"Your Highness, the Emperor has bestowed upon us eight temporary guards, all Grandmasters! Truly, it is a great imperial grace!"
"His Imperial Majesty's grace is boundless indeed," Chu Zhiyuan said with emotion, bowing in the direction of the Imperial Palace.
The moment Chu Zhiyuan saw the number, he knew that the Emperor wanted him to help them master the Four Spirits Formation.
Otherwise, why bestow eight, instead of six or ten?
He didn't believe in coincidences.
Instead, he was certain that every action of the Emperor held a deeper meaning.
If one didn't carefully ponder and decipher the meaning within, it meant one was not attentive enough, not astute enough, and unfit for great responsibility.
"Your Highness, how should we arrange them?"
"Since Little Sister doesn't leave the manor, there's no need for additional guards for her. Father doesn't go out either, so give them all to the Princess Consort."
"...Yes," Feng Xi hesitated for a moment, then solemnly agreed.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "In addition to these eight, add four more Grandmasters."
"Yes," Feng Xi nodded.
Having already added eight Grandmasters, adding four more was nothing much.
The Princess Consort's guard scale would become quite astonishing.
Chu Zhiyuan thought about it and then felt secure.
With twelve Grandmasters surrounding her, forming a three-layered Four Spirits Formation, even the experts from the Shadow Sect and Jade Cauldron Sect wouldn't be able to break through immediately.
The Princess Consort would be moving between the Royal Manor and the Imperial Palace. Once they made a move, Great Grandmasters would immediately appear.
The most crucial part was the initial stage, to be able to withstand and block them for a while.
He had accurate intuition, but he still had to prepare for all possibilities.
"Have them all come over, all twelve of them. I will teach them the Four Spirits Formation."
"Yes," Feng Xi said solemnly.
Everyone knew the power of the Four Spirits Formation. Having the opportunity to learn this formation was naturally excellent.
Chu Zhiyuan was skilled in the Four Spirits Formation, able to divide his mind into many thoughts, using both his mouth and hands.
Small stones were shot out, correcting their postures and steps, with each word preemptively clarifying points.
The originally extremely difficult Four Spirits Formation was easily learned under his training.
In just one afternoon, they entered the basics, their progress was astonishing.
The twelve of them found it unbelievable.
Could they really learn such a formation?
How did they learn it? They vaguely mastered it.
It was like a dream.
Chu Zhiyuan told them to consolidate their skills well after returning, and come again tomorrow for almost complete mastery.
The group returned to the front yard in a daze, unable to resist discussing it.
They expressed their amazement, disbelief, and doubts.
Was the formation really that easy to learn?
Wasn't formation mastery extremely difficult?
It seemed that no manor had ever heard of their guards mastering a formation, unless they were like the British Royal Manor, directly withdrawing from the Zephyr Iron Cavalry.
Merits meant cultivation resources. With high resources, cultivation would also rise, and then it would be easier to gain merits, a positive cycle.
Their fate would completely change.
They knew the value of this Four Spirits Formation, so after returning, they studied and practiced diligently, not daring to relax.
The four original guards of the Royal Manor were somewhat relaxed, but seeing them like this, they hurriedly became nervous.
Seeing this situation, Chu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction.
He first went to the Anguo Duke Manor.
Yesterday, he reminded Xiao Ruoling not to go to the Imperial Palace these few days, to avoid attacks from the Shadow Sect and Jade Cauldron Sect.
She had to tell Consort Zeng Yuan of the West Palace in advance.
"Master said, you can go with peace of mind, no one will cause me trouble."
"Hmm—?"
The two were sitting in a pavilion on the artificial mountain, looking into the distance, relaxing their minds.
"Grandmaster Song has already started following me."
"It's starting already?"
"Master personally asked the Emperor, and Grandmaster Song also agreed."
"That's good," Chu Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Last time, he made a request to have Song Feiqiong secretly protect her safety in the Moon Invitation Palace, but he didn't ask Song Feiqiong to start now.
Not just anyone could ask a Grandmaster to move.
This was the benefit of having a good master.
He also wanted to ask a Great Grandmaster to protect his mother, but he knew he couldn't.
Even if the Emperor intended to give, he wouldn't have sent eight Grandmasters.
"Master heard some bad news."
"What is it?"
"A genius has emerged in the Moon Invitation Palace, suddenly rising and shining brightly."
"Even if she is a genius, isn't she only at the Perfected Acquired Realm?"
"It is said that she only used one year to go from the Houtian realm to the Perfected Xiantian realm, comparable to your speed."
"She has been hidden, but this time she suddenly appeared, also aiming for the Holy Maiden position."
"With such comprehension, her swordsmanship and lightness skill must be superb, very troublesome."
"Oh, so she is a formidable enemy?"
Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Does the Princess Consort think she has no chance of winning?"
"Master is still confident, only telling me not to be careless, and not to think I have a sure win."
In fact, the Princess Consort was the most confident, and she had been worried all along.
Chu Zhiyuan nodded: "Then let's practice lightness skill, there is still room for improvement. Swordsmanship... how about learning another set of swordsmanship?"
"That would be great," Xiao Ruoling said with a smile.
Chu Zhiyuan taught her a set of swordsmanship completely different from the Flowers in the Moon Shadow Sword.
It was ancient, simple, and earth-shattering.
It was taken from his mind, with an extremely high level and amazing power.
Xiao Ruoling needed to constantly comprehend it, the deeper she comprehended, the stronger the power.
Completely opposite to the light and agile changes of the Flowers in the Moon Shadow Sword, they could be mutually referenced and promoted.
..
In the following days, he secluded himself in the valley.
He felt he was about to break through.
On the morning of the tenth day, he suddenly let out a long roar.
He came out of the house with vigor, laughing loudly in the valley, attracting Chu Mingxuan and the others to come and ask.
After hearing that he had entered the Seventh Heaven, everyone sighed helplessly, muttering that they shouldn't have asked.
Comparing people is infuriating.
They hadn't even reached the Seventh Floor of the Acquired Realm, and he had already reached the Seventh Heaven.
The gap was getting bigger and bigger, and further and further away, making them deeply despair.
Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, starting today, they would still return to the Ming Wu Hall to practice.
Chu Mingxuan and the others had already noticed the wonder here, and were puzzled.
Chu Zhiyuan then explained.
The wonder here originated from the strange stones underground. These strange stones were about to be dug into the Ming Wu Hall. The effect of practicing in the Ming Wu Hall was no different from here.
Everyone immediately shouted, eager to return to the Ming Wu Hall to practice.
Although this valley was quiet, it was constantly under the threat of the Jade Cauldron Sect and the Shadow Sect.
When they first came, they thought the scenery was beautiful, but after two days, they found it boring and monotonous.
If it weren't for practicing, they wouldn't have come long ago.
Now that there was a chance to not only practice without delay, but also return to the city, they couldn't wait to return.
Chu Zhiyuan agreed with a smile.
As he was about to leave, he turned to look at the valley.
This time, he was able to smoothly step into the Seventh Heaven, and the strange stones under the valley contributed greatly.
This time, all the strange stones would be moved, except for a portion that would be divided into his Royal Manor, the rest would be moved to the Ming Wu Hall.
They would be used to pave the floor under the small training ground of the Ming Wu Hall.
At that time, the effect of cultivation in the Ming Wu Hall would be more than ten times that of other places.
The Chu Clan would prosper.
The Da Jing Imperial Family would prosper.
Thinking of this, he thought of the Emperor's reward.
He had been waiting for the Emperor's reward, and those eight Grandmaster guards definitely didn't count.
He was looking forward to what the Emperor would reward him with.
