Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Obviously Fake, Golden Eagle

’The Fist Momentum of the Emperor’s Shocking Book is truly domineering. In the early stages of Cultivation, a powerful physique is essential to master the Emperor’s Extreme Sensing Chapter.’

’It also consumes an enormous amount of Cultivation Resources. However, when it comes to tempering the physique, it’s far more effective than the Ox Demon’s Mighty Fist.’

’Once I succeed in my Cultivation, this powerful physique will reinforce my physical body, which will also make Breaking Realm easier.’

After Princess Lan Yue left, Yang Chan stirred and began to practice once more.

The Emperor’s Shocking Book was incredibly difficult to cultivate. Yet, Yang Chan had grasped it completely after reading it just once. As his Talent continued to improve, his rate of Cultivation became extremely fast.

Furthermore, after practicing it just once, the Emperor’s Shocking Book appeared on his panel. He had intentionally displayed a quick-witted talent to Princess Lan Yue, and even that was him holding back considerably.

He didn’t much trust Princess Lan Yue. He knew his current Cultivation was more than enough, so it was natural to hide some of his ability. Of course, he couldn’t be too reserved, or it would look obviously fake.

Yang Chan wasn’t that foolish. He displayed the front of a typical genius, but he knew better than to reveal his truly exceptional abilities to an outsider.

There was no harm in hiding more of his strength from someone he didn’t trust. This could also prevent Princess Lan Yue from turning against him in the future.

Although that was unlikely—he wouldn’t let her off easy if she tried—no one could predict the future. It was better to be prepared, just in case.

As Yang Chan moved about the room, he completed another run-through of the Emperor’s Shocking Book’s Sensing Chapter. His progress was countless times faster than what he had revealed to Princess Lan Yue. More importantly, his form was flawless—his cultivation postures were even more perfect than the princess’s own.

The student had surpassed the master.

Naturally, Princess Lan Yue knew none of this. She was still focused on how she would smoothly teach him the External Refining Chapter.

’The results are quite impressive. Even with my body tempered to this extent, it still has a noticeable effect. As expected of the Royal Martial Arts.’

’My Cultivation progress is also good. I’m already 10% through the Beginner stage. At this rate, it won’t be long before I grasp Imperial Extreme Power.’

’Looks like it’s worth spending some time and Potential Points on this Cultivation Technique. For now, though, I should focus on improving the Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method. The priority is to raise my Cultivation to the Peak of Internal Refining of the Five Viscera first.’

’As for the Emperor’s Shocking Book, I’ll rely on my own effort and the panel’s effects to improve it.’

Yang Chan planned silently.

Although the Sensing Chapter of the Emperor’s Shocking Book alone had been a great surprise, Yang Chan was clear on his priorities.

To him, his Martial Arts Cultivation was the most critical thing at the moment. Therefore, he invested most of his Potential Points into the Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method. This was supplemented by two secondary priorities: the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill to increase his Lifespan, and the Sword Master profession to enhance his Sword Intent Spirit.

The Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill was a long-term investment that couldn’t be ignored. Improving his Sword Master profession boosted his Combat Power and prepared him for the future breakthrough to Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster. After all, reaching that realm required immense Spiritual Power.

He could have focused on improving the Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal instead. However, in Yang Chan’s view, the Sword Master profession had greater potential and offered a larger boost to his Combat Power.

After slowly stopping, Yang Chan sat cross-legged to restore his Qi Power. The consumption of physical and mental energy from practicing the Emperor’s Shocking Book was immense. Without enough Cultivation Resources, it would be impossible to even reach the Beginner stage; one would simply drop dead.

If the high-intensity drain on one’s physical and mental energy wasn’t replenished, one would die of exhaustion. It was entirely possible to just drop dead in the middle of a practice session.

Even in the Cyan Yuan Sect, anyone wishing to practice such a Cultivation Technique would need more than just outstanding talent. They would also need a powerful backer and a high status to afford the immense costs.

Of course, for the current Yang Chan, this was hardly a concern. His Cultivation at the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens realm, the recovery provided by his Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, and the immense wealth he possessed as an Alchemy Master were more than enough to support his practice. It wasn’t difficult for him at all.

’I’ve gathered all the materials for the Three Revolutions Nourishing Viscera Pill. I should find some time to try refining it.’

’I can also try refining the Ancient Spirit Pill from the formula I got from Princess Lan Yue. It’s slightly less difficult to refine than the Cyan Spirit Pill. Plus, it enhances the Spirit and tempers the Five Viscera and Six Viscera, so I can’t ignore it.’

Yang Chan had also received a Pill Formula from Princess Lan Yue. The Ancient Spirit Pill was particularly useful to him right now, and as an Elixir that enhanced the Spirit, it was not to be overlooked.

This was an Elixir that could increase his daily income of Potential Points, so he certainly wouldn’t pass it up.

He had searched for other useful Pill Formulas before, but they were all unsuitable. Either the ingredients were incredibly rare, or their effects overlapped with what he already had, meaning they wouldn’t generate more Potential Points. Now that Princess Lan Yue had provided the formula for the Ancient Spirit Pill, he naturally had to give it a try.

Furthermore, the Ancient Spirit Pill formula didn’t require many ingredients. Yang Chan could gather them all within the Cyan Yuan Sect, so of course he was going to attempt refining it.

