tantai, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Tantai Zhan nodded and watched Ye Xuan leave. ¡°Lan¡¯er, how did you get Xuan¡¯er to help you?¡± Tantai Lan seemed to be hiding something. ¡°Father, don¡¯t ask. This is between me and him.¡± Tantai Zhan laughed bitterly. ¡°You young people should have your own secrets. It was me who was being rude.¡± He returned to the side courtyard. Ye Xuan sat in front of the stone table and motioned for Dugu Qiubai to take a seat. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the city?¡± ¡°Your Highness, more and more cultivators are gathering here,¡± Dugu Qiubai replied. ¡°Among them, there are three major forces that are stronger. They are the Yuhua Sect, Fuzi Palace, and Snow Palace.¡± ¡°The Snow Palace is from the northernmost land and is rarely active in the Central Plains. They¡¯ve come prepared this time, and the young miss of the Snow Palace, Feng Qingxue, will be the leader.¡± Ye Xuan nodded. ¡°A secret realm has attracted so many forces. Didn¡¯t the major empires send people here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still no news of the arrival of the experts from the various empires,¡± Dugu Qiubai replied. There were still two days left, and Ye Xuan believed that the various empires would definitely not let go of the opportunity to enter the secret realm. Perhaps they had already arrived but had yet to step into Celestial City. Ye Xuan seemed to have thought of something. ¡°Where are Iron Slave and Qingxuan when I was in seclusion?¡± ¡°Your Highness, Princess Yongning has been practicing very hard while Iron Slave has been wandering around the city, causing a lot of trouble, but he has solved it all by himself,¡± Dugu Qiubai said. ¡°Your Highness, Iron Slave¡¯s martial arts talent is not bad. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s too undisciplined. With a little more training, his future will be bright.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind him!¡± Ye Xuan knew that everyone¡¯s situation was different. Iron Slave was originally a slave and had been imprisoned for a long time. Now that he had finally been reborn, he was very eager for freedom. If he forced him to cultivate, it would be counterproductive, so he might as well let nature take its course. ¡°Your Highness, I will take my leave.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Dugu if you¡¯re free, you can give Qingxuan some pointers on sword cultivation.¡± Dugu Qiubai nodded his head. ¡°I understand.¡± On this day, the Celestial Secret Realm opened. The cultivators in the city left the city one after another. Ye Xuan¡¯s group of five left the Tantai Manor and rode on their swords, rushing towards the mountain range where the secret realm was located. In the wilderness, the experts of the Huo Clan and Yuhua Sect flew by on their Dragon Elephant Beasts. The earth trembled, and dust filled the air. Soon, everyone appeared outside the mountain range one after another. A floating island appeared in the void in front of them. It was shrouded in powerful spiritual Qi and shot out brilliant rays of light that shone on everyone. Ye Xuan looked around and found that there were at least two thousand cultivators gathered in the mountain. He knew that the fight for the supreme treasure in the secret realm would be very intense. Boom! Boom! A series of loud sounds rang out as the barrier gate on the floating island opened. Everyone swarmed up, not afraid of being trampled to death. Ye Xuan didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry and quietly watched everyone enter. Because the secret realm had just opened, the situation inside was unknown. It was too risky to enter first. If they were not careful, they would be doomed forever. Whoosh. Whoosh. Some people were blocked by the barrier gate, and the powerful spiritual Qi fluctuations sent them flying back. Ye Xuan was confused. Was there a realm requirement to enter the barrier? Chapter 38 - The Pickpocket Card The barrier gate opened. Chapter 38 The Pickpocket Card The barrier gate opened. The figures swarmed up, and the scene was a little chaotic. They advanced wave after wave, afraid that they would not be able to enter the secret realm if they were a step too late. Ye Xuan looked at the entrance and was a little troubled. Those whose cultivation levels were above the Mingxuan realm were all blocked outside the barrier. Coincidentally or not, after cultivating the Burning Blood and The Art of Subduing Heaven, his cultivation had reached Mingxuan level one. This also meant that he couldn¡¯t enter the barrier. Even Dugu Qiubai was unable to enter. ¡°Brother, why aren¡¯t we going in?