Chapter 127: The Scheme of Immortal Herbs, The Purposes of Various Factions
"You truly didn't lie to me, and really have no way of contacting Grandmaster."
Xue Qinghe's eyes were filled with suspicion as she looked Tang Shan up and down.
"Your Highness, every word your subordinate says is true. How would I dare deceive you? My loyalty to Your Highness can be witnessed by the sun and the moon."
Tang Shan swore without hesitation, choosing to pull out his ultimate move in order to divert Xue Qinghe's attention.
"Has Your Highness not also concealed some matters from me? I simply cannot believe that a First Prince could truly rally so many experts. Presumably, Your Highness must have received secret support from some major faction."
Hearing Tang Shan's counter-question, Xue Qinghe was instantly struck dumb, not knowing how to retort.
Walking unhurriedly beside the carriage, Gold Crocodile Douluo wore a sneer on his face. "Heh, Xiaoxue, let's see how you handle this time. Although this Tang Shan is indeed exceptionally brilliant, having zero vigilance is also wrong. Hopefully, this time will teach you a lesson."
"That's right, I did indeed receive support from a major faction. I hope this matter will not be spread."
Xue Qinghe was silent for a moment before raising her head to look calmly at Tang Shan.
"Rest assured, Your Highness, regardless of which faction's support you have accepted, I will always be your subordinate."
Tang Shan patted his chest in assurance.
A sincere smile bloomed on Xue Qinghe's face. "Then the two of us are even. You didn't tell me your teacher is Grandmaster, and I didn't tell you that I received secret support from a major faction. It cancels out perfectly."
At this point, Miss Angel suddenly felt a bit guilty. After all, she was still concealing the earth-shaking secret of her identity, whereas to her, Tang Shan basically held no secrets anymore. That inexplicable sense of guilt was like threads quietly Binding around her heart.
Harboring the earth-shattering bombshell of "I am Grandmaster," Tang Shan agreed very readily. "Good, this way we can be considered to know each other inside and out. Our future interactions will surely be even more pleasant."
Hearing Tang Shan's open and straightforward words, Xue Qinghe felt even more uncomfortable inside, as if she had been pricked by a needle. The guilt brought by concealment intertwined with a care she was unwilling to admit to herself, forcing her to reluctantly find a topic. "That's right, since your teacher is Grandmaster, did he say whether his theories should continue to be published?"
Hearing Xue Qinghe's question, Tang Shan hesitated; this question from her really had him stumped.
Originally, he had intended to treat Grandmaster's identity as a one-off venture. The main purposes were to make money and to build a decent background and identity for himself. Once his Martial Soul awakened, there would be no need to maintain it further.
However, looking at it now, the influence of Grandmaster's identity somewhat exceeded his expectations. Coupled with the fact that he now had Miss Angel backing him and didn't need to fear the Pope suddenly blocking his door one day, this identity seemed worth continuing to Cultivate.
"Teacher didn't tell me about these matters either, but before his seclusion, he left me quite a few things. When the time comes, I'll go rummage through them to see if there are any instructions."
Tang Shan had not yet made a decision in his heart, so he could only temporarily brush past this question with vague words.
"Fine, I'm not in a rush, I'm just somewhat curious about Grandmaster's theories."
Xue Qinghe cast her gaze out the window, looking at the great sun positioned at the zenith of the sky, falling into a daze.
The carriage's speed slowly decreased before stopping in front of the prince's estate. Tang Shan jumped down from the carriage, followed closely by Xue Qinghe, and the two walked into the residence.
"Although I don't know what Dugu Bo wants with Grandmaster, there shouldn't be too much of a crisis. At that time, you will probably be the main one dealing with it. Rest assured, Senior will be guarding you in secret then; even if he goes mad, he won't be able to stir up any waves."
Xue Qinghe walked side by side with Tang Shan, recalling Dugu Bo's words before leaving the imperial garden, and spoke slowly.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. Although I don't know Dugu Bo's specific situation, my teacher once said that the Dugu Family's Cultivation seems to have certain flaws. His Excellency Dugu should be here to resolve these flaws."
