Chapter 303: The Emperor

The Getyue Pavilion in the Great Chen Imperial Palace.

Emperor Gao Ye of Qian'an stared at the starlight message just received from Chu Zheng, his face ashen, tendons bulging on his fingers, eyes colder than the deepest frost.

Rebellion!

This Xu Jin has truly rebelled!

He dared kill my imperial son!

Though I had not yet named the Fourth Prince as Crown Prince, he was my chosen heir—for the Fourth Prince, Prince Xin, most resembles me!

Grief?

There was little of it.

In the imperial family, there is no kinship!

Losing a son is nothing—there are many others.

At this moment, Emperor Gao Ye felt only rage!

Utter, seething rage!

He felt his authority as sovereign had been utterly challenged—indeed, ripped from him and stamped upon twice by Xu Jin!

I can accept Master Cheng Yuexiao's disrespect.

He is an eighth-rank cultivator; his strength commands respect, especially as Great Chen's State Master.

But Xu Jin—a mere fourth-rank, a mere top disciple of the State Dao Academy—dared slay a prince!

How could this stand!

If I do not punish him, where will the imperial family save face?

Will any commoner now dare kill a royal?

This trend must not be allowed to grow!

Retribution is needed!

Harsh, merciless retribution!

Let all know the fate of those who slay the imperial clan!

To strike at the imperial clan, to harm even one of its members, must mean more than mere death!

Clan annihilation!

Cold light flickered in his eyes; Emperor Gao Ye had already devised his plan.

Yet, the immediate priority was to ensure Chu Zheng returned alive.

Chu Zheng was the only one among his eunuchs with a ninth-rank seventh-level cultivation base—and the only one capable of breaking into the eighth rank in the short term.

【Grand Companion, use your Star-Taking Token to project my image—I shall speak with the State Master myself on this matter.】

As he sent this starlight message, Emperor Gao Ye had already prepared himself.

Prepared to bow to the State Master.

To apologize, to temporarily spare Chu Zheng.

To bow before an eighth-rank powerhouse, before Great Chen's State Master—this is no disgrace!

But when the starlight message was sent, Emperor Gao Ye froze—the transmission failed!

Failed!

How could this be!

Had the State Master once again sealed off the Star-Taking Pavilion branch in Yangguang County?

Startled, Emperor Gao Ye immediately sent another starlight message: 【State Master, bring Chu Zheng back—our sovereign-minister bond remains intact.】

The starlight message sent successfully.

But Emperor Gao Ye's face darkened further.

The State Master had gone to Yangjiang County, yet his starlight message succeeded—while Chu Zheng's failed.

This ruled out the possibility that the Yangjiang Star-Taking Pavilion branch had been sealed.

Only two possibilities remained: either Chu Zheng's Star-Taking Token had been seized and cast into a Numinous Space, or Chu Zheng was dead.

When a man dies, his light goes out.

Each Star-Taking Token is forged by fusing the user's soul essence with starlight, bearing a soul imprint—if the bearer dies, that imprint vanishes.

Then, starlight messages fail to send.

For a ninth-rank seventh-level powerhouse, if his Star-Taking Token is seized and cast into a Numinous Space, he is effectively dead.

Yet Emperor Gao Ye refused to accept it—he sought one final verification.

He immediately sent starlight messages to several other seventh- and sixth-rank eunuchs.

All failed.

Within Emperor Gao Ye's grim expression, a storm brewed—calm on the surface, terrifying in its stillness.

Chu Zheng was dead!

Grand Companion Chu Zheng was dead!

Killed by State Master Cheng Yuexiao!

Now, his most beloved Fourth Prince, Prince Xin, was dead too!

Then—

"Sun Rang, Li Teng," Emperor Gao Ye murmured.

"Your servant is here."

At his voice, two aged eunuchs emerged instantly from the shadows, bowing low to the ground, their qi overwhelmingly potent—one seventh-rank fifth level, the other seventh-rank seventh level.

"Grand Companion is gone."

At these words, both eunuchs trembled—then, in the next breath, their eyes blazed with ecstatic joy!

There was only one Grand Supervisor of the Inner Court.

While Chu Zheng lived, there was no place for them.

Now that Chu Zheng was gone, the position stood vacant—meaning they could ascend.

"Xu Jin has a sister named Xu Jiang. Whichever of you brings her back alive shall become the next Grand Supervisor of the Inner Court."

"Remember—alive!" Emperor Gao Ye's voice was calm.

"Your servant obeys!"

Suppressing their ecstasy, the two eunuchs bowed respectfully, retreated several paces, then dissolved into starlight and shot off toward the State Dao Academy.

After the two eunuchs departed, Emperor Gao Ye spoke again: "Li Yuanzheng."

Another eunuch stepped from the shadows and knelt before him.

