8 Discussion in the Throne Room

Zhen Han couldn't understand Wang Xixi's thoughts and neither could Lin Li. He continued to pester her for another blood genesis. In the end, his mother has to intervene and stop him.

Zhen Han couldn't calm himself. The energy he absorbed was far too strong, and since he hasn't started his journey of cultivation he has no idea about refining the energy. Obviously, he was also unaware of the two soul strands and their tragic fate.

There were many parts of the palace where Zhen Han and his mother Lin Li lacked the authority to enter. The very fact they could tour around some parts is related to them being a part of Imperial Zhen Clan.

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In the throne room, Skyrise Emperor was sitting on a dragon throne. He has long black hairs and his eyes were like those of an eagle. He has a very heavy expression as he listened to Shi Xiong's encounter. Shi Xiong fully explained about the "mating" session of beasts with his grandson Shi Han. Si Xiong felt very ashamed explaining what he considered as the biggest disgrace of his life.

Yesterday he has requested for an audience with his Highness but only today the permission is granted. He could feel the looks of mockery from the audience in the throne room. No one ridiculed him openly or dare to gloat due to the presence of his highness but it was only temporary. Many people have seen the shameful incident in person so there was no way he could hide it.

"Shi Xiong, you think a World King realm cultivator orchestrated these?" Skyrise Emperor asked with a heavy frown.

"Sir, I'm not sure about this. It is only a guess of this lowly subordinate," Shi Xiong answered respectfully.

Someone has modified the high-level natural laws on which the very existence of a species depends. Nature created sexual desires for the continuity of a species. So how can such laws be changed by anyone? Shi Xiong was at Divine Manifestation realm and he was sure that not even someone from Divine King realm can manipulate such heavy laws. Divine King was the next realm after Divine Manifestation realm. World King realm is higher than the Divine King, and in the entire Endless Continent, there are less than a dozen World King.

"Your Highness, I ask you to give me a chance to speak," a tall man with long white hairs politely requested.

"Ying Xiu? You are the prime minister of our Skyrise Emperor. I have told you many times you can speak anytime you want no matter what is the topic."

"Your Highness is kind. What I want to say is a heavy flaw in Sir Shi Xiong's story," Ying Xiu said with a smile.

"What did you said? You think I will dare speak a lie to his Highness?" Shi Xiong roared.

"I never said you lied. I said your story has a flaw. Let me explain it to you," Ying Xiu gained the attention of everyone with his few words.

"You said the beasts regained their sanity after your arrival. You also claim the pressure from your aura broke the change in natural laws. But you also say the perpetrator is at World King realm. Don't you think your words are self-contradictory?" Ying Xiu questioned Shi Xiong.

The ministers understood what Ying Xiu meant. How can a Divine Manifestation cultivator disrupt the domain of a World King? It was akin to saying an ant can stop the path of a lion.

The modification of natural laws might be perhaps temporary but still, how can a cultivator two great realms behind disrupt the arrangements of a World King?

"Your Highness, I like to believe there was no involvement of a World King realm expert. Most likely the perpetrator was either in Divine Manifestation or Divine King realm," Ying Xiu said.

"What?" The entire imperial court was in an uproar. From the conversations so far it was clear that no one below the World King can play with such high-level laws but now the prime minister is saying otherwise.

Even the Skyrise Emperor is surprised by the claims. He was in a bad mood thinking about a World King enemy in the Empire but the unexpected claims made him somewhat relieved. He was also in the World King realm so he wasn't afraid of the same step match. He has many tricks up his sleeves especially if he used the techniques he learned from the female inside the blood cocoon. Still, he would like to avoid a confrontation in the capital as far as possible.

"Your Highness, I have checked the protection and surveillance arrays in the second zone where the incident took place. While a World King realm expert has many ways to cover up their presence from arrays... all of those ways involve affecting the array in some way. If it was some other array then perhaps we would never know if they were affected but the array in both first and second zone are of special nature. Your Highness found those arrays method in a Mystic Realm, and while indeed someone from World King realm can neutralize them or fool them there is a difference. The arrays would have a change which can be identified if someone played tricks with them."

The surveillance arrays didn't record the happenings in the imperial capital zones. It would need a lot of resources to set up recording arrays.

The arrays inside the second zone would record the cultivation levels of anyone who entered it. Even if someone covers up their cultivation they couldn't hide it from the array. Even if someone fooled the arrays then the arrays would notice the fooling event as a special occurrence. In truth, this array method was given by the female inside the blood cocoon.

"There have been no changes or mention of special occurrence in the array core which means no one tried to fool it. The number of Divine Manifestation cultivators in the second zone at the time of the incident is fifty. There were ten Divine King realm experts as well."

"Of course it's all a hypothesis. It's possible that the perpetrator was in the World King realm and fooled the arrays such that they didn't record the special occurrence. I would like to think that was not the case due to my second point.".

Indeed. Many people didn't agree with the array explanation. Arrays were developed by cultivators so there can be cultivators who can nullify them without the arrays noticing it.

"My second point is that the person who created this mess was someone who doesn't have his or her emotions under control. From what we know Sir Shi Xiong's grandson was fooling around with a slave girl whom he has purchased a few minutes before the incident. He dragged the slave girl through the market. Minutes later the beasts in the surrounding area went into a frenzy. They lost control of their sexual desires...

"While I can't be sure of my following guess but I like to think that my guess is close to the truth. The perpetrator saw young master Shi humiliating the slave girl, and he/she either felt disgusted or anger at the sight. Such things are rather common so it is nothing bad in our eyes. But what about someone who opposes such things? Someone who feels offended by the acts of slavery or sexual abuse would want young master Shi suffers. Can anything be better than teaching young master Shi in his own style?

