Yefutidaolu

Chapter 436 Facing the Might of Heaven
Before I could even finish saying "you"—

"Insanity!"

"A heinous crime!"

"Still not kneeling down!"

A series of thunderous and furious rebukes, accompanied by overwhelming pressure like collapsing mountains, erupted from every corner of the main hall and from the cracks in the void! The hidden imperial guards could no longer hold back, and they manifested their auras, shouting their rebukes. The waves of sound converged, directly pointing to the superior's insight!
In an instant, the entire bronze hall transformed into a martial arts arena, with boundless magical power erupting forth and condensing into various awe-inspiring phenomena, crushing towards Gao Jian!

As the full moon rises, a bright, round moon suddenly appears, its clear light like silk, its aura pure and far-reaching, its essence bright and ethereal. The moonlight is not gentle, but carries a cold, chilling intensity, condensing into the embroidered curtains, as if to freeze one's soul and draw it into the vast, cold veil of the moon palace. The clear light hangs over the bridal chamber, its icy radiance enveloping the high realm, attempting to utterly imprison it.

Seven stars suddenly lit up, forming a mysterious array. The stars, like strung beads, linked together, their light bright and clear, creating a magnificent spectacle. The power of the stars was vast and boundless, carrying the supreme majesty of suppressing all evil and establishing order in the universe. The starlight, like a lock, coiled around them.

The Xun wind howled, an invisible yet omnipresent gale arose out of nowhere, penetrating the smallest and filling the vast! This wind roamed beyond the eight directions, winding through the smallest hairs, without beginning or end, chirping and whistling, calling out to each other, emitting a piercing shriek, as if it could scatter the three souls and seven spirits, and obliterate all tangible matter.

Snowflakes danced wildly as dusk approached! In an instant, the hall seemed to be pulled into a frigid wasteland. The snowflakes fell thick and fast, like a curtain, sweeping everything away with the force of crushing flowers and breaking bamboo. The sky, clouds, mountains, and water were all white! The extreme cold air was desolate and bleak, floating in the air, threatening to freeze flesh and bone completely.

The dark rain poured down, the mysterious energy gathered from all sides, and the rain poured down! The pitch-black rain clouds surged and churned, and countless rain phenomena appeared—the clouds rose like billowing smoke, the dense rain fell like scattered silk threads, and in an instant, it turned into a torrential downpour, a chaotic torrential rain, as if eight rivers rushed into a giant ravine, and ten thousand acres of clear ponds overflowed, with overwhelming force threatening to drown and wash away all the high views.

A thunderclap boomed, its roar deafening! Thunder is the clash of yin and yang; when it strikes, all grains and vegetation burst open, containing the dual power of creation and destruction. The lightning flashed and surged, its roar clashing and crashing, a chaotic and overwhelming torrent, like the wrath of the heavens, representing the supreme authority of the state, its power unquestionable and inviolable!
Crimson lightning ripped through the sky, a crimson rainbow flashed, disappearing and fading in an instant! The crimson lightning snake tore through the sky, its light reaching the top of Mount Shihe, carrying the scorching heat and extreme speed that could burn everything, flashing and disappearing in an instant, yet containing the most explosive and destructive energy.

The four seasons change.

Springtime, with its vibrant green energy bursting forth, is a righteous force of growth, yet it transforms into an endless, entangled cage of vitality, causing people to become addicted and losing their fighting spirit.

Summer is here, the red aura is intense, the vermilion light is fierce, the wind blows through the morning sky, the sun reaches its zenith, the red aura rises from the midday sun, the heat is like a furnace, scorching the soul and steaming the blood.

Autumn is a time of bleakness and desolation, like the chirping of cicadas. If the cool breeze does not arrive and the cicadas do not chirp, the killing intent will be even stronger! Green leaves fall in the morning and crimson flowers wither away at dusk. All things wither and decay, and a solemn atmosphere pervades, inspiring awe and despair in people's hearts.

Winter arrives, dark and chilling, frost and ice harden with every step, the wind grows ever more biting, heavy clouds gather in the dark, swirling gusts bring light snow, water begins to freeze, the ground begins to harden, extreme cold and deathly stillness freezes all vitality and hope.

The power of the heavens, sun, moon, stars, clouds, wind, frost, snow, rain, clearing skies, thunder, lightning, fog, rainbows... all these powerful forces belonging to the "heaven" symbolize the immense power of the natural laws of the universe. At this moment, these imperial masters used their magic to activate and manifest these forces. They were no longer gentle, but transformed into a direct and violent judgment!

