Chapter 832: The Cold Throne

"I changed my mind," First Prince Jiang Qun said calmly, completely unashamed of his words. "What? Me wanting to be emperor? Who heard that? Is there any proof?"

"Hey, I taught you since childhood to keep your promises and be honest and trustworthy! Have you forgotten all that?" Emperor Xia was anxious. He had finally managed to trick his son into agreeing; was this something you could just go back on?

Jiang Qun looked at his father incredulously. "When you were feigning illness just now, why weren't you honest and trustworthy?"

"It's no use regretting it now. I've recorded everything with a scrying orb." Emperor Xia knew his eldest son well and had made full preparations. "Just be a good emperor."

"I have no shame!" Jiang Qun declared, sticking out his neck, acting like a pig unafraid of boiling water—completely at odds with his elegant public image.

Father and son glared at each other like two fighting cocks, neither willing to yield. In the end, Emperor Xia couldn't hold out and was the first to give in.

He sighed deeply and said, "Tell me, in every other family, people are fighting to inherit the throne. Why is it that you absolutely refuse to inherit it?"

"If you inherit the throne, you'll not only be the master of the Central Continent but also a vessel for national destiny. You know how miraculous national destiny is; it's very helpful for cultivation."

Jiang Qun also revealed his true feelings: "Father, you're on the throne, you know best. This throne looks comfortable to sit on, but in reality, it's restrictive everywhere. Leaving everything else aside, can you go on incognito inspections all day like I do?"

"Cultivators seek freedom and ease. If I sit on the throne, I'll become bound. Even with the aid of national destiny, if my state of mind declines, how can I continue cultivating in the future?"

"Hmm? Father, why that expression? As a cultivator, haven't you even realized such a simple truth?"Emperor Xia: "..." *Don't think you're so great just because your cultivation talent is higher than your old man's.*

"And what about that old ancestor in the Forbidden Area? Although I don't know his identity, I assume he also sat on the throne. Why did he step down from the throne? He must have felt uncomfortable too."

"How about this: you pick someone you like to be the heir. I see that my second, fourth, and fifth brothers all have the desire. They can inherit the throne, and I'll assist them to ensure they don't make mistakes."

Emperor Xia bristled and glared: "Nonsense! Our family hasn't had such a precedent in a hundred thousand years!"

"Father, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. Please, just focus on recovering your health." Jiang Qun was about to bow out.

"Wait a moment." Emperor Xia had a sudden idea and called out to Jiang Qun.

Jiang Qun, resigned, walked back, his hands tucked into his sleeves. He cupped one hand in the other and asked, "What is it?"

"Didn't you once say that when you go on incognito inspections among the common folk and encounter injustice, revealing your identity feels incredibly satisfying?"

Jiang Qun hesitated for a moment, then admitted truthfully, "...Yes."

"In that case, you know all my habits. You can transform into me and handle state affairs for a few days while I go out and have some fun."

Jiang Qun stared at his father in shock. "Father, do you even hear what you're saying?"

Emperor Xia felt his son was right. As a cultivator, the most important thing was freedom and ease. "I don't have many good days left to live. Can't I enjoy life a little? As my eldest son, what's wrong with sharing your father's burdens?"

"As you command." Since his father had put it that way, Jiang Qun could only comply.

"Come, come, sit here then." Emperor Xia quickly vacated his seat, pressing his good son onto the throne, while he himself went to the national treasury to find treasures that could conceal his identity.

Emperor Xia's cultivation was ordinary, only at the Spirit Transformation stage. If he relied solely on his own methods to disguise himself, he would easily be recognized. But it didn't matter; even if his own methods weren't good enough, the national treasury was full of ways to conceal one's identity.

Jiang Qun watched his father's receding back, seeing the joy in his posture, as if he had finally been freed from the throne. He sighed, feeling that the throne was not comfortable at all; it was cold and chilling.

"How come this chair doesn't even have a cushion?""And my father has been sitting here for so long, yet it's not even warm?"

Perhaps the news of the Second Prince inviting Lu Yang was spread by someone with ulterior motives, or perhaps the other princes simply couldn't restrain themselves. Ever since the Immortal Fairy left the Second Prince's residence, Lu Yang had been receiving gifts daily from the Fourth and Fifth Princes.

While Lu Yang's wishes might not be the final say, they could still play a huge role in the succession of the throne. Everyone wanted to win over this significant chip.

The Immortal Fairy was completely unaware of her own importance and didn't care why people were sending her gifts; she generously accepted everything. She used these gifts to help Lu Yang cultivate, and his sleep quality improved significantly. Lu Yang himself, meanwhile, was sparring with the Invincible Infant in his mental space.

"One Sword Transforms into Ten Thousand Swords!" Lu Yang shouted, and countless densely packed sword blades appeared above the mental space, a sight that made onlookers tremble with fear.

The Invincible Infant also performed "One Sword Transforms into Ten Thousand Swords," with streams of sword qi transforming into solid swords that emerged from the ground.

The man and the infant attacked simultaneously. Tens of thousands of sharp blades collided, sparks flew, and killing intent soared. Then, Lu Yang and the Invincible Infant both used "Village in the Palm," their palms clashing with a thunderous roar.

Lu Yang continuously used two powerful killing moves, his spiritual energy running low. Just as he was catching his breath, the Invincible Infant suddenly rushed forward and knocked him flying.

"Stop, stop, that's enough!" Seeing that the Invincible Infant was about to continue, Lu Yang quickly called for a halt.

His total spiritual energy was the same as the Invincible Infant's, yet the Invincible Infant still had energy left after consecutively using two moves. This meant that the spiritual energy the Invincible Infant used to construct these two moves was more refined, with no wasted portions—this was something Lu Yang needed to learn.

"Show me again, perform it one more time."

Lu Yang held the Immortal Fairy's verbal command, allowing him to direct the Invincible Infant at will. He could not only have the Invincible Infant spar with him but also have it repeatedly demonstrate a certain move for him to observe. As a result, Lu Yang's cultivation speed greatly increased.

"Oh, the fourth son of the Jiang family wants to invite me over." On this day, the Immortal Fairy, as usual, was receiving gifts when she discovered an invitation. The Fourth Prince's tone in the letter was full of grandiosity, stating his hope that Lu Yang would visit his home as a guest so he could fulfill his duties as a host.

Lu Yang had heard that this Fourth Prince had a strong connection to unofficial networks and loved making friends, regardless of their social standing, including people from all walks of life. Previously, Lu Yang hadn't paid much attention to this, but ever since he heard from Father Meng that the Fourth Prince also harbored ambitions for the throne, he began to ponder the Fourth Prince's purpose in doing so.

Having friends from all walks of life meant, from another perspective, that the Fourth Prince had informants everywhere. This was a terrifying intelligence network; it was likely that even Senior Brother Dai's information wasn't as detailed as the Fourth Prince's.

Lu Yang mused, it seemed the Fourth Prince felt he had sent enough gifts and had established a rapport, which was why he sent the invitation now.

"Fairy, are you going?""Sure," the Immortal Fairy replied. She had quite enjoyed her last visit to the Second Prince's home.