"In Jinshan County, Yanzhou, there is a man named Xu Dajiang—the father of Great Chen State Dao Academy top disciple Xu Jin. Take a squad and capture him alive. If he has family or blood relatives, capture them all."

"Do not make a sound," Emperor Gao Ye said.

"Your servant obeys."

After retreating a few steps, the eunuch Li Yuanzheng departed—he was a sixth-rank eunuch.

Capturing an ordinary man—even with the Jinshan Dao Academy's protection—sixth-rank was more than enough!

Now, Emperor Gao Ye had only one thought: wait until Xu Jin's blood relatives arrived, then make them suffer.

As for Xu Jin himself—so long as he remained under Great Chen's rule, so long as he remained within the State Dao Academy, controlling and crushing him would be easy!

After all, he was the ruler of Great Chen!

At the sixth-rank star gate in southern Danzhou.

Song Ziye, one of Great Chen's Deputy Academic Directors, was fighting here.

This was the star gate he had been ordered to block.

Because it was a sixth-rank gate, the battle was grueling—but fortunately, experts from Danzhou's State Dao Academy were assisting; otherwise, sealing it would have been impossible.

The perimeter had been cleared; now they advanced toward the sixth-rank gate's surroundings.

Once the alien warriors guarding the gate were slain, the fight would ease considerably—then, holding the gate would be like waiting by a tree stump for rabbits: over hours, they could steadily slay the aliens pouring out until an opportunity to seal the gate arose.

By then, things would be far easier.

But now—this was the hardest part.

The aliens emerging from the sixth-rank domain had already established defensive positions around the gate; at least four sixth-rank warriors and over a dozen fifth-rank ones were confirmed.

On his side, only three sixth-rank warriors existed—and more aliens kept pouring from within the gate.

This would be a grueling siege.

Yet if they succeeded in sealing it, the merit would be extraordinary—and at minimum, count as two major achievements.

Combined with his prior accumulated merit, he could then early redeem the Wind Source Star Pattern for seventh-rank cultivation.

As he steadily advanced, Song Ziye suddenly saw a streak of starlight arrive—a patrol elite reported: reinforcements from Great Chen's State Dao Academy had arrived.

Song Ziye was pleased—but also uneasy.

If they sent a sixth-rank, wouldn't he have to share the credit?

But in the next instant, Song Ziye's expression turned strange.

Xu Jin! The reinforcements were Xu Jin!

Why would the State Master send Xu Jin here?

Xu Jin's combat strength was high, but everyone knew he was the State Dao Academy's precious treasure—he could not afford any mishap.

From the heart, Song Ziye did not welcome Xu Jin.

Because he would have to worry about Xu Jin's safety.

After all, he had never fought Xu Jin and did not understand him.

Though displeased, Song Ziye immediately assigned Xu Jin a mission.

Join several fifth-rank experts and advance from the north toward the alien encampment near the Star Gate!

That side is mainly occupied by fourth- and fifth-rank aliens—minimal danger.

Xu Jin received the order, merely bowed silently, and immediately joined the battle.

He neither stood out nor disappointed.

Xu Jin could independently cripple or even slay a fifth-rank ninth-layer alien; he could also hold his own against a sixth-rank early-stage alien.

When encountering sixth-rank mid- to late-stage aliens, Xu Jin typically coordinated with other experts.

At first, Song Ziye noticed nothing unusual.

But after half a bell's time in battle, Song Ziye unexpectedly realized the northern advance was faster than any other front.

This immediately made Song Ziye think of Xu Jin.

Could it be because of Xu Jin?

Yet on the battlefield, he himself was locked in combat with a seventh-rank expert, leaving no room for thought—he instantly plunged back into the fray.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen soldiers had advanced from all directions, compressing the aliens near the sixth-rank Star Gate to within a kilometer.

But the battle grew increasingly perilous.

Four sixth-rank aliens surged left and right.

Occasionally, Chen's own sixth-rank warriors had to use talismans to relieve the crisis.

While the battle raged, no one knew that in the night's clouds, four seventh-rank auras had appeared at different locations.

All four stared remotely at Xu Jin, who was fighting fiercely, searching for an opening while cautiously probing the surroundings.

Looking for traces of a seventh-rank ninth-layer or eighth-rank aura hidden nearby.

Must proceed with extreme caution.

If they were lured into Cheng Yuexiao's trap, regret would come too late!

At that exact moment, Xu Jin's Star-Picking Token vibrated three times rapidly—Star Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's starlight message had arrived.

【The Seventh-Rank assassins from the Heavenly Sun Star Temple and the Azure Star Star Temple have arrived; they may strike at any moment. Seize or create an opportunity to execute the plan!】

【Understood.】

Amidst the battle, Xu Jin suddenly surged forward, his flame light erupting instantly—he slashed through three aliens, slicing a gap in the northern defense line like a blade.

This caused the sixth-rank aliens in the enemy camp to change expression.