"Now a cultivator who arrives even at Divine Manifestation realm would have a steady heart. He/she would have experienced many things in the world. Such a powerful cultivator wouldn't be swayed by the acts of young master Shi. The world has far more evil acts. Of course, good and evil are subjective. People at the high place don't care about such things. Even if they did they wouldn't act such. Or at the very least if the perpetrator is a World King then he/she would be very bored to do such a thing.

"Furthermore if it was a World King realm then Sir Shi Xiong wouldn't be able to shatter the change in natural laws with his aura. Even I who is a Divine King wouldn't be able to shatter the domain created by a World King."

The Skyrise Emperor contemplated his words. What he said was everything based on an assumption. In fact none of the points he said truly proved the absence of World King from the incident in the second zone.

But yet his assumptions sounded right. He gave three points which independently didn't hold the ground but together...

"Ying Xiu, even if we believe that your words are true could you explain how a cultivator lower than a World King can manipulate such supreme laws?" The Skyrise Emperor asked.

"Your Highness, I think it is an alchemist who is responsible for the change in the sexual desire of the beasts. Higher-tier alchemists can create pills which can turn illusion into reality. Sir Shi Xiong said there were changes in natural laws but are we sure? I and other Divine Kings checked the second area as soon as we got the report about the incident, and didn't sense any disturbance in the laws. With the passing of time perhaps the traces of manipulating laws were removed but I doubt the traces would disappear in less than an hour. We have no way to confirm as the beasts were killed by Sir Shi Xiong. Maybe it was some sort of pill instead of a World King."

Hearing these words Shi Xiong was on brink of explosion. Ying Xiu was saying that he did misjudge!

How could he be wrong? He has felt the changes in the natural laws himself. He didn't understand why his aura can easily shatter the changes in natural laws. It would be either perpetrator didn't pay any attention while creating the change, and hence a lower level cultivator was able to disrupt it. Or the perpetrator was in a stupor and lost his powers after casting the domain.

But now none of this mattered. He never thought the traces of manipulating laws would vanish! There should be some chaos in natural laws when one changes them.

It was like how an external object invades water. There would be signs of disruption for a short time. In the case of natural laws, the signs of disruption would last long.

There is only one other exception: the changes in natural laws are created by the Heavens themselves. If the nature of its own changed its rule temporarily then there would be no sign of disruption.

But this wouldn't make sense at all.

Damn. First I lost my dignity due to the beasts and now I'm losing my reputation.

"Sir Shi Xiong, I have a proposal for you. For the sake of our great Empire, I hope you will agree," Ying Xiu said politely.

"What proposal?"

"Sir Shi Xiong, could you let your grandson be inspected by Alchemist Wang?"

As soon as "Alchemist Wang" name is mentioned everyone in the room sucked in a breath of cold air!

Alchemist Wang is the highest ranking alchemist in the Skyrise Empire, and he is also the older brother of Wang Xixi. He has a peculiar habit of collecting different types of specimens.

He would love to have a specimen which has aroused the desires of countless beasts! It wouldn't be surprising for him to think Shi Xiong's grandson holding some clues about the mystery.

For alchemists knowledge was everything. They have pursued the mystery of life for eons in a way to reach eternal life! Shi Xiong's grandson could become one of the stepping stone in Alchemist Wang's path if the Emperor consented. Shi Xiong's consent meant nothing!

"How dare you!" Shi Xiong was panting with anger. He never thought his day could get so worse. He has no enmity with Ying Xiu but yet the latter was trying to pit him.

Shi Xiong loved his grandsons. Shi Hao was one of his favorite grandsons. He has some bad traits but he was still his flesh and blood!

As if the tragedy he suffered under the beasts wasn't enough! Now they want him to suffer at the hands of the cruelest man in the Empire.

Even Skyrise Emperor would need to give Grandmaster Wang face if he decides to have Shi Hao as a specimen.

In ordinary conditions, the Emperor has to think about Shi Xiong as well since he represents the Shi Clan. Shi Clan is one of the nine great clans on whose shoulders the Empire runs.

If the emperor is the head of a body then the nine great clans are the organs. Skyrise Emperor has unimaginable powers but for running an empire so grand requires a lot of people and power. Obviously, there is the risk of betrayal when the clans are given such high powers but having so many clans in power help check the power abuse. The clans would battle among themselves to gain more power so it prevented imperial family to a certain extent.

"Sir Shi Xiong, you have to think about the greater good of our empire and its people. Alchemist Wang would be able to make more progress in the way of alchemy which would be beneficial to our empire. Most importantly there is a good chance of Alchemist Wang decoding the mystery of such a profound law which deals with the sexual desires. If we can learn the ways by experimenting with your grandson then he would be praised in the annals of our history. We can win against our enemies from the surrounding empires," Ying Xiu spoke in a polite way.

His words sounded sweet and talked of honor for the empire but anyone with a brain can understand his intentions are not least noble.

"If we can decode the mystery of sexual desires then we could breed holy beats who lack interest in fleshly pleasure. While it is hard for higher level lifeforms to breed at the very least we would be able to increase the chances of breeding. Think about how powerful our Empire would become. Our Empire's dream of supremacy in the Endless Continent would no longer be a dream!" Ying Xiu continued with his persuasion.

If the people in the throne room weren't old foxes they would have actually thought Ying Xiu has noble intentions.

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Meanwhile, Zhen Han went back to his temporary lodge with his mother for an afternoon nap. He wasn't tired after his recent activities but afternoon nap has become a part of his schedule every day so it was difficult to avoid. No matter how energetic he is at the end he is only a three-year-old kid.

Today the dreams of a three-year-old kid are going to create havoc in the real world...