The Great Cang Emperor!

The capital city of the Great Cang Dynasty, Heavenly Capital.

The night was as dark as ink, and the stars were hidden.

The towering city wall, reaching a height of fifteen zhang, resembles a giant black dragon lying prostrate on the plain, silently guarding this pinnacle of secular power.

The surface of the city wall shimmered with a faint light, forming a vast legal net covering the entire city.

It has both protective and monitoring functions.

Qi Yun atop a desolate hill ten miles outside the city, gazing at the colossal city prostrate in the darkness.

The armor of the patrolling guards reflected the scattered lights, like scales moving on the back of a dragon.

The solemn sounds of bells and drums, announcing the time, could be faintly heard from within the city, drifting in the quiet night breeze.

"The Formation Art in this secular imperial city are quite interesting."

Qi Yun muttered to himself, "This Formation Art is far inferior to the top sect formations in the Xuanhuang Realm."

But its advantage lies in its grand scale, its connection to the earth's ley lines and dragon energy, and the fact that it contains a trace of—

A unique power similar to the destiny of a dynasty, which is particularly effective in suppressing Divine Soul detection and concealment Law Technique.

However, compared to experts in Formation Art, his skills were still too rudimentary.

Arriving at the foot of the city with a leisurely stroll, Qi Yun walked casually, each step landing precisely in a blind spot of the Formation Art's nodes.

They walked into the heavily guarded imperial city without any real ceremony.

The view before me suddenly opened up.

The city's streets are crisscrossed and paved with white jade slabs, wide enough for ten horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side.

The buildings on both sides are lined up one after another, with flying eaves and brackets, and are magnificent. Even at night, many pavilions are still brightly lit, showing the prosperity and cultural heritage of the capital.

Qi Yun did not stop. Based on the layout map of the imperial city obtained from Zhao Yuanzhen's memory, he quickly moved through the shadows of buildings, the dark corners of eaves, and the blind spots of the patrolling guards.

The journey was unimpeded, leading directly to the heart of the imperial city – the Imperial Palace.

The defenses of the imperial palace were another layer of protection altogether.

Within the high walls, the Formation Art's light was noticeably more solid, and the patrolling guards possessed at least the "Out-of-Body" realm aura, while the leaders included many experts at the "Night Wandering" or even "Manifestation" realms.

Hidden in the shadows are layers upon layers of Formation Art traps and warning restrictions.

But all of this was rendered useless by Qi Yun's Divine Soul, which was comparable to the "Yin Spirit" realm.

A moment later, he arrived at the Hall of Hall of Diligent Governance, a palace located slightly north of the central axis of the imperial palace. It was not the most magnificent, but it possessed a profound and dignified aura.

The palace was heavily guarded, with no fewer than twenty sentries, both visible and hidden, and several subtle yet powerful Divine Soul fluctuations swirled around the palace as a watchful watch.

Qi Yun landed silently on the glazed tiles on one side of the palace, like a weightless feather.

He bent down, his finger lightly touching the tile, and a wisp of extremely subtle Divine Sense seeped down along the building structure, instantly taking in the entire scene inside the hall.

The hall was brightly lit, but only three lamps were burning eternally, casting a slightly dim, yellowish light.

Behind the sandalwood dragon table sat a middle-aged man dressed in bright yellow casual clothes, without a crown.

The man was about forty years old, with eyebrows that reached his temples, a high nose bridge, tightly pursed lips, and deep, calm eyes. He was deep in thought, staring at a huge and extremely complex astrological chart spread out on the table.

There was no powerful Law Power emanating from him.

But he possesses a dignified and composed demeanor, as if he has long held a position of power and authority.

There was also a strange feeling that it was subtly connected to the fortune of the entire palace and even the imperial city.

Zhao Xuanji, the current emperor of the Great Cang Dynasty.

At that moment, the emperor's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on a certain spot on the star map.

There was a scarlet symbol marked there, with the small text next to it reading, "Unusual movements in Yunmeng, stellar orbit shifts, the Jiazi year is approaching."

