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

"Even if Martial Emperors or Level 9 experts came knocking, I'd like to test my skills, but unfortunately, I don't have any such opponents right now," Su Mu said confidently. Countless bloody battles had been fought along the way, and the "Many Children, Many Blessings" system was his greatest asset. The vast spoils left behind by his fallen enemies were also key to his rapid rise. He had long been accustomed to powerful foes coming to his door one after another.

"There are no Martial Emperors or Level 9 Beasts in Tianyuan's native land. Foreign cultivators are suppressed and excluded by the rules of heaven and earth, and cannot exert their full combat power. There is no need to worry too much." Seeing Su Mu's confidence, Xiao Yunshang knew that his cultivation had made a great breakthrough recently.

The two stopped their idle chatter, and Su Mu went to the courtyard to stretch his limbs, adapting to the dual enhancement of his physical body and soul brought about by the strengthening of his Xuanling. Before long, Chai Min, Ding Chao, and Chang Wei came to pay their respects, and Su Mu bestowed upon each of them a batch of practical high-level cultivation resources. Now, no cultivators came knocking and kneeling to acknowledge him as their godfather; those who were to become disciples had already done so.

Xiao Anxun, accompanied by Li Lianqing, visited the library to report to Su Mu on important military and political matters of the court. The two had previously received a large amount of resources from Su Mu, and a month ago they had broken through from the late-stage Grandmaster realm to the Great Grandmaster realm. However, the system's rewards for breaking through to the Great Grandmaster realm were mediocre; only gold and their adopted daughters' breakthroughs to the Martial Emperor realm would grant Su Mu top-tier and generous rewards.

Daylight passed in the blink of an eye, and as night fell, Su Mu once again engaged in tender cultivation with Xiao Yunshang. Having been busy in seclusion for the past few days, he was finally able to enjoy this rare moment of leisure and naturally wouldn't waste such a beautiful time with his beloved.

For the next two days, Su Mu continued to consolidate his cultivation, absorbing all the boost from the dragon scales. June quietly came to an end, and on the afternoon of July 1st, Su Mu, holding little Su Song, stood on the second-floor balcony, chatting with Xiao Yunshang. Suddenly, his expression froze, his gaze fixed on the southern horizon. Jin Zi was circling and dancing above the imperial city. A huge, crimson-colored bird of prey swiftly swept in from the south, and before it even reached the imperial city, a powerful and overwhelming pressure swept over the entire city.

"This is... a fire phoenix? Its cultivation level is definitely not simple!" Xiao Yunshang was completely astonished. "A level nine flying bird." Su Mu narrowed his eyes. "To be precise, it's a level nine divine bird, a phoenix." Xiao Yunshang added.

Jinzi sensed the aura of the Fire Phoenix and quickly folded its wings to descend, returning to the library courtyard. The Fire Phoenix arrived above the palace in an instant, hovering in the clouds, looking down at Jinzi in the courtyard, and spoke in the ancient language of beasts.

"Little one, I smell the scent of an old friend on you." These words were clearly spoken to Jinzi. The old friend in question was undoubtedly Jinzi's parents or a close relative.

Jinzi had never been taught the ancient language of the Cangmang demon beasts, so he couldn't understand these words at all. He just stared blankly and timidly at the fire phoenix in the sky.

"So that roc egg was stolen all those years ago, and it only hatched today." The Fire Phoenix released its divine sense to carefully examine the golden bloodline, instantly understanding the cause and effect, and its anger surged. "How hateful are the humans! They stole my dearest friend's offspring back then!"

Knowing that Jinzi didn't understand the language of ancient beasts, its anger intensified. Ten thousand years ago, it and the Golden-Winged Roc were close friends. When the Roc's egg was mysteriously stolen, both suspected human cultivators. At that time, various races were about to migrate to the Wulong Continent, and they guessed that the egg might have been taken to Wulong. Back then, the Golden-Winged Roc was nearing the end of its lifespan and poured all its life essence into an underground lava lake to help it complete its ten-thousand-year rebirth, long since perishing.

"This child has actually benefited from misfortune. If it hadn't been kidnapped back then, it probably wouldn't have survived the Black Mist Catastrophe." "But in any case, we can't let it follow the human race for long and become a vassal of humanity."

High in the sky, the Fire Phoenix's eyes were cold as she instantly grasped the cause and effect. She then spoke clearly in human language, her voice sweeping across the entire imperial city: "Who raised this Golden-Winged Roc? Did you force it to acknowledge you as its master?"

In an instant, everyone inside and outside the palace, and throughout the entire Great Qian Imperial City, looked up, their gazes fixed on the colossal creature in the sky. Their faces were deathly pale, and an overwhelming sense of fear and unease welled up within them.

Without needing any further probing, everyone could directly feel the terrifying pressure of this divine bird's overwhelming power.

