Rebirth and Transformation

On the outskirts, a desolate courtyard stood, shrouded in the cold wind, revealing a sense of desolation and loneliness.

Pushing open the gate to the secondary residence, a musty odor greeted Fang Xiu.

This was the new place the Emperor had prepared for him, the future location of his confinement.

Standing before the gate, a profound sense of sadness welled within Fang Xiu. A mouthful of congealed blood couldn't be held back any longer and sprayed from his mouth.

"Young Master."

Fang Ying hurriedly supported him, her face full of concern.

"Ying'er, how many years have you been with me?"

Fang Xiu inquired.

"Six years."

Fang Ying replied, her thoughts seemingly transported back to that year, a cold winter when her nine-year-old self was on the verge of freezing to death in the snow.

Fortunately, Young Master saved her, nurtured her attentively, and even bestowed upon her the name Fang Ying.

"Six years, time flies."

Fang Xiu raised his head, the night as dark as ink, mirroring his current state of despair.

Suddenly, Fang Xiu clenched his fist, a hint of icy determination flickering in his eyes.

"The fate of the Mo Nation is tied to me. It can be stabilized or thrown into chaos because of me. Ying'er, inform your three older brothers to be prepared."

"Yes, Young Master."

Fang Ying nodded. She knew that the destiny of Mo Nation was about to change.

Entering the secondary residence, Fang Xiu casually opened a door and walked in, staggering as he uttered, "I need some time alone."

Having said that, Fang Xiu tightly closed the door, and another spurt of fresh blood followed.

Old wounds resurfaced, compounded by the emotional turmoil of the day, and he couldn't hold on any longer, collapsing into unconsciousness.

Boom...

A sudden burst of golden radiance surged deep into Fang Xiu's soul, awakening him from his slumber.

The scenery before him changed abruptly, a golden world floating in front of his eyes.

He saw the shattered dantian within himself, and a nine-colored jade stone spinning rapidly.

The thumb-sized jade stone was familiar to Fang Xiu. Since he began cultivating, this small jade stone had been dormant in his dantian, causing no hindrance to his cultivation.

Over the years, Fang Xiu had almost forgotten about it.

Unexpectedly, today in his dire situation, the nine-colored jade stone exhibited unusual changes.

Humming...

The jade stone vibrated violently as if ancient and desolate energy surged within.

In the next moment, the jade stone shattered with a thunderous roar, and a crimson-gold palace emerged from the broken dantian.

Nine layers of the golden palace gradually expanded and soon stood before Fang Xiu.

"What place is this?"

Fang Xiu was bewildered.

Even with his Marquis of Guanjun temperament and knowledge, he was astonished.

A golden palace had grown inside his dantian!

The magnificent palace, resembling a fairyland tower, made Fang Xiu involuntarily move towards it.

Soon, he stood in front of the golden palace.

The bronze-colored palace doors exuded an endless ancient atmosphere as if they had existed for eternity.

On the doors were densely packed runes—ancient, mysterious, and inscrutable.

Above them, four large characters captivated the soul:

"Eternal Divine Palace."

Facing the divine palace, Fang Xiu felt insignificantly small, like a grain of sand in the vast sea.

Creak!

The Divine Palace's door suddenly opened, and a dazzling light poured out from the hall, colorful and blinding, making Fang Xiu unable to open his eyes.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Fang Xiu realized that his destiny had arrived.

Although he didn't understand what the divine palace was, he was already a waste of a person with a shattered dantian and severed meridians.

In this world, there was nothing to fear anymore.

Stepping into the divine palace, a flood of information rushed into his mind: "Eternal Divine Palace, awe-inspiring through the ages, cultivates the Eternal Heavenly Art, forges the Ninety-Nine Thunder Veins, and achieves the Supreme Eternal Body throughout the ages."

In the first layer of the Eternal Divine Palace, a massive thunder pool roared incessantly.

The thunder pool was about ten feet square, with colorful lightning flickering and crackling.

The thunderous sound resembled ancient beasts roaring, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Cultivate the Eternal Heavenly Art, forge the Ninety-Nine Thunder Veins, and achieve the Supreme Eternal Body. Does it mean I have to jump into this thunder pool to condense the thunder veins and establish the foundation for the Supreme Eternal Body?"

Fang Xiu thought of the words that appeared in his mind.

"You're quite intelligent."

An elderly voice suddenly sounded, catching Fang Xiu off guard.

"Who? Who is speaking?"

Fang Xiu looked around but saw no one. However, he was sure that he didn't misheard it. Someone was speaking.

"Hoo... Woo... Howl..."

In response to Fang Xiu, a series of snoring sounds, loud and rhythmic, accompanied by the thunderous sounds from the pool.

"Hello? Senior? ..."

Fang Xiu called out several times, but the response was still the rhythmic snoring.

"..."

Fang Xiu was speechless.

The Eternal Divine Palace was hidden within the nine-colored jade stone, and now that it had grown inside him, someone was sleeping inside him.

Wasn't this ridiculous?

Unable to wake the person up, Fang Xiu decided to focus on the thunder pool.

The mysterious figure had already confirmed his assumption, and now the thunder pool seemed to be his opportunity with no room for retreat.

"I'm just a waste, a loser, and I've got nothing to lose. What's there to be afraid of?"

Fang Xiu gritted his teeth and leaped into the thunder pool without a halt.

Ah...

A piercing scream echoed within the Eternal Divine Palace.

