Chapter 1022: The Eldest Prince

The crowd fighting fiercely in the distant Imperial Palace, upon seeing Captain Wu, immediately showed varied expressions.

The seventh prince's faction erupted in excited shouts, declaring victory.

Meanwhile, the eldest prince's faction grew panicked and terrified, their fighting spirit plummeting.

With this shift in momentum, by the time Fang Yue and the others arrived on the scene, the seventh prince's faction had already secured victory, and the eldest prince's faction had been routed and fled.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

The eldest prince was that great tree—the faith and symbol of the eldest prince's faction.

If the eldest prince failed, it meant all their actions had lost meaning—a total and utter defeat.

Thus, upon seeing Captain Wu moving actively throughout the Imperial Palace, the eldest prince's men surrendered without a fight, completely losing their will to battle.

Advancing thus, Fang Yue and his group grew like a snowball rolling downhill, building overwhelming momentum for the seventh prince and crushing the eldest prince's forces entirely.

By the time Fang Yue reached the secluded pavilion where Jing Yan and the others hid, he was already surrounded by a large crowd, forming a vast, marching force.

"Ye Hongyi?! Perfect! You're back!"

Jing Yan's hiding spot was extremely concealed; without Lin Ling leading the way, others might never have found it.

The one who came out to greet Fang Yue and the others was Master Qiankun.

Though Master Qiankun's strength was inferior to Lord Han's, he was no ordinary man.

Yet becoming entangled in the imperial family's disputes was not his wish.

After reuniting with Master Qiankun and exchanging information, Master Qiankun learned that the outside of the Imperial Palace had become perilous beyond measure.

"Using all the living beings of Jingcheng as a catalyst, transforming mortals into immortals… what a grand scheme!"

Master Qiankun's eyes gleamed with excitement, as if deeply intrigued by such a thing—making others feel uneasy.

Sensing his emotions were inappropriate, Master Qiankun quickly regained composure.

"Though Jing Yan and the others are injured and unconscious, under my care, their lives are not in danger—they merely need rest."

"That's good." Fang Yue paused, then glanced at Lin Ling beside him.

"Lin Ling, you stay here. Let Master Qiankun treat your injuries. This isn't just for yourself—it's for Lord Han too."

Lin Ling clenched his fist silently and gave a slight nod.

He understood: if he couldn't recover his injuries and let Lord Han reclaim his body, he would be useless in this level of conflict—only a burden to Fang Yue.

Leaving Master Qiankun and You Sisi and the others behind, and stationing a contingent of the seventh prince's men as guards, Fang Yue led the remainder of his group toward the Imperial Palace's sacred ground: Shi Sheng Lin.

Unlike other areas, at Shi Sheng Lin, they encountered fierce resistance.

Even upon seeing Captain Wu, they merely froze for a moment, never believing the eldest prince had been defeated or killed.

Clearly, these were the eldest prince's most trusted loyalists—those who would support him absolutely, no matter the circumstances.

The group Fang Yue had gathered along the way, facing these elite warriors, indeed met fierce resistance, and their advance slowed drastically.

Fang Yue's expression darkened.

"All of you—get out of the way!"

A black shadow flashed—Fang Yue surged ahead, slicing past the eldest prince's guards at the entrance of Shi Sheng Lin.

The next moment, he had already passed them, entering deep into Shi Sheng Lin, with Captain Wu right behind him.

The eldest prince's guards, who had been resisting so fiercely moments before, all spewed blood from their chests and slowly collapsed.

"Good—so strong!"

"No wonder that guy who appeared out of nowhere could stay by the seventh prince's side—he's got this kind of skill!"

"This must be the power of a Rain-level martial artist, right?"

"Rain-level… probably not. Rain-level isn't that easy to reach—it's the peak of our martial path!"

The crowd murmured among themselves, but none followed Fang Yue into Shi Sheng Lin—they stayed near the entrance.

Fang Yue had ordered this: Shi Sheng Lin undoubtedly contained both the eldest prince and the true seventh prince inside—there was no need for others to witness the true seventh prince.

As Fang Yue thought this, the massive Guardian Stone Lion came into view ahead.

This was the Guardian Stone Lion…

Fang Yue's expression turned strange—the Guardian Stone Lion, aside from its size, seemed no different from an ordinary Stone Lion.

Beneath the Guardian Stone Lion, two groups were clashing; two figures locked in fierce combat immediately caught Fang Yue's gaze.

They were none other than… the eldest prince and the seventh prince!

"Captain Wu—follow me!"

Fang Yue surged forward, his speed exploding as he dashed toward the two.

The two had just clashed again, swords ringing like hammer on anvil—when a sharp black wind swept in, they instinctively stepped back, then looked up to see Fang Yue's figure before them.

"Your Royal Highnesses, what fiery tempers you both have."

Fang Yue smiled, releasing his full aura.

The terrifying pressure unique to a Rain-level cultivator descended upon the entire scene!

Everyone still fighting instantly froze under this violent pressure—an absolute upper-tier dominance crushing the lower tiers, rendering all motion impossible.

The seventh prince, staring at Fang Yue's sudden appearance, felt cold sweat trace his brow as he gripped his sword tighter.

"It's you… I never thought you'd have this kind of power. But if you're Rain-level, why didn't you go save Sisi? Why are you standing in my way now? You must know Sisi was taken by the Phoenix Organization!"

The seventh prince spoke with a dark expression.

He truly had no options—the Phoenix Organization was too powerful; even with Niu Zuo as an ally, he couldn't challenge them.

He needed greater power to crush the Phoenix Organization.

And that power was imperial authority.

By seizing imperial authority as the sole heir, he would command the strongest warriors, mobilize the entire nation, and rescue You Sisi!

This was the seventh prince's plan—but the eldest prince, this stubborn obstacle, had delayed it again and again—until now, You Sisi's fate was unknown.

"Sisi has already been rescued by me. I can temporarily guarantee her safety, but it's only temporary. As long as the crisis isn't resolved, no one can be called safe. For this reason, I wish to borrow something from the two of you."

"What thing?"

"Your… heads on your shoulders!"

One mountain cannot contain two tigers, let alone three!

Strike directly!

His figure flashed, and the one Fang Yue charged toward first was the Great Imperial Prince.

The Great Imperial Prince's face visibly changed.

He wanted to say something, wanted to use his eloquence to calm Fang Yue down a little, but Fang Yue was too fast. A rain-level Fang Yue's oppressive presence was too strong, leaving him no room at all!

Therefore, he could only immediately use his final measure.

"Nation-Protecting Stone Lion!!"

Boom!!

At the instant the Great Imperial Prince roared out, the tightly shut stone eyes of the giant stone lion behind him actually slowly opened, locking onto Fang Yue on the spot!

Almost the instant he was 【targeted】 by the Nation-Protecting Stone Lion, that primordial aura as if穿越 time and space pressed down overwhelmingly!

The high-speed-moving Fang Yue was suppressed on the spot by this aura, fixed in place, his whole body stiffened.

(End of this chapter)