¡± Ye Qingxuan asked. Ye Xuan said, ¡°Qingxuan, you, Lan¡¯er, and Iron Slave will enter. I won¡¯t go and join in the fun.¡± Ye Qingxuan nodded gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother. I¡¯ll bring the supreme treasure from the secret realm back for you.¡± Ye Xuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Iron Slave, protect Xuan¡¯er and Lan¡¯er.¡± Iron Slave laughed foolishly. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t worry. With me around, we are invincible.¡± Seeing the three of them enter the secret realm, Ye Xuan turned to look in the direction of the Huo Manor, his face full of doubt. The two old men beside Huo Du had actually entered the secret realm. He could clearly feel that the two of them were above the Mingxuan realm. He could not help but worry about the safety of the three. ¡°Your Highness, we can¡¯t enter the secret realm. Are we just going to let go of the supreme treasure?¡± Dugu Qiubai asked in a deep voice. Ye Xuan shook his head and smiled. ¡°Everything in the Great Xia belongs to me. Let them busy themselves for a while. We¡¯ll just sit back and reap the benefits.¡± Yuhua Sect¡¯s cultivators must have used pills or some secret techniques to deliberately lower their realms and then entered the secret realm. In order to get the inheritance and supreme treasure, they must have worked hard. Therefore, he must not let them succeed. Ye Xuan¡¯s figure flickered and appeared on a lone peak, which was parallel to the secret realm, and he could see everything. Dugu Qiubai stood beside him with his eyes drooped as if he was meditating. At this moment, the system¡¯s notification sound rang in his ears. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, do you want to check in to the Celestial Secret Realm immediately?¡± Ye Xuan did not hesitate. ¡°Check in immediately.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully checked in to the Celestial Secret Realm. You have received ten bottles of Poxuan Pills, one formation inheritance, one Dragon Egg, and one Living Holy Pearl.¡± So many rewards¡­ It was awesome. Whoosh. Whoosh. Two beams of light shot out of the secret realm at an extremely fast speed and flew toward Ye Xuan. At the same time, figures appeared from the secret realm and landed not far from Ye Xuan. Looking at the two rays of light landing on his palm, Ye Xuan knew that he had been tricked by the system. Fuck. Were they surrounded? With a thought, he put the dragon egg and the Living Holy Pearl into the system. He looked at the people in front of him and asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Hand over the item!¡± An old man said in a deep voice. Ye Xuan laughed. ¡°Old man, are you still sleeping? What are you talking about in your sleep?¡± The old man¡¯s face was very dark. He turned to look at the other people in the field and said, ¡°The Living Holy Pearl is in his hands. Everyone, kill him together, and the Living Holy Pearl will belong to us.¡¯ They were all smart people and naturally knew the value of the Living Holy Pearl. In the crowd, Huo Du looked at the old man beside him, ¡°Elder, the Living Holy Pearl, and the mysterious beast egg is in the hands of Crown Prince Xia. We must not let him leave the mountain alive.¡± The old man¡¯s aura rose, and he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± At this moment, the cultivators who had entered the secret realm had almost appeared. Ye Qingxuan, Tantai Lan, and Iron Slave returned to Ye Xuan¡¯s side. Iron Slave scratched his head. ¡°Young Master, are we surrounded?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± The Iron Slave nodded. ¡°Young Master, did you take something from them? Why don¡¯t we return it to them? With so many people surrounding us, I¡¯m afraid that they¡¯ll start a gang fight.