Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Chengqian Hall.

After greeting the three, Jiang Ning silently began to use his divine sense.

He had just arrived at Chengqian Palace and was unaware of what had happened in the past two days.

Although he could only make a vague guess based on the current situation, he already had some suspicions in his mind.

But it only goes as far as speculation.

next moment.

Within a hundred miles of the entire capital, the aura of all living beings lit up, arranged, and categorized in his sea of ​​consciousness like stars.

Millions of life fluctuations emerged densely.

Ordinary people have a faint, dim aura, like fireflies, while martial artists have an aura that varies in strength, like the glow of a campfire or stove.

A few more powerful energy aggregates were the strong individuals in the royal capital.

With just one glance, Jiang Ning locked onto Ji Xuan.

Then, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

After categorizing the auras, he discovered that the auras representing the princes had almost all disappeared.

Only from the direction of Chengde Palace, a trace of aura had just dissipated, still retaining the lingering aura of someone who had recently died.

He knew in his heart that something had obviously changed, just as he had expected.

next moment.

The scene in Chengde Palace appeared before him; it was of the deceased Ji Mingyu.

He slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at the two remaining princes in Chengqian Palace.

Ji Minghao, Ji Mingyuan.

"I see." Jiang Ning understood completely and instantly realized the drama unfolding here.

The struggle for the throne turned into fratricide, with blood staining the palace.

This was nothing new in any dynasty, but seeing it with his own eyes and experiencing it firsthand still sent a chill down his spine.

He then landed on the blood-stained floor tiles.

"Gentlemen, I am aware of what has happened here!" he said.

Upon hearing this, Ji Mingyuan's heart sank.

He knew that things were about to change again in this place.

Although Jiang Ning was only a second-rank marquis, his influence and strength were unmatched by any other second-rank marquis.

After only a moment's thought, Ji Mingyuan took a step forward.

"Jiang Ning, this matter is none of your concern! This is a family affair of the Ji clan!"

Jiang Ningjing glanced at Ji Mingyuan.

"Family matters? If it's just a family matter, why is the Xuan Tian Army surrounding the palace? Why is General Shen here in person? Why are two princes here in person?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Li Tianwen, the King of Beicang, and Shen Xiao.

"The struggle for the throne is never just a family matter. It concerns the foundation of the nation, the stability of the world, and even more so... the future that the Martial Saint senior hoped for."

The mention of the title "Martial Saint" caused everyone present to tense up.

Ji Mingyuan's expression changed slightly, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "What do you mean by this, Lord Jiang? Do you mean to interfere in the matter of the Ji family's succession?"

"Intervene?" Jiang Ning shook his head slightly. "I had no such intention. I just happened to be passing by and saw His Highness the Eighth Prince about to do something dangerous, so I spoke up to dissuade him."

He turned his gaze to Ji Minghao and said slowly, "Eighth Prince, put down your sword. Things have not yet reached a dead end."

Ji Minghao's hand holding the sword trembled, and then he slowly lowered his arm, the long sword falling to the ground with a clang.

He knew that Jiang Ning's appearance meant a turning point.

At least, he didn't have to die to prove his innocence and exchange it for that sliver of hope.

Seeing this, Shen Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Jiang Ning with more scrutiny and curiosity.

The young Marquis of Dongling today gave him a completely different feeling from the rumors.

More importantly, he could sense that the confidence Jiang Ning exuded at this moment was completely different from the feeling he had before.

"Lord Dongling, I am very curious." The unborn King of Beicang slowly stepped forward. With each step he took, the air froze, as if suppressed by an invisible force.

He continued, "I'm curious where your confidence comes from. You don't think your appearance can change the course of events, do you? Do you think you're as strong as either of us, the Divine Might King? Do you think that just because you've reached the Nascent Soul Immortal realm, you can be our enemy? You have no cultivation, only a high realm, and the era doesn't belong to you. What right do you have to act like this in front of us?"

When the King of Northern Cang said this, his gaze sharpened slightly, his eyes narrowed, and then he uttered two more words.

"presumptuous--"

When the word "outrageous" came out of his mouth.

Suddenly, it was like a thunderclap exploding, rolling across the sky above Chengqian Palace.

The sound echoed repeatedly, yet remained stagnant and did not spread to other places.

Faced with these words from the King of Northern Cang, Jiang Ning remained calm and composed.

Instead, he slowly took out a token from his pocket.

The token is about the size of a palm and is dark gold in color.

The front is carved with a coiled dragon, its head held high, its claws sharp, and its scales lifelike.

The back is engraved with an ancient-style character "姬".

The token's surface shimmered with a faint luster, as if it were breathing with life within it, emanating a vast and majestic aura.

