Throughout the Great Xia Court, numerous officials, both civil and military, admired those in power. Otherwise, how could the Emperor hold absolute authority within the Court?
For this reason, Empress Qi even refrained from urging Zhang Zhao to settle down and marry a principal consort.
...
West Palace's Key Location
Compared to the bustling Fengzhi Palace, Longkang Palace, as part of the West Palace, was much quieter, situated closer to the Imperial City, enveloped in thick water vapor.
Bai Liying, after condensing her Golden Core, had been cultivating here. When she received news from the former dynasty, she only slightly reacted and paid no further attention.
She had long known that Zhang Jian intended to groom Zhang Zhao as the Patriarch of the Zhang Family and the successor of the Great Xia Dynasty; naturally, she had no intention of competing for it.
Zhang Yi also had no interest in this matter.
In the midst of the commotion within the Imperial Court, Bai Liying was too lazy to involve herself, her unchanging pursuit being longevity and enlightenment.
After condensing her Golden Core, she planned to return to Bai Shui to cultivate, then await the conferment from the Sheji Divine Dao, hoping to leverage the influence of the Great Xia Dynasty to gain an appointment as a River God or Dragon Monarch in a water-rich area.
...
Inside the Imperial Palace, Zhang Zhao received the imperial decree from the Chief Steward of the Imperial Court with a calm demeanor, maintaining a gentle smile throughout.
For him, it was a matter of course.
Actually, compared to handling complex affairs, Zhang Zhao preferred to immerse himself in cultivation.
Having grown up by Zhang Jian's side, taught by his words and example, he became increasingly calm, wise, and cautious. From a young age, he habitually masked himself with wisdom, merely to earn his father's encouragement and recognition.
In fact, he achieved everything he desired.
Yet, deep down, he yearned to possess a more fascinating life like ordinary cultivators.
Sometimes he felt he was being overly ambitious!
However, cultivation indeed allowed him to let go of everything and focus wholeheartedly.
But soon Zhang Zhao returned to rationality, glancing towards another jade slip on the table.
After being appointed as the Crown Prince by the Great Xia Emperor, Zhang Zhao was bestowed with a royal secret technique. He carried a small sense of anticipation for it.
Zhang Zhao pondered for a moment, then casually picked up the jade slip and pressed it to his forehead. Moments later, a mysterious Primordial Spirit Level technique instantly imprinted itself in his mind.
"'Dreaming in the Void,' a Divine Travel that spans heaven and earth, with ever-changing transformations and the cycle of illusion and reality, to harmonize with all living beings!"
With a mere sweep of his Divine Thought, Zhang Zhao's eyes gleamed brightly.
This secret technique was one he had heard from his father, something his father had uniquely developed—a mysterious technique already established as a core, untransmitted secret of the Zhang family.
Once mastered, it could transform into countless virtual bodies entering the world, experiencing different lives, thereby comprehending the transformation between illusion and reality, and achieving the supreme Dao skill.
This technique perfectly aligned with his desires. With it, even if he couldn't leave Haojing City, he could still experience the myriad of life's vicissitudes through these illusory spirit bodies.
He could become a Qi Cultivator traveling the blue sea by morning and a verdant hill by evening, or an ordinary cultivator tirelessly pursuing the Dao, or transform into a civilian official living a peaceful life, or a common merchant journeying through the four corners of the world, or even a beast in the barbaric region, a deity of a land, encompassing all things under the sky…
"Father…"
A slight ripple passed through Zhang Zhao's eyes. Quickly collecting himself, he prepared to deeply contemplate this Primordial Spirit Level technique, not wanting to disappoint Zhang Jian's kind intentions.
...
Elsewhere, Chi Jiang Daoist borrowed the East Emperor's Treasure Mirror and hurried back to the Asura Gate.
Upon his return, he saw the void filled with magnificent spiritual mechanisms, with powerful cultivators dispatched by various major Immortal Sect Dao Lineages present around him.
These major Immortal Sects came from diverse backgrounds, responding to the call of the Tongshan Dao Lineage.
For instance, the Celestial Sword Sect, Lingxiao Sword Sect, Thousand Dragons Sect, Profound Extreme Sect, Shangqing Sword Sect, and several powerful Righteous Sects had all arrived.
The emergence of the Asura Gate within their jurisdiction alarmed multiple Immortal Sect Dao Lineages. If not resolved, such a calamity might breed great disaster.
Since it was a high-ranking figure from the Tongshan Dao Lineage leading the charge, everyone was willing to respond.
Wu Liang True Monarch also noticed Chi Jiang Daoist's return. Upon receiving the East Emperor's Treasure Mirror, he immediately led numerous Dao Lineage experts into the Asura Gate.
...
In the depths of the Asura Gate, a river of blood flowed beneath blood-red light, stretching magnificently from the depths, sweeping through the Void Dharma Realm.
The blood river was vast, like an ocean.
Amidst the innermost layer, a terrifying blood-red figure stood, eyes radiating intense blood light.
Surrounded by this blood shadow, demonic qi surged!
On his massive blood-red body, countless malformed ulcers appeared, identical to those of the former Emperor Jingwu.
Above him, countless fierce ghostly wails and the cries of the living echoed, causing this figure's eyes to reveal hints of chaos and madness.
"Damn Dong Shen Temple, damn Old Qianhai! Even at the brink of death, you want to take me with you!"
His eyes were filled with gloom.
This figure was none other than the Blood Sea Saint Monarch, grievously wounded by Qianhai True Monarch.
He had originally fled to the depths of the Sub-Void Realm to heal, but with the collapse of the Beichu Dynasty, being one of the two National Guardian Grand Masters revered by Beichu, he immediately suffered a massive backlash of destiny, nearly causing his Primordial Spirit to shatter completely.
Currently, to survive, he was forced to dangerously connect with powerful Outer Demon Gods deep within the blood river, leveraging the Outer Demon Gods' power to suppress the backlash.