Chapter 132

Until now.

Cheng Zhihai had still not seen the figure of Qiu Zhiman, Dean of the Great Zhou Martial Academy, nor Lin Qingye, Dean of the Great Wei Martial Academy. With their Qi being suppressed, could it be that their chances of survival were slim?

Cheng Zhihai couldn’t help but frown in thought.

However, the noise from the officials around him was truly irritating.

Silently raising his head, he looked towards the officials who had just been directing their complaints at him.

Wherever his gaze fell within the range, all the noisy officials shrank their heads, quickly lowering them, acting like tortoises pulling in their necks, afraid their faces would be remembered by Cheng Zhihai.

They knew that Cheng Zhihai’s mood wasn’t good either.

After all, the Crown Prince was still on the island…

The Crown Prince being on the island, wasn’t that proof…

Cheng Zhihai really hadn’t noticed anything amiss beforehand this time.

Otherwise, knowing the Crown Prince’s temperament, he would never have allowed him to take such a risk.

Cheng Zhihai suppressed the irritation in his heart, wanting to speak to Emperor Zhou and go check on Crane-Crying Island.

Emperor Zhou seemed to see through his intention, shaking his head, “That magic seal cannot be simply unlocked, and you haven’t learned how, let the professionals handle it.”

“Going there now, you wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

Hearing this, the corners of Cheng Zhaihai’s mouth revealed a bitter smile.

He also knew that even if he went there, he couldn’t break the magic seal and rescue Cheng Guang.

If the seal was forcibly broken, everything inside the seal would be annihilated.

By then, let alone seeing his own son’s remains, he probably wouldn’t even find the ashes.

But even so, he still wanted to be closer to Cheng Guang.

Even if he were helpless, being closer to Guanger was still better.

If something were to happen to Guanger, Cheng Zhihai really couldn’t imagine how Wu Yuemei would react towards him.

How his father, the Duke of the State, would react towards him.

What was supposed to be a routine mission, how did it turn out like this?

Even someone like Cheng Zhihai, who stood at the very top, powerful and impartial, showed a fearful side when he learned that Cheng Guang was in life-threatening danger, and he himself was helpless.

He feared that Cheng Guang would really die by accident.

For Cheng Zhihai, that was undoubtedly the sky falling down.

He dared not think about it, nor could he afford to think about it.

Cheng Zhihai’s expression became vacant, and the composure he had in the face of Mount Tai’s collapse disappeared at this moment.

Emperor Zhou noticed the change in Cheng Zhihai’s expression and knew what he was worried about. He didn’t say much and just indifferently looked towards the eunuch by his side.

“Zhao Jin.”

“This servant is here.”

A person responded, bowing slightly, listening for Emperor Zhou’s orders.

Clad in a red robe with a golden belt at the waist and black boots on his feet, he looked quite magnificent.

His fingers were long and powerful, his palms smooth, and his grasp on a sword was very stable. His temperament was noble and stern, commanding awe.

This person was indeed Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin was tall and imposing, with a dignified appearance.

He had delicate features, a high nose bridge, and lips tightly closed, exuding a brave aura. His hair was jet black, combed into a neat bun, showing elegance.

Zhao Jin grew up alongside Emperor Zhou, having even spent time with the previous emperor — Wu Shang’s father.

He could be considered a veteran official of two dynasties.

Even though Zhao Jin had served under two emperors and was nearly eight hundred years old, he still appeared in the prime of life.

In his high position, he held great authority and weight, a prominent figure in the Court.

Emperor Zhou pointed slightly at the purple magic seal in the projected image, “Zhao Jin, with your skills, how long would you need to break this seal?”

Zhao Jin’s eyes were calm as he said, “Your Majesty, at least three hours will be needed.”

“This Forbidden Artifact is of substantial tier; even with my cultivation, three hours is already very strenuous.”

Emperor Zhou did not say much more, “Three-quarters of an hour.”

