Qiao Yu’s glaring eyes were deep, carrying an unfathomable determination and murderous intent: "Today, the words spoken by the Royal Hall were powerful, hiding needles within the silk; it seems it was a preditated plan."
"Returning to the court today, I haven’t seen the Crown Prince in years. Yet, the Royal Hall can cooperate with His Highness so seamlessly, huh..."
Saying this, he turned his gaze to Ying Xiu, squinting his eyes: "I did not know, before His Highness returned secretly to court, when did he secretly et with the Royal Hall."
"I do not understand what Qiao Yu of the Royal Hall is saying."
Ying Xiu nodded slightly, sweeping his gaze over the individuals in the hall with varied expressions, and solemnly said: "But today, in front of the National Governance Hall, I dare ask all of you, in your hearts, is my mother, Empress Houtu, truly still suitable to continue being the ruler of the Central Netherworld?"
The National Governance Hall, which had been silent for a long ti, began to whisper due to this questioning voice.
Empress Ying Ji, undoubtedly occupies the supre position in the Central Netherworld Dynasty.
She proclaid herself Emperor in the Mortal World, carved out territories, and established dynastic power in this turbulent world, sheltering wandering souls and heroic spirits.
Her greatness far surpasses those fictional kings and ministers of the Four Seas nations, and is unmatched by the masters of the Three Sects today.
Though in the eyes of cultivators from outside, the Central Netherworld Dynasty seems neither right nor evil, far from the Immortal Path, accompanied by death, wandering the netherworld, often feared more than respected.
Yet in the hearts of the Central Netherworld people, no doubt Ying Ji is treated as a faith to be devotedly worshipped.
She bears great achievents and possesses grand talents, destined to be an eternal deity.
But today, in the National Governance Hall, Ying Xiu’s words were like a rusty, venomous nail painfully stabbing into the hearts of many people.
Since Empress Ying Ji married Tianxi, several tis they have contended and separated, indeed these past years the Central Netherworld Dynasty has been declining.
Contrarily, aided by the Central Netherworld Dynasty, the Righteous Immortal Sect, ending years of exploitation and infringent by the Demon Sect, is flourishing, its immortality thriving.
Central Netherworld heroic spirits roam, hundred ghosts consu veins, making the already spiritually scarce Houtu Shu land appear even more barren.
Regarding the richness of earth veins, fertility of land, resources, and wealth, it cannot compare to the various nations in the Four Seas of the Mortal World.
Central Netherworld people are inherently regarded as anomalies by Mortal World cultivators, secretly guarded against. In earlier years, the Central Netherworld made good connections with the Tianxi Sword Sect.
After the war between righteous and demon paths ended, because of this connection with the Tianxi Sword Sect, their mutual material trade and business also benefited, not dare to easily offend.
But since two hundred years ago, the relationship between the Central Netherworld and Tianxi deteriorated, Ying Ji and Baili Yu, the couple, completely breaking off, becoming enemies.
From this, the circumstances of the Central Netherworld Dynasty in the Mortal World drastically changed, mingling in worldly wars and not confined to the Central Netherworld, nor sheltered by the Taiyin Emperor.
In the battle against the Demon Path, the Central Netherworld forces suffered greatly, unable to recover over several centuries.
Coupled with the break with Tianxi, the situation further lost support.
Empress Ying Ji for unknown reasons, after the war ended, her health worsened day by day.
Two hundred years ago, due to His Highness being falsely accused, Ying Ji’s temperant changed drastically, becoming indifferent to political affairs.
Gradually, even with the deep heritage and strength of Central Netherworld, it could not withstand the erosion and arching of worldly changes.
While being revered by the world, also rejected and resisted by the world.
Until recent years, the cultivation resources of the Central Netherworld Dynasty increasingly dried up, attempting to exchange for so spiritual stone elixirs for cultivation.
The people within the Central Netherworld Dynasty sotis had to swallow their pride and lower themselves to those Immortal Sect cultivators from outside.
Central Netherworld people have always been proud and eccentric, lonely and reclusive, while outside people rejected Central Netherworld people, have they ever looked down on outsiders.
To make them lower their heads and smile falsely, looking at those who were once so weak they couldn’t resist the Demon Path’s oppression, the arrogant faces of the Immortal Sect disciples, how much resentnt is suppressed in their hearts.
Now the Empress grows mad with each passing year, Baili Yu from the Tianxi Sword Sect earlier received much support from the Central Netherworld.
Now he is esteed as the World Sword Master, personally conferred by the Emperor as an Immortal for a thousand years, steadily reaching the future achievent of Golden Immortal status.
But she, for so trivial matters, foolishly and inattentively offended the Heavenly Seal Sword Sect, cutting off Zhongyou’s interests and future.
To say that there was no thought in everyone’s hearts would naturally be false.
