Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor
Chapter 358: Three hundred and fifty-eight: The Crown Prince’s Thoughts

Chapter 358: Three hundred and fifty-eight: The Crown Prince’s Thoughts

This is another special effect of the Yin Light Devouring Energy Worm, which is to regurgitate the Meridian Qi or other alien energies it has devoured and nourish its master with them.

Although Yun Xiao is not the master of this Yin Light Devouring Energy Worm, he possesses some special and overpowering techniques. After all, as the formidable Long Xiao Battle God, it would be truly disgraceful if he couldn’t handle a mere worm.

Under the effect of Yun Xiao’s special techniques, the Yin Light Devouring Energy Worm had no chance to resist and obediently vomited out the energy within its body, turning it into nourishment for Yun Xiao’s Meridian Qi.

Soon, three more days passed. As dawn broke on this day, Xuan Jing, as if sensing something, lifted his head and perceived the disordered aura in the air, his face couldn’t help but show delight.

Speaking of which, this was already the second time within seven days that a breakthrough aura had appeared in this room, but this time, it was emanating from Yun Xiao.

Hu... Hu...

In just a few breaths of time, Yun Xiao’s cultivation surged like a river through a channel, breaking through from the Meridian Rushing Realm Late Stage to the Peak of Meridian Rushing Realm, taking another firm step on the path of cultivation.

"Feels good!"

Having completed his breakthrough, Yun Xiao finally leapt up from the bed, feeling the force within his body that had more than doubled, he clenched his fists in satisfaction, and as he turned his head, he immediately saw a familiar face.

"Brother Yun Xiao, congratulations!"

Xuan Jing was naturally very happy. With this event, the relationship between him and Yun Xiao seemed to have advanced further, markedly different from when they were in the Northwest of the Empire.

"Yun Xiao?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but stand startled before reaching out to touch his face, realizing where the problem lay. The facial disguise he had used was completely washed off.

Being in the Imperial Palace, either Xuan Jing or Consort Su would naturally call for a maid to clean up Yun Xiao’s face if they saw it washed to a mess, not to mention that Consort Su was truly given a huge fright at the time.

Consort Su originally thought this was Mister Bo Ku, a senior who had lived for decades, only to find out it was actually a youth of merely sixteen or seventeen years old, and this youth looked vaguely familiar.

Of course, Consort Su had seen portraits of Yun Xiao before but she didn’t obsess over it like Xuan Haoran did. She only knew that Yun Xiao was the lifesaver of her precious son.

At this moment, Xuan Jing, already informed by his mother about the events that had transpired, saw Yun Xiao’s expression, immediately laughed, and said: "Mister Bo Ku... your courage is truly extraordinary!"

Hearing Xuan Jing put it this way, Yun Xiao understood the previous events. This Second Prince already knew, and with a carefree spread of his hands, he said, "I saved you, so the King shouldn’t be calling for my head anymore, right?"

"Hehe, you do see clearly!"

Xuan Jing smiled once more, then said, "Don’t worry, Father has already revoked the Xuan Kill Order against you, and he said that once you wake up, he wants to hold a banquet specially to thank you!"

"Oh? A special banquet?" A sharp light flashed in Yun Xiao’s eyes as he said meaningfully, "The King may be sincere, but that Crown Prince probably hates me to the bone by now, doesn’t he?"

"The Crown Prince..."

Hearing Yun Xiao mention this title, a flash of hatred crossed the depths of Xuan Jing’s eyes as he continued, "It seems that all of this was indeed orchestrated by my esteemed older brother. Humph, I, Xuan Jing, am not so easily bullied. I will definitely claim this debt from you."

At this moment, Xuan Jing seemed to have shed any lingering reservations he had about that outstanding and brilliant Crown Prince, for he knew that he had unlocked his governor and conception vessels, and his cultivation speed might soon surpass that of Xuan Jiuding.

Although Xuan Jing is a carefree person, being repeatedly manipulated by Xuan Jiuding and even facing death because of him, even a clay figure would have its temper, let alone a Prince of the Nation.

Perhaps from the moment Xuan Jing regained consciousness, he had decided to struggle against the Crown Prince for life and death. In the treacherous Imperial Palace, unless one becomes the supremely esteemed person, one is doomed to be forever subordinate to others.

"Since you know, then I won’t say more. If there’s anything you need help with, just come to me!"

Yun Xiao patted Xuan Jing’s shoulder, empathizing with him. Recalling the days when he was in the Shang Family, wasn’t he also suppressed by those of the family? But evil begets evil, and the entire Shang Family had been annihilated.

Upon hearing the words, Xuan Jing simply nodded his head without saying much more. Perhaps in his heart, though Yun Xiao had broken through to the Peak of Meridian Rushing Realm, his help was still likely limited.

The royal family’s intense struggle consumed all aspects of life. Yun Xiao was always an outsider, and both his Meridian Qi Cultivation and his Meridian Refining Technique were insufficient to catch the attention of the powerful members of the Royal Family who were in the Spirit Vein Realm.

