"Thank you, Your Highness."

Slowly rising to his feet, he looked at the back of the East Palace Crown Prince, a complex emotion flickering in Gao Tianzhen's eyes. With his elder brother having undergone Dao Perishment, the East Palace Crown Prince's visit at this time must carry its complexities.

"This humble servant did not know of Your Highness's personal visit to Dianchuan Province and failed to welcome you from afar; I beg for Your Highness's forgiveness."

Before the East Palace Crown Prince, who stood second only to one, but above tens of thousands in the Great Xuan Dynasty, Gao Tianzhen conducted himself with great humility.

And it was out of necessity. With the demise of Gao Tianxiong, without him, the Gao Family's strength had collapsed by more than half. The glory of the past was no more, and it was only right to humble oneself.

"There is no need for such formalities, Lord Gao. I am here by imperial command to inspect the thirteen provinces, and I had originally planned to start with Jiangnan Province. However, considering the Dao Perishment of Military Governor Gao, who served as a pillar to the Great Xuan and guarded Dianchuan for the Great Profound Royal Family for over a thousand years with outstanding contribution, His Imperial Majesty, who presides in Shangjing, could not come. Before departing, he specially instructed me to pay homage to Military Governor Gao with grand ceremony, to comfort his spirit in heaven," the East Palace Crown Prince said. His tone was calm, his words coming slowly, yet laced with a special authority that captured the listener's full attention.

"The Gao Family is truly frightened and honored by the Emperor's and Your Highness's kindness," Gao Tianzhen responded politely as he followed the East Palace Crown Prince into the Gao Residence.

BOOM!

The massive doors closed, and the guards who had been on duty were replaced by the fully-armored and sharp-looking entourage of the East Palace Crown Prince.

Paired eyes, cold and indifferent, stared straight ahead. In their hands, the heavy Great Halberds glistened with an unusual light under the fading sun.

「...」

"Lord Gao, it's been many years since we last met, hasn't it?"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gao Tianzhen dismissed everyone else.

In the grand and spacious hall, only he and the East Palace Crown Prince remained.

Gao Tianzhen kept his gaze lowered, sitting upright and still, looking at the ground without moving.

It was only when the East Palace Crown Prince spoke first that the stifling silence was broken.

"In reply to Your Highness, since the year my brother and I went to the capital to celebrate Your Highness's birthday, I have not had the honor of seeing Your Highness. By my reckoning, it has been a full sixty years," Gao Tianzhen replied softly, bowing slightly to the East Palace Crown Prince's inquiry.

"Sixty years, is it?" The East Palace Crown Prince sighed deeply, leaning back, his face shrouded in shadow. "When Military Governor Gao came to the capital back then, he was distinguished for his martial prowess. Even among other Military Governors, he was exceptional. Who could have predicted that in the blink of an eye, sixty years would pass, and that old friend would be gone. Did Military Governor Gao leave any last words? If there is any difficulty, I shall certainly offer my fullest support."

"We are deeply grateful for Your Highness's concern. My brother had no specific instructions when he departed. He simply exhorted us to do our utmost to protect Dianchuan. To never fail the Emperor's grace."

His tone earnest, Gao Tianzhen inadvertently raised his eyes to look at the East Palace Crown Prince as he spoke. At this moment, the East Palace Crown Prince's entire face was hidden in shadow, making it difficult to see clearly, save for a pair of faintly golden pupils that were calm and solemn, exuding authority.

"Gao Jiezhen served tirelessly, dying only after his efforts were complete; even in Dao Perishment, he never forgot his responsibilities. He is indeed a role model for all our officials in the Great Xuan. After I return to the capital, I will certainly petition the Emperor to bestow posthumous honors upon Military Governor Gao. The entire Gao Family may move to Shangjing, to bask in glory and riches under the Emperor's favor."

As the East Palace Crown Prince uttered those last words, a peculiar gleam flashed deep within Gao Tianzhen's eyes.

"Your Highness..."

"What is it, Lord Gao? Are you dissatisfied with my arrangements?" the East Palace Crown Prince cut in before Gao Tianzhen could speak. "Shangjing is a land of prosperity and peace. If the Gao Family moves there, you can enjoy protection; no evildoers would dare to target you. Remaining here in Dianchuan, with tigers and wolves all around, without Military Governor Gao, can the Gao Family truly safeguard its legacy?"

Every word the East Palace Crown Prince spoke seemed to carry an invisible weight. The pressure in the air grew dense, heavy. Each syllable seemed to leave a deep impression in the air, making the atmosphere grow increasingly tense and oppressive. His voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with indomitable authority and pressure. When he uttered the final word, the very space seemed to solidify, making Gao Tianzhen feel as though he were bound by invisible forces, unable to move.

And the East Palace Crown Prince's faintly golden eyes quietly watched him, like a blade resting upon his neck.

If he showed even a hint of dissatisfaction, the blade would swiftly descend, beheading him!

DRIP. DROP. DRIP. DROP.

Sweat trickled down his cheeks; Gao Tianzhen sat rigid in his chair. He had the will to resist; the Gao Family's legacy of over a thousand years couldn't end in his hands. But the person before him was the East Palace Crown Prince! He occupied a position above everyone else but one, exuding the utmost honor. And he had another identity! A Primordial Spirit Boss! Indeed, as the first among the princes and the heir apparent of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the East Palace Crown Prince's status was second only to that of the Sage Emperor. And as the direct descendant of that figure, the East Palace Crown Prince's strength was naturally among the most top-tier in the Great Xuan Dynasty. With Gao Tianxiong gone, the Gao Family no longer has a Primordial Spirit Realm powerhouse to preside. Facing the East Palace Crown Prince of the Primordial Spirit Realm, whether it was status or strength, the Gao Family no longer had the qualifications to contend with him or argue.

