Chapter 453: Chapter 448: The Vying Martial Saints, Biding Their Time
There was plenty to do in the infirmary ward, and when Liu Qing saw Yang Chan, she felt like she finally had a pillar of support.
She had witnessed too many dangers in Jinyun City, and the endless stream of assassins seemed impossible to completely eliminate.
Every day or two, someone would be assassinated, and the targets were almost always the Pharmacists.
Their Cultivation was low and their Combat Power was weak, yet each one held an important position. For the assassins, killing even a single one was considered a success.
Naturally, both Liu Qing and Fang Yun were worried something would happen to Yang Chan. As his Pharmacist’s Assistants, if anything happened to him, they would be affected as well. They would most likely be sent to fight on the front lines, and the perils involved went without saying.
Other Pharmacist’s Assistants had already been sent to the front lines, serving as a cautionary tale. Thus, they were extremely concerned for Yang Chan’s safety, which was, in turn, a concern for their own.
"Alright. Which of the patients here have taken a turn for the worse?"
The air in the ward was thick with the stench of blood from the injured disciples.
Those who fought on the battlefield were all severely injured. Most were brought back with broken arms and legs. Even so, once their wounds healed, they were required to return to the city walls to stand guard.
This was a far cry from the previous policy of sending the wounded back to the Cyan Yuan Sect for treatment. As a result, resentment festered, and many people began to think of leaving Jinyun City.
When there was no visible path forward, people naturally started to have other ideas.
However, with the arrival of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s National Guardian Martial Saint Ancestor, these thoughts were once again suppressed. If the Martial Saint Ancestor were to leave, this suppressed sentiment would surely burst forth.
The greater the suppression, the more violent the eventual backlash.
Yang Chan was aware of all this and naturally wanted to avoid it. Unfortunately, the timing of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s Martial Saint Ancestor’s arrival couldn’t have been worse.
There was much to do in the ward, with a line of injured disciples awaiting treatment. It wasn’t just Yang Chan; other Pharmacists were also on duty. They worked in rotating shifts, as the sheer number of wounded required a sustainable, long-term effort.
They could endure for a short period, but not indefinitely. Eventually, they would collapse from exhaustion, making the situation even more dire. The need for a continuous, sustainable response was why such arrangements had been made.
After Liu Qing explained what had happened the previous night, Yang Chan began examining the patients in more serious condition.
...
"Ancestor, when do we make our move?"
The Old Emperor, Yang Yu, looked at the Martial Saint Ancestor, Yang Sheng, and asked with eager anticipation.
He had followed the Martial Saint Ancestor to Jinyun City, and aside from his most trusted confidants, no one knew of his presence.
He was still waiting for the opportunity to obtain the feedback from the Power of National Fate. The fewer people who knew of his existence, the greater his chances of success.
If he were exposed prematurely, someone would likely try to sabotage his fated opportunity. In such matters, he always assumed the worst of others.
He had already made arrangements back in White Jade City. Once he made his move here, the orders he left behind would be enacted. A new Prince would be named Crown Prince and would oversee the nation in his stead.
If he succeeded, he would remain the Emperor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. If he failed, he would have no other options left.
Even if the Martial Saint Ancestor succeeded in extending his Lifespan, his own circumstances would still be grim. Therefore, for him, there was only one path forward.
His years as Emperor had taught him one thing above all else: in the end, you could only rely on yourself. He had dealt with countless rebellious Princes to secure his throne.
He treated anyone who posed a threat the same way. Sometimes, he even intentionally provoked incidents to completely eliminate these potential troublemakers.
Take Crown Prince Yang Qian, for example. The entire operation had been under his control. Through it, he not only struck a blow against the rebellious factions in the court but also moved against the major Sects. Aside from himself, everyone else suffered considerable losses. It was an overwhelming success that made his imperial authority even more secure.
If the Martial Saint Ancestors of both the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty and the Jin Meng Empire hadn’t run into trouble—one grievously wounded, the other at the end of his Lifespan—he wouldn’t be in this position. Both of them wanted to use the feedback from the Power of National Fate, channeled through the Destiny Golden Dragon.
However, this also presented him with a chance to break through to the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm. It was his last chance, one he would never give up.
"Wait one more day. When the Destiny Golden Dragon’s aura has built to its absolute peak, that will be the time to strike."
"The Jin Meng Empire is in a similar situation. Their Destiny Golden Dragon is already in an extremely poor state. When the time comes, the two Destiny Golden Dragons will inevitably appear and clash, and the Power of National Fate will surge."
"At the critical moment of their clash, we will strike. That is when the feedback from the Power of National Fate will occur. This will be your greatest opportunity. Seize it!"
Yang Sheng gazed up at the sky over Jinyun City, his expression growing heavy.
For him, this was also the last chance.
The Destiny Golden Dragon would be grievously wounded, the national fate would be damaged, and a series of backlashes would follow.
These were all consequences the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty would have to face. But if the Yang Family couldn’t produce a new National Guardian Martial Saint, or if he couldn’t successfully extend his Lifespan, then the Yang Family would have no future.
When faced with that trade-off, the choice was obvious.
