ate Ruins Will head-on.Otherwise, he might be moved directly away from here, and it would be very troublesome to return.So, he said goodbye to Qi Ruoqing and then the two of them got out of the tank t...Huaibei coastal waters.

Inside the palace of the underwater realm.

Cangyu knelt alone in the center of the main hall, and above him on the high platform stood a phantom.

This phantom figure, with graceful curves, was none other than the Empress.

At this moment, the phantom of the emperor and empress raised their left hand. In the palm of their hand lay a sacred fruit with skin that appeared a pale orange.

Cangyu knelt on the ground, her head pressed tightly to the earth, not daring to move.

The emperor and empress had not spoken for several minutes. This made his heart race with anxiety, even fear.

What happened on Dahu Mountain... Will the Emperor and Empress find out

Whether he collaborates with Fang Yu or kills the severely injured Cang Yang... these are all capital offenses!

"No, it's impossible.... If Mother knew those things, I would be dead. She wouldn't give me a chance to explain." Cangyu comforted himself in his heart.

"...very good."

Just as Cangyu was on edge, her heart in turmoil, the phantom ahead finally spoke.

Cangyu's whole body trembled.

"Look up." The Empress's voice rang out again.

Cangyu slowly raised her head and looked forward.

At this moment, the phantom of the empress slowly drifted towards him.

He was quickly before him.

Cangyu looked up at the flickering phantom before him, swallowing hard. His heart was a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"Cangyu, your performance on this trip... is better than that of your three elder brothers. Your mother... is very pleased." The Empress Dowager said.

Upon hearing this, Cang Yu's face shifted slightly, putting on a sorrowful facade with difficulty and choking out, "Mother, my three elder brothers, and even Mo Xu Tian Shi... all died for the sake of the Holy Fruit. I was able to obtain the Holy Fruit... they all contributed greatly."

The Empress lowered her head slightly, gazing at Cangyu.

As a phantom, Cangyu couldn't see the emperor and empress's expressions at this time.

"Like His Majesty, I have always only looked at the results," the Empress said calmly. "Whoever can show me good results will be rewarded. As for the failures... there's no need to mention them. Their deaths are merely a stain on the reputation of our Divine Sea Imperial Family."

Hearing this, Cang Yu's mood relaxed considerably.

But at the same time, I felt my hands and feet were cold.

Although he knew it from the very beginning, the ironclad laws within the Shenhai Dynasty had always been this way.

Although he could truly hear the Empress's indifference and coldness in her tone, he still felt a chill in his heart.

Azure Sun, Azure Moon, and Azure Cloud... these three, like Azure Jade, were all the Emperor and Empress's biological children.

The three offspring died together, and as the empress, she didn't show even a shred of sadness.

The coldness in her tone stemmed more from the damage these three deaths inflicted on the royal family's reputation, or perhaps...the impact on her own standing.

Cangyu understood in his heart that the Emperor and Empress treated their other children this way, and their attitude towards him... was the same.

Just as Cangyu was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a warmth on his forehead.

The phantom emperor and empress before him placed their right hand on his forehead.

"Whoosh!"

The soul mark on Cang Yu's forehead began to glow brightly.

The warmth gradually turned into a burning sensation.

"Ah..."

The burning sensation intensified, causing pain that made Cangyu cry out in agony.

However, the empress's hand held tightly to his forehead, and he couldn't break free.

The Soul Jade was like a stone in lava, its heat rising until it was almost unbearable.

Chang Yu cried out in agony, his body convulsing violently.

This process lasted for almost two minutes.

"Bang!"

When a certain critical point was reached, the Soul Jade let out a faint chirp.

The phantom hands of the emperor and empress retracted.

At the same time, the burning sensation in the Soul Jade began to subside.

At this moment, Cang Yu had already gone limp on the ground, unable to move at all.

"This is your reward. From today onwards, you enter the first echelon of potential heirs apparent," the Empress said calmly. "But whether you become Crown Prince depends on your future performance."

You only need to surpass all the candidates to become the Crown Prince.

"This is a rare opportunity, cherish it."

After saying this, the Empress's phantom began to slowly dissipate.

The great hall fell silent once more.

Cang Yu lay motionless on the ground.

