Borrowing a sword

Chapter 343 I am not reconciled!
Chu Huaixu sat on the futon, listening to the sounds coming from outside, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Has the Moon Emperor invited you?

He stood up and opened the door.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, Nangong Yue, and Chu Yinyin standing beside the protector of the nation, he immediately spoke:

"I have some understanding, but my cultivation is not yet stable, so I cannot go."

The Moon Kingdom's palace was a den of dragons and tigers.

He must have lost his mind to go with the protectors.

Inside the monastery, at least the senior monks from the four major sects were gathered, so they could look out for each other.

I can't possibly call Sword Master and Tianluo along now and have them follow me everywhere I go, can I?

"Even if I did that, they might be willing." Chu Huaixu was well aware of his current importance.

But why should I have to go running to the emperor of your Moon Kingdom just because he summons me, and then bother a bunch of people?

No, no, I'm not going! Or I'll just say I have diarrhea! I really can't go!

Xiahou Yue gave Chu Huaixu a deep look. As a cultivator at the ninth realm, he could naturally tell at a glance that the young man's breathing was long and steady, and his condition was simply excellent!
It's so good that I think he's really mastered the Ten Thousand Swords Return to One technique!
Previously, tens of thousands of spirit swords gathered in the sky above the monastery, but in the end, they all inexplicably scattered to the ground.

This has led to two opposing camps in the rumors circulating outside.

One group of people believed that Chu Huaixu had successfully comprehended the sword, having only watched the Sword Master perform it once, and with his cultivation at the third realm, he had mastered the legendary number one technique in the world!

—Truly worthy of being called the second Dao Ancestor!

Another group of people believe that Chu Huaixu was almost finished, but he failed to grasp the essence of the work at the last minute and failed at the last step!
Otherwise, these spirit swords wouldn't have suddenly all fallen down.

In fact, even these cultivation masters were completely baffled.

Because this kid collapsed from exhaustion!
Who can figure that out?
Moreover, the Sword Master, a sword cultivator who almost possesses the sole right to interpret the "Ten Thousand Swords Return to One," had previously stood up for it!
No way! No way! Could someone really have mastered the greatest technique in the world in the third realm?
After hesitating for a long time, Xiahou Yue finally spoke, "I will relay your words to His Majesty. Also, has Chief Chu Kui already mastered the [Ten Thousand Swords Return to One] technique?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi and the others immediately looked at Chu Huaixu with smiles.

They knew all too well what kind of arrogant person this kid was.

As expected, Chu Huaixu gazed leisurely at the protector of the Moon Kingdom, suddenly sighed, and then said:
"Yes, yes, no."

He seems mysterious and enigmatic, someone whose secrets are best kept to himself, but in reality, he's just someone who deserves a beating:

--you guess!
Xiahou Yue, a dignified cultivator at the fifth level of the ninth realm, flew towards the imperial palace with a displeased expression.

He soon had an audience with His Majesty the Moon Emperor.

When the Moon Emperor learned that Chu Huaixu was unwilling to come to the palace, he was not particularly surprised.

The elderly man, who was very old and frail, showed no trace of grief over the loss of his grandson.

On the contrary, he looked to be in particularly good spirits and full of energy.

Xiahou Yue felt that His Majesty seemed somewhat excited, yet more dignified than ever before!

Perhaps this is what power tastes like!
Or rather, it's the feeling of truly being in power independently!
He was personally trained by the Moon Emperor, who poured countless resources into him. In Xiahou Yue's heart, His Majesty was both a teacher and a father.

Simply put, the Protector of the Nation is the Moon Emperor's most trusted confidant.

Xiahou Yue could vaguely guess why His Majesty had invited Chu Huaixu to the palace.

He just didn't dare to think about it too deeply!

Because this will change the landscape of the Moon Kingdom for hundreds of years!

—Your Majesty has made a decision that goes against the will of our ancestors!

At this moment, it was the Moon Emperor who looked at him and said with a smile, "Xiahou, you should have already guessed what I am thinking, right?"

"Xiahou dares not presume to know," Xiahou Yue immediately replied.

The Moon Emperor looked at him, lowered his eyes, and said, "Do you know how many years I have been sitting on this throne?"

"It has been sixty-seven years," Xiahou Yue replied.

Moon Emperor Qin Tianyang nodded and said in a rather emotional tone:
"In the blink of an eye, I have been on the throne for sixty-seven years."

"Or rather, I have been chosen by the Ancestor for sixty-seven years."

"As for how the late emperor passed away, I suppose I don't need to elaborate?"

