ã€ŠFantasy World: I Can Travel To Cultivation Worldã€‹


 Chapter 1 Luis Hartmann

    Azov Kingdom, Hartmann Barony

    On the parade ground, the air was filled with the rhythmic shouts of young men in knight armor. Their voices rose in unison as they were constantly moving in synchronization, shaking the whole ground. Their faces were full of determination, with bodies drenched in sweat.

    They were the young eagles of the Baron of Hartmann, each striving to awaken their life seed and step onto the path of knighthood.

    Under the strict rules set by Baron Felipe, they were training hard to awaken their own life seed before the age of 18. If they could not awaken the life seed, they would be sent to surrounding towns to be militiamen.

    This is not a fate they could tolerate.

    However, not everyone would seed in awakening their life seed. Some were simply not destined to be knights.

    But all these things had nothing to do with Luis, who was looking at the reserve knights who were practicing.

    At the age of 14, he has already awakened his life seed and broke through the realm of apprentice knight.

    Although he was looking at the practicing reserve knight, his thought was elsewhere.

    ''Why is this Vortex still not activated?'' Luis looked at the mysterious vortex in his body.

    Luis actually has a secret. He is a transmigrator who traveled to this western fantasy world.

    He is the eldest son of Baron Felipe Hartmann. He had great talent in everything since he was born in this world.

    He can learn everything quickly, and as the eldest son of the baron who will inherit the barony, he has been given a lot of resources for his path of knighthood.

    Luis began to officially train at the age of 13, and in just half a year he awakened his life seed entering the realm of apprentice knight.

    With this, he was hailed as the strongest genius of new generation in Hartmann Family.

    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª

    "Move"

    "Left"

    "Halt"

    Knight Commander Oliver was shouting with his voice full ofmand. He was looking around with dangerous eyes, observing if anyone was making any mistakes.

    "Right"

    "Left"

    "..."

    "End"

    Hearing the endmand, all the young eagles of Hartmann took off their knight helmet with collective sighs, their faces full of exhaustion and gasping for air.

    Some were sitting cross-legged, trying to see if they could awaken life seed at this moment.

    Luis however walked out of the group and headed toward Knight Commander Oliver.

    "Uncle, I will be heading towards the castle. I want to visit the back garden." Luis was very familiar with Oliver, as he was his uncle.

    Oliver smiled and waved him off with a teasing look.

    "Oh! Does little Luis still want to see the fairy?"

    "Yes, uncle, she is an interesting little thing and i want to see her awakening," Luis grinned and told with some excitement in his eyes.

    "Alright, alright, go on then," Oliver waved him off, his attention returning to the young men on the parade ground.

    With a nod, Luis excused himself and began walking towards the castle.

    Looking at Luis, who was walking away, Oliver couldn''t help but nce back.

    ''The Hartmann family will rise even higher now,'' he thought to himself. ''A tiger father really gave birth to a tiger son. And with the fairy... the family''s future is brighter than ever.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ----

    Luis slowly reached the castle and approached the back garden.

    ''When will the vortex even open'' Looking inside his sea of consciousness, there was a mysterious vortex. ording to his memory, it was a vortex that could make him travel to apletely different world.

    However, It was dormant and has not shown any sign of opening, since he transmigrated. He has been waiting for 14 years in anticipation, but all he got was disappointment.

    No matter how much he meditated or tried to trigger it, nothing had worked. It seems that this vortex needs a special condition to open. As these thought circled his mind, he reached towards the back garden.

    The sight of the blooming flowers greeted him, and his worries began to fade. He breathed in deeply, letting the sweet scent of the flowers calm his restless heart.

    ''I''ll figure it out soon enough,'' he thought whileforting himself ''There''s no rush.''

    Looking at the scenery around the garden, his heart couldn''t help but be peaceful. There were rows of flowers in different shades¡ªdeep crimson roses, softvender lcs, and bright yellow daisies¡ªthat were swaying gently in the warm breeze.

    He didn''t know why, but looking at these natural scenes, his heart always calmed down.

    "Young Master," a voice called out for him from behind.

    Luis turned to see and it was the gardener Biggs. An old guy who has been in barony since the time of his grandfather.

    "Oh Biggs, you are here. I just want to see if the fairy has awakened."

    Fairies are the special creatures of this world. They seemed to be favored by this world, as they can turn decay into magic.

    The fairies have abilities to make normal crops into magic nts and give bumper harvests for ordinary corps. For a family like the Hartmann''s, these fairies were invaluable.

    The only shoring of fairy is that they have a shorter lifespan, with only 10 years. They can have 100 years of lifespan if they can be big fairies, but that is too hard.

    "Not yet, Young Master," Biggs replied, shaking his head.

    "The fairy is still in sleep, but it shouldn''t be much longer now."

    "Ok, Biggs, I will wait a little longer," Luis nodded before turning back to the garden and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

    As he stood there enjoying the peaceful environment, he hoped that he could make the Hartmann family as peaceful as this beautiful garden in this dangerous world.

 Chapter 2 Fairy

    Luis was closing his eyes enjoying the peaceful breeze blowing on his face.

    As he was enjoying the gentle breeze, the wind became stronger and stronger. The surrounding wind began gathering towards a certain area. Feeling this, Luis opened his eyes and turned towards Biggs who was beside him.

    "It''s time, let''s go see" he urged Biggs and without waiting he began rushing forward.

    Biggs also followed Luis with excitement in his eyes. He, an old man, can finally see the awakening of a fairy with his own eye.

    As Luis reached near the area where wind was gathering he saw a little thing there.

    ''Such great energy is gathering towards it''

    As time passed slowly, the wind stopped blowing and calmed down.

    The little fairy who was on slumber previously slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Luis who was looking at her with huge excitement.

    "Pi Pi!" The little fairy looked curiously at Luis and flew slowly towards him, pping its small wings.

    Luis watched all of this and felt excited. The excitement was not only because of fairy awakening, but also because the mysterious portal in his body has awakened.

    When all the energy was gathering in the body of the fairy, it somehow magically awakened the mysterious portal in his body.

    He held the little fairy who was flying around in his palm, "Haha! little guy, you are my lucky charm"

    "Pi Pi" the fairy shouted excitedly and acted cute in front of him

    Watching her enthusiasm, Luis pondered the perfect name for this newly awakened creature.

    "Since you''re just born, how about we give you a name?"

    "Piii Piii" The fairy shouted in response, pping her tiny wings joyfully.

    Luis thought for a moment, watching how she enjoyed saying "pi pi." A grin spread across his face.

    "Alright then! Since you like saying ''Pi pi'' so much, I''ll call you Pipi!"

    "piii piii" hearing the name pipi started flying around the body of Luis excitedly.

    Biggs who was behind Luis saw all of this and his mouth twitched. The name given by his young master was very... special.

    "Little guy lets go i will take you around the castle" Luis thought of increasing his bond with Pipi by spending more time with her.

    "Biggs take care of the garden i will take pipi around the castle" saying this Luis walked out of the back garden.

    ----

    Luis and Pipi began roaming all around the castle

    Pipi was looking around curiously at everything she saw around the castle

    Luis was just following behind pipi. He met many servants of the castle along the way.

    They bowed to him with respect and nced at the little fairy flying around him. Their eyes were full of curiosity.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ----

    After traveling around the castle, it was alreadyte so he took pipi to his room to rest.

    After reaching his room he called out for his butler.

    "Liam, make bed for her"

    "Yes, young master" without wasting any time, Liam quickly put a small bed for pipi to sleep in.

    He set up a small, cozy bed for Pipi and surrounded it with magic stones, knowing that fairies needed these stones to absorb magical energy. With enough essence from the stones, fairies had a chance of evolving into big fairies.

    "ok, pipi you can sleep in this"

    "pi pi" pipi jumped up and crashed into the bed, within a short amount of time sound of calm breathing could be heard.

    "She really slept fast, you can go outside too Liam i will rest too"

    Liam bowed and quietly left the room, leaving Luis alone with the sleeping fairy.

    After confirming that pipi had really slept, he alsoid down on his bed and closed his eyes.

    His vision quickly entered inside his sea of consciousness. There a portal was glowing which indicated that it was ready for him to travel. Without wasting any more time he entered the portal.

    In the room, his body quietly entered a vortex and disappeared from the bed with no one knowing it.

    ----

    Luis got a lot of memory about thenguage of the world he was about to travel when he entered the vortex.

    Luis opened his eyes and looked at the surroundings. He was currently in an ally with no one around.

    He didn''t waste any time and began to slowly walk outside the ally. He wanted to observe what kind of world this is. Outside the alley, streets were deserted with not many walking in it.

    When those few people also saw him, they began to observe him too as he was wearing totally different clothes standing out from his surroundings.

    Luis didn''t talk to them and began walking along the roads, hoping to reach the market. He could gather some information from there.

    After walking some distance he saw a night market where there were a lot of stalls.

    As he began walking around the market, he saw different kinds of scenery totally different from his barony.

    ''This is a martial arts world'' looking around the surrounding he couldn''t help but think

    People were roaming around, their trained body full of energy.

    "Hey kid, you are the destined one I have been waiting for"

    A voice called out at him from one of the stalls. Luis looked at that ces skeptically, it was an old man in his fifties excluding a mysterious aura.

    Luis wanted to see what this old guy was going to say so he walked near the stall.

    "Boy, i see that you have seed of immortality" the old man said slowly

    "Martial arts isn''t your path. I have an immortal technique, something far beyond the reaches of mortal martial artists" he said with low voice and raised one finger

    "If you want this opportunity, I will sell it for one gold coin"

    Luis was silent and began to slowly back away without even speaking any words.

    ''Does he take me as a fool'' Luis couldn''t help but shake his head and began to explore other ces.

    ----

    "Hahaha, old li he didn''t fall for it" a guy in another stall couldn''t help butugh

    Old Li scowled, clearly irritated by the failure of his con.

    "That kid looks rich, lets inform Anyu gang" The neighbor stall guy said, "If he is really rich we can get some goodmission"

    Saying this the neighbor hurriedly left to spread the word.

    While leaving he shouted to old li, "look after my stall if anything is stolen, i will feed your bones to wild dog"

    Luis, unaware of the growing danger, continued exploring the market, oblivious to the ruthless forces lurking in this unfamiliar world. The mistake of Luis was walking around high profile in an unknown new world.

 Chapter 3 Battle

    Luis was walking around the bustling market, when he felt the sensation of being followed.

    ''Who are they'' Luis looked around scanning his surrounding

    ''I will try to lure them towards a secluded ce''

    Luis casually looked around keeping his pace, pretending not to notice anything.

    ''If it really is dangerous, I will just travel back to my world.'' With this thought he began walking around looking for a secluded alley, hoping those hidden guys would reveal themselves.

    After a few minutes, he found a narrow alleyway and stepped inside.

    "Keh, keh, keh,"

    Suddenly, a sound of roughughter echoed from behind and 5 guys revealed themselves.

    ''So a total of 5 guys'' Luis quickly assessed the situation.

    ''There could be more hidden, I need to be fast and not give them any chance.''

    While Luis was thinking, the 5 people had a sinister look in their eyes.

    "Kid," A man with a scar on his head said, "hand over all your valuables. Do that, and we might let you live."

    Luis pretended to be sacred and trembled after the threat of Scarface.

    "Wait...wait, I will give you all my stuff. Don''t kill me."

    Hearing this, the robbersughed out loud

    "Hahaha, Baldy, this kid is a coward." A guy with big mustachesughed out loud andmanded, "Go on, take his stuff, but make sure to rough him up a bit."

    Baldy grinned and slowly advanced towards Luis.

    "Alright, kid, you are smart enough to know what will happen to you" Baldy approached and licked his lips. "Take off your clothes."

    Luis trembling intensified when hearing this. This time he was really trembling with disgust and anger. This Baldy has bad intentions with his body.

    Luis watched with anger as Baldy was approaching him.

    ''NOW''

    In a sh, Luis rushed forward without giving Baldy any chance to react. His fist covered Baldy''s face, and a loud smacking sound was heard.

    Baldy''s body was lifted off the ground and was flying toward the group of gangsters.

    Luis would not allow this to happen. His father has taught him since childhood that when you have an advantage over your enemy, you should kill him with all kinds ofbos without giving the opposition any chance.

    So, Luis grabbed the cor of Baldy and mmed his head to the floor. This was not enough, he raised his leg high and smashed it into the head of Baldy with blood sttering all around the ground.

    Seeing this, the gangsters were terrified. All of these happened in an instant without giving them any chance to react.

    "You little brat! Do you know who you''re messing with?" Scarface shouted, "You''ve just made enemies with the Anyu Gang!"

    "Let''s attack him together," hemanded his members, but no one rushed forward bravely.

    They looked at each other with fear, the kid in front of them is a wolf hidden in sheep clothes. Looking at the Baldy smashed head in the floor they were scared.

    Luis, who saw all of this grinned, a great n began to form in his mind. He slowly walked towards the gangsters. Now it will the test of his acting skill.

    "Hahaha! The Anyu Gang? Is that supposed to scare me?" His eyes shed with a wild intensity.

    The gangsters stared at him, confused, but fear began to creep in.

    "Do you know my father''s name?"

    Their eyes widened, sweat dripping from their eyebrows.

    "Do you know my grandfather''s name?"

    The gangsters began trembling, their knees shaking as they struggled to stay on their feet.

    "Do you know the name of my family?"

    As luis shouted talking about his family, the thugs could no longer stand. One by one, their legs gave out, and they dropped to their knees, terrified.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ''This bluff really works''

    Luis secretly smiled and walked towards them, releasing his superior aura that he had developed as a noble for 14 years. This aura shocked the already scared gangsters.

    "Young master, p-please spare us!" Scarface couldn''t help but cry out loud.

    "We didn''t know! Please forgive us!, we have eyes but couldn''t see Mount Tai"

    They thought it was just some random kid, but now they have offended someone who even their entire gang cannot deal with.

    "And the one hidinge out." Luis eyes flickered to the shadows.

    A thin guy walked out of the darkness, his whole body trembling.

    "Go kneel down with them," Luismanded the thin guy.

    ''This is such a great n, pretending to have powerful background is much easier than fighting.''

    "Take off all your clothes and weapons," Luismanded with a threatening voice.

    "If you do not follow, you will have the same consequences as that Baldy," he said, pointing toward the bloody Baldy.

    Hearing this, all the gangsters strpped off their clothes and threw the weapons they were holding.

    ''Why does it seem like they have experience in this''

    Luis was watching all this in silence. This went on for a few more minutes as Luis was closing his eyes and thinking.

    This silence was a torture for those gangsters, as every second felt like eternity. They were butt naked, kneeling down.

    "Ok, I have a few questions for you."

    Hearing this Scarface sighed.

    "Young master, in this Anyu city I know everything, please ask."

    "Tell me about this ce and surrounding cities," Luis questioned, picking up a hammer that the gangster threw down.

    "This is Anyu Town, in this city there are 2 major families with an innate master in charge. There are also three gangs who are in this city and many martial halls. The nearest city from here is Banyu Town, 50 kilometers to the north..." The bearded leader was introducing all about the city.

    "Enough," Luis interrupted and Scarface stopped talking.

    "Now, tell me about the martial arts realm."

    The gang members paused in confusion as to why the young master asked them this question. One even looked at Luis with realization. That was when a hammer smacked in his face.

    "My time is precious, I hope you know it."

    Gangsters looking at the blood flowing beside them began to tremble again. Why does this guy act more like a gangster than them?

    "Yes, yes, the realm of martial arts is Body Training which consist of 9 stages, innate master and Grandmaster."

    "It is also rumored that there are immortal cultivators in this world." The thin gangster spoke quickly.

    Luis nodded thoughtfully, but his hand didn''t stop and began to move faster.

    Without giving any of these gangsters any chance, he began to swing the hammer into their heads, not giving them any chance of survival.

    Then as he walked away, he again smashed his leg into the head of Baldy just to be sure. These kind of people who prey on men body should not live.

    ''I canbine the advantages of both martial arts training and Knight training'' he thought as he walked out of the alley

    He then entered another alley and his body began to disappear from this world as he returned back to his room.

    -----

    [If you like this story till now, please add it to your library]

 Chapter 4 Contract

    In the bed Luis began to think about the martial arts training and all the experiences in another world.

    ''Those Martial arts can it bebined with life seed,'' His mind racing with all kind of thoughts

    As he was thinking of all this, his thoughts slowed down, and without realizing it, he drifted off to sleep.

    ----

    Early morning

    "pi pi" pipi was climbing all over the body of Luis, trying to wake him up

    Luis stirred, blinking groggily feeling the movement in his body.

    When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Pipi''s tiny face inches from his, looking annoyed. Luis chuckled softly, and reached out to catch the fairy in his palm.

    "Alright, alright, I''m up. No need to be angry" Luis said as he jumped up from the bed

    "Let''s go, I will take you to see knight training today" Luis tried to make his bond with pipi stronger.

    Pipi jumped up from his palm excitedly and flew around his body making cheerful noises.

    "Wait, let''s be fresh and eat breakfast first" Luis reminded and began to clean up. As for Pipi food, he simply crushed the magic for her to absorb.

    The things that fairies absorb is a magic stone which contains energy for them to evolve into big fairies.

    Luis regarded pipi as his family, so obviously he won''t be stingy and spend a lot of resources on her.

    After bing ready, Luis hurriedly walked toward the parade ground. Pipi was sitting in shoulder looking around curiously. After some time they arrived at the parade ground.

    Here a lot of people with mixed age were gathered together ranging from 13 years to 18 years.

    Luis didn''t have to train here since he already has awakened his life seed, but he stilles here to train with everyone

    He wants to create a strong bond with his family, and the people training here are all his rtives and son of family knights. These are the future pirs of the family, if he can win all of them over it will just benefit him for the future.

    Looking around he was greeted by the friendly smile of everyone. A boy walked out from the crowd and walked toward him.

    "Luis let me see the fairy" the boy said looking at Luis shoulder

    Pipi seeing this hid behind Luis, slowly peeking her head outside.

    "Hahaha, Arthur pipi doesn''t like you" Luisughed as he caught pipi in his palm

    Arthur alsoughed curiously watching pipi. Arthur is Luis'' cousin, the son of knightmander Oliver.

    Since childhood Luis has developed good rtionships with all of his family members and is loved by everyone. Now, even his strong talent has been revealed and it has increased more good will from the family.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Luis walked with Arthur talking andughing towards the group. Pipi also became brave, flying around in the parade ground. Everyone was watching her with curiosity and happiness.

    As time passed slowly, trainers also arrived at the parade ground.

    Knight Commander Oliver only trains the young eagles of Hartmann once a week. He has his own knight squads to train with and take care of the territory from surrounding forces.

    ----

    As the daily training began, Luis couldn''t help but think about the martial arts training.

    ''Body Training, Innate, Grandmaster'' He remembered the martial arts realm

    Luis already had extraordinary power and knowledge from different worlds and he can see some of the truths from just the names.

    The Human Body is a masterpiece where every body part serves a purpose, delicately bnced and interconnected. Take for instance, Body training of martial arts world.

    It is divided into 9 stages and it seems you need to train your body step by step to the peak.

    ''I will check how they cultivate tonight in another world'' With all these thought he trained harder

    Currently, He was circting his breath, breathing at a certain pattern.

    As he breathed it was nourishing his life seed. Everyone Knight in the barony practices using the Eagle Breathing Method of the Hartmann Family.

    The breathing method nourishes the life seed, then in turn the life seed, strengthens the whole body. Strengthening the whole body simultaneously building a strong foundation.

    ''I''ll try tobine both world''s training methods,'' he decided, training himself harder as the morning wore on. ''Then refine the best techniques from both systems.''

    As time passed by very quickly, he finished his training for today afterpleting dozens of sets of knight breathing.

    After the training, he exchanged some light-hearted topics with his cousins and friends before heading back to the castle.

    -----

    In his room, he sat down to rest.

    As he was lying on the bed, pipi began to act weird. She glowed with a white light and aforting breeze began to flow around the room.

    ''Is this¡­ her final awakening?'' he observed her closely.

    There are two kinds of Small fairies, Farming fairy and War Fairy.

    Small Fairies have 3 stages of growth. First they are born from a nt in nature, second if there is favorable condition they will wake up from their slumber, third after awakening from their slumber, they will start awakening their powers.

    Now, pipi is in the third stage of growth awakening her own powers. In the wild, it is very hard for fairies to survive so they cannot fully awaken and just return to nature.

    Outside the window, the trees and flowers swayed as if in celebration, their leaves rustling joyfully in the wind.

    Pipi who was in mid air opened her eyes and looked around. As she saw Luis she rushed towards him.

    He instinctively held out his hand expecting her tond in his palm, but she ignored it and rushed towards his chest. She didn''t collide with him but went inside his body.

    He watched all of this with confusion, he couldn''t believe that pipi trusted him so fast.

    ''She bonded with me¡­ with a life contract,''

 Chapter 5 Fairy Spirit

    In his sea of consciousness, a special mark slowly began to form. It was a direct contract from pipi without the interference of god of contract.

    In one lifetime, a fairy can only form a life contract three times, but this is often not necessary because, in most cases, the fairies die earlier than contracted humans.

    "Pi pi!" Pipi emerged from his body, glowing softly, and began to circle him with excitement.

    After being connected with Pipi through contract, Luis began to understand the sentiment of Pipi more clearly.

    A fairy can properly talk only when they evolve to a big fairy, until then only the contractor can understand them clearly.

    Luis smiled as he watched pipi flying around him happily.

    "Pipi, you are the first fairy of the Hartmann family," he said with pride and relief. "Let''s work together to make the Hartmann family rise to new heights."

    Pipi sensing his determination nodded hard and had a determined look on her face. Luis couldn''t help butugh, reaching out to gently pinch her tiny cheeks.

    "Little Pipi, you''re so cute," he teased as she circled around him happily.

    After this, he yed with Pipi for some more time.

    Later, Luis called for his servant, Liam.

    "Don''t let anyone disturb me." Luis said with authority, "With the fairy contract, I feel my strength will increase when I am in meditation."

    "Don''t worry, young master, I won''t let anyone enter your room."

    With this said, Liam walked outside the room, bowing to Luis.

    ''Finally, now I can enter the other world again.''

    "Pipi, enter inside me," Luis instructed. "I''m going to take you somewhere interesting."

    Pipi entered inside him happily. He quickly covered his body with a ck robe and a mask. He carried a mixed pouch of bronze, silver, and gold coins, along with a hidden sword beneath his robe. This time he was fully prepared to explore the other world.

    With all the preparations, he began to walk towards the vortex.

    ----

    "Have you heard? Six Anyu gang members were found dead."

    "I heard that they were naked."

    "WHAT?!"

    "Shh, don''t shout so loud!"

    "Haha, that serves them right. Those thugs were always robbing the poor."

    "I hear the Anyu gang is searching the whole city for the killer."

    "Which person is so cruel, doesn''t he have the dignity of a warrior?"

    Luis, who was walking in the streets, heard about this and couldn''t help but walk faster. He killed those people and left them naked, which made them infamous after their deaths.

    However, he didn''t feel guilty for this.

    His n now is to hide his identity and learn more about this world.

    He will then enter a martial arts hall and learn martial arts technique from there. He already had his eyes on a martial arts hall he''d seen earlier¡ªTurtle Martial Arts Hall. It was a big hall located on the outskirts of the city. This was perfect for him.

    But before that, he began to walk out of the city to release Pipi from his body.

    ----

    "Okay, Pipi, you cane out now," Luis informed Pipi, who was anxiously waiting inside his body.

    She quickly jumped out of his body, but as soon as she did, she froze. Her whole body was in shock with her eyes opened wide. Her body began to absorb all the surrounding energy.

    ''What is happening?''

    When Luis saw this, he became wary and began to look towards the city. He was crossing his fingers, hoping that no one noticed this phenomenon.

    After a few moments, Pipi stopped attracting the energy and slowly flew towards his body with sleepy eyes. Luis caught her and began to run around the outskirts of the city.

    But Luis was overthinking, no one knew about this, as this ended as quickly as it started.

    While running, he also learned about the new abilities of Pipi.

    ''This really is a cultivation world.'' Luis couldn''t help but be excited. ''Pipi has evolved''

    Pipi, when came in contact with this world energy, evolved into a spirit. She is now a fairy spirit, and all her abilities are strengthened.

    Fairies can only turn normal nts into magic nts asionally, but now pipi blessed by both worlds can strengthen many nts. She can also shorten the growth time of nts 5 times, normal fairies can only shorten the growth time by 2 times.

    After running around for a while, he returned to the city. Pipi was already sleeping soundly inside his body.

    ------n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Luis soon found himself standing in front of Turtle Martial Arts Hall.

    Heposed himself and walked near the Turtle Martial Arts Hall. He took off his robe and entered the hall.

    Inside, there was one man at the counter dozing off. Looking around the empty reception, Luis walked near and tapped the counter lightly.

    The man groggily opened his eyes and looked at Luis.

    "What do you want, kid?" he asked still with sleepiness in his voice.

    Luis watched all this with before talking

    "Are you one of the master of this hall?" Luis asked with a skeptical tone.

    The man looked at Luis up and down, then shook his head, "No, master is inside."

    "I want to learn martial arts and be a warrior," Luis said, trying to sound eager. He knew he needed to show his acting skill now.

    The man hearing this again examined his body up and down. Looking at the man''s look, Luis became ufortable. This guy just looks from top to bottom without leaving any details.

    "Kid, you got money?" The man finally talked, raising a eyebrow

    "It costs 10 silver coins to learn martial arts here every month, and you need to spend more money for medicines."

    Without saying a word, Luis reached into his pouch and handed over five silver coins. The man took them and inspected each coin, holding them up to the light as if checking their authenticity.

    "Okay, good, it is pure silver." Satisfied, he looked towards Luis. "My name is Guo Guang, and I am the eleventh brother of the hall. Just call me Brother Guo."

    Guo Guang stood up and approached towards the inner yard. Luis began following Brother Guo inside, looking around the decoration. It was very simple, and had different kinds of training equipment.

    As they walked, Guo Guang suddenly turned to Luis. "What''s your name, junior brother?"

    "My name is... Han Long."

 Chapter 6 Practice

    "Our martial arts hall is one of the strongest halls in this city" Guo Guang began introducing many things as Luis followed him, "There are 3 core students."

    Luis listened with interest as he got a lot of information.

    In this martial hall, there are hundreds of students, 17 are named students and 3 are core students.

    Named students are those who are between the 4th and 6th stages of body training, and core students are those who are between the 7th and 9th stages. Master of this hall is only at the 9th stage.

    After a few show steps they reached the inner yard. There were a lot of people in this yard.

    Guo Guang nodded toward a man in his thirties who had a serious expression and a muscr build.

    "Senior Brother, this is Han Long, the new student in our hall."

    Guo Guang then pointed at Luis "He has a strong body."

    Guo Guang had a good eye for recognizing people, so his duty is often in reception to observe the new students and give special rmendations. He had observed Luis body closely, and it was full of muscles.

    "This is senior brother Chen Lei, one of the core disciples." Guo Guang introduced the muscr man.

    Luis nodded respectfully to Chen Lei, who didn''t waste time with small talk. Guo Guang, havingpleted the introduction, bowed and walked back, going to stay in reception again.

    Chen Lei didn''t talk much and began introducing all about martial arts to Luis. Luis listened intently and learned all the general information about martial arts.

    There are nine stages of body training, with stages one to three being the initial stage. They are only a little stronger than ordinary people.

    The fourth to sixth stages are the middle stage of body training. One person can defeat dozens of people without weapons.

    The seventh to ninth stages are thete stage of body training. In this stage the blood will start to be strengthened, and strong blood travels around the whole body making it stronger.

    Luis nodded, taking in everything. He appreciated the detail in Chen Lei''s exnation, especially the idea of generating qi, something that piqued his interest.

    "Master only teaches named students and core disciples," Chen Lei continued. "For now, as a new student, you''ll be taught by senior named students. Head over there."

    He pointed toward a group of beginners practicing in the far corner of the yard.

    Luis nced over in the pointed direction and saw a group of clumsy students going through basic movements. He nodded to Chen Lei and walked toward the beginners area.

    ----

    Two Hours LaterN?v(el)B\\jnn

    Luis was following a set of movements to strengthen his body, taught by the trainers. Since he is already an apprentice knight and on the verge of breaking through the official knight, his body is very strong. He has hidden it from everyone here.

    As he practiced, Luis kept a close eye on the others in the hall, watching how they trained. Their movements were a mix of soft and rigid techniques.

    ''The movements are soft and rigid'' Luis noted this in his mind.

    They were moving in a specific pattern,bining softness and rigidity. He has already somewhat figured out how the martial arts worked and was able to quickly grasp the essence of it.

    For the day Hall was going to close, so Luis finished his training and walked out.

    He began to leave the hall with a thin book in his hand. It had all the basics of the turtle martial arts, enough to practice to the sixth stage.

    ''I need to buy some medicines,'' Luis made his way toward arge store he had noticed earlier.

    There are not many big stores in Anyu Town, so Luis found a big store named Changhe Store. It was a medicine store that sold all kinds of medicine and herbs.

    The inside of the store was very majestic, with the smells of medicine making the whole body energetic.

    "What can I help you with, sir?" A young woman approached him with a smile.

    "I would like to give some Body Training powder," Luis replied, ncing around the store.

    "Sir, one dose of body Training powder cost 10 silver coins." The girl was still smiling and was confirming whether Luis really wanted to buy it. Not many can buy this kind of expensive medicine.

    Luis turned toward the woman and nodded. "Yes, give me 10 doses of those."

    The woman''s eyes widened hearing Luis. This is a big customer. She must treat him with respect and not try to offend him.

    "Of course, sir. I''ll get that ready for you right away." She then began to walk inside towards the inventory to fetch the medicine.

    In just a short period of time, she walked out with a big bag in her hand.

    "Sir, these are all your body training powder," she said carefully, handing the bag to Luis. She was not afraid of robbery, as the store was protected by hidden martial artists.

    "The total amount is 100 silver coins or just 4 gold coins."

    Luis checked inside the bag and nodded. He took out 4 gold coins from his pouch and handed the coins to the girl.

    The girl, after receiving the money, simply bowed to Luis. Due to this sale, she will get a consideratemission.

    With his purchase in hand, Luis wandered around the store a bit longer, observing the various medicines and herbs on disy. Some which strengthen the body, some which heals the body faster, and some which make men stronger in bed.

    After observing for a while, he left the store. He noticed that the pharmacy in this world is very developed, as pharmacist can control the medicinal properties of many herbs,bining them and making strong medicinal powders.

    ''Great, through this I can increase the strength of the family knight faster.''

    In the Western Fantasy World, there are also many potent herbs, but the pharmacy is focused on different fields. For knights, the potions are made from life fruits used for nourishing their life seeds, and for wizards, it was chaotic. They focused on everything.

    ''Will they follow me?''

    Luis was walking with all kinds of thoughts, but he was also keenly observing his surroundings. He has just bought a lot of bodybuilding from the Changhe store. The store might send someone to follow him and rob him.

    Nothing can be trusted, so he kept his eyes sharp, observing the streets as he walked.

    Just to be safe, he walked inside an ally and then walked out. No one was following him, He then again walked into another alley and then walked out. He can now be sure that no one is following him.

    He now can safely travel to his own world.

 Chapter 7 Pipi

    Luis, after returning to his world, slept soundly.

    Early Morning

    Luis woke up, became refreshed, and walked out of the room. Instead of heading to the parade ground as usual, he made his way to his private training ground, eager to test his new idea.

    Today, he will attempt tobine the knight breathing method and martial arts technique he has learned yesterday.

    His private training ground was located behind the castle, near the back garden. He made the private ground here because he can observe the flowers in the surroundings to calm his mind.

    Once he arrived at the training ground, he began to prepare himself. He sat down on the ground and took out the thin book and started observing all the movement of turtle martial arts. The techniques focused on bncing softness and rigidity.

    After observing for some time in repeat, he jumped up the ground after bing ready.

    He started taking a rhythmic breath at a specific pattern ording to the eagle breathing method, and along with it, he began moving his body with softness and rigidity.

    At first, he felt nothing and just was following the movement. But as time passed, the cells in his body became more active and stirred with energy.

    He could feel his body being strengthened. His life seed was also being nourished at a faster speed, constantly strengthening his body.

    He felt his body being strengthened by both the martial arts and knight breathing method separately. Thebined techniques seemed to work in tandem, reinforcing each other.

    In his estimation, he could break through to Official Knight in around 3 months, but this time can be reduced to around 1.5 months now.

    He trained continuously without any rest as he felt his improvement at rapid speed. He was so focused that he didn''t notice pipi flying out of the training ground.

    "Pi pi!" Pipi shouted, watching Luis as he trained, but quickly grew bored.

    She began to roam around the area. After roaming around, she entered the garden where she was born.

    Seeing the familiar garden, joy filled her, and she flew towards it. Biggs, who was nearby watering the nts, spotted her and stopped in his tracks.

    ''Is young master here?'' He stopped watering the nt and observed Pipi, who was happily flying around.

    He then saw a sight that shocked him. for the first time in his life, he saw the magic of a fairy. The flowers around him, some of which had not budded, bud their flowers. The flowers, which were obviously dying and had diseases, became healthy.

    The garden, which was already filled with vitality, became more lively with all the flowers and trees moving as if they were cheering at pipi.

    Biggs seeing this scene was moved to tears. He was in this castle since the time of Luis grandfather. He has been through all the difficult times of the Hartmann family.

    The difficult time when the Hartmann family almost lost their position of nobility, the slow recovery, and now the rise of family in the time of Felipe Hartmann-Luis father. He has seen all these things from the sidelines, silently supporting the family.

    Now, the family has their own fairy.

    ''No one will stop the Hartmann family''s rise now,'' Biggs thought, his heart full of emotion.

    -----

    Pipi was flying all around the ces happily. She roamed around the corridors of the castle, to the parade ground, and many gardens.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She was recognized everywhere she went, many pointed fingers at her and were whispering. She met many people along the way. Some children chased after her withughter, some just looked at her from afar with awe.

    She also met a kind woman who was very nice to her, giving her a lot of magic stones to absorb.

    After spending the whole day outside, she returned to the private training ground where Luis was training.

    ----

    Luis trained the whole day without noticing the passage of time.

    He was constantly training and improving his strength. At first it was a little ufortable training, as you had to constantly breathe and move in a specific pattern. But as he trained, he improvised the technique slowly, making it morefortable to practice.

    The body nourished by the life seed and martial arts was much stronger than before.

    ording to his estimation, he strength is in thete stage of body training, just short of controlling qi in his body. He will reach this stage when he bes the official stage, generating life energy in his body.

    He was satisfied for today and ended his training. Just as he was about to leave, Pipi appeared in his sight.

    She was flying towards him happily. He forwarded his palm for Pipi to sit in.

    ----

    After returning to his room, Luis left Pipi there to rest. Now, he was ready to test the effects of the Body Training Powder he had purchased the previous day.

    In the bathroom, he poured 1 packet of this powder into the tub.

    This one packet of powder can be used by the early stage of body training warriors ten times, but as the strength increases, the body absorbs the medicinal properties faster and faster.

    The tub after the powder slowly began to change color and became lime green.

    Luis directly entered the tub without wasting any more time. His body began absorbing all the medicinal properties from the tub.

    He tried Knight breathing while absorbing the medicine and it was extremely effective.

    He was enjoying this sensation as his body felt very rxed. After ten minutes, his body stopped absorbing the medicinal powder, but by now the green color was very dim.

    ''This is incredibly effective,''

    Luis stepped out of the tub with rxation. His body felt refreshed and even stronger. However, he knew that using the powder too frequently would diminish its effectiveness.

    "It''s a pity I can only use this twice a week," Luis murmured, drying off. "If I could use it daily, I''d be an official knight in less than ten days."

    He now felt that he could be an official knight in less than a month. If this could be used daily, he could be an official knight in less than 10 days.

 Chapter 8 Farming

    Two days passed since hebined martial arts and knight breathing. Luis strength has been increasing a lot since he started practicing.

    He was currently in the Changhe store buying body training powder. This time, he purchased more than dozens of these powders. A lot for stock piling.

    He intends to take it back to his world and share it with some of his most trusted people who will follow him in the future. Building strength wasn''t just for him. He wanted his family and allies to grow alongside him.

    After making his purchase, he roamed around the market searching for the seeds of nts that are used to grow body training powder. These materials are hard to buy in bulk as they are strictly controlled and cannot be flowed into the market too much.

    The people with power behind them restrict this kind of sale. So, the strategic medicines are very inted when they are sold into the market.

    Luis has Pipi, who could grow the medicines with better quality, so he wanted to farm and start his own business and be self-sufficient in this world.

    Just buying the seeds cost him nearly 20 silver coins¡ªa high price but worth it. He bought more than dozens of these.

    He then approached Turtle Martial Hall for todays training.

    ----

    In Turtle Martial Halls, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement.

    "Today we are going to see Master again."

    "Yeah! Last month, he was already atte stage of the body-building realm. Do you think he broke through to innate realm?"

    "Breaking through the innate realm is very hard. Most of the warriors are stuck in this realm for life."

    "I will break into the innate realm and make the turtle martial hall reach a higher peak."

    "Haha, you should focus on breaking through the second stage first!" someone joked, causingughter among the group.

    Luis stood among them, listening to the chatter. There was a lot of murmur among the turtle martial hall students. Today, the hall master, Cai Tian, wasing to inspect and teach. He taught an open ss once a month, and everyone was eager for the chance to learn from him.

    However, Luis standing among them didn''t feel any awe for this Master Cai. He felt that he was already stronger than this master.

    ''I won''t be in this town for much longer,'' he thought. ''There are bigger cities and immortal cultivators out there. I need to find them.''

    Luis has been searching for any kind of information about immortals, but nothing was found.

    "Master ising," a named student shouted towards them.

    The students who were murmuring immediately shut up and looked towards the entrance.

    An old man with long beard and white hair was slowly walking. He had an aura around him, which made him look like a wise old man.

    ''He looks like one of those old wizards'' Luis had seen those wizards in his territory once. They had a simr appearance, with their flowing robes and quiet authority.

    Master Cai slowly reached the podium in the middle of the yard and nced towards everyone. His eyes met Louis for a short moment before looking away.

    ''Almost as strong as me,'' Luis thought, assessing the old man''s strength.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Suddenly, without any warning, a bang was heard on the podium where Master Cai was standing.

    Cai Tian, who was standing on the podium, disappeared from the spot and arrived in front of Luis, ready to throw punches.

    ''What the¡ª!'' Luis barely had time to react as the old man threw a punch directly at him.

    He moved his head back a little, avoiding the punch of the old man. Without any dy, he took out the sword that was on his waist.

    Master Cai again attacked without any dy. Luis barely dodged it. In this battle, Master Cai had already taken the initiative from the start without giving him any chance to gain an advantage.

    ''Shit, Shit, I am exposed'' every time Luis dodged, he couldn''t help but curse.

    If he didn''t find a way to turn the tide, he''d be injured. Worse, he could be surrounded by the other students. He needed a n, and fast.

    Master Cai was still attacking him, but this time he didn''t dodge but took the punch to his chest with a sword blocking in the front.

    Luis felt the impact taken by his body through the sword. The force of the impact sent him flying backward, but he managed to stay on his feet.

    "Who are you, kid?" Master Cai slowed down after feeling the true strength of Luis. "What are your intentions?"

    Luis, who had stabilized and was ready to attack, also stopped. He was gradually surrounded by other named and core students.

    ''This isn''t looking good,'' he was worried but outwardly, he remained calm.

    "My name is Han Long," Luis said with calmness in his tone. "I don''t have bad intentions. I just want to learn martial arts."

    He then began to get ready forbat with his back facing towards the wall. The students were closing on him, trying to surround him. Fighting one against many, he will be injured, but if he wants to escape no one here can stop him.

    "One cannot have both the fish and the bear''s paw," Master Cai said with a deep look, observing Luis closely.

    Luis was just silent, this old man thought that he was biting off more than he could chew. He didnt exin anything to the old man and just stood in stance, ready for any iing attacks.

    Cai Tian looked at the body of Luis, which was in thete stage of body building, and was secretly shocked. He only looked the age of 13¨C14 but was already so strong.

    ''The strength of this boy... He''s in thete stage of the body-building realm, but he looks no older than thirteen or fourteen.'' The more Cai Tian looked at Luis, the more he realized.

    ''This kid cannot be messed with, he surely has big force behind him.'' Cai Tian can be sure. Such a strong strength at a young age cannot be done without sufficient resource and talent.

    ''I need to talk with him''

    "Kid, follow me," Cai Tian still said in a deep voice. No matter how wary he is, he cannot show it in front of his students.

    "Others, you can disperse."

    Everyone was confused, hearing the order of Cai Tian, and began looking towards each other.

    They didn''t dare to disobey the old master, so they dispersed slowly, staring at Luis. They were still wary of him, who was training with them, disguising himself as a normal student.

    Luis also followed Cai Tian. He wanted to see what the old man would talk with him.

    ''He''s shameless. He could attack at any moment,'' Luis was wary as he followed Cai Tian deeper into the hall.

    Both of them were cautious, neither knowing what the other was truly nning.

 Chapter 9 Royal Family

    The courtyard was quiet and peaceful. A tall tree stood in the middle, its branches spreading out to provide shade. Sunlight peeked through the leaves, making small patterns on the stone path below. The air smelled fresh, and a light breeze made the leaves rustle gently.

    In one corner, there was a small wooden pavilion with a simple roof. It faced a small clear pond, where the water was still and calm, reflecting the sky. Around the edges of the courtyard were a few nts and stones, giving the ce a calm and weing feel.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Neither of them talked with each other on the way, both falling into a misunderstanding.

    Cai Tian sat on the pavilion with Luis following and sitting opposite him.

    There was silence before Cai Tian broke it with a sharp question.

    "No need to pretend anymore," Cai Tian said, his eyes narrowing. "Tell me, what are you really here for? Which force do you belong to?"

    Luis sat in silence, locking eyes with Cai Tian.

    ''I need to pretend again and show my acting skills again,'' Luis thought as he assessed his situation.

    "You found out, didn''t you?" Luis feigned surprise. His voice was calm, but his expression showed just enough uncertainty to keep Cai Tian guessing.

    "How did you figure it out?"

    "Your aura and demeanor... I have only seen it in those who hold high authority," Cai Tian leaned back and said with a thoughtful face.

    He would probably surround and beat Luis if he didn''t notice the age and demeanor of Luis.

    ''This kid is definitely from a big force. Currently, there might still be Innate masters secretly watching this.'' Cold sweat broke out from the body of Cai Tian as he thought of this.

    "Haha, I didn''t think I would be exposed because of something so small." Luisughed and shook his head.

    "Well, since you''ve already guessed, I might as well be honest. I''m here on a mission."

    "Can you guess why I''vee here?"

    Luis slowly said, revealing a little and questioning the old man. The old man will answer his question, and he will just make aplete story from the old man''s answer.

    Cai Tian remained silent after the question of Luis. He had a thoughtful expression on his face. Luis was also patiently waiting for the answer of this old man.

    The courtyard was silent, with just the sound of the rustling of leaves. Cai Tian was lost in thought when his face suddenly lit as if he had put the pieces together. He looked at Luis, then began speaking.

    "You''re here to learn martial arts, just as you said," Cai Tian began slowly, as if testing his theory. "But your mission... it must be something more. Are you here to explore the forces in this city?"

    Luis nodded, giving Cai Tian a deep look.

    "The warriors from rivers andkes cannot really be underestimated."

    "You old man almost guessed it, so let me tell you a secret."

    Cai Tian leaned in slightly, listening intently.

    Luis let out a smallugh, mocking the situation. "We have information that some forces are nning to rebel, those frogs in wells, trying to go against the court."

    Cai Tian stood up from his position in panic and hurriedly bowed deeply.

    "I¡ªI shouldn''t have heard that!" He stammered, his voice shaking.

    He didn''t dare to listen any further. This was a great secret of the royal court, not something he can pry on.

    Luis, who he thought was from a big force, was actually from the royal court. He also learned about rebellion and his back couldn''t help but be sweaty.

    "No need to bow. Sit down." He gestured for Cai Tian to sit, watching as the old man nervously followed.

    ''He''spletely bought into this,'' Luis thought, satisfied.

    The two spoke briefly about a less important topic after that, but this time Cai Tian was very restrained and didn''t dare to talk much. After some small back and forth talking, Luis decided to spar with Cai Tian and test his strength.

    "Let''s spar," Luis said suddenly, standing up. "I want to test your strength."

    Cai Tian hesitated. "A spar? Now?"

    Luis was already walking toward an open space in the courtyard.

    "I won''t take no for an answer,"

    Cai Tian followed Luis reluctantly.

    ''This kid... he''s too confident,'' Cai Tian thought as he sighed heavily.

    He had little suspicion, but he didn''t dare to point it out, as his wrong choice might destroy both him and the turtle martial hall. Through out his life, he has seen a lot of scenes where people mess with the wrong people and get destroyed.

    This matter even involves rebels, and he didn''t want to involve himself any further.

    ----

    Luis and Cai Tian were both ready in their positions.

    "Don''t hold back, or you''ll suffer for it!" Luis shouted and vanished from his ce.

    In a blink of an eye, Luis appeared in front of Cai Tian, swinging his sword without any mercy. He wanted to test the limits of this old man.

    Cai Tian barely managed to dodge it, stepping back to avoid the attack.

    Luis was fast¡ªfaster than anyone Cai Tian had fought in years. He closed in to attack with a punch.

    Luis pressed his advantage, forcing Cai Tian in defense. But this old man was like a turtle shell.

    For several minutes they exchanged blows, neither gaining any upper hands.

    Suddenly, Luis saw an opening. His sword sliced toward Cai Tian head, who dodged it but was immediately kicked solidly in the chest. Cai Tian stumbled back, grasping for breath.

    Luis didn''t give Cai Tai any more chance, before he could recover, he was punched in the face, making him crash to the ground.

    Cai Tian then felt a sword inches away from his neck.

    "I give up!" Cai Tian gasped, raising his hand in surrender. His chest heaved as he struggled to breathe. "In all my years... I''ve never seen someone so strong at such a young age."

    Luis also withdrawn his sword from Cai Tian''s neck and backed up. Cai Tian slowly got to his feet, still shaking from the fight.

    "Your Turtle Martial Arts," Luis said, sheathing his sword. "It''s... interesting. It makes your defense stronger."

    As Luis fought with Cai Tian, he felt the defense of Cai Tian was very strong.

    ''Is he still eyeing the Turtle Martial Arts?'' Cai Tian wiped the sweat from brows and couldn''t help but think with some sadness.

    "If you want to learn the advanced stages, I can teach you," Cai Tian said, his voice low.

    "The chances of me breaking through to the Innate Realm are low anyway. Innate is like a moat, almost all thete-stage warriors are stuck at this stage."

    Luis listened to all of these silently.

    ''This old man is smart and didn''t make things difficult for me'' Luis looked at the panting old man thoughtfully.

    "You''re a smart man," he said finally.

    "In the future, I''ll give you a chance to break through to the Innate Realm."

 Chapter 10 Anyu Gang

    Cai Tian''s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe what he was hearing. The weight of Luis''s words hit him like a hammer, without knowing what to do in this situation.

    "No need to be so restrained," Luis said casually

    Cai Tian thought of something and hurriedly walked toward the pavilion to take out the further part of Turtle martial arts. Without saying a word, he handed it to Luis, his hand shaking slightly.

    Luis took it and didn''t even nce at it.

    ''I''ll look at thister when I''m back in my own world.''

    "I still need toplete my mission," Luis said with authority. "If you find anything suspicious, report it to me."

    Cai Tian nodded vigorously hearing. He didn''t dare to disobey the rule of the royal court.

    Luis said nothing more. He turned and began walking out of the courtyard, his mind already shifting to the next stage of his journey. In the future, when he gets stronger, he will give Cai Tian a chance to advance to Innate, as he promised.

    -----

    Luis was walking around the busy streets of city for one final time. He will not stay here any longer, but travel to other big cities, hoping to find out about immortal cultivators.

    Suddenly, a loud cry broke his train of thoughts.

    "Dad, don''t leave me!" The voice was desperate and full of fear.

    Luis stopped and nced towards the source of themotion. A group of thugs surrounded a little girl, their faces rough and mean. The dad of the girls was also with them.

    He was a thin man with beard stubbles in his face. He had a pouch in hand, and his face was full of hesitation. This situation was very clear, the father was selling his daughter to those thugs.

    "Aihan, don''t worry," the father said weakly. "I''lle back for you after I make enough money." His words were empty, a lie probably no one would believe.

    The girl stopped crying, her eyes desperate staring at her father. Her own father sold her, and now her fate was clear. She will be made prostitute by these thugs.

    Without wasting any more time, thugs began to drag the girl roughly. Her father didn''t fight them. He just stood there, watching and clinging to his pouch.

    Luis watched all of this silently without any interference. This kind of simr scenes, he has already many times in this city.

    ''This world has its own rules and culture, and I am not strong enough to change it,'' he reminded himself, ''In my world there are ves and serfs too''

    ''But at least there is no such bad culture in my barony''

    This wouldn''t have happened in his barony, under the protection of the Hartmann family. He can change the rules in his own territory as he is a young master of the Hartmann family. But he is still too weak now, one day he will be strong enough to change the rule everywhere.

    -----

    In the shadows, a group of people were observing Luis.

    "This is the guy in the portrait."

    "Wait, let me check," another guy said as he took out a portrait from his body. "Yes, it is the same."

    The group of people began looking at each other.

    "Let''s get him now!" one of them urged. "This brat''s been making our Anyu Gang look bad for days."

    "I''ll teach him a lesson he won''t forget,"

    "We''ve been searching for two days, and here he is just wandering around like nothing."

    As they murmured and began to approach Luis, a voice stopped them.

    "No, don''t go, he is dangerous."

    The group suddenly stopped and looked at the source of voice. It was a boy who looked young.

    "That guy is dangerous," the boy again reminded.

    A guy with bald head narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

    "What do you mean, kid? If we don''t catch him now, he''ll escape!" He frowned and couldn''t help but express his doubt. This kid is a new recruit but very smart, and this time there must be reason too.

    "Scarface and Baldy were all killed brutally without any sign of resistance. Their group was at the 1st and 2nd stages of bodybuilding, and we are not much stronger than them either. You understand what I mean, right?" The thin boy, whose name was Xiao Wei, reminded

    The group broke out in cold sweat at the reminder of Xiao Wei. They really hadn''t thought of this. If they were reckless, they might have been brutally killed naked and be infamous like the Scarface group.

    "What should we do then?"

    "One guy needs to keep an eye on him, and others need to go to different posts of Anyu Gang and inform the squad leaders." Xiao Wei suggested the best solution,

    "Only by surrounding him, we have chance to capture him."

    The group member nodded when they heard this.

    "So, who will stay to keep an eye on him?" Baldhead asked with uncertainty. He was the leader of this group, but Xiao Wei acted more like a leader than him.

    "I will keep an eye on him. You can go inform the squad leaders." Xiao Wei said, "I cannot trust you reckless guy on this job."

    The others got angry at his remarks but didn''t argue. They quickly scattered in different directions to gather reinforcements.

    Xiao Wei watched all this with thoughtfulness and nced towards Luis. Luis was already walking towards another direction.

    ''I think i need to change forces again''

    ----

    Xiao Wei followed closely, keeping a careful distance from Luis. The longer he watched Luis, the stronger his instincts screamed at him to be cautious. Something about him was... very off.

    ''I am already noticed by him,'' Xiao Wei realized suddenly. Luis''s movements were too deliberate, too smooth. He was aware of being followed.

    He followed Luis all around the market as Luis was entering different stores and buying a lot of seeds.

    ''Where are all the things he bought going?''

    The more time he followed, the more dangerous his instinct warned. He was silently following when he suddenly saw Luis entering an alley.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Xiao Wei looked around the alley, which was secluded with a smaller number of people.

    ''I am not going inside.''

    He still remembers how Scarface and his group died inside the alley. He backed away and hurried around the block, hoping to catch Luis on the other side.

    ''This is dangerous, the feeling he gives me is stronger than even the leader of Anyu Gang.''

    (end of chapter)

    [If you read till here, Please consider adding it to your library]

 Chapter 11 Betrayal

    ''People of this world are really bad at secretly follow others'' Luis looked around as he walked inside the alley

    ''They tantly follow from distance''

    With his strong strength and senses, he can sense that someone has followed him from a long time. After entering the alley, he paused and waited for a while. He wanted to see if anyone would follow him inside the alley, but no one followed him.

    ''A guy with a bit of sense'' he thought with some disappointment.

    Seeing that no one followed him into alley, he walked out.

    Just as he stepped out into the main street, he came face to face with a young boy running from the opposite direction. The boy, seeing Luis, skidded to a stop, his face filled with terror. Luis stared at the boy who was watching him with horror.

    The boy hesitated for a moment as if trying to run away, but then his expression became firm as he approached Luis.

    "Sir, I surrender! I''ve only been with the Anyu Gang for eight days!" The boy said hurriedly

    ''So, this is the guy who''s been following me. He sure has good survival instincts'' Luis raised his eyebrows, recognizing this boy who secretly followed him.

    "What is your name and age?" Luis asked staring at the boy

    "Sir, my name is Xiao Wei, 16 years old" Xiao Wei said hurriedly without testing the patience of Luis

    ''Xiao? Reminds me of those immortal cultivators...''

    Luis nodded and couldn''t help but think of immortal cultivator hearing the surname Xiao.

    "Tell me a reason, why i should give you chance to live?"

    Luis voice became cold as he looked towards Xiao Wei, with one hand resting in the sword. If this boy is useless there is no reason for him to live.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Sir, I can tell you everything about the Anyu Gang, sir! Their resources, their treasury...everything!"

    Xiao Wei said hurriedly, hoping this would buy his life. He really got himself into trouble. If he survives today he will not join any kind of criminal organization.

    "Not Enough" Luis said with straight face unimpressed.

    Xiao Wei still had a look of hesitation in his face. Luis who was staring at all of this took a step forward with his sword unsheathed.

    Xiao Wei became horrified when he saw Luis approaching him.

    "Wait! Sir, I know of a hidden area in the forest, where rare herbs grow¡ªherbs used to make body Training powder!" He hurriedly shouted

    Luis''s cold demeanor shifted slightly when he heard this.

    "Now, that''s more like it."

    "Sir, we need to leave quickly" Xiao Wei urged " Other Members of my group went to call squad leaders, almost 7 people with strength of mid stage body building will soon surround us"

    "No need to worry about them" Luis nced at the portrait that was in Xiao Wei hand.

    ''So, they''ve already recognized me. The Anyu Gang has been a nuisance for a while now. When I''m ready, I''lle back and destroy them''

    Luis then reached into his body and threw a powder like substance at Xiao Wei.

    "I hope you don''t try to escape, otherwise even if you are thousand of miles away i can hunt you down"

    Luis warned as he released pipi from his body for a brief moment before sending her back.

    Xiao Wei was in shock seeing this. What was that thing that came out of the body?

    His eyes darted at the powder that was thrown in his body, it seemed that creature can smell it and find him. His n to escape was now in vain

    "Don''t worry sir i wont escape"

    "Good. Gather more information about the Anyu Gang. I''lle find youter."

    Luis gave a final nod before disappearing inside the alley. Actually, the powder he threw was normal powder and he showed pipi to bluff Xiao Wei. It is both easy and hard to control smart people, but smart people think too much and create their own problems.

    If Xiao Wei really escapes, he can do nothing about it.

    A momentter, Luis vanished into the vortex, returning to his own world.

    ----

    Xiao Wei watched Luis enter the alley with fear. He walked a little further and waited for Anyu Members to find him.

    Within few minutes, 30 people came running towards him.

    "Kid, where is that murderer"

    "Why don''t i see him"

    "I must skin him alive"

    "....."

    Xiao Wei was overwhelmed by the shout and anger of members of Anyu Gang.

    "He walked inside that crowd and disappeared" He pointed towards the streets where many people were walking.

    Gang members became furious after hearing this. One of them punched Xiao Wei in the face, others also angry ready to surround him.

    "Stop it, don''t make this matter big. It will bring down the reputation of Anyu Gang. This should not be spread that we squad leaders gathered couldn''t find the murderer" A squad leader with strength of sixth level body Training reminded.

    "We will deal with this kidter" He said ring at everyone "First, spread out and search! He must be hiding nearby."

    All the members nodded and started searching the area violently. But no matter how much they searched they couldn''t find Luis and had to return empty handed.

    ----

    Luis travelled through the vortex and reappeared back in his room. In his room there were all kind of seeds and materials, that he threw after buying them.

    Over the past two days, Luis had developed a new method for using the vortex. He could now open it with just a thought, sending items directly to specific locations where he previously travelled to another world. This ability had made it easier to transport goods between the two worlds.

    These days he has been spending a lot of silver and gold coins. His pocket money that he saved for long time is almost emptied but looking at all the materials from the Cultivation World, it was worth it.

    "I will not enter that world again unless i break through and be official knight"

    He has been entering the cultivation world frequently, almost ignoring his own world. No matter how strong the Cultivation world is, his root is in this Fantasy World.

    Luis looked around and made pipie out from his body.

    Pipi pouted and sat in another corner of room after being released.

    Luis was startled seeing pipi like this, from the emotions released by her he realized that he had been restricting her too much.

    "I''m sorry, Pipi. I won''t keep you locked up so much anymore. You can y as much as you want," .

    Pipi''s pout disappeared hearing Luis, reced by a bright, happy expression. No matter how much of a tantrum she threw, she was still just a child at heart.

    "But Pipi," Luis said yfully, "I need your help. Will you help me?"

    Pipi nodded eagerly, her little body bouncing with excitement.

    "Good girl. Pipi is the best!"

 Chapter 12 Mission

    Luis yed with Pipi for some time before calling out for Liam.

    "Young Master!" Hearing the call, Liam bowed to Luis and entered the room.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "These are some of the seeds and nts that I got. Send them to Ferterra Town for ntation." Luis pointed towards the pile of seeds lying on the floor.

    Liam nodded, observing the seeds with a hint of curiosity. They were unique seeds and nts that he had never seen in Hartmann Territory.

    "This time Pipi will follow you to the Ferterra Town," Luis said seriously. "I trust you''ll make sure she stays safe."

    Liam became serious and straightened his back. Pipi is the only fairy of the Hartmann family. Even the baron shows great importance to it. The safety of her is the utmost important.

    "Don''t worry, young master, I will arrange the official knights to safeguard her safety."

    Luis nodded with satisfaction and showed Pipi that was in his palm.

    "Remind them not to restrict her freedom. She cannot go outside the territory, but she can travel within safe parameters in the territory." Luis did as he promised and didn''t try topromise the freedom of Pipi.

    "You can start making the arrangements now."

    Liam bowed and walked out as the conversation ended. Luis watched the fading back of Liam.

    Liam is the perfect butler for him, following all hismands without questioning anything. Liam might look like an old man, but he is one of the strongest knights in the territory, being a 2nd stage knight.

    "Pipi, you will follow Liam to the Ferterra Town, ok?" Luis coaxed, "You will help me grow all of these nts that will make the Hartmann family stronger."

    The more Luis tried to talk, the more he felt like an evil being encouraging childbor.

    Pipi nodded excitedly; her wings fluttered. The thought of going on a new adventure made her eyes sparkle with joy.

    A few minutester, Liam returned with maids to collect the pile of nts and seeds.

    "Pipi, you can follow him," Luis instructed Pipi.

    "Liam, there is no need to follow me right now. I will not be walking out of the castle during this period," Luismanded. "You will follow Pipi. She is yful; I am afraid she might be lost and caught by bad people."

    Ferterra Town is the town near their Hartmann City. It is the most fertilend in their whole barony, and there is huge farnd in the town where almost all the people are farmers.

    He sent Pipi there so that she could bless some of the other crops in that ce and increase their growth period. There might be hidden enemies of Hartmann Barony who will attack Pipi. So, the presence of Liam is necessary.

    Liam and the maids gathered all the things and walked out alongside Pipi, who was flying around.

    ----

    The room returned to silence after everyone walked out.

    Luis took out the Later Stage of Turtle Martial Arts given to him by Cai Tian and began to read it.

    It had a detailed picture of all the human meridians and a method to increase the blood strength when inter stages to produce qi.

    Thete stage of the body training realm is affected by the first six realms of body training. The better the foundation, the stronger the blood bes after entering thete stage.

    In thiste stage, blood begins to be stronger, and the strengthened blood travels all around the body, in turn strengthening the body, creating a perfect cycle.

    Luis reading all this had a sense of deja vu. This just feels like the life seed of knights; the life seed is nourished by the knight breathing method, and in turn, the life seed strengthens the whole body.

    It might be a little different, but at the end, the final path is the same, where the body produces its own energy.

    "I don''t know what will happen when both aura and qi converge in a body," he murmured as he began walking towards his private training ground at the back of the castle.

    The wind rustled softly, shaking all the flowers in the area. The open sky above offered a sense of freedom, but his mind remained focused on the task ahead.

    He calmed himself down, and all the images of the turtle martial arts began to repeat in his mind.

    He has a strong memory; this might be due to his transmigration in his mother''s womb. He could remember him being a fetus, and it was not a pleasant experience.

    "I hope this works."

    He started to move in specific movements, the same as in the turtle martial arts book. This time he didn''t use the Eagle breathing method.

    He wanted to strengthen his own blood without using the breathing method or life seed.

    The ground banged as he stepped on it, moving his whole body. Within a few minutes, his body became coordinated and moved in a directed way.

    Sweat began to form in his eyebrows; his body felt lighter and connected with each step. In his senses, he could almost feel the blood racing through his veins, like a river gaining strength with each bend.

    After several minutes of practicing, his body began to heat off. The blood in his body felt alive, vibrating as it moved, strengthening the bones, muscles, and organs it touched.

    Luis paused and stood still on the training ground with his chest heaving. He could feel the power that was coursing through his body¡ªlike the life seed, but different.

    "This is great." His blood was greatly strengthened and moving throughout his body, slowly strengthening everything. But the most important improvement is his skin.

    The defense in it had greatly increased, like a turtle shell truly living up to the name of Turtle Martial Arts.

    ''What mutation might ur if I now try tobine life seed and the strengthened blood?''

    This was the right way to utilize the advantages of both worlds: sharing resources, power systems, and many more.

    He is weak now, but in the future, when he bes stronger, he can even try tobine the power system of immortal cultivators and gods.

    "Shit, think properly," Luis couldn''t help but shout to himself; just by gaining a new power, his ego inted, and he began to think about things that were not even verified.

    He needs to think properly about the present. How weak he is; otherwise, he will be like those arrogant young masters giving their heads to the protagonist.

 Chapter 13 Followers

    He slowly calmed himself down. This happens when the strength increases.

    This is the reason why some people who practice martial arts think they are high above others. Their egos inted, not being able to see the world with clear eyes.

    This cannot be med, human nature is like this. A mortal without any extraordinary power, if he tastes the feeling of staying in high position. He will start to look down on ordinary people.

    So, Luis calmed himself down. Only those people with strong will and a calm mentality can reach the top.

    "I hope these both can bebined perfectly."

    He began taking coordinated breaths. It was the breathing method that would awaken and nourish the life seed. The better the breathing method, the higher foundation one will have.

    He used Eagle Breathing, which is a medium-level breathing method among all the breathing methods in the kingdom.

    Along with the breathing, he began moving his body awkwardly. At the beginning, it was difficult to coordinate martial arts training and knight training. The brain would say follow, but the body won''t just do it.

    After several minutes, he got a hang of it and slowly practiced both simultaneously. At first, both life seed and strengthened blood were working at their own pace, both strengthening the body.

    Then suddenly a change urred, if you see inside his body. A green light was floating in the center of his heart. A faint light was spreading and illuminating the blood. The blood from the heart was then transported all around the body.

    This was slowly changing the attributes of the body, but Luis felt violent changes. He could feel the blood travel everywhere, it felt both cool and hot.

    The defense of his body was very strong now, but the important thing was his calm mind.

    "This really ispatible. My thoughts were not distorted," he murmured as steam came out of his mouth.

    "Now if I fight Cai Tian again, I can defeat him within 5 moves."

    He began running around on the training ground with full strength for 10 minutes. He didn''t feel tired at all. His body was still full of energy.

    It seemed that the life seed mutated in his body, providing strength directly to the blood.

    "I will definitely be strong, but I''ll make sure my family grows stronger with me. I don''t want to reach the peak and be lonely with no one behind me."

    He has already felt now that he will enter 1st level knight within 5 days.

    ----

    After finishing his practice, he began making his way towards the parade ground. It is already midday, and there should be a lot fewer people in there right now.

    Arriving at the parade ground, he spotted a dozen young men practicing. Their body was full of sweat.

    "Fortunately, I didn''t choose the wrong people," Luis murmured to himself, observing all the familiar faces in the parade ground.

    The dozen young men practicing here were his cousins and sons of family knights. If you are a knight of Hartmann Barony and you have a son, the Hartmann family will train them till the age of 18. If they can awaken life seed before the age of 18, they will be trained properly with better resources.

    In the parade ground, there was Arthur, his cousin, the son of Oliver, along with the other 11 people who were the sons of Family Knight.

    They were around the age of 15¨C17. Luis had other followers too, but they already crossed the age of 18 and were sent to the surrounding ten towns to act as militiamen. If they awaken the life seed in the future, they can be again taken in as family knights.

    Luis will help them to awaken life seedster. The criteria for bing his close follower are obedience and great preservation. There are not many people with these attributes that Luis can cultivate.

    "Hey Luis, where have you been these days?" Arthur shouted, looking in the direction of Louis.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Others also straightened their chests after knowing that Luis arrived today.

    "Follow me everyone," Luis, who just arrived in parade grounds, walked out again.

    "What?" Arthur became confused at all of this, but he followed Luis obediently.

    The others, also confused, started following Luis, who was heading outside.

    "Do you know where we are going?"

    "Just shut up and follow. How would I know?"

    "It must be something good, look around, we are all the followers of the young master."

    "No, we cannot be said to be true followers. We have not recited the oath yet."

    "Once you say the oath, you cannot betray the young master even if you want to."

    "What nonsense are you guys talking about? Are you trying to be rebellious? Do you want to betray?"

    "No, I would never betray young master."

    "Me too"

    "..."

    Luis, who was walking forward, heard all the murmurs of these people following him. Oath is a special power in this world. When spoken out, it forms a special restriction on the body. It is said that the contract and oath are the specialws controlled by the God of Contract.

    In this continent there are legends of gods, but it has been tens of thousands of years since a god miracle has appeared in thisnd.

    The temples and churches, which used to be high and mighty, were torn down by the nobles, regaining full control of theirnd. Even if all of these churches were destroyed, there was no interference from God.

    Now what remained were the contracts, oaths, and other things that make people not forget about gods.

    There are also secret cults on this continent that conduct rituals and sacrifice a lot of people, hoping it will awaken god and bless them with divine might. But it has not been sessful till now.

    The powers that live on this huge continent are many races, which have divided their ownnds.

    Orcs ruled the North, Humans dominated the East, and Elves flourished in the West. However, only in the south there is no clear dominant race, so it is called thend of ughter, where a lot of bodies are buried every day. The most ughtered being goblins.

 Chapter 14 Apprentice Knight

    With all these thoughts swirling in his mind, he reached towards the private bath in Hartmann City.

    The bathhouse wasrge, with a massive pool filled with hot water. But that wasn''t what he was looking for. He passed by the pool and headed toward a series of private rooms, each with its own bathtub.

    He walked inside each room and dropped a packet of Body Training powder. He walked out and entered another private room repeating this process 11 times.

    Once he was done, he returned to the group waiting outside.

    "How many of you feel that you can awaken their life seed very soon"

    Two people raised their hands hearing this, one was Arthur and another was son of family knight. Arthur was almost 16 and the other young man was at the age of 17.

    "You two i have dropped a new medicine in the tub, enter in it" Luis said "Remember to run the knight breathing while absorbing the medicine"

    All the young men present were confused, what medicine?

    For increasing their strength don''t they just drink life potion. What kind of new medicine is it that they need to absorb it through their body.

    Although everyone was confused, Arthur had the most firm belief in Luis so he entered without any dy, the other boy also entered right after.

    ----

    It has been 5 minutes since Arthur entered the private room and others were eyeing each other silently. A few whispered amongst themselves.

    "What if it really works?"

    "Yeah,"

    "If they can awaken their life seed..."

    "HAHAHAHA" Suddenly a heartyughter was heard from the room beside Arthur.

    ''It seems the Body Training Powder has worked'' Luis nodded with satisfaction hearing theughter.

    The private room slowly opened and the young man walked out with a huge smile.

    "Thud!"

    With a thud, he kneeled down Infront of Luisn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "I, Ruben will follow Luis Hartmann till myst breath. This is my true oath"

    As Ruben Dered his Oath, the surrounding air began to blow faster.

    Luis felt a new connection form between him and Ruben, almost like a thread of energy that stretched out between them.

    Suddenly, a change urred within him, he saw a small thread made out of energy travelling through the void.

    ''Is this going toward the god of contract'' The thought came to his mind but was immediately vanished.

    A small invisible shield formed around his body, the thread which was about to enter the void had no where to go. The shield was formed by the special vortex in his body and then the thread was pulled and connected to the vortex.

    Luis felt a rush of new memory injected in his mind. He quickly began to process this memory and couldn''t help but be excited.

    The vortex has new ability now. He can take other people to the cultivation world but It is only applicable to those who have taken a oath. The oath will now bypass the contract god, but will be marked directly in the vortex.

    ''At least I don''t have to deal with the unknown gods at this early stage,''

    "You may rise. How do you feel"

    "Young master, It was amazing. When i entered the tub my body started absorbing the green liquid, i followed your instruction and used knight breathing technique" Ruben said excitedly "then... a miracle happened! The life seed began to form in my body, with me eventually breaking through the realm of apprentice knight"

    Ruben was really grateful for Luis helping him. He would reach age of 18 in just 40 days from today, if he couldn''t awaken the life seed, he would have work as militiamen in the surrounding towns like his predecessors.

    Luis nodded satisfied. But all the other 10 were very shocked hearing Ruben, young master really has such a strong magic medicine.

    "Hey, Do you think we''ll get to use the medicine too?"

    "Yes, we definitely can share this medicine, but we must follow young master with heart from now on like Ruben"

    They began whispering slowly happily.

    Just then another door opened, Arthur walked out of the room with a big smile. He also kneeled down towards Luis without any hesitation.

    "I, Arthur Hartmann will follow Luis Hartmann till myst breath. This is my true oath" The surrounding air again began to blow fast after Arthur told his oath.

    Luis felt yet another second small connection forming between him and Arthur. The thread was connected to the vortex.

    ording to Arthur spection, it would take him more than 15 days to awaken his life seed but it only took him less than 5 minutes by using this medicine.

    He looked at Arthur with a new light. It seemed that his cousin had his own secret, but this is not bad. The Hartmann family had many secrets of their own which outsiders didn''t know.

    "Good. The rest of you can enter the private rooms now. I''ve prepared enough medicine for everyone."

    Everyone cheered when Luis said this and they hurried into the private bathrooms.

    "You can get up now Arthur" he instructed gently, his cousin is really good and can be his right hand man in the future.

    Arthur stood up with his faces full of question, but he didn''t ask anything knowing what to talk and what not to.

    "Your emotions really show all over your body, don''t worry i will tell you everything slowly"

    Luis teased Arthur. Previously pipi could be hidden inside his body so she could be taken with him but humans couldn''t be sent. Now with the oath connection, he can open a stable vortex that only he and his connected people can see.

    If others watch they wont see the vortex but will just see him disappearing out of thin air.

    Arthur grinned as Luis pointed him out, he really cannot hide his emotions. But this is only Infront of his close family members, to others he will appear very cold. He has to maintain the dignity of his family and father.

 Chapter 15 Martial Arts

    "Did anything happen these two days while I was not here?"

    While waiting for others toe out, Luis questioned Arthur.

    "No, not much happened. A knight squad found a small iron mine while patrolling the barony."

    "A small iron mine? That''s great! The family''s ie will increase a little now."

    Luis smiled. The barony is located in northern wastnd. Thend here is full of wilderness, with a lot of opportunity and danger coexisting.

    In this northern wilderness, there are some tribes of orcs deeper into the forests. This is totally an undevelopednd that the kingdom wants to develop for the past 120 years.

    "Any enemies near the border?"

    "Haha, you''re always so cautious. In this wilderness, who doesn''t know the reputation of ck cavalry?" Arthurughed and said with pride

    "Enemies are afraid of us. Everyone knows the reputation of the Hartmann family. As long as we breathe, we attack."

    Luis rxed a little hearing this. Since he transmigrated into this world. The Hartmann family has been an umbre for him. Any attempts from enemies to invade had been crushed before they could even step foot in the territory.

    He then turned to Ruben and began talking, learning about all the things that happened in the territory.

    As they talked, a few minutes passed, and everyone who entered inside the private room began to walk out.

    Those who walked out began to recite the oath, kneeling towards Luis and more connection began to form in his vortex.

    ''Now with the help of these people, I can start my own conquest in the cultivation world.''

    Looking at the kneeling people, he couldn''t help but be proud.

    After a few more minutes, everyone gathered together. Among the 10 people who got outter, 2 more broke through to the realm of apprentice knight, and others were also close to awakening the life seed.

    Luis has arranged the realms between two worlds for easy remembrance. Apprentice Knight is equal to thete stage of body training. 1st level knight is equal to innate masters. Further, he needs more information and doesn''t know about anything.

    Looking at the determined faces of his group, Luis nodded with satisfaction.

    "Everyone, now it is time for next thing," Luis shouted, stopping the excited murmur of everyone. "Follow me."

    With that said, everyone followed Luis. Arthur jogged forward to walk beside him.

    "Luis, where is Pipi? Why don''t I see her?"

    "She is in Ferterra Town with Liam. She is nting the herbs that are used to make the medicine you just used."

    Arthur hearing this nodded thoughtfully.

    "Is this medicine made by our pharmacist?"

    "Not yet, but they will soon learn it. Then this medicine will soon be supplied to everyone."

    Finally hearing what he wanted, Arthur became excited. He ran back towards everyone in the back to share the news.

    Everyone began cheering loudly as Arthur shared the news, their steps bing quick. Now, with this medicine, there will be a lot more knights in the family, and no one can stop the Hartmann family from bing stronger.

    Their excitement was so loud that people on the streets began to nce their way. But seeing that it was a Hartmann Family knight, they simply smiled and returned to their business.

    The Hartmann Baron had always been seen as protectors. The Hartmann family is their protectors. Almost all the people in thisnd were previously ves.

    They were bought by Luis''s grandfather and father and brought to thisnd. ording to usual rules, once you be a ve, it will be the same for your whole lifetime, and even your children will be ves.

    However, In Hartmann Baron this rule is not followed. If you work hard enough and dedicate yourself to the barony, you can redeem yourself and be a free citizen of Hartmann.

    This move has won the hearts of all people in Hartmann Barony, and they work with genuine dedication for the Hartmann family.

    After dozens of minutes of walking rapidly, Luis and the group finally reached the private ground.

    "Everyone, listen carefully now," Luis expression became serious.

    "I am going to teach you something totally different from knight breathing. It is something that can be practiced alongside the knight breathing, and it will increase your potential greatly."

    Luis shouted, making the atmosphere exciting.

    "Are you ready to learn it?"

    "yes" x12

    "I can''t hear you! Did you not eat properly? Louder!"

    "YES" x12

    Everyone was really excited hearing Luis. They couldn''t wait to practice this new thing, which could increase their potential.

    Luis grinned and threw a book towards Arthur. Arthur caught it and began looking inside. There was something written in unknownnguage with a picture of the body with thin lines drawn in it. The body was moving in different postures.

    "Luis, what''s this? What does it say?" Arthur asked, scratching his head in confusion.

    Luis face froze when he heard this. He hadn''t really considered this. He knows thenguage of the cultivation world due to the memory provided by Vortex when traveling for the first time. It seems they needed to be taken to another world for the understanding ofnguage.

    "Don''t worry about it," Luis said with a serious face. He will not say to others that it was his silly mistake.

    "I will demonstrate it to you. You all will watch and follow me."

    Everyone nodded hearing this. Although they were confused, they couldn''t wait to see and practice the new thing.

    "What I am going to teach you is called martial arts. It''s a practice that develops the body using blood to eventually produce something called qi. This is different from the life seed we cultivate, which produces aura."

    Luis began demonstrating the movement as he moved his body in different postures, exining everything slowly.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Luis finished one set of practice and looked at everyone. As expected, their expression was full of confusion. They were born in a western fantasy world with no concept of foreign martial arts or anything and hearing this for the first time. Itpletely went over their heads.

 Chapter 16 Protection

    Luis kept repeating the movements of turtle martial arts slowly. His body moved with a precise bnce of softness and rigidity, each motion flowing naturally from one to the next.

    The others also repeated after Luis awkwardly at first, but as time passed, they slowly became proficient. When you be stronger, you gain strong control over your body, and movements can be imitated perfectly.

    After a while, everyone was nearly perfect in their movements, mimicking Luis exactly. Luis watched all this with satisfaction, but as time passed, he felt something was wrong.

    They were practicing, but Luis couldn''t feel any kind of little improvement from them.

    ''They''re doing everything right. What''s wrong?'' Luis paced back and forth, observing everyone closely.

    ''Let them practice for some more time. Maybe it will work that way.''

    20 minutes passed, and everyone was tired following the movement, which contained softness and rigidity. Especially those who have not awakened their life seed, their bodies were covered in sweat.

    But they didn''t stop and gritted their teeth following the taught movement. Everyone here is a follower of Luis. They may not have great talent, but they are hardworking and made up for it with sheer hard work and perseverance. Otherwise, they would not stay in parade grounds to practice the whole day.

    "Everyone, stop. That''s enough for today."

    Luismanded his voice, cutting through the ragged breathing of everyone. The martial arts practice didn''t work for them.

    "You all can disperse now;e to me after 3 days for another dose of medicine. Practice the movement I have taught you every day; when I check next time, I expect it to be more perfect."

    Everyone nodded after hearing Luis. They didn''t feel weird that their strength didn''t increase; they had to practice the breathing method for months or years before breaking through to the apprentice knight.

    They began leaving in groups, murmuring with each other. Their morale was very high, as now they can bathe in medicine twice a week.

    Luis watched them go away in silence and was lost in thought. Despite their good morale, Luis couldn''t shake the sense of confusion.

    ''Why didn''t the martial arts work on them? Their bodies are strong. Why isn''t there any reaction?''

    Some spection began to form in his mind: why did he practice the martial arts quickly and they didn''t even get started?

    ''Is it because of world ipatibility?''

    The idea struck him suddenly. He immediately turned his vision toward the vortex in his sea of consciousness.

    He looked at the vortex, and it was glowing with dim light. Then, without any warning, new memories began to be injected in his mind.

    "Ugh, can''t it give all the memories at once?"

    He frustratingly began to organize the memory that was injected in his mind.

    It turns out that even though both fantasy and cultivation worlds had humans. There is also a difference between humans from different worlds.

    Humans of the cultivation world cannot form their own life seed even if they practice knight breathing, and humans of the fantasy world don''t have the meridians and spiritual roots to practice martial arts and immortal cultivation.

    This vortex, however, works as a bridge, making the humans who have traveled through it have the qualification to practice the power system of two worlds.

    ''This is good'' After absorbing all the memories, he nodded with understanding.

    "This can work as a form of protection too," Luis murmured with his mind imagining all kinds of things.

    "Now only those who I want can practice the power systems of both worlds. Even if cultivation techniques are leaked, they will be useless."

    Luis smiled, previously, he hadn''t really thought about the difference between humans of different worlds. He then withdrew his vision from his sea of consciousness.

    Luis looked around, and he was alone in the training ground. He started his own training for the day.

    He can feel it now. At most 2-3 days he can break through the realm of a 1st-level knight. Previously, the spection of 10 days was thrown into the trash. He just wants to focus on breaking through to Official Knight now without any other kind of disturbance.

    ------

    3 Days Later

    Luis woke up early from his bed. On this day, he became fresh and went to the training ground as usual.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Today he could feel his body full of energy as if something was about to grow out of it.

    These past 3 days, he could feel his aura getting more amplified. He could feel his life seed about to grow further and his blood boiling as if something was also growing from it.

    These two things were not conflicting in his body but were slowly growing and merging with each other.

    He began his practice for the day, simultaneously practicing both the martial arts and knight breathing. With each set hepleted, he could feel the energy within him grow.

    After half an hour, both the energy in him grew so much that the life seed and strengthened blood began to connect together.

    The aura of the official knights and the qi of innate masters began to produce in his body. After forming, they began to spread all around the body.

    After forming, theybined with each other. A virtual life seed again appeared in the center of the heart, releasing the aura in blood that was forming qi.

    Thebination of qi and aura in Luis body created a unique force, which was much stronger and more abundant than both energies.

    Luis felt an extremely hot feeling spreading throughout the body. Sweat began dripping down his face.

    Luis gritted his teeth but didn''t stop practicing. His thoughts were in a mess, but he didn''t dare to stop his breathing and movements.

    Time passed by every second.

    Due to extreme energy in his body, he passed out without knowing anything. He didn''t know how long it took and didn''t know how long hested.

    In the training ground, Luis slowly opened his eyes.

    When he opened his eyes, it was evening. He had no idea how long he had been out, but the moment he woke, everything felt different. He could clearly see the tiny dust particles in the air and could also hear the chirping of insects far away, which he had never heard before.

    At this moment, the whole world changed. No, not the whole world, but his perception of the whole world has undergone a drastic change.

    His five senses have been unprecedentedly enhanced. Even his body has greatly changed.

 Chapter 17 Official Knight

    Luis began to observe the changes that had urred to his body. Concentrating harder, he felt the aura that was produced in his body.

    No, it couldn''t be said aura anymore. It was mixed andbined with the qi of the innate realm. There was a newbined energy formed in his body.

    The qi and aura produced in his body have fullybined perfectly, forming a new kind of vortex of energy within his body.

    ''Well, this is a unique energy, so I will just call it Vortex Qi.''

    He then tried to attach the vortex Qi in his body. It could be used for attack and defense, nothing much special. It couldn''t be thrown out; you need to at least be a 2nd level Official Knight before you can throw Aura from the body.

    As time passed, he slowly began to familiarize himself with and experiment with this force. He has seen in the family record that there is not much aura storage in 1st level Official Knight, and it will be exhausted quickly if used for a long time continuously.

    But this was not the case for him; he has been using the vortex qi for almost half an hour, but there was no sign of exhaustion.

    ''Thebination of qi and aura has increased my energy storage. And... my lifespan is now 150 years,'' he thought, a smile tugging at his lips.

    The strength increase is not the most important; the most important thing for a 1st level knight is lifespan. 1st level knights have a lifespan of 150 years.

    When you reach 4th level knight, your lifespan can be increased to 300 years old.

    Satisfied with his progress, he ended his practice.

    "It is time for others to use the body training powder now."

    He made his way to the room and took all the packets of Body Training Powder. He then approached towards the parade ground.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    A few more minutester, he reached the parade crowd. There Arthur and others were training the movements of Turtle Martial Arts.

    "Look there, young master has arrived."

    "Today, I will awaken my life seed."

    "Really, I still need a few more doses of those medicines."

    "That Devon is showing off daily after awakening the life seed; today I will awaken too and make him shut up."

    "You Dare!"

    "Shut up, young master will hear us."

    "..."

    Luis five senses were very enhanced, and he really could hear all the chatter.

    "Everyone, follow me! Today is an important day. Don''t waste time."

    Luis didn''t enter the parade ground. He shouted from afar and made his way to the private bath in the city. The group also stopped chattering and followed Luis with anticipation.

    The process was the same as before; everyone entered inside the tub to absorb the medicine. After dozens of minutes, everyone walked out of the private baths.

    There were 3 more apprentice knights among his group.

    Now, Luis had seven apprentice knights under hismand. ording to his conversion, he currently has 7te-stage body-training warriors and 5 mid-stage body-training warriors.

    ''This should be enough to deal with the Anyu Gang,'' Luis thought with satisfaction.

    ----

    Later, Luis gathered his men in his room. Luis nned to bring these 12 followers to the cultivation world. There they could learn thenguage, practice martial arts, and be his sharpest spear.

    "Ok, wear this for hiding your identity." He gave each of them a robe that he had prepared.

    "Now, don''t be shocked by what happens next."

    Luis spoke after everyone wore the robe, fully covering their body and not showing any skin.

    Everyone nodded their heads with understanding.

    Luis nodded too, and behind him a vortex began to appear, the size of the door. Seeing this, Arthur and others backed away with hands rested in the sword, unsure of what they were witnessing.

    "This is a vortex; follow me; you will understand everything," Luis said calmly, stepping inside without any hesitation.

    "Is this portal?"

    "How would I know? Let''s follow quickly. You ask me everything."

    "I''ve read in history books that only a 7th-level wizard can create a portal."

    "You guys don''t waste time. Quickly follow the young master."

    Being reminded, they quickly walked into the portal one by one. After everyone walked inside the portal, it vanished as if it were never there.

    -----

    Cultivation World

    The group of 12 were clutching their heads after passing through the vortex. They were injected with a new memory of themonnguage of this world.

    A few momentster, they stood up and stared at him with shocked eyes. Even though they were wearing the robe, Louis could feel how shocked they were.

    "You can ask me any question?" Looking at them, Luis decided to answer their question.

    "Luis, is this a whole new world?"

    "Young Master, where is this?"

    "Young Master, did we just use a portal created by a 7th-level wizard?"

    "Idiot, how could there be anyone above 6th level on this continent?"

    "Young Master, is the martial arts you gave us from this world?"

    "I know a newnguage that I have never seen before."

    "me too"

    "..."

    Luis watched all of them who were talking and questioning in a hurry. He couldn''t help but shake his head, looking at them.

    "Don''t be excited; keep yourposure." Everyone stopped questioning after Luismand.

    "You guys are still immature; you should keep yourposure and observe the situation clearly."

    "This is a whole new world, where there are martial arts masters and immortal cultivators."

    "As for how I got this vortex, this cannot be told."

    Everyone nodded, but they were still very shocked. They traveled to a whole new, different world.

    Luis slowly exined the situation of the world as they walked out of the alley.

    "This is Anyu Town, ording to the past few days I have spent here. There are only 2 people with the strength of an innate master, which is a 1st level official knight."

    They began to slowly explore the town; all 12 young men were very shocked. This was totally culture from their barony. People here practiced martial arts. Here, power was divided among various families, gangs, and martial halls.

    In the Hartmann Barony, every single military force is controlled by the Hartmann Family.

 Chapter 18 Kill

    Anyu Gang Stronghold

    Xiao Wei has been waiting for the past 3 days for Luis to arrive. After returning to the gang, he was punished severely. He was handed to Dwarf Squad leader for torture.

    Xiao Wei was beaten by the Dwarf Squad leader. This dwarf is very short, shorter than his waist, and has a very bad temper. He would kill this dwarf, but he is only at 2nd stage body training, and the dwarf is in the 4th stage body training realm.

    He was hoping that the mysterious man woulde and save him, but no matter how much he waited, that man didn''te to save him.

    Today, Dwarf again walked towards him, intending to torture and beat him.

    ''I really trusted the wrong person.'' Xiao Wei couldn''t help but sigh with disappointment.

    "Kid, you couldn''t even keep track of the murderer. I''ll make your life worse than hell." The dwarf sneered with a smile full of malice.

    Dwarf''s original name is Man Ton. Since childhood, he had a strong body, and he was a genius in martial arts. But, when he was 8 years old, defects began to appear in his body. His height stopped growing, and he was bullied by everyone around him.

    Due to the bullying, he developed an inferiorplex and twisted mentality. He still practiced martial arts despite being bullied and finally broke through the realm of 4th stage body-training warrior at the age of 35.

    He became stronger than his bullies. He tortured and killed them ruthlessly. Since then, he began to enjoy torturing and killing others.

    In the Anyu Gang, he was like a tiger with wings. He could torture and kill anyone he wants. These few days he has been torturing this kid, but this kid was hard nut to crack no matter how much he tortured. There was no sound of begging for mercy.

    He was enjoying this more and more. He enjoyed breaking people like Xiao Wei, who thought they were tough.

    Just as the dwarf raised his fist to strike again, the door burst open. A gang member ran in, breathless and panicked.

    "Squad leader! There''s trouble¡ªsomeone''s causing a massacre!"

    Man Ton turned around with fury in his eyes.

    "Who Dares?" He stared at the informant with bloodthirsty eyes.

    "Its... In the gambling house in our area, a dozen guys with ck robes appeared and began massacring all the members."

    Man Ton''s face twisted with rage. Without another word, he stormed out, not even bothering to hear the rest of the report.

    "Boss, everyone is already dead." The informant shouted, but Man Ton had already run far away to hear it.

    Man Ton was really furious. Gambling House was the major ie source for Anyu Gang. Everything has been bad these days. Someone killed the members of Anyu Gang naked, making the joke of Anyu Gang.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Now, even the gambling house in his area was attacked. His irrational mind became more and more angry, so much that he couldn''t think properly.

    He reached the gambling house quickly, but all he saw was fleeing people and the dead bodies of the gang members. He searched everywhere but couldn''t find any of those dozen guys.

    -----

    Dozens of minutes earlier

    Luis and his group were wandering around the market, observing the bustling streets. As they passed the Anyu Gang''s gambling house, amotion caught their attention.

    "No, no, I cannot lose." A man was shouting after being thrown out of the gambling house by the guards.

    "How could I lose? I need that money to buy my daughter back!" He began crying out loud, trying to gain sympathy.

    Luis eyes became cold when he saw this. He recognized the man. It was the same old father who sold his daughter to the thugs.

    Now, he was crying out loud after losing the money in the gambling house.

    "There''s always people like him, gambling away their lives."

    "Son, promise me you won''t ever gamble in life."

    "yes, mom"

    "People really think gambling is the way to be rich; how could those gambling houses controlled by Anyu Gang let you earn money?"

    "Old Man Wu took his own life after losing everything yesterday."

    "..."

    Watching the guy cry, a group of people gathered and began murmuring with each other.

    Luis heard all of this and learned that this gambling house was controlled by Anyu Gang.

    "Go kill that man," Luismanded to his group sharply.

    Devon, without any disobedience, rushed toward the man sheathing his sword. He reached in front of the man and separated the head from the body without any mercy. Blood spattered the ground as the crowd gasped in horror.

    The people who were discussing in group turned pale in fear seeing this.

    "Run!"

    They shouted and ran in different directions; this was the territory of Anyu Gang. This ck-robed guy dared to kill in broad daylight.

    Devon, after killing the man, swiftly returned towards the group.

    "Ah, you are fast. I wanted to rush forward."

    "Yeah, I was ready to step in too."

    After Devon returned to the group, he was met with envy from the group. Devon might be in the focus of Young Master and can get more opportunities.

    The guards who were outside the gambling house saw this and became furious. Who would dare to disregard the rules and kill people outside their Anyu Gang Gambling House?

    "Does everyone think they can step on our Anyu Gang these days?"

    "Let''s catch him and send him to the squad leader."

    "Yeah, let''s go."

    Dozens of gangsters gathered and rushed in front of Luis with weapons to catch Devon.

    "You ck-robed people. Hand over the murderer now! Don''t you know the rules? No killing near the gambling house!"

    "Don''t try to mess with our Anyu Gang."

    Luis watched all this coldly and turned towards his followers.

    "Do I need to tell you what to do in this situation? Leave no one alive."

    The dozen men this time all rushed forward quickly to kill. The knights of the Hartmann are the strongest battle knights in the Northern Wastnd.

    Their preys are the Orcs, who are deeper into the Northern Wastnd, and the Undead, who roam the wastnd. So, they are ideologically trained from childhood to not show any mercy toward the enemy.

    Since they have already recited their oath to Luis, they will follow everymand of Luis. Even if themand is for them to die.

 Chapter 19 Slaughter

    They quickly rushed towards the group and began their ughter.

    They unsheathed their sword and didn''t show any mercy as they killed all the guards in a matter of seconds.

    The guards couldn''t even shout a word before they were killed. All they had were eyes full of shock looking towards the ck-robed group before dying.

    Luis stood coldly as he observed the scene, watching thest few gang members fall.

    "Go inside. Leave no member of Anyu Gang Alive," Luismanded as he walked into the gambling house.

    The others also quickly followed and went inside the gambling house, continuing their ughter.

    Luis watched all this with cold eyes. In his hand was a member of the Anyu Gang. The man couldn''t do anything but see all his teammates getting ughtered.

    He was trembling with fear, thinking it would be his turn next.

    Arthur and others ughtered every member of Anyu Gang, leaving only the gamblers, who were given a chance to escape.

    Arthur approached Luis with fury and pointed towards one of the walls.

    "Boss, look at that."

    Luis turned to see in the pointed direction. There was his portrait with a knife inserted in the middle of the face.

    All the others saw this and were filled with anger.

    "This Anyu gang deserves to be destroyed." Arthur said as he took out the knife inserted in Luis Portrait.

    "How dare they disrespect boss?"

    "..."

    They were very angry at the Anyu Gang. Previously, they only followed themand of Luis. Now that Anyu Gang disrespected their young master, they have a genuine reason to destroy it.

    Luis watched silently as they called him boss. He had previously instructed them to call him boss in this world.

    The man alive was trembling in his hand; it turned out that the man who caught him is the same person who killed everyone naked.

    "Sir, please spare my life. I swear, I''ll never do anything wrong again!"

    As the man begged for mercy, Arthur and others stopped talking. They stared at the begging man.

    "Don''t worry. You won''t die if you''re useful." Luis released the man and reassured him.

    "Thank you, sir! Thank you!" The man trembled and stood up, his voice full of gratitude.

    "Tell me everything you know about the Anyu Gang. I want the locations of all their strongholds."

    The man nodded. Without hesitation, he began to spill everything about Anyu Gang. He betrayed the organization without any second thoughts.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It turns out that there are 8 small strongholds of the Anyu gang around the city, with a mid-stage body-training warrior in charge.

    There are also 2te-stage body-training warriors. The strongest in the realm of 8th-stage body-training warriors.

    "The nearest stronghold is only five minutes away, sir."

    The man added, hoping to further curry favor with Luis.

    "And where''s the money stored in this gambling house?" Luis then asked with his eyes narrowed.

    "Sir, they are in the Treasury. It''s deeper inside the house."

    Luis nodded and, without further dy, led the group to the Treasury. Inside there were a lot of bronze and silver coins, with silver coins being the least.

    He sent the man outside to wait. With a simple wave of his hand, he opened the vortex, sending all these coins into his room. He walked out of the Treasury calmly, as if nothing had happened.

    "Now, go to the nearest stronghold and inform them that a group of ck-robed people are ughtering everyone in the gambling house."

    The man trembled when he heard this¡ªwhat if he was killed by the irrational Dwarf Squad leader?

    "Don''t worry, we will follow you and secretly protect you," Luis reassured as he saw the worry in the man''s face.

    The man was relieved when he heard this. He was ready to be an informant and spread information to that dwarf.

    This was how the previous scene was staged, with Man Ton rushing towards the gambling house, leaving behind the stronghold unguarded.

    -----

    The man was relieved when the Dwarf squad leader didn''t kill him and directly rushed towards the gambling house.

    He was smiling as he thought he would live. But suddenly his vision shifted, and he saw his body opposite him without any head.

    His thought slowed down as his head crashed to his floor. In his final moment, he realized that he didn''t really have any chance to survive. Everything they told was a lie.

    Xiao Wei was watching all of this¡ªthe man being killed by a ck-robed person with a sword. His face was expressionless, with no emotion shown in it.

    ''Everything is going wrong for me." Xiao Wei thought as the ck-robed man approached him with the other 12 also appearing in sight.

    ''Well, a death would be more deserving for me. At least I don''t have to survive with guilt every day.

    As the ck-robed figure approached, Xiao Wei closed his eyes, ready to ept his fate. He had lived with guilt for too long. At least death would bring him peace.

    But instead of a killing blow, the figure stopped in front of him and pulled back his hood.

    "I didn''t expect to see you in this situation, Xiao Wei." Luis shook his head and untied the rope of Xiao Wei.

    This is an intelligent kid who can be taken under hismand. It would be waste if he died.

    "Sir, you arrived a littlete; I was almost killed by that dwarf." Xiao Wei, after hearing the voice, recognized Luis and opened his eyes.

    He then observed the other 12 robed men and looked back at Luis as if asking who they were.

    "Everyone, this is Xiao Wei. I have taken him under mymand," Luis smirked as he said this.

    The 12 nodded without any questioning. But Xiao Wei was confused. When did he enter themand of this sir?

    "Sir, I don''t even know your name." Xiao Wei leaned closer and slowly whispered

    "My name is Han Long. Just call me ''boss.''"

    "Yes, boss," Xiao Wei quickly repeated, falling into his new role.

    "Go, leave no one alive here." Luis then turned to the knight group andmanded.

    The 12 ck-robed men''s quickly disappeared into the stronghold, ready to begin their hunt.

    "They are my followers," Luis exined. "Their identities don''t matter when they''re under the robe."

    Xiao Wei nodded as he stared at the ce where the 12 ck robe people disappeared.

 Chapter 20 Masochist

    "Boss, are you really going to destroy the Anyu Gang?" Xiao Wei asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

    Luis simply nodded without giving any further exnation.

    "Boss, I''ve heard rumors. The Anyu Gang might have the backing of one of the major families in the town."

    "Do you know which family?" Luisquestioned after hearing there was someone behind Anyu Gang.

    ''It seems this is that kind of cliche plot that I read in novels.

    "I don''t know Boss. I overheard the dwarf talking about it, but he didn''t mention any names."

    As they talked, the sounds of screams echoed around the base. After a few more minutes, the screams stopped.

    Arthur and the others arrived swiftly, standing behind Luis, awaiting the next order.

    "Everyone stay hidden for now. John, you are the weakest among us all. You haven''t awakened your life seed yet. You alone will capture the dwarf. Don''t overdo it. Keep him alive."

    -----

    Man Ton, the dwarf squad leader, returned angrily after he didn''t find anyone in the gambling house. All the treasure was also stolen cleanly, not leaving any valuables behind.

    As he neared the stronghold, the thick scent of blood hit him. He was very familiar with this, as he kills people daily.

    "Who dares attack my stronghold?" He growled, his mind filled with pure anger. Without hesitation, he rushed inside only to see the dead bodies of his followers.

    "AHHH! You will all pay for this!"

    Man Ton screamed, his anger uncontroble. He sprinted from room to room, desperately searching for anyone to fight, but the stronghold was eerily empty.

    He rushed towards the room where Xiao Wei was captured. He didn''t find Xiao Wei here but saw the ropes on the floor that were cut.

    "That kid escaped..." He kneeled to the ground and examined the rope. "It must be his men."

    Suddenly, a whirling sound cut through the air.

    "BANG!"

    Man Ton''s small build narrowly escaped the attack. He turned, his eyes burning with rage, and spotted John standing across from him, sword in hand.

    "You were the one who ughtered my followers." Man Ton angrily rushed towards John.

    John didn''t reply to the dwarf and blocked the attack.

    He started attacking the dwarf with precise attacks. This dwarf, however, due to his small height, could dodge and attack from tricky angles.

    "Stay still, you dwarf!"

    "AHHHH, DONT CALL ME A DWARF."

    Man Ton shouted with pure rage when he was called a dwarf. The mention of his height was his greatest trigger. He couldn''t think anything except killing the guy in front of him now.

    John smiled secretly when he saw this. His n worked; now it will be much easier to capture the dwarf alive.

    Man Ton jumped towards the face of John without organizing any defense. John took this opportunity and punched in the head of Man Ton.

    He didn''t use his sword because the young master order was to capture the dwarf alive. If the dwarf identally died, he couldn''t forgive himself.

    He wrapped his hand around the cor of the dwarf, smashing his body towards the ground. This guy really has rough skin. Only after smashing more dozens of times into the floor did he stop struggling and faint.

    "It''s done"

    John then wrapped the dwarf body with the rope that was on the floor.

    After John captured the dwarf, everyone walked out of their hidden ce.

    "This martial arts technique is really something."

    "Yeah, but I think our life seed method is better. Didn''t you see John had the upper hand the entire time?"

    "Haha, he just made the dwarf angry and took advantage of it."

    "Come on, if it were me, I''d have finished him in two moves."

    "Pffft, you are one of the weakest of us all."

    "...."

    Everyone surrounded John and began talking amongst each other.

    ''Why do these guys narrate everything, like theckey of viins in novels?'' These kinds of things he had read in novels. He shook his head and put this thought behind his mind.

    Luis walked in front of the dwarf and kicked him in the ribs. Despite, kicking the dwarf only stirred a little and didn''t wake up.

    "Dwarf, I know you''re not unconscious. Wake Up"

    "STOP. Don''t call me a dwarf."

    "Dwarf," Luis repeated with a smirk.

    "You...."

    Everyoneughed looking at Man Ton, who was so angry that his face turned red.

    "Tell me which family is behind the Anyu Gang." Luis was questioned as his tone became serious.

    "I won''t tell you anything."

    Luis kicked the dwarf in the stomach.

    "My patience is limited; don''t try to test it," Luis said with a cold voice.

    "Haha, you won''t get anything from me. If you want answers, find them yourself!" The dwarf beganughing despite being in pain.

    Xiao Wei watched this and stepped forward.

    "Boss, his mental condition is not right. He tortures people daily and takes pleasure from it," he said, pointing toward the head.

    "I think his personality is totally distorted. He likes the torture even if it is inflicted on him."

    Luis looked at the dwarf, and he was really smiling. ''A Masochist''

    "He looks like a dwarf but doesn''t have the dignity of one."

    "Yeah, the dwarfs are stubborn, but they are honest too."

    "..."

    Without a word, Luis drew his sword and, in one swift motion, severed Man Ton''s head. He had no interest in wasting time on a nuisance like this.

    "Xiao Wei, tell me all the directions of Anyu Gang Stronghold."

    Xiao Wei, who was secretly watching the exchange between 12 Robed men, stepped out. He hurriedly told all the directions of the stronghold.

    "You twelve will be split into 2 squads; by the evening you must destroy 4 strongholds."

    Luis, after getting all the information, gave the orders to the group.

    They nodded and divided themselves into two squads. After bing ready, they sneakingly walked outside, intending to destroy the Anyu Stronghold.

    In the stronghold, only Luis and Xiao Wei were left.

    "Do you know where the Treasury is?" Luis looked around and asked

    "Boss, almost all the Gang members have their treasury deeper inside the building. I don''t know the exact thing, but it must be the same here too."

    Luis nodded and started searching for the treasure. He will not just kill and destroy the enemy; he will also fully empty everything, leaving nothing behind.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    After a while of searching, he found a room that was locked. Breaking it, there were a lot of coins and weapons. He opened the vortex and teleported them back to his room.

    After emptying everything, he walked out with Xiao Wei, intending to empty the other treasure houses of stronghold that his knights would destroy.

    [readers please interact, I am not asking for reviews. I just want you write somements or even paragraphment.

    I am writing a novel for the first time and might make some mistakes. So, if you point out my mistakes I could slowly try to improve on it

    Not everyone reads authors thought so I wrote it here]

 Chapter 21 Fear

    Anyu Gang Headquarters.

    "You trash, you all deserve to die!"

    There was constant sound of scolding in the courtyard. The ground was littered with corpses as blood seeped through the cracks in the floor.

    "Summon all the squad leaders. Someone is targeting us."

    The voicemanded. The only surviving person in the yard walked out tremblingly, ready to inform others.

    "Uhhh, who could it be?" The voice again sounded. Yu Jian, as the Vice President of Anyu Gang, has never encountered such a difficult thing.

    He just got informed that overnight 5 strongholds of Anyu Gang were destroyed, leaving no lives and treasury behind. Hearing this in rage, he ughtered half a dozen people.

    Sitting in a high position, he obviously is not a fool. This news might have already spread to surrounding forces. The surrounding forces will further try to weaken the Anyu Gang due to this.

    Among the 5 squad leaders, no one survived. He knew this was beyond something he could handle alone. He needed to inform the gang''s leader.

    He rushed towards the leader yard with all the thoughts swirling in his mind. As he reached the yard, he saw the leader, Tan Guang, practicing the martial arts.

    Seeing Yu Jian rushing inside Tan Guang stopped his practice.

    "Why are you in such a hurry? Did the Baro Gang attack?" Tan Guang questioned with cold eyes.

    "No, leader. It''s something much worse¡ªfive of our strongholds were destroyed overnight."

    "WHAT!" Tan Guang couldn''t help but shout out in shock.

    "Who did it? Who dares?"

    Yu Jian could only remain on the questioning of Tan Guang.

    "I just know that the stronghold was attacked by people in ck robes." Yu Jian sighed and finally talked after being stared at by Tan Guang coldly.

    Tan Guang began pacing back and forth, his face tight with frustration.

    "It must be the enemy forces of our Anyu Gang; call all the other squad leaders. The attackers won''t dare to attack the headquarters." Tan Guang finally gave the best suggestion, with no better suggestion in hand.

    "I''ve already given the order to recall them," Yu Jian confirmed with a nod.

    "Ughh! Trouble just keeps appearing. That trash is also hiding in the base." Tan Guang grunted with an ugly face.

    Yu Jian watched the ever-changing face of the leader. Anyu Gang is really in trouble, and that trash is still staying at the headquarters.

    "Should we inform him? Maybe he should return to his family for safety," Yu Jian suggested cautiously.

    "No, dont tell him anything. If the Anyu Gang perishes, he must die with us too," Tan Guang''s voice sounded as he walked out of the yard, waiting for the squad leader to arrive.

    Yu Jian also followed Tan Guang; he didn''t really think someone would attack the Anyu Gang Headquarters.

    -----

    Luis was currently in his own world, resting in his bed. He also brought back all the dozen members and sent them to rest.

    They are not strong enough to fight for days without any rest. Yesterday they fought for the whole night, traveling from one stronghold to another.

    He left Xiao Wei in an inn for the rest.

    ''That kid definitely has a huge secret.'' Luis could feel it in the demeanor of Xiao Wei. Yesterday, when he was in a robe and posed as a killer. Xiao Wei was relieved and weed the death.

    He would pick Xiao Wei today for further observation. He still hasn''t forgotten the medicinal herbs that Xiao Wei promised to give him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Sitting up in bed, Luis looked around his room. Coins and weapons were scattered everywhere. The room was a mess, clearly not a suitable ce for his travels anymore. He would have to find a more secure location soon.

    After freshening up, Luis gathered his men towards his room.

    "We have already alerted the Anyu Gang, and they must have already gathered towards their headquarters." Luis watched all the high-spirited faces of the young men''s around him.

    "Today will be our final battle. I will try my best to protect you, but prepare to kill and be killed."

    Luis shouted, "Are you afraid of death?"

    "no" x12

    "Louder," Luis urged, "Are the knights of Hartmann afraid of death?"

    "NO" x12

    They roared; their fighting spirits reached their peak when Luis spoke about Hartmann Knight. Hartmann Knight has never been afraid of death and will never be afraid of death. They will not destroy this legacy.

    "This is our first conquest in another world. You will be the first pioneers of the Hartmann family, being admired by future generations."

    Luis kept motivating them so much that they couldn''t hold their excitement anymore.

    "Yes, we will be admired by future generations."

    "We''ll be remembered!"

    "I will help the young master carve a territory in the new world."

    "Hahahaha!"

    "Why are youughing so loudly?"

    "I''m just happy thinking about our future!"

    "...."

    Luis watched their enthusiasm silently. He didn''t stop them from celebrating this time. No matter how powerful they were. They are still kids. In his previous world, most of the kids lived a peaceful life. Going to school and colleges, but here in this world with extraordinary powers, they need to kill and survive.

    They need to chase after power. If they couldn''t get extraordinary power, they would be below those with extraordinary power.

    Luis then shook his head; he simply thought things through from his perspective. He was nostalgic, thinking only about the good things from his previous world, ignoring all the ugly hidden things.

    There was still war going on on earth, but it didn''t impact most of the people. He was also like this; he had never suffered any war on earth, living a peaceful life. People still chased after power.

    After a while, the group enthusiasm also was under control. They stared at Luis with eager eyes, impatient to travel to another world.

    Luis didn''t make them wait any longer and activated the vortex ready to travel to another world.

 Chapter 22 War

    Anyu Gang Headquartern/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In the peaceful night, Anyu Gang was full of tension. Everyone had gathered towards the vice leader''s yard.

    Their faces were full of tension and worry as time passed.

    "Leader said there''s a high chance the attackers will strike tonight."

    "Vice Leader said that the attackers would not dare to attack the headquarters."

    "What do you think will happen?"

    "I think no one from Anyu Town would have the guts to attack our headquarters."

    "What if the attackers are not from Anyu Town?"

    "If they dare to attack, they won''t leave this ce alive."

    "...."

    There was constant discussion going on around the gang members. Today they all learned about the destruction of strongholds. They were immediately recalled to the headquarters due to this.

    They werepletely in the dark¡ªno one knew the identity of the attackers, their numbers, or how powerful they might be.

    "I bet it''s the same guy who killed Scarface in that alley. You know, the naked killer." One squad leader stood up and informed.

    "Don''t assume that; how could a coward that kills other naked dare to attack our gang?" Another rebuked

    "Do you have any logic in your words? Think before you speak. Why couldn''t the naked killer with his group be the one who destroyed the stronghold?" The squad leader, who previously spoke again, retorted

    "No matter what you say, I don''t believe a naked killer could be the one who attacked the stronghold. Have you seen his portrait? He looks like a small kid below the age of 18."

    This conversation was turning into a fight, but everyone was enjoying watching this. The Anyu Gang was not full of harmony; instead, there was constant fighting between members.

    "Fool, the naked killer didn''t attack alone. He is with his group."

    "Don''t call me a fool, you selfless bastard! What if we are attacked by the hostile forces within the town? You don''t try to listen to other opinions; that''s why your wife cheated on you!"

    "WHAT!!! When did my wife cheat on me? Don''t lie, you scum."

    The verbal conflict quickly escted into a real conflict. No one tried to stop them both. Instead, they were cheering and enjoying the fist fight.

    As the fight escted Yu Jian was alerted. He quickly rushed towards both of the squad leaders and stopped the fight.

    "What''s going on here? If you don''t have a good exnation, both of you will face the consequences."

    Both leaders fell silent, ring at each other with hatred.

    "Vice President, this fool..."

    BANG!!

    BANG!!

    The self-righteous squad leader immediately shut down as he heard the sound of banging and screaming from the outer side of headquarters.

    "Do you hear something?" One guy couldn''t help but question

    "Damn it! The enemy really attacked. Everyone be prepared to face the enemy."

    Everyone in the yard began to rush towards the attacking enemies.

    ----

    Arthur and the others had stormed the headquarters without hesitation,unching a direct attack instead of relying on stealth.

    They have wasted enough time fighting with such a weak gang. Now, all the gang members have gathered towards the headquarters. This will be a final brutal battle.

    The ones guarding outside were all weak warriors. Many weren''t even 1st level body-training warriors.

    It was a total ughter, as the knights didn''t give anyone any chance to live. All attacks were in the vital parts, not leaving any chance for survial.

    Seeing this, most of the Anyu Gang members panicked and ran towards inner yards, hoping for a chance of survival.

    As the scream became louder and louder, people from the inner yard began to appear. Most of them were early-stage body-training warriors, with squad leaders following behind them.

    There were not many mid-stage body-training warriors in Anyu Gang left. There were a total of 10, but yesterday 5 of them were killed.

    "These people look strong."

    "Yeah, they''re all mid-stage body-training warriors. Can we even win this?"

    "We have the vice leader and the leader. They''rete-stage warriors. Obviously, we''ll win."

    The squad leaders and members began murmuring amongst each other.

    This was not the case for the self-righteous squad leader. His mind was full of worry and rage. He learned that his wife was cheating on him. He didn''t believe in it at first, but the more he thought, the more a seed of doubt germinated.

    His mind was clouded by doubt, and his fury grew with every passing second. Without thinking, he rushed toward the ck-robed attackers, determined to vent his anger on them.

    He will kill these attackers and search for answers from that fool.

    Arthur, who was swiftly harvesting the lives of people around him, saw a man rushing towards him.

    ''Another who can''t see the situation clearly''

    He met the man head-on, swinging his sword in one clean arc. The man''s head separated from his body in an instant, his attack ending as quickly as it began.

    It was very anticlimactic. Arthur didn''t even pause as he began hunting others. These people''s bodies were not so strong that they could block the attack of his sword.

    The remaining squad leaders, who had witnessed the effortless kill, were stunned.

    "He didn''t even have a chance to resist."

    "That man is definitely ate-stage body-building warrior."

    Yu Jian, who was behind them, also watched this with seriousness.

    "Everyone, attack together! Use the Blood Boiling Powder!" Hemanded

    "These guys are very strong."

    Everyone nodded seriously and took out the blood boiling powder that they hid in their powder. This blood boiling powder makes the blood boil and increases thebat effectiveness by 30% for a quarter hour. After a quarter hour, the body will fall into a weak state for half an hour.

    This is a life-and-death situation. There is no holding back, and they will use every means possible.

    Tan Guang was also beside Yu Jian. They both eyed each other and consumed the boiling blood powder.

    "Every one attack!" Tan Guang shouted and rushed towards these dozen attackers.

    -----

    Arthur and others also saw the group of rushing people.

    "These must be the strongest people of Anyu Gang. Everyone gather together and prepare to face their charge."

    Arthurmanded, and the others quickly gathered around, forming a tight fighting formation that they had been taught in the barony. This is a formation used in war, where every person acts as one looking after each other.

    If one enemy is injured, everyone near the injured will swarm towards him, ending his life quickly. This formation, designed forrge-scale battles, was about to be unleashed in this world for the first time.

    The fight between the Hartmann Knights and the Anyu Gang had reached its peak, and only one side would walk away from this final battle.

    The courtyard erupted in chaos as the two forces shed, the air thick with the sounds of steel, screams, and the rush of battle.

 Chapter 23 Annahilation

    Tan Guang rushed towards the attackers with great confidence. After taking the Blood Boiling Pill, he has temporarily entered the realm of a 9th-stage body-training warrior.

    In these quarter hours, he will quickly try to repel all these attackers. Even if one or two of the attackers werete-stage warriors, he had the advantage¡ªhe was sure of it.

    But as soon as he engaged the ck-robed attackers, his confidence faltered. He had seriously miscalcted; there were more than e-stage warrior. There were at least more than 3, and their formation was so weird that all of them acted as a whole.

    Their movement was very calcted and precise. And their formation was strange, moving as one, each warrior covering the other''s blind spots with calcted precision. No matter how hard Tang Guang attacked, they blocked him, deflecting his blows with ease.

    "Who are you? Why did you attack our Anyu Gang?"

    He questioned, but he received no answer. He was instead met with a sword that attacked him directly in the neck. He narrowly dodged it and backed up.

    "Who really are you?" he shouted again, frustration in his voice.

    "Yu Jian, target the weakest one!"

    Yu Jian, hearing this, rushed towards John along with Tan Guan. After fighting for some time, they already recognize the weakest link in the opponent.

    They both attacked John, ready to seriously injure one and destroy the opponent formation.

    John who watched all this stood firm. He didn''t dodge the attack and directly met with it. He recognized that these two were the strongest ones. On his side was Ruben, who was already an apprentice knight.

