Chapter 570

Li Yi had been cultivating quietly in the Wuji Palace for nine days now.

His strength had reached the third layer of the Five Qi Realm, and all twelve major meridians were completely filled. His current strength had reached a peak state, and he had already opened forty-eight meridians, which meant that he was also likely to reach the fourth layer of the Five Qi Realm. However, time was limited, and the environment outside seemed to no longer allow him to continue cultivating like this.

"Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning has an urgent matter to request an audience with Daoist Tai Yi."

A woman wearing armor, with a precious sword hanging at her waist and eyes glowing with a faint golden light, walked into the Wuji Palace at this moment. Her strength was not weak; she had actually crossed that barrier during this period and become an evolver of the Soul Realm.

One must know that Li Yi was only in the Spirit Power Realm.

To be able to achieve such accomplishments in this world, this woman could be considered to have boundless potential.

Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning was currently feeling the changes in the heaven and earth energy around her. She felt somewhat surprised in her heart because the heaven and earth energy that had been shrouding the entire Wuji Hall all this time had begun to dissipate slowly today for some unknown reason. It seemed as if Daoist Tai Yi had known that something would happen today and had taken the initiative to stop his cultivation.

However, there was no one in the empty hall.

After Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning waited for a moment, she shouted again: "Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning, acting on His Majesty's decree, requests an audience with Daoist Tai Yi."

As soon as she finished speaking.

She saw that the entire Wuji Palace had begun to be filled with golden auspicious clouds at some unknown time. These auspicious clouds quickly covered the floor, reflecting the surroundings in a magnificent and golden light, as if one had suddenly entered a celestial palace, giving people an unreal feeling. Moreover, the auspicious clouds were not void objects but were soft, comfortable, and yet extremely tough, capable of being stepped upon.

Amidst the auspicious clouds covering the floor, she saw a man wearing red jade purple gold armor, eyes glowing, draped in lightning, holding the Qi of Dragon and Tiger, walking over with large strides while stepping on the golden auspicious clouds.

Just the aura rushing toward her made Wang Ning, as a Golden Pupil Guard, tremble all over, as if her soul was about to leave her body. A sense of awe born from the heart arose spontaneously, as if the person in front of her was not a human at all, but a naturally born sacred being, by no means a common mortal. His life essence was already different from that of ordinary people.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

She would never believe that there was such a person in this world.

"Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning pays respects to Daoist Tai Yi."

Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning suddenly came back to her senses and couldn't help but kneel down at this moment, as if kneeling to this person was a matter of course, without any dissatisfaction or hesitation, as if it should have been this way.

The life level was too great, and the mysteries within could not be explained in a few words.

"Get up." Li Yi's voice was calm, as if it had the power to soothe people's hearts. He asked: "What is His Majesty looking for me for?"

The Golden Pupil Guard did not stand up but remained kneeling. She took a letter from her bosom and held it up with both hands: "His Majesty's letter is here, I ask Daoist Tai Yi to read it personally."

Li Yi took it, opened it, and saw that there were no extra words on it, only one sentence: "Xiao Yi, breaking mountains and destroying temples, it will be tonight."

Tonight?

He remembered that tomorrow was the tenth day. If they acted tonight, it was very clear that they wanted him to leave the capital early, so as not to get involved in the imperial court and destroy this operation of breaking mountains and destroying temples.

"I know about this matter, you can go back and report," Li Yi said.

"Reporting to Daoist Tai Yi, His Majesty has an order that I and the other nineteen Golden Pupil Guards are all under your command," Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning said.

Li Yi asked: "What is your name?"

"This subordinate is Wang Ning."

"Twenty Golden Pupil Guards? How many Embroidered Uniform Guards are there?" Li Yi said.

Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning said: "This subordinate does not know about this matter; the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Yang Ling should know."

"Then let Yang Ling come over," Li Yi said.

"Yes, Daoist." Having received the order, Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning immediately stood up respectfully and left.

After a short while, a man wearing a flying fish suit walked into the hall. As soon as he entered, his heart trembled, and then he took a few quick steps and hurriedly knelt on one knee: "Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Yang Ling pays respects to Daoist Tai Yi."

"How many Embroidered Uniform Guards has His Majesty prepared for me?" Li Yi said directly, getting straight to the point.

"Reporting to Daoist, including this subordinate, there are three thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards in total," Yang Ling said immediately.

Li Yi said: "Is there any plan?"

"There is a map, I ask the Daoist to read it," Yang Ling hurriedly presented a map.

After Li Yi took it and opened it, he saw that the map was very large, containing the mountains and rivers of the world. Moreover, every place was marked with some incense-fire deities and monsters that were entrenched locally and had extremely strong strength, and even some locations of the Yin Son of Heaven were reminded. Obviously, for today's matter, his father had not collected less information and done his homework.

"Very good. Give you two hours to prepare. As soon as the sky turns dark, set off immediately, follow me to leave the capital, and begin breaking mountains and destroying temples."

He closed the map, and the content on it was already thoroughly mastered.

Evolvers had always had the ability to never forget what they saw.

"I will strictly follow the Daoist's order," Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Yang Ling said respectfully.

"After you are fully prepared, come to the front of the Wuji Palace hall to wait for orders," Li Yi said.

Golden Pupil Guard Wang Ning also received the order and left.

After the two people left the hall, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Daoist Tai Yi had not shown any divine power from beginning to end, standing in front of such a person was inevitably heart-pounding.

