# Chapter 1383: Golden Step Dragon Carriage
The Vice Hall Master pondered for a moment, then said, "Agreed. However, Your Highness must first answer two questions from me."
"Please, ask away," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Vice Hall Master said, "First question: When the Crown Prince goes to Wuding Mountain to offer sacrifices to heaven on the seventh day of next month, is it truly only for the sake of seizing a woman?"
Zhang Ruochen understood why the Vice Hall Master asked this, and replied, "Does the Vice Hall Master think I am still immature in my actions, too impulsive?"
"Your Highness only needs to answer me," the Vice Hall Master said.
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back and paced within the room, saying, "I am going to fulfill a promise I made."
The Vice Hall Master made no comment and asked the second question: "Your Highness issued the Crown Prince's Edict, summoning the old subordinates of the Holy Bright Central Empire. Have you considered how to protect them? Have you considered where to go from here?"
"If I lacked the ability to protect them and could not give them a better future, I, as Crown Prince, would not have issued the Crown Prince's Edict."
Zhang Ruochen's aura grew sharp and fierce. He extended a hand and said, "Does the Vice Hall Master dare to go somewhere with me?"
"Why would I not dare?"
A spatial fluctuation appeared in the room, and then the World Gate of the Qiankun Realm opened.
Zhang Ruochen led the Vice Hall Master into the Qiankun Realm, standing midair, overlooking the vast world below.
"A world... So Your Highness controls a world..."
When the Vice Hall Master saw the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, a slight emotional fluctuation stirred within him. He said, "Since Your Highness knows what you are doing and knows what to do next, I am completely at ease."
Returning to the room within the Phoenix Dance Palace, the Vice Hall Master no longer hesitated. He extended a hand radiating holy light and removed the Starry Sky Mask covering his face.
Seeing the old man standing before him, Zhang Ruochen's eyes widened, and a great surge arose in his heart. He said, "Grandmaster Taiyi... How could it be you, Elder?"
The old man standing opposite Zhang Ruochen was none other than that Grandmaster Taiyi from the Liangyi Sect. He had a white beard and white hair, a face full of wrinkles, and gave off an immortal, transcendent aura.
In the Shangqing Palace, Zhang Ruochen had met Grandmaster Taiyi once, and the impression was very deep.
Grandmaster Taiyi said calmly, "Back then, I joined the Liangyi Sect together with your father, the Emperor, and cultivated under the guidance of Ancestor Yuanfa. Because I was a few years younger, I addressed your father as Senior Brother."
Zhang Ruochen quickly bowed and saluted: "Greetings, Uncle Master."
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen's bow to Grandmaster Taiyi was entirely out of respect for him. Back then, at the Liangyi Sect, if not for Grandmaster Taiyi's protection, the identity of "Lin Yue" would likely have been exposed long ago.
Probably even at that time, Grandmaster Taiyi had already seen through Zhang Ruochen's true identity.
Grandmaster Taiyi was very composed, with not a ripple in his eyes. He extended an aged hand to indicate that Zhang Ruochen need not bow, and added, "Back then, Senior Brother showed me great kindness, so I agreed to join the Dragon-Protecting Pavilion and serve as the Vice Hall Master of the Heavenly Gang Hall. There are some other complicated reasons, but there is no need to tell you now. In the future, you will naturally understand."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "May I ask, Uncle Master, is my father still alive? Where did he go?"
Grandmaster Taiyi shook his head and sighed, saying, "Actually, I too very much want to know if Senior Brother is still alive."
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat dejected, then asked again, "Legend has it that the day before my father disappeared, he summoned all members of the Dragon-Protecting Pavilion. Afterwards, the members of the Dragon-Protecting Pavilion took away all the resources from the treasury of the Holy Bright Central Empire. Is this true?"
"It is not false."
"Where are the treasury resources of the Holy Bright Central Empire now?" Zhang Ruochen continued to ask.
Grandmaster Taiyi said, "They have been exhausted."
"How is that possible?"
Zhang Ruochen found it hard to believe.
Grandmaster Taiyi said, "Before Senior Brother left, he instructed us to build something. To construct that thing, all the resources in the treasury were exhausted."
"What thing could be built that would exhaust the treasury of a central empire?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Grandmaster Taiyi said, "Senior Brother imposed a gag order. Until the time is right, it cannot be told to anyone."
"Not even to me?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Grandmaster Taiyi said, "'Anyone' naturally includes you as well."
Zhang Ruochen knew that Grandmaster Taiyi was unwilling to speak, and even if he continued to press, there would be no result. He said, "Before going to Wuding Mountain to offer sacrifices to heaven, I want to first destroy the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor. Uncle Master, what do you think?"
Grandmaster Taiyi put the Starry Sky Mask back on, and his aura once again vanished into nothingness. His voice ethereal, he said, "You are the Crown Prince. You make the decision, and we will do our utmost to help you."
In the past few days, Saint Ming City had been turbulent and unstable.
The Crown Prince's Edict hovered in the sky, never dispersing. The old subordinates and ministers of the Holy Bright Central Empire gathered from all directions, rushing madly toward Saint Ming City, triggering one bloody battle after another.
A large contingent of imperial troops arrived at Saint Ming City in the first instance, increasing the city's defensive power several times over.
Unfortunately, after spending several days, the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor still could not find Zhang Ruochen's traces. The Lingxiao Heavenly King even moved Grand Chancellor Wang Shiqi to use the Heavenly Earth Chess Game to search for Zhang Ruochen's whereabouts, but still found nothing.
