Section 12: Rapid Cultivation Advancement, Night Emperor’s Edict
By: Gu Zhenren
February 9, 2013
“What exactly is stored within this sealing scroll?!” Chu Yun’s curiosity was stronger than ever. Holding this sealing scroll allowed him to draw so close to the Great Dao; opening his Heavenly Eye would surely let him see the Net of Law of the Xingzhou Great World! This was an inconceivable power!
While amazed, Chu Yun also realized, “No wonder my Luck was so severely depleted last night, unable to capture even a sliver of inspiration. It turns out this opportunity is truly terrifyingly immense.”
Since his rebirth, Chu Yun had ascended to the Marquis level, exhausting all his accumulated resources. His cultivation advancement had entered a slow period. His physical condition could only be improved minimally through the Yi Jin Xi Sui medicinal baths. In terms of Spirit, with no war prisoners, the Spirit Snake was useless. As for his Soul, Chu Yun had always lacked effective means for improvement.
But now, things were different. With the sealing scroll, he could observe the Net of Law of the Xingzhou Great World. Consuming Spirit to refine his Soul, which in turn nourished his Spirit, coupled with the assistance of the Yi Jin Xi Sui Cauldron, formed a virtuous cycle for cultivation, accelerating Chu Yun’s progress once more.
The Net of Law of the Xingzhou Great World was profound and vast, extremely obscure and difficult for Chu Yun to comprehend. However, Chu Yun possessed an exceptionally resilient will and gritted his teeth to persevere. Every day upon waking, he would practice in the morning, patrol incognito to gain insights into the Dao of Humans, ponder and research tactics, and at night, he would grasp the scroll, open his Heavenly Eye, and comprehend the Net of Law. Every six hours, he would soak in the medicinal bath, steadily improving his physical condition.
Initially, his full Spirit could only sustain the intense consumption of comprehending the Net of Law for less than a quarter of an hour. As days passed, and another month went by, his Spirit could endure the strenuous consumption during comprehension for a full quarter of an hour! His understanding of the Dao of Humans deepened daily. His physical condition also improved steadily, but the most noticeable improvement was in his Soul. His original Soul condensation was only at the bottom of the Marquis level. However, it had now rapidly grown to the middle-stage of the Marquis level, providing him with unprecedented Spirit recovery effects. Through this period, he had truly left his peers far behind. His more than a month of arduous cultivation yielded more results than the accumulation of other Marquis level powerhouses over one to two years. Observing the Net of Law of the Xingzhou Great World provided such an extraordinary advantage.
“Everything is almost ready. We will tentatively hold the Founding Ceremony in October,” Yan Que delivered good news to Chu Yun. Chu Yun sighed and patted Yan Que’s shoulder, feeling both happy and emotional. “Unknowingly, we’ve already reached this point. If the Founding Ceremony is held successfully, we will officially establish the kingdom. If this news spreads, it will surely cause a huge stir in Xingzhou! Well done, Yan Que.”
“This is all within my subordinate’s duties,” Yan Que smiled and bowed to Chu Yun. “Without my young lord’s cultivation, I would not have reached this point. Without my young lord’s Yi Jin Xi Sui liquid and the Heavenly Steed herds, the Founding Ceremony would likely have been postponed until next year.”
It was customary in Xingzhou for a country to hold a Founding Ceremony upon its official establishment. During the ceremony, representatives from various countries would be invited to attend. It was akin to a shop opening ceremony with ribbon-cutting, firecrackers, and lion dances. The Founding Ceremony was a rite to announce the nation’s establishment to the entire Xingzhou. During this period, military parades would be held to showcase the nation’s military strength, making the value of the Shu Family clearer to well-intentioned friends, solidifying alliances, and deterring malevolent forces. The ceremony was extremely important, representing the face of a newborn nation. The military parade within it was the utmost priority and the most crucial element.
The Archipelago had been embroiled in civil strife for years, boasting numerous battle-hardened elites and a wide variety of elite troops, ranking among the top in Xingzhou. However, it lacked experts at the Jun and Marquis levels; the generals in the army generally had lower cultivation levels. Although Chu Yun was already a Marquis level expert, he had only recently ascended, lacking the persuasion of more seasoned Marquis level individuals. According to the normal progression, preparing for the Founding Ceremony would indeed need to be postponed until early next year for all conditions to be relatively mature. However, with the Yi Jin Xi Sui liquid provided by Chu Yun, the cultivation of the Shu Family’s generals was improved. Additionally, the thousands of Heavenly Steeds captured from the Seventh Dragon Gate World formed the once peerless Heavenly Steed elite troops. These two measures, working in tandem, greatly accelerated the preparations for the Founding Ceremony.
Walls have ears, and no secret is permanent. Moreover, the preparations for the Founding Ceremony involved numerous aspects and were impossible to conceal. Half a month later, news that the Archipelago would officially establish a nation and hold its Founding Ceremony had spread like wildfire across Xingzhou.
“The Shu Family is going to officially establish a nation? Ah, unimaginable! To think there would actually be such a day, that the Archipelago has been unified.”
“The Archipelago has been in internal conflict for too long. Even if a nation is established, its national strength will likely be second-rate due to decline. However, this is already a miracle.”
“Shu Tianhao indeed possesses the bearing of a king. After unifying, he did not rush but spent over a year consolidating his rule before establishing the nation. With the Fire Virtue Scripture and Water Virtue Scripture in hand, he holds the moral high ground. The trend is already established, and even the Jianghan Kingdom will find it difficult to stop them.”
