Chapter 127: You came here today, is it to show off something?

Li Chen returned to the imperial palace and began to check the rewards he had obtained this time.

【Congratulations to the host for completing the mission 'Exterminate the Demon Spirit (Danger)', reward: Heavenly Grade Opening Meridian Realm Breakthrough Pill x10.】

【Time-limited mission: Academy Advanced Studies (Special).】

【Mission requirements: The Combat Academy is a place for exchange and learning, and you can also recruit talented helpers here. Please choose a combat academy in the imperial capital at will and be admitted with a top-three ranking. Time limit: 120 days.】

Opening Meridian Realm Breakthrough Pill: An essential medicine for cultivators in the Opening Meridian Realm to break through to the Condensing Essence Realm. It can increase the probability of breakthrough and quickly recover meridians after a failed breakthrough.

Li Chen looked at this elixir without any surprise; after all, he had already anticipated that he would definitely need this item in the late stage of the Opening Meridian Realm.

Under normal circumstances, using two pills is about enough. The system giving ten is indeed quite extravagant.

It is late now; he will give this to Li Sining when she cultivates tomorrow.

Then there is this mission requirement, which is a bit of a headache. He is the Emperor of the May Tian Ce Dynasty, and it wants him to participate in a combat academy exam? And he must rank in the top three?

However, Li Chen still expressed understanding of the system's planning. After all, the minimum admission standard for the combat academy is the Condensing Essence Realm, and the system is arranging it according to normal procedures.

Anyway, there is still some time before the combat academy enrollment; he will wait until Li Sining breaks through before deciding.

Lady Youlan has already gone to bathe, and Li Chen is currently looking at some information on the various tribes in the north.

At this moment, a palace maid came to report that Ji Lianyu was requesting an audience.

Although Li Chen was somewhat puzzled, he still let her in.

After Ji Lianyu entered, Li Chen was still wondering what had happened to Xu Zifeng again.

Later, after asking, he found out that Xu Zifeng had already left the imperial capital and headed north with the army; this woman was mostly just lonely.

She pondered for a long time and even found a reason for herself, saying it was because she was worried about Xu Zifeng's safety and wanted Li Chen to take care of Xu Zifeng more, which is why she came.

Women, they just need this kind of reason to comfort themselves.

Li Chen was not polite either, stating that she could just stay in the palace during this period, so she wouldn't need to find any more excuses.

Ji Lianyu was secretly delighted inside, but on the surface, she still looked very serious, so Xu Zifeng wouldn't have to worry about his aunt not being taken care of in the imperial capital.

When Lady Youlan came out from bathing and saw the beauty beside him, she was also slightly surprised, but she didn't say anything. After all, Li Chen is the Emperor, and it is normal to have many in the harem.

Li Chen took the opportunity to have the palace maid call Chu Ruoyan over to test his limits.

The next day, Li Chen was the only one who could get up and leave.

At the morning court, the Khan of the Northern Wang Zu finally sent an envoy to respond to the May Tian Ce Dynasty's declaration of war, indicating that they would accept the challenge.

With this, the two countries officially entered a state of war.

There was no room for maneuver anymore; even if the Khan didn't want to fight, there was no other way.

If they win, everything is fine; if they lose, they will have to shrink back into the snowy mountains again.

There was no news from the Ice Bear tribe for the time being, but Li Chen heard from the Ministry of War's intelligence that they seemed to be mobilizing for battle; it seems they are prepared to serve as the main battlefield.

Li Chen didn't care much about this; anyway, Guo Po will have his own ways when the time comes.

He has fought wars for so many years and has illustrious military achievements; there is no need for Li Chen to worry.

Grand General Guo Po also had to leave the imperial capital for the north after this morning court.

Since the Wang Zu Khan has already responded, his departure can be considered the official start of the war.

In the imperial capital's government office prison, there were many people arrested recently, but Shi Dan felt it was very strange that Xu Zifeng, a distinguished member of the imperial capital's prison, hadn't come for several days, which was simply unscientific.

Xu Zifeng was his cellmate, and the two often chatted together.

Because one lived in the north and the other in the south, they were both curious about each other's lives.

The two had also boasted to each other that when they got out, they would take each other to the places where they lived to taste fine wines and delicacies.

