Poverty

Chapter 1867: Grand Sacrifice Wine

With the help of the black box, Shao Hongjun fought against the great emperors of history and held his own for a time.

At this moment, the Great Emperor of the Old Earth unleashed his formidable cultivation, unleashing various Great Daos and supernatural powers with every wave of his hand.

The figure of a deceased emperor suddenly began to dim, startling everyone.

The next moment, Shao Hongjun summoned the black box, and a very special power seemed to flow through his body from within it.

Everyone felt that Shao Hongjun's aura had become extremely vast. Although he was just standing there, he gave people the feeling that all the great paths were under his feet. This feeling was terrifying.

Soon, all the images of historical emperors vanished, and the entire imperial city was shaken.

These imperial families were extremely surprised.

One by one, the imperial coffins closed again, showing no signs of disturbance, leaving everyone somewhat at a loss.

They never expected that even dozens of emperors from the old lands would be unable to deal with Shao Hongjun.

Shao Hongjun said, "If the Great Emperor's body were really in these imperial coffins, your cultivation levels would be enough to crush me to death. But do you know why you lost today?"

For a moment, no one dared to respond.

Shao Hongjun flicked his sleeves and said to himself, "Every emperor died in the face of calamity, perishing under the great cataclysm. How could their bodies remain? These imperial coffins are merely empty shells."

As soon as this statement came out, there was an uproar.

This was a huge secret of the old land, but Shao Hongjun casually revealed it at this moment.

Everyone was shocked and furious. The elder of the Mo family shouted, "Shao Hongjun, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Shao Hongjun said, "Have you ever actually seen the Emperor's body inside the Emperor's coffin?"

The Mo family elder said in a deep voice, "Even if we didn't see it, the Emperor's body was placed in the imperial coffin back then, how could it have disappeared?"

Shao Hongjun moved swiftly and arrived in front of the Mo family elder, who immediately felt his blood and qi surge.

With a light touch, Shao Hongjun struck the elder of the Mo family on the chest, and the elder immediately coughed up blood and tumbled backward.

Immediately, Shao Hongjun struck the imperial coffin he had summoned with a palm, and the layers of void within the coffin opened up, unleashing an extremely powerful aura.

Shao Hongjun originally seemed unwilling to reveal the secret, but now, empowered by the black box, he was able to overpower dozens of emperors and was in high spirits.

When he opened the imperial coffin, everyone was shocked. Recalling Shao Hongjun's earlier words, they were also very curious: could it be that there was no body of the emperor inside the coffin?

But if not, how could the Emperor's power have been unleashed?
After Shao Hongjun opened the Emperor's Coffin, everyone's attention immediately focused on it. However, they found that the coffin, which should have contained the Emperor's body, contained only a clump of ashes. Within the humanoid ashes was a wisp of extinguished heavenly fire, which had been burning for millions of years and was still burning continuously.

Everyone was shocked. When the elder of the Mo family stood up and saw this scene, he cried out in anguish, "Impossible! How could this be?"

Shao Hongjun said, "I gave you face just now, which was actually also giving face to these emperors. But you actually wanted to kill me and force me to step down. I should let you live with the truth."

At this moment, the Mo family elder was still shouting in anguish, "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Shao Hongjun turned to look at Li Yanchu, and the restraints on Li Yanchu disappeared in an instant, allowing her to come to Shao Hongjun's side.

Shao Hongjun said, "Aside from the few emperors whose remains have vanished, I can guarantee that none of these remaining imperial coffins contain the remains of an emperor. Do you know why?"

Li Yanchu was also shocked. There was no body of the Great Emperor in the Emperor's Coffin, but there was the Annihilation Heavenly Flame.

Li Yanchu said, "Because they were all burned to ashes by the Annihilation Heavenly Fire."

Shao Hongjun smiled and said, "That's right. The calamity of the Old Land is the Great Calamity of Annihilation. Every Great Emperor delayed the outbreak of the Great Calamity of Annihilation, but naturally they could not escape being burned by the Heavenly Fire."

The elder of the Tian family said in surprise, "But some emperors did not die in the Great Calamity of Annihilation."

Shao Hongjun shook his head and said, "Historical records are always somewhat distorted."

He glanced coldly at the elder of the Tian family who had spoken out against him, and then said, "I have dug up your Tian family's graves, and there was only a pile of ashes in the imperial coffin."

The elder of the Tian family was extremely surprised and exclaimed, "What?!"

Shao Hongjun smiled and said, "Digging up graves is not a righteous act, but I am really curious. Dozens of emperors have followed one after another. Was it really because of integrity and responsibility? Did not a single one of them ever have any selfish motives?"

The elder of the Tian family seemed lost in thought, muttering to himself, "This is impossible..."

