Chapter 441: Da Yu's Plan

Wu Youdao gritted his teeth, struggling internally. As the dignified sixth Emperor of Yu, the one destined to overthrow Great Xia and restore the glorious Yu Dynasty, how could he reveal anything under a mere threat? He was an emperor who had weathered many storms, killed people, and seen blood. Being refined into a mere artifact spirit would not scare him in the slightest!

Just as Wu Youdao was about to speak, he heard Lu Yang thoughtfully remark from the side: "They say history is written by the victors. The Inquiry Sect has always maintained good relations with the imperial court. We can discuss with the historians and give you some 'artistic treatment'."

"If you confess honestly," Lu Yang continued, "we will have the historians write that after your capture, you preferred death to surrender, and despite all forms of torture, you revealed not a single piece of information, showing unyielding integrity. Even the Emperor of Xia would praise you as an enlightened ruler, with the potential to become an immortal, but alas, born in the wrong era. Had you continued to rule the Yu Dynasty, you could have led it to an even greater golden age. Your talent would be no less than that of your ancestor, the First Emperor of Yu."

"On the other hand, if you refuse to speak," Lu Yang continued, "we'll have the historians write that after your capture, you wailed uncontrollably, begging us to spare your life, and that you acknowledged the legitimacy of Great Xia, admitting that the Yu Dynasty was inferior to Great Xia, and so on. Or perhaps we'll write that Great Xia treats its captives well, and you spent your days at the Inquiry Sect enjoying fine wine and good food, living so comfortably you forgot about the Yu Dynasty..."

"I'll tell you everything." Wu Youdao immediately agreed, cold sweat trickling down his back after hearing Lu Yang's words.

He had failed and been captured, his life and death no longer his to decide, and becoming an immortal was impossible. His only concern now was his reputation. According to Lu Yang, this fate was worse than having his soul scattered; he would be mocked, reviled, and infamous for ten thousand years.

Wu Youdao glared hatefully at Lu Yang, who, unburdened by guilt, ignored him.

The Senior Disciple Sister glanced at Lu Yang in surprise, not expecting such a method. She had been preparing to use conventional interrogation techniques to make the two confess.

The Senior Disciple Sister extended her delicate hand. The golden bell on her wrist jingled as a light screen rose, separating Wu Youdao and Venerable Xuanlei for separate interrogations.

"What is your plan for Barren State?"

"The Imperial Advisor and I... I mean, the Imperial Advisor said that the national destiny power of Great Xia is key to preventing their rise," Wu Youdao explained. "He needed to thoroughly understand its influence on Great Xia, so he devised a plan to seize the national destiny power of Barren State. Once understood, he would use this national destiny power as nourishment for my Dragon-Tiger Qi, thereby increasing my chances of becoming an immortal."

"How does your Yu Dynasty plan to rise?"

"Only the First Imperial Advisor knows the full scope of the revival plan," Wu Youdao replied. "The Second Imperial Advisor and I only know parts of it. However, since my awakening, I've never met the legendary First Imperial Advisor. It has always been the Second Imperial Advisor who planned with me."

The First Imperial Advisor had disappeared before Wu Youdao was born. To Wu Youdao, the First Imperial Advisor was merely a legendary figure.

"The Imperial Advisor and I planned to unite the Demon Realm, the Sea Clan, and the Demonic Sect," Wu Youdao continued. "When the true great era arrives, we would launch a coordinated internal and external attack on Great Xia to seize power in one fell swoop, and I would become the Emperor of Yu."

Immortal Fairy felt that the first part of Wu Youdao's plan sounded very familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

Lu Yang pondered. Wu Youdao's plan was extremely crude, merely a general outline. It seemed the true architects of the plan were the two Imperial Advisors. This also aligned with historical records. In the early period of the Yu Dynasty, the Emperor of Yu and the Imperial Advisor had a close relationship. The Imperial Advisor possessed governing talent and offered strategies to the Emperor of Yu, who readily accepted good advice. The two complemented each other, jointly fostering the prosperity of the Yu Dynasty. Not every Emperor of Yu could be a governing genius. For example, Wu Youdao only had high cultivation talent, but no ability to govern a nation.