¡± Ye Xuan really wanted to give Iron Slave the punch that was the size of a sandbag. He looked so honest and simple, but why was he so frivolous? If he was not driving, he was driving on the road. ¡°Iron Slave, didn¡¯t you say that you were invincible? Please start your performance.¡± Iron Slave laughed awkwardly and strode out. ¡°Hey, you, come at me together. I¡¯ll beat you all up.¡± Seeing that Iron Slave only had the cultivation of a Great Grandmaster, and yet he dared to be so arrogant. His figure flashed, and the wind from his palm came down. Iron Slave raised the Xuantian Sword to meet it. A loud sound rang out, and a figure was sent flying. Iron Slave floated to Ye Xuan¡¯s side. ¡°Young Master, this old man is a little fierce. It¡¯s really painful to hit him.¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. With his hands behind his back, the old man covered a thousand meters with each step and landed in front of Ye Xuan. ¡°Hand over the item. You only have one chance.¡± Ye Xuan said casually, ¡°In Great Xia, all living things belong to me. If you want to take it, do it!¡± The old man narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, ¡°You are the Crown Prince of Great Xia, Ye Xuan.¡± Ye Xuan said, ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m very weak. Come and kill me.¡± When the old man heard this, he didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. Suddenly, a figure appeared, holding a folding fan and gently waving it. It was already late autumn, so he really didn¡¯t know if this fellow was waving the fan because it was cold or hot. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, you have become the target of everyone. Hand over the item, and you can live. Otherwise, Great Xia will be destroyed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from Fuzi Palace.¡± Ye Xuan looked at the young man in white and asked in a deep voice. ¡°I¡¯m Yang Buwei, the Young Palace Lord of Fuzi Palace,¡± the young man in white said. Ye Xuan laughed at the name. Buwei, but it was short and soft. ¡°Since Young Master Yang wants it, I will give it to you.¡± He raised his hand and threw the Living Holy Pearl toward Yang Buwei. The latter looked excited and held the Living Holy Pearl in his hand. However, the next moment, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on the person from Fuzi Palace. An old man came to Yang Buwei¡¯s side. ¡°Young Palace Lord, this is a hot potato. Now that it¡¯s in our hands, Fuzi Palace has become the target of everyone¡¯s attack.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that they would dare to make an enemy of Fuzi Palace,¡± Yang Buwei said. The old man was the Vice Palace Lord of Fuzi Palace, Yang Xuanling. Naturally, he knew that there were many hidden talents among the cultivators. The Great Xia Empire wasn¡¯t a threat, but Yuhua Sect and Snow Palace were ancient sects. Fuzi Palace was a rising star. Whether it was foundation or strength, it was far inferior to Yuhua Sect and the Snow Palace. ¡°Young Palace Lord, listen to me and hand over the Living Holy Pearl. Crown Prince Xia has ill intentions and wants to make Fuzi Palace the target of everyone¡¯s attack.¡± Yang Buwei looked at the Living Holy Pearl in his hand with an unwilling expression. ¡°Third Grandpa, I¡¯ll retreat first. You hold on. When I return to the palace, the Living Holy Pearl will belong to us.¡± Yang Xuanling was left speechless. What did this mean? Was he going to be sacrificed? ¡°Young Palace Lord, don¡¯t be like this. You¡¯ll harm Fuzi Palace.¡± Yang Buwei did not listen to him at all. He was about to leave with the Living Holy Pearl when he was stopped by a woman. In an instant, the air turned bone-chilling as if a thousand miles would be frozen in the next moment. Ye Xuan took in everything and acted as if it didn¡¯t concern him at all. The more these forces fought, the better his mood would be. After all, the Living Holy Pearl had already recognized its master. At this moment, the system¡¯s notification sound rang in his ears again. ¡°Ding, a reminder to you, Master, you are using the Pickpocket Card!¡± Chapter 39 - Quick Gunner, Quick Swordsman Chapter 39 Quick Gunner, Quick Swordsman He could use the Pickpocket Card. It was based on the traditional virtue of not wasting. Ye Xuan did not hesitate. ¡°Use it immediately.