But Xu Zifeng didn't come, and most of those second-generation imperial capital nobles had already been released when their time was up. These new arrivals all looked ashen and had no spirit; it was heard that they were charged with treason.

The originally lively prison had now become deathly silent, which made Shi Dan somewhat unaccustomed.

At this time, a jailer walked over, and Shi Dan asked, "Brother, what has happened recently? Why hasn't Xu Zifeng been caught and brought in?"

The jailer, being bored, said casually, "He can't get in, but you probably won't be able to get out either."

This sentence gave Shi Dan a bad premonition; he hurriedly asked the jailer what Xu Zifeng was doing.

The jailer said, "Your Khan has already accepted the challenge, and Xu Zifeng is now the vanguard general of the northern expedition army. He probably already left with the troops."

Hearing this, the heart that had been hanging in Shi Dan's chest finally died.

It seems the jailer was right; he would probably have to sit in prison until the end of his days.

If he had known, he wouldn't have come up with the bad idea of capturing the Ninth Princess. Now it's good; he didn't capture the person, and he ended up paying for it himself.

Now he could only hope that the Wang Zu could be a bit more valiant and defeat the May Tian Ce Dynasty, then he would definitely be released as a negotiation condition.

He also didn't know how his brother Altai was doing now; he would probably also be in the vanguard army.

"Brother, you must be careful. Xu Zifeng is not a simple character, and there is also that guy beside him."

Even in prison, Shi Dan knew that his brother Altai would likely enter the vanguard troops.

Altai had the cultivation of the Six Realms Realm, similar to Xu Zifeng, and they would likely meet on the battlefield.

If Xu Zifeng wasn't bragging and his illustrious military achievements in the south were a fact, then Shi Dan felt his brother was very dangerous.

Now Shi Dan had no other way and could only eat and live here.

At this time, the jailer who had just been talking to Shi Dan suddenly said, "I do have a way to get you out, it just depends on whether you cooperate."

Hearing this, Shi Dan's eyes regained their luster, and he immediately said, "What way? Tell me quickly."

The jailer pondered for a moment and said, "You have lived in the north for many years, and looking at your resume, you have also campaigned with the Snow Eagle Wang Zu's army, so you are very familiar with the terrain and troops of the Northern Wang Zu. If you cooperate with our May Tian Ce Dynasty in the war, I can help you report the news to the higher-ups. You will definitely be able to get out and have a certain position. If you are unwilling, then I won't force you; this is just a way."

This jailer was named Zhou Ye, and his personality was very easygoing; he had a good relationship with every colleague.

He himself was very smart, and he gave Lu Mumu a feeling of being unfathomable.

Lu Mumu had once mentioned wanting to spar with him, but was politely refused by him admitting defeat.

Zhou Ye had his own plans.

In the prison, he never offended anyone, even death row inmates, and within his ability, he gave some help, even if it was just delivering water, and also asked questions like he did to Shi Dan.

Zhou Ye would even carefully check the resumes of every prisoner, obtain a lot of information from them, and then give the other side some psychological hints through communication.

Because his personality was like this, many prisoners were still willing to communicate with him.

As long as the prisoner loosened their mouth, he could obtain information, which meant merit, and rewards would definitely not be lacking.

Just like now, if he persuaded Shi Dan, it would be a great merit, and the higher-ups would definitely give him a reward.

And his way of putting it was very peaceful; anyway, I'm just giving you an idea, if you don't want to, then forget it. We've known each other, so don't scold me.

This is the hidden expert in the prison. With his ability and merit, he could have been promoted and transferred to other places long ago, but he was still willing to stay in the prison.

This is the place where he felt he could continuously earn merit. Zhou Ye just wanted to mix for some money; if he entered the high level of power, he would often need to take sides.

Just like the Second Prince's party, once the Second Prince was finished, they were immediately implicated.

He was just a jailer now, with a position and a bonus, just mixing days, without any great pursuit.

Don't look at Zhou Ye like this now, but Lu Mumu had checked, and this guy's grades in the combat academy were even higher than Lu Mumu's; he was a proper top student.

No one knew what he had experienced, or if it was his nature, he had never been in the limelight.

Shi Dan's expression grew serious when he heard Zhou Ye say this.

He absolutely could not do this thing; how could he betray the Wang Zu and betray his brothers!

