Undying Life

Chapter 269: The Imperial Edict

As the Grand Xuan King spoke, a golden imperial edict suddenly appeared in his hand.

For cultivators who had not yet entered the Heavenly Dynasty, there was no need to kneel and bow. As for those who held positions in the court, it was optional.

Everyone bowed slightly and chanted, "Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"

"The Emperor has issued an edict. The Great Yu Dynasty has torn up the alliance agreement, acted treacherously, and invaded the Great Light Dynasty's territory. The two dynasties are birds of a feather, now facing ruin. The Dynasty of China has dared to invade the Heavenly Dynasty, an act that is intolerable by both heaven and earth. Therefore, the Grand Xuan King is appointed as the Grand Commander of the Southern Capital to guard the southern border. The newly selected outstanding candidates of the imperial examination will be dispatched to the southern border as well, to eliminate the enemies and destroy the two dynasties!" The Grand Xuan King announced.

"Long live, long live, long live!" All the candidates echoed in unison.

Go out? This was a great opportunity to make contributions. Although the top three candidates could serve as officials in the court, even the champion would only hold a minor position. If they could achieve meritorious deeds on the front lines, when they returned, they would definitely surpass their current status.

Zhongshan frowned as he looked at the Grand Xuan King. No wonder the other three princes had gone to the front lines, while the Grand Xuan King had stayed behind. The other princes were only facing one dynasty, while the Grand Xuan King was facing two. In such a predicament, he had been waiting for this batch of talents from the imperial examination, a group of reinforcements.

After receiving the imperial edict, the Grand Xuan King looked at all the candidates.

"You have four hours of free time. After four hours, my people will quickly inspect your examination papers and select the candidates I need. Then, you will depart immediately. As for your examination papers and your rankings, they will be decided by His Majesty shortly. Your names will be inscribed in the 'Great Luo Gold List' and your achievements will be proclaimed to the world. Your rankings in the top three will be recorded in the Great Luo Shrine!" The Grand Xuan King declared loudly.

"Yes!" All the candidates responded promptly.

"Now go out. Return in four hours. You can bring up to ten attendants with you." The Grand Xuan King commanded.

"Yes!" All the candidates replied immediately.

Then, they flew away from the vicinity of the Wen Yuan Pavilion.

Zhongshan swiftly flew out of the large area around the Wen Yuan Pavilion, breaking through a region of clouds and fog, until he finally reached the outside.

"Master," came Adai's voice from afar.

Princess Qianyou, Adai, and A'er were standing not far away on a mountain peak, waiting.

"Let's go find a secluded place," Zhongshan said immediately.

"Yes." Everyone nodded immediately.

Soon, they returned to Princess Qianyou's mansion.

Princess Qianyou's mansion, the Orchid Palace!

"Master, it's just as we suspected before. The Grand Xuan King didn't leave and has taken on the role of the chief examiner. He intends to take away this group of talented individuals to reinforce the southern war," Princess Qianyou frowned and said.

"Yes, the examination topic this year involves war. In the Emperor's edict, there is also the command to destroy the two dynasties. This isn't about defending the southern border, it's about war, about destruction. They want to annihilate the two dynasties," Zhongshan said solemnly.

"Will Master be chosen?" Princess Qianyou looked at Zhongshan with some reluctance. Although she had guessed the outcome, she still felt reluctant.

"Perhaps I will be chosen," Zhongshan admitted with a nod.

"Did Master perform very well in the examination?" Princess Qianyou asked with reluctance.

"My article was quite remarkable, provoking the wrath of heaven. It should be enough to be chosen," Zhongshan said with a bitter smile.

"Master, was it you who attracted the endless thunder light near the Wen Yuan Pavilion earlier?" Adai looked extremely incredulous.

"It was just luck," Zhongshan nodded.

"Hiss~~~~~~"

Ah Da and Ah Er both gasped in disbelief. This was too incredible. If they didn't trust Zhong Shan immensely, they wouldn't believe it even if they were beaten to death. Cultivating to the sixth level of the Golden Core, writing an article, and summoning heavenly wrath?

However, Princess Qianyou looked at Zhong Shan with a trace of tranquility in her eyes. It seemed that Zhong Shan's article attracting divine punishment wasn't too difficult for her to accept, because this was the man she admired.

"Master, you should go. I'll have Ah Da accompany you," Princess Qianyou said immediately.

After Princess Qianyou finished speaking, Ah Da and Ah Er stood aside, no longer saying anything, quietly waiting.

"Take Ah Da with me? What about you, Princess?" Zhong Shan frowned.

"It's fine, I still have Ah Er. Besides, I'll only stay in the Ancient Capital recently. I also need to make a breakthrough." Princess Qianyou said.

Looking at Ah Da, then at Princess Qianyou, everything was understood without words. Zhong Shan nodded slightly and said, "Alright."

Seeing Zhong Shan's concise agreement, Princess Qianyou suddenly smiled knowingly, feeling extremely relieved in her heart.

Turning her head, Princess Qianyou looked at Ah Da and said, "Ah Da, your task during this period is to protect the Master, ensuring his safety at all times, without fail."

"Yes, unless Ah Da dies, if anyone wants to harm the Master, they must step over Ah Da's corpse." Ah Da said solemnly.

"Okay," Princess Qianyou nodded in satisfaction.