Xiahou Yue dared not reply.

Although the Xuanhuang Realm is different from the Kunlun Grotto-Heaven, cultivation there will not grant one a lifespan of hundreds or even thousands of years, but it can at least ensure good health and prolong life.

Qin Tianyang ascended the throne at a young age, and he was also the eldest son of the late emperor.

It is conceivable that the late emperor was in his prime when he passed away.

How else could he have died?

Of course, the royal family's official explanation was that he died from a qi deviation.

Emperor Qin Tianyang continued to speak to himself: "People say that for hundreds of years, the Moon Kingdom has been able to maintain the supreme imperial power."

"In reality, only we ourselves know whose Moon Kingdom it truly is."

"Whether it's me or every so-called emperor, whether it's the late emperor or any other emperor, we're all just managing the family business on behalf of our ancestors."

"Everything is just so that on the day the ancestor is reborn after possessing another body, the well-managed Moon Kingdom can be handed back to him."

"If anything does not meet the ancestor's expectations, then there will naturally be only one outcome."

"If it weren't for Xuanxiao's birth at that particular moment, and his selection as a [vessel] by the Ancestor, most of the divine thoughts would have had to enter his body. Then, wouldn't protectors like you and wielders like Zhuge Boyue each possess a wisp of the Emperor's divine thoughts within them?"

"When you geniuses first gained divine sense, which one of you didn't feel the same as Xuanxiao, thinking that you had gained the approval of the Ancestral Emperor and that you had received an immense fortune and opportunity?"

"This has been the case for the past few centuries."

"This means that whether it is the emperor of the Moon Kingdom or the powerful figures of the Moon Kingdom, their life or death is entirely in the hands of the Ancestor."

Qin Tianyang got up and began to pace.

"Of course, this also brings an advantage, that is, the Moon Kingdom will not gradually evolve into a situation where the court is weak, and instead the four major sects are above the court, like the Mirror Kingdom."

"But this also has a hidden danger, namely that the ancestor alone is above everything."

"The so-called great calamity of heaven and earth is coming. In my opinion, the ancestor may also become the great calamity of my Moon Kingdom!"

"Can you believe that in order to seize another body and be reborn, our ancestor would do anything and be willing to pay any price?"

"Even if it meant sacrificing half the lives of the Moon Kingdom, even if it meant the extinction of his own royal descendants! He wouldn't even blink!"

Hearing these words, Xiahou Yue dared not respond.

The Moon Emperor paced around the room, stopping and starting as if lost in thought.

He picked up the imperial seal and examined it closely in his hand.

"Xiahou, I can tell you frankly that if the Ancestor hadn't had eight strands of his divine sense destroyed, I would never have even considered such a thing."

Xiahou Yue finally dared to speak up at this moment.

"Your Majesty is thinking of the royal family and the Qin family!" he immediately flattered.

Qin Tianyang nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"As long as there are ten strands of divine thought, then at least the Moon Kingdom will always belong to the Qin family."

Ten strands of divine thought could almost hold the lives of these top cultivators in the Moon Kingdom in their hands!

This at least prevents the Qin family and the royal family of Jing Kingdom from becoming mere figureheads.

However, after saying this, a somewhat ferocious look appeared on Qin Tianyang's wrinkled old face.

His cheeks began to flush slightly.

"But Xiahou, the current ancestor, only has two wisps of divine consciousness left!"

"This means that he can only control the person sitting on the throne and one Grand Master of the Moon Kingdom at most!"

"That alone is not enough to solidify the Qin family's imperial power!"

"If that's the case, I...I'm not reconciled!" He looked at Xiahou Yue and said, word by word.

Upon hearing the Moon Emperor's words, Xiahou Yue immediately began to pledge his loyalty.

"Your Majesty, whatever decision you make, Xiahou will follow you."

He was genuinely grateful for Qin Tianyang's guidance and support.

At that moment, he was even somewhat moved.

Because Qin Tianyang said these words only to him.

This means that His Majesty trusts me the most!

In his eyes, the so-called protectors of the country protect not only the country, but also the monarch!
In Xiahou Yue's eyes, the ruler was never the ancestral emperor, but Qin Tianyang!
The Moon Emperor looked at him, a look of approval on his face.

However, after some hesitation, Xiahou Yue still couldn't help but remind her:

"Your Majesty, it seems that Chu Huaixu does indeed possess the ability to extinguish divine thoughts."

"Moreover, even I cannot see what he is relying on."

"That seems to be an extremely strange power, and its level is higher than imagined!"

