Chapter 388 - 203: Present and Future, Even an Emperor Is Possible (Part 2)

Chapter 388: Chapter 203: Present and Future, Even an Emperor Is Possible (Part 2)

"If that day ever comes..."

Qin Huaiming’s gaze burned as he stared into Yang Wenqing’s eyes. "Remember, don’t overthink it. Return to the sect’s headquarters immediately. Jade Chime Island possesses the foundations left by our founder, grand arrays set up by generations of sages, and an independent Spiritual Vein circulation. With the elite disciples of the Three Sects united, we will surely be a force to be reckoned with. While we might not expand outward, self-preservation will be possible."

He paused, a rare, playful smile appearing on his face. "Of course, if you have reached a high enough position by then, with sufficient power and opportunity, there’s no harm in trying to lay a hand on the Divine Artifact and join the torrent that will reshape the world and redefine its order."

"Whether you choose to retreat to the mountains to preserve our legacy or plunge into a chaotic world to vie for supreme authority will be up to you. By then, I will most likely be long gone."

This last sentence, tinged with a faint sense of melancholy and detachment, made Yang Wenqing’s heart sink.

His master was painting a picture of a distant yet unavoidable future—a terrifying future where the Wanxuan Divine Artifact might collapse and the world descend into chaos. For Yang Wenqing, who had always lived under a stable order and was accustomed to cultivating step-by-step within the system, the impact was immense.

He stood there, stunned. The sea breeze washed over him, but he felt no coolness, only a heavy weight in his heart, as if a colossal boulder were pressing down on him.

Just then, Lan Ying, who had been squatting quietly on his shoulder, tilted her small head. Her sapphire-blue eyes were filled with pure curiosity and confusion. In a naive, questioning tone, she asked directly in Yang Wenqing’s Spirit Sea, "Qingqing, when Master talked about laying a hand on the Divine Artifact, did he mean he wants you to become the emperor someday?"

’Become the emperor?’

The childish and direct question struck like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the chaotic thoughts in Yang Wenqing’s mind.

In the current era, with the state’s power firmly established by the Divine Artifact, the word "emperor" had long since become a symbol in historical texts—an ancient and unfamiliar concept.

The supreme seat of power in the modern Wanxuan nation was the High Council, the Cabinet. It was a government ruled by law. Lan Ying’s question stemmed from her simple understanding of complex human political discourse, equating the pursuit of supreme power with becoming an emperor.

Yet this seemingly absurd association sent a jolt through Yang Wenqing, and a faint chill ran down his spine.

He suddenly understood the true meaning behind his master’s words.

His master wasn’t predicting a simple regime change or a dynastic cycle. He was hinting at a possibility: when the national Divine Artifact that maintained everything began to fail, the entire existing order built upon it would inevitably undergo a subversive reconstruction.

When that time comes, in what form will power reconsolidate? Would a new emperor-like figure emerge, or something else entirely? No one could know.

And if he himself could succeed in his cultivation and step into the Third Realm, he would possess a lifespan of several thousand years. On such a vast timescale, it was highly probable that he would personally experience such a cataclysmic change.

At this thought, Yang Wenqing took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil and palpitations in his heart. He reached out and gently stroked Lan Ying’s small head on his shoulder.

He didn’t answer Lan Ying’s question, instead sending a sliver of reassurance and gratitude into his Spirit Sea.

Then, he raised his head to meet Master Qin Huaiming’s profound gaze, the confusion and shock on his face gradually settling.

"Master, I will engrave your teachings in my heart." His voice was clear and steady in the sea breeze. "The future is ethereal and unpredictable, but I will continue to cultivate diligently. No matter how the winds of change may shift, I will hold true to my heart and act according to the situation."

Hearing this, Qin Huaiming nodded in satisfaction.

"Let’s go."

His master turned, his tone returning to normal. "Let’s head back to the lodge. The grand competition is approaching, so we must set up the ’Li Palace Fire Forging Vein Array’ as soon as possible to help you consolidate your Fourth Transformation cultivation."

"Yes, Master."

The master and disciple spoke no more, walking along the bluestone path toward the grand, empty pavilion on the mountainside. Lan Ying stood quietly on Yang Wenqing’s shoulder, occasionally turning her small head to look at the fairy-like scenery.

Half an hour later, the master and disciple ascended the bluestone stairs back to the empty pavilion on the mountainside. They went up to the second floor and returned to the seaside Quiet Chamber, which was so plain it was almost bare.

