Chapter 135: The Struggle for the Great Dao, a Shard of an Imperial-Grade Relic! (Please Subscribe)

Li Tongzhen’s figure suddenly vanished.

The oppressive and heavy feeling in the air instantly dissipated.

All the powerful cultivators surrounding the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, facing Li Tongzhen had made them all extremely uncomfortable—not because Li Tongzhen was overwhelmingly powerful, nor because he was intentionally targeting them.

It was his aura.

It was completely out of tune with theirs.

It was as if Li Tongzhen were a genuine immortal, while they remained mere mortal beings.

When one thought about it, it was quite unbelievable.

You must remember.

Li Tongzhen was merely a young child!

And until very recently, he had been nothing more than a beggar.

Why had Li Tongzhen changed so dramatically, and all of a sudden?

When Li Tongzhen’s figure had descended, many powerful figures had caught a clear glimpse of his appearance.

Seeing that Li Tongzhen was still dressed in the rags of a beggar, more than a few of them had harbored various ulterior motives in their hearts.

After Li Tongzhen’s figure disappeared, the powerful cultivators hidden in the surrounding shadows quickly scattered as well.

Most of them knew that Li Tongzhen was no ordinary person.

They had no intention of provoking him whatsoever.

However, a tiny handful of cultivators, holding onto the gamble-your-bicycle-to-win-a-motorcycle mentality, tracked Li Tongzhen’s aura and gave chase.

After a short while.

The surroundings of the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate grew quiet once again.

The restlessness subsided, and the spiritual energy settled back into peace.

In front of the gates of the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate.

Cheng Guang stood quietly in place. Instead of returning to the manor immediately, he narrowed his eyes slightly and gazed up at the firmament.

High up in the sky.

The weather was clear and bright.

Faint traces of the strange phenomenon triggered by Li Tongzhen still lingered, casting a reddish hue amidst the drifting clouds and mists.

"Li Tongzhen..."

"The struggle for the Great Dao’s destiny, unsealed ahead of schedule..."

"What on earth is going on?"

Cheng Guang was still mulling over the words Li Tongzhen had uttered just before leaving.

Perhaps Li Tongzhen had spoken unconsciously, but the information revealed in those words was substantial.

The struggle for the Great Dao’s destiny.

Could the destiny of the Great Dao actually be contested?

As for the Heavenly Dao of the present era, no one knew to what extent it had already shattered.

Could it be that the Heavenly Dao was about to recover, and destiny was returning to the mortal realm?

Were these figures from the ancient past awakening all at once simply to lay the groundwork for a new round of struggle over the heavenly and earthly Great Dao and its destiny?

Cheng Guang thought about it carefully and realized that Zhang Shunlong previously, Jiang Luojing as well, and now Li Tongzhen—

One after another, these individuals all possessed extraordinary backgrounds.

Clearly, they had possessed little to no cultivation beforehand, and had never practiced martial arts prior to this; yet the moment they awakened, their auras became extraordinary, and describing their cultivation as ascending to the heavens in a single bound would be no exaggeration.

In the past, centuries or even a millennium might pass without a single such person appearing.

Yet nowadays, they were popping up with alarming frequency.

As Cheng Guang pondered, his brows furrowed deeply.

The impending chaos of the world had already left him somewhat overwhelmed, as he planned how to carve out a place of his own amidst the turbulent times.

But now.

Intertwined within this worldly chaos was the struggle for the Great Dao’s destiny, and it seemed that quite a few powerful beings whose strength far exceeded mortal imagination were participating in it.

Countless tens of thousands of years had passed since the primordial era.

How could an existence that had endured for countless tens of thousands of years be something Cheng Guang could play chess against at his current stage?

Just thinking about it gave Cheng Guang a headache.

"Li Tongzhen mentioned the struggle for the Great Dao’s destiny. What should be done? A concept like destiny is formless and intangible—what kind of methods could there be to acquire it?"

"Is it faith, or something akin to merit?"

One question after another popped up in Cheng Guang’s mind, making him feel all the more bewildered the more he thought about it.

Cheng Guang gently rubbed his brow and let out a sigh. "This is truly troublesome."

Cheng Zhihai, who was standing beside Cheng Guang, heard his words, turned to glance at him, chuckled and shook his head, and gently patted Cheng Guang on the shoulder.

Cheng Zhihai assumed that Cheng Guang was feeling somewhat gloomy because of the incident with Li Tongzhen.

"Guang'er, you're not old, why are you so sentimental all day long? Don't think about it too much. This Li Tongzhen might only look like a child on the surface, but in reality, he's probably some ancient monster who has lived for God knows how long."

"An aura like his is even stronger than that of ordinary Heaven-Realm masters."

"There's no point in comparing yourself to him."

