Ten years of dormancy: Starting as a martial arts master at the pinnacle

Thousands of people gathered inside the White Horse Temple.

There are three main groups of people here: the experts and personal guards under the Crown Prince's command, the soldiers brought by Li Changqing, and the secret guards of the Prince of Qin's mansion.

And, a number of high-ranking members of the Canal Gang.

Of course, this is only what's on the surface.

The incident involving the Grand Canal Gang was so big that it was impossible for important figures in Kyoto not to know about it.

His Majesty the Emperor's Dragon Shadow Guards, the secret guards of the Duke of Qi's mansion, and the eyes and ears of other powerful forces.

Even some martial arts sects and gangs sent people to gather information.

Although they couldn't enter directly, they all hid inside the White Horse Temple and secretly observed the situation.

Crown Prince Li Yuanqian was a dutiful son his whole life.

He had never been so rebellious before. He led his men directly to confront the Qin Prince's mansion head-on.

Based on his understanding of his father, the emperor should have sent someone to stop it long ago.

But in fact, that's not the case.

This made Li Yuanqian realize that he had made a huge mistake.

He was only thinking about not arousing his father's suspicion, that he had had enough of being the crown prince and wanted to advance further.

Perhaps his father really did have such thoughts. But his father would definitely not approve of a weak and incapable crown prince.

A crown prince who doesn't even dare to vie for power cannot secure his position as emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This is a test!

Even with his status, a direct confrontation with Li Changqing would be seen as bullying the weak.

He also has to pass this test.

Otherwise, after returning to the Crown Prince's residence, he could have requested an imperial decree to remove himself from the position of Crown Prince.

"Each side fields five players, and the last one standing wins!"

After friendly negotiations between Li Yuanqian and Li Changqing, they finally decided to hold a five-round all-around match.

They each selected five people to participate, and they competed in one-on-one battles.

The side that is ultimately defeated loses.

As for the contestants' cultivation levels, not a single expert at the Great Freedom Realm was brought from the Crown Prince's residence.

Even if they bring it, they might not necessarily have the upper hand.

After all, if the Crown Prince's residence can summon people, the Prince of Qin's residence can do the same.

There are four experts at the Free and Unfettered Realm on the Crown Prince's side, while Li Changqing's side only has one.

His other two hidden guards at the Free and Unfettered Realm were sent out to gather information.

At this point, only Grandmasters, Masters, and Innates are capable of completing five rounds of combat.

Martial artists at the Innate and Grandmaster levels cannot demonstrate their true strength and power regardless of victory or defeat.

Only a Grandmaster is barely worthy of it.

After reaching an agreement, Li Yuanqian gave Li Changqing a kind smile.

"Nephew, don't say your uncle is bullying you. We can go ahead with the selection, you can take your time preparing. Come on, little puppy!"

Upon hearing the summons, a person wearing a dog-head mask stepped out from the Crown Prince's procession.

The man was not tall, only about six feet. His whole body was hunched over, like an old man in his twilight years.

But in fact, Li Changqing felt a surge of vitality from this person.

"This guy's got some skills!"

Li Changsheng murmured softly.

Behind him, a beautiful woman tiptoed and whispered in his ear.

"This man is an assassin from the Wind and Rain Pavilion!"

Upon hearing this title, Li Changqing couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Why couldn't he believe it? So all three major assassin organizations were connected to the Crown Prince's residence?

He had previously encountered the Blood Skull and wiped out a branch of the assassin camp.

Now, another assassin from the Wind and Rain Tower has arrived?

Blood Skull is clearly being kept by someone; I wouldn't say 100%, but it's 70-80% likely related to the Crown Prince.

Needless to say, the assassin camp was even more formidable.

Li Changqing had already received definite information from the two prisoners he had captured.

The assassins defected to the Crown Prince and became his sharpest weapons.

Although these two organizations are brutal, their actual strength is average.

Li Changqing didn't have time to spare, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion is the number one assassin organization in the world. Its strength is so great that no sect in the martial arts world dares to underestimate it.

Such an assassin organization has also sided with the Crown Prince?

"Your Highness misunderstands. It's not that Fengyulou has sided with His Highness the Crown Prince. He is the traitor among the Twelve Zodiacs of Fengyulou, Mad Dog Taoist! His real name is unknown, but his strength is genuine. Below the Free and Unfettered Realm, he can rank among the top three."

The Crown Prince is indeed worthy of his title; he makes a grand gesture right away.

Mad Dog Taoist, one of the twelve zodiac animals, is a Grandmaster at the peak.

It is said that he has the ability to fight against even the most skilled opponents in the Free and Unfettered Realm.

Don't worry about whether you can win or not.

The key is that it can withstand a beating.

"I have a feeling I've fallen into a trap?"

The opponent sent out such a skilled fighter from the very beginning.

One can imagine that the final, most challenging one will be even more difficult...

Li Changqing glanced at the team behind him and suddenly felt that their chances of winning were not as great as he had imagined.

It's not 100%, it's probably only 80% or 90%.

"Which of you five wants to go first?"

Their opponent was Mad Dog Taoist, and most of the five grandmasters chosen by Li Changqing looked troubled.

Facing the formidable twelve zodiac animals, they were not certain of victory.

In the end, it was Li Changsheng who touched his head and stepped forward.

"I'll go first!"

"Brother, we don't need to reveal our hand from the start."

Li Changqing hesitated.

"Since you're already planning to win or lose, I might as well just go first. Since I advanced to Grandmaster, I haven't really fought against any experts of the same level."

Upon hearing Li Changsheng's words, the other four Grandmasters selected by Li Changqing couldn't help but frown.

If Li Changsheng didn't have an extraordinary relationship with the Prince of Qinghe.

They couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.

Do you really think all grandmasters are the same?

A Grandmaster is powerful enough to contend with a master of the Free and Unfettered Realm.

Even if we can't beat them, we can still fight.

Some martial artists who have just entered the Grandmaster realm may not even be able to withstand a single move from a master in the Free and Unfettered realm.

Li Changsheng has just broken through to the next level, how could he possibly defeat Mad Dog Taoist?

"How about I take over instead?"

A bald, burly monk, touching the large prayer beads in his hand, spoke in a deep voice.

This monk is a secret guard of the Prince of Qin's mansion, specially recruited from the martial arts world, and he is extremely powerful!

He was nicknamed Vajra Master and his Dharma name was Wuchen.

"Please wait a moment, Master. Let me, Li, go first."

Li Changsheng shook his head in refusal, and then he leaped up, landing in the center of the field like a large bird.

"Li Changsheng, 19th generation disciple of the Canal Gang, please enlighten me!"

He did not use the name of the Prince of Qin's Mansion, nor even the name of the Prince of Qinghe's Mansion.

He claimed to be a nineteenth-generation disciple of the Canal Gang, which made his claim perfectly legitimate.

The high-ranking members of the Grand Canal Gang awkwardly dug their toes into the ground.

What did they do?

They completely sold the Grand Canal Gang to the Crown Prince's residence, and incidentally turned themselves into servants.

Li Changsheng, on the contrary, seems to be the one who wants to earn back the family business.

……