Poverty

Chapter 1882 Planning
The Lord of the Dao Domain treated Li Yanchu with great courtesy, and he planned to take Li Yanchu back to the Great Void.

Li Yanchu was itching to make a move, his gaze lingering on the Dao Domain Lord's neck and waist.

The Lord of the Dao Domain knew that Li Yanchu wanted to test whether he could kill him by drawing his sword, but he didn't care at all.

But suddenly someone blocked their way.

Li Yanchu thought to himself, "My journey back home has been quite arduous."

The newcomer was an old man dressed in a dragon robe, exuding a powerful and imposing aura. He was none other than Shao Hongjun, the Great Emperor of the Old Land.

The Lord of the Dao Domain said in a deep voice, "Shao Hongjun, do you want to break ties with me?"

Shao Hongjun said, "How can you let my godson be treated like this?"

The Dao Domain Lord's expression darkened.
"You're fighting on two fronts; be careful not to get yourself into a dangerous situation. If I join forces with the Dragon Ancestor, do you think you'll survive?"

Shao Hongjun said, "If I join forces with the Dragon Ancestor, do you think you'll still be alive?"

The Lord of the Dao Domain frowned slightly.

Shao Hongjun said, "No one has ever joined forces with anyone else in all these years. If you dare to join forces with him, aren't you afraid that he will betray you at a crucial moment?"

The Lord of the Dao Domain suddenly laughed: "That guy is indeed not trustworthy."

Shao Hongjun said, "No one is trustworthy, is that right?"

The Lord of the Dao Domain said, "You broke into the Dao Domain and kidnapped Li Yanchu. I merely followed your method and broke into the Imperial City to kidnap him. We're even now. Are you going to turn against me completely?"

Shao Hongjun said, "How can my adopted son leave with you?"

Li Yanchu frowned slightly.

Shao Hongjun valued him highly, and his previous plan to return to his hometown was also because he did not want to face Shao Hongjun again.

However, Shao Hongjun's current appearance made Li Yanchu's heart soften a little.

Li Yanchu thought to himself, "Everything I said before was told to me by that Mysterious Maiden True King. Could it be that she was deliberately trying to sow discord between me and His Majesty?"

Shao Hongjun said, "Gu Fu, it's a pity that we haven't had a proper fight yet. Why don't we fight here and see if the Dragon Ancestor and the Primordial Ancestor will come and take advantage of the situation?"

"So the name of the Lord of the Dao Domain is Gu Fu."

Li Yanchu thought.

The Lord of the Dao Domain said calmly, "Now is not the time. Our battle should be postponed. How about we set it for ten years from now, over at the Abyss Sea?"

Shao Hongjun said, "Alright, I will make this ten-year agreement with you, to settle our differences by the edge of the deep sea."

The Lord of the Dao Domain nodded.

At this point, he gave up on fighting Shao Hongjun and also gave up on Li Yanchu.

He looked at Li Yanchu and said, "If you want to come to my Dao Domain, you are welcome at any time. The Dao Domain will always reserve a place for you. If I die in the Abyss Sea, you will be my next Dao Domain Lord."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped back without waiting for Li Yanchu to reply.

Li Yanchu and Shao Hongjun stood facing each other.

Shao Hongjun said with emotion, "You have suffered a lot and endured many hardships."

Li Yanchu shook his head and said, "It's not considered suffering. How can one attain the Great Dao without going through hardships?"

Shao Hongjun laughed heartily, "That's right, we cultivators should have this courageous and diligent spirit."

Li Yanchu asked, "Your Majesty, what will I be like in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Shao Hongjun shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but in a corner of the future, you stood in the boundless light of the Dao, which was truly captivating."

Li Yanchu said, "I'm going back to my hometown. I have no intention of becoming a hegemon in this vast void."

Shao Hongjun laughed and said, "You are the next Great Emperor of my old land, and the burden on your shoulders is extremely heavy. Do you intend to abandon me?"

Li Yanchu remained silent.

Shao Hongjun asked, puzzled, "During our meeting, I noticed that you seemed somewhat wary of me. What happened?"

Li Yanchu did not try to evade or conceal anything, but went straight to the point and asked, "That day, the people from the Dao Domain took advantage of the capital city's vulnerability to attack. Was this at His Majesty's behest?"

Shao Hongjun asked in surprise, "Why do you say that? How could I let them break into the city and kidnap people?"

Li Yanchu said, "It was the True King Xuan Nu who told me this. Handing me over can bring about a short period of peace between the Dao Domains, and Your Majesty can also free up his hands to deal with other forces."

Shao Hongjun laughed and said, "Mysterious Maiden True King? You mean Su the Demoness? How can you believe her words? Do you think I can exchange you for peace in the Dao Domain? There has never been true peace between the Dao Domain and my old land. There never was, there never is, and there never will be.

Li Yanchu said, "The True King of Mysterious Maiden said that His Majesty intends to cultivate me, but I have aroused His Majesty's suspicion. A piece that jumps out of the chessboard is always uncontrollable."

Shao Hongjun said, "Su the witch is good at sowing discord. It is undeniable that when you held the Zhenguo Sword that day, I did feel a rare sense of apprehension. But so what? Would I harm you because of that?"

