Chapter 262 - Examination at Night

Chapter 262: Chapter 19: Examination at NightLet’s summarize, this time the Disaster Church suffered tremendous losses, at least half of its foundations in Cangdu City were diminished.

And all of this was orchestrated by the King of Cang, who not only eliminated the threat of the Disaster Church to the Sacred Empire, but also seized the opportunity to root out all those treacherous courtiers harboring ill intentions. The execution of Baron Yang was merely to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, and having those criminal courtiers make a master-servant pact with Princess Chen Xi was actually part of preparing for when Xixi would ascend the throne. After all, due to the curse, Princess Chen Xi had not cultivated magic power for the first eighteen years of her life. Although those with the blood of the Cang family usually do not lack in talent, those eighteen years could not simply be caught up with. When the King of Cang passes away, with Xixi having slave contracts in hand, there won’t be much upheaval in the entire court.

The most vulnerable time for every King of Cang was when they first accepted the god symbols. During the first two years with the god symbols fused, these two years were the adaptation period with the god symbols, unable to use its powers, thus the King of Cang had to make ample preparations for Princess Chen Xi, at least to eliminate potential threats from within the Sacred Empire.

As the setting sun dipped, the bloodstained Imperial City was cleaned up spotlessly, and if it weren’t for the broken walls and ruins all around, one would hardly be able to tell that a life-and-death battle had just taken place.

Standing on the highest point of the Imperial City, the Observation Terrace, the King of Cang quietly listened to Old Li’s report.

When he heard Old Li mention Lu Hong’s killing of He Sen, the King of Cang appeared slightly surprised, "Hmm? Is this news accurate?"

"Your Majesty, this is also Commander Gu Hang of the Heavy Cavalry’s guess. Judging from the outcome, it should be true."

"They were too slow?" When the King of Cang dispatched Lu Hong and the Imperial Guard to kill the Disaster Church’s squad, he had ordered Gu Hang to lead his men around from the right flank to meet up with Lu Hong, on guard against traitors within the Imperial Guard.

He Sen’s betrayal was not anticipated by the King of Cang, or he would not have let his future son-in-law venture into danger alone.

"Yes, en route, Gu Hang and his men happened to encounter a group of eight thousand followers of the Disaster Church, which took some of their time."

Not arriving at the predetermined location on time was a delay in military affairs, regardless of the reasons, "Punishment, according to military orders, three hundred strikes with the heavy plank."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Old Li noted this down, then asked, "Is there anything else to report?"

"Bring Lu Hong to me."

At the Second Transition Second Level, defeating an opponent at the Third Transition Early Stage, the King of Cang couldn’t help but regard Lu Hong more highly, and was also curious about how strong he truly was.

Within just tens of minutes, Lu Hong was awakened from his meditation by Old Li and abruptly brought to the base of the Observation Terrace.

"Young Lu, His Majesty is waiting for you on the terrace above," Old Li pushed Lu Hong a bit, "Make sure to perform well."

"Ah?" Lu Hong was still dazed, speeding all the way over, with Old Li giving no explanation for the King of Cang’s summon.

Looking up along the staircase, the King of Cang was also watching him.

"Lu Hong, come up to the terrace. Join us, and take in this great land," boomed the King of Cang’s voice like thunder, crashing down from the Observation Terrace.

Lu Hong felt a tinge of crisis and quickly summoned his sacred sword, dealing a Fatal Strike that smashed fiercely onto the sonic waves. The immense shock wave threw him back a hundred meters.

Brushing off the dust from his body and seeing the silently smiling Old Li, Lu Hong now understood that the King of Cang was testing him.

Damn it, should I perform better or worse?

Could performing poorly lead to death?

Or would performing well mean I have to marry Xixi tomorrow?

Seeing Lu Hong’s dilemma, Old Li spoke gently, "Don’t overthink it. His Majesty has called you up to join the ceremony. Just go up."

Fine, following Old Li’s direction should be right.

Lu Hong got back up and approached the stairs of the Observation Terrace once again.

"Come up, I’m waiting for you." With that, the King of Cang turned and left.

Lu Hong took a deep breath. Since it was the King of Cang’s test, these thousands of stone steps were certainly no ordinary challenge.

Indeed, as soon as he stepped on the first one, he felt his shoulders weigh down with pressure, emanating from the King of Cang’s imposing aura, though it wasn’t overwhelming.

With one more step, the burden on his shoulders grew heavier.

Without invoking any magic power, Lu Hong also wished to see where the limit of his body, refined by the Heavenly God’s descent, would be.

He combined three steps into two. The first three hundred or so stairs were within Lu Hong’s ability to endure, but as soon as he reached the four hundredth step, the pressure suddenly increased twofold, forcing Lu Hong to one knee, making even the action of lifting his head exceedingly difficult.

The King of Cang sat on the dragon throne, continuously toying with the wine cup in his hand, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "Aren’t you going to use your magic power?"