The two did not communicate either, but each left to do their own things.

About an hour later, teams of Embroidered Uniform Guards gathered from all over the imperial city and assembled in front of the Wuji Palace. Although the number was not large, these were the elites cultivated by the Emperor Shenwu Emperor, and their strength had basically reached the Spirit Perception Realm.

Nearly three thousand evolvers of the Spirit Perception Realm—it must be said that the hardships and courage required to achieve this were not something ordinary people could have.

As long as time was given, these Embroidered Uniform Guards would continue to break through and evolve, condense their souls, and enjoy incense-fire offerings, then the incense-fire deities of the world would face a nightmare.

However, to achieve this, at the very least, they would have to lie dormant for seven or eight years.

Emperor Shenwu Emperor Li Li Jiye could not wait, and Li Yi could not wait either.

And when batches of Embroidered Uniform Guards moved, they naturally could not hide from many people's eyes. The first to discover the abnormality was Crown Prince Zhao Jing. When he heard the guards on duty come to report, he was shocked. However, when he walked out of the palace, he saw teams of Embroidered Uniform Guards passing by the East Palace.

"So many Embroidered Uniform Guards all went to the Wuji Palace?" Zhao Jing felt an inexplicable panic.

He had recently felt that his father and Daoist Tai Yi were plotting some major event, so these nine days had been calm, and nothing had happened. Until today, when he saw so many Embroidered Uniform Guards, he could already be certain.

Something major was truly about to happen.

"Could it be related to the Yin Son of Heaven's order to execute Daoist Tai Yi?" Zhao Jing had also received similar news, saying that the Yin Son of Heaven was dissatisfied with Daoist Tai Yi and intended to strip Daoist Tai Yi of his title of Imperial Preceptor at tomorrow's morning court session and deal with him.

He had thought that Daoist Tai Yi was already facing death, and even his father could not protect him. He did not expect that a change would occur today.

"Get a ladder, I want to go up to the roof to take a look," Zhao Jing ordered immediately.

Soon, servants brought a ladder.

Zhao Jing climbed onto the roof of the palace in a hurry and looked toward the Wuji Palace again, but his eyes couldn't help but shrink suddenly.

Teams of Embroidered Uniform Guards, with cloth bags on their backs and precious swords hanging at their waists, were arranged neatly and stood in front of the Wuji Palace. Counting carefully, there were actually three thousand of them. And from the patterns embroidered on these Embroidered Uniform Guards, it was not hard to see that these were elites at the level of Company Commander, each of them capable of fighting and winning. Let alone three thousand, as long as one hundred were placed on the battlefield, they could immediately break formations, kill enemies, behead generals, seize flags, and influence the victory of a major battle.

Now there were three thousand of them in front of the Wuji Palace. I'm afraid his father had even brought out his bottom line. What was this for?

Zhao Jing could not imagine, but he had already felt it: a storm was coming, and it was today.

He was panicked at this moment, and his heart felt cold.

It was not because of these three thousand Embroidered Uniform Guard elites, but because such a major event had happened and he, the Crown Prince, actually didn't know about it, and his father hadn't leaked a single bit of news to him. Was he really not worthy of his father's trust? Or was he, the Crown Prince, just a decoration, and the real hidden Crown Prince was that Daoist Tai Yi?

Zhao Jing's mind couldn't help but recall what his fourth brother Zhao Rui had said that day.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible." Zhao Jing's face turned livid, and he gritted his teeth. He immediately climbed down from the roof and roared: "East Palace guards, are you all here?"

"Here," the guards responded hurriedly.

"Follow me," Zhao Jing said, enduring his anger.

He wanted to go find Daoist Tai Yi and ask clearly what on earth was going on.

Soon, a team of fifty armored soldiers escorted Crown Prince Zhao Jing toward the Wuji Palace.

But they were stopped by the Embroidered Uniform Guards before they could even get close.

"Crown Prince, please stay your steps. His Majesty has an order that no one is allowed to enter the Wuji Palace." Two Embroidered Uniform Guards stood on the only path and stopped Crown Prince Zhao Jing.

"I, the Crown Prince, want to pay a visit to Daoist Tai Yi. Can't even I go to the Wuji Palace?" Zhao Jing asked seriously.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard said expressionlessly: "Yes, His Majesty's oral decree: no one is allowed to approach the Wuji Palace, including the Crown Prince. Crown Prince, please return, do not violate His Majesty's decree."

Zhao Jing's mouth twitched. He didn't expect that he didn't even have the qualifications to enter the Wuji Palace.

Looking at the palace where the Embroidered Uniform Guards were gathering not far away, he felt for the first time that he was not important in this imperial palace, or even dispensable. He was not qualified to participate in real major imperial court affairs at all.

But why.

Why was it that Daoist Tai Yi?

"Go." Carrying a heart full of humiliation, Zhao Jing did not dare to force his way in and had to turn and leave.

He did not doubt at all that if he forced his way in, he would definitely be captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and sent to his father within half an hour. At that time, he would not only lose face but also anger his father and be severely punished.

At this critical juncture, Zhao Jing did not dare to cause trouble.

Although he was unwilling, he was not stupid and knew what could be done and what could not be done.

"Write a memorial, report to the Yin Son of Heaven. I, the Crown Prince, must find out what on earth is going on," Zhao Jing thought to himself.