Chapter 217 - 216: Let’s Set a Trap

Chapter 217: Chapter 216: Let’s Set a Trap

A refreshing fragrance lingered in his mouth. He’d never have to worry about bad breath again.

Savoring the fragrance in his mouth, Xia Wuyang couldn’t help but smile.

’I’ll still have to feign it a bit when I’m playing around with those beauties from Wenhua Hall. Otherwise, they might find me out.’

Aside from the strange properties of his new teeth, other aspects of him had also grown rapidly.

As Xia Wuyang consolidated his Cultivation at the Celestial Human Perfection realm, every aspect of his being experienced astonishing growth.

The most notable of these was his Power, as it determined a Martial Artist’s destructive capabilities.

His Basic Power had surged to 600,000 kilograms. After the threefold enhancement from his Companion Talent Tree, Deep Roots, his basic destructive power could reach 1,800,000 kilograms.

After all, his Cultivation Foundation was a full three times that of a Martial Artist at the same level, which led to growth in other areas as well.

However, most Martial Artists find it difficult to fully utilize their enhanced Cultivation Foundation. Xia Wuyang was different. His Cultivation Technique, Combat Techniques, and Secret Techniques were all modified and tailor-made for him, allowing him to unleash a level of power far beyond imagination.

With his basic destructive power alone, he could easily destroy an ordinary mountain.

He tried circulating his Qi Blood, and his body immediately emitted a faint glow. He threw a casual punch, and the force of it created a sonic boom in the air. And this was without using a Mortal Artifact or activating any Combat Techniques and Secret Techniques.

If he added those two factors, Xia Wuyang’s destructive power could increase by more than tenfold, reaching nearly 20,000,000 kilograms.

"Not bad at all," Xia Wuyang muttered to himself. He was quite satisfied with the changes in his body, especially the increase in his destructive power.

His speed had also increased by a large margin, and his Defense even more so, rising by a substantial percentage.

His overall strength had surged by a substantial amount. With his Body Refining Cultivation alone, he was now invincible at this stage.

Factoring in his Refining God Skill, he could even hold his own against an ordinary True Monarch.

More importantly, he was getting closer and closer to the True Monarch Realm. As long as he could expel all impurities from his body and condense a True Qi Seed, he would step into the Qi Refining Stage.

Once he did, he could be called a True Monarch. His lifespan would increase by five hundred years, reaching a total of a thousand, earning him the right to be called Lord Thousand Years.

At that point, all the schemes and plots of the mortal world would seem rather ridiculous.

After some time spent consolidating his power and adapting to the changes, he walked out of the Practice Room and looked outside.

Outside, the moonlight was as tranquil as still water. The accumulated snow reflected its pure glow, illuminating the courtyard as if it were day.

Xia Wuyang moved without a sound to a remote corner of the courtyard where a century-old pine tree stood. He reached out and gave its trunk a light slap.

VMMMM...

The ancient pine shuddered, though there was no wind, and its needles rained down.

But just as they were about to touch Xia Wuyang, they were blocked by an invisible wall of Qi Blood. The needles spiraled down about three feet away from his body, ultimately forming a perfect circle on the ground.

This was one of the hallmarks of Celestial Human Perfection: the automatic circulation of Protective Qi Blood, which could block blades and repel both fire and water.

He looked up at the moon, a smile gracing his lips. It wouldn’t be long now before he could step into the True Monarch Realm.

At that time, even if his resources were still somewhat lacking, he would have the qualifications to oppose Emperor Xia as an equal.

Unless that hidden Ancestor made a move, he would fear no one in the entire vast Xia Dynasty.

’When the time comes, I’ll have some fun with Emperor Xia. I’ll let him have a taste of being plotted against, of utter helplessness. Just like my late mother, the Empress, who was completely duped by that bastard Emperor Xia, twisted around his little finger.’

’Her family was nearly slaughtered, her most beloved son was crippled, and just when she learned the truth, she was murdered by Emperor Xia. She had already conceded so much, yet Emperor Xia’s greed was insatiable.’

’Simply killing Emperor Xia would be letting him off too easily. I will make him walk slowly toward his doom, steeped in despair and agony.’

Meanwhile, not far away, Sun Wuyang, the Celestial Eye, stood atop the Inner Treasury. His hawk-like gaze swept over every corner of the Imperial City.

The man who had been the foremost Divine Constable a century ago now had his brow deeply furrowed.

"Something’s not right... I keep getting the feeling that the thief knows our every move in advance and is reacting accordingly. It’s as if we’re completely exposed, with nowhere to hide."

As expected of a Divine Constable with a special talent, Sun Wuyang had sensed that something was amiss.

The Chief Constable of the Divine Capture Sect, Lu Tianming, also known as the Iron-Faced Judge, stood behind him. His expression changed slightly upon hearing this. "Elder Sun, do you mean... we have a mole?"

"It’s highly likely," Sun Wuyang, the Celestial Eye, said, his face grim. "And more than one. It seems that as soon as we launch our operations, they’re already known and countered. We keep coming up empty-handed."

Lu Tianming raised an eyebrow. "That seems unlikely. Many of these plans are known only to a handful of people, all of whom have extraordinary status. How could any of them be a mole?"

"We’ll find out if there’s a mole by testing them," Sun Wuyang said, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Tomorrow, we’ll gather some of the higher-ups from the Divine Capture Sect, the Shadow Guard, and the Imperial Guard. We’ll deliberately leak some false information and then watch them closely to see who lets it slip."

Although Lu Tianming felt this approach might offend some powerful people, he knew that if they failed to find the culprit soon, his own position as Chief Constable would be in jeopardy. He agreed.

"By the way," said Sun Wuyang, the Celestial Eye, "my next step is to secretly investigate the private vaults of the major families and factions in White Jade City—their hidden storehouses. According to my observations, the resources and treasures stolen from the Inner Treasury and the National Treasury have not left White Jade City. They are still hidden somewhere within its walls."

"Not even the highest-grade Storage Spiritual Artifact could hold that much. Therefore, the stolen treasures from the Inner Treasury and National Treasury must be in one of these private vaults. If we investigate them all, we’ll most likely find the loot. This must be done in secret, so I must ask you to be careful, Chief Constable."

Lu Tianming nodded. "Rest assured. Only you and I know of this. Even when I have men investigate these private vaults, I will give them a different pretext. The investigators themselves won’t know the true reason for their search."

"Then I’ll leave this matter in your hands, Chief Constable," Sun Wuyang, the Celestial Eye, said with a nod.

On the surface, they would leak information to lure out the mole; in secret, they would execute the plan to investigate the private vaults. It seemed like a flawless strategy. But what the two men could never have imagined was that nearby, several gray sparrows were listening quietly.

On a nearby old scholar tree, a calico cat was lazily licking its paws.

Even the few insects and ants crawling across the roof of the Inner Treasury heard the two men’s plan and took simple note of it.

The two men assumed that by standing on the roof of the Inner Treasury, surrounded by open, empty space, their plan could not possibly be overheard.

They had no idea that while there were no people, there were small animals. And the mastermind behind it all just so happened to understand the speech of these small creatures, having secretly taken control of them with the Soul Enchantment Technique.