Zhuge Xiang returned

"Bring them in..." The Great Tang Emperor said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with intense anger, his face terrifyingly gloomy.

The Great Tang National Fortune have been gradually declining in recent years, and for the emperor, every step has been like walking on thin ice. Now, the Imperial Clan's reputation has been ruined by these people from the Great Qin Empire. How could the emperor be in a good mood?

Between nations, it's like two lions sitting atop two mountains. Though they coexist peacefully, who can guarantee what the other harbors, or what their true intentions are, or whether they want to seize control of their territory?

"What? It wasn't just Offering Wu Zhao was kidnapped? Zhuge Consecrated too?" As the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple shouted this out, many forces that had shifted their attention away from the Imperial Clan family were all astonished.

On one hand, there was absolutely no information about this; on the other hand, even Zhuge Consecrated could be kidnapped? Just how powerful is the Illusionary Nether King?

These days, Zhuge Consecrated's reputation is at its peak. Even the Great Belly Ghost King, one of the Thirty-Six Ghost Kings of the Hungry Ghost Path, has been converted by Zhuge Xiang, taken refuge in the Buddhist Sect, and abandoned evil for good.

Originally, Zhuge Xiang's reputation had been spreading throughout the Great Tang Dynasty these days, but even the Zhuge Consecrated had been abducted? This made many people secretly suspect that the Imperial Clan had deliberately exaggerated Zhuge Xiang's power, or that the Illusionary Nether King was actually that terrifyingly strong?

"No, Zhuge Xiang's Zen Sound is extremely powerful; even a deathly place can be transformed into a holy land of light..."

Doubts about Zhuge Xiang's abilities? Soon, someone stepped forward, pointing out that Zhuge Xiang's achievements were not exaggerated by the Great Tang Dynasty's Imperial Clan. Rather, it was the day he stood on Strange Stone Mountain, where he subdued the representatives of all the Large Sect with his own strength.

The various Sect also doubted Zhuge Xiang's strength, so they summoned their Sect and questioned him carefully about his abilities. The result was that everyone on Strange Stone Mountain could attest to Zhuge Xiang 'Zhuge Xiang Heavenly Demon Zen Sound ability, which was extremely powerful, even comparable to the Gods and Buddhas of all Heavens.

Alright, having received this answer, these Sect no longer doubted Zhuge Xiang's strength. But a new question arose: even the Great Belly Ghost King, one of the Thirty-Six Ghost Kings of the Hungry Ghost Path, could be converted, yet he couldn't defeat the Illusionary Nether King? He was even kidnapped by it? So, just how powerful was this Illusionary Nether King?

Upon careful consideration, all the forces were astonished to discover that there was indeed very little information about this Illusionary Nether King. It seemed that apart from a title and the fact that dozens of Void Returning Stage experts had driven the Illusionary Nether King away, nothing else was known about him. His specific cultivation level, his true form, how long he had been cultivating, whether he was male or female, were all unknown.

Could it be that this Illusionary Nether King is actually a peerless expert hidden within the Great Tang Dynasty? Perhaps even stronger than the Sect Master Sect Master of the major powers?

Regardless of what the various powers were thinking, at this time, the Great Tang Imperial Family had already brought several monks from Heavenly Dragon Temple into the Imperial Palace.

In the side hall, the Great Tang Emperor had already controlled his emotions, showing no sign of joy or anger. However, his eyes were very cold as he looked at the group from Heavenly Dragon Temple who had entered.

"My fellow monks and I have come from the Great Qin Empire to..." Upon seeing the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple, all at the Void Returning Stage, bowed in unison. Then, the Chief Seat, who was at the forefront, addressed the Emperor.

A monarch is someone who transcends Sect, even if he is merely a monarch of another country.

"Hmph, you come to my Great Tang Dynasty, shouting and yelling, what kind of behavior is this?" However, before the Chief Seat of Heavenly Dragon Temple could finish speaking, the Eunuch beside the emperor spoke up, snorting coldly, his sharp voice filled with accusation. "This is the Forbidden Ground of the Imperial Palace, do you barbarians not know this? Or has your Great Qin Empire not taught you any basic human relations and etiquette?"

The Eunuch's insults were truly scathing, his words subtly implying that the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple were beasts. Someone with a slower reaction time probably wouldn't have noticed.

The Great Tang Dynasty was deeply influenced by Confucian thought, so there were countless scholars and writers. The Great Qin Empire, on the other hand, had far fewer states than the Great Tang Dynasty, so it was influenced by war. The people of the Great Qin Empire tended to be violent, so the Great Tang Dynasty secretly regarded the people of the Great Qin Empire as barbarians.

Today, the Eunuch beside the emperor opened his mouth and cursed, directly calling the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple barbarians who didn't even understand basic human ethics and etiquette. Wasn't this tantamount to calling them ignorant beasts?

Those who cultivate to the Void Returning Stage, which one didn't climb to the top of the pyramid by stepping over countless Cultivators? How many Void Returning Stage cultivators are fools?

