Chapter 5

Snap!

The hard huanghuali wooden table was shattered by a palm.

The palm, delicate and fair, possessed a terrifying destructive power.

"How could this be?" Lou Baoyue's brows were filled with a fierce aura.

"If the lord commands a minister to die, the minister cannot but die," Lou Chongxiao said helplessly, "This is the Emperor's will. Once His Majesty speaks, who can oppose him?"

"That Nineteenth Prince is a fool. How can my sister get close to him? If this gets out, how will the other princes view it!" A young man of about twenty beside them was also very angry. He was Lou Baoyue's elder brother, Lou Zhaixing, a distinguished young man in the court who had already achieved great feats and held the title of Baron.

"Yes, my lord, should I go to the palace to plead with the Empress? The Empress has never liked Guchen Sha. She has always wanted Baoyue to marry the Seventh Prince. After all, the Seventh Prince is of royal blood and the most likely to inherit the throne," a matron also shed tears for her daughter. She was the wife of the Yuan State Justice and also Lou Baoyue's mother.

She often visited the palace, conversing with the ladies of the inner court and maintaining connections in many places.

"It's no use. This is the Emperor's will, and his words cannot be changed," Lou Chongxiao shook his head. "The current Emperor is decisive and stern. If you go and do this, it will be seen as defiance. Our Lou family is already prominent in the court, and many families are already jealous. Any slight provocation could lead to our family's destruction. Serving the Emperor is like serving a tiger."

"What should we do then?" The matron's eyes turned fierce. "Why not... have Baoyue secretly plot to have the other princes get rid of that boy?"

"Foolish!" Lou Chongxiao scolded. "Who is the Emperor? There is nothing in the world that can be hidden from him. Do you think he won't know about these small tricks? I have been with the Emperor for many years. I have seen many princes, ministers, and generals lose favor and meet with disaster. Even if the Nineteenth Prince is not favored, he is still a prince. If we dare to plot against him, even if we do it perfectly and leave no evidence, as long as the Emperor has this suspicion in his heart, our Lou family will face great disaster."

"What does the Emperor mean?" Lou Zhaixing gritted his teeth. "The reward is so heavy, yet he wants my sister to get close to that fool. I can't understand it."

"Actually, things are not as bad as they seem," Lou Baoyue calmed down. "I think the Emperor has two intentions. Our Lou family is already half the court. If I were to marry a favored prince, it would upset the balance among the princes. If I become close to the Seventh Prince and eventually become Empress, the Lou family would become an influential family, making it even harder to control. By having me get close to that boy, he is trying to control our Lou family."

"What is the second intention?" Lou Zhaixing asked.

"Of course, it is to have us keep an eye on that boy. He is of the Xian Dynasty's royal blood, and to the old loyalists of the Xian Dynasty, he is a valuable pawn," Lou Baoyue analyzed. "The Juling Divine Skill is a technique of the Xian Dynasty's royal family, and the Xian Dynasty's royal family is of the ancient Juling lineage. If a member of the Xian Dynasty's royal family practices this lineage, there is a slight chance of awakening the Juling lineage, granting immense strength and many miracles. The Emperor wants that boy to practice and see what his lineage is like."

"Awakening the Juling lineage is not that easy. The Xian Dynasty has not had anyone awaken the Juling lineage in a hundred years," Lou Zhaixing shook his head. "If someone were to awaken the Juling lineage, our Da Yong Dynasty might not be able to defeat the Xian Dynasty. After all, the ancient Juling deity was a true god, consecrated by the ancient emperor. Even the Emperor's current cultivation cannot abolish it, unless he obtains the legendary Heavenly Sacrifice Edict."

"May the Emperor obtain the Heavenly Sacrifice Edict and become the true Son of Heaven, completing an unprecedented great cause. Then, we, his subjects, might be ennobled and achieve immortality," Lou Chongxiao sat steadily. "So, we must closely follow the Emperor's steps. Whatever the Emperor says, we must do."