As his words fell, Zhao Jin’s eyes did not change, but he lowered his head slightly.

“As you command.”

Emperor Zhou waved his hand, “Go, if you need anything, take some resources from the Imperial Palace.”

Zhao Jin did not say anything more, hastily leaving with quick steps.

After leaving the hall, his figure flashed and disappeared in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

Soon after, his figure appeared above Crane-Crying Island.

In the projection within the Great Zhou Imperial Palace’s grand hall, the figure of Zhao Jin also appeared.

Officialdom watched in silence as Zhao Jin displayed his Divine Power, meticulously unraveling and dismantling the Forbidden Artifacts.

The progress was slow.

But it still required three quarters of an hour…

This directly squeezed Zhao Jin’s existing abilities to several times their normal pace!

Emperor Zhou was practically demanding Zhao Jin to risk his life.

In the whole of Great Zhou, not many people possessed the means to break such spells.

Zhao Jin was one of them.

After all, ordinary families had never even come into contact with what Forbidden Artifacts were.

As Zhao Jin was from the royal family, he had been specifically trained, hence he understood more about Forbidden Artifacts than most.

If even Zhao Jin could not break the spells, then perhaps there would be no one in the entire Great Zhou who could.

In that case…

There would be only one path left…

Wait for the spells to dissipate on their own.

Within the hall, after Zhao Jin left, silence returned.

Many officials were already feeling restless at this point.

The students on Crane-Crying Island were each considered a genius of their generation.

Even disregarding their status, not as their children or any authority, they were still rare talents of Great Zhou.

The loss of even one would be a loss to Great Zhou.

But right now, even the Emperor had no solution, so what could they do?

Besides those students.

At this moment on Crane-Crying Island, there was another, even more crucial person present.

The Crown Prince.

Others might die, but the Crown Prince could not.

Otherwise, Duke Zhen would truly go mad.

Several officials, when facing Cheng Zhihai, could still occasionally mock him, for Cheng Zhihai, though unbiased and unfeeling, was still a reasonable man.

As long as one did not touch his bottom line or violate the laws of Great Zhou, even if you cursed him to his face, he would not kill you.

But it was not the same with the Duke of the State.

The Duke of the State was a pure warrior!

A pure deity of wrath!

One to act on impulse, and with the Crown Prince dead, the Duke would cause immeasurable trouble just to find the culprit, unthinkable to all the officials.

If their children died, at worst, they just needed to have another.

But for Cheng Zhihai, it was different.

Princess Yuemei’s health no longer allowed her to bear a second child.

If the Crown Prince died, Duke Zhen’s Mansion would have no successor, no hope.

What the Duke of the State, guarding the Border Area battlefield, would do, merely thinking about it made the many officials of Great Zhou shudder with dread.

Within the Imperial Palace’s grand hall, the golden and glittering throne and towering pillars cast long shadows under the dim lighting.

Despite the surrounding opulence and splendor, the grand hall had fallen into a somber silence.

Like the deepest silence of the night, only the thin wisps of incense smoke twirling above the bronze cauldrons, gently swirling mid-air.

Resembling silent souls, quivering in the still air.

The Court’s officials, Empress Wei, and many envoys from the smaller nations stood silently on both sides of the grand hall, their gazes fixed on the central projection, quietly awaiting the outcome.

Their expressions were like solemn stone sculptures, both stern and lifeless.

A heavy atmosphere pervaded the hall, weighing on everyone’s hearts.

Every breath was taken with utmost care, as if fearing to break this profound silence.

At that moment, beside the central throne, a figure laden with an air of nobility let out a light exclamation.

The sound was clear and pleasant, filled with authority and prestige.

Empress Wei’s delicate face showed a trace of astonishment as she pointed and directed the projection to focus on a particular area.

There, there was someone.

All eyes lifted to the projection.

Just one glance at the figure within the projection, and faces instantly displayed astonishment.