Despite Fang Xiu's strong willpower, he couldn't withstand the pain inflicted by the electrifying baptism.

Thunderous snakes formed from lightning repeatedly pierced his body, attempting to penetrate his meridians and devour every inch of his skin.

The bone-penetrating pain, heart-wrenching agony, the burning sensation of thunder and fire—the phoenix was undergoing a rebirth.

The first stage of the Eternal Heavenly Art: Thunder Vein Foundation!

A mantra penetrated Fang Xiu's mind, and his exceptionally strong willpower allowed him to endure the tearing pain, ensuring that his spiritual consciousness remained intact.

He operated the cultivation technique, madly absorbing the power of thunder.

Soon, the first, second, third, fourth, and up to the fifth thunder vein were condensed. Fang Xiu no longer felt the pain brought by the impact of thunder; instead, he experienced an endless sense of pleasure.

"So comfortable."

Bathing in the sea of thunder, with five thunder veins as the foundation, the Ninety-Nine Thunder Veins showed signs of taking shape.

"Hoo... Woo... Boom..."

The snoring became louder, resembling thunder.

"Senior, are you being a bit impolite?"

Fang Xiu was extremely speechless.

While he shouted and screamed in agony, the person inside him slept soundly, undisturbed by the thunder.

A continuous and suffocating snoring continued.

Fang Xiu: ...

Well, whatever.

Over the next day, Fang Xiu progressed massively and successfully condensed all Ninety-Nine Thunder Veins within his body.

Nine new meridians completely replaced his previous eighteen, connecting to his dantian.

Simultaneously, the shattered dantian was fully restored, turning into a sea of thunder, a boundless force surging through his entire body.

The invigorating feeling of power overwhelmed Fang Xiu, who couldn't help but let out a resounding roar.

"Haha, I've restored my dantian and condensed the Thunder Veins. According to my current cultivation, I should be at the Ninth-Rank without a doubt. But the amplification brought by the Thunder Veins is immeasurable compared to the previous eighteen ordinary meridians. I feel like my strength has surpassed the peak."

Feeling the changes in his body, Fang Xiu was filled with boundless pride and joy.

"Only in three days, and you've condense all Ninety-Nine Thunder Veins."

The snoring stopped, and the owner of the voice spoke up again, sounding quite surprised.

"Senior, you're awake. May I ask ..."

Fang Xiu quickly spoke.

"I am the guardian of this Eternal Divine Palace. Now that you've awakened the Supreme Eternal Body, you are the master of this divine palace. Your cultivation journey is still long. Many interesting things are waiting for you to unlock in the nine layers of the divine palace."

The voice of the self-proclaimed guardian answered the questions Fang Xiu wanted to ask.

"How should I address you? Can you reveal yourself?"

Fang Xiu inquired.

"Who am I? Well, I am a ball of fire, and I..."

The snoring resumed, and the person fell asleep again!

Fang Xiu: ...

Is he a sleepyhead?

The guardian said that he had condensed the Thunder Veins only in three days, which meant that three days had passed since Fang Xiu entered the divine palace.

He wondered what had happened during these three days.

With a thought, Fang Xiu left the Eternal Divine Palace.

In the courtyard, the clash and fluctuation of true energy indicated a battle was taking place.

Pushing open the door, Fang Xiu saw Fang Ying engaged in a fierce battle with a shadowy figure.

"Impressive, you deserved to be called the Vermilion Phoenix Rakshasa. As a Ninth-Rank expert, you are able to withstand three moves from me."

The figure in black was astonished, looking at Fang Ying.

Then, with a slap, his palm turned into ice halfway, and the temperature in the entire courtyard dropped.

Seeing this move, Fang Xiu's expression changed drastically.

"Stop!"

Fang Ying, with extraordinary bones and innate talents, had already achieved the strength to contend with those who were supreme.

However, the person before her was clearly beyond her league.

The black-clad figure looked towards Fang Xiu, halting the action.

Under the night sky, a cold face emerged.

"Marquis of Guanjun, long time no see."

"It's you."

Fang Xiu stepped forward to Fang Ying. And his gaze was fuming with flames.

In this instant, he understood everything.

"Lin Zhengyue, the right hand man of the Emperor."

Fang Xiu's chest surged, and his inner turmoil was like a stormy sea.

"A month ago, during my battle with the enemy's general on the Sky-Breaking Mountain, someone attacked me at a critical moment, leading to my current situation. The one who attacked me that day was you."

He recognized Lin Zhengyue but had never seen him make a move.

However, the freezing palm that Lin Zhengyue was about to use on Fang Ying just now was unforgettable—it was the same move that ambushed him back on the Sky-Breaking Mountain.

If not for that ambush, with his strength, how could he have ended up defeated?

"Yes, it's me."

Lin Zhengyue was exposed but didn't bother denying.

After all, the Marquis of Guanjun was already a waste.

Even if he knew the truth, what could he do?

"Three days ago, Princess Royal was defeated by your maid. A fifteen-year-old Ninth-Rank Master, how terrifying. What's more terrifying is that there are three more of them, and they are all secretly cultivated by you. No one is aware their existence, and they are great threat to the court. If you tell me the where they are, His Majesty can ensure the rest of your days would be peaceful in the capital city."

Lin Zhengyue explained.

This was the real reason for imprisoning the Marquis of Guanjun—to expose the Four Great Rakshasas.

Marquis of Guanjun's influence was too great, and as long as the Four Great Rakshasas weren't eliminated, the Emperor would still lose sleep.