Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

In the following seven days, the imperial palace remained tranquil. The morning court always began punctually, and both the Crown Prince and King Huai never missed a session, with no news coming from within the palace walls.

Regarding the terrifying phenomenon that occurred behind the palace a few days earlier, Da Xia did not provide any explanation.

This was a decision agreed upon by the Crown Prince and King Huai. The calmer Da Xia appeared, the more other forces would suspect.

It was better to leave these people to their own conjectures.

And it was precisely this attitude of Da Xia that made other forces wary.

Although the Thunder Tribulation that day was extremely terrifying, and no one in the Nine Provinces, no matter who, could escape death upon facing it, the one who faced the Tribulation that day was nevertheless the Emperor of Da Xia, the once-in-an-epoch sovereign of the Nine Provinces, the foremost martial expert in the world.

Over the years, even though the Emperor of Da Xia had always been in seclusion, his prestige had not diminished at all in the hearts of people throughout the Nine Provinces, the entire world.

Moreover, that day when the Emperor of Da Xia emerged from seclusion, the heavens and earth of the entire Nine Provinces boomed with resounding celestial music cleansing the world, a scene that still lingered in the minds of countless people. It could be said that the higher one's cultivation, the more one could sense the terror of the Emperor of Da Xia.

Conversely, those martial artists of lesser skill, even some ordinary commoners, couldn't really make much of it.

And it was precisely because of the awareness of the Emperor of Da Xia's terror, that demeanor which merged with heaven and earth, every move shaking the world with supreme might, that many people found it hard to gauge whether the Emperor of Da Xia had indeed broken through to the Heavenly Human realm.

This was mainly because the Emperor of Da Xia had long commanded awe from all beneath the heavens, and many believed that despite the horror of the Thunder Tribulation, the Emperor of Da Xia might not necessarily die within it.

Among these people, there were even many grandmasters of martial arts at the Innate Realm, and even Master Gongsun felt the same way. Even after witnessing the cluster of tribulation ash with his own eyes, he couldn't bring himself to believe that the Emperor of Da Xia had really perished.

Of course, a cluster of tribulation ash didn't prove anything. Even those princes, high officials, and various powerful figures who witnessed the scene with their own eyes didn't dare to definitively claim that the Emperor of Da Xia was indeed dead.

If even they couldn't be certain, much less the rest of the people in the world.

At this moment, inside the palace, having just concluded the morning court, the Crown Prince dismissed the multitude of princes, high officials, and the eunuchs and palace maids, and went with King Huai into a grand hall.

Alone, fatigue swept over the Crown Prince's face. Since that fateful day, he hadn't slept a wink, and even with his martial skills, he was now almost at his limit.

But the Crown Prince knew he could not fall; if he did, Da Xia would be finished.

Then, the Crown Prince turned to King Huai, who also looked somewhat haggard, and said with concern, "Uncle, Father... Is he really..."

He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

King Huai maintained a calm demeanor and responded, "Your Highness, no matter what has happened to the Emperor, these are not the concerns you should dwell on at present. The Emperor's divine might secures the world, his fortunes immense. Until the very last moment, no one dares to conclude definitively what will become of the Emperor."

"Right now, what Your Highness should consider is how to stabilize the world."

In truth, there was something else King Huai hadn't said: regardless of whether the Emperor of Da Xia had fallen or simply vanished, if he did not show himself, what difference would it make from his demise?

The Crown Prince looked troubled; he too understood that such matters could not be delayed indefinitely. As time passed without any word from the Emperor of Da Xia, everyone would grow suspicious.

This was similar to the Emperor's prolonged seclusion; given enough time, the people of the world would naturally grow restless and seek the truth for themselves.

After all, since ancient times, not a single warrior of the Heavenly Human realm had appeared in the Nine Provinces. Despite everyone's belief that the Emperor of Da Xia was unprecedentedly formidable, breaking through to the Heavenly Human realm was likely not so simple.

Soon, rumors might spread throughout the land. Even now, many with hidden agendas were already using all manner of means to probe Da Xia.

Unless the Emperor of Da Xia reappeared immediately, to preside over Tiandu, the world would naturally return to a state of calm, and all the rumors and suspicions would crumble on their own.

