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

The river flowed on and on, its sound unusually pleasant in the silent path between life and death.

After Zhou Qing finished speaking, Shen Bai's eyes revealed a hint of surprise and delight.

If Zhou Qing could get out of this life-or-death path, it would greatly reduce the danger for him.

To be honest, Shen Bai had been worried about Zhou Qing's situation, but now that Zhou Qing was connected to this river, Shen Bai had no way to get Zhou Qing to leave.

But now that Zhou Qing says he can leave, Shen Bai thinks it's a good thing for Zhou Qing.

After all, this place is just too eerie.

Besides the road of life and death, there were also those rushing rivers, all of which gave off a feeling of unease.

After hearing Shen Bai's words, Zhou Qing sighed: "It's not that simple."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bai paused slightly, then frowned.

Does it mean we'll have to go through a lot of trouble to get out?
He had just heard Zhou Qing say that if he wanted to go out, he only needed to wait a few days, but judging from the current situation, it didn't seem to be that simple.

"Old Zhou, just tell me what you need to do? I'll do anything I can to help you," Shen Bai said.

Zhou Qing was one of the few true friends he had in this world.

If Zhou Qing needs certain conditions to leave this place, Shen Bai will do his best to fulfill those conditions.

To everyone's surprise, Zhou Qing shook his head after Shen Bai said those words.

"No conditions are needed. Just wait three days. After I use the power of the river to condense a human form, I will be able to go out with you. But it may not be me who goes out."

Shen Bai asked, "Why isn't it necessarily you who goes out?"

He felt that the sentence sounded a bit awkward.

If you say you can get out from here, then why do you say that it's not Zhou Qing who gets out?
Zhou Qing knew that he hadn't explained himself clearly enough, which had puzzled Shen Bai, so he organized his thoughts a little before continuing.

"What I've condensed isn't my original body, but my clone. Old Zhou, look below."

At this point, Zhou Qing waved slightly towards the river.

Immediately afterwards, the river was split in two, and Shen Bai could see the situation at the bottom of the river from behind.

At this moment, at the bottom of the river, Zhou Qing sat on the same spot, his eyes slightly closed.

The cascading river water around him was constantly washing over Zhou Qing's entire body.

Each flush brings a surge of power into Zhou Qing's body.

Zhou Qing's strength was also growing steadily at a slow but firm pace.

Zhou Qing waved his hand, and the split river returned to its original state. He then said, "The energy of this river is extremely astonishing. Even though I have now grasped the basic method of controlling it, my main body still cannot get out. I can only continuously absorb the energy of this river from inside."

"Only after one day, when the energy has been fully absorbed, can one gain freedom."

Ontology?

Shen Bai grasped the two most crucial words, and then scanned Zhou Qing again.

"So you mean your current body is just a clone?"

While the two of them were talking, half of Zhou Qing's lower body had already transformed back into human form, while the other half remained in the state of river water.

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "I went to great lengths to condense this clone, and my original plan was to go out and find you after condensing the clone, and then help you as much as I could. But I didn't expect to run into you here."

"This clone is very powerful."

Shen Bai could sense that the clone was radiating the power of the Celestial Realm, and now Zhou Qing had also merged with the power of the river, which was the hub of the Ten Forbidden Lands in the Path of Life and Death.

At this moment, Zhou Qing is already considered to be among the top in the Celestial Realm.

Shen Bai felt a little regretful upon hearing this.

Although Zhou Qing's main body didn't go, his clone was formed, which at least gave him a lot more freedom.

After thinking about it, Shen Bai's regret slowly disappeared.

Zhou Qing continued, "Old Zhou, what's the situation now?"

He hadn't left this place in a long time, so he was eager to know what was happening outside and whether his brother was safe.

Shen Bai thought for a moment and then described the current situation of the Great Zhou Kingdom and the other three countries.

After he spoke, the room fell silent.

Zhou Qing came to his senses, sighed slightly, and said, "Emperor Shengwu was a good emperor, what a pity."

Shen Bai nodded and said, "That's right, but it's all fate's arrangement."

Although there is sorrow in one's heart, one must always move forward.

Was Emperor Shengwu a good emperor?

Even in Shen Bai's view, that was an absolutely affirmative answer.

Even on his deathbed, an emperor was still thinking about the common people of the world.

From this point of view alone, he was already a good emperor.

Before entering the desolate forbidden land, they even went to great lengths to bring the former emperor along, thus eliminating a major hidden danger for the Great Zhou Kingdom.

Shen Bai knew that very few people in this world could do that.

Even the current third prince, who has ascended the throne, is not as thorough in his considerations as Emperor Shengwu.

