After gathering strength, the mighty challenge higher realms to reveal the bearing of a king!

Mandated by Heaven, blessed with long life and eternal prosperity!

Perhaps few could resist the allure of those words.

Some exhausted their entire lives and racked their brains, yet never came close.

Li Chen had done nothing, yet he was already seated on the dragon throne that symbolized imperial power.

More than ten years ago, Li Chen had transmigrated to this world and become the sixth prince of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.

As a transmigrator, he did have a system. But when it reached 99% loaded, it froze and never stirred again.

Li Chen did not particularly care. After all, his comprehension was extraordinarily high, and this body possessed terrifying talent for cultivation, so he simply stayed in the palace and cultivated.

The imperial palace was certainly safe, and he wanted for nothing in food, clothing, lodging, or transport.

As a prince, he naturally enjoyed plenty of privileges. Cultivation arts and resources were his for the asking.

Li Chen's original plan had been to achieve success in cultivation, then head to his fief and live freely, enjoying life to his heart's content.

But who could have imagined that the crown prince would suddenly drop dead a few days ago? The Late Emperor fell gravely ill, and his death was formally announced yesterday.

The other princes had either already gone to their fiefs or were cultivating elsewhere and had yet to return.

As the only prince still in the imperial capital, Li Chen was pushed onto the throne by the empress dowager.

The empress dowager also seized the opportunity to begin ruling from behind the curtain.

Anyone could see that the Empress Dowager intended to make Li Chen a puppet emperor so she could hold the court's power in her own hands.

Li Chen's mother had died of illness years earlier, and the Late Emperor had paid him little attention since childhood. On top of that, he was a homebody who rarely bothered leaving the palace, so he had no faction in court and a perfectly clean background.

He was practically the perfect puppet.

Today was the new emperor's first day on the throne, and undercurrents were already surging through the Imperial Court.

The various factions were preparing to seize this opportunity, using the new emperor to launch a sweeping purge of the Imperial Court, promote their own protégés and followers, and cement their positions.

But Li Chen did not seem particularly concerned about any of that, because at that very moment, his system had inexplicably finished loading.

An icy voice sounded in his mind.

[Congratulations, host, on successfully binding the Accumulation System. This system will help you improve your strength, build deep reserves before soaring forth, and reach the pinnacle of life as soon as possible!]

At that notification, Li Chen thought, Is this system here to crack jokes?

I've already cultivated to this world's maximum level. Where am I supposed to build reserves and soar to?

Why didn't you just wait until I was about to die?

If you'd activated a few years earlier, I wouldn't even bother cursing you.

While Li Chen was grumbling, the system began displaying another notification.

[Please accept your beginner gift package, host. This package has been tailored to you and can increase your cultivation.]

At that, Li Chen began to feel puzzled.

Unless he had cultivated incorrectly, he should already be at the maximum level.

Since the system had appeared, did that mean his current realm might not be the highest?

So he asked inwardly, "System, what's the highest realm you can help me reach?"

[This system can help the host reach the great perfection of the Saint Realm.]

"Then check what realm I'm at right now."

[After examination, the host's current realm is the great perfection of the Saint Realm.]

"Tell me again, what realm can you help me reach?"

[This system can help the host reach the great perfection of the Saint Realm.]

"Then what do I need you for?"

[This system can help the host reach the great perfection of the Saint Realm.]

Li Chen: "."

The heart Li Chen had held in suspense finally died altogether.

Fine, fine, fine. I thought you were telling me to accumulate strength, but it turns out you were the one spending all this time accumulating!

This Accumulation System certainly knew how to sit tight.

While Li Chen was staring blankly, the system had already issued his beginner gift package.

[Congratulations, host, on receiving Heaven-Grade Meridian-Stabilizing Pill ×10, "Nine Heavens Dragon Meridian Art" ×1.]

Heaven-Grade Meridian-Stabilizing Pill: With ten-thousand-year ice marrow as its primary ingredient and nine-turn spirit ginseng and azurefall cloud zhi as supporting ingredients, this pill is personally refined by a master of alchemy in a furnace blazing with spiritual fire. Using heart's blood as the guide and intent as the medium, the master precisely controls every minute fluctuation of the flames.

After a cultivator consumes it, it can awaken their potential and greatly improve their cultivation aptitude, giving even lowly cultivators of mediocre talent a chance to strive for higher realms.

