Chapter 285: Refusing to Surrender the Dragon Bone, Clash of Arms!
Because these memorials all came from the border regions, various countries were mobilizing troops along the borders, accumulating strength and awaiting action, creating an extremely tense situation. Accompanying these memorials were diplomatic letters from various countries, all concerning the dragon bone.
In these letters, the rulers of various countries explicitly stated: the divine artifact, the dragon bone, is a treasure of the world and should belong to all people, not solely to the Great Wu Empire! If the dragon bone is not handed over, there will be a clash of arms!
The Empress immediately convened an emergency court meeting. During the meeting, her anger was palpable, “Esteemed ministers, various countries have sent diplomatic letters, demanding that our empire surrender the dragon bone, or else there will be war! This is utterly unreasonable and shameless, a logic of bandits!”
“The discovery of the dragon bone within our empire is a sign of heaven’s favor toward us. How can we possibly share it? But now, various countries have amassed troops at the borders, and the situation is extremely tense! Esteemed ministers, do you have any wise strategies?”
As the guardian of the dragon bone, Lin Beifan actively stepped forward and declared loudly, “Your Majesty, they are just bluffing and need not be taken too seriously!”
The Empress asked, “Minister, why do you say this?”
“Your Majesty, recall our previous battle against the Great Xia Empire! In that battle, we paid a minimal cost and defeated the Great Xia’s forces, capturing 600,000 soldiers and even their crown prince, Xia Tianqiong. We achieved an unprecedented glorious victory, showcasing the might of the Great Wu Empire and intimidating the entire world!”
“Under such circumstances, the various countries are actually afraid to act!”
“Firstly, the Great Xia Empire won’t dare to move! They have just suffered defeat, their morale is low, and they have no intention of engaging in another war. Another battle would result in their certain defeat! Moreover, the crown prince is in our hands. If they dare to act, we dare to kill!”
The Empress nodded, “Your explanation makes sense!”
“The Great Xia Empire won’t act, and neither will the Great Yan Empire! They fear that a defeat like the Great Xia’s would have severe consequences for them as well! Engaging in warfare between major powers is no trivial matter!”
The Empress nodded again, “You’re right!”
“Both major empires won’t act, and naturally, the smaller countries won’t dare to act either!” Lin Beifan smiled, “So, their bluster is mostly just empty threats. We mustn’t let them frighten us and cause chaos in our ranks!”
“But what if they actually come to attack?” an elder statesman asked.
“If they want to fight, then we will fight!”
Lin Beifan’s tone was resolute, “After obtaining reparations from the Great Xia Empire, our Great Wu Empire is well-stocked with provisions and abundant resources. We can completely sustain multiple battles! Moreover, we’ve just defeated the Great Xia Empire, and our morale is high. Why should we fear them?”
The passion of the court officials was ignited, “Indeed, we are well-supplied now, with high morale. Why should we fear their actions?”
“If they want a fight, we’re the Great Wu Empire, who should they fear?”
“We dare to fight; do they dare?”
…
Lin Beifan continued with impassioned words, “Your Majesty, the situation in our empire has just turned for the better, and the common people can finally enjoy good days! Under these circumstances, if they dare to fight, it means they are against the well-being of our citizens!”
“To oppose our citizens is to oppose the world. The world will support our empire and ensure victory in this battle! With such unity and determination, how can we not win?”
The court officials grew excited once again, “With our unity and solidarity, how can we not win?”
“We will fight and we will triumph!”
…
“The most crucial point is, we have the dragon bone!”
Lin Beifan’s face was flushed with excitement, “The dragon bone is within our empire. What does that indicate? It shows that the heavens favor us, that destiny is on our side, that the divine is with us! Even the heavens themselves stand with us. With this certainty, how can we fear? Let’s fight!”
“Want the dragon bone? Not just I, but the common people of the Great Wu Empire…”
Lin Beifan roared, “Will never agree!”
The court officials followed suit with their roars, “Will never agree!”
The momentum was overwhelming, shaking the heavens!
The Empress watched, her heart pounding. This guy’s skill at rallying people was getting stronger! Or perhaps, the benefits of the dragon bone were too great, tying together all interests in a resolute stand, refusing to retreat!
The Empress was also deeply stirred and exclaimed loudly, “Excellent! What you ministers have said is absolutely right! If they want war, then let there be war! We hold the dragon bone; the heavens are with us, and with unity, how can we not triumph?”
“Your Majesty is wise!” The court officials chorused.
Thus, the Great Wu Empire’s response swiftly reached various countries: If you want war, we are ready, but obtaining the dragon bone is absolutely impossible!
Observing the Great Wu Empire’s rapid mobilization of troops and their imposing stance, other nations’ courts refrained from hasty actions.
Just as Lin Beifan had said, the matters of war were not to be taken lightly. The present Great Wu Empire was no longer the same as before. The current Great Wu Empire had even defeated the flourishing Great Xia Empire, their momentum was high, and their supplies were ample.
With the dragon bone in hand and everyone from top to bottom united, their power was unprecedentedly strong. To defeat the present Great Wu Empire and seize the dragon bone, an exceedingly heavy price would have to be paid.
In the event of defeat, the losses would be even greater!
So, they changed their approach, inciting the martial artists from their own countries to go to the capital of the Great Wu Empire, aiming to seize the dragon bone. They hoped to muddy the waters and benefit from the chaos.
Consequently, the number of martial artists around the Dragon Observation Platform increased steadily. They hailed not just from the Great Wu Empire, but also from the Great Xia Empire, the Great Yan Empire, and other nations. They all stared intently at the massive dragon bone atop the platform.
