The inner attendant respectfully withdrew from the study.
Silence returned to the study room.
Liu Gu returned to the desk, picked up the brush and paper, wrote a few strokes, and exerted strength in his hand.
The force penetrated the back of the paper. Bam! The brush pierced through the table.
The two eunuchs were startled and hurried in.
Liu Da threw away the writing brush in his hand and said, "Clean it up."
"Here."
Half a day later, Liu Gu was in the middle of correcting the memorials to the throne when an attendant rushed into the study with an urgent report in his hand.
"Your Majesty, there's a report from Liang Province." The internal attendant held the urgent report up high, but his forehead was already drenched in sweat.
"Tell me." Liu Gu did not answer the urgent report.
The chamberlain organized his words and said,
"The ten cities of Liang Province have fallen, and they're all occupied by the Nether Sect. General Xiang Lie died in battle. His Highness, the Fourth Prince, and six generals … All of them died in battle!"
After finishing this urgent report.
Liu Gu frowned.
Even when the Second Prince Liu Huan died, he did not frown as much as he did today.
The attendant who had served the Emperor for many years knew the Emperor's temper. The quieter it was, the more anxious and uncomfortable he felt. He even felt that the air in this study was like poison, as if just one breath of it would kill him.
It was so quiet in the study that one could hear their heartbeats clearly.
After a moment of silence, Liu Gu said, "Got it."
The attendant heaved a sigh of relief.
A response was better than nothing.
"Your Majesty, I still have something to report."
"Speak."
"Rumor has it that the cultivation world has found a way to reach the Nine-leaf stage," the inner attendant said.
Liu Gu had already turned his back. What had just happened made his chest feel a bit stuffy. Hearing this, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and turned around. "What method?"
"It's said that if one survives by severing their Golden Lotus, they'll be able to sprout another leaf and reach the Nine-leaf stage," the inner attendant said.
In the past, if someone had mentioned the method of severing one's Golden Lotus in front of them, he would have definitely killed the person who said it. But now, he believed it more than anyone else.
After Emperor Yong Shou passed away, Liu Gu ascended the throne.
Ever since he ascended the throne, he had neglected political affairs and focused on cultivating the Nine-leaf stage.
With the power of his nation and hundreds of years of investigation, he finally discovered that the golden lotus itself was the reason why the Eight-leaf cultivators were trying to reach the Nine-leaf stage.
He tried all sorts of methods … binding the Golden Lotus, binding it with divine incantations, modifying the Golden Lotus, and even thinking of severing the Golden Lotus … However, he quickly rejected the idea. But now there was such a rumor in the streets?
There is no smoke without fire. Everything happens for a reason.
Liu Gu asked, "Who's spreading it?"
"It was first spread by a relay station in the Divine Capital. This rumor spread throughout the entire Divine Capital in half a day. However … many people don't believe it. I think that His Majesty has been thinking about this matter every day and doesn't dare to delay it. His Majesty is wise and powerful, so he definitely has a clear decision. "The inner attendant said.
"Has anyone tried this method?" Liu Gu asked again.
The attendant shook his head.
Liu Gu fell into deep thought.
The attendants didn't dare to move, much less open their mouths.
Severing one's Golden Lotus was akin to waving a knife to commit suicide, so it was normal for one not to believe it.
Liu Gu had studied it for so many years, and he had lost count of the number of Nascent Divinity Tribulation experts who had studied it. One part of the bookshelf behind him was filled with lists of people who had died.
The heavens had restricted the cultivation bases of human cultivators to the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm. As time passed, the number of people who remained in this realm would increase. Even so, not everyone could reach the Eight-leaf stage, let alone the Nine-leaf stage.
Liu Gu pondered for a moment.
Then, he said, "Pass on my order. Gather 100 people who are willing to sever their Golden Lotuses."
"Understood."
It was not difficult to gather these people.
Great Yan never lacked manpower.
Ordinary cultivators might not be willing to sever their Golden Lotuses. However, there were many who were about to die. There were old people who were nearing the end of their lifespans, cultivators who were gravely ill, or those who were pessimistic about life. Instead of dying in vain, it was better to sever their Golden Lotuses and give it a try.
