Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, the Empress Dowager's body began to tremble uncontrollably. This was because she was too excited.
To restore her strength, and at the Mid-stage Profound Realm at that!
This was something she had only dared to fantasize about in secret over the years.
Now, it was actually about to become a reality!
"Master Ye Yunfei, such kindness is beyond words. Suffice to say, from now on, if Master Ye Yunfei has any orders, even if it means walking through fire and boiling water, Yue Su will not so much as frown!"
The Empress Dowager bowed gracefully to Ye Yunfei once more.
Now, her appearance was that of a middle-aged beauty with graceful bearing. Moreover, being the revered Empress Dowager and having long cultivated imperial court etiquette, her bow was imbued with an indescribable air of dignified elegance, drawing admiring glances.
"Hehe, you are too kind, Empress Dowager," Ye Yunfei replied with a light smile and a nod.
"Alright, Your Majesty, my task of curing the Empress Dowager is complete. There is nothing further for me to do here. I shall take my leave."
Ye Yunfei looked at the Emperor and spoke.
After saying this, Ye Yunfei made to leave the room.
"Master Ye Yunfei, please wait. These are merely tokens of my gratitude. I hope Master Ye Yunfei will accept them graciously."
The Emperor himself took a couple of steps forward, holding two spatial rings which he presented to Ye Yunfei.
The two spatial rings contained a vast quantity of Spirit Crystals, spirit herbs, and other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Ye Yunfei did not decline and simply took them.
Right now, Ye Yunfei truly needed money.
The Ye Family's development required funds, and Ye Yunfei's own cultivation also demanded substantial resources.
In short, a martial artist's cultivation was absolutely a money-burning endeavor.
"These rewards are not enough. Master Ye Yunfei, might I ask if you have an interest in the martial path alongside your pursuit of the pill dao?"
The Empress Dowager suddenly spoke up.
"Mother, you are unaware. Master Ye Yunfei possesses extraordinary talent in the martial path as well. He holds another identity—a core disciple of the Tianyuan Sect. It is said that Master Ye Yunfei once crossed a realm to slay a Heaven Realm Expert while he himself was only at the Earth Realm."
Before Ye Yunfei could respond, the Emperor interjected eagerly.
During this period, the Emperor had actually thoroughly investigated Ye Yunfei's background and past.
In truth, Ye Yunfei's current level was at the early Heaven Realm, but he had employed some minor secret arts to conceal his true spiritual energy aura, making it impossible for outsiders to discern clearly.
"I never imagined Master Ye Yunfei to be such a monstrous genius! Might I ask if Master Ye Yunfei practices the sword?"
The Empress Dowager inquired.
"I do," Ye Yunfei answered directly.
"In that case, Yue Su has a magic treasure she wishes to gift to Master Ye Yunfei. I hope Master Ye Yunfei will not refuse this humble offering."
The Empress Dowager said.
"A magic treasure? Well then, let's see what it is first."
Ye Yunfei replied noncommittally.
He was already planning to start preparations for forging a set of Five Elements spiritual swords. Ordinary magic treasures simply could not catch his eye.
"Master Ye Yunfei, please follow Yue Su."
With that, the Empress Dowager turned and walked out of the room.
"Empress Dowager…" The Emperor started to speak.
"Do not come. I will take Master Ye Yunfei there myself," the Empress Dowager instructed.
Ye Yunfei did not demur and followed behind the Empress Dowager as they traversed the imperial palace.
Having consumed the spirit pills Ye Yunfei refined, the Empress Dowager was in excellent health, full of energy.
Although she had not yet regained her cultivation strength, her steps were light and swift, walking with vigor.
A moment later, they arrived at a hidden underground palace.
"Master Ye Yunfei, this is our Imperial Family's secret treasure vault. All the treasures stored within have been passed down through successive generations of our Qin Family. The treasure I wish to gift to Master Ye Yunfei is that sword over there. However, the sword is somewhat heavy. I do not know if Master Ye Yunfei will be able to wield it."
The Empress Dowager pointed towards a corner of the underground palace.
