Chapter 471: Imperial History Tower (7k2)

Chapter 471: Imperial History Tower (7k2)



After collecting all the Black Tortoise Demon Blood, Chen Mu carefully inspected the secret treasury once more.

He did not find any other hidden areas or the more precious 'Black Tortoise Heart Blood'. However, considering the rarity of the Heart Blood, it would be extremely effective for any Blood Replacement Realm cultivator. If one could gather the heart blood of several dozen Black Tortoises, it might even be possible to forcefully cultivate a 'Blood Refining Perfection' within an incomplete Blood Replacement system.

Of course, such a scenario was almost impossible. Even during the ancient times when demons roamed freely, it was unimaginable to find several dozen Black Tortoises, as they were Tenth Rank Peerless Heaven Demons. Their existence became even rarer in the more recent past.

Ji Hao's sweep across the realm, managing to slay a single Black Tortoise, was already a stroke of incredible luck.

After not discovering any other rare treasures, Chen Mu left the secret treasury, waving his sleeve to close the door. The formation sealed once more, trapping the remaining demonic aura within, and he proceeded towards the second secret treasury.

A buzzing sound emerged as he opened the treasury, and a surging demonic aura rushed towards him, carrying an overwhelming pressure that could cause even a Bone Marrow Washing Master to stiffen momentarily, feeling their hairs stand on end.

As expected, the treasury contained a blood pool, filled with vermilion demon blood shimmering with spiritual light.

Chen Mu was unfamiliar with this aura, but he maintained a calm demeanor as he stepped into the pool, briefly examining the energy within. After a short analysis, he understood the origin of this pool of demon blood.

White Tiger!

The demon blood placed in these three secret treasuries must be that of Tenth Rank Peerless Heaven Demons. Based on the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise armies, this treasury likely belonged to one of them.

Although Chen Mu had never seen Azure Dragon demon blood before, he had experienced their aura when he swept through the Azure Dragon Army. The energy within this blood pool was distinctly different, indicating it was not of the same kind.

As for the Vermillion Bird...

The Vermillion Bird was associated with fire and possessed a fiery nature. It should have been even more scorching than the Vermillion Dragon he had once slain, and its demon blood should have been more radiant. However, the nature of the demon blood in this pool was clearly not that of the Vermillion Bird.

Having eliminated the Vermillion Bird and Azure Dragon, the only remaining option was the White Tiger.

"White Tiger demon blood, huh."

Chen Mu's expression turned thoughtful as he once again retrieved the Heaven and Earth Vessel, continuing to collect the White Tiger demon blood. He glanced at the Elder Eunuch beside him and said, "These Heaven Demon blood should also be related to the cultivation of the soldiers in the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and the other armies."

"Yes," the Elder Eunuch replied respectfully. "Although eunuchs do not interfere with military affairs, I am aware of the cultivation methods used for the soldiers in the four armies. They do indeed use demon blood to temper their martial bodies, ensuring a stronger connection and compatibility in their blood energy."

Chen Mu nodded slightly.

He had felt this connection between the soldiers in the Azure Dragon Army when he had swept through them. Their auras were far more interconnected than the Jade Prefecture Jade Forest Army, which he had studied extensively.

At the time, he hadn't paid it much attention, assuming that the Azure Dragon Army was simply more elite. However, it now seemed likely that the use of demon blood in their cultivation was the reason for this tight connection.

The White Tiger and Black Tortoise demon blood were indeed terrifying, and Tenth Rank demon blood was far beyond what ordinary people could withstand. Even a Martial Body Grandmaster would need to be cautious when refining a single drop, and direct immersion in the pool could lead to bodily explosion. However, if the blood were gradually diluted, it would not pose a significant problem.

By selecting individuals with suitable aptitudes and starting their cultivation from Skin Forging, using a specialized cultivation method centered around demon blood resources, and progressing through the stages, one could reach Bone Forging. This would result in a tight connection between the cultivators, making them highly compatible with the corresponding heavy armor of the Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and other armies. When forming battle formations, they would be seamless.

The million-strong Azure Dragon Army was formidable, and even Heaven and Man Masters relied on their perception and high mobility to confront them. Even with the legendary Sky Earth Vessel, forming a battle formation to trap them would be challenging. Therefore, the ability to easily charge through the army, sweep through thousands of soldiers, and behead the commander, defeating the entire army, was a feat achievable by none other than Chen Mu in the entire realm!

