Famous Throughout the World, The Emperor's Ambition

After the Four Seas Sage left, Jiang Changsheng fell into thought.

He was wondering what was entangling the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower.

And what was the Manifest Saint Grotto-heaven that the Four Seas Sage spoke of, and how many unknown experts were hidden there?

Jiang Changsheng estimated that the Universe Realm should be the next realm after the Golden Body Realm. The Dao Follows Nature Skill breaking through one level meant a difference of two major realms in martial arts, which was already exaggerated, and it was impossible for there to be more.

Martial arts realms should be divided into Third-rate, Second-rate, First-rate, True Essence, Spiritual Sense, Heavenly Connection, God Heart, Divine Human, Golden Body, and Universe!

The Great Vehicle Dragon Tower should have Divine Humans, but not many, and the strongest in the Four Seas Sage's perception should be the Golden Body Realm, while Jiang Changsheng was the even stronger Universe Realm.

So, was he invincible?

No, he was only invincible on this regional map, he couldn't be too arrogant.

Jiang Changsheng thought silently, relaxing a lot. Being strong didn't mean being reckless, and being cautious didn't mean being overly fearful. It was good to live comfortably in his own environment.

Huang Chuan came over, excitedly asking, "Master, what realm is Divine Human? Is Divine Human above Heavenly Connection?"

He had remembered everything the Four Seas Sage had said.

The wider world and higher realms filled him with longing.

Jiang Changsheng smiled and said, "Above Heavenly Connection is the God Heart Realm, and above that is Divine Human. Xu Tianji is in the God Heart Realm."

"Then you are a Divine Human!"

Huang Chuan said with a face full of admiration, and Jiang Changsheng did not deny it.

The news of the Four Seas Sage being scared away did not spread in the martial world, because the name of the Four Seas Sage was already unknown in the martial world, and only a few people had heard of it.

Days passed.

In the autumn season, the trees on the mountain turned yellow.

On this day, Meng Qiushuang came to visit Jiang Changsheng.

"Daoist, it's time to prepare to choose the next Eldest Disciple."

Meng Qiushuang said with worry. The once vibrant Eldest Sister was now entering old age. Although she maintained herself well, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and on her hands could not be hidden.

People got old, and they got tired, and their energy couldn't keep up.

Jiang Changsheng pondered and said, "What about Wan Li?"

Meng Qiushuang nodded and said, "That's fine, but Daoist must also think about the next successor, and it's time to select a young disciple from Dragon Arising Temple to cultivate by your side."

Jiang Changsheng was a martial arts myth, but the three disciples under him were not pure disciples of Dragon Arising Temple. Ping An followed Prince Wei down the mountain, and Huang Chuan's relationship with the other disciples was not so good, always immersed in martial arts. Such a temperament made it difficult to become the Eldest Disciple in charge of Dragon Arising Temple.

After hearing this, Jiang Changsheng said, "There is reason in what you say. In the next few days, I will select another disciple."

Meng Qiushuang smiled, and then began to reminisce with Jiang Changsheng, talking about things from her childhood. Jiang Changsheng also liked to listen, people loved to miss the past when they got old.

In the third year of Zhenyu, Prince Wei led 100,000 iron cavalry to the northern border, defeating the Jin Dynasty's 300,000 troops with 100,000 troops, shocking the world. Under his command was a fierce general who was even more famous in the Jin Dynasty, his name was Ping An, who killed 8,000 enemies with his own strength, which could be called a demon god in the world. This record spread throughout the Thirteen Provinces, and it was also unbelievable to the Jing Dynasty.

Most people thought it was a rumor, this record was too exaggerated.

In April, Prince Wei launched a surprise attack on Can Province, sweeping through the fifteen thousand strong army of Gu Han, chasing and killing them for days, wiping out all the Gu Han soldiers, and Can Province returned to the hands of Great Jing!

The successive victories excited the people of Great Jing. Could it really be happening?

For a time, legends about Prince Wei began to spread, such as him being born with three eyes, the reincarnation of the Golden Winged Great Peng Bird, a disciple of a martial arts myth, and so on, making Prince Wei's image in the hearts of the Great Jing people even taller.

The rise of Prince Wei also put enormous pressure on the Crown Prince and other princes. The Emperor had no choice but to send more troops to support the Crown Prince, as he was also worried that Prince Wei would become too powerful, thereby affecting the Crown Prince's position.