It took him half an hour before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief and manage to stand up.

He turned pale, raised his right hand, and covered his forehead.

The location on his forehead where the soul jade resided was still burning hot.

At this moment, the Soul Jade still flickered with a blue light, but it shone brighter than before.

"

He never expected to be so close to the throne of the Crown Prince.

This is also the position Fang Yu wanted to push him up to.

... but ...

> Cang Yu thought of the top few princes in the royal family whose combat power was formidable...his heart trembled a little.

Even if Fang Yu could continue to help him win the Sacred Fruit and forcefully push him to the position of Crown Prince... he would still have to face the challenges of these several princes.

The princes in the first echelon... each one possesses extraordinary combat power.

Their aim is to become the crown prince.

Cang Yu wanted to ascend the throne, but imperial concubine's support was not enough.

He will eventually have to face these first-tier princes, and defeat them one by one.

In this process... it's absolutely impossible for the Empress to offer help, with her demeanor.

What should I do

Even relying on Cang Yu's own strength, ten of him... wouldn't be able to withstand these princes whose combat power defies the heavens!

If you want Fang Yu to help... how should I help

Shouldn't Fang Yu infiltrate the royal family directly

This is not only extremely difficult but also carries a high level of risk.

Once discovered... Cangyu would have nowhere to bury her remains.

After a moment of contemplation, Cang Yu's face turned pale, and her heart sank to the bottom.

When faced with the reality of it all, he realized… this path to becoming emperor was fraught with peril!

……

"To become a candidate for the throne so quickly This is exactly going according to my plan." Fang Yu sat on the top floor of the bamboo building, saying.

"I must tell you, to become the crown prince, I have to deal with not only my mother's side but also the first-tier princes within the royal family. Their strength...far surpasses mine! Facing them, I'm afraid I would be killed without a whole corpse!" Cangyu said excitedly.

"How many princes are in the first echelon" Fang Yu asked.

"Thinking for a moment, Cangyu replied, "I know at least eight!"

"Eight... it's not a big deal, we can solve them gradually afterwards." Fang Yu said lightly.

"I have to tell you, these eight princes... they're nothing like my three older brothers. They're true prodigies! Their strength..." It seemed that hearing Fang Yu's dismissive tone, Cang Yu became increasingly excited.

"Alright, enough chatter." Fang Yu interrupted Cangyu and said, "My ultimate goal isn't to make you the Crown Prince, but to make you the Sea God Emperor."

"If you can't even handle a few crown princes, what kind of emperor are you"

"Besides, I suggest you start by practicing your courage and cultivating your bearing...otherwise, even if you were to ascend to the throne of emperor, it would be largely ineffective."

"... Cang Yu had nothing more to say."

After talking with Cangyu, Fang Yu stood up.

Jiang Dao has already died, and Wudouzi's whereabouts are currently untraceable.

After some thought, he went to the building where Qin Yao was.

This building has been converted into a nursing home.

Those cultivators who were previously rescued from the Prison of Retribution are currently receiving treatment at the healing sanatorium.

Fang Yu walked around the recuperation center and found that many cultivators had already awakened.

These cultivators were shocked to see Fang Yu, but they all knew that it was Fang Yu who had saved them, allowing them to escape from their suffering. They all thanked him together.

After strolling around the nursing home, Fang Yu arrived at a courtyard at the back. Qin Yao was busy preparing medicine.

While Ye Shengxue helped Qin Yao on the side.

"Mr. Fang," Qinyáo bowed immediately upon seeing Fang Yu.

"Mr. Fang, you're here." Ye Shengxue also turned around and greeted Fang Yu.

"You've worked hard. They seem to be recovering well," Fang Yu said.

"Yes, fortunately these cultivators have high realms and good physiques, so they recovered very smoothly." Qin Yao replied.

"If you guys feel tired, you can take a break." Fang Yu said.

"It's alright, Mr. Fang, we..." Ye Shengxue was speaking, but then she suddenly stopped and said, "Mr. Fang, someone is visiting outside the gate. They must be here to see you."

"Who" Fang Yu asked. E Shi Wang wouldn't dare say his strength ranked in the top few, but power… he had absolute confidence that it could rank within the top five, even the top three!But now, facing Fang Yu, his several...