Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

"I, too, would like to hear whether I am worthy!"

Gu Changjin finished speaking.

The entire council hall was deathly silent.

The elders of the Gu clan, who were originally arguing with the Liu family, were the first to react.

Their gazes swept past Gu Changjin and landed on the grass and wood soldiers on either side.

Dark green armor, veins and patterns on leaves, seemingly silent, yet their energy is seamlessly connected.

More importantly, the appearance of these Taoist soldiers in the council hall meant that the inner gates, corridors, and guards of the Prince's Palace had failed to stop them at all!

The elders exchanged glances, their expressions instantly changing.

Could this be a trump card that Gu Cangyue secretly left for Gu Changjin before he went to war?

That's right! How could the Xuan King, who had fought all his life, not have considered the possibility of being defeated at Chensha Plain and his son dying in battle?

No matter how mediocre Gu Changjin has been over the years, he is still the son of the Xuan King.

Perhaps Gu Cangyue had already prepared everything for this second son, but he never told anyone else!

Thinking of this, the elder who had previously asked Gu Changjin to take charge straightened his back a bit.

They made the right bet!

With such an elite force of Dao soldiers under his command, Gu Changjin is no longer the carefree young master who can be easily manipulated.

Of course, the expressions of several clan elders also became somewhat unnatural.

The reason they supported Gu Changjin was simply because they felt that this nephew had no powerful connections and was easy to control.

But now it seems that even if this new king takes the throne, they probably won't get much power.

On the other side, Liu was also observing those plant soldiers.

The more she looked, the more confused she became.

Over the years, most of the Xuanwang Mansion's treasury, military registers, and various clandestine forces have passed through her hands.

She had never seen this group of Taoist soldiers before.

Gu Changming never mentioned it to her.

Nearly a thousand elite Taoist soldiers could not have appeared out of thin air.

The skills, resources, and time required to train them are certainly not something a pleasure-loving second young master could provide.

Could it really be an arrangement secretly left behind by my father?

But if that's really the case, why keep it a secret even from her husband and herself?

Or was it that Father was wary of them from the very beginning?

Liu's hand, hidden in her sleeve, slowly tightened.

What made her even more uneasy was that the guards she had sent to invite Gu Changjin were now standing at the very back of this group of Dao soldiers.

How long did it take him to walk from the small courtyard to here?

Fifteen minutes? Or even less?

How many changes have occurred inside the Prince's Mansion in such a short period of time?

As for the former officials of the royal court and the generals who remained behind, they were concerned about something else entirely.

"Daoist soldiers..."

An old general dressed in dark red armor spoke in a low voice.

He had guarded Beishuo for many years and had also followed Gu Cangyue in campaigns against several immortal sects that defied the imperial court's laws, so he had naturally seen similar methods.

Immortal sects use spiritual metal to forge their bodies, or use the corpses of their disciples, combined with special techniques, to condense their own sect's Dao soldiers.

But he couldn't discern the origin of the Taoist soldiers before him.

"Wooden-clad soldiers?"

"Which immortal sect in Beishuo could field nearly a thousand such elites at once?"

A servant from the royal palace standing nearby shook his head.

"I haven't heard that the Second Young Master is on good terms with any immortal sect."

"If it was left by the Prince, why have we never heard of it?"

No one can provide the answer.

But they were certain of one thing.

Gu Changjin is very discreet and decisive!

They had already noticed that the guarding auras at many of the array nodes in the Prince's mansion had changed.

In other words, before Gu Changjin stepped into the council hall, this huge Xuanwang Mansion had probably already changed hands!

Everyone's gaze shifted constantly, but ultimately, they all fell on the woman from the Liu family.

She was the one who shouted the loudest just now, and she is naturally the one who is most afraid now.

The elegant woman's face was deathly pale, and cold sweat was already seeping from her forehead.

She originally just wanted to say a few words on behalf of Madam Liu.

If Lady Liu can continue to hold power in the Prince's Mansion, the Liu family will naturally reap even more benefits.

Who would have thought that Gu Changjin would arrive so quickly!

And they came with soldiers!

The person she just cursed was the sole heir of the Xuanwang Mansion!

If Gu Changjin holds a grudge, not only will she suffer, but her husband, children, and even the collateral branches of the Liu family behind her may also be implicated!

Thinking of this, her legs went weak.

thump!

He knelt down on the ground.

"Second Young Master, please forgive me!"

"I misspoke just now; I had absolutely no intention of offending you!"

"I beg you, Second Young Master, to consider that I am from the same clan as the Crown Prince's Consort..."

"How dare you!"

Chen Xiao took a step forward and interrupted sharply.

"You just insulted His Highness, and now that you see His Highness, you dare to address him as 'Second Young Master'?"

