[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-imperial-cultivation":3,"chapter-imperial-cultivation-imperial-cultivation-chapter-642":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Imperial Cultivation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1055451,1365,"Chapter 642 - 638: Methods","imperial-cultivation-chapter-642",642,"\u003Cp>On his way down the mountain, he encountered the Seventh Prince again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seventh Prince looked around and lowered his voice, \"It seems like Big Brother has also practiced the Forget Sorrow Divine Finger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan turned his head to glance around, \"Could it be a smokescreen by Big Brother?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The one responsible for records at the Diwu Academy is Third Grandpa. I heard it from him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Third Grandpa...\" Chu Zhiyuan pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Third Grandpa has always been indifferent to everything except cultivation,\" Chu Lieyu laughed, \"He wouldn’t lend a hand in creating a smokescreen for Big Brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Lieyu chuckled, \"You must take a look at the Heavenly Person Peak...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle Fifteen told me about Heavenly Person Peak. It’s indeed a great opportunity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you can obtain the Void Secret Treasure, everything would change!... Father would change his mind and not let you marry into the Phoenix Dynasty as a Prince Consort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha ha, Seventh Brother, you’re dreaming. No matter what, I’m destined to be the Prince Consort!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With your talent and the Void Secret Treasure, you’d be the number one among our princes. How could you still be the Prince Consort!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Father keeps his word, and once he has promised, he will undoubtedly not go back on it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t that simple? Just claim that you, Ninth Brother, suddenly went insane and are in life-threatening danger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I nearly died this time, and the Phoenix Dynasty has already sent people to verify the truth. Such a trick wouldn’t fool them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Then we’ll change the strategy. We can always come up with a way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan smiled, \"Alright, then I’ll take your good words as a blessing, Seventh Brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his heart, however, he understood that it was almost impossible for the Emperor to change his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The better his talent, the less likely the Phoenix Dynasty would allow a change of person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the higher his value, the heavier his weight as a hostage, the more he could restrain the Jade Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor clearly didn’t favor him, wishing to toss him aside out of sight, out of mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once a fixed impression and feeling are formed, they are difficult to change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even obtaining the Void Secret Treasure or having outstanding talent would be of no use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon returning to the small courtyard, You Lan, along with Xiao Zhu and two other maidservants, greeted him softly, \"Your Highness, the Eldest Prince has sent an invitation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan frowned, \"Big Brother?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He invites Your Highness to a banquet at the Commandery Prince Mansion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who else is invited?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is said that all the princes are invited.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Heh, such grandeur, what’s he up to?\" Chu Zhiyuan sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inviting all the princes to a banquet was something only the Emperor or the Crown Prince could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eldest Prince isn’t yet the Crown Prince. Does he consider himself as such?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that he has received definite news that he will become the Crown Prince?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Lan spoke softly, \"The Eldest Prince has always had great prestige, it’s estimated all the princes will go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Lan quietly observed him, while Xiao Zhu and the other two maidservants busied themselves helping him remove his crane cloak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer wore a Mink Coat; at Qingfeng Cliff it was warm and comfortable, a world different from Jingsi Cliff, so there was no need for such heavy clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Lan, seeing the silent demeanor of Chu Zhiyuan, felt a faint unfamiliarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since His Highness experienced a near-death revival, such deep and profound air often emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan finally shook his head, \"I won’t go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Lan was slightly taken aback, \"Your Highness won’t go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan snorted, \"Since I’ll definitely offend him, there’s no need to pretend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eldest Prince is being so shameless, brazenly fighting for the quota to enter Yujing Cave Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly treats this quota as if it’s already in his pocket; taking it from him would certainly offend him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After losing such face, even with a broad mind, he couldn’t bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that’s the case, then there’s no need to attend his banquet lest a banquet without good intent ends up in a setup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Void Secret Treasure, he’s shameless; he may deploy other means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" You Lan gently nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan smilingly looked at You Lan, \"Aunt won’t advise me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Lan