Soon, Chen Mu had collected all the White Tiger demon blood.

Despite the spacious interior of the Heaven and Earth Vessel, the vast amount of Black Tortoise and White Tiger demon blood already occupied a significant portion. Adding another pool of demon blood would likely exceed its capacity.

After assessing the remaining space in the vessel, Chen Mu didn't hesitate. He left the White Tiger treasury and headed straight for the final secret treasury, the third one. As he pushed it open, the interior revealed a demon blood pool.

This time, Chen Mu immediately recognized the aura of the blood pool.

"Azure Dragon demon blood," Chen Mu said, standing beside the pool. He scanned the treasury and confirmed that it indeed contained only this pool of Azure Dragon demon blood. "As rumored, the Vermillion Bird Army is the weakest of the four armies, and it seems there's a reason for that. Their foundation might not be based on Vermillion Bird demon blood."

The Elder Eunuch, following behind Chen Mu, spoke respectfully, "Yes, among the four armies, only the Vermillion Bird Army is not cultivated using Vermillion Bird demon blood. During the Great Emperor's sweep across the realm, he searched the entire realm but couldn't find a Vermillion Bird Heaven Demon. Thus, they had to make do with a Heaven Demon Phoenix Bird to fill the gap, completing the Vermillion Bird Army."

"However, the Vermillion Bird Army is swift and possesses unique spirit armaments. Their soldiers can fly through the sky, and although they are the weakest of the four armies, they have their distinct strengths."

As a eunuch of the Grand Court, and with his martial cultivation reaching the Grandmaster level, he naturally knew many of the court's secrets.

Chen Mu nodded slightly after listening.

It was normal for the Vermilion Bird to be hard to find, and with the Celestial Monster's Phoenix blood as a base, it was normal for it to be slightly weaker than other soldiers, but in the case of wielding some special spirit armaments, it could make a portion of the soldiers fly and descend, with divine armaments descending from the heavens, it was also normal to make up for some of the shortcomings, and it was not surprising that it was not much different from the Vermilion Bird army he knew.

The Phoenix blood of the heavenly monster was only ninth-rank, its value was not enough, and often one was far from enough, requiring more quantity, it was not surprising that it was not placed in the Ji Clan's clan treasury, and Chen Mu threw it to the back of his mind.

If it were the Vermilion Bird's blood, it would have a great effect on him, but if it were just the ninth-rank heavenly monster's blood, it would basically have no effect on him now, it could be said that the martial blood flowing in his body was far purer than the ninth-rank heavenly monster, and even more refined and pure than the tenth-rank heavenly monster's blood!

Swoosh.

Chen Mu once again threw out the Sky Earth Vessel.

After about a moment, the last pool of Azure Dragon blood was also collected by him.

The three blood pools of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise, among which the stored demonic blood, less than enough to cultivate several generations of millions of soldiers, but now that he has taken away this foundation and essence, in the future, it won't take long before it is completely destroyed.

A thought came to mind.

Looking at the empty blood pool, Chen Mu couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

A thousand-year-old dynasty will eventually decay, a thousand-year-old family will eventually turn to dust, a sweeping army of a hundred battles will also one day perish in the world, leaving only a mark in history, the heavenly path of reincarnation, nothing in this world can last forever.

How to achieve immortality?

How to transcend heaven and earth?

Only through a thousand hammers and a hundred temperings of the indestructible body, the heart that harmonizes with heaven and earth, a mind that has gone through a hundred tribulations and is indestructible, combining the one and only, then one can transcend this world and embark on a path towards the godly realm!

"It's time to get going."

Chen Mu spoke to himself.

Despite his young age, his vigorous blood, which could last a thousand years without aging, far surpassing any martial cultivator in longevity, comparable to those ancient heavenly monsters, but Chen Mu had a vague feeling in his heart.

It's time to hurry.

It's time to get going.

He didn't know why he had this vague feeling, it was just there, and it was hard to see clearly, this vague feeling was somewhat like looking at flowers in a haze, but it was difficult to discern.

Why?

