Yefutidaolu

Chapter 451 Seeking an Audience with the Emperor
When Gao Jian returned to his simple and quiet little courtyard in a corner of the Imperial Academy, Qin Long was already sitting silently on the stone bench in the courtyard, just as he had left, as if he had never moved. The moonlight cast his shadow on the ground, cold and hard as iron.

Gao Jian sat down opposite him, with a stone table between them. The table was empty, with only the cold moonlight shining on it.

After a brief silence, Qin Long spoke first. His voice remained flat, but his words went straight to the point: "The capital has undergone a major change, and many things are in turmoil. How does Mr. Gao plan to deal with this?"

Clearly, even with Qin Long's taciturn nature, after experiencing the Jiang family's invitation tonight, witnessing the events at Feixiang Temple, and combining what he already knew—the emperor summoning Gao Jian and letting him leave safely, the Jiang family's actions late at night, the numerous forces in the capital witnessing Gao Jian's battle with the "Earth Immortal," the Cangzhou aristocratic families being completely wiped out by Gao Jian, the Liangzhou aristocratic families already having their power seized and reorganized by Gao Jian, and the emergence of an ambiguous Earth Immortal named Yuan Lu...

Each and every one of these events was a momentous affair capable of stirring up a storm. And when the clues to all these events were more or less intertwined with the man before them, even a fool could see that a massive storm was brewing in the capital, and Gao Jian was undoubtedly at the very eye of this storm.

When Qin Long asked this question, it was both an inquiry and a statement. As a Grandmaster of the Ninth Realm who had unlocked two levels, and an experienced assassin from Yan Pavilion, he was confident that he could become a force to be reckoned with, a sharp enough blade, in any storm.

Unexpectedly, Gao Jian's answer was beyond his expectations.

Gao Jian's gaze was calm, as if the raging storm described by Qin Long was merely a ripple in a pond to him. He shook his head, his tone even carrying a hint of matter-of-fact:

“Dealing with these things is indeed troublesome,” he first acknowledged the complexity of the situation, but then changed the subject, “I suggest you go back to Liangzhou first. They will definitely need your military presence there to ensure everything goes smoothly.”

He directly pointed out the direction for Qin Long, not to stay in the capital to help him, but to return to their common homeland.

Then, he looked at Qin Long, his deep eyes showing no worry or uncertainty, only an almost absolute calm and confidence:
"As for me, you don't have to worry."

These words, spoken lightly, carry immense weight. Behind them lies Gao Jian's absolute confidence in his own abilities; he will face all storms head-on, and he believes he can handle them.

“This might not be good,” Qin Long’s voice remained steady, but every word carried immense weight. “Can you handle it?” He paused, his sharp eyes staring directly at Gao Jian, as if trying to pierce through his outward confidence. “Your performance against the Earth Immortal was indeed amazing, but… the opponent didn’t even use his full strength.”

Yes, as a battle-hardened and perceptive Grandmaster of the Ninth Realm, Qin Long clearly captured a truth that many people had overlooked or that had been obscured by Gao Jian's dazzling performance when he was watching the duel in the sky above the Imperial Academy—that the fake Yuan Lu had never truly used the supernatural powers belonging to Earth Immortals that could invoke the laws of heaven and earth.

He released the entire East China Sea.

The reason why Earth Immortals are Earth Immortals, transcending the mortal realm, lies in the fact that their souls are in harmony with heaven and earth, enabling them to wield the power of heaven and earth and unleash all sorts of incredible and powerful supernatural abilities. That is the crushing power of realms, the manifestation of rules.

The imposter Yuan Lu, from beginning to end, only used the methods of tempering the physical body in the Netherworld to fight his enemies. Admittedly, the Netherworld has its unique advantages in tempering the physical body. Whether it's the method of raising ghost kings in the "Sea of ​​Blood" or the immortal body condensed by the secret method of the "Sea of ​​Marrow," they are dedicated to developing the "four seas" of the human body to the extreme, elevating it to a new level. With this physical body alone, it is enough to dominate among those who are not at the Earth Immortal realm.

However, for a celestial being, this is ultimately just a minor tactic, a basic part of their power system, perhaps even merely a manifestation of instinct. Like an adult fighting, it's simply a matter of physical strength, throwing punches and kicks, but certainly not the ability to use firearms or even artillery...

In Qin Long's view, Yuan Lu did not use his supernatural powers, because he simply disdained to use his superior opinions at the time.

