Chapter 1246: Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor's Informant

The map clearly marked the direction and area for entering the Far North Forbidden Zone, along with powerful races to be cautious of near the entrance.

"Thank you, Prime Minister, for this preparation. With the help of this map, I believe I can enter the Far North Forbidden Zone more easily and achieve my objective."

After these matters were handled, Emperor Yunlong was very satisfied. He immediately drafted an imperial decree on the spot and instructed Prime Minister Xuanwu to prepare for its execution.

Witnessing this, Xu Yang's team decided not to linger in the palace. They bid farewell to Emperor Yunlong, promising to depart from Xuanyuan Imperial City within three days and head straight for the Far North Forbidden Zone.

In reality, the three-day preparation period was largely inconsequential for Xu Yang. However, he intended to use this time to learn as much as possible about the secrets within Xuanyuan Imperial City and to personally witness the decree being proclaimed to the world, thereby preventing any unforeseen schemes.

After the group exited the main palace hall, they instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Only Xu Yang remained composed, showing no sign of stress whatsoever.

"My goodness, Boss, how could you agree to His Majesty's request so easily? The Sacred Beast's Heart sounds incredibly difficult to obtain, perhaps even impossible. For us, it's not so bad; after all, the long-standing obsession that troubled us for years was fulfilled with your help, so even if we were to gain and then lose it, we could fully accept that. But for you, if you fail to obtain the Sacred Beast's Heart, you might let down all the cultivators in the world!"

However, Xu Yang's thoughts were completely different. "Consider this," he began, "the Sacred Beast's Heart is a supreme divine artifact coveted even by the Central Region's imperial family. For the Far North Forbidden Zone, it must be an ultimate legacy, one that is extremely difficult to behold. How could something so precious be easily destroyed? As long as it hasn't been utterly annihilated, then for me, obtaining it is not impossible."

The inherent authoritative demeanor he displayed thoroughly shocked everyone in the Eight Gates team. It was as if Xu Yang was born with the aura of a leader, and any difficulty or oppressive force would instinctively wane in his presence.

Regardless, the new mission had been accepted, and Xu Yang had no further options. He also seized this opportunity to visit the last area of Yingzhou Continent he had never set foot in.

Moreover, Xu Yang seemed to have developed a strong interest in the Ten Directions Beast Emperor Array, which the Central Region's imperial family held in such high regard.

"Your Highness, have you heard any secrets related to this array?" Xu Yang asked. The Prince, uncharacteristically, shook his head.

"As you know, I've been in the martial world all this time, and my eldest and second brothers have almost entirely purged my influence from the imperial court. What kind of schemes they're concocting daily, I have no idea. If not for accompanying you to meet my imperial father today, I wouldn't even have heard the name of this array."

The Fifth Prince seemed less enthusiastic, appearing unusually silent ever since they left the palace.

"Honestly, Your Highness, you don't need to worry so much. Don't you think that deep down, Emperor Yunlong secretly desires you, among all his children, to achieve greatness the most?"

Hearing Xu Yang's words, a startling light immediately ignited in the Fifth Prince's eyes.

"How do you interpret that, sir?" he asked. Xu Yang smiled and slowly began to explain.

"It's very simple. Given all you've done recently, with Emperor Yunlong's temperament, he should have been furious and inflicted a severe punishment upon you. Yet, he didn't. He only gave you a symbolic, minor punishment that didn't harm your fundamental being in the slightest. This is not the action of a father who fears his child might threaten him. Furthermore, and most importantly, he didn't hold any resentment towards you because of my presence. Instead, he seemed proud that you befriended our group. Don't you find that very unusual?"

The Prince merely shook his head helplessly. "That's because he needs your help. The mission to retrieve the Sacred Beast's Heart sounds incredibly daunting. It's likely that only you in the entire continent can help accomplish this objective. He merely spared me excessive blame out of consideration for you."

This time, before Xu Yang could speak, Xiao Hua took over, beginning to console the Fifth Prince.

"I don't think that's the case," Xiao Hua countered. "Just imagine, this mission has fallen to A-Yang, and you were the one who brought him into the palace. This means it's more like a test. If he truly succeeds in retrieving the Sacred Beast's Heart and returns victoriously, his prestige and standing within Xuanyuan Imperial City will undoubtedly increase significantly. And with A-Yang's rise, it also means that you, as a prince in our faction, will gain unparalleled influence among the seven imperial princes. At that point, the Grand Prince and the Second Prince, who currently wield excessive power in court, will certainly feel greatly threatened by your presence. And then, Your Highness, you will become the most favored among the seven imperial princes. His Majesty the Emperor's goal will naturally be achieved: on one hand, he wants to suppress the Grand Prince and the Second Prince as much as possible by elevating you and A-Yang; on the other, he can ensure his most cherished son attains his rightful position."

Indeed, Xiao Hua was clearly better at comforting people than Xu Yang. After her explanation, the pressure in the Fifth Prince's heart vanished instantly, as if a great weight had been lifted, and a smile finally curved on his lips.

"Let's hope so," he said. "If things truly unfold as you've described, then entering the imperial palace this time should be considered a good thing for us. For the next three days, everyone should rest well. I will also make some preparations to depart with you."

However, just as the Fifth Prince issued his command, Xu Yang's expression completely changed.

"If my judgment is correct, we won't be able to travel together on this upcoming journey to the Far North. If I'm not mistaken, by tomorrow night, a new arrangement for our team will be delivered to us in the form of an imperial decree from His Majesty. The content should stipulate that the Eight Gates team returns to their respective fiefs, while Xiao Hua and I will be personally assigned new teammates by the Emperor. As for who these new teammates might be, I cannot say for certain at this moment. However, judging by our experiences along the way, I can make an educated guess. First, there's the young man we encountered in the forest who commanded the divine beast of the White Tiger clan."