120: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Sixteen)

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

Cheers like a mountain tsunami erupted from the allied camp, waves of sound rising higher and higher, completely drowning out the royal capital that had just undergone a drastic upheaval.

The remaining defenders completely lost their will to resist and knelt one after another to surrender.

The old era ended in blood and fire, and a new era began amidst purple Qi and cheers.

Amidst the deafening cheers, within the allied ranks, a young Cultivator wearing worn leather armor with a somewhat bewildered expression nudged an older, fanatical veteran beside him with his elbow. He lowered his voice and asked with genuine confusion:

"Brother... Brother Wang, aren't we... aren't we following the Wang Family to 'purge the court and pacify the national crisis'?"

"How... how does it sound like we're directly replacing the Emperor? Aren't we... achieving the merit of following a new dragon?"

The veteran known as Brother Wang was staring at the father and son on the high platform, his eyes a mix of fanaticism, awe, and a hint of uncertainty about the future.

Hearing his companion's overly "naive" question, he withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the young Cultivator's clear yet foolish eyes. He remained silent for a moment, a wry smile appearing on his face.

He patted the young Cultivator's shoulder and spoke earnestly, with the weary wisdom of someone who had seen through the world:

"Brother, for you to ask such a thing... take my advice. When we get back, you really should invite a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to take a good look at your ancestral graves."

Young Cultivator: "...Huh?"

The veteran sighed and stopped explaining. He gave the young man's shoulder another meaningful pat, then turned to follow the larger crowd, cheering even harder toward the purple royal flag that symbolized the start of a new Dynasty.

The young Cultivator was left scratching his head, pondering for a long time the mysterious connection between "inviting an expert" and "purging the court"... In the old royal palace of Great Xia, within a side hall of the Nine Dragon Hall.

Once a place where King Xia discussed politics and rested, though it had passed through the flames of war, the main structure remained. However, the red lacquer was peeling, and the beams were stained with dust, showing a scene of complete decline.

The few remaining royal furnishings in the hall intertwined with the faint scent of blood that had not yet fully dissipated, speaking of the cruelty of dynastic change.

Xu Yuan sat cross-legged on a temporarily cleaned prayer mat, positioned exactly in front of the massive screen that once separated King Xia from his subjects.

His eyes were tightly closed, and the pale gold National Fortune of the Dynasty gathered from every corner of the palace and from all directions of the capital as if summoned, merging into his damaged Meridians and Divine Soul in thin strands.

The thrilling confrontation with Xia Hong—especially the final forced invocation of the newborn National Fortune to interrupt his self-detonation with "Words Followed by Law"—had brought about a backlash of rules far beyond imagination.

Had he not possessed the Purple Star Emperor Body, which gave him a natural affinity and capacity for Luck, combined with the profound mysteries of the Purple Zenith Imperial Fate Art, he likely would have suffered far more than just a heavy injury.

In this core of power for the old Dynasty, the influx of newborn Luck seemed to carry a special rhythm, as if washing over and overwriting the old imprints.

Time passed slowly. Under the nourishment of the vast Luck, the pain within his body, which felt like shattered porcelain, gradually eased. The chaotic spiritual power was slowly smoothed out, and the cracks in his Divine Soul were slowly mended under the warmth of the purple Qi.

After a long while, Xu Yuan finally exhaled a breath of turbid Qi tinged with the scent of blood and opened his eyes. Though the divine light in his eyes was still somewhat dim, the previous dispersion and intense pain had been suppressed, and his injuries were temporarily stabilized.

"A pity..."

If not for the need to stop Xia Hong's self-detonation, which caused a severe backlash and forced him to consume a massive amount of newborn National Fortune to repair his body and stabilize his Foundation, he could have used this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity of dynastic transition here in the heart of the old palace. The gathered Luck should have been enough to support him in condensing the legendary Purple Extremity Vast Heaven Foundation in one go, stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm!

A Perfect Dao Foundation, a pseudo-Golden Core status... that was a Realm he had never even touched in his previous life.

Now, although he had seized the remaining National Fortune of Great Xia in the depths of this old palace, the consumption to offset the backlash was also enormous.

