1382 Guardian Dragon Pavilion

Zhang Ruochen's words were honestly too shocking. He actually wanted to destroy the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion.

The Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion was in the Royal Capital. Not only did it suppress Lord Mingjiang and the Crypt of Sacred Central, it also controlled the Black Market, Demonic Sect, Blood God Sect and many more forces… It was so terrifying. How could it be destroyed so easily?

The Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion was a sharp sword used by the imperial court to punish the remaining followers of the Sacred Central Empire. It could use bloody tactics to kill everyone.

It could be said that for Lord Mingjiang, Bai Su, and Yan Kaixuan, the person they hated and wanted to kill the most had always been Heavenly King Lingxiao.

Chi Yao was only second.

Of course, both Heavenly King Lingxiao and Chi Yao were both too strong. They couldn't counter the two at all. It was already a feat that they could survive until now under Heavenly King Lingxiao's killing and pursuit.

Qin Yutong brought Zhang Ruochen back to the cultivation residence. She couldn't stay calm. Staring at the handsome, upright, and cold figure before her, she couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, are you really going to attack the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion?"

"Why?" Zhang Ruochen asked.

"I want to join," Qin Yutong said.

Zhang Ruochen stopped walking. He turned around and stared at her beautiful yet spirited eyes. Known as the top beauty of the Royal Capital, there was obviously nothing to complain about regarding her features.

"Even Twelfth Royal Uncle fell silent when he heard me say that," Zhang Ruochen said. "He clearly doesn't believe I can defeat the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion. But you aren't even a Saint and you dare to join the battle?"

Qin Yutong lowered onto a knee and raised her beautiful face. "Even if there's little chance of survival, I still want to join. I cannot keep taking this and dancing for my enemy. I only want to take revenge for my parents and grandfather. Your Highness, please allow me."

Zhang Ruochen saw that her eyes were very determined and fell into deep thought. He took a saintly source and ten-thousand-year-old saintly medicine from his spatial ring and tossed it to her.

"If you can reach the Saint Realm within ten days, I will allow you to join the battle."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you for your gifts."

Qin Yutong bit her red lip with her white teeth. Her eyes glimmered. When she raised her head again, Zhang Ruochen's figure had disappeared from the end of the hallway.

It must be said that the Crown Prince was too attractive. Not only was he handsome, he was also extremely talented and generous. He had a strong side but also an emotional side.

I must work hard on cultivating and not disappoint His Highness.

Qin Yutong vowed in her mind.

The various Saints in the central pavilion gradually calmed down. They were all thinking about what hidden card Zhang Ruochen had that made him say he could destroy the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion.

"The Guarding Dragon Pavilion… It must be the Guarding Dragon Pavilion…"

That was what Lord Mingjiang said.

"The Guarding Dragon Pavilion has always been a legend," Yan Kaixuan said. "No one has ever seen them before. They might just be an imaginary organization."

Lord Mingjiang shook his head. "The Guarding Dragon Pavilion very possibly exists. When my brother went missing, two of the empire's defensive totems and a spiritual ancestor also went missing. I suspect that they are members of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion."

The empire's totem was the Golden Ni.

According to legends, the Unmovable Emperor Ming, ancestor of the Zhang Family, had ridden a golden Ni beast.

Only the direct royal family knew that 800 years ago, there were still two golden Ni beasts guarding the Sacred Central Empire. They were the descendants of the divine golden Ni and lived for thousands of years.

The truly powerful divine beast descendants and Taigu Remains lived much longer than humans. They might not die even after living for tens of thousands of years.

The spiritual ancestor was a plant. It had protected the Zhang Family since even before the middle ages.

Of course, the spiritual ancestor was only a legend. It was difficult to prove its existence, because in legends, each generation's Emperor Ming could only see it after inheriting the throne.

Only the Emperor Ming of each generation would know if the spiritual ancestor was real or not.

Lord Mingjiang had also flipped through some ancient records. He discovered that whenever the Zhang Family ran into trouble, a mysterious force would appear to help resolve the problem. Thus, the Zhang Family wasn't wiped out even in the disaster at the end of the middle ages.

The mysterious force was sometimes a petal falling from the sky, protecting the members of the Zhang Family. Other times, it was a root rushing out of the ground, killing the strong enemy.

Thus, Lord Mingjiang suspected that the mysterious power was possibly the spiritual ancestor.

Wang Ji was a bit convinced. "What if Zhang Ruochen really recalled the members of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion and defeated the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion? What should we do?"

"If he really can defeat the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion, then he qualifies to be the Crown Prince of the Sacred Central Empire," Lord Mingjiang said.

…

In the next two days, Zhang Ruochen was cultivating with all his might to reach the Absolute Land Realm.

