First Meeting

Under the night sky, Jade Capital's streets teemed with people and traffic. Clusters of lanterns hung high along the main roads and side alleys, lighting up the entire Yujing City.

Pedestrians carried sabers and wore swords, their bearing high-spirited.

City Guard soldiers clad in black robes patrolled ceaselessly through the crowds in groups of three.

The cries of shopkeepers and street vendors on both sides rang without pause, while pedestrians traveled in groups, chatting and laughing, each enjoying themselves.

Guo Chi and the other seven formed a circle, protecting Chu Zhiyuan in the middle.

Chu Zhiyuan strolled as though taking a leisurely walk, circulating the Dragon Transformation Technique as he walked. He intended to master its first layer as quickly as possible before beginning the Qi Washing Art.

He detected no one following him and finally relaxed completely.

It seemed the Town Martial Division had already dealt with the stalkers.

As expected of the Town Martial Division.

Flowing Cloud Tower had three floors, three overlapping gate towers, and three tiers of upturned eaves. Its grandeur was imposing, carrying the mighty air of piercing straight into the clouds.

It stood out beneath the night sky even from afar, ablaze with lights. The sound of strings and pipes, along with soft feminine laughter, drifted from within, like a celestial palace in the heavens.

Chu Zhiyuan wore a white sable cloak, jade ornaments at his waist, and a hat crowned with white jade. He walked calmly, exuding noble elegance and wealth.

When Guo Chi and the other seven escorted him to Flowing Cloud Tower, four Town Martial Division experts were already waiting there.

A middle-aged man in gray robes stepped forward and cupped his fists. "Are you the Fourth Heir Apparent?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

"Division Chief has long awaited your arrival. Heir Apparent, this way." The gray-robed middle-aged man bowed and gestured for him to proceed, then led the way.

Zou Fang stepped forward.

To conceal his identity, he had not brought the White Jade Duster. Dressed in blue robes, clean-shaven and fair-faced, he looked like a wealthy old gentleman.

Chu Zhiyuan followed, with Feng Xi guarding behind him.

Guo Chi did not move. He led the eight palace guards into hiding.

Chu Zhiyuan slowly climbed the stairs. He had already taken in the entirety of Flowing Cloud Tower, seen every person clearly, and sensed every one of them.

His attention swiftly focused on a room on the third floor.

The window of that third-floor room faced the street outside, allowing one to take half of Phoenix Street into view.

In a grand master's chair beside the window sat a middle-aged man with a face like coronation jade. His expression was grave as he scanned the dossier in his hands.

He wore a sky-blue robe and carried a snow-white longsword. Not a speck of dust stained him from head to toe.

He sat upright like a sturdy pine, with refined brows and bright eyes. Whenever his eyes opened and closed, tangible glints of light flashed within them, and his presence was stern and chilling.

In Chu Zhiyuan's eyes, a white crane stood on one leg in the empty space three feet above the man's head. Its body was flawless white, its crown brilliant red, and its long beak sharp as a sword.

The white crane occasionally flapped its wings, as though it might spread them and fly away at any moment.

Chu Zhiyuan became thoughtful.

This Grandmaster should be Jiang Qiuge.

Four middle-aged men in black robes guarded the third-floor stairway, their expressions solemn. Their lightning-cold gazes swept over Chu Zhiyuan and the other two.

Chu Zhiyuan sighed inwardly. Another four Grandmasters—Division Chief Jiang certainly had an impressive retinue.

This was the power of authority. It was so intoxicating.

The third floor consisted entirely of refined private rooms. Their soundproofing was excellent; once the doors were shut, outsiders could neither see inside nor hear what was happening within.

The gray-robed middle-aged man led him all the way to a room.

A young girl in green stood at the door. Her features were exquisite, and her figure swayed like a willow branch in a gentle breeze. Though she stood perfectly still, she seemed to possess a graceful, rippling sway.

The gray-robed middle-aged man cupped his fists. "Miss Huang."

The girl in green nodded lightly, then curtsied to Chu Zhiyuan. In a gentle voice, she said, "Heir Apparent, Division Chief has been awaiting you for quite some time. Please follow this little woman."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded and waved a hand at Zou Fang and Feng Xi.

He was secretly astonished. The girl in green before him appeared to be about his age, yet she had already reached Innate Perfection.

He had Super Sensation and the Bright Martial Hall's extraordinary arts. Could this girl in green also possess some unusual technique that aided and accelerated cultivation?

The world was vast indeed, hiding crouching tigers and coiled dragons.

He had originally thought Jiang Qiuge was already powerful enough, but now it seemed that in terms of cultivation talent, this girl in green was likely three parts stronger.

Chu Zhiyuan stepped into the room.

The handsome middle-aged man set down the dossier, rose, and cupped his fists with a smile. "Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar, Fourth Heir Apparent."

"Division Chief Jiang need not stand on ceremony." Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fists.

