After being exiled for eighteen years, the prince returned to the capital as a veritable immortal.

"Rebel!"

"My royal Zhou family has produced such a wicked dragon as you!"

The Empress was enraged and raised her hand to strike the Third Prince.

"I...I want to cleanse the house of our ancestors!"

"Father, it is not your son!"

The third prince held the imperial seal in both hands and knelt down with a thud. "I was forced!"

Forced?

The group looked around and carefully counted the number of people on the palace wall.

Everyone was present; clearly only the Third Prince went to the Imperial Study.

Who would force him?

"How dare you lie!"

The Empress was even more enraged, and the hand she had just withdrawn was about to strike out again.

The imperial seal was put away by the sixth prince, and the third prince hugged the Empress's leg, weeping bitterly:

"Father, a masked man in black robes kidnapped me and forced me to..."

"Masked man? Why don't you say it was I who forced you!"

Empress Wu kicked the Third Prince to the ground.

With his master-level cultivation, how could he not detect someone getting close?

The Fifth Prince also wore an expression of disbelief.

Although he was only at the sixth-grade Cave-Hidden Realm.

If someone were to abduct someone who is very close by, he would not be completely unaware.

The Empress simply couldn't bring herself to kill her own son with a single blow.

He reached out and drew the longsword of the general beside him, pointing it at the Third Prince.

"The Third Prince was indeed coerced."

Zhou Yi's voice wasn't loud, but it came from a distance, and everyone could hear it clearly.

"Otherwise, he could leave quietly on his own, and you would surely notice."

“Father, that makes sense,” the Fifth Prince agreed.

After being reminded, the Empress calmed down.

The Third Prince's cultivation level was only at the Golden Core stage.

If he stole the imperial seal and left quietly, he could not escape his divine sense.

hiss--

Upon closer examination, Emperor Wu and Wei Qing, among others, couldn't help but gasp in shock.

They were able to abduct princes and steal the imperial seal from Empress Wu's side without anyone noticing.

The masked man's cultivation level is probably no less than that of a Martial Emperor.

Even higher.

If the other party secretly delivers a sword.

King assassination is also possible.

Everyone felt insecure and uneasy.

All eyes turned to Zhu Anshi and the Netherworld Ancestor.

just.

The two looked completely bewildered.

Clearly, they were also curious about who the masked man was.

"who is it?"

All eyes followed the Martial Emperor as he turned to Zhou Yi.

"Destroy those who are blocking the Death Fog Barrier," Zhou Yi gave a vague answer.

He is also investigating who it is.

Everyone suddenly realized.

Zhou Yi set up the trapping formation to prevent the mysterious masked man from escaping.

"Ah, you weren't the one who destroyed the barrier."

The fourth prince said happily, "Look, look! It wasn't Prince Yi who ruined the dragon vein."

The Emperor, the Sixth Prince, and others felt ashamed.

They knew Zhou Yi well, and knew he wouldn't stoop to lying.

And these people.

They not only suspected Zhou Yi of breaking the seal on the dragon vein, but also suspected him of destroying the barrier.

They even deliberately left the dead fog unremoved.

They suspected him even more, and ordered the massacre of the entire city's inhabitants.

Reality has proven that none of this was done by Zhou Yi.

Moreover, he did far more to save the people than most others.

When Wei Qing and Huo Wubing first met Zhou Yi, their eyes revealed admiration.

"He has the bearing of the Crown Prince." Huo Wubing felt gratified.

Wei Qing nodded as well.

The crown prince ruled the country with benevolence, valuing the people over the imperial court.

Only a person like this can truly gain the support of the people when he becomes emperor.

……

The Emperor's expression softened.

The look in her eyes as she looked at Zhou Yi contained a hint of gratitude.

If he hadn't pointed out the masked man, he might have accidentally killed his own son with a single sword strike.

With a wave of his hand, the jade seal was drawn into his hand.

Holding the Imperial Seal of the State, the Martial Emperor channeled a surge of magical power into it.

A drop of crimson blood was forced out of the jade seal and dripped onto the ground.

A hint of disappointment appeared on the Third Prince's face, and the connection with the Imperial Seal was instantly severed.

Previously, although he was manipulated by the masked man to open the seal on the dragon vein.

However, the feeling of being connected to the dragon vein truly fascinated him.

hiss--

Zhu Anshi, the patriarch of the Underworld Clan, was dumbfounded.

Even Wei Qing, the Sixth Prince, and others looked puzzled.

The moment the Third Prince's blood was forced out of the Imperial Seal.