¡± ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully used the Pickpocket Card.¡± As the system¡¯s voice fell, Ye Xuan found something in his palm. He looked at it, and a strange fragrance entered his nose. It was¡­ an undergarment? Fuck. Ye Xuan directly cursed. He felt that he had been tricked by the system again. ¡°Ding, congratulations, Master, you have successfully used the Pickpocket Card. You have received a piece of Soft Ice Armor.¡± Soft Ice Armor, who does it belong to? At this moment, the Snow Palace team¡¯s Feng Qingxue¡¯s beautiful face turned pale. She felt a cool breeze on her chest. She looked around and found the Soft Ice Armor in Ye Xuan¡¯s hand. She was instantly furious. Lecherous prodigal. He actually did such a dirty thing. ¡°Aunt Mei, you go and snatch the Living Holy Pearl. I have to go and settle some things.¡± Feng Qingxue said in a low voice. Her aura was as cold as frost, and the space around her seemed like it could freeze at any moment. Aunt Mei sensed the change in Feng Qingxue¡¯s aura. ¡°Miss, what happened?¡± Her undergarment had been stolen. This was something that Feng Qingxue could not bring herself to say. In a flash, she appeared in front of Ye Xuan like a true immortal. ¡°Shameless brat, give me back what¡¯s mine.¡± Ye Xuan looked at the soft armor in his hand and knew it belonged to Feng Qingxue. ¡°Miss, if I say it¡¯s a misunderstanding, would you believe me?¡± With a wave of her hand, icicles appeared, freezing the space within a thousand miles. ¡°Die!¡± This girl was so violent. Why can¡¯t they talk things out? Ye Xuan released his sword Qi to block the incoming icicles. For a moment, the sword Qi and the icicles were at each other¡¯s throats. Feng Qingxue¡¯s expression changed slightly, clearly not expecting Ye Xuan to be able to block her attack. Boom! Boom! The sound of an explosion rang out, and Feng Qingxue¡¯s beautiful figure was sent flying backward. ¡°Hand over the item, or Great Xia will be the enemy of the Snow Palace.¡± The Soft Ice Armor was a woman¡¯s item, so it was of little value to Ye Xuan. However, since Feng Qingxue had said so, he would not return it. The things that fell into his hands would only enter and not leave. He, Ye Xuan, could be persuaded by reason but not cowed by force. Just as Feng Qingxue was about to strike again, Yang Buwei suddenly appeared. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, I¡¯ll return the Living Holy Pearl to you!¡± A ray of light shot out and appeared in front of Ye Xuan. He raised his hand and took the Living Holy Pearl. His gaze fell on Yang Buwei. ¡°I gave you a chance, but you¡¯re useless.¡± Yang Buwei was truly unwilling to hand over the Living Holy Pearl, but he couldn¡¯t hold on against the crowd¡¯s attacks. Just as Yang Xuanling had said, a single Living Holy Pearl had turned Fuzi Palace into a target for all. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to return the Living Holy Pearl to Ye Xuan. Whoosh. Whoosh. The group flew through the air and appeared in front of Ye Xuan in an instant. They surrounded the entire mountain range. Huo Du stood in the air and said in a domineering manner, ¡°Crown Prince Xia, don¡¯t make enemies for the Xia Empire. Hand over the item obediently.¡± ¡°You again!¡± Ye Xuan looked at Huo Du. ¡°You¡¯re telling me what to do?¡± Huo Du was furious. ¡°You¡¯re seeking your own death. You¡¯re so stupid.¡± ¡°Monk, kill him!¡± At the command, a monk in a Kasaya walked out and put his hands together. ¡°Amitabha. I¡¯m Monk Langli. Benefactor, you should commit suicide!¡± Monk¡­ Langli? It felt a little out of place. Ye Xuan expressed that he had only heard of white strips in the waves. ¡°Benefactor, don¡¯t force me,¡± the monk said. Just as Ye Xuan was about to speak, Iron Slave spoke first. ¡°Young Master, this monk is a little arrogant. I¡¯ll go and take care of him.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Iron Slave¡¯s figure suddenly rushed out and appeared in front of the monk. ¡°Little bald head, make your move. Let¡¯s see if I¡¯ll hit you.