166: Chapter 166 Worship

A night of passion, needless to say.

When Gaofeng finally "escaped" from that gentle embrace, the development of the entire Panshi Land had already entered a brand new stage of rapid growth, driven by his capable assistants!

Inside the study of the Yan Kings Residence.

Luo Qin, the stunning strategist whom Gaofeng had officially conferred the title of "Princess Consort of Yan," was standing before the massive sand table, reporting in detail to Gaofeng about the changes in the world's situation during his seclusion and the overall development plan for Panshi Land.

"Husband, according to our latest intelligence, the battle beneath the walls of the Divine Capital has entered a white-hot phase. Although the Blood Wolf King's offensive is fierce, the Divine Capital is, after all, an ancient capital of a millennium; its walls are high and thick, and its Foundation is deep. After months of brutal war of attrition, both sides are at the end of their ropes and have suffered heavy casualties. I judge that within half a year, they will inevitably decide a victor."

"And we must utilize this precious six-month window to complete our final accumulation and transformation!"

The pointer in her hand tapped lightly on the sand table, and her beautiful face, filled with wisdom and confidence, radiated a composed brilliance of one who holds the situation in the palm of her hand.

"I have formulated a master plan for our development over the next three years: internally Cultivate civil governance, externally build good relations, accumulate grain widely, and delay declaring ourselves kings!"

"Internally cultivating civil governance means continuing to increase investment in Panshi University and basic education to Cultivate a steady stream of talent at all levels for us! At the same time, under the direction of Lord Gu Changfeng, we will compile a code of law that truly belongs to our Panshi Land and establish a sound legal system!"

"Externally building good relations will be my personal responsibility. Through the channels of the Four Seas Bank, we will establish closer economic ties with those feudal lords in the south who are also alienated from the imperial court. We will use our industrial products to exchange for their population and resources, dividing and disintegrating all potential forces that might become our enemies!"

"As for accumulating grain widely and delaying declaring ourselves kings..." A hint of a mischievous smile flashed in Luo Qin's eyes, "That will depend on the abilities of our other sisters."

As soon as she finished speaking, the three sisters Luo Qi, Luo Shu, and Luo Hua, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward one by one and began to report their respective work achievements to Gaofeng.

"Husband," Luo Qi, dressed in black tight-fitting martial attire with an increasingly capable and sharp Aura, spoke first, "During your seclusion, I assisted Lord Xu Changqing in comprehensively upgrading and expanding the 'Sky Net.' We not only successfully laid our intelligence network into every corner of the Great Qian Dynasty but also ferreted out three high-level spies from the Great Qian imperial family and the mysterious Wusheng Holy Cult. From them, we obtained a great deal of extremely important top-secret intelligence!"

"Husband," Luo Shu, with a gentle, water-like temperament and an Aura of scholarly refinement, held several beautifully printed books and said softly, "According to your instructions, I organized dozens of great scholars from the Panshi University School of Liberal Arts to jointly compile this set of more accessible 'Three Character Classic,' 'Hundred Family Surnames,' and 'Thousand Character Classic' as enlightenment textbooks for all primary education in our northern border."

"At the same time, I selected hundreds of women who were talented in singing and dancing, beautiful and intelligent, from among the rescued women of the Music Bureau, and formed a 'Lark Propaganda Team.' They will go deep into every town and village in the northern border, using songs, dances, and dramas—forms most loved by the common people—to sing of your achievements and propagate your benevolent governance. I believe that before long, your prestige will reach an unprecedented Peak throughout the entire northern border!"

"Husband! Look! This is the blueprint I designed for your future imperial city!" Finally, the lively and adorable Luo Hua unfolded a huge and magnificent architectural drawing like she was presenting a treasure.

On the paper, a future imperial city, imposing, intricately laid out, and perfectly combining practicality with classical Chinese aesthetics, seemed to leap off the page!

Its design was so exquisite and its conception so bold that even Gongshu Ban, who had come to report work, couldn't stop praising it, feeling inferior by comparison!

