Epic-Level Cataclysm, a Peace Marriage Reenacting History?
The tiny toddler charged forward like a pig, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
However, Liu Wanliang did not pursue it, but only sent his guards to search for it, as if it really was just a relative's child.
Seeing that he didn't move, Zhao Xing realized that Liu Wanliang had come to see him about something.
"You spend all day by the lake in a daze, and the princess is worried about you, so she specifically sent me to check on you," Liu Wanliang said.
"I'm fine," Zhao Xing said. "I've just hit a bottleneck."
"The Mountain Art gathers the heavenly fortune, which is not something that can be accomplished in a day. Chen'an, you've also cultivated the Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet; you shouldn't give people cause for concern."
Zhao Xing understood immediately and quickly said, "I'll go see the princess right away."
Liu Wanliang smiled and nodded.
Zhao Xing waved his hand, and his clothes rippled like flowing water, instantly transforming him from simple to glamorous attire.
Princess Youruo wasn't entirely worried about herself, because she was right under her nose. Apart from being a little lost in thought because of the Mountain Art, her clone at home hadn't shown any abnormalities for decades.
The focus is still on Old Liu.
Liu Tianning was thousands of miles away, and his main body had been in seclusion for many years. Although he also had avatars handling official business outside, Princess Youruo was more worried than Zhao Xing.
Great Governance Era, Liu Tianning's true form has undergone two major seclusions.
One period lasted from the 26th Great Governance Era the 56th year of the Great Governance Era, a full 30 years.
Princess Youruo had not seen Liu Tianning in person for thirty years.
He left the pass in the fifty-seventh year of the Great Governance Era.
But we only met once, and spent less than a month together.
"During his thirty years of seclusion, Old Liu has completed the First Tier of retraining the Derivation God Art."
"But Princess Youruo didn't know this, because it was top secret, and she couldn't possibly know it." Zhao Xing thought to himself as he walked. "It was precisely because she didn't know the reason that she was anxious."
"I couldn't tell her either, I could only reassure her that her teacher was alright."
Zhao Xing recalled Liu Tianning's activities, "He left the pass in the fifty-seventh year of the Great Governance Era and focused on handling official business."
"Starting in Nineteen Provinces, he secretly investigated the effectiveness of the Green Seedling Law in various states and rewarded or punished the local branches."
"At this time, there were many more officials from the 'Original Self' faction than during the Jingxin calendar period. In some prefectures, the number of officials from the 'Original Self' faction in charge of civil affairs and military affairs even exceeded that of the other two factions."
"This is his capital in vying for the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture, so he cannot afford to ignore it."
"After three years of investigation, in the first year of Eternal Governance Era, he returned to the Daoyuan Continent, entered the [Dojo], and challenged Yun Zheng, the dean of the Cloud Central Institute of the Mystic Heaven Academy, to a duel."
0"
"According to convention, the competition among the three factions, and the candidates for Grand Minister of Agriculture, will consist of a maximum of ten battles, each separated by a ten-year interval."
Why a maximum of ten matches? Because if you've already convinced your opponent in the first few matches, there's no need to continue with the later matches.
If you're not satisfied, then we'll fight again in ten years.
Even if they achieve various political accomplishments during this period, which may impress others, they may not necessarily continue fighting ten years later.
"If they're still not convinced after nine games, then there's nothing we can do."
"The tenth battle will be the [Great Dao Contention]," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The first nine matches were only decided by victory or defeat, not by life or death.
Even the victor should try to show mercy and not harm the opponent's core strength.
After the fight, the two sides will sit down and discuss their differences.
After nine rounds, if one still cannot convince the other to listen to them, then the only option left is to engage in Great Dao Contention.
"Normally, it wouldn't come to this point, but Liu Tianning is the dean of the Shangluo Academy, and he belongs to the True Self Faction."
"The True Self Faction has never produced Grand Minister of Agriculture, so there must have been a tenth round of competition."
"For example, in the first year of Eternal Governance Era, after Yun Zheng lost the match against ' Yun Zheng,' he didn't sit down and discuss the Dao with Liu Tianning. Instead, he made a bold statement that they would fight again in ten years, and then he left."
Without even going through the motions, one can imagine how much resistance there will be for Old Liu to become the Grand Minister of Agriculture.
Of course, there are also cases where the candidate concedes, but has no choice but to continue the fight.
Because he represents not just one person's interests, nor does he bear the weight of his own glory, but rather the interests and glory of an entire school of thought.
To do something knowing it's impossible is something you can't help doing.
Dying on the dojo is better than surrendering and admitting defeat! At least it can give an explanation to the supporters who have invested a lot of resources: Look, I fought to the death for our ideals, which is worthy of everyone's support for hundreds of years.
"In the first year of Eternal Governance Era, Liu Tianning fought a total of eight battles. Four people from the Mystic Heaven Academy participated in the battles. They were the deans or vice deans of the four academies of Wind, Rain, Thunder and Cloud, and all of them were candidates."
