Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1013 - 1013 602 Specious Reason_1

Chapter 1013: Chapter 602: Specious Reason_1 Chapter 1013: Chapter 602: Specious Reason_1 Chapter 0602: An Ostensibly Reasonable Excuse

The six Princes of the Eastern Capital City had an intense rivalry amongst each other, but on the surface, they still maintained peace. After all, no matter what, they all shared the same ancestral blood, and some of them were particularly closely related, which made it all the more necessary to maintain a semblance of harmony.

Moreover, news had come from Jianwu Palace that Emperor Jianwu had emerged from the small space and begun to resume control over the affairs of Jianwu Palace. This caused the other royal palaces to be hesitant to clash with Jianwu Palace without first understanding what exactly had transpired within its walls.

Therefore, since the day Li Mijia attempted to enter Jianwu Palace and was repelled, for several consecutive days following, there were merely a lot more prying eyes around Jianwu Palace. However, no one tried to barge in. Regardless, every member of Jianwu Palace had received strict orders from Emperor Jianwu and, even without any intrusion, they dared not to show the slightest neglect. Each of them was rigorously enforcing the Emperor’s commands, to prevent any unforeseen incidents.

If such a state of affairs had continued indefinitely, it wouldn’t have been a concern, but what Emperor Jianwu feared most eventually came to pass.

Over the course of several days, Spirit Qi from a vast area surrounding Jianwu Palace was being continuously absorbed into the palace, making the final preparations for Qi Tian’s breakthrough to the Gold Core Realm. In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and Qi Tian’s accumulation had finally reached its limit. The Gold Core officially began to take shape within his sea of consciousness, and as Qi Tian was in the midst of his breakthrough, he might have been oblivious to the changes outside. However, Zhao Shibo, Gao Jinmei, Xia Xiaoming and others standing guard outside Jianwu Palace could clearly sense the shift.

During these few days, they could distinctly feel the Spirit Qi from distant lands flowing steadily into Jianwu Palace, continuous but gentle, much like a stream. But now, the flow of Spirit Qi had visibly quickened, and the increase was not slight—the amount surged dramatically, resembling the torrential flux of a river in flood season. At this juncture, it wasn’t just Qi Tian alone in the Array of Spirit Gathering who could feel such surging Spirit Qi. Even they felt the vastness of it, and if they were to cultivate within it, the benefits would be exceptional.

Zhao Shibo and the others were Gold Core Realm cultivators with considerable experience. Faced with such phenomena, they were not delighted but became exceedingly solemn instead.

To require Spirit Qi of such intensity for cultivation assistance meant that the person or object at the eye of this storm must represent what kind of existence?

If it were a person, then undoubtedly, that person would be a freak of nature, eliciting envy and resentment from those who behold him. If it were an object, then it must be something earth-shattering, perhaps a rare opportunity that appears once in a millennium. Should someone else manage to seize it, it would surely enhance their strength significantly—at the very least, they should be able to ascend to a higher minor stage within the Gold Core Realm.

Zhao Shibo and the others were well aware of the potential consequences that the emergence of such an entity within Jianwu Palace could provoke. One important reason why so many emperors of Great Zhao, after abdicating, chose not to go to Wanjie City and instead remained within the Imperial Family Secret Territory was to seek opportunities that could enhance their strength.

A cultivator’s strength is comprised of many aspects: battle weapons and armor are a given, but the most crucial is the cultivator’s own cultivation realm, which also happens to be the most difficult aspect for a cultivator to elevate.

Take Emperor Jianwu—for example, trapped at Gold Core Stage Level 6 for over a hundred years, he tried every possible method, unable to advance his cultivation realm any further. This scenario is exceedingly common in the Cultivation World and is no exception within the Imperial Family Secret Territory, where countless individuals are stuck at a particular realm, unable to ascend, including all the present Princes.

One can imagine the frenzy that would ensue among these Princes once they learn of a potential opportunity within Jianwu Palace that could elevate their cultivation realms.

After all, each of them is an emperor, revered above all others in heaven and earth. Even upon entering the Imperial Family Secret Territory, they still stand high above the rest. When they demand something, they expect to receive it—any who dare obstruct them commit a heinous crime and will certainly face the wrath and ruthless execution by these Princes.

Although Emperor Jianwu may be one of the six Princes, he is ultimately just one individual. Should the other five Princes covet the chance within Jianwu Palace, it would inevitably lead to an extraordinary challenge for Jianwu Palace, potentially falling prey to a siege by the other five royal houses. Just contemplating this outcome made Zhao Shibo’s liver quiver.

Yet, despite all his worries and feelings of helplessness, Zhao Shibo did not dare to shrink back or compromise at such a critical moment. The path of cultivation never offered any chance that could be easily obtained. Particularly, chances that could provide advancement were ones that needed to be fought for against others, and he might even have to risk his life if necessary.

If he chose to yield at this moment, no one would be beholden to his kindness. Instead, they would perceive him as feeble and someone to be bullied. In the future, if a similar opportunity arose, they would most likely choose to seize it again, leaving no scraps for him. They wouldn’t show any mercy, only blocking any further ascent for him, denying him any chance for progression.