Chapter 616: Investiture

From the time Li Miao arrived in Japan until now, he had successively broken through several shrines and learned a lot of other information from Master Jianzhen and Ji Ji Tianrui... In fact, many things had already been deduced, only waiting for verification.

The truth Ji Ji Tianrui learned at Ise Grand Shrine was also one of the possibilities the two had deduced earlier. So Li Miao did not need to exchange information with Ji Ji Tianrui to reach a conclusion.

Combined with Xu Fu’s answer, the truth was already about to emerge.

"True Man Zhang Sanfeng destroyed Master Monk’s plan to use Shintoism to achieve a state above Heaven-Man, so as early as two hundred years ago, both Shintoism and you had already been abandoned by Master Monk."

"You are all discarded pieces."

"But after knowing the existence of me and Sect Leader Ji, you discarded pieces were put to waste, becoming bait and traps to lure us out of the Central Plains."

Li Miao twisted his fingers and said coldly.

"I have always been wondering about one thing, and that is why Sect Leader Ji’s progress in tracking Master Monk was always much faster than mine... Mount Wudang and Shaolin were fully cooperating with me, and the entire imperial court was operating according to my will, but why did I gain nothing, while Sect Leader Ji was unstoppable?"

"Now I understand."

"Sect Leader Ji likes to plan before acting too much, while I prefer to just smash through... I control the Great Ming court, and my actions are not easy to control; a slight carelessness would overturn all your plans."

"Relatively speaking, using Sect Leader Ji to leverage my actions is much more convenient."

Xu Fu did not deny it.

He was surprisingly frank, with no intention of hiding anything, and it seemed as if he had some kind of tacit understanding with Li Miao.

So Li Miao continued.

"Are you so sure that I would be willing to invest you as the Emperor?"

Xu Fu said calmly.

"You can also kill me."

He... now it should be she, said slowly.

"The choice is yours."

"I don't know what your methods are, but judging from your experience of cultivating to the Heaven-Man realm earlier, you clearly also know the secret above Heaven-Man."

"To achieve the state above Heaven-Man, one must influence the general trend of the world. The deeper the foundation, the greater the influence required... That is why Zhang Zhang Sanfeng has never been able to take that step."

"You and him are the same."

"If it weren't for personally turning the world upside down, you would never be able to take that step either. But you are still one path short of the Heaven-Man realm to be complete. Now that he has already moved against the Great Ming court, your only chance to cultivate True Constancy is in Japan."

"And I am the only candidate who can inherit the position of Emperor. Only by investing me can you use the influence to achieve the unification of the six paths."

"If you want to compete with him, this is your only choice."

Li Miao sneered.

"Can’t I go and invest someone else? Even if it’s not the Emperor’s bloodline, so what?"

Xu Fu shook his head slowly.

"You don't have time."

She raised the Yata Mirror.

"One hundred and seventy years ago, he broke free, gave the Heaven-Man realm to me, and went to the Central Plains in another body with only his memories."

"For so many years, he must have already cultivated the Heaven-Man realm to completion again. Combined with these years of planning and preparation, overturning the Central Plains and achieving the state above Heaven-Man is something that could happen at any time."

"You need to cultivate the unification of the six paths as soon as possible and return to the Central Plains."

"I control Shintoism, am of the Emperor’s bloodline, and hold the Yata Mirror. I am the only one who can be reasonably invested as Emperor in terms of legal principle right now."

"Besides that, investing anyone else would require time, and you are very short on time right now."

She said in a tone without any pause.

"So, invest me, achieve the unification of the six paths, and then kill me, taking half a step toward the state above Heaven-Man."

"Then return to the Central Plains quickly to stabilize the Great Ming before he succeeds, or kill him directly. This is the best choice."

"The choice is yours, I—"

Li Miao suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Wait, I have a question."