As he spoke, Cheng Zhihai patted Cheng Guang’s shoulder again in a comforting manner.

Hearing Cheng Zhihai’s words, Cheng Guang was momentarily stunned, failing to react right away.

When it finally dawned on him, he felt quite dumbfounded.

So Cheng Zhihai actually thought that upon seeing Li Tongzhen—so young yet possessing such extraordinary cultivation and strength—he was feeling inferior and sighing out of low self-esteem??

Am I really that fragile??

Cheng Guang had the urge to retort, but ultimately kept the words to himself.

Cheng Zhihai simply knew too little.

If he knew that Li Tongzhen—this "ancient monster who had lived for God knows how long" as he called him—truly was an ancient monster...

Furthermore.

That in the future, this world would see the emergence of many more such ancient monsters.

By then.

Perhaps Martial Emperors truly would be as common as dogs, and Heaven-Realm masters would walk everywhere like stray dogs.

He wondered if Cheng Zhihai's mental state of Dao-heart would simply collapse directly.

With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Cheng Guang looked at Cheng Zhihai and said, "It's fine."

With that, Cheng Guang began walking toward the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate.

He had already decided to turn back and re-enter the manor.

Just as Cheng Guang reached the gates of the estate.

Suddenly.

A cold, emotionless voice rang directly in his ears.

[Quest completed.]

[Do you wish to claim the reward?]

Hearing this voice, Cheng Guang paused in his steps, and a wave of pleasant surprise naturally welled up on his face.

Cheng Guang knew that this must be the completion of the system quest regarding Li Tongzhen.

This system quest could arguably be considered the easiest one to complete without any effort whatsoever.

Before Cheng Guang even had a chance to go out and look for him, Li Tongzhen had delivered himself right to his doorstep.

Moreover, Li Tongzhen had happened to run into trouble and sought his help at that exact moment.

If he hadn't experienced it firsthand and clearly heard the system telling him in his ear that the quest was completed, Cheng Guang would have suspected he was dreaming.

Pondering this, Cheng Guang’s primordial spirit rose, floating through the air toward the Myriad Phenomena Garden.

As Cheng Guang entered the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate and walked toward the Myriad Phenomena Garden...

…………

In a medical clinic located within the inner city.

Wang Ruoguan sat by the bedside, applying medicine for the young girl lying on the bed.

The girl's arm was wrapped in gauze completely soaked with blood, turning the entire bandage a deep crimson.

Drop by drop, fresh red blood slowly trickled down along her elbow, forearm, and fingertips.

With the dripping sound of the blood, the girl's life seemed to be entering a countdown timer as well.

Her pale eyes were suffused with profound sorrow.

"Where is Tongzhen?"

"How is he?"

Qingqing looked at Wang Ruoguan beside her.

Hearing Qingqing's words, Wang Ruoguan looked at her with a hint of astonishment.

Under normal circumstances, after losing so much blood, let alone speaking, even waking up would be extremely difficult.

How was this young girl able to wake up and even speak??

This was abnormal.

Wang Ruoguan was momentarily stunned, but quickly collected himself, realizing that the "Tongzhen" the young girl referred to must be the beggar who had just left.

He wanted to tell Qingqing that Li Tongzhen had gone to the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate to beg for the antidote to the forbidden poison.

However.

The moment he considered Li Tongzhen's identity, he realized it was utterly impossible for him to enter the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate, let alone gain access to the heir apparent of the Duke.

Wang Ruoguan swallowed back all the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He didn't want to give Qingqing false hope only to watch it shatter before her eyes.

After thinking for a moment, he said instead:

"He should be back very soon."

Hearing Wang Ruoguan's words, a flush of red appeared on Qingqing's weak and pale face, evidently feeling happy because Wang Ruoguan said Li Tongzhen would be right back.

Yet in the span of a brief moment.

That flush on her face faded away once again.

Her breathing grew increasingly weak.

Watching Qingqing's condition, Wang Ruoguan's aged face could not help but twitch, and he sighed inwardly. If there was no antidote to the forbidden poison, and Qingqing continued to bleed like this from within her body, she probably wouldn't even last a single quarter of an hour.

He sighed, feeling somewhat unable to bear it, and lowered the bed curtains.

This gave Qingqing a relatively quiet space.

Just as he was about to push open the door and step outside to get some fresh air.

Suddenly, amidst the distant night, he spotted a rugged, burly man running toward his direction at full speed.

Cloaked in the night.

Constable Zhao sprinted like the wind, his figure leaving a trail of blurry afterimages as his footsteps fell with power yet without heaviness.

He ran up to Wang Ruoguan and came to an abrupt halt.

"Where is that young girl?"

Constable Zhao asked in a hurried tone.

