King of Creation Chapter 1673: 1658: Creation God Technique
Previously on King of Creation...
Prince Ji Yuan advanced to speak as Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long grew quiet.
“Your Majesty, Great Zhou and the Heavenly Temple have backed each other up against the Demon Clan for many years. During these years of battle, we can claim to be as close as comrades-in-arms.
Yet this present issue could strain the bond between our Great Zhou and the Heavenly Temple. I beseech Your Majesty to manage it carefully, lest it harm the greater strategy against the Demon Clan.”
Under the pretense of safeguarding Great Zhou’s concerns, Prince Ji Yuan was truly prompting Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long to assist the Heavenly Temple.
Right after Prince Ji Yuan voiced his opinion, the court officials aligned with the Heavenly Temple chimed in one by one, offering their counsel.
“Your Majesty, we must probe this incident deeply and promptly provide the Heavenly Temple with a clear answer. Failing that, it could disrupt the balance on the Human Demon Battlefield.”
“Your Majesty….”
Soon enough, over thirty officials stepped up to advise, accounting for almost one-third of those present in the court.
This revealed the shocking extent of the Heavenly Temple’s penetration.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s face turned stormier with every piece of advice from the officials. The barrage of suggestions resembled an attempted overthrow, causing his expression to darken like gathering thunderclouds.
Still, Great Zhou’s loyal court officials struck back fiercely.
The Minister of War was the first to retort, “Should we condemn Great Zhou’s valiant heroes on mere indirect proofs? If that’s allowed, then anyone could fabricate evidence against me tomorrow and seal my fate!”
“By Great Zhou’s laws, punishment demands ironclad proof! Were flimsy circumstantial clues sufficient for conviction, I, as a criminal law specialist, could falsely implicate the entire court without fear.” declared the Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu burst into loud laughter at this, “In that case, linking Prince Li to rebellion through indirect evidence wouldn’t prove too hard!”
The air in the Universe Hall thickened intensely at those words. Prince Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes and fixed a slow stare on Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, “Grand Celestial Official Wu, one may play with meals but not with speech—even in jest, certain remarks must be avoided!”
His voice carried a sharp warning.
Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu just offered a casual smile, “I merely cited an illustration, yet it appears I’ve stirred undue worry for the prince.
That said, doesn’t it follow the very same reasoning, Prince?”
As the Emperor’s staunchest retainer, Wu Yu understood the path to endurance: serve as a faithful hound, snapping at whomever the Emperor directed.
With the Emperor’s faith, his lifespan extended.
But should the Emperor’s favor wane, doom loomed close.
The fierce rebuttals from various senior officials eased the tension somewhat.
Yet from Ye Zhen’s perspective, it only blunted the Heavenly Temple’s aggressive push without delivering hard proof to clear Ye Zhen’s name, leaving the matter unresolved.
Moon Hall Master Baili Fei appeared to have foreseen this outcome and waited until the officials’ uproar subsided before speaking once more, “Your Majesty, prior to my arrival, the Divine Monarch gave me explicit orders.”
The murmurs in the Universe Hall hushed instantly when Baili Fei invoked the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch’s directive, with even Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long leaning in attentively.
Formally speaking, and given Great Zhou’s steadfast stance, the Holy Son of Heaven, Great Zhou outranked the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch slightly.
Yet practically, the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch’s prestige within the Heavenly Temple overshadowed that of the Holy Son of Heaven, Great Zhou.
Over the ages, numerous Holy Sons of Heaven, Great Zhou have come and gone, while the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch has endured unchanged since Ancient Times.
All the same, the Holy Son of Heaven of Great Zhou wielded Great Zhou’s national fortunes, compelling even the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch to observe proper etiquette.
No one, however, dismissed the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch’s sway lightly.
“The Divine Monarch commanded me that since Ancient Times, no branch of the Heavenly Temple has ever been destroyed. The Heavenly Temple will not abide any heresies from cults. Thus, we must pursue this affair relentlessly to uncover the real perpetrator!
Failure to identify the true offender might unleash dire consequences for the Heavenly Temple’s destiny.
For this reason, the Divine Monarch bade me relay a message directly to Your Majesty,” Baili Fei stated.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long's eyes flickered faintly. “Let’s hear it.”
Baili Fei lifted his head gradually. “The Divine Monarch declared that if Your Majesty rejects this circumstantial evidence and insists on unbreakable proof before surrendering Ye,
then the Divine Monarch will have no choice but to interrupt the Dao Ancestor’s seclusion, compelling the Dao Ancestor to unleash the Creation Divine Arts that turns back the flow of heaven and earth’s time, delivering the unassailable proof you demand.”
These words made the faces of all the assembled court officials and Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long turn utterly grim, while even Chief Sun Priest Bai Xiang’s look darkened severely.
The Heavenly Temple’s survival and growth over countless eras stemmed not from Great Zhou’s weakness, but from the safeguarding presence of the Heavenly Temple’s Three Ancestors.
Though unseen since Ancient Times, these Three Ancestors stood like the Sea Stabilizing Divine Needle, shielding and propelling the Heavenly Temple’s endless expansion.
Legends claim that during the Demonic Clan’s assault, direct action by the Three Ancestors would have limited the Demon Clan’s conquered lands even more.
Even summoning just one of those Three Ancestors—forget all three—and whether they wield the Creation Divine Arts to rewind heaven and earth’s timeline or not, their mere appearance or a single word could seal fates decisively.
