Chapter 172: Heaven and Earth Cut Off, A Desperate Gamble

Several days passed in succession.

Within the vast Tianjing City, the turmoil brought about by the death of Xici continued.

In the imperial court, the Xuantong Emperor had already summoned the civil and military officials and declared his intention to abdicate. Upon confirming such earth-shattering news, many Han officials were secretly overjoyed, but all the Golden Clan officials were in a state of panic, as if the sky were collapsing.

During the morning audience, they learned that Lu Yuan was still in the palace and no one dared to say much, but in private, they urgently banded together to find Prince Yi and other princes and ministers to discuss countermeasures.

However, they soon discovered that Prince Yi, whom they regarded as their backbone, was indifferent to the Xuantong Emperor's abdication and the impending collapse of the Jin Dynasty, even scolding them and demanding they cooperate fully and not obstruct the process.

Such a bizarre phenomenon filled these Golden Clan officials with immense panic and a chill.

Although they did not understand why these pillars of the Jin Dynasty would have such a reaction, with their survival at stake, no one was willing to sit and wait for death. They immediately thought of seeking the intervention of the Great Powers to put up a desperate fight.

Just like that, undercurrents surged throughout Tianjing. For several days, the government was nearly paralyzed, barely maintaining a facade of stability. The common people also caught a whiff of something unusual; those with some discernment and family wealth, as well as merchants from other places, began to pack their valuables and flee, fearing they would be trapped in the vortex and unable to escape.

Of course, there were also the so-called rebels and outlaws of the past who had been suppressed by the imperial court and forced into hiding. In such a situation, they were indeed pleasantly surprised and emerged one after another, wanting to take the opportunity to rise up.

At this very moment, Lu Yuan remained unaware and unconcerned, still browsing through books in a side hall of the Imperial City's Scripture Hall.

The various historical records and classics stored in this hall were far more numerous than the martial arts manuals in the main hall; describing them as a vast sea of books would not be an exaggeration.

After all, Shenzhou had a history of nearly ten thousand years. Although it had experienced the collapse of dynasties generation after generation, all rulers had attached importance to the preservation of historical records, resulting in the current Scripture Hall housing records from over a dozen dynasties.

It was not an easy task to find the required information among so many history books. Fortunately, Lu Yuan's goal was clearly set on the Middle Ages and earlier periods, and with Zhao Shuhua and a few others helping him search through the catalogs, it was not that difficult.

At this moment, in the empty side hall, Lu Yuan sat alone at a desk. After closing the last history book in front of him, he couldn't help but rub his brow.

Having searched and read so many classics over the past few days, even he, a cultivator, felt somewhat mentally exhausted.

Fortunately, the energy spent was not in vain; he had found the information he wanted within the historical records.

Combining multiple ancient books recorded during the Middle Ages, it could be seen that between the Ancient Era and the Middle Ages, this world had once experienced a massive fault line, roughly six thousand years ago.

Many ancient books recorded that in the Ancient Era, Qi Refiners would consume mist and Qi, could fly through the sky and burrow into the earth, and were immortal. Some legends and strange tales even vividly recorded all sorts of exotic beasts.

To people of the present day, this was naturally seen as the fabrication of predecessors, but Lu Yuan had reason to suspect that these were factual records.

As for why these Qi Refiners and exotic beasts vanished, and why the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism faded—

These ancient books were vague, with various theories. Some said that the Qi Refiners exploited Heaven and Earth too excessively, angering the Heavens, which brought down a great catastrophe to sever the path to Immortality.

Others said that the spiritual mechanism of this world was limited, and after the Qi Refiners discovered this, they were unwilling to remain in this cage, so they joined forces to use great Supernatural Power to communicate with Tianjie and ascended, taking all the exotic beasts with them.

Others still said that the ancestors of the Shenzhou tribes in the Ancient Era could not bear the tyrannical rule of the Qi Refiners, so the major tribes united and, by some unknown means, cut off the connection between Heaven and Earth, driving the Qi Refiners out of this world.

Lu Yuan looked at them one by one and felt that every theory sounded plausible, as if they were all true.

"Six thousand years later, truth and falsehood are hard to distinguish..."

After thinking for a while, he sighed, stood up, and walked out of the side hall, temporarily giving up on his investigation.

Even if there were an upper limit to this world, it did not yet restrict him, a cultivator at the mid-stage of Refining Essence into Qi. He had plenty of time to slowly explore the secrets of this world; there was no need to rush.

At his current cultivation efficiency, it would only take two years to reach the perfection of Refining Essence into Qi. By then, perhaps he would know whether an upper limit truly existed in this world.

Thinking of this, Lu Yuan walked outside the hall, stretched his limbs, looked up at the clear, blue sky, and smiled.

"Setting aside the upper limit of the world, the harvest of Luck Power this time is truly significant."

He communicated with the Heavenly Book and received feedback.

【Luck Power】: 14,371 units

Compared to a few days ago, the Luck accumulated in the Heavenly Book had suddenly surged by more than ten thousand units, easily breaking through the ten-thousand mark like a rocket!

