Chapter 475: I'll Grant You National Extinction!
Imperial Ancestral Temple, Star Observation Pavilion.
Xu Sanyan stood atop the perimeter wall, facing the night wind, his cold gaze fixed on a patrol of Jade Dragon Guards passing below.
To him, the heavily guarded Imperial Palace was as empty as a deserted land, and the renowned Jade Dragon Guards were mere chickens and dogs, utterly insignificant.
Whoosh!
The night wind swept past, and Xu Sanyan’s figure vanished from the wall, as if he had merged with the wind, disappearing into the darkness.
The Imperial Palace was divided into three sections. At the front stood the Golden Luan Hall, where court officials gathered for morning audiences.
The central section housed the Imperial Study, the Emperor’s living quarters, the Star Observation Pavilion, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The rear section contained the Consorts’ residences. This was the general layout of the Imperial Palace.
The Star Observation Pavilion was an octagonal tower covering a vast area. It consisted of three levels, protected by a powerful formation, and guarded by personnel from the Imperial Clan Court. Without authorization, entry was virtually impossible.
Xu Sanyan lurked in the shadows, silently observing the distant structure. After careful comparison with various sources, he surmised that the Qian Kingdom’s Dragon Vein was likely suppressed beneath this very pavilion.
This conclusion was based on the pavilion’s exceptionally heavy defenses and the superior cultivation levels of its guards.
At that moment, the great doors of the Star Observation Pavilion swung open, a golden light spilling from the crack. An old man emerged from within.
Xu Sanyan seized the brief opening to glance inside, but saw only blinding light, nothing else.
The formation parted, allowing the old man to step out and hurry toward the Imperial Study.
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t discern the old man’s cultivation level, but it was clear the man’s realm was not far below his own. The Imperial Palace truly harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers, demanding utmost caution.
Though he was now fairly certain of the Dragon Vein’s location, the time to act had not yet come.
Ideally, he could quickly unravel the formation, absorb the Dragon Vein, and break through to the Sage Realm in one fell swoop. That would ensure his success.
But if he were discovered while breaking the formation, the situation would become precarious. He needed a foolproof plan.
Xu Sanyan meticulously examined the formation enveloping the Star Observation Pavilion. Though unfamiliar with its specific design, he could discern its profound complexity. Breaking it would take considerable time. It would be best to find another way—perhaps an internal breach.
He would rely on the Demonic Seed. By controlling more cultivators from the Imperial Clan Court, he could have them dismantle the formation when the time came to act.
Having made his decision, Xu Sanyan gradually faded into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
A month passed in haste.
Suddenly, news exploded across the Central Region, its impact a hundred times more devastating than Xu Sanyan’s city massacre.
In the Golden Luan Hall,
Emperor Qian stared blankly at the memorial in his hand, his eyes glazed over, unsure how to react.
Master Yuanchi was dead.
The hierarchy of the Heaven’s Will Demon Subduing Temple followed the order: “Yuanchi, Mingjing, Zhihui, Dexing, Fuxiang.” Among the Yuanchi-generation masters, only one remained alive—Yuanchi, one of the Central Region’s five sages.
Now, not a single Yuanchi-generation master remained.
“How is this possible…?” Emperor Qian murmured from his dragon throne, almost doubting his own eyes. But the black characters on the white paper were clear and unmistakable.
A sage had died?
A sage had actually died!
“Your Majesty…?”
The ministers below, noticing the Emperor’s strange expression, cautiously ventured to speak.
Emperor Qian slowly raised his head and casually tossed the memorial down. Yuan Zongtong, the Prime Minister, picked it up and opened it. His pupils contracted sharply, his hands trembling with disbelief. “Th-this… this…”
The memorial was passed around, and the hall fell into a deathly silence. This was a result no one had anticipated. A sage had intervened, yet failed to halt the Mist Sea’s expansion, instead perishing within it.
