Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 723: Chapter 719: Inheritance

Chu Honglin looked at him, puzzled.

Chu Hongming said, ”Fifteenth brother, the affairs of the Court and the Outer Realm Battlefield are not the same; it’s not simply a matter of fighting.”

”How is it different?” Chu Honglin said, ”Isn’t it all about power and survival of the fittest?”

”It’s not that simple,” Chu Hongming shook his head and said, ”The most unpredictable thing in the world is the human heart, and within the Court, everyone’s thoughts are ever-changing.”

Chu Honglin was still unconvinced, ”When the Elder Brother speaks, would they dare not listen?”

”But how does the Elder Brother make decisions?” Chu Hongming said, ”What does he base his decisions on?”

Chu Honglin said, ”The Elder Brother is quite wise.”

”The Elder Brother is wise, but when everything he hears and sees is what others want him to hear and see?” Chu Hongming said slowly, ”The same event can be told differently by different people.”

Chu Honglin furrowed his brows, thoughtful.

Chu Hongming said, ”The Elder Brother’s judgment is based on the reports from the Outer Court Guard and Inspection Department, but do these people have no selfish motives? Is what they report truly the facts?”

Chu Honglin said, ”Does this mean the Elder Brother is deceived all day long?”

”The Elder Brother must first judge the truth of their information, their personal motives, then compare them to one another, and then analyze the interests of each important minister, to understand what they truly want... In short, it’s not simply straightforward fighting.”

”That’s exhausting,” Chu Honglin shook his head.

Chu Hongming said, ”If the Elder Brother is like this, even more so for us as ministers.”

Chu Honglin sighed, ”Fifth Brother, it seems I’m not suited for life in the Court.”

”Fifteenth brother, you are not a foolish person; take your time. After all, we are Princes, and that’s already good enough,” Chu Hongming smiled, ”If it’s really not possible, you could take a leisurely position at Great Bright Peak, teaching them martial arts, that’s not bad either.”

”Yes, that’s true.”

As they chatted idly, they watched Chu Zhiyuan enter the painting boat.

A moment later, when Chu Zhiyuan drifted out, the painting boat was slowly sinking, eventually tilting and sinking.

The slowly sinking painting boat formed a huge whirlpool on the river surface.

As the whirlpool slowly disappeared, the river returned to calm, shimmering under the moonlight.

Suspended in mid-air, Chu Zhiyuan watched the boat sink, then drifted back to the shore, landing in front of the two.

He looked at Yu Jizu and Huang Jinfu on the ground: ”Fifth Uncle, Fifteenth Uncle, can these two be interrogated?”

Chu Hongming said, ”Don’t mention those two cultivating demonic skills, even if they were from the Demon Clan, they would still confess when under the Observatory.”

Chu Zhiyuan asked curiously, ”Is there a special method or a Spiritual Artifact?”

”Indeed, it is a kind of Spiritual Artifact,” Chu Hongming chuckled, looking at Mr. Zhu and the other two.

Mr. Zhu said, ”The Heart Mirror; anyone who is shone by it involuntarily spills out the truth, unable to hold it back.”

”Such a treasure?” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Does everyone have to speak the truth?”

”Yes,” Mr. Zhu said solemnly, ”Unless one has become a Spirit Venerable.”

”What about Father?” Chu Zhiyuan snorted, ”Would he also have to speak the truth in front of this Heart Mirror?”

”The Emperor is protected by the Light Crown, unaffected by the Heart Mirror,”

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”That’s good.”

His heart stirred slightly.

Indeed, there is a Light Crown.

It seems the Light Crown of Ancestor Chu Chunhan is not a myth but a reality.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered, ”Such an artifact, isn’t it capable of discerning true intentions? Why haven’t I heard that Father used it well?”

To be able to see through people’s hearts would be invaluable for the Emperor.

How could one resist such temptation?

Chu Hongming said, ”This Heart Mirror comes with a price and can’t be easily activated.”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”I see... Alright, then we’ll await their information.”

He wasn’t keen on seeing this Heart Mirror.

