Heart Survey

Chapter 2759 Imperial Ambition
After finishing his long work, the emperor put down his writing brush.

Because many years ago he had already understood that the person hunched over the desk had long since escaped the fate written by the imperial brush.

The authority of the ruler and father cannot sway his heart!

His gaze lingered on the memorials for a moment, and finally, like a solitary traveler who had traveled through the night and over mountains, slowly settled on the table before him.

"How can you possibly understand my hardships?"

The emperor slightly raised his chin, revealing a timeless coldness: "In what name? What is your identity?"

Jiang Wuliang remained prostrate on the ground, saying, "Before tonight, I am the Emperor's son. After tonight, I am the Emperor of Qi."

An annoying evening breeze swayed the purple curtains, and the emperor gazed down at the person prostrate before his desk in loneliness.

This is his eldest son.

His children were born to the late former Empress Yin Tiao.

Even though he was already the crown prince, he still spent many years fighting on the frontier to expand the country's territory. Court officials advised him that "the crown prince cannot be without an heir, and the sacred order must be continued," so he had many sons.

He already held military and political power and did not need a child to help him ascend to the throne.

But he needs to let the government and the public know that everything he promised has successors.

Later, after he secured his position in the imperial court, he continued to wage wars in the south and north. The young crown prince oversaw the country, governing the realm with civil administration and managing everything in the court in an orderly manner.

The rise of the State of Qi was no easy feat. Emperor Wuzu laid the foundation for the state's hegemony, drawing the attention of all the powerful nations to this country, which has remained vigilant for millennia.

He stood up despite the pressure of a mountain pressing down on him!

He remembers those who supported him along the way.

At that time, he was still unraveling the chaos in the Eastern Regions, suppressing the so-called "Nine Kingdoms of the Rising Sun" one by one, and gradually severing the tentacles of those hegemonic countries... At that time, he had already set his sights on the islands in the near seas, and privately told Yan Ping, "If we go to the Six Directions, we will surely bring peace to the Eastern Sea."

However, due to the nation's recent prosperity, the number of capable officials under their command was limited, and there was a shortage of talent everywhere during the campaigns in the south and north. The traditionally weak navy had not yet had time to be properly developed.

The young crown prince stepped forward and, in order to help him quell dissent in the court and among the people, even made a pledge.

He then personally trained the Qi navy, summoned master craftsmen to study treasure ships, and formulated the naval framework that is still in use today... He built the Changji Water Fortress on the upper reaches of the Zi River, which was poised to dominate the East China Sea.

In just five years, Changji Water Village blasted open its water gates, and thousands of sails set sail, flowing into the Zi River and the sea, achieving a great victory over Jueming Island.

At that time, Jueming Island was not called Jueming Island, but "Putuo".

After defeating the sea creatures, Jiang Wuliang built a fortified position on the original battlefield, drawing on the earth's veins and the tides to build up earth and stones, gradually creating the "Mount Putuo" on the sea.

Representing the State of Qi, as the Crown Prince of Qi, he stood on the front line of the coastal defense.

At that time, Diaohailou was still the strongest force at sea, and Yanggu was still proclaiming the orthodoxy of the old Yang. The situation in the near sea was so complex that various factions were lined up like stars. After the Qi people came to the aid of the sea, they never left and established a firm foothold on Mount Putuo.

Later, Jiang Mengxiong landed on the island, moved a sea-suppressing stone, placed it at the landing site, and personally carved the words "Jue Ming" (meaning "decisiveness"), thus changing the course of history.

Regarding the origin of the name Jueming Island, there is the saying by the military god Jiang Mengxiong, "To risk one's life to decide the light and darkness," and the saying by the fishermen of the East China Sea, "Before this island, life and death are decided; after this island, all is light."

Little did people know that "Mount Putuo" originally had another name, namely "Mount Guangming".

If it was Jiang Mengxiong's undefeated record that propelled Jueming Island to a position on par with Yanggu and Huai Island, it was the great victory on the naval frontier a few years ago that made Jueming Island the premier military town in the East China Sea today…

Therefore, it can be said that Jiang Wuliang laid the foundation for all of this.

Since that triumphant display of power in the East Sea, the world has said, "The Holy Crown Prince resembles the Holy Ruler." With such a rare figure, one in a million, and with Qi's successive rise to power, father and son in tandem, how could they not have the destiny to unify the six kingdoms!
But things don't always go as planned.

The emperor gazed silently at his prostrate eldest son, at the spine beneath his blue robe resembling a crouching dragon, at the jade hairpin in his black hair, so gentle and unassuming.

Over the decades, his sharpness has turned inward, becoming warmer.

Even that "you've worked hard" was so sincere and touched his heart.

He has served you for seventy-nine years, and his heart has grown as cold as a rock! His heart is as hard as steel.

