Wei Yuan's backup plan (thanks to "Qing Ningzi" for the silver alliance)

Xu Qi'an's gaze lingered on the sandalwood brocade box, which was sealed by a force, its clear light faintly emanating from it.

He slowly reached out and placed his hand on the brocade box.

Zhao Shou's voice was deep as he said, "I must remind you, once you open this box, you're officially in the game."

Xu Qi'an said calmly, "I am already aware of this."

He immediately opened the box, and a chilling crimson hue filled his eyes. Inside the brocade box, a blood pill the size of a pigeon's egg lay quietly.

In the autumn wind, the surrounding grass and trees rustled and swayed. The withered branches outside the pavilion sprouted tender green buds, and the ground was covered with pointed grass tips. Insects crawled out of the ground and swarmed toward the pavilion in groups.

However, they were blocked outside the pavilion by a shimmering aura.

Xu Qi'an's lips moved slightly. "Blood Pill."

Zhao Shou nodded. "Before Wei Yuan left, he left some Blood Pills here. He and I have worked together to deduce that whether or not these Blood Pills are left or not will not affect the odds of winning in Jingshan City."

"Therefore, Wei Yuan gave me a portion of the Blood Pills for safekeeping. He said he would handle the battlefield against the Witch God Sect, while the battlefield in the capital would be left to Xu Qi'an."

At this point, Zhao Shou smiled, his voice gentle. "I asked him, what if Xu Qi'an couldn't advance to the fourth rank at that time? He didn't answer me. Now, seeing you, I understand how confident he was back then."

Duke Wei had already anticipated this. Xu Qi'an's eyes seemed to deepen for a moment as he looked down at the Blood Pill:

"If I swallow it, will I be able to advance to the third rank?"

Zhao Shou gave an affirmative answer, saying:

"The third rank is called the Undying Body. Ultimately, it is a life force far exceeding that of ordinary people. It can regenerate severed limbs, and as long as one does not die on the spot, any injury can be healed."

"The normal method of cultivation is to temper the body day after day. If it can be supplemented with heavenly materials and earthly treasures such as elixirs, that would be best. Through cultivation, the body undergoes a transformation, and the flesh and blood are filled with vitality."

"Of course, he has a shortcut: devouring Qi and Blood Qi and Blood catalyze the transformation of his physique, shedding his mortal body. The Prince of Zhenbei wanted to refine a blood pill to push his physique to the Great Perfection of the Third Rank, increasing his chances of advancing to the Second Rank."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly. He already knew that the Prince of Huai was refining the Blood Pill in preparation for absorbing the essence of his concubine.

The most crucial factor in advancing to the second rank is the princess's spiritual essence.

The Prince of Huai only wanted to increase the success rate, so he refined the Blood Pill and forcibly advanced to the Great Perfection of the Third Rank. From this, we can see that the core of the Third Rank realm is indeed the essence of life.

Zhao Shou lightly waved his sleeve, shattering the dense swarms of insects outside the pavilion into dust, and then said:

"Theoretically speaking, as long as one advances to the fourth rank, if one has enough powerful life essence, one can quickly advance to the third rank. But there are also failures. The blood pill is just a catalyst. What a fourth-rank martial artist needs to do is not to absorb it. If a mortal body absorbs such a huge amount of energy, it will only explode and die, just like those insects."

"The correct approach is to utilize its life energy to refine and stimulate the physical body, allowing it to undergo a transformation and transcend the mundane."

"Once your body undergoes a transformation and you reach the extraordinary realm, you can absorb the power of the Blood Pill to heal your injuries."

The Blood Pill serves as a stepping stone, using that life energy to break through the gate to the extraordinary. At that time, one will inevitably be on the verge of death, but will also gain the ability to absorb the essence of the Blood Pill, which can be used to restore one's condition and repair injuries. Xu Qi'an nodded. "That's not hard to understand."

