The Jin Hall rose from the ground, the stairs alone reaching a height of over twenty zhangs, all paved with the incomparably sturdy Black Jadestone. There were five platforms, consisting of 449 steps in total. This symbolized that the one who resided above the steps was the supreme ruler!
The command reverberated throughout the vast Jin Royal Palace.
“Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you,” the imperial eunuch urged, “Aren’t you going to enter the hall?”
“As you command,” the heavily armored man slowly rose to his feet.
For most people, standing again after three days of kneeling in worship in the depths of winter without sleep, food or water was a challenge. But as one of the top twelve martial artists in the Land Rankings, the man in black armor was as composed as ever as he removed his sword.
By the laws of the Great Jin Empire, unless granted a royal decree, officials and princes were required to enter the palace dressed in brocade attire. Only the East King and the North King were permitted to enter in armor, but weapons were forbidden within the hall. They had to disarm themselves before stepping foot into the Jin Hall.
Throughout the ages, the east king and north king had been the pillars of the Great Jin Empire, serving as important ministers for the royal family and shouldering the heavy responsibility of supporting the empire.
Step by step, the man in black armor ascended the staircase, finally setting foot inside the Jin Hall. Above him, a dome towered more than ten zhangs high. The majestic hall was lined with rows of magnificent columns on either side, as well as soldiers in full armor.
A man in purple and gold robes sat with his eyes closed on a high throne at the end of the hall. A beautiful woman in exquisite attire knelt by his side, sobbing uncontrollably.
Thump! Thump! Each step the black-armored man took echoed through the hall, as if he weighed as much as a giant. This was not deliberate on his part. Instead, the floor had been designed by master craftsmen such that any step someone took would produce a clear sound. Even Savant experts were no exception. This was all to guard against the silent intrusion of assassins.
Given the skill of the armored man, he could achieve complete silence if he willed it, but that would only reveal that he was deliberately controlling his body. Soon, he arrived at the center of the hall.
“I, Jin Jiu, kneel before His Majesty.” The armored man knelt heavily, “I have come to confess my sins and ask for His Majesty’s punishment!” Jin Jiu’s voice echoed through the vast palace, only to be met with the quiet sobbing of the luxuriously dressed woman.
“Ninth Brother, we are kin, there is no need for such formality. Rise,” the man seated upon the throne finally spoke. His voice carried a gentleness that contradicted the reputation of a fearsome ruler.
Jin Jiu stood up. Before him sat a slightly frail-looking tall man, a figure that no one would associate with the first in Land Rankings. Yet, East King Jin Jiu, understood all too well just how formidable his second brother truly was.
“I have been apprised of what happened at the battle at Cloud River, as well as the ninth prince’s matter.” Emperor Jin’s voice remained gentle, devoid of any trace of sorrow, as if the deceased Jin Rensu was not his son.
“Your Majesty, you must seek justice for Rensu!” The beautiful woman couldn’t help but look up at the tall man on the throne.
“Empress!” Emperor Jin’s voice turned cold. “Today, I am discussing matters with the east king. I permitted you to attend this meeting out of consideration for the loss of your son. However, the imperial harem should not meddle in political affairs. As the head of the harem, how can you not comprehend this?”
The empress clenched her jaw and lowered her head, not uttering another word.
“I beseech Your Majesty for punishment,” Jin Jiu said solemnly.
“This matter is not your fault.” Emperor Jin’s voice regained its gentleness. “Although you govern the various provinces of the Chu Continent, and are responsible for supporting the three provinces of the Jiang Continent, that region was under the jurisdiction of the ninth prince. He perished on patrol duty while en route to the border.”
“Since our ancestors founded this nation over two centuries ago, dozens of royal heirs have perished on the battlefield, including my eldest brother, third brother, fifth brother… Why would my own sons escape the same fate?” Emperor Jin’s words were deliberate, each one weighty. “In our quest to unify the world, sacrifices are unavoidable.”
East King Jin Jiu listened in silence. Generation after generation, the royal family of Great Jin indeed suffered immense losses. Out of more than 30 siblings in their generation, less than ten survived to the present day.
