"Scoundrel!"
In Zichen Hall, atop the Throne carved from Golden Rattan Wood, Emperor Xia sat upright, his face a mask of fury.
His figure was as imposing as a mountain. A Profound Black Embroidered Golden Dragon Robe draped over him, the golden thread cloud patterns on his cuffs glinting coldly in the candlelight.
His features were sharp, as if carved by a knife—brows like swords and eyes like cold stars. He exuded an authority as vast as the oceans and as deep as the abyss, making it impossible for anyone to meet his gaze.
He was over a hundred years old this year, but as a Super Grade Celestial Human with a lifespan of five hundred years, his early hundreds were the prime of his life.
Xia Wuyang bore some resemblance to him, but if the two were to stand next to each other, one would assume Xia Wuyang was the father and Xia Shengming the son.
The Eastern Palace Imperial Physician, Li Yunting, pressed his forehead to the floor, cold sweat soaking his official robes. His voice trembled as he spoke, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince... has recently become infatuated with the Qiuci Dancers. His health has deteriorated severely, so he can only request better Dragon and Tiger Elixirs from the Inner Treasury, or perhaps a Miracle Treasure to recuperate."
The nourishing elixirs Xia Wuyang had been taking, the Dragon and Tiger Elixirs, were basically all Low Level. Under normal circumstances, they were potent enough for Martial Artists of the Lower Three Grades.
For Xia Wuyang, an ordinary person who hadn’t even reached Entry Level, taking a Low Level Dragon and Tiger Elixir was already quite an extravagance. However, his physical condition was dire; his body was like a sieve, riddled with holes. The elixir would leak out as soon as it entered his system, with only a small fraction taking effect.
Although the Low Level Dragon and Tiger Elixir was potent, it only exerted a fraction of its effect on him.
Now, his request for a better Middle Level Dragon and Tiger Elixir, or even a Miracle Treasure, would naturally be seen by outsiders as a sign that his condition had worsened to the point where even Low Level Dragon and Tiger Elixirs were no longer effective.
A Miracle Treasure was an object capable of directly raising one’s Cultivation Realm. Naturally, it could also greatly nourish the body, but to use one for that purpose would be an outrageous waste.
Even within the Inner Treasury, the number of Miracle Treasures was extremely limited. Every single one required Emperor Xia’s personal approval to be withdrawn.
BANG—
Emperor Xia slammed his palm on the Dragon Desk. The entire hall trembled from the blow. The memorials, inkstone, and Jade Seal on the desk all leaped into the air. Ink splattered onto the Bright Yellow silk, a glaring stain like a splash painting.
"We do not even keep Qiuci Dancers in Our own palace, yet he certainly knows how to enjoy himself. Debauchery day and night, indulging without restraint... It seems he truly has no desire to live."
Hearing this, the Palace Maids and eunuchs in the hall dropped to their knees in terror. Imperial Physician Li Yunting also trembled all over. "Your Majesty, please quell your anger! The Crown Prince is perhaps... perhaps..."
He didn’t know how to explain it to Emperor Xia. Emperor Xia sneered, "Perhaps what? Perhaps he feels he has lived too long and wishes to see his mother, the Empress, sooner?"
Li Yunting was speechless. Everyone else remained silent. A dead quiet fell over the hall, broken only by the soft crackling of the lamps.
"Issue Our decree... From now on, the Crown Prince may freely take Middle Level Dragon and Tiger Elixirs. As for the Miracle Treasure... grant him a vial of Celestial Water Essence for now."
After a long moment, Emperor Xia took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his rage, and shot a cold look at Li Yunting.
Li Yunting looked up, stunned and in disbelief. "Your Majesty... you’ve agreed?"
"Heh heh..."
Emperor Xia gave a grim smile. "He may not want his dignity, but do you think We do not want Ours? We cannot have him dying in the bed of a woman. Go back and tell Xia Wuyang that if he truly dies in a woman’s bed, there will be no funeral rites. We have no such degenerate son."
As he spoke, fury flared in Emperor Xia’s eyes. He rose slowly, and as his Dragon Robe fell, an invisible pressure spread out like a tide, making the very air seem to stagnate.
