Chapter 482 Preparation (Thanks to "Yu Yang 0711" for the Silver Alliance)

"The Heaven and Earth Society, Jinlian is truly a genius at naming things," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, as he began to explain his plan.

As he listened, Chu Yuanzhen suddenly sensed something was amiss and sent a message:

[Wait a minute, what makes you think you can be a main force member? Even if you're promoted to the fourth rank, you still can't be a match for Joan of Arc.]

Everyone suddenly realized what was happening.

Especially Li Miaozhen, who witnessed Xu Qi'an's promotion to the fourth rank, no one understands Xu Qi'an better than her.

No matter how invincible he is at the fourth rank, he is still just a mortal at the fourth rank, far from the third rank, a realm that has blocked countless martial artists.

Joan of Arc was a second- Daoist School Daoist.

These are two vastly different realms, worlds apart.

Xu Qi'an sent a message saying, "[I've reached the third rank.]"

???

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society were once again overwhelmed by a tidal wave of shock, their minds filled with questions.

What did I just hear? This kid's already a third-rank official?! Has he been hanging out with Confucian School scholars for too long and picked up the bad habit of bragging? Chu Yuanzhen was dumbfounded.

"Damn it, this is too much! When we first met in Yunzhou, you were just a lowly eighth-rank official!" Li Miaozhen's inner soul screamed.

The others were each in their own state of shock.

At this moment, everyone in the Heaven and Earth Society recalled the scene when Number Three first obtained the fragment of the Earth Book. Back then, he was just a nobody who was trembling with fear because of Master Zi Lian.

That was last October.

All told, it took him almost exactly one year. In just one year, he transcended the realm of mortals and became a true being beyond the mundane.

A third-rank martial artist possesses formidable vitality and a long lifespan, easily living for several hundred years.

He is no longer an ordinary person.

Is it really possible for someone to rise from the Subordinate Eighth Rank to the third rank within a year? Even the Confucian sage of yesteryear probably didn't have that ability.

Within the Heaven and Earth Society, each member has their own unique fortuitous opportunity, and each is a young prodigy with extraordinary talent. However, they must admit that they are indeed somewhat mediocre in the face of Xu Qi'an.

Why are you all silent? Have you all become withdrawn? Seeing that no one spoke for a long time, Xu Qi'an sent a message:

[Brother Chu, when you return to the capital, remember to bring Erlang back with you. Take him to the Cloud Deer Academy to meet my second uncle and aunt.]

He secretly bought the house and land deeds in Jianzhou when he went to Quanrong Mountain. He didn't tell anyone; he went to Quanrong Mountain alone at the time.

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an frowned, realizing that he seemed to have forgotten something.

Cao Qingyang invited me to a banquet at Quanrong Mountain, so I went alone. On the way, I bought a house and then met the patriarch of the martial arts alliance. Hmm, no problem.

[Four: Understood. I will return to the capital tonight. Have the Bureau of Astronomy prepare some qi-replenishing pills for me.]

Even if he were to risk his life to exhaustion and use all his strength to control his sword, he could return to the capital within three hours. By then it would be late at night, and he could take a short rest, take some pills to recover his energy, and it wouldn't delay his important business.

After ending the group chat, Xu Qi'an carefully put away the fragments of the Earth Book, then drew his Taiping Blade and, poof, severed his little finger.

"Even without using the Vajra Invincible technique, the sharpness of the Taiping Blade alone would make it difficult to harm my physical body. I must supplement it with my Qi, transforming it into blade energy!"

Xu Qi'an nodded, extremely satisfied with his current physique.

Immediately, he felt the wound on Xiao's finger; the cells were dividing at an alarming rate, attempting to repair the wound.

He forcibly suppressed this "instinct," bent down to pick up his little finger, and brought it to the broken end.

The flesh and blood were visible moving, the little finger was reattached and restored to its original state, without any scars.

He examined himself. "Every cell of a third-rank martial artist is filled with a tremendous life force. If there were a microscope, my cells would be different from those of an ordinary human."

