NOVPUBA golden radiance flashed—it was the Essence Blood of the First Emperor. The light shone upon Xu Fu, seemingly draping him in a Rosy Clouds Robe.
Xu Fu's lips curled into a faint smile. He bowed slightly towards the direction of the incense, then, riding the strand of golden light, he soared straight upwards, piercing through the thick clouds and flying directly towards the massive mausoleum.
"Damn it!" The voices of several old men echoed in the sky, but they were powerless to stop Xu Fu from leaving and could only watch helplessly as he slowly entered the great Emperor's mausoleum.
Even with their status, they could not enter that tomb. It belonged solely to the First Emperor, and only the Emperor himself was qualified to examine it. After his death, no one in this world could open the mausoleum again.
Today, however, Xu Fu had managed it. He somehow fooled the mausoleum into mistaking him for the Emperor, and thus he successfully entered it.
The furious roars of the old men still echoed in the horizon, awakening the sleeping citizens who each opened their bleary eyes, looking around in confusion, utterly clueless about what had happened and how close they had come to an inexplicable death.
However, Chen Xiang was staring at the massive mausoleum, utterly spellbound. He had not chosen to enter the mausoleum; instead, he fixated on the enormous shadow, seemingly trying to discern something from it.
In the great hall of the Imperial Palace, everyone looked at the blood scattered on the floor, at a loss. With the Imperial Bloodline severed, who was qualified to sit on the throne above?
The crowd was bewildered. The peace of thousands of years and the deep-rooted rule of Great Qin had no alternative grounds for thought. What was most terrifying was the group of Qi Cultivators with the power of Immortal Gods—they only acknowledged the bloodline of the First Emperor. If someone else took the throne, who could possibly stop them?
"This..." The Prime Minister looked at the mess on the floor and found himself at a loss for words. Even at this moment, he, the second most powerful man in the empire after the Emperor, had no ideas left to suggest, now that all of the Imperial Family was gone; who should he proclaim Emperor?
Just then, a tall old man in a Feathered Garment entered the hall leading a young boy, immediately drawing everyone's attention as soon as he entered.
"Huan Xingzi!" As the Grand Secretary, he naturally recognized this famous Qi Cultivator. He remembered Huan Xingzi's famed rain summoning ritual from when he was just a newcomer at court. Decades had passed, and he had become an old man with white hair, yet this man looked the same as back then.
The same attire, the same appearance—it made him finally understand why the Qi Cultivators were the key force in deciding the succession of the court.
The young man at his side looked somewhat youthful, but for some reason, as soon as he entered the hall, he gave off a different vibe. His slender frame seemed to grow taller and stronger, a commanding aura gradually rising, making the long-time lord of the court feel a daunting presence he dared not face directly.
"What's gotten into me to be intimidated by a young boy? Could it really be that I've grown too old?" This situation filled the powerful old man's heart with self-doubt.
However, as someone who had weathered many storms, he soon regained his composure and, after bowing to Huan Xingzi who was approaching slowly, asked, "Master, the Dynasty is in turmoil, and within a day, no member of the Imperial Bloodline remains. What should we do now?"
In his words, the Grand Secretary fixed his gaze firmly on Huan Xingzi's eyes, needing to ascertain the attitude of the Qi Cultivator, for they were the most formidable beings under the heavens.
"Who said the Imperial Bloodline had ceased to exist? Here still remains one," Huan Xingzi gently pointed towards Zhao Pu and spoke.
His voice was not loud, yet it echoed in the quiet hall, giving people the sensation of an auditory illusion. The Imperial Family of Great Qin was severely strict—each member of the Imperial Bloodline was carefully recorded. How could there possibly emerge an unknown member of the Imperial Bloodline?
At that moment, the Grand Secretary's eyes flickered with suspicion. He doubted that these Qi Cultivators had simply picked a youth at random just to better control the world.
However, he quickly dismissed this thought. After all, given the strength of the Qi Cultivators, if they wished to control the world, these people had no chance of resistance. It wasn't worth the extra effort. Could it be that this young man truly belonged to the Imperial Bloodline?
The Grand Secretary's gaze shifted uncertainly toward Zhao Pu, and the other civil and military officials in the hall also turned their heads towards him. Suddenly, an immense, invisible pressure descended upon Zhao Pu, making his hair stand on end.
However, by now he had experienced much and was no longer the naive youth he once was. His family's decline and the chaos of human relationships had taught him the ways of the world early on, and the emergence of Chen Xiang had opened a new door for him, revealing a broader world and granting him a more expansive perspective.
His experiences in Great Qin had filled him with sympathy for the common people who lived in dire straits. Thus, upon learning of Huan Xingzi's plan, he had resolved to take action.
But plans could not keep up with changes. Who knew that after a storm, the Imperial Bloodline would be swept away, and the obstacles Zhao Pu and Huan Xingzi had anticipated vanished without a trace. Such was the irony of fate.
At this moment, facing the suspicious glances around him, Zhao Pu showed no fear. He straightened his back and regarded everyone with an evaluative gaze. Unless something unexpected happened, these people would be his future advisors or possibly the obstacles to changing this world. He would inevitably have dealings with them in the future.
The composed expression on Zhao Pu's face surprised everyone. For some reason, looking at the young yet slightly immature face of the boy, they felt a bit of fear.
"Master, these claims are unsupported and might be difficult for the people to accept," the Grand Secretary murmured, implying that there was no evidence of Zhao Pu's bloodline.
Huan Xingzi had already made preparations and replied nonchalantly, "What is so difficult about that? Just bring out the national treasure, and it will naturally discern the truth."
The national treasure he referred to was naturally the Imperial Jade Seal, crafted from the He Shi Bi jade, bearing the inscription 'Received by the Mandate of Heaven, may its longevity prosper.' It was a beloved object of the First Emperor and thus possessed remarkable powers, unusable by anyone not of the First Emperor's bloodline.
Thereupon, Zhao Pu slowly approached, walked before the Dragon Throne, and picked up the Jade Seal next to it. A burst of light flashed, and suddenly a True Dragon emerged, twining around Zhao Pu, displaying a highly affectionate demeanor as if greeting a long-lost friend.
This phenomenon suggested that Zhao Pu's blood of the First Emperor was even purer than that of the four dead Imperial Family members.
"There is no record of the bloodline being transmitted externally. Where did this youth come from?"
"Of course, he came from outside," Huan Xingzi said with a smile.
