Emperor Yuanjing was the first to be affected, collapsing under the powerful wave of energy. The high platform shook violently, causing the ancestral tablets to topple over.

Sacrificial offerings and ritual vessels were scattered across the ground, with flying debris partially striking Emperor Yuanjing.

Chaos erupted instantly. The patrolling Imperial Guards quickly tightened their formation and rushed towards Sang Lake.

The Watchmen stationed by the lake hurried to protect the royal family and officials.

“Assassins! Protect His Majesty!”

“Protect the Empress! Protect the Princess!”

“Protect the Prime Minister!”

Shadows flashed as the ten Golden Gongs from the Watchmen’s Office, experts from the Five Guards of the Imperial Army, and masters from the royal clan sprang into action. In a mere instant, dozens of high-ranking martial artists took to the air, landing on the high platform and winding corridors, forming a tight protective circle around Emperor Yuanjing.

The commotion lasted only for a brief moment, as the sword energy that had split the sky quickly dissipated and the lake waters returned to calm.

There were no assassins. As the disturbance settled, everything remained stable with no casualties or suspicious individuals in sight.

Wei Yuan, the head of security for the sacrificial ceremony, strode along the winding waterside corridor and climbed the high platform. He bowed deeply and said:

“This humble official has failed in his duty and deserves death.”

By now, Emperor Yuanjing had regained his composure, though the serene aura of a cultivator that had graced his features earlier had completely vanished after this incident.

He was no longer the Daoist who had practiced cultivation for over two decades, but rather the formidable emperor wielding supreme authority.

Emperor Yuanjing spoke in a deep voice, “Everyone, withdraw from the sacrificial platform. Do not approach.”

All the high-ranking martial artists, including Wei Yuan, stood up and complied.

Emperor Yuanjing straightened his attire, brushed off the dust from his dragon robe, and with a solemn expression, pushed open the temple doors and entered.

…

By the willow tree, Xu Qi An, who had shouted earlier, no longer heard the eerie cries for help. As time passed, his mind stabilized, though his head still throbbed from the aftermath of the trauma, it was no longer as unbearable as before.

It was then that he had the presence of mind to observe his surroundings.

His colleagues had long since departed, forming a protective circle around the officials, royal family, and clan members on the shore.

The high platform was deserted, but the winding corridors were filled with high-ranking martial artists, led by Wei Yuan.

Emperor Yuanjing was nowhere to be seen.

What surprised Xu Qi An the most was that the temple rumored to house the divine sword now had a large hole in its roof where the beam had broken.

Had something gone wrong with the ancestral worship? Had Sang Lake’s secret resurfaced?

These thoughts flashed through Xu Qi An’s mind as he pressed his throbbing head and moved toward the main group.

Due to his status as a Watchman, he wasn’t stopped.

“What’s wrong with you?” Song Tingfeng scrutinized his new colleague. “How are you feeling?”

Song Tingfeng didn’t connect the anomaly at Sang Lake with Xu Qi An’s earlier unusual behavior.

It was like not associating a weakling’s roar with a magnitude 10 earthquake.

“I’ve been training too hard these past few days and experienced some backlash,” Xu Qi An offered a plausible explanation, then continued, “Fortunately, I’ve recovered now. By the way, what happened just now?”

“I don’t know,” Song Tingfeng shook his head, scanning the surroundings vigilantly while speaking in a low voice:

“The Yongzhen Shanhe Temple exploded, and a sword energy burst out from inside, causing the entire Sang Lake to boil as if there was an earthquake. But from the looks of it now, it doesn’t seem to be assassins.”

Xu Qi An glanced again at the high platform, wondering if the hole in the temple roof was pierced by the sword energy. If the divine sword had such power, then what had been calling to him for help earlier certainly wasn’t something like a sword spirit.

He lowered his eyes for a moment, suppressing all emotions and thoughts, then hurriedly approached the Imperial Princess and bowed:

“Is the Imperial Princess unharmed?”

The scene had already returned to order. Though some were whispering here and there, it was generally quiet as everyone waited for Emperor Yuanjing to emerge.

Xu Qi An’s question drew the attention of those nearby, including his fellow Watchmen, Imperial Guards, eunuchs, the Imperial Princess, and the royal clan members around her.

The Imperial Princess had striking features, but her expression was as cold and clear as frost and snow. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes like autumn waters reflecting Xu Qi An’s figure, and her voice was as crisp and cold as jade striking stone:

“Unharmed!”

Xu Qi An relaxed visibly: “This humble official is relieved to hear it.”

Having made his presence known, he immediately stepped back, vigilantly guarding the surroundings.

“Huaiqing, this young Watchman seems to admire you greatly,” a coquettish voice sounded from behind the Imperial Princess. It was the Second Princess.

