Chapter 486

(PS: Let me say something: Why does the protagonist clearly look like he could win against the opponent in a few blades, but insists on fighting so many moves, appearing not crushing enough?

Putting aside writing techniques, plot foreshadowing, etc., let's just talk about logic: the protagonist's current opponents all have divine abilities, and there are all kinds of divine abilities. Without figuring out the opponent's trump cards, if the protagonist rashly "explodes blood" to attack, there is a possibility of flipping the car:

For example, Li Fei consumes 1000 blood souls to use 【Blood Rage】 right from the start, and then consumes 4000 blood souls to use the 【Refining Matter】 divine ability to convert into power, thinking, "I'm going to kill you in one blade!"

As a result, the opponent has a counter-damage divine ability like 【Thorn Shield】, and other divine abilities used to strengthen 【Thorn Shield】, enhancing counter-damage ability. Li Fei consumes 5000 blood souls and slashes down, only to be counter-damaged by 4000.

Oh, the protagonist killed himself in one blade~)

Li Fei flew directly back to Datong Prefecture using the wind-riding technique and returned to the Senior Bian mansion.

Senior Bian Senior Bian Jingru, who was waiting for news nervously in the mansion, immediately greeted him with a concerned face:

"Marquis, are you okay?"

Li Fei described the battle result lightly.

After hearing it, Senior Bian Senior Bian Jingru didn't feel much joy, but instead looked worried:

"If the Xiao family wants to intervene in this matter, then things will be difficult to handle. After all, even if the case we have in hand is reopened, it can at most let the Lu family abandon one or two core characters, but it's impossible to convict Lu Lu Wenzheng, as for Xu Jing..."

A Grandmaster, not to mention whether he can be convicted, even if he could really be convicted based on Shangguan Xiao's case, it's impossible for Xu Jing to be sentenced.

A Martial Arts Master can basically be exempted from most criminal penalties, let alone a Grandmaster?

At most, it's just making up for their crimes.

So the case is just a lead, and the struggle between Li Fei and Lu Lu Wenzheng and Xu Jing ultimately depends on how both sides wrestle.

Now that the Xiao family, this behemoth, suddenly intervened, it put huge pressure on Senior Bian Senior Bian Jingru!

He and Li Fei are allies now, but if he were asked to deal with the Xiao family to help Li Fei, he would definitely be unwilling.

"Xiao Ji Xiuyong can't represent the Xiao family yet; let's wait and see."

Li Fei said indifferently.

Afterward, he chatted with Senior Bian Senior Bian Jingru for a while, said goodbye, and went to Wuan University.

To avoid being watched, he landed directly on the small mountain where Shi Caiming lived using the wind-riding technique.

Shi Caiming seemed to have expected him to come, having prepared wine and cups in advance, and also prepared chairs, while he himself lay on a lounge chair smoking leisurely.

"Principal, I'm back."

Li Fei landed beside Shi Caiming and said softly, "I brought you wine."

After Hao Yi and Shangguan Xiao passed away, besides his family, only beside this bald principal could he feel the care from an elder.

Shi Caiming glanced at the wine he was carrying and smiled:

"How was the fight?"

Li Fei sat down, took the initiative to open the wine he was holding, poured it for Shi Caiming, and then roughly described the process of his fight with Xiao Tao.

"Hmm."

After listening, Shi Caiming nodded, "Xiao Tao, this person is even older than me. When I first broke through to become a Martial Arts Master, he was already a four-ability Martial Arts Master, high-spirited and arrogant, determined to break through with seven abilities. But now, I've been a Grandmaster for so many years, and he's still a Martial Arts Master."

Saying this, he picked up the wine Li Fei poured and took a sip, his eyes lighting up:

"Wine specially supplied to the palace?"

Li Fei nodded; he specifically asked the Crown Prince for this wine before leaving Lanling City.

When the Crown Prince heard it was for him, he waved his hand and told him to take whatever he wanted.

Li Fei brought six boxes of wine this time when he returned by flying boat.

"Someone will send the rest to you later."

"Not bad, not bad, you kid have a heart."

Shi Caiming laughed.

Afterward, he talked about business:

"Your path of combining law and martial arts is different from Lin Lin Tianyi's. He broke through to become a Grandmaster with three abilities, then broke through to become a top-level True Person with three abilities, and then combined law and martial arts. Your next breakthrough, I'm afraid, is to combine the divine abilities of both law and martial arts to break through, right?"

Li Fei nodded; he had roughly told Shi Caiming about his Flying Sword Body situation before, and with the other party's realm, it wasn't difficult to infer his breakthrough method.

Shi Caiming looked at him and said sternly:

"Then you must think clearly, don't become the next Xiao Tao!"

