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"They are nothing but fence-sitters who panic at the mention of Falling Clouds Taoist and seek to test the waters when they catch wind of change. Even if they harbor dissent, what can they do?"
Those so-called ministers and nobles may bear titles, but they are nothing more than parasites leeching off the legacy of their ancestors, struggling to find even a single True Monarch in their ranks nowadays, devoid of any value for exploitation."
If they truly side with my third brother, it would be the perfect opportunity to purge a group of decrepit old fools."
The youthful figure with a demonic allure showed a hint of emotion on his face.
Despite the Crown Prince’s seemingly nonchalant words, those few sentences had decided the turnover of the entire Great Xia’s situation and the decline of age-old noble families.
Even though his cultivation surpassed that of the Great Yin Crown Prince before him, facing such a true ruler, the demonic young man tucked away the sliver of pride in his heart.
"In that case, what about the cooperation mentioned by Vast Sea Divine Monarch?"
Ji Xuanyi tapped his index finger lightly on the armrest, speaking with a leisurely tone:
"Rain Conjuring Divine Power, this points directly to the Divine Skill law of the Ancient Water Deity.
Ranked among the Earthly Destroyer Top 10 Divine Powers and starkly different from those lesser-ranked powers, even Heavenly Immortals from the Upper World would not resist descending to vie for it."
The demonic young man’s expression grew slightly tense, his gaze heavily resting on Ji Xuanyi, seated in the foremost place.
The next moment, Ji Xuanyi shifted the conversation:
"However, Rain Conjuring Divine Power is ultimately a legacy of the Aquatic Tribe, with little use to our Human Clan. If such a treasure truly exists at the All-Worlds Luotian Convention, it wouldn’t hurt to let Vast Sea Divine Monarch have it."
Upon hearing this, the demonic young man hastily stood up and bowed respectfully to Ji Xuanyi.
"Thank you, Crown Prince!"
Ji Xuanyi raised his hand slightly.
"Don’t rush, I have one additional condition."
"Your Highness, please feel free to speak!"
"My third brother has allied himself with the recently popular Falling Clouds Taoist, hoping to overturn the situation with his help. Given the constraints of the Luotian Convention, that Falling Clouds Taoist indeed has few rivals.
However, I heard that Wave Devourer Divine Venerable is considered the strongest among the young generation of the seven major divine realms and also has a spot at the Luotian Convention.
After entering the convention, I would like to ask Wave Devourer Divine Venerable to take action for me and eliminate Falling Clouds Taoist."
The fierce light in Wave Devourer Divine Venerable’s eyes flashed, and he agreed without hesitation.
"That so-called Falling Clouds Taoist is merely a paper tiger. He used schemes to lure that fool from Giant Mountain out of the incense offering magic domain and restrained him with a Divine Art that countered Giant Mountain’s summoning skill, managing to slay him only after exhausting all strategies.
I’m no fool like Giant Mountain. Capturing Falling Clouds Taoist will be like catching something in the palm of my hand!"
Ji Xuanyi nodded in satisfaction and spoke gravely:
"Then this matter is settled."
Wave Devourer Divine Venerable bowed once more and then turned to leave the hall.
The moment he stepped out of the hall, the confident smile on Wave Devourer Divine Venerable’s face disappeared, replaced by a cold sneer filled with disdain.
The Flight of Light ascended into the sky, disappearing from the Crown Prince’s Manor.
And on the foremost seat, Great Yin Crown Prince Ji Xuanyi, too, revealed a smile brimming with profound meaning.
Glancing at the direction of a side hall, Ji Xuanyi spoke:
"You predicted this would happen."
The doors to the side hall opened, and a young man with white hair strode out; it was Yu Ke, the former reserve Sacred Sage of Little Clarity Void Grotto Heavens who had once appeared in the Donghuang Divine Palace.
The fall of Giant Mountain Divine Venerable was beyond Yu Ke’s expectations.
At the first sign of turmoil in the Donghuang Divine Palace, Yu Ke had left the 36 Territories ahead of time and stepped into the Jiu Province region, a place where even the Eastern Glory Divine Monarch dared not tread lightly.
Though he hadn’t completely slain Shen Yuan, Yu Ke had verified that the memories in his mind were all real and was eager to exploit them for substantial gains.
Aware of the upcoming turbulent events, Yu Ke set his sights on the impending All-Worlds Luotian Convention, using clues from his memory to infiltrate the circle of Great Yin Crown Prince Ji Xuanyi.
To gain Ji Xuanyi’s attention, Yu Ke didn’t hesitate to reveal some of his trump cards, proactively forecasting the visit from Wave Devourer Divine Venerable.
Ji Xuanyi watched the white-haired young man before him with interest:
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"When you first entered the mansion you claimed that the Vast Sea Divine Monarch would send people to find me, and now, it appears there is indeed something extraordinary about you. How did you come to such a conjecture?"
