Chapter 1034: The Zhu Que Perches in the Bright Hall, Looking Down Upon the World

At the dome of the Jade Palace, a green phoenix circled in flight. It locked eyes with Li Zhong, who had just opened his own, before landing on a jade tree formed from solidified green nephrite beneath the dome.

The spirit spring at the heart of the hall cascaded down from a gap in the dome, drifting into a faint mist with the wind, gathering into the spirit pool.

As a clear breeze brushed past, the leaves of the jade tree—shaped like the tail feathers of a green phoenix—collided, emitting a crisp, melodious jade-ringing sound.

In an instant, it dispelled the faint exhaustion lingering in Li Zhong's soul after the great battle.

The green phoenix's voice was pleasant: "The Zhu Que bloodline within you, from whence does it come?"

Its feathers carried the verdant hue of jade and wind; it was elegant and composed, its voice like a celestial zither, yet that profound aura was enough to reveal its status as a Nascent Soul-level being.

"Enough! Qing'er... He is of my Li family. Let the Zhu Que bloodline come from wherever it pleases. Even if he truly slaughtered some phoenix descendant to seize the bloodline, so what?"

A cold, majestic voice came from the side.

A Feathered Celestial of indistinguishable gender approached Li Zhong, dark golden wings unfurling amidst the spirit mist. Within the great hall, dozens of Venerable Celestials surrounded her.

Li Zhong was stunned, whispering tentatively: "Ancestor Gao?"

The Celestial Queen was also slightly taken aback, her brows knitting together; she had not expected him to recognize her.

The green phoenix chirped incessantly: "Changsheng! The bloodline of this descendant of yours is not simple. The Zhu Que blood alone is not inferior to mine, and I can even sense that within his body, there are three other bloodlines not a whit inferior to the Zhu Que..."

At this point, a look of extremely human-like horror appeared on its bird face. It leaned close to the Celestial Queen's ear and whispered: "I feel they might be the Four Spirits of Heaven. If so, what is your Li family's blood worth? It is nothing but mongrel, waste blood, insulting their lineage!"

Having said this, it hesitated slightly: "I am not talking about you! Although you are also a mixed-blood Celestial..."

A shadow of gloom appeared on Li Gao's face: "My Li family bloodline is inherited from the Supreme Dao Ancestor, noble beyond compare. How can you say it is unworthy!"

The green phoenix shrank its head, lowering it in grievance.

Li Gao looked at Li Zhong with a strange expression and asked: "Who are you, and why do you know my origins?"

Li Zhong hurriedly knelt: "Sun Er Li Zhong, father's name is Xin, courtesy name Shiye. Greetings, Grandfather!"

The expression on Li Gao's face was quite colorful, and the green phoenix also stretched its neck, listening in secret.

"So it is Xin'er's child!"

"That man is ambitious but lacks talent; I fear he has long since let the Xiliang Kingdom fall!"

"He must have hated me for giving the Xiliang secret treasury to Li Bao and refused to come looking for me, so he placed the secret keys on you and sent you to Longxi, didn't he? Now that you have come, you intend to unseal the secret treasury and rebuild Xiliang, right?"

Li Gao said indifferently: "It would be one thing if you just unsealed the treasury to rebuild Xiliang! Why bring a group of outsiders in? I have already scattered them across various times and sealed them away! If they are people plotting against my Li family's secret treasury, I shall refine them with a backhand..."

"Wait!"

Li Zhong, covered in cold sweat, hurriedly explained: "It was this grandson who brought them in! And this time, it is not for the sake of rebuilding Xiliang. The current situation in Great Wei is still stable, and the North is calm; this is truly not the time for my Li clan to rise. To force it would only plunge the Western Continent into misery!"

"Moreover, my brother Li Er's cultivation realm, vision, and courage far surpass my own... This time, he plotted against Murong Chui and even gifted the Liuzhen, which is why he bestowed the treasury upon the Liuzhen' military families, laying a hidden hand for my Li family!"

"Wait..." Li Gao interrupted: "Tell me the details of the key points, and do not leave out a single one!"

Li Zhong could only honestly recount everything, starting from his father Li Xin, detailing the achievements and setbacks of these years.

After listening, Li Gao turned hostile and scolded: "Li Er? Is that your brother? Barely over a hundred years old, what family could cultivate such an old monster? Do you really think my seed could produce such a monstrous talent? You are also muddled, treating just anyone as a brother!"

Li Zhong shook his head: "Ancestor Gao, I grew up with my brother; we share a spiritual connection, it cannot be fake!"

"You have never met him, so why would you think... It is true that my brother Li Er is a great power reincarnated. Back then, the Louguan Dao Master personally said he had a great connection with the Louguan Dao, but reincarnation is also a form of kinship. There is no reason to say that just because he awakened his past life and realized his true nature, he is no longer my brother!"

