A goddess dwells in my heart.

Chapter 15 The Empress Arrives

The goddess's voice drifted over, clear and cold: "You have a real talent for provocation."

Lu Zheji innocently replied in his mind, "Is it my fault? I don't even remember his name."

That Liu guy just now had a face as black as the bottom of a pot, but he stubbornly held back in front of the instructor. He just gritted his teeth and used extremely tactful words to express that he would do his best to treat this martial arts exercise well.

The goddess asked, "You've agreed so readily? Are you confident you can defeat him?"

Lu Zheji said confidently, "No, I'm not kidding."

That person was at the peak of the second realm, while Lu Zheji, even with the help of the goddess, still had improved his cultivation but was still in the early stage of the second realm.

The demonic transformation of your heart barely raised his blood and qi to the level of a mid-stage second-realm body cultivator. With the added bonus of the narrow path sword fight, his paper strength is still some distance from the peak of the second realm. I estimate it's about 40/60.

In terms of martial arts, his predecessor was considered quite good among his classmates, while that other person was top-notch. Now that Lu Zheji has awakened his powers, his martial arts have improved considerably, and before they have even tested each other, he can't say for sure who is better.

Overall, that Liu guy has a higher chance of winning.

but……

"That person can't even be considered a genius. If he possessed the Sacred Body, could he bridge the gap between the early and peak stages of the Second Realm?"

Neither of them knew the answer to this question, but the goddess understood his meaning: even though his life was no longer in danger, he still wanted to prove that he was no less than the Holy Body.

Lu Zheji looked at the statue outside the window and thought to himself:

"By living off you and Junior Sister, I have no worries about the future. I am not in any danger of losing my life in the academy competition. If I lose, I will only lose some face."

"If I'm going to be timid and hesitant in the face of such risks, then what ambition do I have to reach the summit?"

Outside the window, the statue standing in the central square of the academy is of a young man holding a sword and slaying the sky. He has handsome features and sharp eyes, as if he wants to pierce the heavens.

This person was the second ruler of the Great Wei Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Wei, and also the grandfather of Lu Zheji in his current identity.

After forming an alliance with the goddess, Lu Zheji learned some secrets that were completely different from those recorded in the academy.

Emperor Wu entered the seventh realm too early and left no offspring. The current Lu family is nothing more than the cats and dogs of the family who rose to power after Emperor Wu.

There was only one exception: the lineage of Emperor Wen, which also deserved its own page in the family genealogy.

When Lu Zheji first transmigrated, he wondered: when the founding monarch of a dynasty has a notorious reputation, what is the legitimacy of the royal family's rule? And how can the people's hearts be maintained?

The answer is simple: the Lu royal family had another founding ancestor who could serve as their banner.

Emperor Wen was Emperor Wu's distant cousin and the second most important figure in the founding of the Great Wei Dynasty. His civil and military achievements were impeccable, unlike his elder brother who had a long history of misdeeds. He was a truly perfect figurehead.

Like Emperor Wu, Emperor Wen also lacked spiritual roots. After all, the Lu family back then could hardly be considered a family of cultivators; they were merely a local clan.

Lacking talent for cultivation, Emperor Wen also chose to become a scholar, but being truly talented, he chose the path of entering officialdom through the imperial examination.

His academic achievements weren't particularly high; he only passed a minor examination and became the top scholar. Later, he returned to his hometown and became a prefect.

Incidentally, scholars at that time generally practiced martial arts, and Emperor Wen was said to be quite skilled in combat.

Lu Zheji had little concept of the upper limit of combat power for ordinary martial artists, but historical records only mentioned Emperor Wen's martial arts skills during his mortal years in one sentence—

"It can even make a sword immortal lower his head."

Damn it, it's been hanging for ages and it's never been turned off, huh?

If the story ended here, then Emperor Wen would be nothing more than an anecdote that the mountain dwellers marveled at during their leisure time of cultivation, and after a hundred years, he would ultimately be nothing more than a handful of dust.

Emperor Wen's true legend began with the invasion of the demon race.

At that time, the country was shattered and the people were in dire straits. Emperor Wen, as the governor, led the army and the people in a desperate resistance, but he ran into the Dragon Emperor, the strongest of the demon race. His army was crushed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and the Lu clan was almost wiped out.

With the country destroyed and his family ruined, it is unknown what Emperor Wen's state of mind was at that time. All that the world knows is that he angrily cleaved the heavens with his sword in front of everyone.

The moment he drew his sword, he entered the Dao through the sword, stepping into the seventh realm.

The dragon, its life force extinguished, fell to the earth.

At that time, Emperor Wen was only twenty-nine years old, still considered a young man in the cultivation world.

At the age of twenty-nine, he reached the seventh realm, a mortal who ascended to the seventh realm in one step. This is a unique case in the tens of thousands of years of human history.

However, while entering the seventh realm sounds impressive and is indeed impressive, the first six realms of the seven-realm cultivation system, which the human race has developed over tens of thousands of years, are not merely for show.

You won't be full if you only eat the seventh steamed bun.

Emperor Wen paid a price for this. Even though he later became a quasi-emperor, his lifespan was incomparable to that of ordinary seventh-level cultivators. No matter how many rare and precious materials he used to prolong his life, he only lived to six hundred years old before passing away peacefully.

This also foreshadowed the current predicament of the Great Wei.

During Emperor Wu's reign, Emperor Wen was the regent who handled state affairs on his behalf and was also the crown prince with the first right of succession. However, the two later had disagreements, and Emperor Wen chose to retire to the mountains.

After Emperor Wu's death, Emperor Wen was invited to take charge. He ascended the throne and reached a peace treaty with the sects represented by the second-generation goddess. Through these repairs, the Great Wei Dynasty was able to avoid its demise after only two generations.

