Imperial Cultivation

He had seen the original owner's memories, so he naturally understood the Emperor's attitude towards him.

The original owner's transformation into his current state was half due to the Emperor.

It wasn't because he was disliked by the Emperor due to his strange temper and personality, but rather, he developed such a strange temper and personality because he was disliked by the Emperor first.

He could now see clearly that the crux of the matter lay with the original owner's mother.

The original owner suffered from the Emperor's displaced anger.

As a prince, being disliked by the Emperor, one could imagine how difficult his life must have been.

The original owner simply gave up, becoming increasingly irritable and eccentric, which appeared to outsiders as ungratefulness.

The original owner seemed to have a terrible attitude towards the Noble Consort Hui, appearing heartless, but in his heart, he cherished her the most.

He deeply craved the Noble Consort Hui's affection and was extremely protective of Chu Zhen and Chu Qiao.

However, all of this was concealed by a thorny shell, unknown to outsiders.

The original owner's feelings towards the Emperor were the most complex, containing respect, resentment, inferiority, and a desire for recognition.

When Chu Zhiyuan used the Heaven-Shifting Reincarnation Art, he inherited the original owner's emotions.

While inheriting them, he wasn't completely controlled by these emotions, but rather, possessed an independent perspective and detached feelings.

He harbored resentment towards the Emperor, but what he wanted most was to keep his distance with respect.

Chu Hongming said, "Royal Brother is still fair in his actions."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, shaking his head without refuting, and smiled, "Fifth Uncle and Fifteenth Uncle, aren't you curious about my gains?"

Chu Honglin waved his hand, "That's your own business, no need to tell us."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "My luck can't be said to be bad, but it can't be said to be good either… The good luck was encountering this guy and discovering the Demon Clan's conspiracy, the bad luck was not obtaining the Void Treasure, but I also gained many rare flowers and fruits, pushing my cultivation up."

Chu Honglin reached out and patted his shoulder, laughing, "You've actually reached the Ninth Revolution!… Seems like you gained a lot!"

Jade Scenery Grotto-Heaven does have rare flowers and fruits, but not that many; one needs good luck to encounter them. Advancing one or two Revolutions is already extremely lucky.

He could directly advance to the Ninth Revolution, which was indeed good luck.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled triumphantly and took out two Heaven Alignment Fruits from his Ebony Bracelet.

He handed one to Chu Honglin and one to Chu Hongming, "Fifth Uncle, Fifteenth Uncle, share the good fortune."

Chu Honglin laughed, "What use would I have for it?"

Chu Hongming also declined.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "If Fifth Uncle and Fifteenth Uncle don't need them, give them to your own children."

"…Where would I get children!" Chu Honglin said grumpily.

"Then you can give them to your close friends."

"Such precious things, forget it, you keep them for yourself to give away."

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand and ran off in a puff of smoke.

"This kid!" Chu Honglin said with a smile and a scold.

Chu Hongming put away the Heaven Alignment Fruit and shook his head, "It's like he's become a different person."

Chu Honglin snorted, "He died once, so he completely figured things out."

He looked up into the distance, then turned his head and said, "Fifth Brother, do you want to go see Royal Brother with me?"

"To ask for rewards for Ninth Prince?"

"Such a great achievement, he can't not reward him, right?… Don't say Royal Brother is wise, on Zhao'er's matter, he's not wise at all!"

"…Fifteenth Brother, don't argue with Royal Brother. Once he's decided on something, he'll never change it."

"Royal Brother is really ruthless! Even tigers don't eat their cubs!"

"Fifteenth Brother!" Chu Hongming quickly whispered.

Chu Honglin snorted, shaking his head and saying no more, "In any case, I'm determined to get this reward."

Chu Hongming said, "Forget it, don't you go, I'll go instead."

He weighed the Heaven Alignment Fruit in his hand, "I can't accept Ninth Prince's gift for nothing."

Chu Honglin exhaled a breath of stale air, suppressing his excitement and annoyance, and nodded, "It's true that it will be more effective if Fifth Brother goes."

— —

Youlan, in the small pavilion, wore a dark green palace dress, with apricot eyes and peach cheeks, exquisitely beautiful.

