The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS

"Daoist Qingyu has contributed greatly to the state, and he is a pillar of my empire," said Dean Zhuge, urging him to think thrice before speaking!

The imperial presence dominated by Qingyu's soul exerted pressure on both Princess Feng Mingxiao and Zhuge Longsu.

Princess Feng Mingxiao coped well, having ascended to the Divine Realm many years ago with a solid foundation. Zhuge Longsu, on the other hand, although also a genius, had only recently ascended to the Divine Realm and was Qingyu's primary target. Naturally, he felt far from comfortable.

Struggling to lift his head, Zhuge Longsu looked up at eyes that now appeared even more profound than before and couldn't help but feel astonishment.

'He has actually... mastered the Emperor Martial Art.'

The Haqi River of the Mountain River Academy was created by Meng Shanhe, who, inspired by the Dragon Vein, developed it after studying the Emperor Martial Art. Zhuge Longsu, deeply familiar with the Haqi River, naturally recognized from where Feng Jiu derived his power.

And it was because he recognized it that he felt even more shocked.

The previous Emperor Zhou Feng Tianming, whose strength was close to the peak of the True Pill Stage, was unable to practice the Emperor Martial Art. Although mindset played a role in this, Feng Tianming was still far stronger than Feng Jiu.

Yet now, Feng Jiu had actually succeeded in mastering the Emperor Martial Art.

Zhuge Longsu sensed trouble brewing.

With Feng Jiu mastering the Emperor Martial Art, together with the mysterious Qingyu Demon Path, the Imperial Eunuch Cold Eunuch, and possibly even Princess Feng Mingxiao, the power of the Imperial Family was beginning to rival that of the Mountain River Academy.

The enhancement of the Imperial Family's power meant that Feng Jiu would be unbridled, steering Northern Zhou in the direction he desired.

Without Meng Shanhe's interference, Zhuge Longsu was powerless to stop Feng Jiu's actions.

"Your Majesty, I have not uttered a single untruth about Qingyu's origins, please do not place blind trust in him, and I implore Your Majesty to reconsider," Zhuge Longsu could only implore earnestly in the end.

The displayed strength of Feng Jiu was evidence that this Emperor of Northern Zhou was not like the previous Feng Tianming, who was well-meaning but powerless. He was going to have a greater say, and wield even more authority.

An act like the Divine Realm countering the Emperor was no longer possible.

Great Princess Feng Mingxiao spoke up, "Since Your Majesty has mastered the Emperor Martial Art, I have no more worries. It seems, even if Daoist Qingyu harbors ill intentions, he will not be able to deceive Your Majesty. Furthermore, Daoist Qingyu has indeed rendered great service to the state and should not be wrongly accused based on mere conjecture."

Princess Feng Mingxiao knew of Feng Jiu's trust in Qingyu and even surmised from her last conversation with Feng Jiu that Qingyu might help Feng Jiu cultivate the Emperor Martial Art.

With this in mind, they could not falsely accuse Qingyu. Even if Qingyu was a traitor from the Zhenwu Sect, as long as he truly helped Northern Zhou, the Imperial Family could tolerate him.

"The words of the Great Princess resonate with me deeply, ha ha," laughed Qingyu, controlling Feng Jiu's body.

With the laughter, the oppressive aura, like a mountain collapsing, diminished, and all the officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Even without being directly targeted, the mere aftermath of that aura had made it extremely difficult for the officials to endure. Now that the pressure had lifted, they naturally felt a great load off their shoulders.

And after letting out that breath, the officials' inner thoughts intensified because the mastery of the Emperor Martial Art indicated not only the Emperor's strength but also the power of Northern Zhou.

If the atmosphere in the hall hadn't remained so strange, and Zhuge Longsu hadn't been wearing such a cold expression, the officials would have already begun to offer their congratulations.

"Next, I'll leave it to you. I need to properly refine my old body, and I will continue to require this one for some time," communicated Qingyu's soul.

"Understood."

Qingyu's soul receded, and Feng Jiu regained control of his body.

"Wang Qing," Feng Jiuwu said, "I hereby appoint you as the commander and Li Xianzhong and Lin Zilai as your deputy commanders. Raise a force of fifty thousand elite troops and join forces with Xu Tiecheng at Feiyun Pass to launch a joint attack on the grasslands."

Wang Yuehe, Li Xianzhong, and Lin Zilai were all die-hard loyalists promoted by Feng Jiuwu. Their cooperation with Xu Tiecheng, combined with the Water Corpses at Feiyun Pass, was more than sufficient to strike at the grasslands.

As for any potential Divine Realm opponents, they would be left to Qingyu.

"Your servant obeys the decree." Two more military officers stepped out from the ranks, joining Wang Yuehe in a respectful response.

"Very well," Feng Jiuwu stood up and said, "since this is not an imperial court session, all ministers may disperse. Tonight is a full moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival; you should all go back and reunite with your families."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

One after another, the civil and military officials withdrew, none of them paying any attention to Dean Zhuge Longsu of the Mountain River Academy.

The dispute this time openly highlighted the conflict between Feng Jiuwu and Zhuge Longsu. Feng Jiuwu demonstrated his overwhelming strength, putting Zhuge Longsu at a disadvantage and clarifying the reversal of power in the eyes of the officials.

The kind of confrontation that Ouyang Yan bravely faced against Feng Tianming during the Laba Festival two years ago would no longer occur—at least, not while Feng Jiuwu, the powerful Emperor, reigned.

Therefore, the officials naturally understood how they should respond.

"Dean Zhuge," Princess Feng Mingxiao said to Zhuge Longsu, who appeared somewhat dispirited, "I apologize, but after all, I belong to the Imperial Family."

Being part of the Imperial Family meant prioritizing the interests of the family, especially now, as the members of the weakening Imperial Family became even more united.

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"Boom—"

When Feng Jiuwu once again entered the underground palace, he heard the morning bell echoing, with the continuous sounds of Buddhist chanting resonating within the palace. He spotted a large Golden Bell engraved with the image of the Five Directions Buddha slowly rotating.

Qingyu's tiny figure was still suspended in midair, her little hands emitting the Pure Saint's Energy, guiding the numerous relics floating in the air to emit pure Buddha Power, and infusing it into her old body.

Even though she had ascended to the Divine Realm, her old body had not yet been tempered by the baptism of Divinity and retained the same strength as before. To wield Divine Communication Battle Power with this body, it must be tempered to the Divine Realm standard.

The twelfth level of the Golden Bell Shield should be about sufficient to wield the Divine Communication Battle Power.

As each relic turned to dust, the Golden Bell became increasingly brilliant and vast. Finally, when a certain peak was reached, a loud bell chime erupted.

"Boom—"

The deafening bell sound was like a striking head blow in its Mental Realm. Feng Jiuwu, ignoring the sound, walked forward to look at the child's silhouette floating in midair and the white-haired Daoist sitting cross-legged below.

"On this Mid-Autumn Festival, you choose not to reunite with your family but to come here. What for?"

The one who spoke was not the child floating in the air, but rather the white-haired Daoist sitting on the ground.

At this moment, the eyes of the white-haired Daoist sparkled with agility as he slowly got up and stretched his muscles. His movements were so flexible that it was impossible to tell that he was possessed.

In fact, since the body was the old one of Qingyu, it was extremely compatible, showing no imperfections common with a possessed body.

"I feared you would be lonely staying in this desolate underground palace. After all, you're just a child now," Feng Jiuwu said with a smile.

His heart felt a rare ease, for Qingyu, his trusted support, had acquired sufficiently formidable strength.