Emperor Wen, a powerful figure of his time, was able to barely control the power of the sects during his reign, but after his death, his successors lacked his prestige and ability.

Emperor Wen's eldest son died a violent death before ascending the throne. Taking advantage of this, the Goddess Palace supported a member of the royal family to ascend the throne, thus opposing Emperor Wen's lineage.

After a power struggle, no one emerged victorious, and the Great Wei was divided in two.

In principle, it was still one Great Wei, but this Great Wei had two emperors who ruled separately, and people called it the Northern and Southern Wei.

In fact, it's more complicated. Overall, it's still within the framework of one country, and officials on both sides acknowledge each other's views. However, whether their words are effective depends on the situation.

The Southern Wei royal family of Chang'an was a puppet regime supported by the Goddess Palace, so this half was dominated by sectarian forces.

Emperor Wen's lineage continues to rule the Northern Wei, and the current emperor of the Northern Wei is Emperor Wen's grandson, and by seniority, Lu Zheji's cousin.

Therefore, the Lu imperial family was not as insignificant as Lu Zheji had previously misunderstood. Although they had declined, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The reason why the empress dared to disrespect the Southern Wei emperor was because the Lin family was originally a powerful force in the Northern Wei.

As for why the head of the Lin family, a high-ranking official in the Northern Wei Dynasty, became the Empress of the Southern Wei Dynasty, Lu Zheji could not know the answer.

It doesn't seem like he's preparing to defect, because in Lu Zheji's memories of the Southern Wei empress, she still stands on the side of the Northern Wei.

As he was pondering this, his gaze suddenly caught sight of a figure.

The main character has arrived.

The crowd slowly surged in from the end of the corridor, and the woman in the center was surrounded by a nine-phoenix crown and a brocade dress with gold trim, the flowing skirt like clouds spreading on the ground.

The woman's beauty was unparalleled, yet her expression was cold and aloof, as if keeping everyone at arm's length.

The dress's cut perfectly accentuated the curves of her waist, while upwards, the empress's bosom supported the most luxurious arc of the fabric.

She possesses unparalleled beauty and grace.

She was Lin Xiwei, the Empress of Southern Wei and the head of the Lin family.

The Empress's arrival was not a grand affair, nor were the students of the academy made to come out and greet her. It was as if she were just an interviewer, no different from the elders of other sects.

However, her graceful and elegant figure and domineering aura made her stand out in the crowd, like a phoenix that had mistakenly entered the mortal world.

Just then, the cold and aloof empress seemed to sense something. She slightly turned her head and glanced in the direction where Lu Zheji was.

Lu Zheji quickly bowed his head in greeting, which was met with a slight nod from the Empress.

"It seems she still remembers you," the goddess said calmly from the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

Lu Zheji said smugly, "Who would forget someone as handsome as me?"

……

The "classroom examination" (堂试) is, as the name suggests, an interview conducted in a school.

There weren't many people waiting to take the exam. Those who could be admitted to the academy were already outstanding talents, and it was unlikely that they would fail.

Not all of the spoiled young masters who were forced into the sect wanted to join. In the end, only about twenty students participated.

Lu Zheji waited under the eaves outside the school.

Between the opening and closing of the doors, students who had finished their interviews would occasionally emerge. Some looked normal and walked briskly, while others looked dejected and mournful.

As soon as a richly dressed playboy stepped out the door, he pulled his waiting companion away quickly, complaining in a low voice.

"The Empress has such a cold personality, she must be under a lot of pressure."

"You can argue with that, my legs went weak when I went in..."

"Shh, keep your voice down!"

Finally, it was Lu Zheji's turn.

"Next test, Class A, Number Two, Lu failed miserably."

Lu Zheji straightened his clothes and stepped inside, with Liu Changtian following closely behind.

The school was simply furnished. A long table was placed at the head of the room, behind which sat several examiners from various sects and the imperial court. Physicians from the academy were also waiting nearby, and Su Wan Ning was among them. She waved to him cutely when she saw him arrive.

As expected, Empress Lin Xiwei sat in the main seat, adorned in a phoenix crown and flowing robes, her expression aloof and elegant. She was holding a teacup and sipping her tea slowly and deliberately.

To Lu Zheji's surprise, there was another figure sitting next to the Empress in the main seat.

The woman wore a gorgeous, fiery red dress, her figure alluring. She rested her chin on one hand, while idly playing with a strand of her dark hair that fell across her chest with the other.

Her stunningly beautiful face was in no way inferior to the empress beside her, who was of unparalleled beauty. At this moment, a faint smile played on her lips as she cast a playful glance at Lu Zheji.

It was Yin Siyue, the Grand Elder of the Moon Guard, who had interrogated Lu Zheji in the quiet room on the first day after his awakening.

Wait, what's this guy's status? Can he sit on equal footing with the Empress?

Suppressing his doubts, Lu Zheji was the first to bow and pay his respects to the Empress:

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."

Unlike Liu Changtian, who was kneeling and bowing respectfully at this moment, the light gesture of cupping hands was a privilege of the Lu royal family. No one in the Great Wei was qualified to ask them to kneel, not even when facing the emperor and empress.

The Empress's cold and aloof expression seemed to soften slightly. She put down her teacup, her gaze falling on Lu Zheji, and said gently, "No need for formalities."

With the goddess's reminder and description, Lu Zheji recalled that he had met the empress three years ago. It was just a brief encounter in Chang'an, where she summoned him for a few pleasantries.

I had met her a few times before. After all, we were both from noble families in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and our fiefdoms were adjacent. I guess I might have even been held by this Empress when I was a child...