If you were asked to identify an item, would you choose to extract magical powers?

Chapter 303 The Imperial Preceptor's Visit
The Imperial Study was completely silent.

Only the flickering light of the oil lamp illuminated the surroundings in an alternating dim and bright manner.

After the Imperial Advisor uttered those words, the silence in the Imperial Study became even more pronounced.

Besides the quiet, a gentle breeze blew through the imperial study, making the oil lamp in front of him look a little messy.

Emperor Tianyun clapped his hands, his eyes lighting up.

He truly hadn't expected that he could make a breakthrough through Shen Bai.

He knew better than anyone what status and position Shen Bai held now.

Throughout the entire Great Zhou Kingdom, one may not know anyone else, but one must not know Shen Bai.

Furthermore, now that Shen Bai's status as a peerless king has been spread, the Great Zhou Kingdom holds him in even greater awe.

If Shen Bai could learn of this news and believe it, then they could avoid a lot of trouble.

After the two of them finalized this agreement, they made their decision.

The Imperial Advisor said, "I will personally go to the Great Zhou Kingdom."

Emperor Tianyun frowned slightly: "Why go to the Great Zhou Kingdom in person? Your current identity is very special, and going there may cause bad consequences."

Regardless, the Grand Preceptor is a citizen of the Great Yue Kingdom. Even though the Great Yue Kingdom is now in cahoots with the Great Qi Kingdom, his status still makes it inappropriate for him to travel directly to the Great Zhou Kingdom.

The Imperial Advisor shook his head and said, "Back then, I was ordered by the Emperor of Great Yue, and with no other choice, I had to use the golden arrow to deal with him."

"Now that he has such a status and position, he must harbor resentment towards me."

"I'm going here to explain my purpose and also to apologize for the mistakes I made back then."

The Imperial Advisor's golden arrow was indeed a last resort.

Whether it was the Emperor of Da Yue or other high-ranking officials, they all joined forces to put pressure on him, and he had no choice but to resort to this tactic.

However, that golden arrow has already exacerbated the conflict. If Shen Bai still harbors resentment towards that golden arrow, sending others over would only make things more difficult.

The Grand Preceptor dared not gamble; he dared not gamble that Shen Bai was magnanimous about the previous sneak attack. Therefore, he wanted to go to the Great Zhou Kingdom alone.

Apologize for that golden arrow from back then.

Emperor Tianyun was unaware of this matter. After pondering it over, he said, "Alright, you've already explained everything you did back then. I believe that with Shen Bai's character, he won't make things difficult for you."

That's just how some things are; it's one thing if you don't go, but it's another if you do.

If you don't go and just send someone over alone to talk to them, the other party might feel that you have no respect for them.

If the person involved goes there in person to apologize and make amends for what happened back then, it will not only show respect for the other party, but also make things go more smoothly afterward.

We've covered everything that needed to be discussed.

The two of them said no more.

Emperor Tianyun had many official duties to attend to, so he asked the Imperial Advisor to go and tidy up first.

As for how to get the Imperial Advisor into the Great Zhou Kingdom, he can submit a separate memorial to Emperor Xuanwu and obtain his approval before allowing the Imperial Advisor to enter the Great Zhou Kingdom.

It takes some time in the middle, but he will shorten it as quickly as possible to save a lot of time.

The Imperial Advisor knew there was no need to continue the discussion, so he turned and left the Imperial Study.

Soon, the Imperial Study returned to silence.

Emperor Tianyun took out a memorial from the side, wrote down the whole story, and then summoned a eunuch.

The eunuch pushed open the door and entered, standing respectfully beside Emperor Tianyun, not daring to meet his gaze.

After pondering for a moment, Emperor Tianyun handed the memorial to the eunuch and said, "Send experts to escort this memorial. It is of utmost urgency. Deliver it to the Great Zhou Kingdom as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The eunuch respectfully replied without saying a word, and walked out of the Imperial Study with the memorial in his hand.

Soon, only the sound of Emperor Tianyun turning the pages of memorials remained in the imperial study.

……

The Great Zhou Kingdom.

At this moment, Emperor Xuanwu was urgently handling official business.

News from all sides seemed to have wings, converging on the imperial palace in Xuanjing City, including the news of the unification of the Great Qi Kingdom and the Great Yue Kingdom.