Jianghan Kingdom. A continuous drizzle fell, pattering against the yellow walls and red bricks of the palace. The mood of the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom was as somber as the weather. The news that the Shu Family was to hold its Founding Ceremony hung over his heart like dark clouds. “It has truly come to this. Once established, they will join forces with Mengyuan Kingdom to attack us from north and south… What should I do? What else *can* I do?” A wave of helplessness washed over the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom. Since the Mad Confucian General’s military operation to subvert the Archipelago failed, he had not abandoned other actions. However, the tide had turned, and with Shu Tianhao’s steady progress, the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom’s clandestine actions failed to gain traction and were all thwarted.
“It seems I must change my stance and forge an alliance with the Shu Family,” the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom gazed at the fine rain outside the window and sighed deeply. As the ruler of a nation, he possessed magnanimity. Although he resented it, he knew he had no other choice. Jianghan Kingdom and Mengyuan Kingdom had been at war for years, fiercely clashing at sea. Jianghan Kingdom’s warships were sharp, and Mengyuan Kingdom’s sea cavalry was known for its bravery and combat prowess. If the Shu Family were to stab them in the back, Jianghan Kingdom, facing enemies from two sides, would be in a precarious situation.
“Your Majesty’s magnanimity is as vast as the sea. In the current situation, taking a step back truly opens up a wider horizon,” the Imperial Advisor, who had been silently accompanying the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom, finally spoke. Honestly, he felt greatly relieved. The Lord of Jianghan Kingdom’s decision was wise. As for whether the Shu Family would agree, he was not worried. There were no eternal allies in this world, only eternal interests. This was especially true in the power struggles between great nations. As long as the price offered was satisfactory to the Shu Family, they would not hesitate to forge an agreement with the Jianghan Kingdom.
“I heard Erlang Tian Jun has a close relationship with the Shu Family’s young lord, Chu Yun. Your humble servant has a plan, perhaps he could act as an intermediary…” the Imperial Advisor proposed. Upon mentioning Erlang Tian Jun, the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom’s brow furrowed even deeper. His relationship with Chu Erlang had always been terrible. Erlang harbored deep resentment over his mother’s death and viewed his uncle with hostility. After Erlang ascended to the Marquis level, he had proactively sent a generous congratulatory gift, only to have it all returned. This demonstrated the coldness of their relationship. The Lord of Jianghan Kingdom held no hope for this, but his Imperial Advisor held a different view.
“This matter is separate from that. Your Majesty is, after all, Erlang’s biological uncle, his only relative in this world. The Jianghan Kingdom is also his motherland, the very place where his birth mother was willing to sacrifice herself. Furthermore, Chu Yun is his good friend. He would surely be willing to see the elimination of hostility between the Shu Family and our kingdom…” the Imperial Advisor persuaded. The Lord of Jianghan Kingdom nodded slightly. There was indeed some logic to it. He immediately adopted the plan and dispatched someone with gifts to Erlang.
“Do not bother me,” Erlang Tian Jun simply replied with four words before kicking the imperial envoy out of the door and throwing all the gifts outside.
Ghost Vine Country, Nine Nether City, in a dark chamber. Marquis Wu Chang, the City Lord of Nine Nether City, knelt respectfully on the ground, facing a deep, gloomy darkness. After a long while, a sinister and chilling voice emanated from the darkness: “Hmph, just as I expected, the Shu Family is indeed going to establish a nation. Chu Yun, that little fellow, is quite cunning, actually staying put on the island and not venturing out. But it doesn’t matter; their Founding Ceremony in three months will be our chance to act.”
Marquis Wu Chang dared not look up, staring at the floor tiles. After hesitating, he finally mustered the courage to speak, “But Senior, this three-month period has allowed Chu Yun, that little brat, to recover much of his Luck. The Founding Ceremony will undoubtedly be heavily guarded with formidable defenses; how can we make our move?”
“What do you think Luck is? Is it so easily recovered?! Moreover, I have calculated that just now, Chu Yun encountered another fortuitous encounter, and his Luck has plummeted to an all-time low. You need not worry. As for the Founding Ceremony, I already have arrangements in place. At this moment, Land Whale King has likely received my message.” With that, a chilling laughter echoed from the darkness, as if from a demon god looking down upon all beings from above, filled with superiority and a cruel disregard for life, sending shivers down one’s spine. Marquis Wu Chang, however, was overjoyed. Among the Seven Kings of Xingzhou, Land Whale King stood out not only with his peak personal combat strength but also as the sect leader of the East Sea Faction, one of the most powerful forces. With tens of thousands of disciples who roamed the outer seas, hunting whales and capturing dragons, they dominated the oceans, their strength far surpassing that of Nine Nether City and being extremely formidable.
The vast and boundless East Sea. Land Whale King looked at the black-clothed envoy before him expressionlessly and said faintly, “That you could find my location in the vast sea shows some skill. But do you think a single letter can make me attack the Archipelago? You are too naive.” The mysterious envoy, clad in black and with his face obscured by a gray mist, bowed and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Respected King, why not open the letter and take a look?”
“Hmph. I want to see who this master of yours is!” Land Whale King unsealed the letter and suddenly his pupils constricted; his usually indifferent expression finally changed drastically. “Night Emperor’s Edict!” he exclaimed in the next moment.