"However, Your Highness, if my Gao Family leaves, who will guard Dianchuan Province..." Bearing the overwhelming pressure that almost shattered his body, Gao Tianzhen forced himself to speak, asking the East Palace Crown Prince before him.

"Rest assured on that matter, as early as a hundred years ago, there was..."

The East Palace Crown Prince's words halted abruptly, as if he realized he had said too much, and with a faint smile, he continued, "When old friends reunite, one tends to speak too much. Details are not to be discussed with you. Be at ease, the one chosen by this Palace will surely hold Dianchuan Province firmly in the palm of Great Xuan. Our Great Xuan Dynasty never yields an inch of territory, and will certainly not allow any Demons or heretics to take even half an inch of our land."

With that said, Gao Tianzhen gave up struggling. His eyes dimmed slightly, and his entire being appeared as if all his vitality had been drained, suddenly showing an aged demeanor.

"If that is the case... Your servant understands..."

「...」

Below a rocky field in Dianchuan Province, the mountains full of rugged and peculiarly shaped rocks suddenly started trembling and scattering. It was as if an ancient, fierce beast from beneath the ground was awakening from a deep slumber, stretching its body, ready to emerge and reappear in the world.

Deep underground, a heart-throbbing scene was unfolding.

Here, where the sun and sky were unseen, the surrounding rocks were vast and silent.

But this tranquility was shattered by a sudden surge of violent power—that of unexpected flashes of lightning and thunderbolts.

Along with a deep, deafening roar!

Numerous splendid yet deadly Lei Mang burst forth from the layers of rock.

This lightning, carrying destructive force and high temperatures, carved out dazzling and rapidly moving trajectories as it interwove, collided, and exploded in the space.

The ground was mercilessly ravaged as a result. Under immense pressure, the earth began to crumble. Cracks snaked rapidly through the soil, as if controlled by some unseen hand. Like a complex web of spiders, the cracks intersected and merged, forming numerous small domains.

BANG!

With a deafening boom, a sudden burst of white energy swept through all directions, uprooting everything within a hundred miles with its fearsome power.

A figure then shot up from the ground, piercing through the sky!

In an instant!

Qi Xiu, breaking through the earth's crust and emerging from seclusion, stood atop a pitch-black thundercloud. His dark hair danced wildly as terrifying blue-white Lei Mang ceaselessly burst forth from his seven orifices. He resembled an ancient Thunder God reborn.

His eyes, filled with Lei Mang, slowly scanned the mountains and lands below. Qi Xiu's Taoist Robe flapped loudly in the wind as he bellowed, "With my true method, I unify the creation of heaven and earth! Lord Thunder, aid me!"

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than the Sky Dome above suddenly became shrouded in dark clouds. The clouds gathered heavily on the horizon like a massive cauldron, piling up into dark, towering mountains which blocked the sunlight.

Endless thunderous energy collided, surged, and accumulated within the clouds. This lightning, as if answering a call, brewed into a formidable and tumultuous force within the clouds. The power seemed as if it were finally unleashed after being bound for a thousand years.

CRACK! BOOM!

In a moment of near-eternal darkness and oppression, it burst forth!

The lightning turned into vast silver bands, and like breathtaking waterfalls falling from the sky, they thundered down.

In the midst of this terrifying thunderstorm that seemed to reboot heaven and earth, Qi Xiu stood, contained and composed, in a way difficult to describe. His wide Taoist Robe, amidst the daunting storm and thunder, seemed extraordinarily pure and detached. With his eyes half-closed, he appeared to be in deep meditation or a transcendent state, his body radiating a faint golden glow as if protected by some mysterious force.

BOOM!

Thunderous lightning struck down without mercy!

In an instant, Qi Xiu's figure was completely engulfed. Billions of strands of Lei Mang and electric light surrounded him; the majestic and terrifying force of heavenly punishment seemed poised to completely obliterate his body!

Suddenly, at the peak of the thunderstorm's intensity!

A faint gold light slowly rose from the center of his forehead.

The next moment!

Within this faint gold light emerging from his forehead, a vertical eye slowly opened!

This eye was not something ordinary mortals could possess. Within it, a Thunder Pond with a missing corner was reviving, with thunderous energy autonomously flowing forth, piercing through layers of space, blurring the endless void with rolling thunder!

At the very moment this mysterious vertical eye fully opened!

The surrounding raging thunder, indescribable in its might, no longer acted as a blade of annihilation but seemed instead like a gentle meandering stream, all flowing into the vertical eye and vanishing without a trace.

As the vertical eye on his forehead closed, Qi Xiu exhaled a long breath of turbid air, the breath still swirling with countless disintegrating sparks of electricity.

After three months of seclusion, under the augmentation of the Hunyuan All-Encompassing Luminance, I've finally forged this sword of Thunder Magic. But the consumption of this Merit Treasure is indeed not insignificant.

With a thought, Qi Xiu summoned his Merit Treasure.

The once long, bright-yellow candle atop the Hunyuan All-Encompassing Luminance lampstand was now reduced to less than one-third of its size. The rest had been spent during the three months of seclusion.

However, it was worth it.

His eyes moved, and Qi Xiu looked at the proficiency panel.

A new name that had not appeared before was still faintly flickering with Lei Mang and electric light.

「...」

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.