Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 467: Chapter 464: Thoughts

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Chu Zhiyuan left Bright Moon Pavilion, first went to the Inspection Department, carefully checked the news from the Northern Territory, and then returned to Prince Qing Mansion.

On the lake in the back garden of Prince Qing Mansion, in an octagonal pavilion, an elderly man with a clear and thin face and a handsome middle-aged man were engrossed in a chess game.

Beside them sat a beautiful lady in palace attire, full of spirit, adorned with jewels, like a celestial consort.

She was absorbed in playing the zither, the music calm and serene.

It was none other than Great Grandmaster Chu Qingyan, Prince Qing Chu Minghou, and Princess Bai Ningshuang.

The black and white pieces on the chessboard were locked in a fierce and indecipherable battle, the situation grim.

Chu Minghou couldn’t practice martial arts, but his skills in chess and painting were top-notch.

Chu Qingyan had a particular fondness and regard for Chu Minghou, staying at Prince Qing Mansion to play a few games with him every day, not wanting to return.

Even though Chu Zhiyuan said the danger was resolved, he still hadn’t left, lingering at Prince Qing Mansion for a few more days.

Chu Zhiyuan arrived at the pavilion.

Bai Ningshuang stopped her zither strings, smilingly waved a jade hand, signaling him not to disturb the two.

Chu Zhiyuan sat close to her, smiled as he looked at the chessboard, and shook his head.

Chu Qingyan’s black pieces were already in a desperate situation, beyond rescue, struggling in vain.

Chu Qingyan stared at the board, sniffed slightly, and lightly hummed, ”Went to see a lady, didn’t you?”

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”Uncle, might as well resign, it’s pointless to struggle anymore.”

Chu Qingyan snorted, ”It’s not the endgame yet, I can turn the tables! ... Which sweetheart did you meet?”

Bai Ningshuang and Chu Minghou both looked over.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”It was Ninth Prince of Da Meng.”

”Li Hongzhao?” Chu Qingyan, with a grave expression, placed a black piece, as if it weighed as much as a mountain.

Then he wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned his head, and looked over, ”Better stay away from her.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded, ”Alright.”

Bai Ningshuang quickly asked, ”Uncle, is it because she’s a princess of Da Meng? This Ninth Prince is a bit too beautiful, not dignified enough, unlike Ruoling.”

Chu Qingyan replied, ”She’s different from that Xiao family girl, she’s a true phoenix.”

”Uncle, what’s wrong with a phoenix,” Bai Ningshuang asked, ”Too proud?”

”Fate is hard,” Chu Qingyan shook his head, watching how Chu Minghou placed his piece, ”Ordinary people can’t handle her.”

”Uncle—!” Bai Ningshuang scolded, ”Don’t just say half, make it clear, why can’t she be handled?”

Chu Qingyan chuckled, ”You girl, alright, alright, unless you become emperor, you can’t marry her, otherwise, marrying her is certain death, that’s the fate of the Phoenix Bloodline.”

”Is the Phoenix Bloodline that powerful?” Bai Ningshuang said, ”Isn’t that practically a curse?”

”It can’t be called a curse, the benefits of the Phoenix Bloodline are immense, the Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique leads directly to Great Grandmaster, and the cultivation is very fast.”

”Can’t marry the person you want, a lifetime without happiness, what’s the use of being a Great Grandmaster?” Bai Ningshuang said.

Chu Qingyan helplessly shook his head, ”You, girl... it’s just as well you married Minghou.”

Chu Minghou cheerfully placed a white piece.

Chu Zhiyuan secretly shook his head.

Li Hongzhao is not one to marry, but to become emperor, her ambitions are sky-high.

He smiled, ”Uncle, have we heard we’re going to negotiate with Da Meng?”

”Hmm, it seems indeed we are going to negotiate.” Chu Qingyan, with a serious expression, picked up a black piece, his gaze shifting around the board.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”The Emperor of Da Meng is gravely ill and hard to cure, will it happen or not?”

Chu Qingyan said nonchalantly, ”You have good sources, I only heard this morning.”

”Is the negotiation real?” Chu Zhiyuan frowned, ”What about Da Zhen?”

