I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

Inside the bedchamber, there was a deathly silence.

Zhu Yuanzhang's murderous shout, "Get up!" still lingered on the crossbeam, its echoes barely fading. The ruthlessness and calculation on his face hadn't even fully unfolded before he froze there.

Zhu Biao, Xu Da, Li Shanchang, and the others behind him held their breath, not daring to breathe loudly. Everyone felt that either His Highness the Prince of Ying would be forced by the power of his father and rise with difficulty to apologize, or His Majesty the Emperor would completely break off relations and order his "monster" son to be killed on the spot.

The atmosphere had become extremely tense.

However, at this critical moment, something unexpected happened.

Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang, who had always been Zhu Yuanzhang's last trump card and supreme weapon for subduing demons and monsters, and who had always appeared calm and detached from worldly affairs, made a move.

He ignored Zhu Yuanzhang's fiery gaze and the shocked, confused, and fearful civil and military officials around him.

From the moment he stepped into the bedchamber, his gaze, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, was fixed on the "unconscious" young man on the bed.

His body was trembling slightly.

It wasn't out of fear, nor out of excitement, but rather... a kind of awe and trembling that comes from the deepest part of the soul when mortals look up to the gods and believers see the true Buddha!

For the first time, his face, weathered by over a century of trials and tribulations and bearing witness to countless vicissitudes of life, revealed such a complex expression.

There was shock, horror, and disbelief, but more than anything, there was the ecstasy and pilgrimage of someone who had spent their entire life pursuing the Great Dao and finally saw the dawn!

Everyone present, except for Zhu Yuanzhang who was still waiting to see the show, keenly sensed the unusual aura emanating from Zhang Zhenren.

What's going on? What's wrong with Master Zhang...?

Crown Prince Zhu Biao's heart skipped a beat. He realized that Zhang Sanfeng's gaze was off; it wasn't the look of an elder looking at a junior, or the look of a highly accomplished master looking at someone possessed by evil spirits. He had only seen that look once before.

That was the piety on his father's face when he led all the civil and military officials in kneeling to worship the Jade Emperor at the sacrificial ceremony!

[Is he... in awe of his fourth brother?]

When this absurd idea popped into his head, Zhu Biao was startled.

Xu Da and Lan Yu, these fierce generals, stared wide-eyed. They couldn't understand any Taoist mysteries, but they could sense the aura emanating from Zhang Zhenren. The aura that made them all feel uneasy, like a towering mountain, was actually... subdued in front of His Highness the Prince of Ying.

No, it's not restraint, it's like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun, melting away and disintegrating on their own, turning into a gentle stream...humility.

Just when everyone was struggling to process what was happening...

Zhang Sanfeng slowly walked to the bedside.

Unlike Zhu Yuanzhang, who looked down at him from a high position, he stopped three steps away. This distance showed respect without appearing distant.

Then, under Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze, which was almost bulging out of its sockets.

Zhang Sanfeng straightened his faded gray Taoist robe, every movement exuding solemnity and reverence, as if he were performing a sacred ritual.

He bowed deeply to Zhu Muying, who was still "unconscious".

It is not a nod from an elder to a junior, not a cupped-hand salute between peers, nor a kneel of a subject to a monarch.

Rather... it is a Taoist bowing ceremony!

With the left hand clasped over the right, palms facing inward, the body is bowed deeply, the head almost touching the back of the clasped hands. This is the highest form of respect that Taoist disciples perform when meeting their patriarch or paying homage to the Heavenly Venerable!

The entire bedchamber was so quiet that you could hear everyone's heartbeats.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression shifted from astonishment to shock, then to bewilderment, and finally to complete blankness. His mind went completely blank at that moment.

What...what is he doing?

He bowed to our rebellious son...?

Is he crazy? Or are we crazy?

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that his worldview, built up over a lifetime of killing countless people, was shattered by the absurd and bizarre scene before him.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat was as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and he couldn't utter a single word.

What devastated him even more than his action was what Zhang Sanfeng said next.

A voice, aged yet resonant, filled with boundless piety and reverence, rang out clearly in the silent palace, like a thunderclap, striking everyone's ears.

"Zhang Sanfeng, a junior disciple of Wudang Mountain..."

His voice paused, as if he were using all his strength to utter the next four earth-shattering words.

"Greetings... to the terrestrial deity!"

boom!!!

The phrase "land immortals" is like divine thunder descending from the heavens, or like the first axe blow Pangu used when creating the world.

In an instant, it shattered the minds, thoughts, and cognition of everyone in the bedchamber, leaving them in complete chaos.

Zhu Yuanzhang's body swayed suddenly, and if Mao Xiang hadn't caught him in time, he would have collapsed to the ground.

