504: Chapter 504 A Desperate Gamble

Mysterious Clarity Master's eyes flickered slightly as he probed softly:

"Is Your Majesty's intention... to suppress the Northern Border as soon as possible?"

"Suppress? I certainly wish I could!"

Li Xuan stood up and paced back and forth:

"But Situ Jun is at least a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator. Nowadays, when Nascent Souls don't appear, even the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty's Xuntian Iron Guards were handled by him. How am I supposed to suppress him? Send a large army to the Northern Border? That would be like striking a stone with an egg, pure suicide! Send assassins in secret? Even more of a pipe dream. With the spiritual sense of a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, ordinary Cultivators can't even get close to him!"

He stopped in his tracks and looked at Mysterious Clarity Master, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes:

"State Preceptor, tell me... what would happen if I revealed all of Situ Jun's secrets to the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, along with his hidden Cultivation, his secret dealings with foreign enemies, and the suspicion of his involvement in the unsealing of Nether Crow Ridge?"

Mysterious Clarity Master's heart jolted as if struck by lightning, but the composure from years of Cultivation kept his Face as calm as water. Only his fingertips trembled slightly as he whispered:

"Is Your Majesty suggesting... using the power of the Imperial Dynasty to get rid of Situ Jun?"

"Hmph."

Li Xuan let out a cold snort and said:

"When Xuntian Iron Guard Li Zhong investigated the Nether Crow Ridge matter, it ended abruptly and he left in a hurry. The more I thought about it later, the more suspicious it felt. Li Zhong has always been known for his strictness; how could he be so easy to talk to? Also, State Preceptor, you were the one who insisted on sending Jiang Yan to the Northern Border, saying something about 'the Phoenix Destiny attracting Dragon Qi to nourish the national fortune.' Looking at it now, it seems you've simply let Situ Jun pick up an Empress for free, letting him enjoy the blessings of multiple women!"

He looked directly at Mysterious Clarity Master with a burning gaze:

"State Preceptor, tell me, do you and that Situ Jun have a secret collusion?"

Mysterious Clarity Master was startled inwardly, but his Face remained as calm as water:

"How can Your Majesty say such a thing! I have guarded the Tianqi Dynasty for decades, from the late Emperor to Your Majesty; my loyalty is witnessed by heaven and earth, and shown by the sun and moon! Sending Lady Jiang Yan north back then was the best strategy derived from my deduction of the Innate hexagram. It was to delay the war in the Northern Border and preserve Tianqi's national fortune, definitely not for selfish reasons! As for Situ Jun, I have only met him a few times and occasionally discussed matters in court. How could there be collusion? I hope Your Majesty will investigate clearly!"

Li Xuan stared at his calm, rippleless Face for a long, long time. His gaze shifted from suspicion to scrutiny, and finally to exhaustion.

He knew that even if Mysterious Clarity Master truly had a change of heart at this moment, he would be powerless. Tianqi could no longer do without this State Preceptor.

Ultimately, he slowly looked away and waved his hand, his tone dejected:

"Forget it, I believe you. But the matter of Situ Jun is urgent and must be completely resolved."

He turned back and sat on the Dragon Throne, his spine straight. The dejection in his eyes completely faded, replaced by dark ruthlessness:

"I have already sent someone in secret to contact an old acquaintance in the Qintian Division of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty. This person stayed in Tianqi years ago and has some friendship with me. I revealed the anomalies in the Northern Border to him, as well as the suspicion that Situ Jun might be hiding his Cultivation and could even be related to the unsealing of Nether Crow Ridge."

Mysterious Clarity Master's expression changed:

"Your Majesty! This move..."

"What? Does the State Preceptor think it's inappropriate?" Li Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Mysterious Clarity Master took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart, and said in a heavy voice:

"Your Majesty, if the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty intervenes again, things might spiral out of Your Majesty's control. At that time, not only will Situ Jun be hard to deal with, but even Tianqi itself might have its Foundation shaken."

"Shake the Foundation?"

