Xiang Yang Exits Seclusion, Imperial Palace Extends Invitation

It had been three days since Qin De successfully passed his tribulation and returned safely to the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion.

Over these three days, the entire mansion was filled with jubilation, and everyone was in high spirits. With his Golden Core newly formed, Qin De spent his days in the mansion stabilizing his realm, his true essence becoming increasingly refined and steady. Qin Yu, drawing on the insights gained from the battle during the tribulation, found his state of mind and cultivation becoming ever more solid. With Yun Ce acting with calm composure and occasionally offering guidance to Qin Yu and Qin De, the mansion remained in a state of absolute stability.

In contrast, the imperial palace was shrouded in a heavy, gloomy atmosphere.

Xiang Guang sat in the hall, restless and uneasy, his face ashen and looking as wretched as could be.

Three days had passed, and the two immortals, Wu De and Wu Xing, whom he had hired at a massive cost using the Crimson Prosperity Pill, had vanished like stones cast into the sea, leaving not a shred of news.

Not only was there no word of Qin De's death, but he had instead received a secret report—

Qin De had returned to the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion completely unscathed, his aura even more unfathomable than before. Any discerning eye could see that he had successfully passed his tribulation, stepped into the Golden Core stage, and become a true immortal!

"Trash! You are all nothing but trash!"

Xiang Guang kicked over the desk in front of him with a violent force, shattering the jade ornaments and antiques into pieces.

"Two immortals, plus the Four Directional Killing Gods, and you couldn't even stop a Qin De who had just passed his heavenly tribulation! In the end, you let him become an immortal safely and bolstered the arrogance of the Qin Family!"

At the thought that the Qin Family now had Feng Yuzi, Yun Ce, and the newly ascended Qin De—a total of three immortals holding down the fort—Xiang Guang's heart pounded wildly, and a thick sense of crisis gripped him tightly.

"If this continues, my Xiang Clan's empire will be swallowed whole by the Qin Family sooner or later!"

He paced frantically inside the great hall, feeling so agitated he was nearly driven to madness, yet he was utterly helpless.

In terms of military might, the imperial palace no longer had anyone who could contend with the Qin Family; in terms of schemes, any plot appeared pale and powerless in the face of absolute strength.

Just as Xiang Guang was drowning in despair and agitation, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the hall.

A guard scrambled in, his expression excited as he shouted his report:

"Your Majesty! Great news! Great news!"

Xiang Guang frowned and barked, "What are you panicking about! Has the sky fallen?" He hadn't even clearly heard that the guard was reporting good news, not bad.

"Replying to Your Majesty! It is... it is the ancestor! Ancestor Xiang Yang has come out of seclusion! He is outside the hall right now, specifically asking to see you!"

"The ancestor?!"

The moment those three words reached his ears, Xiang Guang was stunned, then his entire body trembled violently. The gloom, agitation, and fear on his face were swept away in an instant, replaced by extreme ecstasy!

He didn't even care about imperial decorum; he lunged forward, grabbed the guard by the collar, his voice trembling:

"What did you say? The ancestor has come out of seclusion?! Is it really the ancestor?"

"It is absolutely true! The ancestor is right outside the palace!"

Xiang Guang instantly let go, threw his head back, and laughed, laughing until tears were almost streaming down his face.

Xiang Yang!

He was the true pillar of the Xiang Clan!

He was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, his cultivation unfathomable, far beyond the likes of Wu De and Wu Xing!

With this ancestor present, let alone a Qin De who had just become an immortal, even if the Qin Family really had three immortals, what did it matter!

"Heaven has not forsaken my Xiang Clan! Heaven has not forsaken my Xiang Clan!"

Xiang Guang straightened his robes, not daring to delay for even a second, and hurried out of the hall to personally welcome Xiang Yang.

Deep within the imperial palace, in a quiet room.

An old man dressed in simple black robes, his face aged but his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, sat in the main seat.

His aura was restrained, yet it faintly exuded a terrifying pressure that seemed to suppress the ages. Just by sitting there, he made the entire space feel stagnant and heavy.

This was the ancestor of the Xiang Clan—Xiang Yang.

As soon as Xiang Guang entered the room, it was as if he had found his backbone. He fell to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with sobs as he began to complain with added embellishments:

"Ancestor! You have finally come out of seclusion! If you had been any later, your grandson would have been bullied to death by that Qin De!"

He poured out his grievances, detailing how Qin De had secretly built up his strength, slaughtered imperial experts, successfully passed his tribulation to become an immortal, and how the Qin Family now boasted three immortals—Yun Ce, Feng Yuzi, and Qin De—whose arrogance threatened the Xiang Clan's empire.