There were bound to be brave men with great rewards.
After the attendants left, Liu Gu raised his palm.
A miniature Hundred Tribulations Insight avatar hovered above his palm. It stood on an Eight-leaf Golden Lotus that shone with a golden radiance.
The eight leaves were plump, and the Golden Lotus shone with a dazzling radiance.
Liu Gu's eyelids twitched.
If severing the Golden Lotus was possible, it would mean that he would have to give up on his Eight-leaf cultivation base and sprout another leaf. Liu Gu did not know if he could do it.
…
The Divine Capital was Great Yan's core.
The cultivators under the heavens gathered in the Divine Capital and quickly spread throughout Great Yan's nine provinces.
The method of severing the Golden Lotus immediately caused a huge uproar.
Whether it was the Noble Path or the Fiend Path, they were all fighting to research the Nine-leaf method.
In just a short time, the method was split into three factions: the lie faction, the radical faction, and the faction that tried it.
News of this reached one of the Nether Sect's branches as well.
Hua Chongyang, Bai Yuqing, Yang Yan, and Di Qing stood in a row with their heads lowered.
Yu Zhenghai paced back and forth with his hands on his back.
"Please punish us, sect master! I failed to stop Mister Seventh! "Hua Chongyang was the first to fall to one knee.
"Please punish us, sect master!" The other three fell to their knees as well.
The Nether Sect had won the battle of Liang Province.
It was a glorious victory.
The ten cities of Liang Province were now in the hands of the Nether Sect.
However, Yu Zhenghai did not feel happy at all.
Yu Zhenghai maintained a straight face. He frowned as he watched the four of them kneel. However, he could not punish them severely.
In a fit of anger, he punched the wall at the side.
Boom!
He did not use his Primal Qi. With the strength of his fist alone, the wall crumbled under Yu Zhenghai's punch.
"Without Seventh Junior Brother … How am I supposed to unite the lands? Do I look like those fools out there who believe in the rumor of severing the Golden Lotus? "Yu Zhenghai's expression darkened from anger.
The Four Great Protectors kneeled on one knee. They did not even dare to breathe loudly.
There was a moment of silence.
Hua Chongyang said, "Mister Seventh insists on returning to the Evil Sky Pavilion, and we can't stop him. Moreover, the old senior's cultivation base is terrifying. Even an elite like Xiang Lie couldn't withstand a single strike from the old senior. "
"Rise." Yu Zhenghai turned around.
The four of them rose to their feet.
Yu Zhenghai sighed and said, "Since he insists on returning, I'll respect his decision."
What else could they do but respect him?
Run over and snatch him back?
"Sect master, what should we do next?" Hua Chongyang asked.
"Before Seventh Junior Brother left for Liang Province, he came up with a plan to isolate the Divine Capital. He ran through all the possible scenarios. Regardless of which one it is, the Nether Sect will conquer the Divine Capital sooner or later, "Yu Zhenghai said.
Upon hearing this, Hua Chongyang said with a sigh, "Mister Seventh is a genius. What a shame …"
The other three shook their heads and sighed as well.
…
Achoo!
Perhaps, the wind in the Cave of Reflection was slightly cold, Si Wuya, whose cultivation base was sealed, sneezed loudly.
Zhu Honggong prepared a set of clothes for Si Wuya. He kept massaging Si Wuya's shoulders as he asked with a chuckle, "Seventh Senior Brother, why won't you tell us where the crystal is?"
Si Wuya glanced at him and said, "Did master ask you to trick me?
Did master ask you to trick me? "
"Seventh Senior Brother, with my intelligence, what do you think I can get out of him? If master were to choose, he'd choose you, Fourth Senior Brother, "Zhu Honggong said.
Si Wuya shook his head and said, "It hasn't been long since you returned to the Evil Sky Pavilion, but your flattery skills have improved."
"I don't like what you're saying, Seventh Senior Brother … You're equating honesty with flattery. That's a great insult to me," Zhu Honggong said.
"…"
Si Wuya did not buy it.
"That's enough."
There was no way he could fool Si Wuya with his tricks. "To tell you the truth, I only know that the crystal is in Rongxi. It's not in Great Yan."
Lamp Pen
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