“East King!” Emperor Jin began, his words measured. “For over a decade, you have governed the East in my stead, and I am grateful for your efforts. The demise of the ninth prince was of his own making, but it does not absolve others of guilt.”
“Jin Tanying and Li Zi have shown great dedication in their guard duties. They are hereby posthumously promoted to First Class Marquis, and their families shall be rewarded!”
“Grandmaster Chen Luo failed to protect his liege. He shall be demoted from Third Class Duke to First Class Marquis. His military responsibilities shall remain unchanged and he will continue to guard the Jiang Continent.”
“Furthermore, I, the Emperor of Great Jin, hereby declare: Anyone who discovers the true identity of Shadow Blade will be rewarded ten million silver taels and bestowed the rank of Third Class Marquis upon confirmation.”
“Additionally, anyone who successfully eliminates Shadow Blade and provides evidence shall be bestowed with the following by the royal family of Great Jin: 100 million silver taels or an equivalent natural treasure, a complete set of immortal arts, and the title of Second Class Duke.” Emperor Jin’s voice remained steady. “Spread this proclamation far and wide, to every continent, every province, every Grandmaster on the Land Rankings, every expert on the Human Rankings. Let all be informed.”
His words were delivered casually, but the beautiful woman next to Emperor Jin had stopped crying, looking at him with indescribable shock.
The east king was just as stunned, his heart pounding.
Ten million silver taels? 100 million silver taels? Second Class Duke? It was only now that he realized the extent of Emperor Jin’s fury hidden beneath his calm exterior! When the emperor rages, the world should tremble. This saying rang true indeed.
For a large nation, a reward of 100 million silver taels wasn’t too large a loss, but it was enough to drive any first-rate Adept or Savant expert crazy. Even ten million silver taels were considered a generous offer. After all, one only needed to uncover the culprits identity.
Wealth and titles might not entice Grandmasters. After all, these were figures who stood at the pinnacle of mortal martial prowess. What material pleasures could they not obtain?
However, once their power reached a ceiling, they were faced with a barrier that couldn’t be breached by mere natural treasures. Emperor Jin was willing to offer a set of immortal arts as a reward?
Immortal arts, also known as divine arts or forbidden arts, were created by Heavenly Rankers, and could greatly augment the strength of a Land Ranker. Most Land Rankers coveted two types of treasures: a set of immortal arts, and a first-grade divine weapon!
“Your Majesty, this set of immortal arts?” Jin Jiu couldnt resist asking.
“Chen Luo has presented a detailed account of his encounter with Shadow Blade, and I have commanded the Ministry of Supervision to collaborate with the Starcom Consortium and the Pleiades Guild to gather all available information on Shadow Blade.” Emperor Jin spoke in a composed manner. “Based on the assessment of the two highest-ranked ancestors, it is likely that this Shadow Blade is an average first-class genius, with a slim chance of being an upper first-class genius.”
“There’s a possibility that he’s an upper first-class genius?” Jin Jiu drew in a sharp breath. He finally understood why Emperor Jin was offering such a generous reward.
In their pursuit to unify the world, the Great Jin Empire naturally needed to keep tabs on prodigies from hostile forces and make appropriate plans.
These prodigies are divided into three major classes: first, second, and third, with each class further subdivided into upper, average, and lower ratings. These classifications were constantly updated based on the prodigy’s performance.
Those with potential for the Human Rankings were rated third-class prodigies and made up the majority.
Those with potential for the Land Rankings were classified as second-class prodigies. They were under close observation, like Xu Hui of the Cloudstride Sect, who was an upper second-class prodigy with a high chance of becoming a Grandmaster.
As for first-class prodigies? They were extremely rare! As far as East King Jin Jiu knew, among the prodigies registered in the Ministry of Supervision, there were fewer than twenty first-class prodigies in the entire world, with most of them rated lower first-class.
Lower first-class prodigies had a 99% chance of becoming Grandmasters assuming their regular rate of growth and development.