His ears were ringing, and only those four words echoed in his mind.

Land immortals...

Land immortals...

A terrestrial deity!

What did he call our rebellious son? A celestial being?!

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Zhang Sanfeng, his eyes seeming as if he wanted to devour him alive.

What the hell are you kidding me for?!

We sent you to exorcise demons and monsters, and you come here to worship gods?!

【And he's our son?!】

He had a thousand curses threatening to burst forth, but he couldn't utter a single word. Because he saw that after Zhang Sanfeng finished performing that grand salute, he remained bowed, head bowed, motionless, looking like the most devout believer awaiting divine judgment.

That wasn't acting.

Zhu Yuanzhang was certain that it was not an act! He himself was a master of it, and no one understood better than him what was feigned and what was genuine emotion.

What Zhang Sanfeng was showing at this moment was the purest and most undisguised... reverence!

A deep-seated, profound awe for higher life forms!

This realization filled Zhu Yuanzhang with even more fear and despair than what he had just witnessed.

He originally thought he had found a peerless master, a "trump card" that could help him control the situation.

He had even already thought of a hundred ways to distort his son's image.

But he never dreamed that the "trump card" he had painstakingly invited would turn into the other party's "four twos" the moment he saw them!

How can we play like this?

This game was unplayable from the very beginning!

Zhu Yuanzhang felt like a scheming, self-important clown, putting on a clumsy one-man show in front of a true god.

Looking back now, how absurd and laughable were the things he said, did, and promised in the imperial carriage!

He actually... attempted to send a real terrestrial deity to fight another terrestrial deity?

No, that's not right!

Judging from Zhang Sanfeng's respectful, almost humble, attitude, he and his rebellious son were simply not on the same level!

Zhu Yuanzhang's mind raced as he tried to piece together a logical conclusion from the chaotic information that he could accept.

Zhang Sanfeng was a highly accomplished Taoist master who lived to be over a hundred years old. He was a legendary figure in the martial arts world, and we always thought he was a terrestrial immortal.

But now, he's performing this grand gesture of respect to our son, even calling him a "land-based immortal."

What does this tell us?

This shows that in Zhang Sanfeng's mind, his son was the true "immortal on land," while he himself was at best a "latecomer"!

[My...our son, Zhu Muying, he...he's actually even more powerful than Zhang Sanfeng?]

This conclusion caused Zhu Yuanzhang's heart to clench violently.

He recalled the extraordinary phenomena of the previous night: the golden light that covered the entire city of Jinling, and the boundless oppressive power.

He had been forcing himself to believe that it was Zhang Sanfeng who had caused the commotion.

But now, his self-deceiving theory has been completely shattered by Zhang Sanfeng's bow!

It turns out that the culprit behind all of this was not Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang at all.

Instead, it was his own son, whom he had always regarded as a thorn in his side!

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

He felt a bone-chilling cold rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

That wasn't anger, nor was it jealousy.

It was... pure fear!

If Zhu Yuanzhang felt the fear of his faith collapsing and his plans failing, then the civil and military officials standing behind him felt only pure, primal, and awe-inspiring shock, like mortals witnessing a divine miracle.

"A terrestrial immortal..."

Crown Prince Zhu Biao muttered to himself, his face, which always wore a gentle and kind smile, now filled with confusion and bewilderment.

As the crown prince and future emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he received the most orthodox Confucian education from a young age. The Master said, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits." In his world, imperial power was supreme, and the laws of propriety were inviolable; everything should operate within rules and order.

But now, his unruly fourth brother has actually... become a terrestrial immortal?

What does this mean?

Zhu Biao's mind was in complete chaos.

He thought of the immortals and alchemists recorded in history books, the madness of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han in their later years seeking immortality, and those so-called "auspicious omens" and "divine mandate".

He always believed that those were nothing more than tools used by rulers to fool the people and consolidate their imperial power.

But now, a living "land deity" has appeared in front of him, and it's his own younger brother!

This completely overturned his understanding.

[Fourth brother...is he a deity?]

[Then what is Father Emperor? And what am I, the Crown Prince?]

[The divine right of kings... Is this more than just a slogan?]

Zhu Biao's mind was in turmoil.

He subconsciously looked at his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, and saw that Zhu Yuanzhang's face was deathly pale, his body swaying precariously, and his once decisive and domineering eyes were now filled with confusion and fear.

Zhu Biao's heart sank.

He realized that things were in serious trouble.

What does a prince of "divine status" mean for a dynasty with highly centralized imperial power?

If he wants to be emperor, who can stop him?

Those imperial guards of the emperor? The Embroidered Uniform Guard? Or the hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in and around the capital?

