Blind Spot
Chapter 453 - 414 Quling Mansion 4

Chapter 453: 414 Quling Mansion 4

Wang Zhijun swallowed nervously, feeling a subconscious stiffness throughout his body when Li Chengyi’s gaze fell upon him.

It was just an ordinary look, yet it was enough to instill in him the fear of being watched by the ancestors of his clan.

This made him take the newly emerged talent from the branch family even more seriously.

"You make a good point, so I’ve also brought a second gift for you during my visit," he said.

He clapped his hands, and a guard stepped forward from behind him, removing a square box from his back.

The box unfastened its front and back clasps, the lid folding back to reveal an ancient booklet inside.

"This is a copy of the martial arts manual left by the ancestor who founded Pine Pattern Energy in your branch. It contains not only the practice methods for Pine Pattern Energy but also further techniques for concentrating the Deer King Energy."

Deer King Energy?

Li Chengyi’s eyes lit up. Up to now, he had been unable to sense and see the True Seal spirit, suspecting that he was missing this piece of the puzzle.

After all, by his calculations, his True Qi cultivation should already have reached one hundred forty years.

Such a vast amount of True Qi without sensing the True Seal spirit clearly indicated an issue somewhere.

Normally, it should not be this difficult.

Now, it seemed that what he was lacking might just be the very step involving Deer King Energy.

"Are these words true?" His gaze settled on the booklet.

"Of course, they are true. The Wang Family Ancestral House, with its hundreds of members scattered across various regions and vast businesses, is mostly renowned for its medicinal practices. Our primary Qingyuan Dan Technique is often used to treat complicated illnesses. We are indeed lacking someone like you—a talent who strives for excellence and has rapidly climbed the ranks in the official domain."

Seeing Li Chengyi’s interest, Wang Zhijun eagerly seized the moment to press his point.

"Consider this: our ancestral house has built up considerable connections through our medicinal services. Combined with your formidable martial arts gift, you may well skyrocket, bringing our entire clan to a new level of prominence."

In fact, despite their impressive name, the Wang Family Ancestral House is essentially a lineage of medical practitioners, with only a few holding official positions, and those that do are medical officers of a rank similar to Wang Yifeng’s.

Li Chengyi currently holds a rank at least three levels higher than Wang Yifeng’s.

Therefore, upon learning of Wang Yichen’s situation, the ancestral house immediately dispatched Wang Zhijun, the son of the Family Head and the kindest representative of the younger generation, to visit with gifts.

This also represented the ancestral house’s high regard for Wang Yichen.

If Wang Yichen were to rejoin the ancestral house, the benefits for the clan would not only be significant for the future but also advantageous for its current status.

At that moment, watching Wang Yichen reach out, pick up the booklet from the box, and begin to examine it,

Wang Zhijun waited patiently with sincere anticipation.

Amid the soft rustling of flipping pages, it didn’t take long for him to see the other man put the booklet down.

"I will accept the gift. As for rejoining the ancestral house, you can arrange that with my father. I will not participate in the cumbersome formalities; I’m quite busy here," Li Chengyi said indifferently.

"Naturally, there is no need to trouble yourself, sir. We will take care of these matters. It’s enough for you to agree. When the critical time comes, you just need to show up a few times at banquets and pay respects to the ancestors. You won’t need to travel far: we have our clan elders right here in Quling Mansion, and they will handle everything," Wang Zhijun replied eagerly.

"That’s good. Let your people inform me of the date later. Also, about the Grade Black technique, the Qingyuan Dan Technique from our ancestral house..." Li Chengyi began.

"That can be arranged. A few days after paying respects to the ancestors, it will naturally be passed on to you," Wang Zhijun answered.

With the matter of rejoining settled, the atmosphere between the two relaxed considerably. By seniority, Wang Zhijun should address Li Chengyi as his uncle, but of course, he dared not do so in person.

Having achieved his goal, Wang Zhijun and his companions took their leave as soon as the situation favored them.

After sending off the three visitors, Li Chengyi returned to the living room, picked up the booklet from the box, and flipped it open again.

The record about Deer King Energy was clearly visible.

