Yang Guifei seemed to notice Chen Yuan's scrutiny, her gaze darkening slightly with a hint of gloom. She still felt a sting from his impudent rebuttal back then.

Their eyes met, and Chen Yuan grinned before quickly shifting his gaze to others. Beside Jingtai were several women dressed in palace attire.

The most prominent was a dignified woman in a bright yellow robe. Though not as strikingly beautiful as Yang Guifei, she possessed a comforting presence.

A gentle smile perpetually graced her face.

Her identity was, of course, self-evident.

She was the Empress, mother of the Second Prince, Sima You!

Also present was the First Prince's mother, another noble consort. She maintained a noticeable distance from Yang Guifei, seemingly harboring some animosity, and sat silently to Jingtai's side.

The eldest princess, Pingyang, along with the First Prince, Sima Qian, the Second Prince, Sima You, the Fourth Prince, Sima Ke, and other princes and princesses, stood obediently behind Jingtai.

Their eyes, however, curiously scanned the vast, dark sea of people.

It was clearly the first time they had witnessed such a grand spectacle.

Moreover, Chen Yuan also spotted his sister-in-law, Li Hongshuang, though she was standing quite far away.

This was undoubtedly a massive event, with hundreds of thousands of onlookers engulfing the vast Xiaoleiyin Temple.

The crowd was a cacophony of noise and chatter.

Yet, none seemed worried. In their eyes, the mere act of Eastern Ying dwarfs daring to provoke the Celestial Dynasty was an act of suicide. Most had come simply to witness the spectacle.

"Greetings, esteemed Divine Envoys."

Chen Yuan said calmly, clasping his hands in a respectful bow.

"Finished your tasks?"

Zhang Yantong examined Chen Yuan, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes. He sensed that Chen Yuan seemed different from their previous encounter, his aura significantly stronger.

Could it be that his cultivation had advanced again?

His guess was accurate. Chen Yuan's cultivation had indeed taken a significant leap, and this was with his aura partially suppressed; otherwise, it would be even more potent.

"Just some minor matters."

"That's good."

"Why are these Eastern Ying dwarfs suddenly so brazen here? Does Your Excellency know the inside story?" Chen Yuan found the arrogance of the Eastern Ying warriors today quite baffling.

After all, the disparity between the Central Plains and Eastern Ying was enormous, in terms of both quality and quantity. They were not even on the same level. What were they thinking?

Were they courting death?

"It's not that simple. Let's observe first." Zhang Yantong's expression was grave.

In fact, anyone with a bit of insight knew that if these Eastern Ying warriors dared to put on such a show, they must have come prepared. Jingtai had considered this before.

But he was swayed by the words of Sima Ke and some other officials. If he refused, he would inevitably incite public anger, and he also had considerable faith in the experts of the Central Plains.

After some deliberation, he agreed.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. Despite the winter chill, the onlookers felt no cold, eagerly anticipating a good show.

In the void, Ito Shinkoto watched the gathered crowd below, a faint smile playing on his lips.

This contest was, of course, not as simple as it seemed. Today's events would undoubtedly tarnish the imperial court's reputation. Jingtai's fury would be no small matter.

He had several real objectives this time. First and foremost, he wanted to secretly weaken the Great Jin's national fortune by exploiting its advantage as the capital.

A significant portion of national fortune came from the thoughts of the common people. If these people were disappointed, and the news spread, it would deal a blow to the already declining court, increasing the odds of Eastern Ying warriors successfully invading the Central Plains in the future.

Secondly, he wanted to use the power of the Sumeru Illusion to absorb the fortune of young masters, including that of the observing commoners. This was also the illusion's primary function.

It was similar to the longevity tablets they had previously set up in Qingyun Prefecture.

Thirdly, to gain fame!

To raise the reputation of Eastern Ying warriors, to place a mountain of pressure on the minds of Central Plains warriors, to let them know that the Central Plains was not the only place with experts, and that Eastern Ying's strength was not to be underestimated.

In some respects, they might even surpass the Central Plains.

In this way, the resistance that Eastern Ying warriors would encounter when integrating into the Central Plains in the future would be smaller. They believed that Central Plains warriors were just like Eastern Ying warriors, admiring strength.

As long as they displayed powerful strength and methods, they could attract many to join forces with Eastern Ying.

