Sheng Fu

Chapter 1166 Emptiness
Compared to the bustling Iron Mang City, the Spirit Palace was much quieter.

Inside the pavilion in the Imperial Garden, the lights were bright. Emperor Ling sat in the main seat, while King Linghe sat to his left. The dishes on the table were not lavish: a plate of beef, a plate of peanuts, and nothing else.

Emperor Ling picked up the teapot and poured wine for Prince Linghe. The prince with heterochromia quickly bowed his head to greet him, displaying a very humble demeanor.

"Over the years, you have always been courteous and respectful. Look at the Prince of Zhen'an, how magnificent and heroic he is," Emperor Ling said sincerely, glancing at the submissive appearance of the Prince of Linghe.

Upon hearing this, King Linghe humbly replied, "Your Majesty is joking. I am generally not suited for public and aboveboard situations. Perhaps it is because of these eyes that I attract too much attention."

King Linghe knew perfectly well that if he were to become truly bold and unrestrained, His Majesty would find him displeasing.

Stereotypes are a terrible thing. When someone actually changes, those in positions of authority will feel uncomfortable and will re-evaluate them.

Having been in charge of the Spirit Network for many years, Ling and Wang naturally understood this simple truth.

"It seems that Yuwen Jun is not very confident." Emperor Ling raised his cup, his expression slightly heavy, and took the initiative to clink glasses with King Linghe.

King Linghe cautiously replied, "What His Highness is thinking cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

"Furthermore, he is shrouded in mystery, and I cannot see through him."

Many of the Spirit Network's spies have been forced to hide within the Demon Realm's mountains and rivers. Based solely on the changes in the number of intelligence reports in recent days, both the Spirit Emperor and the Spirit King realized that the gods and demons had truly formed an alliance.

To capture Iron Mang City, we need to create a breach.

This tactic is not complicated and is also the most practical one.

However, many people did not expect that the God Emperor, the members of the Demon Realm Cabinet, and the Demon King could put aside their prejudices against each other and reach this alliance.

In general, even if Yuwen Jun takes over Changmao Prefecture, it will only mean that his momentum will be stronger.

However, if the King of Zhen'an loses the Iron Mang City, the Spirit Clan army will have to engage in a direct battle with the Demon Clan's wolf cavalry. In terms of national strength, the Spirit Clan is inferior to the Demon Clan.

Emperor Ling found it inexplicably amusing and said with a faint smile, "It seems that everyone thinks that Iron Mang City is already corrupt and cannot withstand the Emperor's personal expedition."

Linghe Wang quickly lowered his head and encouraged, "A few people think that the God Emperor may get stuck in a quagmire and be unable to extricate himself."

“I believe that not only can we defeat the invading enemy, but Yuwen Jun will also take the opportunity to conquer Changmao Prefecture.”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ling's gaze grew heavy, and he asked with great interest, "You have so much confidence in Yuwen Jun? Although you two have some personal relationship, you yourself just admitted that you can't see through Yuwen Jun."

Linghe Wang smiled calmly and said, "The true strength of the Dragon Clan has not yet fully surfaced."

"Furthermore, Yuwen Jun needs a glorious victory to stabilize the fragile camaraderie between the human and dragon races."

"Most importantly, Yuwen Jun has become the de facto ruler of the Demon Realm, and he does not want the flames of war to spread to the Demon Realm."

"That prince must have a huge secret that hasn't surfaced yet."

Emperor Ling smirked and said, "You mean the Origin Chip?"

Linghe Wang's expression immediately hardened as he said, "That prince has genuine feelings for us, but that doesn't stop him from keeping them very well hidden."

There are only a handful of people in the world who are capable of mastering the power of origin.

Coincidentally, Yuwen Jun was one of them.

Of course, this might be because Yuwen Jun's chaotic imperial aura is too unique.

Emperor Ling raised his wine cup, took a sip, and said, "Be careful what you say about this. There is another old man in the Dragon Clan who looks very young."

"The alliance of the three races is still in place, so there are some things we shouldn't say carelessly."

Ling and Wang bowed slightly, raising their cups in greeting...

……

Demon world.

Beside Wenxin Lake, the moonlight is soft and bright.

The water ripples gently, and the mist rises and falls. Looking at the lights on the opposite bank through the mist, it seems as if one is gazing at an ideal paradise.

A person emerged from the hazy night, behind him stood the magnificent and exquisite Mirror Heart City.

This man was eight feet tall, upright and elegant, with long hair that fell naturally to his shoulders. He was about fifty years old, but his face was exquisite and handsome, and his eyes gleamed with a mysterious light. He wore a black cloak and walked with a calm and graceful gait, like a king who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

Kongming, the current head of the Demon Clan's cabinet.

After the Demon Lord fell into a deep sleep, people assumed that the Demon King and Kongming jointly held power over the Demon Clan.

In reality, the true power has always been in Kongming's hands.

As they walked, they saw a majestic man dressed in black and gold brocade approaching from not far away. Tonight, the Demon King had no smell of alcohol on him. In order to meet the head of the cabinet, he had specially soaked in the hot spring for half an hour.

Because Lord Kongming is a very clean person.

In a short while, King Wu arrived before Kongming and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

Kongming smiled knowingly and said, "In private, there's no need for such formalities between us."

King Wu raised his head slightly, gazed at the head of the cabinet, and calmly replied, "How can we abandon etiquette because of personal feelings?"

Upon hearing this, Kongming walked straight past King Wu and slowly stepped forward, chuckling softly, "If it were Mu Chun, he probably wouldn't be so polite to me."