With that, Yang Chan began his preparations.

...

「Qingyuan River.」

Divine Constable Jin Feihua of the Six Gates frowned, holding a torn piece of Princess Lan Yue’s sleeve that her subordinate had just delivered.

From the battle scene, she had surmised that Princess Lan Yue was in grave danger—perhaps even dead. The discovery of the princess’s blood-stained sleeve in the Qingyuan River seemed to confirm this suspicion. It would explain why they couldn’t find any other trace of her.

What puzzled her even more was that the envoy from the Jin Meng Empire, Nalan Hongbo, and its Eighty-Eighth Prince, Wulan Haochuan, had also vanished as if into thin air. A few traces had been found in the Qingyuan River, but the men themselves were gone.

Jin Feihua suspected the Jin Meng Empire had some special Treasure Weapon allowing them to hide in the Qingyuan River or even use it to escape. However, the moment she sensed something was amiss, she had sealed off the river’s upper and lower reaches. She had even blocked the downstream Abyssal Sea, a body of water that could be used as an escape route from the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.

If the men from the Jin Meng Empire managed to slip into the Abyssal Sea, they could use its vast expanse to return to their own Empire. This was a very real possibility.

As far as she knew, the Jin Meng Empire did possess several special Treasure Weapons that allowed people to hide underwater and escape via the waterways.

Some of the more famous examples included special Treasure Weapons like the Water-Resistant Treasure Pearl and the Eye of the Sea. These items allowed one to hide completely underwater, never needing to surface, and simply ride the currents to escape.

Jin Feihua had considered this possibility the moment she saw the traces in the Qingyuan River. She had therefore set up blockades to intercept them, even placing ambushes at various points along the river to prevent the men from the Jin Meng Empire from escaping midway. But there was no sign of them anywhere. This was what truly troubled Jin Feihua.

With no news of the three, she would have a difficult time reporting to her superiors.

No living person, no dead body. That was the most difficult part.

The existence of special techniques for destroying corpses, leaving no trace for an investigation, made their search even more arduous.

Jin Feihua had already considered one palatable scenario: Princess Lan Yue had been killed by the men from the Jin Meng Empire, who then destroyed her body to erase all evidence.

That way, even if the Jin Meng Empire’s men returned to their country, the worst-case scenario—the Commandery Princess being used as a ritual sacrifice to their war banner—would be avoided. If that were to happen, she would be stripped of her title as Divine Constable and possibly even thrown into the Celestial Prison. This was one of the reasons for her current predicament.

The Old Emperor didn’t want Princess Lan Yue returning to White Jade City alive, but he certainly didn’t want her to die as a ritual sacrifice for an enemy banner. That would be a devastating blow to morale, especially with a war between the two nations looming.

"Ma’am, we’ve found something over here. It’s a Curved Saber."

"Based on its style and make, it appears to be the personal saber of Prince Wulan Haochuan of the Jin Meng Empire."

A member of the Six Gates trotted up to Jin Feihua, presenting a weapon they had recovered from the Qingyuan River.

"Let me see it."

Jin Feihua strode over and took the Curved Saber.

The Curved Saber was adorned with a golden eagle, the standard emblem of the Jin Meng Empire’s Imperial Family. The royals prided themselves on the golden eagle; ministers used a silver one. The distinction was clear, a matter of protocol.

The golden eagle on the saber in her hand was not large, which was also a symbol of status. The larger the eagle, the more noble the owner’s station.

"This is Wulan Haochuan’s personal saber. Have you found the sheath?"

Jin Feihua looked at the subordinate and continued her questioning.

The saber further convinced her that her theory was correct: the men from the Jin Meng Empire had used the Qingyuan River to escape.

However, the fact that his personal saber had been dropped in the river suggested that the two from the Jin Meng Empire hadn’t had an easy time. Clearly, their confrontation with Princess Lan Yue had not gone smoothly.

It was even possible they had fought a fierce battle in the water.

Although they hadn’t found any traces of a struggle, it was highly likely that any evidence had been washed away by the river’s current.

After all, unlike on land, any tracks left in the water would have been quickly buried by river sand.

"No, ma’am. Just the Curved Saber. We haven’t found anything else."

The man from the Six Gates shook his head. Searching for clues in a river was inherently difficult. They had searched several nearby areas but had failed to find any bodies, clothing, or the saber’s sheath.

If they could just find a body, their work would be much simpler.

Their search had already taken them from Qing State all the way to Yu State. In the worst-case scenario, if the men from the Jin Meng Empire had escaped into the Abyssal Sea, they would have to continue the hunt across several more states, an exponentially more difficult task.

Searching the sea was vastly more difficult than searching a river.

"Alright, I understand. Continue your investigation. Report any new findings to me immediately."

Jin Feihua frowned and waved her hand dismissively.

The current situation was not in her favor. If they ultimately found no trace of them, she would have to find another solution. She couldn’t afford to get bogged down in this dead end.

Given the circumstances, she had no choice but to start thinking about a fallback plan. Otherwise, knowing the Old Emperor’s temperament, she would surely suffer the consequences.

Her past merits wouldn’t be enough to save her this time.

Of course, she would only resort to other means to deflect the blame for this incident as a last resort, when all other options were exhausted.

After all her years as a Divine Constable of the Six Gates, she had weathered too many storms to be a rigid, inflexible person.