"Reincarnated, you say?" Li Gao nodded: "Since it was said by the Louguan Dao Master, it should be true."

But Li Gao's expression remained indifferent; she herself had reincarnated into a 'Celestial'.

After using the Celestial true soul to cultivate into a Nascent Soul, in order to advance further, she risked exploring the ruins here.

Yet she was struck by the light of the Kunlun Mirror, which severed her past and future, forcing her to become a Celestial and fall into this state.

Naturally, she knew that whenever a great power reincarnates—some have shallow ties to their six relations, with affection existing only on the surface.

Better ones might acknowledge their parents and brothers, but there is always that faint layer of distance; their personality and cognition remain trapped in their past life.

Otherwise, why would she, the Feathered Celestial Queen of the Western Queen Mother Kingdom, value a Li family descendant who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

"However, it is indeed for your own good that he sent these Liuzhen here, right before me..."

Li Gao stood with her hands behind her back, saying indifferently: "It can be considered a deep plan, plotting a good foundation for my Li family!"

"The Liuzhen! Great Wei has crippled its own martial arts, actually trapping the Xianbei nobles and Han clans—the foundation of its martial power—in the northern frontier, causing them to lose heart. It has indeed left behind an excellent seed of foundation for others."

As she spoke, she paced back and forth, laughing: "If I had such a foundation back then, instead of the narrow and remote Western Continent, how could I have failed to defeat Cao Lin, implicating my descendants in death and the destruction of the kingdom."

She clapped her hands: "Your brother calculated well. The Liuzhen are indeed the foundation for creating a mandate and rebuilding Xiliang... no, even going a step further!"

"A land of two hundred thousand military families, a top-tier source of potential generals. Plus the foundation Li Bao protected by retreating into Longxi, and the Guanzhong and Longxi clans and families that have intermarried with the Li clan for years. The Liuzhen' military families, the Guan-Long clans, hahahaha! With such a foundation for my Li family, usurping Great Wei and rebuilding Great Liang in the future is just a matter of time."

Li Zhong frowned and couldn't help but say: "This battle broke Murong's demon army and pacified the northern frontier's demon tribes. Sun Er has even befriended Crown Prince Xuanwei! With Brother Bao's help to stabilize the Liuzhen and support Crown Prince Xuanwei in inheriting the throne, it would not be a bad..."

Li Gao suddenly turned to look at him and asked: "What did you say?"

Li Zhong said: "Although the Liuzhen obtained my brother's six-treasury treasure, filling their foundation, after the great victory over Murong's demon army, the northern frontier is stable and will surely rise. But not to mention anything else, just after this battle, I fear a batch of young disciples will form their Cores, and a batch of old generals will achieve Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit. But as long as the Liuzhen have no Nascent Soul for a day, they will have no foundation in the court, and the imperial court will not allow them to have one!"

"So this battle of the Liuzhen has attracted the attention of the world and will inevitably face suppression from within and without. Thus, apart from Crown Prince Cao Xuanwei, no one can tolerate the Liuzhen..."

Li Gao raised her brows slightly. Her face, full of heroic spirit and a beauty that was hard to distinguish as male or female, revealed a playful smile. She leaned back, sitting on the jade throne.

The Celestials in the hall suddenly became solemn, and the gossiping expressions on their faces immediately turned serious.

"Now I know why Li Er sent you here!"

After Li Gao became a Celestial, she appeared in a female form.

Yet her expression and appearance never held a trace of delicate charm or brightness; instead, she carried a kind of awe-inspiring, murderous aura and a high-and-mighty nobility. Even surrounded by dozens of Feathered People in the Feathered Kingdom, within the empty, remaining palace of the dome, she still possessed the domineering air of a phoenix perched in a magnificent hall.

"Indeed, he is a great power reincarnated, with shallow ties to his six relations. The only one he truly acknowledges is you. Even if he wants to sever the karma with my Li family, he has to consider your attitude; he doesn't want to force you."

Li Gao closed her eyes and sighed: "It would be better if you and Li Er could swap places!"

"He is so cold and calculating; while you are so naive and stupid..."

Li Zhong suddenly raised his head. Even facing his ancestor, he still furrowed his brows, revealing his disapproval.

"Haven't you realized it yet?"

A flash of murderous intent crossed Li Gao's eyes: "Your greatest enemy is Cao Xuanwei!"

Li Zhong slowly gripped the broken blade behind him. One of his kneeling knees rose, his body slightly hunched. Facing the bright hall above, he was no longer completely submissive, adding a hint of defiance.

"As the Crown Prince of Great Wei, Cao Xuanwei is tied to the orthodox line, and he has been through life and death with the Liuzhen' military families, becoming familiar and gaining their trust."

