Chapter 320: Chapter 43 Plain Cloud Realm Flag
Outside the Divine Capital, Dao Light pierced through the sky, and there had even been a clash between fourth-ranks, but inside the Imperial Palace, everything was as usual.
The eunuchs and palace maids carried out their duties dutifully, the guards meticulously stood at their posts, and within the Imperial City, there was peace—a realm seemingly detached from the world outside.
And then, suddenly—
"Boom!"
A thunderclap exploded in the air, a bolt of purple lightning struck down, hitting the depths of the Imperial City and shattering the peaceful and one could say solemn atmosphere.
"Protect the Emperor!"
"Protect the Emperor!"
"The lightning has struck the Xuanyuan Platform! His Majesty is at the Xuanyuan Platform!"
The court instantly erupted into noise; a large number of Imperial Guards rushed toward the site of the lightning, and awe-inspiring Qi Mechanisms appeared throughout the Imperial City, sweeping through the clouds and winds.
In a moment, there was no more peace, only a chilling solemnity.
Until a voice broke through.
"I am unharmed, all of you stand down."
Those formidable Qi Mechanisms immediately receded like the tide.
At the same time, in the deeper parts of the Imperial City, there was a region with stretching mountains and rushing rivers, which, despite being within the Imperial City, seemed to exist in the wilderness.
Upon one of the mountains, a bronze platform was built against the mountain, majestic and splendid. The current Emperor was on this platform, gazing at the vault of heaven.
On the platform, there were also a few faint traces of lightning, still emitting wisps of blue smoke.
"The Fourth Prince is gone, dead within the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven."
When the aged Emperor spoke, he had the slowness and calm typical of an elderly person. He seemed utterly unmoved by the death of his offspring, maintaining a consistent indifference, "I had given him a chance, but unfortunately, he wasn’t competent enough."
"I allowed him to discover that secret manual, deliberately confused the Heavenly Mechanism on his behalf, and concealed it for him, so he could successfully open the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven. And yet, as the one who triggered it, he died within, truly disgraceful."
At this point, the Emperor’s voice finally carried a trace of emotion, but not for the death of the Fourth Prince, but because of the disgrace.
It seemed that for this biological descendant, the Emperor held no excess feeling—always indifferent from beginning to end.
"Fortunately, Your Majesty still has a contingency plan, do you not?"
An equally indifferent voice rose on the Xuanyuan Platform; a gentle breeze picked up the blue smoke, "Heaven’s lightning struck, indicating that the Fourth Prince took action against my nephew. But from the intensity, he did not succeed, and my nephew is not dead... It’s just unclear whether the Fourth Prince died by his hand or someone else’s."
"Jiang Li..." For the first time, the Emperor mentioned this name, "Afterward, have the Qintian Bureau investigate."
...
...
Within the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven.
Li Qinglian watched Lawless Freedom’s figure vanish and couldn’t help but sigh, "Decisive indeed."
The Dao Light of the ginseng fruit tree was still there. The tree was now inaccessible, and whether the remaining ginseng fruits could be obtained was uncertain, so it made more sense to take the Fourth Prince’s belongings and leave.
After all, the Fourth Prince had collected three ginseng fruits, plus the other items he’d stored in his mustard ring and the Dao Fruits that had burst forth, it was already a considerable fortune.
But that being said, who would dare claim they weren’t tempted by the remaining ginseng fruits or the ginseng fruit tree that could well be of the second rank?
Anyone else might have tried a bit more, to see if there were more benefits to glean, rather than leaving straight away.
While speaking, Li Qinglian turned to Bu Yusheng, "It seems now only you and I remain."
Jiang Li was still in Dunjia Heaven and Earth, his condition unknown, nor did he emerge.
Presumably, he had paid a hefty price in dealing with the Fourth Prince and Zuo Zhao, either healing his wounds or... perhaps...
"Aren’t you afraid Jiang Li is just watching from the sidelines?" Bu Yusheng stated coldly.
Indeed, this was a possibility.
Not just Jiang Li, but also Lawless Freedom might be watching the tigers fight, poised to reap the fisherman’s benefit.
With Jiang Li hidden and not emerging, who knew what strength he still held.
Though Lawless Freedom had departed, who could say whether he would return.
Moreover, they might both launch a surprise attack during the other two’s conflict, and the primary target of such an ambush would be Li Qinglian.
After all, his side still possessed Tong Yuanzi of the fifth rank.
Among those present, probably only Tong Yuanzi stood a chance of obtaining the ginseng fruit tree.
"Tong Yuanzi, the temple master, took a hit from the Fourth Prince; now, barely suppressing his injuries, he cannot make a move."
Yet, Li Qinglian shook his head, speaking openly and frankly, "I merely used Tong Yuanzi, the temple master, as a decoy to give you all something to worry about."
After all, being a fifth-rank, hiding in the shadows without making a move, would make anyone apprehensive.
It was like Jiang Li’s trump card; when not played, everyone felt apprehensive, but once it was used, the fear dissipated.
Li Qinglian gently caressed his sword, speaking indifferently, "Moreover, my reason for moving against you is not to obtain this tree. As far as I am concerned, the gains from this journey are already sufficient. The real reason I acted is to bring this affair to an end."
The sword momentum encircled him, taking the shape of a lotus. Li Qinglian formed a sword finger as the sword light suddenly flared, "Ten steps to kill one man."
The figure flashed as if sensing chaos, or as if space itself had shifted places, the sword light instantly moved, and where the sword light was seen, the sword arrived at the body.
The icy sharp edge sliced through the flesh of the neck, and in that instant, Bu Yusheng’s breath seized, feeling an extreme cold spreading from her neck throughout her entire body.
