The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS

Inside the main hall, a sudden chill breeze appeared out of nowhere, followed by an abrupt explosion in the air, as if invisible martial artists had exchanged blows for an instant.

"Sword Qi..." Zhuge Longsu slowly lowered his eyelids, seemingly deep in thought with myriad contemplations.

Just now, he had truly made a move, but it was thwarted by a burst of Sword Qi.

Although it was merely a probing exchange and the root of this Sword Qi was not discerned, there was no doubt it was the kind of Sword Qi exclusive to those in the Divinity Realm.

Then how could Qing Yu of the True Pill Realm possess such Sword Qi?

Or could it be that someone was secretly assisting him? However, if there were someone helping, this person who could elude the perception of Zhuge Longsu would be extraordinarily powerful, even surpassing him.

At the same moment, under Qing Yu's left sleeve, his left hand raised a sword finger, with a ghostly green Sword Qi dancing upon it, casting inches of cold gleam.

He dared to meet with Zhuge Longsu in person only because he was certain he could retreat with his whole body intact. In fact, provided he wasn't desperate against an opponent of the Divinity Realm, Qing Yu was confident in his ability to escape.

The days of fleeing from the Divinity like a mouse from a cat were long gone.

"Do you wish to kill me?" Qing Yu suddenly laughed, "Isn't the headmaster here because Cold Eunuch couldn't leave his duties, to sit tight and guard against the Divinity Realm warriors from the grassland people?"

"To speak frankly, the headmaster may not believe this, but I have an exceptionally keen sense of perception. Tonight, I've discovered you!"

At the moment of the Water Ghost's appearance, at the time when a hidden Divinity Realm individual was using a Secret Technique to assist from afar with Jashu, Qing Yu was able to detect the presence of Zhuge Longsu.

He was here as an ally of Qing Yu, not departing from Mountain River Academy to come for retribution.

However, the Killing Intent just now was indeed not feigned.

Gu Chen was right to be concerned; Zhuge Longsu truly detested the appearance of Water Ghosts. Even the Taoist sects from where the Corpse Refining Technique originated no longer practiced it.

The last sect dedicated to Corpse Refinement, Three Mountains Sect, had perished nearly a thousand years ago. Now, only the Heavenly Demon Palace and Netherworld Ten Halls still possessed the Corpse Refining Technique, and both of their techniques were amongst the most exceptional Abnormal Skills.

The first time Zhuge Longsu unintentionally revealed his Qi Mechanism was upon seeing a Water Ghost, giving rise to anger and spawning Killing Intent. In that split second of overflowing rage and Killing Intent, his Qi Mechanism leaked, allowing Qing Yu to sense it.

So, it was true that Zhuge Longsu had the intent to kill. Had Qing Yu not blocked his probing attack, they would have been engaged in combat by now.

However, Zhuge Longsu had since reined in his Killing Intent. He realized he could not contend with Qing Yu. Without the empowerment of the Haqi River, Zhuge Longsu's strength wasn't sufficient to hold down Qing Yu.

Since he couldn't keep Qing Yu down, Zhuge Longsu could only put away his intention to kill.

Just like Qing Yu had previously mentioned to Gu Chen, Zhuge Longsu was never short on adaptability. He was, in a certain sense, a good man, but his rationale always took precedence over his sentiment.

If he couldn't keep Qing Yu, then recklessly creating a deadly enmity would obviously be unwise. Since it was unwise, it was not a course Zhuge Longsu would take.

"If you were not hiding your true strength when you were Meng De, then your rate of strength growth could very well be described as the fastest in the world," Zhuge Longsu remarked with a sigh.

Observing that Qing Yu's mastery of Daoist Skill was exquisite with no trace of Evil Techniques, this indicated his rapid strength growth was achieved through his own Cultivation.

"The world is vast and filled with wonders, I would not dare proclaim myself to be present-day number one. The headmaster flatters me," Qing Yu responded indifferently.

