The precise control of the Enchanting Heart Technique allowed him to alter a specific segment of a target’s memory without affecting the rest. This was far more powerful than the technique had been before.
Its large-scale Illusion Technique could bewilder dozens of people at once, weaving illusions indistinguishable from reality and causing them to become completely immersed.
What was even more terrifying was the new ability born from the fusion: the Heart Prison.
This technique could plant a Heart Seed in the target’s Sea of Consciousness. Normally, it would show no abnormalities and have no peculiar traits.
But once activated, it would detonate instantly, weaving an inescapable Heart Prison within the target’s mind. They would be forever trapped in a self-directed nightmare until their spirit collapsed or their very soul scattered, ceasing to exist.
’The heart is the master of the spirit, and illusion is the key to the heart. What an incredible technique, this Enchanting Heart Scripture. With this Cultivation Technique, my Refining God Cultivation will face no more bottlenecks, and I’ll have another ace up my sleeve in battle!’ The more Xia Wuyang comprehended it, the more astounded he became. He was quite pleased with it.
He slowly opened his eyes. An iridescent light flashed in their depths and vanished. Deep within his pupils, it was as if countless illusions were being born and extinguished.
With a single thought, he could make the surrounding air twist slightly, producing all sorts of bizarre and fantastical phantoms. This was a sign that his Spiritual Power was strong enough to affect reality—one of the hallmarks of Extraordinary Spiritual Power.
’My overall strength has increased by a fair bit.’ A smile touched Xia Wuyang’s lips as he felt the changes in his Sea of Consciousness.
Now, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had all crossed the threshold into the Extraordinary realm. His Spiritual Power, in particular, was comparable to a Level 14 Ghost Spirit or Anomaly, and each of his three paths was supported by a High Level Spiritual Technique as its foundation.
For Qi Refining, he had the River Scripture, which could currently take him straight to the Six Spirits Qi Refining True Monarch Realm.
For Body Refining, he had the Dragon and Tiger Golden Bell Body, which would allow him to cultivate to the Eight Spirits Body Refining True Monarch Realm.
For Refining God, he had the Enchanting Heart Scripture, which could even take him to the ranks of a Nine Spirits Refining God True Monarch... The three complemented each other, and his combat power had already far surpassed that of an ordinary Low Level True Monarch. He could even hold his own against a Middle Level True Monarch!
’But this isn’t enough. Since I still have time, I should build up my foundation even more.’ Xia Wuyang reined in his thoughts.
After a period of consolidation and adaptation, he began the next phase of his cultivation.
He walked over to the Alchemy Furnace and took out several medicinal ingredients.
Over the past few days, he had been cultivating arduously while also contemplating the antidote for the Heart-devouring Poison.
Now that he had achieved initial mastery of the Enchanting Heart Scripture and his Spiritual Power had surged, his understanding of medicinal properties had also deepened. It was time to try refining the Heart-Opening Pill.
This was a Low Level Spirit Pill that could significantly weaken the toxicity of the Heart-devouring Poison. Although it couldn’t cure the poison completely, it would bring Pan Mo a great deal of relief.
Xia Wuyang had obtained the Pill Formula from the Empress, Murong Wan. He had no idea where she had gotten it.
Pan Mo had been afflicted with the Heart-devouring Poison for too long and had endured far too much pain.
Although she was kept alive with various treasures and the poison was suppressed by the Cold Jade Bed, it was not a long-term solution.
The Heart-devouring Poison was like a cancer clinging to her bones, continuously eroding her heart meridians. In a few more months at most, Pan Mo would surely die.
But with the Heart-Opening Pill, not only could her pain be alleviated, but Pan Mo could also hold on for several more years.
’Today, I must succeed in forming the pill.’ A look of determination flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes.
With a thought, his Companion Talent as an Alchemy Genius activated at full power.
The complete Pill Formula for the Heart-Opening Pill appeared in his Sea of Consciousness. He had long since mastered it, and had even made some slight improvements.
The main ingredients were the Thousand-year-old Snow Lotus, Earth Core Fire Reishi, and Dragon Tooth Grass...
The supplementary ingredients included Ice Soul Powder, Dewy Flower Bud, and a Centennial Cicada Shell...
