Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

The Wind and Thunder Tiger Martial Image behind Duan Jin froze instantly, its power cut off, and it ceased to function.

Duan Jin himself was momentarily stunned, and the scene before him suddenly changed, plunging him into a brief illusion.

If Su Mu had not entered the Dao and comprehended the Dao, and his soul realm had not undergone a transformation, his Heavenly Illusionary Divine Eye would not have been able to shake the mind of a late-stage Martial Emperor in the slightest.

"Illusion shattered!"

With a thought, Duan Jin's divine power instantly cleansed his body, and the illusion before him vanished in an instant.

But this fleeting moment of hesitation gave Su Mu the opportunity to deliver the final blow!

Su Mu sheathed his sword and bent his fingers, bringing his two fingers together like sharp blades, and unleashed the God-Slaying Finger in an instant!

With unparalleled precision and unstoppable force, the sword intent at his fingertips easily tore through Duan Jin's thick protective shield, heading straight for his vital point between his eyebrows!

On the brink of life and death, Duan Jin suppressed the dizziness lingering from the illusion and hastily raised his arm to block!

In the end, he was half a step too slow. The God-Slaying Finger failed to pierce his brow, but instead struck his left arm hard!

The domineering and unparalleled destructive power of the divine soul erupted instantly, piercing through the high-level treasure armor and directly shattering Duan Jin's entire left arm!

The excruciating pain pierced my heart, and my soul trembled!

Duan Jin felt a chill run through his body, and an extreme sense of life-or-death crisis surged in his heart. Just a moment ago, he truly felt the threat of his demise!

It was truly a close call!

The terrifying power of the God-Slaying Finger completely shattered the fighting spirit and confidence of this late-stage Martial Emperor.

He had no way of knowing whether Su Mu still had the strength to use such a heaven-defying finger technique again, and dared not continue to gamble his life in a protracted battle.

Revenge can wait; for now, preserving your life is the most important thing!

Without the slightest hesitation, Duan Jin turned around and transformed into a streak of light, fleeing at lightning speed without looking back, disappearing into the distance in an instant.

On the other side, the early-stage Martial Emperor who was besieged kept a close eye on the battle situation of the commander-in-chief. When he saw Duan Jin fleeing with serious injuries, he was so frightened that he lost all will to fight and followed him to escape.

Ding Chao and Chang Wei had no intention of pursuing them to the death. They didn't need to fight desperately, and they couldn't stop the Martial Emperor powerhouse who was determined to escape. They could only let the two leave.

Su Mu stood in the sky, his breath fluctuating, his injuries not yet healed and his condition not good.

Let alone pursuing Duan Jin with all his might, even if he could catch up, he would not recklessly give chase.

His cultivation progress far surpasses that of anyone else. Let's stop for now; when we fight again next time, his chances will only be greater.

Moreover, Duan Jin was severely injured and his Xuan body was damaged. It is inherently difficult for a cross-realm expert to repair his injuries, and he will inevitably need a long time to recuperate and recover. He would not dare to provoke him again in the short term.

With the formidable enemy retreating, the battlefield instantly became peaceful.

Holding the Qu Guang Sword, Su Mu and Chai Min cooperated perfectly, launching a series of attacks that instantly annihilated Liang Yanqing's remaining Xuanling spirit.

He then activated his own Purple-Gold Mystic Fire, and the raging flames swept out, enveloping Liang Yanqing's broken mystic body, the remaining mystic fire, and the pure fire energy left after the mystic spirit dissipated. He gathered them all together and transformed them into a stream of fire that fell back into the palace.

Chai Min, Chang Wei, and Ding Chao also stopped their movements and gracefully descended from the sky, landing steadily.

A spectacular battle that shook the imperial city has come to an end.

At the top of a high-rise building in a corner of the imperial city, Elder Songhe of the Tianwu Sect stood quietly, watching the entire battle.

While others only witnessed the thrilling and exciting spectacle, he was able to discern all the key elements and flaws within the battle.

"Duan Jin was ultimately too careless, underestimated his enemy, and was overconfident, which led to his defeat and forced escape."

Elder Songhe silently commented.

At the beginning of the battle, Duan Jin had an absolute advantage in cultivation level and even severely injured Su Mu with a single blow, giving him a sure-win start. However, due to his relaxed mindset and lack of vigilance, he was caught out and the battle was reversed.

"The gist is that Su Mu's finger technique is truly domineering and unsolvable, and can be called a deadly secret technique."

"A late-stage Martial Emperor is doomed if that finger technique gets close; the slightest mistake could mean certain death. They must fight to the death to avoid it!"

He secretly rejoiced that he had restrained himself and had not rashly exerted pressure.

If he were to rashly start a battle, given Su Mu's unpredictable combat prowess and deadly secret techniques, he might not gain the upper hand. Instead, he could be severely injured, defeated, and lose face.

For veteran top experts like them who have lived for hundreds of years, defeat and humiliation are far more unbearable than injuries and pain.

"Su Mu in this palace is indeed worthy of his reputation. He is not just a name without substance. He is a top figure who truly possesses heaven-defying resources and unparalleled combat power."

Elder Songhe understood and, without lingering any longer, his figure flickered and vanished from the high-rise building in an instant, silently escaping from this place.

At noon, it was the time for the people and cultivators of the imperial city to eat and rest.

News of the battle at the palace spread rapidly, instantly sweeping across the entire imperial city. Everyone was discussing it endlessly in the streets, alleys, restaurants, and teahouses.

Inside the restaurant, diners from all walks of life engaged in lively conversation, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

"There are always those who refuse to believe in fate and insist on going to the palace to provoke Eunuch Su, only to end up suffering a crushing defeat. What a waste of their time!"