Nine Heavens Dragon Meridian Art: Legend has it that the Dragon Vein Venerable created this supreme cultivation art above the Nine Heavens, observing the movement of the stars and comprehending the mysteries of dragon meridians. Practicing this art after consuming a Heaven-Grade Meridian-Stabilizing Pill can make a cultivator's meridians as resilient and indestructible as dragon meridians, with spiritual power as vast as the sea.

After reading those two descriptions, the corners of Li Chen's mouth twitched.

Calling the system useless would not be entirely fair. Everything it gave him was among the finest treasures in the world, pills and cultivation arts that countless Meridian Opening Realm cultivators dreamed of obtaining. Most importantly, they even came as a matching set.

The problem was that Li Chen had already reached the great perfection of the Saint Realm. He had absolutely no use for this stuff.

[Current world scan complete. Issuing mission.]

[First arrival in the imperial capital.]

[Time-limited mission: Challenge a higher realm.]

[After gathering strength, the mighty challenge higher realms to reveal the bearing of a king!]

[Mission requirement: The host must defeat a Mid Meridian Opening Realm cultivator in the eastern part of the imperial capital. Time limit: 14 days.]

[Failure penalty: Height reduced by 10 centimeters.]

"Wait, that failure penalty is a little bizarre, hey!"

"No, I should be complaining about this higher-realm challenge. I'm at the great perfection of the Saint Realm, and you're telling me to fight someone at the Mid Meridian Opening Realm? I'm a full eight major realms above him. Am I challenging someone above my realm, or is he challenging someone above his?"

After all his complaining, the system went back to quietly accumulating and did not answer at all.

But the mission countdown had already begun. If he failed to complete it within fourteen days, things would get rather troublesome.

Li Chen felt that if he failed a few missions, he would end up a gnome.

Who knew who had dreamed up such a rotten penalty?

Still, after thinking it over carefully, if he had unlocked the system when he first arrived in this world, while he was still very young...

With these pills, this cultivation art, and his own talent and comprehension, he really could have challenged a Mid Meridian Opening Realm "expert" within fourteen days.

He would undoubtedly have made a huge splash in the imperial capital, earned the Late Emperor's appreciation, and embarked on a life as a monstrous prodigy!

But the problem was that the Late Emperor was already dead. Who was supposed to appreciate him now? Was he supposed to burn spirit money to let the Late Emperor know?

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

Just as Li Chen's thoughts wandered beyond the ninth heaven, the imperial censor-in-chief's voice pulled him back to the Imperial Court.

Seeing every civil and military official's gaze fixed on him, Li Chen finally remembered that he seemed to be the emperor.

And this was his first day attending morning court.

"What is it? Is morning court over?"

As he spoke, Li Chen yawned and started to rise to leave.

He hated eight-in-the-morning starts more than anything. Back when he was a prince, he had always slept until he woke naturally.

Nobody had told him that being emperor meant getting up this early. Had he known, he would have refused the job.

All Li Chen could think about now was getting off work early, going back for another nap, and finding some time afterward to finish the mission.

The sight stunned every official in the court.

Just moments ago, the Imperial Court had been locked in a furious uproar. The factions hurled accusations at one another and even exposed all kinds of explosive scandals, as though determined to drive their opponents to their deaths.

The exchanges had grown so heated that some ministers were red-faced and struggling to catch their breath.

Everyone had thought the new emperor possessed remarkable composure, sitting so calmly on the dragon throne.

Now it seemed he had simply been daydreaming. He had not heard a word of what the ministers were arguing about.

The imperial censor-in-chief was especially furious. In his eyes, this sixth prince was utterly ignorant and incompetent!

The imperial censor-in-chief was responsible for supervising the officials, investigating wrongdoing, and upholding the court's laws and discipline.

He was one of the court's few loyal ministers. So long as the new emperor displayed authority and sought to consolidate his throne, he would support him with all his strength.

In their hearts, these loyal ministers had hoped that Li Chen was a hidden dragon.

Now, Li Chen's behavior had left the imperial censor-in-chief utterly disappointed.

The imperial censor-in-chief still regarded Li Chen as the sixth prince rather than the emperor.

Deep down, he did not acknowledge Li Chen at all.

Just then, a gentle yet majestic voice sounded from behind the curtain.

"Since Your Majesty is weary, return to your chambers and rest for now. I shall discuss affairs of state with the ministers."