But regardless of their thoughts, the fact remained: Li Chang’an stood in the arena of the Martial Arts Examination, looking left and right, and not a single disciple from the Three Major Sects dared to challenge him again.
And news of this spread like wildfire.
...
Not long after the Martial Arts Examination ended, the Imperial Court eagerly released the official rankings.
Li Chang’an’s name was displayed prominently at the very top of the released list.
—He was the new Martial Champion Scholar!
Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been something worth much fanfare, nor would it have drawn excessive public attention.
This time, however, it caused an uproar.
The reason was simple: the names ranked below Li Chang’an were none other than the Demon Sect’s Saint Heir and the Buddhist Sect’s young monk.
In other words, this young man named Li Chang’an hadn’t just participated in the Martial Arts Examination—he had also defeated the top figures of the current generation from the Three Major Sects in the arena!
"Have you heard? A rare super genius emerged from this year’s Martial Arts Examination!"
"Of course! That Martial Champion Scholar thrashed the Buddhist Sect’s young monk and trounced the Demon Sect’s Saint Heir. He was completely unstoppable in the Martial Arts Examination!"
"But since this Martial Champion Scholar has offended both the Buddhist Sect and the Demon Sect, which faction can he even join now?"
"In the world today, only four major powers possess Cultivation Techniques for the Grandmaster Realm and above. This Martial Champion Scholar has thoroughly offended the Demon Sect, the Buddhist Sect, and the Taoist Sect. It looks like his only option is to join the Li Yang Imperial Family!"
"But the Imperial Family is on its last legs. Isn’t he just asking for trouble by joining them?"
Countless Martial Artists across the Jianghu were fascinated by this turn of events.
Just as everyone was wondering which faction Li Chang’an would choose to join, the Li Yang Imperial Family issued a recruitment order, bringing him directly into the Imperial Palace.
Li Chang’an was now one of the Empress’s men.
As he was the first Martial Champion Scholar in many years to willingly enter the service of the Liyang Dynasty, Su Ying offered Li Chang’an the best possible terms the Li Yang Imperial Family could muster.
These included, but were not limited to, vast cultivation resources and immense wealth.
She also granted Li Chang’an a position as a Military Officer and promised that once he broke through to the Grandmaster Realm, she would reward him with a fiefdom that only a Prince could possess.
Li Chang’an, however, was not particularly concerned with any of this.
The only things he cared about were the Li Yang Imperial Family’s library and its collection of advanced Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals.
...
...
In front of a rather unremarkable hall within the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, the capital of the Liyang Dynasty.
Empress Su Ying looked at Li Chang’an and spoke with a gentle smile, "Champion Scholar, this will be your residence from now on. Dedicated attendants will see to your daily needs. If you require anything else, you can speak directly to the Palace Maids and eunuchs. If they can’t handle it, you can also come and ask me directly!"
At this moment, Su Ying had shed her previous male disguise and changed back into a fiery red gown.
The autumn wind swept by, and fiery orange leaves drifted down behind her, making her, in her red gown, look like a butterfly dancing among the flowers.
Perhaps because she saw that Li Chang’an was still young, she didn’t put on the unapproachable air of an Empress before him.
She seemed more like a gentle and endearing older sister.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Chang’an was very satisfied with the arrangement.
The Empress was also a Martial Artist, and her Cultivation was not low.
Li Chang’an briefly sensed the aura emanating from her and realized she had likely reached the Ninth-Layer of Internal Qi.
He had heard the Empress was not even eighteen years old.
To have become a Martial Artist at the Ninth-Layer of Internal Qi by the age of eighteen, all while managing daily state affairs, showed extraordinary talent.
At the same age, the Cultivation of the Demon Sect’s Saint Heir and the Buddhist Sect’s young monk was not necessarily as high as hers.
"There’s no need to be so formal, Champion Scholar!" Su Ying smiled and continued, "I heard from my Third Great-Uncle that for a Martial Artist at the Innate Realm to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, they must merge their Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and polish their body to Perfection... You’ve already broken through to the Innate Realm, I presume, Champion Scholar?"
"I’ll have the Inner Treasury provide you with a Celestial Soul Pill every three months. I hope it will help you take the next step toward becoming a Grandmaster!"
The Celestial Soul Pill, he had heard, was a closely guarded secret of the Li Yang Imperial Family.
Not only could it enhance a Martial Artist’s physical constitution, it also acted as a catalyst, helping them with the Melting of their Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Each pill was worth a fortune.
Even at its peak, the Li Yang Imperial Family could only refine a few batches of Celestial Soul Pills per year.
To say nothing of the present, with the Li Yang Imperial Family so severely weakened and the production of Celestial Soul Pills having plummeted.
Now, to win Li Chang’an over, the Empress was giving him one every three months. She was clearly sparing no expense, dipping into the reserves the Li Yang Imperial Family had accumulated over the years.
"Please, just call me Chang’an from now on, Your Majesty. ’Champion Scholar’ sounds a bit too formal." Li Chang’an was not an ungrateful man; he could see the Empress was genuinely generous with him.
The Empress nodded and turned to leave.
But Li Chang’an stopped her. "Your Majesty," he asked, "have you ever heard of Cultivators?"
Hearing his question, the Empress paused to think for a moment, then frowned. "These Cultivators you speak of," she replied, "are you referring to the ones from myths and legends?"
Li Chang’an couldn’t tell if the Empress genuinely didn’t know or was merely pretending. "Not the ones from myths and legends," he said. "I mean real Cultivators, who abstain from the food of the Mortal Realm and seek only longevity and immortality!"
The Empress found this strange. "Why do you ask? Martial Artists contend with heaven and earth, yet even those who reach the level of a Martial Arts Mythology only live for three to five hundred years!"
"If such a path to immortality truly existed in this world, how could it possibly remain a secret?"