Zhu Xiao left, but before she did, the weight in her heart grew heavier.
Her last words were not spoken outright, yet their implied meaning merited deep reflection.
Wang Sheng had said them for a reason, of course.
The first issue was Zhu Xiao’s new doctrine; she had an advantage, allowing her to develop rapidly and become strong in a short period.
At least that was a somewhat reasonable justification.
Zhu Xiao’s new doctrine had developed over decades, from nothing to something that rivaled two to three thousand years of development.
This in itself was an issue.
Of course, that wasn’t the most severe problem. The most serious concern was Zhu Xiao feeling her path forward was blocked and difficult to advance.
No one knew for sure if she was affected.
Naturally, Zhu Xiao herself was aware that even if there was a problem, it likely wasn’t terribly grave.
This was also why Wang Sheng was willing to share some information.
He even doubted some of the information he had discovered himself.
And there was one question Zhu Xiao asked that he remembered.
“Over six thousand years, has really no one realized that Qi Blood Martial Arts hasn’t made any substantial progress?”
Although he provided an answer,
he simultaneously planted a seed of doubt in his heart.
Wouldn’t someone who wanted to train pay attention to such a thing?
After all, any clue could be a hope for going one step further.
But it seemed that over the years, no one had taken it seriously.
He thought of the old Scholar.
Many people knew of the old Scholar, but memories of him weren’t deep, as if all recollections were fading away.
How similar the two events were.
This was also why he ultimately reminded Zhu Xiao. It seemed that she wasn’t affected, but who really knew her situation?
Of course, this matter was even less substantiated, so he didn’t elaborate, merely offered a simple reminder.
Watching Zhu Xiao walk away in the opposite direction, he rubbed his head.
The complexity of this issue exceeded his imagination, and it might have affected him too, or at least the original persona.
Therefore, an investigation was essential.
He seemed to have broken through his limits, but like with Zhu Xiao’s new doctrine, it was unclear if there were consequences.
“After all, I lack experience and have not trained for long, which makes me easily shaken.”
The findings this time were truly shocking, so much so that even his strong cultivation couldn’t prevent self-doubt.
Smooth sailing doesn’t lead to a firm Dao heart.
“Sigh—my cultivation is still not up to scratch.”
This sort of thing required experience, something that couldn’t be reversed in a short time.
But of course—
“If all else fails, then I’ll just breakthrough with raw power.”
With sufficient strength, overwhelming force could solve everything.
In military strategy, winning without fighting is the best tactic.
Only with sufficient strength could one employ the best tactic, and that was what Wang Sheng sought.
A wavering Dao heart was still a matter of insufficient power; if he was strong enough, he could simply drag out this so-called “Heavenly Father,” and all problems would cease to exist.
Having realized this, Wang Sheng calmed his somewhat turbulent emotions.
“First, I’ll deal with the Little Imperial Prince’s issue.”
The main reason he had come to Tai Mountain was still to handle this matter; his exchange with Zhu Xiao was entirely unexpected.
After giving a few instructions to Liu Jian’an and the others, Wang Sheng set off alone to the highest peak of Tai Mountain, which was also the place where the Imperial Family used to offer sacrifices to the heavens.
Upon arrival, Wang Sheng realized why many people speculated that the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley had already broken through the strength of a Great Grandmaster.
It was not only because of the matter with the Jade Scroll but also the remnants of the battlefield.
The highest peak of Tai Mountain should now be called the former highest peak, as the peak used for sacrifices to the heavens had been nearly halved, and the surroundings were similarly almost wiped clean.
The vitality of this place had been almost completely extinguished.
For dozens of kilometers around, there was hardly anything left, just rubble, soil, and some long-withered branches from dead trees.
The key point was, these ruins weren’t just spread about; it was as if they had been deliberately contained within this range.
It seemed as though someone had limited the scope of the battle, preventing it from spreading, which was quite astonishing.
Certainly, a Great Grandmaster could not achieve this feat.
“No wonder!”
Wang Sheng sighed a few times and then investigated a bit.
“As expected, there aren’t any remaining clues; after several years, nothing is left here.”
He knew from the start that it was unlikely any significant clues remained here, but he still tried.
But the result was as expected.
Nothing at all!
Thus, Wang Sheng no longer wasted time and, based on the clues in the Valley Master’s Jade Scroll, searched for the bones of the little imperial prince.
Perhaps fearing the destruction of the bones, the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley had carefully disguised them.
Wang Sheng was also able to find the exact location only by using Divine Thought.
He then saw a coffin.
The coffin was quite simple, seemingly hastily made. Without a doubt, it was the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley’s final act to at least give the little prince a proper burial instead of leaving his body exposed to the wilderness.
Not just that, it seemed the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley had also left an epitaph.
“Great Zhou’s…”
At eight years old, the little prince’s finest moment was assisting the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley. Sadly, what the little prince did at the time, though satisfying, seemed somewhat inappropriate to be recorded on an epitaph.
Therefore, the Valley Master had to find a way to beautify it.
The greatest honor was to die for one’s country, becoming the final sovereign of the Great Zhou Dynasty without bringing shame upon it.
“So in the eyes of the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley, has Great Zhou already perished?”
It should be noted that although Great Zhou was on its last legs, there was still a new emperor!
It was uncertain whether the Valley Master had made this judgment out of reason, but such a master of predictions typically would not speak carelessly.
“Let it be, it’s none of my business.”
His visit this time was actually to relocate the little prince’s grave, not to investigate anything.
He had even specifically learned a trick or two about grave relocation.
Choosing today to come was just because the timing was appropriate—he had specifically looked up the little prince’s information and then sought out the right time.
Only when the most suitable time came did he exhumed the coffin from the earth.
The body was still perfectly preserved, and Wang Sheng felt a mysterious power that seemed capable of lasting for a decade or so.
“Is this the work of the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley?”
Other than the Valley Master, he could not think of anyone else who would do such a thing.
After all, information from the Jade Scroll indicated that the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley seemed to have placed great importance on the little prince.
This power was quite miraculous, and Wang Sheng was curious, but he had his principles and wouldn’t disturb it for all his curiosity.
This time, all he needed to do was to bring the little prince’s body back to the Imperial City.
Using Divine Thought to transport the coffin, Wang Sheng hurried back to East Mountain City.
What he didn’t know was that as the coffin got closer to the Imperial City, something within the city dimmed a little…
(Today is the first day of the lunar month, and I went out to visit relatives, so there are only two chapters. Updates will resume with three chapters tomorrow.)