Chapter 80

The essence of the rules contained in the Evil Soldier like the Splitting Heaven Axe allowed Lin Yuan to advance further toward the Fourth Rank.

To continue increasing the strength of the Defying Divine Society, Lin Yuan bestowed the Divine Weapon fragments he had previously obtained…

He granted them all.

They were used to nurture new Divine Weapon Masters.

These Divine Weapon fragments, which were completely comprehended by Lin Yuan, had no further significance if kept by his side.

Moreover, the bestowed Divine Weapon fragments were also refined and completely obeyed Lin Yuan’s commands.

The Divine Weapon Masters cultivated with these Evil Soldiers naturally would not be unruly but were completely loyal to Lin Yuan’s command.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, another five years had gone by.

The capital of the Greater Yan Kingdom.

Hundred Flowers Hall.

This place was once the palace where the Empress Dowager of Greater Yan stayed as a concubine.

Although as the Empress Dowager, she should have moved to a higher standard palace, Wang Shangfeng did not do so.

She had lived in the Hundred Flowers Hall for over ten years and had grown accustomed to it.

On this day,

Lin Yuan came to visit his mother.

Since his ascension, Lin Yuan mostly focused on cultivation, visiting only once every six months or even a year.

“Yuan, how do you feel about those concubines I selected for you last time?”

Wang Shangfeng, though over ninety years old, looked only forty-five, her complexion rosy and her spirit very good.

In this world’s system of cultivation, the Blood Refinement Martial Saint, though comparable to the pinnacle of the Second Layer,

was of no use in terms of extending lifespan, even for a Martial Saint, who could at most live just over a hundred years.

Lin Yuan speculated that this was also influenced by the Divine Weapons.

After all, the longer one lived, the more likely one could research a level surpassing that of Martial Saint.

Most of the thirty-six Divine Weapons were always dormant, naturally not allowing such control-exceeding incidents to occur.

Thus, their lifespans were directly limited,

Even powerful Blood Refinement Martial Saints reaching this stage would mostly be seventy or eighty years old, with weakening vitality and nearing the end of their lifespan.

Where would they have the energy to research the realm beyond Martial Saint?

Wang Shangfeng was not a Martial Saint, and at her age, was still lively, naturally owing to the Marrow Cleansing performed on her secretly by Lin Yuan.

For Wang Shangfeng, the Marrow Cleansing performed with Lin Yuan’s current power was akin to an Immortal Pill.

According to Wang Shangfeng’s current health, living to two hundred years old was not a problem.

“It’s okay,”

Lin Yuan replied nonchalantly.

Ascending the throne for fifty or sixty years, Lin Yuan had not sired any children.

Mainly because there was no need, Lin Yuan was not the Retired Emperor Liu Shi.

An emperor needs heirs primarily to determine the crown prince and confirm the successor to the dynasty.

But Lin Yuan did not need these, with his lifespan, even if he had children, it would definitely be the crown prince who would pass away first.

Remaining in this world for at least one hundred sixty years was enough to outlive any Blood Refinement Martial Saint.

Even if he really needed to leave descendants, he would consider it only in the last twenty or thirty years of his extended stay.

Upon hearing Lin Yuan’s response, the Empress Dowager Wang Shangfeng immediately knew her son was just placating her.

But now, Wang Shangfeng had no way to deal with Lin Yuan.

Under Lin Yuan’s rule, the Greater Yan Dynasty was now almost comparable to the strongest few nations among the Central Plains Thirty-Six Kingdoms.

And Lin Yuan’s prestige also surpassed that of previous emperors, becoming the most accomplished emperor since the founding of the Greater Yan Dynasty.

“By the way, your father has not been feeling well recently, Yuan, you should find time to visit him,”

Wang Shangfeng said softly as if thinking of something.

“Alright,”

Lin Yuan nodded and replied.

Leaving the Hundred Flowers Hall,

He was greeted by a member of the royal family who came to see him.

“Your Majesty, our Greater Yan Dynasty has not produced any Weapon Masters for over a decade…”

This member of the royal family was also one of Lin Yuan’s elders, now aged and frail, reminding Lin Yuan.

For the Central Plains Thirty-Six Kingdoms, the most important task was cultivating Weapon Masters.

Everything else was secondary, only with a Weapon Master could they suppress the nation’s foundation.