Looking at Constable Zhao, Wang Ruoguan’s eyes were filled with confusion. "She's hanging on for now, but she won't last much longer."

"What about that beggar who was with you?"

Wang Ruoguan asked, leaning out to peer past Constable Zhao's shoulder.

Yet by Constable Zhao's side, he saw no trace of the thin, small beggar whose eyes had been unusually resolute.

Hearing Wang Ruoguan's question, Constable Zhao remained silent, simply reaching into his robe and silently producing the antidote for the forbidden poison.

The antidote flickered with a faint glow under the moonlight, resembling a translucent, luminous pearl.

Constable Zhao handed the antidote over to Wang Ruoguan.

The moment Wang Ruoguan saw the antidote, he was struck with profound shock and disbelief. He blankly accepted the medicine, staring at Constable Zhao with utter bewilderment.

"Constable Zhao, how did you manage to get this antidote?"

Constable Zhao shook his head. "I didn't get it. The boy did."

"Don't ask anymore; go save her first."

Seeing that Constable Zhao had no intention of offering a lengthy explanation, Wang Ruoguan did not hesitate. He strode quickly back to Qingqing's bedside and pulled open the curtains in one motion.

Without hesitation, Wang Ruoguan unwrapped the gauze from Qingqing's arm and poured the antidote directly onto her wound.

The moment the antidote made contact with Qingqing's wound, an immediate change occurred in her body.

The wound that had refused to close for so long began to heal visibly to the naked eye.

The blood that had been constantly oozing out stopped as well.

Gradually.

Qingqing's complexion grew rosy, and her breathing steadied.

Seeing her condition, Wang Ruoguan finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Qingqing looked at Wang Ruoguan with gratitude.

Her lips parted slightly.

"Thank you, sir."

Wang Ruoguan, however, shook his head, pointing toward Constable Zhao standing nearby. "You should thank him."

"He's the one who brought this antidote back."

Qingqing shifted her gaze to Constable Zhao.

Upon hearing this, Constable Zhao wore a bitter smile, shook his head, and motioned for her not to speak.

Unable to stay lying down, Qingqing gathered a bit of strength, sat up, and looked at Constable Zhao, asking:

"Where is Tongzhen?"

Qingqing knew that Li Tongzhen should have been together with Constable Zhao.

Seeing that Qingqing had recovered, Constable Zhao prepared to leave and had no intention of answering her question.

Only when he reached the doorway did Constable Zhao pause his steps. Without turning his head, he said to Qingqing:

"He's probably no longer here..."

"For now, just focus on recovering from your injuries. I'll cover your medical fees this time."

Perhaps because of Li Tongzhen, or perhaps out of pity for Qingqing, Constable Zhao chose not to keep hiding the truth from her.

He implicitly and vaguely conveyed Li Tongzhen's current situation to her.

"No longer here."

"What do you mean, no longer here?"

Qingqing froze, staring blankly at Constable Zhao's retreating back.

Just as Qingqing was filled with doubt.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out from the distant firmament.

Following that.

A pillar of white light soaring into the clouds erupted from the vicinity of the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate in the distance.

"What is that?"

Constable Zhao, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks upon seeing that white light.

His gaze fixed deeply upon it.

Looking at the direction from which the white light rose, Constable Zhao instantly realized that it was the location of the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate.

With a commotion like this.

Could it be that the heir apparent of the Duke had caused it?

Or...

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Did Li Tongzhen cause it?

Constable Zhao had no way of knowing.

Although he felt both puzzled and curious, he chose not to head over there.

Right now, who knew how many figures and gazes were tracking the exact spot where that white light pillar had erupted.

As a humble constable, rushing over just to join the excitement held little meaning.

Better not to go.

Constable Zhao prepared to leave once again.

Yet for some reason.

His gaze remained irresistibly drawn to that column of white light.

Not just Constable Zhao.

Wang Ruoguan and Qingqing were both intently fixing their eyes on that pillar of white light as well.

Wang Ruoguan stroked his beard with one hand while muttering in profound shock.

"Such a strange phenomenon—truly extraordinary. I wonder what on earth has happened near the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate."

Wang Ruoguan muttered to himself.

Then, he suddenly heard Qingqing speak.

"That is Tongzhen."

Because Wang Ruoguan was standing relatively close to Qingqing, right by the window beside her bed, he caught her muttered words.

Wang Ruoguan was taken aback.

"Child, what did you say?"

Qingqing repeated, "That is Li Tongzhen!"

Her tone was firm and certain.

Upon hearing Constable Zhao's words earlier, Qingqing's face had paled for a moment, but the sight of that white pillar of light had flushed her cheeks with color once more.

Her eyes were filled with a radiant brilliance as well.

