Chapter 40

“Several months passed by in a flash.”

Within the underground stone chamber, Zhao Mu refined the essence of all the martial arts he has learned.

He merged them together and studied them in detail.

If he were to study and comprehend them on his own, he would at most fully comprehend one to two arts even after spending his entire life learning them.

However, with the help of the mysterious stone dial, Zhao Mu could rapidly understand the essence while imprinting the martial arts.

That was akin to him having practiced it over hundreds of thousands of times.

It allowed him to have the rare chance to learn from the strengths of various arts.

“Several months passed, and I’m only at the fifth Mortal Stage of Foundation Establishment. My progress is quite slow.”

Zhao Mu reflected on his progress with a solemn expression.

“It’s all because of those people from the Great Boundless Palace wasting my time for no reason.”

He was actually complaining about being slow after breaking through five stages in several months!

If others heard those words, they would most likely suffer internal injuries from the aggravation.

Even when using the Ten Great Sects and Six Sacred Grounds as a standard of measure, among the carefully handpicked genius core disciples with exceptional talent, they were not monsters that would use months to keep track of their cultivation breakthrough.

“Both the Primordial Yang and Mysterious Yin true Qis are only at the eight hundred year level. I need to work harder.”

After some self-reflection, Zhao Mu decided to draw up a plan.

“I need make smaller progressive goals of reaching one thousand, two thousand, and three thousand years.

“Although my understanding of martial arts may be on par with the grandmasters, I’ve experienced few battles and lack combat experience. It would be best if I can overpower others with brute force.”

Eight hundred years of true Qi may sound like a massive accumulation, but Zhao Mu still felt that it was insufficient.

Perhaps it was due to his transmigration.

As someone who came from Huaxia, he had a phobia of the lack of firepower.

A thousand years’ worth of true Qi was only a small goal.

Only ten thousand years’ worth of true Qi would make him feel secure.

“Taking out the daily practice, meditation, and condensation of blood essence, I still need to spare another two hours to use true flames to refine the body and raise my physique to the next level.”

Zhao Mu leaned into the chair and started listing the individual items of the things that needed to be done, committing them to memory.

He had the passive ability of Perfect Memory and had refined the Nine Aperture Golden Elixir.

It was like his innate intelligence had been activated. Everything that he heard, seen, and thought of in the past would be clearly reflected within his sea of consciousness.

“I can’t let my spirit refinement and visualization fall behind too. I can use the Divine Sun and Moon Scriptures, Tibetan Secret Scriptures, and Thirty-Six Heaven Defying Miracles’ martial spirit to polish my own will,” Zhao Mu added.

His achievements at that time were mostly dependent on his efforts.

Even if had a cheating system with him, he did not slack off in the slightest.

“The things I acquired recently…”

Zhao Mu activated the mysterious stone dial and focused on the words displayed.

He ignored the lines on true Qi and martial arts.

It was like a long detailed list that slowly projected itself.

[Tiger Bone Essence Balm]

[Concealing Talisman]

[Qi-nurturing Powder]

[Grain Avoidance Elixir]

[Gold]

[Silver]

[Jade]

[Luminescent Pearl]

[Heavenly Cardamom]

[Meridian Cleansing Scrolls]

[Tiger Wolf Elixir]

[Thorn Armor]

[Tiangang Virgin Technique]

[…]

“It’s quite a good haul.”

In the whole world, apart from the main base of the Six Sacred Grounds and some other dangerous forbidden zones, there should be no better place than the imperial city with Tianjing City for him to imprint his Dao marks.

“Where should I go to imprint my Dao mark today? Let’s see…where have I not visited?”

Zhao Mu casually picked up a map of the imperial city’s inner court’s layout.

A secret like that would normally be kept within the inner court’s records room.

Moreover, information on things like secret passages, trapdoors for hidden chambers would be greatly limited to prevent outsiders from discovering them.

However, the Grand Commander Guardian was the guardian grandmaster of the Zhou Kingdom.

