Chapter 280: Eldest Prince of Tianze
Inside a magnificent grand hall in the Tianze Imperial Palace, the air was filled with song and dance. Dancers clad in light gauze and silks swayed their graceful, slender waists as they performed in the center.
Unlike the delicate beauty of women from the outside, these dancers had slender yet powerful arms, long, toned thighs, and wheat-colored skin, possessing a unique kind of beauty.
Shen Daoxing sat upright at a low table, and a palace maid immediately came to his side to serve him food.
Roasted Cloud Chicken, Profound Beef, and Spirit Flower Brew. Although the food was simple, it was all rich in Primordial Energy and greatly beneficial to Practitioners.
At that moment, the Tianze Emperor was seated high on the main throne in the center of the hall. At the table beside him was the kind-faced Elder Xu. The two repeatedly raised their cups, drinking heartily and conversing with great cheer.
Meanwhile, Princess He Qian and Prince He Yong of Tianze could only sit at the lower tables, just like Shen Daoxing.
It was obvious that the Tianze Emperor held Elder Xu in extremely high regard and showed him great favor.
But Shen Daoxing had heard that the nation of Tianze was very exclusionary toward outsiders.
This naturally piqued his curiosity.
As if noticing Shen Daoxing’s confusion, He Yong, who was seated beside him, smiled faintly. "Yang, there’s something you may not know. Elder Xu isn’t like other outsiders. He has been a close friend of my Imperial Father for many years, and he even saved his life long ago."
He Yong paused for a moment before continuing, "What’s more, Elder Xu is a Sixth Grade Alchemy Master."
"A Sixth Grade Alchemy Master?"
Shen Daoxing turned to look at He Yong.
Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Array Formation, Talisman Painting, Sword Cultivation, Spear Practice... as the saying goes, there are a hundred paths to cultivation.
Just like Artifact Refining, Alchemy requires sufficient talent and time to achieve mastery. However, the talent required for Alchemy is even greater than that for Artifact Refining, making Alchemy Masters an even rarer existence than Artifact Refiners throughout the entire East Continent.
It also demands immense effort. Alchemy Masters are ranked from First to Ninth Grade. The most powerful Alchemy Masters in the entire East Continent are only at the Seventh Grade, and there are only two of them. They dedicate themselves to studying the art of elixirs and rarely make public appearances.
A Sixth Grade Alchemy Master was already considered a top-tier existence, an individual every nation vied to win over.
He hadn’t expected Elder Xu to be a Sixth Grade Alchemy Master, which left him rather surprised.
He Yong paused again, then leaned closer to Shen Daoxing’s ear. "There’s more you don’t know, Yang. My Imperial Father has been stuck at the Ninth Layer of the Earth Profound Realm for a full forty years, unable to break through. For this reason, he implored Elder Xu to spend ten years refining an entire Celestial Essence Mine to create the Creation Pill. If it’s successful, my Imperial Father will be able to break through the Earth Profound Realm and enter the Refining Dust Realm in one go. That’s why he values Elder Xu so highly. The success of this Creation Pill rests entirely on him."
’The Creation Pill?’
Shen Daoxing suddenly froze, recalling Elder Blood Dragon’s words. ’Isn’t that the seven-colored mine I swallowed earlier?’
Up on the high seat, the Tianze Emperor looked to Elder Xu beside him. "Mr. Xu, are you certain this matter will be foolproof?"
Elder Xu slowly raised his cup, took a sip of wine, and smiled confidently. "Your Majesty, rest assured. I have poured a full decade of my heart and soul into this. Success is certain. You need only wait in peace."
Shen Daoxing turned to look at the two on the high seat, a strange expression on his face.
At that moment, Princess He Qian raised her wine cup and looked toward Shen Daoxing. "Young Master Yang, thank you again for saving my life. I’d like to offer you a toast."
"You are too kind, Princess. It was nothing," Shen Daoxing replied, quickly raising his cup to toast her in return.
After several rounds of drinks, the sky began to darken. Shen Daoxing chatted at length with He Qian and He Yong, mostly about the nation of Tianze. The banquet finally came to an end after the sun had completely set.
Everyone present was a Practitioner, so naturally, no one was drunk from just a few cups of wine.
He Qian walked out of the grand hall and glanced up at the sky. "It is already late. Young Master Yang, why don’t you stay in the palace for the night?"
Without giving him a chance to refuse, she turned to lead the way for him personally.
"Thank you, Princess," Shen Daoxing said quickly.
It was a timely offer, as he had nowhere else to stay.
At that moment, a sudden series of footsteps rang out—TAP, TAP, TAP.
Then, Shen Daoxing saw lines of soldiers in blue battle armor emerge.
The soldiers quickly parted to form a path, and a lavishly dressed young nobleman, his waist cinched with a jade belt and his robes of embroidered silk and pearls, slowly walked forth.
The young nobleman’s face was impassive, revealing no emotion. His eyes were cold and utterly devoid of light.
Upon seeing the newcomer, He Yong’s face lit up. "Eldest Brother, you’re back?"
"Mm."
The man nodded, then turned his gaze to He Qian. "Imperial Sister, I heard you were attacked?"
"Don’t worry, Eldest Brother. I’m fine now."
He Qian nodded.
"Good that you’re fine."
The Eldest Prince of Tianze, He Yu, spoke coolly, his expression blank. "As expected, none of these outsiders have good intentions. Imperial Father should never have let any of them in."
"Let’s go."
Seeing that He Qian was truly unharmed, the Eldest Prince waved his hand, preparing to leave.
At that moment, his gaze fell upon Shen Daoxing beside He Qian, and he frowned. "An outsider! Imperial Sister, why is an outsider in our palace?"
SHING!
A silver light flashed.
In an instant, a long, slender Treasure Sword appeared before Shen Daoxing.
Shen Daoxing was stunned for a moment, but his figure flickered, and he instantly vanished from his original spot.
The next moment, rubble flew into the air where he had just been standing, and a long gash scarred the ground.
He Qian froze for a second, then rushed to stand in front of Shen Daoxing with her arms outstretched. "Eldest Brother, stop! It was Young Master Yang who saved me!"
"He saved you?"
But Eldest Prince He Yu looked unconvinced. "How did he save you? Little Sister, don’t be so quick to trust an outsider. They are the most untrustworthy of all. Have you forgotten how our aunt died?"
"Young Master Yang is different. I’m certain he is not that kind of person."
He Qian insisted, her arms still spread wide in a protective stance.
Eldest Prince He Yu stared coldly at Shen Daoxing, his jet-black eyes like a bottomless abyss capable of swallowing everything.
Shen Daoxing, for his part, was not the least bit afraid. He simply met the Eldest Prince’s gaze with a calm indifference.
In an instant, the entire scene fell silent.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Finally, with another SHING, Eldest Prince He Yu sheathed his sword. He glanced at He Qian, then back at Shen Daoxing. Without saying a word, he let out a cold snort and departed with his soldiers.
Only after the Eldest Prince’s figure had vanished did He Qian let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Shen Daoxing, her face full of apology.
"Young Master Yang, please forgive him. My eldest brother... that’s just his personality. He utterly despises and distrusts outsiders."
"It’s alright," Shen Daoxing said calmly.
"Young Master Yang, please, let me show you to your quarters," He Qian said, still looking apologetic.
"You are too kind, Princess," Shen Daoxing replied respectfully.
This was just how Shen Daoxing was. If others treated him with courtesy, he would return it in kind. ’But if someone shows me malice, let alone killing intent,’ he thought, ’I will surely repay them tenfold, even a hundredfold!’