274: Chapter 274 Tempting the Imperial Advisor and Subduing Him

"Since the Imperial Preceptor is so beautiful, why wear a mask?"

Chen Hu put the bronze mask back on the Imperial Preceptor's face and asked with some curiosity.

"My appearance is too beautiful. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I can only wear a mask!"

Having regained her freedom, the Imperial Preceptor spoke in a calm tone.

Initially, she was cultivating in seclusion in a certain place.

Emperor Jingren found her and invited her to serve as the Imperial Preceptor of the Great Yong Kingdom.

Originally, she did not agree, but later, Emperor Jingren offered to provide her with cultivation resources and allow her to freely read the royal archives, so she agreed.

However, because of her appearance, Emperor Jingren harassed her repeatedly.

Those who saw her true appearance were also captivated by her beauty.

So, she simply covered her face with a bronze mask.

Over time, she grew accustomed to wearing it, and she had never revealed her true face even in front of her disciple.

"So that's how it is!"

Chen Hu realized: "By the way, shall we continue?"

"No need!"

The Imperial Preceptor waved her hand.

"Did the Imperial Preceptor come to see me today just to spar?" Chen Hu asked again.

"Actually, I also wanted to ask you about some matters," the Imperial Preceptor said with a smile.

"Please speak!"

The Imperial Preceptor said, "I feel that the Legacy of our Sorcerer path seems to have been erased by some powerful entity. I wonder if you, Fellow Daoist, know the reason?"

Chen Hu said in surprise, "There is actually such a thing."

"It seems you do not know either, Fellow Daoist!"

Disappointment flickered in the Imperial Preceptor's eyes, but she was still unwilling to give up: "Does your Revered Master know, Fellow Daoist?"

In her view, for Chen Hu to Cultivate to the Dharma Form Realm at such a young age, he must have a powerful Revered Master guiding him from behind.

"I must disappoint the Imperial Preceptor. I only became a Sorcerer by accidentally obtaining a Secret Manual. I do not have a Revered Master!" Chen Hu said truthfully.

"Is that so?" The Imperial Preceptor was somewhat surprised. "For you to Cultivate to the Dharma Form Realm with just a Secret Manual, it seems your innate talent and Aptitude are truly extraordinary, Fellow Daoist."

"You flatter me, you flatter me. Haven't you also reached the Dharma Form Realm, Imperial Preceptor?" Chen Hu said modestly.

The Imperial Preceptor shook her head. "I was able to achieve the Dharma Form Realm first because my Revered Master taught and guided me with all his might, and second, because it took a vast amount of time. Compared to you, Fellow Daoist, I am far behind!"

"How old is the Imperial Preceptor?" Chen Hu asked intentionally.

In fact, through the Eye of Insight, Chen Hu discovered that this Imperial Preceptor was already in her fifties.

"Don't you know, Fellow Daoist, that asking a woman's age directly is a very impolite thing to do?"

The Imperial Preceptor glanced at Chen Hu with some dissatisfaction and replied flatly.

"It seems the Imperial Preceptor still cares a lot about her age!" Chen Hu teased intentionally.

The Imperial Preceptor was slightly annoyed and deliberately put pressure on Chen Hu: "Fellow Daoist, let me remind you that since your identity as a Sorcerer has been exposed, you must be prepared for Marquis Weiwu's retaliation!"

"It matters not!"

Chen Hu said dismissively, "I am very curious, which side is the Imperial Preceptor on?"

"Do not be careless, Fellow Daoist. Marquis Weiwu is a powerhouse of the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and moreover, he is extremely close to the peak of the Late Stage of Qi Refining!"

The Imperial Preceptor reiterated, "As for me, when I accepted Emperor Jingren's request to serve as the Imperial Preceptor back then, I made it clear that I would only be responsible for his life. As for anything else, I will not interfere!"

"Then I wonder if the Imperial Preceptor is willing to work under my command?" Chen Hu extended an invitation.

"Not interested!"

The Imperial Preceptor said coldly, "Once Emperor Jingren dies, I will leave."

"I have the subsequent Cultivation Techniques for Sorcerers."

Chen Hu threw out a bait.

Next, he released a wisp of the Hunyuan Martial Saint's aura: "I can also help you reach the Hunyuan Martial Saint realm!"