If it weren't for Zhou Ye saying this, if it were another jailer, Shi Dan would definitely scold him.

"This matter is not negotiable. I would rather sit in prison for a lifetime; anyway, there is food and shelter."

"That's fine, but you have to consider that if you don't do this, someone else will do it in the future. Instead of letting others get this merit, why do you suffer here? Consider it clearly before coming to find me."

After speaking, Zhou Ye left this area and began his daily patrol.

There were many people in the prison, and there was no lack of experts, so he couldn't be negligent. But even so, there had been no accidents in the prison over the years. You have to know that the people who went in were experts, but the people watching outside were not necessarily without experts.

This is the imperial capital, and there were many kinds of experts hidden in the establishment, all of whom were geniuses of one side.

Many were like Zhou Ye, knowing that the water in the imperial capital was deep and not wanting to be too conspicuous, which didn't mean they couldn't fight.

After Zhou Ye left, Shi Dan was also reflecting on this problem. He was firm in his heart that he wouldn't do this, but he did feel that there would be people in the Wang Zu who would do so.

Just like there were many moles in the May Tian Ce Dynasty, and people like the Third Prince and the Prince of Zhennan who wanted to rebel, there must be some in the Wang Zu.

This continent is vast, and the Wang Zu is a collection of many tribes. Many tribes have large populations and their own cities.

The Snow Eagle tribe had established its status as the Wang Zu through hundreds of years of fighting, occupying the best resources and developing for so many years, but it didn't mean other tribes could be convinced.

On the other side, the Imperial Forbidden Land.

The forbidden land was guarded by powerful imperial guards, who wore gold and black armor and held long spears, like a copper wall and an iron fortress.

The aura of these imperial guards was thick, and their cultivation was deep; even ordinary martial artists found it difficult to get close at all.

!

Being able to stand guard here is actually the best job.

Because the imperial forbidden land is also a sacred place for cultivation, with abundant spiritual energy, fewer things to do, and high wages. Which imperial guard wouldn't want to come?

Passing through the area guarded by the imperial guards, one could see high towers standing nearby, each one towering into the clouds.

These high towers were covered with complex barriers, flickering with mysterious light.

These barriers were the crystallization of the hard work of generations of imperial experts, and they intertwined to form a massive array.

Even a Sage Realm expert, if they broke in without authorization, wouldn't be able to retreat unscathed; they would only lose their way in this forbidden land and eventually turn into ashes.

If one entered normally, it wouldn't be so dangerous; it was shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland.

However, in this forbidden land, many imperial experts were hidden, their cultivation unfathomable, either hidden in towers or wandering in various parts of the forbidden land.

Deep in the forbidden land was an ancient palace, which collected treasures left by generations of emperors.

Each of these treasures contained endless power, enough to make countless imperial descendants go crazy.

Even the legendary Imperial Weapon was hidden within it, which was one of the trump cards of the imperial family and the facade of the Li family's status.

Under this palace, however, was a gloomy prison.

In the prison, very special people were imprisoned.

These people were either former experts or imperial family members who had committed serious crimes. Being able to be imprisoned here was enough to show that each of them possessed extraordinary strength.

Among them was the Dingtian Shiren who had been defeated by Li Chen.

Few people could enter here, and the Minister of Justice Pang Jin was an exception.

He had come a few times in the past few days, but Dingtian Shiren simply ignored Pang Jin, as if he didn't put Pang Jin in his eyes at all.

Like such an arrogant expert, even if he had been crippled, he ignored these court hawks in his eyes.

Pang Jin naturally reported this news to Li Chen, and today Li Chen came to the imperial forbidden land in person.

When he passed by, the surrounding imperial guards stood straight.

This is a Sage Realm emperor; the May Tian Ce Dynasty hadn't had an emperor of this level for a long time, and even the Heavenly Abyss Realm was rare.

Inside the prison, it was dim and lightless, with only a few oil lamps flickering slightly.

Dingtian Shiren was imprisoned in an iron cage, his expression withered, but his eyes still revealed the light of an expert.

There were many places on his body pierced with tools, and it was impossible for him to cultivate like Li Ran.

At this moment, Dingtian Shiren looked at Li Chen, the corners of his mouth hooked into a sneer: "Li Chen, you came here today, is it to show off something?"