¡¯ The monk¡¯s Dharma was boundless. He punched out, and a swastika appeared, enveloping Iron Slave. Iron Slave¡¯s face darkened, and he looked very serious. His giant sword sank into the ground, and a purple-gold behemoth phantom appeared behind him. Boom! Boom! The sound of an explosion rang out, and the monk¡¯s figure flew backward. He still put his hands together and said, ¡°Divine beast bloodline, sword and body dual cultivation.¡± At this moment, the crowd had also noticed the change in Iron Slave and knew that his defense power was heaven-defying. Could he be Crown Prince Xia¡¯s trump card? Huo Du glanced at Iron Slave, his eyes full of disdain. If Ye Xuan¡¯s trump card was only this, then he was not even qualified to be his opponent. Iron Slave looked at the monk. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m not that outstanding.¡± The monk was speechless. Seeing the monk attack again, Huo Du appeared in front of Ye Xuan. ¡°Hand over the thing.¡± Ye Xuan smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t handle it. Do you really want it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing that Yuhua Sect can¡¯t get,¡¯ said Huo Du. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Huo Du didn¡¯t make a move, but the two elders behind him attacked. Their terrifying spiritual Qi attacks landed on Ye Xuan, but the latter didn¡¯t move at all. A figure appeared in the air and easily destroyed the two elders¡¯ attacks. The person who had just arrived was none other than Dugu Qiubai. The sword Qi spread out for thousands of miles, and a sword tomb appeared. The two elders of the Yuhua Sect were sent flying. They looked down and saw a sword wound on their shoulder. It was so deep that their bones could be seen. The two of them had not expected Dugu Qiubai¡¯s sword Dao to be so terrifying. ¡°Your Highness, how should we deal with these people?¡± Dugu Qiubai asked.¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± Ye Xuan said. Dugu Qiubai made his move. Nine swords flew out and pointed at the warriors of the Yuhua Sect. In an instant, the sound of swords resounded in the sky. He stood on the sword Qi, like a sword immortal. At this moment, only then did everyone realize that Dugu Qiubai was Ye Xuan¡¯s greatest trump card. With such a powerful expert, Great Xia would rise completely, and no other country would be able to threaten it. Crown Prince Xia¡¯s sudden rise in power had refreshed their understanding of him. Seeing Dugu Qiubai standing on the winning side, Huo Du¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. Let¡¯s attack together. Crown Xia Prince is not our match.¡± He was fanning the flames and creating something out of nothing. This fellow was very evil. Ye Xuan knew that it was time to make a move. Huo Du could not be left alive. His white clothes fluttered, and sword Qi flashed, pointing directly at Huo Du. The latter obviously didn¡¯t expect Ye Xuan to make the first move, and he hurriedly tried to stop him. A sword split open the sky, and the figure was sent flying. Huo Du was sent flying, blood spurting out of his mouth. ¡°Ming¡­ xuan expert.¡± Ye Xuan released Tianyu Phantom, and a series of afterimages appeared in the air, so fast that it was hard to grasp. Whoosh. The sword slashed again, and blood gushed out. Huo Du¡¯s throat was slit. ¡°You, what a fast sword.¡± Ye Xuan looked at Huo Du¡¯s falling figure and muttered in his heart, ¡°I used to be a fast gunner, but now I¡¯m a fast swordsman.¡± At this moment, the two elders from Yuhua Sect had already fallen under Dugu Qiubai¡¯s sword. Seeing this, the others all retreated, not daring to take even half a step. Ye Xuan¡¯s eyes swept across the crowd. ¡°The thing is in my hands. If you want it, come to the capital of the Great Xia. As soon as he finished speaking, the Invincible Sword Box appeared in the air. Ye Xuan and the others appeared on the sword box, turned into a beam of light, and disappeared from the top of the clouds. Chapter 40 - Good Luck to You Chapter 40 Good Luck to You Huo Du was dead. The cultivators of the Yuhua Sect and the Huo Manor were furious. Looking at Ye Xuan¡¯s leaving figure, they rode the wind and chased after him. The cultivators of the Snow Palace, led by Feng Qingxue, also chased after Ye Xuan. Her undergarment was still in Ye Xuan¡¯s hands, and she would not let this matter rest. In an instant, everyone in the mountain range disappeared as they chased after him on their flying swords. On the Invincible Sword Box. Iron Slave turned around and looked behind him. ¡°Young Master, they have caught up.