Huang Cheng said apologetically, "Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for this servant."
"I wouldn't dare," Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand. "Since you can't say, then I won't ask. The Dragon Mountain Secret Realm, did it run here on its own, or is there another reason?"
"The Secret Realm won't run around, but it can expand."
"Was the original Secret Realm smaller than it is now? How much smaller?"
"It is said to have expanded tenfold."
"How long did it take to expand tenfold?"
"A thousand years."
"A thousand years to expand tenfold, a doubling every hundred years? That's a bit too fast."
"It's better that it's bigger, but it's just..."
"Grandmasters are not enough."
The larger the Secret Realm, the more demon beasts there are, and the stronger they become. The original Grandmasters are no longer sufficient.
"Yes." Huang Cheng withdrew his gaze, quickly glancing around, and said softly, "Your Highness, this servant really can't say any more."
"Alright, let's stop here."
Huang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Chu Zhiyuan chuckled inwardly.
This old fox, if he can reveal something, he will definitely reveal it to me, but not a word more. This is the Emperor using his mouth to reveal information to me.
Is he urging me to become a Grandmaster as soon as possible?
If I really become a Grandmaster, will I have to go to the Secret Realm to guard it?
The cultivation resources inside the Secret Realm must be extremely rich, but constantly cultivating in seclusion is truly torment. I still need to experience the mundane world; wouldn't it be a waste to bury myself in cultivation and ignore everything else?
"Eunuch Huang, I have some questions about the Jade Cauldron Sect..."
He took the opportunity to talk about the Jade Cauldron Sect's strange techniques, mentioning Zhang Youling's method of repairing severed limbs, and his own thoughts.
Huang Cheng was a high-ranking eunuch in the palace, with great power and access to many secrets that outsiders couldn't reach. Huang Cheng sighed and said, "Your Highness, the Jade Cauldron Sect's techniques are wicked and cannot be used."
"Do they directly convert the absorbed essence and blood into that strange power?"
"This involves the balance of good and evil in the world. Your Highness, think about it, is power stronger when a person is angry, or when they are happy?"
"Naturally, it's when they're angry."
"This is the fundamental truth of the world. The pure rises, the impure falls, yang is pure, yin is turbid, and most of the power of the world sinks and cannot rise."
"Evil prevails over good... The Jade Cauldron Sect absorbs not only essence and blood, but also spirit? Negative emotions like anger?"
"This servant calls it Yin Sha."
"Yin Sha..."
"The Jade Cauldron Sect has a secret technique to refine Yin Sha with the bloodline of the Emperor. Once the refinement is successful, one can transform Yin into Yang and become a Grandmaster."
"...No wonder," Chu Zhiyuan said slowly, "Does this mean that for the Jade Cauldron Sect to produce a Grandmaster, several of our Chu clan's descendants must die?"
"...Yes."
"Then why hasn't Imperial Grandfather taken action to destroy them?"
"It's not that he doesn't want to," Huang Cheng said helplessly, "This servant has said too much."
"Eunuch Huang, thank you," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile.
This sentence revealed the difficulty of dealing with the Jade Cauldron Sect.
Who can't the Emperor's Sword slay?
Yet they can't destroy the Jade Cauldron Sect, which means the Jade Cauldron Sect possesses a power that even the Emperor's Sword can't destroy? Or rather, it would require too great a price to destroy them?
Chu Zhiyuan suddenly sensed something and turned around abruptly. "Ninth Grand Uncle."
Chu Zhiyuan quickly saluted.
Three people were already standing behind them. The leader was Chu Qingyan.
Behind him were two white-haired old men who didn't seem to know martial arts.
But the visualization realm above their heads was like the rising sun, its clarity and vastness surpassing Chu Qingyan by three points. This meant that they were both Grandmasters of the Chu clan.
There are so many Grandmasters in the Great Jing Imperial Clan?
Currently, there are a total of nineteen Grandmasters in Great Jing, and I have seen Chu Qingyan and Chu Qingfeng among the Great Jing Imperial Clan's Grandmasters. Adding these three, that makes five.
Is the Great Jing Imperial Clan so strong?
Or rather, Great Jing actually has more than just nineteen Grandmasters?
Chu Qingyan turned his head and smiled at the two white-browed old men, "Third Uncle, Ninth Uncle, this is the Third Household's Heir Apparent. He's a good seed."
Chu Zhiyuan then knew the identities of these two.
Princes of the "Jing" generation.
One was Chu Jinglin, and the other was Chu Jingge.
Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fist and bowed deeply, "Junior greets Third Great-Grandfather, Ninth Great-Grandfather."
"Indeed, he is a good seed," the tall, thin, white-browed old man said kindly.
"Mm," the slightly shorter white-browed old man nodded.
Huang Cheng stepped forward to salute.
Chu Qingyan waved his hand, "Little Huang, don't bother with these formalities. What's going on?"
"This servant saw the Dragon Mountain Secret Realm."
"Dragon Mountain Secret Realm!" Chu Qingyan grunted, "It's that Dragon Mountain Secret Realm again!"
Huang Cheng said, "This servant dared not risk it. If a demon beast were to break out, the crime would be too great."
"Mm, you did the right thing," Chu Qingyan stared at the mountain wall and said in a deep voice, "We can't take that risk. You guard the outside. I'll go in with Third Uncle and Ninth Uncle to take a look."
"Yes."
"Third Uncle, Ninth Uncle..."
"Let's go."
The two old men were taciturn, uttering two words before walking towards the mountain wall.
The closer they got to the mountain wall, the more blurred their figures became, eventually walking into the mountain wall and disappearing without a trace. Chu Zhiyuan stepped forward to touch it.
The mountain wall was still there.
As far as his observation could see, the auras of the three Grandmasters became blurred, gradually merging with the aura of the mountain wall. In the end, they disappeared into the mountain wall as if three drops of water had fallen into a spring.
Chu Zhiyuan looked at Huang Cheng.
Huang Cheng seemed to understand his meaning and quickly waved his hand, "Your Highness, don't act rashly. Only Grandmasters can enter."
Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Is it very dangerous inside?"
"A Grandmaster's Gang Qi would be dispersed by the wind inside, and their soul would be scattered."
"So terrifying," Chu Zhiyuan clicked his tongue, abandoning the idea of going inside to take a look. His extrasensory perception could only vaguely see the vast mountain peaks, but nothing clearer. He couldn't see Chu Qingyan and the others.
Huang Cheng's expression was solemn.
Chu Zhiyuan asked, "With three Grandmasters taking action, can't they suppress it steadily?"
Huang Cheng smiled bitterly, "Your Highness, the demon beasts inside the Secret Realm are not easy to deal with, and today is the Tribulation Day, and it's the Tribulation Day that only happens once every hundred years."
"Does the Jade Cauldron Sect also know this secret?"
"They probably don't know, right?"
"That Jade Cauldron Sect expert who almost killed me knew."
Huang Cheng's face became solemn.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "He knew that Yujing was empty today, and the Grandmasters had no time to spare. He was preparing to wreak havoc in Yujing. If he hadn't met me, he would have succeeded, right? A master of the Eighth Heaven!"
"Eighth Heaven!"
"This time was too dangerous," Chu Zhiyuan said with emotion, "I almost lost my life."
This Huang Cheng is the Emperor's ears and mouth. He needs to complain to the Emperor so that the Emperor can know how great a risk he took and how difficult it was.
Huang Cheng's expression changed slightly.
Chu Zhiyuan raised his voice, "Hall Master Huang, Green Robe."
Huang Shirong appeared gracefully, carrying a bundle in her jade hand. Chu Zhiyuan pursed his lips.
Huang Shirong opened the bundle, revealing the green robe inside. Chu Zhiyuan looked at Huang Cheng.
Huang Cheng glanced at the green robe and narrowed his eyes.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "This kind of robe that is impervious to swords and spears, and can defend against Gang-breaking divine weapons and sharp weapons, there aren't many in the world, right?"
"Emerald Silk True Robe," Huang Cheng sighed, "I remember that the Heavenly Treasure Department once had one, but it was exchanged. It's been twenty years, right?"
"Who exchanged it?"
"This servant remembers it was a hero from Southern Border. I can't remember his name. The names in Southern Border are too long and too difficult to remember."
"Southern Border... Someone who understands Gu?"
"The Li clan in Southern Border understands Gu, but they rarely leave the mountains."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.
He exchanged for this Emerald Silk True Robe and also understands Gu.
What is the connection between this Southern Border and the Jade Cauldron Sect?
"Boom!" The mountain wall suddenly shook.
Small stones fell.
Huang Cheng's expression was solemn, "Your Highness, please withdraw from the valley first."
Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, "It's fine for me to accompany Eunuch Huang here."
"Your Highness..."
"It's alright," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile.
His extrasensory perception and the fused golden vertical pupils didn't tell him there was any danger. So there won't be any problems.
With three Grandmasters inside, it's enough to suppress it.
