Chapter 1163: Chapter 10: Opportunity Above Lingxiao (2/3)

Besides, because the two of them have been communicating with each other using the Emperor’s Blood recently, during this process, You Ruhui discovered that as her strength increased, she could even transform the Emperor’s Blood into a Spiritual Space to directly video chat with An Jing and discuss the experience of pioneering a new path.

And when her strength becomes even stronger, this Spiritual Space might even allow for sparring and combat practice!

“Alas, there’s no need to say more!”

Amidst tears, Gu Yunzhi instinctively inquired, but he quickly realized that the news of You Ruhui’s smooth cultivation and rapid progression was too important, especially the specific details, which were undoubtedly related to the new path pioneered by An Jing, the ‘Nature Master.’ As someone lurking within Da Chen, he should not be aware of this.

He looked at You Ruhui with deep emotion, kneeling on one knee in salute: “Since the young prince has broken the shackles, then indeed it’s best to tell you many things directly.”

“Please ask, young prince, I will offer all I know!”

“Gu uncle…”

But You Ruhui also felt conflicted. She did know Gu Yunzhi, but from her perspective, Gu Yunzhi was just one of her father’s many subordinates, who could have thought he was so loyal and knew so much secret information?

Calming herself, You Ruhui stepped forward, helping Gu Yunzhi up, and said seriously, “No need for such courtesy, I am not a Da Chen County Princess now.”

“You are my father’s friend, you are my elder, and what I want to know is actually very simple.”

After a pause, You Ruhui asked seriously, “Back then, why did my uncle (the Late Emperor) target my father?”

“But before my father even made a move, my uncle passed away. This means even if he had countermeasures in place, he never really acted.”

“So, who is the true killer of my father?”

“It’s actually very simple.”

Gu Yunzhi rose, and regarding You Ruhui, his tone was gentle, and his expression serious: “Back when the Late Emperor ascended the throne, he summoned the Conquering Martial Army to open up the Northern Domain – it was that time when An Sect Master’s family established their standing.”

“That conquest battle, our Da Chen achieved a great victory. Unless an accident happened, we could have conquered most of the southern Dust Li, against which the weakened Five Sects could not possibly have resisted.”

“However,” Gu Yunzhi sighed, “the Late Emperor hit a limit.”

“The limit of Da Chen.”

“The reason why the Heavenly Ancestor in this world doesn’t occupy the entire heaven and earth of the continent if they chose not to or didn’t need to. But Da Chen needs to, yet couldn’t achieve it.”

“Was it because the Holy Ancestor was inferior to others? Not at all.”

“It was all because of the Divine Court – the previous Heavenly Ancestor wanted to seize the authority of the Heavenly Dao to perfect everything and construct a wholly controlled Small World. Since then, the Heaven and Earth Core of the North Mysterious Sacrifice Continent has transformed after reconsolidation, becoming a living thing… that is indeed, the Heavenly Undying Tree.”

“Only where the roots of the Undying Tree spread is the territory of Da Chen. The expansion of Da Chen can only follow the spread of the Undying Tree. However, the growth of the Undying Tree is extremely slow, or perhaps paused due to some reasons, so in the past thirty thousand years, Da Chen’s territory hasn’t changed much.”

“The Late Emperor wanted to break the shackles, achieving merits above Lingxiao. Expanding territory was just the most basic step. But even in the first step, achieving great merits was impossible, naturally leading to a decline… But at that time, the prince found another method.”

As he spoke, Gu Yunzhi pointed at You Ruhui, to be precise, at the Heaven and Earth Core within her: “A single tree doesn’t form a forest, so let’s create more Undying Trees and plant more of them in the world!”

“An Sect Master, young prince, did you think that in the Northern Domain’s Hanhai, the ‘Demon Realm’ guarded by the Hanhai Chao Wu Zhenchi, couldn’t Da Chen eliminate it? Wrong. Heavenly Demons are also a kind of resource. As long as the situation is critical, then go and slay the Heavenly Demons. The Heavenly Dao will bestow Heavenly Grace, which though in a certain sense is raising a tiger to threaten oneself, is actually normal for a Heavenly Ancestor!”

