"Ding ding ding — the crossing mission is completed. The energy is about to be exhausted, and the ring-world system will temporarily enter dormant mode."
Accompanied by the cold, strange sound, Li Mufan slowly woke from his deep sleep.
What came into view was flying dust and the sound of galloping horse hooves.
The violent jolts churned his stomach, and at the same time, sharp pain shot through his right arm, where a long arrow was lodged.
"Where am I? Wasn't I just playing a game?"
At this moment, he found himself lying on the back of a horse. Looking around, he saw a young knight in red armor riding alongside him, his face filled with anxiety.
Around them, dozens of red-helmeted knights were also riding at full speed.
Sensing Li Mufan's movement, the knight looked down and, upon seeing him awake and confused, was overjoyed.
"Your Majesty! King Cheng's troops have caught up with us. What should we do? Where should we flee?"
"Your Majesty? Is he talking to me?"
Li Mufan felt disoriented, as though his entire body was falling apart, his mind in a fog.
Suddenly, a flood of memories overwhelmed him, and his head throbbed with splitting pain. His vision went black, and he passed out again.
At dawn, the rising sun bathed the earth in light.
The sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting specks of light onto his body. He could smell the earthy fragrance of the soil mixed with a faint trace of the girl's scent.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the arms of a young woman, surrounded by a dense jungle. Nearby, soldiers in red armor lay scattered on the ground.
"Your Majesty, you're finally awake!"
Her surprised voice reached his ears. Li Mufan blushed when he saw her blood-and-dust-streaked face.
The memories in his mind were now clear: he had traveled through time and become the king of a small, troubled kingdom!
This was not Earth but a place called Tianheng Continent. The original owner of this body was also named Li Mufan, once a vassal of the Yunqin Empire and the king of the Sun and Moon Kingdom.
However, just a year after ascending the throne, he experienced a coup. On the night of his wedding, he was overthrown, driven out of the royal city, and chased to this point.
The girl holding him was Fan Qingyue, a captain of the palace guard and the only female guard in the entire palace. She had reached the first level of the body-refining realm.
When the rebel army stormed the palace, she and a group of loyal personal guards fought fiercely to protect him, escorting him out of the royal city. On the way, he was struck by a poisoned arrow, and his soul departed.
But somehow, the Li Mufan from Earth had now taken over this body.
Fan Qingyue noticed the slight flush in Li Mufan's previously pale face, which looked much better than when he had been unconscious. She breathed a sigh of relief, tightened the red cloak around them both, and called out, "General Zhao, His Majesty is awake!"
A moment later.
In a clearing within the dense forest, Li Mufan, dressed in the royal robes of the Sun and Moon Kingdom, sat upright on a bluestone. After eating and drinking a little, he looked much better.
He glanced at the hundreds of Redwood Army guards kneeling before him and cleared his throat before speaking, "Please, rise."
However, his voice was soft, lacking the strength he intended.
Hearing his command, the soldiers all shouted in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Having fully absorbed his predecessor's memories, Li Mufan quickly settled into his role. With a sigh, he called out firmly, "Liu Long!"
A tall young man standing at the front of the guards immediately stepped forward and clasped his fists. "I am here!"