This was the first time Cai Keji had witnessed such a transformation in Xu Nian. The aura emanating from him was so oppressive that even Cai Keji, a cultivator of the Free Heaven Realm, felt pressured. How could this be? Xu Nian is clearly just at the Grandmaster Realm. How could he be exerting such pressure on me?

"One kick!" Xu Nian raised a finger, a calm smile on his face. "To kill you, I only need one kick. Believe it or not?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Keji burst into laughter. "Xu Nian, Xu Nian, do you really think you're invincible?" He shook his head. "You are indeed full of surprises, but you will never understand what the Free Heaven Realm truly means."

"Yin and Yang As Wished Hand!" Cai Keji shouted. Internal Energy materialized on his hands as visible clusters of qi, swirling with an indescribable sense of menace. "Die!" He leaped forward, his speed pushed to its absolute limit. He became a mere afterimage; a flash, and he was already beside Xu Nian. His hands, raised high, brought the two masses of qi crashing down toward Xu Nian's head. This blow, if it landed, would undoubtedly be fatal. Only those who had reached this stage could truly comprehend the power of the Free Heaven Realm!

Just then, Xu Nian turned his head to look at Cai Keji. An indescribable terror instantly gripped Cai Keji; for some unknown reason, his body was drenched in cold sweat. Death! A chill ran down his spine. How could this be? How could I have such a feeling? I am one of only three people in the entire world at the Free Heaven Realm!

"Too slow!" Xu Nian chuckled, his tone laced with disdain. Free Heaven Realm? Who said cultivation Realms determine everything? I, a majestic Chive Cutter, wielder of the Eight Gates Escape Armor—would I be constrained by a mere Realm?

WHOOSH! With a sound like rushing wind, his figure vanished in an instant, leaving visible ripples in the air where he had stood. It was too late for Cai Keji to dodge. Besides, he had no path of retreat!

"Midday Tiger!" Xu Nian instantly appeared behind Cai Keji, delivering a devastating kick.

Just one kick.

Cai Keji felt a sensation he had never experienced before. Death? Me, the majestic cultivator of the Free Heaven Realm... am I also going to die?

BANG! With that single kick, Xu Nian's body shot forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey, passing straight through Cai Keji. A crimson mist instantly filled the air. With horror-filled eyes, Cai Keji saw his own body, now only half its original length. Then, everything plunged into pitch-black, silent, all-encompassing darkness. He didn't even see the mist of blood; his only remaining attachment to this world seemed to be that endless darkness.

Xu Nian's aura remained robust. As long as he didn't deactivate the Eight Gates Escape Armor, he was confident he could keep kicking. He no longer worried about Internal Energy consumption; his previous Task Reward had provided him with more than enough to use extravagantly. As for Cai Keji's corpse, Xu Nian didn't even spare it a second glance. If he deactivated the Shock Gate now, the resulting pain would be unbearable, so the best option was to keep going. Li Baiyang was still here, and Xu Nian had to wait for him to leave.

Li Baiyang, hiding in the Main Hall, was utterly dumbfounded. He usually paid little heed to the affairs of the Jianghu, but his heart had leaped into his throat when he witnessed Cai Keji ascend to the legendary Free Heaven Realm. Yet now, to see Cai Keji—a master of the Free Heaven Realm—kicked to death by Xu Nian, his body not even left intact... Li Baiyang was completely stunned. Xu Nian, a mere Grandmaster, kicked Cai Keji to death? How is that possible? If he told anyone he'd seen a Grandmaster kill a Free Heaven Realm expert, no one would believe him. Many would just say his old eyes were deceiving him. But it was the truth. Cai Keji's mangled corpse was still lying there!

Xu Nian turned and looked towards Li Baiyang at the entrance, saying with a smile, "Mr. Li, we can now continue."

Seeing Xu Nian in this state, Li Baiyang couldn't help but swallow hard. He had lived a long life, but never had he seen someone enveloped in a green aura, their skin blood-red. Is this still a human?

"S-Seventh... Seventh Prince?" Li Baiyang approached, each step heavy, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Xu Nian nodded, then turned and lifted the Historical Text Stone Stele with one hand. The implication was clear: it was Li Baiyang's turn to translate. Li Baiyang hurriedly leaned in, meticulously examining the inscription on the Historical Text, word by word. After a few moments, he sighed, clearly disappointed by what he read on the Stone Stele in Xu Nian's hand.

"What, you can't translate it?" Xu Nian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Li Baiyang hastily shook his head. "Seventh Prince, you misunderstand. I sighed because this Stone Stele doesn't record lost history." He studied historical texts hoping to find records of the era before the Great Qian Dynasty. However, after many years, he had not found the slightest clue. This Stone Stele, too, was not what he sought.

"Oh? Then what is recorded on this Stone Stele?" Xu Nian asked.

