Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Become the True Dragon Emperor?" The Ninth Prince shook his head. "Without the True Dragon Divine Seal, I can never truly be called the Celestial Emperor. However, if I can successfully form the True Dragon Body this time, then when Father grows old and decides to pass on the throne, no other prince will be able to contend with me. Great Tang will still be mine."

His expression turned grim as he finished.

"Heh heh, Ninth Prince, there is no need to worry. The state of the world is ever-changing; who can guarantee things will always remain as they are? As long as the Ninth Prince has the will, you can certainly ascend to the throne of the Celestial Emperor, gather the Telekinesis of the Empire's countless subjects, condense the world's fortune into your very being, and perhaps even achieve the Path of Longevity," the Thousand-Faced Daoist said with a smile.

"Longevity? If I ascend to the throne of the Celestial Emperor in the future, you, Daoist Master, will be my honored mentor. At that time, I will name you the National Guardian Celestial Master to share in the world's fortune with me!" The Ninth Prince's gaze sharpened as he spoke in a low voice. He had coveted the Celestial Emperor's throne for a long time. In the past, he had believed he was destined to be the Crown Prince.

But after the last incident, he felt his position was becoming unstable, so he grew anxious and began scheming for his future.

This Thousand-Faced Daoist was an advisor who had entered his service many years ago. His strength was formidable, having already reached the Celestial Pill Realm.

It was said that he came from a Sect in the Southern Wilderness and had come to the Great Tang Empire to escape his enemies and find a new path.

He always wore a mask, and no one had ever seen his true face—not even the Ninth Prince.

However, because the Thousand-Faced Daoist was powerful and had nowhere else to go, the Ninth Prince believed he would be fiercely loyal and took him in.

Over the years, the Thousand-Faced Daoist had often advised the Ninth Prince, helping him gather various factions to his side.

The Ninth Prince had come to trust this man more and more, beginning to entrust him with important responsibilities.

'Ling Fei!' Thinking of how his situation had changed, killing intent flooded the Ninth Prince's eyes.

"Daoist Master, I previously asked you to investigate Ling Fei's adoptive father. Have you found any clues?" the Ninth Prince asked, his gaze narrowing.

"Your Highness," the Thousand-Faced Daoist replied, "according to my knowledge, this old man suddenly appeared in the Empire twelve years ago. He seemed to be gravely injured, yet his strength is immense—most likely at the Nascent Soul Realm, or perhaps even higher. However, based on his clash with His Majesty at Celestial River Academy, he is likely at the end of his rope. His Majesty didn't press the attack back then simply out of temporary caution. If this Elder Ling were to appear in the Imperial Capital, His Majesty, augmented by the Dragon Vein Power, could deal with him easily."

"That should be it." The Ninth Prince nodded slightly. "Father cultivates the True Dragon Technique. Not only is he empowered by the Telekinesis of the Empire's countless subjects, but he can also command the Dragon Vein Power. In the Imperial Capital, his strength is indeed multiplied, so dealing with that man wouldn't be difficult. It's a pity Father invited him to the Imperial Capital to make amends, but he refused to come."

The Ninth Prince sighed repeatedly.

"The man probably realized this as well. If we could lure him into the Imperial Capital, it would be a perfect opportunity to eliminate him. Perhaps His Majesty is also anticipating such an opportunity," the Thousand-Faced Daoist said, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

'Father is also anticipating this opportunity?' The Ninth Prince was taken aback by the words, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was true.

Prince Long was his Imperial Uncle, yet he was slain by an outsider. How could his father not be furious?

He hadn't acted forcefully back then simply because he wasn't completely confident.

"Yes, that's it." The Ninth Prince's eyes lit up. "Perhaps Father isn't truly angry with me, either."

"If you, Ninth Prince, were to create such an opportunity for His Majesty, he might see you in a new light and name you Crown Prince," said the Thousand-Faced Daoist.

His voice was filled with a bewitching power.