smiled, \"Your Highness is no longer who you once were, it’s better for Your Highness to make these decisions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he was not sensible, to prevent him from falling into a worse situation, advice was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he was different, thorough in thought, and steady in action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, she didn’t need to say more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan said, \"In any case, I’ll be heading to the Phoenix Dynasty in the future, no need to worry too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness is right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid being persuaded, after dinner, Chu Zhiyuan went straight out to stroll the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wandered through the Imperial City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nightlife in the Imperial City was extremely lively; the restaurants not only had music and dance but also martial arts competitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the city, thirty-two martial arts schools had established a competition for martial friendship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thirty-two schools jointly founded Tianya Institute, holding a competition every ten days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were a total of one hundred and eight martial arts schools participating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, there was a round-robin competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The winner received a point, and the loser received none, eventually forming the top thirty-six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thirty-six paired up for competition, and the winners advanced to the top eighteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the top eighteen paired up again, round by round until the martial champion was determined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every ten days, Tianya Institute was packed, and Chu Zhiyuan squeezed in to watch the bustling scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time all twelve matches ended, it was already late at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned to his Prince Mansion and found the Seventh Prince waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bringing the Seventh Prince into his small courtyard, they sat in a small gazebo, drinking and talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ninth Brother, why didn’t you come?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would certainly offend Big Brother, so why go? ...What’s Big Brother up to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s apologizing to everyone.\" Chu Lieyu shook his head and sighed, \"No wonder it’s Big Brother, flawless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He promised to hand over any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures he obtained to the Office of Ancestral Principal, sharing them among all the princes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also personally apologized to the princes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both efforts left people speechless, instead eliciting admiration for his demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his manners were terrible, in the end, everyone had to praise him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary princes didn’t have such skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan smiled, \"Indeed, no wonder it’s Big Brother, quite the skill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Lieyu shook his head, \"Your absence made everyone upset.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Going there would only dampen their spirits.\" Chu Zhiyuan said, \"Not going is better, giving them freedom to talk about me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Lieyu gave a wry smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was entirely true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When everyone gathered, the opening topic often involved talking about Ninth Brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan asked, \"Didn’t Big Brother say anything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Big Brother said that’s just how you are, no need to take offense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a magnanimous Big Brother.\" Chu Zhiyuan laughed and shook his head, \"Just not sure if he can be this way if I snatch the quota.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Lieyu sighed, \"Ninth Brother, if Big Brother really gets his quota taken by you, it would indeed be a joke, he likely couldn’t show his face in the Imperial City anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Zhiyuan snorted, a disdainful smile, \"Seventh Brother, you underestimate Big Brother; no matter how embarrassing, he can still hold his own... First offending Fourth Brother, then Big Brother, if not me for the Prince Consort, then who?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh...\" Chu Lieyu was helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seventh Brother, don’t let them see you coming over lest you get isolated too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Lieyu said, \"At least Fifth Brother and Eighth Brother are there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hung around with the Fifth Prince and the Eighth Prince, not fighting alone, so he wasn’t afraid of isolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to stay close to Chu Zhiyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fourth Brother reminded Big Brother, saying you, Ninth Brother, are not what you used to be and shouldn’t be underestimated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did Big Brother take it to heart?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Big Brother is extremely careful and cautious in actions, he definitely took it to heart, likely looking for ways to test, you’d better be cautious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm, understood.\" Chu Zhiyuan gravely nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew this was the real purpose of the Seventh Prince, warning him to be truly careful of Big Brother.\u003C\u002Fp>",1430,"2026-06-03T09:58:18.474Z","2026-06-03T09:58:25.011Z",1,"novelbin.me","ad9381d47952d82295113279648328cd9d44d0fa25cd6818ee95421237a6d30a","imperial-cultivation-chapter-643","imperial-cultivation-chapter-641",1378,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimperial-cultivation-cover.jpg"]