During the battle between the hidden dragons such as Zhou Changyi and their opponents yesterday, the Emperor of Da Zhou did not appear. Even when Zhou Changyi and the others fell one by one, the Emperor of Da Zhou still did not make an appearance.
Coincidentally, in the early morning of today, Zhou Zhili, who had already become the Crown Prince, came to see Su Yi. How could Su Yi not understand the thoughts of the Emperor of Da Zhou?
In short, the current Emperor Zhou didn't care at all about the deaths of those hidden dragons!
He let Zhou Zhili come to see him, simply to borrow his influence and intimidate the world.
After all, those hidden dragons were already dead, which was equivalent to breaking the backbone of the Da Zhou Imperial Clan. Once they faced foreign invasion, what could the Da Zhou royal family rely on to resist?
Relying solely on the military forces in the mortal realm would be unable to intimidate those cultivators.
Obviously, the Emperor of Da Zhou also understood that, given his status, he couldn't possibly make use of Su Yi. So he sent Zhou Zhili instead.
However, Su Yi was not going to become a protector of the Da Zhou Imperial Clan because of this.
That's why he had Zhou Zhili convey those words.
Want to use my Su Yi to intimidate enemies in Da Zhou?
Fine.
But it must be Zhou Zhili who holds the power over Da Zhou!
This was an exchange.
...
Deep within the Qingqi Mountain.
In front of Lady Ye Yu's tomb, numerous urns containing bone ashes had been placed.
These were offerings sent by the Su family.
The light rain drizzled, and the mountain was shrouded in darkness.
Su Yi stood in front of the tomb, silent.
Zhou Zhili took out incense and paper money, squatting on the ground and burning them, with smoke rising.
After a while.
Su Yi took out the Abyssal Thunder Execution Bell.
He had already understood the secrets of this demonic treasure.
When this treasure was intact, it must have been an extremely powerful item in the hands of a powerful cultivator from the demonic path.
Su Yi could be certain that when his mother, Lady Ye Yu, brought this treasure from the other realm, it was already severely damaged.
Otherwise, the power of that demonic spirit would not have been so weak.
What truly puzzled Su Yi was that there was a mysterious "seal" inside this treasure.
By using divine sense to perceive, one could discover a "secret map" within the seal.
The secret map depicted a peculiar giant tree that reached into the starry sky beyond the azure darkness. Its branches were adorned with fragmented star remnants.
The secret map also marked an ancient inscription of divine and demonic origin:
"The Origin of Azure, the Secret of the Royal Nine Extremes."
If Su Yi didn't have memories from his previous life, he wouldn't be able to recognize these extremely ancient characters.
But even if he did recognize them, Su Yi was still completely puzzled.
The "Origin of Azure" could roughly be deduced as the origin of the Azure Continent, but what did "the Secret of the Royal Nine Extremes" mean?
What connection did this inscription of divine and demonic origin have with that secret map?
In Su Yi's previous life, he had once seen a tree of stars in an ancient ruin. Its branches were adorned with shining stars, truly wondrous.
However, the tree depicted in this secret map was not a true tree of stars; it was adorned with fallen star remnants!
This was quite peculiar.
After contemplating for a while, Su Yi could only vaguely infer that when his mother, Lady Ye Yu, brought the Abyssal Thunder Execution Bell from another realm to the Azure Continent, she was likely seeking the "Origin of Azure, the Secret of the Royal Nine Extremes" mentioned in the inscription!
In other words, the value of the Abyssal Thunder Execution Bell, this demonic treasure, lay not so much in its power but in the seal it bore, which contained a great secret!
After a moment.
Su Yi collected his thoughts, approached, and paid three bows to Lady Ye Yu's tomb.
Then, Su Yi used his fingers to draw a line, causing the tomb to split open, revealing a coffin buried beneath.
Approaching it, he opened the coffin.
Inside lay a skeleton, its appearance in life long gone.
This was the difference between life and death.
Even if one was once peerlessly talented and possessed immense cultivation, in death, they would ultimately be reduced to a handful of earth burying dry bones.
Su Yi fell silent for a moment, then flicked his fingertip. A wisp of flame fell onto the skeleton, quickly turning it into ashes, which Su Yi collected with the Abyssal Thunder Execution Bell.
"Let's go."
Su Yi did not linger any longer.
He had come to visit the tomb this time with the intention of taking his mother, Lady Ye Yu's remains with him, to prevent malicious enemies from using revenge as an excuse to desecrate the grave and destroy the corpse in the future.
Su Yi had witnessed such things many times in his previous life.
...
After returning to the Yujing City, Zhou Zhili bid farewell and went straight back to the imperial palace.
Su Yi, on the other hand, returned to the Songfeng Residence.
Sea-Swallowing King Ge Changling had been waiting there for a while. Upon seeing Su Yi, they exchanged a few pleasantries before Ge Changling took out a stone tablet.
This stone tablet was two feet long, entirely dark and mottled, exuding an aura of ancient antiquity. It was engraved with rows of ancient characters.
"The power beneath the seal shall break free."
"All that was once imprisoned shall be shattered."
"The grandeur and bloodshed of yesteryears shall return."
"Before the fog is lifted, all anomalies are omens!"
Su Yi gazed at these inscriptions for a moment but did not find anything noteworthy. He focused his attention on the stone tablet.
"When I obtained this stone tablet back then, I realized that the material used to forge it was extremely extraordinary. It is impervious to water and fire, and even a full-force strike from a cultivator at the Fasting Stage would hardly shake it," Su Yi said.
Ge Changling interjected, "What's even more miraculous is that this stone tablet can suppress the power of mountains and rivers, and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It is far beyond ordinary treasures."
