Sheng Fu

……

The Iron Mang City, the Zhen'an Prince's Mansion.

Currently, the people in charge of all affairs in the mansion are Yan Che, Prince Zhen'an, Wei Mo, and Qi Han, all of whom are in seclusion.

Although military affairs are not particularly tense at the moment, the dark cloud of war still hangs over this iron-willed city. Therefore, every day, Yan Che personally reviews various official documents in his study, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Tuk-tuk-tuk...

A maid knocked on the door of the study. Yan Che looked up, his eyes slightly dazed, and he was inwardly admiring how his seemingly rough and unrefined father managed to organize these tedious official documents.

"What is it?" Yan Che asked, sounding slightly tired.

The personal maidservant replied somewhat reservedly from outside the door, "Reporting to the Princess, Prince Yuwen has arrived."

Yan Che stood up instantly and rushed out the door.

Inside the main hall, Yuwen Jun sat alone, holding a teapot and sipping Qianqiu Baishui tea.

"I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me." Yan Che jogged up to Yuwen Jun and bowed.

Yuwen Jun shook his head slightly and said, "It's alright. I can roughly guess that you have been in charge of the overall situation of Tie Mang City these days. I imagine you have been working very hard. There's no need to worry about these trivial matters."

"My unexpected visit saves you the trouble of coming out of the city to greet me."

"We're all on the same side, there's no need to worry about these things."

Yan Che then smiled and said, "Listening to Your Highness speak is truly like a gentle breeze."

He then gave his personal maid a wink, ordering her to hurry down and prepare the banquet.

Yan Che then sat down to Yuwen Jun's left, thoughtfully peeled a grape for Yuwen Jun, and said with a smile, "Congratulations on Your Highness's advancement to the Lingxiao realm."

"This Lingxiao Realm is truly a miracle unseen throughout history."

"It is both our good fortune and our misfortune to be born in the same era as Your Highness."

Yan Che's eyes were full of admiration.

For a fleeting moment, Yan Che truly felt that Yuwen Jun was the man who would end the era of great strife…

Hearing Yan Che's heartwarming and slightly flattering words, Yuwen Jun smiled and said, "Thank you. You are much better than your father. If it were your father, I don't know how much he would have flattered you."

Yan Che blushed slightly and pondered, "Father was just speaking frankly. The gap between me and Father is too great. Your Highness is joking."

Yuwen Jun laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, you are eloquent and have the air of great talent."

Yan Che smiled shyly and said, "Your Highness is too kind."

Yuwen Jun stopped teasing Yan Che and changed the subject, asking, "Do you know the city defense map of Tie Mang City?"

"I have seized a large number of Holy Spirit Stones, which I intend to use to strengthen the defenses of Iron Mane City."

Upon hearing this, Yan Che was immediately filled with excitement, but he quickly showed a troubled expression and said, "I do have the city defense map, and I am familiar with all kinds of mechanisms, but with my cultivation level, I am not able to embed the Holy Spirit Stone into it. It can only be arranged after Father comes out of seclusion, or by His Majesty coming in person."

Yuwen Jun then sighed softly and said, "Indeed, I oversimplified the matter. I planned to strengthen the city's defenses with you, but then I turned back to Hengchang Sect. It seems we won't be able to carry out a forced march."

Yan Che rose and bowed deeply, solemnly saying, "Thank you for your concern for my Iron Mang City, Your Highness."

Yuwen Jun quickly waved his hand and said, "Now that the alliance is becoming stronger, this is just icing on the cake. There's no need to be so formal. We'll have plenty of time to fight side by side in the future. Perhaps one day, when I'm imprisoned, I'll be counting on you to lead a large army to help me break through the encirclement."

"Get up quickly. You don't need to be so polite when you see me in the future."

Yan Che felt as if he were bathed in a spring breeze when he heard Yuwen Jun speak.

“In that case, you should first gather your array masters to prepare, and I will head to the Spirit Palace to invite His Majesty here,” Yuwen Jun said.

Knowing the gravity of the matter, Yan Che said with a serious expression, "I will go and make preparations immediately. Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness."