“And there was the chosen ‘soil’ by the prince and the Late Emperor long ago for planting the second ‘Undying Tree’! Once the Demon Realm is eradicated, the Demonic Qi turned into Heavenly Grace, then the Heaven and Earth Core planted, Da Chen’s territory would naturally expand, and its foundation further enriched!”

“The Hanhai Demon Disaster!”

An Jing realized why the Hanhai Demon Disaster had erupted back then!

In its prime, with Da Chen at its peak, as the ruler of Da Chen, the Late Emperor would also think about how to transcend the Lingxiao Realm and reach above Lingxiao.

He joined forces with King Jing, intending to perform great deeds by increasing the Heaven and Earth Core, broadening the foundation, and breaking through Lingxiao. But for the Heaven and Earth Core to be turned into an Undying Divine Wood and planted, it required very stringent conditions that could not be met by ordinary Blessed Lands or Spirit Lands.

Unless… one created it oneself!

Yes, yes! Turning Demons into Spirits, Devouring Evil and Returning to Truth!

King Jing intended to obliterate the Hanhai Demon Realm and plant the Heaven and Earth Core. Even the Frost Calamity was within their expectations, after suppressing the Frost Calamity, the Sweet Dew bestowed by the heavens was meant to be the nourishment to catalyze the new Undying Tree!

Indeed, Little Qi was born in the Sweet Dew of heaven after the Frost Calamity was suppressed. If the plan had succeeded that year, there might not have been Little Qi, but rather the Undying Tree planted by King Jing!

According to their plan, everything was advancing steadily and was not supposed to spiral out of control and cause a Demon Disaster.

But the Late Emperor perished, and during that time, King Jing was stabbed in the back by others in the Imperial Court, causing the entire plan to collapse, leaving the Northern Domain in ruins!

The family of Bai Qinghan and her own father were also caught up in the event.

Even the later Frost Calamity spiraled completely out of control.

Tracing back to the cause and effect, An Jing’s current situation all originated from the Hanhai Demon Disaster… all stemmed from this series of plans!

Facing You Ruhui, Gu Yunzhi revealed the truth he knew without reservation: “The Late Emperor targeted the prince, for a very simple reason. A lone tree forms no forest, but the Imperial Court cannot accommodate a second Emperor. A prince with the second Undying Tree was naturally a Little Emperor, potentially threatening his position as Emperor.”

“Conversely, if he could control multiple Undying Divine Woods, he might truly help him advance to ‘above Lingxiao’… The Late Emperor’s downfall was likely related to his arrogance.”

“As for who was against the prince… heh heh.”

Gu Yunzhi lowered his gaze, his eyes deep: “The Late Emperor fell to his arrogance, after his death, who was most suitable to ascend the throne? I think, in the judgment of the Imperial Court, there was no doubt it was the prince who was about to plant the second Undying Tree!”

“I don’t know the specific reason, but as per common logic, now, whoever benefits the most, is the true culprit!”

An Jing and You Ruhui both showed expressions of realization.

For now, the one who benefits the most is naturally the current Mysterious Heaven Imperial Lord, Young Emperor Xuan Guangge.

But he was clearly just a figurehead.

To this day, the entire thread is clear.

——Whoever supported and controlled the Little Emperor is the murderer of King Jing!

“Interesting, the Civil-Military Group, and the Town Kings behind them, is it?”

An Jing smiled: “Now the target is clear, Ruohui. I think someone among them should also know about my relationship with you.”

“Indeed.” You Ruhui slightly gritted her teeth. Her emotions were surging, but she quickly calmed down and immediately turned her attention to An Jing’s safety: “In this case, could it be that the invitation from the Imperial Court to Shenjing is to capture you, to find my location through you?”

“They also want to retrieve the Heaven and Earth Core and seize the chance to achieve regality above Lingxiao?!”