All races revere me as the Heavenly Emperor, solely because of my nine disciples!

At midnight, a somber atmosphere pervaded the majestic imperial city!

Ji Feng alighted from his carriage at the Meridian Gate and strode into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all the princes had gathered. Many ministers had also arrived, each with a solemn expression.

"My son, I pay my respects to my father!"

Ji Feng glanced around before bowing to the middle-aged man on the dragon throne.

"Now that everyone is here, let's talk about what happened!"

On the dragon throne, Ji Wuji spoke expressionlessly.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Council reports that the Ninth Prince of the Qian Dynasty failed in his attempt to seize the throne and fled to our Great Zhou, where he was rescued by the academy!"

"The Qian Dynasty sent people to demand the return of the goods, but they were all killed by the academy. Among the dead was the third prince of the Qian Dynasty!"

Below, the Minister of War of the Grand Council reported the facts.

Upon hearing this, Ji Feng's eyes sharpened.

The academy ruined his grand plan, and he was thinking about how to teach it a lesson.

I didn't expect the opportunity to come so soon!

"continue!"

On the dragon throne, Ji Wuji said coldly.

"Your Majesty, according to reliable sources, the Qian Dynasty is coming with great force this time, and many sects and holy lands have sent people to participate. If war really breaks out, the consequences for our Great Zhou will be unimaginable!"

"After all, for thousands of years, our Great Zhou has always followed the ancestral teachings, and apart from academies, has never allowed any sect or holy land to encroach on our Great Zhou territory!"

"This practice has already aroused the dissatisfaction of the major sects and holy lands. Once this war begins, we will be surrounded by powerful enemies!"

The Minister of War continued to submit his report.

The atmosphere froze instantly upon hearing this.

Everyone can imagine the perilous situation that the Great Zhou would face if the major holy lands and even the various countries joined forces.

"Minister Cai, what is your opinion on this matter?"

At this moment, Ji Wuji turned his gaze to the other person.

This person is also from the academy, and is from the previous generation of the academy. His name is Cai Ze, and he currently serves as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Upon hearing the Minister of War's report, his brow was already furrowed. Now, being questioned by the Emperor, he felt immense pressure.

"Your Majesty, although I am a student of the academy, the academy has always had an ancestral precept: to serve the common people and never to participate in the struggles between various factions!"

"Now that I have entered the court as an official, I have no further connection with the academy, and what I say below is entirely without bias!"

"His Majesty knows about the academy; they would never deliberately cause trouble. I believe there must be some misunderstanding!"

"At the same time, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Qian Dynasty is deliberately causing trouble. After all, the major powers have long been eyeing our Great Zhou, wishing they could divide and devour it!"

"They'll find a reason to condemn someone if they want to, they just need a pretext to send troops!"

After a moment of contemplation, Cai Ze analyzed the situation word by word.

"Heh... Ridiculous!"

"Does Minister Cai think that our Great Zhou is a pushover that can be easily manipulated? Without any major grudge or conflict, you dare to attack our Great Zhou on some random pretext?"

Just then, from among the princes' ranks, the Seventh Prince Ji Kui sneered, "As far as I know, the so-called ancestral precepts of the academy have no binding force whatsoever!"

"In recent years, which of the academies of the other three dynasties hasn't been involved in court struggles? They claim not to participate in politics, but in reality, they wish they could firmly control the succession of imperial power!"

"Don't forget that the tyrant also studied at the academy. The Great Qian Academy was his strongest backer when he seized power!"

"Murong Xiao and Zhu Yu, the teacher of the Overlord, were sworn brothers. After Zhu Yu's death, Murong Xiao searched everywhere for the Overlord!"

"Is it possible that they've hidden him in the Great Zhou Academy, attempting to manipulate the power struggle within the Qian Dynasty?"

"To be honest, some things aren't just baseless rumors. The main academy behind this institution is also a major holy sect. If others covet my Great Zhou, don't they have any thoughts about it too?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Ze's expression changed.

The Seventh Prince is determined to destroy the Jixia Academy beyond redemption!

"Seventh Prince, watch your words!"

"Who doesn't know that Sect Leader Murong is kind-hearted and would never do anything to harm the Great Zhou?"

"Over the years, for the sake of the people of our Great Zhou, Sect Leader Murong has been working tirelessly day and night. Has he ever had the slightest selfish thought?"

