153: Chapter 153 Royal Struggle

"That woman, her strength is truly too strong."

Xiang Tian leaned against the edge of the bed.

His fingertips paused slightly as he pondered.

The power of the Bodhi Seal was not to be underestimated; it was by no means as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Accompanied by a respectful shout, "Prince!"

The door was pushed open, and a group of people filed in, with Patriarch Xiang at the lead.

Followed closely by several Elders with white hair and beards.

"Prince, we did not expect your strength to be so formidable!" the Third Elder said, stepping forward first.

The other Elders nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

Xiang Tian raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned forward.

"What is the meaning of this?"

He already had an inkling.

If there wasn't an important matter, they wouldn't have come looking for him with such fanfare.

"Allow me to explain!" Patriarch Xiang stepped forward, his brows locked tight.

He spoke slowly, "Our Xiang Family has supported the Fourth Prince from the very beginning."

As soon as the words fell, Xiang Tian understood instantly.

It was nothing more than the struggle for the throne.

He waved his hand lightly.

"Patriarch Xiang, I have only just been titled Prince, and it is merely an empty title with symbolic meaning; I have no authority to intervene in court affairs."

He had seen enough of these succession struggles in the TV dramas of his past life.

He knew the dangers better than anyone; in the end, there were only two outcomes.

Either ascend to the supreme position or end up dead with one's whole Family executed.

"Prince, you are unaware," Patriarch Xiang said hurriedly.

"Since the founding of Tianyun Kingdom, there has never been an outsider titled Prince. The fact that His Majesty granted you this title means your status is extraordinary—either you are outstanding enough, or your backing is strong enough."

Xiang Tian sighed inwardly; Patriarch Xiang's guess was not wrong at all.

He composed his expression, "Patriarch Xiang, in that case, tell me: what is the current situation in the court of Tianyun Kingdom?"

He felt quite helpless in his heart, but with Master Miaoxian supporting him, he had no need to fear for his life within Tianyun Kingdom.

Even if he wanted to sit on the throne, it wouldn't be difficult.

But he had no interest in power.

This struggle was never something he wanted.

Patriarch Xiang paused, then spoke slowly: "The current Sovereign has only nine children left, the first eight of whom are princes. At present, the struggle between the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince is the most intense, to the point where it is beginning to affect the political landscape and even implicate us great families."

Xiang Tian kept a straight face, but inwardly he scoffed.

This plot felt so familiar.

"What about the other princes?" he asked, raising his eyes.

Patriarch Xiang's brows furrowed even tighter.

"The First Prince has mediocre Aptitude and no ambition, and has yet to be named Crown Prince; the Second Prince is devoted entirely to Cultivation and has zero interest in court power or the succession struggle; the Third Prince is of low birth, merely a concubine's son, and has no qualification to contend for the throne."

Xiang Tian nodded lightly, his heart calm.

These princes' squabbles were, to him, just insignificant farces, meaningless.

"Patriarch Xiang, I am somewhat puzzled," he said, looking at Patriarch Xiang.

"Why must the Xiang Family get involved in this dangerous court struggle? Looking throughout history, of all the families that participated in the struggle for power, which ones ended up with a good outcome? In my opinion, wait-and-see is the wisest choice."

"Prince, we are helpless!" the Third Elder stepped forward quickly.

"The Patriarch's sister is the Dao Companion of the Fourth Prince. Our Xiang Family and the Fourth Prince are already bound together for better or worse."

Xiang Tian realized.

Patriarch Xiang sighed, his brows still locked.

"If the Fourth Prince fails to seize the throne, then our Xiang Family will likely have no place in the Imperial City in the future, and may even face total annihilation!"

Xiang Tian stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

He didn't know how much weight he carried in the heart of the Tianyun Kingdom Sovereign.

If he really wanted to help the Fourth Prince ascend, it might not be difficult.

But on second thought, his own wife, the Ninth Princess, had long coveted the throne.

If he helped the Fourth Prince, he feared it would displease the Ninth Princess.

This made him somewhat conflicted.

Letting his own wife be an Empress and having fun wasn't a bad idea either.

