I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 723 My word is my bond, I will never break it! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Upon receiving the news, Ivan quickly emerged from the inner room, his face showing obvious worry: "Ancestor, that cunning sorcerer has suddenly invited you to the palace. Could it be a trap?"

Romanov frowned slightly; he had naturally considered this issue as well.

However, his long-standing strength and status at the top fostered a near-blind self-confidence in him.

He snorted coldly, stroked his beard, and said with a hint of disdain, "A trap? In the face of absolute strength, what waves can a few schemes and tricks stir up?"
If he dares to harm me, he will be cutting himself off from the Great Luo! Besides, although he has some prestige now, if he wants to truly promote his witchcraft to every corner of the empire,
Especially in the core territories that our royal family and those ancient nobles have cultivated for hundreds of years, it's simply a pipe dream without our approval and assistance! His invitation this time, in my opinion, is most likely because he's encountered a bottleneck and wants to seek a breakthrough in certain areas, or perhaps he's here to ask for benefits.”

Ivan was still uneasy and said urgently, "Ancestor, we must not agree to him so easily! If we let him extend his tentacles into our core territory, given time, the hearts and minds of the people will belong to him, and the world may really change hands!"

"Hmph, how could I not know?" A fierce glint flashed in Romanov's eyes. "I'm going there this time to make him face reality! To give him a warning, to let him understand who the real ruler is in this Great Luo! There are some boundaries that he cannot cross."

He was arrogant about his extraordinary cultivation, believing that even if the imperial palace was a den of dragons and tigers, he could come and go as he pleased.

After saying this, Romanov straightened his robes and, surprisingly, without any attendants, transformed into a faint, ethereal shadow and disappeared into the night, heading towards the palace he once knew so well.

A grand banquet had already been prepared in the palace, with bright lights and melodious music playing.

However, when Romanov stepped into that familiar hall, an indescribable sense of humiliation and anger welled up in his heart.

He was once the supreme master here, but now he is coming as a "guest".

And that mysterious sorcerer was sitting openly beside the main seat, behind the curtain, acting like the master! This made him feel a surge of murderous intent.

The banquet was still held in that special space, isolated from the outside world.

The heavy curtains fell, blocking the view, and only a blurry figure could be vaguely seen behind them.

This "guarded" posture, in Romanov's eyes, further confirmed his judgment that the shaman was "all bark and no bite" and "fearful of him," and a mocking smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

During the banquet, beautiful palace maids danced gracefully, their enchanting movements attracting attention, while fine wine filled jade cups.

But neither Romanov nor Li Chen behind the curtain had any real interest in appreciating it.

Beneath the surface of singing and dancing, undercurrents were stirring.

When the music ended and the dancers bowed and withdrew, Romanov finally put down his wine glass impatiently, his sharp gaze shooting towards the curtain, his voice carrying an unquestionable majesty: "Witch Ancestor, you specially invited me here, not just for this solitary drink, are you? If you have something important to say, please speak frankly."

Behind the curtain, Li Chen, playing the role of the Witch Ancestor, spoke in a voice that remained ethereal and calm, yet carried a subtle hint of probing:

"Now that the Imperial Council and the Royal Family have recognized my legitimacy and granted me a fief, shouldn't we also put the matter of missionary work and the establishment of temples in the direct territories of the Royal Family and other major families on the agenda? Only by unifying our faith can we unite our national strength and jointly resist foreign enemies."

As expected! Romanov sneered inwardly, a sense of "just as I thought," "I knew it" welling up inside him. In fact, Li Chen had already anticipated this; if he hadn't said so, how could Romanov have lowered his guard?

Romanov remained outwardly calm, instead stating his conditions with a condescending tone: "If you wish to preach, that's fine, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. Since you enjoy the Empire's support, you should naturally share the Empire's burdens."
The Empire's greatest external threat right now is the Tian Ce army. If you can perform a miracle or use your influence to persuade the Tian Ce to withdraw, even if it's just by ceding some of the occupied territory,

If you accomplish this, I, in the name of Romanov, guarantee that the name of the Ancestor of the Witch will resound throughout every inch of the Great Luo land, and your followers will be free to travel to any territory to preach!

In his heart, however, he was thinking maliciously: Once you, you fool, actually believe my words and fight Emperor Li Chen of the Heavenly Strategy Army to the death, or by some stroke of luck, force the Heavenly Strategy Army to retreat and get out of the predicament, humph, the first person I will settle accounts with then will be you, this wild god who has lost your usefulness!

A brief silence fell behind the curtain, as if someone was weighing the pros and cons.

After a long while, the ethereal voice sounded again, carrying a hint of "difficulty" yet "reluctance": "It is quite difficult to get Tian Ce to withdraw its troops. Emperor Li Chen of Tian Ce is not someone to be trifled with. However, for the sake of spreading the faith and for the future of Da Luo, I will do my best to try. But I hope that you will also remember the promise you made today."

Romanov was overjoyed, but maintained a calm expression, raising his glass: "Of course! I keep my word and will never go back on it!"

He seemed to already see the wonderful prospect of the two tigers, the Witch Ancestor and the Heavenly Strategy, fighting each other.

The banquet, where everyone had their own ulterior motives, came to an end.

Romanov left the palace triumphantly, believing he had everything under control, completely unaware that every step he left behind had been quietly marked by an invisible force.

To ensure everything went perfectly, a full half hour passed.

After Romanov's spies in the palace relaxed slightly, a "guard" dressed in ordinary guard clothes, with his aura completely concealed, appeared outside the banquet space like a ghost. It was none other than Bi Chen Tianzun.

His eyes were slightly closed, his hands formed a hand seal, and an extremely subtle fluctuation emanated from his body.

The secret technique of "collapsing without leaving a trace" quietly began to operate, tracing and manifesting the almost imperceptible "footprints and Daoist charm" left behind by Romanov when he left.

This tracking requires extremely high skill and patience. It not only requires accurately locking onto the target, but also avoiding other senses that may exist in the palace and any counter-tracking measures that Romanov himself may have left behind.

We must be even more careful to avoid the eyes and ears in the palace, both overt and covert, so as not to arouse the slightest suspicion.

This would be incredibly difficult for ordinary experts, but as a top Saint Realm expert in this era, Bi Chen Tianzun possessed powerful divine sense and mysterious secret techniques. How could those spies, whose highest level was no more than Grandmaster, possibly detect his presence?

His actions were like flowing water in the dark night, silent and stealthy.

Late into the night, Celestial Venerable Bichen quietly arrived at Li Chen's secret chamber, his face showing a mixture of exhaustion and excitement: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission! I have found that old fox's hiding place!"

(End of this chapter)