fifth form

Chapter 3036 Asking for Reward
After Zhang Xuezhou entered the Realm of Solitary Self, he lacked the flow of magical power, which led to a very bad outcome, so bad that people thought he was ruined.

But Zhang Xuezhou's act of wading through the water first ultimately had an effect.

When Zhang Xuezhou returned to Chang'an, he discussed the cultivation of the Realm of Selflessness with the new emperor.

The new emperor at the time agreed but didn't pay much attention, since crossing a major realm couldn't be achieved with just a few words.

Even when he fought with the Empress Dowager in anger, he was still provoked and guided by her.

If we consider Emperor Jing's last words and the list he left behind, the new emperor would certainly have some doubts about the Empress Dowager.

But the coincidence was that the Empress Dowager's guidance and Zhang Xuezhou's account were quite similar, which led the new emperor to turn his doubts into belief and take his own step.

As for receiving musical assistance from Lady Wei, that's another matter entirely.

Once he broke free from the shackles and entered the realm of self-reliance, the new emperor felt that everything had changed.

This is indeed a very significant cultivation realm. The Realm of Self-Realm is not afraid of suppression by cultivators of the Realm of True Self, and has a completely different role from cultivators of the Divine Power Realm. It can even fight against top cultivators in the Three Realms on its own.

Moreover, the new emperor is too young, so young that people think his cultivation level is as fake as Tian Fen's.

However, the new emperor's flying technique was different from Tian Fen's. He was launching a real attack, and his overwhelming strength was so powerful that even Han Anguo, who was wearing nine layers of magical armor, could hardly withstand it.

No one dares to claim that they will definitely step into the True Self realm, but the new emperor has an extremely long period of time to hone his skills before entering old age, several times longer than many cultivators who have stepped into the True Self realm.

This means that the new emperor has a high probability of entering the True Self Realm, and may even enter it in his youth or middle age, thus becoming the second most skilled emperor in the history of the Han Dynasty, and may even surpass the Gaozu Emperor who rose to power in his later years.

This powerful display of strength will shatter many people's ulterior motives.

For the first time, the new emperor felt that the court was very obedient, including his uncle Tian Fen, who had become arrogant after entering the Realm of True Self.

"And pills!"

Zhang Xuezhou's reminder was one merit, Zhang Xuezhou's assistance to Wei Zifu in using music was another merit, and this also involved the top-grade Qi and Blood Pill that Zhang Xuezhou forged, Li Shaojun's Eight Steps to Immortality Pill, and even the influence of the spiritual energy of the Shanglin Garden secret place.

A combination of factors led to the incredible achievement of the new emperor at an unbelievable age.

If we were to reward merit, Zhang Xuezhou would clearly be the one who deserves the most credit.

The new emperor felt that Zhang Xuezhou was a lucky star, and his many merits made the new emperor very willing to make a kinship with him, even though Zhang Xuezhou's family was very small.

“You should discipline your son properly. Even if he grows up to be half as good as you, he will not disgrace my precious daughter!”

The new emperor affectionately patted the little princess's head, then spoke intimately with her, her babbling voice sounding like singing, and even picked her up and placed her on his neck.

“My little thing is far from having even half my skills,” Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly. “Besides, I’ve already divorced his mother. If the princess marries him, she’ll only suffer!”

"What you say makes sense!"

The new emperor cleared his head and thought it over. He felt that Zhang Xuezhou had made great contributions, but he couldn't bring harm to his own daughter.

This is indeed because Zhang Xuezhou's family affairs are too chaotic. His eldest son's mother has gone from being his legal wife to a free woman. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for the son to be close to Zhang Xuezhou, and he may even become an illegitimate child.

As long as Zhang Xuezhou's family is harmonious and happy, even if he takes three wives and four concubines, as long as his legitimate son is settled, everything will be easy to discuss.

“Then I will wait for your second son,” the new emperor said.

"Actually, I want to marry a few more!"

Zhang Xuezhou responded again in a low voice, and only then did the new emperor come back to his senses.

"You look down on my daughter?" the new emperor asked suspiciously.

“Your Majesty, I have already told you about the treatment methods for my illness,” Zhang Xuezhou reminded him.

