Chapter 310

She stood on the deck, gazing at the distant scenery, her eyes deep and unfathomable, as if she could see through layers of clouds and mist, reaching straight to that familiar homeland.

"Southern Border, Great Xia, I've finally returned..."

However, just as her gaze pierced through the distant void and looked towards the Great Xia, she saw clusters of dark clouds and billowing smoke filling the sky, as if some ominous event was spreading across this land.

"It seems this return home is destined to be anything but peaceful..."

Southern Border, Great Xia, New Capital.

In the central square of the palace complex, a statue of a woman stands.

The statue is beautifully sculpted and lifelike; it is a sculpture of Princess Ziwei, Xiao Minghuang, who once quelled the chaos of the True Demons and saved the entire Southern Border.

The statue's eyes are inlaid with two bucket-sized gemstones, which gleam in the sunlight, as if gazing upon this land, unchanging for millennia.

The imperial court was now in an uproar, resembling a bustling marketplace.

"How can a statue of a woman stand within the imperial city of my mighty Great Xia?"

"That's right! If anyone should be erected, it should be a statue of His Majesty or the Imperial Advisor. What right does a mere princess have to be qualified?!"

"I second that, in addition to destroying the statues, revoking the title, the Princess Mansion, and reducing the number of attendants and guards, the shrines erected by the people for the Ninth Princess should also be demolished. Otherwise, the country will never have peace, and the world will never be at peace!"

"I second that. In addition to the suggestions of my colleagues, I would also like to add that the numerous palace rooms occupied by the Ninth Princess should also be returned to the Imperial Palace Family, and the proceeds from her corruption should be deposited into the national treasury!"

I second that!

"Seconded..."

The ministers were filled with indignation and expressed their opinions freely.

Only a small minority remained silent.

Just then, at the head of the assembled officials, a minister dressed in a python robe stepped forward and roared indignantly.

"Since the chaos caused by the demons, less than one-tenth of the population of the entire Southern Border has survived, and thirty-five of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms have been destroyed, leaving only our Great Xia intact. Do you know whose achievement this is?"

"Now, for your own selfish interests, you are spreading wild and misleading words, even going so far as to start a war, causing the officers and soldiers of Great Xia to die on the battlefield. What are you really thinking?!"

The ministers discussed the matter amongst themselves, but no one dared to utter a single word in rebuttal.

And everything he said was true.

After all, the one speaking at this moment is the King Wu'an of the Great Xia, who is the highest-ranking person besides the emperor.

He wasn't old; in fact, he was still in his prime. But his hair was already gray, and his brows were furrowed with weariness and vicissitude.

Above the ninth step, the emperor, with his majestic countenance, swept his gaze over the kneeling ministers below, a hint of red flashing in his pupils, but he remained silent.

Beside the emperor stood an old man with a whisk in his hand. His hair and beard were all white, and he had an air of otherworldly wisdom, giving him the appearance of a hermit sage.

"Grand Preceptor, what do you think?"

King Wu'an asked in a stern voice. Although he was old and frail, he was like an old lion, exuding a terrifying aura. The entire court was plunged into a heavy atmosphere.

"The old Daoist priest believes that what the King Wu'an said is absolutely right."

The Imperial Advisor stroked his beard, smiled and nodded, then looked at the Emperor: "For the sake of peace and prosperity for the people, this old Daoist priest advised Your Majesty to raise an army to pacify Qin Prefecture, Huazhou, Qizhou, and other places. This is a war that will end all wars."

"In order to pray for Your Majesty's boundless blessings, this old Daoist priest suggested that Your Majesty perform a grand ritual to restore order and peace, gather the life force of the Great Xia, and pray for Your Majesty's longevity."

Since the King Wu'an deems these ideas unacceptable, this old Daoist will not force him and will instead travel the world.

406. Conquering three prefectures is just around the corner!

Having said that, the Imperial Advisor turned and left, leaving King Wu'an with a dashing silhouette.

"Wait."

The emperor, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up, saying slowly, "Imperial Advisor, please wait. I have already made a decision on this matter and will not let your efforts go to waste."

The emperor stood up and declared sternly, "Effective immediately, the title of Princess Ziwei of the Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang is hereby stripped. All shrines, temples, and statues of the Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang within the Great Xia territory are to be destroyed. Her guards and attendants residing in the Imperial Palace are to be expelled, and any palace rooms they occupy are to be given to the Imperial Preceptor for use in religious ceremonies!"

