In the mountains behind the Cold Palace.
The clash of blades rang out from ti to ti.
A closer look revealed a young man under siege by five Beast-Faced Guards. Wielding a single saber, he unleashed a gale of force that swept through like a violent wind, crashing down with irresistible montum. The entire forest trembled as all five guards were instantly blown to the ground.
This was Lu Mingyuan, controlling his Blood Glutton Puppets to spar with him.
Ever since he broke through to the Grandmaster realm, his Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture had entered the Divine Sensing Chapter. The combat strength of his puppet clones had also surged, and they were only getting stronger.
When all his clones rged into one, it possessed the power of a top-tier Grandmaster, nearly equal to his own.
However, when split into ten, they each only had the strength of an ordinary Grandmaster.
When split into fifty, they all only had the strength of an ordinary Grandmaster.
He only kept five by his side; the rest had long since been dispatched in all directions.
Five clones were equivalent to five Grandmasters.
Suddenly, Lu Mingyuan closed his eyes and swung his saber. All 761 of his apertures opened at once, and the phantom of a majestic Golden Arch Bridge appeared behind him. Simultaneously, a Red-Eyed Golden Dragon shot up from beneath the bridge and into the clouds, coiling itself over the arch, its presence overwhelmingly oppressive.
This was his Sword Form.
He nad it the True Dragon Longevity Bridge.
Relying on his "Martial Venerable" Fate Grid, he had finally comprehended the form within his heart.
He had officially condensed his Sword Heart.
At the sa ti, the Refinent Level of his "Swordsman" Fate Grid rose accordingly.
"Fluorescent Green Life Grid - Swordsman acquired. Refinent Level increased to 40%."
"New Life Chart Trait unlocked—Sword Heart (Basic Level)."
"Sword Heart (Basic Level): The saber follows the heart; the mind is clear and bright. Progress in comprehending Saber Techniques is tripled."
Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan ca to a slight understanding.
His "Saber Montum" increased the power of his saber, while his "Sword Heart" was related to comprehending Saber Techniques.
Moreover, he discovered that after obtaining the "Sword Heart" trait, the progress on the "Thunder Prison Saber Scripture" in his status panel had suddenly jumped.
"Thunder Prison Saber Scripture - Blade Heart Chapter (2560/10000)."
He was a quarter of the way there. The triple efficiency was truly no joke.
He estimated that in another year or so, he would soon be able to comprehend Sword Intent.
’By then, shouldn’t I be ready to break through to the Middle Fifth Grade?’
Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but ponder. Within the Great Yan Dynasty, he could be considered a top-tier Grandmaster. With 761 open apertures, a condensed Sword Heart, and a variety of hidden trump cards, he seed powerful enough to dominate the Jianghu. But it was still far from enough.
If he wanted to rival the Immortal Influences, to be comparable to the Golden Immortal Body of the Taoist Sect or the Arhat Body of Buddhism, and walk out of the Cold Palace, he would need the cultivation of at least the Twelfth Realm.
The Four Great Tributors of the Great Yan Dynasty were each Twelfth Realm Martial Artists at the Celestial Human Realm. They had guarded Great Yan for several hundred years, existing since the dynasty’s founding.
The Celestial Human Realm was already the pinnacle of the Martial Dao. It was like standing on the highest peak among a forest of mountains, looking down upon all others. They could gaze upon all the Martial Artists in the world, for the Martial Dao beneath their feet had reached its worldly end.
According to legend, before a Celestial Human Realm Martial Artist, everything in the world moved as slow as a tortoise in their eyes, as if it were an Ending Realm.
It would look as if ti had stopped.
They could shatter an Arhat’s Golden Body and a Qi Cultivator’s Purity Immortal Body!
At least, in the ancient texts Lu Mingyuan had read, there were very few Martial Artists who had reached the Upper Three Grades. Only one or two had proposed the theory of achieving sainthood in the Thirteenth Realm. And in the last thousand years, there had been no ntion of any Martial Artist reaching the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Realm and leaving their na behind.
Lu Mingyuan guessed that Martial Artists in the Upper Three Grades must exist. It was just that so few had broken through, and due to the passage of ti, they were never recorded in the texts, or perhaps they even predated the texts themselves.
He didn’t think that far ahead for now. His current goal was to break through to the Middle Fifth Grade.
Only by breaking through to the Ninth Realm and becoming a Dragon Gate Realm Martial Artist could one be considered among the masters of the Central Plains World, surpassing ninety percent of the Martial Artists in the world.
Lu Mingyuan pulled his thoughts back and inspected the bloody Taotie Visualization Image that was radiating a red glow within his Dantian.
He wasn’t sure if this image was the Divine Being in his heart.
According to Wei the Ninth,
’With a Divine Being in my heart, I can battle the Middle Fifth Grade.’
Even as a Grandmaster. Whether he could win was one thing, but whether he could even fight them was another.
His day of martial practice ca to an end.
As Lu Mingyuan was about to return to the Cold Palace, he walked along the main path, his eyes scanning the eunuchs, palace maids, and officials from governnt offices who passed by.
Ever since the incident with the two fake eunuchs and the strange palace maid by his mother’s side, he had beco much more observant of the people around him. He would even give passersby a second glance.
Possessing "Recognizing People," those with guilty consciences could not escape his eyes.
Fortunately, he hadn’t seen anyone suspicious these past few days.
Just as he was thinking this, an ordinary palace maid walked past him.
She caught his attention.
There was nothing remarkable about this palace maid. She had delicate features, her deanor was respectful, her head was lowered, and her gaze was timid.
