Yefutidaolu

Chapter 434 Meeting the Saint
Following instructions, Gao Jian picked up a plump, golden loquat, peeled off the thin skin, and put the glistening flesh into his mouth.

The next moment, an indescribable flavor exploded on his taste buds!

It was a scent he had once taken for granted, but which had been almost forgotten in the corner of his memory due to the long absence. The sudden reunion brought such a powerful shock!

Gao Jian didn't know how to describe it precisely. If he had to, it would probably be... 'vibrant'?
It is the purest original flavor of food, nurtured in a truly living world, by the complete cycle of the four seasons and the free sunshine and rain.

In his former world, this flavor was ubiquitous, so common that it was easily overlooked. After arriving in the Divine Dynasty, all the food he ate, no matter how exquisite, always seemed to lack a certain soul. He initially thought it was just a difference in taste or cooking methods between the two places.

It was only at this moment that this royal palace loquat made him realize that the missing, incomparably precious flavor was "freshness"!
In matters of taste, freshness is paramount. Fresh, vibrant food tastes far superior to that which is magically created in a desolate world and is inherently stale!

The food from the previous dynasty was fundamentally "not fresh enough"! Only this loquat in my mouth right now is a truly fresh fruit, full of the pulse of life!

Gao Jian savored this long-lost feeling, and even couldn't help but close his eyes slightly, his face revealing an expression that was a mixture of nostalgia and amazement.

The handsome eunuch had been observing his reaction. Seeing the undisguised shock and immersion on Gao Jian's face, he smiled knowingly and gently reminded him, "Mr. Gao, please calm your mind. You will soon have an audience with the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian immediately opened his eyes, his previous expression of emotion vanishing instantly, replaced by his usual composure. He nodded and asked, "When?"

His swift and decisive shift in emotions elicited a subtle hint of surprise in the eunuch's eyes.

This was the first time someone had so easily and effortlessly recovered from the shock of this 'fresh taste'. Ordinary people, even immortals, would be stunned and bewildered for quite some time upon first tasting this flavor originating from 'living heaven'...

This carefully prepared show of force, intended to highlight the palace's uniqueness and subtly exert psychological influence, failed so easily.

The eunuch's mind raced, but his expression remained impassive. He replied with a smile, "Mr. Gao will be ready after he has bathed and changed. A master of ceremonies will come to guide you shortly. Please do as I say."

"Hmm," Gao Jian responded indifferently.

At this moment, Jiang Youlin stood up and bowed slightly to the eunuch: "Now that Mr. Gao has been brought here, I will take my leave."

The eunuch was quite friendly to her: "Please take your time, Lady Jiang. His Majesty appreciates your hard work on this journey and has prepared a reward, which will be sent to you later."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Youlin's eyes flashed with barely suppressed joy, and he quickly bowed, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" He then left without lingering, clearly eagerly anticipating the "reward."

Gao Jian frowned slightly as he watched Jiang Youlin's somewhat hurried departure.

A reward? Even someone with Jiang Youlin's cultivation and temperament would be so overjoyed... This attitude... something just doesn't feel right.

However, he had no intention of delving into the matter at the moment and simply sat and waited.

Before long, a master of ceremonies, dressed in an elaborate robe and with a solemn and rigid expression, entered. He was followed by several eunuchs carrying clothes and utensils.

The master of ceremonies first bowed to Gao Jian, and then began a lengthy and detailed "training".

He first quoted classical texts, emphasizing that meeting the emperor was a "major national event" and that one must be "respectful, cautious, and courteous, with proper manners."

Next, he instructed Gao Jian on how to change clothes: first, one must bathe in a specially made "orchid bath" to cleanse oneself of worldly dust; then, one must change into the prepared "attendant's robes," which are worn by those who have not yet been granted official titles when meeting the emperor. The robes are dark in color to symbolize heaven, and the patterns are simple to show respect; one must wear jade at the waist, and one's steps must make the jade ring in harmony, with a slow and gentle rhythm, as the saying goes, "When walking, the jade rings, so that no evil thoughts can enter."

Then, there is the etiquette when meeting the emperor: "Enter quickly and kneel when ascending the hall," meaning that one should walk quickly with small steps when entering the hall and kneel when ascending the hall; "Do not look back, do not stand crooked, and do not spread your legs when sitting." One should not look left or right, stand straight, and sit with legs spread apart.

