Lucian's face darkened.
"Are you itching for trouble?"
"Is my darling upset?"
Lin Daiyu batted her beautiful eyes, her pretty face brimming with feigned innocence.
Her voice was deliberately pitched high, dripping with sarcasm.
Lucian felt a bit helpless and retorted, "Just wait. One day, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"
"Oh?"
Lin Daiyu flashed a sweet smile but said no more.
Her eyes, however, locked on him as if silently communicating some mischievous secret.
Lucian coughed awkwardly and changed the subject. "Speaking of serious matters, what exactly did your epiphany bring you?"
"Darling, how could you bring that up! I only practiced [Eight Extremes Fist] for a while, but I didn't comprehend any deeper intent yet!"
Lin Daiyu sighed dramatically, looking a little dejected.
Lucian rolled his eyes. "Don't overthink it. Comprehending intent isn't something that can be rushed. With one epiphany per day, it's only a matter of time before you succeed. Don't be greedy!"
"Satisfaction is bliss! Darling, your advice has enlightened me. I shall never forget these words in this lifetime!"
Her teasing tone hit Lucian like a jab to his pride.
He couldn't help but want to put her in her place but restrained himself.
"Let me give it a try!"
Lucian, curious, sat down beneath the Marriage Tree.
In the next moment, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
Soon, he felt a mysterious force emanating from the Marriage Tree.
Simultaneously, information flowed into his mind:
Choose a skill to enhance.
"Let's improve [Divine River Visualization] to level 11 first!"
Lucian focused his thoughts, selecting the skill.
In an instant, an immersive experience enveloped him.
Lucian found himself floating in the depths of the universe.
Darkness stretched endlessly, a silence so profound it bordered on oppressive.
There was no up or down, no left or right—only an infinite void.
The cosmic expanse was eerily empty, invoking an instinctive fear of the unknown.
But then, from the void came a sound like waves crashing onto a shore.
Swoosh!
A vast river appeared, flowing majestically through the void.
Lucian was swept into the currents of the Divine River, swimming freely within its waters.
Suddenly, a celestial maiden descended from above.
She stood barefoot atop the Divine River, her long hair cascading like silk caught in a gentle breeze, some strands brushing lightly against Lucian's face.
When he turned his head, he saw her breathtakingly beautiful features.
Her face was serene yet commanding, her slender figure adorned in a crimson ancient-style robe.
Her bare feet rested gracefully on the river, their snowy-white toes seeming to emanate a divine fragrance.
It was surreal, but Lucian quickly realized—
This was a manifestation conjured by his own thoughts.
"Not bad at all!"
Lucian focused intently, committing every detail to memory.
Every strand of hair, every fold of her garment, every subtle expression.
Divine River Visualization was an abstract practice, inherently formless and boundless. Attempting to give it shape often resulted in something vague or undefined.
However, visualizing the "Cloud Dream Maiden" made things far easier.
In his trance, Lucian began to entertain a bold idea.
What if the Cloud Dream Maiden resided in my territory?
And so, his imagination soared.
Within a vast marshland known as Cloud Dream Marsh, atop a sacred mountain thousands of feet high, the crimson-robed maiden stood barefoot on the precipice.
Her gaze swept indifferently over the marsh below, which teemed with life.
To the west, nine-headed hydras roamed.
To the east, ancient catastrophes from a bygone era stirred.
Even monstrous entities the size of gods and demons crawled through the land, their movements in harmony with the marsh's rhythm.
"Transforming the vision into reality is still too challenging!"
Lucian pondered. "I need to conquer and absorb multiple ancient hydras from that other world to extract their blood essence!"
"And that Cloud Dream Marsh... sigh, taming the mythical White Zephyr Lion is such a monumental task. What's the next step? Beast blood alone isn't enough!"
As the crimson-robed maiden pondered her plans, her brows furrowed in contemplation.
But then, Lucian felt a shiver in his heart.
An unexpected notification popped up in his interface:
Invitation Received:
"Lord Lucian of [Lunar City] invites you to join [Lunar City]."
If you accept, [Cloud Dream Marsh] will become part of [Lunar City], and you will serve as a vassal under [Lucian].
The maiden's expression froze.
Her enchanting eyes widened in disbelief.
"What...?"
She blinked, her face a mixture of astonishment and confusion.
Indeed, a lord could surrender their territory and become another's vassal.
But this was typically seen among incompetent, ambitionless individuals—or in cases of extreme desperation.
This crimson-robed maiden, however, was a powerhouse who dominated the entirety of Silvermoon City.
Her territory, Cloud Dream Marsh, was among the strongest in existence.
For someone to send her such an invitation...
Her gaze turned cold, brimming with an intense killing intent.
But as quickly as it appeared, the hostility vanished.
A thought struck her.
"Lucian... isn't he that student from earlier today?"
Sitting down, she massaged her temples in frustration.
"A rookie lord... dared to contact me?"
The maiden couldn't comprehend how a newcomer could even establish a connection with her.
For context, the government hadn't even distributed communication forums to rookie lords yet!
"Interesting."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Amusement flickered in her enchanting eyes as she decided to humor this strange occurrence.
Lucian's epiphany ended, and he returned to reality.
"Darling, you're awake?"
Lin Daiyu handed him a bowl of water as he stirred.
The liquid shimmered faintly—it was Moon Essence Water, a high-grade resource from their territory.
"Thanks!"
Lucian downed the bowl in one go, savoring the refreshing taste.
He glanced at his interface and saw that [Divine River Visualization] had indeed leveled up to 11.
"It works!"
While Lucian didn't yet comprehend any profound insights, he was optimistic about future epiphanies.
"It's worth doing this every day!"
That evening, Lucian returned to his chamber.
As he lit the lantern, he noticed someone waiting inside.
Seated at the table, dressed in a traditional bridal gown, was Qin Keqing.
Her delicate features flushed with embarrassment, though her phoenix eyes gleamed with anticipation.
The table was set with a single jug of wine and two cups.
Lucian, fresh from a bath, smiled as he approached.
"I'm here."
"Young master..."
Her voice trembled with emotion as she poured the wine, her every movement exuding grace.
With a slight tilt of her head, she gazed at Lucian, her lips curling into a faint smile.