43: Inside the library, the Dragon God is covered in dust!

In the Lanyue Pavilion, there was a deathly silence.

Zhao Zheng stared blankly at the black jade chess piece on the table, feeling as if it were as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on him until he could not catch his breath.

Kill the son, or offer the son?

There were two paths. One was to sever family ties and eliminate future trouble forever.

The other was to place the future of his own Dynasty, and his most proud Crown Prince, under an unpredictable variable.

His heart was in chaos.

As an emperor, he was accustomed to controlling everything.

But today, for the first time, he felt that his own fate, and even the fate of the entire Dynasty, was being gently pinched between someone's fingers.

"Senior..." He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse.

"This matter concerns the foundation of my Great Zhao Kingdom, I... I need time to consider."

"Very well." Chu Xuanjin's reply was crisp and decisive.

He stood up and brushed off the corner of his robe.

"Three days."

"After three days, I will come to find your third son."

"By then, whether he lives or dies, whether he remains a mortal emperor or follows me to seek the Dao of Longevity, will depend on your decision."

Having said that, he did not look at Zhao Zheng again, turned around, and walked slowly out of the pavilion.

"Oh, right." He reached the pavilion entrance, paused, and did not look back.

"Tell your son, if my three disciples lose even a single hair while in his Eastern Palace..."

His voice remained calm.

"Then there will be no need for this imperial palace of yours to exist."

As his voice faded, his figure dissipated on the spot like a wisp of blue smoke.

Outside the pavilion, the inescapable net woven from the Evil Qi of the Imperial Guard and the Dragon Qi of the Imperial City was completely ineffective before him.

Zhao Zheng slumped onto the stone bench, drenched in cold sweat.

After a long while, he weakly waved a hand at Eunuch Fu, who stood like a stone statue outside the pavilion.

"Issue... issue my decree."

"No one is allowed to approach the Scripture Pavilion within half a step."

"Those who violate this order, behead them!"

Eastern Palace, Armory.

This was not an ordinary weapon storehouse, but a massive underground palace.

The walls were covered with diagrams of various peculiarly shaped weapons, shimmering with Spiritual Qi.

In the center of the hall, a giant mechanical battle armor, three zhang high and constructed from countless precise gears and runes, was on display.

"Wow!" Wang Duojin's eyes could hardly take it all in.

He circled the mechanical battle armor, tapping and knocking on it from time to time, clicking his tongue in wonder.

"Your Highness, if this treasure of yours were to be deployed, I'm afraid even a Nascent Soul Cultivator would have to steer clear, right?"

Zhao Wuji stood to the side with a gentle smile on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Wang jokes. This is the 'Xuanwu No. 1', created by our Dynasty's Ministry of Works over a hundred years, modeled after ancient mechanical arts. Activating it once consumes one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones; it is not easily used unless absolutely necessary."

Su Linger was attracted by a diagram on the wall titled "Ice Soul Divine Light Crossbow".

The giant crossbow drawn on the diagram had a beautiful shape and smooth lines, appearing like a work of art, yet it emitted a lethal chill.

Ye Chenfeng's gaze swept across the room full of divine weapons and Sharp Weapons, but finally, it stopped in an inconspicuous corner.

There, a broken ancient sword was placed.

Only half of the blade remained, rusted and devoid of any Spiritual Qi.

Yet, from the broken edge, he felt a pure Sword Intent that would rather die than break.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, good eye." Seeing him stop, Zhao Wuji explained with a smile.

"This sword was left behind three thousand years ago by a Loose Cultivator Senior known as the 'Sword Fanatic'. It is said that he once used this broken sword to fight three Demonic Lords alone before dying of exhaustion. Its Sword Intent has persisted for three thousand years without dissipating."

Ye Chenfeng reached out and gently stroked the cold, broken sword without speaking.

Just then, an Eastern Palace guard hurried in and whispered a few words into Zhao Wuji's ear.

Zhao Wuji's expression changed instantly.

