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

Under the cover of night, the palace was under heavy security.

On the second-floor balcony of the library, Su Mu stood with his hands behind his back, remaining alert and vigilant throughout, guarding the four directions.

At the top of the Yangxin Palace pavilion, Xiao Yunshang stood quietly.

On the distant rooftop of the main hall, Chai Min watched intently, ready to intervene and suppress any unforeseen events.

Above the night sky, the golden bird flutters its wings and circles, patrolling all directions and watching out for any unusual activity.

Emperor Xiao Anxun and a group of royal officials stood on the ground, gazing up at the extraordinary phenomena in the sky. Observing the Great Dao of the Martial Emperor's Condensation up close, even if it was just a slight insight, was enough to benefit them greatly.

Throughout the entire imperial city, countless powerful figures from different realms turned their heads, their gazes all focused on the night sky above the imperial palace.

Many people recognized Chang Wei's identity and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Another Martial Emperor breakthrough? It's only been a short time, and this is the second one!"

"We all came from different realms, and our starting points were almost the same. Why were they able to break through one after another and gain the recognition of this world?"

"Judging by the stability of this martial spirit and primordial spirit, this breakthrough is definitely going to be successful!"

"I've heard this man is Chang Wei from Yunxiang Valley. He lost a bet to that Eunuch Su and has since recognized him as his godfather!"

"No wonder! No wonder the breakthrough was so smooth! The root of the problem lies with that powerful eunuch!"

"Rumor has it that he possesses an ancient martial god's treasure trove, filled with countless rare and precious materials and inexhaustible high-level resources. No wonder the people around him are breaking through at an astonishing speed!"

"Hearing that made me tempted to join them!"

Amidst the conflicting opinions, no one dared to rashly intervene and cause trouble.

Previously, the combined forces of the Witch Clan, the Barbarian Clan, and the Japanese Clan had failed to stop Xiao Yunshang's breakthrough; on the contrary, the Witch Clan suffered heavy losses. A mere newly promoted early-stage Martial Emperor was not worth the risk and trouble that all parties might take.

Midnight.

With a deep, steady roar, the strange phenomena in the heavens and earth slowly subsided.

Chang Wei successfully condensed his Martial Aspect and advanced to the early stage of the Martial Emperor realm!

Almost at the same time, a familiar system notification sounded in Su Mu's mind.

[Congratulations to my adopted son, Chang Wei, on successfully advancing to the early stage of the Martial Emperor realm. The system reward has been deposited into the warehouse; please check it yourself.]

Su Mu was overjoyed and immediately opened the system warehouse to check the rewards.

A vast array of high-level pills were on display, including two brand-new, never-before-seen, top-grade Heaven-rank pills.

Firstly, the Enlightenment Pill, a top-grade Heavenly Rank Soul-type pill, can help people achieve sudden enlightenment of the Great Dao and resonate with its essence.

Secondly, the Ninth Grade Nirvana Pill is a top-grade Heaven-rank physique pill that can extremely temper the physical body and transform it into a profound body, helping martial artists break through and advance their profound body to a divine body!

When Jin Zi broke through to the late stage of level six, he unlocked the Earth-rank top-grade reward. It was normal for Chang Wei to unlock the Heaven-rank reward after breaking through to Martial Emperor, and it was not the lowest Heaven-rank low-grade or mid-grade, but directly given the Heaven-rank high-grade, which far exceeded expectations.

In addition, there is another top-tier secret technique—the Heaven-rank supreme-grade "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin"!

The previously rewarded "Sword Heart Clarity" paired with this "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source" are both top-tier sword techniques, corresponding to the ultimate sword realm.

Ordinary cultivators, without having condensed a martial appearance or possessed the soul foundation of a Martial Emperor, cannot even touch the true meaning of the Sword Dao of Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin. Only by entering the Dao of the soul and achieving sudden enlightenment of the Sword Dao can one break through the barriers to comprehend it.

The Enlightenment Pill can precisely enable one's soul to enter a profound and mysterious state of enlightenment, instantly aligning with the Great Dao and gaining sudden enlightenment of its true meaning!

For others, obtaining even a single Enlightenment Pill is an incredibly difficult opportunity, but Su Mu's harvest this time is substantial, enough to allow him to repeatedly study and cultivate the Dao of Sword.

The only pity is that the ninth-grade Nirvana Pill is too domineering.

Although his Imperial Body far surpassed that of an ordinary body, it still couldn't withstand the violent medicinal power of a high-grade Heavenly Rank Nirvana Pill. If it were a seventh or eighth rank Nirvana Pill, he could directly consume it to temper his body.

"This harvest certainly lived up to expectations!"

Su Mu looked at the warehouse full of treasures and a smile appeared on his lips.

Upon successfully breaking through, Chang Wei rushed to the library to thank Su Mu and report back.

"We're father and son, no need for formalities." Su Mu casually waved his hand, bestowing upon him a batch of Profound Dew Nourishing Spirit Pills. Then, in a deep voice, he instructed, "Pass on my message: I, Su Mu, am accepting adopted sons and daughters, regardless of their background or origins. Anyone who is determined to improve and willing to submit can recognize me as their godfather. For cross-realm experts who submit, I can help them quickly gain the recognition of the Heavenly Origin World and break through their limitations!"

"Yes, sir!"

Chang Wei was overjoyed, accepted the order and left to immediately spread the news.

