Chapter 116: Embers After the Catastrophe, Undercurrents Begin to Rise

The demonic clouds dispersed, and the starlight reappeared, spilling over the devastated Imperial Capital. The once-prosperous giant city was now filled with broken walls and ruins everywhere; scorched earth and bloodstains were intermingled, and the air was thick with the lingering scent of gunpowder, blood, and the undissipated remnants of demonic energy. Cries and groans rose and fell among the ruins.

The Imperial Palace was the hardest-hit area; its core region had been almost completely razed, leaving only that terrifying pit sealed by gray runes, like an unhealable scar on the earth, reminding people of the nightmare they had just endured.

The relief of having survived the catastrophe was quickly replaced by immense grief and the heavy weight of reality.

With the Imperial Lord Huangfu Tianji fallen and the dragon energy having autonomously attached itself to him, the Third Imperial Prince Huangfu Hao, with an unquestionable demeanor and in the presence of the surviving imperial family members, court officials, high-ranking ministers, and representatives from several sects, declared himself Regent, temporarily assuming the authority of the dynasty.

His first decree as Regent was to exhaust the dynasty's reserves and mobilize every surviving alchemist and medical practitioner to save the wounded from this catastrophe at any cost, especially... Lin Xuan, who lay unconscious and on the verge of death.

Lin Xuan was placed in the deepest quiet room of the "Imperial Medical Bureau," the only part of the palace that remained relatively intact. The spiritual energy here was dense, and it was equipped with spirit-gathering and nourishing arrays, making it the best place for healing in the Imperial Capital at present.

However, Lin Xuan's injuries left every alchemist grandmaster and medical saint who came to diagnose him helpless, shaking their heads and sighing.

His condition was not merely a matter of physical trauma. His meridians were shattered, and his dantian was on the verge of collapse; for the foundation of the dynasty, these could still be slowly nourished and repaired with top-tier spiritual medicines and secret techniques. The most troublesome aspects were the damage to his Dao foundation and the injury to his soul.

Having forcibly channeled the power of the Chaos Great Dao, which far exceeded his own realm, to perform that forbidden Blood Sacrifice Demon-Sealing Art, the backlash was devastating. His Chaos Dao seed was covered in cracks, its light dim, and it had almost ceased its rotation; within his sea of consciousness, the light of his soul was like a candle in the wind, so faint it seemed it could be extinguished at any moment; furthermore, a pure and tyrannical Void Abyss demonic energy remained in the deepest parts of his body, entangled with his Chaos spiritual power and constantly eroding his vitality.

This was a desperate situation where Dao wounds and demonic erosion were intertwined!

"Your Highness, the injuries of Daoist Friend Lin... are beyond what medicine can reach." The chief of the Imperial Medical Bureau, an old alchemist with white hair and beard and a cultivation base at the late Nascent Soul stage, said with a grave expression to Huangfu Hao, who was guarding the bedside. "His Dao foundation is too severely damaged, his soul has also suffered heavy trauma, and there is that strange demonic energy entrenched within. Ordinary elixirs are tainted by the demonic energy the moment they enter his mouth, only worsening his condition. Unless... there is a holy medicine containing supreme vitality, or we find a senior whose cultivation far exceeds Soul Transformation to forcibly extract the demonic energy and repair his Dao foundation with their supreme Dao practice, otherwise... alas..."

The old alchemist’s unfinished words were self-evident—Lin Xuan likely would not last much longer.

Huangfu Hao clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms. Watching Lin Xuan on the couch, whose face was as pale as gold paper and whose breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible, his heart felt as if it were being sliced by knives. It was Lin Xuan who, at the final moment, turned the tide, sealed the demonic consciousness, and saved the Imperial Capital, as well as his own life!

"No matter the cost!" Huangfu Hao's voice was hoarse, yet carried an unquestionable resolve. "Transmit my... transmit this Prince's decree: issue the dynasty's highest-level 'Imperial Notice' to solicit methods for saving Brother Lin from the entire world! Anyone who can provide effective clues or spiritual medicine will be rewarded with one million spirit stones and granted a title of nobility! If anyone can heal Brother Lin, they may choose any three treasures from the imperial treasury!"

He directly exercised his authority as Regent, offering a shocking reward that would entice even Soul Transformation cultivators!

"Yes! Your Highness!" An attendant immediately took the order and left.

"Wei Ban," Huangfu Hao looked at the sorrowful Eunuch Wei nearby. "Bring that treasured 'Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Returning Grass' from the imperial secret vault to sustain Brother Lin's vitality."

Eunuch Wei looked troubled: "Your Highness, although the Soul-Returning Grass can nourish the soul, it is ineffective against Dao foundation injuries and that demonic energy... and besides, that was the late Emperor's..."

"If Father were here, he would certainly decide the same!" Huangfu Hao interrupted him, his tone resolute. "Go and get it!"

"...This old servant obeys." Eunuch Wei sighed and bowed as he withdrew.

As the orders were issued one by one, the entire machinery of the dynasty began to operate at overload to save one person.