"Create an opportunity for Father?" The Ninth Prince looked thoughtful. "How could I create one? He refused to come to the Imperial Capital before, so why would he willingly walk into the lion's den now?" He shook his head, feeling that Elder Ling wasn't so reckless; otherwise, he wouldn't have refused the initial invitation.

One had to understand that even experts from the Four Major Sects had to be completely respectful toward his father when they came to the Imperial Capital.

This showed just how great an advantage the current Celestial Emperor held within the Imperial Capital.

"Aren't the prodigies from the Three Great Academies in the Imperial Capital right now for the Four Major Sects' assessment?" the Thousand-Faced Daoist said. "Ling Fei is here too. If Ling Fei were to perish in the Imperial Capital, do you think his adoptive father wouldn't come charging here in a rage? If that happens, how could His Majesty not make a move?"

"Right!" At this thought, the Ninth Prince's eyes lit up. "This way, not only can we eliminate Ling Fei, but his adoptive father will also die here full of regret."

"However, Your Highness should not be directly involved in this matter. If you're going to do it, you must remain detached," the Thousand-Faced Daoist advised.

"What brilliant idea do you have, Daoist Master?" the Ninth Prince inquired.

"Commander Li Yunshan is Li Yunyi's older brother. Now that Li Yunyi has fallen, he harbors a deep grudge. We can easily use him to get rid of Ling Fei," said the Thousand-Faced Daoist.

"Li Yunshan?" The Ninth Prince pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Fine. I'll leave this matter to you."

"Yes!" The Thousand-Faced Daoist nodded, then retreated, walking out of the secret chamber concealed by Dao Patterns.

But beneath his mask, the corners of his mouth lifted into a sinister smile.

'If that Elder Ling comes charging in, it's bound to throw the Great Tang Empire into turmoil. It would be even better if that's when the Ninth Prince breaks the Seal.'

His mind raced at the thought.

'If Ling Fei dies in the Imperial Capital, it will take time for the news to spread. The timing would be perfect!' With this thought, the Thousand-Faced Daoist vanished into the night.

"Ling Fei, this time, I will make you die filled with regret in the Imperial Capital." In the secret chamber, a savage light glinted in the Ninth Prince's eyes.

In all his life, it was the first time he had ever felt so terrified and insecure about his status.

And this time, it was all because of Ling Fei.

That was why he hated Ling Fei to the bone.

'If everything goes as the Thousand-Faced Daoist says, this will be a great opportunity for me. If I form the True Dragon Body, get named Crown Prince, and then draw upon the power of the Dragon Vein... then in this entire Great Tang Empire, besides Father and Mother, who could possibly contend with me?' The Ninth Prince grinned.

He was filled with anticipation for the future.

As for Ling Fei, he remained completely unaware of all this.

The next day, Han Beihai and the other academy elders went for an audience with the Celestial Emperor.

Meanwhile, Ling Fei and the others rested in their guest residence.

「Until the third day.」

The Celestial Emperor issued a Holy Edict, summoning the prodigies of the Three Great Academies.

In total, two thousand six hundred prodigies from the Three Great Academies entered the Imperial Palace for an audience with the Celestial Emperor.

Ling Fei and Shangguan Wan'Er went as well.

The Imperial Palace was immense, its high walls and vast courtyards stretching beyond sight.

Even when Ling Fei spread his Heart Spirit, he was unable to probe its full extent.

Instead, he could sense numerous restricted areas that he dared not probe rashly.

'But the Dragon Qi is much denser inside the Imperial Palace,' Ling Fei mused as he walked through it.

The Dragon Qi here was clearly thicker than at his guest residence.

'That's Dragon Gang Qi!' In some areas with particularly dense Dragon Qi, he could even detect Dragon Gang Qi.

This made Ling Fei quite excited.

If he could directly absorb this Dragon Gang Qi, his Cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds.

He might even break through to the Celestial Spirit Realm in one go.

As he continued forward, Ling Fei discovered that the deeper he went into the Imperial Palace, the more abundant the Dragon Gang Qi became.

This made him itch with anticipation.

Even the spine in his back began to resonate, eager to absorb the Dragon Gang Qi.