The Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty
"Excuse me, is Zhuge Consecrated here?" Inside the room, Zhuge Xiang and Mo Lingna were deeply in love and about to take things to the next step when suddenly, a sharp voice like a duck's quack rang out from outside. It was the voice of the Eunuch beside the Great Tang Emperor.
"Ignore him, my husband..." Hearing the voice outside the door, Mo Lingna hugged Zhuge Xiang, her hot and soft body wanting to squeeze into his body, her eyes full of seductive charm, and she said pitifully.
"I'll send him over after I've done that..." Zhuge Xiang was also getting excited at this moment, but since the emperor had something to discuss with him, Zhuge Xiang couldn't just ignore him. He simply gave Mo Lingna a light kiss on her fair forehead.
"Okay, hurry up..." Mo Lingna nodded obediently, looking blissfully happy. Her current girlish demeanor was a stark contrast to her forceful and demanding marriage on Sea God Island.
Standing up, Zhuge Xiang pushed open the door and went out. He saw the Eunuch beside the emperor, followed by more than a dozen powerful guards, waiting in his small courtyard. In their hands, they held a golden imperial Imperial Decree, with Five-Clawed Golden Dragon coiled around the jade pillar of the Imperial Decree, showing the imperial dignity and majesty.
"Zhuge Consecrated, His Your Majesty has decreed this," the Eunuch said with an air of authority as he saw Zhuge Xiang emerge.
He then unfurled the Imperial Decree and declared, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the land, all people are subjects of the king. Now, within the territory of my Great Tang Dynasty, a Xuan Yin Mysterious Yin Jade Mine Strange Stone Mountain been discovered in Strange Stone Mountain, containing Mysterious Yin Jade Heart. However, due to the Xuan Yin Mysterious Yin Jade Mine Mountain has attracted countless Fierce Spirit and Evil Ghost, including many Void Return to Void Realm Ghost Cultivator. They defy the king's orders. Therefore, I hereby specifically Zhuge Consecrated, together with National Teacher Hu, to go and exterminate them within three days."
"Your Excellency, may I ask how many Fierce Spirit and Evil Ghost reside on that Strange Stone Mountain? Why must His Your Majesty send troops to exterminate them?" Zhuge Xiang asked after receiving the imperial decree.
Daring to oppose the Imperial Clan, even prompting His Your Majesty to personally dispatch troops to annihilate them, and with even Zhuge Xiang, a mere retainer, being mobilized, Zhuge Xiang naturally knew that the matter was far from simple.
"Zhuge Consecrated, I hope you handle this matter flawlessly. His Your Majesty is very concerned about it. Rather than the Mysterious Yin Jade Mine, it's more like a warning to the Ghost King Sect," the Eunuch said to Zhuge Xiang privately. He was quite persuasive and patiently explained the background of the mission to Zhuge Xiang.
It turns out that news suddenly spread from Strange Stone Mountain that a Mysterious Yin Jade Mine had been discovered. Normally, a jade mine, though precious, would not have been enough to attract the attention of the Great Tang Imperial Family. However, the problem was that this jade mine had actually produced Mysterious Yin Jade Heart. Wearing this Mysterious Yin Jade Heart would have immeasurable benefits for cultivating Yin attribute.
The problem was that when the Great Tang Imperial Family wanted to start mining the Mysterious Yin Jade Mine, they discovered that the mine had been occupied by the Ghost King Sect.
The Ghost King Sect was a Large Sect in the Great Tang Dynasty. Thus, a conflict broke out between the Imperial Clan and the Ghost King Sect. How dare a sect of the Great Tang Dynasty oppose the Imperial Clan? This was almost an act of open rebellion, which aroused a great reaction from the Imperial Clan.
In addition, the Tang Dynasty's national fortunes have been declining over the years, and many large sects have adopted a policy of obeying orders but not summons from the royal family. Therefore, taking this opportunity, the Tang Dynasty's royal family is preparing to take action against the Ghost King Sect as a warning to others.
"Zhuge Consecrated, although your cultivation has not reached the Void Realm, your Zen Sound can suppress even Void Realm Ghost Cultivator, and on a large scale. Therefore, I will trouble Zhuge Consecrated a lot of effort for this trip to Strange Stone Mountain..." After explaining the whole story to Zhuge Xiang, the Eunuch spoke, looking like he was sharing the emperor's worries.
"As a servant of the dynasty, I will do my utmost to fulfill Your Majesty's needs," Zhuge Xiang said solemnly, nodding.
"Very well, I'll go back and report now." Nodding, the Eunuch was quite satisfied with Zhuge Xiang's reaction, and then left with the Imperial Palace guards.
"It seems that the Mysterious Yin Jade Mine has been discovered." As the crowd departed, a graceful figure appeared before Zhuge Xiang. Her eyes, as beautiful as the lonely moon in the sky, shone brightly, radiating a cool and aloof aura. Her ethereal voice seemed to come from the Void. This woman was none other than Lu Yuling.
Bai Qi's mission to come to the Great Tang Dynasty was one thing, but Lu Yuling's reason was another. She needed to come to the Great Tang Dynasty to find a Mysterious Yin Jade Mine. According to the calculation, the Mysterious Yin Jade Mine should be ready for the birth of the Jade Heart. However, she did not expect that it would be discovered by the Imperial Clan of the Great Tang Dynasty and the Ghost King Sect first.
"Regardless, let's go and take a look. With this Imperial Decree, we can go openly and legitimately," Zhuge Xiang said, waving the golden Imperial Decree in his hand.
