Chapter 1527 571: Heavenly Realm (Part 1)_2

He picked up the longest one and slowly approached.

The Evil Qi on the golden needle caused the surrounding restrictions to buzz, and the green flames dimmed.

"Prince Wang, you should stop pretending to be venerable just because of your age. You're always talking about the Grand Ancestor, but how many years has it been since the Grand Ancestor ascended? Even if he were here, today's era is Jianlong, not Tianwu!

"Last time I'll ask you, where are they?

"And Lu Ji, hiding with Prince Qi in the Thundering Cold Continent, what is he planning to do? Is he preparing to raise an army and rebel, then elevate Prince Qi to the throne?!

Wang Zhi said nothing, only forcibly mobilizing his mana, trying to break free from the chains.

The eunuch lost patience completely, his face turning cold, no longer speaking, the golden needle on his fingertip carrying a point of extreme destructive Evil Qi, stabbing directly at Wang Zhi's brow!

"Ah———"

A piercing wail echoed throughout the Immortal Prison.

...

Thundering Cold Continent.

Hall of the God of Death.

"Report——"

"Prince!"

"Something terrible has happened!"

A Core Formation general hurriedly flew into the hall and knelt on the ground: "The court, the court is gathering three million troops from the Eastern Continent's border, advancing toward our continent's border!"

Above the grand hall.

Lu Ji sat behind the desk with a gloomy expression.

Beside him were Sun Buqi, Ye Fengxiu, Rong Yanqiu, Deng Feng, Wang Li, and other elders from the Grand Ancestor's era, as well as Prince Qi, the fraternal brother of Emperor Jianlong.

"Report!"

"A letter from the Eastern Continent!"

"Read it."

Lu Ji said in a deep voice, uttering a word.

The general opened the letter and read aloud: "In the past, when the Grand Ancestor's dragon rose, heroes admired him. Your ancestors, either wielding sharp weapons on the battlefield or devising strategies in the command tent. The Cloud Platform and the Lin Pavilion bore marks; the vermilion book and iron bond preserved old oaths. This is what you all know.

"Now deceived by demon words, willingly act disobediently, claiming land and raising troops, isn't it absurd? I, entrusted by Heaven, rule over all four seas, remember that you from meritorious families are temporarily lost in mind, deeply lamenting.

"Hereby issuing a clear edict: If you can repent and come back, I will certainly forgive your past offenses, treat you with sincerity, secure your titles and ranks, and protect your clans. But if you rely on danger and defy orders, persisting in wrongdoing, my royal army will be directed, striking like thunder and lightning. At that time, not only will you be minced under the axe and halberd but will also be publicly denounced throughout the land, thoroughly punishing your followers. The punishment of nine kin, not what I wish, is what you brought on yourself!

"Fortune and misfortune diverge, the choice is yours. The sun shines brightly, the testament is clear. Be cautious! Be cautious!"

"What nonsense!"

Sun Buqi was furious, slamming the desk in front of him to pieces: "Punish the nine kin? Let me see whose nine kin he's thinking to punish!"

"This scoundrel!"

Rong Yanqiu angrily scolded: "They captured Wang Zhi, detained Chen Yunxi, Xu Yunhuan, and other princesses, Yu Ji was killed, Yu Lie abolished, Su Can is also missing... Unthinkable, in just two thousand years, the Great Han has become like this."

Ye Fengxiu spoke up: "What do we do next?"

"Of course, fight them!"

Deng Feng loudly declared: "The Jiang Mountain and Society left by Emperor Taizu can't be defiled by them!"

"It's difficult, so difficult..."

Second Brother Cheng Wei paced back and forth: "The uprising is rushed, lacking military strength, and the court over there is now incorporating various big and small sects. Plus, over the years using the Emperor's Breath Soil to cultivate, Divinity Transformation cultivators are numerous. In terms of High Realm cultivators, we're far inferior. If they truly advance, within two or three years, the entire Thundering Cold Continent will fall."

"Bang!"

Prince Qi slammed the table and stood: "Honored elders! I don't wish to rebel either, nor do I desire the throne. But if this goes on, how is the Great Han different from the former Dasheng?"

"Indeed."

Wang Li agreed: "Even if shattered to pieces, we cannot dishonor the name of the Great Han!"