Every step required precise control. The slightest mistake would not only result in failure but could also produce a deadly poison. At that point, he wouldn’t be saving a life.
Xia Wuyang took a deep breath, formed a Sealing Technique with his hands, and focused his mind completely.
The Crane Pattern Furnace HUMMED as it activated. The furnace fire ignited, glowing with a faint iridescent color. This was a flame he had created by mixing the Spiritual Power from his Enchanting Heart Scripture with his True Qi. Its temperature was more stable, its control more precise, and its effects would be better.
The ingredients were added in sequence. The Thousand-year-old Snow Lotus melted instantly upon contact with the fire, transforming into a drop of crystalline Jade Dew that shimmered with a faint glow.
The Earth Core Fire Reishi needed to be simmered slowly over a Mild Fire to extract its fiery essence, requiring extreme caution with every move.
The Dragon Tooth Grass was the most volatile; it had to be tempered with a fierce fire and then instantly cooled with Ice Soul Powder to lock in its medicinal properties...
Time passed quietly. In what felt like the blink of an eye, a long while had gone by.
The Practice Room was filled with a medicinal aroma that was at times as crisp as snow, at times as scorching as fire, and at times as chilling as ice. An ordinary person would not be able to remain here.
The furnace fire constantly shifted under Xia Wuyang’s exquisite control, illuminating his focused profile.
After several hours had passed, a strange humming sound suddenly came from within the furnace, as if ten million jade cicadas were beating their wings at once. The sound was quite peculiar.
"Success! Open the furnace!"
Xia Wuyang’s eyes lit up, and the seal his hands formed changed.
The furnace lid popped open, and several Elixirs flew out!
The Elixirs were iridescent all over, with natural heart-shaped patterns on their surface. They emanated a crisp fragrance that refreshed the mind and spirit.
Most miraculously, the moment the Elixirs flew out, they faintly emitted a weak heartbeat, as if they were alive. They clearly possessed Spirituality.
’Heart-Opening Pills, and of excellent quality, no less,’ Xia Wuyang thought, overjoyed.
He carefully placed the Elixirs into a Jade Bottle, feeling as though a great weight had finally been lifted from his chest. His entire body relaxed.
With these Heart-Opening Pills, Pan Mo’s condition would improve significantly.
She only needed to take one pill a day for nine consecutive days to greatly reduce the toxicity of the Heart-devouring Poison, bringing her much relief and allowing her to hold on for much longer.
’I’ll go give her a Heart-Opening Pill later.’ Having made up his mind, Xia Wuyang soon made a trip to Yun Liyue’s place. He discreetly fed Pan Mo a Heart-Opening Pill before quietly returning to Wenhua Hall.
Before long, Andrew came to report, "Your Highness, there’s a problem with the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
Xia Wuyang frowned. "What is it?"
"This morning, some Palace Attendants went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to collect their monthly stipends. They looked very unhappy when they returned. I asked and found out that those eunuchs at the Ministry said the stipends for our Wenhua Hall are to be temporarily withheld."
"Withheld?" A cold glint flashed in Xia Wuyang’s eyes.
Andrew’s voice was low. "Yes. They claim that with the tight situations on the fronts in the Northern Territory and the Southern Border, the National Treasury is empty, so the expenditures of all palaces must be reduced. The priority is the front lines, and the Harem must save wherever possible."
Xia Wuyang fell silent. He knew, of course, that this was just the Ministry of Internal Affairs crowd deliberately making things difficult.
An empty National Treasury? Reduced expenditures? What a joke. Qianqing Palace was still as extravagant as ever, and the monthly stipends for some Princes and Princesses hadn’t been reduced by a single coin. Only certain palaces had their funds withheld, the Eastern Palace included. This was naturally because these palaces were out of favor.
However, this wasn’t an attack aimed solely at the Eastern Palace; it had been tacitly approved by certain people. Xia Wuyang didn’t pursue the matter too aggressively, especially since he knew it was related to him in a way.
’It’s not much money anyway. I’ll just go get some more Dragon and Tiger Elixirs to supplement the Palace Attendants’ stipends.’
He was a dying elder Crown Prince. The Ministry of Internal Affairs wouldn’t dare to push him too far; they could only try to placate and humor him.

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