Without exception, they were all defeated by Liu Tianning.
"However, Ling Tianchen and Wang Tianzhi are not included in this list."
"This is Liu Tianning after his retraining, only at the Derivation God Art," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Liu Tianning's cultivation talent truly makes him the number one in the Agricultural Official; even I, in some aspects, cannot compare to him."
Zhao Xing cultivated the Mountain Art for eighty-two years, but still could not break through to the Heavenly Fortune Perfection realm, while Liu Tianning entered the First Rank in just three years.
Of course, he didn't use the Mountain Art to nourish the heavenly fortune, but rather the divine tree. There's essentially no difference between the two, except that using the Mountain Art to nourish the fortune is a bit more difficult.
Liu Tianning had a smoother time in the Heavenly Luck Realm, as his family had occupied one-third of the Agricultural Official's fortune since the founding of the nation.
The most representative example is the Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet, Liu Transmission Straw Man Art, which was created by his great-grandfather and reached a new level in his hands.
The destiny of Heaven, my destiny, and the destiny of the nation—accumulated over thousands of years. In this realm, no one is more fortunate than Liu Tianning.
Even though Old Master Zhao considered himself an unparalleled genius, he had to admit defeat in the Heavenly Luck Realm.
However, it's a different story when cultivating the Derivation God Art.
For eighty-two years, Zhao Xing has never given up cultivating the Derivation God Art Technique.
After all, this not only involves Old Liu's life and death, but also his own.
Upon reaching the Second-Rank Heavenly Fate Realm, he also had to cultivate the second level of the Derivation God Art.
"While cultivating the Mountain Art in seclusion, I reached the perfection of the second level of the Divine Derivation God Art Technique in less than ten years, with my Divine Soul splitting into 500,000 parts and my Life Soul Seal with the Starry Sky, once again breaking the historical record."
"The time that follows will be used to summarize the correct cultivation method for the second level of the Derivation God Art, and to make targeted summaries for the cases of strong individuals who have to rebuild their cultivation, not only for Liu Tianning, but also for strong individuals from other professions."
"Starting from the first year of Eternal Governance Era, I taught Liu Tianning to cultivate the second level of the Derivation God Art, which was custom-made for him."
"After he fought eight battles, Time Faction and four men Earthly Advantage Faction, he went into seclusion again."
"After that, I would emerge from seclusion once every ten years, and I've fought eighteen different people in total."
"The longest game went through four rounds, and the shortest went through one round."
"Wang Tianzhi and Ling Tianchen have not yet fought him, but Meng Kun and Qin Shanyue have both been beaten up."
Only four rounds have passed, and no one has yet said they've surrendered and won't fight anymore.
That would be too embarrassing, after all, he is the Minister of Agriculture of the Primal School, he should at least last until the ninth game, right?
"The Eternal Governance Era lasted for ninety-eight years. Li Boqian would die in the later years of the Eternal Governance Era, and for several years after his death, the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture would not be established. This struggle among the three factions would be completely over by the second year of Wu Emperor's Yuan Hunting Era."
As lifespan increases, time is needed to verify the merits, laws, theories, and virtues accumulated over a century.
This would also allow the three Agricultural Official, as well as people from all walks of life and the emperor, to see clearly who is the right candidate for Grand Minister of Agriculture.
"On the other hand, Old Liu is exceptionally talented in other areas, even surpassing me in the Heavenly Luck Realm, but his progress in re-cultivating the Derivation God Art is a bit slow."
"It's already the 46th year of Eternal Governance Era, and his speed of retraining is slower than that of geniuses in other professions," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The "re-cultivation" here does not mean resuming cultivation after dispersing one's skills, but rather a kind of correction and treatment that addresses specific issues and addresses broader problems.
You can say that you need to disperse your vital energy and start over, but how can you disperse your soul energy? Are you suggesting that you turn yourself into a ghost?
If it were that easy, the drawbacks of the Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet wouldn't have remained unresolved for so many years.
"Princess Youruo's concerns are not unfounded, but she herself is in trouble. I hope she can see things clearly and not act rashly."
Zhao Xing pondered this as he entered the Yonghua Palace.
"Your subject greets the Princess."
Princess Youruo Ji Anlan, was sitting at her desk, her brows slightly furrowed, reviewing official documents.
Hearing Zhao Xing bow, he did not speak immediately.
Zhao Xing remained bowing and waited quietly.
He knew that Princess Youruo was already very dissatisfied with the two of them, master and disciple.
Come to think of it, it's true that you might not see your sweetheart for more than ten or even several decades at a time.
A clone? What's the point of a clone? You're kidding me!
They wouldn't say why when asked.
His disciple is also in seclusion. The reason for this is clear to Princess Youruo of Spirit Mountain, who understands that this is a crucial stage for Zhao Xing.
