Chapter 729 - 216: The Emperor Passes Away, The Carefree Couple, Enigmatic Imperial Capital, Third Grade Second Realm

Chapter 729: Chapter 216: The Emperor Passes Away, The Carefree Couple, Enigmatic Imperial Capital, Third Grade Second Realm

Vast forests stretch endlessly, void of human presence, while bolts of thunder descend from the sky, reminiscent of continuous rain striking upon the Blood Crystal Marrow Blade Embryo below.

Even in the Imperial Palace, acquiring nearly a thousand pounds of Blood Crystal Marrow is no easy feat.

If Li Yuan were not the Emperor, extracting such resources would have been impossible. ℯℯ𝘭.

The young man wielded the pitch-black Ghost Hammer, as if gripping a pair of tightly bound dark legs, and forcefully smashed it onto these Blood Crystal Marrows.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Millennia of longevity were poured alongside his sweat into these materials.

The depletion of longevity led to a depletion of Yin and Yang, thereby triggering the Earth Fiend and Celestial Thunder.

The Celestial Thunder hammered down, threads of it penetrating the Blood Crystal Marrow, also entering Li Yuan’s body, cleansing his physique.

Li Yuan seized the opportunity to channel the Ancestral Talisman and fire.

Xiaozhao had told him that infusing Yang into Yin forms the Earth Soul, while infusing Yin into Yang forms the Celestial Soul, and the fusion of Yin and Yang forms the Human Soul.

The Human Soul, indeed, is the true Third Grade Cultivation Method of the Shadow Blood System.

This requires the harmony of Yin and Yang.

Once successful, one can "enter the Realm of Yin Yang Life," and then like in Qing Hancheng or Lü Xuanxian’s case, create a domain around oneself, where every entity functions as though he himself operates them.

In other words, Li Yuan could launch multiple hundreds or thousands of attacks simultaneously, each attack equivalent to his personal strike.

How formidable is this?

Yet now, Li Yuan feels that even though he has entered the Celestial Soul.

If he wishes to truly unleash the power of this minor realm, there’s a "delay."

This "delay" relates to the time needed to mobilize all of the body’s strength.

Compared to the Human Soul, Li Yuan feels this minor realm falls short.

At this moment...

The 3,880 Ancestral Talismans and the Withered Fire suddenly moved.

The two were distorted and incompatible.

Every thread of thunder entering seemed to gently pat the two, yet coordinating them proved challenging, even slightly moving them was arduous.

Li Yuan furrowed his brow slightly, increasing the infusion of longevity.

The Celestial Thunder brought by the depletion of two thousand years longevity naturally outweighed that brought by a thousand years’ depletion.

He hammered once, and the surrounding thunder domain instantly expanded.

From behind the iron-grey heavy clouds, more thunderous slime brewed.

And just then...

Crack, crack, crackling sounds reverberated.

Li Yuan looked down to find that under his repeated hammering and longevity infusion, the Blood Crystal Marrow had developed cobweb-like cracks.

Another moment passed, and with a "bang," the heavy Blood Crystal Marrow shattered completely.

Thunder and Earth Fiend clashed in mid-air, emitting a black and white intertwined "sizzle," then vanished like swiftly collapsing spherical lightning.

The thunderous slime that had gathered in the firmament, having lost a target, began to scatter haphazardly.

Torrential rain fell abruptly, pattering down.

Li Yuan felt the thunder within him dissipate swiftly, leaving not a trace behind.

"Failed."

"Not only did I fail to find a method to enter the Fourth Grade of Human Soul, I couldn’t even enter the Fourth Grade."

"In the past, my Yin Yang power was weak, needing the Celestial Thunder brought by a thousand years of longevity depletion to push me into the Fourth Grade, but now...it’s no longer possible."

"Even the best material I know of now—the Blood Crystal Marrow—can only take me this far."

Li Yuan opened his Celestial Eye, watching the Yang Qi of the thunder inside him dissipate rapidly, and he sighed silently, pulling out the White Snake Blade he had forged earlier.

The White Snake Short Blade flickered with thunderous light, piercing into his body...

The outcome was hardly any better than before.

Clearly, such power could no longer stimulate his body’s Yin Yang Qi.

"Forget it...I’ll find another way."

Li Yuan put away the White Snake Blade, then a flash of fire appeared around him, evaporating the wet rain into white mist in an instant with the high heat.

With a thought, he returned to the Imperial Palace.

...

...

Upon returning to the Imperial Palace, without deliberate intention, Li Yuan heard numerous voices from all directions.

These voices buzzed like an unending swarm of mosquitoes, and faintly, he could discern words like "Demon Queen," "natural disaster," "bringing calamity upon the country."

He squinted slightly, pondering, intending to seek Xie Wei.

Yet upon further sensing, he realized Xie Wei was still in court.

This Empress was seated on the Dragon Throne, holding the four-year-old young Emperor, and embroiled in some dispute with the ministers, a dispute that led to more people and forces, leading to more natural disasters.

In this world, floods were raging extensively, and so were the rumors. The rumors in Jade Capital were not too bad, but outside Jade Capital, someone had even made a nursery rhyme about the "Demon Queen and flood disaster," singing it everywhere.

The reason for the floods, Li Yuan knew.

The Great Unity of Yin Yang had raised the temperature of the Nine Points of Fire in the Western Pole, causing unusual melting of cold ice.

The floods arose naturally.

This flood had nothing to do with the Empress at all.

But did the recent earthquakes in the Imperial Capital have anything to do with her?

Not at all.

Li Yuan naturally remembered the two Fifth Grade individuals who quietly entered the Imperial Palace a month ago, and the mysterious presence he found when he followed them.

"Seems like someone is backing the Commander now, this water in the Imperial Capital...it’s truly getting deeper."

Li Yuan began considering a temporary departure from here.

Clearly, there were numerous uncontrollable factors here, with mysterious forces involved, which he had yet to discern.

However, before leaving, he still wanted to have a proper talk with Xie Wei.

...

...

That night.

The Emperor and Empress shared the same bed.