Chapter 615: Hunting in the Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 615: A Hunt Across the Rivers and Mountains

As Tang Wanzhuang and Qin Dingjiang made their way to the Imperial Study, at the far end of the palace, beneath the Ancestral Temple where Xia Longyuan had long been in seclusion, Xia Longyuan sat with eyes closed, recuperating.

In the sea battle, his split soul had been destroyed. The injury to his main body was not severe in terms of physical harm, but it was far from trivial.

It was, after all, a form of spiritual wound, which greatly affected his ability to wield the Imperial Realm. He could no longer exert his full power. What level he now stood at was difficult to assess.

In truth, under ordinary circumstances, a mere Imperial Realm would have sufficed.

Back in the Maitreya Secret Realm, Xue Wu had been nothing more than an ordinary Imperial Realm. His soul had nearly healed, but he lacked a body and had clumsily seized a Celestial Maiden's form, a chaotic mess. Even so, it had taken a group of Heaven and Earth Rankings—Ying Wu, Sanniang, Cui Wenjing, Yang Jingxiu, Guichen, Yuancheng—to bring him down. Xia Longyuan, even now, was far stronger than Xue Wu had been then. Suppressing this world, which lacked any Imperial Realm, was still well within his grasp.

No one in this world had ever imagined that Xia Longyuan, even at a diminished level, would still outclass everyone else by a full tier...

It was precisely because he was so strong that his mindset held everything in contempt. One could say there were only two people in the world he respected.

One was Zhao Changhe. His affection for Zhao Changhe was even stronger than his feelings for his own daughter. His expectations for Zhao Changhe's future were even higher than Blind's hopes for him—an old player's fondness for a new one, eager to give away everything he no longer needed, too lazy to write an eight-hundred-word essay but willing to pen thousands of words of strategy for the newcomer.

Pity this newcomer was also a rebel. He wanted nothing else—he wanted your daughter.

Damn it.

The other was Tang Wanzhuang. Tang Wanzhuang believed it was the bond between ruler and subject, the gratitude for being recognized. But in Xia Longyuan's heart, it was a feeling of respect—no one could fail to respect a truly loyal minister and capable general. If you were transported back to ancient times as an emperor and had a Zhuge Liang or a Yue Fei by your side, you'd wake up laughing in your dreams. The catch was that you had to recognize talent and find your own Zhuge Liang.

Xia Longyuan wasn't particularly good at recognizing talent, but Tang Wanzhuang, coughing blood yet still exhausting herself in service—the whole world knew her.

For Tang Wanzhuang, this trust was indeed a form of recognition.

Xia Longyuan's healing was not efficient. Spiritual wounds were always difficult to treat. Even Zhao Changhe, with his dual-cultivation technique and the Spring Return Art, would need several days. Xia Longyuan had neither, relying only on medicine for slow recovery. He had paid no attention to the changes in the outside world these days, unable to spare the focus.

But at this moment, Xia Longyuan suddenly opened his eyes: "Who is blocking Beimang and shaking the dragon vein?"

He struck out instantly, pointing toward the depths of the earth and sky.

It was as if he pointed at a spot on a map between Beimang and the capital. A finger descended from the void, attacking the mountain.

A Daoist sat cross-legged in the mountains, raising his palm in a salute.

A gentle surge of energy met the finger's phantom, clashed, and dissipated without a trace.

The Daoist opened his eyes and smiled faintly: "I have made but this one move, Your Majesty. Take care of yourself."

Kunlun Yuxu, Fourth on the Heaven Rankings!

Xia Longyuan's expression grew unusually serious: "You, a man beyond the world, why meddle?"

"All are within the world; what is 'beyond'?" Yuxu chuckled. "Your Majesty, as an emperor, you fail to bring peace to the people, instead becoming a source of chaos. As a martial artist, you fail to promote good and eliminate evil, instead becoming a root of wickedness. You suppress the world, and no one dares act rashly—it is like watching a spoiled child wreak havoc at home. But even the most patient family member has their limits... I think Your Majesty would do better to come to Kunlun and share a cup of wine with me. I would welcome you with open arms."

With that, he rose and drifted northward: "I shall go keep an eye on Temur. Do not say that those beyond the world care nothing for the rivers and mountains. Perhaps I care more than you."

