Crisis in the Imperial Capital

Qi Yuan remembered the matter of the invitation.

But the Demon Subjugation Assembly was three hundred years away?

How could he possibly wait that long?

In three hundred years, even the Great Qing would have fallen, wouldn't it?

He stopped dwelling on it and logged off at light speed.

When the annoying Wooden Cat Puppet started meowing nonstop again, Qi Yuan did not toss any more little Wooden Fish Snacks into its mouth this time.

He rose to his feet, patted the Wooden Cat Puppet on the head, and looked at the splendid morning light outside. "The day's plan begins in the morning!"

He pulled himself together and swept his gaze into the Storage Bag.

When he saw the mountain of books and Technique Jade Slips piled within, his face immediately fell.

"Coming to another world and I still have to work a 996 schedule!"

At the Black Mountain Sect, Qi Yuan had gone through great effort to empty out the books in the Library Pavilion, along with the Technique Jade Slips.

To Qi Yuan, techniques were the most important thing.

After all, most of this world's techniques were unsuitable for him.

He needed to read other books, then use the information his eyes revealed to accumulate knowledge and ultimately refine his own techniques.

Last time, using Junior Sister Jiang Lingsu's more than six hundred Technique Jade Slips, Qi Yuan had only skimmed through them, yet it had still taken two days.

And now, he had far more than six hundred techniques to read. Besides, books were much harder to absorb than Technique Jade Slips.

Moreover, last time he had only been looking at Qi Refinement Realm techniques, so a cursory glance had sufficed. Now, to refine a Foundation Establishment Realm technique, he had to study them closely.

There was absolutely no way he could finish all these books in a month.

Qi Yuan buried himself in the books and read with great focus.

He was exceptionally serious.

Because this was the foundation upon which he would create his Foundation Establishment technique.

He read those dry, tedious techniques with even more seriousness than advanced mathematics.

Unfortunately, he read incredibly slowly. It took him ages to finish a single technique; it was nothing like quantum reading.

"I should hurry up and achieve Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. It'd be great if I could project my divine sense outward—then reading wouldn't be so tiring." As Qi Yuan turned the pages, he felt that divine sense truly was a wonderful thing.

Unfortunately, only after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm could one project divine sense outward and read at quantum speed.

For several days in a row, Qi Yuan read during the day and logged into the game at night.

With Little Bride's support, Qi Yuan could now strut sideways through the Attire Forbidden Area.

Although he still could not kill the Ugly Clothing Monster Emperor, as his strength increased, he was able to injure the Ugly Clothing Monster Emperor.

Even the terrifying Ugly Clothing Monster Emperor had no way to deal with Qi Yuan.

It could only let Qi Yuan slaughter to his heart's content throughout the Attire Forbidden Area.

Strong Sword Skull Split!

"I don't have a head. How are you going to split my skull?"

As always, Qi Yuan voiced the clothes monsters in the Attire Forbidden Area, entertaining himself and finding a little enjoyment.

Otherwise, the monotonous hours of grinding monsters would have been far too dull.

His experience bar surged.

At level eighty-nine, he was not far from level ninety.

Qi Yuan glanced from afar at the flying Ugly Clothing Monster Emperor. "I'm outta here, I'm outta here."

He could not be bothered to fight the Ugly Clothing Monster Emperor. He would wait until he reached level ninety, when he would have a better chance.

Qi Yuan immediately retreated at high speed.

He had killed enough for today. He could not stay online any longer, or his brain would not be able to take it.

After separating from his fusion with Little Bride, Qi Yuan dug a pit as usual.

Suddenly, he spotted several purplish fruits growing on a crooked-neck tree in the graveyard.

They looked like a cross between grapes and apples.

He picked a few and took a bite. A bayberry-like sourness burst across his taste buds. "Not bad. Want one?"

He held one out to Little Bride.

Little Bride did not respond.

Qi Yuan sighed. "No mouth means you can't eat, and you can't... We still have to get divorced!"

Little Bride felt aggrieved and slid out a wooden sign that read Stick Together.

Qi Yuan smiled, pulled Little Bride into his arms, and climbed into the pit.

He shifted into a more comfortable position, like a salted fish sprawled on a bed, wrapped an arm around the cool Little Bride, then sent Jin Li a message.

Yet when he lowered his head and glanced at the obedient, adorable, quiet Little Bride, he froze for a moment.

He already had a wife—did chatting with a female online friend count as cheating?

It seemed that after the divorce, the court would definitely rule that he had to compensate her.

He possessed nothing but a Great Treasure Sword.

Without dwelling on it, Qi Yuan and Jin Li resumed their usual chat.

Jin Li was like the nighttime breeze by a riverbank, faintly cool and softly moist, brushing over one's body like a gentle drizzling rain.