Why doesn't it look like it?
How can they resemble each other?

This prince in the Qing Shi Palace has not appeared in public for forty-four years, but he has never been removed from the discussion of the crown prince, either openly or secretly.

He was a prisoner of the Blue Stone Palace.

But everyone assumed he was the master of the Blue Stone Palace!
For years, the palaces of Chang Le, Hua Ying, Yang Xin, and Chang Sheng have been locked in a power struggle, with four dragons vying for supremacy. But throughout the Yuan Feng era, no one has ever forgotten Qing Shi Palace.

These children all followed the emperor in ruling the country.

The children in the Green Stone Palace were there to help him conquer the world.

The emperor leaned back.

This seems to add a touch of coldness.

The emperor placed his hand on the armrest and patted it gently: "You want to sit in this seat?"

His voice betrayed no emotion: "It's not that I didn't give you a chance."

“You also gave Bao Xuanjing a chance, but it wasn’t what he wanted. You also gave Jiang Wang a chance, but he chose to leave.”

Jiang Wuliang had been prostrate on the ground for a long time, fulfilling his duties as a subject and son. Now he stood up and said, "Father, everyone has their own ambitions."

As he rose, he seemed like a towering mountain, like a divine dragon stretching ten thousand miles across the vast world, looking up and saying: "In my heart, you are the most outstanding monarch of all time. But all things in the world flourish because of their untamed nature. This world will not grow entirely according to your wishes."

"Xuanyuan still harbors the hatred of the demonic tide, and Lieshan still has the regret of the long river."

"If the ruler acts this way, so should his subjects."

"The world is like this, and so am I!"

When he said "朕" (the imperial "I"), he had already stood up completely.

He stood before the emperor's desk, meeting the gaze of the seated monarch.

The emperor was one who never showed his emotions; he was gentle and kind.

Compared to the majestic and blazing midday sun, he is not so dazzling, but everyone can look directly at him and everyone can feel him.

"You shall now address me as '朕' (Zhen, the imperial 'I')." The emperor's voice was very soft, so soft that it could not bear any emotion.

Jiang Wuliang's voice was heavy, each word carrying strength: "It's been dragging on for a long time, hasn't it?"

"This should have been the name forty-four years ago."

There was sadness in his eyes: "Because I refused to take the throne earlier, there was the death of the Buddha, the tragedy of the Eastern Zen, and countless people in the court and the country have suffered because of me."

"Chongxuan Mingtu died to protect his family, but his Pure Land has also completed your Buddhist kingdom. His deeds in fighting for humanity have nourished your sacred mountain. As for Loulan—"

The emperor looked at him: "Hasn't he always been in your Buddhist kingdom, guiding you in the development of Buddhist faith?"

Chongxuan Mingtu's heart remained with the Green Stone Palace until his death.

The emperor still valued the Chongxuan family highly and was willing to give them opportunities, which led to the family having three marquises!

Who says the emperor is heartless?

He would never forgive mistakes, nor did he believe that Chongxuan Mingtu was a better representative of the Chongxuan family than Chongxuan Yunbo.

The sentiments of the Chongxuan family members are also the battleground between him and Jiang Wuliang.

This struggle extends far beyond just one government or one family.

"Nothing can be hidden from Father's eyes."

Jiang Wuliang said earnestly, "But today's Immovable King, who originally had the hope of transcendence, can only be worshipped as a spirit and remain a holy name forever. Those so-called 'Yin Party' members who were executed by my father were all pillars of my Qi Kingdom. There is no one else among them who can walk the path of Eastern Zen."

"The pillars of the Qi state...?"

The emperor seemed to ponder these words carefully: "Are you referring to your Qi Kingdom, Jiang Wuliang's, or mine? Is it your paradise, or my vast Eastern land?"

Jiang Wuliang's eyes were compassionate yet full of determination: "The Eastern Kingdom is not necessarily incapable of extreme bliss. The hardworking people on this land deserve eternal happiness and joy."

"There is no world of ultimate bliss." The emperor's eyes were as deep as the sea: "Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow."

"Whether a ruler is wise or foolish, he or she controls the lives of ordinary people; birth, aging, sickness, and death torment everyone."

He said, "I too have shed tears for Wuqi!"

The emperor of the Great Qi Empire, who was in charge of the country's hegemony, never showed weakness to anyone throughout his life, and rarely even displayed any emotions.

This may be the only time he has ever said that he "shed tears"!
A ruler does not show weakness to his subjects, but even a father, in front of his eldest son whom he once trusted most, cannot help but have such moments when talking about the child he loved most.

Jiang Wuliang knew all too well how rare this side of his father was. He simply lowered his eyes and said, "The affairs of the Kingdom of Equality are none of my concern."

“Of course,” the emperor’s voice said. “If you two were truly connected, and if you, Jiang Wuliang, were only capable of this much—you wouldn’t be here today.”

