Crack!
The solid pearwood table splintered under the force of a growing hand.
That delicate, fair hand held a terrifying destructive power.
"How can this happen?" Lou Baiyue's face darkened, her brow heavy with murderous intent.
"When the Emperor decrees death, no one can refuse," Lou Zhongxiao sighed, a trace of helplessness in his voice. "This is the will of His Majesty. Once spoken, who can oppose it?"
"The Nineteenth Prince is a fool! How can my sister possibly be paired with him? What kind of message does that send to the court?" The young man standing nearby, likely in his early twenties, slammed his fist down in anger. This was Lou Zhixing, Baiyue's older brother, a rising star among the younger generation of officials. Already, he had achieved notable military accomplishments and carried the title of Baron.
"Exactly! Master, should I visit the Empress to plead for her intervention? She has always disliked Gu Chensha, and she's long hoped to see Baiyue wed the Seventh Prince. After all, the Seventh Prince is her own flesh and blood and stands the strongest chance of inheriting the throne."
The one speaking was Madam Yuan, the wife of Duke Yuan and Lou Baiyue's mother. Her eyes glistened with tears as she clung to her daughter. A frequent visitor to the palace, Madam Yuan had forged close ties with the women of the inner court and knew how to navigate its intricate relationships.
"It's no use," Lou Zhongxiao shook his head. "This is the Emperor's decision. His words are law. His current authority is ironclad; any defiance would be seen as rebellion. Our Lou family already stands out too much in the court. Many rival factions harbor resentment. Any misstep could lead to disaster—perhaps even the destruction of our family. Serving the Emperor is like serving a tiger; it's perilous."
"Then what should we do?" Madam Yuan's voice turned cold. "Perhaps Baiyue should use this opportunity to maneuver quietly and have that boy killed?"
"Foolishness!" Lou Zhongxiao scolded sharply. "Do you think the Emperor wouldn't notice? Nothing escapes his eyes. How many years have I served him? I've seen princes, generals, and high-ranking officials fall from grace and meet untimely ends, simply because they overreached. Even though the Nineteenth Prince is not favored, he is still a prince. Any plot against him would bring disaster to our family, even if there were no evidence. The Emperor's displeasure alone would seal our fate."
"What is the Emperor's intention, then?" Lou Zhixing clenched his teeth. "Why reward us so heavily yet pair my sister with that fool? I can't make sense of it."
"The situation isn't as dire as it seems," Lou Baiyue said calmly, regaining her composure. "I see two purposes behind His Majesty's actions. First, our family already controls half the court. If I were to marry a favored prince, it would tip the balance of power among the princes. If I were to align with the Seventh Prince and eventually become Empress, the Lou family would become too powerful to restrain. Pairing me with someone like Gu Chensha is a way to curb our influence."
"And the second reason?" Lou Zhixing asked.
"His Majesty wants us to keep an eye on him," Baiyue explained. "Gu Chensha, as a descendant of the exiled Xian royal line, represents a potential pawn for the remnants of that dynasty. The 'Titan Divine Art' belongs to the Xian royal family, and their bloodline carries the ancient Titan God lineage. If Gu Chensha manages to awaken this power, it could pose a significant threat. His Majesty wants to test whether this boy is capable of such a feat."
"Awakening the Titan God bloodline is no simple matter," Zhixing shook his head. "For centuries, no member of the Xian royal family has succeeded. If someone did, it would threaten the Da Yong dynasty's dominance. The Titan God, after all, was once crowned a True God by the ancient Celestial Emperor. Even His Majesty, as powerful as he is, wouldn't stand a chance against such a force unless he obtained the legendary 'Heavenly Seal'."
"Let's hope His Majesty acquires the Heavenly Seal and becomes a true Celestial Emperor," Lou Zhongxiao said, his tone solemn. "If that happens, we, his loyal subjects, might even be elevated to divine status and attain immortality."
"For now, we must tread carefully. While His Majesty has not yet ordered a marriage, associating too closely with Gu Chensha could isolate us politically and give our enemies ammunition," Zhixing cautioned. "The Empress's wishes also cannot be ignored. The Seventh Prince has long favored Baiyue. If he ascends the throne, our family could face ruin."
"Ascends the throne?" Baiyue turned sharply. "Father, you've served the Emperor for twenty years, even during his exile among the common folk. Surely you know the extent of his power?"
"His Majesty's cultivation is unfathomable. I suspect he can even reverse life and death," Lou Zhongxiao replied, his face grave.
"Then it's settled," Baiyue declared. "We must follow his commands. Still, I will not rely on any prince for our family's survival. The Seventh Prince may emulate the Emperor, but he lacks his vision and magnanimity."
"What are you planning?" Zhongxiao asked, recognizing the determination in his daughter's eyes.
"Power is the only truth," Baiyue said firmly. "I will focus on reaching the Dao realm. Once I do, I'll request to be stationed on the border to fight the beast hordes. That way, I can escape the court's intrigues. His Majesty values freedom of choice and won't go back on his word."
"Reaching the Dao realm is no easy task," Zhongxiao cautioned. "It took me forty years and a miraculous elixir to achieve it. You cannot hope to accomplish it in such a short time."
"Effort creates miracles," Baiyue replied, her resolve unwavering.
Elsewhere, deep in the Nan Mountains, in a quiet valley, a spring bubbled between jagged rocks. The serene atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a sharp, hissing sound.
