Chapter 211: Chapter 211: The Mystery of Minor Metal’s Reincarnation

「One day later.」

Refreshed and invigorated, Lü Yang stepped out of the secret chamber. He glanced at Chen Xin’an, who was pale and looked on the verge of vomiting, and with a wave of his Myriad-Soul Banner, stored him away.

Outside the secret chamber, Perfected Yin Shan had been waiting for a long time.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior Brother.”

“Not at all…”

Perfected Yin Shan gave Lü Yang a strange look and said sincerely, “Master Chong Guang was certainly right about you, Junior Brother. You truly are a great talent.”

’He has the air of the Grand Master!’

“You flatter me.” Lü Yang waved his hand humbly and got straight to the point. “I’ve uncovered the details about Qing Country. There’s good news and bad news.”

“The good news is that Qing Country is a tiny speck of land with a population of no more than a million. Therefore, the cultivation boost from its highest Official Position is extremely limited. Even with the entire country’s power, they can only support a single Great Trueman at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. The price for that is all other officials losing their corresponding special abilities.”

“The bad news is, they already know about Master Chong Guang.”

Hearing this, Perfected Yin Shan shook his head. “Senior Brother’s matter of Seeking Gold wasn’t exactly a secret, and reversing the rules of the Fruit is a major event. It was never going to stay hidden for long.”

“Fortunately, his reincarnated body hasn’t been exposed.”

“With his cultivation, he won’t suffer from the amnesia of rebirth. He’ll awaken his Memory Divine Technique the moment he is reincarnated. Then he can hide in the shadows and coordinate with us from the inside.”

“Speaking of which…”

At this, Lü Yang suddenly lowered his voice. “Master-uncle is Seeking Gold and wants to reverse the Fruit rules of Qing Country… How exactly is that supposed to be done?”

Perfected Chong Guang hadn’t specified this point that day, and Lü Yang hadn’t dared to ask for more details.

Only now did he dare to ask cautiously. After all, he had just held nothing back in killing their enemies; his loyalty was as clear as the sun and moon.

Seeing this, Perfected Yin Shan smiled. “It’s actually quite simple when you get down to it.”

“I was going to tell you anyway, Yuan Tu.”

“You’ve seen Qing Country. It’s under the Dao Court’s rule, a single line of succession for ages. As for reversing its rules, that naturally means overthrowing Qing Country’s original government.”

’…That’s it?’

Lü Yang was stunned. “If that’s the case, why did Master-uncle have to reincarnate? Wouldn’t it be better to just attack directly? If we destroy Qing Country, won’t that also count as success?”

Perfected Yin Shan shook his head.

“A violent overthrow is useless. Only by making their system collapse and disintegrate on its own can it be considered a true reversal.”

“You mean…” Lü Yang seemed to understand. “Master-uncle has to act as a leader and get the people of Qing Country to overthrow their own Court for the reversal to be a success?”

’In other words, a rebellion!’

“You’re right.”

Perfected Yin Shan nodded. “To overthrow the Dao Court’s system, you either do it from the bottom up or from the top down. There is no third way.”

“And what we need to do is apply as much external pressure as possible to intensify Qing Country’s internal conflicts. At the same time, we must pin down anyone who could threaten Senior Brother on the battlefield, making it impossible for them to leave. This will make it easier for Senior Brother’s reincarnated self to incite the populace from the shadows.”

“So I’m afraid this war will drag on for a long time.”

’…I understand now.’

After that, Lü Yang went over the information he had obtained about the Foundation Establishment combatants within Qing Country with Perfected Yin Shan one more time before seeing him off.

However, he didn’t fully believe Perfected Yin Shan’s words.

’After all, Perfected Chong Guang must have told him all this… but as a Saint Sect Zhenren, would Perfected Chong Guang reveal every detail of his great plan for Seeking Gold?’

’Would he really reincarnate just like that, without leaving himself a backup plan?’

Lü Yang narrowed his eyes and gazed into the distance, toward Qing Country… His intuition told him that there was definitely something wrong with Chong Guang’s reincarnation!

…….

「Qing Country, Dragon-Crushing Pass.」

Zhong Xin, the reigning Champion Scholar of Qing Country, was in a study reviewing official documents. As officials under the Dao Court system, they had no need to practice cultivation.

All their Abilities were bestowed upon them by the Emperor.

Breathing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi? There was no need. Once your Official Position was high enough, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi would willingly cooperate, entering your body to be refined.

Practicing Abilities?

