The Eastern Palace.

"Congratulations, Crown Prince, on your breakthrough to Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster. From now on, you are one of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s top Martial Arts experts."

Xu Lianhua, the eunuch and East Palace Chief Steward, observed the change in Crown Prince Yang Qian’s aura, recognizing it as one unique to a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster.

As the Crown Prince’s trusted confidant, Xu Lianhua was aware of many things. While Crown Prince Yang Qian was in seclusion for his breakthrough, only Xu Lianhua was permitted to approach.

"The Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Cultivation is truly powerful. My strength is several times what it was before. Waiting these extra few days was not a waste. I will consolidate my Cultivation for half a day more, and then we will make our move tonight!"

"The situation in the Capital City is too volatile right now. My dear imperial brothers are all getting restless, trying to pin everything on me."

"I can’t wait any longer. Otherwise, my father the Emperor will use my life to stabilize the court. That has always been his way!"

Crown Prince Yang Qian retracted the aura of a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster. He had set up numerous Magic Arrays around him even during his breakthrough, specifically to conceal the energy signature of advancing to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm.

Yang Qian did not want his father the Emperor to know about his breakthrough, which would grant him more time to prepare.

Although the Old Emperor Yang Yu was currently a peak Grandmaster, he was old, and his Combat Power was no longer at its zenith. Besides, Yang Qian was not acting alone in this uprising; he had allied with numerous other powers.

The Crown Prince was not the only one dissatisfied with the Old Emperor’s long reign. Many Noble Families, powerful figures, and Sects now stood with him.

As long as the Old Emperor passed away, he could justifiably ascend to the throne of the Venerable Supreme and become the new Emperor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. His reputation might suffer, but that was something he could not worry about now.

His Cultivation breaking through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm meant there was no turning back. Besides, his previous actions had already sealed that path.

He had to see this through to the bitter end, to force his way down this path and become the new Emperor. The rest could be dealt with over time. With his breakthrough to Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster, his Lifespan had increased significantly.

If he had more Cultivation Resources, his Martial Arts Cultivation could continue to improve. He might even have a chance to reach the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm, achieving what the Old Emperor Yang Yu had failed to do in his entire life.

He also intended to restore the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty to its former glory, forcing the Sects and Noble Families to submit to imperial power. ’Of course, this is just my own plan for now, one I haven’t revealed yet.’

For now, he still needed to borrow the strength of these factions. When the time was right, he would strike.

’I believe my father the Emperor might have similar thoughts, which is why he wants to break through to become a National Guardian Martial Saint, and why so many factions are trying to stop him.’

After all, while he had arranged for people to be involved in the Pharmacist Alliance affair, other factions had helped with the rest. Otherwise, the forces under his command alone could never have accomplished so much.

For instance, the Array above the Earth Fire and infiltrating the Pharmacist Alliance—even as the Crown Prince, it would have been difficult for him to interfere in such matters. The restrictions on him were considerable. If he had meddled in these things, the Old Emperor Yang Yu would have surely found out, as they crossed his bottom line.

Yang Qian was well aware of this, which was why he hadn’t interfered with certain factions at all. He hadn’t even arranged for anyone to investigate them. This was all to reassure his father the Emperor that he harbored no treacherous thoughts.

But even so, as his Cultivation increased and he grew older, the way the Old Emperor Yang Yu looked at him was no longer gentle, but filled with killing intent.

Faced with this situation, Crown Prince Yang Qian naturally had to prepare his uprising. He also coveted the throne of the Venerable Supreme, something he had dreamed of ever since becoming the Crown Prince. Now that he had an opportunity, he certainly wouldn’t let it go. Thus, when others reached out to form an alliance, he did not refuse and joined forces with them.

"As you command, Crown Prince. This servant will relay the message at once and make the arrangements for tonight."

Xu Lianhua replied with his head lowered.

As the East Palace Chief Steward, he naturally wanted to continue rising in rank. But to do so, his only choice was to follow the Crown Prince.

One could say his power was directly tied to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince were to be deposed or meet with some other misfortune, he, the East Palace Chief Steward, would be finished as well.

Furthermore, his appointment as East Palace Chief Steward had been the choice of the powers backing the Crown Prince. Their interests were intrinsically aligned from the start.

"Good. Go and make the arrangements."

"Have those few come see me again before nightfall. We must all act together for this uprising. We cannot allow ourselves to be defeated one by one."

Crown Prince Yang Qian agreed, then spoke to Xu Lianhua about a confidential matter.

He did not speak very clearly, however. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Yes, Crown Prince."

But Xu Lianhua understood perfectly. He was in contact with all of these people. When it was inconvenient for Crown Prince Yang Qian to meet them, he would entrust the matters to him. Therefore, some things did not need to be spelled out.

These people either held military power, were high-ranking court ministers, or were the Crown Prince’s own relatives. They were all assets for his bid for the throne and the foundation for securing his imperial power later on.

He had no intention of letting what he had worked so hard to obtain be snatched away. After all, he wasn’t the only one planning to make a move. Those older Princes were all getting antsy.

This was especially true after they discovered the Old Emperor might be able to break through to become a National Guardian Martial Saint.

The Princes who were making a move all had their own factions and ambitions. They wanted that throne, because with its vast Cultivation Resources, they could use Elixirs to forcefully raise their Cultivation and increase their Lifespan.

That alone was enough to motivate these Princes to rebel. After all, while the Old Emperor was on the throne, he placed many restrictions on them. The Princes whose Cultivation broke through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm all vanished without a trace.

Under these circumstances, the other Princes naturally didn’t dare attempt a breakthrough to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm. Besides, the Cultivation Resources that came into their hands were scarce to begin with, making it even more difficult.

This multi-party cooperation involved the enticement of Cultivation Resources and an exchange of benefits, such as the Concentration Pill, an Elixir that aids in breaking through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm.

Even Crown Prince Yang Qian himself had to rely on the methods of the No-Life Evil Cult, along with other powers, to finally obtain a Concentration Pill. He was even punished by Emperor Yang Yu for it, but the ultimate impact wasn’t too severe, and he managed to mitigate it through other means.

However, this incident only intensified Crown Prince Yang Qian’s desire to sit on the throne of the Venerable Supreme.

’If not for the Old Emperor Yang Yu’s many restrictions, why would I have made such a choice? Now that I have a chance to take that throne, I certainly won’t give it up.’

Yang Qian watched Xu Lianhua leave, the desire in his eyes growing stronger. It was a desire for power, a desire to control the world, a desire that had been suppressed for many years.

"People of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, it is time for you to have a new Emperor. I am the true Venerable Supreme."

Yang Qian slowly spoke the words he had suppressed in his heart for years, a declaration of his intense desire.