"You become Emperor of Yu? What about the First Emperor of Yu?"

The First Emperor of Yu was the strongest person in the Yu Dynasty. According to historical records, he conquered all directions, finally overthrew the Great Gan Dynasty, unified the realm, and established the Yu Dynasty. He reigned for three thousand years, then died of illness due to accumulated internal injuries from years of warfare.

Lu Yang remained skeptical of this account. It wasn't as if he hadn't encountered powerful individuals. How could the First Emperor of Yu, as the strongest in the Yu Dynasty, simply die like that?

"My ancestor truly died," Wu Youdao affirmed. "After I succeeded as Emperor of Yu, I even worshipped his corpse. If the First Emperor of Yu had not died, I would not have agreed to the Imperial Advisor's plan." After all, with the First Emperor of Yu still alive, there was no way it would be his turn to become the new Emperor of Yu and seize the opportunity to become an immortal.

"How many individuals have revived so far, and what are their cultivation levels?"

"There are a total of thirty-two Integration stage cultivators and seven Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators."

Lu Yang frowned. This was far more than the number Venerable Tianzai had confessed, as he had only mentioned two Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators. It seemed that Venerable Tianzai, a Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator, was not important in the Yu Dynasty's plans and held a peripheral position. If even an early Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator was peripheral, the Yu Dynasty's hidden power must be truly terrifying.

"What are the specific stages of the seven Tribulation Transcendence cultivators?"

"Three are at the early Tribulation Transcendence stage, two at the mid-Tribulation Transcendence stage, and two at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage," Wu Youdao detailed. "The latter four are still in slumber. As for whether there are other Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, I don't know."

Lu Yang tallied the Yu Dynasty Tribulation Transcendence cultivators he had encountered: Venerable Tianzai, Venerable Xuanlei, and Venerable Wuji. They were precisely three early Tribulation Transcendence cultivators.

"Where are these four mid-to-late Tribulation Transcendence cultivators slumbering?"

"The Imperial Advisor knows; I don't."

"What are the cultivation levels of the two Imperial Advisors?"

"No one knows the cultivation level of the First Imperial Advisor," Wu Youdao replied. "I asked several powerful individuals who had met him. Some say he was only half a step away from becoming an immortal, while others claim he had already attained the Dao Fruit and achieved immortality. The Second Imperial Advisor is a semi-immortal level cultivator."

When Wu Youdao spoke of the First Imperial Advisor being an immortal, an expression of reverence appeared in his eyes. Lu Yang, however, was much calmer. When immortals were mentioned now, all he could think of were Immortal Fairy and the four unlucky individuals. He couldn't feel any reverence for immortals at all. So-called semi-immortal level cultivators were Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators with a nascent Dao Fruit. Lu Yang only knew one semi-immortal level cultivator: Immortal Undying, the third in command of the Undying lineage.

"If the Barren State plan succeeds, what is your next step?"

"Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators would take action," Wu Youdao explained, "enveloping a certain city in Jizhou with rules, to see if the power of these rules could transform its inhabitants into subjects of the Yu Dynasty."

"Which city?"

"A random selection."

The Senior Disciple Sister repeated the questions to Venerable Xuanlei. Venerable Xuanlei knew far less information than Wu Youdao, but his testimony was sufficient for corroboration. The Senior Disciple Sister felt it was necessary to share the information Wu Youdao had confessed with the imperial court and the other four immortal sects. Especially regarding Jizhou, they needed to be fully prepared.

She bound the thoroughly refined Venerable Wuji with chains and handed the other end to Lu Yang.

"I will send these two to Prisoner Peak, then make a trip to the Imperial City," she instructed. "You are to hand this person's soul over to the Fifth Elder."

Watching the Senior Disciple Sister leave, Immortal Fairy seemed to wake from a dream.

"Oh no, I forgot to ask for contribution points!"