Lin Ran suddenly opened his eyes. One of his eyes was flickering with golden light, but the other was filled with a cold light. He was like a god born from the sun and the moon, the Yang and the Yin. His every movement carried formidable pressure.
"I thought that the power I accumulated over the past few days would be enough for me to break through to the Half-Saint Realm. It seems something is lacking."
Although there was only a difference of one level between the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm and the Half-Saint Realm, it was a huge watershed. Some people might not be able to overcome this watershed for the rest of their lives.
For example, the powerful Ten Miles Sword God died on the way to becoming a Half-Saint. He was even attacked by the demon, which led to his death. From this, it could be seen that it was not easy to become a Half-Saint. If one was not careful, one would die.
Lin Ran felt that it was a pity that he didn;t become a Half Saint, but if news of this advancement speed spread, it would shock the entire continent. Not long ago, he was still in the first level of the Senior Grandmaster.
Even the most brilliant geniuses couldn't achieve what he'd done. To him, leveling up was almost as simple as eating and drinking.
In the entire continent, there were only a handful of Half-Saints. Almost all of them were in seclusion and were hundreds of years old. The fact that there was a person like Lin Ran who could reach such heights in his twenties was simply unbelievable.
According to his current cultivation level, he was enough to dominate the continent. After all, there were not many Half-Saints. His ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm was already enough to make him invincible.
However, Lin Ran was still not satisfied. He fell into deep thought. "If I want to break through, I have to see through life and death and nurture my sword with blood."
Although he was now at the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, he had never killed anyone, and the sword in his hand had never tasted blood either.
However, if Lin Ran really attacked, no one would be able to withstand a single blow from him.
He heard rustling sounds not far away. Someone was approaching!
Lin Ran's figure blinked. He was wondering who it was, but it turned out to be the empress. Her first reaction was to say, "I'm not going."
Under the moonlight, the empress was dressed in plain clothes. Without the disguise of the day, she looked more beautiful. When she heard this, she was stunned for a moment before letting out a chuckle, revealing a pair of dimples on her cheeks.
Much to his surprise, the empress said with a mischievous tone, "Alright, forget it then."
She waved the item in her hand. "I understand that Master Lin has been working hard recently and was about to give you another job. Since you say that you are not going, forget it."
It was the token for the commander of the imperial guards. It was made of pure gold and carved with dragon patterns. Under the moonlight, it emitted a dazzling light and was used to command the imperial guards of the palace. That meant it was a symbol of power.
In the next second, the token landed in Lin Ran's hand.
"It's indeed a good thing. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Looking at her empty hand, the empress was puzzled as to when Lin Ran made the move. She said in surprise, "It seems that Master Lin's cultivation has elevated to another level."
If this were done by anyone else, it would definitely be considered a capital offense. However, there was no one around now. The empress and Lin Ran had a special relationship. Instead of saying that they were Emperor and courtier, it was more precise to say that they were good friends.
The empress thought of something and her eyes looked mischievous.
"Master Lin works hard at night but also cultivates hard during the day. I really need to learn from you."
Lin Ran was unmoved by her tease. "If the Grand Secretary makes the same request again, please do it yourself. I really have enough beauty."
The empress snorted. For some reason, she felt a little upset. "I think Master Lin quite enjoys it. Those consorts have been giving me more soup recently."
The soups were all made of deer antler and tiger penis, which helped boost man's reproductivity.
Lin Ran suddenly leaned over and said in a low voice, "Are you jealous?"
Looking at the handsome face in front of her, the empress's heart skipped a beat.
His hot breath brushed past her ear like a feather, and she felt an itchiness surging in her heart.
She pretended to be calm and said, "I'm the emperor. Why would I be jealous of you?"
The empress looked calm, but the tips of her red ears betrayed her true feelings.
For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly became a little quiet. The temperature in the air rose a little. Even with the cool night breeze, the empress still felt her face heat up.
She quickly changed the topic. "Tomorrow, you'll need to report for duty as the commander of the imperial guards."
After saying this, she left in a hurry, leaving Lin Ran to stand rooted on the ground. She acted like she was escaping from something.
The next day, Lin Ran went to report.
Coincidentally, there was an old acquaintance among the imperial guards who was in the same batch of contestants as Lin Ran.
"I heard that the new commander will take office today. I wonder who it is."
"Apparently, the new commander is appointed personally by His Majesty. He seems to have a powerful background. Either he's outstanding or comes from an extraordinary family."
"It seems like we have to build a good relationship with him. We can't afford to offend him as we'll be working for him in the future."
"By the way, what gifts did you prepare? Don't be like that pathetic Lin Ran. Although he's the champion, he's still a low-ranking mountain guardian. He'll probably be miserable for the rest of his life."
"The new commander is backed by His Majesty. This time, I've put in a lot of effort and prepared a gift worth tens of thousands of gold."
Looking at the person walking towards them, they felt that he looked familiar.
"Why does it feel like I've seen this new commander before?"