Chapter 1877: Out of the Water, a Lotus Blossoms

Little Mushroom playfully stuck out her tongue at Xu Yang. She knew full well that Xu Yang's strength was far beyond her own, but what young girl doesn't enjoy receiving compliments?

Little Mushroom deliberately pouted in response to Xu Yang's somewhat tactless criticism, but her act had no effect on him.

He acted this way to encourage Little Mushroom to consciously develop and improve. After all, danger was a constant companion by Xu Yang's side. Without sufficient awareness, she could lose her life in an instant. Xu Yang could shield her for a time, but not forever; ultimately, she had to learn to stand on her own.

"Alright, now that the situation is clear, I'll leave Dawn for you to handle. Just stand by my side, watch carefully, and learn."

As he spoke, Xu Yang dotingly ruffled Little Mushroom's hair. Though she tried to pull away from his hand, she quickly realized that every move he made was irresistible. Even when she secretly channeled her own power, attempting to numb his large hand, it had absolutely no effect.

Even the slightest movement from Xu Yang was beyond the resistance of an ordinary person. Upon receiving Xu Yang's command, Dawn wasted no time, instantly transforming into a flash of cold light and streaking towards the turbulent pond below.

The instant Dawn's presence touched the pond's surface, a massive plant-like tendril shot out from its depths.

Xu Yang's brow furrowed slightly as he instantly recognized the plant's true identity: a gigantic water hibiscus. It had undoubtedly been imbued with human soul attributes, making its life form remarkably similar to Little Mushroom's.

Dawn scoffed; her adaptability made neutralizing the massive hibiscus branch before her utterly effortless.

Two daggers, shimmering with purple light, instantly materialized in her hands. The moment they crossed horizontally, razor-sharp blades of light shot forth.

In the blink of an eye, the attacking hibiscus branch was severed on the spot. Yet, this was merely an appetizer.

What truly astonished Xu Yang and the others was the water hibiscus itself. When its colossal body fully surfaced, the terrifying power of its tendrils was revealed, startling even Xu Yang.

"This isn't an ordinary plant. Its life form, like your Little Mushroom, is likely a mutated form of life essence, created after being infused with some special power.

I'll make a bold conjecture: the life force possessed by those robed disciples of the dark forces we encountered earlier, I suspect it almost entirely originated from similar methods."

The old emperor fell into deep thought.

His brows, set deep above his temples, furrowed slightly.

"Your implication is that those who control the dark forces behind the Ancient Martial Divine Way use this unique method to perfectly fuse the power of decay and death with the true essence of martial arts. They then inject this combination into their disciple-war puppets to achieve their goal of influencing the conflicts between the major powers."

Xu Yang nodded gently.

"Precisely. The one countless powerful disciples refer to as the Master consistently remains hidden in the shadows, refusing to appear.

In my judgment, he must be suppressed by some powerful force. The true secret of this power lies within the purple jade crystal I've been seeking.

Gathering the complete purple jade crystal and unleashing the two immensely powerful yet opposing elemental forces sealed within it will undoubtedly unravel all mysteries.

However, for now, all of this remains purely speculative on my part. Until I locate the complete purple jade crystal, I have no concrete evidence to substantiate my theories.

However, the imposter emperor currently in the palace represents another crucial clue that could lead us to this mysterious power. This is also the fundamental premise for my collaboration with Your Majesty.

To be frank, had I not inadvertently rescued you, the supposed emperor, I would have had no interest whatsoever in the empire's internal affairs.

Yet, your personal vendetta against that imposter has now become a crucial element in my investigation of the dark forces, which is why I've been compelled to involve myself in this conflict.

Of course, besides this primary reason, Long Kun accidentally shattered the Empress's soul essence, and as his superior, I also need to step in to help him compensate Your Majesty. Therefore, assisting you in reclaiming your throne is the most straightforward way to resolve all these issues."

The old emperor grasped Xu Yang's true intentions. He nodded gently, not harboring any further suspicions. Instead, he was touched by Xu Yang's frankness. As the emperor of a vast empire, he rarely encountered anyone who would speak so honestly to him.

Xu Yang's candidness put the old emperor greatly at ease.

"Honestly, if I had the choice, I would much rather be a dedicated martial artist, far removed from worldly strife, and relinquish the power to dictate an empire's fate.

Imperial power has been nothing but an utter shackles to me. Had it not been for the crown on my head, I likely wouldn't have endured so many years of imprisonment.

As things stand, only two forces compel me to continue: the Empress and my duty."

During their conversation, Xu Yang sensed in the old emperor the profound sense of responsibility befitting a ruler, alongside the deep devotion and emotional ties of a husband.

Without a doubt, he was a man of integrity and substance.

If everything proceeded smoothly and he successfully helped the old emperor reclaim all that was his, Xu Yang would, in a way, also be saving billions of lives across the vast empire.

Even if, as the old emperor suggested, the people of the entire empire were to eventually offer their faith to Xu Yang as their chosen belief, it would be entirely justifiable.

For Xu Yang was worthy of such honor.

While Dawn was not adept at one-on-one direct confrontations, this particular opponent was quite unique. The massive water hibiscus possessed a distinct life form; as a plant-based powerhouse, its true strengths lay in sealing and binding, rather than in concentrated offensive bursts.

It's worth noting that against an opponent with such attributes—high speed and powerful bursts—Dawn, with her assassin background, was the ideal counter.

Consequently, Xu Yang had no concerns about this battle from the outset, which was precisely why he chose Dawn to engage the adversary.