Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1362 - 1362 0775 Princes and Princesses_2

Chapter 1362: Chapter 0775: Princes and Princesses_2 Chapter 1362: Chapter 0775: Princes and Princesses_2 But Qi Tian didn’t think so. He had been lingering in the Imperial Family Secret Territory for quite some time and had learned a lot about the situation here. Moreover, because of his experiences, he understood many internal details that his fellow disciples were unaware of.

The cultivation resources in the Imperial Family Secret Territory were becoming increasingly scarce. The Princes here would use all kinds of methods, no matter how ruthless or inhumane, to extend their own lives. If pushed to the extreme, they wouldn’t care about kinship or friendship at all. Especially in the Saint’s Tomb, where Qi Tian had consecutively unearthed two Saint’s Tombs, the owners of the tombs, in order to live a longer life, one had become a living corpse, and the other hid inside a coffin, waiting for the day to see the light again. Each person had made many sacrifices and forsaken a lot.

Qi Tian was extremely worried that Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu might encounter similar situations, especially with Emperor Tian Rui, for whom Qi Tian had no fondness. Back in Great Zhao Nation, Emperor Tian Rui had joined forces with other National Masters to ostracize the Imperial Master Mansion, causing a lot of trouble for everyone there. There was no reason to believe that Emperor Tian Rui would suddenly change his ways upon arriving at the Imperial Family Secret Territory, and it was likely that he would continue to join forces with the other National Masters to target the Mansion Master. The Mansion Master was alone while Emperor Tian Rui and the other two National Masters would be three Gold Core Realm powerhouses together. One against three, the Mansion Master would surely be at a disadvantage.

Qi Tian’s main task upon entering the Imperial Family Secret Territory was to ensure that the Mansion Master was brought out unharmed and returned to the Imperial Master Mansion. If anything happened to the Mansion Master, Qi Tian wouldn’t know how to explain it to the elders and juniors of the Imperial Master Mansion, especially since he couldn’t justify it to himself.

Having no luck in finding the Mansion Master’s whereabouts through his fellow disciples, Qi Tian had to change his approach. Emperor Rui had entered the Imperial Family Secret Territory with the Mansion Masters of the three Great National Master Mansions, and now all four of them had disappeared. However, they had also brought with them a considerable number of people, all now gathered in the Southern City.

Using the sensing capabilities of the Heavenly Dao Engine, Qi Tian had confirmed that the number of cultivators in the Southern City had exceeded a thousand. It was impossible that so many people would have no knowledge of Emperor Rui and the Mansion Master’s whereabouts.

Qi Tian shared his deduction with the inner sect disciples, then instructed them to follow his commands and bring over the people who came with Emperor Rui to him.

The inner sect disciple was shocked. Emperor Rui had brought many people with him into the Imperial Family Secret Territory, including his sons and daughters. Though not all his children were brought in, those who were brought in were generally favored by Emperor Rui. Qi Tian had just said to bring over all the people that Emperor Rui had left in the Southern City, which naturally included these princes and princesses. This was a grave disrespect and could lead to retribution once Emperor Rui returned to the Southern City. How would they cope then?

Upon hearing the inner sect disciple’s concern, the corners of Qi Tian’s mouth curled into a cold smile. He told them to just follow his orders without worry, and if Emperor Rui dared to settle scores over today’s events in the future, he would not hesitate to take a stand for them.

The inner sect disciples were still reluctant to go. They didn’t see things the way Qi Tian did. Emperor Rui still commanded a lot of authority there, even though he was not as respected as the Mansion Master, he was still a force second only to the Mansion Master.

Qi Tian shook his head. He could understand the inner sect disciples’ thoughts; after all, Emperor Rui had amassed his authority over many years in Great Zhao, and he also held the moral high ground of the emperor. It was difficult for ordinary people without strong rebellious intentions to consider going against a sovereign like Emperor Rui.

Understanding was one thing, but Qi Tian did not simply back down. He outright threatened the inner sect disciples, stating that if they did not follow his orders, he would ensure they understood his anger was no less than that of Emperor Tian Rui. If the disciples believed they could withstand his wrath, they were welcome to try.

Upon hearing this, the inner sect disciples promptly shook their heads. Even with the courage of ten lions and leopards, they would not dare to face the fury of a Gold Core Realm powerhouse—especially since Qi Tian was the acting Mansion Master. Even if he took their lives, the Imperial Master Mansion would have no grounds for objection.

Left with no alternative, the inner sect disciples had no choice but to obey Qi Tian’s command, taking people with them to bring back those left behind by Emperor Tian Rui in Southern City.

The individuals Emperor Tian Rui had brought were all carefully selected and trusted confidantes, with cultivation realms and strength that were far from weak, at least not inferior to that inner sect disciple.

Worried that his fellow disciples would be at a disadvantage, Qi Tian gave each one of them several magical artifacts upon dispatching them. All were high-quality items from the Foundation Establishment Stage, rewards typically only granted by the Imperial Master Mansion for significant achievements. Yet now, Qi Tian distributed them without even blinking, making the inner sect disciples deeply grateful. The gifts also boosted their confidence, alleviating their worries about being unable to bring the princes and princesses back.

Qi Tian could have gone himself, but he chose not to. He had noticed something: like in the Great Zhao Nation, these inner sect disciples from the Imperial Master Mansion were not valued in Southern City, belonging instead to a marginalized group.

Not to mention other aspects, the place they were arranged to gather was one of the poorer areas in Southern City, with bad location and inferior Spirit Qi—problematic in every way. The better locations within the city were either occupied by the princes and princesses or taken by people from the other two Great National Master Mansions, leaving nothing for those of the Imperial Master Mansion.

Qi Tian wanted to use the summoning of the princes and princesses to establish authority and truly raise the stature of the Imperial Master Mansion in Southern City, ensuring no one would look down on them. In addition to that, Qi Tian was also maintaining his status. After all, he was a Gold Core stage cultivator, the foremost among the cultivators in the Imperial Family Secret Territory. It would be beneath him to meet Emperor Tian Rui’s children in person, as doing so would hardly command respect or be taken seriously.

Just as Qi Tian had anticipated, when the inner sect disciples went to fetch Emperor Tian Rui’s children, things did not go smoothly. The inner sect disciple started off politely, but was immediately berated by the princes and princesses, who still refused to recognize Qi Tian’s authority even after he was mentioned. Furthermore, they attacked before the inner sect disciple could react, robbing him like common bandits. They took all cultivation resources, including the magical artifacts that Qi Tian had just rewarded, leaving nothing behind, sparing only the clothes on the disciples’ backs.

Moreover, the princes and princesses were extremely brutal. Along with their subordinates, they thoroughly beat up the few people from the Imperial Master Mansion, leaving them with black and blue faces. Some unfortunate ones even had their limbs broken by the princes and princesses.

Qi Tian might not have been present, but he was using the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine to monitor all movement within Southern City. He knew when the princes and princesses made their move, but he did not react or rush to save his fellow disciples. It was not that Qi Tian was heartless or indifferent to the camaraderie among fellow disciples. Instead, he hoped to incite a spirited fighting will within them, encouraging them to confront the princes and princesses. He had provided them with so many magical artifacts that if they had dared to use them, they could have killed the sons and daughters of Emperor Rui or, at the very least, protected themselves from harm. Unfortunately, Qi Tian did not witness the outcome he had hoped for and could only shake his head in disappointment.