The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 184 Grandmother: ?!
The group, suspended in mid-air, naturally witnessed Gu Fangchen's astonishing performance.

Connecting all six levels within a hundred breaths is not only a test of both literary and martial arts, but also a test that barely passed; it is a work that can evoke literary energy!
This is unprecedented, and it's unlikely anyone will follow suit...

If we disregard Gu Fangchen's obstruction of their plans, Lu Mingyuan was quite surprised and impressed by the boy's performance.

There are many geniuses in this world, but there is probably only one genius who is also a polymath.

Unfortunately, for the sake of their grand cause, they must obtain that missing dragon vein!

Liu Wenqing twirled the sandalwood beads in his hand and advised:
"The dean cherishes talent. When 'Eternal Unity' is completed, we will naturally be able to continue our teacher-student relationship. Why worry about this moment?"

"Given his intelligence, he will surely be able to understand our good intentions."

"At that time, it will naturally be the best of both worlds."

His implication was that if they were to meet again in the future, Gu Fangchen, if sensible, could still join the academy and become a meritorious official under the "Sage of the Heart".

But if he's not tactful or "clever" enough, then it's just not meant to be.

"That's all."

Lu Mingyuan sighed and nodded, then narrowed his eyes:
"Speaking of which, what's the status of that rumor about the hidden dragon vein? Is it confirmed to be true or false?"

Dugu Yu's eyes flickered, and she said:
"It's probably true. The Dugu family of Gushu seems to be getting along very closely with Gu Yuye's people lately. Both sides are probably trying to make something out of this dragon vein."

Lu Mingyuan stood with his hands behind his back and said:

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Gu Yuye has been waiting for this day for too long. Those rebel armies have already started to emerge. Let's make our move in the next few days and not let them really gain any real power."

"If Gu Yuye really wants to rebel, it would be a good thing. Such a great achievement can win the hearts of the people for His Highness the Crown Prince and bring good fortune to the country."

"At that time, it will be much easier and safer to integrate these five dragon veins into his body..."

"Alright, it's almost time. Is everyone ready?"

Dugu Yu nodded and said:
"Everything is ready."

He smiled slightly, looking at the tower below that had lit up again:

"The riot in the Demon Suppression Prison was suppressed by activating the basic array of the Literary and Martial Tower, which is reasonable and justifiable."

The location of the Demon-Suppressing Prison, used by the Dugu family to suppress evil spirits, is unknown to outsiders in order to prevent any prison break-ins.

In reality, the Demon-Suppressing Prison is located directly beneath the Literary and Martial Pagoda!
The Demon Suppression Prison imprisons many evil spirits and vengeful ghosts. Even the slightest leak of their aura would cause great harm to ordinary people.

Therefore, it is necessary to use the teaching steles in the Wenwu Pagoda, as well as the vitality and righteous spirit of generations of young cultivators, to form a great formation.

Lu Mingyuan wasn't confident he could suppress the [Seventy-Two Peaks Sky-Reaching Sword], which was forged from the earth's veins, so he had to rely on this grand formation.

The purpose of sending Gu Fangchen to challenge the Literary and Martial Tower was to encourage him to enter the formation voluntarily.

While the group chatted for a few minutes, the eighth floor of the Wenwu Pagoda below lit up.

While the trials at the Tower of Literary and Martial Arts cannot fully represent one's strength, they certainly represent one's potential.

The fact that Gu Fangchen was able to reach the eighth level at the same time means that she will at least reach the second rank in the future!
This is the future Qitian Realm!

The sandalwood beads in Liu Wenqing's hand stopped spinning, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
"It's truly... a pity."

Dugu Yu smiled:

"Don't regret it. If you really feel it's a pity, you might as well finish your great task sooner and wait for the right time to see who he chooses as his teacher."

Liu Wenqing chuckled, shook his head, and said:

"Indeed, let's get started quickly."

The two discussed in a very relaxed tone which of them would the person they were about to kill choose as his teacher in the future.

To outsiders, he looked completely insane.

Lu Mingyuan stretched out his hand, raised it upwards into the air, and said in a deep voice:
"Get into formation!"

With a loud "boom," a huge crack suddenly appeared in the ground around the Wenwu Pagoda!

