The moment the old year entered the new year, countless bright fireworks bloomed in the night sky of Shen Du.
In the Li Residence, the smoke that had been lingering for a long time eased. Everyone looked up at the night sky and was attracted by the beautiful scenery.
Fiery trees and silver flowers, a riot of colors.
This was a grand display of fireworks created by the master craftsmen of the Ministry of Works. At this moment, the Divine Capital under the night sky was as bright as day. Beautiful faces were reflected in the light beside Li Mu.
Surrounded by beauties, it was more beautiful than the fireworks in the sky. If they could love each other and live in harmony, how good would that be? Unfortunately, this was only Li Mu's beautiful hope.
After the fireworks show, Li Mu took the initiative to ask the Empress to stay in the Li Residence.
Now that she was back in the palace, even Mr. Mei and Shangguan Li were not by her side. What left her was only extreme loneliness.
The Empress glanced at Liu Hanyan and Li Qing. She rejected Li Mu without hesitation and said to Bai Tingxin, "Tingxin, come back to the palace with me."
Bai Tingxin took her hand and said, "Okay."
Li Mu didn't know when the two of them formed such a deep revolutionary friendship. After the Empress and Ting Xin's figures disappeared in front of him, Phantom Princess's gaze swept over the women beside Li Mu and said faintly, "We're also returning to the Chamberlain of Dependencies."
After that, she left with Hu Six and Hu Nine.
Li Mu read some meaning from her eyes. This time, he was afraid that his image of a lecher would be completely confirmed in Phantom Princess's heart.
He did not ask Phantom Princess to stay because there were not enough rooms in the house.
After all the outsiders left, Li Mu returned to his room and explained to Liu Hanyan why there were almost no rooms in the house after she had been in seclusion for a few months.
Li Mu said seriously, "You know, Yin Xin and Tingxin are my nieces. Brother Bai and his wife are wandering outside, so they asked me to take care of them and guide their cultivation. This is normal …"
Liu Hanyan asked, "But I heard from Wanwan that you have already severed ties with the White Demon King."
Li Mu said helplessly, "I'm not him. I don't know why he suddenly acted this way. The thoughts of the Demon Race can't be understood with common sense …"
After all, Yin Xin and Ting Xin had gone through life and death with them. Liu Hanyan also knew about the relationship between Li Mu and the White Demon King, so she didn't harp on this matter. She asked again, "Is there something that you and the fox from the Thousand Fox Kingdom haven't told me?"
Li Mu denied, "No, it's just to support the Thousand Fox Nation and keep the Diabolism and the Celestial Wolf Tribe in check. I stayed in the Celestial Fox Nation for a long time and saved her family, helped her seize power, and also became their Grand Preceptor, giving her ideas and strategies …"
Liu Hanyan asked, "Only the Grand Preceptor?"
Li Mu glanced at her and said, "Don't tell me you also heard some rumors. Don't you know me? Would I become the Empress of the Thousand Fox Nation? Don't believe those rumors …"
Liu Hanyan frowned and asked, "What Empress?"
Li Mu was stunned for a moment and waved his hand. "Forget it …"
Liu Hanyan looked at him indifferently. "Speak."
Li Mu said concisely, "It's nothing. It's just that Phantom Princess is now the Empress of the Thousand Fox Nation. She wanted me to be the Empress of the Thousand Fox Nation, but I refused."
Seeing that Liu Hanyan was looking at him with a scrutinizing look, Li Mu was disappointed and said, "You doubt me, you actually doubt me. We've been married for so long, and you've been in closed-door training at Mount Baiyun. Do I have any complaints? These days, I've kept my chastity to you and never flirted with other women. So many people have tempted me with their beauty, and that fox spirit even asked me to be the Empress. I've kept my bottom line, but now you're doubting me …"
Li Mu was full of complaints. Liu Hanyan thought carefully and realized that after they got married, she had indeed spent very little time with Li Mu. A look of guilt appeared on her face. She grabbed his hand and said, "Didn't I keep Wanwan by your side? She and Xiao Bai only have you in their hearts. They'll be yours sooner or later. It's your fault for keeping your chastity …"
Li Mu waved his hand and said, "They're still too young. I still think of them as children …"
Xiao Bai and Wanwan, one was a fool and the other was a fool. Li Mu couldn't convince himself for the time being.
Liu Hanyan looked at him and said, "You think Wanwan and Xiao Bai are too young, but Her Majesty isn't young, right? She's almost mature …"
Li Mu covered her mouth and said, "What are you saying!"
As a woman, there were some things that Liu Hanyan could sense with her intuition.
Many years ago, when she first saw the Empress, who was still the Crown Princess, she had inexplicably felt some hostility toward her. Only now did she realize where that trace of hostility had come from.
