160: In the Great Qian Dynasty court, the Heavenly Secrets hold power!

A thousand miles away from Burial God Canyon.

Golden Peng Demon Emperor burned his vital blood, fleeing at full speed, not daring to stop for a moment.

Crack.

The sky suddenly tore open a huge spatial rift.

Shang Baxian, who was adjusting his injuries, suddenly opened his eyes.

From the spatial rift, Great Qian Imperial Dynasty's Imperial Preceptor, Shang Wudao, stood with his hands behind his back, stepping out and landing behind the startled Golden Peng Demon Emperor, his gaze chilling as he looked at Shang Baxian.

"What happened in the Realm Wall?"

"The power the Imperial Dynasty gave you could deal with four or five Divine Lords. Where are the others?"

Shang Wudao asked calmly, his tone showing little fluctuation, but his heart was already seething with anger.

The death of Yueling God in the Great Qian Imperial Dynasty was already known to him.

Killing a true body of a god was not something an ordinary Divine Lord could do.

The fall of Yue Lingshen not only cost Great Qian two powerful combatants, but more importantly, its national destiny was also reduced.

He needed a reasonable explanation.

Shang Baxian gritted his teeth, humiliated, and recounted the events of the battle in Burial God Canyon.

He understood that from then on, in the court of Great Qian, he, the duke protecting the nation and Great General, would no longer have any real say.

This defeat, abandoning his army and fleeing, it would be good enough if he could keep his life upon returning; power was out of the question.

After listening to Shang Baxian's unembellished, truthful account.

Shang Wudao glanced at Burial God Canyon. No matter how unwilling he was, the outcome could not be changed.

Outside, he might have been able to rush over and provide support.

But within the Realm Wall, having lost his Divine Power, his Physical Body combat strength alone was not even as good as Shang Baxian's.

"Imperial Preceptor, this time it is solely my fault. This general's strength was insufficient, and I failed to complete the mission, burying three thousand fine sons of Great Qian. After returning to court, I will request to resign from Your Majesty, withdraw from the court, and relinquish my position as Great General."

Shang Baxian did not dare to shirk responsibility, taking the blame with some reluctance.

Shang Wudao was expressionless, unmoved.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, his expression changed dramatically. His body surged with righteous Qi, and he tore through the Void Realm with one hand, crossing a million miles, returning to the Imperial Preceptor's mansion.

Imperial Preceptor's mansion, back garden.

Shang Tianji sat cross-legged on the ground, with some withered divine bones arranged before him.

His face was pale, his coughs worsened, and his life Origin was slowly draining away.

At the same time, the divine bones on the ground began to show anomalies.

Rumble!

The sky, thunderclouds roared, enveloping the Imperial Preceptor's mansion, as if an angry Dragon churned in a thunder pool, intending to obliterate the living beings below who had angered the heavens.

"Foolish child, no!"

Shang Wudao stepped out of the Void Realm rift, glanced at Shang Tianji, his expression anxious. He raised his hand, borrowing Great Qian's national destiny to counter the heavenly might, interrupting Shang Tianji's divination, and at the same time, a palm strike dispersed the thunderclouds for thousands of miles.

"Father, this scheme, the fault is entirely mine. Your son is deeply uneasy even with ten thousand deaths. I have yet to burn my Divine Soul to divine one last hexagram for Great Qian's future..."

Shang Tianji said guiltily and weakly.

"What if we fail once? Who in this world can claim not to fail?"

"To establish an eternal and immortal foundation, how can one fear failure? Even if we repeatedly fail, as long as we can stand up and fight for the last victory, this world, and even the entire Xuanling Realm and Taicang Star Domain, will be the territory of our Great Qian!"

Shang Wudao comforted him gently, "Besides, this time, the fault is not yours. You provided Great Qian with an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

It was my arrangements that went wrong. I underestimated the strength of Emperor Ling's subordinates, which led to such a deterioration of the situation.

However, even if Emperor Ling and Empress Gu Hua join forces to attack Great Qian, Great Qian has not reached a dead end.

No one in the Xuanling Realm can defeat Emperor Ling. The solution lies only in the Void Spirit Realm. The wealth accumulated by the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild over countless years should now be put to use.

Foolish child, you absolutely must not gamble your life on those illusory divination results. I will be planning in the Void Spirit Realm in the future, and the overall situation of this Great Qian court still needs you to manage it."

"Father, your son fears he cannot bear such a great responsibility."

Shang Tianji lowered his eyes, smiling bitterly.

"As long as I nod, no one in the court will disobey!"

Shang Wudao said coldly, "Shang Baxian's great defeat is not entirely a bad thing. At least this time, I have rooted out all the factions of the duke protecting the nation. He will not dare to have any objections, and the position of Great General will also be ours in the future."

"Looking at the court, most are mediocre talents. Those with ability are also difficult to manage the overall situation. Only with you in power can I confidently expand territory in the Void Spirit Realm."

Shang Wudao earnestly advised him.

"Father, I..."

"I... I will!"

Shang Tianji sighed helplessly.

"Since I accept this important task, your son will do his utmost not to disappoint Father's trust."

