Chapter 799: Four Symbols Grand Array, Second Tier of Imperial Control

Chapter 799: The Four Symbols Grand Formation, Second Realm of Dominion

Zhao Changhe thought he had performed passably, able to exchange a few idle words with both Jiuyou and Ying Wu, his tone calm.

But Ying Wu still mercilessly exposed his anxiety.

The feeling of having his wife’s life hanging in someone else’s hands, while he himself couldn’t even find the place for the time being—there was no describing how awkward it was.

Ying Wu’s words were right; excessive anxiety not only counteracted his breakthrough but also made him easy prey for traps. He had to calm himself, again and again. But how could calmness be summoned at will?

He withdrew his divine sense, took several deep breaths, and finally said, “Ying Wu has an important location for a Kunlun secret realm. If we find it, it will be a major clue. I’ve agreed to set out with him in three days.”

Tang Wanzhuang said, “You can go see Cui Wenjing first.”

The Cui family had a house in the capital, where Cui Wenjing was temporarily staying. He was still by the clear stream behind the house, watching the flowing water—he had always loved watching it.

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s sudden visit, Cui Wenjing was somewhat surprised.

They had just discussed it at the morning court, and now, in the afternoon, Zhao Changhe had come from the northern desert to the capital? Even if he could fly, he would have had to set out in the morning.

This couldn’t have been a message relayed in time; it meant he had returned before anyone even called for him.

“You just won a great victory. Why not spend a few more days in the conquered lands?”

“The appearance of ‘Miaomiao’ and the ancient White Tiger on the Chaos Rankings made me uneasy. As soon as my injuries healed, I came back immediately. No reason to linger.”

“If you hadn’t mentioned the ancient White Tiger, I might have been more moved.”

“Why would I lie to you?” Zhao Changhe sighed. “Earlier, Yangyang even scolded me, saying it felt like I was having a romance with you.”

Cui Wenjing’s usually stern face broke into a smile. Then he said, “Yangyang’s cultivation is insufficient. It’s hard for her to accompany you on campaigns like Zhuque or Yue Hongling, so naturally, you spend less time together. Add to that her youth and lack of experience—it’s only natural that I discuss major matters with you more. Rather than being jealous of her own father, she’s more resentful that you spend too little time with her. After marriage, how many times have you met?”

Zhao Changhe was about to say something, but Cui Wenjing waved a hand: “Of course, it’s not your fault. You truly have no time. Normally, it wouldn’t matter—there’s no endless war in the world. Once everything settles, you can naturally spend more time with your wife at home. Yangyang has always felt she should be able to help you, like Zhuque and the others, becoming your right hand. I, on the other hand, think it’s really unnecessary. Even if she had no cultivation at all, it wouldn’t affect anything. You are still a man of deep affection.”

Zhao Changhe had all his words spoken by his father-in-law. Embarrassed, he scratched his head: “I think so too. Yangyang has been putting pressure on herself, trying to catch up, but it’s unnecessary. To me, the meaning of her cultivation is no more than preserving her beauty.”

Cui Wenjing said, “For the sake of your relationship, cultivation doesn’t matter. But for her own safety and the tide of the times, she must keep up. Yangyang has worked very hard. To catch up with you, she broke through to the Secret Treasury, which is unprecedented for her age. But now, looking around, demons and gods are everywhere, and in the end, she can’t even protect herself.”

There was a hint of self-pity in Cui Wenjing’s words.

Now, not only Yangyang couldn’t keep up—even he was falling behind.

Yuxu’s injuries had yet to heal, Li Shentong had returned gravely wounded, and after the deaths of Bo’e, Tiemuer, Hai Pinglan, Wang Daoning, and others, the old Heaven Rankings had become a thing of the past, a mark of a bygone era.

Like their noble families.

Like the flowing water before him.

Zhao Changhe said, “Father-in-law, rest assured. I will soon bring Yangyang back.”

Cui Wenjing smiled faintly: “What I wanted to say instead is that if things become impossible, prioritize your own safety.”

“Huh?” Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded.

Cui Wenjing finally withdrew his gaze from the flowing water and glanced at Zhao Changhe: “Your safety is of utmost importance. You must not, as in your reckless youth, throw yourself into everything without regard.”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Then I wouldn’t be me.”

Cui Wenjing said, “What you think is your business. I’m only telling you my stance. If it can be done, do it; if not, I won’t blame you. Just do your best.”

Zhao Changhe didn’t know what to say.

He knew that Old Cui was trying to relieve some of his pressure, but there was no need to respond to such words. No matter what, he couldn’t bring himself to do that.

After a moment’s thought, he actually replied with this: “Don’t you want to participate?”

Cui Wenjing was taken aback: “I haven’t broken through to Dominion. In a battle at the first realm of Dominion, I might still have some significance. But against top-tier demons like Jiuyou and Miaomiao, not breaking through to Dominion makes me no different from an ant. Participation would be useless.”

