Two days later, Guo Jia, accompanied by Li Yuanba and the Old Blind Man, returned to the Imperial Capital. He went alone to report to Qin Wudao.
"Your Majesty, the Old Blind Man’s prophecy was right. Soul Annihilation attacked, but I drove them back!" In the imperial study, Guo Jia sat in a subordinate position and reported with a salute.
"The Old Blind Man’s other prophecy also came true. A group of unidentified people from the underground river beneath Lu City attacked and destroyed Lu City. Li Bai, who was patrolling the area, discovered them all and executed them!" Qin Wudao said in a deep voice.
The two exchanged a glance, their hearts heavy. The Old Blind Man’s divination skills were just too impressive. He had even calculated the exact timing and route of the Eternal Temple’s attack. Could this really be the result of divination?
"When you went to the Great Wall, I consulted Yuan Tiangang. He said that even if one practiced astrology to perfection, it would be impossible to divine such specifics!" Qin Wudao said, picking up some tea from the imperial desk and taking a sip. The art of divination was indeed magical, but it could only predict a general direction and infer key moments; it could not specify individuals.
If the Old Blind Man did not get the information about the Eternal Temple’s attack through divination, what other method could there be? The lineage of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion did not possess a strong intelligence network! Guo Jia frowned, puzzled. Furthermore, he was also curious about how the Old Blind Man had managed to break the curse and break through to the Great Emperor Realm.
"Let’s not think about that now. Just keep an eye on the Old Blind Man in the future. Guo, what position do you think we should give to the Old Blind Man?" Qin Wudao waved his hand and asked in a deep voice.
No matter how the Old Blind Man learned of the Eternal Temple’s attack, he had notified the Great Qin Saint’s Court. This prevented unnecessary losses and was a great contribution. If not rewarded, it would damage the prestige of the Qin Dynasty and might deter talented individuals who wished to join. But the key point was that the Old Blind Man was just too mysterious!
"Your Majesty, the Heavenly Monitoring Bureau is short a Deputy Monitor!" Guo Jia said solemnly after pondering. The Deputy Monitor was a third-rank official with real power, which, for someone who had just aligned with the Qin, was quite generous.
"But he is still a Ten-thousand-year Emperor!" Qin Wudao’s brow furrowed slightly. On this primitive continent, where power decided status, the position of a Ten-thousand-year Emperor far exceeded that of a third-rank official.
"Confer the title of First-rank Servitor!" Guo Jia’s eyebrows rose as he quickly thought of a solution.
After a moment of silence, Qin Wudao nodded. "Issue a decree. Let it be known throughout the world that the Old Blind Man is appointed as the Deputy Monitor of the Heavenly Monitoring Bureau. He is also conferred the title of First-rank Servitor to demonstrate the Qin’s love for talent..."
The imperial edict echoed out from the palace, resonating throughout the Imperial Capital. Many talented individuals who wished to join the Qin Dynasty, hearing this order, no longer hesitated and went straight to the Recruitment Hall!
「In a mysterious canyon!」
In the majestic black hall, the Soul Emperor glared at Soul Annihilation, who knelt before him. The Soul Emperor’s face was icy cold. A terrifying pressure involuntarily radiated from him, causing the Void to tremble. Thıs text ıs hosted at novel·fire.net
"Pavilion Master, the Great Qin Saint’s Court has a Primal Great Emperor Realm expert in their midst. I was no match and failed to complete the mission. Please forgive me!" Soul Annihilation reported with a trembling voice. Under the Soul Emperor’s pressure, he felt like a tiny ant, extremely insignificant. He dared not move, afraid that the infuriated Soul Emperor would exterminate him as if he were a mere ant.
"Useless! You can’t even handle such a small task. Are you worthy of my cultivation?" the Soul Emperor coldly scolded. His overwhelming aura, as vast as a prison, surged onto Soul Annihilation like waves, sending him tumbling dozens of times across the hall.
