Chapter 212
Chapter 212
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Reversal Plan
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One day later.
Refreshed and invigorated, Lu Yang stepped out of the secret chamber. He glanced at Chen Xin'an, whose face was ashen and who looked ready to vomit at any moment, then gave the Myriad Spirits Banner a shake and collected him inside.
Outside the secret chamber, Perfected Being Yin Shan had already been waiting for quite some time.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior Brother."
"No matter."
Perfected Being Yin Shan gave Lu Yang a strange look before saying sincerely,
"Uncle-Master was right about you after all. You truly are a pillar of the sect."
He had the bearing of an ancestral master!
"You're too kind, too kind."
Lu Yang waved his hand modestly before getting straight to the point.
"I've investigated the details of Qing Kingdom. There are both good and bad aspects."
"The good news is that Qing Kingdom is a tiny realm with barely a million people under its rule. As such, the highest official position offers only limited enhancement to cultivation. Even mustering the strength of the entire nation, they can support just one late Foundation Establishment great cultivator—and at the cost of stripping all other officials of their divine abilities."
"The bad news is that they already know about Uncle-Master Chongguang's situation."
Perfected Being Yin Shan shook his head.
"Senior Brother's bid for merit wasn't exactly secretive to begin with, and reversing a kingdom's fruit-position rules is far too major an event to hide for long."
"Fortunately, his reincarnated body remains unexposed."
"With Senior Brother's level of cultivation, there will be no mysteries of the womb this time around. The moment he reincarnates, he'll awaken his memory divine ability. Then he can lurk in the shadows and coordinate with us from the inside."
"Speaking of which..."
At this point, Lu Yang abruptly lowered his voice.
"For Uncle-Master to claim merit by reversing Qing Kingdom's fruit-position rules, what exactly needs to be done?"
Chongguang Perfected Being hadn't spelled this out on that day, and Lu Yang hadn't dared press the issue.
Only now, after slaying the enemy without mercy and proving his loyalty as clear as the sun and moon, did he venture to ask.
Perfected Being Yin Shan smiled at the sight.
"It's nothing once you lay it out plainly."
"It was always meant for you, Yuantu."
"You've seen Qing Kingdom for yourself. Under the Dao Court's dominion, it's a single lineage unbroken for ten thousand generations. Reversing its rules means nothing less than toppling the kingdom's existing regime."
"...That's it?"
Lu Yang blinked in surprise.
"If that's the case, why did Uncle-Master need to reincarnate at all? Why not just charge in and wipe them out? Destroying Qing Kingdom outright would achieve the same result, no?"
Perfected Being Yin Shan shook his head.
"Brute force conquest won't do it. The regime's framework must crumble and disintegrate on its own terms—that alone counts as a true reversal."
"You mean..."
Lu Yang seemed to grasp it.
"Uncle-Master has to position himself as the leader and inspire the people of Qing Kingdom to overthrow their own court. Only then does the reversal succeed?"
In other words, spark a rebellion!
"You've got it."
Perfected Being Yin Shan nodded.
"To dismantle the Dao Court's framework, you either build from the ground up or strike from the top down. There's no third option."
"Our role is to apply as much external pressure as possible, forcing Qing Kingdom's internal contradictions to the boiling point while pinning down anyone who might threaten Senior Brother on the battlefield, keeping them from leaving. That way, his reincarnated self can work from the shadows to incite the masses."
"Which means this war is going to drag on for quite a while."
"...I understand."
After that, Lu Yang went over the intelligence he'd gathered on Qing Kingdom's internal Foundation Establishment combatants one more time with Perfected Being Yin Shan before seeing him off.
Yet he didn't take Yin Shan's words at face value.
After all, this was surely what Chongguang Perfected Being had told him. But as a Primal Saint Sect Perfected Being himself, would Chongguang truly lay out his merit-claiming scheme in full?
Would he really leave himself no fallback before reincarnating?
Lu Yang narrowed his eyes and peered into the distance toward Qing Kingdom.
His instincts screamed that something was off about Chongguang's reincarnation!
Qing Kingdom, Dragon-Chopping Pass.
Zhong Xin, the top scholar of the current imperial exams and a duke in title, was reviewing official documents in his study. As an official under the Dao Court's system, he had no need to cultivate.
All divine abilities came directly from the Son of Heaven.
