Chapter 72: Comparable to a Grandmaster
As his Spiritual Power reached one hundred thirty, the range of Xia Wuyang’s Mental Force Field also expanded to one hundred thirty meters.
Once his Companion Talent was activated, everything within that range was clearly reflected in his Sea of Consciousness. Not even the chirping of insects three feet underground or the crawling of ants between the cracks in the walls could escape his perception.
Many methods designed to block spiritual probes were completely ineffective against it, proving it was well worth the title of a Companion Talent.
The meticulously crafted Practice Rooms, Quiet Chambers, and Treasure Concealment Compartments of the Princes and Princesses in the Imperial Palace... all of them were laid bare before his Mental Force Field.
The Mental Force Field Companion Talent was incredibly powerful, but of course, the most powerful of all was still the Supreme Talent Seven-Aperture Exquisite.
His other Companion Talent, the Personal Space, was also constantly expanding, impressively reaching one hundred thirty cubic meters. Such a vast space was enough to accommodate a massive amount of supplies.
At least for now, Xia Wuyang had yet to fill it, and there was still plenty of unused space inside.
Moreover, because it was his own Companion Talent, outsiders could neither discover nor open it. Even if used merely for stealing, it could display unimaginable power.
The advancement of his Cultivation Realm drove the growth of his Spiritual Power, and the growth of his Spiritual Power, in turn, continuously propelled the progress of his Cultivation Realm.
His Qi Blood, Defense, Power, Foundation... everything was rapidly improving, driven by his Spiritual Power and affecting many aspects of his being.
Xia Wuyang’s comprehensive strength could not be defined by his Cultivation Realm alone. He not only had formidable Spiritual Power and various Companion Talents, but also other aspects of growth brought about by the explosive increase in his Spiritual Power.
The growth in Spiritual Power from Seven-Aperture Exquisite encompassed seven aspects, and the improvement of these seven aspects, in turn, required multiple facets of his being to support it—far more than his Cultivation Realm alone could bear.
Thus, the improvements driven by his increased Spiritual Power were far more than what they seemed on the surface.
At this point, Xia Wuyang’s combat power was so immense that he likely had no rival among Second Grade Grandmasters. As for First Grade Grandmasters, though he had some confidence, Xia Wuyang didn’t dare to be overly arrogant.
He needed to keep improving. His enemies weren’t just Second Grade Grandmasters and First Grade Grandmasters; there were even higher-level Super Grade Celestial Humans.
While Xia Wuyang was advancing by leaps and bounds, the atmosphere in the Gold and Silver Palace, not far from him, remained oppressive.
The Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit had not been recovered, the Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine had also been stolen, and there was still no word on either. How could the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang, possibly be happy?
The forces of the Celestial Treasure Pavilion had been mobilized, but they had still come up with nothing. The longer this dragged on, the less likely it was that he would get his things back. After all, if the thief had already consumed them, they couldn’t be recovered even if the culprit was found.
Xia Wushang, however, was unaware that not only the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit, but even the Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine had been consumed by Xia Wuyang. Nothing was left.
He would never be able to get those two treasures back.
Frustrated, Xia Wushang brought a few concubines with him, preparing to blow off some steam and relieve the anger in his chest.
The concubines were tactful and perceptive. With soft words and gentle voices, they considerately and tenderly clustered around him as they entered the Sleeping Palace.
Fragrant incense smoke wafted through the air as brocade curtains hung low. Several concubines shyly undressed Xia Wushang, preparing to serve the Fifth Prince well.
But very quickly, Xia Wushang felt that something was not right. No matter that he had beautiful women in his arms, he was having no reaction at all.
He had been so busy chasing the thief these past few days that he had never noticed it, nor had he felt anything was amiss.
He never expected that only at this critical moment would he finally realize something was wrong.
"This... What’s going on?" Xia Wushang’s face changed abruptly. He frantically circulated his Qi Blood, trying to become... impressive.
But his root remained soft and powerless. No matter how many times he tried, it just wouldn’t rise.
Aside from that, every other sensation was normal; there didn’t seem to be any other problem.
Seeing Xia Wushang’s ashen face, the concubines looked at one another, not knowing what had happened.
One of the Consorts asked cautiously, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"
"Get out! All of you, get out! There’s nothing wrong with my body! Now get out immediately!"
Xia Wushang suddenly erupted in a rage, flipping the bed and driving the concubines out. "The thief isn’t caught, the enemy isn’t eliminated! This is no time for merrymaking!"
Only after the concubines had fled in a panic did Xia Wushang, with trembling hands, begin to examine his body.
Outwardly, everything seemed normal, and it didn’t affect him when he relieved himself, but it could no longer rise.
His face turned ashen. Without another thought, he immediately summoned his trusted Imperial Physician. After a careful examination, the physician’s face grew increasingly solemn.
"Your... Your Highness..."
The Imperial Physician hesitated for a moment, then said in a trembling voice, "Your Yang Meridian... has been severely damaged. And the enemy’s technique was quite clever, making it imperceptible. It will continue to wither until... until it is completely useless."
Xia Wushang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He slumped onto the bed, finally understanding. The thief that night hadn’t left him unharmed; they had used an extremely covert technique. This was far more humiliating than being killed.
"If it becomes completely useless, what... what will happen to me?" Xia Wushang asked in a quavering voice.
The Imperial Physician lowered his head. "If it becomes completely useless, you... you will be no different from a eunuch. You will have to squat to urinate, you will be unable to grow a beard, your voice will change..."
THUMP...
Xia Wushang collapsed to the ground. If that was the case, he would rather die immediately.
In the future, he would no longer have any right to contend for the position of Crown Prince. How could the Emperor of Great Xia possibly be a eunuch?
"Can it be cured?"
Xia Wushang looked at the Imperial Physician, his face filled with expectation.
Cold sweat streamed down the Imperial Physician’s face. "This method is exceedingly strange. The Yang Meridian has been grievously injured, and none of the currently known methods can restore it. Unless... unless you had the aid of one of those treasures that exist only in legend. But such treasures are seen once in a thousand years, if that."
The rest didn’t need to be said; Xia Wushang naturally understood what he meant.
"It was him! It must be Xia Wuchen!"
Xia Wushang’s eyes were bloodshot. With one punch, he shattered the bed frame.
Before, he had been puzzled. If Xia Wuchen had really sent people to steal the Seven Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine, then given his style, how could he possibly not have made a move against him and let him remain unharmed?
He hadn’t expected this was what was waiting for him. Now, he was quite certain that this was the handiwork of the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen.
In the vast Imperial Palace, when it came to insidious and venomous methods, the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, was definitely on the list.
Outsiders might think him vicious, but having dealt with the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, for so many years, Xia Wushang knew that Xia Wuchen’s methods were also quite insidious—even though many people claimed that Xia Wuchen had learned it from him.
To sever a man’s root and destroy his future—this was indeed Xia Wuchen’s style.
Although he desperately wanted to fight Xia Wuchen to the death right now, Xia Wushang also knew that he wouldn’t be able to harm the other man in the slightest. Worse, it would cause this matter to spread.
If that happened, he would have no hope of becoming the Crown Prince. How could a Prince who was no longer a man inherit the great throne?