139: Regent Minister, reigning over Xuanling

"A bunch of rebellious traitors, who eat the monarch's Salary but scheme to usurp the country, are utterly despicable!"

"Aren't you afraid that one day, your masters will abandon you like wild dogs, and then discard you after you've served your purpose?!"

In the vast Hall of Grand Council, only Grand Chancellor Su still harbored thoughts of restoring the Xuanling Imperial Dynasty.

Thousands of years ago, he rose step by step from a Mortal commoner to become a close minister to the Spirit Emperor, repeatedly promoted, and finally reached a high position, second only to one person, above all others.

Now, he is even honored as one of the Four Grand Regents.

But with fame and no power, he was, after all, a civil official, and unwilling to collude with those Noble Families or feudal lords, so he was greatly ostracized.

Over the years, his angry denunciations were heard at every court assembly, and the officials had long grown accustomed to it.

Looking at Grand Chancellor Su's cold, knife-like gaze, the ministers with powerful backing looked back at him with disdain, sneering.

"Old Ghost Su, stop with the nonsense, you're wasting our time."

One of the feudal kings, King Jin, also one of the four regents, looked at the other two regents and said impatiently.

"One of you wants the Dragon Suppressing Guards, and the other wants the Wei Family to be ennobled as a Marquis. Just say it directly. Do you think you won't have to pay a price if you let those useless people argue?"

"The Dragon Suppressing Guards are one of the few remaining foundations of the Imperial Dynasty, and they affect the Luck of the nation the most. Marquis Zhenmo, your ambition is too great."

"As for the Wei Family wanting to be ennobled as a Marquis, the State of Chen left behind a full ten thousand miles of territory and over a thousand cities. Old Ghost Dugu, your appetite is not small either."

"Heh, then what does King Jin want to make up for his losses?" The leader of the Imperial Dynasty's Noble Families, Patriarch Dugu, asked with a cold laugh.

King Jin grinned: "Simple, let His Majesty proclaim to all under Heaven that the Five Great Sacred Lands are to be honored as masters, and annual tribute is all that is required."

"A dignified King Jin, actually willing to become a running dog for Sect forces, truly disgraces the Imperial Dynasty!"

After Patriarch Dugu finished his sarcasm, he continued, "Ten thousand miles of territory is not enough. If you want my agreement, at least carve out one prefecture..."

The Xuanling Continent has eight Domains and fourteen prefectures, and the area of each prefecture is no less than one of the Four Seas and Five Regions.

The largest Huangji Domain is even more vast than the entire Five Domains combined.

"Heh heh, you old sycophant, serving as an official in Xuanling while being a dog for Daqian, and you still have the nerve to mock This Marquis?"

King Jin sneered, "The Imperial Dynasty only has four prefectures of directly administered territory left. You open your mouth and demand one prefecture. Do you really think this Hall of Grand Council is your personal domain?"

"I scheme for one prefecture, still leaving room for the Imperial Family, but you scheme for the nation, disrespecting the Imperial Family, wanting the entire Imperial Dynasty to be a dog for the Holy Land. If the Spirit Emperor still has a remnant thought in the netherworld and learns of this, he will surely flay you alive and tear out your tendons!"

"Haha, what a joke. If the Spirit Emperor still had a remnant thought, would the two great Imperial Dynasties, Daqian and Tiannv, still dare to declare independence? Stop deceiving yourself. Issuing the decree of ennoblement won't bypass This Marquis."

King Jin and Patriarch Dugu, the two regents, started bickering and arguing, and their respective ministers also exerted their influence, making the entire Hall of Grand Council quite lively.

Grand Chancellor Su's face was ashen, he clenched his fists, then released them powerlessly.

The other regent, Marquis Zhenmo, watched with indifference. He didn't care how outrageous the demands made by the other two were, as long as it could strengthen his own power.

The two regents were at loggerheads, striving to secure their own interests.

After a long while, they reached an agreement and cast a cold glance at Marquis Zhenmo, "Later, regarding the rewards for ennoblement and the matter of honoring the Five Great Sacred Lands as the superior Sects, we will ask His Majesty to issue a decree."

"As for whether you can mobilize the Dragon Suppressing Guards, that depends on your own ability."

With that, all the ministers' gazes simultaneously turned towards the young Emperor.

The Dragon Suppressing Guards are a kind of God Realm Puppet.

Normally, they are all sealed in the national treasury in the form of statues, automatically absorbing Origin Qi, and possessing powerful combat strength.

However, only the successive Emperors of Xuanling can mobilize them.