When Zhuge Xiang heard the eunuch read the Imperial Decree, he guessed it. After all, Ore Vein that could produce Mysterious Yin Jade Heart was not easy to find. Sure enough, this Mysterious Yin Jade Mine was the one that Lu Yuling had her eye on.
"Hmm," Lu Yuling nodded slightly in response to Zhuge Xiang's words, her expression cool and aloof, before turning and leaving.
"Hey, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I've been in the Asura Path for the past few days, fighting for so long, I'm exhausted both physically and mentally. Aren't you going to give me some comfort or encouragement?" Zhuge Xiang suddenly blocked Lu Yuling's path, teasingly saying with a smile.
"Conquest? Isn't that exactly what you want?" Lu Yuling's cold eyes flickered slightly, but her expression and tone remained icy.
"Your personality has changed. You weren't this cold to me before. What? Have you fallen for someone else?" Hearing Lu Yuling's cold reply, Zhuge Xiang pretended to be a heartbroken woman and said to Lu Yuling with a "resentful" tone.
"..." Lu Yuling remained silent in the face of Zhuge Xiang's playful antics, her aura still cold.
He remained silent for a moment, then left with a single sentence. "Rest well these next few days. There will definitely be a fierce battle at the Mysterious Yin Jade Mine, so be careful."
"She's changed a lot..." Watching Lu Yuling's graceful figure disappear, Zhuge Xiang's playful expression slowly faded, and he became much more serious.
Although Zhuge Xiang's words were just a joke, they weren't entirely without merit. Lu Yuling's personality has always been aloof and cold, but she makes an exception for Zhuge Xiang he doesn't interfere with her cultivation path. The two can be considered true fellow cultivators on the path of cultivation.
But now, Zhuge Xiang could clearly sense that Lu Yuling was also becoming colder towards him, as if she were treating other strangers. Was this a change in her personality? No, as Ice Maiden's Memory were almost fully restored, Lu Yuling's personality had been influenced by Ice Maiden's personality to some extent. Whether it was for better or worse, Zhuge Xiang couldn't say for sure yet.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Soon, the Imperial Clan of the Great Tang Dynasty set off, flying towards the direction of Strange Stone Mountain...
The purpose of this incident at Strange Stone Mountain is to make an example of someone, so the Imperial Clan is naturally making a big show of it. They have announced that they have found a rare Mysterious Yin Jade Mine at Strange Stone Mountain and that the Imperial Clan will officially start mining the jade today.
On the one hand, the news was released; on the other hand, it was also to let all the forces within the dynasty know that at this time, anyone who dared to obstruct them would be openly rebelling.
A hundred Warships took off in a mighty procession, almost blotting out the sky. Each Warships carried dozens of Deity Transformation stage Cultivator, making this a massive army of thousands of Deity Transformation Stage Cultivators. Such a lineup was almost comparable to the entire mid-level strength of a Large Sect.
Although the Great Tang Dynasty National Fortune declining, it was still an ancient country with incredibly rich resources. Only a state apparatus like this could produce thousands of Deity Transformation stage Cultivator at once.
A fleet of hundreds Warships swept through the air, drawing the gazes of countless beings, both humans and Demon Cultivator. Such a spectacle was sure to attract attention.
At the very center of the fleet stood a massive and magnificent Warships, the Imperial Dragon Ship bearing the royal insignia. This enormous Warships was ten times the size of an ordinary Warships.
"With such a lineup, I hope the Ghost King Sect will back down..." Inside the Imperial Dragon Ship, on a Golden Dragon throne, a young man dressed in Golden Dragon Robe sat and spoke. He had a handsome face and was an exceptionally handsome man, exuding an air of refined elegance.
The only one who can wear Dragon Robe is the emperor, but the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the dynasty, can also wear Dragon Robe. However, compared to the emperor's Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, the Crown Prince's Dragon Robe is only embroidered with a four-clawed Golden Dragon. This trip to the Mysterious Yin Jade Mine is indeed a testament to the Crown Prince Imperial Clan's determination, as the Imperial Clan Crown Prince personally attended the trip.
"This time, there will surely be a fierce battle," Imperial Preceptor Hu Xian'er beside the throne, a hint of worry showing on her beautiful face.
Although the Crown Prince was in charge of the trip, it was still her who needed to give orders. With the burden on her shoulders heavier, she couldn't relax and be at ease.
The Imperial Preceptor is qualified to stand beside the Crown Prince, Zhuge Xiang, as a courtier in the Hall of Honored Guests, is naturally the same. However, Zhuge Xiang secretly pursed his lips at the Crown Prince's words and did not respond.
In Zhuge Xiang's view, this Crown Prince was truly unsuitable for his status. The Crown Prince possessed a refined and scholarly demeanor, which might make him a rare and elegant figure among literati, but he was not suitable as the Crown Prince.
Even a benevolent ruler, whose divine grace is as vast as the sea, should also possess a side of Divine Might as a prison. This Crown Prince may have the grace of the sea, but he lacks the Divine Might might.
Since the Ghost King Sect dared to challenge the Imperial Clan, they must have anticipated this day. How could they possibly back down? In Zhuge Xiang's view, the more they acted this way, the more tragic the subsequent battles would become. Yet, this Crown Prince couldn't bear to see the cruelty of war? Did he really expect the Ghost King Sect to back down? (To be continued...)
P. S.: I'll update another chapter around 10 PM. I've been incredibly busy lately! Two friends are getting married the day after tomorrow, so I have to rush around to each event. But the day after that, I'm going to Dragon-Tiger Mountain for a trip, so I'll try my best to keep updating.