"If he does not die, the Liuzhen' greatest trust in the imperial court is tied to him alone! It can be said that your brother gave up so much just to help Cao Xuanwei become the master of the Liuzhen, giving him such a solid foundation. Once he enters Chang'an with the morale of the Liuzhen, he will inevitably stir up a bloody storm. As long as he suppresses the situation in Chang'an, Great Wei will surely prosper!"

"Of course, Great Wei is currently full of contradictions, and he has his own hurdles to clear!"

"The disputes between the Buddhist and Daoist sects, the conflict between the Tuoba and Cao clans—Chang'an is already a pot of boiling oil. Who knows how many people want Cao Xuanwei dead!"

Li Zhong said slowly: "Are you one of them?"

Li Gao said ruthlessly: "It is us! We are also one of them... Even after becoming a Celestial, even after reincarnating once, I still consider myself a Li family member. What about you? Little boy, do you still consider yourself a Li family member?"

Li Zhong slowly shook his head: "I am naturally a Li family member, but first and foremost, I am Li Zhong. For the continuation and growth of the family, I have no other thoughts! But if it is for selfish gain, to plunge the North into chaos, to push the world into the calamity of war, to stake the entire family on plotting for things that do not belong to us! Let alone Li Zhong, no Li family member should do such a thing!"

"It seems you have figured it out!"

Li Gao laughed: "The Liuzhen have a solid foundation. Anyone with vision can see its infinite potential, but there are very few who can truly see the key to seizing its power. That's right! The person who can master the power of the Liuzhen must be the one who controls the connection between the Liuzhen and the Great Wei imperial court. He is their spokesperson in the court, and also the one who holds the Liuzhen as a blade to threaten Chang'an!"

"Only by gaining the trust of the Liuzhen and having deep connections in the court can one gradually master this great army and subdue this force."

"Currently, Cao Xuanwei is this person..."

"But... you, also have a chance."

"Li Bao's foundation in the Great Wei court is not bad either. What is difficult about holding the South and West, and then going to hold the North? And you have been rooted in the Liuzhen for forty years, able to gain their trust. Plus Li Er is here, bestowing favors and might, mastering the Six Treasuries secret treasury—you are the only Nascent Soul True Immortal of the Liuzhen at this time! You are even plotting against the Murong clan's Longcheng!"

"Now, everyone Li Er sent here is under my control. Impersonating the Tuoba clan to kill Cao Xuanwei is as easy as turning over one's hand... Frame the Tuoba! Lead the remaining Liuzhen' military families to surround and kill the Tuoba clan, forcing them to rebel!"

"In this way, Great Wei will inevitably investigate!"

"The Liuzhen' retreat will be cut off, and with Murong's demon army in front, hearts will be filled with fear. You can use Li Er's momentum to eliminate dissidents and establish prestige. At that time, the Liuzhen will be driven to a dead end; they will follow whoever can lead them to survive. Then open the northern frontier array and let Murong's demon army and the northern frontier demon tribes march south to Jinyang!"

"Once Taiyuan is broken, the land of the Three Jins will be in chaos, and the demon army will threaten Luoyang... The situation in Great Wei will inevitably be dire to the extreme."

"At that time, you let Li Bao lead as the Northern Garrison General, carrying the imperial court's righteousness to march north."

"At this moment, eliminate dissidents, win over warlords—the Liuzhen will have become your family's possession! Then use Li Bao's imperial righteousness, utilize your brother Li Er's hidden hand, and attack the Murong clan from north to south along with Luoyang, break their Longcheng, swallow their army, and then sit in the Liuzhen, occupy Taiyuan, with the mountains and rivers in your hands! Enter Luoyang, uphold righteousness, and form your own faction! Advance to isolate Henan and plot for Guandong; retreat to guard Hebei and hold Taiyuan!"

"Half of the Great Wei territory, one-fourth of the world."

"Once Cao Xuanwei dies, the Chang'an Cao clan and the Tuoba will be in internal strife... Once the Liuzhen' claws and teeth are sharp, you can usurp the Cao and establish yourself, opening up my Li family's empire!"

Hearing Li Gao coldly map out a path to the heavens for him, stepping on the children of the Liuzhen' military families, stepping on endless white bones, a bloody path to the throne, Li Zhong couldn't help but shiver.

For a moment, his eyes were filled with confusion.

Li Gao looked at this useless grandson, his body full of fragility, and said with hatred for his lack of ambition: "Why, you, a dignified Li family son, facing the great momentum created by your father and brother with all their might, facing a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity, do not fight for it, do not fight for a future for your descendants and family, do not fight for the mandate of heaven. Are you really going to wait for others to master the overall situation, to turn their butcher knives on you, to slaughter your family until the five degrees of kinship are empty, and wait for death with your neck stretched out?"

A tyrannical aura erupted. The green phoenix flapped its wings and let out a long cry. The terrifying aura of a Nascent Soul True Immortal pressed down hard on Li Zhong.

