Chapter 127 - 126: A Night Visit to Emperor Xia
With the moon hidden and the stars dim, Xia Wuyang, in disguise, took advantage of the dark night to slip silently out of Wenhua Hall and speed toward Qianqing Palace.
With his current power, it only took him about half an hour to sneak near Qianqing Palace.
He silently sent out his Extraordinary Realm Spiritual Power, but dozens of meters from Qianqing Palace, it vanished without a trace, completely swallowed up.
’A Spirit Array!’
Xia Wuyang’s expression changed. He never expected a Spirit Array to be set up outside Qianqing Palace.
Spirit Arrays were a type of Array that transcended Mortal Arrays, and they were normally used to deal with Extraordinary True Monarchs.
He hadn’t expected a Spirit Array to be deployed around Qianqing Palace. Though he knew little about the Array Dao, he was certain that only a Spirit Array could so easily swallow his Extraordinary Spiritual Power.
’Mental Force Field!’
Xia Wuyang unleashed his Companion Talent, the Mental Force Field, and was finally able to probe the area. The Mental Force Field showed no fear, even in the face of a Spirit Array.
Upon careful inspection, he realized it wasn’t a single Spirit Array but multiple Spirit Arrays and Mortal Arrays interwoven to form a Spirit Array Group.
Unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with the Array Dao and couldn’t determine the level of these Spirit Arrays.
Whenever he had snuck into the palaces of other Princes and Princesses in the past, the strongest defenses had been nothing more than Top Level Mortal Arrays. With his Mental Force Field unleashed, all traps and mechanisms were laid bare, unable to hinder him in the slightest.
’Back then, I never considered studying the Array Dao. After what happened today, maybe I should think about learning a few things. Otherwise, I’ll be helpless if I encounter Spirit Arrays in the future.’
’With my Companion Talent, the Mental Force Field, and my immense Spiritual Power, learning the Array Dao should be incredibly efficient. I can’t let that advantage go to waste.’
’Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if I wanted to sneak into someone’s Treasure Vault to steal Miracle Treasures and couldn’t even get past the Arrays.’
Spirit Arrays were unlike Mortal Arrays, which were riddled with flaws. He could rely on his Mental Force Field to easily find those flaws and slip through.
Spirit Arrays could absorb the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to form layered barriers. They had no obvious flaws, and even their weakest points were protected by a shield of light.
If someone ignorant of the Array Dao tried to force their way through, they would be discovered instantly. The Array would then use its power to launch a targeted attack, and it would all be over.
Beyond that, through his Mental Force Field, Xia Wuyang faintly sensed a terrifying killing intent emanating from within Qianqing Palace. If he forced his way inside, he doubted he would be able to retreat in one piece.
Within the vast Qianqing Palace, it felt as if countless vortexes of terrifying Spiritual Qi were swirling without end. It was like a man-eating beast lay hidden inside, sending a chill down the spine of even Xia Wuyang, whose Spirit was already Extraordinary.
’Emperor Xia’s power base and trump cards are even more terrifying than I imagined!’
A solemn look flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes. Then again, if even Princess Jinping had a trump card like the Spiritual Snake Sword, how could he underestimate Emperor Xia, the ruler of the entire Xia Country?
’I thought that after achieving an Extraordinary Spirit, I would be able to contend with Emperor Xia. I never imagined I couldn’t even sneak into his residence.’
’It seems I was too optimistic. I’ll just have to keep cultivating. Since having an Extraordinary Spirit isn’t enough, I’ll wait until I achieve Extraordinary Qi Refining. I also need to learn the Array Dao.’
’This isn’t just to deal with the current situation, but for the future as well.’
After lingering outside Qianqing Palace for a moment, Xia Wuyang decisively chose to retreat.
As he was now, he couldn’t even get into Qianqing Palace. The Spirit Array before him posed a significant threat, to say nothing of Emperor Xia’s hidden trump cards, killing blows, and all the powerful True Monarchs of the Royal Family.
’Oh well. I’ll just wait a while longer. It’s not like the Jade Marrow Reishi is going to run away anytime soon!’
Xia Wuyang muttered to himself as his figure vanished into the night like a phantom.
His original plan had been to sneak into Qianqing Palace and probe Emperor Xia’s true strength. If he could hold his own against him, he would have boldly taken the Special Miracle Treasure, the Jade Marrow Reishi, along with other Miracle Treasures. At worst, it would have meant an open break between them.
But now that he had discovered how formidable Emperor Xia was, he decided it was better to lie low and continue to increase his Cultivation Power. He would look for another opportunity later.
Since he couldn’t infiltrate Qianqing Palace, he moved on to the next part of his plan: taking control of the Shadow Guard.
The Shadow Guard was one of Emperor Xia’s most important forces, analogous to the Jinyi Guard or the Eastern and Western Plants from his previous life, but their authority and power far surpassed those organizations.
Every member was the elite of the elite. Though they numbered only in the tens of thousands, their strength was enough to topple many small and medium-sized nations. They were one of Emperor Xia’s most trusted arms.
If he could bring them under his control, few matters inside or outside the Imperial Palace could be kept from him.
Based on what he had learned recently, the Shadow Guard Chief was a Super Grade Celestial Human, though he only ever displayed the power of a First Grade Grandmaster, hiding his true strength exceptionally well.
However, as long as he wasn’t a True Monarch, Xia Wuyang had nothing to fear.
The Shadow Guard Chief’s residence was in the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace, a testament to how highly Emperor Xia regarded him.
The area was heavily guarded, with visible and hidden sentries posted everywhere. But to Xia Wuyang, they were as good as nonexistent.
He moved as if the place were deserted, quickly arriving near the residence. He unleashed his Companion Talent, the Mental Force Field, and swept the area.
This place was also protected by a Top Level Mortal Array Group, but unlike a Spirit Array, it wasn’t completely impenetrable. As long as he could find a flaw, he could easily slip inside.
After a thorough search, he found no sign of the Shadow Guard Chief anywhere.
’He’s not here?’
Xia Wuyang used his Soul Capturing Technique to probe the surface thoughts of the Palace Attendants.
He quickly learned that the Shadow Guard Chief had received a secret mission from Emperor Xia a short time ago and had already left White Jade City. It was unlikely he would return anytime soon.
’Looks like I won’t be able to enslave the Shadow Guard Chief for now. Time to switch to another target.’
’The Grand General of the Imperial Guard, Tantai Zhan!’
He was Emperor Xia’s other trusted arm, commanding the 300,000-strong Imperial Guard—the most elite army in the Great Xia Dynasty—and was the Emperor’s most trusted Military General.
If he could subdue him, it would be equivalent to seizing control over the defenses of the entire Capital City.
The man never left White Jade City, constantly standing guard within and without the Imperial City to protect the Capital. He led a reclusive life and rarely went out, so he was certainly in his mansion right now.
His mansion was also located within the Imperial Palace, near Qianqing Palace, allowing him to lead his troops to protect it at a moment’s notice.
The security here was even tighter than at the Shadow Guard Chief’s residence, further demonstrating how much Emperor Xia valued Tantai Zhan.
Xia Wuyang activated his Stealth Technique, his body melting completely into the night. His Extraordinary Spiritual Power formed a barrier; even if someone looked right at him, they would be deceived by an Illusion and wouldn’t notice a thing.
Even when members of the Imperial Guard and Palace Attendants passed right by him, they couldn’t see him. Such was the effect of Extraordinary Spiritual Power.
This place was also set up with a Top Level Mortal Array Group, full of traps and mechanisms, but they were equally useless. He easily found a flaw and slipped into the General’s Mansion.