Chapter 110: Gray-robed Elder

The Qi King's rebellion finally concluded with its suppression. News of this battle sent shockwaves throughout the entire Great Zhou, leaving all factions dumbfounded. No one had expected that the mighty Qi King would meet such an end.

It was well known that, in the past, the imperial family had been completely powerless against the Qi King. Otherwise, they would not have tolerated his growth to such an extent.

However, in this battle, the Great Zhou imperial family displayed strength that astonished everyone.

Beyond their shock, all factions realized that the Great Zhou imperial family, which they had increasingly viewed as declining, was not as weak as they had imagined.

An old camel is still bigger than a horse. This once-prominent behemoth, though subjected to repeated blows, still could not be underestimated.

Consequently, those forces that had intended to fish in troubled waters during the imperial family's conflict with the Qi King were forced to rein in their actions, not daring to reveal the slightest intention.

Everyone knew that with the Great Zhou imperial family eliminating the Qi King, a cancerous growth, the imperial family's prestige within Great Zhou would likely be restored. Any force daring to challenge them again would probably meet the same fate as the Qi King.

Thus, in a short time, the atmosphere throughout Great Zhou seemed to improve significantly. Imperial decrees were obeyed without question, as everyone feared becoming the imperial family's next target.

"I was unconscious for an entire month..." Zhou Yuan exclaimed, sitting on a stone chair in the flourishing flower garden of the Great Zhou royal palace.

A full month had passed since the suppression of the Qi King's rebellion. During this entire month, he had been completely unconscious, only waking up today.

Clearly, this was the price for forcibly boosting his spirit and controlling the "Silver Shadow."

"You're lucky to be alive," a faint voice came from behind Zhou Yuan. "If you hadn't cultivated the 'Chaos God Grinding Contemplation Method' and your spirit wasn't tougher than average, you wouldn't have just been unconscious for a month; you might never have woken up."

Zhou Yuan smiled awkwardly and turned to see Yaoyao approaching. Her slender, delicate figure was gracefully outlined by her green attire.

"Try to use this method less in the future," Yaoyao said seriously, her bright eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan. "Your spirit is too weak to control the 'Silver Shadow.' Forcing it could leave you with lasting, irreparable damage to your spirit, and that would be a tremendous loss."

Zhou Yuan sensed Yaoyao's caution and knew she was concerned for him. He nodded with a smile and said, "Don't worry, I only use this method as a last resort."

After all, the previous battle had been too crucial. If he hadn't relied on the "Silver Shadow's" power, the Qi King's side would certainly have gained the upper hand, and the first to collapse would likely have been their Great Zhou.

The consequences of that were unimaginable; the Great Zhou imperial family might truly have been annihilated.

Zhou Yuan would not allow that to happen. Therefore, even though he knew the risks were immense, he still activated the "Silver Shadow" without hesitation.

After all, as the Prince of Great Zhou, he had responsibilities he had to bear.

"However, I don't think this was entirely a bad thing. At least... I seem to have advanced to the mid-stage of the Qi Nourishing Realm," Zhou Yuan said with a smile. He extended his palm, where dark golden origin energy rose. Upon closer inspection, strange blood-red streaks pulsed within the energy.

"Mid-stage Qi Nourishing Realm... You've dropped from a power that could kill a Genesis Realm expert to this level. Don't you feel a little frustrated?" Yaoyao asked, seemingly casually.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Using the Silver Shadow's power did make me very strong, but that strength wasn't my own. So don't worry, I won't get lost in the power of external objects and destabilize my mindset."

He lifted his palm, where the dark golden origin energy shimmered, and smiled. "This kind of power truly belongs to me. It might be weak now, but I believe that one day, it will become very strong."

Yaoyao nodded her pale white chin, a hint of admiration appearing on her delicate, perfect face. Zhou Yuan's mindset pleased her greatly; otherwise, if his state of mind became unstable, his cultivation would face significant problems.

After conversing for a while longer, Yaoyao suddenly remembered something. "Now that you're awake, you might want to go see Su Youwei. She seems to have run into a bit of trouble."

"Youwei? What happened to her? Is it a lingering effect from that sword strike that day?" Zhou Yuan was startled and quickly asked. He knew that on the city wall that day, Su Youwei had somehow used an unknown power to slay Lin Nian with a single sword stroke, but clearly, that power shouldn't have belonged to Su Youwei either.

"That sword strike likely originated from the 'Yangming Sword,' a Heavenly Origin Weapon within her," Yaoyao explained. "She also fell unconscious for a few days afterward but had already woken up long ago and has no major issues."

"Then what kind of trouble is it?" Zhou Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, puzzled.

Yaoyao's jade hand gently stroked the lazy Tun Tun. "Go see for yourself."

Zhou Yuan felt a bit perplexed but nodded nonetheless. Su Youwei had helped Great Zhou tremendously this time, and he had already planned to visit and thank her after waking up.

With that thought, Zhou Yuan didn't dally. After telling Yaoyao, he immediately left the royal palace and headed straight for Su Youwei's residence.

Outside a clean courtyard in the south of the city.

Zhou Yuan knocked on the courtyard gate. After a moment, light footsteps approached, and the gate opened to reveal a beautiful young face with bright, expressive eyes that could convey both anger and delight.

It was Su Youwei.

When she saw Zhou Yuan at the entrance, she first froze, then a look of pleasant surprise welled up in her eyes.

"Your Highness, you're awake?!"

Zhou Yuan smiled and nodded. Seeing Su Youwei still full of vitality and youthful energy, he felt a slight relief and then asked, "Sister Yaoyao said you've run into some trouble?"

"Whatever the trouble is, just tell me. In this Great Zhou, there's nothing I can't handle," Zhou Yuan said with a laugh, patting his chest.

To his surprise, upon hearing this, Su Youwei's willow-like eyebrows furrowed slightly with distress, and she sighed, "I'm afraid Your Highness truly can't handle this one..."

Zhou Yuan scratched his head, completely bewildered. In the current Great Zhou, surely no one would dare to offend the imperial family anymore, right?

"Please come in, Your Highness," Su Youwei said with a soft smile, her rosy lips pursed. She opened the courtyard gate, led Zhou Yuan inside, and then guided him along a gravel path into the backyard.

In the backyard, there were two lounge chairs, with two elderly men leisurely reclining on them.

One of them was Su Youwei's grandfather, whom Zhou Yuan knew well. The old man greeted him kindly, and Zhou Yuan smiled in response, then his gaze shifted to the other gray-robed elder.

That elder showed no fluctuations of origin energy, but upon seeing him, Zhou Yuan's spirit in his glabella pricked with pain, subtly vibrating and sending him a strong warning.

Clearly, this seemingly ordinary elder was anything but.

Zhou Yuan was horrified. When had someone of such terrifying power appeared in Great Zhou? In his estimation, even Zhou Qing was likely far inferior to this mysterious gray-robed elder.

As Zhou Yuan's expression turned serious, the gray-robed elder also lazily lifted his head, his cloudy eyes glancing at Zhou Yuan, then at Su Youwei. He stretched and sighed.

"Little girl, is it because of this boy that you don't want to come with this old man?"