Chapter 26 Something Happened at Home

"So, how far are you from that mountain?" asked the old eunuch in the dragon robe.

Zhao Duan hesitated and said:

"Probably within a few miles, hard to estimate."

The real situation was truly shocking, so to be on the safe side, he decided to play it safe.

"Within a few miles..." Eunuch Hai was slightly surprised and praised:

"Very good, this is already above average."

This can even get in... Zhao Duan felt that he had gone too far.

"Okay, get up. After the first visualization, "The Picture of the God of War" has been imprinted in your heart. Later, you can enter it again based on your memory. One step at a time, when you step into the realm of the gods, you can go to the second floor and observe the second mural." Eunuch Hai said.

Zhao Duan stood up. Perhaps because he had just made a breakthrough, he felt that he had endless energy. He asked curiously:

"So, the five-story pavilion and five murals correspond to the five realms of cultivation?"

Eunuch Hai nodded and said with a smile:

"I know what you're thinking, kid. In his later years, Taizu came incredibly close to becoming a 'human immortal,' so the fifth-floor mural depicts Taizu's experience in reaching that level...

But this thing is too far away from you, don't even think about looking at it. Just a glance is enough to make you seriously injured and faint. Even Your Majesty is still comprehending the fourth level.

After saying this, the old eunuch took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and threw it to him:

"Here are the remaining Nourishing Spirit Pills, about five or six, which can help you visualize the scroll."

Zhao Duan took it. He knew that this elixir was produced by Tianshi Mansion and was quite expensive.

As expected of the royal family, they are so generous.

Next, the old eunuch led him back to the front yard to register, which was standard procedure.

Finally, he handed him a small silver plate with the words "Royal Offering" written on it, and said in a deep voice:

"Keep your ID card safe. Remember, you are strictly prohibited from telling anyone about the mural you saw today. If anyone finds out, you will be responsible for the consequences."

Zhao Duan's heart trembled, and he took the token in both hands and put it into his pocket to guarantee it.

At this point, the entire process is completed.

Before leaving, Zhao Duan asked curiously:

"Father, may I ask what are the things in those houses we just passed by?"

Eunuch Hai said leisurely:

"This is the Imperial Palace Armory, naturally displaying all kinds of magical instruments, armor, talismans, pills, and precious items for cultivation. Oh, your merits are still limited now. Once you accumulate more merits, you can apply to come here to select weapons."

Magical weapon? A flying sword?

With one strike of the sword, he could take someone’s head from a thousand miles away… Zhao Duan couldn’t help but imagine.

…

After watching Zhao Duan leave, Eunuch Hai was about to leave.

Suddenly, the Empress Xu Zhenguan arrived here quietly.

"Your servant pays homage to His Majesty!"

"No need to be polite," Xu Zhenguan, dressed in white, with a graceful figure, her long black hair fluttering, her eyes shining brightly:

"What about Zhao Duan?"

Eunuch Hai reported truthfully.

Above average appearance? Xu Zhenguan was also slightly surprised.

It was really because Zhao Duan had been stuck in the lower mortal realm for several years, and she had originally thought that this young guard had mediocre talent.

Now it seems that it is due to lack of resources.

In addition, when selecting candidates for royal worship, the first thing to look at is "loyalty", followed by talent. It is already good that Zhao Duan can get a "middle-to-high evaluation".

"Very good, you go ahead. I'll go to the building to discuss it for a while." Xu Zhenguan walked towards the depths.

His Majesty actually came to inquire in person... Little did he know that Eunuch Hai was also quite surprised by this.

Gong Feng was a personal guard of the royal family, and Zhao Duan was personally chosen by the empress, so he was obviously trained as a direct descendant.

"The rumored male concubine has now become the direct descendant. How strange, how strange."

Eunuch Hai became curious and thought about paying more attention to it.

…

The pavilion has four floors.

Xu Zhenguan moved lightly with lotus steps and reached the door.

Ten slender fingers, as white as jade, slipped out from his sleeves. With just a push, the door that was six hundred years old creaked open.

Inside, the layout is similar to the first floor, with only one stone wall, a cushion and an incense burner placed in front of it.

Xu Zhenguan sat on a cushion, his hands embracing the incense burner, with smoke curling up from it and a jade seal mark flickering between his eyebrows.

I began to try to visualize the mural for the umpteenth time.

Just as the old worshipper said, although Xu Zhenguan actually had the "heavenly realm", he relied on dragon energy to fill it. His true realm was still one step away from being a "heavenly man".

It was this step that made her feel like she was dying.

Therefore, Xu Zhenguan often came to comprehend the Taizu murals, trying to truly take that step, but he failed again and again.

It’s not that Xu Zhenguan lacks talent.

In fact, this fourth mural was painted after the death of Emperor Taizu.

During the six hundred years of the Dayu Dynasty, countless royal bloodlines, and even extremely talented priests, were unable to comprehend the fourth picture.

In history, there was an emperor who, out of desperation, boldly invited the head of the Tianshi Temple of that generation, a real "Heavenly Realm" sorcerer, to the palace to observe, but the other party was unable to understand it.

The fourth one is already so obscure and difficult to understand. As for the fifth layer of murals, no one has been able to successfully "visualize" it for six hundred years since Taizu.

Yes!

Even just entering it is impossible!

"Emperor Taizu, where is this picture of the human world that you painted, and how do we interpret it?" Xu Zhenguan smiled bitterly.

The painting before him seemed both extremely familiar and unfamiliar to Xu Zhenguan.

It was familiar because she had seen it thousands of times.

The strangeness lies in the fact that this scroll depicts an extremely bizarre "strange world" that she cannot understand or comprehend at all, and therefore cannot fully comprehend.

In a trance, she visualized again.

In her beautiful eyes, the scene in the mural gradually emerged:

Under the night sky, the modern city, like a dense steel jungle, is full of lights and brilliance, with skyscrapers standing tall, traffic flowing on the overpass, and the inner ring road like a flowing ribbon.

The empress's beautiful eyes were extremely confused:

"What are these...?"

…

…

“It’s finally over!”

Outside the palace, when Zhao Duan walked out of the deep doorway, he felt his whole body warmed by the afternoon sun.

This half-day experience was really exciting.

First, he responded to the defense, turned the tables, and then had a meal with the empress, explaining the changes in his personality. Then he was granted the title of tribute, obtained the royal family's unique practice inheritance, and broke through a small realm.

"Well, now I should be considered the direct descendant of the empress, right?" Zhao Duan thought.

The empress had been on the throne for only two years. Although she had inherited the power of the late emperor and the crown prince, she still had too few "direct descendants" and even fewer capable people among them.

Zhao Duan's actions demonstrated his ability and loyalty.

Although the guillotine of "arresting Zhuang Xiaocheng" still hangs over his head, at least the survival crisis has been temporarily resolved...

Well, it’s only temporary… You can’t float away, or you will die suddenly. This is an important experience from your previous life.

"Where to go next?"

Zhao Duan stood alone at the palace gate, feeling a little confused.

It seems that it is time to go back to the "home" of this identity.

Zhao Duan hasn't been home for the past three days. Digging through his memories, how can I put it...

I can only say that Zhao Duan’s family situation is quite complicated.

"drive!"

At this moment, suddenly, a carriage came galloping from the front, and the one waving the whip was Zhu Kui.

When Old Zhu saw Zhao Duan, his eyes lit up. He quickly pulled the reins tightly, grabbed the whip, and ran off the carriage, shouting:

"Envoy! Something terrible has happened at home!!"

(End of this chapter)