"That's Li Tongzhen?"

Constable Zhao had also heard what Qingqing said and couldn't help turning his head to give her a few more glances.

His gaze flickered back and forth between the distant white light pillar and Qingqing.

Try as he might, Constable Zhao could not bring himself to believe that this white light pillar and such an extraordinary phenomenon could be linked to Li Tongzhen in any way.

Qingqing nodded heavily, asserting with conviction, "It is Tongzhen!"

"When I found him back then, those exact same white lights had emerged from his face—though they were much fainter back then, not nearly as grand as today..."

"No matter what, I believe it's him!"

As Qingqing spoke, a slight smile graced her face.

Given her current mental maturity, she naturally could not comprehend what these white lights represented.

Nor could she understand why Li Tongzhen was capable of radiating such light from his body.

Yet Qingqing knew one thing.

Li Tongzhen was not dead right now.

He was not gone, contrary to what Constable Zhao had claimed.

Under Qingqing's watchful gaze.

A ball of fierce fire rose from the base of that white light pillar in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, a blazing sun hung suspended in the sky.

After just a brief glance, Qingqing felt her eyes sting fiercely.

She quickly lowered her head, not daring to look any longer.

After a long while.

Only when she sensed that the blinding glare from the distant blazing sun had dissipated did Qingqing dare to raise her gaze again and look into the distance.

With her current level of understanding, she clearly could not figure out why Li Tongzhen was capable of causing such a massive commotion.

Meanwhile, Constable Zhao and Wang Ruoguan both knew that such a spectacle could never be produced by an ordinary person.

As for Qingqing's assertion that the person who triggered the white light pillar was Li Tongzhen, they didn't put much stock in it.

Wang Ruoguan withdrew his gaze and said to Qingqing, "You should rest properly now, and stop thinking about so many things—"

Wang Ruoguan's words were only halfway out.

When he suddenly sensed a gentle breeze sweeping past his side.

Immediately after.

Wang Ruoguan saw a youth with a slender, frail build yet an exceptionally straight posture standing right there on the spot.

His expression was cold, yet the trembling of his eyes betrayed a profound, suppressed emotion.

Li Tongzhen stared at Qingqing, gently raising a hand as if wanting to touch her hair, but before his fingers made contact, he withdrew his hand.

Taking a deep breath.

Li Tongzhen nodded slightly toward Wang Ruoguan in gratitude, and then turned to leave.

At that moment, although Qingqing was facing away from Li Tongzhen, she seemed to sense something.

She suddenly turned her head.

"Li Tongzhen?"

She looked behind her.

She had expected Li Tongzhen to be standing right there behind her, shielding her from the wind and rain as he always did, acting like her little adult.

Yet right now.

There was no one there.

Thinking she had imagined it, Qingqing looked at Wang Ruoguan and smiled apologetically.

Then she slowly turned her head back.

Wang Ruoguan, however, helplessly raised his head to look at the wooden roof beams.

He had no idea how Li Tongzhen had managed to leap up there.

Nor did he understand why Li Tongzhen insisted on hiding from the young girl.

Li Tongzhen shook his head at Wang Ruoguan, placing a finger in front of his lips and going "Shh" to signal Wang Ruoguan to stay quiet.

Wang Ruoguan smiled bitterly and shook his head.

Nodding in gratitude, Li Tongzhen glanced toward the doorway where Constable Zhao was silently watching him. Without saying another word, his figure instantly vanished from the wooden beams.

A moment later, he appeared on a street not far away.

After walking a few steps.

He stopped once more.

Looking back at the medical clinic in the distance.

He remained silently speechless.

"I have awakened, and the self-seal is lifted. They... should be waking up soon as well..."

"I am already trapped within the chessboard; I can no longer drag Qingqing down with me..."

"Why should a wretched person like me drag down another wretched person?"

"The struggle of the Great Dao—who knows how many living beings will be dragged into this whirlpool."

Muttering to himself, Li Tongzhen clenched his fists, feeling that at this moment, he was weak to the extreme.

"Who knows how much time has passed since I sealed myself?"

"Awakening ahead of schedule, with my memories not yet fully unlocked, drifting aimlessly for these past few years—who knows if this is a blessing or a curse."

With a self-deprecating smile and a shake of his head, Li Tongzhen walked step by slow step toward the end of the street.

Gradually, he vanished into the night.

And the very moment Li Tongzhen’s figure disappeared.

The doors of the medical clinic suddenly swung wide open.

Bright light spilled out from within.

Illuminating the bluestone pavement.

A small figure stepped out into the light, clutching oversized robes, and rushed outside.

Tears streamed down her face.

She ran around frantically, as if searching for something.

Yet no matter how hard she searched.

She couldn't find him.

