Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor
Chapter 336: Three hundred and thirty-six still can’t open it

Chapter 336: Three hundred and thirty-six still can’t open it

If Yu Shu still chose to make excuses for Yun Xiao in such a situation, it would really be adding fuel to the fire. Even though the Jade Pot Sect might not necessarily fear the Royal Family, this place is the Imperial Palace, after all. He alone could hardly fight off many with just two fists.

Besides, not to mention the other powerful members of the Royal Family, even this seemingly aged King Xuan Haoran in front of him, Yu Shu might not be able to defeat. Therefore, at this moment, he could only swallow his anger, scheming for a future opportunity.

"Yan Yong, Teacher Yan, I, the Crown Prince, offer you a chance to offset your faults with merits. If you can capture Yun Xiao or kill him, then today’s matter shall end here. Otherwise... you know the consequences!"

Seeing Yu Shu with a gloomy expression remaining silent, Xuan Jiuding had a satisfied smile on his face. However, as he continued speaking, his tone gradually became colder, making the Yan brothers shiver with dread as they bowed and accepted the command.

Until these individuals emerged from the Treasure Vault, the many guests had vaguely understood some of the situation. And when they learned through various channels that the lost item from the Royal Family was actually the Xuanyue Celestial Mirror, everyone couldn’t help but inhale a breath of cold air.

"That Yun Xiao lad, he truly has some nerve. After this incident, I’m afraid the Royal Family won’t let it go easily, right?"

"Hehe, not just ’not let it go easily,’ I’m afraid this will cause a complete fallout between the Royal Family and the Jade Pot Sect!"

"I originally thought that Yun Xiao was a genius, turns out he’s actually a blockhead."

"Indeed, no normal person would do such a thing!"

"Tsk tsk, a Xuan Kill Order, it’s been years since one of those has appeared!"

"He’s brought this upon himself, there’s no living through this!"

"..."

There was a burst of discussion among the guests, it seems they all knew about King Xuan Haoran issuing the Xuan Kill Order, and they all began to mock and ridicule Yun Xiao.

Among these guests, many had seen Yun Xiao’s performance in the Moon Embracing Hall. At that time, Yun Xiao had given Li Yue a setback and uttered some nonsensical words, which gave the disciples of the Luoyi Sect endless hope. Truly, he had made quite a stir.

But who would have thought that before the night was over, the disciple who had made such a big fuss turned out to be the Treasure Thief who had stolen the Royal Treasure. And moreover, a Xuan Kill Order, unseen for many years, was issued. Indeed, life is unpredictable.

Among the present guests, not all were on good terms with the Jade Pot Sect, and their comments were not devoid of schadenfreude. To see such a mighty sect humbled was indeed a delight for many.

Li Yue of the Qingshan Sect was excited, turning his head and saying, "Teacher, with the Xuan Kill Order issued, as long as Yun Xiao dares to stay in the Xuanyue Empire, I’m afraid he’ll find no place to hide, neither in heaven nor on earth!"

As Li Yue spoke, he couldn’t help but clench his right fist as if the pain was still there. Now, he had a feeling of exacting great vengeance. That kid who had embarrassed him at Moon Embracing Hall had finally paid a heavy price.

"Hmph, having offended the Royal Family, I’d like to see how the Jade Pot Sect can continue to strut around in front of our Qingshan Sect after this."

Li Feng’s thoughts were undoubtedly on a higher level. He believed that after this incident, the Jade Pot Sect would inevitably become enemies with the Royal Family, which was doubtlessly a huge opportunity for them, an opportunity to replace the Jade Pot Sect.

"Little Yue, immediately send the order down, let our Qingshan Sect’s branch in Baiyue City start operating at once. The moment you discover Yun Xiao’s whereabouts, don’t hold back; this is a great opportunity to get closer to the Royal Family."

It must be said that Li Feng was indeed a decisive and ruthless individual, who would not miss such an opportunity. The Qingshan Sect was one of the three major sects of the Empire, and it was impossible for them not to have a branch in the Imperial City.

It is believed that with such a large sect pursuing him, Yun Xiao’s path to escape will undoubtedly become much narrower, and perhaps he might not even make it out of the Imperial City before being torn to pieces.

Compared to the two master and disciple on this side, the Sect Leader of the Luoyi Sect, Jia Yi, frowned somewhat unexpectedly and said, "That Yun Xiao lad is indeed a troublemaker. Now that things have turned out this way, how can we still help you control your body?"

"Teacher, do you really believe Yun Xiao can relieve my suffering?" Liu Hanyi appeared rather calm. Perhaps she had never had much hope to begin with. After all, Yun Xiao’s Cultivation and his Meridian Refining Technique were both somewhat lacking.

"Whether I believe it or not, we still have to try. Treating a dead horse as if it’s alive, you know," Jia Yi, staring at a certain spot where Yu Shu silently left the Royal Family, started speaking without much thought.

"Teacher, that metaphor..." Hearing this, Liu Hanyi felt somewhat embarrassed, but she knew her teacher had always been like this and didn’t take it to heart.

