Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1374 - 1374 0781 The Past_2

Chapter 1374: Chapter 0781: The Past_2 Chapter 1374: Chapter 0781: The Past_2 Emperor Jianwu, who feared that the Second Prince would resort to further deceit, successively made his moves to seal the prince’s Dantian and main meridians; then, he took out a rope specially used to bind cultivators at the Late Gold Core Stage and bound the Second Prince tightly. Only then did he drag the prince over to Qi Tian like a pig being led to slaughter and left him to Qi Tian’s disposal.

The Second Prince kept his eyes shut, unknown whether it was out of shame or some other reason. But one thing was certain: it had little to do with his injuries because Qi Tian, through the sensing capabilities of the Heavenly Dao Engine on Spirit Qi, could accurately determine that the Second Prince was neither unconscious nor sleeping; his Spirit Force fluctuations were very stable.

Qi Tian said to Emperor Jianwu, “The Second Prince is now injured, and his injuries are so severe that, willing or not, his strength has been greatly diminished at this moment, and his mental powers are also very much affected. If you are willing, you can now try to use Soul Searching Skills on him. This is a rare opportunity that typically nobody encounters to search the soul of a Half-step Nascent Soul Cultivator. Don’t just stand there, go on, I am waiting for the results.”

Emperor Jianwu had long been utterly convinced of Qi Tian’s superiority and would carry out any commands from Qi Tian without any compromise, especially since the Second Prince had just blatantly attempted soul searching and tried to seize his palace in front of so many people. It was impossible for Emperor Jianwu not to harbor any resentment. His heart had been festering with rage, waiting to vent it upon the Second Prince. Now, with Qi Tian’s permission, he did not hesitate for a second, grasping the prince’s head, ready to perform the Soul Searching Skill on a member of the imperial family from the Great Zhao Nation with the highest realm in history.

Emperor Jianwu’s movements were decisive, without a hint of hesitation; he was resolute in his intent to carry out this act.

The Second Prince’s eyes, which had been closed all this time, suddenly opened, and he called out weakly, “Stop, you cannot search my soul.”

Emperor Jianwu’s hand landed on the Second Prince’s head, his fingers forcefully pressing down on several acupoints; had the prince shown the slightest hesitation, Emperor Jianwu would have surely commenced the Soul Searching Skill. Considering Emperor Jianwu’s ability, the prince would likely become an imbecile after the search was complete.

The Second Prince panicked; this was not the outcome he desired. He hastened to say, “Do not use the Soul Searching Skill on me. You can ask me about anything you want to know, and I will tell you everything truthfully, without any concealment.”

Emperor Jianwu sneered and said, “You are dishonest, resorting to deceit just now and nearly tricking me. You are inherently deceptive, even falling from the sky and still playing dead. How can I believe you’re telling the truth? It would be better to directly search your soul. Although it’s more troublesome, the results will be more genuine and reliable.”

How could the Second Prince let Emperor Jianwu search his soul? Among all of Emperor Tian Rui’s sons and daughters, he was the most favored, with Emperor Tian Rui basically doing whatever he said. To put it bluntly, he was like the retired emperor of the Great Zhao Nation, accustomed to a life of luxury. Also, he was just one step away from ascending to the Nascent Soul Stage. Should he break through to the Nascent Soul Stage, his power would more than double, enjoying untold riches and honors for hundreds of years. How could he possibly accept becoming an imbecile due to soul searching by Emperor Jianwu now?

The Second Prince immediately shouted, “I am willing to undergo any method to prove that everything I’m saying is true and reliable, but definitely not soul searching. If you insist on soul searching, I would rather cause my Sea of Consciousness to self-destruct rather than give you any opportunity.”

Emperor Jianwu had encountered many royal family members in the Imperial Family Secret Territory, most of whom would compromise when facing the threat of death, but he had also met those with a strong character who would never make any compromises. The Second Prince’s current behavior fit both situations: he would compromise, but if he faced extremely dire consequences, he would also show a staunch side.

A cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness self-destruction was an irrevocably final act. Once the Second Prince chose this path, it would basically become impossible for Qi Tian to find Emperor Rui’s whereabouts through him.

Emperor Jianwu had no choice but to look to Qi Tian, to see if he was willing to give the Second Prince a chance. If Qi Tian was not willing, then Emperor Jianwu would definitely search the Second Prince’s soul, even if it meant the prince would choose to self-destruct his Sea of Consciousness, sparing no regrets.

Qi Tian raised an eyebrow and waved at Emperor Jianwu, signaling for him to release the Second Prince and step aside.

Left with no choice, Emperor Jianwu complied with Qi Tian’s command and let go of the Second Prince.

Qi Tian looked at the Second Prince and asked, “Now, can you tell me where Emperor Tian Rui has gone?”

This time, the Second Prince didn’t beat around the bush like before. He directly revealed Emperor Tian Rui’s current whereabouts to Qi Tian.

Qi Tian firmly memorized the details provided by the Second Prince. Then, he began to question the Second Prince about how much he knew of Emperor Tian Rui’s subsequent plans. Emperor Tian Rui had mysteriously disappeared with the Mansion Masters of the three Great National Master Manors—was this a plot? And what role did the Second Prince play in this series of events?

Although the Second Prince was somewhat reluctant, the circumstances were stronger than his will, so he had to report to Qi Tian everything that had happened in the past.

Emperor Tian Rui was installed on the imperial throne by the previous emperor, and at first, he was overjoyed, believing that he had become the most powerful man in the Great Zhao Nation and could have anything he desired. However, it didn’t take long for Emperor Tian Rui to realize that his assessment had been far too optimistic.

When Emperor Tian Rui just ascended the throne, he hadn’t reached the First Level of the Gold Core Realm. He was merely at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, yet he wished to command the winds and summon the rain in the Great Zhao Nation—an impossible feat. Just when Emperor Tian Rui was almost in despair, thinking that he would become someone else’s puppet, the Second Prince, who had been out gaining experience, returned to the palace. It was precisely at that time that the Second Prince had successfully cultivated outside and ascended to the Gold Core Stage.

Seeing the Second Prince, Emperor Tian Rui was naturally overjoyed. As father and son chatted, the Second Prince brought up various extraordinary and bizarre pieces of cultivation knowledge he had encountered outside. This knowledge was scattered far and wide, making it difficult to organize, so the Second Prince intended to stay in the Great Zhao Nation for a longer period and wouldn’t leave again. However, the focus of the Second Prince’s conversation wasn’t on these matters, but instead on Emperor Tian Rui himself.

The Second Prince offered Emperor Tian Rui a comprehensive set of recommendations and even helped him devise a detailed cultivation plan. The Second Prince didn’t just stop at giving advice or making plans—he took action to ensure these plans were implemented, personally supervising Emperor Tian Rui’s cultivation, and making sure he strictly followed the plan, cultivating when needed and resting otherwise. Not only that, but the Second Prince also spent a fortune to purchase various high-level cultivation resources to gift to Emperor Tian Rui for his use.

It was with the unwavering support of the Second Prince that Emperor Tian Rui finally managed to ascend to the Gold Core Stage more than twenty years ago.

The events that followed were also closely tied to the Second Prince’s schemes. After ascending to the Gold Core Stage, Emperor Tian Rui’s cultivation level stagnated completely. It wasn’t just making further progress that was an issue, but maintaining his current level without regressing was already a tremendous achievement.

Such results severely deviated from Emperor Tian Rui’s expectations. What Emperor Tian Rui hoped for was to remain on the throne for a long time, but as easy as this was to wish for, it was difficult to accomplish in reality. Once again, Emperor Tian Rui sought help from the Second Prince, hoping that he could advise on another detailed plan for him.