Seeing that he was distracted, Shao Hongjun ignored him and looked at Li Yanchu instead.

He intends to groom Li Yanchu as his successor, so the pros and cons must be made clear to him.

At this moment, Shao Hongjun explained, "After I took over as emperor, I felt a sense of threat."

Li Yanchu asked in surprise, "What threat?"

Shao Hongjun said, "A sword has come for me. If I am unwilling to take the initiative to face the calamity, it will kill me and force me into the tribulation."

Li Yanchu exclaimed, "What? A sword?"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

They were all elders of the imperial clan, with a long and distinguished lineage, but none of them knew that such a sword existed within the Old Earth Dynasty.

Shao Hongjun looked at everyone,
"Are you surprised? Actually, you've all seen that sword before."

The next moment, an elder of the imperial clan suddenly exclaimed, "The Sword of National Protection!"

The National Protection Sword is a divine sword enshrined in the ancestral temple.

However, to most people, the sword's power was less than its reputation suggested.

It is worshipped because it was the personal sword of the first emperor of the ancient land, who used it to open up the void and establish the ancient land dynasty.

After his death, the sword was enshrined in the ancestral temple.

Shao Hongjun said, "Actually, you are all a bit too impatient. If I am unwilling to take on the calamity on my own initiative, the Zhenguo Sword will come looking for me."

An elder of the imperial clan exclaimed in surprise, "The National Guardian Sword was the First Emperor's personal sword, merely an object of sacrifice. How could it possess such power?"

Shao Hongjun said, "At first, I wasn't sure if it was the Zhenguo Sword, but after I dug up more than a dozen imperial tombs, I found that four of the corpses still had the sword intent of a peerless sword. And by following that sword intent, I finally found its source."

At this moment, Shao Hongjun pointed to the ancestral temple of the previous dynasty and said, "You have all been traitors today. If I had any selfish motives and was unwilling to contribute to the old land, the Zhenguo Sword would have come after me."

Everyone was terrified and fell into chaos.

Shao Hongjun's gaze swept over the entire court, none of whom dared to meet his eyes. Shao Hongjun said, "There is someone right under my nose who is conspiring with the court officials and colluding with powerful local families. Are you still unwilling to reveal his name?"

All the civil and military officials lowered their heads under Shao Hongjun's sharp gaze, not daring to meet his eyes, including the elders of the imperial and aristocratic families.

Shao Hongjun's gaze sharpened as he looked at an elderly man in a white robe and said calmly, "Grand Master, is this you?"

The Grand Master of the Former Dynasty of the Old Land was an ancient figure who existed since the time of the First Emperor and survived through the reigns of dozens of emperors.

Although he was not known for his military prowess, he was like an elder who was the same age as the nation, and the royal family held him in high esteem.

However, in each dynasty, this Grand Master of Ceremonies did not have a high profile. He did not make any achievements, nor did he form any factions. Therefore, he was often overlooked. He was more like a symbol, a cultural inheritor.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies smiled and said, "Your Majesty is truly remarkable. To dig up graves and engage in tomb raiding as a tomb raider, with the dignity of an emperor, is not afraid of being ridiculed by the world."

Shao Hongjun said, "What's a little infamy compared to clearing up my doubts? Besides, I actually quite like the profession of tomb raider."

The Grand Master said with great distress, "Although I don't know why His Majesty wants to establish a stranger as the Crown Prince, pass the throne to him, and pass on the first chapter of the Primordial Chaos Scripture to him, I guess His Majesty must have found a way to deal with the National Guardian Sword, right?"

Li Yanchu was extremely surprised upon hearing this, and also had some doubts in her heart.

"Isn't what I cultivate the Primordial Dao Ode? Why does he say it's the first chapter of the Primordial Ancient Scripture?"

Shao Hongjun said, "You are truly remarkable. You are the same age as the nation, and nothing can be hidden from you."

The Grand Master said, “In the distant future, there will be someone who will change the fate of the Immortal Dynasty. I once thought of inviting him to come, but later the variables surrounding him became obscure and difficult to understand, and I hesitated to make a decision. Your Majesty is truly decisive.”

Li Yanchu was somewhat moved upon hearing this and looked at the Grand Master of Ceremonies.

He knew a little about this Grand Master; he was the same age as the nation, a figure from the mythical Immortal Dynasty, and had many legendary aspects about him.

Li Yanchu suddenly recalled that when he went to his old homeland, someone invited him to be a guest.

"So it was this very Grand Master who had the idea back then."

Shao Hongjun said, "You're not being honest. You only told others that a talented young man was going to the Dao Domain and that you sent people to intercept him. You never expected that this matter would have such a big impact."

The Grand Master of Ceremonies, having deceived everyone, smiled slightly and said, "The future is somewhat uncertain, and I dare not be sure of it myself, so how could I dare to speak with absolute certainty to others?"