For the transformation from Pine Pattern Energy to Deer King Energy, the fresh blood of the strongest male deer from a herd was needed to draw a symbol called the Deer King Seal. Then, by observing this Deer King Seal and channeling True Qi, one would concentrate it into a True Qi form of the Deer King Seal symbol.

Only then would the transformation be complete.

Subsequently, the records indeed confirmed that once Deer King Energy transformation was accomplished, the original effects of Pine Pattern Energy would completely vanish, turning into the Deer King Energy’s function to stimulate bone growth.

To Li Chengyi, this detail was of little concern. Compared to the meager offensive power of Pine Pattern Energy, he was more interested in the potential to fuse with the True Seal after the Deer King Energy transformation.

The Imprint was his ultimate goal.

*

*

*

Shaoyin Capital—Li City.

Crack.

A pale bolt of lightning momentarily illuminated a massive and somber palace on the outskirts of the city.

In the depths of the deserted palace, a handsome man with light blue crystal earrings and an eternally gentle smile stood in the royal study, gazing out at the turbulent dark clouds.

The man was clad in a gold-edged white robe with a fierce and majestic golden dragon embroidered on the back, his silky black hair tied and hanging to his waist.

He was none other than the reigning Emperor of Shaoyin—Yan Rong.

Now thirty-one years old, he had to ascend the throne in a hurry before his martial arts were fully developed, often being seen by others merely as the Junior Emperor.

But... with the support of the Grand Tutor and the State Preceptor, even as the Junior Emperor, no one dared to defy him.

"The sky is somewhat dark; I do not like such gloom," Yan Rong sighed softly.

"Right away, I will ask the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to dispel the clouds," said a woman in dark purple attire, emerging swiftly from a dark corner behind him.

The woman had a hat similar to those worn by officials and a well-proportioned figure, carrying a long, broad, black double-edged sword on her back.

"No need. The teacher should be arriving soon," Yan Rong replied, slightly shaking his head.

"The teacher does not like to interfere too much with the natural workings of the world."

"Your Majesty is the ruler of a nation; you need not always follow the State Preceptor’s advice," the woman said with a frown. "After all, you have grown up and are no longer the Junior Emperor who once relied on him for everything."

"Yes... I have grown up, no longer the Junior Emperor..." Yan Rong sighed. "Too bad... in the eyes of my teacher, I am still the weak crown prince of those days..."

"Forgive my directness, but just for preventing the State Preceptor from seeing the Emperor, the Grand Steward Situ was instantly killed after a disagreement. With the State Preceptor acting like this, disregarding Your Majesty’s awe-inspiring authority, if this continues, the people will only see the State Preceptor’s power, and nobody will hold Your Majesty in their eyes. If the power shifts further, there will no longer be an emperor or loyal subjects..." The woman had not finished speaking when Yan Rong raised his hand to stop her.

"Am I not aware of these principles?" he said softly, "But what can be done about it? He is, after all, my teacher, the top-ranked on the Sealing List, the strongest in our nation..."

"So what? Back when he was insignificant, the State Preceptor’s Lifeforce Spirit was held in the hands of the Royal Family. With just a thought from you, Song Yunhe would suffer a great loss in his cultivation and fall into critical injury," the woman said gravely.

Song Yunhe received the support of the former Emperor when he was insignificant. Only then could he rapidly increase his cultivation and gradually ascend to the first place on the Sealing List.

And the price for these achievements was to split off a wisp of his core Lifeforce Spirit and hand its control over to the Emperor.

Yan Rong did not continue the conversation.

His eyes revealed an extremely complex expression.

No one could tolerate a shift in power, being an Emperor yet unable to control the situation.

Yet, in today’s Shaoyin Country, there are too many areas that rely on State Preceptor Song Yunhe.

It would be fine if his magical powers were fully accomplished, but at the moment...

And once action was taken against the State Preceptor, once the matter was completely settled, that would be fine. The fear is that the Lifeforce Spirit in his hands would not be very effective against that extremely terrifyingly strong teacher...

That means could indeed hamper the State Preceptor, but it is also the last resort.

To ensure there would be no mistakes, it must be used in conjunction with other methods.

"You should go back... Tell my imperial mother that the day when the items are delivered is the day she is asked to come out of her retreat." Yan Rong’s lips slightly moved, his Blood Essence transmitting the message, which instantly reached the woman’s ears.