"Um, won't this make me sterilized?! It shouldn't be that bad. There are half-demons in this world, which means the reproductive isolation rules don't apply here. Just look at Song Qing's terrifying life grafting technique. I was too scared to think about it at the time."

"For a fourth-rank martial artist to advance by devouring a blood pill, it is almost a matter of life and death, no, it is a matter of life and death. No wonder almost no one dares to take this path. No wonder there are so many martial artists in the Great Feng Dynasty, but only the Prince of Zhenbei is a third-rank one."

"Moreover, the method of refining blood pills using tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of living people is beyond the understanding of crude martial artists. The Daoist School controls this secret technique, and Prince Huai received help from the head of the Earth Sect back then. As for whether wizards and Warlock understand it, it is still unknown."

"As for someone like me, who had a peak martial artist voluntarily give up part of his Essence Blood and blood to condense a blood pill to help me advance, I can only say that my father is really good. Well, the supervisor also deserves credit; without his arrangement, I wouldn't have been able to lay the foundation in advance."

"Duke Wei's gift was out of affection and a sense of tradition. I don't know why the Supervisor gave his gift, but I now know part of it. Hey, it's just about killing the emperor. The dynasty is the foundation of the Warlock. If the Supervisor kills the emperor, he will surely suffer a backlash from the fate."

"I'm different. I'm just a warrior, and I possess inherent good fortune, so I'm not afraid of backlash. But killing the emperor will ultimately bring me karmic retribution."

He fiddled with his little finger, recalling his physical state just now.

"After reaching the third rank, a martial artist can not only regenerate severed limbs, but also reattach severed limbs. The former consumes his own Essence Blood. If he keeps regenerating severed limbs, he will eventually be exhausted and worn down to death."

"The latter consumes very little energy, since it doesn't require rebirth to rebuild the body. Besides, at the early stage of the third rank, even being decapitated will result in death because the Primordial Spirit is not strong enough. That's my current situation."

"At the mid-stage of the third rank, the Primordial Spirit catches up with the physical body. At that time, even if the head is cut off, a new skull can grow back, and the Primordial Spirit can return to its place. However, if the Primordial Spirit is targeted by a wizard or Daoist School master under such circumstances, the risk of death is still very high."

"Furthermore, if a person is dismembered, the body parts cannot quickly regenerate. Even a third-rank martial artist will suffer excessive loss of Essence Blood due to the instinctive repair process, leading to rapid death. In other words, dismemberment is the best way to kill a high-ranking martial artist."

"Hiss~ So how terrifying must Shen Shu be?"

Shen Shu was dismembered and sealed in Sangbo for five hundred years. During those five hundred years, his Essence Blood were not completely lost, and he still possessed vitality. In addition, Shen Shu's primordial Primordial Spirit also survived for five hundred years without being destroyed.

The higher one's cultivation level, the more one understands the terrifying power of divine intervention.

How strong is a peak-level Divine Being? Can one punch take down an old supervisor?

Xu Qi'an took a step into the air and, amidst a deafening explosion of energy, soared away.

A third-rank martial artist can fly by relying on their qi, but among the various systems of flight techniques, this is considered forced flight, which consumes the most energy and is the slowest. It is the slowest flight speed among martial artists of the same realm.

However, on land, the warrior is the fastest.

Even Warlock controls teleportation, unless they can teleport several miles away in one go, can easily be caught up by a martial artist's explosive power when teleporting at close range.

Then, close-range combo attacks to finish them off.

Soon, the capital city came into view.

Xu Qi'an landed on the ground, disguised himself as the handsome guy from his previous life, and blended into the bustling crowd, becoming just another ordinary person.

He returned to the Star-Gazing Tower, and together they leaped onto the Eight Trigrams Platform. Amidst the howling wind, they landed steadily beside the Supervisor with a "thud."

"Where is Senior Brother Yang?" Xu Qi'an asked the old supervisor.

"I was afraid he couldn't handle the shock, so I locked him up underground," the warden said expressionlessly.

Life is already so hard, can't I at least find some amusement with Senior Brother Yang? Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, then said, "I've already reached the third rank, thank you for your supervision."

