9: Even villains like the enchanting senior sister have their fans.

Coming out of the secret passage, what greeted his eyes was a dusty, cobweb-ridden, dilapidated yet incredibly grand temple.

Above the temple was enshrined a golden statue of a middle-aged man in golden armor, holding a blood-red long sword. On either side were six, making a total of twelve, dusty bronze figures holding spears and halberds, clad in battle armor.

Cao Meng threw the large wooden box, along with the Empress Revered Master, onto the ground.

"What is this place?"

"This is the Martial Temple, a place dedicated to the founding emperor of the Li Imperial Clan. These twelve were the twelve divine generals of the founding era, each a figure of unparalleled Fenghua," Wu Feiyan sighed slightly, "Unfortunately, less than ten years after the founding of the dynasty, these twelve divine generals were all executed by the Li Imperial Clan's Grand Ancestor, and this Martial Temple was subsequently abandoned."

"So that's how it is."

Cao Meng replied lazily. After a short rest, he hoisted the box and the Empress on top of it, kicked open the temple door, and walked out.

Outside the Martial Temple was a dense forest of towering trees.

They had already reached outside the Holy Capital.

No sooner had Cao Meng's figure disappeared than the eyes of all twelve bronze figures inside the Martial Temple lit up. Then, the temple door that Cao Meng had kicked open automatically closed.

~

Night fell. In the dense, dark forest, a tender goat was roasting over a blazing bonfire, charred on the outside, succulent on the inside, and sizzling with oil.

Having toiled all day and been almost completely drained of his true blood by the shen ya sword, Cao Meng took the Empress Master's imperial sword and, under her resentful gaze, cut off pieces of lamb and began to feast.

"Master, here, this is the front leg meat, the tenderest, for you~"

Wu Feiyan glanced at Cao Meng, took the lamb, and chewed it slowly.

Over the past two days, the Rebellious Disciple's consumption was great, but her consumption was also not small.

In just a short while, a wild goat was devoured by Cao Meng like a whirlwind, and he recovered some of his strength.

His gaze shifted, falling upon Wu Feiyan.

Wu Feiyan's expression changed, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes:

"Rebellious Disciple, what do you want to do?"

"Revered Master, you disappoint this Disciple greatly," Cao Meng looked at the Empress Revered Master with a regretful expression, "Didn't Revered Master notice that this Disciple is very weak right now? As Revered Master, shouldn't you help this Disciple Cultivate Qi?"

...The next day, as the morning light first appeared.

Under a giant tree with a canopy like an umbrella, on a warm bed of grass, Wu Feiyan slowly awoke.

Her beautiful, gem-like fox eyes opened to a handsome face just inches away.

The Peerless Empress was stunned for a good while. She had been forced to help the Rebellious Disciple guide his Qi, and a night of hard work had yielded surprisingly good results.

The Rebellious Disciple's panda eyes were gone, and his entire Aura seemed to have improved again.

Moreover, Wu Feiyan's gains from last night's Cultivation were also significant; her Foundation was more solid than ever before.

"This Rebellious Disciple, he's not that annoying after all. Besides, his Pure Yang Sacred Body can help me achieve the Yin-Yang Samsara Heaven-Reaching Art..."

A terrifying thought flashed through her mind and then vanished.

Then~

Bang~ She kicked the Rebellious Disciple in the chest, sending him flying over three meters away.

"Master, you, you ambushed me again!" Cao Meng was sleeping soundly. After being woken by the kick, he looked up with a resentful expression at his Revered Master's raised long leg.

"Evil Disciple, I wish I could kill you!" Wu Feiyan snorted softly.

"Hehe~"

Cao Meng chuckled.

A night of hard Cultivation had actually replenished all the true blood devoured by the shen ya sword.

Moreover, his Cultivation had improved by another notch.

However, the only thing that disappointed Cao Meng was this.

This act of disobedience did not yield any destiny value.

What the hell is this?

A moment later, the Empress Revered Master, dressed in her ethereal, black Fairy dress shimmering with starlight, with her hair in a high crown and her lotus steps swaying gently, walked out from behind the large tree.

"Evil Disciple, where do you plan to escape to next?" Wu Feiyan leaned sarcastically against the big tree.

"Back to the city, to the Eastern Bureau," Cao Meng chuckled.

"To the Eastern Bureau? Are you crazy~" Wu Feiyan was stunned. Shouldn't he be staying far away from the capital? Why would he... Swoosh~

Wu Feiyan was about to say something.

Suddenly, a red fire cloud flew in from the horizon.

"Fire Feather Message?"

Cao Meng's expression changed.

A Fire Feather Message was a technique that only a Saint Realm expert could employ.

Within the Great Zhou, Cao Meng knew of only two Saint Realm experts: one was the old Dean of White Deer Academy, and the other was the old servant beside the Empress Revered Master.

The fire light condensed in front of Wu Feiyan, and a fiery red rice paper appeared before her eyes.

Wu Feiyan took it, and after just one glance, her face changed:

"It's Qingyun Mountain? How could this happen? Who on earth leaked the news..."

"What's wrong?"

Cao Meng snatched the letter, and his expression immediately became wonderful.

It turned out that this was a warning letter. The Revered Master's old servant had gone out to handle some business and was ambushed by a group of powerful cultivators, gravely injured and forced back into his original form, escaping into a dangerous area of the Cloud Dream Great Marsh. He wouldn't be able to return anytime soon.

The old servant's message back wasn't to ask Wu Feiyan to rescue him, but to warn her, because among those who participated in the ambush were experts from the Li Imperial Clan.

"Forced back into his original form? Could it be that Uncle Bai isn't human?" Cao Meng rested his chin on his hand.

This was interesting.

