Wang Ban sighed and continued, "Unfortunately, over the past millennium, several emperors have entered Mount Yunmeng but none have managed to break the Three Emperors Formation."
"Is that so? Why haven't I heard of this?" Fan Li was skeptical. The original owner of the body he had transmigrated into was also a learned scholar. Were there emperors who had visited Mount Yunmeng before them? Why hadn't he ever read about it in any books?
"It's normal not to have heard of it. Throughout history, how many emperors have been willing to admit their failures or mistakes? It's like an edict of self-reproach – a rare occurrence, seen only once in a thousand years."
After speaking, Wang Ban seemed to regret his words and cautiously glanced at Fan Li. Seeing his calm expression, he continued.
"I remember clearly, just from the Great Chu Dynasty alone, two emperors visited Mount Yunmeng. One of them only managed to reach the Three Emperors Formation with the help of the Overlord Spear. The other couldn't even pass the Five Elements Formation."
Fan Li understood immediately, but he was speechless. Face, it was all about face.
The Three Emperors Formation was about face, and the lack of records of emperors visiting Mount Yunmeng was also about face, simply because they had all failed to break through the formation.
'A bunch of selfish fools. Even if they had documented their failures, it would have allowed future generations to learn from their experiences. What if their descendants succeeded?' Fan Li thought to himself as he observed Wang Ban.
"So, your parents ascended to the immortal realm, and you became the third-generation Guiguzi?"
Unexpectedly, Wang Ban shook his head. "Bound by the Three Emperors Formation, my parents were unable to leave the summit of Mount Yunmeng. Their cultivation levels were both stuck at the Great Vehicle Realm, and they couldn't transcend the tribulation. A hundred years ago, they both passed away peacefully." As he spoke, tears streamed down Wang Ban's honest face.
Fan Li was about to offer some words of comfort when something suddenly struck him as odd.
'A hundred years ago? Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia, Zhou Yu... and Yichuan, didn't they claim to be disciples of Guiguzi? Leaving aside Yichuan, how old are the other three?'
Fan Li scrutinized Wang Ban. This guy didn't seem like a renowned teacher at all! Based on the timeline, those four couldn't possibly be disciples of the second-generation Guiguzi.
"My grandfather was a master of all schools of thought, a rare talent throughout history. My father, upon enlightenment, progressed rapidly in both cultivation and knowledge. When the Guigu lineage reached my generation, it failed to recapture the brilliance of our ancestors. Not only am I inferior to my grandfather, but I am also far from my father's level. As an unworthy descendant who brings shame to our family name, I am not qualified to call myself Guigu..."
Hearing Wang Ban's constant self-deprecation, Fan Li felt a pang of sympathy.
He was about to offer some words of comfort when Wang Ban continued, "I reached Qi Condensation at the age of one, Foundation Building at three, Golden Core at six, Nascent Soul at ten, and Divine Transformation at fifteen. It wasn't until I was twenty-two that I entered the Unity Realm."
"Wuwuwu... My grandfather and father were such extraordinary geniuses, yet they produced an unworthy descendant like me who only reached the Unity Realm at twenty-two. Duke of Jin, tell me, what's the point of me living?"
Fan Li was stunned. After hearing Wang Ban's words, Fan Li felt like his own life was meaningless.
Reaching the Unity Realm at twenty-two, what was there to be dissatisfied with? For a moment, Fan Li truly wanted to strike down Wang Ban with his sword.
He was so infuriating!
Fan Li's right hand had already reached for the hilt of his sword when a figure emerged from the distant courtyards. As the figure walked, it made a creaking sound. Upon closer inspection, Fan Li realized it was a puppet.
The puppet was exquisitely crafted, with the form and figure of a young girl. It moved with agility, and a faint aura of spiritual energy emanated from its body.
Spiritual energy?
Fan Li looked closer and discovered that the puppet girl's cultivation level was even higher than his own. Could it be at the Golden Core Realm?
