One must be thorough when putting on an act. Although Wenhua Hall was already sealed off, there were still a few things to be done to reduce suspicion.
For instance, he sent people to the Palace Bureau to request dozens of stunningly beautiful Palace Maids. He specifically asked for ones without any Cultivation, lest they harbor ill intentions and pose a threat to him.
He also had a set of Intermediate Artifacts brought from the Inner Treasury, which included Intermediate Inner Armor, Intermediate Armor, an Intermediate Long Sword, Intermediate Boots, and an Intermediate Headband. If he weren’t currently out of favor, he could have even requested High Level Artifacts.
However, while he couldn’t get any himself, some of the other Princes and Princesses had them. When he had the time, he could do some "research" and go "borrow" a few.
For example, Princess Huanzhu’s Thousand-year-old Ice Silkworm Armor. It was about time he found an opportunity to take that as well.
Once the current commotion died down, he would pay Princess Huanzhu a visit and relieve her of her Thousand-year-old Ice Silkworm Armor.
Consort Chen’s big scene had, contrary to her intent, given Xia Wuyang much more time to focus on his Cultivation.
Previously, Wenhua Hall was filled with music and revelry day and night. Only in the dead of night could Xia Wuyang find a window of peace to cultivate.
But now, he only indulged for a short while at night. During the day, he had plenty of time to hide away in the Practice Room and focus on his Cultivation. He could even use the excuse of being a "coward clinging to life" to justify his seclusion.
Aided by a large supply of High Level Elixirs, a tailor-made Cultivation Technique, and his daily increase in Spiritual Power, Xia Wuyang’s strength began to skyrocket once more.
His various Combat Techniques and Secret Techniques also improved steadily. The advancement of his newly acquired Stealth Technique and Shadow Escape Sword Technique was particularly astonishing; they were not far from reaching Great Success.
He popped one High Level Elixir after another into his mouth, causing his Cultivation Realm to rise rapidly. He drew closer and closer to the Third Grade Late Stage, with his Cultivation and strength further boosted by his growing Spiritual Power.
At this rate, he would only need a few months to break through to the Third Grade Late Stage and advance toward Third Grade Perfection.
Truthfully, this pace was already incredibly fast, but to Xia Wuyang, it still felt a little too slow.
After his recent period of explosive growth, and with enemies eyeing him like tigers from all sides, Xia Wuyang knew his progress had to be even faster.
This would require the aid of Miracle Treasures. He planned to use the Language of the Heart and the Soul Capturing Technique to find more of them and raise his Cultivation Realm as quickly as possible.
Before his secrets were exposed, he needed to reach at least the Second Grade, or even the First Grade, in both Cultivation and combat strength.
A few days later, Xia Wuyang’s Spiritual Power reached one hundred twenty points. It broke through a small bottleneck, once again bringing him a force akin to an epiphany.
His Stealth Technique and Shadow Escape Sword Technique surged forward. In a short time, both broke through to the Great Success Realm and were still improving rapidly.
In the process, Xia Wuyang even refined the techniques, tailoring them to his own style so he could unleash even greater power with them.
By the time this epiphany ended, Xia Wuyang’s overall strength had risen by another huge leap.
A faint smile touched his lips as Xia Wuyang immersed himself in consolidating and adapting to his newfound power, preparing for his upcoming trip to the Bamboo Forest Hall.
The night was as black as ink. The moon was hidden and the stars were gone.
Choosing a suitable night, Xia Wuyang, dressed in Night Clothes, slipped away from Wenhua Hall without a sound and crept toward the Bamboo Forest Hall.
The Imperial Palace was much more heavily guarded than before, but to Xia Wuyang, with his Dragon Storage Skill at Perfection and his Stealth Technique at Great Success, the extra security meant nothing.
The combination of these two Top Level Secret Techniques allowed him to blend perfectly with the night. He could brush past patrolling Guards without them noticing a thing.
His Cyan Cloud Boots further increased his speed while also muffling the sound of his footsteps.
Soon, the Bamboo Forest Hall appeared before him. True to its name, it was filled with verdant Xiangfei Bamboo, Princess Huanzhu’s favorite.
A night breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, as if providing an overture for the drama about to unfold.
"HMMM..."
His Mental Force Field spread out silently, covering a radius of over a hundred meters. He quickly located Princess Huanzhu. She was cultivating in her Practice Room, with an old Nanny at the Third Grade Middle Stage standing guard outside.
Xia Wuyang knew this Nanny was Princess Huanzhu’s strongest protector.
Hiding behind a clump of bamboo, Xia Wuyang observed for a moment before slowly approaching her.
At the same time, driven by his formidable Spiritual Power, he unleashed the Soul Capturing Technique, enveloping the Third Grade Middle Stage Nanny.
Even though she was considered an expert in the Great Xia Dynasty, she was utterly powerless against his Soul Capturing Technique at Perfection, backed by over one hundred points of Spiritual Power.
Without a sound, she fell into an Illusion Realm, completely unaware. To her, everything seemed perfectly normal.
Seizing the opportunity, Xia Wuyang slipped into the nearby Sleeping Palace of Princess Huanzhu and began to search it thoroughly.
Princess Huanzhu’s Sleeping Palace was elegantly and uniquely decorated. Bamboo motifs were everywhere, creating a rather pleasant and soothing atmosphere.
But this very girl, who appeared as elegant and delicate as the Xiangfei Bamboo she so loved, had the heart of a venomous snake. He had lost count of the resources and treasures she had stolen from him.
In her greed to plunder more from him, she had ruthlessly struck at his closest confidants, not even sparing their parents, wives, and children.
She had even tried to have him killed before. If it weren’t for a stroke of good luck, he would have already fallen for her scheme.
If not for the fact that Xia Wuyang was now "on his deathbed," not far from his end, this venomous girl would likely still be plotting against him.
His Mental Force Field fanned out, quickly locating Princess Huanzhu’s hidden treasury. It was in her study.
Soon, Xia Wuyang was opening one hidden compartment after another. Some held precious Miracle Elixirs, including quite a few High Level Elixirs. Others contained priceless gems and jewelry, among which was a complete set of Phoenix Blood Jewelry that had belonged to his late mother. Still others held valuable Cultivation and Combat Techniques...
What truly caught his eye was a manual for the Cyan Bamboo Sword Technique. It was ranked as a Top Level Combat Technique, and its sophistication was in no way inferior to his Shadow Escape Sword Technique—in many ways, it even surpassed it.
’If I can master this and use it alongside the Shadow Escape Sword Technique, I’ll be able to unleash astonishing power,’ he thought.
After a thorough search, he had gathered a full haul, worth no less than one million silver taels. Unfortunately, the Thousand-year-old Ice Silkworm Armor wasn’t here.
Xia Wuyang stored all the goods in his Personal Space and crept toward the Practice Room. He silently opened the stone door and slipped inside.
He had already cast his Soul Capturing Technique, enveloping Princess Huanzhu and trapping her within an Illusion, leaving her completely disoriented.
She was dressed in a verdant palace gown, her posture as straight and tall as a bamboo stalk. The light from a Luminous Pearl cascaded over her face, accentuating her clear, transcendent beauty.
Anyone who didn’t know her true nature would mistake her for an ethereal Fairy who floated above the mortal world, pure and untouched. Her devastating beauty was the kind that could topple nations and bring countless young heroes to their knees.

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