Chapter 725: Plundering

Zhou Shenchao.

Imperial Study.

Fang Xing, wearing imperial robes, sat behind his desk with an air of solemn authority, gazing down at a young man.

“Crown Prince… what is it you wish to report?”

He asked casually.

“Your Majesty… it concerns the Zhang family of Dense Forest.”

The young man, clad in a python robe, bowed deeply: “This matter has long been investigated, but the Dalisi cannot reach a decision and has delayed it until today… I humbly beg Your Majesty’s imperial judgment.”

His demeanor was utterly reverent, for his father’s authority was immense.

This emperor had ascended the throne at nine, eliminated powerful ministers and imprisoned the Empress Dowager by eleven, and now, after thirty-six years of rule, all civil and military officials and noble families bowed before him—a ruthless figure whispered about in private as “Since ancient times, no sovereign has matched his mastery of imperial strategy.”

Even as Crown Prince, he remained trembling with fear.

“This transcendence realm is truly boring… they’ve made me emperor again.”

Fang Xing, behind the imperial desk, yawned listlessly.

Since Pan Gu Wu ascended, he had set a plan to enjoy himself and explore.

Having achieved eternity, he could roam freely until the river of time dried up or collapsed.

Thus he had played for billions of years, then slowly scattered his eternal marks to forcibly plunder transcendence legacies.

Though the realm spirit was powerful, it could not resist the might of the Ten Thousand Worlds Gate, and bound by rules, it had been exploited by him again and again…

“The Zhang family of Dense Forest? You come to me over such a trivial matter?”

Fang Xing snorted. Though not angry, his imperial aura was unfathomable, and the Crown Prince broke into a cold sweat.

The Zhang family of Dense Forest was a mid-level landholding clan near the capital, famed as “a family that passes down poetry and books,” with many descendants who, following ancestral teachings, rarely split households, clinging together for survival.

But with so many people, oddities arose: one Zhang son, harboring resentment against the matriarch, had been bullied since childhood, even rendered disabled, unable to pass the imperial examinations and escape his cage.

Finally, he resolved to flee during an opportunity, escaping to the capital’s Yingtian Prefecture, declaring his intent to rebel, carving a jade seal, and hiding a dragon robe…

He was caught red-handed, with undeniable evidence.

And under Zhou Shenchao law, rebellion meant extermination of nine kinship clans.

Yingtian Prefecture, powerless, had imprisoned the entire Zhang clan. The Zhangs were undoubtedly innocent, yet the state’s law stood firm.

The Zhang son admitted he had done it deliberately for revenge.

The case had spread widely, sparking heated debate across court and countryside, yet remained unresolved.

The Crown Prince, now participating in governance and overseeing the Dalisi , had been overwhelmed by lobbying and pleas.

Today, he had no choice but to come, begging for imperial judgment.

“Crown Prince, what do you think?”

Fang Xing asked.

“The Zhang son deserves death, but the rest of the clan are innocent. Might Your Majesty consider amnesty?”

The Crown Prince replied.

“If so, where is the state law?”

Fang Xing sneered: “You still favor Confucian scholars too much. Confucian texts may be read by officials and other imperial princes, but the emperor and crown prince must never fully believe them. A ruler must learn the art of kingship, the Moulve of slaying dragons. Why? Because when grace comes from above, the people weep with gratitude… If you plead for mercy now, and I grant it, will the Zhangs thank you—or the Dalisi magistrates and clerks who handled the case?”

Fang Xing sneered: “Your Highness, you still favor Confucians too much. Confucian texts may be read by officials and other princes, but the Emperor and Crown Prince must never fully trust them. A ruler must learn the art of kingship, the strategy of slaying dragons. Why? When favors come from above, the people are moved to tears… You now plead for mercy—if you truly grant clemency, will the Zhang family thank you, or the magistrates and clerks of the Dalisi ?”

“My decree: let the Dalisi judge according to law, then grant the Zhangs a special pardon at the execution ground. Let the blame rest with the officials, and the grace come from above—that is the way to govern.”

Fang Xing shook his head, sneering again: “The Zhangs raised a son like this—clearly their family morals are corrupt. Now caught in litigation, with bribes and corruption at every level, this case will break them. Perfect…”

Once entangled in litigation, a family sinks deep: the nine kinship clans imprisoned, their property seized, bribes paid, pleas made, officials extorting… no matter how much wealth this centuries-old clan had amassed, it would be ruined.

Seeing the Crown Prince’s reluctant expression, Fang Xing shook his head again: “Pitiable people always have something hateful in them. Besides… what does it matter if a mere Zhang clan dies or falls? Those unjustly punished by state law may even harbor resentment—they’ll be useless from now on. Their ruin is fitting.”

Seeing the Crown Prince’s face soften, he shook his head again: “Those worthy of pity often have hateful traits. Moreover… what does it matter if a mere Zhang family perishes? Those now suffering unjustly under the law may even harbor resentment—they’ll be useless henceforth. Their ruin and destruction is only fitting…”

“Petty?” The Crown Prince looked confused.

Fang Xing spoke: “Life and death, reward and punishment—these are the emperor’s rights. If you kill wrongly, you kill wrongly… for a dynasty, the wrongful death of one family means nothing. Crown Prince… you must see not just one noble clan, whose ancestors produced at most fifth- or fourth-rank officials, yet whose marital ties sprawl into countless connections.”

“In recent days, how many officials who came running acted out of righteous indignation, and how many took bribes? How many seized the chance to stir factional strife, party rivalries, doctrinal conflicts?”

“And how many secretly wait to trip you up, to laugh at your misfortune?”

He sneered, tossing down a memorial.