Shao Hongjun didn't dwell on the matter with him, and coldly said, "It's not time for me to face the calamity yet, so the Zhenguo Sword can't deal with me. That's why you old man incited so many people to rebel."

The Grand Master said, “The young man you have found is indeed extraordinary. If he grows up and takes the throne for you, you can fake your death to escape or abdicate the throne to avoid the calamity. Let this young man take the fall for you, and you will become the only emperor in history to escape, breaking the rules of the old land. I cannot help but stop you.”

Li Yanchu was shocked. Could there be so many schemes behind this?

He glanced at Shao Hongjun, who looked calm and showed no sign of guilt or shame.

Shao Hongjun said, "Old people are shrewd, and old ghosts are clever. The older a person gets, the more ghostly thoughts they have, and the more murky their view of the world becomes. You are just speculating wildly."

At this moment, the Grand Master looked at Li Yanchu but did not answer Shao Hongjun.

This legendary figure, who is the same age as the nation, does not hold Shao Hongjun in high regard.

At this point, relations had completely broken down, and tensions were running high.

The Grand Master looked at Li Yanchu and said, "Usually when good things come your way, there is often a huge disaster hidden behind them. You don't seem like a stupid person. Why do you think Shao Hongjun is so good to you? His status is worlds apart from yours. Why does he favor you so much and entrust you with state affairs? Have you really not thought about the reasons behind this?"

Shao Hongjun frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"The Grand Master is indeed powerful; he's trying to cut off my escape route."

Shao Hongjun looked at Li Yanchu with a hint of worry.

Li Yanchu's expression was cold and stern. He stared directly at the Grand Master of Ceremonies and said indifferently, "So what?"

The Grand Master of Ceremonies was taken aback upon hearing this; he was deliberately trying to sow discord between Li Yanchu and Shao Hongjun.

Shao Hongjun revealed many secrets, and he also directly exposed Shao Hongjun's scheme, indicating that there must be a rift between the two.

Given Shao Hongjun's personality, he might not be able to tolerate this young man. The young man's fierceness and decisiveness would surely make him wary of Shao Hongjun.

In just a few words, his unbreakable alliance with Shao Hongjun was broken. Regardless of Shao Hongjun's intentions, it was certainly more than half destroyed.

However, the Grand Master of Ceremonies glanced at Li Yanchu. Li Yanchu's expression was calm and his gaze was firm. His demeanor did not seem to be fake. He was extremely good at observing people's hearts. He could naturally tell whether the other party was pretending to be calm, being hypocritical, or truly not caring.

But because he could discern it, the high priest was even more surprised at this moment.

He said uncertainly, "So what? Under the Great Cataclysm, no emperor in history could escape it. If you take his place and save him from the disaster, do you think you can live?"

Li Yanchu said calmly, "So what?"

Even the Grand Master of Ceremonies was amused by the audacity of this young, reckless youth.

He could scheme against Shao Hongjun, contact numerous imperial families and powerful clans, and reach out to all the officials in the court. He could cut off Shao Hongjun's escape route with just a few words, but at this moment, he was rendered speechless by a young man.

"Where did this uncouth fellow come from? Can't he see the stakes involved?"

The Grand Master was somewhat surprised. After a moment, he slowly said, "Are you really willing to die for Shao Hongjun?"

Li Yanchu said, "To be honest, I'm not willing to die for anyone."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Master thought to himself, "Although this young man is a bit reckless, he is at least honest."

He glanced at Shao Hongjun's expression, but Li Yanchu's next words surprised him even more.

Li Yanchu said, "But His Majesty has been kind to me, and kindness should be repaid. If His Majesty needs me to mend the heavens and transform the Dao, I will agree without any scheme."

The crowd erupted in uproar. The Grand Master of Ceremonies was also slightly shaken and said, "It's just a small favor. Is it worth risking your life for?"

Li Yanchu looked surprised and asked in return, "Isn't it worth it?"

The Grand Master of Ceremonies remained silent.

In his view, pursuing the Great Dao, reaching higher realms, and maintaining the stability of the old land are extremely important, while personal feelings and sentiments are insignificant.

He found it difficult to understand what Li Yanchu was saying.

Li Yanchu was also somewhat puzzled by the Grand Master's reaction.

Looking at this Grand Master of Ceremonies, who seems like an unparalleled elder, why doesn't he understand such a simple principle?
At this moment, the old man and the young man stood facing each other. One was a legendary figure who was the same age as the nation, and the other was an outsider who had overwhelmed all others in the grand imperial assembly with his martial prowess.
The two looked at each other quietly, their eyes filled with misunderstanding of one another, but without a trace of self-doubt.

Different road non-phase plan!