In the inner hall of the imperial palace, Wu Hao, after listening to Zi Yuan’s detailed report, slightly shook the jade cup in his hand, his eyes full of shock. “Golden dragon bloodline? Chen Ping actually has such a background? I originally thought he was just an outstanding loose cultivator, but I didn’t expect him to have such profound foundations!”
Zi Yuan bowed and replied. “Sovereign, Fellow Daoist Chen Ping not only has a noble bloodline, but his strength is also unfathomably deep.
After Commander Ao Lie dragonised and struck with full force, he was still defeated by him with chaos power. His true combat strength has probably reached the peak of the ninth rank of Earth Immortal realm, and may even touch the threshold of Human Immortal realm.”
Wu Hao suddenly stood up, pacing in the hall, unable to hide the excitement on his face. “Heaven helps my divine kingdom! With Chen Ping’s assistance, why worry about not retrieving the Thunder Sound Bell, why worry about not resolving the danger of the demon soul!”
He stopped his steps, his expression becoming solemn. “Zi Yuan, go immediately to invite Fellow Daoist Chen Ping to the imperial palace. I have important matters to discuss with him.
Additionally, issue an order to seal off the news that Chen Ping possesses golden dragon bloodline, only notify the core layer.
Now, the divine kingdom has internal worries and external troubles. If the news spreads too widely, it may cause unnecessary trouble, especially to guard against people from the divine hall and the prime minister’s side.”
“The minister obeys the decree.” Zi Yuan accepted the order and withdrew.
Not long after, Chen Ping followed Zi Yuan to the inner hall of the imperial palace.
Wu Hao personally stood up to welcome him, his attitude more respectful than before. “Fellow Daoist Chen, previously unaware that you bear the golden dragon bloodline, there was much neglect. Please forgive me.”
“The Sovereign is too polite.” Chen Ping cupped his hands in return. “Bloodline is merely innate endowment, true strength still requires postnatal tempering.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Hao appreciated it even more, quickly inviting Chen Ping to sit, and ordering immortal tea to be served, before slowly speaking. “Fellow Daoist Chen, I invited you here today to formally entrust the investigation of the Thunder Sound Bell matter to you. Now, inside and outside the divine capital, only you have the ability to shoulder this heavy responsibility.”
“If the demon soul in the Thunder Sound Temple breaks through the suppression, I’m afraid our divine kingdom will also suffer accordingly. At that time, the demon soul suppressed by our divine kingdom may also break through the taboo.”
He paused, took out a jade token engraved with divine patterns from his bosom, and handed it to Chen Ping. “This is the divine kingdom’s ‘Investigation Jade Token’. Holding this jade token, you can mobilise the divine kingdom’s secret agents’ forces and access confidential records inside and outside the divine capital.
Zi Yuan will assist you in the investigation. As for the imperial guards, Ao Lie has already submitted to you wholeheartedly, and you can dispatch them at any time.”
Chen Ping took the jade token, feeling warm and smooth in his hand. The divine patterns on the jade token faintly flowed, clearly an extraordinary magical artifact.
He did not expect that the sovereign of the divine kingdom would trust him so much, even allowing him to dispatch all the forces of the divine kingdom.
Chen Ping nodded and said. “Sovereign, rest assured, I will do my utmost to retrieve the Thunder Sound Bell. However, I wonder, regarding the collusion between the Evil Dao Hall and the Sixth Hall Master of the Divine Hall, how many clues does the divine kingdom currently have?”
“Not many clues.”
Wu Hao sighed, his expression solemn. “The Evil Dao Hall acts extremely secretly. The divine kingdom’s secret agents have investigated multiple times, but only touched some superficial aspects, not even determining the location of their main altar.
As for the Sixth Hall Master of the Divine Hall, although there are rumours that he has close dealings with the Evil Dao Hall, there is a lack of substantial evidence. The Divine Hall has immense power in the divine clan. If we act rashly without concrete evidence, it may trigger a conflict between the divine kingdom and the Divine Hall.”
“I understand.”
Chen Ping pondered. “Then, our first step can be to start investigating from inside the divine capital. The theft of the Thunder Sound Bell is confidential, not many people know about it. Perhaps we can find a breakthrough from the high-level officials of the divine kingdom. Additionally, regarding the Prime Minister mentioned by the Sovereign, I wonder about this person’s character?”
Upon hearing the words “Prime Minister”, Wu Hao slightly furrowed his brows. “The Prime Minister is named Liu Kun, who has followed the previous emperor for many years. He single-handedly controls the divine kingdom’s ‘National Guard Legion’, with over ten thousand troops, and formidable strength.
On the surface, he is loyal and devoted to the divine kingdom, but if speaking of complete trust, I dare not guarantee it. Liu Kun has an extremely strong desire for power. Over these years, he has won over many officials in the court, with his influence deeply rooted and intertwined. During your investigation, if you encounter his people, you need to be more vigilant.”