Soul Annihilation fell to the ground, spitting a mouthful of blood. However, he dared not harbor any resentment and once again knelt down to beg for mercy.
"Pavilion Master, something terrible has happened!" At this moment, Soul Bone, holding an intelligence report, hurriedly ran in from outside the hall. Seeing the bloodied Soul Annihilation on the floor, his face stiffened slightly. It seemed he had come at a bad moment!
Just as he hesitated whether it was the right time to report, the Soul Emperor’s voice came. "Speak. What has happened?"
"Pavilion Master, all our hidden assets in the East Border are gone!" Soul Bone reported with a bow, large drops of sweat sliding down his forehead.
An even more frightening pressure erupted from the Soul Emperor, making the imposing hall tremble fiercely. It seemed like a small boat sailing in a raging storm, at risk of collapsing at any moment. Soul Bone’s legs gave way, and he too knelt on the ground.
"The Great Qin Saint’s Court... Very good. Excellent..." the Soul Emperor gritted his teeth, his previous calm gone. His black hair danced wildly, like an infuriated lion roaring at the world.
Soul Annihilation and Soul Bone shrank back, their bodies trembling. They knew that the Soul Emperor was completely enraged! This dark Emperor, second only to one and above tens of thousands, was thoroughly furious! Especially Soul Annihilation, who was terrified. The last time he saw the Soul Emperor this enraged was in the Second Era, when the Buddha of the Thunder Sound Temple stormed the Eternal Temple, forcibly abducting someone with a special constitution. At that time, the enraged Soul Emperor had sparked a war between the Eternal Temple and the Holy Lands. Rivers of blood flowed under a blood-red sky, and the earth was filled with corpses; the casualties were countless... This time, what price would have to be paid to calm the Soul Emperor’s wrath?
"All of you, stand up!" Suddenly, the terrifying pressure disappeared. The Soul Emperor withdrew his fearsome aura and spoke calmly.
Soul Annihilation and Soul Bone looked at each other and slowly got up.
After hesitating for a moment, Soul Annihilation saluted and asked, "Pavilion Master, do we need to activate our reserves to annihilate the Great Qin Saint’s Court?" As the strongest force on the continent, the strength of the Eternal Temple was not limited to what was on the surface; there were also unknown reserves. Only the Soul Emperor knew exactly how strong they were. Soul Annihilation, being the second in command at the Eternal Temple, only knew a fraction of the truth.
"No need!" The Soul Emperor waved his hand, his eyes flashing brilliantly, and commanded in a deep voice, "The Yellow Spring Secret Realm is about to open. Capturing the prodigies of the various major powers is paramount. As for the Great Qin Saint’s Court, we can obliterate them at any time!" As the helmsman of the Eternal Temple, he was eager to wipe out the Great Qin Saint’s Court, but he still knew his priorities. The Yellow Spring Secret Realm would have many prodigies participating; it was a rare opportunity.
Upon hearing this, Soul Bone’s mouth fell slightly open, his expression changing as if he wanted to say something.
"What’s wrong?" The Soul Emperor noticed Soul Bone’s unusual behavior and asked curiously.
"Pavilion Master, this subordinate is worried that the Yellow Spring Secret Realm might be a trap. Will people from the other Holy Lands set up an ambush in advance?" Soul Bone reported in a low voice.
"Hmm?" The Soul Emperor contemplated, tapping his fingers on the armrest. He closed his eyes and said, "Regardless of whether there’s an ambush or not, we must act. Time is running out. A hundred years can pass in the blink of an eye!"
"As you command!" Soul Annihilation and Soul Bone exchanged glances, respectfully retreated, and began to plan their next actions.
One after another, experts belonging to the Eternal Temple, or those indirectly controlled by it, converged on the mysterious canyon from all directions, preparing for the upcoming battle.
The experts and prodigies of various Holy Lands also secretly moved towards the East Border.