"Rumble!" Xia Longyuan was about to retort when a sudden tremor shook the earth. The passage to the secret realm of the Ancestral Temple, where he had been secluded, inexplicably opened.

Xia Longyuan, no longer concerned with distant Beimang, stared at the figure emerging from the mist and said slowly: "Ying Wu... why don't you stick to digging holes and tunneling? What business of yours are worldly affairs?"

Ying Wu stood below the high platform, still wearing his usual amiable, merchant-like smile: "Isn't this exactly what I'm doing—digging a hole? Your Majesty's hole is quite warm."

Xia Longyuan: "?"

Ying Wu: "..."

"I do not care for jokes, especially vulgar ones of this sort." Xia Longyuan said slowly: "Ying Wu, even if the entire world turned against me, I would not have thought you would be among them."

Ying Wu asked, puzzled: "Why? Because you didn't monopolize the secret realms by force, allowing me to search freely?"

Xia Longyuan said: "Is that not the case? If I had not left the resources unmonopolized, letting each of you have your own path, could you, Ying Wu, have reached where you are today?"

Ying Wu looked up and thought for a moment, then sighed: "You didn't monopolize the secret realms, first because you didn't want a spiritual energy revival, and second to stir up conflict among the factions. It wasn't out of any noble intent. Don't make it sound grand—that only fools your loyal ministers, like Tang Wanzhuang, who believes it's because of Your Majesty's magnanimity. Besides, even if you had monopolized, you could only have taken the obvious places like Ancient Sword Lake. Countless hidden places could never be fully controlled. For instance, my early breakthroughs came from digging in the wind and sand as a horse bandit in the northwest—what did that have to do with you? On the contrary, your provocations led me into fierce conflicts, and brothers of mine died because of it."

Xia Longyuan said: "And that is your reason for rebelling? Your brothers died in fights with others—you cannot blame that on me. How absurd."

Ying Wu shook his head: "I cannot entirely blame Your Majesty. Let me put it this way... Your Majesty, projecting your own mindset, always thinks in terms of monopolizing and controlling... but Your Majesty, I have never said my goal was to monopolize the secret realms."

Xia Longyuan was taken aback, and Ying Wu continued: "All I wanted was to find them. If there were an emperor dedicated to this cause, I would even be willing to assist."

Xia Longyuan frowned slightly.

Ying Wu said slowly: "My goal is a certain deity. Your Majesty's goal is all deities. In theory, we should have had the best foundation for cooperation. But unfortunately, Your Majesty never considered such things. Your eyes see only yourself, and you only add obstacles. Someone like you—I personally suggest you stop squatting on the toilet and not shitting. It would be better to step aside."

Xia Longyuan nodded and laughed: "Good. Step aside for whom? Wang Daoning? Come out and meet me."

From the darkness behind Ying Wu, a burly man built like an iron tower stepped forward slowly and bowed: "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Xia Longyuan laughed: "Li Shengtong... Wang Daoning didn't come? What's there to hide now? Still playing games with me?"

Li Shengtong's expression was calm: "Wang Daoning has gone to kill Chief Tang. Because no one else was willing to strike at Chief Tang—only he was. To be honest with Your Majesty, Wang Daoning has already broken through to the Imperial Realm. He may kill Chief Tang very quickly, and it won't delay his return to face Your Majesty."

For the first time, Xia Longyuan's expression shifted slightly, a hint of anger appearing.

Li Shengtong sighed: "One of our allies secretly informed Chief Tang to withdraw behind our backs. We knew, but we didn't stop him. We hope Chief Tang truly will retreat. Dealing with her was never our wish. But if she retreats, then no one will be left to hold off Wang Daoning for Your Majesty, and Your Majesty will be in even greater danger."

Xia Longyuan's expression softened a little, and he smiled faintly: "This ally... could it be Zhuque?"

At this, the tense atmosphere on both sides lightened slightly, and everyone showed a hint of amusement. Ying Wu gave a wry smile: "Indeed."

"So everyone knows?"

"...Everyone knows. I think the only one in the world who doesn't is the person involved."

Xia Longyuan said: "If a fight breaks out now and I expose her, do you think her combat power will be halved?"

Everyone clasped their hands and said nothing. Not that this was the time for such talk.

"Very well." Xia Longyuan, indeed not fond of jokes, turned to Li Shengtong: "I have always wanted to ask you something..."

