Volume 1, Chapter 117: Great Prince, You've Hidden Deep!

The spiritual energy gathered by Cauldron Lord after refining Shen Chongshan was overwhelming. Lin Yu claimed to be ill, but in reality, he secluded himself in the Hostage Mansion to cultivate and冲击 (assault) Ninth Rank Myriad Realms. 

By now, the news that Great Zhou's National Preceptor had slain Shen Chongshan, the Ninth Rank Myriad Realms master of the Mysterious Celestial Sect, outside the imperial city had spread far and wide, even reaching the other great dynasties. 

In the border general's mansion of the Great Han Dynasty, the Great Prince wore iron armor and sat at the head, coldly eyeing the loyal generals standing on both sides. "In seven days, the army marches to capture Wuxia Pass. If the blood sacrifice succeeds, rewards will be generous—demon blood, demon cores, all in abundance. Your strength will soar, and you'll enjoy endless glory and wealth!" 

"Your Highness, I received news that half a month ago, Shen Chongshan, the Ninth Rank Myriad Realms master of the Mysterious Celestial Sect, was slain by Great Zhou's National Preceptor outside their imperial city. Should we reconsider our plans?" A deputy general revealed the latest intelligence. 

The crowd exchanged glances. Great Zhou's National Preceptor was said to be only Eighth Rank Myriad Realms yet could kill a Ninth Rank master. Such power was nearly on par with Void Transformation. If the National Preceptor intervened in their attack on Great Zhou, even armored cavalry in formation couldn't resist! 

"Your Highness, if this news is true, attacking Great Zhou may require careful reevaluation." 

"The Mysterious Celestial Sect has Void Transformation experts—aren't they afraid of them acting?" 

"The Great Zhou National Preceptor is too formidable. Taking Wuxia Pass will be hard. If he discovers our deal with the demons, Your Highness, you'll become the target of public wrath!" 

Others voiced their concerns. 

"Deputy General Chen, your worries are valid, but the attack on Wuxia Pass is imminent. As for the Great Zhou National Preceptor, fear not. If he comes, I'll slay him myself. Such a sacrifice will surely please the Demon Ancestor during the blood sacrifice." The Great Prince smiled confidently. In his eyes, the National Preceptor who could kill a Ninth Rank master was no more than a chicken or dog. 

"Your Highness...!" All looked up in disbelief. 

"Hehe, it seems you doubt my strength." The Great Prince smiled, releasing terrifying威压 (prestige). 

Thump! 

Everyone knelt in unison, staring at him in shock. His威压 was so fearsome that in their spiritual perception, he was a demon god. Only now did they realize how terrifying the Great Prince's strength truly was—no wonder he dismissed even a master who could kill a Ninth Rank warrior. 

Retracting his威压, the Great Prince looked at the kneeling generals. "Any more doubts?" 

"Your Highness's cultivation is peerless! You will lead us to seize the throne and unify the world!" They roared in unison, eyes filled with admiration. 

"Since no objections, in seven days, we raze Wuxia Pass!" The Great Prince smiled arrogantly. 

"I hear Su Miaozhen, the Wuxia Pass commander, has a peerless face beneath her visor. I'll capture her and send her to your tent as a foot-warmer, Your Highness." 

"Excellent idea! A general of an enemy state is fit only to be your chamber maid." 

"Your Highness is invincible! Su Miaozhen would be honored to serve you." 

The generals laughed wildly, speaking as if they had already captured her. 

In the Hostage Mansion, Lin Yu slowly opened his eyes. Silver lights converged in his pupils, forming two vortices filled with infinite might. After days of hard cultivation, with Cauldron Lord's help, he had finally advanced to Ninth Rank Myriad Realms. 

Next, he needed to cultivate diligently to transform the Myriad Realms heaven and earth within him into void, thus advancing to Void Transformation—the top echelon of the Divine Continent, comparable to the secluded ancestors of hidden sects. 

"lad, advancing to Ninth Rank is easy, but the next step won't be so simple," Cauldron Lord's voice sounded in his mind. 

"Cauldron Lord, how many Ninth Rank Myriad Realms warriors do you need to devour to冲击 (assault) Void Transformation?" Lin Yu asked. 

"About a dozen, maybe not even enough. But if there are Void Transformation warriors, one or two would suffice." Cauldron Lord chuckled, tempting Lin Yu to target Void Transformation experts. 

"Void Transformation warriors... I should ask my dear elder brother about that." Lin Yu sneered. He couldn't wait to advance to Void Transformation and avenge the 100,000 soldiers who died in the Southern Wasteland. Once his Ninth Rank cultivation stabilized, he would head to the border to slay the Great Prince, then take his head to the Southern Wasteland to祭奠（hold a memorial service for the heroes） his fallen brothers. 

Just then, bells rang in the imperial city, followed by war drums—another powerful enemy was approaching. 

"Could it be the Void Transformation expert from the Mysterious Celestial Sect?" Lin Yu wondered. 

"lad, is this what they call 'manifesting desires'? A Void Transformation warrior is already knocking on our door!" Cauldron Lord shared his thought. 

"Cauldron Lord, I just advanced to Ninth Rank, and that's a Void Transformation warrior!" Lin Yu protested. Cauldron Lord seemed overly confident. 

"Fear not! Those old fogeys have only one strike left. Block it, and you win!" Cauldron Lord dismissed them. The secluded ancestors of hidden sects were mere prolongers of life through secret arts, no threat to Lin Yu. 

"Let's check it out. If there's a chance to advance, we can't miss it." Lin Yu rose and left. 

Outside Great Zhou's imperial city, a middle-aged man in blue robes stood at the gate, holding a wooden box. Imperial guards on the wall aimed their bows—at the slightest move, thousands of arrows would rain down. 

The blue-robed man smiled bitterly. He had stated his peaceful intent, but the guards were on high alert. Ordinary warriors, no matter how many, were no match for him, so he ignored their hostility. 

Suddenly, the gate opened. Black Armored Cavalry poured out, forming a battle formation below the wall, eyeing him warily. At a command, they would charge recklessly.