Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 295 - Truly Unaware of the Blessings in Ones Life.

Shen Shengsheng did not follow Xu Ming into the imperial palace.

Shengsheng’s bloodline was simply too unique.

The formation array set up within the palace was of no lower grade than the guardian arrays of sacred grounds or forbidden lands. Moreover, the palace was the very focal point of Wu Kingdom’s mountain-and-river fortune.

Most demons and spirits would be deemed enemies by default.

Xu Ming was worried that if Shengsheng took even a single step into the palace, she would be instantly eradicated by the formation.

When arriving at the palace in the past, there would always be maids conducting body searches and storing any storage pouches, to prevent sudden assassination attempts during an audience with the emperor.

However, this time, there was none of that.

There was no need to ask—it was clearly an intentional instruction from the Wu Emperor, meant to convey one thing: “I trust you completely, one hundred percent. Between us, there is no suspicion—only mutual candor!”

And to be fair, such an act did indeed earn goodwill.

For many hot-blooded youths, it would have inspired thoughts of laying down their lives for the emperor, of “dying for a worthy sovereign!”

But for Xu Ming, such gestures were only moderately effective.

After all, Xu Ming had no intention of “selling himself to the royal family.”

Moreover, the hierarchical notions of ruler and subject in a feudal society were, in his eyes, of little consequence.

The palace maid escorted Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan to the entrance of the Clear Heart Hall.

Eunuch Wei was already waiting at the doorway.

“Oh my, Your Highness, Minister Xu—this humble servant has been eagerly awaiting your arrival!” Wei Xun quickly stepped forward to greet them.

“Eunuch Wei,” Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan bowed slightly in greeting.

“Oh, oh, there’s no need for such formalities; this humble servant dares not accept,” Wei Xun stepped aside, dodging their salutation. “Please, do come in. His Majesty is already waiting.”

“Understood.”

The two nodded. Wei Xun opened the doors of the Clear Heart Hall, and after Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan entered, he personally closed them behind them.

“Your subject, Xu Ming/Your daughter, Yanhan, greets Your Majesty/Father Emperor.”

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As they entered, their eyes landed on the Wu Emperor seated at the head of the hall. Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan spoke in unison.

“Hahaha, no need for such formalities! We’re all family—why the need for such courtesy?”

The Wu Emperor stood up and approached them, helping both Xu Ming and his daughter to their feet.

The emperor carefully examined Xu Ming, like a proud elder admiring his accomplished junior. He patted Xu Ming’s shoulder, his tone full of praise:

“Excellent, excellent. Xu Ming, you haven’t disappointed me!

I had already thought that your martial talent and literary brilliance were remarkable enough.

But to think you could cultivate, even becoming a sword cultivator! And not just that—you even transcended the unprecedented Tenfold Lightning Tribulation!

I am truly overjoyed! A talent like you is a blessing to our Wu Kingdom—it must be the protection of our ancestors!”

“Your Majesty flatters me,” Xu Ming said humbly, bowing deeply without a hint of arrogance. “The achievements I have today are thanks to Your Majesty’s guidance and support. The fact that I obtained fortuitous encounters during my training and became a sword cultivator is entirely due to Your Majesty’s imperial fortune. Without Your Majesty, how could I have come this far?”

“…”

Hearing these flattering words, Wu Yanhan felt a shiver run down her spine.

Why had she never seen him show such gratitude toward her father before?

This was way too fake.

To be honest, Wu Yanhan now thought it was a shame that this guy didn’t enter the bureaucracy.

Xu Ming’s thick skin, smooth demeanor, and artful flattery made him a perfect candidate for officialdom.

“Hahaha, Xu Ming, you’re too modest, too modest!” The Wu Emperor laughed heartily, clearly pleased by Xu Ming’s words.

The emperor grabbed Xu Ming’s hand with one of his own and his daughter’s hand with the other.

“Come, come—don’t just stand there. Let’s take our seats. It’s already midday, and I’m sure the two of you are hungry. Let’s dine together.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan exchanged a few polite words before taking their seats, one on either side of the Wu Emperor.

The table was just an ordinary square table—not particularly large—resembling the kind used by common families for shared meals.

It was evident that the Wu Emperor had deliberately chosen this setup to create a sense of intimacy. The smaller the table, the closer it brought everyone together.

Under the emperor’s hospitality, Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan ate slowly and thoughtfully.

The dishes on the table were all prepared with ingredients rich in spiritual energy.

Take, for example, the steamed sea bass. It wasn’t just any ordinary sea bass—it was a Sea Dragon Bass, incredibly rare and valuable.

The entire meal spread on this table was easily worth thousands of taels of gold.

Yet even with that much gold, one couldn’t necessarily buy such a meal, as the ingredients themselves were extraordinarily scarce.

As they ate, the three engaged in casual conversation.

Most of the questions came from the Wu Emperor, with Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan responding.

The topics mainly revolved around amusing anecdotes from Xu Ming’s travels over the past year—nothing too critical or pressing.

As for how Xu Ming had come across the fortuitous opportunity that allowed him to embark on the path of cultivation, the Wu Emperor did not pry.

After all, everyone has their secrets, and such opportunities were not something one could casually ask about.

The meal itself was harmonious. Xu Ming could tell that the emperor’s main intention was simply to foster a closer bond.

The Wu Emperor did, in fact, want to bestow rewards upon Xu Ming.

But since Xu Ming hadn’t accomplished any official feats—only surviving the tribulation—the emperor decided to hold off for now.

With the trip to the Rootless Secret Realm just around the corner, he figured it would be better to wait until Xu Ming returned to confer rewards.

After lunch, the Wu Emperor invited Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan to join him for some hunting.

Neither of them declined.

“How about we make a little competition?” the Wu Emperor suggested. “No special techniques or powers—just the bows in our hands. Let’s see who can bring down the most prey.”

With the emperor making such a proposal, how could Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan refuse?

It was like your boss asking if you wanted to go to karaoke in the evening—could you really say you had a sore throat? Or if the boss offered you a cigarette, could you reply, “Sorry, it’s not a premium brand, and I’m coughing”?

And so, Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan mounted their horses, each armed with an ordinary bow and arrows, and set off to hunt.

Once Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan had left, the Wu Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked around at the empty surroundings and called out, “Come forth.”

In the next instant, over a dozen veiled figures appeared, encircling the emperor.

“Carry out the instructions I gave you earlier,” the emperor commanded. “There must be no mistakes.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The group nodded and disappeared from the emperor’s presence in the blink of an eye.

“My daughter, ranked among the top ten on the Beauty Rankings and possessing a Martial God physique… Yet I still have to resort to these measures.”

As he spoke, the Wu Emperor gazed ahead and let out a sigh.

“This boy Xu Ming… truly doesn’t know how good he has it.”