"I've set up a protective barrier in the pavilion. You might as well advance your cultivation here. Even if you fail, I can save your life."

Zhao Shou's meaning was very straightforward: for a martial artist to take such an unorthodox path, failure means certain death, and the probability of failure is very high.

After Xu Qi'an inquired about the refining details, he grabbed the Blood Pill without hesitation and swallowed it.

Boom!

As soon as the blood pill entered his throat, he felt a warm current rush into his abdomen, and then his lower abdomen felt like it was about to explode.

Amidst the excruciating pain, Xu Qi'an saw the ground in front of him splattered with blood, realizing it wasn't an illusion; his abdomen had truly exploded.

Puff, puff, puff. Blood holes exploded one after another on his body—his chest, back, waist, and so on. He was like Great Devil King in a story, with knights stuffing explosives into him, his body gradually collapsing.

"Gather your focus and refine the blood pill."

Zhao Shou's voice seemed to contain some kind of power, allowing him to gather his chaotic thoughts and escape the confusion.

Xu Qi'an held his breath and concentrated, attempting to draw upon the chaotic and turbulent life essence within his body using the method of regulating his breathing.

But it was all useless. Wherever this life essence went, it brought destruction. Meridians broke, cells burst, and terrible wounds appeared, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading across his body.

"It's not about absorption, but about using this power to make my cells extraordinary, granting them immortality. But how can I revitalize these cells?"

As he watched his life slowly extinguished, an overwhelming fear welled up inside Xu Qi'an.

"Wait, this is the same way that Shenshu bestowed upon me my Essence Blood, the only difference being that Shenshu extinguished the willpower within the Essence Blood beforehand."

Xu Qi'an suddenly remembered that he was different from ordinary martial artists; he had twice absorbed the life essence of high-grade martial artists. If what the dean said was true, he should have died the first two times.

"Ordinary martial artists must undergo a transformation at the level of their life before they can absorb the power of the Blood Pill, but I have already done something similar, so I might as well try absorbing it directly."

With the dean's Law Follows Speech carrying divine power, his mind became clear. He used his will to control the life essence, making it less violent, while trying to absorb it and nourish his cells.

The annihilated cells are reborn and rejuvenated, then "die" again under the ravages of the Blood Pill's power, only to be reborn once more. With each annihilation and rebirth, the cells are tempered like ordinary iron.

Xu Qi'an was overjoyed. He did indeed possess the foundation to directly absorb the power of the Blood Pill; he was already a half-step extraordinary being. Under the protection of the Divine Power, his two previous experiences of absorbing Essence Blood laid a solid foundation for him.

Supervisor, is this also one of your gifts?

He couldn't help but recall what Shen Shu had said before: nurturing is a two-way street; it benefits both Shen Shu and him. The supervisor must understand this as well, right?

He had already paved the way for me?

Forcibly dispelling his fear and apprehension towards the old silver coin, he patiently absorbed the power of the Blood Pill.

Time passed slowly, and after an unknown amount of time, the last of the life essence was absorbed, and Xu Qi'an's wounds had long since healed.

His clothes were stained with blood, but his body was as clear and flawless as jade.

Zhao Shou squinted and smiled, "Congratulations to Xu Yinluo on your advancement to the third rank and entering the extraordinary realm."

The dean is a third-rank official, and so am I. I wonder if I can easily defeat him. Zhao Shou is at the peak of the third rank, just one step away from the second rank. Well then, that's all. Xu Qi'an respectfully returned the greeting.

"Thank you for your help, Dean."

Zhao Shou smiled and shook his head, "It wasn't me who helped you, it was Wei Yuan, it was..."

He glanced in the direction of the capital.

Xu Qi'an changed into clean and tidy clothes and went to the courtyard where his second uncle lived.

Lingyin and Lina were nowhere to be seen in the courtyard. Second Uncle and Xu Lingyue were sitting at the stone table drinking tea, while Aunt was squatting by the flower bed, loosening the soil and watering the flowers and plants.