The supervisor nodded and slapped Xu Qi'an on the head.

The wheels rumbled.

A luxurious carriage made of sandalwood was parked outside Lingbao Temple.

After disguising himself, Xu Qi'an emerged from the carriage in Lin'an. The alluring young lady, holding up her skirt, jumped down steadily with Xu Qi'an's help.

With graceful poise, Biao Biao walked to the entrance of Lingbao Temple, slightly raising her chin, and said in a sweet voice, "I wish to see the Imperial Preceptor. Um, is my father in?"

His Majesty is not in the temple.

The young Daoist priest guarding the gate immediately went inside to report, and after a while, he hurried back, saying, "Your Highness, the Imperial Preceptor requests your presence."

Biao Biao then led Xu Qi'an inside.

"Your Highness, whatever happens tomorrow, please don't hate me."

Biao Biao blinked her alluring peach blossom eyes and said in a sweet voice, "No. Are you getting engaged?!"

The voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Xu Qi'an shook his head, wanting to hold her hand, but then thought better of it; the great white shark might have already "seen" him.

A seasoned player, wielding a fork, knows how to strike the right fish at the right time.

It's clearly inappropriate now; the smell of blood would only provoke the ferocity of the great white shark inside.

Near Luo Yuheng's secluded courtyard, Lin An waited outside before entering the courtyard and pushing open the door to Luo Yuheng's quiet room.

The mature and aloof Imperial Advisor sat cross-legged on a futon, her eyes slightly closed, a dot of vermilion between her brows, which accentuated her stunning beauty and gave her an air of ethereal coolness.

"I've reached the third rank," Xu Qi'an said in a low voice.

Luo Yuheng suddenly opened her eyes and stared intently at him.

Her heart trembled violently, and she almost lost control of her expression, causing a dramatic change in her fair and aloof face.

How did you do that?

Luo Yuheng unconsciously lowered his voice, as if discussing some secret.

"Before Duke Wei went to war, he left me a Blood Pill," Xu Qi'an transmitted his voice. "Also, I have investigated the case of the late Emperor Joan of Arc."

He told Luo Yuheng the whole story in detail.

Luo Yuheng remained silent for a long time, then slowly nodded, saying with a half-exhale and half-sigh, "I see."

Xu Qi'an stated bluntly, "I intend to assassinate the emperor, but I am afraid I am no match for him alone. I beg the Imperial Advisor for assistance."

The regicide involved not only Yuan Jing, but also Zhen De.

Luo Yuheng did not respond; her voice was cold, crisp, and melodious.

"The Imperial Censor would not harm the emperor because the Warlock and the dynasty are inseparable. The cost of killing the emperor is something the Imperial Censor cannot bear. Otherwise, emperors throughout history would not have trusted the Imperial Censor so much."

"However, experts above the third rank, regardless of their system, are unwilling to attack a human emperor. This is because killing someone with great fortune will also result in a backlash from that fortune."

"I've reached a critical moment, and I can't handle this backlash. Why are you taking your pants off?!"

Luo Yuheng frowned slightly. This kid had actually taken off his coat and was unbuckling his belt right in front of her.

"Hasn't the Imperial Preceptor always wanted to cultivate with me? I can't let this opportunity slip by." Xu Qi'an said seriously.

Then, he saw the head of the Human Sect, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Feng Dynasty, and a peerless beauty with unparalleled charm, her cheeks flushed red.

Luo Yuheng looked at him with a complicated expression. "You... you knew everything."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "It was Daoist Jinlian who told me."

Regardless of whether Jinlian is a civilian or a wolf, let's trick her first.

Luo Yuheng raised her eyebrows, glanced to the side, and said calmly:

"Although I do have this intention, it's not that I absolutely need you. The matter of dao companion is not something to be taken lightly."

Her expression and tone were indifferent, but her somewhat hesitant speech betrayed her.

"The Imperial Preceptor is still a very ritualistic little girl, not someone to be trifled with. Hmm, of course I'll take a bath too, and I won't skip any of the proper steps." Xu Qi'an thought to himself, stopping his attempt to loosen his belt, and chuckled:

"After the regicide, I became the Grand Preceptor's man."

His actions were merely a ploy to be honest with Luo Yuheng: you lust after my body, I beg you to help me; of course, I also lust after your body a little. It was more like an exchange of benefits.

However, Xu Qi'an didn't have a bad impression of Luo Yuheng and didn't mind doing what he loved first and then cultivating feelings for her.

As the old saying goes: Time breeds affection!

Luo Yuheng's eyes glistened with tears, a rare mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. He said calmly, "I will make my move tomorrow. Get lost!"

Xu Qi'an bowed and left the quiet room.

As soon as we stepped out of the courtyard, Biao Biao came up to us, chattering away, "What did you talk about with the Imperial Advisor?"

Xu Qi'an answered truthfully, "I wanted to invite the Imperial Preceptor to engage in dual cultivation, but she refused."

The framed woman rolled her eyes.

Xu Qi'an added, "She believes that matters of dao companion are not to be taken lightly, and I must marry her in a grand procession."

The woman giggled like a little hen. "We haven't even left Lingbao Temple yet, be careful the Imperial Preceptor hears us and blames us."

Xu Qi'an glanced at her and said, "You won't be laughing anymore in the future."

"Next, take me to the Prince's Palace," he said.

After returning home, Wang Zhenwen began having her family pack her belongings, stuffing everything from personal clothes to antiques, furniture, and calligraphy and paintings into a suitcase.

The family was completely bewildered, but they knew something serious had happened.

Old Master Wang mustered his courage and asked several times, but received no reply, so he dared not ask again.

He kept urging his most favored younger sister to go and gather intelligence.

Based on the recent political situation at court and his father's efforts to promote Wei Yuan's reputation, Wang Simu made his own judgment.

There are two possibilities: First, Father intends to resign from his post. Second, His Majesty intends for Father to resign.

This mansion was bestowed by the imperial court and is located in the capital city. Unlike the hereditary nobles, the court would take back such a bestowed mansion once a civil official resigned and returned to his hometown.

Unlike noble families, whose titles could be inherited by their sons after their fathers died, and whose imperial mansions could be passed down through generations.

Logically, this shouldn't be the case. Given the relationship between Father and Wei Yuan, even if they admire each other, they are still political enemies. There's no need to go this far. Wang Simu frowned and scolded:

"Second brother, aren't you annoying? Go away."

Master Wang immediately shut down the fire, pursed his lips, and stormed off.

Just then, a servant came to report, "Young Miss, Princess Lin'an has arrived."

Wang Simu was somewhat surprised and immediately got up to go out and greet her. She and Lin'an were practically good friends, and they often kept in touch.

Upon entering the reception room, one immediately sees the second princess in a red dress, with an oval face and peach blossom eyes, as alluring and captivating as ever.

Your Highness!

Wang Simu bowed slightly, observing Lin'an's emotions. In fact, Princess Huaiqing played a crucial role in the reason why she and Lin'an became good friends.

Princess Lin'an was fond of causing trouble and was quite manipulative, but aside from being charming and knowing how to please Emperor Yuanjing, she lacked any real skill or ability.

After meeting Wang Simu, he had a cunning advisor who frequently asked Wang Simu for ideas to make things difficult for Huaiqing.

Although most of the time, Wang Simu's ideas would backfire on Lin'an, they could occasionally cause considerable damage to Huaiqing.

"Longing!"

Lin'an greeted him with a smile and asked, "I wish to see Chief Minister Wang."

As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Qi'an, who was in disguise.

The observant Wang Simu immediately noticed this detail and scrutinized Xu Qi'an.

She was unremarkable, with a very ordinary appearance and demeanor.

But since this man is kept by Prince Lin'an's side, his identity must be extraordinary.

Just then, she heard the ordinary-looking man laugh:

"Oh, sister-in-law."

P. S.: This is only volume two, and it's far from over. As I said before, volume two is a turning point in the whole book; you'll see as you read on. I'll write a separate chapter to discuss this with everyone after volume two is finished.