But to place hope on such an outcome was utterly unrealistic. Continuing to wait was not a solution.

After all, so many days had passed; if the Emperor of Da Xia could have appeared, he would have done so by now. There were only two possibilities: either the Emperor of Da Xia had truly perished, or he was gravely injured, recuperating somewhere in secret.

Yet, even if he were recuperating, given the Emperor's character, there would have been some message sent to the palace, because the Emperor himself knew what his disappearance meant for Da Xia.

The Emperor of Da Xia could be said to be the backbone of Da Xia, its pillar. Now that the pillar was missing, what would happen to the entire Da Xia was self-evident.

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anxiety, and said to King Huai, "Uncle, right now, only the appearance of a strong leader capable of contending with the world can restore Da Xia to a state of stability."

King Huai nodded slightly upon hearing this; in a world where martial prowess is paramount, having powerful warriors was of utmost importance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Seeing King Huai's agreement, the Crown Prince continued, "Uncle, do you know the whereabouts of the Great Commander of the Jing Tian Department and the Tower Supervisor of the Mingjing Department?"

Ever since the Emperor of Da Xia began his seclusion twenty-three years ago, both the Great Commander of the Jing Tian Department and the Tower Supervisor of the Mingjing Department had also vanished without a trace. Of Da Xia's "One Tower, Two Departments," only the Qintian Monitor's Tower Supervisor had been presiding over Tiandu all these years.

Upon hearing this, King Huai shook his head slightly and said, "I do not know. Before the Emperor went into seclusion, he had met privately with the Great Commander of the Jing Tian Department and the Tower Supervisor of the Mingjing Department. From that day on, they both disappeared from the world.

Whatever task the Emperor entrusted to them, where they went and what they did—all these are known to no one but the Emperor himself." Find adventures at empire

At that moment, King Huai's eyes flashed as he looked in a certain direction toward Tiandu and said, "Perhaps, the Tower Supervisor of the Qintian Monitor might know."

After all, it was well known that the Qintian Monitor's Tower Supervisor possessed the Heavenly Staring Technique, able to observe the stars above and the ley lines below, and grasp the state of the entire world without leaving his abode. If anyone in the Nine Provinces knew the most secrets, it was undoubtedly the Tower Supervisor of the Qintian Monitor.

Upon hearing King Huai's words, the Crown Prince showed a wry smile. He, of course, knew this, but the day after the Emperor vanished, he had sent people to the Qintian Monitor to inquire with the Tower Supervisor, only to find that those dispatched couldn't even locate the main gate of the Qintian Monitor.

Immediately, the Crown Prince also informed King Huai of the situation.

The Crown Prince said, "Uncle, should I pay a visit myself?"

Upon hearing this, King Huai slightly shook his head. With the nature of the Qintian Monitor Tower Supervisor, even if the Crown Prince was Da Xia's heir apparent, his visit would result in the same outcome as that servant; he wouldn't even see the entrance of the Qintian Monitor.

If the Tower Supervisor was unwilling, no one in the entirety of Da Xia could touch the gate of the Qintian Monitor, not even him.

"The Tower Supervisor must have his reasons for acting this way. He has been stationed on the Star Gazing Platform for many years, so he must have his own considerations," King Huai said slowly, looking in the direction of the Qintian Monitor.

No one knew what the Tower Supervisor of the Qintian Monitor had been pondering over these past two decades, not even King Huai could fully fathom it.

The Crown Prince's eyes revealed a sense of urgency as he asked, "Uncle, if the Tower Supervisor leaves his seclusion, could he possibly suppress all contenders under the heavens?"

At these words, King Huai's brows furrowed slightly. Among the Jing Tian Department's Supreme Commander, Mingjing Department's Tower Master, and the Qintian Monitor's Tower Supervisor, if it came to combat strength, it was certainly the Supreme Commander of the Jing Tian Department who was the strongest, followed by the Tower Master of the Mingjing Department.

Although the Tower Supervisor of the Qintian Monitor cultivated the peerless technique, the Heavenly Human Gazing Skill, this technique was said not to focus on combat. So, even if the cultivation level of the Tower Supervisor was not much weaker than that of the Jing Tian Department's Supreme Commander and the Mingjing Department's Tower Master, his combat prowess was another matter.