Jiang Wuliang was stunned for a moment, then bowed deeply: "Your son understands. It is Your Majesty who has given me this opportunity. That is precisely why I must seize this opportunity and not disappoint Your Majesty."

"I don't know what opportunity I gave you." The emperor said expressionlessly, "It made you develop such delusions, actually thinking that you are the rightful heir of the Eastern Kingdom. You, Jiang Wuliang, are not the only one in the world. I have many children."

Jiang Wuliang straightened up and said, "Back then, when the Martial Ancestor married the Heavenly Consort, their love surpassed any Buddhist bond. They used the Kurong Academy to accomplish their goal, but they broke free from the Academy's control and instead suppressed this sacred Buddhist site."

"By your generation, you have surpassed even the Martial Ancestor, and you want to completely devour the Kurong Temple and even the entire prominent Buddhist school."

"The Yin family has been devout Buddhists for generations and has a natural affinity with Buddhism. When my mother was pregnant with me, you personally went to the Kurong Temple and debated Buddhism with the then abbot. You won all three debates and also deciphered the Huangfan Ancient Scripture, broke the Zen formation of life and death, and won that Great Free Relic, which gave birth to me, a born Buddhist child."

Before Jiang Wuliang, the person who understood Buddhism the most among the entire Jiang royal family was actually Jiang Shu!
It was precisely because his Buddhist teachings were so profound, surpassing all the meditation practices in the Kuruo Monastery, that he was able to raze the Kuruo Monastery, a place of profound understanding of life and death, to the ground so thoroughly that for so many years only ashes remained, never to be rekindled.

Jiang Wuliang continued, "You think your son will be like you, using the will of Heaven to control the Buddha, accumulating incense as fertilizer, and forging swords with diamond."

“But son… is not merely a disciple of Buddha. Buddha is not merely an object or a means.”

"You have never been ruthless in your life. All the powerful enemies who were defeated by you were reduced to ashes. Only your son was imprisoned in the Qing Shi Palace for forty-four years. You never used the power of the country to torment him or used imperial power to erase him."

"Because you want to save your son."

“You think your son is being misled by Buddhism. You regret letting your son come into contact with Buddhism too early.”

"Buddha said there is no shore to turn back to, but you built a bridge and kept waiting for your son to turn back—and also waiting for the you who stood at the gate of the Kuru Temple back then... to turn back!"

Jiang Wuliang spoke in a leisurely voice, as if chanting scriptures.

On the floor tiles of Donghua Pavilion, the golden swastika symbol gradually appeared, as if the earth dragon had been awakened in midsummer, or as if lotus flowers were blooming on the ground.

"Is this the Wise One?" The emperor's voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, his gaze extending into the distance: "You seem to know everything too."

Jiang Wuliang looked at his father: "But have you ever thought about this—I am not bewitched by Buddhism, I have simply come to understand the Buddha."

“Have you ever thought that, whether you had entered the Kuruyuan Hospital or not, your son would have come to where he is today?”

He clasped his hands together and said, "Because Buddha is the wisdom that saves the world, and I have the heart to cleanse the sea of ​​suffering."

The emperor's gaze grew heavy: "Have I never heard that a lamp and scrolls can save the world, or that striking a few wooden fish can bring peace to the land? This sea of ​​suffering is boundless; how can it be transformed by compassion? Jiang Wuliang, I have taught you—to use a sword to slaughter!"

Jiang Wuliang met that gaze: "My son is studying."

Does this not align with the words of the past? Today, isn't he "resembling his ruler and father," using his sword to slaughter?

The emperor let out a loud shout!
"When it comes to the true sword of the Son of Heaven and the hilt of the emperor, you are still far from being worthy!"

He patted the armrest again: "If you still want to sit here, then show some attitude."

“Take Guan Dongchan and your family business, which you have kept hidden all these years, and go and take over the Hanging Temple.”

"I shall designate the old site that is suspended in the air and seal it off."

"I will also enfeoff Wuyou and Wuxie. Wuyou shall be stationed on the sea frontier, Wuxie shall be sent to fight beyond the heavens, and Wuhua shall be seated in the central courtyard with his inner divine nature concealed."

"Who will succeed to the throne in the future? Let's see where the land will be expanded and whose family will achieve great things."

He sat there upright: "I will treat you fairly, not dwelling on your past, and forgive you today. This is enough to fulfill our blood ties."

"If I can resolutely destroy Buddhism, then I am still your eldest son. Otherwise, should I be swept into the dust of history along with the Kurei-in Temple?"

Jiang Wuliang said, "Father never forgives mistakes, so this opportunity is rare. Perhaps you know in your heart that what I have done is not a wrong path."

He sighed: "You still haven't given up on the path of Liuhe."

The emperor simply said, "How can the Son of Heaven speak of abandoning his throne?"

