The essence of the rules contained in the Evil Weapons such as the Sky-Cleaving Axe allows Lin Yuan to advance further towards the Fourth Rank.
In order to continue increasing the strength of the Anti-God Society, Lin Yuan gave away all the divine weapon fragments he had obtained earlier.
These divine weapon fragments were given to cultivate new Evil Warrior Commander.
Lin Yuan comprehended all these divine weapon fragments, and keeping them by his side would serve no purpose.
In addition, the bestowed divine weapon fragments were also refined, completely obeying Lin Yuan's commands.
The Evil Warrior Commanders cultivated from these divine weapons could not be unruly but belonged entirely to Lin Yuan's loyal subordinates.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, five years had gone by.
Capital of the Great Yan Dinasty.
Hundred Flowers Palace.
This was the palace where the Great Yan Empress had lived when she was a consort.
Although, with the Empress's status, she should be able to move to a higher standard palace, Empress Wang Shangfeng did not do so.
She had lived in the Hundred Flowers Palace for over ten years and had grown accustomed to it.
On this day, Lin Yuan came to visit his mother.
Since ascending to the throne, Lin Yuan had focused most of his energy on cultivation, visiting only once every six months or even a year.
"Yuan'er, how do you feel about the concubines I selected for you last time?" Empress Wang Shangfeng asked.
Although Wang Shangfeng was over ninety years old, she looked only about forty-five, with a healthy complexion.
In this world's cultivation system, the Blood Refining Martial Saint was comparable to the peak of the Second Rank. However, in terms of longevity, it was not very useful. Even Martial Saints, at most, could live a little over a hundred years.
Lin Yuan speculated that this was also influenced by divine weapons.
After all, the longer one lived, the more likely they were to explore realms beyond Martial Saints.
Most of the thirty-six divine weapons were dormant most of the time, naturally preventing things beyond their control.
Even for Blood Refining Martial Saints, after reaching this stage, most lived to be eighty or ninety years old, with declining vitality, approaching the end of their lifespan.
Where would there be energy to explore the realms beyond Martial Saints?
Wang Shangfeng, not being a Martial Saint, at her age, remained lively and active, thanks to Lin Yuan's secret bone marrow cleansing.
Considering Lin Yuan's current strength, the bone marrow cleansing he performed for Wang Shangfeng was akin to an elixir of immortality.
Given Wang Shangfeng's current physical condition, living to two hundred years was not a problem.
"Acceptable" Lin Yuan casually replied.
After sixty years of reign, Lin Yuan had not produced any offspring.
This was mainly unnecessary; Lin Yuan was not Emperor Liu Shi, who needed heirs to determine the crown prince and the dynasty's successor.
Lin Yuan did not need these. With his lifespan, even if he had offspring and determined a crown prince, the crown prince would surely precede him in death.
At least staying in this realm for a hundred and sixty years was enough to outlast the Blood Refining Martial Saint.
Even if he did decide to leave descendants, it would be considered in the last twenty or thirty years of his stay.
Empress Wang Shangfeng, hearing Lin Yuan's reply, immediately understood that her son was just placating her.
But now, Wang Shangfeng had no way to deal with Lin Yuan.
Under Lin Yuan's rule, the Great Yan Dynasty, now almost comparable to the most powerful countries among the thirty-six states of the Central Plains, had Lin Yuan's prestige surpassing all previous emperors, becoming the most accomplished emperor since the establishment of the Great Yan Dynasty.
"Oh, by the way, your father has not been feeling well lately. Yuan'er, find some time to visit him" Empress Wang Shangfeng said in a low voice.
"Alright" Lin Yuan nodded.
Leaving the Hundred Flowers Palace, members of the imperial family came to pay their respects.
"Your Majesty, it has been more than ten years since our Great Yan Dynasty last produced a Warrior Commander."
This member of the imperial family was Lin Yuan's elder and now, with signs of aging, reminded Lin Yuan.
