Volume 1, Chapter 41: Brief Fifth-Grade Combat Strength

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The Wedding Dress Divine Art allows the caster to borrow another person's cultivation and internal energy for a short period.

Zhao Wujiang felt Ling Qingxue's palms press against his dantian, channeling her internal energy inward. His own power surged rapidly, and a whirlwind of internal energy roared within his dantian.

Although this internal energy did not belong to him, it propelled him from the Seventh Rank of martial arts straight to the Sixth Rank in just a few steps, continuing to climb until it violently spiked at the Fifth Rank before finally subsiding.

He slowly opened his eyes to see Ling Qingxue drenched in a fine layer of fragrant sweat. Having temporarily lent him her cultivation, she was left entirely weak and limp, falling directly into his arms. He was forced to catch her, filling his arms with soft jade and fragrant warmth.

The initial practice of the Wedding Dress Divine Art had successfully established the connection, and the boost in power was quite remarkable. However, the side effect was equally obvious: the person whose power was borrowed would become extremely weak for a short time.

"Thank you..." Zhao Wujiang said earnestly.

Ling Qingxue, thoroughly embraced and taken advantage of by Zhao Wujiang, breathed heavily and shot him a seductive glare. Clearly intended as a look of annoyance, it was instead brimming with effortless charm.

"How long can you hold out?" Ling Qingxue asked suddenly.

"Normally, starting from an hour," Zhao Wujiang answered solemnly.

Ling Qingxue's expression turned one of astonishment. "That long!"

"Of course, care to try?" Zhao Wujiang invited with a smile, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.

Startled, Ling Qingxue immediately grabbed his hand to stop him, only then realizing that Zhao Wujiang had misunderstood. "What are your chaotic thoughts! I meant how long can this state of the Wedding Dress Divine Art be maintained!"

Zhao Wujiang's current aura had reached at least the Fifth Rank. Theoretically, it was enough to fight Long Zhan, provided Zhao Wujiang could maintain that strength long enough to defeat him.

Zhao Wujiang corrected his tone. "I was also talking about the duration of the Wedding Dress Divine Art. About an hour or so."

[I thought this woman couldn't bear the loneliness of the long night and invited me to spar.]
[What a pity, I didn't get to properly experience it last time.]

Ling Qingxue rolled her eyes at him. This wretched man was all talk with a dirty mind.
To think he was still remembering the time she disguised herself as Li Yunrui and let him take advantage of her!

Suddenly, Zhao Wujiang's aura withered, plummeting right back down to the Seventh Rank.

"It's gone already? Didn't you say an hour?"

Ling Qingxue was left speechless. A man's words truly could not be trusted.
Barely half a cup of tea's time had passed, yet he had bragged about an hour.
At this rate, his cultivation would likely scatter before he could even exchange two blows with Long Zhan.

"Uh..."

[Awkward. How am I supposed to talk my way out of this?]

Too lazy to pay attention to his inner voice, Ling Qingxue grabbed Zhao Wujiang by the waist and commanded him like an elder sister, "Keep practicing! Diligence makes up for clumsiness!"

The long night stretched on...

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Through repeated experiments, Zhao Wujiang and Ling Qingxue grew increasingly proficient in mastering the Wedding Dress Divine Art.

As practice made perfect, the side effects experienced by whichever of them lent their power—whether it was Zhao Wujiang or Ling Qingxue—diminished more and more.

Yet, physical contact was inevitable during the cultivation process.
However, people of the pugilistic world did not sweat minor details, and Zhao Wujiang certainly didn't mind.
It was only Ling Qingxue whose face grew progressively redder.

Meanwhile.
Outside the capital, a courier on a fast horse rode day and night without a single stop. After exhausting thirty-three relay horses, the urgent intelligence from the northern border was finally delivered to the capital before dawn.

With the arrival of the intelligence, the morning court session was convened in a flurry of activity, and the ministers hurried anxiously toward the Hall of Deliberations.

Inside the hall, the voices were loud and chaotic, filled with the discussions of the courtiers. None knew what major event had transpired; could it be that Hansang had once again invaded Great Xia?

Faced with inquiries from his colleagues, the Minister of War revealed no specifics, merely comforting everyone to remain calm and composed. This encrypted secret missive had bypassed his hands and gone directly to His Majesty.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Li Zaiyuan strode into the Hall of Deliberations with the vigor of a dragon, ascended the imperial throne, and cast his gaze down upon the ministers.

The eunuch before the throne read aloud the secret missive from the northern border.

