200: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Ninety-Six)

Inside the pavilion, murderous intent lay hidden, while the sea of clouds churned silently outside.

Li Beichen detailed the specifics of the plan to assassinate Yuwen Shang, including the timing, location, moment of action, methods of support, and retreat routes. It was clear he had been plotting for many years and had considered everything thoroughly.

Xu Yuan listened intently, asking questions from time to time, scrutinizing every single link to the extreme to ensure there were no oversights.

After a long while, the secret discussion finally ended.

"...That is roughly how it is." Li Beichen let out a long sigh, his expression weary yet carrying a trace of excitement. "What does Emperor Shang think? Do you have any doubts?"

Xu Yuan remained silent for a moment, running through the entire plan in his mind once more. Confirming there were no major flaws for now, he slowly nodded.

"Although the plan is risky, it is interlocking and indeed feasible. As for the details, we shall act according to the situation when the time comes."

He stood up, preparing to take his leave. "Since it has been decided, I will not stay long. Three years from now, I will arrive as scheduled. I ask that you guide me into the Dao Realm, Fellow Daoist."

"Good! I will certainly make full preparations and await Emperor Shang's arrival!"

Li Beichen also stood up and bowed solemnly.

Xu Yuan nodded and was about to transform into a ray of light to depart when Li Beichen seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke up. "Wait, Emperor Shang."

Xu Yuan paused and turned back to look.

He saw Li Beichen flip his palm, and a cyan Jade Slip, neither gold nor jade, emitting a hazy glow, appeared in his palm.

On the Jade Slip, countless runes as fine as stars appeared and disappeared, exuding an obscure and profound aura.

"This item is for you, Emperor Shang." Li Beichen handed over the Jade Slip with a serious expression. "This is a secret technique from the hidden collection of our Xuandu Dao Sect, a chapter from the 'Imperial Extreme World-Shocking Record' — the 'National Fortune Weaponization Chapter'."

"Imperial Extreme World-Shocking Record? National Fortune Weaponization Chapter?"

Xu Yuan's gaze narrowed as he took the Jade Slip, his Divine Sense instinctively probing into it.

In an instant, a massive wave of information flooded his mind!

What was recorded within was not an offensive Divine Ability, but an extremely profound cultivation method. Its core lay in how to compress, refine, and store the connection between oneself and the National Fortune to the extreme, and then unleash it all at once when needed!

In short, by cultivating this technique, an Imperial Dao Cultivator could, while detached from their own territory and unable to receive the continuous blessing of National Fortune, refine the accumulated power of National Fortune into a one-time force similar to "Origin Blood Essence" and Seal it within key acupoints or their Lifebound Treasure.

Once activated, it could unleash power nearly equal to their full strength within their own territory for a short period!

Although the side effects were immense, consuming a large amount of National Fortune Origin, and the duration was limited, in a critical moment, it was equivalent to having an extra trump card to reverse life and death!

This... this was simply a divine skill for life-preservation and combat tailor-made for Imperial Dao Cultivators!

Xu Yuan quickly browsed through the content of the Jade Slip, his heart churning with stormy waves!

With his knowledge, he immediately realized how immense the value of this secret technique was!

It perfectly compensated for the greatest weakness of Imperial Dao Cultivators — their ability to fight outside their own territory!

Although it was only a remnant chapter and had obvious side effects, its strategic significance was immeasurable!

Li Beichen said frankly, "Emperor Shang need not be suspicious. Although this secret technique is precious, it is not a core, un 傳 secret to our Dao Lineage."

"Furthermore, this operation is extremely dangerous. Every bit of strength you increase, Emperor Shang, increases our chances of success by that much, and also increases the chances of both of us withdrawing unscathed."

"This item is considered a portion of the remuneration paid in advance by me, and it is also to ensure that our joint plan can be implemented smoothly."

"With Emperor Shang's talent, three years is enough for you to grasp the basics. When we act at the Ten Thousand Laws Heavenly Pool, even if things happen suddenly and we are besieged, with this technique on your side, your chances of escaping will be greatly increased."

Xu Yuan took a deep look at Li Beichen, no longer refusing. He put away the Jade Slip and bowed, saying, "In that case, I will not decline. I will remember this favor from Envoy Li."