"Master, the academy is truly amazing; the flowers here never fade throughout the four seasons. Erlang told me this before, but I didn't believe it."

"My aunt said sweetly."

Second Uncle Xu stood up in surprise, looking at his nephew who had entered the courtyard.

Even earlier than him was Xu Lingyue, who had just returned to her family. After the New Year, she would be the younger sister of a nineteen-year-old young woman, and her figure was becoming increasingly shapely and curvaceous.

"Big brother!"

Xu Lingyue choked up, her voice a mixture of sorrow and joy.

After Li Miaozhen returned to the capital, she came to the academy to tell Xu Qi'an the details: he was still seriously injured, unconscious, and almost died.

Second Uncle Xu breathed a sigh of relief.

The aunt turned her head and saw that her nephew was unharmed. Her face instantly brightened, but she quickly composed herself and pouted.

"Sir, I always said this kid's luck is both bad and tough, there's no need to worry about him unnecessarily."

Erlang's arrogance was inherited from his aunt.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Qi'an took out the prepared house deeds and land deeds and said:

"Second Uncle, I've bought a house in Jianzhou. Tomorrow at dawn, you should take your aunt and sisters with you and set off."

He left no money behind; the Xu Household is now wealthy and has no shortage of travel expenses and follow-up costs.

Furthermore, if something were to happen to him, someone would give his savings to Second Uncle Xu.

Second Uncle Xu opened his mouth, but didn't answer, looking intently at his nephew. "And you?"

Xu Qi'an said with a calm smile, "I have no way out."

Second Uncle Xu then took the house deed and land deed. "Okay."

He paused, then said in a low voice, "I can no longer interfere in your affairs. Your second uncle only regrets that he didn't see you get married. At least, at least you should have left a lineage for your elder brother's family, you unfilial dog."

He became agitated.

Forgive me for my unrestrained and freeloading lifestyle throughout my life. Xu Qi'an offers his sincerest apologies in his heart.

"I'll make arrangements for Erlang, so don't worry."

After Xu Qi'an finished speaking, he waved goodbye to his family.

[Part 1: That's roughly how it happened.]

In a private chat, Number One relayed the entire story to Chu Yuanzhen.

Yuan Jing was the one who killed Wei Yuan by colluding with the Witch God Cult. The late emperor wanted to characterize this battle as a failure, further undermining the destiny of the dynasty.

Chu Yuanzhen's mind was in complete chaos. He already knew some of this information, but he had only just heard about the late emperor's collusion with the Witch God Cult to kill Wei Yuan.

[Part 4: What should we do now?]

Huaiqing did not answer this question.

She didn't know that even someone as intelligent as the eldest princess felt somewhat lost and confused in the face of this situation.

In her view, this kind of matter should only be discussed with the Chief Supervisor, and only the Chief Supervisor could handle issues at this level.

[Four: It's so hard to accept, so hard to accept!]

Even through the book on the ground, one can feel Chu Yuanzhen's passionate scholarly spirit.

[Part 4: What is Xu Qi'an's opinion?]

[One: He asked me to ask you, "Can you return to the capital before dawn tomorrow?"]

Chu Yuanzhen was startled, but did not answer immediately. An unbelievable thought surged in his mind.

Just then, Xu Qi'an's message appeared in the Earth Book, not a private message, but a public one:

There are some things I'd like to talk to you all about.

Apart from Jinlian, who was in seclusion, and Numbers Seven and Eight, who were offline, the holders of the Earth Book fragments all took out their Earth Book fragments without prior agreement.

[Part Three: Regarding the late Emperor Joan of Arc's plans and objectives, I can now answer your questions.]

He... he's already figured out Joan of Arc's true purpose? He clearly just took a nap... Ah, as expected of you! Li Miaozhen's spirits lifted, filled with both anticipation and admiration.

