The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS

"Jashu, an art of killing that's as useless as chicken ribs."

Inside the Northern Zhou Imperial City Underground Palace, a child who seemed to be around four or five years old set down the huge ginseng he had been cradling, sat cross-legged in mid-air, propping up his head, and spoke with a hint of disdain.

The Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng Emperor hovered beside the child, dragged through the air by True Qi. Below his body was a shallow Blood Pool, in which golden dragon shadows moved around.

During this period, Ji Tang and Blood Bat No.1 had been relentlessly hunting down members of Purgatory Peak and Six Gates, day and night. Thanks to the Xuanyin Sword Energy bestowed by Qing Yu, the two had surpassed the threshold and reached the True Pill Realm.

With two masters of the True Pill Realm shamelessly engaging in assassination, few from the Six Gates and Purgatory Peak survived.

The essence blood they collected formed this shallow Blood Pool.

Day and night, Qing Yu absorbed the Vitality contained in the Blood Pool, as well as the Earth Essence Qi and Dragon Vein, and his body had grown to the size of a four or five-year-old's. The rate of his growth was quite satisfactory.

"Behind Jashu lurks a warrior of the Divinity Realm. I can deal with one using my Divided Soul, but if both were to attack simultaneously, I'd be at a disadvantage. It seems I need more help, more allies."

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At this moment, in the palace above ground, within the Imperial Garden, Princess Feng Chuhuan was dragging Feng Mingxiao's right hand, speaking with a bit of grievance, "Aunt, these days brother is either in the Yangxin Hall or mysteriously absent, not sparing a moment to accompany Sister Qingwei. Could he be finding her displeasing?"

Feng Mingxiao frowned lightly at such coquettish behavior, admonishing, "You're now the elder princess, so stop being as frivolous and reckless as before. Behave with more dignity, fitting of an Imperial Family daughter."

Two years had passed, and Princess Feng Chuhuan was nearing twenty. In principle, it was time for her to be married off. However, because Feng Jiwu had no need to form marriage alliances, she wasn't pressured into it.

This decision had greatly improved her relationship with Feng Jiwu, making them somewhat closer. Yet, it was also for this reason that Princess Feng Chuhuan still maintained a young girl's mentality, without a hint of steadiness.

"Aunt, I've heard that brother had the Clothing Bureau make dozens of sets of clothing, ranging from two to twenty years of age, each crafted cooperatively by the finest embroidery ladies in the bureau. That's undeniably an Imperial Family privilege. Do you think he might have an illegitimate child outside?" Princess Feng Chuhuan ignored Feng Mingxiao's admonishment, expressing her gossipy curiosity very clearly.

"Where did you even hear such rumors? His Majesty has always been devoted solely to the Empress, and hasn't taken any concubines; where would an illegitimate child come from? Besides, even if there were a child, can't the Empress tolerate a mere concubine?" Feng Mingxiao reproached, "If you were as dedicated to Martial Arts as you are to gossip, you wouldn't still be stuck in the Innate Eighth Layer."

"Aunt··· Aunt··· An illegitimate child!" Princess Feng Chuhuan suddenly exclaimed.

"I've told you, there is no illegitimate child······"

Following Princess Feng Chuhuan's line of sight, Feng Mingxiao saw a child who appeared to be four or five years old standing by the lakeside not far away.

The child had white hair and eyebrows and wore an exquisitely embroidered outfit with gold patterns against a white backdrop, his frontal hair bound by a gold and jade ornament. Despite his young age, he exuded a unique and ineffable presence, as if he were the only one in the heavens and earth.

"Who might you be, sir? Daring to intrude into the Great Zhou Imperial Palace!"

Feng Mingxiao stepped in front of her niece, her hand lifting slightly, with phoenix patterns flowing in the air.

A person of such character had arrived nearby silently, and it was only her niece's cry that alerted her—an indication that he was certainly not merely a child as he appeared.

