[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-713":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263018,4415,"Chapter 713: Chaos in the Capital","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-713",713,"\u003Cp>“Proclaim it to the world?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li-fei beside him blinked, then chuckled admiringly: “Only the Emperor could be so bold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news of the divine artifact leaked unexpectedly, opportunists stoked the flames, court and marketplace buzzed with gossip, human dao underwent transformation, climate grew erratic…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All these matters surged forth in a chaotic rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Book of Changes’ Fu hexagram says: “Not far to return, no great regret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this continues, a great upheaval will inevitably arise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they never expected the Emperor would choose to announce it at the opening ceremony of the Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move was truly brilliant—it focused all eyes on a single point and cut off the spread of rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan also gazed into the depths of the Academy, a quiet hope stirring within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the Emperor would not dare to reveal it fully unless the steam engine had made major progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was already ready for use!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great age was truly arriving…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jiuling had underestimated Emperor Xiao Qixuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought the news would remain secret for a while, but he did not know that even as they spoke, an imperial decree had already been issued from the palace and spread throughout the Three Provinces and Six Ministries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Qiankun Academy opens its gates—the divine artifact appears!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brief message, composed of mere words, ignited the entire capital at an unimaginable speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mysterious box,” “red light blazing to heaven,” “heaven-sent omen”…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The streets and markets had already been filled with wild, fantastical rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, every speculation and falsehood was instantly “officially confirmed,” and the impact was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you hear? His Majesty himself declared that on the Academy’s opening day, he’ll unveil the ‘divine artifact’ for all the world to see!” In the teahouse, patrons spat more vigorously than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk, this confirms it! I wonder what kind of earth-shattering treasure it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Academy’s in the eastern suburbs—damn, that day will be packed with people!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I could see it with my own eyes, I’d brag about it for the rest of my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dream on! That’s the imperial domain—any commoner who gets within ten zhang counts as blessed by ancestral fortune!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone sneered, yet his eyes still gleamed with longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storyteller, seeing this, slammed his wooden clapper and revived his pre-prepared tale: “A divine object descends, remaking heaven and earth,” drawing thunderous applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the peddlers hawking their wares now changed their cries: “Fine incense! The Academy’s divine artifact has been consecrated—get your incense ready before it’s too late!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Women and young ladies flocked to ask, as if lighting a single stick of incense could absorb the artifact’s divine aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the common folk, no matter how curious, knew they could never attend that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for the capital’s nobility, this news meant far more than mere curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transformation of human dao was already known to all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some worried deeply, fearing chaos would destroy generations of family wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others burned with ambition, secretly preparing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, human dao transformation was unpredictable—what if it could overthrow the dynasty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the artifact’s emergence held even greater significance for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mansions of the nobility and the offices of the ministries became crowded with visitors, hidden currents surging…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, I’ve heard the Ministry of Rites’ Ceremonial Office drafts the guest list—my father, the Marquis of Jingguo…” A noble youth carefully slipped a gold ingot into the eunuch attendant’s sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my, Lord Wu, I’d love to help, but the final list must be personally approved by His Majesty! The Minister ’s desk is piled high with petitions already! You see this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the palace, the eunuchs knew better than anyone how seriously the Emperor took this matter—no one dared act rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerks of the Ministry of Rites sweated profusely, fending off endless requests and favor notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old officials of the Censorate stroked their beards, frowning deeply: “The artifact’s appearance concerns the nation’s fate—how can this be treated as a mere game? Rituals, processions, every detail must strictly follow His Majesty’s intent, lest anyone overstep!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their pure-brewed ideals were simple: use this event to assert their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the great merchants of the Open Sea faction pulled out all stops, scrambling to secure a place on the guest list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single small invitation had become priceless within mere hours…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he returned to Rouyuan Inn, everyone rushed to ask if he’d seen the divine artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Wang Daoxuan and the others had also been swept up in the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Yan simply told them outright what the artifact truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li-fei stared in utter disbelief: “That thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the steam engine at Liangzi Lake, but never imagined it was the divine artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan also looked surprised, stroking his beard: “I’ve seen that device before—it’s merely Mohist mechanical craftsmanship. Though ingenious, it lacks sufficient gangsha qi—how can it be called a divine artifact?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That device’s power can reshape heaven and earth…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan briefly explained the steam engine’s applications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as a man cannot imagine something he has never seen, Wang Daoxuan and the others marveled, yet paid little heed—they could not believe such a thing could spark a cataclysmic transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan said no more. After dinner, he returned to his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night, black as ink, wrapped Rouyuan Inn in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clamor and hidden currents stirred by the “divine artifact” during the day now seemed to sink into stillness with the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the back courtyard of the inn, a faint candlelight glowed in Li Yan’s chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The window shutters were tightly closed, barring the last whisper of night wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air inside was heavy enough to squeeze water from, thick with an indescribable odor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like decaying coffin wood, yet faintly scented with herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan sat at the table, candlelight flickering—the wooden box he’d brought back that day lay open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the black cloth groove lay the “Evil Spirit Stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the candlelight, the stone looked even stranger—its surface jagged and pitted with countless tiny holes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This object was no ordinary thing—it was not of Shenzhou. According to the Yi Yuan, it was presented by a sea merchant during the reign of the deposed Emperor Qi, and had already destroyed two imperial gardens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the Great Luo Body’s hunger, Li Yan no longer hesitated—he slowly pressed his hand against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stone shuddered violently, as if gaining sentience, trying to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, a torrent of vitality surged into Li Yan’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were special primordial gang qi—unbearable for the human body, yet supreme nourishment for the Great Luo Body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cracks across his body repaired themselves at visible speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack-crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Li Yan’s mind, he could even hear the sound of shattered porcelain pieces drawing together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without any deliberate guidance, the Great Luo Body devoured the stone’s vitality like a ravenous beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another cracking sound echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, it did not come from within—he heard the outer crust of the spirit stone crumbling and peeling away.\u003C\u002Fp>",1181,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6b111bf95db320fd42b4f093012cb72c2dec64a3af4f8fdc953baf97ecc252ed","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-714","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-712",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]