As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 1620 - 427: Purgatory Opens, Earthly Hell’s Evil Welcomes the Ghost Emperor; The State Preceptor Is the Imperial Court’s Loyal Dragon God—Believe Me [Monthly Ticket Requested]...
Previously on As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life...
Cloud Palace.
Seated behind the primary desk, the Emperor's features blurred by waves of divine aura and vital energy, he pored over the stack of official reports.
A moment later, he placed the papers he held aside.
The eunuch in purple robes, Lian, approached with utmost respect.
"Lately, the State Preceptor has taken the troops to Qianyuan Taoist City for the offensive. What's the progress of the fight? Numerous experts joined in, including the Old Dragon God from the Dragon God Lineage, but there's still no hint of action?"
Rising to his feet, the Emperor adjusted his vivid yellow imperial garment.
Together with Eunuch Lian, he exited the Cloud Palace and wandered down the extended hallway. Chilly winds glided gently through the passage, snowflakes resembling tiny rice grains, driven by gusts, rushed inward from beyond.
"Your Majesty, no updates have come from the State Preceptor's forces. Word is he's arranging the soldiers, biding his time for the right moment."
Eunuch Lian bowed his head deeply, his hands folded submissively.
"Biding his time?"
A scoff escaped the Emperor's lips.
"What exactly is Xie Yushen up to? So much time has elapsed without grasping the chance. The prolonged delay only brings shame to the Great Vista."
"Ji Moli and the leaders of every major Divine Sect, backed by three gods tribulation allies... With such formidable forces targeting a single Divine Sect, how can they fail to crush it swiftly? Doesn't this turn the Da Jing Dynasty into a joke across the lands?"
"And what of it? Does Xie Yushen need to muster ten gods tribulation warriors, tenfold the enemy's might, just to overwhelm and dismantle a Divine Sect?"
Though the Emperor's visage remained hazy, fury laced his every word.
Eunuch Lian remained with his head lowered, silent and afraid to utter a sound.
He wouldn't dare defend Xie Yushen in any way.
For the forces under State Preceptor Xie Yushen's command boasted combat strength far surpassing Qian Yuan Divine Sect's by multiples—save for the assault on Purple Mansion Divine Sect, that baffling supreme Divine Sect.
As for the rest of the Divine Sects, success in shattering their defenses seemed almost assured, didn't it?
"Even if they can't breach the Divine Sect's mountain gates, why the total lack of progress? The Dragon God is there now, alongside Zhao Beidou, a top expert from Dragon Tiger Divine Sect, and Gu Qianchi, the master of Bashu Sword Pavilion... This assembles the full might of the imperial court plus two mighty Divine Sects to encircle Qian Yuan... Yet they still can't claim victory in a flash?"
The Emperor's voice turned icy.
"Prior to the alliance, when Ji Moli first aided the assault, reports arrived of his avatar's destruction. I have grounds to doubt: if Xie Yushen is truly partnering with Ji Moli, what schemes are they plotting?"
Beads of cold sweat instantly formed on Eunuch Lian's brow.
"Your Majesty, King Ping Luan... He wouldn't risk his own avatar lightly, would he?"
"That avatar does hold significant value for him."
Standing amid the corridor, the Emperor watched the snow blanket the city below, then let out a derisive chuckle: "Value? For Ji Moli... it's just the cost of razing another city. Does it truly matter that much to him?"
"The fates of those urban inhabitants, to him... do they really count for anything?"
A chilling tone infused the Emperor's words.
"Don't assume that his ties in Jiangnan Dao to those self-proclaimed Noble Families of Confucian Dao, or the dealings of Haoran Academy, escape my knowledge entirely."
"I tasked him with quelling the Corpse God Cult, not merging into its ranks..."
Eunuch Lian quickly dropped his gaze further, too timid to respond.
As the swirling snow danced before him, a flicker of chill and haste gleamed in the Emperor's eyes: "Li Che... has he actually obtained the Gathering Immortals Flag from the Ten-thousand-year-old Peach Garden?"
"Should that be the case... I can no longer afford to delay."
"It's not a lack of faith in the State Preceptor—his achievements speak loudly for themselves. He's driven by grand aspirations, eager to fulfill his potential. As my key advisor, much like you, Eunuch Lian, he's among those I trust deepest."
"I've gone so far as to place Da Jing's destiny in the State Preceptor's hands... how could trust be an issue?"
"Yet this operation's handling by the State Preceptor has left me somewhat let down."
The Emperor shook his head with a quiet exhale.
"Qi Tian City nears its awakening, and the Qintian Observatory buzzes with frantic activity these days. It appears the Great Supervising Minister will soon reveal the precise timing for the Equal Heaven Temple's emergence."
"My wish is... that the State Preceptor overcomes Qian Yuan Divine Sect prior to the Great Supervising Minister's proclamation of Qi Tian City's activation!"
The Emperor's gaze sharpened.
"Eunuch Lian, prepare a hasty edict at once, and see to its delivery yourself!"
A slight quiver ran through Eunuch Lian upon hearing this.
He could sense the Emperor's pressing concern all too clearly.
What could it be...
That stirs such haste in the Emperor?!
Is it the shadow of Strange Que's All Gods Camp reviving alongside those deities?
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Eunuch Lian held back further questions. As the Emperor's devoted attendant, sensing his master's anxieties only spurred him to obey without hesitation.
…
…
Rumble——!!!
Across the Grand Canal's waters, even in this frozen realm, the surface refused to solidify. Turbulent swells rose fiercely, wave crests bursting forth, scattering sprays of fine mist everywhere.
Cross-legged upon the river, the Old Dragon God loomed grand and imposing, his frame vast and awe-inspiring, twin dragon horns thrusting into the emptiness like sacred lances.
In his seated pose, vast divine essence from the Grand Canal rushed toward him without pause, infusing his weathered but powerfully sturdy form, which seemed on the verge of tearing through space to ascend beyond.
Around the Old Dragon God, in a circle of ten zhang, the Dragon God Crown Prince and his three Dragon Sons brothers also meditated in cultivation, drawing on the elder's radiating presence to draw divine power from the Grand Canal.
This explains why Li Che avoids calling upon the Dragon God Crown Prince: the Old Dragon God watches him vigilantly at all times, directing and overseeing his progress in cultivation.
Indeed, the Dragon God Crown Prince stands as the Dragon God Lineage's beacon of hope now. The Old Dragon God harbors no certainty that their journey to Qi Tian City will yield paths to transcendence or extended lifespan.