HAD A LOT OF FUN 1-3

1323 - Had A Lot Of Fun_1

After Ling Yan left, all the ministers praised Ling Yan profusely and expressed their approval of him.

Ling Yan's reputation in the court instantly grew.

The Eldest Prince's, Second Princess's, and the Eldest Princess's expressions were utterly ugly.

The border officials and disaster victims they had brought aroused the ministers' suspicions instead, and they were taken away for questioning.

After all, the receipts that Ling Yan had signed were present, causing their version of events to be viewed suspiciously.

When they saw this, the Eldest Prince's and Second Princess's hearts thumped wildly. Fortunately, they had neither made a personal appearance nor revealed their identity when contacting these people. Even if these people revealed who had instructed them, it could not be traced back to the Eldest Prince and Second Princess.

After the court dismissed, the Eldest Prince and the others returned to his residence. The three siblings had ugly expressions, completely unlike their expressions when they had left the residence earlier.

"We were defeated by Ling Yan today!" The Second Princess sat down, her face filled with frustration.

"I did not expect what we did today would help Ling Yan instead. He not only resolved all the accusations, but he even seized the opportunity to gain everyone's approval. We have really made a huge loss today." The Eldest Prince's face was ashen. He had been confident of victory, but to their surprise, they had lost the entire round.

Ling Yan's move had been so excellent that they were unable to guard against it.

"Ling Yan even accused the Mo Family as well. That was really unexpected. Doesn't he know that the Mo Family is his greatest source of support?" The Eldest Princess's brows were deeply furrowed. She was perplexed by Ling Yan's accusation of the Mo Family.

One must know that the Mo Family had always supported Ling Yan. Although the Mo Family could not compare to the Sacred Ground of Reflection or the Temple of Shadows, it held the military power in the Eternal Dynasty.

It wielded great influence in the imperial court, and that was one of the reasons they had not been able to get at Ling Yan so far.

But today, Ling Yan had actually accused the Mo Family without batting an eye.

After today, the Mo Family would soon fall from power.

This could not be good news for Ling Yan.

"Our move was lacking..." The Eldest Prince sighed, then lifted his eyes, and glanced at Ye Qingtang.

"Elder Ye, we were not properly prepared today and wasted your scheme."

They thought that Ye Qingtang's plan was sure to work, but they had miscalculated Ling Yan's movements and wasted the opportunity.

"It doesn't matter." Ye Qingtang spoke casually, but she could not help but inwardly roll her eyes.

Not properly prepared?

What she saw today gave her an inkling of how this would play out.

With the Eldest Prince and the others' little talent, the outcome would probably be the same even if they prepared for decades.

They were no match for Ling Yan.

When Lady Ghost, who was standing nearby, heard what had happened, amusement lurked around the corners of her mouth. Her gaze seemed to accidentally fall on Ye Qingtang.

"After today, Ling Yan's foundation will be even more stable. It won't be easy for us to touch him." The Eldest Prince's face was gloomy.

But the Eldest Princess said, "In that case... can we drag Ling Yan into the Mo Family's trouble?"

The Eldest Prince had a thought and involuntarily glanced at Ye Qingtang, as he thought of asking her for help.

Why was he looking at her?

Ye Qingtang was speechless, but with Lady Ghost at her side, she had no choice but to say,

"No."

"Why?" The Eldest Princess could not understand.

Ye Qingtang really wanted to tell the Eldest Princess it was because they were too stupid, but could only say, "Ling Yan personally and publicly accused the Mo Family."

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1324 - Had A Lot of Fun_2

He had already accused the Mo Family, but they still wanted to involve Ling Yan in the Mo Family scandal?

How awkward would that be?

"If we say that it's infighting..." The Eldest Princess was desperate.

"Do you think that Ling Yan will be unable to think of that?" Ye Qingtang said patiently.

The Eldest Princess lost all ideas while the Eldest Prince and Second Princess were filled with frustration.

"It's late. Elder Ye, you must be worn out already. Do head back to rest first. We will monitor the situation," said the Eldest Prince.

Ye Qingtang, who was more than eager to stay away from these fools, immediately rose and left.

Lady Ghost followed silently.

"Holy Lord, it must be difficult for you to trouble yourself over the Eldest Prince's matter," Lady Ghost said softly.

"They're seriously a group of fools." Ye Qingtang responded plainly in the demeanor of a Holy Lord as a hint of annoyance emerged in her eyes.

Although Lady Ghost was not at the scene, she more or less knew what happened from the Eldest Prince's recount and was rather impressed with Ling Yan's intelligence.

"You've worked hard, Holy Lord. Do rest early."

Ye Qingtang returned to her room without uttering a word.

Once Ye Qingtang left, a tiny figure appeared at the corner of the long corridor near them.

Lady Ghost immediately kneeled on a knee upon noticing that figure.

"Greetings, Holy Son Ming Wang."

Ming Wang slowly walked out from the shadows though his eyes were fixated in the direction where Ye Qingtang left. His pitch dark orbs narrowed slightly, and no one could guess his current thoughts.

Unbeknown to Ming Gu and Ye Qingtang, Ming Wang headed here this morning.

"Holy Lord did not have any strange behavior on this trip." Lady Ghost reported honestly. She had been observing Ye Qingtang's actions silently on this trip and did not find anything suspicious. Even when Ye Qingtang was helping the Eldest Prince and the rest to come up with a plan, her intelligence did not raise any doubts to Lady Ghost.

Ming Wang narrowed his eyes, but his stern expression remained.

Lady Ghost's words did not eliminate his suspicions.

Of course, Lady Ghost was also aware that if someone was set on impersonating the Holy Lord of Shadows, she would not easily give the game away.

Meanwhile, the moment Ye Qingtang returned to her room, she washed off the disguise on her face, changed her clothes, and laid on the bed.

Previously, she and Ling Yan were fighting on the same line, and Ling Yan always helped her to emerge safely out of danger. Ye Qingtang already knew that Ling Yan was wise back then, but she only realized how insane his level of intelligence was now that they were on opposing sides.

"He could actually predict today's events a few years ago. This fellow can't be a god, can he..." Ye Qingtang furrowed her brows, but it was evident that Ling Yan made preparations for the disaster relief a few years ago.

She had a recurring thought that Ling Yan had planned today's incident a long time ago such that even accusing the Mo Family seemed to be part of his plan from the start.

"I keep feeling as though I'm being led by the nose." Ye Qingtang sighed. Right now, she was extremely admirable of those who were enemies with Ling Yan-how courageous must they be to oppose such an intelligent rival...

At that instant, a sound suddenly came from Ye Qingtang's voice transmission stone.

"Miss Ye."

Ye Qingtang took the voice transmission stone out.

"I thought you threw the voice transmission stone away." Ye Qingtang mumbled. She wanted to contact Ling Yan these few days and notify him of the Eldest Prince's plans, but there was completely no response from the voice transmission stone.

Ling Yan chuckled. "How would I bear to throw the voice transmission stone if I know that you will use it to contact me? Don't worry, Miss Ye, I've been keeping the voice transmission stone carefully."

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1325 - Had A Lot of Fun_3

"..."

So he has been playing dead these few days?

"I am here to thank you today, Miss Ye," Ling Yan said.

"What are you thanking me for?" Ye Qingtang was perplexed.

"I had a lot of fun thanks to you, Miss Ye." Ling Yan replied with a laugh.

"..." Why did this sentence sound so strange?

She suddenly had a strong urge to beat him up. What should she do?

"Don't get complacent so early. Your siblings have not given up the thought to kill you. They were overjoyed when you accused the Mo Family. Ling Yan... you're really merciless to accuse even your fiancée. I wonder how hard she is crying right now." Ye Qingtang commented with a sigh.

Ling Yan's laughter could be heard from the voice transmission stone. "There is no need for anyone who is disrespectful to you to exist."

Ye Qingtang was slightly taken aback.

What Ling Yan said...

Why did it seem like he only accused the Mo Family for her?

Uncontrollably, she recalled the day of the banquet when Mo Yunxian was disrespectful to her.

Could it be that...

Ye Qingtang shook her head out of a sudden.

Wait, wait, wait.

She could not be deceived by this darn fox.

"Anyway, did you predict how the Eldest Prince and the rest wanted to ruin you and planned your moves a long time ago?" Ye Qingtang divulged her guesses.

"There's no need to predict or plan anything with regard to them."

"..."

Had he belittled their intelligence to such a state?

"I've said before that it would be very boring without your assistance," Ling Yan said gently.

"Forget it. I don't wish to be involved in these matters anymore." Ye Qingtang deeply believed that if this continued on, she would be thoroughly defeated by a certain someone. Although she had no choice but to help the Eldest Prince, she was still the one devising all the schemes...

This was equivalent to her having a battle of wits with Ling Yan.

God knows how tormenting this was.

"I'm afraid that you will still be involved even if you don't wish to." Ling Yan added on softly. "The Temple of Shadows sent you here with the intention of testing you. If you don't wish to be involved, you will definitely expose yourself."

"..." She wished to die right now.

"Didn't you come to the Central Mainland to snatch back everything that belongs to you? Being in the Temple of Shadows may bring some hardships, but it is the most suitable option for you," Ling Yan said slowly as though he guessed Ye Qingtang's thoughts.

"The Ancient You Clan is formidable, and it is extremely difficult if you were to fight them alone. However, if you fight them as the Holy Lord of Shadows, how do you think it will turn out?"

"I am not the Holy Lord of Shadows." Ye Qingtang frowned slightly.

"Is it important whether you are the Holy Lord of Shadows or not? As long as the Temple of Shadows believes that you are their Holy Lord, then you are it. Leaving aside the fact that the Temple of Shadows is formidable enough to confront the Ancient You Clan, just those cultivation techniques that are only available in the Temple of Shadows are extremely helpful to you. They are way more effective than laborious cultivation elsewhere." Ling Yan persuaded softly.

Ye Qingtang was in deep thought. She had been treading on thin ice ever since she entered the Temple of Shadows as slight carelessness would mean death.

However...

Her purpose for coming to the Central Mainland was to snatch Little You Yun back from the Ancient You Clan.

Her family, Masters, and martial brothers had already disappeared. She had no inhibitions anymore.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Miss Ye, why not take a gamble?"

Ye Qingtang took a deep breath.

Ling Yan was right. If she was all by herself, it would take extremely long for her to confront the Ancient You Clan no matter how hard she cultivated, and success was not even guaranteed.

But if she had the Temple of Shadows...

This was an opportunity.

If successful, she would snatch back everything. Otherwise, she would die.

"I'll take the gamble."

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FORCE HIM TO REVOLT 1-3

1326 - Force Him to Revolt_1

Ling Yan could not help but chuckle at Ye Qingtang's reply.

"Holy Son Ming Wang should have reached the capital by now. You need to do your best in playing the role of the Holy Lord, Miss Ye."

"..." Upon hearing of Ming Wang's arrival, Ye Qingtang's lofty ambitions fell apart.

In the entire Temple of Shadows, Ming Wang was her largest source of pressure.

He had never trusted her from the start and even sent Lady Ghost to monitor her.

And now, he actually came personally. Just great.

"You'll have to be careful then. As the Holy Lord of Shadows, I will definitely support the Eldest Prince to ascend as the Crown Prince." Ye Qingtang sighed. The Temple of Shadows was a double-edged sword, and it would not be so easy for her to wield it to her advantage.

