Chapter 1208: Conquest

Today's battle truly terrified the First and Second Princes' factions. They had never expected the Fifth Prince, who had been quiet, to make such a stunning move, having allied himself with a powerful figure like Xu Yang. How could their current strength possibly contend with such a talent, capable of single-handedly wiping out the entire Seven-Severing Mountain Sword Sect?

After leaving the Sword Pavilion, the First and Second Princes constantly harbored a concern. They genuinely worried that if the Fifth Prince became enraged, he would slaughter all the other princes on Seven-Severing Mountain. With Xu Yang's strength, this was certainly possible, and if it happened, the Fifth Prince would immediately become the strongest contender for the throne.

In fact, the First and Second Princes' concerns were not unfounded. The Fifth Prince had indeed discussed with Xu Yang whether such a course of action was necessary, but Xu Yang immediately rejected the Fifth Prince's impulsive idea. After all, if he truly did that, how would the Fifth Prince silence the myriad voices and heroic figures across the land?

Xu Yang argued that a ruler who gained the throne by brutally murdering his own brothers could not bring true peace to the people. If he ascended in such a manner, it would not be long before the entire cultivation world would be turned upside down. More and more people would harbor thoughts of rebellion, and the Yingzhou Continent would never know peace again.

Hearing Xu Yang's words, the Fifth Prince decisively abandoned the idea and proceeded with the original plan. He remained there, giving his siblings the cold shoulder, and continued to make the Fourth Prince the common enemy. All the other princes agreed to this proposal.

The Third Prince was not present, being merely a puppet disguised as a scout, so he naturally offered no protest. The Sixth Prince was currently preoccupied with Little Hua's new body, Lady Allure, and had begun to ignore everything else.

As for the Seventh Prince, he was probably the one who hated the Fourth Prince the most in the group. If not for Xu Yang's timely intervention, he would already be dead. As a result, the entire group of seven princes became unprecedentedly harmonious, all unanimously directing their animosity towards the Fourth Prince.

Meanwhile, Xu Yang had already arrived at the summit of Seven-Severing Mountain, ahead of everyone else, and met with the Fourth Prince who was waiting there.

At this moment, the Fourth Prince was disheartened and had completely become a loser. Yet, he never imagined that his grand ambitions and all his dreams would be shattered by an unknown figure like Xu Yang.

"Are you here to kill me?" The Fourth Prince turned his head with a calm expression, meeting Xu Yang's gaze. His tone was remarkably calm now, devoid of the spirited and commanding demeanor he had displayed earlier in the Sword Tower. He seemed to have aged decades in an instant, the sparkle in his eyes gradually fading.

Xu Yang replied, "I will not kill you. After all, you are the current Fourth Prince, and I would never bring more trouble to the Fifth Prince; rather, I intend to help him move forward. The reason I came to you is to ask for something specific. In exchange, not only will I not kill you, but I will also ensure that your lineage as Fourth Prince has a proper conclusion. You can consider this a reward for your calm acceptance of this outcome, or compensation for the sudden collapse of the Seven-Severing Mountain Sword Sect. Let's be frank: all the other princes now have their strategies and bargaining chips for contending for the throne. As the first to be eliminated, you are naturally the safest, because only you have the opportunity to withdraw so gracefully from this power struggle. With a little effort from me, even though Seven-Severing Mountain will no longer bear the name of the Sword Sect, it can help you cultivate a formidable force, sufficient to protect you and your imperial consort mother for the rest of your lives. Of course, if you are unwilling to accept this outcome, you can continue to resist me, but then you will lose this last opportunity."

Xu Yang's voice was calm, yet it was filled with an irresistible authority. The Fourth Prince, of course, understood that with Xu Yang's strength, a mere flick of a finger would turn him to dust in an instant.

Originally, for the sake of his dreams, he could have continued to refuse, to defend his dignity and honor as a prince. However, he clearly knew that opposing Xu Yang at this stage would not only fail to change the outcome, but more importantly, he worried about implicating his mother.

Although the Fourth Prince's birth mother, Consort Chen, no longer enjoyed the emperor's favor and could not provide any help to the Fourth Prince, as a son, the Fourth Prince could absolutely not disregard his mother.

Since there was no hope of inheriting the throne, it would be better to settle for a lesser option, as Xu Yang suggested. Ensuring a life of wealth and comfort for himself and his mother in their later years, enjoying their old age, was not a bad retreat.

"You want the Prince's Edict that belongs solely to me, don't you?" the Fourth Prince asked.

Xu Yang smiled faintly and nodded. "It's always pleasant to converse with intelligent people. Indeed, I need not only your Prince's Edict but also a portion of your unique bloodline. If you give me these two things, I will use the Fifth Prince's influence to help you establish a guard force composed of powerful cultivators, stationed permanently on Seven-Severing Mountain. Although the Sword Sect's name on Seven-Severing Mountain has fallen and there is no hope of its revival, Seven-Severing Mountain has a strategic terrain and is naturally an excellent place to gather spiritual energy. Once this place is given a legitimate name, countless cultivators from across the land will undoubtedly gather here with ease. At that time, living adjacent to Seven-Severing Mountain, your mother's living quarters will be equivalent to having an unbreakable barrier. If the current emperor bestows an imperial decree upon your mother, then from now on, you and your mother will completely distance yourselves from this power struggle."

The Fourth Prince shook his head repeatedly with a bitter, helpless smile. "Do I have a second option besides agreeing to you? Over the years, to gain the emperor's position, I've sacrificed too much and missed too much. I'm truly tired of it. Now that the Sword Sect lineage has completely fallen, I have no desires left. Perhaps withdrawing is the best outcome. If you can help me fulfill the promises you just made, I am willing to trust you this once."

As soon as the Fourth Prince finished speaking, he conjured a sharp blade in his palm and gently cut his wrist. A portion of his exceptionally pure True Dragon imperial bloodline was released, which Xu Yang successfully obtained using his special sealing method. Immediately after, a golden, glittering token flew to Xu Yang's front; it was the Prince's Edict unique to the Fourth Prince.

"Thank you, Fourth Prince," Xu Yang said. "I, Xu Yang, always keep my word. All the conditions I promised you will be fulfilled, but you need to give me some time, as there are still some matters I need to handle. Especially your brothers, they all harbor ulterior motives. Now that the Seven-Severing Mountain Sword Sect has fallen, they will likely make subsequent moves to intensify their struggle for the Crown Prince position. Little do they know, the true chaos and struggle across the entire Central Domain has only just begun!"