Her steps grew weak, and she slowly squatted down, crying uncontrollably.

"Are you going to abandon Qingqing too?"

"Why won't you even look at me?"

…………

Cheng Guang walked with his hands clasped behind his back.

He returned to the Myriad Phenomena Garden and walked straight into his room.

He began to review his newly completed quest.

The reward for this quest was titled: Fragment of an Imperial-Grade Divine Artifact. Imperial-grade divine artifacts were positioned above King-grade divine artifacts.

They were even rarer.

And far more precious.

Even though it was only a fragment, the abilities it possessed might be slightly superior to ordinary King-grade divine artifacts.

"System, claim the reward!"

Cheng Guang spoke softly within his mind to the system.

As his voice fell.

Threads of golden radiance flowed out from the void like water. As they drew close to Cheng Guang, those golden strands gradually transformed into a crimson-red hue.

Slowly.

That crimson-red light gathered into a strip of silk fabric about the size of a palm.

"This time, the fragment of the Imperial-grade divine artifact is a piece of cloth?"

"This cloth..."

Frowning slightly, Cheng Guang slowly reached out and picked up the fragment of the Imperial-grade divine artifact.

The moment Cheng Guang's fingertips made contact with the red silk, it instantly became solid, silky, and warm to the touch.

Simultaneously.

A message appeared in the depths of Cheng Guang's mind.

[Huntian Ling (Heaven-Shaking Silk): Fragment of an Imperial-Grade Divine Artifact. Having endured multiple fierce battles, the Huntian Ling was torn apart and scattered into countless pieces. This piece is the largest remaining fragment. It can freely expand, contract, and stretch at will, and can be used to bind others without letting them easily break free.]

"Huntian Ling?"

"It's actually this thing??"

Cheng Guang gently rolled the Huntian Ling between his fingers. While acquiring an Imperial-grade divine artifact fragment made him somewhat happy, acquiring the Huntian Ling specifically didn't bring him all that much joy.

Nezha's combat prowess could certainly be considered formidable.

However, the Huntian Ling originally possessed very little direct offensive power.

The Universe Ring, on the other hand, was decent enough.

Yet this tattered piece of the Huntian Ling seemed to have no other real use besides tying people up.

For a moment, Cheng Guang couldn't figure out what practical use he could get out of this Huntian Ling.

Who was even worthy of him using this to bind them?

Ordinary Heaven-Realm masters simply didn't qualify.

Pondering this, Cheng Guang didn't dwell on it too much.

Being able to get the Huntian Ling at all was already pretty good.

Judging by its description, even a Heaven-Realm master would have to exert a fair amount of effort to break free from the constraints of the Huntian Ling.

An ordinary Heaven-Realm master might even break their back trying and still fail to break free.

Cheng Guang put the Huntian Ling away.

"I wonder which unlucky Heaven-Realm master will wander over so I can test my current strength, as well as the durability of the Huntian Ling."

With a soft mutter to himself, Cheng Guang closed his doors and windows while deep in thought.

He got onto the bed and began practicing the Deity Meditation Diagram.

Meditating on the Deity Meditation Diagram today.

The features of the deity were already discernible to about seventy or eighty percent.

The armor worn by that towering, awe-inspiring divine statue was mostly clearly visible, and even the features of its face could now be distinguished.

Right between the deity's brow, Cheng Guang could clearly see a third eye.

Under normal circumstances, this third eye remained tightly shut.

It was not open.

Yet as Cheng Guang practiced his visualization, the deity seemed to sense it, its eyelids twitching slightly as if it were about to open its eyes the very next moment.

However, that was merely a slight quiver.

In the end, the third eye of the divine statue never opened.

At this moment, Cheng Guang was still quite curious.

"I wonder what it will look like when the third eye of this deity finally opens."

"Will it be the Erlangshen I'm familiar with, or someone else?"

Cheng Guang pondered inwardly.

As Cheng Guang meditated on the Deity Meditation Diagram, time ticked away second by second.

When the time reached the Hour of the Rat (midnight).

Cheng Guang withdrew from his meditative state regarding the Deity Meditation Diagram.

The cold, emotionless voice of the system rang out in his ears once more.

[On October 30th of the 34th year of Zhengzheng, the 120th day since entering the Heaven Realm, you successfully made the acquaintance of Li Tongzhen.]

[After engaging in a deep conversation with Li Tongzhen, you were surprised to discover that Li Tongzhen did not seem to belong to this era; the techniques and cultivation path he employed differed fundamentally from those of ordinary people.]

[Following that, you attempted to probe into Li Tongzhen's background. Through your efforts, you learned that his past name was not Li Tongzhen, but Nezha.]

