Chapter 72: Xu Zifeng

After leaving Yunlu Academy, Feng Wuhen, the capital’s fastest swordsman, walked over.

“Your Highness, did you reach an agreement with Master Yu?”

This is the academy, guarded by Master Yu—his status makes it hard to enter.

As Li Xian’s confidant, he needed to devise strategies for Li Xian.

“Don’t mention it—that old bastard won’t act until he sees the rabbit.”

Li Xian felt this trip was pointless; he’d wait until his master arrived in the capital.

Right now, he needed to hide in the capital, continue gathering intelligence on Li Chen, and slowly lay his plans.

On the northern border, the Third Prince wasn’t idle—he began playing a dangerous move.

Because the new emperor Li Chen had declared war on the Northern Khanate, the Khan had yet to respond.

Yet the northern armies of the TianCe Dynasty were already mobilizing.

There were many northern forces: group armies, garrison troops, reserve units, and more.

Most were loyal to the late emperor—that is, to the military officers in court.

They naturally would obey Li Chen’s orders, especially since they wanted war even more than he did.

Among them were also agents of the Empress Dowager, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince.

But these agents couldn’t interfere too much with the northern troops.

They could only provide intelligence and make adjustments when necessary.

These were hidden cards—usable only once at a critical moment.

The Empress Dowager’s ambiguous stance left both the Second and Third Princes baffled.

While the Second Prince sought allies, the Third Prince went mad.

Since the Northern Khanate wasn’t reliable enough, the Third Prince decided to approach the Southern Prince.

If the northern conflict escalates and war breaks out, the central forces of the TianCe Dynasty will be redeployed, greatly reducing the Southern Prince’s pressure.

The Southern Prince’s rebellious intentions were strong—many could see it clearly.

So the Third Prince simply issued a joint rebellion invitation to the Southern Prince.

Let’s rebel together and ease each other’s burdens.

When Li Chen is busy with the northern war and Li Xian has no military authority,

the Third Prince believed he might be the first to storm the capital.

Once he became emperor, if he asked the Northern Khanate for a little face, they’d hand over some land and settle down.

Then he’d turn the northern army southward, cut the Gordian knot, and exterminate the Southern Prince.

Wouldn’t his throne then be secure?

He’d even eliminate the Southern Prince as a threat.

Just imagining how history would record his glorious achievements,

the Third Prince couldn’t stop the upward curl of his lips—this emperor, only he could be.

In military combat, the Third Prince was extremely arrogant—he possessed extraordinary talent.

Of course, he had long forgotten his younger brother Li Ran.

When the late emperor was alive, young Li Ran had captured the Third Prince during a military simulation hosted by the emperor.

That memory was a humiliation the Third Prince refused to recall.

A useless cripple—how could the Third Prince care about such a trivial matter?

Near the capital, inside a dark, silent cultivation chamber.

The chamber held abundant cultivation resources and priceless rare treasures.

The so-called cripple Li Ran, as the Third Prince called him, sat cross-legged on a mat, enveloped in thick black qi, as if fused with the darkness of this world.

Though blind, his mind was exceptionally clear—he focused entirely on cultivating a self-created forbidden demonic art.

As Li Ran’s breathing grew deeper, energy surged wildly within him, like storm-tossed waves crashing against his body in relentless succession.

The black qi seemed alive, slithering across his skin, sometimes coalescing into grotesque demon faces, sometimes forming sharp black blades that sliced the air with piercing shrieks.

Veins bulged on Li Ran’s face; sweat poured like rain.

Even as blood continuously seeped from his lips and corners of his eyes, he paid no heed—each pang of pain made him feel his power surging faster.

This wasn’t the palace—he could boldly accelerate his training.

Li Ran knew he had only this one chance—he had nothing left to lose!

After completing several cycles, Li Ran exhaled a foul breath.

“Second and third brothers, wait for me!”

When his cultivation was complete, he’d turn both of them into human pigs to avenge his hatred!

After resting awhile, Li Ran left the secret cultivation chamber.

Because he had promised Li Chen he’d help find the Emperor Dragon Holy Scripture.

Li Chen kept his word and released him from the palace—so Li Ran would fulfill his promise too.

To seek revenge, he certainly needed Li Chen’s help; alone, he couldn’t possibly shake the decades-long networks of the Second and Third Princes.

In the southern region of the TianCe Dynasty, the Southern Prince’s mansion resembled a small imperial palace.

The Southern Prince ruled here like a local emperor, hoarding resources and building his own paradise.

!

As one of the few feudal lords in the TianCe Dynasty with military authority, he was far from content.

His duty was to deter the southern nations.

He had always done so, subduing the southern nations into submission.

But as his power grew, he began to stir with ambition.

The birth of his heir, Xu Zifeng, was undoubtedly the key trigger for his rebellious thoughts.

Xu Zifeng was born with supernatural strength and cultivated at several times the normal rate.

He was also blessed with immense destiny, always escaping danger unscathed.

At a young age, his cultivation base was already terrifying, and his wisdom was exceptional, surpassing all others.

Even reclusive masters claimed Xu Zifeng bore the physiognomy of a dragon-human hybrid.

The Southern Prince wondered: was this heaven’s sign that he could take that final step?

After all, the southern nations were already subdued—even some kings bowed to him as their lord.

Inside the Southern Prince’s mansion—the little imperial palace—there were many beauties looted from southern nations.

Sometimes, he’d even summon the queens of these small nations to his bed.

He reveled in the pleasure this local emperor status brought him.

Yet at this moment, the Southern Prince still hesitated—the emperor had done nothing wrong to him, and had even granted him great power.

Most importantly, the late emperor and the Southern Prince had grown up together—they shared old bonds.

He truly couldn’t bring himself to rebel and invite the world’s scorn.

The turning point came when Xu Zifeng was summoned to the capital as a hostage.

The Southern Prince thought inwardly: You forced me into this!

The late emperor had his own reasoning.

In his view, the Southern Prince, bound by old ties, would never rebel.

But what if both he and the Southern Prince died? Xu Zifeng, raised with boundless ambition, had once publicly uttered disrespectful words—like “the throne rotates; this year it’s my turn.”

He’d even beaten imperial princes within his own territory—if he inherited the Southern Prince’s title, how could the south remain stable?

For the eternal foundation of the TianCe Dynasty, the late emperor made this decision.

He never intended to kill Xu Zifeng—only to imprison him.

The late emperor believed his own health was strong, while the Southern Prince, a battle-hardened veteran, was riddled with illness.

He could outlive the Southern Prince, dismantle his faction, neutralize the southern military threat, then release Xu Zifeng to live as a wealthy, honored prince.

It was a gesture acknowledging the Southern Prince’s past merits.

But who could have foreseen that the Southern Prince hadn’t died—and the late emperor did?

This messy situation now lay before Li Chen—the Southern Prince had no ties to Li Chen and would rebel without hesitation.

The Southern Prince had been preparing for this time, and just then received a secret letter from the Third Prince.

As all factions prepared to turn the TianCe Dynasty upside down, what was Li Chen doing?

He was making no preparations—he had already gone to reset his beginner dungeon.

(End of Chapter)