“Is this the dragon bone? Its size is so immense, clearly not something ordinary!”
“Yes, this bone is bathed in holy light, causing flowers to bloom! Sometimes, divine rain falls, and springs gush forth. One can faintly hear the roar of a dragon… In all the world, is there any other divine artifact that can compare to this bone?”
“I’ve heard that this dragon bone possesses wondrous effects. Carrying it can turn misfortune into fortune, cure all ailments, and in crucial moments, save a person’s life! It might even grant… immortality, allowing one to ascend to the realm of the immortals!”
“These are all rumors! But there’s one thing that can be certain: someone has comprehended the grand Dao of heaven and earth from the dragon bone, greatly enhancing their martial arts!”
“Who? Who’s the lucky one?”
“It’s Lin Beifan, the Prefect who has been living by the dragon bone’s side! It’s a pity he’s a scholar, not skilled in martial arts; otherwise, he would have had the chance to learn supreme skills from the dragon bone and become a peerless hero of the world!”
“Ah, what a shame!”
…
Various experts were getting restless.
If it weren’t for the numerous experts guarding below the Dragon Observation Platform, they would have rushed to seize it.
Seeing this, Lin Beifan decided to give them a little stimulation.
His gaze turned towards various sects and clans, landing on a foolish-looking young monk. He chuckled, “Haha, it’s you!”
Lin Beifan activated the ‘Dao Heart Seeding Demon Art,’ and a surge of spiritual will descended upon the young monk.
“Misty purple qi, marrow cleansing through the Book of Changes, supreme yang heat…”
The young monk, dazed and confused, fell into enlightenment.
At that moment, a ray of sunlight descended from the sky, illuminating the young monk, making him appear incredibly dignified.
This wondrous scene astonished everyone.
“What… what is this?”
“What’s happening to Tianbao?”
“Why such a strange phenomenon?”
…
Lin Beifan walked over with a smile, “Esteemed masters, don’t panic! This young disciple seems to have… seems to have achieved enlightenment! He might have comprehended the mysteries of heaven and earth from the dragon bone!”
“Enlightenment!” Everyone was amazed again.
Although they had already learned from Lin Beifan that the dragon bone could bring about enlightenment and enhance one’s cultivation realm, seeing it happen before their eyes for the first time was truly astonishing!
It was indeed magical!
“Silence! Silence! Let’s not disturb Tianbao!” the chief abbot said loudly.
Everyone nodded, holding their breath, fearing to awaken him.
At that moment, an even more extraordinary scene unfolded.
The young monk’s aura began to rise, his inner strength grew increasingly robust. Finally, it seemed as though he broke through a barrier with a loud ‘bang,’ advancing to another level of strength!
The onlookers were immensely excited.
“He’s breaking through! He’s breaking through!”
“From ninth-grade martial artist to eighth-grade in one go! Such a rapid advancement!”
“The dragon bone, it can truly enhance one’s strength!”
…
In about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the young monk’s aura stabilized, and the holy light above his head disappeared.
He blinked his eyes dazedly, completely shocked by the scene before him.
He found himself surrounded by people, all of them gazing at him intently, as if they wanted to devour him.
Terrified, the young monk immediately hid behind the chief abbot of Shaolin and asked, “Master, what’s going on? Why is everyone looking at me? Is there something on my face?”
The chief abbot of Shaolin smiled benevolently, “Tianbao, don’t be afraid. Everyone is just concerned about you! Quickly tell your master what you experienced just now and why your strength broke through.”
Only then did the young monk realize that his strength had indeed unknowingly surged.
Before he could even feel happy about it, he noticed that everyone’s gaze became even more intense and greedy.
Shrinking his head, he trembled as he said, “Amitabha! The young monk doesn’t know what happened just now… At that time, the young monk was reciting the Heart Sutra, and suddenly, his mind went blank. A grand and majestic voice, as though from the heavens, resounded. It seemed like he was imparting the Dharma; the young monk unconsciously fell asleep! When the young monk woke up, he saw everyone!”
“What Dharma did he impart? Speak quickly!” someone urged.
Trembling, the young monk recited, “Misty purple qi, marrow cleansing through the Book of Changes, supreme yang heat…”
Though just a hundred or so characters, it led to profound realizations for the experts present, greatly exciting them.
“This is definitely an unparalleled supreme technique!”
“Even though it’s just a few characters, each word is like a precious gem. I’ve gained great insights!”
“The dragon bone can indeed aid in enlightenment!”
…
“What comes after? What’s next?” someone urged.
Terrified, the young monk shrank back and muttered in a low voice, “There’s nothing more. The young monk only remembers this much! Amitabha!”
“Little monk, are you deliberately hiding something?” someone questioned loudly.
The chief abbot of Shaolin stepped forward with full confidence, saying, “Even if he’s hiding something, so what? This was realized by my disciple of Shaolin and belongs to our Shaolin Temple. What does it have to do with all of you?”
“Chief abbot of Shaolin, that’s not right to say!”
“Although it was realized by your disciple of Shaolin, the technique was imparted by the dragon bone. It should belong to everyone present!”
“Are you trying to keep it all for Shaolin Temple?”
…
Seeing everyone arguing, the young monk was about to cry out of frustration, “There really isn’t anything more. A monk doesn’t lie!”
Seeing that the young monk seemed truthful, everyone felt disappointed.
Once again, they looked at the massive dragon bone beside them, their gazes even more eager than before!
The dragon bone could truly aid in enlightenment and enhance one’s strength!
