Chapter 347 - - 345 Like the Sun at Its Zenith_1

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In the water, he is a Great Grandmaster, but out of water, he’s nothing more than a counterfeit!

This guy really has a poisonous eye.

Duge sighed inwardly, but he believed that the State Preceptor had indeed pledged his loyalty.

Linyang City was more than ten miles away from Yang River, and the Way of Nature of the State Preceptor was adept at concealment. If he truly came to assassinate, and his presence went undetected, it wouldn’t be easy to fend him off.

However.

The Qinglan Sword Saint, a swordsmanship Great Grandmaster, was somewhat terrifying. His martial path was not limited by terrain…

…

“State Preceptor, is there any knack to grasping the Grandmaster Realm?” Duge, whose sense of crisis had skyrocketed, clenched his fist to the State Preceptor and humbly said, “Please do not stint on your guidance.”

“Concentration,” the State Preceptor looked at Duge and suddenly laughed. He shook his head. “Imperial Master, these days, I have been studying the Heavenly Demon… In fact, every Heavenly Demon has the potential to become a Grandmaster.”

Duge was suddenly shaken, coming to a realization.

That’s it!

Keyword!

The path of Grandmaster in this world is too similar to the keyword.

If Cao Lin’s and the State Preceptor’s martial paths were converted into keywords, then Cao Lin’s keyword would be slaughter, and the State Preceptor’s keyword would be nature.

Their martial paths are akin to advanced skills derived from keywords.

Is this a rule of the world?

If that’s the case, his own Grandmaster path isn’t the Way of Water but rather loyalty or trend.

If he could bring these two matters to the extreme, he’d become a Grandmaster someday, and if he could then derive one or two offensive or defensive skills, his Grandmaster status would certainly be more formidable than that of a native Grandmaster…

However.

Deriving martial paths from loyalty and trend might not be so easy.

Still, those keywords like slaughter and bravery are easier for Enlightenment!

So it seems Wu Chang could actually become a Grandmaster more easily than he could…

Indeed.

The Alien Battlefield is never fair.

Who knows which keyword might have an advantage on a specific Alien Battlefield!

Having understood the secret to becoming a Grandmaster, Duge no longer dwelled on this issue but instead brought the conversation back. “State Preceptor, what’s your view on the Heavenly Demon?”

“A group of dead men,” said the State Preceptor.

MBD!

Hit the nail right on the head!

Duge commented sarcastically and smiled, “I suppose it’s also the State Preceptor who spread my name as the Demon Star!”

The State Preceptor chuckled: “The Imperial Master has always been the Demon Star. There are others adept at celestial observation besides myself, they too could see it.”

Duge asked, “Is it true that the divine secrets you spoke of must not be revealed?”

The State Preceptor shook his head: “They must not be revealed.”

Duge said, “What happens if they are?”

The State Preceptor smiled without a word.

Duge glanced at him and asked, “State Preceptor, coming from the Capital City, I am curious what you think of the Prime Minister?”

“A man obsessed with power. My comment for him is ‘a Prime Minister with a short life,’” replied the State Preceptor.

“What about Zhang Yizhi beside me?” Duge asked. He still remembered what the State Preceptor said about a skill that could affect the whole body from a single hair. He needed to find out if the State Preceptor really could see through the derived skills of Alien Warriors.

If he could, it would indeed be a great help.

However, because his public keyword was loyalty, he couldn’t speak plainly to the State Preceptor.

“Imperial Master, I am not an Immortal God,” said the State Preceptor, seeing through Duge’s thoughts. He shook his head helplessly, “I could make predictions based on celestial phenomena, by observing features up close, and the fusion with nature’s qi, perhaps I could come up with comments. It’s impossible for me to see through ordinary people.”

Duge wanted to talk more but was interrupted by the State Preceptor, who grinned and reminded, “Imperial Master, it’s time to go treat Cao Lin. You’ve left him lying there for so long, neglected. Even if I persuade him to stay here, he might hold a grudge against the Imperial Master.”

Damn!

Cao Lin’s intestines!

Jolted to awareness, Duge flashed back to heal Cao Lin and from afar sent a message: “State Preceptor, hold for a moment. Allow me to heal General Cao, then I’ll return for a long discussion with the State Preceptor about the world’s situation by candlelight.”

…

After treating Cao Lin and arranging a place for him to recuperate, Duge brought the State Preceptor to meet Luo Shuang.

Luo Shuang was overjoyed by the proactive allegiance of the State Preceptor of Chongming Country. He respectfully acknowledged Chen Su as the State Preceptor of Qingwu Country, naturally, with a status below Duge.

That very night.

Duge discussed with the State Preceptor the upcoming strategic directions and had some discussions on martial paths by the Yang River.

Without using the Sea God’s Power, Duge was no match for the State Preceptor.

But once Duge harnessed the power of water, the State Preceptor would have to turn and run, or else, he’d be as powerless to resist as Cao Lin was.

The State Preceptor’s Way of Nature also harbored an affinity with water, but Duge’s Sea God’s Power could easily sever his connection to the water flow and even mislead him…

Of course.