Also unnecessary. All Abilities came with the Official Position. Practice was just a waste of time. As long as you attained the position, you would naturally master them.

“…Hm?”

Just then, Zhong Xin suddenly looked up. He flicked his sleeves and walked out of the study, just in time to see a stream of fire fall from the sky and rapidly take shape.

The next second, fire gave birth to earth, earth to Gold, Gold to water, water to wood, and wood back to fire… Amidst the cycle of the Five Elements, a figure stumbled out and fell to the ground. In his hand, he clutched a large umbrella riddled with holes. It was none other than Five Elements Zhenren, grievously wounded, his Dharma Body on the verge of shattering!

“Elder Hua!?”

Zhong Xin hurried forward to help Five Elements Zhenren up, only to be met with a bitter smile. “I regret not listening to the Champion Scholar’s words… This time, I have returned in utter defeat.”

“Please, sit down first, Elder.”

Zhong Xin didn’t blame him. Instead, he immediately helped Five Elements Zhenren to a seat, then quickly took out a Qi Pill and fed it to him, helping to stabilize the injuries to his Dharma Body.

A moment later, two more rays of Splendid Light descended from the sky.

It was the still-shaken Duo Bao Child and the pale-faced Profound Gold Sword Master. They too had narrowly escaped with their lives and had almost not made it back.

“Are you the only ones left?” Seeing this, Zhong Xin couldn’t help but fall silent. After a long pause, he asked, “What exactly happened? Although I did not approve of you all going, I never anticipated such losses. Could it be that a Great Trueman from the Demon Sect disregarded their status and intervened?”

“It wasn’t a Great Trueman…”

At these words, Five Elements Zhenren’s expression grew even uglier. He didn’t explain, but simply separated a strand of his Divine Sense and handed it to Zhong Xin, having inscribed all his recent experiences within it.

Zhong Xin took the Divine Sense and gave it a cursory look.

A long time later, his eyes snapped open. He said in a low voice, “…What a vicious sword! What a venomous person! Which Saint Sect True Monarch’s Direct Lineage is he from?”

“I do not know.”

Five Elements Zhenren sighed. “This time, I caused three fellow Daoists to be lost. The fault is mine…”

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

Zhong Xin, however, shook his head. “The losses were great, but didn’t you also bring back an external ally at the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment, Elder? It’s not a total loss.”

“Besides, after this battle, we have a clearer picture of the Demon Sect’s strength. It’s better to know a person like that exists sooner rather than later. In this light, not only are you not at fault, Elder, you have actually rendered a great service! I will report this to His Majesty on your behalf. You mustn’t sell yourself short!”

“This… I’m not sure that’s appropriate.”

Hearing this, Five Elements Zhenren put on an embarrassed expression, but his complexion improved considerably. He clearly had no intention of refusing.

Following that, Zhong Xin offered some more words of comfort to the group.

Only after their injuries had stabilized and their expressions had softened did he have someone lead them away. He then turned, walked back into the study, and quietly closed his eyes.

’…Useless trash!’

Zhong Xin cursed with a cold expression on his face. He then took a brilliant golden Holy Decree from his robes. With a flash of Splendid Light, he vanished from the spot.

When he reappeared, Zhong Xin was already inside a magnificent palace.

In the vast hall, layer upon layer of curtains hung high. An Armored Warrior stood at every step, creating a cold and murderous atmosphere. Zhong Xin kept his head down and walked quickly into the hall.

Soon, a tall and heroic figure came into view.

The man wore royal robes and a Crown, his back to Zhong Xin. He let out a soft sigh. “Zhong Aiqing, what has happened at the front lines to make you rush back in such a hurry?”

“This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

Without another word, Zhong Xin knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, “This subject has failed in his duty to defend the border, losing two Foundation-Stage Cultivators. I ask for Your Majesty’s punishment.”

“…Is that so.”

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became oppressive. A long time passed before a voice drifted down. “Zhong Aiqing, you are the Champion Scholar I personally selected. Your talent and learning are acknowledged by the entire Court. I want to ask you, how do you think I have done on this throne all these years?”

“Your Majesty’s heavenly talent is decisive, and your wisdom is unparalleled.”

Zhong Xin didn’t hesitate. “In the first year of your reign, Your Majesty eradicated long-standing corruption and brought a new beginning to the world. The Emperor of Jiangdong has also praised you greatly for it.”

“If that’s the case…”

The young man in royal robes at the head of the hall walked down the steps and stood before Zhong Xin. His voice was cold to the bone. “…Then why is my great Qing on the verge of collapse?”

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