Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 396 Sword Cuts Through the Mortal World
Su Rui suddenly stood up, completely ignoring the officials who were crying out in pain, and stared straight at the entrance of the main hall.

A very familiar face slowly approached, a hateful smile on its face.

It was none other than Prince Xian, Su Xin!

As one of the few people who knew that "Su Xin is Yun Yi", Su Rui was naturally very excited to see him and almost called him brother-in-law.

Qin Dingfeng was another person who knew about this matter, but he didn't expose it and planned to play along with him until the end of the charade.

"I've only been in seclusion for a short time, how come the atmosphere in the court has become like this?" Yun Yi walked into the hall, and as he passed the loud and boisterous official, he said, "If you don't shut your mouth, believe me, I'll kill you on the spot."

The officials were speechless for a moment. What kind of atmosphere was this in the court? People killing each other at the slightest disagreement? It's all your fault for corrupting it!

The censor was a young man who had only recently been promoted, and therefore had never seen the Prince of Xian in person.

He sensed the extraordinary aura of the man before him, yet he met his gaze with unwavering resistance. Just as he was about to say something, a minister beside him grabbed him and pulled him away.

Yun Yi said, "Gag him. I don't want to hear him say another word."

Several ministers scrambled to restrain the young official, fearing that he might act rashly and end up bleeding in the palace.

To be honest, Prince Xian, Su Xin, had a notorious reputation in the court, and no one expected that after Prince Duan's death, he would also go into seclusion to cultivate himself.

Princess Su Qing, the eldest princess, has a gentle personality and tends to be lenient in her dealings with others, which has led some people to gradually develop wicked intentions.

Yun Yi continued on his way, and the officials all made way for him. "I've heard that someone wants to arrange a marriage for the Princess?"

As he spoke, he stopped beside the Minister of Revenue.

The portly minister wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "The rumors outside are too rampant, and the people are in uproar. I am also trying to find a way that satisfies both sides. The princess is of marriageable age. If we choose a date for the wedding, the rumors will fall apart on their own."

"You've said all the nice things, what do you want me to say?"

"Does Prince Xian also agree with my suggestion?"

"Agree?" Yun Yi looked down at the Minister of Revenue. "Have you lost your mind? How dare you interfere in the royal family's marriage?"

Despite the pressure, the fat minister did not back down an inch.

Yun Yi sneered, "I heard that your family has produced a promising cultivator who has recently made some progress. Do you think you have something to rely on?"

"Don't dare."

"Heh, he says he wouldn't dare, but his actions speak louder than words. That's right, Feng Jingchen just entered the Void Returning Realm not long ago, he's really remarkable."

As Yun Yi spoke, he didn't forget to ask Qin Dingfeng, "Prime Minister Qin, what do you think?"

Qin Dingfeng replied, "I have cultivated for a lifetime and have only reached the Returning to the Void Realm. Young Master Feng has achieved such a feat, and his future is limitless. He is truly a formidable young man."

The fat minister was greatly pleased to hear this, and his old face, so fat that it had no wrinkles, could hardly contain itself.

He said respectfully, "My son's meager achievements are not worth mentioning."

Yun Yi: "Indeed, he's not worth mentioning. Feng Mo, the senior brother of the Righteous Qi Sect, is about the same age as him and has already reached the Dao Integration Realm. He surpasses our Young Master Feng in every way."

"This……"

"The Minister is notorious for his poor parenting skills. He even made a big joke at the Matchmaker Temple, with rumors spreading that his second son had fallen in love with his own concubine." Yun Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't you ever wonder how your youngest son, Feng Jingchen, suddenly became so insightful?"

Before the fat minister could reply, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "But don't rush. Once the matter is cleared up, if there is any misunderstanding, I will personally apologize to you."

The portly minister's confidence stemmed from Feng Jingchen. He frowned and said, "My son is, after all, a cultivator..."

The implication is that no one in the Great Xia Dynasty would dare to investigate a Void Returning Realm cultivator from the Righteous Qi Sect.

The Minister even felt that the reason why the Prince of Xian did not kill anyone today was because he was wary of Feng Jingchen.

Otherwise, given his temperament, that censor would have been dead long ago.

Little did he know that Yun Yi saw through all his little schemes. He said, "Ordinary people are naturally not qualified to investigate our Young Master Feng, so I intend to do this myself."

After saying that, Yun Yi opened his palm, and the sword spirit of the square circle condensed in his palm into the shape of a finger.

With a gentle flick of his wrist, the small sword shot out of the palace and flew towards the Minister's residence in Dong'an City.

The Minister of Revenue gradually lost his confidence: "What does Your Highness, Prince Xian, mean by this?"

Yun Yi: "No rush, we'll see how it goes in a moment."

Inside the hall, all the civil and military officials were utterly silent, not daring to utter a sound. Su Rui, on the other hand, was the most relaxed among them, watching the farce with a playful grin, while also harboring some curiosity—

Even Yunyi has returned, so why hasn't my sister shown up yet?

