Imperial Cultivation

The first rays of dawn peeked through.

Chu Zhiyuan appeared in the training grounds outside the Mingwu Hall, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled at the princes and young masters, and went to Chu Qingfeng.

He didn't see the familiar Chu Mingxuan, Chu Zhichuan, and Chu Zhitian, so he lost the desire to talk.

Although he was familiar with the other princes and young masters, he wasn't close enough to them.

Chu Qingfeng, as always, stood by the side of the field with his hands behind his back, his expression serious and unsmiling.

"Uncle," Chu Zhiyuan greeted with a smile, cupping his fist.

Chu Qingfeng sized him up and nodded, "Why did you come here?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Uncle, why hasn't Imperial Grandfather seen me all this time?"

"Maybe he's afraid of hurting you," Chu Qingfeng said, "You'll understand when you see him."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Uncle, I have some mysteries I want to ask about."

"Come on," Chu Qingfeng turned and walked away.

After taking a few steps, he turned his head and glared at the crowd, "Which one of you is slacking off? You want to go back home today!"

"Yes," the crowd responded with a roar.

Chu Qingfeng shook his head and continued walking forward.

Chu Zhiyuan walked alongside him.

Chu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "It's really one generation worse than the last, these guys—"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "They're alright, slacking off is inevitable."

Chu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "They are far inferior to the three of you."

Chu Zhiyuan, Chu Zhitian, and Chu Zhichuan were all striving for progress, without needing anyone to urge them, they worked hard on their own.

But these princes and young masters, each of them was trying to be cunning and lazy, wishing they didn't have to cultivate.

They only knew how to play all day long, without knowing how to strive for progress, muddling through life, waiting for death, really useless.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Uncle, everyone has their own opportunities and blessings, they are all blessed people."

Being able to be reborn as a prince or young master was already amazing luck, far surpassing ordinary people.

"Sigh—" Chu Qingfeng shook his head, "Worrying for the Imperial Brother."

They arrived at the Zhiqiudian Hall.

They sat cross-legged on either side of a small table on the heated kang inside the hall, and soon a young eunuch served tea.

"Your reputation is well-known in Da Meng, everyone knows it," Chu Qingfeng put down his teacup and looked at him, "The entire Yujing knows of your progress."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Someone is fueling the flames, helping me to make a name for myself, right?"

News between Da Meng and Da Jing couldn't be that well-informed, after all, there were armies separating them.

For his actions in Da Meng to be transmitted here, it must be the work of someone with ulterior motives.

Chu Qingfeng nodded, "Naturally, it's the Imperial Brother who did it."

Chu Zhiyuan looked in the direction of the Imperial Palace.

Chu Qingfeng said, "Your reputation in Da Jing is big enough now, not inferior to the Prince of Ying."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "My merits are far inferior to Tenth Uncle's."

"Perhaps in the eyes of the common people, your merits are greater," Chu Qingfeng shook his head, "After all, the military is too far away from the common people, while these evil sects and demons are immediate threats."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Does Uncle know about the Yao Yue Palace?"

Chu Qingfeng asked, "What about it?"

"About the Xuanyin Palace," Chu Zhiyuan said.

Chu Qingfeng shook his head, "I also know very little about the Four Demonic Sects."

Chu Zhiyuan took out a small, translucent pebble the size of a green apricot from his sleeve and handed it to him, "Then does Uncle know it?"

Chu Qingfeng was startled, reached out to take it, and frowned at Chu Zhiyuan, "Where did you get this?"

"The main altar of the evil sect."

"This should be an extraterrestrial evil crystal," Chu Qingfeng frowned, "I've heard of this thing, but this is the first time I've seen it."

"It really is an extraterrestrial object?" Chu Zhiyuan said.

Chu Qingfeng nodded, "It should have been obtained from a secret place, this thing is the source of disaster!"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "If it weren't for it, extraterrestrial evil demons wouldn't appear, right?"

"That's right," Chu Qingfeng nodded solemnly, "Without it, the power of the extraterrestrial evil demons can't descend!"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Then do these extraterrestrial evil demons come from the Outer Heavens?"

"You also know about the Outer Heavens?"

"I know a little about it."

"... That's right, with Xiao Ruoling, this Holy Maiden, you should know."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Then do these evil demons and those cultivators all come from the Outer Heavens?"

Chu Qingfeng was in charge of the Zhushen Division and knew the most about the divine path.

"... They should all come from the Outer Heavens," Chu Qingfeng nodded slowly.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "It seems that the Outer Heavens is not peaceful either, there are both divine and evil paths."

Chu Qingfeng shook his head, "They are not orthodox in the Outer Heavens."

"Uncle, what is the Outer Heavens like?" Chu Zhiyuan's spirits lifted.

Chu Qingfeng smiled, "According to the Imperial Brother, it's similar to our side, our side is called the Little Outer Heavens."

"Little Outer Heavens..." Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

In that case, when he arrives in the Outer Heavens, he won't have to go through too much trouble to adapt.

Chu Zhiyuan lowered his voice, "Have our past emperors all ascended and left?"

"Yes," Chu Qingfeng nodded, "You should know these things at this time, that's right, the emperor can ascend to the Outer Heavens."

He sighed, "The Imperial Brother is suffering."

Chu Zhiyuan was taken aback.

Chu Qingfeng shook his head and said, "Your father and their generation are disappointing, not a single Grandmaster, forcing the Imperial Brother to be unable to ascend."

He smiled, "Now it's good, there's you, the Imperial Brother can finally ascend with peace of mind."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Why didn't any Grandmasters appear in Father's generation?"