Duge did not use the potent Seven-Hole Touch on the State Preceptor, who had actively defected.

However.

After various tests and sincere exchanges, Duge tentatively believed that the State Preceptor’s defection was genuine…

…

The next day.

The Linyang Daily Newspaper reported the process of the Yang River Battle and announced on the front-page headline the allegiance of Chongming Country’s State Preceptor and the War God Cao Lin, causing an uproar in Linyang City.

The State Preceptor was right, his endorsement skyrocketed the reputation of the Fourth Princess as if she were sitting on a rocket, and many who previously opposed Luo Shuang now saw her as the legitimate heir.

That very day.

Duge and the State Preceptor took a trip to Wolf Ping Pass.

As the State Preceptor came out, it did not take long for him to persuade Wei Tingjiang to surrender.

…

In just three days.

East Ridge Pass, Wolf Ping Pass, and Yutang Pass, Chongming Country’s southern gateways, fell into Duge’s hands.

After incorporating Wei Tingjiang’s eighty thousand soldiers and the thirty thousand from Cao Lin’s Cao family’s army, Duge commanded an army of one hundred thirty thousand. Together with the three Grandmasters—Cao Lin, the State Preceptor, and Duge; and four Great Generals—Wei Tingjiang, Huangfu Xing, Gao Yanping, and Gou Heyi…

At this time, Luo Shuang finally had the capital to contend with Chongming Country.

…

When news of Cao Lin’s defeat and the State Preceptor’s defection reached the capital of Chongming Country.

Emperor Chongming, Gu Shicun, was completely stunned.

He sat on the dragon throne for a long time without recovering his senses.

He could not believe that the State Preceptor he had always trusted had actively defected to the enemy.

And it was not like Cao Lin, who defected after being defeated by Leng Shi, but a voluntary defection!

The State Preceptor’s defection was a tremendous blow to Emperor Chongming…

At that moment, he even suspected whether the State Preceptor, like the Prime Minister, had been possessed by the Heavenly Demon!

Otherwise, why would he make such a foolish move?

Is the vast and rich Chongming Country really inferior to a fallen princess?

Or did the State Preceptor see that his own fate was exhausted and thus chose to turn towards a more promising ruler?

Thinking back, the State Preceptor seemed to have mentioned more than once that the Emperor Star was dimming…

Perhaps he had harbored the intention to defect from that time!

But if the Emperor Star was dimming, shouldn’t he have supported me wholeheartedly and suppressed the Demon Star?

Unforgivable!

I do not believe in fate!

I shall show you what it means to defy the heavens and change fate!

Emperor Chongming clenched his fist fiercely and slammed it onto the table. With red eyes, he turned to Shi Pingchuan and Pei Maer below, his voice hoarse, “Two Prime Ministers, with the State Preceptor’s defection, I can only rely on your families now.”

“Your Majesty may rest assured, I shall not fail the trust Your Majesty has placed in me,” Shi Pingchuan said hastily.

“I too shall not disappoint Your Majesty,” Pei Maer stepped forward, “Without hiding anything from Your Majesty, in these days, I have recruited three Immortal Gods, each with Divine Skills. Allow me some time to cultivate them, and taking down Leng Shi will be no difficult task.”

“Much obliged to Official Pei,” Emperor Chongming nodded towards Pei Maer, “Has Official Shi managed to recruit any Heavenly Demon?”

“I have not,” Shi Pingchuan said awkwardly.

He had not only failed to recruit any allies but also had his allies stolen by Duge.

Seeing the report on the “Linyang Daily Newspaper” that “Zhang Yizhi cleverly lures the enemy, brave He Xu captures Cao Lin,” he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

So it’s Duge’s charm after all!

You defect just by delivering a message? What about the tacit understanding we’ve built over a month?

You were coordinating well with me, and then you turn around and go with someone else—are you not afraid of losing your attributes?

However, Shi Pingchuan didn’t take Zhang Yizhi too seriously; on the day of the great battle between Duge and Cao Lin, his spiritual power was rewarded with an unexpected thirty thousand.

This was a treatment never seen before in the simulation field, giving him overflowing confidence.

What’s the big deal about Official Pei!

His keyword doesn’t require cooperation, and now his identity as the Heavenly Demon has been revealed.

With the support of Emperor Chongming, as long as he overthrows Official Pei and his recruits, he might be able to take on Duge single-handedly, and even if he can’t fight Duge alone, should he come into close combat with Duge in the future and ascertain that he cannot win, he could defect to Duge just like Zhang Yizhi, given that he has already given notice and thus a way out.

But now, he must not lose the trust of Emperor Chongming in him. Glancing sidelong at Pei Maer, he said, “Your Majesty, although I haven’t recruited any Heavenly Demon, I have gained some insights into the Grandmaster Dao recently. I predict that in no time at all, I will step into the Grandmaster Realm, at which point, cutting down Duge will be as easy as reaching into a bag…”

Little did he know.

Pei Maer had already set his sights on Shi Pingchuan, his confidence also stemming from his suddenly augmented spiritual power.

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