Hidden in the Inner Palace, a Tangled Mystery
"It went straight to the deepest part of the inner palace; ordinary officials, imperial guards, and Daoist nuns couldn't even detect it."
"Right there, I met someone."
His voice trembled slightly, and a deep sense of awe and fear surfaced in his eyes.
"He was an old eunuch with white hair reaching his shoulders, a hunched back, and a faltering gait. He always used a wooden cane and appeared to be in his twilight years, very old and frail."
"But I can clearly sense that the old eunuch is hiding his true strength; his cultivation is firmly stuck at the Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis, the same level as mine!"
"Yet this top-tier cultivator, whose cultivation level is equal to mine, capable of ruling the court and overseeing a region, knelt before Heaven Slayer, bowing respectfully and addressing him as 'Master.'"
The shock of that moment remains etched deep within his soul to this day.
Zhao Heng lowered his voice, almost whispering:
"I was completely terrified. In my eyes, cultivators of the same realm were already top experts, but in front of Heaven Slayer, they were as insignificant as servants, slaves, and weeds."
"Later, I made a secret inquiry and learned that the old eunuch had been in the palace for countless years. He had served in the inner palace since the founding of the Ling Dynasty by Emperor Taizu, and was an old servant left over from the reign of Emperor Taizu."
"As you should know, the founding emperor of the Ling Dynasty was a legendary peerless powerhouse of the Thirteenth Realm. Even though he has not appeared in the world for many years, his foundation still suppresses the entire dynasty, and his remaining forces are deeply entrenched and firmly rooted."
"Yet the close confidant left behind by the founding emperor, the master craftsman of the Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis, willingly submits to being a slave and kneels before his master!"
"How dare I disobey such a person? Let alone something as simple as provoking a Daoist temple, even if it were something far more dangerous, I would have no choice but to grit my teeth and obey!"
The bamboo courtyard was quiet and still.
Chen Du remained silent for a long time, a deep, cold light flashing in his eyes.
He had long known that the Ling Dynasty court was rife with intrigue and the palace held many secrets, but he never imagined that the situation had become so complex.
The founding emperor of the Thirteenth Realm, the close confidant left behind for many years, and the top-level cultivation of the Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis, were actually just servants and henchmen under the mysterious "Heaven Slayer".
Just how terrifying is the true power of the Heaven Slayer, who is always shrouded in black mist and whose true form is never revealed?
After a long silence, he raised his eyes and asked calmly:
"What was that old eunuch's name?"
Zhao Heng shook his head slightly, and said in a trembling voice:
"This junior does not know his name."
"Heaven Slayer didn't introduce him, and the old eunuch dared not say a word. I only heard Heaven Slayer casually call out to him as I was leaving."
He paused, then said, word by word:
"Heaven Slayer, call him A-Fu."
"Casual and dismissive, as if calling a domesticated dog, showing absolutely no respect for a fellow cultivator of the same realm."
As soon as he uttered those words, a chill crept into the courtyard.
Deep within the Ling Dynasty palace, a former official of the founding emperor, and a powerful cultivator who has undergone five transformations.
He was merely a servant whom Heaven Slayer commanded at will.
That black net that covered the world was far larger, more sinister, and more terrifying than Chen Du had imagined.
Zhao Heng felt an overwhelming sense of bewilderment, humiliation, and absurdity.
He led the Tianyan Sect for tens of thousands of years, possessing all the sect's resources and foundation. After half a lifetime of arduous cultivation, he ascended to the Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis.
Prior to this, he had always considered himself a powerful figure in the region.
In the Eastern Wasteland, Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis is already a top-tier combat power, enough to subdue all factions and hold sway over a region, making them one of the top figures.
When he stepped out of the mountain gate, he was full of vigor and confidence, believing himself to be able to look down on all others and overlook the common people.
However, in just a few days, three shocking events that defied expectations completely shattered all his pride and confidence.
First, the mysterious and unpredictable Heaven Slayer suddenly appeared at the sect and Tianyan Sect the mountain-protecting formation that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years with a single palm strike.
That terrifying, overwhelming power left him no chance to even raise a hand in resistance; he could only be helpless and at the mercy of others.
Then, he followed Heaven Slayer into the deep palace of the Ling Dynasty. To his horror, he discovered that an old, bowing eunuch in the palace had a cultivation level equal to his own, both belonging to the Stellar Fifth Metamorphosis!
