บท 135: Chapter 135: The Return of the Demon Clan
In the blink of an eye, the Water Sky Ceremony had been ongoing for three months.
However, the pace was slower than anyone could have imagined, and people had lost interest in this grand event.
The reason lay in the fierce battle between Ji Daoquan and Wu Zisi, which led to an earth-shattering event, forcing the Qi Emperor to abruptly halt the Water Sky Ceremony.
Now, apart from Lu An, all the contestants had withdrawn, leaving him alone to venture through Qing Shan.
At that time, Ji Daoquan and Wu Zisi had battled for three full days and nights, with both displaying countless techniques until they exhausted their true qi, resulting in a brawl.
Ultimately, Ji Daoquan gained the upper hand and emerged victorious.
In terms of cultivation, Wu Zisi's level was higher than his.
But the constant release of black mist by Wu Zisi had taken a considerable toll, and prior to their battle, Lu An had disrupted Wu Zisi's mental state.
In such circumstances, Ji Daoquan managed to win barely.
However, at the moment Wu Zisi fell, his head suddenly sprouted horns, and his neck became covered in demonic scales.
The Qi Emperor and others were instantly taken aback by this sight.
The Demon Clan had reemerged!
Zhuang Taiwei and Minister Situ quickly approached and surrounded the Nascent Soul elder leading the Zhao delegation.
The Qi Emperor made a quick decision, directly announcing the cessation of the Water Sky Ceremony.
However, he did not close the entrance to the Water Sky Secret Realm; he merely dispersed the crowd but did not expel Lu An.
The Nascent Soul elder from Zhao was visibly bewildered, seemingly unaware that Wu Zisi was a member of the Demon Clan.
Whether he was feigning ignorance, no one could say, and they could only detain him for now.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, he did not dare resist.
Any reckless actions could solidify the identity of the Demon Clan.
Thus, all members from Zhao were detained in the dungeon.
Such a major incident naturally required notification to the Four Sects and the Holy Land.
The nearest, Li Hun Sect, promptly stated they would send someone to investigate.
However, the distance was far, and no one knew when the envoy would arrive.
Just when everyone thought the matter had temporarily settled, another major event occurred.
In the dungeon, the prince of Zhao was found decapitated, and the assassin was a woman who was captured on the spot.
The Qi Emperor was furious and ordered an interrogation, but the woman had a restriction implanted in her soul; forcing a soul search would cause her to dissipate.
Moreover, she was stubborn, and it wasn't until the Qi Emperor personally intervened and used various methods that she revealed she was from Ling Xiao Pavilion.
Hearing this organization's name, the Qi Emperor was slightly taken aback, his expression shifting between dark and light.
He did not deal with the woman but instead had her imprisoned separately, sending people to administer harsh punishment each day to see if any further information could be extracted.
In the imperial palace, the Qi Emperor sat on the dragon throne, and after dismissing the court officials, he remained alone with the national master.
Then, he slammed the armrest of the throne angrily and said, "This madwoman! With the Demon Clan emerging in Zhao, the marriage of the eldest princess will naturally be annulled. Why send someone to assassinate her?"
"This is a mess that could lead Zhao to revive its military against us."
He was somewhat irritated, not because he feared Zhao, but because the method Lu An had given him for talisman charging had not yet been widely implemented in the military.
Furthermore, with this method, some tactical changes needed to be retrained. If he had another six months, he was confident that even if Han and Zhao attacked together, they would be able to defeat them.
While he wasn't currently afraid, there would inevitably be more casualties.
Chongwen pondered for a moment and spoke, "Your Majesty, the master of Ling Xiao Pavilion had a complicated past with you. Could this be an act of revenge?"
He knew a bit about the events from years ago when the Qi Emperor had traveled through the mortal realm and spent time with the master of Ling Xiao Pavilion. They even had a daughter, who was the eldest princess of the Qi Kingdom.
However, for various reasons, they had parted ways unhappily.
It was only two years ago that she learned of the Qi Emperor's plan to use the eldest princess for an alliance with Zhao, which brought her back into the picture.
The Qi Emperor's intention for the marriage was to test whether Zhao had become demonic, and it was normal for the master of Ling Xiao Pavilion to react strongly upon hearing her daughter would become a pawn.
At the time, neither the Qi Emperor nor Chongwen thought much of it, and they had not yet decided whether the alliance would take place.
But now, with Wu Zisi revealing his demonic nature, the marriage was impossible. The actions of the master of Ling Xiao Pavilion, sending assassins after the prince of Zhao, were worth pondering.
Was she trying to provoke a war between the two countries?
The Qi Emperor shook his head; this would offer no benefits to the master of Ling Xiao Pavilion.
Did she hate herself?
That too was unlikely. From what he knew, she was not the kind of person who would let hatred or love cloud her judgment.
Every step she took had its own purpose.
The reason the Qi Emperor had abandoned her was precisely because she was too ruthless.
So it appeared that the eldest princess was merely a cover for her, an excuse for action, and she had her own undisclosed motives.
Thinking of this, the Qi Emperor sighed lightly.
"Forget about her."
"But what about your disciple? He's currently in the Water Sky Secret Realm. Has he made any progress?"
Mentioning this made Chongwen smile.
He stroked his beard and said slowly, "I think Lu An can reach the top."
"Reach the top?" The Qi Emperor's heart trembled. The Water Sky Secret Realm was a legacy passed down from the ancestors of the Qi royal family. According to family records, only three people had ever reached the top, and now only one remained alive.
That person was currently serving in the court as the Grand General, Lord Zhuang.
At that time, Lord Zhuang was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, but he had chosen not to wash his marrow and open his meridians. Instead, he used his unmatched strength in the same realm to crush his way up to the 999th step.
According to him, "Washing marrow and opening meridians is about enhancing potential. Only those who can grow are truly gifted. I only want my current cultivation; what use is potential to me?"
Thus, he reached the peak at Qing Shan, and upon exiting the secret realm, he immediately broke through to the early Core Formation stage, becoming the youngest Core Formation cultivator in the Qi Kingdom, soaring to prominence thereafter.
The Qi Emperor pondered deeply, suddenly recalling something, and asked, "I remember that reaching the 999th step allows one to choose a reward, right?"
"Indeed, Lord Zhuang chose the Taishang Induction Technique, which he now cultivates."
Upon hearing this, the Qi Emperor nodded and said, "That technique is excellent for anticipating the enemy's moves and has remarkable control over true qi. Your disciple could also select this technique."
"I recall the other two rewards—one is a flying magical treasure, the Ruikong Boat, which is at least a top-grade tier three treasure."
"Though it consumes a lot of true qi when activated, its speed is exceptionally fast, more than twice that of ordinary flying treasures."
"However, this item doesn't enhance cultivation, and since your disciple is only at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, it's better for him to rely on himself."
The national master clearly agreed with this assessment and continued, "Exactly. As for the last item, it's related to spirit beasts."
"But my disciple doesn't have a spirit beast, so he wouldn't choose that."
"It seems that the Taishang Induction Technique is indeed the most suitable for him."
Then, he paused for a moment before smiling.
"However, it's too early to discuss rewards; it all depends on whether he can reach the top. Otherwise, it's just empty talk."
The Qi Emperor nodded, waving his hand, causing a water curtain to appear out of thin air.
The scene in the water curtain showed Lu An silently climbing.
"Naturally, let us watch and see if your disciple can indeed reach the peak of Qing Shan."
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