All these trials and tribulations have propelled the State of Qi to its current position. Is it only to say "give up" in this era of great strife?

Everyone felt that he had no chance of winning the Six Harmonies. It was as if, without achieving a complete victory in Tianhai, he had already lost. It seemed that without winning the Martial Ancestor's leap to power, he had already lost his dominance.

However, the State of Qi has emerged from bloodshed and turmoil to achieve its current grand ambitions, and for a long time, Emperor Wuzu has only served as a historical symbol.

The State of Qi is neither free from detachment now nor in the past.

Even a peerless figure like Emperor Wuzu, who saved the state of Qi, lost his hegemony in the past, and his path to transcendence was cut off by the sea.

He has already accomplished the first thing that the Martial Ancestor was unable to do, and he may well be able to do the second.

In the year that Emperor Wuzu died, the empire was in turmoil and the state was on the verge of collapse. Who could have imagined that the State of Qi could achieve hegemony?

Only those who think what others dare not think and accomplish what others cannot accomplish can be called "sage emperors"!
"Father has razed the Kurong Temple, executed the Protector King of Buddhism, and imprisoned the Buddhist disciple who saves the world for over forty years! Has Buddhism been destroyed?"

Jiang Wuliang looked at this emperor who had a heart set on eternal life: "The World-Honored One died for his ideals, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vanished into the heavenly sea. Does this mean Buddhism no longer exists?"

"As long as compassion exists for all beings, the Buddha's teachings will endure."

With a compassionate expression, he said, "As long as this heart for saving the world remains undying and the wish for all living beings is fulfilled, your son will return."

This is not a prayer, but a description of a fact.

In the vast state of Qi, stretching from Linhai in the east to Hengyang in the west, many remained awake on nights like this. People continuously brought out Buddha statues that had been gathering dust for a long time, burning incense and offering silent prayers.

Faith is like a flood; it can be channeled, not blocked, for blocking it will surely destroy it.

At the site of the former Kuruyuan Temple, the once majestic and indestructible Zhenhaitai was now swaying slightly.

The foundation, solidified with Sanskrit relics and Buddhist scriptures... small mounds rise slightly, like graves scattered across the land, or like rows of bald heads standing there.

It appears that countless monks were buried underground.

After forty-four years of rooting in humus, it will sprout and grow into a Zen forest on this summer night.

Inside the Donghua Pavilion, the emperor simply said, "The hearts of the people do not belong to you!"

“It’s not about the son, nor the father!” Jiang Wuliang straightened his back and raised his voice.

"The heart of the world lies in the world."

"When I ascend the throne, they will know what a chapter this is."

"What I am fighting for with you is not the temporary victory or defeat in the Purple Palace of the past or the Donghua Pavilion of today, but the eternal story of this divine continent and the eternal prosperity of the Great Qi."

"Wu Hua, Wu You, and Wu Xie all possess the qualities of a wise ruler, but none of them can truly usher in a new era. They each only inherited one aspect of you and cannot surpass you."

"The only ones whose thrones have lasted for ten thousand generations are Emperor Taizu, Emperor Wuzu, and you after your abdication. But there is no need for another Emperor Taizu, Emperor Wuzu, or you."

"To accomplish what no one has done before, one must not follow the example of those who came before!"

The light and shadow flickered for a moment.

It's as if the light in this Donghua Pavilion doesn't know which way to tilt.

"You've even started acting as the head of the Imperial Ancestral Temple!" the emperor sneered, then added, "Was it during the time when Song Yao was in charge of the imperial court? As for the imperial clan... do you really think they support you? I only need to issue a verbal order, and I'll see them all pointing their weapons at you!"

"Doctor Song is loyal to the affairs of the state. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly day and night to assist you in your great cause of unifying the six kingdoms. He believes that the true unification of the six kingdoms will be realized in my hands—" Jiang Wuliang said slowly, "As for tonight, you... cannot issue any orders beyond the Donghua Pavilion."

"What, is this a case of isolating oneself from the outside world?" The emperor looked at his eldest son with a hint of sarcasm. "Tell me, how did you, a prisoner in the cold palace, manage to win people's hearts? How many of your men are actually in this Great Qi palace!"

Jiang Wuliang sighed: "It would be better to ask, in this deep palace, in this secluded imperial court, Father Emperor... whom do you truly believe?"

The emperor remained silent for a moment.

He has never had anyone he completely trusts, but he has had a few people he trusts to some extent.

For example, Jiang Mengxiong, but his battles are fought in the heavens.

For example, Li Zhengshu, but they had already said goodbye.

For example, Jiang Qingyang, but he is no longer a person from Qi.

For example, Jiang Wuqi, who was in his prime that year... He had no doubts, but only at the moment of autumn frost.

