Chapter 70: Only a Divine Armament Can Fight a Divine Armament
Chapter 70: Only a Divine Armament Can Fight a Divine Armament
A new emperor ascended the throne, and celebrations rang out across the land. Envoys from all thirty-five nations of the Central Plains offered their congratulations.
Lin Yuan responded to each one, not showing the slightest bit of inexperience. Although he had just ascended the throne, Lin Yuan had been the supervising crown prince for over a decade, with the military and political power of the nation in his hands. Compared to a true emperor, he lacked only the official title.
Half a month later, in the Hall of Receiving Heaven...
Lin Yuan, clad in imperial robes, wore a thoughtful expression on his face. Now that he had officially become the emperor, the true secrets of the Great Yan Dynasty were unveiled before him, mainly concerning the 'divine armaments'.
The Great Yan Dynasty possessed a nation-protecting divine armament, known as the 'Sun Moon Spear'. In the over 3,600 years of the Great Yan Calendar, the Sun Moon Spear had been awakened three times. Each time, it was due to the mischief of an 'evil armament', which brought calamity and suffering to the people.
"Evil armament?" Lin Yuan stroked his chin. Whatever this so-called 'evil armament' was, it must be incredibly powerful to force the hand of a divine armament, far surpassing the level of a Martial Saint.
"The Reverse Heaven Society," Lin Yuan mused. According to the information held by the Great Yan Dynasty, there was always a vague connection between the Reverse Heaven Society and the evil armaments. Each time an evil armament wreaked havoc, there was a shadow of the Reverse Heaven Society lurking in the background.
As a result, the Great Yan Dynasty, or more accurately, one of the thirty-six nations of the Central Plains, had a standing order to kill any member of the Reverse Heaven Society on sight, without the need for capture. This was the will of the nation-protecting divine armament, and no one dared to go against it.
"It seems that this Reverse Heaven Society holds a big secret," Lin Yuan said, deep in thought. His forces had already zeroed in on the headquarters of the Reverse Heaven Society within the Great Yan Dynasty, and soon, their secrets would be revealed to him.
On the court assembly...
Lin Yuan sat upon the dragon throne. The Minister of Rites stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty has now ascended to the throne. You should soon make a trip to the 'Divine Armament Ancestral Land' to offer sacrifices to the divine armament."
There were several traditions shared by the thirty-six nations of the Central Plains, and one of them was the sacrifice to the divine armaments. Every new emperor was expected to visit their respective divine armament ancestral land as soon as possible to offer sacrifices.
This tradition was quite normal. After all, the nation-protecting divine armaments were like heavenly beings to each nation. Sacrificing to the divine armaments was akin to sacrificing to the heavens themselves.
"Sacrifice to the divine armament?" Lin Yuan looked at the Minister of Rites. The divine armament ancestral land was not located in the capital but hundreds of miles outside of it. Lin Yuan had always been wary of the divine armament ancestral land, even though he was certain that most of the time, the Sun Moon Spear was in a state of slumber. He still did not feel comfortable going near it.
Not long ago, Lin Yuan had broken through to the Heaven Man Realm, and to ensure his safety, he had specifically left the capital to find a place far away from the divine armament ancestral land to make his breakthrough.
"This humble one has not been feeling well lately," Lin Yuan said, offering a casual excuse to put it off. Sacrificing to the divine armament was an ancestral tradition, and even the emperor could not change it. However, not being able to change it did not mean that he couldn't delay it. Lin Yuan wasn't saying he wouldn't go, just that he was unwell and intended to go at a later date. Who could argue with that?
"Yes," the Minister of Rites replied helplessly and withdrew.
Ill? Nonsense! If anyone else had used this excuse, the Minister of Rites might have let it slide. But the current emperor? The Minister of Rites was a veteran official who had served two dynasties. He knew that when Lin Yuan was born, the court physicians had declared his root bone and physique to be the best in the history of the Great Yan Dynasty.
Even if there was some 'exaggeration' in that assessment, it must have been based on certain facts. The previous emperor had never favored flattering officials, so the court physicians' conclusion at the time must have been based on partial truth.
Under these circumstances, the Minister of Rites did not believe Lin Yuan when he said he was unwell. But even if he didn't believe it, there was nothing he could do.
Should he continue to advise the emperor? If it had been the normal succession of a new emperor, he would have dared to do so. After all, a new emperor needed to listen to his ministers' advice during the initial period to stabilize the court.
But Lin Yuan... For many years, the Minister of Rites had some understanding of this crown prince who had finally ascended the throne after more than twenty years. If he really forced the issue and played the loyal admonisher, the emperor would happily oblige him.
Not only that, but the emperor would also kindly send his family and nine clans along to accompany him.
"Never mind," the Minister of Rites thought. "If he wants to delay, let him delay." He would just bring it up from time to time as a matter of routine. He didn't believe the emperor could put it off for twenty or fifty years.
Uyuncheng was a city in the southern reaches of the Great Yan Dynasty, prosperous and nestled against the backdrop of the Great Ten Thousand Mountains. In a forest over ten miles from Uyuncheng, over twenty figures suddenly appeared.
These figures stood silently, but their surging blood energy betrayed their presence as 'Blood Refinement' Martial Saints. 'Blood Refinement' Martial Saint was the pinnacle of what ordinary people could achieve. Above them were the various 'Armament Envoys'.
