After being forced down from the sky, the two great reverends did not turn their heads, nor did they dare to turn their heads.
Although the person behind them only revealed a little bit of his aura, just this little bit of aura was enough to make them feel fearful.
This was definitely a Sixth Realm cultivator, and a peak Sixth Realm cultivator at that. He was different from people like them who had just entered the Sixth Realm a few years ago. This kind of person already had one foot in the Seventh Realm. Although the other foot might never be able to cross over, it was still not someone the two of them could contend against.
A peak Sixth Realm cultivator had the ability to kill a normal Sixth Realm cultivator.
One of the old men said with a slightly pale face, "Senior, the two of us are reverends of the Great Zhou. This is the Department of Reverence …"
The sloppy Taoist priest patted their shoulders and said, "You two are reverends of the Great Zhou. Who isn't? Don't use the imperial court to pressure me. That brat said we can't enter, so we can't enter. Don't cause trouble here. If something goes wrong with this old man's Tianji Talisman and my lifespan ends, I'll drag you two down with me …"
With that, his body floated up and flew back into the Department of Reverence.
The twin old men looked at each other and saw the shock in each other's eyes.
The old man on the right muttered, "He really is a peak cultivator whose lifespan is about to end. It's best not to provoke him. How did that Li Mu recruit such a powerful cultivator?"
The old man on the left knocked his head and said angrily, "Is that the point? The point is the Tianji Talisman. The Tianji Talisman is a Tianji Talisman that can increase one's lifespan by ten years!"
Although the two brothers still had twenty years of lifespan, twenty years was not enough for them to break through to the Seventh Realm.
There was an insurmountable gap between the Middle Realm and the Upper Realm. Not to mention twenty years, even if they were given another forty years, they might not have a chance. But even if they couldn't break through, who wouldn't want to live for ten more years?
In these ten years, if they encountered a great opportunity and were lucky enough to break through, their lifespan would increase by sixty years. Which cultivator could resist the temptation of sixty more years of lifespan?
Unfortunately, the Heavenly Secret Talisman was a Saint-ranked Fu-lu. Up until now, no one had been able to draw it.
The Ancestral Court of Fu-lu School. Perhaps there were still people who had the ability to draw a Saint-level Fu-lu, but the materials used to draw a Fu-lu of this level were too precious, and the success rate was too low. Even a school as profound as Fu-lu School could not afford the risk of failure.
Could it be that the price the Imperial Court paid for that Taoist priest to join the Department of Offerings was a Heavenly Secrets Talisman?
Although they had no use for it at the moment, they would need it sooner or later. If they could obtain one, they would be able to live for at least ten more years. Even if they couldn't break through in the next ten years, just being alive was already good enough …
After Li Mu had settled down a group of senior apprentice-nephews, when he returned to the Office of Offerings, he saw two high priests pacing back and forth outside the Office of Offerings.
It seemed that although the slovenly Taoist priest was strange and always did things that did not suit his status, he still did his job diligently.
Li Mu walked over, looked at the two and said, "Didn't the two of you want to leave the Office of Offerings? Why are you still here? Is there something else you want to take?"
The two awkwardly smiled, an old man said, "Lord Li is joking. The two of us eat the salary of the Imperial Court, and share the burdens of the Imperial Court. How could we leave the Office of Offerings?"
Li Mu said, "Those disobedient priests have already been expelled by me. I still remember the words the two of you said that day."
The old man who had just spoken said, "Those people are the Imperial Court's priests, but did not listen to the Imperial Court's orders. They should have been expelled. Lord Li has done the right thing."
Li Mu asked, "So, the two of you have no objections to this official's actions?"
The two nodded at the same time, saying, "No."
Li Mu looked at the two, lightly sighed, and said, "In truth, the two of you have profound cultivation. This official also wants to keep the two of you, but the treasury has been tight in recent years. There are not many spiritual jades, spiritual medicines, spiritual treasures and the like left. We really cannot afford to support the two of you …"
The old man said, "Lord Li is joking. Hasn't the Office of Offerings recruited a new high priest? That senior's salary must be even higher, right?"
Li Mu shook his head, saying, "You have misunderstood. That senior will enter the Office of Offerings, and does not need a salary."