"It can only be said that prosperity is followed by decline," Chu Qingfeng said helplessly, "That's absolutely right, a Grandmaster would appear in each generation, at most two, but three appeared in our generation, but when it came to your father's generation, it declined, originally there was the Second, but he—"

He shook his head and said, "So the Imperial Brother extremely hates the Yongling Divine Sect."

If it weren't for the Yongling Divine Sect, with the Second Prince's aptitude, he would have become a Grandmaster long ago and then inherited the throne.

The First Prince passed away, the Second Prince was crippled, and the Third Prince couldn't cultivate, this generation of princes was really too unlucky.

Fortunately, Chu Zhiyuan finally appeared.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "If the Yongling Divine Sect hadn't approached Second Uncle, Second Uncle wouldn't have awakened his past life memories?

"If the Yongling Divine Sect didn't cause trouble, Prince Jing would never have become a Divine Son," Chu Qingfeng snorted, "The Imperial Brother can't wait to directly destroy the Yongling Divine Sect."

"Why didn't he destroy it?"

"He made a move once," Chu Qingfeng said, "He severely damaged the Yongling Divine Sect."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

It seemed that in front of the Emperor, he couldn't mention the Yongling Divine Sect, and it was best not to talk about going to Prince Jing's residence.

As the two were talking, footsteps came from outside, followed by a soft and pleasant voice: "Thirteenth Master, this servant Huang Cheng requests an audience."

"Chief Huang, please come in."

"Yes."

Huang Cheng tiptoed in, cupped his fist, and smiled as he saluted.

"Chief Huang, what's this—?"

"His Majesty wants to see the Fourth Young Master."

"Well, then go quickly," Chu Qingfeng looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fist and said goodbye.

Chu Qingfeng patted him on the shoulder, "Speak properly, don't forget that the Imperial Brother is your grandfather, blood is thicker than water."

"Yes," Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

As he walked out with Huang Cheng, he chewed on Chu Qingfeng's words.

Why did Thirteenth Uncle remind him of this sentence?

He followed Huang Cheng all the way to the back, passing through layers of palaces, and finally arrived at a garden.

Rare flowers and exotic trees surrounded a clear lake, like a bright mirror reflecting the bright sunlight.

In a small pavilion on the lake, sat a thin, old man.

Golden morning light shone into the pavilion, illuminating his bright yellow robe.

He sat in the golden light, his whole body flashing with gold, like a god.

Chu Zhiyuan looked up at the Son of Heaven Sword in the void.

The Son of Heaven Sword was looming, as if it had escaped into the void, disappearing without a trace.

Chu Zhiyuan felt that the Son of Heaven Sword he saw this time was very different from what he had seen before.

The Son of Heaven Sword became more and more agile, more and more ethereal, as if it was going away.

He couldn't help but be secretly surprised, was it going to ascend and leave?

"Yuan'er, come over and sit down," Chu Qingquan in the pavilion slowly said, his voice coming from the pavilion, quickly reaching the shore along the clear lake surface, and reaching Chu Zhiyuan's ears.

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fist and bowed from afar.

He followed the corridor on the lake and came to the pavilion, cupping his fist and saluting, "Grandson greets Grandfather."

Chu Qingquan's clear face showed a gentle smile, and he stretched out his hand, "Sit down and talk."

Chu Zhiyuan sat down opposite him.

Huang Cheng served tea and then retreated.

He dismissed the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs, leaving only the grandfather and grandson on the lake.

Chu Zhiyuan sipped his tea lightly.

He originally thought he would be nervous, but when he actually saw Chu Qingquan, he wasn't nervous at all.

Instead, he felt a sense of intimacy and closeness.

This came from the connection in the bloodline.

Chu Qingquan, contrary to his usual seriousness, had a gentle expression and a smile.

He put down his teacup and smiled, "At first, I thought you were the second Prince Jing."

Chu Zhiyuan was startled.

Chu Qingquan said, "When Prince Jing was young, he was as talented as you, rare in the world."

Chu Zhiyuan said embarrassedly, "Then how did Grandfather know I wasn't later?"

Chu Qingquan smiled and said, "That night at the palace banquet, I knew you weren't."

Chu Zhiyuan understood.

Chu Qingquan said, "Then do you know how I determined you weren't a Divine Son?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, "Could it be that Grandfather has a secret technique?"

"Yes, because I am the Divine Son," Chu Qingquan said.

Chu Zhiyuan was stunned.

Chu Qingquan laughed, shaking his head, "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Indeed, he never expected this.

The Emperor was actually a Divine Son of the Yongling Divine Sect!

Probably no one had thought of this.

Chu Qingquan said, "I am a Divine Son, so I know you are not a Divine Son."

Chu Zhiyuan's mind raced, and he looked at him in confusion.

Chu Qingquan shook his head and said, "I awakened my past life memories. Originally, I knew that Prince Jing was a Divine Son, but I didn't plan to awaken him, but the Yongling Divine Sect actually..."

He shook his head, "People's hearts are changeable, the current Yongling Divine Sect is not the Yongling Divine Sect of the past."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Then Second Uncle, he—?"

Guang Chu Qingquan snorted, "Since he has become a Grandmaster, of course he will ascend and return to the Outer Heavens."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Grandfather, is the Outer Heavens much better than our side?"

Regardless of whether Chu Qingquan was a Divine Son or not, he was his grandfather.

Chu Qingquan smiled, "You can't wait to ascend to the Outer Heavens right away, can you?"

Chu Zhiyuan said embarrassedly, "It's not urgent now, I'm just curious about the situation in the Outer Heavens."

"The Xuanyin Palace has a chance to ascend to the heavens once every ten thousand years, Xiao Ruoling has already gone, right?"

"... Yes."

"It's a pity you're not a Divine Son," Chu Qingquan said, "Otherwise, you wouldn't need to rely on the Son of Heaven Sword to go up."