Zhou Qing transformed into a stream of water and came to Shen Bai's side. He then returned to his original form, patted Shen Bai on the shoulder, and said, "Old Shen, you happen to be short-handed. I've come to help you this time."

He had wanted to say this for a long time.

Ever since they left Shengyun County together, Zhou Qing has always felt like he was just an accessory next to Shen Bai.

He really wanted to help Shen Bai, but he was always powerless to do so.

Even though he joined the army.

However, the gap between him and Shen Bai is widening.

It wasn't that he envied or was jealous of Shen Bai, but rather a deep sense of powerlessness.

He wanted to help Shen Bai, but he didn't have the ability to do so.

He has now entered the Celestial Realm, and within that realm, he is considered to have top-tier strength.

He felt that once he got out, he could help Shen Bai a lot.

Shen Bai laughed and said, "That's not bad. Once we get out, if we brothers work together, our strength will be unbreakable."

Zhou Qing laughed heartily: "In such chaotic times, if the two of us brothers join forces, we can at least secure peace in one area."

At this point, we've actually covered everything that needed to be discussed.

Shen Bai did not want to disturb Zhou Qing.

He wanted to wait for Zhou Qing to go out together.

So Zhou Qing didn't waste any more time and began to continue to condense his body on the spot.

While Zhou Qing was gathering his strength, Shen Bai found a place and began to work on improving his proficiency in the Poison Avoidance and Spirit Return Technique.

……

Three days passed quickly.

The Poison Avoidance and Spirit Recovery Technique has seen significant improvement, now reaching 30,000 proficiency points.

I'm only 10,000 points away from level 8.

Shen Bai estimated that in a few more days, he would be able to raise the Poison Avoidance and Spirit Return Technique to level eight.

But there's no time today.

Shen Bai opened his eyes and looked ahead.

At this moment, the water flowed like an inverted Milky Way, suspended in mid-air.

Where the waters converge, Zhou Qing, as if in control of the river, floats in mid-air with his limbs outstretched, allowing the water to gradually flow into his body.

Zhou Qing's initially somewhat unsteady figure gradually solidified after the water flowed in.

A moment later, Zhou Qing opened his eyes and rushed towards Shen Bai, landing steadily in front of him.

"Old Shen, it's been a long time."

Zhou Qing opened his arms and gave Shen Bai a big hug.

The two hadn't embraced like this in a long time.

The two were sworn brothers, and their reunion with their old friend brought a unique and special feeling to the occasion.

Shen Bai patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder and laughed, "Although it's just an avatar, you've regained your freedom. Come on, let's go see where I am, Mo Yun Jing."

Zhou Qing laughed loudly, "My brother is now a peerless king, so naturally we have to go and see him properly. Let's go, today we'll embark on this path of life and death."

After saying that, Zhou Qing casually pointed at the air.

Immediately afterwards, a stream of water shot out from the river and condensed in mid-air.

With a gentle slash, Zhou Qing tore open the void, revealing an enormous crack.

As soon as the crack appeared, it gradually expanded, and in the blink of an eye, it had become large enough for one person to pass through.

Shen Bai and Zhou Qing stopped talking and stepped into the crack.

As soon as it appeared, the surrounding scenery gradually blurred.

Once everything became clear, Shen Bai had already returned to his residence.

Zhou Qing hadn't been out for a long time and was curious about everything.

When he saw Shen Bai's understated yet luxurious mansion, a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes.

"Looking back, we were just small fry in Shengyun County, but now we've risen to this position. It's truly an amazing story."

Shen Bai smiled slightly, patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder, and said, "Old Zhou, now that you're here, why don't you get to know Mo Yunjing?"

Zhou Qing sensed a deeper meaning in Shen Bai's words and asked, "Are you leaving?"

Shen Bai just told him to get familiar with Mo Yunjing. Based on his understanding of Shen Bai, Shen Bai should be leaving this place soon.

Shen Bai nodded, narrowed his eyes, and said, "This time I entered the Path of Life and Death entirely because of one person. He tricked me once, and according to the agreement I made with the Holy Martial Emperor back then, I will not let him go this time."

"But before that, I need to go to Xuanjing City first."

Upon hearing someone's dark and gloomy expression, Zhou Qing's eyes immediately filled with murderous intent: "Old Zhou, who is it? I'll go with you and take his head off."

He had barely stepped out when he heard someone causing trouble for his brother, and Zhou Qing couldn't stand it.

Shen Bai shook his head and said, "Old Zhao, I can handle this on my own. I'm just worried that if I leave Moyunjing, others will have their eyes on it. Since you're here, then guard Moyunjing for me, so that I can travel alone more easily."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing knew that Shen Bai had made a decision. After a moment's thought and weighing the pros and cons, he decided to stay in Moyunjing as Shen Bai had suggested.