This myriad divine punishment, interwoven into a magnificent yet terrifying panorama of world-destroying destruction, carries the weight and will of the entire "Heaven," pressing down upon Gao Jian! It is to utterly crush this madman who dares to blaspheme against the might of Heaven, turning him into cosmic dust!
The light engulfed everything, and an energy storm swept through the hall, but the ancient bronze walls remained silent, radiating an ancient golden light.

Faced with this terrifying pressure of divine punishment, which seemed to be crushing down on him as if all the laws of heaven and earth were collapsing, Gao Jian's expression remained frighteningly calm.

He didn't even adopt any defensive posture; he simply immersed his mind in that lake of the heart, tempered by the cycle of birth and death.

The rusty knife gleamed.

The lake of my heart has become still.

It is not frozen, but rather extremely calm, like the calm and still deep space of the universe.

The violent energy and dazzling phenomena from the outside world, powerful enough to tear apart an immortal, were like hitting an absolute void the moment they touched his heart, without causing the slightest ripple.

At the same time, the light of the Heart Lamp shone steadily, its clear and cold radiance instantly illuminating every detail of the countless attacks that came from all directions.

Ah, so it turns out that even the most advanced methods of the Divine Dynasty, which seem perfect and can invoke the might of Heaven, have so many 'gaps'.

Under the illumination of the Heart Lamp, the radiance of the full moon exhibits a momentary stagnation in the flow of energy; the trajectory of the Seven Stars array contains subtle discords caused by individual differences in the caster; the howling Xun wind has weak points in the distribution of power at the microscopic level; the swirling ice and snow have structural instability at the core where the cold energy condenses; the torrential Xuan rain's water element cycle is not a perfect closed loop; the deafening thunder has a very brief power vacuum at the moment of its explosion; the trajectory of the crimson lightning that tears through the sky can be predicted by a higher level of speed; even the four energies of green, red, white, and black, which symbolize the cycle of the four seasons, have theoretically exploitable gaps in their transformation nodes of birth, growth, harvest, and storage!
These "gaps," these flaws, are present in every attack. Although most of them, even with Gao Jian's current cultivation and methods, are completely untouchable and unusable—like mortals who can see the stars in the sky but cannot pluck them from the sky—they do exist! That's enough!
In addition, the profound charm contained in these moves, and the unique imprint of the laws of "Heaven", were clearly reflected in his heart as if they were imprinted, and he greedily absorbed, analyzed and stored them.

This is also one of the purposes of Gao Jian.

Gao Jian felt a chill run down his spine. His risky coup was not merely to test the emperor's strength, but also to witness firsthand and experience the most powerful force of this divine dynasty, inherited from the era of "Living Heaven"!

He could clearly "see" that the root and essence of these incredibly powerful moves all came from "Heaven"—the ancient world that once existed and possessed a complete natural cycle.

In other words, the desolate world outside is simply incapable of nurturing such profound techniques and supernatural realms.

"Are they protecting each other?" Gao Jian looked around at the strange phenomena that were still frantically unleashing the might of heaven, and he already understood the fundamental origins of these imperial guards and these techniques.

The emperor is 'heaven'.

And all of these things—the sun, moon, stars, wind, frost, rain, snow, spring, summer, autumn, and winter—the power they cultivate and display is all part of 'Heaven,' 'guardians' that exist in dependence on 'Heaven.'

Their survival, and even the foundation of their power system, depended heavily on this small, forcibly maintained 'living world' area where the Divine Dynasty's palace was located. Otherwise, in the desolate world outside, they wouldn't even be able to engage in basic comprehension and cultivation, because these natural laws simply wouldn't be actively manifested there.

In the deathly silence of the world, none of these things exist...

Conversely, because they inherit and wield the power originating from "Living Heaven," their cultivation methods are of a higher purpose, pointing directly to the origin of the Great Dao. Their power is naturally far beyond what those methods outside the world can compare to, which rely on the arduous exploration in the dead silence or on the power of incense and vows.

Fortunately, I don't have to confront these 'divine mights' head-on.

A barely perceptible smile curved Gao Jian's lips. He remained rooted to the spot, unmoved by the intense, blade-like pressure that seemed to relentlessly assault his will. His heart remained as still as a stagnant lake, utterly undisturbed. All the attacks, all the strange phenomena, all the shouts and intimidation, upon reaching the invisible barrier surrounding him, seemed to encounter an absolute "insulator," futilely wasting energy without ever truly unleashing their destructive power upon him.

Thus, after a seemingly long but actually fleeting stalemate—

Like the receding tide, like waking from a dream.

The full moon, the seven stars, the southeast wind, the sleet and snow, the dark rain, the thunder, the red lightning, the four seasons' energy that filled the hall... all the magnificent and grand phenomena were wiped away in an instant as if by an invisible hand, and everything disappeared.

