Zhu Xiao now had no mind to think about her own mental state issues, for the most pressing matter was whether the entire cultivation system was truly under restriction.
If that were true, it would be a catastrophic blow to any seeker.
Zhu Xiao was without a doubt a seeker, and if there were evidence, she didn’t know if she would become unbalanced and collapse.
“There is indeed something mysterious interfering with the path of spiritual cultivation, that much is certain, and although it’s speculation that my path has been interfered with…”
“But Manager Zhu, you believe deep down that it’s true, right?” Wang Sheng pointed out what Zhu Xiao had left unsaid.
There are not so many coincidences in the world, only ones that are all interconnected, even logically consistent.
No evidence, but this was something Zhu Xiao couldn’t ignore in her heart.
She still wanted to move forward.
She didn’t want to be stopped by some inexplicable thing in her path, so she ultimately took a deep breath and said, “Is there no way to solve this?”
Wang Sheng shook his head, he had a lot of information, but not much understanding of the “Heavenly Father.”
The only thing he could be sure of was that the Heavenly Father was something very terrifying.
Even facing it now, he was not guaranteed to defeat it completely.
“However, there’s no need to worry too much for now, from the current information, the interference methods the Heavenly Father uses on Qi-Blood Martial Arts and other strengthening cultivation systems seem to be only preventing advancement in realms. Only for Spiritual Martial Arts does it employ controlling methods.
That is to say, at least for now, the Heavenly Father is also under restriction, and perhaps we can find a way to break through this predicament.”
Before exchanging thoughts with Zhu Xiao, Wang Sheng had thought Qi-Blood Martial Arts was unproblematic, but now it seemed that might not be the case.
At least the path ahead seemed to be blocked.
His understanding was clear, the Master of Destiny was strong, but among countless Martial Artists, only one could emerge, not a healthy path.
“It seems that’s all we can do for now!” Zhu Xiao sighed, her understanding was not as vast as Wang Sheng’s, leaving her with no other option at the moment.
Seeing Zhu Xiao like this, Wang Sheng remembered the piece of information he had deliberately saved for last, a very important piece.
“Manager Zhu, what do you think of the ’Seven Great Thieves’ mentioned by the former Valley Master of Stargazing Valley a few years ago?”
Putting this topic last was mainly because raising it was somewhat offensive to a place with the stature of Yuelai Inn. To avoid turning sour before any exchange took place, and having not gained anything, he had deliberately saved it for last.
After all, even if it really came to blows, he would not be at a loss if he had already gained what he needed.
“The Seven Great Thieves, eh? The Valley Master’s words must be taken seriously. I actually suspected ourselves the very first time I heard about it.
But I can honestly say that I have no concept of these matters at all. The methods I used to rise to my position were not peaceful, and much was not passed down, and even now, there is a lineage opposed to me.”
Zhu Xiao spoke calmly, but Wang Sheng heard endless strife in her words.
It was also the first he had heard so much inside information about Zhu Xiao.
But it seemed that Zhu Xiao didn’t care about that, whether regarding her rise to power or the matter of the “Seven Great Thieves.”
In fact, as long as she didn’t believe she was the so-called thief, there really wasn’t much to care about.
However, Wang Sheng sighed inwardly, it seemed the trail had gone cold again.
As a key suspect of the “Seven Great Thieves,” even she was unaware of the matter.
But he couldn’t take it all at face value, who knew what secrets these powerful forces had.
Feeling the inexplicable power lingering around her, Zhu Xiao said, “You don’t believe it, do you? It’s alright, but I’m very curious why you’re interested in this unsubstantiated matter.”
She felt that the person in front of her wouldn’t casually inquire about such things; there must be hidden reasons.
Wang Sheng didn’t intend to hide anything, saying, “Because Qiao Nian, at his moment of death, said Heavenly Father was a ’thief’, so I’m somewhat sensitive about it.”
He wanted to probe Zhu Xiao a bit.
Sadly, her expression did not change much.
“I understand. I will go back and investigate. If I find anything, I will pass the information on to you.” She felt that if she wanted to solve the problem, the man in front of her was definitely a very good collaborator.
She had great confidence in her own strength, having encountered Great Grandmasters of Overlord Level forces, and she could confirm, not one of them was a match for her.
But facing Wang Sheng, she felt no confidence at all.
“This man could easily defeat me!”
That was Zhu Xiao’s intuition; her intuition as a cultivator was extremely strong, and, in most cases, it could be trusted.
Wang Sheng hadn’t expected Zhu Xiao to be so polite, but considering the intelligence she could gather from her own force, it certainly wouldn’t be slight, so he didn’t refuse.
Although for now, the so-called “Heavenly Father” posed no threat to him, there was still such a thing lurking in the shadows, and it had already developed a grudge against him.
He also needed to prepare, to clear up what exactly that thing was, and if possible, to resolve it like he had the snake demon encountered before, to deal with the “Heavenly Father.”
