Chapter 717: Chapter 426: Voices from Beyond
Zhao Country.
The Supreme Emperor of Zhao lowered his head, gazing upon his rejuvenated body, eyes filled with amazement, and murmured, "Who would have thought, that even I could return to youth. Young man, thank you."
Li Nuo smiled faintly and said, "We’re all one family here, there’s no need for such formality, Supreme Emperor."
After exiting the palace where the Supreme Emperor resided, the Empress held Li Nuo’s arm, resting her head gently on his shoulder, and said, "Thank you."
Li Nuo chuckled, "You’re being polite with me too?"
Zhao Zhiyi pouted slightly, saying, "No need for thanks, fine, no need for thanks then..."
Li Nuo grasped her hand, saying, "If the Empress insists on thanking me, I would humbly accept."
Zhao Zhiyi pinched his waist lightly, saying, "The Emperors of Qi Country and Chu Country have both abdicated, I think it’s about time for me to step down as well."
As the only emperor of the continent to join the Confucian tradition, she fully understood the intentions of Li Nuo and those Confucian officials from Daxia.
No one is born higher than others, not even oneself.
If absolute power is not eradicated, the common people will never see peace.
Holding her hand, Li Nuo said, "When the time comes, you and Che’er shall return to Chang’an with me. From then on, I will have time to accompany you both."
Zhao Zhiyi nodded gently, never having desired the throne, giving it up was a relief for her.
After a moment’s contemplation, she spoke again, "There’s something I’ve never told you..."
After telling Li Nuo about Master Gongsun, Zhao Zhiyi shook her head slightly, murmuring in confusion, "I don’t understand what her elder left behind means. I personally arranged her funeral and watched as her corpse turned to ashes. Yet she said we might meet again in the future. Can the dead truly rise again?"
Li Nuo was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, saying, "Resurrection is indeed not impossible."
In the "Heavenly Book," there is a portrait unknown to Li Nuo, and once illuminated, he could gain the power of the Half-Saint Peak from the School of Calligraphy. Though not yet in the Saint Realm, Li Nuo could faintly perceive certain things.
Reviving the dead is indeed the power of the School of Calligraphy.
However, to resurrect someone who has already become ashes, even the power of the Saint Realm may not suffice, that is the ultimate of the School of Calligraphy.
It was not only foreseen that he would help Zhiyi claim the throne but also that he would practice the School of Calligraphy in the future. Master Gongsun’s cultivation must have reached the Seventh Realm of the Yin Yang School.
It seems that the saints on this continent are not limited to the School of Cross and Vertical, which has been stirring troubles for centuries.
Though Heaven did not bestow the Yin Yang School with supreme personal power, it granted them eyes to see through fate.
Aside from extending the old Emperor of Qi Country’s life, Li Nuo also extended the State Preceptor of Qi Country’s life by sixty years. He was a close friend of Dongfang Xuan, and after the merger of the "Law Code" and "Confucian Scripture," extending life no longer consumes additional life span.
In the process of annexing Wei Country, Qi Country, and Chu Country, Dongfang Xuan acquired many Yin Yang School texts. Two half-saints of the Yin Yang School are studying tirelessly.
After handling the affairs of Zhao Country, Li Nuo took Zhiyi and the others back to Chang’an.
After hundreds of years, the continent was finally unified.
Since the Great Court Meeting, those School of Cross and Vertical members who had been stirring the continent’s affairs never showed up again.
The situation of the world was already set, even top experts of the School of Cross and Vertical could no longer reverse it.
And the School of Cross and Vertical member with Saint cultivation had never appeared.
Li Nuo understood the mindset of the School of Cross and Vertical; the peace and chaos of the continent, the division and unification of nations, were all their games.
They consider themselves players, using the continent as the chessboard, countries as pieces, and themselves as the player, never entering the game as a piece.
This is their pride as the School of Cross and Vertical.
Losing a game doesn’t matter, they can start a new one. Losing pride and dignity is something they cannot accept.