Li Yanchu stared at Shao Hongjun, who remained calm.
"I intend to groom you to be the next emperor. This decision will not be made without careful consideration, and once it is made, it will not be changed. In particular, I will not allow your dazzling brilliance to give me the idea of ​​harming you."

Li Yanchu said, "I believe in my godfather."

One was Shao Hongjun, who saved his life, nurtured him with all his might, and spared no effort in his upbringing; the other was Xuan Nu Zhen Wang, who had tricked him once, used him as an experimental subject, and seized his primordial Dao Qi. This decision was not difficult.

Shao Hongjun said, "Don't believe the words of outsiders trying to sow discord."

Li Yanchu sighed, "To be honest, I did waver before. In fact, I had this idea before she tried to provoke me."

Shao Hongjun said, "I can't blame you for this. If I were in your position and encountered such a change, I would naturally have my doubts too."

Li Yanchu asked, "Has Your Majesty been able to find out who tipped you off?"

Shao Hongjun shook his head and said, "I can't be sure yet. Besides me, the only people who know that the Six Kings went to the fleet are the Imperial Preceptor and the Grand Tutor. They are both people I trust very much, and I don't want to doubt them because of this."

Li Yanchu said, "Once suspicion arises, it is like weeds that cannot be suppressed. Your Majesty is right to do so."

Shao Hongjun said seriously, "It would drive people crazy to be in my position. I am very different now than when I first took the throne. I have done many things that I did not want to do. But I will not destroy the future of the old land with my own hands. But I have chosen you and that will never change. There will be a beginning and an end between us."

Li Yanchu said with a wry smile, "But I may not be able to shoulder this burden. I really want to go back to my hometown."

Shao Hongjun said, "Isn't your hometown right here in your old homeland? Why bother looking for it further afield?"

Li Yanchu said, "The forces in the Great Void are intertwined and scheming against each other, which is really annoying to me."

Shao Hongjun said, "Where in this world is there a pure land? No matter where you are, trouble will never stay away from you just because you actively avoid it."

Li Yanchu smiled.

A sense of pride welled up within me; indeed, no matter where you are, trouble will always surround you.

Shao Hongjun and Li Yanchu returned to their old home together.

Li Yanchu was also somewhat dazed.

He chose to believe Shao Hongjun. Not trusting people easily, nor needing to be suspicious of everyone, would make life too tiring.

The two returned to the imperial city. Shao Hongjun said, "The emperors of the old lands all have the responsibility of mending the heavens. This problem is getting worse and worse. In my generation, it will erupt even earlier than the previous emperor. But this problem will end in my generation. The old lands you take over in the future will be a brand new old lands."

Li Yanchu asked, "What solutions does Your Majesty have for this problem that even several great emperors of the Old Lands have failed to resolve?"

Shao Hongjun asked, "Do you know the origin of the calamity of the old land?" Li Yanchu replied, "The formation, existence, illusion, and destruction of the universe naturally follow their own laws."

Shao Hongjun shook his head and said, "Logically speaking, the calamity of the Old Land should not have broken out so quickly. The Old Land should have at least hundreds of billions of years to buffer."

"Tens of trillions of years?" Li Yanchu exclaimed in disbelief.

“That’s right,” Shao Hongjun said. “But the frequent calamities that have struck the old lands make me suspect that it’s a problem with the First Emperor.”

Li Yanchu asked in confusion, "Didn't the First Emperor sacrifice himself to delay the calamity of the Old Land?"

Shao Hongjun said, "The Old Earth is not a naturally formed universe, but was created by the First Emperor. If that's the case, why would the First Emperor create such a fragile universe?"

Li Yan was completely confused when he first heard this.

Shao Hongjun said, "You haven't reached my level, so you don't understand that the Old Land was opened up on a huge scale and should have survived for a very long time. But it has been having problems so frequently, and dozens of emperors have sacrificed themselves to keep it alive until now. It's because someone is deliberately plotting against us."

Li Yanchu exclaimed, "Is it the First Emperor?!"

Shao Hongjun said, "That's right. I suspect that the calamity of the Old Land is just a trap set up by the First Emperor."

Li Yanchu asked, "What kind of situation?"

Shao Hongjun said with a heavy expression, "It's a scheme to continuously harvest the resources of past emperors to complete the ancient universe."

Li Yan was horrified upon hearing this.

"The First Emperor opened up the universe of the ancient land, and the great emperors of the past transformed themselves into the Dao. Didn't this complete his Great Dao? Could it be that the First Emperor did not die?"

Shao Hongjun said, "I suspect he has never died and is secretly manipulating all of this."

Li Yanchu gasped in shock.
"The Sword of the Nation."

Shao Hongjun said, “If someone is willing to believe him, it would be good for him to transform himself into the Dao. But if he is not willing, the Zhenguo Sword will take his life to help him transform into the Dao. The day the Zhenguo Sword heard your summons, it really startled me. I thought you were the reincarnation of the First Emperor. But thinking about it carefully, his plans are so deep. If he really played this game, he would never die, and naturally he would not be reincarnated. He must have faked his death to escape. Therefore, you are definitely not him.”

