Chapter 506 507: The State Has Nurtured Scholars for Fifteen Thousand Years
Chapter 507: Fifteen Millennia of Imperial Nurturing
In the Shaofu Residence of Tianwu City.
Li Taian stumbled back, barely steadying himself before looking up at the current Junior Preceptor and gritting his teeth. "My lord, we can hesitate no longer!"
"We must find a way to disband the Imperial City Bureau!"
At these words, the Junior Preceptor immediately showed a troubled expression. "What has happened? The Imperial City Bureau... was established by His Majesty after all. What can we do?"
"Moreover, the investigation into His Majesty's assassination attempt remains unresolved—"
"We cannot continue investigating!"
Li Taian clenched his jaw. "He isn't truly hunting assassins or demon sect spies—he's using this as an excuse to eliminate dissenters. If you ask me, he resembles a demon sect spy far more."
Lowering his voice, he glanced around before continuing:
"Even... I suspect this is that lord from Jiangxi repeating his old tricks, secretly infiltrating our Dao Court for personal gain again! My lord, we must guard against this!"
"That lord from Jiangxi!?" The Junior Preceptor paled at the mention before sighing heavily. "But now he controls the Five Armies Command and has won the support of Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince. With so many officials in the Imperial City Bureau following him, his influence has already solidified..."
"That [One Heart Society] is the root of the problem!"
Li Taian said gravely, "His Majesty was deceived by that demonic dragon, and the Crown Prince and Empress have been blinded as well. We must find a way to restore order!"
"...What do you propose?" asked the Junior Preceptor.
Taking a deep breath, Li Taian revealed his plan: "Summon Prince Wu Tai'an of the South to the capital! As His Majesty's younger brother, his status is no lower than the Crown Prince's."
"As long as he stands with us, we'll have legitimacy in name."
"But before that, someone must restrain that demonic dragon's movements—intimidate him so he can no longer act so arrogantly."
With that, Li Taian turned. "Pingyi, this task falls to you."
At these words, the current Shaoshi Zheng Pingyi finally lifted his head, shaking it calmly. "Apologies, but I have no interest in such power struggles—"
"This is no mere power struggle!"
Li Taian raised his voice sharply. "Can't you see? That demonic dragon may be the World-Honored One's hidden hand! A single misstep could overturn heaven and earth!"
"Have you forgotten the fate of the previous dynasty?"
"This..."
Seeing Zheng Pingyi waver, Li Taian stepped forward and seized his hand. "If this continues, the nation will truly be lost."
"The Dao Court stands at a critical juncture. Alone, I can accomplish... nothing."
His voice nearly broke before he whispered, "Pingyi, just keep an eye on that demonic dragon. Leave the rest to me."
As disciples of the Three Dukes, among their trio, the Shaoshi was unique—utterly disinterested in court politics, dedicating all his efforts to combat. Thus, in Li Taian's eyes, Zheng Pingyi was undoubtedly the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Dao Court today.
With him watching the demonic dragon, Li Taian could rest easier.
Next, he turned to the Junior Preceptor. "The Imperial City Bureau is nothing but a rabble. As long as Pingyi restrains that demonic dragon, there's still hope!"
"Beyond that, we must persuade Her Majesty the Empress to recognize the demonic dragon's ambitions."
"Once Her Majesty and the Crown Prince withdraw their support, he'll stand alone. The higher he's climbed, the harder he'll fall."
"In short, that demonic dragon has already secured the loyalty of the Five Armies Command. We cannot allow him to obtain the Heavenly Son's Talisman. If he gains command of the five armies and wields the talisman's [Imperial Presence] authority, all will truly be lost—no one could stop him then."
"The logic is clear to all."
The Junior Preceptor sighed. "But how? The Heavenly Son's Talisman is in the Empress's hands, and she resides in Tianwu Hall, now sealed off by the Imperial City Bureau..."
"That's simple."
Li Taian said grimly, "This citywide purge by the Imperial City Bureau has stirred public outrage. I plan to gather all officials and petition at Xuanwu Gate."
The Junior Preceptor's expression changed. "Don't speak recklessly!"
"That Du Huan is ruthless. If provoked, he might purge every petitioning official without hesitation—people will die..."
"Death is precisely what we need!"
Li Taian snarled. "Without bloodshed, how can Her Majesty and the Crown Prince see the demonic dragon's true nature and recognize he's no loyal subject?"
Under Dao Court norms, the imperial family and officials had always been mutually dependent. Thus, Li Taian was certain that even if Empress Xiao wished to suppress them, she wouldn't resort to mass executions. A protest by all officials would at least force her and the Crown Prince to make an appearance.
This would corner Lü Yang.
If he did nothing, they could openly advise Empress Xiao about Lü Yang's ambitions, sowing at least caution if not discord.
But if he intervened, preventing Empress Xiao from meeting the officials?
Then no persuasion would be needed—Empress Xiao herself would grow wary of Lü Yang. Thus, Li Taian's plan was an overt stratagem with no counter.
Its sole drawback was potential casualties.
But whether a thousand died or ten thousand, it was just a number. Death mattered little when their hearts held the fate of the realm.
"Official positions can always be refilled. The more deaths, the better!" Li Taian declared fiercely. "Fifteen millennia of imperial nurturing—now is the time for righteous sacrifice!"
Five Armies Command Headquarters.
Lü Yang sat upright in a grand chair, eyes lightly closed, fingers forming a seal. His fair skin shimmered with a dark golden hue.
Concentrated on his hand, the golden radiance coalesced into intricate patterns, as if carved by blade and axe between his fingers. Upon closer inspection, these luminous runes combined to form names of divine abilities:
[Sky-Cleaving Sword Draw], [Ruthless Severing].
[No-Thought No-Mind], [Dust Separation Severance].
[Single Thought Divine Blade].
These were the Five Armies Commanders' innate divine abilities, all now seized by Lü Yang through [Sage-King Governance] and fused into the [Mistaken Gold Weapon-Wielding Talisman].
'Astonishing...'
Feeling the hovering golden talisman in his palm, Lü Yang's eyes flashed with delight. 'This Dao art... its power may exceed even my expectations!'
Empress Xiao had contributed greatly here.
The five capital garrison commanders' divine abilities complemented each other. Unified under the [Mistaken Gold Weapon-Wielding Talisman], their potency grew exponentially.
'Yet that's secondary.'
'Most crucially, I still possess [Tribulation Wave]. Combined with sword intent and empowered by the talisman, the resulting force will reach unparalleled heights!'
Beyond this, Lü Yang had another unexpected gain.
Mastering three Dao arts deepened his comprehension of [Heavenly Fire Above]. His power seizures within the Dao Court drew its attention, finally loosening the bottleneck that had constrained him since achieving Foundation Establishment Perfection.
'[Heavenly Fire Above] embodies yin-yang duality—the distinction between sun and moon.'
'In the sun, it manifests as fierce illumination; in the moon, as gentle radiance. When sun and moon share the sky, they warm mountains and seas, casting brilliance across the cosmos...'
A flood of insights flowed through Lü Yang's mind.
This was his cultivation depth—his understanding of [Heavenly Fire Above]. As it accumulated, his soul grew increasingly resilient.
The torrential cultivation depth battered his fortified soul like climbing a perilous peak, nearly causing him to falter midway. Yet Lü Yang persevered until reaching the summit, where his accumulated depth merged with divine sense and erupted outward like a bursting dam.
"Ah!"
The next moment, Lü Yang's eyes snapped open as he released a thunderous roar. Within his soul, a golden light gradually emerged:
'The first wisp of Metal Essence... my very own Metal Essence... has been refined!'