It was during the reign of Emperor Yinglie, the first major counterattack launched by the Senate. In that conflict, the senators fully displayed their might, crushing every ounce of resistance from the imperial family. Tens of thousands of elite imperial troops were wiped out overnight. The thirty-six most prestigious branches of the royal lineage were slaughtered nearly to extinction, leaving their lands desolate and uninhabited.
In the end, the steward senator, bloodshot and frenzied, led the senators charging into the imperial palace.
Qin Feng and the old sword saint stood alone, holding off the senators from stepping onto the golden steps of the palace.
But in the end, Emperor Yinglie had no choice but to compromise. Before the morning sun could shine upon the golden roof tiles of the palace, he declared the thirty-six royal branches as traitors, decreeing their complete eradication. The senators, credited with protecting the throne, gained even more power and resources.
It was the most painful defeat in Emperor Yinglie’s life. All his ambitions crumbled before the terrifying might of the Senate, proving utterly fragile. Had it not been for the desperate resistance of Qin Feng and the old sword saint, the ruler of the empire would have changed that very night.
Yet even in defeat, Emperor Yinglie’s will did not wane. The seeds of a second rebellion began sprouting the very next day. Although he had declared the thirty-six royal branches as traitors, he had not abandoned those loyal descendants.
Under the secret arrangements of the Wise AI King and the Merchant Guild, many surviving members of the royal family were smuggled away aboard merchant ships to an extremely secluded location. These individuals became the sparks of resistance, hidden flames destined to ignite in the future.
Along with them were transported numerous scrolls and records. This collection was the only victory Emperor Yinglie’s side had achieved during the rebellion of the thirty-six royal branches.
On that day, the Senate had poured out of their mountain stronghold, slaughtering across the city. One royal branch seized the opportunity to counterattack the Senate stronghold. Surprisingly, they managed to break through the weak defenses and storm into the Senate, seizing a large collection of cultivation manuals secretly hoarded by the senators. Although this branch was completely wiped out in the latter half of the night, these cultivation manuals were preserved.
After the unification by the Supreme Immortal Sect, the Senate was established, and all cultivation techniques across the realm were confiscated. Since then, cultivation sects had become extremely rare throughout the universe, with the majority of cultivation manuals locked away within the Senate.
The cultivation treasures seized this time were extremely precious. Emperor Yinglie understood deeply that with these manuals, the next rebellion would no longer be as feeble as that fateful night.
Thus, dozens of surviving royal descendants, together with the treasure trove of cultivation manuals, were sent to the edge of the Milky Way. These individuals became the foundation upon which the Hidden Dragon Pavilion was built.
Over the next twenty years, Emperor Yinglie used the Merchant Guild as his extended hand, selecting the most gifted youths across the universe to be sent into the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, where they trained in various cultivation techniques. Over decades, they cultivated a large number of Saint Domain experts. Though their strengths varied, these individuals were capable of challenging ordinary senators.
This was the ace hidden in Emperor Yinglie’s sleeve, the fundamental safeguard he would never lightly reveal unless absolutely necessary.
“Impossible!” Emperor Yinglie roared. “The Hidden Dragon Pavilion has been so deeply concealed and has never surfaced before. How could the Senate have found out about it?”
Qin Feng stood respectfully: “Your Majesty, in recent years, to resist the aggressive advances of the Ten Sword Streams, we have continuously drawn upon members from the Hidden Dragon Pavilion to reinforce the Imperial Guards and Merchant Guild military forces. Some traces have inevitably been left behind.”
Emperor Yinglie remained silent.
“Your Majesty!” suddenly spoke Lan Ling. “Before arriving here, the Merchant Guild seemed to have sent a message indicating that contact with certain individuals has been lost for a month.”
Emperor Yinglie and Qin Feng were both deeply shaken.
“Those people?” Qin Feng’s eyes flared.
“Those people,” Lan Ling continued calmly. “This is a message from the Merchant Guild, meant specifically for Yang Hao. It indicates that a secret force is being hunted by the Senate, though it mentions nothing about the Hidden Dragon Pavilion.”
Prior to this, Lan Ling had no knowledge of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, nor did Xie Fengting or Yang Hao. They might have known that the Merchant Guild and the Emperor possessed some Saint Domain experts, but they were unaware of their numbers, strength, or the origins of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion.
“Do not panic,” Emperor Yinglie said after a moment’s thought. “Until we confirm the Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s exposure, we must not lose our composure ourselves. Otherwise, we will only offer the Senate an opportunity to strike.”
Suddenly, Qin Feng looked up. The pale gray barrier did not block the glow of the artificial moon, and the vastness of space stretched as if within reach.
The three golden dragon illusions orbiting Earth still circled the planet’s trajectory. Would this dazzling cosmic spectacle continue for another few centuries?