Great Zhou, of course, possesses forces matching the Dao Ancestor’s might.
Such strength truly exists within Great Zhou.
That power resides in Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long himself; while inside the Universe Hall, even the Dao Ancestor’s personal arrival would prove futile.
Yet the problem lies here: every sovereign and minister in Great Zhou knows Ye Zhen committed the act. They’re simply scheming desperately to shield him.
Should the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch summon the Dao Ancestor to deploy the Creation God Technique reversing heaven and earth’s time, unveiling ironclad proof of Ye Zhen’s guilt,
then Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s humiliation would surpass mere loss of face. In the worst case, the Dao Ancestor allying with Princess Ji Yuan and others could exploit this to overthrow him.
Reason!
The crux of this matter: inviting the Dao Ancestor would hand the advantage to the Heavenly Temple, with outcomes spiraling into the unknown.
Thus, Baili Fei’s declaration instantly stunned Great Zhou’s emperor and officials.
For Ren Venerate Emperor, shielding Ye Zhen is mere tactics, but if it threatens his authority and position, he’d discard Ye Zhen without hesitation.
They had foreseen countless ploys from the Heavenly Temple, yet never imagined their evidence would prove so overwhelmingly thorough.
Those Spirit Shadow replicas especially, in elite clashes, serve nearly as damning proof.
Furthermore, neither Ye Zhen nor Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long foresaw the Heavenly Temple’s fierce resolve.
To capture the true murderer, they’d boldly disturb the Dao Ancestor’s retreat and beseech the Creation God Technique to reverse heaven and earth’s time.
Even invoking that Creation God Technique from the Dao Ancestor demands an enormous toll.
Baili Fei’s statement might seem like a bluff, but the Heavenly Temple’s fanatics defy normal logic.
When these Heavenly Temple zealots go berserk, reason evaporates completely.
Ye Zhen, sensing the shift in Ren Venerate Emperor’s face, realized disaster loomed.
If Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long, cornered by the Dao Ancestor’s pressure, surrenders him, doom would follow swiftly.
Frankly, Ye Zhen hadn’t anticipated the Heavenly Temple’s insanity—begging the Dao Ancestor over a mere Fifth Stage Divine Communication Realm cultivator!
Ye Zhen understood: survival now rested solely on his own efforts.
After brief reflection, Ye Zhen advanced and declared, “Your Majesty, I reject the Heavenly Temple’s charges and will not yield!”
Under immense strain and wavering, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long glanced at Ye Zhen. “Yes, we must hear your defense.”
“Your Majesty, the Heavenly Temple’s claims rely on baseless speculation. That Spirit Shadow proof is twisted to match my abilities alone. Thus, I have one plea!” Ye Zhen stated.
“A plea? Out with it!” Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long shot back instantly.
Though he underestimated the Heavenly Temple's formidable challenge and felt the pressure from the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch's plan to summon the Dao Ancestor, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long began weighing the option of forsaking Ye Zhen and ways to reduce the fallout from such a decision.
Yet, seeing Ye Zhen's fierce determination to vindicate himself, the emperor saw no harm in offering him one shot.
I beseech Your Majesty to dispatch forensic experts to scrutinize every piece of evidence from the Heavenly Temple, checking for any tampering or signs of deliberate setup. Ye Zhen pleaded.
Should tampering be uncovered, it would lift all suspicion from me. Ye Zhen's eyes shifted to Baili Fei. Master Baili, the corpses stored in your Spirit Shadows remain intact, don't they?
Naturally! Baili Fei sneered coldly.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long rapped lightly on the imperial desk. A fair and sound request—I approve it!
Master Baili, you don't object, right? Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long inquired.
Your Majesty, our proofs are airtight, secured on-site. We're fine with verification, but Heavenly Temple overseers must be there to guard against any evidence destruction. Baili Fei interjected sharply. Still, prior to the inspection, one issue demands clarification first.
What issue?
Your Majesty, if the recheck confirms the evidences match the Spirit Shadows without tampering, what then?
Will Ye Zhen confess guilt, and will Your Majesty surrender the offender Ye Zhen? Moon Palace Hall Master Baili Fei pressed.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long shot Ye Zhen a glance before replying, If your evidences prove untampered and Ye Zhen can't disprove his involvement, must I state the obvious outcome?
Flawless as always, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long's response endorsed Baili Fei's terms while preserving an escape for Ye Zhen.
Baili Fei nodded at these words. Fine then, let's re-inspect the evidence—Heavenly Temple objects not.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long turned his eyes to Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu. Wu Qing, Hee Yi, how long to assemble your Heavenly Patrol Department and Ministry of Justice's premier forensic specialists in Luoyi?
Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu glanced meaningfully at Ye Zhen before reporting, To Your Majesty, rallying everyone would take no less than nine days.
Reporting to Your Majesty, our Ministry of Justice's veteran forensic master is patrolling a Little World and requires over twelve days to return.
Additionally, thoroughly vetting all this evidence demands at least seven days, Minister Mo declared.
Twenty days from now—does that work? the throne-bound Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long proposed.
Moon Palace Hall Master Baili Fei mulled it over briefly. Your Majesty, we accept and can wait, but Ye Zhen stays under strict joint custody from Heavenly Temple and Great Zhou—no stepping foot outside Luoyi!
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long's stare landed on Ye Zhen, wordlessly probing if the delay suited him!
Ye Zhen inclined his head. To Your Majesty, I have no qualms!