Closely Connected

When Zhang Xuezhou was promoted to Grand Master of the Palace, the new emperor gave him a reason to dissuade the emperor from extravagant garden construction.

After humbly accepting the advice, the new emperor reduced the expenditure of public funds, and he ascended to the throne because of this noble character.

"I spent three years building the Shanglin Garden, and Wei Qing also led the Imperial Guards there for several years, seeking to use the energy of cultivation to guide their troops, but to this day we still haven't found this secret place!"

The Shanglin Garden area is where the secret location is situated.

It wasn't just the new emperor who searched here; the Qin Dynasty had also built and trained troops in this area.

The new emperor has been building the Shanglin Garden for three years, so the search will inevitably take even longer.

Zhang Xuezhou learned of this secret information relatively late.

Not to mention Wei Qing and others, he also knew that Sima Xiangru had once written a poem called "Shanglin Fu," which described the layered scenery of Shanglin Garden, and even Wei Qing could hum a few lines of it.

Clearly, Sima Xiangru must have spent a considerable amount of time exploring and investigating the Shanglin Garden.

"Starting from Lantian, Yichun, Dinghu, Yusu, and Kunwu in the east, it runs west along the Zhongnan Mountains to Changyang and Wuzuo, then circles the Huangshan Mountains in the north, and turns east along the Wei River. The area spans over three hundred li, and within it are eight rivers: Wei, Jing, Feng, Lao, Yu, Hao, Chan, and Ba. Each of these rivers could potentially lead to the secret realm!"

The entrance to the Yin-Yang Secret Land is merely a cave in Mount Tai, only wide enough for two people to pass side by side.

The entrance to the secret realm of Shanglin Garden is also not very large, and finding the entrance within a range of more than 300 miles is undoubtedly an extremely difficult task.

"If we could obtain the assistance of this secret place, we could surely save ten years of effort!"

The new emperor felt a slight pang of regret.

The ten years of effort he mentioned does not simply refer to time, but also to the cultivation materials consumed by the cultivator over those ten years.

Anyone who receives such a secret aid for several months will inevitably experience a substantial leap in their cultivation power.

"Finding such hidden places is too difficult!"

This secluded place, untouched by human hands year-round, is considered Sacred Land for spiritual cultivation.

Even someone like Zhang Xuezhou, who struggles with cultivation, was able to enter the Divine Ability Realm by utilizing the Yin-Yang Secret Land. The energy expenditure of someone with a more normal cultivation level would be far lower than his.

Zhang Xuezhou had not been in the Yin-Yang Secret Realm for long. If one could remain in such a secret realm for an extended period and be nourished by Spiritual Qi, it would be tantamount to a path to Tongtian for some genius cultivators.

The new emperor is a highly confidential figure, but the only problem is that they can't get in.

Without more accurate information, searching such a vast area for a secret location would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly, feeling that the chances of getting what he wanted were far too high.

"I've heard that ferocious beasts and demons are extremely sensitive to Spiritual Qi, and I've spent the last year asking those old hunters in your vicinity to guide me in searching," the new emperor sighed. "Unfortunately, things haven't gone as planned. We can only hope for another opportunity in the future!"

No matter how exquisite the design of the imperial palace in Chang'an City was, it could not compare to a secret place. The new emperor's entry into the Divine Ability Realm involved multiple factors, such as taking medicine, using Spirit Gathering Formation, the Tai-level six talismans, and talismans, to create internal and external conditions. In addition, he made a great effort to achieve this. Han Yan and others could never have achieved such conditions.

"Tell me, how did you reach the Divine Ability Realm?" the new emperor asked curiously.

If one spends a long time honing their skills, it is not surprising that they can enter the Divine Ability Realm with the help of elixirs. This is also the path most cultivators take to enter the Divine Ability Realm.

However, achieving in one's twenties or thirties what others achieve in their forties or fifties is extremely difficult.

The new emperor was a stroke of luck under special circumstances, and although Zhang Xuezhou was a cut above the rest, he was undoubtedly an extremely rare case.