    John directly met with Punch of Yu Jian, just as he was about to be punched. A fast sword sliced from Ruben shot towards Yu Jian.

    Yu Jian hurriedly dodged it but still was injured, and blood sttered everywhere. His left hand had a deep cut, with blood flowing continuously. If he is not treated quickly, he will soon die of blood loss.

    "What another Late Stage Warrior? How could there be so many?" Yu Jian shouted with horror.

    "You must be from one of the two major families. Only those families have such strong strength."

    He shouted, but his words were not taken seriously by Ruben. He chased after Yu Jian; he will kill this injured man quickly. John and another one also quickly followed, ready to surround Yu Jian from three directions.

    Tan Guang was also alone, engaged by another apprentice knight. He watched Yu Jian being surrounded and getting more and more injured.

    "Die, die!" Tang Guang screamed, fighting with a frantic desperation.

    "Look around you; now you are the only uninjured one." The knight who was fighting Tan Guang taunted

    Tan Guang''s face sank hearing this and turned to look around. Almost all of the people were injured and dying.

    ''Opportunity'' the apprentice knight sliced his knife at the neck of Tan Guang.

    Tan Guang, who seemed oblivious to all of this, suddenly caught the sword with his hand. Blood trickled down Tan Guang''s arm as he gripped the sword, his face twisted with fury.

    He then roared and directly punched squarely in the head of the apprentice knight. The Apprentice Knight fell to the ground due to the impact of the punch. It was a solid, strong punch in the head by the strength of a 9th-level warrior.

    The apprentice knight groaned, struggling to move after the blow.

    "Hmph! Trying to y such a childish trick on me," Tang Guang spat. He was about to stomp the apprentice knight when he was met with two other knives.

    "This really is trouble." He looked at the fallen body of the apprentice knight with some regrets; he lost the best chance to kill the opponent.

    The fight raged on for several more minutes, but the sounds of battle began to fade. Almost all the Anyu Gang members were dead.

    The only one standing was Tan Guang. He was seriously injured, with one of his hands cut off.

    "I can''t... stand this anymore..." Tang Guang gasped, his vision blurring.

    He backed away quickly and took out a small pouch from his body with trembling hands. Inside it was a lot of powder. He began pouring it into his mouth. The more he poured, the redder his body became.

    His body turned a deep crimson, the powder surging through his veins, pushing him far beyond his limits.

    "Now... you all... will die!" Tan Guang shouted difficultly and rushed forward. He has just consumed a lot of blood boiling powder. He has no chance of surviving now; even if he miraculously survives, he will be a cripple. His only intention now was to at least kill one of the attackers.

    "Retreat," Arthurmanded, and they began retreating in group. This guy has just consumed a lot of unknown drugs.

    "Retreat; look at his body; it will notst for long. Fighting now would be foolish."

    Tan Guang tried to catch up to them and fight them, but they were running around faster and faster.

    "Ahhhh! Don''t run fight with me," Tan Guang shouted in desperation before he copsed to the ground.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Arthur and others watched from a distance. They didn''t walk near Tan Guang to check on him.

    A few momentster, Tan Guang looked up at them with a miserable smile and finally copsed. His body twitched once before going still.

    "I knew it; he was faking it."

    "Yeah, if we went to check on him. He would definitely throw the final punch, burning his remaining life away."

    "Good thing we''re taught never to lower our guard, even when the enemy looks dead."

    "Jaron, are you ok? You were punched directly in the head."

    "I''m fine, just a little lightheaded," Jaron replied with his hand in his head.

    "Don''t try to deceive the enemy with these kinds of low-level tricks. You were lucky that we were around and stopped that guy from further attacking."

    As they were talking, they began harvesting the lives of those who were injured and groaning on the ground. There were also many who were faking their deaths. No was left alive.

    However, Luis was not present here. He was deeper inside the headquarters, searching everywhere for hidden people and killing them. Xiao Wei was behind him gathering all the innocent captured people and maids.

    ''This is a perfect ce for my new base,'' Luis thought as he roamed around the ce.

    (end of chapter)

    [I wanted to end this fight with Anyu Gang in 2 chapters, but as I wrote it became more and more. Is it interesting for you guys? I tried gang fight instead of just protagonist shining alone.]

 Chapter 24 Xu Lei

    Luis was making his way through the headquarters when he heard a piercing scream of a girl.

    "No, no, stop it." The girl''s voice was full of terror.

    Luis, hearing this, immediately rushed towards that direction of the girl''s voice. It seems that someone is forcing themselves on the girl.

    Luis eyes became cold as he saw a man sitting in bed while the girl was trying to desperately crawl away in the ground half naked.

    Just as Luis arrived, the man also saw Luis. The man froze when he saw Luis, as he felt an overwhelming pressure.

    ''He gives me the same feeling as my father''

    The man watched Luis, who had cold eyes. He needed to react quickly, or else he definitely would be killed.

    "Hey friend, my name is Xu Lei. I am the son of the patriarch of the Xu family." Xu Lei tried to act brave and directly brought his family into this.

    Luis didn''t slow down. His cold gaze never wavered as he walked closer to Xu Lei. With each step, Xu Lei''s panic grew. His hands shook as he realized there was no negotiating with this man.

    "Don''t kill me; my father is an innate master. We can try to negotiate." His words were desperate now.

    Xu Lei didn''t dare to feign his confidence any further. He will definitely be killed by this man if he acts brave. Even if he is killed and his father avenges him. He would still be dead. He had dreams of ying with more girls, of enjoying the pleasures of life, and of roaming around the world.

    Luis reached him and, without a word, mmed his fist into Xu Lei''s face. Xu Lei, who is just a 2nd-level warrior at the age of 24, couldn''t bear this punch and spit out teeth along with some blood.

    "Is the Xu family behind the Anyu Gang?" Luis asked coldly, grabbing Xu Lei by the hair and lifting him to face him.

    Xu lei pupils dted when hearing this.

    "Yes, yes. Xu Family is behind the Anyu Gang," Xu Lei answered quickly, hoping this would spare his life.

    Luis eyes narrowed when he heard this; he raised his hand and pped on the cheeks of Xu Lei.

    "Tell me the truth. Is the Xu family really behind Anyu Gang?"

    Luis questioned again with his hand raised high, ready to p.

    "No, no! Stop! The Xu Family has no connection to the Anyu Gang!" he sobbed. "I was kicked out of my family for bad behavior... I''m trash!"

    "I could stay in here because Anyu Gang didn''t dare to offend me. My Father is still an innate master that these Anyu Gang dare not mess with..ahhh."

    As he was talking, he was met with continuous ps from Luis. When he was hit the 4th time continuously, he fainted.

    Luis caught Xu Lei''s leg and dragged him out of the room.

    "You girl, you can go outside and stay with others. Anyu Gang is already destroyed."

    The girl who was silently weeping on the floor heard his drifting voice. She quickly dressed up and walked out to meet with others.

    -----

    Half an hourter

    Luis looted all the Treasury and everything from the headquarters.

    "Boss, who is this?" Arthur couldn''t help but question as he saw Luis dragging a person for a long time.

    "This is the son of Xu Family Patriarch," Luis answered, throwing the body of Xu Lei towards Arthur.

    "Take care of him; he will be useful."

    Arthur nodded thoughtfully. He looked towards the body of Xu Lei.

    "Why is there blood flowing between his legs?" Arthur questioned as he saw the blood on Arthur.

    "I don''t know. It must have been due to me dragging him on the floor," Luis answered, looking around, not daring to look at Xu Lei.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Arthur looked at the blood of Xu Lei, and his soul trembled. The manhood of this guy is destroyed, and he could never recover.

    "Boss, are we going to destroy the Xu family next?" He questioned, trying to divert the topic.

    "Arthur, you must remember we are nobles. We must show the redeeming quality of nobles." Luis corrected Arthur.

    "Don''t always seek destruction. No one is an eternal enemy. Something can be solved just by negotiating at a round table."

    Arthur nodded hearing this. In their world, most noble families preferred negotiations instead of war. Open conflict led to mutual destruction, leaving space for opportunistic third parties to swoop in and im the spoils.

    "Boss, you told Xu Family has a 1st level knight in charge. What if they attack us instead of trying to negotiate?"

    "Don''t worry about that; I have already advanced."

    Arthur''s eyes widened with excitement.

    "Boss, you''ve already advanced?"

    Luis simply nodded with confidence. Arthur smiled with pride as Luis confirmed it; he dragged Xu Lei''s body with him to inform others about the happy news.

    As time passed, everything was lotted, with not a single valuable thing left in the headquarters.

    He also found new martial arts and different kinds of medicinal powders. There was also arge stock of blood boiling powder.

    Overall, attacking the Anyu Gang was very beneficial. His stock of resources has increased greatly.

    "Now, everyone be ready to head towards the Xu family," Luis shouted towards everyone. He finally turned to Xiao Wei.

    "Xiao Wei, you will stay in the inn. John, you will be following Xiao Wei."

    After giving instructions, he headed towards the Xu family. He has decided to create his first base here in this city; the powerhouses of this city should be informed for unnecessary troubleter on.

    Luis and 11 others headed towards the Xu family. Oh, there was Xu Lei being carried in the back of Arthur.

    ----

    Even though the Anyu Gang was attackedte into the night, every force in the town was alerted. They have been keeping close eyes around the Anyu Gang Headquarters. They heard all the screams and sounds of fighting in the silent night.

    Luis and others didn''t care about this. Even if other forcese and try to loot the destroyed Anyu Gang, they won''t find anything valuable.

 Chapter 25 Negotiation

    Luis and his knights arrived at the gates of the Xu family under the cover of night. The air was tense, and Luis''s men, especially Devon, were ready for action.

    "Stop, why are you here in the Xu familynd?" The guard of the Xu family who was guarding the gate questioned with sleepy eyes. He really hates this job, where he has to stay on duty the whole night.

    Devon instinctively rested his hand on the hilt of his knife and took a step forward, but Arthur quickly intervened, holding up a hand to stop him.

    "Stop it; we are nobles. Don''t be barbaric, and always think about destruction without reason. Boss hasn''t given any instructions yet."

    Arthur felt cool when scolding Devon. It feels so refreshing when correcting others.

    Devon nodded and stood waiting for the orders of Luis.

    "Tell your patriarch that we''ve destroyed the Anyu Gang, leaving no one alive. Xu Lei is in our hands."

    Luis stepped forward and said to the sleepy guard. Arthur also threw the body of Xu Lei to show to the guard.

    The guard''s sleepiness evaporated as he saw the bloodied, battered body of Xu Lei. He felt a chill run down his spine. Watching the body of Young Master Xulei, his heart pounded in his chest.

    "Can... can I leave?" The guard stammered, unsure if he could safely walk away.

    "Go, if you want to." Luis answered simply and stared at the guard.

    The guard didn''t need to be told twice. He ran towards the inner yard as quickly as possible, with his hand instinctively covering the back of his neck as if expecting a de to fall at any moment.

    A few minutester, the guard came rushing towards them again.

    "The patriarch says... you cane inside. He wees the guest," the guard said as he panted.

    Luis nodded and took off his hood.

    "Lead us to meet your patriarch," Luis then said to the guard.

    The guard took them around the building, making the way towards the patriarch yard. However, the heart of guard was far from calm. He recognized Luis; this was the masked killer.

    He quickly walked inside a yard with Luis following him. There a group of men sat in a semicircle, their faces stern and serious.

    The guard bowed his head and walked out. He didn''t want to stay any longer with this masked killer any more.

    Luis face became serious as he looked towards all the people. He could feel their aura was very strong, with almost all of them beingte-stage body-training warriors. The one who was sitting in the middle even had strength simr to him.

    He still had a serious face; now the negotiation would begin. In a negotiation between two parties, many things should be considered.

    He must remain calm and confident, not showing any signs of weakness. If the other party senses hesitation and weakness, you will immediately fall into the weaker side.

    Luis walked up to the seat and sat down. The knight followed him and stood behind him. Their faces were covered with robes, so no expression could be seen.

    The two sides looked at each other without talking. Both parties were looking at each other as if examining the other sides.

    ''I can do this all day'' Luis thought as he stared at the innate master.

    A few minutes pass by, and the Xu family side began to be uneasy. One man stared at Arthur; no, he was staring at Xu Lei in the back of Arthur.

    "What have you done to Xu Lei? Why is he covered in blood?" He questioned

    Luis raised his hands and signaled to Arthur. Arthur nodded and threw the body of Xu Lei toward the man. The man hurriedly caught it.

    "Our only objective was to destroy the Anyu Gang," Luis began, his voice echoing through the courtyard. "But Xu Lei imed that the Xu family was behind the gang. So I''m here to ask, is that true?"

    "What!" The man who asked about Xu Lei shouted in surprise.

    "Does the Xu Family want to fight us and avenge the Anyu Gang?" Luis again repeated this time clearly, with his voice cutting through the air.

    The man was about to rebuke when suddenly the innate master stopped him.

    "Xu Ma, step back. Don''t speak again." The man bellowed

    "Little friend, my name is Xu Zhihao, the current patriarch of the Xu Family." Xu Zhihao started the conversation with softness in his voice.

    "You can call me Han Long," Luis replied short.

    Xu Zhihao sighed deeply.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Don''t listen to that trash, even if he is my son. He''s already been kicked out of the family. I didn''t expect he''d still cause trouble even after being expelled." His voice carried a note of sadness, perhaps regret.

    "He is..."

    "Don''t talk about your useless son here; I am here to inform you that I will be taking the ce of Anyu Gang. I hope you don''t try to cause trouble for me."

    Luis cut off Xu Zhihao and looked at everyone on the opposite side. Everyone on the opposite side had an angry face and red at Luis. This kid was really overbearing and didn''t take their Xu family seriously at all.

    It seemed that this conversation wouldst for a very long time. However, Luis didn''t want to waste his time here any longer. He has important things to do.

    He released the vortex qi from his body towards his leg. As the vortex Qi reached towards the sole of his foot, the ground began to crack in the direction of the Xu family.

    Everyone backed up in horror as the crack reached towards them.

    "This is not a negotiation," Luis said coldly. "This is an announcement."

    Xu Zhihao looked at Luis with a deep look. After a long pause, he nodded slowly.

    "Don''t worry, friend. We won''t make things difficult for you."

    Luis, hearing this, stood up and walked outside without speaking another word. The knights also followed him.

    "You better keep your promise, otherwise you will face the..." Luis voice drifted towards them as he disappeared from their sight.

 Chapter 26 Map

    After Luis and his knights left the Xu family, tension lingered in the air. Inside the family hall, anger brewed.

    "Uncle, why did you let that man act so arrogantly? He didn''t take us seriously at all!" Xu Ma angrily questioned Xu Zhihao with a voice full of frustration.

    Xu Zhihao shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the door where Luis had exited.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Xu Ma, control your anger and look at things rationally. You are the next in family who has the highest chance of entering the innate realm; I don''t want the family to be destroyed in your hands."

    Xu Ma shut up after hearing this, but he still had eyes burning with anger. He shut up and said nothing more.

    "That kid is from the Royal Court," Xu Zhihao added again, which caused shock to spread among everyone.

    "The Royal Court?"

    "What are they doing in a small town like this?"

    "No wonder he didn''t take our family seriously."

    "What should we do? How do we even face something like that?"

    "Everyone shut up; let the patriarchplete what he was saying."

    "Yes, patriarch. How do you know about this?"

    Everyone paled in shock and couldn''t help but speak amongst each other.

    "I was told this information by Cai Tian, the master of Turtle Martial Hall," Xu Zhihao rified about it.

    "He is here for the mission from the royal court to stay here so that he could catch the rising rebels within the kingdom." Xu Zhihao said it even though it was vastly different from what Luis exined to Cai Tian.

    "Don''t mess with the Royal Court. Our family cannot bear the consequences." Xu Zhihao warned

    "Keep that trash in house arrest; if he goes out again, he might cause even greater trouble for us."

    Xu Ma nodded and looked at Xu Lei with a deep look.

    -----

    Meanwhile, Luis was walking out of the Xu family with a rxed look.

    "Boss, didn''t you say negotiation? We were really overbearing in the negotiation," Arthur asked curiously.

    "Haha. when one party is weaker than the other party. The stronger party will try to ughter the weaker party, leaving nothing to the weaker side. I could feel it; their innate master was very scared of me. I was not overbearing at all; instead, I was very free with them." Luis chuckled and exined

    "Then why didn''t you demand their shops and businesses?" Arthur again questioned, not entirely sure.

    "It is no use; don''t forget our roots are the Hartmann family in another world. This town will not be our permanent base. My n for this world is to treat it as a military base where our knights and warriors will be trained."

    Luis shook his head by these silly questions. Arthur is just 15 years old and has a lot to learn.

    "Now, the Xu family will not cause any trouble for us and will even try to stop other external trouble for us."

    Arthur and the other nodded when hearing this. They really got to learn a lot following behind Luis.

    "Now, John will stay behind to keep watch over Xiao Wei. The rest of us will return to our world. Tomorrow, we start martial arts training."

    Luis dered as he walked directly into the vortex with other knights following him.

    -----

    As Luis traveled back to his room, a new memory began to inject in his mind.

    Luis nodded with satisfaction as he got the new memory. ording to it, now he can see a map of the people who have the ability to use the vortex.

    ''Let me test it'' He used it, and there were two panels with Fantasy World and Cultivation World shown. It was the name that he gave to the two worlds.

    In Cultivation World, there was a green dot with John above it. He then checked the Fantasy World.

    There was his name in white with other green dots around him. He could see a white dotted line around him, and his knight connected.

    ''It seems that I can follow others and reach them through this dotted line.

    There was also the name of Pipi shown in green at the Ferterra Town. There was also a white dotted line connected between him and Pipi.

    "Everyone, you can go rest now. You guys will start training martial arts training."

    Arthur and others began to walk out tiredly. Today really was a tiring day as they fought against the Anyu Gang, but their faces were still full of expectation as they can finally practice martial arts again tomorrow.

    Luis was also lying in his bed. His room was very messy with all kinds of things. He was looking at the new map he got and the movements of people in it as he slowly drifted into sleep.

    ----

    Next Morning

    Luis woke up a littlete, and the first thing he looked at was the map. All eleven of his follower knights were already in the parade ground.

    ''These guys need to rest; like this, they can never enjoy their lives.'' Luis began to freshen up and headed towards the parade ground.

    As Luis made his way to the parade ground, he bumped into Michael, one of his father''s most trusted advisors. Michael handled all intelligence rted to the barony.

    "Michael, when is Father returning?" Luis stopped Michael and questioned him.

    "Young Master, he will return this week," Michael replied, bowing slightly.

    Hearing this, Luis nodded and made his way to the parade ground.

    Michael watched the back of Luis, who was walking away with shocked eyes. He couldn''t believe the young master to have advanced so fast. He walked in a hurry; he needed to report this news to Lady Hartmann quickly.

    ----

    At the parade ground, Luis saw the group of his knights along with many others practicing.

    He joined them and finished practicing after an hour, his movements fluid and powerful, drawing respect from everyone watching.

    Afterward, he left the parade ground with the other 11 knowingly following him.

    Today, he was going to Ferterra town to meet Pipi and let others practice martial arts with peace of mind.

 Chapter 27 Ferterra Town

    Luis quickly reached Ferterra town riding on a horseback, with others closely following behind.

    Baron Hartmann''s famous military force is ck Cavalry, and almost all the knights and militiamen want to enter it. So, everyone in the baron learns how to ride horses from a young age.

    Almost everyone dreams of being recruited in the ck cavalry, but only the elites from the barony are selected.

    ''Let''s see what this map can do,'' Luis peeked into the map and followed the direction of Pipi shown in it.

    ''This is great stuff.'' I don''t know what other great abilities will be awakenedter.''

    A few minutester, he spotted Pipi flitting about in a nearby wheat field, with Liam and other knights keeping an eye on her from a distance.

    Liam saw Luis approaching towards them and respectfully bowed. Other knights also gave their knight salute to Luis.

    "Liam, how has Pipi been? Has she caused any problems while I was away?" Luis asked, ncing toward the little fairy.

    "No, young master. It''s just that she is too lively and likes to travel everywhere," Liam said with an expressionless face.

    "That''s a good sign. She''s happy." Luis smiled, ignoring the expressionless face of Liam. He has never seen Liam show any expression in his life.

    "What about the nts? How have they been growing under her care?" Luis inquired.

    "Young Master, it''s a miracle the nts began to grow five times faster since Pipi began taking care of them, and there are also three magic nts that she has grown," Liam said slowly.

    "Young Master, she is a special fairy different from what is written in books."

    Luis nodded and looked towards Pipi. She couldn''t be said to be a fairy anymore. She had the blessing of two worlds and evolved into a fairy spirit with a lifespan of 25 years.

    Pipi, who was happily roaming around the wheat field, saw Luis. He happily pped her wings and flew toward Luis.

    "Pi pi," she ran into arms and began to snuggle against him affectionately. The knights around them watched the scene with warm smiles, admiring how Pipi seemedpletely at ease with their young master.

    Luis yed with Pipi for some times before she again began to roam around the Wheat Field.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Pipi, I wille to visit you againter," Luis said as he began to head towards the Hartmann Family base in Ferterra Town.

    ----

    A few hourster, Luis gathered the eleven knights at the training ground.

    Luis watched as all the 11 people were ready to practice the martial arts. He did the movements, and all the others followed after him. This time there was a reactioning from their body after a few minutes only.

    They were moving in a specific pattern,bining softness and rigidity.

    "This is the perfect movement. Good job, everyone." Luis shouted, "Now, try to practice the Eagle Breathing Method while following the same movement."

    They all followed Luis instructions and started practicing the knight breathing along with martial arts sets.

    Their movement began to go disarray as they tried to practice both simultaneously.

    "It is going bad. Try to maintain the form," Luis shouted, watching every one of their moves.

    "Alex, breathe correctly. Do you want deformity in your body?"

    Luis checked every single one of them individually and corrected them. A few momentster, they slowly improvised the technique, making it morefortable to practice.

    Alex, who was just a mid-stage warrior in strength, began to be stronger. A life seed was forming in his body. Feeling this, he practiced even harder. The others were the same, as they felt their strength increase to varying degrees.

    Those who have not awakened their life seed began to awaken their life seed, breaking through the realm of apprentice knights.

    "How do you guys feel?" Luis questioned with a smile as everyone finished their practice. They also had a genuine smile as they were panting with short breaths.

    "This feels great; I awakened my life seed."

    "Me too"

    "Young Master, I am ready to give my life for you."

    "Now all of us are already apprentice knights. Only John has not awakened his life seed."

    "Hahaha, we can show off in front of him."

    "Do you think we can join ck cavalry with the young master now?"

    "I will follow wherever the young master goes."

    "..."

    They all began talking with excitement. Luis heard them talking about John, who stayed behind in the cultivation world. But he was not worried about this. He has already instructed John to practice martial arts, and he must be practicing it in the cultivation world.

    Now, his thought was elsewhere. He changed his n about searching for immortal cultivators this early, when he is still weak.

    He will develop in this world first, creating his own strong force like his father''s ck cavalry running around with invincibility on the battlefield.

    He is not worried about his lifespan either, as he has almost 136 years left to live. If he can break through to 4th level official knight, it will almost be 300 years.

    He hasn''t seen the immortal cultivators, but ording to the novels, for having 300 years of lifespan, you must break through to the realm of foundation building.

    ''I will now go towards the safer battlefield and fight in it." This world is very chaotic, with many races vying for the domination of the continent. The Orcs and the humans are constantly at war, pushing each other.

    There are also different races who secretly join in the war.

    As for the cultivation world, it was much safer from what he has seen. There is norge-scale war in the kingdom it is currently in. It was actually too peaceful, with no fighting around the kingdoms. This itself was too weird, so he would do lowkey development in that world.

    When he is strong enough, he will directly rule the kingdom and search for immortal cultivators.

    ----

    By evening, Luis knew it was time to return to the cultivation world. There was work to be done¡ªhe needed to fully take control of the remnants of the Anyu Gang and begin shaping his forces there.

    He entered the vortex with others following behind him. Today, he willpletely control the Anyu Gang and start developing his forces. His journey was just beginning. In two worlds, he would rise, and with him would the Hartmann surname.

    (end of chapter)

    [As I have already indicated, Luis himself is talented and can progress faster. Others are not like this; although they won''t have bottlenecks, their progress will be lower than the protagonist. Have to give a little clutch to the protagonist

    This will be a group fighting type novel with business running in the background]

 Chapter 28 Sirius Gang

    It has already been many hours since Anyu Gang has been destroyed. By now, the entire town knew about the destruction of the Anyu Gang.

    The roads around the Anyu Gang Headquarters and Strongholds were deserted, with many people avoiding them.

    Some brave people ventured inside it hoping to scavenge anything good, but they were very disappointed. It was as clean as their pockets. They returned outside with frustration and told others about this.

    The destruction of Anyu Gang became the primary talk of the city. Every major force of the city was on full alert.

    But this had nothing to do with Luis and his knights. Luis followed the direction on the map and approached toward John.

    Their direction was towards the market. Luis and his knight this time walked without hiding their identity.

    He reached towards John, who was keeping an eye on Xiao Wei. It seems that John has done a good job following around Xiao Wei.

    When they reached John, Luis noted how Xiao Wei''s face tightened at the sight of him.

    ''It seems I really can''t escape.

    Xiao Wei wanted to test whether Luis really had the ability to track him. So he traveled around the market, changing ces every few moments. Currently, he was in the hidden corner of the market, and Luis still found him.

    ''Is he really like those people?'' Xiao Wei''s mind was running sharply.

    ''He''s hiding something big,'' Luis mused as he approached. Luis noticed all the expressions due to his strong senses.

    "I am now going to create my own gang," Luis announced as everyone gathered.

    "The name of the gang will be Sirius Gang. Prepare signs and boards with the name. We''ll take over everything the Anyu Gang left behind."

    Luis ordered everyone. The small group began to prepare everything. With only 14 people, it wasn''t much of a gang¡ªmore of an empty shell¡ªbut Luis knew that wouldn''t be the case for long.

    Luis had his own n; slowly, everything in this town will be under his control. Sirius Gang is just the beginning. In the future, he will be a huge overlord of this world.

    ----

    The day passed quickly. By evening, the Sirius Gang name was disyed across all the former industries and buildings once owned by the Anyu Gang.

    There were some shortsighted people who attacked them during the takeover, but it was just a small matter not worth mentioning.

    Now, Luis sat in what had once been the Anyu Gang''s headquarters¡ªhis headquarters now. In the treasury, he dropped all the messy things that were in his rooms by transferring them through the vortex.

    He was waiting for the others to arrive afterpleting their respective works.

    ''How will I tell my father about going to the battlefield? Will he even let me?'' While alone, many thoughts were going through the head of Luis. Various thoughts swirled through his mind as he pondered his future.

    He had created many ns for his future, but they kept changing. Previously, he tried to leave this Anyu Town, but due to various things, he created his own force in this town.

    ''I will just go with the flow. I will make the most correct choice ording to the present moment. I just need to set a final goal,'' Luis thought slowly.

    Being alone is really not good; the mind will be flooded with various unnecessary thoughts. Luis nced at the map in his mind again and noticed the green dots moving toward him. His knights were on their way back.

    A few momentster, they arrived.

    "Boss, we havepleted all your orders." Arthur said respectfully, "All the industries of Anyu Gang have our Sirius Gang board hanging now."

    "There were some sighted people, but they couldn''t harm us brothers."

    Luis nodded, pleased with their works. His gaze shifted towards Xiao Wei. This kid has been following them for some time, and with his smarts, he must have found out about the weirdness about them.

    "Good, now I will bring the other knights to this world. You guys will be their instructors," Luis said, not avoiding anything from Xiao Wei.

    Luis noticed the expression of freeze when he talked about another world. His expression then became puzzled.

    Luis secretly eyed Arthur, then at Xiao Wei. Arthur understood the meaning of Luis. He secretly nodded at Luis, keeping his eyes focused on Xiao Wei.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "You''ll all stand guard here at the headquarters. I''ll be back with more manpower soon," Luis said as his opened a vortex.

    This vortex could only be seen by Luis and his knights, who had connections with Vortex. Xiao Wei couldn''t see anything and still stood there with a puzzled expression.

    Luis directly walked inside the vortex without hesitation, returning back to the base in Ferterra Town.

    Xiao Wei pupils dted when he saw this. He saw the boss disappear out of thin air.

    ''Even those people don''t have this ability; who is the boss?'' Xiao Wei felt a shiver run down his spine. Whatever he''d gotten himself into, it was far more mysterious than he had imagined.

    "Don''t even think about running, or the consequences will be dire." Arthur''s voice sounded in the ears of Xiao Wei, cutting off all the thoughts.

    Xiao Wei quickly nodded. He wouldn''t dare to escape even if he had 100 lives.

    ----

    Back in Ferterra Town, Luis emerged from the vortex, unconcerned about Xiao Wei. Arthur and others will keep watch on him.

    The next task is to meet Liam. He needed to recall all the followers that were scattered among all the towns and viges. Most of them couldn''t awaken their life seeds and were sent to surrounding areas to serve as militiamen protecting the ce.

    Some of them even awakened life seedster, after crossing the age of 18. But these are a minority; most of them still haven''t awakened their life seed.

    Luis intended to give them a chance to awaken their life seed, taking them fully under hismand.

 Chapter 29 Shock

    4 dayster

    Luis has been staying in the Ferterra base for the past 4 days, asionally going to the cultivation world and practicing the martial arts he had learned.

    He tried to practice the martial arts that he looted from Anyu Gang, but it was far inferior to Turtle Martial Arts.

    These past few days, he became more familiar with the Vortex Qi in his body. He could now perfectly attach it to his sword, making the attack sharper and heavier.

    He also taught others, but their progress was far slower than his. They would need months of practice if they wanted to be Official Knights. This was due to their average talent. If Luis hadn''t helped them, most of them couldn''t have awakened their life seed before the age of 18.

    ''I hope everyone has arrived'' With much thought in his head, Luis headed towards the training ground.

    Today was the day when almost all of his followers would assemble and meet him. He had given order to Liam to recall them using the authority of the Young Master of Hartmann Barony.

    When Luis arrived, he saw men lined up with Liam overseeing them. They stood at attention, disciplined as ever, waiting for hismand. He knows every single person here.

    "Liam, how many are here?" Luis turned to Liam and questioned

    "Young Master, all 41 militiamen arrived. No one dared to disobey the order written in your name."

    Luis nodded in approval. "Good. My judgment was not wrong."

    He stepped forward, scanning the faces of the men. He knew each one, whether by name or from previous interactions.

    "Everyone, You must recognize me. I am Luis Hartmann, eldest son of Felipe Hartmann." Luis addressed them, his voicemanding attention.

    He paused, letting the weight of his lineage sink in. Then he began his questioning.

    "First, I need some basic information about you all."

    "Raise your hand if you are above the age of 20."

    Of the 41 men, 25 raised their hands.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Raise your hand if you are above the age of 25."

    Nine hands dropped, leaving 16 still raised.

    "And who here is above 30?"

    This time everyone dropped their hands. Luis was just 14 years old, and he obviously didn''t have much interaction with those who would be above 30.

    "You''re all getting older," Luis said, his tone serious, "and yet none of you have awakened your life seed."

    The men lowered their heads in shame. Luis continued speaking.

    "Some of you aremoners, some are sons of family knights, and some are even my cousins." Luis looked around at everyone''s face, recognizing most of them.

    "Do you want to live like this?" Luis asked, his voice growing louder. "Do you want to be powerless in a world driven by strength?"

    No one dared answer. The silence was heavy; their heads hung low.

    "Don''t lower your head. Look at me." Luis shouted angrily, "Even if your talent iscking, haven''t you pushed yourself to the limit?"

    "Haven''t you trained relentlessly, from dawn until the dead of night? So, why do you bow down now? Tell me, do you really want to live like this, defeated and small?"

    Everyone looked at Luis and clenched their fists with unwillingness and shame. They don''t want to live, but what could be done? Everything in this world depends on talents. Hard work brings you sess is just a lie.

    "I don''t want to live like this, young master!" A guy in his twenties shouted. Luis recognized him. He was Brian, a son of amoner who was given a chance to train with them.

    "I promised my mother I would be an official knight before she died. Now, I am not even an apprentice knight. My mother alwayses into my dream and questions me. I can''t keep living like this. I really don''t want to live like this. I want toplete my promise to my mother."

    Brian''s eyes were full of tears talking about this. The others eyes were also full of unwillingness and expressed their regrets and frustration.

    "I also want to be like my father."

    "I train so much harder; it is not fair."

    "..."

    Luis watched all this with silence, letting them vent their feelings. Everyone has their own regrets in life that others cannot fully understand. He couldn''t fully empathize with them like Brian''s mother. Luis will say he sympathizes for her death, but in actuality he doesn''t care much.

    Only when the bad incident happens to oneself or your loved ones will you feel pain. The only thing he can do right now is stay silent and listen to their story. A few momentster, they stopped venting and began staring at Luis.

    "I can give you what you desire," Luis dered, his voice cutting through the air.

    "I can give you an opportunity to awaken your life seed and break through the realm of apprentice knight."

    Luis voice sounded, and the whole ground totally became silent. The eyes that were staring at Luis widened.

    "In return, all I need is your loyalty. I want you to be the sharpest spear in my hand."

    The ground was still in silence when suddenly a bang was heard. It was Brian who kneeled down.

    "I, Brian, will follow Luis Hartmann till myst breath. This is my true oath.

    The surrounding air began to blow faster.

    Next, there were constant sounds of bangs as others kneeled down. They could offer their loyalty and be the sharpest spear in the hand of the young master even if he didn''t offer the chance for them to awaken their life seed.

    Now, they have stronger reason to be loyal to Luis. They didn''t doubt Luis. Young Master of Prestigious Hartmann Barony would not lie to them.

    Nobles are very prestigious. They are the real rulers of this continent. Not only humans, even elves, orcs, goblins, and dragons have their own noble families.

    Even if Luis lied, no one here would dare to question him. The influence of nobility for thousands of years has created such a mentality among people.

    He watched as all the people here were connected to his vortex. Now, he will directly take them to Cultivation World instead of giving them body-training powder like he did to the previous group.

    "Everyone, don''t be shocked by what you see next. What you are about to see will change your lives forever." Luis dered to everyone as a vortex appeared in front of them,

    "Enter inside without any dy."

 Chapter 30 Reveal

    Everyone watched with shock as a huge portal appeared in front of them.

    Brian without any hesitation walked into the vortex. Others also came back to their senses quickly. They followed inside the Vortex.

    Luis stood back, watching as they disappeared one by one. He couldn''t help but notice how simr Brian was to Devon¡ªboth were determined, always the first to charge forward.

    Arthur and the others are on the other side, waiting to receive the new members.

    After everyone entered the vortex, Luis turned around and looked at Liam, who had been ignored previously.

    Luis raised his eyebrows in surprise. There was no shock, no disbelief, nothing on Liam''s face. Liam had an expressionless face as he looked at the empty ground.

    ''Even if the world were ending, this man would remain expressionless,'' Luis was amused as he looked at Liam.

    "Don''t you have any questions?"

    "No, young master. It is your secret, and I respect your privacy," Liam replied sincerely.

    "Don''t you really want to know? If you don''t want to, then I won''t show you." Luis smirked secretly as he asked again.

    Liam still had an unreadable face; however, this was all fake. When he encounters unexpected things, his face freezes and his brain begins to work quickly. This situation was beyond his understanding, and his brain was working quickly. It seems the young master has a great secret, much greater than he previously thought.

    "I want to know, young master," Liam finally admitted, his voice sincere.

    "For this to be known, you need to show your loyalty." Luis smile widened.

    Without any hesitation, Liam kneeled down and started reciting his oath.

    "..."

    As soon as the oath waspleted. Luis felt yet another connection.

    ''Great, now I even have a 2nd stage official knight at my disposal in Cultivation World.''

    Liam, after reciting the oath, saw the huge portal in the distance, a little away from Luis. Even though Liam''s face was still expressionless, his hand trembled slightly seeing this sight.

    "You truly can hide your emotions well," Luis said, chuckling. "Go on. Step inside, and you''ll find your answers."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Liam didn''t wait any longer and entered inside with hurried foot steps. The training ground was now empty.

    Luis peeked at Pipi, who was sleeping inside his body. She has really been tired these days taking care of the nts and magic nts. She deserves this rest.

    With everything in order, Luis stepped into the vortex himself.

    ----

    Cultivation World

    The Sirius Gang was buzzing with activity. The ground trembled under the weight of Knights disciplined training. Their faces were full of determination, with bodies drenched in sweat.

    They were the followers of Luis who traveled to this world, training both the martial arts and breathing method continuously.

    It has already been one day since they traveled to this world. They became familiar with this world after everything was told by Arthur.

    After training for a whole day, 14 among the 41 have already awakened their life seed. The others were also close to awakening. They would reach that step in the next few days.

    Liam stood on the sidelines, watching the others train.

    He is already a 2nd level knight and could throw the aura out of his body to attack. He started practicing turtle martial arts yesterday. He quickly mastered it, and new qi from the blood was produced in his body.

    The result? A new form of energy swirled inside him, abination of Qi and Aura that Luis had dubbed "Vortex Qi."

    Liam tested his strength; it was astounding. He was nearly twice as strong. The vortex Qi in his body was also very abundant, much more than Aura alone.

    ----

    Luis sat inside a room with Arthur and Xiao Wei, discussing the current situation in the town.

    "Boss, Bako Gang is causing trouble." Arthur said angrily, "Out of the eight strongholds we took, they''ve captured three. We didn''t retaliate because you instructed us to wait."

    Luis narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. He could see that Arthur was itching for action.

    ''It seems training for the new guys is already arranged.

    "Send the new recruits to destroy the Bako Gang," Luis finally said, his tone calm but resolute. "Tell Liam to secretly follow them and make sure there are no casualties."

    "Don''t worry, boss, fourteen of them have already awakened their life seed. There will be no danger."

    Arthur nodded excitedly and walked outside to organize the hunt.

    Now in the room, Luis and Xiao Wei remained. Xiao Wei lowered his head and didn''t dare to look at Luis.

    "What''s your decision?" Luis asked, his voice low butmanding.

    "Boss, I will follow you. I will do anything you say." Xiao Wei said, quickly peeking at Luis from the corner of his eye.

    ''Does the oath of God of contract work on different worlds?'' With this thought, he decided to test it.

    He wrote the oath on paper and gave it to Xiao Wei.

    "Recite it with your heart. Like you mean it, if your heart is not dedicated enough, it won''t work."

    Xiao Wei nodded and started speaking the words that were written in the paper sincerely.

    "....."

    Luis waited for any kind of reaction, but there was nothing. No reaction was produced from the oath. There was no sign of the oath taking effect.

    ''It doesn''t work in this world,'' Luis thought, frowning. ''I need another solution.''

    ''This cultivation world... immortals... heaven... heavenly Dao... yes, Heavenly tribtion,'' Luis thought of the real big boss of Cultivation World.

    Luis quickly wrote the oath to heavens and gave it to Xiao Wei to recite.

    When Xiao Wei saw what was written in the paper, his eyes involuntary widened for a short moment. He quickly regained hisposure.

    "I, Xiao Wei, solemnly swear before the heavens that I will follow Luis Hartmann with unwavering loyalty. Should I ever betray this vow, may the heavens strike me down with heart demons and unleash the fury of the Heavenly Tribtion upon my soul."

    As soon as he finished, a small, white cloud emerged from Xiao Wei''s body, floating upward as if trying to escape. But before it could disappear, it was pulled into the vortex. After it was tied with the vortex, he felt a connection with Xiao Wei.

    ''Heaven is indeed the big boss of Cultivation World. Luis opened the vortex and looked at Xiao Wei.

    "You go inside and return quickly."

    Xiao Wei, still shaken, stepped through the portal. A few secondster, he re-emerged, his face a mixture of shock and awe.

 Chapter 31 Silence

    "You can go to Arthur now. He will teach you the practice methods," Luis said as Xiao Wei reappeared from the vortex.

    "As for the nts to make the body training powder, I''ll gather themter when I have more time."

    "Yes, Boss," Xiao Wei said, going outside with a shocked face. He saw that on the other side there was a whole new, different world.

    Luis watched him go, then turned back toward the vortex. He stepped through it and returned to his own world.

    For now, his focus wouldn''t be on the cultivation world. He trusted Liam and the others to handle the Sirius Gang without his constant involvement.

    -----

    Luis and Pipi left Ferterra Town together. He was heading towards Hartmann City. His father could return at any moment, and Luis wanted to be there to wee him.

    ''He will definitely be surprised when he knows that I am already an official knight.''

    Luis had a very good rtionship with his father and mother. Not just them; he had good rtionships with everyone in the Hartmann family.

    While reaching towards Hartmann City, he began to think about the history of the Hartmann family.

    Thor Firelock, his grandfather, was the third son of Firelock Earl in the Moon Frost province. He was the strongest genius that Moon Frost produced in his generation. He had already created his own name on the battlefield against the Orcs.

    At the age of 26, he had already be a third-stage official knight. Thor''s rise to power seemed unstoppable. He had the chance to step into the 4th-level official knight, bing one of the strongest people in the kingdom.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    However, an incident happened. His grandfather was very high profile, showing his power everywhere. The nobles of Moon Frost Province became wary. Fearing that Thor''s sess would shift the bnce of power and elevate the Firelock family above them. So, the nobles formed an alliance.

    They feared that if Thor Firelock became a 4th-stage knight. Their living space would be reduced, and it would cause the inevitable rise of Earl of Firelock with them losing some powers.

    So, they gathered their knights and attacked the Firelock Earl. This caused an unprecedented war in the peaceful Moon Frost province.

    The firelock Earl was fighting against other dozens of nobles. Firelock Earl was not alone, as he had the support of the other 3 nobles. Still, they were constantly losing ground, fighting four against more than dozens.

    The war raged for months, and even nobles from neighboring provinces joined in the fight against the Firelock Earl.

    Despite the scale of the conflict, the kingdom did not intervene. In the end, the three noble families loyal to the Firelocks were destroyed, and the Firelock family lost everything.

    Firelock Earl tried to negotiate with other nobles before, but there was no negotiation. They destroyed the Earl of Firelock with all their strength, without any reserve, as if they had received an order from above.

    Thor barely survived this war with injuries. He wouldn''t survive this ughter that was aimed at him if he were saved not by the Lily Firestorm.

    Lily was the daughter of Firestorm Duke. They both met each other when fighting in war against orcs.

    They developed their feelings over time, helping each other in war.

    Lily was the daughter of the Firestorm Duke, and she couldn''t bear to see Thor die. She pleaded with her father, and the Firestorm family intervened just in time to save Thor''s life.

    After the war, Thor was a broken man. His family''s noble title was gone, theirnds reduced to ashes, and the Firelock name was ruined. But with Lily''s support, he slowly rebuilt his life. He knew, however, that rebuilding his family''s old glory was impossible.

    Still, Thor had a will that refused to fade. He wanted to leave behind his will to his future generations, hoping someday, when they are strong, they could remember him and destroy those dozens of nobles.

    He applied to the kingdom to be a pioneer knight. If he could build his own territory in the Northern Wastnd that the kingdom has always wanted to conquer, he could get the nobility back¡ªalthough only a baron.

    To start fresh, Thor changed his name to Hartmann. Although he desired revenge, he didn''t want his descendants to be consumed by it. His dream was for the Hartmann family to grow strong, not just for vengeance but to reim their ce in the world on their own terms.

    With Lily by his side and a handful of loyal knights¡ªincluding Biggs, whoter became the family''s gardener¡ªThor headed for the wastnds. This was the beginning of the Hartmann family, a new legacy forged from the ashes of the Firelocks.

    Luis sighed as he thought about his grandfather''s hardships. Thor had been so close to greatness, only to lose everything in a heartbeat. But despite everything, he had never given up.

    Thinking of all this, he reached towards Hartmann City. Luis was very emotional thinking of all this. His grandfather, who had a bright future, lost everything and had to start from the beginning.

    ''I will develop in a lowkey manner like my father.'' Luis is the only son of Felipe Baron, and he obviously knows some secret. The strength that the outsiders know of their Hartmann family is fake.

    Almost half the strength of Barony is hidden. Hiding like a predator that will attack others at the perfect moment.

    His father, Felipe Hartmann, has learned the lessons from his grandfather.

    Now, he is also cautious and didn''t dare to venture too far in Cultivation World. If he meets an immortal fight that can destroy mountains, it will be game over for him. He won''t even know how he died.

    "It''s been so long since I''ve seen my mother," Luis said aloud, suddenly thinking of the formidable woman known as the tigress of the Hartmann family.

    "I will meet her after she returns. If I go see her now, I have to listen to hours of lectures." He murmured and approached his room.

    On the way, he met many maids who bowed to him respectfully. He didn''t react to this; living as a noble, this is the norm.

    After returning to his room, he freshened up and slept soundly. The body should be given proper rest so that it can stay in perfect condition.

    However, this was not the case for his knights in Cultivation World. They were ready to attack the Bako Gang.

 Chapter 32 Discipline

    Bako Gang

    There was a banquet going on at this ce. The ce was filled with loudughter, music, and the stomping of drunken feet. Many girls danced around the men, who cheered and tossed money at them with faces flushed with alcohol.

    "That Sirius Gang is just a bluff," one guyughed with a bottle in his hand. He took a swig and threw a handful of coins towards the dancing girls.

    "Hehe, both the Anyu Gang and Sirius Gang fought. Anyu Gang was destroyed, but the Sirius Gang must be seriously damaged too," a skinny guy said in a slurred voice.

    "They don''t have any people left .We have already captured their stronghold, but they didn''t even react."

    "Tomorrow we will attack all their strongholds and then the headquarters."

    "Yes, Yes"

    "Bako Gang is the strongest."

    The drunk men''s were murmuring with happiness, not knowing the danger that would befall them.

    -----

    Meanwhile, in another part of the town, Arthur was reviewing all the information they had gathered on the Bako Gang. His expression was calm, his mind sharp.

    Bako Gang is a weaker gang than Anyu Gang, with only twote-stage body-training warriors at the seventh stage. There are also only 7 mid-stage body-training warriors. Nothing to worry about.

    Arthur looked at everyone and saw more than dozens of apprentice knights whose strength is equal tote-stage body training warriors. He felt relieved there was no chance for any ident to happen.

    "There are 14 of you who have broken through to the apprentice knight stage," Arthur began, pacing in front of the knights. "Including us older knights, we have 26 in total. This is more than enough to destroy the Bako Gang."

    He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. The knights nodded, listening intently.

    "In each of the Bako Gang strongholds, 2 apprentice knights will attack," Arthur said loudly.

    "The strongholds will be attacked by us old guys. You newly promoted knights will go to the Bako headquarters and ughter them." Arthur gave them the n.

    "Your mission is simple¡ªdon''t leave any of the Bako Gang members alive. Do you understand?" Arthur''s eyes swept across the room, watching the reactions of every knight.

    "Yes!" the knights shouted in unison, their voices filled with enthusiasm.

    Arthur nodded in approval. "Then let''s begin."

    The knights didn''t waste any time and headed towards the Bako Gang to begin their mission. They moved swiftly through the night, like shadows in the dark, towards their targets. The Bako Gang, drunk and unaware, never stood a chance.

    By the time the sun rose the next day, the Bako Gang was no more. Not a single member of the Bako Gang was spared.

    When people woke up the next day, they saw the gs and boards of Sirius Gang in the ce of Bako Gang. The people of the town awoke to the news, their voices buzzing with curiosity and disbelief.

    "Is the Bako Gang really destroyed?"

    "Who is controlling Sirius Gang? Why don''t I see their gang members roam around?"

    "Finally, Bako Gang is destroyed. I hope Kanto Gang is destroyed too."

    "Behind Kanto Gang is Ma Family. I think behind Sirius Gang is the Xu family. It will stay like this with bnce."

    "I will be happy if they don''t oppress the others like Anyu Gang and Bako Gang."

    "These days, town has really been lively."

    "Yeah, it is too lively."

    "..."

    The destruction of Bako Gang became the topic of the whole town. The whole town was waiting for the next movement of the Sirius Gang.

    However, in the sirius gang, everyone was practicing knight breathing and martial arts. They were so excited that they didn''t sleep at all.

    Liam, meanwhile, was organizing the loot from the Bako Gang with a satisfied smile on his face.

    Everyone here has already seen a beautiful future, where they will nt the Hartmann Family g all over the Two Worlds.

    ------

    Back in Hartmann City, Luis, after a good sleep, was woken up by Pipi the next morning. The little creature was energetic, running circles around him as he got dressed.

    He took Pipi to the garden to visit around. She is really lively. It was a beautiful morning, and the fresh air felt good.

    As he walked through the garden, Luis spotted Biggs, sitting peacefully, sipping his tea.

    "Good morning, young master," Biggs said, rising to his feet the moment he saw Luis.

    "There is no need to stand up; just enjoy your tea," Luis said kindly. Luis, looking closely at the face of Biggs, noticed a lot of wrinkles in it.

    He has followed his grandfather from the Moon Frost Province to this dangerous Northern Province. A truly loyal and respectable man.

    "Biggs, how old are you this year?" Luis asked, sitting beside him.

    "Young master, I am 76 years old."

    ''76 years old and still not a 1st level knight. There is not much lifespan left for him.

    Luis had a deep look as he eyed Biggs.

    "Do you have any experience in business?"

    "Yes, I have when we first arrived here. I was the one handling the purchase of all the ves and setting up the Chamber of Commerce." Bigs said nostalgia in his face.

    "That was until I retired and handed it to my disciples." Biggs face became sad when he said this.

    Luis was also sad seeing the sadness of Biggs. He knows why Biggs retired and stayed behind, taking care of the gardens. It was due to the impact of the deaths of his grandfather and grandmother.

    Thinking of how his grandparents died, Luis clenched his fist. He will definitely avenge their deaths in the future.

    "Biggs, I need your help. I''m starting a new business in a ce I''m unfamiliar with, and there''s no one I trust more than you. You''ve been with me since childhood, and I know I can count on you for this."

    Luis requested, sincerely looking at the old face of Biggs. Although he is too old, Biggs is the only experienced businessman he knows.

    Biggs looked at Luis, surprise shing in his eyes. But then something changed. The sadness faded, reced by a sharp, determined look.

    "I, Biggs, swore an oath to protect the Hartmann family until myst breath. If the young master needs my help, I''ll dly work these old bones to the grave."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Luis face became shocked when he heard Biggs. He felt a connection of Biggs in the vortex.

    ''How did this happen? He didn''t take a personal oath to follow me? Is it because I am the Hartmann family?'' Many questions shed in Luis''s mind.

    ''I will test itter'' Luis left this question behind his mind and focused his attention on Biggs.

    He looked at Biggs and stood up.

    "I''m going to take you to a whole different world, Biggs," Luis said, standing up. "Don''t be shocked."

    Biggs was confused when he heard this.

    Biggs blinks in confusion, not understanding what Luis meant. But before he could ask, a portal appeared in front of him.

    His eyes widened in shock, unable to tear his gaze away from the swirling portal.

    (end chapter)

    [Am I being too repetitive, showing the shocked reaction of others regarding Vortex?]

 Chapter 33 Resting

    Luis stepped through the vortex, with Biggs following closely behind.

    As soon as they arrived in the cultivation world, the first thing Luis saw was Liam, who was busy organizing the coins and treasures.

    "Young Master" Liam stopped organizing the treasures and stood up. His gaze shifted to Biggs, who had just stepped out of the vortex behind Luis.

    Biggs was currently closing his eyes, absorbing all the memories. Biggs opened his eyes as he understood everything.

    "Is this... a whole new world, young master?" Biggs questioned with awe

    Luis nodded with a smile. He loves seeing the shocked reactions of others.

    Biggs blinked a few times, trying to take everything in. His eyes eventually fell on Liam, who remained silent, standing a few paces away.

    "Oh, Liam is also here." Biggs noted ncing at the expressionless face.

    "Yes, sir," Liam nodded respectfully towards Biggs. This old man had contributed a lot to the rise of Barony.

    "You still have the same expressionless face," Biggs chuckled and shook his head.

    Biggs then turned his attention back to Luis.

    "Young Master, I must admit, I''m not familiar with this world at all. I need to understand the culture, economy, and people here before I can start making any business ns."

    Luis nodded thoughtfully and pointed towards Liam.

    "You can ask Liam to take you around this town and understand the culture of this ce. After you finish it, create a brief report for me.

    Biggs nodded hearing the instruction of Luis.

    "Understood, young master. I will take my leave now."

    With that, Biggs and Liam walked out together. Luis stared at the fading backs of two old people. Liam was fine as he had a lifespan of 150 years, but Biggs was already too old.

    ''Can he even be Official Knight at this advanced stage?'' This question weighted heavily on his mind.

    The body of Biggs was already like a dead wood. Although the body was apprentice knight was strongpared to normal people. It is already weakened a lotpared to the peak.

    ''I hope what I have in mind will work,'' Luis mused. ''It would be a shame to lose someone so capable of the passage of time.''

    Shaking off his thoughts, Luis made his way outside to check on the others.

    -----

    Outside, he saw Arthur and others practicing. Everyone stopped practicing and saluted him when they saw him.

    However, Luis had a gloomy face as he looked at them.

    "Arthur," he called out, his tone stern. "Give me a report on yesterday''s events."

    "Yes Boss. Yesterday we all attacked the Bako Gang and destroyed them. It was a great victory with zero causalities," Arthur reported everything proudly.

    Others also had a proud expression.

    "How long did it take it for you to destroy them?" Luis still questioned grimly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Arthur hesitated for a moment, sensing that Luis wasn''t happy. "Many of them tried to escape during the attack, so we had to hunt them down one by one," he exined, his voice slowing.

    "It took us until almost 3 in the morning to catch everyst one. By the time we brought all their treasure back here, it was already 4:30."

    Arthur stood with worry after reporting.

    ''Is the boss going to me us because it took so long?'' Arthur and others looked at Luis face, which was bing more and more gloomy.

    "You all really love to push yourselves, huh? It''s 6:30 in the morning, and look at you¡ªeyes red like a worn-out donkey. You fought all night and still want to train this early?"

    Luis looked at everyone whose faces were dead tired.

    "I admire your perseverance, but your body needs rest too. Pushing yourself like this is pointless; it''s like putting the cart before the horse. Go get some rest. Your body needs at least six hours of proper sleep."

    Luis looked at everyone''s faces and ordered

    "But boss," a voice suddenly piped up. It was Brian, one of the boldest of the group. "I don''t feel tired at all! I want to practice all day!"

    Luis sharply looked at Brian''s face. His eyes were red and his face tired.

    "You dare to question my orders?" Luis asked coldly. "Arthur, keep an eye on him. He''s not allowed to do any training for the next three days. If I hear that he''s practicing in secret, there will be consequences."

    The others who were about to follow Brian and shout immediately shut up. They could feel their strength increase rapidly as they practiced. They don''t want the punishment of not practicing for three days.

    They stared at Luis nervously as he was still looking at them.

    "Now, what are you all waiting for?" Luis barked. "If you don''t want the same punishment, get out of my sight. Get Lost."

    When everyone heard this, their faces changed, and they walked out of the training ground hurriedly.

    "Hmph want to practice the whole day without any rest. It''ll just do more harm than good."

    Luis murmured and shook his head. He soon started his own practice for the day.

    -----

    The whole day passed, and it was already evening. Six hours have already passed. The Knights came towards the training ground with a much more energetic face after having a good rest.

    When they arrived, they saw Luis, who was practicing alone on the training ground. They watched in awe as Luis practiced.

    In Luis naked upper body, vortex qi was attached as he tried different means of attack. Focusing the vortex qi on the legs, he gained a burst speed, moving forward with great speed.

    When he attached the vortex qi in his legs and burst forward, there was no crack on the ground, which indicated the perfect control of the energy.

    They all watched the practice of Luis. They got to learn a lot seeing Luis practicing.

    Luis stopped practicing after some time and looked at the crowd who was watching him with worship.

    "How was it? This is the strength of the official knight." Luis questioned with a smile.

    "Young Master, your strength is amazing!"

    "Young master, this is great. I want to be like this."

    "Can I even be an official knight in this lifetime?"

    "I want to roam on the battlefield with such strength."

    "..."

    Luis listened to them with puzzlement.

    ''Why do these well-trained guys act so brainless sometimes?''

    "Alright, everyone stop. You''re now more than capable of bing official knights¡ªyou''ve got both the strength in martial arts and the breathing method. You can definitely be much stronger than just an official knight. But remember, your body needs proper rest to grow stronger."

    With that, Luis disappeared from their sight, leaving them to process his words. He doesn''t want his IQ to be lowered by spending more time with these people.

 Chapter 34 Chamber of Commerce

    The next day, Biggs arrived with Liam following closely behind him.

    "Young Master, this world is a great opportunity for Hartmann Family" Biggs said, his voice filled with excitement.

    "There is opportunity in almost everything"

    Luis nodded at this and listened carefully to Biggs.

    "There are two ways military and business. Following the path of military is not safe in this world, so i am going to talk about business" Biggs said slowly

    "This is a backward world where there is not much fun in peoples life. Our world is much better at this"

    Luis mouth twitched when he heard this.

    ''A backward world calling another world a backward. I really miss inte'' when Biggs mentioned backwardness he couldn''t help but remember earth.

    "That said," Biggs added, "this world has some redeeming factors too. Especially the pharmacists. They''ve got extensive knowledge of herbs, and they can create powders that are much cheaper than our life potions."

    Luis nodded in agreement, seeing the value in what Biggs was saying.

    "So i suggest bringing our baron Pharmacist to this world. They will learn from the pharmacist of this world. Maybe they can try tobine the knowledge of both world creating something unique" Biggs said with some hesitation

    Luis eyes lit up when he heard this.

    ''Wisdom of old cannot be underestimated'' Luis hadn''t really thought of this great n.

    "But where do we get the pharmacist. They are very rare" he looked at Biggs and questioned. The pharmacist in the barony are all protected and they don''t have much time. They need to constantly supply life potion to the frontlines.

    He didn''t dare to use the pharmacist who work for the battlefield soldiers.

    "Don''t worry, young master. I''ve got a few old friends¡ªretired pharmacists. They''re no longer tied to the barony''s needs. I can convince them toe here." Biggs already had a n

    Liam, standing behind Biggs, nodded in agreement, a silent witness to the n.

    Luis raised an eyebrow. "Am I really about to bring all the capable old folks from the barony? Will they even want toe, though? I mean, they retired for a reason,"

    "Don''t worry they will definitelye, you have this new world. This world is the way to make the Hartmann Family rise to new heights" Biggs said with clenched fist "Even if they don''t want toe, i will forcefully bring them here"

    Luis said nothing at this. These old guys problem let the old solve it themselves.

    "I''ll trust you with this task, then. But what other ns do you have?" Luis shifted the topic back to the main topic

    Luis and Biggs talked for a long time. After the conversation, Luis had a basic blueprint of development in this cultivation World.

    ording to Biggs, in this town they will destroy the gambling house, red light areas and build taverns, inns, public baths. To protect these area they will recruit people of this world.

    Then, they will open a chamber ofmerce in this world. In the chamber ofmerce, many kinds ofmon and unique items of both world will be sold. The chamber ofmerce will be protected by their well trained strong knights.

    Luis could see a bright future through this n. He appreciated the teaching of Biggs very much. He could think of all these n but it would not work perfectly. In Business there are various small things that only people involved in know. If these small are not taken care of properly whole business would crumble.

    The old man had thought of everything, from supply chains to cultural differences.

    ''Business really isn''t my thing. I''ll let Biggs handle it,'' Luis decided. He knew trying to micromanage would only cause more problems.

    "How long do you think it''ll take to get things going?" Luis asked.

    "Young Master, it will take me at least a week to create a basic prototype of chamber ofmerce. I need to gather all my disciples and retired friends too" Biggs rubbed his chins and finally ended his report

    "I dont know much about business. I will give you full authority regarding this. I will be responsible for protecting the family from any external danger"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Biggs who was looking at Luis felt his eyes moisten. In Luis he saw the young Thor Firelock ovepping. Young Master at this moment seems so identical to his grandfather. Totally developing in an unknown area like master who first came to Northern Wastnd.

    "Don''t worry, young master. I''ll run the business without making a single mistake," Biggs promised, his voice shaking with emotion.

    Luis felt weird when he saw Biggs eyes full of tears. Old guys really have a lot in their minds to get emotional quickly.

    "Good. Let me know when you''ve made progress," Luis said and signaled that they could leave

    Biggs bowed down and walked away with Liam following behind.

    ''Today is the day when father returns''

    Luis reminded himself as he quickly made his way back through the vortex to his own world.

    ----

    After returning to his heid down on his bed. No matter what the bed of own house is the mostfortable.

    He walked out after resting for some time with all the ns of future. Living under the shade of his father he will never truly grow. He could be stronger in terms of physical power, but in terms of leadership andmanding presence, his father would still be miles ahead.

    He has seen his usually smiling father totally different when he is with his soldiers. At home, he was a gentle, smiling man, but on the battlefield, he was someone else entirely¡ªan unshakable force ofmand and strength.

    Luis is always in awe when he sees the scene of training of ck cavalry. His father along with his soldiers gallops wildly across the grasnd. The ck Cavalry was an invincible army, fearless and disciplined.

    ''One day, I''ll be better than him,'' Luis thought, his heart swelling with determination.

 Chapter 35 Father

    Today was the day when Felipe Hartmann, the baron of Hartmann, would return to Hartmann City.

    The people from the whole city were excited. The city was lively as people walked out of their homes and gathered towards the side of the road to catch a glimpse of their baron.

    Not just the people of this city, but the people from surrounding towns and viges had already arrived earlier in the day. Children and men were excited to see the legendary ck Cavalry.

    "Father, when can I see the ck Cavalry?" A small boy asked, tugging at his father''s sleeve.

    "It will arrive soon, Henry. I hope one day you can be a soldier in the ck Cavalry," the father replied, smiling proudly.

    "I will definitely join them!" the boy said, his eyes shining with determination.

    Everyone around smiled and chuckled softly when they heard the child''s innocent voice. For a child, dreams were pure and simple, but as people grew older, those dreams often faded, reced by the harsh realities of life.

    Most people are here ves or their family were ves. They are grateful for having a stable life under the protection of the Hartmann family. Most people don''t dare to dream more satisfied with a peaceful life.

    As hours passed, the street was filled by people with little space left to move.

    "Everyone, The baron has entered the city. Be ready to wee him."

    A militiaman shouted to the people who were murmuring amongst each other.

    As everyone heard this shout, they stopped talking. They watched at the road with excitement in their eyes.

    -----

    Felipe Hartmann returned to the city on his powerful ck horse. His ck armor gleamed under the afternoon sun. His presence was imposing, showcasing the aura of a strong and fearless leader.

    The horse beneath him moved with powerful strides. Behind him, the 500 elites of ck Cavalry followed. They were all moving in perfect unison, their armor and weapons polished to perfection.

    In total, there were a total of 4,000 of these elite ck cavalry under Felipe''smand, but only 500 hade with him today. The rest were stationed at the military base, ready for any iing danger that might befall the barony.

    As Felipe and his cavalry entered the city gate. All the citizens, knights, and militiamen saluted, raising their hands. Their eyes were filled with deep admiration and a sense of longing as they watched the ck cavalry pass by.

    They all want to join the ck Cavalry, protecting their family and homes from any kind of danger.

    Luis was watching all this from the top of the castle. No matter how many times he watches this scene, it always looks cool. The army was d in ck, from the whole body to the horse. This is a fierce army that fights the undead and orcs.

    He will soon fight side by side with his father. The ck cavalry and his own personal army are fighting in two worlds.

    After roaming around the whole city, ck cavalry stationed outside the main castle. The main castle is where his father and mother live. He currently has his own castle, which is a side castle.

    ''I will meet my father tomorrow; let him spend his time with his mother tonight,'' Luis thought as he walked back to his room.

    "I can''t create an army as good as ck cavalry if they haven''t galloped on the battlefield," Luis murmured as hey down on his bed.

    Just then, Pipi, his smallpanion, flew out of his body.

    "Pi pi," Pipi shouted, and she flew out of the window.

    Luis could feel her eagerness to explore; she wanted to roam outside.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Don''t go too far from the castle pipi," Luis said, and he didn''t care much about her safety. Since he activated the map, he can track her no matter where she went.

    ncing at the map, Luis saw Pipi flying toward the main castle.

    ''What is she doing there, is she going towards the ck cavalry?'' Luis looked at it for a while before turning the map to Cultivation World.

    There he saw the green dots in different parts of the Anyu Town.

    ''It seems Biggs has already started his work. He looked at me for some more times before drifting off to sleep.

    ----

    The next day, Luis woke up early and headed towards the main castle. He needs to show his new strength to his father. His newfound strength wasn''t just about power¡ªit was a symbol of his readiness to take on the responsibilities of the future.

    He made his way to the main castle, heading straight for the third floor, where his father''s office was located. Baron Felipe was sitting at his desk, flipping through the ''General History of the Continent'' in his hand.

    But it was obvious that Baron''s thoughts were not in the book but drifted to who knows where.

    "It''s already been 28 years," a long sigh sounded with a deep unwillingness.

    "Boom, Boom, Boom."

    Suddenly, the sound of a doorknocker was heard in the silent room.

    "Father, it''s me," Luis shouted from outside the door.

    "Luis?"

    "Come in" Knowing that it was Luis, Felipe''s worry faded, and a natural smile formed in his face.

    "Crunch!" The door made a sound as it opened.

    Luis walked in and saw a middle-aged man with a book in his hand. It was Baron Felipe Hartmann.

    "Greetings, father!"

    Luis took a deep breath, suppressed his heartbeat, and saluted respectfully.

    "Good, you have already made a breakthrough, bing the youngest genius in family history, surpassing your grandfather."

    A somewhat unexpected voice sounded, and Felipe Baron''s expression was a little surprised at first, but then it turned into calmness.

    "It''s all thanks to my father''s guidance!" Luis smiled and replied

    "I haven''t trained you since you were twelve," Felipe replied with a wave of his hand. "No need for false modesty."

    "You''ve advanced faster than I expected, Luis. I thought it would take you over a year to reach the rank of an official knight. Now, it''s time for you to make a decision." Felipe became serious and spoke

    "I have two choices for you, and your future depends on what you choose," Felipe said gravely.

    Luis hearing this also became serious.

    "Please speak frankly, father!!" Luis nodded, ready for whatever wasing next.

 Chapter 36 Decision

    "The first choice is you will go to the Royal Capital to join the academy. You will learn from the best there and create connections with other nobles."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "The second choice is to be the family guardian knight. You will safeguard the territory of the barony. You will eventually be the baron after you grow up."

    Felipe Hartmann words slowly rang out. He looked at Luis as he was waiting for Luis answer.

    Listening to his father''s words, Luis fell into silence. He had never expected that there would be two choices. These were ns he has never thought and felt in a trance.

    ''Should I join the Royal Academy and rise through the nobility ranks or stay as a family guardian knight?''

    After a moment of silence, his eyes became firm. This time he will stay true to his thoughts.

    "Father, I''ve already chosen," Luis said, his voice steady.

    "Tell me your choice," Felipe said with a little disappointment shing in his eyes.

    "Royal Academy... Guardian Knight... these both choices I reject," Luis dered, his voice clear and loud.

    "Then what will be your choice?" Felipe questioned, and a light shed through his eyes.

    "I want to join the war against Orcs and Undead. I want to gallop through the battlefield with soldiers behind him," Luis dered with a firm voice.

    A smile crept across Felipe''s face, his earlier disappointment fading. He leaned back in his chair, relieved by Luis''s bold deration.

    "Our Hartmann family was created 55 years ago by your grandfather. Thend you have now is fought and protected by me and your grandfather. I am relieved that you didn''t choose those two options that I gave you. As the future of the Hartmann family, the heir should have his own thoughts and not just follow the choices given by others."

    Felipe''s voice carried a tone of pride.

    "You are talented enough that you don''t need the Royal Academy. As for those nobles, they''re nothing more than scheming fools," he said with disdain.

    "If you had chosen to be a guardian knight, it would''ve been the safest path."

    Felipe fell silent, saying this, his expression unreadable.

    Luis was listening when his father suddenly became silent. Luis waited, but the silence still dragged on.

    "Father, what about my decision? Can I join the war against orcs and undead?" Luis broke the long, painful silence.

    Felipe''s lips curled into a yful smile. "That''s something I can''t approve by myself. You''ll need to discuss it with your mother at tonight''s family dinner."

    Luis Heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He would go face-to-face with Tigress of the Hartmann family. He felt the hours of lecture from mother were inevitable.

    "You can go back now; your motherined to me that you have gone to see her for many weeks." Felipe smirked as he talked.

    "I will take my leave, father, but don''t forget that when she scolds you, you also get scolded. Today none of us will be spared." Luisughed and ran out. He will be in misery, but his father will suffer double it.

    Felipe face fell when he heard Luis.

    ''Well, her scolding is her showing love for the family,'' he thought with a sigh as he nced at the book still in his hand.

    -----

    Luis spent the rest of the day training until evening. Today was family dinner, so he quickly returned and dressed up in the finest attire.

    Looking in the mirror, he was proud of his own figure.

    He had a refined jawline, ck hair, and ck eyes. He stood at 5''8 at the age of 14. Today he was wearing a ck coat pant, which gave him a mature and noble appearance.

    After checking himself again, he approached towards the Main Castle dining hall.

    He quickly reached the dining hall. His parents were already seated, waiting for him. He hurried to take his ce at the table.

    His mother name is Olivia Fenrich. She is a wizard and daughter of Earl Fenrich.

    Luis looked in the direction of his mother. His heart skipped a beat. Pipi was sitting on her soldier sulking on a magic stone happily.

    His mother had a smile when she watched him. Luis could feel the danger emanating from it.

    They started their dinner. Dinner began smoothly, with casual conversation and harmonious exchanges. Luis started to rx, thinking perhaps he might escape unscathed.

    ''Am I safe?'' Luis thought as he ate happily.

    "Luis, when did you break through the Official Knight?" The voice of his mother sounded. Luis stopped chewing when he heard this.

    "Uh... It was almost a week ago," Luis mumbled.

    "Almost a week?" His mother''s tone grew sharper. "You didn''t think to tell me? I had to hear it from Michael. If he hadn''t told me, I''d still be in the dark. Have you grown so distant that you''re hiding things from your mother?"

    "No, Mother, I was just busy after the breakthrough... I didn''t have the time." Luis hurriedly scrambled to give a half-hearted reasoning.

    "Oh, you were so busy?" Olivia''s voice was dangerously sweet. "Tell me, where was Pipi during that time?"

    "She was... uh... I sent her to Ferterra Town to help grow nts for the family," Luis said with a guilty look. Now the scolding of his mother would be more intense.

    ''Shit! Today will be a bad day.

    "You sent her... to grow nts?" Olivia''s voice trembled with indignation. "She''s just a newborn! She needs care and love, and you sent her off to work in the fields! She trusted you enough to form a life contract, and you failed her!" Olivia''s voice rose as she scolded Luis.

    "You don''t even feed her magic stones; I had to send her crushed magic stones every day to absorb. If I hadn''t sent her crushed magic stones every day, she''d have been starving! How could you be so irresponsible? I have failed as a mother; I couldn''t teach you responsibility."

    Luis hung his head, guilt washing over him. She was right. He hadn''t taken proper care of Pipi. Meanwhile, Felipe was smirking from across the table. He was enjoying the drama.

    "Talking about responsibility, look at your father--"

    "Haha! Responsibility? Luis, if you want to learn about responsibility, just look at me!" Felipe interrupted with a proud face. "I take care of my soldiers very well. I make sure each and every one of them is cared for."

    He looked at his wife, hoping for her approval, but the sight in front of him chilled him.

 Chapter 37 Awkardness

    "Felipe Hartmann, who gives you the courage to cut me off when I am speaking." Olivia stared at Felipe, her eyes burning with anger.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ''Father, thank you for your sacrifice,'' Luis thought with relief, feeling the weight lift from his shoulders as the focus shifted away from him.

    "Don''t talk about you taking responsibility in front of me." Olivia Snapped

    "As a baron, how many times in a year have you stayed in a barony and understood how it runs? Do you even know how many towns and viges are under your control? You always run away to the battle field and leave the barony under my control. Do you know how exhausted I am? Do you even love me?"

    Tears welled up in Olivia''s eyes. Luis felt a pang of guilt seeing his mother break down like that.

    Felipe stood up quickly and wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her into aforting hug.

    "I have just killed the orc general on the battlefield. Now there is not much danger there. So, I will not go there for at least a year. I will be by your side, taking care of you and the barony," Felipe whispered softly as he held her tighter.

    Olivia sniffled, nodding slightly as she leaned into him. The tension eased, reced by the warmth of their affection. The air was filled with love.

    The one who became awkward was Luis. He watched as his father and mother hugged openly, showing their love to him.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Luis coughed and interrupted them. He, as a single, will always interrupt the lovers.

    Felipe, who was interrupted, looked at Luis angrily. He stared at Louis and finally showed a mischievous grin.

    "Wife, I forgot to tell you. Our kid said that he was big enough and wanted to go to the battlefield. He ignored my suggestion of staying as a family knight. He argues with me."

    Olivia''s eyes again became sharp when she heard this. She gazed at Luis.

    ''No! Father betrayed me!'' Luis thought in panic, lowering his head as he prepared for the inevitable.

    "Oh! You want to go to the battlefield." Olivia lecture began with full force.

    The lecture went on for hours. He was scolded in everything, even from the mishap he did when he was a small child. By the time it was over, Luis felt drained.

    It seems father knew exactly how to appease his mother. Now, he didn''t dare mess with his father. He knows how perfectly to appease his wife, but he doesn''t know how to appease his mother.

    After hours of getting scolded, he walked out of the room. By the time it was over, Luis felt drained. The delicious food that he ate became tasteless.

    ''How can I go to the battlefield now? Mother didn''t approve, and Father won''t let me either,'' Many thoughts shed in his mind as he made his way to the room.

    He also realized that he was not responsible enough. He felt guilty about Pipi. She had formed a life contract with him, but he hadn''t even taken proper care of her or fed her enough magic stones. His mother had been right¡ªhe was irresponsible.

    He was very exhausted today. He will again meet his father tomorrow. He will definitely go to the battlefield. If Father doesn''t approve, he will go to him daily to convince. As for mother, he didn''t dare to request her.

    ''Maybe I''m not ready yet,'' he sighed, copsing onto his bed. He was tired from the day, but he wasn''t going to give up. If his father didn''t let him go to the battlefield, he''d keep asking until he was granted permission.

    Night passed quickly, and another day arrived.

    Luis went to convince his father about going to the battlefield. They talked a lot, but it was unsessful.

    ------

    First day unsessful...

    Second day unsessful...

    Third day unsessful...

    Fourth day unsessful...

    ....

    Seventh day unsessful...

    Luis tried continuously for seven days, but he didn''t get the permission.

    However, not everything was bad during these seven days. Liam and Biggs returned to the fantasy world many times. They convinced their old friends and disciples to travel to the cultivation world.

    Luis also found out that they don''t need to personally recite the oath to him. If they are loyal to the Hartmann family and say it in front of him with a sincere heart. They will form a connection with him.

    It works because he is the heir of Hartmann Barony. If they are loyal to Hartmann, they are loyal to him. This makes things much easier, as he can now take many people who are loyal without them personally reciting their oath to him.

    After being rejected again by his father, he traveled to the cultivation world.

    The business in Anyu Town was on the right track. All the gambling houses and red light areas were closed down. In that ce, an inn, a tea house, taverns, a luxury goods shop, and bath houses were opened.

    Luis could hear the praise of other people when walking on the streets.

    "Sirius Gang is so great, they destroyed all the gambling houses and red light areas."

    "Yeah, now only the Kanto gang runs it; they became more prosperous after all the degenerate towns spent money on them."

    "Let''s go to the teahouse today. There is a bard who tells a good story about the fight between dragons and humans. Today, I heard he was going to tell about phoenix. Lets go quickly; otherwise, there will be no ce for us to sit in."

    "..."

    "I am very tired after working all day long; let''s go to the public bath. We will stay in the hot bath for a long time."

    "Yes, let''s go."

    "..."

    Luis could hear the praise of everyone about Sirius Gang. He walked for hours in the town thinking about a new n. Father and Mother didn''t let him go to the battlefield, and he had to stay in the barony.

    Now, his option was going to the royal academy. The idea of staying in the academy felt ridiculous to him. Spending his time with a bunch of kids, fighting and studying... it wouldn''t help him in the ways he needed. Plus, he couldn''t openly use the vortex there either, which would limit his growth.

    ''I should just focus on searching for immortals in this world now if Father doesn''t agree.'' He sighed as he returned to the Sirius Headquarters.

    Upon arriving at the yard where Biggs was staying, Luis found him looking over ount books. He approached him, wanting to catch up on the progress of their ventures.

    "Biggs, how is the business progressing?" Luis started the conversation as he saw Biggs, who was looking at the ount books.

    Biggs looked up and smiled as he saw Luising.

 Chapter 38 Good Track

    "Young Mater, the business is going very well in this town. We have recruited some locals with clean backgrounds from this world. They, under the leadership of knights, secure the buildings from any kind of danger." Biggs began

    "As for the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce, the framework is already ready. The only thing left is to bring the goods from our world." He paused, waiting for Luis''s response.

    "I want to know what items you are selling in this world," Luis questioned with curiosity after Biggs finished speaking.

    Biggs nodded and continued, "The major items are food and spices, clothing and fabrics, ssware and pottery, tools and utensils, furniture''s, soaps, perfumes, wine, coffee, and tea, jewelry and essories, mirrors, and ssware."

    Luis nodded satisfied as he heard all the items that were being sold.

    "These are all good items; you can manage it yourself." Luis said, "I won''t focus on these matters from now on, but inform me when the pharmacist develops something interesting."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Luis left the room after talking with Biggs for some more time. Biggs was handling the business well, and that was one less thing for him to worry about.

    -----

    Luis wandered around the headquarters for a while, checking in on the knights.

    Among the 41 who arrivedter in this world. Everyone awakened their life seed. Now, he has 53 knights under him who can fight, not including those old guys who came to this worldter.

    However, Xiao Wei still hasn''t awakened his life seed, as he was just a 2nd stage body training warrior when he joined.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Luis could see his bright future ahead, with an invincible army behind him conquering everywhere. If he walked on the road, he might have made much greater progress, but he sees a group as a whole. He believes in the quote.

    "If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together."

    It was already evening as he spent his whole time in headquarters, so he returned to the castle.

    Pipi was waiting for him, her eyes gleaming as she fluttered around. Luis smiled and quickly prepared the magic stones for her, watching as she absorbed the energy.

    ''I will try again tomorrow.'' Luis thought, determined to convince his father about going to the battlefield.

    ----

    The next morning, Luis went to confront his father. He would have a long conversation with his father today. Since he has already killed the orc general, the battlefield should be safe for sometime.

    He entered the room after knocking on the door.

    "I am definitely going to the battlefield; you cannot stop me." Luis shouted directly, looking into the eyes of Felipe Hartmann.

    Felipe remained calm, looking at his son.

    "You kid have been disturbing me every day. I have not been so annoyed even if I face those annoying orcs, Shaman." Felipe said as he flipped the report in his hand.

    "I aming here every day until you approve of me to go to the battlefield." Luis was relentless.

    "Fine. If you want to go so badly, I''ll allow it. I''ll provide you with soldiers and resources." Felipe said with a soft sigh.

    "I will go to..." Luis suddenly stopped and looked at Felipe in surprise.

    "Wait, what? I can really go." Luis asked again with doubt.

    "Yes, you can go; don''t bother me now. Come to me in half a month, and I will prepare the soldiers and resources for you," Felipe said, waving his hand dismissively.

    "Haha, father, you are really the best." Luisughed and left the room.

    "This kid..." Felipe shook his head and started reading the daily report. Since he has already promised his wife to take care of the barony, he has to fulfill it. This job is much harder than fighting on the battlefield.

    -----

    Luis returned to his room with a wide smile, his heart brimming with excitement after receiving his father''s permission. The long-held dream of leading his own forces on the battlefield was finally within reach.

    His mind buzzed with ns. He could already imagine his troops training rigorously, pushing themselves to their limits, all under hismand. The thought of wielding power and skill on the battlefield filled him with a sense of purpose.

    ''Father will give more assistance too. I hope he gives me a little more Life Potions.

    Thinking of all these, he traveled to Cultivation World. The knights cannot stay in the cultivation world for now; otherwise, it will create suspicionter.

    He needs to travel to Ferterra Town and drop them and bring them back to this world again.

    In the cultivation world, those old guys will take care of small things. As there is not much danger for now.

    ----

    The next few days, Luis stayed in the library to gather all the information he could about Northern Wastnd, Orcs, Undead, and pioneer knights. He was going to be fully prepared; the battlefield is not a joke.

    In the library, he began reading all the books. Although Liam and other old guys might have information about the wastnd, knowing himself is a lot better than not knowing anything and being clueless.

    He already knows a lot of information as he lived the past 14 years in Northern Wastnd. This time he looked deeper into the forces of orcs and undead.

    He began to skim through many stacks of books daily.

    ''A middle-aged world, where magic failed the people,'' he didn''t know if it was the influence of wars and many different factors. The technology of this world has not changed a bit since thousands of years.

    The creatures like goblin and gnomes, who were good at technology, were destroyed by nobles in war thousands of years ago. There is no ce for innovators.

    Magic that can literally change the lives of people is hidden and not shared by those arrogant wizards. Nobles are high above others. The culture of ves is still very apparent in this world.

    ''I hope I can change the world and not adapt to it.''

    Many thoughts shed in his mind as he read the books. He still has not forgotten thefortable life of Earth.

 Chapter 39 Family Talk

    Days passed by, and the day when Luis was going to the battlefield drew near. Two days were left; he needed to bring those knights to this world.

    In the early morning, he rode on his horse and made his way towards Ferterra Town. Upon arriving, he summoned 45 knights through the vortex. As for the remaining, they would stay in the Cultivation World for protection of shops.

    As the group prepared to travel back to the city, Luis addressed them with a stern expression. "Everyone, do not share anything about your experience. Even if someone bes suspicious, you must remain silent."

    Knights following Luis nodded. They were not fools to reveal a huge secret to others. If this thing is known by other forces, it will bring huge trouble and disaster.

    -----

    Once back in the city, Luis gave the knights a holiday for 2 days. They could meet their family and lovers, rest, and do other things in these two days.

    Satisfied with their progress, Luis returned to his training routine for a few hours before heading to the library. Although the Hartmann family has been established for a short time, there were a lot of books in the library.

    Luis took a deep breath, then began to read the book with a calm mind.

    Night gradually passed. The stars dotted the sky.

    Early the next morning, Luis opened his eyes in bed with tired eyes. He began to freshen up and had breakfast. He took out the magic stone that mother had given and gave it to Pipi to absorb.

    ''Good thing we have that magic stone mine,'' Luis thought with a small smile. ''Feeding Pipi would bankrupt us otherwise.''

    He took Pipi to roam around the city. Tomorrow he will go in the Northern Wastnd Battlefield, and it will take years before he returns to this city again.

    He knew his identity and enjoyed his whole day fully with Pipi. Eating from stalls, listening to the story in tea houses, and many more.

    After roaming around the whole city, he made his way towards the Main Castle. He is going to meet Father and have a conversation with him.

    Luis knocked on the door and entered inside without saying anything. Coming here for 8 consecutive days, he had already regarded this as his own room. Anyway, in the future, everything in this ce will be his own.

    "Father, I want to know how many army units you have assigned to me."

    Felipe looked at Luis dead in the eye. He shook his head and sighed slowly, "You will know about it tomorrow. Liam, Biggs, Steve, Marcos..."

    Luis Heart skipped a beat when he heard the name recited by his father. These were all the old guys who followed his grandfather and were now helping him in the cultivation world.

    Luis looked and gulped nervously as Felipe finished speaking all the names.

    Felipe looked at Luis for a moment before continuing, his voice serious.

    "Everyone has their secrets, son. I don''t need to explore yours. After all, you are my child!" Felipe began talking seriously, "But those old guys, they are the seniors who greatly contributed to the early establishment of Barony. Treat them well."

    Luis nodded hearing this. His expression was very serious, he will take care of everyone around him.

    "Your mother was extremely opposed for you to enter the battlefield at such a young age. I argued with your mother, and finally she epted it."

    "I believe in you, Luis. One day, you''ll be the eagle that soars above the Hartmann Family."

    Felipe Baron chuckled and said to Luis. He didn''t question where those old guys disappeared. Instead, he encouraged him.

    "I won''t disappoint you, Father," Luis replied, standing up straighter. "I''ll lead our family to new heights. You can trust me."

    Felipe nodded, waving his hand to signal that their conversation was over.

    As Luis walked out of the room, many thoughts swirled in his mind.

    ''It seems Father has already noticed . Are there secret Shadow Guards to protect those old guys?''

    With his mind full of thought, he made his way to meet his mother. If he doesn''t see her today, he will be unfilial as a son and gather resentment from the family tigress.

    He quickly reached outside his mother office and knocked on the door.

    "Mother, it''s me," Luis shouted from outside the door. There was silence on the other side.

    "Come in," Olivia''s normal voice sounded after some time.

    Luis opened the door and saw that her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. Luis stared at this and didn''t know what to say.

    Olivia gestured for Luis to sit. He walked forward and sat down at a loss for words.

    "Do you really have to go to that ce, Luis?" Olivia asked softly, breaking the silence. "You have no idea how terrible war can be"

    Luis hearing this met her gaze, his resolve unwavering. "I must go, mother. I want to be stronger along with my army. In the future, I want to protect the barony and even avenge my grandfather."

    At the mention of his grandfather, Olivia''s expression changed. A smile formed on her lips. She looked at Luis closely, as if seeing something new.

    Luis became unconformable as he noticed his mother''s looks.

    "You are still young to know all the truth." She said, her voice tinged with sadness in her smile. Luis noticed the tired look in her eyes and felt a wave of curiosity, but he pushed it down. Now wasn''t the time to uncover family secrets.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Mother, I came here to ask for some little help." Luis started speaking his true intention, hoping to shift the mood.

    Olivia raised her eyebrows, signaling for him to continue.

    "I hope that I can get some extra Life Potion tomorrow. At least 30 is needed," Luis said, grinning a bit sheepishly.

    Life Potion is a liquid that contains arge amount of life energy that nourishes the body. It helps in awakening life seeds. If taken after awakening the life seed, it nourishes the life seed, making it stronger.

    "You don''t have to worry about this; you will get more than 50." Olivia smiled and said, not trying to remember the truth of the incident back then.

    Luis''s eyes widened in surprise. "You''re the best, Mother! I love you much more than father."

    "You can leave now. I have work to finish." Olivia dismissed Luis with a face full of happiness.

    Luis walked out of the room full of smiles. He didn''t expect he would receive so many life potions.

    "I hope you can stay strong and don''t crumble in that cruel ce," Olivia, who was inside the room, whispered to herself as she stared at the closed door.

 Chapter 40 Departure

    The night passed peacefully. Thest night when he would stay on the barony gradually passed.

    Early the next morning.

    Luis was ready and walked briskly into the parade ground. He sent Pipi to Cultivation World to stay.

    Baron Felipe was there with many soldiers around him standing on attention. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation.

    "Take a look. Is there anything else you need?"

    Baron Felipe said softly to Luis and looked at him gently. As Felipe spoke, Michael who was beside the baron handed a list to Luis.

    "Yes." Luis looked at the list with expectation. His father would obviously not wrong him and provide him sufficient help.

    The list of items came into his view.

    15,000 gold coins

    100 bottles of low-level life potion

    20 bottles of medium-level life potion

    50 official knights

    250 apprentice knights

    500 reserve knights

    10 sets of ck armor

    40 sets of silver armor

    100 sets of bronze armor

    650 sets of ck iron armor

    Luis breathe quickened as he saw the items that were presented on the list.

    This was beyond what he had imagined. Mother said yesterday that there would be more than 50 sets of life potions, but it seems that it is more than 120. Just the estimate of items like life potions and armor. The cost will be more than 100,000 gold coins.

    The annual fiscal revenue of Hartmann Family is just around $600,000. Almost 1/6th of the money is spent on him.

    Not to mention 50 knights, 250 apprentice knights, and 500 apprentice knights. This force is already stronger than most of the Pioneer Knights in Northern Wastnd.

    His eyes instantly rose, and he looked at his own father with heavy breathing.

    "It is time for the young eagle of the Hartmann family to spread its wings. As the future sessor, this gift is not too much," Baron Felipe said.

    "How is it? Are you satisfied?"

    Baron Felipe said with a gentle voice, his expression calm without much fluctuation.

    "Thank you, Father. I am more than satisfied." Luis took a deep breath and said with a voice full of gratitude.

    "Let''s go see your future subordinates. Today, under my witness, they will take an oath and be your most loyal knights."

    Baron Felipe smiled and walked towards the soldiers in Parade Ground.

    "Yes, Father," Luis began to follow, with Michael trailing behind them.

    They arrived before the 800 soldiers, all standing still in perfect formation.

    "Go there; the stage is yours." Baron Felipe smiled and gestured to Luis.

    Luis nodded and took a step forward. As he approached, an older knight in the lead kneeled and performed the knight''s salute.

    "Swear your loyalty," hemanded.

    All the 800 soldiers kneeled down in unison. Together, they raised their voices, reciting their oath to follow Luis Hartmann and remain loyal to him.

    The breeze picked up, swirling around them as their words filled the air. Luis felt the connection between him and the soldiers solidify in the vortex. The bond was formed, the contract sealed.

    Luis felt all these soldiers connection in the vortex. As the contract was finalized, Luis motioned for them to stand up. He saw Arthur, Devon, Ruben, and Brian among these soldiers. It seems Father has chosen for them to follow him on the battlefield.

    He gave them a small nod before turning back to Felipe.

    "From today, you are the soaring eagle of the Hartmann family. I am waiting for the day when we stand side by side working together to make the Hartmann family stronger."

    "I hope that day arrives soon."

    Baron Felipe finally said his final instructions to Luis.

    "Don''t worry, it won''t be long," Luis faces as full of expectation. A new chapter in his life has begun. From now on, he will rise stronger in both worlds.

    "Father, where is mother? Why didn''t shee to see me?" Luis then questioned his doubt.

    "Your Mother... She will be more sad when she sees you leaving home." Felipe said with a smile, "You can go ahead in your journey; I''ll wait for your good news."

    "Yes, Father," Luis nodded and mounted on the horse that was on another ground. The 800 soldiers also mounted on their horses. Baron Felipe has even arranged horses for every soldier.

    He raised his hand in a final wave before riding off. The 800 soldiers followed behind, their departure creating a mighty spectacle.

    Felipe and Michael were watching the leaving figures.

    "Lets go; he has chosen his own path." Felipe said quietly, turning back toward the castle. Michael nodded, and together they made their way inside.

    ----

    As Luis rode through the city streets, everyone in the city walked out on the road to watch the departing figure.

    "Isn''t that young master Luis? Where is he going?"

    "My cousin''s uncle''s friend said that he''s going to the battlefield."

    "What! He is just 14 years old."

    "This is why the Hartmann family is one of the strongest noble families in Northern Wastnd."

    "I also want to go to the battlefield and protect the territory from dangers."

    "..."

    The murmurs of the crowd followed Luis and his army as they rode out of the city.

    -----

    Back at the castle, Felipe and Olivia were beside each other.

    "Can he handle it? The battle field is very cruel," Olivia said softly, her voice trembling with worry.

    "Don''t worry. Our son is not so fragile" Felipe ced a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

    "Also He has his own secrets, he will not be in any danger."

    After that, two stood by each other, looking outside the window, reminiscing about their past and current troubles.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    -----

    Thend area of this continent is veryrge. Just to reach the battlefield, it will take almost a month.

    As a new emerging province in the Azov Kingdom, this Northern Wastnd is the most chaotic and dangerous among the whole kingdom.

    However, with 800 knights behind him, Luis was not worried. ording to Biggs n, he will first enter the Central City and buy living supplies for the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce in Cultivation World.

    The past 15 days had been smooth. No one had dared to challenge the Sirius Gang in Anyu Town. Troublemakers have already been dealt swiftly, and those two families didn''t dare to cause any further trouble.

    Now with the extra 800 knights, the development in Cultivation World will be even more rapid.

    The strongest martial artists only reached the Grandmaster realm, which was equivalent to a 2nd Stage Official Knight, which is not something to worry about. As for martial artists stronger than grandmasters, there is none in history.

    Luis smiled to himself as they rode onward. The future was bright, and he was ready to conquer whatevery ahead.

 Chapter 41 Progress

    Luis, followed by others, left the Hartmann Barony. The soldiers were following closely behind in horses and wagons. In these wagons pulled by horses, there were enough foods and other living supplies that couldst up to a month.

    ''This is too slow,'' Luis thought as he stopped. The journey would take forever if they travel at this rate.

    "Arthur and others who already know the secret. Come forward and stand behind me."

    Luis shouted, his voice ringing out across the group. Most of the knights watched in confusion as they looked at Luis.

    Arthur and more than 40 knights stepped forward.

    "You will organize and teach them the basic information. I don''t want this to be chaotic," Luis instructed these 40 knights.

    "Everyone, don''t be rmed by what you''re about to see. Just follow these knights with discipline." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "I don''t want the scene to be chaotic."

    With that said, he directly opened the vortex. Almost all the 750 knights stared at the vortex in shock and couldn''t say anything. After all for them, this was their first time witnessing such a phenomenon.

    "Didn''t you hear the young master? Follow us, along with the horses and wagons." Arthur barked and urged everyone to enter the vortex.

    "There is nothing to be shocked about. This is normal for Young Master." Arthur walked inside along with 20 knights. The other 20 knights were organizing everyone as they entered the vortex. After everyone entered, those 20 also followed behind.

    Only Luis was left standing in the fantasy world, observing the surroundings.

    ''Those 650 reserved knights who have not be apprentice knights can be stronger very quickly now.'' Luis took a deep breath as he also entered the vortex.

    ------

    In Cultivation World, the knights held their heads as they absorbed the memory imparted by the vortex. They stood in shock at the training ground.

    Arthur and the others quickly took charge, managing the knights as they recovered. All the supplies and horses were unloaded in the headquarters.

    Luis, ignoring themotion outside, called a meeting with the key figures. There were Arthur, Liam, Biggs, Steve, Marcos and others.

    "Now that I have brought them here. We will soon have 803 apprentice knights and 50 official knights." Luis looked at Biggs and other old guys and asked, "Did the life seed awakening fail for you?"

    "Yes, young master, we are already old. Bodybuilding powder couldn''t help us," Biggs said sadly. If they could live up to 150 years old, who would want to settle for less?

    Luis frowned hearing this. He took out four medium-level life potion and ced them on the table.

    "Use these life potions along with the Body Building Powder. It might work."

    "No, young master. This is a precious medium-level life potion. It would be a waste to use it on us old guys."

    "Don''t reject the things I have already given. I don''t like being rejected." Luis forced this life potion upon them. He will not let these capable men die so early.

    "I hope you use it quickly and don''t store it for long."

    Biggs and the other three old men looked at each other before reluctantly epting. "Thank you, young master."

    "Leave this matter for now. Tell me the best n to quickly reach the Remora City." Luis didn''t focus on these small matters for now. He quickly wanted to reach the battlefield. One month is too long.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Everyone in the room turned their eyes at Steve. He was one of the strategic nners of the Hartmann family years ago.

    "You''ll have to travel alone, young master, but for your safety, a dozen people will follow at a distance." Steve began speaking, giving his n.

    "Our war horses can sprint for about 12 to 15 kilometers before being tired. When the horse is exhausted, you can use the vortex to switch to a fresh horse. Following this n, we will reach Remora City in just 10 days instead of one month."

    Luis and others nodded when they heard the n.

    "You can travel the whole day, and at night you will rest at this cultivation world. This way there is no need to keep watch during the night."

    Luis looked at Steve closely. This old man really suggested a good n.

    "Ok, I will follow this n. You all can organize those newly arrived knights now."

    Luis ended the meeting and made his way towards the Horse Stable along with the dozens of knights who destroyed the Anyu Gang.

    He picked a horse and opened the vortex. The journey to Remora City has begun. He alone is an army, as he can summon more than 800 knights when he is in danger.

    ----

    The first day passed in anticipation, and so did the second day.

    The same is true for the following period of time. Soon the days began to blur.

    Time gradually came to the eleventh day under this circumstance.

    Dozens of knights in their horses were sprinting. This time there was a new group of knights following behind Luis.

    "How long until we arrive?" Luis questioned them as they were changing to fresh horses.

    "Boss, we''ll be there in a day." A knight at the lead answered Luis.

    Without wasting any further time, they began to sprint again. Luis had a happy smile as he was sprinting in the horse.

    He fell in love with this method of travel, running along the wind. This was much better than riding luxury vehicles back on earth.

    Over these past 10 days, he didn''t encounter any bandits, but there were many wild animals. One time he even encountered a pack of wolves. Although it was not a big trouble, the knight ughtered the pack in minutes.

    As evening arrives, Luis calls an end to the day''s travel and transports himself and his knights back to the Cultivation World.

    Letting the horse rest, he went towards his room. Today was thest day he would travel alone. Tomorrow most of the people here would have toe out and travel alongside him as Remora Town was near.

    The next day, 400 knights stepped out of the vortex and made their way toward Remora City. Luis only showed half of his power, keeping others hidden. It could be taken out as a surprise to attack the enemy.

    The Knights made their way towards the Remora City.

    Remora City was surrounded by huge walls to protect against the orcs and undead. This is the most protected ce in whole Northern Wastnd. If this city is captured or breached by enemy, it can be dered that the Kingdom Campaign in Northern Wastnd failed.

 Chapter 42 Remora City

    Remora City was not under the control of any ordinary noble. It is a central city directly governed by the Royal Family.

    This is known as the strongest city in Northern Wastnd, as the Royal Family has invested a lot in here for thest 120 years. All the nobles and pioneer knights in this wastnde here to buy supplies and learn about different information.

    As Luis and his group neared the city gate, the sight of theirrge army caused a stir. Many people who were lining up gave their way as they saw such a huge army approaching. This must be noble that they dare not offend.

    "Stop, show your identity." A guard stepped forward and shouted, blocking their path.

    Arthur calmly stepped forward and presented the identity symbol of the Hartmann family.

    The guard''s eyes widened with respect when he saw it. In this chaotic battlefield where war urs every moment, strength is very respected. The ck Cavalry of the Hartmann Family is the most fierce and famous cavalry. On the battlefield, wherever they rode, the ground was soon littered with the bodies of orcs.

    "Wee to the Remora City! Please Come in" The guard didn''t make things difficult for them. Without further dy, the guard signaled them to pass. More than 400 knights entered the city in a mighty manner.

    They headed towards the Hartmann Family station in this city to rest and store their horses.

    "Biggs, take the knights and buy all the necessary supplies for the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce," Luis instructed as they gathered.

    Biggs face was full of hesitation as he heard. After thinking for a while, he spoke.

    "Young Master," he said cautiously, "I''ve been thinking... this n might bring suspicion and trouble to the Hartmann Family."

    Luis frowned. "Why?"

    "If we buy such normal day items in this city. Interested forces will try to find where these things go." Biggs Continued

    Luis was shocked and realized the issue. It was really a foolish decision.

    "You''re right, Biggs. That would be a mistake. We should''ve just bought the supplies back in Hartmann Barony."

    "Do you have any ns then? It would be bad if the Chamber of Commerce is closed."

    Biggs nodded, having already thought of a solution: "We can bring Xiao Wei and others from the cultivation world to handle the buying. They will act as merchants and buy all the necessary things from here. You will follow them secretly."

    "No one would dare to attack inside this city. If they don''t attack, it will be better. If they attack, we can summon the knights from Cultivator World to kill them."

    Luis eyes lit up when he heard this, "Perfect! We will definitely be attacked; the knights will ambush and take care of it."

    -----

    Later, Luis slipped out of the city and summoned Xiao Wei and others. In the past month, there were many people who became loyal to Sirius Gang. They became connected with vortex through which he could summon them.

    "Xiao Wei, do you know the n? You will need to buy a lot of things," Luis questioned.

    "Yes, boss, I''ve got it," Xiao Wei answered as he was reading through the list.

    The newly formed merchant group headed towards the city gate.

    "Stop! Show your identity!" The same guard stepped forward and shouted.

    "We''re a merchant group hoping to try our luck in the Northern Wastnd," Xiao Wei stepped forward and said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The guard nodded. There were a lot of merchant groups who wanted to make a fortune in this war. A hint of greed shed in the guard''s eye as he sized up their humble appearance. He is a dog in front of nobles, but in front of normal people he is a tiger who can decide whether they can enter inside a city or not.

    "Wait outside. Your identity is unclear. You might be here to cause trouble." The guard shouted and looked at Xiao Wei.

    Xiao Wei, understanding the situation, took out a pouch from his body.

    "Brother, this is a small gift from us. We''re just simple merchants and mean no harm."

    The guard took the pouch given by Xiao Wei. It was heavy. He peeked inside a little, and his dog eyes were almost blinded. It was all gold, and by the weight, it was almost 50 gold coins.

    His greedy demeanor instantly changed as he tucked the pouch away and waved them through with respect. He not only acts as a dog in front of nobles but also in front of rich people.

    He respectfully sent them inside the city.

    Once inside, Xiao Wei wasted no time. He began to roam around the major stores and began to buy all the things on the list.

    As Xiao Wei bought a lot of things, he got a lot of discounts. He almost spent 7,000 gold coins buying all kinds of things. The items were perfume, soap, mirrors and ssware, jewelry and essories, wine, coffee, tea, candles andnterns, furniture, leather goods, foods, spices, Western-style clothes, and many more.

    As he roamed the markets, Xiao Wei marveled at the city. The clothes worn by people in this city are really unique. As he bought things, he also got to know everything about this ce. He befriended a lot of shop managers, securing discounts for future purchases.

    ''This is totally different from those guys. Here, the kingdom is supreme rather than sects dominating. Xiao Wei''s mind was full of thoughts as he made his way outside the city.

    ----

    Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room elsewhere in the city, several men gathered.

    "Something''s off with that Sirius Merchant Group."

    "Yes, why would they buy such things in this Western Wastnd? It is very expensive here. They could buy it in the peaceful province inside the kingdom."

    "I don''t care what they''re doing. Let''s gather our knights and rob them. I saw their wagons earlier¡ªthey don''t have many people."

    "Yes, I agree."

    One by one, they all nodded.

    "I will send 1 official knight and 10 apprentice knights."

    "20 apprentice knights, 40 reserve knights."

    "2 official knights, 20 apprentice knights."

    "...."

    They quickly made a deal and gathered around 10 official knights, 80 apprentice knights, and 200 reserve knights. This was already very strong to deal with Sirius Merchant Group, as there were only 40 people in the Sirius Merchant gang.

    The n was to ambush them far from the city. There was an unspoken rule: no fighting inside the city walls. They would wait until the merchants were out of sight, then strike.

 Chapter 43 Anti Climatic

    Xiao Wei and the Sirius Merchant Group traveled along the road at a steady pace. They have reached quite far away from the city. The surroundings became more and more deserted. There were no signs of life, only the distant sound of wind sweeping across the barrennd.

    Suddenly, the merchant group was surrounded by arge number of armed men. The attackers formed a tight circle around the horses and wagons, their faces cold and determined.

    A knight stepped forward from the group of attackers and shouted.

    "Drop your weapons and kneel! If you want to live, you better do as I say!"

    Xiao Wei observed them before calmly replying.

    "If we give up the wagons, do we have a chance to survive?" Xiao Wei questioned expressionlessly.

    "Yes, obviously, now kneel down and drop your weapons," the knight sneered.

    However, Xiao Wei and others around him didn''t follow the knight''s instructions.

    "Everyone, I suggest you kneel down without any resistance. You will get a quick death." Xiao Wei suddenly said with a mocking face

    The knight''s face turned from smug to enraged. "You little brat! You''re begging to die!" he shouted, raising his sword. "Everyone, attack them!"

    But as soon as themand was given, the attackers froze in ce, their faces filled with shock. A lot of knights mounted on horses appeared from the shadows.

    Before the attackers could react, the opposing knight in horse began to attack without saying any words. They tried to fight back, but the opposing force was an elite.

    They obviously couldn''t beat the knight, who had trained both the breathing method and martial arts. It was a single-sided ughter. They begged for mercy, but the knife of the knights didn''t stop. It was a total massacre.

    Xiao Wei watched all this with cold eyes. He has seen scenes much worse than this with the blood of thousands of people flowing like rivers. This was nothing new to him.

    Luis arrived beside him before opening the vortex.

    Sirius Merchant Group entered the vortex with all the materials. The knights, after ughtering everyone, burned their bodies. In this ce, if a lot of bodies gathered together are left unattended, there is a high chance that they will be converted to undead.

    The knights after clearing up also entered the vortex. Luis returned to the city shortly after.

    Hartmann Chamber of Commerce can now officially set sail in the cultivation world.

    ----

    Meanwhile, back in Remora City, several hours had passed since the Sirius Merchant Group had left.

    "Why is there no news yet?"

    There was silence when this question was raised.

    "It... it seems we''ve messed with the wrong group."

    "Is it really destroyed; otherwise, why would there be no news?"

    "Damn it, my 2 official knights."

    "We should leave now. This time we suffered a loss by messing with the wrong people."

    Hearing this, everyone stood up and left hurriedly. Some left with ugly faces, some with fear, some expressionlessly, and some with extreme anger in their faces.

    -----

    Luis, meanwhile, remained in the city, learning everything he could about the ongoing war.

    It seems since the ck Cavalry killed the Orc General, the battlefield has be peaceful. However, Luis noticed something wrong with this situation.

    How could those barbaric orcs stay in peace when their orc general died? They should attack with more madness. This peaceful situation was very strange.

    Since he could guess it, others must have guessed it too. The Pioneer Knights and nobles here are not fools.

    The orcs will definitely attack suddenly, causing a lot of damage to the humans.

    The next day, Luis and his knights left the city and headed toward the front lines. Since they havee to train, they have to go to the front line, where there is constant war going on. Sitting in Remora City will not help.

    The group of 400 knights marched in a disciplined, menacing formation. These were no ordinary troops¡ªevery single one of them was either an official knight or an apprentice knight. Under him there are no Reserve Knights, and with the power system of both worlds, they are elite among elites.

    Traveling at full speed, they arrived at the Orc Fighting Frontier.

    This is one of the frontiers where all the armies gather to fight the Orcs. Nearby there is a graveyard frontier, which is locked in endless flight against the undead. Even though this ce is called Northern Wastnd, there are a lot of resources hidden in thisnd.

    Orcs are barbaric and rely on their strong bodies. They can''t develop these resources much. As for undead, there is not much to talk about it. They are lifeless beings with soul fire burning in their eyes.

    When he reached the Orc Fighting Frontier, there were a lot of soldiers with serious faces. They had expressionless faces and hurried around.

    Luis was confused when he saw this situation. Something had clearly happened.

    "Everyone disperses to learn about the situation currently. Something must have happened these two days."

    Everyone became serious as they dispersed in groups. Luis watched the people around with serious faces.

    Luis approached a passing soldier and stopped him.

    "Can you tell me what''s going on? Why does everyone look so serious?"

    The man was startled when he was held by Luis. He was about to be angry but held back as he saw the sign of nobility on Luis chest.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "The orcs attacked," the soldier said, his voice strained. "They secretly destroyed two pioneer knights'' territories. Over ten thousand people were killed. Marquess Lehmann sent out troops, but the orcs left no trace."

    Luis''s eyes widened in shock. The knights behind him were equally stunned.

    "In just two days, they destroyed two territories. Orc warriors ughtered tens of thousands of people, and we couldn''t even do anything to them."

    The man hurriedly left after saying this.

    Luis stood there in silence, processing the terrible news. The knights around him muttered in disbelief.

    "Those Reckless Orcs... who charge first into the battlefield. When did they be so cunning?"

    "This is war; in every battle, tens of thousands of bodiesy around."

    "Oh no! Those tens of thousands of bodies will turn into undead if unattended."

    "Don''t worry, the people here must have already taken care of the dead bodies."

    "...."

    Luis eyes hardened as he waited for others to return with further information. The battlefield of extraordinary people is really different. Tens of thousands of normal lives are destroyed in just a single encounter.

    [Please give me gifts??????]

 Chapter 44 Orc Attack

    The others quickly returned with the information that they had gathered.

    After the ck Cavalry killed the Orc General, the orcs were very silent, but it seemed that this was not the case. The intelligent Orc Prince entered this battlefield.

    The Orc Prince is not the prince of the Orc Royal Family but the prince of the Orc tribe, which controls the Northern Wastnd Orcs.

    Others normal Orcs might be hotheaded, but those Orcs at the top can think properly.

    ''This is trouble,'' Luis thought, narrowing his eyes. His current timing was too bad.

    Luis and the knights set up their own camp in the frontline to stay for the night. The situation just became dangerous as he came here.

    It had been a long journey, and the men were ready for a peaceful rest. But in the middle of the night, a suddenmotion woke them.

    Luis rushed out of his tent to find out what was happening. Knights were moving everywhere, and people shouted orders in the chaos.

    "Everyone, we just got the information that the orcs were sighted near the Gandu Area. There are more than 4 pioneer knight bases there. Those pioneer knights are not so strong to stop those Orcs."

    "Those who want to stop the Orcs there, head towards the booths to register. We will not ept many groups registering as those cunning orcs might attack this base too." A leading official knight at the 2nd stage shouted

    Hearing this, Luis made his decision and quickly headed toward the registration booth. He was eager to face the orcs himself.

    "Register Hartmann Knights, 400 Knights," Luis said when he reached the booth.

    The man looked up in surprise when he heard Hartmann.

    "Yes, sir, what might be your name?" The man asked, showing more respect.

    "I am Luis Hartmann, son of Baron Felipe." Luis introduced himself.

    "Sir Luis, I don''t suggest going to hunt the Orcs right now. The Orcs this time are cunning and dangerous." The man at the booth tried to warn Luis.

    "No, just register it. I am not afraid of them," Luis shook his head as he dismissed the warning of the man.

    The man sighed and nodded. "Yes, sir. You can prepare now. After a while, the others will head out along with you."

    "Hartmann''s really are fearless." The man murmured as he registered others.

    -----

    Luis returned after registering; he didn''t want to waste time in small talks.

    He, along with the 400 knights, became ready, wore their armor, and mounted on their horses.

    However, what he didn''t know is that his news of arrival was spread all over the frontline.

    "Luis Hartmann? The son of Baron Felipe?"

    "Small kid, what is he even doing on the battlefield?"

    "Most noble kids are sent to the Royal Academy. What''s he doing here?"

    "No wonder the Hartmanns are so strong."

    "I''m going to register too! I want to see the son of Baron Felipe up close."

    "Yes, let''s go quickly."

    "...."

    Due to the spread of news, many squads registered to head towards Gandu Region. The quota was quickly filled. The squads began to gather in the designated area.

    Luis and his knights also headed toward the gathering area. This time Luis bought Xiao Wei along with him, fully covered in Knight Armor.

    There were a lot of squads scattered around the ce. The people watched curiously when the Luis group with more than 400 people arrived. Luis was the center of attention. Everyone wanted to see the son of legendary Baron. Although Felipe''s nobility rank was only Baron, his strength was not less than that of any Earl.

    As for why Baron Felipe didn''t rise in ranking, no one knows.

    Luis didn''t flinch under the stares. He knew that showing any sign of cowardice now would only spread rumors and tarnish his family''s name.

    As time passed, more and more squads arrived. There were almost 4000 people here now. On this frontline, at least 20,000 soldiers are stationed. Now, so many are going towards the Gandu Region.

    ------

    After some more time, a group of knights arrived. At the lead, there was a knight wearing Knight Armor with the Azov Kingdom g on it.

    This was one of many battlefieldmanders of the frontlines. Nobles have to take care of their territory so they don''t stay much on the frontlines. So, to take the lead on the battlefield in the absence of nobles, the Azov Kingdom sent many generals to stations on the frontlines.

    The name of thismander was Theodore, a loyal knight of the Kingdom.

    Theodore had an arrogant expression and surveyed the crowd, including Luis, with a brief but dismissive nce.

    "Be ready to head out. You must know me, so I won''t introduce myself." Theodore directly ordered everyone, "I hope you follow mymands without questioning; otherwise, there will be consequences."

    All the soldiers on the ground prepared themselves quickly to follow Theodore.

    Most of the soldiers here are reserved knights and apprentice knights. They don''t dare mess with the battlefieldmander. All themanders of battlefields are graduates of the Royal Academy and have a lot of connections.

    Luis frowned as he followed Theodore. This guy gave him a bad feeling. He didn''t like Theodore''s attitude.

    Themander hadn''t even taken the time to assess the situation or the soldiers under hismand. Thisck of preparation worried him.

    "He didn''t even try to form a proper battle formation," Luis turned to Arthur beside him and said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Theodore graduated from the Royal Academy. Maybe he has his own way of doing things taught in the academy," Arthur replied especially.

    Luis could only shrug at this. These kinds of things are not learned from the academy. To learn about war, you have to experience it yourself.

    "Let''s see," Luis said as he made his way towards the Gandu region.

    The current mission is to repel the Orcs from the Gandu region, safeguarding the area controlled by humans. In this war that has been going on for almost 120 years, humanity has had many big wins and also many big losses.

    Luis didn''t know all the details, but he suspected that the higher-ups from both the human and orc sides had some sort of unspoken agreement. Those above 3rd stage knights never appear in the war. The 4th-stage knights and orc warriors are very rare and strong.

    They can rival an army on their own; numbers don''t matter to them. This is also the reason they are so rare. You need luck and talent to reach that stage.

    If you could be a 4th-stage knight, the lifespan would increase to 300 years. The nobility rank is also raised to Marquess by the Duke and Royal Family.

    As for those above 6th rank, there is none on this continent. Tens of thousands of years ago, during the presence of God. You needed the baptism by the Pope in churches to reach the 7th stage. But due to the disappearance of gods, all the 7th-stage powers died out.

    Since then, it was the rise of nobility dering the decline of churches.

    Luis shook these thoughts from his mind, focusing on the task at hand. The battle ahead would be fierce, and he had no intention of letting his family¡ªor his knights¡ªdown.

 Chapter 45 Conflict

    Two days passed by.

    The group was heading towards the Gandu Region.

    Luis frowned as he looked at Theodore. This guy has been constantly ordering them to rest and travel slowly. It has already been two days since the travel.

    The journey to Gandu Region was supposed to be 3 days if traveled at full speed, but by the speed they are traveling now, it would take 5 days.

    Luis was boiling with anger as he thought of this. He decided to confront Theodore.

    He walked up to Theodore, who was sitting in front of the fire camp roasting meat, enjoying his time with other followers.

    "Commander, the orcs were spotted near Gandu region 2 days ago." Luis stood beside Theodore and questioned, "Why are we traveling so slowly?"

    "The damage will already be done till we reach there."

    Theodore, sitting on the log, eyed Luis, "Who are you, kid? Don''t you know the rule?"

    "I am Luis Hartmann. The son of Felipe Hartmann," Luis introduced himself along with his father. He doesn''t want to waste time with this arrogant guy. If he reveals his background now, a lot of nuisance can be reduced.

