My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

"Chen'er, what's wrong with you?"

Li Shimin wiped the watermelon juice from the corner of his mouth and looked at Li Chen, who had fallen into a frenzy, with a face full of suspicion.

"Could it be that he's gone astray in his cultivation and suffered a qi deviation? Laughing like a night owl howling in broad daylight."

Li Chen ignored Lao Li's complaints.

At this moment, he felt his blood boiling, and his mind was filled with the thought of quickly entering the secret chamber, going into seclusion, and fusing with the Chaos Creation Spirit Crystal that was enough to transform him.

He didn't want to wait even a second longer!

"Old Deng! Stop eating!"

Li Chen suddenly turned his head, staring at Li Shimin with shining eyes, and waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

"Take your mother, Chang Le and Si Zi, and that brute Cheng Qian, and get back to the palace right now!"

He then turned to the three dukes in the corner and unceremoniously ordered them to leave.

"And you three! Hurry back to your respective Duke's mansions and hug your wives! The Prince of Qin's mansion is closed today; no guests are welcome!"

The entire audience was stunned.

Li Shimin threw the melon rind in his hand onto the table, immediately becoming somewhat displeased.

He finally finished dealing with court affairs and came to this cool backyard to find some peace and quiet, and also to enjoy some spiritual tea and fruits. He hadn't even settled in properly when he was kicked out.

"You unfilial son, have you taken the wrong medicine?" Li Shimin glared at him and snorted unhappily.

"I'm not leaving today! I want to see if you're hiding some secret treasure in the backyard, rushing me away in broad daylight!"

Li Shimin's statement was purely a fluke, a random thought.

But to Li Chen, this made him raise an eyebrow.

He knew Old Li's shameless nature all too well. If he didn't give him a plausible reason today, Old Deng would definitely stay in the yard until tomorrow morning.

Li Chen took a deep breath.

He forcibly suppressed the elation in his heart and put on a mysterious and even somewhat serious expression.

He walked to the stone table, placed his hands on the surface, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly into Li Shimin's eyes.

"Old Deng, do you really want to know?"

Li Chen lowered his voice, his tone carrying a bewitching charm.

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin's gossipy nature and greedy spirit were instantly ignited.

He quickly stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Is there really treasure?"

"Not a baby."

Li Chen shook his head, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"It's a surprise."

Li Chen looked at Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, and the Crown Prince and veteran generals who were eavesdropping, and slowly and deliberately threw out the bait.

"You shall return to the palace immediately. I will summon you by voice tomorrow morning."

"At that time, I will show you all something that will overturn your understanding and exceed your imagination... a truly enormous surprise!"

What a wonderful surprise!

Upon hearing these four words, Li Shimin's breathing instantly became heavy.

He knows Li Chen too well.

This usually lazy son actually said "a huge surprise" in such a solemn tone.

That means that this so-called "surprise" is absolutely a supreme miracle that surpasses even the Silver Mountain in the southern suburbs and even the broken techniques of the Guiyuan Sect!

"Alright! I'm leaving! I'm leaving right now!"

Without hesitation, Li Shimin grabbed Empress Zhangsun's wrist and tucked Xiao Sizi, who was still trying to grab a piece of mung bean cake, under his arm.

"Chengqian, let's go! Don't get in the way and delay your sixteenth brother from preparing the surprise!"

The Tang emperor ran faster than anyone else, fearing that if he stayed even a second longer, he would ruin this "great surprise".

Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong exchanged glances.

The veterans' keen intuition told them that His Highness the Prince of Qin was about to make a momentous move.

Without a word, they picked up the weapons on the ground, saluted, and quickly left the palace gate.

In less than half an incense stick's time.

The once bustling and chaotic backyard of the Qin Prince's Mansion has been completely emptied and cleaned up.

A gentle breeze blew through the empty courtyard.

Li Chen stood in the center of the backyard and let out a long breath.

As the sun sets, the evening glow turns blood-red.

Night began to quietly descend upon the vast and ancient city of Chang'an.

Li Chen turned around, his languid expression completely gone, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and gravity.

"Wan'er."

A low shout.

Qin Wan'er appeared behind Li Chen in an instant, like a red shadow. A long sword hung at her waist, she knelt on one knee, her expression stern.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"Activate the highest-level Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams defensive array in the mansion, sealing off all courtyard walls, gates, and the sky."

Li Chen's gaze was sharp as a knife as he gave his orders, word by word.

"Fill the array's core with all the top-grade spirit stones from the warehouse! Activate the highest defense level!"

"From this moment forward, I will enter a secluded chamber for seclusion. Without my order, no person or creature may approach me."

"Then you should go home too, don't stay here."

Qin Wan'er was suddenly startled.

Having followed Li Chen for so long, this was the first time she had ever seen His Highness so alarmed.

She dared not delay in the slightest and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, sir!"

A moment later.

Accompanied by a muffled hum, a pale golden, semi-transparent light shield rose from the ground of the Qin Prince's Mansion, like a giant inverted bowl, completely sealing off the entire massive mansion.

Li Chen took a deep breath, turned around, and walked into the steel-framed secret room at the deepest part of the backyard.

The heavy stone door slammed down.

however.

Just as Li Chen was excitedly preparing to fuse with the spirit crystal that was enough to rewrite his destiny.

He didn't realize it.

In the deepest and darkest alley in Chang'an.

A nauseating, thick smell of blood was spreading silently.

That was a terrifying entity that the Cui and Lu families had secretly worshipped for many years at great expense and with countless amounts of gold and silver.

A supreme evil cultivator who cultivates evil arts by devouring ordinary people alive and sucking their blood, flesh, and souls.

at this time.

This eerie figure, shrouded in a crimson blood mist, was standing on a tall tower not far from the Qin King's mansion.

His pale, pupil-less eyes, like those of a wild beast, were fixed on the impregnable golden defensive array above the Qin Prince's mansion.

"Hehehe..."

A chilling, eerie laugh emanated from the blood mist.

"Such pure spiritual energy fluctuations...such a sweet and fragrant soul scent."

"This crude, mundane formation thinks it can block my 'Blood Escape Shadowless Technique'?"

"I gladly accept the ten thousand souls promised by the Cui and Lu families. As for His Highness Prince Qin, who ruined the aristocratic families' plans..."

The blood-red figure's body began to slowly twist and become transparent, as if it were about to melt into the boundless darkness.

"Let me taste just how delicious your heart and liver are."

A cold night wind blew by.

The tower was now completely deserted.

Only a pool of dark red blood, emitting a foul stench, remained, a horrifying sight under the moonlight.