Qin Long reminded Gao Jian that he had never truly faced a fully-fledged Earth Immortal. His previous "victories" were full of trickery, probing, and the opponent holding back.

What if next time, it's someone who unleashes their full power as an Earth Immortal? What if next time, it's a fully-fledged Earth Immortal?
Gao Jian remained silent for a moment, as if the moonlight on the stone table had frozen. He slowly raised his head, his eyes showing not the panic of having the truth exposed, but rather a deeper calm.

“I know,” he replied with just three words.

Yes, he knows.

Was Yuan Lu unwilling to use his supernatural powers? No, perhaps more accurately, Gao Jian had, to some extent, "deciphered" or "predicted" his supernatural powers. That Earth Immortal method was a path Gao Jian had tailored for Yuan Lu in his struggle against the real Yuan Lu; he understood its foundation and operational intricacies better than anyone. Therefore, if his opponent were Yuan Lu, Gao Jian, with this thorough understanding, had the confidence to maneuver and even restrain him.

But Qin Long's concerns are reasonable. A wise person understands that words alone are insufficient; the best way to dispel doubts is to demonstrate strength.

So he looked at Qin Long, his gaze calm but with an undeniable confidence: "Your divine will 'Abyss' is best at unleashing its power after a period of dormancy. Why not try it on me?"

Qin Long's martial arts divine intent, "Abyss of Despair," is a microcosm and sublimation of his life experiences. It allows Qin Long to be as if he were at the bottom of an abyss, completely suppressing all aura, killing intent, and even his own presence, becoming completely one with the environment, entering a state of near "nothingness." He can hide and survive in the most desperate situation, accumulating power, all for that final, earth-shattering, fatal blow. In the past, Gao Jian was deceived by this divine intent, failing to notice Qin Long's following for a full seven days.

At this moment, Gao Jian took the initiative to ask Qin Long to use his most proficient stealth assassination technique on him.

Qin Long didn't say much. He would only respond to Gao Jian's requests with actions.

He nodded.

The next instant, Qin Long's figure began to "disappear".

He remained seated on the stone bench, but in Gao Jian's perception, the person in that position was rapidly becoming "transparent." His breathing blended into the night breeze, his heartbeat merged into the imperceptible pulse of the earth, the heat emanating from his body balanced the coolness of the courtyard, and the spirit in his eyes became restrained, as hollow as a stubborn stone.

In the blink of an eye, in Gao Jian's perception of the Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadow Sutra, the once crystal-clear Qin Long had vanished into nothingness. To the naked eye, there seemed to be a human-shaped outline, but when the eyes swept over it, there was nothing there, as if it were just a harmless shadow cast by the moonlight, a human-shaped stone in the courtyard, a natural and insignificant "background" in this space.

With the divine intent of "Gap" fully activated, Qin Long had perfectly "disappeared." He had entered his optimal state of concealment, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.

Gao Jian remained seated, without even adopting a defensive stance. He simply closed his eyes, as if abandoning sight and relying entirely on the illumination of his inner light and the perception of his divine will.

In the courtyard, only the silent flow of moonlight remained, along with a chilling murderous intent stemming from the absence of reality.

The moonlight was like water, and the courtyard was quiet.

Qin Long has "disappeared".

He was not on the stone bench, not under the moonlight, not even in human perception. He became part of the wind, an extension of the shadow, the silent killing intent within this courtyard itself.

The wise man closed his eyes and sat quietly in peace.

suddenly--

There was no sign, no sound.

A beam of light, as if bursting forth from the depths of the deepest abyss, shattered the silence, tore apart the moonlight, and even tore apart the divine will!

The inevitable explosion after the deepest silence, a single point of sharpness condensed from death itself! It is the sword of ultimate killing, transformed from Qin Long's divine will of "Gap," transcending the concept of speed!

The tip of the sword was pointing at Gao Jian's brow.

This sword strike is the ultimate crystallization of Qin Long's lifelong cultivation and countless brushes with death.

With this sword, he once took the head of an enemy general amidst thousands of troops, and also caused opponents with higher cultivation levels to perish in bewilderment.

The sword arrived. It seemed as if, in the next instant, Gao Jian's head would be pierced by this silent thunder.

However, just as the sword tip was about to touch the skin, before even the cold, sharp sensation could be felt—

Gao Jian raised his hand.

It wasn't a block, nor a dodge. His movements even seemed somewhat slow; he simply placed two fingers upright in front of his brow.

