Chapter 145: Uncle Liu’s Ability
The sky gradually darkened.
Uncle Liu and Shao Yuezhu spoke a while longer about old tis, and in the end, he still politely declined her invitation to return to the Heavenly Eye Sacred Land.
Shao Yuezhu did not press the matter, clearly understanding that such a thing could not be accomplished overnight.
Reluctantly, she departed with the Sixth Imperial Princess of the Suhuang Heavenly Dynasty.
“I truly didn’t expect them to be mother and daughter.” Long Tao watched the two figures recede into the distance, then suddenly grew alert. “Wait—such a secret, and they just told us like that? Aren’t they afraid we might leak it?”
Uncle Liu stroked his long beard, a trace of puzzlent flashing through his eyes. “It is indeed strange. In the past, they always tried their utmost to conceal this relationship. Yet this ti they not only arrived together, but showed no attempt to hide their closeness.”
“Could it be… they’re planning to make the relationship public?” Long Tao’s mother, Long Yueyin, imdiately thought of sothing.
“I suppose so as well. Yuezhu has just advanced to Golden Core; in the Heavenly Eye Sacred Land she now holds a position with real influence. Making the mother–daughter relationship public at this ti would, firstly, allow the Sixth Imperial Princess to gain support from part of the Sacred Land’s forces, and secondly, enable Yuezhu to leverage her imperial identity to secure more resources within the Sacred Land.”
“So that’s how it is! A win–win situation.” Long Tao suddenly understood.
He gradually realized that within a top-tier power like the Suhuang Heavenly Dynasty—where the Empress herself stood at the Deification Stage—the internal political struggles of the imperial clan must far exceed ordinary imagination.
In the past, when Shao Yuezhu had been an illegitimate daughter with only Foundation Establishnt cultivation, she not only had been unable to assist her mother but might even have beco a burden.
Now, having advanced to Golden Core and gained a voice within her sect, she no longer required secret protection.
Instead, she could beco a crucial support in consolidating the Sixth Imperial Princess’s authority. Though such thinking was realistic, it was perhaps the helpless necessity of those in high positions.
“And I’ve heard the Empress is about to select a new Regent.” Uncle Liu lowered his voice. “At such a ti, having one more biological daughter at the Golden Core level is undoubtedly an important bargaining chip for the Sixth Imperial Princess.”
“Regent?” The younger ones looked at one another, unfamiliar with the term.
Though Long Tao roughly grasped the aning, he was unclear on the specific duties.
“You’ve heard that the Sixth Imperial Princess is the most promising candidate to beco Crown Princess, haven’t you?” Uncle Liu swept his gaze across them.
They all nodded.
With the Sixth Imperial Princess’s recent arrival, this topic had beco particularly heated over the past two days.
“But the Empress of the Suhuang Heavenly Dynasty is at the Deification Stage, with a lifespan nearly without end. There is no real need to establish an heir. The so-called Crown Princess or Crown Prince is not like the heir apparent of an ordinary dynasty. Rather, it refers to the one who governs the state on behalf of the Empress.”
“So in practice, they’re the ones actually managing the country?” Long Xi blinked as she asked.
“Exactly.” Uncle Liu smiled. “The Empress holds a noble status and possesses heaven-reaching cultivation. How could she possibly devote her energy to such mundane affairs? Throughout history, governance has been entrusted to her children. However, every few decades, the Regent position rotates. The previous Regent, the Fourth Imperial Prince, held the position of Crown Prince for sixty years.”
With that explanation, everyone understood. The Nine-Xia Heaven Sect was much the sa. The three Deification Ancestors and the dozen Nascent Soul True Lords would never waste their energy on such matters. All such responsibilities were left to the Golden Core Sect Master.
The only difference was that while the Sect Master was at least nominally the highest leader of the sect, in the Heavenly Dynasty both the de facto and de jure highest authority remained the Empress herself.
Just as the conversation paused and silence briefly fell, Jiang Wuyun, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke softly. A strange light flickered in her eyes.
“So this is… the imperial dynasty of the Cloud Sea Realm? Truly astonishing. The emperor herself is the most powerful cultivator—indeed, a genuine immortal. In our world, such a thing would be unimaginable.”
Over these past days, the Long family had gained a preliminary understanding of the “Lower Realm” Jiang Wuyun ca from. Aside from the well-inford Uncle Liu, each of them found that entirely different world fascinating.