"This place may be simple, but it is most suitable."

Qin Huaiming glanced around. As he spoke, he had already taken a bronze Compass the size of his palm from his sleeve. Its surface was densely covered with crimson-gold runes as fine as a gnat’s wings, and a deep red Crystal Stone was embedded in its center.

He held the Compass flat in his palm, the tips of his fingers glowing with Spiritual Qi. He then tapped points in the empty air. Following his movements, the crimson-gold runes on the Compass lit up one by one, detaching from its surface and transforming into fine streams of light that snaked through the air.

"The array’s pivot sets the center, and the Li Fire suppresses the eight directions."

With a flick of his wrist, the core crimson Crystal Stone detached from the center of the Compass and floated a foot in front of him. He flicked a finger, and the Crystal Stone transformed into a streak of red light. With a soft DING, it sank into the floor in the center of the room and vanished.

Immediately after, the wandering streams of runic light seemed to have found their lynchpin. They rapidly spread out in all directions from the point where the Crystal Stone had entered, with crimson-gold light shining clearly through the spiritual wood floorboards, forming complex and orderly geometric patterns and runic arrays.

Yang Wenqing focused his gaze and could vaguely discern that they corresponded to the eight trigram directions. The Li Fire position, in particular, formed a unique force field that converged inward. A scorching yet not-searing aura rose from beneath the floor, as if a dormant volcano had been quietly awakened.

"The Array Base is revealed. It must be anchored with Spiritual Objects."

Qin Huaiming’s movements didn’t stop. He took out eight palm-sized, crimson crystal plates from his Storage Bag. Their edges were polished perfectly smooth, and their surfaces bore natural, cloud-like flame patterns. They were superior-grade ’Crimson Flame Crystal Plates’.

His figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he had placed the eight Crimson Flame Crystal Plates into eight key node-like grooves in the crimson-gold Array Map on the floor. The moment the plates were embedded, it was like a key turning in a lock; the light of the entire ground-level Array Map suddenly flared.

HUMMM—

A low resonant sound echoed through the room. All eight Crimson Flame Crystal Plates lit up simultaneously, the cloud-like patterns within them seeming to come alive. They were connected by the light of the Array Map on the ground, forming a stable and scorching energy-circulation network.

The temperature in the room rose noticeably, and the air began to shimmer, but the heat was firmly confined within the boundaries of the Array Map, not leaking out in the slightest.

Qin Huaiming retreated to the edge of the Array Map and carefully sensed the Array’s stability for a moment. He then took out forty-eight thumb-sized, Fire Attribute energy crystals and embedded them one by one into the micro-grooves reserved at the edges of the Crimson Flame Crystal Plates.

These crystals were like adding fuel to the Array’s engine. The humming sound of the Array’s operation became steadier and more powerful, and the heat it emitted now carried the unique searing sensation of pure Fire Element Spiritual Qi.

Finally, Qin Huaiming took out a flat jade box. After opening it, he revealed three inch-long glass vials lying quietly inside. They contained a liquid that was entirely crimson-gold—the ’Nirvana Golden Liquid,’ refined and condensed from ’Nirvana Flowers’.

He handed the jade box to Yang Wenqing. "Take one first. Enter the center of the array, sit cross-legged, and circulate your Fourth Transformation Heart Method. I will protect you and guide the array’s power."

Yang Wenqing didn’t dare to delay. He immediately took the jade box. The moment his fingertips touched a glass vial, a strange, searing heat transmitted to him. He took one out and, without hesitation, put it in his mouth.

The golden liquid melted the instant it entered his mouth. A warm, searing torrent flowed down his throat and instantly dispersed into his limbs and bones. At first, it was a comfortable warmth, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, but soon the warmth turned into scorching heat, as if countless tiny flames had been ignited deep within his veins.

At the same time, the ’Li Palace Fire Forging Vein Array’ on the floor sensed the aura of the ’Nirvana Golden Liquid’ inside him. The light flowing across the eight Crimson Flame Crystal Plates accelerated, and the temperature at the center of the Array Map climbed sharply. A pure and domineering stream of Bing Fire Spiritual Qi rose from underground, passing through the spiritual wood floorboards like an invisible flame, searing all the pores on Yang Wenqing’s body.

"Enter the array and steady your mind!" Qin Huaiming barked.

Yang Wenqing dared not hesitate. Forcing himself to endure the searing heat coming from both inside and outside his body, he took a few steps into the very center of the Array Map and sat down cross-legged.