Four hundred and one.

Four hundred and two.

Four hundred seventy...

Lu Hong lay prone on the stone steps, teeth clenched so tightly that blood burst from his gums. His body shook continuously, reaching the limit of what he could bear.

The King of Cang nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad, very good indeed."

Four hundred steps up, the pressure of the Third Transition Early Stage bore down, yet he withstood it with just his physical body, showing a strength that was astounding. In nearly a century of his rule, the King of Cang had seen countless prodigies, but this was a first.

"It’s just a pity you’re not from my Ambra." The only thing the King of Cang minded about Lu Hong was his origin, and he was curious which power under the Star Sea had cultivated such a talent as Lu Hong.

With martial energy bursting forth, Lu Hong stood back up straight, his body bolstered by the martial energy and the pressure on him immediately lightened significantly.

Head high, chest out, he strode forward.

Before long, Lu Hong had easily ascended another two hundred plus steps, reaching the threshold of seven hundred.

Seven hundred was another threshold set by the King of Cang. Crossing this step, the pressure was akin to the Third Transition Middle Stage, and normally, no one at the Second Transition would be able to withstand the pressure of the Third Transition Middle Stage.

But he was the exception. Lu Hong took a deep breath and stepped onto the seven hundredth stone step. When he stood firm, he had the illusion that the stars in the sky were falling and crashing onto him.

The stone steps beneath his feet shattered, his spine bent, creaking loudly. Had he not summoned the descent of a Heavenly God or the power of his blood qi, he would likely have met his end there.

But the King of Cang wasn’t deliberately making it difficult for him, seeing Lu Hong reach his limit, he immediately withdrew the pressure and called from the observation platform, "In a few days, it will be the day of the seven nations’ martial meeting, and I do not wish for you to compete injured. Step forward; I have something to ask you."

"Many... many thanks, Your Majesty." Lu Hong gasped for air, quickly regulating his chaotic breathing, and ascended to the highest point of Cangdu City.

Upon reaching the observation platform, the cold wind howled, indeed high places were bitterly cold.

The King of Cang cheerfully waved to Lu Hong, "Come, have a drink to warm up your body."

Sitting next to the King of Cang, the wine in the cup was exactly the same as the one he had tasted at the beginning in the small courtyard of the Xius.

"This is a special wine from my Cang country."

It turned out that all these fine wines were tributes to the Sacred Empire from Cang country.

After a respectful toast, the King of Cang began, "Tell me, which power do you belong to?"

"Is that important?"

"Of course." The King of Cang said, "I value your strength greatly, so I do not want any rifts between us."

Being a Third Transition Peak powerhouse, lying in front of the King of Cang was futile, so Lu Hong could either not speak or tell the truth. After thinking for a moment, Lu Hong said, "I am a Baron of the Sacred Empire."

The King of Cang raised an eyebrow, "Just a Baron? What about your father?"

The titles within the Sacred Empire were hereditary. If Lu Hong’s father had a title, then Lu Hong would not have a new title bestowed separately. Hence, the King of Cang inquired about his family.

"I don’t know." He wasn’t making this up, "Since I was born, I’ve never seen my father, and on the day I came of age, my mother also abandoned me."

The King of Cang calmly shifted his gaze away, "Poor boy, you must have suffered a lot to be given a barony in the Empire, didn’t you?"

"It’s okay; I’ve only participated in the Empire’s war against the Snowy Region in the Endless Forest and the northern border’s self-defense counterattack against the Snowy Region."

"Hm." The King of Cang nodded, seeing that Lu Hong wasn’t lying. The King of Cang now considered his options actively; since it wasn’t a particular organization that had cultivated Lu Hong, there was a chance to recruit him, "Would you consider working for my Cang country? I’d give you the most generous treatment. As long as you agree, I’ll negotiate with the Sacred Empire on your behalf. Additionally, for all your cultivation needs, Cang country will cover them completely, guaranteeing your advance to Third Transition within a century."

See, what was expected still came. Lu Hong felt a headache coming on, "Thank you for your kind offer, King of Cang, but at this moment... at this moment, I have no such plans."

"Is that so?" The warm tone of the King of Cang suddenly cooled, frightening Lu Hong into a rapid heartbeat.

"Yes... yes."

The King of Cang glanced at Lu Hong and said indifferently, "That’s truly a pity. No matter, think it over. I look forward to your performance at the seven nations’ martial meeting."

With that, the King of Cang rose and walked away briskly.

Moments later, Old Li appeared beside Lu Hong, patting his shoulder, "I’ll take you back to rest."

Lu Hong nodded, "Thank you, Old Li."

"It’s nothing, rest assured. With me here, the King won’t have you killed. Just follow your heart, leave everything else to me, I’ll handle it."

Old Li truly was Lu Hong’s fast-acting remedy, inspiring immense reassurance.