I Have the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye in the Storm Riders

Zi Dian sat upright like a bell, his hands placed neatly on his knees.

Kuang Lei unconsciously clenched his fist—

It wasn't nervousness, it was excitement. The Emperor's presence at the Purple Qi Sect was an immense honor.

He leaned closer to Zidian, about to whisper something, but was stopped by a sharp glare from Zidian, and had no choice but to sit up straight awkwardly.

After they were seated, the two veteran masters couldn't help but look at the young man next to the Emperor.

Although they lived in seclusion in the forbidden area for many years, detached from worldly affairs, the genealogy of the imperial family was always crystal clear to powerful officials like them.

The Emperor has a clear understanding of how many sons he has and what they look like.

But this young man before me—

Unfamiliar face, extremely unfamiliar face.

Zidian and Kuanglei exchanged a silent glance, their eyes filled with undisguised confusion and suspicion.

At such a young age, to be personally accompanied by the Emperor speaks volumes about his noble status. But why has no one in the royal family ever heard of such a person?

The boy seemed to notice the two scrutinizing gazes and turned his head slightly to look back.

This casual glance, neither averted nor avoided, was what made the two old men, who had spent half their lives in Japan, look away first.

The Emperor saw through their astonishment, but instead of explaining, he slightly raised his lips, revealing a profound and unfathomable smile.

No one dared to speak in the hall for a moment; only the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind could be heard outside.

The silence lasted for several breaths before the Emperor slowly broke the stillness.

"The Purple Qi Sect is the mainstay of our Eastern Japan. The two of you have reached the pinnacle of the 'Great Sun Purple Qi' technique. Even though I live deep in the palace, I am often amazed by the prosperity of our Yamato martial lineage."

The praise was delivered slowly and deliberately, causing Zidian and Kuanglei to blush slightly.

Zi Dian bowed slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty flatters me. My humble skills are truly insignificant."

"Your Majesty has many talented people under your command. Lord Huangying is a master of swordsmanship, and General Musashi Mori is an unparalleled commander. The two supreme beings are famous throughout Japan. How dare we presume to claim that we have reached the pinnacle of skill?"

Kuang Lei grinned, but didn't reply. However, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Two supreme rulers?" The Emperor repeated these three words, his tone suddenly becoming very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"Huang Ying is obsessed with the way of the sword, and Musashi Mori is intoxicated with military strategy... In the end, they are loyal to their own path, not to me."

Zi Dian felt a tightness in his back—he understood.

His Majesty's words were ostensibly a critique of the two supreme rulers, but in reality, they were a question to him:

Zidian, what are you loyal to?

Kuang Lei didn't understand the implication. He just felt that the atmosphere had suddenly turned cold. His big, round eyes looked around blankly.

The Emperor slowly raised his gaze and placed it on Shiden, his gaze as heavy as lead.

Zidian did not hesitate.

He immediately rose from his seat, slammed his knees heavily onto the stone slab, and kowtowed, saying in a deep voice:

"In this life, Zidian will only be loyal to Your Majesty."

The kneeling came so quickly and forcefully that even Kuang Lei, who was standing next to him, was startled.

A barely perceptible smile flickered in the Emperor's eyes, but his tone remained unwavering:

"In that case... I ask you, do you still remember the promise you made to me?"

Zi Dian pressed his forehead against the cold stone slab, his voice revealing a resolute determination deep within him.

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and your subjects will never forget it! If Your Majesty commands, we will go through fire and water, even unto death, and the entire Purple Qi Sect will fight to the last man to fulfill Your Majesty's wish!"

A barely perceptible smile curved the Emperor's lips.

He didn't get up, he just casually raised his hand.

A powerful and profound internal force surged out silently like a tidal wave, steadily supporting Zi Dian's body and gently lifting him up from the ground.

Zi Dian's body stiffened.

He sensed it clearly—

This force was so profound that it seemed bottomless, far beyond the reach of ordinary grandmasters.

Your Majesty's cultivation... has actually reached such a level?

Zi Dian slowly straightened up, his awe extending not only to imperial power, but also to the strength of the person before him.

"Zidian, I am here in a private capacity today, you need not be so formal."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty..."

The Emperor suddenly stood up and strode out of the hall.

The boy beside him remained silent, naturally following half a step behind him at a steady pace.

Zi Dian and Kuang Lei were both taken aback—was His Majesty leaving?

"You two, keep up."

The Emperor left those words behind without looking back and stepped out of the hall.

Zidian and Kuanglei exchanged a glance, not daring to ask any more questions, and quickly got up and followed them out.

The group walked through the corridor, around the bamboo forest in the backyard, and arrived at an empty training ground of the Ziqi Sect.

Surrounded by jagged boulders and paved with thick bluestone slabs, this is where the sect's disciples usually spar and practice martial arts.

The Emperor stopped at the sidelines, stood with his hands behind his back, and glanced across the empty training ground. He said calmly:

"The Purple Qi Sect has been established for hundreds of years, and its 'Great Sun Purple Qi' is famous throughout Japan."

"Now that I am here, I would like to see it for myself."

He glanced at Zidian sideways and said, "Zidian, would you do me the honor?"

Zi Dian felt a chill run down his spine.

His Majesty didn't discuss matters in the hall, but insisted on coming to the martial arts training ground to watch kung fu—

What's going on here?