Li Yanchu suddenly said, "If he really is dead, and all of this was done in order to be resurrected?"

Shao Hongjun said decisively, "Then I will stop him too."

Li Yanchu asked, "Then how can we resolve the calamity of the old land?"

Shao Hongjun said, "I will eradicate the imperial families of the old land. They are like malignant tumors that never die and occupy countless resources. Eradicating the old land families will liberate the old land and delay the outbreak of the calamity."

Shao Hongjun's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he continued, "Next, we will need the Primal Dao Qi."

Li Yanchu said, "The primordial Dao Qi in the black box?"

“Yes!” Shao Hongjun said, “Over the years I have sent people to secretly search for a lot, but unfortunately it is just a drop in the ocean. It is possible that the creation of the universe will give birth to primordial Dao Qi. As long as there is enough primordial Dao Qi, the calamity of the old land can be stabilized, the Dao of the old land will no longer be incomplete, and this man-made calamity will be eliminated.”

Li Yanchu was deeply shocked.

Shao Hongjun's actions truly demonstrate great courage and vision.

Shao Hongjun said gently, "I'm telling you all this so that you know you must be careful in the old land. The Zhenguo Sword is a weapon of death, and its use is ominous."

Li Yanchu's heart stirred, and he asked, "Has the Zhenguo Sword returned?"

Shao Hongjun shook his head and said, "The Zhenguo Sword left the dilapidated temple that day and has not returned since."

Li Yanchu said, "The Zhenguo Sword was saved that day, but we don't know what the outcome of the battle with the Xuan Nu Zhen Wang will be."

Shao Hongjun said, "No matter the outcome, I am confident that I can force the First Emperor to show himself."

Li Yanchu asked, "Through the Zhenguo Sword?"

Shao Hongjun nodded and said, "That's right."

Li Yanchu asked with concern, "Isn't it too risky to start a war with Zhenjitian now, while at the same time guarding against the Dao Domain and dealing with the First Emperor?"

Shao Hongjun smiled and said, "The Dragon Ancestor will not participate in this battle, nor will I. Therefore, this war is all bark and no bite, and the casualties are only the noble families of the old land."

……

Battle reports kept coming back from the front lines. This war was like a giant meat grinder, with heavy casualties among the powerful members of the old aristocratic families.

The Dragon Ancestor did not appear, and Zhen Jitian's side also suffered heavy casualties.

The number of casualties on both sides in the great battle was too high, but in the end, the battle ended inconclusively.

The fleet returned, having killed many powerful figures from the True Heaven, thus demonstrating the might of the Old Land, and the whole country celebrated.

Li Yanchu had been cultivating in the Fengya Palace.

After Shao Hongjun explained the advantages and disadvantages of this national war that day, he knew that there would be no major problems. This was only the first step for Shao Hongjun to avert disaster.

Shao Hongjun passed on the true Hunyuan Ancient Scripture to Li Yanchu, which was the complete version of the cultivation method. He diligently practiced it every day to verify its effectiveness.

On this day, the Grand Master of Ceremonies suddenly came to see Li Yanchu.

The fact that no one has been able to kill him since the last palace coup is enough to demonstrate his formidable cultivation, making even Shao Hongjun wary of him and unwilling to easily turn against him.

Or perhaps there were other reasons, which Li Yanchu could not know.

After meeting Li Yanchu, the Grand Master of Ceremonies was much calmer than before, but he was still very respectful.

When the Grand Master spoke of the war, he curled his lip and said, "It was just a meaningless war. Even if we couldn't conquer Zhenjitian, it wouldn't seriously damage either side. Shao Hongjun's vision was ultimately too narrow."

Li Yanchu said, "I have no interest in national affairs. If you're only here to talk about these things, please leave."

The Grand Master of Ceremonies, regaining his composure, smiled and said, "In the end, you are closer to Shao Hongjun."

Li Yanchu said, "His Majesty has treated me with immense kindness; shouldn't I be rewarded?"

The Grand Master said, "But what if he has ulterior motives?"

Li Yanchu said, "I don't want to hear these words."

The Grand Master of Ceremonies laughed and said, "Alright, then I won't say anything. Your Highness, has any sense that the Sword of the Nation has not yet returned?"

Li Yanchu shook her head and said, "No."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed slightly, and he looked towards the horizon.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies seemed to be deep in thought, and followed Li Yanchu's gaze to look out.

In the vast void, a long sword flew back to its old home, its blade still radiating a dense killing intent, extremely cold and sharp.

Even though the Zhenguo Sword was still a great distance from the Old Earth Dynasty, Li Yanchu already had some reaction, and he was also quite curious.

"Have I truly developed this connection with the National Sword?"

However, the Zhenguo Sword failed to return. Shao Hongjun stopped the Zhenguo Sword, which emitted a sword cry filled with a threatening intent.

Shao Hongjun said, "You have killed too many emperors. Starting with my generation, we will no longer need you."

The sword that guarded the nation emitted a sword's cry, its tip pointing directly at Shao Hongjun.

His murderous intent was fully revealed!