The emperor leaned slightly forward: "You say you don't follow the standards of your predecessors—you don't follow me, you don't follow Emperor Wuzu, but you follow Buddha?"

Which deity do you worship?

He asked in a cold voice, "Dipankara? Buddha? Maitreya?"

"For forty-four years I have been watching over my father in the Blue Stone Palace, but he has never once looked into the Blue Stone Palace, hence this unfamiliar question—"

Jiang Wuliang clasped his hands together in front of him, and at that moment he finally radiated brilliant light, the light of which was endless.

He said, "I serve myself."

"Good! What spirit!" The emperor grinned, his expression complex, for laughter was too heavy, and sorrow too frivolous.

He simply said, "Come! Let me see your skills!"

Jiang Wuliang clasped his hands and bowed his head, offering another salute with the same honor: "If Father Emperor were to abdicate today, he should also be honored with the same honor. His position is comparable to Emperor Wu, and his virtue surpasses that of Emperor Taizu. He is the one who will be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for ten thousand generations! When your son Liuhe is to be honored with the crown and canopy of the heavens, it is not impossible for the whole world to rejoice and posthumously confer upon him the title of Transcendent."

The emperor grabbed a handful of memorials and hurled them at Jiang Wuliang, yelling, "How dare you make me eat your leftovers!"

The memorials flew like an open fan.

"Your subject Fu Yan..."

"Yi Xingchen respectfully reports to the Emperor..."

"As the Governor-General of Southern Xia, I, having received the blessings of your esteemed region, inquire after Your Majesty's well-being in the Eastern Capital..."

Memorials flew through the air, and scenes of landscapes changed within the Donghua Pavilion.

When a king unleashes his fury, mountains and seas tremble in fear.

With a casual smash, the entire landscape is transformed.

Jiang Wuliang raised his palm.

His right palm had clear lines and long knuckles. It didn't look particularly strong, but when he opened it, it seemed to be infinitely vast.

Scenes of mountains and rivers unfolded in his palm, and memorials to the emperor were held in his hands.

Whether it was thunderous wrath or the downfall of an emperor, he accepted it all silently.

"Your Majesty!" he said, "My heart is burdened with the weight of the nation; how can you so easily relinquish it?"

He carefully set these memorials aside, as if he had already begun to cherish the sentiments of his subjects, and then moved on.

He traversed a distance that Bao Xuanjing had walked for a long time without ever reaching in a single step.

His black hair flew across his forehead. He had already climbed over the Great Wall of Memorials and arrived behind the high wall of the Imperial Desk. After many years, he was able to be so close to the Emperor again.

Then he saw the emperor's fist.

The emperor's robes billowed like a great tide, and the fist emerging from them was leading the era.

This fist-shaped formation stretches from the Haijiao Monument in the east to the Zhaoheng City in the west, from Guiyi in the south to Dongwang Valley in the north.

Seventy-nine years of imperial rule, thirty thousand miles of arduous work!

A single punch can shatter imperial ambitions.

It can shatter the self-proclaimed elegance of heaven and earth and all things.

Jiang Wuliang held his palm horizontally.

His palm caught the fist.

His palms were like the vast earth, silently accepting any storm or thunder.

The earth is in a Kun position, with great virtue to carry all things.

Of course, the wrath of heaven is unpredictable; a meteorite fell westward, causing the earth to sink for thousands of miles. But as time goes by, the world changes, and another year of vegetation returns.

The force of their fists and palms intertwined across the entire territory of the Great Qi Empire, yet they were also confined to the small space of the Donghua Pavilion. They possessed earth-shattering power, but in truth, neither of them was willing to destroy this land.

The emperor's fist is limitless, and Jiang Wuliang's palm strikes are also endless.

They faced each other before the dragon throne and behind the imperial desk.

Only the eyes of the ruler, his subjects, father, and son looked at each other... How many years had it been since they had looked at each other so intently!
In the emperor's eyes, Jiang Wuliang only saw the sky, the land, and the sea.

In Jiang Wuliang's eyes, the emperor saw only an endless sea of ​​light, clouds formed by karmic connections, and a stone bridge gradually receding into the distance.

Someone is walking on the bridge.

……

Click, click, click.

The sound of boots hitting the ground was clear. The traveler on the Bridge of Helplessness had now bid farewell to Jiang Wuliang and was heading alone towards the East Sea.

Back in the Divine Firmament Battlefield, when the Illusion Demon Lord used his identity as the White Bone Incarnation as a bargaining chip... he had already realized that his journey towards transcendence and rebirth had reached a dead end.

Because Qihen no longer maintains cooperation with him, treats him as a pawn to be discarded, and has even stood on the opposite side of him.

[Ksitigarbha] was able to wield the Heavenly Will Blade even before knowing his true identity, nearly killing him. The Seven Hatreds, who already knew him inside and out, were far beyond his current capabilities; even escape was a pipe dream.

