Chapter 284 : Peerless Military Talent
Chapter 284: Peerless Military Talent
Inside Qianyuan Hall, there was not a sound to be heard.
Everyone looked up at the curtain hanging above them, stunned speechless as they watched Chen Ming, who had broken through the seventh floor and successfully ascended to the eighth.
The emperor wore a dazed expression, his hand trembling slightly as he held his wine cup, unaware that the wine was spilling. His face reflected excitement, helplessness, and exhilaration.
In the five hundred years since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, this was the first time anyone had reached the eighth floor of the Tower of Merits.
Before this, only two people had made it to the seventh floor.
Both were once-in-a-century prodigies who had become First Grade Experts before the age of thirty. Later, they each became towering pillars of the Great Jin Dynasty, leaving behind glorious and unforgettable legacies.
And yet this Gu Xianyu, merely a Second Grade Martial Artist, had cleared the seventh floor?
This was a peerless military talent!
The emperor's eyes gleamed with light.
...
"How—how is that possible?"
Among the many high officials present, several were battle-hardened generals who had fought on the front lines. To them, Gu Xianyu’s capabilities didn’t seem all that remarkable. So how could he repeatedly create miracles, achieving feats others wouldn’t even dare dream of?
They couldn’t make sense of it—utterly baffled.
Suddenly, the oldest man among them spoke, “This is what they call, when the time comes, even Heaven and Earth lend their strength.”
One sentence revealed the truth.
Still, many felt it wasn’t that simple. This was a trial in the Tower of Merits, a place designed specifically to assess the military aptitude of young talents.
It wasn’t real life. How could so many coincidences, like those in reality, occur here?
There had to be something more to Gu Xianyu’s bizarre maneuvers—something with deeper meaning.
...
The most unwilling to accept this, naturally, were Wang Jinhu and the other two. As they watched Gu Xianyu perform one astounding feat after another within the trial, what they thought was: it’s that easy? If it had been me, I could’ve done it too.
To them, the boy had just gotten lucky—again and again.
At this point, Gu Xianyu’s ranking had already surpassed all of them, leaving them far behind in the dust with an insurmountable lead.
When he broke through the seventh floor and reached the eighth, they were utterly dumbfounded.
No matter how they tried, they simply couldn’t understand how he had cleared the seventh floor and achieved a feat that no one had ever accomplished before.
From this day on, the name Gu Xianyu would be remembered by generations to come.
And this record—who knew if it would ever be broken?
Their only regret was that it wasn’t them who had achieved it.
...
“Fifth Uncle, he… he reached the eighth floor...”
At the Duke of Jingguo’s seating area, Gu Yuyong’s expression was dazed, her voice trembling slightly as if she were in a dream. She didn’t even call him Little Seventh anymore.
The eighth floor of the Tower of Merits!
A member of the Duke of Jingguo’s lineage had ascended to the eighth floor—becoming the first to do so since the founding of Great Jin!
“I saw it.”
Gu Haochuan’s voice was hoarse. His face was expressionless, but his hands were clenched tightly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief—
—and a trace of unease.
He had a sinking feeling that everything had spiraled out of his control.
That brat actually made it to the eighth floor!
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.
What kind of person had he brought into the Gu family to act as Seventh Lang’s impostor?
Gu Zhengshan stared blankly and muttered, “Master, I remember… reaching the eighth floor means you’re granted the title of marquis, right?”
Back then, when the Founding Ancestor of Great Jin established the rules, it was decreed that anyone who reached the fifth floor during the trial of the Night Banquet of the Ghost Festival would be granted a noble title. With each additional floor, the title would increase one rank.
Reaching the eighth floor meant direct elevation to the rank of marquis.
In peacetime, it was the only way to earn merit and rank without ever stepping onto the battlefield.
Yet in five hundred years, very few had ever gained a title through this means.
This meant that once that brat walked out of the Tower of Merits, he would be granted the title of marquis—just one rank below that of duke.
To think that their ancestor had followed the Founding Emperor through bloody battles to unify the realm before earning the hereditary title of duke.
This brat merely passed a trial—and was about to become a marquis.
Gu Haochuan’s face remained unreadable. In a hoarse voice, he said, “Yes. From now on, when we see him, we’ll have to call him Lord Marquis.”
Gu Yuyong noticed the hostility in Gu Zhengshan’s expression toward her Seventh Brother and reminded him, “This is a good thing. The Gu family has produced such a talent—he shone brightly today. In the future, His Majesty will surely favor him. The Gu family may well prosper because of him!”
Gu Zhengshan’s facial muscles twitched. The problem was—this kid was a fraud!
