Heavenly Dao Abyss. Staring into the depths of the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury, Liu Chengfeng had no idea what it did.
The World Tree was a hidden attribute of the Blood Sea Divine Treasury. It could forcibly draw out Spirit Veins, no matter how vast they were.
But what did the Heavenly Dao Abyss, a hidden attribute of the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury, do?
For the moment, Liu Chengfeng couldn't figure it out, so he could only keep cultivating.
The trouble was, ever since the Heavenly Dao Abyss had appeared, even a vast amount of blood essence and spiritual light couldn't fill it.
No matter how he circulated his cultivation method, how much blood essence he drew in, or how much spiritual energy he absorbed, the Heavenly Dao Abyss swallowed it all.
It was like a bottomless pit; the surging blood essence and spiritual energy never stopped, yet still couldn't fill it.
As a result, Liu Chengfeng couldn't gather enough power to break through his bottleneck and open the Reception Divine Treasury.
Something similar had happened when the World Tree began to grow.
Liu Chengfeng steeled himself and used the World Tree to draw from a Spirit Vein. He didn't dare drain it all at once, though, and only took a small sip.
Qiuchi Kingdom's Spirit Vein came from the Bayu Mountain Range—"mountain rain swells the autumn pool."
Its spiritual energy was as abundant as rivers and lakes.
Even a small sip gave him far more spiritual energy than he would have gained by draining the Cloud Rising Sect's Spirit Vein.
The World Tree took a sip from the Spirit Vein, and the sheer quantity of energy immediately alarmed the Empress of Qiuchi.
"What are you cultivating?"
The Empress of Qiuchi came in person, astonished.
"I hit a bottleneck, so I wanted to take a big gulp of spiritual energy and make a push."
Liu Chengfeng didn't go into detail. Still, he found that even after the World Tree absorbed so much spiritual energy, it hadn't filled the Heavenly Dao Abyss, leaving him at a loss.
The Empress of Qiuchi stepped in to help, pouring her own blood essence and power straight into Liu Chengfeng's Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury.
A great figure from the Great Dao Divine Treasury possessed blood essence as vast as the sea and a Great Dao as powerful as an ocean. Her power flooded the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury, making Liu Chengfeng seem tiny by comparison.
It was enough to leave anyone gaping.
The power of the Great Dao Divine Treasury was astonishingly mighty, yet it still couldn't fill the Heavenly Dao Abyss. It was like a bottomless pit, never satisfied no matter how much it was fed.
"What have you been cultivating?"
The Empress of Qiuchi was stunned. She had no idea what was happening, and even her all-out effort couldn't fill it.
"I'll figure it out on my own. There has to be a way."
Liu Chengfeng wasn't discouraged. The World Tree had shown him the way before.
The Empress of Qiuchi left him to work it out himself. He had greater talent than she did and was more likely to find a solution.
The Heavenly Dao Abyss was incredibly strange. Liu Chengfeng tried all kinds of methods, but none could fill it.
As he studied it, Liu Chengfeng discovered that something seemed to be hidden inside the Heavenly Dao Abyss. It looked like a treasure.
"You need Mountain Pills—Triple-Refined Mountain Pills."
Just as Liu Chengfeng was struggling to figure it out, Ye Huijian appeared from who knew where. With her arms crossed over her chest, she leaned against the doorway.
"Triple-Refined Mountain Pills are enough?"
Liu Chengfeng had never thought of that approach.
"Ten-thousand-year Mountain Pills shape the body. As long as you have enough, you can complete the process."
Liu Chengfeng trusted Ye Huijian's words.
"Hand over your insights."
Ye Huijian took the hidden attributes of the God Treasuries very seriously. She wouldn't miss a single detail.
Liu Chengfeng shared his insights into the Heavenly Dao Abyss with Ye Huijian.
"Heavenly Dao Abyss, not Great Dao Abyss."
Hearing the name, Ye Huijian was surprised. It wasn't what she had expected.
"What's so mysterious about it?"
Unable to figure out the Heavenly Dao Abyss, Liu Chengfeng asked Ye Huijian for advice.
"I don't know. Think it through carefully."
"Aunt-Master, shouldn't you teach me a few techniques, too?"
Liu Chengfeng was dissatisfied with his bargain-bin aunt-master. She'd taken what he had to offer, yet he'd never seen her teach him a single technique.
"If you follow my path, what's the point of creating a new one?"
Ye Huijian rolled her eyes at him. That girlish little gesture looked especially beautiful on her.
She had a point.
Liu Chengfeng had to give up. To forge a new path, he could only rely on himself, fusing one technique after another. In the end, he would combine and refine them all to create his own path.
"It's not as if I have nothing to give you."
Ye Huijian reached out and pulled Little Li out. Ever since Liu Chengfeng had moved into the imperial residence, Little Li had vanished—who knew where.
Ye Huijian pulled Little Li out as casually as if she were plucking her from the air. Little Li trembled all over, not daring to resist.
"The cultivation method inscribed on the Fire Phoenix Furnace—you may not be able to understand it, but you must have made a rubbing. When he opens the Reception Divine Treasury, give it to him."