¡± Ye Xuan said casually, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Young Master, both you and Mr. Dugu are so powerful. Why don¡¯t we kill them all and get rid of any future trouble?¡± Iron Slave asked. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think,¡± Ye Xuan said in a low voice and turned to look at Dugu Qiubai. ¡°Dugu, you should have noticed it too.¡± Dugu Qiubai nodded his head. ¡°There are living beings that have escaped from the Celestial Secret Realm. This matter is much more complicated than we thought. These living beings are extremely powerful. If we wait for them to recover, the world will be in for a catastrophe.¡± Iron Slave¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Young Master, what does killing these people have to do with living beings escaping?¡± Ye Xuan was speechless. Outside Celestial City. Everyone floated down from the Invincible Sword Box and appeared in the wilderness outside the city. One figure after another followed closely behind, their killing intent bursting out and enveloping Ye Xuan. ¡°Do you all wish to continue fighting for the supreme treasure?¡± ¡°Make your move!¡± Ye Xuan said in a low voice. The old man from the Huo Manor walked out and waved his sleeves in anger. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, you killed the eldest young master of the Huo Manor. Don¡¯t even think about leaving Celestial City alive.¡± Ye Xuan replied, ¡°Celestial City is part of Great Xia. I can come and go as I please. As for your Huo Manor, it will be gone very soon.¡± The old man raised his arm and crushed a spirit stone in his palm. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, you¡¯ll soon know how stupid it is to make an enemy of the Huo Manor.¡± Shouting? Wasn¡¯t this exactly what Ye Xuan wanted? He had already planned to get rid of the Huo Manor and support the Tantai Manor to become the master of Celestial City. Now that the Huo Manor had taken the initiative to deliver themselves to him, how could he not be satisfied? Whoosh. Whoosh. One figure after another flew out of the city and landed in the wilderness. The person in the lead was the head of the Huo Clan, Huo Jiuzhen. The old man stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Patriarch, the eldest young master has been killed by Crown Prince Xia.¡± Huo Jiuzhen¡¯s expression changed, and his eyes were filled with killing intent. Huo Du had always been the hope of the Huo Manor. It was because of him that the Huo Clan could have a relationship with Yuhua Sect. Now that Huo Du had been killed, their relationship with Yuhua Sect had been cut off. Without Yuhua Sect, the Huo Clan¡¯s status would plummet. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, I¡¯ll make you pay with your blood.¡± ¡°The murderer will be killed. Only you are allowed to attack me, but I¡¯m not allowed to kill?¡± Ye Xuan said coldly. ¡°Enough, cut the crap. If you want revenge, come at me together!¡± ¡°After today, the Huo Clan will no longer exist in Great Xia!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Dugu Qiubai had already made his move. His sword was like a graceful swan, pointing directly at Huo Jiuzhen. The latter shouted angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s kill Crown Prince Xia together!¡± Huo Jiuzhen wasn¡¯t afraid of Ye Xuan¡¯s identity. In his opinion, Celestial City was high and far away from the Emperor. Even if they killed Ye Xuan, the royal family of Great Xia couldn¡¯t do anything to them. At worst, he would just leave Great Xia and head to another empire. Clank. Clank. Sword Qi crisscrossed, and cold light burst forth. Dugu Qiubai¡¯s figure shuttled through the crowd in front of him. Wherever he passed, everyone was sent flying, and blood spurted out like columns. In an instant, dozens of people were dead. One-hit kill. Huo Jiuzhen¡¯s face twitched as he looked at the corpses in the wilderness. He quickly turned to look at the experts of the Yuhua Sect and said, ¡°Seniors, Crown Prince Xia has killed your disciples. Please help.