The imperial palace.
Beneath the golden sunlight overhead, the Supreme Ultimate Hall gleamed in magnificent splendor.
Ji Xuan stood atop the nine tiers of steps, gazing down the length of the hall as thoughts stirred in his eyes.
"Your old servant offers his congratulations, Your Highness!" Behind him, a withered old man slowly appeared. He wore drab gray robes, his face beardless and his eyes clouded.
"What is there to celebrate?" Ji Xuan said mildly.
"Your Highness oversees all affairs of state and is the uncrowned king of Great Xia. Once the time is ripe, a single thought from you could replace the heavens above! This is cause for great celebration," the withered old man said.
Ji Xuan shook his head slightly, his voice calm and unruffled. "Replace the heavens? Had I wanted that throne, I could have taken it a hundred years ago. What I seek now has long since ceased to be worldly authority."
The old man bowed lower. "Your old servant misspoke. But Marquis Dongling has obstructed the opportunity on your Dao Path that you spent a hundred years planning for. Now that he has returned to the Royal Capital, why did Your Highness not confront him in court? With your might, even the National Preceptor's protection could not prevent you from crushing him like a thunderbolt."
Ji Xuan turned toward the vast sky outside the hall. His gaze seemed to pierce the palace walls and fall upon the National Preceptor's Residence.
"Him? He is not worth my losing face in court. An upstart, even one hailed as the greatest Martial Dao talent in eight hundred years, still lacks a solid foundation! If I wished to act, I could suppress him with a turn of my hand. But acting personally would disgrace the imperial family and make