Then, Ah Da slowly walked behind Zhong Shan.

Princess Qianyou looked at Zhong Shan again and said affectionately, "Master, when I make a breakthrough, I'll come to the front lines to see you."

"Okay," Zhong Shan simply nodded. Seeing Princess Qianyou's expression, he felt a string in his heart being plucked for some reason.

"Be sure to stay safe," Princess Qianyou naturally reminded. Princess Qianyou didn't notice that at this moment, she was no longer the extremely shrewd Princess Qianyou from before, but rather a worried wife seeing her husband off.

"I will, you take care of yourself too. I'll wait for the news of your victory." Zhong Shan said.

"I believe in you," Princess Qianyou nodded with a smile.

The two didn't say much more. The phrase "I believe in you" contained everything.

"Princess, I'm leaving," Zhong Shan said.

"Okay," Princess Qianyou nodded.

Then, Zhong Shan turned and walked out of the Orchid Pavilion, with Ah Da following closely behind. Zhong Shan didn't look back, and Princess Qianyou didn't see him off either. She just watched Zhong Shan leave step by step. It wasn't until Zhong Shan's figure disappeared from her sight that she snapped out of her daze after a while.

After leaving the Orchid Pavilion, Ah Da dispersed the clouds while Zhong Shan directed, quickly stopping at a commercial district.

In front of the Ji Fan Pavilion.

Figures bustled about. A large number of customers waited, while many shop assistants served them. Ji Fan Pavilion's shopkeeper, Zheng, looked satisfied as he watched the continuously increasing sales. At this moment, Zhong Shan's arrival caused Zheng to pause slightly.

"Mr. Zhong, long time no see. Thanks to you last time, Ji Fan Pavilion has had such good sales. What do you need this time? I'll prepare it for you immediately." Zheng's eyes brightened as he approached.

"One hundred butterfly firecrackers," Zhong Shan smiled faintly.

"Oh, what a coincidence, I happen to have them here. Ji Fan Pavilion can have such good business thanks to Mr. Zhong's promotion. These one hundred butterfly firecrackers are a gift from our shop." Zheng said with understanding.

"Alright, thank you," Zhong Shan nodded.

Then, with a slight touch of their storage bracelets, the one hundred butterfly firecrackers entered Zhong Shan's bracelet.

With a faint smile, Zhong Shan said, "Farewell!"

"Farewell, next time you have an order, just come directly to me!" Zheng said with a smile.

Zhong Shan nodded and flew away into the distance with Ah Da.

Watching Zhong Shan and Ah Da slowly fly away, Zheng's previous smile faded, his brows furrowed slightly. He immediately entered the Ji Fan Pavilion and went into a secret room, using a formation to isolate his divine consciousness, not letting outsiders know what was happening inside.

In the blink of an eye, Zheng held a jade slip in his hand. He read it carefully.

At first, Zheng frowned, then his brows relaxed, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. "My foster father has such far-reaching plans. War profits? Yes, war profits. It seems I also need to go to the front lines."

"Master, why did you buy firecrackers?" Ah Da asked curiously.

"In all things, one must be prepared. Firecrackers may be small, but they have their uses. Everything has its purpose; the key is whether you have found where to use it. What may not seem useful now may prove otherwise in the future," Zhong Shan replied.

"Okay," Ah Da nodded.

During the following period, Zhong Shan also collected some peculiar items in the city. Ah Da didn't understand, so he stopped asking.

Four hours passed.

Zhong Shan returned to the Wen Yuan Pavilion with Ah Da.

Countless candidates gathered at the Wen Yuan Pavilion again. When all the candidates left, the Great Xuan King selected a large number of officials from among the officials of the Ancient Capital and began to quickly investigate those articles. For the good articles, the Great Xuan King personally reviewed them.

The Great Xuan King's analytical ability was extremely strong. With just one glance, he could discern their quality.

In four hours, roughly four hundred people were selected. Among them, three hundred were from the original circle of the Wen Yuan Pavilion, while only one hundred were chosen from the hundred thousand candidates below.

Four hundred people may seem few, but compared to the million-strong army they would face next, these four hundred were as inconspicuous as a drop of water in the sea. However, these four hundred were not ordinary foot soldiers but individuals who held significant power.

In mid-air, officials used spells to conjure these four hundred people out of thin air.

Among the four hundred slots, the first place was Zhong Shan, the second was Shui Jing, the third was Qi Tianhou, the fourth was Jin Chan...

The four hundred selected individuals flew up one by one, each with their own entourage, heading towards the largest floating island, the Wen Yuan Pavilion.

The Great Xuan King, accompanied by a dozen guards, watched as over a thousand people flew up.

"Alright, the top three hundred have been selected. Although there are less than a hundred slots left, I know you are all extraordinary individuals. Now, follow me to the battlefield. Those who made it to the top three hundred will receive official orders from the court. For those who didn't, I will temporarily grant you the authority to lead troops. Go make contributions on the battlefield," the Great Xuan King said solemnly.

"Yes," everyone immediately responded.

Just then, from the east of the Wen Yuan Pavilion, a massive figure suddenly flew over.

A ship, a gigantic golden ship, no, it should be a battleship—a massive golden battleship measuring eight thousand meters in length.

This was a Divine Ship, a large-scale treasure fortress in the sky. Zhong Shan had only heard of it but hadn't seen it with his own eyes.