The higher the mountain, the higher the celestial fortune! The greater the reward in terms of personal fortune, the greater the celestial fortune. However, celestial fortune is not just about personal fortune; personal fortune is only one manifestation of it.
However, even though I understand, I still feel very depressed.
Unable to get answers from Liu Tianning, Zhao Xing also remained silent about the reasons, only saying "It's alright, it's alright," which was very perfunctory.
Princess Youruo is now over two hundred years old, and she will surely live to the age of a first-rank official.
Even so, Princess Youruo was over two hundred years old, had reached a crucial point—it was time for her to consider marriage.
But given the current situation, how is she supposed to get married? She can't even find anyone!
"Whoosh!" Princess Youruo, getting angrier the more she thought about it, threw down the writing brush.
"Clang!" The propaganda brush sank into a pillar inside the hall, its end trembling incessantly.
"Whoosh~" She pushed the neatly arranged documents into a mess.
"Smack!" A document was thrown onto Zhao Xing's back.
Zhao Xing stepped forward two steps so that Princess Youruo could smash it less effortfully.
How can official documents kill someone? If you want to kill someone, you should use a hardwood pen holder and an official seal.
Princess Youruo was simply sulking.
In the past, would Princess Youruo have sulked?
They were all angry, and while they were venting their anger, they would also curse and hit each other.
But now she can't find a reason. It's top secret. What can Zhao Xing do?
If you can't find a reason, you can only stubbornly stay angry.
This can't go on like this, so Zhao Xing stepped closer and said in a low voice, "Madam, you are the Eldest Princess of the nation, how can you be so disrespectful?"
Great, now I have an excuse.
Princess Youruo grabbed a pen holder and smashed it down, cursing, "Who do you think you are to teach me manners? You heartless bastard!"
Dazzled! Bang bang bang bang bang!
Princess Youruo got more and more into her tirade, but she quickly threw everything away.
It's not enough to just yell and curse without actually throwing things away!
Zhao Xing Xingqu pointed, and a gust of wind carried the things on the ground back to the table.
Having found something to vent her anger, Princess Youruo's fury flared again. "Zhao Chen'an, you bastard!"
Even you're trying to fool me with your clones!
"I'm going to smash this piece of rotten wood of yours to pieces today!"
At this moment, a little child, who had just shaken off the guards and was planning to come back to show off to his older sister,
We approached Yonghua Palace.
Upon seeing this, his eyes widened in astonishment.
"Ah!"
The toddler covered his mouth, hurriedly crouched down outside the threshold, and slowly crawled to the side.
The threshold was high, so he crouched down and completely disappeared from sight. He then pinched his nose. After that, he became Invisibility.
The accompanying guards walked up the corridor, looking bewildered.
Where are they?
Did they really get lost?
"Shhh."
Liu Wanliang suddenly appeared at the back of the corridor and gently waved his hand, signaling the guards to step back.
Then he quietly picked up the child and covered his eyes, saying, "Don't look, it's all fake."
"Fake?" The toddler pried Liu Wanliang's fingers off with his little hands.
But the next moment he found himself not Yonghua Palace, but inside a pavilion.
"Ah, I can't see it anymore."
"Uncle Liu, what do you mean by 'fake'?"
Liu Wanliang smiled and said, "There is a kind of magic in the world called illusion."
"Like me right now."
Liu Wanliang transformed into a woman in an instant.
Upon seeing this, the child immediately forgot what had just happened.
"This is great! This is great! I want to learn it!"
He pretended to shake his head, and unexpectedly, something actually changed. For a moment, his face transformed into that of a little girl, which was exactly the form Liu Wanliang was currently in.
But the illusion crumbled in just a second, and the illusion returned to normal.
"This—" Liu Wanliang was secretly astonished. "Young master is truly a prodigy."
"How could it fail?" The toddler jumped up and instantly appeared on Liu Wanliang's shoulder.
His little hands tugged at Liu Wanliang's eyelids and pulled apart Liu Wanliang's hair, completely forgetting what had just happened.
Liu Wanliang smiled and took it off, "If you want to learn, then I'll teach you."
Yonghua Palace, Princess Youruo finally calmed down.
Everything returned to normal, even the pen returned to Princess Youruo's hands.
If a young child were here, they would definitely exclaim, "It's fake! It's definitely fake!"
Princess Youruo looked at Zhao Xing, who was bowing, and snorted, "Find a place to sit down yourself."
"Thank you, Princess." Zhao Xing straightened up and then knelt down at the table next to him.
"Let me ask you, what exactly is the situation with Liu Tianning?"
"He can be out doing things, fighting at the dojo, and then he needs to go into seclusion, leaving only a few clones outside to mechanically handle official duties—forget it, I'll just ask one question: has he actually lost control?"
"No," Zhao Xing said firmly. "The teacher would never be like Xu Xing."
"Then why haven't you ever lost control?"
