Following his promotion to Attendant-in-Ordinary, Xiao Wuchen gained partial access to the Inner Palace Secretariat's core secret files. Using the pretext of 'taking stock of the palace's precious medicinal herbs to prevent their loss', he requested entry to the 'Storehouse', the special repository for palace secrets, from Chief Eunuch Bixie.
Inside the Storehouse, layers of protective arrays created a solemn atmosphere filled with the scent of ancient sandalwood and paper. Accompanied by two senior eunuchs, Xiao Wuchen began poring over mountains of ancient documents.
While he was ostensibly checking the inventory and records of the palace's rare medicinal herbs, he was actually secretly searching for any clues related to 'Meridian Building' and 'elixirs'.
This tedious and massive task took him three full days. Finally, he found a crucial clue in a fragment of a secret file concerning the theft of the previous dynasty's royal alchemy workshop.
This tattered scroll records three top-secret pills that the previous emperor had spent a fortune refining in order to break through a bottleneck in his martial arts training. The first one listed is:
"...Dragon-Tiger Meridian Forging Pill. Drawing upon the energy of dragons and tigers and using thousand-year-old spiritual herbs as a guide, it forges innate meridians. Extremely difficult to refine, the formula is stored in the 'Imperial Pharmacy, Type B Secret Box', a secret of His Majesty's, and cannot be accessed without the Grand Steward's permission."
Xiao Wuchen's heart skipped a beat as he almost memorised the scroll. He calmly closed the scroll, noting the crucial location: 'Imperial Pharmacy, Type B Secret Box'.
However, when he tried to trace the exact whereabouts of the secret box, he discovered that all records regarding the keys and management of the Inner Pharmacy had been erased. Only a single line of annotation remained:
"Only those with extremely strong blood and energy, and an extremely firm will, can obtain the secret of Type B. The key lies with the Grand Steward.'
As the Chief Steward, Bixie, held the key to the pill formula, Xiao Wuchen knew he couldn't force the issue and could only proceed cautiously. He therefore decided to use this time to gain the Chief Steward's trust by completing the tasks he was assigned.
Just as he was about to leave the archives, he noticed a tattered piece of parchment lying at his feet. Buried beneath other files, this tattered page clearly contained crucial, overlooked information.
Several lines were written on it in ancient cinnabar; the characters were powerful and vigorous:
'The stars shift, the sun's light dims; the ruins of the "Taiyin Xuan Palace" have appeared.' Located deep within the Great Snow Mountain of Southern Xinjiang, it is suspected to possess ancient legacies. Experts must be dispatched immediately to investigate. This matter is classified as top secret, codename: [Xuan Palace]. The Chief Steward Bixie will personally oversee the mobilisation of personnel...'
Xiao Wuchen's pupils constricted slightly.
An ancient ruin! This was no ordinary secret realm of the martial world. The fact that it could trigger the palace's deepest secrets, and that the Chief Evil-Repelling Steward was personally overseeing the mobilisation of personnel, meant that it must involve an opportunity related to the Foundation Establishment realm or even higher.
He immediately compared the information on the tattered page with the documents from the Ministry of Internal Affairs that he was processing. Sure enough, a recent personnel transfer list, personally approved by the Chief Evil-Repelling Steward, revealed that several palace experts had been secretly transferred to the Southern Frontier under the guise of 'border patrol'.
Xiao Wuchen's mind cleared: this was a 'Foundation Establishment opportunity' prepared for palace experts!
He immediately made a decision. These ruins likely contained the refining materials he needed for the 'Dragon-Tiger Forging Pulse Pill', or even more.
He made a decision immediately. These ruins probably contained the refining materials he needed for the 'Dragon-Tiger Forging Pulse Pill', or perhaps even the Foundation Establishment inheritance itself. He had to find a way to participate in the secret mission codenamed 'Mystic Palace'.
After leaving the Archives, Xiao Wuchen went straight to see Chief Steward Bixie.
Instead of mentioning the pill formulas, he bowed and reported, "Chief Steward, during the inventory process, I discovered that several elite experts have recently been secretly transferred to the southern border. What is the reason for this?'
Chief Steward Bixie looked up at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He was clearly surprised that Xiao Wuchen had discovered the secret hidden beneath the personnel transfer.
'You have a good eye,' the steward replied calmly, not denying it. 'That's a secret mission within the palace. It involves border instability, so you don't need to worry about it.'
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Wuchen said in a deep voice, 'Steward, I have reached the peak of Qi Refining, and my power is at its zenith. My Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound Body Refining Technique has also reached perfection. My physical strength is unmatched among those in the Qi Refining realm. The border is fraught with danger. Instead of sending external experts, it would be better for me to go myself.'
He paused, his tone firm: 'I am willing to wade into these troubled waters for you! Even against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I am confident that I can protect myself and complete the mission!'
The Evil-Slaying Steward narrowed his eyes. He sensed the restrained yet powerful qi and blood energy within Xiao Wuchen and knew he was telling the truth. He needed a loyal, reliable and powerful ally to pave the way for him.
'You're quite bold. Since that's the case..." The steward finally nodded, revealing a smile of absolute control. 'I will give you this opportunity. The Mystic Palace mission will officially include you. You must prepare immediately and travel to the Southern Frontier in three days.'
'However, I must warn you: that is no ordinary place. A slight misstep could lead to your demise.'
'Understood, thank you for your generosity, steward!'
Xiao Wuchen was overjoyed. The opportunity to open his meridians had finally arrived.