Gaofeng looked at his four beautiful, talented, and capable wives, his heart filled with endless pride and satisfaction.

He knew that he could not have achieved what he had today without their silent dedication and support behind the scenes.

Just then, an old man wearing the attire of an agricultural official, with dark skin but an incredibly vigorous spirit, walked in hurriedly, led by a guard.

As soon as he entered, he knelt down with a "thud," his voice trembling violently with extreme excitement!

"Your Highness! Great joy! A tremendous piece of good news!"

"It's done! We finally succeeded!"

He was none other than Shi Nian, whom Gaofeng had discovered among the refugees, the legendary direct descendant of the ancient Agricultural God Shennong, and now the Dean of the Panshi University School of Agriculture!

He held high the heavy, golden rice ears in his hand, which were so full that they seemed about to burst, and roared with tears streaming down his face:

"Your Highness, thanks to the divine water and Immortal Plant seeds you bestowed upon us! This old man... this old man has finally researched the super crop you spoke of—it has five times the yield of ordinary grain seeds! Its growth cycle is cut in half! And it is even more adaptable to our northern barren land!"

"This old man has named it—'Shennong No. 1'!"

"Your Highness! With this, the tens of millions of people in our three northern states will never have to go hungry again! We... we are saved!"

"Boom—!"

Shi Nian's words were like a heavy bomb, exploding within the entire study!

Everyone was completely stunned by this earth-shattering good news that was enough to change the course of history for the entire era!

Gaofeng was so excited that he stood up abruptly from his throne!

He knew that his grand blueprint of "accumulating grain widely" finally had a Foundation for realization!

He immediately issued a royal decree to open up one million mu of military farmland across the three northern states, all to be used for planting this super grain variety called "Shennong No. 1"!

At the same time, he handed the "Puppet Core" obtained from the Tongtian Pagoda to Gongshu Ban, telling him to use it as a power source to develop agricultural machinery capable of large-scale farming!

Within half a month, under the day-and-night rush work of Gongshu Ban and his group of equally creative Genius Disciples, the first batch of steam plows and steam water pumps driven by the "Earth Fire Dragon" mechanism core were successfully developed!

When those steam plows, like steel beasts, billowing thick smoke and emitting deafening roars, were crazily tilling the land on the vast fields with an efficiency ten times that of oxen and horses, all the common people who came to watch felt as if they had seen a miracle. They knelt down one after another, bowing in worship toward the high-flying Panshi banner!

After leading the development of the entire Panshi Land onto the fast track, Gaofeng finally welcomed his own leisure time once again.

He confidently handed over all military and political affairs to the power center composed of Luo Qin, Liu Chengfeng, and others, while he himself entered the spirit spring space once again to begin a new round of deep seclusion.

This time, he had only one goal: to thoroughly transform all the gains he had obtained from the Tongtian Pagoda into his own true strength!

Inside the spirit spring space, time passed quietly at ten times the speed of the outside world.

Gaofeng sat cross-legged under the blood-energy vermilion fruit tree that radiated an alluring glow. In front of him were several ancient Divine Pills obtained from the Tongtian Pagoda, the rich medicinal fragrance almost liquefying the air of the entire space.

The first thing he cultivated was that supreme technique that would drive any Body Refining Martial Artist crazy—the "Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Body"!

Using the endless spirit spring water as a Foundation and the ancient Divine Pills that would make even a seventh-tier Great Grandmaster jealous as an aid, he treated his Physical Body as a piece of divine iron, subjecting it to inhuman, crazy tempering over and over again!

He could clearly feel that every inch of his flesh, every bone, and every cell was undergoing a terrifying transformation, shedding its old self under the dual tempering of the majestic medicinal power and Spiritual Qi!

His blood-energy became like a rushing river, vast and boundless! His Physical Body strength reached a terrifying level that was beyond imagination!

When he cultivated the first layer of the "Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Body" to the Major Achievement Realm, he felt that with pure physical strength alone, he was enough to go head-to-head with a Peak sixth-tier Great Grandmaster!