Zhao Changhe looked at the white hair at Cui Wenjing’s temples and said thoughtfully, “Actually, Father-in-law isn’t old. You’re not even fifty yet. For the Xuan Pass, that’s old, but for the Dominion realm, you’re still in your prime. As long as your spirit remains, breaking through to Dominion in this age is truly not difficult. I just don’t know why, since your last injury, it feels like you’ve lost the drive to push further. Is it because lying in bed for two months made you feel your age?”

Cui Wenjing looked back at the flowing water and said in a low voice, “That’s part of it. But the more crucial reason lies in your new policies.”

“...”

“People are different. It’s hard for you and His Majesty to understand the confusion of someone like me or Old Yang, whose lifelong beliefs have collapsed.” Cui Wenjing sighed. “For example... before, I only worked for my family—whether in cultivation or other matters. But since the noble families no longer serve a purpose, I truly don’t know what I’m cultivating for.”

Zhao Changhe asked in surprise, “Isn’t cultivation for oneself?”

“If it were for myself, why would I like cultivation?”

Zhao Changhe was stunned.

Cui Wenjing smiled. “Actually, I never liked martial arts. What I truly loved was always the study of statecraft and governance. But without strength, one couldn’t survive in this world. A mere scholar talking idly was useless, so I had to practice martial arts.”

Zhao Changhe also smiled. “And you practiced all the way to the Heaven Rankings.”

Cui Wenjing said in surprise, “You accept this explanation quite readily. When I’ve told others before, they almost couldn’t understand.”

“Your son-in-law accepts everything quickly.”

“...” Cui Wenjing rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Of course, it’s useless to talk about this now. If not for the family, I can at least work to ensure my children and grandchildren aren’t bullied. If I can’t beat Jiuyou and Miaomiao, at least I should be able to handle other Dominion-level beings?”

“Exactly.”

Cui Wenjing naturally extended his hand. “Then hand it over.”

Zhao Changhe obediently pulled out a few pills he had found in the Changsheng Heaven secret realm. “These should help with your condition.”

“I knew it. All this rambling—you’re not as straightforward as before.” Cui Wenjing tucked the pills into his sleeve. “Go on. Whether I can participate or not, I’m not sure. I’ll do my best anyway.”

“Old fox.” Zhao Changhe muttered, turned, and left. The oppressive mood he had felt earlier had lightened considerably.

When he returned to the palace, Xia Chichi and Yue Hongling, who had been absent earlier, had both arrived.

Seeing that Zhao Changhe’s expression was noticeably calmer after his return, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Some words, as “rivals in love,” they couldn’t say themselves. Only Cui Wenjing could speak them. And indeed, Cui Wenjing was always so reliable.

Zhao Changhe even had the presence of mind to ask Yue Hongling first: “How did the White Tiger texts look?”

Yue Hongling glanced at Xia Chichi, who kept a straight face and said nothing. Both of them noticed that whenever they appeared together, the atmosphere wasn’t one of quarreling, so they never actually argued. It was a strange kind of fate.

Yue Hongling looked away and said directly, “They are indeed suitable for me to practice. A very beneficial supplement. Hmm... metal-element cultivation also aligns with me. After all, I’ve been a swordswoman all my life...”

Xia Chichi muttered something inaudible. In truth, she knew herself that with the burdens of state affairs, she couldn’t possibly cultivate two systems as she had in her early years. Mastering the Azure Dragon system alone was enough. The White Tiger system would have to be passed on to someone else sooner or later... It was a pity that when she had roamed the martial world, she had worn a White Tiger mask. Sob sob sob.

But she had never imagined that the recipient would be Yue Hongling.

And this earthy woman actually dared to take it...

Forget it. Let her have what I’ve left behind.

While Xia Chichi was brooding, San Niang and Huangfu Qing didn’t have so many thoughts. San Niang said, “In that case, can we start rehearsing the Four Symbols Grand Formation?”

Huangfu Qing hesitated. “Which one?”

Everyone knew what she meant. The Four Symbols Grand Formation had two versions: one with only the Four Symbols themselves, and the other, an ancient ultimate formation, which required the Night Emperor at the center to command the true Four Symbols. Theoretically, the latter was far stronger and more suited to their current training. But the key issue was that one of their current enemies seemed to be the Night Emperor.

Not to mention the awkwardness if the followers found out—but more importantly, if they used the Night Emperor’s formation against the Night Emperor, would it backfire like Yuxu using the Dao Ancestor’s techniques?

Zhao Changhe was very calm: “Practice both. Focus on the true Four Symbols formation, and keep the other as a backup. Sometimes when I’m not around, you can use it. Actually, worrying about this is pointless. Even if you remove the Night Emperor from the center, she can still break it just the same.”

Everyone exchanged glances and said, “You... just how familiar are you with the Night Emperor?”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment, then sighed. “Just think of me as her successor. That’s not too far off. In other words, my succeeding the Night Emperor is a result she wanted to see. Back then, Qing’er was troubled about whether my modified Night Emperor’s intent still counted as the Night Emperor’s. There was no need for that, because the Night Emperor herself acknowledged it.”

Huangfu Qing: “...”

“If there’s any deviation from her expectations, it’s that the Four Symbols have all become my bedmates...”

