Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 944 - 944 0568 The Last Dignity_1

Chapter 944: Chapter 0568: The Last Dignity_1 Chapter 944: Chapter 0568: The Last Dignity_1 Chapter 0568: The Last Dignity

Qi Tian’s worries quickly came true. The close-range Divine Sense scanning of Chaoyang Palace enraged the Imperial Family. With Emperor Chaoyang personally pushing the matter, the Eastern Capital City began to conduct thorough investigations on all outsiders, and controls on entry and exit from the city were implemented.

Fortunately for Qi Tian and his associates, they had Xiang Bo vouching for them. Plus, they all showed that they were only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so they didn’t face too much scrutiny and managed to slip through by luck.

At that moment, Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming both admired Qi Tian for his foresight; from the beginning, he had processed the necessary identity documents for them through official channels. Without those documents, they might not even have the right to flee now. The scene where Yang Yongqi, the Great Commander of the Chaoyang Palace guards, flung his Wolf Teeth Knife and injured Wang Fengna still sent shivers down their spines whenever they thought about it.

Because of this incident, Qi Tian’s plan to send Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming to investigate the core area of the Imperial Family Secret Territory had to be put on hold. Instead, the three of them spent time every day, apart from their cultivation, taking some time to stroll outside, show their faces, and maintain a presence to avoid being suspected by the Imperial Family for disappearing for too long.

Such days were dull and brought a fair amount of pressure, but since they had encountered this situation, they could only endure it until everything passed and calm was restored.

Contrary to Qi Tian’s expectations, the turmoil in the Eastern Capital City didn’t last long; it only persisted for three days. By the fourth day, the city had returned to normal, as if someone spying on Chaoyang Palace in the previous days had never happened.

Qi Tian feared there might be deceit involved, perhaps a ploy by the Imperial Family to lure in a bigger fish. He continued to urge Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming to proceed with caution.

Time passed, and more than half a month went by. Qi Tian and his group lived a peaceful life in the Eastern Capital City, indistinguishable from the other Foundation Establishment cultivators residing there.

During this period, they used every possible method at their disposal to gather information without drawing attention. After over a dozen days of inquiring, they finally understood some facts about the Imperial Family Secret Territory.

The quick resumption of normalcy in the Eastern Capital City after only three days of strict inspection was likely not a ploy by the Imperial Family but rather determined by the basic conditions of the Imperial Family Secret Territory.

The Imperial Family Secret Territory has been around for a very long time, with a history of over two thousand years. Starting with the first Great Zhao Emperor who discovered its existence, these emperors, intent on longevity and eternal wealth and splendor, have continuously moved into the secret territory. Moreover, nearly every emperor who entered the territory would relocate a large group of followers to serve them.

If the succession of these emperors had been father to son, there might not have been many problems. However, in reality, there were several occasions in Great Zhao’s history where an emperor couldn’t produce a son or their sons were of such poor talent that even reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage was a struggle, let alone becoming a Gold Core Realm powerhouse to command around the world. In such cases, emperors eager to abdicate and enter the Imperial Family Secret Territory had to select other royal descendants as emperors, which led to breaks in the bloodline succession, making it difficult for these emperors to act unanimously. Besides, having all been emperors themselves, the former emperors looked down on their successors, and the successors did not respect their predecessors, leading to constant internal disputes within the royal family. Almost every issue related to the emperor took a long time to resolve within the royal family and might not even be resolved at all.

This recent case is typical. Of course, the internal strife within the royal family is a major reason, but it might not be the only one. Wang Fengna’s clever tactics, high cultivation realm, and numerous treasures made it difficult for the Royal Family to locate her, which should also be an important factor.

Reaching such a conclusion was a relief to Qi Tian. His greatest fear was that the royal family within the secret territory was unified, acting in lockstep, which would have made things difficult for him. Fortunately, the internal disputes and differences gave him some opportunities.

However, finding and making proper use of these opportunities would be a significant test of Qi Tian’s wisdom.

One day, Qi Tian received a message from Xiang Bo via the Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly, informing him of an event at the Imperial College. Xiang Bo thought to bring two people along, so he contacted Qi Tian, asking him to join with Gao Jinmei.

Upon receiving the message, Qi Tian knew that Xiang Bo was likely asking him and Gao Jinmei to make an appearance. After all, Xiang Bo already had three guest officials at his side for any needed tasks, and instructing them would be much more convenient than instructing Qi Tian and his group, unless those three guest officials couldn’t handle the situation—that’s when Xiang Bo might think of them.

After contemplating, Qi Tian informed Xiang Bo through the Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly that he and Gao Jinmei would be there on time. Qi Tian still needed Xiang Bo’s assistance in some areas, so ignoring Xiang Bo now was not realistic.

Soon, the time specified by Xiang Bo arrived, and Qi Tian, along with Gao Jinmei, hurried to the entrance of the Imperial College, where they didn’t have to wait long before they saw Xiang Bo emerge from the building, accompanied by the three guest officials.