Edict and the Aperture Opening Realm

Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, the Great Wei court issued an edict.

From this day forth, any Martial Arts Forces within Wei Country that remained stationed in the Three Borderlands for two full years would receive all the Wish Stones from the city where they were stationed. The Wei court would not take so much as a fraction.

Furthermore, half the official posts in that city would be handed over to Martial Arts Force Disciples.

The moment this edict was issued, it shook all of Wei Country.

Countless small and mid-sized Martial Arts Forces turned their attention toward it.

Unlike those Martial Arts Renowned Sects and Noble Family Disciples, these small and mid-sized forces did not have the support of the imperial court.

Their channels for obtaining Wish Stones largely came from under-the-table dealings in the black market, and the quantities were limited.

Now that such a fine opportunity had appeared, even if a mountain of blades and a sea of fire lay ahead, they were unwilling to let it slip away.

To them, gaining control of enough Wish Stones meant raising their strength more quickly, annexing more sects, and obtaining greater benefits.

For a time, a strange spectacle appeared across Wei Country.

Countless Martial Arts Forces moved to the Three Borderlands or dispatched disciples to establish branch halls in the region.

The many cities situated along the borders of Chu, Zhao, and Han suddenly became bustling.

It was foreseeable that once these Martial Arts Forces gained a foothold there, they would treat the land as their private preserve and tolerate no foreign interference.

If Chu, Zhao, or Han invaded, they would certainly defend it to the death.

This was a naked Overt Stratagem.

Some Noble Families and Major Martial Arts Forces had relatively well-connected sources of information. They knew that war would break out in the regions specified by the edict, and that this was the Wei King's arrangement to ease the pressure on the border defenses.

But the Wei King was offering far too much. Thus, not only small and mid-sized Martial Arts Forces, but even some larger ones joined in as well.

In fact, after this edict was announced, controversy ran high in the court.

Some believed the Jian'an Emperor's methods reached the heavens, while others believed this move would bring endless future troubles.

The debate had already spread throughout the Imperial Palace.

Even princes like Zhao Hongming, who were cut off from information, had been drawn into it passively.

In his view, the Jian'an Emperor was employing the Strategy of Driving Wolves to Swallow Tigers.

This scheme required its wielder to possess extraordinary skill and methods. Otherwise, the wolves would prove more harmful than the tigers, leaving endless troubles behind.

Yet inviting a god was easy; sending one away was hard.

Once the "wolves" of the Three Borderlands grew into a force to be reckoned with, how would the already disadvantaged Great Wei Zhao Clan manage?

And his future fief would most likely be somewhere in these Three Borderlands.

Without overwhelming strength, it would surely be difficult for him to deal with these Martial Arts Forces in the future.

As far as he was concerned, this edict truly brought more harm than good.

Swish!

Having finished practicing the Heaven and Earth Severing Slash in the rear courtyard, Zhao Hongming exhaled a breath of turbid air.

For now, he was merely an unfavored prince and had no right to point fingers at court policy.

Therefore, all he could do now was bury his head in cultivation.

The Heaven and Earth Severing Slash had only seven moves in total, divided into seven levels.

Since the forms and routines were already mature, all he needed to focus on was breathing and circulating his True Qi.

Thus, with the aid of the Heaven's Reward Martial Arts Panel, the Heaven and Earth Severing Slash progressed rapidly.

Over this period, he had already cultivated this Martial Skill to the sixth level.

Give him a little more time, and he would be able to cultivate it to perfection.

By this point, he had also realized that this Cultivation Technique was indeed rather extraordinary.

Every slash carried killing intent, without the slightest flourish.

In close coordination with it, Longevity True Qi brought the might of every slash to its fullest extent.

Just as Chen Xuerong had said, this Martial Skill truly suited him exceptionally well.

The more Zhao Hongming learned, the more satisfied he became.

At this moment, he could not help looking forward to the scene when this Martial Skill reached its final level.

With a thought, he summoned the Heaven's Reward Martial Arts Panel into his vision.

