"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance," Yang Xiu said, his spirit lifting once more.
He didn't know what cultivation Lin Xinglan or Cheng Junyi had reached, but he was certain Lin Xinglan's level was far above Cheng Junyi's. Since Lin Xinglan had said this, it proved that Cheng Junyi choosing Yang Cheng instead of him wasn't because he was lacking, but because Cheng Junyi had no vision.
"I'm not trying to comfort you, just stating the facts," Lin Xinglan replied coolly. She didn't know exactly how talented Yang Cheng was, but she was sure Yang Cheng couldn't have comprehended Sword Intent. Just that alone meant Yang Cheng couldn't match Yang Xiu.
Noble Consort Zhuang stormed back to the palace with Yang Xiu. As soon as they returned to Radiant Sunlight Hall, she ordered someone to secretly send a message to Yun Yirou.
When Yun Yirou received the news, she was shocked. According to Princess Changle, Yang Xiu was the child of destiny, so she'd thought him becoming Lady Cheng's disciple would be a sure thing. Yet now he'd failed?
Yun Yirou couldn't resist going to find Princess Changle. The two pretended to meet casually by a fake mountain in the imperial garden. After dismissing their servants far away, Yun Yirou lowered her voice and told Princess Changle what had happened at Autumn Water Courtyard.
Then she asked, "What's going on? How could the sixth prince be rejected?"
Princess Changle remained calm. "I anticipated this. Consort Xian, there's no need to worry too much."
"If you knew the sixth prince would be rejected, why send him in the first place?" Yun Yirou demanded.
"I only wanted the sixth prince to meet Tang Xingyu," Princess Changle replied lightly.
Yun Yirou stared in surprise. "Tang Xingyu? That two-year-old girl?"
Princess Changle nodded. "Tang Xingyu also carries great destiny. She'll be a huge help to Yang Xiu in the future."
"This…" Yun Yirou looked skeptical.
Princess Changle fixed her eyes on Yun Yirou. "After everything last year, do you still think I'd deceive you?"
A chill ran through Yun Yirou as realization struck her. Last year, her son Yang Heng had nearly fallen into the lake, but Princess Changle had warned her in advance, letting her rescue Yang Heng just in time. Then, over the past year, everything Princess Changle predicted came true without fail.
So there was no reason to doubt her now. "Of course I trust you, Princess," Yun Yirou said quickly. "But with the crown prince being accepted as Lady Cheng's disciple, won't that pose a threat to the sixth prince?"
"There's nothing to worry about," Princess Changle said. "The sixth prince's destiny is so vast and enduring that the crown prince isn't even worthy of being called a stepping stone. He poses no threat whatsoever."
"That's good. Then I guess I don't need to do anything," Yun Yirou said with relief.
"That's not quite right," Princess Changle corrected her. "Even though the crown prince isn't a threat, this is a perfect chance to show your sincerity to the sixth prince. If you help get rid of the crown prince, he'll see how loyal you are."
Yun Yirou's eyes flickered. "Princess, you're absolutely right. But for some reason, my sister seems to have grown wary of me. Trying to deal with the crown prince the same way as before won't be so easy now."
"Then you should act even faster," Princess Changle urged. "If the empress becomes completely suspicious of you, it'll only get harder to make a move. Besides, now there's a golden opportunity—miss it, and who knows how long you'll have to wait."
"What opportunity?" Yun Yirou asked.
"Inside the palace, security is tight. It's almost impossible to act against the crown prince here," Princess Changle explained. "But soon, the crown prince will go to Autumn Orchid Garden, which means he'll have to leave the palace. Isn't that the perfect chance? If something happens outside the palace, no one would suspect you, Consort Xian."
"Princess, I'll pretend I never heard any of that," Yun Yirou said firmly. "I have no ill will toward the crown prince, and even if something happens to him outside the palace, it has nothing to do with me." With that, she hurriedly left.
Watching Yun Yirou's retreating figure, Princess Changle let out a faint smile.
Splendid Radiance Hall.
Yang Cheng had just returned when he received a new task.
[After 500 years, host has encountered the Shattering God expert Tang Xingyu again at Autumn Water Courtyard.]
[500 years ago, host missed the chance to connect with the young Tang Xingyu, which led to her becoming Yang Xiu's strongest supporter later.]
[Now, fate gives you another opportunity. Host must do everything possible to make Tang Xingyu give up on Yang Xiu and instead support you.]
[Note: Because this mission is extremely difficult, host is granted a three-year time limit. If you fail, you will face a punishment of heavenly lightning.]
[Mission reward: Innate Divine Strength.]
'So it really is you,' Yang Cheng thought. This Tang Xingyu was truly the same Tang Xingyu he remembered. Unfortunately, he'd just parted ways with her, so to complete this task, he'd have to wait until tomorrow.
"First, I'll take the Bodhi Fruit," Yang Cheng decided, silently communicating with the system to claim his reward.
A fruit the size of a red date, glowing a deep crimson, appeared in Yang Cheng's hand. He picked it up and ate it right away. At first, it didn't feel special, except that it tasted wonderful—fresh and sweet, like a mix of melon and pear.
But after about fifteen minutes, he started to sense something unusual. Waves of cool energy spread from his stomach, flowing through his limbs and bones, then rushing up to his head. His mind felt like it was being enveloped by this chill, and his thoughts suddenly became crystal clear.
That clarity kept growing stronger. It lasted nearly three hours before the coolness in his mind slowly faded away.
Yang Cheng felt completely different. He looked around the room and could instantly notice the tiniest details. Even when he closed his eyes, every small scene he had just observed—down to the smallest speck of dust—appeared perfectly in his mind.
There was no doubt this was the power of the Bodhi Fruit. The Bodhi Fruit was an innate spiritual fruit. It could greatly enhance a person's comprehension. Comprehension included thinking ability, observation skills, and memory combined.
Now, Yang Cheng's memory had improved by at least dozens of times, if not a hundred. Curious, he picked up a martial arts book beside him. He discovered he really had gained "photographic memory."
Where others might be praised for reading ten lines at a glance, he just swept his eyes once and memorized the entire page word for word. More than that, his ability to understand the concepts in the book had skyrocketed. This fruit truly lived up to its reputation as a heavenly treasure.
Meanwhile.
Radiant Sunlight Hall.
Yang Xiu was meditating in his consciousness.
"During this time, I've been using heaven-defying secret techniques to stimulate your mind," Lin Xinglan said. "Now, your comprehension should have increased more than threefold. Try reading a book to test your memory."
"Yes, Senior," Yang Xiu replied eagerly. He exited his meditation, grabbed a book, and started reading at once.
"Senior, I can now read ten lines at a glance. My memory is three times better than before—it's amazing!" he exclaimed excitedly after a while.
"Stay humble," Lin Xinglan said coolly. "You already had extraordinary talent. With my help, this progress is only natural."
"Senior, do you think Yang Cheng can compare to me?" Yang Xiu asked.
"The moment you even think of comparing yourself to him, you've already lost," Lin Xinglan replied. "Great Zhou's wilderness realm is like a tiny insect's world. The true competition you'll face is among the countless prodigies across the myriad worlds. Yang Cheng is just a small-time warrior from Great Zhou—he's nothing on the grand stage of the heavens."