Chapter 350: Marvelous
Hidden Dragon Mountain.
A towering mountain situated in the forbidden area behind the imperial palace, adorned with many ancient and elegant pavilions.
This was the cultivation place of the Hidden Dragon lineage of the Great Zhou royal family.
"They are all dead..."
Inside a palace, Zhou Zhong stood there dazed and desolate.
Among the Hidden Dragon lineage, there were seven elders, with Zhou Zhong ranking seventh.
While Zhou Changyi and the others went to deal with Su Yi, only Zhou Zhong remained at Hidden Dragon Mountain.
But Zhou Zhong never expected to receive such earth-shattering news!
After a long time, Zhou Zhong snapped out of his grief and his eyes filled with determination. He softly asked, "Is the Crown Prince here?"
Silently, a young man with a majestic presence and extraordinary bearing walked into the palace and bowed respectfully, saying, "I have been here all along."
Zhou Zhong asked, "Have you heard the news?"
The Crown Prince nodded.
From his calm expression, Zhou Zhong couldn't see any trace of panic or grief.
"Originally, the Grand Elder and I had decided that when you broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, we would send you to one of the Four Great Dao Sects of Da Xia, the 'Tianxu Sword Sect.' But now, with the sudden changes at Hidden Dragon Mountain, we can only arrange for you to leave in advance."
Zhou Zhong took a deep breath and said warmly, "Your Highness, what are your thoughts?"
Prince Zhou Zhiqian clasped his fists and said, "I defer to the decision of the elders."
A tinge of sadness appeared in Zhou Zhong's eyes as he said, "When you leave this time, take all the cultivation resources from the treasure vault of Hidden Dragon Mountain with you. When you arrive at the Tianxu Sword Sect, look for your great-uncle, Zhou Fengzhi."
"He became an outer disciple of the Tianxu Sword Sect eighty years ago, and in a recent letter, he mentioned that he has now become an inner disciple elder of the Tianxu Sword Sect, possessing a complete cultivation at the Gathering Stars Realm. He is only one step away from the Spiritual Path."
As he said this, Zhou Zhong looked at the Crown Prince and advised, "However, do not mention revenge to your great-uncle, nor speak of the changes at Hidden Dragon Mountain. Just focus on cultivating at the Tianxu Sword Sect."
"With your foundation and talent, you will surely shine at the Tianxu Sword Sect and eventually grow into a formidable cultivator of the Spiritual Path!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqian furrowed his brows slightly and whispered, "Elder, are you suggesting that I seek revenge from Su Yi after stepping onto the Spiritual Path?"
Zhou Zhong's face revealed a touch of bitterness, and his voice grew low. "Your Highness, judging from the strength Su Yi displayed today, unless you possess an extraordinary foundation like his, otherwise, it is likely that cultivators below the Spiritual Path would be helpless against him."
Zhou Zhiqian's frown deepened, and he said, "But what will Su Yi's cultivation reach by the time I step onto the Spiritual Path?"
Zhou Zhong fell silent.
This fact seemed cruel.
It should be known that just a few months ago, Su Yi was a son-in-law of the Wen family with no cultivation. And now, he had stepped into the realm of the Martial Ancestor!
In just a few months, such an astonishing transformation had occurred.
When Zhou Zhong himself stepped onto the Spiritual Path, to what extent would Su Yi's cultivation have reached?
"Su Yi has revealed his sharp edge, attracting attention. He is most vulnerable to danger. Perhaps in the future, you won't even need to seek revenge because you will hear news of his death."
Zhou Zhong could only console him in this way, "Moreover, Your Highness, don't forget that in just a few years, the glorious era will arrive, and at that time, the ancient lineages and powerful cultivators from other realms that have disappeared from the world will come forth."
"In such circumstances, the more dazzling Su Yi appears, the easier it will be for those powerful existences to target him. That is the consequence of attracting too much attention."
After listening, Zhou Zhiqian remained calm and said, "I won't place the task of killing Su Yi on these illusory matters."
"However, Elder, you are right. When that glorious era arrives, the Azure Continent will undergo drastic changes. As long as I seize the opportunity, I can surely possess the power to crush Su Yi!"
Zhou Zhong was taken aback for a moment, then smiled with relief.
Over the years, they, the Hidden Dragon lineage, had invested almost all of their efforts into cultivating Zhou Zhiqian, the Crown Prince.
Now seeing him remain composed and calm in the face of adversity, Zhou Zhong finally felt that their efforts over the years had not been in vain.
That day, Zhou Zhong personally arranged for the departure of the Crown Prince Zhou Zhiqian.
...
Imperial Palace, Tengjiao Hall.
"Congratulations, Sixth Prince. From today onwards, you are the rightful heir to the throne of Great Zhou. Oops, my mistake. I should address you as the Crown Prince now."
A humble-looking old man in a red robe spoke.
Sixth Prince Zhou Zhiqian was stunned and pointed at himself after a while, "You mean... I have become the Crown Prince?!"
The old man in the red robe was none other than the chief eunuch by Emperor Zhou's side. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Crown Prince, it would take a great deal of courage for this old servant to joke about such matters."
Zhou Zhiqian felt a wave of dizziness in his head. This sudden good news made him feel as if he were dreaming.
After a long time, a flash of understanding crossed his mind, and he asked, "Grand Eunuch, does my father have any other instructions?"
The old man in the red robe chuckled and said, "His Majesty said that tomorrow morning, the Crown Prince will lead the way and, following the highest royal etiquette, visit Qingqi Mountain outside the city."