"Your Majesty has a refined taste; he is still observing the stars and divining the future late into the night."

A calm and composed young voice suddenly rang out inside the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Zhao Xuanji's fingers, which were tapping the star chart, suddenly froze. His gaze flashed like lightning as he instantly swept towards the source of the sound.

In front of the dragon table, there was an area that should have been completely empty.

Before anyone knew it, another figure had appeared there.

He wore a dark blue Daoist robe, had an ordinary face, and stood with his hands behind his back, calmly looking back at him with deep, unfathomable eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow.

"Who goes there?!"

Zhao Xuanji gave a low, deep shout.

He did not call out to the guards. The being who could silently break through the palace's heavy guards and appear directly in front of him was definitely not someone that the guards outside could handle.

At the same time, deep within his Purple Mansion, an incomparably powerful divine Divine Soul force instantly rose up, and a faint golden dragon-shaped phantom flashed by, resonating with a certain power within the palace and even the entire imperial city.

"Someone who can help you."

Qi Yun's voice remained calm.

Ignoring Zhao Xuanji's readiness and the imperial fortune he was stirring up, he glanced at the star chart on the dragon table and smiled slightly, "It seems that His Majesty is quite concerned about the 'Jiazi date' and the Cloud Dream Great Marsh '."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanji narrowed his eyes slightly.

Has the Waking of Insects Plan been leaked?

"Who exactly are you? What do you want?!" Zhao Xuanji's voice was icy, and the pale golden dragon shadow around him became clearer, faintly emitting a low dragon roar.

As the emperor of a dynasty.

Even though the most crucial secrets had been leaked, Zhao Xuanji remained calm and restrained.

"Who I am is unimportant." Qi Yun took a small step forward.

This step, however, seemed to strike at the very heartbeat of Zhao Xuanji, causing his momentum to falter slightly.

"The important thing is, I know about the Waking of Insects Plan," I know what you want to do, and I also know—

Based on your current preparations...

The chances of success are extremely slim.

He paused, then looked directly into Zhao Xuanji's eyes, which were filled with shock and a chilling killing intent. "But, I can help you."

"Help me?" Zhao Xuanji laughed angrily, but a deep scrutiny flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Your Excellency has been hiding and sneaking around the Forbidden City, spying on top secrets, and now you think you can make me believe you with a casual 'I'll help you'?"

Does Your Excellency perhaps believe that the Great Cang royal family is a pushover to be easily manipulated?

Believe it or not, it's up to you.

Qi Yun's tone remained calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

I'll only say three things.

"First, the Jiazi period you predicted will occur on the night of [Mars guarding the heart and Greedy Wolf shifting position], which will be seventy-nine days from now."

But you overlooked the [Tianyuan Palace Collapse] that occurred at the same time.

The optimal window for taking action is actually less than three hours.

And it's twelve hours earlier than what you predicted."

Zhao Xuanji's pupils contracted.

Not only did the other party know the plan, but they also had a thorough understanding of even the most crucial details of the deduction, which even he only vaguely sensed, and even pointed out oversights that they had not noticed?!

"Secondly, more than 70% of the [Heaven-Deceiving Grand Formation] deep within the Cloud Dream Great Marsh Swamp has been destroyed—" Qi Yun continued, and with each sentence, Zhao Xuanji's expression changed.

"However, the activation method you currently possess has three flaws. Forcing it open would be extremely dangerous, with a near-certain death rate, and would prematurely alert the Heaven's Will."

"Third----"

Qi Yun looked at Zhao Xuanji, whose expression had become serious, and slowly uttered the last sentence, which was also the most impactful. "What your plan lacks most is not resources, manpower, or even intelligence."

Rather, it is a being powerful enough to directly restrain, or even briefly resist, the manifestation of [Heaven's Will]'s power.

To buy you that crucial execution time.

"And I," Qi Yun pointed to himself, his gaze calm yet sharp as a knife, "Can be the one to stand against Heaven's Will for you."

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

There was only the occasional soft popping sound of the lamp's flame crackling.