As Qin Feng and Emperor Yinglie gazed anxiously into the night sky, deeper in the universe, in an unknown star system, the battle was far fiercer than imagined.
The decisive battle between Saint Domain experts unfolded as planetary-scale warfare. Each planet, defended by just a few Saint Domain experts, could form a defensive line capable of engaging the senators in a final showdown.
The Hidden Dragon Pavilion, having accumulated strength for twenty years, unleashed a desperate force that surpassed even Wu Yi’s expectations. The Senate had deployed its full might this time—three hundred senators in total, representing the greatest number of top experts in the universe over the past century—yet they still could not break through.
The Hidden Dragon Pavilion was well-prepared for defense. Using stars as their foundation and stars as energy sources, they established seven layers of defense. Thanks to their long-established defensive infrastructure, they had fiercely resisted the three hundred senators for a month and still managed to hold their ground.
However, the star system housing the Hidden Dragon Pavilion had already been surrounded by several family armies, under relentless assault from the senators. They had long since lost contact with the imperial capital. Now, the Saint Domain experts of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion were like broken-kite warriors, cut off from any support.
Standing before the large screen on the command ship, Wu Yi was not very accustomed to such high-tech devices. With the power of a steward senator, he could easily traverse space without needing a spaceship.
Displayed on the monitor was the ongoing battle in the Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s star system. After a month of fighting, the senators had only managed to tear through two defensive layers. Yet the closer they approached the core, the more formidable the defenses became, and the more enemy forces emerged.
Looking at the flashes of battle lighting up over twenty planets, Wu Yi couldn’t help but feel alarmed. He had truly not expected that a spark not extinguished twenty years ago would now have grown into a raging inferno reaching the heavens.
Fortunately, they had discovered it early. Otherwise, had they waited a few more years, even with the Senate’s full strength, victory might no longer have been certain.
The other seven steward senators stood behind Wu Yi. Tian Ce, the Elder Strategist, had the darkest expression. This so-called sage, famed for calculating every move under heaven without fail, had not foreseen such a scenario.
“Judging from the battle situation, it will at least take another month,” complained Hei Feng, clearly impatient. “I wonder how things are going on Chi Ball. Can the old ghost still control the dragon in the palace?”
That was the first counterattack by the Senate during the reign of Emperor Yinglie. In that struggle, the senators displayed their full might, ruthlessly crushing all resistance from the imperial family. Tens of thousands of elite troops were annihilated overnight, and the thirty-six most direct branches of the royal lineage were slaughtered to the point of desolation.
In the end, the enraged Chief Senator led the senators in storming the imperial palace. Qin Feng and the Old Sword Saint stood alone, blocking the senators from ascending the golden steps.
But ultimately, Emperor Yinglie had no choice but to compromise. Before the sun’s rays touched the yellow tiles of the palace, he declared all thirty-six royal branches as traitors, condemning them to extermination. Meanwhile, the senators were rewarded for their “loyalty,” gaining even more power and resources.
It was the most devastating defeat of Emperor Yinglie’s life. All his grand ambitions crumbled before the terrifying might of the Senate. Were it not for Qin Feng and the Old Sword Saint’s desperate defense, the empire’s ruler would have changed hands that very night.
Yet, even in defeat, Emperor Yinglie’s fighting spirit remained unbroken. The seeds of his second rebellion were sown the very next day. Though he had branded the thirty-six branches as traitors, he never abandoned these loyal descendants.
Under the secret arrangements of the Wise King and the Merchant Guild, some surviving royal heirs were smuggled away by merchant ships to an extremely hidden location. Over the next two decades, these individuals became the embers of rebellion—hidden sparks waiting to ignite.
Along with them, a vast collection of archives was also transported. These documents were the only tangible victory Emperor Yinglie had secured during the massacre of the thirty-six royal branches.
That night, when the Senate’s forces descended upon the capital in full force, one royal branch launched a daring counterattack on the Senate’s stronghold. Against all odds, they breached the lightly guarded Senate Hall and seized a trove of secretly hoarded cultivation manuals. Though this branch was exterminated by dawn, the manuals remained intact.
After the Supreme Immortal Sect unified the realm and established the Senate, they confiscated all cultivation techniques across the cosmos. As a result, very few cultivation sects remained, and most manuals were stored within the Senate’s vaults.
The recovered manuals were of immeasurable value. Emperor Yinglie knew that with these texts, the next rebellion would not be as feeble as that fateful night.
Thus, dozens of surviving royal heirs, carrying these precious manuals, were sent to the edge of the galaxy. They became the foundational stones of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion.
Over the next twenty years, Emperor Yinglie used the Merchant Guild as his proxy, scouring the universe for the most talented youths to train within the Hidden Dragon Pavilion. There, they cultivated using the stolen manuals. Decades of effort yielded a formidable force—numerous Saint-level experts, each capable of rivaling an ordinary senator.
