Azure Luan's Guidance

Watching Bibi Dong leave, the corners of Chen Xi's lips gradually curved into a pleasant smile.

In Chen Xi's eyes, Bibi Dong's initiative to change was a good thing.

Especially for Spirit Hall.

After all, Bibi Dong's abilities ranked among the very best on the entire continent.

And the current Bibi Dong was clear-minded.

A clear-minded Bibi Dong was definitely more frightening than one who was somewhat extreme.

One had to know that the former Bibi Dong had focused on Spirit Hall's internal power struggles, while the clear-minded Bibi Dong now focused her attention outward, even directly on Heaven Dou City.

Chen Xi let out a soft yawn.

He extinguished the lights in the room, lay back down on the bed, and happily drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile.

In the study of Papal Hall.

Bibi Dong sat before her desk, her fingers lightly tapping the tabletop. Her eyes were filled with thought as the words "lie low for twenty years" surfaced in her mind.

"Twenty years is far too long."

"If we really wait until then, when Xue Er returns from Heaven Dou City, no amount of making amends will be able to soothe the scars in her heart."

Bibi Dong murmured to herself.

The thought of ending the plan outright surfaced in her mind, but the instant it appeared, she snuffed it out.

The plan was already halfway through. If she truly did that, Qian Renxue would probably want to draw her sword and hack her to death. Since ending it outright was not feasible, all she could do was move up the time for Xue Er to complete her mission.

Her gaze swept across the documents before her. Invisible threads formed in Bibi Dong's mind as she considered the feasibility of various methods.

After a while.

Bibi Dong picked up her brush and began to write.

After finishing the rough outline, Bibi Dong carefully reviewed it in her mind. Only after finding no issues did she set down her brush.

The framework of the plan was complete.

All that remained was to refine it further. That process was destined to take time; it could not be accomplished overnight.

Setting aside the plan's outline, Bibi Dong rose and left the study, heading for her chambers.

Nine in the morning.

In a study lined with bookshelves.

Chen Xi and Tian Yao sat side by side while Azure Luan stood before them and placed two books in front of them.

"What I will teach you next is strategy and the bigger picture."

"You must listen carefully and study hard."

"Once you master it, you will benefit endlessly in the future. You may even be able to take heaven and earth as the chessboard, all living beings as chess pieces, strategize from behind the curtain, and secure victory a thousand miles away."

Azure Luan cleared his throat and began his lecture with seriousness and focus.

Below him, Chen Xi sat upright and listened with exceptional attentiveness. Thoughtfulness occasionally flickered in his eyes, and he would nod slightly from time to time.

Tian Yao, on the other hand, frowned faintly, her clear eyes full of confusion.

She recognized and understood every word Azure Luan said, but when they were put together, they became like a heavenly scripture. She could listen, but she simply could not remember any of it.

Her eyes shifted slightly as she looked at Chen Xi. After thinking carefully, Tian Yao decided that although she did not understand what Azure Luan was talking about, she at least needed to have the right attitude.

Tian Yao sat upright.

Every five seconds, she nodded with perfect regularity.

Time quietly passed.

The entire morning soon went by.

Azure Luan stopped teaching. Seeing Chen Xi and Tian Yao listening so earnestly, he could not help but nod in satisfaction.

"We'll stop here for now."

"Go eat first."

"Xiao Xi, this afternoon I'll teach you about the uses of Mental Power."

With his hands behind his back, Azure Luan walked outside.

Chen Xi and Tian Yao rose from their seats and followed behind Azure Luan.

"Xiao Xi, how much of what Grandpa Azure Luan just taught did you remember?"

Tian Yao lowered her voice and asked.

"Maybe my talent isn't that great. I only understood seventy or eighty percent."

"What about you?"

Chen Xi looked at Tian Yao, keeping his voice equally low.

"I..."

"I probably understood about the same."

Tian Yao's voice lacked confidence.

Thinking about it carefully, what had Azure Luan said at the beginning again?

Tian Yao pinched the corner of her clothes and tried hard to remember.

"Mm..."

"The first sentence was strategy... something?"

"Mm..."

"The last sentence was, 'Go eat first.'"

"Right, food!"

Tian Yao's eyes lit up slightly.

She followed the body-tempering path, and with her vigorous vitality and blood, eating was the most important thing.

Walking ahead, Azure Luan listened to their quiet conversation, and a gratified look appeared in his eyes.

When he himself had studied this back then, he had only barely understood forty or fifty percent.

Yet his disciple had understood seventy or eighty percent.

With such talent, Chen Xi was almost no weaker than the young mistress.

What surprised Azure Luan even more was Tian Yao.

Tian Yao and Golden Crocodile both followed the body-tempering path. Although Tian Yao was usually quite clever, she had never displayed even the slightest talent for strategy. Azure Luan had originally thought Tian Yao would not understand, yet she had also understood seventy or eighty percent.

He had truly misjudged her before. He had not expected Tian Yao to possess talent for developing in the direction of strategy as well.

Before long.

Azure Luan led Chen Xi and Tian Yao to a pavilion.

All kinds of delicacies had been laid out on the stone table in the pavilion, and Golden Crocodile was already seated there, waiting for their arrival.

Everyone took their seats around the stone table.

Golden Crocodile placed a hand on Tian Yao's shoulder.

"Azure Luan, how did the lesson go?"

Azure Luan smiled. "The results were excellent. Tian Yao in particular truly surprised me. I never expected her to have talent for developing in strategy as well."

"You can give them a few simple questions to test them. I think you might be in for a surprise."

Azure Luan did not hold back his praise at all.

"Haha, Grandpa really didn't see that coming. You actually have talent in this area too."

Golden Crocodile patted Tian Yao's shoulder approvingly. "Xiao Xi, Tian Yao, let me test you."

"Take Jialing Pass as an example. Jialing Pass has fifty thousand defenders, and you are tasked with defending it. An enemy army of two hundred thousand comes to attack. What would you do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Golden Crocodile gave Tian Yao an encouraging look.

Facing Golden Crocodile's encouraging gaze, Tian Yao returned it with a look full of confidence.

She knew this question.

Tian Yao cleared her throat, took a deep breath with full confidence, and said, "Open the gates and beat them up!"

Hearing Tian Yao's answer, the smile on Golden Crocodile's face involuntarily froze. His gaze gradually turned toward Azure Luan, his expression somewhat strange, as though asking, This is what you taught her?

Without changing his expression, Azure Luan shifted his gaze away from Golden Crocodile and looked toward Chen Xi, waiting for his answer.

Chen Xi lowered his head slightly and rubbed his fingers together, putting on a thoughtful expression. He did not answer immediately, instead weighing the various possibilities in his heart.

Golden Crocodile's gaze gradually shifted to Chen Xi as well.

But neither Golden Crocodile nor Azure Luan urged him on. They simply waited quietly for Chen Xi's answer.