"Greetings to Donghua True Monarch as he exits seclusion!"

Several days later.

Zhong Shenxiu stepped out of the Dharma Treasures Tower to find the Fourth Prince waiting to greet him on one side, seemingly having waited there for some time.

"How can we trouble Your Highness with such a long wait?"

Zhong Shenxiu laughed heartily, feeling a bit strange on the inside.

'If the Fourth Prince knew about my Primordial Spirit breaking through to Dharma Body and that forbidden Secret Technique, I wonder if he would still be so enthusiastic about marrying off his sister to me...'

'Also, he is a bit too respectful.'

As Zhong Shenxiu pondered, the Fourth Prince bowed again, "Your Majesty, I have heard that my Ninth Brother, not content with the previous humiliation and lacking Imperial Family support, still wishes to undermine True Monarch's face. Surely my Second Brother has something to do with this... They are preparing someone to contend with True Monarch in a showdown..."

"Who is that person?"

Zhong Shenxiu casually asked.

"Ji Daoling from the East Sea, hailed as 'Favored by the Great Dao, Naturally Endowed with Spirit' since childhood, was personally taken as a disciple by the Teaching True Monarch of Fangcun Spirit Mountain and taught the true arts. Having cultivated for three hundred years, he has passed through the four tribulations of the Primordial Spirit and solidified his Dharma Image, ranking him as the foremost among the secondary lineages of Primordial Spirits," explained the Fourth Prince, seemingly prepared as he recited all of this in one breath: "This is all my fault; I should resolve this matter for True Monarch..."

"Never mind, since I've joined the forces, no longer a free-flying crane amidst idle clouds, facing factional sabotage is nothing out of the ordinary..."

Zhong Shenxiu very well understood that such matters could not be avoided.

The only way was to demonstrate sufficient strength, to become the player, not the piece.

The Imperial Family was courteous because they recognized his strength and background.

And those East Sea Independent Practitioners needed another lesson.

Beneath Dharma Body, there truly wasn't anyone he took seriously.

"In that case… I shall prepare for True Monarch."

The Fourth Prince, unable to hide a hint of joy in the depths of his eyes, respectfully excused himself and departed.

"Little Four's skills in concealing his emotions are insufficient; he still needs practice..."

Beside him, the Unity True Monarch lying on a comfortable chair scoffed.

"I wonder, True Monarch, what do you think of the Imperial Throne?"

Zhong Shenxiu asked with a trace of a smile.

As he spoke, he already felt the surrounding space being sealed off, as if transported to another realm.

"It doesn't matter whether it's Little Four, Little Two, or Little Eight who ascends; they are all descendants of this old man. My elder brother thinks the same..." Unity True Monarch said with a cold laugh, "It's just that those Guest Monarchs have their own schemes... Annoyingly tiresome indeed, sigh. If only the old ancestor had not passed, it wouldn't have come to this, the gods, the gods..."

His voice trailed off into a sudden dispiritedness.

The terror of the Evil God unnerved even this Dharma Body.

He too had forgotten about their old ancestor, only to suspect something amiss from subtle clues and sought enlightenment from a fellow sect member's unbinding immortal to recall everything.

The disappearance of an unbound immortal, even though all traces were erased, left a void that someone observant could detect as amiss.

"With the deep foundations of the Imperial Family, just two more breakthroughs by the True Monarchs would surely regroup the forces..."

Zhong Shenxiu said something that lacked substance.

"Breakthrough? Heh heh..."

Unity True Monarch said nothing more, but suddenly the aura around him became terrifyingly ominous.

Zhong Shenxiu even thought he heard countless cries of agony and desperate screams...

It was as if this True Monarch was surrounded by a Hell!

'This Unity True Monarch, obsessed with the Yin Yang Dao, could it be that he has achieved his Dharma Body breakthrough through a secret technique of birthing descendants?'

"Where did the descendants of that lineage go?"

Zhong Shenxiu felt a chill in his heart.

