The King of Coercion Arrives

Ji Xuanyuan pondered for a moment. "Now that you mention it, it really is a little strange... I asked Crown Prince Brother about this back then too. He said Father Emperor's words could not be questioned, so I never pressed the matter further..."

Xiao Fan could understand the young master's thinking. Just seeing Emperor Hongwu was enough to scare him stiff, let alone questioning the Emperor to his face. Even if he were lent ten times the courage, he would not dare...

No matter what, based on the information currently available, among the entire Ji Clan imperial family, only Emperor Hongwu's direct-line princes possessed the inheritance of the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal. The collateral branches had no right to cultivate this technique.

Xiao Fan continued, "Fine... The cultivation formula for the first realm does not seem particularly difficult. Did Your Highness encounter some obstacle while cultivating it?"

"I can understand the cultivation formula, and Father Emperor even personally guided us in our cultivation... But for some reason, no matter how I practice, I just never improve..." The young master spoke with grievance. He truly had worked hard, but there had been no results.

That left Xiao Fan at a loss. By all rights, the first realm was not difficult. As long as Ji Clan blood still flowed through him, he should be able to sense the dragon qi within the earth veins and gradually draw it into himself... Given enough days and months, he was bound to achieve something.

At the very least, reaching ninth rank—perhaps even eighth rank—should not have been so difficult...

"Your Highness, when you cultivate, you should be able to sense the dragon qi in the capital's earth veins, correct?" Xiao Fan asked.

Ji Xuanyuan answered quickly, "I can. I could sense the dragon qi beneath the earth veins when I was little, but for some reason, my ability to sense it declined after I grew up."

For the moment, Xiao Fan did not know how to help Ji Xuanyuan cultivate. So he simply had him absorb dragon qi in front of him once. Perhaps he might discover something.

Xiao Fan did not tell Ji Xuanyuan that he had already mastered the first realm of the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal and even broken through to the eighth-rank Iron Bone Realm... On one hand, that news was far too explosive and would surely bring enormous trouble upon him and his family.

On the other hand... the young master already lacked confidence. If he learned of it, the blow would be far too great...

"Mm... Then follow the cultivation formula for the first realm of the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal and perform it once now. I'll see if I can find where the problem lies." Xiao Fan offered his suggestion, asking the young master to cultivate on the spot so he could observe.

Ji Xuanyuan nodded like a pecking chick, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes. He began sensing the dragon qi according to the cultivation formula and drawing it into his body...

At the same time, Xiao Fan calmed his breath and focused his mind, synchronizing his senses with the dragon qi within the earth beneath his feet!

The difference was that Xiao Fan merely sensed the flow of dragon qi. He did not absorb it, nor would he interfere with Ji Xuanyuan's cultivation.

Gradually, the dragon qi rose slowly and began gathering around Ji Xuanyuan... So far, there was nothing unusual.

Next, the dragon qi should enter the body and merge into his sinews and bones...

At that very moment, Xiao Fan clearly sensed the dragon qi within Ji Xuanyuan beginning to leak outward!

After entering his body, it was somehow scattered back out? It could not merge into his sinews and bones.

Not only that, Ji Xuanyuan's face gradually turned pale, his lips drained of color, leaving him with the look of someone whose kidneys had been hollowed out by excessive indulgence...

Xiao Fan circulated his qi and pressed his index finger against Ji Xuanyuan's brow, using his powerful qi to stabilize the dragon qi rampaging through the young master's body.

"Cough! ..."

Ji Xuanyuan could no longer hold on. He stopped absorbing dragon qi and broke into a violent coughing fit.

"Old Xiao, you saw it too. It really isn't that I refuse to cultivate diligently... Looks like I truly am not cut out for this." The young master was aggrieved beyond measure.

Xiao Fan gently patted Ji Xuanyuan's back, helping him smooth his breath before soothing him. "Your Highness, do not lose heart. From what I observed, it is not that Your Highness cannot cultivate the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal. Rather, there seems to be something inside your body rejecting the absorption of dragon qi."

He continued his analysis. "In my view, this is not because Your Highness lacks cultivation talent, but because your cultivation is being disrupted by something."

