Chapter 1: After a powerhouse settles, they reveal the aura of a king by challenging those of a higher realm!

Receiving the mandate from Heaven, may one live forever and prosper!

Perhaps not many people can withstand the temptation of these few words.

Some people spend their entire lives, racking their brains, yet never even touch the edge of it.

Li Chen didn't do anything at all, yet he sat upon the dragon throne that symbolized imperial power.

More than ten years ago, Li Chen transmigrated into this world, becoming the Sixth Imperial Prince of the May Tian Ce Dynasty.

As a transmigrator, he did have a system, but it got stuck when it reached 99% loading and had remained silent ever since.

Li Chen didn't mind; after all, his comprehension was extremely high, and coupled with the terrifying cultivation talent of this body, he just stayed home in the imperial palace to cultivate.

The imperial palace was certainly safe, and there was no lack of food, clothing, housing, or transportation.

As an imperial prince, there were naturally many privileges; any cultivation technique or resource was just a matter of saying the word.

According to Li Chen's original plan, once he achieved success in his cultivation, he would go to his fief to live a carefree life and enjoy his existence to the fullest.

But who could have expected that a few days ago, the Crown Prince would suddenly die of a sudden illness, and the old Emperor would fall gravely ill, officially announcing his passing yesterday.

The other imperial princes had either already gone to their fiefs or were away cultivating and had not yet returned.

Li Chen, the only imperial prince remaining in the imperial capital, was pushed onto the throne by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager also took this opportunity to begin ruling from behind the curtain.

Anyone could see that the Empress Dowager simply wanted to use Li Chen as a puppet emperor so she could grasp the great power of the imperial court.

Because Li Chen's mother had passed away from illness many years ago, he had never received the old Emperor's care since childhood, and coupled with the fact that he was a homebody who was usually too lazy to leave the palace, he had no factions in the court, and his background was very clean.

This was simply the perfect puppet.

Today was the first day of the new Emperor's ascension, and the imperial court was already surging with undercurrents.

Major factions were preparing to take this opportunity to use the new Emperor to carry out a purge of the court, promoting their own students and followers to positions of power to consolidate their status in the court.

But Li Chen didn't seem to care much about these things, because just at this moment, his system had inexplicably finished loading.

A cold voice appeared in his mind.

【Congratulations to the host for successfully binding the 'Settling System'. This system will assist the host in improving their strength, accumulating power, and reaching the peak of life as soon as possible!】

Upon hearing this prompt, Li Chen thought to himself: Is this system here to be funny?

I've already cultivated to the max level of this world, where do you want me to accumulate power?

Why didn't you wait until I was about to die to come!

If you had activated a few years earlier, I wouldn't even have bothered to scold you.

Just as Li Chen was complaining, the system began to show new prompts.

【Please accept the novice gift package. This package is tailor-made for the host and can improve the host's cultivation base.】

When the system said this, Li Chen began to feel puzzled.

If he hadn't cultivated incorrectly, he should be at the max level.

Since the system appeared, it meant that his current realm might not be the highest?

So he asked in his heart: "System, what is the highest realm you can help me reach?"

【This system can help the host reach the Great Perfection of the Sage Realm.】

"Then take a look at what realm I am in now."

【After inspection, the host's current realm is the Great Perfection of the Sage Realm.】

"Can you say again what realm you can help me reach?"

【This system can help the host reach the Great Perfection of the Sage Realm.】

"Then what do I need you for?"

【This system can help the host reach the Great Perfection of the Sage Realm.】

Li Chen: "..."

Li Chen's heart, which had been hanging, finally died.

Fine, fine, fine. I thought you were telling me to settle down, but it turns out you were the one settling down all along!

This Settling System was truly capable of keeping its cool.

Just as Li Chen was stunned, the system's novice gift package had already been issued.

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining Heavenly-Grade Pulse-Solidifying Pill x10, "Nine Heavens Dragon Pulse Art" x1.】

Heavenly-Grade Pulse-Solidifying Pill: This pill is made primarily from ten-thousand-year-old ice marrow, supplemented by Nine-Turn Spirit Ginseng and Azure Fall Cloud Ganoderma, refined by a master of alchemy in a furnace with vigorous spiritual fire, using heart blood as a guide and intent as a medium, precisely controlling the subtle changes in every wisp of fire.

