I Have A Martial Dao World

The man who broke through to the Innate Realm was named Zhou Zhe, the youngest of the "Seven Disciples of Wudang," just 19 years old, also the nephew of Zhou He.

Zhou He, while helping his nephew stabilize his realm, also revealed a look of great comfort and relief.

Beyond Zhou Zhe, the other six members of the Seven Disciples of Wundang also reaped rich rewards!

Several of them, with profound accumulations, were clearly on the verge of breaking through but refrained from doing so on the spot for the sake of caution.

The Wudang Sect places great importance on Spirit Refining Cultivation, and the higher one's Spirit Refining Stage, the stronger the control over one's own body, naturally leading to greater rewards!

The people of the Wudang Sect suddenly became joyous. Many who saw this secretly thought:

[Now that Wudang has the support of Lord Lu Tian, their fortunes are indeed prosperous, with talented individuals emerging continuously.]

As time went on and the hundred "nuclear fuel rods" were exhausted, not only the Wudang Sect but everyone present benefited greatly.

Even those with the least ability broke through a minor realm, leading to genuine joy for all!

At that moment, as if by unspoken agreement, the banquet attendees all bowed deeply to Lu Yao and Li Pei:

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the feast; thank you, Celestial Lord, for the cultivation; we are eternally grateful!"

Li Pei swept his sleeve, and his surging True Qi burst forth, prompting them to rise:

"Today is indeed a day of celebration; my lords, there is no need for such formalities."

This display of True Qi was clearly that of someone at the No Leaks Stage, and all present could not help but take note!

And when they sensed the faint Indestructible Will contained within, even the Great Grandmasters could hardly hide their amazement!

Zhang Wenda exclaimed in astonishment, "Half-step to Golden Body!?"

The Left Chancellor stroked his beard and chuckled, "Truly, Your Majesty's progress is swift; this is a blessing for the Imperial Court and the happiness of all people."

Half-step to the Golden Body is seen as a prelude to Great Grandmaster, with breakthrough being just a matter of time.

And since The Empress had broken through to the Innate Realm just last year, to come this far in one year, whose merit it was needed no explanation.

Everyone unanimously turned their eyes towards Lu Yao, privately marveling at his generosity to his own backyard.

~~~~~~~~~~

After the attendees had paid their respects, they took their seats, and the banquet continued.

Li Pei, not caring for the usual red tape, quickly proposed nine toasts.

After the ninth cup, the banquet moved on to the segment where the guests came forward to offer their toasts.

Under the guidance of the eunuch Zhang Jin, people came forward one after another according to their status and rank.

The proceedings were simple: the guests offered congratulations on the New Year, and Li Pei provided a few encouraging words in response.

Wave after wave of guests came and went, and Li Pei quickly sensed something amiss—the people coming up to offer toasts were all accompanied by young and beautiful women!

Even the Sect Leader of the Penglai Sect, the Grandmaster known as "Wen Taiji," did the same, bringing his granddaughter Wen Qiaoqiao to the toast.

Wen Qiaoqiao, a candidate for "the most beautiful woman in the martial world," was indeed exceptionally beautiful with almond-shaped eyes and lovely features.

After sharing a drink with Lu Yao, her eyes filled with a watery light as she took frequent glances, seemingly hesitant to speak.

After the grandfather and granddaughter left, the next, from Qingcheng Sect and Yushan Sect, also arrived with women, candidates too for "the most beautiful woman in the martial world."

Miao Ruoxi from Qingcheng Sect was graceful and tender while Ran Qingying of Yushan Sect with her role as Sect Leader, exuded a commanding presence and valiant spirit.

The other powers did not fall short, bringing beauties who were all of exceptional grace, dazzling with their smiles.

The scene suddenly turned into an imperial selection of concubines, infuriating Li Pei to no end.

These people brought their beautiful daughters to the feast with an obvious intention, clearly aiming to entice her man!

However, "arranging marriages and presenting daughters" was an age-old tactic to deepen relationships, and everyone, not wishing to offend Li Pei and her disciple, kept it understated by just bringing them to offer toasts.

If it weren't for Yu Yanmei's firm presence, some would have already played out dramatic gestures like "throwing themselves naked into his arms."

At this moment, Fahua Temple and Baique Temple had finished offering toasts and withdrawn. Fortunately, the monks hadn't caused any trouble.

Only then did Li Pei take a deep breath to calm her mind, but when she turned her head, she found her man staring at the beauty in the center, smacking his lips audibly.

Her face showed no sign of displeasure as she chuckled, "My lord, do you find the beauty to your liking?"

Lu Yao replied cheerfully and nonchalantly, "She's alright, each has their own merits."

Li Pei's smile grew even more congenial, "Do you have a favorite? Your concubine can make arrangements for you to keep her company for the night?"

"Ah? That wouldn't be right..."

"What's wrong with that? Just think of it as some fun~"

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Lu Yao said, "Then should I simply accept with gratitude? The head of Yushan Sect has a rather fine figure..."

"Go to hell!" Li Pei's true intentions were laid bare as she reached out to fiercely pinch the soft flesh on the inside of the lecher's thigh, but even this spot seemed immune to her harm.

Lu Yao quickly tried to placate her, "I'm just joking~ Stop it~ Everyone is watching~"

Their tussle was discreet, and they still wore easy smiles on their faces, causing onlookers to envy this pair of seemingly celestial companions.

Seeing how well Li Pei was taken care of, and witnessing the profound effect of the nuclear fuel rod, the crowd unexpectedly warmed up again to the idea of presenting women to the court.

Zhang Yunshu was even persuading the reluctant Bai Lu repeatedly.

