Chapter 374: Chapter 311: Prophecy: The Female Warrior Conquers the King

Translator: 549690339

Faced with the Emperor’s obstinacy, some even brought up a prophecy coined by the guiding mentor during his late years of Emperor Taizong’s reign: “When the Tang is weak, a female warrior will command the king.” This prophecy was referring precisely to Wu Zhaoyi.

After this prophecy, the whole matter was stalled indefinitely. Even the Emperor could not ignore it as it contradicted the general trend.

However, when everyone thought the matter would end there, Wu Zhaoyi stepped forward, asserting that since the prophecy pertained to her, she would willingly abandon her Martial Arts foundation, proving her resolution.

In this world where Martial Arts thrive, even the ruler of the imperial court is not necessarily required to possess absolute power, but they must not be too weak either.

Her decision to abandon her Martial Arts foundation and sever the path to the Heavenly Rank effectively silenced all her opponents. The Emperor, taking advantage of the situation, elevated her to the role of Empress.

Thus, all matters were settled.

“I never thought, those hypocritical monks would cunningly offer her a divine medicine to win the favor of the Emperor and Empress. Not only did the medicine replenish her Martial Arts foundation, but it also helped her break through to the Heavenly Rank.” Ye Daoyuan’s eyes were full of resentment.

After proclaiming itself as the ancestor of Taoism, the Great Tang Empire designated the Taoist School as the state religion, altering the flourishing Brahman Gate in the previous dynasty. The power of the Brahman Gate was significantly suppressed under the new dynasty.

The Brahman Gate did not take this lying down; they seized this opportunity to align themselves with those in power, and offered their precious divine medicine. The Emperor, feeling indebted to the Empress for her sacrifice, turned a blind eye.

Afterward, with the Empress’s support, the Brahman Gate started to become more active, competing for status with the Taoist School. If it weren’t for the backing of the imperial family and the court, the Brahman Gate might have flourished again.

Regardless, the Brahman Gate managed to regain their footing and show signs of revival.

In the end, the Taoist School was the biggest loser from this series of events.

This was a matter of great shame for Ye Daoyuan, representing the Taoist School in the court.

But with the situation as it was, he could do nothing against an Empress favored by the Emperor, and had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.

Recently, due to the Emperor’s preoccupation with cultivation and indifference towards state affairs, the Empress’s influence was gradually growing, and even Ye Daoyuan was facing his fair share of marginalization.

“What truly scares me is, the Empress has extraordinary talent, comparable to you. Although she has never demonstrated it, I can sense her terrifying power, which may very well be equal to mine,” Ye Daoyuan confessed with a serious look, expressing his deepest concerns.

With the Emperor indifferent to political affairs and the Empress controlling the court, her growing influence was further bolstered by the covert support of the Brahman Gate. It is a force capable of wreaking havoc.

Can the current Crown Prince really manage the court if one day the Emperor were to pass away?

Ye Daoyuan’s current worry was if the prophecy came true, it would be a catastrophe for not just the Taoist School, but the whole Empire.

Hearing all this, Pei Xuanjing finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.

So, it seemed that the Crown Prince losing the throne right after ascending to it in his previous life wasn’t a coincidence, but an inevitability.

If everything Ye Daoyuan said was true, then no matter what, the Empress would always choose to ascend to the throne.

“Yet again, it’s a covert struggle between the Brahman Gate and the Taoist School,” Pei Xuanjing grumbled to himself.

These three major sects – the Brahman Gate, the Taoist School, and the Demonic Cult – with their long-standing rivalry, have managed to drag their conflict from the Daming World to this one, and he has once again found himself caught amidst it all.

Ye Daoyuan’s gaze rested on Pei Xuanjing, lost in his thoughts.

In truth, even if Pei hadn’t brought this up today, he would’ve chosen an appropriate time to reveal it all. As far as he was concerned, Pei was an important ally.

Given Pei’s background, his relationship with the Crown Prince, and the fact that his cultivation method comes from the Taoist lineage, they shared several common interests and could become allies.

Of course, Ye Daoyuan was well aware that lip service was not enough to win Pei over. He would have to offer something substantial.

A prairie, a snow mountain.

Initially, this snow mountain was nothing more than an ordinary one within the prairie. However, because it was the dwelling of the Great Li National Teacher, Red Sun Martial Venerate, it became renowned throughout the world.

A semi-step Celestial Human Realm powerhouse, even a straw hut would be deemed incredible if it were their dwelling.

The continuous chain of buildings atop the snowy mountain housed a sprawling hall, within which a burly, long-haired middle-aged man was seated.

The top of the snow mountain should be freezing cold, but within the hall, it was as hot as a furnace. What was strange was that there was not a single source of fire within the hall.

“National Teacher!”

A Heavenly Rank powerhouse pushed open the large door of the hall, and a wave of heat struck him. However, the intense heat couldn’t dispel the cold in his heart.

He was the same Heavenly Rank who had traveled to the Great Tang Capital as part of the Great Li envoy not long ago. After Ashina Zhenlu and Feng Yan’s deaths, he had assumed the role of the head of the envoy.

Therefore, when he returned to Great Li from the arduous journey from the Great Tang, he couldn’t shirk the responsibility and had to visit the National Teacher.

The Great Li National Teacher was the pillar that all the Great Li people relied on. They revered him as a deity and saw him as their mainstay. As long as the National Teacher was present, the common citizens had nothing to worry about.

However, this wasn’t the case for these Heavenly Rank powerhouses. Due to their strength, they could easily comprehend the National Teacher’s tremendous power and terrifying nature.

Every time they met the National Teacher, they could sense the terrifying power emanating from him, making them almost suffocate.

“Speak!” Red Sun Martial Venerate opened his eyes, his ordinary-looking face radiated an indescribable aura, projecting an intimidating presence.

He said to the Heavenly Rank in front of him, “I pretty much already know about the situation. What I want to know now is, did that person truly fight Ye Daoyuan to a stalemate?”

“Yes!” The Heavenly Rank respectfully answered, describing what he had witnessed, “The battle between the two was very intense, but what puzzled me was that this Pei Min, known as the Sword Saint, did not draw his sword, it seemed they both held back.”

“Hehe, as expected.” Red Sun Martial Venerate chuckled dismissively. Naturally, he could guess Ye Daoyuan’s thoughts, thinking to himself: It looks like the Empress is giving you quite a headache.

Red Sun Martial Venerate said to the man in front of him, “Deliver a message to that Sword Saint for me. On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month next year, I demand a duel with him.”

“Yes!” The Heavenly Rank’s face showed excitement as he nodded in agreement.

Red Sun Martial Venerate’s divine skill was at a crucial point. A little more time was all he needed to perfect it.

A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: Killing two of my disciples and destroying my Red Sun Knights, then let it be your life as repayment!