Moreover, rumors suggested that among the three, the cultivation of the Qintian Monitor's Tower Supervisor was the weakest.

Seeing King Huai shake his head, the Crown Prince's anxiety immediately deepened. He truly did not know what to do.

Now, Da Xia urgently needed someone like the role of a national pillar to step forward, just like the previous Emperor Xia, who, with his own strength, supported the entire Da Xia.

However, for the current Da Xia, with the Supreme Commander of the Jing Tian Department gone and the Tower Master of the Mingjing Department missing, it seemed only the Qintian Monitor's Tower Supervisor had the strength and prestige to undertake this great responsibility.

But even in such times, the Qintian Monitor's Tower Supervisor still sat on the Star Gazing Platform, unwilling to communicate with others, leaving no one to know what was really on his mind.

At that moment, King Huai looked at the Crown Prince and said, "If it really comes to that moment, Your Highness, you should prepare to ascend the throne."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince immediately changed color and said, "But Uncle, if I ascend the throne, wouldn't it confirm that Father Emperor..."

King Huai said expressionlessly, "Delaying is not an option. Continuing like this is no solution. Moreover, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. This is especially important for the common people at the bottom. If Your Highness takes the throne, at least, it will bring peace of mind to the people.

Plus, those with ulterior motives would quell unnecessary thoughts and prevent meaningless disputes."

After hearing this, the Crown Prince's heart turned cold; of course, he understood the implication behind King Huai's last sentence.

When he was young, before Emperor Xia went into seclusion, although he had chosen him as the heir, he was neither the eldest son nor born of the Empress, and his maternal family's power was not strong. He could step by step reach where he was today entirely relying on the support of King Huai.

After Emperor Xia went into seclusion, although the position of the Crown Prince was set, many still harbored intentions toward his seat.

Among them, the eldest son born of the Empress was the most ambitious.

When Emperor Xia was present, the eldest son couldn't do much. But now, with Emperor Xia gone, the position of Emperor became more uncertain.

Without King Huai's support, the Crown Prince could not sit securely on his throne.

To ascend the throne earlier would cut off these people's thoughts and prevent certain events from happening.

The Crown Prince also understood this, nodded at the words, and said with a deep voice, "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle."

Soon, another three days passed, and news suddenly arrived: an envoy from the Great Yuan was set to enter the capital.

After learning of this, the Crown Prince was greatly alarmed and quickly summoned his ministers to discuss how to respond to this situation.

After all, the purpose of Great Yuan's entry into the capital this time was very clear—it was to probe the reality of Da Xia, to ascertain the specific condition of Da Xia.

It was also an opportunity to infer the whereabouts of Emperor Xia and understand the current stance of Da Xia.

Twenty-three years ago, Great Yuan sought to invade Da Xia, and after their then sovereign was killed with a single blow from afar by Emperor Xia, amidst layers of encirclement, Great Yuan had quieted down. For twenty-three years, they hadn't dared to step near the border.

However, not long ago, for some unknown reason, perhaps also as a form of probing, Great Yuan started to train troops and assembled forces at the border, repeatedly provocating Da Xia.

Now, they had even sent an envoy to the capital; their purpose was exceedingly clear.

Da Xia could refuse, but such a refusal would also subtly indicate a hollow strength. Moreover, Da Xia had always prided itself as the orthodox state of the Nine Provinces, imposing over all under heaven. If they couldn't even meet the envoy of Great Yuan, it might lead to a loss of prestige.

In these present circumstances, to refuse an audience and prohibit the Great Yuan envoy from entering the capital could seem fearful, possibly precipitating warfare on the border and resulting in further friction.

This was also a test from Great Yuan to see if Da Xia dared to allow their envoy into the capital for a reality check.

The best course of action was to openly allow the Great Yuan envoy to enter the capital, thus demonstrating Da Xia's royal authority and might.

The more composed Da Xia appeared, the less the rest of the world could discern its actual strength and weaknesses.

Nevertheless, the proper degree of receptiveness still needed to be carefully gauged.