Chapter 36: Finally Attaining the Innate

"What? This is actually caused by His Majesty's breakthrough into the Innate Realm?" Grand Marshal Yang Biao exclaimed in surprise.

"His Majesty has broken through to the Innate Realm, but I never heard Him say that breaking through the Innate Realm also requires the test of the World Will!" Xun Yu, standing nearby, asked in confusion.

"There must be something we don't know inside; after His Majesty's breakthrough, we can go ask and find out." Jia Xu said calmly.

"Eunuch Chief Li, seeing the heavenly pressure so strong, His Majesty shouldn't be in danger, right?" Guo Jia, whose cultivation was at Tongsheng First Heaven, asked among the crowd.

"All honored gentlemen, please be at ease; this mere World Will can be easily broken by His Majesty," Li Liangcheng said, comforting the worried faces.

"Everyone, by His Majesty's decree, you are to soothe the citizens of Luoyang City; chaos must not occur," Li Liangcheng said gravely to the group.

"We will faithfully follow His Majesty's decree!" Upon hearing Liu Bian's command, the others hurriedly bowed and listened.

"Very well, everyone, come with me to maintain the stability of Huang Du; do not disturb His Majesty's breakthrough!" Grand Tutor Yuan Kui said immediately.

"Then, all of you, let's go together!" After speaking, the group departed together.

……

Without anyone to disturb him, Liu Bian began his breakthrough calmly, continuously channeling his internal force to strike the Renmai.

Because Liu Bian's constitution was exceedingly strong, after more than a hundred strikes, the Renmai finally opened, and his internal force began converting into True Qi.

"Hum…"

Accompanied by a Dragon Cry, a ten‑plus‑zhang long Purple‑Gold Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon rose into the air, instantly burst out of the Dian, spiraled above the Imperial Palace, and roared with repeated Dragon Cries.

In an instant, all the citizens of Luoyang City saw the Divine Dragon in the sky and knelt to pay their respects.

"Divine Dragon, look quickly, a Divine Dragon has appeared above the Imperial Palace!!!"

"It is His Majesty! I heard that when His Majesty killed Dong Zhuo, a Divine Dragon appeared; I never thought it was real!"

"His Majesty is the True Dragon Son of Heaven, long live His Majesty!!!"

……

Seeing this, the citizens knelt and bowed; at that moment, recognition of Liu Bian surged like never before, and anyone daring to criticize him would surely be torn apart by the frenzied crowd.

……

Liu Bian's aura began to surge wildly; after half an hour, the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon circling overhead finally merged into Liu Bian's body, and his aura finally broke through to the Innate Third Heaven.

"Hu…"

"After traveling here for so long, I've finally broken through to the Innate Third Heaven, the Innate Realm, opened the Renmai, and the postnatal internal force has turned into Innate True Qi. I now feel at least ten times stronger than before."

Feeling the powerful True Qi within, Liu Bian was overjoyed.

"Now, I find the World Will's test poses no threat to me; I could shatter it with a raised hand."

At this moment, the World Will's attack finally descended: a white lightning bolt surged toward him.

"Crackle…"

He extended his palm, and the Emperor Sword from his dantian appeared in Liu Bian's hand; he raised it and sliced the incoming lightning with a single strike.

"Boom—…"

Accompanied by a huge blast, the lightning and sword light vanished simultaneously.

"King's Way Three Swords, Sword of Judgment!"

Without waiting for another lightning, Liu Bian shouted, and slashed a ten‑zhang sword beam through the dark clouds above.

"Boom—boom—boom"

The sword light pierced the clouds, instantly shattering the World Will's gathered darkness, revealing a clear sky, and the darkness covering the Han Empire began to fade slowly.

"Excellent, His Majesty has successfully broken through!"

"Indeed, let's hurry into the palace to meet His Majesty!"

"Right, right, right, honored gentlemen, let's go together!"

In Luoyang City, the officials who had calmed the citizens gathered, murmuring lowly, planning to enter the palace at once to audience the sovereign.

……

In Yanzhou, at the Chenliu Jun Inspector's office, Liu Dai and his civil‑military commanders stared gravely at the vanished clouds in the sky.

"How is it? Have you discovered what happened, why the sky changed so abruptly?"

"And that powerful aura just now—who can tell me what it truly was?"

Seated at the head, Liu Dai, his face sallow, roared at those below.

Earlier, that crushing pressure, as if the heavens were collapsing, was so immense that it seemed the heavens themselves were angry; at that moment, they were all forced to the ground, kneeling under the aura.

"Reply, my lord, the time was too short to investigate; the sky began to clear, but judging by it, something major must have occurred in Luoyang!"

Bao Xin, the Jibei Chancellor seated below, also wore a panicked, terrified expression as he spoke.

"Sir, I also concur with the Jibei Chancellor's words; perhaps Liu Bian the youngster committed some act that angered heaven, provoking its wrath."

Wang Yu, hearing Bao Xin's remark, hurriedly added his agreement.

"I concur…"

All those seated below voiced their agreement.

"Send a rapid party to Luoyang to investigate; we must ascertain exactly what occurred in Luoyang that incited the heavens' fury."

Liu Dai, hearing the explanations, frowned and retorted angrily.

……

With Liu Bian's breakthrough of the Innate Realm triggering the World Will's test, for a moment, aside from the citizens of Luoyang who knew what had happened, people throughout the Han Empire fell into panic.

In an instant, all the Marquis across Tian Xia dispatched envoys to Luoyang to discover what had transpired!

Some believed it was the emperor who provoked heaven, thus causing its anger.

……

In the Imperial Palace's Imperial Study, Liu Bian, having successfully broken into the Innate Realm, was familiarizing himself with the powerful True Qi; the system's boost was indeed beneficial.

This time he surged from the Postnatal Seventh Layer to the Innate Third Heaven in one go, feeling no discomfort; his internal True Qi was immensely robust, circulating as effortlessly as a command of the arm.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and Lady Diao Chan have arrived!" At this moment, Li Liangcheng, who was outside the Dian, entered the Imperial Study and said to Liu Bian.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian immediately prepared to rise and go greet them.

"Bian Er, what just happened? What exactly did you do that could provoke the boss to unleash Heavenly Punishment!"

Liu Bian had just stood up, saw the Empress Dowager walking into the Imperial Study together with Diao Chan, and before Liu Bian could speak, the Empress Dowager hurriedly asked.

Seeing the two filled with worry, Liu Bian felt a faint warmth in his heart.

Then he said to the two, "Empress Dowager, Chan Er, Emperor has no problem; just now was Emperor's Cultivation Breakthrough to the Innate Realm, which triggered a World Will test."

Liu Bian looked at the worried and anxious two, a relaxed smile appearing on his face, and explained to them.