Chapter 621 406: Backed by the Imperial Court
"Do you have something to inform the academy, and you need to meet the Mountain Master?"
Murong Cheng slightly raised his eyebrow and said:
"The Mountain Master's true form has long been absent from Divine Martial Mountain, but he indeed left a True Yuan projection here. Do you have such an important matter that requires his presence?"
"It's very significant, and I apologize for not being able to elaborate further here."
Chen Ku cupped his hands:
"Please, Hall Master, take me to meet the gentlemen and senior members of the academy; I will explain everything to them."
Murong Cheng pondered for a moment.
He looked at Chen Ku again.
Honestly, he was quite curious about Chen Ku's rapid cultivation progress. Moreover, Chen Ku was indeed a rising star among the thousand students of Divine Martial Mountain.
He was also qualified to discuss certain matters with the academy's seniors.
"Alright, I will take you there."
After the two left.
All the other halls were informed of Chen Ku breaking through the Ninth Realm.
The Six Sons of Yan Capital gathered excitedly:
"Brother Chen has reached the Ninth Realm! Such a major event, and he didn't give us any hints!"
"He's unbelievably abnormal!"
Upon hearing the news, Tang Xuan and Sang Hensong, who Chen Ku had challenged and defeated in the Martial Training Camp, were also hit hard.
"Ninth Realm…" Tang Xuan murmured, feeling that he might never escape the shadow of Chen Ku in this lifetime.
.........
In the backyard courtyards of Divine Martial Mountain.
Here is where the teachers of various halls reside. Accompanied by the chime of 'bell tolls,' many hall teachers, and the Vice Mountain Master sent by the Provincial Martial Temple, along with the instructor from General Hall, Zu Dengfeng, all entered the round-table hall one after another.
Upon entering, they saw Chen Ku standing alone in front of the round table.
"I heard from Hall Master Murong that you have a very important matter to report to the Imperial Court and academy."
Zu Dengfeng's position was on the left's first seat, opposite him sat Ying Yunqian, the chief priest of Dragon Abyss Province Martial Temple. Others like the Qianyuan Hall, Yin Yang Hall, and Changgong Palace's hall masters and teachers arrived one after another.
All looked at Chen Ku with curious expressions.
"You broke through to the Ninth Realm?" After asking, Zu Dengfeng instantly sensed the thunderous blood qi surging from Chen Ku and was greatly surprised: "Did you consume some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?"
All hall masters subconsciously had the same thought.
"To report to Master Zu, the matter I wish to report is indeed about this. It is related to the cultivation technique I focused on, named 'Huntian Overlord Body.' It's a technique requiring the collection of Five Elements Yin Yang Spiritual Objects to accelerate cultivation. Not long ago, I heard of a 'Yin God Fruit' in the Five Elements Land, so I applied for leave and went to the Five Elements Land to seek a breakthrough opportunity."
Chen Ku explained the beginnings and then narrated the subsequent events:
"By chance, I indeed obtained the Yin God Fruit, which allowed me to advance my cultivation significantly. However, I also encountered other incidents in the Five Elements Land. There, I met an elder and a youth who competed with me for the Yin God Fruit. Compelled by circumstances, I killed the young man. Later, the young man's Taoist Protector relentlessly pursued me, almost costing me my life. Fortunately, I found a glimmer of hope and, by chance, entered a Heavenly Demon Altar within the Five Elements Land. Unexpectedly, I triggered the Heavenly Demon Ceremony, sacrificing the elder expert chasing me to a Heavenly Demon King, and received a map from the Heavenly Demon King."
After speaking.
Before the hall masters, instructors, and Vice Mountain Masters could fully contemplate the content of his words, Chen Ku directly presented the map with both hands, saying:
"This map is of the 'Shura Martial Treasury.'"
The hall masters were initially pondering Chen Ku's words, especially when hearing about the Heavenly Demon King and Heavenly Demon Ceremony, their faces changed.
But before they could speak.
They saw Chen Ku presenting this map.
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"Shura Martial Treasury map?!"
"Is it the map of one of the Nine Mansions, Three Treasures, Six Collections' Shura Martial Treasury?"
"Is it true?!"
Almost simultaneously, all the hall masters, including the two prominent figures, Zu Dengfeng and Ying Yunqian, stood up straight from their seats, their eyes locked onto the scroll Chen Ku held in his hands.
Chen Ku presented the map, saying: "I don't know if it's genuine. However, the location of the 'Shura Martial Treasury' recorded in the map is indeed real. Given the gravity of this matter and the Heavenly Demon King's reward, I have always felt uneasy. Hence, I wish to offer this map to the Imperial Court and ask all masters and hall heads to decide."
"Let me see!"
Without hesitation, Zu Dengfeng reached out, aiming to seize the scroll from Chen Ku's hands before the other nine sect elders could speak.
The elders and teachers from the nine major sects all showed slight changes in their expressions.
They all wanted to see the map.
The Shura Martial Treasury.
Especially when it's offered willingly; such a rare opportunity stirred everyone's hearts.
But Zu Dengfeng had the authority here.
As the representative sent by the Imperial Court's military, a former Martial Arts Top Scholar and previous right-wing army leader, his cultivation only slightly trailing the Mountain Master Li Shentong, he possessed the Thirteen Realms Shattering Void cultivation, and his combat power was formidable.
Therefore, even if they wanted to be the first to look, they had to yield to Zu Dengfeng.