Chu Qingyan said, ”If the three sides can coexist peacefully, that would be ideal.”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, saying nothing.

Such words are only to deceive the common people.

Chu Qingyan ”clicked” the black piece, helplessly saying, ”I lost this game all because of you, distracted me, couldn’t turn it around!”

Chu Zhiyuan couldn’t help but laugh.

Bai Ningshuang curiously said, ”Uncle, is it true there will be a negotiation? Is the Da Meng Emperor really dying?”

”Probably due to internal cultivation deviation, preparing to pass on the throne.” Chu Qingyan said, ”The new emperor is focused on securing his position, no time for battles?”

”Internal deviation?” Chu Zhiyuan frowned, ”Do our past emperors ever have such issues?”

”Yes, they did.” Chu Qingyan nodded, ”It’s just no one knew, the Fifth High Ancestor Emperor, even suffered deviation, if not for the Sixth Mysterious Ancestor Emperor’s wisdom and strength, achieving Great Grandmaster early, there would’ve been trouble.”

”Why deviate?” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Could the Emperor’s Sword not protect oneself?”

”Who said the Emperor’s Sword can protect one from deviation?”

”Even at Great Grandmaster can still deviate?”

”You are now a Great Grandmaster as well, you know the struggles of cultivation, if one is an ordinary Grandmaster, it’s fine, but the emperor, with ambitions sky-high, can’t be satisfied.”

”...that’s true.”

Chu Qingyan shook his head, ”I also wanted to remind you, reaching this realm, the mental state should be leveled, seeking leisure and naturalness, instead of the previous diligent practice, aggressive charge, or it will lead to deviation.”

Chu Zhiyuan seemed thoughtful.

Chu Qingyan said, ”The breakthrough to Great Grandmaster is different from the first two layers, Jade Tower and Copper Tower are more like dead objects, while Golden Tower is living, it won’t just take hits without retaliation, it will backfire.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded solemnly.

The Golden Tower can absorb spiritual power, even if one practices the Observation Method, inevitably some spiritual power will drift to the Golden Tower.

Just that compared to before, most of it condenses on the visualization object instead.

The longer time passes, the more solid the Golden Tower becomes, the more spiritual it is, and the backlash becomes stronger.

So to break through, one must do it early, cannot delay.

Reaching Great Grandmaster is a golden period, must not let it pass.

”In any case, take it as a warning.” Chu Qingyan shook his head, ”This Da Meng Emperor is presumably in his prime, ambitious, seeking a breakthrough, leading to this situation. Fortunately, Da Meng’s Eldest Prince achieved Great Grandmaster, or else...”

Chu Zhiyuan asked, ”What if there is no Great Grandmaster to succeed?”

Chu Qingyan snorted, ”Emperor’s Sword without a master means chaos and turmoil.”

Chu Zhiyuan nodded solemnly.

Without the Emperor’s Sword, the Imperial Family has no absolute overwhelming force.

How can the Great Grandmasters be subdued?

Moreover, with martial sects all over the world and various forces, all will act unchecked.

In such a situation, how can the world not be in chaos?

Chu Zhiyuan looked toward Da Meng, thoughtful, his eyes bright.

”What are you thinking?” Chu Qingyan simply put the chess pieces into the side box and stopped playing, turning to Chu Zhiyuan, ”You have many ideas, what are you thinking?”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”If Da Meng’s Emperor’s Sword is without a master available...”

”You better not have this thought!” Chu Qingyan said, ”Unless the Da Meng Emperor is dead, even if there’s deviation, it can still wield the Emperor’s Sword.”

Chu Zhiyuan looked toward Da Meng.

Chu Qingyan said, ”Assassinating a prince brings endless trouble, best not to have this thought... besides, the Da Meng Emperor surely has contingency, and who knows, isn’t it a trap?”

Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

His gaze shifted toward the Four Directions Pavilion, landing on Li Hongzhao.

The Super Sensory Cave already has a range of six kilometers, enough to cover the Four Directions Pavilion.

Li Hongzhao was sitting in the small courtyard of the Da Meng Pavilion, listening to Su Qiuyan, with a travel-worn face, speaking.

Besides Su Qiuyan, there were three middle-aged men, all Great Grandmasters.

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