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nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

n“Yes, Your Majesty.”

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nThe eunuch excused himself.

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nThe emperor then stood in the hallway, deliberating.

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nThere were rumors circulating that there was definitely a Saint-level warrior among the royal family’s ranks. He was the only one who knew that it wasn’t so.

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nThe rumors circulating out there were something that he had deliberately ordered the secret police to spread among the people.

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nThey had even made things up about the battles that had happened in the palace, so as to confuse the scouts and spies.

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n“May I know who you are, oh great warrior? So that I could thank you in person?”

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nHe had searched throughout the night.

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nThere were still no signs of this person around.

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nThe emperor was desperate to meet that warrior in person. He would only be able to rest easy after meeting the man in the flesh.

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nThings in the palace seemed to have stabilized.

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nAll manner of news spread all over the palace complex in the afternoon.

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nMany eunuchs and court ladies who had failed to escape were getting tense.

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nDuring the day, many eunuchs and court ladies were assigned to the likes of the laundry room, where hard menial labor was commonplace.

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nBack in the Shouning Palace, Concubine Jing woke up and learned that a mysterious warrior had protected the palace and that the eunuchs and court ladies who had tried to flee were being punished.

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nFor this reason, she no longer brought up anything about trying to get Li Mu to flee the palace.

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nClan Dugu’s forces had retreated about 50 miles away from the city.

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nThe people of the capital city breathed sighs of relief.

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nThe war seemed to have finally been averted.

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nAt night, places like brothels and taverns got rowdy again, and money was spent as if there was no tomorrow.

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nIn the massive tent in the military camp about 50 miles away…

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n“Our spies in the capital city have still been unable to find any news regarding that Saint-level warrior.”

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nThe elders read the letters from their spies.

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n“We shall not wait any longer. It would be best if we strike tonight.”

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n“When people unwind after a tense period, their guards will be even more lowered than usual.”

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n“We shall strike tonight then. The grand elder is done with preparations by the way. That puny emperor has hung our men at the city walls. Morale will only be stabilized when we avenge their deaths.”

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n……

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nThat night…

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nAt a pavilion about ten miles away from the city…

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nMore than 20 horses had gathered at the pavilion.

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n“Grand elder, in order to minimize the chance of our being detected by scouts, we’ll need to get into the city on foot from here on out.”

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nDugu Xin bowed as he spoke to an elder who had a full head of silver hair.

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nHorses were big, fat targets, and they caused quite a commotion when they galloped, which made their presence ill-suited for carrying out infiltrations.

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n“We shall move on foot indeed. Ten miles or so are no problem for me. I’m sorry if it’s a hassle for you all.”

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n“It is within our duty, grand elder.”

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nDugu Xin and the others spread out as they headed toward the city.

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nThe elder with the silver hair disappeared from the pavilion right away.

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nTwo people who stayed behind led the horses into the surrounding woods to hide them and waited in silence.

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nBack in the city…

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nEverywhere was brilliantly lit, looking very lively.

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nNo one anticipated that there were more than 20 formidable warriors making their ways into the city at that very moment.

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nIt was even possible that there was actually a Saint-level warrior amid those 20 warriors.

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nEveryone simply thought that the throne was now secured, since they had a Saint-level warrior taking care of things in the palace.

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nSaint-level warriors…

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nIt was considered a blessing from the heavens if there was even one of them around.

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nIn a tall tower within the city…

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nDugu Xin found another person coming to his side, as soon as he got up to the top of the tower.

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n“Grandfather, look. Those filthy rich nobles and officials are having fun every day while the people suffer. It isn’t only that Clan Dugu wants to rebel so much; it’s also just that the State of Great Xia has suffered enough.”

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nDugu Xin pointed at the brightly lit buildings all over the city as he talked to Dugu Taishang.

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n“You’ve been the grand chancellor for years, and there’s still no changing anything then?”

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n“There are too many rules and too many clans getting in my way at court. There was nothing I could do about it.”

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nDugu Xin shook his head.

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nSigh~ “Your talents are such that you should have dedicated yourself to your training instead of politics. You could have had a bright future ahead of you. It is a pity that you wasted all your energy on politics instead.”

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nDugu Taishang shook his head.

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n“Grandfather, I’m doing all of this for the sake of Clan Dugu’s future. Once we get to reign supreme over the country, we will get access to all the resources available in Great Xia. It won’t be too late for me to continue training, when our clan has finally completed this great endeavor.”