Shang Wudao cheerfully consoled him: "Foolish child, those stubborn old heads in court are not as important as your life. The alliance between Great Xia and Heavenly Maiden Imperial Dynasty is unstoppable. Next, Great Qian only needs to defend its territory.

When necessary, the six states outside the Qianchuan Domain can all be abandoned, leaving a spark, and there will always be a day when it ignites a prairie fire."

Shang Tianji nodded.

"Tomorrow at the grand court assembly, I will inform everyone that I will continue to Cultivate and explore the Xuanling Realm, and the overall situation will be entirely managed by you."

Shang Wudao arranged.

The next day.

In the Great Qian Imperial Palace, on the court where Golden Dragons coiled and Divine Generals stood in ranks.

Qian Emperor, upon hearing the full story of the interception incident, was furious.

"Great General, you are unworthy of being an old minister! With the help of the three Holy Lands, and the Divine Peak Army, Yueling God, Golden Peng, and several Imperial Dynasties paying a huge price for their treasures, this is all you accomplished?"

"The Imperial Preceptor paved the way for you, and this is how you repay the Imperial Preceptor, how you repay me!?"

Shang Baxian knelt in the golden hall, burying his head, listening to the sharp scolding from above, filled with shame.

"Dereliction of duty, a capital offense!"

"Loss of treasures, a capital offense!"

"Damaging Great Qian's national destiny, a capital offense!"

"Great General, I ask you, how many heads do you have for me to chop off? And how many heads are in your mansion?"

Qian Emperor sneered.

Upon hearing this, Shang Baxian's face turned ashen. He had thought the worst consequence would be losing his position, never expecting that His Majesty, who was usually weak, would suddenly become so firm this time, not only wanting his life but even wanting to execute his entire family.

The founding emperor of Great Qian, due to Cultivating Qi Deviation, nearly fell into the underworld, half-dead, and had been in seclusion to recuperate.

The position was handed over to the current Qian Emperor, and he and the Imperial Preceptor were essentially two regents.

Over the years, they had jointly managed Great Qian in an orderly manner.

Qian Emperor lived a comfortable life, hardly having to manage affairs, and rarely made such a big fuss as today.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has toiled for Great Qian for four hundred years, never slacking for a moment.

This time, I retreated in defeat during the confrontation with Great Xia, and I know I am to blame.

But my family is innocent!

I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of my hard work over so many years, spare them. I am willing to atone for my sins with death!"

Shang Baxian grieved. When he lost all his power, those ministers who usually treated him like their father, not one dared to step forward to plead for him. Some even kicked him while he was down, eager to distance themselves.

"Spare them? Losing national destiny, executing ten generations of your family wouldn't be excessive!"

"Tell me, can they be spared!"

Qian Emperor's predatory gaze swept over the ministers, making their hearts tremble with fear.

"Your Majesty, the Old General is, after all, loyal to Great Qian..."

After a long while, someone, worried about being implicated, spoke up to persuade.

Before his words finished, Qian Emperor sneered, "Guards, drag him out, throw him into the Dragon Pool, and feed him to the Demon Dragon!"

"Your Majesty, spare me, spare me, I spoke out of turn..." The man was terrified, constantly begging for mercy, until he was dragged out of the main hall by the imperial guards, and his voice gradually disappeared.

The ministers were terrified and quickly spoke up:

"The Great General has committed a heinous crime and cannot be lightly pardoned!"

"According to the laws of Great Qian, he should be executed!"

The accusations from the entire court were particularly harsh, and Shang Baxian mocked himself, feeling utterly disheartened.

Just as he had accepted his fate, a calm voice unseasonably rang out.

"Your Majesty, I believe the Great General should not die."

The ministers' gazes all turned to the speaker.

Qian Emperor was about to get angry, but seeing that it was the Imperial Preceptor's son, his expression immediately softened, "My dear minister, what are your insights?"

Shang Tianji said: "The Great General, even without his official position, is still a Divine Lord, a pillar of the Empire. His achievements over the years are evident to all.

If he is to be sentenced to death, it needs to be deliberated repeatedly. We must not let the loyal officials of Great Qian feel disheartened.

Furthermore, this defeat was not the Great General's fault.

I also bear some fault. Great Xia's foundation is truly terrifying. If anyone else had been sent to execute this mission, they would likely have faced certain death.

Yet the Great General was able to return with Golden Peng and bring back news, which must have involved unimaginable hardships.

I believe that the Great General should not only not be punished but should be rewarded!"

After he finished speaking, the courtiers pondered. If anyone else had said this, they would have been thoroughly rebutted.

But the Imperial Preceptor's son, acting on behalf of the Imperial Preceptor, held different weight in his words.

Anyone who wished to speak had to think thrice.

Shang Baxian's expression was complex, with relief, doubt, joy... ultimately all transforming into a respectful gaze as he looked at Shang Tianji, wishing he could kowtow twice in thanks.

Qian Emperor mused, hesitated for a moment, and said: "My dear minister's words are reasonable. I was impulsive. Guards, grant the Great General a seat of honor."

He had been overcome with anger. Shang Baxian, after all, was a Divine Lord. Killing him casually would be a huge loss to the Imperial Dynasty.

Now that there was a way to back down, he simply spared his life.