"Just bring it on, Miss Ye. I can still handle it." Ling Yan replied with a light-hearted laugh.

Sighing, Ye Qingtang did not say anything much and kept the voice transmission stone.

The conversation with Ling Yan today changed her mindset.

Previously, all she wanted was to escape from the Temple of Shadows, but now...

She must become the Holy Lord of Shadows.

...

As expected, the Eldest Prince and the rest did not abandon the thought of ruining Ling Yan after their foiled scheme. They had tried different ways over the past few days. However, not only were they unable to touch Ling Yan at all, but they were even counter-attacked by him.

In half a month, Ling Yan's position as the Crown Prince was rather secure thanks to the "assistance" of the Eldest Prince and Second Princess.

"Elder Ye... Ling Yan's position is increasingly secure in my father's heart. Ah..." The Eldest Prince wore an ugly expression in the hall.

Despite joining forces with the Second Princess, the Eldest Prince's schemes had no effect at all and, helpless, he could only look for Ye Qingtang again to request for her help.

Ye Qingtang was very speechless as she looked at the gloomy faces of the people in the hall.

She finally realized what an incompetent teammate was like...

Only people with their brains could come up with those pointless plots. She really doubted if they were truly Ling Yan's siblings.

Why was there such a great difference in their intelligence despite being born from the same parents?

"Stop all the plans on your hands. Otherwise, Ling Yan's position as the Crown Prince will only be more and more stable." Although Ye Qingtang had a smile on her face, there was a certain strictness in her tone.

Noticing Ye Qingtang's actions, Lady Ghost discreetly looked over to a corner.

Nonetheless, this casual action of hers did not escape Ye Qingtang's eyes.

Ye Qingtang did not move, but the side of her eyes glanced over to the direction which Lady Ghost looked at.

A hardly-detectable aura of death lurked in the dark.

It's Ming Wang?

Ye Qingtang pondered in her heart and recalled her conversation with Ling Yan the other day. She secretly took a deep breath and looked at the Eldest Prince as though she did not notice Ming Wang's presence.

"Given Ling Yan's current position, the only way you all can defeat him is to force him to revolt."

"Revolt?" The Eldest Prince and Second Princess were taken aback.

"But... Ling Yan is not a fool, and father dotes on him so much now. Additionally, his position as the Crown Prince is so stable right now, and he will become the next Emperor once father is old. Why would he take such a risk?" The Second Princess asked with a frown.

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1327 - Force Him to Revolt_2

"I mean, force him... to revolt." Ye Qingtang narrowed her eyes with a tinge of impatience in her expression.

The Eldest Prince and Second Princess looked at each other in confusion as they were unable to understand the key in Ye Qingtang's words.

Ye Qingtang was overwhelmed with helplessness at the group of incompetent teammates.

"General Mo is already dead, and General Wu Hu took over his military leadership. A long time ago, when General Wu Hu was having a difficult time, it was Ling Yan who helped him." Ye Qingtang did not slack off in the past few days; since she wanted to slowly eliminate the Temple of Shadows's suspicions of her, she had to put in effort in this matter.

"Ling Yan rescued General Wu Hu before? Why do we not know of this?" The Eldest Prince had a blank expression. He had investigated Ling Yan for a long time but did not notice this at all.

Ye Qingtang could not be bothered with the Eldest Prince and replied.

"Ling Yan's accusation of General Mo won the Emperor's trust, but if he did it only for his trusted aide to replace General Mo, the meaning is completely different."

Pausing for a while, she continued on. "One will inevitably fall from the pinnacle of power. What you all need to do now is to continuously show weakness to Ling Yan and secretly support his trusted aide to ascend the position. Afterward, you all can act in secret and slowly spread rumors that Ling Yan has intentions to usurp the throne."

This time, Ye Qingtang truly became serious. Otherwise, with just the Eldest Prince and the rest, they would not have the ability to defeat Ling Yan even if the Eternal Emperor died.

Everyone was stunned by Ye Qingtang's words, and they exchanged a look.

"What Elder Ye meant is... for us to assist Ling Yan to consolidate his power? But by then... if we cannot defeat..." The Eldest Prince was slightly hesitant.

"Why do you all need to counter him?" Ye Qingtang looked down slightly and said without emotion. "As long as you all are able to raise the Emperor's suspicions of Ling Yan, the Emperor will naturally make a move out of fear of his power. Then, Ling Yan will either await his doom and be stripped of his Crown Prince title or revolt with his army. It's no longer important whether he really intends to usurp the throne or not as the circumstances will force him to take action."

"Uh..." The Eldest Prince and the rest were still uncertain.

"I am merely telling you all to show weakness on the surface, but you all can still retain your forces in secret. Once Ling Yan revolts, you all can take credit for capturing him and restoring peace." Ye Qingtang added on.

The Eldest Prince and Second Princess sighed in relief upon hearing that.

"Elder Ye's wisdom is above all. Once Ling Yan loses father's trust, he is not far from death." The Second Prince truly believed that this method was vicious and forceful.

Born to a royal family, they were naturally aware of how heartless an Emperor would be to any child with the intention of usurping the throne.

"Elder Ye, may I ask how you plan to raise father's suspicions?" The Eldest Prince questioned further.

"I will deal with this matter. You all don't need to worry about it." Anyways, Ye Qingtang did not hope that the Eldest Prince and the rest were smart as she still needed to settle everything.

The Eldest Prince and the rest still had some questions, but since Ye Qingtang was so certain, they believed her.

Moreover, since the Temple of Shadows wanted to assist the Eldest Prince to ascend to the Crown Prince position, the Eldest Prince did not worry that Ye Qingtang would harm him.

"Thank you for your advice." The Second Princess rose and bowed. Although she felt that Ye Qingtang's plan was pretty good, she was not in a hurry to settle on it as she still needed to discuss it with the Advisor.

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1328 - Force Him to Revolt_3

The Second Princess left very soon to discuss the matter with the Advisor. Ye Qingtang was not in a hurry either as she came up with this plan very seriously and was confident that the Advisor would consent.

Before eliminating Ling Yan, the Temple of Shadows and the Advisor had the same goal.

The Eldest Prince and the rest also took this time to make the preparations. They initially made many schemes to deal with Ling Yan, but after hearing what Ye Qingtang said, they hurried to cancel them.

Ye Qingtang returned to her room and informed Ling Yan of her plans.

She wanted to prove herself to the Temple of Shadows but did not wish to really harm Ling Yan. However... if things developed according to her plan, Ling Yan only had two routes.

One was to lose the Crown Prince title. The other was to start a military revolt.

However, Ye Qingtang felt that the safest way was to lose the Crown Prince title as it was temporary, and there was still a chance of gaining it back in the future.

On one side, Ye Qingtang contacted Ling Yan.

On the other, Lady Ghost secretly met up with Ming Wang.

"Holy Son Ming Wang, what do you think of Holy Lord's plan?" Lady Ghost looked at Ming Wang. She had to admit that Ye Qingtang's plan was more meticulous than before, and even she herself was rather surprised.

There was no expression on Ming Wang's face, and he merely looked at Ye Qingtang's tightly-shut door.

"Secretly send someone to inform Ling Yan..."

Lady Ghost was stunned.

"What do you wish to reveal to Ling Yan, Holy Son Ming Wang?"

Ming Wang replied. "That Elder Ye is the Holy Lord of Shadows."

Lady Ghost understood immediately.

"Only let Ling Yan know of this matter." Ming Wang ordered coldly.

"Yes!"

Ming Wang narrowed his eyes. Assisting the Eldest Prince to become the Crown Prince was a definite, but they also wanted Ling Yan to verify Ye Qingtang's identity.

...

In the Advisor's residence.

The Second Princess hurried to the Advisor's residence at once after leaving the Eldest Prince's residence and informed the Advisor of Ye Qingtang's plan.

After hearing it, the Advisor frowned slightly.

"Advisor, what do you think of that Elder Ye's suggestion?" The Second Princess asked.

The Advisor remained silent for a while, but the corners of his lips suddenly curled up.

"Not bad."

The Second Princess exhaled immediately.

The Advisor continued speaking. "The Temple of Shadows has been on the decline for some time, but it never lost its fundamental strength. This Elder Ye's plan is very decent and can resolve the immediate problem."

"Shall I arrange people to make the preparations then?" The Second Princess asked.

The Advisor nodded slightly, and the Second Princess immediately took her leave.

After she left, the Advisor slowly returned to the study, where a young man was already waiting for him.

"Lord Shui." The young man immediately bowed when he noticed the Advisor entering.

The Advisor nodded but did not say anything. Lightly tapping his face with his fingertip, his aged facial features, wrinkles, and white mustache disappeared in an instant.

Replacing them was a face that was even more beautiful than a lady's.

"Are you here because Master has an order?" After returning to his young face, the Advisor casually sat on a chair near him and looked at the young man who kneeled before him.

The young man was from the Sacred Ground of Reflection and was here specially for the crowning of Ling Yan as the Crown Prince.

"Master heard that the Temple of Shadows's ambassador is here as well and that she seems to be keen on supporting the Eldest Prince." The young man replied.

The Advisor looked down slightly and uttered without emotion. "There is indeed such a matter, but it's fine. Reply to Master that the Eternal Dynasty situation is still in control and that he can rest assured."

"Noted."

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YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN 1-3

1329 - You Are On Your Own_1

Possibly because all their earlier schemes had failed, the Eldest Prince and Second Princess were much smarter this time. They did not act precipitously but followed Ye Qingtang's instructions and allowed the courtiers and influence they had gathered to disperse. They began to effusively praise the Crown Prince, Ling Yan, when they were in court.

With the help of his three royal siblings, Ling Yan's reputation grew daily until it almost reached its peak within half a month.

The Emperor was very pleased with this and often praised Ling Yan.

Although the Eldest Prince was agitated when he saw this, he knew it was part of the plan. As he saw Ling Yan's power continue to grow, he could not help but worry inwardly. However, he continued to maintain a facade of brotherly affection and respect.

Every day, the Eldest Prince and Princess would tell Ye Qingtang what happened in the morning court session. Ye Qingtang was not at court, but she controlled the situation.

"Elder Ye, the war at the border is almost over. Although Wu Hu only recently took over the command of General Mo's troops, he acted fast and won several successive victories. He will probably withdraw his troops and return to court before long. Once Wu Hu is back, based on the connection between him and Ling Yan that Elder Ye mentioned earlier, I'm afraid..." The Eldest Prince was worried. His greatest hope was for Ling Yan to raise troops and rebel, but to date, no such opportunity had arisen. The situation just dragged on, so he was feeling rather anxious.

Ye Qingtang could tell that the Eldest Prince and the others were growing anxious.

She said, "These are letters between Wu Hu and Ling Yan."

As she spoke, Ye Qingtang placed a stack of letters in front of the Eldest Prince.

The Eldest Prince could not help but feel somewhat surprised. He did not know how Ye Qingtang had gotten hold of these letters, but he opened them one by one and read them.

The Eldest Prince was shocked by what he read.

"Ling Yan intends to raise troops and rebel when Wu Hu returns to the capital?"

The letters were full of how Ling Yan planned to form an alliance with General Wu Hu and how upon General Wu Hu's triumphant return with his troops, Ling Yan would seize the opportunity to take over the capital and force the Emperor to abdicate.

