After the festivities died down.
Jiang Yuechu took up residence in the Princess Zhaoyues Residence.
Her Imperial Brother seemed to have developed some sort of anxiety, fearing his sister might feel even a hint of neglect in this vast, empty estate.
With a wave of his hand, he handpicked hundreds of nimble and presentable Palace Maids and eunuchs overnight, funneling them into the Princess Zhaoyues Residence like a flowing stream.
The originally quiet and elegant residence was instantly filled with the rustling sounds of sweeping and the low-voiced greetings of servants.
The corridors were polished to a spotless shine, and the exotic flowers and rare plants transplanted into the courtyards were tended to by dedicated staff on twenty-four-hour shifts.
With more people, rules naturally multiplied.
Yet, in this manor, there were several outliers who utterly disregarded the rules.
The three great demons—Running Ox, Old Scarlet Flood Dragon, and Tiger Cuihua—relying on their status as the Grand Princess's lackeys, had the audacity to each claim a side courtyard for themselves in the outer manor.
They called it: guarding the house for Her Highness.
Jiang Yuechu did not drive these three jokers away.
In such a massive estate, if it were filled only with submissive servants who didn't even dare to breathe loudly, it would feel lifeless instead.
Keeping these few demons around to make a fuss added a bit of Life Qi.
Inside the study.
Fragrant mist curled in the air.
Jiang Yuechu had changed into loose black robes and was leaning back in her chair.
In her hands, she held the Incomplete Manual of geography and topography sent by the Demon Suppression Division.
Though her gaze rested on the paper, her thoughts had already drifted far beyond the heavens.
Currently stuck at the Late Stage of Ascending the Tower, her top priority was naturally to find heart material.
The twelve-colored rosy cloud silver was, after all, insufficient on its own.
Only by finding enough heart material to fuse into her Primordial Spirit could she break the shackles and step into the realm of Ascending the Tower Perfection in one fell swoop.
Secondly, she needed to find a way to obtain a method to strengthen the Divine Soul.
The battle at Wuxiang Mountain remained vivid in her mind.
The terror of the Great Black Heaven Body Forging Scripture had been displayed to its fullest in 그 battle.
A thousand-foot demonic shadow rose from the ground, its overbearing aura blotting out the sun. With a single punch, let alone the Immortals of the Twenty-Five Lineages, even the high-and-mighty Chess Player The Main Seats and their dao chess pieces were reduced to ashes.
Admittedly, part of the credit went to her burning two million years of Dao Cultivation in one breath.
However, the inherent dominance and power of the Cultivation Technique itself were not to be underestimated.
If she could find a supreme method for tempering the Divine Soul and deduce this Great Black Heaven Body Forging Scripture to a supreme realm...
At that time, even without burning Dao Cultivation, the power of the technique alone would be enough to give her strength another qualitative leap.
As for the final matter.
It was the Chess Condensation Method.
The path of cultivation was a climb where every step led to a new heaven.
After reaching Ascending the Tower Perfection, the next stage was Chess Player.
But to enter the Chess Player stage, one must condense a dao chess piece to preside over the central palace.
She currently lacked this so-called Chess Condensation Method, and she reckoned that Old Man Thirteen Wu wouldn't easily reveal it.
As for the treasury of Wuxiang Mountain.
It might be there, but the probability was low.
If it were truly as precious as Tiger Cuihua said... who would just leave it lying around? It was likely hidden away by that The Main Seat...
Better to think of another way herself.
Thinking on it this way.
Every single matter was urgent.
"It's hard... so hard... why is cultivation so difficult..."
While she was lost in thought.
The sound of light, delicate footsteps came from outside the study.
A maid carrying a bowl of freshly stewed rock sugar snow pear stepped lightly over the threshold.
The young girl kept her head down, but she couldn't help stealing a glance at Jiang Yuechu sitting behind the desk.
She saw the Grand Princess leaning quietly against the back of her chair, holding an ancient manual with a slight frown, seemingly immersed in the truths of the book and deep in thought.
The afternoon sunlight scattered across her peerlessly beautiful profile, making even the tiny peach fuzz on her skin glow with a soft light.
The maid couldn't help but feel a wave of admiration in her heart.
Despite having world-shaking power, she was still so hardworking in private!
No wonder Her Highness could achieve such supreme success today!
Then she thought of herself, who would doze off whenever the head maid made her memorize a few lines of the 'Women's Precepts'...
She carefully placed the bowl on a corner of the desk before speaking respectfully: "Your Highness, there is a guest outside the manor seeking an audience... He calls himself Zhou Xuan of the Pill Cauldron Sect and says he has important matters to report to Your Highness."
Jiang Yuechu was snapped back to reality by the voice.
She blinked and casually closed the Incomplete Manual of geography, of which she hadn't read a single word.
Calculating the time, Zhou Xuan's arrival now likely meant the inventory of the items from Wuxiang Mountain was finally finished.
"Have him wait in the front hall."
"Yes."
The little maid bowed and retreated quietly.
Jiang Yuechu picked up the still-warm rock sugar snow pear and took a small sip.
It was sweet but not cloying, stewed just right.
She let out a small click of her tongue in enjoyment.
Living like this occasionally was indeed much more comfortable than dealing with demons all day long.
After a moment of reflection.
She then stood up and smoothed the wrinkles on her skirt.
She stepped toward the front hall.
...
Inside the front hall.
Zhou Xuan stood with his hands at his sides below the dais.
In fact, as the new Sect Master of the Pill Cauldron Sect.
The Great Tang Imperial Family held their group of Alchemists in high regard.
His current status in Chang'an City was already quite high.
But at the thought of the person he was about to face... Zhou Xuan still felt a bit dazed.
Just a few days ago, when he received those bulging storage Magic Treasures from Jiang Yuechu, his Divine Sense had only taken one look inside before he nearly blacked out and keeled over.
What was inside?
Mountains of Medicinal Pills, hundreds of Magic Treasures, a large number of cultivation Jade Slips, and rare spiritual plants and minerals that even he had only seen in ancient records...
The most shocking part was.
Many of them bore the mark of Wuxiang Mountain.
Could it be...
Did she fucking rob Wuxiang Mountain?
But that was Wuxiang Mountain.
One of the high-and-mighty Twenty-Five Lineages that had stood in the Eastern Region for ages.
Excluding other Dao Lineage powers, who in the world would dare provoke such an existence, and do it so thoroughly?
While he was lost in thought.
The sound of faint footsteps came from outside the hall.
Zhou Xuan snapped back to his senses and composed himself.
A figure in black robes crossed the threshold and walked straight to the main seat to sit down.
The young woman's expression was cool as she casually picked up the teacup on the table.
"Is the inventory clear?"
Her voice was flat, devoid of any extra emotion.
Zhou Xuan immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"In response to Your Highness, everything has been inventoried and cataloged."
He straightened up and spoke at a steady pace: "The gains from the Wuxiang Mountain treasury—Medicinal Pills, Magic Treasures, and Cultivation Techniques—have all been categorized. Additionally, a large number of spiritual plants and minerals have also been entered into the warehouse and sealed."
"As for the items Your Highness specifically instructed me to look out for..."
Hearing this.
Jiang Yuechu's eyes flickered slightly.
What she had specifically ordered were none other than heart material, Divine Soul techniques, and that Chess Condensation Method.
Any one of those was something she urgently needed right now.
"What is it?"