"I haven't even processed the information Number One just shared!" Chu Yuanzhen's expression was complicated, his gaze fixed on the fragments of the Earth Book, afraid of missing any of the information that followed.

The late emperor's true purpose. Huaiqing took a deep breath, his heart pounding.

Master Hengyuan sat in meditation in a secluded forest somewhere in Clear Cloud Mountain, holding a fragment of the Earth Book and looking at it intently.

Even Lina realized the seriousness of the situation, she suppressed her thoughts and stared at the fragments of the Earth Book.

At that moment, Xu Qi'an told the chat group about his and Dean Zhao Shou's guesses in detail.

a bolt from the blue.

The holders of the Earth Book fragments remained silent for a long time.

The goal was to make Great Feng a vassal state of the Witch God Cult, thereby circumventing the rule that those blessed with good fortune could not live forever, and to make Da Feng the representative of the Witch God Cult in the Central Plains, thus becoming an emperor and ruler in another sense.

The ancestral lands were handed over to others; the late emperor was too deeply ensnared by evil.

Damn Joan of Arc, I want to stab her right now.

Although I didn't understand much of it, it sounded really impressive.

Amitabha.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society were greatly shocked. Some were angry, some were stunned, and some suddenly realized that all the clues had been connected.

[One: The late emperor has gone mad.]

Everyone has desires, but to disregard everything for desires to this extent can only mean that the late emperor was corrupted by the leader of the Earth Sect, became too deeply possessed by demons, and his obsession turned into demonic thoughts.

[Four: What I don't understand is, how can the Great Feng become a vassal state?]

Chu Yuanzhen's words sparked a heated discussion among the crowd.

[Part 1: The nation's fortunes are ruined, the world is in chaos, and the Witch God Cult seizes the opportunity to launch an invasion of the Central Plains?]

[Second: This possibility cannot be ruled out, but after Wei Yuan's sweeping conquest and the Battle of Yuyang Pass, the Witch God Sect suffered enormous losses. Even if the Great Feng falls into chaos, the Western Region Buddhist School will likely benefit the most.]

Hengyuan and Lina did not express their opinions; one was not good at analyzing these things, and the other simply lacked the intelligence to do so.

[Three: Joan of Arc will take further action; shaking the tide of fate is not the final step. What she does next is the most crucial. But I will not give her the chance.]

What are you planning to do?

Almost everyone sent this message at the same time.

Xu Qi'an remained silent for a long time before slowly writing:

[I will kill the king!]

Silence reigned amidst the fragments of the Earth Book.

Upon seeing the words "I will kill the emperor," everyone's hands trembled slightly.

Huaiqing's mind was in complete chaos.

Chu Yuanzhen was dissatisfied with Yuan Jing's cultivation of Daoism, so he resigned from his official post to practice swordsmanship and wander the world. Although his words and attitudes expressed his dissatisfaction and disdain for Yuan Jing.

But he never considered the word "regicide".

Living in this era, whether we admit it or not, our thoughts are influenced by concepts such as "ruler and subject, father and son" and "if the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die."

King murder was something he never even considered.

Li Miaozhen was a holy woman of the Heavenly Sect. Although she had not received Confucian School education, she lived in the same era and knew the concept and meaning of the word "monarch".

When she said she wanted to stab Yuan Jing to death, it was mostly just to vent her emotions.

[Three: When people are immoral, Heaven punishes them. When rulers are immoral, I punish them. Gentlemen, are you willing to help me?]

Xu Ningyan is truly a lawless brute. The crowd was filled with turmoil.

[Two: Okay.]

[Four: Okay.]

[Five: Okay.]

[Six: Okay.]

After a long wait, a message finally arrived from Number One: [Okay.]

[Three: Master Jinlian, what do you say?]

After waiting a while and not receiving a reply from Daoist Jinlian, Xu Qi'an felt relieved and sent a message: [I will explain the plan to you in detail.]