"Is that so..." This was the first time Ji Xuanyuan had heard such a claim...

It was not as though the young master had never invited martial arts instructors from the palace to guide him. Yet their conclusion had been that he lacked cultivation talent, that his spirit meridians were flawed, and that he could not gather dragon qi.

These martial arts instructors were no ordinary people. They were Imperial Martial Academy grandmasters personally appointed by Emperor Hongwu to teach the princes martial cultivation.

Naturally, the conclusion of a martial arts grandmaster could not be questioned, so Ji Xuanyuan could only accept the "reality" that his martial talent was lacking.

Yet Xiao Fan's words this time stood worlds apart from the Imperial Martial Academy grandmaster's conclusion!

Who should he believe? Was there even a need to ask?

What did an Imperial Martial Academy grandmaster matter? How could they compare to the reliability of a friendship forged through life and death!

"Old Xiao!!! You mean... I can still be saved?!"

Light burst from the young master's eyes, and hope once again ignited in his heart that had resigned itself to lying flat!

"Well... I will certainly do everything in my power to help Your Highness cultivate the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal!"

Xiao Fan did not dare slap his chest and make any guarantees. After all, he did not know why the young master's body rejected dragon qi.

Without knowing the cause, there was no way to prescribe the right remedy. This matter required further observation.

Just then, the old steward outside urgently announced, "Master, there is a visitor!"

Upon hearing this, the two immediately stopped discussing the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal.

"Who is it?" Ji Xuanyuan asked as he pushed open the study door.

The old steward glanced toward the outer gate. "It is Yu Hao... Young Master Yu!"

At the mention of that name, both Xiao Fan and Ji Xuanyuan were startled! Was this not that king of posturing they had encountered during the Nine Provinces Martial Tournament rank assessment?!

Ji Xuanyuan's face filled with disgust. "Why is this guy here? Quickly think of a way to send him off. Tell him I'm not here!"

But before his words had even faded, a shout came from the outer gate. "Yu has come especially to pay a visit. I hope Your Highness will honor me with your presence!"

The next instant, that richly dressed young master rose with the wind, standing atop a folding fan as he flew straight over the courtyard wall. He flipped down from the fan in an absurdly showy pose, landing with one fist braced against the ground while reaching out to catch the fan... The entire sequence flowed like drifting clouds and running water, so practiced it was almost heartbreaking to watch.

Seeing that he would not be easily sent away, Ji Xuanyuan helplessly squeezed out an ugly smile. "Oh! What brings Young Master Yu to my residence today? A rare guest indeed, a rare guest."

"I heard Your Highness met with misfortune some days ago, so I made a special trip to visit you." Yu Hao clasped his hands and bowed.

Ji Xuanyuan knew this fellow would not have come uninvited without wanting something. "Young Master Yu, you did not come here merely to pay me a visit, did you?"

"Oh, Your Highness truly is unmatched in wisdom. Actually, I came this time to..." Before Yu Hao could finish, the corner of his eye caught sight of a handsome young man with sword-like brows and starry eyes emerging from the study behind them...

"Huh? It's you?!" He recognized Xiao Fan at once.

Xiao Fan cupped his hands. "We meet again... Young Master Yu."

"Why are you here...?"

Yu Hao was momentarily speechless. He could not understand why this young man was in a prince's residence. Was he some household servant? Or perhaps a guard?

And yet...

Ji Xuanyuan looked puzzled. "Huh? Old Xiao, you know each other?"

Old Xiao?... So this servant or guard was called Old Xiao? He had never heard of anyone with the surname "Old"... Yu Hao frantically tried to patch together an explanation in his mind.

Xiao Fan explained calmly, "We have crossed paths before. It is only that I know Young Master Yu, while Young Master Yu may not necessarily know me."

"Oh, what a coincidence. Let me introduce him—this is Young Master Xiao Fan, my brother!" Ji Xuanyuan said with a smile, draping an arm over Xiao Fan's shoulder.

The instant those words left his mouth, it was like heavenly thunder crashing down upon Yu Hao's head, leaving him frozen where he stood...