This news felt like a heavy burden falling on Emperor Xuanwu's shoulders.

He never imagined that the situation would change so quickly.

In just a few days, the tide of the battle turned once again.

Now, the Great Southern Kingdom has become a barrier against invasion, bearing immense pressure.

"What should I do?"

Emperor Xuanwu tapped his head with his hand, sat in the imperial study, and pondered for a while.

The situation is too complex and too serious.

He hasn't slept for days and nights, spending every day thinking about how to deal with the joint efforts of the two countries.

However, getting a result is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

There were footsteps outside the door.

Eunuch Chen pushed open the door and entered.

Seeing this, Emperor Xuanwu temporarily put aside his thoughts and asked, "Eunuch Chen, is there anything I can help you with?"

He has been receiving too many memorials lately, and has remained in the Imperial Study without ever stepping out.

Eunuch Chen knew that Emperor Xuanwu was very busy, so he would not disturb him in the Imperial Study unless it was something of great importance.

Now that Eunuch Chen has arrived, Emperor Xuanwu senses that something big is about to happen.

As expected, Eunuch Chen placed a secret letter on the table and began to speak.

"Your Majesty, this was sent by Emperor Tianyun of the Great Southern Kingdom. He said it was extremely urgent. You will know the answer once you open it."

Emperor Xuanwu nodded and opened the letter in front of Eunuch Chen.

The sealing wax on the letter was intact, proving that no one had opened it.

When Emperor Xuanwu opened the letter and read it through, his expression changed slightly.

He was calm at first, then surprised, and finally showed a hint of disbelief.

Eunuch Chen didn't look at it, but he felt that given Emperor Xuanwu's current composure, the fact that he showed such an uncontrollable expression meant that the contents of the letter must be shocking enough.

Emperor Xuanwu took a deep breath, then placed the letter on the table and said, "Eunuch Chen, take a look."

After a moment's thought, Eunuch Chen stepped forward and read through the contents of the letter.

Immediately afterwards, the expression on his face was exactly the same as that of Emperor Xuanwu, also one of utter shock, followed by a hint of disbelief.

"Both the Great Qi Kingdom and the Great Yue Kingdom have actually sided with the rebel organization. The situation has become unimaginably dangerous," said Eunuch Chen.

Emperor Xuanwu said slowly, "The issue now is not whether the situation is dangerous, but whether or not we should let the Imperial Preceptor in to see Shen Bai?"

"I am worried that the Imperial Preceptor may have ulterior motives, and if he were to harm Shen Bai, he might be in danger."

As the ruler of a country, he naturally knew Shen Bai's potential.

Give Shen Bai some more time, and perhaps he will become a pillar of the entire Great Zhou Kingdom.

Therefore, during this developmental period, he could not allow Shen Bai to be threatened by someone of the caliber of the Imperial Preceptor.

After pondering for a moment, Eunuch Chen said, "Your Majesty, why not have the Dean accompany him? This will ensure Shen Bai's safety."

The Dean is a master of the same level as the Imperial Advisor, so if the Dean accompanies Shen Bai, the Imperial Advisor cannot do anything to him.

Currently, the high-ranking officials of the Great Zhou Kingdom are all busy with their own affairs, and the Dean is no exception.

But it's possible to find a moment of free time amidst this busy schedule.

Emperor Xuanwu thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "This is the only way. But before that, I need to ask Shen Bai what he thinks."

"Eunuch Chen, please write a letter and give it to Shen Bai so he can take a look."

Eunuch Chen nodded in agreement and then left the Imperial Study.

The Imperial Study fell silent.

Emperor Xuanwu composed himself and continued to peruse the memorials before him.

……

Mo Yunjing.

Zhao Henglong, holding a memorial in his hand, strode into Shen Bai's residence.

At this moment, Shen Bai was still immersed in grinding for proficiency.

A cloud of smoke appeared before my eyes, condensing into the latest information, floating in mid-air.

【Disturbing Mind Curse lv.8 (Purify Mind +128, Equanimity +128, Blessing +128, Invulnerability +128, Disturbing Mind +128, Destroying Nature +128, Slaying Deviousness +128, Immovable +128): 0/60000】

"Another supernatural power has reached level eight." Shen Bai composed himself and sighed slightly.

