The Prince Can Do Divination

Chapter 422 - 258: Divine Beings of the Celestial Gate, Saint Ancestor Masters, the Entire World: All Eyes on One Man

With Emperor Yong’an dead, their Infinite Faction could finally shed its skin as an underground organization.

From now on, the Infinite Faction would be an official entity.

With the Crown Prince on their side, the Infinite Faction would face no obstacles in anything they did, and their power would only expand.

They would no longer have to worry about being hunted by the Court.

With a swift transformation and a change of status, they went from rats surviving in the darkness to flood dragons basking under the sun.

Luo Ying said nothing. She stared blankly at Lu Mingyuan’s back, lost in a daze. She had never imagined that their simple cooperation in the past would yield such an enormous return.

After all, she had initially only wanted to use the Eastern Palace Mansion to escape the pursuit of the White Lotus Ancient Sect.

Who could have imagined that they would later become a legitimate army?

The True Buddha Zen Master, the white-robed monk Jiang Shan, pressed his palms together, his head slightly bowed. He remained silent, seemingly contemplating how to spread the Buddhist classics to every corner of Great Yan.

...

Of course, not everyone was in a cheerful mood.

"Useless! Absolutely useless!"

In a small courtyard somewhere in the Imperial City, the Nan Zhou National Preceptor Xun Yu, residing within the body of the Ninth Prince, Lu Yunhuang, berated the late emperor, his voice hoarse with fury at his failure:

"Emperor Yong’an was a complete waste! He spent so many years plotting and left behind so many backup plans, but it was all for nothing. To be so easily slain by some brat from the Cold Palace who has been practicing martial arts for less than three years... to have his Divine Soul obliterated along with his body, utterly extinguished from existence."

Clearly, seeing Lu Mingyuan dethrone Emperor Yong’an with such ease—not only destroying his reputation but also seizing the throne of Great Yan—left Xun Yu feeling bitter and even a little envious.

He had coveted Great Yan’s National Fortune for many years, but had never had an opportunity to claim it because Emperor Yong’an was always on guard against him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have backed the Second Prince, Lu Guangjing.

He had planned to use Lu Yunqing to seize the position of Crown Prince and covet the throne, so that he could sow discord from within, steal Great Yan’s National Fortune, and rival the Saints of old.

But he had been severely wounded by the Military Saint. This wisp of his Divine Soul was incomplete, forcing him to reside within Lu Yunhuang’s body, unable to act personally.

If only Emperor Yong’an had been more prudent and used that forbidden power to turn the tables on Lu Mingyuan and kill him, then Xun Yu would have had the confidence to hold out until the day this country collapsed.

But unfortunately, Emperor Yong’an failed; he was taken down by Lu Mingyuan instead.

His first plan had fallen through.

When two dragons fight, one must die.

Lu Mingyuan defeating Lu Yunqing in the Heart Inquiry Bureau was within his expectations.

He had intended to watch the two tigers—Lu Mingyuan and Emperor Yong’an—fight it out, and then swoop in for the prize.

But Emperor Yong’an failed to defeat Lu Mingyuan, allowing that brat to claim Great Yan’s National Fortune all for himself.

Emperor Yong’an thought that he and the Great Nether Empress were the only two people in the world who knew about the Divine Pearl.

In reality, there was one other person who knew.

And that was him, Xun Yu.

If not for him, why would the Great Nether Empress have presented this item to Emperor Yong’an for safekeeping as collateral?

And if not for this collateral, how would Emperor Yong’an have discovered the secret of eternal life within the Divine Pearl?

It all came down to the fickleness of the human heart.

After all, the temptation of eternal life is something no Emperor can refuse.

"Sir, what should we do next?"

The simple and unassuming Lu Yunhuang’s first reaction to seeing his imperial brother truly emerge victorious from the great battle was also one of shock.

But then he recalled how his mentor’s assessment of Lu Mingyuan had changed over time.

Only then did he realize.

His mentor had also misjudged Lu Mingyuan at first.

Lu Mingyuan was not just his Sixth Imperial Brother.

He was also a respectable opponent.

"Don’t panic. We’ll wait and see how things develop."

Xun Yu’s calm voice sounded. His Divine Soul gazed toward the Imperial Palace, and he said in a deep tone, "When Emperor Yong’an was alive, his prestige remained, and he could still maintain stability across the Four Seas. Now that the Emperor is dead, the world will fall into chaos. Whether this Lu Mingyuan is a dragon or a worm, whether he can truly keep Great Yan going, remains to be seen."

"After a year of recuperation, I should be able to act personally."

...

Just as everyone was processing their thoughts, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed from the sky.

BOOM!

They heard a roar from the firmament, high within the Nine Heavens. Startled, everyone quickly looked up.

The many Great Powers hidden in the clouds could not help but reveal themselves, their expressions grave as they gazed at the dome of the sky.

At the spot where Emperor Yong’an had died, a sparkling Divine Pearl appeared. It glowed with a dark, spectral light, like a Nether Moon.

The Divine Pearl was an ownerless object, but at this moment, it was being pulled, heading straight for the Celestial Gate.