"Even though big brother and I have cultivated our Dharma Bodies, our potential has been exhausted,"

Unity True Monarch sighed. "Relying on some of our heritage, we can barely keep Jade State stable, and that is already us giving our all..."

"You don't need to test me, you might have some secrets on you, but I'm not interested... Even if destiny is within my grasp, I dare not attempt to make another breakthrough," the Unity True Monarch said.

"The state of this Dharma Body seems a bit concerning... Is it that one more step forward would mean losing control of the madness within?"

Zhong Shenxiu blinked.

Dharma Bodies would have certainly passed the second fold of Guanzhong, enabling perfect control over the transformation of the body into something celestial.

However, the pollution in the mind is not necessarily overcome by everyone.

Even if one has passed the test of the heart, that is no guarantee of peace!

Unity True Monarch continued, "Right now, another true monarch and I are merely holding together the Second Yan Han Empire, our authority doesn't stretch beyond Jade State. The other states and counties can only maintain the facade of an officialdom, decentralizing power among various clans and sects... Should another change occur, the world would crumble in an instant."

"This is the trend of the times, something that can't be reversed by strategies or the emperor's efforts… unless, another becomes an ascended immortal!"

"Alas, within our Imperial Family, there are no longer any with such talent."

He looked at Zhong Shenxiu, his gaze sincere: "If Donghua True Monarch is willing to set an example and enter into a marriage alliance with the Imperial Family, fully joining our side, I assure you, I will dedicate my whole heart to helping you ascend to immortality!"

"The path to becoming immortal is fraught with difficulties, there's no guaranteed success..."

Zhong Shenxiu sighed.

Even if he believed the other's promise, whether the strength of the current Second Yan Han Empire could truly aid his ascension was unknown.

Of course, he wasn't about to immediately turn against the court; after all, he had just viewed their archives, and they hadn't made the first move against him.

"Since I have accepted the conffering from Donghua True Monarch, naturally, I will assist the court..."

Zhong Shenxiu gave a slight smile and said, "As for the matter of marriage, let me consider it a bit..."

...

"The Primordial Spirit's four tribulations are nearly complete... Next, comes contemplating how to pass the body's test and cultivate the Dharma Body,"

Zhong Shenxiu said his farewells to Unity True Monarch and walked through the grand corridors of the Imperial Palace.

"The Dragon-Tiger Dharma Body doesn't suit me, I must abandon it, the Yellow Heaven Dharma Body is good indeed, but I always feel that ultimately, it's hard to achieve the Dao, replacing this world's heavenly heart..."

"The Buddhist Sect's Arhat Golden Body and the Loose Cultivators' bodies are passable... The Demon Path's Immortal Body of God and Demon has the advantage of defense and recovery, but that's about it..."

"Could it be, am I to covet the 'Three Pure Ones Dharma Body,' the highest achievement of the Dao path?"

"That way is extremely difficult, the manuals are right there, and I haven't seen anyone from the Imperial Family achieve it..."

"Moreover... my path is not entirely made of new laws..."

As he was ruminating, a palace attendant dressed in court attire suddenly appeared before him, moving gracefully in a curtsey, "Cui Kesiu greets the True Monarch. My lady, the County Lord, requests an audience with you in the Imperial Garden."

"Very well, lead the way."

Zhong Shenxiu nodded with a smile, gesturing with his hand.

The Imperial Garden was expansive, filled with exotic flowers and rare plants, like a paradise on Earth.

Within a lake as clear as jade, white marble steps led to a pavilion.

Lord Qingyuan sat inside the pavilion, in front of her was a pot of boiling water, preparing some tea.

"Congratulations to Mr. Su on your conferment as True Monarch, Qingyuan offers tea in place of wine, a toast to you."

Upon Zhong Shenxiu's arrival, he saw Lord Qingyuan holding a cup of fragrant tea, her smile warm and inviting.

"Qingyuan, don't be upset that I kept secrets before..."

He took the teacup with his right hand, sipping gently, while his left hand seemed to twiddle something, his expression undergoing a subtle change.

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