Imperial Cultivation

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "I really don't have the fortune to enjoy the beauties of Linglong Bookstore. I presume Your Highness is going to see an old friend?"

"Old friend? What old friend?" Li Hongzhao laughed, "It's a waste of talent for the Heir Apparent to be in the Ministry of Rites; you should be in the Supervisory Council."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Who in Yujing City doesn't know that Your Highness sings and dances every night at Linglong Bookstore, which is truly eye-opening. Great Meng and our Great Jing are indeed different!"

"Humph, what's different?"

"Our Great Jing can't produce such a remarkable woman like Your Highness, who actually goes to Linglong Bookstore every night to drink flower wine!"

"If you men can go to Linglong Bookstore, why can't we women go?"

"Your Highness has such spirit, I admire, I admire," Chu Zhiyuan said, "Please excuse me."

He cupped his fist and was about to leave.

He had always wanted to retaliate against Li Hongzhao, but couldn't find an opportunity.

Linglong Bookstore was out of the question, and there were no other flaws. He couldn't just rush to the Sifang Pavilion to challenge her, so he had been delaying it.

Now that he had met her today, he couldn't just avoid her, but he also didn't feel like talking to her. All his thoughts were on the Tianbao Department, wanting to see if the Tianbao Department had something similar to the Riding Wind Pill, that could break the shackles and limitations of the meridians.

"Heir Apparent, you seem to be in a hurry. Where are you going?" Li Hongzhao blocked his way.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned at her.

Li Hongzhao smiled and said, "It's rare to meet. Why don't the Heir Apparent go to Mingyue Tower for a drink?" The smile on the corner of her mouth was slightly raised, with a hint of provocation.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Your Highness's Phoenix Immortality Pill is said to prolong life. I wonder how many pills Your Highness has taken?"

"Forget about the Phoenix Immortality Pill," Li Hongzhao laughed, "I heard that the Heir Apparent is very brave and a master of charging into battle."

Chu Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes.

This meant Li Hongzhao had received the news.

He remembered Ma Tianhe saying that the authority for this news was extremely high, and very few people knew about it. If it was leaked from here, then the trouble would be great.

Thinking of this, he smiled: "Your Highness is mistaken, right? You also know how I act, how could I do something like charging into battle?"

"I don't think I'm mistaken," Li Hongzhao smiled, "Outwardly timid but inwardly brave, the Heir Apparent can be said to be truly courageous."

"I dare not accept the compliment," Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand and smiled, "Please excuse me, let's postpone the drinking to another day."

"What day is another day?" Li Hongzhao said, "Any day is a good day, maybe I have news that the Heir Apparent wants to know."

"What news?"

"News about strengthening the meridians," Li Hongzhao said with a smile that was not a smile.

Chu Zhiyuan looked at her thoughtfully: "Then let's go to Mingyue Tower!"

There are roughly two types of methods for breaking through barriers in the world.

One is the path of the Jade Lock Golden Pass Art and the Nine Li Divine Sect, and the other is to sharpen one's aura, making it like a precious sword, enhancing its destructive power against the Jade Tower and Bronze Tower. The top-notch barrier-breaking arts in the world probably can't escape this scope.

The first path requires a prerequisite: strong meridians. Otherwise, before breaking through the barrier, one would be severely injured first.

It was still that elegant room.

Chu Zhiyuan knew that Li Hongzhao was doing this on purpose, wanting to get back at him.

Chu Zhiyuan cooperated with her, wanting to see how she would get back at him.

He sat in Cheng Tianfeng's original seat, looking at Li Hongzhao, who sat in his original seat. The two looked at each other, both wanting to see through each other's thoughts.

With only a table between them, he could better appreciate her breathtaking beauty. However, Chu Zhiyuan's heart was without any ripples.

A hint of a smile appeared on Li Hongzhao's stunningly beautiful face: "The Heir Apparent is eager to break through, right?"

"Isn't Your Highness eager too?"

"Actually, not really," Li Hongzhao smiled, "I know that the Grandmaster Realm is foundation building, and the more solid the foundation, the easier it is to advance to Great Grandmaster."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Every barrier must be broken through solidly, with a natural breakthrough?"

"It seems the Heir Apparent understands."