Huaiqing was the Imperial Princess’s title, but she preferred others to address her as Imperial Princess.

Emperor Yuanjing had once commented on his eldest daughter, saying her competitive spirit was no less than a man’s, and her domineering nature was no less than his own.

The Second Princess was extremely beautiful, with a round face adorned with a pair of bright, alluring eyes. Her red lips were vibrant, and every smile and frown exuded a flirtatious charm.

She was the complete opposite of the Imperial Princess. The relationship between the sisters had never been good.

The Imperial Princess replied coolly, “Admiration is an overstatement. It’s merely gratitude.”

Xu Qi An’s groundwork at the Astronomical Bureau, along with his current demeanor, had successfully established an image of “gratitude” in the Imperial Princess’s mind.

The Second Princess covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, “Elder Sister Huaiqing’s charm is well-known throughout the capital. The students of the Yunlu Academy are infatuated with you. If even scholars are like this, how could a mere Watchman resist?”

The other princes and princesses eagerly watched the drama unfold, not comment the Second Princess’s veiled barbs.

“Lin’an!” The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace frowned and reprimanded, “Be quiet.”

Lin’an was the Second Princess’s title. Faced with her elder brother’s rebuke, she pouted and lowered her head gracefully, assuming a dignified and elegant posture.

The royal family all knew that the Imperial Princess and the Second Princess didn’t get along.

The Imperial Princess was born to the Empress, while the Second Princess was born to Noble Consort Chen. There was still a difference in their status, though the Noble Consort was more favored than the Empress.

In their younger years, the Second Princess liked to provoke the Imperial Princess, constantly picking fights.

What should have been ordinary palace intrigue took an unexpected turn due to the Imperial Princess’s domineering and unconventional nature. She ordered her attendants to seize the Second Princess, but when they dared not comply, she took matters into her own hands, grabbing a bamboo scroll and chasing the Second Princess to beat her.

She chased her from south to north, then from north to south.

The palace maids and guards dared not intervene, and the commotion eventually disturbed Emperor Yuanjing, who was cultivating.

Noble Consort Chen brought her bruised and swollen-faced daughter to complain about the Imperial Princess. Emperor Yuanjing intended to punish the Imperial Princess severely and summoned her to the imperial study.

The Imperial Princess came prepared, bringing with her dozens of books including “The Book of Rites,” “Tongdian,” and “Palace Rules.” She laid them out one by one in the imperial study, citing classic passages and making impassioned arguments.

In the end, she won the case. Emperor Yuanjing, frustrated, acquitted the Imperial Princess and retreated to continue his cultivation.

As an adult, the Imperial Princess became much more reserved.

…

In the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple.

The imposing figure in a yellow robe and imperial crown stood leaning on his sword. With the temple doors tightly shut, Emperor Yuanjing stood before the statue of the founding emperor, silently gazing at the dust-covered bronze sword.

“What does it matter if you reached the Paragon realm? Despite your supposed longevity, you still succumbed to the burdens of mortal fate, living only a few years longer than ordinary people,” Emperor Yuanjing seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps conversing with this ancestor from six hundred years ago:

“I ascended the throne at twenty, defeated all my enemies, and sat in that position where no one could stand beside me. But in the end, I realized that the greatest enemy was time itself.”

Emperor Yuanjing slowly shifted his gaze, lowering his eyes to stare at the ground beneath his feet for a long while. Then, he began to inspect the temple’s furnishings, even climbing onto the sacred altar and irreverently touching the ancestor’s statue and the bronze sword.

This process was meticulous and lengthy. Finally, Emperor Yuanjing let out a relieved sigh.

His expression relaxed as he knelt on the prayer mat, performing three bows and nine kowtows to the founding emperor before leaving the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple.

Standing on the high platform, Emperor Yuanjing looked down at the assembled officials and royal clan members. His voice rang out like the evening drums and morning bells: “Continue the ancestral worship ceremony.”

He did not explain the earlier anomaly.

The Five Guards of the Imperial Army and the Watchmen dispersed again, methodically restoring order and patrolling the surroundings.

Rows of eunuchs hurried about with lowered heads, clearing the broken tiles from the high platform, sorting through the offerings and ritual vessels, and the ancestral tablets of the royal family.

Xu Qi An returned to his post, pondering to himself. It was strange—logically, encountering such an incident during ancestral worship would be considered a great omen of misfortune. Emperor Yuanjing should have been furious.

Yet he seemed to have some mental preparation for this, not berating Lord Wei or the commanders of the Imperial Guard… Well, it might not be mental preparation, but rather knowledge of the true source of the anomaly.

And this, again, was something that couldn’t be discussed in public.

Sang Lake indeed harbored secrets unknown to others.