In that corner stood a wooden table so worn its original color was indistinguishable. On the table lay a large sword.
This large sword was thick and heavy, without a cutting edge, reaching a full two meters in length! Moreover, its color was somewhat dark, at first glance resembling a long, sizable chunk of iron.
However, with a single sweep of his gaze, Ye Yunfei's eyes brightened slightly.
Because this was a True Artifact!
In the hierarchy of magical artifacts, above Spirit Artifacts lay True Artifacts.
Spirit Artifacts were classified into four grades: low, middle, high, and top grade. In a remote minor empire like the Great Qin Empire, even a low-grade Spirit Artifact was considered extremely precious. Yet, this was a True Artifact.
"Indeed, a royal family does have some accumulated wealth," Ye Yunfei mentally nodded.
"That sword is of considerable value. Are you certain you truly wish to gift it to me?" Ye Yunfei asked.
"If Master Ye Yunfei does not disdain it, you may freely take anything within this treasure vault," the Empress Dowager replied without the slightest hesitation.
One could see she was genuinely grateful to Ye Yunfei, and she was also a person who valued gratitude, otherwise she would not be this magnanimous.
"Hehe, you are too kind, Empress Dowager. Since that is the case, I shall accept this sword."
Ye Yunfei smiled and said.
Ye Yunfei walked over, gave his hand a slight shake to disperse all the dust covering the table and sword, then grasped the hilt.
Immediately, a terrifying weight assailed him. Caught off guard, Ye Yunfei's body leaned forward slightly, nearly staggering.
Fortunately, Ye Yunfei's reactions were sharp. He released his grip in time and steadied himself.
"So heavy!" Ye Yunfei was full of astonishment.
One had to know that Ye Yunfei's current physical strength neared two hundred thousand catties!
Didn't that mean this sword weighed at least over two hundred thousand catties?!
"How is this possible?! What material could this sword possibly be made of?"
Ye Yunfei was utterly shocked. He immediately released his Soul Power to carefully sense the sword on the table.
"I understand now! This sword is actually forged from Crimson Gold Profound Heavy Iron! I almost missed it! Crimson Gold Profound Heavy Iron is famously incomparably heavy. Moreover, it is terrifyingly hard. Ordinary magical treasures would be like paper in front of it, crumbling upon contact. This sword is far from just a True Artifact; it is practically a priceless treasure. Its classification transcends ordinary magical artifact grades. One could only say that its destructive power is directly proportional to the strength of its wielder!"
After sensing the sword with his Soul Power, Ye Yunfei's eyes brimmed with intense delight.
"Master Ye Yunfei, this sword truly is a bit heavy. When my strength was at the late Profound Realm, I could barely move it. This sword has been passed down through successive generations of our Qin Imperial Family. Together with it, there is also a special spatial ring specifically for storing it."
Seeing Ye Yunfei fail to pick up the sword, the Empress Dowager quickly stepped forward and said, pointing at the table.
Sure enough, beside the sword on the table lay a spatial ring of simple and ancient design.
"Using this spatial ring, you can take this sword away," the Empress Dowager explained.
Ye Yunfei picked up the spatial ring. Indeed, as soon as the ring touched the large sword, it stored the sword within.
"Empress Dowager, I am thankful," Ye Yunfei said, stowing the spatial ring away.
Crimson Gold Profound Heavy Iron was exceptionally precious. The gift the Empress Dowager bestowed was truly significant.
"Master Ye Yunfei's kindness is as weighty as a mountain to Yue Su. Please do not stand on ceremony."
Subsequently, Ye Yunfei bid the Empress Dowager farewell and proceeded towards the exit of the imperial palace.
The Empress Dowager earnestly tried to detain him, suggesting they host a grand feast in his honor.
However, Ye Yunfei was not the least bit interested.
Ye Yunfei had come to the Imperial Capital with two purposes. The first was to accept the Third Prince's invitation, participate in the Alchemy Competition, and then treat the Empress Dowager's illness. This objective was now completed.
The second purpose: Eradicate the Imperial Capital Li Family!