The Crown Prince glanced at it, and cold sweat dripped down: “So Father deliberately shelved this case, letting debate fester… to lure out the snakes and cast the net…”

“Heh… even this small case hides treacherous currents. How much more so for major ones?” Fang Xing said. “ Suowei state law, ancestral codes… they’re merely paper cages. Governance requires adapting to time and circumstance… what the masses consider major issues are trivial. Everyone is replaceable—even officials. Crown Prince… what goal can you achieve through this?”

The Crown Prince froze, as if never having considered this question.

Fang Xing, seeing this, felt a pang of disappointment. Though he had chosen the best among many, this Crown Prince still fell short of the political creature he envisioned.

But it was fine—people grow. Give him experience, platforms, trials… he would not become a monarch easily fooled by ministers.

“Why, in every new dynasty, do most founding ministers come from one county or region?”

“Because the world is a makeshift operation. Waging war, governing the realm—average talent suffices. What are the high ministers, the crimson-robed ones? Just ordinary men.”

“As long as one isn’t born an idiot, with average talent plus later cultivation, experience, and training, a functioning administration can be built. The earliest followers, closest to the founding emperor, get the first opportunities, then snowball into dominance—making it seem as if talent bursts forth from one region.”

“It’s merely survivorship bias: those who joined at the start were local retainers… but many died in the struggle for supremacy. Still, some survived, making it appear as if the land produced exceptional men.”

“And among them, true geniuses emerge—no experience needed, they grasp it at once, rising above all…”

This Crown Prince isn’t a genius, but if he endures enough hardship, he’ll grow.

The key is for the emperor to distinguish: teach imperial statecraft, not Confucian moralizing that only harms the throne.

Of course, some emperors know this but fear their heir will learn the dragon-slaying arts and turn them into the dragon to be slain.

And Confucianism still serves well to legitimize rule, draping governance in a cloak of righteousness—so they tolerate it.

Thus, the conflict between emperors and crown princes has always been unsolvable.

But for Fang Xing, he had no fear of the Crown Prince, so he handled matters with greater ease and composure.

Suddenly, decades passed.

The Emperor of Zhou Shenchao passed away.

“Realm Spirit… we meet again.”

Inside the transcendence realm.

Fang Xing gazed at the realm spirit, formed from mist, and smiled in greeting.

The realm spirit remained silent, seemingly weary.

By protocol, it must test every cultivator entering the realm.

But who could have foreseen a shameless one, wielding the Ten Thousand Worlds Gate, had already done this how many times?

It said nothing, merely waved its hand, and two vast golden scrolls unfurled across the sky.

Countless shifting golden seal-script characters coalesced:

It fell silent, then merely waved its hand—two massive golden scrolls unfurled across the sky.

【Character Rank First: Fang Xing!】

【Character Rank Second: Ye Weixian!】

【Character Rank Third: Wan Dao Liu!】

【Available Treasures and Legacies:】

【One: The complete set of the “Xu Feng Nine Transformations” technique, including full cultivation resources…】

【Two: None】

【One: A complete set of the Xu Feng Nine Transformations technique, including full cultivation resources…】

…

“Only this technique left? No restocking?”

Fang Xing grumbled: “Fine, I’ll take this one.”

He had come here so many times, he’d stripped this transcendence legacy bare.

Fang Xing muttered: “Then this one will do.”

As he chose, a complex, profound technique bloomed in his mind: “Xu Feng Nine Transformations!”

Alongside it, a storage ring floated midair, which he seized.

“Hmm… with this, I can help other eternal beings condense several transcendence traits…”

Fang Xing smiled faintly, his form vanishing: “Realm Spirit, sorry for the disturbance… until we meet again…”

Unless something unexpected occurs, he would not return to this realm.

“Hmm… with these, I can at least help other Eternal Beings condense several copies of transcendence traits…”

Fang Xing chuckled softly and vanished: “Spirit of the Secret Realm, sorry for the disturbance… until we meet again…”

On a certain entertainment planet.

“Hmm… the design concept of this planet is quite good. Worth investigating…”

Fang Xing gazed at the planet, a faint smile on his face.

Blue Star civilization’s entertainment industry was highly advanced, even offering “transmigration services.”

Specifically, they transformed a planet—or even a star system—into an ancient or even modern-era environment.

Then, wealthy patrons could pay to have their true bodies or consciousness enter a cloned vessel, embarking on a new adventure.

The entertainment industry of Blue Star Civilization was highly developed, even giving rise to “time-travel services.”

Specifically, this involved transforming a planet—or even an entire star system—into an ancient, or even modern-era, environment.

Wealthy individuals who paid could then choose to either descend in their true bodies or transfer their consciousness into a cloned vessel, embarking on a new adventure.

Generally, the stronger one is, the more likely they are to choose weak clones for adventure, even deliberately sealing their own memories.

Then, they can enjoy a suite of customized services—becoming the chosen one, leading their clan to rise, leaping off cliffs to find treasures, and having immortal maidens and demonic beauties throw themselves into their arms...

It is said that these planets were originally designed to cultivate the hearts and minds of the powerful and even their descendants.

But later, things went off track, turning into a pleasure game for interstellar billionaires.

After all, compared to the completely virtual Grand Void Universe, “reality” is a more premium form of enjoyment.

Fang Xing had spent hundreds of millions of years, clearing every planet and Fuben .

He even customized countless scripts, thoroughly satisfying himself.

“Hm?”

“Has the transcendence realm in the True Immortal Realm been completely stripped of its resources?”

He reached out, snatching a storage ring from the void, and nodded: “Next... I’ll head to the transcendence realm of the Fa’ao World...”