~~~~~~~~~

As each person stepped forward to offer a toast, many who had experienced the stories of the Sacred Heart Institute, the invasion by the Coalition Forces of the Great Powers, campaigns to the Western Frontier, and expeditions to Goryeo, were now seeing Lu Yao again with excitement written all over their faces.

Once the toast ceremony had concluded, Li Pei nodded towards the eunuch Zhang Jin, who was not far away.

Zhang Jin immediately shouted, "By the Empress's command, the imperial martial demonstration shall begin."

There was no surprise among the crowd; through the ages, the importance of the Martial Path was consistently emphasized, and a martial competition always made up the final segment of a national banquet.

Most of the guests remained seated; it was the youth, with youthful fervor written on their faces, who were eager to participate—after all, such entertaining programs were meant for them.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jin took a tray from Li Pei's place and presented it in the center of the hall for all to see:

"By the Empress's edict, the top five performers of both Blood-Exchange and the Innate Realm will be awarded an Ice Jade Ring each~"

Amid the eunuch's dramatic intonation, the cold light from the ten Ice Jade Rings on the tray dazzled people to the point of squinting their eyes.

"It's really an Ice Jade Ring! A divine instrument that assists with Spirit Refining Cultivation!"

"Taking the top five spots... that's 10 in total! Such a grand gesture!"

This item was so coveted that even Great Grandmasters would not feel overconfident; countless bigwigs suddenly stood up, faces showing astonishment!

The atmosphere in the room instantly changed as several who prided themselves on their formidable cultivation set their sights on winning an Ice Jade Ring, descending into the arena to compete.

Some suggested moving the competition outside the palace to the square, to avoid damaging the palace.

However, Lu Yao said, "Don't worry, you all may freely demonstrate your martial skills within the hall."

As he spoke, a spark of electricity flashed in his eyes, and his Divine Thought, filled with Indestructible Will, materialized into a layer of brilliant light that spread across the ground, encompassing an area the size of a basketball court.

The head of Yushan Sect, "Ran Qingying," full of curiosity, extended her steel awl-like delicate finger and jabbed fiercely!

The layer of brilliant light Lu Yao had unleashed was incredibly hard; it remained completely undamaged by her strike!

Ran Qingying was instantly shocked, "Just a casual flicker of light can block my attack!?"

The others were also astonished, approaching to test the barrier, yet unable to inflict any damage to the brilliant light.

Just like when he ignited the nuclear fuel rod with a mere thought, this was a new method of utilizing Divine Thought that Lu Yao had recently mastered, easily capable of stopping attacks from those in the Innate Realm.

By now, eager contenders had already entered the arena to issue challenges, and the spectators were shouting excitedly, creating a highly enthusiastic atmosphere.

Lu Yao glanced at Zhang Wenda, the Prime Minister of the Great Yi Dynasty, who nodded lightly and promptly entered the center to act as the referee, thus ensuring that no lives would be lost during the jubilant festival.