But since the Emperor had spoken, he dared not refuse.

He immediately clasped his hands and said, "I am honored by Your Majesty's favor. I have made a fool of myself in this performance."

He stepped into the center of the training ground, took a deep breath, and slowly brought his palms together in front of his chest.

In an instant, his aura changed drastically.

A dark purple light rose from his dantian, spreading along his meridians to his limbs and bones, enveloping him in a layer of flickering purple light.

A series of fine crackling sounds suddenly appeared in the air, like countless tiny lightning bolts exploding and moving across his body.

"Thunder and lightning!"

Zi Dian thrust out with both palms.

Two thick, purple arcs of lightning, each as thick as an arm, shot out from his palm, carrying a pungent, scorching aura, and crashed into a boulder twenty feet away.

The boulder was instantly blasted open with spiderweb-like charred cracks, and debris flew like rain.

Before the lightning had even subsided, Zi Dian had already moved.

He spread his arms wide, and the purple aura around him suddenly surged, becoming so dense that it almost materialized.

Dust and gravel in the air were drawn by an invisible magnetic force, spinning wildly around him and forming a purple vortex.

"Auspicious purple clouds are coming from the east!"

The vortex suddenly expanded, transforming into a purple wave of energy that swept outwards in all directions.

The bluestone slabs on the training ground cracked with a "crack" as the shockwave passed through, and several old pine trees with trunks as thick as two people could hug were uprooted and collapsed with a crash.

Watching from the sidelines, Kuang Lei's fists itched with impatience. He could no longer contain himself and roared as he strode into the arena:

"Big brother, let your little brother join in the fun!"

Zi Dian's eyes lit up; the two were of one mind, simultaneously pushing the Great Sun Purple Qi to its limit—

"A sudden burst of lightning and thunder!"

Two terrifying purple energies collided violently in mid-air.

A thunderclap suddenly resounded in the sky, and purple and white arcs of electricity spread across the entire training ground like a spider web, illuminating the world in a ghastly white light.

The ground was shaken open, creating a crater tens of feet in diameter, and debris flew hundreds of feet away.

After the aftershocks subsided, the training ground was left in ruins.

The Emperor stood with his hands behind his back the entire time, his robes remaining perfectly still.

He looked at the mess, nodded slowly, and a genuine look of approval appeared in his eyes.

"Well, as expected of the Great Sun Purple Qi, it truly lives up to its name."

Zidian and Kuanglei stopped their stances and bowed with clasped hands.

Although Zi Dian's breathing was slightly disordered, he couldn't hide a hint of smugness on his face.

For a martial artist, being able to display their life's skills before the Emperor is an immense honor.

The Emperor suddenly turned his gaze to the boy beside him, then looked back at the two of them, his tone becoming meaningful.

"I have personally witnessed the great aura of the two of you."

"Now I have a favor to ask of you two—please take this boy as your disciple and impart all the secrets of the Great Sun Purple Qi to him."

Both Zi Dian and Kuang Lei were taken aback.

It's reasonable for the Emperor to take on disciples, but why did he personally speak up for this matter?

The Emperor seemed to see through their doubts, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"I know what you two are thinking. Let's make a bet."

He held up one finger.

"One month."

"If this child can cultivate the Great Sun Purple Qi to the highest level within a month, then the two of you will pour all your life's power into his body."

Zi Dian's pupils contracted sharply.

One month? Complete success?

The Great Sun Purple Qi is the most treasured skill of the Purple Qi Sect. He and Kuang Lei devoted their entire lives to its cultivation for decades before finally reaching the Transcendent Realm.

Mastering it in a month?

Let alone a ten-year-old boy, even a martial arts prodigy who is one in ten thousand would not have such a possibility.

Kuang Lei burst out laughing, his voice booming:

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to say this—if anyone in this world could master the Great Sun Purple Qi in just one month, I'd rip my head off and let them use it as a football!"

The emperor was not angry but smiled:

"So that means you agree?"

Kuang Lei patted his chest:

"Fine, I'll gamble! I've lived most of my life, and I've never been afraid of anyone!"

Zi Dian remained silent for a moment, glanced at the ever-calm-looking youth, and slowly spoke:

"If this child truly possesses such talent... I would gladly offer him my skills with both hands."

He spoke calmly, but his tone revealed absolute confidence.

He was betting on the decades-long threshold of the Great Sun Purple Qi, betting that the common sense of martial arts could not be broken.

The Emperor nodded slightly and said no more.

He turned and walked towards the gate, his steps unhurried, without looking back.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and uttered his last words:

"I will come again in a month."

The Emperor's figure disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Only Zidian, Kuanglei, and that silent boy remained on the training ground.

Kuang Lei crossed his arms, looked the boy up and down, and grinned knowingly.

"Boy, did you hear that? In one month, the Great Sun Purple Qi has reached its peak."

"It took your master forty years to even get a basic grasp of it, can you do it?"

The boy finally raised his eyes and calmly looked at Kuang Lei.

"Master, please enlighten me."

Neither humble nor arrogant, without unnecessary formalities.

Kuang Lei was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter and slapped his thigh:

"Hahaha! Good lad, you've got guts!"

Zidian said nothing, but a long-dormant fire had already ignited in his cloudy old eyes.