The main hall was restored to its previous state. The light from the luminous pearl was still soft, and the bronze walls gleamed with a calm golden light. Only the subtle energy ripples remaining in the air proved that the earth-shattering scene just now was not an illusion.

The auras of those imperial guards who had made their move vanished once more, as if they had never existed. Only their invisible gazes became even sharper, like swords hanging overhead.

Gao Jian still carried his rusty knife, his hand casually resting on the hilt, as if nothing had happened. He raised his eyes and looked again at the emperor, who sat upright on the edge of the huge bed, his tone calm yet carrying a subtle hint of provocation:

"Your Majesty, is this your way of giving me a warning?"

Unfortunately, if the emperor wants to maintain his current existence, he must keep the wound from that attack. In other words, the more Gao Jian wounds him, the more his 'illness' will heal.

So what are you going to do, Emperor?
The emperor remained silent. His ordinary face betrayed no emotion, but his deep, ancient eyes scrutinized Gao Jian with even greater focus, as if trying to see right through him.

An arrogant person... but indeed too arrogant, too haughty.

This is a fierce tiger.

You can't tame a dog using dog training methods.

Thoughts raced through the emperor's mind, and Gao Jian displayed an untamed arrogance unbound by any authority.

Ordinary coercion and bribery are unlikely to be effective.

A new, more subtle silence fell over the main hall. This exchange, seemingly ending with Gao Jian's "unscathed" conclusion, also indicated that it was only just beginning.

"Insightful," the emperor's voice rang out again, breaking the silence. His calm tone carried a hint of all-knowing understanding. "You are indeed very interesting. Behind seemingly reckless and arrogant actions often lies meticulous calculation. For example, you deliberately provoked me just now to test my true state. This quality of extreme rationality within madness is very attractive."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through Gao Jian: "I have read all the records of your life that I could find since you were registered as a citizen. Apart from that mysterious childhood, all your actions, whether it was overthrowing the aristocratic families in Cangzhou or drawing your sword in front of the palace today, seemed wild and unruly, but in fact, they were all secretly planned and interconnected. A person like you is definitely not a true madman."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian remained noncommittal, only managing a faint smile as the corners of his mouth curved upwards.

There's not much to say. Dealing with the emperor is like dealing with a tiger; naturally, you have to be calculating and have your cards to play. However, I have already demonstrated enough value.

He knew perfectly well that the emperor suffered from the pain of being "separated from the real world" and constantly losing his sense of existence.

Whether intentional or unintentional, he had forcibly established a new causal connection through the injury caused by that stab, like throwing a stone into a stagnant pool, making the emperor's vague perception of the world clearer.

Based on this alone, the emperor would never allow himself to slip out of control, but at the same time, he would never easily impose overly harsh punishments on himself—he was a rare person who could "reach" him.

"However, things have come to this," the emperor changed his tone, regaining his composure as if he were in complete control, "I do not wish to waste such a rare talent as yours. Your judgment is accurate and your methods are decisive, but... your temperament still needs tempering. Too much sharpness is easily broken."

He raised his hand and casually waved it, as if brushing away the dust before his eyes:

"Go back to your Imperial Academy and continue your studies. Once you've finished your studies and smoothed out some of your rough edges, you can come back to serve me."

After speaking, the emperor gently pushed his raised hand forward.

There were no violent energy fluctuations, but Gao Jian's surroundings suddenly changed drastically!
Gao Jian himself remained completely still, but the corridor bridge he stood on, the floating palaces around him, and even the entire grand structure inside the Ziwei Enclosure began to move and reorganize rapidly with him as the center!
The scene before me transformed into a dazzling array of parts, with covered bridges stretching and twisting like living things, and palaces and pavilions arranged and combined like building blocks.

However, in an instant, all the noise stopped abruptly.

Gao Jian looked closely and found himself standing outside the magnificent gate of the Purple Palace Enclosure. Behind him were twelve silent, ten-thousand-foot-tall golden figures, as imposing as mountains, while in front of him lay the bustling scene of the Twenty-Eight Mansions region of the Divine Capital, Yangjing.

A gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying the unique, lifeless air of the outside world.

Will you send me back to the Imperial Academy?

Gao Jian stood there, pondering the emperor's last words and the way he was seeing the guest off, and shook his head.

Ah, what a brilliant move.

The monarch neither punished his great disrespect, demonstrating his tolerance and appreciation for talent; nor did he place him back in the relatively closed and easily monitored environment of the Imperial Academy, ostensibly for "studying and honing his skills," but in reality for observation, taming, and waiting, waiting for him to "return after completing his studies," waiting for him to willingly serve the court, or... waiting for him to reveal more flaws and value.

Moreover... Shui Cangcang is also at the Imperial Academy.

(End of this chapter)