"This matter still needs careful consideration. If we get close to that boy, it will isolate our Lou family from the other princes. Although this is the Emperor's command, if we mishandle it, we will be attacked by small-minded people and cause trouble," Lou Zhaixing had many concerns. "We cannot ignore the Empress's wishes. The Seventh Prince has had his eye on you for a long time. If he ascends the throne, our Lou family might face great disaster."

"Ascend the throne?" Lou Baoyue turned to ask, "Father, you have been with the Emperor for nearly twenty years. You knew him when he was still wandering among the people. You know him well. What is the Emperor's current cultivation?"

"The Emperor's cultivation is unfathomable. He may already be able to reverse life and death," Lou Chongxiao's expression was solemn.

"That's it. We must follow the Emperor's command," Lou Baoyue's tone was firm. "However, that boy should not have any delusions. Also, our Lou family has always been self-reliant and does not need to rely on any prince. I, Lou Baoyue, will not marry the Seventh Prince for personal gain. The Seventh Prince is deep and calculating, though he emulates the Emperor in many ways, he lacks the Emperor's broad-mindedness."

"What do you mean, daughter?" Lou Chongxiao knew his daughter was resourceful, strong-willed, and never gave up. She was also favored by the Emperor.

"Everything is false, only strength is real. My immediate goal is to achieve the Dao realm," Lou Baoyue said. "Although the court has unified the world, the demons and barbarians have not been eliminated. Otherwise, the Emperor would not mobilize human and material resources to build the Great Stone Wall, stretching for ten thousand miles. If I can achieve the Dao realm in a short time and apply to the court to serve as a general on the border, I can fight the demons and barbarians and escape the是非of the capital. After all, the Emperor only wants me to get close to that boy, he has not issued a marriage decree. The Emperor has the determination to sweep away the decadence of a thousand years and usher in a new era. If he says I can choose, he will not go back on his word."

"Achieving the Dao realm is a gap between immortals and mortals, not easy at all," Lou Chongxiao shook his head. "Your father has practiced for forty years and only achieved the Dao realm five years ago, thanks to a rare opportunity to obtain the 'Rebirth Pill' from an ancient sage. I know how difficult it is. It is impossible for you to achieve it in a short time."

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Lou Baoyue's expression was resolute.

In the Nan Shan hunting grounds, a valley, a stream trickled, and water dripped from the rocks on both sides, mossy and speckled.

The peaceful atmosphere of the mountain valley was disrupted by a hissing sound.

It was a large snake, as thick as a human leg, about four or five zhang long, with a red tongue, staring at Guchen Sha menacingly.

Guchen Sha held a dagger, crouched like a toad, gathering his strength for a desperate strike.

He had come to the Nan Shan to hunt tigers and wolves to obtain tiger and wolf pills.

But he didn't find any tigers, only this fierce snake in the valley.

He didn't dare to be careless. This snake was much stronger than a tiger, a fierce creature that could easily swallow a person whole.

Swoosh!

The snake coiled into a formation, its head lunging forward like a skilled swordsman, the stench of its breath making one gag.

Guchen Sha quickly moved to the side, his movements ordinary but effective.

If he had encountered this fierce snake with his previous skills, he would have been swallowed by the snake. But now, with the strength of the bear and wolf, and his mastery of martial arts, dodging the snake's bite was not a problem.

Kill!

His dagger glinted, drawing an arc, and he used the "Rhinoceros Gazing at the Moon" technique to slash at the snake's vital point.

This was also a basic martial art of the royal family, very practical when practiced well.

The snake's head suddenly retracted, and its tail lashed back.

Guchen Sha sensed the danger and leaped to the side with all his might.

Bang!

The ground was cracked by the snake's tail, and stones flew. If he hadn't dodged in time, he would have been crushed to death.

"This snake is skilled in attack. No wonder martial arts are often inspired by animals. Fighting this snake has deepened my understanding of snake fist techniques," Guchen Sha felt increasingly exhilarated despite the dangers.

