A Great Opportunity!

"Ha ha, throughout the ages, who dared claim invincibility? Who could escape death? I am human too. Naturally, there will come a day when my lifespan runs out.

"Throughout the ages, Heavenly Talents and outstanding figures have been as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, beyond counting. Yet in the end, they all died.

"What virtue or ability do I possess to accomplish something never seen since ancient times?"

The Great Qian Emperor burst into laughter, not considering it taboo to speak of death on his birthday.

Everyone below was so frightened that they fell to their knees, not daring to speak.

"You people, I said there was no need to be so restrained today."

The Great Qian Emperor shook his head with a smile.

"Still, with this Earth Qilin Inner Core, I can live another five hundred years."

With a wave of the Great Qian Emperor's hand, the Earth Qilin phantom shattered, and the inner core landed in his hand.

"Those damned Mysterious Heaven Sect bastards! Why would they present an Earth Qilin Inner Core? Did an Earth Qilin kick their brains loose?"

"Five hundred years, five hundred years!"

"The Mysterious Heaven Sect truly deserves to be called sons of bitches!"

On the surface, everyone in the hall congratulated the emperor on obtaining a Supreme Treasure, but inwardly, they cursed the Mysterious Heaven Sect from top to bottom.

The thought of this emperor gaining an additional five hundred years of life filled them with despair.

All the aristocratic families and great sects had long lived beneath the emperor's shadow, and everyone lived in fear of him.

They all wished the emperor would suddenly drop dead so their lives could be easier.

Yet the Mysterious Heaven Sect seemed afraid he might die, somehow finding an Earth Qilin Inner Core and adding five hundred years to his lifespan!

If the emperor had not been seated above them, more than half the people present would likely have overturned their tables and rushed the Mysterious Heaven Sect members, beating them to the ground!

They would beat them while cursing them too—of all the things to do, you had to give him an Earth Qilin Inner Core instead of something useless!

Time passed. All the aristocratic families and great sects had finished presenting their gifts, and the emperor's face was blooming with joy from receiving them.

As for return gifts, there was not a single thing!

According to etiquette, the emperor should offer return gifts after accepting congratulatory presents.

But this emperor had never played by the rules. As he often said, modest wealth came from thrift, great wealth came from Heaven, and immense wealth never gave out money!

Although the gifts offered by the many ministers were not as precious as those from the aristocratic families and great sects, they were still rare treasures in the outside world.

The emperor did not become angry that these ministers could produce such precious congratulatory gifts.

The ministers did not hide it either, nor did they fear being punished by the emperor.

So long as they did not starve people to death or forcibly seize others' family property.

The emperor did not care whether his officials were corrupt. He only cared whether they could get the jobs assigned to them done!

If they could not do the job, then off with their heads, and someone else would take their place!

"Your Majesty, the item I offer is outside the hall.

"I ask Your Majesty to permit me to bring it inside."

Dugu Sheng rose, bowed to the emperor, and spoke.

"Oh? I permit it."

The emperor was somewhat curious. Could it be that the Imperial Father-in-Law had brought him several beauties of peerless grace?

In front of the Empress, should I accept them or not?!

The emperor's thoughts wandered as his imagination ran wild.

At Dugu Sheng's signal, a servant behind him hurried out of the hall.

A moment later, a cage covered in cloth was carried into the hall.

Rustle!

Dugu Sheng stepped forward, grabbed a corner, and pulled it down, revealing an Azure Ox imprisoned inside the cage.

"Your Majesty, this is an Azure Ox!

"When an Azure Ox appears in the world, a sage is sure to descend!

"Now that this Azure Ox has appeared within Great Qian's borders, it proves that Your Majesty is that sage!"

Dugu Sheng's expression was excited, his tone impassioned!

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The ministers in the hall promptly echoed him.

Clang!

Wang Pan kicked open the iron cage with one hoof and swaggered out through the gap.

Moo!

The next moment, Wang Pan dropped his forelegs to the ground and lowered his head toward the emperor.

There was nothing shameful about clinging to a powerful patron!

"Ha ha ha, the Imperial Father-in-Law's gift greatly pleases me!"

