139: A divine eye? A blind man? (Twenty-four)

"Sacrifice..."

You Chen thought of those collateral princes who had disappeared.

He remembered how they had been timid and subservient in the palace, only wishing to survive.

He recalled that they were likely already in some dark corner, turned into cold "Fuel."

And the mastermind behind all of this was none other than the high and mighty Divine Lord.

How absurd.

How cruel.

"Why..."

You Chen's voice was low and filled with confusion.

"My divine body and my Bloodline are the most perfect 'Trigger.' The Great You Divine Lord needs me to ignite the entire sacrificial ritual."

Jun Yun gave a self-deprecating bitter smile.

However, his "Minds Eye" was calmly observing You Chen's changes.

The cyan-gold young Dragon Luck above You Chen's head was churning and roaring in anger.

You Chen's trembling stopped.

He slowly raised his head, and in those cyan eyes, all confusion and hesitation had faded away.

Only intense fury and firm determination remained.

He could not die.

Big Brother Jun must not become a sacrifice either.

"What should we do?"

You Chen's voice was low and powerful.

He was ready to resist, no matter who the enemy was or what the cost might be.

Jun Yun smiled slightly.

"Very good."

"If you want to resist, you must first know yourself and know your enemy."

Jun Yun's voice was coaxing and guiding.

"The Divine Lord's goal is to reshape the 'You Que Divine Body.' And the key to the ritual is to sacrifice enough royal Bloodline."

"What we need to do now is not to stop him from killing."

"But rather, to make it so he cannot kill."

You Chen's expression tightened.

He immediately understood what Jun Yun meant.

To oppose the Divine Lord, the two of them alone were not enough.

They needed allies.

You Chen stood up and bowed deeply to Jun Yun.

"Big Brother Jun, I understand."

"From today on, I am no longer that Nineteenth Prince who lets others slaughter him at will."

"I am Prince Chen."

...

Returning to the Prince Chen Mansion.

You Chen immediately felt the tense and fearful atmosphere in the imperial palace.

On the palace paths, the number of patrolling Imperial Guards was three times more than usual.

The passing palace maids and eunuchs all kept their heads down, walking hurriedly, not daring to make a sound.

The Yaohua Palace in the west, the Lanyue Pavilion in the north, and several other palaces that were once remote but still had people, were now all listed as restricted areas.

The entrances were guarded by heavy troops, and the atmosphere was grim.

You Chen knew that those places had likely already become new "Fuel" processing grounds.

Within the royal family, a silent panic was spreading.

Some powerful princes and princesses were secretly mobilizing their own forces to strengthen the defenses of their mansions.

But no one dared to openly resist.

The Divine Lord's majesty made everyone unable to catch their breath.

They were all gambling, gambling that they would not be the next one.

"A bunch of fools."

Inside Jingxin Hall, Jun Yun's "Minds Eye" took in everything.

"The Divine Lord's appetite will only grow larger. By the time the butcher's knife falls on their own necks, it will be too late to resist."

You Chen stood before Jun Yun and reported the information he had gathered one by one.

"Big Brother Jun, who should we find first?"

"No rush."

Jun Yun's fingers were tapping rhythmically on the table.

"If you want others to risk their lives for you, you must first demonstrate your own value."

"You are now Prince Chen, and your reputation is at its peak. But it is not enough."

"You need an opportunity, an opportunity for everyone to see that you dare to challenge the Divine Lord's authority."

Jun Yun's Minds Eye had long since scanned the inside and outside of the imperial palace countless times.

He was screening every target that could potentially become an ally.

The strength of their Luck, their personality weaknesses, and their deepest desires and concerns were all laid bare in Jun Yun's "Minds Eye."

In the end, his target was locked onto one person.

The Seventh Princess, You Ruo.

She was one of the Divine Lord's most favored daughters, and her birth mother was the daughter of the Great General who guarded the nation, giving her a powerful background.

But Jun Yun "saw" that this princess's Luck, although golden and noble on the surface, hid a resentment deep within.

That resentment was aimed directly at the Divine Lord.

"You Chen, do you remember when I asked you to 'accidentally' spill wine on her?"

"I remember."

...

Three days later.

The Seventh Princess You Ruo's birthday banquet.

Prince Chen, You Chen, received an invitation.

This was within everyone's expectations.

You Chen was riding high on a wave of popularity, and it was perfectly normal for the Seventh Princess to show goodwill and try to win him over.

The banquet was held at the Seventh Princess's "Qionghua Palace."

With carved beams and painted pillars, it was extremely luxurious.

Those who came were the powerful figures among the princes and princesses, as well as the direct descendants of the major aristocratic families.

You Chen's arrival caused quite a stir.

He did not rush to offer birthday wishes to the Seventh Princess like the others.

Instead, he sat down in an inconspicuous corner, drinking wine by himself, appearing somewhat aloof and out of place in this lively setting.

