Technique Obtained

"Fellow Daoist Wen, Yang only intended to test King Zhou Di Xin. Even if you hadn't intervened, I wouldn't have harmed him." After speaking, Yang Jian offered a few more explanations to Wen Zhong.

Wen Zhong nodded slightly and looked at everyone present. "Esteemed seniors and fellow cultivators, all the evidence indicates that all the stolen treasures belong to the same person. Previously, Fellow Daoist Zhao and the Three Ladies also tested the Great King multiple times without finding any issues. Moreover, the most crucial point is that when Uncle-Master Taiyi lost the Universe Ring just now, Yang Jian was in the process of testing the Great King. At that time, the Great King was in mortal danger and could barely protect himself, so how could he have stolen Uncle-Master Taiyi's treasure?"

Yang Jian nodded silently, his expression a little unnatural.

After all was said and done, Wen Zhong's final statement carried the most weight.

There were witnesses and evidence.

The Great King had no time to commit the crime!

Furthermore, under everyone's watchful eyes, it would be unreasonable to still insist on blaming King Zhou.

Besides, their objective was merely to find the treasures and punish the thief; they didn't necessarily want to do anything to King Zhou.

Zhao Gongming and his group, along with Nine Heavens Profound Maiden and Nine Nether Pure Maiden, were not in the Royal Palace at the time, but with their Divine Sense covering the area, they had a clear understanding of everything that had transpired within.

Upon hearing Wen Zhong's words, they all nodded in agreement, acknowledging his reasoning.

And Wen Zhong had only recently returned from the Northern Sea. Zhao Gongming knew very well that the numerous soldiers on the front lines could attest to his innocence.

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, True Person Taiyi realized the situation might be quite troublesome. He then privately questioned Zhao Gongming, Nine Heavens Profound Maiden, and the others. After clarifying all the circumstances, his heart sank.

There were no other Daoist Sect members in Chaoge at the time, which made things very difficult.

No wonder these people had focused their suspicion on King Zhou Di Xin. Everyone else had been confirmed to be ordinary citizens with clear backgrounds and traceable movements, and they had already been cleared of suspicion after multiple tests.

The scene fell into an awkward silence.

"Uncle-Master Taiyi, do you have any good ideas?" Zhao Gongming broke the silence first.

True Person Taiyi stroked his long white beard and said, "This humble monk just remembered that there's still a batch of elixirs left to refine in my cave dwelling. Golden Cloud Boy might not be able to hold on for much longer. I shall return to Qianyuan Mountain now..."

As he spoke, he looked at Yang Jian. "Yang Jian, if Sky-Howling Dog has any leads and you find yourself unable to cope, you may come to Golden Light Cave to find me. Uncle-Master will help you retrieve Sky-Howling Dog."

After saying this, he nodded to everyone and transformed into a streak of light, leaving Chaoge Mountain.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

It was clear that True Person Taiyi was backing down, unwilling to get involved in such thankless and difficult tasks, preferring to wait for a convenient opportunity.

His words were merely a pretense, a noble excuse to retrieve Sky-Howling Dog, but it was really an opportunity to retrieve the Universe Ring and handle Yang Jian's matter simultaneously.

"Fellow cultivators, Wen Zhong will also keep an eye on the situation in Chaoge and will inform all of you if any information arises." Among those present, Wen Zhong was the only one who hadn't lost any treasures. He had no intention of getting too deeply involved and, after a brief statement, prepared to take his leave.

Zhao Gongming, however, reached out and stopped him. "Fellow Daoist Wen, the repeated attempts to test Di Xin should not be spread, lest it cause further complications. Let's keep the information within our circle, shall we?"

Wen Zhong immediately nodded. "I will not mention this to the Great King. Since we are on the subject, Wen Zhong has two more matters to inform everyone of. Firstly, due to the numerous incidents in the Royal Palace, the Great King has issued a royal decree, posted throughout the land, to recruit extraordinary individuals. It is possible that Daoist Sect members will gradually arrive in Chaoge. Everyone should exercise discretion at that time and avoid causing widespread trouble or making enemies."

"That is natural. Those who come later will absolutely not be under suspicion," Zhao Gongming and Yang Jian readily agreed.