"Duke of Jin, please have some tea," Wang Ban said with a sniffle.
Fan Li was in no mood for tea. He kept staring at the puppet, which caused Wang Ban to misunderstand.
He blushed and explained, "Since I was young, I haven't been good at cultivation, but I have a fondness for mechanics. I've created many of these mechanical puppets, and they usually take care of tasks like laundry, making beds, cleaning, and cooking."
Mechanics?
Like Lu Fubao?
No, Wang Ban's skills in mechanics clearly surpassed Lu Fubao's!
"Is it at the Golden Core Realm?"
"Nascent Soul." Wang Ban shook his head, his tone slightly dissatisfied, as if Fan Li had underestimated him.
Fan Li swallowed hard. How could he possibly underestimate Wang Ban? Even a Golden Core puppet was shocking enough! And judging from Wang Ban's tone, there were quite a few of them!
A keyword immediately came to Fan Li's mind: mass production!
"Lao Wang, let me ask you something!" Fan Li exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes?"
"How many of these puppets can you make? Ah, I mean, can they be mass-produced?"
"Mass-produced?"
Wang Ban had never heard this term before, but he understood the meaning.
He nodded. "As long as we have enough materials, of course. However, mechanics are quite expensive..."
Fan Li placed both hands on Wang Ban's shoulders. "Money is not a problem."
How many resources could a single Mount Yunmeng produce? But looking at the entire Great Chu nation, all the mountains, rivers, and resources within its borders were at his disposal.
Resources needed for mass production? A piece of cake!
Fan Li asked again, "Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, Guo Jia, and Yichuan, are they all your students?"
"Yes."
"After my parents passed away, I thought I would follow in my ancestors' footsteps and take on a few disciples."
Teaching and imparting knowledge was clearly not a topic that interested Wang Ban. He recalled with a frown, "Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia were all quite intelligent. I simply read from my grandfather and father's notes, and they understood everything. Seeing their progress, I even put aside mechanics for a while, hoping to properly guide a group of disciples.
But unexpectedly, the disciples who came later were increasingly disappointing, with poor character and aptitude! Especially that Yichuan. I taught him for over ten years, but he only learned about thirty percent of what Zhuge Liang and the others did. I was so angry that I expelled him from Mount Yunmeng."
The more Wang Ban thought about it, the angrier he became, his face turning red. But as a spineless cucumber, he quickly deflated.
"After expelling Yichuan, I went back to focusing on mechanics. After all, it's something I'm interested in, and it brings me joy. Unfortunately, there are limited materials on the mountain. I've designed many mechanical blueprints, but I only have enough materials to make these 'maidservants.'"
They were Nascent Soul puppets, yet they didn't have a more impressive name?
Maidservants?
How demeaning.
Fan Li asked, "How many of these Nascent Soul puppets have you made?"
"Fifty," Wang Ban replied casually.
Fan Li's lips twitched. Good heavens!
Fifty Nascent Soul realm maidservants! If sent to attack the Great Chu palace, with a little luck, they could even take down Xiang Chong.
"By the way, Duke of Jin. Since you have broken the Three Emperors Formation, Wang Ban is willing to serve you from now on. However, you are a minister of Chu, so should I be loyal to you or to the Emperor of Chu?"
Wang Ban asked sincerely. He had no personal preference and would follow Fan Li's arrangements. In fact, when Fan Li said "money is not a problem," Wang Ban was already eager to leave the mountain.
"Ahem, Lao Wang, regarding your loyalty..." Fan Li was about to say a few polite words, such as "the Fan family has been blessed by the Emperor's grace" and so on. But before he could speak, he heard a 'ding' sound.
It was familiar. The system notification!
"Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission 'Talent Recruitment.'"
"Mission reward: Founding a Nation."
Fan Li remained silent for a long time.
"Lao Wang, just be loyal to me..."