Xiao Tao wanted to break through with six abilities but could never do it, and could only be trapped in the realm of Martial Arts Master for life.

Li Fei wanted to combine three art-type divine abilities and three martial arts-type divine abilities to break through together, and the difficulty would only be greater than Xiao Tao's.

Even more difficult than a normal seven-ability breakthrough!

If Li Fei were walking the same path of combining law and martial arts as Lin Lin Tianyi, Shi Caiming wouldn't be so worried, after all, Li Fei's talent shown now was stronger than Lin Lin Tianyi's back then.

Since Lin Lin Tianyi could walk through it, Shi Caiming believed Li Fei could definitely do it too.

But what Li Fei wanted to walk was a path that had never been walked before!

No one had ever tried it like him, so Shi Caiming couldn't help but worry.

If possible, he actually really wanted to persuade Li Fei to lower the difficulty and try to break through with two martial arts abilities and two art abilities.

But looking at Li Fei's determined eyes, he knew he couldn't persuade him.

Li Fei felt Shi Caiming's worry, and he smiled:

"Don't worry, I have a plan in mind."

Shi Caiming sighed and lowered his head to drink.

"Principal, tell me about Xiao Tao's divine abilities."

Li Fei suddenly said.

This time, fighting Xiao Tao gave him some inspiration, making him want to understand deeply.

"I can only confirm three of his divine abilities, 【Bodhi Image】, 【Dragon Elephant】, and 【Offering Incense】."

Shi Caiming explained these three divine abilities to Li Fei one by one.

"【Dragon Elephant】!"

After hearing the effect of this divine ability, Li Fei's eyes lit up.

Increasing base power tenfold, this effect was too tempting!

Through Shi Caiming's explanation, Li Fei learned:

Instantaneous explosive power wouldn't be counted in the "base," for example, using Vajra Seal · Dragon Elephant to increase one's own power by one fold instantly, then using the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability, the subsequent Dragon Elephant power blessing would still be calculated based on the original power.

And after using the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability, it wouldn't work to continue using martial arts like Vajra Seal · Dragon Elephant to continue increasing power.

Divine abilities can bless martial arts, but martial arts cannot bless divine abilities.

So Xiao Tao practiced many martial arts that could permanently increase power and temporarily increase power.

As long as the temporarily increased power hadn't disappeared during the time the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability was blessed, it could be counted in the "base."

This meant that Li Fei's 【Blood Rage】 could also be blessed by the 【Dragon Elephant】 divine ability!

"First use 【Blood Rage】, then use 【Dragon Elephant】, power increases tenfold?"

The more Li Fei thought, the more tempted he became.

However, what needed to be considered was the body's bearing capacity.

Even if he was a Flying Sword Body and had been specifically strengthened by the "Analysis" Dao rule, he still couldn't bear power limitlessly.

"My martial arts-side divine abilities already have 【Mixed Heaven Golden Palace】 and 【Refining Matter】, if I add another 【Dragon Elephant】, the quota for three divine abilities will be full, and I can't consider divine abilities like 【Bodhi Image】 anymore, I can only consider from the art-side divine abilities."

Li Fei thought to himself.

Originally, he had a plan for his divine ability combination.

But after seeing the "Path of Force" displayed by Xiao Tao today, he was considering whether to modify his plan.

However, this wasn't something he could change just because he wanted to, and whether the next divine ability of martial arts could choose 【Dragon Elephant】 also needed to be carefully considered.

The reason was very simple: divine abilities are Dao rule fragments; if two completely incompatible divine abilities are used, they can't be pieced together.

For other Martial Arts Masters or True Persons, as long as they determined their future path, the combination of divine abilities was basically determined, because predecessors had already explored which divine abilities could be combined to form a certain Dao rule.

But Li Fei's situation was different.

He wanted to piece together martial arts divine abilities and art divine abilities directly, and this combination method was unprecedented!

Even Lin Lin Tianyi combined the Martial Dao Domain and the array, without directly using divine abilities for combination.

So no one could tell Li Fei which martial arts divine abilities and which art divine abilities could form a combination and piece together a complete Dao rule.

He had no "answer" to copy, and no secret manual to follow directly.

The only thing that could be confirmed was: martial arts divine abilities and art divine abilities could indeed be combined to form a Dao rule, otherwise Lin Lin Tianyi wouldn't have been able to reach the top back then.

This was also the reason why Li Fei had to get Lin Lin Tianyi's notebook.

The other party's "answer" could allow him to draw lessons from it, thereby gaining inspiration.

"After getting that notebook, I'll study it carefully."

Li Fei made a decision in his heart.

Originally, he also planned to use the art-type implants in Wuan University's inventory to continue cultivation, but now he had to stop temporarily.

Because the art-type divine abilities he was going to condense next might change.

