Five days later.
The stone door of the secret chamber slid open.
When Lu Chen stepped across the threshold, dawn had just broken.
A thin line of blue-white light stained the horizon, bathing the drill grounds of the Ironblood Horse Grounds in cold silver. The faint sounds of soldiers training carried over, uniform and thunderous, their momentum soaring like a rainbow.
He stood at the doorway in stillness for three breaths.
True essence coursed through his body, more refined and weighty than it had been five days ago. The violet-gold radiance had nearly completely withdrawn inward, leaving only a silent star slowly turning deep within his dantian.
On the Dragon-Pattern Spirit Bones, the pale golden dragon patterns now faintly revealed a trace of amber.
He had refined three Dragon Marrow Spirit Crystals.
At the peak of Supernatural Power, he was now flawless and complete.
His hand had already grasped the door knocker.
But he had not pushed it open.
It was not because his strength was insufficient.
He lacked a "moment of opportunity."
He strode toward the central command tent.
When the tent flap was lifted, Mo Qianqiu, Han Lie, Zhao Tieying, Gu Mingxuan, and Lei Ba were already waiting.
Xiao Jingyan's light talisman for transmitting messages floated in the center of the tent, emitting a faint cyan glow.
Lu Chen took his seat.
"Three days ago, at midnight," Mo Qianqiu began in a deep voice, "the Third Prince, Xiao Jinghong, left the Capital City under the pretext of paying respects at his late mother's tomb. He traveled thirty li beyond the city and lodged at Qingning Manor, an imperial estate in the outskirts."
"At the third quarter of the hour of the boar that night, an unmarked carriage draped in green curtains entered through the rear side gate of