On the seventh day after the Crown Prince's Edict was issued, some members of the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor appeared in public places in Saint Ming City, saying, "The so-called Holy Bright Crown Prince is nothing but a turtle hiding its head, not daring to show himself at all. Issuing the Crown Prince's Edict is just to lure the remnants of the former dynasty to Saint Ming City to die."
"Zhang Ruochen actually dares to dream of ascending Wuding Mountain to seize the fiancée of Young Master Qiu Yu. He is completely self-righteous and overestimating himself. Those Holy Bright remnants are just a rabble, not worth mentioning."
...
...
Someone was directing them from behind, trying to provoke Zhang Ruochen into showing himself with words.
That very day, a golden, radiant dragon carriage rushed out from the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor, pulled by nine white flood dragons that had reached the Saint Realm. The aura emanating from the dragon carriage shook the entire Saint Ming City.
A vast imperial aura surged in all directions like golden waves.
"That is the Golden Step Dragon Carriage, the imperial chariot of Emperor Ming, once a supreme treasure of the Holy Bright Central Empire." A Saint Realm figure recognized the ancient chariot pulled by nine dragons, his heart immensely shaken.
In the past, Emperor Ming had ridden the Golden Step Dragon Carriage to conquer all directions, causing even the Undying Blood Clan to flee in fear at the sight of it. It could be said that the Golden Step Dragon Carriage held a very special significance.
"To actually dare to ride the Golden Step Dragon Carriage out on patrol, this person is utterly insulting Emperor Ming and Zhang Ruochen. What audacity! Doesn't he fear drawing the siege of the Holy Bright remnants?"
A young man in his twenties, wearing a golden royal robe, stepped out from the Golden Step Dragon Carriage. The holy might he released caused heaven and earth to change color.
He said, "A prince of a fallen nation dares to issue a Crown Prince's Edict. If he dares to appear, I will cut off his head within ten swords."
"This person has quite the big mouth. Doesn't he know that Zhang Ruochen has already cultivated to become a Sword Saint and can defeat Mu Qingtian?"
"Within the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor, aside from the Lingxiao Heavenly King himself, probably only one person has such boldness."
"Could it be... Chi Dufeng?"
"Besides the Lone Phoenix Sword Saint, who else would dare to claim they can cut off Zhang Ruochen's head within ten swords?"
"Two hundred years ago, Chi Dufeng was the unparalleled genius of the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor. He could fight dozens of exchanges with Luo Xu, the number one expert of that era, without being defeated. Who knows what terrifying level Chi Dufeng's cultivation has reached now."
Chi Dufeng's appearance caused a sensation in Saint Ming City.
Chi Dufeng drove the Golden Step Dragon Carriage on patrol through Saint Ming City. Wherever he passed, all cultivators were suppressed by the might radiating from the dragon carriage, forced to kneel prostrate on the ground.
Like an emperor on tour, a large number of soldiers followed behind the Golden Step Dragon Carriage.
Finally, some old subordinates of the Holy Bright Central Empire could no longer bear Chi Dufeng's arrogance. They led three thousand death warriors, formed a formation, and charged toward the Golden Step Dragon Carriage.
The leader had reached the Saint Realm. He roared, "A mere child of the Chi family dares to ride Emperor Ming's chariot. You are seeking death!"
That Saint Realm strongman stood at the center of the three thousand death warriors, mobilized the power of the formation, waved a battle flag, and attacked the Golden Step Dragon Carriage.
"Whoosh"
A sword light flew out from the Golden Step Dragon Carriage, surging forward like a wave of water.
"Pfft."
The three thousand death warriors and that Saint Realm strongman, in an instant, turned into a rain of blood, leaving only a pile of broken corpses lying scattered on the ground.
All the cultivators present were trembling with fear.
From within the Golden Step Dragon Carriage, Chi Dufeng's voice rang out: "Truly a rabble. Are all the Holy Bright remnants this weak?"
Then, the Golden Step Dragon Carriage continued forward, rolling over the corpses.
On the rooftop of the Phoenix Dance Palace, Yan Kaixuan, Wang Ji, and the others were so furious that smoke seemed to pour from their seven orifices. They wanted to go out and fight Chi Dufeng, but were stopped by Bai Su Granny.
"Chi Dufeng just wants to provoke us, make us go out and duel him, and then take the opportunity to destroy us," Bai Su Granny said.
"How infuriating! Didn't that Crown Prince claim he could destroy the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor within ten days? Now, a large number of descendants of old ministers and old subordinates have gathered in Saint Ming City, wanting to follow him and make a big move. So why has he become a turtle hiding its head? Has he been scared off?"
Yan Kaixuan was extremely angry. Ignoring Bai Su Granny's obstruction, he rushed outside Zhang Ruochen's cultivation room and shouted, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Chi Dufeng is riding Emperor Ming's Golden Step Dragon Carriage on patrol through Saint Ming City, slaughtering the old subordinates of the Holy Bright Central Empire. How much longer are you going to hide?"
Inside the room, Zhang Ruochen sat beside a bronze table, appearing exceptionally calm, as if he could not hear Yan Kaixuan's voice.
Qin Yutong stood below and reported, "We have been deployed in Saint Ming City for several hundred years. In the past few days, Bai Su Granny has made all the arrangements. As long as Your Highness the Crown Prince gives the order, the city-protecting grand formation of Saint Ming City will no longer be able to operate, nor can it launch formation attacks."
Qin Yutong had extremely high talent. Having received the sacred medicine and sacred source bestowed by Zhang Ruochen, she broke through to the Saint Realm in just three days.
"You have done well," Zhang Ruochen said with a nod.
Receiving the Crown Prince's praise, Qin Yutong revealed a smile and asked, "Your Highness, the situation outside is already turbulent. When exactly will we attack the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor?"
"Tonight," Zhang Ruochen said.
...
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