The remaining Luck was still vast, but it was like a raging tide that had not yet fully settled. It required time to organize and refine, and it was no longer sufficient to support an immediate push for that flawless Dao Foundation.

"I was too hasty after all..."

Xu Yuan shook his head slightly, but he felt little regret.

The situation had been critical then; if Xia Hong had succeeded in his self-detonation, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"However, my Foundation is undamaged, and the old Dynasty is destroyed. Once I fully digest these gains and completely stabilize the National Fortune, it will be a natural progression to gather Luck at the founding ceremony of the new Dynasty, condense the Purple Extremity Vast Heaven Foundation, and enter Foundation Establishment."

"It just needs some time."

Suppressing the slight regret caused by the missed opportunity despite the perfect location and timing, Xu Yuan closed his eyes again, focusing more intently on guiding the surrounding Luck and consolidating his 9th Layer of Qi Refining cultivation.

At the same time, he used his mind to carefully perceive the increasingly close connection between the Purple Zenith Imperial Fate Art, the newborn National Fortune, and the old palace beneath him, making the most thorough preparations for his upcoming Foundation Establishment... In the underground secret chamber of the Wang Family residence.

Wang Jue's face was ashen, his fingers nearly crushing the black sub-talisman used for communication.

Before him, a projection from a recording Jade Slip showed the final scenes of the battlefield outside the city—Xia Hong's self-detonation being forcibly interrupted, his father Wang Qingshan taking the chance to kill him, the cheers of the army, and Xu Yuan, though pale, standing tall and being personally supported by his father as the establishment of the new Dynasty was declared, honoring him as the Emperor!

Every scene was like a red-hot steel needle, stabbing fiercely into his eyes and piercing his heart.

"Why haven't you acted yet!"

Wang Jue almost roared, sending a Divine Thought filled with malevolence into the sub-talisman. "Is everyone in the Shadow Tower useless? Such a good opportunity on the battlefield! There were only my father and the Third Elder beside him! Why didn't you strike?!"

After a moment of silence, a cold Divine Thought response without any emotional fluctuation came from the sub-talisman; it was the Shadow Tower envoy who had contacted him before:

"Young Master Wang Jue, please remain calm."

"The battlefield was not a good opportunity. Although the target, Wang Yuan, seemed isolated, he was actually in the midst of ten thousand troops, his Aura faintly connected to the entire allied army formation. At that time, the Wang Family's 'Green Wood Origin Suppressing Grand Array' had been deployed, covering the central army. Furthermore, there were two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Wang Qingshan and Wang Zhengqing. Especially Wang Qingshan, whose Aura has reached Foundation Establishment Perfection and whose spiritual senses are incredibly sharp."

"Our 'Bronze Rank' assassins were in position, but if we had acted forcibly then, we would have had to first break the army's Aura and then overcome the Foundation Establishment protection. The success rate was less than thirty percent, and there was a high probability of exposing our tracks, leading to total mission failure. This was not a wise move, nor does it align with the Shadow Tower's principles."

Wang Jue's chest heaved violently, the unwillingness and resentment in his heart burning even more fiercely: "Then how long must I wait? Are you going to wait until he sits on the dragon throne and is cloaked in Luck before you act?!"

The Shadow Tower envoy's Divine Thought remained steady and calm:

"Young Master Wang Jue, do not be impatient."

"The founding ceremony is the best opportunity!"

"At that time, the target Wang Yuan will need to ascend the Heaven-Worshipping Platform alone to pray to the heavens and receive the National Fortune. At that moment, the Evil Qi of the army formation will not be allowed around him, nor can he be directly connected to the Aura of the troops."

"At most, he will be guarded by Wang Qingshan and one or two other Foundation Establishment Elders as close protectors."

"Without the protection of the army formation, even with Foundation Establishment Cultivators nearby, gaps will appear in his defenses that our carefully trained 'Bronze Rank' assassins can exploit."

"We already have a detailed plan to ensure that at the most critical moment of the ritual—when his mind is merging with the National Fortune and his perception of the outside world is at its lowest—we will launch a lightning strike."

"By then, no matter how fast Wang Qingshan reacts, it will be impossible to stop us!"