Cultivating Fortune by the Dragon, Roaring at the Sight of Qiu

"When Qiu Yan arrives, everyone should show him some respect."

On the other side, inside a tent, Lord Shi Nascent Soul sat on a chair, giving instructions to a dozen or so people around him.

"His ability to compile Military Canon is like that of a great cultivator at the Fourth Realm in the path of cultivation. It is an extremely rare thing. In the past thousand years, the great philosophers have disappeared, and such figures are rarely seen even once every few decades. Only in famous golden ages of Human Path literature in history do they appear in large numbers."

As Lord Shi spoke, his Nascent Soul slowly materialized into a normal human form. The color of his body changed from a lustrous blood-red to flesh-colored, and a faint smile appeared on his white-bearded face.

The people in the room all showed some surprise at this scene. It wasn't that they were astonished, but rather that their forms and powers were changing during this transformation. Even though Lord Shi amazing control and could manipulate things as if they were his own arms, a slight aura still leaked out. It was this slight aura that brought pressure, affecting the surrounding energy and turning it into immense pressure that enveloped the area.

Crunch! Crunch!

The tent seemed to be struggling to withstand the pressure, swaying and making noise.

A few breaths later, Lord Shi Nascent Soul returned to normal, and the pressure gradually dissipated. The others gasped for breath, and one of them said, "Qiu Yan is indeed accomplished, but he is still young and just a junior. It's fine for us to show him respect, but showing him too much respect is a bit much."

The speaker had an air of otherworldly elegance, with a long, flowing beard and robes stained with cursed blood, which slightly diminished his aura of immortality.

Lord Shi glanced at him and smiled, "Liu Qin, why bother with such trivial matters? There is no order of precedence in learning; those who are accomplished are our teachers. Although Qiu Yan is young, he far surpasses us in scholarship. Respect for him is not based on his age, but on his knowledge. Didn't you show respect when you met the Chen Household brothers?"

"Lord Shi's words are reasonable, but Fellow Daoist Liu's point is also correct," another person spoke up. He was a man as thin as a bamboo pole, with a sallow complexion and dressed in coarse cloth. At first glance, he looked like a dockworker, but his eyes radiated a cold and gloomy aura that sent chills down one's spine. "Although Qiu Yan has achieved something, we don't know his character. If we are too polite to him, it might harm him. Besides, although our knowledge is inferior to his, our cultivation is inferior to ours."

After this person spoke, the others also chimed in, while Lord Shi simply listened quietly, offering no comment.

It is worth mentioning that among these dozen or so people, there were two cultivators from the Three Rivers Tribe, as well as a royal guard responsible for protecting Pang Qianru.

When Lord Shi and his group arrived at the tribe, they were all cultivators. Although their cultivation was suppressed by the clan's Qi and Blood and the Earth Veins, the old Khan and Duolu had traveled north with Qiu Yan and left the tribe. The eldest prince, Sukai, was imprisoned. The entire tribe was essentially leaderless. If Lord Shi and his group harbored evil intentions and used their Divine Ability to cause trouble, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As important military forces of the tribe, the two cultivators had no choice but to step forward, both morally and logically. As for the royal retainer, he had met Lord Shi before and received his guidance, so he was obligated to pass on his skills and thus had to accompany him as well.

Lord Shi and the others did not raise any objections to this. However, since the Three Rivers cultivators and the Wangfu retainers were present during the conversation, they could not speak rashly due to their different affiliations. Yet, as they listened to their discussion about Qiu Yan, they each had their own plans.

The Three Waters Tribe was shocked by the strength of the cultivators, and dared not speak out in anger. When they heard these people talking nonsense about Qiu Yan, they couldn't help but sneer inwardly. They had suffered a lot at Qiu Yan's hands and were full of hatred, but they also acknowledged Qiu Yan's strength.

"We may not know much about that Central Plains envoy's scholarship, but his cultivation and martial arts skills are undeniable. How dare these Central Plains cultivators look down on him?"

Despite having such thoughts, they made no attempt to offer any advice, instead choosing to stand by and watch with a detached attitude.

As for the several servants of the Prince's Mansion, they pondered for a while and did not speak. They naturally knew the temperament of the servants of the Governor-General's Residence's Mansion. They were all extremely arrogant. If it weren't for Lord Shi being there to oversee things, each of them would have made quite a scene. Even if they spoke up and emphasized the importance of reminding them, it would not have any effect. On the contrary, they might be seen as meddling in other people's business.

Supported by this idea, both sides who knew the truth remained silent. However, Lord Shi listened to the discussion without saying much. Only after the discussion subsided slightly did he speak again, "I understand your thoughts. Facing a Grandmaster of classical texts, if you can gain the upper hand, or even further intimidate and subdue him, then perhaps a portion of his Literary Thought and Fortune can be transferred to you through the Dragon Qi..."

Upon hearing this, the rest of the group changed color. They had not expected that Lord Shi would so openly state these matters.

In reality, cultivators who focus on self-cultivation have no reason to willingly join the dynasty. On the other hand, the Dragon Court Dynasty, which is based on Human Path, has always rejected outsiders. So why would these two groups come together to create an institution like the Governor-General's Residence?