Too fast!
This sword was simply too fast, as fast as light and lightning, leaving one completely unable to react.
While the Seamless Heavenly Cloth is invulnerable, where it does not cover, it cannot demonstrate its powerful defense.
No one expected Li Qinglian to have such a move, such that Bu Yusheng was now facing death in this manner.
Just as Bu Yusheng felt death had never been so close, a white gold brilliance suddenly ignited, and for a moment, a sound of metal scraping against metal was heard. The sword light crossed past Bu Yusheng, and a short distance behind her, the silhouette of Li Qinglian materialized.
"As expected..." Li Qinglian revealed a knowing look.
He turned to look, only to see Bu Yusheng’s body now enveloped in white light, protected by the utmost pure Gold Element Qi, while in the sky, a crack quietly appeared with clouds beginning to drift into the Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
This was not Bu Yusheng’s life-saving measure at work.
Although she still had a move left, given her current state, using her trump card forcefully would lead to her own collapse first.
This was an external force protecting Bu Yusheng.
That force breached the defenses of the Cave Heaven Blessed Land, pierced through the Dao Light of the ginseng fruit tree, and then, across the void, transferred its perception, injecting the Gold Element Qi into Bu Yusheng’s body, blocking that sword strike.
"Second Grade Daoist Artifact·Plain Cloud Realm Flag," Li Qinglian looked towards the crack appearing in the sky, articulating each word deliberately.
The treasure of the Kunxu Immortal Palace that housed the West Queen Mother Dao Fruit, the Plain Cloud Realm Flag appeared here, breaking through the Dao Light of the ginseng fruit tree, also of second grade, and intruded into this Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
A faint blood mark remained on Bu Yusheng’s neck, the sword light indeed posed a fatal threat to her, but with the intervention of the Plain Cloud Realm Flag from the distance, it ultimately failed to claim the life of the heir to the Kunxu Immortal Palace.
Bu Yusheng’s life was saved.
But also because of this, the Cave Heaven Blessed Land had been breached.
Within that crack, a piercingly sharp light stabbed in like a pointed knife, as a pure white banner descended to this place.
And at the same time, a majestic Qi Mechanism poured in from the crack, expanding the fissure ceaselessly.
With the breach of this Cave Heaven Blessed Land, the first thing the fourth-rank forces from outside did was to act, tearing open the fissure, breaking through the Dao Light.
Li Qinglian was right; the journey had come to an end, and what followed was no longer a matter for them to deal with.
By the life of Bu Yusheng, those from the Kunxu Immortal Palace guarding outside were forced to put a full stop to the affair of the Cave Heaven Blessed Land.
Bu Yusheng, shrouded in white light, turned back with an incredulous gaze, utterly baffled by how Li Qinglian had become aware of the presence of the Plain Cloud Realm Flag.
However, in a certain great hall of the Daoist Temple, a figure shrouded in mist silently appeared. Watching the banner descending from the sky, he received an explanation from his master, "Taibai True Monarch’s title of ’Taibai’ comes from the Fourth Grade Dao Fruit holder, Taibai Star Lord."
Taibai Star Lord, the Western Golden Virtue Star Lord, the essence of gold, embodies the majestic bearing of generals who command soldiers with stern killing presence.
Do not be fooled by the portrayal of Taibai Golden Star in ’Journey to the West’ as a cordial figure. In reality, he ranks among the War Gods.
Taibai True Monarch primarily cultivates the Golden Virtue Sword Dao. Furthermore, aside from representing Yin Earth, the Dao Fruit of The Queen Mother of the West also embodies the Gold Element Divinity, sharing a common origin. It’s within reason that Li Qinglian, suspected as an incarnation of Taibai True Monarch, could sense the existence of the Plain Cloud Realm Flag.
As the Plain Cloud Realm Flag fluttered, heaven and earth were illuminated, the mists spread far, and clouds billowed towards the ginseng fruit tree.
Simultaneously, a sword light shot through the sky, narrowly avoiding the dispersing clouds, spun in mid-air, and was hurled towards that crack.
"This Li Qinglian, he also knows the Heavenly Mechanism; perhaps he was not just swept into this, but entered of his own volition," said Tianxuan upon witnessing this scene.
’So you’re telling me... that this opening of the Cave Heaven Blessed Land wouldn’t have involved anyone at all?’ Jiang Li couldn’t help but find the situation both amusing and vexing.
Li Qinglian had entered the Cave Heaven Blessed Land proactively using a special method just as it was opening, Tong Yuanzi and Jiang Li had been actively swept into it by the Fourth Prince, and Jiang Li himself was the Lawless Freedom.
The likelihood of others being swept in didn’t actually come to pass.
And this implied one thing.
— That half the blame for the Fourth Prince’s death lay with himself.
If he hadn’t involved Jiang Li, perhaps he wouldn’t have died.
Without Jiang Li, the Fourth Prince might have struggled to overcome the hurdle of Ji Jiji, but he would not have met such a dire fate.
"Truly, one reaps what one sows," he lamented.
To scheme such an extent only to die tragically before success, and the key point being that the killer was someone he himself had invited in.
The Fourth Prince was a smart man, but his death was so foolish.
"The only regret is that we still don’t know where that hidden Bright Pearl is..."
Jiang Li looked towards the far-off ginseng fruit tree, murmuring.
At this moment, the clouds pressed down from the sky, the myriad white clouds and Dao Light colliding incessantly.
The Plain Cloud Realm Flag was confronting the ginseng fruit tree; it had remained hidden until now to appear at a critical moment to seize the tree. Now forced into the open, it seemed the Imperial Envoy still wished to attempt a trial.