Is it because of this, that there is a certain degree of threat to this world since he is on the path to the godly realm, so the will of this world is giving him a certain degree of pressure? Or is it because of something else?

Chen Mu couldn't completely distinguish clearly for a while, this vague feeling was somewhat unclear, but since he wasn't planning on stopping and enjoying himself, but rather continuing to forge ahead.

Otherwise, with just a thought, he could take over the Great Xuan Court and replace it, changing heaven and earth, and taking the peak of power, or supporting someone else to ascend the throne, in the end, it was still necessary to pass by the court, for the court's existence, it didn't have too much of an impact, it was just a matter of changing masters.

As a court eunuch, from a young age, he was trained to be obedient.

"How's the situation over there?"

Chen Mu asked the eunuch who had hurried over.

The eunuch knelt on one knee and quickly replied, "Reporting to the adult, the court officials have all arrived, and figures from the Central Region's various sects have also arrived, but figures from other regions of the Capital Region are still not all here, some are still on their way."

"Hmm."

Chen Mu nodded and asked, "Where are the various forbidden places of the Great Xuan Court recorded?"

Since the people from the court weren't all there yet, then there was no need to rush over, in fact, he wasn't very interested in managing the Central Region, managing the Capital Region, or managing the Nine Regions, he wasn't very skilled in this path, in the past, he had also commanded a region, but more so, he had upheld the belief that those who are skilled in this path should manage, and he wasn't planning on stopping, enjoying himself, and then leaving, but rather continuing to forge ahead.

This wasn't difficult for him, it was just a matter of effort.

But since the people weren't all there yet, then there was no need to rush, there was still some time, now that the items of value in the Eastern and Western treasuries had basically all been collected by him, the Great Xuan Court and the Ji Clan's thousand-year foundation had all fallen into his hands, the remaining items in the court that interested him, were just the records of the various secrets of the world.

For instance, matters concerning the outer seas and the Abyss, as well as the Great Wilderness and ancient events before the Primordial Era.

Nowadays, Chen Mu has already explored the Abyss and the outer seas, not completely covering every inch, but he is well-informed about many things. He has only heard one-sided information about the Great Wilderness and has never set foot there.

According to what he knows now, the existence of the Great Wilderness is very special. Take, for example, the secret method of soul fusion and aperture snatching that Ji Yongzhao once obtained, or Ji Xuanfei's 'Art of Weapon Control', and the Great Wilderness Artifact 'Divine Pearl' that Yang Qingshan once used—all of these are incredibly mysterious. Not to mention the intelligence and information about the Divine Realm, which first came from the Great Wilderness.

Although the current Chen Mu is unlikely to explore the Great Wilderness before fully digesting the resources he has gained, it seems inevitable that he will have to venture there in the future. The court should have more detailed information about the Great Wilderness, and this is what he needs.

"Your Excellency, the place you mentioned should be the secret treasury within the Imperial History Tower."

The eunuch respectfully replied.

"Go and inform the people in the Front Hall. Once everyone from the various forces has arrived, I will go there myself."

After hearing this, Chen Mu first instructed the eunuch kneeling before him, then turned his gaze to the grandmaster eunuch following behind him, "Go to the Imperial History Tower, and you will guide the way."

"Yes."

The two eunuchs respectfully acknowledged, one heading towards the Front Hall, and the other bowing and leading the way, guiding Chen Mu out of the ruins of the White Jade Square and around the imperial gardens to a region located on the western side of the Imperial City.

In this place, the tall walls made of green stones seemed to have withstood the impact of Chen Mu's previous battle in the Imperial City, showing little damage. It was also one of the most important locations of the Great Xuan Court.

"Your Excellency, this is the West Hall, divided into the front, middle, and rear halls. The front hall is the Government Hall, the middle hall is the Historian's Academy, and the rear hall is the Imperial History Tower. The place you are looking for should be inside the rear hall."

The leading eunuch spoke respectfully as he walked and introduced the place to Chen Mu.

At this moment, inside the Government Hall, the atmosphere was in stark contrast to the chaotic Imperial City. Instead, it was a scene of leisure. Upon entering the spacious courtyard, one could even see two officials in their robes sitting and drinking tea.