Furthermore, they wanted to spread the reputation of Ito Kazuto, his son, as the number one genius in Eastern Ying, throughout the Jianghu, making the power of the three major Eastern Ying families even more terrifying.

Fourthly, to join forces with the Buddhist sect.

The Buddhist sect wanted to cross the sea to the east and expand its influence to Eastern Ying, which could not be done without the help of the three major families. The three major Eastern Ying families, on the other hand, wanted to integrate into the Central Plains to await the opportunity.

This also required the help of the Buddhist sect. The two sides hit it off.

Even the successful creation of this Sumeru Illusion involved a lot of help from the Buddhist sect.

That was why the illusion was named Sumeru.

It came from an allusion: Sumeru hides mustard seeds, and mustard seeds contain Sumeru. Legend has it that Buddha has a mountain called Sumeru, like a Buddhist kingdom in his palm.

The Eastern Ying families wanted to deepen their relationship with the Buddhist sect even further, and the other party's purpose coincided with that of the Eastern Ying side.

Fifthly, and this was a bonus.

To cripple Chen Yuan!

This person had killed Yagyu Dual Blades, making the Yagyu family hate him. He had also single-handedly led the destruction of the longevity tablets in Qingzhou, frustrating many of Eastern Ying's plans.

They had long wanted to kill this person, but had never had the opportunity.

Therefore, after hearing that Chen Yuan had a feud with Sima Ke, the Eastern Ying envoys visited him and joined forces with him to expand their influence and establish a deeply rooted force in the capital.

This could not be done without Sima Ke's help. In fact, if there was an opportunity, they would not mind helping him ascend the throne in order to seek a greater future.

A mysterious and unfathomable Eastern Ying expert once said that the Central Plains would be in chaos.

This was their opportunity!!!

"Begin."

Jingtai gazed at Ito Shinkoto and said in a deep voice.

His majestic voice spread for tens of thousands of meters, like the murmuring of a deity.

"As you command!"

Ito Shinkoto cupped his hands in obeisance, then, with a flick of his sleeves, a golden ray descended from the sky, enveloping everyone's heads. It seemed like a small world.

But its true form was a jade seal.

This was the national seal of Eastern Ying, and only this object could condense such an illusion.

The jade seal hung in the void, emitting an invisible fluctuation.

Jingtai's gaze darkened, and his eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought.

The other Transcendent Realm experts also looked at the jade seal in the void with solemn expressions, their expressions gradually becoming grave. It was a treasure, definitely a treasure with unfathomable divine power.

In the distance, Ito Kazuto stepped through the air, returning to Eastern Ying attire, a strand of long hair fluttering in front of his forehead. His eyes slowly swept over the warriors below, and he said loudly:

"Ito Kazuto greets all fellow Daoists of the Central Plains. I am thirty-one years old this year, and I am praised by my peers in Eastern Ying as the number one genius. Originally, I wanted to invite warriors under the age of thirty-five in the Central Plains to compete with me and see the methods of the geniuses of the Central Plains.

However, I later learned that there seem to be few Heavenly Core experts under the age of thirty-five in the capital, which I deeply regret. My father then agreed with His Majesty,

If any of you fellow Daoists in the Central Plains can pass this illusion, this challenge will be called off. From then on, I will never dare to set foot in the Central Plains again. But if no one can pass this illusion, from then on, warriors of the Central Plains must not call us warriors of Eastern Ying dwarfs..."

His voice resounded nearby.

Below, there were dissatisfied voices:

"What difficulty is there in a mere illusion?"

"This general thinks that Eastern Ying has no other means, and has set up such a posture. It is extremely ridiculous."

Having broken through to the Core realm, they had already passed the heart demon tribulation of life and death. They did not think that any illusion was difficult. Could it be more difficult than the fear in a warrior's heart?

"That's right, today we will let you know that Eastern Ying is an uncivilized land outside the Central Plains and should be called a lowly dwarf."

Such voices rose and fell, eliciting bursts of laughter.

Even Jingtai's face showed a faint smile, seemingly not taking it seriously.

Ito Kazuto's face did not show any anger. He did not take it seriously and only found it extremely noisy. He felt how much disdain these Central Plains people had on their faces now.

They would be even more ashamed later.

He had indeed broken through this Sumeru Illusion, but he had only broken through it with the help of his predecessors, and even then, only one-third of the illusion's power was used.

Judging by himself, he felt that even if these warriors had unparalleled talent, it was impossible for them to pass.

