Ye Ling and Bai Lan, after bidding farewell to Wu Mei and leaving Cang Yue City, no longer concealed their presence, instantly appearing above the capital.
Bai Lan gazed at the bustling city below and remarked, "This capital is indeed prosperous, but after seeing Cang Yue City, I feel this capital is lacking something."
"I suspect Shi Ming truly considers Cang Yue City the capital of the Wu Dynasty. With his blatant actions, Emperor Wu Yue must feel quite stifled," Ye Ling chuckled. His divine sense enveloped the entire capital as he attempted to locate Bai Xiao Sheng.
Unfortunately, after searching the entire city, Ye Ling only found a eunuch in a tomb on the outskirts of the capital whose strength surpassed Fa Yun Shi Ming. Bai Xiao Sheng remained elusive.
"Master, any findings?"
Ye Ling shook his head slightly. "No… I only found a eunuch who was slightly stronger. That should be Huang Ke, the fourth strongest in the Wu Dynasty."
Bai Lan scoffed, "Why is Bai Xiao Sheng like the original Wu King, so fond of hiding? This is the Ji Wu Domain, their territory, yet it's now like the headquarters of the Observers."
"I have absorbed four original kings now. Since the original Wu King could escape and hide in the Ji Wu Domain, he would surely have heard the news. It won't be easy to make him appear. Let's proceed step by step as planned."
Ye Ling was not impatient. His gaze fell upon the imperial palace, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
After returning from Tian Yin Temple, Wu Yue had not, as promised, approached Huang Ke for a spot in the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly. Instead, he had retreated into the depths of the palace, summoning countless imperial guards and the Forbidden Army.
Bai Lan also noticed Wu Yue's actions and chuckled, "It seems our Emperor has no intention of keeping his promise."
"Perfect. For Wu Mei to ascend the throne peacefully, Wu Yue must die. Since he's seeking death himself, we don't need to provoke him. As for the spot in the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly, it won't take us much effort to claim it ourselves."
Ye Ling said with a light laugh. The guards Wu Yue had arranged were as fragile as paper to him.
No, even describing Wu Yue's guards with the strength of paper was an overstatement for those imperial experts.
At least paper required a finger to poke.
Those imperial experts did not.
"Let's go and meet that Wu Yue!"
Ye Ling smiled, and he and Bai Lan vanished from their spot, landing within the Imperial City.
At this moment, inside the Wei Ming Hall.
A group of imperial guards stood outside the hall, watching Wu Yue pace back and forth alone in the great hall, their eyes filled with confusion.
"You think, why did His Majesty suddenly summon all of us to guard outside the sleeping quarters?"
"I guess he's afraid of assassins?"
"The palace is heavily guarded, not even a fly can get in. What assassin could threaten His Majesty?"
"I heard His Majesty encountered an unparalleled master when he went to Tian Yin Temple. Eunuch Wei was instantly killed, and His Majesty almost had his head taken amidst the army?"
"When did this happen? How come I don't know?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. His Majesty has forbidden this matter from spreading. Be careful if His Majesty overhears, or you'll have your entire clan exterminated!" Outside Wei Ming Hall, the imperial guards whispered amongst themselves, speculating on the reason for Wu Yue's unusual behavior.
Meanwhile, inside Wei Ming Hall, Wu Yue paid no mind to the gossip. His brow was furrowed, and he was extremely anxious.
"Damn it… I don't know if these guards can stop that Wang Li Ren… The Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly is a top-tier event in the Ji Wu Domain, and each participant's spot is extremely precious. How could I possibly give it to a mere commoner?"
"If Huang Ke can achieve a good ranking in the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly, then I can also obtain divine artifacts from Bai Xiao Sheng!"
"However, that Wang Li Ren's strength is too terrifying. Am I taking too much of a risk like this? No! I must summon another ten thousand forbidden troops!"
Wu Yue muttered to himself, unwilling to give up the spot in the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly, yet fearing that Ye Ling would truly come to the palace to kill him!
Others might not know, but they would only think of the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly as an ordinary martial arts competition. However, Wu Yue, who had always been in contact with Bai Xiao Sheng, knew that the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly was also called the Ji Wu Gathering by emperors, and it was the starting point for reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.
As long as martial artists performed brilliantly in the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Assembly, they would be eligible to participate in the Ji Wu Peak, comprehend peerless divine skills, and compete with all the masters of the Ji Wu Domain for the true title of Ji Wu Number One!
In the Wu Dynasty, there were only three spots for participants. Sword Saint Lu You and the Merciful Guest Fang Si Ming were unparalleled masters not controlled by the court. The only unparalleled master representing the court was the Sunflower Saber Ancestor, Huang Ke.
Wu Yue could not possibly give Huang Ke's spot to someone of unknown origin!
"Wu Yue, it seems you have no intention of fulfilling your promise. Then I don't need to wait three days. I'll come to take your dog head today."
Suddenly, Ye Ling's voice boomed through the palace, startling countless people!
"The Cang Mo Swordsman Wang Li Ren has arrived!"
"Who is Wang Li Ren? Come out!"
The forbidden soldiers who had been to Tian Yin Temple showed fear and trembled upon hearing Ye Ling's voice.
As for those who were unaware of the events, they drew their weapons, looking around, trying to capture Ye Ling.
However, regardless of whether the people in the palace knew Ye Ling or not, Ye Ling's words now plunged the entire palace into chaos.
Wu Yue, hiding in Wei Ming Hall, his pupils contracted sharply upon hearing Ye Ling's words. He quickly hid behind a chair and shouted to the imperial guards outside the door, "All of you, come in! All of you, come in! Don't let Wang Li Ren get close to me!"
Wu Yue roared, and the imperial guards outside no longer hesitated. They quickly entered Wei Ming Hall and surrounded Wu Yue in the center.
The forbidden army also quickly tightened their formation, surrounding Wei Ming Hall from the outside, making it impenetrable.
With this level of defense, let alone a person, even a mosquito, the moment it got close to Wei Ming Hall, it would be slapped to death by more than three hands!
After being surrounded by the imperial guards, Wu Yue felt somewhat relieved. He then said, "All of you, guard this place well. If you see Wang Li Ren, kill him by any means necessary!"
"Whoever kills Wang Li Ren, I will reward them with ten thousand taels of gold, ten thousand mu of fertile land, and enfeoffment as a marquis!"
As soon as Wu Yue uttered these words, it was like a shot of adrenaline for all the imperial guards, and everyone became excited!
Such generous rewards were unprecedented…
Whoever could obtain Wang Li Ren's head would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, ascending instantly!
"Your Majesty, rest assured, we will do our utmost. Even if the opponent is Sword Saint Lu You, they will not be able to cross this boundary!"
The imperial guards declared impassionedly, their momentum surging to its peak.
At this moment, a commotion arose outside the hall. The imperial guards within the hall could see soldiers in heavy armor flying into the air one after another.
Soon, the forbidden soldiers guarding the hall outside automatically parted to the sides, and Ye Ling and Bai Lan walked leisurely into the hall.
Upon seeing Ye Ling and Bai Lan, all the imperial guards swallowed hard, gripped their weapons, and felt inexplicably nervous.
Ye Ling glanced at the large group of experts in the hall and chuckled, "Oh! There are quite a few of you!"