"The campaigns against Qin Prefecture, Huazhou, and Qizhou need not concern King Wu'an; I will personally lead the troops, working alongside all of you... so that the world may be at peace!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!"

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

King Wu'an opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but seeing all the officials in the court kneeling on the ground, he finally shut his mouth, his face full of dismay.

"Your Majesty, I am old and frail, and I fear I can no longer serve the court. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire and return to my hometown!"

The King Wu'an knelt on the ground, filled with sorrow.

"Allow!"

The emperor's calm and authoritative voice rang out, declaring the future of King Wu'an.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

The King Wu'an trembled, kowtowed deeply, and slowly retreated, no longer displaying his former heroic bearing and spirited demeanor.

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

Immediately, the emperor rose, left his throne, and returned to his study.

Behind him, the Imperial Advisor followed. He lightly waved his whisk, and a gentle breeze blew, instantly closing the doors and windows. An invisible array condensed, isolating the entire room.

The emperor sat down on his throne, his face showing worry.

After Xiao Minghuang left, four of his nine sons went away. The Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince also went far away and were no longer in contact. The remaining two sons were mediocre. Even though he provided them with a lot of resources, they could not even reach the Divine Sea Realm.

He held himself to high standards and believed that as Xiao Minghuang's father, he could not ask his daughter for help, so he did not contact Xiao Minghuang.

Moreover, after the chaos of the True Demons, he seemed to have suffered some kind of hidden injury, which prevented his cultivation from progressing and even caused it to regress. But even so, his strength was already enough to lead the Great Xia.

What angered him most was that the Medicine King was extremely obsequious to Lin Zhengquan, granting his every request and even helping him advance to the Nascent Soul Realm, while repeatedly shirking his responsibilities to him and refusing to lend him a helping hand.

At this moment, a mysterious person suddenly approached him, offering to help him improve his cultivation.

At first, he didn't believe it, but after the mysterious man demonstrated his cultivation level, he finally believed it.

Because the person before them was a true Saint Realm Supreme Powerhouse!

He was a powerful figure whom he could only look up to in his entire life.

Such an important person would never stoop to lying to him.

However, helping him improve his cultivation level did not come without a price.

This powerful figure, who calls himself the Daoist Siming, cultivates a path of faith and incense offerings. He needs to absorb the faith of countless mortals, and the more incense offerings he receives, the stronger he becomes.

He had originally raised many questions, such as why he was chosen and why the Holy Realm only required the faith of ordinary people.

The Daoist Siming answered all his questions in detail, and his answers convinced him completely.

Therefore, he appointed the Daoist Siming as his national advisor and followed his advice to launch large-scale attacks on neighboring states, conquering more people.

In just a few years, the Xia Kingdom conquered most of Qin Prefecture and Huazhou, and a small part of Qizhou. The population of the country almost tripled, and the territory expanded by more than half!

After conquering a new territory, Xia soldiers would work with the disciples of the Grand Preceptor to build temples there, enshrining the tablets of the Daoist Siming and the Emperor.

The numerous incense offerings and sacrifices did indeed bring about an improvement in his cultivation level.

With each city he conquered, his strength increased considerably. He is now at the fifth level of the Primal Embryo Realm. In the past, such progress would have been something he would never have dared to dream of in his lifetime.

But now, with the help of the Daoist Siming, it has been achieved.

"Grand Preceptor, both Qin Prefecture and Huazhou are major states with experts at the Nascent Soul Realm. Xia Kingdom is confident of defeating either of them individually, but this is probably not a long-term solution. May I ask the Grand Preceptor to take action and quell these villains?"

Emperor Xia spoke with deep concern, his tone filled with worry.

"No." The Daoist Siming stroked his beard and said calmly, "This old Daoist is a person who transcends the world and should not be involved in worldly affairs. By imparting to you the way of incense offerings, I have already been involved in karma. As for matters of conquest, you must resolve them yourself."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor Xia grew even more anxious and hurriedly asked, "Could the Imperial Advisor bestow upon me magical powers and treasures to defeat the enemy?"

"That's not impossible..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xia was overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply before the Daoist Siming, and respectfully said, "I beg the Imperial Preceptor to bestow upon me divine powers and magical treasures!"

