The night was deep.
In the land of Xiliang.
In the camp, Xiang Shaoyun suddenly opened his eyes, and the terrifying aura surged again within the tent.
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his neck.
He lifted his head, hair scattering like steel needles, and within his burly body, terrifying sounds emanated, causing the air to tremble subtly.
"Immortal!"
Xiang Shaoyun's eyes blazed with undisguised anger and humiliation.
So what if it's an immortal?
Why should he kneel!
He, Xiang Shaoyun, would not kneel to heaven, to earth... no one in this world could bear his submission.
A low growl, like the roar of a wild beast, resounded continuously, deafening and ear-splitting, as if making the listeners' blood explode.
Two strands of spiritual energy roiled on his thick arms.
"Shaoyun..."
From afar, a gentle voice sounded.
The girl bathed in moonlight, beautiful as a painting, her eyes filled with worry, looked at Xiang Shaoyun tenderly.
Xiang Shaoyun covered his face, shook his head, and only when he heard Luomingsang's worried voice did the turmoil in his heart calm down.
But the humiliation in his heart still lingered.
He was the overlord of Xiliang, the lord of Xiliang, even if he was an immortal, he had no right to make him kneel.
Luomingsang was gentle and weak, soft as water, stepping lightly, she came to Xiang Shaoyun's side, encircling his broad chest.
"You must change this temper of yours."
"Now that you are a commander, you cannot be so willful. Many things require careful consideration, don't act on impulse, you need to think more. Many things can't be solved with just force."
Luomingsang's voice was very gentle, and Xiang Shaoyun's restlessness began to melt away.
He touched Luomingsang's hair, greedily sniffing the fragrance between her hair, and smiled.
"Mingsang, you're wrong. There's nothing that can't be solved with force. If there is... it just means my force isn't enough."
Xiang Shaoyun said domineeringly.
"I used to think that I was at the pinnacle of the Great Zhou martial path, but I was wrong. After obtaining Immortal Fate, I realized that beyond the pinnacle of martial arts, there is a broader world..."
Xiang Shaoyun raised his hand, and the two strands of spiritual energy flowed smoothly in his palm.
"You are now the commander of the Thirteen Princes, but don't be distracted by these things. When you reach the pinnacle and establish a dynasty, I won't stop you from pursuing Immortal Fate, but before that, you must be cautious, after all... collaborating with the various schools is akin to making a pact with a tiger for its skin."
Luomingsang's tender hand drew circles on Xiang Shaoyun's chest, softly speaking.
Xiang Shaoyun's lips curled up, kneading Luomingsang's black hair, his gaze looking outside the tent, fiery.
"I told you, I will make you the queen. I will fight for this land for you, establish this dynasty, I stand for you."
"As for the various schools... Heh, when I reach the peak one day, it will be the time to eliminate them."
"Mingsang, you can rest assured."
...
Great Zhou Dynasty, Imperial Capital.
Library.
Yuwen Xiu opened his eyes from the reclining chair, with a flash of embarrassment and anger in his eyes, and it was only after a long time that he calmed down.
"Your Majesty, how is it? Did you obtain Immortal Fate?"
A gentle voice sounded in the quiet room.
The dim candlelight burned quietly.
A white-haired old man in plain clothes and grass shoes looked at Yuwen Xiu with a red and kind face.
In his hand, he held a letter that was delivered by his coachman.
He had read the contents of the letter, but there was no change on his face.
"Sage, it could be considered as obtaining Immortal Fate."
Yuwen Xiu rubbed his brow, somewhat uncertain.
"Considered?"
The sage was puzzled.
Yuwen Xiu hesitated for a moment, but still revealed what happened in the Transmission Platform.
"The land of Immortal Fate...Wolong Ridge?"
The sage stroked his white beard, his old face showing a pensive look.
Afterwards, the sage stood up, walked slowly, and took out an old yellowed map from a pile of bookshelves. The map roughly depicted the terrain of various places.
"Lying like a dragon, hovering over Beiluo..."
"Is Wolong Ridge a hundred miles outside Beiluo City?"
The sage pointed to the marker for Beiluo City, thoughtful.
"Your Majesty, nowadays, many gifted individuals who obtain Immortal Fate frequently appear in the world, making the situation more confusing than before."
The sage put away the map, coughed, and said.
"Your Majesty is one of the gifted individuals. According to what you said, there are still two unidentified gifted individuals..."
"And Beiluo City's Lu Ping'an, the old man judges, is suspected of being a gifted individual. He has a follower who can control a knife remotely, also suspected to be a gifted individual..."
"The number of gifted individuals in the world is difficult to say. With chaotic situations arising frequently, but this... is the hope for Great Zhou to break through."
The sage coughed, but his old eyes were as bright as stars.
Hope for a breakthrough?
Yuwen Xiu's eyes also lit up. He, as the emperor, naturally saw the current situation clearly.
In the chaos of the vassals, they gathered their forces, unstoppable, and broke through several cities in succession.