In the current situation, even if the Saint from the School of Cross and Vertical personally takes the field, they couldn’t change anything.
Li Nuo glanced at the two figures in the pavilion playing chess.
Now, Daxia not only has a School of Cross and Vertical Saint but also an emperor of the Saint Realm.
After a sigh of relief, he reached out toward the distance, and two small figures came running from afar, leaping into his arms. Li Nuo kissed each of his daughters on their faces, and Housekeeper Wu approached, saying, "Young master, King Rui requests an audience."
"King Rui?"
Li Nuo looked into the distance and saw a silhouette standing there and nodded, "Let him come over."
As the words fell, he suddenly looked up at the distant sky.
In the Lake Heart Pavilion, Li Xuanjing picked up a chess piece and then placed it down again, saying, "A guest has arrived."
King Chun glanced back, frowned, and said, "Coming neither early nor late, but interrupting others while they play chess, how annoying..."
Though he said this, he still got up and walked to the lakeside.
Five figures descended from the sky, landing in front of them.
Among them were three elders of the School of Cross and Vertical who had appeared at the Great Court Meeting. The other two were a young man and a middle-aged man. King Chun looked at the middle-aged man with astonishment, "Lin Fuzhi, you’re not dead!"
The middle-aged man was none other than Lin Fuzhi, the Capital Governor who had committed suicide during the Dual Kings’ Rebellion.
Lin Fuzhi bowed to the two and said with a smile, "King Chun, Lord Li, we meet again..."
King Chun’s gaze swept over Lin Fuzhi and finally settled on the handsome young man.
The handsome young man merely glanced at him and fixed his gaze on Li Xuanjing. A slight smile appeared on his handsome face as he said, "After hundreds of years, I’ve finally encountered an interesting opponent..."
Seeing King Chun’s alert posture, he smiled slightly and said, "No need for such wariness, Your Majesty. I bear no ill will toward you. It’s just a game of chess; with wins come losses, and if one game is lost, there is always the next..."
King Chun snorted coldly, releasing a formidable aura, locking onto them tightly, and said in a deep voice, "Don’t think of pulling any tricks again!"
The handsome young man shook his head with a smile and said, "The trends of the world, divided for long will unite, united for long will divide; this is the law of history, it can’t be altered by you."
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Li Xuanjing.
Though his expression was indifferent, his gaze carried a deep arrogance, as if no one was worthy of his attention except the person opposite him. Even the Emperor of the Unified Dynasty, standing by his side, was merely an accessory in the chess game of the School of Cross and Vertical.
He looked at Li Xuanjing and spoke again, "Human desires are an abyss that can never be filled. Confucian restraint of private desires goes against human nature and ultimately cannot last. The Datong you desire will eventually become an illusion. With your cultivation, you should see this clearly..."
Standing beside Li Nuo, Housekeeper Wu clenched his fist and said, "Why is this guy so arrogant, really want to punch him in the face!"
Li Nuo did not feel surprised. A Saint of the School of Cross and Vertical can stir the continent’s situation with one hand, playing the great dynasties like pawns. The so-called emperors of the Five Great Dynasties are just their pieces, so it’s not strange that they look down on everything.
Perhaps in the eyes of the other, only by defeating his father would one be qualified to speak with him as an equal.
As for others, they may not be much different from ants.
King Rui looked indifferently at the handsome youth, a trace of ridicule crossing his lips as he said lightly, "Just merely a brutish bug amongst a group of ignorant pitiful worms, what qualifies you to be arrogant..."
The handsome youth slowly turned around, meeting King Rui’s gaze.
In the eyes of the opponent, he unexpectedly saw a look of pity.
This ignited the fire of anger in his heart.
He was a Saint of the School of Cross and Vertical; this continent under the feet of billions was merely his chessboard, and the emperors of the Five Great Dynasties were merely his chess pieces. How could an ant unworthy even to be called a chess piece dare pity him, qualify to pity him?
His figure disappeared from the original place, and once again appeared in front of King Rui.