"Eldest Royal Brother, have you looked carefully? Are these letters really in Ling Yan's and General Wu Hu's handwriting?" The Eldest Princess's heart thumped as she asked carefully.

The Eldest Prince replied. "There can be no mistake. I clearly remember Ling Yan's handwriting, and this was definitely written by him. I have also seen General Wu Hu's writing when I was at his residence, and it does look the same."

"Also, these letters have the Crown Prince's golden seal and General Wu Hu's seal."

The Eldest Prince's heart beat wildly. If these letters were presented to the Eternal Emperor, Ling Yan would be finished.

"I thought my Third Royal Brother was intelligent. I didn't realize he was so stupid. He exposed his own ambitions before we could think of how to trap him," the Eldest Princess said with a cold laugh.

"Elder Ye, how did you get hold of these letters?" The Eldest Prince was greatly agitated, but he was curious as to how such secret documents had fallen into Ye Qingtang's hands.

One must know that Ling Yan was always careful, and such documents could not have been obtained easily.

Furthermore...

Ye Qingtang had not left her residence all this while.

"Of course, Elder Ye must have asked the others from the Temple of Shadows to obtain them. No matter how great our Third Royal Brother is, he is no match for the Temple of Shadows," the Eldest Princess said matter-of-factly.

Lady Ghost's gaze involuntarily fell on Ye Qingtang. She had not seen Ye Qingtang contact anyone else from the Temple of Shadows and had not heard Ye Qingtang mention anything about obtaining these letters.

Ye Qingtang slowly sipped her tea and said calmly, "Do all of you think these documents are real?"

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1330 - You Are On Your Own_2

Ye Qingtang's question shocked the Eldest Prince and the others.

"Elder Ye, what do you mean? Are these documents forgeries?" The Eldest Princess looked bewildered.

"I wrote them," Ye Qingtang said casually as she slowly put down her teacup.

The eyes of the Eldest Prince and Princess immediately widened in shock.

"These... were written by you, Elder Ye?" The Eldest Prince looked incredulous.

Ye Qingtang nodded.

"But the seals..." The Eldest Prince looked at the seals on the letters.

Ye Qingtang flicked her wrist and threw the seals she had carved earlier in front of the Eldest Prince.

"If you like them, you can take these and seal a few more letters."

The Eldest Prince and Princess hurriedly took the two seals and examined them again and again. Compared to the original seals, these seals were made from different materials, but their carvings and details were all identical. No one would be able to tell the difference when they were used to seal letters.

The Eldest Prince and Princess were shocked.

They thought that Ling Yan was seeking his own death. They had not imagined that Ye Qingtang had forged these documents.

What was even scarier was that even they could not tell that the documents were forgeries.

If Ye Qingtang had not told them, they certainly would not think of it.

Ye Qingtang had lived for three hundred years in her previous life and spent a long time in Central Mainland. She also happened to know General Wu Hu, but in her previous life, General Mo had not yet died, and Wu Hu was just an ordinary officer. Ye Qingtang had seen his handwriting and also happened to see his seal.

Otherwise, how would she have known about the connection between Wu Hu and Ling Yan?

As for Ling Yan...

Ye Qingtang was extremely familiar with his handwriting, and forging it was easy.

In the three hundred years of her past life, Ye Qingtang had learned various things. Things like forging handwriting and stamps were child's play to her...

"Show them to the Emperor," said Ye Qingtang.

They had prepared for a long time, all for this step.

The Eldest Prince and Princess exchanged glances. They did not linger and hurried to the palace with these documents.

When Lady Ghost looked at Ye Qingtang, her expression was also filled with surprise. She had been rather curious as to where Ye Qingtang's plans were leading, but she had not expected...

That Ye Qingtang was already all prepared.

Even if the Eternal Emperor was suspicious, the handwriting and seals were identical. It would be difficult for Ling Yan to argue.

"Tell me when there's news. I'm going to rest." Ye Qingtang did not seem to notice the shock in Lady Ghost's eyes. She lazily stood up and slowly walked to her room.

"Ah Yao is so clever." Ming Gu's eyes flashed in excitement as he watched Ye Qingtang's disappearing figure.

He knew that nothing was too difficult for Ah Yao.

Ah Yao was just the way she used to be...

Lady Ghost gave a small smile, but she secretly looked towards Ming Wang's position. But at some point, Ming Wang, who had been hiding in a secret spot, had vanished completely.

When Ye Qingtang returned to her room and ensured that no one had followed her, she immediately took out the voice transmission stone.

"Ling Yan, I'm about to act." Ye Qingtang called him softly and spoke.

Ling Yan's laughter rang out from the voice transmission stone. His agreeable voice was warm and held a hint of amusement.

"I suppose my siblings are now greatly indebted to Miss Ye's kindness. Miss Ye, no need to be merciful. Give it your best shot."

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1331 - You Are On Your Own_3

Ye Qingtang secretly rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you think of some way to deal with it rather than quibble with me?"

Ling Yan said with a laugh, "Miss Ye, thanks for your concern."

Ye Qingtang was about to say something when Ling Yan suddenly said, "Miss Ye has a guest. I won't disturb you any longer."

With that, Ling Yan broke off their connection.

A moment after Ling Yan broke off the connection, a knock sounded on Ye Qingtang's door.

Ye Qingtang was startled and immediately got up to open the door.

Ming Gu was standing obediently at the doorway, smiling at Ye Qingtang.

"Ah Yao..."

"You little fellow, are you here to disturb me again?" Ye Qingtang's lips suddenly curved in amusement, and she reached out to pinch Ming Gu's little nose.

Ming Gu looked shy and lowered his eyes to hide the stiffness in his expression.

"Come on in," Ye Qingtang said with a smile. She turned first but secretly drew a deep breath.

What the hell!

Ming Wang posed as Ming Gu to look for me?

Ye Qingtang was very wary of the devious Ming Wang. Although she knew that Ming Wang was here, he had yet to reveal himself. But now...

Ming Wang had taken on Ming Gu's adorable and innocent look to appear in front of her.

Ye Qingtang wanted to die.

She had actually pinched that killer's, Ming Wang's, nose?!

Haha...

"Ming Gu" quietly stood outside the door for a moment before he entered on his little legs. He maintained his coy appearance.

Ye Qingtang tried her best to maintain her composure and did not dare to let her expression change. She sat down on a chair and gestured to "Ming Gu", who was standing by her side.

"Ming Gu" slowly walked over to Ye Qingtang, raised his little face, and threw himself onto Ye Qingtang's knee.

"Ah Yao, when can we go back to the Temple of Shadows?"

Ye Qingtang looked at the "Ming Gu" before her, and her heart constricted. But she smiled and reached out to pinch "Ming Gu" little cheek.

"We can go back when matters here are settled."

"Ah Yao, why don't I find some Black Flame Worms for you when we get back?" "Ming Gu" said with a smile.

Ye Qingtang's gut started to roil. As she looked at "Ming Gu", an evil idea arose in Ye Qingtang's heart. She scooped "Ming Gu" up and cuddled him on her knee.

A stiff look flashed across "Ming Gu" eyes, but he quickly restrained himself.

Ye Qingtang narrowed her eyes and smiled. Then, she used both hands to pinch "Ming Gu" little face. She said with a laugh, "Ming Wang, do you want to eat Black Flame Worms so badly? What's the matter? Are you still thinking about the time Ming Gu didn't give you the Black Flame Worm?"

Ye Qingtang's words startled "Ming Gu".

You keep on testing me. Today, I will pinch you in return.

Ye Qingtang took the opportunity to pinch his soft face a few more times.

In a flash, Ming Wang jumped down from Ye Qingtang's lap. His smiling and innocent appearance had vanished to be replaced by his aloof and vicious expression.

"What's the matter? Are you so scared of me?" Ye Qingtang looked at Ming Wang smilingly, but her heart was in her mouth.

The real Holy Lord of Shadows would certainly be able to tell Ming Gu and Ming Wang apart. No matter how similar they looked, there was no mistaking them.

Furthermore...

The Holy Lord of Shadows certainly would not be afraid of Ming Wang.

______________________________________________________________________________________

FIRST MOVE 1-3

1332 - First Move_1

At that moment, Ming Wang's eyes, which were totally devoid of human emotion, were staring straight at Ye Qingtang as if searching her eyes for some crack in her facade.

Ye Qingtang's lips curved upwards slightly, and the small smile on her face turned cold. "Ming Wang, do you know... how Zhui Gong died?"

When Ye Qingtang mentioned Zhui Gong, Ming Wang's eyes flickered, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Zhui Gong had been the most powerful tribe leader in the Temple of Shadows. His martial skills were incomparable, but at one point, he became disrespectful of the Holy Lord of Shadows.

However, the Holy Lord of Shadows had cut off his head just for showing a trace of disrespect. His body had been exposed to the burning sun until it vanished.

"Ming Wang, after my return, I became increasingly aware that you are somewhat like Zhui Gong... What do you think?" Ye Qingtang wore an inscrutable smile.

"Oh?" Death aura swirled around Ming Wang, and his eyes flashed. "Holy Lord, please tell me how I am like Zhui Gong."

Ye Qingtang sat further away and remained motionless, though her fingers drummed a rhythm on the tabletop. Her lips arched in an inscrutable smile. "So you are about to become like a second Zhui Gong."

As she spoke, a cold light flashed across Ye Qingtang's eyes. Although she continued to smile charmingly, her smile was now bone-chilling.

Ming Wang frowned slightly as Ye Qingtang slowly stood up, and the death aura around him vanished suddenly. He cupped his fists and said, "Holy Lord, I dare not take on this charge. Zhui Gong was a criminal who offended the Lord. How can the Holy Lord compare me to Zhui Gong?"

When she heard that, Ye Qingtang laughed softly and rose to walk over to Ming Wang. She bent over slightly and lightly trailed a finger across Ming Wang's face. "What is the penalty for offending the Lord?"

"Someone who offends the Lord will certainly be put to death," said Ming Wang.

"Ming Wang, you are really rather adorable. I like you more and more." When Ye Qingtang finished speaking, she brushed her fingers lightly over Ming Wang's forehead. "Tell me, why did you pretend to be Ming Gu."

"The Holy Lord is joking. The Holy Lord was the one who assumed I was my brother. I was merely playing along with the Holy Lord... I did not mean cause offense," said Ming Wang.

"You came to look for me. What did you want to discuss with me?" Ye Qingtang withdrew her right hand and looked at Ming Wang coldly as she spoke.

"I came to look for the Holy Lord to discuss the Eternal Dynasty's prince," replied Ming Wang.

"Speak." Ye Qingtang flicked her sleeves.

"Holy Lord, the current Crown Prince, Ling Yan is almost demonically clever. He is very difficult to deal with... Is the Holy Lord certain that she wants to offend the Crown Prince, Ling Yan, in order to support the Eldest Prince? If Ling Yan can be brought down, that is well and good. However, if he cannot..." As he spoke, Ming Wang was secretly studying Ye Qingtang's attitude and her subtle reactions.

However, Ye Qingtang remained completely calm and unruffled, and he could not discern anything that was amiss.

"If the Holy Lord needs to, we can support the Crown Prince, Ling Yan, to ascend the throne..." Ming Wang said.

When Ming Wang finished speaking, Ye Qingtang laughed coldly. Her lips curled upwards, and an eerie look appeared on her face. "You're implying that I may be afraid of Ling Yan."

