Chapter 266 - 265: Favored Consort in the Palace

Chapter 266: Chapter 265: Favored Consort in the Palace

’Almost...’

Xia Wuyang felt a flicker of anticipation as he sensed the two Body Refining Techniques nearing fusion.

He slowly opened his eyes. An azure, star-like glint swirled within his pupils—the sign of a Qi Refining True Monarch, and it was growing more stable.

And deep within his pupils, faint phantoms of a dragon and tiger flashed and vanished. That was his Body Refining Cultivation, which was approaching Great Success and drawing ever closer to the Extraordinary.

A Three Cultivation True Monarch!

Since ancient times, most Martial Artists have specialized in a single path of Cultivation. In any given stage, they only have one major focus.

Qi Refiners have relatively frail bodies, which enemies can easily exploit.

Body Refiners lack sufficient True Qi Cultivation. They can sometimes find themselves helpless against versatile True Qi Attacks.

God Refiners are even rarer, especially among the Martial Artists of the Human Race.

Across the entire Fallen Dragon Land, those who could cultivate two paths to the True Monarch Level were likely as rare as a phoenix feather. To say nothing of advancing on three paths simultaneously—that was exceptionally rare.

And Xia Wuyang was about to become one of them, reaping astonishing benefits in the process.

His Refining God Cultivation was already Extraordinary. His Spirit was now so powerful that it surpassed even Level 13 Ghost Spirits and Anomalies.

Once his Body Refining broke through as well, he would become an unprecedented Three Cultivation True Monarch, with Qi Refining, Body Refining, and Refining God all reaching the Extraordinary realm!

Just the thought of how high his combat power would soar at that point was staggering.

Even Xia Wuyang himself couldn’t predict how strong he would become.

But he knew that once he broke through, the Great Xia Royal Family’s ancestor, the Three Spirits True Monarch, would no longer pose a threat to him. Even if he couldn’t defeat the ancestor, escape would be incredibly easy.

He was only wary of the Royal Family’s hidden trump cards. If Emperor Xia alone had so many Spirit Level trump cards, then the ancestor of the Great Xia Royal Family certainly possessed even more. Thus, he still had to act with caution.

’My next epiphany will be in ten days at most,’ Xia Wuyang estimated.

His Supreme Talent of the Seven-Aperture Exquisite allowed his Spiritual Power to grow steadily by one point each day. It had now reached three hundred and seventy points. Normally, only Level 14 Ghost Spirits and Anomalies possessed such Spiritual Power.

Following the previous pattern, every ten-point increase brought an opportunity for an epiphany.

In other words, in ten days at most, he would have his next epiphany and completely fuse the two Body Refining Techniques.

During these ten days, he needed to continue consolidating his Cultivation and push the fusion of the two techniques to its absolute limit. He had to make perfect preparations for the final breakthrough to have the best chance of breaking through his Body Refining Cultivation at the same time.

His mind made up, Xia Wuyang rose to his full height.

He stretched his limbs, and his joints emitted a series of sharp cracks, like popping beans, signifying another increase in his overall strength.

He threw a casual punch. Without using his River True Qi and relying solely on his physical Power, the force of his fist tore a visible white shockwave in the air that lingered for a long time, a testament to its might.

’My physical Power alone is already approaching 700,000 kilograms...’

Xia Wuyang felt the surging Qi Blood within him, a smile gracing his lips. ’If I break through to the Body Refining True Monarch Realm, I’ll definitely surpass the million-kilogram mark. Combined with the threefold Foundation boost from Deep Roots and Strong Trunk, and supplemented with Spiritual Techniques, Spiritual Artifacts, and Spirit Arts...’

’That destructive force would be enough to shatter mountains and sunder peaks, far surpassing that of an ordinary True Monarch.’

Suppressing his aura, Xia Wuyang put on his Disguise, reverting to his decrepit, elderly appearance. He pushed open the stone door of the Practice Room. "My beauties, I have arrived!"

