I picked up the scattered attributes

Putting the thought out of his mind, Emperor Lingyun stretched out a hand, and seeing this, the Imperial Advisor also stretched out a hand, and they shook hands tightly.

"Imperial Preceptor, please don't retire."

"I don't want to retire either."

The Imperial Advisor shook his head, his tone tinged with regret, and sighed, "Your Majesty, shouldn't we be considered friends despite our age difference?"

"A friendship that transcends age? It could indeed be considered a friendship that transcends age, but for us supernatural beings, an age difference of several hundred years is nothing! It's rare to find a true friend in life, so what's wrong with treating each other as equals?"

His Majesty the Emperor laughed heartily, completely oblivious to the growing melancholy in the Grand Preceptor's eyes, which seemed to deepen at that moment; only his sigh echoed once more.

"That's truly rare..."

……

Chapter 0317

"A friendship that transcends age..."

After His Majesty the Emperor left, the Imperial Advisor sat there in a daze for a long time.

It is rare in life to have a close friend.

In his view, the emperor of Lingyun Kingdom was one of the very few fellow Daoists who could understand him.

This is not the "fellow Daoist" we usually greet each other with, but a true fellow Daoist with whom we can sit and discuss the Dao, support each other, and promote each other's progress.

Friends who seek the Way!

However, just as the imperial advisor lamented...

Fellow Daoists are rare, and true friends are even rarer.

"If only this weren't a dream."

Unfortunately, between the two lies the distance between dreams and reality, a distance spanning thousands of years.

Thinking of this, the Imperial Advisor looked up at the sky, and after a long while, his gaze became firm again:

"In any case, it's time to put an end to this dream."

He had already exhausted all the benefits he could from the dream of ascending the Heavenly Ladder. The reason he hadn't left was purely because of a lingering obsession in his heart—

I absolutely have to get a perfect score!

Clearly, this is a cry from a veteran gamer.

Of course, only someone with attribute-based superpowers could do so many things in a dream.

If it were any other trial participants on the Heavenly Ladder, they would have limited time to resist the divine light of the Heavenly Ladder. They would be too busy cultivating in the dream world to care about the development of the plot.

"Since the mastermind isn't showing up, we can set up a trap that he simply can't refuse, and then lure him out..."

Feng Xia's thoughts gradually became clearer.

In fact, he was not good at such scheming and plotting. However, the repeated cycles in the dream world and the repeated brushes with the truth eventually forced him to keep thinking, unraveling the mystery, and restoring the truth of the entire dream world.

"Sigh... There's a saying that's really true: people are forced to do things."

……

In the ninth year, Lingyun Kingdom was peaceful and prosperous, with singing and dancing. Whether it was cultivation or people's livelihood, everything had developed to an unprecedented level. There were many experts and powerful figures.

For all these reasons, some people have even been privately referring to His Majesty the Emperor of Lingyun Kingdom as…

Holy Emperor!

Heavenly Emperor!

However, some people are worried about this. The title of Heavenly Emperor is too great, as if he is above the heavens and higher than the heavens. If he cannot bear it, he may incur divine punishment!

His Majesty the Emperor made no comment on this, but simply smiled and said, "I am the Emperor of Lingyun. Since I can soar above the clouds, I can naturally soar above the heavens."

After these words were spoken, no one dared to question them anymore.

Time quickly passed to the tenth year. Lingyun Kingdom, which had allied with the two major powers, was developing at an unprecedented pace, surpassing any previous era.

Taking this opportunity, someone advised His Majesty the Emperor:

"Your Majesty's achievements are as high as the heavens. The name 'Lingyun' is no longer sufficient to express your accomplishments. I believe that the country's name should be changed to... 'Lingtian'!"

"That's right!"

On that day, His Majesty the Emperor was overjoyed and issued an edict throughout the land, changing the country's name from Lingyun to Lingtian, thus establishing the Lingtian Divine Kingdom. At the same time, a grand ancestral worship ceremony would be held to commemorate the ancestors, thus changing course and demonstrating the majesty of the Lingtian Divine Kingdom!

Everything was being prepared in full swing, and although there were some dissenting opinions, they were consciously suppressed at this juncture.

Since Emperor Lingyun... no, Emperor Lingtian achieved the Divine Realm, his majesty has grown increasingly profound. Even those old ministers who have followed him for many years find it difficult to offer advice to the current emperor as they did before.

Time flew by, and the day of the ancestral worship ceremony arrived.

On this day, countless powerful figures arrived out of nowhere, arriving early outside the capital. It could be seen that the capital's grand formation had been fully activated. At the same time, supernatural beings from the Celestial Surveillance Bureau were driving carriages to patrol back and forth, preventing any possible accidents.