His only chance is to leverage the "heroic recognition" of the human race and, with the support of the Qi state, become a complete Bao Xuanjing, thus eliminating any doubt about his identity as the White Bone God.

And he did just that, and he did it very well.

But Jiang Mengxiong's words, "The Marquis of Bowang should command the army," plunged him into despair once again.

Although he managed to secure an opportunity to return to the capital and meet the emperor, he knew in his heart that the Qi state was most likely just trying to squeeze every last drop of value out of him.

But if that value is truly offered up...

His life or death is unimportant, and he has no right to weigh things against Jiang Wangfang on both sides of the scale.

He never considered running away, because there was no place for him in the myriad realms. Running away would only temporarily delay his death, but it would prematurely announce his end.

But he kept thinking about one question—

What is the purpose of the Seven Hatreds?

In his early years, Qi Hen covered up for him and smoothed out the last loophole in his personality. It should be that he had a longer-term cooperation with him, or even laid the groundwork for transcendence... He also believed that he had greater value!
Why would someone as crucial as him be used to determine the outcome of a local battle?

Even though he cooperated with the God and Demon Lord and others to help the Allied Forces of the Heavens win a great victory over the Qi Kingdom, it was not enough to change the overall disadvantage of the Divine Firmament War.

Unless they force Bao Xuanjing to the side of the human race and overthrow the God and Demon Lord... that is the Seven Hates' goal!

At first glance, this seems counterintuitive. As the only transcendent demon in this world, Seven Hatred has absolutely no reason to harm the demon race. But upon closer examination of Seven Hatred's manipulation of the entire demon realm's situation since his transcendence, it's not hard to see that... the so-called "Supreme Demon Lords" are being controlled by him one by one.

The supreme being of the demon realm is not any specific demon lord, but rather the position of a demon lord!
The ultimate goal of the Seven Hatreds is probably aimed at the supreme being who created the demon race.

Only such a composition could match the magnificence of that unparalleled demon and be worthy of his understanding of the Seven Hatreds.

He also planned to use this conjecture to exchange for a chance to survive with Jiang Shu, thus gaining leverage for his own survival.

But his idleness after returning to China made him realize that Jiang Shu had no intention of giving him a chance.

After the identity of the Netherworld God was revealed, Jiang Shu began to treat him as food.

He waited in the mansion, waiting for the ripples of fate to spread.

Whether it's the State of Jing or the State of Chu, he's willing to "serve as the vanguard for the king."

Even if Qihen were to drop another bone, he would be willing to bite it like a dog.

He abandoned his near-eternal life to come to the present world to fight for the future, and he would never give up.

But only by living can there be a future.

It wasn't until Churchill entered the mansion that he understood what Seven Hatred's second purpose was—

A defeat at the front lines is far less devastating than a fire in the capital or internal strife within the dynasty!
The fact that the Qi state was in internal turmoil truly relieved the pressure on the front lines of the allied forces of the heavens.

He actually only had one path to take, and that path was opened by the Seven Hatreds.

The real invitation that Qihen extended to him was on this night in Linzi!

He has no choice.

Whether it's Qi Hen or Jiang Shu, they're just pushing him along, giving him a choice he has no other option but to drive him into a poor alley like a dog.

But he saw an opportunity.

Qi Hen hoped he would help stir up internal strife in Qi, thus increasing the stakes for Qing Shi Palace; Jiang Wuliang believed he could cross the sea on thin ice without harming the state and changing the cauldron; Jiang Shu drew a circle with his red brush, seeking only the transcendence of Qi.

He went around in circles, being kicked around.

He went along with each of their wishes in exchange for a moment to breathe, but not to their liking.

He did participate in the coup, but he went alone. From beginning to end, he did not attempt to seize control of the Annihilation Army, nor did he even mobilize the Bao family's troops.

He did indeed attempt to assassinate the emperor in the Donghua Pavilion, diligently exhausting Jiang Shu's strength, but he did not truly fight to the death.

With a stroke of his vermilion brush, Jiang Shu forced him to return to the divine path, sending his accumulated transcendence to the East Sea as the Heavenly Princess's resources for transcendence.

It seems this is an irreversible mistake.

The only problem is...

Transcending calculations.

And he, who had once transcended the netherworld, was able to have some understanding of those who had transcended.

The confrontation between the Lord of Penglai and the Dragon Buddha turned the ancient starry sky shrouded by the Beggar's Bowl into an isolated island.

The Heavenly Consort, who ascended to the starry sky to wage a "holy war" for the human race, was not in Linzi at this time!

She couldn't swallow the food immediately.

The Sea Goddess, whose statue remains in the East Sea, is unable to complete her final ascension.

This was Bao Xuanjing's chance to snatch food from the tiger's mouth.

Tigers intend to eat people, and people also eat tigers.

