CHAPTER 318: CHAPTER 314: ASTONISHING SECRET_1

After advancing to the Ancient Court, the Qin Dynasty capitalized on its great Fortune and auspicious transformations, causing its comprehensive national power to surge and making it a behemoth that dominated the East.

In the following time, the Ancient Court of the Qin Dynasty refrained from waging wars and focused all its attention on the development and construction of its newly seized territories. This allowed the surrounding forces to breathe a sigh of relief.

Time flew by, and swiftly, a year passed.

During this interval, Qin Wudao rewarded Zhao Yun and Lv Bu each with an ’Emperor-breaking Pill,’ a reward from the system. The two successfully broke through to the Quasi-Emperor Realm.

As for the others, due to the exhaustion of resources left by Kunlun Supreme, their realms didn’t change much.

Barring unforeseen events, the development of the Ancient Court of the Qin Dynasty would enter a period of stagnation.

If one shifted their gaze from the Qin Dynasty to the whole East Border, they would be surprised to discover that throughout the past year, no war had erupted. All major forces deliberately exercised restraint when conflicts arose.

However, beneath the calm surface, tumultuous currents had long been brewing.

「Middle Region!」

There was a grand, vast city covering thousands of miles, obstructing the sun and sky. Mountains served as its backdrop, pavilions were built over vast waters, long bridges hung in the air, and water vapor coalesced into dragons.

Countless palaces were scattered throughout the city, adorned with spiritual trees and roads paved with Spirit Stones, showcasing its opulence!

The palace at the city’s center was magnificent, spanning several miles. Within this single palace, the climates varied from one section to another!

This city was known as Nine Heavy City!

It was the capital city of the Saint’s Court, the strongest nation on the continent, and the premier city of the Original Continent. Its legacy spanned eight eras, and it had witnessed the ceaseless march of time.

"Why has Brother Kylin left his Holy Land in the East Border and come here?"

Inside the Nine Heavy Palace, Emperor Dongfang, the current master of the Saint’s Court, said with a smile. He was clad in a golden imperial robe and a crown, with sharp brows and star-like eyes, naturally exuding an aura of authority.

Opposite him sat Great Emperor Kylin, who had come from afar.

However, this King, who stirred storms in the East Border, now sat quietly to the side like an attendant, not even daring to drink the tea on the table.

There were also significant disparities between Holy Lands.

Nine Heavy Saint’s Court was a force from the First Era, while Kylin’s Holy Land was a force from the Fourth Era. The gap between the two was quite significant.

The First and Second Eras were close to the Ancient Times. Consequently, Spiritual Energy was very abundant, and the cultivation environment was far superior to the present, leading to the emergence of many Great Emperor Martial Artists.

"Brother Dongfang, I have a favor to ask. Last year, my son was taken by the Eternal Temple. Could you possibly help me rescue him?"

Great Emperor Kylin spoke politely, visibly tense, fearing Emperor Dongfang would refuse.

Actually, his relationship with Emperor Dongfang wasn’t particularly deep. They had adventured together in their youth but had not been in contact since.

"Hmm? If I recall correctly, your son possesses the Beast Divine Body, correct?"

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Emperor Dongfang’s eyes. He didn’t respond immediately but instead inquired about a seemingly unrelated matter.

"That’s right, Brother Dongfang," Great Emperor Kylin promptly replied.

"I see!"

Emperor Dongfang stood up and paced around the room a couple of times. Then, he went to a nearby bookshelf and retrieved an ancient-looking book. The cover bore no title, but its well-worn creases showed it was frequently consulted.

Great Emperor Kylin also stood up, confusion written all over his face.

"Come, let’s sit and talk!"

Emperor Dongfang waved his hand, placed the book on the table, and flipped to the last page. Using his finger as a pen and Spiritual Energy as ink, he added a line of text at the bottom.

Great Emperor Kylin slowly sat down, watching as Emperor Dongfang wrote ’Ninth Era’ and ’Beast Divine Body’ in the book.

"You can take a look!"

After writing, Emperor Dongfang handed the book to Great Emperor Kylin, then picked up his teacup and slowly savored its contents.

Great Emperor Kylin respectfully received the book. The first sentence on the first page read: ’First Era: Eternal Temple, in the year 3,500 of the First Epoch, abducted the 2,600th ranked special constitution, the Mysterious Water Body!’

The second line read: ’First Era: Eternal Temple, in the year 3,800 of the First Epoch, abducted the 2,900th ranked special constitution, the Fury Thunder Body!’

The third line stated: ’First Era: Eternal Temple, in the year 238,569 of the First Epoch, abducted the 1,489th ranked special constitution, the Ten Thousand Arrow Body!’

The fourth line...

The subsequent entries mostly recorded instances of the Eternal Temple abducting individuals with special constitutions, noting their rank and the year.

This continued down to the sixty-fifth line, which read: ’Second Era: Eternal Temple, in the year 306 of the Second Epoch, abducted the 2,091st ranked special constitution, the Fire Pill Body!’

...

About an hour later, Great Emperor Kylin reached the final entry. It read: ’Ninth Era: Eternal Temple, in the year 3,005 of the Ninth Epoch, abducted the 10th ranked special constitution, the Beast Divine Body!’

The year 3,005 of the Ninth Epoch was precisely last year, when Shen Youlin was abducted.

This was an ancient chronological method mastered only by factions with ancient legacies, used to differentiate eras and divine heavenly secrets.

Great Emperor Kylin put the book down and asked, his voice trembling, "Are... are all these records true?"

The contents of the book made his scalp tingle.

"Yes, they are true. As you’ve seen, during the Fifth Epoch, a greatly gifted ancestor of the imperial family was also abducted by the Eternal Temple!" Emperor Dongfang said solemnly, a cold flash of murderous intent visible in the depths of his eyes.

Great Emperor Kylin’s heart sank as he hastily asked, "Then... did you manage to rescue that ancestor?"

Emperor Dongfang shook his head.

Seeing this, Great Emperor Kylin’s heart plummeted. If even the Nine Heavy Saint’s Court couldn’t rescue their own, then it would be all the more impossible for Kylin’s Holy Land.

Great Emperor Kylin clutched his head, his expression one of extreme anguish. "Is there truly no way? Youlin, your father has failed you!"

He had placed immense hope in Shen Youlin, his most beloved son and the future heir to the Holy Land. But now, he was gone!

"Brother Kylin, there might still be a way. Journey to the West Border and seek the abbot of Thunder Sound Temple. During the Second Epoch, they successfully rescued their own disciples from the Eternal Temple!"

Seeing Great Emperor Kylin’s anguished expression, Emperor Dongfang, wishing to help, hesitated for a moment before revealing a secret.

"Really?"

Great Emperor Kylin instantly brightened, then, realizing his outburst might have seemed distrustful, hastily explained, "Brother Dongfang, it’s not that I doubt you, I was just overwhelmed with emotion! I will depart for the West Border immediately. Upon my return, I shall thank you properly!"

After speaking, Great Emperor Kylin bowed deeply and departed in haste.

Emperor Dongfang returned the bow. He waited until Great Emperor Kylin was long gone before picking up the book from the table again, murmuring to himself, "These individuals lurking in the shadows... what exactly are they scheming?"

Then, he returned the book to the bookshelf and issued a command to the empty air, "Relay my orders: Increase the Crown Prince’s protection. Ensure Emperor-level Martial Artists are guarding him at all times!"

The abduction of Shen Youlin had served as a warning to him.