Zhao Xuanji stared intently at Qi Yun, his chest heaving slightly.

The other person's words struck his heart like a heavy hammer.

Especially the last point – a "variable" that can positively restrain the will of Heaven's Will.

This was exactly the kind of help they had dreamed of but dared not even hope for!

But, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"The price." Zhao Xuanji finally spoke again, his voice much hoarse, the killing intent and vigilance lessened, replaced by an extremely solemn scrutiny and the calm of a negotiator.

"What do you want from my help?"

Imperial Treasury?

Supreme authority?

Or is it—the fate of my Great Cang nation?

"I have absolutely no interest in your power or the fate of your nation," Qi Yun shook his head. "I only want two things."

"Explain."

"First, everything within the Cloud Dream Great Marsh is under my control."

You must not interfere and must provide all information you possess regarding this location.

Zhao Xuanji frowned deeply. "That Heaven-Deceiving Grand Formation cannot be activated by just one or two people; it was built with the combined efforts of an entire dynasty, requiring—"

"That's my business," Qi Yun interrupted. "I won't interfere with your plan to use it to weaken the will of Heaven's Will."

Instead, I will make sure it is successfully triggered at the crucial moment.

But I have other uses for this thing.

Zhao Xuanji pondered. The conditions were harsh, but compared to the success or failure of the entire plan, they were acceptable. After all, no matter how important the [Heaven-Deceiving Grand Formation] was, it was only one part of the plan, and they did not have complete control over it.

"And the second one?"

"Second—" Qi Yun's gaze deepened, "After this is accomplished, I want you to use all your resources to help me find something."

That item is completely useless to you, and it can greatly weaken [Heaven's Will].

"What is it?" Zhao Xuanji asked, puzzled. The request was somewhat vague.

He quickly weighed the options in his mind.

The opponent's strength is unfathomable. He was able to infiltrate the palace silently and learn top secrets. His understanding of the will of Heaven's Will and the universe, as revealed in his conversation, far surpasses the accumulated knowledge of the Great Cang royal family over the generations.

If we can get their help, especially the promise of "positively restraining the Heaven's Will".

This will undoubtedly greatly increase the success rate of the "Waking of Insects Plan"!

It could even change the entire course of the plan.

What the other party mainly asked for was the Cloud Dream Great Marsh and to help him find something.

These two things are precious.

But compared to fighting for a free and liberated future for the common people, and securing an unshakeable foundation for the Zhao imperial family—these are completely negligible.

The risk lies in the fact that this person's origins are unclear, their motives may not be pure, they might be inviting trouble, or even turning against you at a crucial moment.

But—if what he said is true.

Their years of preparation could very well end in utter failure.

Zhao Xuanji slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, all the hesitation, surprise, and struggle had vanished.

All that remains is the decisiveness and coldness of an emperor.

"I can grant your request," he said, enunciating each word clearly, "But I need to see your sincerity and ability."

"It's very simple."

Qi Yun seemed to have anticipated this.

"I can help you revise the action plan for Cloud Dream Great Marsh first."

In return, I demand that you immediately open all written records in the Royal Treasury for my review.

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, before the plan is finally launched, I need a completely safe place, undetected by the Heaven's Will, to do some—preparations."

I think you should have places like this, right?

Zhao Xuanji's eyes flickered, and finally, he slowly nodded.

"Can."

A single word carries immense weight.

A peculiar collaboration spanning the world, involving a grand, heaven-defying plan and the relics of the True Lord.

In the quiet of the night in the Hall of Diligent Governance, it was quietly accomplished.

A faint, yet meaningful smile finally appeared on Qi Yun's lips.

The plan is on track.

Zhao Xuanji looked at the mysterious and unpredictable young Daoist priest before him, his heart also filled with turbulent emotions.

He didn't know whether introducing this "variable" was the right or wrong thing to do.

But at least, that seemingly unbreakable iron curtain of "Heaven's Will" appears to have been pried open with a crack.

The night grew deeper.

The lights inside the Hall of Diligent Governance cast long shadows of the two figures who had just formed an alliance.

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