"Emperor Shang is too polite; it is merely mutual benefit." Li Beichen returned the bow.

"Farewell!"

"Take care!"

Xu Yuan said no more. His figure flickered, transforming into a purple-gold stream of light that instantly broke through the barriers of the Secret Realm and disappeared at the end of the horizon.

Leaving the Secret Realm and traveling through the clouds, Xu Yuan's speed was as fast as lightning, but his heart was far from as calm as he appeared on the surface.

As he sped along, he ruminated on the profundity of the "Imperial Extreme World-Shocking Record: National Fortune Weaponization Chapter".

"What an 'Imperial Extreme World-Shocking Record'! What a 'National Fortune Weaponization'!" Xu Yuan sighed inwardly. "To be able to compress and refine the ethereal National Fortune in such a subtle way, turning it to one's own use, breaking regional restrictions in a short time! The foundation of the Xuandu Dao Sect is truly unfathomable!"

He could completely imagine what kind of frantic contention this secret technique would cause among those Golden Core True Persons who walked the Imperial Dao or Human Emperor Dao if it were to spread to the outside world!

"Li Beichen... he is quite generous. It seems he is determined to succeed in this operation."

"However, the more so, the more it shows the danger of this matter, and... how great his hidden agenda is!"

Xu Yuan's eyes flickered; he was not carried away by this sudden, generous gift.

He knew deeply that taking things from others makes one soft-handed; the more Li Beichen paid, the greater the return he must expect.

But this secret technique was indeed something he urgently needed at present.

"Three years... time is tight." Xu Yuan looked in the direction of the Great Shang Imperial Dynasty, his gaze becoming sharp. "I need to return as soon as possible, go into seclusion to comprehend this technique, and at the same time prepare for the worst, arranging affairs for after I am gone."

"If this succeeds, then the sea is wide and the sky is high, and the future is promising. If it fails... it must fail with value, accumulating enough experience and lessons for the next life!"

The Imperial rainbow streaked across the sky, heading toward the Great Shang Imperial Dynasty.

After returning to Tianming City, Xu Yuan did not make any noise. He immediately announced that he was entering deep seclusion in the palace, declining all royal audiences, and handed government affairs over to his team of important ministers to handle.

These three years were crucial to him, and every second counted!

In the Forbidden Ground of the deep palace, in the cultivation chamber.

Xu Yuan sat cross-legged, his purple-gold Imperial Fortune rising and circulating around his body like tangible flames.

Floating before him was that cyan Jade Slip recording the "Imperial Extreme World-Shocking Record: National Fortune Weaponization Chapter". His Divine Sense was immersed in it, constantly deducing and analyzing the incomparably profound circulation routes and the method for refining National Fortune.

This technique was truly profound and deep, incomparable to ordinary Cultivation Techniques.

It required the Cultivator to use their own Imperial Dao Golden Core as the core, draw upon the massive National Fortune, and use a special method to continuously quench and compress it, stripping away the Imperial Will and the beliefs of the myriad people within it, condensing them into "National Fortune True Seeds" containing terrifying power, and hiding them in key acupoints around the body or even deep within the Golden Core.

The process was extremely dangerous and demanded extremely high control over the Divine Soul. If one was slightly careless, it could trigger a backlash of National Fortune, damaging the Dao Foundation.

But Xu Yuan had, after all, been an Emperor for hundreds of years, and his control over National Fortune had reached the Transcendent Realm. Coupled with the fact that his Divine Soul was far more resilient than those of the same rank, although the cultivation was difficult, it was without danger.

Time passed day by day, and strange phenomena appeared in the cultivation chamber.

At times, pale gold National Fortune could be seen pouring into Xu Yuan's body like a great river, forcibly compressed by his supreme will, emitting rumbling Dao sounds; at other times, the acupoints around his body would light up, as if miniature stars were flickering, emitting heart-palpitating power fluctuations.

After three years of bitter cultivation, Xu Yuan successfully condensed three "National Fortune True Seeds" within his body!

This was already the limit of this remnant technique at his current Realm.

Each True Seed contained nearly half the power of the National Fortune he could mobilize when sitting in command of Great Shang on ordinary days!

Once detonated, it would be enough to allow him to unleash Peak combat power not inferior to that within the Imperial Capital for a short period!