A palm appeared at King Rui’s neck, but in the next moment, he grabbed nothing.
It wasn’t that King Rui dodged; he stood there without any action.
This Saint of the School of Cross and Vertical’s hand passed through King Rui’s neck, and no matter if he used spiritual power or the Power of Heaven and Earth, he couldn’t touch King Rui’s body. He was clearly standing there, yet even a Saint couldn’t touch him.
For the first time, shock appeared on the handsome youth’s face; he suddenly stepped back in amazement and exclaimed, "What ghostly thing are you!"
In his long life span of hundreds of years, he had never seen such a strange scene.
However, he quickly calmed down.
He had seen a cook who could decapitate a Martial Saint with one knife, seen thieves who could steal cultivation, and even seen a School of Calligraphy that could influence reality with a brush. Though this scene was shocking, compared to that terrifying School of Calligraphy, it was only so...
He looked at King Rui with an unusual gaze and said lightly, "No wonder you dare to boast so shamelessly; you’ve created a school outside the Hundred Schools, truly my eyes have failed me. My life is full of numerous people, and you may be considered a person among them. I won’t hold your offense just now..."
As his words fell, his figure disappeared from the original place, appearing before Li Xuanjing again and said, "How about you and I have a match?"
On the other side, Li Nuo looked at King Rui and asked, "What is it you seek?"
King Rui gazed toward the sky and said, "Since I comprehended this power, not only have I seen things others couldn’t, but I’ve also heard some strange sounds. These sounds come from beyond the sky; I can’t hear them clearly. Perhaps you can hear them..."
Li Nuo’s gaze slightly focused.
King Rui shook his head and said, "No need to worry, I just see a bit more than others do, besides, I can’t do anything... However, as long as it’s a book, whether tangible or intangible, with words or without, I can see them. For instance, your previous ’Law Code,’ Lord Li’s ’Confucian Scripture,’ and now your ’Heavenly Book.’ I also know that if you wish, you can possess the power within my body..."
Li Nuo was silent for a moment before extending his right hand, placing it on King Rui’s shoulder.
A certain portrait on the Heavenly Book lit up.
The next moment, the Thief School’s power within Li Nuo surged to an incredibly strong realm, and the power within King Rui gradually entered his body.
Boom!
At the moment this power entered Li Nuo’s body, the mixed voices from beyond the sky almost exploded in his mind.
After he steadied his thoughts, those ethereal sounds gradually became clear.
...
"Bastard, hurry and update!"
"Every update is so late that I’ve got dark circles; can’t you write earlier!"
"What’s the point of writing early, still looks bad!"
"Before the Imperial Examination was fine, but after it, what the hell are you writing!"
"The war scenes are child’s play, don’t write if you can’t write!"
"Like leftover chicken ribs, tasteless if eaten, regrettable if discarded!"
"Neither light nor profound, rotten book!"
"Getting shorter and worse the more you write!"
"Rotten book, refund!"
"Why set the thief so strong, can’t play unless weakened, hurry and weaken, last time wasn’t enough!"
"Mumu and Ning’er are such cute girls, and you lose them in writing, what is this?"
"Female characters become background when together, what is this, learn how others write!"
"The romance plot is just a mess, don’t write it in the future!"
"Absolutely clueless about the main theme, what the hell are you writing!"
"Where’s Jiaren, where’s my wonderful Jiaren, give Jiaren more scenes, damn author!"
"Xuanjing is so charming, I want to bear your child!"
"When the time comes, everything will align; when the fortune departs, heroes are not free..., abandoning wishes to the east flow..., without the Imperial Throne it is very important... Are you hinting at the court by writing this, report!"
"Which editor signed the book, signing this for us to see, you should be sentenced!"
"Third-rate author is always third-rate, can never become second-rate!"
"Stop writing books, find a workshop to work at!"
"Brothers, stop cursing, stop cursing, the workshop is ready, just going to stop writing, switching to woodworking in the future, and please take care of my business..."
