Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Xuanyue Empire, Royal Family!

Swoosh!

In a courtyard that seemed somewhat out of place compared to the surrounding splendid palaces, suddenly a sound of something shattering was heard, followed by a furious roar.

”Why? Why has this happened, what exactly is wrong with Jing’er? Tell me!”

Inside a room of the courtyard, a majestic figure dressed in a golden dragon robe, his beard bristling with anger, apparently the one who had just roared in anger.

This imposing elder was no ordinary person; he was the supreme ruler of the current Xuanyue Empire, reverently addressed as King Xuan Haoran.

The Xuanyue Imperial Family had a thousand-year legacy that faced numerous crises, even coming close to obliteration by neighboring nations at one point. However, under Xuan Haoran’s reign, he spent over a century revitalizing and governing, hinting at a renaissance of the empire—an enlightened monarch indeed.

Yet even an enlightened monarch has human emotions, and Xuan Haoran was no exception. Especially now, seeing the young man lying motionless on the bed, barely breathing, his rage finally erupted.

The so-called emperor’s rage could turn rivers red with blood. Although Xuan Haoran’s fury did not turn rivers to blood, it made the elderly men kneeling below tremble slightly, hardly daring to breathe.

Among these elders, one was not any less significant—they were the Chief Meridian Refining Master of the Xuanyue Royal Family, possessing Meridian Refining Techniques almost comparable to Yu Shu, the Sect Master of Jade Pot Sect, and had indeed reached the Advanced Spiritual Rank.

The rest were also Advanced Spiritual Rank Meridian Refining Masters, comprising Medical Pulse Masters and Poison Vein Masters, each a formidable figure capable of causing ripples across the Xuanyue Empire.

However, under the oppressive aura of Xuan Haoran, these influential figures, who usually commanded great respect, remained utterly silent, a stark contrast to their usual demeanor.

Perhaps it was due to Xuan Haoran’s imperial authority, or perhaps they knew themselves helpless against the ailment of the young man on the bed, fearing that speaking up might invite unwarranted disaster.

These skilled Meridian Refining Masters, if alone, might not fear the King, but each had families—connections that necessitated caution within the Xuanyue Empire lest they offend the King.

After venting, Xuan Haoran somewhat calmed down. Turning his head, he stared at a despairing woman at the bedside and asked solemnly, ”Concubine Su, tell me, when did Jing’er start to appear this way, and why was it only reported now?”

From Xuan Haoran’s address, it was clear the young man was his second son, Xuan Jing, who had interactions with Yun Xiao in the Meridian Treasure and Luocheng.

As for the woman, she was Xuan Jing’s mother, one of Xuan Haoran’s concubines, known by the name ”Su,” suggesting a low-profile individual within the royal hierarchy.

”Your Majesty, Jing’er has been like this for over half a month. The Crown Prince had people check on him and said it was nothing serious, which is why I didn’t pay much attention!”

Concubine Su’s eyes flashed peculiarly when mentioning ’Crown Prince,’ but her words caused Xuan Haoran to frown slightly.

”Are you saying Jiuding has been here? Then why hasn’t he informed me?”

Although Xuan Haoran was old and had not yet abdicated, political matters of the Empire had been handed over to Crown Prince Xuan Jiuding. Nevertheless, for security, significant decrees and policies still required his approval before implementation.

Thus, Xuan Jiuding was supposed to meet with Xuan Haoran almost daily, but he had not mentioned Xuan Jing’s condition at all in the past half-month, which was indeed intriguing.

However, Xuan Haoran was quite pleased and trusted his son, the Crown Prince, and did not overthink it. Bringing his gaze back, he asked again with a deep voice, ”So, is there really no way to awaken Jing’er?”

Despite favoring the sons of the Empress, Xuan Haoran never neglected his second son, Xuan Jing, especially as Jing’er recently began to show remarkable talents in cultivation and governance, gaining increasing attention from his father.

But Xuan Haoran had never imagined that just when he was about to entrust important political tasks to Xuan Jing, this son who had just returned from a journey fell into an unresponsive state.

What frustrated Xuan Haoran even more was that not only this Chief Meridian Refining Master but all these prominent Spiritual Rank Advanced Meridian Refining Masters from the Imperial City were clueless about Xuan Jing’s condition. Could he really lose his son this way?

Hearing the King’s inquiry, the Chief Meridian Refining Master, turning to glance at the others who were respectfully silent, finally braved an answer, ”Your Majesty, the ailment of the Second Prince is quite peculiar. Please forgive us for our inability. Perhaps... perhaps...”

As the conversation went on, the chief Meridian Refining Master seemed to struggle with finding the right words, prompting Xuan Haoran to impatiently demand, ”Or perhaps what?”