The records he held would naturally be detailed.

It was by relying on this item and the Presence Concealing Mantra that allowed Zhao Mu to move about as he pleased within the imperial city inner court.

The only place he dared not approach was the Hanging Arch Palace, Clement Hall, and imperial library where the emperor frequented.

That was because he feared Chen Chaoen from the Ceremonial Directorate. That person’s cultivation stage was a mystery, and rumor had it that his strength was on par with Marquis Zhao Kai.

“Should I check out the Longevity Hill within the Queen’s Court on the northern end of the imperial city?”

Zhao Mu moved his finger and finally stopped at one point.

After the Great Ancestor named Tianjing City as the capital and moved into the imperial city, he once ordered the excavation of the Black Tortoise Lake and had men move the dirt to the inner court. The dirt was used to expand and elevate the land. Pine trees were planted and pavilions were built, forcefully building a hill over there.

Legend has it that it was to suppress the Dragon Qi of the previous dynasty.

“Maybe I can imprint something nice over there.”

Zhao Mu did not bother changing. He merely put on a set of black clothes that did not make him stand out.

He had already reached the realm of still mind for the Presence Concealment Mantra.

Not only his breathing and Qi was undetectable, but even his figure and aura would completely vanish, appearing as though he was part of the environment.

When the sky turned dark, Zhao Mu moved out of the Eternal Happiness Palace with his hands behind him without touching the ground as though he was a supernatural being.

The bright moonlight illuminated the area. When it hit his body, it seemed to pass right through him as though nothing was there.

Even experts of the Spiritual Transformation Stage would have difficulty noticing him in a short time, much less the regular royal guards patrolling around the area.

Wooo!

The strong wind howled.

Zhao Mu flashed about as though he was riding on clouds.

With the vast amount of true Qi supporting him, his movement was extremely quick.

The regular movement techniques he executed were as effective as immortal magical arts.

He arrived at Longevity Hill in several minutes.

There was a perimeter wall several dozen feet tall. Within it was a lush forest with herds of deers and cranes.

It was like a different world.

Zhao Mu stopped in his tracks and looked into the distance.

The Longevity Hill was not that high. It was merely a mound of dirt that took the shape of the ‘mountain’ character.

In the middle were two extremely thick and sturdy ancient pine trees. Legend has it that it was planted by the Great Ancestor himself. By then, it was already as big as a pavilion.

“Although I’m not good with aura divination skills, my spiritual sense is telling me that fortune of the Longevity Hill is all gathered in the middle peak.”

Zhao Mu thought about it for a moment. His robe then fluttered like in the wind as he took off.

“Eh, where is there a scent of blood?!”

He stepped atop a tree and stopped suddenly.

He was midway up the hill, only a few hundred steps from the peak.

Zhao Mu reached out with his hand and grabbed as though he was grabbing at the air current.

He then moved it to his nose and took a whiff.

“It’s really the scent of blood. Is someone hunting this late in the night?”

Longevity Hill’s vicinity was a forbidden zone that was walled off.

Many wild deers, cranes, and other animals were kept there.

When the emperor was bored during Spring and Fall season, he would bring the princes over to have a hunting trip.

Of course, Zhao Mu had never taken part in any of them.

He learned of them from his brother Zhao Yuan.

“It’s none of my business. I’ll just take a different path up the hill.”

Zhao Mu’s gaze moved slightly. He had no interest to investigate further.

It would be bad if he stumbled across something troublesome and disrupted his cultivation plans.

He took a few steps back and prepared to leave.

“Zhao Zhao! You broke your promise! You’re shameless b*stard!”

An angry roar drifted into Zhao Mu’s ears suddenly.

His legs came to a stop but his lips slowly curled up into a grin.

There was a glow that appeared in his eyes.

“It’s my brother, the Crown Prince.”

The edge of his black robes fluttered.

His body was like an arrow leaving the bowstring, shooting straight in the direction of the sound’s origin.