The woman bowed her head, her body suddenly disintegrated, silently exploding into a multitude of black spots, scattering into nothingness.

The black dots faded away, dissolving into the air, leaving no trace behind.

Only then did Yan Rong turn around, looking at the worried figure slowly walking into the palace gates.

"Teacher..." he stepped forward to perform the ritual greeting.

Song Yunhe entered the palace gates, looking at his disciple whose face was smiling as usual.

"The flood disaster at Shishui Prefecture in the north has been resolved. I have moved several nearby hills to block the water source, causing it to divert forcibly," he said.

"It’s been hard on you, teacher."

"I hear that after I left, you sent people to scour for the Nine-footed Ghost Cicada, resulting in close to half of the Imperial Guard dead or injured?" Song Yunhe sighed.

"Teacher... This disciple requires such materials to cultivate the divine decree..." Yan Rong defended. "It is just a few Imperial Guard. If they die or get injured, we can simply replace them."

"How did I teach you?" Song Yunhe sounded somewhat weary. This was not the first time such things were happening.

It was only a short while that he stepped aside, and Yan Rong dared to use the Imperial Guard to deal with top-level fierce beasts. Previously, he even dared to ransack the entire capital for ten-year-olds to use in elixir making...

The former Emperor was exceptionally valiant. How could he have produced such a cruel-natured person?

If he hadn’t promised the former Emperor to look after Yan Rong, to protect the country for five hundred years of stability...

What use would that split-off Lifeforce Spirit be against him?

Looking at Yan Rong’s face, which showed a sense of entitlement, Song Yunhe felt an indescribable weariness.

*

*

*

Pine Pattern Energy...

Li Chengyi gazed at the Male Deer Blood he had just purchased from the pharmacy, stretching out his hand to unscrew the lid.

The deer blood, maintained in a non-coagulating state with some special medicine, was now being dipped with a brush by him. Gently on the yellow paper, following the patterns in the secret tome, he slowly drew out a complete Pine Pattern Imprint.

The imprint was simple, like nine Ks stacked together, forming snowflake-like regular patterns.

For Li Chengyi, drawing such regular patterns was quite effortless.

In less than two minutes, he had completely drawn out the Pine Pattern Imprint.

While the Pine Pattern Imprint was still wet, Li Chengyi concentrated his gaze and then channeled the Pine Pattern Energy in his body.

Internally, he tried to shape it into the form of the Pine Pattern Imprint.

With the intensity of his practice in turning Soft Qi into threads, controlling the Pine Pattern Energy was a piece of cake for him.

The tremendous consciousness power far exceeding ordinary people brought such conveniences. What other martial artists would need years of practice to achieve, he could accomplish in an instant.

Before long, strands of Pine Pattern Energy continuously transformed within Li Chengyi’s body into another kind of cool, semi-transparent, ash-colored True Qi.

’It worked!’ His heart stirred, and he began to speed up the transformation of True Qi continuously.

A full quarter of an hour passed before the more than a hundred years’ worth of True Qi in his body was completely converted into Pine Pattern Energy.

Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Li Chengyi did not pause but instead closed his eyes to sense the Pine Pattern Energy within him.

This time, the Pine Pattern Energy was much more active than before. When merged with his consciousness power, it immediately reflected back some fragments of intricate images.

According to the martial arts information mastered by Li Chengyi, the higher the cultivation, the more True Qi one has, the more information about True Seals one will receive.

And his more than a hundred years of cultivation, when converted into Pine Pattern Energy, did not have much loss. At this moment, the information of the True Seal Spirit he received was quite complete.

In his closed-eye meditation, the image of a beautiful silver-white male deer slowly emerged in his mind.

The male deer, with huge antlers like branches on its head, had gentle, timid eyes and a mysterious mark on its chest that emitted a green glow.

That was an Imprint!

With one look, Li Chengyi recognized it, the green glowing mark was an Imprint!

The vast knowledge of the Death Energy System gave him not only various minor spells in terms of death energy, but also many recognitions of Imprints.

And the Imprints on the chest of the silver male deer, he recognized at a glance, were those representing the category of growth.