Moreover, if an Emperor with thin Luck forcibly awakens the Dragon Suppressing Guards, they will suffer a backlash. At best, their cultivation will be damaged; at worst, they will die suddenly.

Several of the previous Emperors died from forcibly drawing upon the Imperial Dynasty's foundations.

"Please, Your Majesty, mobilize the Dragon Suppressing Guards to quell the disaster of the Demonic Dragon in the South Sea."

Marquis Zhenmo's gaze was piercing, and he spoke coldly.

With the Luck gathered on the young Emperor, he would undoubtedly die after awakening the Dragon Suppressing Guards.

However, what did that have to do with him? Many of the Imperial Family had died in that position; one more wouldn't make a difference.

Ye Linglu's pair of bright, watery eyes trembled slightly, her lips tightly pressed together, and she squeezed out a single word through her gritted teeth, "No!"

She understood that she was a Puppet Emperor.

Her lifespan was only a little over ten years.

But since death was inevitable, she could not be coerced by treacherous officials to ruin the nation's Luck and let the Imperial Dynasty be destroyed in her hands.

"If Your Majesty is afraid of death, aren't you afraid that along the South Sea, millions of innocent souls will perish due to the calamity of the Demonic Dragon?"

Marquis Zhenmo sneered wantonly.

King Jin and Patriarch Dugu followed with sneers.

Marquis Zhenmo didn't say much, but he was utterly ruthless when it came to harming his own people.

The South Sea was his territory; with a large army suppressing it, how dared the Demonic Dragon in the sea wreak havoc without his authorization.

Ye Linglu shook her head firmly.

Marquis Zhenmo's face turned cold, and he directly threatened: "What we have decided is not a discussion with you. Your Majesty has Dragon Qi protecting your body, This Marquis dares not offend you."

"But Your Majesty's relatives, would they like to taste the sharpness of the weapons of This Marquis's soldiers?"

"Marquis Zhenmo, don't be so presumptuous! If you dare to touch anyone from the Imperial Family, I will surely cut down your confidants!"

Grand Chancellor Su was furious. The ambitions of the other three were growing ever larger. If this continued, once the foundations of the Xuanling Imperial Dynasty were almost completely divided by them, the national lifespan would likely collapse immediately.

"Hmph, if Grand Chancellor Su wants to be a lonely monarch, This Marquis is happy to oblige."

Marquis Zhenmo was not afraid of the threat and was determined to seize the Dragon Suppressing Guards.

He drew the blood-colored long saber from his waist, ascended the steps one by one, and plunged the blood saber, which was wreathed in monstrous Killing Intent, in front of Ye Linglu, saying coldly: "This Marquis's battle saber has drunk the blood of three hundred kings and marquises of the continent, and has developed a ferocious nature. It does not kill those below the royal Family."

"Your Majesty, how have you considered it?"

Evil Qi assailed them, and the cold was bone-chilling.

The Su Family had also developed into a great Family over a thousand years.

Although Grand Chancellor Su wished he could cleave Marquis Zhenmo alive, he had concerns and truly dared not fight to the death.

Even if he fought to the death, it would only result in mutual destruction, with no benefit to the Xuanling situation.

No one could resolve this deadlock.

Ye Linglu, forced to a dead end, turned pale, holding back her tears.

After a moment of Stalemate.

Suddenly, a cracking sound from behind the Imperial Throne made everyone in the hall tremble.

"Marquis Zhenmo destroyed the Spirit Emperor's statue!?" The ministers' eyes widened.

"Xuanling is lost." Grand Chancellor Su sighed, watching the statue crumble bit by bit, as if he was watching the Xuanling Imperial Dynasty being devoured little by little... Xia Xuan broke through the Chaos, and the familiar magnificent hall came into view.

Memories of the Spirit Emperor's life flowed through his mind.

As well as the several major court assemblies he had experienced during the years he was a statue, including everything that had just happened.

"Dragon Suppressing Guards!"

A cold voice echoed through the hall.

On both sides of the main hall, behind the coiled Dragon pillars, statues clad in golden armor, holding twin Dragons, with green faces and fangs, looking fierce and malevolent, shattered. The Dragon Suppressing Guards stepped out from the rubble.

A terrifying pressure instantly descended upon the hall.

"Spirit... Spirit Ancestor..."

"Your Majesty!?"

Marquis Zhenmo, who had not been pressed down by the Divine Might of the Dragon Suppressing Guards, saw the Spirit Emperor's statue covered in cracks, revealing Xia Xuan's figure, and was scared out of his wits.