"Women, many women?" The new emperor thought for a moment before remembering Zhang Xuezhou's earlier words.

He used to take such remarks as a joke, and even lamented that he could not choose his own marriage partner, and greatly envied Zhang Xuezhou's freedom to choose a spouse.

When the new emperor saw Zhang Xuezhou divorce his wife and marry another, and then mention again that he needed to marry several more wives, he couldn't help but gasp.

"If you weren't a germaphobe, you could just go to brothels like Han Yan did. You don't need to get married again and again," the new emperor whispered, reminding you. "There's no need to drag things out if they can be solved with money. The sooner you free your body, the sooner you'll be free!"

“Not just any woman can cure my ailments,” Zhang Xuezhou said, pursing his lips. “I need a woman with a certain level of cultivation and an innate yin constitution to neutralize the yang toxins in my body, thus allowing my magical power to be freed!”

“That sounds complicated,” the new emperor murmured.

"I've always been troubled by these things, and all I can do is get married again and again!"

"It's a pity I can't conscript women from all over the land to choose my concubines, otherwise I would let you choose first!"

The new emperor sighed.

As an emperor, he certainly had many administrative methods to help him.

However, the emperor's marriage partners were either someone he knew well or someone like Wei Zifu who had no cultivation before entering the palace, and only then would they be allowed to enter the palace.

If a woman with cultivation is to be recruited, her physical condition must be verified, which the new emperor finds quite difficult.

He had finally managed to get ahead and didn't want to be labeled as debauched and immoral. This was something that Zhang Xuezhou himself had to deal with.

"I will do my best to resolve my physical ailments," Zhang Xuezhou said in a low voice. "I caused some trouble while traveling around with Master Shi Gong. I wonder if I could ask His Majesty for a reward?"

Having finally escaped the trouble of the arranged marriage, Zhang Xuezhou quickly began making his demands, lest the new emperor bestow gifts indiscriminately and he find it difficult to refuse.

"You want a protective set of treasures?" the new emperor asked suspiciously.

“I’ve offended a powerful demon from the Ninth Realm,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “Although I don’t know when they will come knocking, it’s always good to take precautions. If Your Majesty is willing to grant me a reward, I would like to use the Demon-Revealing Mirror to draw upon a protective force, so that I won’t be unable to fight them in the future!”

"The Demon-Revealing Mirror can protect you without any problem, but this Demon-Revealing Mirror..."

The new emperor hesitated slightly.

It wasn't that he was reluctant to give a reward, but rather that the demon-revealing mirror wasn't in his possession.

In the past, it was kept by Anle Palace and used as a powerful tool for Huang Laodao's suppression. Now it is under the control of Dou Taizhu. He cannot take it back for a while, let alone give it to Zhang Xuezhou.

“I have learned that the Demon-Revealing Mirror is in the hands of Princess Dou. If His Majesty takes back the Demon-Revealing Mirror in the future, he can reward me then,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

Zhang Xuezhou sent Dong Yan to search for the secrets of the Demon-Revealing Mirror. Zhang Xuezhou might be able to secretly borrow the power of the Demon-Revealing Mirror, but he preferred to put things out in the open to avoid future trouble.

Now, using his past achievements as an excuse, he directly demanded the right to protect the emperor from the new emperor.

As for when the new emperor would actually grant this reward, Zhang Xuezhou wasn't that concerned.

"I will definitely take back the Demon-Revealing Mirror!"

The new emperor gritted his teeth and whispered.

All the power he lost will be returned.

The court officials are just that pragmatic. If they are incompetent or have shortcomings, the general public's opinion will be very clear. Even during Emperor Jing's reign, the authority of the Empress Dowager had to be respected.

However, the potential he demonstrated far exceeded that of Emperor Jing. The Empress Dowager had already passed away, and the Empress Dowager did not have the same strong personality as the Empress Dowager. In fact, he even had leverage over her.

If the new emperor can reach an agreement with the Empress Dowager, at least half of the power in the court will be in his hands, if not all of it.

If the court becomes his personal fiefdom, then things like the demon-revealing mirror that Princess Dou took will surely be returned obediently.