Both men wore broad smiles, yet each discovered that the other's gaze was calm and composed, as though quietly observing and assessing him.

"Please, Heir Apparent." Jiang Qiuge extended a hand.

The two sat down, with Chu Zhiyuan taking the grand master's chair opposite the round table.

The sandalwood round table could seat more than a dozen people, leaving a great distance between the two men.

The girl in green brought over tea cups, then stood to one side to attend them.

After sitting down, the two exchanged a few pleasantries.

Jiang Qiuge's smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze, utterly devoid of arrogance.

Chu Zhiyuan was likewise gentle and composed, without putting on the airs of an Heir Apparent.

The room was filled with harmony. Host and guest conversed merrily, their atmosphere warm and congenial.

A moment later, Chu Zhiyuan lifted his tea cup and took a light sip before setting it down. His expression turned serious as he looked at Jiang Qiuge. "Has Division Chief Jiang captured those furtive fellows?"

Jiang Qiuge said solemnly, "Heir Apparent, you rendered great service this time. I have already submitted a memorial to the Audit Department requesting credit for you."

"What sort of people were they?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

One reason he had sought aid from the Town Martial Division was precisely this.

The Town Martial Division was exceedingly strict and fair regarding meritorious service. They could be perfunctory or muddle through in other matters, but they would never be careless when it came to credit.

The Imperial Clan Court was different.

Jiang Qiuge said solemnly, "Has the Heir Apparent ever heard of the Jade Cauldron Sect?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

"They are evil disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect. How did the Heir Apparent discover them?"

"My cultivation is not strong, but my senses are sharper than most. It was a kind of instinctive feeling, an unseen and mysterious sensation."

"That is a rare gift. With such a gift, the Heir Apparent need not worry about protecting yourself."

"Before true cultivation, it is not worth mentioning." Chu Zhiyuan smiled, then said gravely, "What exactly is this Jade Cauldron Sect?"

"The Jade Cauldron Sect is a top-tier evil sect with a Great Grandmaster among its ranks. Back then, the Town Martial Division joined forces with the Four Great Sects and Six Great Schools to wipe them out. Yet thirty years later, they have risen again from dead ashes!"

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

What had happened thirty years ago was before he had even been born.

But since they were an evil sect, they were indeed troublesome.

Evil sects were different from demonic sects.

The so-called demonic sects were like Moon Invitation Palace and the Carefree Cult. Their conduct was both righteous and wicked, and their cultivation techniques made their temperaments impulsive. Though they did not lack people who committed crimes and evil deeds, they rarely involved themselves in taking lives.

Evil sects, on the other hand, were completely different.

He had heard Zou Fang mention them before.

These evil sects were truly and utterly inhuman.

The things they did were cruel and bloody beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Even dying ten thousand deaths would not be enough to atone for them.

The evil of evil sects also originated from their cultivation techniques.

Once one practiced such techniques, one naturally became cold, numb, and cruel, gradually losing one's humanity and treating human lives like blades of grass.

Yet the Jade Cauldron Sect had survived a joint extermination campaign and even risen again from dead ashes. Clearly, it was extraordinarily cunning and powerful.

Being targeted by such an evil sect was truly troublesome.

Even with three Grandmasters protecting him, he could not feel safe.

At this thought, his expression darkened.

Jiang Qiuge seemed to see through Chu Zhiyuan's concerns and smiled. "Rest assured, Heir Apparent. We uprooted the entire nest."

"After uprooting this nest, there must be others, right? I fear they will not be so easily eradicated... Why were they following me?"

Jiang Qiuge's face darkened as he said slowly, "They wanted to kill the Heir Apparent."

"Revenge?" Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Revenge for the extermination campaign?

"Back then, the Imperial Court personally joined forces with the major sects to eliminate the Jade Cauldron Sect, not merely because it was an evil sect."

"There was another reason?"

"The Jade Cauldron Sect possesses a cultivation technique called the Dragon Swallowing Ascension Art. It is a secret art for breaking through barriers. It is said that devouring the Essence Blood of ten royal descendants allows one to break through the barrier between Innate Perfection and Grandmaster, while the Essence Blood of one hundred royal descendants allows one to break through the barrier between Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster."

"Hahaha!" Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

This was truly absurd beyond all measure.

He had now read a vast number of martial arts notes left by Great Grandmasters and Grandmasters, gaining deeper and broader understanding of martial arts.

He possessed a profound understanding of the four great realms and three great barriers. One could not rely on external force to break through barriers. The Xiantian Realm barrier and the Grandmaster barrier were formless yet substantial, beyond the reach of external force. The Great Grandmaster barrier, meanwhile, was formless and insubstantial—there was no method for breaking through it.

Whether the Dragon Swallowing Ascension Art could break through the Grandmaster barrier, he could not judge. But its claim of breaking through the Great Grandmaster barrier was undoubtedly a lie.

Such absurd words could only deceive the ignorant.