"The battle for the throne has become this fierce already?"

"Even the Fourth Prince is willing to use his own sister as a bargaining chip to climb to the top..."

"Could this possibly be... my emotional tribulation?!"

Zhong Shenxiu let out a wry laugh, shaking his head and refusing, "I'm focused solely on pursuing Immortality and have no interest in a partner."

The expression of the Fourth Prince suddenly became somewhat mournful, "Ah... If Qingyuan knew about this, she would be incredibly heartbroken. True Monarch, you are truly devoted to the Dao, with an unwavering Dao Heart. I admire that... Then... maybe you could take a female disciple?"

"You... "

Zhong Shenxiu waved his hand and said, "Why should it come to this, why should it come to this?"

"It's not entirely for my own sake. Qingyuan indeed has a deep affection for the True Monarch. Aside from that... the struggle for the imperial succession is extremely perilous, and I simply pity my sister and wish for her to have someone to rely on..."

The Fourth Prince respectfully bowed.

Even Zhong Shenxiu could not sense any deception in him, but instead, felt a kind of 'sincerity.'

"It's truly a pitiable and lamentable thing..."

Zhong Shenxiu sighed, not advising the Fourth Prince to give anything up.

To think one could walk away from such a position unscathed was a fool's dream.

Even if the Fourth Prince wished to withdraw, his followers and close officials would never allow it.

Otherwise, it would be like throwing them into a pit as well.

If he were heartless and carefree by nature, perhaps it could be so, but the Fourth Prince was clearly not that kind of person.

By now, he had no choice but to move forward; securing some insurance for his family was just an instinct.

In the end, no matter how earnestly the Fourth Prince pleaded, Zhong Shenxiu didn't relent, simply arranging for Su Tang to escort the Fourth Prince out of the valley and agreeing on a time to head to the Imperial City.

...

Seven days later.

Emperor City Changluo.

Although it had seen a sacrifice to the heavens war, the Imperial City remained protected by grand arrays, and the common people suffered little casualty.

And even with some casualties, as the capital of the world, it continued to attract settlers.

At this time, although Changluo did not present a spectacle of all nations coming to court, it was still a peaceful and prosperous land, bustling and thriving.

"Living in Changluo is not easy..."

Inside a certain civilian home, Xu Shaoling slowly concluded his cultivation practice and suddenly sighed.

He was a youth who yearned for the Dao, from a wealthy family, originally a local bigwig of a county. Later, he joined the Mystic Sky Bureau and then obtained a serendipitous chance to purchase an Enlightenment Pill.

By using the power of the Elixir Pills, Xu Shaoling's father eventually cultivated Mana and became a Gang Sha Realm cultivator.

Had things continued along those lines, the Xu Family would gradually have transformed, and if they managed to produce cultivators in each generation, they would be a Cultivation Family.

Unfortunately... war broke out suddenly, and Luo State was left in ruins.

To avoid the chaos, the Xu Family uprooted and moved to Jade State.

Throughout the journey, they suffered untold hardships, their wealth scattered. Had it not been for his own fortunate encounters, which led to successful entry into the Dao and learning a few Spells, along with his father, together they protected the family. Otherwise, they would likely have fallen victim to the ravages of war and the cruelty of Evil Cultivators.

Even so, several of Xu Shaoling's uncles perished in the turmoil, their bodies never claimed.

After barely struggling their way to Changluo, they discovered most of their wealth had been lost, all of their savings spent to buy a small courtyard, leaving very little left over.

Changluo had strict rules, and a mere two Gang Sha Realm cultivators really counted for nothing. The Xu father and son dared not break the law, their own Mana was exceedingly weak, and they could only do odd jobs as Loose Cultivators, barely making ends meet.

Mr. Xu even ceased the cultivation that required additional resources, giving all of it to Xu Shaoling.

"Ah... the path of Immortal Dao... the path of Immortal Dao..."

Xu Shaoling, reflecting on the pursuit of Immortality by two generations of his family, couldn't help but feel profound emotions.

He was also aware that his talent was limited; even though he was fortunate enough to enter the Dao, reaching Yang Gang in his lifetime would be an achievement.

As for attaining Divine Skills, without a heaven-defying opportunity, it was nearly impossible.

At this moment, he couldn't help but express his feelings.