Anyway, Grandmaster was just a vest identity; any obscure knowledge could simply be pushed onto Grandmaster.
In reality, Tang Shan was very clear about Dugu Bo's purpose—it was nothing more than solving the problem of his Family's generations being poisoned and dying young. This might just be an opportunity for him to approach that treasured land.
"Flaws in Cultivation? What specific flaws?"
Xue Qinghe was somewhat curious.
"I don't know. Teacher only said there were flaws, but didn't explain the specifics in detail. When His Excellency Dugu arrives, perhaps he will personally inform us."
Amidst their conversation, the two had already returned to the front of Tang Shan's small courtyard. Tang Shan pushed open the door and walked in. Xue Qinghe watched him enter, then waved her hand. "Then you rest for now; I've already sent people to prepare lunch. I still have matters to attend to, so I'll leave first."
"Alright."
Watching Xue Qinghe disappear at the end of the path, Tang Shan returned to his room and fell into deep thought.
The problem of Grandmaster's identity didn't need to be rushed to be solved; there was still plenty of time anyway. As for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, obtaining the Immortal Herb inside wouldn't be difficult. If worst came to worst, he could drag Gold Crocodile Douluo along to forcefully break in. Given his level of importance in the Hall of Worship at that time, getting two or three stalks wouldn't be a problem.
The main issue now was that he didn't recognize the Immortal Herb. In this regard, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan by Bibi Dong's side should have classics related to the Immortal Herb. However, Xue Qinghe and the Pope were currently at loggerheads like fire and water, so trying to get classics from Chrysanthemum Douluo's hands wouldn't be easy.
Right, I remember that in the original work, Yang Wudi recognized the Immortal Herb in Tang San's hands at a glance, which indicates that the Breaking Clan might also have classics in this regard. As for the colorful poison Xue Qinghe administered to Emperor Xue Ye in the original work, only Yang Wudi and Yang Wushuang of the Breaking Clan could concoct it. Since it wasn't concocted by Yang Wudi, it could only have been made by Yang Wushuang.
Yang Wushuang had a connection with Xue Qinghe and might also possess information on the Immortal Herb. This aspect could be probed through Xue Qinghe in the near future.
"You almost exposed yourself, didn't you?"
Gold Crocodile Douluo unhappily knocked on Xue Qinghe's head.
"Didn't I not expose myself yet?"
At this time, Xue Qinghe had returned to women's clothing. A cascade of gilded long hair hung naturally, with the tips of her hair shimmering with a faint holy halo. Her skin was fairer than snow, and between her brows and eyes, there was both the ethereal clarity after casting off the disguise of a prince and the natural nobility inherent to the angel's Bloodline. A dense, sacred aura of light overflowed from her entire body like substance—
Hearing Gold Crocodile Douluo's words, she couldn't help sticking out her tongue, devoid of the majesty she had during her disguise, revealing instead a bit of a young girl's playfulness.
"When the end comes, how will you explain it to him?"
Gold Crocodile Douluo looked at Xue Qinghe with a half-smile, issuing a fatal question.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it—"
Hearing the inquiry, Xue Qinghe suddenly felt somewhat melancholy, as if something had gently tugged at the bottom of her heart—
There was guilt toward Tang Shan, after all, she had been putting on a disguise from start to finish;
There was bewilderment toward this fake relationship—clearly, she had drawn him in for the sake of seizing power, yet she couldn't help caring about his attitude;
And there was a trace of reluctance to part that even she was unwilling to admit. Various emotions intertwined and surged, turning into an indescribable sourness that dimmed her eyes quite a bit.
Looking into Xue Qinghe's somewhat absent-minded and dazed eyes, Gold Crocodile Douluo shook his head inwardly: Forget it, let young people solve their own matters. Why should these old bones of mine meddle and worry for nothing? It's better to learn Internal Martial Arts from Tang Shan earlier and reach the ultimate level sooner. Who knows, perhaps I might even get to see how their subsequent development turns out.