During this period, he remained at home, staying in Moyunjing, grinding away at improving his skill level.

Chaos has broken out, but so far the fire has not spread to Moyun Capital, and although many lords have repeatedly provoked wars, the Great Zhou Kingdom still has the strength to deal with them.

This also gave Shen Bai a lot of time.

Once the Chaotic Mind Curse reaches level eight, in addition to doubling the previous attributes, it gains an additional immobility attribute.

This so-called immovable attribute allows Shen Bai to be free from all negative statuses when casting the Mind-Disrupting Curse.

The previous mind-disrupting curse only prevented mental attacks.

The so-called "disturbing the mind" is to prevent the mind from being disturbed.

Immobility represents all the negative states that can be known.

Shen Bai can discard any negative state when casting the Mind-Disrupting Curse.

Of course, it must be within this attribute range.

Reaching level eight and gaining new attributes is another powerful boost for Shen Bai.

In addition, he felt the little divine soul within his body gradually becoming fuller, taking another step closer to the realm of celestial beings.

With his current strength at the peak of the realm, he can already hold his own against ordinary cultivators at the Immortal Realm. If he were to reach the Celestial Realm, the Immortal Realm would be as fragile as a blank sheet of paper in his hands.

After letting out a long breath, Shen Bai decided to switch to another supernatural power to continue grinding.

Just then, through his Void-Breaking Golden Eye, Shen Bai sensed Zhao Henglong's arrival, so he temporarily put aside his thoughts of improving his proficiency and waited patiently.

Within a few breaths, Zhao Henglong's hurried footsteps echoed outside the room.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Henglong gently knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Shen Bai said calmly.

Zhao Henglong then pushed open the door, carefully walked up to Shen Bai, and placed the folded document in his hand on the table.

"Your Highness, a letter has arrived from Xuanjing City. It is extremely urgent and Your Highness must see it in person."

"It's extremely urgent, and I absolutely have to see it?"

Shen Bai stroked his chin and then opened the letter.

It had been a long time since Xuanjing City had received a letter of such utmost urgency; the exchanges were mostly limited to exchanging information. Now, not only had Xuanjing City sent a letter, but it was also described as extremely urgent, indicating that the matter was of great importance.

After Shen Bai unfolded the letter and read through all its contents, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Interesting. I didn't expect the chaotic organization to have such a deep network of connections."

The letter gave a general overview of the situations in the Great Qi Kingdom and the Great Yue Kingdom, explaining that both countries had been completely controlled by the chaotic organization, and also described the current crisis situation in the Great Nan Kingdom.

In Shen Bai's view, if the Great Southern Kingdom is gone, the next one will be the Great Zhou Kingdom.

After all, this involves a matter of mutual dependence.

Of course, this is not the most important part of the letter; the most important part is what comes next.

"The Imperial Advisor has escaped from the Great Yue Kingdom, yet he still wants to see me alone. How interesting."

Shen Bai began to ponder.

He had not forgotten the golden arrow that the imperial advisor had given him.

In fact, he had been waiting until he had raised his strength to its peak, then he would personally go to the Great Yue Kingdom to avenge the arrow wound he had suffered.

However, the situation changed too quickly. The Great Qi Kingdom and the Great Yue Kingdom are now under the control of the chaotic organization, and the Grand Preceptor has fled to the Great Southern Kingdom like a stray dog.

Therefore, the chances of Shen Bai finding an opportunity are extremely slim.

But now, the Imperial Advisor is actually willing to come over, and even wants to personally apologize.

Shen Bai also felt that there must be something else going on.

There is no such thing as a free lunch or a free benefit.

According to the letter, Emperor Xuanwu did not act on his own initiative; it was entirely up to Shen Bai's opinion.

If Shen Bai wants to see me, then he can; if he doesn't, then so be it.

They also plan to send the dean over to protect Shen Bai's safety throughout the entire process.

After thinking carefully for a moment, Shen Bai picked up the white paper and brush next to him, wrote down his willingness to meet, and then handed it to Zhao Henglong.

Zhao Henglong respectfully accepted the gift, then turned and left the room.