The Armament Envoys were like messengers of the divine armaments, and they had long transcended humanity. The two dozen or so Blood Refinement Martial Saints were already a force to be reckoned with, rivaling the number of Martial Saints in the weaker nations among the thirty-six nations of the Central Plains.
In addition to these two dozen Martial Saints, there were even more powerful experts gathering in the distance.
"That dense forest should be the headquarters of the Reverse Heaven Society. The master said that when it comes to the remnants of the Reverse Heaven Society, they are to be captured and not killed. Do you understand?"
The leading Martial Saint spoke without moving his lips. His voice, carried by the ripples of his blood energy, reached the ears of every Martial Saint present.
"Understood."
"Acknowledged."
"We will capture them alive."
The multitude of Martial Saints nodded in agreement.
The battle concluded swiftly.
With over twenty Blood Refinement Martial Saints, hundreds of Innate Martial Artists who had refined their organs, and thousands of Great Grandmasters who had refined their marrow surrounding and attacking, the headquarters of the Reverse Heaven Society was swiftly flattened.
Before the master of the headquarters, Sikong Lun, could escape through the secret passage, his path was blocked by three Blood Refinement Martial Saints.
Then, his vision went dark, and he lost consciousness.
When Sikong Lun regained his senses, he found himself in a bright carriage.
His meridians were sealed, and he couldn't muster even a trace of his blood energy.
In simpler terms, Sikong Lun was now a cripple.
Even an ordinary person holding a knife could take his life.
"Who are they?"
Sikong Lun's heart stirred with shock and disbelief.
As the master of the Reverse Heaven Society, he was well aware that he was considered a rat crossing the street that everyone wanted to stomp—not just by one country, but by all thirty-six nations of the Central Plains.
Sikong Lun knew that he stood no chance against any of these nations, each of which possessed a nation-protecting divine armament. That was why he had been so cautious when establishing the headquarters, ensuring its secrecy and digging intricate tunnels underneath so that he could escape through the secret passages if their traces were ever discovered.
But what had just transpired?
Sikong Lun couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
Over twenty Blood Refinement Martial Saints exuding overwhelming blood energy pressure, along with thousands of Innate Martial Artists and Great Grandmasters—under such suppression, even he, the master of the headquarters, had failed to escape. What hope did the other members have?
"Which force made their move?"
"Was it the Great Yan Dynasty, or one of the other thirty-five nations?"
"No, that's not right."
Sikong Lun frowned deeply.
If he had fallen into the hands of the thirty-six nations of the Central Plains, how could he still be alive?
The standard treatment meted out by these nations to remnants of the Reverse Heaven Society like him was immediate execution, leaving no future troubles.
As for torture to extract information about other remnants or the structure of the Reverse Heaven Society, that was unnecessary. He, as the master, had other means to ensure secrecy. Should he dare to divulge any crucial secrets, he would instantly perish.
And as for the ordinary members, they wouldn't know much, so there was no point in interrogating them.
Sikong Lun racked his brains but couldn't fathom which force had captured him.
"This place... should still be Uyuncheng."
Sikong Lun managed to lift the cloth curtain and glance outside.
"Forget it. Whether I live or die is no longer up to me."
Sikong Lun had no intention of escaping.
What a joke.
A mysterious force capable of mobilizing over twenty Martial Saints?
How could they let him, their captive, escape from the carriage?
Half a shichen later, the carriage finally came to a halt.
Sikong Lun's spirit stirred, and the carriage door was opened. A man invited him to step down.
Sikong Lun looked at the man, a sense of familiarity washing over him.
Soon, he recognized the man as one of the over twenty Blood Refinement Martial Saints who had attacked earlier.
To use a Blood Refinement Martial Saint, a figure of immense status in the thirty-six nations of the Central Plains, as a carriage driver? Sikong Lun took a deep breath.
He now had a deeper understanding of the captor's methods.
Stepping out of the carriage, Sikong Lun followed the Martial Saint driver into the mansion before him.
It was more akin to a palace than a mansion, with its winding paths and numerous halls.
In the deepest part of this complex, Sikong Lun met the man behind the capture of the Reverse Heaven Society.
He was a young man exuding an aura of nobility.
Merely sitting there, he made Sikong Lun feel ashamed.
"You may leave now."
Lin Yuan looked up and waved his hand, dismissing the Martial Saint driver.
"Yes, Master."
The Martial Saint driver bowed respectfully and left the hall.
Master Sikong Lun swallowed.
A dignified Blood Refinement Martial Saint actually acknowledged this young man as his master? If he hadn't witnessed it himself, Sikong Lun would never have believed it.
After a moment of silence, Sikong Lun calmed his mind and spoke up, "May I ask, Master, why have you captured me? Do you have any demands of me?"
At this moment, Sikong Lun was well aware that he must hold some value to this young man, or he wouldn't be standing before him.
"I want to know," Lin Yuan said, "how your Reverse Heaven Society plans to counter the nation-protecting divine armaments of the thirty-six nations. And what are these so-called 'evil armaments'?"
As these words left Lin Yuan's mouth, Sikong Lun's expression turned astonished.
He had thought that the young man would want to know about the other headquarters of the Reverse Heaven Society. Sikong Lun had steeled himself, ready to trigger the means within his body to commit suicide if Lin Yuan probed in that direction.
But he never expected this line of questioning.
"Divine armaments are lofty and exalted, far beyond the reach of mortals like us," Sikong Lun said, pausing as if choosing his words carefully. "Since ancient times, only a divine armament can fight another divine armament. That is an iron law."
(End of Chapter)
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