Northern Li Dynasty, White Prince's Residence.
"Congratulations, Grandmaster—your sword Po Jun has made the list!"
"They say Dragon Elephant Prajna Power is the supreme esoteric art of the Esoteric Sect. Other than its founder, no one has ever cultivated it to the thirteenth and final level."
"Its power is famed for being overwhelming and domineering—it enhances physical strength itself. It truly complements Grandmaster's nature perfectly."
Xiao Chong's eyes appeared dull and tired, but a faint smile lingered on his lips as he spoke, his tone filled with joy.
Yan Zhantian's deep gaze gleamed with excitement.
"Indeed. It's an extraordinary art—one of saintly grade!
Though I've only obtained the first eleven levels, that will suffice for now."
This martial art suited him perfectly. If he could refine it further, the tyrannical might of Po Jun would multiply severalfold.
Even Luo Qingyang—the foremost among the Five Great Sword Immortals—he would dare to face head-on.
Yan Zhantian's eyes darkened slightly.
"Lately, the Red Prince has grown ever more reckless.
With Luo Qingyang's backing, he's been gathering masters under his banner, expanding his power ceaselessly."
"Since the fall of the Prince of Yong'an, the court's balance has stabilized somewhat."
Xiao Chong replied calmly, his tone cool and detached.
"It's merely that Father seeks to keep things even.
But in the end, the position of Crown Prince still depends on his word."
"Now that the Red Prince flaunts his ambition so brazenly, I suspect Father has long grown displeased with him."
He lifted a cup of hot tea and took a slow sip, a cold smile curving his lips.
Yan Zhantian chuckled faintly.
"From what I see, your father always favored the Prince of Yong'an.
Had Xiao Chuhe not acted so rashly years ago—defending the Prince of Langya against imperial will—
the title of Crown Prince would already be his, instead of remaining undecided to this day."
"A pity," he sighed. "He was too brash, too unwilling to hide his edge."
Yan Zhantian's gaze carried both disdain and a trace of admiration.
Xiao Chong responded evenly, his voice low.
"In the end, his methods were too straightforward. Especially then—Father could no longer tolerate it.
The Prince of Langya's power in the army was immense—he practically overshadowed the throne itself.
Even Father's ascension to emperor had come only because the Prince of Langya yielded it to him."
"The Prince himself cared little for the throne—but his followers, hungry for promotion and glory, would have pushed him toward it nonetheless.
And that was precisely what Father feared most."
He set down the teacup gently and sighed. His eyes were calm, betraying no emotion.
"Now the Golden Ranking has descended. The Divine Weapon List is bound to seize the attention of the entire realm.
Rumor has it that within the Heavenly Sword Pavilion of Northern Li lies the legendary Sword of Heaven's Judgment.
Yet no one has ever been acknowledged by it."
"The only one who once came close—the Prince of Yong'an—has had his martial arts abolished."
Yan Zhantian's gaze turned distant as he recalled that legendary sword, the greatest divine weapon of Northern Li.
"Heaven's Judgment—a sword only the founding emperor of Northern Li could wield.
Its power is said to surpass even the Vermilion Bird Sword of Unrivaled City."
"Now that the Divine Weapon List has emerged, I fear His Majesty's heart may turn once more toward the Prince of Yong'an."
"He'll likely seek him out, nurture him carefully, and help him win the sword's recognition—to seize the Golden Ranking's reward."
The White Prince's expression darkened; his eyes flickered with apprehension.
He had worked so hard to drive that man from power—yet now, fate threatened to bring him back.
"Truly, such dazzling brilliance can never be buried for long," Xiao Chong murmured bitterly.
Yan Zhantian nodded slowly.
"Indeed. With the sharpness of Heaven's Judgment, its rank on the Divine Weapon List will surely be among the top ten.
The reward it grants will be beyond imagination."
"For the Northern Li Dynasty, it would be an enormous boon."
Yan Zhantian's tone grew heavy, his gaze sharp as a blade.
For a moment, murderous intent surged through him like a storm.
If necessary, he would erase the Prince of Yong'an completely.
Anyone who threatened Chong'er's claim to the throne—must die.
"Sixth Brother," Xiao Chong whispered, a complex light in his eyes, "you're as brilliant as ever. No valley can bury your radiance."
"But your cultivation is gone. You've lost the power to contend with me.
Unless you find a miracle, no amount of change will allow you to challenge me again."
His lips curved faintly, a mix of guilt and unease shadowing his gaze.
Back then, he had not severed the root completely—because of the unbreakable bond of blood.
He could only hope… he would never be forced to kill Xiao Chuhe with his own hands.
Red Prince's Residence.
"Hmph! So Yan Zhantian's sword has finally made the list. To think he would gain Dragon Elephant Prajna Power—a supreme secret art of the Esoteric Sect! It suits him perfectly."
Xiao Yu's eyes gleamed with cold fury, his voice heavy with disdain.
A dark, murderous glint flickered within his gaze.
Beside him, a woman in a black robe—graceful, mysterious, and strikingly beautiful—spoke with grave composure. She was Night Crow.
"It's said that Dragon Elephant Prajna Power is the ultimate art of the Western Regions' Esoteric Sect.
Very few have ever reached the tenth level.
In this generation, even the prodigy King of the Golden Wheel spent twenty years to reach the ninth layer—already a late-stage Grandmaster.
This art cannot be underestimated. Its grade far surpasses Heaven-level—surely of Saint rank."
Xiao Yu's gaze darkened further, filled with jealousy and caution.
Night Crow continued softly:
"A Saint-level martial art—even in fragmentary form—still contains the mysteries of its first eleven layers.
If Yan Zhantian truly masters it, he could well become the foremost among the Five Great Sword Immortals."
Xiao Yu's expression grew grim.
But Night Crow's tone turned soothing and confident.
"Your Highness need not worry. Once the Art of the Human Puppet succeeds, even the Wrathful Sword Immortal cannot change your fate."
"Besides—its true power lies in controlling those with profound cultivation.
According to the records of our Medicine King Valley, there once existed in the distant land of Raojiang a strange art called the Divine Soldier Altar.
Our ancestor ventured into Rao Village long ago—though the cost was terrible, he brought back fragments of its secrets."
"They say its principle mirrors that of the Human Puppet Art.
But I dare say—once perfected by me, our art will rival or even surpass that so-called Divine Soldier Altar."
Her red lips curved slightly as she spoke, her voice as soft as silk.
Xiao Yu nodded, his tone cold and proud.
"You are the most gifted successor of the Medicine King Valley. Don't disappoint me."
"If even that Wrathful Sword Immortal's weapon can rank on the list, then my foster father—foremost of the Five Great Sword Immortals—his sword Jiugé must surely rank far higher than Po Jun."
His eyes blazed with anticipation as he added,
"Once my foster father receives the Golden Ranking's reward, his cultivation may well ascend to the realm of the Earthly Immortal.
When that happens, he will stand above all in Northern Li—perhaps even the entire world."
"And with the perfected Human Puppet Art of Western Chu, what need have I to fear for the throne?"
"Prince of Yong'an, Xiao Chuhe? White Prince, Xiao Chong?
All of them will fall before me. Their only fate—death!"
A savage delight rose in Xiao Yu's chest, his face twisting with ruthless ecstasy. His eyes gleamed like blades, sharp and remorseless.
Author's Note:
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