In the face of true deities, these mortal powers are probably no different from those made of paper.

Zhu Biao's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

What he feared wasn't that Zhu Muying would compete with him for the throne. Based on his understanding of his younger brother, Zhu Muying had absolutely no interest in the throne.

What he feared was that once this balance was broken, the entire Ming Dynasty court would be plunged into unprecedented turmoil!

The emperor is a suspicious and distrustful man. Now that he has witnessed his son possess power far beyond his control, what will he think? What will he do?

Will they, like Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, turn to the pursuit of immortality and make a mess of the government?

Or will extreme fear lead them to do something even more insane and irrational?

Either way, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the Ming Dynasty, which had just gotten on the right track!

No! We must hold the line! We absolutely must hold the line!

Zhu Biao forced himself to calm down, and his brain began to work frantically.

Now, the most crucial thing is the fourth brother's attitude! As long as the fourth brother doesn't have that intention, there's still a chance to salvage the situation!

I must find a new balance between my father and my fourth brother!

From this day forward, I, the Crown Prince, will not only be facing the affairs of the court, but also... a divine younger brother!

Zhu Biao felt that the burden on his shoulders had suddenly become a thousand times heavier.

Unlike his deep concern as a "politician," the reactions of Xu Da, Lan Yu, and other military generals on the other side were much more direct.

Xu Da's weathered old face flushed red with extreme excitement.

His tiger-like eyes widened as he stared intently at Zhu Muying on the bed, then at Zhang Sanfeng, who was bowing respectfully. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he was too excited to utter a single word. He could only keep pounding his thigh with his hands.

My God! A terrestrial deity!

[His Highness the King... no, His Highness the Immortal! He's actually a terrestrial immortal!]

No wonder! No wonder!

In Xu Da's mind, all the amazing talents Zhu Muying had shown in martial arts since childhood flashed through his mind.

At a young age, he could easily defeat veteran soldiers in the army. By his teens, he had mastered all eighteen martial arts and even created several sets of incredibly powerful martial arts techniques.

These old folks used to think that this kid was a natural-born martial arts prodigy.

Now it seems, what a load of bull! This guy was just a god descended to earth to experience life!

Lan Yu, standing to the side, was so excited that he trembled all over. He slapped himself hard across the face.

"Ouch...it hurts! It's real! I'm not dreaming!"

He grinned widely, laughing like a 300-pound child, tears welling up in his eyes.

[Hahaha! Awesome! That's fucking awesome!]

Our King is a celestial being! Let's see if those pedantic scholars in the court dare to oppose our military generals again!

[What utter nonsense about using civilian power to subdue the military! It's all meaningless in the face of absolute strength!]

[From now on, if anyone dares to bring up cutting military spending again, we'll let them try reasoning with His Majesty the King's fist!]

Lan Yu's idea was simple and crude.

In his view, His Highness the King of England was a celestial being, and that was the biggest backer for his group of military generals!

Previously, the Crown Prince was in charge of the country and heavily relied on civil officials, making life increasingly stifling for these military generals. Now, His Highness the King of England's display of power has completely overturned the entire court's structure.

From this day forward, who will dare to underestimate their lineage of military generals?

Not only Lan Yu, but almost all the military officers present were overjoyed. Their eyes were filled with fervent admiration and pride as they looked at Zhu Muying.

This is a child they've watched grow up! He's the pride of their military group!

In stark contrast to the military generals' ecstasy was the collective silence of Li Shanchang, Liu Sanwu, and other civil officials.

Li Shanchang's eyes, which always gleamed with shrewdness, were now wide open, bigger than a bull's eyes, and he didn't even notice when the tablet in his hand fell to the ground.

His mind was in unprecedented chaos.

As the founding prime minister of the Ming Dynasty, second only to the emperor, he spent his entire life dealing with the word "power." He was familiar with every rule in the court and understood the interests of every faction. He believed he could handle any complex political situation.

But what he was seeing was completely beyond his comprehension.

One of the princes was a terrestrial deity.

How... how are we supposed to play like this?

This is against the rules!

There has never been such a precedent in any dynasty!

How should it be written in history books?

The *Veritable Records of the Hongwu Emperor* states: In the autumn of the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign, the emperor's fourth son, Mu Ying, broke through his cultivation realm and ascended to immortality, attaining the status of a terrestrial immortal. The emperor and his officials were astonished, and Zhang Zhenren of Wudang Mountain bowed in submission. From this point onward, was the proper etiquette between ruler and subject abolished, and the distinction between immortals and mortals established?

Just thinking about it made Li Shanchang's scalp tingle.