"Be careful with your words and keep your voice calm."

"When holding something, keep it level with your heart; when carrying something, keep it level with your belt."

Every step, from advancing to retreating, is governed by strict rules. How to bow, how to respond, when to raise one's head, when to lower one's eyes—no detail is too small to be discussed incessantly. The official in charge of rites speaks in a rigid tone, yet cites classical texts, explaining the origin and symbolic meaning of each rule with great clarity, as if violating any one of them would be a blasphemy against divine authority, a grave sin.

Gao Jian listened attentively throughout, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. Only when the master of ceremonies finally finished and asked him if he had remembered everything did he raise his eyes and reply in a flat tone:
"Yeah, remember."

Gao Jian memorized the elaborate formalities described by the official in charge of etiquette, said nothing more, and then went to the side room to bathe.

He lay in the steaming water, letting the liquid, which was not ordinary water, soak into his skin. Although the water did not feel "fresh," it contained a gentle and pure spiritual energy, silently nourishing his body and washing away the last trace of dust and fatigue. It was clearly some kind of rare spiritual spring, but with his current knowledge, he could not discern its specific origin.

After bathing, he changed into a simple black "attendant's robe" and wore a jade ornament at his waist. Gao Jian's entire demeanor changed, losing some of the casualness of a martial arts hero and gaining more of the solemnity and restraint that suited the court atmosphere.

He followed the solemn-looking official and stepped once again into the vast and silent labyrinth inside the Purple Palace Enclosure.

Deep within the palace, time seemed to stand still, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing clearly in the empty corridors, making the surroundings even more deafeningly quiet.

Gao Jian's gaze was fixed straight ahead, never glancing left or right. His hands were naturally folded in front of him, and his steps were unhurried and measured. Each step seemed to have been measured, and the jade pendants made a crisp and rhythmic sound with each step, neither too fast nor too slow.

The official occasionally glanced at Gao Jian out of the corner of his eye, noticing that his demeanor was impeccable from beginning to end, without the slightest transgression of the rules, not even a flicker of his gaze. A barely perceptible sense of pride crept into his heart. This young man, so young, possessed unfathomable cultivation. In such a solemn and dignified place, he could remain so composed and obedient. This was the majesty of the imperial palace.

The corridor seemed endless, with countless similar yet subtly different doorways and branching paths on both sides. Finally, at the end of a particularly wide corridor, two enormous vermilion doors were half-open, with flickering candlelight inside, casting dappled shadows, and faint whispers seemed to emanate from within, creating an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue.

However, Gao Jian seemed oblivious to this, maintaining his steady pace and calm expression as he walked steadily toward the half-open vermilion door, as if none of the surrounding light, shadow, and sound could disturb his mind in the slightest.

He bowed his head slightly to show respect, but his peripheral vision scanned the surroundings discreetly, like the most sophisticated scanner.

The palace's interior is far more complex than imagined. The corridors aren't straight; instead, they branch off into countless smaller paths, which in turn fork again, like the branches of a tree, each branch leading to another, creating a vast, three-dimensional network. Numerous bridges, suspended staircases, and pavilions weave together, forming a dizzying, three-dimensional labyrinth. Without a guide, it's impossible to discern the specific paths or the function of each area.

Gao Jian seemed to understand something and asked, his voice unusually clear in the silent corridor: "Master of Ceremonies, do you remember all the paths within this palace?"

Upon hearing this, the official in charge of ceremonies gave a humble yet somewhat helpless smile and replied, "Mr. Gao is too kind. The imperial palace has countless paths, intricate and complex, like stars scattered across the sky. No one can remember all the routes. Everyone only remembers the fixed routes they use for their daily duties; taking the wrong one could lead to starvation. Perhaps... only those important figures have a complete understanding of this place."

Everyone only knows what they normally use...

Gao Jian silently thought to himself. And the number of these "usually used" paths was probably astronomical. It was easy to imagine that if someone strayed into an unfamiliar area and got lost in these endless corridors and pavilions, it would be perfectly natural. The rumor from the official in charge of rites that "occasionally people starve to death in the corridors" was probably not unfounded.