Moreover, even now, vast amounts of Luck were continuously gathering from the void, allowing him to harvest one or two thousand units of Luck every day!

Calculating the time, the news of his execution of Xici should have only reached the surrounding provinces; the more remote provinces should not have received the news yet. Such a massive increase in Luck would surely continue for a long time.

"With an expected gain of at least tens of thousands of units of Luck this time, I can be considered truly wealthy."

"It's just that I need to plan carefully on how to utilize this Luck."

Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel emotional and began to plan the use of this Luck Power in advance.

Utilizing this Luck Power boiled down to two points: first, continue to accumulate it to light up the Heavenly Gang Art 【Nine Breaths Serving Qi】; second, upgrade 【Ingestion】, 【Guidance】, and other arts to turn them into Supernatural Powers.

As for other Heavenly Gang Arts, either their effects had other Earthly Fiend Arts as lower-tier substitutes, or they required a huge amount of Luck and were temporarily useless to Lu Yuan, so they were not considered.

"Pavilion Master!"

While he was still pondering, he saw Chen Zhantang, Zhao Shuhua, and several other disciples hurrying over from the square.

In these past few days, Li Junxian and others had been immersed in the main hall of the Scripture Hall, busy copying and studying techniques. A small portion of people like Zhao Shuhua, who lacked talent in martial arts and were less interested in them, were responsible for taking inventory of the palace collections, the Imperial Household Department, the imperial estates, and the national treasury accounts. Meanwhile, disciples like Chen Zhantang were responsible for liaising with all parties and had even selected Han people from the Imperial Guards to reorganize a team to control the Imperial City.

Zhao Shuhua held a thick ledger and reported:

"I requested the general accounts from the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Revenue to take inventory. The Jin Dynasty's fiscal revenue last year was two hundred and eighty million Silver Yuan. Currently, there are forty million Silver Yuan in the national treasury, and Xici's private treasury now holds three million Silver Yuan, along with countless rare treasures."

"If we are to re-establish the national system, this money is extremely important. The private treasury and the national treasury are now guarded by the newly formed Imperial Guards; no one is allowed to enter without your permission."

For the scale of the entire Jin Dynasty, this amount of money could be called an empty treasury. Lu Yuan nodded.

"You've worked hard."

Chen Zhantang followed up with a report:

"Pavilion Master, Wu Taidou has sent word from Jinjin. The Martial Arts Association, the Golden Blade Group, and Commander Fan have joined forces to take over the government. All Golden Clan officials have been detained and imprisoned. They have basically controlled all of Jinjin."

"Wu Taidou has specifically sent people to notify and contact the Han Commanders and Military Governors we previously reached out to. Deputy Group Leader Cao has notified the Golden Blade Groups in Jiangning, Modu, and other places. In a few days, they will join forces with all parties to launch an uprising and seize power. As long as they succeed, it will surely be a spark that starts a prairie fire, sweeping across all directions!"

Lu Yuan smiled upon hearing this.

"Decisive and swift; ginger is indeed spicier when it's old."

Although he had used the Nightmare Prayer Technique to distort the will of the Xuantong Emperor and even some powerful governors and ministers, he did not think that relying on these people alone would allow for a bloodless change of dynasty. After all, the Golden Clan of the Jin Dynasty numbered nearly seventy million. In every province and region, whether in military or political affairs, there were many Golden Clan members in key positions. These people were accustomed to acting as masters over others and would never sit by and watch themselves be cast into the dust.

In particular, only a very small number of Golden Clan members had seen Lu Yuan descend like an Immortal to execute Xici with their own eyes. There were not a few Golden Clan members at the center of the news who held onto luck, thinking it was hearsay. When it came to the survival of their race, these people would never sit still and wait for death.

Therefore, Lu Yuan had instructed Wu Yixian before he left to control Jinjin at the first opportunity to secure a base. Now it seemed the results were remarkable.

"Oh, there's more."

Chen Zhantang said quickly:

"Wu Taidou also said that while they were controlling the Golden Clan officials in Jinjin, they discovered that the three Great Powers had moved. They seemed intent on interfering in this great change in Shenzhou and had contacted several Golden Clan officials, claiming they could provide weapons to support them."

Regarding this point, some of the princes and ministers he controlled had already sent letters to report it. Lu Yuan sneered without any surprise:

"They have become timid; to think they wouldn't take action themselves?"

Zhao Shuhua analyzed:

"They must be terrified, having been awed by the Pavilion Master's divine might at the World Martial Arts Tournament. On the other hand, after Xici died, dark currents have been surging everywhere, and the place is on the verge of becoming a powder keg. If they were to rush in now, it might cause the Jin Dynasty to collapse prematurely. Naturally, it is better to provide secret funding and let the Jin Clan fight to the death themselves."

Lu Yuan was indifferent:

"Shenzhou is currently in a state of chaos and has yet to be reborn from the ashes; it is a good thing they haven't entered the fray directly."

As the saying goes, one cannot be in two places at once.

