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

not to mention--

She remembered clearly: Su Mu was flogged one hundred times and punished by being confined to the library!

How could a martial arts master of such skill willingly endure such humiliation?

Xiao Anran naturally couldn't have imagined that Su Mu's strength only increased rapidly after entering the library. In her understanding, it was impossible for a middle-aged eunuch with no foundation to undergo such a transformation in just three months.

He said the elixir was a gift from a "peerless master"...

"A peerless master... a grandmaster?"

"In the palace, only my great-grandfather is a Grandmaster, and in the entire Great Qian Dynasty, only my great-grandfather and that person from the Situ family are such a person."

"But my great-grandfather doesn't have a lot of pills either. Even if he had some, he would never let him squander them like this."

"If it was a gift from that person in the Situ family... that's even more impossible!"

For the next three days, the weather was calm.

The death of Gao Yi's "God's Judgment" master-level assassin near the library did not cause much of a stir. Xiao Anran did not pursue the matter further with Su Mu, seemingly having moved on from it.

Feng Bao took the second Qi-stabilizing pill and gradually adapted to the transformation of his physique. Under Su Mu's guidance, he officially embarked on the path of martial arts.

"Congratulations to Master's adopted son Feng Bao for breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm. The reward has been sent to your storage space. Please check."

The reward wasn't particularly generous—after all, he was just an adopted son who had just entered the world of martial arts. In addition to the Spirit Essence Pill, Qi Condensation Pill, and Yuan Condensation Pill, there was also a "Golden Bell Mystic Talisman."

Once activated, this talisman can conjure a thick, golden bell-like protective shield, capable of withstanding attacks from Grandmasters for a short period. It is truly a life-saving trump card.

Su Mu is no longer afraid of ordinary Grandmasters and is not in a hurry for such rewards. However, the art of talismans is indeed rare in the Great Qian Dynasty.

According to the "Ten Thousand Years of Records," the art of talisman making flourished in ancient times, with sects and schools specializing in its creation. However, as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth thinned and high-level cultivators dwindled, the tradition of talisman making nearly disappeared. The same fate befell related arts such as alchemy and weapon crafting.

Yellow-grade pills and magical artifacts can be refined, but it is difficult to find skilled craftsmen for Xuan-grade ones. As for high-grade or even top-grade Xuan-grade pills, they are extremely rare and have a price but no market.

Two days later, Su Mu gave Feng Bao the third Qi-stabilizing pill—this time Feng Bao no longer cried out in pain.

Then, the familiar notification tone sounded again:

"Congratulations to my adopted son Yutian for breaking through to the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm. You have received a generous reward. Please check your account."

Su Mu was quite pleased with Yu Tian's progress.

Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian would occasionally return to the library to visit their adoptive father, sharing anecdotes and asking for a cup of tea. By now, even without anyone saying it outright, they had long suspected that their adoptive father possessed some miraculous elixirs that could aid in their cultivation.

The two tacitly enjoyed this "benefit" but never revealed it to others—firstly, because they didn't want to cause trouble for their godfather, and secondly, because they didn't want others to share in this opportunity.

Human nature is selfish. Cheng Ping'an and Yu Tian naturally wanted this benefit to be theirs alone.

Su Mu understood this as well. He didn't expect the two to be grateful; he just wanted them to come back often and maintain the relationship.

Yutian has advanced to the mid-stage of the Houtian realm, and this reward is quite generous.

In addition to the Spirit Nourishing Pill and the Mind Concentrating Pill, there is also a superior-grade secret technique and a high-grade Xuan-level magic weapon.

The secret technique is called "Blood Soul Curse Seal," an ancient curse that can plant a mark in the soul of another person, which will remain effective for a long time.

Once the Blood Soul Curse is planted, if the recipient harbors ill will towards the caster, the curse seal will be activated, causing their soul fire to extinguish abruptly!

The only condition to resist this curse is that the recipient's soul strength must exceed that of the caster by one major realm.

"Excellent! We won't have to worry about them turning against us anymore." Su Mu was overjoyed.

The magical artifact is a pair of "Wind Leopard Boots," which, when infused with a small amount of true energy, can greatly increase the wearer's speed. Combined with the "Phantom Step," even a Grandmaster would find it difficult to track the wearer's movements.

