130: Chapter 130 The Nine Princes' Struggle for the Throne Consumes the Foundation of the Nation; Chu Tiankuo Pleads for an Explanation of the Perilous Situation

Chu Tiankuo looked at Emperor Yuanwu's expression of utter shock and continued in a deep voice.

"Li is ambitious and delusional, attempting to control the Zhenwu Division."

"He uses Gu Han as a blade to eliminate dissidents, paving the way for his ascension to the throne."

"He even stooped to using such underhanded and vicious methods."

"What kind of person is Gu Tian?"

"He possesses extraordinary intellect and peerless strength; how could he be easily schemed against by Li?"

Chu Tiankuo's tone carried a hint of coldness.

"Gu Tian sensed Li's conspiracy and naturally rose to fight back."

"The Heaven-Confining Earth-Locking Formation was torn apart by his single punch, and of the three Dharma Aspect Realm retainers, one died, one was injured, and one was crippled."

"And that Heart-Devouring Gu was backhanded into Li's body by him."

"Everything he did was for self-preservation and counterattack, and furthermore, to uphold the dignity of the Zhenwu Division!"

"To uphold the supreme power that Your Majesty has bestowed upon the Zhenwu Division!"

"To uphold the rules set by the Great Ancestor."

Chu Tiankuo's voice was resonant, carrying an unquestionable aura of righteousness.

Emperor Yuanwu's body shook violently, his mind in complete chaos.

He recalled Chu Li's exaggerated, tearful accusations just moments ago, portraying Gu Han as a bloodthirsty madman who forcibly abducted dancers.

At this moment, Chu Tiankuo's explanation was like a sharp blade, tearing away Chu Li's mask of hypocrisy and revealing the hideous ambition and malice beneath.

"He... how dare he do such a thing?!"

Emperor Yuanwu's eyes turned blood-red, and a fury even more violent than before erupted from within him.

But this time, the object of his fury was not Gu Han, but the son kneeling before him, tearfully making accusations—Chu Li!

"Rebellious son! You rebellious son!"

Emperor Yuanwu roared up at the sky, his voice filled with overwhelming disappointment and rage.

This pressure was even more solid and terrifying than before.

The surrounding imperial guards were terrified, kneeling one after another, not even daring to breathe.

They had never seen Emperor Yuanwu so uncomposed, so enraged.

Seeing Emperor Yuanwu's fury burning in his heart, Chu Tiankuo knew the time had come.

He slowly walked up to Emperor Yuanwu.

Chu Tiankuo gazed at Emperor Yuanwu with deep eyes, his tone slowing down, yet every word was like a knife, pointing straight to the core.

"Your Majesty, Li's matter is certainly heartbreaking."

"But what is more worrying is the situation in the capital, and indeed, the entire Great Chu."

Chu Tiankuo's voice carried a hint of heaviness, as if bearing a thousand-catty burden.

"The Nine Sons Contesting the Throne has not been a matter of just one day."

"The Great Ancestor originally set the rules that all princes could compete for the succession, in the hope of selecting a truly virtuous and capable monarch."

"But what about now?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the night sky shrouded in moonlight outside the Qinzheng Hall, a flash of distress in his eyes.

"Does Your Majesty know that over these years, factional strife in the imperial court has intensified?"

"Various factions, for the sake of the princes they support, engage in open and covert struggles, stopping at nothing."

"The national treasury is empty, and the people's livelihood is withered, all because of this endless internal friction."

"Those officials who were originally loyal to the imperial family have also taken sides, and the hearts of the people are wavering."

Emperor Yuanwu's face turned even paler.

He was busy with ten thousand tasks every day, reviewing memorials, and naturally understood the undercurrents surging in the imperial court.

But he had always thought this was just normal competition among the princes, a way for them to display their talents.

Now, pointed out by Chu Tiankuo, he suddenly realized that this so-called "competition" had long since deteriorated.

"Your Majesty, by rights, we should not interfere in these matters."

"However, for the sake of Great Chu, I hope Your Majesty will resolve this as soon as possible."

"Our Great Chu is now in a precarious state."

At this moment, Emperor Yuanwu felt extremely desolate.

The anger on his face had turned into an inexplicable sadness.

More than half of his spirit and vitality had been drained away.

In front of the Qinzheng Hall, the night wind howled, but it could not blow away the raging waves in the heart of Emperor Yuanwu, Chu Yuan.

Emperor Yuanwu gazed blankly at Chu Tiankuo; the anger from before had vanished completely, leaving only bone-chilling cold and endless regret.

"Your Majesty, the Nine Sons Contesting the Throne is a long-standing issue."