Naturally, the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple understood the Eunuch's meaning, and their faces were filled with anger. If it weren't for the high standards of self-cultivation in the Buddhist Sect, these monks might have jumped up and started arguing back.

The emperor harbored resentment towards the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple, waiting for them to erupt in anger and curses so he would have a reason to deal with them.

However, it was not something someone of the emperor's status could do by hurling insults, so naturally the Eunuch beside him did it. And since the emperor did not object, it was clear that he tacitly approved of it.

"Your Majesty, we have spoken inappropriately just now. We hope Your Majesty will forgive us for our offenses..." Although they were angry, they were Buddhist Sect disciples after all, with the cultivation of the Void Returning Stage, and their minds were truly as clear as a mirror.

The Chief Seat Eunuch's undisguised insults, coupled with the emperor's tacit approval, made it clear to the leader that if they did anything out of line, the emperor would seize the opportunity to escalate the matter and punish them. Therefore, regardless of what they had done wrong, the Chief Seat decided to apologize first.

The other party's behavior was certainly not something that could be resolved with a simple apology. However, seeing how sincere the other party's attitude was, the emperor's gloomy expression eased somewhat. However, his voice was still somewhat gloomy and cold as he said, "The Great Qin Empire is thousands of miles away from my Great Tang Dynasty. Esteemed masters, what brings you to my Great Tang Dynasty to seek out Zhuge Consecrated?"

"Your Majesty, it is possible that Zhuge Consecrated is a direct disciple of the Asura Sect Master Luo of the Shura Sect of our Great Qin Empire. We have come here for two reasons: first, to confirm this, and second, because we need Zhuge Consecrated's assistance in some matter," the Chief Seat hurriedly explained to the emperor upon hearing his inquiry.

"Oh? Zhuge Consecrated is actually from the Great Qin Empire?" Upon hearing the words of the monk from Heavenly Dragon Temple, the emperor was slightly taken aback. He was unaware of this, as the three Imperial Preceptor had only met Zhuge Xiang for the first time in the Heaven-Piercing Tower.

"We tracked him down and finally found the Scorching Desert. Before we could even meet Zhuge Xiang, we discovered that he had been Illusionary Nether King. We need Zhuge Consecrated, so we are willing to lend a hand and rescue him..." After explaining what he wanted to say to the emperor, the Chief Seat minister spoke up and expressed his willingness to help.

As a result of the explanation given by the chief abbot, the emperor naturally understood that it was an unintentional mistake. However, the impact of their actions on the Imperial Clan was still considerable.

However, since they had already said they were willing to help rescue Zhuge Xiang, and since the emperor couldn't really find a reason to attack them, he was reluctant to do so.

"You may not know, but this is a sensitive period for our Imperial Clan. Our Imperial Clan Consecrated has been abducted by a Demonic Creatures. If this gets out, it will have a huge impact on the Imperial Clan's reputation." Being by the emperor's side means learning to read his mind. Seeing that the emperor had no intention of taking action, the previously aggressive Eunuch sighed and spoke to the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple.

"I see," the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple exchanged wry smiles. Indeed, they had made a mistake, failing to consider this point. The Imperial Clan naturally placed great importance on their reputation.

The misunderstanding between the Imperial Clan and Heavenly Dragon Temple was nothing more than a matter of discussion. Their plans to rescue Zhuge Xiang, and the attitudes of various powers towards Zhuge Xiang abduction, were secondary. At this moment, Zhuge Xiang, with the Illusionary Nether King, had already returned to Chang'an City...

The Illusionary Nether King is an illusion created from nothingness. Different people have different thoughts, and even the image they present to others is different. For example, in Zhuge Xiang's eyes, she is an unparalleled beauty with a veil, but in Hu Xian'er's eyes, she is an ugly monster.

Unwilling to be seen, Illusionary Nether King vanished into nothingness and followed Zhuge Xiang into the Imperial Palace. They landed together. Since Zhuge Xiang could not fly over the top of the Imperial Palace, he had to walk back to the Hall of Honored Guests.

Zhuge Xiang is back?

As soon as Zhuge Xiang appeared and walked back to the Hall of Honored Guests, he was naturally noticed by many people who cared about him. The major forces also quickly learned of this news, and they were all at a loss for words.

Are those guys from Heavenly Dragon Temple just spouting nonsense? Didn't they say Zhuge Xiang was kidnapped by that Illusionary Nether King? But how long has it been? He's returned unharmed, swaggering back.

"Your Majesty, Zhuge Consecrated returned..." Inside the side hall, the people of Heavenly Dragon Temple, along with the emperor and others, were discussing how to rescue Zhuge Xiang. However, a guard rushed in from outside the side hall. Before the Eunuch could reprimand him for his rudeness, the guard's words attracted everyone's attention.

"Oh? Is that so?" Originally, because of the mistakes of the monks at Heavenly Dragon Temple, the emperor thought that the Great Tang Dynasty was doomed to lose face. However, unexpectedly, just when things seemed hopeless, a new path opened up. Even though he tried to keep his emotions hidden, a hint of joy could not be concealed on the emperor's face. (To be continued...)