20: The Three Barriers of the Dharma Realm

“Besides the Imperial Princes, you have another obstacle.”

“The Prime Minister, Prime Minister.”

“He controls the Northern Army’s Winged Dragon Camp and is quite hostile towards the Northern Army.”

“With the Winged Dragon Camp there, the Northern Army cannot possibly enter Wu Prefecture undetected.”

“Therefore, the only military support you can truly secure is from the Western Army, the Valiant Cavalry Camp.”

“The commander of the Valiant Cavalry Camp, General Yue Changting, is a man who does not covet wealth or beauty. He is devoted to Cultivation, and his Realm is already close to the Dharma Aspect Realm. He is very difficult to win over.”

“However, his deputy general is a man who values money above all else. Perhaps we can start with him.”

Xia Xuan listened quietly to Xu Tianlang’s analysis.

He gained a preliminary understanding of the situation in the Great Wu Dynasty’s Imperial Capital.

The four major camps guarding the Imperial Capital are crucial; each camp has at least two hundred thousand troops.

Who knows how many experts are hidden within them? The commanders on the surface are all in the Dharma Aspect Realm, representing one of the powerful foundations of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Only then did Xia Xuan realize how deep the waters of the Imperial Capital were.

It would be incredibly difficult to bring down the Crown Prince and suppress the Prince of Qi.

After all, the strongest person he could trust was only at the Peak of the Divine Martial Realm.

And there is a world of difference between the Divine Martial Realm and the Dharma Aspect Realm.

Ascending to the Dharma Aspect Realm is a qualitative change; every move contains the might of heaven and earth.

No matter what, Divine Martial Realm experts still use Protective Aura, and there will be times when they are exhausted, potentially killed by someone in the True Martial Realm or even lower Realms.

However, a Dharma Aspect Realm expert controls the power of heaven and earth; one person can sweep away an army of thousands.

To defeat a superior, unless a battle formation with a condensed military soul is used to blockade them, they can roam freely across the vast world.

Seeing Xia Xuan’s worried expression, Xu Tianlang comforted him, “Xia Xuan, don’t worry. As long as you don’t initiate a rebellion, even if you fail in this struggle, the Northern Territory will guarantee your life is safe.”

Xia Xuan forced a smile; he did indeed consider rebellion.

Emperor Wanwu was not long for this world; if the Crown Prince didn’t step down soon, what chance would he have?

“It’s too early to discuss these things. The auction next month, where forces from all sides gather in the Imperial Capital, will surely impact and change the current situation.”

Xia Xuan hadn’t forgotten that his biggest trump card was the System, but he wouldn’t place all his hopes on it either.

After all, the lottery was random, and if it was a supportive divine item, it might not immediately help him in the struggle for the throne.

The help Prince Who Guards the North could offer him was more of a deterrent.

Ultimately, everything still depended on himself.

“Xu Tianlang, if there’s nothing else, go back to the Northern Territory early. The Imperial Capital is not a safe place for you. I really don’t know how you, a mere Divine Martial Realm expert, managed to secure the position of a Great General,” Xia Xuan said impolitely.

Xu Tianlang laughed heartily, “The people who want to kill me stretch from here to the Northern Territory, but do they have the guts?”

Soon, he sighed again, “As for my Realm, it’s not that I don’t want to Breakthrough, but my talent is limited, and I’ve spilled too much blood, carrying too many deceased souls.”

“The three hurdles from Divine Martial to Dharma Aspect, I’m afraid I’ll never be able to cross them in my lifetime.”

“Three hurdles?”

This was the first time Xia Xuan had heard of this.

Lü Bu had also told him about a barrier hindering his advancement after the Peak of the Divine Martial Realm. Could it be related to these three hurdles?

“Meow~”

At this moment, the adorable White Cat, which had been sound asleep, suddenly woke up. Its sapphire-like eyes scanned its surroundings. Perhaps feeling uncomfortable with too many people, it shrank its neck and buried its head in its paws to continue sleeping.

Ye Qingci naturally took over the conversation, “The Divine Martial Realm is considered the limit of the human body.”

“To advance to the Dharma Aspect Realm, one must break through the Origin Qi hurdle, the Qi and blood hurdle, and the Divine Soul hurdle.”