Ye Huijian tapped Little Li on the head and gave her instructions.
Little Li trembled, not daring to refuse. She squeaked and hurriedly nodded.
"What's the Fire Phoenix Furnace?"
After Ye Huijian left, Liu Chengfeng looked at Little Li curiously.
Little Li stayed silent, held her head high, and trotted off with a little air of pride.
"Looking down on people like a dog—no, like a fox."
Liu Chengfeng wanted to kick Little Li flying, but she had already run out of the imperial palace.
When the Empress of Qiuchi learned that Liu Chengfeng needed Triple-Refined Mountain Pills, she immediately ordered someone to retrieve the kingdom's remaining Mountain Pills from the treasury.
Qiuchi Kingdom didn't have any Triple-Refined alchemists, either. Its strongest alchemist was Cheng Nan, a second-refinement, mid-grade alchemist.
The three Triple-Refined Mountain Pills in the treasury had been bought from an Ancient Kingdom. They had been refined from herbs that were fifty thousand years old.
Each pill was worth a million. All three of the kingdom's only pills went to Liu Chengfeng.
Triple-Refined Mountain Pills were made from herbs between ten thousand and a hundred thousand years old. They were extremely precious, and their medicinal effects were more than ten times stronger than those of second-refinement pills.
Once the Triple-Refined Mountain Pills had shaped his body and he swallowed them, the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury shone with crystalline light.
Just as Ye Huijian had said, after he swallowed all three Triple-Refined Mountain Pills, the Heavenly Dao Abyss stopped devouring spiritual energy and blood essence quite so fiercely.
It was like a breached riverbank that had been partially patched.
"Not enough Mountain Pills."
Liu Chengfeng had a headache. Triple-Refined Mountain Pills were extremely precious. Even with the Empress of Qiuchi's full support and her willingness to pay in spirit stones, they couldn't be bought on short notice.
While Liu Chengfeng was fretting over the Mountain Pills, the might of the Great Dao came rolling in like a tide, flooding the imperial residence.
"Nangong Zheng pays his respects to Your Majesty, Empress of Qiuchi."
Before he arrived, the might of the Great Dao pressed down on them, and his voice rang in their ears like thunder.
Nangong Zheng was coming.
Liu Chengfeng's heart tightened. He wasn't sure what stance Nangong Zheng would take.
A great figure from the Great Dao Divine Treasury had come in person. He couldn't be underestimated—especially given Nangong Zheng's lofty status.
"You will receive Nangong Zheng."
The Empress of Qiuchi gave Liu Chengfeng his orders.
"Are you kidding? I'm supposed to receive him? What about you?"
Liu Chengfeng was startled. If Nangong Zheng had joined forces with Wu Yuanqing, he could take Liu Chengfeng's head at any moment.
"He didn't come to take your head. He wants the Crow Nest Tree."
The Empress of Qiuchi saw right through Liu Chengfeng's thoughts.
"Then you receive him. He isn't here to see me."
The Empress of Qiuchi stared at him, cold as ice.
"Fine, fine, fine. I'm the Prince Consort, so I'll go see him, all right, dear?"
Liu Chengfeng's scalp prickled. When you ate someone's food, your mouth went soft; when you took their things, your hands went short.
"Nangong Zheng wants to borrow the Crow Nest Tree for five hundred years, so he can meditate on the Dao."
The Empress of Qiuchi told him what Nangong Zheng wanted.
"The Crow Nest Tree can't be moved. Does he intend to occupy the Ancestral Hall?"
"He only wants to borrow the Crow Nest Tree."
"What do you think? Should we lend it to him or not?"
"What do you think?"
The Empress of Qiuchi's eyes sharpened, her gaze like a blade poised to slice Liu Chengfeng's head off.
"Damn it, you're sending me to my death. If I refuse, Nangong Zheng will take my head."
Liu Chengfeng knew the Empress of Qiuchi was pushing him forward as a shield.
"That depends on your ability. If you can negotiate, you can turn an enemy into an ally. In the end, the imperial family's approval is still needed to open the Ancestral Hall."
"What if we wipe out the imperial family?"
Liu Chengfeng was at a loss. He had to turn Nangong Zheng away.
"Would you be able to escape?"
The Empress of Qiuchi looked at Liu Chengfeng coldly, her imperial might bearing down on him, the Empress's majesty towering above all.
That little vixen. Sooner or later, I'll get her into bed and teach her a proper lesson.
Liu Chengfeng ground his teeth in anger, but this wasn't the time to pick a fight.
"Then we can't flip the table. We'll have to keep Nangong Zheng in check for now."
Facing this thorny problem, Liu Chengfeng worked out a strategy to escape his predicament.
"You're the Prince Consort. You're in charge of everything."
The Empress of Qiuchi ignored Liu Chengfeng and went into seclusion.
"You still haven't cured your poison!"
Liu Chengfeng called after her.
The Empress of Qiuchi had been practicing her cultivation method, controlling Separation Fire and trying to cure the poison these past few days, but she still hadn't succeeded.
