"Have you heard? The King of Zhennan is preparing to rebel!"
"Don't spread rumors. There's no hard evidence yet. The King of Zhennan is a pillar of the state, guarding the Southern Ridge. How could he possibly rebel?"
"No hard evidence? With the way the King of Zhennan is acting, how is that any different from rebelling? He's just one step away from openly breaking with the court."
After Ye Jing broke through to the Innate Realm, he had breakfast and then went to the Hanlin Academy for work.
The moment he stepped into the Hanlin Academy, he heard people discussing the King of Zhennan's rebellion.
The King of Zhennan was rebelling! A hint of gravity flashed in Ye Jing's eyes.
The King of Zhennan commanded an army of three hundred thousand, and the Southern Ridge under his protection was close to the Imperial Capital. If he rebelled, his army could reach the Imperial Capital in less than ten days.
Even with Dali's deep reserves and its share of Peak of Humanity powerhouses, it might not be able to withstand those three hundred thousand troops.
If the Imperial Capital fell, even Ye Jing, an Innate Realm cultivator, had no confidence he would survive the ensuing chaos.
Seeing Hu Jie still eagerly enjoying the gossip, Ye Jing hurried over and pulled him aside. "Brother Hu, what's going on?"
"Why is everyone saying the King of Zhennan is going to rebel?"
The delight in Hu Jie's eyes hadn't faded at all. He said excitedly, "Brother Ye, you don't know? Three days ago, a celestial phenomenon appeared in territory governed by the King of Zhennan."
"Rays of light filled the sky above Jadeite Mountain. After investigating, they discovered a massive Spirit Vein there. But the King of Zhennan kept it secret."
Hu Jie paused, then continued, "Brother Ye, that Spirit Vein contains an astronomical number of Spirit Stones, enough to support tens of thousands of troops in their cultivation."
"Brother Ye, you're a Qi Refiner too. You should know what this Spirit Vein means, right?"
"Not only did the King of Zhennan keep it secret, he even detained the court's investigators. He clearly intends to keep the Spirit Vein for himself. How is that any different from rebellion?"
Ye Jing couldn't help but nod. He understood what Hu Jie meant.
It was the Age of Dharma's End, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had withered. Spirit Stones were an exceedingly precious cultivation resource.
Take the original Ye Jing, for example. He had cultivated diligently for more than ten years, yet he was still only a Qi Refining Fifth Layer rookie. Besides his aptitude, another major reason was the scarcity of spiritual energy in the world.
The Qi Refining Realm involved refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and drawing it into one's dantian. If spiritual energy had been abundant, the original Ye Jing could never have remained a Qi Refining Fifth Layer rookie.
Spirit Stones contained ample spiritual energy and greatly aided cultivation in the Qi Refining Realm.
The King of Zhennan commanded an army of three hundred thousand, every one of them a Qi Refining Realm cultivator, though the vast majority were only at the first layer of Qi Refining.
But with such a massive Spirit Vein, the strength of those three hundred thousand troops would soar.
No wonder everyone said the King of Zhennan would rebel. Among the eight Kings of Different Surnames, the King of Zhennan had the greatest power.
Now that he had a Spirit Vein brimming with Spirit Stones, he'd be like a tiger with wings. To the Great Li Imperial Clan, already on its last legs, this was a thorn in its side.
Unless the Great Li Imperial Family was stupid, it would never tolerate the King of Zhennan possessing this Spirit Vein.
And the King of Zhennan had already made his stance clear. The two sides had completely broken with each other, leaving almost no room for reconciliation.
"Brother Hu, is the current Emperor Li really going to just sit back and watch the King of Zhennan grow stronger? Doesn't he have any way to deal with this?"
Ye Jing didn't want the King of Zhennan to rebel. It wasn't that he had any deep attachment to Dali; it was simply that when the city gates caught fire, the fish in the moat suffered.
He was only an Innate Realm cultivator. If the Imperial Capital fell, he had little confidence he would survive the battle.
Besides, he wasn't alone. Qiuyue was still at home!
"A way to deal with it?"
A trace of disdain appeared in Hu Jie's eyes. "The current Emperor Li is muddleheaded and incompetent. He's let the eight Kings of Different Surnames grow powerful, while the Great Li Imperial Clan weakens by the day and loses more and more control over Dali. What can Emperor Li do to the King of Zhennan?"
A hint of madness flashed in Hu Jie's eyes, and his words carried a trace of glee. "Brother Ye, just you wait. Within a few months, once the King of Zhennan's three hundred thousand troops refine this Spirit Vein, thousand-year-old Dali is sure to collapse."
"Surely it won't come to that! The Great Li Imperial Clan has ruled Dali for a thousand years, and its foundations run unfathomably deep. It has no fewer than ten Peak of Humanity powerhouses."
"Each of those Peak of Humanity powerhouses could sweep through an army single-handedly. Overthrowing Dali won't be easy!"
Seeing how certain Hu Jie sounded, Ye Jing looked puzzled and asked, "Brother Hu, why are you so sure Dali will fall?"
Hu Jie didn't answer Ye Jing's question. Instead, he asked, "Brother Ye, aren't you curious why a Spirit Vein containing such vast numbers of Spirit Stones appeared in territory governed by the King of Zhennan?"
"After all, this is the Age of Dharma's End. Heaven and earth shouldn't be able to produce a Spirit Vein on such a massive scale."
"A few days ago, the National Preceptor glimpsed a thread of Heaven's Secrets: the Sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm was drawing near. But after what happened with the King of Zhennan, I dare say the Sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm has already arrived. It just hasn't become obvious yet."
"Within a few months, all kinds of celestial phenomena will appear throughout Dali, along with Spiritual Springs and Spirit Lakes."
"If the changes in heaven and earth deepen, even the legendary ruins of immortal palaces may appear in the mortal world."
"The Great Li Imperial Clan is weakening by the day. It'll be powerless to control Dali amid such upheaval. For now, only the King of Zhennan has shown rebellious intent."
"Once the changes in heaven and earth reach a certain point and the various Kings of Different Surnames grow more powerful, how could they possibly tolerate the Great Li Imperial Family?"
This...
After hearing Hu Jie's analysis, Ye Jing fell silent too.
He'd just arrived and heard the shocking news that the King of Zhennan was going to rebel. He'd been startled and hadn't given it much thought.
Now that he reconsidered Hu Jie's words, he realized the sudden appearance of the Spirit Vein was far too suspicious.
Could the Sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm really have arrived, just as Hu Jie had said a few days ago?
Ye Jing's heart sank. Today's developments had truly been unexpected.
He'd thought there was still some time before the Sixth Heaven and Earth Cataclysm arrived. He hadn't expected to see the first signs already.
Ye Jing knew that the sudden emergence of the Spirit Vein in the King of Zhennan's territory was a clear omen.
This was only the beginning, yet the opportunities it brought had already given Dali the faint appearance of internal strife. Once the changes in heaven and earth reached a certain point, all kinds of Heaven and Earth Rare Treasures would appear.
By then, the various factions would surely clash over these opportunities.
All of Dali would become a living hell in an instant, without a shred of peace.
No, I have to work hard to improve my strength. Otherwise, I won't be able to protect myself at all during this Heaven and Earth Cataclysm.
Before you continue