Two hundred feet away, Chai Min heard these words clearly, and her heart was instantly stirred up, her mind in turmoil.

Although she had recovered from her injuries, she was still suppressed and rejected by the rules of this world, making it difficult for her to fully exert her strength and causing her cultivation to stagnate.

Xiao Yunshang and Chang Wei's rapid breakthroughs were all thanks to Su Mu's elixirs and fortuitous opportunities. If she could receive Su Mu's assistance and gain the approval of heaven and earth, she would not only be able to unleash her full combat power, but might even have a chance to reach the late stage of the Martial Emperor realm!

This temptation is enough to entice any Martial Emperor.

But she was, after all, the Second Elder of Yunxiang Valley, and the senior of Chang Wei and Wen Qianzhu's sect.

Chang Wei's recognition of Su Mu as his godfather has already disrupted the established generational hierarchy. If she were to follow suit and submit to him, the entire generational system of Yunxiang Valley would completely collapse.

For a moment, Chai Min was caught in an extreme dilemma and predicament.

After midnight, in the secret room of the library.

Su Mu calmly combed through the entire secret technique of "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source", engraving each word into his soul and thoroughly mastering its foundation.

Once he was ready, he took out a high-grade Heavenly Rank Enlightenment Pill and swallowed it directly.

The Enlightenment Pill is gentle, neither violent nor harmful to the body, and focuses on the enlightenment of the soul. Even now, he can withstand it perfectly.

The medicinal power instantly swept through the mind, nourishing the primordial spirit and tempering the sword soul.

In an instant, Su Mu's consciousness entered a state of enlightenment, a state of ethereal mystery and oneness with nature.

The three secret sword techniques, "Complete Explanation of Swordsmanship Basics," "Sword Heart Clarity," and "Return of Ten Thousand Swords," became crystal clear in my mind, and all obscure bottlenecks were suddenly resolved.

Along with the "Imperial Supreme Body Technique" and various cultivation techniques, everything is integrated and readily understood.

His past experience with numerous profound pills had already given him exceptional comprehension and a profound spiritual foundation. Now, with the added boost of his enlightenment state, his cultivation insights surged dramatically.

Deep within his consciousness, his primordial spirit shone like an emperor descending to earth, surrounded by an aura of imperial power. Holding a sword, he practiced the supreme swordsmanship again and again, the imperial aura and sword light intertwining and colliding, the Daoist rhyme filling the sky.

At this moment, Su Mu completely grasped the core essence of the Imperial Way and the Way of the Sword.

The way of the emperor is not merely about being domineering and supreme, but also about being courageous, resolute, and selfless.

The way of the sword is not just about killing and fierceness, but also about the lofty spirit and pride that looks down on all living beings.

The two major paths complement each other and are highly compatible.

Su Mu focused intently on comprehending and absorbing knowledge, his cultivation realm silently and rapidly increasing, and his entire inner strength and aura were quietly transforming.

Time flies, and several days have passed in the blink of an eye; it is now May 1st.

The news that Su Mu had taken in many adopted sons and daughters and could help powerful individuals from other realms break through their limitations had already spread throughout the entire imperial city.

Countless cultivators eager to break through their limits and settle down on the Tianyuan Continent flocked to the imperial palace and gathered outside the library.

Unfortunately, Su Mu remained in seclusion and did not emerge, so everyone could only wait quietly outside the door.

As the wait drags on, many people inevitably develop complaints.

"He released the news beforehand to lure people in, and we traveled a long way to get here, but he refused to come out. Isn't this deliberately playing us for a fool?"

It is entirely understandable that resentment was growing among the crowd.

Many people have been waiting here for days, without leaving an inch.

The palace was strictly regulated, barring ordinary cultivators and low-level martial artists from entering. Only those at the Martial King level and above were allowed to enter the library courtyard and wait at the gatehouse.

This group of people are all powerful figures in their respective regions, and are arrogant and proud.

To lower oneself and abandon all pride to willingly acknowledge a eunuch as one's godfather is already an extreme act of forbearance. Now, having to wait in line with no end in sight only adds to their growing unease and frustration.

To prevent people from becoming emotionally unbalanced and causing trouble, thus disturbing Su Mu's seclusion, Chang Wei has been stationed at the library gate for days, patiently calming them down.

"Please be patient, everyone. Good things take time. Eunuch Su is not playing tricks on us. He must be in a critical stage of seclusion, unable to see anyone."

Not far away, Chai Min also spoke up to persuade and calm everyone down.

Just as everyone was whispering and harboring resentment, a sharp and angry shout suddenly came crashing down from the sky, echoing throughout the entire courtyard.

"Sun Fang! What are you doing here?!"

Hearing the sound, everyone looked up and saw an old man with white hair and a youthful face, wearing a loose white robe, standing high in the sky. He had an otherworldly air about him, an extraordinary aura, and a hint of stern anger in his eyes.

In the courtyard, a Martial King realm cultivator who appeared to be a middle-aged strong man suddenly turned pale, his whole body tensed, and he looked up tremblingly. It was Sun Fang, the one who had shouted.

"Reporting to Grandmaster! This disciple...this disciple..."

Sun Fang stammered, looking flustered, and for a moment he didn't know how to reply.

The old man high in the sky had a cold, sharp gaze as he looked down and asked in a deep voice, "So you want to follow in others' footsteps and recognize someone as your godfather?"