The ancestral worship ceremony must not be allowed to go wrong!

"That's about right. Based on my previous experience, if I'm not mistaken, the mastermind behind this should have already made their move..."

In a corner of the imperial city, His Majesty the Emperor, who should have been the protagonist of the day, stood before a black-haired youth. The black-haired youth spoke calmly, but the Emperor's lips twitched: "Imperial Advisor... after you shaved your beard, you really look younger than I imagined."

He suddenly remembered that during his last long talk with Feng Xia, the other person had said that he was only in his twenties or thirties...

"Could what the Imperial Advisor said actually be true?" This thought flashed through His Majesty's mind. "If what he said is true, perhaps there is an extremely terrifying being behind the Imperial Advisor. Why would someone with such a status help my Lingyun Kingdom..."

"Age doesn't determine success."

Feng Xia flicked his sleeves and said with a faint smile, "The time has come, Your Majesty. We have prepared for so long, it is time to completely eliminate that one!"

"That's right, it's time to give that person a big surprise."

His Majesty the Emperor's expression brightened, but then he seemed to remember something and looked at Feng Xia with slight hesitation: "Imperial Advisor, do you remember what you said before?"

Feng Xia frowned: "Have you had kidney deficiency since childhood, and are you lacking in primordial yang?"

"No! It was even earlier!"

"I have an eighty-year-old mother to care for..."

"Your mother isn't even as old as you! Cough cough cough... I'm referring to what the Imperial Advisor once mentioned: I am the prime suspect behind the scenes..."

"Yes, even now, my suspicions have not lessened."

Seeing Feng Xia's attitude, His Majesty's tone became calm.

His gaze went straight to Feng Xia, their eyes met, and in an instant, they understood each other's meaning:

"Imperial Advisor, if I am truly the mastermind behind this and have acted incomprehensibly, I beg you to intervene... and restore peace and order to this world!"

"I... obey your order."

……

This day.

The Heavenly Emperor changed the country's name to Lingtian, marking the first year of the Lingtian calendar. As soon as the country's name was announced, all the myriad paths of heaven and earth seemed to respond, with endless divine light and radiance bursting forth. Purple qi traveled three thousand miles eastward, illuminating all the heavens and demonstrating the sacred meaning of eternity and immortality.

This is an auspicious omen.

Under the watchful eyes of the masses, the Heavenly Emperor offered sacrifices at the ancestral temple and then ascended the throne for the second time.

But at that very moment, the ancestral temple deep within the palace suddenly exploded, transforming into a bottomless black hole that swallowed the entire palace whole.

The howls of all sorts of monsters came from the black hole, indescribable and incomprehensible, and many who heard them almost went mad on the spot.

The great dark force that has spanned thousands of years has finally appeared on this day, severing the sun and moon and turning almost the entire imperial capital into a demonic realm!

"Those who soar to the clouds... offend the heavens... violate the heavenly laws..."

"They should be exterminated without mercy."

……

Chapter 0318

"The Lingyun Kingdom has violated the Heavenly Laws; it deserves annihilation without mercy?"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, facing the bizarre phenomenon within the ancestral temple, Emperor Lingyun's expression tightened, but then a broad smile spread across his face as he spoke, word by word:

"That's Lingyun Kingdom's business. What does it have to do with our Lingtian Divine Kingdom?"

"..."

The ancestral temple was strangely silent for a moment.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Emperor Lingyun... no, the current Heavenly Emperor Lu Tiancheng made a ruthless move. The divine chains of order formed by the Great Dao condensed in his hands, transforming into one killing technique after another. In an instant, it seemed as if this sky could be completely shattered!

"Regardless of your origins or your true purpose, since you dare to invade my Lingtian Divine Kingdom, then you shall remain here forever—"

The Great Divine Power: The Map of the Land and its People!

Suddenly, the world seemed to turn upside down, and a scroll depicting the land and its people unfolded behind Lu Tiancheng's head, as if connecting to another world. At this very moment, that world was to be brought into the world!

In a corner of the capital, Feng Xia, who was completely focused, suddenly narrowed his eyes.

"Indeed, the more I look at it, the more it resembles the Sword Painting of Mountains and Rivers... no, it should be said that the Sword Painting of Mountains and Rivers, the more it resembles the Map of the Land and the State!"

The Mountain and River Sword Diagram was created by Chao Haisheng, the first leader of Qianqiu Valley, after comprehending the myriad things in heaven and earth. It is a great sword technique.