Wen Zhong continued, "Secondly, Wen Zhong will impart some cultivation techniques for rogue cultivators to the Great King. Although his aptitude is poor and he is unlikely to achieve much, it is not impossible for him to cultivate Origin Power. If it is discovered later that the Great King has cultivated Magic Power, do not be suspicious and link it to the theft of the treasures."

Since it had already been proven that Di Xin had no time to commit the crime, he could not possibly be the thief, and everyone naturally had no further objections.

What concern was it of theirs if an unrelated person cultivated?

After relaying these matters, Wen Zhong did not inquire further about their treasure-hunting plans and directly transformed into a streak of light, returning to Chaoge City.

At this moment, Di Xin was still waiting for Wen Zhong in the Imperial Garden.

Most importantly, he wanted to know about True Person Taiyi, who was Nezha's master and a formidable figure.

He was truly worried that the other party might possess some divine ability that could expose him.

"Great King..."

Having resolved the troubles in the Royal Palace today, Wen Zhong felt much more relaxed. Seeing Di Xin, a relaxed smile graced his face.

"Grand Tutor, who was that person in the sky?" Di Xin asked, seemingly casually.

Wen Zhong naturally did not tell the truth, merely chuckling. "Heh heh, a friend has come from afar."

"Are we to conquer those who come from afar?" Di Xin immediately recalled a later-day meme.

"Heh heh, Your Majesty jokes. That was a fellow cultivator who learned of my return from the Northern Sea and came to see me. He has already departed," Wen Zhong laughed, attempting to conceal his awkwardness in deceiving the Great King.

"Since he is a friend of the Grand Tutor, why didn't you invite him to the palace? This King would have hosted a banquet for him." Hearing that True Person Taiyi had already left, Di Xin's heart settled, and he casually offered a favor.

"Daoist Sect members are free spirits who do not concern themselves with worldly affairs and might not be able to tolerate the rules of the palace," Wen Zhong began to fabricate excuses.

Di Xin changed the subject. "Very well, Grand Tutor, regarding the matter of imparting teachings that I mentioned before, do you have a response?"

Seeing the Great King bring up the matter again, Wen Zhong could only reply, "In truth, anyone with a heart seeking the Dao can cultivate. I am treating this matter with the utmost importance. Since our sect's cultivation methods are not suitable for Your Majesty, I sought a suitable technique for you when I departed earlier."

As he spoke, Wen Zhong made a gesture, miraculously grasping a stack of silk scrolls. "This set of cultivation techniques is perfectly suited for Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty does not neglect state affairs, you are free to cultivate."

"And also..."

As he spoke, he made another gesture, and this time, a crystal-clear crystal, shaped like a brick, appeared.

"Your Majesty, this object is called a Spirit Stone. It is a crystallization formed by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and being nurtured by abundant spiritual energy for ten thousand years. With this by your side, cultivation will yield twice the results with half the effort."

"Spirit Stone, what a wonderful item! Grand Tutor, can you get me more!"

Di Xin, having gone from a novice to an expert in his previous life, had heard of such things countless times. To find that the Spirit Stone mentioned in the Immortal Yuan Records was actually placed before him, he could not help but be overjoyed.

After all, the greatest benefit of using this item was not the speed of cultivation, but the restoration of Magic Power.

But it was equally effective for cultivation.

For instance, when taking elixirs, one's cultivation progress is related to the concentration of spiritual energy in the surroundings.

Elixirs that provide ten years of cultivation, if consumed in a place with dense spiritual energy, will yield greater progress, otherwise less.

Di Xin resided deep within the palace, where the spiritual energy was ordinary, so taking elixirs was his only option.

If only he had Spirit Stones, then things would be different.

Hearing the Great King speak, Wen Zhong felt utterly speechless. He said with a pained expression, "Great King, your subject only has this one Spirit Stone. Even throughout the entire realm, the number of such Spirit Stones is extremely scarce. Your subject promises that if he encounters another, he will definitely save it for you."

"Good, good, Grand Tutor's kindness is too great. Oh, right, that big white dog still needs to be found. Otherwise, if it runs out and scratches this King someday, and this King dies, the realm will fall into chaos. This King's death is insignificant; it's the common people who will suffer!"

Di Xin's thoughts shifted quickly, veering to another topic.

"Yes, your subject will go and apprehend the white dog at once!"

Wen Zhong agreed and hastily left the Royal Palace.