It was seen that Zu Dengfeng, in front of everyone, unfolded the scroll and looked at it for the better part of a tea moment.
Making the other Hall Masters grow anxious.
"Instructor Zu, how is it? Is it genuine?" asked the Hall Master of Yin Yang Hall.
"From the material and location indicated by this map, it doesn't seem like a forgery."
Zu Dengfeng, with an extremely grave expression, immediately rolled up the scroll, looked at the Chief Priest of the Provincial Martial Temple, currently the Vice Mountain Master, and said:
"Main Priest Ying manages a Provincial Martial Temple, knowledgeable and well-versed in the history of various nations. You take a look."
He handed the scroll over to Ying Yunqian.
All Hall Masters had to once again endure their inner impatience.
Ying Yunqian, the head of the Provincial Martial Temple system, although his cultivation ranks outside the top ten within Divine Martial Mountain, his identity and status were almost above everyone else, indeed as Zu Dengfeng mentioned.
He manages the Martial Temple, which holds all sorts of intelligence and Heaven and Earth Fragments from past dynasties, knows many ancient wars, ancient secrets.
Ying Yunqian also took the scroll.
Studied it carefully.
Another half tea moment.
Finally, as if seeking confirmation, he reached out a hand and tapped the map, causing blood-red threads to appear on it.
Upon seeing these blood threads, this elderly Provincial Temple Chief Priest nodded gravely in confirmation, saying:
"This map is at least eighty percent genuine, at least its material indicates it has a history of three thousand years, and the material is 'Shura Skin' used exclusively by the Shura Country people back then."
"Main Priest…shouldn't we also take a look?" At this moment, seeing Ying Yunqian had finished looking, the expressions of the other Hall Masters became alive as they all spoke up: "May we?"
Yet, Ying Yunqian exchanged a glance with Zu Dengfeng at this point, did not respond, but looked towards Chen Ku, seemingly intentionally shifting the topic while simultaneously pointing out Chen Ku's previous evasive statement.
Ying Yunqian slowly opened his mouth to ask:
"Chen Ku, you seemed to intentionally hide the identities of the elderly and young who pursued you just now? Is it inconvenient to speak? Or have you offended someone?"
"This disciple dares not."
Chen Ku cupped his hands, his face normal, and slowly said:
"To tell the truth, the elderly and young who clashed with this disciple and were subsequently killed by this disciple, claimed to be from 'Fighting God Palace.'
Hearing Chen Ku mention the identities of the elderly and young as if in passing.
The expressions of the Hall Masters present could not hold and they exclaimed:
"Fighting God Palace?!"
"Fighting God Palace!!"
"Is it the Hua Qingyun and Jin Xun from Fighting God Palace who recently came to trial near Yan Capital?"
The cooperation between the nine major sects and the Imperial Court to establish Divine Martial Hall in the vicinity of Yan Capital was well-informed, let alone knowing of Hua Yuexian's disciples from Fighting God Palace coming for trials here.
"Did you really kill Hua Qingyun from Fighting God Palace?" asked the Hall Master of Yin Yang Hall, hoarsely.
Chen Ku cupped his hands and said, "That young man indeed claimed to be Hua Qingyun."
Silence.
The atmosphere inside the great hall suddenly became very silent.
Martial Arts Holy Lands, only seven nationwide, with historical heritage spanning five dynasties, couldn't be compared to any of the nine major sects.
The present-day Fighting God is a Fourteen Realms existence.
Chen Ku seemed expressionless but was actually observing everyone's reaction.
He noticed that Zu Dengfeng and Ying Yunqian, indeed upon hearing mention of Fighting God Palace, their pupils slightly contracted, but immediately, they focused their gaze simultaneously on the 'Shura Armory' in hand.
Finally, Zu Dengfeng spoke in a serious tone:
"Chen Ku, I ask you, if those you killed weren't from Fighting God Palace, would you still be willing to hand this Shura Armory over to the Imperial Court?"
This question almost directly pointed out and revealed Chen Ku's intention to use the Shura Armory to have the Imperial Court support him.
Chen Ku answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Of course, but please allow this disciple to speak the truth; the reason is this disciple believes a treasure like the Shura Armory is not something a person like this disciple can explore and master alone, moreover, this disciple does not trust the Heavenly Demon King but trusts the Imperial Court."
Zu Dengfeng listened to Chen Ku's straightforward words and for a moment said nothing.
Chen Ku continued, "At the same time, this disciple doesn't feel that as a Martial Master of Daji and a member of Divine Martial Academy, this disciple needs to pay anything to gain the Imperial Court's backing."
"Well said!"
Zu Dengfeng seemed moved, suddenly slapped the table and shouted:
"You yourself belong to the Imperial Court, have the Imperial Court's titles, and are currently the most excellent student of Divine Martial Academy. You need not fear Fighting God Palace; the Imperial Court will naturally stand for you. If people from Fighting God Palace come, let them come, you have the Imperial Court behind you!"
Chen Ku took a deep breath, knowing his guess was correct, regardless of any situation, his identity as a Martial Master of Daji and a student of Divine Martial Academy is an issue of Ji Country's dignity.
The Imperial Court would not because of Fighting God Palace do something self-disrespecting, stepping on national prestige and honor.
"The disciple thanks the Instructor." Chen Ku bowed.
Zu Dengfeng stood up directly and said, "Alright, this matter, I and Main Priest Ying need to discuss with Mountain Master Avatar, once there is a result, other Hall Masters will be informed."