That hardly seemed like looking at a subordinate.

"Oh?"

Chu Ming raised an eyebrow in surprise and then pressed her hand against her sword with a cold laugh.

This person seemed to have achieved the First Grade through a shortcut, but what qualifications did he have to compare with me?

The sleeping chambers of Emperor Jianyuan were the Yanying Hall.

When Chu Ming arrived at Yanying Hall, she was halted by Wan Qi Luohou who raised his hand: "Commandery Princess, please wait here for a moment while I report to His Majesty—"

But before he could finish, an indolent voice came from inside, belonging to Emperor Jianyuan: "Is it Ming’er? Let Luo Hou let her in to see me; it’s been a while since I’ve met with my niece, and I quite miss her."

Chu Ming smiled slightly, then stepped confidently into the hall.

She thought to herself that Emperor Jianyuan directly addressed Wan Qi Luohou by name.

It seems the rumors were true—Emperor Jianyuan indeed trusted Wan Qi Luohou, possibly even more than the Three Bureaux Commander Xiaao Hongchen of the Police Pool of Blood.

As she entered the hall, she saw Emperor Jianyuan seated at the head of this spacious hall.

He sat casually, appearing relaxed, but his face was somewhat pale.

Apparently, the injuries from over a month ago were still troubling him, preventing full recovery.

As Chu Ming and Wan Qi Luohou paid their respects, Emperor Jianyuan suddenly frowned: "Both of you are injured, and not lightly at that. Who did this?"

He immediately had a guess, gripping the armrests tightly, leaning forward to look down at the two: "Is it Chu Xisheng? That traitor, how dare he?"

"Indeed, it was Chu Xisheng." Chu Ming knelt on one knee, expressionless: "I accidentally exposed myself and was found by Chu Xisheng. His swordsmanship was terrifyingly extreme, and his killing intent towards me was fervent. If it weren’t for Commander Wan Qi being present, I would have perished under Chu Xisheng’s blade!"

"Oh?" Emperor Jianyuan glanced sideways at Wan Qi Luohou, his expression quickly returning to calm: "You fought with Chu Xisheng? Can you judge his current Martial Arts level?"

"At least the top eight of the Heavenly List!"

Chu Ming responded without hesitation: "He only used the Heaven Slaying Blade before me, yet I couldn’t withstand a single strike. His Heaven Slaying Blade has reached over the 26th Layer, possibly nearing the True Spirit Level. If it weren’t for that bastard’s overconfidence, treating me like a cat playing with a mouse, Commander Wan Qi and I would have no chance of survival."

Yet Chu Xisheng boasts, within three months he will find me, wherever I hide, and will definitely kill me. Using my life to complete his Secret Rite of Vengeance."

She bowed her head in deep shame: "I am incompetent, failing Your Majesty’s high expectations!"

Wan Qi Luohou gave a wry smile: "Your Majesty, the Commandery Princess has already tried her best. In my opinion, even if she were to face the 30th on the Heavenly List, she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. Chu Xisheng’s Martial Arts is indeed very strong, and his cultivation has progressed further. Not everyone can escape unscathed from his blade."

Emperor Jianyuan neither agreed nor disagreed, tapping his fingers against the armrest as he pondered deeply.

Chu Ming watched Emperor Jianyuan’s expression: "This time I returned to the capital partly to temporarily avoid his edge and escape pursuit; partly to further my advancement in Martial Arts.

Your Majesty, my current cultivation has surpassed his, now only losing in bloodline and Heavenly Rules. However, I have already developed a Divine Intent Blade Heart, unafraid of his Divine Intent Touch Death Blade. With enough ’Nine Orifice Bright Heart Pill’ and ’Xuanyuan Miao Wu Pill’, I am confident that within a year, I can elevate my combat power to a level capable of opposing him!"

Hearing this, Emperor Jianyuan chuckled: "Child, do you know what level of Divine Pill the ’Nine Orifice Bright Heart Pill’ and ’Xuanyuan Miao Wu Pill’ are? Do you think these are candies? Or do you assume my resources are inexhaustible? Even in today’s world, few masters of the Alchemy Dao can refine these pills—"

Before he could finish, Emperor Jianyuan’s complexion suddenly changed.

He suddenly sensed a tremendously powerful Thought sweeping across the Imperial City!

The other party was wanton, and in an instant, they had swept from the outside to the inside, scouring the entire Imperial City and Outer Palace, then swiftly spread throughout the Imperial Palace, reaching outside Yanying Hall in no time.

"Arrogant!"

Emperor Jianyuan immediately gathered his Emperor’s Sword Intent, simultaneously activating the Twelve Dragon God Heavenly Guardian. Twelve Red Dragons spiraled with bared fangs and claws around him, clashing remotely with that extraordinarily strong Thought.

With a thunderous boom, the Han white jade tiles outside Yanying Hall shattered into pieces, and countless plumes of dust dispersed.

Emperor Jianyuan’s pupils contracted slightly, then filled with disbelief and rage: "Chu Xisheng?"

This brat, truly arrogant!

He actually attacked directly outside the Wang’an City Imperial Palace, disregarding the dignity of the Daning Dynasty, ignoring the heavy defenses of the Inner Palace, and swept the Imperial City with his Divine Thought!

At this moment, the imperial guards and Inner Palace experts inside and outside the Imperial City all became alarmed.

"Who is it?"

"Utterly insolent!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Such tremendous Sword Intent! Could this Thought be Chu Xisheng?"

"That ’Heaven with Two Suns, unmatched in history’, he actually entered Wang’an City!"

"Arrogant! Absolutely arrogant!"

"No, everyone gather your Primordial Spirits, that traitor is clearly doing this intentionally, trying to gather our Enemy Intent and killing intent!"

"Order all troops to disperse immediately, do not congregate in one place, this achieves nothing!"

Amidst the exclamations inside and outside the Imperial City, Chu Xisheng’s voice directly transmitted into Yanying Hall, and into the ears of the Emperor and his ministers.

His tone was tinged with a smile: "I’ve found you."

With these words, Chu Xisheng remotely unleashed another Sword Energy, infused with endless Divine Intent, slashing fiercely into the palace.