Chapter 96: Martial Dual Sixth Rank, Supporting Shen Yanzhou
Shen Yanzhou laughed at those words. “Sixth Rank will do—seems that’s rather simple.”
As his words fell, the Primordial Mother Qi within his body completed a full circulation, encircling the Primordial Foundation and forming what was called an “Inner Core.” At that moment, it began to spin rapidly. Wisps of the Breath of Primordial Chaos flowed and transformed into spiritual energy, circulating through his meridians and organs.
A forceful aura belonging to the Sixth Rank Core Formation Realm spread from Shen Yanzhou’s body.
The young Daoist nun staring at him widened her beautiful eyes in an instant.
Sensing the fluctuations emanating from him, the surroundings fell abruptly silent. Pairs of widened eyes stared in deathly stillness.
“What?”
Lin Qi, who had stayed behind out of curiosity to see what Shen Yanzhou was planning, froze entirely in place.
Even with his insight, he found the scene before him utterly inconceivable, far beyond imagination or common understanding.
A Daoist Sixth Rank?
Shen Yanzhou was actually cultivating both the Martial Path and the Daoist Path—a dual Sixth Rank?
How was that even possible?
To break into the Sixth Rank in the Martial Path at twenty years old was not too difficult—provided one had family wealth, great talent, abundant resources, and diligence.
Many students within the Martial Institute had already reached that realm.
But the Daoist Path was completely different.
Daoist cultivation could never be rushed. If one could break through, then one could; if not, there was no forcing it.
Even with rare treasures and pills, when encountering a bottleneck, one would still be trapped.
Thus, the Daoists valued talent and fate above all—tempering the mind through long years of cultivation in pursuit of longevity.
To become an Eighth Rank Talisman Artist by twenty was already extraordinary—considered a genius.
To reach the Seventh Rank Foundation Establishment Realm was to be an unparalleled prodigy, born for Daoist practice, the favored inheritor of any immortal sect.
As for the Sixth Rank Core Formation Realm—records of it in Daoist annals were exceedingly rare, nearly one in ten thousand years.
Barring mishaps, such a person would become the leader of the Daoist world—an “Immortal Seed,” dominating an era. Should any harm come to such a figure, the entire Daoist community would mobilize to protect them.
“How… how is that possible…”
Lin Qi stood utterly dumbfounded. Even with his composure, he could not recover for a long while.
If even he was so shocked, the surrounding students and elders were speechless.
Liu Zi’an, Cui Ruifeng, and the rest began to doubt if they were dreaming.
Shen Yanzhou had hidden his cultivation all this time—and he was a Daoist Sixth Rank?
Why? How?
Jealousy, disbelief, and madness sprouted wildly in their hearts, almost driving them insane.
“He even hid his Daoist cultivation…”
Zhao Qingchan’s eyes widened too. Her chest heaved slightly as her heart could no longer stay calm.
She knew well how arduous the Daoist Path was. Why had she chosen Confucianism instead?
It wasn’t because she lacked the desire for longevity—no, it was because she lacked the talent.
“How did he cultivate? And where did his Daoist power come from?”
“Even if some great Daoist master poured their cultivation into him through an Empowerment Rite, that person would have to be at least of the Third Rank Union of Dao Realm… but who would be willing to do such a thing?”
The Martial Path’s Third Rank and the Daoist Third Rank might sound equal, but their status and means were worlds apart.
A Third Rank Daoist could let their spirit wander a thousand miles, merge with the Dao, and perceive all things with a single thought.
If a martial artist fought such a person, they might die without ever knowing where their opponent’s true body was.
The Martial Path was invincible in close combat—but only if one could get close.
At that moment, with Shen Yanzhou revealing his Daoist Sixth Rank cultivation, the entire Dragon-Tiger Institute erupted in uproar.
——
Meanwhile, in the palace gardens behind the Hall of Pure Serenity, palace maids and eunuchs stood in orderly rows, holding golden lamps, censers, and trays of food.
The garden was a paradise of winding corridors and misty pavilions. Dragonfish swam lazily in the pond; blossoms of every hue filled the air with fragrance.
