Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan casually tossed the items aside and exited the secret chamber, closing the hidden door and retracing his steps.
As he passed by the Princess's room, the moans inside continued, but they seemed to have quickened. Based on his experience, he judged that she was nearing her climax.
Xu Sanyan shook his head. The Princess's life wasn't easy either, spending her days alone in an empty room, consumed by loneliness.
Arriving at the back gate of the Prince's residence, Yang Qiyuan was anxiously hiding in a corner. Seeing Xu Sanyan emerge safely, she breathed a sigh of relief and quickly grabbed his hand, asking, "Did you find it?"
Xu Sanyan nodded, scooped her up by the waist, and gently pecked her forehead. "The injury is no longer a concern. Let's go."
"Mm," Yang Qiyuan replied, her heart finally at ease as she nestled against her husband's chest like a delicate bird.
Upon returning home, Xu Sanyan finally asked the question that had been on his mind the entire way. "Madam, earlier you mentioned the birds..."
Yang Qiyuan glanced at him, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. "Since I was young, I was considered ugly, and no one wanted to play with me. Only the flowers, birds, fish, and insects kept me company. When I was nine, I suddenly realized that I seemed to understand the chirping of the birds in the sky."
Xu Sanyan frowned slightly, his expression puzzled. "How do birds speak?"
Yang Qiyuan explained, "There are many types of birds in the sky, and their intelligence varies greatly. Among them, the redwood bird is the smartest. It can express different meanings based on the length and weight of its sounds. The secret chamber in my father's study was revealed to me by one of these birds."
Xu Sanyan suddenly understood. Prince Rui had been so focused on guarding against people that he never considered the possibility of a seemingly ordinary bird on the tree outside being a spy.
"You also need to understand bird language. Redwood birds have a long lifespan, living up to thirty years, which makes them the smartest. However, they are very timid and rarely get close to humans."
Xu Sanyan pondered this. His wife was truly extraordinary, able to communicate with birds. Curious, he asked, "Besides birds, can you communicate with other animals like pigs, dogs, sheep, or horses?"
Yang Qiyuan silently shook her head. "No, only birds. And even then, not all birds."
"Who else knows about this?" Xu Sanyan inquired.
Yang Qiyuan's expression turned sorrowful. "No one knows. I was afraid people would think of me as a monster."
If her husband hadn't asked, this secret would have been buried with her in her coffin.
Xu Sanyan nodded and then changed the subject. "Why do you think the Prince didn't store the treasure in the Royal Treasury? Having guards would have added an extra layer of security."
Yang Qiyuan sighed. "You don't understand my father... He trusts no one, not even a cripple like me. Even the maids by my side are his people."
Prince Rui thought Yang Qiyuan was unaware, but she had known all along—she just chose not to dwell on it.
Xu Sanyan understood. Since the guards of the Royal Treasury were also people, Prince Rui feared they might steal from within.
"You should rest now. I need to tend to my injuries alone," Xu Sanyan said, gently stroking her hair.
"Mm," Yang Qiyuan obediently nodded.
As the night deepened, Xu Sanyan sat cross-legged in a quiet room. He wasn't actually injured, so there was no need for recovery. Instead, he planned to break through to the Peak Stage of the Celestial Being Realm tonight!
After sitting quietly for a moment to calm his mind, he summoned his status panel. Seeing the plus sign next to the "Realm" column, Xu Sanyan smiled with satisfaction.
"Come on, let me see your limits!"
"Breakthrough!"
With a thought, fifty-seven points of "Vitality" instantly dissipated, leaving only fifteen.
Each breakthrough in the Celestial Being Realm required an additional ten points.
In an instant, Xu Sanyan's mind became hazy, and his eyes briefly showed confusion before intense pain brought him back to reality.
His bones shattered and then instantly reformed. His muscles bulged and then withered, his tendons strained, and countless fine blood vessels protruded from his skin before gradually disappearing.
This physical reshaping was even more intense than the last.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Sanyan slowly opened his eyes. His body had returned to normal, but he felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable.
He seemed to sense... the limitations of the world.
"The pinnacle of mortality?" Xu Sanyan murmured to himself.
Just one more step, and he would cross the boundary between mortal and immortal, and his life would be forever changed.
Clenching his fist tightly, he felt that his strength hadn't increased much, but a vague sensation had emerged in his heart.
This feeling was indescribable, as if... he was viewing the world through a layer of gauze.
Real... yet illusory.
He wanted to tear off this layer of gauze, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't.
Xu Sanyan knew that the day he tore off this gauze would be the day he broke through to Foundation Establishment!
"Foundation Establishment..."
He was eager to know what lay beyond Foundation Establishment, what truly separated immortals from mortals!
Looking out the window, the sky was already bright. This breakthrough had taken the entire night.
...
At the same time,
In the dungeon of the Eldest Son's residence, a naked woman lay on the ground, barely alive. Blood-stained teeth were scattered around, and her face was covered in blood and filth. She was on the verge of death.
The Eldest Son wiped his shoe on the woman's face and suddenly asked, "Has Elder An returned yet?"
From the dark corner of the dungeon, a figure emerged. His features were delicate, and his voice was sharp. "He hasn't returned. I sent someone to investigate, and they only confirmed that Elder An did take action last night, but the outcome is still unclear."
The Eldest Son snorted coldly. "It seems that kid has truly grown formidable. Since Elder An hasn't returned, he must have failed."
If he had succeeded, Elder An would have returned with the corpse to claim his reward.
The delicate man glanced at the woman on the ground, feeling a pang of regret. "Should we continue sending assassins after him?"
The Eldest Son gave him a sidelong glance. "If even a Peak Stage Celestial Being couldn't kill him, who else can we send?"
The delicate man fell silent.
"How many soldiers are left in the city?" the Eldest Son asked.
"Only three thousand city guards remain. The rest have been deployed by the Prince."
"Three thousand... that's enough."
The Eldest Son lowered his head in thought. Three thousand Qi Refinement soldiers, fully armored and organized into a military formation, would be enough to surround and kill a Peak Stage Celestial Being martial artist.
The delicate man tentatively asked, "Should I go and mobilize the troops?"
The Eldest Son shook his head. "No rush. Let's wait for news from Third Brother. Xu Sanyan is just a minor nuisance, not a real threat. That old man is the key."
The delicate man pursed his lips, a question he had held back for a long time finally surfacing. "My lord, if the Prince dies on the front lines, the army will surely fall into chaos. If the imperial forces take advantage of the situation and attack, I fear..."
The Eldest Son's cold gaze turned sharply toward him.
The delicate man immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing frantically. "I spoke out of turn, I spoke out of turn..."
The Eldest Son looked away. "Don't let it happen again."
He was well aware that Prince Rui's death would cause turmoil, but he had no choice. If Prince Rui didn't die, they would be the ones to perish.
Even a tiger wouldn't harm its own cubs, but Prince Rui...
He was more vicious than a tiger!
(End of the Chapter)
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