This was Emperor Yinglie’s trump card, his last resort—a force he would never reveal unless absolutely necessary.
“Impossible!” Emperor Yinglie snapped. “The Hidden Dragon Pavilion is buried so deep, never once revealed to the world. How could the Senate know of it?”
Qin Feng stood with hands clasped. “Your Majesty, in recent years, to counter the aggressive advances of the Ten Sword Sect, we’ve repeatedly drawn personnel from the Hidden Dragon Pavilion to reinforce the Imperial Guards and the Merchant Guild’s forces. Some traces may have been left.”
The emperor fell silent.
“Your Majesty!” Lan Ling suddenly spoke. “While outside, the Merchant Guild relayed a message—they’ve lost contact with ‘those people’ for a month.”
Both Emperor Yinglie and Qin Feng stiffened.
“Those people?” Qin Feng’s eyes sharpened.
“Those people,” Lan Ling repeated calmly. “The Merchant Guild only wished to inform Yang Hao that a secret force is being hunted by the Senate. They made no mention of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion.”
Before this, Lan Ling had known nothing of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion—nor had Xie Fengting or Yang Hao. They might have suspected the emperor and the Merchant Guild possessed Saint-level experts, but they had no idea of their numbers, strength, or origins.
“We must not panic,” Emperor Yinglie murmured after a moment of contemplation. “Until we confirm the Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s exposure, we cannot afford to falter. Otherwise, the Senate will seize the opportunity.”
Qin Feng suddenly looked up. The pale gray barrier in the sky did not obscure the glow of the artificial moon, and the vastness of the cosmos stretched before them like an open book.
The three golden dragon phantoms encircling Earth still traced their celestial paths. Would this magnificent cosmic spectacle endure for centuries more?
As Qin Feng and Emperor Yinglie gazed somberly at the night sky, far deeper in the cosmos, on an unnamed star system, the battle raged far more fiercely than imagined.
The decisive clash between Saint-level experts was waged on a planetary scale. A handful of such experts on any given world could form a defensive line, engaging the senators in a fight to the death.
The Hidden Dragon Pavilion, having accumulated strength for twenty years, unleashed a desperate fury that even surpassed Wu Yi’s expectations.
The Senate had deployed its full elite force—three hundred senators, representing the universe’s top experts over the past century. Yet, they could not break through.
The Hidden Dragon Pavilion had long mastered its defenses. Using star clusters as fortresses and drawing power from suns, they had erected seven layers of defense. Relying on long-prepared fortifications, they held firm against the three hundred senators for an entire month.
Yet, the star system housing the Hidden Dragon Pavilion was now encircled by several family fleets, and the senators’ relentless assaults had severed all communication with the imperial capital. The Saint-level experts of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion were now like kites with cut strings—isolated, with no hope of reinforcement.
Wu Yi stood before the command ship’s main screen, uneasy with such high-tech devices. As a Chief Senator, he could traverse the cosmos unaided by ships.
The monitor displayed the battle unfolding in the Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s star system. A month of fighting had only breached two defensive layers. The closer they pushed to the core, the stiffer the resistance became—and the more enemy forces emerged.
Watching the radiant clashes across twenty-odd planets, Wu Yi felt a chill. He had never imagined that a spark left unextinguished twenty years ago would today blaze into an inferno.
Thankfully, they had discovered it early. A few more years, and even the Senate might not have prevailed.
The seven other Chief Senators stood behind Wu Yi. Among them, Grand Strategist Tian Ce wore the darkest expression. The man famed for leaving no contingency uncalculated had failed to foresee this.
“At this rate, the fighting will last another month,” Black Wind Senator grumbled impatiently. “I wonder how things fare on Chi Qiu. Can the old ghost keep the dragon in the palace leashed?”
“The Thirty-Six Ghost Veil Formation—even we cannot break it. Why worry?” Wu Yi smiled cryptically. “Besides, this battle is already won.”
Wu Yi had long seen the truth. Though the Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s defenses were formidable, they were still on the backfoot. The Senate’s assaults came in relentless waves, bolstered by the family fleets’ artillery. Coordinated attacks had already shifted the battlefront within the third defensive layer.
The Senate’s encirclement tightened, poised to deliver the killing blow. Meanwhile, the Hidden Dragon Pavilion would receive no reinforcements—not even the simplest message could escape.
Wu Yi had long since assessed the situation clearly. Although the Hidden Dragon Pavilion’s defenses were strong, they were still on the defensive. Meanwhile, the Senate’s attacks came in relentless waves, supported by the firepower of family warships. With this coordinated assault, the battle had begun to shift noticeably as they approached the third defensive layer.
The Senate’s encirclement had already tightened, ready to deliver the most decisive blow at any moment. Meanwhile, the Hidden Dragon Pavilion could expect no reinforcements whatsoever—not even a simple message could be sent out.
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