Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Change the Crown Prince

The room fell deathly silent.

The emperor and the officials looked at the old man’s decapitated head in horror.

That old man was an extremely esteemed individual. He was the emperor’s great grandfather, and he had once served as Chillwater’s emperor too. However, he chose to abdicate to focus on furthering his martial cultivation.

There were less than ten Longevity Ki martial artists in Chillwater, but most were at early Longevity Ki. Only a small handful had reached mid Longevity Ki. Even Ji Congyun, as the Ji Clan’s patriarch and a figure who stood on equal ground with Chillwater’s imperial family, was merely at late Longevity Ki.

However, this old ancestor had reached pinnacle Longevity Ki many years ago and had been pushing for a breakthrough to Heaven Profound realm. To think that an expert of that caliber was killed in a single move!

Is this the means of an immortal?

Ji Congyun was first taken aback, but delight soon flickered across his eyes. He couldn’t believe that the person he feared the most had died in such a ludicrous manner.

This was good news to him!

The Ji Clan no longer had to fear the imperial family because of that old man anymore!

The emperor couldn’t believe what had just happened. It took a few moments before he snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath. Then, he looked at the crown prince.

The crown prince had completely turned pale. With quivering lips, he said, “That matter… was a misunderstanding. I’ll do whatever is required to compensate for Great Xia’s loss…”

“Oh? How do you intend to compensate for our 600,000 deceased soldiers?” Fang Chen asked with a smile.

“I can compensate…” The crown prince squeezed out a smile.

Fang Chen smiled back before he nodded at Zhao Yan. The next instant, Zhao Yan appeared beside the crown prince and plucked the crown prince’s head off his neck.

“It’s time for you to select another crown prince,” Fang Chen said before he turned around and walked out of the imperial court.

Ji Congyun and the others were silent as they watched Fang Chen leave.

Ten whole seconds passed before the emperor’s gaze finally fell on the crown prince’s headless corpse and trembled.

“Your Majesty, Great Xia has grown beyond our reach. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before they advance to grade-7, let alone grade-8. I believe our imperial family should make a stand and offer them some compensation,” Ji Congyun slowly spoke up.

Quite a few officials snapped out of their daze and sided with Ji Congyun.

The emperor and his aides looked awful, but they dared not refute those words. This incident had greatly weakened both the foundation and the standing of the imperial family.

Perhaps, a day might come when Chillwater’s crown would be worn by a Ji Clansman.

…

“Young master Fang, is it a good idea to leave those two in Chillwater’s capital?” Li Daoye asked out of curiosity while marching through the wilderness. “You have already settled your affairs in Chillwater, right? What’s the point of leaving them there?”

“Zhao Yan and Xu Ge are martial artists, and the place we’re heading to is beyond what a martial artist can deal with,” Fang Chen explained. “Besides, it’s best to leave eyes there lest Chillwater attempt something out of desperation. Do you really think Great Xia’s vengeance is over just because Chillwater lost a crown prince?”

Xia Yun was taken aback. “Daoist Fang, what do you mean?”

“Chillwater has a vast territory with plenty of resources, and their martial heritage is superior to Great Xia’s. I intend to take Chillwater in as Great Xia’s fief,” Fang Chen said.

“This… has great implications. You should know that there’s a grade-7 state above Chillwater. Those Heaven Profound realm martial artists won’t be easy to deal with,” Xia Yun replied with a frown.

Liu Suifeng and Tantai Qingxuan nodded. Clearly, they had crossed blows with Heaven Profound realm martial artists before and knew what they were capable of.

“Young master Fang, Daoist Xia is right. Furthermore, there are grade-6 states above grade-7 states. Our Infernoblaze has several grade-7 vassal states that have to pay tribute to us each year,” Li Daoye said. “A grade-7 state could enlist the help of a grade-6 state’s cultivator. This could complicate matters. Furthermore, if we catch the Blood Spirit Cult’s notice once more…”

“So what if a grade-6 state gets involved?” Fang Chen asked with a smile.

The others fell silent. Judging from how powerful Fang Chen’s background was, it was no surprise that grade-6 states didn’t mean much to him. This made them even more curious about what sect Fang Chen had joined.

Hours later, Xia Yun took out a map and studied it. He then looked at a nearby mountain range and said, “We’re reaching soon. Our destination is in that mountain range.”

Fang Chen looked at the mountain range. That was the place that Enlightenment Heaven Supreme had pointed him to. Xia Yun and the others probably didn’t know that the place they were heading toward was really the abode left behind by a powerful cultivator.

Enlightenment Heaven Supreme had not only pointed out a path to him but also taught him a method to open a certain spot there. He intended to give it a try.

Time passed in a flash.

Just as they were about to venture deeper into the mountain range, they suddenly heard some commotion. Shortly after, a huge group of Nightmare Knights encircled them.

“Who are you? This is the Ji Clan’s private territory! Leave right now!” The leader of the Nightmare Knights coldly eyed the group.

“Interesting. So, this is where the Ji Clan’s cultivator found the Nightmare Steeds!” Xia Yun burst into laughter.

To avoid trouble, Li Daoye manifested a fireball and torched a few nearby trees into cinders. “What we’re doing here has nothing to do with you. Scram!”

The Nightmare Knights were shocked. Having seen an immortal’s means before, they could easily figure their identities after witnessing Li Daoye’s fireball. These people are all immortals?

“Are you an immortal?” the leader of the Nightmare Knights carefully asked.

“What do you think?” Li Daoye snorted. “Do I not look like one?”

Upon receiving the affirmation, the leader of the Nightmare Knights quickly switched to a respectful tone and said, “I sincerely apologize for my earlier offense, but this place…”

“The immortal worshiped by your Ji Clan is dead,” Li Daoye coldly said.

The other party was shocked. Seconds later, he nervously asked, “Lord Immortal, are you heading to that place?”

“Oh? Why don’t we get them to lead the way?” Li Daoye asked the group.

“Sounds good.” The others nodded in agreement, thinking that it would be more convenient.

“Senior, how many cultivators are there here?”

“Let’s ask them for directions.”

Two voices echoed from above.

There was a blur, and a man and a woman appeared before the crowd. These two people had an extraordinary disposition, and there were hints of spirit ki on them. Their cultivation appeared to be higher than Xia Yun’s.

Their presence exerted faint pressure on everyone present, with the exception of Fang Chen.

Xia Yun is at eighth stage Ki Refinement. These two must be at least at ninth stage Ki Refinement, Fang Chen thought.