"I heard that the esteemed one is summoning ministers to the Front Hall and has ordered all forces to participate. I wonder what the final plan will be. After today, the Great Xuan Empire will probably have to change its name to the Chen Empire."

"That's not necessarily true."

The other official shook his head slightly, "That person's martial arts are unparalleled, transcending the world. Who knows if they would even care about secular authority..."

"That's true. But regardless, it doesn't concern us. Whether it's serving the Ji Clan or the Chen family, we are serving the empire. We'll just follow the orders from above. Right now, we have this rare moment of leisure, so let's enjoy some tea."

The official sitting opposite nodded and smiled, raising his teacup.

The Government Hall was not a place for handling political affairs but rather a place where court orders formulated by the Cabinet and the Secretariat were organized and disseminated to various institutions. It was responsible for the middle ground, ensuring smooth operations. As a result, it was usually extremely busy, with no spare time, and held no real power, only executing orders from above.

The officials here were indifferent to who was in charge of the court. Whether it was the previous emperor, Ji Yongzhao, or the late emperor, Ji Xuanfei, it made no difference. They simply followed the orders passed down.

Now, with the arrival of an unparalleled mighty warrior who had single-handedly swept through the Imperial City and suppressed the entire Great Xuan Court, the court orders had completely ceased, giving them a rare moment of leisure.

As for how the court situation would change afterward, they had no interest in finding out. At most, it would just be a change in leadership.

At this moment, the courtyard of the Government Hall was filled with officials enjoying their free time.

When the eunuch led Chen Mu through the main entrance of the Government Hall, the numerous officials inside momentarily froze. Some immediately recognized the grandmaster eunuch's identity—a court eunuch with some power—while others looked towards Chen Mu, feeling that he was unfamiliar yet somehow familiar. They all stood in a daze.

"Chen..."

But this was, after all, the Government Hall, and even though many officials were not proficient in martial arts, they were well-informed. Some had seen Chen Mu's portraits countless times, and with a powerful court eunuch respectfully leading the way, his identity was undoubtedly correct. They quickly recognized him, and their eyes widened in surprise.

The two officials closest to Chen Mu, who had been drinking tea, were flustered and hurriedly stood up to pay their respects. However, after the salute, they were unsure how to address Chen Mu, and for a moment, they were in disarray.

"Chen, Chen Your Excellency..."

The officials in the courtyard quickly knelt down.

Although they were unsure how to respectfully address Chen Mu, they all knew that this young-looking man was the unparalleled mighty warrior who had swept through the Imperial City. They understood that the future of the empire would be in his hands, whether he intended to become an emperor or not, making him an even more revered figure than the previous emperors of the Great Xuan Empire!

His martial prowess surpassed all others, and his status had naturally risen above everyone else.

Chen Mu looked at the officials kneeling before him with a calm expression, not saying much as he walked straight into the Government Hall. He passed through and headed towards the deeper Historian's Academy.

The Grandmaster Eunuch who accompanied Chen Mu, also remained silent, merely glancing at the many officials kneeling on the ground. Seeing no one acting rudely before Chen Mu, he restrained his gaze and continued to follow Chen Mu with a bowed posture.

Until Chen Mu's figure disappeared from sight.

The officials, still kneeling on the ground, exchanged glances with each other, and they could all see the tension in each other's eyes. Some of them were already drenched in cold sweat.

Although Chen Mu did not display any aura of intimidation, his current status was far beyond what it used to be. Even just the mention of his name was enough to make people tremble. In the eyes of these Government Hall officials, Chen Mu was both a peerless martial saint who swept through the Capital City single-handedly and an unprecedented formidable individual. None dared to show even a hint of disrespect.

"A heroic genius, an unparalleled martial saint."

After Chen Mu left, it was a long while before one of the officials finally took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The name Chen Mu had long been known to everyone like thunder. In just one day, he swept through the Capital City, and within half a month, his name would likely spread throughout the Great Xuan realm. One could say that in the entire world, there was hardly anyone who did not know of him.

However, when they thought of Chen Mu's age, not yet forty years old, and not having reached the age of forty, many of them couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration. Some of the older officials had children who were around the same age.

Among the eight princes in the court, the youngest was still over ten years older than Chen Mu.

