Chapter 125 - 124: Entering the Inner Treasury Again
"I heard that when the Second Princess flew into a rage yesterday, she collapsed an entire side hall with a single palm strike."
"She’s on the verge of the First Grade Grandmaster Realm. The Second Princess is just too powerful."
"We’ll have to be more careful from now on. We can’t afford to offend the Second Princess."
...
With Princess Jinping’s power now exposed, the various factions began frantically investigating her background. Although she had immediately pulled back her forces and hidden her subordinates, it was inevitable that many clues would be uncovered.
After all, her network had grown quite vast; how could she possibly hide it completely? Before, no one had noticed because no one was specifically targeting her.
That, combined with her meticulous methods, was how she had managed to stay in the shadows.
But now that everyone knew her true strength, all eyes were on her. With so many factions investigating, how could she possibly remain hidden? It wasn’t long before clues began to surface.
On the surface, Ciping Palace appeared to operate on a modest budget, even more so than the residences of most Princes and Princesses. In reality, large quantities of goods were being secretly transported there. While they looked like common supplies, the volume was so great that they had to be disguised High-Level resources and treasures.
The Palace Maids and eunuchs attending to Princess Jinping seemed ordinary, but in truth, every one of them possessed extraordinary skills.
Furthermore, some discovered that Princess Jinping frequently left the palace, ostensibly to burn incense and pray, but in reality, she was meeting with powerful nobles and influential ministers.
...
These revelations, one after another, struck fear into the hearts of many Princes and Princesses. They never imagined that the influence Princess Jinping had been secretly amassing was so vast—seemingly rivaling, if not surpassing, that of the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, and the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang.
In an instant, Princess Jinping became a public enemy. She could no longer play the part of a harmless weakling, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the right moment to launch a surprise attack.
It was rumored that many items in Ciping Palace were replaced. With spies from all factions now watching the palace day and night, Princess Jinping grew increasingly agitated.
Many ministers in the court showed signs of reconsidering their allegiances. The Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, and the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang, reached a rare consensus and began to work together against Princess Jinping.
"If we don’t eliminate this woman, neither of us will know a day of peace," the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, wrote in a secret message.
The Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang, replied in agreement: "First, we eliminate Jinping. Then, we can decide who comes out on top."
But while the entire Imperial Palace was thrown into turmoil over Princess Jinping, Wenhua Hall remained an oasis of calm, with almost no one paying it any mind.
Xia Wuyang calmly continued his "debauchery"—practicing his techniques, advancing his Cultivation, and increasing his power... His progress was astonishingly rapid. Especially now that his Spirit was Extraordinary, his cultivation flowed with an effortless ease, yielding twice the results with half the effort.
’Jinping’s exposure has certainly given me more free time.’
He murmured to himself. With fewer people paying attention to him, he could cultivate with greater peace of mind. Now that his Spirit was Extraordinary, he needed time to consolidate his gains, adapt, and familiarize himself with this new level of power.
He also needed to consolidate his Body Refining Cultivation as soon as possible so he could take another High-Level Mortal Treasure and achieve a meteoric rise in his Cultivation Realm.
In the eyes of outsiders, Wenhua Hall remained as calm as ever. The "decrepit" Crown Prince seemed completely indifferent to the goings-on in the palace, content only to seek his pleasures and enjoy one beautiful young woman after another.
Only Xia Wuyang himself knew the true extent of the power he concealed beneath that peaceful facade.
The Spiritual Snake Sword circled docilely in his hand. He was gradually mastering the power of this Middle-Level Spiritual Artifact, a might that had already transcended the mortal plane.
Combined with his Extraordinary Spiritual Power, the might this Spirit Sword could now unleash far surpassed what it had been capable of in Princess Jinping’s hands.
After this initial period of consolidation and adaptation, Xia Wuyang had one more thing to do: go to the Inner Treasury and claim some Miracle Treasures.
Previously, his power had been insufficient, so he hadn’t dared to take too many Miracle Treasures. But now, with his Extraordinary Spirit and having entered the First Grade Grandmaster Realm, he was virtually unrivaled by anyone below a True Monarch.
That meant he could be a bit more audacious and take a few more Miracle Treasures. Even if those treasures were already designated for someone, he could use his Soul Capturing Technique and Enchanting Heart Technique to deceive the intended recipient, making them believe they had already received the treasure or had gifted it to someone else.
’As long as I can keep this concealed for a year or so,’ he thought, ’I might just have the power to stand against anything.’
After some consideration, Xia Wuyang snuck quietly into the Inner Treasury. With Cao Zhenghe leading the way, he quickly ventured deep within.
"Lord Emperor, this way please!"
Cao Zhenghe led the way respectfully, not daring to disobey in the slightest. Having witnessed the power of the Spiritual Shackles, Cao Zhenghe had become his loyal servant.
They passed through one heavy door after another until the vast Treasure Vault once again came into view.
Now that his Spirit was Extraordinary, his perception was much clearer. He went straight to the depths of the Treasure Vault where the High-Level Mortal Treasures were kept.
Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine!
This was one of the High-Level Mortal Treasures Xia Wuyang intended to take. It was originally meant for the Northern King, but because of the recent overt and covert struggles between the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, and the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang, Emperor Xia had temporarily put that plan on hold.
Xia Wuyang decided to take it and use it himself. Even if it was later supposed to be given to the Northern King, he could simply delude the man—or even place a Spiritual Shackle on him to ensure he behaved and didn’t covet Xia Wuyang’s Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine.
Then he could even act as the Third Prince Xia Wuchen’s father and give his "obedient son" a proper lesson.
This type of highly aged Monkey Wine could not only significantly increase one’s Cultivation Realm, but also extend one’s lifespan. Its value was plain to see.
Storing it in his Personal Space, Xia Wuyang turned to look at the other Middle-Low Level Miracle Treasures.
He didn’t dare take any more High-Level Miracle Treasures. He had already taken two of the three, leaving only one, and this last one was supposedly about to be bestowed upon the Empress.
If he took it, Emperor Xia would have nothing left to bestow, and a massive search would surely be launched. Xia Wuyang didn’t have enough power to deal with that yet, so for now, he would wait.
He was still considering whether he should wait until after Emperor Xia gave it to the Empress, and then go and take the High-Level Miracle Treasure from her.
In addition to the Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine, Xia Wuyang took a dozen or so more Middle-Low Level Miracle Treasures, along with some other assorted valuables, before preparing to leave.
Before he left, his gaze fell once more upon the Special Miracle Treasure, the Jade Marrow Reishi. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the faint glow it emitted, but ultimately, Xia Wuyang decided to leave.
’It’s not time yet,’ he thought. ’Emperor Xia comes to inspect it from time to time. I’ll just have to wait longer.’
’I wonder how strong Emperor Xia’s cultivation is, anyway,’ he mused. ’Maybe I should find an opportunity to probe it, then decide my next move.’
Xia Wuyang muttered to himself as he slipped quietly back to Wenhua Hall. Tonight’s haul was already quite good; there was no need to take any more risks.
With the Blood Lotus Fruit and the Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine, reaching the Super Grade Celestial Human realm was now within reach. And with so many Middle Level Miracle Treasures, his Cultivation would also receive a considerable boost.
He could first consume some of the Middle Level Miracle Treasures. Then, once those were no longer effective, he would take the Blood Lotus Fruit and the Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine to push his Cultivation to the highest possible level.