"Do you have no sense of hierarchy?"

The woman from the Liu family trembled and quickly changed her words.

"Your Highness, please forgive me!"

"Please spare my life, Your Highness!"

Chen Xiao didn't look at her again.

Instead, he slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire council hall.

"His Highness Prince Xuan is here!"

"Why haven't you all paid your respects?"

The sound echoed throughout the hall.

However, no one made a move immediately.

They are waiting.

Waiting for the first person to line up.

After a brief silence, the old general who was the first to recognize the Dao soldier took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt on one knee.

He was the deputy commander of the left garrison of the Beishuo Left Battalion.

More than the family affairs between the Gu and Liu families, he was more concerned about who had the ability to quickly stabilize Beishuo Prefecture.

Now, the answer is obvious.

"This humble general pays his respects to Your Highness, the Xuan King!"

Once there was a first, there was a second. A former official of the Prince's mansion who had followed Gu Cangyue for many years straight straightened his robes and knelt down.

"This old minister pays his respects to Your Highness, the Prince!"

Next came the officials and servants who realized that the Prince's mansion had changed hands.

"Greetings, Your Highness, the Xuan King!"

"Greetings, Your Highness, the Xuan King!"

One figure after another knelt down.

Within moments, only Liu Shi and a few elders of the Gu clan remained standing in the main hall.

The elders remained relatively calm.

They were speaking up for Gu Changjin, after all.

Moreover, in terms of seniority, some of them are Gu Changjin's uncles, and some are even his ancestors.

There is no reason for elders to kneel and bow to juniors.

Liu Shi did not move either.

She was Gu Changjin's eldest sister-in-law and also the Crown Princess conferred by the Dayin Dynasty.

Gu Changjin claims to be the Xuan King, does that mean he really is the Xuan King?

She suppressed her panic and her face regained its gentle expression.

"As the eldest sister-in-law, I am naturally very gratified that my second brother was able to stand up for me at this time."

"Simply inheriting the title of Xuan King is not something that can be decided with just a few words."

"The imperial edict from Tianjing has not yet arrived, nor have the bodies of my father and husband been found. With the front lines in chaos, who can guarantee that the military reports are without error?"

Looking at Gu Changjin, Liu's voice became earnest.

"What if my father and husband are just trapped in a siege and are still alive?"

"You're already so eager to call yourself the Mysterious King, but what will you do when they return?"

"What will outsiders think of you?"

"Is it disloyal and unfilial to covet one's father's and brothers' thrones?"

These words caused a slight change in the expressions of many people in the hall.

It must be said that Liu has grasped Gu Changjin's biggest weakness.

Fame!

It is true that Gu Changjin is the sole heir.

But he had neither the imperial edict from the capital nor the bodies of his father and brothers.

If one were to forcibly declare himself king at this point, it would indeed be easy for others to find fault with him.

After listening, Gu Changjin merely glanced at her indifferently.

"Are you done talking?"

Liu was slightly taken aback.

The next moment, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from Gu Changjin's body!

boom!

God!

The entire council hall trembled slightly under this aura!

Everyone's expression changed simultaneously.

Who would have thought that the second young master, whom everyone in the Prince's mansion thought was just a lazy bum, had already reached the Celestial Realm!

But this is not the end.

The plant soldiers behind Gu Changjin all looked up at the same time.

The Taoist soldiers who controlled the inner gate, watchtower, and communication station of the Prince's Mansion also opened their eyes at the same moment.

Nearly a thousand myriad spiritual paths resonate with each other.

The vegetation throughout the entire Xuanwang Mansion shook violently.

The phantom of a towering, ancient, verdant tree suddenly materialized above the Prince's Palace!

Its roots penetrate the earth, and its canopy shades the sky.

The spirit of the plants and trees, at the level of terrestrial immortals, has been fully manifested!

A terrifying pressure descended from the sky.

The gentle expression on Madam Liu's face froze instantly.

She felt as if a towering mountain had been placed on her shoulders, and her knees bent uncontrollably.

thump!

Lady Liu knelt down!

The Gu clan elders, who still considered themselves elders, also turned red in the face and desperately tried to circulate their cultivation, but they couldn't even hold on for a single breath.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

One after another, figures knelt down on the ground.

Inside Zhenbei Pavilion, the auras of three terrestrial immortals awakened simultaneously, yet they never stepped out of the pavilion.

Gu Changjin slowly walked through the kneeling crowd and arrived at the Xuan King's throne at the very top of the main hall.

He turned around, placed one hand on the armrest of the throne, and looked down at the crowd in the hall.

"I am the Xuan King."

"Who objects?"

Who supports it?