Currently, Li Fei had already incorporated six art-type implants; he specifically chose to build the "frame" first, and then fill in the "core" at the end.

So as long as the remaining six art-type implants hadn't been determined, the art-type divine abilities he was going to condense still had room for change.

After chatting with Shi Caiming for a while and asking some questions, Li Fei stood up and walked toward the two tombstones not far away.

These were the tombstones of Hao Yi and Shangguan Xiao; Li Fei brought the ashes of the two back here and buried them here.

With Shi Caiming watching, he could ensure the two wouldn't be disturbed.

Li Fei held the wine, came to the two tombstones, knelt on one knee, and sprinkled the wine on the ground.

He looked at the tombstones, his gaze gentle, and muttered:

"Master, Mistress, wait a little longer."

Haiyue Province.

Changliu City.

The ancestral home of the Xiao family, one of the "Ten Great Clans," was located here.

It wasn't because this city was named "Changliu" that the Xiao family was called the "Changliu Xiao family."

Rather, it was because the "Changliu Xiao family" existed first that this city was named Changliu City.

The history of the Xiao family was even longer than this city!

Xiao Mansion.

The nine-fold hanging flower gates opened one after another, and the bronze taotie-patterned incense burner was swallowing and spitting out agarwood smoke.

A maid holding a gilded and silver-inlaid lacquer box passed through corridors and finally handed the lacquer box in her hand to an old butler.

The butler checked the lacquer box, and after confirming there were no problems, held the box with both hands and came to the outside of a study.

He stood at the door and bowed slightly, saying softly:

"Third Master, there is a telegram, sent back by Xiao Tao."

Inside the study, a middle-aged man wearing a jade crown, dressed in a white silk-threaded gold-inlaid outer robe, with a goatee, and a scholarly demeanor, was writing with a brush.

His name was Xiao Ruihang, the third younger brother of the Xiao family head.

The Xiao family head was in seclusion cultivating the art of health preservation, and many matters of the family head's line were temporarily managed by him.

After hearing the words outside the door, Xiao Ruihang still unhurriedly finished writing this piece of calligraphy, then put down the brush.

A maid waiting on the side immediately handed him a hot towel to wipe his hands.

After wiping his hands clean, he walked to a chair on the side and sat down, and another maid handed him hot tea, which he drank slowly for a few sips.

After doing all this, he finally opened his mouth to let the butler present the telegram.

Taking the telegram from the box, Xiao Ruihang looked at it casually for a few times, then frowned slightly, his expression becoming serious.

He read the telegram in his hand several times before putting it down slowly.

He knew that Lu Lu Wenzheng invited Xiao Ji Xiuyong to meet.

He also knew that Xiao Ji Xiuyong went to talk to Li Fei.

He tacitly approved of Xiao Ji Xiuyong's behavior.

But unlike Xiao Ji Xiuyong's considerations, whether it was the benefits Lu Lu Wenzheng promised or winning the Lu family over to the Crown Prince's side, none of these were what he cared about.

What he truly cared about was Li Fei, this person!

Borrowing this conversation, he wanted to see Li Fei's attitude.

The Crown Prince was supervising the state, and Li Fei was appointed as a "Gu Ming Minister," so whether now or in the future, the other party would occupy an important position in the imperial court!

And as the Crown Prince's maternal family, the Xiao family was the Crown Prince's strongest backing, so how to maintain a relationship with Li Fei became a problem the Xiao family couldn't avoid.

Offending and forming a grudge were naturally undesirable.

But what if the Xiao family and Li Fei had a conflict of interest in the future?

So Xiao Ruihang wanted to see Li Fei's attitude through this probe.

Xiao Ji Xiuyong was a young man after all and hadn't mastered much real power, so he couldn't represent the Xiao family for the time being. Letting the other party probe could have a lot of room.

And this matter wasn't a direct conflict of interest between the Xiao family and Li Fei.

The scale could be said to be grasped very well.

Now, Xiao Ruihang saw Li Fei's attitude.

"It's really not surprising."

Xiao Ruihang shook his head with a smile:

"Take my hand order to the Library Pavilion, and make a copy of that notebook left by Lin Lin Tianyi back then. Also, go to the Treasure Pavilion and take three Level 6 protective garments, and take ten bottles of Spirit Heart Pills. Have someone send these things to Marquis Jing'an using a flight artifact."

"Yes, Third Master."

The butler took the order and left.

Xiao Ruihang not only decisively gave Lin Lin Tianyi's notebook to Li Fei but also took the initiative to send three Level 6 protective garments and ten bottles of Spirit Heart Pills that could help martial artists "return to one"!

These things, even if Li Fei couldn't use them, he could give them to his subordinates, all of which were treasures that had a market but no price.

Xiao Ruihang knew that the Crown Prince would soon learn of the events in Datong Prefecture.