You Ruo sat in the main seat, dressed in silver palace attire, as cold and clear as the moon.

She appeared to be chatting and laughing with everyone, but her peripheral vision was always fixed on that corner.

Halfway through the banquet.

You Chen suddenly stood up, holding his wine glass, and walked straight toward You Ruo.

Everyone's eyes converged on him.

You Chen walked up to You Ruo, did not say any polite birthday wishes, and simply downed the wine in his glass.

"Seventh Sister."

He spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly spread throughout the entire venue.

"I have heard that the 'Ice Crystal Lake' of Qionghua Palace is a unique wonder in the palace. I wonder if I might have the honor of sitting by the lake alone for a moment?"

This request was very abrupt, even somewhat impolite.

Everyone looked at each other in dismay.

Was this Prince Chen drunk, or was he just too arrogant?

You Ruo's eyes flickered slightly.

She looked at You Chen deeply and nodded.

"Granted."

You Chen turned and left.

Leaving the hall full of guests whispering among themselves.

You Chen arrived at the side of the Ice Heart Lake.

He did not sit alone but stood by the lake, seemingly waiting for something.

A quarter of an hour later.

You Ruo's figure appeared behind him.

She dismissed all the maids.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" You Ruo's voice was very cold.

"Seventh Sister, do you really think that Father Emperor favors you very much?"

You Chen did not answer, but instead asked a piercing question.

You Ruo's expression changed instantly.

Her expression tightened.

"What do you mean?"

"I heard that the Great General who guards the nation, who is also your maternal grandfather, recently submitted a petition to request retirement to his hometown, but it was rejected by Father Emperor."

You Chen said slowly.

"I also heard that within the Imperial Guards, all the generals who came from the General's Mansion have been transferred away from the critical areas of the capital."

"What exactly is your goal?"

You Ruo's voice carried vigilance.

"What my goal is, is not important."

You Chen turned around and looked straight into her eyes.

"What is important is that you, Seventh Sister, and the Great General's Mansion behind you, have already become a thorn in Father Emperor's eyes."

"Merits so great they threaten the ruler."

"When the birds are gone, the good bow is put away."

"Seventh Sister, you should understand these principles better than I do."

You Ruo fell silent.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Let's cooperate."

You Chen finally stated his goal.

"You help me contact those powerful factions who are also dissatisfied with Father Emperor and do not want to sit and wait for death."

"I will help you preserve the Great General's Mansion."

"And preserve yourself."

"Ridiculous," You Ruo sneered. "On what basis? Based on your Earth Spirit Realm First Level cultivation? Or based on Father Emperor's verbal reward?"

"Based on the fact that I know what Father Emperor really wants to do."

You Chen said, word by word.

"Bloodline sacrifice, You Que Divine Body."

When these eight words were spoken by You Chen.

You Ruo's whole body trembled.

"You... how could you know..."

"Because I am that most important sacrifice."

You Chen stated calmly.

You Ruo looked at him.

Looking at this youth who she once treated as an interesting toy, who had now become unfathomable.

She knew.

You Chen was not lying.

She also finally understood why Father Emperor's recent actions were so abnormal.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You have no other choice."

You Chen said.

"You can continue to deceive yourself, gambling that Father Emperor will consider the father-daughter relationship. Or, you can join me and gamble for a path to survival."

You Ruo closed her eyes.

After a long while.

When she opened them again, only determination remained in her eyes.

"I need time."

"Three days."

You Chen gave the deadline.

...

This secret talk marked the official establishment of the prototype of the Alliance.

Under You Ruo's secret mediation, several other marginalized princes and faction representatives who had been suppressed by the Divine Lord and harbored resentment secretly joined the Alliance.

They came together for different purposes.

Self-preservation, revenge, power.

Although the Alliance was still full of suspicion, an undercurrent of resistance had already begun to surge in the depths of the Great You imperial palace.

Jingxin Hall.

Jun Yun sat cross-legged in the darkness.

He could clearly "see" several strands of Luck, some strong and some weak, slowly gathering toward You Chen from all directions.

The half of the True Dragon Luck he had seized from You Ming had already been completely digested by him.

His cultivation had secretly broken through to the Ninth Level of the Earth Spirit Realm.

He was only one step away from the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

More importantly, the recovery speed of his Heavenly Desolation Divine Pupil was accelerating.

Deep within those eye sockets, the tingling itchiness was becoming increasingly intense.

Suddenly.

His Minds Eye, which had become even sharper, captured a trace of an omen from the future.

In his "Minds Eye" vision.

The Forbidden Ground in the deepest part of the imperial palace.

Figures, firmly locked by iron chains with faces that could not be seen, were letting out roars of unwillingness.

The image flashed and disappeared.

Jun Yun slowly "opened" his eyes.

"Is it about to begin..."