'Looks like I need to find a way to give Mother a warning,' Yang Cheng thought. But thinking was one thing—he wasn't about to act rashly.
He had no intention of exposing his true intelligence. With the identity of a baby as his cover, he'd be able to do plenty of things more easily in the future.
As for right now?
He planned to eat when he was hungry and drink when he was thirsty. This carefree life was something to enjoy one day at a time. Future problems could wait for the future.
If trouble came, he'd deal with it then.
Meanwhile.
In Radiant Sunlight Hall.
Noble Consort Zhuang Wanrong had only just returned before she shattered three vases and punished two palace maids.
Then she secretly met with an old eunuch.
"Didn't you say the crown prince was definitely poisoned with the Myriad Despair Divine Water? Then what's this all about now?" she demanded, furious.
If the old man hadn't sworn over and over that the information was solid, she wouldn't have spent these years building up false hopes.
The old eunuch looked miserable. "Noble Consort, this humble servant doesn't know either. According to the messages from our master, everything should've been certain. Now like this, I can only send word back to ask."
"Then hurry up," Zhuang Wanrong snapped. "If we don't get the crown prince abolished, how will Xiu'er ever take the throne? No matter how much I want to help, I can't do it alone."
In Splendid Radiance Hall.
Before anyone knew it, the night had grown quiet and deep.
Yang Cheng focused his mind. "Sword Dao Initiation, fuse!"
When he fused his Innate Sword Intent before, he'd received boundless sword dao principles and insight.
But Sword Dao Initiation was different.
What he got now was endless foundational knowledge about the sword.
Soon, he sat there dumbstruck.
In his mind appeared tens of thousands of basic sword techniques.
They were all simple moves, but there were so many of them it was staggering.
He strongly suspected he'd just mastered every basic sword form known across the myriad worlds.
One by one, each technique was broken apart in his consciousness, reduced to pieces, then reformed and absorbed into his mind.
Even as someone who had become the Asura Demon Lord in his past life, Yang Cheng was utterly shocked.
He'd practiced swordsmanship before.
But after nearly five hundred years, the total number of sword skills he'd learned wasn't even one percent of what he now grasped.
Under normal circumstances, unless someone spent a thousand years studying day and night, they could never master this many basic sword techniques.
It truly lived up to the system's promise of "Sword Dao Initiation."
This single fusion had built him a foundation in swordsmanship so solid it was unprecedented and unmatched.
Right now, calling him a walking, living divine manual of foundational sword techniques wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Morning arrived before he knew it.
When Yang Cheng woke up groggy-eyed, he heard his mother talking to someone.
His eyes swept the room and he saw, not far away, Yun Liyue sitting by the brazier with another woman.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
That woman was the very person he'd been thinking of yesterday: Yun Yirou.
Mother was a Martial King, so she didn't fear the cold.
But Yun Yirou had only barely reached the Xiantian realm and had been frail since birth, so she needed the brazier to stay warm.
By her side stood a three-year-old boy.
Yun Yirou had given birth two years before Yun Liyue.
Her son was the Fourth Prince, Yang Heng.
"Elder Sister, I heard recently that Cheng'er was poisoned by the Myriad Despair Divine Water. But I was bedridden with illness myself and didn't want to pass anything on to him, so I couldn't come see him sooner. I hope you can forgive me," Yun Yirou said apologetically.
"You and I are sisters," Yun Liyue replied. "There's no need for such distant words."
"I heard those poisoned by the Myriad Despair Divine Water will have their bone foundations destroyed. How is it that Cheng'er is unharmed?"
"Could it be, Sister, that you've mastered some supreme method to dissolve the Myriad Despair Divine Water?" Yun Yirou asked curiously.
Yun Liyue shook her head. "I know very well how terrifying the Myriad Despair Divine Water is. I haven't learned any way to neutralize such a deadly poison. So Cheng'er must never have been poisoned by it."
Yun Yirou smiled sweetly. "That's wonderful news. It must've just been a misdiagnosis by the imperial physicians. I told you already—Cheng'er is blessed by the heavens. Even when he's in danger, he'll always find a way through."
But Yun Liyue frowned. "I hope you're right. Still, I can't shake the feeling that this whole thing isn't so simple."
"Sister, you're worrying too much," Yun Yirou said. "In this palace, who could possibly harm Cheng'er, the crown prince? If anyone truly dared harbor ill intentions, I'd be the first to make them pay."
So fake.
Yang Cheng felt he was getting a true masterclass in palace intrigue just watching these consorts perform.
If he hadn't seen firsthand that Yun Yirou was later honored by the Heavenly Emperor as Western Empress Dowager, he might've believed she genuinely cared about him.
[Martial Emperor Yang Heng is a loyal servant of Yang Xiu, repeatedly aiding him in humiliating the host and trampling his dignity.]
[To deal with Yang Xiu, you must first defeat Yang Heng. Please do everything in your power to defeat Yang Heng.]
[Note: This mission is extremely difficult. The host is granted a three-year deadline. If you fail, you will face divine lightning punishment.]
[Mission reward: Great Divination Breathing Technique.]
Yang Cheng's heart pounded wildly.
Great Divination Breathing Technique?
This was a breathing art spoken of in legends across the myriad worlds, an extremely mysterious technique long thought lost.
In his previous life, Yang Cheng had only heard about it from the mouth of a peerless genius.
The Great Divination Breathing Technique, also called the "Great Divination Self-Liberating Breathing Art," stood apart from all other breathing methods in existence.
Normal breathing techniques had fixed attributes—like Thunder Breathing, which could only draw in lightning aura, or Water Breathing, which only absorbed water aura.
But Great Divination Breathing was different.
It could absorb any kind of elemental aura.
Yang Cheng's heart thudded in his chest, and his gaze toward Yang Heng blazed with excitement.
This wasn't an enemy like in his past life—this was a walking miracle waiting to happen in this one.
"Fourth Brother, let's go play outside!" Yang Cheng said brightly, his black and white eyes sparkling.
His gaze was so intense it made Yang Heng feel a little uncomfortable.
But he didn't suspect anything.
Yun Liyue and Yun Yirou both smiled warmly.
This was just how small children were: the younger ones liked to tag along with the older ones.
"Go on, Heng'er," Yun Yirou said. "Take the crown prince to play, but make sure he doesn't get hurt."
Yang Heng clearly wasn't happy, but he didn't dare refuse. He had no choice but to lead Yang Cheng outside.
A swarm of palace maids and eunuchs hurried to follow them.
Once they were outside Splendid Radiance Hall, Yang Heng's attitude turned cold and dismissive.
In his past life, Yang Cheng hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was just Yang Heng's nature.
But now, he couldn't help wondering: was Yang Heng's indifference because Yun Yirou had been poisoning his mind all along?
Maybe Yun Yirou had instructed Yang Heng to keep quiet.
But Yang Heng was only three years old. Even if he kept secrets with his mouth, his attitude would inevitably give him away.
Of course, Yang Cheng's real concern was Yun Yirou.
He didn't take Yang Heng seriously at all.
Yang Heng wasn't Yang Xiu.
Right now, Yang Heng was just a perfectly ordinary three-year-old boy.
To Yang Cheng, his only real worth was helping him complete the system's mission.
So Yang Cheng said to him, "Fourth Brother, let's have a martial sparring match!"
"You? Spar with me?" Yang Heng snorted, lifting his nose high. "I had my bone tested two years ago. I already have a martial teacher and have started real training. Against you, I could knock you over with a single finger!"