At that time, she had a premonition that that woman would steal her man in the future.
At this moment, she couldn't describe what she was feeling. Liu Hanyan shook her head and tossed this thought to the back of her mind. She then gave Li Mu a look.
Li Mu understood. With a flick of his finger, he extinguished the candles in the room.
… …
Every year on the first day of the first lunar month, the Imperial Court would routinely hold a Grand Court Assembly.
During Emperor Xian's reign, the thirty-six counties were unstable. The Yao Kingdom and the Ghost Realm repeatedly invaded, and the small countries in the south also began to harbor disloyalty year after year. In the entire Grand Court Assembly, there were very few good things worth mentioning. After the Grand Court Assembly, the officials would often sink into a long period of worry.
So in the end, Emperor Xian simply canceled the Grand Court Assembly. Out of sight, out of mind.
This Grand Court Assembly was the one that the officials had looked forward to the most in the past few decades.
In the past year, Great Zhou had achieved too much. The number of crimes in each county had decreased, the faith of the people had increased, and the incorporation of the demons had been exceptionally smooth. Now, each county no longer needed the Department of Worship to govern. The cooperation between the government and the Demon Department was enough to ensure the peace of the land.
The Yao Kingdom, which had always been Great Zhou's enemy, also sent an envoy this time to convey the goodwill of the Queen of Thousand Fox Country.
The ambassadors of the southern countries, except for Shen Country, all expressed their allegiance to Great Zhou.
During the morning court assembly, the officials rarely closed their mouths. After the Grand Court Assembly was dismissed, His Majesty held a grand banquet in the palace for the officials. All the officials returned home to their hearts' content. The streets of Shen 'du were decorated with lanterns and colored banners. The common people wore new clothes and flooded the streets to wish each other a happy new year.
After the banquet, the officials returned to their manors. This was their longest holiday of the year. Except for a few important yamens, the rest of the yamens would only open after the Lantern Festival.
Li Mu walked out of the palace gates and strolled on the streets. It had been a long time since he felt the greetings of the common people.
"Lord Li, happy new year."
"Long time no see, Lord Li …"
"Lord Li, you're amazing. You even settled the Yao Kingdom!"
"I heard that the Queen of Thousand Fox Country wants Lord Li to be her Empress. Is that true?"
…
After not seeing Li Mu for a few months, the common people's enthusiasm did not diminish. In fact, it was even greater than before.
Everyone knew that Lord Li had not been slacking off in the past few months, nor did he abandon the common people. Instead, he had gone to the most dangerous Yao Kingdom to fight on the frontlines to protect Great Zhou and the common people.
Once again, reality proved that this was a person they could always trust, no matter what.
The feeling of bathing in the mind power made Li Mu feel very comfortable. As he walked, he continuously absorbed the mind power of the common people. At a certain moment, Li Mu's body suddenly trembled and he stood rooted to the ground.
At the same time that he absorbed the mind power, a huge surge of Heaven and Earth Power suddenly descended from the sky and surged into his body.
The Heaven and Earth Power was originally very violent, but this surge of Heaven and Earth Power was very gentle. After entering Li Mu's body, it directly merged with his Primordial Spirit.
Li Mu's cultivation level, at this moment, jumped from the early stage of the fifth realm to the peak of the fifth realm.
Li Mu stood rooted to the ground in shock. He was caught off guard by this huge surprise.
On the path of cultivation, whether it was cultivating the body or the Primordial Spirit, it was all about finding ways to allow the body and the Primordial Spirit to hold more Dharmic powers.
The Primordial Spirit was like a container. The larger the container, the more Dharmic powers it could hold, and the stronger it would be. The path of cultivation was to expand the container.
After this surge of Heaven and Earth Power merged with Li Mu's Primordial Spirit, his Primordial Spirit instantly became much stronger. The Dharmic powers it could hold also greatly increased.
There was only one reason for this situation to occur so inexplicably.
The Taoist technique that he created had received the approval of Heaven and Earth. Just like Xiao Yu back then, with just a few short sentences, it had resonated with Heaven and Earth. It had instantly raised her from a small Yin spirit to a fifth realm evil spirit.
Li Mu had once been very unhappy about this. Now, he finally experienced Xiao Yu's happiness.
Just as he was feeling puzzled, a trace of understanding suddenly rose in his heart.
Establishing a heart for Heaven and Earth, establishing a life for the people, inheriting the lost knowledge of the past Saints, establishing peace for all ages. These were once just grand words that he had said. However, whether it was for the Empress or for the Great Zhou, Li Mu was truly living up to these words.
Establishing a heart for Heaven and Earth, establishing a life for the people. The people of the Divine Capital had their own judgment.