He waved the guard away and bowed apologetically to Ye Chenfeng and the others.

"Three Fellow Daoists, my Imperial Father has summoned me urgently, so I must take my leave first."

"You may browse here as you please; if there is anything you fancy, consider it a welcoming gift from me."

After saying this, he left in a hurry.

Wang Duojin watched his retreating figure, then looked at the room full of treasures, his eyes instantly shining like two suns.

"Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister! Did you hear that? His Highness the Crown Prince said we can take whatever we want!"

He rubbed his hands together, drool almost flowing out.

"That Xuanwu No. 1..."

"Third Junior Brother." Su Linger's cold, clear voice interrupted his fantasy, "Revered Master said, do not cause trouble."

"How is taking things causing trouble? The Crown Prince said it himself!" Wang Duojin argued reasonably.

Ye Chenfeng slowly withdrew his hand from stroking the broken sword.

"Let's go." He turned and walked outward.

"Ah? We're leaving already?" Wang Duojin looked reluctant, "Senior Brother, shouldn't we look around more?"

"No need." Ye Chenfeng's steps did not stop.

"Weapons are external objects; one's own sword is the foundation."

Su Linger also nodded and followed.

Wang Duojin looked at the room full of treasures, then at his Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister who had already walked far away, and finally gritted his teeth and stomped his foot.

"Wait for me!" He chased after them, still muttering under his breath.

"Really, treating money like dirt; this Realm is too high, I can't reach it yet..."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, early morning.

Chu Xuanjin's figure appeared once again on the canopy of that century-old ancient locust tree.

He did not go to the imperial palace, nor did he go to see Zhao Zheng.

He simply waited quietly.

The sun was high.

The heavy wooden door of the Scripture Pavilion, which had been tightly closed for years, creaked as it was slowly pushed open from the inside.

A youth wearing a faded, old imperial prince's robe, with a thin frame and delicate features, but empty and listless eyes, walked out.

He looked like a marionette, completely unresponsive to everything around him.

Sunlight shone on him, but he did not even blink his eyes.

Behind him followed two inner court eunuchs with steady auras.

"Third Highness, this way please." One of the eunuchs said to the youth in an indifferent tone.

The youth did not react.

The two eunuchs did not care, and one on each side, they grabbed his arms and prepared to take him away.

Just then.

A calm voice, as if coming from all directions, rang clearly in their ears.

"Stop."

The two eunuchs' bodies stiffened violently.

They looked around in horror, but could not see a single person.

"Who! Who is playing ghosts!"

"This is the Forbidden Ground of the Imperial Palace; if you do not appear, do not blame us for being impolite!"

They shouted sternly, their hands already pressed on the soft swords at their waists.

Chu Xuanjin's figure leaped down from the ancient locust tree, landing silently in front of the three.

He looked at the empty-eyed youth; under his Heavenly Dao Dharma Eye, the Primordial Dragon Soul, locked away by layers of Bloodline Power, was letting out a silent roar.

"You may leave." Chu Xuanjin's gaze swept across the two eunuchs.

"Presumptuous! Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Imperial Palace!"

One eunuch roared angrily, drew his soft sword, and prepared to step forward.

But as soon as he took a step, he felt an irresistible, terrifying force grip his throat.

The sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

His body floated up uncontrollably, his feet off the ground, his face turning the color of a pig's liver.

The other eunuch was scared out of his wits, Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Exalted Immortal, spare my life! Exalted Immortal, spare my life! This servant... this servant is only following orders!"

Chu Xuanjin waved his hand.

The eunuch whose throat was gripped was thrown dozens of zhang away like a broken sack, fainting instantly.

"Scram." Chu Xuanjin spat out only one word.

The kneeling eunuch, as if granted amnesty, scrambled away, not even daring to look back.

In the original spot, only Chu Xuanjin remained, along with the foolish prince who was still standing motionless like a marionette.

Chu Xuanjin walked up to him, reached out, and pointed a finger at his brow.

"The dust-covered dragon should also wake up."