Chapter 287 - 286: Taking Stock

Chapter 287: Chapter 286: Taking Stock

Empress Murong Wan, Consort Ji, Ji Ruxue, and the Chief Wet Nurse from the Qin Clan... In a short span of time, the three people closest to him had been murdered one after another. Yet the killer was like a phantom, coming and going without a trace. Though he knew who was responsible, they had yet to be captured.

Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang, leading the Divine Capture Sect and the Shadow Guards, had turned the Imperial Palace upside down. Yet, they couldn’t find a single trace of the killer, only managing to root out a few spies from Da Kuo and the Southern Barbarians, whose strength was mediocre at best.

All clues pointed to the Northern Desert and the Southern Barbarians, but the unease in Emperor Xia’s heart only grew stronger. ’If I let this enemy continue to run rampant, who will be next to die?’

The enemy was manipulating everything from the shadows, pushing him and the Great Xia step by step into an abyss. No one knew what would happen next.

Zheng Zhicang appeared silently in the hall, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Second Princess, Princess Jinping, requests an audience."

Emperor Xia frowned. "What is she here for?"

"Her Highness the Princess reports that her Ciping Palace was burgled last night. Many valuable items were stolen, and she wishes to request that Your Majesty assign additional Guards," Zheng Zhicang said.

"Burgled? Her Ciping Palace has so many Grandmasters... and even a Super Grade Celestial Human standing guard. What additional manpower could I possibly assign?" Emperor Xia was taken aback, his tone laced with disbelief.

After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "Let her in."

A moment later, Princess Jinping stepped into the hall.

Today, she wore a simple, light gray dress. Her hair was tied up plainly, and she wore no makeup. Her eyes held a perfectly measured look of alarm and grievance.

Upon seeing Emperor Xia, she gracefully bowed. "Your daughter greets you, Father Emperor."

"Rise. I hear your Ciping Palace was burgled?" Emperor Xia said, looking at her.

Princess Jinping looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes. This is the second time it has happened recently. After midnight last night, the Guards in my palace heard a strange noise. When they went to investigate, they discovered that the secret chamber where I keep my treasures had been opened and was already empty. My Ciping Palace was cleaned out the last time this happened. I had only just acquired some new resources and treasures from the outside, and now they’ve been stolen, too."

"What was lost?" Emperor Xia asked, somewhat curious. ’My second daughter is certainly unlucky. She must be the first princess to be robbed twice.’

"Some gold and silver and resources that I brought in from the outside, and..." Princess Jinping bit her lip. "And a Thousand-year-old Stalactite. It was something I obtained by a fortunate coincidence recently. I had intended to present it to you, Father Emperor, to help you improve."

Emperor Xia’s pupils contracted, and his expression darkened.

A Thousand-year-old Stalactite!

That was a Spirit Treasure capable of helping a True Monarch advance their Cultivation—a Spirit Level Miracle Treasure.

Although he had obtained many fine things from the Luo River Secret Realm, he didn’t have many Spirit Treasures. And who could ever have too many treasures that could directly enhance one’s Cultivation?

"Why didn’t you present it sooner?" His voice turned cold, clearly displeased.

"I... I intended to present it on Father Emperor’s birthday to please you," Princess Jinping said, her head lowered and her voice choked with sobs. "I never imagined it would be lost before your birthday arrived."

Emperor Xia stared at her for a long moment. Thinking that his own hundredth birthday was indeed approaching, he finally waved his hand. "Forget it. Your filial piety is noted. I will have Zheng Zhicang assign more men to guard Ciping Palace. As for the stolen items, I will also order an investigation."

"Thank you, Father Emperor." Princess Jinping kowtowed respectfully. As she withdrew, a flicker of gloom crossed her eyes.

She had never actually intended to present that Thousand-year-old Stalactite to Emperor Xia. It was a priceless treasure she was saving for herself, to be used for a future breakthrough or to win people over. There was no way she would ever give it to Emperor Xia.