The illusory Celestial Gate was like that ethereal and indistinct Dream Celestial Palace, flickering in and out of sight.

In that single instant, Lu Mingyuan discovered that countless auras had appeared in the sky.

They were all spectators of this great battle, or perhaps neutral parties, who for various reasons had not intervened, instead waiting quietly for the outcome.

Now that the battle was over and a strange phenomenon had occurred, they could no longer sit by and watch, so they revealed themselves one after another.

Figure after figure with unfathomably deep auras flew out, landing upon the Great Yan Dragon Wall.

They came from different factions. Some wore Confucian robes of various colors, their auras pure and righteous. They were of all ages: high-spirited young Confucian Scholars with Gentleman’s Swords at their waists; elderly, white-haired men carrying zithers; middle-aged men with eyes as deep as a thousand-year-old frozen pond, holding bamboo flutes.

The one in the lead was a lucid old man in a purple robe and cap who straddled the sky, his aura elegant and approachable. His hair was meticulously styled, a long white beard flowed from his chin, and he carried a refined air. His presence was unfathomable, as if he could see through everything in the world.

Some carried radiant halos on their backs, some had their magic robes fluttering, and some arrived standing on swords...

Among these Qi Cultivators, there was one positioned near the center, whose presence was unparalleled.

A Sun Disc floated behind his back, surrounded by six Blazing Red Profound Blades. His sashes fluttered, making him look like a divine being.

This handsome man in a fluttering cyan magic robe descended from the sky, standing between heaven and earth. A hazy white aura enveloped him, like the mist over a great lake or the gales on a mountain peak. The flaming divine bird patterns on his robe were incredibly vibrant. His black hair fell loosely, and he looked utterly divine, riding the clear wind with an air of extreme nonchalance.

Streams of flame coiled around him like crimson flood dragons, darting about fiercely. The foul Demonic Qi lingering over the Imperial Palace dissipated instantly upon encountering this potent solar energy.

It wasn’t just people from the Confucian Temple and the Taoist Sect; even the Buddhist Family had sent representatives.

Atop a cloud to the west stood numerous Arhats, their bodies shining gold in various poses. In the lead was a Bodhisattva seated on a Golden Lotus, holding a Jade Purification Bottle.

He had five topknots, a rosy complexion, and a gentle gaze, like the warmest sunlight in the world, capable of shining into a person’s heart and sweeping away their worries.

Great Powers from all sides had come, all to confirm one thing.

Beyond the Celestial Gate, the Divine Beings still remained!

Who was it that guarded the Celestial Gate, preventing the Ancient Gods from descending?

On the Imperial Palace Plaza, the world was clear and bright.

There was no hierarchy to their formation; everyone stood in a rough circle: Confucian Saints and Sages; the Sect Leader and Vice Sect Leader of the Confucian Temple; the Chief Sacrificial Officers from the three great Academies; the Mountain Masters from the various Academies; and the venerable elders of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

There were also the great Sect Masters, the Masters and True Monarchs from the Blessed Land Grotto Heavens, the Celestial Monarchs and Daoist Monarchs of the Dao Alliance, Land Human Immortals who rode the clouds and mist, and Ascension Realm Sword Immortals.

The Mountain and Water Deities, the Five Peaks Mountain Monarchs, and the Great Lake Water Monarch had all sent avatars to investigate.

Everyone’s gazes wandered, circling around and sizing each other up.

They were all aware of the identities of those present.

The Saint Ancestor Masters, Buddha Bodhisattvas, and Grandmaster Mountain Masters of the Central Plains World had all gathered here.

They were all worried that the host of Divine Beings in the heavens would once again descend upon the Mortal World.

How could they allow the Divine Beings to covet this grand and righteous world that the Human Race had fought for ten thousand years to achieve?

And so, they had come.

The most powerful beings in this world—they had come.

In the center of the Dragon Wall Plaza in the Great Yan Imperial Palace, a man in a golden Python Robe, holding a long, dark blade, walked forward. His features were exceptionally handsome and divine, his brow sharp, his eyes full of spirit. He murmured to himself:

’Elder Wei, you said you wanted to borrow my destiny for a while. I suppose your wish has now been fulfilled.’

’You once said that only when I am fortunate enough to enter the Twelfth Realm will I finally understand how a mayfly sees the world, understand the true might of heaven and earth, and understand the peak of the Martial Dao. I will not disappoint you.’

Lu Mingyuan looked at the fading Celestial Gate, brought both hands up, pressed his blade downward, and shouted in a loud voice:

"I respectfully send off Elder Wei!!!"

As soon as he said this, every gaze in the plaza snapped toward him.

From above the Nine Heavens, a clear, laughing voice echoed in response:

"Hahaha!"

"Not bad, not bad at all."

"I’m off, then."

Up in the dome of the sky, the illusory images of cloud palaces and jade towers of the Thirty-Three Heavens vanished in the blink of an eye.

It was as if nothing had happened at all.

All that remained was the legend of a Martial Artist who had guarded the Celestial Gate.

...