Inside the imperial palace, within the imperial study.

Jiang Yu was processing memorials when a White-Clothed Guard entered, kneeling before the desk, and began to report intelligence. Jiang Yu frowned after listening.

"Ping An, Xu Tianji... Dragon Arising Temple is truly sparing no effort... His army was recruited by the Yang Family?"

Jiang Yu frowned, his fingers tapping on the desk, seemingly pondering something.

He never expected Prince Wei to rise. Before, he thought that Jiang Changsheng had taken in Prince Wei only out of imperial power, having no choice but to accept him. He didn't expect that they would establish such a deep relationship.

The White-Clothed Guard said, "Not only the Yang Family, but also the Chen Family."

Jiang Yu's frown deepened. Before he ascended the throne, these two families had already moved their families to the south, leaving only high-ranking officials in Jing City. If he were to move against the ministers of these two families now, they would likely rise from the south, which would threaten his imperial power.

He looked at Gui Liu, the leader of the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins standing beside him, and asked, "In your opinion, what should be done?"

Gui Liu's eyes flickered, and he said, "The Yang Family, the Chen Family, and Dragon Arising Temple all support Prince Wei, their intentions are clear. However, the Yang Family and the Chen Family have already withdrawn from Jing City, only Dragon Arising Temple has not. Your Majesty, this is worth being cautious about."

Jiang Yu wasn't stupid. He asked in a deep voice, "Are you saying that Dragon Arising Temple is a knife that will stab I (imperial) at any time?"

Gui Liu said, "If Your Majesty does not move against the two families and does not directly suppress Prince Wei, Dragon Arising Temple will definitely not act. But... Dragon Arising Temple was established by imperial power after all, and they know the struggles for imperial power well. Their choice means they also know they cannot fail."

Jiang Yu fell into deep thought.

He looked at the White-Clothed Guard in front of him and said, "Retreat for now, continue to keep an eye on Prince Wei."

"Yes!"

The White-Clothed Guard quickly left.

Jiang Yu stood up and paced back and forth in the imperial study.

Gui Liu spoke again, "Your Majesty, directly dealing with the Martial Arts Supreme is inappropriate. For now, this subordinate has a plan, which is to summon Prince Qin back to Jing City. When Prince Qin returns, Zong Tianwu will definitely return. If Your Majesty absorbs Zong Tianwu's power, and we assist Your Majesty in capturing the Martial Arts Supreme, then Your Majesty's power will reach an unprecedented height. Your Majesty can even personally lead the expedition and create unparalleled achievements that the late Emperor never created."

Hearing this, Jiang Yu stopped and his eyes lit up, saying, "That's a good idea, and we can get rid of Prince Qin at the same time."

Jiang Yu's existence was always a thorn in Jiang Yu's side. If it weren't for the fact that the country was in a time of crisis, Jiang Yu would have had many ways to get rid of Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu frowned and said, "Can we really take down Zong Tianwu?"

Zong Tianwu, the former Martial Arts Supreme, fought against the three Grandmasters of Gu Han alone and never lost. As the Emperor, Jiang Yu knew this person's achievements best.

Gui Liu said, "Dragon Tower is about to send a Venerable here. This Venerable is an unparalleled expert above the Heavenly Connection Realm. With Your Majesty and us, Zong Tianwu will have no way to escape!"

Jiang Yu's eyes were cold as he snorted, "Then I (imperial) will summon them back, using the excuse of paying respects to the Empress Dowager."

In the courtyard, Jiang Changsheng was circulating his energy while watching the sparring between two people in front of him. One was Huang Chuan, and the other was a new disciple Jiang Changsheng had taken in, an orphan brought back by Wan Li during his travels in the martial world, named Ling Xiao. He was only eleven years old now, but he had already shown good martial arts talent.

Huang Chuan didn't use his true qi, relying entirely on his fist and foot techniques to spar with Ling Xiao. Even though he was seven years older than Ling Xiao, his fist and foot techniques didn't completely suppress Ling Xiao.

At any rate, Ling Xiao was selected by Jiang Changsheng from among the more than two hundred disciples of the Dragon Arising Temple for his outstanding aptitude. Of course, Huang Chuan also held back.

Huang Chuan repelled Ling Xiao and, seeing that he was already panting, smiled and said, "Let's stop here, Junior Brother. You were almost about to defeat me. You're really amazing."