Except for Yue Hongling, who still didn’t consider herself the White Tiger, the other three all turned their heads away, their expressions not of embarrassment but of suppressed laughter.

Because it was truly hilarious... if Ye Di had any thoughts about Zhao Changhe's succession, she certainly never planned for them all to become Zhao Changhe's wives.

The difference between a subordinate Venerable and a wife is enormous; I wonder what Ye Di's mood will be upon learning this, and this deviation might even cause a fatal flaw in Ye Di's plan.

For instance, if it came to a real fight, with only subordinates forming the array, once the true Ye Di descended, the Four Symbols Array would be broken without a fight, and there might even be defectors.

But now? Now who cares what the original Ye Di is, that hammer-headed thing...

"What I can't figure out is, why did she guide me along the path of Ye Di... just to control me more easily?" Zhao Changhe murmured to himself. "Or... does she want to observe the differences between different Ye Di's intents?"

Tang Wanzhuang, the outsider of the Four Symbols, stood with arms crossed, watching the show for a long while, then spoke: "No matter what Ye Di thinks, at least the opponent in this battle is not her. It can still be used against Nine Nether and Piaomiao. Practice first; I'll protect you."

"Mm." Zhao Changhe rallied his spirits and said resolutely: "No matter what Ye Di is up to, we do what we must. One day, I'll spank her bottom."

The Four Symbols Array, in terms of formation positions alone, is one of the simplest arrays in the world. Everyone takes their positions according to their elemental attributes—East, South, West, North—with Zhao Changhe at the center as the hub. No matter how they move during battle, as long as the directions remain unchanged, the array cannot be broken.

But the skill lies not in the formation itself, but in the method of energy circulation and integration. Especially the coordination and guidance required of the central person is extremely difficult; no one who does not have sufficient understanding of all Four Symbols can do it.

Thus, in the early days of the Four Symbols Sect, the requirement for the 'Sect Leader' was to master all Four Symbols... that requirement was clearly a pipe dream.

Where could one find someone who masters all Four Symbols? Xia Chichi, a prodigy of heaven, could only master two systems; her own 'master' was the Vermilion Bird, yet she didn't learn a bit of fire.

But now there is Zhao Changhe.

He does not master all Four Symbols—ask him to control fire or water and he can't—but he has dual-cultivated in all four, not mastering but compatible... This also requires Zhao Changhe's extremely high martial talent; for an ordinary person, even if they could forcibly dual-cultivate the Four Symbols, they might not achieve full compatibility.

But at this moment, Tang Wanzhuang, watching as protector, clearly saw the Four Symbols star chart emerge in the sky. Four colors representing the Four Symbols each diffused in one direction, interweaving back and forth—a sight of conflict yet subtle harmony, opposition yet unity, leaving Tang Wanzhuang lost in thought.

Relying on them to actively unify was certainly impossible, so the four-colored forces simultaneously flowed toward the center of the sky.

"Clang!" Longque suddenly left its sheath, the setting sun confined to the western frontier.

Then Xinghe left its sheath, and in the far east, the bright moon hung serene.

Heaven has no sun or moon; I shall make them myself.

Sun and moon face each other, forming the Two Principles.

Tang Wanzhuang felt a tremor in her heart; she hadn't expected that Zhao Changhe's sword and blade intent could manifest so vividly... This should also incorporate the essence of the Sun-Moon-Star Triad Array they had devised earlier, laying the foundation for the present—the more this fated feeling, the more unsettling it was in the current context. Had Ye Di foreseen all this?

The sun and moon converged with the Four Symbols but seemed to stutter, unable to circulate.

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, then suddenly tossed out an object.

Yuxu's Taiji Diagram... Li Shentong had left it behind before departing and never took it back.

The phantom of the Taiji circled above, and soon the power of the Four Symbols was drawn by it, converging into the Two Principles; the Two Principles unified, merging into Zhao Changhe's body.

Then through him, it was distributed and circulated, passing through each person's body—the conflicting four systems gradually lost their opposition, leaving only unity.

Zhao Changhe looked up at the sky outside.

They had started practicing at dusk, and before they knew it, it was deep night...

The initial intent began with the setting sun; now, with what should it conclude?

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred, and he said softly: "Wanzhuang."

Tang Wanzhuang understood the hint, and with a "clang," the Spring Water Sword left its sheath.

A thread of heavenly light rose from the shimmering water, gradually appearing in the sky. No longer were the four colors prominent; only the purest light spread across the earth.

Dawn broke.

Zhao Changhe withdrew his energy and silently looked inward.

A group of women stared wide-eyed, gazing fixedly at him.

His cultivation surged and swelled like the Yangtze River, flowing endlessly.

There was a clarity that penetrated all things in the world; originally, without relying on the earth and sky, his spiritual perception could not extend far, but now it covered a thousand li, and he could once again see Li Boping...

Indeed, one doesn't need to know everything... only need to coordinate what each person knows.

The array had not yet been fully activated; they were only harmonizing the energy flow of all parties... yet Zhao Changhe had silently stepped into the second level of the Imperial Realm.

So fast that San Niang, who had just become the world's number one, was dumbfounded, almost doubting her turtle life.