After taking it, a cultivator can stimulate their potential, significantly improve their cultivation aptitude, and allow bottom-level cultivators with mediocre aptitude to have the possibility of impacting higher realms. Nine Heavens Dragon Pulse Art: It is rumored that the Dragon Pulse Heavenly Honored One, high above the nine heavens, observed the movement of stars and realized the mysteries of dragon pulses, creating this supreme cultivation technique. After taking this Heavenly-Grade Pulse-Solidifying Pill and cultivating this art, a cultivator's meridians can become as tough and indestructible as dragon pulses, with spiritual power as vast as the sea.

Seeing these two descriptions, the corners of Li Chen's mouth twitched slightly.

If you were to say this system was useless, the things it gave were all top-tier items of the era, the pills and techniques that hundreds of millions of Opening Meridian Realm cultivators dreamed of, and most importantly, they were a set.

But the problem was, Li Chen was already at the Great Perfection of the Sage Realm; he had absolutely no use for these things.

【Scanning of the current world complete, mission starting to be issued.】

【First entry into the imperial capital.】

【Time-limited mission: Challenge across realms.】

【After a powerhouse settles, they reveal the aura of a king by challenging those of a higher realm!】

【Mission requirement: The host needs to defeat a cultivator at the Mid-Stage Opening Meridian Realm in the east of the imperial capital within 14 days.】

【Failure penalty: Height reduced by 10 centimeters.】

"Wait, this failure penalty is a bit abstract, hey!"

!

"No, I should be complaining about this cross-realm challenge mission. I am currently at the Great Perfection of the Sage Realm, and you want me to fight a Mid-Stage Opening Meridian Realm cultivator? I am a full eight major realms higher than him. Is it me challenging him across realms, or is he challenging me across realms?"

After complaining for a long time, the system went back to settling again and didn't respond at all.

It was just that the mission countdown had already started, and if the mission wasn't completed within 14 days, it would be a bit troublesome.

Li Chen felt that if he failed the mission a few times, he would become a gnome.

He didn't know who came up with such a wicked penalty.

But thinking about it carefully, if he had just arrived in this world and unlocked the system at a very young age.

Taking these pills and starting the cultivation of the technique, coupled with his own talent and comprehension, he could indeed challenge a 'powerhouse' at the Mid-Stage Opening Meridian Realm across realms within 14 days.

At that time, he would definitely become famous in the imperial capital, gain the appreciation of the old Emperor, and start a monstrous life!

But the problem was, the old Emperor was already dead now. Who did you want him to find for appreciation? Did he have to burn paper to tell the old Emperor?

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

Just as Li Chen's thoughts drifted to the nine heavens, the voice of the Censor-in-Chief pulled his thoughts back to the imperial court.

Li Chen saw that the civil and military officials were all focusing their gazes on him, and only then did he remember that he seemed to be the Emperor.

And now, it was the first day of his morning court session.

"What is it? Is the morning court over today?"

As he spoke, Li Chen yawned and was about to get up and leave.

He hated early morning sessions the most; when he was an imperial prince, he always slept until he woke up naturally.

No one told him that being an Emperor required getting up so early. If he had known, he wouldn't have become one.

Li Chen's mind was currently filled with thoughts of getting off work early, taking a nap, and then finding time to complete the mission.

This scene shocked all the civil and military officials in the court.

Just a moment ago, the court was arguing intensely, with various impeachments between factions, and even various explosive news items were revealed, as if they wanted to put the other side to death.

The language was so intense that some officials were already red-faced and out of breath.

Everyone thought that this new Emperor was keeping his cool, sitting on the dragon throne with a calm expression.

Now it seemed that he was actually slacking off and hadn't heard what these officials were arguing about at all.

The Censor-in-Chief was even more furious; in his view, this Sixth Imperial Prince was simply ignorant and incompetent!

The Censor-in-Chief was responsible for supervising the officials, investigating illegal activities, and maintaining the discipline of the imperial court.

He was a rare loyal official in the court; as long as the new Emperor showed majesty and wanted to consolidate the imperial throne, he would definitely support the new Emperor with all his might.

In the hearts of these loyal officials, they were looking forward to Li Chen being a hidden dragon.

Now, Li Chen's performance made the Censor-in-Chief extremely disappointed.

The Censor-in-Chief even still regarded Li Chen as the Sixth Imperial Prince, not as the Emperor.

In his heart, he didn't recognize Li Chen at all.

Just at this moment, a soft yet majestic voice came from behind the curtain.

"Since His Majesty is tired, let him return to the palace to rest for now. Let us discuss the affairs of state with the various officials."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 2 =====