Hearth House

Xu Tianming's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. His chest heaved violently as he gasped for air. His soaked clothes clung tightly to him, and his short golden hair stuck to his forehead, yet he made no complaint.

This was the path he had chosen for himself.

Jingliu lowered her head to look at him and put away the branch.

"Not bad."

Her tone remained perfectly calm.

"You possess dragon blood, so your physical constitution has surpassed that of ordinary people since childhood. If you can persist, then in ten years, you can become a qualified swordsman."

Ten years.

Xu Tianming twitched the corner of his mouth. He no longer even had the strength to speak.

Starting sword practice as a child and training for ten years just to be "qualified"—just how high were Jingliu's standards? But by the Xianzhou people's sense of time, ten years was indeed very fast.

At that moment, warmth spread from the depths of his heart, flowing through his meridians and throughout his body. His entire body heated up. The aching muscles rapidly recovered beneath the wash of warmth, his spasming arms regained their strength, and his breathing became steady.

This was the power of the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core.

Whenever he reached his limit, the Divine Core released the essence of the Golden Dragon King to replenish his stamina, strengthen his physique, and repair the damage caused by training.

It was equivalent to carrying an incredibly potent recovery potion with him at all times.

And it was free.

Jingliu knew this, which was why she trained him without holding back. Although Xu Tianming was not a Xianzhou Tianren and could not spring back to life after having his head sewn back on, he possessed the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core, giving him top-tier recovery abilities.

Perhaps not an immortal body, but injuries caused by training could be completely healed.

This would prevent hidden injuries caused by his young age or excessive exercise.

After Xu Tianming climbed up from the ground, he flexed his wrist.

"Master, what's the next item?"

Jingliu glanced at him.

"Rest for half a shichen."

"Then continue swinging your sword."

"...Fine."

Resigned, Xu Tianming sat back down beside the training ground. He closed his eyes and circulated the Sun Moon Meditation Method to accelerate his body's recovery.

At that moment, Karna appeared at one side of the training ground.

He wore a black combat suit, with golden armor concealed beneath it. His silver-white hair stirred in the morning breeze, while his teal eyes were exceptionally calm.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Following your instructions, I have purchased a residence northwest of Mingdu."

Karna's voice was as calm as ever.

"The location is remote, with few people nearby, making it suitable for long-term use. The courtyard is not large, but the interior has enough space to accommodate several dozen people."

Xu Tianming opened his eyes.

"Thanks for your hard work, Karna."

Having someone as powerful as Karna handle such trivial errands was a waste of talent, but there was no helping it. The matter of establishing the Fools could not be known by others, so neither palace guards nor maids could be used.

Fortunately, Karna was diligent and hardworking. Even though it was troublesome work, he voiced no complaints and handled it well.

Xu Tianming took out the black card he had obtained earlier, the one containing one million Golden Soul Coins.

He handed the card to Jingliu.

"Master, there are one million Golden Soul Coins on this card."

Jingliu accepted the card and lowered her head to examine it.

"I'll leave this money for you to manage."

Xu Tianming continued.

"The residence in the west of the city will serve as the Fools' base for now. It will be called Hearth House."

"Hearth House?"

Jingliu repeated.

"That's right."

Xu Tianming nodded.

"Use this money to take in young orphans. Infants or teenagers are both fine."

"And then?"

"Raise and train them from childhood."

Xu Tianming narrowed his eyes slightly.

"They are to become the foundation of the Fools."

He looked at Jingliu.

"The Fools cannot rely solely on us. I need more manpower. Orphans raised from childhood have no previous ties, and the powers of various nations will have no influence over them. They will belong only to the Fools."

"How many do you intend to train?"

"Start with several dozen, then gradually expand."

Jingliu fell silent for a while.

"Fine."

She put away the black card.

"I will select suitable orphans and teach them martial arts and swordsmanship from childhood. Within ten years, the first batch will be ready for use."

"Ten years?"

Xu Tianming raised an eyebrow.

"That's too slow."

Jingliu looked at him.

"You think it's slow?"

"I think the pace can be a little faster."

Xu Tianming spoke seriously.

"We do not require everyone to be strong. As long as they can complete ordinary tasks—scouting, patrolling, gathering information, and clearing low-level Rift Realm creatures—that will be enough."

"Five years."

Jingliu gave a new timeline.

"Within five years, I will make sure they have the ability to protect themselves."

"That works."

Xu Tianming nodded in satisfaction.

"I'll leave Hearth House to you."

After putting away the black card, Jingliu walked toward the training ground.

"Half a shichen has passed."

"Continue."

Xu Tianming sighed. After standing up, he picked up the iron sword again.

Karna stood at the edge of the training ground and watched the scene, with no other emotion in his turquoise eyes.

By the time training ended, it was nearly noon.

Xu Tianming's entire body ached. The palace maids served him as he took a bath and changed into a spotless white brocade robe.

Jingliu's training was extremely harsh, but its effects quickly became apparent. After a morning of high-intensity sword swings, he could clearly feel that his arm strength had increased, and his grip on the sword had become steadier.

Moreover, the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core's recovery effect was far better than expected.

Whenever he recovered after reaching his limit, his physical fitness improved slightly. Although the improvement was small, it continued to accumulate.

This was true cultivation—not something piled up through external power, but a natural transformation of the body after repeatedly breaking through its limits.

After changing clothes, Xu Tianming went to the inner palace.

He was going to see his mother, the current Empress.

The Sun Moon Empire's imperial bloodline was passed down differently from ordinary families. Aside from the Empress, the Emperor's harem also contained many noblewomen who had been taken into the palace. This was one of the Sun Moon Empire's important methods for maintaining ties between the imperial family and the major powers.

After Xu Mo ascended the throne, he expanded the harem once more to consolidate his imperial position, bringing several daughters of nobles into the palace.

This was politics, and it was also a transaction.

Among Xu Tianming's seven siblings, only his eldest brother Xu Tianran, Xu Tianzhen, and himself had been born to the Empress. His other brothers had been born to different consorts.

Xu Tianming had a rather good impression of this mother.

Although the Empress usually wore a stern expression, she dearly loved her three biological children. She was especially fond of Xu Tianming, the youngest.

This could be seen from the endless stream of spiritual fruits, pastries, and clothes sent to Xu Tianming's Mo Mang Palace.