You Didn't Have to Go This Far Just to See Me!

Anyone familiar with Heaven-Topping High Person knew that this expression meant he already had a well-considered plan.

In truth, Heaven-Topping High Person wanted Li Xian to become emperor more than anyone else did.

Because if Li Xian became emperor, he would become the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty's imperial preceptor.

His status would naturally rise another notch.

For all the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect's lofty standing in the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty and its multitude of disciples,

when it came down to it, it was merely an illegal private organization.

If Li Xian became emperor, wouldn't the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect finally gain legitimate status?

It would directly become a major power officially recognized by the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.

Heaven-Topping High Person would then truly savor the feeling of standing above imperial authority.

Few people could resist the temptation of trampling an emperor underfoot.

Master Yu was one of them. Despite his extensive learning and his awareness that it was not quite right, the thrill had left him unable to stop.

Of course, he had also taken a very hard fall.

Wasn't Heaven-Topping High Person dragging things out for a few days precisely to make Li Xian bow even lower?

You ask me to go, and I go immediately? Wouldn't that make me look far too easy to persuade?

To put it plainly, he wanted Li Xian to beg him a few more times, so that after becoming emperor, Li Xian would know exactly who had given him his throne.

"So that's it. This really would benefit our sect more." Orchid Fairy finally understood what her cultivation partner was thinking.

She had always known that Heaven-Topping High Person hid his schemes deep and would never act rashly before thinking everything through.

Orchid Fairy cared a great deal for Li Xian, but she would certainly judge any course of action from the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect's perspective.

That was the lot of those who belonged to a sect.

"Good, as long as you understand. If I kill the emperor, my reputation will certainly suffer. Naturally, what we should do is find a way to control the new emperor and have him willingly pass the throne to Xian. That will make Xian recognize the debt he owes us without saddling us with infamy. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Heaven-Topping High Person's plan was ruthless. Even if everyone suspected they were behind it, there would be no evidence.

At most, Li Xian would be the one taking the abuse. None of it could be pinned on him.

As he spoke, Heaven-Topping High Person took out a treasure.

This was a divine object he had seized after defeating an Extraterrestrial Demon years ago. As long as he implanted it in the emperor's body, the emperor would be his to command.

Back then, that Extraterrestrial Demon had used this object to control a human Saint Realm expert and make him stab his allies in the back, nearly wiping them all out.

The tools of Extraterrestrial Demons were forbidden objects on this continent.

Forbidden or not, it would be fine as long as no one found out.

Besides, someone at Heaven-Topping High Person's level was already beyond the reach of the rules. Those rules had been made by people like him in the first place.

"It took me a full twenty years to refine it!"

Heaven-Topping High Person gazed at the fine needle in his hand, his eyes brimming with obsession.

The reason he had spent all these years in seclusion was that he had been working on this needle.

Orchid Fairy did not particularly like this approach, but for the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect's sake, she had no choice but to go along with it.

Noticing that Heaven-Topping High Person looked somewhat worn, Orchid Fairy wanted to share his burden. With a serious expression, she said, "Husband, you haven't recovered yet. I'll take this divine object and deal with that little emperor. You can stay in the sect and wait for good news."

Everyone knew that Heaven-Topping High Person was in the Saint Realm, but the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect's most deeply concealed strength was Orchid Fairy.

She had always presented herself as being at the peak of the Heavenly Abyss Realm, but she had actually broken through to the Saint Realm long ago.

Although she was not as powerful as Heaven-Topping High Person, she was stronger than an ordinary Saint Realm expert.

She kept it hidden out of concern that the other sects would become overly wary.

Many sects did not have even one Saint Realm expert. Wouldn't two Saints in a single sect force their enemies to band together?

Hearing that his wife wanted to deal with the emperor alone, Heaven-Topping High Person hurriedly put the object away and spoke sternly.

"It's not that I don't trust you. There is more than one Saint Realm expert in the Imperial Capital. That emperor may have only just reached the Saint Realm, but that doesn't mean the others have too. I'm doing this for your own good."

