Chapter 838
If you don't want dignity, then I'll give you dignity!
The Imperial Palace.
Under the golden sunlight overhead, the Taiji Hall was resplendent in gold.
Ji Xuan stood on the nine-tiered steps, looking down at the grand hall that stretched out below, his eyes filled with swirling thoughts.
"This old servant congratulates Your Highness!" Suddenly, a gaunt old man appeared slowly behind him. The old man was dressed in a drab gray robe, had no beard, and his eyes were cloudy.
"What's there to be happy about?" Ji Xuan said indifferently.
"Your Highness, who holds absolute power in the court, is the uncrowned king of the Great Xia. When the time is right, Your Highness can change the world with a single thought! This is a cause for great joy," said the gaunt old man.
Ji Xuan shook his head slightly, his tone calm and unwavering: "Changing the world? If I wanted that position, I could have sat on it a hundred years ago. What I seek now is no longer worldly power."
The gaunt old man bowed even lower: "This old servant has misspoke. It is only because the opportunity for Your Highness's century-long plan has been thwarted by that Marquis of Dongling. Now that he has returned to the capital, why doesn't Your Highness confront him in court? With Your Highness's power, even with the protection of the Imperial Advisor, you can suppress him with thunder."
Ji Xuan turned around and looked at the vast sky outside the palace. His gaze seemed to penetrate the palace walls and fall on the direction of the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
"Him? I cannot afford to lose face in the court. Even if he is hailed as the most talented martial artist in eight hundred years, he is still not fully developed! If I wanted to take action, I could suppress him with a flick of my wrist. But if I were to take action myself, it would be a disgrace to the royal family and make the world laugh at me."
"Furthermore, I must ultimately give that person face."
Upon hearing this, the withered old man beside him lowered his head even further.
"Why should Your Highness be bound by royal dignity!"
"My surname is Ji, and I am the imperial uncle of the current emperor!" Ji Xuan said calmly.
"What does Your Highness mean?" the gaunt old man asked.
"Go to the Imperial Preceptor's residence yourself and invite her back!" He paused, then continued, "Remember, this matter must not be publicized, and it must not become known to all parties! We must not tarnish the royal family's reputation!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" the gaunt old man replied, bowing his head.
Soon after, Ji Xuan was the only one left in the Taiji Hall.
He stood in the empty and quiet Taiji Hall, looking at the bright sky outside.
"Li Yuan, I wonder how many more years you have left to live," he murmured to himself, thinking of the Martial Saint who had suppressed the world for over eight hundred years, a mountain that even he, as proud as he was, could not surpass.
The further he went and the more he saw, the more wary he became of that person.
the other side.
Imperial Prefecture.
After breakfast.
Jiang Ning then bid farewell to Su Qingying and the others.
Although there was no conflict with Ji Xuan during the morning court assembly at the hour of Yin, he did not believe that Ji Xuan would simply let the matter go.
He already knew a lot about Ji Xuan's character.
Based on everything he has shown so far, he has absolutely no right to make Ji Xuan choose to ignore this matter.
This is why Jiang Ning felt a sense of urgency.
He must improve his strength as soon as possible before engaging in a direct conflict with Ji Xuan, so as to gain greater support.
Last night I met the Martial Saint and learned more about Ji Xuan from him.
Therefore, he had already figured it out: the most efficient way to improve his strength now was to condense the Dao Embryo, condense the Yin-Yang Dao Embryo, and step into the realm of the Primordial Spirit Immortal.
Therefore, he needs to go to Yanghu to see if he can enter the Shangyang Cave Heaven above Yanghu with his own abilities.
The time of his departure is unknown, and he needs Su Qingying's help.
After finishing his conversation with Su Qingying, he left the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly looked at one side of the street and his gaze sharpened.
The void rippled slightly, and a gaunt old man in gray robes appeared by the street.
Jiang Ning's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the old man.
His intuition told him that this gaunt old man was very powerful.
Because of the invisible aura emanating from its entire body, an imperceptible domain has been formed.
That is when a life form becomes powerful enough, and its life field influences and radiates to the surrounding world.
"Primordial Chaos Realm, or even higher! And he also has considerable spatial mastery!" he made his judgment.
But I wasn't panicked.
Because this old man was clearly in his twilight years and nearing the end of his life, he was not much better off than the martial saints he had ever seen.
They will die of old age in three to five years, or at most eighty or ninety years.
No matter how invincible a martial artist may be at their peak, once old age arrives, their physical functions will completely decline, their blood and qi will weaken, and they will only be able to exert three or four tenths of their strength, making it difficult to regain their peak prowess.