“But Wuyun,” Long Tao asked curiously, “since in your world no one except you possesses Spiritual Roots, doesn’t that an no one can cultivate? Wouldn’t the imperial dynasty and its emperor still be the strongest existence there?”
He had always assud that the Dragon-Taboo Realm was essentially a mundane world devoid of the supernatural.
“Not so.” When speaking of her holand, the usually quiet Jiang Wuyun beca more animated. “Though our people lack Spiritual Roots, we have our own unique cultivation thods, sowhat akin to entering the Dao through martial arts. It’s just that our cultivation speed is far slower than here.”
Her voice was gentle, tinged with nostalgia. “In our world, there are many martial arts masters. They are generally divided into Acquired Masters and Innate Masters. By the standards of the Cloud Sea Realm, Acquired Masters are roughly equivalent to the Qi Refining Stage. But because they lack Spiritual Roots, not many can reach that level. As for ordinary martial artists, in your eyes they would be pure mortals.”
“And Innate Masters?” Long Xi eagerly interjected. “Are they equivalent to Foundation Establishnt?”
“Exactly.” Jiang Wuyun nodded slightly. “After coming here and broadening my horizons, I estimate that Innate Masters are indeed comparable to Foundation Establishnt cultivators. In our world, there are a few supre experts who can even ride the wind and soar into the sky with their physical bodies alone. They are honored as ‘Grandmasters,’ and even the imperial courts of various nations must show them considerable respect.”
“Flying with the fleshly body?” Uncle Liu revealed a look of astonishnt. “That already corresponds to mid-stage Foundation Establishnt. It’s truly incredible. In a land where spiritual energy is thin, a group of people without Spiritual Roots can reach such a realm! A genius is a genius wherever they are.”
His tone carried admiration for those martial artists who had broken through limits in adversity.
Long Tao, however, pondered inwardly. So that place was essentially a martial arts world. By that standard, if he were there, he would likely count as a minor expert capable of protecting himself.
Once the topic ended, they walked toward Qixia Town.
No one deliberately asked Uncle Liu about his past; after so many years together, they all understood his temperant.
Still, Long Tao tentatively asked about that “All-Phenona Returning-to-Extinction Eye”—what kind of Heavenly Eye ability it was that had allowed him, at Foundation Establishnt, to battle Golden Core cultivators.
“Young Master, since you have cultivated to this point, I won’t hide it any longer.” Uncle Liu deliberately walked at the back with Long Tao and lowered his voice. “After my Heavenly Eye opens, I can perceive the ‘end’ principle of all things in the world. Simply put, I can see the concept of ‘death’ itself—and render it tangible.”
His voice grew heavy, tinged with warning. “And I can directly destroy that manifested concept, causing my opponent to perish in an instant. Moreover, this ability ignores differences in realm. Even a Nascent Soul True Lord could, in theory, be slain by .”
“This… that’s outrageous!”
Long Tao was dumbfounded. Wasn’t this the legendary “Mystic Eyes of Instant Death”? If a cultivator possessed such a heaven-defying ocular technique, wouldn’t they be invincible?
“Of course, that’s only in theory.” Uncle Liu shook his head. “In reality, Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators have nurous life-preserving thods. Under normal circumstances, they would never give such an opportunity. But in battles of the sa realm, I was indeed nearly invincible in my youth, heh… which also made extrely arrogant at the ti. In the end, I offended too many people. After I failed to form my Golden Core, a group of them took advantage of my misfortune.”
“But…” Long Tao asked in confusion, “since you possessed such an ability, even as a Foundation Establishnt cultivator, shouldn’t the Heavenly Eye Sacred Land have done everything to protect you? How could they have allowed you to leave?”
“The Heavenly Eye Sacred Land is riddled with internal factions and endless strife. It’s nowhere near as harmonious as the Nine-Xia Heaven Sect. Had I stayed, I likely wouldn’t have survived. And as for you thinking my Heavenly Eye’s ability would serve as a protective talisman… sigh. Rationally speaking, perhaps so. But when mutual hatred runs deep, how many people remain rational? If the world were that simple, it would be a much easier place.”
At that point, Long Tao did not ask further. Yet he sensed that Uncle Liu had already made so decision in his heart.
At the sa ti, he thought that since the Sixth Imperial Princess had suddenly co knocking, even if no one asked, the matter would likely soon be made fully public.
If Uncle Liu’s Heavenly Eye truly was that heaven-defying, the other party would absolutely not allow him to slip beyond her control.
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