Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1359 - 1359 0774 Who Are You Exactly

Chapter 1359: Chapter 0774: Who Are You Exactly? Chapter 1359: Chapter 0774: Who Are You Exactly? Chapter 0774 Who Are You Exactly

Emperor Tian Rui and the other Princes who had entered the Imperial Family Secret Territory ahead of him were no different; they all brought their carefully selected confidants and descendants into the Secret Territory. However, although Emperor Tian Rui brought quite a number of people and a significant amount of cultivation resources, he faced a very real issue after entering: the Secret Territory was essentially saturated with people, leaving only a narrow area for Emperor Tian Rui to occupy. Furthermore, none of the Princes in the Secret Territory were willing to share their cultivation resources with Emperor Tian Rui. They themselves did not have enough, so how could they possibly give some to Emperor Tian Rui? They were even coveting the cultivation resources that Emperor Tian Rui had brought, hoping to snatch them away.

If this had happened many years ago, such a situation would not have occurred. But now, the Saint’s Tombs in the Secret Territory that could be excavated had essentially been emptied. The remaining few Saint’s Tombs, unless encountered by someone with heaven-defying abilities like Qi Tian, would remain unopened even if they continued to stand there for a thousand years.

The cultivation resources within the Secret Territory could no longer meet the needs of many cultivators to a certain extent. In the eyes of many, Emperor Tian Rui had become an outsider, and they did not recognize any talk of blood relation with him.

Emperor Tian Rui had been aware of this issue for a long time. When he had not yet ascended to the Gold Core Stage, he had personally inspected the Secret Territory and knew the situation well. He realized that without making additional preparations, he would not be able to gain a foothold in the Secret Territory and might even become a target for plundering. Thus, Emperor Tian Rui began to prepare. He spent a lot of time cultivating talent and gathering cultivation resources. Not only that, after advancing to the Gold Core Stage, he did not enter the Secret Territory immediately but remained on the throne of Great Zhao Nation. It was only after he discovered that he could not advance from the First Level of Gold Core Realm to the Gold Core Realm Second Level, no matter what, that he had no choice but to lead his people into the Secret Territory.

Even though Emperor Tian Rui was well aware that it would be difficult to find a place for himself in the Secret Territory, he insisted on entering because the Grand Ancestor Emperor of Great Zhao Nation had once set an ancestral edict for his descendants: anyone who became emperor of the Great Zhao Nation must enter the Imperial Family Secret Territory for cultivation and must not cling to the throne. Should anyone monopolize the throne without willing to enter the Secret Territory, the Princes who were already inside could unite to attack the emperor who held onto the throne. They could not only remove him from his throne but also strip his descendants of any possibility of succeeding the throne. Furthermore, they would not be allowed burial in the ancestral tombs afterward.

When the Grand Ancestor Emperor established these rules, he had good intentions. However, he did not anticipate that after more than a thousand years, circumstances would have changed significantly, making the Imperial Family Secret Territory no longer suitable as a private domain for the Great Zhao imperial family, especially for allowing more retired emperors to enter. Even though the Princes had realized this, not one of them dared to defy the ancestral edicts. Moreover, even though the cultivation resources in the Secret Territory were somewhat insufficient, the chances of ascending to the Nascent Soul Stage were still present, albeit rarely seen before. Even if they were seen, it was not certain they could be seized in time. However, they firmly believed that as long as they searched, they could find opportunities, especially in the case of Zhao Deyi, who ascended to the Nascent Soul Stage under their watch, making them grateful to the Grand Ancestor Emperor for not deceiving their generation. Ascension to the Nascent Soul Stage was indeed possible here, and once someone ascended, they could leave the Secret Territory permanently and go wherever they wished.

After Emperor Tian Rui brought people into the Secret Territory, he couldn’t keep it a secret from the Princes of the Three Grand Cities. Although these Princes did not wish for Emperor Tian Rui to come, they had no way to go against the ancestral edicts and had to reluctantly let Emperor Tian Rui enter. However, after Emperor Tian Rui’s arrival, he went straight to the North Capital. As to what Emperor Tian Rui did there, no one knows. In the end, he did not settle in North Capital but left not long afterward. It is said he went to the south side of the Secret Territory, intending to build a new city there, already having a name in mind, called Southern City, which would become the fourth great city of the Secret Territory.

After listening to the Prince’s introduction about the history of the Secret Territory and Emperor Tian Rui, Qi Tian had somewhat of an idea forming in his mind. It appeared he needed to take a trip to Southern City.

Qi Tian said, “For the time being, I’ll believe what you’ve told me. I’ll verify it myself, and if the outcome of my investigation matches your description, that will be for the best. But if there are clear inaccuracies, and you’re playing tricks on me, don’t blame me for being unkind.”

The Prince who had briefed Qi Tian hurriedly assured that every word he’d said was true, with absolutely no intention of deceiving or misleading.

Qi Tian waved his hand, dismissing the Prince, then asked the other Princes if they had anything to add. The other Princes shook their heads almost in unison, knowing that they might not know more. At this moment, they wisely chose to remain silent, worried that speaking too much could lead to mistakes and might later result in Qi Tian holding them accountable.