He knew this was Shen Bai's stronghold. If he didn't stay here, and Shen Bai left, there would be no one to guard the place, and a crisis might indeed occur.

With this in mind, Zhou Qing agreed.

He had great faith in Shen Bai's abilities and knew that Shen Bai would never be defeated by a ditch. Shen Bai nodded, and after exchanging a few more words with Zhou Qing, he summoned Zhao Henglong and instructed him to await Zhou Qing's orders during his absence.

Once everything was nearly arranged, Shen Bai stopped lingering and used his Divine Speed ​​to transform into a streak of cold light, heading towards Xuanjing City.

……

This time, he wanted to say something to Eunuch Chen and inform him.

He knew that everything that had happened today was because of the eldest prince.

He had actually been very lenient with the eldest prince, but he never expected that this guy would actually dare to do something so rebellious in order to ascend the throne.

They colluded with a notorious and chaotic organization to harm the people of the Great Zhou Kingdom.

Since that's the case, it's time to use the power that Emperor Shengwu gave him.

However, before using it, he needed to discuss it in detail with Eunuch Chen, since Eunuch Chen had mentioned this matter to him before.

The distance from Xuanjing City to Moyun City is not far.

With Shen Bai rushing forward at all costs, he soon arrived at Xuanjing City in the afternoon.

At this moment, the entire city of Xuanjing was on high alert. Whether it was soldiers on the streets or experts hidden in the shadows, everyone was on full alert to prevent anyone from taking this opportunity to invade Xuanjing.

Shen Bai's arrival caused a great stir, immediately attracting the attention of many people.

But when those hidden masters saw Shen Bai's identity, they immediately stopped talking and turned their attention elsewhere.

Although the Great Zhou Kingdom was in chaos, Shen Bai's status as a king of equal rank was strong enough that no one would provoke him, and no one dared to stop him.

To put it bluntly, even if Shen Bai flew directly to the palace today, no one would dare to utter a single word.

Shen Bai landed on the street, watching the people coming and going, feeling the still prosperous Xuanjing City, and then walked towards the palace.

Nothing happened along the way.

When Shen Bai arrived at the Imperial Study, he saw Eunuch Chen drinking tea inside.

Eunuch Chen was a highly skilled individual, so he naturally sensed Shen Bai's arrival, and a hint of doubt appeared on his face.

"Your Highness, why have you come to the palace today instead of staying in Moyunjing?"

Not only was he puzzled, but Eunuch Chen also sensed the powerful aura emanating from Shen Bai, realizing that Shen Bai had now broken through to the Celestial Realm.

How long has it been since he reached the Celestial Realm?

Eunuch Chen found it unbelievable, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that if all of this happened to Shen Bai, it would seem quite normal.

He was very curious, and his curiosity lay in why Shen Bai had rushed from Moyunjing to the palace.

He felt that something big must have happened here.

Shen Bai succinctly recounted the events.

In particular, the story of the eldest prince joining the rebel organization was described in great detail.

After hearing what Shen Bai said, Eunuch Chen froze, the wine cup he had been holding to his lips.

Immediately afterwards, the wine glass slipped and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Eunuch Chen sighed, his tone filled with melancholy: "Has His Highness finally reached the end of his road? I never expected that he would do something so heinous."

As a veteran minister who helped found the country, Eunuch Chen had practically watched these princes grow up.

In Eunuch Chen's view, he had long regarded these princes as family.

He had no descendants; he had dedicated his entire life to the Great Zhou Kingdom.

When Shen Bai obtained special privileges, he had discussed with Shen Bai, hoping that Shen Bai could give the prince a way out in a special situation.

But nowadays, I just can't bring myself to say those words.

Shen Bai slowly said, "Today I am going to take his life. What does Eunuch Chen think?"

After struggling for a moment, Eunuch Chen nodded and said, "Your Highness, do whatever you want. Let him die a little easier."

He truly cherished his princes like precious treasures, even regarding them as his own children.

But he is a person who can distinguish right from wrong and knows what is important and what is not.

This empire was conquered by the Holy Martial Emperor; we cannot allow it to be lost in their hands.

The Crown Prince's participation in the examination for the Chaotic Organization, even if it was just a single collaboration, has already opened a door that can never be opened again.

Once it happens, it will happen again. Who can guarantee a second time?
Having learned from the first failure, the second collaboration will inevitably bring an even greater crisis.

Between the Great Zhou Kingdom and the Crown Prince, Eunuch Chen made the right choice.

Shen Bai nodded and said, "I will make sure he dies quickly. In that case, I will leave."

As quickly as it came, it went as quickly as it came.

Shen Bai didn't want such an enemy to continue living, otherwise he would cause even bigger trouble.

