"Your Majesty, the martial resources over at the Celestial Capital Profound Bird Guard are being consumed somewhat unusually."

"And these anomalies all originate from the Profound Bird Guards of various provincial city mansions below."

"Some provinces’ Profound Bird Guards are falsely reporting, fabricating missions to obtain a vast amount of martial resources."

"Especially in some provinces, like Anzhou, Fu State, Mengzhou, Qingzhou..."

Xia Mingyue heard this and instantly understood Shangguan Yuqing’s implication.

These severely deficient provinces just happen to have certain individuals there.

Those are all her good brothers, the Princes of each province’s fief!

Humph!

These useless ones, had she not promised her father and those few elders back then, she would have eliminated these troublemakers long ago.

Of course, that’s just one of the reasons.

These princes have a special use for Xia Mingyue.

Xia Mingyue thought of that thing, its activation requires a massive amount of royal bloodline.

My dear brothers, don’t think I don’t know your intentions.

When that day comes, you’ll see why I’ve kept you useless ones around for so long.

As the Emperor of Great Xia, Xia Mingyue discarded any notion of familial affection at the moment she was born.

"Your Majesty, I also received another piece of news."

"The Anzhou White Dao Prefecture seems to have applied to the Celestial Capital Profound Bird Guard for three top-tier spiritual objects, twenty mid-tier ones, and a hundred low-tier ones."

"And the deputy director of the Profound Bird Guard, Li Chengxing, has already agreed."

"Right now, that batch of spiritual objects is already on its way to the Anzhou White Dao Prefecture."

White Dao Prefecture?

Isn’t that where I just saw Lu Xuan?

Interesting, the Li Family is really willing to spend lavishly.

Xia Mingyue spoke meaningfully, "It seems, I really must meet Lu Xuan."

"Yuqing, I recall your foster daughter, Shangguan Yunlan, is among the Black Feather Guard, right?"

"In that case, send her to Anzhou then, to investigate what kind of person Lu Xuan is."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Regarding the monstrously talented martial artist Lu Xuan, Xia Mingyue naturally wants to cultivate him into her confidant.

But before that, she needs to assess Lu Xuan a bit, to see if he can pass her tests.

Shangguan Yuqing bowed deeply to Xia Mingyue, and as if like Man Qingqiu, disappeared within the grand hall.

"It’s close."

"My goal is nearly accomplished."

"Once my grand enterprise is complete, heaven and earth will be entirely under my control."

"Beasts, extraordinary weirdness, these things will cease to exist."

A mysterious dark glow flickered in Xia Mingyue’s beautiful eyes, accentuating her imposing and noble aura.

The last time, she hadn’t expected that the Spirit Ruins contained that person’s remnant soul.

This led to her being ambushed by the remnant soul during the refining of the Spirit Ruins.

A year later, Xia Mingyue will use that object to break through the Spirit Ruins’ protection, forcibly entering within.

That object requires the blood sacrifice of her dear brothers, to unleash its utmost power.

"Humph, I intentionally feigned my grave injury just to lure these old foxes to reveal their tails."

In her right palm, a dreamlike bronze cauldron appeared, suspended in the void.

"The power of the Profound Bird Cauldron, how could it be understood by you all?"

Two days later, Jingtai Prefecture City Mansion!

"External Gang Grandmaster Perfection!"

"Finally reached this level."

The time it took to deduce these two cultivation techniques was greatly beyond Lu Xuan’s expectations.

It took a full two days!

Lu Xuan felt the terrifying power of Gang Yuan contained within his body and showed a joyous expression.

He’s now not far from the True Realm of Divine Mansion.

Host: Lu Xuan

Realm: External Gang Grandmaster (Perfection)

Cultivation Technique: Heaven-Burning Saber Skill 1/9, Streamlight Step Skill 7/9, Immortal and Indestructible 0/9

Points: 0

system points were all used up in an instant.

Deducting King Kong’s flawlessness to Immortal and Indestructible used up a total of 7000 system points.

As for the remaining points, they were naturally used by Lu Xuan in deducing the Streamlight Step Skill.

system points immediately pushed the Streamlight Step Skill from the first layer to the seventh layer.

"Immortal and Indestructible?"

Immortal and Indestructible, rebirth from a drop of blood, body reconstruction!

For the first time, anomalies appeared throughout Lu Xuan’s body.

The ground had a layer of pungent, foul grime, the impurities from Lu Xuan’s flesh.

Lu Xuan was fully naked, his body emitting a faint glaze of golden light, his well-toned muscles appeared to be filled with explosive power.

Lu Xuan extended his right hand, and from within, the Gang Yuan surged out, reaching towards a certain direction.

The black profound saber on the table suddenly seemed to be grasped by an invisible large hand, flying rapidly towards Lu Xuan.

The moment the black profound saber was grasped in hand, Lu Xuan immediately swung it towards his left arm.

Bang!

A sound akin to a diamond resonated as the black profound saber was instead flung away.

Lu Xuan’s left arm, struck by the black profound saber, didn’t leave a single mark.

The black profound saber seemed like a feather before the steadfastness of his flesh, having no impact at all.

This!

With merely the fortitude of his flesh, Lu Xuan already possesses a hardness beyond the black profound saber.

Lu Xuan realizes he’s increasingly straying from humanity.

God? Immortal? Buddha?

The Streamlight Step Skill is similar; after Lu Xuan deduced it to the seventh layer, his speed reached astonishing levels.

"Excellent, worth the trip!"

Lu Xuan feels the White Dao Prefecture is no longer suitable for him, as the deduction of his cultivation techniques requires far beyond his imagination in points.

Perhaps only Great Xia’s celestial capital can meet his needs.

White Dao Prefecture City Mansion!

In the reception hall of the Profound Bird Guard mansion, He Yan stood there like a mortal enemy. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

And atop the hall master’s seat sat two figures, accompanied by five or six guards clad in silver armor.

These are people who rushed over from Qingling Prefecture.

Chen Luomeng, leader of the Cyan Robe Guard at Prince An’s mansion, and deputy leader Lin Yu.

Facing the Profound Bird Guard, the world shudders at their name, daring not to provoke them.

Yet there are exceptions, such as Prince An, a prince of royal blood.

Thus He Yan dared not utter a word before these people from Prince An’s residence.

What else could he do?

The elderly man beside that woman seemed like an ordinary old man, yet inadvertently emitting a trace of aura almost made He Yan collapse.

External Gang Grandmaster martial artist!

External Gang Grandmaster had come knocking, and now He Yan could only hope that their local Grandmaster might return soon to assist him.