"Feng Mingxiao······"

Qing Yu glanced briefly at Princess Feng Chuhuan, a flicker of light flashing in his eyes. Princess Feng Chuhuan silently fainted, collapsing onto Feng Mingxiao.

"Do not act rashly, Great Princess, I am not your enemy. I simply allowed the long princess to rest for a moment."

Feng Mingxiao swept her Divine Thought over Princess Feng Chuhuan and discovered the girl was indeed just asleep.

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However, this did not mean she let her guard down in the slightest in the face of this seemingly young warrior in the Divinity Realm. The Phoenix Shadow flickered in and out of visibility in the sky, as Feng Mingxiao demanded, "Who exactly are you? What is your purpose here?"

"I have said, I am not your enemy. As for my purpose here..."

A mysterious smile appeared at the corner of Qing Yu's mouth, "it is to have you leave the Divine Capital and proceed to Feiyun Pass to assist Qing Yu."

"Assist Qing Yu?"

Feng Mingxiao was a bit puzzled. In fact, she only knew that Qing Yu was in seclusion healing his wounds, and she was not even aware that he had gone to Feiyun Pass.

"The Northern Zhou has sent troops to attack the grasslands, and naturally, the grassland people will not sit idly by. Now that the border lacks Divinity Realm warriors, do you not think of going to provide aid?"

"Sending troops to attack the grasslands was an unwise move to begin with. By not aiding them, it could encourage people like Wang Yuehe to recognize the difficulty and retreat. Going to help would be even less wise," Feng Mingxiao stated calmly.

In her eyes, as long as no Divinity Realm warriors were involved, the border conflicts would only peter out; providing support would only ignite a full-scale war and lead to catastrophic loss of life.

This was Feng Mingxiao's subtle way of opposing the dispatch of troops.

As for asking Cold Eunuch to step in, that was out of the question. Ever since Cold Eunuch had followed the late Emperor Feng Tianming's order and used his Divinity Realm abilities to forcefully slay the grassland general Bo Han—resulting in Yi Qianshan decimating an army of a hundred thousand—Cold Eunuch had been blacklisted by the grassland people.

Should Cold Eunuch show up, the Golden Wolf Khan would personally take action to kill him in order to appease the spirit of Bo Han in heaven.

This was a vow that the Golden Wolf Khan himself had sworn to Eternal Heaven, and it was unbreakable.

"However, the grassland warrior He Fengsa was recently slain at the hands of Qing Yu. Even if the Northern Zhou wanted to stop now, the grassland people would not agree," Qing Yu said with a light laugh.

"What?! Qing Yu killed He Fengsa?!" Shock was written all over Feng Mingxiao's beautiful face.

When had that demon become a practitioner of Divine Communication?

Feng Mingxiao was filled with doubt, and her suspicious gaze fell on the white-haired youth before her.

Who was this person? What was his relationship to Qing Yu and Feng Jiwu?

"You are wondering who I am, why I appear before you." As if able to read her mind, Qing Yu voiced all of Feng Mingxiao's doubts.

"You need not be concerned. I will address all your questions."

"Good," Feng Mingxiao went straight to the question, "Who are you?"

"An ally of Feng Jiwu."

"Why seek me out? With your strength, you could go to aid on your own," Feng Mingxiao continued.

"I sought you out to dissolve the barriers between you and us."

With a flick of his sleeve, Qing Yu placed his hand behind his back, "You have always been suspicious of someone manipulating Feng Jiwu from behind, wary that Qing Yu might bewitch Feng Jiwu, hence you have been investigating in secret.

I can tell you that the alliance between Feng Jiwu and us is much stronger than you imagine. You need not worry about Feng Jiwu's safety at all. The mastery of Emperor Martial Art is clear proof, isn't it?"

Indeed, being able to practice Emperor Martial Art proved that Feng Jiwu was not just a puppet being controlled by others. The powerful strength that came with the Emperor Martial Art also ensured Feng Jiwu's personal safety.

Thinking this over, Feng Mingxiao finally replied, "I will first ask Feng Jiwu, then I will decide whether or not to go aid."

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