Practicing breathwork to draw in heaven-and-earth spiritual energy? Unnecessary. Reach the required rank, and the spiritual energy would flow into your body of its own accord, willingly submitting to refinement.
Practicing divine abilities? Pointless as well. They came bundled with the rank. Any practice was a waste of time; mastery came naturally upon promotion.
"...Hm?"
In that instant, Zhong Xin looked up sharply.
He flicked his sleeve and strode out of the study.
There, he beheld a streak of fire plummeting from the sky, rapidly taking shape.
The next moment, fire begat earth, earth begat metal, metal begat water, water begat wood, wood begat fire...
Amid the cycling of the five elements, a figure staggered out, clutching a tattered umbrella riddled with holes. It was none other than Five Elements Perfected Being—gravely wounded, his dharma body on the verge of collapse!
"Senior Hua!?"
Zhong Xin rushed forward to support him.
Five Elements Perfected Being offered a wan smile.
"I regret not heeding the Top Scholar Duke's words. This time, I've returned in utter defeat."
"Have a seat first, Senior."
Rather than reproach him, Zhong Xin helped him to a chair, produced a pill, fed it to him, and helped stabilize his dharma body wounds.
Moments later, two more beams of splendid light descended from the heavens.
It was Many Treasures Child, his face etched with lingering terror, and Profound Gold Sword Master, pale as death. Both had escaped by the skin of their teeth.
"Only you three remain?"
The sight left even Zhong Xin speechless for a long moment.
Finally, he spoke.
"What in the world happened? I didn't approve of you going in the first place, but I never imagined losses like these. Did the Demon Sect dispatch a great cultivator who threw shame to the wind?"
"Not a great cultivator..."
Five Elements Perfected Being's expression darkened further. Rather than explain, he simply detached a wisp of divine sense and handed it over, imprinting all their prior ordeals within.
Zhong Xin accepted it and scanned the contents.
A long while passed before he snapped his eyes open.
His voice was grave.
"...What a savage sword! What a venomous foe! Whose direct disciple from the Primal Saint Sect's true lords is this?"
"Unknown."
Five Elements Perfected Being sighed.
"This expedition trapped three of my dao friends. The fault is mine..."
"You're mistaken."
Zhong Xin shook his head.
"The losses were steep, yes—but didn't you bring back a mid-Foundation Establishment ally from outside? On balance, it's no true deficit."
"Moreover, this battle has exposed the Demon Sect's hand. Knowing such a figure exists sooner is better than later. Far from a failure, Senior, you've earned merit! I'll petition His Majesty on your behalf. Don't sell yourself short!"
"That hardly seems right..."
Five Elements Perfected Being put on a show of reluctance, but the color returned to his face in an instant. Clearly, he had no intention of refusing.
Zhong Xin spent the next stretch soothing the group.
Only once their wounds had eased and their spirits lifted did he have attendants lead them away.
He then turned, reentered the study, and closed his eyes in silence.
"...Trash!"
Zhong Xin's face turned icy as he spat the word.
He drew a resplendent golden imperial edict from his bosom.
With a flash of glorious light, he vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, it was within a majestic palace hall.
The vast chamber was draped in layer upon layer of curtains, hung high overhead. Armored sentries lined every step, exuding a chilling air of menace.
Zhong Xin kept his head bowed as he hurried inside.
Soon, a tall, imposing figure came into view.
The man wore kingly robes and a tasseled crown. With his back to Zhong Xin, he let out a faint sigh.
"Beloved Minister Zhong, what calamity at the front lines brings you here in such haste?"
"This minister greets Your Majesty."
Without another word, Zhong Xin dropped to one knee.
His voice rang grave and clear.
"This minister has failed in border defense and lost two Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings. I beg Your Majesty's punishment."
"...Is that so."
The air in the hall grew oppressively heavy.
After a long silence, a voice drifted down.
"Beloved Minister Zhong, you are my personally chosen top scholar, your erudition acknowledged by the entire court. Let me ask you this: these years I've sat upon this throne—what do you think of my performance?"
"Your Majesty is wise and resolute, your insight peerless among men."
Zhong Xin did not hesitate.
"In your early reign, Your Majesty rooted out entrenched corruption and renewed the realm. For this, even the Eastern Sovereign showered you with praise."
"If that's the case..."
The youthful king in robes descended the dais and approached Zhong Xin.
His voice was cold as glacial frost.
"...why is Great Qing on the brink of annihilation?"