Ling Xiao's face was flushed, whether from exhaustion or shyness. He shook his head and said, "How is that possible? Senior Brother, don't comfort me. I know my capabilities. If Senior Brother were serious, he could defeat me with one move."

Huang Chuan smiled. He suddenly thought of what his master had said before, that he was almost able to touch his master. Could it be...

He couldn't help but look at Jiang Changsheng, only to see Jiang Changsheng looking at them, which frightened him into withdrawing his gaze.

Jiang Changsheng said, "Ling Xiao, apart from external skills, internal strength is the foundation. Now that you don't have to listen to the Dao, you must seize the time to practice. When you come of age, you will have to take on the responsibility of teaching other disciples."

Ling Xiao nodded quickly, feeling very uneasy.

He had been under Jiang Changsheng's tutelage for some time, but he was still very nervous. Fortunately, Huang Chuan was cheerful and took him along.

At this moment, Eunuch Li ran in.

Although Eunuch Li had joined the Dragon Arising Temple, he often traveled around Jing City, helping the Dragon Arising Temple manage various grain, medicinal material, and other businesses. He was also cultivating his connections.

Seeing Eunuch Li's arrival, Huang Chuan tactfully took Ling Xiao away from the courtyard. Wang Chen and White Dragon were also absent; they were in the back mountain helping to collect ripe medicinal herbs.

Eunuch Li came to Jiang Changsheng and whispered, "The Emperor has summoned Prince Qin back to Jing City, using the excuse of paying respects to the Empress Dowager, but there is no tomb of the Empress Dowager in the imperial mausoleum."

Jiang Changsheng narrowed his eyes and said, "You mean the Emperor wants to attack Prince Qin?"

Eunuch Li nodded and said, "Recently, princes have been dying one after another. I suspect it is the Emperor's doing. Prince Qin is the biggest threat to him on the surface, and with Zong Tianwu's help, he must be eliminated."

Jiang Changsheng remained silent.

Eunuch Li bowed and then turned to leave.

Jiang Changsheng's gaze shifted to a tombstone behind the courtyard, and he sighed softly.

In the mountains and fields, two figures were riding horses along an official road. They were Jiang Yu and Zong Tianwu, who had changed into plain clothes and were not wearing armor.

Zong Tianwu, with his full head of white hair, frowned and said, "Your Highness, this trip to Jing City is likely to be a dragon's den and a tiger's lair."

Jiang Yu looked ahead and said, "This Prince naturally knows, but this Prince did not return when Father Emperor passed away, and this Prince still did not return when Mother Consort fell ill. This Prince cannot miss it again."

Zong Tianwu sighed.

"After this is over, you should return to your sect. Although this Prince is very unhappy with the current Emperor, he has indeed given birth to a good son. Prince Wei is stronger than me," Jiang Yu said with emotion.

Zong Tianwu frowned and said, "Prince Wei is indeed young and promising, and very courageous, but Your Highness, if you really don't compete, there will only be a dead end."

The struggle for imperial power is not something one can give up if one wants to.

Jiang Yu said, "If I can leave alive, then I will retire and return to the countryside, becoming a wandering martial arts hero, traveling the world, which would be a joyful life."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yu reined in his horse, and Zong Tianwu did the same.

A figure appeared on the road ahead. The person was wearing a purple-red long robe, with long hair coiled under a snake-head jade crown. His face was stern, and with each step he took, black gas rose beneath his feet, as if he had come from the Nine Netherworlds.

Zong Tianwu frowned and said, "The opponent is very strong, no less than a Grandmaster."

He was secretly puzzled. When did such an unparalleled expert emerge in the Great Jing martial world? He had never seen him before.

"Martial Arts Supreme, Zong Tianwu, meeting you today, your reputation is well-deserved. I am Yanshe, you can call me Yanshe Venerable."

The other party said with a playful smile, his smile full of killing intent and sarcasm.

Zong Tianwu looked down at him and said, "Yanshe Venerable? An unknown person, you want to fight me alone?"

Yanshe Venerable smiled and said, "Since you look down on me, then I will satisfy you."

As soon as he finished speaking, figures leaped out of the surrounding woods from all directions, quickly approaching and surrounding Zong Tianwu and Jiang Yu.

The Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins!