With the Primal Dao Wheel as his foundation, Chu Yu could condense even more Dao Wheels, completely without restriction!
This defied the heavens entirely!
Chu Yu suddenly understood the true meaning of the Primal Ancient Body, which was its ability to harbor all the Daoist methods in the world and possess infinite potential.
With the three Dao Wheels formed, Chu Yu's original realm and cultivation of the Fifth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm began to surge at an unimaginable speed!
Sixth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm!
Seventh Layer of Dao Wheel Realm!
Eighth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm!
Ninth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm!
He had advanced by a full four realms before finally stopping!
Chu Yu stood up, his eyes sharp and resolute. The feeling of his realm and cultivation surging was exhilarating. He had now reached the Ninth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm, leaving only a final step before the Inscription Realm!
To step into the Inscription Realm, merely enhancing the spiritual power within his body was not enough. He also had to comprehend the Great Dao, draw the Daoist aura of heaven and earth into his body, inscribe runes, and execute techniques and precious arts, thereby greatly increasing his might.
As for Chu Lingfeng, who had condensed the True Dragon Dao Wheel and obtained the Nine Provinces Heavenly Emperor Sword, his strength had already surpassed the Inscription Realm, reaching the level of the Dao Pattern Realm. Coupled with the fact that he had stripped the Emperor Bone from Chu Yu's body, his aptitude was peerless, and among his generation, he could be called invincible!
Yet Chu Yu possessed the Primal Ancient Body, had unlocked the Samsara Ancient Pagoda, and had condensed three Dao Wheels. He now had immense confidence that he could trample Chu Lingfeng underfoot!
"Chu Lingfeng, Imperial Concubine Hua, the Hua clan—this grudge, I, Chu Yu, will remember it! One day, I will make you pay back a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"
Chu Yu muttered to himself, his gaze fierce. Deep-seated hatred and fury ignited in his heart, and a monstrous killing intent swept out from him, as if it wanted to swallow the firmament itself.
What he needed most right now was time. Having condensed the Primal Dao Wheel, the Samsara Dao Wheel, and the Devouring Dao Wheel, his cultivation speed was dozens of times faster than before, if not more. The day he surpassed Chu Lingfeng would not be far off!
Merely trampling Chu Lingfeng underfoot was not enough to satisfy Chu Yu; he wanted to make the entire Hua clan vanish from the Chu Kingdom!
By the time Chu Lingfeng finished his cultivation and walked out of the Samsara Ancient Pagoda, it was already early the next morning.
Bang!
A loud crash echoed from outside the courtyard, and the main gate was violently kicked open. Immediately, a dozen or so people rushed in from outside!
"Young Lord, this is the Ninth Prince's place of recuperation. If we barge in like this, will the Prince of Wu blame us if he finds out?" a servant whispered.
Slap!
A crisp, loud sound rang out as a heavy blow directly sent the servant flying.
"Does how the Young Lord chooses to act require your instruction?"
A youth dressed in luxurious garments said coldly, his arrogant face bearing a look of disdain and contempt.
"Can a prince who has been banished from the imperial city still be called a prince? Stripped of his Emperor Bone and with his Dao Wheel shattered, he is nothing more than a piece of trash—what is there to fear? This is the Prince of Wu's Estate, not the imperial palace!"
Chu Yang was the youngest son of the Prince of Wu. He had condensed his Dao Wheel at the age of nineteen, which made him a reasonably talented genius across the entire Chu Kingdom.
Yet compared to Chu Yu, who had condensed his Dao Wheel at the age of sixteen, he was simply not worth mentioning!
A year ago, Chu Yang had accompanied the Prince of Wu into the palace. Because he had harassed a personal maidservant of Chu Yu's birth mother and spoken obscenities about her, Chu Yu had defeated him in three moves and broken one of his legs.
After the incident, Chu Yang was demoted to a commoner. Considering that he was the son of the Prince of Wu, his life was spared, but he was placed under house arrest within the Prince of Wu's Estate for ten years, forbidden from stepping outside.
Being demoted to a commoner meant Chu Yang would never be able to inherit the position of the Prince of Wu!
Being confined to the Prince of Wu's Estate for ten years without being allowed to leave felt to Chu Yang—who was accustomed to a life of romantic dissipation—as agonizing as having ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart, utterly unbearable.
Precisely because of this, when Chu Yang learned that Chu Yu's Emperor Bone had been seized and his Dao Wheel shattered, he was overjoyed to the point of ecstasy, filled with a profound sense of vengeful delight.
And now, with Chu Yu placed under house arrest inside the Prince of Wu's Estate, it completely fulfilled Chu Yang's deepest wish.
He was going to make this Ninth Prince kneel before him and take back every ounce of lost dignity!
"Men, go and drag Chu Yu out for me!" Chu Yang barked.
"Yes!"
No one dared to defy Chu Yang's orders. With the Prince of Wu currently away from the estate, Chu Yang could practically cover the sky with one hand here; no one was willing to offend the Young Lord for the sake of a fallen prince.
Bang!
Two servants forcefully kicked the door open and rushed into the room.
"Ninth Prince, the Young Lord has ordered the two of us to drag you out. Offense taken!"
"A banished prince is worth less than a dog. You'd better not resist, lest you suffer physical torment!"
The two servants wore sneers at the corners of their mouths, their eyes brimming with contempt.
This Ninth Prince had been stripped of his Emperor Bone, his Dao Wheel was shattered, and he was confined to the Prince of Wu's Estate, stripped of his freedom. He was not even as good as a servant.
Chu Yu's eyes grew cold. His figure darted forward, striking out instantly with unimaginable speed, his palms landing squarely on the two men.
"Ah..."
Only two miserable screams echoed from inside the doorway before the two servants were sent flying directly out of the room, crashing heavily onto the ground. The stone slabs cracked from the impact, and after struggling a few times, they went completely still.
"He... they're dead?"
The complexions of the dozen or so people instantly turned ashen with shock, and even Chu Yang's expression shifted drastically.
Immediately after, Chu Yu's figure walked out from the room. He cast a disdainful glance at the crowd and said apathetically, "If you don't want to die, get the hell out of here right now!"
Chapter 3: The Villain Swelled with Success, Meeting His End by Chu Yu's Devouring Power
Chu Yang was stunned at first, but then his expression instantly darkened.
A Chu Yu who had his Emperor Bone stolen and didn't even have a Dao Wheel—how dare he still act so audaciously in the Prince of Wu's Estate?
This was simply showing him complete disregard!
"Chu Yu, you don't still think you're that brilliant Ninth Prince blessed with the Emperor Bone, do you? Right now, without your Emperor Bone and with a shattered Dao Wheel, you're nothing more than a useless cripple! This is the Prince of Wu's Estate. To dare commit murder here—have you grown a leopard's heart and a bear's gall? Kneel down and apologize to the Young Lord right now!"
Chu Yang shouted sternly, his face filled with mockery as he stepped forward a few paces, as if waiting for Chu Yu to kneel before him.
Recalling what had happened a year ago, Chu Yang felt an itch of hatred so intense it drove him mad!
He wanted to trample this Ninth Prince of the Chu Kingdom fiercely beneath his feet, subject him to cruel humiliation, and take back all the dignity he had lost before!
Only in this way could he vent the fury in his heart and experience true exhilaration!
What could be more exciting than watching a former prince kneel and beg for mercy right before his eyes?
Moreover, no matter what happened in the Prince of Wu's Estate, and no matter how he tormented the Ninth Prince, absolutely no one would ever let the news leak outside.
As long as he didn't actually beat the Ninth Prince to death, it would be fine!
Chu Yu's gaze was ice-cold as he said flatly, "Chu Yang, listen well! Even if this Prince has been driven from the imperial city, I am still a prince, while you have been nothing more than a jumping clown from start to finish! Based on the very words you just uttered, this Prince could execute you right on the spot!"
Being publicly scolded as a jumping clown caused Chu Yang's expression to turn exceptionally unsightly.
"Execute me? Hahaha, Chu Yu, did I hear that right? Your Dao Wheel is shattered, and you are destined to remain stuck at the Moulding Self Realm for the rest of your life. What could you possibly use to execute me?"
Chu Yang laughed out of extreme anger, a look of petty triumph on his face, before a cruel glint flashed in his eyes!
"Men, get him! Break both of his legs!"
Chu Yu had broken one of his legs back then, and today he would return the favor twofold!
"Yes!"
