Crown Prince Yang Qian always had a feeling that Emperor Yang Yu had tricks up his sleeve he didn’t know about. He had learned this lesson from the fates of the other deceased crown princes. He wasn’t the first to harbor rebellious thoughts. Previous crown princes had rebelled before, but the outcome was predictable—the grass on their graves was now three feet tall.

This time, he naturally had to make more thorough preparations. If he didn’t feel that he could outlast Emperor Yang Yu, he might never have considered rebellion.

Emperor Yang Yu was already preparing to break through to the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm. Once he succeeded, Yang Qian would certainly not be able to outlast him, which was why he had to act within this window of time.

The plot to refine the Earth Element Supreme Pill had been foiled, but that was just the beginning. It also signified that he had no way of turning back.

The traces of the attack had been cleaned up, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be trouble. If something happened to the people who knew about it, the truth would still be exposed. To be truly safe, he had to take the supreme throne. Then, nothing and no one could ever threaten him again.

Besides, once his cultivation broke through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm, Emperor Yang Yu would surely become wary and might even move against him. It was better to strike first.

"Father, don’t blame me. You’ve cut off all my retreats, so I can only cut off yours."

Crown Prince Yang Qian muttered to himself, then took out a Concentration Pill and consumed it, beginning to refine its medicinal power.

Concentration Pills could enhance his Spiritual Power, allowing him to accumulate enough for a breakthrough. He was now close to Perfection.

This meant he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

...

’Still three Potential Points. I hope I don’t have to stay in White Jade City for too long.’

’Once I succeed in refining Guiyuan Pills, Qi Replenishing Pills, and Cyan Spirit Pills, my daily Potential Point collection will definitely start with a 4. That extra point can make a big difference.’

Yang Chan mused to himself in the early hours of the morning, looking at the three Potential Points on his panel.

People are never satisfied. His Potential Points used to start with a 0, and his goal was to get that number to start with a 1. After achieving that, his goal became a 2.

Now that it had reached 3, he wanted it to reach 4, endlessly desiring more Potential Points.

This avarice was what drove him to constantly improve, his cultivation and foundation growing ever stronger.

His goals had always been clear, composed of a series of small objectives. Only after completing one would he move on to the next.

Yang Chan spent all three Potential Points, improving his cultivation, but it would still take some time before the tempering of his second Lungs and Spleen was complete.

The improvement to his Sword Master class was not very significant, but the Sword Intent contained within his body became more enduring and much sharper.

The progress on his Wind-Stepping Technique was quite slow. Yang Chan hoped that when he leveled it up to Tier Five, he would be able to comprehend a Realm. Then, not even a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster would be able to catch him.

The improvements from adding points now weren’t obvious, but there was still a faint effect. Perhaps at a critical moment, it could save his life.

’The night is long, and I am alone once more. The Soft Jade Warm Fragrance is gone, but at least the tranquility of the past has returned.’

After a soft sigh, Yang Chan lay down. Even though he didn’t have to go to the Pharmacist Alliance tomorrow, he wouldn’t change his schedule. He still had to practice the Purple Qi Body Cultivation Skill and continue his Health Cultivation Skill in the morning, and he couldn’t let that slide.

...

"The ones who acted today were most likely Crown Prince Yang Qian’s people. There aren’t many who can afford to use an Inner Refining Five expert as a sleeper agent."

"The incident with the No-Life Evil Cult back in Yu State showed that Crown Prince Yang Qian commands a powerful force. It’s not at all surprising that he could cultivate an Inner Refining Five sleeper agent."

"However, a loss like this should be a significant blow to Crown Prince Yang Qian."

Ji Feng said.

After Yang Chan and the others had departed, he had not left with them and was still in Yan Jinfeng’s room.

"We previously received intelligence that Crown Prince Yang Qian is already an expert at the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera level, not far from breaking through to the Cleansing Marrow Grandmaster Realm. However, his Spiritual Power was wounded, so he has been unable to break through."

"The incident in Yu State was something Crown Prince Yang Qian orchestrated to collect Gathering Spirit Liquid. He’s already collected a good amount and will likely use it to break through to the Cleansing Marrow Grandmaster Realm. If he reaches that point, the Old Emperor Yang Yu definitely won’t be able to sit still and will take action against Crown Prince Yang Qian."

A middle-aged man in a cyan brocade robe said.

This was an unfamiliar face, one that Yang Chan and the others had never seen before. But he was indeed the person the Cyan Yuan Sect had arranged to come: Qi Yuansheng, the Hall Master of the Artifact Refining Hall, a cultivator at the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens Perfection level. He was also the one who had a rather poor relationship with the Medicine Hall Master, Gu An.

He had nearly come to blows with Gu An before, yet for Yan Jinfeng’s trip into White Jade City, he was the one assigned to be the guard.

Medicine Hall Master Gu An had actually offered to serve as a covert escort, but he was unfortunately rejected by Sect Leader Liu Xuan, who said he had other important tasks for him. The mission in White Jade City was instead handed over to Qi Yuansheng.

After entering White Jade City, he had even mobilized the Cyan Yuan Sect’s secret forces within the city to investigate the situation. It was, as he had feared, even more troublesome than expected, so he was naturally reluctant to let the Cyan Yuan Sect get involved, as it was too dangerous.

Besides, before they entered White Jade City, Sect Leader Liu Xuan had already arranged everything, ordering them not to interfere in the power struggles of the city. Qi Yuansheng and the others would naturally not disobey.

"I’m afraid that in a few days, chaos will descend upon White Jade City. We’ll be seeing another struggle between father and son."

"Who knows how many preparations Crown Prince Yang Qian has made. Otherwise, he’ll be forced down the same old path as the crown princes before him."

Yan Jinfeng said with a sigh.

As an Advanced Pharmacist, he had personally witnessed such struggles before, and the scenes had been intense.

Rivers of blood flowed in the Imperial Palace, and in the end, the crown prince and the rebel forces were purged together, while the Emperor remained firmly on the throne.

The Old Emperor’s age was great, but his methods had only grown more ruthless and experienced.

Yan Jinfeng felt that Crown Prince Yang Qian couldn’t necessarily win against his father; the more likely outcome was that he would end up just like the other crown princes.

At a time like this, the Cyan Yuan Sect naturally had to avoid such matters, keep a low profile, and not participate in anything.

The Cyan Yuan Sect’s home base was in Qing State. No matter who won here, that fact would not change, which was the most critical point.

"No matter Crown Prince Yang Qian’s fate, it doesn’t really affect the Cyan Yuan Sect. In fact, his failure would be a good thing for us; after all, the trouble this Crown Prince caused in Yu State was by no means a good thing."

"The Old Emperor, on the other hand, would seek to maintain stability and wouldn’t cause such incidents, allowing for a few more years of peace."

"However, if the Old Emperor breaks through to the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm, there might be other changes."

Ji Feng continued. In his heart, he did not want Crown Prince Yang Qian to succeed, because the resulting turmoil would be considerable. In contrast, Old Emperor Yang Yu was already firmly seated on his throne and could quickly quell any chaos, which would also be good for the Cyan Yuan Sect.

It would also give the Cyan Yuan Sect more time. If Sect Leader Liu Xuan could break through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm, that would be even better.