This cannot be allowed.

Instantly, the aura of the sixth-rank alien who had been supporting from a distance locked onto Xu Jin, preparing to strike and kill this fourth-rank first.

At that very moment, the sixth-rank Star Gate flared with light, and a powerful aura descended abruptly.

Another sixth-rank alien had emerged.

This caused Song Ziye and others to turn pale.

The main force emerging from the sixth-rank Star Gate was actually fourth- and fifth-rank aliens—sixth-ranks were rare.

Wherever you go, the higher the cultivation, the fewer the numbers.

But now, a sudden sixth-rank emergence would drastically alter the battlefield.

Coincidentally, the sixth-rank alien preparing to kill Xu Jin saw the newcomer and rejoiced.

Charging alone carried some risk.

If both sixth-rank aliens charged together, they could shatter the human northern line entirely—and even cause a full human rout!

He shouted aloud instantly.

The next instant, both sixth-rank aliens unleashed terrifying auras and charged toward Xu Jin simultaneously.

Song Ziye, witnessing this, was utterly terrified!

What if those two sixth-ranks killed Xu Jin?

"Xu Jin, watch out!"

As Song Ziye shouted, he tried to break free to rescue Xu Jin—but his own sixth-rank alien opponent was no fool, sharp and swift—he instantly erupted, pinning Song Ziye down. The other two sixth-ranks were likewise trapped, utterly unable to aid Xu Jin!

Xu Jin had long noticed the two sixth-rank aliens. He feigned shock, turning back with a look of panic.

One was sixth-rank fourth-layer; the other, sixth-rank seventh-layer.

Under normal circumstances, Xu Jin could have thrown one of his cultivated sixth-rank talismans, then unleashed his full power with the Divine Soul Star Art—enough to kill both sixth-ranks.

But now, he must execute the plan!

And it must be convincing!

In his panic, Xu Jin tried to retreat—but was held fast by another fifth-rank alien!

Less than a kilometer away, the two sixth-ranks closed in in an instant.

In his panic, Xu Jin hurled four fifth-rank talismans.

All were un-cultivated.

If he was going to make it real, he had to make it truly real.

If Xu Jin didn't throw a few talismans, no one would believe him.

How could a genius like Xu Jin not have talismans for protection?

Uncultivated fifth-rank talismans were like fireworks to sixth-rank mid- to late-stage experts.

Especially since Xu Jin deliberately chose poor timing and placement for their detonation.

Yet four massive, radiant starlights erupted into the air.

The entire battlefield's star energy instantly became chaotic.

Like four giant fireworks, every eye and every attention was momentarily blocked.

The two sixth-rank mid- to late-stage aliens did not pause—they unleashed star arts and star energy, striking directly at Xu Jin.

From the cries of the human warriors, they could tell this fourth-rank human was no ordinary figure.

At that exact moment, Xu Jin crushed the clone talisman he had already infused with his blood.

As he crushed it, his true body vanished—but a Xu Jin remained standing in place!

Simultaneously, Xu Jin activated his Divine Soul Star Art: Illusion, creating a simple star-art mirage.

The next instant, two terrifying beams of starlight shot from the two sixth-rank aliens' hands and instantly swallowed Xu Jin whole!

"Grand Master, save me—"

Xu Jin's desperate scream cut off halfway and vanished.

This was also part of the plan Grand Master Cheng had laid out.

The next instant, Xu Jin's figure was obliterated into fragments by the two terrifying beams of starlight—several streaks of flame suddenly erupted from nowhere, incinerating his remains.

Everyone saw it!

Xu Jin was dead!

The two sixth-rank aliens were slightly surprised.

It seemed too easy.

But he was a fourth-rank—he should be easily killed by them!

Far away, Song Ziye saw Xu Jin slain—his mind exploded with a deafening roar; he nearly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on the spot, and the aliens seized the chance to strike him—he spat blood violently.

In the night's clouds, the Heavenly Sun Star Temple's Sixth Elder Xia Zhong and Hu Jinshan, along with the Azure Star Star Temple's Seventh Elder Huang Kejia, froze in shock.

Dead?

They hadn't even moved yet?

Xu Jin was already dead!

Killed before everyone's eyes by the aliens!

What luck.

They didn't even need to act—the mission was already complete!

Looks like he really wasn't bait.

But it's normal—how many geniuses haven't died these past years?

All four felt a sigh of relief.

Under these circumstances, Xu Jin was undeniably dead.

The mission was done—they could return and report.

But the next instant, a streak of starlight rolled across the distance like a meteor, its aura astonishingly immense!

The starlight blazed brilliantly, illuminating half the night sky!

Suddenly, the four realized: Xu Jin's final cry must have been a plea for help from Cheng Yuexiao!

Realizing this, a chill rose from the base of all four spines.

(End of Chapter)