Thinking of this, he used his divine speed to travel thousands of miles and headed towards the border.

……

The distance from Xuanjing City to the border is extremely long, but for Shen Bai, when he wants to kill someone, no distance matters.

Many people saw Shen Bai on his way to the border.

Whether they were people from the martial arts world or various warlords, everyone was speculating about the purpose of Shen Bai's trip.

At this moment, in the border region.

The eldest prince sat inside the tent and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Things should be done by now, right?" the eldest prince thought to himself.

Ever since he began cooperating with the chaotic organization, he had been living in constant fear, knowing that if his move were discovered, he would surely meet a gruesome end.

But the fact that the organization was confident and wouldn't be discovered by others put his mind at ease.

During this time, he also sent out spies to inquire about the situation, both openly and secretly, only to find out that Shen Bai had suddenly disappeared from Moyunjing.

I don't know what exactly happened.

The eldest prince knew that it must have been the members of the chaotic organization who made the move.

He longed for news of Shen Bai's death every day.

However, these past few days have passed in a daze, and no news has been released, which makes the eldest prince uneasy.

"Perhaps they left after killing Shen Bai, or perhaps they encountered other things and didn't have time to tell me in detail."

The eldest prince comforted himself.

He has no other choice but to wait here for news from the other party.

Just then, footsteps sounded.

The eldest prince looked in the direction of the footsteps and saw the deputy general lift the curtain and walk anxiously into the tent.

"Your Highness, there is urgent news that requires your personal attention."

The lieutenant wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and placed the letter on the table.

"Urgent news, do I really need to see it in person?"

The eldest prince was slightly taken aback, then his face lit up with joy.

He guessed that perhaps members of those chaotic organizations had successfully killed Shen Bai, which was why they sent the message.

Thinking of this, the eldest prince opened the letter in front of his deputy general.

The letter contained blank paper covered with densely written text.

When the eldest prince unfolded the white paper and scanned its contents, he stood frozen in place like a wooden statue, not daring to move an inch.

Upon seeing this, the deputy general felt a sense of doubt.

He didn't look at the letter, but from the Crown Prince's expression, he could tell that the contents were anything but ordinary.

At this moment, the eldest prince placed the letter on the table with trembling hands.

Because of the excessive trembling during the movement, the wine jar next to him fell to the ground and shattered.

The loud noise brought the eldest prince back to his senses.

The eldest prince breathed a sigh of relief, placed the letter on the table, and handed it to the deputy general.

The lieutenant picked up the letter, read it carefully, and then a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.

"Shen Bai is heading towards the border. Why is that?"

He couldn't understand it, nor did he comprehend its meaning.

They were like snakes, hiding in the shadows, and did not directly attack Shen Bai. Would Shen Bai really be so shameless as to come and cause trouble for a prince?

The lieutenant guessed that Shen Bai must have come for other reasons.

But why did the eldest prince look scared?

The eldest prince took in the various emotions of his deputy general, then let out a long sigh: "He came to kill me."

The lieutenant was slightly taken aback, then a murderous aura emanated from him: "Your Highness is a prince. If he dares to make a move, the higher-ups of the Great Zhou Kingdom will absolutely not let him off. Even if he is a king of equal rank, so what?"

The eldest prince said with a bitter smile, "You don't know, I did something wrong, and he has this reason to kill me."

The lieutenant was asking what had happened when the eldest prince waved him off.

He absolutely could not reveal this matter. If he did, it might cause an incident at the border, and even some of his followers might harbor rebellious thoughts.

"You don't need to know what it is."

A cold glint appeared in the Crown Prince's eyes: "Right now, take your men and leave the border with me. We will seek refuge with the nearest lord."

The lieutenant opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed that this was the only way.

If Shen Bai really decides to kill them regardless of the consequences, and the higher-ups of the Great Zhou Kingdom do not stop him, they will have no choice but to leave with their men for the time being.

Everything was done to ensure a safe and secure outcome.

After the deputy general understood, he stopped and left the tent.

After the co-pilot left the tent, the eldest prince looked at the broken wine jar on the ground, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

He now has only one option: to quickly pledge allegiance to the nearest lord and use the city where the lord is located to stop Shen Bai's killing spree.

He knew that if he took these men with him, the feudal lords would definitely welcome them.

By then, Shen Bai will be unable to deal with him either.

"Don't blame me. I joined the chaotic organization because I had no other choice. Shen Bai, you still want to kill me today. You have driven me to such a desperate situation, so I will give up my status as a prince."

"To assist other feudal lords in ascending to rule the world."

The eldest prince stomped the fragments into powder, his eyes flashing with chilling killing intent.

"By then, I'll use your head as a wine jug!" (End of Chapter)