King Zhennan Rebels? The World Descends into Chaos?

"Have you heard? King Zhennan is preparing to rebel?"

"Don't talk nonsense. There's no solid evidence yet. King Zhennan is a pillar of the state, permanently stationed at the Southern Ridge—how could he possibly rebel!"

"Not solid evidence? With King Zhennan's behavior, what difference is there from rebellion? He's only one step away from tearing off all pretense."

After Ye Jing broke through to the Innate Realm and finished his morning meal, he went to the Hanlin Academy to perform his duties.

The moment he stepped into the Hanlin Academy, he overheard people discussing King Zhennan's rebellion.

King Zhennan rebelling! A flicker of gravity passed through Ye Jing's eyes.

One had to know that King Zhennan commanded three hundred thousand troops, and the Southern Ridge he guarded was close to the Imperial Capital. If King Zhennan truly rebelled, within ten days, those three hundred thousand soldiers could reach the capital.

Even if Dali possessed deep foundations, not lacking in existences at the Peak of Humanity, they might not be able to withstand this army of three hundred thousand.

Once the Imperial Capital fell, someone at his level—the Innate Realm—had no guarantee of surviving this upheaval.

Seeing Hu Jie off to the side, still snacking on melon seeds with an excited expression, Ye Jing quickly pulled him aside and asked, "Brother Hu, what's going on here?"

"Why is everyone saying King Zhennan is about to rebel?"

The joy in Hu Jie's eyes didn't fade in the slightest. He said with full excitement, "Brother Ye, you wouldn't know. Three days ago, within King Zhennan's jurisdiction, a Heaven and Earth phenomenon appeared."

"On Jadeite Mountain, a thousand rays of rosy light shone. After investigation, a massive Spirit Vein was discovered on the mountain, but King Zhennan concealed the report."

Hu Jie paused for a moment, then continued, "Brother Ye, the spirit stones contained in that vein are an astronomical number—enough to support hundreds of thousands of troops in their cultivation."

"Brother Ye, you're a Qi Refiner yourself. You should know what this Spirit Vein means, right?"

"Not only did King Zhennan conceal the report, but he even detained the spies sent by the court. He's clearly trying to monopolize this Spirit Vein. How is that any different from rebellion?"

Ye Jing couldn't help but nod. He understood the meaning behind Hu Jie's words.

This was the Age of Dharma's End. The world's spiritual energy was withered, and spirit stones were an extremely precious cultivation resource.

Take the original owner of this body, for example. He had toiled in cultivation for over a decade, yet remained only a rookie at the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Aside from talent, another major reason was the scarcity of spiritual energy in the world.

The Qi Refining Realm involved refining the world's spiritual energy and drawing it into the dantian within the body. If the world's spiritual energy were abundant, the original owner would never have been stuck at the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

Spirit stones contained abundant spiritual energy, providing tremendous help to cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm.

King Zhennan commanded three hundred thousand troops, each one a Qi Refining cultivator—though the vast majority were only at the first layer.

But with such a massive Spirit Vein, the strength of those three hundred thousand soldiers would take a giant leap forward.

No wonder everyone said King Zhennan would rebel. Among the eight Kings of Different Surnames, King Zhennan held the most power.

Now, with this Spirit Vein containing a sea of spirit stones, it was like adding wings to a tiger. For the declining Dali royal family, it was like a fishbone stuck in the throat.

As long as the Dali royal family wasn't stupid, they would never tolerate King Zhennan possessing this Spirit Vein.

And King Zhennan's current attitude already showed that both sides had completely torn off all pretense, with basically no room for reconciliation.

"Brother Hu, is the current Emperor Li just going to watch King Zhennan grow stronger without any countermeasures?"

Ye Jing wasn't personally witnessing King Zhennan's rebellion. It wasn't that he had any deep loyalty to Dali, but rather that when a fire starts at the city gate, it's easy for the fish in the moat to get caught.

He was only at the Innate Realm. Once the Imperial Capital fell, he had little confidence in surviving this great war.

Besides, he wasn't alone—there was still Qiuyue at home!

"Countermeasures!"

A hint of disdain flashed in Hu Jie's eyes. "The current Emperor Li is muddled and incompetent. He let the eight Kings of Different Surnames grow strong. The entire Dali royal family is declining day by day, their grip on Dali weakening. What can Emperor Li do to King Zhennan?"

A trace of madness flickered in Hu Jie's eyes, and his words carried a hint of schadenfreude. "Brother Ye, just watch. Within a few months, as long as King Zhennan's three hundred thousand troops can refine this Spirit Vein, the thousand-year Dali will surely collapse."

"Surely not? The Dali royal family has ruled Dali for a thousand years. Their foundations are unfathomably deep. There are no fewer than ten existences at the Peak of Humanity alone."

"Each of those Peak of Humanity experts can sweep through an entire army single-handedly. Toppling Dali—how could that be easy?"

Seeing Hu Jie speak so confidently and with such certainty, a hint of doubt appeared in Ye Jing's eyes. He asked, "Brother Hu, why are you so sure Dali will fall?"

Hu Jie didn't answer Ye Jing's question. Instead, he countered, "Brother Ye, aren't you curious why such a Spirit Vein containing a sea of spirit stones appeared within King Zhennan's jurisdiction?"

"Keep in mind, this is the Age of Dharma's End. The world simply cannot nurture a Spirit Vein of this scale."

"A few days ago, the National Preceptor glimpsed a sliver of heavenly fate. The sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm is approaching. But after this matter with King Zhennan, This Humble One dares to assert that the sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm has already arrived—it's just not yet manifest."

"Within a few months, all kinds of Heaven and Earth phenomena will appear across Dali—various spirit springs and spirit lakes will emerge."

"If the cataclysm evolves to a deeper stage, even the legendary ruins of immortal palaces might appear in the mortal world."

"The Dali royal family is declining. Trying to control such a turbulent Dali is like trying to lift a weight beyond their strength. Right now, only King Zhennan harbors rebellious intentions."

"But once the Heaven and Earth Cataclysm evolves to a certain point, the other Kings of Different Surnames will see their power surge. How could they tolerate the Dali royal family?"

This...

Hearing Hu Jie's analysis, Ye Jing fell silent.

When he first walked in and heard the shocking news that King Zhennan was about to rebel, Ye Jing's heart had jolted, and he hadn't thought it through.

Now, reflecting on Hu Jie's words, he too realized that the appearance of this Spirit Vein was far too suspicious.

Could it be that the sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm, as Hu Jie had said a few days ago, had truly already arrived?

Ye Jing's heart sank. Today's events were truly beyond expectation.

He had originally thought there was still some time before the sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm appeared, but now signs were already emerging.

Ye Jing knew that the sudden emergence of Spirit Veins within King Zhennan's territory was an obvious omen.

At this early stage, the opportunities that had already appeared were enough to stir faint signs of internal unrest in Dali. Once the cataclysm evolved to a certain degree, all kinds of Heaven and Earth Rare Treasures would emerge.

By then, the major powers would surely come to blows, fighting over every opportunity.

The entire Dali would instantly become a living hell on earth, with not a shred of peace remaining.

No, I must seriously improve my strength. Otherwise, in this Heaven and Earth Cataclysm, I won't even have the power to protect myself.