And when he had exhausted all the ancient Divine Pills and finally cultivated this supreme technique to the Major Achievement Realm of the sixth layer, he even had an illusion—that even if a Peak seventh-tier "Tongqiao" Martial Saint arrived in person, he would dare to fight them!

While tempering his Physical Body, he did not forget that equally precious supreme Spirit Refining Cultivation Technique—"Taishang Visualization Chapter"!

Every day, he would devote half of his mind to immersing himself in that vast and boundless spiritual world, visualizing the sun, moon, and stars, and comprehending the Dao of heaven and earth.

In this day-after-day tempering, his Mental Energy became increasingly solidified and powerful!

Finally, the moment he left seclusion, his Mental Energy was so powerful that it could condense into substance and interfere with the real world! He could even make a cup of water a hundred paces away boil out of thin air with just a thought!

His current comprehensive strength, although his Realm still remained at the Peak of the sixth-tier "Lianzang," far surpassed Martial Artists of the same tier in both the ferocity of his Physical Body and the vastness of his Mental Energy! He was like a seventh-tier monster wearing the coat of a sixth-tier!

However, there was still no relaxation in Gaofeng's heart, because he discovered that he seemed to have encountered an unprecedented, huge Bottleneck.

Whether it was the "Myriad Tribulations Indestructible Body" or the "Myriad Dao Unity Art," they both seemed to have reached a stage-based limit; no matter how hard he cultivated, he could not make any further progress.

He knew this was because he lacked the most critical things—guidance from a famous master, Heaven-Defying Opportunity, and a higher-level Divine-Grade Cultivation Technique capable of supporting him to continue walking this path!

While Gaofeng was in seclusion, his strength undergoing a heaven-turning and earth-flipping transformation, the core team members under his command were not idle either.

Big Fool and Wulu, these two "humanoid Vicious Beasts" who were born with Divine Power and possessed Physical Bodies so strong they didn't seem human, underwent a terrifying transformation that was akin to a rebirth after splitting the Nine Nether Earth Dark Python demon core, which contained vast energy!

The power of Qi and blood within their bodies surged wildly, like a burst dam!

Under the tempering of the immense medicinal power, the strength of their Physical Bodies was forcefully elevated by another level!

Their Martial Artist Realms both broke through their Bottlenecks with unstoppable momentum, successfully stepping into the sixth-tier "Lian Zang" Realm!

Although they had just entered the sixth tier, their terrifying Physical Bodies, comparable to seventh-tier Martial Artists, were enough to allow them to rampage across the battlefield and be invincible!

They officially became the two most top-tier and unreasonable war behemoths under Gao Feng's command!

As for Gong Qianxue, after recovering from her injuries, she received a blessing in disguise. The vast life energy contained within the "Nine Revolutions Life-Prolonging Pill" not only completely healed her injuries but also widened her Meridians several times over!

The residual medicinal power acted as the gentlest catalyst, helping her break through her Bottleneck naturally and also step into the sixth-tier "Lian Zang" Realm!

Gongshu Ban even tailored a brand-new peerless divine bow for this commander of the Divine Archery Battalion!

The divine bow used the extremely flexible Nine Nether Earth Dark Python tendon as the main string, the indestructible "Star Geng Metal" scraps as the main body, and the bow body was engraved with the "Wind Gathering" and "Armor Piercing" dual runes that Gongshu Ban had recently researched!

Gao Feng personally bestowed it with the name—"Star-Falling"!

Combined with the "Soul-Chasing Divine Arrow" obtained from the ancient Legacy, Gong Qianxue could now kill a fifth-tier Peak Martial Artist with a single arrow from a thousand steps away!

Its deterrent power was terrifying and truly shocking!

As for Li Qingyun, the Cangyun Sword Sect Sect Head who had just been subdued, Gao Feng was not stingy. He directly lent him the "Seven Emotions Illusion Heart Stone," which could trigger Heart Demons and temper one's state of mind, for him to study.