Zhao Xing fell silent again.
He couldn't say it.
Emperor Jing refused to reveal the secret to Princess Youruo, there was nothing anyone could do.
Seeing that Zhao Xing once again knew nothing when asked, they realized that Zhao Xing was completely clueless.
Seeing him was like seeing someone else, Princess Youruo felt a surge of irritation. "Get out!"
Zhao Xing stood up, bowed respectfully, and then said, "Master's wife, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
"Spit it out!"
"I feel that you have been overworking yourself these past few years. If you weren't so overworked, you would have less to worry about and less anxiety. You can go for a walk and get some rest."
Princess Youruo was about to scold him again, but then she remembered that Zhao Xing meant well, so she didn't say anything more, "I understand."
"This disciple takes his leave."
"Etc."
Princess Youruo seemed to remember something. "A relative has come to visit. If you have time, you can spend more time playing with him. In a few months, you may be needed to teach him the art of Agricultural Official."
Zhao Xing nodded. "Yes."
After leaving Yonghua Palace, Zhao Xing shook his head.
He didn't know if Princess Youruo had listened to his words.
But he took Princess Youruo's words to heart.
"It seems that Emperor Jing does not intend to hide it from me. If he does not want me to know that the prince is being raised in the Princess's Residence, I may ignore it even if I see it."
Things are different now!
When Zhao Xing first planned to raise dragons in the East Sea, he had two purposes: first, to raise the dragons of the Dragon Court, and second, to raise the true dragon, Wu Emperor!
Originally, he only wanted to become a Fifth Grade during Emperor Jing's reign, and then, at some point, have a period of close interaction with Wu Emperor.
Even if it may not last long, once you get involved, it will bring you great fortune and great benefits!
"But now, I am already Second Rank Heavenly Luck Realm."
"I didn't need to go looking for him; Liu Wanliang brought Wu Emperor directly to see me."
"The princess asked me to play with Wu Emperor and also asked me to teach Agricultural Official. This would not have happened without Emperor Jing's authorization."
Many plans need to be adjusted. Zhao Xing had prepared a lot before, but now he doesn't need to make any special preparations at all.
"Heavenly fortune is my fortune. I don't need to seek out good things; good things will come to me. I just need to Let Nature Take Its Course." Zhao Xing's understanding of the Heavenly Luck Realm deepened.
Upon returning to Celestial Horse Northern Garden, the Zhao Residence was now larger than before.
"Eighty-two years have passed, and I am now 147 years old, while my younger brother Zhao Zheng is 138 years old."
"My second sister, Zhao Yuhuan, is already 121 years old."
"My third sister, Zhao Yuling, is already 103 years old."
"My fourth brother, Zhao Chuanzong, was born in the twentieth year of the Great Governance Era and is already 86 years old."
Zhao Xing recalled.
Zhao Ruide was quite helpless.
The first four didn't have any offspring, and they were all doing well with bright futures. They still wanted to pursue their careers, but the old man had no choice but to take matters into his own hands, which led to the birth of Zhao Chuanzong.
To carry on the family line—what a simple wish!
Zhao Chuanzong lived up to expectations, getting married and having children at the age of thirty. He took a marquis's daughter as his principal wife and also took nine wives from prominent families.
Then it's just a matter of giving birth as much as possible.
At sixty years old, Zhao Chuanzong was already calling his grandfather.
Nowadays, Zhao Chuanzong's branch of the family has separated and is extremely prosperous, with forty or fifty children and grandchildren.
"My godfather, Zhao Ruide, celebrated his 200th birthday last year, and he had already risen to the rank of Sixth Rank Patrol Office."
"My adoptive mother, Madam Cai, was 171 years old and had her lifespan extended several times."
There have been numerous instances of slight lifespan extensions.
For example, Zhao Zheng is now a military officer of the Fifth Grade, Madam Cai once... for this reason...
She was granted the title of "Wu Hua Lady", which is the Seventh Grade among noblewomen.
They have no real military power or authority, only honor and longevity.
The second sister, Zhao Yuhuan, is already a Fifth Grade Teaching Dharma Master.
The third sister, Zhao Yuling, was a Fifth Grade Weaving Girl.
They didn't achieve anything significant, but they did bring a slight extension of lifespan to Zhao Ruide and his wife.
There was one major instance of significant life extension.
It was Emperor Jing's 900th birthday, and when he was bestowing rewards upon his officials, he said that Zhao Ruide and Madam Cai had great love in their hearts.
He had cultivated Divine Might Marquis for the country, so he promoted Zhao Ruide to the rank of Fifth Grade Martial Office inspector and bestowed upon Madam Cai a Fifth Grade imperial title, elevating her to the rank of Madam Wu Hua.
Once you reach a certain rank, things become much easier; you can extend your lifespan to its limit by consuming treasures.
Therefore, Zhao Ruide and Madam Cai can live for at least another hundred years or so.