Before Ming Wang could speak, Ye Qingtang's eyes flashed coldly. "Ming Wang, as one of the two Holy Sons in the Temple of Shadows, how can you be afraid of a prince of a human dynasty... I'm afraid you are not suited to be the Holy Son. Supporting the Eldest Prince to ascend the throne is a small matter. I am willing to act personally only because it amused me. If I had not thought that the Eternal Dynasty might still be useful, I could flick my fingers and exterminate all eighteen kingdoms in this dynasty."

______________________________________________________________________________________

1333 - First Move_2

"Holy Lord, I meant that Ling Yan is an intelligent person, many times more intelligent than the Eldest Prince. Why shouldn't the Temple of Shadows support Ling Yan instead of the Eldest Prince? The Temple of Shadows needs intelligent people more," Ming Wang said thoughtfully.

"Wrong." Ye Qingtang shook her head. "The Temple of Shadows does not need intelligent people. When you have absolute power, any plot can be easily broken."

When he heard that, Ming Wang remained silent for a moment before he said, "The Holy Lord is right. I was overly concerned."

"You may leave." Ye Qingtang waved her hand somewhat impatiently.

When he heard Ye Qingtang's words, Ming Wang turned to leave.

When she was sure that Ming Wang had left, Ye Qingtang broke out in a cold sweat. Her entire body was already soaked in sweat.

Today was just too dangerous. This Ming Wang is not to be underestimated...

If she had not forced herself to remain calm so that Ming Wang could not see through her, she might have lost the secret duel with Ming Wang just now. The consequences were unimaginable.

Ming Wang's every word was a test of whether the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows was authentic or not.

Like his suggestion that they support Ling Yan. If she had agreed, she would probably have paid with her life there and then.

With the Holy Lord of Shadows's power, she could exterminate the Eternal Dynasty with a flick of her fingers. She had no need to fear Ling Yan's demonic intelligence...

Even the Zhui Gong incident was something that Ye Qingtang had heard of in her previous life, which was why she could speak about it.

"F*ck, that Holy Son Ming Wang is really formidable." The little white tiger swiftly poked his head out and leaped onto the bed.

"The Holy Son, Ming Wang, has begun to suspect your identity. Fortunately, you managed to present a calm front; otherwise... you would have already lost your head," the little white tiger said seriously as it looked at Ye Qingtang.

Ye Qingtang did not refute any of the little white tiger's words.

Ever since she became the Holy Lord of Shadows, the Holy Son Ming Wang had been suspicious of her identity from the moment they met. With Holy Son Ming Wang's personality, if he discovered the truth, she would immediately die a terrible death...

It was really difficult to pose as the Holy Lord of Shadows...

Just as Ye Qingtang was sighing secretly, she heard another knock on the door.

"Ah Yao..."

Ye Qingtang got up and opened the room door. The Holy Son, Ming Gu, was standing at the doorway. He looked at Ye Qingtang in shock and said, "Ah Yao, I just saw my elder brother leave your room..."

"It was nothing, I was just discussing something with Ming Wang." Ye Qingtang explained.

Ming Gu was filled with suspicion. He thought that Ming Wang was not coming this time, so why... had he suddenly arrived.

Ming Gu wanted to enter the room and chat with Ye Qingtang, but Ye Qingtang dismissed him, saying that she needed to rest.

Meanwhile, the scheme to force Ling Yan to rebel went forward without any pause.

Right now, Ling Yan's influence was growing, and General Wu Hu's power was growing in tandem with his.

Ling Yan's influence and reputation within the Eternal Dynasty reached unprecedented heights, especially as the Eldest Prince and Second Princess continued to present their weak flank to Ling Yan. Many of the ministers had already secretly signaled their favor of Ling Yan.

At that moment, in the palace of the Eternal Dynasty, in the main hall.

"Royal Father!"

The Eldest Prince kneeled on one knee and gazed at the Eternal Emperor. "The Crown Prince is intriguing to kill the Emperor and seize the throne!"

______________________________________________________________________________________

1334 - First Move_3

At that moment, the Eternal Emperor was grimly looking at the letters that the Eldest Prince, the Eldest Princess, and the Second Princess had handed him.

These letters were private correspondence between Ling Yan and General Wu Hu. Their contents were treasonous and heinous.

The Eternal Emperor studied the documents over and over. The seals on the documents did belong to General Wu Hu, and the handwriting matched Ling Yan's handwriting.

Ling Yan's faction had recently reached the peak of its powers...

"Summon the Crown Prince!"

The Eternal Emperor was raging in the palace.

Half a day later, Ling Yan arrived in court.

The Eternal Emperor immediately flung the letters in Ling Yan's face. "Look at this!"

When he heard that, Ling Yan opened the letters and studied them for a moment.

"Ling Yan, what explanation can you give!" The Eternal Emperor glared at Ling Yan and roared at him in rage.

"Royal Father, please don't be angry." Ling Yan's lips curved upwards slightly in a mysterious smile as he looked at the Eternal Emperor. "I think that someone might have forged these letters."

"Oh?" The Eternal Emperor grunted coldly. "In that case, I give you three days to get to the bottom of the matter!"

"I will take my leave."

Ling Yan turned to leave.

"Royal Father, do you... really believe that these letters were forged?" The Eldest Prince saw that the situation was going against them and spoke hurriedly.

Even they had not been able to tell that these letters were forged. But just based on a few words from Ling Yan...

The Eternal Emperor looked at the Eldest Prince and Second Princess and said, "Keep a close eye on Ling Yan. If he shows any sign of treason, kill him!"

The Eldest Prince immediately looked delighted at the Eternal Emperor's words. He hurriedly cupped his fists and said, "Don't worry, Royal Father, I will certainly play my part!"

With that, the Eldest Prince and Second Princess turned to leave.

The Eldest Prince and Second Princess were overjoyed. This Elder Ye from the Temple of Shadows had really come up with a good scheme!

Since their Royal Father had ordered them to keep an eye on Ling Yan... would it not be up to them to say whether Ling Yan had any treasonous intentions?

"Summon all our troops... contain Ling Yan!"

At that moment, the Eldest Prince was speaking coldly with a stern expression.

"Even if we kill Ling Yan within the capital, we can explain it to our Royal Father by saying that Ling Yan was prepared to raise troops and rebel..." The Second Princess smiled slightly.

This time, they would not need the Advisor or the Temple of Shadows to kill Ling Yan... They could easily finish the job themselves.

A moment later, two generals were leading hundreds of soldiers clad in black armor to surround the city gates.

"Here he comes..."

The Eldest Princess's gaze fell on Ling Yan, who was walking by himself, in front of them.

"Royal Brother and Sister, what are you doing?" Ling Yan had arrived at the city gate and looked at the Eldest Prince and Second Princess with some surprise.

"Humph!"

The Eldest Prince scoffed coldly and said, "Ling Yan, you deceived and defied the Emperor. You planned a revolt to kill the Emperor and seize the throne. Do you admit to your guilt?!"

"What..." Ling Yan frowned slightly.

"Ah... Third Royal Brother, you have been writing to traitors. The evidence is irrefutable. There is no way that you can deny it," the Second Princess said with a cold laugh. She looked at the troops clad in black armor that were standing behind her. "Kill!"

"Just a moment." At that moment, Ling Yan smiled faintly and spoke softly.

"What's the matter? Are you regretting it now?" The Eldest Princess looked disdainful. "Since you dared to rebel, you better be prepared to lose your head."

"My Elder Royal Sister makes sense." Ling Yan nodded. "But... I haven't denied the charges yet."

When they heard that, the Eldest Prince and Second Princess were taken aback. What did Ling Yan mean?

"My Royal Elder Brother and Sisters are incomparably intelligent... so... I shall just speak plainly..." Ling Yan looked at them, and his lips curved slightly. His expression was incredibly sinister. "Seal the capital!"

______________________________________________________________________________________

CHECKMATE 1-3

1335 - Checkmate_1

"What did you say?" The Eldest Princess thought she misheard him.

What did Ling Yan say just now? Seal the Imperial City?!

However, the moment Ling Yan spoke, millions of Black Armor troops proceeded to seal the entire Imperial City immediately.

At this instant, General Wu Hu led the Black Armor troops through the city gate without any emotions and walked to Ling Yan's side. He kneeled and greeted him. "Emperor, the men are deployed. No one is allowed to leave this Imperial City today."

"Very good." Ling Yan replied with a smile.

"You... You all..."

The Eldest Princess was completely dumbfounded as she looked in disbelief. This General Wu Hu... actually addressed Ling Yan as the Emperor...

"Ling Yan... How dare you revolt?!"

The Eldest Prince hollered furiously.

The Eldest Prince never thought that Ling Yan really dared to revolt. Moreover, looking at the current situation, it was obvious that Ling Yan already had a detailed deployment before, which thus allowed him to hide millions of Black Armor troops around the Imperial City...

"Impossible..." The Second Princess shook her head in disbelief.

No matter how intelligent Ling Yan was, it was definitely impossible to hide millions of Black Armor troops in the Imperial City. Did father not sense anything at all? How could it be!

"The Eldest Prince... Eldest Princess, and Second Princess started an armed revolt to murder the Emperor and usurp the throne. I executed them on the spot... but unfortunately, father failed to be rescued and was already killed by the three rebels..." Ling Yan looked at the three royal siblings with a seeming smile and said.

"Ling Yan, what are you saying?!" The Eldest Prince trembled slightly in disbelief.

"Eldest Royal Brother, you colluded with Eldest Royal Sister and Second Royal Sister in the revolt, sealed the Imperial City... and killed Father. I brought General Wu Hu to rescue Father, but it's too late, unfortunately... Right?" Ling Yan looked at the Eldest Prince with a slight smile.

"Nonsense! Ling Yan, how audacious of you!" The Eldest Prince shouted.

"Ha... Is that so?" A devilish smile emerged on Ling Yan's face. "You three are merely chess pieces."

Afterward, without giving them a chance to speak, Ling Yan told General Wu Hu. "How can the game go on if these three people aren't killed? I'm afraid father will be disappointed as well, won't he?"

"Kill!"

General Wu Hu nodded and ordered the numerous Black Armor troops.

"How dare you all? I am supported by the Temple of Shadows. Who dares to kill me!" The Eldest Prince shouted coldly.

"I am supported by the Sacred Ground of Reflection. Who dares to kill me?!" The Second Princess shouted as well.

Swoosh!

Yet, the moment they finished their sentences, the Eldest Prince, Eldest Princess, and Second Princess were beheaded in a flash.

Ling Yan watched in smiles without a hint of sympathy as the three headless bodies collapsed to the ground.

"Our game can only go on this way. Isn't that right?" Ling Yan chuckled.

After the trio was killed by Ling Yan, war drums suddenly echoed in the Imperial City.

Subsequently, the Eternal Emperor appeared before everyone along with the rumbling drums.

His eyes were cold, but a hint of mockery emerged when he glanced at the corpses of the Eldest Prince, Eldest Princess, and Second Princess.

"Crown Prince Ling Yan committed a serious crime by plotting to usurp the throne and killing the Eldest Prince, Eldest Princess, and Second Princess!" The Eternal Emperor shouted furiously in a voice like that of rolling thunder.