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n“What happens if you miss the opportunities for breakthroughs due to having delayed them for too long then?”

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n“We still have you around, don’t we, grandfather? When you’ve become a personal disciple of the Xuan Sect, that’s when I’ll be able to do something about it.”

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n“You’re already at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm, and you’re indeed one of the inner circle disciples in the sect as well. If you’re still unable to find an opportunity for breakthroughs for two more years, it would be best for you to just follow me then.”

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n“Grandfather, what is the Xuan Sect like?”

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n…

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nMoments later…

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nAll the other Spirit Manipulation Realm warriors from Clan Dugu arrived in the capital one after another.

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nUnder Dugu Xin’s command, all the Spirit Manipulation Realm warriors headed straight for the royal palace.

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nBack in the Shouning Palace…

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nLi Mu opened his eyes and cast his gaze outside the palace.

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nThere are indeed other Saint-level ones in this world. I wonder why this group has shown up in the city just now.”

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nLi Mu left the Shouning Palace and got himself up on a tall building in the city, casting his gaze at a tower far away.

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nStrong auras indeed. It’s a pity that the one with the Saint aura hasn’t been a Saint for very long. Peak of the second tier of Saint level at best… If he were a bit more powerful, I might have to fight 300 to 400 rounds with him, and I could hone my swordplay.

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nHe took several more looks at them.

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nHe deemed all of them to be utterly beneath him.

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nHe could easily get rid of them all with three strokes.

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nForget it then.

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nLet’s head back to the palace and rest.

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nHuh?

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nJust as he was about to leave, he noticed that the Saint-level warrior was actually making his way to the royal palace.

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nWhat is he doing?

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nIntruder!

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nThe Saint-level warrior is here to assassinate the emperor?

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nMan, this is something!

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nEight at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation level had just died two days ago, and someone with greater powers has shown up already.

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nNo.

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nA group of warriors entirely on a par with those who came two nights ago are here too.

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nThere goes my night for checking in.

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nI’ll get rid of this group, and we’ll see if they are still able to send anyone else even more powerful here.

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nHis bottleneck was loosening, but it was far from enough.

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nHe would like very much to have someone that he could truly fight against.

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n…

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n“Grandfather, is the Xuan Sect really that powerful? Is there someone in it who is actually more powerful than our Saints?”

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n“Of course, in the eyes of those from the Xuan Sect, all these states are but the constructs of mortals,” Dugu Taishang said.

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nHe had been taken to the Xuan Sect by his master due to his exceptional talents when he was young.

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nHe was able to become a Saint 80 years later, and that was considered the accomplishment of a genius like no other.

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nHe then took another 20 years to get to the second tier of the Saint level.

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nThere were many Saint-level disciples in the sect who were not necessarily capable of making it to another tier within even 30 years.

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nThey would remain at the first stage of Saint level, unable to find greater breakthroughs, for the rest of their lives.

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nDugu Xin nodded.

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nThe peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm was already considered the greatest of mortal states.

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nThe resources and methods were only capable of taking a cultivator that far.

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nYet, it hadn’t taken more than a single line from his grandfather to gather eight warriors at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm.

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nDugu Xin was compelled to believe in his sect.

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nThere were but ten at the peak of the Spirit Manipulation Realm who had been fostered throughout the entire State of Great Xia.

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nIt was thanks to the resources provided by his grandfather that Clan Dugu was able to foster so many warriors at the Spirit Manipulation Realm.

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nThe warriors from the other clans were probably like Clan Dugu, having people training in the Xuan Sect as well.

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nHe had decided to join the sect once he was finished with the matter at hand.

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nDugu Xin had come to believe that the State of Great Xia was too small for him, once he had finished listening to his grandfather.

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n“You shall not pass, friends.”

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nA voice was heard, just as he was having visions of the future.

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nDugu Xin turned around and checked his surroundings right away.

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nHis grandfather paused as well, wearing a guarded expression.

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n“Who is this?”

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n“It is I.”

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nA lowly eunuch appeared before him and his grandfather as soon as the voice was heard.

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n“So, you’re the Saint-level warrior of the royal family then?” Dugu Taishang asked in a doubtful tone.

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nHe was actually unable to see through that eunuch.

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nThat would mean that the eunuch’s powers were above his, unless the eunuch actually had no training whatsoever to speak of.

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nWas it even possible?

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nHow would someone with no training detect their presence and even appear before them all of a sudden then?

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n“I am, yet I am not,” Li Mu answered.

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