And the last generation Weapon Master, Lin Yuan’s elder sister, had passed away over a decade ago.

Since she had never revived a Divine Weapon or even stimulated one, she lived longer compared to other Weapon Masters.

“Weapon Masters…”

In front of Lin Yuan’s eyes appeared the image, from fifty or sixty years ago, of his elder sister running up to him to see him one last time, her eyes reddening with tears.

After becoming a Divine Weapon Master, one was bound to the Divine Weapon, and unless Lin Yuan’s power overwhelmingly surpassed, it was difficult to sever the bond between them.

“This matter is not urgent.”

Lin Yuan said indifferently.

“Yes.”

The royal descendant hesitated to speak and then stopped, finally saying nothing.

After dismissing this royal descendant,

Lin Yuan soon met the Retired Emperor Liu Shi.

Compared to Wang Shangfeng, Liu Shi’s condition was much worse.

His hair and beard were all white, skin wrinkled.

That was the case

because Lin Yuan had never performed the Marrow Cleansing on Liu Shi.

As a former Emperor of the Greater Yan Dynasty, Liu Shi had performed multiple rituals with the Nation-Protecting Divine Weapons.

The marks of the Divine Weapons had long been planted on him.

Should Lin Yuan use his own power to perform Marrow Cleansing for Liu Shi,

it was highly likely to alert that Nation-Protecting Divine Weapon of the Greater Yan Dynasty.

“Father Emperor….”

Lin Yuan and the Retired Emperor Liu Shi talked for a long time.

Mainly, it was Liu Shi speaking and Lin Yuan listening.

Liu Shi also had heard about the current state of the Greater Yan Dynasty.

His own son had become the most accomplished Sage Monarch in the history of the dynasty.

Liu Shi was naturally joyful from the bottom of his heart.

“Yuan’er, I’m afraid I must depart.”

“In this lifetime, the thing I, Liu Shi, regret the least, is handing over Greater Yan to you…”

Liu Shi spoke for a while, then felt spiritless and closed his eyes to sleep.

“It’s about time.”

Upon leaving the palace where Retired Emperor Liu Shi resided, Lin Yuan looked up towards the due north.

There lay the ancestral grounds of the Divine Weapons of the Greater Yan Dynasty.

Five or six years ago, Lin Yuan had already reached the edge of Fourth Rank, not weaker than the Divine Weapons.

Now, having absorbed the foundational laws from many Evil Soldiers like the Splitting Heaven Axe, his strength had increased once more.

…

The next day.

In the court.

The civil and military officials of the Greater Yan Dynasty were excited.

Because this morning, Lin Yuan would participate, discussing state affairs with the ministers.

For the ministers, this was undoubtedly thrilling.

After all, this generation’s Emperor of the Greater Yan

possessed abilities esteemed as the best among his predecessors, his only fault being his reluctance to appear in public.

Many new ministers in the court had never seen the Emperor in person.

The countless citizens of the Greater Yan Dynasty regarded Lin Yuan as the most respected figure in their hearts.

If it weren’t for Lin Yuan, how could the dynasty have achieved such great governance today?

Upon the Dragon Throne.

Lin Yuan sat casually.

The ministers below one by one stood out, presenting their reports on state affairs.

As the court meeting was about to end,

the Minister of Rites finally stepped forward.

“Your Majesty has been on the throne for over fifty years, according to ancestral customs, you should proceed to the Divine Weapon Ancestral Grounds for the ritual…”

The Minister of Rites spoke as per the text, harboring no expectation of a direct response.

For over fifty years, since Lin Yuan’s accession to the throne, there had been three Ministers of Rites.

All three Ministers of Rites had always brought up the matter of urging the Emperor to proceed to the Divine Weapon Ancestral Grounds for the ritual at each morning court meeting.

But the Emperor had never replied, and the three Ministers of Rites did not dare to insist, only taking the chance to mention it whenever possible.

And this had become a habit for all three Ministers of Rites.

Or perhaps a hope.

Yet this time,

when the current Minister of Rites had finished speaking,

Lin Yuan, seated on the Dragon Throne, slightly nodded and stood up to say, “Indeed, it’s time to go to the ancestral grounds for the ritual.”

The current Minister of Rites, hearing this, immediately was stunned.

Then his eyes began to moisten.

After more than fifty years, the Emperor was finally not ill anymore but was planning to go to the ancestral grounds for the ritual.