"I understand. I will not fail to live up to the opportunity you’ve given me, Ancestor."
A sharp glint flashed in Old Emperor Yang Yu’s eyes. This was an extremely rare opportunity. According to Ancestor Yang Sheng, breaking through with the aid of the Power of National Fate was somewhat easier than under normal circumstances.
Although this method came with its own constraints, it also offered benefits. For someone like him, who had failed his breakthrough attempts repeatedly and had almost no chance of succeeding normally, it was an opportunity he would never give up.
...
"It’s confirmed. The Martial Saint Ancestor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty is going to make a move, and so is the Martial Saint expert from the Jin Meng Empire."
"It seems we’re about to witness a clash between experts of the Martial Saint Level."
Song Yunxiang’s voice was filled with anticipation as he spoke.
National Guardian Martial Saints rarely took action. Such experts were like a stabilizing force for the nation’s fate and would not act rashly. Their power was so destructive that a single move could easily annihilate an entire major city.
It was not unheard of for millions, or even tens of millions, of people to be wiped out in an instant.
Because the power of these experts was so immense, even when conflicts arose between nations, the fighting was kept within certain limits.
Only when a conflict became truly irreconcilable would a National Guardian Martial Saint intervene to end the fighting.
Now, it seemed, that time had come.
Although Song Yunxiang wanted to leave this place of turmoil, he was also eager to witness a battle between experts of this caliber.
A battle of this level was a once-in-a-century event. In all his long years, this was the first time Song Yunxiang had an opportunity to witness one.
"Then do we have an escape route prepared?"
"When Martial Saint experts clash, Jinyun City itself could be destroyed!"
Yang Chan, however, had no interest in the clash between such high-level experts. He just wanted to flee. A confrontation of this level was simply too dangerous.
If he remained in Jinyun City, he would only end up as collateral damage, and Yang Chan had no desire for his life to end here.
He was confident that, given enough time, reaching the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm would not be a problem.
So naturally, Yang Chan’s first thought was to get out of Jinyun City.
"Not yet. The soldiers who came with the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s National Guardian Martial Saint Ancestor are still guarding Jinyun City. Someone tried to bribe their way out, but those soldiers are completely incorruptible. They gave no one a chance."
"If we want to leave, we’ll have to wait for the two National Guardian Martial Saint experts to clash. If the battle spills over into Jinyun City, it will cause immense chaos, and we can use that opportunity to escape."
Song Yunxiang shook his head with a bitter smile. As much as he wanted to watch a battle of this magnitude, he had to consider their safety. Moreover, he was responsible for Yang Chan’s security, a duty tied to his own future. He would not neglect it just to witness an epic confrontation.
He knew how to get his priorities straight.
It was just that his attempts had not gone smoothly. It wasn’t just him; people from other Sects had also tried. Unfortunately, the soldiers who had come with the National Guardian Martial Saint were simply unpersuadable. No matter what method they tried, it was useless!
Faced with this situation, he was at a loss. After all, there were even Inner Master experts among the guards. He would have trouble forcing his way through alone, to say nothing of bringing Yang Chan, whom he considered a liability, which would make it even more difficult.
All they could do was wait for an opportunity. When the two sides fought, if the victor was decided outside the city and the battle ended there, they could return to the Cyan Yuan Sect.
If the battle spilled over into Jinyun City, they could use the opportunity to escape the city. For them, this was also an option.
As for the people from some Sects who wanted to join forces to break out of Jinyun City, he felt their chances of success were slim. It was better to stay, observe the situation, and then make a decision.
With a National Guardian Martial Saint stationed in Jinyun City, no matter how much trouble a group of Inner Masters caused, they would be easily suppressed. In his eyes, that was the most foolish option, and he certainly wouldn’t choose to take part in it.
"Alright, then we’ll wait for our chance!"
Yang Chan felt helpless. If Gu An’s message had arrived sooner, or if he had left earlier, he could have avoided this trouble.
Although he would be declared dead, it wouldn’t affect his plans to join the Merak Sacred Land. He just wouldn’t be able to return to the Cyan Yuan Sect for a while, and assuming a new identity was no great hardship for him.
He always used different identities when traveling, so this was a perfectly normal state of affairs for him and not something he worried about.
"Rest assured, Pharmacist Yang. I will protect you."
"Now that the National Guardian Martial Saint Ancestor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty has arrived in Jinyun City, the city has become a little safer. At the very least, the Jin Meng Empire didn’t attack today. That shows they’re wary of a National Guardian Martial Saint’s Combat Power."
"We should also rest and conserve our strength. If the situation turns sour, we can leave at a moment’s notice."
"If the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty wins, we’ll be able to return to the Cyan Yuan Sect safe and sound."
Song Yunxiang could see Yang Chan’s anxiety, so he offered words of comfort and described the best-case scenario, even though he personally believed it was highly unlikely.
National Guardian Martial Saints rarely fought to the death. The Combat Power of such experts was too formidable, and their Life Force was incredibly tenacious. If one was determined to escape, it was almost impossible for a single opponent to kill them; the difficulty was immense.
Naturally, this meant the chances of both sides agreeing to a truce were very high!
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