Chapter 164 - 163: Taking Control of the Ministry of War

Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Taking Control of the Ministry of War

The moon was hidden and the stars were gone. As was his custom, Xia Wuyang first disguised his appearance, then donned a face-concealing Cloak. Only with this double layer of protection did he finally leave the Imperial Palace.

He slipped silently toward the residence of the Minister of War, Jiang Mingyuan. The place was heavily guarded, with overt and covert sentries posted everywhere. Furthermore, several Upper Third Grade Martial Artists stood watch, making it virtually impenetrable.

Its defenses were hardly inferior to those of the Imperial Palace. It was a testament to the Minister of War, a titan who commanded the nation’s army of nearly a million soldiers and one of Emperor Xia’s most trusted officials.

However, in the face of his Extraordinary Level Spiritual Power, these defenses were as good as nonexistent. He passed through them with ease and found Jiang Mingyuan in his study, still attending to military affairs.

The Minister of War was over two hundred years old, his temples already flecked with gray. His cultivation was unfathomably deep, having shockingly reached the Super Grade Late Stage.

If he could break through to Super Grade Perfection, he would have a chance to perceive the right moment and ascend to the Extraordinary Realm.

His strength was impressive, but to Xia Wuyang, it was nothing at all.

Approaching without a sound, Xia Wuyang directly activated his Companion Talent: Spiritual Chains. Bolstered by his Extraordinary Level Spiritual Power, Jiang Mingyuan—who possessed no Spiritual Object to protect his own Spiritual Power—was almost completely defenseless.

"Nngh..."

Jiang Mingyuan let out a muffled grunt. He reacted with extreme speed, circulating his Cultivation Technique to resist the very instant he sensed danger, but it was to no avail.

Before his resistance could even take effect, the Spiritual Chains had already locked tightly around his Soul, and by extension, his entire Sea of Consciousness.

Empowered by his Companion Talent Tree Deep Roots, his Spiritual Power had grown to an astonishingly profound level, making the effect of his Spiritual Chains all the more terrifying.

Even this Super Grade Late Stage Celestial Human was pathetically weak before him.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Mingyuan’s gaze turned vacant. Xia Wuyang led him into a secret chamber in the study and began his "instruction."

"Go. Kill the one you love most!"

Once the command was given, despite his complete unwillingness, despite his mind remaining perfectly clear, Jiang Mingyuan found he could not control his own body. He turned and started walking outside.

However, Xia Wuyang quickly called him back. After some "instruction," Jiang Mingyuan understood the terrifying power of the Spiritual Chains. He knelt obediently on the floor and said, "Lord Emperor, whatever you command, this old servant will obey without question."

In Jiang Mingyuan’s heart, his clan came first. Next were Emperor Xia and the Royal Family, followed by his own wives and children. His loyalty to Emperor Xia was still considerable, so it was no wonder he had become the Minister of War, in command of an army over a million strong.

But all of that was irrelevant in the face of Xia Wuyang and his Companion Talent, Spiritual Chains. ℴ

After a round of questioning, Xia Wuyang quickly obtained the information he wanted.

The Thousand-year-old Glazed Fruit was indeed in Jiang Mingyuan’s possession, hidden in a nearby Secret Vault. Moreover, Jiang Mingyuan also knew Song Yuyan’s general whereabouts. She was currently hiding in a district in the south of the city, her injuries still quite severe.

Beyond his control of the army, Jiang Mingyuan also commanded numerous Gangs and Sects, forming a vast network of influence.

Under Jiang Mingyuan’s guidance, Xia Wuyang entered the nearby Secret Vault. The treasures stored within left even him somewhat astonished.

In addition to the Thousand-year-old Glazed Fruit, there were several Middle-Low Level Miracle Treasures. There had once been High Level Miracle Treasures as well, but Jiang Mingyuan had already consumed them.

These Miracle Treasures were, of course, all Mortal Treasures. They could be further classified as Middle-Low Level Mortal Treasures or High Level Mortal Treasures to distinguish them from Spirit Level Miracle Treasures.

Miracle Treasures are generally divided into three types: Ordinary, Special, and Breakthrough. Ordinary Miracle Treasures, of course, are those Xia Wuyang used to drastically raise his Cultivation Realm, such as blood ginseng, Monkey Wine, Blood Lotus Fruit, and Celestial Water Essence...

Special Miracle Treasures are those exceptionally rare items capable of improving one’s Talent and Qualification, such as the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit Xia Wuyang previously consumed, or the Jade Marrow Reishi in the Inner Treasury.

Breakthrough Miracle Treasures, as the name implies, assist in breaking through cultivation bottlenecks. They don’t just help with advancing between minor realms, but rather assist in breaking through an entire stage of cultivation. For example, a treasure that helps one break through the Qi Refining Stage, or even higher stages, is worthy of being called a Breakthrough Miracle Treasure.

Xia Wuyang had consumed both Ordinary and Special Miracle Treasures before. But as for Breakthrough Miracle Treasures, let alone consuming one, he had never even seen one. In some respects, their value surpassed that of both Ordinary and Special Miracle Treasures.

To distinguish between Mortal Level Miracle Treasures and Spirit Level Miracle Treasures, some high-level Martial Artists simply refer to them as Mortal Treasures and Spirit Treasures, respectively.

Ordinary Mortal Treasures, Special Mortal Treasures, Breakthrough Mortal Treasures, Ordinary Spirit Treasures, Special Spirit Treasures, and Breaking-Through Spirit Treasures—within their respective Level of resources, these are always the most valuable.

Continuing his sweep of the vault, he found piles of rare medicinal ingredients. Most were High Level or better mortal herbs and medicines, as well as Mortal Pills. Many of them would be useful for his Cultivation, especially the Top Level Mortal Elixir and Medicine, which he would be able to use very soon.

The vault also held a treasured collection of tomes on Cultivation Techniques, Combat Techniques, and Secret Techniques, some of which could serve as a useful reference for Xia Wuyang.

After plundering the vault, his gains were more than bountiful. He had truly made a massive haul.

’As expected of the Minister of War, one of the most powerful officials in the Great Xia Dynasty,’ Xia Wuyang mused. ’Leveraging the forces under his command and the influence of his clan, he really has acquired quite a few treasures over the years.’

After plundering the resources and treasures, Xia Wuyang instructed Jiang Mingyuan to provide him with timely information and handle certain matters in the future. He then left the Minister’s residence and headed toward Song Yuyan’s approximate location.

Jiang Mingyuan didn’t know her exact location, only the general area. Upon arriving, Xia Wuyang immediately unleashed his Extraordinary Level Spiritual Power, bringing a radius of nearly three hundred meters completely within his perception.

The area was not large, and in just a few short minutes, he had found Song Yuyan.

As he approached, he felt a complex wave of emotion. Decades ago, back when he was still the high-spirited Crown Prince, the two of them had been inseparable. They were deeply in love, and together they had run the vast Crown Prince’s Mansion so perfectly that it was impervious to any intrigue.

But alas, after he was deposed, it was as if a wire had come loose in his head. He had made so many mistakes and hurt so many people who were close to him.

He could make plenty of excuses for himself, of course. He had suddenly suffered a great calamity, and soon after, even the Empress Mother who doted on him most had met with disaster. But none of that changed the fact that he had hurt those closest to him. The harm was done. If he could atone for it, he naturally had to try.

But some things could not be undone. For instance, the deaths of the Qinhuai Building disciples. Xia Wuyang felt a deep sense of shame over them.

"Sigh..."

He sighed, then walked into a ruined temple. Song Yuyan was inside, hiding and nursing her wounds.