Name: Zhao Hongming

Cultivation Technique: Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique—Meridian Opening Ninth Grade (1036/1000)

Martial Skill: Heaven and Earth Severing Slash—Sixth Level (238/700)

Martial Arts Available for Breakthrough: Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique

Today's Cultivation Time: 5 hours

Physique: Good

Talent Enhancement: 1.5

While cultivating Martial Skills these days, he had not neglected the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique either. With the aid of certain Pills and Longevity True Qi, his talent had improved once more.

Now, after spending a month and a half, he was finally about to break through to the Aperture Opening Realm.

Having finished his practice, Zhao Hongming's Qi and Blood were at their peak.

Seeing no one around, he no longer hesitated and decisively commanded, "Break through!"

A mysterious force emerged within him, wildly driving his Longevity True Qi and ceaselessly smashing through its shackles.

Boom!

Zhao Hongming felt as though a muffled blast had sounded in his mind. The True Qi throughout his body immediately surged like thunder.

Following the description of the Orifice Opening Chapter in the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique, he began to visualize a Heaven and Earth Bridge.

Aperture Opening did not mean opening the acupoints of the body. Rather, once one's cultivated True Qi reached its limit, one used visualization to forge a bridge between flesh and spirit, transforming True Qi into nourishment for the Divine Soul.

Temper the body to nourish Qi, nourish the soul with Qi, then allow the divine apertures to flow freely and unleash certain Martial Skills and divine abilities.

However, Immortal Martial Arts Techniques differed somewhat from Jianghu Martial Arts at the Aperture Opening Realm.

They placed greater emphasis on transforming True Qi into True Intent, allowing it to complement the Divine Soul.

Specifically, one tempered the body to nourish Qi, nourished intent with Qi, and strengthened the soul with intent.

Upon reaching this stage, a Martial Warrior's lifespan would reach the utmost limit their natural lifespan could attain.

Just as Zhao Hongming was breaking through, the Imperial Dynasty Fortune pressing down on him actually invaded the world he had visualized.

Under the National Destiny, heavy as a thousand jun, the Heaven and Earth Bridge he had visualized began to sway precariously.

This was already a National Destiny weakened by thirty percent. If all of it pressed down, the Heaven and Earth Bridge he had visualized would inevitably collapse, making it impossible for him to take that step.

For the Imperial Family, practicing Martial Arts truly was a dead end.

Fortunately, the Heaven's Reward Martial Arts Panel was powerful enough.

A mysterious, unknown force emerged and "held up" the Heaven and Earth Bridge, gradually stabilizing it.

The instant the Heaven and Earth Bridge was completed, Zhao Hongming felt as though he had opened the door to a new world.

His mind became light and airy. It was as though an extra eye had appeared above his head, allowing him to see another self.

Zhao Hongming knew this was the sixth sense of a Martial Warrior in the Aperture Opening Realm, an exceedingly rare gift.

Only a small number of people could possess such an ability at this realm.

In battle, using such an ability was enough to seize a sliver of life.

And that sliver of life could determine life or death.

Zhao Hongming slowly opened his eyes, a smile unconsciously tugging at the corners of his lips.

He had succeeded.

At this moment, he had finally become a Martial Warrior of the Aperture Opening Realm.

A thirteen-year-old Martial Warrior of the Aperture Opening Realm, and one of imperial blood at that.

Either fact alone, if spread abroad, would be enough to shock the world.

He now possessed at least a measure of power to protect himself.

Since he had already broken through to the Aperture Opening Realm, he should also begin cultivating the Eight Desolations Secret Travel. He could not delay.

Zhao Hongming composed himself and threw himself back into intense cultivation.

At Zi Hour in the middle of the night, Qianqing Palace.

A sudden disturbance arose from this residence of the Jian'an Emperor.

Two powerful auras abruptly appeared in the direction of Qianqing Palace, only to vanish again in an instant.

The next day, a secret rumor spread without wings.

The Jian'an Emperor had been assassinated by a Martial Warrior from Han Country that night and had suffered injuries.

The palace maids and eunuchs who spread this news soon vanished within the palace walls.

The secret rumor was suppressed.

Just when everyone believed it was a rumor, another piece of news emerged: a newly elevated consort had been assassinated in the palace.

For a time, panic filled the hearts of everyone within the palace walls of Daliang.

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