In the quiet room, only Huangfu Hao and the Azure Phoenix Feng Xi, who had shrunk its size and was silently guarding Lin Xuan's pillow, remained. Feng Xi occasionally let out low, sorrowful cries, gently preening Lin Xuan's disheveled hair with its beak.

Huangfu Hao sat by the couch, looking at Lin Xuan's silent face. The instructions his father gave before he fell echoed in his mind, along with the resolute back of Lin Xuan as he stood before him to face the demonic consciousness. An unprecedented pressure and responsibility weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

He knew that saving Lin Xuan was not just about repaying a debt of gratitude; it concerned the future fortune of the dynasty. Lin Xuan's existence was a vital force in countering the Void Abyss demonic consciousness and might even be the only key.

Just as Huangfu Hao's thoughts were in turmoil, a report came from outside the quiet room.

"Your Highness the Regent, the heads of the four great families—Zhao Song of the Zhao family, Wang Lin of the Wang family, Li Chunfeng of the Li family, and Zhou Shi'an of the Zhou family—request an audience together."

The heads of the four great families, coming together at a time like this?

Huangfu Hao frowned, suppressing the grief and anxiety in his heart. He straightened his robes and regained the dignified expression of a Regent.

"Admit them."

A moment later, the four heads of families, all with extraordinary bearing and cultivation bases at the late Nascent Soul stage or even peak, walked in one after another. They first glanced at Lin Xuan on the couch with varied expressions, then bowed to Huangfu Hao.

"We pay our respects to the Regent."

"There is no need for such formalities, family heads." Huangfu Hao raised his hand in a gesture of support. "The Imperial Capital has just been stabilized and everything is in ruins; why have you all come at this time?"

The four family heads exchanged glances. Finally, Zhao Song, the head of the Zhao family, who had the most seniority and currently the strongest influence, stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, although the demonic disaster has temporarily subsided, the Imperial Lord has unfortunately perished, and a country cannot go a day without a ruler. The most urgent task is to establish a new ruler as soon as possible to stabilize the court, unite the people, and deal with any potential future changes."

His words seemed earnest but were actually filled with hidden barbs. The choice of a new ruler was undoubtedly the most sensitive topic at the moment. Although Huangfu Hao had the dragon energy’s autonomous attachment, he was young, his cultivation was still shallow, and he was not the legitimate eldest son (though the legitimate son had already perished in the demonic disaster). The other imperial princes and the forces behind them surely had their own ideas.

Although the heads of the Wang, Li, and Zhou families did not speak explicitly, their silent attitude indicated their wait-and-see approach.

Huangfu Hao sneered inwardly but remained calm on the surface: "What Minister Zhao says is true. However, my father has just passed away, the demonic threat is not yet eradicated, and Daoist Friend Lin is critically injured while saving the Imperial Capital. It would be too hasty to discuss succession now. Since I have been recognized by the dragon energy, I must naturally shoulder the responsibility of Regent, stabilize the situation, and wait until the demonic atmosphere is cleared and the root of this disaster is investigated before discussing the succession ceremony."

He directly pushed the issue back and, using the excuse of "investigating the root of the demonic disaster," subtly pointed out that there might be hidden secrets, warning certain people not to act rashly.

A trace of gloom flashed in Zhao Song's eyes, but he did not persist. Instead, he said: "Your Highness is thoughtful; it was our rashness. Furthermore, regarding Daoist Friend Lin... I hear his injuries are extremely severe and he may not recover. While your issuance of an Imperial Notice to offer rewards for his treatment is an act of benevolence, is it... worth reconsidering to expend such massive national resources on one person? There are many places inside and outside the dynasty that need money and grain."

These words were even more heart-piercing, directly pitting the rescue of Lin Xuan against the consumption of national power.

Huangfu Hao's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at Zhao Song: "Minister Zhao is wrong! If not for Daoist Friend Lin sacrificing himself to seal the demonic consciousness, the Imperial Capital would have long since become a demonic domain, and you and I would have become demonic puppets—what national power would there be to speak of? Daoist Friend Lin has the merit of saving the dynasty from extinction; exhausting everything to save him is the dynasty's duty! My mind is made up on this matter; there is no need for further discussion!"

His tone was firm and unquestionable, and the dignity of the Regent was fully revealed.

Zhao Song's expression changed slightly. Feeling the growing pressure of the dragon energy on Huangfu Hao, he finally lowered his head: "Your Highness is wise; it was my slip of the tongue."

After discussing some trivial matters regarding post-disaster reconstruction and border defense, the four family heads took their leave.

Watching their departing backs, Huangfu Hao's eyes were cold. He knew that the internal undercurrents would not subside because of a demonic disaster; instead, they might become even more turbulent due to the power vacuum and massive losses. The Zhao family, especially that Zhao Song, had already made their ambitions clear.

He walked back to the bedside, looked at the still-unconscious Lin Xuan, and whispered to himself, as if making a vow:

"Brother Lin, rest assured. As long as I, Huangfu Hao, am here for one day, I will exhaust everything to wake you up!"

"And the monsters and demons of this dynasty, I will certainly... purge them one by one!"

After the dynasty's catastrophe, the embers were not yet cold, and a new storm was already brewing in the shadows.