"Um..."

The Daoist Siming nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Emperor Xia before finally settling on his forehead. He raised his right hand and gently pressed it against the Emperor Xia's forehead.

In an instant, a vast stream of information rushed into Emperor Xia's head, as if enlightened, making him suddenly feel a jolt of energy. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a small seal floating in front of him, emitting a divine golden light.

"This seal was casually crafted by me, merely for my amusement. But for you, it should be sufficient to deal with most opponents below the Saint Realm."

The Daoist Siming said calmly, "What I just taught you is a divine power used in conjunction with this seal, called the <Life-Receiving Art of Rebirth>. You must carefully comprehend it in order to unleash the seal's full power."

The Emperor Xia respectfully accepted the small seal and asked, "May I ask, Grand Preceptor, what is the name of this treasure? What power does it possess?"

"I just picked it up casually, why should I give it a name?" The Daoist Siming shook his head slightly.

"As for its power, you can experience it for yourself on the battlefield."

"Thank you, Imperial Preceptor!"

The Emperor Xia bowed again in thanks.

The Daoist Siming chuckled lightly, flicked his whisk, and vanished from the spot.

After the Daoist Siming had left, Emperor Xia held the small golden seal, his eyes filled with wild joy.

Although he didn't know the exact power of this small seal, how could a treasure bestowed by a Saint Realm expert be anything less than extraordinary?

Moreover, the Imperial Advisor also said that it is sufficient to deal with most enemies below the Saint Realm, and the Nascent Soul Realm in the Three Provinces is not worth worrying about at all!

"With this treasure, conquering the three states will be just around the corner!"

Immediately, he summoned the chief eunuch Wang Jin and said, "I have issued an imperial decree to personally lead the expedition. The situation at the front is urgent, so I will go ahead first. All affairs in the capital will be handled by the Grand Preceptor's disciple!"

He knew that the Grand Preceptor was a recluse and would not concern himself with the affairs of the Xia Kingdom, which is why he said he would entrust the matter to the Grand Preceptor's disciple.

To this, Wang Jin respectfully replied, "This servant obeys!"

Immediately, Emperor Xia's figure flashed, transforming into a rainbow and soaring into the sky.

407. I'm sure the princess can understand my predicament.

Watching the Emperor Xia's departing figure, Wang Jin's face showed a mixture of emotions.

"I wonder if the Ninth Princess will ever return?"

Since the Imperial Advisor arrived in the Xia Kingdom, the Emperor Xia has gradually distanced himself from Xiao Minghuang's old friends. For example, the Medicine King was forced to leave the Xia Kingdom due to the Emperor Xia's repeated pressure.

Besides, all those who had been on good terms with the Ninth Princess were abandoned by the Emperor Xia, and even the Old Ancestor was no exception.

Fortunately, he was always good at changing his tune depending on the situation, and at a crucial moment, he betrayed his Old Ancestor to gain the Emperor Xia's trust; otherwise, he would not have escaped unscathed.

The political situation in the imperial court was unpredictable, and as a mere eunuch, he had no choice but to protect himself.

As for our Old Ancestor, he devoted his entire life to the Great Xia. He was willing to die for the prosperity of the Great Xia by sacrificing his own life.

Besides, this was originally an internal power struggle within the royal family; what did it have to do with a mere servant like him?

"I'm sure the Ninth Princess will understand my situation and won't make things difficult for me..."

Wang Jin comforted herself in this way.

In the front-line camp where the Great Xia and the Three-State Allied Forces were fighting.

Inside the central command tent, a middle-aged man in armor sat upright, with other generals and Imperial Family Enshrined lined up on either side.

"General, spirit stones and elixirs are scarce, magical artifacts and weapons are severely worn, and we have led our troops on a long and arduous expedition deep into enemy territory. Our soldiers are exhausted and unable to fight any longer. If we accidentally fall into the enemy's formation again, we may be wiped out!"

A general cupped his hands in greeting.

"General, why don't we withdraw the troops?"

"Yes, Commander, we should petition His Majesty to allow the troops to return to the capital!"

"For now, let's negotiate peace and recuperate. We'll launch another campaign once our military preparations are complete!"

The generals and officials all offered their suggestions.

"Please be patient, everyone!"