"It describes a sinister and malevolent martial art," Li Baiyang said gravely. "This Martial Art is called the 'Soul Exchange Art.' When combined with a specific secret technique, it allows one to switch bodies and possess another person. However, once the user leaves the host's body, the host is doomed to madness or idiocy, and may even die on the spot."

Soul Exchange Art? Xu Nian stared at the Historical Text. This sounds rather suspicious... Hmm... Possession? Yes! Isn't this just body possession? And after it's used again, the previous host is certain to die.

He drew in a sharp breath. This is rather interesting. If the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure contained such a Martial Art, did anyone who entered before learn it? Those from three hundred years ago failed to enter successfully. Going further back would be the first Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty. Did he learn this Cultivation Technique? If so, and if he has been repeatedly possessing others, he could very well still be alive today! Wait a moment!

"Li Baiyang, do you know about the deaths of the princes in the Palace?" Xu Nian turned his head and asked, his expression showing deep concern.

Li Baiyang furrowed his brow. "The Eighth Prince suddenly had a hysterical fit and attacked the Fifth Prince. The Fifth Prince killed the Eighth Prince in self-defense but was still bitten to death by him. What's wrong with that?"

"Wrong! Very wrong!" Xu Nian shook his head. "Your disciple, Shen Rongyin, previously told me that the Eighth Prince was destined to be the future Emperor!"

Huh? The Eighth Prince, the future Emperor? How could that be? The Crown Prince is the nominal heir. Only if something happened to him would the other princes have a chance. Even then, it couldn't possibly be the Eighth Prince!

"What does the Seventh Prince mean by this?" Li Baiyang's brow furrowed tightly, not quite grasping Xu Nian's implication.

"I found this Historical Text in the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure. What if someone learned this sinister Martial Art?" Xu Nian smiled. "And what if that person has survived until now, and perhaps plans to continue living on?"

Hearing this, Li Baiyang couldn't help but gasp. He now completely understood Xu Nian's terrifying implication. Throughout history, only one person was known to have entered the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure: the founding Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty. And that was precisely when this chapter of history began. If that Emperor Qian had cultivated this Martial Art and was still alive today, combined with what Shen Rongyin told Xu Nian... The Eighth Prince's sudden hysterical fit! Weren't those symptoms exactly as described by the Soul Exchange Art on the Stone Stele? The Eighth Prince must have been possessed! And the possessor... could it truly be the first Emperor Qian? At this terrifying realization, Li Baiyang broke out in a cold sweat. This discovery felt like a death sentence, one that could doom not only him but the entire Li Family to utter destruction!

"Do you understand now?" Xu Nian said with a knowing smile. "The Nine Dragons Struggle for Succession? In the end, the throne might still belong to that same person. We've all just been puppets in his game."

Li Baiyang didn't dare to dwell on it any longer. After a moment of stunned silence, he finally bowed. "Seventh Prince, I have translated the text for you. I shall not trouble you further." With that, he walked out, his steps slightly unsteady. What he had seen and heard tonight had completely shattered his understanding of the world.

If the first Emperor Qian is still alive, which prince's body does he inhabit now? The Eighth and Fifth Princes are dead. All the other princes, except Xu Nian, have entered the Imperial Palace. Even the Crown Prince, the one I most supported, could be him! Is it a one-in-six chance? On his way back, countless thoughts swirled in Li Baiyang's mind. He didn't understand why Emperor Qian would do such a thing, nor was he certain if his terrifying conclusions were correct. But a voice deep within him screamed a warning: he must not interact with any of the princes in the Imperial Palace. Stay away from Emperor Qian!

His footsteps quickened. Even as he passed by the attic where Luo Chenjun was, he didn't notice the Brocade Guards standing at the door.

From the attic above, Centurion Liu of the Brocade Guard leaned against the window, watching Li Baiyang depart.

"My lord, he seems to have learned a great deal," Centurion Liu said in a low voice. "Should I... escort him on his final journey?"

Luo Chenjun shook his head with a smile. "Let him. There's no need to waste our efforts on an old man with so few days left to live."

"Do you mean the Seventh Prince?" Centurion Liu frowned slightly.

The memory of Xu Nian's kick that had annihilated Cai Keji sent a shiver down Centurion Liu's spine. Who would have thought? The strongest individual isn't Zhao Qixian, nor Kong Qingquan, but this Seventh Prince of the Great Qian! A Grandmaster killing a Free Heaven Realm expert with a single kick... Unheard of! Shocking!

"He is the biggest problem," Luo Chenjun mused, his eyes narrowing. "Within my jurisdiction, such an anomaly cannot be allowed to exist." His eyes narrowed further into a smile. "Go and prepare her. If she doesn't want the Shen Family annihilated, she had best follow my instructions. If she fails to kill Xu Nian this time, she will have lost all her value. Then, not only will she die, but her entire Shen Family will be buried with her. Sometimes, we don't need to dirty our own hands. A woman consumed by hatred... can be far more ruthlessly efficient at killing than any of us..."

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