Chapter 563 - 370: Third Life as a Red Dust Immortal Perfected! The Fourth Mortal Life!

Chapter 563: Chapter 370: Third Life as a Red Dust Immortal Perfected! The Fourth Mortal Life!

Seven days later, in the Jinluan Hall.

The morning light pierced through the newly constructed glazed dome, casting down on the shining golden bricks.

The civil and military officials knelt in orderly fashion. Prince Shangwu and Peng Lie were at the forefront, yet both had their eyes closed, as if waiting for something.

"The late Emperor’s testament—"

The sharp voice of the chief eunuch of ceremonies echoed throughout the hall, startling many officials who suddenly looked up.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—"

The trembling voice resonated in the hall, as the five-claw golden dragon pattern on the bright yellow imperial edict in the eunuch’s hand glistened in the morning light.

"The thirteenth prince, Lu Xumin, is endowed with intelligence, loves the people as his own children, is gentle and refined, self-disciplined and public-minded, benevolent and magnanimous... deeply loved by Us, will be immediately enthroned as the thirteenth prince, so decreed!"

The entire court was in an uproar, with several veteran ministers so astonished that their beards and hair trembled.

Thirteenth Prince Lu Xumin ascending to the throne, what about the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace...?

"Another decree—" the eunuch’s sharp voice continued to read:

"Royal father-in-law Peng Lie, loyal to the Emperor, working tirelessly for the country, and King Shangwu Lu Zhan, with loyalty and dedication, working day and night, hereby appointed as ministers of state to assist in governing the court, so decreed!"

Behind the beaded curtain, a young figure could be vaguely seen, sitting on the large dragon throne.

In the shadows by a pillar, Lu Xuan stood with his hands folded behind his back, golden light flickering in his eyes.

"This...we ministers..."

Some of the old ministers were about to offer remonstration, only to see Prince Shangwu and Peng Lie opening their eyes simultaneously.

Their gaze was like lightning, instantly quelling all dissent. They respectfully bowed their heads, "We ministers accept the decree!"

Only at this moment did the officials suddenly realize—what testament of succession was this?

During the tumultuous seven days, the court experienced unprecedented turmoil.

The Ninth Prince Lu Xuyang took advantage of the chaos to raise an army, leading three thousand palace troops to the imperial city.

Yet at Xuanwu Gate, he was suppressed by King Shangwu leading the imperial guards. This once-arrogant prince was eventually executed on the spot outside the main gate.

The remaining eight princes were also each punished.

The Second Prince Lu Xuhua was stripped of his cultivation and reduced to a commoner.

The once-strategic hands could now only sweep fallen leaves at the imperial mausoleum for his ancestors.

The Third Prince was stripped of his python robe and demoted to an ordinary member of the royal family.

That corpulent figure could no longer indulge in delicacies and had to live daily according to ordinary standards.

The Fourth Prince... was imprisoned in the "Tower of Reflection," never to set foot outside for life.

The tower was engraved with the silent scriptures, with never-ending sound of chanting day and night.

The Fifth Prince...

Every once formidable prince tasted the bitter fruit of their own making within these seven days.

Simultaneously with the announcement of the testament of succession, another decree that shook the Wenjing Dynasty spread across the land:

"Crown Prince Lu Xuan, afflicted by mourning for the late Emperor, passed away solemnly. Posthumously titled as ’Sacred Benevolent Martial Heaven Supreme Emperor,’ temple name Heavenly Supreme Sacred Ancestor."

The entire nation was clad in mourning attire, and the people wept bitterly.

The citizens of the capital spontaneously burned incense to pay respects, white banners like snow blanketed the entire imperial city.

Only the bewildered Thirteenth Prince Lu Xumin, in a state of befuddlement, was helped onto the dragon throne.

"Grandson, is this your pursuit?"

In the deep quiet of the night, Peng Lie gazed at the starry sky and murmured to himself.

He knew that all this was the last gift from that grandson who had transcended the mundane—to leave the Wenjing Dynasty with a new dynasty free from factional strife and intrigue.

Peng Lie stood on the zigzag corridor of the garden, his aged fingers gently stroking the warm jade pendant he held.

In the faint morning light, the golden shimmer within the pendant flowed like water, faintly revealing countless small dragon-shaped shadows swimming within.

"This boy..."

Peng Lie’s lips curled with a slight smile, yet tears gleamed in his eyes.

This mystical jade pendant was a gift from Lu Xuan before he left, containing not only the entire secret of breaking through to the Land Immortal Realm, but also sealing a strand of pure power from Heaven and Earth.

The moment his fingertips brushed the surface of the jade, Peng Lie shuddered all over.

He felt as though he saw an endless sea of stars spread out before him, the tracks of the sun, moon, and stars transforming into the true essence of martial arts, and the threads of the Heaven and Earth Laws were clearly discernible...

"So, this is how it is..."

Suddenly Peng Lie laughed wildly up at the sky, his body exploding uncontrollably with bright red energy.

The nearby rockeries instantly vaporized, the pond water boiled and evaporated, but strangely—the splashing water droplets solidified in mid-air into lotus flowers of fire!

The Peng Family guards on patrol in the distance were shocked and knelt to the ground.

They saw the white hair of Mr. Peng turning black at a speed visible to the naked eye, his bent back gradually straightening, and even the wrinkles on his face slowly smoothing out...

"Little rascal, left grandpa a big gift after all."

Peng Lie cherished the jade pendant as he tucked it away into his bosom.

He looked towards the direction of the Purple Gold Hall—where King Shangwu was instructing the new emperor on the affairs of state.

As learned from his grandson, he too left a jade pendant for King Shangwu Lu Zhan.

When the dynasty stabilizes, it will be the time for the two of them to pursue the path of transcendence, all the earthly matters but passing clouds.

Peng Lie caressed the jade pendant, suddenly bursting into laughter.

The sound of laughter startled the birds resting under the eaves, making them transform into golden light spots in the moonlight, dissipating.

Meanwhile, within the imperial palace, King Shangwu gazed at the meteor across the sky, suddenly feeling that perhaps that nephew.

Was gazing down at this world with a smile from a realm they could never reach...

And at this moment, Lu Xuan, had just emerged!

Host: Red Dust Immortal Lu Xuan (Third Generation)

Realm: Unity of Heaven and Man (Great Accomplishment)

Cultivation Technique: Nine Dragon Body Protection Scripture 20/9

Points: 20000

The expenditure of 2 million System Points allowed Lu Xuan to deduce the Nine Dragon Body Protection Scripture 9 times, successfully breaking through to the martial arts realm of Unity of Heaven and Man.

Lu Xuan stood atop the clouds, the golden light around him as dazzling as the blazing sun.