Chapter 354: Internal Peace, External Conquest

"Reign of the Nine Heavens (Yu Jiu Tian)"

To be honest, there are too many controversies and topics for discussion regarding the recent Dragon City dispute—such as the truth about Haikula, the fact that the renegade Wang Feng from the Nine Gods actually survived till the end, whether he possesses the final treasure, and the identity of the mysterious expert who broke into the fourth layer. These are all practical issues concerning the interests of the Nine Gods. Yet, clearly, the court at this moment cares little about them.

"My son, Mingji, died at the hands of the Holy Sanctuary. If it were purely due to inferior skill or being ambushed by the enemy, so be it," said Mingke, who was nearly fifty but had raven-black hair and smooth skin, making him appear no older than thirty. Towering over two meters tall, his voice shook the court like a tiger's roar, showing no regard for the Crown Prince seated above. Many attendants in the hall trembled with fear as he glared at the Crown Prince and demanded angrily, "But according to the soul tablet projection from the Divine Fortress at the time, both Aitalya and Cang Jue of the Cang family were nearby. Why didn’t they lend aid? These two are your people, Crown Prince. Did they act on your orders, refusing to save a life simply because of political differences? To treat our own kin in such a manner—does the Crown Prince intend to follow the example of the past, reigniting the strife that once divided the Nine Gods? What kind of reasoning is this?"

Long Zhen, seated on the throne, smiled faintly but did not respond, knowing someone below would answer for him.

"Mingke, your grief is understandable, but to distort facts and slander the Crown Prince so brazenly is beyond audacious!" An elderly man stepped forward from the ranks of officials, his expression calm and unafraid despite Mingke’s fury. With white hair and a long beard reaching his chest, his rosy complexion gave him an air of vitality. This was Alstom, the Grandmaster of the War Academy, Long Zhen’s first tutor and a core figure of the Crown Prince’s faction. "The terrain of the second-layer Dark Caverns has been clearly mapped. Many caverns overlap vertically, and proximity on the soul tablet does not mean actual physical closeness. To accuse Aitalya and Cang Jue of deliberate negligence is pure nonsense!"

"Speaking of betrayal and refusal to aid, I’d rather ask the Fifth Prince," interjected another man before Mingke could reply. Pale-faced with sharp fangs and clad in a crimson cloak with a high collar, his cold, sunken eyes gleamed. "My Blood Clan’s genius, Manku, was slain by Hei Wukai. The Scorching Sun Sect’s Aitalya and Shadowblade Fazang were closest yet stood by indifferently. Does the Fifth Prince have an explanation for this?"

"Exactly!" Many courtiers aligned with the Crown Prince voiced agreement. "Unlike the disputed circumstances around Mingji’s death, this incident was witnessed by all War Academy disciples present—an irrefutable fact!"

"The Blood Clan is also part of the Nine Gods, and Manku was a key figure in this battle for the War Academy. For Aitalya and Fazang to refuse aid is utterly contemptible!"

*Clap clap clap*

A crisp round of applause sounded as Feng Buxiu stepped forward. The Feng family was prestigious, and as the current leader of the Scorching Sun Sect, Feng Buxiu’s status was no less than Mingke’s—his influence in court perhaps even greater. Smiling, he said, "Ah, Duke Ferror, congratulations."

Ferror frowned. "For what?"

"For holding an honorary position yet standing among us in court deliberations," Feng Buxiu replied lightly. "His Highness the Crown Prince has been most generous. Such favor is unprecedented in the Nine Gods Empire. You ought to be grateful and serve His Highness loyally henceforth—lest I lose all respect for you."

The Blood Clan had long been marginalized by the Nine Gods’ core powers. Though Duke Ferror held a noble title, he wielded no real authority in court. Neutral in the rivalry between Long Zhen and Long Xiang, the Blood Clan now exploited their fallen genius’s death to attack the Fifth Prince, using it as a stepping stone to align with the Crown Prince. Feng Buxiu’s mockery left Ferror red-faced and speechless.