Of course, he would never reveal these thoughts to Patriarch Xiang and the others.

He looked at Patriarch Xiang and asked from a different angle.

"Patriarch Xiang, have you considered recruiting other top families in the Imperial City to support the Fourth Prince together? In the Imperial City, besides the Xiang Family, there are the Shangguan Family, Ouyang Family, Chen Family, Qin Family, and other top families. If you could gain their support, the Fourth Prince's chances of winning would greatly increase."

Patriarch Xiang shook his head helplessly.

"Those families are all very cunning; they have already made their stance clear, refusing to help any prince, wanting only to protect themselves and watch the outcome."

"That is the attitude a top Family should have!" Xiang Tian couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"You are a Cultivation Family; you should just focus on Cultivation and improving your Family's strength. Why bother chasing after such illusory power?"

"Alas! We are forced!" Patriarch Xiang sighed again.

"Once the Fourth Prince fails, our Xiang Family will be doomed."

A glimmer of cunning flashed in Xiang Tian's eyes, and his pupils rolled.

"Heh heh, Patriarch Xiang, actually, the Xiang Family can avoid being dragged into this succession struggle."

"Oh? Does the Prince have a brilliant plan?" A light flashed in Patriarch Xiang's eyes, and he leaned forward slightly.

Xiang Tian raised an eyebrow, his tone mysterious.

"My idea is very simple: let the Fourth Prince continue to contend for the throne in the open, while your Xiang Family secretly supports another candidate. What do you think?"

Patriarch Xiang's brows furrowed again.

"Oh? Prince, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you already have a prince in mind?"

He had thought it was some brilliant strategy.

They had considered this method before.

But apart from the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince, the other princes were simply incapable of shouldering the responsibility of the throne.

Xiang Tian smiled faintly.

"This Prince has long had a candidate. If your Xiang Family is willing to trust me and fully support the person I have chosen, I can guarantee that the Xiang Family will become increasingly powerful in the future, never again needing to worry about being suppressed, and certainly not needing to be involved in these meaningless struggles."

Patriarch Xiang's expression was solemn upon hearing this.

He slowly turned his gaze to the Elders behind him, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Such a major matter concerned the survival of the entire Xiang Family.

Even he, as the Patriarch, did not have absolute decision-making power.

It had to be discussed with the Elders and decided by a vote of the Council of Elders.

The Elders looked at each other, their eyes filled with hesitation and gravity.

They whispered a few words, their expressions growing more complex.

The Third Elder stepped forward, his brows locked tight.

He asked solemnly, "Prince, can you tell us who exactly you have chosen? This matter concerns the life and death of the Xiang Family; we must be cautious."

Xiang Tian waved his hand.

"Heh heh, you don't need to know who this person is; you only need to trust me. However, to give you peace of mind so you can feel secure in defecting to me, you can look at this."

As soon as the words fell, he jumped off the bed.

He raised his hand and took out a token.

On the token, two vigorous and powerful characters were engraved—Heavenly Sword.

"Hiss—!"

Patriarch Xiang gasped when he saw the token.

"Pri... Prince, you are actually a Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect?!"

The Heavenly Sword Sect was a top Cultivation Sect with immense power.

If Xiang Tian was truly a Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, then with the Heavenly Sword Sect backing them, the Xiang Family would truly have no need to worry about any danger.

Xiang Tian took the token back, his expression calm.

"That's right, I am indeed a Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Therefore, as long as I wish to protect the Xiang Family, it should not be difficult within this Imperial City."

"Ah! Brother Xiang Tian, you are actually a Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect!"

Xiang Xiaozhi, who had been standing on the side in silence, could no longer suppress her shock and shouted out.

She had long heard her brother mention the prestige of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

It was a Holy Land in the hearts of countless cultivators.

Xiang Tian turned back to look at Xiang Xiaozhi.

"There's nothing to be surprised about; it's just an identity."

Having said that, he turned his gaze back to Patriarch Xiang.

"Patriarch Xiang, now that things have come to this, are you willing to take a gamble? Gamble that I can keep the Xiang Family safe, and gamble that the Xiang Family can take this opportunity to reach a new level."