"However, the Emperor's divine sense is, after all, within His Majesty's sea of ​​consciousness."

"Instead of detaching itself as it would in a ring."

"Even if Chu Huaixu has the ability to sever divine thoughts, once this power within him enters your sea of ​​consciousness, it will absolutely cause irreversible damage to your sea of ​​consciousness the moment it enters."

"Moreover, I personally suspect that this injury cannot be fully repaired even with the most rare and precious materials."

"This will have a significant impact on His Majesty's consciousness, and may even shorten his lifespan!"

"Therefore, I hope Your Majesty will give this matter a careful consideration!" Xiahou Yue said solemnly.

Qin Tianyang listened to these words without any change in expression. He simply said in a deep voice:
"Xiahou, I am naturally aware of what you have said."

"Although my cultivation is only at the sixth level, how can I not know that the Sea of ​​Knowledge is the most mysterious, yet also the most vulnerable part of the human body, apart from the Spirit Embryo?"

"Since Chu Huaixu's power can even destroy divine thoughts, the damage it would cause once it enters my sea of ​​consciousness would be irreparable."

In the cultivation system of the Xuanhuang Realm, the level of power is actually quite important. It's like having an arm severed by sword energy.

The things Han Shuangjiang cut off and the things Jiang Zhi cut off are completely different.

The severed arm can be regenerated using top-grade rare and precious herbs or high-quality elixirs.

However, if the wound retains Jiang Zhi's sword energy, the difficulty of regenerating the severed arm will increase dramatically.

Xiahou Yue and Qin Tianyang could not understand why Chu Huaixu, who was only at the third realm, had a power in his sea of ​​consciousness whose level even surpassed that of the Emperor's divine sense!

However, in the entire Moon Kingdom, and even in the entire Xuanhuang Realm, almost no one could sever the divine thought.

Therefore, under such circumstances, no one can restore the damage caused by Chu Huaixu's high-level power!

But the Moon Emperor still addressed the protector of the nation:

"But no matter what, I am not reconciled!"

He took two steps toward Xiahou Yue and then stopped.

"I have been a puppet emperor for a full sixty-seven years!" His old face began to flush slightly again, showing a hint of excitement and exhilaration.

Sixty-seven years! A full sixty-seven years!

"Even if it damages my consciousness, even if it shortens my lifespan, I am willing to give it a try!"

Even if I only have one more year to live, or even just a few more months!

"Then I—at least—am the true emperor of the Moon Kingdom!!!"

"Instead of a laughable puppet whose life and death are determined by a single thought!"

"I will be the first emperor to truly rule the Qin family in the hundreds of years since the death of our ancestor!!"

Qin Tianyang's voice grew louder and louder, and his face became increasingly excited.

His eyes widened, and he couldn't help but recall the scenes from sixty-seven years ago when he ascended the throne.

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" are utterly laughable!
Is this an ascension to the throne and the establishment of an empire?

I, the Emperor, will ascend the throne myself! A true ascension to the throne!

Xiahou Yue raised her head and stared intently at the Moon Emperor.

After a long pause, he said firmly, "Your Majesty, I understand!"

A brief silence fell over the Imperial Study.

Emperor Qin Tianyang was breathing rapidly as he began to calm his disordered breathing.

After letting out a long sigh, his excitement and exhilaration subsided considerably, and he seemed to have reverted to the old man who, despite his frail appearance, exuded a hint of imposing authority.

Xiahou Yue suggested, "Your Majesty, Chu Huaixu probably doesn't dare to enter the palace. Why don't I and Zhi Ren escort you to the monastery to find him?"

Upon hearing this, the Moon Emperor smiled.

"It's not urgent."

“Xiahou, you yourself said that this approach will damage the very foundation of your consciousness.”

"Now that the Ancestor has fallen into a deep sleep, I have taken sole power."

"Previously, only four strands of divine sense were destroyed, and the ancestor fell into a deep sleep for more than a month."

"Now that even the main soul has been destroyed, it will definitely take even longer."

"I don't need to rush into doing it."

Xiahou Yue was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, and thought to herself, "That's right!"

Why rush to "self-harm"?

It seems that His Majesty's summoning of Chu Huaixu today was probably just a test.

"But Your Majesty, they are about to set off to return to the Daoist sect."

Qin Tianyang raised his hand and said calmly, "It's alright, the Daoist sect will agree to this."

"They will have Chu Huaixu come over then."

The protector of the country was stunned for a moment, wondering why His Majesty was so certain.

But since the other party didn't say, he didn't ask any further questions.

But Xiahou Yue immediately remembered something else.