Did spreading the Heavenly Book's contents in order to inherit the lost knowledge of the past Saints count?
For the sake of establishing peace for all ages, taking in the demons of the Great Zhou, turning enemies into friends with the Demon Nation, and promoting the peaceful coexistence of humans and demons. Although it was only a small step, he was still working towards this great goal.
The empowerment of the power of Heaven and Earth was his reward.
This was not all of the reward. When Li Mu completely lived up to the phrase "establishing peace for all ages", he would also completely master these few lines of the mantra. At that time, who knew what level the empowerment of the power of Heaven and Earth would allow him to reach?
Li Mu let out a long sigh of relief. His previous thinking was indeed correct. This was the true shortcut of cultivation.
When Taoist techniques appeared in the world, other than the empowerment of the power of Heaven and Earth, they would also be accompanied by supernatural powers. For example, Xiao Yu's Snow Domain. Within a certain area, the enemy's supernatural power would be weakened, and her power would increase greatly.
Who knew what kind of powerful supernatural powers these four lines of mantra would allow Li Mu to master.
Of course, he would not test it out in public. If something happened again, he would be embarrassed in public.
At this time, he needed to find someone who was powerful, who could protect him, and whom he trusted very much.
Thus, Li Mu turned around and returned to the palace.
In Changle Palace, Zhou Yi looked at him and said with great surprise, "What did you do? How did your cultivation level increase so much in such a short time?"
Li Mu gave her a simple explanation. Then, he walked out of the palace and began his first attempt.
He silently chanted the four lines of mantra in his heart. Nothing strange happened around him. However, Li Mu quickly realized that after chanting the mantra, he could control the power of Heaven and Earth in a certain area around him.
As everyone knew, cultivators could control spiritual energy, but they could not control the power of Heaven and Earth. They could only use the mantra and handprints to mobilize the power of Heaven and Earth to perform a fixed supernatural power.
This was teaching a man to fish.
If he could directly control the power of Heaven and Earth, then it would be filled with endless variables. After all, he could control the power of Heaven and Earth at will. In principle, he could use it however he wanted. He would not be restricted to one supernatural power.
This was teaching a man to fish.
If other dao techniques were fish, then these four lines of mantra would be fishing gear. With a fishing rod, fishing line, and bait, he could theoretically catch any fish he wanted.
In fact, Li Mu had already thought of a wonderful way to use them. He could directly control the power of Heaven and Earth, and not use the mantra and handprints to mobilize it. In this way, all dao techniques would be no secret to him. He did not need to know the mantra and handprints. He only needed to use the power of Heaven and Earth to simulate them, and he could achieve the exact same effect.
Li Mu planned to test it out with the Empress. Suddenly, a ray of light flew out of his ear.
The dao bell rapidly became the size of a palm, and circled around Li Mu. Li Mu was stunned for a moment. Then, he understood.
Every time a new supernatural power or dao technique appeared, the origin power of Heaven and Earth would be born. This was the dao bell's favorite thing. Although this was not the first time that these four lines of mantra had appeared, this was the first time that Li Mu had used a dao technique.
The cracks that had appeared on the dao bell had been repaired by the origin power of Heaven and Earth.
The origin power of Heaven and Earth produced by those minor dao techniques could repair and strengthen the dao bell. Would such a heaven-defying dao technique be able to increase its power? If the dao bell could be strengthened, Li Mu would be even more fearless in the future.
The dao bell circled Li Mu faster and faster, and it showed no signs of stopping.
Li Mu had never seen it so excited before. It looked like there was a lot of origin power of Heaven and Earth being born this time. He also started to look forward to it.
Beside Li Mu, Zhou Yi was also looking at it with interest.
At a certain moment, the dao bell suddenly stopped spinning.
A dazzling light shone from the body of the bell. Li Mu instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the dao bell had already disappeared.
A naked little girl was floating in front of him.
The little girl was about two feet tall. She had an oval-shaped face and beautiful black hair. Li Mu had no time to pay attention to the little girl. His expression changed, and he blurted out, "Where's my bell?"
Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment. Then, she quickly formed a seal and a set of clothes appeared on the little girl's body.
The little girl's eyes were blank for a moment. When she saw Li Mu, her confusion turned into clarity. She flew toward him and said in a childish voice, "Father …"
Li Mu instinctively caught the little girl and hugged her. The little girl looked left and right, then reached out to Zhou Yi and said sweetly, "Mother …"
Zhang Chun and Prince Shou, who had just walked out of the Imperial Clan Temple and were planning to return to their residences for a long vacation, stood in a daze. They looked at the two figures in the square in front of the Changle Palace. They did not move for a long time, as if they had been petrified.
"Her Majesty, Her Majesty and Li Mu actually secretly had a child!"
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