"Enough."

Lu Ji slowly stood, speaking in a deep voice: "No need to argue anymore. Let go of everything, the Ascension Platform is also in the court's hands. If we don't remove this Jianlong aberration, even if we hold Thundering Cold Continent, unable to ascend, we'll eventually be trapped here in the Human World. With no retreat, it's a fight to the death."

He, as the most powerful of the older generation, was ambushed by Jianlong shortly before the incident, now gravely injured, unable to exert much strength.

Everyone knew this.

The atmosphere in the Hall of the God of Death was oppressive.

But they had no choice.

"Junior Brother, oh Junior Brother."

Cheng Wei looked at the big tree on the horizon: "If you can spare a moment, you must come back to see…"

...

Po Yang.

Chen Sansi found an old withered man working on the ridges of the fields, greeted him: "Old man, which family are you from in Yanbian Village?"

"Me?"

The old man raised his head, revealing an ugly face: "I am surnamed Li!"

Lai Zi head?!

In a moment of confusion.

Chen Sansi seemed to see Lai Zi head from his village but soon realized this should be Lai Zi head's descendant, still a familiar face.

He asked: "Isn't it prohibited in our Great Han to plant Spiritual Grain? Why is it now that there's Spiritual Grain all over the fields? Could it be you're planting and selling it to cultivators for money?"

Hearing this.

Lai Zi head looked at the White Robe with a very surprised expression, as if he had encountered a fool: "Young man, did you get confused? Not planting Spirit Plant, how long ago was that? Since I was born, I've never missed planting even a single Spiritual Grain!"

Chen Sansi's face instantly darkened.

He turned to leave, started inquiring for detailed information, only to know it was already the fifth generation of the Great Han, the emperor's era name is Jianlong.

He is a great-grandson of Chen Duhe.

Now, it is the two hundred and thirtieth year of Jianlong.

The Spiritual Grain taxation system started being implemented at the end of the Yongchu Emperor's reign.

Has it become the fifth generation so quickly?

Chen Sansi found a scholar in Yanbian Village, borrowed books to see what happened over the years.

It turned out.

Soon after Chen Duhe's ascension, demons suddenly launched a massive attack on the border, Emperor Xuanhe personally led the troops, several times repelling the demon armies.

But there was one problem with this person.

He was too fond of personally leading campaigns.

In almost every large and small battle, he insisted on taking part himself, had decent military skills, but wasn't invincible, plus his realm wasn't particularly high.

Later, in a major battle, he was defeated and besieged, and committed suicide.

Soon after, Yongchu Emperor ascended.

Due to the disastrous defeat of Xuanhe's final campaign, causing significant losses and depletion of national strength for the Great Han, Yongchu Emperor inherited a mess.

Towards his later years, to enlist help from various sects, he issued an edict, requiring the people to pay Spiritual Grain tax again and started using war prisoners for Blood Sacrifice to enhance cultivation.

Later, Xuanhe succumbed to inner demons, died after slaying six major demons.

Then it came to Jianlong Emperor.

After ascending the throne, this person began drastic reforms using the foundation left by the last two emperors, mainly casting away officials of the Tianwu era to the "Cold Palace".

In fact, this began during Xuanhe's reign, after three generations of planning, finally able to balance Tianwu's former officials.

After this, Jianlong Emperor relied heavily on sect cultivators, continuously increasing Spiritual Grain tax, today's state no different from the former Dasheng.

Further details are not known from civilian perspectives.

The scholar from Yanbian Village said indignantly: "Back in the Grand Ancestor's day, so much blood was shed to earn the Great Han's domain, yet merely five generations later, it's become like this! Detestable, detestable, detestable!!!"

"Indeed."

Chen Sansi's face grew even darker.

Just when he was about to take his leave, intending to visit Kunxu, rowdy noises came from outside.

"Immortal, Immortal, please spare my daughter!"

"Why so much nonsense?!"

"..."

Chen Sansi immediately went out to check the situation.

He saw a Qi Refinement cultivator dragging a maiden from a household.

A middle-aged man clung to the cultivator's leg: "Immortal, she's my only daughter!"

"Scram!"

The Qi Refinement cultivator kicked him away.