Even in the hearts of Xuan Haoran or Xuan Jing, Yun Xiao’s ability to identify the Yin Light Devouring Energy Worm and to open up the governor and conception vessels was just a fluke. This youngster was, after all, only sixteen or seventeen years old.

But the biggest reason was that Xuan Jing was rather reluctant to drag Yun Xiao into this quagmire, knowing well the throne’s struggle involved blatant attacks and sinister schemes. A single misstep could spell irreversible doom.

What Xuan Jing didn’t expect was that, having treated his condition and opened up his governor and conception vessels, Yun Xiao was already stuck in the royal mud. Even if he wished to extricate himself, that venomous and ruthless Crown Prince would definitely not let him go easily.

For a while, the two conversed until they were summoned by King Xuan Haoran and went to the banquet together. As for the various strategic confrontations during the feast, Yun Xiao seemed completely indifferent.

At the banquet, Xuan Haoran also restored Yun Xiao’s status. He publicly rescinded the Xuan Kill Order against Yun Xiao, which clearly made supporters of the Crown Prince, like Yan Yong and his brothers, look unhappy.

Especially Xuan Jiuding, who wore a superficial smile as if carefree, his eyes still flickered with a sharp light that betrayed his deep resentment towards Yun Xiao.

He had schemed to have Yun Xiao hand over the Black Key willingly and falsely implicated him, making Yun Xiao a wanted criminal under the Xuan Kill Order and nearly dying in the Heaven and Earth Net.

Moreover, it was through Ran Xing that he managed to get his threatening younger brother, the Second Prince, lost between life and death. All of this was under Xuan Jiuding’s control, and he was close to achieving his great success.

But at this time, a person disguised as Bo Ku—Yun Xiao—emerged. In a turning of the tide, he completely disrupted the favorable situation Xuan Jiuding had tirelessly orchestrated, even arousing King Xuan Haoran’s suspicion.

The incriminating Xuan Heavenly Mirror was found in the Crown Prince’s chamber, the black wooden box was taken away by Yun Xiao with full entitlement, and he even cured the Second Prince, Xuan Jing, who was a significant threat to the Crown Prince’s position.

At this moment, Xuan Jiuding felt like a loser, an unfamiliar sensation he hadn’t experienced in his more than twenty years as Crown Prince, all brought upon by this man named Yun Xiao.

It was his first bitter defeat in life, making Xuan Jiuding seethe with rage, and to add to his frustration, at this very moment, he had to respectfully raise his glass in a toast to Yun Xiao, thanking him for saving his brother. It was truly a tormenting experience, as if his heart were bleeding.

Previously, no matter how dazzling Yun Xiao was in the Jade Pot Sect, he was never taken seriously by Xuan Jiuding, as his rivals were only natural talents such as Yue Qi and Mo Qing.

But from this day forward, Yun Xiao would be deeply engraved in Xuan Jiuding’s heart, unforgettable, and the taste of that defeat wasn’t something he wanted to experience a second time.

If he didn’t completely eliminate Yun Xiao from the Continent, this defeat would likely haunt Xuan Jiuding for life, potentially having a profound impact on his future cultivation and inner peace.

Especially when Xuan Jiuding thought of King Xuan Haoran publicly rescinding the Xuan Kill Order against Yun Xiao, he couldn’t help feeling panic, as this seemed to indicate a certain intent of Xuan Haoran.

That day, Xuan Jiuding fabricated a series of lies, believing them flawless. Now it seems, his father, the King, was not so easy to deceive.

Perhaps from this incident, it could be foreseen that from now on, Xuan Haoran would no longer trust the Crown Prince completely, which was another severe blow to Xuan Jiuding.

Thinking of these things, Xuan Jiuding’s gaze towards Yun Xiao became even more sinister, wishing he could command the Xuantie Army to kill this young man here and now, extinguishing any future troubles.

But under the current circumstances, and with Xuan Haoran frequently toasting to Yun Xiao, not even Xuan Jiuding would dare act, not with the courage he had.

It was a joke; King Xuan Haoran had just rescinded the Xuan Kill Order. He’d declared Yun Xiao a noble of the Royal Family, and the very next moment, Xuan Jiuding was to plot against Yun Xiao—wouldn’t that be tantamount to rebellion?

Regardless of Xuan Jiuding’s previous power in the Xuanyue Empire, where his word was law, he was not yet the ruler of the Xuanyue Country. He had to wait for Xuan Haoran to pass on before he could cover the sky with one hand.

So Xuan Jiuding had to wait until he was powerful enough to ignore any opposition from the Xuanyue Empire before he could act on his desires. Now was not yet the time.

The grand banquet ended with each participant locked in their own thoughts, and the very next morning, Yun Xiao was eager to return to the Jade Pot Sect. After all, that was where he truly belonged.

It is worth mentioning that the talented young girl from the Luoyi Sect, Liu Hanyi, had departed at some unknown time, causing Yun Xiao some surprise, for her aid was critical to his returning to the Royal Family this time.

However, Yun Xiao didn’t care much about this. He would return the favor when the opportunity came, unaware that as he hurried back to the Jade Pot Sect, a grand annual event was taking place within the vast Sect, and it was uncertain if he would make it in time.