Startled by his words, the Meridian Refining Master quickly dared not delay any further and respectfully said, ”Perhaps only a Meridian Refining Master of the Earth Rank will be able to bring the Second Prince back from the brink of death!”

”Isn’t that stating the obvious? An Earth Rank level Meridian Refining Master—where do you expect me to find one?”

Hearing this, Xuan Haoran felt his temper almost rise again. Indeed, as he mentioned, although the spiritual energy was sparse in the Hidden Dragon Continent, breaking through to the Earth Rank Third Realm in Meridian Qi Cultivation was possible. However, reaching the Earth Rank in Meridian Refining Techniques was several times more difficult.

Even the nearly two-hundred-year-old Xuan Haoran had never encountered a Meridian Refining Master of Earth Rank in his lifetime, though he had heard that some powerful empires had such masters, but he could not remember exactly when.

Such a Meridian Refining Master is either elusive as the Divine Dragon, or treasured and kept by powerful empires. To even think of inviting one over requires a heart-wrenching price that isn’t easily met.

Moreover, considering Xuan Jing’s current state, he wouldn’t last long, which greatly irritated Xuan Haoran. He waved his hand and the few Meridian Refining Masters, as if granted amnesty, promptly exited the room.

”Sufei, rest assured, for Jing’er’s illness, I will surely summon the best Meridian Refining Master of the Xuanyue Empire to treat him. Take good care of him, and report any changes to me immediately.”

Turning his head back, Xuan Haoran, seeing the sorrowful look on Sufei’s face, felt quite sympathetic, yet under these circumstances, he could only offer such words for comfort.

”Is there any Meridian Refining Master in the Xuanyue Empire superior to Master Wei?”

Hearing Xuan Haoran’s words, Sufei, holding back her grief, questioned his statement. It made sense, as their referred Master Wei was already the leading Soul Doctor of the Xuanyue Royal Family, and even other distinguished figures from the Imperial City were helpless.

”My birthday is in a few days, and I’ve heard that Yu Shu, Sect Master of the Jade Pot Sect, possesses unmatched Meridian Refining Technique within the empire. Perhaps we can invite him to take a look at Jing’er!”

It appeared that Xuan Haoran still had ideas, and upon hearing the words ”Yu Shu, Sect Master,” a glimmer of hope flashed in Sufei’s eyes, as she had also heard of his renowned skills before.

”Your Majesty’s birthday, please forgive this servant for not attending the celebration, Jing’er he...” Sufei stood up and bowed gracefully, her eyes finally resting on Xuan Jing, indicating that he was her utmost priority.

”Taking care of Jing’er is crucial. Rest assured, as soon as Yu Shu, Sect Master arrives, I will have him treat Jing’er!” Xuan Haoran, seemingly unable to bear Sufei’s distress, declared before heading towards the door.

”Your Majesty!”

As Xuan Haoran quickly approached the door, Sufei suddenly called out, causing him to pause. With implied meaning, she said, ”Your Majesty, have you never suspected who might be scheming against Jing’er’s life?”

”Don’t talk nonsense, he is my son, the dignified Second Prince of the Empire, who would dare to be so bold?”

Hearing this, Xuan Haoran sharply turned around, staring at Sufei with a stern voice, his dignity erupting, intimidating anyone who witnessed it.

Yet with her son grievously ill, Sufei seemed unbothered by Xuan Haoran’s imposing demeanour, muttering faintly, ”Outsiders naturally wouldn’t dare, but if Jing’er’s actions threaten someone’s interests, we can’t be sure!”

It seemed that although Sufei was typically reserved and indifferent to external affairs, she was keenly aware of certain matters, and her words were quite clear.

”Do you mean... Jiuding?”

Despite his advanced age, Xuan Haoran had experienced a fierce power struggle when he first ascended to the throne. Triggered by Sufei’s remarks, he quickly grasped the implications.

”Sufei, such words must never be spoken again, or I will not be lenient!” However, this time Xuan Haoran’s tone was no longer gentle but carried a hint of a veiled threat.

Seeing Xuan Haoran in this state, Sufei knew better than to continue this conversation, which would only anger the King further, jeopardizing any hope for Xuan Jing.

It wasn’t until Xuan Haoran’s majestic figure had disappeared outside the courtyard, that Sufei miserably collapsed beside Xuan Jing’s bed, observing her son’s pale but motionless face, her heart sinking into despair.

”Perhaps in your heart, only the two sons born to the Empress matter the most, ah, my poor Jing’er!”

After her murmured words, the courtyard finally fell into silence, uncertain when it would lively bustle once again.