Imperial Cultivation

Li Hongzhao said with a grin, "It's been a long time since Little Sister Xiao has appeared. Is she in seclusion, or are you two having a spat?"

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at her.

Li Hongzhao said, "Little Sister Xiao has deep affection for you."

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, "Spare your concern."

The matter of Xiao Ruoling leaving Yaoyue Palace and going to the Outer Heavens was a secret among secrets, and he would naturally not divulge it.

It was best to let the world think she was in seclusion.

Li Hongzhao tilted her head to look at him and chuckled, "Something's fishy."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "You're seeing ghosts."

Li Hongzhao shook her head, "It really is strange… With Little Sister Xiao's deep affection for you, how could she bear not seeing you for three months?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "With so many matters weighing on me, both inside and outside the court of Great Meng, do you still have the leisure to keep an eye on me and Ruoling?"

As the emperor, he had endless memorials to review and countless files to read every day.

For her to still be keeping an eye on Xiao Ruoling meant that she had indeed straightened things out and had the leisure to spare, no longer overwhelmed.

Li Hongzhao suddenly lowered her jade face and said solemnly, "Could something have happened to Little Sister Xiao?"

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "What kind of accident?"

"Did she suffer qi deviation?"

"No."

"Did she get trapped in a secret realm and can't get out?"

"…"

"Oh, trapped in a secret realm?" Li Hongzhao said in surprise, "Even with your abilities, you can't do anything about it?"

Chu Zhiyuan snorted, "I'm not omnipotent."

"That's not right…" Li Hongzhao shook her head.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at her sideways, "Let's talk about something else, don't talk about these vexing things."

Li Hongzhao shook her head, "This isn't how you'd act if Little Sister Xiao was trapped in a secret realm… Where exactly did Little Sister Xiao go?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "She is indeed in a secret realm."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "It might not be war… By the way, do you know the situation in the Outer Heavens? You can't just rush in without knowing anything, right?"

"I know some things," Li Hongzhao said.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Can't you return from the Outer Heavens?"

Li Hongzhao said, "Once you completely control the Son of Heaven Sword, you will naturally know the situation in the Outer Heavens."

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "What is the situation in the Outer Heavens like?"

Li Hongzhao looked at him with a smile that was not a smile, her eyebrows curved.

"Once we part today, I'm afraid we'll never meet again," Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Li Hongzhao snorted, "Why won't we meet again? You can come over anytime."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, "It's better not to, lest someone gossip."

"Oh, do you still care about that?" Li Hongzhao chuckled.

She knew what everyone was guessing in their hearts.

They thought she was close to Chu Zhiyuan, and that the two of them probably had a private relationship.

These people's minds were just so small. When they saw a young man and woman together, they would think of nothing but romance, unable to imagine anything else.

She didn't bother to explain. What was there to explain?

Explaining was useless; the more she explained, the more convinced they would be of their wild guesses.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Tell me about it."

"Alright," Li Hongzhao said, "It doesn't matter if I tell you."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "The Outer Heavens should be a larger world with more abundant spiritual energy. I just don't know if there is a court there, and what the relationship between the sects and the court is."

"There is a court there," Li Hongzhao said.

Chu Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows, "Is it still divided into three parts like us?"

Li Hongzhao nodded slightly.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Then do we still belong to different courts?"

Li Hongzhao snorted, "Where do you think the Son of Heaven Sword comes from?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "I suspected from the beginning that this Son of Heaven Sword belonged to something from beyond the heavens… Are they the property of the imperial dynasties of the Outer Heavens?"

Li Hongzhao said, "My Great Meng belongs to the Phoenix Dynasty, your Great Jing belongs to the Jade Jing Dynasty, and Great Zhen belongs to the Yuan Zhen Dynasty… My Son of Heaven Sword is called the Phoenix Meng Sword, your Son of Heaven Sword is called the Tranquil Jing Sword, and the one from Great Zhen is the Auspicious Zhen Sword."

"What about Great Lie and Great Guang?"

Li Hongzhao curled her red lips and snorted, "Their Son of Heaven Swords are not up to par, they are pseudo-Son of Heaven Swords and cannot ascend."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

He sketched out the general situation of the Outer Heavens and then asked, "What happens after ascension?"

Li Hongzhao said, "Holding the Son of Heaven Sword in the Phoenix Dynasty is like being a prince's mansion. The ancestors have already established the prince's mansion. After I go up, I will be the princess of the prince's mansion. These are all established rules."

"Is there only one princess in the prince's mansion?"

"Naturally, it's impossible for there to be only one princess," Li Hongzhao said, "There are local princesses, and there are also princesses from other worlds."

Chu Zhiyuan was surprised, "Other worlds?"

"Yes, in addition to our world, there are other worlds that will also ascend to the Outer Heavens."

"…" Chu Zhiyuan was amazed.

Li Hongzhao said, "This world is just a small world."

Chu Zhiyuan pondered. The Outer Heavens was like a city compared to a town. Was he in a town?

He smiled, "Giving up being an emperor and becoming a princess, are you willing?"

Li Hongzhao snorted, "Being an emperor is not that interesting. Moreover, if you want to live longer, you have to go to the Outer Heavens. It's more exciting there, and the cultivation realm is higher."

"That's true," Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

On this point, he and Li Hongzhao were like-minded.

Li Hongzhao said, "Let me tell you another secret, about your Great Jing."

Chu Zhiyuan's spirits lifted.

Li Hongzhao said, "Your second uncle is the divine son of the Eternal Spirit Church, right?"

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

This was a secret, a secret of the imperial family. No one should know about it.

Li Hongzhao waved her hand, "Never mind how I know. Do you know anything about the Eternal Spirit Church?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

The Eternal Spirit Church was a taboo topic in Great Jing. He originally thought it was because of his second uncle.

Later, he vaguely realized that it wasn't that simple.

"Your second uncle should have already ascended."

"Hmm—?"

"The divine son of the Eternal Spirit Church should be a person from the Outer Heavens who has gone through countless lifetimes of trials and tribulations and finally returns to the Outer Heavens."

Chu Zhiyuan was astonished.

"Do you think anyone can have an imperishable spiritual sense? People in our world, even if they practice the Eternal Spirit Secret Canon, will still be unable to awaken their past life memories."

"Then how can one ascend back?" Chu Zhiyuan asked, "Second Uncle doesn't have the Son of Heaven Sword."

Li Hongzhao said, "So the Eternal Spirit Church must have a method of ascension."

Chu Zhiyuan pondered, and finally shook his head.

"If there really was a method of ascension, I'm afraid it couldn't be mastered, otherwise it would have spread long ago."

"Presumably, this method of ascension is very harsh."

"There should be records within the Eternal Spirit Church, right?"

"I estimate that there may not be a inheritance within the Eternal Spirit Church. Only the divine sons of each generation should receive the inheritance in the Outer Heavens."

"It seems to be useless."

"But it's still a path to ascension. What if your emperor never abdicates?"

Chu Zhiyuan suddenly smiled.

Li Hongzhao snorted, "Why are you smiling so strangely!"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Do you want me to ascend early and be a companion?"

"…That's right," Li Hongzhao snorted, "It's quite boring for me to be all alone."