    The sidekicks of Theodore who were about to stand and teach a lesson to Luis paled when they heard the introduction.

    Theodore looked at Luis closely with a dismissive nce and said, "You a kid who is not even 15 don''t tell me what to do. Go back to your group; don''t question me."

    Luis stared at Theodore before slowly backing up. He looked at Theodore with mockery.

    ''This kind of insecure guy dares toe into the battlefield,'' Luis thought as he walked back.

    In the fire camp, Theodoreughed, looking at Luis back.

    "An illiterate kid from a family of savages, with no sense of nobility. Instead of studying at the academy, you show up on the battlefield." He said it loudly. Others aroundughed when they heard this.

    Luis, who was walking away, heard this and looked back with shock. This guy acts too arrogant, insulting the nobles. How dare he call the Hartmann family a Savage family?

    -----

    The night passed by, and the next morning arrived.

    The group of 4000 was still traveling slowly along the way, resting in many ces. The road ahead was sometimes barren, sometimes filled with greenery.

    Luis, however, was impatient at the travel speed. He doesn''t like this kind of slowness. Previously, when traveling to Remora City, he reduced the journey from 30 days to 10 days.

    "We will settle an ount with that Theodore after hunting down the Orcs," Luis whispered to the guards around him.

    Everyone around him nodded when hearing this. If they attacked Theodore now, it would affect the morale of the army.

    After traveling for three more hours, Theodore again ordered for everyone to rest.

    Luis pulled his hair when hearing the order from this coward. They were knights; even the weak reserve knight won''t get tired when traveling the whole day, and the horses of this world are strong too.

    Luis was really frustrated facing the order of the coward. How could this guy lead the army? War Council is trash for sending such a coward as amander.

    Just as they were resting, a horse galloped towards the resting group. Everyone felt this and looked at the figure in the galloping horse.

    It was a man in his twenties riding on the horse. The knights who were on duty to guard the camp came forward to question the man.

    "Show your identity. Which force do you belong to?" A Knight questioned

    The man''s eyes were red as he stared at the army. As he dismounted from his horse, tears quietly streamed down his face.

    "I... I am Lee, son of Alvarez Pioneer Knight," Lee said in a crying voice.

    The knight was surprised after hearing this; Lee seemed to be the son of a pioneer knight of the Gandu region.

    Knight immediately brought Lee towards Theodore after knowing this news.

    Luis and his small group also came to see Lee. This man must have brought some important news.

    "Tell me all the things that happened in the Gandu region." Theodore questioned Lee.

    "Everything¡­ destroyed. It''s all gone! No one in the city was left alive. Father, mother, brother, sister, all of them¡ªkilled! Everyst one of them, gone!" Lee said while sobbing sadly.

    The atmosphere immediately became heavy after the news. The pioneer knight city was destroyed.

    "What about the other three Pioneer Knights? Any news from them?" Luis immediately stepped forward to questionN?v(el)B\\jnn

    "I don''t know... I don''t know! Our city¡ªit was the first to be hit. The first! Everything''s gone!" Lee said with deep sadness. The family progress of decades was destroyed on just one attack.

    Now he was only left surviving among tens of thousands of people.

    Luis closed his eyes when he heard. All of this could be prevented if they traveled quickly instead of wasting time on the road.

    Xiao Wei, who was beside, looked at Lee with deep sympathy. He has faced this kind of thing and knows the pain one will suffer.

    Theodore looked at all of this coldly. He was angry because Luis cut him off when he was questioning Lee.

    Suddenly, a sinister n appeared in the mind of Theodore.

    "Hmph, coward. If your entire family was killed, then why are you still alive? What, did you hide while they died?" Theodore mocked looking towards Lee,

    "The son of Alvarez? A coward through and through. He ran away while his family fought the Orcs like real warriors."

    There was gasp from everyone when they heard Theodore. Luis and others were shocked. Especially Xiao Wei, who was boiling in anger when he heard this.

    Lee broke down even more when he heard Theodore.

    "I didn''t mean to... My father forced me to escape with my brothers! I wanted to fight, but... but my father...!" His voice cracked as tears streamed down his face. "We all ran in different directions, and... "I ended up here...

    with you all."

    Xiao Wei immediately stepped forward to support the crying Lee. He supported and brought him towards his own group.

    Xiao Wei stared at Theodore coldly. If eyes could kill, he would have died countless times.

    It was not just Xiao Wei; everyone here had a cold face. Luis was on the verge of losing control; he could attack Theodore at any moment now.

    The atmosphere of the entire army changed; tension lingered in the atmosphere.

 Chapter 46 Bad news

    "How could he say that? Something is wrong with his brain," Luis shouted angrily after returning to his own group.

    When more than 400 knights heard this, they were also angry. How could they get such amander? In the barony, they were all trained by elite knights of family.

    Now being led by Theodore, this is a disaster.

    Currently, Xiao Wei was trying tofort Lee. Lee, however, was staring at the ground nkly. The weight of his grief makes it difficult to meet anyone''s gaze.

    After Theodore mocked his self-confidence, it plummeted even more, reced by maximum guilt.

    As night fell, the camp was enveloped in silence, the shadows growing long and heavy. Lee finally spoke, his voice a hoarse whisper, "Go away. I want to be alone."

    Xiao Wei hesitated when he heard this. The state of Lee is not right. However, he respected the wishes of Lee and backed up.

    -----

    The early morning was very peaceful. The air was crisp and fresh. One by one, knights under Luis began preparing, ready for the journey ahead.

    However, Lee, who went to bed early yesterday, was absent¡ªnot walking out of his tent.

    One of the concerned knights came to see the condition of Lee. Yesterday, Lee sent everyone away who wanted to keep an eye on him.

    The knight pushed the tent p aside and gasped; his heart raced at the sight before him. Lee was lying on the ground with a motionless body. The knight, seeing this, quickly reported this news to Luis.

    "Young Master, Lee is dead! He¡­ he died!" The knight said in panic, "I just checked on him, and he''s... he''s gone!"

    Luis, after hearing this news, hurried towards the tent. Entering inside, he turned over the body of Lee. It was purple, as if he died by suffocation.

    Luis pinched the mouth of Lee to observe inside it.

    "He killed himself by swallowing his own tongue."

    The tent was in silence after hearing the news. Luis suddenly felt something and turned towards Xiao Wei. He was shedding tears through the knight armor covering his face.

    Tears streamed down his cheeks as he fell to his knees, his sobs echoing in the tense silence. He banged the ground with his fist.

    "Why... Why... Why?" Xiao Wei voice trembled with anger.

    Luis watched this with weirdness: "Everyone is different, Xiao Wei."

    "He couldn''t handle the guilt within him. We all carry our burdens in different ways, and sometimes the weight bes too much to bear."

    Xiao Wei was still on the ground sobbing, "I feel the same way... wanting to die every day after losing everything. If it weren''t for my sister, I don''t think I would''ve lived this long."

    "This is the fault of that Theodore; if he didn''t mock Lee, this might not have happened."

    Everyone in the room nodded heavily when they heard this.

    ''Xiao Wei past is also sad. I am very lucky to be transmigrated into a loving family,'' Luis thought, looking at everyone. He considers himself the luckiest person in the world, not encountering any bad things since childhood.

    "Devon, go inform everyone in the camp about Lee''s death," Luis gave orders. As a leader, he will not lose his calm easily.

    Devon immediately ran out to spread the news without wasting any time.

    Xiao Wei was still kneeling on the ground venting.

    "Sister died trying to protect me. She was very kind, giving me reason to survive... For years I wandered everywhere, constantly changing forces, till I met you, boss. You gave me hope for revenge."

    "I''ve been to many cities, facing the cruelty of people everywhere. In Lee, I saw my old self¡ªlost and broken. But unlike me, he had no one to support him. Instead, he was mocked by that guy."

    Luis walked in front of Xiao Wei and helped him to get up.

    "Don''t hold back your feelings for too long. I could sense it the moment I saw you¡ªyou''ve been keeping so much bottled up inside." Luis patted the shoulder of Xiao Wei.

    After this, there was awkward silence, both Luis and Xiao Wei not knowing what to say next. This felt weird.

    Xiao Wei became so emotional after the death of Lee that he vented himself. He didn''t want his past known to others.

    A few minutester, Devon returned with an ugly face. Theodore and his gang were following him closely.

    "Why didn''t you watch this coward properly? Now all the clue about the Gandu region is lost." Theodore immediately began shouting after looking at the body of Lee.

    A guard beside Theodore had an angry face: "Hmph! Hartmann Family just a bunch of...

    "Kuach!"

    Before the guard could continue, he was kicked in the face by Devon.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Shut Up! I have heard enough." Devon kicked the guard one more time, bringing him to the ground.

    Theodore''s eyes became sharp seeing this. He unsheathed his sword and attacked Devon. Just as it was about to slice the body of Devon, another sword blocked it.

    Theodore looked at this in shock. He didn''t expect there to be someone as strong as him. The figure had his full body covered in armor with cold eyes staring at him.

    Theodore backed up seeing this; he is arrogant but not a fool.

    "Return back! Don''t show your face; otherwise, it will be bad for you," Luis said, staring at Theodore.

    Theodore also stared at Luis with anger. He is a graduate from the Royal Academy, elite among elites. How dare this kid who hasn''t hit puberty disrespect him?

    Although he is a son of a noble, he himself is not a noble. Just as he was about to rebuke, he was surrounded by cold eyes.

    Theodore, feeling this unwillingly, walked outside with his followers.

    "Wait, bring this trash along with you," Devon kicked the fallen guard towards Theodore.

    Theodore''s face became more uglier by this situation. He didn''t look at the guard and walked away faster. The followers of Theodore quickly carried the fallen guard and ran away.

    Luis watched all of this coldly. He wants to kill that nuisance right now, but there is priority first. He turned his attention to the body of Lee.

 Chapter 47 Dread

    Luis turned his attention to the body of Lee.

    Thinking for a while, he took out a magic stone from his pouch. He handed it to Xiao Wei.

    "Crush this magic stone and spread it on his body," Luis instructed. "This way he won''t turn into an Undead in this ce."

    Xiao Wei nodded at the instruction.

    Northern Wastnd is a ce gued by undead disasters. If arge amount of body is umted, it will turn into undead. So, normal people in this wastnd directly burn the body instead of burying.

    As for nobles and rich people, they crush the magic stone and spread it to the dead body while burying. Magic stone has suppressing effects against evil and dark creatures.

    The knights quickly dug a hole and buried Lee while Xiao Wei spread the magic stone around the body.

    The morning had already passed, so the group of 4000 soldiers made their way towards the Gandu Region. This time Theodore didn''t dare to paddle. He had a cold face as he hurried with others.

    The group traveled the whole day without resting, and at night they finally reached the designated region. Normal soldiers felt the weird atmosphere when traveling. Both themander and son of Baron Felipe had a cold face.

    They headed towards the Alvarez Pioneer Knight city. This city was already hit by orcs, and they needed to investigate.

    It was night when they reached the city. As they neared the city, Luis could already smell the thick scent of blood in the air. His heart raced, and unnecessary thoughts filled his head.

    From a distance, the small city was eerily quiet, and every soldier''s heart became heavy. The tension in the air was palpable. As they reached the outskirts of the city, every knight following Luis had a pale face.

    Luis, too, had an ugly face. Blood was flowing through the streets, with the bodies of the peopleying scattered, limbs torn apart, and bite marks over some of their bodies. These were the bite marks of wolves and those orcs.

    Luis stomach churned at this sight. This was an unsettling scene; he has never seen so many dead bodies. They slowly entered the small city, hoping to find any kind of life.

    But the deeper they went, the more cruel the scene became. Those dead bodies had a look of horror on their faces.

    The new knights following Luis became visibly sickened by the brutal scene. Liam and the older guys hidden among the knight had no expression, as they had seen much worse.

    Luis remembered his mother warning to him, ''You have no idea how terrible war can be.''

    He realizes this deeply now. This scene, not many can adapt to it. Luis was trying his best to adapt to this.

    Xiao Wei, however, sighed. His expression was distant. This kind of scene he has already encountered once, and they were his dear ones. The horror of war was no stranger to him.

    ----

    It has been a while since everyone entered the small city. Searching the whole city, no life was found. Those ruthless orcs left no one alive.

    Theodore paced back and forth with a hint of hesitation. After some more time, his expression hardened.

    He called everyone. After everyone gathered, he took out a parchment and wrote something on it. After writing, the parchment automatically burned into ashes.

    This was a message scroll created by wizards thousands of years ago. It is a magical product that can send messages thousand miles away to a magic pir created out of magic stone.

    This is a precious treasure that is rarely used. However, in this situation where there are tens of thousands of human causalities, it should be reported.

    "I have already reported to the War Council; now everyone bring out all the valuables from this city."

    Everyone nodded excitedly when they heard this. While scavenging for valuable things, they can keep a share of a lot of valuable things.

    Luis caught his forehead when he heard this. He has never been this frustrated till now. These people are excited to steal the treasure of this city, but what about those Orcs? These people are hopeless.

    He dashed in front of Theodore to question him.

    "We need to stop wasting time looting this ce. There are orcs nearby, and if we don''t move now, the next city will face the same fate. We need to track them before more lives are lost."

    Theodore looked uninterested when he heard this: "If you are so eager, go by yourself."

    "There is a priority to follow." Theodore shouted coldly.

    Luis nodded slowly, "Bullshit! What priority is looting this ce a priority? you fucking coward. You are just afraid to face those Orcs."

    "Why are you even amander? How did the War Council even qualify you?"

    "Shut up, kid. What do you know about war? Don''t try to teach me," Theodore rebuked angrily. This time there were a lot of outsiders, and he has lost face being scolded.

    "Is this your answer? Just dismissing me because I''m a kid?" Luis''s voice trembled with restrained anger.

    "Sure, this might be my first time on a battlefield, but I know how war is fought. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a coward¡ªa money-hungry bastard who values gold over lives!"

    "I can''t handle this bullshit anymore. Liam, bring him down." Luis shouted

    Without hesitation, Liam vanished from his spot, reappearing right in front of Theodore. In a sh, he aimed a strike directly at Theodore''s head.

    Theodore barely managed to dodge the punch before he was again attacked by Liam.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "You don''t respect the War Council and dare to attack themander. Prepare to be punished." Saying this, he attached Aura in hand to attack Liam.

    Liam also attached Aura in his armor; however, this was Vortex Qi, something much stronger than Aura. He took the punch head on without breaking a sweat.

    "What¡ª?!" Theodore gasped in surprise as he was brought to ground by Liam immediately. Despite Theodore''s struggles, Liam held him down with ease, delivering a solid punch to the back of his head to silence him.

    "Dare to hitmander. Wait! Wait! I will definitely get you punished." Theodore shouted weakly, his voice full of desperation.

    Luis strode forward, his eyes filled with disdain as he grabbed Theodore by the hair, yanking his head up to face him.

    "You are nothing but a coward."

    "I can feel it¡ªyou''re terrified of facing the orcs. You hide behind your title, pretending to be strong, but you''re nothing more than a hypocrite."

    Theodore''s eyes darted around, but he was helpless under Liam''s grip.

    "You try to act tough in front of your people, coward; you wasted my time," Luis spat. "It was my mistake ever following someone like you in the first ce."

    He released Theodore with disgust, letting his head fall back to the ground.

    Xiao Wei also strode forward and kicked the head of Theodore. He was not afraid, as his face was hidden behind the armor.

    Luis nced at Xiao Wei but said nothing, silently approving of this act.

    The soldiers around were shocked when they saw the scene unfold. They were just happy to receive the order of looting the city; now seeing this, they were scared. In this conflict, taking any side could go horribly wrong.

 Chapter 48 Afraid Of Death

    Luis looked at every soldier who had a hesitant expression in their faces.

    "Do you ---?" Just as he was about to talk to them, Theodore interjected.

    "Luis Hartmann, the son of Baron Felipe. Do you think you can go against the War Council? The nobles in it will not tolerate this. You are the same as your father." Theodoreughed

    "Your family is just a baron promoted from Pioneer Knight. You barbarian! The Hartmann''s have never known the elegance of true nobility. You''re a stain on the council, just like your father."

    "Anyone here who dares to follow Hartmann will make an enemy of War Council."

    Luis paused when he heard this and looked back at Theodore with a smile.

    "You speak a lot for a beaten guy! I would shut up when I was in this state," Luisughed out loud.

    But hisughter quickly faded, reced by a cold,manding tone. "This is not enough, Liam! Break both of his hands. Dare to speak back."

    Without hesitation, Liam grabbed Theodore''s arms and, with a swift, brutal motion, broke them. Theodore screamed in agony, the sound echoing through the camp as he writhed on the ground, his face twisted in pain.

    "Now, everyone, listen, I am going to hunt the orcs. If anyone wants to kill the Orcs Follow me," Luis informed every soldier. He will only take those who want to genuinely kill the orcs. If they are afraid, it will only hold him back.

    "War Council... War Count---" Theodore was shouting when he was again punched by Liam, silencing him once more as blood dripped from his mouth.

    The squads, after listening to Luis, hesitated. No one stepped forward to kill those orcs. They are afraid. Very afraid of those Orcs that ughtered tens of thousands of people.

    Just thinking of fighting the Orcs made the soldiers hearts tremble and a threat from Theodore about the War Council. They don''t dare follow Luis.

    Their eyes darted between Luis and broken Theodore. No single soldier stepped forward.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Luis watching this understood that fear had taken root. He will not take these with him.

    Without saying anything, he turned around. All of his personal knights followed him too. Liam whispered something into the ears of Theodore before leaving.

    Theodore''s face turned pale, his eyes wide with fear as he watched Liam walk away, his figure fading into the distance.

    -----

    "A bunch of cowards."

    "What is even War Council they are afraid of?"

    "Hmph bullshit things, I am not afraid of any council."

    "It is already so dark; I feel ufortable staying among tens of thousands of dead bodies."

    "What if they be undead?"

    "Don''t worry about this. For these dead bodies to be undead, it will take many months as there is no death energy umted here."

    "Fuck thatmander; so many lives are lost because of him."

    "I feel sick just thinking about his."

    "...."

    The knights were murmuring among each other on different topics.

    Luis, however, walked, lowering his head. Even though he acted tough, watching tens of thousands of lifeless bodies has impacted him. He doesn''t want to stay in this ce any longer.

    "Everyone, hurry up and search for the direction those orcs went!" Luis shouted, his voice sharp andmanding. "We have wasted enough time now!"

    The knights nodded and looked around. Before long, towards the edge of the city, the footprints of the wolves andrge footprints of orcs were found.

    They quickly returned and informed Luis.

    Luis hearing this gathered all his knights and headed towards the other side of the city. Luis followed behind the footprint.

    There is no time to waste. Although it was night, Luis walked out in a menacing way. It has already been more than a day since Orc attacked that city. The Orcs might have already caused more damage.

    "Young Master," a scout reported, "Based on the density of the footprints, there are more than a thousand orcs that passed through here. And they''re not heading towards any of the other Pioneer Knight cities... they''re moving out of the Gandu Region."

    "Don''t worry, just follow these footprints. We will definitely find out their n." Luis nodded hearing the Scout.

    It was already dark, and Luis was not a fool, so he brought more knights from the cultivation world. He spread a around him with Knights in small groups.

    In this way, even if there was an ambush from Orcs, he would know it quickly. This was due to the map he gave by the Vortex.

    ----

    The whole night passed, and daylight began to break through the sky.

    Luis stared ahead expressionlessly with frustration hidden in his eyes. The orcs had escaped. Now, they were untraceable. Ahead of them was the mountain range with rocky surfaces.

    "Liam, any suggestions now?" Luis finally questioned with a tired voice. Nothing is going in his favor these days.

    "This mountain range is very big, and it will take days before finding something. There is no chance now, young master, those Orcs escaped long ago," Liam informed, checking the surface.

    Luis clenched his fists, a mix of frustration and determination flickering in his eyes. "I didn''te all this way to leave empty-handed." He turned to face the squad, his voice suddenly sharp with renewed purpose. "Everyone, spread out and search for four hours!"

    Hismand echoed across the camp. "Anything suspicious¡ªreport to me immediately!"

    -----

    Meanwhile, in the Pioneer City that was destroyed by Orcs.

    Theodore was treating his injuries. His face was expressionless, and nothing could be distinguished from his body expression.

    The followers beside him had faces full of fear.

    "Commander, what do we do now?" One follower asked cautiously.

    Theodore looked at the clear sky above and sighed. He was really beaten badly today. His angry, clouded mind cleared a little.

    "Just station here till the Wizard arrives to purify this ce." He said, "Do you know who the Hartmann really are?"

    The followers looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

    "Isn''t the Hartmann family a noble promoted from Pioneer Knight?" one follower said skeptically.

    "You can go wait outside; if the wizard arrives, inform me." Theodore waved them off.

    Theodore was now left alone, thinking about the words of Liam: "Previous Baroness is from the Duke Family; current Baroness is from the Earl Family. How lucky are these Hartmann?"

    "That''s why they are so strong. I will go to the War Council to search about themter," Theodore murmured with a wry smile, looking at his hand.

    It seems that he will face great punishment after returning to the frontline camp. He regretted his decision to mess with Luis Hartmann.

 Chapter 49 Goblin

    In the Rocky Mountain Range

    Luis was currently gazing at the map. On the map, there were countless small green dots wandering.

    It has already been 2 hours since the knights went to search the surrounding area looking for any kind of clue.

    After seeing that everything was right, he turned his attention to Liam.

    "Liam, do you think I did the right thing?" Luis questioned Liam; he actually wanted to kill that Theodore, but this would be a war crime of killing themander.

    "You did nothing wrong, Young Master. He didn''t carry the responsibility of a truemander. All he sought was personal gain¡ªa coward at heart. If it had been the master, he would''ve faced far more severe consequences." Liam reassured Luis.

    "Hmm, I hope he won''t cause troubleter." Luis nodded with a stern expression.

    "Young Master," Liam spoke cautiously, bowing his head slightly. "I revealed some of our background to him. I told him about the families behind the previous baroness and the current baroness. If I''ve done something wrong, please punish me."

    "You should show your background when necessary; there is nothing to be sorry about." Luisughed out loud hearing Liam.

    "Now, that coward at least won''t dare to be a nuisance. Revealing some powers can indeed deter many people."

    Luis shook his head as his expression became thoughtful.

    "One more thing, Liam, why does it seem like there is conflict between Father and War Council?" Luis expressed his doubt.

    "The War Council consists of many nobles and high-ranking knights. Under it are different nobles from various provinces. There are many factions in this war council. Some seek personal benefit. Master strongly opposes those greedy nobles."

    "Due to this, there was conflict. There are nobles high above dying war trying to get the most benefit out of it, disregarding the lives of normal people. So, Master and several other nobles who couldn''t stand this fought against those greedy nobles in the War Council."

    Liam exined seriously with his expressionless face.

    "They sure are greedy." Luis nodded quickly at this. "There is a lot of information not mentioned in books; be sure to inform me about these things before hand."

    "If such things are hidden, I surely will suffer losses." Luis turned his attention back to the map.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Liam nodded in agreement. "I will make sure to keep you informed of such matters, young master."

    Luis then focused on his body; he could feel the life seed in his body has been growing constantly. At this rate, ording to his estimate, it will take 6 months.

    If life potions and powders can be taken, it will be reduced by more than half. This was already very fast due to the help of both worlds; otherwise, he would still be in Apprentice Knight Realm till now.

    As his mind wandered through these thoughts, a sudden movement on the map caught his attention. He saw six dots running straight in his direction. It was John and his other friends.

    The six groups of green lights turned into 20 as they returned to him.

    Luis eyes swept over them, and he focused his eyes on John.

    "Did you make any findings?" Luis asked

    "Boss, about 50 miles to the east of this Rocky Mountain Range, there is a group of cowardly goblins," John quickly said.

    Luis hearing this was surprised; he quickly mounted into his horse.

    "Liam station here and wait for others. I will go see those cowardly goblins." Luis ordered Liam hurriedly.

    After saying this, he followed John towards the cowardly goblins. The first thing is to find out about the numbers of those cowardly goblins.

    If there were only a few thousand cowardly goblins, then needless to say, his 400 knights will be enough to deal with them. However, if there are tens of thousands, then various methods have to be considered.

    "I hope there is not too much," Luis murmured as he made his way.

    They quickly reached towards the area where those cowardly goblins were spotted. After reaching there, Luis opened his vortex.

    "John, go through and bring back 50 official knights. We''ll need them for this mission." Luis said, observing the surrounding

    John nodded and disappeared into the vortex.

    ----

    After just a few minutes, 50 strong knights were present in front of Luis.

    "I don''t need to tell you much. Spread out and assess the goblins'' numbers. Be discreet, and if you need to, kill them silently. I don''t want them alerted just yet."

    Everyone followed the instruction and spread out, moving stealthily through the area. Luis too roamed around the area.

    Cowardly Goblins are from the Goblin race. They are the weakestpared to other goblins.

    But this depends on quantity. If the numbers of goblins are in the tens of thousands, even the cowardly goblin will have considerable strength.

    He could have basically attacked those weak goblins directly, but it would be trouble if there are many cowardly goblins. It would be a dream for less than a thousand people to keep those cowardly goblins. Those goblins are known for their cowardice; if they feel danger, they can run at double their own speed.

    Luis encountered cowardly goblins along the way. However, he didn''t have to do anything; those knights behind him ended the cowardly goblin''s life quickly.

    After roaming for some more time, Luis found a hidden cave. He along with others entered it.

    There was nothing at first, but the cave went very deep. As they entered deeper, the cowardly goblins began to be spotted.

    They began to kill and cautiously enter the cave. After some probing, Luis took a deep breath. There were at least tens of thousands of cowardly goblins.

    These weak creatures multiply very quickly. They are so weak that a normal human can fight against two or three cowardly goblins if they have weapons.

    Luis regrouped with his knights and quickly made a decision.

    "John, return and bring everyone here. We need to set up arge to trap and kill them all."

    If any of those goblins is left alive, it will multiply to thousands in no time.

    As they waited for reinforcements to arrive, Luis''s mind raced with strategies. The goblins might be weak, but if they were spooked, they would flee, and chasing them down would be near impossible.

 Chapter 50 Hunt

    Half an hourter

    Liam and the other knights had already assembled, waiting near the Rocky Mountain Range. Luis, however, was not there. He had traveled to the cultivation world, seeking advice from Steve, his trusted strategist.

    "Young Master, we currently have 50 official knights and 600 apprentice knights ready for the Goblin Lair hunt," Steve began,ying out the n. "The rest of the knights are traveling to various towns and cities to sell the products."

    He paused, assessing the situation. "But this force will be more than enough to deal with those cowardly goblins."

    "The 50 official knights won''t be directly involved in the raid. They''ll stay back and hunt down any goblins that try to escape. The 600 apprentice knights will handle the direct assault on their," Steve concluded, his strategy clear and decisive.

    "Some of the selected knights will spread the ming oil around the area, blocking the escape route of those goblins."

    Luis was satisfied with the n made by Steve. This is the benefit of having your own organization. You don''t have to do everything yourself. Most of the things can be solved by those below.

    "Alright, we''ll follow your n. Gather all the knights."

    In just a few minutes, the avable knights had assembled, ready for the battle. Luis opened the vortex, leading them all back to the Rocky Mountain Range.

    -----

    Luis stood on a high rocky ledge, his gaze sweeping over the 650 knights assembled below him. The wind blew gently, but the tension in the air was thick. His voice rang out, clear and strong.

    "I, Luis Hartmann, Young Master of the Hartmann family, stand before you today on the brink of war!"

    The knights stood tall, their eyes fixed on Luis, awaiting his words.

    "Today, we strike the first blow,unching our assault against the Goblin Tribe! But let me tell you, this is just the beginning. In time, we will face greater foes¡ªthose savage orcs¡ªand when we do, the name of the Hartmann family Knights will echo across the world with glory and honor!"

    Luis paused, locking eyes with his knights.

    "I want my soldiers'' names to resound as loud and proud as the legendary ck Cavalry!" Luis dered, his voice filled with determination.

    "Are you ready to fight in this first war, to carve our name into the history of thesends? For the Hartmann family and for the future we will forge together¡ªare you ready?"

    As he spoke, all 650 knights were filled with more strength.

    "Yes Boss"

    "I am willing to charge forward for you."

    "Those goblins are nothing."

    All the 650 knights spoke with great voice.

    "Good, now be prepared. I don''t want any goblins to escape alive." Luis gave orders, "You apprentice knights attack the front, and we official knights will station around their."

    "Arthur, you know what to do with the ming oil. Use it wisely."

    "Set off," Luismanded, drawing his sword.

    With 50 official knights and 600 apprentice knights facing those goblins, Luis couldn''t think of any possibility of failure.

    The knights set out in a might manner where arge number of cowardly goblins are located.

    The knights spread out, forming a tight encirclement around the goblinir. The few cowardly goblins they encountered were quickly dealt with, their deaths swift and silent, ensuring no rm was raised.

    After everything was ready, an airtight formation was created. They swooped towards the goblinir in the distance like a gust of wind.

    ----

    Boom!

    Rumble

    The ground began to tremble as more than 600 knights galloped.

    With such great movement, those cowardly goblins were quickly rmed. They went out to check and saw humans galloping towards them.

    Their bodies trembled when they saw this. They hurried backwards deeper into the caves to inform their leaders.

    Deep within the cave, goblins were sitting, and they hadrger bodies than those cowardly goblins. In the center, the Goblin Leader, a muchrger cowardly goblin holding a scepter, sat with his eyes closed.

    Just at this moment, a cowardly goblin came running in.

    "Oh no, oh no!"

    "Humans being!" Humansin''!"

    The cowardly goblin shouted in panic and was terrified. Other goblins in the room were terrified hearing this news. They stood up panicked.

    "Humans bein''!"

    "Dey dangerous!"

    "They''reing'' for us!"

    The goblins began to murmur amongst each other.

    Cowardly goblins are one of the weakest among the goblin race. They are usually foods for orcs and other tribes of the Goblin race. When facing humans, they lose every time and have to run away.

    Even the Goblin Leader, who was slightly stronger, felt his heart race with fear.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Run!"

    "Humans bein''!"

    "Oh no, how can humans be here?"

    "Could it be dem Pioneer Knights back again?"

    "What do we do with'' our iron ore?"

    "Goblin god, you abandon us?"

    "Oh no!"

    The goblins shrieked in panic, their voices crackling with fear, stumbling over each other as chaos spread through the caves.

    Even the Goblin Leader was preparing to escape.

    There are many goblins who are not humans, but this doesn''t include the cowardly goblins. As the lowest level of existence among goblins, they are almost the most basic existence. Humans are their nightmare.

    But just as they were preparing to escape.

    "Boom"

    "Boom"

    There was a violent tremor in the cave.

    "Boom"

    Once again, the entire underground cave shook violently, and the surrounding area began to copse rapidly.

    "Hurry, get out."

    The goblin leader''s even more panicked voice rang out. Then his figure hurriedly ran out of the dungeon. The same goes for the cowardly goblins behind him.

    Just as they ran out, they saw a sea of mes filling their entire vision. The goblins that had just rushed out were directly swallowed up by the sea of fire.

    It was Arthur and others who used ming oil. This is an item that can rapidly cause fire when spread around.

    The goblins screeched as the fire consumed them, their cries of agony echoing through the cave.

    The Goblin Leader leapt through the mes, managing to escape the worst of it.

    But before he could flee, a sword came crashing down on him. He barely managed to block it with the specter, but under his horrified gaze, he was pushed back into the sea of me.

    More than six hundred knights also beganrge-scale strangtion. A normal human can kill these timid goblins, and they were strong apprentice knights. The only problem is not to let any of these timid goblins escape.

 Chapter 51 Slaughter

    The moment the knights stepped into the Goblin Territory, the killing had already begun.

    Under Arthur''smand, many apprentice knights poured the ming oil.

    In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire goblin territory was engulfed in mes. Thousands of goblins fell intoplete panic and confusion.

    Running around like a headless fly. Many were directly engulfed in mes. Even if they rushed out, they would face being strangled by more than 600 apprentice knights.

    These extraordinary, powerful knights can kill the cowardly goblins like cutting paper.

    Luis also came forward to kill these goblins. Strands of Vortex Qi were attached to his sword, ughtering the goblins.

    Although he couldn''t throw out the Vortex Qi like Liam and other 2nd level knights, this was more than enough.

    In a short period of time, he had killed more than forty cowardly goblins, and the apprentice knights around him killed more.

    In the distance, the goblin leader again ran out of the fire quickly. However, he was again met by the apprentice knight sword. In just three sword strikes, the leader was killed.

    The killing continues to spread.

    If these goblins were useful, Luis would have kept them; however, these cowardly goblins are good for nothing. All you need to do is strangle them.

    The mes spread across the sky. Arge number of goblins were strangled. But this is a goblin tribe after all. Among the thousands of goblins, many were able to escape.

    However, their fate was even worse; they were killed by Official Knights who were spread around.

    Under the light of fire. The green blood soaked the entire earth. The violent burning of ming oil caused a strange smell. The scenes here can be seen even from dozens of miles away.

    The fighting¡ªno, it should be said that the killingsted for many hours.

    "Everyone, throw the bodies of these goblins into the fire!" Luismanded, surveying the scene. "Otherwise, they mighte back as undead."

    Dead goblin bodiesy scattered everywhere. As the knights obeyed the order, Luis stood silently, watching.

    ''Why don''t I feel anything seeing these bodies?'' he wondered, looking at the charred remains of the goblins. ''Yesterday, watching the ughter in Pioneer City filled me with rage. Now, I feel... nothing.''

    His thoughts grew darker. ''I hope I never grow to disregard life entirely.''

    ''I hope I will not disregard life in the future.'' Looking around the burning me, many thoughts shed through his mind.

    The knights receiving the order threw the bodies of goblins into the me.

    When the ming oil almost burned up the surrounding area and gradually died down in many ces, the strangtion of the cowardly goblin tribe finally came to an end.

    At this moment, the entire area turnedpletely ck. In the end, no cowardly goblin escaped and were all killed.

    Some goblins might still be hidden in the cave and needed to be searched thoroughly.

    "Everyone go inside and continue to clean up; make sure that no goblins are left alive."

    Luis gave orders, looking at the burning bodies of cowardly goblins.

    "Yes, Boss." Receiving the orders, many knights began to act quickly, entering the cave searching for any surviving goblins.

    Night is gradually falling. The exploration will obviously take a long time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It was not until the evening that many apprentice knights returned with an exciting confidence.

    At the same time, they brought shocking news. This was not just a cave but a low-level iron mine. It must have at least 1-2 million pound of iron ore.

    "Well, in this ce it will be hard to excavate; our family already has many such mines." Luis murmured to himself.

    At this moment, another group of knights came towards him in a hurry.

    "Boss, we found something very important," the knight said hurriedly with excitement in his face.

    "What is it?" Luis became confused seeing such an excited expression from the apprentice knight. What valuables could be found here?

    "Sir, we have found a group of Blue Goblins."

    The apprentice knight said excitedly. The excitement and joy in his face were hard to hide.

    "What! Blue Goblins!" Luis, who was uninterested at first, couldn''t help but blurt out the words.

    Blue Goblins How could there be blue goblins here?

    "Is this true? Are they really Blue Goblins?" Luis questioned again to be sure.

    "Yes, boss, they are really blue goblins. Everyone, along with me, has confirmed it. Other knights are inside, keeping an eye on them." The apprentice knight nodded heavily and spoke again.

    "Good, take me there."

    Saying this, Luis followed behind the apprentice knight. Blue Goblins are Intelligent Goblins.

    Blue Goblins, Strictly speaking, they also belong to the goblin race, but they are different from goblins. They were once normal green-colored goblins enved by giants to mine the Kaga Ores. They mined this ore for a very long time.

    However, long-term contact with Kaga Ore made the goblin race be surprisingly smart. Their color changed to blue due to mutation. Due to their smart brains, they created engineering and alchemical artifacts that are famous in the whole world.

    They are geniuses when ites to refining.

    However, their rapid growth had drawn the attention of other races. Greed began to appear in other races.

    They were involved in a huge war and were destroyed with only small numbers left. Now, they only hide in various corners and survive.

    After reaching inside the cave and seeing the blue creatures, a smile broke out from Luis Face seeing them.

    "Dear Knights, we can work for you. Please spare our lives." An older Blue stepped forward and said in a begging voice.

    At this, every blue goblin couldn''t help but be nervous. They were captured by those cowardly goblins before forcing them to forge various weapons, including the specter for the goblin leader.

    Shortly after, the Cowardly Goblin cave was attacked by Luis. They wanted to escape, but these heavy chains in their feet made it impossible for them to escape.

    Now, surrounded by these humans, they were very ufortable and scared.

 Chapter 52 Blue Goblins

    "Don''t worry, if you are useful, you will survive." Luis stepped forward and spoke.

    "I can guarantee your survival and even provide you with food andfort, but you need to work for me and only be loyal to me."

    Luis heart moved as he looked at these blue goblins. Every Blue Goblin is a natural craftsman and refiner.

    With these goblins, he could create a lot of alchemical products: ck armor, gold armor, and silver armor.

    "Respected knight, your kindness will surely be blessed by goblin god."

    "I, Blogs, will never betray you if we are given food and a chance to survive." The old blue goblin recited the oath. Luis again felt the connection between blogs in his vortex. These goblins still believe in gods, unlike humans.

    ''Why is the requirement for connection decreasing so much?'' Luis was confused, feeling the connection yet again.

    The other 60 blue goblins also recited their oaths. Luis felt all their connection. These goblins are simple enough; thousands of years of very have broken their pride. Now survival is the only luxury for them.

    At least it is better to be in the hands of humans rather than those cowardly goblins.

    Now with these goblins, he can supply his own armor to supply both worlds.

    ----

    The locks in their legs were broken by the apprentice knights. Luis without wasting any further time opened the vortex.

    Blogs was surprised looking at the vortex.

    "Respected Knight, is this a portal? Can I take a close look at it?" Blogs asked and couldn''t hide his curiosity.

    Luis gave permission regarding this. Blogs reached near and circled around the vortex.

    "How is this possible? No pure mithril, gold dust, and fixed base. What is this thing that looks like a portal?" Blogs eximed in shock as he examined the vortex.

    Luis looked at blogs with widened eyes and asked, "Do you know how to make a portal?"

    Luis couldn''t help but question this. If he knows it will be great.

    "No, respected knight. I have read some records about it." Blogs quickly waved his hand. "However, we all have information in our heads. As we grow stronger, we unlock all the memories that our ancestors have developed."

    Luis nodded hearing this. These monsters have a special ability for bloodline transfer; they can store memories in their bodies that will be passed down and inherited by future generations.

    So, this is one of the reasons why these Blue Goblins are genius inventors. They can also work as cksmiths, but they are not as goodpared to cksmith dwarves.

    "We will talkter; enter this vortex first. You will find your answer." Instead of exining everything, talking in Cultivation World Sirius Headquarters will be much better.

    Hearing this, blogs and other blue goblins followed behind the apprentice knight to another world.

    Luis returned to outside the cave, gathering everyone. He began his speech when everyone was gathered.

    "Good job, everyone! I am very satisfied with how you fought against those cowardly goblins," Luis praised, his eyes sweeping over his troops.

    Then his expression hardened as he continued,

    "But I am very disappointed with the War Council Commander Theodore. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not join them. We have a different path, a different world to explore, and we can rely on ourselves. I don''t need their politics or coward soldiers¡ªI can create my own vast army, one I can trust."

    He looked around with determination as he opened the vortex.

    "For now, we will retreat to another world to train, grow stronger, and recruit new soldiers. Our future lies there. So, everyone without any chaos¡ªenter the vortex!"

    Hearing Luis speech, all the knights nodded and entered the vortex in order.

    After everyone entered, Luis was the only one left in this ce.

    "I hope I find those orcs very soon." Murmuring Luis entered the vortex.

    Orcs are corrupt creatures; violence and cruelty were ingrained into their very way of life. In this extraordinary world, gics ys a great role. Even if an orc is raised by humans with love, they will still be ruthless and have violent tendencies.

    They were a failed experiment created by ancient wizards to fight against the abyss demons. Now they were out of control of humans. Some of the orcs now have broken free from this and have some wisdom, but this is just a minority.

    If Luis meets an orc, no matter what, he will definitely kill it without mercy.

    -----n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    In the cultivation world

    Luis was currently in the meeting room listening to all the reports about the businesses.

    Now, in the past month, pharmacists have already learned about the pharmacy of this world. Now they can create various medicines for this world.

    Now the supply of blood boiling powder, body training powder, aphrodisiac powder, and many other medicines is in his own hands. He doesn''t have to spend money buying powder expensively now.

    Chambers of Commerce have also spread to 4 cities, 16 towns, and countless viges now. Everything was going in the right direction in this world.

    Currently, he was listening to other reports from Biggs and other representatives.

    "We have already earned a total of 35,000 gold coins by selling the items," Biggs was telling the report with a satisfied smile.

    Not only Biggs, but everyone in the room was smiling except the confused blue goblin. Blogs still had a look of shock in his face. That was a portal that could transfer people directly to another world. How strong was it?

    "This is good! Xiao Wei, after this meeting, you along with other knights will go to the hidden nt area to bring all those nts that can make body training powder," Luis began giving instructions.

    "I''m expanding my personal army," Luis said, his tone sharp andmanding. "I want to recruit the strongest fighters from here; no more waiting around."

    He looked at hismanders with a focused intensity. "I need warriors who are loyal, tough, and ready to fight. It doesn''t matter where theye from, as long as they can follow orders. We''re building something unstoppable."

    His gaze narrowed. "So, what''s the n? How do we find the best and make them ours?"

 Chapter 53 Meeting

    The meeting room was silent, hearing Luis Command. Liam, Biggs, Steve, Marcos, and other old guys looked among each other.

    Steve was the first to speak, "Young Master, the best n now would be recruiting orphans, poor people, and special people from this world."

    "For this n to implement Marcos will be the most important link. He was the trainer of most of the loyal knights in territory."

    Marcos stood up and saluted when his name was mentioned. It is an old guy with white hair and a big mustache.

    "What do you think, Marcos? How will you manage the soldiers of this world?" Luis was questioned at the standing Marcos

    "Young Master, no matter how strong I am, I can''t match the knowledge and experience of the natives in this world," Marcos spoke with the precision of a seasoned military trainer.

    "Over the past month, I''ve made many connections, one of them being Cai Tian, the master of Turtle Martial Hall."

    "I hope we can bring him under ourmand; he is an old, clever man. He''ll help us train the soldiers, and I''ll handle the ideological work¡ªmaking them loyal to the Hartmann family."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Luis raised his eyebrows when he heard Marcos.

    ''I forgot about that Old Cai Tian; maybe it is time to bring him under mymand.''

    "I give you full permission regarding this matter." Luis agreed to Marcos. Due to Marcos, 150 natives of this world have already been loyal to him.

    "Any other suggestion?" Luis spoke again after Marcos sat down.

    This time, however, no one spoke. Luis looked at the faces of everyone. While watching, he saw old man Booker with a hesitant expression.

    "Booker, there''s no need to hesitate; speak freely. I won''t criticize you, even if you point out my shorings here in this meeting room."

    Luis reassured the hesitant Booker; he is not afraid of criticism from his own people. He will not be arrogant, thinking that he is high above others and ignoring other suggestions for him.

    Booker still had hesitation in his face as he began speaking, "Young Master, please forgive me if I overstep my boundary."

    Booker began humbly, bowing his head slightly.

    "But I believe the best way for us to grow stronger is to involve the entire barony. We should bring all the loyal knights in the territory into this world."

    He hesitated for a moment, then continued.

    "I have heard some terrible rumors about this world. It''s a dangerous world, filled with immortals who can destroy mountains and fly on swords. I feel these are not rumors but dangerous truths. If we''re to survive¡ªand thrive¡ªwe need to grow stronger, and we need to do it quickly."

    The room was very silent after Booker finished speaking. Everyone was looking at Luis, waiting for his decision.

    Luis, however, was lost in his own thoughts. The suggestion given by Booker was very thought-provoking. Should he hide things from his father? He didn''t know how to tell his father about this.

    Even though he is a transmigrator, he genuinely regards Baron Felipe as his father. Fourteen years of bonding, he can fully trust him.

    Luis rested his hand on the table, his palm supporting his head as he closed his eyes. The room was silent as everyone awaited his answer; the tension was increasing with every passing moment.

    Suddenly, Luis opened his eyes and looked towards Booker with approval.

    "Your suggestion is good. Involving the entire barony is indeed the best way forward. The progress will be faster that way. I''ll speak with my father when he arrives on the battlefield."

    "I hope everyone here can be like Booker, hoping for the better and safer development." He scanned the room as he said this.

    Everyone here, including the newly arrived Blog Goblin, nodded. All the old guys had a genuine smile hearing the decision of Luis. Their only dream is to work for the betterment of Territory.

    "The normal meeting has ended now," Luis concluded today''s meeting. "Now, blogs, its your turn to speak what your race can build."

    Everyone''s attention shifted to blogs hearing Luis. They were also curious about this intelligent goblin.

    "Respected Boss, among the 62 members of my n, many of them can create silver armor, golden armor, and ck armor."

    "This is just a basic thing, respected boss. I, along with the help of many of my members, can create a magic crystal cannon that even humans find difficult to make."

    Luis and others were shocked they heard this. Marcos even stood up with excitement.

    "Can you goblin really create Magic Crystal Canon?" Marcos tried to walk near Blogs to question further. However, he was stopped by Biggs.

    "You are still so impulsive after so many years. Sit down and let blogs finish," Biggs forcefully pushed Marcos back to his seat.

    Everyone here was really excited knowing the blue goblins could create Magic Crystal Canon. One Magic Crystal Canon in the kingdom costs over 7,000 gold coins. This is also on discount. In the Northern Wastnd, the price of a magic crystal cannon may reach tens of thousands of gold coins or even more expensive.

    Of course, the most important thing is not its price but the function of the magic crystal cannon. Each magic crystal cannon is extremely powerful. As long as there are a few, it is enough to ensure that the territory is safe.

    Even ifrge-scale attacks of orcs are encountered, it can deter them for some time.

    However, to build a magic crystal canon, the builder must be a third-level refiner but also have a variety of precious materials. which Luis didn''t have at this moment.

    "I am already a third-level refiner, and I am much better than a human in refining," blogs proudly at Marcos.

    "My respected boss, I have a request. I hope I can experiment with various new metals from this world." Blogs then immediately requested Luis. Aftering to this new world, he has infinite hope. He may even be able to reach 4th level refiner in this lifetime.

    "I can give you permissions; however, you cannot show your face outside. Otherwise it will cause great trouble." Luis agreed to blogs, as it was not a particrly difficult request. He will not stop anyone who wants to improve themselves.

    "Yes, Respected Boss," blogs nodded excitedly.

    Luis was preparing to end the meeting now; they have talked for a long time now.

    "I will officially conclude today''s meeting. Everyone is to follow the instructions I''ve given. If anything strange urs or if there''s anything important, report it to me immediately."

    With a final nod, he added, "You''re dismissed."

 Chapter 54 Work

    The next day, everyone followed the instruction given by Luis.

    Xiao Wei, along with 5 official knights and 30 apprentice knights, headed outside with wagons.

    The air was crisp as they moved out at dawn. The knights d in their armor marched in discipline alongside the wagons.

    Their destination was the hidden cave where valuable medicinal herbs grew in abundance.

    They quickly walked out of the city, directly entering the wilderness. The path led them through dense forest, the sound of rustling leaves and distant bird calls echoing around them.

    "Be careful," Xiao Wei said, his voice low but firm. "There are a lot of dangerous beasts ready to hunt unsuspecting prey."

    Everyone was on full alert; they were trained as knights and will never be lower their vignce.

    The journey was very long, and almost 5 hours have passed.

    "We are already very near, only a few minutes now. It is concealed by natural rock formation," Xiao Wei informed the leading official knight.

    Everyone became more alert hearing this. The nearer you are to your destination, the more alert one should be.

    Within just a few minutes, they reached the entrance of the cave, concealed by a natural rock formation and vines covering it.

    "You are really lucky to find this ce." The leading knight was surprised by such a hidden cave.

    "It''s just luck," Xiao Wei said with a smile, but there was deep sadness hidden within.

    "Knights! be prepared. There might be danger hidden here; tread with caution." The leading knightmanded.

    Everyone tightened their grips on the weapon with eyes scanning around the cave.

    They left their wagons outside to examine the cave. They cautiously entered the cave with everyone looking at each other''s backs. Some were prepared for attack from walls, some prepared for underground, some from above, and some from forward and behind. They are fully prepared to be attacked.

    "I have lived here. There is no chance of there being any beast," Xiao Wei reassured; however, they still didn''t drop their vignce.

    Xiao Wei looked at all this with emotions. These knights are really different from warriors of this world. These knights work in unity and as a whole.

    As they went deeper into the cave, they began to see different nts growing in clusters. Their vibrant colors stood out against the dim, rocky backdrop.

    All the knights spread around searching for any kind of danger hidden in the cave.

    "You guys are cautious, very cautious. Are all the knights in your world like this?" Xiao Wei questioned the leading knight as he looked at other knights searching every nook and cranny of the cave.

    "No, only us elites of the Hartmann family are like this. Most knights, especially outside our ranks, are greedy fools who only seek personal benefit. You must have noticed that with Commander Theodore¡ªnot all are that way, but most are like him."

    The leading knight began correcting Xiao Wei.

    "As people grow stronger, their vignce tends to drop. They be arrogant, thinking nothing can harm them. We, Hartmann knights, are trained to never make that mistake. Our discipline is strict."

    Xiao Wei nodded, realizing something important. Boss Father, Baron Felipe, was a very remarkable leader, creating such elite soldiers. Elite not only in terms of strength but also in mentality.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Just as Xiao Wei was thinking, all the knights returned.

    "No danger spotted."

    "All Clear"

    The leading knight finally rxed a little. "Collect the nts in Evergreen Wooden Box."

    Knights followed the instructions immediately; they walked towards the wagons to bring the Evergreen Wooden Box.

    Evergreen Wooden Box is created from Evergreen Heartwood Tree. The wood of this tree exudes a soft, natural energy that prevents decay and keeps nts fresh and full of vitality.

    The box made from Evergreen Heartwood can maintain the freshness of herbs, flowers, and fruits for months, as if they were just harvested.

    This is a very expensive box only found in Fantasy World. One wooden box cost them one gold coin.

    -----

    Xiao Wei and Knights quickly harvested everything in the cave. Afterwards, they spread the seeds around in the cave so that they could grow again yearster.

    They returned back through the dense forest. Everyone had a satisfied smile on their face due to the harvest. With this much herb, many medicinal powders can be created, increasing everyone''s strength.

    Suddenly, five official knights eyes became sharp as they looked forward.

    "Alert! Iing enemies, ready your weapons!"

    Hearing this, everyone tightened their grip on their weapons, ready for any iing enemies.

    "Must be bandits; there are a lot in this forest." Xiao Wei reminded

    The knights stopped moving; the trained horses were under control, protected behind knights.

    In just a few moments, many thugs holding machetes, bows, and swords appeared in their sights. There were at least more than 100.

    They had greedy expressions as they looked at the wagons behind the knights. They wereughing and murmuring amongst each other.

    Xiao Wei, who was beside Leading Knight, looked at them with little worry.

    "They seem to be a huge bandit group; these kinds of nuisances should be fully destroyed," Xiao Wei whispered to the leading knight.

    The leading knight also nodded as he watched the banditsing closer towards them.

    As the bandits drew closer, their arrogantughter echoed through the air, growing louder with each step.

    "Look at ''em, all suited up like they''re on some royal duty!" one of the bandits sneered, swaggering forward with a confident smirk. "Bet those wagons are packed with riches, boys!"

    The group spread out, some drawing bows, others raising their swords, moving with careless arrogance, clearly underestimating the knights before them.

    The knights looked at all of these cold eyes. These bandits are really arrogant, thinking they have already won.

    The bandits wereughing,pletely oblivious to the danger they were about to face.

    Twenty apprentice knights and three official knights stepped forward to end the nonsense of those bandits. They don''t have much time to waste talking with these bandits.

    The knights were much faster with bodies strengthened by life seeds and martial arts. They reached towards the bandits in no time.

    As they crashed into the bandits, the knight''s swords began to strike with deadly precision.

    One apprentice swung his sword, cutting through a bandit arm. He fell to the ground wide-eyed and screaming. The bravado of bandits immediately copsed.

    "How... could there be... so many strong warriors, there are allte stage--" A bandit was shouting in fear just when his voice was cut short and his head separated from his body by the sword of an official knight.

    The battle was too easy for the knights, as they attacked with the strength of 20te-stage body-training warriors and 3 innate warriors. This was an overkill for these bandits, whose strengths were between normal people and early and mid-stage body-training warriors.

    Every bandit at the back behind the group began to run. They thought this time they struck it rich, but who would have expected that all the people were so strong? What was hidden in that wagon was that it needed so much protection.

    The knights hunted down the bandits who were running around. However, few of them still escaped deep into the forest.

    After ughtering the bandits, 20 apprentice knights and 1 official knight returned.

    The group made their way towards the Sirius Gang Headquarters in Anyu Town. The whole day has already been wasted, and night is already approaching.

 Chapter 55 Shock

    Earlier in the morning, after Xiao Wei and the knight left,.

    There were many things going on today; blue goblins were checking different metals of this world with shining eyes.

    Some Knights were training simply. Some were stationed around the city, guarding important ces like stores, while others were sent to nearby cities, towns, and viges by the Chamber of Commerce to protect trade routes.

    Luis, however, was ying with Pipi. He has not given any work for now; since being scolded by his mother, he has recognized many things.

    Every day he was spending enough time with her ying and feeding properly. It will not be toote for her to work after she is promoted to Big Fairy.

    -----

    Turtle Martial Hall

    Cai Tian was currently with Marcos, a friend he had made over the past month.

    "Young Master is looking for you." Marcos, after some talking, directly came to the point, "He will give you a chance to advance to Innate Realm."

    Marcos stroked his beard as he observed Cai Tian, patiently waiting for his response.

    Cai Tian, however, began thinking, ''Is Han Long really going to fulfill his promise?

    He still remembers his talk with Han Long. Han Long praised him for being smart.

    ''I thought he was going to catch the rebels from the kingdom. Why is he building his own force here? Why is he creating his chamber ofmerce? Is he even from the Royal Family?''

    Though only a brief moment had passed, countless thoughts raced through his mind.

    After thinking for a few more moments, he sighed and nodded to Marcos. Whether he wanted to or not, he had no choice but to go¡ªhisck of strength left him little room to refuse.

    Despite he and Marcos talking like friends, Marcos strength is in an innate realm much stronger than his.

    "Let''s not waste time then; let''s go now." Marcos, hearing Cai Tian, stood up and walked out.

    Cai Tian sighed again, not knowing what the future would hold. He stood up and followed Marcos through the yard of Turtle Martial Hall.

    Along the way, he saw many of his students who bowed respectfully at him. All the students were curiously looking at Marcos. This old man is a member of a new powerful Sirius gang.

    At the final entrance of Turtle Martial Hall in the reception desk, Guo Guang was eating the meat with enjoyment. However, his quick eyes noticed Cai Tian and Marcos.

    He quickly stopped chewing the meat and swallowed it directly.

    "I will be gone for a while; if someone searches for me, tell them I am in Sirius Gang Headquarters." Cai Tian''s voice drifted as he walked past Guo Guang.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Guo Guang watched the fading figure of two old guys for some more time before looking back at his meat.

    Nothing in life is better than sleeping and eating all day.

    -----

    After walking around the whole town, Cai Tian entered inside the Sirius Headquarters, and the sight along the way shocked him.

    In the training ground that he passed, he saw many people training his Turtle Martial Arts. This was not the most shocking thing; the strength he felt from them was at least ate-stage body-training warrior.

    Some among them could even channel qi through their bodies. Cai Tian was in awe as he saw so many strong people at one ce. If only a portion of warriors are taken out from here, they can create their own gang dominating a town.

    Cai Tian nced around a bit longer as he quietly followed Marcos with cautiousness.

    After some more walking, he saw Luis sitting there ying with a tiny creature. That thing seems to be a tiny girl with wings.

    "You are here, Cai Tian; sit down." Luis instructed, seeing the guest, "You can retreat, Marcos."

    At Luis''mand, Marcos bowed slightly and retreated. Cai Tian, still feeling cautious, sat down, his eyes lingering curiously on Pipi.

    He quickly withdrew his eyes from her, as this was inappropriate and might make Luis angry.

    "Sir Han, long time no see," Cai Tian bowed slightly as he started the conversation awkwardly.

    Luis smiled and didn''t say anything. He was staring at Cai Tian with a piercing gaze.

    Cai Tian couldn''t help but feel uneasy under Luis'' piercing stare. The young man he had casually spoken with months ago had now grown so powerful that the gap between them felt insurmountable.

    "Are you willing to be under mymand?" Luis broke the silence.

    Cai Tian hearing this nodded vigorously. From the moment Marcos had asked him toe to the Sirius Headquarters, he had known this moment woulde. The sight of those powerful warriors along the way solidified his resolve.

    "Recite this oath with sincerity." Luis handed a note to Cai Tian with the Heavenly Dao Oath: "Don''t have any second thoughts; otherwise, you will not be able to bear the consequences of heaven."

    "I, Cai Tian, solemnly swear before the heavens that I will follow Luis Hartmann with unwavering loyalty. Should I ever betray this vow, may the heavens strike me down with heart demons and unleash the fury of the Heavenly Tribtion upon my soul."

    The process was the same as Xiao Wei; Luis could see a while substance, which might be a soul or spirit being connected to his vortex.

    Under the shocked expression of Cai Tian, he opened a vortex.

    "Quickly enter this and return back after you have epted the memories." Luis urged Cai Tian

    Cai Tian quickly came back to his senses and vigntly entered the vortex.

    In just a few moments, he held his head, epting all those memories. He opened his eyes and looked at Luis in disbelief.

    "You can call me Boss from now on," Luis ignored Cai Tian. Look, "Go coordinate with Marcos; he will familiarize you with everything."

    "Yes, boss," Cai Tian walked out of the room with hurried steps.

    Luis was left with Pipi, who was flying around the room. His expression was extremely serious.

    "After returning to barony, I will search for immortals in this world, Xiao Wei. I hope you won''t disappoint me." He murmured, closing his eyes, making different ns for the future.

 Chapter 56 Prince

    It was already midnight, and the whole Anyu Town was peaceful and silent.

    Xiao Wei and the knights returned with the medicinal herbs. Along the way, they didn''t meet any more bandits.

    At the town''s entrance, members of the Sirius Gang were waiting to receive them. After handing over the wagons filled with medicinal herbs, they headed towards headquarters to report the adventure.

    Xiao Wei and the leading knight quickly handed their own report to the person in charge and went to sleep. They have been on journey from morning to midnight, and the rest is well deserved.

    -----

    Early the next morning.

    Booker came to Luis with a report on his hand.

    "Young Master, this is the report handed by the knight team who went to search for the medicinal herb." Booker began reporting

    "They were attacked by bandits when returning towards Anyu Town. There were hundreds of bandits, but this is not a big trouble. The leading knight sent two official knights to find the den of these bandits as he felt that something was wrong."

    Luis nced at the map, listening to the report of Booker. There really were two green dots deep in the forest.

    "Those two will return afterpleting their mission," Booker said, looking through the report file.

    "What about the medicinal herbs?" Luis had confidence in the official knights; they would not be in danger.

    "Yes, the medicinal herbs are already handed over to the pharmacists. They were very excited, shouting that it was herbs with high quality." Booker said with a smile that those usually serious old pharmacists acted like children.

    "Suggest them to start taking on apprentices from this world," Luis replied thoughtfully. "As our soldiers grow in number, relying solely on them won''t be enough to meet the demand for supplies."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "I will suggest them, Young Master," Booker replied concisely, waiting for other orders from Luis.

    "You can retreat now; send Marcos and Cai Tian to me," Luis said as Pipi flew out of him, waking from her sleep.

    Booker nodded and headed outside the room.

    Luis took out a magic stone and crushed it for Pipi to absorb. He watched as Pipi was absorbing the stone very quickly.

    "Pipi, when do you think you will advance?" Luis couldn''t help but be curious.

    "Pipi Pipi," Pipi stopped absorbing and looked at Luis in confusion.

    "Nothing, you can take your time," Luis answered as he felt Pipi emotions. She didn''t feel any sense of advancement till now. Luis couldn''t do anything regarding this; it is really hard for fairies to advance.

    ''I hope immortal cultivators have the advancement treasures for pipi.''

    Luis thought as he looked through the report left behind by Booker.

    -----

    After fifteen minutes, Marcos and Cai Tian entered the room. Both wore expressions of satisfaction as they stood before Luis.

    Luis raised his brows looking at Cai Tian. "You have broken through the innate realm."

    "Yes, boss, my foundation was already very strong when I was ate-stage warrior. Now, with the help of the Knight breathing method, I easily broke through the realm. I just don''t know what to call this innate realm or official knight." Cai Tian spoke excitedly.

    "You can change the realm ording to the world. Official knight in fantasy world, Innate realm in this world." Luis answered the question as he looked at both of them.

    They both nodded, hearing Luis.

    "What about the n? Have you created any?" Luis finally questioned the main thing, looking at Marcos.

    "We will recruit 2000 natives from this world through different selection stages. We need 1 month to train them. Although they will not be ready for war, they can at least safeguard the business of this world. As for elite recruits, they can join the war."

    Luis agreed with Marcos statement. Not everyone is suitable for war; a battle between tens of thousands is not something that everyone can handle.

    "Time can be adjusted, but I need better soldiers. I trust you both on this matter. Cai Tian, you can involve your Turtle Martial Hall too. If the recruits are ready, bring them to me to recite their oath."

    Marcos and Cai Tian nodded when they heard. They both will try their best to help Luis.

    "You may leave now and handle things your way. I don''t care about the process. I''ll only evaluate the final result," Luis added, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

    Luis watched their retreating back and murmured, "These days there have been a lot of meetings."

    With a sigh, he stood up and made his way to the training ground. Though he valued unity and collective strength over individual heroism, he was relentless in his personal training, always striving to push his limits. He knew that leading by example meant being at his best, both in mind and body.

    When others watch him train so desperately, they will follow his example, training their best.

    ----

    The whole day and night passed, and the two official knights, following the bandits, returned with full speed.

    They reported their arrival and wrote a report of all the things they encountered.

    Early the next morning, Booker again brought a report to Luis.

    "Young Master, those two official knights returned yesterday. They brought an important piece of information." Booker began his report.

    "There were more than 1500 people in the bandit den, among which there were many mid-stage warriors. With the knights strength, they secretly assassinated all the strong warriors." Booker looked through the report

    "While killing the bandit leader, they found important information. Those bandits were supported by the 4th prince of this kingdom. Evidence also points out that this is true."

    "The 4th prince not only supported this bandit den but also many others in all states of the kingdom."

    Booker finished summarizing the report and handed the report file to Luis. Luis read through all the information written in it.

    "The fourth prince is nning a rebellion. How old is the king of this kingdom?" Luis was questioned with a frown.

    "He is 92 years old, and he is an innate master," Booker answered as he already learned all about the information about this world.

    "Innate masters have a normal lifespan, unlike official knights; the king might already be sick and on his deathbed." Luis tried to reason based on existing clues.

    "This kingdom might soon descend into chaos, and the fighting between various factions will be inevitable. The battle for the throne is always brutal in every world."

    Booker nodded, hearing Luis.

    "This will be our chance to control the whole kingdom, but what about those bandits, Young Master?" Booker asked this question.

    "Those bandits are just a nuisance," Luis replied dismissively. "Select a group of strong and clever knights to hunt them down. They will only hinder the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce."

    Luis gave other orders and signaled Booker to leave. With capable subordinates, he doesn''t have to do everything himself. Just a simple order will be enough.

 Chapter 57 Orcs

    Two days passed quickly.

    Luis was ready to return to his own world. He was on the battlefield, and he and his knight were chasing the orcs. If he disappears, it will just unnecessarily worry his father''s shadow guards stationed in the different bases.

    So, he along with his 400 knights entered the vortex appearing inside the goblin cave. This ce was still scorched ck by the burnt marks from ming oil.

    Luis kept every knight in formation with Vortex still open.

    "Liam, order strong and fast official knights to scout the surrounding area. Give them a time of 30 minutes." Luis ordered Liam; it would be too reckless if they just walked around without knowing anything.

    Liam walked back to order the official knights. In just a few moments, twenty strong official knights galloped in their horses to scout the surroundings.

    With their strength, they can escape even if they encounter danger. If they couldn''t escape, it just means that the enemy is too strong and Luis has to create a new n.

    Luis began to nce at the map, seeing 20 green dots spreading towards the north-east direction, which is the direction of the Orc Battlefield frontline.

    "Xiao Wei, you will still act as a merchant and buy all the necessary items for the Chamber of Commerce in Cultivation World." Luis looked at Xiao Wei, who was inside full armor.

    "Yes, boss. Biggs has given me all the list to buy," Xiao Wei said, taking out a list from his body.

    Luis started gazing at the map, ignoring the list shown by Xiao Wei.

    Suddenly, three official knights who were going in one direction stopped moving. A few minutester, other green dots stopped moving too. In just a few minutes, the dots gathered together and headed back towards the cave where Luis was currently residing.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ''What did they find?'' Luis thought as he looked at the green dots moving at very fast speed.

    In just a few minutes, they entered the cave. They headed straight towards Luis.

    "Boss, Orcs. In northeast direction, orcs are gathering." The knights quickly informed everyone, alerting everyone.

    Everyone became alert when they heard this. Orcs are spotted. Hatred and murderous intent shed across everyone''s faces. This is racial grudge between two races that has umted for thousands of years.

    In recent years, there has been some sort of fragile agreement between these orcs and humans, but this will not remove the deep-seated hatred.

    "Arthur, go inside and inform Marcos. We need more knights." Luis immediately started giving orders.

    Arthur, without wasting time, entered the vortex seriously.

    "Tell me the number of orcs you have spotted." Luis then looked at the scout again.

    "Boss, the orcs seem to be from a single tribe, as they have gs in their wolves. The number is about 1000." The scout immediately recalled everything.

    "There should be no 3rd stage warrior among orcs."

    Luis listened to everything the scout said. There definitely is no 3rd stage warrior among these Orcs. As orcs are extremely militaristic, the 3rd stage orcs will definitely control an army of 10,000. Commanding 1,000 Orcs is humiliation for the third-stage strong Orc.

    Arthur quickly returned along with 150 more knights. There were also Marcos among them.

    The knights were all in formation; the strengths were three 2nd stage official knights, 30 1st stage official knights, and 517 apprentice knights.

    This was a very scary number, as it was fullyposed of knights who awakened their life seed. No reserve knights to hold back; the strength that can be unleashed fully is unimaginable.

    -----

    In the orcs camp

    The orcs were oblivious to the scouts that just spied on them. They had a look of frustration as they stayed on the ground eating raw meat.

    "Massta, why we gotta follow dat prince?"

    "I wanna fight like a brave warrior, like Mahoraga! Dis kinda cowardice ain''t what brave Orcs do!"

    This statement was cheered by every orc.

    "Why are we attackin'' da weak an'' runnin'' away?"

    "What''s dat prince up to? I don''t like dat coward!"

    Lately, resentment had been growing among the orcs. Acting like cowards went against everything they stood for, especially those who followed Mahoraga, the symbol of strength and bravery. They hated being forced into such behavior.

    Even the tribe leader, who shared their anger, wore a frustrated expression. He didn''t want to be a coward either, but he had no choice. Defying the prince could lead to severe consequences, as the prince had the backing of the powerful Central Tribe.

    "Shut up! Don''t you dare argue with me! I''ll kill you where you stand if you say another word."

    The tribe leader roared in fury, his red eyes zing as he red at the Orcs who dared to challenge him and the prince. His anger was palpable, sending a wave of fear through the group.

    No orc dared to argue any further. When the tribe leader said he would kill, he meant it. They knew his word was final. None of them wanted to die like this¡ªwithout honor. Their destiny was to fall in battle, not under the wrath of their own leader.

    "Get ready! We goin'' to Nailia region next to smash da weak pioneer knights!"

    "Haaaa"

    "Haaaah"

    The orcs grudgingly agreed, their spirits low. It wasn''t just their tribe; many other tribes were acting like cowards as well. The weight of their shame hung heavy as they prepared for the fight ahead.

    Continue your journey with empire

    But just as they were about to head towards the Nailia region, the ground began to shake.

    The tribe leader, along with other orcs, looked in one direction. A lot of horses were galloping towards them.

    The orcs'' faces lit up with excitement at the sight. However, the tribe leader was shocked; how could a cavalrye so close to them?

    However, he quickly mounted on his wolves and rushed towards the galloping horses.

    "Hurrrah! Dis be da battle I been waitin'' for! Attack!"

    "Hurrrah!"

    "Humans! So many humans, hahaha!"

    "Attack!"

    The orcs quickly following the tribe leader also mounted on their wolves and charged towards the advancing humans.

    There was no formation among orcs as they were caught off guard. Thousands of orcs headed towards the humans, chaotically driven by a singr desire to kill the humans in the name of Mahoraga.

    The thrill of battle ignited their spirits as they rushed into the fray.

    Today, only one race would emerge alive from this sh. Orcs never retreated. Their fierce resolve was unyielding. They would fight to thest breath, determined to prove their strength and honor on the battlefield.

 Chapter 58 War

    After receiving the order from Luis, the aura of bloodlust began to spread in the army.

    The knights galloped directly into the orc camp, gaining the momentum that a cavalry should have.

    The knight began to surge forward, starting with a slow jog, then gradually elerating, until finally breaking into a full galloping charge after a suitable distance. The rumbling of hoops echoed along the rocky path, and soon the ground itself began to shake.

    The orcs also noticed the galloping cavalry and rushed towards them on their wolves, but it was toote; there was no proper preparation from the orcs.

    It was toote. The orcs had no time to elerate and build momentum; they could only watch the forward of the human knights arriving and crashing into them with full eleration.

    The murderous human cavalry raised their swords, the de shining brightly on the morning sunlight.

    The human cavalry raised their swords high, their des gleaming in the morning sunlight.

    In an instant, they crashed into the orcs. Blood sprayed into the sky, heads and limbs flew in every direction, and the orc frontlines crumbled under the onught.

    It was a brutal massacre of the unprepared orcs who were not prepared to be attacked. However, the eyes of the surviving orcs glowed red with pure rage as theirpatriots were killed.

    At the center of the battlefield, tribe leader Uran was locked inbat with Luis and Arthur. His fury burned in his crimson eyes, and his strength seemed to grow with every strike.

    But momentster, he was surrounded by dozens of swords, not talking about a fair fuel. This is a life-and-death battlefield, and there is no room for chivalry to survive here.

    No matter how powerful Uran is, he can''t stand the siege of an army. What''s more, there are many strong knights in the Luis army.

    After creating a record of injuring five knights, the tribe leader Uran was eventually cut off by the sword of Arthur.

    With the death of Tribe Leader Uran, the morale of the orcs crumbled. The fiery glow in their eyes dimmed, and their will to fight lowered. The orcs became confused seeing the sight around them.

    Luis and the knights seized this opportunity and pushed forward, leaving corpses all over the ground and blood flowing everywhere.

    This was a total massacre. Among the Orcs, no one survived.

    -----

    By sunset, the battlefield was silent.

    The killing thatsted for a whole day finally subsided at this moment. Every single orc was killed, leaving no one alive.

    Currently, the knights were collecting the heads of high-level orcs. If this is submitted to the War Council, battlefield merit can be gained.

    The bodies of normal orcs were burned by the ming oil.

    "Boss, no casualties on our side," Arthurughed while panting. "Hahaha, I killed the strongest 2nd stage Orc warrior as an apprentice knight. I can show off to my father now."

    Heid down on the ground andughed proudly. Hisughter was contagious. The other knights joined in, some leaning on their swords, others sitting on the ground, all of them victorious.

    Some knights emerged from the battle unscathed, while others bore dents and scratches on their ck iron armor. A few were lightly wounded, and some were seriously injured, showing the brutal toll of the massacre. Yet, despite their varying conditions, they stood victorious, the aftermath of the battle reflected in their wear and wounds.

    "Everyone who is injured, go back to Sirius Headquarters." Luis began giving orders after opening the vortex.

    The slightly injured knights walked on their own, and more injured knights were carried by other knights to be treated by the pharmacist.

    Although there were no casualties, the cornered orcs were very desperate. Their eyes glowed crimson with rage, a terrifying sight as they battled to the death.

    This blood-red glow was a manifestation of the orcs'' bloodline talent, a primal state triggered in the heat of battle. When pushed to their limits, orcs enter this berserk state, unlocking a surge of strength and fury fueled by generations of warrior instinct. It made them fearsome opponents, fighting without regard for their own lives.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Luis and other uninjured knights watched the burning Orcs. If there was a wizard in their group, there would be no need to burn the corpses every time for fear of the undead.

    "Liam, report"

    "Young Master, there are 60 slightly injured and 14 seriously injured. These serious were caused by the orcs above the 1st stage to apprentice knights." Liam reported the situation.

    "This is already good; our knights are really elite now."

    "It''s all due to the dual cultivation of knight breathing and martial arts. The first-stage official knights can even hold their own grounds against the second-stage orc warriors," Liam replied proudly with a smile.

    "Even those orcs who have bloodline talent couldn''t defeat our knights."

    Luis and the surrounding knights smiled happily hearing the report from Liam. They really are elite among elites now for a newly created army.

    Half an hourter, all the corpses of orcs are burned.

    Luis and the knights began to make their way towards the Orc Battlefield frontline. The heads of the higher-level orcs were sent to Sirius Headquarters for storage.

    This time, the knights traveled at a normal pace, knowing it would take at least two days to reach their destination. It was already past midnight, and most of them were exhausted from the day''s battle. So, they decided to rest in another world, using Luis'' vortex to retreat to safety.

    The next day, they again began their journey. Along the way back from the Gandu region, they saw the city of Pioneer Knight again; the whole city was clean with no sign of dead humans. In just 4 days, the whole city was looted clean.

    Discover exclusive tales on empire

    They rounded around the city onest time before heading towards the frontline. Going there is necessary as the information reaches there the fastest.

 Chapter 59 Asmon

    Two days pass by quickly, and Luis has already reached the frontline.

    This time, however, something was different. All the soldiers here avoided their group. The rumor has already spread around the camp. The son of Baron Felipe attacked themander, disrupting soldiers morale.

    The War Council might punish Luis, and they didn''t want to associate with Luis as not to be implicated. Some even had gloating in their eyes. Stay tuned for updates on empire

    Luis ignored all this, if he is offended by these things, he will be a brainless, arrogant fool.

    "You guys go rest in the camp. I will submit the orc head to the War Council building," Luis said as he headed towards the War Council building. Other knights headed towards their designated resting area.

    The building was towering over the camp as it was four stories tall with a wide base that covered the surrounding area. Its dark stone walls were reinforced with cement and iron, giving it a fortress-like appearance.

    Broad, clear windows were lined at a certain distance on each floor, giving a clear view of the whole camp.

    Luis entered the building and saw that it was bustling with activities. Maps, charts, and reports coveredrge wooden tables, while messengers darted from room to room, ensuring that every piece of battlefield information flowed through this strategic hub.

    Luis looked at everything as he headed towards the reception. There was a woman behind the counter to receive him.

    "How can I assist you today?" she asked, her tone formal, clearly expecting some sort of request or report.

    "I have brought the head of orcs that me and my group killed."

    Luis said as he handed a bag that he was carrying. The receptionist swiftly opened the bag and checked inside.

    Seeing the head of Orcs was nothing new to her. She has been trained for this. But seeing inside, she was shocked.

    "Wait! Sir, let me check." She began inspecting the orc and looked at the tattoo engraved on it.

    She took out a book and started flipping through it. After reaching a certain page, she looked at Luis in shock.

    "This is Uran, leader of the Uran Tribe," the receptionist began, eyeing the severed orc head Luis had brought. "An orc involved in the secret attacks on Pioneer Knight cities."

    After a pause, she looked at Luis with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

    "Sir, which group are you from? Are you under a Commander or Pioneer Knight?"

    She couldn''t believe someone who looked only 14 or 15 would be operating on their own without anyone backing them.

    "I am indeed not alone," hearing Luis the receptionist nod. It was as she expected.

    "I am Luis Hartmann; behind me is my father, Baron Felipe." Luis mentioned his father''s name, hoping it might carry enough weight to reduce any potential punishment.

    "Wait, sir. This is not something I can handle on my own. I must inform the higher-ups immediately," she said, her voice more formal now. Without waiting for a reply, she hurriedly rushed to the upper floors.

    Luis went towards the sofa, which was in the corner of the room, and sat on itfortably.

    Whatever happens here, he is not afraid of anything. He believes in his father''s influence. The ck Cavalry has enough weight, and fully offending it is not beneficial.

    Just as he wasfortably sitting and thinking of all the things, a man in his twenties sat beside him. Luis tried ignoring the guy who was directly looking at him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Hello, Luis. I am Pioneer Knight Asmon, son of Viscount Asoth," the man introduced himself with a warm smile, extending his hand for a handshake.

    Luis shook the hand with a polite nod. He obviously can''t beat a smiling person; basic courtesy must be maintained.

    "I heard that you killed the Uran Tribe Orcs; is it true? Was it from your support from your father or your strength?"

    Luis frowned and nodded when he heard this. Something about Asmon''s smug expression annoyed him, but he kept hisposure.

    "Wow, it is indeed true you killed more than a thousand Orcs." Asmon shouted excitedly, garnering attention from other people.

    "But, can I ask why you didn''t join the royal academy? Do you idolize your dad so much?"

    Luis looked at Asmon when he heard the question.

    "What is with all of you having an obsession with the Royal Academy?" Luis was really confused; these people were really obsessed with the royal academy.

    "Haha, is that even a question? The Royal Academy is a holy ce in this kingdom. The teachers there are fifth-stage official knights, and the principal is a sixth-level knight."

    Luis nodded when he heard this and expected more from Asmon.

    "Did you study at Royal Academy?" Luis tried to get more information.

    "I am the third son of Viscount. I am not talented and qualified enough to enter there." Asmon replied as his face fell.

    "Hahaha, you sure praise the Royal Academy a lot for someone who hasn''t even set foot in it."

    "I want to study there but can''t," Asmon admitted, a hint of frustration in his voice. "But as the only son of a baron, you obviously have the chance. Why would you choose to suffer out here instead of studying safely at the Royal Academy? You''d definitely get stronger faster if you trained there."

    Luis was silent when he heard this. If he didn''t have the Vortex and Cultivation world behind him, he would definitely enter the Royal Academy. Now it is not worth it.

    "Why would I go? Why do I need to? I like the battlefield more. The ce I call home is constantly at war." Luis responded firmly after a pause.

    "As the son of a baron, as a future noble, why would I seekfort and hide in the academy? I don''t need that. I want to protect my territory. I belong here, on the battlefield, not in some safe ssroom."

    Luis eyes gleamed with determination.

    "If I''m to lead one day, I''ll do it by fighting alongside my people, not by hiding away. Strength isn''t found infort. I will fight for myself, fight for my territory, fight for my pride."

 Chapter 60 Samuel

    As Luis said this, everyone turned their heads in his direction. They were secretly listening to the conversation and were shocked by the deration of Luis.

    At this moment, pping was heard from above the stairs.

    A middle-aged man appeared, with the receptionist following behind him. The man had a military aura surrounding him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He was the one pping as he approached Luis.

    "Louis Hartmann, you are just like your father. No, even your father was not so good at your age."

    Luis observed the approaching man, curious about his identity.

    "I am Samuel Hodson, the chiefmander of this Orc Fighting Frontline."

    Luis immediately stood up and performed a knightly salute, recognizing the authority of the chiefmander. The Chief Commander is the supreme leader of frontline bases. Luis will at least show some basic courtesy and not show any disrespect. A lot of troubles can be avoided this way.

    "Asmon retreat, I want to have some private talk with Luis."

    Asmon, hearing this, stood up and walked away; while walking, he nced back at Luis.

    "Luis, your previous speech was really good, but don''t say it out so loudly. I felt a bit cringe listening to it," he teased with a yful smirk on his face before disappearing from view.

    "He is my nephew; don''t take his words seriously. He has been yful since childhood.

    Luis nodded hearing this, but his mind wandered around. He himself felt a little embarrassed after saying it out loud. It would have been better if he stayed silent.

    "Why do you want to see me, sir?" Luis questioned Samuel aftering back to his senses.

    "Wait!" Samuel looked back at everyone who was secretly eavesdropping on them. He released the aura covering his body.

    Seeing this, everyone fled from the scene. If one is strong enough, even a crowded ce can be a private ce.

    "I have already punished Theodore." Samuel began speaking.

    "The War Council wanted to punish you as well, but since you''ve brought in the head of the tribe leader orc, your punishment will be revoked."

    "Instead, you will get war merit."

    Luis nodded heavily when he heard this. He knows about the war merit system.

    "For directly taking down an Orc tribe that was causing trouble, I will give you 5,000 merit."

    5,000 merit directly equals to 5,000 gold coins. Many strategic items that are hard to buy can be bought through this credit too.

    "Your father and I wererades years ago. He saved my life back then. As his son, I will do my best to help you." Samuel continued, his tone softening a bit.

    "Sir, I want to know what these orcs are nning. Why are these orcs acting like cowards?" Luis questioned his doubt the moment he got the permission.

    Samuel became serious when he heard this.

    "If you really want to know, then follow me." With that said, he began to walk towards the upper floor.

    Luis face became serious as he followed Samuel. It seems some great secret is going to be revealed.

    They both quickly reached the third floor of the building. There Luis saw a magic pir that was glowing with a blue light.

    He is very familiar with this, as there is one in his barony too, managed by his mother.

    "This is a magic pir, which captures all the information that is sent from the battlefield through the Magic Scroll."

    Luis nodded, indicating that he was familiar with it.

    "Sometime ago, after your father returned to your barony, we lost many of our squads due to frequent sneak attacks of Orcs."

    "Sir, I don''t understand why these orcs are acting intelligent. They are usually not like this, right?"

    Samuel''s eyes became serious when he heard the question.

    "Those orcs, there are creatures born from the experiments of ancient wizards. They were created to fight against the abyss creatures. To do so, they were given a special bloodline¡ªone that consumes their sanity in exchange for raw power." Read new chapters at empire

    He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

    "Thousands of yearster, their bloodline has been perfected bit by bit. Now, they can think properly, and they''ve learned to use strategies."

    "Time will tell if these newly evolved orcs, capable of thought and strategy, are more dangerous than the reckless, raging orcs of the past."

    Luis eyes darkened when he heard this: Too dangerous world. This world is too dangerous. It is constantly at war, and those abyss creatures, dragons, and many different races are still hiding somewhere.

    "Sir, I noticed they sprang into action after my father returned to barony. Is there any connection?"

    Samuel raised his eyebrows in surprise at the question.

    "You think a lot for someone your age," he remarked with a slight smile, but then his expression turned more serious.

    "But you''re not wrong. There is a connection. The Orc Prince fears your father greatly. He has suffered a loss once."

    Luis smirked, listening to Samuel.

    "So what is the n, sir?" Do humans have any ns?"

    "Two months from now, Earl Isaac will enter the war. This will be the final great war between humans and orcs. Kingdom wants to end this war quickly as the Beast Men are also waging the wars."

    Samuel said, pointing towards information in the Magic Pir. There was a message.

    [

    To War Council,

    Subject: Urgent Request for Assistance¡ªBeast Men Incursion

    I, Baron Dno, submit this urgent plea for military support. The Beast Men have begun causing significant unrest along the borders of my territory, threatening the safety and stability of our region. Their numbers and aggression are increasing rapidly, and we are in need of reinforcements to prevent further esction.

    I respectfully request immediate assistance from the Kingdom to counter this growing threat. Without swift intervention, the situation may soon spiral beyond control.

    Your timely response will be greatly appreciated.

    Yours faithfully,

    Baron Dno

    Protector of the Bordends

    ]

    "You see this, the kingdom wants peace in Northern Wastnd, at least for now," Samuel said gravely.

    "When the war starts in the South, it will be much greater than in the North. So, there will be a final deciding war here."

    "In the south, it will not only be beast men that attack; there will be many goblins, dark elves, and other races."

    Luis nodded and stared at the magic pir with a serious face, hoping to see any other messages.

    "No need to keep looking," Samuel said, also ncing at the pir. "The information from the south is limited."

    "Since you''ve shown the ability to take down an orc tribe on your own, I''m granting you permission to form your own force. You''ll have the freedom to roam the battlefield." Samuel gave Luis a clear direction.

    "Your mission is simple: kill as many orcs as you can."

    Luis stood proudly, performing a knight salute: "Rest assured, sir, I will kill all the orcs that are on my way."

    "Good, you can retreat now."

 Chapter 61 Auction

    One month has passed since Luis spoke with Samuel.

    A lot has happened during this time. Luis, along with his army, roamed around the battlefield, killing another three Orc tribes.

    They were the Orok Tribe, Kato Tribe, and Joto Tribe. Luis found them just before they were about to attack different pioneer cities.

    He killed the orcs without any causalities on his side. As in these thirty days, the knights have progressed a lot in strength.

    The talent they received after traveling to two worlds was beyond expected. Even the worst talent among them can probably enter the official knight in just 6 months, ording to the estimate. This is also without taking any medicine.

    Luis himself can enter the 2nd stage as an as an official knight in just half a month at most.

    The sky was clear, and the morning sun shone brightly, bathing thend in its warm, golden light.

    Luis was walking in Remora City with anticipation.

    Tomorrow is the day when auctions will be held once a year, organized by the Compton Chamber of Commerce. This is the biggest auction where many kinds of rare things are sold every year.

    Luis mission is clear; he wants to see if Thunder Stone is sold in the auction. Thunderstone is one of the most important parts of building the Magic Crystal Canon. If this Thunder Stone is obtained, the goblins can start building the canon.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Around him, many nobles and Pioneer Knights could be seen walking along with their knights.

    The whole day passed, and another day arrived. As the day broke, many people gathered towards the Compton Chamber of Commerce.

    Read chapters at empire

    Everyone''s face was filled with anticipation as they waited for the auction to start.

    "Have you heard?"

    "What?"

    "Hehe, you probably don''t know this. The Compton Chamber of Commerce released the news a few days ago that there will be 20 bottles of medium life potions and 150 bottles of low-level life potions on sale at this auction."

    "Is this true or false?"

    "Of course it''s true. How could the Compton Chamber of Commerce deceive people?"

    "Oh my god, there are twenty bottles."

    "Yes, this is going to be a good show. I''m afraid those noble lords will go crazy."

    There were many voices among the crowd. Luis, Arthur, Xiao Wei, and Liam were also among the crowds.

    Luis was not too surprised listening to the discussion. An auction without life potions is not a qualified auction. Life potions, no matter where they are, are of enormous value. The medium-level life potion is enough to attract countless people to fight for it.

    This is especially true in Northern Wastnd, where there are not many pharmacists.

    Luis and others led by the servant entered the auction. The servant led them directly into the second floor, where nobles stayed.

    He entered the auction in the name of the Hartmann family, so he was given a VIP spot on the second floor.

    There are separate rooms here on this floor, which can only be owned by nobles like the Hartmann family or other territorial nobles. As for other pioneer lords, they can only stay on the first floor.

    "Knight Luis, these are the items for this auction. You can take a look first to see if there is anything you like."

    "You can call me anytime if you have any instructions. I''ll be right outside the door!" The servant spoke respectfully and walked out, handing a catalog to Luis.

    Luis nodded to the servant as he turned his attention to the catalog. Inside the catalog were 45 items disyed.

    Luis scanned the items in the catalog one by one. His eyes soon stopped on the 6th, 17th, and 41st items.

    6th item were a group of ves. These were males only ves. There were a total of 500 strong ves who were master farmers. They had a variety of farming knowledge. The starting price was 200 gold coins.

    17th item was Thunderstone. This is the main item he has been looking for. The starting price was 800 gold coins.

    41st item was a ck Unicorn. A first-stage tamed monster. ck unicorns were created by wizards, and they were kept as pets and as mounts in elite cavalry units. The starting price is 1500 gold coins.

    Luis decided to buy these items as they were helpful to these ns. He then handed the catalog to others.

    "If you have something you like, buy it. I have brought enough money. I chose 6,17,41."

    Arthur and Xiao Wei began looking through the catalog. There were a lot of things that made their eyes shine. However, they shook their heads, handing the catalog back to Luis.

    "Boss, there is nothing that could directly enhance our strength except the life potion."

    "Yes, if possible, we can buy some life potion."

    Luis nodded, turning his attention to the stage. Below him, everyone has already gathered.

    After a few moments, the auction officially began. A woman in blonde hair walked towards the stage.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the Compton Chamber of Commerce auction. We are excited to begin!"

    She didn''t waste any time giving a long speech and started the auction quickly.

    "For our first offering, we present a lot of ten exquisite female ves. The bidding will start at just three gold coins, with a minimum bid increment of one silver coin. Let the auction begin!"

    Her pleasant voice sounded as the ten female ves were brought to the stage.

    "Three gold coins!"

    "Four gold coins"

    "Five gold coins!"

    Many bid for the female ves; however, Luis had no interest in this. He doesn''t like the ve culture of this.

    The first auction was officially sold for five gold and 15 silver coins.

    Then came the second item, which was also female ves. However, they were more beautiful and were sold for more coins.

    The third item was brought into the stage and was sold quickly. There were many excited people on the first floor bidding at the items.

    Finally, Luis expression became serious as the fourth item was announced.

 Chapter 62 Auction II

    "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce our next lot: a group of robust ves from Bigot Lake Province. They have mastered very good farming techniques. The starting price is 200 gold coins. Each bid must be no less than one gold coin."

    The auctioneer introduced the 4th auction item. After she spoke, the venue was silent for a moment.

    The starting price of five hundred ves for 200 gold coins is very expensive. Even though these ves mastered good farming techniques.

    Some of the pioneers hesitated and tried to buy these ves for their territory.

    "200 gold coins"

    "202 gold coins"

    "210 gold coins"

    "215 gold coins"

    The bidding was increasing at a slow rate as the pioneer knights werepeting.

    The bid became lower and lower as it wentter. More than 250 coins is very expensive; it would at least take 2-3 years for these farming ves to earn it back.

    As the voices began to fade, Arthur''s voice came from Luis Room.

    "300 gold coins"

    As soon as the words were spoken, the entire auction house fell silent. They turned their heads to the second floor; this was the first time anyone bid from the second floor.

    "Is there anyone who can offer a higher price?"

    "These are extremely strong ves who have mastered superb farming techniques. They are the most important in the territory."

    The woman questioned, but no one increased the price. 300 gold coins is already the limit for these ves.

    "Three hundred gold coins, going once!"

    "Three hundred gold coins, going twice!"

    "Three hundred gold coins, going thrice!"

    "Sold! Congrattions to our guest for winning this lot!" The auctioneer banged the wooden gavel, sealing the deal with finality.

    "Now, let me show you the fifth item." The woman continued the auction, showing other items.

    At this moment, the servant knocked on the door. Luis gave Xiao Wei a pouch containing 300 gold coins.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Xiao Wei swiftly stood up and handed the gold coins to the servant outside the door.

    The auction continued as many items were sold one by one. Luis saw much ck iron armor and silver armor being sold. The pioneer knights fought for it desperately as it could save their lives in critical moments.

    Seeing the items sold at such a high price, Luis smiled. He is doing the same in the cultivation world, selling everyday items in premium and earning a lot of gold coins.

    As the items were sold, the heat of auction was also rising rapidly. There was much friction between bidders.

    "Now, let me announce our 14th item, low-level life potion, ten bottles, with a starting price of five hundred gold coins. Each bid increase must not be less than ten gold coins."

    "There are sold in fifteen batches, with the total being 150 low-level life potion."

    As the woman''s voice sounded, the entire auction was in frenzy. They want the life potion.

    "600 Gold Coins"

    "700 Gold Coins"

    "..."

    "1200 Gold Coins"

    The price increased without any sign of stopping. Luis was astonished hearing the prices raised by these pioneer knights.

    The first batch of this potion was sold for 1250 gold coins. The subsequent were also sold at this rate.

    Luis couldn''t help but shake his head seeing this.

    "I may be rich enough to buy all of this, but I''m certainly not a fool to buy them so expensive," Luis said to others in the room.

    Arthur nodded with a smile, overlooking the fierce-faced Pioneer Knights.

    "They obviously have no pharmacist in their territory, so the Compton Chamber of Commerce can sell those things so expensively."

    "No need to waste extra money here."

    The auction continued as many valuable things were taken out. Finally, the turn of the 17th item arrived.

    "Now, let''s invite you to bid on our seventieth lot, a magical stone with the power of thunder. This precious material is essential for crafting magic crystal cannons and advanced magical devices. The starting price is one thousand gold coins, with a minimum bid increment of ten gold coins."

    The woman spoke as several knights brought a stone the size of a human head. Arcs of electricity flickered on the pitch ck stone.

    "Thunder Stone!"

    "This is actually the Thunder Stone."

    "What a pity, I don''t have an refiner; otherwise, I would have bought it."

    Not many had interest in buying this thunderstone as it would only be decoration for them. Most of them here are pioneer knights; where could they get the refiner?

    "1020 gold coins" Luis bid his amount; if it could be bought in a low amount, he would buy it in a low amount.

    Everyone again turned their attention to the second floor. Those on the 2nd floor are the forces belonging to the nobles. If someone from the second floor bids, they won''t bid on that item, afraid of offending the nobles.

    "1200 gold coins." The moment another bid came, Luis looked in that direction.

    There a young man was looking over at him with a half smile through the window. He raised his wine ss, greeting Luis.

    Luis nodded, recognizing the man. It was Asmon; he met in the War Council Building. Luis nodded back in greeting. This was an auction, and bidding against each other was inevitable. He was determined to take this thunderstone.

    "1400 gold coins"

    "1500 gold coins" This time it was not Asmon who bid but another noble force.

    "1600 gold coins"

    "1800 gold coins"

    Every noble on the second floor bid, but Asmon didn''t bid after the first bid. He was enjoying the show with a smile.

    "2500 gold coins" Luis directly bid the price to 2500 gold coins.

    Others stopped bidding after hearing this; this was already a premium, and bidding any further would be a loss.

    "Two thousand five hundred gold coins, going once!"

    "Two thousand five hundred gold coins, going once!"

    "Two thousand five hundred gold coins, going once!"

    "Sold! Congrattions to our guest for winning this lot!" The auctioneer banged the wooden gavel, sealing the deal with finality.

    Arthur again took the 2500 gold coins and handed them to the servant outside the door.

    Read new chapters at empire

    Now, only the ck Unicorn was left to buy. If the ck unicorn is in hand, it will like adding a wing to his back. He can reach the war scene extremely quickly, which is the same as the whole army reaching the war.

 Chapter 63 Auction III

    The auction progressed slowly, with many people bidding for the items.

    After Luis bought the thunderstone, many auction items rted to terriotory development were taken out.

    Many pioneer knights bought the items with a lot of gold coins. Even some noble forces from the second floor entered the battlefield.

    Luis and the others watched the scene unfold with great enjoyment. The spectacle of people unting their wealth, bidders confidently raising the stakes with gold coins, only to be outdone at thest moment by someone else throwing down even more, was captivating. It was all highly entertaining.

    Time slowly passed as the 41st auction item was brought onto the stage.

    "Now, esteemed guests, allow me to present our 41st lot. This is a magnificent ck unicorn, acquired from the esteemed wizards of Arcane City. A rare and highly prized creature, it serves as the mount for the kingdom''s elite forces. We shall begin the bidding at two thousand gold coins, with a minimum increment of ten gold coins. Let the biddingmence!"

    The woman spoke as one knight brought a majestic ck unicorn with a horn in its head. It had a tame expression on its face.

    "2500 gold coins"

    "2700 gold coins"

    "3000 gold coins"

    "3400 gold coins"

    This time the forces from the second floor directly entered the bid. This was a precious monster with great stamina and speed. Its speed was five times that of normal war horses with the strength of a 1st stage monster.

    Luis watched the rooms that were bidding; he decided to enter the bidding process.

    "4000 gold coins"

    The auction house went for a brief silence after Luis bid his price. They began to nce at his room, directly increasing so much that it seems Baron Felipe really pampers his son.

    "4100 gold coins"

    "4300 gold coins"

    However, this is a ck unicorn, selling for 4000 gold coins is cheap.

    "5000 gold coins"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Luis dered firmly, showing he wasn''t here to y games. His budget for this prized creature was 10,000 gold coins, and if intimidating thepetition could secure it for less, it would be a huge win.

    "5200 gold coins"

    Some others were gritting their teeth and still bidding. This son of a baron doesn''t y by the auction rule.

    "5500 gold coins" This time Luis didn''t increment the price by 1000 gold coins. Although he is rich, he will not waste his money too much. If it wasn''t for his n, he wouldn''t have bought this ck Unicorn.

    "5510 gold coin," someone bid again, testing their luck.

    "6,000 gold coins," Luis again raised the price.

    This time there was silence. 6,000 gold coins is already very steep for a ck unicorn. It was clear that Baron Felipe''s son was determined, and no one was eager to risk offending him by pushing the bid further.

    "Is there anyone who can offer a higher price?"

    The woman questioned, but no one increased the price.

    They eagerly awaited the next item, the highlight of the auction. People like Luis, who are extremely wealthy, weren''t well liked by the crowd. The true excitement of an auctiones from dozens of bidderspeting, with the tension building toward a dramatic climax at the end.

    "Six thousand gold coins, going once!"

    "Six thousand gold coins, going twice!"

    "Six thousand gold coins, going thrice!"

    "Sold! Congrattions to our guest for winning this lot!" The auctioneer banged the wooden gavel, sealing the deal with finality.

    Arthur again handed the money to the servant outside.

    They need to give money on the spot because many people just bid high and don''t have money to pay for that. If this happens, the item goes to the second-highest bidder.

    Just as Arthur handed the money to the servant, an unexpected guest arrived in the room.

    "May Ie in, Luis?" He said it with a smile.

    "That grin of yours is practically begging for a punch;e on in," Luisughed and invited the guest. It was Asmon who he met previously.

    Asmon swaggered in with confidence and plopped down right next to Luis, making himselffortable.

    "What do you want to talk about?" Luis said, turning his attention to the ongoing auction below.

    "It was me who gave the thunderstone to the Compton Chamber of Commerce," Asmon said a little seriously this time.

    "I sold the thunderstone because I wanted to find out who had the ability to make a magic crystal cannon. If someone bought it, they must have the skills or means to create one. And it turns out to be you, my friend. I want tomission you to build me a magic crystal cannon."

    "I am sorry, I just bought this thunderstone because it was cool. Me and my father both don''t have the capability of making a Magic Crystal Canon." Luis denied firmly that there is no need to ept themission of others.

    "Don''t be so quick to refuse," Asmon grinned, showing his teeth. "I''ll give you 11 more thunderstones, along with all the other materials you''ll need to make it. All I need are six magic crystal cannons, and I''ll supply everything."

    Luis face fell when he heard this: "No, I can''t. Your materials seem... questionable. I don''t even know where these things are from."

    He hinted that he could possibly build it, but only if the origins were clear. Luis had no intention of getting tangled in something shady that could bring unnecessary trouble.

    Asmon blushed, his face turning red as he sheepishly admitted, "Well, my girlfriend is the one who got me these items."

    Luis kept a straight face, unimpressed by Asmon''s performance and answer.

    Enjoy exclusive content from empire

    ''This guy acts like a clown.''

    "My girlfriend is very rich and has powerful backing; she can provide other items too. In the future, if you want any rare item, you can inform me, and I will give it to you."

    "Ok, you can provide me the material and send it secretly to the Hartmann base in this city." Luis nodded, epting the order.

    Asmon''s face lit up when he heard this, but he quickly noticed everyone in the room looking at him weirdly.

    "Everyone, I''ll take my leave now. Enjoy the rest of the auction. Luis, I''ll send the items over tomorrow." Asmon gave a yful wave before humming a tune and walking out of the room.

    Luis simply waved back, watching as Asmon disappeared from sight.

    "Boss, that guy is really... something," Xiao Wei said, shaking his head, clearly unsure of how to sum up the bizarre encounter.

    "By his face, I can''t tell whether he is serious or not. One moment he''s grinning, then he''s serious, then he''s blushing¡ªhis expressions change with every sentence."

    Everyone nodded when they heard Xiao Wei.

    "That thing about his girlfriend. That thing is really hard to digest," Arthur chimed in.

    "Whatever the truth is, he can at least provide us with rare materials. If we need something unique, we''ll buy it from him. But let''s not dig too deep into his stories. If he says it''s from his girlfriend, we''ll just ept that and move on." Luis sighed and shrugged.

    "He is our friend, not our foe; try to maintain friendly rtions."

    Everyone exchanged nces and nodded. Well, of course Liam was as serious as ever.

    They all turned their attention back into the auction, which reached the climax.

    (end of chapter)

    [I am a new author, and I did the thing that I don''t like in stories. The story became slow-paced.

    I tried to make the characters as real and intelligent as possible, but the story became slow-paced and kept dragging on. I could have obviously done it better.

    Next chapter, I will try to speed up the plot; otherwise, it will be like clickbait for you readers, as I haven''t even introduced any immortal cultivators till now.

    In the next 3-4 chapters, cultivator will appear.

    Thank you for reading my story.]

 Chapter 64 Auction End

    "Now,dies and gentlemen, let me present our 43rd lot. A magic crystal cannon created by the refiner from the royal capital. Having this, you can secure yourself from the attack from Orcs. We shall begin the bidding at five thousand gold coins, with a minimum increment of hundred gold coins. Let the biddingmence!"

    The woman''s expression was extremely bright, as she said. From today''s auction sale, she can get a lot ofmission. She might also be promoted to auction in the safer internal areas. Living in Northern Wastnd is really nerve-wracking.

    The noble forces directly entered the bid this time. The Magic Crystal Canon is extremely precious, and even many baronies don''t have them. Especially in Northern Wastnd, where there is ack of life professions. Every life profession is extremely precious in this barrennd.

    The bids rose rapidly, each increment echoing the urgency felt by those present.

    The Magic Crystal Cannon, a symbol of safety and power, was eventually sold for a staggering price of 11,800 gold coins.

    ----

    The 44th item was a Magic Crystal Wall that could receive information through the magic scroll. If there was any information from the kingdom, it would be recorded too.

    "Due to theplexity of its creation, this item is particrly rare," the auctioneer announced. "The starting price is 7,000 gold coins."

    Luis felt the tension in the room as the auction progressed.

    The price for the Magic Crystal Wall climbed steadily, and it finally sold for 9,000 gold coins.

    -----

    Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived¡ªthe finale item.

    "Now, for the final item of the auction, I present to you the Special Life Fruit from the Land of the Elves! This extraordinary fruit can heal even the most severe injuries and extend the lifespan of the one who consumes it by an additional ten years! The starting price is 5,000 gold coins, with a minimum increment of one hundred gold coins."

    A hush fell over the room as the spotlight focused on the gleaming, vibrant fruit resting atop the stage. Its rich colors sparkled, capturing the attention of every person present.

    Excited whispers filled the air, and a sense of urgency gripped the bidders.

    They immediately began to bid the price.

    "7000 gold coins"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "10000 gold coins"

    "11000 gold coins"

    Everyone in the room also looked at the fruit with hotness in their eyes.

    "Boss, I think you should buy this fruit, no matter how expensive it is. You never know when this kind of thing will be useful." Xiao Wei suggested looking at the vibrant fruit.

    Luis nodded thoughtfully, weighing the suggestion, "Okay, let me see. My maximum bid for this will be 25,000 gold coins."

    "15,000 gold coins!" Luis dered, raising his voice to make his intention clear.

    The others didn''t back up this time; the fruit is too precious to give up.

    "15,500 gold coins!" a noble countered, his determination evident.

    "16,000!" another joined in, their voicesyering over one another as excitement surged.

    "20,000 gold coins!" Luis shouted again, his confidence clear as he crossed the threshold.

    The room grew silent as they looked at Luis room. There was tension in the whole auction house.

    "20,100 gold coins!" one noble finally broke the silence, his voice shaky.

    "20,300!"

    "22,000 gold coins!"

    Luis again finally bid a huge increment; others hearing this gritted their teeth and looked at Luis. This is already the limit; if they bid any further, it will be dered as making enemies with Baron.

    After a few tense moments, with no one daring to bid against Luis, the auctioneer finally raised his gavel, dering Luis the winner.

    Luis didn''t bother to pay any gold coins to the servant this time. Instead, he made his way directly to the back area of the auction house, where all his items were kept neatly organized.

    He had sessfully acquired five hundred strong ves, a thunderstone, a ck unicorn, and the precious Elf Life Fruit. After finalizing the payment, he carefully gathered his treasures and exited the auction house.

    Outside, he mounted his newly acquired ck Unicorn, affectionately naming it cky as it lowered its head, ready to carry him home.

    A group of followers trailed behind him, their presence adding to the air of authority he had cultivated. The five hundred ves walked with expressionless faces; the weight of their past lives and the unknown future burdened them.

    ----

    Upon reaching his base, Luis entrusted the care of the ves to Liam.

    Liam obeyed the order and took care of the 500 ves. He freed them from their ve contract. As he did this in gratitude, they kneeled down and vowed to follow Luis sincerely.

    Luis then handed them over to Marcos for training in Cultivation World. These are well-trained, strong farmers and can quickly enter the realm of apprentice knights.

    As for cky, he affectionately touched its majestic fur, admiring it. The people around him had weird faces as they looked at Luis.

    cky, such a name for the majestic unicorn, is really first in history. cky was such a name they had only heard it for street dogs. Previously Pipi, Now cky, Boss really has a unique way of naming.

    They hope that for the future heir of Hartmann Barony, Luis will not name the child; otherwise, it will be a joke in the whole kingdom.

    At night he returned to the cultivation world and tested the speed of cky in full speed; it can run 15 times faster than war horses. At normal pace, it would still be more than 5 times faster.

    Everything was great; no trouble came knocking on his door after walking out of the auction.

    The next morning, Asmon personally bought all the items needed to create the Magic Crystal Canon.

    As for those, they were obviously handed over to the blue goblins. The master refiners promised they would create a high-quality magic crystal cannon in less than half a month. Stay updated via empire

    (end of chapter)

    [This isst message i will write in chapter.

    I will make the plot faster from next chapter, the final war between orcs will also happen in the few chapters ahead]

    (Send me gifts, please. Since the creation of this book, I have not received a single gift. I want to experience how it feels.)

 Chapter 65 2nd Stage Knight

    Half a month passed by.

    Luis was in the cultivation world, training hard as usual. He had an excited smile as he felt the life seed growing within him every day. Today he felt it was a critical day.

    After finishing his training for the day, he hurried back to his room. This was a crucial moment¡ªhis breakthrough was near, and it will be better if he is alone.

    He sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes, focusing his mind. Reaching into his bag, he took out a medium-level life potion and gulped it down in one go.

    The life seed in his body greedily absorbed all the energy from life potion and began to rapidly grow.

    The life seed inside him, which had been small and quiet, suddenly came alive. It started to glow brighter, like a small light growing bigger with each beat of his heart.

    The life seed, which was obviously virtual, felt like a tiny nt, its roots spreading through his body. It reached out to his muscles, bones, and organs, filling them with warmth and strength.

    His whole body felt alive, wrapped in aforting light as if his very essence were glowing.

    His veins began to strengthen and adopt to the stronger Vortex Qi that formed in his body. His body became stronger and adapted to the level where he could throw the Vortex Qi from his body.

    Luis officially reached the stage of 2nd stage official knight, Grandmaster realm if converted to Martial Arts. The breakthrough was very easy, not encountering any bottleneck.

    ------

    Feeling the power coursing through him, Luis quickly stood up. He could hardly contain his excitement. He rushed out and mounted cky.

    "cky, full speed to the wilderness!"

    cky nodded humanly and galloped at full speed. The people at Anyu Town looked at this fast-running horse with amazement. They have already witnessed this scene many times, but it still looked amazing. The ck horse was much faster than any horse they have seen.

    As Luis force and strength grew stronger, he stopped hiding and showed some of his strength.

    In a world where strength spoke louder than words, showing a bit of it now and then would keep people from underestimating him.

    -----

    In the deep wilderness, Luis dismounted from the horse. He stood in the middle of the forest and drew his sword. He actually has a deep doubt that he needs to clear today.

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    He raised his sword and focused.

    The Vortex Qi inside him responded instantly as it attached to the sword. He threw the swordsh towards the tree.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The whole tree was instantly chopped off due to the sharpness of Vortex Qi.

    However, Luis didn''t stop at this. He wanted to test his limit. The limit, which he has never seen.

    He began throwing more and more Vortex Qi at his surroundings. The air buzzed with energy as tree after tree fell, the ground trembling under the force of his strikes.

    Ten waves of vortex Qi... Twenty... Thirty... Fifty... One hundred... One thousand!

    After throwing more than thousand waves of Vortex Qi, did he finally stop? It has been more than 4 hours, and his energy is still not exhausted. Not even a little of stamina was exhausted.

    He noticed that every time he used the Vortex Qi, it was supplemented by Vortex inside his body.

    ''This... This is it. The vortex supplements me with infinite energy. The recovery is faster than expenditure.

    All this time, he had suspected it, but now he was sure. The vortex has more abilities than imagined.

    During the war against orcs¡ªstrong orcs¡ªhe had never felt tired. Now, everything makes sense. The vortex was supplementing him with endless energy.

    He is a man with infinite energy in fantasy and the cultivation world.

    cky was hiding far away, looking at the surroundings with confusion. In its sight, everything was devastated. Pipi, sitting on the head of cky, cheered loudly watching Luis performance.

    ----

    With newfound excitement, Luis mounted cky again and raced back to Anyu Town.

    After returning to the town, he was immediately greeted by another good news. The Blue Goblins have finished creating all the Magic Crystal Canon.

    Luis wasted no time heading to the goblin''s workshop. Inside, a dozen goblins stood around, admiring their handiwork. Blogs was carefully wiping and polishing the canon.

    Luis was also shocked by the sight of the majestic Canon. It was pure ck in color, which is also his favorite color.

    A thunderstone was visible at the backside, sometimes emitting blue sparks of electricity.

    "Blogs, exin the function."

    "Yes, Boss. This Magic Crystal Canon has three modes: low energy mode, medium energy mode, and high energy mode." Blogs began dancing with his hand as he exined.

    "Low energy mode just requires 1 magic stone to charge, and the maximum is 10 magic stones. If the 1st stage knight is hit by it, they will definitely die. 2nd stage will be slightly injured."

    "Medium energy mode required a minimum 11 magic stones and a maximum 100 magic stones. It can cause an explosion in an area of more than 600 meters at maximum power. Anyone inside the range will definitely die. Excluding 3rd stage official knight who will be slightly injured."

    "High Energy mode requires 101 magic stones and a maximum 1000 magic stones. Any more than that, the canon will overload and be scrapped. It can cause an explosion in an area of more than 3000 meters at maximum power. Anyone inside the range will definitely die, including third-stage knights. Even the strong 4th stage official will encounter some trouble."

    Luis listened to all this with a smile and looked at the canon. This was not a canon; it was a money burner. A good money burner.

    He opened the vortex and ordered six of the cannons to be sent to Asmon. Of course, Asmon would have to pick them up himself. Luis wasn''t offering any home delivery services.

    Just as he was about to close the vortex, brilliant thoughts shed in his mind. He opened his mouth and contemted the thought.

    ''This could be interesting,''

    He had a wicked smile as his eyes shifted between the canon and Vortex.

 Chapter 66 Gap

    Two Days Later.

    "Young Master, 3 kilometers northwest. There''s an orc tribe stationed there."

    A scout reported to Luis before swiftly entering the vortex. One by one, other scouts returned and entered the vortex without dy, as if they''d practiced this countless times.

    "cky, now it''s our time to shine. Full speed, make a lot of noise through your hooves."

    cky galloped at full speed after receiving the order. It made huge noise while running with its hooves. As it was a in ground, the orcs noticed Luis running towards them in a unicorn.

    "Mastah, a knight''sing'' straight at us!" The orc who was keeping watch shouted and directly blew the horn.

    The others, after hearing the horn, looked in the direction of Luis with red eyes burning with fury.

    "That knight thinks he''s tough, ridin'' a unicorn?"

    "I''ll eat ''is meat!"

    The tribe leader also looked at galloping Luis with anger. This is naked provocation in daylight. If this was done at night, it might cause them some trouble.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Haha! He''s only a kilometer away from ''ere! Let''s see what he''s got for us! We y with'' the knight."

    As the orcs were watching with anger and disdain, there was something else going on on Luis side.

    Invisible to the orcs, there was a huge vortex floating and following behind Luis.

    "Magic Crystal Cannon, low-energy mode. Three magic stones loaded."

    "Commencing attack in three... two... one... shoot!"

    From the vortex behind Luis, six beams of light shot towards the orcs. This was an attack from the cultivation world directly into this world.

    The energy attack with thunder attribute is directly headed towards the orcs basecamp.

    "That kid be a wiza''d, watch out!"

    "Dodge da attack!"

    Just as the tribe leader was giving orders, the beam of light already fell to their camp. A huge dust bomb rose from the ce, limiting their vision.

    "Gather, gather! Hurry outside! Catch dat wiza''d, don''t let ''im run!"

    "Hurrah! Many orcs will be injured! Why is Dawiza''d alone? Ain''t he afraid of bein'' hunted?"

    Just as there were shouts among orcs, the ground began to tremble, and the rhythmic sound of the army riding the horse began to be heard.

    The orc leader had a look of confusion in his face. He hurriedly walked out of the dust, which limited his vision. Then the sight in front of him shocked him to the core.

    There was an army of knights sprinting towards them with the ck Unicorn in the forefront.

    He stood there in a daze and confusion.

    "Howe so many human soldiers are here near us?"

    "WHAT?!"

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    The other orcs around began to panic. They were not prepared at all for this attack.

    The human cavalry soldiers were already very fast and directly crashed into the orcs. Then there was bloodbath.

    The strongest tribe leader was the first to bear the impact. Luis swiftly separated his head without giving any chance to fight back.

    Luis and his knights were already very strong. Thebined force of Life Seed Aura and Martial Arts Qi was no joke. They were the best in their realms; no one from other forces could defeat them in a one-on-one fight.

    "Kill, leave no orcs alive."

    Arthur and Xiao Wei led their own squad after the first ughter to hunt down the remaining Orcs. This time the battle didn''t even take one hour.

    Luis watched all this calmly. This was all his n, and it became sessful. First throw low-energy mode Magic Crystal Canon towards the enemy and obscure their vision.

    Immediately after this, Knight, who was already running and slowly gaining momentum, entered the huge vortex entered by Luis. For cavalry, momentum is everything; even strong cavalry can be crushed if the cavalry has enough momentum.

    He traveled to cultivation alone. As for his knights, they were burning the bodies of Orcs through the ming oil.

    He saw Marcos, who had a face of excitement. The old guys also had relief in their faces.

    "Young Master, this n worked perfectly!"

    "It''s good that this n works perfectly."

    "This is one of the best battles I have ever seen."

    Luis smiled faintly, appreciating thepliment. This is the most smooth battle that he has fought till now. If he had thought of this n long ago, instead of 11 Orcs till now, he would have hunted more than 20.

