Xu Ying thought for a moment and said, "You have mixed too many things in your cultivation method. You have the two major secrets of the Yin Court, the incense becoming a god, and the lost cultivation method of the Qi Refiners. You cannot unify them, so problems have arisen. Especially with the cultivation method of the Qi Refiners, you cannot understand it, but you forcefully cultivate it, causing problems. And because you care about your reputation, it has become increasingly serious. Am I right?"

The Holy Martial Emperor's majestic aura leaked out, his dominance and gloominess staring at him without saying a word.

Xu Ying remained calm and said, "The Emperor's gaze can kill. Looking at me like this makes me tremble with fear."

The Holy Martial Emperor couldn't hold back any longer, and his eyes emitted a divine light.

Only two sounds of "chi chi" were heard as two beams of divine light shot out from his eyes, passing over Xu Ying's head and cutting a bronze pillar in the hall into three pieces!

A large piece of the hall's roof was also lifted off, with a neat and fiery red cut.

Xu Ying stood there without moving, showing no signs of fear, and said, "Your Majesty, have you seen the livelihood of Yongzhou?"

The Holy Martial Emperor, seeing him change the subject, thought that he was giving himself a way out, so he eased up and said, "Yongzhou has suffered from disasters, and I am also deeply saddened. I have already ordered the Yongzhou Governor Zhou Heng to help the victims and save the people from water and fire."

Xu Ying showed a disappointed expression and said, "Before the invasion of the Underworld, the common people of Yongzhou were oppressed by the officials. In our Jiang family's village alone, there were people selling their children, people hanging themselves at home, people starving to death or dying on the roadside, and people being arrested and beaten to death in the prison. My adoptive father and grandfather went to catch snakes and were bitten to death by a strange snake."

The Holy Martial Emperor frowned. In the past, when he frowned, the officials would observe his expression and shut up in a timely manner, not wanting to lose face.

Xu Ying continued, "When I entered the hall just now, I smelled the fragrance of medicinal herbs, among which there was the unique fragrance of a dried snake. Today, I learned that the snakes we catch with our lives are offered to Your Majesty for alchemy. It seems that because you opened the two major secrets of the Jade Capital and the Yin Court, there is a conflict of power within you, causing your limbs to spasm, and you need to use the snake to treat it. Heh, my grandfather and adoptive father, they died at the hands of Your Majesty."

The Holy Martial Emperor said indifferently, "The livelihood of Yongzhou has deteriorated to such an extent? I didn't know. Yongzhou Governor Zhou Heng is a member of the Zhou family. If he doesn't do well, I can't control the Zhou family. What can I do?"

Xu Ying ignored him and said, "Your Majesty, with the recent disaster in Yongzhou, new lands have emerged, and many villages have been isolated in the mountains. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. They are trapped in the new lands and are also being invaded by the ghosts of the Underworld. But because the roads are treacherous, the officials cannot collect taxes, so life may be better for them."

The Holy Martial Emperor fell silent for a moment and sighed, "This is the downside of the aristocracy governing the world. My decree cannot even reach the county seat! I ordered disaster relief, I ordered tax exemption, I ordered no conscription, but when it reaches the lower levels, it changes. I have my difficulties!"

Xu Ying looked at him and after a moment, said, "If you can't do it, then step down and let someone else take your place. Why hold on to a position without doing anything?"

The Holy Martial Emperor's expression became indifferent, and suddenly, the clouds above his head turned gloomy, and thunder crackled in the clouds. He was filled with anger.

Seeing this, Xu Ying smiled openly and said, "I can understand Your Majesty. After all, the top is still good, not rotten yet, it's just rotten underneath, the roots are rotten. What went wrong with Your Majesty's cultivation method?"

The Holy Martial Emperor snorted and said lightly, "Even if Zhou Qiyun values you, within ten steps in this hall, if I want to kill you, not even ten Zhou Qiyuns can save you!"

Xu Ying lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am a commoner, and you are the Emperor. Why get angry like an ordinary person?"

The Holy Martial Emperor suppressed his surging blood and exhaled a breath, saying, "You were born in Yongzhou, and if Yongzhou is not doing well, it is normal for you to have some grievances. I won't argue with you. Zhou Qiyun has a broad mind, and so do I."

He took out a golden book, which was also a method of recording cultivation methods of ancient Qi Refiners. Each sheet of golden paper was as thin as a cicada's wings, and when activated by divine consciousness, it floated in the air. Words and patterns were reflected on the golden paper.

Those patterns often contained the essence of the Great Dao, carefully recorded by ancient Qi Refiners, and contemplating them could assist in cultivation.

The cultivation method on this golden book was called "Nine Night Sun God Mysterious Altar Technique," which not only included cultivation methods but also the technique of refining power, refining the Nine Transformation Mysterious Pill of the Sun God.

There were also the Golden Crow Dao Pattern and the Nine Heavens Dao Pattern, which were extremely profound.

Xu Ying quickly skimmed through it and understood the scriptures.

"This 'Nine Heavens Sun God Technique' has no major flaws. It can be cultivated step by step."

