13: Chapter 13 The World Order

The Xuantian Continent was vast and boundless.

However, as a Xuanhuan world with a high level of martial power, its speed of information transmission far exceeded a Mortal's imagination.

In less than a single day...

By the dawn of the next day...

All intelligence regarding the Imperial Dynasty had already been delivered to all major powers through various channels, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers.

The Tianxuan Dynasty.

It was the sole ruler of this continent.

However, as time passed, the imperial power no longer possessed the majesty it had during its peak.

Among the greatest threats to the imperial power...

Were the four superpower forces entrenched around the Imperial Dynasty, and those few regional lords who commanded heavy troops and ignored imperial summons.

The four superpower forces were as follows:

Xuantian Holy Land in the south, Blood Soul Palace in the north, Wuji Holy Land in the east, and the Sword Pavilion in the west.

Of course.

They were not originally located at the four corners of the Imperial Dynasty.

During the Imperial Dynasty's peak, the powerful imperial family at the time ordered these Sects to relocate to the four directions, aiming to have them assist the regional lords in guarding the borders.

Back then, the Imperial Dynasty had over ten Celestial Realm experts presiding over it, exerting pressure over the world, and no one dared to disobey.

Even if the four major forces felt dissatisfied, they could only obediently bow and follow orders.

They were forced to move their Sects to the four borders of the Imperial Dynasty.

The reason the Imperial Dynasty placed such importance on border issues was that the entire dynasty was surrounded by vast, boundless primitive forests teeming with Yao Beasts.

Furthermore, beast tides of varying scales would erupt periodically, threatening the security of the borders.

As for the Regional Lords of the Four Directions, they commanded millions of soldiers.

Their duty was to resist the beast tides and guard the barriers of the Imperial Dynasty.

However.

Prosperity is never eternal.

After hundreds of years, the Tianxuan Dynasty inevitably began its decline.

The depletion caused by internal imperial struggles, the fall of experts, and the loss of resources resulted in the Imperial Dynasty now having only three Celestial Realm experts remaining.

On the other hand, what about the four superpower forces?

After hundreds of years of development and accumulation, they were no longer what they once were.

Each of them openly possessed at least one Celestial Realm expert, and as for whether there were any hidden ones in the shadows, no one knew.

Within their Schools, Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster experts were numerous, their power was deeply entrenched, and their influence spanned the entire world.

Under these circumstances.

They were no longer willing to continue acting as the "watchdogs" and vassals of the Imperial Dynasty.

They gave lip service to the imperial family's orders while secretly defying them, or even openly ignored them.

The Martial Artists of the world now mostly followed the lead of the four Holy Lands, and the binding force of the Imperial Dynasty's laws on the Jianghu Martial Artists was almost non-existent outside the Imperial City.

Jianghu vendettas, private duels, and seizing land to become kings were common occurrences. Local government offices often turned a blind eye, and sometimes even had to act according to the whims of those large Sects.

The Regional Lords of the Four Directions were also becoming too powerful to control.

Relying on their heavy troops, their responsibility for resisting beast tides, and the geographical advantage of being far from the central government, they also made excuses to avoid imperial orders.

It could be said...

The current Tianxuan Dynasty was like a giant that was strong on the outside but hollow on the inside; its internal emptiness and external control had weakened to the extreme.

Only the Imperial City was somewhat better.

Because of the three Celestial Realm experts residing there, along with its deep heritage and Restrictions, it could barely be considered the last "pure land" of the Imperial Dynasty.

But once outside the Imperial City...

Especially in the four regions far from the center of the Imperial City, the prestige of the imperial power had almost vanished.

When the news of Wang Chen's forceful ascension, his bloody suppression of the court, and his forcing the Retired Emperor to step down reached the major powers...

Their first reaction...

Was almost entirely disbelief, or even contempt.

Inside the Xuantian Holy Land.

As the master of the Holy Land, Saint Master frowned as he looked at the information coming from the Imperial Dynasty.