"Father, the game is now more interesting with your appearance." Ling Yan smiled briefly at the Eternal Emperor.

Ye Qingtang rushed over after hearing that the Eldest Prince gathered troops to counter Ling Yan. Currently, she hid in a secret corner with the little white tiger in her arms and observed the exciting show

______________________________________________________________________________________

1336 - Checkmate_2

"What the f*ck. What is going on..." The little white tiger seemed shocked.

Ye Qingtang remained silent. Looking at the scene before her, everything was clear.

It had been the Eternal Emperor's one man show from the beginning. He treated everyone as a chess piece, including Ling Yan, Eldest Prince, and the rest...

"Oh... Son, it seems like you already know about it." The Eternal Emperor snickered.

"Father, your Emperor title is the most important to you. You appointed me as the Crown Prince only to balance the situation... To prevent a single party from becoming too powerful, the best way for you is for all your children to die... This way, no one will be able to threaten your position as the Emperor. Isn't that it?" Ling Yan chuckled lightly.

"Is that what you think?" The Eternal Emperor asked.

"No Emperor would want to step down from his position... Unfortunately, your children have all grown up while you have aged, and you need to pass down the position to your children... To extend your time as the Emperor, you intentionally appointed the Fourth Prince as the Crown Prince... Afterward, you personally killed him to lower the guard of the Eldest Prince and the rest. Then, you appointed me as the Crown Prince to create a situation where my royal brother and sisters would fight it out with me. A pretty good plot," Ling Yan said with a smile.

Many people guessed that either the Eldest Prince or Second Princess was responsible for the Fourth Prince's death. Yet, no one would have thought that the true murderer of the Fourth Prince was the Eternal Emperor...

"Anything else?" The Eternal Emperor asked interestedly.

"Of course." Ling Yan nodded slightly and spoke. "Royal brother and sister plotted to frame me as a rebel. Thus, they intentionally showed weakness to me and allowed my forces to strengthen... Over the past few days, I hid millions of troops within the Imperial City, and it's impossible for you to not know. Earlier on, you allowed me to leave the palace merely to use me to kill my royal siblings. Once that is so, you have a reason to execute me, the current Crown Prince... while you can keep your Emperor title forever without any worries."

"Hahahaha!" The Eternal Emperor erupted in laughter after hearing Ling Yan out and looked at him in slight admiration. "Not bad. Truly not bad... You're indeed my son. You live up to the reputation of having a demon-like intelligence."

Hearing that the Eternal Emperor admitted to the charges, the Black Armor troops which General Wu Hu brought were all stunned and even in disbelief.

In order to not step down from his position, the Eternal Emperor actually passed the Crown Prince position to the youngest Fourth Prince and subsequently killed him in order to start a strife.

Afterward, he then passed the Crown Prince position to the weakest Ling Yan and allowed him to strengthen his power without interfering... Ultimately, he used Ling Yan to kill the Eldest Prince, Eldest Princess, and Second Princess...

This way, the Eternal Emperor had a reason to execute Ling Yan!

Then, all of the Eternal Emperor's children would be dead... and he could keep his Emperor title forever!

How malicious and scheming...

"Ling Yan, surrender yourself, and I will allow you to die in one piece." The Eternal Emperor snickered coldly as he looked at the calm Ling Yan.

"Allow me to die in one piece..." Ling Yan smiled at the Eternal Emperor. "So... why do you believe that you will definitely defeat me?"

Although the Eternal Emperor had a frightening martial cultivation base, Ling Yan's current forces were even more terrifying, and the Eternal Emperor could not go against Ling Yan by himself.

"With him, what do you think?" The Eternal Emperor looked in the distance.

______________________________________________________________________________________

1337 - Checkmate_3

Very quickly, the Advisor slowly walked out from the dark with a face full of smiles.

"Sacred Ground of Reflection?" Ling Yan looked at the Advisor. "The Sacred Ground of Reflection should wish to support Second Sister, shouldn't it?"

"That may not be so." The Advisor shook his head. "Previously, the Sacred Ground of Reflection indeed supported the Second Princess. Unfortunately, the Eternal Emperor promised to yield to the Sacred Ground of Reflection. Thus, the Sacred Ground of Reflection does not need to waste any time."

"So that's the case." Ling Yan smiled and nodded. "The Sacred Ground of Reflection is indeed powerful, but it is not that easy to deal with me. You yielded to the Sacred Ground of Reflection, but I also yielded to the Temple of Shadows."

As Ling Yan said that, Lady Ghost and the rest who just rushed over were stunned.

Ming Wang looked at Ling Yan indifferently. They learned that Ling Yan really revolted and rushed over immediately. Yet, unexpectedly, the useless Eldest Prince still died...

Yet, at this moment, Ling Yan said he yielded to the Temple of Shadows.

Suddenly, Ling Yan looked up at a certain corner. "What do you say, Holy Lord?"

Hiding in midair, Ye Qingtang was completely dumbfounded. When did this Ling Yan... yield to her...

Nonetheless, Ye Qingtang went along as well and immediately descended from the midair into the Imperial City.

"Holy Lord?!"

Upon hearing what Ling Yan said, the smiles on both the Eternal Emperor and even the Sacred Ground of Reflection Advisor's faces froze. That lady... was Temple of Shadows's... Holy Lord!!

"Ah... Interesting. It's been almost ten thousand years since I watched a show where the father harms his children and the child fights the father." Ye Qingtang wore a harmless smile, but her eyes sparkled with extreme danger ceaselessly.

"Holy Lord, what's going on?"

Lady Ghost looked at Ye Qingtang with a slight frown.

"Why?" Ye Qingtang's eyes landed on Lady Ghost. "Do I still need to explain what I do to you?"

Upon hearing that, Lady Ghost glanced at Ming Wang, who shook his head.

A while later, Lady Ghost hurriedly lowered her head and cupped her fists. "I don't dare to..."

"Ah Yao..." Ming Gu walked to Ye Qingtang, and his pair of black orbs stared at her in confusion.

"I admire Ling Yan greatly... Haha! He resembles the young me."

Lady Ghost, Ming Wang, and the rest could not fathom Ye Qingtang's thoughts and did not dare to object for the time being.

"It is my honor... to yield to and serve you for life, Holy Lord." Ling Yan looked at Ye Qingtang with a smile meaningfully.

Ming Wang glanced at Ling Yan and then at Ye Qingtang. He did not believe that Ye Qingtang was the true Holy Lord, but... if she was fake, how would Ling Yan yield to her...

Things were increasingly strange...

"Holy Lord senior, how about giving face to the Sacred Ground of Reflection today..." The Advisor looked at Ye Qingtang while emphasizing the Sacred Ground of Reflection.

"Get lost." Ye Qingtang spoke plainly.

"What did you say?!" The Advisor's eyes sharpened after hearing that.

"Ming Gu." Ye Qingtang looked at Ming Gu suddenly.

"I'm here, Ah Yao!" Ming Gu immediately moved to her.

"Don't you find him... very irritating?" Ye Qingtang smiled.

"Mhm!" Ming Gu agreed, and he darted to the Advisor like a bolt of lightning.

Swoosh!

With the swing of a palm, the Advisor retreated dozens of steps and spat mouthfuls of blood halfway.

______________________________________________________________________________________

FLOOD 1-3

1338 - Flood_1

"Temple of Shadows... Holy Son Ming Gu..." The Advisor paled and gritted his teeth.

"Great, great, great..." The Advisor continued. "As expected... of the Holy Lord of Shadows... It is a small world... The Sacred Ground of Reflection will remember this!"

Leaving that sentence, the Advisor crushed a talisman in his hand and vanished instantly.

The Eternal Emperor had an ugly expression when he saw that the Advisor disappeared.

The Advisor had already left, and Ling Yan yielded to the Temple of Shadows. The outcome was fixed.

Ling Yan had won this round completely.

"You have had enough fun today, father." Ling Yan looked at the Eternal Emperor with a smile.

The Eternal Emperor resembled a defeated chicken in a cockfight. "Ling Yan, you're indeed smart. I belittled you."

Ling Yan chuckled. "The Eldest Prince, Second Princess, and others plotted a revolt and sealed the city. Father was killed in the chaos. I led the troops here, but it was already too late. Although I killed the rebels, I failed to save you."

The Eternal Emperor's expression darkened. The events had reached this point, and he could not do anything.

Ling Yan immediately ordered the Eternal Emperor to be imprisoned secretly, and future decisions would be made only after Ling Yan settled down as the next Emperor.

"Thank you, Holy Lord. Eternal Dynasty is safe today all thanks to your great efforts." Ling Yan turned to Ye Qingtang and bowed.

Ye Qingtang looked at Ling Yan with perplexed feelings.

For some reason, she felt like she was schemed by this fellow.

Without showing any expression on her face, she glanced at Ling Yan indifferently and took her leave.

Lady Ghost and the rest followed.

In just a day, Ling Yan released the news that the Eldest Prince and the rest revolted and that the Emperor was already dead. The entire nation mourned. Meanwhile, Ling Yan, who was already the Crown Prince, contributed in capturing the rebels and had a positive reputation due to the Eldest Prince's display of weakness, thus naturally ascending to the throne.

However...

On Ling Yan's ascension, an extremely rare flood happened in the Eternal Dynasty.

Tumultuous waves rolled in from the opposite shore and into the Eternal Dynasty in half a day, and the entire Imperial City of the Eternal Dynasty was engulfed before their naked eyes.

So be it if it was an ordinary flood. However, for some reason, that flood was extremely corrosive that even metals melted in it.

The once glorious Imperial City was now completely engulfed in the endless flood.

In the rolls of waves, only a pile of debris remained. Even the tall and sturdy buildings gradually collapsed and corroded in the corrosive flood.

Everything was ruined in seconds.

Wu Hu stood in the air and watched the flood beneath him with a heavy expression. He looked up at Ling Yan, who was floating in the air ahead of him.

The new Emperor had just ascended the throne, but such an anomaly happened in the Eternal Dynasty.

In just a day, more than half of the Eternal Dynasty was destroyed, and even the Imperial City failed to escape this disaster.

"Your Majesty, there has never been such a natural disaster in the Eternal Dynasty. What exactly..." Wu Hu frowned slightly.

Watching the flood beneath him, Ling Yan's lips curled into a snicker.

"Natural disaster? It's man-made."

"What?" Wu Hu was stunned.

But the moment Ling Yan finished speaking, a faint golden light appeared in the sky ahead of them.

The evening glow and the golden light seemed to merge as one as thunderous drumming sounds pierced the air.

______________________________________________________________________________________

1339 - Flood_2

Numerous black shadows gradually arrived from the sky afar. There were eight enormous demonic beasts that were armed with golden mail and reigned by golden chains. Each demonic beast pulled a golden carriage of which had the engraving of an ancient totem.

Nearly a hundred people who were mounted on vultures surrounded the golden carriages, creating a huge bravado. Looking at the sight, no one could tell their numbers.

Wu Hu was shocked to see the totem on the golden carriage.

"That is... Ancient You Clan?"

What was going on?

Everyone in the Central Mainland knew about the Ancient You Clan.

In the entire Central Mainland, there were barely any forces who dared to offend the Ancient You Clan. The Eternal Dynasty had always been extremely respectful toward the Ancient You Clan and never offended it, but...

Why did the Ancient You Clan people suddenly come today?

