Chapter 721

“Grand Ancestor Wu, what are you contemplating?” Olga’s soft voice sounded at his side, carrying a hint of quiet concern.

As the Sacred Maiden appointed by the Grand Ancestor Wu, she had always remained at his side; seeing Li Chen sitting alone in deep thought, she could not help but speak up.

Li Chen looked up at this beautiful and perceptive Sacred Maiden, his heart stirred slightly; he decided to voice the question half-truthfully, using it to clarify his thoughts:

“I am pondering the new emperor. Though I am the Imperial Tutor, the actual power of the Great Luo Dynasty remains firmly held by the old emperor Ivan and the reclusive ancestral emperor Romanov; the imperial clan largely obeys them.”

“The new emperor is young and needs my guidance—I am considering how to find a suitable moment to invite these two ‘seniors’ out for a proper ‘discussion’ on the empire’s future.”

His words were deliberately vague, for certain deeper schemes were not meant to be spoken aloud, even to Olga.

Olga nodded half-understandingly, tilting her head in thought, and inadvertently said, “Since both of them have remained hidden behind the scenes controlling everything, perhaps they have some absolute sure ‘thread’ holding them in place? If we could just sever that ‘thread,’ they might feel unsafe and come out on their own?”

This casual remark was like a flash of lightning cutting through darkness, instantly illuminating Li Chen’s thoughts!

“Thread?”

Li Chen’s eyes flashed with sharp light as his mind rapidly calculated: “Yes! They must have a ‘thread’ they believe is secure! That thread is almost certainly the ancestral emperor Romanov himself!”

Ivan was cunning and fearful of death—he would surely hide in the safest core location. But Romanov was different; he boasted of his peerless cultivation and was among the world’s top elites, having personally appeared multiple times to negotiate with Grand Ancestor Wu.

Therefore, if we could create another opportunity to ‘meet’ Romanov, then follow him—once we traced him to his lair, we could follow the trail and very likely uncover Ivan’s hiding place!

Yet the next challenge arose immediately: Romanov was a peak Saint Realm cultivator on par with Li Chen, with acute spiritual awareness and vast divine abilities; tracking him without detection was no easy feat.

Li Chen alone could hardly achieve perfect secrecy.

Realizing this, Li Chen no longer hesitated.

He was currently stationed near the border of two nations, making it convenient to mobilize his forces.

He immediately issued the highest-level summons through secret channels to the Tian Ce Empire.

Several days later, in a secluded valley hidden beneath arrays and far from human habitation along the border, five powerful auras quietly descended.

Five individuals arrived: four men and one woman, each radiating an extraordinary aura, their bodies suffused with the flow of Dao essence—they were among the Saint Realm pillars upon whom the Tian Ce Empire relied.

Master Wan Feng today wore a cold, stern expression, his gaze sharp and his aura heavy and still.

Master Bi Chen held a fly whisk, exuding an ethereal, immortal-like presence; he excelled in array analysis and calculation.

Master Qing Xu wore a bagua Dao robe, appearing solemn, yet his eyes flickered restlessly—he too was a master of arrays.

He Lan Xuan was a towering figure clad in general’s civilian attire, his presence massive and imposing, one of Li Chen’s top generals.