The first shouts of "Long live the Fourth Prince!" didn't come from actual rogue cultivators, but from guest-retainers disguised by the Fourth Prince Residence.
Of course, this whole scheme was masterminded by Ian Song.
After all, stirring up a crowd like this is a trick Ian picked up from his old world—he’s seen it a thousand times and learned it well.
With tens of thousands of rogue cultivators shouting 'Long live the Fourth Prince!' Victor Li’s face flushed with excitement—he was practically glowing with pride.
But when someone’s riding high, there’s always someone else feeling sour.
Meanwhile, Lucas Li—the Sixth Prince—was watching from a restaurant balcony with his strategist Shen Xuanji.
"This was all your brilliant idea, but in the end it just helped out Old Four!"
Seeing the crowd of rogue cultivators chanting for Victor Li, Lucas Li’s face darkened. He shot a glare at Shen Xuanji, clearly annoyed.
Shen Xuanji didn’t bother to explain—he just smiled wryly to himself. He’d underestimated Ian Song’s cunning. The move he’d set up for Lucas Li had been not only defused, but turned around to give Victor Li a huge boost in reputation.
Soon after, Victor Li stepped down from the high platform, and the 198 Nascent Divinity experts were led up onto the execution stage. Their heads were placed in the sunken pits prepared for the ceremony.
All 198 of them had their cultivation sealed, so there was no way to hide their aura.
When the tens of thousands of rogue cultivators saw that all 198 assassins were Nascent Divinity experts, they were stunned.
Someone gasped, "All these assassins are actually Nascent Divinity experts!"
"Yeah! Even a first-rate sect couldn’t field nearly two hundred Nascent Divinity experts. This is like wiping out the entire elder corps of five or six top sects!"
"Victor Li is seriously gutsy!"
"Executing 198 Nascent Divinity experts at once—this is the most jaw-dropping thing I’ve ever seen in my life!"
............
Listening to the rogue cultivators chatter, Nathan Li’s face turned ugly. His eyes practically shot fire—he’d spent tons of resources and effort recruiting these Nascent Divinity experts.
Now Victor Li was treating them like animals, lining them up to be executed—and Nathan couldn’t even step forward to save them. If he did, he’d instantly become the common enemy of every rogue cultivator in the land.
Luckily, Victor Li hadn’t gone too far—he’d sealed these experts’ ability to speak. Otherwise, facing death, some of them might have ratted him out.
"Victor Li, do you really think that by doing this, I'll be grateful to you? Dream on!" Li Sitian spat out the words through gritted teeth, full of hatred.
"Time's up. Execute them!"
At the command, the executioners raised their blades. These weren't ordinary weapons—they were special artifacts. With a single swing, not only were their heads severed, but even their Nascent Souls were destroyed.
So, once the blade fell, their souls would be scattered into nothingness.
"Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Blood sprayed everywhere. One hundred ninety-eight heads flew up, all with eyes wide open in anger. On their faces were traces of terror and regret at the moment of death.
In the blink of an eye, one hundred ninety-eight Nascent Divinity experts were dead.
Then, at Ian Song's urging, Victor Li stepped onto the high platform once more.
Victor Li raised his voice: "Fellow cultivators, I hereby announce that for the next ten days, anyone who comes to the Heaven-Arts Pavilion to take missions and completes them will receive double Merit Points as a reward."
At the same time, our Heaven-Arts Pavilion will establish an Enforcement Squad of one thousand, all Nascent Divinity experts. Anyone who takes missions from our Pavilion will be protected by the Squad within the Royal Capital. If anyone dares to slaughter mission-takers again, our Enforcement Squad will hunt them down without mercy. Today’s one hundred ninety-eight are the example!"
This time, before Ian Song’s planted shouters could cry out, the rogue cultivators themselves started chanting, “Long live the Fourth Prince!”
Merit Points might be intangible, but at the Heaven-Arts Pavilion Outer Branch, you can exchange them for techniques, pills, artifacts, spirit medicines, and even spirit crystals.