Ling Yan looked up slightly, and a trace of a smile emerged in his eyes as he looked at the golden carriages that were pulled by the eight demonic beasts.

"Ling Yan, today is your day of ascension to the throne. The Ancient You Clan is specially here to congratulate you." A deep and distant voice suddenly rang from a golden carriage.

"Today's flood is the Ancient You Clan's congratulatory gift to you."

Wu Hu was astonished.

This flood was actually the Ancient You Clan's doing?

How could this be?!

They had never incurred the hatred of the Ancient You Clan though?!

"How does it feel to watch your own Imperial City being submerged in a flood? When you boldly poisoned the water that the Ancient You Clan drank from back then, you should have expected this outcome."

Ling Yan, however, smiled faintly and cupped his fists courteously. "Then I really have to thank the Ancient You Clan for bringing this flood to engulf the entire Imperial City."

"Ling Yan, are you still able to pretend to be calm at this point in time?" The person in the gold carriage snickered.

"Pretend?" Ling Yan chuckled. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I am thanking you from the bottom of my heart."

Ling Yan paused for a while and continued.

"I just ascended to the throne not long ago, and there are many people who have not submitted to me. It's inconvenient for me to deal with them, but unexpectedly, you all helped me to get rid of them completely."

...

Meanwhile, Ye Qingtang and the rest initially intended to return to the Temple of Shadows. After all, Ye Qingtang had to eliminate Ming Wang's suspicions of her as soon as possible since she wanted to use the Temple of Shadows to her advantage.

But before Ye Qingtang left, she saw the rippling waves engulfing the entire Imperial City.

At this instant, Ye Qingtang, Ming Wang, and the rest were floating in the air as they watched the waves beneath them.

The waves rushed in like a torrent and emitted a faint corrosive smell.

"What is this?" Lady Ghost was overwhelmed with confusion as she looked at the outpour of waves underneath her feet.

"Torrential Wave of the Ocean." Ming Wang took a look, and his expression turned cold. "It's a technique of the Ancient You Clan."

"Ancient You Clan?" Lady Ghost was surprised. Why did the Ancient You Clan suddenly execute such a technique out of nowhere? Moreover, it seemed to be directed at the Eternal Dynasty.

Ming Wang did not say anything and merely looked up. Then, an illusionary gray butterfly flapped its wings in the air and landed on Ming Wang's fingertips.

That was a Ming Butterfly that Ming Wang formed using the aura of death, which could be used to find out the nearby situation.

Aside, Ye Qingtang's heart skipped a beat when she heard Ming Wang.

Ancient You Clan...

______________________________________________________________________________________

1340 - Flood_3

Before Ye Qingtang returned to her senses, Ming Wang notified them of the information that the Ming Butterfly sent.

"Ling Yan offended the Ancient You Clan for some reason, and the Ancient You Clan is here to give him his payback."

The Ancient You Clan is here for Ling Yan?

Ye Qingtang was slightly taken aback.

Perhaps others were unaware of how Ling Yan formed an enmity with the Ancient You Clan, but Ye Qingtang was more than clear.

Back when they were in the previous mainland, if not for Ling Yan, who secretly poisoned the water that Ancient You Clan drank and deteriorated their strength, that mainland would have been destroyed in a day. Even if they set their mind to warring with the Ancient You Clan, there might not even have been a chance to.

The Ancient You Clan must be here currently for that incident.

"Holy Lord, our Temple of Shadows and the Ancient You Clan have always minded our own business. The Ancient You Clan is here today because of their grudge with Ling Yan, and there's no need to ask to interfere. We can leave as per our original plan," Ming Wang looked at Ye Qingtang and said.

Although they did assist Ling Yan to ascend the throne, it was not worth it to go against the Ancient You Clan just over a tiny Eternal Dynasty.

Furthermore...

Since the Ancient You Clan was here to seek revenge on Ling Yan, even if Ling Yan died, they could just support another Emperor.

"Ah Yao, let's return," Ming Gu, who was glued to Ye Qingtang, said while blinking his eyes.

It was evident that the Temple of Shadows did not intend to interfere with this matter.

Ye Qingtang remained expressionless, but she was extremely anxious on the inside.

Ling Yan offended the Ancient You Clan in order to help her, so how could she abandon Ling Yan now?

Ye Qingtang accessed the situation swiftly. Looking at Ming Wang, who did not plan on meddling in this incident, she secretly took a deep breath, and her eyes darkened.

"Ming Wang, you are really regressing more and more as you live."

Ye Qingtang's tone had a few hints of coldness.

Ming Wang was slightly stunned.

Ye Qingtang snickered. "Since when did my Temple of Shadows have to keep a distance from the Ancient You Clan even if we crossed paths?" The moment she finished her sentence, her piercingly-cold eyes swept across Ming Wang.

Ming Wang froze and immediately responded. "Holy Lord, please simmer down."

"Simmer down?" Ye Qingtang snickered. "I've only been away from the Temple of Shadows for a few thousand years, but I never thought that you all are reduced to this state. How dare you call yourself the Holy Son of the Temple of Shadows with your cowardice?"

Ming Wang's expression froze, and he narrowed his eyes uncontrollably.

Back in the Temple of Shadows's peak, it was extremely impressive and had never paid attention to any other force.

Even the Ancient You Clan might keep a distance from the Temple of Shadows if they met them.

"Are you really scared of the Ancient You Clan?" Ye Qingtang narrowed her eyes.

"It's not that I am scared, but I feel that there is no need for this. Ling Yan is only a puppet for us to control the Eternal Dynasty. If we lose him, we can still supp..."

"Shut up." Ye Qingtang immediately interrupted Ming Wang.

"One has to pay regard to the status of the dog's master in beating the dog. What rights does the Ancient You Clan have to touch my man?"

"Noted." Ming Wang was slightly startled.

This style was exactly like that of the Holy Lord of Shadows.

Ye Qingtang looked down at the flood beneath her.

"It's merely the Ancient You Clan. I will pay them a visit."

"Holy Lord..." Ming Wang still wanted to say something.

______________________________________________________________________________________

ANCIENT YOU CLAN 1-3

1341 - Ancient You Clan_1

Nevertheless, Ye Qingtang shot him a cold look and said, "If you can't undertake the Holy Son title, you can step aside and give the chance to a worthier person. Stop embarrassing my Temple of Shadows."

Ming Wang's face darkened, but he could not say anything.

...

The person in the golden carriage let out a snicker after hearing Ling Yan.

"Ling Yan, you've been known to have a demon-like intelligence. However, no matter how smart you are, it is useless today. Anyone who dares to offend the Ancient You Clan will definitely die..."

As that old voice sounded, a golden ray suddenly shot out from the golden carriage and bolted towards Ling Yan.

Wu Hu was alarmed but realized that Ling Yan remained floating in midair without moving an inch.

But just as the golden light was about to touch Ling Yan, a black aura of death suddenly rushed out and rammed against that golden ray.

A rumble erupted. The force from the collision of the two forces caused freak waves in the flood.

"Definitely die? I doubt so..." Ling Yan's lips curled into a smile, though his expression remained the same.

Just as Ling Yan finished speaking, an immense aura of death suddenly filled the air.

Numerous dragon roars rang in the sky.

Three enormous Skeletal Dragons approached from Ling Yan's back. The black aura of death lingered around the Skeletal Dragons, creating endless ripples as they flapped their skeletal wings.

The three Skeletal Dragons led a large Black Bone Carriage over slowly.

In the evening glow, the Black Bone Carriage was like a huge shadow that masked the setting sun.

The Ancient You Clan people froze slightly when they saw the black bone carriage.

The Black Bone Carriage was owned uniquely by the Undead Clan, and only those with prestigious identity in the Undead Clan could sit in such a carriage.

A clear yet eerie sound rang as the bone chime on the Black Bone Carriage swayed in the wind.

"That is... the Temple of Shadows's carriage?" An Ancient You Clan disciple sharply noticed the unique bone chime.

Only the Temple of Shadows's Black Bone Carriage had such an item.

It was rumored that an evil spirit was tied to each bone chime, and anyone who heard the sound would have his soul devoured by the sound of that evil spirit if his willpower was not strong enough.

"Why would the Temple of Shadows appear here?"

Everyone from the Ancient You Clan was surprised.

At this instant, the three Skeletal Dragons have already arrived before the Ancient You Clan people.

The moment the Skeletal Dragon stopped, three huge mouths suddenly widened and roared to the sky, almost piercing everyone's eardrums. A thick, black aura of death blasted out from the dragons' mouths endlessly as though they wanted to devour the sky.

The gray-haired elderly in the Ancient You Clan carriage narrowed his eyes at the Black Bone Carriage.

"Elder..." A young man from the Ancient You Clan looked at the elderly inside the gold carriage instinctively. "Why would the Temple of Shadows suddenly appear here?"

The Elder frowned slightly but did not say anything.

Wu Hu could not help but shudder as he looked at the huge Black Bone Carriage and the three enormous Skeletal Dragons in the air.

"Your Majesty..." He instinctively wanted to ask Ling Yan, but he saw a smile on his face.

Uh...

Could His Majesty have planned this from the start?

In the next second, the door of the golden carriage opened, and an Ancient You Clan Elder slowly stepped out in a long robe.

______________________________________________________________________________________

1342 - Ancient You Clan_2

"May I know which friend from the Temple of Shadows is in the Bone Carriage?" The Ancient You Clan Elder probed.

The Ancient You Clan and Temple of Shadows had always minded their own business and rarely had any associations. Although the Temple of Shadows was on a decline currently, their fundamental strength was still very strong. The Ancient You Clan was only here to punish Ling Yan, and they never thought that they would meet the Temple of Shadows.

Furthermore...

The Temple of Shadows suddenly intercepted and saved Ling Yan, much to the confusion of the Ancient You Clan Elder.

"Who do you think you are, smelly bug? How dare you address Ah Yao as your friend?" Ming Gu, who was beside the bone carriage, shouted and shot a cold eye at the Ancient You Clan Elder.

The Ancient You Clan Elder frowned slightly but looked at the childlike Ming Gu, who was standing beside another Undead who looked exactly the same as Ming Gu.

The Ancient You Clan Elder's heart stood still for a moment.

Rumor had it that the Holy Son of the Temple of Shadows was a mutant Undead that could not grow up and thus had the appearance of a child forever.

Moreover, the Ancient You Clan once gained some information on the Temple of Shadows that there was not one but two, a pair of twins, Holy Sons in the Temple of Shadows.

Now that he saw Ming Gu and Ming Wang, the Elder Elder immediately had an idea of their identity.

However...

Who could sit in the Black Bone Carriage if the two Holy Sons of the Temple of Shadows were outside the carriage?

A thought struck the Ancient You Clan Elder abruptly, and he probed. "Greetings, Holy Lord of Shadows."

A soft snicker sounded from the black carriage immediately.

Yet, this snicker verified the Ancient You Clan Elder's guess.

The person in the Black Bone Carriage was actually the Holy Lord of Shadows who had disappeared for a long time?!

The Ancient You Clan Elder was startled, as the Holy Lord of Shadows represented immense power.

Although the Ancient You Clan was not afraid of the Temple of Shadows, the Elder was still very flabbergasted by the sudden appearance of the Holy Lord of Shadows.