Cai Ze said in a deep voice.

“Minister Cai, you are mistaken. You yourself said that you have no intention of favoring Jixia Academy, but every word you say is in favor of the academy. Isn’t that a form of personal bias?”

"Furthermore, according to the news from the Qian Dynasty, their demands are very simple: hand over the murderer of the Third Prince, as well as the Qian Dynasty's Overlord, and this war can be put to rest!"

"If the academy truly wants peace in the world, it shouldn't be difficult for them to agree to this request, right?"

The Vice Minister of War spoke again, his words carrying a hint of hostility towards the academy.

"Compromise? The truth of the matter hasn't even been clarified yet, how can we compromise?"

Cai Ze questioned.

"Enough, Your Highness, what do you think?"

Just as everyone was about to start arguing, Ji Wuji, sitting on the dragon throne, interrupted them and asked Ji Feng a question.

Ji Feng's eyes flashed, and he had already made up his mind.

"Your Majesty, I believe that what Minister Liu of the Ministry of War said makes sense."

"If the academy is truly at fault, it should apologize and make amends. As for that tyrant Chen Bei, just hand him over to the Qian Dynasty!"

"Our Great Zhou never allows anyone to interfere, nor does it ever interfere in the politics of other countries."

"If the Jixia Academy truly wants to serve the public good, it should compromise. Otherwise, if they have ulterior motives, it's better for our Great Zhou to clean house than to keep them around and invite trouble!"

"After much deliberation, I believe that in order to investigate this matter thoroughly, we should send my seventh brother with a group of men on the trip! What do you think, Father?"

Ji Feng cupped his hands and casually unleashed a dirty trick.

He knew better than anyone that the Seventh Prince's maternal grandfather had died at the hands of the academy's Supreme Elder, and that the Elder harbored deep hatred for the academy!

Let him handle the academy; he's absolutely the best choice!

"Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens and make the trip myself!"

Sure enough, Ji Kui couldn't sit still any longer and quickly stepped forward.

"Very well, this matter must be thoroughly investigated and brought to the bottom of!"

"If the academy is truly at fault, considering its contributions to the Great Zhou over the years, it should apologize. The Great Zhou will ensure the academy's safety!"

"If the Qian Dynasty is truly fabricating something out of nothing and wants to start a war, what does my Great Zhou have to fear?"

"Kui'er, I hereby appoint you as an imperial envoy and send you to the Imperial Academy in person!"

Ji Wuji nodded slightly and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Father!"

Ji Kui was overjoyed; after so many years, the opportunity for revenge had finally arrived.

A cold smile also flashed in Ji Feng's eyes. He wanted to see what energy the academy still had to meddle in other people's business.

Meanwhile, the academy was unaware that trouble was brewing.

In Zhou Hai's courtyard, firewood made from the sacred Fusang wood burned brightly, roasting the dragon meat until it sizzled and oozed oil, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

"Master, I have served in the Lin family for many years and have gained considerable experience in cooking. This is a sauce that I personally prepared; please try it!"

At this moment, Qin Xiyao had changed into a complete set of men's clothing. After a flurry of activity, she sliced ​​the dragon meat, placed it on a plate, sprinkled it with sauce, and handed it to Zhou Hai.

"Yeah, it smells good!"

Zhou Hai's eyes lit up; he was completely won over by his apprentice's skill after just one bite.

There's no way around it; at home, he's always waited on hand and foot.

Before I even learned how to cook, I unexpectedly arrived in this world just as I was starting junior high school.

For years, the people around me haven't been eating.

After being tormented by terrible cooking for many years, his cooking was barely edible, far inferior to Qin Xiyao's!

With each bite of dragon meat he swallowed, the powerful essence within it, combined with the divine fire spirit of the Fusang wood, filled Zhou Hai with immense energy, making him feel incredibly invigorated.

Chen Bei, without needing anyone to take care of him, picked up a piece of dragon meat on his own.

As soon as he took a sip, he felt a surge of violent energy coursing through his entire body.

At the same time, it was as if a raging divine flame was burning in his internal organs, as if it wanted to refine him.

Without hesitation, Chen Bei quickly sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Hundred Refinements Emperor Scripture, refining the divine flames and the powerful essence within the dragon's flesh!