He lowered his head, unwilling to let the Eldest Young Lady see the expression on his face.
Gu Haochuan looked at the “Gu Xianyu” on the curtain and softly said, “Yuyong is right. Maybe… someday we’ll all benefit from Little Seventh’s success.”
...
It was over…
Among all present, none were more panicked than Madam Xia. Her heart was icy cold, realizing that things had taken a dire turn.
Originally, this Gu Xianyu was just a legitimate son of the Duke of Jingguo’s residence—talented, yes, but nothing more. Without a decade of hard work and patience, he couldn’t have risen to power.
That was—an hour ago.
Now, this brat had climbed to the eighth floor of the Tower of Merits and instantly became the brightest star in the entire imperial court of Great Jin.
After this, His Majesty would surely summon him for an audience.
If, in a moment of rashness, he mentioned the wedding ceremony with Yan’er, she dared not even imagine the consequences.
Would His Majesty erupt in fury? Would her entire family be implicated?
The more Madam Xia thought about it, the more terrified she became. This was deception of the emperor—a capital crime!
Suddenly, a large hand grasped her tightly clenched fingers. Her husband Xia Shaowen’s voice sounded beside her, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
She glanced at her husband and felt her heart settle slightly. Then she turned to look at her daughter—who clutched her chest with both hands, her eyes locked on that boy, filled with worry, pride, and tears.
Sigh—
She let out a silent sigh.
How did things end up like this?
...
Inside the Tower of Merits, Chen Ming had long since realized that the Nine Nether Demon Venerable was determined to send him all the way, so he stopped holding back and began pulling off all kinds of ridiculous maneuvers.
Since he was now a prince in chaotic times, how could he skip classics like capturing two kings in one battle, or staging a Xuanwu Gate Incident?
In the end, he crushed the enemy, overthrew the foolish emperor and incompetent crown prince, ascended the throne, and unified the land—restoring Great Wei to greatness.
Yes, this segment of history had actually happened in the waning days of the previous dynasty.
At the time, the Founding Emperor of Great Jin had not yet risen—those who rebelled were all early challengers vying for the throne.
Had there truly been such a prince who eradicated all the rebels, then Great Jin might never have come to be.
This hell-level scenario would have been nearly impossible even for a divine warrior sent by the heavens. That it had happened was only because everything in the Tower of Merits was orchestrated by that old schemer, the Nine Nether Demon Venerable.
Then, he ascended to the ninth floor.
His identity now was that of the final emperor of Great Wei, and the capital was already surrounded by hundreds of thousands of troops from Great Jin.
Inside the capital, only one hundred thousand soldiers remained battle-ready.
This was also a pivotal battle recorded in grand detail in the annals of Great Jin. It was this war that brought the fall of Great Wei and allowed the Founding Emperor of Great Jin to claim the crown and establish a new dynasty.
“If even this can be turned around, no one would believe it, right?”
Even Chen Ming couldn’t help but shake his head.
Suddenly, the voice of the Nine Nether Demon Venerable rang in his ear, “Actually, Emperor Qingde wasn’t entirely without hope. This capital is a fortress. If not for the defection of that True Dragon, Ji Wanzhou might never have breached the royal city.”
True Dragon?
He pondered and asked, “So all I have to do is persuade that True Dragon?”
“Not just that—you must also win over a certain force.”
“Which one?”
“The Empress of Emperor Qingde gave birth to a son just a few years ago, but the Great Wei Dynasty already had a crown prince.”
Chen Ming was quite curious about this part of history and asked, “Which power does this Empress come from? Is she formidable?”
“She’s backed by a Heavenly Residence. What do you think?”
“Heavenly Residence?”
Hearing this, he was shocked. “Senior, are you saying this Empress of Emperor Qingde… isn’t of this world?”
A so-called Heavenly Residence referred to a much higher-level secret realm!
Could it be that creatures from these secret realms could also enter the mortal world?
This was truly explosive news.
The Nine Nether Demon Venerable chuckled and said, “Without the backing of a Heavenly Residence, how do you think these emperors compete with the great sects and noble clans of the world? Throughout the ages, nearly every imperial empress came from a Heavenly Residence. The same goes for the current Great Jin.”
So that was it!
Chen Ming suddenly understood. No wonder the current Empress Dowager was so domineering—even though the emperor wasn’t her biological son, he still couldn’t outmaneuver her. It turned out she had the backing of a Heavenly Residence.
This meant that in the power structure of this world’s imperial dynasties, the military support came from the Heavenly Residence represented by the empress.
Without a Heavenly Residence’s protection and deterrent force, if even one of the world’s peerless experts got unhappy, they could charge into the palace and chop off the emperor’s head.
