Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

With a thought, Su Mu retrieved the Giant Tiger Bone Bracelet from his system inventory, placing it steadily in his palm. He exerted slight force with his fingertips, squeezing out a drop of essence blood, which he precisely dripped onto the bracelet. The essence blood was instantly absorbed by the bracelet, and the tiger stripes on the bracelet glowed faintly. A weak yet close soul connection was quietly established. The blood-to-master recognition was completed in one fell swoop, the entire process smooth and natural, without the slightest hindrance.

He then put the tiger bone bracelet on his right wrist. The bracelet felt slightly cool to the touch, and a faint ancient tiger's might quietly seeped into his body, merging seamlessly with his own imperial aura and spiritual power. Su Mu could clearly feel his arm strength instantly surge by more than 30%, and even the power in his fingertips became increasingly sharp. He thought to himself, "With the enhancement of this tiger bone bracelet, when I use the God-Slaying Finger, the explosive power of my fingertips will be even stronger, and its power will definitely reach a new level. Even when facing a peak True Martial Realm expert, I can pose a considerable threat, and might even be able to severely injure the opponent in one fell swoop!"

Just as he was carefully sensing the power of the tiger bone bracelet, light footsteps came from the courtyard gate. Xiao Anran, who had just broken through to a higher realm, slowly walked out. Her posture was even more upright, her aura was calm and refined, and her brows still carried the joy and relaxation of breaking through. The spiritual energy in her eyes was also much richer than before, and her whole temperament became more outstanding.

"You've broken through?" Su Mu turned around, a gentle smile on his face, asking the question knowing the answer already—Xiao Anran's aura had changed very obviously, and he could tell at a glance that she had successfully advanced to the late stage of the Innate Realm.

"Yes!" Xiao Anran nodded vigorously, her face full of sincere gratitude. She quickly stepped forward, bowed to Su Mu, and said respectfully and sincerely, "Thank you for the pills bestowed by the Emperor Emeritus. If it weren't for those pills that nourish the meridians and enhance cultivation, I'm afraid I would have had to struggle for a long time before breaking through to the late stage of the Innate Realm, or even be stuck at the peak of the middle stage, unable to make any further progress."

"No need to thank me." Su Mu waved his hand, his tone calm and his expression indifferent. "You have a solid foundation, a resilient character, and good talent. Even without those pills, you would have advanced smoothly in no time. I just helped you speed things up a bit. It's nothing special."

With that, he flicked his finger, and a silver ring, radiating a faint spiritual aura, appeared in his palm—it was the high-grade Xuan-level Silver Moon Ring. Su Mu flicked it lightly, removing the soul imprint from the ring, and casually tossed it to Xiao Anran, saying in a nonchalant tone, "This is your reward for breaking through. Take it; it should be useful for your current cultivation level and will also enhance your self-defense capabilities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Anran's eyes. She quickly reached out and took the silver moon ring, gently stroking the patterns on the ring with her fingertips. Her heart was full of gratitude. She bowed again to express her thanks without any hesitation. She knew that this was Su Mu's heartfelt gift, and if she refused, it would only displease him.

For Su Mu now, the high-grade Xuan-level Silver Moon Ring could no longer enhance his combat power, and its auxiliary effect was negligible. Keeping it was just sitting idle and useless. Rather than letting it gather dust, it would be better to give it to Xiao Anran—it would not only improve her strength and enhance her self-defense capabilities, but also demonstrate his goodwill as her adoptive father. It was a win-win situation, so why not?

Not only the Silver Moon Ring, but all magic treasures and pills below the low-grade Earth rank are now of little value to Su Mu. Most of them can only be given away or used as auxiliary materials during cultivation, which are better than nothing, but cannot play a significant role in improving his cultivation.

In the early morning, the sun was shining brightly and the air was warm. Xiao Anxun and Li Lianqing arrived at the library in a hurry. Both of them had solemn expressions and were in a panic, obviously having something urgent to report. Even their steps were faster than usual, and they dared not delay at all.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" Upon seeing Su Mu, Xiao Anxun immediately bowed and reported, his voice filled with worry and even a hint of panic. "Urgent news has arrived from the west! The demonic beasts of the Cangmang Mountains are increasingly raiding the western regions of the empire, and on a larger scale. Many border towns have been breached by these beasts, suffering widespread destruction, looting, and death. The losses are extremely severe, and countless people have been displaced and left homeless!"

"Oh?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone calm and without the slightest panic, and slowly asked, "I remember that the imperial court has already dispatched a large army to the west, equipped with sufficient weapons and elixirs. The force is formidable, surely they cannot withstand those demonic beasts?"

"Your Majesty, the army has indeed reached the western border and has engaged in numerous battles with the demonic beasts. The soldiers have fought bravely and without hesitation," Xiao Anxun quickly added, his tone full of helplessness. "However, the number of demonic beasts is simply too vast, and they are exceptionally cunning. They never engage the army in direct combat, but instead form small teams, disperse, plunder everywhere, and flee after their attack, their whereabouts unpredictable. Although the army can barely hold them off and kill some of the demonic beasts, it is difficult to completely stop their invasion. On the contrary, casualties are increasing, and morale is declining day by day."

"Besides that, something unusual has also happened in the East China Sea, and things are getting increasingly unsettled." Xiao Anxun paused, then continued, his tone becoming increasingly grave. "Horse after body of sea beasts and sea monsters are constantly landing and launching fierce attacks on the eastern coastal areas. Those sea beasts are incredibly powerful and have thick hides, making it impossible for coastal villages to withstand them. Many villages have been razed to the ground, and countless people have died or been injured; it's a truly horrific sight."

"There are also rumors that the Fusang Islands have completely fallen, and the Japanese on the islands have nowhere to go but to flee to the barbaric wilderness in the north. They may join forces with the barbarians and act in concert, which will create trouble on the northern border. Our Great Qian will be attacked from both sides and caught in a dilemma!"

"The simultaneous unusual agitation of sea monsters and sirens from the deep ocean, along with the monstrous beasts of the desolate mountains, is no coincidence. There must be something fishy going on, and we must be on guard. If not handled properly, it could lead to an even greater disaster!"

"What's even more troublesome is that the Tianwu Sect has withdrawn its troops from the western region and will no longer assist us in resisting the invasion of demonic beasts. Their attitude is resolute. Other sects' troops are also showing signs of withdrawal. With morale low, it is impossible to gather strength to fight the enemy together."

Hearing this, Xiao Anran couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, besides the Tianwu Sect, have all the other experts from the common people and those independent cultivators also withdrawn? If they have also withdrawn, the western border will truly be in grave danger!"

"Not all have been evacuated yet, but they are gradually leaving. Morale is low, everyone is fearful, and no one has the will to fight the enemy." Xiao Anxun shook his head helplessly, his tone heavy. "It's estimated that before long, only our Great Qian army will remain on the western border, left to defend against the monsters alone. Our situation is precarious!"