The Great Xia Longque was unsheathed, and the Four Spirits Style slashed through the invisible jade tree.

Li Zhong rose to his full height and said: "A man walking in troubled times should be upright and honorable. Even if in adversity, one should restrain oneself and wait for the right time. How can one, for selfish gain, play with others in the palm of one's hand, view all living beings as ants, and incite the calamity of war to disrupt the world?"

"Do you think you are Emperor Zhao Lie?" Li Gao was furious: "Do you think that if you speak of morality and righteousness, others will let you go?"

"Do you think that by spouting righteousness and imperial words, accusing me, and restraining yourself, you will be remembered through the ages and respected by future generations?"

"Don't forget! Even Emperor Zhao Lie, he usurped Yizhou, seized the foundation of his own clan, and only then did he become Emperor Zhao Lie! Otherwise, he would just be an old soldier at the end of the Han dynasty, depressed and with fat growing on his thighs!"

"Do you think that if you let Cao Xuanwei go today, you have done him a great favor, enough for him to repay your Li clan and keep your family safe, wealthy, and prosperous?"

Li Gao sneered: "I tell you, even if you don't understand, Cao Xuanwei will understand sooner or later."

"The relationship between Li Er and you, understanding your Li family's layout in the Liuzhen—once he returns to Chang'an and stands firm, the Liuzhen will see him as their only hope for turning things around, and Chang'an will see the Liuzhen as his force. At that time, the momentum Li Er created will instantly become Cao Xuanwei's momentum, enough to push him onto the emperor's throne."

"At that time, who will he deal with?"

"Whoever dares to plot against the Liuzhen is his mortal enemy, his great enemy..."

"At that time, Li Bao will be in Longxi, and you will be in the northern frontier. Li Bao's foundation in the imperial court will be overturned by Cao Xuanwei in an instant, and how long can you protect yourself in the northern frontier? You can only rely on your brother Li Er to protect you!"

Li Gao said coldly: "You should understand, you don't have that many choices..."

"Li Zhong, you are a man of my Li family, don't act like a woman!"

Li Gao slowly walked down from the throne, came to Li Zhong's side, pressed down on his shoulder, and once again resumed the tone of treating a young, useless descendant.

"Only women will give everything willingly! Only thinking that because they have given, others have treated them unfairly, only thinking that because they have given, others must repay them! Thinking that others have treated them unfairly, they ascend to the moral high ground and can accept others' rewards with peace of mind."

"And men..."

"Usually don't repay! Or, they repay with a blade!"

"We return evil for good, we have no morality, we are selfish, we can always endure pain and sacrifice. All our positions are not based on the past, but on looking to the future, or at least based on the present!"

"Women let others make choices, men make others have no choice."

"Now..." Li Gao patted Li Zhong's shoulder: "It is time to make those people have no choice!"

Even though her face was charming and she spoke with a voice as melodious as a green phoenix, Li Gao kept saying "woman" over and over, her eyes looking down on all directions, her domineering aura overflowing, truly possessing the posture of a hegemon.

Li Zhong gripped the broken blade tightly. Instead, he struggled bitterly under Li Gao's ruthless pressure. This time, without using the Nascent Soul aura, just a few words made Li Zhong unable to cope, unable to catch his breath.

"He who does not contend, nothing in the world can contend with him!" Li Zhong said with difficulty:

"Not contend?" Li Gao laughed: "You want to endure?"

"You have listened to too many stories of the old thief Sima of Southern Jin, thinking that power struggles can rely on endurance and concession to eliminate disputes?"

"Wrong, power cannot tolerate concession!"

"All endurance, all concessions are for the sake of going a step further. Those who concede, endure, and wait for the right time will always retreat again and again, until there is nowhere left to retreat, hiding in the dust, never to be seen again."

"Concession is temporary, endurance is short-lived!"

"If you had retreated and endured today, it would be because you saw that Cao Xuanwei had to return to Chang'an, that he had more enemies in Chang'an, and you could collude with his enemies in Chang'an, wait for the right moment, backstab him at the most critical time, and then turn around to swallow the Liuzhen' force, even using the excuse of avenging Cao Xuanwei to march straight to Chang'an, clear the court of evil, and establish Cao Xuanwei's son as a young master. That is called endurance!"

"That is called retreating to advance!"

"Otherwise, it is just concession..."

Li Gao sneered coldly: "Power cannot tolerate a vacuum, and struggle cannot tolerate concession. You can only move forward! Don't be Emperor Zhao Lie, be Wei Wu!"

Li Zhong, covered in cold sweat, shook his head: "No, that is not right! Living in this world, there is not only the choice of being despicable, but you have only given me one choice!"

"What you say is just what you think is correct."

"That is your ambition!"

?? Finally broke through the content of the writer's block. I owed one chapter yesterday, I will make it up tomorrow.

? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1035 =====