At that moment, he was completely dazed.
The realm he attained, achieved through the culmination of tens of thousands of years of his sect's accumulation and the arduous cultivation of his entire life, is something others can reach simply by Lie Dormant in the palace and casually practicing.
The Tianyan Sect's foundation, which he was so proud of, was insignificant in the eyes of the truly top-tier forces, not even worth mentioning, let alone being considered an ant or dust.
Tonight, as he stepped into the seemingly unremarkable Qingfeng Temple, he was met with the most extreme crushing defeat of his life.
A young Daoist priest, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed simply and plainly, suppressed the sect leader of a major sect to his knees with just a single finger of sword intent. His Daoist heart shattered, and he couldn't even muster the slightest thought of resistance.
He was filled with disbelief and astonishment.
What kind of world is this? And who is this terrifying young man before me?
He vaguely remembered that several years ago, when the master of Qingfeng Temple killed the Red Flame King, he was only at the Early Stage of the Twelfth Realm.
How could something so terrifying have developed in just a few decades?
Moreover, the other party is so young and inexperienced, even younger than the youngest disciple in his sect, yet he wields unparalleled power capable of overturning mountains and rivers and suppressing cultivators at the fifth level of transformation.
The great principles of the world and the levels of cultivation had completely overturned his understanding.
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but he was too exhausted to delve deeper.
In dire straits, the will to survive completely overwhelmed fear.
A hint of sinister hope quietly began to grow.
He lowered his eyes, feigning defeat and dejection, secretly gathering a wisp of extremely subtle Divine Thought, hiding it at his fingertips.
He was going to send a telepathic message to Heaven Slayer!
He wanted to inform the other party that Qingfeng Temple harbored a peerless master whose strength far exceeded expectations and who was not to be trifled with! He intended to lure Heaven Slayer here personally, use him as a tool to kill, and escape his current predicament!
But just as that Divine Thought took shape and had not yet been transmitted, the air in the entire bamboo courtyard suddenly froze!
The invisible Great Dao suddenly locked down all directions, and that wisp of Divine Thought that had managed to arise was instantly crushed and annihilated by an unseen hand of the Dao, leaving no trace.
Zhao Heng froze, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
A young man's calm and indifferent voice came from above, without the slightest ripple, yet every word pierced the heart.
"You think I don't know you're secretly contacting Heaven Slayer?"
Zhao Heng's face instantly turned deathly pale, all color drained from his lips, his mind went blank, and he wanted to explain, but couldn't utter a single word.
Chen Du looked down at him quietly, his tone calm, and slowly continued:
"From the moment you opened your mouth and confessed, I saw it all clearly."
"I listened to everything you told me about the secrets of the inner palace, the old subordinates of the founding emperor, the eunuch A-Fu, and the scheming and plotting of that Heaven Slayer, without interrupting."
"I've heard everything I needed to hear. I know everything I needed to know."
His gaze fell on Zhao Heng, and he asked calmly:
"Now that things have come to this, do you have anything else to say?"
The extreme fear of death completely overwhelmed Zhao Heng.
He no longer cared about the dignity of the sect leader; his eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled and roared desperately, his voice hoarse and broken, full of pleading.
"Senior! This junior knows his mistake! This junior is willing to submit! This junior is willing to do things for Senior!"
"I know many of Heaven Slayer's hidden strongholds! I can lead the way for you, senior, and I'll reveal all the information! Please spare my life!"
At this moment, he was so humble that he was reduced to dust, begging for only a sliver of hope.
But Chen Du looked at him with a calm, almost indifferent gaze.
That gaze held no murderous intent, no anger; it was merely the indifference, detachment, and utter indifference one would show towards a useless, discardable old object.
The next instant, he raised his hand and lightly gestured.
With a whoosh, the divine sword appeared out of thin air, hovering in the palm of the hand. Its blade was covered with endlessly flowing dark gold tribulation patterns, and its annihilating sharpness quietly blossomed.
The terrifying pressure instantly locked Zhao Heng in place from all directions.
Zhao Heng's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints. He felt a chill run down his spine and tried his best to retreat and dodge, but he was pinned to the spot by an invisible Dao restriction, his limbs stiff and unable to move an inch.