"I was unaware that the Holy Lord of Shadows was here and had been a little disrespectful. We came here today to kill Ling Yan, who offended the Ancient You Clan. Please accommodate us." The Elder could not guess the meaning behind the Temple of Shadows's action to rescue Ling Yan earlier on and could only speak with a probing tone.

A snicker suddenly rang from the Black Bone Carriage.

"Have you all sought my approval to kill Ling Yan?"

The Ancient You Clan Elder was taken aback.

"What do you mean by that, Holy Lord of Shadows?"

There was no response in the Black Bone Carriage. On the other hand, Ling Yan bowed to the Black Bone Carriage with a smile and subsequently turned to look at the Ancient You Clan Elder. "I have already yielded to the Temple of Shadows. What do you think this means?"

Ling Yan actually yielded to the Temple of Shadows?

The Ancient You Clan Elder was astonished. No wonder Ling Yan was so fearless. He clung onto the Temple of Shadows!

Instantly, the Ancient You Clan Elder narrowed his eyes and said, "Holy Lord of Shadows, Ling Yan previously offended my Ancient You Clan and is someone that the Ancient You Clan must kill. Please accommodate us and hand this person to us."

While the Ancient You Clan Elder was stunned by the relationship between Ling Yan and the Temple of Shadows, he did not pay much attention to it.

Given the Temple of Shadows's position, even if Ling Yan surrendered to the Temple of Shadows, it would not go against Ancient You Clan over just one person.

However...

"What a joke." An aloof voice rang from the Black Bone Carriage.

"On what basis should I hand someone from my Temple of Shadows to the Ancient You Clan?"

______________________________________________________________________________________

1343 - Ancient You Clan_3

The Ancient You Clan Elder frowned slightly and said, "The Ancient You Clan has always been extremely respectful toward the Temple of Shadows. Ling Yan is an evil man. Why would you dispute with the Ancient You Clan over a Ling Yan, Holy Lord of Shadows?"

Ye Qingtang looked at the Ancient You Clan through the veil in the Black Bone Carriage, though there was a trace of nervousness on her face.

She never thought that she would confront the Ancient You Clan so quickly, but fortunately, she was the Holy Lord of Shadows now.

While Ling Yan...

She must protect him.

Furthermore...

Given the Holy Lord of Shadows's personality and skills, she would not fear the Ancient You Clan at all.

"Dispute? Is the Ancient You Clan even fit for me to dispute?" Ye Qingtang inhaled deeply and said in a cold tone.

The three Skeletal Dragons seemed to have sensed Ye Qingtang's forceful attitude and suddenly roared thunderously. The eight giant demonic beasts from the Ancient You Clan let out a screeching howl simultaneously.

Deafening sounds filled the air in a moment!

The Ancient You Clan Elder's face darkened.

"So, do you mean that you will protect Ling Yan regardless, Holy Lord?"

Ye Qingtang did not respond, but her attitude showed her clear stand.

The Ancient You Clan Elder had a dark expression. They were here today to deal with Ling Yan only; thus, only an Elder, that was him, came. Although there were a number of other Ancient You Clan members, their skills were not the best.

On the Temple of Shadows's side, the two Holy Sons and even the Holy Lord of Shadows who had disappeared for a long time were present.

If they went against the Temple of Shadows now, they would be at a disadvantage.

It was definitely not the Ancient You Clan Elder's wish to stir up so much trouble over one Ling Yan. Perhaps the Ancient You Clan was not afraid of confronting the Temple of Shadows, but it was not worth it.

Furthermore...

If they fought, they were definitely not the opponents of the Temple of Shadows's Holy Sons and Holy Lord and would all die here.

After balancing his options, the Ancient You Clan Elder immediately said, "I can't say anything else since you are so insistent."

Afterward, the Ancient You Clan Elder walked straight back to the golden carriage. The moment the carriage door closed, the Ancient You Clan people set off and returned gradually.

Looking at the Ancient You Clan's departure, Ye Qingtang sighed in relief in the Black Bone Carriage.

If they really fought, she might expose her identity...

Luckily, they left.

Ye Qingtang had to thank the fact that she was inside the Black Bone Carriage all along, which helped her to remain calm. Otherwise, if she confronted the Ancient You Clan Elder face to face, she might make mistakes under pressure.

Ye Qingtang was currently covered in a cold sweat. Confronting the Ancient You Clan forces in the Central Mainland for the first time was a torturous feeling.

The more she felt that way, the more she realized that she had to clutch onto the weapon that was the Temple of Shadows.

Otherwise, with just herself, going against the entire Ancient You Clan within a short span of time was simply a useless thought.

"Thank you for your help today, Holy Lord. I am extremely grateful," Ling Yan said with a smile outside the Black Bone Carriage.

Ye Qingtang took a look at Ling Yan, who looked the same as usual, and faintly felt that he seemed to have planned everything that happened from the start.

From when Ling Yan poisoned the Ancient You Clan's drinking water, the events seemed to have developed to Ling Yan's advantage.

Even her identity as the Holy Lord of Shadows...

A thought suddenly struck Ye Qingtang.

Could it be that Ling Yan also planned for her to become the Holy Lord of Shadows from the start?

______________________________________________________________________________________

ILLUSORY VOID 1-3

1344 - Illusory Void_1

Ye Qingtang realized something suddenly.

However, it was inconvenient for Ye Qingtang to ask him anything currently.

As the Ancient You Clan people left, the flood that destroyed the Eternal Dynasty also subsided.

After experiencing this flood, the Eternal Dynasty suffered a lot of damage, and much effort was required to rebuild it.

Ling Yan had to settle these matters while Ye Qingtang had to return to the Temple of Shadows.

On the journey back to the Temple of Shadows, Ye Qingtang's mindset changed a lot as she was aware that she had to secure her identity as the Holy Lord of Shadows in order to borrow the Temple of Shadows's strength to confront the Ancient You Clan.

Ming Wang observed Ye Qingtang throughout the way back. He was even more uncertain of Ye Qingtang's identity after this incident.

"Holy Son." Lady Ghost met Ming Wang individually after returning to the Temple of Shadows.

"Prepare the Illusory Void," Ming Wang looked down and said slowly.

Lady Ghost was slightly taken aback.

"Illusory Void?"

Ming Wang nodded lightly. Lady Ghost wanted to say something but eventually took her leave without saying anything.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingtang's mind was bombarded with thoughts. Since she wanted to remain in the Temple of Shadows, she had to consider the steps to take from now on.

Although she could pose as the Holy Lord of Shadows now by imitating her way of speaking and behavior, her skills were ultimately too weak and simply incomparable to those of the Holy Lord of Shadows.

While she could somewhat deal with the situation right now, she would be exposed immediately if she had to use her skills in the future.

Furthermore...

Ye Qingtang frowned slightly.

Even if she was going to borrow the strength of the Temple of Shadows, she may still need to personally attack the Ancient You Clan, which was utterly impossible given her current skills.

It had been some time since she came to the Central Mainland, and she was already exhausted from dealing with the suspicions of the Temple of Shadows. Where was there spare time for cultivation?

Going on like this was not an option.

Just as Ye Qingtang was thinking of ways to raise her cultivation realm, she was suddenly called over by Ming Wang.

He did not say anything much and instead led Ye Qingtang to the Temple of Shadows's underground palace with Lady Ghost and Ming Gu.

As they passed through the long tunnels, darkness gradually swamped the surroundings as the entire area was lit by only tiny flames.

Ye Qingtang did not know where Ming Wang wanted to bring her to and could only wear a calm expression with the little white tiger in her arms.

She could sense that ever since they returned from the Eternal Dynasty, there was a slight change in Ming Wang's attitude toward her, and she presumed this to be due to his reduced suspicions of her.

However, it was not that easy for him to believe her completely.

After walking for quite some time and passing endless flights of stairs, they finally reached the end.

Ye Qingtang saw a huge arch in the enormous underground palace.

The arch was tens of meters tall, and its top was unnoticeable in the dimness.

Both sides of the arch were intricately carved with many tiny and strange nebula illustrations while the center of the arch was embedded with a statue of a huge skull.

That skull's eyes were pitch black, yet they seemed like the abyss of the Netherworld that scrutinized anyone who came near.

Before Ye Qingtang even went near it, she faintly felt a stifling sense of oppression through the crack of the door.

"Ever since you left, this Illusory Void has not been opened," Ming Wang said slowly as he looked at the nebular arch before him. Nonetheless, his emotionless eyes landed on Ye Qingtang after he finished speaking, seeming to be searching for something.

______________________________________________________________________________________

1345 - Illusory Void_2

Illusory Void?

Ye Qingtang's heart skipped a beat. She had heard a thing or two about the Illusory Void in her previous life.

It was just that this name appeared in the Second Domain in her previous life.

Rumor had it that the Illusory Void was an extremely mysterious mystic realm. No one knew when it would open nor where its entrance was.

The opening time of the Illusory Void was completely uncontrollable, and it had been over thousands of years since the last opening. It was said that anyone who entered it would experience a surge in skills, but many also disappeared forever after entering it.

Ye Qingtang looked up at the huge arch before her, and uneasiness crept into her heart.

What Ming Wang said just now seemed to imply that the Illusory Void was right after this nebular arch.

Ming Gu, who followed over, did not sense Ye Qingtang's uneasiness and instead appeared displeased as he pursed his lips at his older brother.

"Brother, Ah Yao just came back not long ago. What is the hurry in entering the Illusory Void? Who knows when she will return once she enters? Apart from Ah Yao, no one else can enter this Illusory Void. If she enters it today, I may not be able to see her for a long time."

Ye Qingtang was slightly stunned by Ming Gu's words.

The Illusory Void is really inside this door?

Could it be that the Holy Lord of Shadows stumbled across this illusion and sealed it in her own secret chambers?

The key point of what Ming Gu said caused Ye Qingtang to turn cold from shock.

Only the Holy Lord of Shadows could enter this Illusory Void?

Ignoring Ming Gu's complaints, Ming Wang fixed his eyes on Ye Qingtang and bowed respectfully. "Holy Lord, you finally returned after such a long time. We are unable to open this Illusory Void, and we don't know if it is still complete. Thus, I requested you here to inspect it."

Ye Qingtang's expression remained the same, but her heart dropped.

It was really over this time.

Never had she expected that the Holy Lord of Shadows actually hid such an illusory space. Since the Holy Lord of Shadows instilled the arch to enter the illusory space, it only recognized her, and others were unable to open it.

This was all Ming Wang's test.

Yet, Ye Qingtang had no other choice right now.

Ming Wang's actions were extremely logical-after all, only the Holy Lord of Shadows could enter this Illusory Void, and no one could be certain of the situation inside over the past thousands of years. Thus, the only solution was for the Holy Lord to inspect it herself.

At this moment, Ye Qingtang was in utter despair.

"Please inspect it, Holy Lord." Ming Wang kept a respectful expression on his face, but his eyes scrutinized her sharply.

Ye Qingtang took a deep breath secretly, though she kept a straight face. Taking a glance at Ming Wang, she headed straight to the unusual nebular arch without a word.

"F*ck. This Ming Wang is full of schemes." The little white tiger seized the chance to mumble when Ye Qingtang reached the arch.

With things as such, Ye Qingtang could only muster her courage and stretch her hand out.

When her palm touched the arch, a cold blast of air rushed from the arch into her palm. The feeling was inexplicable-it seemed to be so chilly that it made one shudder, yet it also seemed to be so scorching that it made one tremble.