¡± Yuhua Sect had already lost two experts to Dugu Qiubai. They knew that they were no match for Dugu Qiubai, so they were helpless in the face of Huo Jiuzhen¡¯s request. At this moment, three figures floated down from the sky. The person was none other than the woman who rode the Dragon Elephant Beast with Huo Du in the past. She was the third miss of Yuhua Sect, Yun Xiyue. When Huo Jiuzhen saw Yun Xiyue, he bowed. ¡°Third Miss, please avenge my son.¡± ¡°Patriarch Huo, he¡¯s already dead. My condolences!¡± Yun Xiyue said. From her words, it was obvious that she didn¡¯t intend to fight Ye Xuan for Huo Du. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, we¡¯ve met. I¡¯m Yun Xiyue from the Yuhua Sect. I want to be friends with you.¡± ¡°When I met you at the city gate, I knew that you were a dragon among men. I wonder if you would like to join Yuhua Sect!¡± Ye Xuan glanced at Yun Xiyue. ¡°Not interested.¡± Yun Xiyue did not get angry. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, please think about it. If Xia can get the protection of the Yuhua Sect, it will become the most powerful empire in the world. Not just anyone can join Yuhua Sect.¡± Ye Xuan shook his head and smiled. ¡°Miss Yun, don¡¯t waste your breath. I don¡¯t intend to join any force.¡± In Yun Xiyue¡¯s eyes, Huo Du was just one of the many personal disciples of the Yuhua Sect. If it weren¡¯t for the secret realm in Celestial City, she would never have had any contact with Huo Du and would not have returned with him. ¡°Crown Prince Xia, don¡¯t blame me for not warning you. Huo Du¡¯s master is famous for taking revenge for the smallest grievance. Since you killed his beloved disciple, he will definitely turn the Great Xia Empire upside down.¡± ¡°If you choose to join Yuhua Sect, I can recommend you to become the sect master¡¯s disciple. That way, you won¡¯t have to worry about revenge.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll wait for him!¡± Ye Xuan refused again. Yun Xiyue smiled. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wish you good luck.¡± ¡°I also wish you good luck, Miss Yun,¡± Ye Xuan said. Yun Xiyue gave Ye Xuan a meaningful look. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Huo Jiuzhen looked at Yun Xiyue¡¯s back as she left and was instantly dumbfounded. The cultivators of the Yuhua Sect had left just like that, giving up on the Huo Clan? ¡°Your helper from the Huo Clan seems to have left,¡± Ye Xuan said. ¡°Now, tell me how you want to die.¡± ¡°Even without Yuhua Sect, I¡¯ll take you down with me,¡± Huo Jiuzhen said coldly. Perish together? He was too naive. ¡°Iron Slave, go, kill him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle, old man. I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s like to burst a chicken with a big sword,¡± Iron Slave said with a silly smile. Whoosh. Whoosh. On the other side. Yun Xiyue left with the cultivators of the Yuhua Sect. As they walked, an old man asked, ¡°Miss, why didn¡¯t you help the Huo Clan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Yun Xiyue said. The old man looked puzzled. ¡°Huo Du is Elder Wu¡¯s personal disciple. You should know that. If he knows that Huo Du has died, he would definitely attack the Great Xia Empire. Yuhua Sect will have a war with the Great Xia Empire sooner or later.¡± Yun Xiyue shook her head. ¡°Elder Wu can only represent him. He can¡¯t represent the entire Yuhua Sect. Remember not to make an enemy of Crown Prince Xia, or you will regret it.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long before Crown Prince Xia¡¯s name is known throughout the world.¡± Everyone was silent and followed Yun Xiyue closely. The latter¡¯s mind moved. ¡°Master, did Crown Prince Xia discover your existence?¡± ¡°Yes, he discovered us when we were outside the secret realm. However, he didn¡¯t make a sound and didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it.¡± A hoarse voice came through. ¡°He wished you good luck just now so that you would be on guard against me. He was probably worried that you would be possessed by me.¡± ¡°You chose not to be his enemy, and that was the right choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Master.¡± Yun Xiyue turned around and looked down at the city. ¡°Crown Prince Xia. How interesting. I¡¯ll remember you.¡±