Jiang Shu was able to degrade him as the Heavenly Consort's transcendent resources, and the Heavenly Consort's accumulated divine power at sea could also be swallowed up by him in one gulp!
The underworld and the mortal world have merged. How can the white bones that once held the Earth Spring not rule the East Sea?

Even if he can't transcend this step, after swallowing the power of the East Sea, he will have enough leverage to either advance and form an alliance with the Qi Kingdom or retreat and make a treaty with the sea tribes.

From then on, the world opened up before us, offering a unique and beautiful landscape.

He never truly believed in Qing Shi Palace, and of course, he didn't believe in Jiang Shu either.

He simply kept moving forward step by step, running himself ragged, until he found a glimmer of hope in a dead end!
At this very moment, Jiang Shu and Jiang Wuliang are fighting in Donghua Pavilion in Linzi, and Jiang Wang is fighting with the two demon saints in the Supreme Heaven Realm of the Divine Firmament World. Only then does Bao Xuanjing's life truly begin.

Yes, "life".

His transformation from human to god in this life can be considered a transcendence of the human race into a god!

At this very moment, his skeletal throne, which had been stripped away, was entangled with the power of the Sea Goddess in the East Sea. On the other side, he had the support of the entire Qi Kingdom, the worship of officials and people personally led by Ye Henshui, the governor of the near sea, and the offerings of incense from countless temples.

Without his personal involvement, the White Bone God Path wouldn't have lasted long.

What followed was a fierce battle.

He will fight against the interference of the entire coastal governor's office despite his injuries and exhaustion, and seize the power of the sea god.

Of course, compared to facing Jiang Shu or Jiang Wang directly, this is already the easiest option.

Ye Henshui...

Bao Xuanjing thought of the "Book of Expelling the Underworld Gods".

He smiled.

Standing on this Bridge of Helplessness, overlooking the sea of ​​clouds and light, I let out another soft sigh.

Calculating the time, it was almost time. He took a step forward, his front foot leaving the bridge and his back foot landing in the East China Sea.

The vast East China Sea is boundless and expansive, and there is much to be done in this wonderful world.

But what first reached Bao Xuanjing's ears was not the sound of the tide. Nor was it the sea breeze that should have roared and commanded his respect.

It was the soft, melodious sound of the erhu strings, accompanied by singing.

The bamboo strings are hoarse, and the song is mournful.

The song was so familiar that he was momentarily disoriented, unsure of what day it was or whether he was awake or dreaming.

The song went—

"Heaven and earth are heartless, the emperor's grace is nowhere to be found, the kindness of parents is gone, and the kindness of teachers has turned into enmity."

"The five cardinal relationships are impermanent, and the seven emotions perish! You tread the gate of life and death, and don my black and white cloak."

"Kill my old intentions, and let me go to the people of my time!"

The maple leaves in Maple Forest City are as red as blood, and the fire in Maple Forest City soars into the sky.

The roaring earthquake, the weeping crowd, the white-boned elder with the Dark Eye, the people who died in the bloody battle...

A thousand and ten thousand things, all changing within the song.

Bao Xuanjing was momentarily dejected!
He also thought of himself.

Thinking of my uncle who died tragically, my damned father, my beloved grandfather, and even my sickly and rambling mother.

Thinking of all the hardships and wanderings along the way, thinking of all the bitter storms and waves in my life.

The path to transcendence is fraught with difficulty!
Who is singing the Song of No Birth for the Bone?
Do I have followers in the East China Sea?

Bao Xuanjing looked in the direction of the sound—

In the vast blue sea, a man with disheveled hair sat alone on the calm surface, fishing.

Holding a long pole, with the pole hanging straight down.

What he heard was not the sound of the erhu strings.
A yellow croaker was beside his rod, occasionally leaping out of the water and scraping the line with its scales, seemingly taunting the angler. Its cries, however, were incoherent, broken and intermittent like sobs, which ironically echoed the song.

The singing he heard was indeed from this man.

The singing was detached and indifferent, conveying a sense of sorrow that seemed to fade into the distance.

Bao Xuanjing stopped at sea and did not go any further.

The man stopped singing, but looked up at him—

What distant eyes they were!

There were no emotions in it, only a meaningless period of life.

There is only one obsession.

Bao Xuanjing felt himself being watched—no one had ever looked at him so intently before.

When he was born, his father glanced at him and rushed off to announce the good news.

The mother kept looking out the door with a mournful expression.

Only his grandfather looked at him while he was still in swaddling clothes, but that was only a confirmation of his identity.

When he was a god, no one could look directly at him.

Perhaps it happened long ago, but he has forgotten.

"Long time no see," said the man holding the fishing rod.

"Who are you?" Bao Xuanjing asked.

Throughout his long life, he had far too many believers.

The White Bone Path was merely one of his many attempts in the present world.

