Chapter 451: Stage-Four

With the s.h.i.+ne from the light, that person’s figure was vague. However, Chu Liuyue could still recognize that it was Situ Xingchen!

Situ Xingchen finally stopped when she flew over to the middle of the light pillar. Then, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force started entering her body crazily and rapidly.

A few energy spirals quickly appeared in her surroundings. They became more distorted along with the pattern on the light pillar.

Chu Liuyue stared closely at Situ Xingchen’s figure.

Following the infusion of the strength, her bodily aura kept strengthening.

“Wh-what exactly is going on?!” muttered Jian Fengchi as he used his elbow to poke Chu Liuyue. “Hey, do you know what she’s doing? You said you were too late… Were you referring to this?”

Chu Liuyue didn’t say anything, but many thoughts surfaced in her head. That bronze cauldron is definitely with Situ Xingchen. It’s also very obvious that she has already activated it and circulated the power within. Previously, she was just a stage-three warrior, but she’s going to break through and become a stage-four warrior now. I must find a way to stop her!

Jian Fengchi stared at it and knitted his brows. “This thing is quite strange… Don’t you notice a b.l.o.o.d.y aura?”

Chu Liuyue sneered. “The bronze cauldron contains countless cultivators’ force, blood, and efforts. It’s not strange to have such an aura.”

Jian Fengchi’s face changed. He was a heavenly doctor and had killed and saved many people, but he still felt disgusted when he heard Chu Liuyue’s words.

One just had to use their brains to think to know what kind of scene that was.

It turns out that the bronze cauldron is such a sinister item!

“So this means that the power in the light pillar is actually stolen from all those people? But it’s messy, badly mangled, and even conflicting to use the strength they stole. Once one absorbs the force, even though they can temporarily upgrade their cultivation level, it would pose a huge impact on their future cultivation. Who is so brainless to do such a thing?!”

He naturally didn’t recognize Situ Xingchen.

Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Would Situ Xingchen not know everything that Jian Fengchi said? But she still chose to do it.

Suddenly, Chu Liuyue felt a strange movement coming from the Cosmic Bag.

She took a close look at it and discovered that this movement actually came from the wooden box.

This wooden box was exactly the one she took from Situ Xingchen.

Chu Liuyue looked up and knitted her brows. The movements from this wooden box were triggered by the light pillar. A goatskin scroll is placed within the wooden box. There’s a seal on it, and I still can’t open it even now.

Previously, she had thought of many ways, but she couldn’t successfully open it. Thus, she temporarily put it aside.

I didn’t expect… it to be related to that bronze cauldron.

In midair, Situ Xingchen was still rapidly absorbing the surrounding force, and her bodily aura was obviously strengthening.

Following this change, Chu Liuyue could clearly feel that the movement in the wooden box was gradually intensifying.

Jian Fengchi then realized that Chu Liuyue looked amiss. “What’s wrong with you?”

Chu Liuyue shook her head.

With what Emperor Jiawen previously said, she guessed that the bronze cauldron was specifically left for Rong Jin and to help increase his cultivation level.

She vaguely guessed that Emperor Jiawen still knew something else, but she didn’t say it. Originally, I wanted to check the item carefully after finding it, but Situ Xingchen was one step ahead of me. Once it’s activated, the power within the bronze cauldron will definitely be swallowed and turn into Situ Xingchen’s strength. But it now seems like the matter is even more troublesome than I had imagined…

“What are you looking at?! Hurry up and walk!” A frustrated scolding was heard from the side.

Chu Liuyue quickly turned around and saw a group of people walking toward her.

Her figure moved, and she rapidly hid in the corner at the side.

When Jian Fengchi saw this, he followed her and hid as well.

That line of people walked nearer.

Chu Liuyue then realized that the person being scolded was actually Emperor Jiawen.

Eunuch Min and the rest were following behind him, and all of them looked like they had suffered.

They were surrounded by soldiers wearing red armor. They were… Rong Jiu’s people.

Emperor Jiawen had already changed out of his imperial robe, and he looked dispirited.

If one didn’t look carefully, they wouldn’t be able to recognize his ident.i.ty.

He looked anxious as he kept turning around to stare at the greenish-red light pillar. It seemed as though he wanted to say something.

It was a pity that his mouth was stuffed, so he could only make some vague whines. Due to this, one could not hear him properly.

The surrounding soldiers kept pus.h.i.+ng them, hurrying them to walk forward.

Emperor Jiawen kept struggling.

That continued until someone beside him drew a dagger, placed it beside Emperor Jiawen’s waist, and threatened, “We have our ways to make you behave! Why don’t you give it a try?!”

Emperor Jiawen finally stopped, and hopelessness flashed across his eyes before he stumbled forward.

Very quickly, these people walked past Chu Liuyue and Jian Fengchi from nearby and walked in a certain direction.

Something flashed in Chu Liuyue’s eyes, and she planned to follow them.

Jian Fengchi held her back. “What are you doing?”

Chu Liuyue glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “If you want to follow, then go ahead. If you don’t, walk away on your own.”

Jian Fengchi was stumped. Wasn’t this girl very polite to me all along? Why did she suddenly change her att.i.tude?

He wanted to say something in retaliation, but he suddenly felt guilty when he met with her clear eyes. He muttered softly, “I’ll go then. What’s the point of being so angry…”

Why is Chu Liuyue’s temper so bad? My status was much higher than hers, but why do I suddenly feel like I’m inferior to her?

While Jian Fengchi was still reflecting on whether there was something wrong with him, Chu Liuyue already took the first step and followed the rest to leave.

Jian Fengchi could only follow.

…

Those people brought Emperor Jiawen to Qinghe Hall.

Emperor Jiawen was locked in a room on his own, while the rest were locked at the side.

All the doors and windows were locked, and someone was guarding at every position.

Luckily, there weren’t too many people here.

Actually, Rong Jiu was still guarding against Emperor Jiawen. But now that the entire Imperial City was already in his hands and he finally succeeded after so many years, he felt great and reduced his alertness.

Besides, the commotion that Situ Xingchen caused had attracted part of his attention.

This coincidentally benefitted Chu Liuyue.

She observed for a while before sending Tuan Zi out.

Tuan Zi was small and fast as it very quickly made some noise and attracted two of the guards’ attention.

Taking advantage of the time they left to check, Chu Liuyue quickly entered the hall.

Hong!

Another thunder sound was heard.

Chu Liuyue turned around. Situ Xingchen actually broke through and became a stage-four warrior!