"There's excitement every year, but this year was especially spectacular; even a sect leader in the late stages of Empress Wu's reign was defeated!"

"Do you know who just made the move? It was one of the three strongest experts from the Xuan Gang Sect, led by none other than the current sect leader, Duan Jin! A true late-stage Martial Emperor!"

"Empress Wu in her late reign! She's a figure at the pinnacle of cross-realm powerhouses, yet even she couldn't do anything to the imperial palace!"

"Now I completely understand. That retired emperor is not afraid of any powerful figures from other realms. He dares to take in so many adopted sons and daughters and promise to cultivate them. He truly has immense backing!"

"I'm so regretful! I shouldn't have been so coy back then. If I had known he was this powerful, I would have been willing to acknowledge him as my godfather, even with all the restrictions, let alone the Blood Soul Curse!"

The sounds of regret and astonishment echoed throughout the imperial city.

Inside the palace, the turmoil subsided, and tranquility returned.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, and no one dared to make a ruckus anymore.

Chai Min returned to her residence, secluded herself in meditation, and focused on recuperating and restoring her fighting strength.

She knew in her heart that after this battle, she was now completely bound to Su Mu.

She publicly assisted Su Mu in killing the second elder of the Xuan Gang Sect and repelling the sect leader Duan Jin, thus completely offending the Xuan Gang Sect.

With her strength, she was powerless to resist the Xuan Gang Sect's retaliation. Only by guarding the palace and relying on Su Mu could she secure a foothold.

Chang Wei then went back to rest and recuperate.

Ding Chao, who originally planned to leave the palace after receiving the rewards, completely changed his mind.

Previously, his feud with Liang Yanqing was merely a personal one. They had been vying for power for many years, and although he had lost more often than he had won, there was no life-or-death enmity between them, so the Xuan Gang Sect would not go out of their way to target him.

Things are completely different now.

He publicly recognized Su Mu as his godfather and personally witnessed Su Mu kill Liang Yanqing and repel Duan Jin, which has already put him on the Xuan Gang Sect's kill list.

Even the severely injured Duan Jin was far beyond what he could contend with in his current state.

Once they leave the palace's protection and are pursued by the Xuan Gang Sect, they will surely die.

He originally came from the Wulong Continent, and had no family, relatives, or roots in the Tianyuan Continent. Staying in the palace with a powerful backer was the best choice for him.

Emperor Xiao Anxun personally issued an edict to arrange proper accommodations for Ding Chao and to treat him with great courtesy.

Even after settling in, Ding Chao's heart was still filled with turmoil.

"My godfather is too strong! He could even defeat Duan Jin, who was in the late stages of Empress Wu's reign, in a head-on confrontation, forcing him to flee for his life!"

Initially, when he recognized Su Mu as his godfather, he only wanted to obtain cultivation resources, break through the shackles of heaven and earth, and take advantage of the situation to break through his realm. His heart was full of utilitarian calculations.

After witnessing Su Mu single-handedly defeat a top-tier expert, his mindset completely changed. He was filled with awe and no longer showed any contempt or opportunism.

Inside the library courtyard, Xiao Anran and Yutian were quietly cleaning up the mess.

The aftershocks of the fierce battle had left the courtyard in disarray, with broken stones and fallen leaves scattered everywhere.

Wen Qianzhu had already taken her young son, Su Song, back to the room and was quietly taking care of the child.

On the second-floor balcony, Jinzi lay docilely and was exceptionally well-behaved.

The battle just now was extremely dangerous, and it could only watch from the sidelines, unable to help in any way. Its heart was filled with regret and self-blame, and it longed to become stronger even more.

In reality, its growth rate has long surpassed that of ordinary monsters.

Su Mu had just bestowed Liang Yanqing's complete Xuan Body upon it, and at this moment it was silently absorbing the essence of a mid-stage Martial Emperor, so it naturally had no time to play around.

Su Mu was currently focused on his cultivation and had no time for anything else.

The purple-gold mystic fire outside his body flowed slowly, constantly devouring and merging with the pure fire-type mystic fire left behind by Liang Yanqing, steadily increasing the power of his own mystic fire.

The true spirit of the imperial path within his body quietly nourished him, absorbing the vast fire-elemental energy left by Liang Yanqing's profound spirit, tempering the foundation of his true spirit, and strengthening his own foundation.

Liang Yanqing had cultivated his fire-based techniques to the extreme, his Xuan Fire was pure and domineering, and his Xuan Spirit essence was extremely profound. It was an excellent supplement to Su Mu's Xuan Fire and Imperial True Spirit.

Aside from the primordial energy, Su Mu also began to take stock of the massive spoils he had gained from this battle.

Several top-grade earth-rank magic treasures were quietly displayed, among which a soul defense bell was placed perfectly.

Su Mu happened to lack a high-level soul defense treasure, so he immediately used his blood to bind it to his master, incorporating it into his sea of ​​consciousness to protect his soul.

Liang Yanqing's storage ring contained an even richer collection.

Tens of thousands of top-grade spirit stones were piled up like mountains, and hundreds of jade bottles were filled with pills of various grades, a dazzling array.

Su Mu glanced around and shook his head indifferently.

His current cultivation level is vastly different from before. Ordinary high and low-grade pills are no longer useful to him; they can only be used to cultivate his subordinates and reward his adopted sons and daughters.

To this day, only celestial-grade pills can provide substantial help for his cultivation breakthrough.

Su Mu patiently searched the depths of the storage ring and finally found two special items.

First, there is an ancient jade box covered with heavy seals.

Secondly, it is a specially made talisman engraved with complex and mysterious runes.