Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 535 - 535 0362 The Whole House Moves_2

Chapter 535: Chapter 0362: The Whole House Moves_2 Chapter 535: Chapter 0362: The Whole House Moves_2 If things do indeed develop as Qi Tian predicted, then the complete lockdown of the Imperial Master Mansion is unquestionably unfeasible.

“Qi Tian, why are you suggesting that we leave Zhangshui City and relocate the entire Imperial Master Mansion to Lubei County? Lubei County is just a small place with limited resources. It simply cannot sustain all of us,” Luo Xia queried.

Qi Tian smiled as he said, “Next, I’ll reveal the second reason I’m suggesting a move to Lubei County. Those present are all our own people, trusted veterans. As such, I can reveal some things to you all. I’ve recently discovered a rich vein of spirit stones in Lubei County. Conservatively estimated, it should allow us to mine for several decades. You all think, how many spirit stones does that entail? If we consolidate and use these spirit stones, what sort of effect could that generate? I dare not claim anything else, but I believe having a few Half-step Golden Cores among us should be feasible.”

“What? Qi Tian, you’re not deceiving us, are you? How could there be such a rich vein of spirit stones in the Great Zhao Nation?” an elder skeptically asked.

“You better believe it. Think about it, if Lubei County didn’t hold such a great advantage, why then did Chen Wenbo insist on seizing the position of Lubei County Master from me with his disciple? Moreover, he had the audacity to forcibly take over Lubei County with a royal edict just as I took office. This all relates back to the scarcely known vein of spirit stones in Lubei County,” Qi Tian simply remarked.

Among the Elders and Mansion Masters of Imperial Master Mansion, some trusted Qi Tian’s words, while others doubted them. Even so, the doubters did not completely dismiss his words, giving them some credence.

Qi Tian waved his hand and declared, “Time is of the essence, and I will not waste more words. Convey my command, from this moment forth, all disciples and members will pack up the entire Imperial Master Mansion. Everything that can be taken must be taken, leaving nothing useful behind for those who follow. Even the houses must be demolished. If they can’t be dismantled, then destroy them. Now, every Elder and Mansion Master should come forward and receive a high-capacity Storage Bag to collect all movable items from the Imperial Master Mansion.”

Some of the Elders and Mansion Masters willingly stepped forward to receive Qi Tian’s command, while others hesitated. They had lived in the Imperial Master Mansion since childhood and were deeply attached to it. The idea of relocating solely based on Qi Tian’s decision seemed akin to a child’s play to them.

Qi Tian did not offer further explanations; instead, he left the Council Hall, allowing everyone but Luo Xia to go their separate ways and carry on with their tasks.

“Mansion Master, accompany me to the Grand Manor. I wish to see if we could move the entire Grand Manor,” Qi Tian instructed.

“Qi Tian, we really must relocate everything? Even the Mansion Master’s residence isn’t spared? Aren’t you scared of the backlash from the Mansion Master upon his return?” Luo Xia asked worryingly.

Qi Tian chuckled, “If we don’t relocate the Mansion Master’s residence and only ours, do you suggest that we just leave it behind, waiting for the people from the Guardian National Master Manor to steal all the valuable items from it?”

Luo Xia gave a bitter smile; if they were to relocate the entire Imperial Master Mansion and leave only the Mansion Master’s residence behind, it would most certainly become the first target of Guardian National Master Manor, and even rogue cultivators might be tempted to attempt breaking into it.

“Fine, I’ll take you there, though I’m not sure whether we can in fact move the Mansion Master’s residence.”

Luo Xia’s concerns weren’t unwarranted. The Mansion Master, Xiao Xiaowu, paid great attention to his residence. He never allowed anyone inside unless summoned, and this included his own disciples. Furthermore, each time Xiao Xiaowu left the Imperial Master Mansion, he would seal off his residents and set up a defensive barrier. It was impossible for anyone to penetrate this barrier. As Gold Core powerhouses set up the barrier, it was considered absolutely secure as the Imperial Master Mansion lacked a second Gold Core cultivator.

Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu’s mansion was a standalone courtyard, around a thousand square meters in size, which did not seem befitting of his noble status as the Imperial Master. From this perspective, Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu did not appear to be a man desiring luxuries.

Luo Xia and Qi Tian stood outside the Mansion Master’s mansion. The spot they occupied was only about five or six meters away from the mansion’s gate. Luo Xia said, “We shouldn’t go any further. If we do, we’ll surely trigger the defensive barrier set up around the mansion.”

Utilizing the sensing ability of the Heavenly Dao Engine, Qi Tian sensed the presence of Spirit Qi and found Luo Xia’s words to be true. Not far ahead, he could detect the marks left by an array method that could easily be triggered by advancing.

Qi Tian flew into the sky for a closer look and then said to Luo Xia, “Transporting the entire mansion of the Mansion Master is not difficult. All we need to do is break this defensive barrier, then we can excavate the underground area beneath the mansion. After that, we can store the mansion in a slightly larger Storage Bag and take it away.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Xia could not help but laugh bitterly. Although he had progressed to the Pseudo Core Realm, boasting strength comparable to a cultivator of the Gold Core First Level, his reverence for Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu was something deeply ingrained in his soul. Moreover, in terms of cultivation levels alone, Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu was at the Gold Core Second Level and could easily crush him.

Ignoring Luo Xia’s self-mockery, Qi Tian instructed him: “You should protect me during this process. There might be some commotion later on. Make sure no one gets near.”

This was a command that Luo Xia could fulfill. He flew into the sky to keep a vigilant watch over the vicinity, preventing anyone from getting close.

Unwilling to stir unnecessary disturbances, Qi Tian took out an array disk concomitant with a concealment array, enclosing both the entirety of the Mansion Master’s mansion and its defensive barrier. After initiating the concealment array and blocking external view, he slowly approached the mansion. Two steps in, the defensive barrier glowed brightly, obstructing Qi Tian’s path.

Qi Tian extended his hand, placing it onto the defensive barrier. Then, he activated the Heavenly Dao Engine and began absorbing energy from the barrier.

Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu had indeed put in remarkable effort in this defensive barrier. Going by Qi Tian’s rough estimate, the energy he drew from the barrier with the Heavenly Dao Engine would equate to at least five thousand middle-grade spirit stones. Given such a formidable array, it was no wonder that Luo Xia and the others did not even dare to attempt breaching it.

When all the Spirit Qi from the defensive barrier was depleted, the Mansion Master’s mansion lay completely exposed to Qi Tian’s gaze. Others might’ve become somewhat fascinated by the mansion and seized this opportunity to sneak in and satisfy their curiosity. However, Qi Tian refrained from doing so.

Forcing his entry into the mansion already felt quite inappropriate to him. Even though he was actuated by urgency, it was somewhat taboo. Furthermore, Qi Tian did not think that the mansion would contain anything valuable. If such items did exist, Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu would surely carry them around with him. Any items left in the mansion would be of secondary value, things that Qi Tian would dismiss outright. Therefore, there was no point in further offending Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu to satisfy his curiosity.

Without lingering, Qi Tian dismissed the concealment array, excavated the ground beneath the floating mansion, and packed it into an extra-large Storage Bag right in front of Luo Xia. Then, he handed over the Storage Bag containing the mansion to Luo Xia.

“From now on, the Mansion Master’s mansion is your responsibility. Once the Mansion Master returns, you must immediately return the mansion to its rightful owner.”