Li Qingyun was originally a brilliant Genius of the sword. After experiencing a series of huge blows, his state of mind had already loosened.

Now, with the help of this supreme treasure, he successfully broke through the Heart Demon that had plagued him for many years within a few short months, and his sword Dao cultivation Advanced further, breaking through to the sixth-tier Peak Realm in one fell swoop!

He became completely convinced by Gao Feng, wholeheartedly becoming the undisputed ace and instructor of the "Sharp Sword" unit under Gao Feng, which was specifically responsible for assassinations and decapitation strikes!

And those two seventh-tier terrifying existences underwent even more earth-shattering changes.

Based on the supreme secret technique of "Immortal War Puppet," Gao Feng spent a massive amount of rare Materials obtained from the Tongtian Pagoda to completely refine the seventh-tier Peak Golden-Armored Corpse King, "Iron Guard," into an even more terrifying "Mysterious Gold War Puppet"!

Now, "Iron Guard" not only retained the terrifying combat power of the seventh-tier Peak, but the sturdiness of its Physical Body was also several times stronger than before. It became the most loyal and powerful guardian by Gao Feng's side!

As for the unlucky Demonic Lord Zi Donglai, he was thoroughly refined by Gao Feng into a killing weapon without any self-consciousness—the "Purple Guard."

Although he lost all memories and emotions, the combat instincts and keen intuition for danger belonging to a seventh-tier powerhouse were perfectly preserved.

He was handed over to Xu Changqing by Gao Feng, becoming the sharpest and most hidden dagger within the "Sky Net," the ultimate trump card in Xu Changqing's hand that would make any enemy tremble with fear!

Only when receiving the highest command from Gao Feng, transmitted by Xu Changqing through a special Mental Energy imprint, would he appear from the darkness like a ghost to clear away all stumbling blocks for his master who dared to hinder his hegemony!

It can be said that at this moment, Gao Feng's forces, both in terms of top-tier combat power and core strength, had reached an unprecedented Peak state!

A true Dragon had completed all its accumulations, and it only needed a suitable Opportunity to soar into the sky and roar across the Nine Heavens!

After completing his own strength transformation and the comprehensive upgrade of his core team, Gao Feng did not, as the world expected, rush to throw his battle-hardened army, tempered in blood and fire, into that gamble of "King-Protecting" that would determine the fate of the world.

He was like a peerless fierce tiger that had eaten and drunk its fill, quietly licking its wounds and accumulating strength in its cave.

He was waiting, waiting for the best Opportunity that would allow him to deliver a fatal blow.

During this precious window period, which later historians called "Hidden Dragon in the Abyss," Gao Feng, with unprecedented courage and determination, launched a dual revolution of society and technology across the entire northern border that was enough to subvert the entire era!

The first thing he did was to break the knowledge barrier that had been monopolized by aristocratic families for thousands of years, injecting a continuous stream of fresh ideological water into his new land!

"Transmit my royal decree!"

Inside the Yan Kings Residence meeting hall, Gao Feng's voice boomed like thunder from the Nine Heavens, exploding in the ears of all civil and military officials!

"From this day forward, the first 'Panshi Imperial Examination' will be held throughout the entire Panshi Land!"

"This imperial examination will not ask about one's background, will not distinguish between civil and military, and will not limit geography! Any citizen of the Great Qian Dynasty who considers themselves talented can come to take the exam!"

"Those who pass will be appointed as officials immediately! The top three can even enter my Yan Kings Residence to listen to my personal lectures and discuss state affairs!"

Once the royal decree was issued, the entire northern border instantly boiled over!

Countless ambitious people who had no way to serve the country because of their humble origins saw a glimmer of dawn in the endless darkness after hearing this news, and one by one, they were moved to tears and ran to tell each other!

They never dreamed that this legendary king of the northern border would have such a broad mind to embrace all rivers and such supreme courage to recruit talent without restriction!

However, this move by Gao Feng was like poking a hornet's nest, instantly attracting strong resistance and crazy counterattacks from the remaining aristocratic clans in the northern border!