She seed unremarkable, but one thing was very suspicious.
Her embroidered shoes were brand new.
One had to know that palace maids in the Imperial Palace were extrely busy every day, walking countless steps. Over ti, the soles of their shoes would be worn smooth.
Yet this palace maid’s shoes were new, as if she had just changed into them.
Based on this alone, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t make a judgnt. It was possible her old shoes had just worn out, so she had changed into a new pair.
But then, the other party detected his Primordial Qi Perception, and he captured the fleeting killing intent that flashed from her.
This confird it: the palace maid’s identity was not simple.
The only strange thing was that the killing intent dissipated as quickly as it ca, right after she turned back to glance at him.
In its place, a hint of surprise and amusent appeared in her eyes.
This struck Lu Mingyuan as odd. ’That mocking gaze seems so familiar.’
’Could it be an acquaintance?’
After thinking it through, Lu Mingyuan waved the palace maid over. "You, co here! I think you’re quite attractive."
"Yes, you."
As soon as he said this, the other palace maids all looked at her with envy.
It was true that the other Concubines, Commandery Princesses, and Princesses disliked the Sixth Prince, but these maids were different. They were all servants of humble status.
To be noticed by the Sixth Prince was an honor for them. If he took a liking to them, they would no longer have to be palace maids.
They would only need to serve His Highness.
"Co with ."
Without another word, Lu Mingyuan grabbed the palace maid and led her away.
No one else dared to complain.
Lu Mingyuan pulled the palace maid to a deserted place. From behind him, a different female voice—cool and clear—rang out:
"Your skills have improved quite a bit. To think you could see through my disguise."
Hearing that familiar voice, Lu Mingyuan knew his guess had been correct.
This palace maid was none other than the long-vanished White-haired Daoist Nun, Yun Qinghe.
Lu Mingyuan smiled slightly, glancing at the embroidered na on her chest. "Your shoes were too obvious; it would’ve been hard not to notice. So, should I call you Bai He now, or Miss Yun?"
Yun Qinghe didn’t revert to her original appearance, but chuckled lightly. "Since when were your eyes so sharp? Just call Bai He. It wasn’t easy for to sneak into the palace, so I can’t use the na Yun Qinghe anymore."
Her tone turned slightly annoyed. "To think you could recognize even like this. It seems I need to further refine my Disguise Divine Techniques."
Lu Mingyuan cleared his throat. "My eyesight has always been excellent. By the way, who are you planning to assassinate this ti you’ve co to the palace?"
"Do I seem that bloodthirsty in your eyes?"
Yun Qinghe said lightly.
"After the assassination attempt during the Feast of All Nations, several more Twelfth Realm Martial Artists have been stationed in your Imperial Palace. It wouldn’t be easy to assassinate anyone now. Besides, who spends all day thinking about killing people?"
"Is Miss Bai He referring to the Tributor, Ren Tu?"
"Not just him. The Fisherman has also returned. He entered the Capital not long ago."
"The Fisherman?" Lu Mingyuan’s expression was strange when he heard the na.
Yun Qinghe shot him a glance. "Don’t tell you don’t know. Every one of your Great Yan’s Four Great Tributors has a resounding title. Not only are they peerless existences who have reached the end of the Martial Dao in this era, but they are also ruthless figures who have each slaughtered over a million living beings. Not a single one is a pushover."
"They’re no less powerful than the Daoist True Monarchs."
"Who are the four?"
Yun Qinghe slowly listed them, "Sword Venerable, Ren Tu, Fisherman, and Piano Demon. In that order."
"Who is this Sword Venerable, the one ranked first?"
Lu Mingyuan asked curiously.
Yun Qinghe shook her head. "I’ve never seen him either. He’s apparently a peerless expert whose skill with a saber is godlike. He has guarded the Northern Great Wall for many years, a Garrison Commander for three centuries. No one has ever seen his face."
Lu Mingyuan nodded, lost in thought.
Yun Qinghe’s eyes narrowed as she teased, "Your realm doesn’t seem to have improved much, but your lustful courage is certainly growing. The news that you’re going to marry two wives has spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital."
In reality, even Yun Qinghe couldn’t see through Lu Mingyuan’s true cultivation, still thinking he was a Fourth Realm Martial Artist.
He now had his qi hidden and possessed the Thousand chanism Blood Divine Jade.
"A man has to marry and have children, after all. Unlike Miss Bai He, who can travel the Four Seas and see all the sights the world has to offer."
Lu Mingyuan sighed.
Yun Qinghe shook her head. "The world outside isn’t as wonderful as you imagine. Staying in the Cold Palace might be a good choice. I’m actually envious of you. All you have to do is eat, drink, and be rry every day. I, on the other hand, am busy to death."
"Speaking of which, you still haven’t answered . What are you doing in the Imperial Palace?"
"A secret."
Yun Qinghe remained as mysterious as ever.
"This matter involves many things. It’s best if you don’t get involved."
Yun Qinghe hesitated for a mont before adding a warning, "I can only give you one piece of advice, based on our past relationship."
"Be careful of your father, the Emperor."
Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan furrowed his brow, not understanding.
"I’m off. We’ll et again if fate allows."
But Yun Qinghe clearly had no intention of explaining. She just waved at him as her body turned to yellow soil and lted into the ground.
"Isn’t my father’s ti almost up?" Lu Mingyuan murmured, gazing toward a certain part of the Imperial Palace.
...
(Author’s Note: Another Chapter before 7 PM.)
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