Longevity Clan Starts with the Patriarch's Marriage

Yuanzhou, Capital City.

Han Li was currently disguised as a refined middle-aged man, dressed in blue, with a piece of green jade hanging from his waist and a folding fan in his hand, appearing like a suave scholar.

He was sitting in a private room on the ninth floor of the renowned Drunken Immortal Pavilion in the Capital City, drinking wine, listening to music, and watching the dance.

In front of him, there were two young beauties, one playing the zither with her delicate hands strumming the strings, producing a melodious and lively sound that seemed to echo through a thousand fleeting years; the other danced gracefully, her skirts billowing as if she were a fluttering butterfly, as supple as a willow, a delight to the eyes.

Both women were attractive, but they lacked talent, so Han Li didn’t even consider taking them as concubines.

“Well done, worthy of reward!”

Han Li clapped his hands and threw out a bag of Spirit Stones, containing several dozen Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

“Thank you, sir, for your generous reward.”

The two women accepted the reward and expressed their thanks before they retreated.

Han Li picked up a cup of wine from the green jade table, took a sip of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion’s signature fine liquor, and found it indeed had an excellent taste.

Originally, he had wanted to visit some of the Capital City’s infamous pleasure houses, but realizing that the courtesans inside had long ago lost their primordial yin, he instantly lost interest.

This time, with his identity and if he were to ally with Chu Zhenxiong, he could have any princesses, empresses, duchesses, and ladies of nobility from the Da Qian if he so wished.

Han Li walked to the window and gazed toward the Imperial Palace. Before his arrival, he had already planned everything, even considering the offer he would make. As for whether Chu Zhenxiong would agree?

Chu Zhenxiong could only agree.

Within the Imperial Palace, in a grand hall, Emperor Qian was reporting the current situation to an old man in grey, Chu Dingqian.

“Ancestor, the Yinyang Sect, Kurong Sect, Da Jing Dynasty, and Fengbo Pavilion have all temporarily subdued their banners, and the situation has somewhat stabilized. As long as we secure our internal affairs, our Da Qian still has a chance,” said Emperor Qian.

“The State Preceptor, the Grand Preceptor, and others have already led the armies to withdraw to the Mid Six Province to set up defenses, and a large number of sects and families from the Outer Twelve States have also migrated here. Although we lost most of our territories, the foundation of Da Qian has been preserved,” he continued.

“The Yinyang Sect, the Kurong Sect…”

Emperor Qian relayed the important parts of the information provided by the court officials to him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The death of Prince Wu’an was good news. He no longer had to be a puppet Emperor Qian and could continue to hold great power.

However, the simultaneous deaths of both Prince Wu’an and the Retired Emperor were terrible news, causing the empire to collapse, with two-thirds of the Qian Dynasty’s lands swallowed by the four major powers, leaving only the Mid Six Province.

Even though he could continue to serve as Emperor Qian, his power had diminished greatly. Moreover, the Da Qian faced numerous crises. With the Sacred Dragon Secret Realm emerging in two years, would the True Martial Realm powerhouses from the four major powers continue to invade Da Qian?

Even if they did not lay their hands on Da Qian for the time being, could Elder Chu defend Da Qian for another fifty years given his limited lifespan?

In such a situation, Emperor Qian would rather step down and let someone else take the throne; the pressure of the position was too great for him to bear.

The grey-clothed elder remained silent, and Emperor Qian dared not speak either, silently waiting as he had grown accustomed to the sluggishness of Elder Chu.

After a long while, Chu Dingqian’s eyelids lifted, and he said slowly, “How many Myriad Phenomena Realm cultivators and powers does Da Qian still possess?”

Emperor Qian immediately answered, “There are still quite a few.”

“During this crisis, all of Da Qian’s high-end combat abilities were mobilized, some perished, but most are still alive.”

“One chief of the Imperial Astronomer, two chiefs of the Jingye Office, three military governors, one Great General, the Champion Duke, three pillars of the state, along with two hidden Myriad Phenomena Realm cultivators perished, totaling thirteen,” he reported.

“The powers of the State Preceptor, the Grand Preceptor, the Left Chancellor, and others of the Myriad Phenomena Realm, including me and Chief Cao, as well as two hidden ones, come to seventeen,” he added.

Emperor Qian paused before continuing, “Out of the Ten Major Sects, only two have relocated to the Mid Six Province. Including the two native ones, there are only four Myriad Phenomena Realm powers left.”

Emperor Qian’s heart was filled with bitterness. In its prime, the Qian Dynasty had a profound foundation, owning eighteen provinces with three True Martial Realm powerhouses commanding over forty Myriad Phenomena Realm Great Grandmasters.

Now, the Qian Dynasty’s territory was reduced to the Mid Six Province, with only Elder Chu left in the True Martial Realm, a mere seventeen official Myriad Phenomena Realm cultivators, and merely four or five from the people, a significant loss of vitality.

“Ah~”

Chu Dingqian sighed, as he had also thought of everything Emperor Qian had.

He, who had personally founded the Qian Dynasty, could now only struggle to survive, even though he might forcefully endure with just about forty to fifty years of life left.

If he couldn’t find a True Martial Realm Emperor Wu to oversee things, he would flee Da Qian before the emergence of the Sacred Dragon Secret Realm, and the Qian Dynasty could fall overnight.

Chu Dingqian had no other options. When the Sacred Dragon Secret Realm emerged, the True Martial Realm powerhouses trapped within would appear. If they launched an attack, he could kill two or three with his strength but would ultimately die himself.

However, Chu Dingqian did not want to die; he wanted to live through a third, a fourth, or even more lives. He wanted to reach the Divine Yuan Realm or even the Tongxuan Realm.

As long as he succeeded in cultivating to the Divine Yuan Realm in one life and become Emperor Wu, he would have five thousand years of life, truly standing at the pinnacle of Qianyuan Divine Province with ample time to cultivate the next Devil Fetus.

In this way, life after life, he would eventually reach a higher realm and might even be capable of challenging the Four Great Sacred Lands.

With a True Martial Realm helper, the situation would be different; the deterrent power of the Qian Dynasty would increase significantly, the four major powers would have more reservations, and he could focus on nurturing the Devil Fetus, buying himself more time to re-cultivate to the True Martial Realm.

Unfortunately, during this period, he had contacted two old friends, but they were unwilling to stand up for the Qian Dynasty, not daring to offend the four major powers.