Inside the waterside pavilion, two banquet tables had been arranged, facing each other, with a grand pearwood table set in the center.
Emperor Mingde, dressed in plain blue robes, sat at the head seat. Beside him was the Empress, Cui Jingyi, clothed in a dark red gown embroidered with gold trim—graceful, dignified, and still breathtakingly beautiful, her face showing hardly any trace of age.
Across from them sat the Demon Suppression King, Shen Jingxiao, and the Princess Consort, Yu Chenyu.
Though the two were husband and wife in name, a visible distance remained between them—even their sleeves did not touch.
Empress Cui Jingyi noticed this and smiled faintly before turning her gaze away.
“The last time we sat face-to-face like this—it must have been over ten years ago,” Emperor Mingde said with a sigh as he set down his chopsticks.
Shen Jingxiao followed suit respectfully. “Your Majesty has remained within the palace, cultivating the Way, while I have guarded the Southern Border and seldom returned to the capital. It is indeed rare for us to dine together.”
Emperor Mingde laughed. “You, you… how have you grown so rigid? Back then, we even called each other brothers.”
Shen Jingxiao bowed his head. “Those days are long past. Your Majesty is now the sovereign of all under heaven—how could I still presume to call myself your brother?”
Yu Chenyu quietly picked at her food, clearly disinterested in their exchange.
Empress Cui Jingyi turned to her with a smile. “Sister Chenyu, compared to Qilin City overseas, have you grown accustomed to life in the capital?”
Yu Chenyu, calm and elegant, smiled politely. “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The capital is magnificent, bustling, and full of life—unlike the remote lands overseas. It took some time to adjust, but after so many years, I have long grown used to it.”
“Yes, after so many years, you surely have.”
“There are rumors that you and Jingxiao share deep affection, yet today you did not even arrive in the same carriage, and you sit so formally apart. Have you two quarreled?” the Empress teased lightly.
Shen Jingxiao’s eyes flickered, but he quickly recovered, remaining silent.
Yu Chenyu understood the Empress’s intent and replied with measured grace, “Your Majesty jests. The Prince and I, though apart, have always corresponded by letter and share mutual affection. We merely wished not to neglect propriety before Your Majesty and His Majesty.”
“Oh? Is that so? I thought the recent matter of the ‘true and false heir’ had left your mansion rather unsettled.” The Empress smiled, half in jest.
Yu Chenyu chose not to respond.
The marriage alliance between the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion and Qilin City’s Sword Furnace might have seemed arranged by Emperor Mingde—but in truth, it had been orchestrated by the Empress and the Cui Clan of Hejian.
In a sense, the Empress was the one responsible for binding her and Shen Jingxiao together.
“Let us take a walk. You probably haven’t had the chance to properly explore the gardens around the Hall of Pure Serenity,” said the Empress, rising with a smile.
Yu Chenyu understood that this was an excuse—to leave the Emperor and Shen Jingxiao to discuss state matters.
The two women stood and left together, attendants following behind.
Watching them depart, Emperor Mingde sighed softly. “After so many years of friendship, it saddens me that we’ve grown so distant.”
Shen Jingxiao could not tell if the Emperor’s words were sincere or deliberate. He too sighed. “Your Majesty will always be the Emperor, and I will forever be your subject.”
Emperor Mingde smiled knowingly, then turned his gaze to the distant pond. “The Southern Border has been restless of late. Beasts have crossed the borders frequently, and complaints against you grow louder in court.”
“Do you know what title they’ve given you?”
Shen Jingxiao’s expression shifted. He quickly stood and bowed. “I do not, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor’s smile faded. “They call you ‘Half-Heaven Shen.’ They say half of Great Qian’s realm now lies under your shadow.”
Shen Jingxiao’s heart tightened. He dropped to his knees at once. “Your Majesty, please quell your anger! I have never harbored such intent. My loyalty to Your Majesty is known to Heaven and Earth!”
Emperor Mingde’s gaze deepened as he looked down upon the kneeling Demon Suppression King. “No matter how much I trust you, your actions over the years… do they truly deserve that trust? Did you think that while I meditated in the Hall of Cultivated Mind, I knew nothing of the court—or of what you’ve done in the Southern Border?”