"Greetings, Marquis of Dongling!" The old man bowed deeply upon seeing Jiang Ning's arrival, his voice hoarse and low: "This old servant is here today on the orders of the Prince to invite Princess Qi back to the manor."
Jiang Ning's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged.
"The Princess Consort is a distinguished guest of the Imperial Advisor. If Your Highness wishes to invite someone, you should do so yourself!"
The old man's cloudy eyes shifted slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Why beat around the bush, Lord Marquis? We are both smart men. Please think it through yourself. The Prince is only concerned about the royal family's reputation and does not want to make a big fuss, but the Marquis of Dongling insists on stopping him." His aura suddenly dropped, the stone slabs on the ground cracked silently, and a powerful sense of oppression surged toward Jiang Ning like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.
"This old servant is of lowly status, but I have no scruples!"
As the old man finished speaking, the air froze instantly.
Because the Imperial Preceptor Su Qingying loved tranquility, the Imperial Preceptor's mansion was located in a remote area. There was no one on the streets, only the old man and Jiang Ning exchanging words in silence, and Hongmian, who had not yet returned to the mansion behind them.
At this moment, Hongmian stood behind Jiang Ning, looking at the old man who was dressed in clean white clothes and had a gray robe, but her face showed a nervous expression.
From their recent verbal exchange, how could she not understand that this old man who called himself "Old Servant" was a retainer of Ji Xuan, a prince of equal rank?
Jiang Ning's gaze turned slightly cold, and he was about to speak when a breeze blew past the doorway.
A figure in pure white appeared in front of the Imperial Preceptor's residence; it was Su Qingying.
Su Qingying stood quietly, dressed in a plain white palace gown, her hair tied up in a high bun, her eyes clear as a deep pool.
She didn't look at the withered old man, but her gaze fell gently on Jiang Ning, her voice clear and calm: "It's getting late, you should set off."
These words were spoken very casually, as if they were just a reminder of a trivial matter to Jiang Ning, but they carried an undeniable meaning: she was here, and there was no need for Jiang Ning to say anything more about what was going on.
Jiang Ning understood immediately and said no more to the withered old man, only nodding slightly: "Then I'll go first." With that, he moved slightly, took a step, and his figure was already several feet away. A few more steps, and he disappeared like a breeze at the end of the long street, heading towards Yanghu.
Seeing Jiang Ning leave, Su Qingying slowly turned her gaze to the gray-robed old man.
Her expression remained calm and serene as she stood quietly, yet the oppressive aura emanating from the old man seemed to freeze, as if he had encountered an invisible yet even more solid barrier.
A hint of seriousness flashed in the gray-robed old man's cloudy eyes. He bowed again, lowering his posture even further, but his tone remained firm: "Grand Preceptor, this old servant is ordered by the Prince to bring back Princess Qi. This matter concerns the dignity of the royal family, so please do me a favor and do not put this old servant in a difficult position."
Su Qingying remained silent for a moment. Just when the old man thought she was about to refuse or question him, she simply said, "She is my person, my friend."
His voice was not loud, but it carried a calm, understated tone.
Leaving those words behind, she ignored the old man and turned to walk into the mansion. Her white skirt brushed against the threshold, her back view exuding a refined and aloof elegance.
Hongmian hurriedly followed, and before entering the mansion gate, she couldn't help but look back.
The old man in gray robes remained standing there, his thin figure appearing somewhat lonely on the empty street, yet also exuding a chilling silence.
He did not leave immediately, nor did he speak again. He remained frozen like a stone statue in the air stirred by the invisible energy.
next moment.
Boom—
Only after the gates of the Imperial Preceptor's residence slammed shut did the gray-robed old man secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
He looked at the mansion in front of him, his eyes filled with apprehension.
"The Imperial Advisor truly lives up to his name! He must have been hiding something during his battle with the Holy Lord Fuyuan!" he thought to himself.
He glanced once more at the gate of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, then turned to look in the direction leading out of the capital. A fleeting look of contemplation crossed his eyes before he vanished from the spot, leaving the gate of the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
The old man was like a ghost; in broad daylight, ordinary people could not detect his movements at all.
In just a moment, he silently hung behind Jiang Ning.
His aura completely subsided, as if he had merged with the surrounding wind, light, and the flow of air.
Watching the figure rushing past the city gates ahead, the old man remained unhurried.
He was in no hurry to make a move in the capital.
He knew that Jiang Ning had attracted the attention of the Martial Saint.
The capital city had no idea how many eyes were watching.
the other side.
Jiang Ning moved with incredible speed, transforming into a blur as he flew towards the city gate.
"They've come, just as expected!"
The unfolding of the spiritual field had already revealed the figure of the old man following behind.
Once he was sure the old man was following, he accelerated, flying towards the outskirts of the city at an even faster speed.