"Dragon Soaring Order!!" Divine Might King Li Tianwen slowly uttered three words, his expression turning solemn.

Holding the Dragon Soaring Token is like having the Emperor himself in person.

With this order, the Imperial Guards can be mobilized, as can a hundred-man Shadow Guard unit.

At this moment, Jiang Ning holds the Dragon Soaring Token, which represents the will of Emperor Changning.

Seeing this, Shen Xiao's pupils dilated, and his gaze was fixed on the token.

As a great general, how could he not recognize this token?

This was cast by the founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty and personally handled by successive emperors. It represents the supreme imperial power, and issuing its orders is as if the emperor himself were present.

This edict could only be obtained by those who had made unparalleled contributions or gained the emperor's absolute trust, and it was often bestowed by the emperor on his deathbed or during special periods, serving as one of the symbols of entrusting his affairs after his death!

The King of Northern Cang's expression also changed drastically at this moment.

The appearance of the Dragon Order means that Jiang Ning's actions at this moment can, to some extent, be seen as representing the will of the comatose Emperor Changning!
This is not a simple case of military intervention like theirs, but rather has a potential legal basis.

Ji Mingyuan was struck dumb, staggering back a step. He stared at the token in disbelief, his lips trembling as he stammered, "No, impossible! How could Father... how could he give you the Dragon Soaring Token?!"

"The Dragon Soaring Token is here!" Jiang Ning raised the Dragon Soaring Token and shouted loudly.

The imperial guards inside Chengqian Palace all knelt down in unison, and the Xuantian Army on the city wall also knelt down one after another.

Seeing this, Ji Mingyuan turned completely ashen-faced.

Having reached this point, even with the support of the Northern Cang King and the Divine Might King behind him, it would be of no use. Because the Dragon Soaring Token was in Jiang Ning's hands, it represented righteousness and legitimacy.

If the Northern Cang King and the Divine Might King want to take action, they would have to disregard the rules of law.

But at that time, it was illegitimate and tantamount to treason.

If the Northern Cang King and the Divine Might King were to forcefully intervene, they would completely shatter the bottom line of the struggle for the throne and stand against everyone.

"enough!"

Suddenly, a deep and majestic voice came from deep within Chengqian Palace.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a peculiar penetrating power, instantly drowning out all the whispers and the sounds of armor rubbing against each other in the arena, clearly resounding in everyone's ears.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

The tightly closed vermilion and gilded palace door of Chengqian Palace slid open silently inward.

A tall figure dressed in a black dragon robe slowly emerged from the shadows of the hall and stepped into the courtyard bathed in morning light.

The man was about forty years old, with a square face, a tall and upright figure, and a cold and stern look between his brows.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, and wherever his gaze swept, the air seemed to freeze.

It was none other than the current regent, Ji Xuan, who also held the title of "King of the Same Rank."

Jiang Ning turned around and glanced back, his gaze slightly grave.

He had heard of Ji Xuan's resounding reputation countless times.

The thought of Ji Xuan as his imaginary enemy had echoed in his mind countless times.

Before today, he had already formed a deep and irreparable enmity with Ji Xuan.

After leaving the demon kingdom, he could have returned to the capital long ago, but he didn't, because he was making thorough preparations.

He knew very well that once he returned to the capital, he would inevitably face Ji Xuan, with no room for maneuver.

Ji Xuan's strength is said to be second in the world, and his power is unfathomable. Moreover, like him, he cultivates both martial arts and immortality, and has not only reached the pinnacle of martial arts, but has also gone very far in immortality.

Even now, when facing Ji Xuan, he wasn't entirely confident.

At this moment, with Ji Xuan's appearance, the already tense atmosphere suddenly reached its peak.

Shen Xiao, Li Tianwen, and the Northern Cang King, the three supreme experts, almost simultaneously tensed their auras and looked solemnly at this towering pillar of the Great Xia royal family.

Although the three of them were at the peak of the first rank and the strongest in martial arts, they were still very solemn in their hearts when facing the second tallest mountain in the world.

"Royal Uncle!" Ji Minghao and Ji Mingyuan were both shocked and bowed deeply.

Ji Xuan did not respond immediately. His gaze first fell on Jiang Ning, lingered on the Dragon Soaring Token for a moment, and then he looked away.

Then he looked down at the crowd below.

"The struggle for the throne has always been a bloodbath in the palace, and I have seen it all before," Ji Xuan said, his voice calm and composed, yet carrying an undeniable authority. "But today, things have gone too far."

"Royal Uncle." Ji Mingyuan began, but before he could finish speaking, Ji Xuan raised his hand to stop him.