A faint ripple once again emanated from the heavens and earth.

The fluctuations were remarkably similar to those experienced when Empress Wu abdicated and severed her connection with the Imperial Seal.

Since the Empress Wu had already abdicated, why could she still manipulate the Imperial Seal and force out the successor's heart's blood?

Normally.

It should be that the third prince abdicated in favor of the imperial seal by dripping his blood, and only then could the successor regain the imperial seal's recognition.

Everyone was confused.

Empress Wu would naturally not explain that, apart from the emperor, the Crown Prince who oversees the country could also control the Imperial Seal and the Dragon Vein.

Since there was no crown prince at the time, the authority of both the emperor and the crown prince was in the hands of Empress Wu.

Previously, when the Empress Wu severed the connection by dripping her blood onto the Imperial Seal, she was merely cutting off the level of connection between the Crown Prince, the Imperial Seal, and the Dragon Vein.

The people knew nothing about this information, so naturally they were unaware of the intricacies involved.

They only sensed the unusual movement of the dragon vein and assumed that the Martial Emperor had abandoned the throne and severed his connection with the dragon vein.

Therefore, the Empress could easily erase the Third Prince's mark on the Imperial Seal, severing his connection with the Dragon Vein.

……

Having done all this, the Martial Emperor turned his gaze back to Zhou Yi.

His face flushed slightly, and he asked urgently:

"Prince Yi, the Dragon Vein... can it be sealed again?"

As the emperor who controlled the dragon vein, he was powerless to reseal it and had to ask his grandson for help.

This truly embarrassed him.

Although he didn't have much hope for Zhou Yi either.

However, this grandson of the emperor gave everyone too many surprises.

What if he can do it?

"..." Zhou Yi remained silent.

It's possible, but he's unwilling.

He wanted to cultivate to a higher realm, see more distant scenery, and find a way to resurrect his parents.

"Wow!"

The fourth prince exclaimed, "Silence means you agree!"

The Martial Emperor, the Sixth Prince, and others were also deeply shaken.

Based on their understanding of Zhou Yi.

If not, we will tell you honestly.

His silence suggests that he is capable of doing so, but unwilling to do so.

To know.

Ji Tiandi, who sealed the dragon vein, was a terrestrial immortal.

Even the grandson of the emperor could do that.

After the initial shock, a hint of relief rose in the Emperor's eyes, and he said:

"Yi'er, for the sake of the Great Qian royal family and the Zhou family's eternal rule, His Majesty begs you to seal the dragon vein."

To achieve her goal, Empress Wu even changed her way of addressing her and played the family card.

Zhou Yi glanced at the Martial Emperor, then looked up at the endless sky.

Take another look at Wei Qing, Huo Wubing, Zhu Anshi, the Netherworld Ancestor, and others.

The four have already reached the pinnacle of the Celestial Realm. Only by breaking the seal on the Dragon Vein can they pursue an even higher realm of terrestrial immortals.

Their eyes were filled with a yearning for a higher realm.

Zhou Yi shook his head and refused:

"No one has the right to deny cultivators the right to pursue higher realms."

"Prince Yi, you're so foolish!"

The second prince, exasperated, said, "If everyone can cultivate into an immortal, wouldn't our Zhou family's rule be even more unstable?"

"Survival of the fittest, the law of nature." Zhou Yi remained unmoved.

"The Zhou family should not hinder the rolling progress of history for the sake of the benefit of one surname."

"You..." The Martial Emperor and the others were extremely anxious.

Is the Grandson of the Emperor a bit dim-witted?

If it were Zhu Anshi, or even Huo Wubing or others who said these words, it would indeed be understandable.

Zhou Yi is a member of the royal family, and the prosperity of the Great Qian Dynasty is entirely beneficial to him.

"Nephew, although I can't be the emperor."

The fourth prince raised his voice and advised, "However, we still hope that our Zhou family will rule the country."

"Do you mean I should kneel before you?" the Empress asked anxiously.

If one kneels, the dragon vein can be resealed.

He doesn't mind kneeling before his grandson.

Zhou Yi shook his head, looked up at the sky, and said, "It's too late."

"The moment the seal was broken, the imprisoned Overlord Emperor and the others had already emerged from seclusion!"

"Now, what you need to do is to quickly improve your level."

The Overlord Emperor isn't dead; he's imprisoned?

Now, they've been released again?

Too many people were shocked by this news.

This seems to confirm what Zhou Yi said.

Between heaven and earth, deafening roars resounded.

A deep voice resounded throughout the heavens and earth:

"I, the Emperor, have returned!"