This point had already been verified in Eastern Ying.

"If that's the case, then please enter the gate, esteemed experts of the Central Plains!"

As soon as he finished speaking, golden light condensed into a portal in the sky.

In the crowd, a young man in black armor walked step by step into the void. Although the Eastern Ying warriors did not have any harsh conditions,

Everyone knew that Transcendent Realm cultivators could not take action. Only warriors under the age of thirty-five could enter the formation and break through. This was the pride of the Central Plains warriors.

The appearance of the armored man immediately caused a commotion below.

"It's General Yu!"

"It's him!"

"It is said that he is one of the strongest geniuses in the military, and he has an extraordinary relationship with the Li family."

"I heard that his mother died when he was three years old, his father died when he was seven years old, and his whole family died when he was ten years old. He was the most famous jinx within a ten-mile radius. However, he later joined the army and became unstoppable. He is said to be a lone star. If he had not risen to prominence at a young age, he would have ranked higher on the Dragon Subduing List."

"With General Yu's presence, today's events will probably be completely resolved."

The First Prince, Sima Qian, said in a low voice:

"Father, General Yu has extraordinary talent and has a good chance of breaking through this barrier."

"Well, let's watch first."

"Ling Yu of the Myriad Longevity Camp will break through today!"

The armored man shouted in a low voice, echoing in the void. The next moment, he took a step and rushed straight into the Sumeru Illusion.

The projection inside was like a big screen, displayed in front of everyone.

As far as the eye could see, there was a high mountain, with endless steps shrouded in immortal mist. As soon as they entered, everyone saw that General Yu's originally calm expression turned solemn.

Then, General Yu began to climb the mountain. In front of everyone, General Yu passed dozens of steps, causing the people below to cheer. But soon, the cheers stopped abruptly.

Because General Yu's eyes suddenly revealed a hint of horror, and on the steps, his body suddenly fell short and knelt down. The next moment,

He spat out blood and fell from the void.

If someone hadn't caught him, he would have been seriously injured.

The face of General Yu, who fell from the void, still retained a look of horror, as if he had encountered some great terror.

The crowd was silent, and the faces of the cheering commoners and warriors were a little embarrassed.

From the time General Yu entered to the time he came out, it was only a short thirty breaths.

Then... he was defeated.

Although Jingtai's face still maintained a calm expression, a hint of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

After a moment of silence, there was even greater noise.

One person stepped out into the air and said:

"Wang Qi, the northern commander of the Sky Patrol Department, will break through today!"

In front of everyone, Wang Qi also stepped into the Sumeru Illusion, but the situation he encountered was very similar to that of General Yu. After stepping on dozens of steps,

His face suddenly became a little ferocious, and then he crashed down from the illusion.

"Sun Sheng, the western commander of the Sky Patrol Department, is here to break through!"

Another figure appeared and entered the Sumeru Illusion calmly.

His situation was different from the previous two. His face seemed to reveal a hint of enlightenment, and he slowly sat down cross-legged in front of everyone and recited a Buddhist prayer.

Jingtai's gaze suddenly turned to Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, his eyes gloomy.

He understood that the Buddhist sect was also involved this time.

Sun Sheng was defeated.

"Wang Chengen, the commander of the Northern Imperial City Division of the Imperial Surveillance Department, is here to break through."

This was one of Director Cao Zhengxian's capable aides. He also had good talent, but he was a little older, exceeding the limit of thirty-five,

But now, obviously no one was paying attention to this.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the eunuch in black.

He walked the farthest on the steps in the Sumeru Illusion, surpassing the others. He obviously lacked something, making him more single-minded.

But just when everyone had high hopes, Wang Chengen suddenly showed a mischievous smile, and then, as if he had been hit hard, he was expelled from the illusion.

Four battles, four defeats.

At this moment, the faces of the originally indifferent people of the capital were a little humiliated, and they no longer had the contempt and disdain they had before. This was definitely a great shame!

Some people even regretted coming here, unwilling to see the warriors of the Central Plains lose to the Eastern Ying dwarfs.

"If the government's lackeys can't do it, then let the Jianghu warriors fight."

A low shout resounded, and a young swordsman in green clothes walked forward with his sword. Before entering the Sumeru Illusion, he suddenly said loudly:

"Xu Jing, a disciple of Mount Shu, is here to break through!"

He was already over forty years old, and his cultivation was only the Transcendent Realm, but he was very unhappy to see the previous people fail.