The two servants acknowledged, a surge of spiritual power erupting around their bodies as Dao Wheels manifested behind them. They simultaneously struck out, charging toward Chu Yu.
Unlike the two servants Chu Yu had just dispatched, these two were genuine experts of the Dao Wheel Realm.
Chu Yu's eyes turned icy, a wave of intense killing intent welling up within him!
Truly, when a tiger falls from the heights, it is bullied by dogs—even the servants of the Prince of Wu's Estate dared to make a move against the Ninth Prince of the Chu Kingdom!
Had this been in the past, who would have dared to act so insolently?
Even the Prince of Wu would have had to treat him with utmost respect when standing before him, let alone Chu Yang and the servants of the estate.
Yet now, seeing that he had been banished from the imperial city and placed under house arrest in the Prince of Wu's Estate, these people immediately bared their fangs, eager to humiliate him and kick him while he was down.
Unfortunately for them, he, Chu Yu, was not someone just anyone could bully!
Swish!
With a flash of his figure, Chu Yu instantly vanished from the spot!
The next moment, he suddenly appeared right in front of those two Dao Wheel Realm experts. Thrusting both fists out with unimaginable speed and carrying a force of one hundred thousand catties, he smashed them viciously into their chests!
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled thuds resounded, and immediately afterward, the chests of the two Dao Wheel Realm experts were seen caving inward. They spewed massive mouthfuls of bloody mist, their internal organs shattered, and their breathing stopped instantly!
In the courtyard, the rest of the Prince of Wu's servants were utterly dumbfounded. To kill two Dao Wheel Realm experts with just two punches—how could Chu Yu, who had lost his Emperor Bone and had his Dao Wheel shattered, still possess such terrifying strength?
Chu Yang's complexion shifted violently as well. At this very moment, the feeling Chu Yu gave him was just as powerful and terrifying as before!
It was exactly the same as when he had fought Chu Yu inside the imperial palace back then, stirring a sense of inexplicable panic within him!
Suppressing the shock and fear in his heart, Chu Yang clenched his fists so tightly his teeth ground together audaciously. He kept telling himself that Chu Yu was now nothing more than a cripple incapable of cultivation, and that he had merely relied on brute physical strength to take down those two Dao Wheel servants!
As for himself, he had already reached the Third Layer of Dao Wheel Realm, making him far stronger than those two servants. Dealing with Chu Yu would be no problem at all!
"You've merely killed a couple of servants, Chu Yu, don't celebrate too soon! Right now, I'll let you see just how vast the gap is between a trash without a Dao Wheel and a true Dao Wheel Realm expert!"
Hum!
A robust wave of spiritual power swept outward. At the top of Chu Yang's head, a Dao Wheel appeared, resembling a blazing golden sun, and a scorching wave of heat swept across the area.
"Hahaha, Chu Yu, this is my Dao Wheel. Have you laid eyes on it now? How is it, aren't you quite surprised? Compared to the last time we met, my Dao Wheel has already undergone a transformation!"
"Just this?"
Chu Yu sneered coldly, and a force of devouring erupted from within his body. The Devouring Dao Wheel slowly manifested above his head, covered in black patterns and as terrifying as a devouring abyss!
The moment the Devouring Dao Wheel appeared, the spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth surged toward Chu Yu.
Even the spiritual power within everyone present began to drift uncontrollably toward Chu Yu!
Chu Yang's face was painted with absolute disbelief as he let out a shocked roar: "This is utterly impossible! Your Dao Wheel was clearly shattered—how could a Dao Wheel appear again?!"
Everyone in the world knew that the Dao Wheel was the foundation of cultivation. Once destroyed, one became a cripple, forever halted at the Moulding Self Realm, unable to cultivate ever again, with zero possibility of recondensing it.
Yet a Dao Wheel had appeared on Chu Yu's body once more!
Furthermore, it was an unimaginably terrifying Dao Wheel. Just the aura it emitted was enough to inspire fear, completely suppressing his own Dao Wheel.
"A clown remains a clown; they can never become the protagonist!"
Chu Yu said indifferently, extending a hand as a terrifying devouring force gathered in his palm.
"Ninth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm!"
Feeling this terrifying undulation, Chu Yang's pupils abruptly contracted, his face written all over with fear!
He was a full six realms higher than himself!
