The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS

"Cultivating the Emperor Martial Art is not a problem," Qingyu declared confidently. "My heart dares to reach higher than the heavens; how can it not contain the land of the two provinces of Northern Zhou? Once Feng Jiu begins to cultivate the Emperor Martial Art, I will be able to bear the mental pressure for him through a spiritual connection, allowing both Feng Jiu and my own mental state to transform."

"With the Emperor Martial Art, he will also gain enough strength to protect himself and keep pace with me."

The Emperor Martial Art also had no small benefit for Qingyu himself. The nourishment it provided for the spirit was the most enticing reward for him.

However, now was not the time for Feng Jiu to cultivate.

Qingyu was about to enter seclusion again. He would enter a lengthy period of seclusion after making all necessary preparations, aiming to reach the Golden Core Nine Reincarnations before emerging.

During the seclusion, Qingyu couldn't bear the mental pressure for Feng Jiu.

Thus, cultivation could only be considered after Qingyu came out of seclusion.

Qingyu waved his hand gently, and the ancient scroll closed, coming to rest slowly on the resist desk in front of him.

On the outside of the scroll, countless ancient and majestic patterns were adorned, featuring primordial exotic beasts and numerous deities, all exuding an aura of great age.

"This scroll doesn't seem to be a product of recent times..." Qingyu murmured, his hand caressing the somewhat coarse textures on the scroll. "But the script on the scroll is that of the seal characters that only began to flourish during the Great Zhou Dynasty a thousand years ago..."

The ancient scroll felt to Qingyu as if it had a history of several thousand years, at least based on the patterns on the outside, which hadn't been seen in the past one or two thousand years.

Yet the seal characters recording the Emperor Martial Art were at most a thousand years old.

While a thousand years might seem long, to a warrior of the Divinity Realm, it was merely two generations.

The conjunction of ancient patterns with the younger script on a single object was certainly noteworthy.

"And..." Qingyu chuckled, "historical records say that the Daqian Ancestor Ji Muqing was of common birth, favored by the Confucian sect, taken in, and then slowly rose through the ranks to become the Grandmaster of Great Zhou, and finally the Grand Ancestor of Daqian.

However, the Ji surname is one of the oldest surnames; could someone bearing it truly come from the commonfolk?" Qingyu scoffed.

Through the long river of history, the Ji surname had evolved into countless branches, with surnames like Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang and many others numbering in the hundreds.

Although the Ji surname was one of the eight great surnames eons ago, it has become increasingly rare in modern times.

Those bearing the Ji surname now were either regaining their original surnames after having diverged, or they carried an ancient lineage that had been passed down to the present day.

The former were usually commoners, having lost the heritage left by the ancient times, with only their surname to prove their ancestry.

The latter, well, they were the true bearers of ancient lineages, more venerable and honorable than the so-called millennia-old families.

After all, those who have maintained their lineage to this day couldn't possibly be from a common household.

The scroll in Qingyu's hands was reportedly given to Meng Shanhe by Ji Muqing himself during their last encounter.

Given the age of the scroll, it was highly likely that Ji Muqing belonged to the latter category of Ji-bearers. His origins were certainly not as ordinary as the historical records claimed. Perhaps this scroll was an heirloom of Ji Muqing's family.

As for why Meng Shanhe and Ji Muqing met after turning against each other for many years, that is what Qingyu is now concerned with.

Qingyu suddenly arched his eyebrows, tucked the scroll into his sleeve, and with a flash appeared in the hall, standing silently with closed eyes.

Then, a series of footsteps approached, and Feng Jiu entered the Yangxin Hall with the Cold Eunuch.

"Has the Daoist been waiting long?" Feng Jiu greeted Qingyu with an affectionate smile.

The Cold Eunuch chimed in with a matching grin, "Taoist Qingyu has vanquished the grassland army and journeyed day and night back to the Divine Capital, truly exhausting work. Your Majesty, you ought to reward Taoist Qingyu generously."

"A reward..." A flicker of annoyance crossed Feng Jiu's face. "I fear those ministers might not agree."

He took his seat, a look of worry on his face, and sighed, "Many among the Hundred Officials side with the Academy, even commenting on my awards to meritorious subjects; I wonder if they still recognize me as their emperor."

"Your Majesty, the appointment of the State Preceptor is a matter of great importance; it's natural for the ministers to have reservations. That is why you should reward Daoist Qingyu even more," the Cold Eunuch advised.

The truth was, the Cold Eunuch was not keen on the mysterious Daoist Qingyu assuming the position of State Preceptor either, but he likewise harbored resentment towards those ministers who leaned towards the Academy.

"Your Majesty, I have no desire for power; the position of Director of Imperial Observatory suits me just fine. There's no need for the State Preceptor title."

Qingyu opened his eyes and spoke earnestly.

In his manner, he displayed his genuine heart, forthrightly expressing his lack of interest in power.

Hearing this, the Cold Eunuch inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

This Qingyu might be enigmatic, but he was an important asset to His Majesty. It would be unfortunate if he and the emperor were to drift apart.

Yet in reality, the Cold Eunuch's concerns were superfluous.

Qingyu and Feng Jiu had already settled a deal with Mountain River Academy; the position of the State Preceptor would remain vacant for at least a while longer.

Feng Jiu's show of intention to appoint Qingyu as the State Preceptor during today's court session was simply to see who among the Hundred Officials secretly sided with Mountain River Academy.

Even the first minister to openly object to the appointment was one of Feng Jiu's own. Once someone took the lead, those who wished to object would follow suit, thus revealing their allegiances.

Zhuge Longsu believed that Feng Jiu wouldn't renege on their deal and thus hadn't coordinated with those ministers inclined to the Academy beforehand. This allowed Feng Jiu's test to be very successful, catching the opposite side off guard.

[To think that once upon a time, we were aiding Mountain River Academy in striking against Feng Chaonan's faction, and yet today, here we are plotting against the Academy itself.] Feng Jiu lamented in their mental connection.

[It's merely a matter of different standpoints. We have always stood on our own side. Our past support for the Academy was simply because our interests briefly aligned.] Qingyu replied.

The two spoke in their minds, yet outwardly they presented an image of a proper sovereign and subject, staging an excellent performance before the Cold Eunuch.

[Next, I shall begin my seclusion. Whenever I emerge, you can start your cultivation of the Emperor Martial Art.] Qingyu announced.

[Before you seclude yourself, there's still one matter that needs addressing. The Four Demonic Sects wish to meet with us soon. While we have considerable forces at our disposal, you are aware of those situations...]

Feng Jiu conveyed, and Qingyu understood. Dealing with the Demonic People required undeniable strength, so at the very least, there needed to be a True Core Realm Martial Artist to stand in for Feng Jiu.

However, Feng Jiu's dealings with the Demon Path were unsuitable for the light of day, sending those Royal Tributors involved significant risk. Therefore, in the end, it had to be Qingyu who would attend.