Chapter 1153 Borrowed Things Should Be Returned
In the inner ring of the Ancient Sovereign Planet, outside the human capital, at the end of the white jade avenue, Li Yunshan and the 30,000 Sword Holders didn't enter the city.
Even though their numbers were insignificant compared to the Imperial City, they would inevitably be called audacious if they entered.
Li Yunshan understood this very well. Hence, after escorting Xu Qing to the end of the white jade avenue, he brought the Sword Holders and set up camp at the side. He only arranged for Kong Xianglong to bring 100 Sword Holders and follow behind Xu Qing to enter the capital city with Princess Anhai.
Due to the fluctuations of the array formation earlier, the originally bustling crowd in the city was much more empty now.
Even though the danger of the array formation had been resolved, the number of pedestrians still decreased sharply compared to before.
However, even so, it was still livelier than the capital city in Fenghai County. Moreover, the level of liveliness became increasingly intense as time passed.
At that moment, Princess Anhai spoke as she led Xu Qing and the others through the city.
"Xu Qing, in the Imperial Capital, other than the Upper Mystic Five Palaces and the Lower Mystic Five Palaces, there are other forces that require careful consideration."
"For example, the 33 Heavenly Kings who have now become 32."
Princess Anhai paused for a moment.
"Other than that, there are also high-ranking officials in the court, such as the Chancellor, Government Minister, Grand Marshal, the 108 Heavenly Marquises, and the prince's mansions."
"All the princes have the qualifications to establish their own mansion, but they are only restricted to the capital city."
"After that are the ten super sects of our human race. These sects have extremely deep foundations. Some of them can even be traced back to the ancient sovereign's era."
When the captain heard this, he blinked and looked at Princess Anhai.
"I heard that there's a very famous sect called… Summer Immortal Palace?"
This name caused Xu Qing's heart to skip a beat. He also looked at Princess Anhai.
There was also Ning Yan. Although he had some understanding of these things, he clearly didn't know as much as Anhai. Hence, he also pricked up his ears to listen. Wu Jianwu was even more energized. As long as it was related to Mystic Nether, he would be obsessed with it.
Kong Xianglong wasn't interested in these. He adhered to his duty and guarded Xu Qing, paying attention to the surroundings.
Princess Anhai nodded and continued to introduce.
"These ten super sects are… the Star Emperor Supreme Sect founded by the Starry Sky Great Emperor, the Divine Harvest Vast Cosmos Sect originated from the Heavenly King Yuling, the Ghost Fiend Dark Sect that controls the Dao of the Netherworld, and the Supreme Moon Purple Sect of the State Preceptor's lineage."
"As well as the later-established Profound Fire Nine Departures Sect, the Mortal World Forgetful Tower that has businesses in many large regions, the human race's branch of Litu Sect that similarly has terrifying influence, the True Words that worships the fragmented-face and has been searching for the divine son, and lastly, the Hidden Earth Path situated in the abyss under the Grand Imperial Capital Region and has a special mission."
Princess Anhai's words contained a lot of information. It was as though every sect had something special about them. For example, Xu Qing had long known that the Litu Sect was a super sect with forces spread throughout the entire Wanggu Continent.
Its doctrine was to leave Wanggu and pursue the holy land. Every race had its branch and its main sect was mysterious. Xu Qing knew that its leader was called the Great Fate Arbiter.
There was also the Hidden Earth Path. Princess Anhai didn't know about its mission because she didn't understand Brilliant Heaven. However, when Xu Qing heard this, he immediately had a guess.
The mission of the sect that lived in the abyss was no different from… guarding the gate.
As for the True Words, Xu Qing knew of it back in the Nanhuang Continent. It was very mysterious and Xu Qing hadn't come into contact with them.
Only now did he know that the other party was actually one of the super forces in the Imperial City.
"The True Words worship the fragmented-face?" Xu Qing looked at Anhai with doubt.
Princess Anhai sighed softly.
"Some revere it, some detest it, and naturally, there is worship. This True Words is such an organization. Similar to the Litu Sect, it exists among various races."
"As for their doctrine, it's to find the divine son… They think that those who can survive under the gaze of the fragmented-face are favored by the god and have the potential to become the divine son. Hence, they search the entire Wanggu Continent for such a person."
"I even heard that they think that there must be a lifeform that endured the gaze of the fragmented-face many times and didn't die. Such a person isn't blessed by the god but the divine son they are searching for."
"After they are found, as long as they are eaten and sacrificed, they will be able to obtain divine power."
Princess Anhai's words caused Xu Qing to fall silent.
"The last one is the Summer Immortal Palace you mentioned earlier."
"This palace is extremely special. Legend has it that this Summer Immortal Palace was the first sect to appear among the living beings of the Wanggu Continent. Moreover, the Summer Immortal Palace did not originally consist only of the human race."
"Later, the Summer Immortal Palace split up, and it exists within many large races."
"It's even rumored that before the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether Era, the Summer Immortal Palace had a connection to the Heavenly Dao, to some extent surpassing imperial authority. The reason why the former Ancient Spirit Emperor wanted to replace the Heavenly Dao was also related to the hostility with this palace."
"That was until the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether unified Wanggu after the Ancient Spirit Emperor and abolished the system of the Summer Immortal Palace. The imperial power was greater than everything and there was an agreement with the Summer Immortal Palaces of various races."
"After that, the Summer Immortal Palace closed its doors all year round, avoiding extensive contact with the outside world. Every thousand years, one disciple would emerge, refraining from getting involved in conflicts and only choosing to record the thousand-year history of their respective races."
"Even now, the Summer Immortal Palace is the same. They abide by their agreement with the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether."