    "You can handle these things by yourself. I will ce this vortex here for now.

    Luis began walking towards his room after giving instructions. Since the n has worked, Luis has begun to make other ideas regarding the usage of Vortex.

    One idea he got was him single-handedly sneaking into the enemy base and dropping thousands of knights inside it. No one can handle this directly being attacked by the inside.

    The other is while negotiating, if the negotiation doesn''t go well. His knights will directly insert the sword into the enemy head. This is definitely possible, as his vortex is invisible to others except his own force.

    As for others, his mind is clouded now; it wille in the future naturally if it is a good n.

    ----

    Meanwhile, in Nandu State, Yutan Town.

    A strange object flew rapidly through the sky, catching the attention of many people below. The townspeople stared up in confusion, unsure of what they were witnessing.

    Someone among the crowd suddenly knelt down and bowed his head to the ground.

    "Everyone kneel down; don''t disrespect the immortals."

    The townpeople''s faces changed when they heard this. They also quickly followed suit and kneeled down, not daring to offend the immortals. They thought immortals were just a legend, but now they saw the flying object with their own eyes.

    However, there was a group of people who didn''t kneel down. They were wearing Hartmann Chamber of Commerce, watching this scene silently. Through their strength, they could see things that these townspeople didn''t see.

    The flying object was a small boat. It was flying slowly in the sky.

 Chapter 67 Cultivator

    There were a total of 30 knights here: 2 official knights and 28 apprentice knights. They had a mission and came to different states to further increase the influence of the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce.

    Now, in their sight, they saw a cultivator that Boss has been searching for.

    "Steve, stay behind. No, run away and hide somewhere. Leaving behind a trial. I will follow the flying boat. If I can return alive, I will find you."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Alex, one of the Official Knights, said in a calm but urgent tone. His eyes never left the distant flying boat, which hovered in the sky.

    "Ok, however, take 10 apprentice knights along with you. If I don''t hear from you in three days, I will return to Anyu Town and report the situation."

    Alex nodded and hurriedly followed the flying boat in his horse along with 10 apprentice knights.

    The boat was moving slowly so that they could follow it closely. It was a clear sky today, so they also didn''t lose track of it.

    However, an hourter, the boat started acting strangely. It would suddenly fly high, then dip dangerously low, as if it were out of control.

    The knight, however, still followed it with doubts creeping in their mind. Just as they thought the boat would fly again aftering down, it suddenly crashed. The trees broke down, and dust began to fly in the sky.

    "What the¡ª?" Alex hissed, raising his hand to signal caution.

    "Everyone tread with caution. The cultivator controlling the boat might be in trouble. 5 knights watch from far away; others let go near the boat. If we are killed immediately, run in a different direction."

    Alex gave orders and cautiously walked toward the direction of the crashed boat with 5 others.

    They quickly neared the boat and saw a white-haired old manying down on it.

    "Everyone, stay here and watch. I will go near and check. If I die, run away in a different direction, making a lot of noise."

    Alex again gave orders cautiously. This was triple insurance; if he dies, these 5 will run, making a lot of noise; if these 5 die too, the other 5 will notice and run away; and if those other 5 die too. Steve will swiftly return to Anyu Town, reporting the situation.

    Alex neared the boat and saw an old man lying on his back. His breath weakened, and life slowly passed away. The old man''s whole body was shriveled, and he looked at Alex with emotionless eyes.

    "You... an innate master? Did you follow me all this way? I don''t have much to live for. You won''t get anything from me. I don''t have any immortal techniques."

    The old man said and closed his eyes, expecting death. As he closed his eyes, his life began to pass away quickly.

    Alex looked back at the others and nodded, indicating everything was alright. The five apprentice knights far away came close to receiving the safe sign from Alex.

    "Look at him; he is at hisst moment."

    "After he dies, we will take his body and this boat along with us. This flying boat is definitely a treasure."

    "Wait everyone, a living cultivator is more beneficial than a dead one. If he dies, we won''t know anything about cultivators at all. He must not die." A kind-looking apprentice knight immediately reminded others.

    Hearing this, everyone turned their attention to the kind-faced knight. Even the old cultivator opened his eyes, looking at him.

    ""Don''t bother saving me. I failed to build the foundation, and I somehow saved my life using the foundation-building pill, but my life essence is finished. Even all the bones in my body are broken; I can''t even move."

    The old cultivator said and closed his eyes again in defeat.

    "The path to immortality..." he also began to murmur slowly.

    "I have a Low Level Life potion, let me feed it to him. Maybe he can survive for some time." The kind-faced knight said as he took out a bottle of life potion.

    "Lucas, you got this life potion from the young master personally to increase your strength. This life potion is not a healing potion; it cannot guarantee his survival. Don''t show your kindness to others too much. Put that potions back."

    "But sir, he doesn''t feel like a bad person. He reminds me of my grandfather." Lucas said with an emotional face.

    Alex raised his brows, looking at the old cultivator. This old man is definitely a bad person; if he gets healed, he might attack them.

    "Ok, you can do it, but only you will stay by his side. Everyone retreats far away." Alex sighed and hurriedly walked away with others also following him. Experience new tales on empire

    Lucas, seeing this, kneeled down and poured the potion directly into the old man''s mouth. Lucas nervously watched as the old man was closing his eyes.

    "Are you ok, old man?"

    The old cultivator opened his eyes and said weakly, "This liquid has great life energy, although it didn''t heal my injuries. This liquid stopped the loss of my life... at least for a short period of time."

    The old man paused, then continued, "My name is Han Mo; you can call me Old Mo. If I survive this, I promise to take you as my disciple, kid."

    After saying that, Han Mo went into a deep sleep, trying to use minimum life energy and preserve his life. If there is a chance to live, who would want to die?

    Lucas watched for some more time before calling to others, "Old Mo has entered deep sleep. Although his life force is still weak, it has stopped dissipating. Everyone hurry up; take him to the boss carefully."

    The others also hurriedly came forward and picked up the boat with Old Mo in it. They will be rewarded greatly afterpleting this mission.

    Now that they have met the first cultivator. They will definitely collide with more cultivators in the future.

    The 30 people gathered and headed straight towards Anyu Town. Along the way, the knights fed some more life potion to Old Mo to preserve his life.

 Chapter 68 Meeting

    Three days had passed, and Luis returned to the frontline to submit the orc leader''s head.

    The soldiers stationed there looked at him with admiration. In just a month and a half, Luis and his army had destroyed eleven orc tribes. His force alone had killed twelve thousand orcs. This was the most anyone had ever killed in such a short time.

    Luis had a perfect mission sess rate.

    He had never been defeated, not even once. People were baffled by how he did it. Luis and his army would head to the battlefield, kill the orcs, and return within five days, like clockwork.

    The pioneer knight region he saved became very grateful to him. If Luis hadn''t arrived in time, they might suffer some causalities.

    There were some prying eyes secretly following Luis, but they didn''t return, their whereabouts being unknown.

    Since then, Luis, no one has dared to provoke Luis.

    ----

    After dismissing his knights to their camp, Luis made his way to the War Council Building. Inside, the receptionist weed him warmly, and the people around gave him plenty of space.

    "Here, take this," Luis threw the sack to the receptionist. He was already familiar to all the people in this building.

    "Sir, Commander Samuel wants to see you. He is currently on the third floor."

    The receptionist then handed Luis a token, "Your current war merit is 94,000, sir."

    Luis took the token containing War Merit and headed towards the third floor. There, a guard saw him and took him to a conference room.

    "Sir, there is a surprise for you waiting in the conference room." The guard had a friendly face and informed Luis.

    Luis raised an eyebrow, curious about the surprise. As they reached the door, the guard knocked softly and then opened it, allowing Luis to step inside.

    The moment Luis entered the room, he frozen in shock. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

    There at a round table, a dozen people were sitting. Some had the crest of a noble family; some had the g of the War Council on them.

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    Their expressions were serious as they looked at Luis, who just entered.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But this is not what Luis was looking at; there on one of the tables, his father was sitting, looking at him with a smile. He had pride in his eyes as he looked at Luis.

    "Oh, is this your son? Look just like you years ago. I still remember you following around Thor," a man with a majestic face said.

    Luis recognized the man; it was Earl Isaac. Luis gave a respectful knight''s salute to everyone in the room. These were all people of high status.

    "Go sit beside Felipe," Earl Isaac said, motioning to his father. "You''re already qualified to listen to the conversation."

    Luis walked over and took a seat beside his father, still processing the surprise.

    Then the conversation between the nobles began. Luis was silent, listening to the war n seriously. Even though the nobles here arrive secretly, the Orcs have already known about it.

    The current battle was just not between humans and Orcs. There were Undead and God Cult involved too.

    So, in the battle n discussion. Earl Isaac will fight with God Cult members who are hiding in the shadows. Viscount Musafa will keep the Undead at bay, and finally the mission to fight against Orcs was given to Baron Felipe.

    When ites to fighting with orcs, Baron Felipe is the best. Even the fearless orcs will have fear when they see the ck Cavalry. It was not just a thousand or tens of thousand; ck Cavalry has already killed more than a hundred thousand, pushing the Orcs deeper into the Northern Wastnd.

    As for Luis, he was given permission to follow his father.

    After hours of discussion, the meeting came to an end. The nobles and warmander all walked out in a hurry; since they have arrived here in secret, they will attack with thunderous means in the next few days.

    -----

    Luis and Felipe were heading towards the camp where the knights are stationed.

    "Father, how many soldiers have you brought this time?" Luis curiously looked at Felipe

    "ck Cavalry is 5,000 and a total of 15,000 reserve knights," Felipe said as he looked at Luis. "In total, including army from othermanders, it will be 50,000."

    Luis nodded thoughtfully. He wanted to bring up something important, but he wasn''t sure how to start. It was awkward.

    ''How do I tell him about the other world?'' Luis''s mind raced. He knew he needed to exin things, but the words wouldn''te.

    "This is going to be a brutal battlefield," he said aloud, trying to ease into the conversation. His mind, however, was elsewhere.

    "Death of tens of thousands is normal." Felipe shook his head. "Not everyone is invincible, like you ughtering the orcs with fewer causalities on your side."

    Luis walked silently hearing this; even the whole army and cities being destroyed is normal in war.

    "Even your ck Cavalry has a lot of causalities after every war. I have a way to reduce the causalities, but you have to believe me," Luis finally said, seriously trying to sound convincing.

    "What is it, Luis? I believe in you. I always have. I wouldn''t have sent you to the battlefield if I had. You''ve proven yourself time and time again. Even when your mother tried to stop you, I convinced her that you were ready."

    He paused, his smile deepening with warmth.

    "As my sessor, you have the freedom to make changes. Don''t be afraid to take bold steps. We''re all working for the betterment of the Hartmann family."

    Luis listened to all this with emotions. He was truly lucky to have such a supportive family in this new world.

    As Felipe spoke, something extraordinary happened: Felipe Hartmann was connected to the vortex, eligible to travel to another world.

    ''What is the mechanism? Is it not an oath, or is it just that the first person connected to the vortex took an oath? I fell into a misconception. Or is it that I am strong and the condition is gettingx?

    All these thoughts rapidly passed through Luis mind; however, he pushed them to the back of his mind for now.

    The fact that his father could now travel to the other world changed everything. The whole barony will be able to potentially travel to another world.

    With the strength of the tens of thousands of knights, they can conquer their own piece ofnd in the cultivation world. He can then search for cultivators with peace of mind.

    Xiao Wei has already revealed the information but almost most of his information is blurry and he cant remember anything.

 Chapter 69 Han Mo

    The Next Morning

    Luis sat in the meeting room of the Cultivation World, with Felipe beside him.

    Last night, Luis brought his father to this world through the vortex. In the usually calm face of Felipe, there was a deep shock. He knew Luis had a secret but didn''t expect Luis to have such an outrageous thing.

    Luis watched the face of Felipe with a smile; not everyone is emotionless like Liam.

    "Pipi now has a lifespan of 25 years now?" Felipe questioned, trying to process everything.

    Luis nodded simply.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "If you had kept this secret and remained in the barony quietly, you could have traveled far and searched for immortal cultivators. ording to reports, there are no immortal cultivators in this kingdom," Felipe began, sharing his insights, his voice steady and serious.

    "You''ve limited yourself by living in this ce. Alone, you could have traveled and surely found cultivators out there."

    Felipe leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Luis.

    "Tell me your reasoning behind this. If I had that portal, I would have kept it to myself, not revealed it to others. Not just me¡ªmost people would take this secret to the grave."

    Luis was silent hearing this; he hasn''t really thought about this.

    "This¡­ I don''t exactly know the answer. My first thought when I discovered the body-building powder was that it could strengthen the family knights. That was my priority."

    He paused, ncing down briefly, gathering his thoughts.

    "I did n to travel to other ces and explore, but when I realized I could bring others into this world, I decided to stay behind. I wanted to build my own force, a group that could protect and grow with me."

    "I believe the best path is not to reach the end alone, but to reach it together."

    Felipe''s eyes softened with relief as he listened to Luis.

    "You will definitely be a better leader than I could ever be. You might not see it, but you care deeply for your subordinates and your territory."

    With that, Felipe stood up and walked out of the meeting room. He had a genuine smile on his face.

    "Wait, Father! How much have you improved after practicing the martial arts?"

    "Still 3rd stage official knight but invincible. Can battle against the 4th stage without losing for dozens of moves," Felipe replied vaguely before continuing outside.

    Luis listened to the Felipe as he watched the fading back.

    "Invincible... what a powerful word."

    ----

    Meanwhile, under the leadership of Alex and Steve, the cultivator Han Mo was brought into Anyu Town.

    The townspeople, noticeably fatter and happier than before, gossiped excitedly as they saw the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce warriors carrying the boat.

    "Look, mom, a boat."

    "Such a unique boat! Just look at those lines¡ªso elegant, so wless! The texture, oh, the texture! It''s like silk woven from the finest trees! And the wood¡ªhave you ever seen anything so healthy, so vibrant? It''s practically glowing with life!"

    A man shouted, his voice rising dramatically with every word.

    The others exchanged bewildered nces. This boat looked ordinary at best¡ªno, it was tattered and worn. The man was exaggerating, trying too hard to gain attention.

    However, in the Sirius Gang Headquarters, everyone became alert. They were informed that an injured cultivator had been brought into their base.

    Luis and the other important members of the group stood around the boat, their eyes fixed on the frail figure of the old cultivator, who was sleeping soundly. The air was tense with curiosity and uncertainty as they observed the scene.

    Xiao Wei, with his sharp eyes and steady hands, kneeled down beside Old Mo. He carefully inspected the old man, his movements slow and deliberate.

    In the body of Old Mo, he found a pouch and a token. He handed the pouch to Luis and carefully inspected the token.

    "Boss, that pouch is a storage pouch. It has a lot of area inside it."

    He began exining the function, as he was the only one to have a connection to immortal cultivators. Everyone in the gang already knows, but he had to leave his house in childhood due to a catastrophe, so he doesn''t have much memory.

    "As for this token, it might represent his profession; it might be alchemist, formation master, refiner, or other things. But he is definitely a first stage in that profession."

    Luis nodded hearing this: "If your memory wasn''t so bad, we would have already begun practicing cultivation. You''ll meet my mother in the barony. She''s the strongest wizard in the barony; maybe she can help you recover your memory."

    Xiao Wei nodded and bowed his head in sadness. He wants to know what happened during that time. All his memory is blurry, and only nightmares appear in his sleep. Even the senior sister didn''t reveal anything to him.

    "Father, you will speak with this Old Mo and scare him with your strength. If he is reliable, we can bring him under ourmand. Otherwise, extract information from him through the wizards."

    Then the pharmacist brought a healing and waking potion to the room. Felipe brought the potion to Old Mo and poured it down.

    After drinking, Old Mo slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the bright light. His sight caught dozens of curious faces staring at him. He tried to move, but his body wouldn''t obey.

    All he could move was his eyes and mouth.

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    "My condition... it''s getting worse," he muttered, his breath shallow. His eyes, clouded and tired, flickered between the faces around him. "Who... who are you people?"

    "Where''s that kid... the one I wanted to take as my disciple?"

    Luis and the others watched silently. This man is almost dead; surviving is a miracle. Luis hadn''t expected that the first immortal cultivator he would see would be in such a pitiful state.

    "Tell us everything about yourself. If you are of any use, I can let you live," Felipe said as he released his Vortex Qi. He will not talk and negotiate normally.

    Everyone in the room felt the pressure after the Vortex Qi was released. They also released their own Vortex Qi to resist the pressure.

    Old Mo''s face turned even paler as he felt this strange power.

    "This... this isn''t Spiritual Qi. What is this strange power? Are you... are you practicing ancient techniques?"

    "Don''t question too much. If you don''t tell us what we want to know, I will have to retrieve the memory from your corpse."

 Chapter 70 Ten Thousand Star Island

    Han Mo looked more pale after hearing Felipe''s threat.

    "I thought... going to a ce without spiritual veins would be safe... But I didn''t expect... to fall right into the Evil Cultivators'' Den."

    Han Mo mistook them as an evil cultivator after Felipe''s threat of retrieving memory from corpses.

    Felipe would not y around. He drew his sword swiftly.

    "Stop! Please¡­ I don''t want my body desecrated after I''m gone. If you promise not to harm it, I''ll cooperate. Just... let me die with some dignity."

    Felipe withdrew his sword after hearing Han Mo. If Luis was the one speaking, the talking would be different, but he is not like Luis. He is more practical and solves everything with strength.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "My name is Han Mo. I am..."

    Han Mo began introducing himself. Luis and others got the basic prototype after hearing Han Mo''s introduction.

    The current ce they are residing is called Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    Here, there are a lot of inds on the sea. If looked from very high above, there are thousands of thousands of inds.

    This star ind was dominated by many sects and cultivator families below them. There are many forces that upy resource-rich inds. The weak ones can only upy inds with fewer resources.

    The area where Han Moes from is under the rule of the Alchemy Association.

    The Alchemy Association is an organization that involves every force of the Star Region. For an alchemist to be recognized, they must take an alchemy test in the Alchemy Association.

    This was all Han Mo said, as his breath was getting very weak.

    Luis took the lead as Felipe backed up. This Han Mo doesn''t have much problematic past, ording to the information he gave.

    Luis directly took out the Elf Life fruit and fed it to the dying Old Mo. If it is dyed any further, he will really die.

    The effect of the life fruit immediately began to work. The shriveled body of Han Mo became bigger. The white hair in his body became cker. This was not the only thing; all the hidden injuries in his body began to rapidly heal.

    "This is invincible for healing bodies; the only pity is that it cannot heal soul injuries." Luis watched all this with awe.

    Han Mo opened his eyes with shock this time. He sat in meditation position and carefully felt his body. A few momentster, he looked at everyone with shock.

    "Such a potent fruit," he muttered. "This could be used to make a third-level elixir. All my injuries are gone... I have another chance to build my foundation in this life."

    He looked up, gratitude and disbelief mixed in his expression.

    "Fellow Daoists, I''m incredibly grateful. If you need anything, please tell me. I will try my best to repay you."

    "Since you are healthy now, tell everything more clearly. We don''t know much about the outside world."

    Then, Han Mo organized himself and told every piece of information he knew about the Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    Finally, everyone in the room had a general understanding of the Star Ind region.

    The ce where they are right now is the outermost region of the Star Ind region. The deeper the region, the stronger the cultivators.

    There are a total of 42 main cities recognized in this whole Star Ind region. To be recognized as a Main City, there should be a Golden Core realm cultivator behind it.

    There are countless sects, families, and wandering casual cultivators¡ªeach with their own specialties."

    Alchemy, formation, refining, and all arts have their own organization. Han Mo is a recognized 1st level alchemist in the Alchemy Association.

    ----

    Luis began to process all the information and began to form a rough n.

    Those Golden Core realm cultivators¡ªhe couldn''t even imagine how strong they must be. Their simple move could affect the whole surrounding area.

    "Since I''ve given you life, it''ll be just as easy for me to take it away. Will you work for us, or not? Your answer seals your fate."

    Han Mo swallowed hard, looking at Felipe''s menacing expression.

    "I promise I will work for you, sir," he said with a trembling voice.

    "Good," Felipe responded. "You only need to work for us for 15 years. After that, you''re free to go. Our family might even grant you the resources to reach the Foundation Building Realm. But don''t cross us. The price for betrayal is steep."

    "I promise, Fellow Daoist. I, Han Mo, might be a casual cultivator, but I never go back on my word."

    Han Mo hurriedly promised with a little expectation this time. This time his meeting these mysterious family might be a chance for him.

    Luis stepped closer and asked, "Since you''re a first-level alchemist, you''ll make elixirs for us. Not only that, you''ll need to take on disciples and train them. Can you handle that?"

    "Don''t worry, I used to give some public lectures, and I have some expertise in teaching."

    Han Mo, as a first-level alchemist, was already a renowned figure in the outer Star Ind regions. If he weren''t attacked by his enemies during the breakthrough towards foundation building. He would definitely have a chance to be a second-level alchemist.

    "Do you have a magic item to test the spiritual roots of people?"

    Luis questioned with curiosity. For practicing immortality, there must be spiritual roots. If he doesn''t have it, he will have to think of another way to practice.

    "In my storage pouch..."

    Luis swiftly threw the storage pouch to Han Mo for him to take out the magic item.

    "This is a spiritual roots testing orb; I bought it for 500 low-grade spirit stones. Just ce your palm on it, and it will indicate your spiritual roots."

    Han Mo exined with some doubts. Howe these people know nothing about cultivators?

    Are they the cultivator family, who hid from the world for thousands of years and don''t know about the customs of outside?

    Luis, receiving the instructions, forwarded his palm towards the Spiritual Roots Testing Orb. He wanted to know if he had spiritual roots. Experience more tales on empire

 Chapter 71 Qualification

    Luis ced his palm on the glowing orb, watching as the color slowly shifted. First, it turned from white to a light yellow, then brightened into a normal yellow.

    It stopped changing color after that.

    "A low grade middle stage spiritual root." Han Mo looked at Luis and said his qualification.

    White is a misceneous spiritual root, Yellow is a low-grade spiritual root, Blue is a middle-grade spiritual root, and Red is a high-grade spiritual root.

    There are also lighter, normal, and dark shades of color shown in the orb. Luis has yellow normal light, which indicates that he is a low-grade middle-stage spiritual root.

    "Tell how the spiritual roots are actually ssified; is it the number of spiritual roots attributes?"

    Luis asked, cing the orb down with a hint of frustration. He had expected a better result, hoping to be some kind of cultivation prodigy.

    ''So bad roots for me being a genius.''

    "The evaluation of aptitude isn''t about how many spiritual roots you have," he exined, eyeing the orb carefully. "It''s about the quality of those spiritual roots."

    He shifted his gaze to Luis, trying to gauge whether this was new information to him.

    "Take me, for example. I have low-grade, high-stage wood spiritual roots, and they''re supplemented by low-grade, low-stage fire spiritual roots. That means I have a low-grade, high-stage qualification for cultivation."

    Luis nodded, absorbing the information. "So, in the end, it''s the quality, not the quantity, that determines a cultivator''s potential. So, what attribute do I have?"

    "I don''t have the magic item to test that. It costs almost 2500 low-grade spirit stones to buy the spiritual roots attribute of finding magic stones," Han Mo exined carefully.

    Luis sighed and turned to others; his qualification is not even as good as this old man.

    "Xiao Wei, test it." Luis threw the orb to Xiao Wei, who was lost in thought.

    He caught it with his palm, and it quickly glowed into a lighter yellow before stopping.

    "Low grade, low stage. Liam, you will test next."

    The orb was transferred to Liam, and it stopped at a normal yellow color.

    "Low grade, middle stage. Transfer it to..."

    The orb was then transferred to everyone in the room. Han Mo watching this was shocked; almost everyone who tested had the qualification to practice immortality. Although the qualification was low, having the spiritual root was already very rare.

    Luis eyed his father with some doubt. Not just Luis, everyone in the room began to notice a pattern. Readtest chapters at empire

    "Father, you are the only one left."

    Felipe took the orb to his palm. The orb started glowing white, slowly shifting to light yellow, then yellow, and finally... it stopped at a deep, dark yellow.

    "Low grade, high stage qualification. I knew it. You all must have already recognized it too." Felipe, after seeing his qualification, said to everyone.

    Everyone nodded with understanding hearing Felipe. The spiritual roots are actually their knight life seed. The qualification is shown ording to their strength and development of life seeds.

    Han Mo was the only one confused among all the people here.

    "Go, call an apprentice knight," Luis gave order as Liam disappeared to call an apprentice knight. Arthur, Xiao Wei, and the first batch of his followers have already broken through the realm of official knights.

    A few momentster, Liam came back with an apprentice knight. After testing the apprentice knight, it only showed white light, which meant misceneous spiritual roots.

    "There''s a waring soon, but with your power, we can save many lives. Tonight, the cavalry and other knights from the barony will reach the front lines. After the war, we''ll fully develop and thrive in this world."

    Felipe began to make ns; he still hasn''t forgotten the war with orcs.

    "Do you have the technique to practice immortality? If it is hidden in your bag, better take it out," Felipe then turned to Han Mo.

    "I do have some practice methods, but it is the mostmon immortal technique that every cultivator knows. It is five elements immortal technique." Han Mo said as he took out a book.

    "This technique is suitable for every spiritual root cultivator to practice. Advantage is it is extremely stable, and disadvantage is practice speed is extremely slow."

    Felipe flipped through the pages and began to read it carefully before handing it to Luis.

    "This is a totally new practice method, and for us to get started, it will take days or maybe months. I don''t have that much time." Felipe said as he walked out.

    "You better not try to be smart or otherwise..." Felipe voice echoed as he walked out, clearly warning Han Mo.

    Han Mo wryly smiled as he listened. That guy is really scary; he likes the kid in front of him more.

    Even if he wanted to escape, he couldn''t as his realm fell back to middle stage Qi refining due to failing to build a foundation.

    "The apprentice wille to youter, but first teach me how to fly this boat." Luis eyed the boat with a little excitement.

    "This is a low-level flying magic boat; it requires spiritual qi to fly, or you can use spirit stones and control it through your spiritual qi." Han Mo introduced the boat, which he was sitting on.

    They then brought the boat outside to the clear sky.

    "Only I have ownership of this boat. Let me transfer the ownership to you."

    Han Mo took out a special token and gave it to Luis.

    "You can drop your blood in this token; I can transfer the ownership to you."

    Luis squinted suspiciously at the talisman before handing it to Arthur, who stood beside him.

    Arthur, being familiar with Luis, understood his intention. He swiftly cut his thumb and dropped his blood on the token.

    Han Mo cannot be fully trusted for now. As for Arthur being the test subject, it was purely because he was just beside him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Han Mo also went along with Luis and directly transferred the ownership to Arthur.

    "I can feel it; I can control the boat through my vortex, Qi. Let me try it."

    Arthur quickly jumped into the boat and tried controlling it. The boat slowly lifted it and began floating. Heughed with excitement as the boat wobbled up and down.

    After flying for quarter of an hour, he slowly brought the boat down.

    "This is incredible; you must be a 6th-stage official knight to fly. Now I can experience flying; it''s so cool. It''s just that it drains my vortex qi so quickly."

    After the flight, he transferred ownership of the boat back to Luis, who couldn''t help but smile as it was his turn to fly in the sky.

    As he has infinite energy from the Vortex, he wanted to fly for a long time.

 Chapter 72 War I

    Luis was heading straight up toward the sky, his focus sharp as he controlled the flying boat using his Vortex Qi. With the vortex endlessly supplementing him, the Qi within his body felt limitless.

    He has been flying nonstop for 3 hours; the first hour he just flew into the air with novelty, then the next two hours he was curious and flew into the sky wanting to see if there was a tribtion cloud in the sky.

    But, after flying for 2 hours, he regretted it. There was no such thing as a tribtion thundercloud. The sight around him was an endless blue sky and some small blocks of cloud.

    "Now I have to travel back," Luis muttered, annoyed at the wasted effort. "Two more hours of flying¡­"

    Luis'' eyes widened in shock. His hands gripped the edges of the boat tightly, but it was no use¡ªthe force of the wind was too strong.

    His heart pounded, and fear crept in as the boat tossed around like a leaf in a storm.

    "No! This is bad," he muttered, panic rising. Without hesitation, Luis opened the vortex and threw himself inside. He had no choice; if he stayed out there any longer, he would surely die.

    "Shit, what just happened?"

    He waited for a few more minutes before peeking back into the cultivation world. He hurriedly entered inside it with the boat and flew down with full speed.

    He didn''t want to encounter that natural disaster-level hurricane again.

    Two hourster, he returned to the ce where he flew away. His heart is still pounding with fear.

    There everyone was sitting around at a table eating and drinking. The moment they saw him, they stood up and walked over.

    "Boss, what took you so long? Master Baron was waiting for you. The ck Cavalry should be arriving any time now," Xiao Wei asked with curiosity.

    Luis brushed him off and focused on Han Mo.

    "I flew really high into the sky and encountered a strong wind. Do you know anything about it?"

    Han Mo''s face became confused hearing this.

    "Young boss, how high did you fly so high?" Han Mo asked in confusion.

    "If you are telling the truth, it must be the death wind. How did you survive if you flew that high? How could you have so much spiritual energy to take the boat that high?"

    "Tell me more about the Death Wind that you mentioned." Luis again questioned, not answering any of Han Mo''s questions.

    Han Mo stopped questioning and looked at Luis with deep eyes.

    "The Death Wind is a powerful natural disaster," Han Mo exined.

    "It forms far above the clouds, where few dare to fly. It drains the spiritual qi very quickly. Almost no one survives encountering it. That''s why it''s so dangerous."

    Luis frowned. He realized how close he was to death.

    "Is there any way to avoid it?"

    "Just don''t fly that high," Han Mo replied simply.

    "The only ones who can survive up there are those with a high-grade flying boat or Gold Core immortals."

    Luis sighed, hearing that this is definitely some kind of restriction so that many people don''t fly high into the sky.

    It reminded him of the fantasy world. There is also one restriction on the continent, but it is more like a cage.

    There is a barrier in the sky, around the whole continent. For nearly six thousand years, no one had managed to break through that barrier.

    Luis pushed the thought aside and gave a few quick orders. He had more pressing matters to attend to. The soldiers of father areing; he needs to return to the fantasy world.

    ----

    "Have you heard? The ck Cavalry is nearby and will send someone to pick us up soon."

    "The ck Cavalry? Is that true?"

    "Of course it''s true! I saw a scout from the ck Cavalry enter our campst night, and Commander Samuel received him in person.

    ----

    Simr conversations were taking ce in every corner of the camp.

    The tense atmosphere in the air waspletely swept away, reced by a sense of excitement after surviving a disaster.

    It seemed as if the two words "ck Cavalry" had some special magic. As long as they were nearby, it meant absolute safety.

    The reason is very simple. The ck Cavalry is the most powerful army in the northern wastnd.

    "Boom boom boom."

    During Dark Night, the ground suddenly began to shake. A ck torrent appeared and rushed towards the frontline camp.

    However, the people in the camp were not panicked at all, because they had already seen the Hartmann Family g fluttering through the dim light!

    The army of nearly 15 thousand rested for a short time before heading out again. This time more soldiers were added from the camp, it being the private army of Luis.

    However, the army advanced very quickly. They quickly reached the Rocky Mountain Range by the morning.

    The Orcs mostly live in rocky fields, and finding the trace of the Orc army is very difficult in the vast rockynd.

    Moreover, in such a ce, it is basically a pipe dream to track them based on their footprints. Therefore, the first difficulty of the army is to find the traces of the Orcs army on the vast field.

    Fortunately, there was Baron Felipe in the team. He had the title of "Rocky Field God of War.".

    This ugly-sounding title was not given by humans; it was dubbed by the orcs.

    The fact that his enemies gave him such a title was enough to show how terrifying Baron Felipe was on the battlefield.

    As Luis was lost in thought, Felipe approached him, his voice firm and decisive.

    "These are my most loyal soldiers," Felipe began.

    "If I wanted, I could gather an army of 70,000, but most of them can''t be trusted for war. I need you to bring these 15,000 soldiers into the vortex. The next step depends on you. This time, I''m determined to strike deep into the orcs'' hintend and attack their city."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Luis snapped out of his daydream, understanding the weight of Felipe''s n. It was time for action.

    This time he didn''t follow the route of oath to enter the cultivation. He wanted to see if he could bring them through his own will.

    He triedmunicating with the vortex.

    ''I want all these people to travel to the cultivation world.'' He tried to give the order, but there was no reaction from Vortex.

    ''I want them to travel to the cultivation world if they are loyal to the Hartmann family.''

    He tried to improvise, and finally there was some reaction from the vortex. Many thousands of names began to appear rapidly in it, giving them permission to travel to another world.

    Now, the number of people who are qualified to travel between both worlds is almost 24,783. The oaths that they had with the god of contract began to break and began to form in the vortex.

    Luis got yet another memory: all the people who are connected will never have any thoughts of betrayal in the future. The vortex will not let them have such thoughts.

    "It''s done. All of them can now travel to cultivation world. What''s the n now, father?"

 Chapter 73 War II

    Two dayster

    Luis was in the flying boat alongside his father. His father was controlling the boat, constantly keeping watch of the surroundings.

    Felipe has expertise in finding those Orcs in this rockynd, and with the help of the flying boat, his mobility has increased more than dozens of times.

    Luis didn''t care about any of this; he was sitting cross-legged trying toprehend the immortal practice method.

    He had been diligently attempting to step onto the path of immortality and be a Qi refining cultivator, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn''t seed.

    He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes. His father was hovering just above the ground, carefully hidden from the view of any Orc scouts.

    This immortal practice method was new to all the knights, and they were struggling with it. If one of them could seed, it would open the way for others to learn it more easily. But for now, no one had managed to seed.

    "I have already mapped all the Orcs in this ce; we will attack them soon," Felipe''s voice sounded.

    Luis nodded and began making ns with Felipe. These two days, they saw many orc camps, scouts, and the huge army of Orc Prince. Behind Orc Prince was the army of 60,000 and there are manymanders with 10-20 thousands Orcs.

    This time Orcs seemed determined to take a bite of the human territory in Northern Wastnd.

    Their n was very simple: he would attack the Orc army with his Magic Crystal Canon and storm them with the Cavalry.

    With ns made, they both entered the vortex and began to prepare the attack.

    ----

    The whole army was ready in the Cultivation World; the townspeople also noticed the unusuality these two days and didn''t walk out of their houses.

    "Are we nning a night attack like in those novels?" Luis approached Felipe and asked in a low voice.

    Felipe looked at Arthur weirdly and began exining.

    After Felipe''s exnation, Luis finally realized that he had been deceived by those unscrupulous novels.

    Although novels often feature midnight raids on camps, in reality, few generals dare to do so. Even if a night attack is really carried out, it is usually an attack by a small-scale force.

    Large armies simply don''t fight at night.

    The reason is simple: fighting at night is too risky.

    It is true that you can catch the enemy off guard by taking advantage of the night, but it is also easy for your side to get caught in a chaotic battle due to factors such as poor military orders, and one careless move could result in both sides suffering huge losses.

    For cavalry, night fighting is even more impossible. Because darkness imposes greater restrictions on war horses.

    For arge cavalry army, it was barely eptable to march slowly while holding torches or by moonlight, but to think ofunching a charge was simply foolishness.

    -----

    Orc General Camp

    The first rays of sunlight began to fall on thend. The Orc camp waspletely silent, unaware of the disaster that was about to befall them.

    Out of nowhere, six blinding rays of light appeared, cutting through the sky like zing arrows. In an instant, they hurtled towards the camp, too fast for anyone to notice or react.

    Before rms could be raised, the lights struck the heart of the camp with devastating force, triggering a massive explosion that sent shockwaves rippling across thend.

    The ground trembled violently under the impact, jolting the entire camp awake.

    At this time, the orcs were finally rmed.

    But most of the orcs haven''t even fully woken up from their slumber. Lucky orcs directly died in their sleep, not knowing what killed them; unlucky ones were just injured and had to feel the pain.

    Countless orcs ran out of the tents in a panic, roaring wildly and asking their equally confusedpanions what had happened.

    Then, at this moment, the sound of horse hooves began to be heard too.

    Themander of this Orc army, Commander Rakai, was also awakened from his dream and immediately realized that something was wrong.

    He rushed out and saw the gruesome sight; the tents of the orcs were burning, and they were running around in panic.

    "Commander, it''s bad! Da enemy, da enemy bein''!" A guard immediately looked over and shouted to Prince Rakai.

    Rakai''s face changed, and he immediately rode on his wolf. He rushed out and looked towards the sound of horse hooves.

    Then, his eyes suddenly widened to the extreme, almost as if they were about to burst. Because he found that the cavalry¡ªa lot of cavalry¡ªwereing towards them!

    Rakai''s first reaction was that it was impossible. He had led troops in battle for so many years, but he had never let so many cavalry rush to such a close distance before he noticed it.

    Such a strange thing almost overturned his cognition.

    But the next moment, Rakai threw all the surprise aside. Because he had already seen the Hartmann Family g fluttering in the wind.

    "ck Cavalry!" In an instant, all the blood in Rakai''s body froze.

    His mind began to work quickly as he calmed down. It seemed as if, at this moment, Rakai had foreseen his inevitable fate.

    The whole camp was crippled by the previous attack, and he couldn''t arrange any proper resistance.

    He grabbed a guard and ordered him quickly, "Lead a team of wolf riders to run southwest now! Run all the way and don''t look back! No matter what, you must inform Prince Gombak that the ck Cavalry ising!"

    "Orcs never retreat, General..."

    The guard was still hesitating, but Rakai had already pushed him far away: "Get out! Get out! I will kill you now if you don''t run away."

    Shouting, he drew his scimitar and rushed towards the ck Cavalry without hesitation.

    The sound of the battle horn began to be heard from the Orc Camp.

    The orcs began to organize themselves, but it was toote.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The human cavalry, full of murderous intention, directly rushed into the orcs. The blood sttered all over the sky with flying limbs mixed in it.

    Rakai, seeing all this, fought with the human cavalry in rage. His eyes burned red, and his body had veins all over it.

    As a 3rd stage warrior, he became a lot stronger after entering the rage state. However, he was very frustrated when a group of ck Cavalry surrounded him and were attacking with no chivalry spirit.

    "Rakai, how about we settle our ount and fight with no interference?" Oliver, father of Arthur, who was also part of the ck Cavalry, shouted to Rakai with provocation.

    Their hatred dates back to many years ago and cannot be resolved unless one is dead.

    "Oliver, you are seeking death fighting alone. I alone can fight a dozen of you," Rakai said with a bloodthirsty smile.

    Oliver dismounted from his horse and directly appeared in front of Rakai. As they both were 3rd stage knights and warriors. The battle was extremely quick and was hard to capture by normal people.

    The sound of collision between sword and scimitar was very thrilling.

    Rakai fighting with Oliver was getting more and more courageous, but he couldn''t get any advantage against Oliver.

    "Did you get stronger, brother of Rocky Field God of War? I can''t get any advantage against you." Rakai questioned with anger as they were fighting.

    Just at this moment, Rakai was again surrounded and attacked by many knights.

    "You liar, where is the fair duel? You lied," Rakai shouted with more anger.

    Every attacking smirked slightly; there is no such thing as a fair duel. This is a life-and-death battlefield, and there is no room for chivalry here.

    Rakai was considered one of the strongest orcmanders in Northern Wastnd. But no matter how strong he is, he cannot stop the attack and the siege of strong knights who practice both martial arts and knightly breathing.

    With the death of Commander Rakai, the Orc armypletely copsed.

    The ck Cavalry marched across the field, leaving behind corpses and blood everywhere.

    It was aplete massacre.

 Chapter 74 War III

    The setting sun hung low on the horizon, casting a blood-red glow over the battlefield.

    The killing thatsted for a whole day finally subsided at this moment.

    The once-thriving Orc camp was now nothing more than a vast graveyard, littered with the bodies of the fallen.

    There were dense ck spots circling in the sky. They were vultures attracted by the smell of blood.

    After cleaning up the battlefield, preliminary statistics of the results of this battle were made. The Orcs left more than 15,000 corpses here.

    Of course, more Orcs took advantage of the chaos to flee. So the battle is notpletely over yet.

    What followed was a bloody and brutal hunt.

    The original Orcmander''s tent had now be the temporarymand post of the ck Cavalry.

    Baron Felipe issuedbat orders one after another with an expressionless face. Under hismand, the ck Cavalry was like a sophisticated mechanical octopus, extending its tentacles and tightly wrapping around the Orcs who tried to escape, until they were all strangled to death.

    Luis huddled in a corner, observing and learning carefully. This is a rare opportunity for him.

    He studied his father''s every word and action, noting the precision of the orders and the unwavering discipline of the ck Cavalry.

    Luis now understood why ck Cavalry is such an invincible army.

    They didn''t simply fight with brute force¡ªthey fought with absolute obedience, perfect synchronization, and unwavering trust in their leader.

    There was no hesitation, no questioning of orders. Every soldier followed Baron Felipe''smand withplete loyalty, knowing that if they did, victory was inevitable. Find adventures on empire

    No matter how strong the enemy, they can''t match an army that moves like one mind, one body.

    -----

    Although the ck Cavalry had set up a tight to prevent the remnants of the Orcs from joining the main Orc army, it was obviously impossible to capture all the escaping orcs. Some slip through the in this Rocky Field.

    If Luis wanted to, he could keep the Orcs fully, but he was ordered by his father to let some Orcs escape.

    The news of the deaths of Orcs here will directly affect the morale of the Main Orc Army.

    As The surviving Orcs joined the Main Orc army. Thus, the news of the defeat finally reached there.

    The atmosphere in the army''s tent was depressing and solemn. The tall Orc sitting in the main seat looked a little dazed at this moment.

    His name is Gombak Volkan, the Prince of the Central Tribe.

    The ruling system of the trolls is very different from that of humans.

    The supreme leader of Orcs is Murdo Volkan, a strong sixth-level warrior. Under him are the Supreme Commander, and below them is the prince.

    Gombak Volkan is not the real son of supreme leader Murdo Volkan but just an adopted son. Gombak''s real father was killed by Felipe.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Gombak''s face was filled with many thoughts. He and the ck Cavalry have almost been fighting for 5 years, but till now he has not won a single time.

    But even so, his reputation in the Orc Tribe is growing day by day.

    The reason why such a strange situation urred was that, although Gombak kept losing, he lost the most beautifully, and sometimes he could even fight back and forth with Baron Felipe.

    As for the othermander of the Orcs, they were all defeated when they met the ck Cavalry.

    Therefore, among the short ones, Gombak Volkan became the only Orc who could fight against Baron Felipe.

    During this time, taking advantage of the fact that Baron Felipe killed a shaman and went away from the front line.

    Prince Gombak got a chance to show off his strength and announced to the world with one victory after another. Until he got the news about a new army appearing in the war. In just 1 and a half months, they killed more than 12,000 orcs.

    Prince Gombak was stunned for a long time before he finally spoke.

    His hoarse voice echoed in themander''s tent: "Tell me, what should we do now?"

    However, the Orcs generals in the tent looked at each other in silence.

    The whole ce was dead silent, as they couldn''t think of anything else.

    "Let''s return to the city. No matter how many warriors we have, we cannot win against the ck Cavalry," Gombak hurriedly thought of a n.

    "It is not just ck Cavalry; other human soldiers are cornering us too."

    The orcs, despite their fearlessness in battle, didn''t refute the situation. War had always been a part of their nature, and when it was time to fight, their eyes turned blood-red, clouding their ability to think clearly.

    Yet, unlike in ancient times when they charged blindly into battle, the orcs had evolved over thousands of years.

    Their bloodline had gradually refined itself, gaining not just physical strength but also a measure of rationality and wisdom.

    "We still have 60,000 Orcs," Gombak said, thinking aloud. "We''ll abandon the captured humans. These ves will only slow us down. We need to move fast."

    He issued the order, and the Orc army began to prepare for their retreat. The mood was tense. Even the most hardened warriors couldn''t shake their unease. They knew that the ck Cavalry would not give up the hunt so easily.

    ----

    The Orcs began escaping towards their city, but they had unease on their faces.

    At some point, teams of ck Cavalry scouts appeared around the Orcs army, looking at them from afar as if they were staring at their prey.

    As the Orc army started their retreat towards their city, they released over 20,000 human captives, hoping that the ck Cavalry would stop to gather the freed ves and slow their pursuit.

    But the Orcs were mistaken.

    Baron Felipe showed no interest in these abandoned humans. The moment he discovered the captives had been left behind, he knew the Orcs were desperate.

    He didn''t let those humans distract him. Instead, he pressed his army forward, closer and closer to the main Orc force. With no civilians to worry about, he had no moral burden holding him back.

    He quickly approached the location of the Main Orc Army. The hunt has begun.

    The ck Cavalry, once trailing the Orcs at a distance, now began to close in.

    The final stage of the battle had begun.

    The Orcs army, which was advancing, suddenly discovered that the ck Cavalry scouts, who had been following them like a thorn in their side, had suddenly disappeared.

    This made the Orcs soldiers feel a little at a loss as to what to do.

    But Prince Gombak immediately became nervous because he knew that the disappearance of the scouts could only mean one thing

    ''The main force of the ck Cavalry has arrived!''

    Sure enough, the rock field beneath them suddenly began to shake, and the sound of horse hooves could be faintly heard.

    Even though Orcs are the one with the numerical advantage.

    The Hartmann g seemed to have some kind of fascinating magic. Whenever it appeared above the rocky field, it would bring a great sense of oppression to the orcs.

 Chapter 75 War IV

    The Orcs looked around in shock, only to see waves of ck Cavalry troops charging towards them from all directions.

    "How could the Cavalry surround us without us noticing anything?" Prince Gombak punched the nearby orc in anger, "What are the scouts doing? How did they not notice that we are surrounded?"

    The ck Cavalry was charging quickly.

    Apanied by the thundering of hooves, dozens of cavalry units closed in on the trolls from all sides.

    Each unit of ck Cavalry numbered about a thousand, totaling less than twenty thousand soldiers. Compared to the sixty thousand Orcs, it was like ants attacking a towering tree.

    Yet, the ck Cavalry charged as if they were the masters of the battlefield.

    As they neared the Orcs army, the ck Cavalry suddenly shifted, skimming past the Orcs nks.

    They drew their bows and loosed their arrows, and soon, the twang of bowstrings filled the air.

    A dense volley of arrows shot forth like a swarm of locusts, blotting out the sky and raining down on the Orcs.

    "Don''t panic! Raise da shields! Raise da shields!"

    "Hold ya ground! No runnin''! Keep da line, no breakin''!"

    Shouts of orders rang out from within the Orc army, only to be drowned by the roaring hooves.

    The arrows fell like a torrential downpour, nging against the shields.

    But the sound of arrows sinking into flesh could also be heard, as row after row of Orcs soldiers copsed, their wails of agony spreading across the ranks.

    There was no mercy, no hesitation.

    The ck Cavalry used the most brutal and efficient methods to open the battle.

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    The Orc army had already huddled into a circr formation, like a turtle shell, while the ck Cavalry circled them like cutting lines on the perimeter, dashing past the nks and unleashing volleys of arrows.

    When the two thousand cavalry had passed, deep gouges were carved through the Orcs formation, leaving behind nothing but bodies and wailing wounded.

    Yet the Orcs did not go down without a fight.

    Once they endured the initial, concentrated onught, the trolls'' archers and spearmen calmed down. Under the direction of their officers, they began shooting arrows and throwing spears at the ck Cavalry.

    However, the ck Cavalry had the decisive advantage of mobility.

    They dispersed under the Orc''s counterattack, pulling back to a safe distance. Like wolves circling prey, they prowled around the Orc army, waiting for any sign of a gap or weakness.

    When they spotted one, they would rush in, tear at it, and retreat before the trolls could mount an organized defense.

    This textbook cavalry harassmentsted the entire morning.

    And under this continuous harassment, the Orc army''s formation began to reveal more and more ws.

    Luis was also harassing the Orcs. During the battle this time, he learnt a lot about cavalry warfare¡ªthings he couldn''t learn from books or family teachings.

    ----

    After the harassment the ck Cavalry withdrew from the battle.

    The Orcs breathed a sigh of relief watching this. The immense psychological pressure had drained everyst Orc soldier.

    The moment the ck Cavalry withdrew, the trolls hastily set up camp, started fires, and began licking their wounds.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    On the other side, ck Cavalry didnt set up any camp. Luis opened the Vortex and every soldier entered the Cultivation World. They rested here for a short time beforeing back to Fantasy World.

    They were again ready to harass the orcs. They wereunching a war of attrition.

    Killing more than 60,000 Orcs is not a matter of day or two.

    -----

    Two days pass by

    These two days, ck Cavalry has been constantly harassing the Orcs. In these two days alone he has killed more than 150 Orcs.

    However, this time they are not harassing they are directly destroying the Orcs.

    The Blood Boiling potion was distributed to every cavalry soldiers. This Blood Boiling potion is a improved medicine developed from Blood Boiling Powder.

    Using this potion, a person can enter into berserk state for 3 hours and after that he will fall into weakness for 15 minutes.

    The pharmacist of both worlds worked hard to refine the form and amplified the advantage and diminish the disadvantage.

    This time it will be battle of rage between two races.

    -----

    After two days of fighting, the Orcs had gradually adjusted to the rhythm of the ck Cavalry''s harassment.

    The Human Cavalry woulde, harass them and again return. These two days, they have not gotten any rest.

    Sometimes, cavalry would attack, other time they would be attacked by Magic Crystal Canon.

    The Orcs couldn''t understand how a magic crystal can would befall them without any of them noticing anything.

    Charging the canon takes a lot of time and it emits light and energy. However, they are directly attacked without the noticing any charging process.

    The Orcs again heard the sound of Horse Hooves from every direction.

    At this moment, Prince Gombak looked at the attacking ck Cavalry and felt weird. His instinct was greatly warning him.

    The ck Cavalry this time had far more momentum than before. It didnt feel like they were just harassing.

    "Raise your shields! Shields up! Shield Shield!" Gombak shouted hysterically as he realized the gravity of situation.

    The Orcs hurriedly followed Gombak order. They raised their spiky shield to protect themselves from the ck Cavalry but the cohesion was fragile. Two days of constant attacks had worn them down.

    The ck Cavalry was already near, they didnt harass this time but directly crashed into the shieldsid out by the Orcs.

    "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

    With loud noises, the ck cavalry in the front row had crashed into the spiky shield wall with their horses.

    In an instant, shields shattered, and spears splintered.

    Countless Orcs soldiers were flung into the air like ragdolls, blood spraying from their bodies as they were violently thrown back.

    The defensive line, fragile as paper, was torn open by a massive breach, and the ck Cavalry surged in mercilessly.

    This time there was no n, the only n was to kill. Kill those Orcs without any mercy.

    The Human Soldiers in rage attacked the Orcs who were also enraged with their eyes glowing red.

    However, no matter how strong the Orcs were they couldn''t stop their copse. The Hartmann Family knights who trained martial arts were too strong. Now, in enraged state they were more stronger.

    Wherever, the human cavalry passed there was blood and carnage. The scene was like a vision of hell.

    At this point, no Orcsmander could stop the copse. The scene perfectly illustrated the phrase "a rout like andslide."

    Luis was attacking the Orcs in normal state.

    Unlike the ck Cavalry, who had consumed the Blood Boiling Potions and were fighting in a furious frenzy, he relied on his infinite energy.

    Sword Qi flew from his de with deadly uracy, each strike taking the life of an orc. He moved like a machine, never pausing, his body and mind were perfectly synchronized. From a distance, it was as if he were a human gatling gun, rapidly unleashing wave after wave of lethal Sword Qi.

    In the chaos of battle, his kills quickly piled up to more than 250 and counting.

 Chapter 76 War V (End)

    At this point, no Orcmander could stop the copse. Too many lives have been imed by the ck Cavalry.

    The ck Cavalry swept across the battlefield like a flood, leaving behind countless dead orcs and rivers of blood.

    By now, neither soldiers normanders, not even Prince Gombak, could change the course of events.

    Everything that stood in the way of the ck Cavalry''s advance would be utterly crushed.

    Prince Gombak closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer. He didn''t have any will to fight; his spirit was totally crushed by those humans.

    His guards tried to pull him away, hoping to escort him to safety. But Prince Gombak stood firm.

    What was the point of running?

    With almost a total of 100,000 Orc soldiers lost, even if he made it back, life would be worse than death.

    Breaking free from his guards, Prince Gombak mounted his massive wolf, drew his scimitar, and charged toward the Hartmann Family banner, shouting:

    "Come on, Felipe! My head is here!"

    -----

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    Two hours passed by.

    The battle with the Orcs was over; the battle of the strong is like this. Sometimes the war takes many months, and sometimes the victory is decided in minutes.

    The fate of the defeated orc army had been sealed. Even though some of them managed to flee for a moment, they would eventually be caught again by the swift cavalry.

    The ck Cavalry spread out, chasing down fleeing orcs and gathering the surrendering ones.

    However, they only have a time limit of half an hour, as in one hour the weakness from drinking the Blood Boiling Potion will kick in.

    Luis removed his helmet and let out a long breath.

    An indescribable thrill surged through him like a current of electricity, filling him with excitement. At first nce, the battle seemed serious, yet now it felt like they had won with ease.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The feeling of charging across the battlefield, invincible and unstoppable, was like an addictive drug, something he couldn''t get enough of.

    The only moment that had slowed him down was when Prince Gombak of the orcs charged at him head-on, recklessly.

    Luis knew Prince Gombak was a strong 3rd stage warrior, but to charge at a cavalry unit at the peak of their momentum¡ªwell, his fate was sealed.

    Not even a whole corpse was left of him.

    "We won!" Luis shouted excitedly at his father, who was blood-soaked beside him.

    But Felipe didn''t share Luis enthusiasm. To him, such victories seemed as ordinary as eating a meal or drinking water.

    "Do you know why we won?"

    "Of course! It''s thanks to Father''s unparalleled strategy and brilliant decisions!" Luis responded, praising his father.

    His praise was sincere; his father fully deserved it.

    But Felipe shook his head, his tone serious. "No, I owe it to you this time, Luis. This is not only my victory; I owe it to them too."

    He gazed across the battlefield, pride swelling in his eyes as he watched the ck Cavalry soldiers still pursuing the remaining orcs.

    Luis, sensing the meaning behind Felipe''s words, wiped the smile from his face.

    Felipe turned back to him.

    "You emphasize too much on strategy. Strategy is important, but if a general relies too much on schemes, always seeking to win through trickery, he will eventually suffer a crushing defeat."

    Seeing the puzzled and somewhat unconvinced look on Luis face, Felipe smiled and added,

    "The cunning of a fox isughable to a lion.

    I''m not dismissing the value of strategy. What I''m telling you is that the key to winning on the battlefield is having a strong army!

    That''s why I say today''s victory belongs to them¡ªthe ck Cavalry.

    Throughout my career, my secret to two decades of undefeated sess has been the same¡ªthe ck Cavalry!"

    Luis fell silent hearing Felipe; he kept repeating the phrase ''cunning of a fox isughable to a lion'' in his mind.

    Trickery and deceit are never the right path.

    The mostmon path to victory on the battlefield is to use a strong army to overpower a weak enemy.

    He looked at Felipe and nodded, although little unconvinced he would remember the teaching. His path is utilizing the strategy fully along with a strong army.

    -----

    The whole day passed, and Luis and the ck Cavalry returned to the cultivator world.

    As for those 20,000 people abandoned by the Orcs. Baron Felipe promised them to take them under hismand if they were willing. If not, he will send them back to their original ce.

    He used a Magic Scroll to send the information to the Frontlines. Samuel will see the information and quicklye to receive these people.

    -----

    "This time Orcs have suffered heavy losses; even their prince has died in our hands."

    Currently, every high-ranking person was sitting at a round table listening to the war report.

    "Suffering this loss, either the Central Orc Tribe will send another wave of Orcs to this battlefield or stay silent. The highest probability knowing the orcs is they will send another wave of orc soldiers with the goal of revenge."

    This time, orcs suffered the biggest defeat in many decades.

    "What is the n now, father?" Luis turned his attention to Felipe, who was looking at the map on his table with a deep look.

    "I won''t make a decision; you will make it yourself," Felipe said, not ncing at Luis. He won''t make any decisions; he needs to train Luis.

    Luis smiled hearing Felipe; now he needs to think of his own n.

    "My decision is to directly attack the main tribe of Orcs in Northern Wastnd. That is the strongest Orc settlement in thisnd. If we could breach it, the remaining Orcs will be further pushed deeper into the Northern Wastnd. So, the n is..."

    Luis began exining the n to all themanders sitting in this room.

    From their ce to reach deep into the Main Tribe, it would take 20 days, but with the help of his flying boat, the journey can be reduced to 10 days. This is also traveling slowly; if they reach it very quickly, it will arouse suspicion.

    In these 10 days, the soldiers can rest and train properly in the cultivation world. The ck Cavalry will be stronger than now.

    The boat, of course, will be maneuvered by the soldiers who know the way.

    In these ten days, he can also try to practice the immortal cultivation technique and maybe improve his strength more.

    Everyone nodded as they heard the n of Luis; they began to make the n perfect. All the necessary things were quickly exined, and the soldiers were informed.

    -----

    Three days passed by, and Luis walked out of his room with no expression.

    He tried to practice the immortal cultivation technique given by Han Mo, but he couldn''t even introduce the spiritual aura to his dantian, where the spiritual roots reside. He tried to bring the spiritual aura to his dantian, but it quickly dissipated.

    Han Mo said this was normal, as mortals take months or even years before they can absorb the aura and be a Qi refining stage.

    However, Luis felt there was something wrong with his way of practicing. Even though life seeds were recognized as spiritual roots. It was genuinely not a spiritual root.

    With his mind full of doubts, he opened the vortex and entered inside along with another soldier. This is a ck Cavalry Knight who knows the way to the Orc Main City and is controlling the boat.

    Luisid down as the soldier controlled the boat. His mind was full of many thoughts and was constantly thinking of a solution.

    He began to remember all the information about life seeds he had learned since childhood.

    Life seed is a virtual entity that forms after one practices the Knight Breathing Method. It grows as the knight uses the breathing method, and in turn it strengthens the body.

    As a knight advances to the 4th stage and bes a powerful strongman, the life seed within him grows as well, unlocking a range of new capabilities.

    The most significant ability being his ability to extend the aura and form a connection with lower-level knights. This connection allows the connected knights to have coordinated strength and thought transfer.

    Luis began to think of all these and tapped on the boat continuously. All these thoughts flowed through his mind, and he couldn''t think of a solution.

    "Shit! Practicing martial arts was so easypared to this immortal technique," Luis muttered to himself as he sat up.

    He sat in a mediating position and ran the Knight Breathing Method, trying to calm himself down. He entered the focus moment very quickly and felt the changes in his body.

    The life seed absorbed the aura and quickly supplied energy to his body through the blood flowing through the heart.

    He watched this method carefully and noted all the changes urring in his body.

    ''Heart! Instead of Dantian, let me try to store the spiritual aura in my heart.''

 Chapter 77 Orcs Main Tribe

    The noon sunzily shone on the Orcs Main Tribe.

    This enormous city, built from solid rock was intimidating to look at.

    The various rock buildings in the city had a simple and rugged style, reflecting the character of the Orc race.

    From a human''s perspective, the city was truly ugly, with nothing worth praising. But to be honest, the Orcs didn''t put much effort into building it.

    They are War Lovers Orcs, making their home beautiful only make them fall intofort. For them,fort led to weakness, and weakness had no ce in the life of a war-loving Orc.

    Currently every Orcs in the tribe had serious face as they did their daily training.

    News had reached the tribe from the Northern Wastnd: Prince Gombak, the beloved adopted son of the Orc Leader, had fallen in battle. More than 100,000 Orcs had perished alongside him.

    In the Orcs'' Main Tribe, the most tense ce was the Central Area, where a much more luxurious rock pce with a huge gate was builtpared to the others.

    A beautifully decorated carriage slowly made its way toward the pce, stopping only after several strict inspections.

    As therge gates creaked open, the carriage entered the courtyard. The gates then closed behind it with a heavy thud, sealing the pce from the outside world.

    In the rocky courtyard, the carriage stopped, and a dark-skinned man in a loose ck robe stepped out.

    The one who came out was not a Orcs, but a Dark Elf with pointed ear. A Dark Elf appearing in the Orc Tribe, especially at such a tense moment, was certainly unusual.

    The Orc guards barely reacted to the Dark Elf''s presence. They seemed to consider it perfectly normal.

    "Sir Adrion," one of the guards said with a nod, "the Supreme Commander is waiting for you in the hall."

    Sir Adrion, ustomed to the pce''syout, nodded in return and strode purposefully toward the hall.

    Inside, Commander Cruck, an old and battle-hardened Orc, was seated at a stone desk, scribbling notes on a scroll. Upon hearing Adrion''s footsteps, he ced the quill down and stood to greet his guest.

    "Sir Adrion, wee! Please, have a seat," Commander Cruck said warmly.

    "A group of goblin merchants brought us some spirit tea from the Moonlit Forest. Would you care to try it?"

    "Thank you, Commander Cruck," Sir Adrion smiled as he epted the cup, took a sip gracefully, and nodded in approval.

    This type of elf spirit tea was usually something they would take time to enjoy, but today, neither of them was in the mood for it.

    "Prince Gombak, the adopted Son of Orc Leader died in the battle ten days ago. Do you have any news regarding ck Cavalry, they seem to disappear since that battle"

    Commander Cruck said with some tiredness, as a Orc it is really hard to nt Spy in the Human Territory. He can only seek information from the Dark Elf before him.

    Sir Adrion nodded and handed a parchment to Cruck.

    "This is thetest report from the frontlines. The ck Cavalry hasn''t headed deeper. They''ve retreated back to the Frontlines."

    Sir Adrion smiled and added, "The current Orc Main City is a tough bone to chew. The humans, who are feasting in the Northern Wastnd, have no interest in this ce."

    Cruck smiled bitterly. He was relieved, but also deeply humiliated.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The vastnds of the Northern Wastnd had once belonged to the Orcs. If they could, they would never have retreated to this Rocky Mountain Range to live in such miserable conditions.

    "Now, tell me Sir Adrion what should i do?"

    "Commander Cruck, you should stop messing with in the Northern Wastnd from now on. They seem to be more stronger now than they have ever been."

    Cruck immediately became serious after hearing Sir Adrion, "Make yourself clear"

    Sir Adrionughed and looked at Cruck,

    "Don''t act like you don''t know Cruck. There is unrest brewing in the southern kingdoms. A major war is about to break out between the humans and the Beast men. It will be a battle that could involve the many forces."

    Cruck listened to Sir Adrion with narrowed eyes, "And what does that mean for us?"

    "Humans are serious now. If you Orcs involve deeply and try to start a bigger war, humans will not show any mercy. Don''t be a fool like Prince Gombak." Adrion warned. Explore more stories at empire

    "How big is the Chaos going to be in the South"

    "Big enough to involve the whole continent. Big enough to change the bnce of power across the continent." Sir Adrion said with a weird smile.

    Cruck leaned forward, his eyes locked on Adrion''s. "Is it time for the bird to break out of the cage?"

    Adrion said nothing, but the glint in his eyes spoke volumes. The two continued their conversation, their words filled with secrets not meant for others to hear.

    ------

    High above the Orc Main Tribe, a boat soared through the sky.

    Luis stood on deck, watching the activity below. Orcs, numbering in the thousands, moved like ants through the Tribe streets. By his rough estimate, there were at least 200,000 Orcs living in the tribe.

    After observing the terrain for more than half an hour he opened a Magic scroll and sent it back to the Hartmann Barony.

    [Luis Hartmann,

    .....

    ]

    This was a job given to him by his father. The ck Cavalry has been constantly traveling losing connection with the frontlines.

    This might worry his mother and other high ranking officials of the barony, so every three days he sends back a report through Magic Scroll.

    With the message sent, Luis stood quietly, once again observing the Orcs beneath him. His task here was done, at least for now.

    After doing this, he returned to the Cultivation World through the Vortex.

    There is a change of n. He has already figured out the way to practice Immortal Cultivation Technique and he is in his final verifying stage.

 Chapter 78 Path to Immortality

    After Luis returned, he directly entered seclusion.

    Sitting in a meditative position, he closed his eyes and focused deeply. Within moments, he felt colorful particles manifesting inside his body, swirling gently like tiny fragments of light.

    He carefully guided these particles toward his heart, where his Life Seed held its deepest connection.

    For the past seven days, Luis had been diligently gathering these particles, storing them within his body. This time, the particles didn''t dissipate like before.

    He could sense that the energy within his heart had finally reached a critical point, a culmination of patient effort and focused concentration.

    ''It''s time,''

    He began to run the Five Elements Immortal Technique, circting the energy in his body ording to the method.

    The process was delicate, requiring absolute focus. The colorful particles moved smoothly through his meridians, flowing into his heart.

    Six hourster, Luis opened his eyes with an uncontroble smile spreading across his face.

    He has done it¡ªhe has officially entered the path of immortality.

    He has officially entered the path to immortality. The life seed in his body seemed to evolve and turned into a small sapling. It''s roots extending and being connected to the meridians of his whole body.

    The Life seed had mutated and finally became something unrecognizable that needs to explored.

    His body was filled with so much life force that he couldn''t help but sigh with contentment.

    He stood up, his body feeling lighter and stronger than ever. He headed outside with a smile and mounted on cky.

    There was no time to waste¡ªhe needed to see just how much stronger he had be.

    In just a short time, he quickly reached inside the wilderness.

    He mobilized the new energy outside his body. As the energy appeared the air instantly became distorted.

    Holding the energy, he flew into the sky through the flying boat and threw it at a random direction.

    "Boom!"

    The moment the energy struck the ground, a deafening explosion shook the air, and a massive hole appeared where the st had hit. Dirt and debris flew in every direction, leaving a gaping crater in the earth.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Luis looked at this with shock, no wonder Han Mo said Immortal Cultivators Look down on those who practice Martial Arts. Just being in Early stage Qi refining realm isparable to Innate realm master which takes decades of practice.

    After the initial shock wore off, Luis felt a rush of excitement. He mounted cky once more and turned back toward Anyu Town.

    He needs to spread this good news to his people.

    -----

    "You''ve truly seeded, son. With this new power, you can defeat me with ease,"

    Felipe said, his voice filled with a mix of pride and surprise as he blocked another punch from Luis during their sparring session. Explore stories on empire

    Luis barely flinched as his father was pushed back once again after each of their collisions. They both held back, not using their full strength. But the gap between them was clear.

    "Father, I think it''s time we organized the realms properly," Luis said, throwing another punch, this time without channeling any of his body energy.

    His raw physical strength alone was enough to challenge Felipe.

    "Using the realms from both worlds is confusing. We need a system that works for us."

    "Yeah! Now you can bring that Han Mo under hismand." Felipe took a deep breath and said as he fully mobilized his vortex qi and punched back.

    For a moment, it seemed like they were at a stalemate¡ªboth of them straining against each other''s strength.

    But then, with a loud impact, Luis was forced back two steps, while Felipe skidded nearly six steps before stopping.

    "Don''t hold back, Father. I can tell you''re hiding something," Luis said with a yful smirk as he charged at Felipe again, their fists colliding with powerful force.

    "You''re the one holding back," Felipe replied, dodging Luis'' strike with a swift sidestep. "Your energy seems endless."

    Luis grinned, knowing his father was right. With the Vortex within him his energy is truly endless.

    "Alright, son," Felipe said, stepping back.

    "Be careful now. I''ll use my ultimate move. If you can block this, you win." His eyes narrowed with focus as he prepared to release his strongest attack.

    "Come on, i will take your attack head on" Luis said proudly as he crossed his arms and nted his feet firmly on the ground.

    "Just remember, this move''s power is almost as strong as a 4th-stage official knight''s attack. Don''t underestimate it."

    With that, Felipe''s entire aura changed. He gathered all of his vortex qi, his body radiating with an intense energy. The air around them seemed to ripple as his power surged.

    Then, with a swift motion he shed the energy towards Luis. It flew towards Luis like a thunderstorm.

    ''This attack... he really didn''t hold back,'' Luis thought, right as the impact hit him with full force.

    The energy st sent him flying across the training ground, smashing through a solid stone wall like it was paper. He crashed hard into the ground, leaving a deep crater in the rubble.

    Felipe stood still for a moment, his eyes wide with shock.

    "Why did you face the attack with your physical body? Didnt i warn you" he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

    Seeing his son lying on the ground, blood oozing from a deep gash on his chest, Felipe''s heart raced. He quickly rushed over, worry etched across his face.

    "Luis!" Felipe called out as he knelt beside his son, reaching out to lift him.

    But before Felipe could touch him, Luis suddenly opened his eyes and grinned.

    "That was such a strong attack, Father," he said, his voice calm as if nothing had happened. Slowly, he stood up, brushing off the dust.

    Felipe''s eyes widened in shock watching all the things happening right now.

    Right before his eyes, the wound on Luis'' chest began to heal. Grantion tissue formed over the injury, and within seconds, the deep gash disappeared as if it had never been there.

    "This... such an injury... healed so quickly?"

 Chapter 79 Healing

    "The life seed mutated after I became a qi refining cultivator. The life seed became a small nt with its roots spreading all around my body, connecting to the meridians" Luis said as he touched his chest.

    Felipe didn''t say anything but stood there with a serious face, his previous shock disappearing.

    "What is the limit to the healing?"

    "Limits... I''m not too sure yet. I haven''t fully tested it. But unless someone chops off my head, I can heal most things. Even if a limb gets cut off, we''ve got wizards on our territory who can reattach it."

    Felipe was just about to speak when many knights rushed towards them.

    A group of knights rushed over, their faces tense with concern. They hurried towards them and looked at the huge hole in the wall and at the hole where Luis was standing.

    There was a look of confusion on their faces. They thought their ce was attacked by enemies causing such loud noises, but there is only master Felipe and young master Luis here.

    "It''s nothing. No need to be shocked. It''s just a little sparring session with Father. Everything is fine." Luis waved them off, giving a casual smile.

    The knights exchanged bewildered nces, clearly struggling toprehend how sparring could result in such destruction. The massive hole in the wall certainly didn''t look like a simple training ident.

    "Get this mess cleaned up. We were just testing some new abilities." Felipe gestured to the knights,

    "Also, spread the word: Luis has be an immortal cultivator. The practice method will soon be shared with everyone."

    The knight''s face changed from confusion to ecstasy. Their young master became the first to be a cultivator.

    Without hesitation, they quickly began organizing themselves and began to repair the damage while buzzing with excitement at the news.

    -----

    Luis again opened the vortex and came to the fantasy world. He was on the boast, flying high in the sky.

    He has already told the practice method to his father. He will spread the correct practice method with everyone.

    Thinking about his whole army of cultivators having healing power, he was very excited.

    He began to gaze below towards the Main Tribe, making ns to attack this ce.

    He is already very strong now, and his eyesight is even stronger. He could view the expression of every Orc if he focused enough.

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    Just as he was looking, he saw a carriage moving through a huge rock pce. It was a luxurious carriage.

    "What the¡ªthose orcs would never ride in something that luxurious." Luis narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on the luxurious carriage.

    Without hesitation, he opened a small vortex and sent a message to his father on the other side.

    "There''s an anomaly, Father. I''ll open the vortex if needed."

    After rying his thoughts, Luis took to the skies, flying high above as he trailed the mysterious carriage below.

    The carriage moved swiftly and moved out of the tribe. There were no horses to pull the carriage.

    "This carriage controlled by magic stone works really great. It would be even better if it didn''t consume so many magic stones."

    The carriage swerved around sharp rocks and avoided every obstacle in its way. It didn''t stumble once, moving smoothly despite the rough terrain.

    ----

    Inside the carriage, Sir Adrion was sitting at the front and controlling the carriage.

    He had a serious face as he was looking at the rockynd ahead, controlling it and avoiding all the obstacles.

    But then, a sudden sh of light appeared in front of the carriage, forcing him to stop.

    Sir Adrion''s expression tightened as he quickly realized something was wrong. Without any hesitation, he jumped out of the carriage.

    The carriage exploded with a boom as the light finally reached the carriage.

    Sir Adrion stood up quickly. Without wasting a second, he sprinted toward arge rock nearby, his movements fluid and lightning-fast. . He peeked his head outside and saw the sight of the carriage being fully destroyed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He shrank his body low and darted toward another massive rock for better cover, his footsteps barely making a sound.

    Being a Dark Elf, speed was his greatest advantage, and his skills in marksmanship made him a deadly opponent in situations like this.

    Sir Adrion swiftly assessed the situation, not bothering to shout and question who his attacker was.

    Right now, hiding was the smartest option. He crouched low behind the massive rock, his sharp mind focused on one goal: to figure out how many people were after him.

    ''This is definitely not Orcs. Did the humans find out about my ns''

    He didn''t stay in a single position as a 3rd stage archer. He was trained to act as an assassin. He moved between rock obstacles quickly, only after shadows left behind all ces.

    He finally crouched behind arge rock and pulled out his bow. Instead of using regr arrows, he used his aura to create sharp, magical arrows. As long as he had enough aura, he couldunch thousands of these arrows.

    Feeling the energy build within him, he focused on preparing for his attack. He peeked outside the rock, watching for any signs of movement, ready to fire at a moment''s notice.

    Just as Sir Adrion was intently focusing, waiting to notice any signs of life, a hand was ced on his shoulders.

    "Dark Elf, I hope you can keep yourposure. Otherwise, this will end very badly for you."

    The scene was silent after Luis threatened the elf. Sir Adrion stayed in the same position, withdrawing the aura arrow from the bow.

    "Now, tell why were you inside the Orc Main Tribe," Luis demanded, patting the Dark Elf''s shoulder.

    "Better open your mouth, or I''ll open it my own way."

    Sir Adrion, hearing Luis threat, had a strange smile on his face. As a dark elf who was corrupted by Abyss, his outlook on life is different from others.

    Here, he was defeated, totally defeated even before the fight began.

    As a third-stage archer, he didn''t even notice the person who appeared behind him. The attacker was much stronger than him.

    "Don''t torture me. I will tell you everything."

 Chapter 80 Truth

    The scene was silent as Luis waited for the answer from the Dark Elf.

    However, he frowned as a long time passed and the elf still didn''t speak. He raised his hand and pped on the back of Elf Head.

    "What are you waiting for? Tell me quickly!"

    "Ahhhh! Don''t hit me! I''m afraid of pain!" Sir Adrion eximed dramatically, his voice full of exaggeration.

    "I will tell you, I am called Sir Adrion. I ..."

    The Dark Elf named Sir Adrion spilled everything about why he arrived at the Orc ce.

    The secrets about the collusion between Dark Elf and Orcs in Northern Wastnd were also revealed to Luis.

    "Now, sir, can I live?" Sir Adrion said with an expectant voice.

    "Onest question: How long will the war in the south take to be big enough to engulf the entire continent?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Will I die after answering thisst question?"

    "No"

    "I trust you, sir. For it to affect this Northern Wastnd At least more than a decade. The Orcs will definitely remain dormant, like a praying mantis, waiting for the perfect opportunity to enter this war."

    "More than a decade. Too bad I want to see the whole continent in chaos quickly," Luis said withughter, clearly lying to Sir Adrion.

    "Although I don''t trust you, Dark Elf, keeping you alive is much more beneficial than having you dead."

    After Luis voice was heard, Sir Adrion stayed in the same position for a long time.

    A long time passed before he finally turned his head back slowly and saw no one in sight. Sir Adrion kneeled down and said loudly,

    "Thank you, sir, for letting me live. I owe you my life."

    -----

    Luis and Felipe were watching all this happen through the vortex.

    They watched with interest as the Dark Elf kneeled on the ground, thanking Luis.

    "Is itck of dignity or intelligence? No one can tell. These corrupted elf thoughts are very distorted." Felipe shook his head.

    "Father, you heard through the vortex. What is the level of truth in his confession?"

    "His didn''t tell any lies. However, things he said were superficial. Let me tell you the truth."

    Then the real, no superficial truth was revealed to Luis.

    This continent, though it seemed normal on the surface, was actually a massive cage. Ten thousand years ago, a devastating battle took ce between the gods and wizards.

    Wizards aren''t just humans. They can be from different races.

    ording to ancient records, the battle was so enormous that it shattered the divine continent into four massive pieces.

    In the aftermath of the continent being divided, the Abyss, a dark and monstrous force, attacked the world once again.

    The continent where Luis lived now wasn''t vast inparison. While it could be called argendmass, it paled inparison to the divine continent, which could sustain trillions of lives.

    After the Abyss invasion, powerful wizards banded together and enveloped differentnd masses with a protective barrier to keep the Abyss monsters at bay.

    These Strong Wizards had promised that once the battle with the Abyss was over, they would open the barrier and restore bnce.

    However, ten thousand years had passed, and there was still no sign of the barrier being lifted. Life inside was trapped and couldn''t leave this continent.

    The connection to the gods was lost as well. The once powerful churches were also destroyed, and nobles gained full control of thisnd. Well, there is still God Cult causing trouble asionally.

    This was just the superficial history that is written in history books.

    "Father, you are in trouble. Do you have any way to avoid this?" Luis asked with worry evident in his voice.

    Felipe smiled and looked at him with calm confidence.

    "Don''t worry. I n to advance to the 4th stage of official knight in this world. The wizards'' formation won''t capture my advancement."

    Luis nodded with relief. His father had just revealed a huge secret about the continent¡ªthe reason why so few 4th stage powerhouses were seen.

    Eight thousand years ago, the wizards who lived on the continent grew frustrated. Their path to greater power was blocked by the barrier that protected thend.

    In an attempt to break free, they gathered all the strongest warriors, regardless of race, to help shatter the barrier.

    But the barrier was beyond their understanding, far stronger than anyone had anticipated. After much research, they discovered it could replenish its energy by drawing aura from the air, making it nearly impossible to destroy.

    This barrier was created by those strong wizards who had the power to kill gods.

    Over time, not just those wizards but every strong man began to get irritated. Then, through decades of research, they added a function to the barrier that will notify any breakthrough to 4th level strength.

    Then, a n thousands of years old began.

    The human, elf, and orc territories, once divided, were unified in response to the overwhelming barrier. The humannds, once filled with dozens of kingdoms, now only had one¡ªthe Azov Kingdom, standing tall on the eastern side of the continent.

    The other races followed a simr path of unification, with only the southern region remaining chaotic.

    From this unity, the Forgotten Continent Organization was formed.

    This powerful organization was tasked with monitoring breakthroughs. Anytime someone broke through to the 4th stage, the formation would immediately detect it, and the Forgotten Continent Organization woulde knocking.

    Once a person reached the 4th stage, they were taken away for 10 years to the organization. During this time, their family was fully protected, ensuring safety and stability for those left behind.

    But while it appeared humane, in reality, it was far more cruel. After being released, every 50 years, the 4th stage individuals were required to return to the barrier and corrode it with their aura for another 10 years.

    This cycle repeated endlessly, trapping them in a life of corroding the barrier.

    You could not even die peacefully after that. The Forgotten Continent Organization would not let the strong men die. With the help of elves and wizards, the strong men would be sent to life suspension.

    ording to the information Felipe gathered, at least 6,000 4th stage warriors were currently in peaceful slumber, waiting to be awakened when the time was right.

    Although 6,000 strong men might seem like arge number, this was the strength that had been umted over more than 8,000 years.

 Chapter 81 Two Gold Coin

    "Our Northern Wastnd will be peaceful for some time," Felipe said, his tone firm and serious. "This will be our golden growth period. We must be as strong as possible before chaos erupts."

    "So, what about this Orc Main Tribe? Are we not going to attack it?" Luis questioned Felipe.

    Felipe smiled and looked at Luis. Sometimes, words weren''t necessary¡ªjust a smile could speak volumes.

    Just a look could convey what years of experience had taught him.

    "This trip will be a waste if we don''t do anything; I will deliver the head of Prince Gombak first. Those orcs must feel fear."

    Without waiting for a reply, Luis stepped forward, took a sack containing Gombak head, and entered inside the vortex.

    But within moments, Luis returned, stepping out of the vortex as quickly as he had entered. His expression was a little different now¡ªmore thoughtful, more cautious.

    "Sorry Father, With my strength increasing, I became a little arrogant. My mind is a little clouded. There''s no need to alert the Orcs yet. I don''t have to show our hands too soon."

    Felipe watched him in silence; his earlier smile now tinged with approval.

    "This is normal. When strength increases, thoughts often be distorted. It''s good that you''ve regained your rationality."

    Felipe''s gaze softened as he continued, "Honestly, I was worried before. I thought, with your rapid growth, you might stop respecting me as your father."

    Luis looked up when he heard his father.

    "I''d never do that. I''ve always respected you, and I won''t let anythinge between us."

    "That''s what I want to hear. Power can challenge the closest bonds, but it should never break them. I''m proud of you for understanding that."

    -----

    Five days passed by.

    The travel of ten days was totally wasted. Sometimes, ns can take unexpected turns and change entirely.

    There was peace in sight, and Luis would obviously not break it.

    He will walk the safe path even if it is slow. He is not alone; behind him are hundreds of thousands of people. Carelessness and mistake can cause a tragedy.

    Well, the time here was notpletely a waste. The soldiers under him have already begun to practice the immortal cultivation method.

    In the next few days, he will gain a very scary army. An army of tens of thousands of immortal cultivators.

    Luis stood up from his boat and stretched, feeling the tiredness in his spirit.

    "Arthur, this journey is really tiring. I have been on this boat for almost 15 days. I hate long journeys the most."

    Arthur smiled, enjoying himself as he expertly steered the boat. He didn''t seem bothered by the long travel.

    "Let''s rest for some time before we continue."

    Arthur nodded and skillfully steered the boat into the vortex.

    After arriving in the cultivation world, Luis headed towards the practice ground.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Once they arrived in the cultivation world, Luis made his way to the practice ground. The area was rtively empty; not many people were present.

    With over 25,000 knights under hismand, staying in the Sirius Gang was no longer practical. Many knights had scattered throughout the Anyu Town, while others had ventured into the surrounding towns and cities.

    Their strength was more than enough to rule this kingdom, and they had already established control and influence in many ces.

    Once most of the knights became cultivators, Luis nned to confront Han Mo. As a 1st-level alchemist, it would be easy for him to make connections outside on Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    He began his journey around the town, visiting each location where his friends were stationed. After making the visits, he walked aimlessly through the streets.

    The townspeople were very happypared to before. All the negative elements¡ªgambling houses, red-light districts, and human trafficking¡ªhad been removed. The atmosphere felt cleaner and safer.

    The lives of the people also slowly improved.

    Luis couldn''t help but smile as he observed the changes. The lives of the people were slowly improving, and he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

    This is true happiness for him.

    He didn''t want to obsess over the pursuit of strength. He wants to gain strength to influence the people and world around him. He wants to leave a positive mark on the world.

    Just wanting to gain strength, what is the difference between this and a ruthless person?

    Lost in thought, Luis made his way to the stall market, where he had first arrived in this cultivation world.

    He began to roam around these bustling areas, trying to find any familiar things. Over the past month, the town had flourished, transforming so much that nearly everything was unrecognizable.

    "Huh! This old man looks familiar." Luis finally saw a familiar figure and headed towards the stall.

    He took out two gold coins from his pocket and threw them in front of the stall counter.

    He pulled out two gold coins from his pocket and tossed them onto the stall counter. The old man''s eyes widened with greed as he quickly snatched up the coins, hiding them away before finally looking up at Luis.

    The old man narrowed his eyes, clearly struggling to recognize him.

    "Old Man, you once told me I had an immortal fate. You''d better give me the method to immortality, or else the consequences could be quite severe."

    Luis said with a serious face, but he was smiling secretly. Stay updated via empire

    The old man continued to stare at Luis, still failing to recognize him.

    "Who are you, Young Man? You must havee to the wrong ce. I don''t know anything about immortals. Aren''t immortals just a fairy tale?" He replied, quickly evading Luis''s gaze after speaking.

    Luis raised his eyebrows, noticing the old man''s evasive behavior. As his strength had grown, so had his perceptive abilities. He could see the subtle shifts in the old man''s expression, the flicker of apprehension that passed over his face.

    The old man was definitely hiding something.

    Luis leaned in closer, "Don''t lie to me,"

    Luis said, his voice dropping to a cold, threatening tone. "I can see it in your eyes. What are you really hiding?"

    [This old man was mentioned in chapter 2].

 Chapter 82 Inheritance

    "Spill it quickly."

    Luis was currently in the Sirius Headquarters with Old Li sitting opposite.

    The longer Old Li hesitated, the colder Luis'' expression became. The chances of this old man possessing an immortal technique were high¡ªtoo high to ignore.

    Old Li kept his head low, refusing to meet Luis'' gaze. No matter how much Luis tried to pry, the old man remained silent, unwilling to say a word.

    Behind the Old Li there were many knights keeping watch on him.

    "Devon, go search in his house. Don''t miss any spot underground, roof, search every corner." Luis gave order to Devon, who was behind the Old Man.

    Hearing this, Old Li finally lifted his head, his eyes pleading.

    "No, no, don''t search my house. I can give you the immortal technique. There''s no need to go there!"

    Luis narrowed his eyes at Old Li, then signaled for Devon to stop. His cold gaze never left the old man.

    "Don''t try to hide anything. Give me a reason why you don''t want us to search your house. Otherwise, the consequences..."

    He left the threat hanging in the air, his frosty expression making it clear that there would be no mercy if the old man refused.

    Old Li''s face twisted with a mix of bitterness and resignation as he began to tell his story. Luis and the others leaned in; their interest piqued.

    Old Li revealed that he once belonged to a prestigious Foundation Building family from the Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    However, 50 years ago, his family''s Foundation Building cultivator made the fatal mistake of making an enemy with powerful Golden Core realm cultivator.

    The retribution was swift and brutal. The Golden Core cultivator sent his forces to wipe out Old Li''s family.

    Almost everything was destroyed, with only Old Li barely saving his life. He escaped with some of the inheritance.

    After that, he came to this country to escape. Here, he married and tried to start a new life. He had a son, who grew up and married, eventually having a daughter of his own.

    But fate was not kind to Old Li. As the years passed, tragedy struck again. His wife, his son, and even his daughter-inw all passed away, leaving only his granddaughter to keep himpany.

    "I''ve lost everything," he muttered, his voice heavy with grief. "Now, all I have left is her. I don''t want anything to happen to her."

    As he said this, he looked at Luis with distrust and fear.

    Luis still had a frosty face, his face unclear of what he was thinking. But a huge turmoil was passing through Luis heart.

    ''Shit! Shit! This old guy was not lying to me previously. He really had the immortal cultivation techniques. I was dyed for almost 2 months''

    Luis felt frustration rising as he thought about everything. The two months of wasted time grated at him.

    As for feeling sad about Old Li''s family destruction? He felt nothing.

    He wasn''t a saint, and Old Li''s misfortunes weren''t his concern. What mattered now was the immortal cultivation techniques.

    "Don''t look at us like that. We are knights with honor. We don''t force ourselves on women. Don''t mistake us for those uncivilized brutes."

    Luis said with a steady gaze, making it clear that while they had strength, they had their own code of honor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Tell where the technique is hidden."

    Old Li resigned, looking at Luis, "It''s buried in my yard, right below the tree."

    "Alright. Arthur, you''ll lead the squad this time. Bring me the technique along with his granddaughter." Luis gave order, turning to Arthur.

    "No, didn''t you say you wouldn''t do anything to my granddaughter?" Old Li began to worry and had his eyes filled with tears.

    Luis didn''t say anything, and Arthur headed out with others.

    ------

    Arthur and a dozen knights set off toward Old Li''s house, following the directions given to them. They arrived quickly, spotting a small house with arge tree growing in the backyard.

    "That must be it," Arthur said, nodding toward the tree. "You all start digging around it. I''ll go inside and get the granddaughter."

    He knocked on the door as the others silently slipped into the backyard.

    "Who is it?" A gentle female voice was heard from inside.

    "I''m Arthur Hartmann. Your grandfather sent me to bring you to our ce," Arthur replied steadily.

    "Grandpa, is he finally allowing me to head outside?" The gentle voice had a hint of happiness in it this time.

    Arthur frowned hearing this: ''Has Old Li really kept her locked up this whole time?''

    The hurried footsteps sounded, and the door was opened. Arthur''s heart skipped a beat at the sight before him.

    She was beautiful. Stunningly beautiful.

    She stood there, incredibly beautiful. Her warm eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her long hair flowed softly over her shoulders. The light behind her highlighted her delicate features, making her look almost magical.

    ''Now I see why Old Li keeps her inside,'' Arthur thought, feeling himself melt at the sight of her.

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    He quickly regained hisposure, not wanting to appear foolish or obsessed.

    "I''m from the Sirius Gang. Your grandfather is waiting for you there."

    "Wow, is it really the Sirius Gang? The one that sells perfume?" She beamed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "My grandfather brought one home for me once, and it smelled so nice!"

    Arthur found himself smiling unconsciously at her enthusiasm, charmed by her genuine delight.

    "You can call me Arthur. What is your name?"

    "Ah, my name is Li Xuan," she replied with a smile on her face.

    "Do you have a veil? If then wear it. You cannot walk out like this."

    She hurriedly put on a veil after hearing Arthur''s suggestion, her grandfather having gifted her many such items over the years.

    As she finished adjusting the veil, the other knights arrived at the scene, though only six hade this time. The rest had already rushed off, carrying a box containing the immortal technique.

    Arthur led Li Xuan toward the Sirius Headquarters, speaking softly to her as they walked, wanting to keep herfortable and ease any worries she might have.

    The six knights walking behind Arthur had smiles on their faces, exchanging knowing nces. It seems there is a new member going to be added to the Hartmann family.

 Chapter 83 New Cultivation Techniques

    Before Arthur could return to the Sirius Headquarters, the six knights had already brought the box containing the immortal techniques to Luis.

    Luis opened it and checked inside to see what it was.

    He found three books neatly arranged:

    [Basics of Formation] [Insights of Formation Methods, 1st-2nd Level] [Beast Taming Technique]

    He gazed through all the books in a short period of time.

    The first and second books are based on formation. He didn''t have much interest in this as a person with his own force. He didn''t want to work hard learning this kind of thing.

    The formation book could be given to those Blue Goblins.

    However, his interest was piqued as he gazed through the third book. This is a beast-taming technique that is about controlling a beast.

    ''Is this cultivation technique useful for inhumans like Blue Goblins? If this works, then they can also enter the path of immortality.

    ''The knights can also form their connection with their horses, and the beast can grow alongside humans.''

    With all these thoughts, he gazed towards Old Li.

    "You were almost 24 when your family was destroyed. You must know something about this technique; tell me about it."

    Old Li still had a look of worry on his face as he began speaking.

    "This beast-taming technique is a harsh path of immortality," Old Li began, his voice hesitant. "Most cultivators avoid practicing it."

    "In the Ten Thousand Star Ind, there was once a powerful Beast Taming Sect. However, it was destroyed long ago, and the technique scattered among strong families. Even though my family had ess to it, my ancestor chose not to practice it."

    Luis nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. He had already gleaned some understanding from his brief reading of the technique, but hearing Old Li''s perspective confirmed his thoughts.

    The technique offered both advantages and disadvantages, a path few dared to walk.

    Advantages:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The technique forms an unbreakable bond between the cultivator and the beast, ensuring lifelong loyalty.

    Tamer and beast move in perfect sync, unleashing devastating, coordinated attacks to overwhelm their enemies.

    The cultivator can help their beasts evolve and grow stronger at a faster pace than normal.

    Beast-ttamer cultivators are stronger than regr cultivators, as they have the added support of their beasts in battle.

    Disadvantages:

    Beast tamers must split their spiritual energy between themselves and their beasts, which significantly slows their own cultivation speed.

    While this drawback can be reduced if the beast has high talent, the slow cultivation speed remains a challenge due to the long lifespan of beasts. Even talented beasts take time to grow, making it a long-termmitment.

    "This doesn''t seem to be much of a problem for us knights. I will experiment with itter," Luis muttered to himself.

    ----

    At this moment, Arthur arrived, walking alongside Li Xuan.

    Luis looking at this raised an eyebrow; he could see something from Arthur''s expression.

    He looked very gentle walking alongside the girl in a veil.

    "Grandfather, ording to your wish, I brought Xuan''er," Arthur said to Old Li, ignoring Luis.

    Arthur smiled at Old Li as if they had a very good rtionship.

    Old Li''s face remained heavy with worry, his eyes shifting between Arthur and his granddaughter. Though the worst hadn''t happened, Old Li could see what was brewing.

    ''How dare he call my granddaughter Xuan''er so affectionately,'' Old Li thought with a grimace.

    Although he didn''t like this kid who began to tter him, he couldn''t act cold. He needs to act warmly to save his and his granddaughter''s lives.

    So he forced a smile, trying to soften his tone.

    "Good, good... Xuan''er,e beside me."

    Li Xuan smiled brightly as she approached Old Li, a rare joy lighting up her face. In her 16 years of life, she had never experienced anything like this. Today, she had made her first friend. Before, her grandfather had always kept her isted, warning her that meeting others would only bring disaster.

    Arthur, meanwhile, quietly walked over to Luis, who couldn''t help but tease him.

    "Kid, you forget your brothers the moment you meet a girl," Luis muttered with a grin. "I might have to inform my aunt when I return to the barony."

    Arthur smiled but said nothing. Since he''d met Li Xuan, everything else seemed to fade away, his thoughts now colored by her presence.

    ''He really fell head over heels for her,'' Luis thought, looking at the budding young love.

    "Okay, that''s enough for today. Devon, it''s your turn to steer the boat," Luis said as he stood up.

    "Arthur, you''ll take care of Old Li," he added, giving Arthur a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading outside with Devon.

    Luis will let Arthur figure out the rtionship himself. He couldn''t give any advice on rtionships. He could only offer his blessings from the sidelines.

    As they made their way toward the flying boat, Luis handed the three books to a passing knight, instructing him to deliver them to Biggs.

    This time, he would leave the experiments to the knights under hismand. He will reap the final results and try to correct it if there are any mistakes.

    -----

    Luis was flying in the sky of the fantasy world in a flying boat alongside Devon, heading towards the Orc Fighting Frontline.

    He reflected on his recent gains. If the knights under him can digest it fully, their power will be increased exponentially.

    Each knight will be like a protagonist capable of fighting those with stronger realms than them.

    After spending some time on the frontlines, he nned to return to the barony. In this world, there is going to be peace for some time.

    The Hartmann will stay dormant while secretly building strong forces in the cultivation world. The sky of the cultivation world is much higher than Fantasy World for now.

    He couldn''t wait to control this continent, make his force famous on a ten thousand-star ind, break the barrier of this world, and be invincible.

    With all these thoughts going through his mind, he slowly drifted into sleep.

 Chapter 84 Party

    Few dayster

    Felipe and Luis had already arrived at the frontline along with more than 20,000 knights.

    The grand wee they received at the Orc Battle frontline was a sight to behold, but their stay was brief.

    They hurried into Remora City. The Central City, which is directly under the control of the Royal Family.

    -----

    "Party of Lords?"

    Luis read the content of the letter once again, looking at the golden letters.

    "This is really luxurious."

    This letter was sent to him by his father, indicating he could enter the party with this invitation letter along with some of his attendants.

    Luis thought about it and decided to bring Arthur and Xiao Wei along with him.

    As night fell, they left the camp. Arthur grumbled quietly, wishing he could bring Li Xuan with him, while Xiao Wei remained silent; these days he has been very silent.

    The party was being held at Tinker Castle.

    Upon arriving, they passed through the castle gates and were thoroughly inspected by the guards before entering the hall.

    Inside the hall, they sat at an inconspicuous corner, not trying to attract much attention.

    Other people also entered the hall one after another and formed their own group, gossiping among each other.

    The atmosphere in the venue was very rxed, and everyone had a smile on their faces.

    But Luis could feel some eyes gathering towards him full of malice. He couldn''t pin point where this malice was, but there were many.

    ''I smell trouble.'' Luis nced around at everyone in the hall.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With the passage of time, the status of people who arrived became higher and higher. The murmur was also bing louder.

    Until finally the bigshots arrived: Earl Isaac, Viscount Mufasa, and Baron Felipe.

    After their arrival, the banquet suddenly quieted.

    Everyone in the hall focused on these figures, who were at the forefront of the current war.

    Although Baron Felipe is the lowest in nobility ranking, underestimating him based on this would be foolish. There were other nobles trying to mess with him, and the consequences were pretty bad.

    The one with the most prestige here currently was Baron Felipe. He destroyed almost 100,000 Orcs this time.

    They headed towards the head table and sat down there. Felipe nced at Luis for a short moment before not paying attention to him.

    "Hey, Luis, why are you sitting in one corner? Go dance with those beautiful nobledies," a familiar voice teased as it appeared beside Luis.

    "Good boy! I didn''t expect you to mislead those cunning Dark Elves like that," he said, recognizing Asmon.

    Yes, the guy standing in front of him was none other than Asmon¡ªthe one he had given six magic crystal cannons to.

    His father had revealed to him that Asmon had been targeted to be a spy for the Dark Elves. But instead of betraying humans, Asmon teamed up with Samuel to send false information to the Dark Elf forces.

    "Haha, you figured it out," Asmon replied with a grin, clearly enjoying the atmosphere of the banquet.

    Asmon handed a wine ss to Luis, who shook his head.

    "I don''t drink wine; I am only 14."

    "Sometimes I forget how young you are. You definitely don''t act like it," Asmon chuckled before passing the wine to Xiao Wei, who epted it with a nod.

    The four of them then turned their attention to the dance floor, where couples moved gracefully to the rhythm of the music.

    The air was filled with the sound of a court dance, one of the most traditional styles in the Anyu Kingdom.

    It reminded Luis of the Viennese waltz from Earth with its fast-paced spins and elegant steps.

    The men and women on the dance floor leaned on each other, spinning in perfect harmony. Each step and each twirl made everything around them blur into the background.

    All that mattered was the person in their arms, their faces clear and vivid amidst the whirlwind of motion. Spin after spin, the connection between the dancers seemed eternal, as if they wanted to stay in each other''s embrace forever.

    But the music, like all things, eventually came to an end. The dancers slowed, their perfect rhythm fading as thest note echoed through the hall.

    Luis watched all this quietly and pped his hand.

    "It''d be great if I could dance like that with someone special one day," he muttered to himself.

    Though Luis had met many beautiful women, none of them felt like the one he wanted to spend his life with. He found their appearance attractive, but the connection wasn''t deep.

    He was just 14, and he wasn''t desperate to search for love. He believed that when the right person came along, he would know.

    When he finally felt the connection, he would pursue her with all his heart, without hesitation.

    His heart didn''t have room for many. It was waiting for just one true partner.

    His cousin Arthur seemed to have already found love. He spent most of his time with Li Xuan, constantly by her side.

    Luis noticed how Arthur''s eyes lit up when he talked about her, and it was clear that Arthur had fallen deeply for her.

    Just as the music ended and Luis was deep in thought, the hall door opened and a person wearing the crest of the War Council entered.

    Luis nced at the person who just arrived at the hall and nced at Asmon.

    "Trouble?" he questioned softly.

    "Not Trouble. Just watch the show of this clown," Asmon shrugged.

    Luis couldn''t help but smile at Asmon''s response. He could feel the malice in the room intensifying, but he knew that no matter what happened, their increased strength could handle it easily.

    The one who arrived in the room was Earl Dawson, one of the supervising members of the War Council. As he strode into the hall, a hush fell over the crowd, anticipation crackling in the air.

    Earl Dawson didn''t pay attention to anyone in the hall and directly headed in the direction of his father.

 Chapter 85 One against Dozen Mufasa

    People are divided into different sses. The nobility is no exception.

    There are great nobles, lesser nobles, and pioneer knights who are nobles but not quite nobles.

    This banquet of the Tinker Castel differentiated the sses into distinct levels.

    Earl Isaac, Viscount Mufasa, and Baron Felipe¡ªthese three formed the core circle at the banquet.

    Countless people were trying their best to get closer, but they only dared to step forward briefly to say hello and did not dare to stay for long; otherwise, it would be rude and overestimating their own abilities.

    The banquet was still going on, but the atmosphere seemed to have quietly changed.

    The music continued, but the center of the dance floor was already empty.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Earl Dawson headed straight towards the core area where his father stayed.

    He stayed there for a short time; however, in other areas, rumors began to spread around in the hall.

    "Have you heard? This time, Earl Isaac, Viscount Mufasa, and Baron Felipe led the army to fight the front line without receiving any approval from the War Council!"

    "What do you mean? Are you saying... Nobles sent troops privately?"

    "That''s right! The ck cavalry also vanished for almost 20 days. They are waiting for the War Council military order!"

    "Oh! He has already sent out his troops privately; why is he still waiting for military orders?"

    "Shh! Why are you so loud? Are you looking for death?"

    -----

    Luis listened to all this with a speechless face. These people seemed to be talking in a low voice, but in fact they were not trying to hide their opinions at all.

    What''s more, he had discovered that this "rumor" had spread almost throughout the entire banquet.

    At this moment, he suddenly realized where all the malice came from.

    There is no doubt that the three main nobles are the real target of these War Council people.

    After the rumor was spread to the entire room, Ear Dawson suddenly stood up and walked into the center of the hall.

    "Ahem." Earl Dawson cleared his throat and announced, "Well, now that everyone is here, let''s get started."

    After saying that, he looked around.

    Seeing that everyone''s attention was focused on him, Earl Dawson picked up a parchment and said,

    "This meeting is mainly to discuss the matter of nobles who dispatched their troops without the permission of the War Council."

    Luis said to himself, "As expected."

    Even though the ck Knights annihted the invading Orc army and took revenge, it was obvious that the lords in the North were not prepared to let Baron Felipe go.

    In other words, War Council wanted to take all the benefits after the ck Knight annihted the biggest threat.

    "Since the founding of the Anyu Kingdom, the War Council has overseen all war matters. However, some nobles seem to think they are above thew."

    Earl Dawson stood before the crowd with a stern expression.

    "Therefore, under the will of the kingdom, a decision has been made. Three nobles will be punished and will not appear on the battlefield for five years. Additionally, their taxes will be raised from 15% to 30% for the same period."

    Luis face darkened when he heard this. The first punishment is fine for someone who wants to stay on this battlefield, but the second punishment tax increase was unbearable.

    He remained silent, ncing toward his father, Baron Felipe, to see his reaction.

    Among the three targeted nobles, Earl Isaac kept a calm smile, Viscount Mufasa''s face had turned ck with suppressed rage, and Baron Felipe maintained his usual neutral expression.

    Earl Dawson looked towards them and questioned, "Do you have anyments?"

    "Have!" Viscount Mufasa, who was holding his anger, said slowly.

    The atmosphere in the banquet hall suddenly became solemn.

    "Please go on." Earl Dawson''s face darkened slightly, but he still maintained hisposure.

    "F##k your mother, you piece of shit! Why should we withdraw from the battlefield? Motherfucker, when the north wastnd was attacked by Orcs and the Undead, you War Council bastards did nothing!"

    "Fuck you, Now that we''ve won the battle, you want to send us away and take all the benefits. Motherfucker, who do you think we are?"

    Earl Dawson''s face grew darker with each word from Mufasa. After every sentence, this Viscount is scolding him. As a Viscount, how dare he scold an Earl? This dwarf has no equity.

    Luis could barely contain his surprise at the Viscount''s outburst. He hadn''t expected Mufasa''s temper to be this fiery.

    ''Note to self¡ªavoid arguing with Viscount Mufasa in the future,''

    Viscount Mufasa is half human, a hybrid of human and dwarf. So he has some of the characteristics of a dwarf. Although, in terms of height, the human gene dominated, some of the facial features and temper were of dwarfs.

    "You... how dare you!" Earl Dawson sputtered, pointing his finger, clearly taken aback and unable to respond adequately to the onught of insults.

    "This decision is final; it will not be withdrawn."

    "Motherfucker... " Well, Mufasa began to attack from that angle again. It was clear by now that every sentence he uttered involved some variation of the same insult.

    Earl Isaac and Baron Felipe were sitting there as if this situation had nothing to do with them. These kinds of things Mufasa can handle perfectly.

    At this moment, a dozen more nobles also entered inside the hall. The situation was clear; they were wearing the crest of the War Council. They had serious expressions hearing the insults.

    "Enough, Mufasa! Stop embarrassing the nobility!" one of the neer nobles barked.

    "What you dare to increase our taxes Motherfucker. Motherfucker, is this how the War Council does their job? Fuck you and all your mothers; instead of rewarding us, you punish us. Motherfucker...."

    Mufasa began this time. Instead of a single target, there were a dozen people for him to target.

    In terms of verbal battle, Luis would dere Mufasa as the number one. In this world there is not much variety of nder. Otherwise, if he ever learned variety of Earth''s ng, he''d be even more unstoppable.

 Chapter 86 Concession

    The hall became very noisy after the conflict began.

    Everyone was watching the conflict between the two nobles as bystanders. They are not of high status and cannot interfere in such a high-level conflict.

    But hearing Mufasa, their view was refreshed; he alone was fighting against more than dozens of nobles. They didn''t know dignified nobles could speak this kind of insult.

    Luis, rxed and eating a piece of meat, observed the whole situation like an entertained guest at a y.

    ''Viscount Mufasa sure knows how to liven up a room,''

    However, no conflictsts for a long time. Mufasa calmed down, and the other nobles also didn''t dare speak more. They didn''t want to provoke this dwarf anymore.

    At this moment, Earl Isaac finally spoke, "Mufasa is indeed correct. When it is time to harvest, you are pushing us away."

    The nobles from the war council had constipated faces. Bullshit, Mufasa is correct. This dwarf can''t even form a proper sentence before attacking them with the name of mother.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "No, this is the final decision. This decision will not be withdrawn." One of the nobles again shouted.

    "Fucker, you still dare to speak..."

    "Stop, Mufasa, let Isaac talk." At this moment, Baron Felipe finally spoke, stopping Mufasa.

    Mufasa also stopped shouting and obeyed the order of Felipe.

    "Is it really a final decision? Will the War Council really not take back the decision?" Isaac spoke again.

    "No, this is aw of the kingdom." You dare to break thew and dispatch troop privately. You can''t escape punishment." The War Council nobles still didn''t back up. They were determined to get the benefits.

    The War Council, as an organization that had stood for nearly 8,000 years, naturally had its share of corruption. Not just a share but a lot. Within its ranks, various cliques had formed over the centuries.

    One of the most notorious was the "greedy group." They were known for hiding when danger struck, only to resurface like wolves sniffing out blood once the battle was won.

    This time, the greedy group had set their sights on the spoils of victory in Northern Wastnd. The Orcs had been defeated, and now these nobles were circling, eager to snatch the spoils of victory from Baron Felipe and his group.

    The pioneer knights and normal nobles who fought in the war had angry and dignified expressions this time. They fought risking their lives, suffered a lot of causalities, and now this group of greedy nobles wants to snatch all the benefits.

    The tension in the room was growing as every moment passed.

    The three nobles dispatched troops in open sight, not by hiding. During that time the War Council didn''t stop them, but now they are using them of breaking thew.

    If Baron Felipe failed and lost the troop, he could be punished as decreasing the morale. But now obviously he is victorious; how can he be punished?

    At this moment, Baron Felipe mmed the table with his hand, silencing the entire hall, which grew a little noisy.

    "Enough!" Baron Felipe''s voice boomed across the hall, silencing everyone.

    "You cowards think you can jump in front of me and overstep your ce? You must have forgotten who you''re dealing with."

    His eyes burned with cold fury. "Provoke me, and the ck Cavalry will march into your territory by dawn."

    "Do not make me remind you of what happened a decade ago." He leaned forward, his tone darker, more menacing.

    The opposing nobles gulped when Baron Felipe''s name was mentioned. How could they forget the devastation of a decade ago?

    With his ck Cavalry, Felipe had wiped out two baronial territories and left an Earl heavily injured. The message had been clear then, and it resonated even now: Baron Felipe was a man of action, not idle threats.

    Though humans might seem united on the surface, internal friction among nobles ran deep. Many conflicts simmered beneath the surface, ready to boil over at the slightest provocation.

    Baron Felipe is never a talker; he does what he says.

    If it weren''t for theplicated web of politics and noble rivalries, his war merits alone would have elevated him to the rank of earl by now. His reputation was built on victory, not words.

    Luis smiled when he heard his father finally speak. He took a nk piece of magic paper from Arthur and began to write on it.

    His hand moved swiftly as he wrote down his n.

    In a few moments, he was done. Luis passed the parchment to Asmon, who was standing nearby. Asmon took a moment to read through it before looking up, grinning widely.

    "This is getting good," Asmon said, giving Luis an approving thumbs-up.

    ----

    "Ahem," Luis went forward from the corner and cleared his throat to get attention.

    His voice was loud enough in the silent room, and everyone turned their attention toward him.

    "Since, the situation has be tense. I have a solution."

    "Who are you, kid? Stand back; you''re not qualified to speak here," Earl Dawson snapped, his face twisting with annoyance.

    "He is qualified," Earl Isaac chimed in calmly. "This young man killed 12,000 orcs when the ck Cavalry wasn''t on the battlefield."

    Earl Dawson was a little shocked when he heard this: a kid who has not grown a beard killed 12,000 Orcs. But he didn''t back down. He will lose his face if he backs again.

    "So what? He is not a Pioneer Knight nor a Noble."

    Many people looked at Earl Dawson as if they looked at a fool. He doesn''t even know the situation of war. If he knew Luis''s true identity, he wouldn''t dare speak aloud.

    "He''s the son of Felipe," Earl Isaac added with a barely suppressed smile.

    Dawson''s face changed when he heard this. He looked directly, and Luis, the faces between the father and son indeed match.

    Seeing this, he immediately shut up and didn''t speak any further. He has already lost enough face today. He needs to vent his anger on ves again.

    But no matter what, he will not back down; these three nobles must be sent back to their own territory.

    Luis nodded to Earl Isaac and continued speaking.

    "I have a solution. Everyone here is a noble or pioneer knight¡ªyou are the lords of thisnd. We''ve all fought against those orcs, risking our lives, and none of us want the fruits of ourbor stolen by these greedy nobles."

    The room grew still as the nobles listened, their attention locked on Luis.

    "My father, along with the ck Cavalry, wiped out over 100,000 orcs. Even the Orc Prince was left dead on the battlefield. Earl Isaac fought against the God Cult heretics who were causing chaos, and Viscount Mufasa crushed countless undead."

    Luis paused for effect before continuing. "All of you fought in this war, suffered heavy losses, and now, instead of receiving the rewards we deserve, we''re being punished. That leaves a bitter taste, doesn''t it?"

    The nobles murmured in agreement, their eyes hardening.

    Luis raised the parchment in his hand.

    "In ordance with the will of the Kingdom, I''ve drafted a petition. We ask His Excellency, the Duke of Dressrosa, to bring us justice and punish these greedy nobles who seek to steal from us!"

    "Lords who agree, please step forward and sign it."

 Chapter 87 Ice Mage Sarah

    Duke Dressrosa is the head of the War Council in the area of North. Although those above the 4th stage don''t involve themselves too deeply in the war. They need to do their duty of corroding the barrier.

    At least they stay as the head symbolically.

    Now, Luis was directly trying to involve Duke Dressrosa in this situation. Every noble hesitated when they saw the magic paper in Luis hand.

    Luis didn''t pay attention to anyone and directly brought the petition towards his father.

    Baron Felipe was the first to sign his name and then handed it to Viscount Mufasa next to him.

    Viscount Mufasa smiled and signed without hesitation. Then Earl Isaac signed it too.

    Luis noticed that many lords breathed a sigh of relief, and their eyes became determined after seeing the big three signs.

    Obviously, the addition of these big nobles greatly boosted their courage.

    The forth noble also signed, and the parchment was passed to the fifth noble.

    However, not every lord in this hall signed. Some hesitated and didn''t sign the petition.

    Luis looked at them deeply. He will remember them and write about it in his small diary. In the future, they will definitely suffer.

    Finally, the signing waspleted.

    Nearly a hundred lords, both great and small, signed on the parchment, except for some dozen who were on the side of Earl Dawson.

    The nobles of the Earl Dawson group had ugly faces. Almost everyone signed the petition. Even the duke will be rmed.

    "Very good!" Earl Isaac stood up and took the signed parchment.

    "Next, I will urgently arrange to send this petition to Duke Dressrosa Magic Wall. Today''s party was unpleasant, and it ends here. Thank you for attending everyone!"

    After saying that, he strode out of the venue.

    Everyone left as well.

    Luis did not leave in a hurry but stepped forward to the side of his father.

    Before he could speak, Felipe stopped Luis with his eyes and motioned for him to follow him.

    Luis shut up obediently and followed his father through a corridor to a room deep in the Tinker castle''s inner courtyard.

    Following him were Arthur and Xiao Wei.

    Luis looked around at this old castle and felt as if he had been here before. Most castles have the same structure, so there is a sense of deja vu.

    "Hey, Luis! Arthur! Long time no see."

    "Huh! Sister, shouldn''t you be in Arcane City?"

    Luis paused, recognizing the familiar voice. At the same time, Arthur shouted with surprise too.

    "Sarah!"

    Turning around, Luis saw a female wizard who was dressed in an exceptionally heroic manner.

    He quickly recognized Sarah Hartmann, sister of Arthur and his cousin.

    She was wearing a kite chiffon shirt and white tight breeches, and a pair of brown high boots on her feet.

    The dress was form-fitting and perfectly entuated Sarah''s graceful figure.

    "Don''t you want me here?" Sarah teased, a yful smile on her face. "I''m already an official wizard and back home. Father called me urgently, saying there''s a surprise."

    "Hello, sister," Luis greeted warmly, a smile spreading across his face.

    It had been almost three years since he''dst seen her, and now she seemed even more graceful, exuding a great confidence.

    Seeing them reunited, Felipe quietly stepped aside, giving them space. He knew from experience that staying too close might make the children feel awkward.

    "Luis, you''ve grown even more handsome," Sarah suddenly hugged Luis before hugging Arthur.

    The one left standing on the field was Xiao Wei. He blinked in surprise as he caught sight of Sarah.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With an eager step forward, he introduced himself.

    "Hello, I''m Xiao Wei, Arthur''s best friend." He offered his hand confidently for a handshake.

    "I''m Sarah Hartmann." Sarah smiled warmly, shaking his hand.

    "Which region are you from, brother? Your facial features are... different from most around here." Her eyes studied him with curiosity.

    "I''m from a ce far away. A ce with breathtaking views. If you ever want to see it, Miss Sarah, I''d be more than happy to take you." Xiao Wei smiled with a hint of mystery in his expression.

    "A beautiful ce, you say? Now I''m intrigued. I might just take you up on that offer."

    Sarahughed softly, clearly entertained by this kid''s boldness.

    ''Since when did he get this smooth? He''s only just met her, and now he''s talking about trips to distantnds!''

    Luis, standing nearby, could barely contain his shock.

    "Your friend is mysterious, Arthur. I like that." Sarah, noticing Arthur''s constipated reaction, shot him a teasing look.

    Arthur stood off to the side, his face darkening as he watched Xiao Wei and Sarah. It was clear he wasn''t happy about the exchange. What brother would be seeing someone flirt with his sister?

    "Haha, Sarah! You promised to show me some wizard magic when you got back home, remember? I''m still waiting!"

