Volume 1, Chapter 24: The Human Emperor's Scripture of Prison Suppression
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He drew a deep breath and stepped inside.
“Creak—”
The heavy wooden door slowly swung shut behind him, shutting out every sound from the outside world.
The sight within the library loft immediately brightened his eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow across the air. Countless tiny motes of dust danced within the shafts of sunlight, like spirits of time.
Rows upon rows of rosewood bookshelves, each several yards high, stood in perfect order. They were packed with books of every kind—classics and histories, strange tales and obscure records, secret treatises on martial arts, and ancient medical texts. The collection was dazzling, vast beyond measure.
The air was filled with the aged scent unique to ancient books, mingled with the faint fragrance of sandalwood. It had a calming effect on the mind.
Near the window stood a small writing desk, complete with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The ink in the inkstone appeared not yet to have dried, and beside it lay an open medical text bearing several lines of delicate handwritten annotations.
Ye Xuan walked over, able to imagine Liu Yuexue sitting here year after year, enduring her illness while continuing to devote herself to the study of medicine, longing to save herself.
A woman both strong and deeply deserving of pity.
Ye Xuan sighed inwardly, then swiftly gathered his thoughts.
Standing in the center of the library, he closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his mind.
“System, check in here!”
The next instant, that cold and familiar mechanical voice exploded in his mind.
[Ding! The host has arrived at a special check-in location—the Liu Family Library!]
[This place contains a century of scholarly aura. Moreover, because Liu Yuexue has spent years studying medical texts here in the hope of saving herself, it has absorbed a trace of her pure and unyielding will. The conditions for checking in have been met!]
[Check-in successful!]
[Congratulations, host. You have received a divine-level reward—the Supreme Scripture, Human Emperor Subdues the Prison!]
Boom!
A vast torrent of information surged into Ye Xuan’s mind like the Milky Way bursting through a breached dam.
Human Emperor Subdues the Prison!
Those five words seemed to carry supreme majesty and domineering power, causing even his soul to tremble.
At the same time, a clear explanation of the scripture and this world’s cultivation system surfaced in his consciousness.
[Human Emperor Subdues the Prison: A supreme divine-level cultivation method that perfectly complements the host’s Human Emperor Overlord Physique, supporting and enhancing it. By cultivating this scripture, one may condense Human Emperor Aura and suppress every enemy beneath the heavens! The scripture consists of nine stages, corresponding perfectly to the nine great realms of martial cultivation.]
[The path of martial cultivation is divided, from lowest to highest, into the lower, middle, and upper ranks.]
[The lower three martial ranks: Ninth Rank—Essence Tempering Realm; Eighth Rank—Qi Refining Realm; Seventh Rank—Spirit Refining Realm. These three realms form the beginning of one’s foundation: tempering the physical body, sensing spiritual energy, and strengthening the spirit.]
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[The middle three martial ranks: Sixth Rank—Body Condensation Realm; Fifth Rank—Force Transformation Realm; Fourth Rank—Intent Refinement Realm. These three realms temper the sinews and bones until they are like steel, allow inner force to be wielded at will, and lead one to comprehend the true intent of martial arts.]
[The upper three martial ranks: Third Rank—Undying Body; Second Rank—Realm of Unity with the Dao; First Rank—Form Without Flaws. These three realms have already transcended the mortal world. With a drop of blood, one may be reborn; with a word, reality obeys. One becomes as dust alongside the Dao—truly an earthly immortal!]
Ye Xuan’s mind shook violently.
This was the true path to heaven!
The assassins previously sent by the Crown Prince whom he had slain had been nothing more than ordinary martial artists at their strongest. He had no idea what the Crown Prince had been thinking, sending common men against him.
As for Ye Xuan himself, after crossing into this world and being thrown into the imperial prison, he had suffered severe injuries. His strength had not even solidly crossed the threshold of the Ninth-Rank Essence Tempering Realm.
He possessed the two supreme techniques known as the Human Emperor Overlord Physique and the Heaven’s Son Aura-Seeking Art, yet lacked the strength to wield them properly. It was like a child holding a divine weapon—hampered at every turn.
Now, however, the appearance of Human Emperor Subdues the Prison had perfectly resolved his greatest predicament.
[By cultivating the first three stages of Human Emperor Subdues the Prison alongside the Human Emperor Overlord Physique, the host can break through the lower three ranks within three days, reaching the peak of the Seventh-Rank Spirit Refining Realm and forging an unrivaled supreme foundation!]
Three days to reach the peak of the Seventh Rank!
Ye Xuan’s breathing quickened.
What an utterly heaven-defying cultivation method!
With it, he would finally possess the capital to establish himself in this chaotic age and stir the winds of fate!
He no longer hesitated. He immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating the technique according to the methods of Human Emperor Subdues the Prison within his mind.
Buzz!
The moment the technique began to circulate, his long-dormant Human Emperor Overlord Physique seemed to awaken completely.
An invisible force of attraction erupted from within him.
In an instant, the free spiritual energy above the entire library—and even above the whole Liu family residence—seemed to receive some supreme summons. It transformed into streams of white vapor visible to the naked eye and poured frantically into Ye Xuan’s body.
His previously empty dantian was instantly filled with pure spiritual energy.
Ninth Rank—Essence Tempering Realm. Breakthrough!
The spiritual energy continued surging forward, washing through his meridians with a sound like a mighty river in flood.
Eighth Rank—Qi Refining Realm. Breakthrough!
Nourished by the spiritual energy, his mental strength expanded at an unprecedented rate. His senses became incomparably sharp, and every stir of wind or grass within a hundred yards appeared clearly in his mind.
Seventh Rank—Spirit Refining Realm. Breakthrough!
In no more than a moment, Ye Xuan had completed a journey that ordinary martial artists needed years, or even decades, to traverse.
Moreover, his foundation was incomparably solid, far beyond that of ordinary martial artists.
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Vast quantities of spiritual energy continued pouring into him without end, tempering his body and nourishing his soul as they pushed his cultivation step by step toward the peak of the Seventh-Rank Spirit Refining Realm.
Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes.
A brilliant golden light flashed deep within them and vanished.
He could feel an explosive power unlike anything he had ever known filling his body.
The weakness caused by exhausting his inner force while administering acupuncture had long since vanished. In its place was overwhelming strength and the confidence of one who held everything in his grasp.
He rose to his feet and casually clenched his fist.
A muffled explosion rang through the air.
This was the power that truly belonged to him.
As Ye Xuan sensed the changes brought by his breakthrough, excitement gradually spread across his face. He then glanced at the time and saw that noon was not far away.
He left the library and headed toward the main hall.
The capital, Eastern Palace.
“Your Highness~ Come, try this~”
“Mmm~ It’s delicious.”
“Oh, Your Highness~ Stop squirming around~”
“That tickles~”
Ye Tian reclined in the arms of his favorite concubine, lazily eating the pieces of fruit she fed him while one of his hands wandered restlessly over her body.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
“Your Highness, I have a situation to report!”
Ye Tian had only halfway removed his clothes when someone suddenly knocked on the door. His expression darkened with displeasure.
“Get lost!”
“Don’t you know not to disturb me when I’m busy?”
“But, Your Highness… I truly have urgent business!”
Hearing the voice of his trusted subordinate outside, Ye Tian grew even more irritated. He did not even bother putting on his shoes before opening the door and glaring viciously at the man.
“If you can’t give me a proper reason for this interruption, don’t blame me for having you dragged out and executed!”