Cold sweat beaded on Shen Jingxiao’s brow. “Everything I have done was to expand the borders of Great Qian. The Southern Border’s vast mountains hold endless resources and mines, monopolized by hidden sects. They hide behind Yao Pass—built by Great Qian over centuries to hold back the beasts—yet they do nothing to aid the realm…”
Emperor Mingde waved a hand, cutting him off. “I care not for your motives. The court’s memorials and the voices of the great clans—how am I to silence them for you? And this farce of the true and false heir—how do you plan to resolve it?”
Shen Jingxiao breathed easier; at least the Emperor still stood by him.
“The Southern unrest will soon be pacified. Though Zhou’er is not my blood son, he is as dear to me as one. These years in the South, I neglected his upbringing. The capital is rife with intrigue—he has survived countless assassination attempts and near-death incidents. His feigned mediocrity was only to escape danger, not my instruction.”
Hearing this, Emperor Mingde’s eyes grew deep.
“A fine excuse indeed. As his adoptive father, you forbade him to study or train, surrounded him with alluring maids, taught him to indulge in pleasure and visit courtesans—and you call that proper guardianship? Did you already know he was not your flesh and blood, so you abandoned him deliberately?” His tone sharpened suddenly.
Shen Jingxiao’s back turned cold.
He had no idea why Emperor Mingde suddenly paid such attention to Shen Yanzhou—or how he had even uncovered such trivial details.
And why was he so angry?
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This is my failure as a father. I will investigate thoroughly when I return and punish those servants who misled Zhou’er.”
He quickly added, “Fortunately, the boy has remained diligent despite it all, keeping his heart pure and never abandoning cultivation.”
“Enough.” Emperor Mingde flicked his sleeve. “That he has survived this long is indeed remarkable. I’ve always valued talent highly. Now that he has entered the Dragon-Tiger Institute and reached the Sixth Rank in the Martial Path, should I not assign him a post—to temper himself?”
Shen Jingxiao froze. He couldn’t read the Emperor’s intent—was this a test? A warning? Or perhaps an attempt to gauge Shen Yanzhou’s place within the mansion?
“Then I thank Your Majesty on his behalf. It would be his honor to receive imperial guidance.”
Emperor Mingde chuckled, but his gaze stayed fixed on Shen Jingxiao. “Hehe.”
“The Chilin Guards recently discovered traces of the Nether Cult’s forbidden art—the ‘Northern Sea Heaven-Transforming Human Pill Method.’ Someone in the capital is secretly cultivating it. I intend to send Shen Yanzhou to the Chilin Guards—perhaps as a Hundred-Household Commander or a Thousand-Household—to root out this traitor. What do you think?”
Shen Jingxiao’s heart skipped again. Was this another test? Sending Shen Yanzhou to the Chilin Guards to investigate the forbidden art?
Normally, wouldn’t suspicion fall upon Shen Yanzhou himself?
For a moment, his mind raced.
But outwardly, his composure remained. “To serve in the Chilin Guards is the dream of many young talents. However, Zhou’er is still young—appointing him as Hundred or Thousand-Household Commander might seem excessive. I believe it would be better for him to start from the lower ranks.”
Emperor Mingde shook his head. “No. I believe he has the ability—and a father should wish to see his son rise and make a name for himself.”
At that, Shen Jingxiao understood. The Emperor intended to use Shen Yanzhou—to balance against him.
He wanted to support Shen Yanzhou.
“Everything shall be as Your Majesty commands.”
The realization unsettled Shen Jingxiao deeply. He could not fathom what ability Shen Yanzhou possessed to earn such favor—or how the Emperor thought a mere youth could restrain him.
Surely this was a jest.
Just then, Wei Gong, who had been waiting outside the pavilion, received some news. His expression shifted slightly before turning oddly amused.
With a faint smile, he hurried forward, bowed, and whispered something into Emperor Mingde’s ear.
The Emperor blinked in surprise—then glanced at the bewildered Shen Jingxiao and smiled.