With Ferror silenced, Feng Buxiu declared loudly, "Hei Wukai’s strength is well-known to all here. Even if Aitalya and Fazang had intervened, they stood no chance against him. The only one capable of facing Hei Wukai was Long Feixue. Given the Celestial bloodline’s closeness to the Crown Prince, Ferror, if you wish to accuse anyone of refusing aid, shouldn’t you be questioning Long Feixue instead?"

"Preposterous!"

"Would the Crown Prince ever harm his own? Long Feixue was engaged with Nagaraja at the time—how could he have intervened?"

The court erupted in arguments once more.

Long Zhen observed the heated debate with detached calm. With Long Kang in seclusion, the courtiers were unrestrained—this was already the third such quarrel this month. In truth, everyone knew these disputes would yield no resolution nor topple anyone, yet Long Xiang’s faction refused to relent, stirring conflict at every opportunity.

Long Zhen understood his fifth brother’s strategy—applying pressure by making the Crown Prince appear weak. As regent, unable to command respect and overseeing a fractious court, how would Emperor Long Kang view this upon emerging from seclusion? One phrase would suffice: *The Crown Prince is incompetent.*

A ruthless move, simple yet unanswerable. Long Xiang could employ such tactics, but the Crown Prince could not. His fifth brother grew ever more cunning.

Long Zhen turned his gaze to Long Xiang, who sat sipping tea as if oblivious to the uproar. Noticing the Crown Prince’s glance, Long Xiang raised his cup in a mocking toast.

Long Zhen responded with a faint nod before shifting his attention to Long Jing.

"Ninth Brother." Long Zhen’s voice, honed by years of authority, carried an imperial weight that quieted the hall. All eyes turned to Long Jing as the Crown Prince asked mildly, "You are known for your wisdom. As they say, the onlooker sees most clearly. Now, while Master Mingke seeks to hold the War Academy accountable and Duke Ferror demands answers from the Scorching Sun Sect—what is your view?"

Long Xiang set down his cup, intrigued. In this court, if any force could tip the balance between the two brothers, it was Long Jing. His stance mattered to all.

This was a trap—a question with no easy answer. Supporting Ferror meant siding with Long Zhen; backing Mingke aligned with Long Xiang. Either choice would force Long Jing to abandon his neutrality, damaging his flexibility. Yet silence would brand him a coward, eroding his influence and driving followers away—a relief to both factions, removing the threat of him swaying the conflict later.

"I believe..." Long Jing smiled, unperturbed. "Everyone seems to have forgotten who our true adversary is."

The court fell silent. Long Zhen and Long Xiang exchanged puzzled glances.

"We should be focusing on the League of Blades. Frankly, the outcome of Dragon City is unsatisfactory. While we preserved our strength, the League is no weakling. The Dragonmoon Kingdom has produced a formidable figure—one who single-handedly defeated Obololo. This is perhaps the League’s greatest warning to us this time."

Everyone opened their mouths slightly, suddenly understanding his meaning. The Ninth Prince's military influence was limited to the beastmen, meaning he had no chance to aspire to the throne.

The beastmen had no factions—they were the empire's thorn in the side. By choosing to discuss the beastmen to sidestep the direct question, this was Long Jing's answer. He wasn't taking sides, helping neither, but he also wasn't remaining silent. He offered his own perspective.

"Just a beastman—how can he compare to my son?" Hall Master Ming Ke said sharply, unwilling to let Long Jing slip past so easily.

"Hall Master Ming Ke, your words are mistaken," Long Jing said, utterly unbothered by the surrounding gazes, speaking leisurely. "The three great elders of the beastmen sought me out recently. Obololo's true strength far exceeded everyone's estimations. A genius who mastered the Xuanwu Beast God Transformation at seventeen—his potential likely wasn't inferior to Long Feixue or Hei Wukai. And as for Xiao Bang of Dragon Moon, who slew him single-handedly—just how immense must his potential be? Moreover, Obololo was regarded as the beastmen's hope, already the designated next chieftain. We cannot afford to ignore this. Now the entire beastmen race is in an uproar. The three elders have come to the capital, demanding an audience with Father to seek vengeance for Obololo. If this is mishandled, none of us can bear the responsibility!"