Yuwen Jun didn't waste any time and disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.

……

The Spirit Palace, in its long corridor.

This time, once again, they arrived at the main gate of the Spirit Palace. Led by the leader of the Spirit Guards, they leisurely went to meet His Majesty the Spirit Emperor. For a short while after entering Lingxiao Palace, Yuwen Jun did indeed feel a sense of pride and satisfaction.

But two nights have passed since then.

Yuwen Jun had already calmed down.

If Yuwen Jun were to go directly to the depths of the Spirit Palace to meet His Majesty, the Spirit Emperor would think that Yuwen Jun had developed an air of arrogance since entering the Lingxiao Palace.

The more successful and complacent you are, the more humble and cautious you need to be.

Of course, if one directly enters the realm of myriad realms, that's a different story.

The scenery was still the same as before, and it hadn't changed at all because Yuwen Jun had entered the Lingxiao Realm.

Before they knew it, they had arrived outside the Daoist temple of Emperor Ling. The leader of the Ling Secret Guard, whose face was covered with armor, stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Yuwen has come to visit."

A moment later, Emperor Ling slowly walked out from inside, dressed in a magnificent black-purple robe, barefoot, with disheveled hair and a slightly pale face.

Seeing this, the leader of the Spirit Guard wisely left.

"Come, let's sit in the garden and tell me about your state of mind at that time," Emperor Ling said to Yuwen Jun with great interest.

Emperor Ling had thought that Yuwen Jun would be too busy with state affairs to come to the Ling Clan territory these past few days, but he was surprised that Yuwen Jun came so quickly, so the emperor was very pleased.

This celebrity is different from the others.

Yuwen Jun bowed slightly and said, "There's no need for tea and conversation. I've come here on important business."

"I intended to place the captured Holy Spirit Stones in Iron Mang City to strengthen its defenses, but unfortunately, Prince Zhen'an and others have already gone into seclusion, leaving only Princess Yan Che to oversee the overall situation. Princess Yan Che's cultivation level is too low to activate the city's defensive array."

"So, I came to see His Majesty again!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ling frowned slightly and said, "For such an important matter, you went directly to Iron Mang City instead of coming to me first?"

"What do you intend to do?"

This was truly a case of acting first and reporting later.

Yuwen Jun smiled helplessly and said, "I have been busy with government affairs lately and have been negligent for a moment. I hope Your Majesty will not take it to heart."

Emperor Ling's brows gradually lifted as he gazed at Yuwen Jun. This young man was indeed full of pride and ambition. It seemed that the turmoil surrounding the new policies of the human race was about to come to an end.

"Is the Emperor aware of this?" Emperor Ling asked in return.

"I didn't know, which is why I thought of going directly into Iron Mang City to set up defenses, hoping to secretly carry out this matter without the knowledge of the two emperors," Yuwen Jun said truthfully.

To say that the Human Emperor didn't care about the ownership of the Holy Spirit Stone would be a lie.

However, due to the situation and personal considerations, no matter how much the Emperor cared, he could not express his true thoughts. Besides, the task of dealing with the remnants of the Purple Gold Alliance relied entirely on Yuwen Jun's bravery in battle, and the Emperor himself had promised Yuwen Jun to handle the legacy of the Purple Gold Alliance's remnants. As His Majesty, he could not go back on his word.

If the Emperor had known all along that there were so many Holy Spirit Stones within the Purple Qi Mountains, he probably wouldn't have granted Yuwen Jun such power.

Emperor Ling also roughly understood what Yuwen Jun meant.

"Since the Emperor is unaware of this matter, I cannot be unaware of it either. I must be like the Emperor, only finding out the truth belatedly," Emperor Ling said with an embarrassed expression.

It was supposed to be an impregnable alliance, but the weight of the Holy Spirit Stone was too great, enough to shake the hearts of the allies.

"We might as well wait until the Prince of Zhen'an emerges from seclusion before making a decision. There's no rush in this matter anyway," Emperor Ling said thoughtfully with a strange expression.