[Many years ago, due to a massive upheaval in the heavens and earth, he sealed himself away, waiting for the cycle of the cosmos to reset so he could unseal and revive to contend for the Great Dao.]

[However, for reasons unknown, his self-sealing technique malfunctioned, causing him to break the seal and emerge into the world prematurely before the scheduled time.]

[Yet when you tried to ask for more details, Li Tongzhen had no desire to converse further with you. In his eyes, you, the former heir apparent of the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate, were utterly insignificant; chatting with you casually was already a favor granted out of your past acquaintance.]

[Although you didn't learn more detailed matters, experiencing this made you realize that hidden in every corner of this world were countless unfathomable powerhouses.]

[You had originally thought that reaching the Heaven Realm meant not necessarily being unrivaled under heaven, but at least capable of being recognized as a powerhouse of the contemporary era.]

[As it turned out, compared to existences like Li Tongzhen, you didn't even count as a tiny ant.]

[Your pride was deeply wounded, but thinking of the past events wounded you even more.]

[If it hadn't been for the fact that all the Heaven-Realm masters under heaven suddenly vanished back then, and Da Yuan took the lead in provoking war by attacking Da Zhou—making it impossible for Da Zhou, which was already struggling bitterly under Wu Ling's governance, to hold on any longer—]

[The frontlines completely collapsed.]

[If Da Yuan hadn't launched a sudden sneak attack, even though a portion of Da Zhou's territory had been carved up by the Prince of Nanming, Da Zhou wouldn't have been reduced to a mere single city like it was today.]

[It was also because of this total collapse that you yourself, and indeed the entire Duke Zhenguo’s Estate, lost all standing within Da Zhou.]

[Otherwise, with your resources and the absence of worry, you would probably have cultivated to the Heaven Realm long ago.]

[Thinking of this, your heart grew desolate. Thinking of that crown prince of Da Yuan who had once broken into the capital and practically ridden roughshod over your face, hatred burned fiercely in your chest.]

[You felt that the primary reason for your current weakness was the actions of Da Yuan back then. Given the opportunity, you vowed to exact revenge for that past humiliation and trample the face of the current Emperor of Da Yuan, Wu Mengde, beneath your feet.]

[Three-Star Quest: Trample the face of Da Yuan Emperor Wu Mengde beneath your feet.]

[Quest Reward: Imperial Facial Prestige Talisman (One-time use)]

Cheng Guang stared at his system quest for a long time, growing more and more bewildered the longer he looked.

The Emperor of Da Yuan, Wu Mengde?

Who on earth was this?

The current Emperor of Da Yuan was named Wu Tongda, not anything like Wu Mengde.

And among the various offspring of the Da Yuan Emperor, Cheng Guang had never heard of anyone named Wu Mengde.

Had this person popped out of nowhere?

Cheng Guang didn't quite understand.

After giving the system quest a brief glance.

Cheng Guang felt a familiar ache in his teeth.

"Da Yuan is going to launch the first attack on Da Zhou?"

Among the four major dynasties, Da Yuan possessed the most formidable military strength. Bordering Da Zhou, Da Zhou had always walked on thin ice when dealing with the Da Yuan Dynasty.

Back when the Emperor of Da Zhou, Wu Shang, was still alive, the relationship between Da Yuan and Da Zhou had been in a sort of honeymoon period.

The two sides traded, intermarried, and engaged in cultural exchanges.

However.

Once Da Zhou Emperor Wu Shang was gone.

The relationship between Da Yuan and Da Zhou ceased to be an equal one.

Cheng Guang had originally thought that even if the world fell into chaos, the war wouldn't erupt directly between the four major dynasties right at the start.

Instead, it would begin with internal turmoil within the dynasties, and then gradually spread outward.

And now...

Right off the bat, Da Yuan was going to attack Da Zhou.

"The Da Yuan Emperor didn't enter the mystic realm back then."

Cheng Guang furrowed his brows, recalling slightly, and realized the Da Yuan Emperor had indeed not entered the mystic realm.

In other words.

The Da Yuan Dynasty, much like the Da Wei Dynasty, had rulers currently in power who were Heaven-Realm masters.

Da Zhou, however, was different at present.

On the surface, its only Heaven-Realm master was Duke Zhenguo.

Could it be that they intended to withdraw Duke Zhenguo from the Realm Battlefield to deal with the Da Yuan Emperor??

Cheng Guang shook his head and muttered, "That won't do. If Da Yuan attacks Da Zhou and the Da Yuan Emperor takes the field, Duke Zhenguo will inevitably have to be pulled back from the Realm Battlefield. The ultimate consequence of that would simply be demonic armies flooding into the four mortal realms."

"If it really comes to that, the chaos in the four mortal realms won't just be a war between major dynasties anymore—the situation will become infinitely more complex."