Average first-class prodigies were highly likely to become Great Grandmasters, with a slim chance of making the Heavenly Rankings. Currently, only three were registered Wu Yuan of the Cloudstride Sect, Zhen Lin of the Bei Continent, and Xing Shisan of the Dong Continent.
As for upper first-class prodigies? Throughout the history of Great Jin, only one had ever appeared, and that singular appearance led to the disappearance of Imperator Jin. Great Jin nearly collapsed entirely.
These were secrets that none of the ministers were privy to, but as a present king of the Jin Empire, he was naturally aware.
“Whether it’s Wu Yuan of Cloudstride or Zhen Lin of the Bei Continent, they are still in the early stages of unveiling their abilities. We still have time to prepare,” Emperor Jin looked down at East King Jin Jiu, “But this Shadow Blade, his power has already reached the level of a Grandmaster.”
“Whether he can make it to the Heavenly Rankings remains uncertain. But soon, he will reach the level of Great Grandmaster,” Emperor Jin said, “Each additional Great Grandmaster on the Land Rankings is another obstacle to Great Jin’s mission of unifying the world. I do not wish to see another one appear.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.” East King Jin Jiu solemnly replied, “I shall spare no effort to uncover the identity of Shadow Blade.”
He understood the gravity of the situation.
A genius was nothing more than a genius. The so-called evaluation of prodigies was just a judgment on potential, and it was unknown whether they could live up to said potential. Only the strong were a deadly threat!
Both Emperor Jin and Jin Jiu needed to face their most immediate, greatest threat. And clearly, Shadow Blade had already established himself as a significant menace.
“At the same time, draft a formal letter to the Cloudstride Sect,” Emperor Jin said calmly, “I hope the Cloudstride Sect will find out the identities of Shadow Blades kin within a year, and deliver them into the custody of the Great Jin Empire.”
“Otherwise, two years from now, our Great Jin’s Northern Cavalry, along with the Nan Continent Navy, will gather in the Jiang Continent and march straight to Cloudhill to attend the centennial birthday celebration of Grandmaster Bu Yu!”
Grandmaster Bu Yu was already 98 years old, and in just over two years, she would turn 100. That milestone marked the beginning of a Grandmaster’s rapid decline from their peak.
“Understood,” East King Jin Jiu responded, a glint of battle intent flashing in his eyes. “There’s no need for Your Majesty to take action personally. I’ve grown stronger during these ten years of peace. I shall lead the charge, ascending Cloudhill to vanquish Cloudstride!”
“There’s no rush. The battle with Cloudstride is a crucial one that will secure our rule. Once it falls, Great Jin will sweep through the Central Plains within a decade,” Emperor Jin stated, his voice as calm as a placid lake. “The four continents bordering the ocean won’t just stand by and watch.”
East King Jin Jiu nodded slightly. He did not fear Grandmaster Bu Yu, yet why did the Battle of Hillstride ten years ago end in a truce for Great Jin? It was due to the arrival of reinforcements from various powers!
“Furthermore, I have already granted the twelfth prince the right to establish his own faction. Take him with you when you return to the East, East King,” Emperor Jin softly spoke. “His talents are not inferior to the ninth prince’s. The sole concern is that he was raised within the palace by women, lacking opportunities to temper himself. I trust you to guide him well.” frёewebnoѵēl.com
“Your Majesty can rest assured! In time, the twelfth prince shall display a valorous spirit that rivals Your Majesty,” East King declared sincerely.
This didn’t surprise him. Such was the tradition of the royal family of Great Jin. Each generation saw numerous princes vying fiercely for the throne, and the one with the most outstanding military exploits earned the right to claim the title of emperor. The struggle for the throne claimed countless lives.
East King Jin Jiu himself was once defeated by the current Emperor Jin in the struggle for the throne, and was eventually granted the title of East King, presiding over the Chu Continent.
By all rights, such a line of succession, combined with widespread enfeoffment, should have spawned internal strife among the princes, resulting in the disintegration of Great Jin long ago. Yet, as generations passed, the Great Jin Empire remained steadfast, growing mightier with each passing day.