The old man was taken aback, then said, "But I heard that the Imperial Court will give him a Heavenly Secret Talisman …"
Li Mu said, "He only wants a Heavenly Secret Talisman, not spiritual jades or spiritual medicines. If the two of you also only want a Heavenly Secret Talisman, you can also stay in the Office of Offerings. Otherwise, the two of you should find another place. I believe that with the two of your strength, no matter which sect you join, you will be honored guests. The Office of Offerings is small, and cannot afford to support two great deities …"
At the sixth level of cultivation, the effect of spiritual jades on cultivation was very small, unless they could absorb an entire spiritual jade mine.
Compared to spiritual jades, the Heavenly Secret Talisman was an item that could truly increase one's lifespan. Without this item, twenty years later would be the day of their death.
No matter which sect they joined, they would not be able to obtain a Heavenly Secret Talisman, and the cultivation resources they could obtain would not be much more than in the Office of Offerings.
The two exchanged glances, their gazes meeting, and quickly came to a decision.
The slightly thinner old man smiled and said, "Actually, spiritual jades, spiritual medicines, and the Heavenly Secret Talisman are not important. What is important is that the two of us have been in the Office of Offerings for many years, and have long developed feelings for each other. We are prepared to stay in the Office of Offerings until the day of our death … That's right, when will that Heavenly Secret Talisman be given out?"
Li Mu said, "Five years later."
The old man frowned and asked, "So long, that senior will also only receive it in five years?"
Li Mu smiled and said, "That senior's cultivation has already reached the peak of the sixth level. He will receive the Heavenly Secret Talisman in a year's time."
The two of them knew that Li Mu had only said half of what he had said.
Only a peak of the sixth level cultivation could receive the Heavenly Secret Talisman in a year's time.
Their cultivation was far inferior to his, and they would also need to work for the Imperial Court for a longer period of time.
The thin old man thought for a while, then said, "Can we take a look at the Heavenly Secret Talisman first?"
Li Mu stretched out his hand and lightly swiped at the air, and the image of the Heavenly Secret Talisman appeared in front of the two.
Li Mu looked at them and said, "The Imperial Court does not have a finished product for this talisman. We will first need to gather the materials, and this will also take some time."
The two old men fell into deep thought for a long time, and then the thin old man said, "Allow us to consider it …"
Li Mu nonchalantly said, "The two of you can do as you please …"
The two old men left the Office of Offerings and returned to their residences to continue their discussion.
"The success rate of a Saint-level Fu-lu talisman is extremely low. One may be able to draw one, but not a second one."
"But that Taoist priest also doesn't seem like someone who's so easily fooled."
"He doesn't have much lifespan left, so we can only choose to believe him. We still have to wait and see."
"We can stay for a year. If that person really does obtain the Heavenly Secret Talisman, it won't be too late to continue staying in the Office of Offerings …"
… …
In the Imperial Palace, Li Mu had already walked to the entrance of Changle Palace.
There was no need to doubt the strength of those two High Reverends. Although they were not as strong as the slovenly Taoist priest, they were still solid Sixth Realm cultivators. In Mount Baiyun, they would also be peak leaders.
If the imperial court spent a large amount of resources to raise such people as mascots, Li Mu naturally wouldn't agree to it.
But if they could work for the Imperial Court for free, then the more the better.
In the end, they were still two Sixth Realm cultivators. Li Mu did not intend to let them go so easily.
But these old monsters who had lived for a century were not so easily fooled.
If he did not show some true ability, he might not be able to intimidate them.
Thus, he planned to draw a Saint-level Fu-lu talisman right now.
Before coming to the Imperial Palace, Li Mu specially made a trip home to tell Liu Hanyan and Li Qing that he might not return home for three or four days, and that they did not need to worry.
Even for the current Li Mu, drawing a Saint-level Fu-lu talisman was a very taxing task.
Before officially drawing the talisman, he had to adjust himself to his best condition to ensure that the talisman could be successfully drawn on the first try.
Just now, Li Mu used the spirit snail to inform the Empress. She agreed almost without thinking.
Li Mu walked to Changle Palace and said, "In these three to four days, I may have to stay in the palace and adjust myself to my best condition."
Zhou Yi said, "Just stay in the back hall of Changle Palace. If you need anything, I will ask the Apricot Guards to prepare it."
Li Mu said again, "My own magic power is not enough to draw a Saint-level Fu-lu talisman. When the time comes, I will have to trouble Your Majesty."
Zhou Yi nodded and said, "I understand. When the time comes, I will help you."
Perhaps because they had been together for a long time, Li Mu still had some distance between him and Xuan Jizi. But with the Empress, there was none at all.
With her by his side, Li Mu had no worries at all.
Talisman drawing was a very ritualistic affair. Even more so when it came to high-level Fu-lu talismans.
When the First Seats of Mount Baiyun were drawing the Saint-level Fu-lu talisman, they would burn incense and bathe half a month in advance in order to ensure the success rate. Then, they would lock themselves in a quiet room and adjust their magic power and mind to their best condition before starting to draw the talisman.
This was the Empress's bedroom. Burning incense and bathing were unnecessary. What Li Mu needed to do was to draw the Tianji Talisman's runes over and over again until they formed muscle memory. This was the only way to ensure that he could fully control his magic power while drawing the talisman.
The last time he drew the Tianji Talisman was a few months ago. Now that he was going to do it again, everything had to be prepared again.
In these three days, the only thing Li Mu had to do was practice.
As for the materials used to draw the talisman, the Empress had already asked Mr. Mei to prepare them.
Changle Palace, back hall.
On the table, the materials used to draw the talisman were placed neatly. Li Mu stood behind the table, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, "Your Majesty, I am ready."
Zhou Yi sat cross-legged on the bed. A white light shot out from her body and entered Li Mu's body.
Li Mu opened his eyes again. His gaze was deep, as if it contained the sun, moon, and stars. He picked up the talisman brush, wrapped it in talisman liquid, and slowly put it down …
…
Shen 'du.
Three days passed without any disturbances.
A few days ago, Li Mu took charge of the Department of Worship and expelled more than half of the Worship. It seemed that he had a bad relationship with the two Great Worship. Many people were waiting for his next move, but he disappeared without warning for three days.
In these three days, he did not go to the Department of Ministers, nor did he go to the Department of Worship. Even the people of Shen 'du did not see him on the streets.
Other than that, there was another strange thing.
Yesterday's morning court session was stopped for no reason.
Since the Empress stabilized her power, the morning court session was held every three days. It was very regular and there were almost no exceptions.
Occasionally, it was stopped for some big sacrificial ceremonies. It had to be said that the Empress was much more diligent than the previous Emperor in the morning court session. Among all the previous Emperors, perhaps only Emperor Wen, who held morning court every day, was more diligent than the Empress.
The Empress and Li Mu disappeared at the same time, which made people's imagination run wild.
Especially three days ago, someone saw Li Mu walk into Changle Palace with their own eyes.
Changle Palace was the Empress's bedroom. She usually gathered the ministers in Shangyang Palace. Among the foreign ministers, only Li Mu could freely enter and leave her bedroom.
Li Mu had not come out for three whole days after entering Changle Palace.
Although the people did not dare to talk about it, they had thought a lot in their hearts.
Some people even suspected that the Empress had no intention of passing the throne to the Xiao Clan or the Zhou Clan, but wanted to have a son of her own. Li Mu looked like a favored minister, but he was actually a favored concubine, or the Empress had already chosen him as the Empress.
As for Li Mu's wife, it was just a cover.
Otherwise, how could they stay in Changle Palace for three days without coming out? And Li Mu's family did not have the slightest intention of looking for him.
The Empress, who had always been diligent, had even stopped the morning court session for Li Mu.
This was not a favored minister messing up the government, but a favored concubine messing up the government!
Just as some of the officials were thinking this, they suddenly felt an inexplicable palpitation.
Then, they realized that the sky had darkened without them noticing.
An official was transcribing a dossier when the books on the table suddenly rustled in the wind.
Just as he was about to close the window, he caught a glimpse of the sky outside the window. He could not help but stand up with a shocked expression and said in a panic, "What is this …"
In the Divine Capital, all the officials in the palace walked out and looked at the sky.
They saw that the originally cloudless sky was suddenly filled with dark clouds.