"Wang Chen? That playboy trash recorded as having zero martial talent, who only knows how to visit brothels?"

As he spoke, he used the power within his body to instantly turn the intelligence report in his hand into ashes.

"Celestial Realm?"

"What a joke! I have cultivated bitterly for two hundred years and am still half a step away from the Celestial Realm. He is a sixteen-year-old child; on what basis could he achieve it?"

"It must be that the old geezers of the Tianxuan imperial family are failing, so they created an illusion to bluster and intimidate us!"

“Hmph! Utterly childish...”

On the other side, at the Blood Soul Palace.

The same scene was unfolding within a gloomy and dark underground palace.

"Jie jie jie..."

A spine-chilling, eerie laugh rang out. The Master of the Blood Soul Hall was completely shrouded in a blood-red robe, his voice hoarse.

"Is the Tianxuan imperial family at its wit's end? They actually pushed out a trash prince as a front and fabricated a lie about the Celestial Realm? Is it to divert attention, or a deathbed struggle?"

"Send people to investigate and see if those three old fogies in the Imperial City are about to collapse!"

...

Wuji Holy Land.

The master of the Holy Land was an elegant middle-aged man. He looked at the intelligence in his hand and fell into deep thought.

"Wang Chen... Celestial Realm..."

"The intelligence shows that he did indeed display terrifying strength in the Golden Throne Hall yesterday, killing over a dozen ministers in an instant, among whom were several in the Grandmaster Realm... But to say he is in the Celestial Realm... is still too far-fetched."

"Perhaps he used some kind of imperial secret treasure, or it was the result of those three Old Ancestors forcing a power transfer at any cost?"

"Their intention was to create the image of a 'powerful new emperor' in the short term to try and regather people's hearts and intimidate the four directions? If that's the case, it's no different from drinking poison to quench thirst!"

Sword Pavilion.

At the peak of a mountain that was as straight as a sword and towered into the clouds.

"Sword Intent?"

The Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion, an old man with a back as straight as a sword and a sharp gaze, keenly caught the description in the intelligence about the "Green-robed Swordsman" beside Wang Chen.

"The report says that person, with just his aura, made everyone in the Golden Throne Hall feel like they had thorns on their backs, as if a sharp sword was hanging over their heads... That is somewhat interesting."

"However, Wang Chen himself being in the Celestial Realm? Absolutely impossible! It must be a hidden expert the imperial family invited from somewhere, acting under the Fifth Prince's name. Their purpose is self-evident."

The heads of the four superpower forces, as well as the regional lords and powerful families and Sects who received the news, almost all reached similar conclusions.

They didn't believe it!

They were more inclined to believe that this was a carefully planned "conspiracy" or "performance" by the Tianxuan imperial family in the face of its own decline and loss of authority.

As for Wang Chen himself being a Celestial Realm expert?

In their view...

It was pure nonsense...

It was more absurd than the sun rising from the west!

A prince who had been recorded as a playboy for ten years and whose martial talent was almost zero, suddenly becoming a top expert on the continent?

This simply didn't conform to common sense; it must be a smokescreen released by the imperial family!

"Continue to closely monitor the movements of the Imperial City, especially those of the three Old Ancestors and Wang Chen."

"Notify our moles in the court to find out the truth of what happened in the Golden Throne Hall yesterday. What means did Wang Chen actually use?"

"Pass down the order: all branch halls are to observe the situation for now, but continue to handle imperial orders according to the old rules. There is no need to be overly nervous."

"Increase vigilance and see how this 'play' in the Imperial City continues to unfold."

One command after another was issued from the cores of the major forces, carrying doubt, caution, and a hint of disdain.

They did not believe that a "fake" Celestial Realm emperor could truly change the current situation of the declining Imperial Dynasty and the rising of various powers.

However.

They did not know that their judgment, based on "common sense," was leading them into a massive and dangerous misunderstanding...