After Zhao Henglong left, a flash of light appeared, and Amber and Red Makeup appeared beside Shen Bai.

Amber obediently massaged Shen Bai's shoulders, while Hongzhuang frowned deeply.

“Master, if the Imperial Advisor’s visit brings any crisis, it will not be a good thing for you.”

Like Emperor Xuanwu, she was worried that the Imperial Advisor was using this as a pretext to deal with Shen Bai.

Shen Bai shook his head and said, "I'd like to know what he really means. Besides, the dean is with us this time, so there's not much danger."

The current situation is too chaotic; it's impossible to learn more secrets simply by sitting in Moyunjing.

Therefore, he was also eager to know what the Imperial Advisor meant.

I definitely have to see him, and I'll also take this opportunity to settle the score from back then.

When Hongzhuang heard Shen Bai say this, she knew that Shen Bai had made up his mind, so she didn't say anything more.

Afterwards, Shen Bai had the two women merge back into his body, seizing every opportunity to increase his proficiency.

For his next supernatural ability, Shen Bai plans to increase his proficiency in Shadow Assassination.

After all, this supernatural power, like the previous Mind-Disrupting Curse, already has 6000 points stored up, so grinding it out will be much easier.

Before their eyes, a cloud of smoke appeared, and the Shadow Thousand Killers were growing upwards at five times the speed.

……

Time passed by, and several days went by in the blink of an eye.

Mo Yunjing appeared more serious than ever before.

Whether at the city gate or on the streets, the Golden Dragon Guards were stationed in an endless stream, forming large groups that attracted the constant attention of the people.

Zhao Henglong stood guard at the city gate, while the dean, dressed in a white robe, stood calmly beside him.

They both gazed into the distance until a figure in a Taoist robe appeared in the distance, at which point they gradually withdrew their gaze.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

The dean stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the Grand Preceptor who had approached, and smiled slightly.

There have actually been exchanges between the high-level officials of the four countries.

Although the exchanges varied in length, at least we all got to know each other.

Since the founding of the Great Zhou Kingdom, the academy's dean and the national teacher have not been seen for a long time.

The Imperial Advisor gave a bitter smile and said, "I never expected that when we meet again, I would be like a stray dog. It's truly pathetic and lamentable."

Before the Da Yue Kingdom sided with the rebel organization, he was the national advisor, holding a high position and great power.

But who knew that things would change so quickly? In a short period of time, he had fallen from the clouds to the valley, never to regain his former glory.

The dean shook his head and said, "You are upright and incorruptible, and you are unwilling to compromise, which is why you have ended up in this situation. In my opinion, this is something a hero would do."

If the Grand Preceptor betrayed the Great Yue Kingdom for other reasons, the Dean might find it shameful.

However, the Imperial Advisor ended up in his current predicament because he refused to join any chaotic organization.

The dean, however, seemed to hold a degree of admiration for him.

The Imperial Advisor sighed and said, "I simply don't want to be a lackey who wreaks havoc on the world. Dean, without further ado, I have important business to attend to here. May I go see Prince Shen now?"

Now, Shen Bai's status has long since reached the pinnacle of the Great Zhou Kingdom, and he is even more honored as a king of equal rank.

Even though Shen Bai's strength is inferior to that of the Imperial Preceptor, the Imperial Preceptor still needs to address him as "Your Highness" when he comes to Moyun Capital.

The dean nodded and said, "Please come with me to Moyun Capital."

"Shen Bai is inside; he must have been waiting for a long time."

Without saying anything more, the two arrived at Mo Yunjing's residence under Zhao Henglong's guidance.

Along the way, the Imperial Advisor looked at the thriving Moyunjing and a hint of emotion appeared on his face.

Once upon a time, the cities of the Great Yue Kingdom were just as prosperous.

But he knew that the current prosperity would gradually fade away with time.

After the chaotic organization destroys the Great Southern Kingdom and the Great Zhou Kingdom, the Great Qi Kingdom and the Great Yue Kingdom will also be completely destroyed.

Only that group of so-called high-ranking officials will remain, continuing to eke out a living, creating a dynasty in another era under the wings of the chaotic organization, only to be destroyed again by the chaotic organization during the change of dynasties.