A massive serpent, as thick as a man's thigh and over fifteen feet long, slithered out, its forked tongue flicking menacingly as it stared at Gu Chensha.
Clutching a dagger, Chensha crouched low, gathering his strength for a desperate strike.
He had ventured into the Nan Mountains seeking tigers or wolves for their cores, which he hoped to use in cultivation. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with this deadly predator.
The serpent coiled into a striking position, its head darting forward like a sword. Its foul stench filled the air, making Chensha's stomach churn.
Guo Chensha quickly shifted to the side, his footwork was ordinary but effective.
In the past, with his former skills, encountering this ferocious snake would have meant certain death. But now, with the strength of the Huhong Wolf digested and mastered, combined with his martial arts reaching a near-perfect level, dodging the snake's attack was no longer a daunting task.
Slash!
A glint of light flashed from his dagger as it curved in an arc, striking precisely at the snake's seven-inch vital point with the "Charging Bull Gazing at the Moon" technique.
This was one of the royal family's foundational martial arts techniques—practical and deadly when well-practiced.
The giant snake recoiled sharply, its tail whipping back with violent force.
Sensing the danger, Guo Chensha exerted all his strength and leaped sideways.
Bang!
The ground shattered under the snake's tail, sending shards of rock flying everywhere. If not for his quick reflexes, his body might have been crushed into pulp.
"This snake has an incredible attack style. No wonder martial arts often rely on observing nature to derive techniques. Fighting this snake seems to deepen my understanding of serpent-style martial arts," Guo Chensha thought. Despite the constant danger, he felt increasingly composed.
Attack!
He leaped again, agile as a monkey, his dagger gleaming coldly as he slashed fiercely.
The snake attacked from all directions, trying to bite Guo Chensha, but it could never succeed. Instead, its body was repeatedly injured by the dagger until it gradually lost its ferocity.
"Overwhelming Sweep!"
With a surge of energy coursing through his body, Guo Chensha let out a roar and severed the snake's head cleanly.
Even though the snake's head was severed, its jaws still snapped open and shut, and its body twisted violently. It clearly hadn't completely died.
Without hesitation, Guo Chensha retrieved the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman and smeared it with both the snake's blood and his own. He then used the snake's soul to perform a ritual offering to the heavens.
The snake's convulsions stopped immediately, and a faint phantom appeared on the talisman. The essence of the sacrifice was pulled into an unfathomable space, and in return, Guo Chensha received a surge of power.
Having prepared for this, Guo Chensha steadied himself and adopted a circular stance with his arms, practicing a foundational martial form that stabilized his qi, smoothed his blood flow, and calmed his mind.
Sure enough, the power surged into his body, turning his veins purple and swelling like dragon horns. His muscles bulged like iron, enveloping his entire frame. It seemed as if he had pushed the "Iron Shirt" technique to its peak.
The strength gained from the snake far surpassed that of a tiger. However, this power came with unbearable pain, as though his muscles and bones were being torn apart, and his organs felt ready to explode. His mind teetered on the edge of clarity.
But he knew this was the sign of marrow cleansing—a transformation. He couldn't remain still. He had to channel this power throughout his body using his martial techniques to harmonize and stabilize it, completing the "marrow cleansing" process.
Enduring the excruciating pain, he executed one move after another from the royal martial arts repertoire: "Black Tiger Takes the Heart," "Overwhelming Sweep," "Charging Bull Gazing at the Moon," "Hundred Steps Piercing Yang," "Cross-Shaped Combo"...
As his techniques grew faster, the power within him gradually balanced and flowed. Then, with a sudden loud thud, it settled into his dantian like a great river converging into the sea.
"That was close!" Guo Chensha wiped the sweat from his face, his entire body drenched. He realized the immense power of the snake was too much for him to absorb entirely. Without channeling part of it out through his techniques, his body might have exploded. Clearly, careless sacrifices could lead to disaster.
Fortunately, he had spent three months studying ancient texts on sacrificial rituals and deduced a method of combining sacrifice with martial arts practice to refine his body.
Now, as he lightly circulated his energy, his fists turned dark and solid like iron. Striking a rock, it shattered into fragments with a single blow.
Looking at his hands with joy, he muttered, "My strength now rivals that of a mortal-level fourth-stage master, someone at the pinnacle of martial arts. However, my control and understanding of martial techniques are still lacking compared to true masters."
Masters at their peak could achieve a strength equivalent to three bulls. Even those with extraordinary talent and innate divine power rarely exceeded five bulls.
This was the limit of human strength. Only by stepping into the Dao realm, where one could absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth and transcend mortal limitations, could one reach the strength of nine bulls and two tigers.
Having sacrificed a chicken, wolf, bear, and now a giant snake, Guo Chensha had accumulated the strength of four bulls, rivaling the peak of mortal masters.
Yet, his martial arts comprehension was still insufficient to fully harness this power. Moving forward, sacrifices would no longer suffice. He needed to refine his skills, master advanced techniques, and develop agility and adaptability to become a true grandmaster.
Whoosh!
With a leap, Guo Chensha climbed swiftly up the slippery rock face, moving as effortlessly as if he were on flat ground.
In just half a cup of tea's time, he reached the top of the cliff. Looking out across the landscape, he scanned for his next target—perhaps a tiger or wolf to sacrifice and obtain their inner cores.
According to ancient records, tiger and wolf cores were relatively easy to acquire through sacrificial rituals.