It was as if he had been waiting there all along.

It's like that earth-shattering, perception-transcending sword strike; from the very beginning, its destination was destined to be between those two fingers.

"Ding--"

A soft sound, as crisp as an ice bead falling into a jade plate.

The sword strike that embodied all of Qin Long's divine will and power was easily caught by Gao Jian with just two fingers.

The sword tip trembled slightly between Gao Jian's fingers, emitting a reluctant hum, but it could not advance even an inch further.

All the killing intent, all the momentum, all the earth-shattering events, were brought to a swift and effortless halt by those two fingers.

The moment the sword's momentum was blocked, Qin Long's figure emerged from the ultimate "nothingness" and became clear again. His face still held that cold and hard expression, but in his calm and still eyes, a faint yet profound shock flickered uncontrollably.

Gao Jian slowly opened his eyes, looked at the tip of the sword between his fingers, and then looked at Qin Long, his eyes calm and undisturbed.

The two looked at each other.

One look was enough; no words were needed.

Gao Jian saw Qin Long's all-out effort, and also saw the relief in his eyes.

With a flick of his wrist, Qin Long silently sheathed his short sword.

He said nothing more, nodded slightly to Gao Jian, then turned and strode away. His back was still as cold and hard as stone, but in his steps, there was no longer the slightest hesitation or worry.

He knew that Liangzhou truly needed him more.

And this man might truly be able to wade through the unfathomable murky waters of the capital city alone.

Under the moonlight, Gao Jian withdrew his finger, and the courtyard returned to silence, with only the crisp "ding" sound from before seemingly still lingering in the air.

Gao Jian watched the other party leave.

Well, from now on, he'll have to deal with it all by himself.

What's the next thing to do...?

Too many clues, too many mysteries, and too many potential enemies were intertwined before his eyes like a tangled mess, forcing Gao Jian to take some time to sit quietly on the stone bench and sort out his thoughts one by one.

As for Yuan Lu, it's hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood. The secret of the "pseudo-heaven" behind him is too high-level, and the clues are too ethereal. Those shocking conjectures are almost impossible to verify with any concrete starting point, so they can only be put on hold for the time being.

The powerful families of the capital city are deeply entrenched and possess profound foundations, like colossal beasts lurking beneath the deep sea. Although the Jiang family's probing has abruptly ended, their attitude remains ambiguous. Dealing with other powerful families inevitably involves endless exchanges of interests and power struggles, neither their forte nor their desire. Even if they were to forcibly intervene, attempting to dismantle this behemoth, accumulated over centuries, in a short time would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

So now... where should we break this deadlock?

Gao Jian pondered, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cold stone table. The current situation in the capital flashed through his mind: the emperor remained secluded, his condition a mystery; the attitudes of the major immortal sects were ambiguous; various forces checked and balanced each other, maintaining a fragile equilibrium; undercurrents surged beneath the surface, yet remained suppressed beneath the surface…

Suddenly, he gave a bitter laugh.

He seemed to understand why the gods could maintain this strange "peace" on the surface.

Admittedly, this is an era of upheaval and hidden dangers, but... who dares to actually ignite that powder keg that could blow everything up? Once the keg is lit, no one can predict how the situation will develop, but the person who lights the fuse is destined to be crushed to pieces and become the common target of all forces.

Therefore, the emperor was biding his time, the powerful families were observing, the Imperial Academy remained silent, and even the mastermind behind the scenes seemed to be carefully manipulating the game, not daring to be too blatant. Everyone was waiting, waiting for an opportunity, or waiting for a... scapegoat.

That's why no one dares to fire the first shot.

Gao Jian slowly raised his head and looked at the moon in the sky, which was obscured by thin clouds and appeared somewhat hazy. His eyes gradually sharpened, like quenched cold iron.

But... no one dares to...

Then, Gao Jian stood up.

His robes fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and the stone bench beneath him seemed to still retain a trace of warmth.

His movements were not fast, but they carried a resolute determination that cut off all hesitation.

An invisible, sharp aura quietly spread out from him, like a divine weapon that had been sealed for a long time, slowly being unsheathed. Although its sharpness was not fully revealed, it had already made the surrounding air stagnate.

He dares!

Gao Jian stood up and quickly took flight, traversing the sea of ​​clouds in the capital city.

Before long, he arrived at the Purple Palace.

“Insightful! I request an audience with Your Majesty,” he said.

(End of this chapter)