Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 865: Interception

“The Xia Emperor needs this immortal peach now more than ever. We must deliver it swiftly!”

The Xia Emperor’s condition was not optimistic; he likely only had a few days left. This was precisely the time to consume the immortal peach.

The only thing that puzzled Lu Yang was why Yun Zhi hadn’t simply instructed Man Gu to deliver it directly to the imperial palace, but instead had Man Gu pass it to him to deliver it.

Given the urgency of the situation, Lu Yang couldn’t dwell on the possible reasons, preparing to set off immediately.

To be safe, Lu Yang also informed Meng Potian about the immortal peach, hoping the Meng Family would dispatch someone to accompany him to the imperial palace.

The identities of Ao Ling and the other two were special. If they intervened, it would be difficult to explain why they were helping Lu Yang. It was best if they refrained from taking action.

“Unaffected by the threshold of lifespan and capable of further extending it—such an immortal item exists in this world?” Surprise spread across Meng Potian’s countenance. Even with the Meng Family’s vast wealth and influence, he had never heard of the immortal peach’s existence.

“Since it was Fellow Daoist Yun Zhi who spoke of it, it must be genuine. Let’s go. I’ll personally accompany you to the imperial palace!”

Meng Potian understood the importance of this matter. While Lu Yang was unfamiliar with the current state of the imperial city, he was acutely aware. As the Xia Emperor’s lifespan dwindled, many factions were becoming restless again, seeking to profit from the situation.

The existence of the immortal peach would undoubtedly be viewed as a thorn in their side! Furthermore, the immortal peach’s ability to extend lifespan would attract the attention of countless old monsters whose own lifespans were nearly spent.

Although people today might not recognize the immortal peach as a product of the World Natural Spirit Root, accomplished cultivators could determine it was a lifespan-extending treasure merely by its scent.

Meng Potian suspected that when Man Gu brought the immortal peach into the imperial city, its fragrance had wafted along the route from the city gates to the Meng Estate. It was highly likely that interested parties had already taken note.

He attempted various sealing methods to contain the immortal peach, but none could lock in its scent. Even inviting the Meng Family’s Transcendent Tribulation cultivators from the mountain to intervene proved futile.

Lu Yang and Meng Potian had no choice but to carry the scented immortal peach toward the imperial city. Accompanying them were several Fusion cultivators and one Transcendent Tribulation cultivator from the Meng Family.

On the surface, the imperial city appeared as bustling and prosperous as ever, with cultivators everywhere. But Meng Potian knew this was merely an illusion. In reality, all factions were as tense as a taut string, their attention fixed on the movements within the imperial palace.

Everyone wanted to know whether the First Imperial Prince or the Second Imperial Prince would ultimately inherit the throne.

The imperial city was bisected by a river several hundred zhang wide, divided into the northern and southern cities. The imperial palace was located in the northern city, while the Meng Estate was in the southern city. One had to cross the Gold Sand River to travel from the Meng Estate to the imperial palace.

When Lu Yang’s group was halfway across the bridge, a formidable contingent approached from the opposite direction. Their leader rode a tall steed, halting before the two.

“Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, Uncle Meng, where are the two of you headed?” He dismounted and inquired politely.

Lu Yang watched the other party warily, subtly retreating two steps. “We shall not concern you with that, Second Imperial Prince.”

The Second Imperial Prince’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze darting toward the box Lu Yang carried on his back.

“If my guess is correct, Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, you must be carrying an item capable of extending lifespan. Hand it over to me, Lu Yang. Once I become the emperor, I can give you everything you desire.” The Second Imperial Prince’s eyes burned with fervor, gazing at the box on Lu Yang’s back as if he was beholding the form of a peerless beauty.

Among his supporters was a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator named Cang Mingzi, whom Lu Yang had encountered during his journey to the East Sea. Cang Mingzi had informed the Second Imperial Prince that Lu Yang possessed an item capable of saving the Xia Emperor’s life.

In the Second Imperial Prince’s life, this wasn’t a life-saving item for his father. It was a supreme immortal treasure that would compel his father to hand the throne to him! As long as I obtain this life-saving treasure and use it to rescue Emperor Father, he will definitely pass the throne to me!

Meng Potian stepped in front of Lu Yang, his voice cold. “Step aside. His Majesty is in critical condition. Every second counts. Do not waste time on such matters.”