The eunuchs and Palace Maids standing guard in the hall were stunned, but they dared not make a sound, terrified of accidentally provoking His Majesty.
A chill ran through Li Yunting’s heart. ’If Xia Wuyang really dies in the arms of a woman and is denied even funeral rites,’ he thought, ’doesn’t that mean Emperor Xia will disown him as both a son and the Crown Prince?’
In that case, how could Xia Wuyang ever face the ancestors of the Royal Family after his death?
For many in this world, posthumous reputation was more important than life itself. If Xia Wuyang were to be denied funeral rites, he would be left without a shred of posthumous honor. The punishment could not be said to be light.
But considering Xia Wuyang’s actions over the years, this seemed inevitable.
Li Yunting dared not say more. He withdrew from Zichen Hall, silent as a cicada in winter, and returned to the Eastern Palace Wenhua Hall with a large batch of nourishing elixirs and the Miraculous Celestial Water Essence.
Lying on his bed and feigning weakness, Xia Wuyang was also somewhat surprised as he looked at the dozens of vials of Middle Level nourishing elixirs and the Celestial Water Essence before him. He had only used this as an opportunity to upgrade the Level of his nourishing elixirs in preparation for his future Cultivation.
As for the so-called Miracle Treasure, that was just something he’d thrown in. ’Since such a good opportunity has presented itself, of course I should try to secure as many benefits for myself as possible.’
’After all, Princess Yun Shu conspired with others to harm me with those Qiuci Dancers. Can’t I use this chance to get something for myself? I just hope my performance of crawling out of Wenhua Hall wasn’t too over-the-top.’
He never expected Emperor Xia to actually agree to send a Miracle Treasure—and a Middle Level Miracle Treasure at that, the Celestial Water Essence! This would be enough to save him several months of Cultivation time.
Although it came with a punishment—if he died in the company of women, he would be stripped of his position as Crown Prince and denied funeral rites.
’But if I can’t even live well now, what’s the point of talking about what happens after death? This is no threat to me at all. It would be even better if he sent a few more vials of Celestial Water Essence.’
"Good, good! We shall take this Miracle Treasure at once and nourish Our body as quickly as possible, so that We can continue to accompany these lovely ladies."
Xia Wuyang feigned a crazed excitement. Ignoring Li Yunting’s warnings, he took the Celestial Water Essence and went directly into his Practice Room. He was clearly preparing to consume it to nourish his body so he could continue spending time with the Qiuci Dancers.
Seeing this, everyone in the hall exchanged glances.
Li Yunting watched as the Crown Prince’s hunched back disappeared behind the Profound Iron Gate. His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times before he finally let out a long sigh.
What the Imperial Physician didn’t see was that the moment the Practice Room door closed, Xia Wuyang’s bent spine straightened like a pine tree.
The Palace Attendants could only think that the elder Crown Prince had truly gone mad, not even taking His Majesty’s warning seriously. If he continued like this, it was only a matter of time before he died at the hands of those beauties.
This news began to spread like wildfire, sweeping through every corner of the Imperial Palace before spilling over its walls and circulating throughout White Jade City...
The Dying Crown Prince’s reputation sank even lower. In the Palace, the other Princes and Princesses watched on coldly, waiting for the day Xia Wuyang would die.
’Since he’s already so muddled, there seems to be no need to do anything against him. We can just quietly wait for him to bring about his own destruction. It saves us from getting our own hands dirty.’
’If we leave any traces and attract Emperor Xia’s suspicion, the losses would far outweigh the gains.’
What no one knew was that deep within Wenhua Hall, inside the Practice Room...
The liver spots on Xia Wuyang’s skin vanished, flaking away like a shed snakeskin. The murky yellow of his sclera faded away, replaced by the clear brightness of a cold star.
His stooped skeleton cracked and popped as his muscles grew like wild spring vines. In an instant, the dying old man had transformed into a dashing, middle-aged man.
He smiled faintly and downed the Celestial Water Essence in one gulp. He soon felt a turbulent yet gentle medicinal power surge through him, continuously enhancing his Qi Blood and muscles. He quickly reached his limit and began to push towards a higher level.
The time he would have needed to consolidate and polish his Cultivation was effortlessly saved by the Celestial Water Essence, helping him break through to the Sixth Grade Realm.

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