Several enormous, blood-red eyes peered out of the gap at the outside world with a mixture of surprise and greed.

"Wow..."

As the land slopes, the calm waters of the river transform into raging waves, crashing against both banks.

On the ground, a complex array spanning a thousand feet appeared.

The crowd scattered in an uproar.

But soon, the abnormality was not limited to the Wenwu Pagoda and Jiangling River area; the ground tremors quickly came from all directions.

Amidst a tremendous roar, a deep and resonant dragon's cry echoed through the heavens! A burst of golden light suddenly appeared across the sky, illuminating the fish-scale patterns on the clouds—a truly magnificent sight!

This golden light stretches across the entire Jiangnan region, its majestic momentum vaguely forming a colossal golden dragon!

All the cultivators in Jiangnan were alarmed, and cries of surprise rose and fell.

"Dragon Veins!"

"It's a dragon vein! A new dragon vein has been born!"

Some people even looked terrified and said in trembling voices:
"The dynasty has not yet changed, but a new dragon vein has been born... This is a sign of chaos! Heaven has forsaken the Great Wei! Heaven has forsaken the Great Wei!"

……

Gu Fangchen walked out of the eighth floor of the Wenwu Tower, leaned on the railing and looked out at the magnificent Jiangling River.

At the other exit, Xuexiang, holding a sword, also came out.

On this eighth level, the two sides are connected. By passing the test on this level, one can obtain a wisp of the Daoist essence of the sage.

The wind howled, blowing his long hair and white robe.

Standing atop this towering Wenwu Pagoda, hundreds of feet high, one enjoys an expansive view. Facing the wind, one feels refreshed and invigorated, and one cannot help but feel a surge of pride and ambition.

Gu Fangchen squinted at the river below, where even the painted boats looked like tiny sesame seeds or mung beans, let alone people.

Even the most beautiful woman above can't be seen clearly.

With the strength of his puppet body, plus the enhancement of his divine soul, he is basically no different from a fourth-rank cultivator.

"Heh... Gu Yuye, as expected, he had it all planned out from the very beginning."

Gu Fangchen was not surprised by this result.

He knew Gu Yuye all too well; he only ever cared about himself, and everyone else was just a pawn in his game.

"Boom...Boom..."

A loud bang came from beneath the Wenwu Pagoda, and booming sounds echoed from all directions as if in response.

Gu Fangchen took a deep breath, turned her head, and saw the Ancestral Master Granny walking up the stairs like a ghost.

The matriarch's gaze instantly fell on Gu Fangchen, without looking at Xuexiang.

The reason is that what Xuexiang has is nothing but a fake.

Gu Fangchen had tried everything to get rid of the sword, but nothing worked. She just kept sticking to him, which led to him being relentlessly pursued by his ancestral matriarch.

He had Xuexiang carry the fake item simply to get the people at the academy to agree to let her in...

Gu Fangchen sighed, took out the real [Seventy-Two Peaks Towering Sword], and waved it:
"Grandma, you'd better see this clearly this time. It's definitely not that I don't want to give it to you..."

"Someone is trying to steal this sword!"

"boom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Wenwu Tower split open from the middle, revealing the opened Demon Suppression Prison and the massive suppression formation directly below.

The array lights up in succession, penetrating the entire Wenwu Tower and reaching Lu Mingyuan's hand in the sky above.

Gu Fangchen immediately released the longsword in his hand, which transformed into a small dragon that still wanted to stick to him.

Upon seeing this, the matriarch's eyebrows shot up, and she instantly appeared in front of him.

But the next moment, chains appeared on the little dragon's body, extending from the void and dragging it upwards.

Lu Mingyuan reached out and grabbed the little dragon, a calm smile playing on his lips:

"After all that effort, this dragon vein has still fallen into our hands!"

Hagiron: "?"

Grandma: "?!"

The matriarch missed her target, paused, and glanced at Gu Fangchen, who was standing in front of her with her hands raised innocently.

Then he slowly raised his head, his eyes, as vast and terrifying as the starry sky, staring intently at Lu Mingyuan and the other two.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Total number of updates owed (1/5)

(End of this chapter)