As long as Wu Emperor Dynasty continues, there will definitely be more rewards, and he will have at least another two or three hundred years of good life.
Of course, Zhao Ruide and Madam Cai did not have any more children.
The main problem is that Zhao Chuanzong is already very prolific, and having many children and grandchildren can be a source of worry.
They all wanted to get some benefits from Zhao Xing, their uncle.
Although Zhao Ruide and Madam Cai were not born into a prominent family, they had lived in the Princess's Residence for many years.
How could they not know the advantages and disadvantages?
I can't cause trouble for my eldest son!
Therefore, Zhao Ruide not only stopped having children, but also directly made Zhao Chuanzong was already married, separate from the family.
Zhao Xing had some affection for his two younger sisters, but his relationship with Zhao Chuanzong was rather distant.
Of course, even so, Zhao Chuanzong's branch still benefited immensely, at least in terms of having no shortage of money.
"Apart from Zhao Zheng, I have never interfered with my brothers and sisters' official careers, but I have never shortchanged them in terms of money."
Zhao Zheng is an exception. He has good talent, and Zhao Xing personally arranged for him to join the Divine Might Army and handed him over to Liao Rulong for training. He is now a regular deputy general.
Having spent many years by the Canglan River without fighting any major battles, even though Zhao Zheng was quite talented, he was still only a Fifth Grade military officer at over a hundred years old.
"Speaking of talent, the most terrifying talent belongs to the emperor," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Being an emperor could be considered the only profession!
It's even more perverse than the Priest, because the Priest's mastery of all professions ultimately relies on others and requires Invoking the Gods to accomplish it.
However, the emperor was proficient in all professions, with an astonishingly high talent value in all of them.
Of course, it is impossible to reach the top level in any single aspect. For example, the emperor's talent in the field of Agricultural Official could not surpass that of Old Liu and Zhao Xing.
In terms of talent, Agricultural Official is probably only slightly better than Wang Tianzhi and Ling Tianchen.
In terms of martial arts talent, he surpasses Ye Yukong by a little.
Similarly, every path can produce a peerless genius, but not the strongest genius.
However, mastering all professions is quite formidable.
"You want me to teach Wu Emperor the art of Agricultural Official?" Zhao Xing asked with a hint of anticipation. "I'll have to put in a lot of effort in raising Wu Emperor."
Starting from the beginning of the forty-sixth year of the Great Governance Era, the young Wu Emperor would occasionally visit Celestial Horse Northern Garden to play with Zhao Xing.
The reason why they said they would only teach techniques and not the Way was because imparting the Way to the princes would have too great a karmic burden, and the ministers could not bear it.
If a prince were to succeed to the throne and become emperor, it would be even more terrifying, so they only taught him the techniques, not the doctrines.
The prince cultivates the Way of the Human Emperor, and the one who spreads this Way will only be the emperor.
Wu Emperor's teachings could only be passed down by Emperor Jing.
Of course, it's not the right time yet.
Both Liu Wanliang and Princess Youruo only allowed the young Wu Emperor to address Zhao Xing as "Divine Might Marquis" or "elder brother".
Wu Emperor initially refused.
"No, I don't want to go!"
The toddler was kicking his feet in Liu Wanliang's arms.
"What's so fun about farming? Uncle Liu, let me go!"
Liu Wanliang reluctantly put him down.
"Whoosh~"
As soon as he let go, he disappeared without a trace.
However, Zhao Xing cannot let him escape this time.
Swish~
Two figures flashed by, and the next moment, Zhao Xing lifted the young Wu Emperor into the air.
"Wow!"
The toddler who opened his eyes and looked at the ground immediately became afraid of heights.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"Are you sure you want to let go?" Zhao Xing asked. "This is ten thousand meters in the air. If you fall, you'll be turned into mincemeat with a thud."
"Wait, don't let it go...—"
However, he spoke too late.
Zhao Xing has already let go.
"Yaa-"
A loud sound pierced the sky.
Wu Emperor, in freefall, even had his hair blown straight by the wind.
However, after dropping two thousand meters.
Suddenly, his body emitted a burst of vital energy, and then his descent gradually slowed down.
After falling another thousand meters, this guy actually comprehended the martial artist's "Sky-Dancing Technique".
"I can fly now!"
Zhao Xing nodded slightly as he watched this scene.
The current Wu Emperor is probably only four or five years old, but he has already surpassed the Ninth Grade Essence Gathering Realm and reached the Eighth Grade Spirit Bridge Realm.
According to the rule that princes should only study academic subjects and not Daoism, and should learn the arts of various schools of thought from a young age, his talent is terrifying.
Wu Emperor kicked his arms and legs in the air, as if he were dog paddling in water, trying to fly away and escape.
Zhao Xing snorted, "You little brat, I can't handle you."
He immediately pointed a finger and sealed away the young Wu Emperor's vital energy.