The Xuanhuang Realm was still a bit too low. He could fend off regular True Saints, but if he met a stronger True Saint, it wouldn't be so easy to succeed.

Even though Zhang Ruochen had used three strikes to defeat Mu Qingtian, he'd used Sword Seven and the time sword technique. He'd used all his might.

He'd used all his might and only sliced off Mu Qingtian's headpiece instead of his head.

From this, it was obvious that it wasn't as easy to defeat a later-stage True Saint as what outsiders thought.

Plus, after the later stage of the True Saint Realm, there was still the pinnacle of the True Saint Realm.

"It is indeed as difficult as stepping into heaven to make a breakthrough after the Saint Realm. No wonder even with Ling Feiyu's talent, she still cultivated in the Saint Realm for 300 years before becoming a Saint King. Senior Brother, Pei Yutian, and Situ Fengcheng were all top prides. But they still cultivated for 100 years and are still in the Heaven Pass Realm. They didn't truly reach the True Saint Realm."

The further he went, the more Zhang Ruochen felt that each breakthrough was like climbing a mountain. He couldn't charge through in a day and night.

Probably only the nine Heirs could have breakthroughs quickly, because they received unimaginable support in the Half-Saint Realm. They used up a great amount of Kunlun's Field's resources.

It was already a feat for Zhang Ruochen to match the nine Heirs' speed and keep ahead of them.

Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's Spiritual Power sensed something cold and his eyes shot open. He saw a figure standing before him in the cultivation room.

The figure wore a white robe. Each thread on the robe seemed to be one with the rules of the world. It fell to the ground like a white waterfall and shimmered with light.

He wore a translucent mask that covered his entire face. There were no holes. Even the eyes were covered.

Inside the mask was like a starry sky. It was deep and dark, but specks of light scattered from it.

When Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes and discovered him, the man nodded softly. "Vice Leader of the Tiangang Pavilion, Guarding Dragon Pavilion, greets Your Highness."

Zhang Ruochen remained calm and didn't panic at all. "How long have you been here for?"

"I already waited for you outside for six hours." A wispy and raspy voice traveled out of the mask.

Zhang Ruochen gasped. This man had stood before him for six hours but even with his Spiritual Power, he still hadn't sensed anything.

"Where is Zhao Fu?"

"Zhao Fu and the other Tiangang are outside waiting."

The Vice Leader of the Tiangang Pavilion's tone was very steady and monotone. He didn't sound lower than Zhang Ruochen but also showed his respect.

Zhang Ruochen knew that this lord's identity was special, so he didn't mind.

"They're all outside?"

Zhang Ruochen's Spiritual Power didn't notice Zhao Fu's aura at all. It was a bit odd. He stood up and walked to the window, looking outside.

There truly were many figures standing under the moonlight. They all wore waterfall-like white robes and starry-like masks. Some stood in the streets, some atop pavilions, and others hovered in the sky.

However, the cultivators of the Dancing Phoenix Palace didn't seem to see them. They treated the cultivators as air. It was very odd.

It must be that their robes and masks have a special power to avoid people's Spiritual Power and saintly senses, Zhang Ruochen thought.

There were 34 white figures in total. They stood all around the house like stars around a moon.

Seeing Zhang Ruochen open the window, all the members of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion bowed. "Greetings, Crown Prince."

Zhang Ruochen looked back at the Vice Leader of the Tiangang Pavilion. "Why didn't the pavilion lord come personally?"

"Don't you know where he went?" the Vice Leader asked.

Zhang Ruochen narrowed his eyes. "Why should I know?"

"He was the one who gave you the Vampire Secrets," the Vice Leader said. "You should've met him."

"The Vampire Secrets… Pavilion Lord… Taishang Elder, Yan Liren. He's the lord of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion?"

Zhang Ruochen was taken aback. It suddenly made sense.

When Yan Liren had given Zhang Ruochen the Vampire Secrets, he'd claimed to know the lord of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion. He said he'd received the handwritten copy of the Vampire Secrets from the pavilion lord.

At that time, Zhang Ruochen had grown doubtful.

Why would the pavilion lord tell his identity to someone else?

The so-called handwritten copy was definitely the original.

Zhang Ruochen found it unbelievable, but he had to accept this truth. "Why is the pavilion lord the Taishang Elder of the Blood God Sect?"

"The members of the Guarding Dragon Pavilion are scattered around the world," the Vice Leader said. "They're hidden among the various forces. Some are even leaders of bigger clans. We will only regroup as the Guarding Dragon Pavilion when we receive Emperor Ming's edict. Only the emperor of each generation qualifies to know our identities."

The look on Zhang Ruochen's face hardened. "Then what is your identity? I should be able to know, right?"