    Luis tried to divert the attention. He will allow love between people, but he won''t let anyone flirt in front of him.

    Although it seemed Sarah was just ying along with Xiao Wei.

    "Little Luis is curious about magic; I can''t control ice. There is a fountain in the back garden; let me show you a small trick."

    Saying these, the four people walked deeper into the castle towards the back garden.

    At this moment Pipi also emerged from his body and curiously flew around Sarah. As a kid, she is curious about new people.

    Sarah also smiled happily and yed along with Pipi. But when she heard the name ''pipi'' she smacked Luis on the head. Pipi, what kind of weird name is this?

    Meanwhile, Xiao Wei couldn''t resist sneaking nces at Sarah as they walked, while Arthur, ever watchful, kept a sharp eye on him, his expression darkening further.

    Once they reached the fountain, Sarah handed Pipi back to Luis. She took a breath, her stance shifting as her eyes focused.

    "It''s easier to make ice if there''s water nearby," she exined. "But I can still make ice out of thin air using more mana if needed."

    Her hair began to flow in the air, and she looked extremely graceful at this moment.

    The water from the fountain rose, swirling into the air and quickly solidifying into sharp spikes of ice.

    With a flick of her wrist, the spikes shot forward, crashing into the ground with an explosive impact, leaving a small crater in the ground.

    "First-stage spell: Ice Spikes," Sarah said calmly. "What do you think of the power?"

    Luis, Arthur, and Xiao Wei looked at the destruction she caused. If it were normal knights, they would definitely die from her attack, but for them, this was just an average attack. It was even a little weak.

    "Wow, Miss Sarah! That''s incredible. The knights wouldn''t stand a chance against you," Xiao Wei praised her eagerly.

    "Yes, sister." x2

    Sarah smiled, "I prefer you call me ''Mage''. A mage is a specialized branch of wizards. I''m a Battle Mage."

    "Yes, Mage suits you perfectly. ''Ice Mage Sarah'' sounds way better than Wizard." Xiao Wei immediately said.

    Hearing Xiao Wei, the smiles of Luis and Arthur faded. They didn''t know Xiao Wei was a dog liar. He was intelligent before; now why is he acting like this?

    Ignoring Xiao Wei''s antics, Luis turned to Sarah.

    "Sister, enter inside. You will definitely be shocked."

    As he spoke, a vortex swirled open in front of her.

    [Sigh! Almost 90 chapters and I haven''t received a single gift.?? Please send some gift]

 Chapter 88 Departure

    Two days passed by.

    The day when Luis would head back to his home was also quickly nearing.

    Today on the Magic Wall of this city arrived from Duke Dressrosa.

    Luis reading the news was a little angry.

    [Breaking the rule will definitely be punished. Five years of forced retreat from the battlefield. However, in recognition of the great victory, only a 5% tax will be imposed for the next five years.]

    The greed of the War Council was evident.

    The various mines and resources discovered on the battlefield would now be imed by the "greedy group" of nobles, leaving nothing for those who had actually fought and bled for the victory.

    Luis clenched his fists in anger. The injustice was palpable.

    His father said to him, Even if the sky falls, he will only guard his territory for the next 5 years, and he walked out of the Central City. His tone was calm, but Luis could sense the weight of those words.

    Before Felipe departed, he had a private meeting with Viscount Mufasa and Earl Isaac. No one knew the contents of their conversation, but their expression was serious when they walked out.

    ------

    Compton Chamber of Commerce

    Earl Dawson was led by an old man to a secret room.

    "He''s in there?"

    "Yes, my Lord."

    Earl Dawson waved his hand, signaling the old man to leave. Old Man''s wrinkled face was filled with a ttering smile that was about to overflow.

    "Yes, Lord Earl. If you need anything else, please let me know."

    Having said that, he quickly retreated.

    Taking a deep breath, Dawson opened the door and stepped into the secret room. He closed the door behind him, finding the space eerily empty.

    Not surprised, he settled into a chair and waited patiently, the seconds ticking by with an unsettling stillness.

    Suddenly, a figure materialized in the shadows, as if he had been there all along. Earl Dawson''s heart raced as he recognized the man in the ck robe.

    Seeing the figure appear, Dawson quickly stood up and bowed down with respect.

    "My Lord."

    Earl Dawson looked at the ck-robed man who appeared like a ghost with respect.

    The ck-robed figure glided forward with a ghostly presence, and before Dawson could react, he felt a grip like iron around his neck.

    "Huh... Huh¡­" Dawson gasped, panic rising as he struggled against the grip, his face paling with every passing moment.

    "Remember, you are just a lowly member," the dark figure hissed, his voice low and menacing. "You have one mouth and one pair of ears. Whatever you are ordered to do, only do that. The rest has nothing to do with you! Do you understand?"

    "Yeah... I understand," Dawson stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

    With a sudden, violent motion, the ck-robed man threw Dawson to the floor.

    "Stupid fool! You tried to be clever and attacked the remnants of the Firelock family. If I hadn''t suppressed this matter, the Firestorm Duke would have been informed!"

    As Dawson scrambled to regain hisposure, the man in ck delivered a swift kick, sending shockwaves of pain through him.

    "Forgive me, my Lord. I beg for your forgiveness," Dawson pleaded, desperationcing his voice as he bowed his head, trembling in fear.

    A palpable wave of murderous intent radiated from the ck-robed man, his cold gaze fixing on Dawson.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Earl trembled under the weight of that stare, not daring to move a muscle.

    But the ck-robed figure merely red for a moment longer, then, as suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished into thin air, leaving Dawson trembling on the floor. The echoes of his warning ringing in his ears.

    "You are just a dog. Don''t try to overstep the boundary. Otherwise, your consequences will be worse than death."

    -----

    "Biggs, how many knights have sessfully transitioned to cultivators now?"

    Luis was seated in Biggs'' office, munching on an apple while Pipi floated nearby, happily absorbing magic stones.

    "Young Master, 1,637 knights have made the transition so far, and the numbers are increasing rapidly," Biggs replied, ncing up from the book he was studying.

    "That''s a bit low," Luis said, frowning slightly.

    "Try to keep track of the data for these knights. Observe them closely and note any physical or spiritual changes that ur."

    He has healing power; other knights might awaken different powers. Combining both power systems is a new path, and there may be various unique variables.

    Under hismand, now there is only one genuine cultivator, and that is Han Mo. However, he is just an ignorant qi refining realm cultivator who is busy most of the time concocting pills and teaching his disciples.

    Yes, Luis has already taken Han Mo under hismand. He is currently seriouslycking in talent in various aspects and will ept everyone who doesn''t have a rebellious mentality.

    Meanwhile, his cousin Sarah was being shown around and familiarized with this world by Xiao Wei. The boy was bing bolder with each passing day.

    "Once I return to the barony, our power will multiply exponentially. There will be plenty of officials, and you won''t have to be cooped up in the office working all day."

    Luis said this and walked out. Biggs is a veteran and should get enough rest.

    Biggs heard this and smiled. Not just the barony; they have almost infiltrated this kingdom. Slowly, they will control this whole Martial Arts continent, and their power will increase more greatly.

    As he walked through the hall, Luis noticed Arthur walking side by side with Li Xuan.

    His expression soured instantly. It seemed his friends were finding their love lives while he remained focused on power and strategy.

    Luis shook his head, pushing aside his momentary sourness. There would be time for rtionshipster. Right now, he had a kingdom to manage.

    -----

    Luis passed through the vortex and rode on the flying boat.

    This time he will be riding alone and flying nonstop till he reaches back to his territory. No sleep, no rest, just endless flying using his endless energy.

 Chapter 89 Return

    Ten days had passed, and Luis, along with all the knights, finally arrived back at the Hartmann Barony.

    More than 20,000 knights rode proudly on horseback, their formation steady and impressive. As they made their way through the city, the streets were lined with people, all cheering and celebrating the return of the baron and his knights.

    The news of victory had already spread to the barony. Baron Felipe along with his army has taken down over 100,000 orcs.

    Everywhere Luis looked, people waved and smiled. Children ran alongside the horses, eyes wide with admiration.

    The air was filled withughter. Small vendors handed out free treats.

    Shopkeepers had ced signs in their windows announcing special discounts, adding to the excitement.

    The festive atmosphere buzzed with the pride the people felt for the victory achieved by the barony.

    In the marketce, groups gathered to tell stories of the battles, with each tale growing grander as it passed from person to person.

    -----

    "I really like the atmosphere here," Sophia said with a warm smile as she watched the cheering crowd.

    The atmosphere there was much better than the arcane city where she studied. The people have genuine smiles, not like there, where people were often sent toboratories for experiments.

    Xiao Wei beside her didn''t say anything; he seemed to be in deep thought, looking at the people.

    Meanwhile, Arthur, Devon, John, and all the new knights couldn''t hide their excitement.

    They spent their whole day parading around the city.

    In the evening, they finally dispersed, heading towards their home. After the tough battle, they would rest for some days beforeing back on duty.

    Luis also returned to his own room in the side castle. These days of constant flying in the sky made him very exhausted.

    He hopes that the blue goblins can quickly modify the boat, making it faster than before. Otherwise, he will just need to waste months traveling.

    Luis felt uneasy as hey in bed, turning over again and again. His mind was racing with thoughts, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t settle down.

    He barely slept that night, and when he finally did, it was restless and unsatisfying.

    -----

    The next day

    Luis woke up tired. He freshened up a little and headed towards the back garden.

    He has not been in this ce for almost more than 3 months, and it was still as beautiful as before.

    The flowers bloomed vibrantly, and the gentle breeze carried a sense of calm that helped clear his mind.

    Standing here, he began to think of his future ns.

    He may have the life experience of two worlds, but he wasn''t omnipotent. He was just a normal person on Earth.

    Running a huge force, especially one that spans two worlds, required careful strategy and support.

    He needs to learn and research in this regard.

    Although powerful strength is the mainstream of this world, the world still cannot function normally without normal people.

    Yet, in most ces, these people were neglected, sold as ves, and treated as mere tools. It disturbed him deeply yesterday.

    This world needs a revolution¡ªa revolution to break the dark order system and establish a better order.

    Luis couldn''t shake the unsettling images from his mind¡ªthe brutal treatment of ves in the Frontline and Central City.

    As much as he had tried to push it aside, the cruelty he witnessed stirred something in him.

    He was fortunate to be born into a noble family, not as a ve or serf, and his experiences from another world made these injustices even harder to ignore.

    With all these thoughts swirling in his head, Luis rushed toward the main castle, eager to discuss his concerns and possible ns with his mother.

    He didn''t know why, but these thoughts were constantly running through his mind.

    -----

    "What do you want to talk about so early?" Olivia hugged Luis as she questioned.

    Luis, looking at his mother, gave her ess to Vortex.

    "Mother, you can now travel to another world. Do you want to?" As Luis said he opened the vortex. He has already notified her about this through the magic wall.

    Olivia nced at the vortex, and her expression was calm.

    "No need for now," she said, her eyes shifting back to him. "Tell me why you look so worried."

    "Do I look worried?" Luis frowned and touched his face.

    Olivia remained silent, just gazing at him with an unreadable expression.

    Luis, not getting any reply from Olivia, sighed, "I''ve been thinking about ves. I didn''t notice it much in our territory, but in most ces, it''smon. I want to destroy this system."

    Olivia put her hand in Luis cheeks and rubbed it lovingly. She now understands the problem.

    "Don''t try to carry this burden alone, Luis. You can change things, but it takes time."

    Olivia said softly, her tone gentle and reassuring.

    "Look at this ce. When your grandfather arrived, it was wild and barbaric. In just two generations, it has be a prosperousnd where people live without fear, without oppression."

    She smiled warmly, her gaze returning to Luis.

    "In the past ten years, it''s flourished even more, thanks to some of your unique ideas. And I know, in the decades toe, you''ll make it even better. You''ve already aplished so much in such a young age."

    "You''re not alone in this. You have people behind you¡ªyour father, me, loyal retainers like Biggs, and the knights who trust you. Don''t be anxious, Luis. Changees slowly, but it wille."

    Luis felt a wave of emotion rise in his chest. His mother''s words were a balm to the restlessness that had been brewing inside him since his return to the barony.

    After a moment of silence, he asked, "Mother, can you tell me some of your insights on how to govern?"

    "Research. You need to do research."

    "Research? How do you conduct research?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Research is veryprehensive, and it''s not that time yet for you to fully dive into it. But before doing research, you must first determine the purpose. What are you trying to achieve? Then you figure out where and how to gather the right information."

    Seeing her son listening intently, she pressed on.

    "First, what''s the purpose of your research?"

    "To make the world a better ce, without ves." Luis responded quickly.

    "Better ce, huh?" Olivia smiled and expanded.

    "A noble goal, but too broad. That is your ultimate aim, yes, but research serves to help us understand the specifics¡ªpeople''s livelihoods, the economy, the systems that keep things running. Only once you know these can you start figuring out how to change them."

    She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in.

    "Let''s start small. Luis, which group in the world do you think is most likely to resist the cruel Nobles?"

    "ve?"

    "Why?"

    "Because ves are the most miserable group in this world, and also the lowest group."

    "So, will the ves be the strongest force to fight against the nobles?" Olivia continued to ask

    "Maybe... maybe not," Luis replied with embarrassment.

    "Why can''t you answer this question? Because you don''t know the proportion of ves in the whole world, and neither do I. That''s why I say that without research, there is no right to speak." Olivia Said

    "As a noble myself, I haven''t conducted much knowledge in this area. ves in this world are not simple."

    "Let me ask you another question: among the ves, which ones are ves sold by their families, which ones are made up of subjugated people, which ones are ves made up of defeated territory, and which of them has the stronger will to resist?"

    "ves and civilians, one is a ve who has lost hope, and the other is a surf who has a wife and children but can''t get enough to eat and starves to death at any time; which one has the stronger will to resist?"

    "Farmers and workers, if one is an ignorant farmer and the other is a learned worker who deeply understands the nature of his own exploitation, which one will have the stronger will to resist?"

    "How should we treat a cruel noble and a benevolent noble differently, and how will we distinguish them?"

    Facing Olivia questioning, Luis remained silent.

    "This is the importance of research. Many people feel that they know enough about the world. In fact, many people''s judgments about the world are full of subjective assumptions."

    She continued, her voice unwavering.

    "Especially people like us. We are nobles who have surpassed certain sses; it is useless to just talk about making the world a better ce."

    "We don''t always see the world as it truly is. We''re insted from the harsh realities most people face."

    "If you want to change this world, you need to know it inside out. How much does a farmer earn? How much does bread cost? How much food does one acre ofnd produce? How much tax is charged? And what is the minimum daily expenditure of amoner family?"

    "If you don''t even know these things, what qualifications do you have to talk about making the world a better ce for the oppressed people?"

    Olivia''s voice gradually bes agitated.

    "Practice, investigate, and reform; this is what you who want to change the world should do."

    Listening to Olivia''s voice, Luis felt the indescribable emotion deep in his heart. He was deeply shocked.

    What his mother said is not too profound but too simple and correct.

    So much so that in this chaotic and dark world, it seems that a clear spring flows through the hearts of his.

    (end of chapter)

    [what do you think of 1500+ words chapter. i was busy today so only one update]

 Chapter 90 First Beast Tamer

    "So, through my speech, what have you learned, Luis?" Olivia questioned, looking at the enlightened expression of Luis.

    "Mother, I have to rule another world too. No matter what, I''ve always believed in collective effort. Even if I work hard, it won''t be as effective as a group working together toward the same goal."

    "So, I hope you can help me. I hope the people of the barony can help me."

    Luis said with determination.

    "Previously, I realized I was too focused on war. I wanted to be a leader like Father, but I only concentrated on battle and protection, neglecting the other qualities of a great leader."

    "So, I want to learn. I want you to teach me, mother."

    Olivia smiled hearing Luis, and finally she couldn''t help butugh out loud. This wasn''t theugh of ridicule, but it was full of pride.

    "I''m d you didn''t be like your father, Luis. He''s great at protecting us from external threats, but he doesn''t know how to truly rule a territory."

    "I''m happy to see you can still think clearly." Olivia said with a huge smile.

    "You can rest now. Tomorrow, at the banquet, all the officials of the barony will be present. It will require your power to determine if any among them are not loyal to us."

    Luis nodded hearing this; he had already made a n with his father previously. In the banquet, he will give ess to the officials. If anyone among them is not loyal, he will be investigated.

    "I will take my leave, mother."

    Luis said, bowing before he left the room.

    As soon as he was gone, Olivia''s face darkened. Her eyes filled with rage, and a storm of emotion brewed beneath her calm exterior.

    -----

    "What do you mean? It''s my fault."

    "It''s your fault. If you hadn''t convinced me to send him to the battlefield. I would never allow it."

    "He is a genius; he would have gone there sooner orter. Hmph! battlefield is much better option than Royal Academy."

    "He''s still a kid. Out there on the battlefield, he didn''t have much time to think or process what he was experiencing. But I could feel it and see it in his eyes. He was affected¡ªdeeply."

    "I have stayed on the battlefield for almost all my life. Can''t I recognize if someone has been affected? He is perfectly fine. What kind of battlefield is that? It was a pic. Sleeping in the cultivation world withfort, traveling in a flying boat with ease.

    Combined strength of a cultivator and a knight."

    "So you say I am wrong. Can''t I recognize something wrong with my kid? He quickly recovered today; otherwise, you would have ruined him."

    "Yes, you''re wrong this time. He''s my son, Olivia. No simple battlefield is going to break him. He''s a genius¡ªhe just thinks too much."

    "I know now. You have been contradicting me too much these days. You must have found another woman behind my back. Stay away, get out of my room."

    "What! Another Woman. I have never looked at another woman since I married you.

    "Oh, so you have been with other women before marrying me?"

    "Why is this even happening? This is all that kid''s fault."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Oh! So you are again shirking responsibility and ming my son."

    "Listen! Wife..."

    Felipe tried to respond, but the night descended into a full-blown argument. After hours of back and forth, Felipe finally managed to calm Olivia down.

    -----

    That night, Luis slept soundly. All the exhaustion from the past days seemed to melt away.

    "No matter what, your own bed is the mostfortable."

    He mumbled as he fed Pipi her daily ration. The little creature responded with its usual content voice.

    "When will you evolve, Pipi?" he muttered softly so that only he could hear.

    After being fresh and eating breakfast, he walked out of the castle. He will learn seriously from today.

    Michael brought him a book yesterday. It was a book about the insights of his mother. He read all of it, and he got a lot of knowledge from it.

    He decided to test it practically and try to improve it bybining it with the knowledge of the previous world.

    At only 14, Luis realized he had been stressing too much about things the adults could handle. From now on, he would take things slow, improve at his own pace, and let himself enjoy this second life.

    Having a chance to live a second life is already a miracle. Life is beautiful, and he needs to enjoy it more.

    Walking around the city, he saw many types of people.

    As he wandered through the city, he saw all kinds of people¡ªmerchants bustling about, stall owners bartering, farmersboring, even gutter cleaners working diligently.

    Luis spent nearly the entire day exploring the area. He wandered through the city, observing its streets and people, while quietly gathering information and doing his research.

    During this process, he showed amazing affinity.

    Whether it is a businessman, a small stall owner, a farmer who works hard, or even a gutter cleaner, he can talk to them very well. He made each conversation feel natural.

    While talking with them, he gathered various information and recorded it in his diary.

    However, the more he spoke with the townspeople, the deeper his frown grew. Something wasn''t adding up, and he needed to confirm his suspicions with his mother.

    At one point, a group of militiamen approached him, finding his behavior somewhat suspicious. But as soon as they recognized who he was, they quickly bowed in respect.

    Luis waved them off, chatting with them for a bit before continuing his exploration.

    He then again roamed around for some time before returning to the castle.

    Tonight is the banquet, and he, as the Young Master, should prepare properly. Not just him, but the old guys must also appear today.

    After wearing the ck suit and pants. He gazed into the mirror; he looked really handsome, much better than his father.

    Satisfied, he opened the vortex and entered the cultivation world.

    ------

    Just as he stepped out, an energetic shout immediately greeted him.

    "Young Master, haha, something great happened." Biggs'' boomingughter filled the air, making Luis smile with curiosity.

    "What is it? Did you finally be a cultivator?"

    Luis joked, looking at a man who had strands of ck hair full of white hair. Previously, he looked like a dying man; now at least he looks a little younger.

    "No, I''m still far from that, young master. But the good news is¡ªone of our knights has seeded with the Beast Taming Technique!"

    Luis raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. He hadn''t expected someone to master the technique so quickly.

    "Take me there."

    Biggs nodded and brought Luis to the wilderness outside the Anyu Town.

    They traveled deep into it before finally seeing a huge fortress.

    This was a fortress created in the past few months.With over 20,000 knights and their horses, it had been impractical to keep them stationed within the cities, so this military base had been established.

    They entered the fortress without issue and made their way to arge open training ground.

    "There he is, young master," Biggs said, pointing to a fierce-looking knight with scars etched across his face.

    "Nic, an official knight and cultivator. He''s the one who''s sessfully practiced the Beast Taming Technique."

    "Isn''t he Battle Maniac Nic? I didn''t expect him to be the first one." Luis was genuinely surprised seeing him.

    Without further dy, he approached Nic.

    "Ah! Young Master," Nic said, seeing Luis stop fighting with others and bow his head.

    "No need for formality. Tell me how you practiced the Beast Taming Technique."

    Nic nodded, closed his eyes, and opened it in an instant. After doing this, he looked in the north-east direction.

    "Harley, should being soon."

    Before Luis could ask another question, the sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed from the northeast. In surprise, he looked in the north-east direction.

    There, a horse was approaching rapidly. It was fast¡ªvery fast¡ªmuch faster than his cky. In an instant, it jumped the high fence and approached Nic.

    "Young Master. He is Harley, my partner. We both have been together since the beginning. I still remember our first meeting when I was a reserve knight."

    Nic began telling his backstory, their bond developed between the years, and finally, how he practiced the Beast Taming Technique.

    Luis listened to all of this. He didn''t expect the fierce battle maniac Nic, who is an executioner on the battlefield, to have such a gentle side.

    Through Nic Speech, he learned the prerequisites for learning this technique. You and your beast must have a little bond before you can tame the beast.

    However, Han Mo has said that if you are much stronger than the beast, you can forcefully tame it.

    "Tell me the new powers of Harley." Luis then questioned, looking at the majestic horse. A horse looked more powerful, his ck Unicorn.

 Chapter 91 Connected as One

    Nic jumped on Harvey instead of telling the abilities of Harley.

    "Young Master, our first ability is that we canmunicate within a 5-kilometer range." Nic said proudly, patting Harvey''s side.

    Harvey neighed, as if confirming Nic''s words.

    "In the range of around 50 kilometers, I can know his direction. So, there is no chance of kidnapping."

    Luis was a little surprised when he heard this. This ability was a bit simr to his map. It has been a long time since he looked at the Vortex Map.

    Currently, looking at it, there was the name of Harvey in it too. A spiritual creature connected to the vortex.

    "The second ability is strength. Since Harvey''s body absorbed the aura of this world through the cultivation method, his potential has skyrocketed. He''s now just like us¡ªstrong, and not just a regr horse anymore."

    To demonstrate, Nic urged Harvey to sprint at full speed. Harvey responded immediately, his hooves pounding the earth as he raced across the field.

    It was the fastest-running animal that Luis had ever seen.

    Just a normal horse transformed into such a huge potential thing. Luis couldn''t help but be excited thinking about how his cky would transform.

    In just a few seconds, Harley sprinted through the huge ground and arrived in front of Luis.

    "The most important thing after we both sessfully practiced the cultivation technique is connected as one."

    "Connected as One?" Luis asked curiously

    "I know about this, young master," Biggs chimed in, stepping forward. "This is the greatest advantage of Beast Tamer Cultivators."

    "When in this state, the spiritual qi of both the human and the beast merge together. They can harness twice the strength they normally would, and regr cultivators will find it hard topete."

    "If you don''t directly observe them and only sense their energy, you''ll only feel the presence of one entity instead of two."

    Curious, Luis closed his eyes and focused on Nic and Harvey. As Biggs said, he could only sense one unified energy.

    "Nic, don''t hold back; show your full strength." Luis looked at Nicole, who was showing off.

    Nic getting the instructions nodded. Harley sprinted at full speed, and Nic held him tightly. The energy from both of their bodies converged and formed a shield in front of them, which reduced the air resistance.

    After the air resistance was reduced, Harley ran at even faster speed, and only after image was left.

    Nic drew his sword and began to umte energy in his sword. In just an instant, he threw it.

    The result was as expected. Thebined power of Nic and Harley caused a loud boom and thend was split apart.

    After demonstrating, he returned to the side of Luis.

    "Impressive strength. If every knight in our ranks had this power, our enemies wouldn''t stand a bit of a chance."

    Luis couldn''t help but grin in excitement.

    "Nic, now that you''ve mastered this technique, I want you to guide the others. Within this month, I expect all the soldiers to be trained."

    "Understood, young master," Nic replied, bowing respectfully.

    Receiving the answer from Nic, Luis hurried back to the Anyu town with Biggs. He still hasn''t forgotten the banquet tonight.

    As they approached the town, Pipi flew out of Luis'' body, flying around joyfully.

    "Pipi Take care of yourself, Pipi. Don''t fly far away."

    Pipi flew in the direction of fields and yed in them.

    "Biggs, assign a Knight Cultivator to watch over her."

    "As you wish, young master,"

    ------

    Eventually, everyone was ready¡ªBiggs and the old guys, Arthur and his group, and even Li Xuan, who had been invited by Arthur.

    Luis opened the vortex, leading them all to the grand castle, where the party was just beginning.

    The moment they arrived, the event was already in full swing, and they entered inside without dy.

    Luis, however, didn''t mingle with them. He walked around the whole party hall, speaking friendly with all the people.

    The ones who could attend here are of high status in the barony. Some are directly appointed by Baron Felipe, and some are capable enough to have gained their status.

    He spoke with them without putting any airs of nobility. For doing this, he had a purpose. He was giving them ess to the vortex inside him.

    Time passed by, and everyone was slowly arriving. Luis then spoke with the new guests.

    Many were ttered to receive his attention, feeling honored to be spoken to by the young noble.

    Luis smiled to himself, satisfied with how the evening was unfolding. Almost all of them were loyal to the barony.

    However, when he was talking to the vige elder of Luton vige, his smile decreased a little. He quickly acted normal again and began talking with others.

    The first potential spy was marked.

    Then some more potential spies were not acknowledged by the Vortex.

    It''s not that those who are not recognized by Vortex are spies. Some of them might just be greedy for money. If they are not spies and still capable workers, they will be used in other ways.

    If they are really spies, then death cannot be avoided.

    Finally, his father and mother arrived at the party. His mother, Olivia, beamed as she entered, but when Luis caught sight of his father''s eyes, something didn''t feel right.

    It was as if he had some resentment toward him. He did nothing wrong. Why is Father showing that look?

    Apart from this matter, the whole thing was going in a harmonious way with no problems.

    Afterpleting his mission, he turned his attention to the various foods.

    In the matter of food, there is no need to shy away. The food of this kind of event must be eaten.

    Looking around, the people had wine ss in their talking with a smile as if this were the happiest day of their lives.

    Why don''t they look at the delicious food served to them?

    "Hey, the dance is about to start. Grab a partner and let''s go!" Arthur appeared by his side and said with a smile.

    "Go away. Stick with your girlfriend and stop bothering me." Luis said angrily.

    This is deliberately teasing him. Doesn''t he know that he does not have any girlfriends?

    "You should find a partner too. I have already found mine." Arthur said with a smile and slipped away.

    Luis didn''t pay him any attention and again focused on the food. That kid is showing off in front of him.

    As he ate, Luis nced around the room again. Most of the guests were now dancing¡ªArthur was with Li Xuan, John was with his partner, and even Xiao Wei was dancing with Sarah.

    He couldn''t figure out how Xiao Wei could get sopatible with Sarah. They just met for less than half a month.

    He got bored after watching for a while and approached towards his parents.

    "There are six people," Luis said, trying to ignore the piercing look of his father.

    "Enjoy the party for now. We''ll talk after it ends," Olivia said with a gentle smile.

    Luis nodded and stayed in the party with harmony.

    After a few more hours, the party eventually ended, the guests began leaving, and the hall became deserted.

    "Now tell me the names." Felipe was questioned as a dozen people wearing ck clothes appeared around him.

    "Vige Elder of Luton Vige, Large Iron Mine Manager Stace, Refiner Yutan, Knight Emerson, Wizard Herold, Wizard Yugan." Luis said, looking at those guards in ck clothing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Without any dy, he gave these people ess to Vortex.

    "Betrayals of those wizards in normal; I just didn''t expect knight Emerson to be hidden so deep." Felipe said with a deep look.

    "Search them, shadow guards." Receiving the orders, the shadow guards disappeared from the spots.

    After this, Felipe brought Luis to an open field behind the castle. There were many simr people with ck dresses staying.

    Luis again gave them ess to the vortex without any questioning.

    "These are the Shadow Guards. Over the years, their numbers have quietly grown to 1,200. They blend into ordinary life, hiding their true identities from everyone. Their duty? To watch over the barony, protecting it from the shadows."

    Felipe said proudly.

    "They could be anyone¡ªbusinessmen, vendors, even cleaners. These Shadow Guards have defended the barony against the God Cultists more times than you could count. And when needed, they''re skilled assassins."

    Luis looked at the group of elite guards, impressed by their strength.

    "All of them are loyal, father. Can you give me some? I want to train Shadow Guards in the other world," he asked, his tone slightly cheeky, but there was seriousness in his eyes.

    "You can take some of them. But remember, the culture is different over there. You''ll need to do research first. Research, research,"

    Felipe stressed, his voice sharp as he looked at Luis with a meaningful gaze. He waved for those shadow guards to disappear.

    "Wait¡ªwhat''s wrong?" Luis instinctively backed up a step as he noticed something off in his father''s expression.

    "I want normal people to live a good life. Mother, please teach me how to govern a territory."

    "What are you talking about, father?"

    "You acted distressed yesterday, didn''t you? Do you know how much conflict you caused between your mother and me? I had to beg her to let you enter the battlefield, and this is how you repay me."

    "What do you mean? What happened?"

    "You kid...." Felipe groaned, clearly irritated.

    And then, without warning, the brutal scolding began. Itsted for hours, with Felipe unleashing his frustrations in a steady, relentless stream of words.

    Luis was truly shocked; he didn''t expect his father to scold for hours. He didn''t say anything but just stood in silence.

    For now, all he could do was listen; he didn''t dare to interfere.

 Chapter 92 Spirit Body

    In the blink of an eye, a week passes by.

    Luis spent the whole time practicing and roaming around in the barony.

    The more he investigated, the more he realized the problem in this barony. No, this problem is not only of the barony but of the entire continent.

    The people of the barony have a very high literacy rate.

    There is nothing wrong. Literacy is a good thing, but what puzzled him is theck of deep thought.

    People read, learned the basics, and carried out their tasks, but they never seemed to question anything or explore beyond what they were told. There was no spark of creativity, no hunger for understanding the bigger picture.

    He then roamed around the library and got some information and a conclusion.

    With the answers, he went to talk with his mother and father.

    "I found something wrong." Luis said, looking deeply at his parents.

    "What is it?" Seeing the serious faces of Luis, Felipe, and Olivia also became serious. They have not seen Luis so serious.

    "We are being farmed by the Forgotten Continent Organization. The constant war¡ªeverything¡ªit finally makes sense now."

    Luis paused, letting his words sink in. His parents'' faces showed a flicker of confusion.

    "Exin more," Olivia said with interest.

    "I''ve spent the past week reading and observing everything in the barony. At first, I couldn''t quite put my finger on it, but then it hit me: can we nobles truly control our own fate?"

    Felipe frowned. "What do you mean?"

    "First problems: Can nobles really control their own fate?

    Although the nobles seem to have strong control over their territory, this sounds great, but it is just a mouthful. The Anyu kingdom still has strong control over the whole territory.

    Those nobles in the peaceful region have to pay a heavy taxation of 40%, and us in the battlefield region are constant meat fields.

    The battle creates strong men, and the chances of reaching the 4th stage are much higher on the battlefield. ording to the fragments of data I have collected through the history books, 7 out of 10 4th stage official knights emerge from the battlefield.

    Here is data one might overlook. 800 years ago, this Northern Wastnd was fully under the control of humans along with the undead. Then, the human nobles slowly lost ground, and the orcs took control. Now, again, humans are taking control.

    So, we nobles are constantly on rat race. Not just normal people, we nobles are also working very hard in order topete with others for money, power, status, etc."

    Luis said all this and gave one of the report books to his parents.

    Felipe and Olivia stared at Luis in shock, not knowing what to say. Luis insights really opened their minds, and the things he said are very reasonable.

    "So, are there other problems too?" Felipe questioned with an open eye. He kept the report book aside for now.

    Luis opened the other report book and began speaking.

    "Second issue: closed and open

    I would say this could be used to our advantage.

    Forgotten Continent Organization and Anyu Kingdom under it are afraid ofmunication, themunication and true integration of the world.

    The development of the world is extremely restricted; for example, you might have seen the blue goblins in the cultivation world.

    They were advancing much faster as they were the innovators. They could build automatic machines. The stagnation of technology was advanced by them.

    However, this deeply vited the stability of the Forgotten Continent Organization. They were eventually destroyed, with some of their technology remaining.

    If you seriously vite thew, you will be destroyed. If you can''t pay the tax, you won''t be protected and attacked by surrounding nobles.

    The root of maintaining this situation lies in the powerful strength of the Forgotten Continent Organization. It has such great strength.

    The only goal of organization is to break this barrier, and to do this they need absolute control."

    Luis said a lot in one breath, and his eyes became brighter and brighter.

    "Seclusion means backwardness, and backwardness means weakness. Weakness needs to be controlled and blood-sucked by stronger people. This is the purpose of the organization and the means to maintain its rule for thousands of years.

    It''s not that nobles are the good side; they are also exploiters, but there is a mountain above them that they might not realize.

    Now, our advantage is the cultivation world. Father, mother, we hope we don''t be closed and rely on the path of openness.

    Openness versus closure: openness wins. This is one of the ns I have written in this book."

    Luis finally stopped speaking and gave the report book in his hand to Olivia.

    "I have much more details written in it."

    Felipe couldn''t remain calm anymore; he stood up and paced around the room. Olivia also had a shocked face as she read through the report book.

    Finally, after a long time, she looked at Luis.

    "You have written; although people have high literacy, they don''t have deep thought. Does it apply to us nobles too?"

    "I cannot say this, but we should explore more. We have two worlds; we should learn from them."

    Olivia nodded, getting the answer from Luis. They nobles are nothing special either.

    Listening to all Luis''s words, Felipe couldn''t help but sigh with emotion. His son has much more mature thoughts than him.

    He doesn''t act like a 14 year old.

    Then they spoke for some more time, making mature ns. Their ns for next time are that they will fully focus on developing the cultivation world for the next period of time. Feeding the resources of that world to this world.

    ------

    In these 7 days, there was also another matter that shocked everyone.

    Xiao Wei became a Knight Cultivator and awakened a Fire Spirit body.

    ording to Han Mo, awakening a spirit body is so rare that it might be a ratio of one in a billion.

    Although this caused shock among everyone. The person who awakened this power was not happy at all.

    Since awakening Fire Spirit body Xiao Wei has been listless, and he has been silently crying.

    Luis wanted to know the reason and tried tofort Xiao Wei, but he didn''t know how tofort others, and it instead resulted in awkwardness.

    So, Sarah has been apanying Xiao Wei these days, and their rtionship seems to have be closer.

    Today, after Luis arrived at the cultivation world, Xiao Wei and Sarah confronted Luis.

    "Xiao Wei wants to tell you something?" Sarah said, looking at Luis.

    Luis didn''t say anything but turned his attention to Xiao Wei. His face was straight with no emotion showing in it.

    He slowly began narrating his story with sadness, irritation, and anger.

    Luis sighed, knowing the full story of Xiao Wei. Although this world seems to have a much higher ceiling, the environment is also extremely dangerous.

    Xiao Wei is from the Maind. A huge continent, which is far away from this Ten Thousand Star Continent.

    His story is actually very simple andmon; he is from a Nascent Soul family. But instead of the main family, he is from a branch family.

    The misfortune on Xiao Wei began when his father, a foundation building cultivator, was extremely lucky and found a 4th stage juxtae fruit.

    After his father brought the fruit, he presented it to the main family without hiding it. This 4th stage fruit is too potent and can only be used by a Nascent realm cultivator.

    Although he was rewarded greatly after submitting it, misfortunes soon followed.

    No one believed a foundation-building cultivator could find the 4th stage fruit. He must have found a secret realm with lots of treasure inside it.

    So, he was constantly questioned by the main family and even was spied upon. The life of the whole branch family became a mess.

    As time passed, slowly the members of the branch family died. Every day, many people were secretly assassinated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Consumed by fury, Xiao Wei''s father went to confront the main family. He never returned.

    That night, Xiao Wei''s mother ordered him and his elder sister to flee, along with others who managed to escape in different directions.

    Xiao Wei, a 7-year-old kid, ran away from his home, but this is dangerous cultivation; there is danger everywhere. They were constantly attacked by many wandering cultivators.

    During one of these attacks, Xiao Wei''s sister was gravely injured. Despite her worsening condition, she held on long enough to bring Xiao Wei to a distant, safer ce.

    After arriving here, she sealed his memory and began to teach him how to live a normal life. He didn''t have a spiritual root to cultivate and was taught to be cunning by her.

    At the age of ten, Xiao Wei lost his sister. She sumbed to her injuries, leaving him truly alone.

    Although the memory was sealed, he still remembered some little information through the nightmares.

    Now that he has be a cultivator, the memory is fully unlocked. The weight of his past and the faces of those lost havee flooding back, along with a burning desire for revenge.

    "I will definitely kill them and avenge everyone." Xiao Wei said with hatred.

    Currently, his hand was covered in mes.

    "You are not alone; we are all with you. We will fight alongside you." Sarah patted Xiao Wei with some worry.

    ''Nascent Soul realm cultivators... How strong are they? Definitely stronger than 9th stage... Could they be as powerful as a god? Or even a god?''

    Luis, watching the exchange in silence, felt the weight of Xiao Wei''s words sink in.

    At this moment, Pipi flew in his direction and roamed around him with excitement.

    "Pi Pi"

 Chapter 93 Almighty Pipi

    Luis smiled as Pipi circled above him.

    "Pi Pi Pi"

    "What''s she saying?" Sarah asked, looking at Luis with curiosity.

    "She says there''s a surprise for us," Luis replied, his eyes narrowing with interest. He turned to Xiao Wei and Sarah.

    "Let''s follow her. She''s been working with Han Mo recently. This could be something important."

    The two people nodded and followed behind Luis and Pipi. They wanted to see what it was.

    In just a few moments they reached towards the field. There Han Mo and his favorite apprentice Lucas were squatting on the ground with shock evident on their faces.

    Pipi was on the palm of Luis, pointing her hand towards the field.

    "Boss, you are here. Pipi turned this normal field into a spiritual field." Han Mo hurriedly stood up and brought a handful of soil with him.

    "This is a low-level spiritual field that can speed up the growth of nts in it by 10 times.

    By sowing different spiritual seeds on the spiritual fields, we can produce high-quality spiritual rice, spiritual fruits, and various spiritual foods."

    Han Mo said, ying with the soil in his hand.

    Luis squinted down and yed with the soil.

    "This is just like normal fairies in our world who can cultivate nts 10 times faster. You are great, Pipi."

    "Pi Pi Piii!"

    Pipi eximed excitedly, flying up and gesturing towards the center of the field.

    Luis watched as she flew around the sunflower and moonflower, which are native nts of Fantasy World. He couldn''t help but wonder what Pipi was going to do.

    In his sight, rays of light began to emerge from her body and fell on the spiritual field, enveloping everything in sight.

    In just a few moments, she withdrew the ray of light into her body.

    Luis, who was watching all of this intently, felt the changes.

    The sunflower, which was facing in the direction, began to throw out energy. Luis didn''t know what it was, but the experts in sight, Han Mo and Xiao Wei, were petrified.

    "This... this isn''t possible!" Han Mo eximed, his voice shaky with disbelief. He stared at the sunflower as if it were a miracle.

    "That''s spiritual energy," Xiao Wei said, his eyes wide. "A strong concentration of it. But how? There''s no spiritual vein here!"

    "Exactly! Spiritual energy like this can onlye from a spiritual vein. Pipi must have done something extraordinary." Han Mo hurriedly followed the words of Xiao Wei.

    Under the sights of everyone, Luis walked near the sunflower. Pipi was flying around it.

    "Pipi, can you exin?" What this is?" Luis took out a notebook and pen to record the information of Pipi.

    "Pi Pi," Pipi nodded vigorously and flew around every flower, exining them carefully.

    Luis sighed after recording the information. Pipi really gave him a huge surprise. He held Pipi in his palm and patted her.

    "Great Pipi, I always knew you were the best."

    While praising her, he tossed the notebook to Xiao Wei.

    Xiao Wei hurriedly opened the book and looked at the texts. The others peeked, squeezed, and peeked at the book too.

    [

    Spiritual flowers and nts

    Name: Spiritual Sunflowern/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Characteristics: Sunlight

    Sunlight: absorbs the power of sunlight and transforms it into spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

    Name: Spiritual Moonflower

    Characteristics: Moonlight

    Moonlight: absorbs the power of moonlight and transforms it into spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

    Name: Spiritual Moss

    Characteristics: Istion

    Istion: Iste the spread of spiritual energy. When multiple nts with the Absolute Spirit characteristic grow together, they can form an Absolute Spirit formation, which blocks all spiritual energy within the range.

    ]

    "This---" Han Mo couldn''t describe his mood right now seeing the information.

    A spiritual nt could produce spiritual energy. The rare spiritual energy that is only produced by a spiritual vein is produced by a flower. If this is known by those cultivators, it will cause a blood bath.

    The cultivation resources are very scarce, and Spiritual Vein is even more scarce. The cultivators fight to grab resources; if there is arge supply of flowers, strong cultivators can be produced in batches.

    "This must be hidden, boss. No one can be trusted except for those approved by the vortex." Xiao Wei looked at Luis, who was ying with Pipi.

    "If the news about this thing is spread out, the consequences will be very bad." Xiao Wei said angrily, obviously remembering about his past.

    "Don''t worry. In terms of cautiousness, I am at the forefront. If the n is not foolproof, will not implement it."

    As they spoke, the sunflower was still producing spiritual energy continuously. Not just one, but there were 15 sunflowers.

    In just a quarter of an hour, the air was thick with spiritual energy.

    Luis, Sarah, and Lucas were ignorant and didn''t think much of it, but Han Mo and Xiao Wei had faces full of ecstasy.

    "Boss, The spiritual energy released by these 15 moonlight spiritual herbs is almost the same as a first-level spiritual vein.

    If the moonflower has the same efficiency, then it is equivalent to staying in a 1st level spiritual vein."

    Luis had no idea about the division of the spiritual vein, but he could feel the air was filled with dense spiritual energy.

    He only felt that he was absorbing spiritual energy with every breath.

    "No wonder master was dissatisfied that there were no spiritual veins here. With this concentration of spiritual energy, I can feel my practice speed increase by a lot."

    Lucas took a deep breath, absorbing a lot of air. However, the next moment he was lightly smacked by Han Mo.

    "There are some things you must not say. I was not dissatisfied, just a little annoyed."

    "Sorry, master," Lucas hurriedly apologized.

    As the 4 people were talking amongst each other, Luis disappeared from the spot and reappeared again.

    He began to write down in the diary again. He has many people at hismand, and recording information and circting it is much better than reporting through mouth.

    [Although the spiritual energy is produced after some time, it travels far away and dissipates into thin air.] Need to think of a solution.

    Has an effective range of 500 meters.

    "Lucas, Han Mo. Carefully take away this spiritual sunflower. I want to test something.

    Xiao Wei, Sarah, you need to take away the Spiritual Moss."

    Everyone began to follow the order without any questioning. Living with Luis, they know these characteristics; he will not do something meaningless.

    They carefully uprooted the sunflower along with its root. As for Moss, they just picked it up.

    To safeguard it, they hurried towards the Sirius Gang.

    After arriving here, they hurried towards Luis courtyard. In the way, he met many people who also followed behind. ording to his instruction, they had wood and nails in their hands.

    Here, Han Mo carefully rented the sunflower. Others created walls surrounding the sunflower and created an airtight room to not dissipate the spiritual energy.

    "Xiao Wei spread the spiritual moss around the wall."

    Xiao Wei nodded and crushed a magic stone into the spiritual moss. In his sight, it grew bigger and bigger. Without wasting any time, he pasted it into the wall.

    "Wait, there is no sunlight here. How will it do photosynthesis and produce spiritual energy?" After everything was ready, a problem came to his mind.

    However, this was quickly extinguished as the spiritual sunflower began to produce spiritual energy.

    [No need for direct sunlight. It can produce spiritual energy as long as it is daytime. Same might apply for Moonflower.]

    New information was inputted in the notebook. This was just rough data. He will distribute this information after everything is confirmed.

    After the moss was spread on the wall. The spiritual energy was firmly locked in the airtight space.

    "It''s not dissipating outside. If this spiritual energy is not used, the concentration here might reach the same as 2nd level spiritual Vein." Han Mo said, feeling the energy,

    "This Spiritual Moss is also a miracle."

    In this 300-meter room, many people were gathered as they were taking deep breath. Most of the produced spiritual energy was sucked by them.

    "Everyone, go outside. This kind of room will be created for you all to practice."

    Hearing Luis, everyone reluctantly walked outside. Living in the spiritual energy is veryfortable.

    After everyone left, the only ones left in the room were Luis and Pipi.

    "Pipi, you created such spiritual nts; are you not tired?" Luis curiously looked at Pipi, who was still very energetic.

    "Pi Pi Pi... Pi Pi"

    She began to tell Luis everything, and Luis hurriedly noted it down in the notebook.

    [She is not using her own energy but using energy from a magic stone and injecting it into the fully grown flowers.

    10 magic stones is equivalent to one such spiritual nt. The degree may vary, but she can create a lot of spiritual moss from just one magic stone.

    If magic stone is changed to spiritual stone, two low-level spiritual stones can create one such spiritual nt.

    The ratio between magic stone and low-level spiritual stone is 1:5.]

 Chapter 94 Demon Cultivators

    However, Pipi had her limits. She couldn''t convert flowers endlessly. After continuously absorbing magic or spiritual stones, she would be exhausted and need rest.

    In a single day, she could convert a maximum of 100 flowers¡ª50 spiritual sunflowers and 50 spiritual moonflowers. Moss, on the other hand, could grow automatically once a magic stone was crushed into it.

    After that, he created a proper report and spread it to his subordinates through the magic paper. Yes, he has created a magic paper and magic wall in this world.

    Through this spread of information, it became really fast.

    His forces had prated deep into the kingdom, and the influence of the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce had even begun to extend into the two neighboring kingdoms.

    "If several thousand square kilometers, or a million acres ofnd, were all developed into spiritual fields, the resources produced would definitely be enough for all of my army to cultivate."

    Luis muttered as his lips curled up. If Pipi worked alone, she would probably be exhausted to death.

    "Pipi, how would you feel about making some friends like you?"

    Luis asked, looking down at her with a thoughtful smile.

    "Pi Pi!" Pipi clenched her tiny fist, pouting at Luis and saying she didn''t want to be reced.

    "Hahaha, don''t worry, you will be my favorite, and every new fairy will be your little brothers and sisters."

    Luisughed; he now needs to talk with his father and mother and request to get more fairies for the territories.

    Fairies are rare, and he has no such great luck to find them.

    There is a rumor that the elves of the evergreen forest have a lot of fairies; maybe his parents can get some.

    He again took out a magic paper and sent it to the magic wall. The message will be forwarded to his father.

    He would need the Hartmann family''s full support to expand their spiritual fields further.

    The next day, Pipi worked tirelessly, creating more than 175 spiritual flowers, and it was used to create 6 spiritual energy houses.

    Through the daily output of pipi, only 3 spiritual energy houses can be created.

    The umted spiritual energy in the room was getting higher and higher.

    ----

    However, at this moment in another kingdom, his knights encountered a special situation.

    The group that was currently in a special situation was the same group that found the old cultivator Han Mo.

    Alex was leading a caravan and heading towards another kingdom to trade goods. His strength this time was already a Knight cultivator in the realm of early stage qi refining.

    He was leading a team of 100 along with him through the dense forest.

    They encountered some beasts along the way, but with the help of his spiritual sense in the Qi Refining Period, he discovered them in advance and eliminated them first.

    Without any dy, they arrived at the surrounding kingdom.

    Everything was normal at first, and they sold their goods normally. There were some insignificant nobles and martial arts families trying to cause trouble, but it was not worth mentioning.

    However, when Alex was in one of the towns trading, he felt chills and instincts that greatly warned him.

    At the entrance of the town, four men walked with confidence. Their presence radiated malice, causing the townspeople to back away in fear.

    The two of them strolled to themercial street with the most traffic.

    They had evil spirits all over their bodies, which caused everyone to be afraid and maintain distance from them.

    "Who are they? I am getting goosebumps staying near them."

    "Are they grandmaster realm experts?"

    As many people were gathering far away and gossiping.

    Some of the smarter townspeople quietly slipped away, sensing something was off.

    Meanwhile, the knights from the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce discreetly abandoned their caravans and slipped into nearby houses, suppressing their auras and subduing the homeowners to hide and observe the situation.

    Alex also looked at the situation cautiously. These people were weird; their aura was too malicious.

    Suddenly, four people took out banners and raised them.

    "Blood Soul Technique!" x4

    Spiritual energy surged from them, and dark clouds poured out from the banner, drawing gasps of shock from everyone around.

    Evil ck ghosts began to crawl out of the banner one after another, leaping toward the frightened passersby.

    In an instant, hundreds of these evil spirits surrounded the four people, and the peaceful town turned into a scene of horror, as though it had be a living nightmare.

    "Ahhhhhh!"

    "Don''t kill me! Don''t kill me!"

    "Ghost! Run"

    The townspeople cried and watched the evil spirits snatch away their rtives and friends, but they were helpless. They wanted to run away, but their legs and feet could not move at all. Instead, they were pulled towards the soul g by a suction force.

    Despair and panic instantly enveloped the entire town.

    Even people far away in the town could feel the ominous presence in this section of the town.

    "What kind of evil is this?" At this moment, a deep, powerful voice boomed from the distance.

    The man channeled his qi in his hands and punched towards the surrounding evil spirits.

    "Righteousness Punch!"

    The strong man punched many times, killing several evil ghost souls around him.

    Alex looked at this and hurriedly walked out of the house. Seeing this, 5 more knights walked out of the house. It seems the ghost could be killed through the qi and different energies.

    Others were observing and will join the battle if necessary.

    The righteous innate realm martial artist brought a glimmer of hope to the desperate people in the entire town.

    "Haha~ I''m really surprised that there is an innate master in such a small town. I wonder what it would feel like if your souls entered my soul-summoning banner~ hehe~"

    A fat demon cultivatorughed looking at the innate master not taking him seriously.

    "It doesn''t feel good, because once you enter the Soul Banner, you will lose yourself and have no perception. Otherwise, your Soul Banner would have been snatched away by the rebellious souls long ago."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The thin demon cultivator looked indifferent and said,.

    The fat demon cultivator had a dark face when he heard this: "I need you to teach me."

    "Die! You evil ghosts." The righteous innate master was still rushing deep towards the evil spirits.

    "This guy has a problem with his brain and can''t see the situation. I will ept his soul." At this moment, the leader of the demon cultivator looked at the brave innate master.

    He had a thin face with high cheek bones. He looked really scary, with no emotions evident in his face.

    However, just a momentter, he looked behind the innate master. Six more strong people were running towards him, Qi attached to their sword.

    "It seems there will be a good harvest."

    "Haha~"

    "hehe~"

    "Foolish, Martial Artist."

    The 3 demon cultivators looked at the people rushing towards the array of ghosts and were extremely happy. No matter how many martial artistse, they are just a delicious meal for their soul banner.

    Although it is often said that an Innate master canpete with an early-stage Qi refining cultivator and a Grandmaster realm martial artist can rival a mid-stage Qi refining cultivator, this only holds true in closebat.

    In reality, cultivators are far superior to martial artists in many aspects. Their techniques, spiritual abilities, and various methods go beyond mere physical prowess.

    A skilled cultivator could eliminate a martial artist without them even realizing how they died. The difference lies not just in strength but in the vast array of mystical means that cultivators possess, rendering martial techniques crude byparison.

    "One of them is an early-stage Qi refining cultivator." The leader demon cultivator reminded and looked at Alex.

    "It seems there are immortal resources here. I didn''t expect the harvest to be so great on this ind."

    However, as they were talking and already counting their harvest, Alex already rushed towards the evil spirits.

    He ignored them and rushed towards the 4 demon cultivators.

    If he fights these, then he will only be exhausted by the unknown means of the enemy. He will directly take the head of the general.

    He dispersed the evil spirits through his sword energy and headed directly towards the ememy.

    "Hehe."

    The leader took out a bag and opened it. From inside, a wolf came out; it had bloodthirsty eyes as it looked around.

    "Go, kill that man." The leader was a demon cultivator and ordered the bloodthirsty wolf.

    The wolf receiving the instruction howled and rushed towards Alex.

    Alex, seeing the approaching wolf, avoided narrowly and rushed towards the demon cultivators. Looking at the 4 people, they have different means and must have many lifesaving means.

    He is confident that nothing will happen to his life, but he is afraid that these 4 might find something wrong and escape before he catches them.

    He doesn''t need to do any questioning; the wizards in the territory are not vegetarians. They could extract every detail from a corpse''s memory if the brain remained intact.

    If we can keep their bodies, everything about them will be known.

    As long as he could keep their bodies, everything about them¡ªtheir ns, alliances, and secrets¡ªwould beid bare for the wizards to uncover.

 Chapter 95 Weird Methods

    However, both sides clearly underestimated each other.

    The demon cultivators had made a crucial mistake by allowing Alex to get close, while Alex''s error was rushing in without fully understanding their powers or techniques.

    Neither side knew the extent of the other''s capabilities.

    After narrowly dodging the bloodthirsty wolf, which had the strength of an early-stage Qi refining beast, Alex decided to show some of his true abilities.

    In a sh, he vanished from sight, reappearing right in front of the closest demon cultivator.

    "What!---" The demon cultivator was startled, but he quickly responded and backed away.

    Alex didn''t stop and started pursuing the demon cultivator.

    Meanwhile, the leader, the fat cultivator, and the thin one watched the battle.

    "He is fast."

    "A physical cultivator," the fat one scoffed. "Who still focuses on body cultivation?"

    "You are fat; maybe you should be a physical cultivator. You will be much strongerpared to now."

    "Courting death, don''t give stupid answers."

    "Hahahaha, don''t ask such silly questions then. Don''t you see he is using a sword? He is obviously a sword practitioner."

    The three demon cultivators still had the mood to joke with each other and didn''t take Alex seriously.

    However, they quickly became serious as they saw Alex had the upper hand in the battle. He was constantly pushing the demon cultivator outside of their range.

    The leader demon cultivator took out a talisman and threw it towards Alex.

    ''Huh? A piece of paper?'' Alex caught sight of the talisman from the corner of his eye, momentarily puzzled.

    As it neared him, the talisman turned to ash, instantly forming a zing fireball that streaked toward him. With a deafening explosion, the fireball detonated, casting up a whirlwind of dust and debris.

    "Hehe ~ He doesn''t have any brains. After noticing the talisman, he didn''t even dodge."

    A split secondter, both Alex and the demon cultivator he''d been targeting shouted in agony. .

    Just a few momentster, the dust storm dissipated and the scene became clear.

    Whether it was demon cultivators, knights, or the righteous innate master. They gasped when they saw the scene.

    The demon cultivator was split into two sections, and the armor of Alex was broken, and his skin was scalded with blood constantly dripping from it.

    The Leader Demon Cultivator frowned and quickly threw another two talismans.

    "That paper is really scary. Don''t think that it will work twice on me," Alex growled, swiftly dodging the approaching talismans.

    He umted his energy into his sword and threw it towards the three demon cultivators.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "What! How could he die so quickly?"

    "Trash!"

    Without hesitation, the remaining demon cultivators retreated, realizing they couldn''t risk engaging Alex at close range. They weren''t about to let a strong physical cultivator draw them into his deadly reach.

    At this moment, the bloodthirsty wolf neared Alex and was going to bite him with his sharp fangs.

    "Hmph! Everyone out, stay in formation, kill these ghosts."

    As Alex shouted, more than 50 knights rushed out of the houses. As for the remaining, of course they were assessing the situation.

    Alex caught the wolf from its fang and rotated it once and flung it towards his knight. They will subdue it. This kind of strong beast must be kept and experimented with by the wizards.

    Alex, after that, threw sword energies in the direction of three cultivators.

    More than 50 knights were also bombarding the evil spirits.

    "Hehe~ So many high-quality souls."

    The leader demon cultivator sneered, eyeing the knights now surrounding him. With a smug grin, he reached into his bag and summoned another group of Bloodthirsty Wolf.

    Alex''s confidence, which had risen a little, faded again. He seriously looked at the bag, which could hold so many animals.

    This cultivator has so many means, not like that old Han Mo.

    "Let''s negotiate; we have a lot of spiritual resources. I am not alone; there is a force behind me. You will definitely be hunted down."

    "After killing my people, you think you''ll walk away unscathed? I''ll have every one of your souls."

    With a twisted smile, he waved his soul banner, joined by the other cultivators who followed suit. Instantly, the evil spirits abandoned the knights and swarmed toward Alex.

    Alex frowned and looked at the rushing evil spirits. If he wanted, he could escape; however, he wanted to see their tricks. He has enough confidence in himself.

    With fine control, he covered his whole body with the Spiritual Vortex Qi for defense.

    The evil spirits engulfed him in seconds, surrounding him in a cloud of dark energy. The demon cultivators watched, their sneers widening.

    "Still a fool, didn''t even try to run."

    "If there were not so many high-quality souls to feed here. This method would be a loss."

    And then¡ªBoom! Boom!¡ªa cascade of explosions erupted from the evil spirits as they detonated around Alex, forming a vortex of destruction.

    "Oh! No. Die you monster."

    The righteous innate master watched all this shock. He punched the bloodthirsty wolf that was in front of him.

    The demon cultivator also turned their attention towards the knights; however, what they didn''t notice is that the knights didn''t have any fear in their faces.

    "Ahhhh!" When their attention was on the knights, one of the demon cultivators heads was directly separated from his body.

    Leader Demon Cultivator watched all of this with horror. All he saw was a shadow, and the head of Fatty was directly separated.

    He kicked Thin Cultivator towards the direction of Dead Fatty and backed away.

    While doing all of this, he took out all the talisman and was to throw it towards Alex.

    "Don''t waste that paper. It''ll be useful for us," a voice sounded from directly behind him.

    The leader demon cultivator broke out in a cold sweat when hearing this.

    He slowly turned and looked at Alex, who was covered in blood with wounds visible in every part of his body.

    "Wait! Fellow Daoist. I am Li Min. We can talk; is the previous offer still avable?"

    "Ahh, it would''ve been better if you agreed earlier. That explosion was really something."

    Alex smiled and walked staggeringly towards Li Min.

    A glint of calction shed in Li Min''s eyes as he realized the extent of Alex''s injuries.

    In an instant, he threw a talisman in the direction of Alex.

    "Sigh! There is obviously a chance to cooperate. Why are you seeking death?"

    But, with a swift motion, Alex vanished, reappearing behind Li Min just as the demon leader''s head separated from his shoulders.

    Li Min''s eyes were wide as he died. He still didn''t know how such an injured man could move so fast.

    "Now! What is your decision?"

    Alex turned his attention towards the Thin Demon Cultivator who was kneeling down. His body was healing extremely quickly, and his body became normal as if he never suffered any injuries.

    "Sir! I... I don''t dare resist." The cultivator widened his eyes.

    "Name?"

    "Ah... Ah Yan."

    "Age?"

    "Twenty-four."

    "..."

    "..."

    As Alex was questioning, the knights cleaned up the environment. The Bloodthirst wolf was subdued and chained up. There were a total of 12 of them.

    Smith, deputy of Alex, was talking with the righteous innate master.

    He got information about him.

    The name of the innate master is Zhang Wei. He is not from this ind but from another big ind far from here.

    He belongs to a mortal force called Martial Arts Pavilion. It is the biggest mortal force in this region, which spans many inds.

    This is a very righteous organization and only epts members who value friendship, righteousness, and have high talent.

    This organization, Martial Arts Pavilion, has a lot of Martial Arts techniques stored, and it is said there are thousands of Martial Arts techniques.

    Zhang Wei had bright eyes as he looked at many knights. He could feel they were extremely strong martial artists in the realm of Innate and even grandmasters.

    He suggested they join the Martial Arts pavilion but was rejected directly.

    Under the insistence of Zhang Wei, Smith agreed that Zhang Wei could follow them. This guy can provide them with better martial arts technique.

    The townspeople also cautiously walked out of their homes and arrived at this area. They were pointing and whispering, looking at them.

    They looked at the destruction caused by the explosion with shock.

    Many people came forward and thanked them. They bought all the novel items from the caravan. If it weren''t for this caravan, their whole town would be dead.

    After everything was settled and all the bodies of the dead demon cultivator were retrieved, they headed outside.

    Alex took out a magic paper and wrote the message on it.

    ------

    [

    Urgent Message

    Level: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï

    Encounter with Demonic Cultivators

    Number: 4

    Casualties: No

    3 dead bodies and 1 subdued.

    12 Blood Thirsty Wolf

    .....

    ]

    Luis was in front of the magic wall, looking at the disyed message. He was not alone; there were many knights surrounding him also reading the report.

    "Demon Cultivators, Martial Arts Pavilion... These new forces from the outside arrived on this ind." Luis narrowed his eyes as he digested the information.

    After Alex arrives in Anyu Town, the n might have to change.

 Chapter 96 Great-Uncle

    A week passed by since the incident and the bodies and the alive demon cultivator were quickly retrieved into the Anyu Town.

    Currently, Wizards were retrieving the memory from the dead bodies.

    While all this was happening Luis looked at the book which hepiled about Wizards.

    Wizards are actually the true master of fantasy world who share it along with the gods.

    There are many branches of wizards but Luis afterpiling have divided them into two main Branches.

    Luis organized the scattered branches of wizardry into two main ssifications:

    1. Mages:

    Thergest branch, Mages channel mana within themselves to control diverse elements.

    Each type specializes uniquely, with variations like Ice Mage, Fire Mage, Undead Mages, Life Mages, Spiritual Mages, and many more.

    Usually one mage focuses only on one type of element but there are mages who excel on multiple magics.

    They tap directly into elemental forces, making their magic versatile and widely practiced.

    2. Pure Wizards (or simply Wizards):

    A rarer, highly specialized branch, Pure Wizards reject internal mana, viewing it as an impure force.

    Instead, they fortify their Sea of Consciousness, the spiritual area where memories and intentions reside, to ess a profound, more refined power.

    They believe the body and even the soul are secondary to a strengthened mind where memory is stored, giving them many unique capabilities.

    They were the original creators of Orcs, creating them tobat the forces of the abyss.

    Pure Wizards have almost vanished on this continent, with very few remaining.

    Most reside in the secluded Arcane City, though some remain scattered across thend.

    Known for their inventive genius, Pure Wizards are renowned for creating artifacts and tools that astound all who witness their work.

    -------

    Luis doesn''t care much about these branches of Wizards. At the age of 10, when he checked his qualification he didnt have the talent to be a Wizard.

    As, he had his own cheat he was not depressed. However, he didnt expect it took him almost 4 years to activate his cheat.

    Now, everything is going in right direction.

    He is going to meet his Great-Uncle Levi.

    Levi is the little brother of his grandmother. When his grandmother left with his grandfather, the little boy followed along with his grandmother.

    The little boy who followed his grandmother now could be considered as a Old Man.

    It was because of his Great-Uncle that there is still a little connection between Hartmann Family and Duke Family.

    "Great Uncle, What is the result?" Luis looked at Levi who was sorting out the papers.

    "Just look at it yourself" Levi didnt even look at Luis and gave the papers to Luis.

    It was not given physically, rather the papers floated towards him.

    Luis didnt try to talk any further, the personality of Great-Uncle is Like this. He gazed through the papers rapidly.

    The names of four cultivators are Li Min, Ah Yan, Ku Man, Xu Man. Among the four only Ah Yan is alive with others being killed by Alex.

    ording to the extracted memory, These four demon cultivators are the infamous Evil Spirits gang.

    They cause robbery and murder wherever they go.

    Their strength is at the middle stage of Qi Refining and the leader being at Late stage of Qi Refining.

    With their strength they have hunted down many Qi Refining Cultivators, Martial Arts Masters and turned them into evil spirits.

    They have their own small base in a small ind. Although the ind doesn''t have any spiritual Veins, it has many spiritual eyes which can provide just enough spiritual energy for Qi Cultivators to practice.

    This time they arrived in this ind because they were hunted down by Xuanshi Sect. After arriving in this ind they hoped to hide for a while before doing their usual business but they didnt expect to meet perverted Alex who didnt die even when the evil spirits exploded.

    "What about that Ah Yan? Where is he?"

    "Oh! He is dead" Levi gave another stack of paper to Luis.

    Luis looked at Levi for a moment before looking back at the paper.

    "There is no need for him to live. He hasmitted great crimes" Levi said as he closed his eyes.

    Luis read through the paper.

    Ah Yan was actually not a demon cultivator from the beginning. He was the son of a casual cultivator.

    One day, on the market his father was murdered because he had precious item on his body.

    Ah Yan was despairing when he was approached by a group of demon cultivator and given the Practice method of Demon Cultivation.

    Soul Refining Art

    He practiced this created a Soul Banner and formed group with other demon cultivator. He began stronger and began to kill other cultivators for revenge.

    He eventually became what caused his life to be what it is now. He destroyed many families like how his father was killed.

    After he finished reading he looked at Levi waiting for any further speech.

    "You cane at meeting tomorrow. You are too cautious, still thinking about staying in this small ind for another year. People your age should be more bold."

    Luis lowered his head when he heard this. Great-Uncle is good in everything but is very oppressive much oppressive than his mother.

    "You can go back now, tomorrow think tanks of the territory will make some decisions."

    Luis didnt say anything and backed off. Some of the n will be need to changed tomorrow.

    He didnt stay in this cultivation world but travelled to fantasy world.

    -----

    "cky, go"

    cky his ck unicorn receiving the order neighed and took off into the sky.

    Yes, after sessful practice of Beast Taming Technique, cky grew a wing in his body and his body grew in height and width.

    The speed of the flight was also much faster than the flying boat.

    He wasn''t flying without a goal. He was flying towards a direction looking at the map in the vortex which showed, Felipe and Olivia.

    Yes, just his mother and father. They had enough strength and the flying Boat could only hold two people.

    The map indicated that they were in the forest near the Barony.

    Luis knew they were negotiating with the elves. He wanted to see the rumored beauty of the elves.

    In his 14 years of life, he has never seen one.

    Luis with the speed of cky arrived towards the ce in just 2 hours. This was much faster if it was horse, it would take at least 2-3 days.

    Afternding, he sent cky to the Cultivation World and slowly walked towards the name icons.

    However, after walking for a few hundred meters a arrownded on feet.

    "Hello! It is rude. Don''t do it nest time"

    Luis called out but didnt receive any answers. He waited for a while before walking forward again.

    This time another Arrownded on the ground just avoiding his feet by centimeters.

    -----

    At this time, in the jungle an elf girl was aiming towards Luis and warning him not toe forward. This few times was a warning, if he stilles forward she will attack his Body.

    However, as she was aiming the arrow. The target disappeared from her sight.

    Startled, the elf nced around, heart pounding as she searched the shadows. Her keen senses, usually so reliable, failed to track his movement. The leaves rustled softly, and then¡ªa chill ran down her spine.

    She sensed his presence close behind her.

    -----

    Luis after the second arrow shot sensed her location and approached her swiftly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He appeared behind her back and watched her closely. She didnt have much hostility when attacking so he also didnt attack but just approached behind her.

    The elf had a slender frame, graceful and poised. Silky, silver hair flowed down her back, and her ears were slightly pointed.

    Just seeing her back he could figure why elves were called beaty of the continent.

    "Hello! I am Luis Hartmann"

    Luis greeted the elf. After hearing the surname Hartmann, the ears of the elf twitched a little and she turned. She had beautiful green eyes.

    "Luis Hartmann, are you the son of Felipe Hartmann."

    Luis nodded to the inquiry

    "I am Alivia Moonshadow. It is an honor to meet you, Luis. Word of your bravery on the battlefield has reached even our forests,"

    Alivia pressed her right hand over her heart and gave a slight bow, her gaze steady and respectful.

    "You are much stronger than reported in the battlefield."

    Luis smiled when he heard Alivia. He didnt expect his reputation to be so high that even the elves heard it but his might also be good words said by Alivia to praise him.

    "Father..."

    "They are together with my sister negotiating. I just don''t know what you can exchange for our fairies."

    "Hehe~ It is precious thing that even your elves have never seen." Luis didnt answer directly but kept Alivia in anticipation

    Alivia pouted when she heard this. What could there be in this continent that their elves have not seen.

    (end of chapter)

    [send gift]

 Chapter 97 Good Progress

    He spoke to Alivia for some more time.

    His parents are inside the hut, which was in the distance, and are negotiating currently with the elder sister of Alivia.

    These elves are not the natives of this ce but just a branch from the western part of the continent.

    Although he had read a lot of information about the Life Tree of Elves. He still curiously asked her.

    Alivia proudly told the tales about the life tree.

    The Life Tree of the Elves was a massive, ancient tree that towered over the entire settlement. Its trunk was thick and sturdy, with bark that seemed to glow faintly in soft green hues.

    Wide, graceful branches stretched outward, covered with vibrant green leaves that sparkled under the sunlight. At night, the tree gave off a gentle light, casting a warm,forting glow over the entire Elf Territory.

    For the elves, this tree was sacred. It nourished thend, helping nts grow stronger and healthier.

    However, this life tree was just a branch of the world tree, and the elves of this continent are also just a branch of the pure elves, which reside under the world tree.

    ''The Life Tree... so powerful. If only I could bring something like that to the cultivation world. It might mutate just like Pipi,''

    Luis thought with relish, listening to mystical stories from Alivia.

    The diplomatic rtionship with elves should be deeper so that they could give a branch of Life Tree willingly.

    Luis, looking at the excited Alivia, couldn''t help but shake his head. Elves are the long-lived species, and they also take a long time to grow. Physically, they can grow normally, but they have a slightly naive mentality.

    Just look at this Alivia, who is getting too excited to tell about her hometown and history.

    Luis''s musings were interrupted by the voice of his father, calling out from the direction of the hut.

    "Luis! Over here."

    Luis looked in the direction and nodded. The two elves and his parents wereing out of a hut.

    Luis recognized the two elves as Alivia''s elder sisters, ra and Selene. Both wore expressions of satisfaction, speaking to each other in low, excited voices as they walked beside his parents. From the look on everyone''s faces, it was clear¡ªthe deal had been made.

    The thing they were going to exchange for the fairies is the spiritual field. This thing is totally unique to the cultivation world and can grow things at 10 times the speed.

    Luis approached his parents and looked at the two of them curiously.

    However, the two elves ignored him.

    "Dear Olivia, we''ll meet here again in a week to finalize everything. I''ll need to inform the elder and prepare everything." Selene said to Olivia with a little bow.

    Olivia smiled and nodded at them.

    "We will take our leave then."

    With this said, the elves took their leave.

    "Wait, sister, you agreed?" Alivia questioned curiously.

    "Yes...."

    Before Long, ra, Alivia, and Selene exchanged quick words in their elfnguage, their excitement clear in their animated gestures and bright smiles.

    As they prepared to depart, Alivia shot Luis onest smile, her joy as clear as the sparkle in her eyes.

    -----

    Luis watched the sisters disappear into the trees and turned to his parents.

    "The deal is done. Lets return."

    Luis didn''t say anything and looked at his mother, waiting for more information.

    "They agreed to give us five fairies as part of our first cooperation," Olivia finally revealed.

    Luis nodded, thoughtful. "And how much are we giving in return?"

    "Five acres of Spiritual Field,"

    "That''s a fair trade." Luis did some quick calctions. Thanks to Pipi''s blessing, they currently had fifty acres of Spiritual Field avable. Without the spiritual flowers they''d cultivated, Pipi alone could have barely sustained the entire barony.

    Satisfied, Luis turned to his parents with another update.

    "Father, mother, you can go to cultivation world for now rather than the barony. Great-Uncle mentioned a meeting tomorrow, and it sounds like some ns need to be changed."

    Hearing this Felipe aura change, he became extremely serious, much more serious than when he was fighting the Orcs.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Some ns do need to change. Open the Vortex." Felipe said seriously.

    Olivia, usually calm, had a simrly serious look in her eyes.

    Luis didn''t question anything and opened the vortex, allowing them to pass through.

    ''It seems the demon cultivator has a much deeper impact this time.''

    He stood quietly for a moment, pondering his next steps. If he could, Luis would turn their starting area into asting, stronger foundation. But like water flowing downward, people naturally sought to reach higher ces.

    ''Darn it. I''ve never had much of a spirit for exploring unknownnds,'' he mused with a sigh.

    With a final nce around, he summoned cky and took off, flying back to the barony, his mind already churning with thoughts for the future.

    -----

    "Sister, this soil has so much life energy! Why is there no record of it in our library?" ra, one of the elf sisters, questioned, her brow furrowed in curiosity.

    "I don''t know. Maybe it''s something new," Selene replied, gazing intently at the rich soil in the container, as if it held secrets waiting to be uncovered.

    ra''s eyes narrowed as she turned to Alivia. "Did that kid staying with you reveal anything?"

    Alivia thought for a moment before responding. "No, he just said that we elves have never seen anything like this before."

    Although elves are said to be naive, naive doesn''t mean fool and will not ept everything. This soil with high life energy is such a thing that must be taken seriously.

    "I''ve already sent a message to the elder," Selene interjected, her tone serious. "She and some other elves should be arriving in the next few days. She wants to see this soil for herself."

    ".."

    ------

    Cultivation World

    Rathma, the only necromancer (undead/death mage) in the barony, was looking at the soul banner and the demon cultivation method, which is to absorb the evil spirits in the soul banner and create it into a pill when taken, which enhances the cultivation speed.

    This was an extremely evil method that relied on the ughtering of people.

    After bing familiar with the Soul Pill Cultivation Method, he picked up one of the four Soul banners and tried to refine it.

    He first dropped his blood into the soul banner to mark it and make it his own.

    In just a few moments, the Soul Banner was refined by him.

    As an Undead Mage, he knew a lot about death, souls, and skeletons. He could bring skeletons to life, control, and manipte them.

    Now, with this cultivation method, he reached a higher realm and had knowledge of how to manipte souls.

    "Hehehe~ Hahahaha~ Hahahaha"

    Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Levi, Luis''s great-uncle, entered the room.

    "Be quiet," Levi said sternly.

    "Ah! Sir, what brings you here?" Levi, who was getting carried away, immediately shut up after seeing Levi.

    "So, you seeded. Tell me what your ns are next." Levi, seeing Rathma manipte the Soul Banner, questioned.

    "Sir, I will hunt some orcs, the enemies of the barony, and turn them into evil spirits within the soul banner." Once I''ve umted enough, I will create the soul pills and make my strength soar." Rathma dered eagerly.

    Levi listened, his expression unreadable as he floated forward and flipped through the pages of the Soul Pill Cultivation Method.

    Rathma didn''t dare to interfere and stood aside silently.

    The next period of time only the sound of a book flipping was heard.

    "Summon a skeleton," Levi instructed after reviewing the method.

    "Yes, Sir!" Without hesitation Rathma summoned a skeleton.

    With a swift wave of his hand, Levi destroyed the skeleton in an instant. "Now, absorb it into the Soul Banner."

    Rathma quickly activated the Soul Banner, and he felt the energy shift as the soul fire of the skeleton was drawn into the banner.

    "Think big. Don''t confine yourself to small ambitions," Levi said, floating toward the ceiling. "Now, tell me what you n to do."

    Rathma watched all this and couldn''t help but gulp with excitement, "Battlefield. Hundred of thousands of Skeletons. If I could absorb their soul, I could create a lot of soul pills."

    "Good.." With this said, Levi disappeared from the room.

    Rathma stood alone, a wide grin spreading across his face.

    "Hahaha~ Hahaha~"

    After confirming that Levi left, Rathma couldn''t help butugh with excitement. It seems his mage name can be changed to Undead Soul Mage.

    ------

    Everything in the cultivation world was moving in a positive direction.

    The shadow guards were also slowly umting their power.

    Shadow Guards had begun to appear in every major city across the three kingdoms on this ind.

    If time allowed, they would have even spread to smaller towns.

    Most of the Shadow Guards were selected from beggars and poor families in Anyu Town. Some of them being from surrounding ces.

    Their role was to keep a watchful eye on any significant events happening in the cities. They would report important information directly to their station, which would then ry it to Anyu Town.

 Chapter 98 Round Table Meeting

    The next day, Anyu Town buzzed with excitement.

    It is because there was a Hartmann Pavilion opened in the center of the town. Here, different kinds of unique items were sold.

    From Pills to Potions and various powerful martial arts secrets.

    It was not just here; the branch of Hartmann Pavilion was opened in surrounding areas, slowly expanding outwards.

    There were many forcesing to see, but no one dared to step forward and stop it.

    The disobedient families and forces have already been destroyed.

    The onesing here are those who want to buy the pills and potions.

    People flooded in to buy the various items, and business was thriving. The Hartmann Pavilion quickly became the heart of Anyu Town, marking a new beginning for the town and the Hartmann family''s power.

    -----

    Luis watched all the excitement of the people and also entered the pavilion to see all the items sold.

    There are various samples of items with an introduction disyed below them.

    The pills were:

    Marrow Cleansing Pill

    Jade Dew Pill

    Blood Boiling Pill

    Bigu Pill

    ....

    The poems were of simr type, but they were more based on healing and full of life energy. Most were created from nts from Fantasy World.

    The martial arts were given by...

    After checking everything and seeing that it was fine, Luis walked out of the pavilion and went to the military base deep in the forest.

    Here, many soldiers were on their horses sprinting at high speed. These were all the Knight Cultivators who have sessfully made connections with their horses.

    They were sprinting in various formations to battle against different situations.

    Those who have still not be Knight Cultivators are trying their best and practicing hard.

    There were a lot fewer people herepared to other times. As they were mostly distributed around the whole ind.

    He stayed in the base for a few more hours by practicing before heading back to Anyu Town.

    The meeting was going to be held.

    -----

    In Anyu Town, there were currently many Hartmann Knights stationed.

    Luis walked on the streets of Anyu Town, and any knights who met him would stop and salute him.

    After walking for a while, he arrived at the council hall where the meeting would be held.

    "Sorry, I''mte!"

    Luis walked into the hall and took a quick look. There were already many people in the hall, with most of them being officials of the barony.

    "It''s not toote; we haven''t started yet."

    One of the men smiled at Luis and motioned for him to sit in the front. Luis recognized him as the Chief of Ferterra Town under Hartmann City.

    After that, he looked around at everyone observing them.

    A few momentster, the head of the Blue Goblins Bloggs arrived too and jumped onto one of the seats.

    Then slowly the seats began to fill, and only 3 chairs around Luis were empty.

    He closed his eyes and listened to all the murmurs of the people in the hall.

    They were talking excitedly about the various discoveries made in this cultivation world.

    Especially the Blue Goblin Bloggs, he was proudly talking about the invention that will mark the rise of the Hartmann family, and their Blue Goblins will be the most contributing foreign race.

    Luis couldn''t help but smile hearing this. It seems at this time, when he ignored the goblins, they were creating some new invention.

    At this moment, the door opened, and three people walked in.

    Felipe, Olivia, and Levi strided in and sat in the seat beside him.

    After their arrival, the meeting slowly began. It was not much important at the beginning, and the official began to report the data of the ce where they were supervising.

    50,000 soldiers have already been stationed in this ce, and this ind is already saturated. There is not much resource for the Hartmann family to increase the number of soldiers.

    So, they began to expand outward, creating Hartmann Pavilion and slowly controlling the 3 kingdoms.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With the numbers and unique strength of the soldiers, this was possible.

    Then Han Mo, the alchemist, told about the various pills and disciples, which he epted. The uniquebination of pills and pills.

    The pharmacists of the wizard world seem to have created a preliminary version of Water Alchemy. This was a new way of alchemy, as previously alchemy was based on fire and wood attributes.

    Then, Blue Goblin Blogs showed some of the inventions created during this time. The strengthened armor and weapons, which were marked with the formation of the cultivation world.

    The meeting continued with reports on the troops'' strength, resources, and the potential for further growth.

    As each update was given, the family''s overarching n became clear: to expand the pavilion''s influence outward, strategically ce soldiers in every key area, and secure full control over the ind, solidifying the Hartmann Family''s power.

    After the reports, the meeting ended, and all the officials walked out of the room with only Luis, Felipe, Olivia, and Felipe remaining.

    Levi, who was closing his eyes, took out a soul banner and presented it to Luis.

    "Do you want this?" You can hunt those undead with this and trap their soul in this magic weapon." Levi said to Luis.

    "Since you like strength of group. Having hundreds of undead souls fighting for you will be much better."

    After hearing this, Luis gazed at the Soul Banner closely. Anything that enhances strength should be taken.

    "Great Uncle, is there any side effect?"

    "No, I have revised the cultivation method a little,bining it with the wizard practice method. Unless you be addicted to killing, nothing wrong will happen to you." Levi said he was sending the soul banner and a book floating towards him.

    "Oh! Don''t show this to those righteous cultivators; otherwise, they will hunt you down."

    Luis nodded and put aside the book and soul banner.

    His great-uncle and him don''t talk much. He, as a wizard, just delves himself into research and stays year-long in theboratory.

    and staying beside Levi, he feels great depression, as if he has difficulty breathing. So, since childhood he has distanced himself.

    Now, in this new world he finally walked out of hisboratory and began exploring it.

    After that, Levi took out a nk paper and gave it to Luis.

    "I will be leaving the territory for now and go explore the vast ten thousand star ind. When I want to find you, I will send you a message through that Messenger Paper."

    After saying this, Levi turned his attention from Luis to Felipe and Olivia.

    "Take care of the territory; I will be gone for now and not return till I have enough strength for revenge."

    Felipe was also serious and nodded to Levi. He didn''t say much but closed his eyes.

    After that, Levi flew towards the ceiling and disappeared from the room.

    Luis frowned, looking at his father after listening to the conversation.

    "Strength... Revenge... What even are you talking about? With our current strength, can''t we destroy the people in Moon Frost Province?"

    After he said this, there was silence in the room, with this father still closing his eyes in silence.

    Olivia looked at Felipe in worry and finally sighed.

    She turned to Luis and began telling the real story behind why the Firelock family of his grandfather was destroyed.

    It turns out that Thor and Lily fell in love with each other during their time at the Royal Academy. After that, their love deepened during the war against Orcs.

    This should have been a normal love story, but there was a third element involved. The Sixth Prince of the Kingdom coveted the beauty of Lily and wanted to marry her as a concubine.

    So, the conflict between Thor and Javan, the third prince, began. Although Thor was mostly suppressed, he didn''t back off, and Lily also stood by his side.

    Thor had the potential to reach the 4th stage, while Javancked in this. So, due to fear, he instigated the nobles in Moon Frost province to destroy the Firelock family.

    Javan even seeded in destroying the Firelock family but failed to kill Thor due to the protection of Lily''s father, Firestorm Duke.

    Then Thor and Lily married each other and traveled to this Northern Wastnd to be pioneer knights.

    Time slowly progressed; Felipe Hartmann was born and became an 18-year-old kid.

    At this moment, tragedy urred. Thor and Lily were betrayed and were surrounded with Orc Armies and died in that battle.

    After some secret investigation from Duke Firestorm, it was found that it was the Fifth Prince that caused the deaths of Thor and Lily.

    Fifth Prince, after 18 years, was already very strong, being a 4th stage powerhouse.

    So, there was a deep-rooted hatred that Felipe and Levi could only let rot in their stomachs. They, as a 3rd stage powerhouse, couldn''t do anything to the fifth prince.

    Even if they have strength, the fifth prince was from a royal family.

    Now, Levi went to find immortal cultivators to enhance his strength so that he could avenge his sister and brother-inw.

    "3 months, I will take down this continent under 3 months and go to thends of immortal cultivators."

    Luis, after hearing the story, sighed and finally said. During this 3 month, he will umte strength and make a ssh in the cultivation world.

    (end of chapter)

    [There is a huge festival in my country, so the update is a little slow. The next few chapters will be area transitions; I will be careful not to make it bad. ]

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 99 Successful Foundation

    1 month passed by,

    Luis was currently in the Fantasy World in the War area of the Undead.

    Although Hartmann Family has been punished to not appear in the battlefield. Sneaking in alone was very easy.

    Once he appear, it means more than 50,000 knights can also appear beside him quickly.

    Beside him were Felipe, Rathma an undead mage and Dickson another new Undead Mage of the territory.

    In this month, they have been hunting the Undead day and night resting for only a short period of time.

    He alone have umted more than 150 Soul Pill. If everyone total isbined they have more than 400 Soul Pills.

    Yes, he has got the most soul pills because of his Infinite energy. He attacks the undead without the fear of his Vortex Qi being exhausted.

    "Father, This undeadnd is the most mysterious ce with sea of undead stationed in it." Luis said seriously.

    "If they actively attack the Northern Wastnd, No humans nor Orcs can resist them"

    "There is no need to be afraid. In these thousand of years they never attacked us. It will be like this in the future" Felipe patted his shoulder as he said.

    Luis looked at Felipe from the corner of his eyes. Why does it seem like a g has been set.

    He rushed forward and began ughtering those weak undead again.

    These are all resources.

    The soul banner can umte 100 evil spirits at a time. Once it is filled the Soul Pill can be created. If it weren''t for restriction such as slow formation of Soul Pill. He would have brought more than 50,000 Knight Cultivators to feast in thisnd.

    After hunting for some more time while the Soul Banner was producing Soul Pill he arrived beside Felipe.

    "Father, you have umted enough when will you breakthrough to Foundation Building Realm. With these Soul Pills, you can definitely create a Supreme Foundation."

    "Soon, in the next few days. I will breakthrough."

    To break through to Foundation Building realm cultivator, you must convert the true qi of your body into true essence.

    At the time, ording to your umtion and talent you need to form a foundation. Foundation is divided into two types from high to low.

    Normal Foundation, True Foundation, Strong Foundation and Supreme Foundation.

    The most important thing after you be a foundation builder is the Spiritual Sense. Through Spiritual Sense you can feel the surrounding and work with precision. This is a spiritual awareness.

    Then the sea of consciousness expands to store the True essence. It bes very bigpared to Qi Refining Realm.

    Normal Foundation Spiritual Sense ranges between 1-5 km.

    True Foundation Spiritual Sense ranges between 5-15 km.

    Strong Foundation Spiritual Sense ranges between 15-30 km.

    Supreme Foundation Spiritual Sense ranges between 30-50 km.

    Of course, most Foundation Builders only have Normal Foundation with geniuses having a True and Strong Foundation. As for Supreme Foundation, ording to Han Mo in hundreds of years none have appeared.

    "There are lots of Spiritual Energy Houses which have been interconnected with each other. You wont have anyck of Spiritual energy anymore"

    "..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After that Luis Soul Banner formed a Soul Pill. So, he started another round of hunting.

    If Demon Sect of Cultivation know about this holy ce they will truly start a bloodbath.

    -----

    In the next few days, the whole territory began to prepare.

    Felipe Hartmann, the baron of Hartmann Family was preparing to advance to a foundation Building realm or it could be said as 4th stage Knight.

    These few days, no one used the Spiritual Energy houses and let it umte the Spiritual Energy. ording to their information, it takes a lot of Spiritual Energy to advance. It would be even better if they had their own spiritual vein.

    Luis was beside Arthur and Xiao Wei as he gazed at one of the Spiritual Energy House. His father had entered that ce but no till now there was no reaction.

    Just at this moment, in the sky above the Spiritual Energy House a Vortex Spiritual Energy formed.

    "It has finally begun, if father seeds the spiritual energy bes calm otherwise it will copse and his life will be in danger."

    Xiao Wei was very rxed at this moment.

    "Don''t worry, even if he fails with his healing ability. His life will not be in any danger."

    "The chance of failure is very low. It is none, If a lot of those Soul Pill is taken it can rece Foundation Building Pill"

    At this moment Han Mo appeared beside him and said.

    Not just Han Mo most of the people appeared after seeing the phenomenon in the sky.

    "Everyone, you can do your job. It takes weeks or even months to break through to foundation building cultivator. You cane here after the Spiritual Energy in the Sky calms down"

    Luis shouted as he saw the scene bing more and more crowded.

    Everyone nodded and headed back with anticipation. After Baron Felipe bes a strong man the territory will finally have a strong man.

    -----

    Felipe in the Spiritual Energy House has already begun the process to be a foundation Building Cultivator.

    The Vortex/True Qi in his body exploded like sparks entering oil.

    The impact was so violent that it was more than ten or a hundred times more violent than the true qi described by Han Mo from his foundation-building experience gained from various channels.

    Felipe gritted his teeth and forcibly tried to control the True Qi of his body.

    The violent True Qi was slightly calmed down by him.

    But soon, the True qi began to transform into true essence.

    At this time, Vortex Spiritual Energy formed in the sky and he slowly transformed the True qi.

    Read new chapters at empire

    With the support of endless spiritual energy.

    The true Qi seemed endless and was constantly transformed into true essence.

    This moment, the Life seed in his body began to grow. It started to grow and became a sapling. It stored all the True Essence of the body.

    The speed at which the Life Sapling expands is getting faster and faster.

    See this scene, Felipe expression suddenly changed. This was totally out of his control.

    This process, it took a whole day.

    The spiritual energy from all the Spiritual Energy House was injected into Felipe room.

    After a long time, The life sapling growth began to slow down. Felipe sighed at this sight, he really felt danger when the Life sapling grew uncontrobly.

    It should be called Life tree, as it has grown significantly in his virtual space.

    Felipe body also began to strengthen little by little under the tempering of such a huge amount of spiritual energy and True Essence.

    The first major hurdle in his foundation building, tempering the body with spiritual energy, was actually the easiest hurdle for him.

    -----

    Time passed, and half a month slipped by.

    Now came the final moment of Felipe''s Foundation Building: the selection of his Foundation.

    Obviously he is aiming for Supreme Foundation. However, before this process even began his spiritual sense has already expanded to 10 km.

    He was swallowing the Soul Pill as his Spiritual Sense began expanding his spiritual awareness.

    At this moment an ident happened, the Foundation which he was trying to build copsed. All the spiritual sense which has almost reached 30 km began to retract into his body.

    Every energy from his body was swallowed by the Life Tree.

    Felipe expression became extremely serious at this moment. Memories began to emerge and his expression became more and more solemn.

    In that moment, every ounce of energy in his body was drawn into the Life Tree.

    Luis who was beside Pipi and other fairies saw this sight. His expression changed as he rode on cky and rushed towards Felipe.

    "How could he fail? He did so many preparation"

    As he hurried along, he noticed many others rushing toward the same location but ignored them, urging cky to gallop at full speed.

    When he arrived Olivia was already there staring at the Spiritual Energy House.

    Luis didnt make any noise and began to observe the situation.

    A few momentster, other people began to arrive.

    Seeing, Luis and Olivia with serious expression. They didnt dare make any noise and stared at the Spiritual energy house hoping for any moment.

    Time passed, and with no sign of movement, Luis''s anxiety grew. He took a step forward, intending to check on his father.

    "Stay back. I can still feel his energy¡ªthere''s no danger," Olivia said, cing a hand on his shoulder.

    Luis rxed slightly at her reassurance, though tension lingered in his posture. Others around them were visibly anxious; if anything happened to Baron Felipe, the consequences would be severe.

    As they waited, a deep, heartyugh echoed from within the Spiritual Energy House.

    "Hahahaha!"

    With theughter came a powerful surge of Spiritual Qi, so strong it pressed down on everyone present. Even Luis found it hard to stand against the energy.

    Then, just as quickly, the energy retracted, and Felipe Hartmann stepped out of the house. His body radiated strength, and he appeared taller¡ªnow standing at an impressive 6''3".

    "I''ve seeded, everyone. The entire territory in this cultivation world will celebrate!" Felipe announced, his voice full of triumph.

    After Felipe said this everyone began to cheer, Luis also clenched his fist in excitement. He was very excited that the foundation building didnt fail.

 Chapter 100 Fate

    The next few days, the festive environment spread everywhere.

    The knights wore bright smiles, and the Hartmann Pavilion offered discounts on a wide range of products, adding to the excitement.

    Even though the locals didn''t fully understand the reason behind the celebration, they happily joined in, swept up in the joyful atmosphere.

    Luis also enjoyed himself in this atmosphere, he prefers the atmosphere of this world rather than fantasy world.

    After ying for some more time he headed towards the Sirius Headquarters because his father wanted to inform him about his new strength.

    -----

    He quickly reached towards the yard of his father.

    There Felipe and Olivia were beside each other.

    Just as he stepped forward his instinct warned him greatly. He covered his whole body with Vortex Qi.

    However, he still was sted back with a punch from Felipe and fell on the ground.

    "So, this is how you demonstrate your strength"

    Luis stood up and looked towards the direction of Felipe. He was still beside Olivia, casually sipping his tea.

    He held his sword and rushed towards Felipe. However, just as he ran he was again sted back.

    This time he realized the trick, it was nothing more than fast speed. His father would vanish, strike, and reappear in his seat before Luis could react.

    "My body can''t even keep up," Luis murmured, narrowing his eyes.

    He stood up again and slowly walked towards Felipe. This time he was fully prepared, if there was any disturbance in the air around him he will st his Vortex Qi towards that direction.

    He was fully concentrated waiting for the attack.

    ''now''

    He felt the disturbance in the air and attacked with instinct but he was still punched to the ground.

    "If he is serious, i will die without any resistance."

    Luis sat on the ground and looked towards Felipe. He was still sipping his tea and he was looking towards him with a smile.

    Then he stood up and was again beaten up. For the next quarter of an hour, Luis rose only to be knocked down repeatedly, his patience wearing thin.

    "I''m done standing up, at least give me a chance to fight!" Luis shouted. "You''re just repeating the same trick every time I get up!"

    Luis shouted as he resigned on his fate.

    "Alright, you cane now. I won''t beat you."

    Luis stood up after hearing Felipe, this beating up will finally end.

    But just as he stood up he was beaten again.

    This time he didnt dare to stand anymore. It is just repeating same thing.

    "Okay, now," Felipe called out, stifling augh. "Stand up. I have something serious to discuss."

    But Luis still didnt stand up and was gazing towards the sky.

    "Father, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

    He finally gazed at his mother and asked for help, "Mother, save me."

    Olivia smiled at him and turned her gaze to Felipe.

    "Ok, it''s enough Felipe. Be serious. You cane Luis, there is indeed some serious things to talk about", Olivia said as she red at Felipe.

    Luis hearing this jumped up and rushed towards them. He sat down in hurry for fear of being beaten again.

    He red at Felipe angrily after sitting down.

    "One question, what do you think the biggest gain after i advanced to Foundation Building Realm" Felipe ignored Luis re and questioned.

    "Strength" Luis thought for a moment before answering.

    "Wrong, guess again"

    "Speed"

    "Guess again"

    "Spiritual Sense"

    "Wrong."

    Luis visibly frowned after hearing this. Father behavior has changed a little after he advanced in strength. He seem to be more happy.

    "Just tell me, father"

    "If you are so eager, let me tell you my biggest gain is.... Freedom"

    "Freedom?"

    "Yes, We are all seeds waiting to be harvested, and one day, someone from the shadows wille to reap what we''ve be."

    "Huh! what are you saying. Why don''t i understand"

    Felipe became serious and began telling the story about his experience of advancing to Foundation building Realm.

    Luis who was angry at Felipe became very solemn after hearing the whole story.

    When Felipe finally broke through to Foundation Building, the Life Tree in his body sent a memory to him. About it''s origin and how it was formed.

    Luis'' heart grew heavy as he absorbed the details, the weight of their world''s reality settling over him.

    This Fantasy World is really depressing.

    The life seed of Knight is what it really seems. They the knights and Mages are constantly being harvested by some higher forces from the Shadows.

    The barrier which covers the ind is not something that protects them from Abyss Monster rather It was a prison¡ªa shackle ced to prevent them from breaking through the limits of the sixth realm and reaching the true power of the seventh.

    They were caged, bound by invisible chains woven by beings in the dark, who dictated the boundaries of their potential.

    "Hmmm, how do we get harvested"

    "How would i know that" Felipe shrugged his shoulders.

    "Then, Who is our enemy and who is our friend" Luis questioned seriously

    "What?" Felipe asked confused

    Olivia smiled hearing the question of Luis. Her son has taken her words seriously, he does deep research of things.

    "Is the Forgotten Continent Organization on our side or on the side of enemies hidden in the shadow?

    Do the More than 6000 Knights and Wizards who are sealed know about this? Are they harvested already or are they still sealed?"

    Luis asked question rapidly

    "Don''t worry as our strength grows we will definitely find out about everything. Don''t try to get too deeply involved in things which are not under your control" Felipe reminded Felipe

    "We can break through to shackles after advancing to Foundation Building Realm here"

    "What even is the shackles you are talking about" Luis asked curiously

    "How do i describe it? It is like Gods suppressing Mortals"

    "So, higher lifeform dominating the low level Lifeform", Luis finally understood, "It''s really deeply hidden grand n."

    "Ok, no need to be serious. You should be happy that you will not be controlled anymore." Olivia Interjected at this moment seeing Luis asking many questions.

    "I have already sent this information to Uncle Levi, he suggested us to gather strength quickly as the Forgotten Continent Organization is going to break the barrier in 10 years. The grand n might being to an end soon."

    Olivia reminded again shifting the topic.

    "Yes, strength must be umted quickly. I will take my leave father and mother."

    Luis suddenly stood up and walked away.

    "Oh yeah, should it be revealed to the soldiers of the family?" Luis turned and asked.

    "It will cause unnecessary chaos. I will inform some Officials they will handle it" Felipe said as he threw a book to him

    Luis caught the book and left the yard.

    Felipe and Olivia watched Luis walk away with a serious face.

    "Some of the question he raised are though provoking. Who is our enemy and who is our friend?" Felipe said as he tapped the table

    "This must be clear. I will send some spies to Arcane City and search for truth"

    "My wife, you can handle this yourself"

    ------

    Luis walked away with many thoughts in his mind.

    It felt as if every step forward pulled back a veil, revealing deeper and darker truths. First, he''d learned of his grandfather''s hidden conflict with the Third Prince.

    Your journey continues with empireN?v(el)B\\jnn

    Now, a far more sinister shadow loomed¡ªa dark hand that manipted the entire continent, restraining the growth of knights, mages, and anyone who dared reach beyond their limits.

    He has not even explored the Cultivation World till now, there might be great opportunities and dangers hidden behind it.

    "I will try to join a strong sect in this Ten Thousand Star Ind, other Knights can also be mixed between various forces."

    He murmured as he checked the book given to him by his father.

    [Details of Advancing from 3rd stage to 4th stage]

    He opened it curiously, in this book even a few small details were written.

    He rapidly gazed through it and finally stopped at thest few pages.

    "What! he has a spiritual sense of 103km. So much higher than Supreme Foundation. Why didnt he tell such big news to me in person"

    Then he saw the next few details of the other power increase, it was all superior to normal foundation building cultivator.

    "He definitely can kill thosete stage foundation builders and 6th stages Mages and Knight now." He closed the book with a sigh

    "No wonder i couldn''t even resist him"

    Thinking of all this he caught the Soul Banner and headed towards the Undead Area in Fantasy World.

    Thoughts are thoughts, he will not be afraid of any conspiracy. He has the support of resources and army of two world.

    No matter who will try to mess with him. He will crush them with absolute strength.

    (100 chapters milestone reached)

 Chapter 101 Soul Refining Furnace

    Two dayster,

    Just the thoughts of the whole continent being held captive and harvested bugged him.

    Luis was hunting the undead and storing their soul fire into it when he stopped.

    From the vortex, which was in the distance, a knight entered inside this world.

    He keeps the vortex open all the time because he will have time to escape once he encounters any dangers.

    "Boss, Blue Goblin Blogs has invented something revolutionary. Baron and Mistress sent me to inform you toe quickly."

    Luis stopped hunting the Undeads and returned with two other Undead Mages, Raksha and Dickson.

    "What did the Blue Goblins invent this time?" While walking, Luis questioned the informer knight.

    "Boss, I dont know what it is, but it is a huge steel behemoth. I was shocked looking at it.

    Luis nodded hearing this; it seems it was huge machinery. Maybe it is a puppet.

    After walking for a few moments, they reached the goblin workshop.

    There were many knights outside of it with shocked expressions on their faces.

    After seeing him, they bowed their heads in respect. He returned the gesture and stepped inside.

    The sight in front of him shocked him greatly. A huge metal structure was in the room. Several meters tall and around ten meters long made it a prominent feature in the room. The surface of the structure was some kind of shiny metal.

    "My god, what did blogs create?"

    Luis was shocked; he felt like he was back on earth watching the huge machines.

    Blogs, standing next to Felipe and Olivia, noticed Luis and beckoned him over.

    "Boss,e here! Let me show you our Blue Goblins''test invention: the ''Soul Melting Furnace''!"

    Luis neared blogs with a face full of questions.

    "Boss, this thing is ''Soul Melting Furnace,'' an automatic weapon refiner that can be operated by a few ordinary people."

    "Hmmm"

    "Boss, let me tell you about traditional refiners; they..." Blogs then began exining everything to Luis.

    The more Luis listened, the more fascinated he became. This is an industrial revolution in both fantasy and cultivation worlds.

    A weapon refiner is one of the hundred arts of alchemy. There are weapon refiners in the fantasy world, but most of them are dwarves with the profession of cksmith.

    A refiner is responsible for taking unrefined materials and processing them to create finished items. They typically work with ores (like copper or iron) and other materials that need to be melted down and shaped.

    They use furnaces or forges to heat the raw materials until they melt. Once the materials are melted, the refiner shapes them into the desired form, like a sword or any other tool.

    During the shaping, the weapons are injected with spiritual qi to shape them into desired spiritual weapons.

    A traditional weapon refiner might take 2-3 days just to refine a weapon. As the manual melting process of the ore takes a long time.

    Then there is Soul Melting Furnace, the automatic refiner made by Blue Goblinsbining the Ancient Rune Language from Fantasy World and Formation knowledge from Cultivation World.

    The Soul Melting Furnace is a specialized magical device used in the weapon refining process. It has different mechanisms and is powered by spiritual sunflower and spiritual moonflower, which supply spiritual energy to it continuously.

    For instance, the furnace is divided into distinct parts: the control system, feed port, heating and smelting system, floating system, and discharge port.

    The control system allows ordinary people with no extraordinary power to operate and manage the furnace''s various functions. It controls the temperature, duration of heating, and other parameters essential for refining.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Feed port is where the raw materials, such as spiritual ores, are added into the furnace.

    The heating and smelting system is the core of the furnace, where the actual melting urs. It generates the high temperatures needed to melt spiritual ores and other refining materials. It is run by the energy provided from Spiritual Sunflower and Moonflower.

    Floating System is the system where ancient runes and formations are applied. Here, the material is cooled down and shaped. Then the floating runes take effect, and the material is suspended in midair. Here, further impurity is removed, and the weapon finally takes shape.

    The discharge port is the port where the finished weapon is discharged and collected by the workers.

    The process of soul-refining furnace is much faster than manual refining.

    "Blue Goblins are really innovative," Luis muttered.

    "Haha, since we became mutated due to Kaga Ore and gained intelligence. We united the Southern Side of the continent and created a huge empire. If it weren''t for everyone attacking us, we might have united the whole continent." Blogsughed and said proudly.

    Heughed but quickly felt the environment change around him.

    He realized he was surrounded by humans, and they were staring at him.

    "No, I didn''t mean it that way." Blogs quickly tried to correct himself.

    "Hahaha, blogs if your ancestor had the capability to innovate things like this. Blue Goblins indeed would have united the whole continent." Luisughed and said.

    The world is not changed by absolute control; the world is changed by technology. He sees the hope of modernization through these blue goblins.

    Blogs also smiled genuinely after being praised by Luis.

    "If you need to do any kind of research, You have full support; I will approve of those things."

    Olivia, who was watching silently suddenly interjected. Since her son has spoken in favor of the Blue Goblins, she will support them.

    Luis also approved of this. He can rest assured that these Blue Goblins will not betray him because of the reassurance of Vortex, which will make them more loyal to him over time.

    Otherwise, he would have been afraid of these Blue Goblin inventions.

    "Thank You, Mistress" blogs bowed towards Olivia.

    "Show the refining process. I want to see the weapons created by these soul-refining furnaces," Felipe said to blogs.

    "Yes, Baron." Blogs nodded and began ordering the other Blue Goblins to operate the furnace.

    While the Blue Goblins were operating it, Blogs was exining every process.

    "For this furnace to be operated by an ordinary person. We have already set the process to only refine one kind of spiritual weapon." Blogs showed two kinds of ores in his tiny hands.

    "These are the main ores: Silverlight Ore from the fantasy world and Red Fire Ore from the cultivation world."

    "What this furnace develops is a 1st level weapon that can be used by Qi refining cultivators."

    Luis and everyone were watching the process intently.

    The ores were ced from the feed port and were monitored by goblins from the control system. Afterwards, the ores were sent to a smelting system where heat was converted from spiritual energy.

    Then, the molten ore was sent to the Floating System Block, where the main and final process began.

    The molten ores were smelted into a sword, and various kinds of runguage were engraved on the sword.

    "In this section various Ancient Runguages are engraved; we goblins awakened more of our memories after injecting spiritual energy into our bodies. My brain seems to even function much faster than before."

    While the process was beingpleted, Luis asked some more questions to blogs.

    He wanted to know more about Kaga Ore, which gave such intelligence to goblins. Enjoy new stories from empire

    But it seems that the Kaga Ore of the whole continent has already been extinct. Many forces wanted to research this ore, which was heavily extracted from underground. And eventually it became a very rare and expensive ore.

    "It''s done," Blogs shouted excitedly as he walked towards the discharge port.

    Luis was keeping track of the time, and this single sword was made in 1 hour, 13 minutes. Much faster than those weapon refiners who take days to make one spiritual weapon.

    "I present you the masterpiece of Our Blue Goblins, ''Spirit Seeker Flying Sword.''" Blogs said proudly,

    "This is a high-grade 1st stage spiritual weapon ording to the world of cultivation."

    The spiritual weapons are divided into 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade, which are used by Qi refining, foundation building, and Golden Core. As for beyond that, there is the Natal Weapon.

    The weapon grades are subdivided into low grade, mid grade, and high grade.

    This means that the Spirit Seeker Flying Sword is the highest-stage weapon that a Qi refining cultivator can use.

    "What do you mean by flying sword?" Luis asked curiously; ording to his knowledge, only the Foundation Building Cultivator can fly on a sword.

    "Hahaha, Boss. This is a new technology." Blogsughed loudly as he injected his Vortex Qi into the sword.

    With the injection, the sword began to float in the air. It drifted to Biggs'' feet, and he jumped onto it effortlessly.

    "This is possible thanks to abination of ancient runguage and a close inspection of your Flying Boat, Boss."

    Louis chuckled at this.

    The Blue Goblins had a fascinating trait: they could pass down their knowledge to their descendants. With each generation, they grew wiser and wiser, their collective knowledge constantly umting.

    So, it was no big deal that they are knowledgeable, and now due to the spiritual energy of cultivation. They seem to be getting smarter.

 Chapter 102 Tree Men

    After that, Luis took a flying sword for himself and headed towards the open grounds.

    "Boss, there''s a restriction on this sword. I made it run only with unique energy," Blogs exined, walking beside him.

    "Unique energy?" Luis asked.

    "Yes. ording to research, this energy is produced by people who''ve traveled between two worlds through your portal."

    "Oh, got it. Let''s call it Vortex Energy," Luis decided.

    After that, he channeled the Vortex Qi into the sword, making it float with a thought.

    Channeling the Vortex Qi into the sword, he willed it to float. Slowly, he stepped onto it and rose toward the sky. He''d flown in a flying boat and with cky before, but standing on a sword and flying was an entirely new experience.

    Although not as fast as cky, the thrill of standing on a sword made his heart race. He tried a few stunts mid-air before descending to the ground.

    "Blogs, can you establish a full industrial chain in a month? I''m thinking of starting a weapon-selling business for cultivators," Luis said,nding smoothly.

    "Don''t worry, boss. We can have plenty of Soul Refining Automatic Furnaces ready within a month."

    "Great. Design the swords in three tiers: low-level spiritual weapon, mid-level spiritual weapon, and high-level spiritual weapon. Only the high-level ones should have a flying mode, while the others focus on sharpness and resilience."

    "Understood, Boss," blogs replied.

    After giving his instructions, Luis spoke with his parents briefly before heading to the Spiritual Energy House.

    -----

    There is only a month left before he heads to explore the Land of Cultivators.

    Instead of being low-key, he decided to make a big ssh. Having enough strength and being lowkey is the work of a fool. It will only slow down the growth of his force.

    Previously, he was all alone, so he built a strong foundation on this ind. Now that his father is already a strong foundation-building cultivator and their special healing powers, they can walk sideways in this Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    Of course, if a Golden Core cultivator appeared, he would still have to make a quick escape through the vortex.

    While he was meditating in the room, he felt a st in his Sea of Consciousness.

    Luis consciousness was nk after that, and then he felt his consciousness rising continuously, and finally, his consciousness seemed to be in the scene of the Big Bang.

    The familiar vortex that was in this consciousness appeared before him.

    "This is."

    Countless knowledge began to instill in his mind.

    "This... Vortex provides me necessary help whenever I want it."

    Through the new knowledge, Luis learned he could establish a permanent vortex, connecting two points between the worlds. Now, he had two vortexes¡ªone he could set as a permanent portal, and another he could open at will.

    With a clear n in mind, he made his way to the wilderness outside Anyu Town, where a military base was located.

    Blogs was beside him as he told the new information.

    "Yes, cing the permanent vortex in the military base is wise. It''ll allow the barony to function smoothly, even when you''re not here," Blogs agreed.

    Upon reaching the base, Luis selected a vast, open space and set up the permanent vortex. As it activated, arge, stable portal materialized, connecting to another military base back in the Hartmann Barony.

    He''d ensured this vortex was evenrger than the previous one to allow easier management and movement of supplies.

    "Now that it''s established, you should be able to handle the rest," Luis said, stepping back with satisfaction.

    Blogs smiled. "Of course, don''t worry."

    ------n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After everything was done, he headed towards the spiritual fields to check on the fairies.

    There Pipi and more than a dozen fairies were transforming the ordinary sunflower and moonflower into spiritual sunflower and moonflower.

    Yes, more than a dozen. By exchanging one acre of spiritual field for one fairies. They have already got more than fairies.

    Seeing him arrive under the leadership of Pipi, they surrounded him and yed with him.

    After a while, Pipi appeared before his face and began shouting.

    "Pi Pi"

    "Hmm, a new nt?"

    "Pi Pi"

    "Take me there." Luis put the pipi in the palm. Other fairies sat in his head and shoulders. Some even caught his hair with their small hands.

    He didn''t mind this; the nature of these fairies is yful.

    The spiritual field has already expanded to more than 500 acres. So, there were various new kinds of spiritual nts in the field.

    She showcased different kinds of spiritual nts to him.

    [Spiritual Grapes]

    [Spiritual Banana]

    [Spiritual Blood Vines]

    [Forbidden Mangrove]

    [Enlightenment Tea Tree]

    .....

    In the past month, various kinds of unique spiritual nts were created by fairies, such as:

    Name: Pure Yang Flower

    Characteristics: Pure Yang

    Pure Yang: absorbs the essence of the sun, converts it into pure Yang power and stores it in the body, drives away evil spirits and ghosts, and deters evil spirits.

    Name: Enlightenment Tea Tree

    Characteristics: Enhanced Ideas

    Enhanced Ideas: By consuming the tea leaves, the thoughts are greatly enhanced. Practicing exercises will have a lot of benefits. High chances of having epiphany.

    Finally, the special thing, which is sealed in separatend.

    Name: Forbidden Mangrove

    Characteristics: Spiritual Ban

    Spiritual Ban: Wherever its roots spread, 1000 meters above it, there will be ack of spiritual energy.

    This forbidden mangrove and spiritual moss have simr yet different powers. One expels the spiritual energy, making thend a spiritual barrennd, while the other traps all the spiritual energy of the surrounding.

    But he has already seen all these kinds of things previously. Pipi must be so eager because she wants to show him something new.

    There she brought him near a group of trees and began pointing towards it.

    Luis tilted his head, looking at the tree Pipi was pointing to. It appeared like any ordinary tree¡ªnothing unusual about its bark or leaves.

    "What''s so special about this?" he murmured, frowning. "It just looks like a regr tree."

    Pipi crossed her tiny arms and gave him an annoyed look, as if saying, Look harder!.

    The other fairies also beganughing and flew around the group of trees.

    Luis cautiously reached out to touch the tree, curiosity piquing his every move. The moment his fingers brushed the bark, the roots stirred, emerging from the ground as the entire tree began to shift and rise.

    He quickly backed away, eyes narrowed in surprise, as the towering figure took shape before him. This was no ordinary tree¡ªit resembled the mythical Dryads from the Elvennds, something he had only heard about.

    "Greetings, Boss. I am Cedar, head of the Treemen n. The fairies have told us much about you." Cedar spoke in a youthful voice, each word resonating like the rustling of leaves in a gentle wind.

    "Nice to meet you, Cedar, and everyone."

    "Nice to meet you too, Boss!" The group of Tree men responded in unison, their enthusiasm vibrating through the air.

    Then he questioned them for some more time before knowing their origins.

    Curiosity deepened, and Luis spent time learning about their origins. Cedar exined that they were once ordinary trees, transnted by the knights through the vortex from the fantasy world.

    During the process of being taken care of by fairies, they awakened their spiritual awareness, bing a new species of Tree Men.

    "Can you turn back into a regr tree? I want to test something," Luis requested of Cedar, curious about the Treemen''s unique abilities.

    "Yes, Boss," Cedar replied without hesitation.

    Under Luis''s watchful gaze, Cedar gradually shifted back to a still, unremarkable tree. Luis narrowed his eyes, his focus intensifying as he tried to sense any trace of Cedar''s energy or presence. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, the aura waspletely ordinary, as if Cedar had truly be nothing more than an average tree.

    "As expected, you lookpletely normal," Luis remarked, intrigued.

    "It might be due to our natural talent, Boss," Cedar exined, his voice nowing from the stillness of the bark itself.

    "When we hide ourselves as ordinary trees, no energy leaks from our bodies."

    Around them, the other treemen rustled their leaves and branches in silent approval, blending effortlessly into the forest. The disy confirmed that they had mastered the ability to disappear into their surroundings¡ªmaking them a formidable, hidden presence in anyndscape.

