Yun Liyue’s carriage had just rounded the corner of the palace wall. After learning what had happened inside, the palace attendants under the eaves began whispering amongst themselves again.
"I can’t believe even the Crown Prince Consort couldn’t persuade the elder Crown Prince. If he keeps indulging himself like this, I’m afraid he’ll be finished in a year or so."
"I heard the Crown Prince Consort even brought up His Majesty, but still couldn’t get the elder Crown Prince to stop. He’s gone mad now, not even afraid of His Majesty anymore."
"A man on his deathbed will do anything. The elder Crown Prince obviously wants to enjoy himself to the fullest before he dies. No one can stop him. We should just sit back and watch the show."
"So many people in the palace are waiting for the elder Crown Prince to die. It’s better if he dies sooner. That way, we can be free sooner and return to our masters’ sides."
...
The palace attendants were still mocking Xia Wuyang, unaware that after "persuading" all the palace maids in bed, the decrepit Xia Wuyang was like a changed man, his eyes shining with a captivating light.
Slowly closing the bed curtains, he heard the mockery and ridicule from outside. ’When I get the chance,’ he thought, ’I’ll be sure to teach them a good lesson.’
’Especially those spies and informants. If I can kill them, I will.’
’After all these years of living off me in the Eastern Palace, they still dare to betray me. Do they really think this elder Crown Prince has become so senile that I can’t tell right from wrong, that I can’t even lift a sword?’
The faint sound of the water clock marking midnight drifted in. Tonight, there were no stars, no moon.
After all the palace maids had fallen asleep, Xia Wuyang quietly entered the Practice Room in Wenhua Hall and began to cultivate the Dragon Tiger Fist.
Under the light of the gilded lamp tree, his body stretched out like an old pine tree greeting the wind.
As he performed the fist technique, a phenomenal vision of Qi Blood in the shape of a dragon and tiger gradually rose around him, casting mottled shadows on the blue-brick floor.
Before he knew it, he had reached a bottleneck. He didn’t delay. After a period of accumulation and preparation, he began to assault it.
RUMBLE...
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the bottleneck, which he had broken through once before, shattered again. It was as easy as eating or drinking, without any difficulty. One could even say it was a natural success.
It was more than ten times easier than the last time he had broken through this bottleneck.
Seventh Grade Initial Stage!
Flesh Refining Realm!
In a short time, he had recovered his cultivation to the Seventh Grade Initial Stage. His muscles became well-defined again, and an eight-pack even appeared on his abdomen.
With every move, a power of over two thousand kilograms surged through him, allowing him to once again feel that long-lost sense of strength.
In the Jianghu, as long as one achieved an Entry Level rank and became a Ninth Grade Martial Artist, they were qualified to be called a third-rate master. An Eighth Grade was second-rate, and a Seventh Grade was a first-rate master.
His lifespan increased again, and his body grew healthier. His Spiritual Power had also increased by a point today, and along with it, his other attributes had grown as well.
He nodded in satisfaction and began to acclimate to his explosive increase in cultivation and realm.
After consolidating and acclimating, seeing that it was still early, Xia Wuyang took out a manual. He prepared to read through it once more before beginning his practice.
Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique (Upper Part)!
A Top Level Combat Technique, a secret Body Technique Combat Technique of the Great Xia Royal Family. Once cultivated to the Great Success Realm, one’s body moves like a soaring dragon and flits like a startled swan. The speed is astonishing, allowing one to dodge all kinds of attacks and even create illusory images of a dragon and phoenix to interfere with an enemy’s vision.
Across the entire Great Xia Dynasty, it was considered one of the best Body Technique Combat Techniques, and it was the very one Xia Wuyang had cultivated in his youth.
Back then, he had already cultivated it to the Minor Achievement Realm but had long been unable to break through to Great Success.
Now, picking it up again, he relied on his superior Spiritual Power and Comprehension to quickly restore it to the Minor Achievement Realm.
In the Practice Room, his figure sometimes resembled a dragon soaring through the nine heavens, and other times a phoenix dancing among the clouds, carving one graceful arc after another.
’Dragon and Ruling Phoenix requires a Yin-Yang Balance. Solitary Yang cannot beget, solitary Yin cannot grow. Only with a balance of hardness and softness can one achieve Great Success.’
The key principles of the Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique he had been pondering over the past few days surfaced in his mind. After restoring his previous level, he actually had another insight and continued to improve.
Xia Wuyang’s figure moved like a soaring dragon and a dancing phoenix, crisscrossing the Practice Room. He could even change direction mid-air, moving with an effortless grace. Every turn was breathtakingly brilliant.
Great Success Realm!
Re-cultivating the Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique after forty-two years, he had directly shattered the bottleneck from all those years ago and advanced to the Great Success Realm.
One must know that even among the many Princes and Princesses, few had ever cultivated this Body Technique to the Great Success Realm, and many of those Princes and Princesses were over sixty years old.
With the help of this Body Technique, it would not be an easy task for even a Martial Artist at the Sixth Grade or above to take him down.
Feeling the explosive increase in his cultivation and strength, Xia Wuyang nodded in satisfaction. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he returned to his peak, or even surpassed it, stepping into the Sixth Grade Realm.
At that point, he would have basically caught up to most of the Princes and Princesses, and he wouldn’t have to be so timid and cautious anymore.
’It’s getting late. I should leave quickly to avoid arousing suspicion.’
Xia Wuyang opened the Practice Room door. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a rustling sound coming from behind Wenhua Hall.
His expression changed. He quietly left the Practice Room, his toes tapping lightly on the ground. He executed the Dragon and Phoenix Body Technique, silently following the sound.
Meanwhile, in the Treasure Pavilion behind Wenhua Hall, an elderly Palace Maid was rummaging through something.
"Why isn’t there anything valuable? Someone else must have gotten here first and taken everything. I’m too late."
"There are plenty of precious manuals in the study, but those are secret texts of the Royal Family. They can’t be sold easily. If I get caught, it’s a death sentence for sure."
"And I have no idea where that elder Crown Prince hid his Elixirs. If I could just steal one, I could definitely trade it for a lot of money."
...
At this point, the old Palace Maid suddenly stopped rummaging and muttered to herself, "Strange. I didn’t see the elder Crown Prince when I passed by the front hall just now. Could he be buried under all those palace maids? Or is he hiding somewhere? Should I go take a look later?"
"I might make an unexpected discovery. If I can find out some secret and report it to the other masters, I might even get a reward. I’ll go take a look later then."
From the shadows, Xia Wuyang’s gaze turned cold. ’So, it’s a petty thief.’ Her practiced movements made it clear this wasn’t her first time. She was even bold enough to do it while Xia Wuyang was still in Wenhua Hall.
’To be so brazen... it just goes to show how little authority this elder Crown Prince commands now.’
’No wonder I felt like some things were missing when I first came to Wenhua Hall. So it was all stolen by these palace attendants.’
’Stealing is one thing, but she even noticed something was amiss and wants to find me. If she discovers that I’m cultivating, the consequences will be unimaginable.’
Xia Wuyang’s face grew icy. He was about to step forward and kill the old Palace Maid with a single palm strike, but he immediately realized that doing so would easily expose his true strength.
He quietly retreated, took the Longquan Sword that was hanging in the Practice Room, and approached the old Palace Maid.
’This Palace Maid is old and ugly. I’ve never favored her. It doesn’t matter if I kill her.’