Now, Su Mu has more confidence in protecting himself when facing a Grandmaster.

Winter is coming to an end, and the year is drawing to a close.

There are only ten days left until the ancestral worship ceremony, followed by the Spring Festival.

Just as the entire Daqian Dynasty was preparing for the New Year, an unexpected event attracted the attention of all parties—

In the ruins of an ancient sect that had been abandoned for thousands of years in the northwest, a brilliant rosy light suddenly shot into the sky from a crack in the ground!

This fissure in the ground suddenly opened not long ago, and as the rosy light surges forth, the crack is slowly widening.

Upon hearing the news, the Great Qian imperial family immediately dispatched experts. Not only the imperial family, but also the Tianwu Sect, various powerful families, neighboring states, and even some reclusive old monsters all sent people to the scene.

Yu Tian received the news from the Martial Guard Division and sent it to the library. Xiao Anran also heard about this through other channels.

Rumor has it that an ancient sect's treasure is about to be unearthed!

No matter how precious the treasure, there must be amazing secrets hidden beneath the cracks in the ground.

Such an opportunity would be a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck for ordinary martial artists, but it held little appeal for Su Mu.

With the system at his disposal, he didn't need to risk vying for any "great fortune." This ruin had gathered numerous grandmasters and great grandmasters, making the risk far too great. Su Mu figured that even if he went, his chances of seizing the treasure were at most 70%—it wasn't worth risking his life for such an uncertain opportunity.

Moreover, the journey from the imperial city to the ruins is tens of thousands of miles. By the time he arrives, the dust will likely have already settled.

Just as I was pondering this, the notification sound rang again:

"Congratulations to Master Cheng Ping for breaking through to the late stage of the Acquired Realm and receiving a generous reward. Please check your account."

Su Mu's mind stirred slightly as he examined what he had gained.

Needless to say, the quantity of elixirs was quite abundant.

What truly caught his attention were a set of flying swords and a sword formation manual.

It is called "a set," but it is actually four flying swords that can be combined or separated. The swords are named "Four Extreme Golden Thunder Swords." When combined, they are top-grade Xuan-rank swords; when separated, all four swords are high-grade Xuan-rank swords.

Simultaneously controlling four flying swords requires extremely high levels of swordsmanship and spiritual strength. The "Sword Control Technique" mentioned in "Complete Explanation of Swordsmanship Basics" requires complete comprehension before one can use their spiritual sense to wield multiple swords.

That night, Su Mu was the only person on the second floor of the library.

He took out the Four Extremes Golden Thunder Sword, poured his true essence into it, and the sword trembled slightly before splitting into four.

Following the sword control technique, Su Mu used his divine sense to guide the four swords, slowly moving them through the second-level space.

The book "Complete Explanation of Kendo Basics" includes a technique called "Four Symbols Sword Prison Formation," which complements the Four Extremes Golden Thunder Sword perfectly.

Although the "Four Symbols Sword Prison Formation" is only a basic sword formation, its power should not be underestimated if the flying swords used in the formation are of a high enough grade.

Su Mu is not yet able to fully unleash the power of the Four Extremes Golden Thunder Sword, but if he sets up the Four Symbols Sword Formation, it is not impossible for him to trap and kill a Grandmaster.

Therefore, one must practice diligently and comprehend its essence.

Xiao Anran, who was meditating in his room, suddenly sensed a subtle yet sharp fluctuation coming from the direction of the library.

She frowned, got up, walked to the courtyard, and looked up at the pavilion.

Such an array aura would be difficult for ordinary innate martial artists to detect, but Xiao Anran's swordsmanship was quite accomplished and his perception was sharp, so he actually caught a clue.

The sword energy did not leak outwards, nor did it cause any disturbance, yet it inexplicably chilled her heart and even made her tremble slightly.

She was unaware that this was a fluctuation of a sword formation, but she sensed that the extremely faint yet extremely sharp aura must be related to the way of the sword.

"Know a little bit?"

"Such imposing presence... you've got some understanding of it?"

"If this is considered a smattering of knowledge, then what is my swordsmanship?"

Are you a beginner?