Yu Ke bent his body in a bow and said:
"The matter of the Rain Conjuring Divine Power was already being planned by the Aquatic Tribe and various Water Gods from the Four Waterways and Four Seas during the previous All-Worlds Luotian Convention, unfortunately, their efforts fell short in the end.
The trail of the Rain Conjuring Divine Power is no longer a secret among the upper echelons of the Aquatic Tribe, but alas, its acquisition is so difficult that the various powers may not dare to attempt a second time.
The lifespan of the Vast Sea Divine Monarch is nearing its fifty thousandth year, and his lifespan is coming to an end. The Rain Conjuring Divine Power is related to the Great Tao of the Ancient Water Deity, which could help him break free from the edicts of the Incense Offering Divinity Path and advance further; naturally, he will try every possible means to seek this Earthly Destroyer Top 10 Divine Skill law."
"The Wave Devourer Divine Venerable, this young Void Refining powerful expert, is also a move by the Vast Sea Divine Monarch, aiming for this All-Worlds Luotian Convention."
"With the Wave Devourer Divine Venerable, a Void Refining powerful expert on his side, and coupled with the information related to the All-Worlds Luotian Convention held by the Great Yin Imperial Family, only by combining the two can one truly find the Rain Conjuring Divine Power.
Therefore, it’s completely expected that the Vast Sea Divine Monarch would take the initiative to approach the Crown Prince."
Ji Xuanyi looked at Yu Ke with a smirk that was not quite a smile. 𝓃ℴ𝓋𝓹𝓊𝓫.𝒸𝓸𝓂
"Is it really so?"
The atmosphere inside the Crown Prince’s Manor became tense all at once; Yu Ke could clearly sense that a powerful will had already locked onto him, its majestic presence like that of heaven’s might, at the very least, it had to be a Taoist Doyen.
In the Imperial Capital, the Tao Harmony Taoist Doyens, enfeoffed by the Great Yin Imperial Dynasty and bolstered by the fate of humanity, could almost counter the powers of a current life True Immortal.
If he made the slightest move, the hidden Taoist Doyen would effortlessly crush him.
Yu Ke kept his composure, still maintaining his bow, as if time had come to a standstill within the audience hall.
After what seemed an eternity, Ji Xuanyi finally withdrew that profound gaze.
"Regardless of your true thoughts, as long as you can be of use to me, when I ascend to the throne, I can fulfill all of your demands!
Even returning to the Little Clarity Void Grotto Heavens and becoming the contemporary leader is not beyond possibility."
Yu Ke said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Crown Prince!"
"However, I feel that the Wave Devourer Divine Venerable agreeing so easily to help the Crown Prince against the Falling Clouds Taoist seems not as simple as it appears on the surface."
Ji Xuanyi glanced at Yu Ke and replied offhandedly:
"The Eastern Glory Divine Monarch went to the Southern Sea region in his Taiyang Chariot as soon as the Falling Clouds Taoist appeared and met with the Vast Sea Divine Monarch.
The Eastern Glory Divine Monarch has a vendetta against the Falling Clouds Taoist, and this meeting with the Vast Sea Divine Monarch was surely to borrow the hand of the Wave Devourer Divine Venerable to kill the Falling Clouds Taoist during the All-Worlds Luotian Convention, and I am merely adding fuel to the flames."
"The Falling Clouds Taoist has an extraordinary origin, and a mere Wave Devourer Divine Venerable may not be able to suppress him, but I have already made arrangements.
My Third Imperial Brother actually still dreams of turning around his fortunes with the mere Falling Clouds Taoist; it’s simply a delusion."
While saying so, Ji Xuanyi suddenly glanced at Yu Ke.
"I remember that you also had a conflict with that Falling Clouds Taoist. His reputation was built on the death of your grandfather. Don’t you want revenge?"
"I do!"
Yu Ke answered resolutely.
"But I am fully aware of my own strength and potential, which is far from matching Falling Clouds Taoist, so I must ask the Crown Prince to act on my behalf. This is also one of the reasons I have come to serve the Crown Prince."
"You are quite candid." Ji Xuanyi laughed lightly, and instead of continuing the topic, he changed the subject:
"Earlier, you mentioned that in the upcoming Treasure Drop Auction, an item of crucial importance would be up for auction?"
A hint of imperceptible mockery flickered in the depths of Yu Ke’s eyes as he spoke in a quiet voice:
"Rest assured, Your Highness, that item will surely satisfy you."
...
In the courtyard where Shen Yuan resided within the Third Prince’s Mansion,
a maidservant clad in a long skirt with light footsteps entered the courtyard and softly called out toward the direction of the cultivation chamber:
"Your Grace, the day of the Treasure Drop Mercantile Association’s auction has come!"
Inside the cultivation chamber, the Great Tao Manifestation behind Shen Yuan quietly vanished, and a pair of eyes shining like a myriad of stars slowly opened.
The doors of the cultivation chamber opened and Shen Yuan drifted out into the courtyard.
