Chapter 312 - 169: Hard Bones, Qi Cultivation Art

The two of them had discussed this in the past.

They had unanimously agreed that the Martial Dao was not actually weaker than Immortal Techniques.

It was just that for a Martial Artist to reach the same level as a Cultivator, the time and effort required was far greater.

Back then, Li Chang’an had even vaguely hinted at his intention to elevate the level of the Martial Dao in this world. It was just that Li Lin had been completely preoccupied with using Cultivation to extend his life.

He hadn’t taken the matter to heart.

Now, hearing Li Chang’an bring up the topic again, it had become Li Lin’s last straw to clutch at.

With his current lifespan.

If he couldn’t find a way to advance further.

He would die from his lifespan running out in a few more decades at most.

Li Chang’an waved his hand. "I only have a rough outline so far. It’s not yet complete. We’ll have to wait a few more years before it can be promoted to the public!"

This was no idle boast.

However, Li Chang’an himself was only in the Middle Stage of the Martial God Realm, not yet strong enough to stand at the apex of this world’s Martial Dao. He naturally couldn’t reveal this information prematurely to the wavering Li Lin.

But even so.

Hearing this was still enough to make Li Lin tremble with excitement.

He didn’t doubt Li Chang’an’s words.

He had personally witnessed Li Chang’an’s terrifying comprehension, his ability to grasp the whole from a single part. More importantly, he had just seen Li Chang’an slay a Divine Soul Incarnation of their ancestor with his own eyes!

If there was one person in this world who could push the Martial Dao to new heights, then in Li Lin’s eyes, that person had to be Li Chang’an!

Clutching his last hope, Li Lin’s spirits soared. He glanced back at Emperor Wu of Zhou, then at the Inner Guard beside him, and frowned. "All members of the Inner Guard, leave at once!"

The Inner Guard served as the Emperor’s Personal Guard.

However, these men had been personally trained by Li Lin.

Now, upon hearing Li Lin’s command, the soldiers didn’t hesitate and immediately began to withdraw.

Li Lin then turned to Emperor Wu of Zhou, his expression amiable. "Wuji, you’ve seen for yourself what a troublemaker your son is. Great Zhou will likely face a siege from the other Eleven Countries..."

"Great Zhou has now reached a critical moment of life and death. With your abilities, you might barely manage to handle one or two countries, but you certainly can’t deal with so many..."

He paused, his voice turning serious. "Therefore, you should abdicate in favor of a more worthy successor. From now on, Chang’an will be the Emperor!"

The corner of Emperor Wu of Zhou’s mouth twitched.

He glanced at Li Lin, then at Li Chang’an. After a long moment, he said with a dark expression, "Ancestor, you’ve spoken yourself. Do I have a choice?"

Whether he was Emperor or not, Li Wuji didn’t actually care that much.

After all, this was a world of the Martial Dao.

The title of Emperor was more symbolic than practical.

However, Li Wuji clearly cared a great deal for Great Zhou.

At that moment, looking at Li Chang’an, Li Wuji snorted coldly. "The Great Zhou has been passed down for over thirteen thousand years. I am the one thousand three hundred and fifty-second Emperor!"

"Our ancestors poured their blood, sweat, and tears into this foundation. If it all comes crashing down in your hands, you monster, then even if I, your father, can’t do anything to you, the thousands of generations of ancestors before us will haunt you as ghosts and never let you go!"

Hearing this, Li Chang’an couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

...

Word that Li Chang’an, the Crown Prince of Great Zhou, had publicly torn apart his own ancestor’s incarnation in the Ancestral Court spread quickly.

Since Li Chang’an had no intention of hiding the news, it spread incredibly fast. Within just a few days, it had even reached several neighboring countries.

Everyone thought Li Chang’an had gone mad.

The people of Great Zhou, in particular, were in utter disbelief.

After all, in their eyes, Great Zhou’s legendary ancestor, who was said to have become an immortal, was not only the empire’s greatest Protective Talisman but also the ultimate trump card that ensured Great Zhou never fell behind in its wars with other nations.

But now, Crown Prince Li Chang’an had openly struck out against his own ancestor in the Ancestral Temple...

No matter how one heard it, the event sounded strange and utterly defied common sense.

For a time, all sorts of wild rumors swept through Great Zhou. Only a very few astute individuals who had a deep understanding of how the world worked could see the truth of the matter, and they remained silent.

Because of this incident, many commoners and Martial Artists gathered outside the Imperial Palace in the Great Zhou Capital, demanding an explanation from Li Chang’an.

After all, Great Zhou didn’t belong to the Imperial Family alone; it belonged to all the people of Great Zhou.

The Jianghu Martial Artists and the common folk were a tough-boned lot!

When Li Chang’an first heard the news, he thought he had misheard. Upon realizing it was true, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’The Cultivators manipulate the Twelve Countries to start wars.’

’And then they profit from those wars.’

’In this process, nearly every ruling class on the Jiuzhou Continent is nothing but a lapdog, kneeling and wagging its tail before the Cultivators.’

’They do everything in their power just to be thrown a bone.’

’Yet, in this same process, the Cultivators have unintentionally bred a batch of the most tough-boned commoners and prickly Martial Artists on the Jiuzhou Continent.’

’I’ve been to so many worlds and seen my fair share of feudal dynasties.’

’But I’ve never before seen rash fools like the Martial Artists and commoners of the Jiuzhou Continent, who would dare to march to the Imperial Palace and demand an explanation from the Crown Prince over internal Imperial Family affairs.’

So, Li Chang’an actually went out to give this crowd of commoners and Martial Artists their answer.

When he appeared outside the Imperial Palace.

The crowd gathered there immediately erupted.

The person leading the crowd was not the least bit courteous, questioning loudly, "Crown Prince! Why did you move against our Great Zhou’s own ancestor during the ancestral veneration ceremony?"

After the question was asked, the crowd fell silent. All the commoners and Martial Artists stared at Li Chang’an, waiting for him to give a reasonable explanation.

...