Yuwen Jun was also at a loss for words.

"The Holy Spirit Stone must be handed over as soon as possible. If it is delayed for too long, things may change," Yuwen Jun said carefully.

Emperor Ling looked up at the distant sky, a hint of worry in his eyes, and said, “The item is good, and I like it very much, but I really don’t know how to take it over for the time being. If there is a decree from the Emperor, then everything will be fine.”

"Since you are in charge of the Purple Gold Alliance's legacy, why not use these Holy Spirit Stones to reinforce the defenses of Vast City, Frost Moon City, and Taicang City? Wouldn't that be better? That way, it won't give anyone anything to criticize."

Yuwen Jun shook his head decisively and said, "No, overall, I can withstand the fierce attack of the God Clan army in the Divine Realm, but the Iron Mang City may not be able to withstand the southward advance of the Demon Clan wolf cavalry."

Whether Prince Zhen'an can enter that sea of ​​suffering after taking the elixir is still uncertain.

"Mu Chun successfully defended Xinghan City, creating a legendary tale on the battlefield. At this time, his morale is at its peak. If he were to accidentally advance his cultivation level, it would be hard to say whether Tiemang City could be defended."

"After autumn arrives, war will inevitably break out. As for whether the first battlefield will be at the Thousand Autumns Bridge or outside Frostmoon City, it is hard to say."

"Judging from the signs, the gods and demons may form an alliance."

"In comparison, the defenses of Iron Mang City are somewhat weaker."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ling felt heavy-hearted, but he could also understand the implication behind Yuwen Jun's words: it was because he was not going to let the Spirit Clan defend themselves that he distributed the Holy Spirit Stones to the Spirit Clan.

However, it is understandable. After all, the Demon Clan is powerful. Although the Demon Lord was seriously injured, Mu Chun was a variable. At the same time, that Demon King was no pushover either. The old guys in Mirror Heart City still managed the entire Demon Realm in an orderly manner. The Demon Lord's cultivation was unfathomable. He bestowed eternal true essence upon Mu Chun, and naturally also bestowed eternal true essence upon that Demon King.

It may seem like there's no leader guarding the central command, but in reality, it's quite difficult to fight.

"How about this, Your Majesty, disguise yourself as the Prince of Zhen'an and appear with me above the Iron Mang City. Then have Yan Che call Your Majesty 'Father' a few times, just to go through the motions and erase any traces I left in the Spirit Palace," Yuwen Jun said with a strange smile, having come up with a bad idea.

Emperor Ling, upon hearing this, also felt that there was some truth to it.

“But this seems a bit childish!” Emperor Ling said with a strange smile.

Yuwen Jun said, "It's just a matter of playing around with the rules, but once the Holy Spirit Stone reinforces the defenses of Iron Mang City, it will no longer be a matter of playing around."

Emperor Ling laughed heartily and said, "Very well, so be it."

A slight surge of myriad spirits' true essence was seen, and the Spirit Emperor transformed into the majestic appearance of the King of Zhen'an, with two horns on his head, dark red eyes, and boundless domineering aura.

"After entering the Iron Mang City, His Majesty will have to pretend to invite me to a meal at the Zhen'an Prince's Mansion, and we'll have to act like brothers for a while," Yuwen Jun said with a smug smile.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ling feigned nonchalance and said, "It's nothing, we're brothers, what's the big deal?"

Yuwen Jun first pursed his lips slightly, but he couldn't help himself and finally burst into laughter.

……

The Iron Mang City, the Zhen'an Prince's Mansion.

After Yuwen Jun left, the banquet that Yan Che had arranged was also temporarily suspended.

In the courtyard.

Two hundred array masters stood in neat formation, with Yan Che at the very front. Although she was a woman, she possessed a heroic and spirited demeanor, and commanded in a resounding voice: "Proceed immediately to the major checkpoints of the city defenses and reorganize the city defense area."

The array masters were slightly puzzled upon hearing this.

