Chapter 1244: Xuanwu Divination

This will be their permanent fiefdom, allowing their clan to flourish. However, let me reiterate: if you ever again dare to privately cultivate powerful military forces to disturb the imperial family's rule, the same dire consequences of the past will befall you once more.

Arnor and the entire Eight Gates team knelt on one knee, expressing their profound gratitude to Emperor Yunlong for his generous reward. Their initial aspirations had been completely realized at this moment.

However, for every member of the Eight Gates team, what they valued most was no longer their clan's reputation, but the opportunity to follow Xu Yang and Little Hua forever! For them, under Xu Yang's leadership, the team's development had far exceeded their wildest imagination. Being by Xu Yang's side dramatically broadened their horizons, their energy became more abundant, their opportunities more frequent, and their strength advanced by leaps and bounds. Nothing could excite them more than staying with Xu Yang.

If today's outcome marked the end of the Eight Gates team's association with Xu Yang, they would not hesitate to forgo this opportunity.

Regardless, Xu Yang had fulfilled his promise, helping the Eight Gates team achieve their long-cherished wish with the Prince's assistance. Next, Emperor Yunlong's gaze fell upon Xu Yang.

"As the one who suppressed the catastrophe during the Battle of Seven Peaks, you are entitled to a corresponding reward."

Emperor Yunlong inexplicably smiled. In his view, if Xu Yang accepted his reward, it would signify his willingness to submit to the Emperor. However, if Xu Yang refused the reward, he would have to become an enemy of the imperial family, as a powerful individual of his caliber posed a significant threat to any faction.

Xu Yang, however, was unconcerned with these implications. He knew only that a promise made must be a promise kept. He had already promised the cultivators of Seven Peaks that he would secure the entire Seven Peaks as their future cultivation territory. Therefore, Xu Yang made this request without hesitation.

However, Xu Yang and the others did not anticipate that events would take an unexpected turn at that moment. From the entrance of a palace behind them, a deep, aged voice suddenly echoed. Soon, an elderly man radiating a dark green light appeared in everyone's sight. He clutched an exquisite astrolabe, exuding the aura of an otherworldly sage capable of divining the heavenly dao and fate.

"Great Emperor, please allow me to interrupt you!"

The elder appeared somewhat clumsy as he walked, yet with each step, he covered hundreds of meters. This ability to traverse great distances with a single step undoubtedly showcased his immense power. It was clear from his movements that his strength was certainly no less than that of the Vermilion Bird from before.

Holding the astrolabe, the old man, with an enigmatic smile, approached the area below the dais, near Xu Yang and the Fifth Prince. He appeared to cast a benevolent glance over everyone, though no one could tell what calculations were running through his mind. "Greetings, Reverend Black Tortoise!"

After the name "Black Tortoise" was spoken, Xu Yang, Little Hua, and the Eight Gates team all began to ponder. Earlier, outside the city, the young man had been able to command the bloodline of the White Tiger Divine Beast clan. Just recently, they had passed the Vermilion Bird Ancestral Hall in the back mountains, and the soul of the Vermilion Bird was enshrined within Xuanyuan City. Now, this mysterious old man identified himself as the Black Tortoise. Everyone instinctively recalled the immensely powerful dragon's aura they had encountered, and the faint green light Xu Yang had seen just before the dragon vanished.

A thought quickly formed in Xu Yang's mind: Emperor Yunlong's most powerful hidden card must be the wielder of these Four Divine Beast totems. It was known that even on the main continent of the upper realm, there was a lineage of the Four Divine Beast totems. Long Kun himself possessed the dual bloodlines of the Phoenix and Black Tortoise clans. Therefore, Xu Yang deduced that Emperor Yunlong and Xuanyuan Imperial City itself likely relied on formations arranged using the exclusive inheritances of the Four Divine Beast totems. In other words, the Four Divine Beast totems were likely one of the true trump cards behind the Yun imperial family of Yingzhou Continent, and the core of Emperor Yunlong's protective power. Understanding the true depth of the old man's power, Xu Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least, it seemed much more manageable than he had initially imagined.

Just then, he gently tapped the astrolabe in his hand, conjuring a dazzling screen-like totem in the void. The totem's surface depicted countless cultivators gathering to instigate war. Undeniably, at this critical juncture, with Xu Yang's request on the table, the sudden appearance of the old man, Black Tortoise, with such a dramatic yet perfectly timed intervention designed to influence Xu Yang's plan, was clearly intended to obstruct Emperor Yunlong's reward to Xu Yang.

How shrewd was Xu Yang? How could he not see that this was most likely a pre-arranged scheme between Emperor Yunlong and this old schemer?

"Your Majesty, I have just divined with my astrolabe that the cultivation world of our Yingzhou Continent will likely experience a significant upheaval in the near future. If, at this critical moment, Seven Peaks is established as a cultivation ground for these individuals, it would undoubtedly fuel the arrogance of our enemies. Therefore, I humbly suggest that for now, we do not concentrate too many cultivation forces in the Seven Peaks region, especially since Seven Peaks itself already poses a considerable threat to the location of our Xuanyuan Imperial Dynasty. Although it was previously controlled by the Sword Sect, it ultimately remained within our imperial family's grasp. However, cultivators from various regions across the entire Yingzhou Continent will now flock to Seven Peaks to establish their own cultivation grounds. If there are future changes in the cultivation world, this will undoubtedly pose a grave threat to our dynasty."

The old man's words clearly prompted Emperor Yunlong to consider. The members of the Eight Gates team fixed their dagger-like gazes on the old schemer, everyone seeing that his sudden intervention was clearly intended to sabotage Xu Yang's plan.

"Reverend's words are not without merit. After all, the cultivation world of Yingzhou Continent has always developed freely, separate from the power of our Primal Imperial Dynasty."