The Crown Prince would also learn of his sending things to Li Fei.

He had already seen Li Fei's attitude.

Now he wanted to see the Crown Prince's attitude.

Lanling City.

Imperial Palace.

The Crown Prince was discussing matters with ministers in the Yangxin Hall.

Since he began supervising the state, he came to this Yangxin Hall almost every day!

In fact, with Ye Ye Zean sitting in the center, various government affairs were handled in an orderly manner, and there wasn't that much for the Crown Prince to handle at all.

But since he started supervising the state, how could the Crown Prince stay in the Eastern Palace and do nothing every day?

So during this period, he had met almost all the civil and military officials in the Yangxin Hall!

Because he was only supervising the state, the Crown Prince couldn't sit on that dragon chair in the Zhenglan Hall yet.

However, in the Yangxin Hall, the seat once sat by the Emperor could now be sat by him.

Every day after meeting the ministers, when no one was around, the Crown Prince would specifically sit in this chair for a while longer.

Today was no exception.

After several ministers withdrew, the Crown Prince closed his eyes and sat quietly in the main seat.

"Your Highness."

A voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

"What is it?"

"A telegram from Datong Prefecture, related to Marquis Jing'an."

The Crown Prince opened his eyes: "Present it."

A eunuch walked over holding a wooden box with both hands.

The Crown Prince took out the telegram and read it, soon frowning.

This telegram detailed the conflict between Li Fei and Xiao Ji Xiuyong, and also wrote about the things the Xiao family sent to Li Fei.

After reading the telegram several times, the Crown Prince closed his eyes again and rubbed his brows.

Although he and Xiao Ji Xiuyong both had family backgrounds that were among the best in the world, and both were first heirs.

But their personalities were completely different.

If the Crown Prince could also be counted as a profession, it must be one of the most difficult professions in the world!

With the Emperor watching from above, the Crown Prince had to achieve something to let the Emperor see his ability, but he couldn't have the slightest transgression, making the Emperor feel threatened.

Externally, there were civil and military officials examining the Crown Prince, seeing if he was worth pledging allegiance to and standing in line for.

Beside him, there were brothers watching like tigers, fighting with him! Struggling with him!

So the Crown Prince had lived very cautiously since childhood, not daring to make any mistakes.

If one had to describe it in one sentence.

Crown Prince: "I have lived my whole life like walking on thin ice!"

Such an experience created a personality completely different from Xiao Ji Xiuyong's.

So after experiencing the ecstasy when he first started supervising the state, the Crown Prince soon returned to his usual mentality.

He remained approachable to those around him and treated the important ministers he wanted to win over with courtesy.

Toward Li Fei, he also treated him with sincerity as always.

But there was a problem between him and Li Fei:

Although Li Fei was the first one he won over, Li Fei's achievements today were all promoted by the Emperor.

There wasn't much monarch-subject sentiment between him and Li Fei.

Even if he could continue to promote and reuse Li Fei in the future, every step of Li Fei's rise given his current power and status was a test of the monarch's trust!

While the Emperor let the Crown Prince supervise the state, he also suddenly agreed to let Li Fei reinvestigate Shangguan Xiao's case.

The Crown Prince naturally understood that this was the Emperor creating an opportunity for him, and he really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to increase the sentiment between him and Li Fei.

But the Xiao family's probe this time laid out some problems before him in a bloody way:

Hearts are separated by skin.

Because of their natural identity, it was basically impossible for the Xiao family to betray the Crown Prince.

But who could guarantee that after Li Fei fully grew up in the future, he wouldn't have the slightest dissent?

If this peerless genius of history really became the world's number one in the future, and held heavy power, would he want to sit on that dragon chair?

Li Fei could have this attitude toward the Xiao family today, could he have it toward you, the Crown Prince, in the future?

"After I ascend the throne, can I continue to trust this Marquis Jing'an like Father trusts Li Fei? Do I dare to continue delegating power?"

Many thoughts emerged in the Crown Prince's heart.

From the telegram, he saw the Xiao family's probe at a glance.

He knew that this time, the Xiao family was probing Li Fei's attitude, and at the same time, it was also probing his attitude.

How to treat that Marquis Jing'an in the future was not only a problem the Xiao family had to face, but even more so a problem the Crown Prince had to face!

Should he manipulate it and probe it?

Or continue to delegate power and still give trust?

Or should he give a slight warning?

How to balance the relationship between the Xiao family and Li Fei?

The Crown Prince sat in the seat, exhaled a long breath, and his eyes became sharp.

Since he started supervising the state, he had been very smooth and hadn't encountered any setbacks.

But now, this event between the Xiao family and Li Fei would be the first major exam he faced after supervising the state!

(End of chapter)