Li Xuan sneered:

"I can't care about that much anymore. Instead of waiting for death and watching Situ Jun encroach upon my Li family's realm step by step, I'd rather take a gamble! If the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty acts, with the strength of the Qintian Division, no matter how strong Situ Jun is, he won't be able to cause any trouble. Then, I can use the power of the Imperial Dynasty to reclaim the Northern Border, revitalize Tianqi's grandeur, and wipe away the previous humiliation!"

Mysterious Clarity Master opened his mouth to advise further, but seeing the resolute look in Li Xuan's eyes, he ultimately swallowed his words.

He saw clearly that Li Xuan had long been blinded by humiliation and fear. His mind was made up, and further persuasion would be useless.

Moreover... Li Xuan had already tipped off the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty; it was difficult to change.

He chuckled bitterly in his heart and sighed inwardly. In his arrogance, Li Xuan probably didn't know that Situ Jun was now a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator. The Heavenly Dragon Dynasty would never easily offend or suppress a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator; they would only try to win him over or recruit him.

This report of his wasn't asking someone to remove a threat, but was personally dragging Tianqi into a deeper whirlpool.

Mysterious Clarity Master sighed softly, his tone full of worry:

"I fully understand the grievances and resentment in Your Majesty's heart. These three concessions have indeed been hard on Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty has made a decision, I will not advise further. However, this matter concerns the very Foundation of Tianqi. You must be extremely cautious and must not let the flames of war affect the common people or cause suffering to the living souls of Tianqi."

"I know."

Li Xuan waved his hand impatiently, unwilling to say more:

"The State Preceptor has been working hard lately. Go back to your residence and rest first. I will summon you to discuss subsequent matters later."

"I obey the decree."

Mysterious Clarity Master bowed slightly in resignation and slowly withdrew from the Imperial Study.

Upon returning to his residence in the back mountain, Mysterious Clarity Master dismissed his attendants and went straight into the most secret room in the mansion.

The walls of the secret room were made of bluestone, blocking Divine Sense probes. In the center stood a stone table, upon which lay a sound transmission jade talisman engraved with hidden cloud patterns—this was his exclusive communication Magical Artifact with Situ Jun, which others could not detect.

Mysterious Clarity Master injected a trace of spiritual power with his fingertip. The Jade Talisman instantly vibrated slightly, and a low, indifferent voice carrying inherent pressure traveled slowly from thousands of miles away across the Northern Border:

"What is it?"

Mysterious Clarity Master did not dare to hide anything. He reported Li Xuan's anger, the plan to kill with a borrowed knife, and the move to secretly contact the Qintian Division in full detail. At the end, his voice tightened:

"Master, Li Xuan has already developed a killing intent and is determined to use the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty to eliminate you once and for all. Once the Qintian Division investigates thoroughly, they will definitely discover your true Cultivation. I fear it will lead to the Imperial Dynasty intervening again, causing endless trouble."

There was silence on the other end of the Jade Talisman for a moment, followed by a light scoff, filled with a bit of disdain and coldness:

"Li Xuan... he's certainly not afraid of death. Quite bold."

"Master, the current situation is critical. How do you plan to respond?" Mysterious Clarity Master asked quickly, his heart in his throat.

"No rush."

Situ Jun's voice was calm and composed:

"The matter has already happened; there's no use in rushing. It just so happens that I also want to see how the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty handles this. As for Li Zhong, I will make arrangements. Regarding Li Xuan..."

His tone paused slightly, instantly tinged with a hint of chill:

"He is Princess's elder brother. Out of respect for Princess, in all fairness, I cannot personally move against him. Warn him well for me—if there is a next time, if he dares to pull these little tricks again, I wouldn't mind choosing someone else from the Li clan to sit on this throne of Tianqi."

Mysterious Clarity Master felt a chill in his heart, knowing that his master already had a plan in mind and had calculated everything. He hurriedly bowed and replied:

"Yes, your Subordinate understands. I will go convey Master's message immediately."