As he pondered, Cheng Guang felt that difficulties lay ahead on every front.

Unless it was an absolute last resort, Cheng Guang was unwilling to have Duke Zhenguo retreat from the frontlines.

If Duke Zhenguo withdrew.

The forces of the Da Yuan Dynasty could pull back as well.

In the end, the ones who always suffered were the ordinary people.

"How to deal with Da Yuan's offensive is something I'll need to ponder carefully later. For now, Da Yuan isn't going to launch its troops into Da Zhou immediately."

"I still have time to prepare."

"With the Da Zhou Emperor absent, the only person with any authority to speak in the court of Da Zhou is Wu Ling."

"I might have to give Wu Ling a heads-up in advance later on."

Cheng Guang muttered to himself.

Pondering, he opened the doors and windows.

Gazing outside at the descending chill, the gathering white frost, and the layers of mist drifting in the air, he found the scenery breathtakingly beautiful.

Cheng Guang looked out at the courtyard scenery.

Just as drowsiness began to creep over him and he prepared to turn around to sleep, Black Cub, who had been sleeping soundly in the corner of the Myriad Phenomena Garden, suddenly stood up. Its pitch-black eyes stared intently at the sky above.

Who knew what it was gazing at.

Then, it started barking loudly.

"Black Cub."

Cheng Guang called out to it.

Who knew what kind of madness had suddenly seized Black Cub.

Just as he was about to tell it to quiet down for a bit.

Cheng Guang suddenly noticed.

In his own courtyard.

The void suddenly began to ripple like the surface of water.

Immediately after.

A pair of white-as-jade hands reached out from within the watery void and slowly parted the space to both sides, as if tearing the fabric of reality apart.

Space tore open, revealing an utterly pitch-black opening behind it.

Thick black mist churned within it.

His line of sight could not penetrate the mist to see the existence lurking behind it.

At the same time.

Cheng Guang could feel it.

Waves of terrifying auras permeated outward from the opening.

Accompanying those terrifying auras was an intoxicatingly pleasant fragrance.

Then.

Tread, tread, tread.

A series of footsteps rang out slowly.

A pair of exquisite, dainty feet stepped out.

Her steps were light and graceful, and she wore black crystal shoes embroidered with some mysterious, unfathomable pattern.

As the figure fully emerged from the pitch-black opening, Cheng Guang’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to her curvaceous and mesmerizing figure.

Her physique was extremely seductive and breathtakingly stunning.

It was identical to the Princess of Nanming.

As if they were the exact same person.

Her appearance was also remarkably similar.

Yet her temperament differed; on the surface, she appeared noble and dignified, but within her purplish eyes, one could perceive a suppressed fury.

The dark aura pervading her body swept outward the moment the tips of her shoes touched the ground of the Myriad Phenomena Garden.

As if intent on tearing the entire courtyard apart.

"Abyssal Demon Emperor?"

Cheng Guang looked at her, his brows arching slightly.

"You got here pretty fast."

Hearing Cheng Guang's words, the Abyssal Demon Emperor looked at his handsome, unperturbed expression and met his gaze calmly.

Although the Abyssal Demon Emperor appeared extremely calm on the surface.

Judging by her trembling fingertips, one could tell that her inner thoughts were undoubtedly quite colorful.

The Abyssal Demon Emperor stared at Cheng Guang for a good long while before suddenly breaking into a smile.

"You can still remain this calm facing a situation like this."

"Is it because you already know you're dead for sure?"

Cheng Guang spread his hands indifferently.

"Who knows."

The Abyssal Demon Emperor let out a cold snort and didn't rush to attack. Instead, she swept a brief glance across the Myriad Phenomena Garden.

She seemed to be searching for someone.

Very quickly.

The Abyssal Demon Emperor locked onto her target, shifting her gaze toward one of the side rooms in the Myriad Phenomena Garden where the Princess of Nanming was still fast asleep.

From Cheng Guang's perspective.

The Princess of Nanming seemed to have woken up already.

Given the commotion of the Abyssal Demon Emperor's arrival, it was impossible for the Princess of Nanming not to have noticed.

Yet what was somewhat strange was this.

When the Abyssal Demon Emperor arrived, she had caused such a massive commotion, and due to her surrounding dark aura, the surrounding air had instantly turned violent.

Yet within the Duke Zhenguo’s Estate.

Aside from the Myriad Phenomena Garden, everywhere else was quiet to the extreme.

It was as if no one at all had sensed the Abyssal Demon Emperor's arrival.

This clearly defied common sense.

Cheng Guang knew that the Abyssal Demon Emperor must have used some kind of method.

To sever the communication between the inside and outside of the Myriad Phenomena Garden.

"I'll deal with you later."