In his words, he played the victim to the extreme, painting the Qin Family as ambitious rebels plotting to usurp the throne.

Xiang Yang listened quietly, his originally calm expression cooling bit by bit, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"The Qin Family... Qin De?"

His voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty.

"In such a short time, they have produced three immortals and dare to suppress my Xiang Clan? Do they really think my Xiang Clan has no one left? How have you been running this empire?"

The Xiang Clan was the royal family of the Chu Dynasty, having ruled the empire for hundreds of years with a deep foundation.

Just because this old-timer, Xiang Yang, had not appeared in the world did not mean the Xiang Clan could be bullied by anyone.

Xiang Guang showed a look of shame, his eyes rolling as he quickly struck while the iron was hot:

"Ancestor! That Qin De has grown wings now and doesn't put our Xiang Clan royal family in his eyes at all! If we don't suppress him now, he will surely become a great disaster in the future!"

Xiang Yang's eyes turned cold, and after a moment of contemplation, he spoke slowly:

"What is the panic. According to what you said, Qin De has just formed his Golden Core and his foundation is not yet stable. Even if that Yun Ce is strong, he may not necessarily dare to tear off the mask and face us directly."

He paused, his tone carrying supreme confidence:

"Go, in my... in this monarch's name, issue an invitation for Qin De to enter the palace for a chat.

I would like to see what kind of excuse he, Qin De, can come up with."

Xiang Guang was stunned: "Ancestor, you are..."

"It is a Hongmen Banquet, and also a greeting gift."

A cold, sharp smirk curled the corners of Xiang Yang's mouth: "If he dares to come, I have my own ways to make him submit; if he dares not come, then he is guilty of a hidden agenda, and his intention to rebel will be clear for all to see. By then, I will have a legitimate reason to personally suppress the Qin Family!"

Xiang Guang suddenly realized the truth, ecstatic:

"Ancestor is brilliant! Your grandson will go handle it immediately!"

Inside the main hall of the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion.

Qin De had just received the invitation sent from the imperial palace, and upon opening it, his expression sank slightly.

He immediately ordered for everyone to be summoned—

Yun Ce, Feng Yuzi, Qin Yu, Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, and the strategist Xu Yuan all gathered in the main hall.

Qin De placed the invitation gently on the table, his gaze sweeping across the group, his voice grave:

"Everyone, the imperial palace has sent an invitation, requesting that I enter the palace immediately for a chat."

Qin Zheng frowned: "Father, you have just successfully passed your tribulation, and that scoundrel Xiang Guang even sent people to ambush you previously. For him to suddenly invite you to the palace now, I fear it is ill-intentioned—it is a Hongmen Banquet!"

Qin Feng also nodded: "Second brother is right! Xiang Guang is treacherous and cunning; inviting Father over at this time must mean he has no good intentions!"

Xu Yuan stroked his beard, his expression solemn: "Your Highness, this matter is suspicious. With Wu De and Wu Xing missing, Xiang Guang should be in a panic, yet he has instead taken the initiative to invite you to the palace... Unless, within the palace, a backer capable of suppressing Your Highness has appeared."

Feng Yuzi's expression changed slightly: "You mean..."

Qin Yu clenched his fists and stepped forward: "No matter what is in the palace, Father must not easily risk danger! If you are going, I will go with you!"

The group discussed it one after another, all opposing Qin De entering the palace alone.

Qin De's gaze slowly turned to Yun Ce, who had remained silent the entire time.

Among everyone present, only this Nascent Soul Late Stage immortal saw through everything.

Yun Ce lifted his eyes slightly, spoke indifferently, and settled the matter with one sentence:

"As for the Xiang Family, it must be that old monster Xiang Yang who has come out of seclusion.

This banquet, we cannot refuse to go, but we cannot go for nothing either."

The atmosphere instantly turned heavy, and everyone listened for what Yun Ce would say next. Yun Ce said slowly: "Xiang Guang inviting the Prince to the banquet must be with the intention of suppressing the Qin Family or even forcing the Qin Family to submit. When the time comes, Qin De, myself, Brother Feng, and Yu'er—just us few will go. If that Xiang Yang truly pushes us too far, we will deal with that Xiang Yang right there in the palace, so as to save them from using underhanded tricks to threaten the lives of the Qin Family descendants later." His words carried an unquestionable tone, causing everyone present to be shaken. It was a confidence that stemmed from the strength of his own power.