Zhou Zhiqian asked in confusion, "Where are we going and what for?"
The old man in the red robe patiently explained, "Your Highness, tomorrow is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Your good friend Su Yi will go to Qingqi Mountain to pay respects at his mother Ye Yufei's grave."
Zhou Zhiqian's head buzzed, and suddenly everything became clear to him. Excitedly, he said, "Grand Eunuch, did Su Yi and the Su family in Yujing City win a resounding victory?"
The old man in the red robe nodded and said, "It was not just a simple victory. Your Highness will understand when you see it for yourself."
Saying that, he took out a sealed letter and handed it over.
Zhou Zhiqian read it and was completely stunned.
Only after a long while did he regain some composure. Finally, he understood why he had been proclaimed the Crown Prince of Great Zhou today!
"I have always said that Brother Su is my benefactor, but I never expected that merely based on his current power, I would be able to sit on the throne of the Crown Prince..."
Zhou Zhiqian clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the shock and excitement in his heart. He felt that the affairs of the world were incredibly wondrous.
A chance encounter and a stroke of good fortune had effortlessly brought about a drastic change in his life.
How marvelous!
...
Gunzhou, Tianyuan Academy.
In the dark of the night, Ning E'er finally received news about the great battle that took place in the Su family in Yujing City.
Although the message didn't provide specific details, when she saw the list of prominent figures killed by Su Yi, Ning E'er couldn't help but freeze in place.
Her heart surged with emotions.
After a long time, she let out a long breath, and a hint of relief appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face, like that of a young girl. She murmured, "I knew he wouldn't lose..."
Soon, Ning E'er found Tea Jin and sighed, "Miss Tea Jin, news has come from Yujing City. You should prepare yourself."
Tea Jin's body trembled, a hint of panic appeared on her clear and delicate face, and she trembled, "Lady Ning, could it be..."
Today was the fourth day of the fifth lunar month.
She was well aware that Su Yi would settle his grievances with the Su family in Yujing City today, which made her restless and anxious.
At this moment, when Tea Jin heard the sigh from Ning E'er, she had an ominous feeling, and her entire demeanor changed.
Anxiety and unease filled her enchanting and exquisite eyes, which became slightly reddened.
Ning E'er was also startled. She intended to tease Tea Jin a bit, but she hadn't expected such an intense reaction from her.
Without hesitating any longer, she quickly conveyed the news.
After listening, Tea Jin stood there in a daze. A beautiful smile gradually appeared on her delicate and radiant face.
As she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
For some reason, perhaps due to her overwhelming excitement and the emotional roller coaster she had experienced, she couldn't help but shed tears.
These were tears of joy.
Seeing this in Ning E'er's eyes, she couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. How could she not see that Tea Jin had already deeply planted her feelings for Su Yi, which had led to her loss of control at this moment?
In the same Tianyuan Academy,
Inside a bamboo tower, Wen Lingxue let out a cry and tightly hugged her sister, Wen Lingzhao, like a little cat. With a clear and loud voice, she exclaimed, "He won! Brother-in-law won! Ahhh, I'm so happy, sister~~~"
In the eyes of the disciples of Tianyuan Academy, this graceful and beautiful young girl was like a fairy, extraordinary and unique. But at this moment, she seemed to have gone overboard with happiness, completely disregarding her composure. Her eyes and corners of her mouth were filled with joy and excitement.
Wen Lingzhao stood there, stunned. He won?
So... he really managed to achieve this...
Wen Lingxue was overjoyed, and her genuinely radiant smile was too much for Wen Lingzhao to look directly at.
"It turns out, I was the most ridiculous one..."
Wen Lingzhao sighed softly in her heart. Looking back at the more than a year of marriage with Su Yi, she suddenly felt lost, an indescribable emptiness in her heart.
...
The same dark night.
Yujing City, Songfeng Villa.
Su Yi was meditating.
To the people, today's confrontation could be considered a once-in-a-century event, shocking and astonishing.
But for Su Yi, it was nothing at all.
After all, compared to the countless epochal confrontations he experienced in his previous life of a hundred thousand years, today was merely about killing some Yuan Dao cultivators. It was completely ordinary and not worth mentioning.
After returning to Songfeng Villa, he immediately swallowed the remaining three Dragon-Tiger Nine Aperture Pills to temper and solidify his cultivation.
By now, with the refining of that immensely unparalleled medicinal power, his cultivation had firmly reached the realm of Precelestial Martial Ancestor, solid and robust.
Blood Moving, Qi Gathering, Furnace Nurturing, and Leaklessness—these were the four realms of martial cultivation. The Leaklessness realm was the final realm of martial arts and was also known as the Precelestial Martial Ancestor realm.
Those who reached this realm could achieve a transformation akin to rebirth, shedding the impurities and replacing their bones, allowing their acquired qi to transform into innate qi!
The higher the grade of innate qi, the more refined and powerful their cultivation and the greater the strength they could display in battle.
However, Su Yi was different from other martial artists in the world.
With his extraordinary foundations such as the Spiritually Aware Apertures, Hidden Meridians, Dao Gang, and the Five Aggregates Spiritual Essence, after breaking through to the Precelestial Martial Ancestor realm, the innate qi he tempered was akin to a natural fit, reaching the level of "Dao Grade" effortlessly!
In the vast Nine Provinces, those who could temper Dao Grade innate qi were rarely seen in tens of thousands of years, almost like legends!
This was the source of Su Yi's confidence in today's battle, allowing him to move freely and kill legendary immortal beings as easily as tearing a piece of paper.