NOVEL WEB Chapter 362: Shockwaves Across the Empire
Chapter 362: Shockwaves Across the Empire
For this meticulously planned operation, Xu Lian had spared no effort in preparation.
After packing up all the valuable resources from the exclusive cultivation resource zone under his control, he swiftly moved on to the “next stop”.
Yes, his ambitions were vast!
It wasn’t just the zone he oversaw that was on his list-his targets included the zones managed by Master Chi Sui and Zhao Ming as well. If he was going to do this, he was going to go all out!
After years of careful observation, he had thoroughly mapped out the operational patterns of these three exclusive cultivation resource zones within the Qian Dynasty. Now, it was time to reap the rewards.
Meanwhile, within the borders of the empire, a scene was unfolding at one of the training grounds of the young generation.
Two top male geniuses, both vying for the affections of a newly arrived beautiful junior sister named Caiyi, were engaged in a fierce battle. In the end, they fought each other to the point of mutual destruction, and their cultivation bases were completely destroyed.
The other young cultivators present could only stare in shock.
“Have they taken the wrong pill? Why are they fighting so recklessly?”
“Now they’ve both lost their cultivation bases, and neither of them will get Senior Sister Cai Yi. What a waste!”
These two male geniuses came from two prominent branches of the royal family and were considered prodigies with limitless potential. The two branches had placed high hopes on them, expecting them to grow strong enough to lead their respective factions. Now, however, both were crippled, and the repercussions were significant.
When the news reached the powerful figures of the two branches, they rushed to the scene. As more and more experts from both sides arrived, the tension escalated, and it seemed like a larger conflict was about to erupt. Eventually, the Quasi-Supremes from both branches had no choice but to personally intervene.
After examining the injuries of the two geniuses, the Quasi-Supremes frowned deeply, sensing something amiss.
“Fighting duels are common, but even if they fought to mutual destruction, how could they both lose their cultivation bases at the same time? This is too much of a coincidence.”
“Upon closer inspection, there are traces of poison inside their bodies-a complex toxin that drives its victims mad before rendering their cultivation useless. Such a sinister method!”
The expressions on the faces of the two Quasi-Supremes darkened. It was clear that someone was deliberately targeting their branches!
One of the Quasi-Supremes barked, “Where is that new disciple named Cai Yi?”
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, realizing that Caiyi was nowhere to be found.
The two Quasi-Supremes locked eyes, their pupils contracting sharply. A sense of foreboding washed over them. Without another word, they quickly left, returning to the exclusive cultivation resource areas they were responsible for guarding.
When they arrived, they almost fainted with anger. Their zones had been completely looted – stripped bare, not a single herb or exotic beast left!
Zhao Ming sat on the ground, pale with shock. Thousands of apprentice alchemists and tens of thousands of gardeners stood around him, their faces ashen. They knew they would be severely punished for allowing such a disaster to occur.
This was no ordinary resource zone-it was the exclusive cultivation resource zone for producing Metamorphosis Elixir , the lifeblood of every top-tier faction. Its loss was a catastrophic blow, and they bore full responsibility for it.
Similarly, in Chi Sui’s zone, everyone was pale, trembling, and wide-eyed with fear, completely losing their composure.
Meanwhile, Xu Lian, who had successfully raided all three zones, returned to the capital as if nothing had happened.
Once there, he put on an expression of sheer terror and joined Chi Sui, Zhao Ming, and the thousands of alchemist apprentices and hundreds of thousands of gardeners kneeling en masse outside the palace gates to beg for forgiveness.
Zhao Ming, his face twisted in anguish, pleaded, “This isn’t our fault! We were only responsible for refining the Metamorphosis Elixir . A top-tier expert with strength comparable to a Quasi-Supreme suddenly barged in-who could have stopped them? Blame the Quasi-Supremes assigned to guard the zones-they were negligent and abandoned their posts!”
The thousands of alchemist apprentices and hundreds of thousands of gardeners echoed his words, their faces filled with despair.
“Master Zhao Ming is telling the truth! That intruder was overwhelmingly powerful, their power surging like a flood. With a single wave of their hand, they threw us all out of the zone. It was merciful of them not to kill us – we had no chance to resist!”
“Since the founding of the Empire, our dynasty has ruled over millions of miles of territory. This is the first time that such a resource zone has been plundered. Who could this brazen expert be? Are they not afraid of provoking a war with our Qian Dynasty?”
Xu Lian knelt silently among the crowd, his face carefully schooled into an expression of fear and regret. Inside, however, he remained calm and calculating. His plan had worked perfectly so far, and the Empire’s attention was now firmly focused elsewhere.
“That person with overwhelming power… was me…” Xu Lian smirked inwardly, but outwardly, he joined in the chorus of condemnation. “Despicable!”
Chi Sui sighed deeply. “Although guarding the exclusive cultivation resource zones is the duty of the Quasi-Supremes, we who are stationed within these zones cannot escape blame either. Punishment is inevitable; the only question is the severity, which will be at the discretion of the higher-ups.”
He paused, then added gravely, “Everyone, remain silent and show proper remorse. A good attitude might mitigate our punishment a bit.”
It didn’t take long for the news of the complete plundering of the three exclusive cultivation resource zones to spread throughout the imperial capital, causing an uproar. The incident became the talk of the town, dominating conversations over tea and meals.
“What were the Quasi-Supremes guarding those three zones doing? How could they allow all three to be looted without a sound?”
“I heard that two top young geniuses from two branches of the royal family fought over a beautiful junior sister named Cai Yi. Both of them ended up crippled, and their cultivation bases were destroyed. The situation escalated so much that the Quasi-Supremes from both branches had to intervene, leaving the zones under Chi Sui and Master Zhao Ming vulnerable. That’s how the thieves managed to raid them so easily.”
“Whew! This shows that the thieves didn’t act on impulse – they planned this meticulously! They deliberately incited conflict between the two branches’ young geniuses, creating chaos to draw out the Quasi-Supremes”.
“Exactly! Every exclusive cultivation resource zone has a protective barrier that is guarded by a Quasi-Supreme. If a Quasi-Supreme is present, even a Supreme would struggle to break through in a short time, giving the Empire’s Supremes enough time to respond. But when the Quasi-Supreme is absent, the barrier becomes fragile and easily breached. Obviously, the thieves knew this and struck at the perfect moment.”
“That Junior Sister Cai Yi-was she some celestial maiden descended from the heavens? How could two male geniuses of the royal family become so infatuated with her?”
“Not quite. It seems that there was a poison involved-a mixed poison capable of driving people insane and destroying their cultivation bases.”
“What about Qin Feng’s exclusive cultivation resource zone? Why did its Quasi-Supreme leave?”
“It’s said that Master Qin Feng had just successfully refined the Metamorphosis Elixir, and the Quasi-Supreme left the zone to deliver it. That’s when the thieves struck. This suggests that there must have been a mole within Master Qin Feng’s zone, otherwise how could the timing have been so precise?”
The sharp eyes of the audience astonished Xu Lian. Their speculations were almost spot on with his entire plan.
At the palace gates, Eunuch Wei rushed out and approached Chi Sui, Zhao Ming, and Xu Lian. “His Majesty summons you. Please follow me to the imperial study.”
The three exchanged glances, rose silently, and followed Eunuch Wei into the palace.