“Only by breaking through the human body’s limits in all three, and maintaining balance, can one initially grasp the power of heaven and earth and condense a Dharma Aspect.”

“The Prince has too much killing karma, causing an abnormality in his Qi and blood hurdle. Even if he breaks through, it will be difficult to maintain the balance of the three.”

“Cough.”

Xu Tianlang coughed, glanced at Xia Xuan, and advised, “Let’s not talk about me. Xia Xuan, if you have aspirations to reach the Dharma Aspect Realm, you must exercise restraint, preferably remaining chaste.”

“When advancing from Acquired to Innate, a surge of Innate Essence Qi will compensate for any deficiencies.”

“What you’ve done before is fine, but if you don’t preserve your essence and Yang Qi is depleted, damaging your Origin Qi, balancing the three major hurdles will become even more difficult.”

Xia Xuan’s expression was strange. There were such restrictions?

He hadn’t broken his chastity after advancing to Innate, but his Physique was special—the Pure Yang Divine Body, with an inexhaustible supply of Yang Qi. He shouldn't be subject to this restriction, right?

However, would this overly powerful Origin Qi become an obstacle for him to balance the three hurdles later on?

Xia Xuan suppressed the doubts in his heart and casually replied, “I understand.”

Xu Tianlang nodded and stopped bothering him, moving into the inner residence alone.

Meanwhile, White Plain, Red Bell, and Ye Qingci were all arranged to stay at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

“What a beautiful palace,” Red Bell chirped beside Xia Xuan, marveling at the magnificent scenery within the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

White Plain also looked a bit lost in thought; such continuous palace complexes, with an immortal-like grandeur, were even more miraculous and refreshing than the Dao comprehension Holy Land of the Sword Cliff.

Ye Qingci’s willow-like brows slightly raised, a thoughtful expression on her face. This was the first time she felt she couldn’t see through Xia Xuan.

There seemed to be something strange about this gentle abode, but she couldn’t pinpoint where the problem lay.

“Aunt Qing, are you satisfied here?”

Xia Xuan knew Ye Qingci might be an expert beyond the Divine Martial Realm, so he was very well-behaved.

“Hmm, not bad.”

Ye Qingci smiled as she looked at him. The White Cat in her arms, when it officially entered the main hall area of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, woke up groggily and instinctively jumped into Xia Xuan’s arms, as if it had mistaken him for its owner.

The White Cat still carried a lingering warmth and a faint, elegant fragrance, which smelled very pleasant.

With Xia Xuan’s current Physique, the adorable, rather plump White Cat in his arms wasn’t heavy, feeling like holding a piece of warm, soft jade.

Xia Xuan also liked cats before his Transmigration, but he never had the chance to keep one. Now, it somewhat fulfilled a small regret.

He stroked the White Cat’s thick fur and asked with a smile, “It seems to have a strong connection with me. What’s the little one’s name?”

“Snowball,” Ye Qingci feigned annoyance, leaning closer, attempting to use her aura to make Snowball recognize who the true owner was.

This lazy cat, which never allowed anyone else to hold it, would actually have a day of “betraying” her?

“Snowball, Snowball...”

Xia Xuan chuckled and repeated the name twice. It was a very abstract name, but also quite fitting.

With its pure white fur, Snowball’s breed was unidentifiable to him. Its plumpness didn’t appear bloated; overall, it exuded a sense of elegance and cuteness.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Mu Wan'er rushed over, following the commotion, and immediately saw three Femme Fatale-level women. Her face turned slightly pale.

At this moment, she suddenly realized that her beauty was not irreplaceable, and her position in the heart of the Prince of Chu was probably lower than she had estimated.

“Your Highness apparently likes to keep beautiful women hidden,” Red Bell teased. Although she was smiling, there was hostility in her eyes as she looked at Mu Wan'er.

“It’s a pity Your Highness needs to preserve his Yang body, otherwise I would definitely let little sister know that even a Disciple of the Myriad Desires Palace needs some real skill to succeed.”

PS: Xia Xuan’s Physique is special, so there are no restrictions... Later, only censorship will limit the expression. Some chapters have been reviewed four or five times, it’s difficult...