"Has Sima Ting made any moves?"

"Be careful."

"I'm nearly done clearing out the Attire Forbidden Area too. Maybe I'll be able to help you."

"Good night. I'm too sleepy—I can't stay up late playing games anymore. I still have to get up early tomorrow to read."

Looking at those messages, Jin Li, clad in silk gauze and thin muslin, replied with a "Good night" as well.

At this moment, her face was shrouded in gloom.

A few days ago, an emperor-level expert from the Prime Minister's Residence had inexplicably died.

This should have been wonderful news for Jin Li, yet she could not feel happy at all.

Sima Ting and she had maintained a delicate balance.

Now that an emperor-level expert had fallen, Sima Ting might no longer care about appearances or legitimacy and could force his way into the palace.

Recently, the Nanqian Kingdom's troop deployments had become extremely frequent.

Jin Li could already sense the sharp edge of military formations and the murderous aura spreading throughout the capital.

Yet all she could rely on was barely over a thousand Imperial Guards.

Imperial power had been shelved long ago, twenty years before.

How could she possibly turn the tide now?

Exhausted and overwhelmed by drowsiness, Jin Li slowly drifted into sleep.

What she did not know was that, at this moment, a major plot was being hatched within the Prime Minister's Residence.

The once domineering and noble Grand Chancellor Sima Ting was hunched over at the waist like a lapdog.

Beside him stood two people, one fat and one thin.

The fat one was precisely the great demon Sima Ting least wished to see.

Back when he had first risen to power, he had borrowed this great demon's strength.

This was considered leverage against him.

The thin one was an emperor-level expert from the Heavenly Fortune Holy Gate.

He had not expected the two to be connected.

And now, the two most powerful forces in this world had both set their sights on the Nanqian Kingdom.

The pressure fell upon him.

The thin emperor narrowed his eyes. "Sima Ting, they are merely mortal troops. What is there to feel sorry for? We'll credit you with a great merit this time. Wait three years—once the Holy Master's plan succeeds, among these dozen or so nations, whichever one you want will be yours."

That Demon Race emperor threw back his head and laughed heartily. "He who accomplishes great things does not fuss over trifles."

Some time ago, the Demon Race had cooperated with the Heavenly Fortune Holy Master's substitute and slain the true Heavenly Fortune Holy Master.

As the price, the Heavenly Fortune Holy Gate had ceded Nanqian to the Demon Race.

And now, this Demon Race emperor had come bearing the decree of a Supreme Emperor, to pave the way in advance.

The preparations were simple: wear down the Nanqian Kingdom's military strength while forging a Supreme Emperor artifact—the Bloodless Emperor Staff.

The conditions required to forge this emperor staff were exceptionally harsh.

That was why he had contacted the Heavenly Fortune Holy Gate and pressured Sima Ting.

They would have Sima Ting mobilize his troops and bring them into the capital.

They would set up a grand formation, accumulate the murderous aura of the military formations, then massacre an entire city. Once the blood aura grew dense to its utmost limit, they could create the Supreme Emperor artifact, the Bloodless Emperor Staff.

And what all this would consume was Sima Ting's foundation.

His army, as well as the entire Nanqian Kingdom capital.

Sima Ting wanted to object, but before the two strongest powers in this world, he could only bow his head.

Even his life was now in someone else's hands.

Hearing the Heavenly Fortune Holy Gate's expert offer him a few benefits, he could only swallow them.

"Everything has been carried out according to your orders, my lords. All the troops are already slowly entering the city."

Earlier, Sima Ting had stationed the army outside the imperial capital.

Now, he merely needed to let those troops enter the city. It would be very fast.

"Sima Ting, very good. You have ambition, and you know when to advance and when to retreat. Heavenly Fortune Holy Gate will not treat you poorly." The lean Emperor patted Sima Ting on the shoulder, deeply satisfied. "Once this matter is finished, there will be a Hall Elder plaque for you. Within Heavenly Fortune Holy Gate, your status will be no lower than mine."

Hearing this, joy surged within Sima Ting.

That was what he craved.

Only with a Hall Elder plaque could he become a chess player overlooking more than a dozen nations.

Rather than as he was now—despite possessing immense power, still merely a chess piece unable to control his own fate.

"Thank you, my lord!"

The Demon Race Emperor bared his wide mouth in a grin. "I hear the Empress of your Nanqian Kingdom is a peerless beauty.

I have always enjoyed collecting wine vessels. When the imperial capital falls, leave that Empress's head to me. A beauty's head—and that of an Empress at that—used to hold wine, the flavor will surely be exquisitely mellow. Nothing could be more fitting."

A chill ran through Sima Ting at his words, but he still nodded in agreement. "All right!"