It was now the early hours of the morning, but Wenhua Hall was still brightly lit.

Some of the beauties were still waiting. Seeing the Crown Prince emerge, they all swarmed around him.

"Your Highness, you’re finally out. We sisters were about to fall asleep from waiting," a beauty in purple cooed.

Xia Wuyang chuckled, an arm around a beauty on each side. "Am I not here to keep you company now? Whoever pleases me tonight will be handsomely rewarded. I will not be stingy."

The beauties laughed and flirted, and the hall was once again filled with a titillating atmosphere. The air was ripe with pleasure.

Meanwhile, a great battle loomed in the Northern Territory’s Yingchou Creek, a poisonous fog spread through the Southern Border Miasma Forest, and the Imperial Court was in an uproar over grain and military pay, with no one willing to sacrifice their own interests.

The Prince Zhenxi’s Mansion was preparing for war, the Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion watched like a tiger, and the Celestial Treasure Pavilion stirred up trouble from the shadows... The forces behind the other victimized Princes and Princesses were also sharpening their knives.

The entire Great Xia was like a fully drawn bow, stretched to its absolute limit. War was on the verge of breaking out.

But no one knew that the one who would truly decide where that bow was aimed was not Emperor Xia on his Throne, not Tie Muer on the steppes, not Panhu in the deep mountains... It was the seemingly muddle-headed elder Crown Prince in Wenhua Hall. He was the key to everything.

He was like a true dragon lurking in the abyss, quietly waiting for the moment to soar. Or perhaps, he had already taken flight and was just waiting to sweep across the land.

That moment was close at hand; it would not be long now.

Outside the window, the trees were lush and green.

The first thunderstorm of early summer was brewing on the distant horizon, with muffled rumbles of thunder and faint flashes of lightning.

The wind howled, heralding the coming storm.

「The seventh day of the fifth lunar month. Grain Full.」

The summer atmosphere in White Jade City grew stronger. The drone of cicadas was now a constant, grating noise that frayed many people’s nerves.

The heat from the shocking case at Kunning Palace had not yet completely faded. After all, the deposition of the Empress, the mother of the nation, was no small matter.

The Palace Attendants still lowered their voices when discussing it in private. After all, in the foul-smelling Fengyi Hall lay Empress Murong Wan, living a life worse than death. Even if she was powerless, she still had her family.

But in the Deep Palace, there was never a shortage of the new replacing the old.

One Empress fell, and naturally, a new woman rose to take her place.

The one who currently held the most imperial favor was Consort Ji, Ji Ruxue, who resided in Lan Yue Palace. She was also the one everyone believed was most likely to inherit the title of Empress.

Lan Yue Palace was located on the east side of the Imperial Garden, overlooking a stream of fresh water. Its scenery was exquisite, second only to Kunning Palace.

The place was originally the residence of an empress from a previous dynasty. Emperor Xia had it completely renovated and bestowed it upon Ji Ruxue, a clear sign of his favor.

It was now afternoon in Liuyun Pavilion, the main hall of Lan Yue Palace. The Underfloor Heating had long since been extinguished. In its place, Icebergs, which had been meticulously Refined, were set in the four corners of the room.

These were whole blocks of ice transported thousands of miles from the snowy mountains of the Northern Territory, carved into the shapes of immortal cranes, auspicious clouds, and other forms that Consort Ji favored.

They slowly emanated a cool air throughout the hall, dispelling the sweltering summer heat.

Ji Ruxue was lounging on a soft couch by the window. Spread beneath her was an entire, snow-white Fox Fur—one from a Demon Fox, worth a fortune.

She wore only a light, watery-red Light Gauze Shirt and Skirt. The slit of the skirt was cut extremely high, revealing a pair of long, slender, flawless legs.

She appeared to be in her early twenties, but in reality, she was nearly thirty. However, she was skilled in preserving her youth. Her skin was still as tender as a young girl’s, so flawless that anyone who saw her would think she was merely sixteen.