"Alas, with the issuing of the Xuan Kill Order, that Yun Xiao lad is inescapable doom. My poor Hanyi!" Jia Yi turned her head, stroked her precious disciple’s shoulder, and sighed deeply.

To be honest, although Jia Yi had some doubts that Yun Xiao could truly alleviate Liu Hanyi’s pain, she truly cherished this disciple and didn’t want to let go of any sliver of hope.

But now, with the issuance of the empire’s first pursuit order, the Xuan Kill Order, Yun Xiao basically had no chance of survival. Not only would the Royal Family hunt Yun Xiao down without mercy, but even some sects and families eager to curry favor with the Royal Family would likely capture Yun Xiao to claim credit.

How could a young man in the late stages of the Meridian Rushing Realm evade so many overt and covert dangers? Jia Yi really couldn’t think of a way. Perhaps the next news they would receive about Yun Xiao would be of his killing or capture.

Let’s not talk about those foreign guests who after a period of discussion dispersed on their own, nor mention that King Xuan Haoran of the Xuanyue Country was sulking over the loss of the Xuanyue treasure. Among them, there was a person who was probably the most excited, as he was the biggest winner of tonight’s incident.

This person was none other than the current Crown Prince of the Xuanyue Empire, Xuan Jiuding. While his plan had the minor flaw of Yun Xiao’s escape, it was still largely successful, achieving his most important goal at the very least.

The present Xuan Jiuding had already returned to his palace, and in front of him on a large wooden table, lay an old wooden box.

This wooden box was forcibly taken from Jade Pot Cave by Xuan Zhi and Yan Chun. Previously, Xuan Jiuding used countless methods but still could not open it.

Whether it was the wooden box itself or the strangely black lock, they both seemed to be made from an extremely special material. Xuan Jiuding even damaged several advanced spiritual weapons without leaving the slightest mark on them.

After being reminded by Xuan Zhi, Xuan Jiuding stopped making futile attempts, realizing that the black key in Yun Xiao’s hands was the crucial key to unlocking this wooden box.

Unfortunately, Xuan Jiuding had originally intended to use his identity to make Yun Xiao hand over the key voluntarily. He had not expected the boy to be so stubborn, forcing him to resort to such an extreme measure.

But the strategy was very successful. When Xuan Jiuding looked at the black lock of the wooden box with a black key inserted, all the unhappiness vanished in an instant, replaced by intense excitement.

If he had simply obtained the wooden box and opened it, Xuan Jiuding might not have been so excited. After all, the harder something is to come by, the more precious it feels.

The object inside this wooden box went through many twists and turns, almost ruining Xuan Jiuding’s plan. It was only now, having finally secured the black key, that he was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Xuan Jiuding even chose to overlook the mistakes made by the Yan brothers, secretly commending Yan for his timely intervention, attacking Yun Xiao just as he inserted the key into the lock but before he could open the box.

As such, Xuan Jiuding would undoubtedly be the first person to see what was inside the wooden box. As the Crown Prince and future ruler of Xuanyue Country, he strived to be first in everything he did, even such an unconventional victory.

"Let this Crown Prince see just what remarkable thing lies within this wooden box!"

With these thoughts crossing his mind, Xuan Jiuding let out an excited voice and immediately reached out eagerly, grabbing the black key.

"Hmm?"

However, at the next moment, the excitement on Xuan Jiuding’s face disappeared instantly, replaced by a thick anger, because no matter how he twisted, the key simply wouldn’t budge.

Though the key didn’t break into two when touching the black lock as other weapons did, the fact that the key wouldn’t turn meant that the black lock couldn’t be opened, and Xuan Jiuding wouldn’t be able to access the content of the wooden box.

From great disappointment to immense hope, then to hope being shattered in an instant, one can only imagine the fluctuations of his emotions.

After all this effort, even risking exposure of his true nature to his father, he finally got the black key, only to find that it still couldn’t open the black lock. How could Xuan Jiuding reconcile with this?

"Clearly it is this key, so why won’t it open? What exactly is the reason?"

An irate Xuan Jiuding, while forcefully twisting the black key, let out an angry roar, but no matter how hard he tried, both the key and the black lock didn’t move an inch.

As Xuan Jiuding said, the black key and the lock seemed to fit perfectly, and anyone could see that they were extremely well-matched.

But why wouldn’t such a well-matching key and lock open?

Xuan Jiuding was perplexed. It seemed he was close to realizing something, but it was too vague and unclear, making him increasingly frustrated.

At this time, everything Xuan Jiuding had done seemed like a joke. All plans seemed extremely successful, only to fail at the last step. This feeling was the most frustrating.

And as for Yun Xiao, a disciple of the Jade Pot Sect, and the person involved in this matter, he was currently facing a dreadful danger. Even though he managed to escape the Royal Family, under the Xuan Kill Order, he probably couldn’t escape Baiyue City of the Xuanyue Empire’s Imperial City.