In just a moment, he was out of the majestic city gate.
The official road outside the city is wide, and in the distance, there are layers of mountains.
He did not fly, but chose the seemingly ordinary way of walking.
But with each step he took, his figure seemed to shrink the distance to an inch, moving forward dozens of feet at a speed that was not slow at all, and his breathing was steady, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.
The old man in gray continued to follow, always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
He looked at the figure in front of him, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He nodded in approval of Jiang Ning's effortless movements.
The two of them, one after the other, quickly left the outskirts of the capital and entered the territory of Shangjing County.
The official road gradually became sparsely populated, with continuous farmland and scattered villages on both sides.
Throughout the journey, Jiang Ning always noticed the old man hanging behind him.
But the old man showed no intention of making a move along the way.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning was not in a hurry, but chose to travel at a constant speed in the direction of Yanghu.
By noon, the sun was shining brightly.
The two had completely left the border of Shangjing County and entered a relatively remote mountainous area.
The mountain path winds through the area, with ancient trees reaching for the sky. The only sounds are the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional chirping of birds.
Just then, the gray-robed old man who had been following closely behind suddenly had a glint in his eyes.
"We've left Shangjing County, we're almost there!"
He moved swiftly, taking a few steps to close the distance with Jiang Ning.
"Lord Dongling, please wait."
The hoarse, low voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the wind and rang out not far behind Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning paused, then stood still.
He slowly turned around and looked in the direction of the sound.
Just ten feet away, the gaunt old man in gray robes appeared, standing with his hands behind his back, his cloudy eyes quietly watching him.
The old man's aura, somber yet unfathomable, was now completely undisguised, spreading like an invisible tide, enveloping the surrounding space in a stagnant and oppressive atmosphere.
The fallen leaves on the ground moved without wind, swirling gently around the old man.
Jiang Ning remained calm, showing little surprise, as if he had already expected the other party to appear at this moment.
He looked at the old man and said, "You are quite patient, following me all the way here before finally showing yourself."
The old man in gray said, "Marquis Jiangning, this old servant will give you one last piece of advice. The prince is unwilling to make a big fuss. If you just send Princess Qi back, there is still room for negotiation. The prince's anger is not something you can withstand."
Jiang Ning shook his head slightly: "Now that Lin Qingyi has entered the Imperial Preceptor's residence, she is a guest of the Imperial Preceptor's residence. If Your Highness wishes to invite her, you can go and talk to her yourself! There is no point in talking to me any further."
"My lord, you are truly stubborn and incorrigible!" The old man chuckled, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
next moment.
He took a step forward, and his aura was no longer concealed.
A burgeoning energy surged towards Jiangning like a raging torrent.
The mountains and forests fell silent instantly, and not a single bird could be heard.
Jiang Ning's gaze also darkened.
With the old man no longer showing any restraint, he had already discerned the old man's current state of being.
At the first-grade Hunyuan Realm, one's entire body forms a domain.
Just then, the old man made his move.
He slowly raised his withered hand and made a fist towards Jiang Ning.
In an instant, the air within several feet of Jiang Ning seemed to freeze, turning into an invisible cage. An overwhelming pressure pressed in from all directions, trying to imprison him in place.
“My lord, since you don’t care about dignity, then this old servant will give you dignity by capturing you and taking you back. I believe the Grand Preceptor will hand over the Princess Consort of Qi.”
Jiang Ning frowned slightly, then relaxed.
The old man's move carried a sense of oppressive force, as if sealing off heaven and earth and imprisoning space.
The foundation of the Four Directions Heaven and Man Realm.
He instantly understood.
The old man from the Qi Prince's Mansion was at the third rank, which was the foundation of the Four Directions Heaven and Man Realm. He combined the four directions of heaven and earth and controlled the power of space.
Such a foundation might be commendable at the third rank, but it's far too ordinary at the first rank of the Primordial Chaos Realm.
next moment.
He slowly took a step forward.
click-
The sound of shattering in the void was clearly audible.
The scene around them was frozen, like a shattered mirror.
Seeing this, the old man's pupils suddenly contracted, revealing a hint of surprise.
"Don't you think about it? Since I know you've been following me all this way, why have I let it go unchecked?" Jiang Ning said.
The moment the words left his mouth.
He suddenly took a step forward.
boom--
The void trembled, and the energy surged and swept back like a giant wave.
The restraints the old man had just established shattered instantly.
The old man's pupils dilated in shock, and he abruptly retreated.
His physical body broke through his spatial blockade, and he immediately realized that he absolutely could not engage in close combat with Jiang Ning.
In terms of physical strength, the two are not even in the same league, not even in the same order of magnitude. (End of Chapter)