As she spoke, everyone passed by the octagonal tower that was built from white wood and towered into the clouds like a heavenly temple.
The surroundings of the tall tower were surrounded by white walls. The void fluctuations in the surroundings prevented anyone from approaching.
"The State Preceptor, from the Supreme Moon Purple Sect, spends most of the year in Star-Picking Tower. Even many of the kings and ministers have never seen him before. Only Father and the fourth prince have seen his face."
"The fourth prince is the State Preceptor's disciple."
"It's said that the State Preceptor has heaven-defying abilities and astonishing wisdom."
Princess Anhai lifted her head and looked at the clouds. There was fog lingering there and one could vaguely see a pavilion. Dragons were dancing around it and it was filled with auspicious signs.
Xu Qing's gaze swept over and he nodded slightly. Princess Anhai had accompanied him all the way here and also introduced all the forces in the Imperial City to him, showing her sincerity.
At that moment, she turned toward Xu Qing's side.
"Young Master, I have to return to the palace. The situation in the Imperial Capital is changing and the hearts of the people are complicated. I hope the Young Master can open your eyes and carefully discern the situation."
After Anhai finished speaking, she bowed. Xu Qing returned the greeting. He had sensed Princess Anhai's intention to befriend him on the way. Since she had expressed goodwill to him, he naturally had to respond.
"I also hope that everything turns out fine for the princess. In the future, if there's anything you need from me in the Imperial Capital, please notify me."
Anhai smiled and turned to leave.
Looking at Princess Anhai's back view, Ning Yan blinked. Just as he was about to say something, he glanced at Zi Xuan and chose to keep quiet.
However, his actions were seen by Zi Xuan. Hence, Zi Xuan calmly spoke.
"Ning Yan, let's go to your residence."
Ning Yan hurriedly nodded and led the way, walking toward his residence in the Imperial City.
As princes, they would stay outside when they reached adulthood. Every one of them had their own residence in the capital city. Ning Yan's residence was located in the northern part of the capital city. This place was slightly remote compared to other places.
However, from another perspective, this place was very quiet.
Especially the mansion, it covered quite a large area with three layers inside and out. Outside, there was a lake like a mirror, forming a complete ensemble with the mansion. Both the scenery and the atmosphere exuded a distinctive style.
And the style leaned towards elegance and delicacy. Some bells hung in the corner towers of the mansion. When the wind blew, creating ripples on the lake, it not only sent a chill but also echoed a crisp sound in all directions.
Looking at this place, Zi Xuan's eyes revealed satisfaction and admiration.
Xu Qing could also tell that this building was different from the other buildings he had seen on the way. The captain at the side also praised.
"The wind blows, the water moves, and the sound rises with the heart, penetrating the spirit. It has a unique charm. Generally speaking, there must be treasures nurtured in a place like this."
As he spoke, he instinctively looked at the lake and licked his lips.
"My mother built this for us when she was alive."
Ning Yan looked at this residence and revealed a melancholic expression as he spoke softly.
After that, he led the way and didn't fly. Instead, he directly walked to the lake.
The moment his footsteps landed on the surface of the water, a rainbow koi with long whiskers jumped up from the water. When the sunlight landed on the koi's body, it emitted colorful light, and splashed up some water droplets. It was very beautiful.
On the surface of the water in front of them, such koi fish came one after another. They seemed to have intelligence and recognized their master. They continued to leap up from the surface of the water, guiding Xu Qing and the others all the way to the lakeshore.
Unfortunately, the moment they stepped onto the shore and emerged at the entrance of the residence, the feeling of artistic conception dissipated a little due to the dilapidation of the mansion.
This mansion gazed fine from afar. Up close, because no one lived here all year round, as time passed, the aura of decay assaulted their senses.
The red door appeared weathered with patches, and rust covered the bells. Pushing open the gate revealed a courtyard overgrown with weeds, creating a desolate atmosphere.
Looking at this, Ning Yan felt bitter. He forced a smile and gazed at Xu Qing and the captain.
"Welcome to my home."
Xu Qing patted Ning Yan's shoulder while the captain waved his hand.
"Little Ning, your house isn't bad. Come, come, come, let's clean it together. I believe this place is a treasure land with good feng shui. According to my deductions, this place is clearly a hidden dragon layout. This means that your future isn't simple."
Ning Yan was touched. He nodded heavily and cleaned this residence with everyone.
Not long later, the entire residence was cleaned up by Xu Qing and the others. Kong Xianglong carried the Sword Holders along and inspected the surroundings very carefully.
However, on Ning Yan's side, after checking all the buildings, his expression was a little depressed as he stood there in a daze.
Seeing this, Xu Qing went over and asked.
Ning Yan hesitated, but in the end, he still whispered the reason.
"There are a few things missing. They are the belongings my mother departed behind. I left in a hurry back then and couldn't bring those items with me, so I left them at home."
"They are gone now. I dispatched a voice transmission to Third Sister to ask. She helped me investigate. The Tenth Prince took them away privately."
"The tenth prince's maternal clan has the current First Heavenly King of the human race, King Zhen Yan. As for Old Tenth, he has a domineering personality and isn't liked by King Zhen Yan. However, very few people dare to provoke him."
"Since he took them away, it'll be very difficult to get them back."
Ning Yan spoke bitterly.
When Xu Qing listened this, he fell silent for a while before turning to look at Kong Xianglong.
Kong Xianglong's eyes gleamed as he gazed at Xu Qing. He knew what Xu Qing was thinking.
"Brother Kong, get someone to send a jade slip to the Tenth Prince's Mansion and tell him to return the things they borrowed in a day."