Feeling this wisp of aura released by Chen Hu,

the Imperial Preceptor's expression beneath her mask became extremely shocked: "You... you have already reached the Hunyuan Martial Saint realm?"

"Correct!"

Chen Hu nodded.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist!"

The Imperial Preceptor showed a look of envy, but then shook her head: "You were able to step into the Martial Saint realm, Fellow Daoist, but that does not mean you can help me step into it as well!"

As a half-step Hunyuan Martial Saint, she knew all too well how harsh the conditions were to break through to a Hunyuan Martial Saint.

"Isn't it just elemental Origin Qi? I have a way to get it!"

Chen Hu said directly, "Which elemental Origin Qi did the Imperial Preceptor fuse with?"

Hearing Chen Hu's words, the Imperial Preceptor became somewhat suspicious and hesitant, but still replied, "What I fused with is wind-attributed Origin Qi."

Hearing this, Chen Hu directly pulled up the System Mall.

He then spent three thousand underling points to purchase a Wind Attribute Source Stone.

"Imperial Preceptor, please look!"

Chen Hu handed the Wind Attribute Source Stone to the Imperial Preceptor.

"This is a Wind Attribute Source Stone!"

The Imperial Preceptor's expression became solemn.

Because attribute source stones were simply too rare, so rare that even the Great Yong Court did not possess one.

Before she left the mountains to serve as the Imperial Preceptor, she was already a half-step Hunyuan Martial Saint.

After so many years, her martial arts cultivation had made some progress, but it was not by relying on Wind Attribute Source Stones.

Rather, she had once used the national power of the Great Yong Kingdom to find several places with wind-attributed Origin Qi.

However, although these places had wind-attributed Origin Qi, the amount was extremely small.

The improvement to her cultivation was also limited.

As for the Wind Attribute Source Stone in Chen Hu's hand, the wind-attributed Origin Qi contained within was at least ten times more than all the wind-attributed Origin Qi she had absorbed during her years as the Imperial Preceptor.

If Chen Hu could provide more than ten Wind Attribute Source Stones, she would absolutely be able to break through to the Hunyuan Martial Saint realm.

"Imperial Preceptor, for our first meeting, this is my meeting gift!"

Chen Hu tossed the Wind Attribute Source Stone directly to the Imperial Preceptor.

The Imperial Preceptor reached out and caught it. She wanted to decline, but she found herself unable to open her mouth.

Although the lifespan of a Liangang Realm Martial Artist far exceeded that of an ordinary Martial Artist, it was still only two hundred years.

She was already over fifty years old.

More than a quarter of her life had already passed.

Now, the places with wind-attributed Origin Qi within Great Yong had all been completely drained by her.

In the next hundred-plus years, if she could not find enough wind-attributed Origin Qi, she would have almost no possibility of breaking through to a Hunyuan Martial Saint.

She knew that once she broke through to a Hunyuan Martial Saint, she would possess a lifespan of at least a thousand years.

Although she did not care for power and wealth,

she could not resist the temptation of longevity and eternal life.

"Then I shall thank you, Fellow Daoist!"

After hesitating for a long while, the Imperial Preceptor sighed in her heart and said to Chen Hu. Clearly, she had accepted this meeting gift.

"So what does the Imperial Preceptor think? I still have quite a few of these Wind Attribute Source Stones!" Chen Hu continued to tempt her.

"Very well, I can work for you, Fellow Daoist, but you must also agree to one condition of mine!" The Imperial Preceptor looked at Chen Hu and said.

"Speak!"

Chen Hu nodded.

"Once you capture the royal capital, Fellow Daoist, please spare Emperor Jingren and his direct relatives. What do you say?" The Imperial Preceptor looked at Chen Hu and asked.

"I can do that!"

Seeing Chen Hu agree, the Imperial Preceptor also breathed a sigh of relief and said to him, "Then I will have to trouble you to take care of me in the future, Fellow Daoist."

"Of course!"

Chen Hu said, "By the way, how should I address the Imperial Preceptor?"

"My name is Xie Liuli."

The Imperial Preceptor hesitated slightly but still revealed her true name.

"Alright, Liuli. Since we are all family now, why don't we sit down and chat?" With a wave of Chen Hu's hand, a table and two chairs appeared in front of them.

He then invited Xie Liuli to take a seat.

Afterwards, he took out a teapot and brewed a pot of Spiritual Tea.

He poured a cup and pushed it toward her.