After all, the imperial family couldn’t guarantee a top-tier expert every generation. And if someone with ambition arose, desiring the throne, chaos would ensue—where the strongest ruled—and dynasties wouldn’t last long.
However, there was still one issue. Chen Ming asked, “If the Heavenly Residences are so powerful, why don’t they just seize the throne themselves and become emperors?”
The Nine Nether Demon Venerable replied with a question instead, “Boy, let me ask you—if you had to choose between becoming an emperor or attaining immortality, which would you pick?”
Chen Ming didn’t even hesitate. “Naturally, immortality.”
What was so great about being emperor?
“The masters of those Heavenly Residences think the same way.”
“Senior, are you saying the masters of these Heavenly Residences have already attained immortality? And if they were to become emperors, they’d have to give it up?”
“That’s about right. Alright, time to act. The people outside are getting anxious.”
After that, the Nine Nether Demon Venerable said no more.
“……”
Chen Ming thought to himself, so people really can watch what happens inside this trial.
Now that he understood the key, he began to act. First, he descended underground to meet the True Dragon, and after making promises, successfully secured the creature’s loyalty.
Next, he deposed the crown prince and established the empress’s legitimate son as the new heir.
Then, he personally took to the city walls and vowed to live and die with the soldiers, greatly boosting morale.
Through these measures, he finally stabilized the situation.
What followed was a prolonged siege.
The war dragged on for nearly a year before the relief forces finally arrived. (Of course, all of this was fast-forwarded in the trial.)
The siege of the capital was finally lifted.
With that, the ninth floor was also cleared.
At this moment, the voice of the Nine Nether Demon Venerable rang out again, “Boy, you’ve become the first to clear all nine floors of the Tower of Merits. Here’s a gift from me—I believe you’ll like it.”
“Thank you, Senior, for your kindness.”
I’ll thank your ancestors for eight generations.
Chen Ming smiled.
Originally, he just wanted a decent score—enough to give the Gu family an explanation. Then, once out, he’d find a chance to slip away.
But now, he had shattered records, and there was no way to avoid fame even if he wanted to.
If it were just the Duke of Jingguo’s Residence, he might still have been able to flee the capital. A change of identity would’ve sufficed.
Now, he stood directly under the spotlight, with countless eyes fixed on him. Escaping the capital would be no easy feat.
...
After Chen Ming exited the Tower of Merits, the Nine Nether Demon Venerable arrived at the tower’s deepest depths. There, in a prison cell, a man was confined.
That man looked exactly like him, except his eyes glowed with a faint violet light. “You actually came to see me? Let me guess—it’s because of that brat, isn’t it?”
The Nine Nether Demon Venerable didn’t waste words and asked directly, “Do you want to be freed?”
The man burst into laughter. “I knew it—you’d let me out someday. After all, you can’t kill me. You’ve been locking me up here, draining more than half of the Nine Nether Tower’s power.”
The Nine Nether Demon Venerable said flatly, “I can release you, but on one condition—you must erase all your memories of me.”
Back when he was still weak, a wisp of the Undying Demon Venerable’s divine soul had possessed him, controlling his every move.
Only after forming his Primordial Embryo did he manage to cut out that wisp and imprison it here. That had been over a thousand years ago.
This wisp was like his second self, knowing all his secrets and trump cards.
Naturally, he couldn’t let it leave. If it did, he’d never stand a chance against the Undying Demon Venerable again.
“You think that’s possible? Either way, you’ll release me someday. I’ve got time—plenty of it. Hahaha…”
The Nine Nether Demon Venerable sneered. “I might not be able to destroy you, but I know someone who can. I’ll wait until he grows strong enough to wipe you out completely. You have two choices: erase your memories, or vanish forever.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Ingrate!”
The Nine Nether Demon Venerable flung his sleeve and left, leaving behind that imprisoned wisp of the Undying Demon Venerable—his spitting image—locked in the deepest part of the Nine Nether Tower.
...
A flash of light passed before Chen Ming’s eyes, and he found himself back in Qianwu Hall. He immediately felt the weight of countless gazes falling upon him—some so intense they made his heart race.
“Loyal Subject Gu!”
At that moment, a figure descended from the exalted dragon throne—a man in a dragon robe, walking toward him with such excitement, it was as though he were meeting the lover of his dreams.
“Your Majesty!”
Just as Chen Ming was about to bow, the emperor had already reached him, grasping his hands tightly as if afraid he’d fly away if he let go.
“No need for formalities, Loyal Subject. From now on, you need not kneel before me.”
“Ah?”