In a secluded courtyard within the Eastern Pacifying Prince's Residence, the fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the air.
Qin Chen sat cross-legged before an ancient, unadorned pill furnace. His hands formed one profound seal after another like butterflies flitting among flowers, sending streams of pure true fire into the furnace.
Inside the furnace, all manner of rare spiritual herbs and medicines gradually melted and were purified under the tempering of the true fire, finally condensing into round, plump pills.
"Open!"
Qin Chen gave a low shout. The furnace lid shot into the sky, and dozens of pills radiating a rich medicinal fragrance flew out, which he deftly collected in a jade bottle.
"Whew..."
Qin Chen let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
"Meow~"
Just then, a lazy meow sounded.
A little cat with snow-white fur, without a single patch of another color, had appeared on Qin Chen's shoulder at some point and was rubbing its furry head against his cheek.
"You little glutton. Smelled something good again?" Qin Chen affectionately rubbed Xiaobai's head, tipped a Supreme-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill out of the jade bottle, and popped it into its mouth.
Xiaobai smacked its lips and swallowed the pill, then gave a satisfied burp, sprawled across Qin Chen's shoulder, and closed its eyes.
Watching Xiaobai's lazy demeanor, a keen gleam flashed through Qin Chen's eyes.
Despite looking like a harmless little cat now, Xiaobai possessed strength that even Qin Chen could not fathom.
Relying on its ability to traverse the void, the little fellow often slipped away when Qin Chen was not paying attention to "run away from home," only returning after it had roamed to its heart's content.
Every time it returned, it brought Qin Chen something strange and unusual.
Sometimes it was a rare spiritual herb, sometimes a piece of unidentified ore. Once, it had even brought back a damaged spirit artifact!
Xiaobai's excursions away from home also gave him access to resources from the outside world that Qin De could not obtain.
With Xiaobai here, even if that old fellow Xiang Yang emerges from seclusion now, I can still put up a fight! Qin Chen thought.
His decision to strike at the Wu brothers at this time and ignite the conflict between the Qin Family and the Xiang Family ahead of time had not been an impulsive one.
For one thing, his cultivation had already reached the Golden Core mid-stage, and he was about to form a third miniature star within his body, greatly increasing his strength.
The other reason, and the most important one, was Xiaobai.
Xiaobai's elusive Void Traversal ability would undoubtedly be a deadly weapon in battle.
As long as Xiaobai could hold Xiang Yang back for a moment, Qin Chen was confident he could use the tremendous explosive power of the Primordial Ancestral Dragon Art and the heavenly cycle star body to deal Xiang Yang a fatal blow!
"Still, now isn't the time for all-out war with the Xiang Family." A cool gleam flashed through Qin Chen's eyes.
Waiting until his cultivation realm was a little higher would be safer. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if Xiang Yang escaped.
In the imperial capital of Chu State, deep within the imperial palace, stood an underground tomb shrouded in layers of restrictions.
This was the resting place of the Xiang Family's past emperors, and the site of its greatest secret-the Ancestral Mausoleum.
At the end of a dim passage, two heavy bronze doors stood tightly shut. Intricate formation patterns carved into them radiated heart-quailing fluctuations.
Xiang Guang knelt before the bronze doors, his forehead pressed tightly against the icy ground, his body trembling slightly.
"Ancestor, your unworthy descendant Xiang Guang pays his respects!" Xiang Guang's voice, tinged with fear and anticipation, echoed through the empty passage.
For a long while, no response came from behind the bronze doors.
Xiang Guang gritted his teeth and called out loudly again, "Ancestor, the realm of Great Chu hangs by a thread! The Qin Family traitors intend to rebel, and our two honored elders, Wu De and Wu Xing, have already met with murderous hands! I beg you to emerge from seclusion and take charge!"
Rumble!
As Xiang Guang's words fell, the bronze doors, which had lain silent for untold years, suddenly gave a deep rumble and slowly swung open to either side.
An ancient, timeworn aura, bearing a terrifying, suffocating pressure, surged through the gap and instantly enveloped Xiang Guang.
Xiang Guang felt his breath catch, as though a mountain pressed against his chest. He could not even raise his head.
"The Qin Family? The Wu brothers are dead?"
A hoarse, deep voice, as though coming from the hells of the Nine Netherworlds, sounded beside Xiang Guang's ears.
Immediately afterward, an old man in gray robes, his hair and beard white, appeared before Xiang Guang like a ghost.
The old man's face was withered and his eyes sunken, yet a chillingly sharp light flickered within those cloudy eyes.
He was the sea-calming pillar of the Great Chu Imperial House, an ancient Nascent Soul stage monster who had lived for nearly a thousand years-Xiang Yang!
"Y-yes, Ancestor. It is absolutely true!" Trembling, Xiang Guang raised his head and looked at the legendary ancestor before him, his eyes filled with reverence and fear.
"Oh? How interesting." An icy curve lifted the corner of Xiang Yang's mouth. "Although the Wu brothers were only at the Golden Core mid-stage, together they could put up a fight even against someone at the late Golden Core stage. That Qin Family brat called Qin De only just broke through to the Golden Core stage. How could he possibly have killed them?"
"Your insight is keen, Ancestor. This subordinate also finds the matter suspicious," Xiang Guang said hastily. "According to our spies, neither elder's body was found at the scene, only a puddle of minced flesh and fragments of magical treasures. This subordinate suspects that some peerless expert may be hidden behind the Qin Family!"
"A peerless expert?" Xiang Yang scoffed, a trace of disdain flashing through his eyes. "On this Qianlong Continent, who besides me dares call himself a peerless expert? Those old fellows in the overseas cultivation world disdain setting foot in this land of mortals."
"Then... what do you mean, Ancestor?" Xiang Guang asked cautiously.
"Since the Qin Family dares to kill the Xiang Family's honored retainers, they must have gained some measure of confidence." With his hands clasped behind his back, Xiang Yang slowly paced along the passage. "Still, I've been in seclusion for many years. It's time these old bones got some exercise."
Hearing that Xiang Yang would act personally, Xiang Guang was overjoyed. He hurriedly kowtowed and said, "You are wise, Ancestor! Once you act, the Qin Family traitors will surely turn to ash and smoke!"
"There's no hurry." Xiang Yang waved a hand, a mocking gleam flashing through his eyes. "Wouldn't killing them outright let them off too easily?"
"What do you mean, Ancestor?" Xiang Guang froze, somewhat puzzled.
"Since the Qin Family wants to rebel, let them rebel." Xiang Yang sneered. "At the height of their triumph and arrogance, I will make them watch everything they painstakingly built turn to bubbles in my hands! I will make them understand who truly rules this Great Chu State!"
Xiang Yang's laughter echoed through the empty passage, making one's hair stand on end.
He was like a cat toying with mice, in no hurry to bite his prey to death. Instead, he wanted to torment them slowly and savor the sight of them struggling in despair.
"A brilliant insight, Ancestor!" Although Xiang Guang felt somewhat worried, he dared not defy Xiang Yang's wishes and could only voice his agreement repeatedly.
"Pass down my orders. Withdraw all the covert guards monitoring the Qin Family, and turn a blind eye to their every move," Xiang Yang instructed. "I want to see just what waves this Qin Family can stir up!"
"Yes, Ancestor!" Xiang Guang respectfully accepted the order.
"Also, send people to uncover exactly what secrets lie behind the Qin Family." A keen gleam flashed through Xiang Yang's eyes. "A power capable of pounding the Wu brothers into minced flesh interests me greatly."
"This subordinate obeys!"
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