"?" The little Wu Emperor paused in mid-air for a moment, his expression blank, before he began to fall again.
"Ah, when they reached the ground, Zhao Xing caught him."
"Was recording fun?"
"Fun!"
"To learn or not to learn?"
"I won't learn!"
Wow, that's quite a backbone.
"Get out of here!"
Wu Emperor once again soared into the sky with a loud voice.
Below, Liu Sicheng stood behind Ji Anlan, gazing at the sky. "Princess, Divine Might Marquis really alright like this?"
Princess Youruo said, "What problem could there be? This child is naturally proud and resilient. If he hadn't met someone equally proud, there would be no way to teach him."
"Zhao Chen'an knows what he's doing, so you don't need to worry about it."
"You can come to pick them up in two hours."
"Yes." Liu Wanliang lowered his head and left with Princess Youruo.
Wu Emperor was indeed arrogant; for the first two hours of Zhao Xing, he stubbornly refused to budge.
"Fine, you've got guts!" Zhao Xing put him down. "We'll fight again tomorrow."
"Hmph! I'm not going to learn!" Little Wu Emperor stood up proudly and slunk away.
The next day, bungee jumping.
On the third day, we went bungee jumping.
Day four, bungee jumping.
On the seventh day, the young Wu Emperor finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Stop! Let me say something!"
Zhao Xing grabbed his neck. "You tell me."
"I'm willing to learn from you, but you have to teach me something fun, something I've never seen before."
This constant stalemate isn't a solution, and Little Wu Emperor doesn't have much time to play each day.
Zhao Xing has wasted half of his resources; how can he stand that?
"Okay." Zhao Xing smiled slightly and loosened his collar. "Then what should you call me?"
"Divine Might Marquis," Wu Emperor called out reluctantly.
"Um?"
"Elder brother." Wu Emperor's eyes First-Turn, and he bowed respectfully.
"Haha, Fifth Brother." Zhao Xing happily returned the greeting.
"How come I'm the fifth one?"
"Because I have several good brothers, and you can only rank fifth, I'll call you Fifth Brother," Zhao Xing said, trying to make amends.
Wu Emperor ignored all of that and simply asked, "What interesting thing do you want to show me?"
Zhao Xing pointed behind him. "Take a look back."
Wu Emperor turned around as instructed, and his eyes widened immediately. "Wow! So many older brothers!"
All around him, in front of him, behind him, and in the sky, was Zhao Xing's figure.
Wu Emperor felt his trouser leg moving, and he looked down.
Even a head popped up from underground, grinning at him. "Having fun, huh?"
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!" the toddler clapped excitedly. "Big brother, I want to learn this!"
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was early spring of the 47th year of Eternal Governance Era.
Spirit Ruins Blessed Land, at the Heaven Equaling Mountain.
Zhao Xing sensed once again that a Karma Thread was about to break.
A figure appeared in his mind, a figure holding a compass and shining it on his entire body.
When Zhao Xing saw this scene, the figure in the picture seemed to turn its head and nod slightly to him.
Tianyong Province, Abundance Capital.
In the western part of the city, in front of an elegant waterside pavilion.
Ji Tianyan looked up and smiled slightly.
"Zhao Xing, you've arrived."
"Your Highness." A cloud of mist dissipated, and Zhao Xing's figure landed outside the steps of the waterside pavilion.
"Come in and sit down." Heaven Derivation King gestured with his hand. "I don't have much time left; I have some things to tell you."
"Please speak, Your Highness." Zhao Xing sat opposite Heaven Derivation King.
"The first thing is to find a successor." Heaven Derivation King poured Zhao Xing a cup of tea. "After I'm gone, Ji Si will take over my position."
Zhao Xing nodded slightly; it was almost obvious.
The Fate Officials only employs members of the royal family. Ji Si is the younger brother of Heaven Derivation King, but he is two hundred years younger than him, so he can at least transition to the early years of Wu Emperor.
"Although he and I are both descendants of King You, his personality is different from mine. He seems gentle, but in reality he is not at all humane. His principle of doing things is to maximize the interests of the royal family."
Ji Si was certainly not liked by others, but she was definitely liked by the emperor.
Of course, Zhao Xing didn't remember Ji Si in his previous life either. Fate Officials were all Divine Concealment and he didn't have much contact with her.
However, after Heaven Derivation King said that, he understood.
"After Ji Si takes over from me, she will continue to improve and supplement the second level of the Derivation God Art."
"Now that more and more people are involved in the reconstruction of different roads, it is expected that it will be completely completed in the near future."
"This is a long-term plan, and I urge you to continue this work."
The Derivation God Art Technique will inevitably produce different directions due to individual differences, and thus its drawbacks will also vary. It is impossible for one medicine to cure all diseases.
Zhao Xing is cooperating very diligently now because he and Liu Tianning both have a vested interest in him.