A terrifying aura rose within the hall, like a blazing sun!

Everyone was too horrified to speak. That pressure felt like the mighty Heavenly Dao itself, leaving them unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance!

The emperor rose and walked through the air, step by step, until he stood before Wang Pan. He inspected Wang Pan with satisfaction.

The next moment, the emperor extended his hand, an Earth Qilin Inner Core resting in his palm.

Moo!

Wang Pan's eyes instantly went wide as he stared fixedly at the emperor's palm.

Finding this amusing, the emperor swayed his hand from side to side.

Wang Pan's head also swayed with the emperor's palm, and drool nearly spilled from his mouth.

A single drop of Earth Qilin blood had made Wang Pan salivate before. Now that an Earth Qilin Inner Core was right before him, one could only imagine how irresistible it was to him!

No, I can't eat it!

Only this thought remained in Wang Pan's mind. He stood rooted in place and did not move a single step!

Wang Pan could still tell the difference between one full meal and being fed for life!

Since he would be staying in the imperial palace for a long time to come, what could make a bull feel safer than clinging to the emperor's thigh?

Until the emperor gave the word, Wang Pan would not open his mouth even if beaten to death!

He had to let the emperor feel the authority of being emperor, satisfy the emperor's vanity, and cater to the preferences of one in power!

Sure enough, when the emperor saw that Wang Pan had actually restrained himself, a trace of approval appeared in his eyes.

"Eat."

The emperor brought the Earth Qilin Inner Core to Wang Pan's mouth, in an exceptionally good mood.

Moo!

Wang Pan called out to the emperor once, then cautiously extended his tongue, swept the Earth Qilin Inner Core from the emperor's palm, and swallowed it in one gulp.

"What a waste of a priceless treasure!"

"Damn it, that cow actually ate the Earth Qilin Inner Core!"

"I'm going to kill it!"

"Waaah, Your Majesty, this old minister wants an Earth Qilin Inner Core too!"

Inside the hall, the group watched Wang Pan swallow the Earth Qilin Inner Core and beat their chests in anguish, wishing they could become cows themselves!

Five hundred years! An Earth Qilin Inner Core capable of extending one's life by five hundred years!

A priceless Earth Qilin Inner Core, enough to make even sect leader-level figures fight until their heads bled, had been given to Wang Pan by the emperor without the slightest concern.

After swallowing the Earth Qilin Inner Core, Wang Pan felt as though he had swallowed a ball of fire!

Countless streams of energy erupted from the Earth Qilin Inner Core. The terrifying energy had already solidified, directly flooding Wang Pan's entire body!

Wang Pan's many talents burned, helping him refine this terrifying energy!

Wang Pan's body began to grow larger, and terrifying Demonic Qi filled the hall.

Moo!

Wang Pan threw back his head and roared!

The sky outside suddenly darkened!

It had been noon, with a blazing sun hanging high in the heavens, but now the heavens had changed!

A full moon grew ever larger. As Moon Essence blossomed, it vied with the great sun in brilliance!

On one side, the blazing sun hung in the sky; on the other, a full moon was suspended high above!

The blazing sun and full moon each cast down a thick beam of light, piercing straight through Qianyuan Hall and falling upon Wang Pan's body!

The violent power of the blazing sun continuously ravaged Wang Pan's body, while the Moon Essence of the full moon rapidly healed his injuries.

Tempered by the two powers of the sun and Lunar Essence, Wang Pan's body grew ever stronger!

A pair of enormous ox horns devoured vast amounts of solar and Lunar Essence power, while countless Runes interwove layer upon layer across the horns!

More than half the power of the Earth Qilin Inner Core within his body was absorbed by the pair of ox horns, making them increasingly wondrous!

Wang Pan's body began to expand!

Ten zhang!

A hundred zhang!

A thousand zhang!

Only after reaching a height of a thousand zhang did the transformation finally stop!

In the sky, the pillars of energy cast down by the sun and Lunar Essence gradually shrank before finally vanishing.

The full moon hanging high in the ninth heavens also gradually shrank, eventually disappearing from sight.