So the double rewards were enough to make every rogue cultivator present excited.
As soon as Victor Li finished his speech, the rogue cultivators went wild, charging toward the Outer Branch of the Heaven-Arts Pavilion.
What for? To take missions, of course!
"Back to the residence!" In a certain restaurant, Lucas Li’s face was cold as he left.
Seeing this, Shen Xuanji quietly shook his head, feeling a bit disappointed in Lucas Li. The Sixth Prince had lived too smoothly for years—now, even a minor setback was hard for him to bear.
Still, Shen Xuanji couldn’t help but admire Ian Song’s strategy. At the same time, he felt a surge of excitement—matching wits with someone this clever was a rare pleasure.
Back at the Fourth Prince Residence, Victor Li couldn’t help but order a banquet to celebrate with Ian Song.
Victor Li personally poured Ian Song a cup of wine, raising his glass: "Second brother, this drink is from your big brother!"
"No need to be so formal, big brother!" Ian Song lifted his glass, and the two clinked their cups in midair before drinking it all.
The wine flowed, the dishes disappeared.
Ian Song set down his cup and said, "Big brother, is this enough for you? Sure, right now your reputation far outshines the Second and Sixth Princes, but you still don’t have any real advantage at the core!"
Victor Li, who had gotten a bit carried away, suddenly felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. His smile faded into seriousness. "Second brother, what do you think we should do next?"
This was exactly what Ian Song admired about Victor Li—he might not be the sharpest, but he was willing to listen to advice.
"Didn’t I give you three powerful manuals? I think you should offer them to the current Tang Emperor—your father!" Ian Song said meaningfully.
Don’t be fooled by the Tang Emperor’s plan to abdicate in ten years or his apparent indifference to the princes’ struggle.
After all, he’s spent a thousand years building his influence. Many officials in the court are still loyal to him. If you can win the Tang Emperor’s support, your chances of inheriting the throne will skyrocket.
Victor Li lowered his head in thought. The Tang Emperor might be his father, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t wary of him. In Tang Dynasty history, there was an emperor who couldn’t let go of power, and even after abdicating, still controlled the court as Retired Emperor.
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That Retired Emperor was the only one to reach the Tribulation stage. If he hadn’t died during his breakthrough, the new emperor might never have truly controlled the court.
So, after getting the Tribulation manual, Victor Li had never considered offering it to his father.
If his father breaks through with that manual, wouldn’t history just repeat itself?
Thinking about this, Victor Li couldn’t help voicing his concern.
Ian Song smiled, "You’re overthinking it, big brother. One greedy emperor doesn’t mean your father’s the same. Besides, that Retired Emperor was so obsessed with power that he ended up blasted to bits by Heavenly Tribulation. With that example in mind, your father will be cautious. If he gets your manual, he’ll probably retreat to cultivate and seek a breakthrough. And you’ll inherit his faction’s support, letting you truly surpass the Second and Sixth Princes!"
"Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’m heading to the palace right now to see Father!"
Victor Li left in a rush, while Ian Song couldn’t help but smile.
Royal Palace.
The Tang Emperor, Leonard Li, wasn’t handling state affairs. Instead, he was in the imperial garden, enjoying flowers with his favorite consort.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince seeks an audience!" a eunuch reported.
"Victor’s here. He’s really been in the spotlight lately!" Leonard Li chuckled. "Let him in!"
Soon, Victor Li arrived, respectfully kneeling. "Your son greets Father!"
"No need for ceremony, get up!" Leonard Li waved his hand. Thanks to royal resources, Leonard was not yet two thousand years old, but his cultivation had reached late Fusion stage.
"Thank you, Father!" Victor Li stood up, glancing around.
Leonard Li understood, waving his hand. "Everyone else, leave us."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After everyone left, Leonard Li smiled. "Victor, do you have something important to tell your old man?"
"Father, I have something to present to you!" Victor Li said, taking out a jade slip.
"Bring it here."
Leonard Li accepted the jade slip from Victor Li, probed it with his divine sense, and his face instantly lit up with excitement.