288: Two hot topics

Fortunately, Prince Zhao was well-prepared. He gestured for Wu Zhen to have everyone else leave the room, lest Zhu Zhenxiang lose his composure and make a scene. However, he had still underestimated Zhu Zhenxiang. As the current Emperor of the Great Ming, even though he was nearing his twilight years, his imperial heart was not something a minor prince like Prince Zhao could see through.

Zhu Zhenxiang gradually regained his composure, and the expression on his face began to grow vivid. When he saw Long Yuan's promise to help him cultivate a clone and help him be reborn with a youthful body at some point in the future, his entire body began to tremble involuntarily. His free hand clenched into a tight fist, so hard that blood marks were nearly left behind... He stared blankly for a while, seemingly coming to his senses, and took a deep breath, asking, "Thirteen, does anyone else know this information?"

"Rest assured, Imperial Father. So far, only I and Twenty-Six know this information. However, Twenty-Six has been placed under my control, so absolutely no one else knows!" Prince Zhao quickly replied.

"Twenty-Six? Then let him stay with you for a while longer, understood?"

"Your son obeys the decree!" Prince Zhao immediately responded.

"We shall go to the Imperial Study! Xiao Zhen, go and summon the State Preceptor to the palace to see me!" Zhu Zhenxiang said to Wu Zhen.

"This servant obeys the decree!" Wu Zhen hurried out... Not long after, Prince Zhao quietly left the palace carrying Zhu Zhenxiang's blood, nails, skin fragments, hair, and other items... By the next day, the decision made by the Great Ming High Council was changed. The location was moved to a volcano, where a powerful expert used personal strength to directly pierce the crater, triggering a volcanic eruption. Magma flowed out from underground, spreading across an area of over fifty li, burning all vegetation and leaving the land scorched... This change in decision shocked countless people who participated in the high-level meeting, and it left the Crown Prince, Prince Rui, in a state of deep self-doubt. Various major factions secretly inquired about the reason for such an incredible turn of events, but the information within the palace seemed to be suppressed by an invisible hand; no one could glean even a shred of information... No information was the best information. Countless great clans, families, and factions seemed to see subtle changes within the Empire from this matter, and the situation in the Great Ming began to enter an even more confusing state, causing many to grow gray hairs over it... As the instigator of this change, Long Yuan left the airport hotel after receiving the message from Prince Zhao and moved into the residence Dragon Snow had purchased in Nanyue City. This was not the core area but a Xuan Practitioner district near the suburbs; further north was the North City district of Nanyue City. The environment here was decent, and more importantly, it was relatively quiet, making it very suitable for sleeping.

Although the doors hadn't been opened for many years, the situation was much better than the Yuhua Terrace in Fengyang. After all, the place wasn't large, and property management was convenient. After scanning with his Divine Sense and finding no safety hazards, Long Yuan hired people for a thorough cleaning. At the same time, he set up a protective Formation around the residence, plus an Illusion Formation, instantly making it feel completely secure!

The "Unicorn" luxury car parked in the garage had flat tires because no one had driven it for years and was completely unusable. However, to Long Yuan, this car was of no use at all, so he ignored it.

He contacted Zhu Nan to come over for a discussion while reviewing detailed information on Nanyue Base... Nanyue Base is located in the southeast of the Great Ming Empire and is one of the Empire's Thirteen first-class bases. It is also the most prosperous base, a fact known to all. Mentioning Southern Yue, almost every Great Ming citizen feels a sense of envy because the land is fertile, products are abundant, and the minerals are mostly high-quality and extremely valuable. Another point is that the population of Nanyue Base is also massive. One must know that in this Xuanwu World, population itself is the greatest resource. The population base determines the number of Xuan Practitioners. Due to the large base, the number of Xuan Practitioners in Nanyue Base is particularly high. Compared to other bases in the Great Ming, the number of Xuan Practitioners here is in a league of its own!

However, strangely enough, although the number of Xuan Practitioners in Nanyue Base is high, the quality is not very high. There aren't many powerful experts, and there isn't even a single Martial Commander!

Of course, this refers to the official forces of the Great Ming. Among private factions, there are some hidden experts, but these experts generally stay hidden and rarely reveal themselves unless absolutely necessary... Regarding the situation in Nanyue Base, many people, without exception, attribute the cause to Prince Fu, who governs the base. It is precisely because of Prince Fu's extravagance, extortion, and numerous misdeeds that the martial spirit in the entire Nanyue Base is not flourishing, talents are withered, and the people suffer from the encroachment and consumption of exotic beasts... However, a major event that occurred in the past few days has made everyone realize that Nanyue Base is not only threatened by exotic beasts from the outside but also has cult organizations causing trouble within; it is practically rotten to the core!

Currently, within Nanyue City, there are two hot topics of discussion among the people. The first is the battle between the Southern Division and cultists that took place in the Nanming Wilderness a few days ago. The intensity and fluctuations of that battle were staggering. As people dug deeper, the heat of the discussion online continued to rise. For example, not only did a large number of Beastmen appear in the battle, but a strange type of armored person also appeared, which the Southern Division later called "Mecha." These Mechas had powerful combat strength and excellent defense, making them practically invincible. This caused the Southern Division to pay a heavy price, and many Xuanwu Guards were sacrificed on the spot!

Later, the cultists also brought out a type of individual flight device. Some Blood Wolf Hall criminals relied on it to escape and remain at large to this day... Furthermore, some people discovered that although the Mecha was very powerful, someone had secretly intervened to knock it down, allowing the Southern Division to ultimately turn defeat into victory!

If not for this, it is highly likely that the Xuanwu Guards sent out by the Southern Division would have been wiped out by the cultists!

People have been speculating that the person who secretly intervened must be a certain Martial Commander expert of the Great Ming. After all, in such a battle between good and evil, the authorities would certainly arrange for a powerhouse to monitor from the shadows to prevent any accidents... The second hot topic is a high-end concert to be held in two weeks. The performance team comes from Snow Eagle Country, and its lead star is Justin. This man is a world-renowned international star whose works have spread across the entire Blue Star, and countless fans have been eagerly waiting. However, what attracts people's attention most is not Justin, but the fact that the great ming golden melody chart's rising star, Long Yuan, will also participate in this concert. This news instantly ignited people's passion. Many young fans have gathered from all over, currently occupying the airport, hotels, performance venues, and other key locations. Banners, slogans, screams, and welcome ceremonies are already being rehearsed. Due to the sheer number of people, many fans have no place to stay, and combined with being short on cash, they have simply taken over some streets to pitch tents. Some who don't even have tents are just sleeping on the ground with quilts or mats...