In the current era, among those who stood at the pinnacle of power or martial prowess, Chen Mu was undoubtedly considered young. But in the present world, there was probably not a single person who would dare to look down on Chen Mu because of his age. He was a heroic genius created by the times, an unparalleled martial saint!

In the future, how the world would change over the next few centuries would all depend on his thoughts.

...

Chen Mu paid no attention to the numerous officials in the Government Hall. As he passed through the Historian's Academy, many officials there also recognized him and bowed respectfully, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

He strode across the Government Hall and through the Historian's Academy, arriving at the Imperial History Tower located at the very back.

The Imperial History Tower was a tall, tower-like building with only three levels from bottom to top, but each level was built extremely high, making the entire structure appear grand and majestic.

At this moment, court guards were still on duty outside the Imperial History Tower. However, upon seeing Chen Mu's arrival, they all looked at each other, unsure of how to react for a moment.

Before Chen Mu could make any move, the Grandmaster Eunuch accompanying him frowned and scolded, "How dare you! Chen Excellency is here, and you still don't pay your respects!"

These guards, who were only responsible for guarding the Imperial History Tower, obviously didn't have the quick wits of the officials outside. Even at this moment, they hadn't realized who held the power in the Great Xuan Court.

After the Eunuch's rebuke, the guards guarding the Imperial History Tower finally reacted. They quickly split into two rows, kneeling on one knee and bowing to Chen Mu, each offering their greetings: "Imperial History Tower guards pay respects to the Excellency."

At this moment, as they bowed, the guards realized their previous rudeness. Although they followed the court's regulations and guarded this place, only those carrying the Emperor's decree could enter. But now, with the entire royal family suppressed by Chen Mu, the decree had become mere scraps of paper.

Chen Mu's expression remained calm, and he naturally wouldn't make things difficult for these guards. He didn't even pay attention to them and strode forward, entering the Imperial History Tower.

"Imperial History Tower Deputy Guardian, Li Shouxuan, pays respects to Excellency Chen."

An Eunuch from within the Imperial History Tower quickly approached and bowed respectfully, also a Bone Marrow Washing Master.

Chen Mu got straight to the point, "Where are the various secrets and intelligence regarding the outer seas, the Abyssal Depths, and the Great Wilderness recorded?"

"Your Excellency, they are all in the restricted area on the third floor," Li Shouxuan replied cautiously.

"Lead the way."

"Yes."

Hearing Chen Mu's instructions, Li Shouxuan promptly guided him to the third floor of the Imperial History Tower. He soon led Chen Mu to the deepest part of the third floor, where the restricted area was located. Then, he carefully explained, "Your Excellency, this restricted area has a special formation array, and even Blood Replacement Realm experts would find it difficult to break through instantly. Forcing entry would also cause the internal documents to be destroyed. Normally, one must have the Emperor's decree and a special 'Formation Seal' to enter."

As the restricted area of the Imperial History Tower, the internal documents stored here were all highly confidential information of the Great Xuan realm, concerning the outer seas, the Abyssal Depths, and even possibly the Divine Realm. Although the security wasn't as tight as the royal treasury or the Ji Clan treasury, which were directly guarded by the Heaven and Earth Vessel in the White Jade Square, the security here was still stringent.

Chen Mu approached, his gaze sweeping over the intricate patterns carved on the jade plates. He could immediately tell that breaking through the formation instantly would be challenging, even for a Heaven and Man Master. While a Heaven and Man Master could destroy the formation by force, it would also damage the internal documents. If one wanted to preserve the contents, it would require some time.

This was the heavily guarded Imperial City, and if a regular Heaven and Man Master dared to forcibly break in, the Heaven and Earth Vessel's formation would activate, spreading and covering this area. The royal experts would then act, and even a Heaven and Man Master would have a hard time escaping, risking their lives here.

However, for Chen Mu, breaking this formation was not a difficult task. To avoid any mishaps, he carefully analyzed it, taking a bit of time before making his move and dismantling the formation.

As the spiritual energy within the formation dimmed, the restricted area, surrounded by white jade plates and almost entirely constructed of white jade, opened up to Chen Mu. It revealed several exquisite wooden racks and scrolls made from Demon King hides, which were extraordinary and could remain undamaged for tens of thousands of years.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end