The Xuanwu Beast God Transformation—once fully mastered, it would mean another ghost-level! Even if Obololo had only just begun, at his age, he was already a genius among geniuses, the hope of his entire race. This was no small matter. Though the beastmen were low in status, they were stubborn and unreasonable. If they truly stirred up trouble, even the Nine Gods Empire would have a headache.

Long Jing smiled, looking at Ming Ke and Fei'luo. "Both of you are pillars of the Nine Gods Empire, core members of the imperial family—how can you be compared to the beastmen? But forgive my bluntness—precisely because you are our own, you must set aside private grudges. Once we resolve the beastmen issue and restore stability to Nine Gods, we can revisit these disputes at leisure."

This was an irrefutable argument. No matter how deep their personal grudges, none could outweigh the empire's stability and unity. This was a burden no one could bear.

Even in his fury, Ming Ke had nothing to say. Fei'luo, newly aligned, held little authority in court and dared not speak up.

Long Xiang clapped his hands, his tone meaningful. "Ninth Brother, you leave no gaps—truly admirable."

Long Zhen also smiled. Though the ninth prince hadn't chosen sides, he had elevated the discussion. For the crown prince, this was actually a great help. "Little Nine, you seem to have a plan. You must already have a solution."

"I believe it boils down to four words: pacify within, strike without." Long Jing stood and bowed to Long Zhen. "Internally, we can posthumously confer on Obololo the title of 'Nine Gods Brave,' grant his brother a noble title, and bestow substantial compensation to demonstrate the empire's grace. Externally, we dispatch assassins to neutralize Xiao Bang! This man is said to be both wise and courageous, and his status is exalted. If the League of Blades lacked Hei Wukai, Xiao Bang might well replace Ye Dun as their new leader. Killing him would rid Nine Gods of a great enemy."

"Xiao Bang is formidable in strength and a prince of Dragon Moon. Assassination won't be easy."

Long Jing chuckled. "But it shows our stance—both placating the beastmen and signaling to the continent that Nine Gods stands united, all clans bound in shared glory and loss! I ask Eldest Brother to consider this carefully."

Long Zhen waved his hand, stamping the court debate with his approval. "Approved!"

......

At the station outside Blade Fortress, the magrail train was ready for departure. Old Wang and the Rose faction sat in the slightly cramped carriage, watching the workers outside busily loading cargo. The journey to Dragon Moon Illusion Realm had finally come to an end.

This wasn't a train dedicated to transporting Holy Sanctuary disciples but a military freight train, so their carriage was much narrower—only enough space to sit, not lie down.

Hei Wukai and Mo Tong had left separately days earlier, and the Ice Spirit group had departed two days prior on the last disciple transport. Old Wang and the Rose faction had stayed behind an extra two days, waiting until the very end.

Mostly, it was due to interrogations by Holy Sanctuary investigators, probing Wang Feng for the truth about the Spirit Illusion Realm and Haikula. Soul-reader's hypnosis, tactical questioning—as the only Holy Sanctuary disciple to emerge from the fifth layer, Wang Feng had to cooperate fully. But the results left the Holy Sanctuary deeply disappointed.

Whether through exhaustive repetition or soul-reader's hypnosis, the answers remained the same as what Wang Feng had told Yakray and the others—he had been unconscious for nearly two days, completely unaware of anything that had happened inside. In the end, even the Holy Sanctuary's professionals had no choice but to close the case, issuing the final verdict on the Dragon Moon Illusion Realm.

Winnie sat across from Old Wang, her eyes wide and burning as she stared at the woman beside him.

In Winnie's eyes, this woman was *up to no good.* The rest of them had waited for Wang Feng because they were all from Rose—but what was a Judgment member doing sticking with them? And she clung to Wang Feng at every opportunity, sitting right beside him the moment they boarded, her movements alarmingly familiar...

"What's the issue? We're all from Aurora City—it's on the way," Old Wang mumbled through a mouthful of grapes. "Winnie, don't glare at her like that. Must you be so hostile?"

*Fierce... chest?!*