One had to know that back when the Third Prince of the Chu Kingdom, Chu Lingfeng, reached the Ninth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm just after turning eighteen, he was already hailed as the peerless genius of the Chu Kingdom!
Yet Chu Yu had reached the Ninth Layer of Dao Wheel Realm at the age of seventeen, a full year earlier than Chu Lingfeng!
Wasn't he stripped of his Emperor Bone, his Dao Wheel shattered, and wasn't he severely wounded?
Did this look anything like someone who was severely wounded? His strength was even greater than before!
"Chu Yu, my father is the Prince of Wu, and this is the Prince of Wu's Estate! There are experts as numerous as clouds here, don't go looking for your own demise!"
Chu Yang shouted with a stern voice backed by inner cowardice, retreating toward the exit of the courtyard as he spoke.
"Trying to threaten me with the Prince of Wu?"
Chu Yu sneered. Chu Yang had already uttered those exact words a year ago.
A year ago, he had broken one of Chu Yang's legs; now, he was even less likely to fear Chu Yang's threats.
Swish!
With a single step forward, Chu Yu's figure moved like lightning, appearing right in front of Chu Yang. His eyes were ice-cold as he struck out with a single palm, the devouring force churning as it pressed toward Chu Yang's chest!
Feeling the might of this palm strike, Chu Yang's expression changed wildly. The golden, blazing sun-like Dao Wheel spun, injecting rolling spiritual power as golden flames swept toward Chu Yu.
The moment all the golden flames drew near Chu Yu, they were absorbed by the devouring force in his palm, transforming into spiritual energy of heaven and earth that poured straight into Chu Yu's body.
"How can this be?"
Chu Yang's eyes bulged in near despair. What kind of Dao Wheel was that, to actually be able to absorb his Golden Flames?
The next instant!
Bang!
Chu Yu's palm struck viciously against Chu Yang's chest.
"Pfft!"
Chu Yang's body trembled violently as he coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood.
What terrified him even more was that Chu Yu's palm felt like a whirlpool; the spiritual power within his body was being sucked away by Chu Yu beyond his control.
Chu Yu's gaze was grim and cold as an even more terrifying devouring force erupted, directly invading the other's body.
In merely a moment, the spiritual power within Chu Yang's body was completely devoured, and the Dao Wheel above his head lost its spiritual support, shrinking back into his body.
"Ninth Prince, please spare me! It was my fault! I'll never dare do it again!"
Begging for mercy?
Chu Yu sneered coldly, his eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation. Having his Emperor Bone ripped away, his Chu bloodline drained, and being banished from the imperial city to be placed under house arrest in the Prince of Wu's Estate had made him see many things clearly.
In this world, the strong were supreme—cold and cruel. Even his own imperial brother had not hesitated to plot against him and strip him of his Emperor Bone.
The cruel reality he had experienced told Chu Yu that to survive, he must use every means necessary to make himself even stronger, and show no mercy whatsoever toward his enemies!
If he hadn't obtained the Samsara Ancient Pagoda and recondensed his Dao Wheel, there was no telling how Chu Yang would have tortured him right now; he might well have wished for death!
"Didn't you laugh at me for having my Emperor Bone stolen and my Dao Wheel shattered? Now, I will let you taste what it feels like to lose a Dao Wheel!"
His chilling voice sounded as though it came from the nethermost depths of hell, making one's hair stand on end.
Chu Yang trembled violently with terror, his face completely drained of color as his limbs shook. In a hysterical shriek, he cried out, "Chu Yu, how dare you! I am the son of the Prince of Wu, and this is the Prince of Wu's Estate. How could you possibly..."
Before Chu Yang could finish his raving nonsense, Chu Yu tightened his five fingers, and the devouring force directly sucked Chu Yang's Dao Wheel right out of his body.
Immediately after, beneath the horrified gazes of Chu Yang and the servants of the Prince of Wu's Estate, that golden Dao Wheel, resembling a blazing sun, turned into golden light and was swallowed by Chu Yu!
"Ah!"
In an instant, a shrill, miserable scream echoed throughout the entire Prince of Wu's Estate.
The Dao Wheel was connected to the bloodline; the moment the Dao Wheel was devoured, his bloodline shattered, directly destroying his cultivation foundation!
"Is this the Devouring Heaven Art created by the Devouring Great Emperor? Truly tyrannical!"