The Fire Phoenix was over a hundred feet tall, and with a slight flap of its wings, crimson flames would spread across the sky. Even though it deliberately restrained its ferocity, its incomparably powerful divine beast aura still enveloped the surrounding area for thousands of miles, making everyone in the city feel breathless.

Its strength far surpasses that of all the previous powerful enemies that invaded the palace; they are not even on the same level.

A sudden gust of wind arose on the second floor of the library. Su Mu's figure rose into the air, his toes barely touching the ground, and in an instant, he arrived at the same height as the Fire Phoenix. His expression was calm and unwavering: "I raised it myself. I never forced it to acknowledge me as its master; it has only ever called me father."

"Since you haven't forcibly enslaved your juniors, I won't make things difficult for you today." The Fire Phoenix folded its wings, its tone carrying an innate arrogance. "It is the heir of my closest friend, and I must take it with me today."

"It is also my child. I have devoted countless resources and painstaking efforts to nurturing it. If it stays by my side, its cultivation path will be smoother, and its growth rate will far exceed that of other animals." Su Mu said calmly, not giving an inch. "Therefore, I will not let you take the gold away."

A hint of impatience flashed across Huo Huang's narrow phoenix eyes, and the flames around her flickered slightly: "I'm not here to ask for your opinion, but merely to inform you in advance. I advise you that a wise person knows when to yield, and not to seek your own death."

It came all the way east from the vast mountains and has already figured out the current situation of the Tianyuan Continent.

The powerful alien races who migrated from the Wulong Continent had a cultivation ceiling of only the late stage of the Martial Emperor realm; this imperial palace had won several major battles and it was widely rumored that the retired emperor in the palace could kill late stage Martial Emperor cultivators.

The young man before them was none other than the renowned retired emperor.

Yet it showed no fear whatsoever. The opponent had only recently condensed its martial form, its foundation was still shallow, and even if its combat power was heaven-defying, how strong could it be? In front of this mid-stage level nine divine bird, it was still insignificant.

"Considering you are Jinzi's elder, I advise you to leave peacefully." Su Mu's eyes were slightly cold, and his tone was indifferent. "Jinzi is living a peaceful life here, there is no need to come and disturb her."

"In that case, there is no room for negotiation."

A blazing, crimson divine fire suddenly erupted from the Fire Phoenix's body, violently distorting and shaking the surrounding space. High-temperature heat waves swept in all directions, even directly evaporating the high-altitude clouds.

On the second-floor balcony, Xiao Yunshang frowned deeply and whispered, "The divine fire has already been cultivated into its original divine fire; it is a genuine mid-stage level nine divine bird."

Inside the courtyard below, Chai Min, Ding Chao, and Chang Wei's expressions changed drastically at the same time, and a chill ran through their hearts.

Divine beasts and divine birds already possess terrifying combat power that can overwhelm human cultivators of the same level. The Fire Phoenix, at the mid-stage of level nine, has a true combat strength far exceeding that of ordinary mid-stage Martial Emperor human powerhouses. Only human geniuses with unparalleled talent throughout the ages are qualified to confront divine beasts of the same level head-on.

Knowing the danger of this battle, Su Mu dared not hold back in the slightest. With a flick of his finger, he swallowed an eighth-grade Dragon Essence Pill.

The violent medicinal power instantly swept through his limbs and bones, and a hundred-foot-long sword-shaped martial image suddenly appeared behind him. Purple-gold flames burned fiercely around him, and he gripped the Seven Star Dragon Slayer Sword tightly in his right hand, the sharp sword aura soaring straight into the sky.

At the same time, he clearly sensed that this native fire phoenix was not subject to any rejection or suppression from the rules of heaven and earth, and its combat power could be fully utilized. Facing a mid-stage level nine divine bird in its prime, he had to go all out.

"If you want to take the gold, you'll have to step over my dead body first! If you want to fight, I'll fight you to the bitter end."

The Fire Phoenix looked down at her from its high perch, its eyes filled with contempt and disdain. Its beak slightly parted, it sneered coldly, "You, a mere human junior who has just formed a Martial Phase, dare to challenge me head-on?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of divine fire, condensed to its extreme, shot straight toward Su Mu's heart, shattering the space around him under the intense heat.

Su Mu's footwork shifted rapidly, unleashing the Nine Palaces Soaring Steps to their fullest extent. His figure moved like a gentle breeze, dodging the deadly divine fire attack in an instant. Immediately afterward, he charged forward at full speed, wielding the Seven Star Dragon Slayer Sword, and cleaved the Fire Phoenix's head in two.

The Fire Phoenix neither dodged nor evaded, displaying the arrogance of a divine beast. Its right claw directly blocked the sword, while its left claw, wrapped in divine fire, fiercely grabbed at Su Mu's body.

Su Mu's heart skipped a beat. He could clearly tell that his own Martial Aspect Domain had little effect on this divine bird; the power of its claws was terrifying, and the protective Xuanhuo Light Shield could not withstand a single blow. Even the low-grade Heaven-rank Qiansi Purple Pattern Robe on his body would be torn apart directly.