This is no longer a simple power struggle among emperors; it is a devastating blow from divine right to monarchical power!

Would a deity with world-destroying power abide by mortal laws and morals?

If he's in a bad mood one day and says, "Emperors take turns, today it's my turn," who can check him? Who dares to check him?

Li Shanchang's back was also soaked with cold sweat.

He thought more deeply, further ahead, and more pessimistically than Zhu Biao.

He seemed to see an uncontrollable and enormous variable descending upon the Ming Dynasty. The future of history would take a path that no one could predict.

Faced with this enormous variable, he, the prime minister, appeared so insignificant, so...powerless.

Within the entire palace, Zhang Sanfeng's words divided the palace into several distinct camps.

Zhu Yuanzhang was the leader, filled with fear and bewilderment.

Zhu Biao led the way, expressing concern and seeking a balance.

Led by Xu Da and Lan Yu, there was ecstasy and blind worship.

Li Shanchang was the leader of the group, and he was shocked and deeply fearful.

All of everyone's emotions and all of everyone's gaze were focused on that bed.

They are all waiting.

Waiting for the young man, who was dubbed a "land immortal," to awaken from his "slumber."

He awaits to deliver the final verdict on this farce that has completely spiraled out of control.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face changed from white to green, then from green to purple, a fascinating display, like a dye shop in operation.

He felt like a drowning person, about to sink to the bottom, desperately trying to grab onto the last straw.

He doesn't believe it!

He refused to believe it!

He can't be trusted!

He, Zhu Yuanzhang, rose from a beggar and a monk, fighting his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood to ascend the throne of the emperor. His entire life was a struggle against heaven, against earth, and against man! He never believed in ghosts or gods; he only believed in the sword in his hand and the strategies in his heart!

Now, tell me, is our good-for-nothing son a deity?

Why should I?!

With just a few rudimentary skills? With just the commotion he caused last night?

Then I am the true Son of Heaven! When I ascended the throne, there were auspicious five-colored clouds in the sky!

Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial dignity and deep-seated desire for control made it impossible for him to accept this cruel reality.

In a state of extreme confusion and fear, his mind began frantically searching for any reason that could overturn everything before him.

[Hallucination! Yes! It must be a hallucination!]

[This Zhang Sanfeng, an old man over a hundred years old, with failing eyesight, might have been deceived by some kind of illusion!]

Or perhaps... he's in cahoots with our rebellious son! They've joined forces to stage this whole charade, all to seize power from us!

[Yes! That must be it! Zhang Sanfeng was involved with the Ming Cult back then, and our rebellious son is mingling with the remnants of the Ming Cult! They're working together from within and without to overthrow our Ming Dynasty!]

A glint of madness rekindled in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

He felt he had found the truth!

He preferred to believe it was a shocking conspiracy against him rather than believe that his son had truly become a god beyond his control.

Because conspiracies can be thwarted.

But gods are invincible.

Having figured this out, Zhu Yuanzhang's nearly collapsed mind miraculously stabilized again.

He took a deep breath, and the iron-blooded and domineering aura that belonged to the Hongwu Emperor returned to him once again.

He shoved away Mao Xiang, who was supporting him, and took a step forward. The step landed with a dull thud, as if it would crack the floor of the bedchamber.

"Zhang Sanfeng!"

He no longer addressed him as "Uncle," but instead called him by his given name!

His voice was cold and authoritative, like the biting wind of December, stinging the faces of everyone present.

Zhang Sanfeng, still bowing, paused slightly but did not rise. In his view, no one could disturb this sacred moment without the "immortal's" permission.

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw that he dared to ignore him, his anger flared up instantly.

You old fox! You really think you're something special!

"I'm asking you a question!" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice rose several decibels, filled with an undeniable imperial authority. "You just said... what is he?"

He pointed at Zhu Muying on the bed with his finger, which trembled slightly from the force, whether from anger or from an unconcealable fear deep within his heart.

Zhang Sanfeng slowly straightened up.

He turned his head and looked calmly at Zhu Yuanzhang with his eyes that were as still as a deep well.

That gaze held no reverence, no fear, not even the slightest emotional fluctuation. It was as if he were looking at a... unreasonable mortal.

"This humble Taoist priest says that His Highness the King is a terrestrial immortal."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

This is the second time.

In front of everyone, confirm for the second time!

"A land-based immortal?" He sneered, his laughter filled with mockery and disdain. "Him? A mere brat, a rebellious son we beat like a dead dog lying in bed, and you dare call him a land-based immortal?"

"Zhang Sanfeng, tell me, are you getting senile?"

"Or are you and him in cahoots, putting on this act in front of us today, hoping to pull some kind of ploy?!"