Now that it was stolen, it felt like her heart was being carved out. It was only because she considered it highly unlikely she would ever get it back that she told Emperor Xia about it, to prevent his future displeasure should he find out later.

Taking this opportunity was, in a sense, killing two birds with one stone.

What unsettled her was that the thief’s methods were extremely sophisticated; no traps were triggered, and not a single trace was left behind.

Within the palace, besides that mysterious master, she couldn’t think of a second person capable of such a feat. It had to be the same person responsible for the previous thefts.

’Are they really masters from Da Kuo and the Southern Barbarians?’ Princess Jinping frowned.

She left Qianqing Palace full of doubt, images of the Princes and Princesses who had met with misfortune flashing through her mind, causing her heart to pound with ever-growing fear.

What she didn’t know was that at this very moment, inside Wenhua Hall, the elder Crown Prince whom she hadn’t suspected in the slightest was toying with the Stalactite that should have been hers, a faint smile playing on his lips.

「Wenhua Hall, in the Practice Room.」

Xia Wuyang sat cross-legged on the Jade Couch, with three items laid out before him.

On the left was a small, crystal-clear piece of Stalactite. It was milky white, its surface shimmering with a soft, moon-like luster. This was the Thousand-year-old Stalactite taken from Princess Jinping, and it was the most valuable item from his latest haul.

This object contained pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, enough to send his Cultivation Realm soaring by another large margin. Once his Cultivation Foundation stabilized, he would consume this Thousand-year-old Stalactite.

On the right was a yellowed ancient book. On its cover were three words written in Ancient Seal Script: *Enchanting Soul Scripture*.

This was an unexpected find, plundered from Princess Jinping’s secret chamber—a Low Level Spiritual Technique specializing in Spiritual Power. It excelled in confusion, control, and memory alteration, in no way inferior to the Enchanting Heart Technique, and even surpassed it in some aspects.

Xia Wuyang skimmed through it and discovered many points of compatibility between this scripture and his *Enchanting Heart Technique*. If he could fuse them, it might elevate his Refining God Technique to a whole new level.

And in the middle was a half-foot-tall Bronze Pill Furnace—also something he needed.

The body of the furnace was covered in intricate cloud patterns, standing on three legs. The lid was adorned with a vividly carved crane.

This was the Crane Pattern Furnace he had obtained from Empress Murong Wan’s secret chamber. It was a Pill Furnace of the Low Level Spiritual Artifact Level, capable of increasing Pill Formation Success Rate and Elixir Quality. It would be perfect to use once he advanced to the level of a Spirit Pill Master.

Xia Wuyang’s gaze shifted between the three items, finally settling on the *Enchanting Soul Scripture*.

"My Refining God Technique really does need an upgrade. The thirteen-layer Enchanting Heart Technique alone isn’t quite enough anymore," he murmured softly.

Currently, his Body Refining Technique, the Dragon and Tiger Golden Bell Body, had a full eighteen layers, allowing him to cultivate to the Eight Spirits Body Refining True Monarch Realm. His Qi Refining Technique, the River and Sea True Techniques, had six layers, allowing cultivation to the Six Spirits Qi Refining True Monarch Realm. Only his Refining God Technique, the *Enchanting Heart Technique*, had just thirteen layers, which would only allow him to cultivate to the level of a Three Spirits Refining God True Monarch.

Moreover, he was already a Two Spirits Refining God True Monarch, and it was clear the Enchanting Heart Technique would soon be insufficient.

Although its power was impressive due to his own Extraordinary Spiritual Power, the Cultivation Technique itself was of a low grade, limiting his future development and overall might.

While this *Enchanting Soul Scripture* was a Low Level Spiritual Technique, it specialized in spiritual manipulation. Its techniques, such as the Mind Confusion Technique, Memory Alteration Technique, and Heart Control Curse, were remarkably similar in effect to the Enchanting Heart Technique and Illusion Technique from the *Enchanting Heart Technique*. They were compatible in many ways.

If he could fuse them, he might be able to deduce a higher-level Refining God Technique.