Free Web NovelChapter 115: Chapter 115: Shen Daoxing, It Was All You
In truth, the moment Shen Daoxing put on the Dragon Robe, he knew something was wrong.
He had never desired the throne. What he needed was to become stronger—to constantly grow stronger.
’What is a throne in the face of true power? It’s just like the Emperor of the Martial Kingdom. Despite being the ruler of a nation, he has to bow and scrape before true cultivators from the mountains. For the sake of his kingdom’s stability, he has to curry favor with Celestial City Academy to seek the protection of the Celestial Profound Sacred Land that backs it. That is why, in my eyes, the throne is utterly worthless. I wouldn’t hesitate to crush it under my heel.’
Returning to reality, Shen Daoxing found that the dense fog still surrounded him. Not far away, the Ninth Princess stood quietly in place.
"Mother, why are you doing this to me?"
The Ninth Princess’s face was now streaked with tears, as if she were witnessing something tragic. A gentle breeze blew past, inadvertently lifting the veil from her face.
Though it was just for a moment, Shen Daoxing saw an exquisite face—one that could topple kingdoms. But this beautiful face was marred by shocking scars that covered more than half of it.
Shen Daoxing did not step forward to help. This was her trial, a test of character that was crucial for her future cultivation. She had to overcome it herself.
Shen Daoxing stood guard silently by the Ninth Princess’s side, remaining vigilant of his surroundings. The dark red mist churned around them, obscuring his view of anyone else.
"It was you! All of you killed my sister! You’ll pay for her life!"
A furious voice rang out, and from a churning patch of mist nearby, the Sixth Prince suddenly charged out.
His face was grim and his eyes were wide with fury. As soon as he emerged, he raised his longsword and thrust it directly at the Ninth Princess.
The Ninth Princess, however, was still lost in her own sorrow and didn’t react at all.
Shen Daoxing merely spared him a glance. He took a light step and in an instant appeared before the Ninth Princess. Raising two fingers, he easily caught the Sixth Prince’s thrusting longsword with a CLINK, then threw a punch.
"Urgh!"
The Sixth Prince cried out, spitting a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying.
However, something seemed off about the Sixth Prince’s condition. Despite taking a heavy punch from Shen Daoxing, he immediately scrambled back to his feet, his bloodshot eyes locked onto the two of them.
"I’ll kill you and avenge the Fifth Princess!"
He roared and charged forward again, heedless of everything, as if he had lost his mind.
Shen Daoxing frowned. With a flicker of movement, he appeared behind the Sixth Prince and brought his palm down hard on the back of his neck.
THWACK!
The Sixth Prince’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Shen Daoxing glanced down at him and shook his head. ’This Sixth Prince’s mental fortitude is truly pathetic. To be so completely bewitched...’
The incident also made Shen Daoxing more vigilant. ’I didn’t expect this valley could not only trap people in illusions but also control their actions.’
Just as Shen Daoxing had knocked out the Sixth Prince, his expression hardened. He suddenly sensed something approaching.
He spun around just in time to see a figure, hidden in the mist, that had snuck up behind him. Its hand was raised, swinging down in a palm strike.
Without hesitation, Shen Daoxing met the attack with a palm strike of his own.
BAM!
As the two palms met, a dazzling light erupted. Turbulent Spiritual Power washed outward, and the immense force pushed Shen Daoxing back a step.
Seeing that the attack had failed, the figure immediately vanished back into the mist.
Seeing this, Shen Daoxing actually smiled. "Xia Junze, you really are impatient. Our appointed day hasn’t even arrived, yet you’re already making a move. And since you’ve decided to act, why bother hiding?"
As Shen Daoxing spoke, the dark red mist swirled nearby, and Xia Junze’s figure slowly came into view.
"Shen Daoxing, your strength is far greater than I expected. It’s made me rather impatient! Why don’t we have our life-and-death duel right now? We can settle who is superior and who will die."
Without waiting for Shen Daoxing’s agreement, Xia Junze’s figure flickered. He flew forward in a strange posture and threw a punch.
Shen Daoxing was naturally unafraid. Spiritual Power surged through his body as he unleashed a fierce punch of his own. In an instant, seven-colored streams of light filled the air.
But just as the two began to fight, a fierce wind suddenly howled through the valley.
The surrounding dark red mist churned violently, then began to recede, revealing the entire valley.
At the far end of the valley, a set of stone steps ascended straight up like a Celestial Ladder.
At the top of the steps, a stone statue of a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon coiled majestically, its golden form shimmering. It occupied the entire Trial Mountain Peak, its mighty head looking down upon the world, gazing disdainfully at all creation.
As the dark red mist vanished, everyone in the valley awoke from their illusions. When they saw the scene at the end of the valley, their faces lit up with excitement.
"That’s the Dragon Vein of our Martial Kingdom!"
someone shouted excitedly.
Seeing this, Xia Junze immediately pulled back his attack. "Shen Daoxing," he said with a hint of regret, "it looks like we can’t fight for now. I’ll let you keep your head on your shoulders for a little while longer."
Shen Daoxing ignored him, instead turning anxiously to the Ninth Princess. He found her eyes red and swollen from crying and her expression haggard, but she was awake.
"Why is our Royal Family so full of hurt and deceit? It’s nothing but scheming and backstabbing, even though we’re all supposed to be family," the Ninth Princess murmured, her expression forlorn.
Shen Daoxing didn’t know what the Ninth Princess had experienced in her illusion, so he could only comfort her. "Then make yourself strong. Become so powerful that no one in the entire Martial Kingdom is your match. When that day comes, you can personally change everything you dislike. You can change the entire Royal Family."
"Change the entire Royal Family?"
The Ninth Princess murmured, a doubtful look on her face. "Can I really do that?"
"How will you know if you don’t try?" Shen Daoxing retorted.
"That’s right! How will I know if I don’t try?"
Suddenly, the Ninth Princess’s gaze grew firm, as if she had made a solemn resolution.
"Let’s go. There’s only one final stage left to pass the trial."
Shen Daoxing nodded, his gaze fixed on the giant dragon statue at the end of the valley.
But just as they were about to move,
"Sixth Brother, what’s wrong? Sixth Brother?"
an alarmed cry rang out.
Shen Daoxing followed the sound and saw the Sixth Prince lying stiffly on the ground, his eyes wide open. A longsword was plunged into his chest.
"Shen Daoxing! It was you! You killed my Sixth Brother! I saw you attack him just now!" the portly Third Prince at the side suddenly stood up, pointing a finger straight at Shen Daoxing, his eyes filled with rage.
The Third Prince was not born to Consort Hua, the mother of the Fifth Princess and the Sixth Prince. However, his own mother had passed away when he was young, so he had been raised by Consort Hua. As a result, he was extremely close to the brother-and-sister pair.
Now that both the Fifth Princess and the Sixth Prince had died under mysterious circumstances, he was the one most overcome with grief.
"I didn’t kill him."
Shen Daoxing frowned. Looking at the corpse on the ground, he realized things were becoming more and more complicated.