After the words fell, he stopped speaking.

He just looked at Patriarch Xiang quietly, his expression calm.

Patriarch Xiang fell into deep thought again, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his chin, his expression growing more solemn.

This matter concerned the survival of the entire Xiang Family.

He really didn't dare to make a decision easily.

After a long time.

He finally raised his head slowly and bowed deeply to Xiang Tian.

"Prince, this matter is of great importance. I cannot make the decision alone; I still need to convene the Council of Elders and have the Elders vote on it. Please wait a few days, Prince; I will definitely give you an answer as soon as possible."

After speaking, he did not linger.

He turned around with an urgent expression and hurried out.

The other Elders also bowed to Xiang Tian and then followed Patriarch Xiang out.

In the room, only Xiang Tian and Xiang Xiaozhi remained.

Xiang Xiaozhi looked at the backs of the departing Elders, her beautiful brows furrowed tightly.

"Brother Xiang Tian, do you really want to get involved in the struggle for imperial power?"

Xiang Tian rubbed Xiang Xiaozhi's head, "Rest assured, this little matter won't stump me; there won't be any big problems, and you won't be in any danger."

He glanced at the sky outside the window, his tone shifting: "Alright, enough of that. I'm going to participate in the competition."

After speaking, he turned around and walked quickly towards the door.

"Oh!" Xiang Xiaozhi nodded hurriedly.

She followed Xiang Tian's footsteps and walked towards the competition venue together.

...

On the competition grounds.

The place was bustling with noise, with cheers and shouts ringing in one's ears.

As soon as Xiang Tian walked into the competition grounds.

He saw a fierce scene playing out on the ring.

Xiang Liu was stepping on a Xiang Family Disciple, her expression cold, her Aura overbearing.

The Xiang Family Disciple's face was pale, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He begged Xiang Liu bitterly: "Xiang Liu, stop! I surrender! I surrender!"

"Number 33 wins!" The Second Elder's voice sounded at the right moment, spreading throughout the entire competition grounds.

Xiang Tian looked at Xiang Liu on the ring and shook his head helplessly.

He muttered in a low voice: "This violent woman, she attacks too ruthlessly. To actually knock someone out instantly, without leaving any face."

He took a deep breath.

Just one more level up, and he should be able to steadily defeat Xiang Liu.

Having made up his mind.

He walked silently to a corner of the spectator stand and sat down, waiting quietly for his own match.

Xiang Xiaozhi followed closely and sat beside him.

Just then, Xiang Xiaozhi's eyes suddenly lit up.

Pointing towards the ring, she shouted at Xiang Tian: "Brother Xiang Tian, look! It's my brother! My brother has gotten on the ring!"

Xiang Tian looked in the direction Xiang Xiaozhi was pointing.

He saw that Xiang Yuan had already jumped onto the ring.

And opposite Xiang Yuan.

Stood a man dressed in a red brocade robe, with a handsome face and an extraordinary temperament.

Powerful Qi radiated from his whole body, and one could tell at a glance that his strength was not ordinary.

"It's Xiang Jue! He has actually come out to fight for the position of Young Lord?"

"Yeah, yeah, didn't he previously disdain participating in the struggle for Young Lord, and only focus on Cultivation? Why did he suddenly change his mind today?"

"Who knows?"

...

In the spectator stands.

A group of Xiang Family Disciples exclaimed and discussed one after another.

Xiang Tian's brows also furrowed slowly.

He stared at Xiang Jue intently.

This man called Xiang Jue had an extremely formidable Aura, even stronger than Xiang Yuan. If I were to face him right now, I would probably be no match for him.

Xiang Xiaozhi clenched her small fists tightly, her expression nervous.

"Oh no, Brother Xiang Tian, if my brother faces Xiang Jue, he will surely lose! Xiang Jue's strength is far too much stronger than my brother's!"

Xiang Tian didn't speak, just stared intently at the two on the ring.

Carefully observing Xiang Jue's Qi and Moves.

Just as he was observing the ring with full concentration, in a corner of the competition grounds.

A pair of beautiful eyes was silently gazing at him.