……

Deep beneath the palace lies the Panlong Pagoda.

Su Qing was worried about her father, so she came here directly to try and see if "Awakening Dragon's Gallbladder" would work.

A jade coffin with a gradient of dark blue and emerald green, carved with dragons, exudes a chilling aura.

Su Chengqian lay there, a deathly aura shaped like a viper pinned between his brows. The snake's fangs pierced his flesh, producing fine red threads that spread like living things throughout the jade coffin.

"Father, your daughter has arrived."

Su Qing took out the Dragon Gallbladder, which resembled a nine-aperture exquisite object. The crimson dragon dormant within it suddenly awoke, emitting a dragon's roar that resounded throughout the Panlong Pagoda, causing the pagoda to tremble.

The deathly aura of the viper seemed to have encountered its natural enemy and immediately became restless, wandering around Su Chengqian's body, trying to escape from this place.

Unfortunately, this body, which it has ravaged into its current state, has now become the prison that confines it.

Su Qing condensed a flame at her fingertips, causing the awakened dragon gall to transform into a stream of crimson gold light that entered Su Chengqian's brow.

In an instant, black energy surged like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, and red threads in the coffin burst forth and wrapped around Su Qinghao's wrist, but she easily burned them away with her alchemical fire.

Inside Su Chengqian's body, a small crimson dragon was chasing after the deathly aura of the viper, relentlessly biting it and cleansing the deathly aura from his body.

As the jade coffin emitted a blinding white light, the petrified dragon scales on the surrounding dragon pillars peeled off piece by piece, and a wisp of dragon energy descended from the top of the tower and flowed into Su Chengqian's body.

The serpent also disintegrated inch by inch under the impact of the awakened gentian, and finally disappeared without a trace.

As the last red thread faded, the old emperor's chest rose and fell gently, the force increasing until he suddenly opened his eyes.

It was initially cloudy, but gradually became clear.

"Qing'er?" The first thing Su Chengqian saw was his daughter, and he couldn't help but raise his hand to touch her tear stains.

"Father, you're finally awake!" Su Qing was already sobbing uncontrollably.

……

A five-clawed golden dragon faintly appeared in the sky above Dong'an City, lingering there. It was the dragon energy of the Great Xia Dynasty, which had been dormant for many years, and had finally returned to the human world with the awakening of the true dragon.

Ordinary people would find it difficult to see this scene; only those who cultivate themselves can sense it.

Qin Dingfeng was shocked to discover this, never expecting that the Princess had actually brought back the elixir that could revive the old emperor. Yun Yi, on the other hand, felt relieved, thinking: It's good that he's awake; all of Su Qing's years of hard work haven't been in vain.

Before long, the square sword spirit he had just casually tossed out flew back.

It left all alone, but returned with a person.

A wisp of icy silk-like sword energy emanated from the tip of the small, white sword, completely enveloping a man in a blue robe and dragging him along.

The Minister of Revenue immediately called out, "Jing Chen!"

Indeed, that person was his proud youngest son, a Void Returning Realm cultivator whom he thought could roam freely throughout the Great Xia Dynasty and act recklessly.

The sword spirit of Fangyuan flew around the main hall three times as if playing a prank before slamming the person down heavily in front of Yun Yi.

Feng Jingchen's hair ornaments and jade crown were shattered, and he was covered in wounds, clearly indicating that he had been through a fierce battle before being captured.

Despite his opponent being just a "small sword," he couldn't defeat him no matter how hard he tried.

"Young Master Feng has quite the airs, requiring me to personally invite him." Yun Yi lightly tapped his fingertip, and the small sword hummed as it hovered three inches between Feng Jingchen's eyebrows, its light reflecting off the Minister's pale, chubby face.

Feng Jingchen himself was the most terrified, because he felt that his cultivation had been locked up. No matter how much true essence he possessed in the Void Returning Realm surged, he could only lie on the ground panting like an ordinary person.

The Minister of Revenue finally realized the situation and immediately knelt down to beg for mercy: "Your Highness, please have mercy!"

After saying that, he began to kowtow repeatedly.

The others were even more shocked. The ethereal young master Feng had become a stray dog. Could it be that the King Xian's cultivation was now even stronger than that of the Returning Void Realm?

Yun Yi ignored them, focusing instead on commenting on Feng Jingchen's appearance, saying, "He is indeed handsome; no wonder he wanted to use you to get closer to the Princess."

Feng Jingchen's expression changed, and he wanted to say something, but Yun Yi stopped him first.

He said, "No rush, let's take this pill first."

Yun Yi flicked a pill into Feng Jingchen's mouth, thinking that if this place were not the secular imperial court, he would really like to kill this person directly, and then search his soul to find out the ins and outs of the matter.

However, in order not to frighten the civil and military officials, and also to give Su Qing some face, he went "lighter" this time.

The elixir melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and Feng Jingchen's eyes glazed over, leaving him looking dazed and confused. He was nowhere near the image of the legendary immortal descended to earth, the elegant young gentleman.