Since it was death regardless of whether Ye Qingtang opened it or not, she could only give it her all.

______________________________________________________________________________________

1346 - Illusory Void_3

Inhaling deeply, she focused on all her strength.

Ming Wang narrowed his eyes at this instant.

In the next second, crimson light suddenly shot out from the eyes of the huge skull. The skull's tightly-shut mouth opened, letting out an incoherent growl!

Astonishment flashed across Ming Wang's eyes, and an expression of surprise filled his seemingly-emotionless face.

The enormous nebular arch slowly activated with the skull's growl, and gray fog rushed out from inside.

The door... actually opened.

Ye Qingtang widened her eyes in surprise at the opened nebular arch, and her astonishment was no less than Ming Wang's.

What was going on?

Wasn't the Holy Lord of Shadows the only one able to open this arch?

Could it be that Ming Wang deceived her on purpose?

But Ming Gu also said that only the Holy Lord of Shadows could enter.

Ye Qingtang was filled with confusion, but she had no time to analyze the reasons right now. Inside the opened arch was pitch darkness, and only gray fog rushed out to surround Ye Qingtang.

Since it was opened, she could only enter.

Ye Qingtang clenched her fists discreetly, summed her courage, and walked into the darkness.

As Ye Qingtang entered the nebular arch, the skull's growl finally stopped, and the crimson light faded away slowly. The opened nebular arch closed along with the extinguished crimson light.

The loud sound of the closing doors echoed around the entire underground palace.

The astonishment on Ming Wang's face never diminished. As he looked at the tightly-shut nebular arch before him, the indifference in his eyes was overshadowed by a glow like never before.

"Ah Yao..."

Are you really back?

...

On the other side, Ye Qingtang heard the sound of the nebular arch shutting behind her. However, the moment the door closed, the darkness was enshrouded by a piercing light.

Ye Qingtang closed her eyes instinctively. Before she adjusted to this strong light, a burst of laughter traveled into her ears.

"... How many years has it been... Someone finally entered the Illusory Void. I have really waited for a long time."

That voice was very strange. It sounded like that of an elderly yet also like that of a young child. Two starkly different feelings were blended into this one voice.

Ye Qingtang opened her eyes slowly. The strong light had already disappeared and was replaced by a jaw-dropping scene.

A large nebular filled her surroundings. It was as though numerous stars filled the dark night sky, which appeared to span across limitlessly from where she was standing.

"This is..." Ye Qingtang looked down and realized that she was actually stepping on stars. The nebula beneath her moved, and there was nothing to stand on. It was as though she was in space right now.

This is the Illusory Void?

Astonishment filled Ye Qingtang's eyes. Never would she have thought that inside the nebular arch hid such an illusory galaxy.

"Welcome to the Illusory Void, lucky explorer." That voice rang once again, though there was no source. It was as though every corner of this nebula could hear the voice clearly.

"Explorer..." Ye Qingtang pondered over the meaning of this term repeatedly.

______________________________________________________________________________________

CONSTELLATIONS 1-3

1347 - Constellations_1

Suddenly, the scattered stars started to concentrate together.

The stars glimmered and gathered into a round radiant object in front of Ye Qingtang.

"Hellow, lucky explorer, I'm the God of Nature. This place is an illusion formed from my soul." A voice arose from the radiant object. It kept changing its shape but did not reach a final state.

"God of Nature?" Ye Qingtang stared at the radiant object, and a trace of surprise flashed across her eyes.

The God of Nature was an ancient God. There was very little information about those ancient gods. Only some clues were left on the second domain.

According to the legend, the God of Nature could build all kinds of worlds. However, the legends were ancient as well. No one knew about the details.

Unexpectedly...

Ye Qingtang met the remnants of the God of Nature and the soul in the mystic realm in the illusion.

The little white tiger was carried in Ye Qingtang's arms. It squinted its eyes as it stared at the radiant object. Though the object did not have a concrete shape, the illusion was filled with majestic power. The compelling power seemed to make it difficult to breathe for anyone.

The radiant object did not speak anymore. It changed its form constantly, and the radiance shrank and enlarged accordingly.

In the next second, the constellations behind the radiant object seemed to change. The concentrated nebula suddenly spread out, and a few constellations among the thousands showed dreamlike colors, glimmering at the same time.

Those constellations moved closer and shined in the black sky.

"Everything in nature produces different phenomenons. Lucky explorer, each of the ten constellations in front of you represents a world. You can choose to enter any world in the universe freely for cultivation. This is the reward I give to explorers." The voice came out of the radiant object again. The ten vastly different constellations floated behind it.

All worlds in the universe...

Ye Qingtang was taken aback by the ten constellations.

She had entered many mystic realms before, but she had never encountered a situation like this.

"All the worlds in the universe contain countless variations. Once you enter one of them, even the sun and the moon can be changed. The constellations in front of you are all different. From the first to the tenth, the effect of cultivation will increase exponentially." As the radiant object drifted, the constellations on the left side shimmered.

Ye Qingtang looked towards the constellations. The higher the level of the constellation, the larger the area. The ones on the right side seemed to be boundless, and their radiance was as bright as the sun.

"I can choose freely?" Ye Qingtang tried to suppress the shock within her and asked slowly.

It was rare for people to enter the illusions, and there was almost no clue to the mystic realm. However, there was one thing for sure.

Anyone who entered the illusion and came out alive had their power increased exponentially.

"That's right." The radiant object replied to Ye Qingtang's question.

"You can choose to enter any of the constellations and cultivate. You are the first one who entered here in the past thousands of years. I can give you some clues as I was alone all this time..."

Ye Qingtang felt relieved when she heard that there might be some clues.

It seemed like the God of Nature was quite kind.

______________________________________________________________________________________

1348 - Constellations_2

The radiant object shook slightly, and the largest constellation made of ten-stars was surrounded by extremely bright radiance.

"This is the ten-star constellation and the best place for cultivation. There was one person who entered for three days and reached the Holy Venerate stage."

Three days to reach the Holy Venerate stage?

Ye Qingtang was shocked as she stared at the ten-star nebula.

It took her three hundred years in her previous life to reach that stage.

As long as she entered the ten-star nebula, it would only take her three days to reach the stage that she took three hundred years in her previous life...

Ye Qingtang felt excited.

"This is the nine-star constellation." The radiant object spoke again, and the other constellation was surrounded with radiance.

"There was also another person who entered and reached the Heavenly Venerate stage in four to five days."

Ye Qingtang was totally shocked as she stared at the nine-star constellation.

Just the cultivation speed in the nine-star constellation was astonishing enough, not to mention the ten-star constellation.

Ye Qingtang lacked cultivation. Her strength stopped improving after she reached the Central Mainland. She was about to face the Ancient You Clan. If she did not cultivate, how could she get little You Yun back?

"No wonder... The Holy Lord of Shadows sealed the illusion in his secret room. The speed of cultivation is unbelievable." Ye Qingtang was filled with excitement as she stared at the constellations.

The reason why the Holy Lord of Shadows could rule the entire Central Mainland was due to the help from the illusory space.

And Ye Qingtang also entered the space now.

"If you want to level up, these two constellations are the most suitable ones for you. They should help with your cultivation," the radiant object said.

Ye Qingtang took a deep breath and said, "If I chose one of the constellations, can I leave anytime I want?"

"Of course. This is a reward for you, and no one will force you to do anything." The radiant object's voice was filled with a trace of a smile.

Ye Qingtang's eyes sparkled. She was really lucky!

If the Ming Wang did not have the intention to test her, how could she know about the existence of the illusory space?

"I want to enter the nine-star constellation." Ye Qingtang made her choice.

Though the effects of the ten-star constellation were more tempting, Ye Qingtang did not want to be too greedy.

"That's a good choice." It seemed like the radiant object was laughing.

As Ye Qingtang made her choice, the rest of the constellations disappeared in the darkness, and only the nine-star constellation was left.

"Walk into the constellation, and you'll enter that world," the radiant object said.

Ye Qingtang did not know what world the radiant object was referring to. However, it would definitely be extraordinary as it could help her increase her strength exponentially.

Ye Qingtang carried the little white tiger and jumped towards the illusory nine-star constellation.

Her figure soon disappeared from the constellations as if she had never existed.

Ye Qingtang sensed a peculiar feeling. It seemed like she was soaked in cold spring water. She felt that she started to lose her consciousness slowly.

Bolts of light flashed across her eyes swiftly, and she could not capture any information.

But soon, the image in front of Ye Qingtang changed.

The shadows dispersed, and mountains and rivers suddenly appeared. She was awakened by the sound of bird tweets

______________________________________________________________________________________

1349 - Constellations_3

"This is the world in the nine-star constellation?" Ye Qingtang raised her eyes and sized up the place.

However, the moment she finished her words, she could feel the intense and intoxicating spirit energy in her surroundings.

The spirit energy on the Central Mainland was more intense than the first domain. However, it was totally incomparable with the spirit energy here.

Ye Qingtang felt that she could absorb all the spirit energy into her body through simply breathing. After a few breaths, Ye Qingtang reached the First Heaven of the Arcane Supremacy!

Ye Qingtang was stuck at the tenth Heaven of Yin Yang Perfected Lord level for a very long time and did not find the right opportunity to level up.

However...

She entered the higher stage with just a few breaths?

Now, Ye Qingtang totally believed the radiant object's words.

In such a place that was filled with intense spirit energy, it was not impossible to reach the Heavenly Venerate stage in four to five days.

Ye Qingtang was curious at the same time. If the spirit energy in the nine-star constellation was so intense, what kind of spirit energy was in the ten-star constellation?

Before Ye Qingtang could pull herself out of the joy and surprise, a long-tailed bird flapped its wings and flew across her from the forest.

It was supposed to be a very normal thing. However, as the bird flew past Ye Qingtang, she was thrown out by the wings!

An insurmountable force hit Ye Qingtang's chest directly.

"Heavenly Venerate stage..." Ye Qingtang tried to stabilize herself as she stared unbelievably at the bird that flew past her.

She could sense it clearly just now that the aura from the bird's wings was a Heavenly Venerate's force!

Was this some kind of joke?!

Ye Qingtang was dumbfounded.

What kind of place was this? How was it possible that a normal bird possessed the power of a Heavenly Venerate?

Before Ye Qingtang could figure out what was going on, an ancient melody came from the sky. She looked upwards towards the origin of the sound but...

In midair, a few shadows could be seen vaguely among the dark clouds.

Though it was really far apart, Ye Qingtang could still sense the aura clearly...

The strength of the aura made Ye Qingtang's brain buzz, and the ancient melody seemed to chop her heart and soul into pieces.

As the sound moved closer, noises arose from the forest.

A few wild animals rushed out of the woods suddenly. They seemed to be chased by the ancient melody and escaped in the opposite direction as they roared.

The direction they were trying to escape was exactly where Ye Qingtang was at.

Ye Qingtang tried to bear with the effect from the ancient melody. Her eyes were full of surprise from the animals running towards her.

All of them possessed the power of Heavenly Venerates!

"What the f*ck. What kind of place is this! How come all the normal animals are at the Heavenly Venerate stage?!!" The little white tiger was really shocked.

Ye Qingtang's expression darkened immediately.

If she was knocked by any of the animals, she could be killed right away.

What kind of cultivation place was this! Any creature here could kill her instantly!

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