The upheaval in the capital city of Shuangyue Cheng spread across the country at an astonishing speed.
An urgent dispatch, traveling eight hundred li, reached Princess Xinyue and Chu Chen in the Eastern Frontier within three days.
At this time, Chu Chen and Princess Xinyue were in Pingyang County, overseeing post-war reconstruction and the resettlement of citizens.
After reading the urgent military report, Chu Chen handed it to Princess Xinyue.
"An eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch. Don't tell me it's Mother urging me to return."
Princess Xinyue pouted, reluctantly taking the report and looking at it.
To her great surprise.
The contents made her gasp repeatedly.
"How can this be? The Prime Minister has actually rebelled!"
"The Prime Minister's true identity is the former Ninth Prince of Qin, the younger brother of the current Empress of Qin?"
Chu Chen, standing beside her, was also astonished by the explosive content of the report.
Damn it, I never expected this old fellow Chen Yuanliang to have such a background!
Xue Yun, that guy is indeed a good-for-nothing. So this is how he was dealt with. No wonder I can't even support him in the life simulator.
His head was taken by someone else, and it was never returned! He lost fair and square!
After reading the military report, Princess Xinyue panicked, "Xiao Chenzi, what do we do now?"
Chu Chen immediately replied, "We must rush to the capital to quell the rebellion! We must lead our troops back immediately!"
"Yes, I want to go back and save Mother!"
Princess Xinyue came to her senses, grabbed Chu Chen's arm, and said anxiously, "I don't understand military matters, Xiao Chenzi. It's all up to you this time. You must save Mother!"
"Your Highness, please rest assured. Please wait a moment. I will arrange matters in the Eastern Frontier, and then I will lead the troops with Your Highness to quell the rebellion and rescue His Majesty."
"Alright, hurry back!"
Princess Xinyue nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice.
Stepping out the door, Chu Chen did not immediately hand over his duties. Instead, he opened the Life Simulator.
[Simulation loading complete, protagonist: Chu Chen!]
[The upheaval in the imperial city has left Princess Xinyue at a loss, relying on you to lead her back to the army to quell the rebellion and save the Empress.]
[You hastily handed over your border defense duties, taking five thousand new recruits trained for only a week, your own troops, and Princess Xinyue, and began your march back to quell the rebellion.]
[Three days later, news of the successful suppression of the rebellion in Shuangyue Cheng reached you, and you decided to continue your return.]
[You met the Empress, who was safe and sound.]
[Due to the brilliant victory in the Eastern Frontier and the Prime Minister's rebellion, the Empress no longer trusts court officials and places more trust in you.]
[The Empress consults your opinion, and then orders you and Princess Xinyue to expand the army and select talents to fill the ranks of officials.]
[On October 15th, the struggle for the throne began, with four princesses attempting to interfere in court affairs and win you over.]
[The Empress secretly supports Princess Xinyue and you, and you gain some influence in court and more military power.]
[On October 20th, Prime Minister Chen Yuanliang fled back to his hometown and launched a larger-scale rebellion there.]
[You are ordered to lead Princess Xinyue to quell the rebellion.]
[...]
[You were betrayed and died at the age of twenty-five.]
[Obtained 40 points.]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully completing the life simulation. You can choose one of the following three rewards:]
[White-grade talent, Genius Commander: Slightly increases the obedience of the army commanded by the host.]
[Foundation Establishment Pill x1: Contains the spiritual energy required to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage of body refinement.]
[Purple-grade skill, Forced March: Greatly increases the marching speed of the army commanded by the host when activated.]
This time, my luck was pretty good, with a purple-grade item. But this Foundation Establishment Pill doesn't have a grade indicated, making it seem even better?
Seeing the purple skill, Chu Chen's first instinct was to choose it, but on second thought, he chose the Foundation Establishment Pill.
A pill, about the size of jelly, appeared in Chu Chen's hand.
"Is this a Foundation Establishment Pill? It looks more like jelly. I've never heard of anyone's pills looking like this."
Chu Chen examined it carefully, muttering to himself.
"I'll put it away for now. It's not the time to use it."
After storing the Foundation Establishment Pill in his Qiankun Ring, Chu Chen quickly summoned his generals.
Soon, the generals of the Eastern Frontier arrived. Chu Chen recounted the urgent military situation.
The generals below exclaimed repeatedly.
Chu Chen didn't have much time and quickly issued orders.
He instructed them to prepare a week's worth of dry rations for six thousand men and stressed the importance of Eastern Frontier defense.
Afterward, he found a room and took out the Foundation Establishment Pill.
"Although it doesn't look very reliable, I hope at least the taste isn't too bad."
Chu Chen hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth and swallowed the pill.
As soon as it entered his mouth, his tongue exerted slight pressure, and the pill turned into a liquid that flowed into his abdomen.
In just a moment, a large amount of spiritual energy surged from his abdomen and flowed into his meridians.
"Holy crap, there's too much spiritual energy!"
Chu Chen quickly sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and guided the spiritual energy within his body, circulating his True Essence Profound Art to begin cultivating.
Under Chu Chen's guidance, the abundant spiritual energy expanded and strengthened the meridians it flowed through.
This made Chu Chen's meridians thicker and more resilient than before.
After circulating for eighty-one cycles, there was still a large amount of spiritual energy left, surging unstoppably in his meridians.
Chu Chen had no choice but to follow the Foundation Establishment chapter of the True Essence Profound Art, guiding the spiritual energy into his lower abdomen to impact and open up his dantian.
An incense stick's time passed.
Chu Chen opened his eyes and looked at himself.
His skin, exposed outside his clothes, was covered in black mud, which were waste products generated by the spiritual energy remodeling his meridians.
Chu Chen circulated his spiritual energy, shaking off the mud, and then dusted his clothes, cleaning himself up simply.
"Hoo~"
"Is this the Foundation Establishment realm? I didn't expect that after opening up my dantian, I wouldn't need to actively meditate to absorb spiritual energy from the air anymore."
"It's truly a mature dantian, it's learned to fend for itself and automatically absorbs and refines spiritual energy from its surroundings!"
Chu Chen closed his eyes slightly, sensing the changes in his body.
He opened his eyes again, clenched his fist slightly, and felt that his strength and reaction speed had greatly increased.
Coupled with the dantian's automatic absorption of spiritual energy, the change in his strength was simply earth-shattering.
"I feel like I can kill at least ten of my previous selves now!"
"As expected of the Foundation Establishment realm, amazing!"
Chu Chen smiled with great satisfaction.
With greater strength, his chances of survival, whether on the battlefield or elsewhere, undoubtedly increased.
A moment later, Chu Chen suppressed his inflated emotions and muttered to himself, "My previous strength was about the same as that idiot Xue Yun. If he were still alive, I could probably kill him with one punch."
"But Xue Yun was just a general in the Imperial Guard. His strength is probably not the strongest in Yunyue Kingdom. My current strength is not enough to be arrogant, nor am I qualified to look down on everyone."
"I need to keep a low profile. With the system's help, I will eventually make a name for myself!"