A mocking arc tugged at the corner of Chu Yu's mouth. After devouring Chu Yang's Dao Wheel, his cultivation level had noticeably leaped forward by a significant margin.
At that very moment, the figure of an elderly man in green robes suddenly flew in from outside the courtyard. Upon seeing Chu Yang's miserable state, a surge of rage instantly flooded his eyes!
"Ninth Prince, this is the Prince of Wu's Estate! How dare you cripple the Heir's Dao Wheel!"
This was an expert of the Void Dao Realm, possessing a robust aura and a terrifying coercive pressure. A dreadful wave of Great Dao fluctuations pressed down toward Chu Yu.
Scrape, scrape, scrape...
Chu Yu's figure immediately retreated several steps, his gaze turning solemn!
Beyond the Dao Wheel Realm lay the Inscription Realm, the Dao Pattern Realm, and only after that came the Void Dao Realm.
A cultivator who had reached the Void Dao Realm could be considered a first-rate expert across the entire Chu Kingdom.
Chapter 4: Parting with Old Han, the Prince's Estate Fraught with Danger
Chu Yu steadied his footing, his eyes narrowing slightly as he said in a deep voice, "So what if he is the Heir of the Prince of Wu? This Prince is the Ninth Prince of the Chu Kingdom. For showing disrespect to this Prince, sparing his life was already an act of mercy on my part! For someone of the Prince of Wu's Estate to dare make a move against this Prince—could it be that you intend to rebel?"
Once the heavy accusation of treason was pinned on him, the green-robed elder's expression immediately changed.
If the Heir had indeed bullied the Ninth Prince, even beating the Ninth Prince into injury wouldn't have been a major matter; the Ninth Prince was under house arrest in the Prince of Wu's Estate where his cries to heaven went unheard and his pleas to earth went unanswered, and no one would dare leak the news.
Yet who could have imagined that the Heir was actually no match for the Ninth Prince and would even have his Dao Wheel crippled?
Wasn't the Ninth Prince stripped of his Emperor Bone and left without a Dao Wheel? How had he managed to recondense a Dao Wheel, and how had his strength become so terrifying?
"Elder Wang, capture Chu Yu for me! He crippled my Dao Wheel, I want him to suffer a fate worse than death!"
Chu Yang roared hysterically, looking utterly unhinged.
The green-robed elder hesitated to act for a long time. Chu Yang was the son of the Prince of Wu, and even if something went wrong after making a move against the Ninth Prince, the Prince of Wu would be there to back him up. But as for himself, he simply didn't have the guts to make a move against a prince.
With a ferocious expression, Chu Yang roared furiously, "Elder Wang, if you don't make a move, I'll have someone kill you first!"
The green-robed elder's face darkened. Driven into a corner against his will, he ultimately closed in on Chu Yu.
"Ninth Prince, since you crippled the Heir's Dao Wheel, this old man has no choice but to subdue you first! We will wait until the Prince of Wu returns to make a decision!"
Chu Yu's expression shifted slightly. He was currently in no way a match for a Void Dao Realm expert. Once captured, his fate would no longer be in his own hands!
Right at that moment, a gray-robed figure suddenly flashed in from outside the courtyard and landed right in front of Chu Yu. It was none other than Old Han.
Without a second word, Old Han threw out a single palm strike toward the green-robed elder.
The green-robed elder's complexion changed drastically, and he likewise struck out with a palm, colliding directly with Old Han!
Bang!
A low, muffled sound resembling a rumbling thunderclap echoed out. The green-robed elder let out a muffled groan as his figure was blasted back more than a dozen meters. His body shook violently, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"You even dare to lay a hand on the Ninth Prince! You're courting death!"
Old Han raged, a Dao Wheel manifesting above his head. The shadow of a sword appeared within the Dao Wheel, radiating an incomparably sharp aura as it slashed directly toward the green-robed elder!
The speed of this sword strike was simply too fast. The green-robed elder had no time to employ his Dao Wheel, nor did he dare to meet such an overwhelming edge head-on, leaving him with no choice but to dodge.
Swoosh!
Blood splattered through the air. Even though the green-robed elder reacted swiftly, one of his arms was still cleanly severed.
A shrill, agonizing scream erupted from the green-robed elder's lips as his face turned deathly pale.
"Eunuch Han, how dare you..."