"Compared to being solid, I want to break through as soon as possible and reach the Grandmaster Completion Realm," Chu Zhiyuan said, "Your Highness, stop being coy."

"I heard news that the Great Jing's Moon Invitation Palace is selecting a Holy Maiden."

"Mm."

"The Great Jing's Moon Invitation Palace's Holy Maiden will be selected within the Moon Invitation Palace's secret realm, and within this secret realm, there is a spirit grass called the Sky Piercing Grass."

Chu Zhiyuan raised his sword-like eyebrows, looking at her thoughtfully.

Could it be that she received the news and knows that Xiao Ruoling went to participate in the Holy Maiden selection? This news shouldn't have spread.

Logically speaking, only the West Palace Empress and Xiao Ruoling should know, plus himself and the Emperor.

"If you can enter that secret realm and obtain the Sky Piercing Grass, your troubles will be solved, and your meridians can be strengthened infinitely."

"If the meridians are too strong, the body won't be able to withstand it, right?"

The shackles exist to protect the body.

Too strong meridians must have drawbacks, even endangering one's life.

"Then I don't know," Li Hongzhao said, "It is said that a Holy Maiden of the Moon Invitation Palace obtained this grass, and her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, eventually stepping into the Great Grandmaster Realm."

"I didn't expect Your Highness to be so familiar with the Moon Invitation Palace," Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

He didn't know if this news was true or false.

There were no records of the Moon Invitation Palace's Four Sects in the Mingwu Hall and the Sky Piercing Pavilion; it was a taboo.

"Moon Invitation Palace..." Li Hongzhao said with emotion, "Just how strong they are, probably only the Emperor of Great Jing knows a thing or two."

Chu Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows.

The Moon Invitation Palace seemed to be stronger than he imagined.

But thinking about it, it made sense. It occupied a secret realm, and it was a secret realm that could be entered even at the Acquired Realm. Great Jing had a total of four blessed lands and four secret realms, which only Great Grandmasters could enter, to supply the entire imperial court.

The Moon Invitation Palace only supplied itself. The abundance of its resources was imaginable.

Moreover, since one could enter at the Acquired Realm, although the gains from its secret realm might be lower than Great Jing's four blessed lands and four secret realms, it would definitely be beneficial for a solid foundation. Once these talented disciples had a solid foundation, their progress would be rapid, and they would have more hope of stepping into the Grandmaster Realm and the Great Grandmaster Realm.

The depth of the Moon Invitation Palace's strength could be vaguely guessed.

"The Sky Piercing Grass is good, but it's impossible for it to fall into my hands," Chu Zhiyuan sighed, "Who would get it and not use it themselves?"

"It depends on your ability, Heir Apparent."

"How can I have the ability to stretch my hand so far?" Chu Zhiyuan said, "If Your Highness has this ability, why not make an exchange?"

"I have no dealings with the Moon Invitation Palace. One is Great Jing, and the other is Great Meng, so far apart, my reach is not long enough."

"That can't stop Your Highness, right?" Chu Zhiyuan said. He was secretly awe-stricken.

Did Li Hongzhao have a relationship with the Moon Invitation Palace?

Or rather, was this a trick of Li Hongzhao's? A trick to sow discord? But the news of the Sky Piercing Grass was not something that ordinary people could know.

He hesitated in his heart, but didn't rush to judge whether the Moon Invitation Palace and Great Meng were colluding.

Li Hongzhao said, "If I could really get it, I would have taken it myself long ago. How could I exchange it with you? Is this news worth this drink?" Chu Zhiyuan held his wine glass, sizing her up.

Li Hongzhao touched her beautiful face.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Your Highness's mission is to disrupt the alliance between us and Great Zhen, right? The next step is to assassinate the Great Zhen envoy, but there is a Great Grandmaster in the envoy, and they are still in Yujing, so you have no chance."

Li Hongzhao smiled, "I was ordered to come and see if your Great Jing and Great Zhen are really allied... In fact, your alliance is useless."

"Your Highness is very confident."

"Whether I'm bragging or not, you'll know in the future," Li Hongzhao smiled charmingly. Chu Zhiyuan smiled indifferently.

His super-sense insight showed that she was not bragging. Had Great Meng become so strong?