Due to the turmoil of war, bandits roamed unchecked, and Great Zhou had basically lost control over the regions.
Now, they could only shrink back to the Imperial Capital.
"Sage, can the Gifted Ones truly help Great Zhou break through?" Yuwen Xiu asked somewhat excitedly.
"You are the emperor. With the assistance of the Gifted Ones, you can surely pacify the realm..."
"Even, the abolishment of the various schools will no longer be just empty words."
The sage stroked his white beard, gazing out the window at the myriad stars of the deep night, and said leisurely.
"Your Majesty, rest early. Tomorrow, this old man will have to make a trip to Beiluo..."
The sage said.
Yuwen Xiu, hearing this, bowed respectfully to the old man and withdrew.
The old man watched Yuwen Xiu leave, surrounded by the eunuchs waiting outside the library, his gaze gradually softened.
He lay back in his rocking chair, coughing softly.
"The older I get, the more useless I become. I wonder how many worries I can share with Your Majesty."
The flickering candlelight grew deeper.
Accompanied by a somewhat helpless sigh.
...
"A chess manual?"
In the darkness, Lu Fan was slightly surprised.
He didn't expect that this time, the reward turned out to be a chess manual.
Was even the system despising him as a stinking trash?
Lu Fan pursed his lips, his mind moved, and he received the reward.
"Chess Manual 'The Essence of the Sky': Inferior-grade soul refining method (can be upgraded), follow the manual to place pieces, contemplate the chess situation, can restore soul strength, and forge condensed soul strength."
"Hint: Combined with 'The Genesis of Qi Cultivation', it can enhance autonomous cultivation speed."
Buzz...
In his mind, a chess manual formed by black and white pieces arranging themselves appeared.
Lu Fan felt a trance, as if a scene appeared before his eyes.
Under an ancient and vigorous old pine tree, two figures sat facing each other at either end of a chessboard. With the wind blowing and the leaves falling, the two played chess while drinking tea. Between moves, the sea shifted and the stars rotated, as if using all things in the universe as pieces.
Lu Fan opened his eyes, feeling a sense of understanding. He took the chessboard and placed it on his lap, took out the pieces from the chess box, and placed them according to the positions in "The Essence of the Sky".
The chess manual "The Essence of the Sky" recorded a total of nine chess games, starting from easy to difficult.
In the quiet night, the rhythmic sound of placing pieces echoed steadily.
The more he played, the more spirited he became. The soul strength he had consumed was gradually restored to perfection through studying the game.
This one game took him the whole night.
...
The next day.
Lu Fan collected the chess pieces on the board and stretched lazily.
He hadn't slept all night, but he felt extremely energetic, and his soul strength had been completely restored.
Rustling sounds came, and knocks sounded on the crimson carved wooden door.
Lu Fan responded.
Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and Ni Yu pushed the door open.
Ni Yu carried hot water, her pretty face flushed by the steam, while Yi Yue carried breakfast.
"Good morning," Lu Fan smiled.
A beautiful day began with a decadent dawn.
Enjoying the service of the three maids, Lu Fan had breakfast.
The crimson carved wooden door opened.
Ning Zhao pushed the wheelchair calmly, Yi Yue held an umbrella for Lu Fan, and Ni Yu carried the chessboard, following closely.
In the courtyard.
Jing Yue had already woken up, rubbing his hands and looking at Lu Fan, who was sitting in the wheelchair in a white robe, smiling brightly.
"Good morning, Young Master."
Jing Yue said.
Lu Fan glanced at Jing Yue, nodded, and turned his gaze to the head buried in the courtyard, leaving only Mo Tianyu's head.
"Keep an eye on him. If he dies or escapes, it's on you."
Lu Fan said.
The smile on Jing Yue's face froze for a moment.
"Sister Ning, go to Huixin Island, Bai Yuqing."
Lu Fan rested his chin on one hand, the other hand resting on the sheepskin blanket on his knee, and said.
"Yes."
Ning Zhao smiled lightly, pushing the wheelchair out of the door, followed by Ni Yu and Yi Yue in a hurry.
In the courtyard, Jing Yue was left alone to guard Mo Tianyu's lonely head.
Leaving the small courtyard, Nie Changqing, who had already been exercising early, was waiting outside with a sweaty Nie Shuang.
Lu Fan nodded slightly, and Nie Changqing led Nie Shuang to follow behind.
The group left the Lu Residence, boarded the carriage, and headed towards Huixin Island.
At this moment.
Outside Beiluo City.
Five spirited horses galloped.
The carriage swayed, slowing down as it reached the city gates.
Under the city gate of Beiluo.
Lu Changkong, dressed in a brocade robe, stood. Beside him, Luo Yue, father and son, were also wearing plain clothes, waiting.
The carriage gradually approached.
Stopped in front of the city gate, Lu Changkong's gaze sharpened.
He stepped forward, clasping his hands together, and bowed.
"Welcome, Master."