Xu Ying pondered and said, "Then, where did the Holy Martial Emperor go wrong in his understanding, leading him to cultivate with the yang energy of human and ghost? Could it be that he mistook pure yang for yang energy?"

At this moment, Xu Ying was no longer the ignorant young man he used to be. He had a general understanding of the techniques of manipulating spiritual energy and knew that there was no concept of pure yang in the technique.

If the Holy Martial Emperor understood pure yang as yang energy, it would indeed be a joke to cultivate with yang energy.Moreover, he opened the secret chamber of the Vermilion Palace, his inner fire was vigorous, and he consumed a lot of spirit pills refined from yang energy. Over time, he became restless.

This is just a deviation in understanding pure yang. There are probably many other deviations as well. When these errors accumulate, it becomes a major problem that threatens his life.

"The emperor is far from being as cautious as Zhou Qiyun. He is too eager for success and progress. If he continues to cultivate like this, in just a few years, he will die a violent death. The true fire will start in his heart chamber and burn him to ashes, leaving only his skin, clothes, and hair."

Xu Ying noticed the problem and said to the Holy Emperor, "Your Majesty, when you opened two secret chambers, did you feel conflicting powers?"

The Holy Emperor said, "When I practice my techniques, I often feel the invasion of power from the two secret chambers. Although my cultivation level is getting higher, my body is getting weaker!"

Xu Ying nodded lightly.

On one hand, the Holy Emperor misunderstood the "Nine Heavens Sun God Mysterious Altar Technique," and on the other hand, this technique could not unify the Vermilion Palace and the Jade Capital, causing conflicts between the Vermilion Palace, the Jade Capital, and his own mana.

In addition, he absorbed the incense power from the mortal world, making it even more difficult to reconcile.

The Holy Emperor was indeed powerful, powerful enough to compete with Zhou Qiyun. But the hidden dangers in his body were much greater than Zhou Qiyun's.

"I can decipher the 'Nine Heavens Sun God' for Your Majesty, so that there will be no risk of demonic cultivation or restlessness after Your Majesty's cultivation. I can also help Your Majesty resolve various imbalances of power and solve Your Majesty's worries."

Xu Ying raised his head and looked directly at the Holy Emperor, saying, "But I need Your Majesty to do one thing."

The Holy Emperor's expression changed slightly and he said, "Is it to govern the world, rectify the bureaucracy, and appease the people, allowing them to live and work in peace and contentment?"

Xu Ying shook his head, "If Your Majesty has the ability to do this, you would have done it in these years of your reign. There would be no need for a commoner to remind you. I only need Your Majesty to do something within your power."

The Holy Emperor laughed heartily and said, "If I cultivate the Qi Refining Technique and achieve immortality, living together with the world, I can easily rectify the world, eliminate the feudal lords, govern the people, and it would be effortless. Advisor Xu, do not underestimate me! I couldn't do it before, but once I achieve immortality, I can do it!"

Xu Ying's heart trembled as he looked at him and silently thought, "Will the Holy Emperor really be a good emperor?"

Although he had such thoughts, he still expressed his wish, saying, "I hope Your Majesty can help me and Yuan Weiyang escape from Zhou Qiyun and survive."

The Holy Emperor smiled slightly and said, "I promise you."

Xu Ying bowed and said, "I also hope to obtain the Dragon Positioning Technique from the Jade Capital's secret chamber."

The Holy Emperor's eyes twitched, but he smiled and said, "Although this request goes against the ancestral law, I, as the ruler, will grant it to you!"

Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Your Majesty, please wait a few days, and I will decipher the 'Nine Heavens Sun God' for you."

The Holy Emperor's gaze softened as he looked at Xu Ying's face and said, "Advisor Xu, I hope you will not disappoint my sincere heart. Not only will I grant you these requests, but in the future, when I achieve immortality, I will also allow you to govern the world! At that time, you will be a dragon among men, surpassing tens of thousands of people!"

Xu Ying put away the "Nine Heavens Sun God Mysterious Altar Technique" and was moved by his words. He said, "I have no desire to hold an official position. I cannot go against my own principles. I take my leave. Oh, by the way!"

As he was about to leave the hall, he suddenly remembered something and turned around with a smile, "Your Majesty summoned Liu Zongyuan, the great man of Yongzhou, to the capital at the beginning of the year. Did he receive Your Majesty's favor?"

The Holy Emperor shook his head and said, "I thought he was a talented pillar of the state, so I summoned him to the palace for a long conversation. But all he did was talk big and propose political reforms. I don't like such people, so I sent him to Liu Prefecture to hold an official position. Do you have any connection with him, Advisor Xu? If you speak up, I can bring him back."

Xu Ying shook his head with a smile and said, "He is an official, how could I have any connection with him? I've only met him a few times."

He turned and left.

The Holy Emperor laughed and said, "I will have Chen Gonggong accompany you. Chen Gonggong, escort Advisor Xu."

"As you command." Chen Gonggong came to Xu Ying's side, bowed, and said with a smile, "Advisor Xu, please."

