Meng Fan's words were like a bolt from the blue, jolting Qin Feifan awake.

He had been terrified by the Northern Empire and had lost his will to fight, even contemplating retiring. But Meng Fan's words had awakened him, and he immediately bowed in respect.

"Thank you, Brother Meng, for your wise words that have awakened me. Otherwise, I would not only dare not compete for the throne, but I would also be afraid that my cultivation would not improve at all in the future!"

He spoke without any politeness, from the bottom of his heart. If it hadn't been for Meng Fan, he probably would have been crippled.

"It's good that you have the fighting spirit. With your talent, as long as you're willing to give it your all, you still have a chance."

Qin Feifan understood the implication in those words and quickly asked.

"Brother Meng, could you lend me a hand?"

Are you also someone about to enter the abyss?

"If that time comes, I will have no choice but to die."

"What do you want in exchange for my help?"

"this……"

Seeing that Qin Feifan had taken the bait, Meng Fan said directly, "I just want that gold mine."

Qin Feifan was extremely surprised. In his mind, Meng Fan was a reclusive master, so how could he have such a down-to-earth side?

Qin Feifan asked, voicing his thoughts, "Brother Meng, are you also interested in gold and silver?"

Meng Fan smiled, unconvinced.

"If I ask you to help me achieve my cultivation level, can you do it?"

"Uh, I can't."

"If I ask you to help me comprehend the Dao of Heaven, can you do it?"

"This, this can't be done either."

"If I ask you to help me read through the three thousand laws, can you do it?"

"I still can't do it."

"So what can you do?"

"I……"

Qin Feifan realized that Meng Fan's request for the gold mine wasn't because he wanted anything, but rather to see what Qin Feifan had.

After thinking it through, he hurriedly said, "Brother Meng, I'll hand over the gold mine to you, but how are we going to deal with the Northern Desert Empire?"

"You don't need to worry about how to deal with me. Since our deal is done, you don't need to concern yourself with this. Just pretend it never happened."

“Brother Meng, you must not underestimate the Northern Desert Empire. As far as I know, the Northern Desert Empire has close ties with the Transcendent forces. I suppose you also come from the Transcendent forces and understand the ins and outs of it.”

"Hehe, please have some tea."

Seeing Meng Fan's nonchalant expression, Qin Feifan knew that Meng Fan didn't take this matter seriously, and felt inexplicably relieved.

If a gold mine can hold off the Northern Desert Empire, then that would be an incredibly good deal!

After drinking a few sips of tea, Qin Feifan left. He had returned to his decisive and ruthless self, showing no trace of his previous dejected state.

Seeing Qin Feifan had already gone far away, Meng Fan sighed to himself, "Making money is really too easy. It's just that this world is too weak for me now. If I were to come back to this world again, it would probably be in the end times, which is not what I want. This period of time is a good time to settle down and reflect."

At this moment, a heated debate was taking place in the imperial palace of the Northern Desert Empire.

Even Huangpu Yun, the emperor of the Northern Desert Empire, who was of immense wealth and status, was troubled by a trivial matter.

The court was clearly divided into two factions, one led by the eldest prince and the other by the second prince. The source of the debate was whether or not to send a strong person to help Qin Feiming, the sixth prince of the Longgan Dynasty, to compete for the throne.

"Your Majesty, if our Northern Desert Empire were to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, it would likely invite criticism and damage the prestige of our Celestial Empire. We urge Your Majesty to consider this carefully!"

"You are exaggerating. As a subject of the Celestial Empire, you should always prioritize the interests of the nation. Isn't it wonderful to possess a gold mine and two silver mines without fighting?"

"Hmph, our Celestial Empire has boundless territory and all nations pay tribute. How can we disregard the greater good for petty gains? If we interfere in the affairs of the Longgan Dynasty, especially such a major event as the ascension of a new emperor, what will outsiders think of our Northern Desert Empire!"

"That's a woman's view. The Longgan Dynasty is a vassal state of our Northern Desert Empire. With a new emperor on the throne, internal strife has arisen. As citizens of the Celestial Empire, we should help them quell the rebellion. Only in this way can we demonstrate the majesty of our Celestial Empire!"

"Shut up, all of you. This is just a small matter, yet it has caused such a stir in the court of my Northern Desert Empire. Do you want to anger me to death?"

Huang Puyun couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that he had reached the point of governing, and that the factional strife among these people was becoming increasingly serious.

According to ancestral rules, no emperor can rule for more than two hundred years. Once the time is up, he will automatically abdicate and devote himself to cultivation in the ancestral land of the empire.

He couldn't help but feel guilty, as he had been hesitating between the eldest and second princes and unable to choose a successor, which led to the current situation of fierce factional strife.

Originally, the matter of the Longgan Dynasty was insignificant, but the two princes used it as a trigger to completely ignite the court. Whoever lost would basically withdraw from the struggle for the throne, which made the situation even more intense, leaving the emperor feeling powerless!

He can't possibly kill all these court officials!

"Get out, all of you! We'll discuss this again tomorrow!"

With the eunuch's announcement of the end of court, many ministers departed. Some even began hurling insults at each other on the way, clearly indicating that the two sides were irreconcilable enemies. With the other prince ascending the throne, death awaited them.

Huangpu Yun sat in the main hall, pressing his forehead with both hands, clearly lacking energy. He was quite angry with these two princes for being too powerful to control.

"Your Majesty, Senior Huang has arrived."

"Huang Jinzhong? Isn't he guarding the ancestral land? Why is he here? Quickly, please invite him in!"

Huang Jinzhong rarely leaves his ancestral homeland; if he does, something truly terrible must have happened.

"General Huang, wasn't my return to my ancestral homeland two months from now? Why are you here now?"

"Your Majesty, the Supreme Elder Jiang of the Ziwei Sect has come in person today."

"Oh? Has something happened on the other side of the Heavenly Abyss? Or is there some important matter concerning Qingxuan?"

"That's not the case. Jiang Taishang has come for the sake of my Northern Desert Empire."

"Oh? What could possibly be the matter in my Northern Desert Empire that would warrant the personal visit of Emperor Jiang Taishang?"

"It's about the Longgan Dynasty."

"What did you say? The Longgan Dynasty? Why would Jiang Taishang come here for such a matter? Does the Longgan Dynasty have some secret?"

"Jiang Taishang only told us not to get involved in the affairs of the Longgan Dynasty, and he spoke of it very solemnly, as if a great terror would befall us if we intervened!"

Hearing Huang Jinzhong's words, Huangpu Yun couldn't help but feel uneasy. Jiang Taishang's personal visit showed that he attached great importance to this matter, which was a reminder of its importance to them.

“Our Northern Desert Empire and the Purple Star Sect have a good relationship. Elder Jiang is a highly respected senior. Not long ago, Elder Jiang led the righteous and transcendent forces in a battle against the demon race, which further established his reputation as the number one expert of the human race. He must have come here in person for our own good. I will handle it. Thank you for making this trip.”

"Then I'll take my leave."

Huangpu Yun no longer needs to make choices. He will kill anyone who suggests going to the Longgan Dynasty, including his own son!