It would be best to also find some methods to weaken it, to ensure absolute security for himself.
At the same time, he suggested based on his own information.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Manager Zhu. If possible, you can start with the history of your family or the history of Qi-Blood Martial Arts. If there really has been no progress in Qi-Blood Martial Arts for a long time, you might investigate when that began.”
“The history of Qi-Blood Martial Arts? I see!”
Zhu Xiao nodded, with the current information, this indeed seemed to be an excellent direction for investigation.
Qi Blood Martial Arts had existed for a long time, and if investigated, it was possible that something could be discovered from it.
Wang Sheng also said that he would continue to investigate and that they could exchange information at that time.
“What do you plan to investigate?”
“Do you remember the last battle of the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley? I’m going to investigate that monster; there might be a connection.”
Only then did Zhu Xiao recall the Valley Master’s battle that had caused such a stir.
She hadn’t expected Wang Sheng to want to investigate that incident.
However, this was good too, casting a wide net might yield more information.
By this point, the exchange of information about their Cultivation Methods was coming to an end.
Zhu Xiao planned to stand and take her leave.
Her visit to Wang Sheng had provided her with significant information, which she needed to go back and organize well while starting her own investigation.
She was resolved to avenge the enmity that blocked the path, even if it meant dealing with that hidden monster!
As she was about to leave, Wang Sheng called out to her.
“Is there something else?” Zhu Xiao asked with a puzzled expression.
“Manager Zhu, could you help me collect some Martial Arts Secret Manuals or various discussions, especially research materials on the universe? I will trade with you at market price, or even at a premium,” Wang Sheng made no secret of his objective.
Zhu Xiao, after all, had branches of Yuelai Inn all over the Great Zhou, nobody had a wider network than her. Using such connections to collect material would greatly enhance both the quantity and quality of what could be gathered.
How could he not take advantage of this opportunity?
Zhu Xiao didn’t even need to think about it, and replied, “I can do that. Which city are you heading to next? I can compile everything and send it directly to the Yuelai Inn there.”
Wang Sheng named a city.
“Alright, but there’s no need to buy them at the original price, I’ll send them to you directly as payment for all the information you’ve told me.”
After speaking, Zhu Xiao left, not at all concerned about the money.
“How could I forget that Zhu Xiao is the richest woman in the entire Great Zhou!”
Collecting secret manuals and discussions would require not just manpower but also significant wealth, and Zhu Xiao lacked neither.
Watching Zhu Xiao depart, Wang Sheng refocused on his own journey.
He had achieved his goal and now it was time for him to leave as well.
Heading to the Imperial City, perhaps he could unravel many of the mysteries.
Having seen Liu Jian’an and his companions out of the room, Wang Sheng took all his people and left, just as the Shopkeeper happened to witness this scene.
The Shopkeeper thought Wang Sheng had grown impatient and decided to leave.
“Sir, our messages are delivered swiftly; the Store Manager should arrive soon. Please wait a little longer.”
“There’s no need; I’ve already met with your Store Manager and it’s time for me to depart. Don’t worry about it!”
If he and Zhu Xiao didn’t want to be discovered, surely nobody would be able to notice their meeting; it was normal for the Shopkeeper to be unaware.
But Wang Sheng couldn’t be bothered to explain and simply led his people away, leaving the bewildered Shopkeeper behind.
“Met already?”
The Shopkeeper didn’t think Wang Sheng would lie.
He was now filled with regret; although he could acquire a substantial amount of resources, what was more important than gaining favor in the presence of the Store Manager?
If he had known, he would have stayed with that esteemed person at all costs.
In the end, the Shopkeeper had no choice but to gleefully yet painfully receive the resources from headquarters.
Meanwhile, Wang Sheng had long since left the city.
During this time, he had made significant gains.
Although he had encountered many surprises along the way, his skills had greatly improved in just a short time.
Most notably were the progress in the “Lifeless Vacuum Sensing Chapter” and his understanding of the universe.
One was due to his discussions with Qiao Nian, and the other because he had obtained important miscellaneous records.
Then there was the progress with Yijin Scripture and Ba Duan Jin, which were the results of his discussions with Zhu Xiao.
Zhu Xiao had a profound understanding of the body’s strengthening. During their discussions, the progress of these two practices increased rapidly, especially Yijin Scripture, which advanced by more than twenty percent.
Considering that Yijin Scripture had the ability to Breakthrough four times, to progress more than 20% so quickly was indeed astonishing.
Once he fully assimilated these improvements, his True Body was bound to reach new heights very soon.
However, most of Wang Sheng’s attention was not on his True Body recently, but on the “Lifeless Vacuum Sensing Chapter.”
Because the progress of this extraordinary text was about to Breakthrough!
“Lifeless Vacuum Sensing Chapter: 9 (75%)”
This skill, Wang Sheng anticipated immensely!