I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 554 Everyone's Idol, and He Has an Idol Too! (Please Subscribe, Please Vote)
"Tell me, in this lifetime, can my swordsmanship ever catch up with that of Master Yangci?"

After the competition, Hua Rumeng sat exhausted on the training platform and said to He Ying.

In the past few days, her cultivation level has improved every time she comes out of Li Chen's room.

Then I couldn't wait to compete with my best friend and see how much I had improved.

She certainly can't compare to Li Chen, but her former idol was Yang Ci Dao Ren.

Yang Ci Daoist holds a very high position in the southern kingdoms. Many sect leaders have received his guidance and broken through their cultivation levels. Whether in swordsmanship or cultivation, Yang Ci Daoist is a legend here.

"That depends on how well you and Young Master Li can train together. One or two days won't be enough." He Ying covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes and brows filled with a mischievous smile, and she drew a circle in the air with her finger, which seemed to be pointing at something.

"You!" Hua Rumeng's pretty face instantly turned bright red, and the long sword in her hand was drawn half an inch from its sheath with a "clang". "I'll tear your lousy mouth apart!"

After her affair was discovered, He Ying kept teasing her about it.

"Oh dear, Sister Hua is going to hit me~" He Ying deliberately dragged out her voice, her figure floating lightly backward, and she even deliberately twisted her waist.

Last night, I'll try out the "Dragon Swimming Step" that Young Master Li taught me.

Hua Rumeng was so angry that her chest heaved violently. Just as she was about to chase after him, she suddenly caught sight of the tall, slender figure at the courtyard gate and froze on the spot.

"Greetings, Young Master Li." The two beautiful women quickly straightened their clothes and bowed in unison.

He Ying's skirt was slightly lifted up by the dodge, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin.

Li Chen leaned lazily against the door frame, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two of them.

The morning light filtered through the leaves and fell on them. He Ying's purple gauze dress reflected dappled light and shadow, while Hua Rumeng's white outfit outlined her graceful curves. They were truly breathtaking.

"What are you chatting about so happily?" Li Chen walked over slowly and casually pinched He Ying's waist.

He Ying gasped softly, but didn't dare to look away. She just blushed and lowered her head, saying, "We were talking about... about Taoist Yangci."

Li Chen raised an eyebrow and looked at Hua Rumeng: "Oh? Sect Leader Hua is interested in Daoist Yangci?"

Hua Rumeng pursed her lips and said seriously, "I just want to know if I have a chance to reach that level."

Li Chen suddenly reached out and put his arm around their slender waists, feeling the warmth in his palms: "If you want to see Daoist Yang Ci, come back to Tian Ce with me."

Li Chen's plan was to lure these two beautiful mature women back to the capital; once they were back, they wouldn't be able to escape.

Both of them trembled simultaneously.

He Ying's eyelashes trembled violently, and Hua Rumeng even stopped breathing for a moment.

Returning to Heaven's Strategy? Wouldn't that mean...?
A sense of longing arose in Hua Rumeng's mind as she recalled the exhilarating feeling of breaking through last night and the surge of new power within her this morning.

He Ying was also struggling with the satisfaction she had gained from breaking through alongside Li Chen these past few days.

"Really?" Hua Rumeng's voice trembled, filled with both anticipation and fear.

Li Chen said in a serious tone, "Really."

Far away in the Imperial Stables in the capital, Daoist Yangci was sitting cross-legged in a grand chair.

Several cultivators from a small southern country stood before him, each with a face full of awe.

They used to be big fans of Yang Ci Dao Ren. Now that many countries in the south have rail trains, many cultivators from the south come to Tian Ce to observe and study.

Master Yangci waved his phone: "Look at this, the latest 'Thousand Mile Voice Transmission' just arrived yesterday, it can store 100,000 photos!"

Having finally managed to catch some fellow villagers visiting, Yang Ci Daoist was naturally eager to show off. Despite being just a horse breeder, he held a rather high-ranking official position, and it was a sinecure at that, which he was very pleased with.

The cultivators from the south exclaimed in amazement. One young cultivator even couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, but was pulled back sharply by his companion.

Upon arriving at Tian Ce, Daoist Yang Ci was truly amazed; no wonder Tian Ce was teeming with powerful figures.

Daoist Yangci casually pointed towards the stables: "Look at all these errand boys in my yard. The one in blue is already at the Six Harmonies Realm at twenty-three. If she stays here for a while, she'll probably be able to join the Imperial Guard. And the girl feeding the horses over there, she mastered the 'Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique' last year."

The sect leader of a southern sect wiped his sweat: "Such a genius, and you're raising horses here?"

If these were in the southern kingdoms, they would be top-tier talents, and the king would even have to personally recruit them.

Yang Ci Daoist scoffed: "Otherwise what? Every year, the various combat academies of Tian Ce produce at least eight hundred or a thousand of these kinds of people. Being able to work as a handyman here is already considered quite good."

The ostentatious display drew envious glances from the nearby envoys.

There was nothing they could do; Yang Ci Daoist was powerful enough to curry favor with Li Chen and directly infiltrate the upper echelons of Tian Ce.

Normally, if anything happens, the disciples are sent to report it. The food and lodging here are excellent, and it's right next to the dragon vein of heaven and earth, so how could I bear to leave?

The fruits served to the cultivators from the south would be considered delicacies in the southern kingdoms, and only royalty could afford them.

But here, even the Taoist priests of Yangci eat them like snacks.

The wealth and power of Tian Ce are evident to all.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his old acquaintances, Daoist Yangci suddenly stood up: "Oh dear, it's time to brush the dragon horse's mane."

After saying that, he stuffed his phone into his sleeve, hummed a little tune, and walked towards the stables, leaving several southern cultivators standing there envious.

In the eyes of the cultivators in the south, Daoist Yangci is an idol, but Daoist Yangci also has idols.

Of course, Li Chen was his 'boss'. His former idol was the leader of the cultivator alliance of the Nine Abyss Sacred Domain of the Tian Ce Dynasty, the Supreme Being.

The reason Yang Ci Dao Ren used to boast was that he withstood three moves from Ding Tian Shang Ren without being defeated. This achievement was already terrifying in the cultivation world, as Ding Tian Shang Ren was a renowned and powerful figure.

However, after arriving at Tian Ce, he learned that the Supreme Master Ding Tian had actually attacked Emperor Li Chen, and was then defeated by Emperor Li Chen and imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison.

After much deliberation, Daoist Yangci decided to visit Master Dingtian in the Heavenly Prison.

Even if you asked Pang Jin, the Minister of Justice, about this matter, he wouldn't have the authority to grant permission.

Because of Yang Ci Daoist's special status, we can only ask Li Chen.

Ding!
The phone screen lit up, and Li Chen's reply was concise and clear: "Accurate."

Yang Ci Daoist straightened his clothes and followed the officials from the Ministry of Justice through the many layers of restrictions.

The air inside the prison was cold and damp, carrying a musty smell, a stark contrast to the sun-drenched courtyard of the Imperial Horse Stables.

"This is the cell." The jailer took out a key, and the chains rattled.

The moment the cell door opened, Yang Ci Daoist's pupils contracted sharply.

A figure huddled in the corner, his gray hair disheveled like straw, his once gleaming gold robe now tattered and torn.

The man looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy eyes.

(End of this chapter)