Xu Ying shook his head and said, "Gonggong, there's no need to call me 'Advisor.' I'm just a fourteen-and-a-half-year-old child who doesn't understand anything."

They walked outside, and Xu Ying saw some fruit trees planted outside the palace, already bearing fruit and emitting a fragrant aroma. However, he couldn't see clearly what kind of fruit it was in the dark.

"Gonggong, what kind of fruit is planted here?" Xu Ying stared at the fruit tree and asked.

"Spring peaches. It's the ripe season, and they taste very sweet. Would Advisor Xu like to try one?"

Xu Ying reached out and picked a spring peach, held it under his nose, and sniffed. The fragrance reminded him of the scent of a beautiful woman, making him feel a little restless.

He broke open the peach, took a look, lost interest, and casually threw it aside, saying, "It's already rotten to the core."

Chen Gonggong quickly picked one, wiped off the peach fuzz on his sleeve, and offered it to Xu Ying with a pleasing smile, saying, "Please try this one again, Advisor Xu!"

Xu Ying shook his head and said, "I'm not interested anymore. By the way, Gonggong, please do not spread the news about the Holy Emperor practicing demonic techniques."

Chen Gonggong was so frightened that he almost dropped the peach.Xu Ying walked towards the phoenix tree on the mountain and muttered to himself, "Now the emperor is absorbing people's yang energy to cultivate, and in the future, when his demonic cultivation advances, he will devour people to cultivate. At that time, the entire palace..."

He shook his head, "I don't know how many people will be eaten."

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Chen Gonggong shivered and hurriedly caught up, whispering, "Mr. Xu, when will the emperor's demonic cultivation advance?"

Xu Ying shook his head, "I don't know. This time I helped the emperor decipher it, at most it can only delay for a while."

He didn't want to say more, so he returned to the Wutong Palace. Without taking off his clothes, he lay down but couldn't fall asleep. After a while, the young man turned over on Fengxian's bed and muttered, "It's hopeless, there's no way to save it."

The next day, Xu Ying didn't wake up until the sun was high. After washing up, he planned to go to the Guo family for breakfast. Qi had already gotten up to do morning exercises, and Da Zhong was not here.

Just as Xu Ying walked out of the palace, he saw Guo Xiaodie standing excitedly in front of the palace. This girl had bruises all over her face and body, obviously she had been cultivating all night!

"I succeeded!" She grabbed Xu Ying's arm and shook it excitedly.

Xu Ying was puzzled, "With such injuries, didn't you use the Cloud Ladder Technique?"

The girl was inexplicably excited, wiping the blood from her nose, and exclaimed, "If I hadn't fallen down with determination, I would never have cultivated the Sword Art! I finally succeeded!"

She shouted and ran towards the distance. Xu Ying seemed to understand something and looked up. He saw Qi and Da Zhong basking in the sun on a phoenix tree branch, and thought to himself, "Qi Ye always fails to learn the Sword Art. Maybe if I push him down, he will learn it."

He started to fantasize, "How majestic would it be for a giant snake to fly with a sword?"

Qi was talking to Da Zhong, "What are you cultivating now? It's too slow here. Let's go to the Chaozhen Taixu Cave to cultivate. Once Ah Ying opens up his three-acre Dao field, the Dao seeds will come in abundance, and the cultivation speed will be as fast as possible. Whether you want to take a bite or not, Lord Zhong, you are foolish..."

Just as he said this, he suddenly got kicked and fell off the tree, letting out a long scream.

Da Zhong was startled and quickly looked over. Xu Ying was looking down under the tree.

There was the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.

"Little pearl, give a law to a lamp, the Han month will not be forgotten."

Xu Ying shook his head, glanced at Da Zhong, and said, "It's a suicide. Right, Lord Zhong?"

Da Zhong quickly said, "It's an attempted suicide! I saw it clearly, he slipped and fell!"

Xu Ying nodded lightly and floated away.

Chaozhen Taixu Cave. Xu Ying sat on Qi's head and continued to cultivate the Taiyi Guiding Technique, while Qi continued to steal the Dao seeds. After a long time, Xu Ying suddenly said, "Yuan brother, yesterday the emperor found me and asked me to decipher a cultivation technique for him."

Yuan Weiyang's body trembled slightly and said, "You are doomed. The emperor has no mercy! If you hand over the cultivation technique, you are doomed!"

Xu Ying's eyes flickered and said, "Who is stronger between Zhou Qiyun and the emperor?"

Yuan Weiyang shook her head and said, "In the past, Zhou Laozu was stronger. But the emperor is strong and powerful. In recent years, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and he has the support of the common people, forming a prosperous cloud. It is difficult to say who is stronger now."

She paused and said, "On that day, you trapped Zhou Laozu, the Holy Emperor, and the Demon Emperor in the Zhenmo Hall. Zhou Laozu and the Holy Emperor were both injured. The injuries on these two masters may not have been caused by the Demon Emperor. But who is stronger and who is weaker, we can't know."

Xu Ying's face remained calm and said, "We will know soon."