According to reports from the accompanying disciples, Master Yuanchi hadn’t died at the hands of the flesh giant. Instead, he had fallen to a woman. She had killed only Yuanchi, sparing the others, which allowed the news to reach the capital.
“Gentlemen… what do you propose we do next?” Emperor Qian asked, his voice hoarse as he lowered his gaze. His eyes burned with resolve, as if he had already made up his mind.
The assembled ministers remained silent, each guessing the Emperor’s intentions.
Relocate the capital!
The only course of action now was to temporarily evade the Mist Sea’s advance. The Mist Sea was steadily expanding in all directions, and at the current rate, the Imperial Capital would inevitably be engulfed. Delaying action would invite disaster.
The immediate threat was no longer the flesh giant in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, but the Mist Sea itself. Within its depths lurked countless demonic creatures, some possessing power comparable to sages. Should these entities break free, the devastation they would unleash would far surpass the chaos caused by the flesh giant. Fortunately, these demonic creatures remained confined within the Mist Sea; otherwise, the Central Region would have long descended into chaos.
Relocating the capital was a momentous decision. The capital served as the nation’s heart, and any disruption to it would reverberate throughout the entire realm. This was no mere relocation; it was a matter of national survival.
If this matter isn’t handled properly, it could shake the nation to its core and sow the seeds of future disaster. Emperor Qian didn’t want to bear the blame alone, so he hoped someone would step forward with a proposal he could readily approve. This way, the responsibility would be shared, easing his burden.
But the ministers present were no fools. None were willing to stick their necks out, all bowing their heads and pretending to be quails.
Emperor Qian surveyed the assembly from his high throne, but no one dared meet his gaze. His heart turned cold as he called out a name:
“Song Qian, you’ve always had the most ideas. Tell me, what should we do now?”
A man stepped forward from the ranks of ministers, his face pale with terror as he knelt. “Your Majesty, this humble servant… I… I…”
He stammered for an eternity without finishing his sentence. A flash of anger crossed Emperor Qian’s eyes. At this critical moment, not a single person could share his burden!
Filled with disappointment, Emperor Qian abandoned all hope in others. He rose abruptly and declared in a thunderous voice:
“My decision is made! We shall relocate the capital!”
As long as he lived, the Qian Kingdom would surely rise to glory once more!
“Hahahaha…”
Suddenly, a mocking laugh echoed through the hall. “Relocate the capital? No need for such trouble. This venerable one will simply deliver your kingdom to its doom!”
Boom!
As the words left his lips, a deafening roar shook the heavens and earth. The Eight-Cornered Star Observation Platform shattered into pieces, sending a storm of debris raining down like hail. This revealed a blazing golden barrier hidden within, and within that barrier, the phantom of a golden dragon coiled in mid-air.
Countless arcane Talisman Seals flowed in layers across the barrier. At its apex, a jade seal hovered, pressing down firmly on the dragon’s head. This was none other than the National Jade Seal, a supreme treasure used to suppress the nation’s destiny!
The formation surrounding the Star Observation Pavilion had already been breached. A golden beam shot forth from the pavilion, instantly flooding the sky. The heavens now resembled a vast sheet of golden foil, a magnificent sight that drew the eyes of every citizen in the city, their faces filled with awe.
Yet even more striking was the figure floating above the jade seal. Bathed in a golden pillar of light that seemed to gild him in divine radiance, the coiled golden dragon beneath his feet willingly bowed its head. The entire scene radiated an aura of sacredness.
“Hahahaha…”
Xu Sanyan erupted in maniacal laughter. Behind him, the crimson Heavenly Dao Mark materialized, its scarlet glow intertwining with the brilliant gold, creating an eerie, malevolent atmosphere that permeated the world.
“Break!!”
The Heavenly Dao Mark blazed with sudden intensity, unleashing a torrent of crimson light that crashed down upon the National Jade Seal beneath his feet!
(End of the Chapter)