In their eyes, this move by Gao Feng was tantamount to digging up their ancestral graves and shaking the Foundation they had relied on for thousands of years!

For a time, the public opinion in the entire northern border became turbulent with undercurrents.

A group of corrupt Confucian scholars, led by the Youzhou great Confucian Zhang Wenlin and claiming to be "Disciples of sages," openly submitted a memorial of tens of thousands of words, fiercely criticizing Gao Feng for "dressing up like a monkey, not respecting the sages, and attempting to use martial arts to disrupt literature and shake the Foundation of the country!"

They united all the old aristocratic forces in the northern border who still had fantasies, and spread all kinds of rumors about this imperial examination in various large restaurants and teahouses.

They said that Gao Feng's move "did not respect ancient laws and violated etiquette," and that he wanted to turn all the scholars in the world into his own lackeys and claws!

They even secretly threatened and bribed the scholars from humble backgrounds who were preparing to participate in the imperial examination, making them give up this once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity!

"Hmph! A yellow-mouthed child whose hair hasn't even grown fully! A vulgar Martial Artist who only knows how to kill! How dare he talk about opening an imperial examination and educating the world? It's simply the biggest joke in the world!"

Inside the "Wangyue Tower," the largest restaurant in Ji City, Zhang Wenlin was surrounded by a group of aristocratic youths also wearing Confucian robes. He held a wine cup, talking arrogantly with disdain, drawing a chorus of agreement from those around him.

"Old Master Zhang is right! How can we, the Disciples of sages, compete in the same arena as those mud-legged people? This is simply a great humiliation to us!"

"That's right! I want to see who, besides those idiots who can't even memorize the 'Analects,' will go to humiliate themselves on the exam grounds tomorrow!"

"Hahahaha... Tomorrow, we will bring chairs and prepare melon seeds to watch together how our His Highness the Yan King gets his face swollen by this farce he directed himself!"

The aristocrats laughed loudly, as if they had already seen Gao Feng's disgraced and faceless appearance tomorrow.

However, what they didn't know was that every word and action of theirs had already reached Gao Feng's ears through the channels of the "Sky Net."

"A bunch of clowns who don't know whether to live or die."

Inside the study of the Yan Kings Residence, Gao Feng listened to Xu Changqing's report, and a cold arc curved at the corner of his mouth.

"Since they want to watch a play, then tomorrow, I will personally go on stage and perform a good show for them."

The next day, the day of the formal examination for the Panshi Imperial Examination.

On the largest martial arts arena in Ji City, thousands of neat examination sheds had already been set up.

However, the huge examination ground was deserted and cold.

The students who came to take the exam were only a few hundred at most, and most of them were children from humble backgrounds who were ragged and nervous.

Outside the examination ground, it was already packed with aristocratic youths and ordinary people who had heard the news and came to watch the excitement.

Zhang Wenlin and other representatives of the aristocratic clans even brazenly brought over grandmaster chairs and sat on the high platform opposite the examination ground, sipping tea while pointing at the deserted examination ground, their faces full of undisguised sarcasm and complacency.

Just when they thought they had the victory in their hands and were preparing to see how Gao Feng would end it.

"His Highness the Yan King has arrived—!!"

A long, majestic chant came from afar!

I saw Gao Feng wearing a black royal robe embroidered with a nine-clawed golden dragon, a purple-gold crown on his head, and the sky-splitting star river blade hanging at his waist, surrounded by civil and military officials and five hundred Iron Guards clad in mysterious gold heavy armor, slowly walking towards the examination ground like a supreme god descending upon the world.

Everywhere he passed, whether it was commoners or aristocrats, they were all shocked by the supreme domineering Aura on his body that seemed to trample this world under his feet, and they knelt down one after another, not daring to look directly!

Gao Feng ignored the kneeling crowd, he just walked straight onto the high platform that had been prepared for him, his gaze calmly sweeping over the deserted examination ground below, and the hundreds of scholars from humble backgrounds who became even more nervous and uneasy because of his arrival.