The old servant who had followed the Empress Revered Master for many years and helped her ascend to the throne, was actually a demon?

The reason he wanted to stay away from the Holy Capital was to avoid that old servant.

Now it was good; the old servant wouldn't be back for a while, and wouldn't dare to come back.

In this era, Immortals and demons were emerging, the Dao of Cultivation, which had been in decline for thousands of years, was rapidly recovering, and pre-Qin relics were being unearthed one after another. Most of the Cultivation Techniques and scriptures in the Cultivation world today also came from pre-Qin relics.

Hundreds of years ago, a major Righteous Path sect called Qingyun Mountain appeared in the Vast Mountain Range on the border of the Nine Kingdoms of the Eastern Continent. This sect was detached from worldly affairs, taking it as its duty to slay demons and monsters and maintain the orthodoxy of the Human Race, never getting involved in Jianghu or the imperial court.

Now, the Empress Wu Zhou's trusted minister—the old servant Uncle Bai—had become a demon and was targeted by Qingyun Mountain.

The Empress Revered Master was going to be in big trouble.

Without a Saint Realm expert to oversee things, given her current situation, she probably wouldn't be able to control those unruly individuals.

Wu Feiyan's beautiful face was clouded with uncertainty. After a long while, she said to Cao Meng indifferently.

"Take me back."

After speaking, she sat on the large wooden box next to her, her fox eyes fixed on Cao Meng.

"Alright~" Cao Meng was somewhat speechless, meaning he had escaped for nothing.

He lifted the large wooden box with both hands, then carried the large wooden box and Wu Feiyan into the air.

One could fly after entering the Golden Core Realm, and this was Cao Meng's first time flying.

After a quarter of an hour, Cao Meng, carrying the Empress Revered Master, flew over the towering city walls of the Holy Capital, over the imperial palace, and landed steadily in front of the Empress's sleeping quarters, Pixiang Hall.

As soon as Cao Meng landed, he saw two stunning beauties with completely opposite temperaments in front of Pixiang Hall. These two were Wu Feiyan's two personal Disciples.

Both Disciples, whether in looks, figure, or Cultivation talent, were top-tier existences.

The Eldest Disciple, Qingluan, was a Prodigy of the Sword Dao, with a magnificent demeanor and an equally magnificent figure, no less impressive than Wu Feiyan's. A cyan Immortal dress accentuated her tall, voluptuous physique, and her starlit eyes, as she looked around, were like stars and flowing water.

The Second Disciple, Nether Pupil, was petite and looked pure and lovely, but in reality, her temper was fiery. Above her fiery red boots, her fair and slender legs, accentuated by a fiery red mini-skirt, seemed like a dancing flame.

Especially her eyes, which were like abysses capable of devouring one's soul.

"Oh, Revered Master, where did you find this donkey? It can even fly. Why don't you let me use it too?" Junior Sister Nether Pupil, holding a small fiery red whip, hopped and skipped to Cao Meng's front, playfully scrutinizing him.

"Pfft~"

At the mention of 'donkey,' the Empress Revered Master immediately felt unwell.

She leaped down from the wooden box, almost stumbling and falling to the ground:

"Nether Pupil, don't be rude. From today onwards, Cao Meng is my personal Disciple. He is your proper Junior Brother."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Both Nether Pupil and Qingluan showed a hint of surprise on their faces.

What was wrong with Revered Master today? Had she taken the wrong medicine?

Why was she suddenly so good to Junior Brother? Wasn't she treating him as a tool for nurturing swords before? Now she wanted to take him as a personal Disciple.

Also, how did Cao Meng's Cultivation improve so quickly?

Wasn't he only at the fourth stage of Qi Sea before? How did he reach Golden Core all of a sudden?

While the two Senior Sisters were examining Cao Meng, Cao Meng also took the opportunity to cast an Appraisal Technique on Eldest Senior Sister Qingluan.

[Qingluan: Commander of the Great Zhou's Fire Phoenix Army, bearing the appearance of a divine general, one of the four Disciples of White Deer Academy. Adopted by Master since childhood, a Prodigy of the Sword Dao. A person of Reincarnation, with a Saint Grade peerless technique sealed within her true spirit, not yet Awakened.]

Cultivation: Dragon Elephant Realm, Early Stage.

Talent: Azure Lotus Sword Body [Heaven Grade]: Cultivating the Dao of the sword progresses a thousand miles a day, sword Dao power +200%

Vermilion Bird Sacred Body [Saint Grade] [Not Awakened]

War God [Heaven Grade]: A born divine general, capable of unifying the Aura of three armies when commanding a large force. With the blessing of a hundred thousand soldiers' might, she can slay generals and gods, sweeping all before her.

destiny value: 6321 [Six-fold Destiny Bearer] [Cannot Plunder] [Has a partial karmic entanglement with you]

Thoughts: Why did Revered Master suddenly take Junior Brother as a personal Disciple? Is there some conspiracy involved? No, I must find an opportunity to warn Junior Brother.

The appraisal result before him made Cao Meng feel somewhat surprised.

Firstly, he hadn't expected Eldest Senior Sister's background to be so significant. Not only was there a mysterious Saint Grade Cultivation Technique sealed within her true spirit, but she also had an unawakened Saint Grade Vermilion Bird Bloodline. A six-fold Destiny Bearer, with one Saint Grade and two Heaven Grade talents, she was only slightly inferior to the Empress Revered Master.

Secondly, he hadn't expected that the Eldest Senior Sister, who had always been indifferent to him, would actually want to help him escape... "Could this be why I can't Plunder Eldest Senior Sister? Sure enough, even I, a villain, am loved by someone~" Cao Meng felt a warmth in his heart and then cast an Appraisal Technique on Junior Sister Nether Pupil.