Throughout the myriad realms, how many people hold the belief in bones!

The face of a mediocre skeleton messenger didn't leave much of an impression on him.

But he knew this was no coincidence.

To be able to intercept him at the point of the Bridge of Helplessness, precisely blocking him between him and the White Bone God Throne... His understanding of Bao Xuanjing and the entire White Bone God Path cannot be explained by chance, but should be said to be painstaking effort!
At this moment, he thought of too many things: Qi Hen, Jiang Shu, Jiang Wuliang, and even his "old friends" in the Netherworld—who exactly wanted to pluck this fruit from him?

“You should look into my eyes,” said the man with the pole. “I have gazed upon the gods since I was a child.”

Boom, boom, boom!
The scroll depicting the Sea Goddess, representing her authority, is clashing with the throne of the White Bone God in the sky above the East Sea.

The White Bone Throne bears the supreme authority of the White Bone God Path, and the Sea God Scroll records the supreme power of the Sea God.

One has ancient historical accumulation, and the other has a prominent reputation in recent years.

They were originally difficult to distinguish, and it was hard to tell who was better.

But the poem by Governor Ye Henshui of the Near Seas shone brightly, the praises from thousands of households in the Near Sea Islands were deafening, and the imperial edict from the Great Qi Empire even drew the roar of the Purple Palace Dragon.

Then came the thunder, which blasted the white bone throne to the side, gradually dragging it onto the sea god's scroll.

Once captured in a painting, one remains forever within it.

When the Heavenly Princess returns, she will naturally swallow it calmly.

At this moment, Bao Xuanjing finally remembered the "holy son" who was the last one in the narrative of the White Bone Path.

That was another choice after Zhuang Chengqian. He learned from the lessons of the previous Holy Son and made many meticulous adjustments... He should indeed remember.

He smiled.

The body of the Bone Messenger and the soul of the Bone Saint stood before the Bone God Throne, blocking him, the Bone God!

Fate often plays cruel jokes.

It was especially humorous tonight.

Bao Xuanjing finally understood who Jiang Shu meant by "someone is waiting for you in the mansion"...

He finally understood that the key point of Jiang Shu's imperial edict stripping him of his title was that sentence: "The people of the world, if killed, are without guilt; if humiliated, are without blame."

Strip him of his title and position, cut off his privileges, and erase all the glory of the Bao family. Then we can rightfully hand him over to this man named "Wang Changji" to kill.

Even at the critical moment when the skeletons stormed the palace and attempted assassination, the emperor of the Great Qi still had to maintain the dignity of a monarch and uphold the honor of the nation. Such meticulous detail ensured that he, as a regional governor, would not die at the hands of outsiders.

So, from beginning to end, did His Majesty the Emperor truly feel threatened?
For a moment, Bao Xuanjing was actually a little worried about that person in the Green Stone Palace!
In his limited life experience, it was indeed only the one in the Qing Shi Palace who made him truly feel "benevolence".

Even as a bystander, he hoped that the Blue Stone Palace would win.

After he seizes the power of the Sea God, the Blue Stone Palace might be a better partner...

Until this moment, he had not started to worry about himself.

A pitiful person, whose life was locked away by him, broke free from his confinement during the upheaval in Maple Forest City. He had some opportunities and worked hard to come to him, determined to fight against his fate.

He approves, he praises, and he will help bring things to a close.

Throughout the long history of the gods, there have been many such beings!
But every brave warrior who ventures into the Netherworld eventually becomes part of the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood; there is no exception.

I imagine the same is true today.

Then he saw the fishing rod lift up, and the yellow croaker with its scales scraping the line leaped up and flew towards him.

“You recognize me,” said the man with the fishing rod.

For the first time, Bao Xuanjing was horrified. He saw the yellow fish leaping in the air, its scales shimmering, the wind and clouds surging, and then it turned into a turbid current, vast and mighty, with a fierce momentum!
It was like a giant mountain, like a yellow dragon, that crashed into his divine body, blasting him away instantly and sending him flying out of the East China Sea!
He looked up...

Blood spilled into the sky!
He recognized it; it was his [Yellow Springs].

His life was once intertwined with his divine treasure!

"Hahahahaha..."

He laughed loudly.

I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face.

When he was a god of the underworld, he did not know how to laugh or cry.

He used to enjoy those cries, though sometimes he found them noisy.

"Hahahaha!"

The phantom of mountains of corpses and seas of blood crumbled layer by layer around him.

He felt as if he had returned to the Donghua Pavilion, looking at the imperial desk, where the emperor held the vermilion brush...

Fate has its own pen; every stroke, every dot, every line, is a sign of poverty.

Thank you to reader "Architect YY" for becoming the leader of this book's alliance, making him the 968th leader of the Red Heart Sky Patrol Alliance!
See you next Monday!