The Second Imperial Prince was reluctant to offend the Meng Family and the Dao-Seeking Sect. However, he knew this was his only chance to secure the throne. According to sources in the imperial palace, Emperor Father has already prepared an edict to pass the throne to Big Brother. It's just that Emperor Father has fallen into a coma at this juncture.

Once Emperor Father awakens and issues the succession edict, I’ll have no more opportunities to contend for it!

Success or failure all comes down to this! I have to go all out!

To seize the throne, he had drawn in too many people and struck too many bargains. If he conceded now, neither he nor the powers backing him would accept it.

“What if I refuse to step aside?!”

“Then get lost!” When Meng Potian roamed the cultivation world with the old horse and Steward Xu in their youth, he possessed the temperament of a fierce bandit. It was only after becoming the family head that his character had mellowed.

Now that things had come to this, he decided to throw away all pretense.

“Attack together!”

At Meng Potian’s command, the Meng Family elders acted simultaneously. The power of the five elements swirled, and the dual energies of yin and yang surged forth.

But the Second Imperial Prince’s entourage was no pushover either; they also had several Fusion cultivators among them.

Boom!

The two sides clashed above the Golden Sand River. The bridge collapsed with a thunderous roar, crumbling into massive stones that plunged into the river with loud splashes.

Fortunately, pedestrians who had been crossing the bridge sensed the hostile atmosphere and had long since sought refuge at a distance.

Faced with the melee of Fusion combatants, Lu Yang couldn’t offer any assistance and could only take cover at the side.

However, he held the immortal peach, the focal point of the battle. From beneath the river’s surface, a shadow locked onto Lu Yang, rapidly closing in.

The river’s surface boiled, mist rising in spirals. The mist coalesced into chains that shot through the air toward Lu Yang.

“Cang Mingzi, you have some nerve!” A deafening roar echoed above Lu Yang’s head, imbued with the true intent of a lion’s roar, shattering the chains.

Cang Mingzi flew out of the war. Seeing the person who had shattered his chains, his pupils constricted sharply.

“Meng Kuang, since when did you reach the Transcendent Tribulation Stage?!”

Meng Kuang was Meng Jingzhou’s grandfather, a good friend of the Taciturn Daoist Priest, a formidable adversary to both the Left Chancellor and the Right Chancellor, and the family head of the Meng Family.

“Why does this old man need to report that to you?”

Meng Kuang wielded a large saber. He drew his palm across the blade, letting blood flow over its surface before it was quickly absorbed. The entire saber turned crimson and wrapped around Meng Kuang’s wrist, as if it had become one with him.

“To prop up this second son of the Jiang Family, you even dared to rob a junior? Do you have no shame?” Meng Kuang’s crimson saber stirred up a gale of blood and carnage.

Witnessing this, Cang Mingzi’s expression changed drastically, and he cried out involuntarily, “Major mastery in the Battle Saber Technique! How is that possible? The Battle Saber Technique requires one to be tempered by battles, attaining enlightenment and breaking through mid-battle. There hasn’t been a large-scale war in nearly a millennium. Where did you get the chance to cultivate it?!”

Meng Kuang laughed uproariously and unleashed a saber strike at Cang Mingzi. “Fool, aren’t trade wars also a form of war? How many trade wars did the Meng Family go through when I was the family head?!

“Behold this move: Battle Saber Technique—Wealth Flows in Torrents!”

Cang Mingzi transformed into a water form. The highest virtue was like water, using softness to conquer hardness. As a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator adept at controlling water, he countered saber and sword cultivators.

Meng Kuang’s saber cleaved Cang Mingzi, splitting him into two masses of water. The water spheres merged back together, leaving Cang Mingzi unscathed.

“What can you do, old ghost Meng Kuang? Don’t think that just secretly cultivating to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage makes you my match!” Cang Mingzi taunted.

Meng Kuang chuckled, producing a big cloth sack from behind him. It was stuffed with top-grade spirit stones.

Noticing the big cloth sack, Cang Mingzi’s face went through a spectacular array of expressions. He hastily felt for his storage ring, only to discover that all the top-grade spirit stones inside were gone!

“What kind of move is this?!” Cang Mingzi was furious. Those are my spirit stones!

“I told you, it’s called Battle Saber Technique—Wealth Flows in Torrents.”

“Bullshit! The Battle Saber Technique has no such move.”

“Trade wars are all about turning your money into my money. Isn’t it perfectly normal for this old man to comprehend such a move from trade wars?”