Chu Tiankuo's voice was slow and deep, yet every word struck at Emperor Yuanwu's heartstrings.

"The rules set by the Great Ancestor have now been exploited by major factions."

"This capital has long since become a chessboard for the power struggles of various factions."

"And Li is merely a pawn being used on this chessboard."

Emperor Yuanwu's body trembled slightly, and a hoarse roar escaped his throat.

"Li... has he actually fallen to this point?"

"Ambition blinded his eyes, and power corrupted his heart."

"This position has been like this since ancient times."

"Various schemes and tricks are staged in turn."

Chu Tiankuo shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of pity.

"Our Great Chu is already in a precarious state; if we do not set things right, I fear we will repeat the mistakes of the past."

Listening, Emperor Yuanwu seemed to see before his eyes those prime years exhausted by factional strife, those vitalities withered in internal friction.

"Old Ancestor is absolutely right."

Emperor Yuanwu's voice was low, filled with unspeakable desolation.

"But... but now, the intertwined forces in this capital are deeply entrenched and difficult to uproot."

"Even if I have the heart to purge them, I lack the strength."

"I ask myself, I am still a diligent emperor."

He closed his eyes in pain, a sense of powerlessness instantly enveloping his heart.

"Your Majesty, do not worry."

Chu Tiankuo's gaze was deep as he looked toward the night sky, as if seeing some distant existence.

"I have already found the person to break the deadlock."

Emperor Yuanwu opened his eyes abruptly, a flicker of faint hope shining in them.

"Who is it?"

Chu Tiankuo slowly opened his mouth, every word carrying an extraordinary gravity.

"The new Commander of the Zhenwu Division, Gu Tian!"

"Gu Tian?"

Emperor Yuanwu was stunned, confusion and bewilderment appearing on his face.

Just a moment ago, he was still furious at what Gu Han had done to Chu Li.

Now, the Old Ancestor was actually saying that he was the person to break the deadlock?

"Your Majesty may have some misunderstandings about him."

Chu Tiankuo sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of approval.

"This young man Gu Han has a resilient Heart-Nature and extraordinary strength."

"More importantly, he possesses a kind of otherworldly arrogance and persistence."

"Although he crippled Li's cultivation, because of this, he allowed me to find a way to muddy the waters and draw out those monsters and demons."

Emperor Yuanwu's brows were tightly locked.

"Is Gu Tian really capable of this?"

"Could there really be... behind Gu Tian?"

Chu Tiankuo's eyes narrowed slightly, interrupting Emperor Yuanwu's speculation.

"There is indeed an expert behind him, one beyond our ability to fathom."

"I had a secret late-night talk with him, and the insights into the Dao of martial arts revealed in his words have already surpassed those of his peers."

"He even mentioned wanting to create his own Nirvana Realm Cultivation Technique."

"That phrase, 'Those who learn from me will live, those who imitate me will die,' was truly enlightening for me."

"Create a Nirvana Realm Cultivation Technique?"

Emperor Yuanwu sucked in a cold breath; such grand ambition was simply unheard of.

Looking across the entire Great Chu, and even the surrounding territories, no Martial Artist had ever dared to make such a wild claim.

"That is correct."

A strange luster flickered in Chu Tiankuo's eyes.

"This young man has extraordinary talent, a resilient Heart-Nature, and is being trained with the full effort of the forces behind him; his future achievements will be limitless."

"He is the peerless divine weapon that can stir up the muddy waters of the capital and purge the villains!"

Emperor Yuanwu was shaken; although he had not witnessed Gu Han's arrogance with his own eyes.

But hearing Chu Tiankuo's praise, he knew that Gu Han was definitely no ordinary person.

"Old Ancestor, what do you intend to do?"

Emperor Yuanwu asked.

"I have already reached an agreement with him."

Chu Tiankuo said in a deep voice.

"He is willing to help the imperial family purge the remnants of the Blood God Cult and ferret out the corrupt officials in the imperial court."

"The condition is to borrow our Great Chu Imperial Family's 'heavenly mandate dragon vein' to Cultivate for half a year."

"And a Nirvana Realm Cultivation Technique for him to study."

Hearing about the 'heavenly mandate dragon vein' and the 'Nirvana Realm Cultivation Technique,' these two supreme treasures of the imperial family, Emperor Yuanwu's expression changed drastically.

The heavenly mandate dragon vein was the Foundation of the Great Chu Imperial Family and concerned the fate of the nation; it could not be easily shaken.

The Nirvana Realm Cultivation Technique was a secret never to be passed on, and each one condensed the heart's blood and wisdom of the ancestors.