Outside the northern border, the stationed Hansang troops had withdrawn. Because the Hansang Emperor had suddenly died of a severe illness, a new Hansang diplomatic delegation was now hurrying toward Great Xia, hoping to escort back Chiba Hizuteru and the others who were stranded within Great Xia's borders.

The moment this news broke, the ministers who comprehended its meaning burst into hearty laughter or wore expressions of joy, all of them immensely excited.

"What do my beloved ministers think?" Li Zaiyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, his expression majestic.

The ministers offered their opinions.

"Your Majesty, Hansang is a nation that desperately mimics our Great Xia culture, failing to paint a tiger only to end up drawing like a dog, yet harboring boundless ambition. They have finally met with divine retribution! The Hansang Emperor has died, and their grand army has retreated. The trouble in the northern border is resolved!"
"A joyous occasion, Your Majesty, a great joy!"
"Your Majesty, Prince Consort Zhao Wujiang possesses both wisdom and courage. He long ago deduced that Hansang would not dare to invade Great Xia again, and it has turned out precisely as he said!"
"The Prince Consort's foresight is miraculous! Tomorrow happens to coincide with the grand wedding of the Prince Consort and the Seventh Princess. After the wedding, Your Majesty can heavily employ the Prince Consort. This old minister congratulates Your Majesty in advance on unearthing such a talent as the Prince Consort."
"Indeed, Your Majesty, this is joy upon joy, a double blessing! Great Xia is bound to flourish. Put this way, His Highness the Prince Consort is truly a talent destined for Great Xia's prosperity."

Initially, Li Zaiyuan felt quite pleased, right until those cunning old ministers steered the topic toward Zhao Wujiang and began showering him with praise. That immediately soured his mood, reminding him that tomorrow his beloved daughter Li Yunrui would be married to Zhao Wujiang.

He wondered how Long Zhan's preparations were going, and whether he could thoroughly suppress Zhao Wujiang tomorrow to extinguish Zhao Wujiang's ambition to marry Li Yunrui.

Imperial Garden.

"How is it, Father Emperor? Does it look good?"

In the Seventh Princess's manor, Li Yunrui wore a robe of fiery red bridal attire, radiant and peerless. She spun around before Li Zaiyuan, smiling brightly, her eyes curved into crescents of pure delight.

The Empress, dressed in an imperial gown of bright yellow and moonlight white, looked magnificent and regal as she sat to one side. Watching her daughter's joyful appearance, the mother's eyes were filled with smiles.

Having just returned from the morning court with a foul mood, Li Zaiyuan felt his spirits lift considerably upon seeing his beautiful and adorable precious daughter.

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Yet, the more his mood improved because of Yunrui, the more it worsened because of Zhao Wujiang.

"Father Emperor, does it not look good?"

Coming back to his senses, Li Zaiyuan nodded and chimed in,
"It looks good. Yunrui looks good in everything, just like your mother—a face that could topple cities."

"Heehee." The smile on Li Yunrui's pretty face grew even richer.
"Father Emperor, wait a moment. I have another set; I'll go change and show it to you and Mother."

With that, Li Yunrui skipped off toward the inner chambers.

Once Li Yunrui left, Li Zaiyuan's expression slowly sank, his demeanor turning increasingly icy.

Accompanying the sovereign for years and possessing a delicate mind, the Empress had long since guessed some of Li Zaiyuan's thoughts. She asked in a low voice,
"Your Majesty, do you truly accept the child Zhao Wujiang?"

Li Zaiyuan grasped the Empress's hand and said,
"Keep a close eye on Yunrui tomorrow. Do not let her... act recklessly..."

The Empress's slender brows furrowed slightly, but she nodded with a smile, speaking gently,
"Understood."

Regarding tomorrow, anxiety filled her heart.
Most likely, tomorrow would bring changes. Yunrui, Zhao Wujiang, these two children...
Alas.

Li Zaiyuan glanced sideways at the bowed figure of the Head Eunuch, Chen Zhenghua, outside the door, and smiled faintly.
"Go and see how Yunrui is doing with her outfit change."

Knowing the Head Eunuch had important matters to report, the Empress nodded in acknowledgment, rose, and departed.

The Head Eunuch lowered his head and entered the room, whispering into Li Zaiyuan's ear:
"Your Majesty, Long Zhan has been cultivating in his manor these past two days. According to intelligence received, his progress is exceptionally rapid."

"Long Zhan's martial arts talent is very high, entirely to Our liking." Li Zaiyuan pondered for a moment.
"Send the Heavenly Sword as well, and bestow it upon him.
Tell him, tomorrow, do not let Us down!"

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