Heaven-Topping High Person was no fool. Everything would be fine if nothing went wrong, but if it did, wouldn't he be handing his voluptuous, alluring wife over to someone else for nothing?

He did not even dare imagine what would happen to his wife if she fell into enemy hands.

The risk of Orchid Fairy going to the Imperial Capital alone was simply too great, so Heaven-Topping High Person proposed that they go together.

With two against one, surely their opponent couldn't turn the tables and kill them instead?

Orchid Fairy felt a little unconvinced, but she also thought Heaven-Topping High Person's concerns had merit. She agreed to wait until he had recovered to his best condition before setting out for the Imperial Capital.

Their opponent was a newly advanced Saint Realm expert. Even if he was only in the early stage, they could not afford to be careless.

With their discussion more or less finished, Heaven-Topping High Person returned to seclusion to restore his condition.

Orchid Fairy relayed the news to Li Xian, simply telling him that Heaven-Topping High Person would expend his life force to use the sect's forbidden technique to control Li Chen, cloud his mind, and make him pass the throne to Li Xian.

The reason she described it as "expending his life force" was to make Li Xian feel profoundly grateful.

Orchid Fairy said nothing about the rest.

At that moment, Li Xian leaped for joy, completely releasing the emotions he had suppressed for days!

"Sixth Brother, just you wait! I'll take back everything I've lost!"

For a fleeting moment, he felt as though he was already sitting on the dragon throne, the emperor who stood above all others.

Had Li Chen known what he was thinking, he would certainly have said, "Have you ever been emperor? How can you claim you lost it?"

Meanwhile, the information Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan received concerned the change in Li Xian's expression at the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect.

Second Prince Li Xian, who had worn a dark expression all day, was suddenly overjoyed. Didn't that mean his master had most likely agreed to help him seize the throne?

Otherwise, he would not have been so happy.

A Saint Realm expert coming to the Imperial Capital was no small matter.

Zhao Wenyuan was not in the Saint Realm, nor did he have any Saint Realm subordinates, but he did happen to know someone who was.

That person was none other than Master Yu of Cloud Deer Academy.

Zhao Wenyuan and Master Yu were old friends of many years. As long as he appealed to their friendship and laid out the reasoning, Master Yu would most likely lend a hand.

He had heard that Li Chen had also been invited to Cloud Deer Academy's twentieth anniversary celebration.

In Zhao Wenyuan's imagination, Li Chen and Master Yu should have been drinking and chatting merrily at the Star-Gazing Tower, looking as though they regretted not meeting sooner.

At this point, Zhao Wenyuan clearly did not yet know that Li Chen had already made Master Yu kneel, though the news would soon reach his ears.

Within the inner palace, Li Chen felt little excitement over Master Yu's kneeling or the adulation of the literary greats and students.

In Li Chen's view, wasn't that simply what these people ought to do when they saw him?

I should yield just to keep things stable? Why should I!

Just see whether they're afraid to die, and that's that!

Still, without attending morning court or having to listen to those officials yammer on, Li Chen was in a fairly good mood.

When he returned to his bedchamber, he found Li Sining sitting to one side, meditating and cultivating.

Ever since returning last time, Li Sining seemed to have settled in and refused to leave, claiming that cultivating here increased her speed.

Li Chen wanted to argue, but he could find no grounds to do so. After all, he cultivated here too.

Still, Li Chen truly had no intention of driving her away. Who would refuse to keep such a sweet, pretty younger sister by his side?

The heaven-grade pills countless people dreamed of obtaining had been casually placed on a plate beside Li Sining. At first glance, they looked like snacks.

The Nine Heavens Dragon Meridian Art rested on top of her head, giving the impression that knowledge was being poured straight into her brain.

Li Chen remembered that he had never taught her to do that.

Seeing that Li Sining was cultivating in seclusion, Li Chen did not disturb her and prepared to go elsewhere.

But just then, Li Sining's eyelashes trembled slightly. As though sensing Li Chen's return, she forcibly roused herself from seclusion.

Coughing up blood as she ran over, she said in the sweetest voice, "Brother, you're finally back!"

Li Chen: "..."

You didn't have to go this far just to see me!