Ji Xuan's gaze fell on Ji Mingyuan, whose face was ashen. After a moment, he continued, "Mingyuan, you acted ruthlessly, eliminating your brothers and comrades in the palace in one night. You are decisive and ruthless, with the bearing of a hero. In times of chaos, to establish a stable rule, sometimes such determination to overcome all difficulties at any cost is indeed necessary."

"You were able to persuade the Divine Might King to lead the Xuantian Army to surround the palace; that can be considered a skill."

These words sounded like a critique, and the tone was deliberately calm, but the phrases like "the bearing of a tyrant" and "at any cost" made Jiang Ning's eyes darken slightly.

Then, Ji Xuan's gaze turned to Ji Minghao, whose face was pale.

“Minghao is kind and compassionate, cares for his siblings, and remains steadfast in the face of danger. He would rather commit suicide than use his sister as a bargaining chip. This is the heart of a benevolent person and a benevolent ruler, but it is also the temperament of a scholar.”

Ji Xuan paused, his tone calm and unwavering, but the comment about "scholarly air" caused Ji Minghao's expression to change drastically.

Ji Xuan then continued, "Minghao is caught in the vortex of the throne; possessing only benevolence and integrity, he lacks the power to wield decisive action. General Shen's support for you shows you have merit, it's a pity."

Ji Xuan shook his head and continued, "The Great Xia is now in turmoil, and the Nine Provinces are on the verge of collapse. Chaos is rampant. What is needed now is not a benevolent ruler who can govern the country and maintain its stability, but a decisive and ruthless monarch."

These words immediately changed Ji Minghao's expression again; he now understood what his royal uncle meant.

He opened his mouth, but found he had nothing to say.

In the face of such a person, any words or explanations he made were utterly empty and powerless.

Ji Xuan's gaze swept over Shen Xiao, Li Tianwen, and the King of Beicang, finally settling on Jiang Ning.

His voice suddenly turned deep, carrying an undeniable determination: "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can palace intrigue be prolonged. The struggle between the princes must eventually be resolved. Considering their methods, their courage, and their current control of the situation, I believe that the Fifth Prince, Ji Mingyuan, is fit to inherit the throne!"

As the final decision was made, Ji Mingyuan's face, which had just been filled with despair and defeat, instantly flushed with ecstasy and disbelief, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.

Shen Xiao's face turned ashen, his fists clenched involuntarily, the Northern Cang King frowned, and Li Tianwen looked at Ji Xuan with complicated eyes.

Ji Minghao swayed, and the long sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. It was as if the last bit of strength supporting him had been drained away, and his eyes were filled with sorrow and resignation.

at the same time.

Jiang Ning, standing high above, took in everyone's reactions, a cold smile slowly curving his lips.

He could clearly see the bias beneath Ji Xuan's seemingly fair judgment, and the final verdict that pointed directly at Ji Mingyuan.

What warlord in troubled times, what kind of benevolent scholar—these are just excuses.

The real reason, revealed by the almost imperceptible chill deep within Ji Xuan's calm gaze, was already clear: this was aimed at Jiang Ning.

Because he is close to the Eighth Prince Ji Minghao, if Ji Minghao ascends the throne, his influence will rise accordingly based on his relationship with Ji Mingyue. If Ji Xuan wants to take action against him later, it will be much more troublesome.

"Alright!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

He returned to the capital prepared to fight Ji Xuan.

He also dislikes too many roundabout ways.

I thought too much and did too much before because my abilities were not yet sufficient.

But things are different now.

After achieving the realm of a Primordial Spirit Immortal, his strength took another big step forward.

He was already confident of defeating Ji Xuan beforehand.

Not to mention how things have come to this point.

A soft laugh suddenly broke the deathly silence of Chengqian Palace.

Jiang Ning met Ji Xuan's suddenly sharp gaze and said loudly, "What a regent! Does the regent really think he is the ruler of the world?"

"It seems that Marquis Dongling has a problem with me!" Ji Xuan said calmly.

Jiang Ning smiled, and the Yin-Yang Mystic Light around his body quietly flowed, causing the Qi of the entire Chengqian Palace to suddenly stagnate.

"In the end, it all comes down to who has the better skills!"

"Are you very confident?" Ji Xuan asked.

"If I didn't have confidence, why would I have gotten involved in the struggle for imperial power!" Jiang Ning took a step forward, and the pressure of his primordial spirit began to spread.

He continued, "I owe the Eighth Prince a favor, so the throne should be inherited by the Eighth Prince."

"You are indeed very confident, daring to stand against my will!" Ji Xuan said.

The next moment, a yellowish-brown light suddenly expanded from Ji Xuan's body. (End of Chapter)