    The talent of the treemen can be utilized properly and spread to the forest on the ind. If someone tries to sneak in, they will attack them by surprise.

    "Unless the person is exceptionally strong, no one will ever know of our presence."

    Luis''s thoughts deepened as Cedar added, "As leader, I can even awaken the spiritual awareness of other trees with potential."

    "Really?" Luis''s expression shifted, curiosity blending with a hint of surprise. "How do you determine which trees have this... potential?"

    Cedar''s branches swayed thoughtfully.

    "The criteria aren''t tooplex. The species must be resilient, with something unique about it. Our lineage traces back to the Dryads of the fantasy world, though it''s been many generations. Without the fairies'' care, we wouldn''t have awakened our awareness."

 Chapter 103 Forbidden Tree

    "Alright, Cedar and Pipi, you''ll need to awaken the spiritual awareness of this special tree,"

    Luis instructed, guiding them to the area where the Forbidden Mangrove Tree stood, towering and mysterious.

    Cedar studied the tree with a deep, shaking leaves.

    "Such a unique ability... He will surely be an extraordinary treeman," he murmured, his leaves rustling with excitement.

    Luis nced at him. "How long do you think it will take?"

    Cedar swayed, considering. "If the fairies and we treemenbine our efforts, it shouldn''t take long¡ªmaybe less than an hour," he replied.

    "Good. Let''s begin."

    At Luis''s signal, Pipi and the fairies flitted around the Forbidden Mangrove, their delicate wings shimmering as they circled it in a coordinated dance. Cedar and the other tree men stood close, their branches outstretched, focusing their energies toward the tree.

    Luis could feel an unusual energy building around them, flowing from the fairies and tree men into the Mangrove.

    It was as if life itself was being breathed into the tree, filling the air with a quiet hum of power.

    He was tempted to ask them questions, but the intensity of their concentration held him back.

    As time passed quickly.

    Moments passed, and the energy around them grew thicker. Finally, Luis noticed a faint tremor in the Mangrove''s massive trunk.

    The ground beneath began to rumble, ever so slightly, as the Forbidden Mangrove Tree responded to the awakening ritual, slowly stirring to life.

    The Mangrove Tree finally came to life.

    Its countless small leaves began to tremble, releasing a subtle hum that echoed through the air. In that moment, Luis felt a shift as the spiritual energy in the area was rapidly expelled, creating an eerie stillness around them.

    Luis recognized this immediately¡ªthis was the Forbidden Mangrove''s unique talent, *Spiritual Ban*.

    ---

    Name: Forbidden Mangrove

    Characteristics: Spiritual Ban

    Spiritual Ban: Wherever its roots extend, all spiritual energy within a 1,000-meter radius is forced away.

    ---

    He watched as the spiritual energy from the surrounding nts, including the Spiritual Sunflower, was quickly pushed out of range, leaving a distinct void.

    ''Hah! This is just like awork jammer back in the modern world,'' he thought, amused by the tree''s remarkable effect.

    "Stop, Youngling don''t disrupt the surrounding" Cedar shouted towards the Forbidden Mangrove Tree.

    Pipi and the other fairies hid behind the other Tree men Trembling.

    "OHH! Brother are you the one who awakened me?" Mangrove Tree questioned with young and naive voice.

    "Yes, Do you understand. Stop your ability. It is disturbing everyone"

    "Ok, Brother"

    With that Mangrove took back it''s ability and the spiritual energy began to fill the area. It was fast, a hurricane of spiritual energy came rushing inwards. The leaves and clothes of Luis fluttered.

    "Let me introduce to Boss, You must have got some memory while spiritual awakening right?" Cedar said.

    "Hello, Boss" Mangrove said cheerfully

    "Hello, Do you have a name? I can give you one." Luis said looking at Mangrove

    "No, Boss. Do trees even need a name. I will just call my self Mangrove 1" Mangrove 1 said

    "as you wish" Luis mouth twitched, he had though of good name but it was not used.

    After looking at Mangrove 1 for some more time, he turned his attention back to Cedar.

    "Cedar, what do you think. If i bring Branch of World Tree to this World can you awaken her spiritual consciousness"

    "Hmm, it''s not possible. World tree is our mother and its branches are spread among the elves in various ces called Life Tree. World Tree already has a consciousness and we were under her control. But since, we were brought to this world, we escaped from her control." Cedar said thoughtfully.

    "So, if branch of World Tree is brought here. She might already have her own consciousness and more potential not being under the control of World Tree of that world"

    "Ok, I will try to bring one branch from elvester"

    -----

    In the Yard, Luis sat alongside his mother, Olivia, and father, Felipe.

    A maid approached gracefully, pouring tea into their cups.

    The clear tea flowed from the teapot into the teacup, and the fragrance of tea immediately filled the air. Luis smelled the tea and felt his spiritual consciousness be more active. Obviously, this was not an ordinary tea, but Enlightenment tea produced by the fairies.

    The three sipped eagerly, and Luis couldn''t help but smack his lips in appreciation once he finished.

    "My consciousness feels like it''s soaking in warm water. It''s incredibly rxing," he remarked, licking his lips.

    Olivia nodded, savoring her own cup. "ording to the wizards, Enlightenment Tea is highly beneficial for cultivators'' spiritual consciousness. Regr consumption can enhance understanding and may even lead to an epiphany."

    Luis pondered, "Maybe if we have extra Enlightenment Tea leaves, we could sell them in both worlds. It would bring in plenty of Magic Stones and Spiritual Stones."

    Felipe chuckled. "You''re underestimating the cultivators, Luis. I spoke with Han Mo¡ªmost cultivators are far from wealthy."

    He set his cup down,unching into an exnation.

    "Let''s not talk about spiritual tea. The cultivators of big families usually eat spiritual rice. You should know that long-term consumption of spiritual rice can warm the body.

    In Ten Thousand Star Ind, even first-grade spiritual rice, jade crystal rice, is sold for five spirit stones per hundred kilograms. If consumed year-round, how can ordinary cultivators afford it?

    Not to mention that there are all kinds of elixirs, fruits, wines and even other rare treasures that can assist in cultivation, and all of these require spiritual stones!

    It''s all about spending money! Casual Cultivators and Small Forces can afford and drink the Enlightenment tea daily. So, You can go ahead and check the market. Sell that is most profitable"

    Felipe said all of this in one breath.

    "Huh! Father, you actually know about all this"

    "What do you mean, Kid? Your Mother taught me all of this. Do you want to receive another beating"

    "No, No" Luis shrank his neck.

    Felipe then leaned forward, his tone turning serious. "So, tell me, what''s your n for our family''s growth in this world?"

    Luis straightened, meeting his father''s gaze with a thoughtful expression.

    "Father, I think the most important thing for the family now is to have more Foundation Building Expert. After this is done, i have three ns."

    "What three ns?"

    "First, investigate the major ces around our ind. Then, make some of our knights infiltrate it. Then, they will stay incognito in it.

    Second, Father once we have a lot of foundation Building cultivator. We will open a shop and sell various things in it like the Spiritual Weapons, Pills and various items from Fantasy World.

    Third, upy various spiritual veins and recruit Casual Cultivators under ourmand. We will try to make a prototype of our own huge city in this world.

    This is just a basic n, it might be adjustedter. You can ask Biggs, i have discussed with him deeply"

    "So, to sum it up," he finished, "over the next five years, the focus will be on infiltration and establishing a business foundation here."

    "Okay, now that you have already made the n, I will look into it and announce this development n in meeting to the officials tomorrow."

    "I''ll attend, too."

    "There is no need for you to attend it. Just focus on bing stronger for now." Felipe waved a hand.

    "Understood, Father. Mother, I''ll take my leave." Luis stood, giving a respectful bow.

    With a smile from Olivia and a nod from Felipe, Luis turned and strode from the yard, determination burning in his eyes.

    While heading out, Luis thought about the areas of Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    There are a lot of inds on the sea. If looked from very high above, there are thousands of thousands of inds.

    This star ind was dominated by many sects and cultivator families below them. There are many forces that upy resource-rich inds. The weak ones can only upy inds with fewer resources.

    The ce where they are right now is the outermost region of the Star Ind region. The deeper the region, the stronger the cultivators.

    There are a total of 42 main cities recognized in this whole Star Ind region. To be recognized as a Main City, there should be a Golden Core realm cultivator behind it.

    There are countless sects, families, and wandering casual cultivators¡ªeach with their own specialties.

    The current where they are right now is Guang''an Prefecture. It is big region where many forces are staying.

    Big extremely big, very vast.

    In the vast 100,000 miles there is a main city under the control of Zhou Family. Luis n is to go and station his army in that area.

    (end of chapter)N?v(el)B\\jnn

    [Next, in the few chapters it will be transitioning stage. Luis will travel to Guang''an Prefecture and have many new adventure in the cultivation world. I should have done this before, but this happened past 100 chapters.

    You can check my new story, ''Cultivation Family: I Am In Modern World''

    This is a very fast paced novel, where years pass in just few chapters. It is avable in my profile.

    Please! Support it]

 Chapter 104 Departure

    Half a monthter...

    A cargo ship drifted across the endless sea, its ck hull cutting through waves that crashed against it with sshes. Standing on the deck, Luis gazed out over the open water, then turned to his uncle Oliver, Arthur''s father.

    "Uncle, even though this ship is fast, we''re only halfway there," he said.

    Oliver ran a hand over the ship''s sturdy mast and asked, "So, how''s your first time on the sea treating you?"

    Luis shrugged. "It''s interesting at first, but I''m already getting bored. Our trip to Main City is a long one, and even with this fast ship, it''ll take at least another month."

    Oliver chuckled. "Just bear with it. Only fifteen more days."

    Luis sighed and scanned the endless stretch of blue. The sight of the open sea quickly lost its charm. Feeling restless, he turned to Han Mo, who stood nearby.

    "Han Mo, didn''t you say the Ten Thousand Star Ind Sea is dangerous, with monsters appearing from time to time?"

    Han Mo nodded. "Boss, it''s true. But we''re following a fixed route, and as long as we stay on this path, it''s safe. Sea monsters are smart¡ªthey know which areas are off-limits."

    Hearing this, Luis was disappointed.

    He had originally wondered if one or two monsters would appear during this journey, giving him a chance to y them.

    It turned out that he was overthinking.

    Half a month ago, Luis, along with some of the people from Barony, took a cargo ship and headed towards the Main City.

    He had already dyed for a long time, and he didn''t want to stay infort anymore.

    He celebrated his 15th birthday grandly, and the next day he headed towards the sea.

    Time goes by day by day.

    The days of sailing at sea were extremely boring. After experiencing the initial novelty, Luis simply hid in the cabin all day to practice.

    Although there was very little free spiritual energy in the environment. He had spiritual sunflowers and moonflowers, which could produce arge amount of spiritual energy.

    Even the energy of the ship was supplied by Spiritual Sunflower and Moonflower.

    Unable to relieve his boredom, he just meditated and practiced spells.

    For cultivators in the Qi refining stage, the main means of fighting against the enemy are spells, spiritual weapons, and talismans.

    Just like those Demon Cultivators who fought against Alex. They used a soul banner and a lot of talismans.

    Needless to say, magic tools and talismans need to be purchased with spirit stones and are considered external objects.

    In addition, cultivators have another way to exert their own strength, that is, spells.

    The grades of spells are divided into the same level as spiritual weapons, namely first level, second level, and third level.

    The only difference between them and spiritual weapons is that spells of different grades are not divided into subgrades.

    He was currently practicing Fire Control Spell, but it seems his talent was very poor in this area.

    For spells of the same grade, different people will achieve different results when practicing them.

    In the cultivation world, cultivators generally divide the results of Spell practice into four levels: entry, minor sess, major sess, and perfection.

    "Human energy is limited. If I practice this Fire Control Spell for a few months, will definitely seed in it, but subsequent practice of it will be harder"

    So, Luis just tried to practice other spells given by Han Mo and those Demon Cultivators. But it seems that he was very poor at practicing those spells.

    "This feeling again."

    Luis couldn''t help but sigh. It was like this; he didn''t seem to have much talent in this area, just like he didn''t have talent to be a wizard.

    He then approached Han Mo again to question.

    "Boss, you''re being too hard on yourself," Han Mo said reassuringly. "Compared to most, you''re progressing quickly. I''m well past fifty, and you''ve already surpassed me at fifteen."

    "For most Qi Refining cultivators, learning a spell isn''t difficult, but true mastery takes time."

    Han Mo continued. "Even those with lowprehension can pick up a first-level spell with enough practice. But you''re right¡ªour energy is limited. It''s better to focus on mastering one area than to be average at many."

    Reflecting on Han Mo''s words, Luis returned to his cabin.

    ''I don''t have poorprehension,'' he thought. ''Maybe I just haven''t found my true path yet.''

    Over the next few days, Luis devoted himself to exploring other techniques, testing out different approaches, and searching for the path that truly resonated with him.

    -------

    As they were sailing, the cargo ship became extremely noisy and chaotic.

    The panicked shouts of the knights reached Luis ears.

    "There is a huge boat flying towards us in the sky!"

    "So Huge!"

    "Shut Up! Stay Alert"

    Hearing themotion, Luis hurried out of his cabin, his expression serious. He was ready to open the vortex at any sign of real danger.

    Just then, Han Mo emerged and addressed the crew sharply.

    "Calm down! This is the Zhou family''s flying battleship from Guang''an Prefecture. I mentioned this to everyone already."

    Hearing this, everyone''s vignce rxed slightly. They have done some research before heading out.

    The flying battleship stopped above their cargo ship.

    Han Mo took out the small boat and flew until it was level with the flying battleship.

    He took a deep breath, sped his hands, and said in a deep voice,

    "I am the head of the Han Mo, a first grade alchemist. I am going to Zhou Main City to purchase supplies. This is my token."

    After saying that, Han Mo took out a ck token from his storage bag, injected spiritual energy into it, and threw it towards the flying battleship.

    The Flying Battleship is white in color overall, and it is unknown what material it is made of.

    Except for the visible exterior of the entire battleship, the interior ispletely shrouded in fog, making it difficult to see clearly, giving people a huge sense of oppression.

    The Flying Battleship is operated by a foundation building cultivator.

    After a few moments,

    A ck token flew out from inside the battleship.

    As soon as Han Mo received the token, a voice sounded from inside the battleship.

    "Alchemist Han, remember to stay on the designated course. Deviate, and the Zhou family won''t be responsible for any danger you encounter."

    "I''ll remember, Senior," Han Mo quickly bowed in response.

    "Boom!"

    Soon, in the eyes of everyone, the Flying Battleship quickly took off, made a roar, and disappeared into the sky.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Watching the huge battleship leave, Han Mo couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    He returned to his own cargo ship.

    "Boss, this is the reason I requested not to fly in the sky. Previously, I was lucky that I didn''t encounter the Flying Battleship; otherwise, I would be attacked by them."

    "Umm," Luis replied.

    "Didn''t you ask me before why we didn''t encounter any attacks from monsters along the way? That''s the reason." Han Mo said with a smile.

    Han Mo pointed at the flying battleship that had disappeared into the clouds in the sky.

    "You mean the Zhou family is protecting the waterway?"

    "Of course! Otherwise, Guang''an Prefecture''s wouldn''t be so prosperous."

    Luis immediately understood.

    The Zhou family is thergest and strongest family in the Guang''an Prefecture''s with a radius of 100,000 miles.

    The Zhou family, with its vast influence and immense strength, stood as a formidable force in Guang''an Prefecture.

    As powerful cultivators, they were capable of keeping the treacherous sea routes safe from monster attacks.

    Their control over the waterways not only ensured security but also allowed trade to flourish, reaping them significant wealth and power.

    For rulers like the Zhou family, stability was key to maintaining their stronghold.

    Yet, for those below¡ªthe ambitious and often restless lower ranks¡ªa hint of chaos was sometimes seen as an opportunity for change, a chance to carve out a new path in a world otherwise dominated by established powers.

    certainly.

    No one can provide absolute protection. After all, those monsters that are not of the highest grade have low intelligence and are no different from wild beasts. They don''t know where is safe and where is dangerous.

    Not to mention the so-called safe waterway; even the Zhou family''s base camp, Zhou Main City, these low-level monsters stimted by the blood of mortals dare to break in.

    "How great if I have this flying battleship. Brother, please stop me. I dare to attack the Moon Frost Province alone and avenge my father."

    Oliver, who was watching all this, couldn''t help but say with envy.

    "Uncle, you are already a foundation building cultivator. With the healing power of the body, you can survive any situation. But our enemy is not just the Moon Frost Province; it is the secret hand controlling the whole continent."

    Luis said to Oliver.

    "Yeah, Yeah. I know, but if we have enough money, I will definitely buy one of these flying warships."

 Chapter 105 Zhou Main City

    Fifteen dayster,

    Luis was retreating in the cabin, when an voice called out for him.

    "Boss, we''ve arrived at Zhou Main City!"

    Luis had a relieved smile after hearing this, in his life the thing he hates the most is long journey.

    After drifting in the sea for a full month, even though the Cargo Ship was not an ordinary cargo ship, but a modified cargo ship engraved with wind-gathering formations and water-avoiding formations, its speed far exceeded that of ships on Earth.

    Luis couldn''t stand it anymore.

    Without wasting a moment, Luis stepped out of the cabin.

    A scene of sails covering the sky appeared in front of him. Everywhere he looked, there were densely packed white sails.

    From time to time, there were cultivators flying in the sky with swords, leaving streaks of light.

    Luis knew that those escaping lights were all cultivators above the Foundation Building Stage because only Foundation Building can fly with a sword.

    Of course, if there is sword made by those goblins even a qi refiner can fly.

    At this time, the ships were lining up obediently to enter the port. If you have Foundation Builder you don''t need to line up.

    So, Luis Cargo Ship crossed the line and headed directly towards a separate port.

    A few momentster, the ship docked, and Luis stepped onto solid ground for the first time in weeks. But before he could savor the moment, a middle-aged man flew down on a sword, stopping just in front of them.

    "Wait. You''re new here. Show your identification," the man demanded, his gaze sharp.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "We''re from the Hartmann Family," Luis exined calmly. "We''re based on the outer edge of Guang''an Prefecture, here to register our family."

    The man snorted, crossing his arms. "A new cultivation family docking in the VIP port? That''ll be a fine of 5,000 spiritual stones."

    The middle aged man said as he looked at them coldly.

    Around them, workers and cultivators paused, watching the scene with interest. It seemed yet another neer was making the mistake of breaking the rules.

    Oliver who was looking at the scenery walked forward towards the middle aged man and forwarded his hand.

    "I am Oliver Hartmann, one of the foundation Builder of Hartmann Family"

    As he said this he released his aura slightly.

    The middle aged man was little stunned when he felt it. This Oliver really can hide his aura.

    His face was still expression less as he shook hands with Oliver.

    "Wee to Zhou Main City, Hartmann Family," he said with a slight nod. "I''m Zhou Tian. There''s no need for further registration¡ªI''ll arrange a family register pass for youter."

    With that, the crowd dispersed, realizing the Hartmann Family was no ordinary neer after all.

    With that said Zhou Tian flew towards the sky on his Sword. While on the sky he couldn''t he but nce at everyone from Hartmann Family, it seems there is new family rising in the outer corner.

    From the speech of Oliver, he figured out that there are more than 1 foundation builders.

    With the formalities handled, Luis and his group stepped off the dock and began walking through the port.

    It was extremely big, seeing the site Luis couldn''t help but get excited. This ce was extremely prosperous even prosperous than Hartmann Barony.

    In Luis view, the prosperity of Zhou Main City is more like a modern civilized coastal city than the ancient society in his previous life.

    First of all, the city does not have walls like those in ancient times. It is apletely open city.

    Secondly, there are too many buildings in the city, one after another, including houses, restaurants, inns, and shops. They are endless and numerous.

    But, he noticed some ves too.

    There was a group of mortals in strange clothes carrying sacks and loading goods onto the Cart without stopping.

    They were shackled and walked with difficulty, and behind every dozen porters there was a mortal warrior holding a whip, as if guarding them.

    Luis swept his spiritual sense and checked. Inside the sacks were filled with food.

    Han Mo, who was walking in parallel, followed Luis gaze and exined, "Those are mortal prisoners from Izumo Prefecture, bought by independent cultivators and small families to serve as ves."

    Luis''s expression hardened as he looked away.

    "ves! But what if one of these ves turns out to be a hidden genius? Wouldn''t that lead to bloody revengeter?"

    When Han Mo heard this he sighed heavily.

    "Boss, it has already happened. God Killing Rebellion, 600 years ago. Countless immortal cultivation families lost their inheritance at that time."

    "God Killing Rebellion?" Luis frowned as he questioned. If he had library he would read all the history but obviously there is none for now. All the information are told by Han Mo.

    "It''s happened before. Six hundred years ago, the ''God Killing Rebellion'' shook the Ten Thousand Star Sea. A ve, who called himself the Truth Seeker, gained incredible power from some unknown opportunity and waged war against the immortal ns for a hundred years. Eventually, the Qianyuan Sword Sect and several golden core families united to put him down."

    "So, are the cultivators not afraid of birth of another truth seeker?" Luis questioned

    "Of course there are some counter measure. Every year there are Spiritual Roots testing ceremony among the ves. If anyone has spiritual roots, they are taken care and even the parents of ves are freed."

    Luis considered this, then asked, "Wouldn''t it make more sense for them to encourage the mortals to reproduce freely, increasing the chances of finding spiritual roots among them?"

    Han Mo smiled and said, "Of course, we cultivators can do without food and drink, but mortals can''t. In addition to therge number of cultivators in the immortal cultivation n, the mortal poption in their n is also extremelyrge.

    Take the Zhou family for example. Their mortal poption is tens of millions. Such arge mortal poption cannot be supported by the food produced by Zhou Main City and surrounding ind alone."

    Then Han Mo began exining and Luis understood

    Most of the ves from Izumo Prefecture in front of us are serfs under the control of cultivation forces.

    Individual cultivators rely on these serfs to clearnds and grow crops, while therger cultivation ns use minimal spirit stones to trade for the food they produce. This arrangement allows both sides to gain what they need¡ªfood for the ns and spirit stones for the individual cultivators.

    For many wandering cultivators, this is one of the few reliable ways to earn spirit stones.

    Furthermore, many of the mortal prisoners of war from Izumo are martial artists. Without cultivators to keep them in check, there''s always the risk that these serfs could rise up in rebellion.

    With the words of Han Mo, Luis painted a picture of an extremely cruel world of cultivating immortals.

    Among these mortals, most men were sold as serfs, while women became tools for the various immortal Cultivators to reproduce.

    This is the sadness of the weak, and there is no difference in this Earth, Fantasy world or Cultivation World.

    "Being weak is a sin," Luis muttered as they walked.

    While they were having conversation they moved forward towards the inner city.

    As the group of them moved towards the inner city, Luis discovered that the number of cultivators was increasing. In the end, he could hardly see any mortals, and all he could see were cultivators.

    As the team continued to move forward, a tall city wall appeared in front of them.

    At the city gate.

    A Cultivator wearing a green robe with a fiery red spiritual bead embroidered on it blocked their way.

    "Stop. Pay the entry tax," he said, his tone formal.

    Han Mo stepped forward and handed over sixteen spirit stones¡ªone for each member of the group. The guard inspected them and nodded, waving them through.

    "Come in."

    The Zhou family cultivator waved his hand and let the group enter the city gate.

    Just stepped into the city gate.

    Luis seemed to have entered another world, and the concentration of spiritual energy suddenly soared by more than ten times.

    "This is."

    Seeing Luis shocked expression, Han Mo beside him exined: "This is the spiritual vein! There is a third-level spiritual vein buried underground in Zhou Main City, so we can feel the spiritual energy as soon as we step into the inner city."

    "Ok, lets go to an inn to stay."

    "Yes, it is necessary. Every night in Zhou Main City, Zhou family cultivators will clear out cultivators who don''t have the right to live here, so as to prevent casual cultivators froming here to steal spiritual energy."

    House rentals in Zhou Main City are divided into short-term rentals and long-term rentals.

    Short-term rental refers to an inn, and the rental period is generally less than one month.

    If the rental period is more than one month, cultivators will often choose to rent a cave from the Zhou family, because the price is cheaper than a short-term rental inn.

    As Zhou Main City has abundant spiritual energy, the prices of inns here are also very touching.

 Chapter 106 Investigation

    Luis and his group only booked 15 guest rooms for a period of ten days, and paid a full rent of 150 spirit stones, which means that each person needed an average of 1 spirit stone per day.

    This is just the inn with the lowest concentration of spiritual energy.

    It is rumored that Zhou Main City provides four levels of caves: A, B, C, and D. The living environment and spiritual energy concentration of each level of cave are different.

    Even, Han Mo doesn''t know the feeling of highest level A-grade cave.

    Certainly, The cultivators who can afford to rent a ss A cave caves are either the descendants of other immortal cultivation families, or independent cultivators with many spiritual stones.

    Ordinary Casual cultivators and children from small families wouldn''t even dare to think about it.

    ------

    The next day at the Market of Casual Cultivators.

    Luis who had finished his training early, was ready to investigate the Spiritual weapon market in Zhou Main City as nned.

    ''I hope i don''t encounter any trouble'' Luis thought as he became ready.

    "Zhou Main City is mainly divided into four areas: the core business district, the market for Casual cultivators, the cave rental area, and the residence of the Zhou family cultivators who are in charge of this immortal city.

    The areas we are mainly investigating today are the core business district and the Casual Cultivators Market."

    Luis began speaking with everyone and began implementing ns.

    Needless to say, the core business district is the most prosperous street in the entire Zhou Main City. Every inch ofnd here is valuable, and most of the shops are in high demand but priceless.

    If you want to buy a shop in this bustlingmercial district, spirit stones alone are not enough, you also need someone willing to sell it.

    Most of the shops in the coremercial district are controlled by the Zhou family and several major foundation-building families, and it is difficult for ordinary cultivators to get involved.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As for the market for Casual cultivators.

    It is amercial area mainly popted by Casual cultivators and small families.

    There are few shops here, and most of them are run by Casual Cultivators.

    Casual cultivators are generally very poor, with pockets cleaner than their faces, so their spending power is naturally far less than that of children from big families.

    However, although the personal wealth of Casual cultivators cannotpare to that of the children of big families, there are many independent cultivators.

    In terms of numbers, the number of Casual cultivators in the sea area within a radius of 100,000 miles is dozens of times greater than that of the family members.

    Therefore, the seemingly messy market for cultivators became the second most prosperous ce in the entire Zhou Main City, second only to the core business district.

    "Uncle Oliver, will alone enter the Core Business District and others will split up to speed up the investigation."

    Finally, he concluded. Other also nodded and agreed.

    Uncle Oliver headed towards Core Business District to search for shops while Luis rode on a cloud-stepping beast cart to head towards Casual Cultivators Market.

    Cloud-stepping beast cart is a gentle Beast which is tamed by a group of beast cultivation families.

    Luis in no time reached the Market. Just as he reached there arge group of Cultivators appeared in his sight.

    Compared with the streets in the core business district, the streets here are much wider. It is more like a rectangr square than a street.

    On both sides of the street.

    Countless Casual cultivators spread out a carpet, ced some goods on it, and started shouting their wares one after another.

    It looks quite simr to the flea market in the previous life.

    Inparison, the shops on both sides of the street were much quieter, and the casual cultivators seemed to prefer shopping at street stalls rather than going to shops.

    Luis thought about it and decided not to visit the more lively stalls of individual cultivators, but instead walked towards the deserted shops.

    "Tangbao Pavilion"

    Walking to a shop, Luis nced at the signboard and walked in with curiosity.

    It seemed like there had been no customers for a long time.

    When the owner of Weapon Pavilion saw a customering, he was stunned at first, then he put on a smile and trotted over.

    "My fellow Taoist, what would you like to buy? We have all kinds of magic tools, elixirs, magic talismans, magic rice, and various spiritual materials to choose from."

    When he saw the customer, the owner of Tangbao Pavilion introduced the business to him, as if he was afraid that Luis would run away.

    After listening to the shopkeeper''s introduction, Luis had a rough idea in his mind. This store was just a grocery store that sold basically everything, but he didn''t know what the specific goods were like.

    "I wonder how much the Spiritual weapons in your store are selling for?"

    "Spiritual weapon!"

    When the shopkeeper heard the word "Spiritual weapon", his eyes lit up. Big deal!

    "Different Spiritual tools have different prices. I wonder what level of Spiritual tool you want to buy?"

    "First-ss Spiritual weapons, three-grade swords, one for each of them.", Luis simply said

    Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist, please follow me upstairs."

    After saying that, he made a gesture of invitation and went up to the second floor.

    The shopkeeper asked the waiter to serve tea, while he personally got the Spiritual weapon for Luis.

    In just a few moments.

    ording to Luis request, the shopkeeper brought three sword boxes, which contained three swords ranging from low-grade to high-grade.

    "Fellow Daoist, please look!"

    The shopkeeper first opened the sword box on the far left, and a green sword with a shing cold light came into view.

    "This is a first-level low-grade sword, the Qingfeng Sword. This sword is extremely sharp. If you inject true energy into it, the sword light can reach two feet."

    Luis took the sword and injected Vortex energy into it. Suddenly, a sword light more than two feet long shot out from the tip of the sword.

    "how?" The shopkeeper questioned

    Luis did notment and looked at the other two sword boxes.

    The shopkeeper didn''t care and opened the second sword box.

    Suddenly, a silver light came into view.

    "This is a first-level mid-grade sword, the Silver Moon Sword, made entirely of Silver Moon Stone. This sword can not only generate a five-foot sword beam, but is also resistant to fire, making it the nemesis of fire magic!"

    Seeing that Luis was dissatisfied with the first sword, the shopkeeper quickly introduced the second sword.

    However, when Luis saw the second flying sword, he already had a vague idea of ??the Spiritual weapons sold in this shop.

    Without waiting for the shopkeeper to introduce it, he opened the third sword box himself.

    Sure enough,

    Luis face was full of disappointment, but he was very happy in his heart.

    "Shopkeeper, why are all the magic tools you sell second-hand? It seems to be used already"

    When Luis revealed the secret, the shopkeeper''s embarrassed look disappeared instantly.

    Luis was not talking nonsense. These three flying swords were all second-hand swords that had been used by others, and they had been used for at least five years. The spiritual charm on the swords had begun to dissipate.

    You know, the service life of a general first-level magic weapon is only about ten years.

    A Spiritual sword has been used for five years and has reached half of its service life. Even casual cultivators are unwilling to buy this kind of flying sword unless the price is extremely low.

    "Fellow Daoist has good eyesight,"

    Seeing that Luis had figured out the secret, the shopkeeper no longer concealed it, "The swords in our store are indeed the ones that were bought and exchanged by the children of the rich families."

    "Why?" Luis took a sip of tea and waited for the next words.

    "Taoist should know that my Guang''an Prefecture and Izumo Prefecture have been at war, and the demand for Spiritual tools on the front line has reached a critical point.

    That is to say, within the Ten Thousand Star Ind Sea, if it had reached the cities on the front line, swords of this quality, even if they were second-hand, would have been snapped up long ago!"

    Hearing this nonsense, Luis couldn''t help but sneer: "Why doesn''t the shopkeeper go to the front line to sell these swords? It will be more profitable"

    The shopkeeper said that and he believed it that there was a shortage of magical weapons at the front line. After all, Spiritual weapons normally have a service life, and fierce battles will drastically shorten their service life.

    Guang''an Prefecture and Izumo Prefecture have been fighting for hundreds of years, and it is obvious that there is indeed a huge shortage of magical weapons on the front line.

 Chapter 107 Demand Exceeds Supply

    Guang''an Prefecture and Izumo Prefecture have been fighting for hundreds of years, and it is obvious that there is indeed a huge shortage of Spiritual weapons on the front line.

    But to say that the frontline Cultivators would be willing to take any second-hand Spiritual weapon ispletely nonsense.

    Because the more the Cultivators fight on the front lines, the higher the requirements for the quality of their Spiritual weapons.

    After all, no one wants to lose their life on the battlefield because of the poor quality of the Spiritual weapon.

    Who dares to force the Cultivators on the front line to use these inferior second-hand goods? Aren''t they afraid that the Cultivators will revolt in a minute?

    Seeing that he couldn''t deceive Luis, the shopkeeper had no choice but to keep lowering the price of the Spiritual sword, until he finally reduced the price of the Spiritual Sword to 50 spirit stones, but Luis still refused to give in.

    "Since your store doesn''t have the Spiritual weapon I want, I won''t bother you any more."

    After saying this, Luis was about to leave.

    "Don''t waste your time, fellow Taoist,"

    Seeing that Luis was unwilling to buy the Spiritual Weapon in his store, the shopkeeper''s attitude also turned cold.

    "Whether in our casual cultivator market or the coremercial district, the probability of you being able to buy a brand new magic tool is too low."

    After saying this, the shopkeeper said no more.

    Luis didnt pause and walked out of the door but there was a smile on his face.

    -----

    "Fellow Daoist, you are joking. If you have a way to buy a brand new Spiritual weapon from a weapon refiner, our store is willing to buy it at the premium price."

    In another Spiritual tool shop in the Casual Cultivator Market, the shopkeeper sneered coldly.

    After hearing this, Luis was not angry, but smiled and said, "Goodbye!"

    These Cultivators loves to sneer a lot.

    Luis visited almost all the Spiritual weapon shops in the entire Zhou Main City.

    There is only one conclusion.

    The market for Spiritual Weapon in the entire Guang''an Prefecture is in a state of severe supply exceeding demand.

    Not to mention brand new Spiritual Tools, even second-hand ones of slightly better quality will be snapped up by casual cultivators in a very short time, and at normal Spiritual tools prices.

    Generally speaking, the price of a first-level Spiritual weapon ranges from dozens of spirit stones to hundreds of spirit stones.

    Even the most premium first-grade Spiritual weapon would usually not cost more than one thousand spirit stones.

    In short, ording to the results of Luis investigation in the morning, there is great potential in opening a Spiritual tool shop in the market to sell Spiritual tools.

    Moreover,pared with the difficulty in purchasing and renting shops in the coremercial district, the problem does not exist at all in the Casual Cultivator Market.

    Along the way, he even saw several empty shops waiting to be rented or sold!

    The reason was that the street vendors had taken up a lot of business from the shops.

    It would be fine if the things in the store were worth the money, but the key is that all they sell are second-hand and inferior goods.

    In this case, it would be better for Casual Cultivators to try their luck at street stalls, at least the prices there are cheaper.

    If you are lucky, you might even be able to buy some treasures at a low price from an independent seller who doesn''t know the value of the goods.

    It was already noon and Luis, Completed the investigation of the Spiritual weapon shops in Zhou Main City.

    Luis walked to those stalls and decided to check their products maybe he can find some treasure.

    The scene was exactly the same as fish market.

    If the items disyed on the stalls were not all various talismans, formation tes, spiritual minerals and the like used by cultivators, he would really feel like he was dreaming of returning to Earth.

    Shaking his head to get rid of the unrealistic thoughts in his mind, Luis walked towards a street stall.

    "I wonder how much you are selling this formation te for."

    The cultivator setting up the stall was a middle-aged man with a beard, who looked quite honest.

    Seeing a customering, the middle-aged stall owner with a beard quickly stood up from the meditation cushion, rubbed his hands.

    "Fellow Daoist, you have good eyesight. This array te is called the Wind and Thunder Formation te. It carries a small wind and thunder Formation inside. After activation, it can set up arge wind and thunder array within a radius of ten feet from you. It can trap and kill enemies, and has a certain protective effect. It can be said to be a veryprehensive magic weapon!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He pointed at a Wind and Thunder formation te with cracks on its surface and said, "I''ll give you a hundred spirit stones!"

    This kind of formation te was new to Luis so he decided to check it out first.

    "Can I try?"

    "Please!"

    The middle-aged stall owner with a beard was quite generous and waved his hand.

    Luis nodded, picked up the wind and thunder formation te and injected a stream of Vortex energy into it.

    Who would have thought that the wind and thunder array disk that was praised so highly by the bearded stall owner would only flicker a few times and then suddenly go out.

    Not only that, the entire formation te simply shattered along the cracks, turning into a pile of debris and falling to the ground.

    Luis, "....."

    Bearded stall owner, "....."

    The atmosphere was slightly awkward.

    Luis wanted to purchase this formation te simply because it was new to him. However, he didnt expect the Formation te to be so old and damaged.

    The bearded stall owner in front of him was clearly fishing. As expected, when the bearded stall owner saw that Luis had "broken" his Formation te, he immediately shouted righteously

    "Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by this? Why did you destroy my Formation te worth 100 spirit stones for no reason? I didn''t expect that Fellow Taoist, who is so young and handsome, would actually do such a thing!"

    Soon, The loud voice of the bearded stall owner attracted the attention of passers-by and stall owners around him. People gradually gathered around, pointing and watching the fun.

    "This damn Yang San is ckmailing people again!"

    "This little Taoist fellow looks quite unfamiliar. It''s going to be a good show to watch."

    "...."

    There were also some Qi Refining cultivators with higher cultivation levels who started to make a noise: "Yang San, I''m afraid that one hundred spirit stones are not enough for your formation te. You need at least one thousand spirit stones."

    Seeing some say one thousand spirit stones, Yang San became annoyed. He looked in the direction of the voice and found that it was Wei Laogai, a nearby stall owner who was at the ninth level of Qi Refining. This sight made him swallow his anger and reconsider his stance.

    This matter was getting bigger and bigger, maybew enforcement might arrive at any time now.

    With the intention of retreating in his heart, Yang San was no longer so tough. He waved his hands and said magnanimously, "Forget it, forget it. Judging from your young age, you must be a junior who has just entered the immortal path. I won''t make it difficult for you."

    Pretending to be polite, Yang San continued, "Besides, I agreed to let you try out the Wind and Thunder Formation te, so I am also half responsible for this matter. How about this, youpensate me with fifty spirit stones and let this matter go?"

    Luis was watching all the drama silently. Instead of encountering a treasure, he met a fraud first.

    "Kid! Pay quickly. Don''t think I can''t teach you a lesson in Zhou Main City!"

    After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and pretended to teach Luis a lesson.

    But Luis just looked at him quietly, not moving his body at all.

    Seeing his look, the bearded man named Yang San was in trouble.

    Taking action in the Zhou Main City would mean provoking the Zhou family of Guang''an Prefecture. Even if the bearded stall owner had a hundred and eighty courage, he would not dare to do so.

    Now, he was in a dilemma, not knowing whether to take action or not.

    Coupled with the constant booing from the people around him, Yang San felt like he was in a difficult situation.

    The situation was at a stalemate.

    Soon, the Zhou family''s patrol andw enforcement rushed over.

    "Make way! Make way!"

    "Make way! Thew enforcement team is here!"

    "Make way!"

    After a moment, two Cultivators from the Zhou family''sw enforcement team, wearing green robes with Fire Spirit Pearl patterns on them, pushed through the crowd and squeezed in.

    "What''s going on? What is happening here?"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 108 Monsters

    Seeing the cultivators from thew enforcement team, the bearded stall owner''s face suddenly changed, and he quickly bowed and made up a lie.

    "It''s okay, it''s okay; I was just joking with this little brother!"

    "Is that so?"

    The cultivator from thew enforcement team looked at Luis and asked.

    Luis nced at the bearded stall owner and saw that he looked like he was begging for mercy.

    "We had a small dispute over the price of the spiritual weapon. It''s nothing serious."

    Seeing that the victim was willing to settle the matter peacefully, the cultivators from thew enforcement team were unwilling to pursue the matter further.

    Before leaving, the older cultivator from thew enforcement team warned the bearded stall owner, "Yang San, don''t cause trouble here, or your luck won''t be as good as this time!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Yes, yes, yes! It''s my negligence."

    With a nod and a bow, Yang San sent the two cultivators from thew enforcement team away.

    Seeing that there was nothing exciting to watch, the crowd gradually dispersed and the hawking sounds from the surrounding stalls resumed.

    "Brother, thank you for what you did just now!"

    The bearded stall owner bowed solemnly to Luis.

    "Don''t be in a hurry to thank me. Let me ask you, Where did you get this wind and thunder array?"

    Luis pointed at the debris on the ground and asked.

    Upon hearing this, a look of embarrassment shed across the Yang San face.

    After a while, he shook his head and said, "I''m sorry, I can''t tell you about this. But..."

    Yang San paused and said, "If I am not mistaken, you are not a casual cultivator, right?"

    "oh?"

    Luis became interested when he heard this and asked withoutment, "How did you know that, fellow Daoist?"

    "In the situation just now, if it was a novice cultivator, he would definitely panic. I see that you are not afraid at all, which shows that you have extraordinary confidence.

    Feder Daoist is so confident at such a young age, I guess you must be from a certain family, but I wonder if you are from the Wu, Zhao, or Yang family."

    Although this bearded man named Yang San looks rough, he is actually a very meticulous person.

    At this moment, he actually started to inquire about Luis background.

    The three immortal cultivation families he just mentioned are the most famous foundation-building families in the sea area within a radius of 100,000 miles, except for the Zhou family.

    "No need to test me, Fellow Daoist. Let me tell you, I am from the Hartmann family, a new foundation-building family."

    Hearing this, Yang San became more respectful.

    As if he had made up his mind, Yang San whispered in Luis ear, "Fellow Daoist, are you interested in the method of refining the wind and thunder array?"

    "Indeed, I am somewhat interested. Our family intends to train weapon refiners in recent years, and we are collecting the methods of refining various magical weapons."

    "Don''t me me, fellow Daoist. I was just reckless just now!"

    As he spoke, Yang San bowed deeply to Luis.

    Luis naturally would not bother with the other party for what happened just now; otherwise, he would not have let the other party go when the Zhou family''sw enforcement cultivator was here.

    In return, Yang San also knows what to choose at this moment.

    He took out a jade slip from his storage bag and said, "Fellow Daoist, please take a look. This is the method for refining the Wind and Thunder Array te."

    Hearing this, Luis took the jade slip in his hand and began to investigate it with his spiritual sense.

    The next moment, arge amount of information about refining array tes and magical instruments flooded into Luis''s sea of consciousness.

    ''It''s the same as the memory injected by Vortex''

    But because he had been cheated once, Luis was extra cautious this time.

    After careful examination, he found that what was recorded in the jade slip should be true.

    Luis said calmly, "I wonder how much this jade slip is worth."

    Hearing this, Yang San raised five fingers and said, "I see that you are sincere in buying it. The price is 500 Spiritual Stones!"

    After saying this, Yang San looked at Luis nervously.

    Five hundred spirit stones is a huge fortune for a casual cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, so Yang San couldn''t help but be nervous.

    If it were outside Zhou Main City, many cultivators would take risks for this money.

    Seeing Yang San''s thief-like appearance, Luis had a smile on his face.

    Just as Luis reached into his storage bag, Yang San''s face changed.

    "Stop! Fellow Daoist. Let''s go to an inn first. Otherwise, I will die."

    Trading openly in the street market, Yang San doesn''t dare.

    Five hundred spirit stones is not a small number. If they are ced on the ground, they can be piled up into a small mountain. If the transaction is done openly, it will inevitably attract the attention of thieves.

    In line with the principle that less trouble is worse than more trouble, both of them carefully chose to trade in the inn. After Yang San finished the transaction, he bowed to Luis and left the Casual Cultivator Market.

    After the transaction was done, Luis was very happy.

    With this good mood, Luis continued to go shopping in the street market.

    Just when he was about to walk into a stall.

    "Wooooooooooooo!!!"

    A shrill rm suddenly sounded throughout the Zhou Main City.

    Listening to the shrill and rapid rm sounding in his ears.

    Luis raised his head unconsciously and grabbed an old man, "Senior, this is..."

    "It''s the rm of the monster attacking Zhou Main City!" With this said, the old man ran away.

    "Monsters attacking the city?"

    Hearing this, Luis was a little confused. Isn''t Zhou Main City a strong city? Why is it attacked?

    "My ship! No, my ship will be destroyed!" A man panicked and ran towards the port.

    Luis face changed a little, and he also ran towards the port.

    Not only him, all the other cultivators who reacted quickly rushed and headed towards the outer city of Zhou Main City.

    Hundreds of thousands of cultivators from Guangzhou Prefecture, one group after another, rushed to fight the monsters.

    Without time to sigh, Luis followed the crowd and rushed towards the port. When Luis found his own ship, he found that his uncle was already standing on the deck of the cargo ship.

    "Uncle! What''s the situation?"

    "Look there! Mermaids are attacking the city along with some other sea monsters."

    "Mermaids?"

    There really were low-level monsters with some mermaids mixed within them.

    Asrge numbers of cultivators continued to arrive, the two sides actually confronted each other on the narrow coastline of Zhou Main City.

    Looking at the endless group of monks in front of them, Luis felt relieved.

    Because their cargo ships were parked in VIP Section rtively close to the inside, and there were arge number of ships blocking their way outside, at this moment, all these cargo ships became their natural barriers.

    Although the cultivators standing in the front were cursing in their hearts, they had to swallow their anger in order to protect their own cargo ship.

    Certainly, at the forefront are the cultivators of the Zhou family.

    After all, Zhou Main City is their territory, and it is their responsibility to protect the peace of Guang''an Prefecture.

    Han Mo and the other knights also arrived at the cargo ship at this time.

    "It seems that the Yang family is going to smile so hard this time." Looking around, Han Mo couldn''t help but say.

    The Yang family he mentioned was thergest foundation-building family in the sea area with a radius of 100,000 miles, and its status was second only to the Zhou family of Guang''an Prefecture.

    Seeing everyone''s doubtful expression, Han Mo exined,

    "The Yang family is thergest cargo ship trader in the nearby waters. I''m afraid that many fellow Taoists'' cargo ships will be destroyed in this monster attack. How can the Yang family notugh?"

    As soon as the words fell.

    A piercing scream pierced the sky.

    "Ah!!!!"

    Hearing this scream, Luis felt his heart pounding, and then he felt like vomiting.

    Seeing this, Luis quickly circted the Vortex qi in his body, and then he suppressed the nausea.

    Others were the same, and Oliver was not affected.

    "This is a high-level mermaid!"

    Han Mo said with a pale face.

    After the sound, the monsters rushed towards the Zhou Main City like madmen.

    Because the number of monsters was sorge, it even caused a tsunami.

    Seeing the terrifying power of the tsunami, all the cultivators present changed color.

    The front line position, At this moment, all the Zhou family cultivators who were at the forefront had gloomy faces.

    The leading Foundation Building cultivator shouted, "Zhou family disciples, listen up! Form a formation to resist the enemy!"

    -----

    I don''t have any drafts saved. It''s so hard.

    Reading other people''s novels, is this it?

    Reading my own novel, what the hell is this ?

 Chapter 109 Water Spirit bead

    Now that the mermaids havee to attack, the Zhou family cannot retreat.

    Otherwise, the reputation that the Zhou family has built up in the ocean area of 100,000 miles over the past thousand years would be destroyed.

    In just a few moments, an extremelyrge formation was set up in front of the coastline.

    All members of the Zhou family held their breath, waiting for the monster to attack.

    "Sword formation! Start!"

    At themand, flying swords pierced the sky, forming an extremely powerful sword formation, and killed the surging group of monsters.

    It seemed that there were only the surging monsters and the brilliant sword formation rising from the ground in this world!

    "Boom!!!"

    In the blink of an eye.

    The sword formation and the tsunami collided with each other, causing a loud noise like the collision of heaven and earth.

    In just a moment, the sea water was dyed into blood, andrge numbers of monster corpses floated on the sea.

    Luis and the others watched this with no tension on their faces.

    "That sword formation seems very good. If we have a chance, we can buy one. Combined with our knight method, it will be very strong."

    Oliver said with a smile. He had no concern about the monster attack.

    "The Zhou family is really strong."

    Luis, who was on the cargo, sighed when he saw the Zhou family cultivators fighting against the sea monsters.

    What Luis saw was the Zhou family''s powerful strength, and this strength was not only reflected in the strength of each individual member of the Zhou family.

    At the moment.

    The strongest wave of attack gathered by the monsters was defeated by the Zhou family, and the only thing left was to strangle the scattered monsters.

    These fearsome monsters fled in all directions. No matter how desperately the mermaids behind them howled andmanded them, it was of no use.

    "Low-level monsters are just low-level monsters. Even if their numbers are staggering, they won''t cause any trouble in the end."

    Han Mo sighed, looking at the Zhou family members.

    Just one collision and the monsters werepletely defeated.

    Next, the Zhou family cultivators and the Casual cultivators cleaned up the fleeing monsters.

    Compared to defeating arge group of monsters, this cleaning work seems to be moreborious.

    Because these monsters are so good at running around, the Zhou family cultivators must ensure that not a single one escapes. Otherwise, if the monsters enter the river, it will pose a great threat to the mortals.

    After all,pared with cultivators, mortals have no ability to protect themselves when facing monsters.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Fortunately, the Port of Zhou Main City is full of sailboats. At this moment, these sailboats have be a natural protective barrier for the ce.

    It was almost impossible for the scattered monsters to cross these ships and enter the ind waterway of City.

    On the cargo ship.

    The knights stood side by side with swords in their hands.

    Originally, Luis thought that he could kill a monster with his own hands, but now it seems that they can only watch the battle for fun.

    Although it was impossible to count the number of monsters, one thing was certain: there were definitely not as many as the cultivators present.

    In addition, most of the monsters were killed by the Zhou family cultivators, so it is conceivable how many were left when it was their turn to take action.

    "I hope one runs into our area."

    Han Mo hearing this was speechless.

    Boss was acting like a traditional cultivator.

    Cultivators practice seclusion all year round, and having great power but being unable to use it will cause problems over time.

    This is also the reason why cultivators often fight fiercely over a disagreement.

    At this moment, everyone on the cargo ship turned and looked into the sea.

    "Tiger-eye fish! It has arrived here," Han Mo said, recognizing it through his spiritual sense.

    It is a strange fish about ten feet long with a bloody head and four eyes.

    "What a beast!"

    Luis immediately injected Vortex Qi into his sword and attacked the tiger-eye fish.

    The sword light shed on the flying sword, and it only circled in the sea once before breaking out of the water.

    After a while, a stream of blood surged up from the sea, and next to float to the surface was the corpse of the monster that Han Mo called the tiger-eyed fish.

    This monster called a tiger-eyed fish has been broken into two pieces.

    After thinking about it, Luis used his vortex qi to pick up the tiger fish corpse from the sea and hang it in front of him to observe it carefully.

    "Is this the monster? It''s so weak!" Luis murmured.

    As soon as Luis finished speaking, more monsters swam towards the location of the cargo ship.

    Not far away, other cultivators also discovered a monster in the sea and eximed.

    "Damn it, what the hell did the Zhou family and the people in front do? Why did they let the monstere here?"

    The cultivators aroundined bitterly and started killing the monsters.

    "Luis, go kill them. I will watch the ship," Oliver began giving orders.

    Luis nodded and looked at everyone.

    "Use your flying sword and stay in formation. Don''t let any monsters near the ship."

    With this said, Luis rode on his flying sword and headed towards the monsters. However, he was pulled back by Han Mo.

    "Boss, this is a first-orderte-stage demon beast, the Blood-spotted Sea Snake, whose cultivation is equivalent to that of a cultivator in thete stage of Qi Refining. Poisonous Very Poisonous. I have a detoxification pill."

    Han Mo took out a transparent emerald green pill and gave it to everyone.

    "Ok! But I don''t think it is necessary to go near this monster. Just attack it with sword energy."

    Luis and the other knights flew above the monsters and attacked with countless sword energies.

    However, Blood-spotted Sea Snake was extremely cunning and instantly his inside the sea.

    "Somewhat Intelligent" Luis sensed the snake with its spiritual sense; it was heading towards his cargo ship for a sneak attack.

    It was heading towards its death.

    Oliver, at this moment, unsheathed his sword and threw a swordsh.

    The sword was snow white all over, and the sword light was nearly ten feet wide. Even if they were hundreds of feet away, everyone could feel the cold aura and terrifying power emanating from this sword energy.

    "Hiss!!!"

    Facing this sword, the blood-spotted sea snake with its body erected also felt the fatal threat. It twisted its body desperately to avoid the edge of the sword energy.

    However, it was futile. This blood-spotted sea snake, which was more than twenty feet long and about ten feet in diameter, was beheaded.

    This was just one of the monsters; there were still four blood-spotted sea snakes in the distance causing trouble.

    "Oh! My ship! Die beast! Die!"

    A cultivator in the team went crazy upon seeing his ship being destroyed and madly controlled his sword to attack the blood-spotted sea snake.

    However, his cultivation level was only the third level of Qi refining, and his sword was not powerful enough. Even if he was angry, how much damage could he cause to the monster?

    Luis, at this moment, arrived and bombarded the snake with his sword energy. This snake was cunning, and he didn''t let it hide in the sea this time.

    The other knights were the same. They quickly killed the monsters.

    "Dead!"

    "Great! Monsters finally dead!"

    "Dead, finally dead!"

    "...."

    Except for the monk whose cargo ship was destroyed, who had a drooping face, everyone else was celebrating and was overjoyed.

    They looked at the Luis group flying in the air with awe.

    Luis didn''t care about them but looked toward the dead snakes.

    "This snake is full of treasures. This snake demon''s corpse is barely worth one thousand spirit stones. Poison Sac, Monster Core, everything is a treasure," Han Mo began giving information.

    Luis nodded and looked towards the distant sea.

    "Han Mo, why are those mermaids attacking this ce? Mermaids are an intelligent species." Luis pointed towards a mermaid and said.

    "I have not been to this ce for many years, but I think it is due to the water spirit bead."

    Han Mo began to inform him about the water spirit bead.

    Water Spirit Pearls are a unique cultivation resource that is abundant in the Zhou Main City.

    This spiritual bead has the effect of filtering and purifying spiritual energy.

    In other words, when cultivators absorb spiritual energy that has been filtered and purified by the Water Spirit Pearl, the efficiency of refining spiritual energy will increase significantly, thereby speeding up their cultivation.

    Of course, this kind of treasure also has a time limit for use.

    Generally speaking, a first-level water spirit bead can only be used for a month at most before it loses its ability to purify spiritual energy and bes just an ordinary pearl.

    "Get straight to the topic. Are the water spirit beads stolen from mermaids?"

 Chapter 110 Zhou Mubai

    "There are mermaids in the South Sea, living in the deep sea. Their voices can bewitch people''s minds. They are good at raising spirit shells and controlling sea beasts."

    Luis nodded hearing this and motioned for Han Mo to continue.

    "It''s because of this Water Spirit Bead. Zhou Main City is thergest Water Spirit Bead breeding farm of the Zhou family in Guang''an Prefecture, but if you want to breed Water Spirit Bead, you must capture female mermaids.

    Every year, the Zhou family''s shark-catching fleet captures female mermaids in the nearby waters. It seems that this year the Zhou family has stirred up a ho''s nest in a mermaid tribe again."

    Speaking of this, Han Mo revealed a hint of gloating in his tone.

    Han Mo have always been rather hostile to therge immortal cultivation ns. It''s not that he dislike them, but therge immortal cultivation ns upy too many cultivation resources, resulting in grudge.

    Just as Han Mo finished narrating an old man in ck Robe waved towards them.

    "I am Wei Sahai, nice to meet you fellow Taoists! Thank you for saving my boat"

    The ck-robed old man Wei Sahai formally bowed to them.

    Luis and the others quickly returned the greeting. You cant hit a smiling face.

    "I am the stall owner of Casual Cultivator Market and have many connection if fellow Taoist need any help i will try my best"

    Wei Sahai was really grateful, his boat which was almost destroyed was saved by Luis.

    After some pleasantries, the rtionship between the two sides became more harmonious.

    Seeing this, Luis couldn''t help but ask around about the rental and sales situation of shops in the Casual Cultivator Market.

    Compared to the Luis group and Han Mo, Wei Sahai, who has been hanging around in the Casual Cultivator Market for many years, obviously knows the specific situation of the Casual Cultivator Market better than them.

    After listening to Luis narration, Wei Sahai frowned, shook his head and said, "I advise you not to buy the shops in Zhou Main City."

    "Why is that?", Oliver on the side frowned.

    Wei Sahai looked at Oliver, then at Luis, and exined.

    "To be honest with you fellow Taoists, the ind where I practice cultivation does have some spiritual mineral resources, but I have not yet opened a store in the Casual Cultivator Market. Do you know the reason?"

    Luis and Oliver looked at each other and questioned, "Please give me some advice, Fellow Taoist"

    "It''s not the case that I can give you advice,"

    The ck-robed old man Wei Sahai waved his hand and said, "The Casual cultivator market in Zhou Main City is different from the coremercial district. Most of the customers here are Casual cultivators and children of small families, and their purchasing power is weak.

    If we open a shop, the cost of goods will rise sharply. In this case, why don''t casual cultivators choose to buy at the stalls?"

    As a veteran who has been hanging around the cultivator market for many years, Wei Sahai''s words were extremely sincere.

    If he had not seen Luis and his group extraordinary potential and wanted to make friends with them, he would never have tried to dissuade them.

    After hearing these words,bined with Luis own market research on the market for independent cultivators, he knew that Wei Sahai was not talking nonsense.

    "To be honest, In my family there is a weapon refiner, so I want to open a Spiritual weapon shop in the Zhou Main City."

    "Fellow Daoist, are you telling the truth?"

    The old man in ck robe was stunned at first, then looked doubtful.

    Seeing Wei Sahai''s doubtful look, Luis did not exin, but Oliver on the side demonstrated his foundation building aura.

    "Fellow Daoist is actually a Foundation Builder. How disrespectful!"

    Wei Sahai seeing this became extremely respectful. He was just a 6th stage qi refiner.

    "So, as you said you are a veteran her. Can you introduce a shop to us"

    "Don''t worry, my Taoist friends, I will introduce the shop owner to you when we return to the marketter. I will take care of this matter." Finally, Wei Sahai patted his chest and promised

    Just as the few people were talking, there seemed to be new changes on the battlefield on the front line in the distance.

    Frontline battlefield.

    After the Zhou family defeated the tide of monsters, the mermaids, unwilling to ept defeat, personally took action andunched an attack on the Zhou family.

    Thanks to the Cultivators'' amazing eyesight. Even though they were hundreds of miles away, they could clearly see the appearance of those mermaids.

    The appearance of mermaids is almost the same as that of humans, and the male mermaids are exceptionally strong, with their exposed muscles giving off a bronze luster under the sunlight.

    Female mermaids are extremely beautiful and look adorable, and each one of them is a delicate beauty.

    certainly.

    The premise is not to look at their lower body.

    Regardless of gender, the mermaids have lost all human characteristics from the waist down, and instead have fish tails that are about ten feet long.

    Seeing this scene, Han Mo couldn''t help but sigh: "It is said that the mermaids have the blood of human ancestors. I didn''t believe it before, but now seeing their appearance, it is notpletely groundless."

    Luis didn''t care whether he was a merman or not. What he wanted to do now was to open a shop in the Zhou Main City and let Hartmann Family be in charge of the shop.

    Then he use Vortex to connect weapon refining workshop here, mass-produced Spiritual instruments, and used industrial productivity to plunder the wealth of Guang''an Prefecture.

    As for the war between the mermaids and the Zhou family, who cares?

    Not to mention that the Zhou family could easily crush the invading mermaids. Even if the Zhou family couldn''t win, didn''t they still have the Qianyuan Sword Sect above them?

    In this world, the human race is the absolute overlord.

    In addition, no matter whether it is monsters or alien races, they cannotpete with human cultivators.

    In the battlefield.

    Among the mermaids, a middle-aged mermaid with an extremely strong physique and a resolute face walked out of the group on the waves.

    opposite.

    A young man in a white robe, with a handsome face and a graceful demeanor, stood before him.

    The man in white stood tall and straight, with a three-foot long sword on his back, standing in the air.

    Even though they were hundreds of miles apart, Luis could still feel the strong aura emanating from the other person.

    "Who is that?"

    Upon hearing this, Wei Sahai''s expression becameplicated.

    "Guang''an Sword Immortal Zhou Mubai!"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "He is Zhou Mubai?"

    Luis is very familiar with the name Zhou Mubai. This man name is very resounding.

    He established his foundation at the age of twenty-four, and broke through to the Late stage Foundation Building in less than fifty years.

    You know, the lifespan of a Foundation Building cultivator is as long as three hundred years.

    This means that Zhou Mubai has more than 200 years to break through the Golden Core stage.

    If nothing unexpected happens, Zhou Mubai has a great chance of breaking through to the Golden Core stage, and is also hailed as the cultivator with the greatest hope of bing a Golden Core Cultivator in Guang''an Prefecture in the past five hundred years.

    Luis looked attentively at Zhou Mubai. He wanted to see how the genius would fight.

    Just when everyone was staring intently.

    The battle on the front line has begun.

    However, since the distance between the two sides was too far, Luis and others'' spiritual sense could not detect such a long distance, and relying on their eyesight, they could not keep up with the speed of the fight between the two sides.

    Oliver however raised his eyebrows, he was a foundation building cultivator.

    All Luis could see was the shing sword lights and the constant roaring sounds in the sky.

    He didn''t expect that in a battle of this level, he wouldn''t even be qualified to watch.

    Luis even saw that the row of ships in the front werepletely destroyed in the aftermath of the battle between Zhou Mubai and the high-level mermaid.

    The Cultivators who were watching the battle looked as if they had seen a ghost and fled in panic.

    With Zhou Mubai and the high-level mermaids as the center, no one dared to approach within a radius of ten miles.

    Atst.

    Apanied by a sword light about a hundred feet long, the high-level mermaid fled with injuries, and the entire mermaid tribe also fled in all directions.

    Another Foundation Builder was about to chase, but was stopped by the pale-faced Zhou Mubai.

    "Third uncle, there''s no need to chase!"

    "Mu Bai, are you okay?"

    Seeing Zhou Mubai''s pale face, the cultivator whom he called third uncle immediately became nervous.

    Zhou Mubai is the most talented cultivator among the younger generation of his Zhou family.

    The old man whom Zhou Mubai called his third uncle could not help but me him: "Mubai, what''s the point of fighting one-on-one with this alien race? Howe you and I teamed up to take him down just now and got injured?"

    After the reprimand, the old man showed a distressed expression again, "Are your injuries serious?"

    "Third uncle, don''t worry, it''s just a minor injury."

 Chapter 111 Prodigy List

    Zhou Mubai shook his head.

    "My Zhou family captures mermaids every year. The mermaids have always resented my Zhou family. If we don''t follow the rules and kill that high-level merman this time, I''m sure the mermaids and my Zhou family will have no room for maneuver."

    "So what if there is no room for maneuver? Do we, the Zhou family, still fear a mere merman?"

    The third uncle was very disdainful.

    Seeing his third great uncle''s attitude, Zhou Mubai hesitated to speak, and finally shook his head and stopped talking.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Not only the third uncle, but all the cultivators of the Zhou family felt that the Zhou family was invincible in the sea area within a radius of 100,000 miles, and they looked down on everyone.

    Zhou Mubai knew clearly that this mentality of his nsmen was not a good thing for the Zhou family.

    In recent years, the several major foundation-building families, headed by the Yang family, have be increasingly estranged from the Zhou family.

    As far as he knew, the Yang family had been secretly uniting with other foundation-building families to build another immortal city topete with the Zhou Main City, which was at its peak.

    However, due to the distribution of interests and fear of the Zhou family''s power, the alliance talks have not been smooth.

    -----

    After the fight ended Luis and the other headed towards the city along with Wei Sahai.

    With the help of Old man Wei Sahai they bought a shop on Casual Cultivator Market.

    Two dayster.

    In a restaurant in Zhou Main City.

    "Fellow Daoist Wei, thank you for your help in purchasing the store. My Hartmann family is grateful."

    Oliver raised his ss, toasted Wei Sahai and said with a smile.

    "No, no, we are all friends, it''s just a small matter, it''s just a small matter!"

    Wei Sahai quickly picked up the wine ss and said with a smile.

    Within two days, the "small matter" of the mermaids attacking Zhou Main City had long been settled.

    In the market for casual cultivators, the topic of discussion gradually shifted from this war to the discussion about Guang''an Sword Immortal Zhou Mubai.

    While drinking and exchanging cups.

    The atmosphere at the table gradually became heated.

    Luis who was drinking normal juice on the side couldn''t help but sigh,

    "The Zhou Main City is really expensive for every inch ofnd. I didn''t expect the prices of the shops in this casual cultivator market to be so high!"

    "yes!"

    When Wei Sahai heard this, he agreed deeply.

    He had spent the longest time in the Zhou Main City Casual cultivator market and had the deepest feelings there.

    "In fact, the shops in the Casual Cultivator Market are rtively good. A medium-sized shop can be purchased for only one thousand spirit stones at most. The most outrageous ones are the shops in the coremercial district."

    Talking about the exaggerated store prices in the core business district, Wei Sahai shook his head.

    Hearing this, Luis asked calmly, "Are the shops in the core business district very expensive?"

    "expensive?"

    Wei Sahai smiled and said, "The shops there are more expensive than just the word ''expensive'', although the prices on the market are only ten times more expensive than those in the shops in Casual Cultivator Market.

    But the truth is, the shops there are not essible even if you have money, as they are all controlled by the Zhou, Yang, Wu and otherrge immortal cultivation families.

    It would be extremely difficult for ordinary Cultivators and small families to intervene."

    Maybe he drank a little too much, Wei Sahai started to talk more.

    In addition, he had a lot of dissatisfaction towards the immortal cultivation families in his heart, and at this moment he actually went to Luis and the others to confide in them.

    "For example, the restaurant under our feet is owned by the Wu family, a great immortal cultivation family. In the Casual Cultivator Market, more than 90% of the restaurants, inns, pawnshops, and shops are controlled by the immortal cultivation families.

    In the core business district, this ratio reaches an exaggerated 10%.

    We, the independent cultivators and disciples of small families, are clearly the most numerous, but we get the least. How unfair! "

    At the end of his speech, Wei Sahai mmed the wine ss heavily on the table.

    Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

    After a while.

    Luis then said quietly: "Old Man Wei, you are drunk. Talk a little appropriately."

    Hearing this, Wei Sahai broke out in a cold sweat and sobered up a little.

    The people in front of him are also from a Foundation Building Family and even the foundation builder is sitting with him. Although, the man doesn''t show any arrogance of strong man.

    It is not a wise thing to loudly criticize the immortal cultivation n here.

    "Sorry! Sorry! I get a little emotional when drunk"

    Although almost all Casual cultivators are dissatisfied with the great immortal cultivation families, not a single one dares to openlyin about it.

    Because all the Casual cultivators with such courage disappeared silently.

    Seeing this scene, Luis quickly brought up other topics to avoid the embarrassment of a dull silence.

    Half an hourter.

    The banquet was over and it was alreadyte.

    Luis and his group walked back to the inn side by side in silence.

    After returning to the inn, Luis and Oliver stayed in a room.

    "Uncle, let''s go in and talk?"

    "Luis, since the store is ready, I will stay in the store and leave the family affairs to you. You can connect the temporary vortex to Fantasy World and through the Permanent Vortex in the military base there you can enter the Hartmann Ind."

    The words fell.

    Oliver took out a seal from his storage bag.

    "This is the seal given by Zhou Tian to me. I will give this to you."

    "Um."

    Luis took the seal and nodded seriously.

    After a while, Luis rxed and looked towards Oliver.

    "Uncle do you want to be in Foundation Building Prodigy ranking like Zhou Mubai."

    "I am already old. It would be better if my son could enter it." Oliver said not caring much about the ranking.

    "Haha! Uncle you are below the age of 50. Much younger than Zhou Mubai, if you show some of your potential you will definitely enter it."

    "Zhou Mubai... a sword cultivator has good strength."

    These two days, they are very familiar with the name Zhou Mubai.

    Zhou Mubai is in the Ten Thousand Star Ind Prodigy List.

    Ten Thousand Star Ind Prodigy List is one of the list made by all the forces in the surrounding sea.

    There are twoplete lists, namely the Foundation Establishment Prodigy List, and the Golden Core True Prodigy List!

    "In my Opinion this list is simply to take advantage of the cultivators'' desire to be famous."

    In the Ten Thousand Stars Sea, thergest group of cultivators are the Casual cultivators, followed by the descendants of the major immortal cultivation families.

    Most of the Cultivators are attracted to fame and fortune after being on the prodigy list. So, this prodigy list also brought entertainment to the boring Cultivation Life.

    To most of the cultivators, the idea of ??bing an immortal is nothing but an illusory dream.

    In addition to bing an immortal, the second major goal pursued by cultivators is naturally longevity.

    If one wants to achieve immortality, one cannot escape the pursuit of skills and various cultivation resources.

    However, most of these things are upied by the immortal cultivation ns in Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    If ordinary cultivators want to obtain arge amount of cultivation resources, the only way left is to go to the battlefield and gain military merit, apart from snatching food from the great immortal cultivation families.

    When a cultivator achieves the goal of immortality, he cannot just live in emptiness, practicing all day long just for the sake of practicing, right?

    The monk will naturally begin to pursue other things.

    For example, beauty, material enjoyment, and what cultivators value most - reputation!

    In the world of immortal cultivation, the higher the level of cultivators, the more they value reputation.

    The two Prodigy List just happen to satisfy the cultivators'' desire for "fame".

    "Ok! Stop talking about all this. You will take the Cargo Ship to the Sea tomorrow and use the Vortex."

    "Yes"

    "The Soul Refining Furnace must be fully operational till now. Once it is brought here, we will offend those family who sell second hand trash Spiritual Weapon. I will make a report and be sure to give it to my brother." Oliver began giving instructions seriously.

    "Yes"

    "I wont say much but there should be dy of 10 days. Don''te back too quickly. As a foundation builder i notice many eyes watching us secretly."

    "Dont worry uncle. You can rest assured, i will not be in trouble. If there is irresistible danger i will just hide in Fantasy World."

    "Good"

    Both of them talked for some time before heading to sleep.

 Chapter 112 Mermaid Encounter

    The next day.

    Zhou Main Port Terminal.

    "It''s a long journey back to Hartmann Ind, I wish you a safe journey!"

    "Um."

    Luis nodded, "Uncle, please take care of yourself. I will return in 10 days at most."

    Oliver smiled and didnt talk more.

    Half an hourter.

    On the stern deck.

    Luis waved to Oliver, whose figure gradually became blurred, and turned back to the cabin.

    The cabin of the Cargo Ship is divided into three floors.

    The first and second floors are warehouses and have thergest area. The third floor is the passenger cabin, which is used for crew members to live.

    Luis lived on the third floor in a luxurious single room.

    Seven dayster.

    Luis was lying on the deck sleeping facing toward the sun.

    Cultivators are very strong, so ording to the n he will travel the ocean for three more days.

    At this time.

    A sad and beautiful song rang in his ears, and Luis felt dizzy.

    "not good!"

    Luis bit his tongue hard and regained consciousness instantly.

    He immediately opened the vortex and made other Hartmann Knights escape through it.

    As for him, he rushed toward the deck and scanned the surrounding with with his spiritual sense.

    Looking down from a high altitude.

    In the sea below the Cargo Ship, ck shadows were swimming one after another at the bottom of the water, so densely packed that their number was countless.

    Most of these shadows were more than ten feet long and were obviously not human.

    As he was watching a silhouette appeared from the sea.

    In the sea, a sturdy figure with a human body and a fish tail appeared in front of him, stepping on the surging waves

    Following next to this muscr figure was a petite figure.

    "It''s you!"

    Seeing this person in front of him, Luis eye shrank a little. He summoned the vortex just centimeters behind him.

    The Cargo Ship was controlled by an invisible force and had stopped sailing.

    The waves hit the bow of the Ship, making a sshing sound.

    In front of the bow of the Ship.

    A middle-aged man with a strong build, bronze muscles and a resolute face was walking on the waves, looking down at Luis who was standing on the bow deck.

    ''Fuck! should i fight. It is injured''

    The mermaid in front of him seemed to have suffered serious injuries. There was a huge gash on his chest, and the sword energy was running through it, making the wound difficult to heal.

    The mermaid in front of him was the one who had fought with Zhou Mubai, the pride of the Zhou family, in Guang''an Prefecture nine days ago.

    The two sides just stared at each other quietly.

    After a long time, Luis bowed a little.

    "I am the young master of the Hartmann family in edge of Guang''an Prefecture, Hartmann Ind, Luis Hartmann, and I am honored to meet you, senior."

    Luis greeted slowly after the merman didnt attack him immediately.

    He estimated that this merman had a cultivation level of at least thete stage of foundation building.

    Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to fight Zhou Mubai who is on the Prodigy List effectively.

    "Humph! Human cultivator why is your ship outside of Safe Sea Zone. Why don''t you follow the Zhou Route."

    A hint of fear shed in the merman eyes. Although his eyes changed quickly, Luis still caught it out of the corner of his eye.

    Luis said with a hint of sadness, "It''s because i am alone in this ship and don''t know how to operate it properly."

    The Merman slowly lowered his body, looked at Luis, and said, "Did youe from Zhou Main City?"

    "Senior, I sailed here from Zhou Main City seven days ago."

    Luis bowed.

    The middle-aged merman nodded withoutment, and then seemed to have discovered something, and waved his hand gently.

    A Silver ore flew out from the cargo hold of the Cargo and was held in his palm. It was the Mithril that the knights had stored in the ship.

    "Human Cultivator, what is this?"

    The middle-aged mermaid asked, holding the Silver ore.

    "Senior, this is called Shiny Silver ore, a kind of spiritual ore."

    Luis answered every question and was very well behaved.

    "Is the weapon in your hand made of Shiny Silver ore?"

    The middle-aged merman pointed at the Flying Sword in Luis hand and continued.

    "Senior, the sword in my hand is indeed made of spiritual ore, but it is not just Shiny Silver ore, but several other spiritual ores."

    Hearing this, the middle-aged mermaid and the petite female mermaid next to him looked at each other and nodded; "You are quite honest, unlike other human cultivators who are cunning and deceitful."

    "Thank you for thepliment, senior."

    The middle-aged merman waved his hand.

    "Let me ask you, don''t most of you human cultivators from small families go to Zhou Main City to sell spiritual ores? Why did you buy so many spiritual ores? There are a lot in your ship."

    "Senior, since there is a weapon refiner in my family, I need to buy spiritual ore to refine magic weapons." Luis said after some thoughts.

    "Is the weapon in your hand the spiritual weapon you mentioned?"

    He pointed at the Flying Sword in Luis hand and asked.

    Luis decisively handed over the Flying Sword and said, "That''s right, senior, please take a look."

    The middle-aged merman waved his hand and the Flying Sword flew towards him.

    He took the Flying Sword, handed it to the female mermaid beside him, and said, "Luo''er, you try it."

    "Yes, father."

    The female mermaid named Luo''er took the Flying Sword and injected a magical power into it.

    Suddenly.

    The Sword flew from her hand and both of the mermaids were startled.

    The sword actually flew without true essence. Only Foundation Builders who converted True Qi to True Essence Can Fly unless used special treasure like Flying boat.

    "This... can fly" The female mermaid asked with shock.

    She flipped the sword around carefully and looked at it.

    At this moment she noticed the sharpness of Sword.

    "What a sharp weapon."

    The female mermaid sighed, "If our tribe had such sharp weapons, the Zhou family would not be able to capture the sisters so easily and wantonly."

    Talking about the female mermaid captured by Zhou family''s mermaid catching team, the mermaid named Luo''er in front of her had a cold face.

    Luis said nothing and just looked at them quietly.

    "Father, do you think we can..."

    "you mean"

    Faced with the two peoplemunicating in front of him, Luis had no choice but to wait quietly.

    After a few moment.

    The middle-aged merman spoke again: "Human Cultivator, we have a business that we would like to discuss with your family. I wonder if you are interested."

    "I wonder what business you are talking about, senior?" Luis said reluctantly

    After all, the middle-aged merman was the leader of the n, and he could see the reluctance in Luis eyes at a nce.

    "Human Cultivator, we the mermaids are not like you humans, and we will not do such things as forced buying and selling. You can rest assured about this!"

    "That''s good"

    Luis said cautiosuly.

    He still acted humbly although his father has already arrived just opposite the vortex and was ready to appear the merman attacked him.

    Unexpectedly, the other party waved his hand and said, "Take a look at the price we offer first."

    As he said this, he nced at the female merman Luo''er beside him.

    The female mermaid named Luo''er immediately nodded in understanding and dived into the sea.

    Few minutester.

    Luo''er stepped on the waves and appeared in front of the two again. This time, when Luis saw the things in her hands, his eyes suddenly lit up.

    Spiritual shells, spiritual ores, and the spiritual stones that the Hartmann family is currently in greatest need of!

    "As long as you agree to this deal, we the mermaids will have as many of these things as you want."

    The middle-aged merman looked at Luis and said.

    Seeing these treasures, Luis immediately stopped pretending to be cautious and said excitedly,

    "Senior, please tell me what business you want to discuss!"

    You can''t me him for changing his expression faster than turning the pages of a book; it''s just that the price offered by the other party was too high.

    "I want to buy the Spiritual Weapons from your family."

    Luis was silent hearing this.

    The middle-aged merman also stood quietly.

    After a moment''s silence, Luis shook his head and said, "Senior, I''m afraid I can''t agree to your request."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Hearing this, the middle-aged merman hadn''t spoken yet, but Luo''er on the side became anxious: "Why is this? Do you think the price we offer is not enough? If so, we can..."

    Before the other party finished speaking, Luis smiled and shook his head.

    "That''s not the case with girl."

    He paused and said, "After all, you mermaids and my human race belong to different races. If you mermaids buy Spiritual tools from our Hartmann family to kill my human race.

    Regardless of whether our Hartmann family can justify this on a conscience level, the human forces of the sea will definitelye to kill our family immediately."

 Chapter 113 Partner

    After hearing Luis exnation, the middle-aged man and the female Mermaid named Luo Li were both silent.

    There is no room for negotiation because of race difference.

    "Aren''t you afraid that I will kill you?"

    Seeing this, the middle-aged merman threatened vaguely.

    "You cannot kill me."

    Having said that, Luis looked at the other party with confidence.

    Seeing that Luis suddenly became stubborn, the middle-aged merman felt a little embarrassed.

    Deep down in his heart, he does not want to be enemy with this human.

    In his spiritual sense there were 9 Humans, but suddenly they were reduced to only 1 human in front of him. This Human has great secret.

    Not just the human in front of him, he doesn''t want to be enemy with any of the humans.

    After all, the human race is the absolute overlord of this world. His mermaid race can''t even defeat the normal Zhou family, let alonepete with a behemoth of human race.

    It''s just that sometimes you don''t want to be enemies with others, but they just want to bully you.

    For example, the Zhou family of Guang''an Prefecture.

    In order to cultivate Water Spirit Bead, they did not hesitate to capture mermaid women and even imprisoned mermaid men as studs, allowing them to reproduce and serve as ves for the Zhou family for generations.

    For hundreds of years.

    The mermaids have rebelled countless times, but each time ended in failure.

    This time, the mermaids'' resistance was thergest in scale, but was still easily defeated by the Zhou family.

    Just a Zhou Mubai was a mountain for them.

    In desperation, the middle-aged merman had to lead his people to relocate to avoid capture by the Zhou family.

    Because of this, they met Luis cargo ship halfway.

    After a long time.

    The middle-aged merman said quietly, "I can swear on behalf of my Luo n of Mermaids that I will never use the Spiritual weapon sold to us by your Hartmann family to kill any human disciple. I will only use it to protect Mermaid n."

    The Great Oath!

    Luis was moved when he heard this oath. He obviously recognizes the Heaven Oath.

    Seeing the middle-aged merman make such a vow, Luis estimated that the time was about right.

    If you continue to force the other party, it might backfire.

    After thinking for a while, Luis asked, "Since you mermaids don''t use Spiritual weapons to deal with us humans, why do you insist on buying Spiritual weapons?"

    Hearing this, Luo Li on the side said unhappily:

    "Do you think every race lives as easily as you humans, without any external enemies? We, the mermaids, live in the deep sea, where there are so many monsters and alien races. If we don''t have force to defend our people, the only thing that awaits us, is destruction."

    After saying that, the eyes of the beautiful mermaid woman dimmed.

    This time, the Zhou family forced the entire n to migrate, and there will inevitably be a war with other races in the underwater world. Who knows how many brothers and sisters will die by then.

    Thinking of this, Luo Li became even more depressed.

    Luis has never been to sea in fantasy world as the Northern Wastnd is not connected to it. However, he recognizes the danger of the deep sea in every world.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Pretending to think for a moment.

    Luis nodded, "Okay, since your mermaid race is not buying weapons to fight against our human race, then this deal can naturally be done, but the specific price needs to be discussed carefully."

    As he spoke, Luis took out two swords from his storage bag, one was a low-grade first-level sword and the other was a mid-grade first-level sword

    "Take a look."

    Luis handed over the swords.

    The two took the swords and examined them carefully.

    Luo Li frowned and said, "You, these two weapons are worse than the other. They are not as good as the one you showed before."

    Hearing this, Luis smiled and said, "Of course, the prices of Spiritual tools vary with their grades."

    As he said this, he looked at the middle-aged merman and said, "For example, the Spiritual weapon that injured the senior is absolutely astronomically expensive!"

    Hearing this, the middle-aged merman thought of the sword used by Zhou Mubai and nodded in agreement: "If it is that weapon, it is indeed a priceless treasure."

    Hearing this, Luo Li''s beautiful eyes lit up, and she asked expectantly, "Does your Hartmann family have that kind of treasure to sell?"

    "Miss, you are joking. Besides, even if my Hartmann family has a Spiritual weapon of this level, I am afraid you can''t afford the price."

    "That''s true."

    Luo Li''s voice gradually became quieter.

    Seeing that the topic had been diverted by the other party, Luis quickly turned the topic back and said, "You two, these three Spiritual weapons are respectively a first-grade low-grade, a first-grade middle-grade, and a first-grade high-grade Spiritual weapon.

    Their prices are 500, 1000, and 2500 spirit stones respectively. No matter how much you want we can provide."

    Luis said in one breath.

    "Also, the High grade Sword can fly on it''s own once True Qi is injected. No need for True Essence."

    Both mermaids nodded they have already seen it.

    Just as he was about to ept the merman''s bargaining, Luo Li said happily: "This weapon can be bought for only 500 pieces of this broken stone? This is too cheap!

    And this flying weapon only costs 2,500 stones. Are you afraid of us and deliberately lowering the price?"

    Hearing the price, Luo Li immediately developed a liking for Luis.

    She felt that all humans were same evil, butpared to those evil people in the Zhou family, the young man in front of her was simply a great good man.

    Hearing this, Luis felt that he seemed to have underestimated the wealth of the underwater world.

    Not only him, all the cultivators in Ten Thousand Star Ind may have overlooked the huge wealth of the deep sea world.

    But if you think about it carefully, there is nothing you can do about it.

    The cultivators said they were able to fly and hide underground, but Luis knew clearly that low-level cultivators simply did not have the ability to go to the underwater world to mine.

    ording to Luis understanding, this world is obviously different from the spherical world in his previous life. In terms of vastness, it is countless timesrger than the Earth.

    Simrly, the depth of the sea water in this world is many times greater than that in the previous life.

    In this way, the pitiful true energy of the low-level cultivators is simply unable to withstand the terrifying pressure brought by the deep sea.

    Therefore, developing the underwater world has be nonsense.

    The mermaids are different. They have special racial talents that allow them to survive freely in the underwater world, which is something othernd races cannot envy.

    Thinking of this, Luis eyes looking at Luo Li suddenly became extremely eager.

    "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"

    Luo Li felt a little frightened when Luis looked at her, and said with some embarrassment.

    "Ahem, Miss Luo, what you said is wrong."

    Luis coughed and cleared his throat, "Maybe in the eyes of senior and Miss Luo, the price of the Spiritual weapon is low, but we have already made money from you by selling it to you at this price.

    So Miss Luo, there is no need to think that I lowered the price of the Spiritual weapon because I was afraid of you."

    Luis looked so businesslike that Luo Li didn''t know how to respond.

    "Okay! Since both of us are satisfied with the price of the magic weapon, let''s trade at this price."

    The middle-aged mermaid made the decision.

    "Okay!"

    After reaching a preliminary cooperation intention, the atmosphere between the two sides immediately rxed.

    The middle-aged merman pointed at the merman woman next to him and said with a smile.

    "This is my daughter Luo Li. From now on, she will represent my Luo family and be responsible for the magic weapon transactions between our two families."

    After saying that, the middle-aged mermaid gave a look to Luo Li next to him.

    Luo Li nodded in understanding, and pulled hard on her waist, removing a bloody scale.

    "Human Cultivator, this is my life scale. With it, you can contact me from any location within a radius of ten thousand miles."

    Luo Li said with a pale face.

    Luis took the blood scale and looked at it carefully.

    "Hello, Hello Can you hear me." Luis put the life scale near his mouth and whispered.

    Luo Li blushed a little seeing Luis behavior.

    "Yes, you can put it back for now."

    Luis looked at her as he silently put it back into the storage bag.

    "Once we have settled our people, we wille andplete the transaction with you."

    The middle-aged merman looked at Luis quietly, "Human Cultivator, when the timees, I hope you won''t lie to us."

    [I am thinking of making Luo Li the Female Lead. What do you guys think?]

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 114 Industrial Zone

    "I don''t tell lies." Luis smiled at the merman.

    "That''s good!"

    After saying that, the middle-aged merman and the merman woman named Luo Li jumped into the water with a "ssh" and disappeared.

    Looking down from a high altitude.

    The dark group of mermaids under the sea gradually moved away and finally disappeared.

    Half an hourter.

    Luis who was basking on the sun lowered the anchor of the cargo ship and headed inside the Vortex.

    -----

    Fantasy World

    Hartmann Permanent Vortex Military Base

    After Luis arrived here all the knights stood still and saluted him.

    "Greetings, Boss!"

    "No need to greet me, everyone."

    Luis waved his hand and looked towards his father.

    "That merman had an uneasy face, he must have noticed something through his Spiritual Sense." Felipe said to Luis.

    Luis nodded deeply as he walked along with father.

    "Father, some ns needs to change now. We will trade both with mermaids and humans. Humans dominatend, Mermaids dominate sea." Luis yed with his flying sword as he spoke.

    "Also, For mermaids to y freely some modification should be made. In sea flying wont help much."

    Felipe didnt say anything, let his son handle everything.

    "Father, lets go to the Hartmann Ind in Cultivation World."

    ----

    Sirius Gang Meeting Room.

    There was a little conflict going on between the trade between them and Mermaids.

    Some supported trading with mermaids while some strongly disagreed.

    Seeing the conflict getting bigger and bigger, Olivia interjected.

    "This matter is already final, Luis has already agreed with the Mermaid n."

    After hearing Olivia, the room became silent. In term of military, in the barony Felipe is supreme but in management no one dares to go against Olivia.

    "Blogs, you will try to create a Spiritual Weapon which will be suitable to use in the sea."

    "Yes, Miss Baron." Blogs, the Blue Goblin replied.

    Olivia waved her hand and said, "Luis and Felipe stay, the others can leave first."

    Everyone looked at the three heads, then looked at each other and said, "I will take my leave."

    Wait until everyone leaves.

    The only people left in the meeting room were Luis, Felipe and Olivia.

    "Luis, in these 1 month you were gone we have already taken control of the whole ind. All the kingdom were abolished and only the Hartmann Family rule remains."

    Olivia said with a smile, Hartmann family knights are already very strong and taking this ind under control was very easy.

    "What about Pipi and industrial zones?"

    Luis has not seen pipi for more than month and he missed her a little.

    "She is with her little fairy friends. They stay with the Tree men most of the time." Olivia said, "You can meet herter, she misses you. Also cky is with them."

    "As for industrial zones it is already built. Blogs is in charge."

    After that Luis talked with them for some more time before heading out.

    ording to his priority he first headed towards the spiritual field where Pipi is staying.

    As he reached there, he instantly noticed the difference the spiritual energy here was very dense and different kind of trees and nts were thriving. The most being Spiritual Sunflower and Spiritual Moonflower.

    ording to his instinct, these normal trees should be tree men too.

    As he walked deeper, fairies came and surrounded him.

    They began to tug his hair and shout at him with a pout.

    Luis obviously couldn''t understand them.

    "Cuties, can you tell where is Pipi"

    The fairies nodded and pointed towards east direction. Luis followed them and finally saw Pipi.

    "Pipi"

    Pipi rushed toward eyes full of tears after seeing him.

    Luis felt a little sad after feeling her emotions. It seems she has missed him a lot these one and half month.

    "Ok, ok. don''t cry. I will take you with me this time."

    Since, birth she has always been by his side so long departure of him made her sad.

    "Pipi" Her mood was instantly lifted.

    "Let''s go to the Industrial Zone. After everything is done here i will take you with me"

    After that he and pipi headed towards the industrial zone.

    For this he rode on his cky.

    However, the industrial zone was not here. It was made far away from town and viges.

    It is a huge factory and it is not suitable to make near human poption as there will be problem of expansionter on.@@novelbin@@

    He enjoyed the scenery as he rode on cky.

    After more than 3 hours, he reached the industrial zone.

    Blogs, the blue goblin was there to receive him.

    "Wee, Boss."

    Luis looked at Blogs with a smile and said, "Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."

    Hearing this apology, Blogs was immediately ttered and said, "Why do you say that, Boss? I also just arrived here."

    "Take me around this ce."

    "Yes, Boss."

    After that Blogs took him around the ce where some young men were being led by old men and some blue goblins.

    "Are these the apprentices you found?"

    "Yes, Boss."

    "These young men can read and write, and they are all very smart. They should be able to work perfectly here."

    "Hmm, once they are loyal. You can send them to the vortex and give them qualification."

    This was the n, he and his mother nned. Once people are judged to be loyal they are given the qualification of two worlds.

    Few momentster.

    "Squeak!"

    Pushing open the heavy bronze door of the underground fire room, Blogs turned around and said, "Boss, Come in."

    Luis came in after hearing this.

    As he approached the underground fire room, he felt a wave of heating towards them.

    Luis saw a group of people inside working on machineries.

    "Is this the new underground fire room?"

    Underground fire is the ce where a fire burns in underground and Cultivators mostly refine the weapons here. They were lucky to find one here.

    For mortals this ce may be unbearable but Blogs and the ministers of Barony chose this ce as Industrial Zone.

    ncing at everyone, Luis looked straight to the silver-white soul-melting furnace ced in the center of the underground fire room.

    "Blogs, only 2 people are needed to operate one Furnace. Why are there so many people here?"

    "These are for training young master. They are trained to operate to the furnace. Qualified stays others are eliminated."

    "We need Furnace Operators and they are difficult to train among."

    He paused and said, "A soul melting furnace will be equipped with two workers, a filler and a furnace operator.

    The filler is responsible for screening, weighing, and proportioning the spiritual ore before cing it into the feed port. The furnace operator is responsible for controlling the temperature of the melting furnace, refining the spiritual ore, and transferring the refined products out of the furnace in a timely manner.

    "As you can see from the operation process, the job of the filler is rtively simple and anyone can do it, but the job of the furnace operator is difficult.

    The furnace operator not only needs to adjust the temperature of the melting furnace ording to the time, but also needs to take out the finished materials from the furnace at the right time. Otherwise, the spiritual ore will be waste after being refined in the furnace for a long time."

    After listening to Blogs narration, he immediately realized the importance of furnace operators.

    And as expected, no one wanted to be a filler, and everyone rushed to the position of furnace operator, especially after it was announced that the monthly sry of the furnace operator was three taels of silver, which was twice that of the filler.

    "Hmm, It is indeed to hard to be Operators. Why is there no Knights on this position." Luis questioned.

    Blogs smiled wryly after hearing this.

    "Boss, ording to the Baroness, the knights will be stationed across various inds in this world once they''re under control.

    She believes that tasks manageable by regr people should be left to them. We knights shouldn''t be taking their jobs. Just a few knights overseeing the work should be sufficient."

    Luis nodded after hearing this. It seems mother has already begun to n to capture the surrounding small ind.

    Then, Luis spent some of his time in the underground fire room, watching the fifteen young men control the soul-melting furnace.

    Next, He walked out of the underground fire room to look at other ces in the industrial Zone.

    The environment here is not very friendly to the workers. There were not much infrastructures here.

    Although, there were underground fire room here most of the Soul Furnace were built on factories.

    The internal structure of the factory is total of ten separatepartments, each of which is about 100 square meters.

    All thepartments are connected to each other, making it convenient for workers to move from the previous workroom to the next.

    In eachpartment there was Soul Furnace energy supplied by Spiritual Sunflower, Moonflower and the Underground Fire Room.

    "Impressive. Do you have a name for this industrial zone?" Luis was very satisfied after roaming around the ce.

    "Yes, it''s called the Hartmann Industrial Zone," Blogs immediately replied.

    "I had a better name in mind, but since it''s already named, let''s leave it as it is."

 Chapter 116 Transactions II

    "Let''s go meet them!"

    Luo Li gave an order and swam towards the sea first.

    The mermaids are extremely fast in the sea.

    In just a few breaths, this group of mermaids swam to the surface of the sea.

    As soon as Luo Li swam out of the sea, she saw Luo Li and Biggs. She carefully used her spiritual sense to explore the surroundings.

    When Luo Li found that there was no one else around except two humans, she couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

    "Human Cultivator, you are really brave. You dare toe here with only two people. Aren''t you afraid that we will kill you and swallow your weapons?"

    Seeing Luis being so calm while standing among the dozen mermaids, Luo Li felt a little shock in her heart.

    If it were a merman being surrounded by a group of human cultivator like this, it would have been trembling with fear.

    Hearing this, Luis smiled and said, "I know that the mermaids are the most honest. I am willing toe here with few people because I value the honesty of the mermaids.

    Besides, trading between you and me is a win-win situation, why would you harm me? You don''t intend to trade with me just this once, do you?

    After all, Spiritual weapons have a lifespan. You live in the deep sea for a long time, so the lifespan of your Spiritual weapons may be even shorter. Would the mermaids give up their long-term interests just for the sake of a few hundred flying swords?

    So, why should I be afraid? "

    Luo Li originally wanted to overwhelm the opponent with her momentum, but she didn''t expect that Luis could easily destroy the momentum she had built up with great difficulty with just a few words.

    Looking at Luis with a smile on his face, Luo Li opened her mouth, and finally said depressedly: "As expected of a human cultivator, he is really eloquent."

    "Thank you Miss Luo for thepliment!"

    Luis smiled, "But we should make the deal as soon as possible, so that our two races can feel at ease."

    Hearing Luis mention the deal, Luo Li immediately put aside her previous depression and asked excitedly: "How many weapons did you bring this time?"

    Biggs beside Luis didnt say anything and directly took out hundreds of spiritual swords from the storage bag.

    Suddenly.

    The sea was shining with light.

    When the mermaids saw the sharp flying swords in front of them, their eyes turned red.

    Seeing her nsmen looking so ignorant, Luo Li felt even more ashamed in front of Luis.@@novelbin@@

    "Ahem!"

    She couldn''t help but cough softly, but the honest mermaids had no time to guess what the princess was thinking. All they were thinking about at the moment were the weapons in front of them.

    "Your Highness, if we could have these weapons, I don''t know how many casualties our people would have avoided in the battle with the Demon Ape Tribe."

    A male merman took a flying sword, injected some true qi into it, and murmured.

    Hearing this, Luo Li''s heart also became hot. She looked at Luis and said, "Human cultivator, is this all you have made?"

    "Yeah, this is too little, there''s not enough for all the nsmen!"

    "Yeah, that''s too little!"

    The other mermaids also echoed.

    "First, Let me see what you can offer. I have ships stationed outside which can bring more weapons. Spiritual Ore can also be used for exchange."

    "Spiritual ore?"

    Luo Li seemed to remember something, and took a piece of spiritual ore from one of her subordinates, the merman, and asked, "Is this the spiritual ore you mentioned?"

    "right!"

    When Luis saw the spiritual ore in Luo Li''s hand, his heart skipped a beat. It turned out to be a second-level spiritual ore, pure gold.

    Luo Li was not stupid. When she saw Luis eyes changing, she knew that the spiritual ore in her hand was of extraordinary value.

    Her heart was moved slightly, and she asked, "If I trade this spiritual ore with your Hartmann family, how much can you offer?"

    The market price of second-level spiritual ore in Guang''an Prefecture is generally more than ten times that of first-level spiritual ore. The refined gold in Luo Li''s hand is one of the most expensive second-level spiritual ores.

    Its price is several times that of ordinary second-level spiritual ore.

    As far as Luis knew, in the spiritual ore market of Zhou Main City, the price of refined gold was about 300 spiritual stones per catty(600 grams).

    Moreover, there is often a shortage of demand for the minerals, so you need to ce an order in advance from the seller of the minerals, or buy it at an auction house.

    Although the reserves of second-level spiritual ore in Ten Thousand Star Ind are still abundant, they are almost all controlled by sects andrge immortal ns, and it is difficult for small families and individual cultivators to purchase them.

    Seeing Chen Daoxuan didn''t say anything.

    Luo Li couldn''t help but move closer and asked, "Human cultivator, how much is this spiritual ore worth?"

    Perhaps because the distance was too close, Luis could actually smell a faint fragrance emanating from Luo Li.

    Hearing Luo Li''s question, Luis came back to his senses and said,

    "I''m sorry, Miss Luo Li, I really didn''t expect you toe up with such a precious spiritual ore. I lost myposure for a moment."

    After a pause, he continued, "The spiritual ore in your hand is a second-level spiritual ore, Refined Gold, and its price is about one hundred spiritual stones per catty."

    Luis then took the Refined Gold from her hand and weighted it, "This piece of Refined gold is not light, it weighs about ten kilograms."

    Hearing this, Luo Li''s eyes lit up: "You mean, this piece of spiritual ore is equivalent to 1660 spiritual stones."

    "That''s right."

    Luis nodded but if it was in Zhou Main City, it would be 4980 spiritual stones.

    Hearing this answer, Luo Li was overjoyed.

    The spiritual ore in her hand was mined by the mermaids from a vein on the Demon Ape Mountain.

    However, before the mermaids could mine much, they were driven out of the mine by the water demon ape.

    Although Luo Li kept saying that the flying swords refined by Luis were cheap, in fact, their mermaid tribe did not have many spirit stones in stock.

    The reason for such embarrassment is that the mermaids hurriedly evacuated from their previous home and did not carry many spirit stones with them.

    After all, spirit stones are of little use to the mermaids.

    Even though the mermaids also need to use spiritual energy for cultivation, the little spiritual energy in the spirit stone is not even a drop in the bucketpared to the huge amount of spiritual energy needed for the mermaids to cultivate.

    Naturally, the mermaids would not bring a lot of such useless "waste" with them during their migration.

    Now the only spirit stones left in the hands of the mermaids are the ones that their leader was far-sighted and knew that spirit stones seemed to be very important to the human race, so he forced his people to take some of them with them.

    At this moment, all the mermaids were stroking the weapons in their hands, and could not help but be grateful for the tribe leader''s vision and foresight.

    Luis looked at Luo Li''s pretty face, which was slightly red and very excited, and said thoughtfully: "Miss Luo, regarding the cooperation between our two tribes, I have a small suggestion."

    Luo Li was very happy at this moment. She raised her jade-like little hand and said, "Tell me now."

    "I don''t know much about the deep sea world, and the mermaids don''t seem to know much about our human world either. How about this, I will give you a picture guide of various rare minerals and elixirs in our human world.

    If you make any discoveries in the deep sea world, you can trade with us. Of course, we can discuss the specific price at that time.

    Anyway, we won''t let you, the mermaids, suffer any loss."

    Luo Li seemed to have a good impression of Luis.

    She smiled and asked, "Where is the illustrated guide?"

    Biggs took out a jade slip from his storage bag and handed it over.

    Luo Li took the jade slip and stuffed it directly under the two spirit shells on her chest, which made Luis turn his head slightly.

    Luo Li didn''t care. She pped her hands and said, "Okay!"

    "Well," Luis said with a smile, "In that case, i will tell you the specific number of weapons."

    "High level flying swords is numbered at 250, each costing 2000 spiritual stone. Mid level flying swords is numbered at 750 each costing 1000 spiritual stone."

    He looked at her as he pointed at the pile of swords, "Exchange it with spiritual stone equivalent to 1.25 million spiritual stones."

    Luo Li face changed a little when she heard the number. She really didnt have so many Spiritual Stones, it could only be exchanged through the Spiritual Ores.

    "We have a lot of these Refined Gold and other Spiritual Ores, we will exchange with it."

    As she said it the Mermaids and Merman began to take out different kinds of resources from the huge scallops of the deep sea.

    "You can calcte the Spiritual stones based on these ores from the deep sea. We mermaids will not deceive you"

    Luis took a quick look with his spiritual sense and said straightforwardly: "Miss Luo has misunderstood. How could I doubt the integrity of the mermaids?"

    (end of chapter)

    [I didnt expect the Spiritual Stones to go more than million. Just think of it as a little amount for Hartmann Family or mermaids from the deep sea with abundant resources.]

    [I need more than 800 subscription before the end of month so i will upload 2/3 chapters a day please support]

 Chapter 118 Ores Sale

    The next day

    "Thank You, Sir for doing business with us. Please Come again next time."

    At the entrance of the Zhou Family Treasure Pavilion, a Zhou Family foundation-building cultivator smiled and bowed to Luis and Oliver.

    "It was pleasant doing business with you, i will return next time."

    Luis returned the greeting and said modestly.

    The Zhou family foundation-building cultivator nodded and said in a polite tone, "Please take care, both of you."

    Luis and Oliver walked out of the gate of Zhou Treasure Pavilion.

    Not long after the two left.

    A young cultivator in the store came forward and asked in a low voice: "Uncle, why are you so polite and bowing to those mere small family cultivators? Wouldn''t it be a loss of dignity for our Zhou family?"

    Who knew that when the foundation-building cultivator heard this, he nced at the young cultivator of the Zhou family, frowned and said: "Guanghua, you must remember that when doing business in Zhou Main City, substance is more important than appearance.

    The two cultivators just now were indeed not very skilled, one is at Foundation Building, and the other was only at thete stage of Qi Refining. But do you know how much profit this business of theirs can bring to my Zhou Family Treasure Pavilion?"

    The young monk named Zhao Guanghua shook his head in confusion.

    The Zhao family foundation-building cultivator held up four fingers and said, "A profit of more than Seventy thousand spirit stones!"

    "More than 70,000 Spirit Stones!!!!!!", Guanghua shouted in disbelief.

    He had not expected that just two cultivators from small family could have such a lucrative fortune.

    The fact that the Zhou Family Treasure Pavilion was able to earn a profit of 70,000 spirit stones proved that these two had at least negotiated a business deal worth millions of spirit stones with the Zhou Family Treasure Pavilion.

    "They sold Refined Gold at price of 280 spiritual stones per catty. They sold us 3572 catties(2143.2 kg) in average we will make profit of 20 when it is sold to market."

    "So much"

    "So, when doing business in Zhou Main City, you can''t judge people by appearance, and you can''t judge the size of the business based solely on the customer''s strength and family.

    We have millions of cultivators in Guang''an Prefecture, among which there are at least tens of thousands of foundation-building cultivators. Among so many foundation-building cultivators, how many can have the wealth of these two people?

    Besides, do you know the background of these two people? "

    "What the uncle means is..."

    The Zhou family foundation-building cultivator said unhappily,

    "What I mean is that you should be more discerning in the future and don''t bring the bad habit of looking down on others that you acquired in your family to the Zhou family treasure pavilion, otherwise I will definitely give you a failing grade in your training assessment."

    Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Zhou Guanghua''s face turned pale.

    Although the Zhou family is a well-known strong family in Guang''an Prefecture, because it is arge family, the number of cultivators in the family is also extremelyrge.

    For a Qi-refining cultivator like him who came out to gain experience, if he failed the training assessment, the impact on his personal future would be devastating.

    In this regard, the practices of all major families are almost identical.

    It is true that a cultivator''s spiritual root qualifications are very important, butpared to spiritual root qualifications, character is more important to a family''s children.

    A cultivator with a bad character, even if he is cultivated to the Foundation Establishment Stage, will not only be unable to bring much help to the family, but may also bring about a devastating disaster.

    There are countless examples of children from cheating families who, due to their bad character and causing trouble, brought disaster to the family.

    Therefore.

    The longer the family''s heritage, the more emphasis it ces on cultivating the character of its children.

    When ites to cultivating the character of family members, the Yang family, the Wu family, and even the self-confident Zhou family, have done a good job.

    -----

    Walking outside the Zhou family treasure pavilion.

    Luis and Oliver were talking telepathically. This is the new technique they learned from Cultivation World.

    "Uncle, are they following"

    "No"

    "Then, it''s good"

    "Uncle, is there really huge formation in this city?"

    "Do you think i will lie to you, don''t open your Vortex and bring others directly in this city or you will be detected."

    "Hmm, i will go to near waters and bring then. This is the same as the cage formation in Fantasy World."

    "Fuck that world. This world is much better."

    Luis mouth twitched slightly when he heard Oliverin.

    Luis thought for a moment and said,@@novelbin@@

    "I heard that Zhou''s Auction House in the coremercial area of ??Zhou Main City holds a small auction at the beginning of every month, where they auction off various rare materials."

    "Yes"

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go to the auction house tomorrow to have a look." Enjoy new adventures from empire

    Hearing this, Oliverughed and said, "Look at how impatient you are. Zhou''s Auction House only holds an auction at the beginning of the month. If we count the days now, there should be three days left."

    "You go to the port and bring everyone here."

    "Yes, Uncle."

    -----

    Three Days Later

    The group of Luis and his Knights arrived at Zhou''s Auction House.

    Zhou''s Auction House is located in the most prosperous area of ??the core business district of Zhou Main City.

    The words "every inch ofnd here is worth a lot of money" are not enough to describe how precious it is.

    Because thend and shops in this entire area belong exclusively to the Zhou family.

    Zhou''s Auction House is the most prominent one in this area.

    Luis looked up and saw a group of quaint multi-story attic buildings standing in front of him.

    These attics upy a veryrge area. Luis estimated that they are at least tens of thousands of square meters. At a nce, the entire street is upied by this auction house.

    Even in the entire core business district, Zhou''s Auction House is andmark building.

    "Zhou''s Auction House has a total of twelve small auction houses. Thergest auction hall in the middle is usually not open to the public. It is only open to the public during major auctions."

    Oliver who has stayed here for more than a month exined.

    "We are going to Auction House No. 6 today."

    After searching for a while, Arthur finally found a que on an attic with a capital number six written on the left side.

    "It''s right here."

    When he saw the destination, Luis smiled.

    "Taoist friends, please stay!"

    The group were about to enter the room, but were blocked by a Cultivator from the Zhou family who was waiting at the door.

    Seeing this, Luis frowned and said, "Daoist, what do you mean?"

    Who knew that the Zhou family cultivator was not surprised at all and said, "Is this your first time to visit my Zhou family auction house?"

    "What does this have to do with you blocking our way?"

    Xiao Wei asked back.

    "You misunderstood, fellow Daoist. This auction house has formted a set of rules for verifying identities in order to prevent malicious bidding that would cause the treasure to be lost."

    "Identification?"

    The group looked at each other, and Luis asked curiously, "I wonder how this identity verification is done?"

    "It''s simple. We just need to check whether the amount of spirit stones in the storage bags reaches 10,000 spirit stones, and then we can verify their identities."

    Hearing this, everyone understood.

    Luis smiled and thought of his previous life, this is capital verification.

    Immediately, a man with a rough face walked past them, but the Zhou cultivator did not stop him at all.

    Arthur couldn''t help but ask: "Why didn''t you stop him?"

    "Fellow Daoist, you are joking. That person is a Foundation Establishment Senior. How could he possibly bid maliciously?"

    Seeing the Zhou family cultivator''s behavior, a small smile appeared in everyone faces.

    "Father, don''t restrain your strength show it." Arthur poked his father and said.

    Oliver immediately showed his aura specially crushing it towards those two guards, "This is our identification."

    Immediately, the guards expression changed and they respectfully stepped aside and said,

    "My two Taoists, please!"

    Luis and other nodded and entered the Zhou Auction House.

    Outside those two guards sighed and began talking amongst each other.

    "Living is bing harder and harder for us humble cultivators."

    "If you are foundation builder why are hiding yourself, show it proudly."

    "yeah! Some of them love to pretend to be a pig and eat a tiger."

    "Thinking of this i remember a incident which happened 3 months ago. A foundation Builder was acting a beggar in Casual Cultivator Market. He yed tricks and stole a lot of spiritual stones from Qi Refiners."

    "Sigh! Life is bing harder and harder for us humble cultivators. Cant even speak rudely to others, who knows that man might be a Golden Core Cultivator"

 Chapter 120 Hannagan Pass

    Just when everyone was ready to fight.

    A sinister voice was heard in Box No. 1 of the auction hall.

    "I am a disciple of the Ye family. I hope you all will give me some respect. The Ye family would like to thank you all."

    As soon as the words fell.

    The auction hall suddenly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

    In box number seven.

    Luis only felt that there was a strange atmosphere brewing in the auction hall, which waspletely different from the harmonious and enthusiastic atmosphere just now.

    On the auction table.

    When the old man from the Zhou family heard this, his face suddenly turned gloomy, but he seemed to be afraid and looked like he dared not speak out.

    Seeing that no one was talking, the voice in Box No. 1 sounded again: "In that case, Ye would like to thank you all for your kindness."

    The Ye family cultivator cupped his hands proudly and said, "Ten thousand spirit stones!"

    The Zhou family elder on the auction stage had an unpleasant look on his face, but due to the rules, he still said in a deep voice: "The guest in Box 1 bid 10,000 spiritual stones. Is there anyone who can bid higher?"

    He asked several times, but no one answered.

    Seeing the old man from the Zhou family asking questions, the cultivator from the Ye family in Box 1 became a little impatient and urged, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, please hurry up. Didn''t you see that everyone has given up bidding?"

    The old man from the Zhou family ignored him and continued asking questions.

    At this moment, the face of the Ye family''s foundation-building cultivator turnedpletely ugly.

    He wanted to get angry, but seemed to consider that this was Zhou family''s territory, so he had to suppress his unhappiness.

    In box number seven.

    Luis suddenly heard a rapid gasp beside him. He turned around and saw Han Mo with a ferocious look on his face, as if he was ready to eat anyone.

    "Han Mo, what''s wrong with you?"

    Luis said with concern. This was the strongest alchemist of Hartmann Family.

    "The Ye family! The Ye family!"

    Han Mo Gritted his teeth with a look of pain, looking like a madman.

    He seemed to understand something, turned his head and looked in the direction of Box No. 1, and said in a deep voice: "Do you have a grudge against the Ye family?"

    "There''s a vendetta! A blood feud!"

    Han Mo eyes were red and bloodshot, as he gritted his teeth.

    Just at this moment.

    A rough voice came from the No. 6 box next to him: "Wait, who said no one bids? I bid 11,010 spiritual stones!"

    Hearing these arrogant words, the stagnant atmosphere in the auction hall waspletely broken.

    "Twelve thousand and one spirit stones!"

    "Fellow Daoist, please think carefully. Do you really want to be an enemy of our Ye family?"

    Seeing this situation, the Ye family cultivator in Box No. 1 became anxious and threatened in public.

    At this time.

    The rough voice in Box 6 sounded again: "Hey, old man from the Zhou family, someone is always threatening here. Does your Zhou family care about it?"

    Continue reading at empire

    Hearing this.

    The old man from the Zhou family suppressed his ecstasy and said, "The guests in Box 1, Please follow the rules of this auction house, otherwise I will have to ask you to leave."

    In box number one.

    Ye Xicheng''s face flushed red, and his whole body was filled with vitality, as if he was about to attack in the next second. As thergest immortal cultivation family in Yangzhou Prefecture, the Ye family had never been humiliated like this before.

    But thinking that this was Guang''an Prefecture, and thinking of the embarrassing situation the Ye family had been in over the years, Ye Xicheng had to endure it.

    "Thirteen thousand spirit stones!"

    In ordance with the auction rules, he offered a price that made him feel extremely painful.

    "Fourteen thousand and one spirit stones!"

    "you¡­"

    Hearing the disgusting bidding sound in box number six, Ye Xicheng could no longer bear it and stood up suddenly, with the might of a foundation-building cultivatorpletely erupting.

    In an instant, everyone in the hall felt an great pressure. Qi Refiners werepletely panicking.

    Ye Family is really brave in the Zhou Family Territory. As argest Family in Yangzhou Prefecture, the ancestor of Ye Family is also a Golden Core Cultivator.

    The strength of Ye family Ancestor is Late stage while strength of Zhou Family is only at Early Stage.

    "What? Is this the character of the Ye family cultivators? Are you trying to force the purchase because you can''t afford the price?"

    In box number six, a rough voice sounded again, and along with it was an aura that was even more terrifying than Ye Xicheng''s.

    "Little bastard from the Ye family, others may be afraid of your Ye family, but I, Lei Zhen, am not!"

    "He is actually a cultivator in thete Foundation Establishment stage!"

    "Wow, who is he?"

    "...."

    The auction hall was thrown into chaos as the two men became increasingly hostile.

    Ye Xicheng sensed the other party''ste foundation building cultivation, and a sh of panic passed through his eyes.

    But when he thought that this was the Ten Thousand Star Sea, the Zhou family''s Guang''an Prefecture, not the extremely chaotic battlefield of Izumo Kingdom.

    Ye Xicheng felt relieved again. He said sternly, "Humph! A a Casual Cultivator dare to Insult Ye Family! No wonder Izumo Kingdom dare to call us Ten Thousand Star Sea Residents a Barbarians."

    This broad insult lit a fuse among the other cultivators present.

    Even a few Qi Refining cultivators joined in the bidding out of spite, turning the auction into aplete farce.

    Ye Xicheng knew he had no chance of obtaining the Zhou family''s Water Spirit Bead today.

    "Hmph! The hospitality of Guang''an Prefecture is duly noted. I, Ye Xicheng, will remember this insult!"

    With those words, he stormed out in fury.@@novelbin@@

    As the Ye family cultivator departed, the auction hall erupted into cheers.

    "Good riddance! Who cares about those Ye family dogs?"

    "Fleeing with your tail between your legs! And you dare call yourself a cultivator?"

    "How dare he call us Ten Thousand Star Ind Cultivators a Barbarian. Did he Forget his Ye Family also resides here"

    The jeering echoed throughout the hall.

    Ye Xicheng''s face turned ashen, but he said nothing as he left.

    After a while the Auction continued as usual.

    "Fellow Daoist, since he has left let''s continue the Bidding."

    The Cultivator from Box No 6 continued the bidding.

    "14,500 Spiritual Stones."

    At this time, box no 9 also bid.

    "14,600 Spiritual Stones."

    Box no 6: "15,000 Spiritual Stones."

    Box no 9: "16,000 Spiritual Stones."

    At this moment the Box no 9 won the Water Spirit Bead.

    As the auction ended, Luis and his friend left the auction house together.

    Along the way, Han Mo was in low spirits and said nothing.

    Luis and others, who didn''t know what was going on, didn''t know what to say tofort him, so he could only stay by his side quietly.

    Few momentster, they reached the Hartmann Flying Sword.

    "Han Mo, we are here."

    "Oh, are we there yet?"

    After just a trip to the auction house, Han Mo looked much older, with a hint of decadence in his eyes.

    "I am sorry, Boss. I remembered some Bad memories."

    Inside the shop, Han Mo forced a smile at Luis and said.