This is a cycle, and the Imperial Advisor hopes to break it, as does Shen Bai.

Zhao Henglong pushed open the door, led the two inside, and then stood guard at the door.

The Imperial Advisor and the Dean arrived hand in hand, and soon came to Shen Bai's room.

At this moment, Shen Bai was pouring himself tea.

When he noticed the two approaching, he pointed to the seats next to him and said, "Please sit down, both of you."

The steam rising from the tea obscured Shen Bai's face, making him appear somewhat mysterious.

The dean and Shen Bai were old acquaintances, so the dean was quite casual and sat in a chair.

The Imperial Preceptor, having held a high position for a long time, had seen many such occasions before, so he sat down next to the Dean.

He did not approach Shen Bai.

He knew the dean's purpose in coming to Moyunjing, and understood that it was to protect Shen Bai's safety, so he did not do anything excessive.

Shen Bai put down the teacup and handed it to the two of them.

The two took it and drank a sip.

Shen Bai then put down the teapot in his hand and said calmly, "The reason why the Grand Preceptor came here has been explained to me in detail by His Majesty Emperor Xuanwu. In my opinion, this is a good thing. After all, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If the Great Southern Kingdom is gone, the Great Zhou Kingdom will also cease to exist."

The Imperial Advisor was surprised that Shen Bai agreed so readily, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"It would be wonderful if Prince Shen could understand the reasoning behind this."

He knew very well that if he could get Shen Bai's approval within the Great Zhou Kingdom, it would greatly reduce his troubles.

Now that Shen Bai has readily agreed, things will go much more smoothly from now on.

Shen Bai smiled slightly: "However, there are still some issues that need to be clarified."

The Imperial Advisor was slightly taken aback.

He didn't know what other twists and turns Shen Bai might have, but he still said something.

"Please speak freely, Your Highness."

In these times of crisis, he felt that as long as Shen Bai's request wasn't too outrageous, he could agree to it.

Shen Bai fixed his gaze on the Imperial Preceptor, then pulled out the Cold Moon Sword and placed it at the Imperial Preceptor's feet.

"You shot me with an arrow back then, and now I'm returning the favor with a sword. That evens things out."

After saying this, Shen Bai's eyes held a faint smile.

The Imperial Advisor stared at the cold moon stuck in the ground and fell silent.

After a long while, the Imperial Advisor slowly drew out the Cold Moon, gazed at the cold light above it, and then grasped it with his other hand.

“Your Highness Shen, although the cause was planted by others, it was ultimately my doing.”

"Today, this karmic retribution has fallen upon me, and I must naturally bear this retribution."

"Today I will return the sword to Prince Shen, hoping that he will be magnanimous and save the people from their suffering."

With a resolute look in his eyes, the Imperial Advisor thrust the Cold Moon Blade into his own heart without hesitation.

He didn't hold back with this sword strike, nor did he defend against it.

If the sword pierces the body, although death is uncertain, at the very least, one will suffer severe injury.

However, as he said, it was karma, and this was his own retribution.

Just as the cold moon was about to reach his chest, Shen Bai flicked his finger slightly.

A burst of energy struck the cold moon, causing it to stop.

The Imperial Advisor was slightly taken aback, looking at Shen Bai with a puzzled expression.

Shen Bai leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "I'm not as petty as you say. The fact that you didn't join any shady organizations and even managed to escape from Da Yue proves that you're not a bad person."

"In that case, let's wipe the slate clean of past grievances."

The Imperial Advisor stared wide-eyed for a long time before a look of admiration appeared in his eyes.

“Prince Shen, you are the most outstanding person I have ever seen in my life. You are both ruthless and magnanimous. If someone like you cannot reach the top, I will not accept it.”

The Imperial Advisor made no secret of his admiration for Shen Bai.

He felt that this young man would reach a higher level than them in the future and possess even more terrifying strength.

The Imperial Advisor paused for a moment, then took a bag from his waist and placed it on Shen Bai's table.

“Lord Shen, although you are magnanimous, I am not a petty person. No matter what, that arrow was mine that day. Since Lord Shen does not want my life today, I will give these worldly possessions to Lord Shen.”

Shen Bai curiously took the bag, opened it, and saw what was inside. His eyes lit up slightly.

(End of this chapter)