Boom!

He leaped again, his body agile like a monkey, his dagger gleaming as he struck fiercely.

The snake attacked from both sides, trying to bite Guchen Sha, but failed. Instead, it was cut all over by the dagger, gradually losing its ferocity.

"Overwhelming the Thousand Armies!"

Guchen Sha's internal energy flowed smoothly, and with a long cry, he decapitated the fierce snake.

Although the snake's head was cut off, it still opened its mouth, and its body continued to twist, clearly not dead yet.

Guchen Sha quickly took out the Heavenly Sacrifice Edict, smeared the snake's blood and his own blood on it, and used the snake's soul to sacrifice to the heavens.

The snake's twisting immediately stopped, and its shadow appeared on the edict, being pulled into an unfathomable space. With the offering, a powerful force came from the depths of that space!

After three sacrifices, Guchen Sha was well-prepared. He embraced his hands in a circle, standing like a circle, the mother posture of boxing, adjusting his qi and blood, smoothing his meridians, finding stillness in movement, and wisdom in stillness.

Sure enough, a force entered his body, his veins turning purple, his muscles bulging like large worms, his tendons like iron armor, covering his entire body, as if he had reached the highest level of the "Iron Shirt" technique.

The strength of the snake far exceeded that of a tiger, and the offering caused Guchen Sha unprecedented pain. He felt his tendons and muscles tearing, his internal organs about to explode, and his mind becoming unclear.

But he knew this was a sign of refining his body and cleansing his marrow. He could not stand still; he had to circulate this force throughout his body, using his boxing techniques to make the force surge up and down, which was called "cleansing the marrow."

At that moment, he endured the intense pain and performed the basic boxing techniques of the royal family, "Black Tiger Heart Snatching," "Overwhelming the Thousand Armies," "Rhinoceros Gazing at the Moon," "Hundred Steps Piercing the Yang," "Cross Linked Rings," ...

His movements became faster, the force in his body being released with each technique, gradually flowing with his boxing. Suddenly, a loud sound echoed, like the sea embracing a hundred rivers, all converging into his dantian.

"Close call!" Coming to his senses, Guchen Sha was drenched in sweat, knowing that the strength of the fierce snake was too great for him to absorb. If he hadn't used his boxing techniques to release some of the force, he would have burst to death. It seemed he couldn't make offerings recklessly.

Fortunately, after three months of research, reading many ancient sacrificial texts, he had deduced some insights, using sacrifices to practice boxing and using boxing to strengthen his body.

Hai!

He now slightly exerted his power, his fists black and iron-like, striking the rock, which shattered into pieces.

Looking at his hands with joy, he said, "My current strength is probably on par with a fourth-level Mortal Realm master, but my application of force and martial arts cultivation is still inferior to a master."

A master's strength also has its limits, roughly equivalent to the strength of three oxen. Even a master with extraordinary talent and innate strength would not exceed the strength of five oxen!

That was the limit of the human body. Unless one entered the Dao realm, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, breaking free from the constraints of the mortal world, and using the essence to nourish the body, one could not surpass the limit and reach the strength of nine oxen and two tigers.

Now, after offering chickens, wolves, bears, and pythons, Guchen Sha's combined strength was almost that of four oxen, fully comparable to a top master.

Unfortunately, his martial arts cultivation was insufficient, and he lacked deeper understanding, preventing him from reaching the pinnacle.

In the future, offerings would be of no use. He would need to hone his martial skills and practice more advanced techniques to become truly proficient and versatile, and only then could he truly become a master.

Swoosh!

His body leaped, agile like a monkey, climbing the slippery cliff as if it were flat ground.

In half a cup of tea's time, he reached the top of the cliff, looking down, his eyes scanning the surroundings for his next prey. He wanted to kill tigers and wolves to obtain tiger and wolf pills.

According to ancient historical records, offering tiger and wolf pills was relatively easy to achieve.