What about the future? Once Zhao Xing holds a higher position, will he no longer have time for this, or will he become less interested in it?
After all, this thing doesn't make a significant difference, takes too long, and if there are problems, he might even have to take the blame.
Therefore, Heaven Derivation King was making a request.
"I promise you," Zhao Xing said earnestly, "I will not slack off and will do my best."
"I believe you," Heaven Derivation King said with a slight smile. "It's just a pity I won't live to see that day."
Zhao Xing remained silent. Di Yi and the mad Xu Xing, the Fate Officials were nothingnesses once they died.
To seize the future and project back the past, the ultimate price is one's life.
Of course, it's also because Heaven Derivation King is not Rule Realm expert. If he were Rule Realm above Grade One, he would be able to preserve his Fate Soul.
However, his rank of First Grade was promoted by Emperor Jing. Emperor Jing himself was only at the Rule Realm, so it was impossible for him to let Heaven Derivation King reach the Rule Realm. Even if there was such a method, it would not be used for Heaven Derivation King.
"You don't need to be sad, this is my final destination," Heaven Derivation King said with a smile. "To be able to witness the birth of the historical record of the Derivation God Art in the last hundred years of my life, and to have personally promoted the modification of the first and second levels of the Derivation God Art, I am already very satisfied."
How many kings have there been in history? Countless!
"But I, Ji Tianyan, will be remembered in history; people will always remember me!"
"Isn't this far more impressive than being a prince, or Yin Spirit with no real presence?"
Zhao Xing smiled and said, "You're right."
"Shall we have some tea instead of wine?" Heaven Derivation King raised his teacup.
"Come."
The two bumped into each other.
After setting down his teacup, Heaven Derivation King continued, "The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has three major matters currently underway."
"There are two things I can't tell you, and I'm not qualified to."
"However, there is something related to the Agricultural Official that I must tell you."
Seeing that Heaven Derivation King was so serious, Zhao Xing also sat up straight. "Please speak."
"A great natural disaster will occur in the future, affecting the entire Profound Yellow World!"
"Whether it's the Southern Barbarians, the Eastern Ying, the Four Seas, the Nineteen Provinces, or even the Grotto-Heaven World, all will undergo dramatic changes."
Heaven Derivation King said solemnly, "Centennial-level climate change will be commonplace, and millennium-level climate change will no longer be rare."
"I saw many scenes where life was extinguished."
"The earth churned, subterranean fires erupted, and towering tsunamis surged—..."
"Even the Agriculture Official was unable to prevent this disaster."
Zhao Xing's expression changed slightly. "Even the future Grand Minister of Agriculture can't?"
Heaven Derivation King pondered, "I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Although it has appeared many times, proving that it is highly likely, I cannot clearly see the people in the future."
"I don't know whether the future Grand Minister of Agriculture will stop it or not; that's beyond our control."
"Therefore, this deduction is still ongoing and will be one of the main directions of the Great Zhou 'Fate Officials deduction." "Why did you tell me that?" Zhao Xing asked.
"I saw you," Heaven Derivation King. "I saw your figure."
"You don't mean to say that I stopped the natural disaster, do you?" Zhao Xing's expression was somewhat surprised.
"No, it cannot be stopped," Heaven Derivation King. "Many of the possible outcomes in the deductions show that the natural disaster has already occurred, and there has been no process of defending against it."
"I saw you, but I don't know what you did, nor do I know if you are the key to saving the world," Heaven Derivation King. "I only saw your back."
"You only saw my back—how can you be so sure it's me?" Zhao Xing said. He also knew a little about divination.
This doesn't conform to the fundamental law of fate.
"Intuition," Heaven Derivation King smiled. "Just consider it our Fate Officials taking precautions. It doesn't matter whether it's you or not—if it really is you, then it's definitely better to tell you in advance."
"I understand." Zhao Xing nodded. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"No, that's all. There are two other things I'm not authorized to tell you unless His Majesty allows it."
Zhao Xing nodded. Fate Officials were not among the officials, and even the Grand Minister of Agriculture had no right to know about Fate Officials affairs; they only served the emperor.
"Oh, and there's something else personal," Heaven Derivation King. "That brat Luo still owes me a few Seventh Order Divine Soldier. I have a feeling he's trying to renege on his debt. You'll have to help me collect it later."
"You're joking."
"Hahahaha." Heaven Derivation King laughed heartily. "Alright, kid, let me tell your fortune."
What aspect do you want to calculate?
"Your future," Heaven Derivation King said, feigning confidence, "Within a hundred years, you will become the Grand Minister of Agriculture!"
"What's the matter with you holding a teacup?"
"Ha ha ha ha."
The 47th year of the Eternal Governance Era, Qingming Festival.
Ji Tianyan, a first- Fate Officials, has passed away.
The funeral was held in a low-key manner, and few people knew about it.