Once inside, they couldn't find their way or meet anyone else, and were trapped in the endless aerial corridors, unable to find any living person no matter where they went.

What a suffocating terror this is! To vanish silently beneath this ultimate splendor and solemnity, turning into an unknown skeleton deep within the palace walls.

But this is only part of the palace. The real palace is much larger, and there is definitely a formation operating within it, and these corridors are part of that formation.

The expert clearly understood the significance of the palace's design.

This was not merely to demonstrate the majesty and unfathomable power of the imperial family, but also an ultimate security measure and a symbol of power. It strictly confined the activities of everyone except the supreme ruler and his absolute confidants to fixed "cells," forming an invisible cage. Anyone, even an elder in the palace, once outside their "cell," would instantly become a lost sheep, their fate entirely out of their own hands. This greatly limited potential rebellions, spying, and collusion, ensuring that imperial power occupied the most central and secure position within this labyrinth, overlooking and controlling everyone's activities along the predetermined path.

Moreover, there is no coercion involved; it's just that you don't know the way.

Using the maze as a cage, the path as a shackle, blocking knowledge, limiting vision... in this way, mystery and fear can be created, bringing absolute control... what a clever method.

Gao Jian remained silent. This was one of the methods used to control such a vast divine dynasty. By controlling the dissemination of high-level cultivation techniques and monopolizing key knowledge and information, everyone was imprisoned in their own narrow cognitive cages. Thus, this enormous empire was like a sophisticated yet rigid machine, entirely under the control of the person at the top of the Purple Palace.

He gained a deeper and more wary understanding of the emperor's cunning and desire for control, whom he had never met. He stopped being distracted, completely focused his mind, and followed the master of ceremonies step by step toward the half-closed vermilion gate that seemed to lead to the source of all power.

Once you cross the threshold, you will gain insight.

He had already mentally rehearsed many possibilities: perhaps a magnificent palace with golden splendor and overwhelming power, perhaps a strange space with strict formations and hidden dangers, or perhaps some other bizarre scene that displayed supreme authority.

However, upon entering, what came into view was just a... rather "ordinary" room.

It is considered ordinary because the furnishings are extremely simple, even somewhat empty.

In the center of the room, the most conspicuous thing was an enormous bed. It was about ten zhang long and seven zhang wide, and it was more like a platform than a bed.

Gao Jian secretly thought to himself, "Sleeping on this bed is probably no different from sleeping on the floor... It's really a bed that I can't like."

Around the bed, a ring of large luminous pearls were evenly placed. They were not still, but slowly floating and rotating, emitting a soft light that was enough to illuminate the entire space, making the room as bright as day, without any shadows.

The walls of the room, and even the dome, were all made of bronze! The bronze was not the usual bluish-green color, but rather had a brand-new, bright golden luster!

Takashi knew that bronze was originally golden when it was first cast, and only after being oxidized and corroded over a long period of time would it gradually turn bluish-green. The shimmering gold on the bronze walls here indicated that they were either newly cast or preserved using incredible methods to protect them from the erosion of time.

The bronze that radiates golden light is not ordinary copper, but "ancient bronze"! It is a divine metal that was forged by the gods with their supreme power in the ancient times when the gods still walked on the earth and the world was full of vitality!

Today, the world is desolate and the conditions for producing this kind of "bronze" have long been lost. Every piece of bronze that exists can only be obtained through archaeological excavation from those ancient ruins with great difficulty, and it is a priceless treasure.

Here, the walls and ceiling of the entire room are made of this brand-new, gleaming bronze!
The only possibility is that this place—this seemingly ordinary house—was forged by an ancient god himself and has been preserved and used ever since! It is because of the miraculous nature of its material and its meticulous maintenance that it has survived countless ages and retained its original golden luster!

Just then, his gaze passed over the huge bed and fell upon the figure sitting on its edge.

All the previous preparations, all the speculation, all the caution were replaced at this moment by a more direct emotion.

Gao Jian completely ignored the official beside him who was about to introduce the emperor and whose expression had changed drastically. He looked up and stared directly at the supreme ruler of the dynasty who was sitting in the ancient bronze temple!
Then, as if he had discovered something interesting, he chuckled softly:
"You look... rather ordinary."

(End of this chapter)