If Zhang Xuezhou hadn't been ill and lacked the ability to engage in direct combat, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Zhang Xuezhou was the top genius of the Great Han Dynasty in the last hundred years.

Although they had spent many years together, the new emperor didn't really know much about Zhang Xuezhou. He was also very curious about how Zhang Xuezhou cultivated and how he reached the Divine Ability Realm.

"The Yin-Yang School's Nine Heavens Sect branch has always relied on medicine for cultivation. Thanks to the care of the previous sect leader, Zou Bugui, I obtained some elixirs, which barely allowed me to step into the realm of Divine Ability powers!"

Zhang Xuezhou didn't make up any stories about his spiritual practice.

His cultivation experience is difficult for others to imitate. Not to mention the new emperor and others, even Rong Tianding, Zhang Manqian and others would find it difficult to repeat it.

If his route had been more repetitive, none of his relatives and friends would have failed to reach the Divine Ability Realm.

"Oh, do you Yin-Yang School have any special elixirs or miraculous medicines?" the new emperor asked with interest.

"The regular ones are just some Origin-Nurturing Pill, Spirit-Forging Pill, and Creation Pills. As for the special ones, I haven't obtained the Pill Formula, so I'd have difficulty refining them," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I currently have ten Spirit-Forging Pill and three Creation Pills that Sole Self Realm these pills!"

"Difficult, difficult, difficult!"

The new emperor waved his hand, indicating that Zhang Xuezhou's possessions were far from sufficient, and even reaching the Divine Ability Realm was considered a stroke of luck.

His casual conversation with Zhang Xuezhou, which involved their respective spiritual cultivation practices, was clearly a very private matter.

This kind of situation is only possible among the emperor's close advisors, and it's even common for them to be bound together.

In a subtle way, Zhang Xuezhou felt his body relax more naturally, as if some constraints had been removed with this intimacy.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that what gave him this subtle feeling might involve a temporary harmony related to the techniques of movement.

As the saying goes, "One is influenced by one's company," and being close to the unsuspecting new emperor certainly brought benefits.

"Speaking of which, I know that Master Li Shaojun is skilled in refining a pill called the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill," Zhang Xuezhou said. "According to him, this pill can increase the probability of entering the Realm of the Sole Self Realm, but unfortunately, it is quite difficult to obtain this pill!"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered Li Shaojun.

If Li Shaojun's alchemy goes smoothly, there's nothing to discuss. Once Li Shaojun verifies the effects of the pills, Zhang Xuezhou will definitely be able to get several pills, and it won't be a problem for him to share some with the new emperor.

If Li Shaojun's alchemy doesn't go smoothly, then Zhang Xuezhou will need to find a backup plan immediately.

He couldn't possibly go to Changxin Palace to plead with the Empress Dowager, so he could only turn to the new emperor for help.

This involves not only the materials for the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill, but also the use of the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

Although Zhang Xuezhou knew that the Nine Dragon Cauldron had nothing to do with the Nine Cauldrons, others did not. Even if Zhang Xuezhou said so, no one would believe him. The difficulty of using this cauldron normally would be off the charts. Only by having a substantial interest in the emperor and others could it be possible to borrow the Nine Dragon Cauldron again.

His words piqued the new emperor's interest, and he didn't forget to ask further questions.

"I have been busy with funeral arrangements and court affairs these past few days, which has caused me to neglect Master Li. I should have visited Yunyi Daoist Temple long ago!"

The new emperor observes a 36-day mourning period, during which he must abstain from meat, as well as from ostentatious displays and travel.

All sorts of taboos forced him to live a secluded life in the palace. If there was any good thing about these taboos, it was that the prohibition against women had given him a period of peace and quiet.

He wanted to leave the palace to visit Li Shaojun, but he still couldn't use his imperial status at the moment.

After pondering it over and over again, and discussing it with Zhang Xuezhou, he took Zhang Xuezhou back to the inner palace to change his inner and outer clothes before leaving the palace.

For the new emperor, the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill was clearly of considerable importance.

The secret location of Shanglin Garden may not be found, but obtaining elixirs might not be a problem.