"Alright, stop thinking so much. Today I went to take a look, and those major factions are certainly not being honest."
Gold Crocodile Douluo awakened Xue Qinghe from her deep contemplation; his eyes held the profoundness of one who saw through the ways of the world.
"Grandpa Gold Crocodile, what did you discover?"
Xue Qinghe reluctantly broke away from her complex emotions, looking somewhat curious.
"As far as I know, Ning Fengzhi's son with rather good talent is also at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Leaving aside Tang Shan as an accidental factor, plus Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan who are about to enroll, the entire Royal Academy already has top geniuses from three major factions."
"Grandpa, do you mean they want to join forces? Is this a preliminary negotiation?"
Xue Qinghe frowned. If these major factions joined forces, it could pose a huge obstacle to her plan.
"How could they join forces? The contention between the second and third sects under heaven is no child's play. How many interests are involved, and the grievances accumulated over many years are not so easily put down.
I reckon they must have also received information about Spirit Hall gathering the Golden Generation, and are probably joining forces specifically to snipe them. Breaking the reputation of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation would also be a blow to Spirit Hall's prestige."
"Using the Soul Master tournament alone to strike at the prestige of opposing factions, isn't that a bit childish?"
"This is no child's play. These major factions striking at Spirit Hall's prestige is incidental; their main goal is to snipe that Golden Generation. You should know their talents well, Xiaoxue. The leading three basically all have hopes of becoming a Titled Douluo, and the rest are at least saplings that can achieve a Soul Saint. There are also quite a few with talent sufficient to become a Soul Douluo. If the confidence of this generation is beaten away, it is at least equivalent to prematurely strangling future Soul Douluos, Soul Saints, and even Titled Douluos."
"Since the major factions have all prepared their manpower, what harm is there in me dispatching a general to them? Spirit Hall can be defeated, but it can only be defeated by the Heaven Dou Royal Academy under my guidance."
A trace of stern solemnity condensed on Xue Qinghe's exquisitely beautiful face. Burning flames danced in those brilliant eyes, and a sacred coercive pressure quietly permeated her surroundings. Behind her, a huge phantom of an angel statue loomed vaguely, the outlines of its wings edged with gold, carrying a naturally peerless aura that looked down upon the world.
"Alright, then you can act with peace of mind when the time comes without any misgivings. Grandpas will help you keep an eye on the Pope."
Gold Crocodile Douluo patted Xue Qinghe on the shoulder, then turned and left.
As he turned, a cruel and violent fierce light flashed past his eyes.
Bibi Dong, I hope you don't mess around. Don't think that we old fellows haven't noticed these little tricks you've pulled. The position of Holy Maiden can remain vacant, and it can be Xiaoxue, but besides her, absolutely no one else may sit in that position.
Nutritious food was digested and absorbed by Tang Shan, transforming into qi and blood surging within his body, scouring his limbs and bones like scalding magma. Over the past two days, his qi and blood had been in an explosive growth period.
After absorbing Tai Tan's left palm bone, his Physical Body strength, power, and speed had all doubled. It was just that the qi and blood within his body had not yet kept pace with the rhythm of his Physical Body's leap, and at this moment, it was frantically catching up at a speed visible to the naked eye, with every cycle of qi and blood nourishing his entire body.
Only when qi and blood reached a re-balance with his physical constitution would this rapidly increasing momentum come to a halt.
Furthermore, the divine benefits brought by the soaring physical constitution and surging qi and blood went far beyond this: during his daily Soul Power Cultivation, the silver-white light blooming around Tang Shan became increasingly blazing, and the speed of Soul Power circulation was three tenths faster than before. He estimated that even if he forcefully charged towards the silver-rank secondary Awakening at this moment, the success rate could still reach over fifty percent;
When Cultivating the Resonance Method after meals, not only could he persist longer—more than doubling his previous duration—but his Physical Body's tolerance threshold for the resonance force had also greatly increased. His development speed was several times faster than before, and with every breath, he could feel the growth of power within his body.
Sun rises and moon falls. On this day, the gates of the prince's estate were knocked upon.
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