The reorganization of the city's defenses required the personal order of the Prince of Zhen'an. Although Yan Che was his daughter, she did not have such real power. However, remembering that before the Prince of Zhen'an went into seclusion, he had entrusted all military affairs of the Iron Mang City to the princess, they could only reply in unison, "As you command."

As soon as he finished speaking, "Prince Zhen'an" and Yuwen Jun appeared simultaneously in the sky above the courtyard.

Upon seeing this, Yan Che looked on incredulously and asked, "Father, you've emerged from seclusion?"

"Prince Zhen'an" grinned and said, "How can such an important matter be handled in seclusion?"

"Immediately rectify the situation."

Yan Che nodded emphatically with delight, "Okay!"

In a short while, Yuwen Jun and "King Zhen'an" arrived at the city wall of Tie Mang City. Not far away, brilliant runes shot into the sky one after another, and the defensive field was reopened, exuding a powerful aura as vast as mountains and seas.

"Did you tell Yan Che the truth afterward?" Yuwen Jun found it quite amusing and asked with a slight smile.

"Prince Zhen'an" shook his head and said, "No need. Since it's all an act, let's go all the way. Besides, it's been a long time since I've heard anyone call me Father."

"On this matter alone, I still envy Prince Zhen'an."

Some hidden emotions, which one is unwilling to express, will naturally remain hidden in the heart, and will unexpectedly touch the softest heartstrings.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun also felt a pang of helplessness and sorrow...

Soon, Yan Che rushed over from a distance, knelt on one knee and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Father, the city defense field has been fully activated."

In fact, both the Prince of Zhen'an and Yuwen Jun were well aware that the city's defense zone had been fully activated, but some people just wanted to see Yan Che address them as "Father" with a devout expression.

Yuwen Jun instantly opened the Boundless Bracelet and took out 3,600 Holy Spirit Stones. In an instant, golden holy light filled the entire sky, illuminating thousands of miles of mountains and rivers with an aura that was magnificent and beyond description.

In an instant, "King Zhen'an" arrived high in the sky, his hands quickly forming hand seals. Three thousand six hundred Holy Spirit Stones rapidly dispersed and piled up in key positions across the field, then exuded an incomparably powerful Holy Spirit aura.

In an instant, the two hundred array masters felt the power of the field increase infinitely, as if it were about to illuminate the mountains and rivers and usher in a new golden age.

Yan Che's eyes shone with admiration upon seeing this scene. In this way, even if the Demon Lord himself arrived, Iron Mang City could hold out for about half an hour.

If only the other generals of the Demon Realm come to knock on the gate, this Iron Mang City will be indestructible.

Seeing that the area had been reinforced, "Prince Zhen'an" instantly appeared beside Yuwen Jun, patted Yuwen Jun's shoulder, and said loudly, "Good brother, I haven't spoiled you for nothing. Come on, let's go drink. Today, I will definitely keep you company properly."

"If you take a fancy to any beauty in Iron Mang City, just tell your brother. The only thing to do is not to set your sights on a married woman."

Yuwen Jun felt a little uncomfortable being greeted by this "Prince Zhen'an". Although he had the demeanor of that prince, he seemed to be much more bold and unrestrained.

"Your Highness is too kind. Drinking is fine, but there's no need for women," Yuwen Jun replied with a cheerful smile.

"Prince Zhen'an" looked at the array masters in various parts of the field and shouted loudly, "You have all come into the mansion with me. Today, we will not stop until we are drunk."

Upon hearing this, the array masters were also filled with excitement, as today's grand occasion had indeed come rather suddenly.

Soon after, the Zhen'an Prince's Mansion was bustling with activity, filled with the aroma of wine and meat.

After clinking glasses with Yuwen Jun a few times, "Prince Zhen'an" went to the table of the array masters, trying to clink glasses with each of them, and said with a hearty laugh, "I imagine His Majesty will send us many rewards in a few days. After today, our brothers from Iron Mang City can practically roam freely throughout the Spirit Clan's world. However, we must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and not offend our fellow brothers because of personal whims. Otherwise, if His Majesty finds out, I won't be able to explain myself..." (End of this chapter)