Although he is currently invincible in the world, Shenzhou is so vast and expansive that he cannot attend to everything by himself. If the three great powers were to truly seize the opportunity to launch a massive invasion simultaneously, it would be quite troublesome for him to handle.

Zhao Shuhua said with infinite awe:

"The reason they dare not enter the fray is entirely due to your supreme Dharma Power and Supernatural Power, Pavilion Master. If not for—"

"Immortal Master, Immortal Master!"

Before the words were finished, a series of calls suddenly came. Turning his head, he saw Bagehai already trotting over with a few subordinates, and he said respectfully:

"Lunchtime has arrived. The Emperor has had the Imperial Kitchen prepare a full banquet, and they are waiting at Jin Yu Xuan. He asked me to invite you to grace us with your presence."

Lu Yuan swept his gaze over, staring at the few Jin Clan subordinates behind him who wore braids and kept their heads lowered, revealing a playful smile:

"Fine, since I have nothing better to do, lead the way."

Bagehai acknowledged the order and began to lead the way, while Lu Yuan followed toward Jin Yu Xuan with Chen Zhantang and a few others.

On the way, Chen Zhantang, who had suffered losses before, leaned in and whispered at the first opportunity:

"Pavilion Master, could this be a trap?"

Lu Yuan did not answer, only smiling noncommittally, strolling along behind Bagehai and the others as if he were out for a leisurely walk.

And when they had passed the plaza and were about to cross a long palace corridor.

Lu Yuan suddenly stopped his steps and instructed those behind him:

"You few, move to the side, find a place to hide, and do not come near."

Chen Zhantang, Zhao Shuhua, and the other disciples felt a chill in their hearts and, without hesitation, retreated a few steps to hide behind the palace walls on either side. At the same time, Bagehai, who was leading the way, also turned his head in confusion:

"Immortal Master, what is this...?"

Chi chi chi!

With golden light bursting forth and several sounds of flesh being sliced, the heads of the few Jin Clan subordinates beside Bagehai rolled off, blood gushing like a fountain.

Even though he had been brainwashed by the Nightmare Prayer Technique to be loyal, Bagehai was still severely startled and cried out in shock:

"What is the meaning of this, Immortal Master!?"

Lu Yuan ignored him, his body simply floating with golden light as he drifted slowly into the air above the palace corridor ahead, his mocking voice sweeping across all directions:

"As expected, there are quite a few who don't fear death. What are you waiting for?"

The words had just fallen.

"Kill!"

"Execute the monster!"

"Avenge the Old Buddha!"

Cries of "kill" erupted at the same time, and hundreds of figures instantly appeared on the walls on both sides of the corridor.

These people were divided into two groups. One group consisted of Shamanism mages wearing red monk robes; they held either large bows or short spears, roaring as they threw them at Lu Yuan, who was walking in the air, the whistling sound of them piercing the air resounding everywhere.

The other group wore the attire of the Imperial Guards. Most of these people had expressions as cold and hard as stone, their eyes filled with the indifference and dead silence of death-sworn soldiers. Even when they saw the miraculous sight of Lu Yuan flying in the air, they remained unmoved, pulling the triggers of the Machine Short Guns in their hands one after another, firing a rain of bullets, and even struggling to throw black, pitch-colored bombs that looked like Hand Grenades!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—

At least dozens of Hand Grenades exploded in mid-air. Amidst the blooming clusters of scarlet fire, countless shrapnel whistled and scattered through the air, and the fierce shockwaves washed over the surroundings like a tide, instantly cracking sections of the palace walls!

However.

Amidst such a bombardment, Lu Yuan's figure had long since moved through the void as he pleased, like a heavenly steed soaring across the skies, dodging at will. At the same time, he pointed his fingers to form a sword, instantly condensing a brilliant Sword Qi several zhang long.

Chi chi chi chi chi!

The massive Sword Qi flashed by like the sword of a god; wherever it passed, the world was divided into two distinct halves, as if the void itself had been severed by this strike.

And almost at the same time the Sword Qi flashed, at least twenty-some Shamanism monks and death-sworn soldiers on the palace walls were all cut in half at the waist. Before they could even let out a scream, their half-bodies and internal organs scattered in mid-air!

"It seems I haven't killed enough, to the point that you still harbor delusions and dare to make a move..."

Amidst the rain of bullets, Lu Yuan sighed softly, then pointed his sword, and dozens or hundreds of fine, golden Sword Qi erupted, sweeping through the surroundings like a violent storm.

In the void, the golden Sword Qi was as brilliant as rain, illuminating the sky, beautiful and magnificent.

Yet for the Shamanism monks and death-sworn soldiers who were fighting for their lives, this rain of swords was incomparably terrifying and cruel.

The speed of the Sword Qi was like thunder, too fast for the naked eye to capture. When it reached them, whether it was their tempered bodies, weapons, or shields and armor, all were like paper, unable to withstand even the slightest bit.

Thus, one could only hear the endless sound of flesh being pierced. In the blink of an eye, at least dozens of monks and death-sworn soldiers were torn apart as if by five horses, instantly shattered, with flesh and internal organs whistling and surging—a sight too horrible to look at!