Seeing that the Princess of Nanming was still in this Myriad Phenomena Garden, the Abyssal Demon Emperor breathed a slight sigh of relief, then shifted her gaze back to Cheng Guang.

"I ask you, do you have any way at all to undo the effects of those damn stockings?!"

As she spoke, the Abyssal Demon Emperor strode closer to Cheng Guang.

Her slender hand tightly grasped Cheng Guang's collar.

Her expression feigned fierce anger as she questioned him.

Yet facing the Abyssal Demon Emperor's ferocious interrogation, Cheng Guang simply stood there quietly, a faint smile still playing at the corners of his mouth.

He looked at the Abyssal Demon Emperor calmly.

"There really is no way."

At this moment, although the Abyssal Demon Emperor was putting on a fierce expression, in every movement, every gesture, and every flicker of her expression, she still unconsciously exuded a trace of worldly allure.

For someone as proud as the Abyssal Demon Emperor, such a posture was simply an absolute, intolerable outrage.

Yet.

The Abyssal Demon Emperor had no alternative.

She was completely helpless against this magical item that acted upon the depths of her soul and was even altering her personality.

"No way, is it?"

"Fine!!"

"I'll make sure you have no way out in a moment!!"

With that, the Abyssal Demon Emperor raised her hand, intending to violently slam Cheng Guang down onto the ground.

Right as Cheng Guang prepared to make his move.

And test out his own capabilities.

A black shadow suddenly darted out from the side.

"Woof woof!"

It was Black Cub.

Black Cub lunged at the Abyssal Demon Emperor with lightning speed, its teeth sharp; left unblocked, that bite would undoubtedly have severed the Abyssal Demon Emperor's stomach.

The Abyssal Demon Emperor was also startled by Black Cub's sudden action.

Clearly, she hadn't expected.

Black Cub to attack her out of nowhere.

"Your shameless sneak-attack style... why does it somewhat resemble that dog in Hell?"

Staring at Black Cub, the Abyssal Demon Emperor frowned slightly, then flicked her hand outward.

A wisp of dark aura swept forth from the Abyssal Demon Emperor's palm.

Black Cub's eyes widened slightly, before it let out a roar, gathered energy in its jaws, and suddenly unleashed a fierce blast.

The two forces collided.

An eruption of white light flared forth.

An invisible shockwave rippled outward in all directions.

Dust flew into the air, and the flowers and plants within the Myriad Phenomena Garden were whipped into disarray by the violent gale.

"Tch?"

"You couldn't really be that dog from Hell, could you? You know this move too?"

Faced with Black Cub's attack, the Abyssal Demon Emperor paused once more.

She couldn't help voicing the doubt lingering in her own mind.

In response to the Abyssal Demon Emperor's words, Black Cub's dog-face flushed slightly, but it refused to admit it immediately.

At this moment.

It had no dignity left to speak of.

Right now, it could only fight to save Cheng Guang.

If Cheng Guang died.

It would die too.

Therefore, even though it couldn't beat the Abyssal Demon Emperor right now, it couldn't let the Abyssal Demon Emperor lay a hand on Cheng Guang.

The Abyssal Demon Emperor merely muttered that passing thought aloud, and after speaking, she herself felt it sounded rather absurd.

"That dog in Hell has always hidden in the deepest layers of Hell, hiding away for over a decade. Such a cowardly dog probably wouldn't dare come to the four mortal realms."

Muttering to herself, the Abyssal Demon Emperor glanced sideways at Black Cub and kicked it flying with a single strike.

Clearly, the Abyssal Demon Emperor had mistaken Black Cub for some offspring of the Abyssal Demon Emperor of Hell.

And thus she showed some respect to the Demon Emperor of Hell, otherwise she likely would have kicked it to death on the spot.

Had Black Cub known what the Abyssal Demon Emperor was thinking at this moment, it probably would have wanted to cry.

If the Abyssal Demon Emperor knew its true identity, she’d probably regret not kicking it to death today.

Right now, Black Cub felt that.

Even though the Abyssal Demon Emperor hadn't killed it.

It wouldn't live much longer either.

In Black Cub's view, pinning its hopes on Cheng Guang—a Duke's heir apparent who couldn't even beat it—to deal with the Abyssal Demon Emperor was simply seeking death.

It's over.

Black Cub lay limply on the ground, crystal tears welling up in its doggy eyes.

It really wanted to cry right now.

Believing its doom was imminent.

It couldn't help muttering in a low, lamentable voice:

"I, a generation of Demon Emperors, dying such a wretched death now—is this really appropriate?"

"Actually, I'm not really afraid of dying."

"I'm just worried."

"Who's going to take care of those ten thousand concubines in my harem?"

"If that happens, won't they be utterly pitiful?"

…………(End of Chapter)