The dark clouds covered the sky and covered the entire Divine Capital. It was as if the entire world had darkened.
The dark clouds were extremely low. Everyone felt as if a huge rock was pressing on their chests, and they could not breathe at all.
"What's going on?"
"Why is there suddenly such a phenomenon in the Divine Capital?"
"I can't breathe. It's so uncomfortable …"
…
The citizens of the Divine Capital were also shocked by the sudden phenomenon. This doomsday-like scene made everyone uneasy.
Dark clouds were still gathering in the sky. Soon, they were as thick as ink. Lightning snakes danced in the dark clouds from time to time, adding a bit of fear to the scene.
In the Divine Capital, the four academies.
Four figures floated up at the same time.
"This is?"
"Heavenly Tribulation. Someone has ascended to the Seventh Realm?"
"No, the Heavenly Tribulation of the Seventh Realm is stronger than this …"
In the White Deer Academy, a middle-aged man pinched his fingers and murmured, "It's either someone ascending to the Seventh Realm or a precious treasure has appeared. I wonder what it is that caused this phenomenon?"
In the Consecration Department, the sloppy Taoist priest was dozing off. His eyes suddenly opened, and he instantly appeared in the courtyard.
He looked at the phenomenon in the sky and was stunned for a moment. Then, shock appeared on his face and he blurted out, "Motherf * cker Heavenly Tribulation. Someone drew a Saint-level Motherf * cker. Oh my, there's really someone in the Great Zhou court who can draw something like this …"
In the Daan Square, the two High Consecrators had long been alarmed by the phenomenon. They stood in the courtyard and looked up in shock.
When the dark clouds gathered to a limit, they released tens of thousands of lightning bolts and struck in the direction of the palace.
Everyone's gaze also looked at the palace.
Inside the palace, the officials who were observing the weather saw the dense lightning bolts above their heads heading straight for them. All of them felt their scalps go numb and their guts go numb. Some of the weaker ones directly collapsed to the ground under the heavenly might and even fainted.
In the rear hall of the Changle Palace.
Li Mu's face was incomparably pale. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he couldn't care less.
The writing of the Heavenly Secret Talisman had reached the most critical moment.
The writing of the Saint-level Motherf * cker this time was different from the time at White Cloud Mountain.
Last time, Li Mu was in the special Flask Space. After he drew the Motherf * cker, the Heavenly Tribulation phenomenon appeared.
This time, the Heavenly Tribulation appeared much faster than Li Mu had expected. Before the Motherf * cker was drawn, the tribulation clouds had already formed and condensed into the first wave of attacks.
Thunder rumbled in his ears, but he couldn't afford to be distracted. If he was the slightest bit careless, three days of hard work and those precious talisman liquid would be wasted.
Outside the Changle Palace.
When the bolts of tribulation lightning were about to strike, the four walls of the Divine Capital suddenly flashed with a golden light. In the next moment, a golden light shield appeared above the Divine Capital and completely enveloped the Divine Capital.
When the lightning bolts landed on the light shield, it was like a clay ox entering the sea. There was no sound and no splash.
Only then did some officials remember that the Divine Capital, as the capital of the Great Zhou, was protected by a powerful array formation. Even if there were thousands of soldiers and horses, or even Seventh Realm cultivators, they wouldn't be able to break through it.
After realizing this, they gradually felt relieved.
However, they still couldn't help but look in the direction of the Changle Palace.
The target of the tribulation lightning was obviously Changle Palace. What were Her Majesty and Li Mu doing inside? Why did they summon the Heavenly Tribulation?
In the sky, the lightning bolts in the tribulation clouds had already begun to accumulate for the second time.
In the Changle Palace, Li Mu finished the last stroke in an ethereal state.
The Motherf * cker on the table flashed with spiritual light and slowly floated up.
The Heavenly Secret Talisman was completed.
A beam of white light shot out of Li Mu's body and entered the Empress's body.
Li Mu's body and mind were already exhausted to the limit. Without the support of the Empress' Primordial Spirit, he felt the world spin and immediately fell to the ground.
However, he didn't fall to the ground. Instead, he fell into a body with a faint fragrance.