Unfortunately, Xu Jing's end was not much better.

The number of steps he took was similar to the previous few, and a look of horror appeared on his face. His mind was injured, and he fell from the void.

"Xu Longxiang of Beiliang is here to break through!"

"Mo Dayou of the East China Sea is here to break through!"

"Zhao Zifeng of Changshan is here to break through!"

"Xing Daorong of Lingling is here to break through!"

"Bai Yuwei, an elder of the Goddess Palace..."

"Seven Mysteries Sect..."

Voices rose and fell, constantly echoing in the void. In addition to the previous government officials, the Jianghu warriors gathered nearby also rushed towards the Sumeru Illusion one by one.

Even the realm was no longer limited to the Core realm, and even the Innate warriors went.

However, Innate warriors who had not experienced the heart demon tribulation of life and death would be expelled from the Sumeru Illusion in less than ten breaths.

Unfortunately, no matter how many warriors rushed up, without exception, none of them could break through. The only difference was how long they could last inside.

The person who climbed the highest was the Beiliang warrior named Xu Longxiang, but he was only near the mountainside before he could not withstand the terror inside and was expelled from the Sumeru Illusion.

The faces of the people below became even more ugly, and a pessimistic atmosphere began to flow.

It seemed that they felt that no one could break through this barrier today. If that was the case, the face of the Central Plains warriors would be completely lost, and their previous arrogant and contemptuous behavior made them feel ashamed.

Of course, the most ashamed was the imperial court.

The faces of the civil and military officials and the concubines of the harem were very ugly.

They had originally wanted to watch the fun, but they had lost face instead.

This was in front of everyone's eyes, and the imperial court's face was completely lost!

Jingtai's gaze became more and more gloomy, and a don't-come-near aura lingered around him, making Sima Ke's heart extremely frightened. He knew that he had caused a big trouble this time.

He now only hoped that Ito Kazuto would keep his word and let him break through, otherwise...

The consequences were unimaginable.

At the same time, he also regretted it a bit. He should not have acted rashly and joined forces with these Eastern Ying warriors. He would never have thought that these Eastern Ying warriors would make the imperial court so embarrassed.

In stark contrast, Ito Shinkoto in the void had a faint smile on his face, as if he had everything under control.

Central Plains warriors fell like dumplings, and the expression on Jingtai's face became even more ugly.

Sima Ke took a deep breath and forced himself to say:

"Father, today's situation can probably only be resolved by Chen Yuan, Chen Qingshi."

He had already reached this point and could not give up halfway. He had to lure Chen Yuan into the Sumeru Illusion, otherwise he would suffer too much loss if he angered his father.

He did not believe that these Eastern Ying warriors would really dare not give the imperial court face. Did they not want to leave the Central Plains safely?

Hearing Sima Ke's voice, Jingtai snorted lightly. He was very dissatisfied with this son, who was actually colluding with Eastern Ying warriors. It was simply treasonous.

His unhappy expression was noticed by Yang Guifei, who glanced at Sima Ke with worry and said:

"Your Majesty, what Ke'er said makes sense. Now we should let Chen Yuan try. Isn't he known as the number one genius in the Central Plains for a hundred years? He has also defeated all the heroes in the world and reached the top, making his name famous all over the world. I believe he will not disappoint Your Majesty."

Jingtai pondered for a moment, nodded, and said in a low voice to Cao Zhengxian:

"Summon Chen Yuan forward!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey."

Cao Zhengxian glanced at Chen Yuan, who was talking to a government official. He stared for a moment. Today, either Chen Yuan would once again make his name famous and be more valued by His Majesty,

Or it would be the moment when the pride of heaven fell into the valley...

"Chen Yuan will definitely be able to share Your Majesty's worries by breaking through the barrier." Yang Guifei continued to praise.

Of course, she did not want Chen Yuan to succeed, nor did she think he could succeed. She just wanted to raise His Majesty's expectations of him.

If he failed, then naturally...

The two of them planned to use this opportunity to set a trap for Chen Yuan.

Of course, Jingtai would not be unaware of this. He asked lightly:

"I heard that Chen Yuan rebuked you at Chunhua Palace before?"

The smile on Yang Guifei's face suddenly froze.

——————

Don't raise the book!!!!

I recommend a good urban business book to everyone.

This chapter may be a bit of a title party. If you think it's bad, I'll broadcast my apology in the group!