Spirit Ruins Blessed Land, at the Heaven Equaling Mountain.
A sigh came from the small hill covered with stones and snowflakes.
"Heaven Derivation King has also left."
"What he told me should be the Vitality Tide that will happen in the future."
"The Fate Officials has two more major projects to plan? I'm not sure about that, but one of them is definitely related to the war against the Southern Barbarians. What is the other one?"
"Never mind, I'll find out when it's my turn." Zhao Xing's thoughts returned to calm after being active.
Since Heaven Equaling Mountain reached the 10,000-meter mark, his thoughts have become even more profound.
Although the Summit of the Sky-Reaching has not grown taller, its size has increased.
For many consecutive years, precious earth-attribute resources have been invested in it.
As the heavenly fortune is like a mountain, Zhao Xing continuously expanded the limits of the Heavenly Luck Realm through this constant accumulation.
When his mind became active again, it was already the fifty-sixth year of the Eternal Governance Era.
Another ten years have passed.
Zhao Xing, standing by the lake, seemed somewhat dazed.
Wu Emperor left the Princess's Residence last year.
So he often found himself lost in thought by Celestial Horse Lake.
Occasionally, Celestial Horse would pass by Zhao Xing, but he was not afraid of it at all, and would even come to rub against it.
Because Zhao Xing exuded a very approachable and natural aura.
In May, Chen Shijie and Xia Jing visited the Spirit Ruins Blessed Land.
Now these two have more time, as they have both reached the Third Grade rank this year.
As is customary, they also have a relatively long holiday to consolidate their cultivation at the Yuan Soul Realm.
However, after seeing Zhao Xing's true form in this state, he left again.
In early July, Zhao Xing felt that the bottleneck was loosening.
But at the same time, he also received bad news.
"An envoy from the Holy Light Royal Court of the Southern Barbarians has come to the capital to seek a princess for the Crown Prince of the Holy Light Royal Court in order to establish a peace treaty and to acknowledge the Great Zhou as its suzerain state."
"The princess has been betrothed!"
Liu Wanliang's anxious voice reached Zhao Xing's ears.
Zhao Xing, who was staring blankly at the lake, turned around, and the expression on his face gradually became more lively.
"I see."
Zhao Xing nodded calmly. "Liu Sicheng, please go to the capital and tell the princess that my teacher and I will know about this."
Liu Wanliang stared at Zhao Xing for a moment, then sighed, "You'd better hurry."
After Liu Wanliang left, Zhao Xing closed his eyes.
History repeated itself, and Princess Youruo was still betrothed.
"I've reminded her so many times, why won't she listen?"
Zhao Xing sighed.
"Emperor Jing doesn't even spare his own brothers, so how could he tolerate the existence of a princess who controls the East Sea route, can command many high-ranking experts from the Dao Academy and the aquatic tribes, and is richer than a country?"
"It's true what they say: the onlooker sees more of the game than the player," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
From the birth of Princess Yingluo in the first year of the Eternal Governance Era, Zhao Xing understood the situation.
How could Emperor Jing change the reign title for a princess, and then bestow a title upon her so soon after making his move, showing her even more favor than Princess Youruo?
"The birth mother of the Thousand Year Princess was just an ordinary daughter of a ducal family."
"That's already a hint."
"I advised the princess to put aside her official duties and go out more, which was to imply that she understood Emperor Jing's intentions and voluntarily hand over power. The sea route was secondary; the main thing was the power of the Dao Academy and the aquatic tribes."
"Around the fortieth year of the Eternal Governance Era, Emperor Jing sent the young Wu Emperor to her to take care of, which was to provide her with a layer of protection."
"Because Emperor Jing had already poured all his power into Wu Emperor, there was no such thing as the Nine Princes Struggling for the Throne; Wu Emperor was the sole chosen one!"
"Therefore, Wu Emperor learned faster than the other princes; his talent was exactly what the emperor expected."
But could Zhao Xing say these things? He couldn't.
How can a father directly say that he wants to take back his daughter's rights?
Emperor Jing acted with dignity, but the test remained.
How can outsiders be so talkative?
Why are you being so clear about your choices?
Isn't this interfering in the affairs of an imperial family and sowing discord between father and daughter?
"The number of people promoting the Derivation God Art is increasing, but Princess Youruo has never been able to decipher this matter."
"With just a little effort from Princess Youruo, Emperor Jing readily agreed. The last thirty-odd years of the Eternal Governance Era were a time of power transfer for the emperor. During these decades, Emperor Jing genuinely desired peace."
"Sigh, this isn't a test for her. Do you think Liu Tianning and I can just stay out of it?"
"I'm truly impressed by you, you old fool!"
P. S.: I've started a new volume, and there was a power outage this afternoon, plus I have to go to a wedding banquet to prepare a meal.
It's already over 10,000 points today, it'll explode again tomorrow. Also, the weather's getting cooler, remember to wear more clothes.