Speaking with a self-deprecating smile, Ge Changling continued, "Perhaps it's due to my limited knowledge and shallow understanding. After researching and pondering for many years, I have never truly deciphered the mysteries of this stone tablet."
Su Yi said, "It's not strange that you don't recognize this tablet. The material used to forge it is a divine material called the 'Boundary Spirit Star Soul Stone.' It originated from the outer realms of the stars and is extremely rare. It is an excellent material for crafting top-grade spiritual treasures. This stone tablet contains a portion of the Boundary Spirit Star Soul Stone."
As he spoke, a hint of surprise appeared in Su Yi's eyes. As far as he knew, the Boundary Spirit Star Soul Stone, such a divine material, was considered exceedingly rare even in the vast Nine Provinces.
He never expected that someone on the Azure Continent would use such a divine material to forge a stone tablet. This was undoubtedly a waste of a precious resource.
However, it was also possible that the person who crafted this stone tablet simply did not care about such matters!
"Boundary Spirit Star Soul Stone?" Ge Changling exclaimed in astonishment. "So, what my disciple said back then was actually true..."
Su Yi raised an eyebrow. "Your disciple knows about it too?"
Ge Changling replied, "My disciple's name is Ge Qian. He has been with me since childhood, having neither parents nor relatives. A few years ago, when I brought this stone tablet back from the Green Vine Demon Mountain, he immediately recognized its material."
"He mentioned that he had read about the Boundary Spirit Star Soul Stone in an ancient scripture. Moreover, he suggested that I suppress this stone tablet on the Tianqing Mountain, saying that with this stone tablet, it could suppress the power of mountains and rivers and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Over time, it would turn Tianqing Mountain into a suitable cultivation treasure land."
Su Yi couldn't help but be amazed. "Your disciple is extraordinary, knowing how to utilize this stone tablet to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."
A trace of strangeness flickered in Ge Changling's eyes as he said, "Friend, to be honest, there is indeed something peculiar about my disciple. It seems that he has inherited some ancient and mysterious legacy. But fortunately, he has not been possessed. Therefore, I have refrained from interfering in his affairs and turned a blind eye to it over the years."
After a pause, he continued, "Furthermore, my disciple is extremely cautious and careful. To put it bluntly, he's like a timid turtle, unwilling to involve himself in any dangerous matters."
With a smile, he said to Su Yi, "After you took those Pure Yang Fire Peaches from the Ghost Mother Ridge back then, I sent Ge Qian to find you. Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the Ghost Mother Ridge, he was worried about accidents and didn't dare to meet you, so he returned directly."
Su Yi suddenly realized that there was such a matter. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "From what you've said, your disciple is indeed cautious."
Ge Changling shook his head with a smile. "Being overly cautious is no different from being a coward. Recently, he has been traveling in the depths of the Murky Sea. When he returns, I would like to bring him to meet you and let you see if there are any issues with him."
Su Yi casually said, "With his cautious nature, he probably wouldn't dare to come and meet me at all. Of course, if he is willing to come with you to meet me, I don't mind helping you test the mysteries within him."
After chatting for a while longer, Ge Changling took his leave.
When he left, Ge Changling insisted on leaving the stone tablet behind, without giving Su Yi a chance to refuse.
Su Yi knew that Ge Changling was using this as another way to repay the favor of his mother, Lady Ye Yu.
Or perhaps, it was to make up for the guilt in his heart.
Putting away the stone tablet, Su Yi returned to his room and resumed his meditation and cultivation as before.
On that day, an imperial decree was issued by Emperor Zhou, announcing to the world that from this day forth, Crown Prince Zhou Zhili would leave the imperial prison and assume full power, with Hong Canshang as his chief advisor to oversee the court affairs!
The news caused a sensation throughout the world.
Who wouldn't know that although Emperor Zhou had not officially abdicated, he had effectively handed over the dragon throne to the Sixth Prince, Zhou Zhili. He was just waiting for Zhou Zhili to firmly grasp the power of the Great Zhou Empire so he could ascend the dragon throne in due course!
On the same day, Crown Prince Zhou Zhili, in his capacity as the regent, ordered the imprisonment of the Second Prince, Zhou Zhikun, and the Third Prince, Zhou Zhizhen. He also took the opportunity to round up their followers and eliminate them all!
Undoubtedly, Zhou Zhili still held a grudge and harbored resentment over the incident at the West Mountain Tea Gathering in Gunzhou.
At the same time, Zhou Zhili issued a decree proclaiming Su Yi as the "Imperial Mentor" of the Great Zhou Empire!
The news once again caused a stir throughout the court and the common people, creating a huge commotion.
Imperial Mentor!
This title was even more special than the National Teacher. Throughout the history of the Great Zhou Empire, no one had ever received such an honor!
And at this moment, who couldn't see that Zhou Zhili's ability to assume the role of regent and oversee the court affairs was closely related to Su Yi?
"At the West Mountain Tea Gathering, Su Yi helped the Crown Prince to kill the enemies and seize control of the Governor's Office in Gunzhou. But who could have expected that with Su Yi's assistance in just a few months, the Crown Prince would secure the position of regent and assume the role of monitoring the country?"
Countless people were amazed.
"With a legendary figure like Su Yi in this world, there is no need to worry about turmoil in the Great Zhou Empire. Who dares to invade when faced with external enemies?"
Some people were ecstatic and joyful.
"The Crown Prince's luck... is simply heaven-defying..."
There were also countless people who secretly sighed, believing that Zhou Zhili had gotten lucky and effortlessly became the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Empire. It was as if he had won without making any effort.
While the outside world was still in an uproar, on the same day, in the evening.
Yuliu Wang Yueshichan came to visit.
At that time, Su Yi had just finished his cultivation, and in a moment of inspiration, he wrote a poem:
For countless ages, the vast sky is free from dust, A bright moon shines upon the heart of the sword.