The Empress of Qiuchi's body stiffened. Then she disappeared inside.
Nangong Zheng had come in person, so Liu Chengfeng had no choice but to steel himself and receive him.
The Empress of Qiuchi had put him in charge of everything. He could command the entire imperial palace.
Nangong Zheng was surprised to see Liu Chengfeng receiving him.
"I want to see the Empress of Qiuchi."
Nangong Zheng stood above him, his Great Dao might pressing down like a mountain on Liu Chengfeng's head.
Liu Chengfeng took a deep breath and circulated his cultivation method, straightening his back.
"Her Majesty the Empress is in seclusion. As the Prince Consort, I can discuss anything you wish with you, Senior Nangong."
Liu Chengfeng kept his composure, his expression fearless.
Nangong Zheng's eyes narrowed, cold light gleaming in them. His Great Dao might crashed down like a giant wave, as if ready to sweep Liu Chengfeng away.
Liu Chengfeng sat rigidly, bracing against Nangong Zheng's terrifying aura. Waves roared in his ears, and the cutting wind stung his face.
"Senior, I welcomed you with the utmost courtesy. Is this how you treat a guest? Throwing your weight around against someone weaker?"
Liu Chengfeng neither bowed nor yielded. He met Nangong Zheng's intimidating gaze without fear.
Nangong Zheng stared at Liu Chengfeng for a while, then withdrew his Great Dao might.
"Good. No wonder you dared to kill Zhao Tian's father. You've got guts."
Liu Chengfeng let out a breath. A great figure from the Great Dao Divine Treasury could split mountains and sever rivers. He truly was frightening.
"I want to borrow the Crow Nest Tree in the Ancestral Hall for five hundred years. Can you make that decision?"
"Senior Nangong, if Qiuchi Kingdom lends you the Crow Nest Tree for five hundred years, what will the Nangong Clan offer in return?"
Liu Chengfeng didn't refuse, which surprised Nangong Zheng.
"I'll stand by and watch."
Nangong Zheng said something that seemed to make no sense.
"Senior, it's not that simple. Is that really how you conduct yourself?"
Liu Chengfeng understood what he meant. Ye Ziyang and Wu Yuanqing had surely invited Nangong Zheng to join forces with them.
Nangong Zheng was an upright man; he didn't conceal his intentions.
"If the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? If Qiuchi Kingdom is destroyed today, what's to stop the Nangong Clan from being destroyed tomorrow? The Flying Phoenix Kingdom is a recent warning."
Liu Chengfeng laid everything bare, hitting the nail on the head.
Nangong Zheng's heart tightened. Those words made him look at Liu Chengfeng in a new light.
"Senior is a man of integrity, upright and honorable. I believe you wouldn't take advantage of someone in danger. Besides, it's not as if you could enjoy the Crow Nest Tree all to yourself."
"Interesting. You really are the Prince Consort."
Nangong Zheng accepted Liu Chengfeng's status. A moment ago, he had thought Liu Chengfeng was merely a fake Prince Consort, brought in as a shield.
"Lend it to me for five hundred years, and the descendants of the Su Clan may stay with the Nangong Clan for five hundred years."
Nangong Zheng made his meaning clear. If the imperial family were destroyed and the descendants of the Su Clan managed to escape, they could hide with the Nangong Clan for five hundred years.
"Senior, you're quite confident. Can the Nangong Clan really last five hundred years?"
Liu Chengfeng's words cut straight to the bone.
"The Dragon Ascending Holy Sect has the Ancient Kingdom and the Royal Court behind it. Do you think the Nangong Clan has no backers? When you're out in the world, who doesn't have a few?"
Nangong Zheng's aura soared, his cold gaze intimidating.
Nangong Zheng had reason to be confident. A third-refinement, high-grade alchemist was welcome anywhere. Even Ancient Kingdoms bought Blood Medicine Mountain Pills from him.
"But what about you? Zhao Tian wants to sacrifice you alive. With the Royal Court backing him, who can protect you? Can you escape death?"
"Escape death?"
Liu Chengfeng laughed and shook his head.
"Senior, I'm not trying to escape death. I will kill Zhao Tian!"
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Liu Chengfeng's eyes, and killing intent rose.
Nangong Zheng knew Liu Chengfeng was serious.
"The Divine Dynasty's strength is beyond your imagination."
"And the Divine Dynasty can't stand in the way of my path."
Liu Chengfeng's spirit soared to the heavens. Nothing could stop him.
"'And the Divine Dynasty can't stand in the way of my path.' What a fine line! Such courage is admirable. Even I had no such boldness in my youth."
Nangong Zheng burst out laughing, unable to help recalling the past and his younger days.
"I will fight for the Crow Nest Tree."
Nangong Zheng's resolve was firm.
"Even if you want to open the Ancestral Hall, you'll need the royal family's approval."
Liu Chengfeng did not back down.
"What if the royal family is wiped out?"
"Senior Nangong, once I unleash my Empress's divine art, who will die first?"
Liu Chengfeng laughed heartily. Nangong Zheng's eyes turned cold.
Before you continue