If it could truly make him speak the truth, wouldn’t that directly reveal his biggest secret?

——

Chu Zhiyuan sat on his bed, holding a Seven-colored Pearl.

This was found on the painting boat.

It was a Soul Pearl.

Besides the Demon Clan, perhaps in this world only he possessed such a pearl.

Yet it appeared on this very painting boat in the hands of these Demon Sect experts.

This puzzled him.

It was unlikely to be bestowed by the Demon Clan.

No matter how much the Demon Clan wanted to recruit these people, they wouldn’t bestow a Soul Pearl.

The Demon Clan inherently looks down upon and despises humans.

Even when employing members of the Demon Sect, they treat them as servants and would not deal with them as equals, much less grant them a Soul Pearl.

So how did they acquire this Soul Pearl?

Could it be that the Demon Sect is not subordinate to the Demon Clan and does not work for them?

He had previously been confident in his assessment, but now because of this Soul Pearl, he began to doubt whether his previous judgment was wrong.

He shook his head.

Things had become complicated.

Thinking it over, he decided to attempt refining it, to discover what was unique about this Soul Pearl.

...

After one cup of tea, Chu Zhiyuan stared intently at the Seven-colored Pearl before him.

It shouldn’t be called the Heavenly Demon Soul Pearl; it’s merely a Soul Pearl in appearance, but more like a Soul Enlightenment Pearl in essence.

Yet it’s also not a Soul Enlightenment Pearl.

It seems more like a special wondrous pearl formed by combining a Soul Pearl and a Soul Enlightenment Pearl.

Chu Zhiyuan discovered the prowess of the Demon Sect through this pearl.

They had actually glimpsed the essence of the Demon Clan: the method to solidify Soul Pearls and refine Soul Enlightenment Pearls.

This is one of the Demon Clan’s most core secrets, one of its most concealed inheritances.

That the Demon Sect had managed to gain insight into even a fraction of it.

Unlike the Demon Clan, they cannot solidify Soul Pearls, and cannot fully concentrate a soul within.

Nor can they consolidate other people’s souls and martial arts experiences within a pearl.

Instead, they condense their own cultivation within it.

Through a unique method, future generations can inherit the cultivation within this Demon Pearl.

This cultivation is not merely True Yuan, but also includes insights into martial arts.

Chu Zhiyuan thought that this method could rapidly nurture top-tier experts.

Through this pearl, one can absorb cultivation and martial arts experience, quickly raising cultivation to the pearl owner’s realm.

The weakness is that it’s difficult to further advance, but the advantage is rapid improvement.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered, but did not have the thought of absorbing it.

This demon technique seemed not to attract him at all; he only observed it without the intention to practice.

If the Demon Sect possesses such a method of inheritance, then indeed, the Demon Sect is quite formidable.

...

At noon, Chu Zhiyuan and Chu Honglin basked in the sunlight at Qingfeng Cliff.

”They confessed,” Chu Honglin’s face darkened, ”They were indeed planning to assassinate me.”

”Then how did they know it was Fifteenth Uncle who pushed the investigation?”

”They learned from some courtiers discussing it, overheard at a restaurant.”

Chu Zhiyuan immediately fell silent.

After court, or after work, inviting a few friends for drinks at a restaurant is a favorite pastime for courtiers.

His information had been leaked.

”The key issue is not how it was leaked, but their audacity,” Chu Honglin sneered, ”They dare talk about killing a Prince just like that.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”No evidence of the Demon Clan?”

Chu Honglin shook his head.

”What about gathering information?” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”They’re gathering information for the Demon Clan, right?”

”They don’t know.” Chu Honglin said, ”The Demon Sect and Demon Sect have established Qianji Tower for selling information, but who bought the information remains unknown.”

”Not the Demon Sect?” Chu Zhiyuan furrowed his brows.

Chu Honglin said, ”If the Demon Clan bought information from Qianji Tower, they wouldn’t know.”

Chu Zhiyuan pondered and shook his head, ”Actually, it’s them!”