Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1188 - 1188 0689 Prince Vying for Merit_2

Chapter 1188: Chapter 0689: Prince Vying for Merit_2 Chapter 1188: Chapter 0689: Prince Vying for Merit_2 This scene deeply shocked Emperor Jianwu and the others. They were all too aware of the terror of the Millennium Corpse Water, having even experienced the fear of being dominated by it themselves. Who knew how many of their companions who had explored Saint’s Tomb together had succumbed to Millennium Corpse Water in the end? But now, the Millennium Corpse Water, which could make people become scared at the mere mention of it, had been effortlessly collected by Qi Tian. Such an event was unheard of, and with Qi Tian able to accomplish this feat, he appeared even more mysterious and powerful in the eyes of Emperor Jianwu and the others. Their reverence for Qi Tian grew, and they began to regard him almost as an immortal.

After Qi Tian had collected the Millennium Corpse Water into the Heavenly Dao Engine, he still felt somewhat anxious, worried that the Transporting Whirlwind might not be able to keep the Millennium Corpse Water under control. However, after observing for a while and seeing that the container formed by the Transporting Whirlwind remained intact, without letting any Millennium Corpse Water escape, Qi Tian’s worries were somewhat alleviated. But Qi Tian was not completely reassured; he decided he would frequently enter the storeroom of the Heavenly Dao Engine to inspect the Millennium Corpse Water, ensuring at all costs that it remained secure and controllable, posing no threat to him.

Qi Tian’s mind withdrew from the Heavenly Dao Engine, and he looked at Emperor Jianwu and the others, who were all looking at him with awe. Qi Tian nodded and said, “You’ve done a good job with the cleaning. I’ll find out exactly what each of you has contributed later and reward you accordingly, based on your accomplishments. Your efforts and toil won’t go unrecognized; everyone will receive appropriate rewards. Now, let’s discuss what we should do next.”

Emperor Jianwu was the first to speak up, eagerly saying, “Master Qi, we’ve had smooth sailing so far, thoroughly cleaning out the tomb passage. We’ve now reached the Inner Tomb Door. I think we should press the advantage, muster our energy, and open the Inner Tomb Door.”

Emperor Yonghe supported him, saying, “Master Qi, I think Emperor Jianwu is right. We really should muster our energy and open the Inner Tomb Door now.”

Qi Tian looked at the other Princes and asked, “What are your opinions?”

Huoyang Emperor and Emperor Wenzhi didn’t speak; both unsure of Qi Tian’s intentions, they remained silent.

Only Emperor Bahuang said, “Master Qi, I don’t fully agree with Emperor Jianwu’s opinion. I think the most important thing for us to do now is to regroup and rest. My reasoning is twofold: firstly, we’ve been fighting non-stop for a long time, and everyone is extremely exhausted, with significant depletion of magical power, urgently needing rest and replenishment. Secondly, we’ve suffered many casualties. We can temporarily ignore those brothers who have perished, dealing with their bodies after we have finished exploring the Saint’s Tomb, but those who are injured—if we do not attend to them promptly, minor injuries could worsen and severe injuries could result in death. The consequences are too grave, and we must do everything in our power to prevent this from happening.”

Emperor Jianwu hurriedly said, “I won’t deny that Emperor Bahuang makes some valid points, but we need to analyze each situation on its own merits. Yes, we have some losses now, but they are absolutely not as severe as Emperor Bahuang suggests. Everyone is still in very good spirits, and we all carry various elixirs with us—whether they’re for eliminating fatigue, replenishing magical power, or healing wounds. Just a little time and some elixirs, and we can quickly return to peak condition. The situation we are facing now is complex and perilous. Manager Chen might personally come over at any moment. If we can’t achieve something within the Saint’s Tomb to enhance our overall strength, how will we face him next time he comes? Are we to waste our time on unnecessary matters? No! We must seize the moment.”

Emperor Bahuang said, “The dangers we face are definitely not limited to Manager Chen. The dangers the Saint’s Tomb presents to us are certainly greater than what Manager Chen can bring, not lesser. This has been apparent since we started and tried to open the Outer Tomb Door. And after we entered the Underground Palaces, have the dangers we encountered lessened? Drawing on my years of experience, I can assure you that once we open the Inner Tomb Door, the dangers we face will only increase exponentially, and not stay the same or decrease; that’s simply impossible. They will rise, and not by a small margin. With just our battered troops, is it possible to safely overcome those dangers? I think not.”

Emperor Jianwu said hastily, “Emperor Bahuang, there’s no need for alarmism. It’s not like I haven’t explored the Saint’s Tomb before, nor have I never entered the Inner Underground Palace. True, I’ve encountered some danger, but it’s absolutely not as exaggerated as you describe. Are you saying this to show off in front of Master Qi? Do you want Master Qi to think highly of you, to regard you as extraordinary?”

Emperor Bahuang was startled and quickly said to Qi Tian with respect, “Master Qi, I absolutely didn’t mean that. I was just offering my advice based on my own experiences, truthfully and honestly. As for the final decision, I leave it to Master Qi. If Master Qi chooses Emperor Jianwu’s plan, I will certainly hold reservations, but if Master Qi needs me, I will be the first to charge ahead without shirking and will definitely not let you down.”

Qi Tian said, “Tell me, why do you advise against us continuing our exploration work at haste?”

“The reason I suggest this is because of my similar personal experiences.”

At this point, Emperor Bahuang turned to Emperor Jianwu and said, “Emperor Jianwu, haven’t you always been curious about where I got those artifacts above the Half-step Nascent Soul level? Now I can tell you, I found them in the Inner Underground Palaces of some Saint’s Tombs. In order to obtain these artifacts above the Half-step Nascent Soul level, I paid a very heavy price, with many of my subordinates killed or injured, and once, I nearly lost my own life. It’s precisely because of such life-and-death experiences that I advise against hastily entering the Inner Underground Palace without adequate preparation. The bitter consequences of such rashness will only be for us to bear.”

Emperor Bahuang’s words immersed everyone in deep thought, and Emperor Jianwu no longer insisted on pressing the attack.

However, Emperor Yonghe was eager to try because, so far, he hadn’t managed to achieve any significant exploits. He said, “Master Qi, Emperor Bahuang makes some valid points. How about we follow his advice and take a short break? However, the work on the Inner Underground Palace must not stop. I would like to volunteer for this task and offer to lead my men to open the Inner Tomb Door while everyone else rests, saving everyone a bit of time.”

Emperor Bahuang quickly said, “Master Qi, you must not agree to Emperor Yonghe’s proposition. With just the power of Emperor Yonghe’s house, whether he has the ability to open the Inner Tomb Door or not, even if he were capable, by opening it, he’d also be releasing the dangers within the Inner Tomb Door. No one can ensure that these dangers wouldn’t cross into the Outer Palaces. Once those dangers come in, our so-called rest would be completely ruined. How would we, fatigued and unprepared, face these greater dangers then?”

Emperor Yonghe said defiantly, “How can things be as dangerous as you make them out to be? If we do nothing out of fear of supposed dangers, what was the point of our exploration so far?”