When the deity worshipped in the hearts of the people is no longer fit to be a monarch, the faith of believers is easily shaken.
"Today, Ying Xiu stands here with no disrespect towards my mother. As the Crown Prince of Zhongyou, I truly do not wish to see my mother continue to beco entrapped, leading a life of anguish."
"My mother has been emotionally wounded, and it was the Heavenly Seal Sword Sect’s betrayal of Zhongyou. It’s not a sin for my mother to be in a state of madness, yet in my heart, my mother is indeed no longer fit to continue ruling Zhongyou."
Qiao Yu listened to the swaying resolve of the people in the hall, his face darkening as if about to drip water.
He looked sinisterly at Ying Xiu, sneering coldly, saying, "If Her Majesty is unfit to rule Zhongyou, do you, Ying Xiu, have the qualification to do so?!"
In the face of this harsh interrogation, Ying Xiu raised her eyelids coolly, exuding an inexplicable confidence and formidable aura: "Why not?"
Qiao Yu’s face changed drastically: "Still claiming not to covet the throne of Zhongyou!"
Ying Xiu said coolly: "I am my mother’s only offspring, the unique heir to the Zhongyou Dynasty; the throne belongs to by right, a mandate of heaven, how is that coveting?"
Qiao Yu’s expression froze.
Ying Xiu took a step forward, her gaze carrying a certain interrogative pressure: "My mother is mad, with only my maternal grandfather to protect her, and yet Zhongyou is as if without a lord, subjected to repression and exclusion by Qi Cultivators for years. It’s admirable how Lord Qiao Yu remains steadfast in protecting the ruler.
But can the lord guarantee that under my mother’s current leadership, how many more years can Zhongyou adhere to this path? Ten years? One hundred years? Or a thousand years?!"
Qiao Yu: "..."
Ying Xiu nodded slightly, restraining her aura sowhat, then said gently: "The Zhongyou Dynasty is rely changing rulers, not committing regicide.
Though lacking talent, I have cultivated for two hundred years and have achieved little in the Mortal World and Four Seas. I, a fellow young master of the Daoist Immortal Sect’s three sons, am much less reputable than the other two, which deeply shas .
Three years ago, I participated in the new disciple selection of the Heavenly Seal Sword Sect, aiming to make up for my shortcomings, diligently practicing swordsmanship to revitalize Zhongyou."
Upon saying this, Ying Xiu sighed lightly and continued: "It was precisely this trial for disciples of the Heavenly Seal Sword Sect that made fully aware of the coldness and bias of the sect.
My father, the Heavenly Seal Sword Master, preferred to nurture an outsider boy with no relation rather than impart the orthodoxy of the Heavenly Seal Sword Sect to . Just because that boy was born with a sword bone and had exceptional comprehension, he devoted himself entirely to cultivating him."
Inside the hall, soone fud: "How outrageous! The Heavenly Seal Sword Sect is truly arrogant!"
Ying Xiu said: "Even my own father holds such prejudice just because I am of Zhongyou; it can only be imagined how the world would treat the people of Zhongyou!"
Ying Xiu’s words awakened the drears.
Among the Zhongyou courtiers in the hall, they suddenly felt a chill down their spines, gripped with dread!
Ying Xiu’s expression was as cold as steel, her words like a blade: "If Zhongyou remains weak, it is bound to be regarded as heretical by the esteed Immortal Sect, to be eradicated! Today, if we do not change, how long will Zhongyou exist in a hundred or thousands of years?!"
"For the everlasting glory of Zhongyou! I am willing to bear this eternal infamy, asking Her Majesty to step down from the Divine Altar, and I vow to beco the emperor with this body, illuminating Zhongyou!"
Ying Xiu’s sharp words finally wavered so in the hall: "Your Highness, what plans do you have for the future?"
The whole audience was shocked, and there was no other reason.
It was because the person who spoke was Han Qi, the most upright, rciless, and impartial second royal hall among the six great Yin Kings of Zhongyou.
"Han Qi, you..." Qiao Yu’s face turned instantly grim.
Second King Hall Han Qi raised a hand to interrupt: "Third King Hall, in my heart, Zhongyou is not solely Her Majesty’s Zhongyou. What His Highness said today, though with pretense and personal desire, I think there is so truth in it."
First King Hall Qiao Yu said: "King Hall Han Qi has great wisdom, which is Zhongyou’s blessing."
Han Qi glanced at him and said: "But since it concerns the throne, it is no trivial matter, and cannot be concluded rashly by His Highness’ few words.
Earlier, His Highness himself admitted that although he is one of the Daoist Immortal Sect’s three sons, his cultivation, reputation, and achievents are far inferior to the other two, and his abilities do not even match Her Majesty’s in her youth. Frankly speaking, I believe you are far from qualified to inherit the empire as the current Crown Prince."
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