“You are about to arrive in Xinghan City. You will have to be more tolerant of Mu Chun. No matter how extreme his strategic views are, you will have to be tolerant.”

Upon hearing this, King Wu was slightly suspicious and said, "Although Mu Chun and I have different personalities, we are generally not on good terms. Why did you specifically ask me to do this?"

Kongming stopped and stood on the shore, looking at the lights on the opposite bank through the mist. He let out a soft breath and said, "There are some things His Majesty has not said explicitly, but Mu Chun's potential is truly superior to yours. However, you are more suitable to take on the important task of King Wu."

"Mu Chun is the sharpest sword in the Demon Realm. At this critical juncture, it is natural to move you to a slightly lower position. Mu Chun is in charge, and no matter how extreme or crazy he is, we will follow his will."

"Having Mu Chun is a stroke of luck, but having you gives me confidence."

Upon hearing this, King Wu's eyes flashed with a strange light, and then he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "That's true. In terms of cultivation talent alone, he is indeed superior to me. He single-handedly guarded Xinghan City, making the Demon Queen and Zhen'an King unable to raise their heads."

"Now that his morale is high, we should naturally go along with his wishes."

"In terms of wartime achievements, he is already above me."

Kongming smiled and shook his head, saying, "In terms of achievements, he is naturally below you, but he has the potential to break the deadlock."

"Of course, the order of your positions can only be decided after His Majesty awakens."

"Actually, in my heart, I admire Mu Chun, but I don't like Mu Chun."

King Wu remained silent. In fact, everyone in the Demon Realm military knew that Mu Chun was the most brilliant general, but his brilliance was so intense that it sometimes hurt the eyes of those around him.

Kongming spread his arms and said with a helpless expression, "The great struggle that should have ended long ago has been delayed until now because of the variable that is Gu Yong."

"Now, Gu Yong's apprentice has become another variable."

“Yuxi Town borders the Demon Realm. They really want to send out their iron cavalry to destroy the foundation of the Dragon Clan.”

King Wu frowned slightly, puzzled, and said, "Yuwen Jun is just a child after all, why worry about a child?"

Kongming glanced at King Wu and snorted coldly, saying, "He is very generous, so generous that he would give you the source of the Heavenly Fire."

Such generosity is inherently suspicious and calculating.

"Besides the Mount of Bright Souls whose exact location is unknown, he should have obtained other items in the Demon Realm, such as the Origin Chip."

King Wu paused, sorted out his past with Yuwen Jun, and pondered, "He has always been in the capital. Even if he discovered the Origin Chip, he had no chance to take it away."

Kongming smiled calmly and said, "I'm just speculating, but I think this speculation will eventually come true."

"This man should not be underestimated; it is a miracle that he has survived to this day."

Regardless, Yuwen Jun managed to take Minghun Mountain away right under the Demon Lord's nose.

King Wu also became interested and said, "Now that you mention it, I'd like to have a go at Yuwen Jun's place and see what he's really capable of."

Kongming laughed and said, "This matter is not your concern, but the concern of the Divine Emperor."

King Wu paused, puzzled, and asked, "Am I no longer worthy to be Yuwen Jun's opponent?"

Kongming chuckled and said, "In terms of scale, even if we join forces, we are not worthy of being Yuwen Jun's opponent. Although he does not have the status of a king, he already has the aura of a king."

"They won over the Human Emperor and the Spirit Emperor, and not long ago delivered a thunderous blow to the God Emperor in the Chaos Space."

"Although he did not make a move, he was the planner and one of the masterminds behind the scenes. The Divine Emperor suffered losses at his hands, and His Majesty also suffered losses at his hands."

"Although his record may not seem particularly impressive, it can withstand close scrutiny."

"People like that are the most terrifying."

Upon hearing this, King Wu's gaze gradually calmed, and he said thoughtfully, "I see."

"Thank you for answering my questions, sir."

The head of the demon cabinet had no worries or smugness in his eyes, like a gem hidden deep in a glacier, aloof from the world.

But at this moment, a hint of confusion appeared in Kongming's eyes.

Seeing this, King Wu cautiously asked, "Why is Your Majesty deep in thought?"

Kongling focused his mind and gazed through the mist on the lake at the lights on the opposite shore, and said softly, "In the ancient times, heroes vied for supremacy, and many powerful figures perished."

"In ancient times, five tribes vied for supremacy, and each had its own victories and defeats."

"The same is true today."

"But every time a great battle begins, the source of heavenly fire descends upon the world."

"Although the origin of the Heavenly Fire is a creation formed by chance, the timing of its appearance always happens after someone arrives at that Sea of ​​Bitterness."

"I am very curious about the extent of the myriad causes and effects."

Even His Majesty, the most powerful ruler in the world, suffered a setback in this great struggle.

"Unfortunately, I can only be curious about a little bit of it. Your Majesty will probably have the opportunity to appreciate the myriad landscapes."

King Wu's expression hardened, and he slowly said, "Since ancient times, all things have been legends, but since they are legends, they must have their origins. It just so happens that no one knows what those origins are."

"The laws of the world have both fixed rules and variables, but that is why the world is always full of all sorts of interesting things."

Kongming smiled with a hint of disdain: "You're quite magnanimous, and you know a lot of道理 (principles/reasons)."

"I consulted a large number of ancient books, but I couldn't find even the slightest clue."

"However, this is not something we should worry about. We can only leave it to fate."

Throughout history, some people may have gathered all the Origin Chips, some may have mastered the power of Origin, and some may have embarked on countless paths, such as fusing Origin Chips or gathering the world's fortune to reach the pinnacle.

However, throughout the long history, there has never been a record or even a tale of any living being entering that myriad realms.