NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 42 - Dynastic Upheaval! Yang Guang’s Hidden Strength
Chapter 42: Dynastic Upheaval! Yang Guang’s Hidden Strength
Great Yuan, Dadu (Present-day Beijing)
“Damn it!”
“It’s in the Ming territory!”
“Does the Great Yuan have no immortal inheritance of its own?”
Kublai Khan’s expression twisted with anger.
[Kublai Khan (1215–1294) was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty (元朝) in China, which lasted from 1271 to 1368. He was a grandson of Genghis Khan and is known for unifying China under Mongol rule]
The first immortal inheritance had surfaced in the Qin Dynasty. Even then, Kublai Khan had found himself grappling with bitter envy. As the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, he refused to believe that his empire was in any way inferior to the Qin.
Why had the Qin acquired an immortal inheritance while his Yuan territory remained barren?
In his frustration, Kublai Khan had commanded a relentless search across Yuan lands, scouring for any trace of such a legacy.
Yet now, not only had the search yielded nothing, but news had also come of Wudang Mountain and its immortal secrets. This revelation struck a blow to the pride of the Great Khan.
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“National Preceptor!”
“You are to lead our finest warriors into Ming territory. Bring back this immortal inheritance!”
Kublai Khan’s words were laced with fury as he addressed Jinlun Guoshi, the highest authority in Yuan martial circles.
[Jinlun Guoshi (金轮国师): can be translated as “Golden Wheel National Teacher” or “National Master of the Golden Wheel.”]
If the Yuan lacked such treasures, then they would simply take the Ming’s.
“Your Majesty…”
Jinlun Guoshi’s face turned ashen.
As the most gifted prodigy of Tibetan Buddhism, he had always been proud of his achievements. Through rigorous cultivation, he had mastered the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique (龙象般若功), the pinnacle martial art of his order.
[Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique (龙象般若功): A legendary martial art from Tibetan Buddhism, said to grant practitioners immense physical power.]
The technique had thirteen levels, each granting the strength of one dragon and one elephant. Ten years ago, Jinlun Guoshi had reached the tenth level, granting him immense physical power. Three years prior, a fortuitous encounter allowed him to break through to the eleventh level, elevating him to the status of an Earthly Immortal.
With the technique’s power, he could match most mid-level Earthly Immortals and hold his own against even stronger foes.
But Zhang Sanfeng was an entirely different matter.
Before his ascension, Zhang Sanfeng had already been a peak Earthly Immortal—a level far beyond Jinlun Guoshi’s reach. Now, having embarked on the immortal path, Zhang’s power was unimaginable.
To face him would be courting death.
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“What’s this? Are you incapable?”
Kublai Khan’s gaze turned icy as he addressed Jinlun Guoshi.
By now, the emperor’s anger had cooled somewhat. He understood that even his nation’s strongest martial artist could not hope to best Zhang Sanfeng.
However, as the ruler of Yuan, Kublai Khan would never publicly admit a misstep. Moreover, Jinlun Guoshi’s defiance allowed him to exert pressure on his often rebellious subordinate.
“Your Majesty, I… cannot accomplish this task,” Jinlun Guoshi finally admitted, bowing his head in resignation.
The lama valued his life far more than his pride and had no intention of walking into a death trap.
“Very well!”
“Spread my decree: intensify the search for an immortal inheritance!”
“I will claim it and become the third immortal cultivator!”
Kublai Khan’s voice echoed through the hall, his tone leaving no room for dissent.
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Great Sui, Luoyang
“Still no progress?”
Yang Guang sat on his throne, his face dark with frustration.
[Yang Guang (杨广): Historically known as Emperor Yang of Sui, often depicted as a tyrant.]
As the emperor of the Sui Dynasty, he prided himself on his brilliance, certain that he was second to none—even Ying Zheng.
But now, both the Qin and Ming Dynasties had produced immortal cultivators, while Sui had found nothing. The humiliation gnawed at him.
“Worthless fools!”
Yang Guang slammed his fist against the armrest.
“Relay my decree: anyone who provides information on an immortal inheritance will be granted the title of Duke (国公).”
“And whoever delivers the inheritance itself shall be named a king, even if they are not of royal blood!”
With that, the emperor stormed out of the hall, leaving his officials in stunned silence.
The fury vanished from Yang Guang’s face as he entered his private study.
“Still nothing?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.
“No, Your Majesty. There is still no news,” replied a man who materialized from the shadows.
The man was Yu Wen Tuo (宇文拓), a loyal general who had served Yang Guang’s father before dedicating his life to the Sui emperor’s covert operations.
[Yu Wen Tuo (宇文拓, Yǔwén Tuò): an be interpreted as “Yu Wen the Expander” or “Yu Wen the Explorer,”]
“Minister Yuwen,” Yang Guang began, “are immortals truly so powerful?”
“If I were to ascend, could I unify the Sui Dynasty once and for all?”
To the public, Yang Guang had cultivated an image of decadence and incompetence. But this facade was a calculated ruse, designed to keep the powerful noble families of Sui complacent.
Yang Guang’s true ambition lay in dismantling these aristocratic clans, whose divided loyalties had been the root of many insurrections.
“Your Majesty,” Yu Wen Tuo replied after a pause, “I reached the peak of Earthly Immortal status thirty years ago, yet I have found no path to further progress.”
“Zhang Sanfeng, before his ascension, shared my level of cultivation. Yet through the immortal inheritance, he surpassed our realm entirely.”
“This proves that the immortal path far exceeds martial arts.”
Yu Wen Tuo’s words were laced with admiration and envy.
“Very well.”
“Allocate more resources to the search. I will find this immortal inheritance,” Yang Guang declared, his tone leaving no room for doubt.