Zhou Yi carried Li Mu to the bed and put him down. She said, "Rest first. Leave the rest to me."
Li Mu was already exhausted to the extreme. He didn't have time to think about the soft princess carry just now. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Zhou Yi looked at Li Mu. He took off his shoes and placed them neatly by the bed.
The blanket at the end of the bed also stretched out on its own and covered Li Mu's body.
After doing all this, Zhou Yi's body disappeared into thin air.
In the next moment, everyone in the Divine Capital saw an illusory figure rise rapidly from the palace and appear in the sky.
As the illusory figure rose, it kept growing bigger and bigger. Soon, it was hundreds of feet tall.
The illusory figure was wearing an imperial robe and an imperial crown. It floated above the palace. Because it was too tall, no one could see its face clearly. In the dark clouds, the second wave of tribulation lightning had already condensed and pressed down on the illusory figure.
The illusory figure just pointed a finger, and the lightning immediately collapsed.
At the same time, the frightening dark clouds in the sky also collapsed.
After pointing a finger, the sky in the Divine Capital was clear and bright again.
Countless people in the Divine Capital were deeply shocked by this scene. After they recovered from their shock, they immediately knelt on the ground and cheered loudly.
"It's Her Majesty the Empress!"
"Long live Her Majesty the Empress …"
…
The scene just now had left an indelible memory in their hearts.
Countless officials in the imperial court also couldn't recover from the shock for a long time.
Although the Empress had always given them the impression that she was majestic and unapproachable, she rarely displayed her strength in front of the officials. As a result, they had almost forgotten that she was an ultimate powerhouse of the Seventh Realm.
The heavenly tribulation that could destroy the entire Divine Capital was directly shattered by her pointing a finger. How powerful was this?
At this moment, no matter if it was the officials of the new party or the old party, they could only submit to that indomitable figure in front of their hearts.
After dispersing the tribulation clouds, the illusory figure quickly shrank and finally disappeared from the sky above the palace.
Changle Palace.
Li Mu didn't know how long he had slept. When he woke up again, he saw the Empress standing in front of the window.
Zhou Yi looked at him and said indifferently, "Open your mouth."
Li Mu opened his mouth, and a ray of light flashed from her hand. A round thing appeared in Li Mu's mouth. It melted in an instant, and a pure medicinal power rushed to his limbs and bones.
More than half of the magic power in his body was instantly recovered. Li Mu sat up on the bed and asked, "Your Majesty, how long have I slept?"
Zhou Yi said, "About a day and a night."
Including the time he had been unconscious, it was a little longer than he expected. Li Mu got off the bed and said, "I'll go home first …"
Zhou Yi said, "Your mind is seriously overdrawn. Rest for a while more."
Li Mu shook his head and said, "No, I'll go home and rest. If I don't go back, my wife will be worried."
Zhou Yi waved her hand and said, "Go, go …"
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Mu felt his vision blur. The next moment, he appeared in his own courtyard.
"Benefactor!"
"Young Master!"
Xiao Bai and Wanwan were swinging in the courtyard out of boredom. When they saw Li Mu, they immediately rushed over. Wanwan hugged Li Mu's arm and said, "If you didn't come back, Miss would have gone to the palace to find you."
Li Mu smiled embarrassedly at Liu Hanyan and Li Qing, who had just walked out of the room, and said, "I've made you worry …"
Li Qing was clearly relieved. Liu Hanyan walked up to him. Seeing his pale face, she whispered, "You're just a minor official, not the Prime Minister. Why do you have to work so hard …"
Li Mu took her hand and said, "If it weren't for His Majesty, we wouldn't have everything we have today. We also wouldn't have been able to reverse the verdict and get revenge for Lord Li. Naturally, I have to repay His Majesty to the best of my ability."
"But you don't have to work so hard …" Liu Hanyan looked at him reproachfully and said, "His Majesty doesn't know how to care about you. It's so difficult to reach the Saint-level Fu-lu. What if you hurt your cultivation foundation …"
Li Mu smiled and said, "His Majesty is very good to me. Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll recover after a few days of rest …"
In Changle Palace, Zhou Yi looked angry. She gritted her teeth and said, "Only you know how to care about him. So what if you're married …"
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