She was lightly furrowing her brow, staring at the documents in her jade hand, lost in thought.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she abruptly looked up and saw Chu Zhiyuan standing not far away with a smile on his face.

Immediately overjoyed, she lightly and gracefully left the pavilion to greet him, "Your Highness!"

"Aunt."

Chu Zhiyuan walked to the pavilion, sat down, picked up a document, saw that it detailed the fief's situation, and immediately lost interest, putting it back in its place.

Although the prince's residence hadn't been enfeoffed as a kingdom, since a residence had been opened, there would always be a fief.

The fief was a mix of real and nominal, part was a real fief and part was a nominal fief.

Neither the original owner nor Chu Zhiyuan had any interest in the fief, too lazy to bother with it.

Even for the real fief, it was still managed by the imperial court, and they could only receive its taxes.

The nominal fief was just receiving a stipend from the Court of the Imperial Clan.

Youlan brewed tea and handed it over, looking at him with concern, "Your Highness, did you encounter any trouble in the Grotto-Heaven?"

"It was pretty good, I got a lot of rare flowers and fruits, this is for you, Aunt."

Chu Zhiyuan took out two Second-Grade Azure Origin Fruits from his Ebony Bracelet and gave them to her.

Youlan accepted them, smiling sweetly, "Then I'll put them into the inner treasury for rewards… These are perfect for rewards, whether it's the guards or the protectors, they'll all be very happy."

She knew that most of the rare flowers and fruits from Jade Scenery Grotto-Heaven could enhance the Qi Transformation Realm cultivation.

These were rare spiritual fruits that could enhance cultivation without any lasting harm.

Even if the guards in the Prince's Residence had cultivation beyond the Qi Transformation Realm, their relatives and friends would always need them.

"Aunt, this is for you, as for those to be rewarded to people in the residence, there are more."

"Your Highness…"

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, and the stone table was instantly filled with strange fruits, various shapes, various colors, extremely spectacular.

Among these strange fruits, Fourth-Grade were the most numerous, Third-Grade were the next most, and fruits below Fourth-Grade and above Third-Grade were very rare.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Are these enough? This is a Tourmaline Fruit, this is a Heaven Alignment Fruit, this is…"

He introduced these strange fruits one by one, and explained their grades.

As for the strange flowers, he didn't take them out.

Strange flowers were various healing elixirs, not needed usually, but could save lives at critical moments.

Strange flowers were even rarer than strange fruits, if he hadn't had that Calamity-Relieving Flower before, he didn't know what would have happened now.

"Your Highness's gains are actually so great!" Youlan said with emotion.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Put these away, you manage them, and keep them for rewarding the servants."

"Yes." Youlan nodded excitedly.

With these, the hearts of the people in the residence would be more united, and they would be easier to use.

Chu Zhiyuan continued, "Send someone to inform Imperial Concubine Mother."

"Yes." Youlan agreed with a smile.

Half an hour later, Noble Consort Hui arrived at the Prince's Residence with Chu Zhen and Chu Qiao.

Chu Zhiyuan then gave out a few Second-Grade strange fruits, and also a First-Grade Myriad Manifestation Fruit.

Chu Zhen and Chu Qiao were extremely excited, happy for him, having so many strange fruits, and also cultivating to the Ninth Revolution of the Qi Transformation Realm, it could be said that the gains were huge.

This trip to Jade Scenery Grotto-Heaven was not in vain.

Regarding his failure to obtain the Void Treasure, they glossed over it, pretending not to care.

Void Treasures were so precious and strange, it was almost impossible to obtain them.

Then they talked about their respective cultivations.

With these strange fruits, the two girls would soon be able to step into the Ninth Revolution.

After the Ninth Revolution, they would have to comprehend in order to enter the Intent Transformation Realm, and the time required for this would be uncertain.

It could be as short as a month, or as long as a dozen years.

Noble Consort Hui was still lying sideways on the imperial concubine couch, lazily watching the three of them discuss these things.

The warm sunlight made her heart also warm, and her lotus jade face contained a smile.

Suddenly, a guard outside reported that the eunuch who was conveying the imperial decree had arrived.

Chu Zhiyuan went to greet the eunuch, and received an imperial reward from the Emperor: permission to enter the Heaven's Will Pavilion to comprehend the Intent Transformation Diagram for three days.