Master of Strange Dao

The bright moon hung in the sky, Yu Ziqing sat on the city wall of the small town, gazing at the moon in the distance.

He pondered on how to kill the Old Emperor Qian, and also considered what would happen after the deed was done.

The fact that he was the new Emperor Dui would eventually be revealed.

And if he wanted to kill the Old Emperor Qian, he couldn't ignore the forces behind both sides and make it a personal vendetta—a swift battle and then it's all over.

If he acted too impulsively, it would definitely become a full-scale war between Jinlan Mountain, Dadui, and Daqian - a direct clash of national fortunes.

Currently, Dadui's strength, particularly the number of powerful individuals, is still too few, with only a handful of seventh and eighth-tier Great Cultivators.

The number of cultivators below is steadily increasing, both in quality and quantity, which is quite good.

Unfortunately, it takes time to accumulate such foundations, and it won't happen in the short term.

If such a situation arises, with the clash of national fortunes initiated, Dadui is certainly no match.

Yu Ziqing wouldn't impulsively sacrifice countless people of Dadui to fulfill a sense of retribution; he was not like the Old Emperor Qian, with a heart as cold and detached as his, nor was he so high above as to not understand the sufferings of the mortal world.

An appropriate timing and a justifiable reason are necessary.

Additionally, he must block the possibility of help from other forces within Daqian, or from the Langya Institute, or even the Daqian Imperial Family.

It's entirely impossible to rely on brute force; he couldn't bind everyone's hands.

He needs sufficient reasons to convince others not to interfere.

Ultimately, it should come down to a showdown where the Old Emperor Qian is left to fight alone.

This process will be very troublesome and difficult.

Moreover, when the final confrontation occurs, victory must be ensured, no, not just victory, but being able to completely eliminate him in one stroke.

Gou Dan stated that the Old Emperor Qian's strength is indeed at the ceiling of the current era.

He could even borrow strength from the Daqian Divine Dynasty.

As long as the path to the tenth tier opens, he will certainly advance.

He absolutely must not let him advance to the tenth tier; Yu Ziqing has no interest in a peak-level duel.

Experts who only engage in peak-level confrontations seem to never end well.

How can he eliminate such a formidable emperor, who already stands at the peak of personal power, and can even surpass the peak with the support of the Divine Dynasty, before Dadui returns?

A direct assassination, Yu Ziqing estimated, might require Han Dong's most lethal strike, capable of surpassing this ceiling.

Yet now this blow has been blocked by Qingping, and it's likely that even if Han Dong draws his sword again, it won't be as strong as the first strike.

The remaining option is Ruan Renwang, whose physical body surely exceeds the Ninth Tier, but unfortunately lacks consciousness.

Also, why should Yu Ziqing make those two face off against the Old Emperor Qian to the death?

This task can only be done by Yu Ziqing or by Yang.

Regarding the verdict against the Old Emperor Qian, Yu Ziqing doesn't hold much expectation.

Just passing isn't useful, aiming for a frontal confrontation to eliminate the opponent requires at least seventy to eighty percent assurance of success.

Moreover, obtaining comprehensive information across all dimensions of the Old Emperor Qian, each evaluated at seventy to eighty percent, might be harder than killing him directly.

Yu Ziqing sat through the night, pondering on what to do.

As daylight fully emerged, he opened his eyes with a rough plan taking shape.

Yu Ziqing stood up, stretched his body, glanced into the distance, and saw Gou Dan's mother already up for some time, calling her son to wake up for the academy.

Gou Dan acted as usual, diligently carrying his book bag, heading to the academy.

At the academy, he remained silent and indifferent even when ridiculed.

It was evident, he feared that others might notice his change, maintaining everything as it was.

The only change, upon returning home, was that he quietly did a bit more work to help.

Yu Ziqing smiled slightly, stepping out and leaving directly.

He still didn't send anyone to protect Gou Dan, believing that Gou Dan would find ways to protect himself, and if he truly met with an untimely death, Yu Ziqing would just let nature take its course.

He let him fully experience the bitterness and sweetness of life as a mortal, and later when probing further, perhaps he would have a deeper empathy.

Yu Ziqing left without Gou Dan knowing, and as night fell, Gou Dan awaited Yu Ziqing's return, but when he did not appear, he realized Yu Ziqing had left.

He sat at the table, eyes reflecting the flickering oil lamp, his emotions complex and his heart mixed with various feelings. Ultimately, his mother noticed the lamp still on, brought in a bowl of rice porridge, advised him to rest earlier, and not to wear himself out, which only further complicated Gou Dan's feelings.

He previously never realized how complex the human heart could be; it was indescribable.

At that moment, he suddenly understood a little on how Yu Ziqing, upon obtaining crucial information, could hold back from killing him, even gifting him a Pill, and then decisively left the next day.

Yu Ziqing was really willing to let him live his life here.

"Past events have gone with the wind. I once felt I owed no one, now it seems I owe even more."

...

Yu Ziqing traveled all the way south, directly heading for the Southern Sea.

Previously, he had mentioned to Yang to inform the other deans that he had gone south, heading to the Big Island, to deliver precious samples to them.

He couldn't simply go back on his word; he had to deliver them quickly.

More than a month later, Yu Ziqing arrived at the South Sea Island, seeing from afar the shining rays descending from the sky, forming magnificent beams of light; the closer to the big island, the higher the concentration of spiritual energy, with a continuous dissipation of spiritual energy.

The place had already become a vast source of spiritual energy.

As Yu Ziqing's Flying Boat approached, he instantly sensed that at least three powerful individuals were locking onto his Flying Boat.