    "Don''t try to hide it. You can say how you and Ye family have enmity."

    Hearing this, Han Mo emotions became a little excited again.

    He took a deep breath, slowly calmed down his emotions, and said in a low voice: "You should have heard about the Hannagan Pass battle between Ten Thousand Star Ind and Izumo Kingdom forty years ago?"

    Luis nodded. Although he was not from this world, these past few month he has learned a lot of information.

    But from what Han Mo said at this time, it seemed that there was another hidden story behind this battle.

    Hannagan Pass, as one of the seven immortal cities established by Qianyuan Sword Sect in Izumo Kingdom Border.

    It has always yed the role of guarding the southern front of Izumo Kingdom.

    But forty years ago, this stronghold fell during a devastating defeat.

    Because of this incident, the Ten Thousand Star Inds Cultivators, who were the defending force, were often criticized by Cultivators from all Prefectures when they returned back to the Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    When Luis recounted themonly known history of the Hannagan Pass battle, Han Mo let out a bitterugh.

    "Utter nonsense!" Han Mo scoffed, a tinge of mockery in his tone. "The story you know is just the facade spun by the Qianyuan Sword Sect. The truth of the battle is far different, because¡­"

    He paused, the pain evident on his face.

    "Because fifty years ago, I was one of the soldiers stationed at Hannagan Pass."

 Chapter 122 Real

    Daoist Sun looked anxious.

    "I am sure that the other half of this picture is most likely on a stall in the Casual Cultivator Market."

    "Oh? What makes you so sure?" Henry became interested.

    "Look at the tear on this map," Daoist Sun said, pointing. "Doesn''t it look fresh?"

    Henry examined the tear closely and saw that it was indeed recent. This suggested the missing half of the map might still be nearby, possibly in the same market.

    Henry maintained hisposure and asked, "How much are you selling it for?"

    Daoist Sun raised a finger. "A thousand spirit stones."

    "Goodbye," Henry replied tly, cupping his hands as a gesture of dismissal.

    Daoist Sun panicked. "Wait! How much are you willing to offer?"

    "Ten spirit stones," Henry said firmly.

    The audacity of the offer made Daoist Sun feel as though he''d been punched in the chest, but after a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly said, "Add just a little more, and I''ll sell it."

    "Ten spirit stones. Take it or leave it," Henry replied without budging.

    Daoist Sun''s chest heaved with frustration, but in the end, he threw the map at Henry and snapped, "Fine! Ten spirit stones it is!"

    As Daoist Sun walked away clutching the spirit stones, Henry sighed inwardly, ''Did I just get scammed?''

    The Clerk who was beside looked at Henry, "Sir, Henry did that man Scam us of 10 Spirit stones."

    Henry didnt say anything but he nced at the map closely.

    But as he held the map, a faint golden gleam caught his eye.

    "Hmm?" Henry expression instantly turned serious.

    "What is it, Sir Henry?" The clerk asked curiously.

    Henry scrutinized the map closely, using his spiritual senses to scan it repeatedly, but found nothing unusual. Doubt crept in. Was he mistaken?

    Yet, he quickly shook his head. He was certain he had seen a golden light earlier.

    "Close the door and Call Boss" Henry ordered, his tone low and firm.

    Hearing this the Clerk Became serious and rushed outside while closing the door.

    Time passed as Henry looked towards the Map.

    A few momentster, Luis and the group arrived under the guidance of the Clerk.

    "What is it Henry?" Oliver quickly closed the shop''s door and activated a soundproofing formation.

    "Knight Commander, there is something wrong with this map." Henry handed over the map.

    Oliver also narrowed his eyes, he also saw a gleam of golden light. More Clearly than Henry.

    "Xiao Wei, use a small me to burn it. Don''t let the fire grow too big," Oliver instructed.

    Though unsure of the purpose, Xiao Weiplied. As he has fire Spirit Body, controlling a small me was a trivial task.

    The gray remaining picture gradually changed its appearance as Xiao Wei burned it slowly over a low fire.

    The old marks on the surface of the iplete painting were burned away bit by bit by Xiao Wei''s precise fire control technique, leaving only a piece of gold foil less than half a millimeter thick.

    Seeing this Henry and Clerk were a little speechless.

    "Could the treasure map actually be real?"

    A wave of excitement surged through Henry as he examined the gold foil. However, he soon noticed something odd.

    "Sir, this treasure map is a treasure map leading to God Killer Immortal Pce" Henry said with a wide eyes.

    When henry said this, Luis narrowed his eyes.

    Xiao Wei handed the Golden Foil back to Oliver, "This gold foil doesn''t seemplete"

    Oliver inspected the foil closely and nodded. "You''re right. It''s missing a piece."

    God Killer Immortal Pce belongs to God Killer, a legendary figure who had once wreaked havoc across the Ten Thousand Star Sea for nearly a century.

    The wealth hidden in his abode would be unimaginable.

    However, they were not too much excited.

    They had studied the history of this God Killer.

    In their opinion, this was a person who was extremely lucky and had obtained a great opportunity, but he had lost his mind and actually dared to rise up against the rule of the Qianyuan Sword Sect. What a moron!

    They were not sure how powerful the Qianyuan Sword Sect was, but they knew that there were Thousands of Golden Core families in the entire Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    However, such a huge family of immortal cultivators submit to the rule of the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    One can imagine how terrifying the power of Qianyuan Sword Sect is.

    God Killer was only at thete Golden Core stage back then, but he was crazy and wanted to overthrow the rule of Qianyuan Sword Sect. What else could this be but brain-dead?

    They didn''t really believe how much wealth such an extremely inted person could leave in his cave.

    Oliver, handed over the gold foil to Luis, and said, "Keep it. If you have the chance to find the other half of the gold foil in the future, it will also add a little heritage to the family."

    Han Mo beside them said, "God Killer was a Casual Cultivator and most of the Casual Cultivators hide their treasures in their own body."

    "There must be something" Luis said as he carefully kept the Gold Coil, "This might be fake too spread to lure us out."

    Arthurughed, "Haha, you are too cautious. What if it is a real adventure."

    "No, the chances of this being a trap is high." Xiao Wei added, "There is no need to directly fall into the trap. Let''s put away the map for now."

    Everyone nodded.

    "He sold this to me for 10 Spiritual Stones." Henry chimed in.

    "The other party thinks he is a smart person. Not giving us aplete treasure map to reduce our vignce. This itself is doubtful."

    "You guys are too vignt. I believe in luck anyways."

    "Give me the back i will bring back the treasure map" Arthur forwarded his hand.

    "No"

    ------

    Zhou Main City, Casual Cultivator Market.

    Wu''s Inn.

    Daoist Sun came out of the Hartmann Flying Sword shop, turned many corners along the way, and only stopped in front of the Wu Inn after making sure that no one was following him.

    He walked to a guest room with ease and knocked on the door.

    "You''re back?"

    As the door opened, a tall, thin, pale-faced middle-aged cultivator, whose cultivation level was as high as the ninth level of Qi Refining, was seen sitting cross-legged on a warm jade cushion in the guest room.

    The pale-faced cultivator nced up at the Daoist Sun and asked, "Did you seed?"

    Daoist Sun bowed and replied, "Brother, I have done everything you asked me to do. The bait has been delivered, and we are just waiting for the fish to take the bait."

    As he spoke, Daoist Sun narrated what had just happened.

    After he finished his narration, he couldn''t help butin, "This kid from the Store is really stingy. I spent a lot of effort to make that treasure map, but he only gave me ten spirit stones."

    As he spoke, Daoist named Sun took out the spirit stone.

    The pale-faced cultivator nced at it and said with a smile: "It doesn''t matter, the bait has been spread, and we just have to wait for the fish to take the bait."

    "Our, Ancestor will take action against them."@@novelbin@@

    Hearing this, Daoist Sun seemed to be hesitant to speak.

    Seeing his brother''s puzzled expression, the Pale faced man nced at him and said, "You and I are brothers from the same mother. If you have anything to say, just speak frankly."

    Hearing this, Daoist Sun cupped his hands and said, "Brother, I don''t quite understand. Since we want to rob this family, why don''t we just loot them halfway, or just sell theplete treasure map to them?"

    "You are just too reckless, otherwise why would we have to hide from Yangzhou Prefecture to Guang''an Prefecture."

    The pale faced man shook his head.

    "The Flying Battleship of the Zhou family in Guang''an Prefecture have been patrolling the safe waterway in the sea to ensure the safety of passing merchant ships. Although we can intercept them halfway, we will encounter uncontroble risks. We are seeking wealth, not risking our lives."

    After a pause, he continued to exin, "As for what you said about directly selling theplete treasure map to the other party."

    At this point, the pale faced manughed, "You know what? Almost everyone in the world thinks they are smart. Do you know what the biggest shoring of smart people is?"

    Daoist Sun shook his head nkly: "I don''t know."

    "The biggest shoring of smart people is that they only believe what they see with their own eyes and what they think. Smart people are naturally wary of things like pie in the sky. What I have to do next is to eliminate their vignce."

    Pale Faced Man talked eloquently.

    "Brother, I don''t understand these. Anyway, I will do whatever you say, hehe!"

    Daoist Sun said with a simple and honest look.

    Experience more content on empire

    Seeing this, the pale faced man smiled and shook his head.

 Chapter 123 Dragon Python Swallowing the Sky Technique

    Three dayster

    Ten Cargo Ships loaded with supplies slowly sailed from the port of Zhou Main City towards the sea.

    The fleet of ten Cargo ships seemed veryrge, but in the Zhou Main City port where there were many ships, they were like a few tiny ants.

    Standing on the deck of the ship, Luis looked back at Zhou Main City and silently said goodbye to his Uncle in his heart.

    This time Luis would stay at the Fantasy World for some more time.

    His mother told him he needed to be there.

    At the age of 15, Luis could already feel the advancement in realm. For him there was no feeling of bottleneck like other cultivators.

    Thinking of all this, Luis was full of energy. He was not tired and bored

    Travel between two worlds, produce flying swords, cultivate, expand the family Territory, and train family knights...

    Countless things are waiting for him, how can Luis be bored?

    -----

    Ten Dayster.@@novelbin@@

    A deserted ind in the southwest of Ten Thousand Star Ind Sea.

    In an artificially excavated cave, Dozen Qi-refining Cultivators and one Foundation Building Cultivators were silently waiting for the fish to take the bait.

    There are a total of three formations and killing arrays set up in this cave, which are enough to destroy any Qi-refining cultivator and injure Foundation Builders who sets foot here.

    "Brother, why hasn''t the Hartmann familye yet? It''s been half a month!"

    Daoist Sun seemed very impatient and said irritably.

    Pale-faced Man was quite calm and said calmly: "Wait a little longer!"

    Not only them but other cultivators were also waiting quietly hunting on their preys.

    It was not just Hartmann Family that they sent the bait.

    Other qi refining cultivators also sent the fake treasure map.

    Although, Hartmann Family didnte other cultivators came in stream.

    Seven dayster.

    Two Cultivators flew out of the cave on the deserted ind covered in dust and dirt.

    "Brother, do you think the Hartmann family has discovered our n? Only our group has not brought any bait till now"

    "They shouldn''t have"

    "Then why..."

    Daoist Sun face was indescribable. The temptation of the God Killer inheritance was so great, why didn''t the other party feel tempted?

    Hearing his brother''s question, the Pale Faced man shook his head. He was also very puzzled.

    Finally, he smiled freely and said, "Interesting, really interesting, this Hartmann Family is either not greedy or the shop manager has kept the treasure map for himself."

    "Forget it, we don''t need to provoke such an enemy.

    Let''s meet our boss and rify the situation.

    Stealing is really hard these days, I n to take you to the battlefield of Izumo Kingdom after you break through the seventh level of Qi Refining.

    With our savings over the years plus our military exploits on the battlefield of Izumo Kingdom, it is enough for us to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    When we both break through to the foundation-building stage, you and I will go to that ce to explore."

    Daoist Sun hearing his brother immediately became excited.

    "Brother, it''s all my fault that I have poor qualifications. I have caused you trouble over the years."

    "You and I are brothers, why are you saying these inappropriate words?"

    Pale faced man patted Daoist Sun with a smile.

    ------

    At this time, more than half a month passed by.

    Even without Luis, the Hartmann Shop in Zhou Main City was running well.

    The influence of the Hartmann began to soar and most of the Cultivators gave the name, "Flying Sword Family" to Hartmann Family.

    It was a small revolution that the qi refiners can actually fly on the small sword. The shop was always crowded by many Cultivators and it is sold through lottery.

    At this time, Luis was resting in his Pce in the Hartmann Barony.

    Pipi along with many fairies were also lying down and closed their eyes. Since, Luis has returned most of the time they have stayed beside him asionally ying with the Tree Men and his mother in the main castle.

    Although motivation for cultivation is good, you should learn to rx.

    It''s not like his world is going to be destroyed. Even if it''s destroyed it''s not his turn of a qi refiner to protect it. There must be a big pir to withstand it.

    In this past half month, he Cultivated a little and rxed a little.

    He roamed around spent time with his mother and father, the tree men''s, fairies and his friends.

    At this time, Luis seems to have thought of something.

    He took out a jade slip from his storage bag.

    This jade slip was no other item but the physical training technique he bought from Zhou''s Auction House in Cultivation World - "Dragon Python Swallowing the Sky Technique".

    In the almost been 1 month since he obtained this technique, Luis has already fully understood this technique.

    Speaking of which, the difficulty of practicing this body-building technique is quite low.

    Much easier than those previous Fire and other elements technique. He seem to be suitable for Body Cultivation rather than Elements maniption.

    "ording to the Dragon Python Swallowing the Sky Technique, the biggest consumption of this technique is not spiritual energy, but various precious ingredients, such as monster meat, spiritual rice, spiritual fruit, etc."

    Luis looked at the introduction on the jade slip and felt a bit amused.

    "Why do I feel that this is not a physical training method, but a Devouring method? It really deserves the name of "Swallowing the Sky"."

    Thinking of all this, Luis stood up from the bed without disturbing the fairies.

    He headed towards the Private training ground in the back of the castle.

    Reaching there he started practicing "Dragon Python Swallowing the Sky Technique" again. He had a feeling that he would be able to master this technique thoroughly today.

    As excepted, as he practiced Luis intestines began to move wildly, and with it came an intense feeling of hunger.

    The hunger was so strong that it almost overwhelmed his conscious mind.

    Ever since Luis became an official knight and was able to practice fasting, he has never felt such a strong sense of hunger. Find your next adventure on empire

    It feels like if I don''t eat, I will starve to death in the next second.

    Fortunately, Luis was well prepared. He immediately took out a fist-sized piece of roasted monster meat from his storage bag and started chewing it in big mouthfuls.

    The meat of the blood-spotted sea snake is tender, but after all, it has been stored in the storage bag for months, and the taste is definitely not as fresh as when it was just hunted.

    But at this moment, Luis was so hungry that he didn''t care about the taste of the food.

    He chewed the monster meat roughly twice and swallowed it. It only took only a few moments.

    Luis small stomach was filled with at least eighty kilograms of roasted blood-spotted sea snake.

    You have to know that this is not ordinary poultry or livestock, this is monster meat. The energy contained in its meat is so great that even ordinary people have difficulty digesting it, let alone Qi-refining cultivators.

    However, even though Luis ate so much meat, there was no other change except that his stomach was slightly bulging.

    "Phew!"

    After eating for another meat, Luis patted his stomach. He felt that he finally couldn''t eat anymore.

    "Gul ulu! Gul ulu!"

    Suddenly, a dull roar was heard in the Training Field, sounding like thunder.

    "This should be practiced privately. Such a embarrassment."

    Luis knew that this was the sound made by his stomach and intestines frantically digesting the barbecued blood-spotted sea snake.

    As the roasted monster meat in his stomach was digested bit by bit, a heat currentpletely different from the Vortex qi flowed out of his stomach and quickly circted throughout his body.

    Among them, the ce where the most heat flow gathers is the membrane all over his body.

    Luis only felt that his membrane was being tempered bit by bit by this heat flow, and the strength of the membrane was visibly increasing.

    Although this enhanced physical defense cannot bepared with Spiritual weapons, but if it can be strengthened in this way.

    Luis believed that one day he would be able to reach the level that the old man at the auction house had described, where his physical body could withstand Spiritual weapons.

    If his body is damaged by the enemy, then the enemy will despair seeing it being repaired almost instantly.

    "It really is resource consuming for others but not much for me."

    Just now, Luis had only practiced for less than few moments and had swallowed almost a hundred kilograms of barbecued monster meat.

    You have to know that when the blood-spotted sea snake was skinned, deboned, and the inedible meat removed, the remaining good meat only weighed more than two thousand kilograms in total.

    Luis killed one-twentieth of them in a short while.

    ording to the market price, he had consumed at least 10 spirit stones in just this short while.

    At his current training speed, if he were to practice at full strength, he would have to consume at least forty or fifty spirit stones worth of food a day.

    Nothing much to him but it seems it cannot be spread to every knight in the territory.

    [I need at least 1000 subscription need this month. I have been only uploading 1 chaps this month, i will be uploading 2 from now, i hope i break it]

 Chapter 125 Naive Luo Li

    Hearing these words, Luis couldn''t help but smile.

    "It''s not me, Miss Luo Li, it''s you. No matter how much you take out, that much i can sell."

    He though for a moment before taking out a flying sword, "See, i can take out 5 million Spiritual Stones worth of Swords."

    Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment shed across Luo Li''s pretty face.

    "What''s wrong, Miss Luo, is there any problem?"

    Seeing her strange expression, Luis acted with concern and asked.

    Luo Li shook his head and said, "By the way, We will trade likest time with various Ores? The spiritual stones we prepared this time may not be enough. Can you see if you can use spiritual ore to pay off the debt?"

    As he spoke, Luo Li''s voice became lower and lower.

    "Of course no problem, I wonder what spiritual ores Miss Luo brought?"

    Seeing that Luis was not angry, but looked friendly and easy to talk to. Luo Li''s fondness for him grew even stronger, and she even felt a little embarrassed.

    Seeing Luo Li face turn red, Luis raised his brows.

    With a gentle smile, Luo Li parted her lips and sang a melodic tune.

    Momentster, one by one, mermen surfaced from the sea¡ªLuo Li''s subordinates.

    Just like before, each merman held arge white shell in their hands.

    The shells were filled with spirit stones, spirit ores, spirit pearls, and other rare treasures.

    Turning her back to Luis, Luo Li pped her hands toward the sea. The mermen lined up in an orderly fashion and simultaneously opened their enormous white shells.

    In the next instant, radiant spiritual light burst forth, dazzling everyone.

    Looking at the treasures before him, Luis felt his blood surge, his face slightly flushed with excitement.

    Find adventures on empire

    Seeing his overly eager expression, Luo Li couldn''t help but feel a bit smug, her earlier embarrassment now forgotten.

    Cheerfully, she began to introduce the items. "This is the Refined Gold we soldst time. Our people have been mining it extensively recently."

    Luis followed the direction of her finger and saw fist-sized chunks of Refined Gold piled inside the shells, exuding remarkable spiritual energy.

    Luo Li continued, "This is another type of ore we discovered under the sea..."

    "Red Copper Ore!"

    As a Tier-One spirit ore, red copper was widely distributed across Ten Thousand Star Sea and Guang''an Prefecture, second only to ck Iron Ore.

    Finding it in the seabed wasn''t particrly surprising to him.

    "Yes, red copper ore!" Luo Li nodded. "This ore is one of the raw material for your weapons, right?"

    Although the mermencked the skills for weapon crafting, their spiritual sensitivity allowed them to recognize valuable ores.

    "Correct," Luis replied without hesitation.

    Impressed by his honest attitude, Luo Li nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Since this ore is a weapon material, its price should be quite high, right? What do you think it''s worth?"

    She adopted the look of a small, greedy miser.

    Luis furrowed his brow. "In Guang''an Prefecture, red copper ore sells for 3 spirit stones per pound. What price would you offer to sell it to me?"

    "ah?"

    Hearing the price, Luo Li was a little dumbfounded.

    How could this happen? Only a few pieces of Refined Gold can be exchanged for a weapon.

    Why is this stone so cheap? The price difference between the two is dozens of times.

    This made Luo Li wonder if Luis was deceiving her.

    Sensing her hesitation, Luis coughed and exined, "Miss Luo, do you know how difficult it is for humans to craft a weapon?"

    As he spoke, he sighed, "Even this lowest-level, low-grade sword would take a weapon refining cultivator who is proficient in refining weapons seven full days toplete.

    Mining for you mermaids shouldn''t be that hard, right?"

    "What?" Luo Li was shocked to hear it took seven entire days to forge a single weapon.

    That''s so much effort!

    Inparison, mining stones seemed like an easy task for her people.

    Thinking of this, Luo Li felt a little embarrassed.

    After all, she also knew that digging stones did not require any technical skills and was just a physically demanding job.

    Unlike female mermaids, male mermaids can''t raise spirit shells. Male mermaids can''t do anything else but have strong strength.

    With this calction, the mermaids only need to put in a little effort to exchange for the Hartmann family''s weapons, which is a huge profit.

    Seeing her blush with guilt, Luis silently breathed a sigh of relief.

    Fortunately, this girl is a little Naive!

    He had deliberately downyed the intrinsic value of spirit ores, redirecting the discussion to thebor costs for both sides. A clever rhetorical move.

    Thankfully, Luo Li didn''t seem to notice anything amiss.

    Perhaps, to the mermen, these "worthless" stones held little value. Spirit pearls from their spirit shells were at least decorative; these rocks were neither edible nor useful¡ªand they weren''t even pretty.

    If not for Luis explicitly requesting them, the mermen wouldn''t have spared a second nce at these stones.

    Perhaps feeling guilty for doubting him earlier, Luo Li''s tone softened as she introduced the next item.

    "This is our tribe''s greatest treasure¡ªthe Water Spirit Bead."

    Luo Li pointed at the water spirit beads held in the hands of her tribesmen, and her tone suddenly became sad.

    Luis knew that the mermaids had been persecuted by the Zhou family for hundreds of years because of this water spirit bead.

    Though he sympathized, he knew better than to offer words offort.

    After all, as a fellow human, he couldn''t deny the connection between himself and the Zhou family. It was already generous of Luo Li not to extend her hatred toward him.

    "And how much would these Water Spirit bead cost?" Luo Li raised her head and asked.

    The Water Spirit Beads were emitting a pure water aura.

    Water Spirit Beads are a unique cultivation resource produced by Female Mermaids. Of course, Zhou family also has it.

    This spiritual bead has the effect of filtering and purifying spiritual energy.

    In other words, when cultivators absorb spiritual energy that has been filtered and purified by the Water Spirit Bead, the efficiency of refining spiritual energy will increase significantly, thereby speeding up their cultivation.

    Of course, this kind of treasure also has a time limit for use

    Generally speaking, a first-level water spirit bead can only be used for a month at most, before it loses its ability to purify spiritual energy and bes just an ordinary pearl.

    After a moment of thought, Luis looked at Luo Li''s expression and said carefully, "The price of a first-level water spirit bead in Zhou Main City is 50 spirit stones. I wonder what price Miss Luo is willing to give me?"

    By mentioning the market price, he ensured she wouldn''t dare suggest a higher rate.@@novelbin@@

    In fact, although the Zhou family sells water spirit beads for 50 spirit stones each, ordinary cultivators and children from small families have no channels to buy them.

    This kind of treasure that aids in spiritual practice had long been reserved by the big families in Guang''an Prefecture and even other prefectures in Ten Thousand Star Ind.

    Even if some leftovers fall into the hands of Casual cultivators, they are often sold at a high price.

    When Luo Li heard that ten water spirit beads could be 500 Spiritual Stones, he couldn''t help but feel guilty about this horrible price.

    She hesitated and couldn''t say anything for a long time.

    Although she wanted to offer 50 spirit stones per bead, the thought of Hartmann Family exhausting seven-day forging process weighed heavily on her conscience.

    After a long inner struggle, Luo Li raised her head with determination and dered, "Luis, you''re an honest person. Since the Hartmann family has treated us mermen sincerely, we cannot, in good conscience, profit unfairly.

    "We''ll sell you the Water Spirit Bead for 10 spirit stones each."

    Luis nearly fell off his stone bench in shock at her deration.

    ''I feel so uneasy doing this business.'' He thought looking at naive Luo Li.

    "This¡­"

    Luis realized he might have fooled this na?ve girl quite a bit.

    Seeing Luo Li''s sincere expression on her delicate face, he felt a twinge of guilt.

    Actually, it was not a guilt. In the future he wanted to bring these mermaid into the Fantasy World through the Vortex and them knowing the price might make the situation a little difficult.

    But soon, he dismissed it.

    This is business.

    He nced at Luo Li, then at the vast amount of treasures the mermaids had brought, and an even bolder idea sprouted in his mind.

    Though his thoughts were turbulent, Luis maintained a calm expression. "Miss Luo, I appreciate the sincerity of your mermaids tribe, but¡­ ten spirit stones for a Water Spirit Bead¡ªisn''t that a bit¡­"

    Before he could finish, Luo Li''s face flushed slightly, and she stammered, "I know ten spirit stones per Bead might be a bit pricey, but it''s still cheaper than what the Zhou family offers, right? If¡­ if you still think it''s too much, we can discuss it further."

    "Alright! No need to discuss anymore. Let''s settle on this price," Luis waved his hand hurriedly.

    He felt that continuing the conversation might drive the price down to one spirit stone per Bead.

    As a future Partner, he didn''t want to exploit the Mermaids too much. After all, he already considered their tribe as his exclusive partner.

    A little bit might be fine.

    Hearing his agreement, Luo Li let out a breath of relief.

    In Luo Li''s view, the transaction between the two parties is a win-win situation.

 Chapter 127 Winter City

    [In this chapter, Asmon will be mentioned again. He was mentioned in ch 59.]

    Actually, this was not the only reason he introduced Contribution Points System to Mermaids.

    The greater significance of this move lies in the financial control over the mermaids.

    Although the Hartmann family is still weak nowpared 3rd Rank forces, they have actually gradually taken control of the weapons and equipment of the mermaids.

    Coupled with Luis control over the mermaid''s currency, he will inevitably control the mermaid''s economy in the future.

    Not to mention that once Luis sells the spiritual rice to the mermaids, he will control the mermaids'' food.

    When a force''s military, economy, and even food supply are controlled by another force, outsiders will not believe that it is not a vassal.

    However, the mermaids seemed unaware of what Luis had done.

    This is also the drawback of the rtively backward systems in this world.

    Thinking of all this, he returned to the Fantasy World.

    ------

    2 dayster,

    Just as he was staying in the castle spending the days practicing and enjoying, An Half Elf Came to the Barony.

    These were the Half Elves whom he had met earlier while trading between Fairies and Spiritual Fields.

    They were Alivia, ra and Selene.

    Not only them but there were other Half elves too wearing silver armor. These were Silver Moon Guards of Half Elf City.

    Looking at them Luis suddenly thought of something.

    Human beings are actually a very special existence in this world.

    Because they have no reproductive istion from any other race. If you think about it, this is really a wonderful thing.

    A Orc and an elf cannot produce offspring.

    But a human being, whether with a Orc or an elf, can give birth to offspring.

    Therefore, some anthropologists have imed that humans are the Strongest Race!

    In response to this im, other races have said that this ispletely nonsense.

    But no matter what, it is an irond fact that only the human race canbine with any other race.

    The offspring of humans and elves are generally called half-elves, the offspring of humans and orcs are generally called half-orcs, the offspring of humans and goblins are generally called half-Goblins... and so on.

    However, the race that has integrated the most with humans in this world is still the elves.

    After all, the elves are more in line with human aesthetics.

    As for the races like orcs, Naga, Goblins, etc., few people would eat them except for some Humans with unique tastes...@@novelbin@@

    Therefore, creatures like half-orcs and half-Goblins are very rare.

    But there are a lot of half-elves.

    They have even formed a new ethnic group and established a Huge City in Human Territory.

    The Half-Elf Kingdom wisely chose to be a vassal state of the Glorious Azov Empire. As for Real Elves although there is connection, the rtion is still a little cold.

    Luis didnt talk with them but just nced at them from afar.

    "That''s the Silver Moon Guards of the Half-Elf Kingdom. It seems to be something important."

    Xiao Wei beside Luis said thoughtfully.

    At this time, the half-elf team had arrived at the city gate.

    A young and beautiful half-elf stood out from the crowd, came to his mother, Olivia, and hugged her.

    Luis didnt recognize her and nced at her curiously. She was beautiful with heroic spirit in between her eyebrows.

    -----

    Few Hours Later.

    The Half Elves walked out of the city and headed towards the East Direction.

    At this moment, Michael the right hand man of the territory came towards him.

    "Young Master, Madame wants to see you."

    Luis nodded and headed towards the main pce alone.

    In the room, Olivia and Felipe were beside each other whispering.

    "Luis, sit here You need to do something."

    Luis sat before them and looked at them curiously.

    "Do you know about Dressrosa."

    "Yes, Duke Dressrosa, Strongest force in the north part of human Kingdom."

    "Do you want to marry Duke Dressrosa Daughter?" Felipe asked with a smile.

    Luis who was a little curious immediately changed his face and stood up.

    "NO, absolutely not"

    "She is beautiful"

    "No"

    "She is Kindhearted"

    "Absolutely, No"

    "Why?"

    "She already has a lover, do you know Asmon. Asmon and Duke''s daughter are lover"

    Luis knows about the rtion between his friend Asmon.

    "Felipe don''t joke anymore. Talk about the real thing"

    "Luis i want you to go towards the Duke Dressrosa territory and attend the Coming of Age ceremony of Duke Daughter, Vera."

    "Can i not go. There is war raging in the whole kingdom. Going there might be dangerous."

    "Sigh! If you don''t want to go then don''t go. This might have been have our easiest chance to conquer the Half Elves"

    "Huh?"

    Luis was confused and looked at his father and mother.

    "Duke Dressrosa is not only going to do Coming of Age Ceremony for vera. But also going to choose a marriage for her."

    Luis scratched his head, "What has this going to do with capturing the Half Elves"

    Felipe continued, "After the ceremony, Vera is going to be sent to Half Elf territory to be baptized in Fountain of Life."

    "At this time is your chance, the Half Elf kingdom will be extremely Turbulent during that time."

    Luis nodded and looked at his mother, "Are you guys noting with me."

    "No, i have to take care of territory, while your father is a foundation builder already. If he goes to Duke Territory, we cannot hide our strength. But don''t worry he will protect you through the vortex if you encounter any danger"

    "Yes, i will prepare the knights and head towards the Duke Territory in the next few days."

    "Son, i hope that you can conquer the half elves. With them under ourmand the conquest in Cultivation World will be much sessful."

    -------

    Two Days Later

    Luis set out of the Territory.

    This time when he went to Winter City, he brought Arthur, Xiao Wei and their girlfriend. Along with him were 250 Knights.

    200 Apprentice Knight and 50 Official Knight. Of course strong Knights were stationed in the Hartmann Ind in the Cultivation World.

    He doesn''t need to worry about the territory as long as his mother is here.

    While on their way, Luis met Asmon who was waiting for him.

    However, this time there was no teasing smile on his face. Asmon was a little serious.

    "Luis, did you get the Invitation"

    "I received an invitation to Miss Vera''sing-of-age ceremony two days ago."

    "Let''s set off for Winter City together tomorrow." Asmon said with no expression on his.

    Luis nodded looking at Asmon. Asmon and Vera were obviously lovers, now it is hard to say whether these two will marry.

    ------

    The team did not move very fast and it took eight days to reach Winter City.

    Luis has never been to the winter City before but he had heard a lot about it since childhood.

    The entire Winter City is built on a mountain.

    It was like a giant beast standing high above, overlooking the entire territory.

    The magnificent city wall, which is more than 30 meters high, is located halfway up the mountain. The higher you go, the higher the status of the people living there.

    Standing on the top of the mountain, which is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, is the castle of the Dressrosa family - Lion''s Roar Castle.

    It is said that this is the highest castle in the entire North, and even in the entire Azov Kingdom. It is hard to imagine how much it cost to build it.

    "Listen to my roar, it is the wrath from heaven!"

    Looking at the magnificent castle standing high in the clouds, Arthur couldn''t help but recite the familynguage of the Dressrosa Family.

    When Luis heard this sentence before, he was a little disapproving.

    He feel that no matter how powerful the Dressrosa family is, they are not qualified to include the word "Heaven" in their familynguage.

    Even their Hartmann Family might be stronger than Dressrosa Family.

    However, he still understands some of the reason behind putting "heaven" in Family Language.

    Anyone who lives in that castle and looks down upon all living things will inevitably have the illusion that he or she is the representative of the gods on earth.

    Just as he was about to enter the city, he found that Asmon stayed at back.

    "Asmon!!!"

    "Luis, you go ahead. I will meet youter." Asmon said with his head lowered.

    Luis nodded and subtly noticed a yful smile on Asmon face. It seems this Asmon has a backup.

    At this time, there was a long queue at the city gate, and those people entering the city were waiting for inspection.

    However, as a noble family, Luis certainly doesn''t need to queue.

    When the Hartmann g was revealed, the crowd quickly parted to make way for Luis and his group.

    When they arrived at the city gate, the guard was very attentive to Luis and let him pass immediately after confirming his identity.

    Just as Luis headed into the city, there was suddenly a slightmotion at the city gate.

    Luis looked back and saw a team of half-elves appearing outside the city gate.

    "That''s the Silver Moon Guard of the Half-Elf Kingdom. It seems that there are members of the Half-Elf royal family in this team."

    There wasmotion of many people and they wanted to see Elves with their own eyes. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    At this time, the half-elf team had arrived at the city gate.

    A young and beautiful half-elf stood out from the crowd, came to the guard, and handed over a badge and an invitation letter.

 Chapter 128 Weird Statues

    The beauty of half-elves was famous throughout the world, after all, it''s the reason why a new race was formed through crossbreeding with humans.

    This young half-elf clearly came from a noble family, herposed, proud, and graceful demeanor was something that could only be cultivated by high nobility; small noble families wouldn''t have the resources to foster such an air.

    She was tall, wearing an elegant white robe, her silver hair like silk, flowing straight down to her waist. She had amber-colored eyes, a delicate nose, pointed ears, and¡­ a noticeable Adam''s apple!

    Wait! Luis suddenly realized. This person was a male!

    Just as Luis was mentallyughing at himself, Asmon who had not entered the city with him, came beside the group.

    He introduced the half-elf, "That should be the Second Prince of the Half-Elf Kingdom, Tupe Modiwen."

    "You know him?" Luis asked.

    Arthur shook his head. "No, but it''s not hard to guess."

    "Anyone who can represent the Half-Elf royal family to attend Miss Vera''sing-of-age ceremony must be a direct member of the Modiwen family. The current Half-Elf King has two sons. The eldest is already in his forties, so it doesn''t match in terms of age. Therefore, it must be the second prince."

    "Oh" Luis replied without any expression.

    Luis cold reaction didn''t stop Asmon from continuing his chatter, in fact, it seemed to encourage him.

    "Luis, do you know? This Prince Tupe isn''t the biological son of the Half-Elf King; he was adopted!"

    "Why?"

    "Well, it''s because of the Half-Elf Queen''s request. You see, the current queen is the second wife of the king, after the first queen passed away. At that time, the king was nearly seventy! Even though the new queen was extremely beautiful, he was too old to father a child. So, to make up for the regret of the new queen, the king adopted a child from her family, raising him as his own son. And that''s how Prince Tupe came to be." Asmon said with a smile.

    "Does he have anything to do with you"

    "Yes, my rival"

    "Oh" Luis nodded, it seems this half prince wants to ask for Vera''s hand. A direct rival of Asmon.

    At this moment the Half elves headed inside the city and towards the Lion Roar''s Castle.

    Luis and his group also followed.

    The higher they went, the more sparse the buildings became, and fewer people could be seen. Clearly, the area surrounding the Lion Roar Castle was inhabited only by the very wealthy and influential, with ordinary people never making it this far.

    About two hourster, they finally arrived at the foot of the Lion Roar Castle. The first thing they noticed was the towering, fifty-meter-tall golden lion statue at the castle''s front, its roaring posture sending a strong visual shock.

    The castle itself stood five stories high, arranged in a conical shape, each level rising higher than thest. The castle gates were open, and besides the fully armed guards, an elderly butler stood at the entrance.

    Upon seeing Luis group, the butler stepped forward with a slight bow, a perfect smile on his face, and said loudly:

    "Wee to the Lion Roar Castle!"

    ------

    Under the guidance of a servant, Luis arrived at his room in Lion''s Roar Castle.

    After a long journey, he was covered in dust and decided to take a bath and change into clean clothes. It was a way of showing respect to the leading family of the North.

    "Knock, knock, knock."

    Just as he finished dressing in a neat noble outfit, a knock sounded at the door.

    Luis assumed it was a servant summoning him for a meal, but it seemed too early. The butler had previously informed him that there would be a banquet tonight.

    Curious, Luis opened the door.

    Then, a look of astonishment shed across his face.

    In front of him there were his friends.

    Asmon, Ice Mage Sarah(his cousin) and a innocent face girl.

    Sarah patted his shoulders and pointed at the innocent face girl.

    "Luis let me introduce her, she is Vera Dressrosa. We had studied together in Arcane City."

    "Hello, Miss Vera" Luis nodded towards Vera. There was no bowing towards her.

    "Hello, Luis. Sarah and Asmon told me about you"

    Luis smiled politely, he is not much familiar with her and not very good atmunication with new people, especially girls.

    "Come, Luis. Vera will show us around the Lion Roar Castle."

    Luis nodded and followed behind them.

    Along the way, he called out Arthur and Li Xuan (his girlfriend) and Xiao Wei.

    ------@@novelbin@@

    "This is the front yard. It used to be filled with osmanthus trees, but Father thought their fragrance was too strong and had them all reced¡­"

    "That''s the tower. When I was little, I loved climbing up there to see faraway ces, but Father always said girls shouldn''t climb so high¡­"

    "Over there is the kitchen and storage. When I yed hide-and-seek with Charles and Adams as a child, I''d always hide there. They could never find me, haha! But the old butler would always get angry and scold me, saying it wasn''t a ce for ady¡­ Hmph, just as rigid as Father!"

    "And over there is the garden, my favorite ce to visit¡­"

    "That''s the chapel¡­"

    ------

    Vera chattered away like a lively little bird, enthusiastically introducing every corner of Lion''s Roar Castle while recounting fond memories tied to those ces.

    Asmon was beside Vera, Arthur was beside Li Xian, Asmon was beside Sarah.

    As for Luis, he was all alone eating the dog food from these lovers.

    At this moment they appeared at deep inside the castle.

    "This¡­ is the ce I feared most as a child," Vera said, her voice suddenly subdued.

    The atmosphere around them seemed to grow heavy as the group followed her into a courtyard deep within the castle.

    At this moment, Luis felt countless gazes pinning him down.

    Looking up, Luis realized the source of those stares¡ªtowering statues!

    "These are the Ancestors of the Dressrosa family who were above 3rd stages," Vera exined solemnly.

    Ancestors!

    Luis finally understood why the statues exuded such oppressive might.

    He quickly counted and found there were 120 statues in total, representing the 120 4th stage+ Knights/Mages the Dressrosa family had produced over more than a thousand years.

    They were the backbone of the family''s strength, the embodiment of its noble bloodline, and the source of Dressrosa unmatched glory.

    Luis also noticed that the statues'' eyes seemed carefully designed to all face the courtyard entrance.

    Anyone entering unaware would inevitably be overwhelmed by the intensity of their collective gaze.

    "This one is Ancestor Franso; this one is Ancestor Breta; this one is Ancestor Lymens¡­" Vera introduced each statue one by one.

    Finally, they stood before thergest statue at the center of the courtyard.

    "This is the Founding Ancestor of the Dressrosa family¡ª''The Lion of Fire,'' Ryan Dressrosa."

    Luis tilted his head back to gaze at the towering statue, over ten meters high, feeling a sense of weirdness.

    Feeling the weirdness he continued to observe.

    "Asmon, did you know? I once wanted to be a knight," Vera said, her gaze fixed on Ryan''s statue, her face filled with admiration.

    "Really?" Asmon turned to look at her.

    "Yes. I had it all nned out. On my tenth birthday, I intended to ask Father But¡­"

    "But when I was six, Father sent me to study arcane city¡­"

    "At the time, Father told me that if I wanted to uncover the world''s truth, I needed to go to Arcane City and be a Mage."

    Asmon shook his head and looked at Vera Lovingly.

    Luis ignored these people with love Brains, he was gazing intently at each statues. Read new adventures at empire

    "So, did you find the world''s truth?" Asmon asked

    "Not yet¡­" Vera bit her lip but dered firmly, "But I believe I''m on the right path! The relentless pursuit of arcane truth will one day lead me to uncover the world''s secrets!"

    Sarah, Arthur, Li Xuan didnt speak. They had already been to Cultivation World. They believe that as the strength increases the secret will reveal themselves.

    At this moment, a guard appeared beside them and bowed slightly.

    "Miss Vera! Her Majesty''s carriage is approaching Lion''s Roar Castle."

    "The Queen?"

    "Aunt!"

    The Empress of the Azov Kingdom was none other than the younger sister of Duke Dressrosa.

    It was said that before her marriage, this Empress Mide had been famed throughout the North for her peerless beauty. Countless nobles vied for her attention, going to great lengths to win her favor.

    Yet, the most radiant flower of the North had ultimately been plucked by the Emperor of the Azov Kingdom himself.

    Empress Mide had an excellent reputation in the Empire¡ªnoble, elegant, kind to others, devout in her faith, and a model empress who had given birth to a son and a daughter for the emperor.

    "Hurry, Everyone! Let''s go greet my Aunt!" Vera lifted the hem of her gown and dashed ahead.

 Chapter 129 Coming Of Age Ceremony

    When Vera called "aunt" everyone realized, the Empress of the Glorious Empire was none other than the younger sister of Duke Dressrosa.

    Everyone followed, Vera''s steps to meet the empress.

    Luis also backed out maintaining his eye contact with the Statues.

    "Xiao Wei, do you feel it"

    "Yes, Boss. Those statues were very spiritual. Maybe, these are the sealed ones"

    Luis nodded hearing the evaluation of Xiao Wei.

    He knows the knights and mages above 4th stage are truly not dead but sealed to be awakenedter on.

    In the whole sealed continent there are more than 6,000 sealed warriors.

    "Silence for now, we will talk after returning to barony. It''s not safe here."

    -----

    When they reached the castle''s main gate, arge gathering of nobles had already formed. Even Duke Dressrosa himself had arrived to wee his younger sister.

    The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed in the air as a grand procession of carriages approached.

    At the forefront rode eight knights in crimson armor, each bearing a white g emzoned with a fiery me¡ªthe emblem of the Royal family, Azov Royal Family.

    Unlike most noble families who favored animals as their symbols, the Royal family''s emblem was a zing me.

    Over a millennium ago, this unassuming me had swept across the continent, burning through the fragmented kingdoms of humanity and forging a unified empire.

    A luxurious carriage entered the castle gates, and a knight stepped forward to open its gilded door. From within, a stunning noblewoman emerged, her presence illuminating the castle like sunlight breaking through clouds.

    "Your Majesty!"

    The gathered nobles bowed deeply in greeting.

    Luis stole a nce at the dazzling Empress.

    She wore a crimson, low-cut gown woven from spider silk, her cascading golden hair draped over her fair shoulders. Her eyes, as deep as still water, seemed to reflect the unspoken desires hidden in every man''s heart.

    Startled by her allure, Luis quickly averted his gaze.

    "Brother, you''ve grown rounder!"

    The Empress''s voice was melodious yet yful, like a lover''s gentle teasing.

    "Hahaha!" Duke Dressrosaughed heartily, patting his round belly. "I can''tpare to my predecessors in deeds, so I''ve decided to excel in weight!"

    The Empress chuckled, then turned to Vera. "Vera,e here."

    Vera rushed forward, taking the Empress''s outstretched hand. "Aunt, you''re as beautiful as ever!"

    The Empress smiled, brushing Vera''s hair aside. "I''m getting old, unlike you, in the bloom of youth. After thising-of-age ceremony, I''m sure countless noblemen will be vying for your hand."

    The Empress was just over thirty, at the peak of her beauty¡ªwhere youthful charm met mature allure.

    Standing beside Vera, they looked less like aunt and niece and more like sisters.

    "No way!" Vera blushed, shaking the Empress''s arm. "I''m not ready to marry yet!"

    "Alright, alright. No one will force you. Let those eager men wait a few more years."

    Laughing, the two beauties strolled into the castle, leaving everyone marveling at the exceptional genes of the Dressrosa Family.

    As they entered the castle, Vera''sing-of-age ceremony was officially started.

    -----

    Vera''sing-of-age ceremony started.

    Today, the Duke''s daughter wore a ssic and elegant white pear flower dress, with her golden hair draped straight over her shoulders.

    She didn''t dress up today, had no extra jewelry on, and only wore light makeup.

    But even so, it is still breathtakingly beautiful.

    Also, she wasn''t wearing shoes.

    The white feet stepped on the cold marble floor, which was both lovely and pitiful.

    The Mage with white robes finally finished his prayers and ced a crown of thorns on Vera''s head.

    After the Mage put the crown of thorns on Vera''s head, he bowed and left.

    Then, Queen Mide stepped forward and handed a copy of the Holy Book of Glory to Vera.

    Finally, Duke Dressrosa stepped forward and handed Vera a knight''s sword.

    The crown of thorns symbolizes responsibility and dedication;

    the holy book of glory symbolizes wisdom and faith;

    the knight''s sword symbolizes courage and strength.

    At this point, the eighteen-year-old girl finallypleted her transformation and officially opened a new chapter in her life.

    The ceremony had actually ended at this point, and what followed was the long-awaited dinner for the nobles.

    The dinner will naturally not be held in the main hall of the castle.

    Led by Duke Dressrosa, everyone left the hall and came to the courtyard of Lion''s Roar Castle.

    There, the butler had already prepared everything.

    Food, wine, music, dance floor... In short, the real night has just begun.

    After Duke Dressrosa finished his opening remarks, the dinner officially began.

    At this time many unmarried male nobles immediately set their sights on the focus of tonight''s banquet - Vera.

    Who will invite her to the first dance?

    Luis and his group turned their eyes towards Asmon.

    They want to see what Asmon does first.

    After all, he was the man with the greatest hope of dancing with Vera.

    Experience tales at empire

    Asmon, however, maintained his leisurely attitude, as if he was unaware that a fiercepetition had quietly begun.

    Just when the male nobles were hesitating, a noble suddenly stood up.

    Son of Marquis Jupiter, came to Vera, performed a standard human noble ceremony, and then said in a loud voice,

    "Beautiful Miss Vera, to celebrate youring-of-age ceremony, I have specially prepared a small gift for you. I hope you like it!"

    Luis raised his eyebrows, wondering if this guy was going to y a trick.

    This was the guy who stole their War Merit and sent his father back to the territory.

    After saying this, Jupiter Jr took a roll of parchment from the servant behind him and slowly unfolded it.

    That''s a map.

    Jupiter pointed to the three red circles on the map and said to Vera, "Dear Miss Vera, my gift is these three military forts!"

    Luis took a few steps closer and saw the locations of the three military forts clearly.

    They are all on the southern border of the Orcs Kingdom!

    Shit! This Marquis Jupiter son is really clever.

    Vera stared at the map nkly, also a little confused.

    Given her military background, she probably hasn''t figured out what this means.

    However, Duke Dressrosa spoke up: "Jupiter Jr, are you saying that these three forts will be garrisoned by the Northern Army instead of your Marquis Army?"

    "Yes!"

    At this time, all the nobles present realized the value of this gift.

    No, it''s not precious anymore.

    It''s simply a sign that the Maquis are fully surrendering to the Duke!

    Dad,e on, put the dog on the leash for me!

    Now, let''s see whether Duke Dressrosa will ept the gift.

    The Duke put down the wine ss in his hand and said in a low voice: "Jupiter Jr, your gift seems a little too expensive."

    Jupiter Jr smiled and shook his head: "My Lord Duke, this is not expensive at all. In fact, I even think that such a gift is not worthy of Miss Vera''s status!

    Therefore, I have decided to make a solemn promise to you - My Jupiter family will fully affiliate with you once i be a Marquis!"

    "Wow¡ª¡ª"

    The whole audience was in an uproar, and everyone was shocked by the "generosity" of the Jupiter Jr.

    Duke Dressrosa looked at Jupiter Jr with sharp eyes: "Is this your gift?"

    "Yes." Jupiter Jr put his left hand on his chest, bowed to Duke Dressrosa, and said loudly, "This is also the betrothal gift I ask for to marry Miss Vera!"

    "Wow¡ª¡ª"

    This time the audience reacted even louder, as if a ho''s nest had been stirred up.

    The male nobles who wanted to pursue Vera red at Jupiter Jr, wishing they could kick him to the ground and curse him fiercely¡ª

    Are you worthy enough?

    Vera''s face turned red instantly.

    Then it gradually turned white.

    Because she saw that her father did not reject Jupiter Jr request at the first time, but fell into deep thought, as if he was really considering the feasibility of this matter!

    Vera panicked.

    She didn''t want to marry someone who she didnt know.

    In a state of panic, she subconsciously looked for that reliable figure in the crowd...

    Asmon also saw Vera''s look asking for help.

    Originally, he was still a little hesitant.

    After all, as a Pioneer Knight, it was actually a bit too high for him to marry the daughter of a duke.

    Originally, he was nning to find an opportunity to make some military achievements, raise the title of the family, and thene to propose marriage.

    But when Vera''s big watery eyes looked at him, Asmon made up his mind.

    There is no time to hesitate.

    Otherwise, who knows whether the Duke would be moved by Jupiter Jr conditions and marry Vera off.

    So Colin took a few steps forward: "Duke..."@@novelbin@@

    "Your Excellency the Duke! Please forgive my offense!"

    Just as Asmon opened his mouth, someone stepped forward.

    Seeing this Asmon revealed a weird smile.

    This person was none other than the half-elf prince that Luis group met at the gate of Winterfell that day¡ªTupe Modiwen!

    Prince Tupe strode up to the Duke and stood side by side with Jupiter Jr.

    "I don''t think you should agree to this marriage!"

    "Why?" Duke Dressrosa tone did not reveal any emotion.

    "Because I think I am more suitable to be Miss Vera''s husband!"

 Chapter 131 Silver Moon City

    The bright morning sunlight bathed the Red Maple Estate, and crystalline dewdrops shimmered like pure diamonds, adorning the elegant manor with an almost ethereal beauty.

    After a heavy rain, the air was exceptionally fresh, carrying the fragrant aroma of flowers and grass.

    Luis took a deep breath, stretching in the early rays of the sun.

    Refreshed and invigorated.

    "Good morning, Prince Tupe!"

    "Good morning, Luis! You seem to be in an excellent mood today!"

    Prince Tupe neared Luis and smiled in an friendly matter.

    They both know each other because of the trade between fairies and Spiritual field.

    "Haha, of course! This is all thanks to your hospitality!" Luis smiled sincerely.

    "It is my honor to satisfy you!"

    The half-elf prince was dressed for the asion, wearing a luxurious formal outfit.

    Particrly striking was the green thorn circlet on his head, which caught Luis attention.

    Noticing Luis gaze, Prince Tupe adjusted the circlet and exined, "This is a tradition of our Half-Elf Kingdom. Members of the royal family wear thorn circlets when entering Silvermoon City, symbolizing responsibility and sacrifice."

    "Oh~~," Luis suppressed a chuckle. "It truly is beautiful! You know, in my homnd, green symbolizes good luck."

    "Really? Then I thank you for your blessing! I''ll go greet Miss Vera. Feel free to make yourselffortable." Prince Tupe walked past Luis towards Vera room.

    Luis smiled and looked at Prince Tupe.

    Last night, there was a knock on his door. Outside the door it was Asmon, through his request he helped him sneak into Vera''s room.

    As for what happened there is no need to describe.

    After bidding Prince Tupe farewell, Luis hummed a tune and briskly made his way to the dining hall.

    Seated at the long table was Asmon and some of other noblesing as Escort.

    "Good morning, Asmon!"

    "Good morning, Luis."

    Breakfast wasvish, but Luis ate indifferently.

    After hurriedly filling his stomach, he was about to leave when Prince Tupe entered the hall.

    "Miss Vera is feeling unwell, so it seems we won''t be leaving today."

    At Tup¨¦''s words, Luis gaze toward Asmon grew more peculiar.

    Yet Asmon, the culprit behind it all, appeared oblivious, even expressing concern. "Is Miss Vera alright?"

    "She should be fine. Likely just lost sleep fromst night''s thunderstorm," Prince Tupe replied casually, not noticing Luis reaction.

    "Rest assured, I''ll arrange for a Doctors to check on Miss Vera."

    "You''re too kind."

    "It''s my duty."

    After Prince Tupe left, Luis turned to Asmon with a sly smile. "Asmon, that rainst night sure was heavy!"

    Asmon chuckled and nodded as if missing the Luis insinuation. "Indeed, I didn''t sleep well either."

    Before Luis could continue, Asmon, feeling guilty, quickly set down his cutlery and excused himself. "I''ll head back to catch up on sleep. Please, carry on."

    ----- Enjoy more content from empire

    Therefore, because of Vera''s health, the wedding delegation stayed at Red Maple Manor for another day.

    On the third day, the set off again.

    The half-elf prince was still dressed in his best attire, with a green wreath of thorns on his head.

    That afternoon, the wedding delegation arrived safely in Silvermoon City.

    If Remora City is a prosperous city on the border and Winter City is a majestic city of Duke, then Silver Moon City is a magnificent garden city.

    This ancient city, which has experienced thousands of years of wind and rain, has been the political, economic, and cultural center of the Half-Elf Kingdom since its establishment. It can be called the holy city of the Half-Elves.

    The half-elves took great pains to dress it up beautifully.

    Needless to say, there are all kinds of intricately crafted buildings, and even any empty corners on the streets have been nted with flowers, nts and trees by the half-elves.

    This garden-like city has been fascinated by many bards, who spread its beauty and tranquility everywhere, making its reputation resound throughout the continent.

    However, the result of paying too much attention to beautiful appearance is that the military value of Silvermoon City is almost non-existent.

    For example, those city walls wrapped in wisteria may look beautiful, but when fighting, they are simply climbing stairs built for the attackers.

    As for the crystal gate that radiated colorful light under the sunlight, Luis doubted whether it could withstand an attack from the ck cavalry or even a normal Heavy Cavalry.

    In fact, Luis was worrying too much.

    The walls and gates of Silvermoon City may seem fragile, but they have never been destroyed in war.

    Because every time the enemy attacked Silvermoon City, the city would surrender without a fight.

    In the words of the half-elves¡ª

    "We cannot bear to see this beautiful city go through war."

    Therefore, although the Silvermoon City is a beautiful vase that will break at the slightest touch, it has verypletely preserved the masterpieces of sessive architectural masters of the half-elf race, and can be called a miracle in the history of cultural relics protection.

    The one who came to greet them at the city gate was the Prime Minister of the Half-Elf Kingdom, Duke Miller.

    "Respected Son of Baron, Luis, wee. The king and queen have been waiting in the pce for a long time."

    "Your Excellency the Duke, you are so polite." Luis saluted Duke Miller casually, naturally revealing a hint of arrogance.

    At this time, he represented the Hartmann Family, a baron of the Azov Kingdom, so there was no need to be too polite to the duke of a small vassal state.

    Duke Miller certainly would not me anyone. As the prime minister of a small state, he had long learned to kowtow in front of envoys from a big country.

    After saluting Prince Tupe again, Duke Miller finally turned his gaze to Vera''s carriage, as if he wanted to greet Vera in person.

    Unfortunately, Vera had no intention ofing out to meet him.

    Just when Duke Miller was feeling embarrassed, Colin''s voice came from the front,

    "Your Excellency the Duke, please lead the way. We cannot keep His Majesty the King waiting for too long."

    "Yes, yes! Please follow me!"

    -----

    Luis followed behind Duke Miller and headed towards inner city into an pce.

    Although the Half-elf Pce was magnificent and the Half-elf King was standing in front of the pce gate, Colin''s eyes were immediately fixed on a woman.@@novelbin@@

    The Half-elf Queen!

    This is a tall and slender half-elf girl with a dreamy face. Her demeanor is dignified and elegant. She holds the old half-elf king beside her with both hands. When you see her, you can''t help but sigh.

    It''s really like a flower stuck in cow dung!

    Luis quickly retracted his slightly rude gaze and bowed to the king and queen.

    At the same time, he secretlyined:

    No wonder the queen needs to adopt a son. Judging from the half-elf king''s dizzy appearance, he must not be able to make the young and beautiful queen pregnant.

    At this time, Vera finally stepped out of the carriage and saluted the king.

    Vera was not dressed up today. She wore only a simple white dress with no other decorations on her body except for a small Dressrosa family badge on her left chest.

    In such a solemn asion, Vera''s attire was actually very impolite.

    But no one at the scene dared to criticize.

    Like a cold snow lotus, the girl stood expressionlessly in front of the half-elf pce, as if silently protesting against her fate.

    "Miss Vera, please, please don''t be so polite..."

    The half-elf king''s tone was so light that it seemed as if it could be blown away by a gust of wind.

    "Dear guests, pleasee into the pce. We have prepared a sumptuous feast of food and wine to wee you."

    A middle-aged half-elf man walked out from behind the king and saluted Colin and the others.

    "His Royal Highness Prince William is right. Pleasee in!" Duke Miller also hurriedly advised.

    At the same time, the identity of the middle-aged man was also pointed out.

    It was the eldest prince William Medivh, the biological son of the half-elf king and thete queen.

    Luis felt that the reason why the eldest prince and Duke Miller were so anxious to let everyone into the pce was probably because they were worried that the old king would suddenly die after standing outside for too long.

    So he followed suit and immediately led his group into the half-elf pce.

    The half-elves who love beauty so much would naturally not be stingy with their own pce. As Luis walked along, every ce he saw was decorated with gold and crystals, full of luxury and extravagance.

    Even the Lion''s Roar Castle of the Dressrosa'' family was not as good as here in this respect.

    The group traversed a long corridor before arriving at the banquet hall.

    Dark red carpets lined the floor, and long tables covered in deep blue velvet were adorned with blood roses¡ªan iconic bloom of the half-elf kingdom.

    The faint floral fragrance lingered in the air, soothing the mind.

    Slender, graceful half-elf maidens flitted about like butterflies, leading each guest to their assigned seat.

 Chapter 133 Shadow Guard

    "I understand." Prince William nodded quickly. It was unclear whether he truly understood or just wanted to lie to avoid his father''s me.

    The old king seemed slightly disappointed.

    This motto of the Modiwen family carried so much blood, tears, and suffering of the half-elves.

    It also bore the weight of shameful and dirty dealings.

    What a pity...

    The old king sighed and asked again, "Now that Prince Tupe has married Vera, we have allied with the Duke of the North. This will offend the other dukes. So, we are caught between many forces. Do you know what to do?"

    "Got it. As long as they haven''t decided the winner, we won''t take sides or ce any bets!"

    The old king''s lips curled into a faint smile, as if reassured that his son wasn''t entirely beyond hope.

    "Good. Then think again. Was it truly my arrangement for Tupe to marry Vera?"

    Prince William was smarter this time. He shook his head emphatically. "No, Father. You are too wise to gamble on the North at such a critical moment."

    Seeing the old king nod slowly, William grew bolder. "So, this must have been my brother''s decision?"

    A sh of anger crossed the old king''s face. "Hmph! Of course, there was that woman stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"

    Prince William kept silent, knowing full well who his father meant.

    The "woman" the old king referred to was none other than the queen herself.

    Continue your journey with empire

    To outsiders, the Half-Elven King and Queen appeared harmonious, but William knew better. His father had harbored dissatisfaction with the queen since the day she married into the royal family.

    The adoption of Prince Tupe had driven a deep wedge between them, almost turning them into enemies.

    The old king, who valued blood inheritance above all else, never fully epted Prince Tupe as his son, even though, legally, he now was. If not for the Miller family''s powerful backing, the queen''s position might have been stripped away long ago.

    Now, it seemed the queen sought to use Tupe''s marriage to Vera to strengthen ties with the Duke of the North.

    Her disregard for the delicate political bnce had enraged the old king, who was determined to remain neutral and maintain a precarious equilibrium between the Eastern and Northern territories.

    "The Eastern Territory will send an envoy in a few days," the old king said. "You will handle their reception."

    "Yes, Father."

    "Remember," the king warned, "no matter how much the Easterners try to woo or threaten you, do not get personally involved. Provide them with only the necessary courtesies and let them sh with the North on their own."

    "I understand."

    Having said so much, the old king looked visibly tired. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Prince William.

    Prince William immediately bowed and excused himself. However, before he could leave the pce, the king called him back.

    "By the way, how is the Spiritual Field I asked you to investigatest time?"

    "I checked, Father. There''s nothing wrong with it. As the rumors say, it makes crops grow ten times faster¡ª"

    "Idiot!" The old king''s anger red again. "Did I ask you to investigate the speed of the Spiritual Field?"

    Prince William froze, dumbfounded.

    The old king exhaled slowly, regaining hisposure. Finally, he waved his hand in frustration. "Keep investigating."

    "Yes, Father," Prince William replied timidly.

    "How''s little Charlie doing?"

    At the mention of his son, Prince William couldn''t help but smile. "The little one is doing well. He''s started learning the sword recently, though he''s a bit too mischievous. The pce gardens are suffering because of him."

    "Send him to me tomorrow. Let him keep mepany for a while."

    Prince William had no doubts and nodded eagerly. "Yes, Father."

    At that moment, light footsteps echoed outside the pce doors. Prince William turned his head, only to see his father quickly lie down on the bed and feign sleep.

    Fast asleep in an instant.

    "William, has His Majesty gone to bed?" The Queen entered softly, her voice low.

    "Yes, Mother. He fell asleep as soon as I left."

    "Good. You should go back too."

    "Yes, Mother," William said, bowing before leaving.

    Outside the pce, another scene unfolded.

    "Sir, do you need a half-elf ve? Our Chamber of Commerce has just trained a fresh batch. The quality is excellent. Would you like to take a look?"

    As soon as Luis approached the door of the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce, a salesman eagerly intercepted him.

    "I''m here to find someone."

    "Who might that be?"

    "A merchant named Sith. Do you know him?"

    The salesman''s expression turned cautious. "What business do you have with our president?"

    Luis raised an eyebrow.

    Noticing the salesman''s wary tone, Luis silently produced a token and disyed it.

    The salesman inspected the badge, his suspicion lingering. Clearly, he didn''t recognize it. "Please wait here. I''ll go inside and inquire."

    Momentster, the salesman returned, followed by a tall, thin, middle-aged half-elf.

    "Boss, you''re finally here!" Sith greeted him warmly.

    "Sith, let''s talk inside."

    Luis nodded and followed Sith into the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce.

    They passed through the bustling lobby and into a serene courtyard.

    The yard was alive with roses, their elegant fragrance carried by the gentle breeze.

    In the middle of the flowers, there was a pavilion.

    Sith led Luis to the pavilion and sat down, then asked respectfully, "Boss, what would you like to drink?"

    "Coffee, please."

    A waiter promptly brought two mugs filled with steaming coffee.

    Sith waved his hand, and the servants withdrew, leaving Luis and Sith alone.

    "Wee to Silvermoon City, Boss."

    Luis took a sip of his coffee. Sith was a Shadow Guard of the Hartmann Territory, tasked with spying on Silvermoon City.

    Luis studied Sith for a moment, then pointed at the roses in the courtyard and asked calmly, "Are these blood roses?"

    "Yes. If you like, Boss, I can arrange a batch for you."

    "I''m not interested in flowers." Luis shook his head and smiled. "But I heard that Queen Elsa''s favorite flower is the blood rose."

    "Yes. The whole of Silvermoon City knows that."

    "Then tell me about Queen Elsa."

    "Of course. Queen Elsa is from the Miller family and is the youngest daughter of Duke Miller..."

    "The half-elf Prime Minister, Duke Miller?" Luis suddenly recalled the half-elf who had greeted him at the city gate.

    "Yes." Sith nodded and continued, "Queen Elsa married into the royal family three years ago..."

    Sith carried on, "Due to His Majesty''s old age, he has been unable to get the Queen pregnant. A year ago, he chose a young man from the Miller family to be his adopted son, who is now the second prince, His Royal Highness Tupe..."

    "Wait!" Colin interrupted, "You mean Prince Tupe was chosen from the Miller family, not the half-elf royal family of Modiwen?"

    "Yes." Sith nodded again.

    Luis sneered inwardly.

    What does the Miller family intend to do? The queen is from their family, and even the king''s adopted son is one of them.

    Even though Tupe had changed hisst name to Modiwen, would the old king truly recognize this foreign bloodline? Was Duke Miller trying to take advantage of the situation?

    "What about the eldest prince, William?" Colin asked.

    "Prince William is the biological son of His Majesty the King and thete Queen."

    "Which family did thete queene from?"

    "The Rutte family."

    A stern face shed through Luis'' mind. At the weing banquetst night, wasn''t Duke Rutte seated at the main table?

    "So the current Duke of Rutte is the younger brother of thete queen?" Colin asked.

    "Yes."

    "Does Duke Rutte hold any royal position now?"

    "Duke Rutte is themander of the Silvermoon Guard."

    Luis nodded, beginning to understand the politicalndscape of the Half-Elf Kingdom.

    In his view, the kingdom''s top power was divided mainly between two factions.

    The second prince''s faction was centered around the Queen, Prince Tupe, and Duke Miller, while the eldest prince''s faction included the King, Prince William, and Duke Rutte.

    However, it seemed the eldest prince''s faction had the upper hand.

    After all, Prince William was the heir, and with the king''s support, he was in a strong position. Additionally, the kingdom''s most elite army was under themand of his uncle, Duke Rutte.

    No wonder Prince Tupe is going to the North to seek Vera''s hand in marriage. Without external support, Prince Tupe cannot defeat his brother.

    So, is Duke Dressrosa nning to push the disadvantaged Prince Tupe onto the throne to gain control of the Half-Elf Kingdom?

    And what about the other Dukes?

    They certainly won''t sit idly by and let the Half-Elf Kingdom fall under the North''s control. How will they respond?

    And Luis himself...

    His Hartmann family is always ready for war beyond the Vortex.@@novelbin@@

    And Asmon... that kid is very strange. The Smile.... is very weird.

    "There must be a lot of knights among the half-elf royal family members, right?"

    "The Half-Elf King was once a fourth-rank knight. Her Majesty the Queen, the two princes, and even Duke Rutte are knights."

    Half-Elf King is a fourth rank knight, huh? So he might be sealed by the mages soon in his death bed.

    "Okay, that''s all for today. I have other matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave now."

    "Understood, Boss. You''re always wee to visit! I''ll escort you out."

    The two walked to the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce, where they were met by a team of fully armed guards.

    Luis nced at the familiar face leading the group and said in surprise, "Prince William?"

 Chapter 134 Interesting...

    "Luis? Why are you here?"

    "I..." Luis hesitated, momentarily caught off guard. Then he blurted out something nonsensical, "I came to see the half-elf ve girl."

    "Is that so?" Prince William''s face lit up with sudden understanding, followed by a sly, knowing smile. "Then you should havee to me! The best half-elf ve girls in Silvermoon City are all under my care!"

    Luis blinked, finding the prince''s words somewhat...ridiculous.

    "It''s fine. I''m just browsing, really. I don''t intend to buy anything," Luis said quickly, steering the conversation away. "Why are you here, Your Highness?"

    "I''m investigating the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce," Prince William said candidly. "We received a report that they''ve been evading taxes!"

    "That''s absurd! Your Highness!" Sith, the chamber''s representative, eximed in protest. "You checked us not long ago! We''rew-abiding citizens¡ªwe would never evade taxes!"

    "Whether it''s true or not, we''ll find out soon enough." Prince William dismissed Sith''s plea with a wave of his hand.

    Momentster, a team of half-elf guards, as fierce as wolves and tigers, stormed forward. They grabbed Sith and carried him off into the chamber.

    "My apologies, Luis. Duty calls, and I must see this through. I''m afraid I can''t apany you further."

    Experience more on empire

    "It''s fine, Your Highness. Go ahead and take care of your business. I''ll just wander around on my own."

    "Luis, I''ll definitely catch up with you another time! Oh, and about the half-elf ve girl¡ªyou don''t need to worry. I''ll personally gift you the finest one when I''m done here!"

    "No, no, that''s far too kind," Luis replied, forcing a polite smile.

    After bidding farewell to the overly enthusiastic prince, Luis returned to the pce on his own.

    With Vera''s wedding half a month away, he had little pressing to do in the meantime.

    Luis decided to explore the pce grounds leisurely.

    As he wandered, a familiar fragrance caught his attention.

    Following the scent, Luis entered an open-air garden.

    There, a sea of blood roses bloomed vividly, their fiery red petals swaying gently in the breeze.

    Luis approached one of the flowers, inspecting it closely as thoughparing it to the blood roses he''d seen at the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce.

    At this moment, sound of footsteps could be heard and Luis decided to hide himself.

    He opened the vortex and looked at the fantasy world through the cultivation world.

    It was Asmon who walked towards this garden. After arriving here he began gazing at the Blood Rose.

    ----

    A few momentster, another figure walked into the garden.

    "Asmon?"

    An elegant, slightly maic voice suddenly sounded.

    Asmon smiled and turned to look at Queen Elsa, who had just arrived.

    "Your Majesty!"

    Queen Elsa waved her hand, signaling that Asmon need not be formal.

    She walked slowly toward him, a charming smile gracing her beautiful face. "Asmon, do you also like Blood Roses?"

    Asmon stood straighter but lowered his head slightly to avoid her gaze. "Yes. After all, everyone appreciates beautiful things."

    "Did you know?" Queen Elsa continued, her tone soft yet intriguing. "The most beautiful Blood Roses need to be watered with blood."

    By now, she was standing right beside Asmon.

    The faint fragrance of her presence lingered in the air, stirring his senses.

    "Really? No wonder they''re called Blood Roses," Asmon replied with a polite smile, rubbing his nose as if to shake off the sudden intensity.

    Queen Elsa picked a Blood Rose, brought it to her nose, and sniffed delicately. Then, she nodded. "Yes. And the more powerful the blood, the more vibrant and beautiful the flower bes."

    As Asmon opened his mouth to respond, she interrupted by tucking the rose into her hair. Tilting her head slightly, she asked with an innocent expression,

    "Am I beautiful?"

    Asmon froze for a moment before meeting her gaze. He nodded. "Of course."

    Queen Elsa smiled, her expression reminiscent of a young girl basking in praise.

    "I heard you like Miss Vera," she said suddenly.

    "Yes," Asmon admitted.

    "Ah, I, too, know the pain of being unable to have the one you love." A trace of sorrow flickered in Queen Elsa''s eyes, as if she truly empathized with him.

    Asmon raised his head, meeting her gaze. Then, heughed softly. "Your Highness, you''re joking. Haven''t you married your beloved?"

    "Do you really think so?" Queen Elsa''s bitter smile hinted at a deeper truth.

    Asmon said nothing.

    Sensing his caution, she sighed. "I know you don''t trust me. But I can see that Miss Vera doesn''t want to marry Tupe. You must be her true love."

    "Your Highness, you''re joking," Asmon said evenly, careful not to reveal anything.

    "I''m not joking," Queen Elsa said seriously. "If possible, I would even hope you could take Miss Vera away."

    Asmonughed again, brushing off her words.

    "Your Highness, I just remembered I have something to attend to. Please excuse me." He turned to leave.

    "Very well," Queen Elsa replied, her voice calm.

    After Asmon left, she reached for the Blood Rose she had tucked into her hair. Gently crushing it in her hand, she opened her palm, letting the delicate petals scatter in the breeze.

    "If you were still alive," she murmured softly, her voice carried away by the wind, "would you dare to take me away?"

    ----

    A series of questions swirled in Luis'' mind.

    He suddenly felt that the current situation was bing very interesting.

    With an excited smile, Luis turned and walked toward his residence. By now, the garden was empty as he came out after Queen Elsa walked away.

    Thinking and walking all the way, Luis soon arrived at his door.

    There, he noticed a petite, pretty half-elf girl standing by his entrance.

    "Knight, who is thisdy?" Luis asked, puzzled.

    "Sir, this is Cathy, the ve girl Prince William personally sent over just now. He said it was a gift for you."

    Luis suddenly remembered. At the time, he thought Prince William had only been joking, but he hadn''t expected him to actually send over a half-elf ve.

    The half-elf girl stood about 1.6 meters tall, slender and frail, as if a strong breeze could knock her over.

    Her delicate, beautiful face was framed by long, pointed ears, and her big amber eyes glimmered with innocence. She wore a simple green dress, and an iron ring encircled her left ankle¡ªa stark symbol of her very. She exuded a mysterious and fragile temperament that evoked pity.

    Seeing Luis looking at her, Cathy blushed, stepped forward, and bowed. "My Lord, Prince William asked me to follow you from now on."

    The knight handed over a document at just the right moment. "Sir, this is her ve contract. His Royal Highness has already signed it. Once you sign your name, she will officially be yours."

    Luis epted the contract reluctantly. ncing at Cathy, he sighed and said, "Come in with me."

    After entering the room, Luis sat down in a chair. Cathy quickly poured a ss of water and offered it to him.

    "My Lord, please drink some water," she said timidly.

    Luis smiled at her anxious expression and waved his hand. "You don''t have to be so nervous."

    He pointed to the seat opposite him. "Take a seat."

    Cathy obeyed, sitting down carefully. Her back remained straight, and she seemed unable to fully rx.

    "How did you be a ve?" Luis asked, observing her demeanor. From her appearance and temperament, she didn''t seem like the child of a ve.

    "My father used to be a businessman," Cathy exined, her voice trembling. "But he went bankrupt and sold me to pay off his debts." Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.

    ''A clich¨¦ story,'' Luis thought. ''How much of it is true or false, I wonder?''@@novelbin@@

    Still, he couldn''t ignore the pitiful sight before him.

    "How long have you been with Prince William?" Luis continued.

    "I was sold to him today," Cathy replied softly.

    Luis leaned back, considering her words, then said, "Come here."

    Cathy immediately stood and approached him.

    "Closer," he instructed.

    She took another hesitant step forward.

    Suddenly, Luis stood up, startling her.

    They were now very close, and Luis deliberately leaned in, his face mere inches from hers.

    Cathy seemed to realize something, and her delicate face turned bright red.

    Luis'' masculine presence unsettled her, leaving her mindpletely nk.

    At that moment, Luis suddenly asked, "What''s yourst name?"

    "Myst name..." Cathy snapped back to her senses, her eyes widening. Quickly, she corrected herself. "Sir, I am just a ve. How could I have ast name?"

    "Not even before you became a ve?"

    Cathy shook her head. "My Lord, I was just amoner before."

    Luis smiled coldly, clearly unconvinced.

    Her instinctive reaction moments ago had betrayed her.

    In this world, only nobles were allowed to have surnames. If Cathy had truly been amoner, she wouldn''t have naturally mentioned having ast name.

    Luis'' mind raced. Could Cathy belong to the Miller family? Or perhaps the Rutte family?

    It wouldn''t be unheard of for families to sell one of their own into very to infiltrate their enemies as a spy.

    But another possibility struck Luis¡ªCathy might not be tied to the Millers or Ruttes at all. She could be from a Hidden Family.

    Luis leaned back and gave a dismissive wave. "You can go now."

    "Yes, My Lord." Cathy looked at Luis with a pitiful expression before turning and running out, as skittish as a frightened deer.

    Luis watched her retreating figure, a thoughtful smirk ying on his lips.

    His n could definitely be improved.

    Cathy, Queen Elsa, Millers, Asmon...

    This ce was bing far more interesting.

 Chapter 135 Earl Evan

    Dark clouds loomed over Silver Moon City, and rumbling thunder echoed intermittently across the sky.

    It''s going to rain.

    Pedestrians hurried along the streets, eager to reach their homes before the downpour began.

    Meanwhile, a tavern in the eastern part of the city weed two new guests.

    As soon as the waiter saw their attire and demeanor, he immediately recognized them as nobles. Bowing respectfully, he led them to a quiet window seat.

    The guests were a man and a woman.

    The man appeared to be in his early twenties, with bright blond hair and striking ocean-blue eyes. Those eyes, deep and prating, gave the unsettling impression of seeing through anyone who met their gaze.

    The woman, slightly younger, had a delicate yet resolute face and an air of heroism. She was petite, her movements agile, but what caught everyone''s attention was the enormous broadsword strapped to her back.

    The sword was almost as tall as she was, with dual edges and a de ten inches wide, engraved with intricate, arcane patterns. Sparks of lightning flickered along its surface, faintly dissipating into the air.

    The contrast between the petite woman and her massive weapon was striking, leaving a strong visual impact.

    At the top of the sword''s hilt, a carving of a winged horse poised for flight stood proudly.

    Anyone familiar with the noble emblems of the Azov Kingdom would recognize it at once. The pure white horse was the insignia of the Pros family, dukes of the empire''s eastern territories.

    "Bang!"

    The woman casually leaned the broadsword against the wall after taking her seat. Judging by the deep puncture left in the wooden floor and the loud thud from the impact, the sword was undoubtedly heavy.

    "Brother," she began, a hint of irritation in her voice, "why have you been spending your days sampling fine wines? Have you forgotten we''re in Silver Moon City for a mission?"

    The man smiled faintly but didn''t respond right away. Instead, he poured wine into their sses, raised his own, and gestured for her to drink.

    "What''s the rush? Try the wine here first," he said.

    With a sigh of resignation, the woman clinked her ss against her brother''s.

    The broadsword''s emblem made their identities unmistakable.

    The Pros family, rulers of the East, had only one earl¡ªEvan Pros.

    Earl Evan, the second son of Duke Pros, carried the title of earl despite his youth. To outsiders, it seemed a mark of great favor.

    But those who understood the intricacies of noble politics knew better.

    Bestowing an earldom on his second son was Duke Pros'' way of saying:

    This earldom and territory are yours, but don''t even think about my dukedom.

    The intent was clear.

    Earl Evan took a sip of his wine, savoring it with closed eyes. When he opened them again, his sister was staring at him with an unwavering, determined gaze.

    Earl Evan smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, alright, Anna. Do you know why I''m in no rush to find someone from the half-elf royal family?"

    "Why?"

    "Because this mission is doomed to fail," Earl Evan replied, pouring himself another ss of wine. "So, instead of wasting time, I might as well sample all the fine wines in Silvermoon City. At least then, this trip won''t feel like aplete waste."

    Anna frowned, confusion flickering in her eyes. "Why do you think this mission is destined to fail?"

    Earl Evan closed his eyes, savoring the rich vor of the wine, and replied calmly, "Father sent us here to stop the Half-Elf Kingdom from fallingpletely under Duke Dressrosa''s influence. But that''s almost impossible. Duke Dressrosa has a sure-fire way to secure victory."

    "Sure-fire way?" Anna echoed in disbelief. "What could possibly guarantee that the North will take control of the Half-Elf Kingdom?

    Even if Vera marries Prince Tupe sessfully, it doesn''t mean they''ll gain control over Silvermoon City. Prince Tupe is only second in line to the throne, after all. Besides, didn''t you say the Half-Elf King is a master of bncing powers and wouldn''t easily align with any one side?"

    "Haha, the Half-Elf King is a cunning old fox, but Duke Dressrosa is a lion." Earl Evan opened his eyes, a sneer curling at the corner of his lips. "Do you want to know what this sure-fire way is?"

    "What is it?"

    Earl Evan downed another ss of wine before responding in a cold tone:

    "Kill Vera."

    "Boom!" A sh of lightning illuminated the sky outside the window, followed by a deafening p of thunder.

    Anna''s eyes widened in shock as she stared at her brother, speechless. After a long pause, she finally asked in disbelief, "Are you saying that if Duke Dressrosa kills his own daughter, he''ll gain control of the Half-Elf Kingdom?"

    "Exactly," Earl Evan replied, his eyes gleaming with a chilling bloodlust. "If Vera dies in Silvermoon City, the North will have the perfect excuse to deploy their army.

    I suspect their forces are already prepared. Within ten days, they could march straight to Silvermoon City.

    Now tell me, when that happens, will the Silvermoon Guard of the Half-Elf Kingdom dare to defend the city?

    And will Father risk sending troops to face Duke Dressrosa in a decisive battle?"

    Anna fell silent. Whether she was horrified by her brother''s twisted logic or daunted by the grim reality of his questions was unclear.

    If the northern knights reached Silvermoon City, she knew all too well the Half-Elves'' "glorious tradition" of surrendering without a fight.

    And as for their father, Duke Pros?

    Would he dare to deploy forces to the Half-Elf Kingdom to face Duke Dressrosa''s army head-on?

    The answer was grim.

    Even though the North had just endured a major war and suffered significant losses, their fearsome army remained an undeniable threat. No one dared to underestimate them.

    Moreover, the Eastern Territory had been at peace for centuries. While its forces were numerous, theirbat readiness was deeply questionable. Stay updated through empire

    A strong army is forged only through the trials of blood and fire.

    Without the Huge River serving as a natural barrier, the northern forces could have already swept through the eastern territories, crushing any opposition.

    Anna let out a long breath and shook her head. "This is just your guess. Would Duke Dressrosa really sacrifice his own daughter for the Half-Elf Kingdom?"

    "He can," Earl Evan corrected. "And why not? For someone like Duke Dressrosa, is there anything he wouldn''t sacrifice if it serves his ambitions?"

    "Jupiter Jr. died at Vera''sing-of-age ceremony. I suspect the Duke orchestrated that. Next, it will be Marquis Jupiter himself."

    Anna stared into her brother''s eyes, her tone serious. "If you were Duke Dressrosa, would you do something like this?"

    "Yes," Earl Evan replied without hesitation.

    "I don''t believe you," Anna said firmly, shaking her head. "Even though Father and our elder brother don''t like you, they think you''re ruthless, unprincipled, andck chivalry. But I know you''re not that kind of person."

    Earl Evanughed. "How can you be so sure what kind of person I am?"

    "Intuition," Anna replied matter-of-factly.

    Earl Evan was momentarily stunned. He lowered his head, and for a brief moment, a trace of warmth flickered in his eyes. Then, he sneered. "My silly sister! If you keep relying on intuition, someone''s going to deceive you sooner orter."

    Anna snorted, clearly dismissing his warning. Instead, she asked again, "Isn''t there any way for us to stop Dressrosa?"

    Earl Evan poured himself another ss of wine, took a sip, and shook his head. "Actually, there is."

    Anna leaned forward quickly. "What''s the solution?"

    Outside, the sky was nketed by thick, dark clouds, and the asional rumble of thunder seemed like a distant warning. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, seeking shelter from the impending rainstorm.

    Inside the dimly lit tavern, Earl Evan nced at his sister''s anxious expression and answered leisurely: "The solution is¡ªyou step into the realm of the 4th stage immediately!"

    "Hmph!" Anna raised her eyebrows, ring at her brother. She immediately realized he was toying with her.

    "I''m only at the 2nd stage! I''ve got a long way to go before I reach the 4th stage!"

    "It''s not that far," Earl Evan teased. "You''re already a 2nd-stage knight at neen. You''re easily the most promising person to be a 4th-stage knight in this generation of Pros."

    "That''s just hope," Anna said with a sigh. "But ording to you, Duke Dressrosa already has a guaranteed victory. If he takes control of the Half-Elf Kingdom, won''t the North''s Iron Cavalrye for us next? What should we do then?"

    Earl Evan chuckled. "Alright, I''ll stop joking. In truth, the only way to stop Dressrosa is to seek help from the Azov family."

    "The royal family?" Anna asked, her brow furrowing in thought.

    "Exactly. We can''t stop Duke Dressrosa on our own. Our only chance is to involve the royal family."

    "But... do you think the Azov family will help us?"

    "Of course they will," Earl Evan said confidently. "If a civil war breaks out, the Azov family would lose control of their own territories. Dressrosa''s actions would be the spark, but the kingdom would be engulfed in mes."

    "But... what about the Caged Continent Agreement? Would Dressrosa really dare to vite it?"

    Earl Evan sneered. "Caged Continent Agreement? What good is it? That agreement is worthless. How many dukes and lesser nobles have been wiped out despite it?

    When the Sealed Knights wake and find their families destroyed, what do you think will happen then?"

    Anna fell silent. The weight of her brother''s words pressed down on her. She wasn''t used to contemting such dark and ruthless schemes.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 136 Conspiracy

    "All alliances are fake; only military strength is real. If the Dressrosa family has the power to sweep across the kingdom, then the rightful ruler of Royal City should change," Earl Evan said with a sigh.

    "That''s why I said my father was an idiot. Sending us to Silver Moon City is a waste of time. It would be better to go straight to Royal City."

    "But the Half-Elf Kingdom hasn''t fallen to the Dressrosa family yet. How can we convince the Azov family to intervene?" Anna asked.

    "A wise person doesn''t wait for a crisis to explode before acting. He foresees the risks while the danger is still small and makes preparations," Earl Evan replied, gesturing to the umbre beside him. "It wasn''t raining when I left, but I brought an umbre anyway."

    He pointed to the window. "Look, it''s raining now."@@novelbin@@

    The sound of heavy rain filled the air. Outside, passers-by were caught in the downpour, their clothes quickly soaked.

    Anna pouted, feeling as though her brother''sment had been aimed at her. She hadn''t brought an umbre either.

    "Then let''s write a letter to Father and ask him to send someone to Royal City," Anna suggested.

    "Do you really think he''ll listen to me?" Earl Evan scoffed.

    "Then I''ll write it!" Anna said stubbornly.

    "It''s pointless." Earl Evan shook his head with a bitter smile. "Do you know what the hardest thing in the world is?" Experience exclusive tales on empire

    "What?" Anna asked.

    "Convincing a proud man to admit he''s wrong," he said with disdain. "Father will never lower himself to ask the Azov family for help¡ªunless he has no other choice."

    Anna pressed her lips together, her face filled with determination. "So, what do we do? Sit around, eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves in Silver Moon City?"

    Earl Evan gave her azy smile. "We''ll do just enough to file a report to the emperor."

    Anna red at her brother''s nonchnt attitude, her frustration bubbling over. "Evan! Don''t forget your surname is Pros! If the Dressrosa army invades, where will you hide?"

    Evan didn''t reply, but a shadow of pain flickered across his face.

    Anna turned away, no longer in the mood to argue. She stared at the rain falling outside the window, her thoughts drifting far away.

    -----

    The rainstorm that swept across Silver moon City arrived with a fury but departed just as swiftly.

    By evening, the dark clouds had vanished, revealing a fiery red sunset.

    In the open-air garden of the Half-Elf Pce, maids worked quickly to remove the rain awnings, letting the flowers and nts bask in the rays of the setting sun.

    Unfortunately, while the precious blood roses in the garden had survived the storm, they were now falling victim to a much more deliberate attacker.

    "Hey! Ha!"

    A boy of about ten years wielded a sharp sword, mercilessly hacking at Queen Elsa''s beloved blood roses.

    None of the nearby maids dared to intervene.

    The boy was Charles Modiwen, son of Prince William and grandson of the old king.

    Leaning on his cane, the old king watched his grandson''s destruction with a smile, showing no intention of stopping him.

    "Your Highness."

    "Your Highness."

    At that moment, Prince William appeared at the garden gate. His face darkened as he saw the scene before him.

    "Charlie! Those are the Queen''s cherished blood roses! Stop chopping them down!" he shouted.

    Startled, the boy quickly dropped the sword as if it had betrayed him. He stood there, feigning innocence, as though he''d never touched the flowers.

    The old king, however, frowned and snapped at Prince William. "Why are you shouting? You scared the child!"

    Turning back to Charlie, he smiled warmly. "Don''t be afraid, my boy. They''re just useless flowers. y with them as much as you like."

    "Yeah!" Charlie cheered, eagerly picking up the sword to continue his rampage.

    Prince William sighed helplessly. Gesturing to the confused maids, he waved them away before stepping forward to assist the old king.

    As he reached out, the old king swatted his hand aside, ring. "What are you doing? Do I look so old that I need your help?"

    William bit back a reply, thinking, You''re the one who always acts like an old man¡­

    Instead, he bowed his head and asked quietly, "Father, our people have located the guests from the East Territory in Silvermoon City. But¡­ these esteemed visitors don''t seem eager to find us."

    The old king''s brow furrowed. "What are they doing, then?"

    "They''ve been visiting almost every tavern in the city," William replied with a hint of disbelief. "It seems they''re sampling all the fine wines."

    The old king was taken aback. He hadn''t expected the envoys from the East to be so frivolous. He sighed and waved a hand. "If they won''te to you, then you go to them."

    "Yes, Father."

    "And bring some good wine."

    "Yes, Father."

    After William departed, the old king turned back to his grandson, who was now fully engrossed in shredding the remaining roses.

    "Charlie," he asked with a chuckle, "why do you like destroying these flowers so much?"

    Charlie paused for a moment, then turned back to the old king with wide eyes. "I don''t know," he said innocently. "I just like seeing them fall to the ground."

    The old king burst into heartyughter. "Hahaha! That''s the spirit!" He leaned forward slightly, his tone suddenly taking on a sly edge. "Remember this, Charlie: the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it can be. Cut them down! Cut them all down!"

    "Really? Chop them all off?" Charlie asked eagerly, gripping his sword tighter.

    "Yes! Everyst one!" the old king encouraged, his smile broad.

    Charlie''s face lit up as though he''d been entrusted with a sacred task. With renewed determination, he swung his sword with even greater vigor, mercilessly hacking at the blood roses.

    -----

    "Your Highness, the distinguished guests are inside," the guard reported.

    "Good. You didn''t interrupt them rashly, did you?"

    "No, Your Highness."

    "Very well. You''re dismissed."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    After the guards left, Prince William straightened his cor,posed himself, and approached the door. He knocked firmly.

    Knock, knock, knock.

    The door opened, and before Prince William could introduce himself with his rehearsed charm, Anna waved him in dismissively. "Come in."

    Prince William hesitated, realizing the guests were already aware of his approach. Masking his unease, he stepped into the room with a practiced, polite smile.

    "Dear Earl Evan, Miss Anna, please forgive this unannounced visit¡ª"

    Earl Evan remained seated, gesturing casually to the chair opposite him. "Sit."

    Prince William obeyed without hesitation, taking the seat as though he were a student summoned before a strict tutor.

    He ced a bottle of champagne on the table and said eagerly, "My lord, this is the finest wine from the Modiwen family winery. I hope it meets your standards."

    Earl Evan''s eyes sparkled with interest. He grinned. "You can''t judge wine by itsbel. Let''s taste it!" He reached for the sses on the table.

    Prince William hurriedly uncorked the bottle and poured three sses, careful not to spill a drop.

    Earl Evan lifted his ss, swirling the liquid with precision before taking a long sniff. His face lit up with approval. "Now this¡ªthis is excellent wine!"

    Prince William beamed. "It is an honor to receive such praise from you, my lord."

    Earl Evan took a sip, savoring the taste as if lost in thought.

    The room fell into silence.

    Prince William sat stiffly, afraid to interrupt. On the other side, Anna quickly downed her ss, her eyes now fixed on the prince with a curious, probing gaze.

    Prince William squirmed under her scrutiny, relief washing over him only when Earl Evan finally set his ss down with a satisfied smile.

    "Prince William," Earl Evan began, his tone light but pointed, "what brings you here today?"

    The prince blinked, startled. Shouldn''t you be the onesing to us? he thought. But he dared not voice his frustration.

    Heposed himself and replied smoothly, "My guards informed me that two distinguished guests had arrived from afar. As the host of Silver Moon City, it is my duty to ensure your stay is mostfortable."

    "Oh?" Earl Evan raised an eyebrow, his expression sharp with amusement. "Just hospitality, then? Nothing to do with the uing wedding of the Dressrosa family''s daughter?"

    Prince William froze, caught off guard by the blunt question. His face flushed, and he stammered, "I¡ªwell..."

    Seeing Prince William''s reaction, Earl Evan smirked. This man really is as straightforward as theye. Deciding not to toy with him any longer, he shifted to a more serious tone.

    "Prince William," Earl Evan began, leaning forward slightly, "Prince Tupe''s proposal to marry Miss Vera¡ªsurely that wasn''t orchestrated by your father, was it?"

    "Of course not!" Prince William replied hastily. "That was entirely Tupe''s doing. He''s young, impulsive, and acted without consulting anyone. I hope you can understand and not hold the Modiwen family ountable for this!"

    He paused, his expression earnest but strained. "But¡­ now that the matter has escted, it''s difficult for my father to intervene directly. Rejecting the marriage outright could risk offending Duke Dressrosa."

    Earl Evan shook his head with an exaggerated sigh. "This incident has made my father very angry!"

    Prince William''s anxiety deepened. "Your Excellency, please! Could you help us exin this to Duke Dressrosa? Perhaps smooth things over?"

    Earl Evan''s expression hardened, and his tone turned icy. "I''m angry too!"

    He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Your Modiwen family has always prided itself on neutrality. And now, you''re marrying into the Northern side? Marrying the Duke''s daughter, no less?"

    He let out a humorlessugh. "Holding onto the chips tightly, are we? No, this isn''t neutrality¡ªyou''re cing your bets outright!"

    "I... I..." Prince William stammered, at a loss for words.

    Earl Evan''s eyes narrowed as he delivered his next words like a knife. "You wouldn''t want to see your brother marry Vera and gain the Dressrosa support, would you?"

    Prince William hesitated, then admitted quietly, "Of course not. I don''t want that."

    "Well then. I might have a way to help you put an end to this marriage."

 Chapter 137 Scandal

    Prince William''s eyes lit up as he quickly asked, "Please, speak!"

    "It wouldn''t be appropriate to reject this marriage outright," Earl Evan replied smoothly, pouring himself another ss of champagne. "But if Miss Vera''s reputation were tarnished, the Modiwen family would naturally have an excuse to cancel the wedding and still maintain the dignity of the half-elf royal family."

    "Her reputation tarnished?" Prince William echoed.

    "Exactly." Earl Evan swirled his champagne leisurely. "Have you heard of the recent chaos in the North?"

    "I''ve heard bits and pieces..."

    "Then you must know the ck Cavalry yed a decisive role. Yet, strangely, they didn''t receive significant rewards afterward."

    Prince William''s thoughts raced. He immediately guessed where this was going. "Are you referring to the envoy from the North¡ªLuis Hartmann¡ªwho is escorting the bride this time?"

    "Precisely. Isn''t it odd that Baron Hartmann wasn''t recognized for his contributions?"

    Prince William nodded emphatically. "It is strange!"

    Earl Evan set his ss down and leaned forward, speaking in a conspiratorial tone. "Hehe, What if¡­ what if Luis and Vera were secret lovers?"

    Earl Evan snapped his fingers, his confidence palpable. "Think about it. Luis Hartmann as Vera''s true love, separated by cruel circumstances. Perhaps the Duke changed his mind at thest minute and arranged for Vera to marry the half-elf royal family instead."

    "So, what you''re suggesting is..."

    "People adore a tragic love story, William. You simply need to fabricate their past¡ªembellish it with some romantic, sorrowful details¡ªand have the bards spread the tale in Silvermoon City."

    Prince William hesitated, frowning slightly. "But as far as I know, there''s no evidence they were ever lovers."

    "William," Earl Evan said with a smirk, "what we show bes the truth. Even if it starts as a lie, it can be real."

    "Brilliant!" Prince William eximed, his face lighting up. He pped his hands together, thoroughly convinced. "This is genius¡ªthank you!"

    Anna, who had been silently observing, frowned. She hadn''t expected her brother to propose such a morally questionable n.

    ''I don''t know if Prince William is truly naive or just foolish, but he actually thinks this is a good idea,'' she thought.

    Earl Evan seemed unimpressed by the prince''s overenthusiastic gratitude. With a curt dismissal, he sent Prince William on his way.

    Once the door closed, Anna turned toward her brother, her expression one of disdain. "This is your clever idea? Honestly, it''s a bit¡­"

    "Despicable? Vulgar? Or are you suggesting it''spletely pointless?" Earl Evan asked, his tone calm as he poured himself another drink.

    Anna crossed her arms, her lips pursed in disapproval. "Didn''t you im Dressrosa had a guaranteed strategy to win? Even if your n prevents Vera from marrying into the half-elf royal family, what''s the ultimate point?"@@novelbin@@

    ---

    "Offending the Hartmann family is a bad idea," Anna said firmly. "They''re constantly fighting orcs and have a formidable army. Unless a fourth-stage knight or mage intervenes, ordinary cavalry would be foolish to challenge them head-on."

    Stay tuned with empire

    Earl Evan spread his hands nonchntly. "I have to do something, Anna. Otherwise, I''ll have nothing to report to my superiors when I return.

    Besides, we can use this opportunity to gauge the strength of both our allies and our enemies. The opposition''s level is still unknown, but our allies..." He smirked. "Ah, they seem rather dim-witted. This only strengthens my belief that the North will prevail this time."

    "So, you gave Prince William that terrible advice just to satisfy Father?" Anna asked, incredulous.

    "What else?" Earl Evan shrugged. "Duke Dressrosa clearly wants his own daughter dead. Do you think we can stop him? Maybe Luis Hartmann was sent by the Duke of the North specifically to carry out this mission and kill Vera.

    Heh, the whole situation is fascinating. If all this love, betrayal, and revenge were turned into a tale, it would be sung across the continent for years toe!"

    "Brother, you always think you''re right," Anna said, exasperated. "But what if you''repletely wrong?"

    "I''m confident in my judgment," Earl Evan replied smugly.

    "Why would Hartmann kill the Duke''s daughter?" Anna''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "Why not? If I were in his position, I''d obey the Duke''s orders without hesitation. And perhaps I''d be promoted to viscount upon my return, haha."

    "Brother!" Anna snapped, snatching the wine ss from Earl Evan''s hand. "You can''t always judge people with such a dark and twisted mindset!"

    Earl Evan shook his head with a sigh. "Ah, my na?ve sister, the world is far darker than you realize."

    As the wedding day of Prince Tupe and Miss Vera approached, Silvermoon City was awash with celebration.

    Miss Vera, the daughter of Duke Dressrosa, was the highest-ranking noblewoman ever to marry into the Modiwen royal family. For the half-elves, her marriage was a point of pride.

    But amidst the festive cheer, whispers began to circte¡ªstories about a connection between Miss Vera and Luis Hartmann.

    The tales spread like wildfire, each onepelling and seemingly credible. They didn''t appear to be baseless rumors, which made them all the more potent.

    Gradually, public sentiment in Silvermoon City began to shift.

    With the encouragement of those with hidden agendas, the half-elves no longer anticipated the marriage with the same excitement. Instead, doubts arose.

    Did Prince Tupe really want to marry a noblewoman with a tainted reputation?

    In this world, a woman''s reputation held immense weight, and the rumors had nted seeds of unease that were impossible to ignore.

    -

    Without paternity testing technology, ensuring that one''s offspring were truly of their own bloodline was a deeply troublesome issue for nobles.

    To maintain the purity of their bloodlines, it became customary for nobles to demand that a bride be a virgin.

    This was seen as the simplest, albeit not the most reliable, way to secure the legitimacy of heirs.

    In many cases, nobles implemented physical examinations before marriage. However, this procedure was often imposed on women, cing them at a disadvantage.

    In high-status unions, such as the impending marriage between Prince Tupe and Vera, the Modiwen family would never dare suggest such an examination.

    The process was considered far too rude and disrespectful, especially when dealing with someone of Vera''s rank.

    When great nobles discovered that their daughters were pregnant out of wedlock, some sought to salvage the situation by arranging marriages with lower-ranking nobles who would ept the child, provided no physical examination was required.

    For the half-elf royal family, avoiding even the hint of scandal was paramount.

    Yet, as the rumors about Vera spread and grew more intense, the Modiwen family found themselves losing control of the situation.

    Even among the half-elf nobility, voices began to rise, explicitly demanding a physical examination for Vera.

    To justify this, they used a seemingly noble pretext:

    The examination, they imed, wasn''t to question Miss Vera''s innocence but rather to safeguard her reputation and dispel the baseless rumors once and for all.

    The Half-Elf Pce, Asmon Residence

    Luis sat in Asmon''s chambers, furiously reading through the rumors that had been carefully collected.

    Asmon, observing Luis''s growing anger, was utterly speechless.

    Luis''s fury seemed ready to shake the heavens.

    The rumors were outright lies, fabricated with just enough usibility to appear credible.

    For instance, one rumor imed that Luis and Vera had frequently ridden horses together.

    Another described how they supposedly met at Love Lake, a chance encounter that blossomed into mutual affection.

    It was even said that Luis had specifically requested to escort Vera to her wedding, a desperate attempt to personally deliver his beloved to a foreign kingdom.

    The tales painted a tragic yet romantic story, one that might have been believable¡ªif Luis weren''t himself the subject of these baseless usations.

    For a moment, Asmon couldn''t help but think: If Luis weren''t the protagonist of this mess, even I might be convinced by such an emotional tale.

    "Luis, this matter has now spread throughout the city. Even many half-elves have begun organizing parades, demanding that Vera undergo an examination to prove her innocence!" Asmon said, his expression calm despite the gravity of his words.

    "Are you kidding me? This is a mess, and you brought it straight to me!" Luis snapped, his frustration boiling over. "My reputation¡ªthis is a disaster!"

    He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

    "This is a naked conspiracy," he muttered, narrowing his eyes as he studied Asmon''s expressionless face.

    "What do you think?" Luis finally asked.

    "Let''s test it," Asmon replied, his voice steady and righteous.

    Luis raised an eyebrow. "Are you... sure?"

    "Of course!" Asmon dered confidently. "All these usations questioning Vera''s innocence are nderous fabrications. Arrange for the physical examination. Once the results are out, the rumors will naturally be refuted."

    Luis''s expression darkened.

    "Don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to. You sneak into her room daily," he said coldly, though there was a hint of a smirk.

    Asmon remained unmoved, his face betraying no emotion.

    Luis shook his head. To him, this was all just a ridiculous show. He didn''t care about the rumors¡ªnot really.

    In fact, he thought the whole n wasughably bad.

    If the Modiwen family dared to conduct an examination and somehow concluded that Vera wasn''t innocent, it would be the equivalent of pping the Dressrosa family in the face.

    Such an act would undoubtedly escte into a major scandal, if not outright conflict.

    Luis smirked. This reeks of Prince William''s handiwork.

    That fool was clearly trying to sabotage his brother''s wedding to Vera, but his methods were... clumsy, to say the least.

    Still, Luis couldn''t entirely dismiss another possibility¡ªa deeper conspiracy orchestrated by rival factions.

    The rumors could have been deliberately spread to force the Modiwen family into offending the Dressrosa family, isting the Half-Elf Kingdom and pushing them to seek alliances elsewhere.

    Luis''s thoughts were interrupted by Asmon''s next words.

    "Rest assured, Luis. The one overseeing Vera''s examination will be none other than the Half-Elf Queen herself. You''ll be free from criticism, and I''ll make sure Vera and I escape this city if things take a turn for the worse."

 Chapter 138 Poisoned

    [Might be a little confusing, read next chapter]

    "Say again?"

    "Queen Elsa!"

    Luis was momentarily stunned but quickly grasped the situation. It was clear why Asmon was so rxed.

    Whether Vera was truly innocent or not didn''t really matter. As long as Queen Elsa dered her innocence, then she would be considered innocent.

    And as for what Queen Elsa would say? Was there even a question?

    Queen Elsa and Asmon were likely working together.

    Moreover, having Queen Elsa conduct the physical examination came with an added advantage¡ªthere would be no room for Prince William to object.

    If anyone else had been chosen, Prince William and his family might have used Duke Miller of manipting the oue and demanded a recement examiner. But with Queen Elsa in charge, any doubts would be silenced.

    In terms of identity and status, who could be more suitable to perform the examination than Queen Elsa herself?

    "Queen Elsa wants Prince Tupe to marry Vera, so don''t worry," Asmon said casually as he walked out of the room.

    Luis watched him leave, deep in thought. His mind drifted to the image of the beautiful queen standing amidst the blood-red rose bushes.

    Everyone in this city seemed to have their own agenda.

    The physical examination took ce three days before the wedding.

    As expected, Queen Elsa was the one performing the examination. Although the King and Prince William were clearly unhappy with her appointment, they couldn''t suggest anyone more appropriate for the role.

    The examination was set in the queen''s bedroom, a private and solemn location befitting the asion.

    When Luis arrived, the kingdom''s high-ranking officials were already gathered.

    In the center of the bedroom stood an oval bed, its surface neatly draped with dark purple silk. Light beige pillows embroidered with rose patterns added a touch of dignity and elegance.

    Opaque curtains surrounded the bed, likely prepared specifically for this examination.

    Luis couldn''t help but feel skeptical. When those curtains were drawn, would Queen Elsa even bother to ask Vera to disrobe? Or would she simply announce her innocence without further ado?

    "This seems excessive," Vera muttered, frowning as she nced at the crowd of half-elf nobles assembled in the bedroom.

    "Very well, why don''t we step outside and leave Her Majesty the Queen to examine Miss Vera in private? What do you think, Your Majesty?" Duke Miller suggested, addressing the drowsy old king.

    -----------------

    The old king opened his sleepy eyes, seeming toe to his senses. He nodded slowly and said, "Okay... okay, I''ll do as you say."

    "I want to stay," Prince Tupe said immediately. Enjoy more content from empire

    Duke Miller was momentarily stunned but replied, "Very well, then. I''ll leave it to you, Prince."

    "I will stay as well. I am Miss Vera''s personal protector," Asmon added without hesitation.

    The room fell silent for a moment as everyone exchanged strange nces. However, no one objected.

    Prince William appeared to want to stay as well but hesitated. Unlike Tupe, who was Vera''s fianc¨¦, or Asmon, her protector, he had no valid reason to remain. After a brief pause, he supported the old king and followed the other half-elf nobles as they exited the room.

    To Prince William, the entire physical examination process seemed like a mere formality.

    Would Queen Elsa ever im that Vera was not innocent?

    Could Earl Evan''s n really be so easily unraveled?

    A thought struck him, and his expression grew serious. Was Earl Evan''s n truly this simplistic? Something about it felt oddly superficial.

    Once the irrelevant individuals had left the pce, Queen Elsa turned to Vera and the remaining group, inviting them to sit.

    "Come, have a cup of flower tea first and rx," she said warmly.

    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Vera replied politely.

    Asmon joined them at the round table, sipping the fragrant tea prepared by Queen Elsa herself. As he drank, his eyes wandered around the queen''s bedroom.

    The room was not ostentatious but exuded a fresh, elegant charm. Apart from the oval bed at its center, there was a sandalwood wardrobe against the wall and a dressing table near the window.

    On the dressing table, alongside a jewelry box and cosmetics, sat a pot of blood roses.

    "Your Majesty, that blood rose is so beautiful!" Vera eximed, unable to hide her admiration.

    The vibrant colors and graceful bloom looked like a me, burning fiercely as if sacrificing its life to leave a fleeting trace of beauty in the world.

    "Yes, it truly is beautiful," Queen Elsa agreed softly.

    She approached the window, gently stroking the flower''s petals. A hint of pride flickered across her face. "I cultivated this flower myself," she said.

    "You''re amazing!" Vera said with awe.

    "This flower was my mother''s favorite," Prince Tupe added with a smile. "I remember my mischievous nephew Charlie once plucked a petal, and mother gave him such a spanking that he couldn''t get out of bed for ten days!"

    Queen Elsa chuckled and shook her head. "That boy still holds a grudge against me for that. Just a few days ago, he destroyed all the roses I nted in the garden."

    "Don''t worry, Mother," Prince Tupe said quickly. "Tomorrow, I''ll visit the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce and ask Sith to send you some more blood roses."

    ---

    Queen Elsa shook her head. "No need."

    Prince Tupe looked puzzled. Just as he was about to ask why, the queen continued, "Do you know why this blood rose is so beautiful?"@@novelbin@@

    "Why?" Vera asked, her curiosity piqued.

    Asmon recalled how Queen Elsa had once exined the method of cultivating blood roses and smiled. "Could it be that it was watered with the blood of a knight?"

    Queen Elsa nced at Asmon with a yful look in her eyes and chuckled. "Yes. But it''s not just blood."

    Asmon''s brow furrowed, and he suddenly felt that something was off about Queen Elsa today.

    "More than just blood? What else is there?" he asked cautiously.

    Queen Elsa leaned against the windowsill, the bright sunlight streaming through the window and casting a divine halo around her. She wore a silver, low-cut spaghetti-strap dress that entuated her curves, making her look even more captivating.

    Her face was expertly made up; her pink cheeks and tender red lips, framed by the blooming blood roses, created an irresistible allure.

    Hearing Asmon''s question, Queen Elsa smiled charmingly.

    "And... the head."

    "What?!"

    The other four people in the room gasped in shock.

    Prince Tupe hesitated, then forced a smile. "Mother, what are you talking about?"

    Queen Elsa''s smile was dazzling, illuminating the entire room as if the pce itself had been touched by her radiance. "I''m not joking."

    Asmon''s sense of unease deepened, his intuition telling him that something was seriously wrong. The queen''s demeanor was off¡ªstrangely so.

    He shot a side nce at Vera.

    Vera seemed to catch on and quickly shifted the topic. "Your Highness, shouldn''t we start the examination? It''s not good to keep everyone waiting outside for too long."

    Queen Elsa remained still, her hand still caressing the petals of the blood rose. Her tone grew more unpredictable.

    "I''m not joking. If you don''t believe me, you can smash the flowerpot and see if there''s a... head inside!"

    "Mother!" Prince Tupe sprang to his feet, a desperate attempt to stop the queen from speaking.

    But as soon as he stood, he swayed unsteadily, as if he might copse at any moment.

    "The tea... there''s something wrong with the tea!" Asmon muttered, realization dawning on him.

    "Bang!"

    Prince Tupe crumpled to the floor, his fall echoing through the room.

    Vera, too, couldn''t hold on much longer and fell, her body hitting the ground with a thud.

    "Bang!"

    Asmon also closed his eyes and fell down, hitting the floor hard.

    At that moment, Queen Elsa calmly opened the drawer of the dressing table and took out a dagger.

    Asmon was not truly unconscious; he kept his eyes half-open, watching Queen Elsa intently.

    What is she nning to do?

    Asmon''s heart was in turmoil. He never expected the situation unfolding before him.

    He had assumed it would be an ordinary physical examination, with Queen Elsa not even raising Vera''s skirt but simply dering her innocence.

    Then, the wedding would proceed as nned, and Asmon could start putting his ns into motion.

    But now, the entire scenario had been thrown off course.

    Queen Elsa took slow, deliberate steps toward Vera, dagger in hand, ready to strike.

    She wants to kill Vera!

    But why?

    Asmon couldn''t make sense of it.

    That didn''t stop him from springing to his feet, grabbing the defenseless Queen Elsa, and knocking her to the floor.

    He wrenched the dagger from her grip with one hand and covered her mouth with the other to prevent her from screaming.

    "Who ordered you to do this?" Asmon''s voice was cold as he looked into Queen Elsa''s eyes.

    There was surprise in her eyes, a clear question in her expression: Why hadn''t he passed out?

    But that surprise soon turned into something else¡ªsilence. A profound, hollow silence, like that of someone who had no more attachment to the world, whose life was at an end.

    Asmon''s hand, pressed against Queen Elsa''s mouth, became wet.

    He first thought it was saliva, but when he looked closer, he realized¡ª

    Blood was seeping between his fingers.

    "Are you poisoned too?" Asmon narrowed his eyes.

    But as he thought it through, confusion crept in. "No, you didn''t drink any tea!"

    Blood trickled from Queen Elsa''s mouth, and Asmon no longer needed to cover her; she was breathing shallowly and could no longer scream.

    "She... is just... unconscious... she won''t die..." Queen Elsa spoke in ragged breaths and even tried to reassure Asmon, "I failed... You... take her... away..."

 Chapter 140 Veras Death

    The sunlight outside the window was bright, streaming in strands and falling onto the orange-yellow teak floor, where it reflected faint halos of light.

    Bathed in the warm sunshine, Vera slept soundly on the round table. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, revealing her cute dimples, as if she were lost in a sweet dream.

    Yet, this beautiful scene could not warm Asmon''s heart.

    He had pieced together the truth: behind Savoy''s actions was likely Duke Dressrosa.

    This ruthless Duke of the North was willing to sacrifice his own daughter to justify an invasion of Silvermoon City. Perhaps, when Duke Dressrosa killed Jupiter Jr., he had already resolved to send Vera to her death.

    Asmon now understood why a pioneer knight like him was assigned as Vera''s personal guard.

    It was probably the Duke''sst shred of conscience at work.

    After all, Vera was his daughter. They had shared more than a decade together¡ªit was impossible for the Duke to feel nothing for her. Assigning Asmon as her guard might have been his way of ensuring Vera''s beloved would apany her on the final journey of her life.

    This also exined the guards'' unusual cooperation, creating opportunities for Vera and him to meet alone.

    Was this their "final moment" before her death?

    Asmon took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his anger.

    The anger of the weak was useless.

    He understood he couldn''t take on Duke Dressrosa alone.

    He needed allies.

    A lonely figure appeared in his mind¡ªLuis Hartmann.

    To oppose Duke Dressrosa, he would have to align with the mysterious Hartmann family.

    A new n began to form in his mind, one that improved on his original approach.

    "Elsa," Asmon said, his voice steady. "I can help you get your revenge without sacrificing Vera''s life. And you don''t have to give up yours. Will you work with me?"

    Queen Elsa looked at him, her gaze unwavering. "You gave me a new life and a purpose. I will follow your lead."

    "Good," Asmon replied. "Here''s what we''ll do next..."

    ------

    Outside the room, Luis, who had been waiting, was on the verge of falling asleep.

    The others were also growing restless.

    But because of Queen Elsa''s earlier warning, none of them dared disturb her.

    Some couldn''t help but grumble silently to themselves:

    It''s just a physical test, not some secret ritual. Does it really need this much buildup?

    Suddenly¡ª

    "Ahhh!!!"

    A piercing scream from the bedroom shattered the drowsy atmosphere, jolting everyone awake.

    Duke Miller''s expression changed instantly. "It''s Queen Elsa!" he shouted, bolting toward the bedroom.

    The others followed close behind.

    When they reached the door, however, they hesitated, unsure whether they should barge in.

    "Your Highness!" Duke Miller called urgently. "What happened?"

    There was no reply, only Queen Elsa''s screams and the unmistakable sounds of a fierce struggle.

    Duke Rutte''s hand flew to his sword. "Something''s gone wrong inside! We have to act!"

    Duke Miller gave a sharp nod, and even Prince William, after a moment of hesitation, agreed. "Miss Vera! Your Majesty! We''reing in!"

    But just as they were about to storm the room, the door flew open.

    Queen Elsa stumbled out, her figure drenched in blood.

    "Your Highness!"

    Before they could rush to her side, another figure charged out in pursuit¡ªit was Prince Tupe!

    But something was terribly wrong.

    Prince Tupe, sword in hand, was covered in blood, his eyes zing scarlet as he relentlessly chased after Queen Elsa.

    The sight froze everyone in ce.

    Luis remained calm, his sharp eyes analyzing the situation, but the others were struck with panic.@@novelbin@@

    Duke Miller felt as though his soul had plummeted into an icy abyss. His voice cracked as he shouted, "Tupe! What are you doing? Stop this madness!"

