"Your Excellency Liang Xiaoke pays respects to Your Majesty..." Liang Xiaoke offered a casual salute toward Luo Xiaofeng, wearing an air of complete indifference...

Luo Ruofeng and Zhuge Yi had long been accustomed to Liang Xiaoke's demeanor, yet the muscles in their faces twitched fiercely...

"Jingyu, this is..." It was Luo Xiaofeng who looked toward Ye Jingyu with clear confusion.

"Your Majesty, this is my elder brother, Liang Xiaoke. His true strength has definitely reached the Martial Saint realm, and I have another Martial Saint by my side. I've already sent word; if nothing unexpected happens, he should return tonight. Combined with Your Majesty and Eunuch Yun, that makes four Martial Saints—this strength is enough to contend with Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, wouldn't you agree? Furthermore, doesn't the Hai family have a Soul Immortal? With him fighting, killing Xuanyuan Xiaozhan might not be impossible..." Ye Jingyu spoke with firm conviction, his words radiating extremely powerful self-assurance.

In truth, with his current strength, plus Liang Xiaoke, and Gongsun Lu and Bing Ming at his side, challenging Xuanyuan Xiaozhan was not out of the question. However, he did not wish to completely expose his true capabilities. The existence of Liang Xiaoke and Bing Ming were likely no secret, and Luo Xiaofeng already had some understanding of them, so revealing this now was hardly a concession. Moreover, without such formidable combat power, Luo Xiaofeng would certainly lack the confidence to agree to his proposal.

Revealing Liang Xiaoke and Bing Ming so openly now was primarily intended to bolster Luo Xiaofeng's confidence. As for his own power and Gongsun Lu, those remained his ultimate trump cards, powers he would absolutely not reveal unless absolutely cornered.

Upon hearing that Ye Jingyu had amassed such potent forces nearby, both Luo Xiaofeng and Nanfeng Yun displayed expressions of shock. They were not unaware that experts followed Ye Jingyu, nor were they ignorant of Liang Xiaoke's presence, but they never imagined Liang Xiaoke himself was also a Martial Saint powerhouse. They couldn't sense any powerful aura emanating from him whatsoever?

What shocked the two even more was that Ye Jingyu could instantly discern that Nanfeng Yun had also attained the rank of Martial Saint—that perception was truly extraordinary.

His gaze swept carefully over Liang Xiaoke once more before he continued, "Even so, what means does Your Subject Ye have to lure out Xuanyuan Xiaozhan? He surely won't be without expert guardians by his side; how easy is it to lure him out alone?"

"It is not difficult. Xuanyuan Xiaozhan is a War God of his generation; this is not only the praise of others but also what he firmly believes himself to be. While he may not be an arrogant man, he is definitely a man whose will to fight burns fiercely. As long as we issue him a challenge, he will never refuse. More critically, his ninth son, Xuanyuan Xue, was slain by my elder brother. If my elder brother issues the challenge, how could he possibly decline the confrontation?" Ye Jingyu explained, recounting the events in Medicine City, though he conveniently omitted several vital details.

Hearing Ye Jingyu state that Xuanyuan Xue had actually been killed by Liang Xiaoke, Luo Xiaofeng and Nanfeng Yun exchanged glances, the look of utter astonishment deepening in their eyes.

No wonder Xuanyuan Xue’s shadow had been absent for so long; he was already dead. This was a renowned general of the Xuanyuan Empire, whose personal strength had reached the Grandmaster realm. Of course, it was relatively simple for a Martial Saint to kill a Grandmaster, but the issue lay in Xuanyuan Xue's identity—few dared to kill him.

And now, these two brothers, without a second word, had simply killed him, showing no fear toward Xuanyuan Xiaozhan who stood behind Xuanyuan Xue, nor the mighty Xuanyuan family.

Even if he possessed the backing of Dugu Ba-chen, this measure of audacity was certainly beyond the ordinary. Even if others possessed similar courage, they would not be as composed as these two after the deed. This was precisely what stunned the Emperor and the Duke.

"Since Your Subject Ye has laid out such a meticulous plan, then everything shall proceed according to Ye Qing's method!" Luo Xiaofeng stabilized his emotions and made the final decision.

"Thank Your Majesty for your benevolence, but Your Majesty’s Sacred Body..."

"I, too, am a martial artist. If I should unfortunately perish at the hands of Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, it might not be a misfortune. The path of Martial Dao cannot be broken by merely sitting within the Imperial Palace!" Before Ye Jingyu could finish speaking, Luo Xiaofeng interrupted him.

As the Emperor of the Southern Cloud Empire, an Emperor possessing vast ambition, he harbored not only ambition but also the courage befitting that ambition.

If he feared even death, how could he ever ascend to the absolute peak of the Martial Dao, or the zenith of power?

"Your Majesty’s fame rings true..." Hearing Luo Xiaofeng's supremely confident words, Ye Jingyu felt the Emperor's inner strength—a self-contained might, a power that feared no difficulty. He believed that if they could indeed slay Xuanyuan Xiaozhan in this endeavor without Ye Jingyu himself dying, then Luo Xiaofeng might very well break through to the Martial Saint realm and achieve the position of Martial God.

"Hahahaha! I have heard these words countless times in my life, but only this time do I feel truly delighted. Ah Yu, this matter is settled. Tomorrow, you shall lead the troops to battle and draw out Xuanyuan Xiaozhan. I will personally cooperate with your every move. It is getting late; Ling'er has been waiting for you at the Palace of Eternal Joy. Go see her. Once this crisis is averted, I shall personally officiate your wedding!" Luo Xiaofeng burst into hearty laughter, even addressing Ye Jingyu familiarly as "Ah Yu."

Ye Jingyu paused for a beat, then his expression brightened, and he suddenly knelt on one knee, exclaiming, "Your son thanks Father-in-law for his blessing!"

This was a kneel from the heart, not for power, nor for strength, but for the role Luo Xiaofeng held as the father of Luo Ling'er...

Seeing Ye Jingyu actually kneel before him on one knee, Luo Xiaofeng was momentarily stunned. When had Ye Jingyu ever knelt before him? Even when he was merely a Martial Master, he carried an untamed air in the Emperor’s presence. Yet now, with the formidable power surrounding him, he suddenly knelt in obeisance—how could this not astonish him?

And the term 'Father-in-law' used by Ye Jingyu left him completely frozen for a long moment...

"Hahahaha... Go, go... all of you go..." Luo Xiaofeng laughed loudly, waving his hands repeatedly. At this moment, he had truly accepted Ye Jingyu as his own, as one of his own people. For his daughter to marry such a man—was this not also one of his deepest wishes?

Not only Luo Xiaofeng laughed heartily; Luo Ruofeng, hearing his father’s words, joined in the laughter. His sister and Ye Jingyu had finally found their path together; how could he, as an elder brother, not be happy?