Nowadays, there were many who defied the odds. Perhaps due to those people inciting great calamities, geniuses and freaks of nature have slowly emerged.

Take for instance Monk Shi Jue of the Great Zen Temple. It was said he entered seclusion early on and would not leave until he had reached the True Pill. Judging by the time he entered seclusion, he should be on the verge of breaking through.

Monk Shi Jue had many mysteries surrounding him; he was one of the few Qing Yu could not see through.

And then there was Yuan Jianyi. Qing Yu had heard that he had merged with the Sword Intent from the Holy Sword Stele, and his current Realm was also closing in on the Peak of the Divine Origin Realm.

There were others, like Yun Wuyue and the three young masters of the Heavenly Demon Palace... While these individuals were unlikely to catch up with Qing Yu, ascending to the True Pill was not a big issue for them. After all, they were the pride of the current generation from Great Sects.

"I reckon the headmaster's visit today is for more than just to catch up on old times," Qing Yu stated.

Since attempting to kill Qing Yu had failed yet he remained, it was evident that Zhuge Longsu still had other motives.

"Following your quelling the Lang Man invasion, your position should be due for a change, right?"

Although it was posed as a question, the statement was spoken with certainty, as Zhuge Longsu firmly believed Qing Yu's position was set for an upgrade. And this upgrade was undoubtedly a promotion.

Given Qing Yu's prestige within the court, along with his recent meritorious service, it was more or less certain where the upward move would place him...

"State Preceptor," Zhuge Longsu asserted, "Given your relationship with the Emperor, aside from the position of State Preceptor, there holds nothing else."

Within the court, others always addressed Qing Yu as "Daoist," not by his official title, "Director of Imperial Observatory." It would seem that Feng Jiu had long been contemplating promoting Qing Yu, merely lacking a strong and compelling reason.

And now, such a convincing reason was about to arise.

When that time came, Qing Yu would become the State Preceptor of Northern Zhou, which could indeed be described as a position second only to one, above tens of thousands.

"Name your price," Qing Yu interjected straightaway.

Since Zhuge Longsu brought up the position of State Preceptor, he certainly wasn't here to congratulate Qing Yu on his potential promotion. His intent must be to ensure that the position of State Preceptor remained vacant, keeping Qing Yu fixed in his role as Director of Imperial Observatory.

Not being the State Preceptor was fine. In truth, Qing Yu was indifferent to the title of State Preceptor or not, given that even Feng Jiu listened to him. His status in Northern Zhou might seem inconspicuous, but in reality, it was equivalent to that of the Supreme Emperor.

However, whether he took the position was one thing, and Zhuge Longsu's desire to prevent it was another. If the price was right, Qing Yu wouldn't mind accommodating Zhuge Longsu's wishes.

"The position of State Preceptor is indeed second only to one, above tens of thousands. If this role were to fall into your hands—a follower of the Demon Path—it would be detrimental to the Emperor's reputation and to Northern Zhou as well.

And those of the Demon Path who have entered Northern Zhou... your relationship with them is also not shallow, is it?"

Zhuge Longsu continued, listing his reasons on his own before finally mentioning his price. "If you can renounce the position of State Preceptor, then Emperor Martial Art, long hidden by the Mountain River Academy, will be passed to His Majesty."

"Oh?" Qing Yu sounded genuinely intrigued, "I had thought of engaging in an intricate game with Mountain River Academy and enduring countless hardships until you finally relent and hand over the Emperor Martial Art. I didn't expect you would let go so easily. Why is that?"

The means by which Feng Jiu ascended the throne were not favored by Mountain River Academy and Feng Mingxiao. Qing Yu had never envisioned obtaining the Emperor Martial Art through peaceful means.

The Emperor Martial Art, unattainable by the previous Emperor Feng Tianming despite all his efforts, was now being actively offered by Zhuge Longsu as bargaining chip. This was truly beyond comprehension.