His Dao companion was captured, and he could naturally imagine the consequences.

Presumably, in the past few days, Lady Youlan must have resisted desperately, but it was to no avail.

What Dingtian Shiren didn't expect was that Lady Youlan only resisted in her heart, but not in her body.

Li Chen could naturally put on the face of a winner, saying: "The gift you brought pleased me, but how do you think I should deal with the Tianyan Shen Sect?"

How Lady Youlan would be dealt with, Li Chen felt Dingtian Shiren should know, so he said this. Emphasizing it all the time had no meaning, so he tentatively said this sentence.

And don't say, this sentence moved Dingtian Shiren.

"Li Chen, I lost this time, I admit it, but this has nothing to do with the Tianyan Shen Sect."

Li Chen had heard this kind of rhetoric more than once. As a high-level member of a sect, viewing the sect as more important than life is where Li Chen could manipulate them.

"Do you think this is possible? How could I leave such a disaster behind?" Li Chen said coldly.

"Hmph, then go and exterminate it. At that time, the anger of the entire cultivation world is not something you can bear." Dingtian Shiren simply didn't care; anyway, he was already a crippled person.

"I didn't say I wanted to exterminate it. Instead, it was your Dao companion who came up with a good way for me to control the Jiuyuan Sacred Domain."

"Ridiculous, we cultivators are ashamed to be with the imperial court. I don't believe you have any good way."

Seeing that he didn't believe it, Li Chen simply stated Lady Youlan's idea.

The more he listened, the heavier the look of horror on Dingtian Shiren's face became.

Because this method really could work.

Just now Dingtian Shiren was still in that calm posture of an expert, but now it no longer existed.

Li Chen just wanted to see his reaction to judge whether Lady Youlan's method was feasible.

Seeing Dingtian Shiren's current appearance, he knew the method was correct.

"This bitch, she betrayed me, betrayed the sect! No, it must be that you used the Soul-Controlling Needle to control her, yes, that's it!"

After scolding for a while, Dingtian Shiren remembered that Lady Youlan had been pierced into the center of her eyebrows by the Soul-Controlling Needle.

The Soul-Controlling Needle is something from the extraterrestrial demons, belonging to things from outside the sky, and its effect is very terrifying, which could indeed make his Dao companion cooperate.

At this time, Li Chen didn't explain anything, just puzzledly said: "Actually, I don't quite understand either. I also thought she would resist fiercely, even using her life to resist, but she seems to really cooperate with me. I was just wondering, have you done anything to apologize to her recently?"

Li Chen's sentence stunned Dingtian Shiren; it seemed there was indeed such a thing.

He had spent a lot of time in the Jiaofang Division during his few days in the imperial capital, and his body was stained with some rouge scent. Lady Youlan had protested a few times, but he really hadn't done anything, but whether Lady Youlan believed it was another matter.

It's broken, could it really be like this?

And this emperor is young, handsome, and his strength is terrifyingly strong.

Before he was captured, he had indeed met with his Dao companion, and the relationship between the two wasn't bad.

Maybe his Dao companion really betrayed him!

The more Dingtian Shiren pondered, the more he felt that such a possibility was greater.

Making the trace of luck in his heart disappear, Dingtian Shiren completely broke his defense, decadent like a defeated dog.

If he hadn't come to the imperial capital, whether it was status, strength, or Dao companion, that was an existence that made countless people envious.

But coming here, everything was gone, and he became a prisoner.

Although there was unwillingness in his heart, if he wanted to step on the emperor's head, he had to face the pain of falling down.

Just like ascending, if you can't withstand the heavenly tribulation, you have to die.

Being a person of this level, Dingtian Shiren wouldn't hysterically beg for mercy, simply closing his eyes and waiting for the arrangement of fate.

And listening to what the Minister of Justice said, Li Xian didn't seem to have been caught yet. With Li Xian's ability, there was still a chance to regain the throne, and at that time, he could be released.

As long as he didn't die, perhaps everything had a turning point.

A few days later, Tianyan Shen Sect.

Lady Youlan had just 'come out of seclusion' when she heard an elder from the sect come to report that Dingtian Shiren's figure had appeared near the imperial capital, and he had been defeated and captured. He didn't know if this news was true!

(End of chapter)