Li Shengtong said: "Your Majesty, please speak."

"Your brute force exceeds even mine. I asked Wanzhuang about the current state of Bashu's decline. Your sect, full of muscle-bound men who only chisel rocks and drink, has no good ideas. Because of your massive slaughter of the aristocratic families, you can't even find scholars to advise you. Your domain is a mess, no better than when Zhai Muzhi ruled." Xia Longyuan laughed: "So, when you rose up, was it for the public good or for private reasons?"

"Though we face countless problems with no solutions in sight, at least we are no longer bullied." Li Shengtong said flatly: "When I rose up, I never thought about how well I would do, let alone about replacing Your Majesty."

"Then what was it?"

"Just the fury of a common man—blood spilled five paces, the world draped in white mourning. That is all." Li Shengtong said: "Zhai Muzhi was merely an appetizer. This battle now is where I find my true place."

Xia Longyuan seemed momentarily lost in thought.

Ying Wu asked curiously: "What is Your Majesty thinking?"

Xia Longyuan sighed: "I loved that phrase when I was young... I never imagined it would be used against me when someone came to kill me."

All fell silent.

Xia Longyuan said: "The two of you are not enough. Li Gongsi, Yang Jingxiu, both of you come out. I have no patience for one-on-one conversations."

The two heads of aristocratic families stepped out from the darkness, swords in hand, silent.

Xia Longyuan was somewhat surprised: "Your swords... have awakened?"

Yang Jingxiu sighed: "The Sea Emperor has fallen, and his energy has no master. Brother Daoning shared with us a method to transfer and absorb the Sea Clan's energy to replenish the sword spirits. Indeed, our sword spirits have recovered."

Xia Longyuan said nothing, silent. The plundering of sword spirits from various families—that was the main reason they had abandoned their wavering stance and openly rebelled. There was nothing more to say.

Yang Jingxiu said: "In truth, Your Majesty, I know why you plundered the sword spirits. It wasn't out of greed for those things, but a bloodless tactic to weaken the aristocratic families. From Your Majesty's standpoint, it is understandable. Unfortunately, our positions are opposed."

Xia Longyuan nodded and said no more: "Aside from Zhuque and Wang Daoning, is everyone here? If it's only the few of you, it's still not enough."

Yang Jingxiu slowly drew another sword: "Brother Cui also asked me to convey his regards to Your Majesty."

Xia Longyuan murmured: "Qinghe..."

Cui Wenjing, lying in bed with his wounds unhealed, had expressed his severance in this form. His Cui clan was locked in a deadly struggle with the Wang clan, yet they had reached unanimity in their attitude toward Xia Longyuan.

The appearance of the Qinghe Sword was not merely a matter of stance.

As Yang Jingxiu drew the Qinghe Lianshan, Li Gongsi, the head of the Li clan who had remained silent all along, also produced another sword—the Wang clan's Zhenhai Sword.

Together with the Li clan's own sword, the four blades suddenly dispersed, thrusting themselves into the four corners of the high platform.

These four swords, representing the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas of the mortal world, converged into a formation with profound symbolic significance.

Every person present could sense an aura of the dragon vein of the land being severed—the four directions no longer recognized their master, leaving only a solitary figure on the platform.

"From the grand scheme of the realm, to the qi pulse of Beimang, to the sword formation of the noble houses, step by step you have cut off the foundation of my cultivation," Xia Longyuan said calmly. "Your reasoning is correct, but you are too hasty... To make the world believe that the Great Xia has no sovereign, you still fall short..."

Li Gongsi murmured, "Your Majesty always overlooks some insignificant people, but they may bring you harm you never imagined."

At that very moment, the impostor in the imperial study issued the order for the extermination of the Tang clan.

The dragon qi instantly dissipated; the mountains and rivers stood isolated.

Though he was on the Star-Gazing Platform within the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the palace, Xia Longyuan seemed to be on a secluded island, with no one under heaven recognizing him as emperor.

A flicker of change crossed Xia Longyuan's expression. Everyone present could clearly feel that, whereas before his aura had merged seamlessly with this place, making it impossible to find a point of attack, in that instant his aura stood apart, starkly defined.

If Zhao Changhe were here, he might call this phenomenon... the health bar appearing.