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

The moment the bell rang, Lin Wen and Wei Zhongxian both frowned, their expressions becoming serious.

Both of them knew that this bell was no ordinary signal—today was neither a festival for worshipping gods nor a major celebration, and the emperor would never ring this emergency bell unless something extremely urgent had happened.

The sound of this bell is the signal for the Emperor to summon court officials and palace dignitaries for an emergency court meeting!

"Could it be that the Northern Barbarians have made a big move?" Wei Zhongxian quickly stood up from his seat, his tone filled with worry.

As the Grand Steward of the Inner Court, although he did not hold military power, he was still a member of the court and naturally had to share the burden of the emperor. Moreover, the Northern Barbarians had always been eyeing the country covetously and were a major concern for the Great Xia.

A hint of resentment flashed across Lin Wen's face as she waved her sleeve. "The Northern Barbarians are indeed despicable, but the Northern Desert royal family is even worse! Eunuch Wei, you should go to the Golden Palace immediately to attend the court assembly."

"This old servant obeys! Then this old servant will take his leave first!" Wei Zhongxian dared not delay. After bowing, he quickly walked out of the teahouse and hurriedly headed to the Golden Palace.

The urgent bell tolled, reaching the second floor of the library and into Su Mu's ears.

Su Mu raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: There must have been a major change, otherwise the emperor would not have convened an emergency court meeting on New Year's Day.

He subconsciously circulated his true energy, sensing the atmosphere in the palace, and was surprised to find that the imperial power in the air seemed to be a little thinner than usual.

It is likely that Xiao Anxun's emotional fluctuations during the court assembly caused his imperial power to dissipate, resulting in a thinning of the imperial aura within the palace.

Xiao Anxun knew that Su Mu was recuperating and did not send anyone to summon him. Now that Su Mu was a Grandmaster and an important reliance of the royal family, there was no need to force him to attend every court meeting.

Su Mu remained unmoved, sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes, and continued to immerse himself in cultivation, focusing on digesting the remaining golden power in his body and waiting for his body to completely stabilize.

As his cultivation progressed, the golden flames burning in his blood gradually weakened, and the needle-like pain also gradually subsided.

At the same time, his physical fitness was improving rapidly. Impurities in his body were constantly being forced out by the golden power, and the golden halo around him was getting brighter and brighter. His whole body seemed to be wrapped in gold, and his aura became more and more powerful and domineering.

This anomaly, though temporarily preventing him from receiving guests, was an immense opportunity—the power of the Dragon Blood Fruit's core not only tempered his physical body but also nourished his imperial power, causing his "Imperial Supreme Body Technique" to show signs of a breakthrough.

Su Mu simply calmed down completely, abandoned all distracting thoughts, and focused all his energy on circulating and integrating the golden power within his body.

As for the emergency in the palace, he was not worried—with Xiao Anxun in charge and the three elders of the Tianwu Sect assisting him, even if the Northern Barbarians really invaded, they could temporarily stabilize the situation.

His most pressing task now is to quickly digest the power of the Dragon Blood Fruit, break through the shackles of his physical body, and enhance his own strength—only with sufficient strength can he truly protect his adopted son and gradually build the Su family into a thousand-year-old clan.

As the sun rose higher, it shone through the window, bathing the room in a golden light. This golden light, combined with the golden aura surrounding Su Mu, created an eerie yet powerful atmosphere.

Su Mu remained seated, his aura growing increasingly refined, a transformation concerning his physical body and strength quietly underway.

Of course, once Su Mu reaches the Grandmaster level, he can go without food for a month, let alone a breakfast, without any problems.

"Although I refined most of it last night, it still needs time to fully integrate it."

Su Mu muttered to himself, raised his hand, took out a Soul Nourishing Pill, and tossed it into his mouth. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and the pure soul power slowly nourished his soul.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The borders of the Great Xia were in turmoil. The Northern Barbarians and the Northern Desert joined forces to invade, the beast tide rose again in the Cangmang Mountains, and a heavy atmosphere of killing intent permeated the imperial palace.

Only the library remained as quiet as ever.

The golden light in Su Mu's blood had dimmed; although it hadn't completely dissipated, it was no longer dazzling.

The stinging sensation throughout his body completely subsided, and the golden aura vanished without a trace. The power of the Dragon Blood Fruit was nearing the end of its transformation of his physical body.

He could clearly feel that his physical strength had increased several times over compared to before, and his stamina and agility had also made a qualitative leap!

Previously, his physical body, tempered by the power of the emperor, was no less than that of an ordinary grandmaster; now, nourished by the Dragon Blood Fruit, even a single punch from him would severely injure an ordinary grandmaster!

So strong!

Su Mu left his room early in the morning and went to the second floor of the library to stretch his muscles.

The next second, a series of cracking sounds came from his body, a sign that his physical strength was breaking through its limitations.

He then went down the stairs into the courtyard, slowly adjusting his breathing and familiarizing himself with the surging power.

Winter has passed and spring has arrived. The ice and snow have melted, tender green leaves have sprouted, and green grass has broken through the soil. The large courtyard is full of vitality.

Feng Bao was busy in the courtyard, arranging the delicacies sent by the Imperial Kitchen to prepare breakfast—two days ago, the Imperial Kitchen had specially sent a large amount of ingredients for Su Mu and the others to enjoy.

Xiao Anran also woke up from her sleep, followed the sound to the courtyard, and greeted with a smile, "Good morning, Elder Su!"

"Good morning, Princess." Su Mu nodded in response.

Xiao Anran's smile faded, and his tone became serious: "Elder Su, the barbarians and the Northern Desert Kingdom have joined forces and launched another attack on our Great Xia."

She paused, then added, "What's more troublesome is that the beast tide from the Cangmang Mountains has also arrived. Although the number is not large, it has already affected the entire western region, tying down a lot of our troops."

Su Mu nodded calmly: "So that's why the atmosphere in the palace has been so somber these past two days. It's no big deal; we've gotten through it before."

"Not necessarily." Xiao Anran's eyes were full of worry. "The barbarians and the Northern Desert did not remain inactive before because they had suffered great losses, but because the winter was inconvenient for them to fight. Now that spring has arrived, they have been conserving their strength for a long time, and their attack this time will definitely be fierce."

"Have more confidence in the Emperor and the court." Su Mu raised his hand, gently patted her shoulder, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Xiao Anran sighed softly, but the worry in her heart did not dissipate.

In the past, Su Mu touching her like this would have made her angry. But now, she felt no displeasure at all, and instead took it for granted.

She stayed in the library for a long time and knew that Su Mu's actions were not offensive, but rather more like a senior comforting a junior.

Su Mu was forty-one years old, while she was only in her early twenties, with her cultivation just reaching the mid-stage of the Innate Realm. Even if she had once considered becoming Su Mu's disciple, it would be reasonable for her to regard him as a senior.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, strength is everything; seniority and age are secondary.

During breakfast, Xiao Anran informed Su Mu of the arrangements made by the royal family and the court.

The three elders of the Tianwu Sect had already set off for the Western Frontier to defend against the beast tide of the Cangmang Mountains, just as they had done in previous years. The imperial army was continuously sending reinforcements to the Northern Frontier, and even the Jianrui Battalion stationed in the Imperial City had been largely redeployed. The Shangwu Supervisory Bureau also dispatched a large number of personnel to support the front lines.

As a result, the forces protecting the imperial city were greatly weakened.