I Can Extract Divine Power

Before long, the sound of repeated smacks echoed from within the Imperial Study.

Shen Bai felt a little awkward.

The guard, however, seemed unfazed. "Don’t worry, sir," he said. "The Second Prince is just like that. He’s quite talented in scholarly pursuits, but his true passion lies with the various Daoist Skills of the Daoist Sect."

The corner of Shen Bai’s mouth twitched slightly.

’If that’s really the case, then he had it coming.’

’How could someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth not have to sacrifice a little something?’

’Especially for a member of the Royal Family. To a certain extent, something like freedom was an exceedingly rare luxury.’

Just as Shen Bai was pondering this, the doors to the Imperial Study opened.

A strikingly handsome young man walked out, clutching his hand, a look of resignation on his face.

Though the young man was dressed in opulent robes, he stubbornly wore his hair in a Daoist Sect topknot.

As he emerged, he was still muttering under his breath.

"My ambitions don’t lie here. It’s useless no matter how many times you beat me."

"And those rumors spreading through the Jianghu are nonsense, saying I want to compete with them. I’m not competing in the slightest, all right?"

The young man was still muttering as he walked up to Shen Bai.

His eyes lit up, especially when he saw Shen Bai.

"You’re Shen Bai! I’ve seen you before," the Second Prince said, his face a picture of surprise. "My father, the Emperor, is always spouting nonsense in the Jianghu, saying that I’m going to compete with the Third Prince for you."

Shen Bai was speechless.

’Well, I’ll be,’ he thought. ’So the Royal Family has a real character like this among them.’

’Choosing the path of cultivation over the throne... it’s simply outrageous.’

The Second Prince drew closer. "Shen Bai, are you here to see my father, the Emperor? Could you put in a word for me? Tell him this Crown Prince position is really of no interest to me."

The corner of Shen Bai’s mouth twitched. He figured the Second Prince must have a screw loose.

’Of course,’ he mused, ’he might literally have a lump on his head right now.’

’After all, someone in their right mind wouldn’t have said that again just moments after getting a beating.’

Never mind Shen Bai; even someone in the Meridian Realm could hear him perfectly clearly from this distance.

’So, the person inside the Imperial Study... is probably about to explode again.’

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Shen Bai felt an immense pressure bear down on him, as if the very heavens were about to collapse.

A powerful, resonant roar erupted from within the Imperial Study, coalescing into a single word: "Begone!"

The moment the word was spoken, all of its force fell upon the Second Prince with unerring precision.

The Second Prince was engulfed by a terrifying current of Qi, sent flying backward until he disappeared over the horizon.

As he vanished, his long, drawn-out cry could still be heard.

"AAAAAAH—"

Watching the Second Prince vanish like a shooting star, Shen Bai felt his face darken with exasperation.

He had assumed all three princes were relatively dependable, an impression he’d gotten when he first met the Third Prince.

But he never expected the Second Prince, whom he met today, to be a completely different story.

Shen Bai stared fixedly at the ground, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing.

Before he could take a step, another voice called out from the Imperial Study.

"Come in."

The two simple words carried an air of weary resignation.

This time, Shen Bai could sense the emotion in the voice.

It was like a father who had given up hope of his son ever achieving greatness—filled with resignation, yet powerless to change things.

Upon hearing this, Shen Bai no longer hesitated and stepped into the courtyard of the Imperial Study.

The courtyard’s layout was remarkably simple. At first glance, you might mistake it for a common farmer’s yard rather than the residence of the Emperor.

But if one were to sense more carefully, they would discover exceedingly powerful experts hidden in the shadows of every corner.

And those were just the ones he could detect. The ones he couldn’t were likely even more terrifying.

Fortunately, Shen Bai had the Emperor’s permission. As he stepped into the courtyard, several gazes swept over him for a moment before ignoring him.

When Shen Bai reached the door of the Imperial Study, he raised his hand and knocked.

Before he could say a word, the door swung open.

Shen Bai didn’t dally. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and took in the interior of the Imperial Study.

Only the most powerful and influential figures in the Great Zhou Country were permitted to enter this room.

Within this room, the Emperor handled a vast amount of state affairs daily and received many officials of the Great Zhou Country.

Shen Bai was quite curious. With just a quick scan, he took in the entire room.

The room was furnished very simply: just a desk, a few chairs, and bookshelves lining the walls.

The shelves were filled with countless books, any one of which would be considered a priceless rare edition if found in the outside world.

On the desk sat a tea set and a mountain of memorials to the throne.

Not far away, a tall, imposing middle-aged man in a Dragon Robe sat with his hands resting on the desk, studying Shen Bai intently.

The man’s posture was ramrod straight, and he exuded a powerful, oppressive aura along with an incomparable regal bearing.

Yet, his eyes held a trace of weariness and ill health.

Shen Bai retracted his gaze and performed a cupped fist salute. "Shen Bai, Prefecture Chief of the Nanxing Prefecture Observatory, greets Your Majesty."

The Saint Martial Emperor gave a slight nod. With a stern expression, he gestured to the seat opposite him and said succinctly, "Sit."

Since the Emperor himself had spoken, Shen Bai didn’t stand on ceremony. He strode forward, took the seat, and adopted a solemn posture, keeping his gaze lowered.

The Imperial Study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Bai couldn’t guess what the Saint Martial Emperor was planning, nor did he have any grasp of his temperament. It was best to act as composed as possible to avoid any trouble.

Seeing Shen Bai’s composed demeanor, the Saint Martial Emperor revealed a faint smile. "I have heard rumors about you in the Jianghu. Your title is now counted among the Nine Extremes, and legend says your temperament is... mercurial. One moment you could be in deep conversation, the next you might erupt into a killing spree. So why are you so composed now?"