"Husband... Hu'er went out to play and hasn't come back yet. There's chaos everywhere, and in Changluo there have been rumors of a band of thieves prowling nearby. Let's hope he hasn't been kidnapped..."

The door creaked open, and it was Xu Shaoling's wife, walking out with concern in her voice.

"Hu'er likes to play at the street corner with a few friends; perhaps he just forgot the time today. I'll go take a look..."

Xu Shaoling nodded, stepped out of the room, and made his way to the street corner.

Just then, his ears twitched as he heard a shrill screeching sound.

Xu Shaoling looked up and saw a streak of light carelessly passing through the sky. His mouth agape, he said, "Emperor City Changluo has a No-fly Array, those who can travel through the air must be Primordial Pill Great Cultivators... and considering the speed of this light, perhaps even beyond that."

With just a glance, he knew the person belonged to a realm he could never reach in this lifetime, and he could only look on with great envy.

"Huh?"

The next moment, Xu Shaoling watched in astonishment as the streak of light made a turn and descended in his direction.

The light fell perfectly in front of him, transforming into a young man with a presence as impressive as jade and dressed in white that surpassed snow, who lazily stretched his body. Those eyes, seemingly able to peer into one's soul, glanced over at him.

A tremendous pressure forced Xu Shaoling to his knees at once, "Xu Shaoling pays his respects to the Immortal..."

Internally, he was still puzzled, feeling as if this Immortal looked somewhat familiar.

"You have entered the Dao, Shaoling. Don't be so ignorant. I am not an Immortal…" Zhong Shenxiu responded with a smirk.

"Huh?"

Xu Shaoling abruptly lifted his head, staring at Zhong Shenxiu's face, his expression a mix of confusion and timidity. He hesitantly uttered, "Su... Su Daoist?"

This was the very man who played a significant role in his father's entrance to the Dao. How could Xu Shaoling forget?

But this Mr. Su seemed to carry himself with even more dignity and a greater air of Immortal grace than before, making Xu Shaoling somewhat reluctant to recognize him.

"Hmm, what brings you to Emperor City Changluo?"

Zhong Shenxiu casually asked.

He too had recognized an acquaintance and had descended to inquire, without considering the immense disturbance a Primordial Spirit in Changluo's skies could cause.

Clip-clop!

Clip-clop!

Along the long street, several horses galloped ferociously, their riders clad in official garb, men of the city's Inspection Bureau, chasing the direction of the earlier light streak.

Despite the tingling of his scalp and the bitterness in his heart, the appearance of a high-ranking Cultivator in Changluo was no trifling matter, and as local inspectors, they had to take action.

They spurred their horses, rushing through the streets like the wind, causing passersby to dodge frantically and vendors to hastily pack up their stands.

"Ah!"

In the next instant, they were about to crash into the intersection where several boisterous children were playing, completely unaware of the looming danger.

"Not good! Hu'er!"

Xu Shaoling, upon seeing this, felt as if his eyes were about to burst from their sockets, instinctively wanting to cast a spell.

But the strict magical prohibitions of Changluo meant that his meager Gang Sha Cultivator's mana was as good as none at all.

Just as the children were about to be trampled under the horses' hooves, Zhong Shenxiu waved his hand slightly.

A white light shot out, drawing the children to safety.

"Hu'er..."

Xu Shaoling quickly embraced his stunned son, soothing him with a gentle voice.

"On this main street, you gallop your horses, disregarding human life. What should be the punishment for such a crime?"

The horsemen had yet to react when they heard Zhong Shenxiu speak with a frown.

"You…"

His gaze fixed on Zhong Shenxiu, the knight's face twitched, and he dismounted to kneel: "This lowly one has seen Donghua True Monarch, deserve punishment for offending the True Monarch's dignity. Upon returning, I shall immediately report to the Punishment Bureau to accept my punishment…"

"Oh? You recognize me?"

Zhong Shenxiu inquired offhandedly.

"The True Monarchs, in every department, there are records, complete with actual images," replied the knight as he kowtowed again, trembling all over, fearing that with a mere gesture, he would be obliterated, bringing calamity upon his family as well.

"True Monarch?!"

On the side, Xu Shaoling stared at Zhong Shenxiu, feeling as if centuries had passed in just a moment.

Or perhaps, he was delusional, suffering from a hallucination?

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