"Your Majesty, it won't be long before Chu Huaixu enters the second level of the Origin Spirit Realm!"

How could he not know the dangers involved?
If Chu Huaixu doesn't come back, then wouldn't no one be able to sever divine thoughts anymore?

However, the Moon Emperor said quietly:
"If even someone as powerful as Chu Huaixu cannot solve the problem of the Origin Spirit Realm, then this great calamity of heaven and earth is probably going to be delayed."

"If this is the case, for the sake of all living beings, one must sacrifice one's own selfish desires."

"After all, our ancestor was once a powerful expert at the Great Perfection of the Ninth Realm."

"Their vision and methods are far beyond our reach."

“If it really comes to that, the entire Xuanhuang Realm will need him.”

"I will not touch him," the Moon Emperor sighed deeply.

Time flies, and the three-day rest period is over in no time.

Chu Huaixu went to the treasury of the Moon Kingdom and exchanged for the Holy Water.

He did indeed have his eye on several other things.

But after much struggle, I still chose this thing.

The members of the four major sects boarded eagles together and set off for the Eastern Continent.

They will only go their separate ways when they reach a point where they must part ways.

When the eagle landed at the Taoist gate, Xiang Yan and the others were already waiting to greet it in the open space.

The achievements of the Taoist sect this time are particularly remarkable.

This forced even the sect leader to personally offer a few words of praise.

He could already foresee how powerful the Daoist sect would become once these prodigies grew up!
After completing all the procedures, Chu Huaixu and the others were taken back to the main hall of the Dao Asking Peak.

Xiang Yan sat down in the main seat, looked at his beloved disciple, and said with a smile:
"Huai Xu, you've won first place in this competition. Is there any reward you'd like?"

After saying that, he looked at Han Shuangjiang and Xu Ziqing and said:

"You two should think about this carefully."

As a result, Chu Huaixu immediately replied and asked, "Master, does our Taoist sect's Treasure Pavilion contain the most sacred water?"

After pondering for a moment, Xiang Yan said, "It seems there is one drop?"

After saying that, he looked at Nangong Yue with some uncertainty.

Nangong Yue nodded.

"You want the Holy Water?"

"Correct."

"Alright, approved!" Xiang Yan said with a smile without asking any further questions.

Han Shuangjiang and Xu Ziqing, however, were not as shameless as Chu Huaixu and were too embarrassed to ask for things.

Finally, Xiang Yan made the decision to give each of them a high-grade spiritual weapon, and they could exchange it for a fourth-realm cultivation technique, as well as rare and precious materials to aid their cultivation.

After arranging all this, Xiang Yan said, "Huai Xu, tell us the specific details of your competition for the top spot."

"Yes," Chu Huaixu began to speak.

Except for a few things that had to be concealed, everything else was told.

Xiang Yan and others raised several detailed questions, which he answered one by one.

Finally, the sect leader said, "The three of you should go back first."

It's clear that the higher-ups are planning a small meeting.

Li Chunsong suddenly stood up at that moment and said, "Wait!"

The gambling addict chuckled sheepishly for a moment, then began:

"That... Huai Xu is in the Imperial Pool, so that means he was chosen by the Emperor's divine sense, right?"

"So, shouldn't I be considered the winner of this bet?"

Everyone was speechless. They never expected that this shameless old man would bring up the gambling matter in front of the younger generation again!

Zhao Shuqi immediately said, "Hey! Sixth Junior Brother! That's not right!"

"Logically speaking, Huai Xu, you only win if you obtain the Emperor's divine thought! Listen carefully, it's 'obtain'!"

Li Chunsong immediately retorted and started arguing with him.

"How can the entry of divine thought into the body not be considered acquisition?"

"But my apprentice saw that it harbored evil intentions and even attempted to possess my body, so he destroyed it!"

"But ultimately, it was because we first obtained divine consciousness, and then... we ourselves gave it up!"

"So, no matter how you look at it, I win!"

No gambling addict is ever truly bad!

"Sixth Junior Brother, stop barking like a dog here!" Zhao Shuqi's narrowed eyes widened in shock.

They can't believe they've gone this far with cheating!
The fifth elder and the sixth elder, these two big shots, argued like that for a long time.

Finally, Chu Huaixu said leisurely, "Masters, why don't you stop arguing for now?"

"I don't know if this counts as obtaining something?" He raised his hand, and a semi-transparent elixir floated in his palm.

(P.S.: This is a combined post. It's the 15th already. Some of you readers probably have your guaranteed monthly votes by now, right? Please give me your votes!)

(End of this chapter)