The most fundamental reason lies in the immense power possessed by cultivators.

The ability to transcend the ordinary and attain sainthood through cultivation is something that can shake the very foundations of a dynasty—if everyone cultivates and possesses power far exceeding that of weapons, how can a dynasty maintain its rule?

However, this force is constrained by both human popularity and Qi and Blood, and the cultivators' own fear of Karma, which allows the dynasty to gain the upper hand to a certain extent.

The immense power and mystical abilities of cultivators cannot simply disappear because they are ignored. Over time, the imperial court will recruit some of them, control them, and utilize them.

On the other hand, cultivators should Transcendence and stay away from Karma, because Karma and effect are like chains that bind them to the present world. If they cannot break free, they will not only be unable to Transcendence, but even their cultivation will be hindered. However, when they reach the Fourth Realm stage of cultivation, they must rely on absorbing Fortune to strengthen their own foundation and understand the Origin Source heaven and earth.

A single cultivator has limited Fortune and fortune, which can be accumulated slowly over many years. The longer the time, the more variables there are. Therefore, many cultivators establish sects to gather disciples' energy, or travel the world and leave behind legends. They use various methods, which is why people often say that cultivators enter the world.

The formation of this Governor-General's Residence's Mansion's shrine was actually for the same reason. However, the cultivators who entered this mansion did not choose to create their own Fortune, but rather to rely on the existing Fortune —what Fortune in the world could compare to the Fortune accumulated by the people during a dynasty?

In fact, this is also one of the reasons why dynasties reject cultivators. No matter how much cultivators travel around and establish sects, the Fortune they receive will ultimately be extracted from the dynasty. Too many cultivators will inevitably lead to the collapse of the nation. The best outcome would be to split into several states, with each state having a sect behind it. In reality, the entire nation's resources are used to nurture a sect of cultivators.

However, as long as the dynasty is unified and has a certain degree of control, maintains the Human Path main body, and allows various forms of Divine Ability powers to coexist, the main body of the Dragon Qi will not fall into other hands. Even if some cultivators are recruited and a little bit of Fortune is shared, it is still a drop in the ocean. Moreover, these cultivators themselves cannot provide Fortune strengthen the Dragon Qi, but they can protect the safety of the Central Plains, which can be considered a reward.

In this way, with both parties in love, the Governor-General's Residence's Office was able to provide for them.

However, these things are not something that can be discussed openly. Neither the cultivators nor the imperial court are willing to speak openly about them, preferring to simply do what they say. Now that Lord Shi has brought them up directly, it is naturally awkward for them.

"Alright, no need for explanation. Since you've made up your minds, do as you wish," Lord Shi waved his hand. "However, this old man also has something to remind you..." He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Those who can write extensively on classical texts are not so simple." After saying that, he stood up. "Alright, it's time to welcome the visitors."

As soon as she finished speaking, the tent flap was lifted, and Pang Qianru led Qiu Yan inside.

Qiu Yan gripped the stone Ceremonial Staff in one hand and stepped inside. As soon as he entered, he felt a sense of oppression. Several cultivators lined up on both sides were emitting bursts of aura that enveloped Qiu Yan and permeated his mind.

Pang Qianru, who was standing nearby, was implicated. She felt a tightness in her chest, swayed, and her face turned deathly pale.

But Qiu Yan stepped forward, and a surging aura suddenly rose from his body, sweeping outwards and then quickly withdrawing. With one outward movement and one return, the aura that had filled the area had vanished.

"Junior Qiu Yan greets Lord Shi." He then straightened his clothes, raised his arms, and bowed to Lord Shi. He had naturally heard this name from Pang Qianru, and from her, he also learned about Lord Shi's identity and background.

"One of the generals who followed Emperor Taizu in conquering the country, he was granted the title of Duke and stationed at the Rear Army Command Office. He possessed profound knowledge and was essentially a living history book..."

As Qiu Yan sized up the other party, Lord Shi nodded with a smile. He first glanced at the Ceremonial Staff, then glanced at the people around him, noticing the surprise and anger in their eyes, and understood.

"Qiu Yan, I've heard your name many times, but this is the first time we've met. However, I've already read the letter you left for the old man and have notified all the military governors in the Northern Frontier to implement it immediately without fail!" Lord Shi's words carried an air of absolute authority.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan paused for a moment, realizing that the other person was referring to the letter he had left behind concerning hygiene, injuries, and epidemics.

"Qiu left that letter hoping it would serve as a reminder. It was thanks to Lord Shi that it spread throughout the Northern Frontier; otherwise, I fear no one would have paid attention."

"No one values you? You're underestimating yourself. You've read Military Canon, and based on that alone, your position among Military School will be extraordinary, even above mine!" Lord Shi Gong laughed heartily, his gaze passing over Qiu Yan and looking outside the tent. "Since we've met, we should naturally have a good talk, but before that, there are still things to do. You've intimidated and subdued the Three Waters Tribe, and the person behind it will certainly find it hard to tolerate. Judging by the time, the projected will should have appeared by now."

"Hmm?" Qiu Yan's heart skipped a beat, but before the thought could be clear, a deafening roar came from outside the tent!

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