He answers every question now and there's no way he would lie.

Yun Yi: "Tell me, how did you acquire your Void Returning Realm cultivation?"

Feng Jingchen replied expressionlessly, "It was taught by an unknown master."

"He let you get close to Princess Su Qing?"

"Exactly."

"how so?"

"He wanted me to get close to Su Qing and then take the opportunity to implant a 'Red Dust Seed' inside her body."

Qin Dingfeng exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be the 'Mortal World Seed of the Heart Technique'?!"

Yun Yi had never heard of it before, but he could deduce some of its effects from the name. "What's its background?"

Qin Dingfeng: "A reclusive master who has mastered the 'Way of the Mortal World' calls himself Hong Fu. This technique can plant the seeds of the mortal world in people's hearts. Once they take root and sprout, the person affected will fall in love with the caster and be unable to extricate themselves."

Compared to other techniques that directly control others, the Red Dust Seed Technique preserves the mind of the victim, making them obsessed with Hong Fu.

She used this trick to harm many young talents in the cultivation world back then, but was later ambushed and killed by the righteous sects. No one knows where she escaped to afterward.

Yun Yi sighed, "Tsk, this expert's style of doing things is quite reminiscent of the Demonic Sect."

Qin Dingfeng lowered his voice and said, "Now everyone knows that the Eldest Princess is the true ruler of Great Xia, yet this person has gone to great lengths to devise a poisonous scheme. I'm afraid his ambitions are not small."

"Ha, that's always been their style. They're used to underhanded methods to destabilize the secular dynasties, and then they'll start a war when the time is right, only then will they be satisfied with the devastation."

"them?"

“Naturally, it’s Futian Pavilion.” Although Yun Yi had no evidence, it was the perfect excuse to pin the blame on Futian Pavilion.

Who else but them could incite Dao Integration Realm cultivators to carry out underhanded attacks against secular dynasties?

Yun Yi suddenly released his divine sense to probe outside, and sure enough, he found a strange aura outside the hall.

The next moment, he removed his flawless disguise, revealing his true form. Holding a three-foot-long sword, he moved like a gentle breeze past everyone in the hall and went straight outside.

There was a Dao Integration Realm expert there. He had originally come with Feng Jingchen, who had been suddenly captured, intending to watch the excitement from the outside, but he didn't expect to be targeted instead.

Moreover, that person was a sword cultivator at the Dao Integration Realm!
In her haste, Hong Fu summoned her precious whisk, its countless strands transforming into a disc to shield herself.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. When the whisk faced the ruler-shaped sword, it was as fragile as paper and was easily cut in two with a single stroke.

hiss!
Facing the man and sword hurtling straight at her face, Hong Fu shouted, "Are you still just watching the show?!"

Before he could finish speaking, a faceless monster appeared out of nowhere, blocking Yun Yi and Hong Fu's path, and with his hands clasped together, he blocked all the sharpness of the sword.

Yun Yi laughed instead of getting angry: "Having not seen you for a while, you've actually learned to catch a blade with your bare hands?"

Zhao Wuxiang grimaced, released the sword's edge, and retreated repeatedly, his palms already covered in blood.

He cursed inwardly, thinking how strange this kid was, his cultivation level would increase dramatically every time they met.

Given his track record, will he ascend to immortality the next time we meet?!

Hong Fu retreated to Zhao Wuxiang's side and said, "If you and I join forces to fight two against one, we might not be no match for him."

Zhao Wuxiang: "Previously, the Divine Calculator and the Xuanjia Puppet joined forces, but he killed them all."

"The Xuanjia puppet is just a puppet of Po Jun, it has no brains. But it's different when you and I join forces. Besides, your cultivation has improved recently, so why are you still so timid?"

Zhao Wuxiang thought to himself, "You have no idea, Yun Yi could make me suffer when he was still only at the Nascent Soul stage, and every time we met after that, nothing good ever came of it!"

Once bitten by a snake, twice shy. I've been bitten so many times, how could I not learn my lesson?
Hong Fu, however, had a fiery temper and was determined to kill Yun Yi that day. Moreover, she had a past with the Divine Calculator, and she was determined to avenge her friend.

Then Hong Fu went to meet the hateful swordsman not far away, thinking that Zhao Wuxiang was always cautious and timid, and that he would naturally come to help when the situation became clear.

Hong Fu's slender waist swayed gently, lotus flowers bloomed beneath her feet, and behind her, thousands of crimson silk threads swelled in the wind, transforming into a sky-covering, sun-obscuring rosy cloud.

Using this strange phenomenon as cover, she held a short sword in each hand and moved nimbly, stabbing out from an unusual angle!

The sky and earth changed color in an instant, attracting countless people to look up.

Qin Dingfeng was also somewhat worried and wanted to help, but he was powerless to do so.

But the next moment his tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.

Just because a sword casually severed the rosy clouds, two short swords broke into four pieces and fell to the ground with a clang.

(End of this chapter)