For the thirty-six states of the Central Plains, the most crucial aspect was cultivating Warrior Commanders.
Everything else was secondary; only with Warrior Commanders could a nation be stabilized.
The previous Warrior Commander, Lin Yuan's seventh sister, passed away over ten years ago. Since the seventh sister had never allowed the divine weapons to be revived, or even activated them, her lifespan was longer than that of previous Warrior Commanders.
'Warrior Commander.'
Lin Yuan recalled his seventh sister who had run to him fifty or sixty years ago, appearing before him, showing a red-eyed farewell.
Once becoming a Warrior Commander, it was equivalent to being bound to the divine weapons. Unless Lin Yuan's strength overwhelmed them, it was challenging to sever the connection.
"This matter is not urgent" Lin Yuan said casually.
"Understood."
The member of the imperial family hesitated but ultimately did not say anything.
After dismissing this member of the imperial family, Lin Yuan soon met with the former emperor, Liu Shi.
Compared to Empress Wang Shangfeng, Liu Shi's condition was much worse. His beard had turned white, and his skin had wrinkled.
This was because Lin Yuan had not performed the bone marrow cleansing for Liu Shi.
Liu Shi, as the former emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, had conducted numerous sacrifices to the national divine weapons. His body had long been marked by the divine weapons.
If Lin Yuan were to use his own power for bone marrow cleansing on Liu Shi, it would likely alert the national divine weapons.
"Father."
Lin Yuan chatted with the former emperor Liu Shi for a long time. Mainly, Liu Shi spoke, and Lin Yuan listened.
Liu Shi had some knowledge of the current situation in the Great Yan Dynasty. His son had become the most accomplished monarch in the history of the dynasty.
Liu Shi naturally felt joy from the bottom of his heart.
"Yuan'er, I'm afraid my time is coming."
"The thing I regret the least in my life is entrusting the Great Yan to you, my son."
After talking for a while, Liu Shi felt fatigued and closed his eyes to sleep.
"It's about time."
Leaving the palace where the former emperor Liu Shi resided, Lin Yuan looked north.
That was the location of the ancestral land of the Great Yan Dynasty's divine weapons.
Five or six years ago, Lin Yuan had already reached the quasi-Fourth Rank, comparable to the divine weapons. Now, after absorbing the essence of many evil weapons like the Sky-Cleaving Axe, his strength had once again improved.
The next day, in the court, the civil and military officials of the Great Yan Dynasty were excited. Lin Yuan would participate in the morning court session to discuss national affairs with the ministers.
This was uplifting for the officials because the current emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, despite being the most capable in history, rarely appeared in public.
Many new courtiers had not seen the emperor in person.
Countless people of the Great Yan Dynasty regarded Lin Yuan as the most respected figure in their hearts. Without Lin Yuan, how could the dynasty achieve such prosperity?
On the Dragon Throne, Lin Yuan sat casually. Ministers below stood up one by one, reporting national affairs.
When the morning court was almost over, the Minister of Rites finally stepped forward.
"Your Majesty has been on the throne for over fifty years. According to the ancestral customs, it is time to go to the divine weapons' ancestral land for a ritual."
The Minister of Rites mechanically recited, with no expectation of a positive response.
For more than fifty years, Lin Yuan had experienced three Ministers of Rites. All three had advised the emperor to go to the divine weapons' ancestral land for a ritual during each morning court, but the emperor had never responded. The three Ministers of Rites did not dare to insist, but they continued this practice, hoping for an opportunity.
However, after the current Minister of Rites finished speaking, Lin Yuan nodded slightly, stood up, and said, "Indeed, it's time to go to the ancestral land for the ritual."
The current Minister of Rites was momentarily stunned. Then his eyes began to moisten.
For more than fifty years, the emperor's health had finally improved, and he intended to go to the divine weapons' ancestral land for a ritual. (Health lol haha :D)
...
15 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
67