"During this time, you should stop cultivating and follow your father to learn properly."

"When the time is right, you should take over the Tree-man Race!"

....

Apart from the Stone Cave, military reports from the other nine dangerous lands were sent to the Imperial City one after another.

In Qixuan Hall.

Duke Qin, Duke Liu, Liu Sheng, and Zhan Tian were all present.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Soft footsteps were heard approaching, and moments later, the National Preceptor slowly walked in.

He nodded slightly at Emperor Yu.

"Please sit, National Preceptor!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After he was seated, Emperor Yu spoke.

"Except for the Stone Cave, the nine dangerous lands have all erupted. Discuss how to resolve this?"

However—

The Qixuan Hall was frighteningly silent; no one spoke up.

The eruption of the nine great dangerous lands was something that hadn’t happened for many years.

But now, all the forces Great Yu could mobilize have been dispatched to the Stone Cave, leaving no one available to use now.

"Especially the Hidden Forest Abyss. Several in the Dao Realm seventh level have died, and thousands more as well. Old Seventeen means he can’t hold on any longer and hopes one of us can go there."

Duke Qin spoke up. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He managed all the affairs of Great Yu’s dangerous lands, and although others might not speak, he could not remain silent.

"Hidden Kill has also begun making moves lately, and the Three Judicial Departments have drawn away so much manpower. I have no time!"

Zhan Tian was the first to speak.

Go? To hell with going!

He was full of anger; they shouldn’t have attacked the Stone Cave!

Now, before the army even reached the Stone Cave, Great Yu was already in crisis.

This is pointless!

Duke Qin did not speak, instead he looked at Liu Sheng, "Chief Eunuch, can you make a trip?"

"I was injured last time and haven’t recovered, so I can’t go!"

When Liu Sheng returned from the Stone Cave, he said that although he had slain three experts of the eighth level of the Dao Realm, he was also severely injured and could not recover in a short time.

So this time, his refusal was justified and confident.

A flash of anger crossed Duke Qin’s eyes; these two were obviously dissatisfied with his previous agreement to Duke Yuan’s decision to attack the Stone Race.

"Let Duke Liu go. After all, he’s available, and as a Spirit Cultivator, he can make the most of the Array."

Zhan Tian spoke at this time.

"Don’t you know he has to guard the Array of the Imperial City?"

Duke Qin’s tone became unfriendly, saying he was talking nonsense.

The Array of the Imperial City needed to be guarded by someone above the eighth level of the Dao stage, so Liu Daoxin could not leave the Imperial City.

Unless someone could take his place.

But there were only a few above the eighth level Dao stage in the whole of Great Yu, and there was simply no one to replace him.

"I was just suggesting, Duke Qin, you don’t have to be angry. If it’s not possible, it’s not possible."

Unexpectedly, the hot-tempered Zhan Tian was quite calm this time.

Moreover, he said this with a smile.

"I don’t have to go; the top five dangerous lands are the most important. We each send someone with our avatars."

Duke Qin spoke in a deep voice.

And it wasn’t in a negotiating tone.

"My avatar has exploded; don’t include me."

Liu Sheng spoke lightly, not caring too much. In any case, he had a reasonable excuse not to go.

"Zhan Tian, what about you?"

Zhan Tian did not speak but stood up directly, his body instantly emitting a crystal-like brilliance.

"See for yourself?"

"My avatar was used to impact thirty-nine acupoints, but failed!"

Duke Qin stared at him intently.

Those flashing acupoints, and even his body, showed no trace of an avatar’s presence.

Zhan Tian’s avatar was different from others; it was always nurtured inside his body, specifically to impact acupoints, which all of them knew.

"You see it now?"

"It’s not that I’m unwilling to go, but I truly cannot."

Zhan Tian sat down again, looking full of regret.

But Duke Qin’s face was ashen, as if the two were refusing everything proposed today.

They probably discussed this long ago!

Then he looked at Emperor Yu, "Your Majesty, I will have someone take my avatar to the Hidden Forest Abyss. It should be able to hold on; among the top five, there are still three left. Even if Duke Liu sends his avatar, there are two more left!"

He really had no other choice and could only throw the problem back to Emperor Yu.

But Emperor Yu’s expression showed no change.

It seemed as if he didn’t consider the great danger of the nine dangerous lands as anything major.

"My avatar will go to the first dangerous land, and Wood Shadow will lead the Shadow Guard to reinforce the last one; that should be enough."

The National Preceptor sighed inwardly.

He understood Emperor Yu’s difficulty; only he could act now.

"Wood Shadow is not enough!"

Emperor Yu shook his head, "Let the Western King go, along with Qin Tiandao."

To make the Western King act, Qin Tiandao must go as well. This way, that old man would be willing, as certainly, the merit of suppressing a dangerous land would be credited to Qin Tiandao in the end.

"Very well!"

The National Preceptor nodded, as even if Wood Shadow erupted, his strength was only at Dao Realm seventh level, which indeed was lacking a bit.

"It’s settled, dismiss!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Everyone replied in unison.

They then left the Qixuan Hall one after another, with the National Preceptor remaining steadfastly seated.

Outside!

Duke Qin looked at Liu Sheng and Zhan Tian, his face unsightly, "You two have gone too far!"

"Too far?"

"Heh!"

Liu Sheng sneered, "I disagreed with attacking the Stone Race back then. You don’t understand that the Ten Great Dangerous Lands are as one?"

"The Stone Race just lost two old things. Their combat strength wasn’t much reduced!"

"Duke Yuan wanted to go to war; do you not know the reason why?"

"Now such a major incident has occurred, you can’t escape responsibility!"

Liu Sheng’s words were sharp, leaving him no room for dignity.

Under normal circumstances, he would never speak like this.

But now, Duke Qin was blaming the two of them. Even a clay idol has a temper, and certainly wouldn’t treat him kindly.