    But Prince Tupe ignored himpletely, his gaze locked onto Queen Elsa as he charged forward.

    "You''re courting death!" Duke Rutte roared, his sword shing with a blinding aura as he struck at Tupe.

    Boom!

    The marble floor erupted in a shower of rubble. Shards flew like bullets, pummeling Prince Tupe and leaving his body riddled with bruises.

    Rutte''s strike, however, was a calcted warning. With his strength as a third-level knight, a serious blow would have ended Prince Tupe instantly.

    Seizing the moment, Duke Miller dashed toward Tupe. "Prince Tupe! Stop this madness! Put down your sword!"

    His tone held desperation¡ªnot just to protect Queen Elsa but also to save Tupe from certain death.

    Yet Tupe appeared beyond reason, his mind consumed by rage. Without hesitation, he swung his bloodied sword directly at Duke Miller.

    ng!

    Duke Miller blocked the strike, but his heart sank. Something was deeply, horrifyingly wrong.

    At that moment, Queen Elsa, having barely escaped, turned around and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Kill him! I order you to kill him!"

    Prince William stood frozen in ce, utterly bewildered. "Your Majesty, what happened in there? Why is Tupe like this?" he asked, his voiceced with urgency.

    "He''s gone mad!" Queen Elsa sobbed, her face streaked with blood and tears. "He... he killed Miss Vera!"

    Boom!

    Her words were like a thunderp, leaving every half-elf leader present reeling.

    Vera... dead?

    Killed by Prince Tupe?

    If anyone else had said it, they might have dismissed it as an absurd joke. But seeing Queen Elsa, disheveled and bloodied, they knew it was no jest.

    Under the bright sunlight, a cold dread settled over them, chilling them to the bone.

    It''s over.

    The Miller family is finished.

    The Modiwen family is ruined.

    And the Half-Elf Kingdom... doomed.

    Duke Miller broke the silence, his anguished roar shaking the air. "Ahhh! I''ll kill you, you beast!"

    He charged at Prince Tupe, swinging his sword with unrestrained fury, each strike aimed to kill. It seemed as if only Tupe''s death could quench the terror and rage burning inside him.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Meanwhile, Duke Rutte raised his steel shield and advanced like an unstoppable rhinoceros.

    With a deafening crash, Prince Tupe was struck hard, coughing blood as he was sent flying into the pce wall.

    But even that wasn''t enough to stop him.

    He rose once more, letting out a guttural, inhuman roar. Brandishing his blood-stained sword, he charged toward Queen Elsa again, eyes zing with madness.

    Before anyone could intervene, a swift figure darted behind Prince Tupe.

    A sh of steel¡ª

    In an instant, Tupe''s head was severed, rolling across the marble floor tond near Duke Miller''s feet.

    Yet, even headless, Tupe''s body twitched unnaturally.

    Luis, who had made the decisive strike, stepped forward, mming his boot onto Tupe''s chest. Without hesitation, he plunged his sword into Tupe''s heart.

    Only then did the body go still.

    The crowd stood in stunned silence, too shocked to react.

    It was only now that they noticed Asmon, standing at the door. He was holding Vera in his arms, her body covered in blood.

    Luis turned toward him, his face an expressionless mask. "Asmon... tell me. What happened to her?"

    The icy calm in Luis''s voice sent a shiver through everyone present.

    All eyes turned to Asmon and the bloody Vera in his arms. A suffocating dread crept into their hearts as they braced for the answer.

    Asmon did not answer immediately.

    Instead, he swept his cold gaze over everyone present, finally resting his eyes on Prince Tupe''s lifeless body.

    "He killed Vera," Asmon stated, his tone absolute and unyielding.

    Luis looked down, his expression darkening. Without hesitation, he raised his sword.

    Chi!

    The de shed again through the already lifeless body of Prince Tupe.

    Duke Miller''s face twitched, his lips pressing into a thin line, but he said nothing.

    The other half-elf nobles averted their gazes, unable to stomach the gruesome sight. At the same time, they all shared the same desperate thought¡ª

    Tupe is dead. That should be... enough, right?

    Luis knelt down, examining Tupe''s body with a sharp, calcting gaze. His features twisted in mild disgust. "This prince wasn''t himself. He''d turned into some kind of mindless monster," he muttered.

    "Your Excellency Asmon..." Prince William began hesitantly, his voice quivering. He wanted to ask what had happened.

    But Asmon didn''t give him the chance. Without a word, he turned on his heel, holding Vera''s bloodied body close, and strode away.

    Duke Rutte stepped closer to Prince William, whispering urgently, "Your Highness, we can''t let them leave like this!"

    "This... this..." Prince William stammered, his face pale and stricken with panic. He had no idea what to do.

    Duke Rutte frowned in disappointment and was about to order the guards to intervene when Luis spoke up.

    "Don''t disturb them for now," Luis said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "They''re lovers, and Asmon needs time. I''ll speak with himter. For now, Prince William, go inform your father."

    "Yes, yes, yes!" Prince Williamtched onto the suggestion like a drowning man clutching a lifeline. "I''ll inform Father immediately!"

    Relieved, he hurried off, leaving Duke Rutte with little choice but to fall silent and step back.

    Luis turned his attention to Vera''s guards. Their faces were flushed with rage, their eyes burning with the kind of fury that could ignite at any moment. They looked like beasts ready to pounce.

    Luis raised a hand, pointing at them. "Gather yourselves. Follow me."

    The guards nodded and quickly moved into formation.

    "Gather everyone and secure the area around the side hall," Luis ordered. "No one is allowed near her room!"

    "Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.

    Luis continued, his voice devoid of emotion. "Also, send a messenger back to Winterfall City with this message: Miss Vera was killed by Tupe Miller."

    Hearing the news, the guards erupted in rage, their swords drawn.

    "Revenge for Miss Vera!" they shouted.

    "Revenge!"

    "Revenge!"

    Luis raised his hand sharply, silencing them. "Of course, there will be revenge! But not like this. With just a few of us, we can''t make the half-elves pay the price they truly deserve."

    His words carried weight, and the guards calmed slightly, their fiery eyes now focused on him.

    "Your mission," Luis continued, "is to return to Duke Dressrosa and deliver this message. Wait for the Northern Army to arrive in Silver moon City. That''s when we''ll strike."

    The guards nodded, their anger tempered by purpose. They dispersed swiftly to carry out his orders.

    Luis watched them for a moment, then turned back toward the room, his expression unreadable. With steady strides, he entered.

 Chapter 141 Martial Law

    After entering his room, he saw the half-elf ve girl that Prince William had sent earlier walking towards him with a shocked look on her face: "Master Luis, Miss Vera...she really..."

    Looking at Cathy who was approaching quickly, Luis Said, "Cathy Savoy!"

    Cathy was stunned when she heard Colin reveal her true identity.

    "Sir... I..." Cathy seemed to want to argue.

    Luis didn''t even turn his head, but said coldly, "I''m not in the mood to y undercover games with you now! So, you''d better be smart, otherwise, killing you will be like stepping on an ant."

    "..." Cathy shrank her head and dared not speak again.

    Seeing Luis cold reaction she can confirm that Vera is really dead.

    She walked towards a corner and quietly took out a green bamboo joint from her clothes and threw it on the ground.

    After a while, the bamboo joint began to burn quietly.

    There was no dazzling me, only faint green smoke, floating endlessly into the air.

    ---

    Inside the king''s bedroom, a group of half-elf nobles listened to Queen Elsa''s story with bated breath.

    "¡­As soon as I told him the results of the physical examination, Prince Tupe went crazy and drew his sword to stab Miss Vera. We didn''t even have time to react," Queen Elsa said.

    "What were the results of the physical examination?" a half-elf noble suddenly asked.

    Queen Elsa didn''t answer, her silence heavy with meaning. It was as if she thought the question too foolish to warrant a reply.

    Herck of response made everyone realize the truth¡ªVera was no longer innocent.

    But could Prince Tupe have gone mad simply because of this? Was it enough to drive him to kill her? The thought seemed too unbelievable.

    If Queen Elsa hadn''t said this herself, and if they hadn''t witnessed Prince Tupe''s madness with their own eyes, no one would have believed such an absurd story.

    And yet, the facts were as strange as they seemed.

    "Why did you reveal the results of the physical examination?" Duke Miller suddenly demanded, his tone sharp.

    Queen Elsa smiled coldly. "My lord duke, are you suggesting I lie?"

    "Why not?" Duke Miller shot back without hesitation, his frustration barely contained.

    He never imagined his daughter would betray their family in such a way. Prince Tupe''s reaction, however, was entirely iprehensible to him.

    So she wasn''t innocent¡ªwhy draw a sword and attempt to kill her? It made no sense.

    As Duke Miller''s words hung in the air, no one rebuked him. Many of the half-elf nobles even secretly agreed with him. If Queen Elsa had told a small lie, things might not have spiraled so far out of control.

    "Wasn''t Knight Asmon present at the time? Couldn''t he stop Tupe?" Duke Rutte asked suddenly, his voice tinged with suspicion.

    "Tupe poisoned the tea," Queen Elsa said, her tone decisive. "We all became drowsy, and our strength was greatly reduced."

    "Didn''t you prepare the tea yourself? How could Tupe poison it?"

    "How should I know? Besides, the maid prepared the tea, not me!" Elsa snapped.

    "So, are you saying Tupe bribed your maid?" another noble asked.

    "It''s possible," Queen Elsa admitted.

    "Then does that mean he poisoned the tea before the results of the examination were revealed?"

    "Maybe he guessed what the results would be," Elsa said with a shrug.

    "But even so, it doesn''t exin why he would try to kill someone," Duke Rutte pressed.

    "Haha, you''ll have to ask Tupe about that,"

    ....

    "Enough!" the old king roared, interrupting the confrontation between Duke Rutte and Queen Elsa.

    His chest heaved violently, as if he was going to pass out in the next second.

    "The most urgent thing is to block the news immediately! No one present here may leak what happened today without my permission! Rutte, you must immediately take people to block the city gates, and no one is allowed to enter or leave!"

    "Yes." Duke Rutte immediately epted the order.

    But when he looked up, he saw the old king''s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

    "His Majesty!"

    "His Majesty!"

    The hall was suddenly in chaos.

    ----

    In one of the underground houses, Diego Savoy, a member of the Savoy family, stared nkly at the floor.

    A maid stepped forward cautiously and asked, "My lord, do you need a meal?"

    Diego waved his hand impatiently, dismissing her without a word.

    The maid quickly and quietly retreated, leaving Diego to his restless thoughts.

    He began pacing back and forth in the pavilion, his expression growing increasingly anxious as time dragged on.

    Just before sunset, a servant rushed into the garden, his face pale with urgency. "My lord! I saw green smoke rising from the pce!"

    Diego''s eyes widened, and he stepped forward. "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, my lord. I swear on my family''s honor!" the servant said with conviction.

    "Good!" Diego pped his hands excitedly, his earlier anxiety reced by a determined gleam. "Send word to Winter City immediately! Move quickly!"

    "Yes, my lord!" the servant responded, hurrying off to carry out the order.

    At the Half-Elf Pce.

    The half-elf nobles had all fled in a panic. Queen Elsa had returned to her chambers to bathe and change, shedding her bloodstained clothing.

    In the now-empty pce, only Prince William and the unconscious old king remained.

    As thest servant left the room at Prince William''smand, the old king, who had appeared to be in a deepa, suddenly opened his eyes. With surprising vigor, he sat up in bed.

    "Your Majesty!" Prince William eximed, rushing forward, his face etched with worry. "What should we do now?"

    The old king fixed his son with a sharp re, his voice calm and steady. "Why are you panicking? The greater the crisis, the calmer you must be."

    "Y-yes, of course!" Prince William stammered, nodding repeatedly. Yet the fear in his eyes betrayed him.

    A flicker of disappointment crossed the old king''s face, but there was no time to scold his son for his shorings.

    He knew all too well¡ªthe Half-Elf Kingdom, or more precisely, the Modiwen family, stood at the brink of disaster.

    Vera''s death in Silvermoon City was a catastrophe for the Modiwen family.

    The reasons behind it¡ªwhether a conspiracy, a hidden mastermind, or Prince Tupe''s sudden madness¡ªno longer mattered.

    What mattered now was Duke Dressrosa''s inevitable wrath.

    And the old king was determined that the Modiwen family would not be the target of that fury.

    He needed to act swiftly, to deflect the cmity threatening to destroy his family.

    ----

    As for who would take the me for this disaster, the old king''s eyes shed with a stern determination. He turned to Prince William and gave his orders:

    "Listen carefully. There are five things you must do immediately:

    First, send someone to keep a close watch on the Miller family. Every single member must be monitored¡ªno exceptions! And arrange for Duke Miller to meet me tomorrow morning.

    Second, personally meet with the envoys from the Duke Pros family. Invite them to see me tomorrow morning as well, but under no circumstances are you to mention what happened in the Queen''s bedroom.

    Third, send someone to seal off the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce. Yes, the one I asked you to investigate earlier. Take the person in charge into custody.

    Fourth, assign people to monitor Hartmann Jr. and his entourage. They are not to leave the pce ormunicate with anyone outside.@@novelbin@@

    Fifth¡­"

    The old king spoke too hastily and began coughing, his face reddening.

    Prince William quickly grabbed a ss of water and handed it to him. "Father, here."

    After a few sips, the old king regained hisposure and continued, "Fifth, put the entire city under martialw! No one is to leave Silvermoon City without my direct order¡ªnot even carrier pigeons.

    Find your uncle and have him arrange for rangers to guard the city walls. Any pigeons attempting to fly out of the city are to be shot down!"

    "Yes, Father!" Prince William nodded, his confidence growing as the old king''s orders brought a sense of control to the chaos.

    As he prepared to leave and execute themands, a thought struck him. Turning back, he asked hesitantly, "Father, Queen Elsa is also a member of the Miller family. Should we assign someone to keep an eye on her as well?"

    The old king''s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he looked ready to reprimand William for such an obvious oversight. But then, something seemed to ur to him. His expression shifted, and he rolled his eyes thoughtfully.

    "Go and summon her to see me now,"

    "Yes." Prince William didn''t dare to say anything more and quickly said goodbye and left.

    The pce fell silent, with only the old king''s slightly rapid breathing being the only sound.

    He justy on the bed, staring at the crystal magic chandelier on the ceiling and fell into deep thought.

    After a moment, a blush suddenly appeared on his cheeks, as if he was thinking of something, but it quickly faded away.

    He coughed a few times and murmured, "Duke Saint Hilde...you are so cruel..."

 Chapter 142 Dracula

    "Da, da, da..."

    The sound of crisp footsteps echoed through the pce corridors.

    Momentster, Queen Elsa appeared.

    She had just finished bathing and was now dressed in a striking red gown that sharply contrasted with her snow-white, radiant skin.

    Her beautiful face was adorned with light makeup, her bright eyes sparkling with a captivating radiance.

    Although her expression was gentle and virtuous, a subtle, undeniable charm lingered beneath it.

    In the tense atmosphere of the room, however, this charm seemed disturbingly out of ce.

    The old king looked at the dazzling queen standing before him, and an indescribable anger surged within him. It gnawed at his restraint, threatening to erupt.

    But he forced it down.

    "Elsa," he rasped, his voice brittle, "it''s been so long... You look stunning."

    Queen Elsa approached the bedside, her gaze falling on the old king''s withered frame. He looked as though he might take his final breath at any moment, ready to depart for the arms of the Lord of Light.

    A mocking smile curled on her lips, her toneced with derision.

    "Your Majesty, have you ever seen a bird in a cage?"

    The old king gave a low, confused hum.@@novelbin@@

    Her smile deepened, exuding a dangerous charm.

    "The happiest moment for a bird in a cage," she continued, "is when the cage turns to ashes."

    "So... you hate me this much?"

    "Your Majesty, surely you jest. How could I hate you?"

    "Then¡­ can you exin¡­ what happened in your chambers today?"

    "What happened?" Queen Elsa feigned surprise, her voice dripping with insincerity. "Didn''t I already make everything perfectly clear to the court?"

    The old king''s face darkened, and he erupted into a violent coughing fit. Each ragged gasp made it seem as though he was moments away from death.

    But Queen Elsa stood motionless, her calm demeanor unshaken, showing no intention of stepping forward to assist him.

    When the old king finally caught his breath, his voice was barely a whisper, thin and frail like the hum of a mosquito.

    "Can''t you¡­ at least let me, a dying man¡­ leave this world with rity?"

    Unmoved, Queen Elsa chuckled lightly.

    "Your Majesty, don''t be so melodramatic. You will live a long life; you''re far from dying."

    Realizing that his attempt to y the victim had failed, the old king sighed and dropped the act.

    "Elsa, do you understand that if Duke Dressrosa decides to hold you ountable, your Miller family will be the first to fall under his wrath?"

    "So what?"

    The old king felt an intense pang of frustration at Queen Elsa''s indifference. Her dismissive gaze made him feel as if he had punched the air, leaving him so unsettled that he nearly wanted to spit blood.

    "If you have nothing else to say, Your Majesty, I''ll take my leave."

    The old king''s face darkened, his expression growing stormy. He growled through clenched teeth, unwilling to let her dismiss him so easily:

    "Elsa, no matter what that person promised you, think carefully about where your true foundation lies! Don''t wait until it''s toote and you find yourself discarded, utterly useless."

    Queen Elsa chuckled, her smile oozing charm. She deliberately shrugged her right shoulder, allowing the slender strap of her dress to slip down, revealing her snow-white skin.

    "How could I ever be useless?" she replied with a smirk, then turned and walked away, her steps as light as herughter.

    Left alone, the old king trembled with rage, powerless to do anything but seethe.

    Inside Luis'' room.

    An old man in ck knight armor stood, recounting the details to Luis. This old man was none other than Biggs, the former gardener who now managed the Hartmann Chamber of Commerce.

    "A vampire," Luis mused, his brows furrowing. "I didn''t expect that. But aren''t the Blood Races supposed to be an evil race weakened during the day?"

    Biggs sighed. "Who knows? Maybe this one is special. Nothing surprises me anymore, not after seeing that vortex, Young Master. Perhaps you can speak with himter and convince him to join our side."

    Luis nodded thoughtfully. "You can return now. Prepare the Tree Men; I''ll bring them here to station. This ce is bound to descend into chaos soon. I didn''t expect an internal war to break out before the external one even began."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Biggs bowed slightly, then stepped back and disappeared into the vortex.

    As the room grew silent, a suddenmotion sounded outside.

    "Bang, bang, bang."

    Luis opened the door to find a guard from the Dressrosa family standing outside.

    The guard, catching sight of Luis, immediately spoke in a loud voice:

    "Sir, the pce has been locked down by the Silver Moon Guards. No one is allowed to leave."

    Luis wasn''t surprised.

    ''The Modiwen family must be trying to contain the news,'' he thought, crossing his arms. ''They need time to figure out their next move.''

    Seeing Luis remain quiet, the guard''s eyes gleamed with fierce determination. He growled, "Sir, should we fight our way out?"

    "How many of you are there?" Luis asked calmly. "Can you even make it out of Silvermoon City alive?"

    The guard''s voice was resolute. "We can try! Death won''t stop us from moving forward!"

    Luis smiled faintly at their loyalty and bravery, though he knew they didn''t yet understand the full circumstances surrounding Vera''s death.

    "No," Luis said firmly. "Don''t make a pointless sacrifice. You''ll be far more useful alive. Guard this ce, and I''ll find a way to pass on the message."

    "Yes."

    "By the way, do you know what Asmon is doing?"

    The guard was about to shake his head when someone behind him reported, "Sir, Knight Asmon is here."

    Luis nodded and signaled the guards to withdraw.

    Asmon approached, carrying a coffin.

    Luis looked at him and asked, "Do you remember everything that happened there?"

    "I... I..." Asmon hesitated, his head lowered in sadness. "There was something wrong with the tea, and then I felt weak."

    His eyes were red, as if he was trying to suppress deep anger and sorrow. "Vera was killed by Tupe!"

    Luis''s expression hardened. "No need to pretend anymore. Tell me how you manage to hide your race so well. Are you a special kind of Blood Race?"

    The sadness in the atmosphere instantly vanished.

    Asmon smiled, stood up straight, and walked toward the coffin. He opened its lid.

    Inside, Vera peeked out and smiled shyly at Luis, still covered in blood.

    "Let me tell you everything from the beginning," Asmon said.

    "I am the third son of Viscount Asoth. I was born human... and talentless. My elder brothers bullied me, and even my younger siblings looked down on me.

    "I could do nothing but endure silently because of my low aptitude for cultivation.

    "At the age of 15, I left my home and escaped to be a pioneer knight. My uncle¡ªSamuel Hodson, the chiefmander of this Orc Fighting Frontline¡ªtook me in.

    "Everything was going well. Here, I met Vera, and we fell in love. I was 16; she was 13. Eventually, she had to leave for Arcane City.

    "Then came the turning point. I received a mission to destroy a group of undead. I led some knights on the mission but encountered Lizardmen before we even saw the undead.

    "They were strong¡ªtoo strong. Under the protection of my knights, I managed to escape. Panicked and injured, I ran for my life.

    "My blood dripped onto the ground, activating a magic circle. It was a teleportation circle.

    "I found myself in a mysterious mansion. It was terrifying yet fascinating. The ce was dark, cold, and silent, with walls covered in ancient murals. The air reeked of iron and decay.

    "I thought I had stumbled into their of a powerful undead, but there were no creatures¡ªnot even the undead themselves.

    "Deeper inside, I discovered a massive chamber. At its center stood a throne carved from obsidian, surrounded by glowing runes that pulsed faintly in the dim light.

    "The murals in the room narrated the story of the Blood Race¡ªthe rise of Drac, their ancestor, his immense power, the gods'' curse, and the eventual fall of his people. The final mural depicted Drac fleeing and ultimately perishing in this very ce.

    "In the center of the chamber stood a vial of blood. Its crimson liquid glowed with an unnatural, pulsating light, exuding an energy so potent it seemed to still the air around it. A chilling sensation coursed through me, as if the vial itself called out, urging me to approach.

    "I reached out, unable to resist its pull. The instant my fingers brushed the ss, it shattered, exploding into jagged shards that rained around me. The blood inside surged forth, snaking across my skin and seeping into my open wounds.

    "The pain was immediate and excruciating, like molten iron coursing through my veins. It wed at my very essence, twisting and burning until I could no longer endure it. Darkness consumed me.

    "When I awoke, the chamber was eerily quiet. The once-vivid glow of the runes had faded to a dim hum. Yet, within me, I felt it¡ªan unfamiliar power coursing through my veins. It was vibrant, potent, and undeniably alive. I was different. Changed in ways I could not yet understand."

 Chapter 145 Incitement

    "The Miller family alone may not be able topletely quell Duke Dressrosa''s anger.

    Especially the Modiwen family¡ªVera died in the Half-Elf Pce, so they must bear some responsibility.

    If I were Duke Dressrosa, I would use this opportunity to abolish the royal status of the Modiwen family and rece them with a Half-Elf noble to rule Silvermoon City.

    This new royal family,cking prestige, would have no choice but to rely on the Dressrosa family to control the Half-Elf Kingdom, rather than trying to please both the East and the North, like the Modiwen family does.

    To avoid this fate, the Modiwen family must find a way to save themselves.

    Their best option is to show Duke Dressrosa their loyalty¡ªby breaking ties with the Pros family.

    By doing so, Duke Dressrosa wouldn''t need to find a new puppet to rule the Half-Elf Kingdom on his behalf."

    "So that''s what''s going on!" Anna suddenly realized. "The two of us are bargaining chips for the Modiwen family to win favor with the Dressrosa family."

    "Exactly," Earl Evan said. "If they capture us and hand us over to Duke Dressrosa, the Modiwen family wouldpletely sever their ties with the Pros family, leaving them no choice but to side with Dressrosa forever."

    Anna nodded but then froze as a thought struck her. Her expression turned anxious. "Then¡­ would the Modiwen family kill us to prove their loyalty to Duke Dressrosa?"

    Earl Evan was stunned for a moment beforeughing. "My silly sister! How could the Modiwen family dare to do such a thing?

    Once they spill the blood of Pros family members, they''ll ignite a feud that won''t end until death.

    Haha, they''re just a small Half-Elf royal family¡ªhow could they afford to offend the Duke of the Kingdom?

    If they dared to do this, the Modiwen family would instantly be the public enemy of the Azov Kingdom.

    Even Duke Dressrosa wouldn''t protect them."

    Anna heaved a sigh of relief, sat down at the round table, and took a sip of water from her ss.

    "So, we''re just going to wait here?"

    "Yes, just wait. I told you long ago our trip to Silvermoon City was destined to be in vain. Ah, what a pity there''s no good wine here!"

    Earl Evan stood up, strode over to the thick iron door, and banged on it. "Hey! Could you send some wine in, please?"

    Anna nced at her unreliable brother and rolled her eyes silently.

    -----

    Cultivation World, Sirius Gang

    "Ah~~~ So refreshing!"

    Asmon let out a satisfied groan as he set down an empty ss with a clink. He had just finished a ss of iced deer blood wine, the coolness invigorating against the warm afternoon air.

    Vera chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair as she observed him. "Need more ice? I can make some."

    Asmon waved her off, his expression one of rxed satisfaction. "No, this is perfect. Any more, and it''ll ruin the bnce."

    "So, just deer blood wine for you? No interest in trying anything else?"

    "I don''t need anything else," Asmon replied, gesturing toward a tray of untouched snacks on the table. "You eat if you''re hungry. I''m fine with this."

    Vera raised an eyebrow as she sipped her own drink.

    "Can you tell about your strength now."

    "I''m a blood race of two worlds now, Vera. My blood talent has strengthened. Drinking blood is enough to sustain me¡ªno food necessary. My cultivation has be effortless, and my strength..." He trailed off, letting the weight of his words linger.

    "It''s multiplied dozens of times."

    "Hmph. Well, my strength has improved too," Vera retorted with a faint smile. "My father will be proud of me."

    At her words, a dangerous glint flickered in Asmon''s eyes. If Duke Dressrosa ever dared to harm Vera, he would make sure the Duke regretted it.

    "Come on," Asmon said, his voice firm as he stood and headed toward the door. "Let''s finish the mission Luis gave us."

    Vera followed him as they walked out toward the training area.

    ----

    Silvermoon City, Luis'' Bedroom

    Luis sat alone on the bed when a knock echoed at the door.

    "Come in."

    The door creaked open, and the half-elf ve Cathy stepped inside.

    "My Lord, have you finished your meal?"

    "Yes. Clean it up."

    "Yes, my Lord."

    As Cathy quietly cleared the table with her head bowed, Luis suddenly spoke.

    "You must have a way to contact people outside the pce, right?"

    Cathy froze for a moment, her hands pausing mid-motion. She hesitated, ncing at Luis but saying nothing.

    "Don''t be afraid," Luis said with a calm smile. "We''re on the same side now."

    Whether Cathy believed him or not, Luis continued, his tone steady but calcting. Your journey continues with empire

    "I know your House of Savoy is trying to reim the half-elf throne. Letting Vera die in the pce was a bold move¡ªit''s already stirred the North''s anger. The Modiwen family is now at risk of being abolished."

    He leaned forward slightly, watching her reaction. "But do you think the Modiwen family will take this lying down?"

    Cathy''s hands trembled slightly, betraying her inner conflict. A flicker of struggle crossed her face, but after a moment, she straightened.

    She raised her head and met Luis'' gaze, the fear in her eyes reced by determination. Despite her simple clothes and youthful face, she tried to project confidence.

    "My Lord Viscount," she said cautiously, "what news have you heard?"

    Luis smirked, leaning back. "Oh? So you admit your true identity now?"

    Cathy pressed her lips together, avoiding the bait. "How will the Modiwen family respond?"

    Luis'' smile deepened, his toneced with amusement. "Go tell your House of Savoy this: the Modiwen family has imprisoned the Pros Family envoy. They n to use this as a bargaining chip to align fully with the Dressrosa Family."

    He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle before continuing.@@novelbin@@

    "If the Savoy Family doesn''t act quickly, the half-elf throne will remain with the Modiwen family. And when that happens¡­" His gaze hardened. "You''ll lose all your value. They''ll cast you aside¡ªor worse."

 Chapter 148 Start

    The sun sets in the west and rises in the east¡ªit is a new day.

    ording to the original n, this day should have been a festive asion: Prince Tupe and Miss Vera were to be married.

    But now, the entire Silvermoon City is shrouded in an oppressively somber atmosphere.

    Some people quietly await the judgment of fate. Others are eager to fight, and still others naively believe that this is just another ordinary day.

    "Boom, boom, boom."

    "Come in."

    Knight Telde pushed the door open and entered. He was one of Miss Vera''s personal guards.

    "Sir Luis, you sent for me?"

    Luis gestured for Knight Telde to approach. When the knight was close enough, Luis handed him a roll of parchment.

    "What is this?" Knight Telde asked, examining the map of the pce. It detailed troop deployments and attack routes, leaving him momentarily stunned.

    "Are you familiar with the House of Savoy?"

    "Yes. They were once the half-elf royal family."

    "Correct. That family is nning tounch a coup tonight. What you''re holding is their detailed n to attack the pce."

    Knight Telde''s heart sank. He didn''t ask how Luis had acquired such ssified information. Instead, his eyes burned with anger as he growled, "Sir, should we take this chance to avenge Miss Vera?"

    Luis frowned. "Knight Telde, have you forgotten your most sacred duty?"

    Knight Telde took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I apologize, Lord Viscount. I was rash. My first priority should be protecting Miss Vera''s body."

    Luis nodded approvingly. "Good. I''m d you understand. The pce will not be safe tonight. We cannot remain here any longer. After the Savoy familyunches their coup, we will make our escape."

    "Once we break out of the pce, which route should we take to leave the city?"

    "Through the South City Gate."

    "Okay, I understand."

    But Luis slowly shook his head. "No, you don''t understand."

    Knight Telde was stunned and looked at Luis in confusion.

    "We are being watched by everyone, and I made it clear we must head for the South Gate.

    Therefore, we must not go to the South Gate!"@@novelbin@@

    Knight Telde finally caught on and asked, "Then where are we going?"

    Luis pointed firmly at the map and tapped it. "We''ll head to the North Gate!"

    "Understood! I''ll organize the troops and prepare for tonight''s action!"

    "Be cautious. Don''t draw the attention of the Silver Moon Guards."

    "Yes!"

    As Knight Telde disappeared out the door, Luis stroked his chin, lost in thought.

    His mind wasn''t on tonight''s escape n. Instead, he was contemting something much bigger.

    Tonight would be a bloody night¡ªan opportunity to bring this city under his control.

    ----

    The night was as cool as water, and the silver moon hung in the sky like a razor-sharp de.

    A dazzling arcane missile suddenly tore through the darkness, lighting up the night. The half-elf pce erupted into chaos.

    From a high vantage point, one could see the Silver Moon Guards, originally stationed at the east and south gates of the pce, suddenly turn their weapons inward and charge toward the heart of the pce.

    The surprise attack left the defenders reeling. The two squads advanced swiftly, their formation resembling two fiery dragons tearing through the inner court of the royal pce.

    Here, however, they encountered organized and determined resistance from the garrison guards.

    "Woo¡ª"

    The piercing sound of a horn echoed above the pce, rousing all of Silvermoon City.

    This once-unconquerable garden city could not escape the ravages of war.

    "Bang!"

    Asmon pushed open the hall doors and strode out, carrying a massive coffin on his back.

    Outside, a thousand guards from the Duke Dressrosa family had assembled, led by Knight Telde.

    Asmon surveyed the group and shouted, "Tonight, our only mission is to protect Miss Vera!"

    "Luis and his knights will remain behind to handle any unforeseen issues. Our focus is solely on Miss Vera''s safety."

    "Protect Miss Vera!"

    "Protect Miss Vera!"

    The guards pounded heavily on the armor covering their chests, and the reverberating sound waves echoed through the sky, rolling outward like thunder.

    "Kill!"

    At Asmon''smand, the thousand-strong force surged toward the south gate of the pce.

    Because the Silver Moon Guards stationed there had already turned traitor, the Dressrosa Guards encountered little resistance along the way.

    However, as soon as they exited the pce, they faced a contingent of half-elf guards rushing to support the royal pce.

    Due to dys inmunication, these Silver Moon Guards had no idea what was happening inside the pce. They had only responded to the horn''s distress call.

    When they encountered the Dressrosa Guards, who were armed and seething with rage, they naturally assumed the horn had been sounded because of them. Without hesitation, they drew their swords.

    "Kill!"

    Knight Telde roared, leading the charge.

    Though the half-elf guards outnumbered them, the Silver Moon Guards were more ornamental than practical. In truth, the half-elves had little experience in realbat.

    They were no match for the seasoned Northern Army soldiers, veterans of brutal wars fought in blood and fire.

    Moreover, the Dressrosa Guards were now a "mourning army," fueled by grief and vengeance for Vera''s "death." Suppressed for too long under Luis''s restraint, their pent-up fury exploded.

    Now that Luis had unleashed their fury, the Dressrosa Guards, many already resigned to dying in battle, charged at the half-elf soldiers with reckless abandon. Find exclusive stories on empire

    The result was an intense and brutal sh. The narrow pce gate quickly transformed into a gruesome meat grinder, bodies piling up as the two sides shed.

    Asmon did not join the fray. Instead, he stood back, the heavy coffin strapped to his back, calmly observing the battlefield.

    His eyes swept over the chaos, scanning for high-ranking knights among the half-elf forces.

    He was looking at the preys, his mission is to turn most of these people in blood races and drinking blood of many in this bloody night can also enhance his strength greatly.

    He doesn''t seem to be verypatible with normal practice method in Cultivation World and can only increase his strength through drinking blood.

 Chapter 152 Bloody Night

    Following Diego''s loudmand, the half-elf guards charged forward decisively, their movements swift and aggressive.

    Shiii!!!

    Suddenly, a strong wind swept through the garden, and the sky darkened ominously.

    Diego froze, looking up in shock. A group of enormous, winged figures descended from the sky, their sheer size and presence casting the entire garden into shadow.

    Bang!

    The massive creaturesnded heavily, shaking the ground. Their roars filled the air, primal and furious, sending chills down the spines of everyone present. Stay connected via empire

    A suffocating aura of terror spread through the garden, gripping the hearts of the half-elf guards.

    Diego''s eyes widened in disbelief as he stammered, "Wh-what kind of monsters are you?"

    Luis stood calmly amidst the chaos, a faint smile on his lips. He gestured toward Diego and his men, addressing the winged figures. "These men thought they could force Vera."

    The winged creatures turned their glowing eyes toward Diego, their massive bodies cloaked in blood mist.

    "You must all die!" they roared in unison, their voices echoing with overwhelming authority as they charged at the half-elf guards.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The guards raised their shields in desperation, but the raw power of the winged creatures sent them flying backward, shields splintering from the impact.

    Realizing the fight was hopeless, Diego''s face turned pale. Without hesitation, he turned to flee.

    Boom!

    One of the winged beings pped its massive ck wings, creating a violent gust of wind that engulfed the garden. Using the momentum, the creature shot forward like a ck arrow, reaching Diego in an instant.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A giant, wed hand descended, gripping Diego''s head with crushing force.

    Snap!

    In one brutal motion, Diego''s head was twisted off like a bottle cap, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground.

    ----

    "Brother, what''s happening outside?"

    In the dimly lit prison cell, Anna''s voice was tense as faint shouting and screams echoed from a distance.

    Earl Evan tilted his head, listening intently before murmuring, "Could it be the Dressrosa Army reaching Silvermoon City already?"

    But he quickly shook his head. "No, that''s unlikely. Even if the Nortnd forces began marching the moment they heard about Vera''s death, there''s no way they could arrive here in just a few days."

    At that moment, the heavy iron door of the prison creaked open from the outside.

    "My Lord Earl, Miss Anna, please forgive my dy."

    A half-elf knight appeared in the doorway, bowing respectfully.

    Earl Evan''s lips curved into a small smile. "Knight Omar, your timing is impable."

    Anna''s eyes narrowed as she observed the knight. A realization struck her¡ªthis man must be part of the Pros family''s covertwork within the Half-Elven Kingdom.

    "Knight Omar, can you exin what''s happening outside?" she asked sharply.

    "Certainly, Miss Anna," Omar replied, his voice steady.

    "The former half-elf royal family, the House of Savoy, has staged a coup. They''ve incited Duke Lutte to rebel, and the Silver Moon Guards are attacking the inner court of the royal pce as we speak. That chaos allowed me to slip in and free the two of you."

    "The House of Savoy?" Earl Evan stroked his chin, a peculiar smile spreading across his face. "Interesting. They''ve chosen a rather opportune moment for their coup."

    Anna shot her brother an exasperated look. "Brother, stop daydreaming. We need to get out of this wretched ce!"

    Earl Evan chuckled softly. "Alright, let''s go."

    The three of them moved quickly through the prison, encountering little resistance.

    The Modiwen family, preupied with their own survival amidst the chaos, had clearly left the prison lightly guarded.

    "What is that?"

    As they passed through the royal garden, Anna froze and pointed at a towering figure in the distance. Her voice wasced with unease.

    The Blood ves had be a whirlwind of death, cutting down the half-elf guards who had gathered in the garden.

    Earl Evan squinted, observing the scene for a moment before muttering in confusion, "Why does it have wings? Is it... a druid from the elves?"

    Anna shook her head. "But weren''t the druids wiped out long ago? At least, that''s what the legends say."

    "Legends," Evan replied with a smirk, "are just stories. You can choose to believe them or not. Who''s to say they didn''t leave behind a secret legacy?"

    Before Anna could respond, their sharp-eyedpanion, Knight Omar, suddenly eximed, "My Lord! Miss Anna! Over there¡ªit''s Luis and Queen Elsa!"@@novelbin@@

    Earl Evan''s brows arched with interest. "Queen Elsa? Now that''s worth a closer look. Let''s go."

    "Devil... he''s a devil! Run!"

    The garden echoed with the terrified cries of the half-elf guards. Panic overtook them as they tried to flee, but their attempts were futile¡ªBlood ves cut them down with ruthless efficiency.

    As the chaos subsided and the guards scattered like frightened chicks, Earl Evan and hispanions stood out, their presence catching the attention of one Blood ve.

    Its blood-red eyes locked onto them, and Anna instinctively stepped back, her voice trembling. "What kind of monster are you?"

    The Blood ve remained motionless, its gaze filled with raw bloodlust.

    "Hey! You there¡ªDuke Pros'' people!" Luis''s voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a de.

    Earl Evan and Anna turned toward him¡ª

    Boom!

    The ground erupted in a deafening explosion near Anna, sending shards of stone flying in every direction.

    When the dust settled, a massive crater, two meters deep, marked the spot where Anna had been standing moments before.

    Anna had already dodged aside, her movements surprisingly graceful despite wielding an enormous broadsword. She seemed almost like a butterfly in flight¡ªdelicate yet eerily unbnced.

    The intricate patterns on her sword began to glow, crackling with electric energy. Holy light coursed through the de, coiling like serpents, radiating an aura of immense danger.

    With a sharp cry, Anna became a streak of silver lightning, darting toward the Blood ve with deadly precision.

    Yet the tides of battle shifted.

    Before they could process what was happening, Luis suddenly appeared in front of Knight Omar, his fist connecting with the Earl''s chest in a brutal, lightning-fast strike.

 Chapter 155 Chess Piece

    In the main hall of the pce, Luis sat on the throne, rxed and carefree, as if he were the real king.

    Queen Elsa stood before him, reporting respectfully:

    "Boss, the Silver Moon Guard has been nearly wiped out. The officers of the Modiwen family have all been demoted and reassigned, reced by Sith and his members.

    However, the Silver Moon Guard suffered heavy losses this time. After regrouping, fewer than 20,000 men remain. I n to issue another conscription order soon.

    I will also support the Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce, aiming to make it thergest in Half-Elf City and its surrounding territories.

    Additionally, the confiscated assets of the Rutte family and the Miller family, along with the holdings of the Half-Elf Treasury, are listed here. Please review them."

    Luis''s interest was piqued immediately. He grabbed the document and began reading it eagerly.

    "These are just preliminary figures. A more urate estimate will take a few days to finalize," Elsa added.

    "Okay," Luis replied, his eyes fixed on the final number listed in the document. The staggering sum made his head spin, and he barely managed to hide his excitement.

    There were more than 400 fairies still residing in Half-Elf City, along with nearly 100 in his Hartmann Territory.

    The potential for developing thend now seemed limitless.

    "I''ll assign officials to manage the territory. Also, prepare the elves for entry into the Cultivation World. They will be a strong force under mymand for the uing war."

    "Yes," Elsa replied promptly.

    -----

    In the Forest Outside Silvermoon City

    Ross Savoy stood dejectedly under a tree, his face shadowed with despair.

    It was clear the situation was dire.

    Ever since his brother Diego''s head had fallen from the sky in the pce, Ross knew the Savoy family''s n had failed¡ªagain.

    Acting quickly, he fled before things could spiral further out of control.

    As he turned, a figure emerged from the shadows¡ªa man in a ck robe stood silently, his cold gaze fixed on Ross.

    "Mr. Shaman, you''re here?" Ross asked, his voice tinged with unease.

    Mr. Shaman sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. "Why? Am I not wee?"

    "Of course, you are," Ross replied hastily. "But as you can see... I''m in no position to entertain guests."

    Mr. Shaman ignored the attempt at civility, cutting straight to the point. "Do you know why you failed?"

    Ross hesitated before shaking his head. "Please enlighten me," he said respectfully.

    "Because you''re too greedy," Mr. Shaman said icily. "And because you didn''t follow my instructions."

    Ross''s face darkened, a mix of frustration and anger bubbling to the surface. The stress and fear he''d been suppressing suddenly erupted.

    "Follow your instructions?" Ross snapped. "Mr. Shaman, you weren''t even in Silvermoon City at the time! How could you possibly understand the situation we faced? Things unfolded far beyond anyone''s expectations! My brother and I did what we had to¡ªwe adapted!"

    "Adapted?" Mr. Shaman chuckled darkly. "This is the first time I''ve heard betrayal described so eloquently."

    "Betrayal?" Ross barked, his voice rising in fury. "Do you really think the Savoy family is still yourpdog? Wake up!

    It''s not three hundred years ago anymore!

    Read new chapters at empire

    You''ve be nothing but a stray dog yourself, scavenging to survive with the scraps given to you by the Dark Elves! And yet you expect loyalty from us?

    When you dare to walk in the sunlight without that damned hood, then you cane talk to the House of Savoy about loyalty!"

    Mr. Shaman listened to Ross''s harsh words without anger. Instead, he let out a long, tired sigh, his voice soft yet haunting.

    "Yes... It has been over three hundred years. The once-loyal servants now search for other paths, casting aside the vows they swore in the past..."

    After a pause, Mr. Shaman suddenlyughed and said, "But to be honest, I never expected your loyalty from the beginning.

    The lesson I learned in the North taught me one thing¡ªoaths are meaningless, and loyalty is nothing more than a bubble in the sunlight. It might sparkle and dazzle for a moment, but it''s fragile and worthless."

    He stepped closer, his smile widening with every step.

    "But the mostughable thing? That would be you and your family.

    You think you''re clever, don''t you? You refuse to be pawns¡ªyou dream of being yers in the game.

    Yet, in truth, you can''t even see the whole chessboard. You don''t know the real stakes or where the critical moves lie."@@novelbin@@

    Mr. Shaman''s words left Ross baffled. His brow furrowed in confusion, but the shaman seemed unconcerned, as though he were speaking more to himself than to Ross.

    "All you care about is Silvermoon City and the half-elf throne," Mr. Shaman continued, his voice filled with scorn. "Ha! As if these petty things could ever be the centerpieces of the true game."

    Ross began to grasp the implications of his words, but the condescension made his blood boil. Unable to restrain himself, he shot back with a sneer: "Well, the situation in Silvermoon City is already settled. What more can you do?"

    "Settled?" Mr. Shaman chuckled, shaking his head. "You really believe that, don''t you? I haven''t even yed my ultimate move yet. And as I''ve already said, Silvermoon City is just a small corner of the chessboard. It was never going to decide the oue of this game."

    "Oh? And what''s this so-called ''ultimate move'' of yours?" Ross asked, his disdain for the shaman growing by the second.

    "My ultimate move..." Mr. Shaman''s voice dropped suddenly, his words fading into an unintelligible murmur.

    Ross strained to hear, stepping closer in curiosity. Just as he was about to ask for rification, he realized something rming¡ªhis voice wouldn''te out.

    He felt as if there was a piece of burning charcoal stuck in his throat, burning him so much that he almost spit out fire.

    The next second, he really spewed fire.

    Then, the fire quickly ignited his face, his head, his neck, and spread to his entire body...

    In the end, Ross turned into a pile of ashes in his painful struggle.

    "My ultimate move, you are not qualified to know it."

    Mr. Shaman sneered and looked towards the Silvermoon City with a glowing ball in his hand.

    "Hartmann... "

 Chapter 159 We Are Humans Too!!!!

    Luis looked at Luo Xiuyuan without responding.

    "Why don''t you answer? We both know the truth," Luo Xiuyuan sighed. "Let me ask you¡ªare you truly interested in us mermaids?"

    Luis remained silent, observing Luo Xiuyuan carefully. He wanted to discern the man''s true intentions before speaking.

    Seeing Luis''s quiet demeanor, Luo Xiuyuan''s eyes turned distant. "Do you know about vassal races?"

    "I''ve heard a little," Luis replied.

    "Every Foundation Building family on Ten Thousand Star Ind has its own vassal races," Luo Xiuyuan began, his tone steady but subdued. "Our mermaid race does not wish to be one of them."

    "A vassal race?" Luis echoed, intrigued. This was the first time he had heard such details about the major families in Guang''an Prefecture, and his curiosity grew.

    "Yes," Luo Xiuyuan continued. "For example, the Purple Lightning Snapping Turtle n serves the Yang family, and the Green Water Ape n belongs to the Wu family. Even the Zhou family has a vassal race. It''s said to be a Golden Core race, though I don''t know which one."

    Luo Xiuyuan shook his head, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "They call them vassal races, but in reality, they''re nothing more than dogs raised by the major families."

    Hearing this, Luis nodded thoughtfully. The rtionship reminded him of corporate shareholders and their employees¡ªworkers who were often treated like tools or pets by the powerful.

    He had long known the Immortal ns of Ten Thousand Star Ind possessed deep foundations, but he hadn''t imagined their reach extended so far.

    Not only did these families bolster their strength with their own people, but they also extended their influence into the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, exploiting its resources.

    The more Luis thought about it, the more it made sense.

    No one in this world was a fool¡ªleast of all these great families. If the Hartmann family could recognize the benefits of such arrangements, it was only natural that others had thought of it first.

    After all, trading with alien races could yield immense wealth. It would have been surprising if the powerful cultivation families had not taken advantage of the underwater world.

    Thinking about this, Luis added, "Since the mermaids have been captured by the Zhou family, why not choose to be their vassals? It''s at least better than having your nsmen reduced to ves of the Zhou family."

    Luo Xiuyuan''s expression darkened as he replied in a deep voice, "ves are still our fellow tribesmen, but vassals are not."

    Luis frowned, puzzled. "I don''t understand what you mean, Senior."

    Instead of answering directly, Luo Xiuyuan asked, "Do you know the origin of my mermaid race?"

    Luis shook his head. Although he had heard rumors that the mermaids were a branch of the ancient human race, he wouldn''t dare voice such unverified ims. After all, the physical differences between humans and mermaids were obvious¡ªone had legs, and the other had a fish tail.

    "In ancient times," Luo Xiuyuan began, his voice tinged with both pride and sorrow, "monsters ruled this world, and humans were nothing more than their prey.

    Faced with extinction, the human race was divided on how to survive.

    One side vowed to fight the monsters to the bitter end. The other chose to flee, seeking refuge in the deep sea."

    He paused, as though reflecting on a distant past.

    "Countless years passed.

    The humans who stayed onnd fought valiantly, ultimately defeating the monsters and bing the masters of this world.

    But the humans who fled to the deep sea gradually lost their human traits. Their legs became fish tails as they adapted to their new environment.

    Yet even in the deep sea, monsters abounded. When the humans onnd triumphed, many defeated monsters sought refuge in the oceans, further crowding the underwater world.

    This made it increasingly difficult for the humans who had fled to survive, and over time, their poption dwindled."

    Speaking of this, Luo Xiuyuan raised his head and said, "Yes, this branch of the ancient human race is the ancestor of our mermaid race.

    You and I share the same bloodline, the same origin!"

    Unexpectedly, Luis''s expression remained unchanged. He nced at Luo Xiuyuan''s fish tail with a detached look.

    As if provoked by Luis''s gaze, Luo Xiuyuan suddenly grew agitated. "Yes! We escaped back then! But our ancestors only wanted to survive, to preserve a trace of the human race''s bloodline!

    Our ancestors just wanted to live¡ªthey didn''t want to die! What did we do wrong?!" His voice rose in anguish before it was cut off by a violent fit of coughing.

    Luis said nothing, his expression indifferent as he watched the other man.

    That cold gaze did not seem to be one directed at a fellow tribesman.

    Luis''s attitude shattered the deepest wounds in Luo Xiuyuan''s heart. For ate Foundation Building cultivator, it was a rare moment of overwhelming sadness and heartbreak.

    Different choices had led to vastly different destinies for their races.

    One branch of humanity had risen to be the masters of this world.

    The other¡ªhis people¡ªnow struggled to survive, even in the most basic sense.

    And yet, the humans who ruled this world no longer saw the mermaids as a part of their shared lineage.

    Luo Xiuyuan''s mind drifted to the time he had attacked Guang''an Prefecture.

    He remembered the looks those rogue cultivators had given him.

    It was as if they were staring at a strange, newly discovered monster¡ªmockery and disdain filling their eyes.

    Now, standing at the edge of death, Luo Xiuyuan couldn''t help but feel an overwhelming sorrow.

    If only their ancestors had chosen to stay onnd and fight side by side with the humans instead of fleeing to the deep sea.

    How different everything might have been.

    How much better it could have been.

    After a long time, Luo Xiuyuan finally calmed down. He raised his head and said, "We, the mermaids, are willing to be vassals of the Hartmann family."

    Luis raised an eyebrow. "Didn''t you just say your mermaid n didn''t want to be vassals?"

    Luo Xiuyuan''s expression dimmed. "Because of Li''er."

    "Miss Luo?" Luis frowned.

    Luo Xiuyuan''s voice softened, but his tone carried weight. "She told me that you were the only one who didn''t look at her like she was a monster."

    He paused and then emphasized, "We are not monsters, nor are we aliens. We are human!"

    Luis took a deep breath at those words, his gaze serious. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. On behalf of the Hartmann family, I ept the loyalty of your mermaid tribe. This will be your best decision."@@novelbin@@

    Acquiring the loyalty of the mermaids had been one of Luis''s goals.

    Yet, for some reason, he didn''t feel the excitement he thought he would.

    Instead, a trace of sadness lingered in his heart.

    Sometimes, one wrong choice could lead to eternal regret.

    Luo Xiuyuan straightened his posture, then knelt before Luis. He spoke solemnly as he made the vow, "I, Luo Xiuyuan, leader of the mermaid tribe, swear here on behalf of all mermaids that from this day forth, we will remain loyal to the Hartmann family until our deaths!"

    In the air above them, an invisible contract formed, sealing their racial subordination.

    At that moment, Luis felt a faint connection with every member of the mermaid tribe.

    This bond wasn''t one of control, but it allowed him to sense their loyalty.

    This was the power of the racial subordination contract.

    More than that, Luis realized that the mermaids had also been subtly linked to the vortex within him.

    Luo Xiuyuan sighed quietly and whispered, "Li''er, I hope your father''s decision is the right one this time."

    For the first time, Luis''s indifferent demeanor softened into a faint smile. It was clear how deeply Luo Xiuyuan loved his daughter.

    Even as he neared death, Luo Xiuyuan had entrusted his daughter and his people to the Hartmann family for protection.

    Luis''s gaze at Luo Xiuyuan as he asked, "Let me ask you one thing: do you consider yourself a mermaid or a human?"

    "In ancient times, our ancestors were indeed human. But now, even if I deny it, our race has changed. Still, we are very simr to humans," Luo Xiuyuan admitted solemnly.

    Although he didn''t state it outright, his words implied that the mermaids were humans who had undergone mutations. Read exclusive content at empire

    "Yes, yes, I also regard mermaids as human," Luis said with a nod. "Even though you have different physical traits, you can clearly transform your fins into legs. Can you show me your human form?" he asked, his curiosity evident.

    Luo Xiuyuan smiled wryly. "I can''t¡­ I don''t have much time left, and my control over such transformations has significantly weakened. I can''t even manage basic spells anymore."

    Luis''s expression turned serious. "Now that you''re affiliated with the Hartmann family, how could I let you die so easily? I need you to manage the vast resources of this underground world. Humans shouldn''t just rule thend¡ªthey should also dominate the seas."

    "Huh?!" Luo Xiuyuan gasped in shock as a swirling ck vortex suddenly appeared before him.

 Chapter 160 Lotus of Creation

    As Luo Xiuyuan entered the vortex, Biggs was there, ready to take care of him.

    Luis, however, stepped out of the ce and began to wander.

    Using the Vortex Mini Map, he quickly pinpointed Luo Li''s location.

    She was far away.

    Luo Liy on a hilltop covered in vegetation and seaweed, her delicate hands crossed behind her head as she stared nkly at the massive stars scattered across the sea of stars.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    Silently, Luis sat beside her.

    "When I was a child, I ofteny on the rocks and looked at the stars," Luo Li began softly. "At that time, I asked my mother why our tribe was always fleeing and fighting. She told me it was for survival."

    A tear slid down her cheek.

    "I asked her what the meaning of life was. She said it was to continue the cycle¡ªjust as she gave birth to me, I would give birth to the next generation, and so on. She told me that was the meaning of life.

    And then... my mother passed away."

    At this, Luo Li broke into sobs.

    Luis hesitated, then gently ced aforting hand on her shoulder.

    "Everything will pass," he said softly. "In ancient times, humanity survived countless hardships.

    I believe that your people, the mermaids, will also find hope and see the light of day."

    Hearing this, Luo Li lifted her head and stared at him with red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes.

    "Do you think he''ll die?" she asked.

    "Don''t worry," Luis said, shaking his head. He then turned his gaze upward to the vast starry sky.

    "Everyone dies eventually."

    His words seemed tofort Luo Li as much as they did himself.

    She cried for what felt like hours. Eventually, exhaustion overcame her, and she fell asleep in Luis'' arms.

    Looking down at her tear-streaked face, Luis felt a pang of pity in his heart.

    --

    An hourter, Luo Li stirred and slowly woke up.

    When she realized she was lying in Luis'' arms, her pretty face flushed slightly. But then, as a thought crossed her mind, her expression turned pale.

    As a member of a signatory race under the subsidiary contract, Luo Li could feel the faint connection between herself and Luis.

    "Master," she murmured awkwardly.

    Luis shook his head. "No need for that. Just call me by my name."

    But to his surprise, Luo Li''s expression turned unusually firm.

    She shook her head and said resolutely, "Etiquette cannot be abandoned, and rules cannot be broken. Since my mermaid race is a subsidiary race of the Hartmann family, from today onward, you are my master.

    But before that, I want to have onest moment of freedom."

    Her eyes sparkled with a mix of longing and determination as she looked at Luis.

    "Alright," Luis said, though he wasn''t entirely sure what she meant by "freedom." Still, he couldn''t bring himself to refuse this girl, burdened as she was by her tragic fate.@@novelbin@@

    Seeing that Luis didn''t reject her, Luo Li beamed with joy. She grabbed his right hand and eximed, "Come with me!"

    Before Luis could respond, she pulled him along, flying hurriedly in one direction.

    "Slow down!" he called out,ughing despite himself.

    "Okay, okay, it''s just up ahead!" she replied enthusiastically.

    After a short while, the two arrived at a massive basin nestled within Demon Ape Mountain.

    The area resembled a in in the underwater world. Spread across thendscape were countless unusual lotus flowers in full bloom.

    These lotuses were pure white, their petals shimmering with a strange, luminous glow under the starlight. The sight was breathtaking.

    Even Luis couldn''t help but marvel at the rare and stunning beauty before him.

    "This is incredible," he muttered, awe evident in his voice.

    Hearing his reaction, Luo Li chuckled softly. "This is a spiritual nt unique to the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea," she exined.

    "We call it the Lotus of Creation.

    Sadly, it''s not the spiritual medicine listed in the book you gave me."

    At this, a look of regret appeared on Luo Li''s pretty face.

    "Spiritual nt?"

    Hearing her words, Luis'' heart stirred. Undiscovered spiritual nts often hold tremendous potential. He had already seen how Pipi had helped create so many magical nts.

    "It''s obviously a white lotus," Luis said, looking at Luo Li curiously. "Why is it called the Lotus of Creation?"

    "Just wait and see," Luo Li replied with a mysterious smile.

    Without another word, she flew to the center of the lotus field. Raising her right hand, she gathered a stream of true energy and flung it into the air.

    In an instant, countless specks of pure essence scattered like stardust, showering the field of lotuses below.

    When the white lotuses came into contact with Luo Li''s true essence, they began to radiate an otherworldly brilliance.

    For a moment, various colors of light filled the air, blending with the starlight under the night sky. Luo Li stood in the center of it all, appearing like a goddess illuminated by the moon.

    Luis was mesmerized. His heart felt as though it had been deeply moved by the sheer beauty of the scene.

    Under the vast, starry sky, the two of them exchanged silent nces. Luo Li seemed on the verge of saying something but ultimately held back.

    "What a breathtaking view," Luis murmured.

    "What did you say?" Luo Li asked.

    "I said it''s beautiful," he repeated, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.

    Hearing this, Luo Li broke into a radiant, childlike smile.

    "Um?"

    As Luo Li continued channeling her true energy, Luis noticed something unusual about the Lotus of Creation. His expression shifted slightly, a trace of thoughtfulness crossing his face.

    "What''s wrong?" Luo Li asked, halting her actions and flying back to him.

    When she stopped channeling her true energy, the Lotus of Creation did not immediately lose its luster. It remained radiant and dazzling, as if still alive with the light.

    "It''s fine," Luis replied, his eyes fixed on one of the lotuses. He leaned closer, studying it carefully.

    "Luo Li, let me ask you¡ªcan the Lotus of Creation absorb your true essence?"

    "Yes," Luo Li said with a nod. "But unfortunately, this spiritual nt has no other purpose besides absorbing a cultivator''s true essence. The essence it absorbs is stored temporarily and then gradually converted into nutrients for its growth."

    Luo Li spoke as if it were a matter of course.

    "It doesn''t work at all!"

    Luis nodded thoughtfully and reached out to pull at one of the Lotuses of Creation. Taking a deep breath, he applied force to uproot it.

    To his surprise, the lotus didn''t budge.

    Though he hadn''t used his full strength, his basic strength was already formidable.

    Intrigued, Luis increased his effort, and after a brief struggle, he managed to pull the lotus out along with its roots.

    Holding the Lotus of Creation in his hand, Luis noticed that it had not returned to its original white color.

    "Every time you inject your true energy into it, how long does it take for the energy to dissipate?" he asked curiously.

    Luo Li shook her head. "It doesn''t dissipate¡ªit just gets absorbed by the lotus."

    "What if I prevent it from absorbing the energy?"

    Luis'' voice carried a slight tremor of anticipation.

    Luo Li tilted her head, looking timid but thoughtful. "Then I guess the energy would just be stored in the lotus... but can it really store energy like that?"

    "Hmm, maybe," Luis murmured.

    He carefully observed the lotus, his eyes catching the faint dots of starlight scattered across its white petals.

    The sight reminded him of the star seayer in the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    Acting on instinct, Luis channeled a stream of Vortex energy into the Lotus of Creation.

    In an instant, the starlight on the lotus''s surface grew brighter.

    The more Vortex energy he injected, the more brilliantly the lotus glowed.

    However, no matter how much energy Luis poured into it, the Lotus of Creation absorbed it all like a bottomless container.

    After a long while, the lotus finally reached its limit, shining brightly with an almost blinding radiance.

    Luis couldn''t help but be shocked as he sensed the enormous amount of energy stored within the lotus.

    Read exclusive adventures at empire

    Without the infinite supply of Vortex energy from the mysterious vortex within him, the Lotus of Creation would have been impossible to fill with the True Essence of even the most powerful Qi Refiners.

    Luis''s mind was racing. This spiritual nt was truly extraordinary. If it could be integrated into the human body as an energy reservoir, it could more than double the True Essence avable. While it might not mean much for him, it could be life-changing for the Hartmann family and their allies.

    "Master, this is so beautiful," Luo Li said softly, her voice filled with wonder as her eyes sparkled like the stars above.

    Luis turned to her, a warm smile spreading across his face.

    "Do you want it?" he asked, holding out the radiant Lotus of Creation.

    Her gaze lit up with excitement as she eagerly reached for it, her hands trembling slightly with anticipation.

    But as her fingers neared the lotus, Luis gently took her wrist, his touch firm yet soft. He pulled her closer, their breaths mingling in the cool night air.

    "Luo Li," he murmured, his voice low and tender.

    Before she could respond, Luis leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek.

 Chapter 161 Destruction Of Duke Dressrosa Army(I)

    Being suddenly kissed, Luo Li was shocked and little resistant. Read exclusive chapters at empire

    "M-Master¡­" she whispered, her voice faltering.

    "You don''t need to call me that," he said, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

    "Luo Li, do you want to visit human cities?" Luis rested his head on her shoulders as he questioned.

    Luo Li''s face turned crimson, her earlier resistance melting into shyness. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded softly.

    "I''ve always been curious about the human world," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But¡­ would I even fit in there? I''m¡­ different."

    "You are not different, you are very much like humans, let me tell you in my world there are fairies as small as palm, ugly goblins and giants hundred of meters tall."

    Luo Li blinked, her lips curving into a small, hesitant smile. "Fairies and goblins?" she asked, a flicker of curiosity shining in her eyes.

    "Are you making that up?"

    "No, let me show you. What i will show is the city of Elves."

    Luis said as he waved his hands. Under the puzzled eyes of Luo Li a swirling vortex began to form.

    Seeing this she tried to push Luis and stood on guard against the unknown thing in front of them.

    "Rx, that is my thing" Luis held her tightly as he said.

    What is that, she turned towards him and asked

    "This is a portal, that can bring you to my world. Actually my family is not from here and is from very far away ce. Let me tell you your father can be fully cured and will have chances to be stronger."

    Luo Li froze, her wide eyes darting between the swirling vortex and Luis. Her mind raced as she processed his words, her heartbeat quickening with a mixture of fear and hope.

    "My father... can be cured?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

    Luis nodded, his grip on her tightening slightly as if to reassure her.

    "Yes. My Family has resources and knowledge that are beyond anything you''ve seen here. His might already be treated."

    "So, lets go i will show you different sceneries in there"

    "Will you stay with me?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "If I go... will you be there?"

    Luis smiled softly, brushing a thumb against her cheek. "Always. Wherever you go, I''ll be right by your side."

    With this said, Luis caught her by her waist and fish tail. As a mermaid, before bing a foundation building cultivator, transforming into human legs is very hard. At least, there is no such magic spell in here.

    Luo Li''s cheeks flushed a deep crimson as Luis effortlessly held her by her waist and the delicate curve of her fishtail. Her natural shyness bubbled to the surface, and she instinctively tried to cover her face with her hands.

    "L-Luis¡­ this is¡­ embarrassing," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

    ----

    Half-Elf Kingdom, Southwestern Border.

    The Dressrosa Knights were camped near the edge of Shadow Canyon.

    Commander Garcia finished drinking his broth, casually wiping his mouth before addressing Marquis Dawson, who sat beside him.

    "If we travel another thirty miles, we''ll reach Shadow Canyon, right?"

    "Yes, Your Excellency," Dawson replied, his tone as respectful as ever.

    Although Dawson had been granted the title of Baron and sworn allegiance to the Azov Kingdom, he remained under themand of the Dressrosa Knights, and more importantly, under Commander Garcia.

    "Send someone ahead to investigate thoroughly," Garcia ordered.

    Baron Dawson smiled faintly, his expression tinged with disapproval. "Sir, this is the Half-Elf Kingdom. What danger could possibly exist here?"

    "It''s always better to be cautious," Garcia said firmly.

    "Understood. I''ll make arrangements right away." Seeing Garcia''s insistence, Dawson nodded and reluctantly agreed.

    After their rest, the army set out once more.

    Commander Garcia rode at the head of the formation as they entered Shadow Canyon. A look of unease shadowed his face.

    "Dawson," he said, "did you send scouts to investigate the canyon thoroughly?"

    "Of course, Marquis. Rest assured, my men confirmed it''spletely safe," Dawson replied confidently.

    Garcia nodded but remained tense as they advanced. The deeper they went, the more uneasy he felt.

    The oppressive silence of the canyon gnawed at his nerves, and an ominous feeling settled heavily in his chest.

    "Stop advancing!" Commander Garcia barked, his voice cutting through the stillness.

    "Sir, what''s the matter? We''re only halfway through the canyon," Dawson asked, stepping forward with a puzzled expression.@@novelbin@@

    "It''s too quiet here!" Garcia''s eyes narrowed, his voice steely as realization struck him.

    Without hesitation, he issued a new order: "Reverse the formation! Rear guard to the front, front guard to the rear! Retrace the original route¡ªwithdraw immediately!"

    "Sir..." Dawson began to protest, confusion and doubt in his tone.

    But Commander Garcia didn''t waste time on exnations. He motioned for the officer to deliver the order at once.

    As the cavalry began their reformation, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed through the canyon.

    Boom!

    Commander Garcia spun around, his eyes widening as a blinding sh erupted from the cliffs on both sides of the canyon.

    The terrifying explosion felt like the wrath of the heavens, shattering the hilltops and sending massive boulders hurtling down into the heart of the ck Cavalry.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The thunderous crash of rocks colliding with the ground was drowned out by the screams of soldiers and the panicked neighing of horses, echoing through the canyon.

    Commander Garcia''s face turned ashen. In the chaos, his gaze snapped to Baron Dawson, who stood wide-eyed beside him.

    "Fran Dawson! You traitor!" he roared, his voice like a whip cracking through the din.

    Baron Dawson took an involuntary step back, his face a mix of shock and denial.

    "Commander, I swear¡ªI''m innocent! You must believe me!"

    Garcia''s piercing eyes locked onto Dawson''s, searching for the truth.

    "Prove it!" Garcia spat. "Are you willing to die to clear your name?"

    Dawson''s face flushed blue and red as the weight of the usation bore down on him. Around them, countless eyes, filled with suspicion, bore into him.

    "I¡ª" Dawson stammered, his voice faltering. "I swear, Commander, I am innocent!"

    Before the tense exchange could continue, shouts echoed from above the canyon. Harsh voices from unseen enemies demanded the ck Cavalryy down their weapons and surrender.

    The situation for the Dressrosa Knights was dire. The narrow terrain of Shadow Canyon had forced their formation into a vulnerable cluster, making any organized charge impossible.

    To make matters worse, the massive boulders had cleaved their ranks in two, severingmunication and trapping most of their soldiers in a deadlock.

    Commander Garcia, however, remained unshaken. His sharp mind quickly assessed the grim situation.

    Summoning his officers, he asked with a steady voice, "Does anyone here wish to surrender?"

    "Never surrender!" the officers responded in unison, their voices unwavering and resolute.

    A faint smile tugged at Garcia''s lips.

    "Good," he said, his voice carrying a quiet strength. "Knights of Dressrosa die in battle¡ªthey do not surrender."

    He straightened in his saddle, his gaze burning with determination.

    "Order the entire army to dismount!" hemanded. "We''ll advance on foot and fight our way out! Prepare for battle!"

    Woo¡ª¡ª

    The shrill st of military bugles shattered the tension, signaling the start of battle.

    As one of the most elite armies in the North¡ªand perhaps the entire Azov Kingdom¡ªthe Dressrosa Knights were not ones to shy away from a fight to the death. Even stripped of their greatest advantage, their desperation ignited a fighting spirit that burned fiercely, catching the eye of friend and foe alike.

    Led by their officers, the Dressrosa soldiers abandoned their horses and charged toward the valley entrance on foot. mbering over obstacles, they shouted the name of Duke Dressrosa, their battle cries echoing like thunder as they surged forward.

    "Those bastard elves!" one knight roared. "They killed Miss Vera¡ªand now this ambush! Destroy them!"

    As they rushed forward, the enemy came into view: a line of elves armed with bows, their arrows gleaming ominously under the dim sky.

    "Shoot!"

    Amand echoed from the elven ranks, and the air darkened as a storm of arrows filled the sky, descending like ck clouds upon the charging knights.

    But the rain of death did not deter the Dressrosa Knights. Undaunted, they pushed forward, emerging from the narrow canyon like an unstoppable tide of locusts. They pounced upon the elven positions with unmatched ferocity.

    Blood stained the ground as the sh began, painting a gruesome tapestry of war. Corpses littered the battlefield, each life snuffed out in the unyielding frenzy.

    The mouth of the valley quickly became a ghastly spectacle. The fallen Dressrosa Knights piled high, forming gruesome hills of flesh and armor. The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air, almost suffocating.

    What had seemed like a certain victory for the Elf Army began to crumble. The confidence in their ranks gave way to fear as the relentless assault of the knights shattered theirposure.

    It was as if those charging forward weren''t human at all¡ªbut savage beasts driven by sheer madness.

 Chapter 162 Eastern Envoy

    The half-elf pce.

    Luis was gazing at the stars leaning on the railing of the balcony.

    There was also a beautiful figure beside him.

    It was Luo Li, who due to the strengthening of two world could control her body between human legs and mermaid fins.

    She was on her human form, wearing a pink rose crocheted skirt, which was about ten centimeters above the knee, revealing a pair of slender beautiful legs.

    "How do you feel wearing such stockings." Luis looked at Luo Li legs and said in an admiring tone.

    Because there is no chemical material like nylon, stockings in this world are generally made of silk or cotton.

    The silk stockings produced in the Half-Elf Kingdom have always been popr among aristocratic women.

    "This was given to me by Queen Elsa."

    "Well, it suits you very well." Luis nodded in praise as he gazed at it.

    As if she couldn''t stand Luis burning gaze, Luo Li shyly reached out and pulled the hem of her skirt down.

    But obviously, this is somewhat futile.

    The girl''s youthful attitude made Luis heart beat faster.

    Taking a few sideward and standing side by side with Luo Li, Luis looked at the stars in the night sky and asked with a smile, "Don''t you want to go down? Is the party downstairs boring?"

    "A little bit." Luo Li nodded, looking a little mncholy.

    "Is there something on your mind?"

    Luo Li heard this and turned to look at the man next to her.

    Luis warm gaze gradually made her feel at ease, and she smiled and said, "I am just thinking about the future of Mermaids, since there is such a magical thing how far can we go."

    Luis reached out, gently cing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

    "You''re not alone in this. There is still your father as a head of the n, you just need to grow stronger. Whatever challenges lie ahead, we as a group will face them together."

    "Umm."

    They stood inpanionable silence for a while, the faint music andughter from the party below blending with the serene sounds of the night. The air between them seemed to hum with unspoken emotions.

    ----

    Winter City (Duke Dressrosa City)

    Byte October, the chill of winter had already settled over Winter City.

    For three days, biting rainshed the city. On the fourth day, it transformed into snow. By the fifth day, when the long-hidden sun finally pierced through the thick clouds, Winter City had be a glistening world of ice and silver.

    "Has there been any sign of a drop in food prices?"

    In the study of Lion''s Roar Castle, Duke Dressrosa posed the question while adding another log to the roaring firece.

    Behind him stood a middle-aged man with a calm and approachable demeanor.

    His sea-blue eyes shimmered with wisdom, their depths seeming to hold rolling waves of insight. His gray hair, tied in a neat low ponytail, was carefully groomed. Though his attire was refined, it was modest rather than ostentatious. An old notebook hung at his waist, and a pristine white glove adorned his left hand.

    This was Dawn White, known throughout Lion''s Roar as Maester Dawn.

    "No," Maester Dawn replied, his toneced with concern. "In the past three months, the price of grain in the North has surged more than twentyfold. This isn''t just the result of poor harvests caused by the troll invasion earlier this year. Someone is deliberately hoarding food and manipting prices."

    "Greedy merchants who value coin over lives," Duke Dressrosa scoffed, his disdain evident. "Issue a Duke''s Order to all lords in the North. They are to take control of the merchants in their territories immediately. If food prices don''t drop within two weeks, I won''t hesitate to spill blood myself." Your next chapter is on empire

    "Understood." Maester Dawn inclined his head in agreement.

    "And the Dressrosa Knights¡ªdo they have enough provisions?"

    "We have sufficient rations," Maester Dawn reassured, though a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. After a moment, he added, "However, Your Excellency, I still rmend securing another batch of military rations, just as a precaution."

    Hearing this, Duke Dressrosa frowned.

    He clearly understood what Maester Dawn was concerned about. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "Then go ahead and purchase another batch."

    "Understood. But, Your Grace, grain prices across the kingdom are currently exorbitant. This time, I fear¡ª"

    "No matter how high the price is, buy it!" the Duke interrupted firmly.

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    Duke Dressrosa tossed a few more logs into the firece. As the mes crackled and danced, he stared into the fire for a long moment before speaking again.

    "Where are the Dressrosa Knights now?"

    Maester Dawn studied the Duke''s face carefully, but his expression betrayed nothing.

    "Thetest report came in yesterday. The Dressrosa Knights have left the North and entered the Half-Elf Kingdom."

    "Good." Duke Dressrosa nodded but offered no furtherment.

    The flickering firelight illuminated his deep-set eyes, reflecting a quiet unease.

    Sensing the tension, Maester Dawn stepped back, preparing to take his leave. But before he could exit, a majestic, thunderous voice echoed from outside the castle:

    "Duke Dressrosa! Otto Volkin, Northern Prince of the Orc Empire, in the name of vengeance for His Majesty Murdorf, challenges you to a duel!"

    Boom!

    A surge of mes exploded within the firece, sending embers scattering.

    Duke Dressrosa rose abruptly, his gaze shifting toward the window.

    On the highest point of Lion''s Roar Castle stood a towering troll warrior, his presence radiating an oppressive and terrifying aura. He looked down on the guards assembling below with disdain.

    As the Duke moved to leave, Maester Dawn stepped forward in rm. "My Lord Duke, it is said that Prince Otto is a peak 6th-rank Berserker Knight!"

    "And so?" The Duke''s voice carried neither hesitation nor fear. "Should I cower in Lion''s Roar Castle while he unts his power before my people?"

    Without waiting for a response, Duke Dressrosa brushed past the stunned Maester Dawn and strode out.@@novelbin@@

    ------

    It waste into the night when a knock echoed at the door. Luis, lying on the bed, opened his eyes and strode over to answer it.

    "Boss, there''s news from Shadow Canyon," the knight reported as soon as the door opened.

    "How is it?" Luis asked.

    "The Dressrosa Knights in the canyon have beenpletely wiped out, including Commander Garcia."

    "Good."

    The reporting knight hesitated, rubbing his bald head nervously before continuing. "Boss, actually, there''s also some bad news from Shadow Canyon..."

    "Bad news?" Luis''s expression turned sharp.

    "The Elf Army that annihted the Dressrosa Knights has encountered several traces of the Eastern Territory Army. Most likely, it''s Duke Pro''s forces. They''re expected to arrive in about five days."

    Luis''s eyes narrowed. He quickly asked, "How many are there?"

    "About 100,000 or so."

    "One hundred thousand?" Luis''s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained hisposure.

    "What are you afraid of? Let''s fight! If they daree to Silvermoon City, they''re just marching to their deaths!"

    "Yes, Boss!"

    --

    Five days passed.

    During this time, all the mermaids had been brought under Luis''smand.

    Now, the envoy from the Eastern Territory arrived at Silvermoon Pce.

    "Your Excellency, Marquis Vincent, deeply regrets to hear of His Majesty the King''s passing," the envoy began.

    "However, the Marquis is confident that under Your Majesty Queen Elsa''s leadership, the Half-Elf Kingdom will surely prosper and have a brighter future. To honor this asion, the Marquis has sent a gift as a token of respect."

    The envoy was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a fairplexion and a neatly trimmed short beard. His aristocratic attire and refined manners revealed his title as Viscount Austin.

    With careful precision, Viscount Austin ced an ornate square box on the table before Queen Elsa and then stepped back respectfully. His demeanor was polished, yet a subtle condescension lingered in his posture¡ªan attitude typical of envoys dealing with the Half-Elf Kingdom.

    Queen Elsa, having long grown ustomed to such veiled arrogance, maintained herposure.

    "Marquis Vincent is indeed thoughtful," she said with a polite smile, signaling a maid to collect the square box.

    "And now, Viscount Austin, what brings you here?"

    Viscount Austin raised an eyebrow but maintained his pleasant expression. In a formal tone, he replied, "There are two matters of great importance that the Marquis hopes to discuss with Your Majesty."

    "Please, go ahead," Queen Elsa said.

    "First, we''ve learned of an evil Dressrosa Army attempting to attack Silvermoon City. In light of this, the Marquis wishes to offer his assistance in defending the city. To better protect the Half-Elf Kingdom and strengthen our bond of friendship, he proposes taking over the defense of Silvermoon City as its guardian."

    He paused briefly before continuing, his tone bing more pointed.

    "Second, we understand this incident arose due to Miss Vera''s marriage. To address this matter and maintain peace, the Marquis requests that Her Majesty hand over Miss Vera to us. We will ensure she is escorted to the Royal City, where His Majesty the Emperor can render judgment."

 Chapter 163 Scheming

    Queen Elsa listened quietly to Viscount Austin''s request and found that the terms for the East Territory''s proposal could be summarized into two conditions: one was to hand over Vera, and the other was to allow troops to be stationed in Silvermoon City.

    Agreeing to these conditions would mean theplete subjugation of the Half-Elf Kingdom to the control of the East.

    Viscount Austin''s audacity in making such demands clearly stemmed from his confidence.

    With the 100,000 troops backing him, he was certain Queen Elsa would have no choice but toply. After all, Silvermoon City had recently suffered a military coup, leaving it vulnerable. Even if the Silvermoon Guard had remained intact, would they dare to face the overwhelming might of the East''s forces alone?

    Though enraged, Queen Elsa maintained aposed demeanor. With feigned embarrassment, she replied:

    "Your Excellency, perhaps you are unaware¡ªMiss Vera was recently the target of an assassination attempt in the pce. Although her life was saved after much effort, she remains seriously injured and unable to travel."

    "Is that so?" Viscount Austin responded with a smile, his expression suggesting he saw through her excuse. "No need to worry. Marquis Vincent has brought a healing mage along on this campaign. When they arrive in Silvermoon City, Miss Vera will receive the finest treatment avable."

    "That is reassuring," Queen Elsa replied, forcing a smile.

    "Then, Your Majesty," Viscount Austin pressed, "do you have any objections to the Marquis''s proposal?"

    It was clear he sought a definitive statement from her, leaving no room for evasion.

    Although fury simmered within her, Queen Elsa''s exterior remainedposed. She smiled and said, "I have no objections. Marquis Vincent''s concern for the Half-Elf Kingdom''s welfare is deeply appreciated."

    Hearing this, the false smile on Viscount Austin''s face gave way to a more genuine expression. "Your Majesty, you have made the right decision for the future of the Half-Elf Kingdom."

    The arrogant attitude of the other party made Queen Elsa lose all interest in continuing the conversation. Rising gracefully, she smiled and said, "Your Excellency, the Viscount must be quite weary after such a long journey. Please, take some rest. I will host a banquet in your honor this evening."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Viscount Austin replied, bowing slightly before taking his leave.

    Once he was gone, Queen Elsa dismissed the servants in the pce.

    As soon as the room was clear, Asmon emerged from behind the curtain.

    "These Easterners are insufferably arrogant," he said, striding over to the throne and seating himself on it without a hint of decorum. His tone dripped with mockery.

    "There''s little we can do," Queen Elsa replied, her voice tinged with bitterness. "For a small nation like ours, the Half-Elf Kingdom has no choice but to bow before the empire''s envoys."

    "Don''t worry," Asmon said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "That Vincent is nothing more than a cunning scoundrel. Just wait¡ªBoss will handle him soon enough."

    ---

    "Asmon, can I not attend the banquet tonight?"

    Vera asked as she helped the man straighten his cor.

    At this time, Asmon had changed into a standard ck noble tuxedo. He hugged Vera and kissed her soft red lips gently:

    "Yes, now you are a ''seriously injured person'', of course you can''t attend the banquet."

    "Okay." Vera pursed her lips, seeming a little aggrieved, but then she asked in confusion, "But I have appeared in front of the half-elf nobles many times before. They must know that my injury is not serious, right?"

    "Silly, sometimes lying is not meant to make the other person believe it."

    "What else could it be for?"

    "In order to give each other a tacit excuse to step down."

    The confusion in Vera''s eyes did not diminish.

    Asmon smiled and ruffled the girl''s hair. "The East knows we are lying, and we also know the East knows we are lying. But as long as Silvermoon City is still in our hands, they can only regard our lies as facts."

    "What if the Eastern Border Army captures Silvermoon City?"

    "As long as I am here, they will never be able to capture Silvermoon City!"

    "Well, I believe you."

    -----

    As night fell, the half-elf pce became lively again.

    Although they had just experienced a tragic military coup, the half-elf nobles'' enthusiasm for the banquet did not diminish in the slightest.

    Tonight, Queen Elsa wore a purple rose-patterned evening gown, revealing her smooth white back. She was tall, and with a pair of silver high heels on her feet, she looked like a proud white swan, making all the men present feel ashamed and afraid to stand next to her.

    Queen Elsa, who looked radiant after dressing up, raised her ss first and said loudly: "Everyone, please allow me to introduce a distinguished guest from the eastern border of the Glorious Empire -Viscount Austin!"

    Warm apuse broke out immediately.

    Viscount Austin looked around and leaned forward gracefully and calmly to return the greeting.

    Then, the Viscount of the East also picked up a ss of champagne and said loudly:

    "This time, I came to your ce on behalf of Marquis Vincent for the peace of Silvermoon City, for the friendship between the East and the Half-Elf Kingdom, and of course, to see the elegance of Her Majesty Queen Elsa!

    Please let us raise our sses together to wish peace and friendship tost forever, and to wish Her Majesty the Queen eternal youth! "

    Explore stories at empire

    "May our friendshipst forever!"

    "May your majesty remain young forever!"

    ....

    The atmosphere of the banquet gradually grew lively.

    Queen Elsa led Luis toward Viscount Austin, introducing him with a warm smile. "Your Excellency Viscount Austin, may I present Sir Luis from the North?"

    Viscount Austin returned the smile and extended his hand. "Ah, I''ve heard much about you!"

    Luis shook hands with him and replied with a polite grin. "Oh? I wonder what sort of reputation precedes me?"

    "Only the best, of course. They say you fought alongside your father in the Rocky Range and defeated an army of hundreds of thousands of orcs!"

    "It''s a shame the rewards for such a feat didn''t seem to reach you," Austin remarked, his tone half-jesting.@@novelbin@@

    Luis chuckled modestly. "That was all thanks to my father. I was just fortunate to be part of the effort."

    "You''re far too modest," Viscount Austin said with a knowing smile.

    "I also heard you escorted Miss Vera to the city recently. Is her injury severe this time?"

    Luis''s expression turned serious. "Quite severe, unfortunately. Though her life is not in danger, she''ll need prolonged rest to recover."

    Viscount Austin''s brows furrowed in apparent concern. "An assassination attempt, wasn''t it? Who would dare something so brazen?"

    "Prince Tupe," Luis said calmly.

    "Prince Tupe?" Viscount Austin looked genuinely startled.

    "Isn''t he Miss Vera''s fianc¨¦?"

    "Yes," Luis confirmed.

    "But why would he¡ª"

    Before Luis could reply, Asmon appeared beside him, cutting in with a sly grin. "Because he discovered that I was Vera''s first man."

    "You are well informed Viscount Austin, you must know me" Austin said with a ambitious smile.

    "..." Faced with Asmon who suddenly appeared, Viscount Austin didn''t know what to say for a moment.

    He also knew that the cause of everything actually originated from the physical examination that took ce in the queen''s bedroom.

    However, like everyone else, Viscount Austin felt that Prince Tupe''s sudden murder was too strange.

    Now, hearing Asmon personally admit his secret affair with Vera, his doubts became even stronger.

    "Knight Asmon, forgive me for being blunt, but I find it hard to believe that Prince Tupe killed people because he learned about the affair between you and Vera. This reason... is too far-fetched."

    Asmon smiled and suddenly lowered his voice: "Then do you want to know the real reason why Tupe killed people?"

    "What is it?" Viscount Austin leaned forward involuntarily and asked in a low voice.

    "That''s because..." Asmon leaned close to Viscount Austin''s ear and said, "Tupe has received instructions from Duke Dressrosa to kill Vera in the Half-Elf Pce!"

    "This...how is this possible..." Viscount Austin widened his eyes, a look of disbelief.

    But looking at Luis solemn expression and Queen Elsa''s approving eyes beside him, Viscount Austin calmed down and thought about it carefully.

    Suddenly he realized that this might actually be true.

    "So, Duke Dressrosa wanted to gain an excuse to invade the Half-Elf Kingdom..."

    "Yes." Asmon looked sad. "I really didn''t want to see Miss Vera die, so I risked my life to save her."

    "I see..." Viscount Austin finally felt that the whole thing could be exined.

    But then he became confused again-why did Asmon tell him all this?

    As if seeing Viscount Austin''s doubts, Luis spoke, "Your Excellency, I tell you this because I hope you can understand that I have Miss Vera is not dead because Asmon vited the will of Duke Dressrosa.

    I''m worried¡­"

    "Are you worried that the Duke Dressrosa will vent his anger on you?" Viscount Austin felt that he finally understood Luis n.

    "Yes." Luis nodded repeatedly.

    After hesitating for a moment, he whispered again, "I wonder if you could give Marquis Vincent a message for me?"

    "Please go ahead."

    Luis gritted his teeth, as if he had finally made up his mind:

    "My Hartmann Family want to pledge my loyalty to the Pros family!"

 Chapter 164 Dressrosa Knights In The City

    Viscount Austin''s scrutinizing gaze roamed over Luis for a long time.

    But soon, he showed a sincere smile: "Luis, you made the right decision! The Duke Pros is a generous and kind lord, and he is worthy of your loyalty!"

    Luis seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly shook Viscount Austin''s hand and kept expressing his gratitude.

    Viscount Austin looked at Luis, whose attitude suddenly became extremely ttering, and couldn''t help feeling disdainful.

    After a few more casual remarks, Viscount Austin sent Luis and Asmon away.

    Coming to the buffet table, Viscount Austin put a few exquisite desserts into his mouth, and then saw a familiar figure passing by him.

    "Sith... Oh, sorry, it should be His Excellency Duke Sith now."

    Sith, who had just been canonized as Duke by Queen Elsa, also smiled and saluted to Viscount Austin.

    The two had met several times and were considered acquaintances.

    "Your Excellency the Viscount, wee to Silvermoon City again!"

    "Haha, I am also an old customer of Silver Moon City. It''s just that every time Ie here, there are some big changes, especially this time."

    Sith showed a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.

    The changes in Silvermoon City in recent days are indeed quite huge.

    He also changed from Shadow Guard Sith(Hyacinth Chamber of Commerce head) to the Duke of Half Elf City.

    "It is a little big... But don''t worry. We will still treat our distinguished guests with the same enthusiasm as before."

    "Oh? So, tonight, there will be a beautiful half-elf ve girl in my room as usual?"

    "certainly!"

    The two smiled at each other, very ambiguous.

    "It seems that you are getting stronger and stronger now." Viscount Austin said with a smile.

    "Not bad..." Sith said with a smile.

    Viscount Austin turned the wine ss in his hand and suddenly said in a cold voice: "Sith, we are old friends. Tell me the truth, are you happy just being a duke?"

    Sith eyes narrowed a little, then he immediately looked around and was relieved when he saw that no one noticed them.

    "Your Excellency, I...how could I not be reconciled? Her Majesty the Queen is quite kind to me..."

    Viscount Austinughed and said disdainfully, "What queen? The Miller family is just a usurper. When did they be qualified to be a half-elf royal family?"

    Sith face showed some embarrassment.

    Because Viscount Austin''s words included them as well.@@novelbin@@

    Looking at the silent Sith, Viscount Austin already had a n in mind.

    He understood that Sith was unwilling to give in with just this, but he did not dare to resist in the face of pressure from the Miller family and the North.

    So, he thought he should stimte the other party again.

    "Sith, Marquis Vincent told me before he came here that the Modiwen family is the best partner of the Saint Pros family and the only family qualified to control the Half-Elf Kingdom."

    Experience more tales on empire

    Sith suddenly raised his head, looked at Viscount Austin with sharp eyes, and opened his mouth to say something, but after stammering a few times, he still couldn''t utter it.

    Viscount Austin was disappointed.

    He had long known that William was a cowardly and stupid guy, but the Mediwine family had reached this point and this guy was still the same.

    "Sith, tell me, don''t you want to be a king?"

    Having said that, Sith could no longer avoid it.

    He finally nodded and uttered a mosquito-like sound: "I want to."

    "Very good!" Viscount Austin''s mouth curled up slightly. "Then, tell me, what happened in the Queen''s bedroom?"

    Sith immediately recounted everything he knew.

    Viscount Austin was somewhat disappointed after hearing this.

    Because the version Sith told was the one he heard that was circting outside.

    "What kind of person do you think Luis Hartmann is?" Viscount Austin asked again.

    "He is... smart, strong, and resourceful."

    "Oh? Really?"

    "Yes. In fact, it was with the help of Sir Luis that i became a Duke."

    Viscount Austin stroked his mustache and suddenly frowned: "So, Hartmann Jr now has great control over Silver Moon City?"

    "Yes. It can even be said that he is the real master of Silvermoon City."

    "Really?" Viscount Austin''s expression became more serious. "Why is Queen Elsa so obedient to him?"

    "I don''t know..."

    Viscount Austin stretched out his right hand, pressed it on the other''s shoulder, and squeezed it hard, saying in a deep voice: "Don''t worry, Sith. Marquis Vincent''s 100,000 troops will soon arrive in Silver Moon City. We will be your solid backing, so you don''t have to be afraid of anything!"

    When he heard about the 100,000-strong army, Sith expression changed a little.

    After a moment, he seemed to have finally made up his mind and whispered, "Your Excellency, there is actually some Dressrosa Knights that have already entered the Silvermoon City. They seem to favor Sir Luis. It is precisely because of this military force that Sir Luis has be the true master of this city."

    Viscount Austin''s eyes widened immediately, and he asked urgently, "Dressrosa Knights? How did they get here? How many people are there?"

    "It is said that they came from the north of Shadow Mountains. There are 10,000 people in total."

    Viscount Austin stood there in thought.

    A few momentster he looked towards the direction of Luis.

    There, Luis was with a women chatting in an intimate matter.

    "Pledge allegiance to the East?" Viscount Austin sneered and muttered to himself, "But Hartmann Jr, your loyalty seems to be reserved."

    "Your Excellency, Viscount, what did you say?" Sith asked carefully.

    "Nothing." Viscount Austin retracted his gaze and stopped paying attention to Luis.

    Instead, he smiled and said to Sith, "Sith, believe me. As long as the Marquis''s army arrives in Silvermoon City, all the conspiracies and intrigues will disappear. And you will ascend the throne of the half-elf throne again!"

    Sith face flushed with excitement. He suppressed his inner ecstasy and whispered,

    "Thank you for the grace of the Saint Pros family! I will always be your firm supporter!"

    ----

    As the night deepened, the banquet in the pce finally came to an end.

    After seeing off the guests, Luis turned around and saw Sith standing in the shadows with a Smile on his face.

    "Boss, I have done everything you asked..."

    Luis smiled and said, "Very good."

    "Inform Queen Elsa, The city gates are open to wee Marquis Vincent into Silvermoon City."

    -----

    Three dayster, Viscount Austin left Silvermoon City and came to Red Maple Manor.

    At this time, Red Maple Manor had been requisitioned by the East Territory Army and hadpletely be a huge military camp.

    Viscount Austin walked into the manor and met Marquis Vincent who was enjoying dinner in the restaurant.

    "My Lord Marquis!"

    "Lord Austin, you have had a hard journey. Let''s eat first."

    "yes."

    The two of them finished their dinner quickly but elegantly, and then Marquis Vincent asked, "How is the Silver Moon City group going?"

    "On the surface, everything seems to be going well. Queen Elsa has agreed to your two conditions, and even that Hartmann Jr has expressed his willingness to pledge allegiance to the East."

    "Oh?" Marquis Vincent raised his eyebrows, "Why did Hartmann Jr betray the North?"

    "ording to him, he hated Duke Dressrosa because they have given everything in the north but their noble rank has not increased for years. They are still a baron, no matter how many war merits they gather it bes a wedding dress for others."

    "Well, that''s a little more reasonable." Marquis Vincent groaned, but then asked, "Then why do you still say ''everything seems to be going well''?"

    "Because I discovered that Hartmann Jr is hiding something from us."

    "What is he hiding?"

    "It was concealed that there are already 10,000 Dressrosa Knights in Silver Moon City!"

    "Dressrosa Knights?" Marquis Vincent sat up straight and his face became serious.

    "Who told you this news?"

    "Sith Westwood."

    "Do you believe him?"

    "I know Sith, he won''t lie to me. Besides, I have asked several other half-elf nobles who are on good terms with the East Territory, and they all said they saw a group of Dressrosa Knights entering Silvermoon City."

    "What about Queen Elsa? What''s her attitude?"

    "She is probably a puppet fostered by the North. Her words may not be trustworthy."

    Marquis Vincent nodded and frowned, "So, they are just pretending to surrender to us in order to paralyze us?"

    "It should be."

    "Haha, how arrogant!" Marquis Vincent''s face was a little ferocious, "How many troops are there in Silver Moon City now?"

    "Sith told me that the Silver Moon Guard of the Half-Elf Kingdom had just experienced a coup and suffered heavy losses. Although a group of new soldiers were urgently added and the establishment of 30,000 people was restored, there were only 20,000 veterans with a certainbat effectiveness.

    Apart from that, there are the remnants of the Dressrosa Knights with 10,000 men."

    "The Silver Moon Guards are nothing to be afraid of." Marquis Vincent waved his hand and said with disdain.

    But then, his tone became serious again: "The key is the ten thousand Dressrosa Knight."

 Chapter 165 Night Attack

    Viscount Austin nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, Sith also told me that the ten thousand Dressrosa Knights are not actually in Silvermoon City now."

    "Oh? Where are they then?"

    Viscount Austin came to the military map hanging on the wall and pointed to a location on it: "They are hiding on this hill southwest of Silvermoon City!"

    Marquis Vincent squinted his eyes for a while, then suddenlyughed and said, "It seems that the North is nning to lure us into Silvermoon City on the pretext of tricking us, and then take control of us when we are not prepared, and then have the Dressrosa Knights hiding outside the city suddenly attack from the rear and crush our army."

    "The Marquis is wise!"

    Marquis Vincent snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Such a clumsy n, haha, it seems that Hartmann Jr, who is said to have learned from Felipe, is no better than this!"

    "Of course!" Viscount Austin ttered.

    Marquis Vincent raised his chin, looking very confident, and ordered loudly:

    "I will give you 40,000 men. Go to Silvermoon City tomorrow. When you arrive, surround the city. No matter how the half-elves and the North tempt you, you must not enter the city.

    Seal off Silver Moon City and don''t let any soldiers out!

    I will personally lead an army of 60,000 to encircle and kill the Dressrosa Knights hiding outside the city.

    This time, I will wipe them from this continent!"

    "As youmand, Lord Marquis!"

    The dark Thorn Mountain lies like a giant beast in the southwest of Silvermoon City.

    The terrain here is not very high, and the mountain is covered with thorns, making it difficult to pass, so generally few half-elf hunterse here to hunt.

    This also led to the fact that the area near Thorn Mountain was sparsely popted, making it a paradise for wild animals.

    However, today, the tranquility of Thorn Mountain was suddenly broken.

    Tap tap tap¡ª¡ª

    The sound of horse hooves startled countless birds and animals in the forest.

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

    Several sharp arrows flew by, but they didn''t hit anyone, but a passing elk was caught in the crossfire.

    The two sides in this pursuit battle were one gray and one white. The gray ones were naturally the Elf Army, while the ones wearing white armor uniforms were the Pegasus Legion from the East.

    "Run, run. Not only the Dressrosa Knights but there are Elves ambushing here too. Inform the Marquis. Escape."

    "Inform our Marquis, almost all the fighting forces are gathered here."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    At the foot of the Thorn Mountain, in the East Legion camp.

    A knight walked quickly into the temporarymand post, saluted hastily, and reported loudly, "My Lord Marquis, I have found traces of Dressrosa Knights and Elves on Thorn Mountain!"

    Marquis Vincent''s eyes lit up: "Are you sure?"

    "Sure."

    "Good!" Marquis Vincent mmed the table excitedly, stood up and walked back and forth in the tent.

    Combined with the information previously discovered by other scouts, there is indeed an army of more than 10,000 people hidden in this Thorn Mountain. Not only that there are Elf army here too.

    This is a great chance to kill and weaken the Dressrosa Knights.

    After a moment, he stood still again and gave the order:

    "Pass on my military order, defend the foot of the mountain to the death, and don''t let any Dressrosa Knights soldiers rush out.

    Also, have the soldiers cut down trees and gather weeds. Tomorrow morning, I will burn this thorn mountain!"

    "yes!"

    "Also, dead in the dark send some scouts to probe the situation of the Silver moon city. If there is not resistance, take it down!.

    ------

    Late at night, people are most likely to have some unique ideas in their hearts.

    Either wild or crazy!

    "Why haven''t you rested yet?"

    Just when a idea was looming in Luis mind, Luo Li came over and stood beside him, her voice was light and sweet.

    A wisp of body fragrance hit his nostrils, and he nced sideways at this beauty who could make people fall for him.

    "I''m thinking."

    "Thinking about what?"

    "What do you think those guys in East are doing at this time?"

    Your journey continues at empire

    "It''s sote, They must be resting."

    After Luo Li finished speaking, her pupils widened bulged, and then he looked at him in shock.

    "Are you sure?"

    Luo Li voice trembled.

    Luis looked at Luo Li seriously, and suddenly raised his hand to hold Luo Li beautiful cheek: "Sont worry they have 100,000 soldiers and i surely have more than them. I will surround them with 300,000!"

    After saying that, Luis let go and strode outside.

    Luo Li stared nkly at Luis disappearing into the night.

    ---

    The night is cold and silent.

    Luis with less than 100 people walked out of the gate of silver moon city.

    Just as Luis was heading towards the direction of East Camp. He looked towards the darkness with alertness.

    "Someone ising in this direction! Stay Alert"

    Luis shouted in a deep voice.

    In the dark night, it was already quiet. In addition, to his strengthened vision he could hear the vague sounding from far away in the dark.

    Less than 100 people immediately stayed where they were without making any sound. Even the horses stood still.

    The sound of horse trampling was getting closer and closer. Luis looked out and saw a group of East cavalry.

    There were about sixty people, wearing armor, and the leading ones held torches to light the way forward in the dark night.

    Not many people!

    There were only about sixty people, and they should be scouts like them, sent out to inquire about the military situation.

    "Someone!"

    "Are they people from Silver Moon City?"

    "Kill them, hurry!"

    At this moment, the East Cavalry also discovered traces of Luis and others.

    Even if they found that they did not have the advantage in numbers, they did not retreat. Instead, they actively elerated and surrounded them.

    In an instant, more than sixty cavalry surrounded Luis and the hundred people. Everyone looked at Luis and suddenlyughed.

    "Tsk tsk, let me tell you, these nearly a hundred people, after seeing us, were so frightened that they didn''t dare to move. What a bunch of rubbish!"

    "Thank you to the great God. Brothers, cut off the heads of these pigs and dogs and take them back to ask for credit, haha!"

    More than sixty cavalry soldiers, carrying cold-light swords, surrounded Luis and others, all of them were smiling ferociously, with arrogance in their eyes.

    In their view, the hundreds of Silver moon city are like pigs and dogs to them, they can be ughtered at will without any resistance.

    Sa!

    Suddenly, a sword light shot into the sky, like a crescent moon, brilliant and dazzling.

    Blood sshed down the corners of Luis eyes.

    That touch of bright red blood seemed to dye his pupils red.

    Killing with one sword, Luis struck again, cky neighed under his feet, as if he could feel the violent murderous intention in Luis heart, and he also fell into madness.@@novelbin@@

    "Bold!!!"

    "How dare you fight back?"

    In an instant, a war broke out.

    However, in front of Luis, and his group, they were like sheep, allowing themselves to be ughtered.

    Looking at the Cavalry soldiers who had already stopped moving on the ground, Luis ignored the rest and bent over the arms of these guys to start searching.

    There was not much just Dry food, water and some daggers.

    "No time to waste, head straight towards them"

    Luis pointed the tip of his sword towards the sky, his fighting spirit boiling over him!

    Hundreds of horses attack at night, galloping!

    ----

    Under the dark night, several military tents stood quietly under the starry sky.

    The bonfire outside the military tent is still very bright, and there are people responsible for it and on guard patrol.

    A dozen soldiers gathered around the campfire, drinking wine and chatting.

    "I heard that Marquis found the traces of Dressrosa Knights."

    "Haha, just 10,000 soldiers they are looking for death."

    "Our East Pegasus Cavalry is the strongest."

    "Yeah, bullshit north and their soldiers. We east are the strongest"

    Everyone was talking to each other, drinking heavily, and soon became a little drunk.

    alert?

    Be on guard.

    Why would they be alert? They are just stationed surrounding the Marquis Camp who would dare to attack them.

    "Tsk, Tsk those Dressrosa knight are fools showing there tracks in the mountain."

    "Tsk, tsk, those losers from North can only watch helplessly but dare not make any move. This feeling is so satisfying!"

    Someone shouted excitedly.

    "Tomorrow morning, we will burn the whole mountain. I''m looking forward to the fear of that group of rubbish when they see us, haha, it''s exciting."

    Everyone became more and more excited as they talked, but they didn''t even notice that under the dark night, figures came quietly not far away from them, staring at them like poisonous snakes.

 Chapter 166 Lost

    The night attack was extremely swift.

    The 100,000 troops couldn''t stay in same camp, so they were scattered around in groups of thousand.

    Luis along with tens of thousands of ck Cavalry attacked these camps, paralyzing the whole East Army.

    But these are 100,000 people not some pigs. Even killing 100,000 pigs would take a long time.

    ----

    "Gone? What do you mean gone? Where are the scouts send them immediately, I want to know the situation?"

    At the East Army''s temporarymand center, Marquis Vincent shouted at the herald in front of him.

    "In the darkness...whoever goes out...don''te back..."

    "You idiot! Why are they going out in small groups? Ring the Bell, be prepared for war"

    "yes!"

    After the herald left in a hurry, Marquis Vincent picked up the cup and took a sip, but was scalded. He was so angry that he threw it to the ground and shouted:

    "Who prepared the tea? Do you want to scald me to death?"

    An attendant next to him knelt on the ground trembling all over and begged for mercy.

    Chi!

    The sword shed, and the poor guy''s head was chopped off by Marquis Vincent.

    Looking at the blood flowing all over the ground, Marquis Vincent finally vented some of his anger.

    Putting away his sword, the Marquis returned to the military map again, remaining silent.

    Naturally, the attendants and other officers in themand post dared not to speak a word, for fear of incurring the Marquis''s wrath.

    Tens of thousands of Soldiers lost contact suddenly.

    No information nothing, they should have reported every half an hour but now there is no report. Even the sent scouts do not return.

    He started to think: Was i tricked by the people from the North?

    Instead of 10,000 Dressrosa knights there were full battalion of Dressrosa Knight.

    Woo¡ª¡ª

    The horn was sounded and the torch all the tents were lit.

    "What happened is there enemy attack?"

    "Quick, wear the armor"

    "Where are the Enemy?"

    "They are in the Dark, the tens ot thousand of soldiers have lost connection."

    "Don''t talk, stay alert"

    Marquis Vincent became more restless as time passed.

    "Good, good, good, have i been tricked!!!"

    When had he suffered such a big loss? Ten of thousands of soldiers suddenly lost contact. This was a shame for him!

    If this news gets out, where will His Marquis face be? In the East, countless people will point fingers at him.

    Then Vincent stood up and sat up. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

    "How about a night attack in Silver Moon City?" Enjoy new chapters from empire

    An idea suddenly popped into his mind.

    There were very less army stationed in Silver moon city. Even the elves are in the Mountain. If he led an army of hundreds of thousands to a sudden night attack, Silvermoon would be caught off guard.

    It is even possible to break through the city in one battle and kill that damn Dressrosa Knight!

    "Night attack!"

    Marquis Vincent took action.

    boom! ! !

    But at this moment, he suddenly heard dull thunderous sounds, getting closer and closer.

    "not good!"

    Vincent expression changed drastically, and he rushed outside the tent.

    The moment he walked out of the camp, what came into view was the scene of Luis leading 1000 ck Cavalry into East army camp.

    "What!!!"

    Vincent eyebrows were raised.

    Someone dared to attack his camp at night with less than a thousand men. At this moment, Vincent felt that the attackers was aplete lunatic!

    "Quick, enemy attack, enemy attack!!!"

    Some people eximed again and again.

    Vincent also held the sword in his hand and faced the attackers.

    "Find the baggage and burn it all for me!"

    Luis held his Sword in his hand and shed one East soldier.

    Facing Vincent who wasing to kill him, heughed ferociously, raised his knife and faced him!

    One of ck Cavalry held a strong bow, lit a sharp arrow, and then opened the bow and set the arrow.

    Shua!

    The sharp arrow with zing mes seemed to turn into a fire dragon, directly setting fire to a military tent in East Camp.

    The night breeze spread.

    This ball of fire soared into the sky, and then spread crazily in all directions. In just the blink of an eye, most of the military camp was engulfed in a sea of ??fire.

    Those East soldiers who had not had time to run out were instantly swallowed up by the sea of ????fire!

    "Quick, quick surround them. Don''t let them escape."

    "kill them, kill them"

    Vincent eyes were red as he watched the fire getting stronger and stronger. It was as if this fire was magic spell.

    Yes, his guess is correct. This is a fireball Technique from cultivation World. It will not be extinguished by normal means.

    Luis stood in formation as he was surrounded by a group of strong knights.

    However, He was not afraid at all. He has been in this world for so long and has strong strength but has never fought a hearty battle.

    Jingle, jingle, jingle.

    The swords collided, constantly bursting out dazzling sparks.

    Under Vincent encirclement, he relied on his almost unnaturally powerful physical body and strong spiritual power to not fall behind in the slightest. One against Many.

    "Dragon Fist!"

    Just as they were fighting, Luis suddenly shouted angrily.

    Booom!

    Although the name was Dragon Fist there was no vision when Luis punched out. Just a simple punch yet lethal.

    Seeing this punch Vincent who was on the lead broke out in cold sweat.

    "Die!!!"

    Vincent hurriedly swung the sword in his hand and sliced at the iing punch hard.

    There was only a bang, and Vincent spurted out a mouthful of blood. His arm holding the sword exploded directly, and his flesh and blood were blurred.

    This Dragon Fist directly disabled one of his arms! ! !

    "I''ll kill you right now!"

    Luis eyes were fierce and showed no emotion at all. As long as Vincent is killed, the other problems will naturally be resolved.

    cky followed the flying Vincent rapidly.

    Marquis Vincent screamed repeatedly and kept retreating, not daring to fight Luis at all.

    At this moment, horns grew out of cky head, like a sharp knife, and appeared in front of Vincent in an instant.

    Poof!

    cky shook his head, and a hole was opened directly on Vincent face that prated the entire face.

    Blood fell into Vincent eyes, staining his pupils with blood!

    At this moment, he was extremely miserable.

    "Marquis!!!"

    "No, protect the Marquis."

    "How dare he!!!"

    Just as the 3rd level Knights were about to surround Luis, 1000 ck Cavalry burst out with full strength killing everyone in the sight.

    Not just here, hundreds of thousands of Soldiers surrounded the East Camp.

    The tree men were also scattered around the ce. Blocking the area with Vines.

    This is a life-and-death battlefield that does not allow for too much mercy. Luis looked around and paid attention to the ongoing battle.

    Phew----

    An Eastern Knight was in in despair when he suddenly looked at the sky in surprise. He saw a ck shadow spreading its huge bat wings and flying in the air.

    Just as he was stunned, a sharp arrow suddenly shot out from the dark corner and pierced his throat.

    "Ho-ho-ho"

    As he fell to the ground, the Eastern knight was still thinking about¡ª Was that figure just now an angel or a devil?

    In the darkness, the ce seemed extremely gloomy.

    The air pressure was very low, so low that it made it hard to breathe. The battlefield has turned into a sea of ??blood and fire.

    The shouts and screams intertwined to create a scene of hell on earth.

    At this moment, the shield was broken and the spear was broken. Countless lives disappeared like fireworks.

    Blood was scattered like cheap dye. The screams and sounds of broken bones continued.

    Marquis Vincent who was on the ground looked at all this with eyes full of pain.

    He is dying, he can fell it. But as a strong knight he can survive for some time forcibly.

    He cannot understand what is happening right now. How could there be such a strong army in the world.

    Slowly, he began to die. His eyes closed filled with despair. Thest thing he saw before his death was a blood-stained knight chopping off the pure white horse g of the Saint Pros family with a sword.

    The war is fully over and they lost. Lost miserably.

    Snowkes fell one after another, but they still couldn''tpletely cover up the bloody scene.

    The East Territory army hadpletely copsed. A tide of cavalry rushed across the area, instantly overwhelming the East Territory army formation. Under the waving of steel knives, the East Territory soldiers became helplessmbs, to be ughtered at will.

    "Put down your weapons, kneel down and we won''t kill you!"@@novelbin@@

    "Put down your weapons, kneel down and we won''t kill you!"

 Chapter 167 Foundation Building Preparation

    The desperate soldiers from the Eastern Territoryid down their weapons and knelt down in surrender after hearing the the attackers calls for surrender.

    Thump thump thump.

    "It''s you, Luis Hartmann. Come on, if you dare, duel me!"

    The Envoy, Viscount Austin waved the sword in his hand, his brows full of madness.

    "Duel with me?" Luis sneered, "You are a defeated general, are you worthy?"

    "What did you say?!" Viscount Austin was furious.

    "I don''t deserve it? Haha, I don''t deserve it? Who do you think you are? How dare you say I don''t deserve it?"

    Luis remained expressionless in the face of humiliation.

    The howling of losers is just an impotent vent in the eyes of the winners.

    "Haha, you dare humiliate me. You have killed Marquis Vincent, the son of Duke Pros. What you will face is endless revenge. You will die" Viscount Austin was filled with rage.

    Luis ignored him and looked around.

    "Let''s go, it''s time to end this battle."

    At this time, the battle in various ces was still going on. The ce were full of fighting scenes. Many Squad Leaders were still desperatelymanding the East Territory Army to try to attack the invaders.

    However, when the news spread that the Marquis Vincent was dead, the Eastern Soldiers suddenly lost their will to fight, and they allid down their weapons and knelt down in surrender.

    The battle here was spread to Silver Moon City and many Half Elves cheered loudly.

    With the arrival of Luis, the half-elf race finally got rid of its weak and fearful image.

    ---

    At this moment in Demon Ape Mountain, Mermaid Residence

    In the cave of Luo Xiuyuan, the leader of the mermaid tribe.

    Several older mermaids in thete foundation building stage were talking to Luo Xiuyuan.

    "Chief, the Green Water Ape n that is adjacent to our Demon Ape Mountain has recently repeatedly invaded the border of our Demon Ape Mountain and has attacked several of our members. Do you think they are..."

    Looking at the old mermaid in front of him who was older than him, Luo Xiuyuan sighed: "The Green Water Ape n is testing us."

    "Probing?"

    The old mermaid was stunned for a moment, then reacted, "You mean, they know about your previous injuries!"

    Speaking of this.

    There was a smile in the old mermaid''s eyes.

    If this was before going to Fantasy world through the vortex, they would be scared.

    Once Luo Xiuyuan''s injuries were exposed, it would be an absolute disaster for the mermaids.

    The mermaids were able to upy the third-tier spiritual vein in Demon Ape Mountain thanks to the intimidation of Luo Xiuyuan, a strong foundation building cultivator.

    If the outside world knew that Luo Xiuyuan was seriously injured and could not be cured, I am afraid that other races living near the Demon Ape Mountain woulde and tear the mermaids to pieces in a minute.

    "Chief, do you think the Wu family is behind the Jade Water Ape n?"

    Luo Xiuyuan thought about it, then shook his head: "Guang''an Prefecture experienced the God Killing Rebellion and the Zhennan Pass Battle that year, which led to the decline of high-level cultivators from major families today.

    The Wu family is the one that has been most affected. They don''t even have a Golden Core cultivator now, and they may not be able to control the Green Water Ape n as easily as before."

    "You mean."

    "This is probably the idea of ??the Green Water Ape n themselves. They want our Demon Ape Mountain!"

    Compared to the Ten Thousand Star Sea under the rule of Qianyuan Sword Sect, the survival rules in the underwater world of Ten Thousand Star Sea are a hundred times more cruel.

    It ismon for different races to kill each other.

    Just like the mermaids killed all the water demon apes and upied the Demon Ape Mountain.

    The Green Water Ape n can also kill all the mermaids and upy their spiritual veins again.

    Here, there is no order at all.

    Although the Zhenhai Pce is well-known in the underwater world of Ten Thousand Star Sea, they don''t care about the fighting between various races in Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    Even, behind the fighting among the major races in the Ten Thousand Star Sea underwater world, there is faint shadow of Zhenhai Pce, or at least it is the Zhenhai Pce that is guiding them intentionally or unintentionally.

    Because only when the alien races in the sea fight each other can Zhenhai Pce better control the underwater world of Ten Thousand Star Sea. Continue reading at empire

    Otherwise, if the major races in the Ten Thousand Star Sea underwater world unite, wouldn''t

    that cause trouble for Qianyuan Sword Sect ?

    The various races in the underwater world of Ten Thousand Star Sea may not be unable to see it.

    But the Zhenhai Pce was too powerful! In addition, after countless years of fighting among the various races, they had already formed a blood feud.

    It''s not possible to stop just because you want to.

    Several people were talking. Two figures flew towards Luo Xiuyuan''s cave.

    A sweep of spiritual consciousness. Luo Xiuyuan spotted Luis.

    "Boss, you are here"

    When the other mermaids saw Luis, their face was full of awe, they bowed to him and said, "Greetings, Boss!"

    "No need to be so polite, everyone."

    Luis raised his hand.

    Seeing everyone standing up, Luis looked at Luo Xiuyuan and said, "Senior Luo, I came here this time to borrow the spiritual vein of your mermaid tribe."

    Luo Xiuyuan spread his consciousness towards Luis Body. He felt the harmonious aura from the other party.@@novelbin@@

    Obviously, the Boss wanted to borrow the mermaid''s third-level spiritual vein to build the foundation.

    Naturally, the mermaid leader had no reason to refuse this request.

    But he seemed to have thought of something, and said, "Boss, it''s not that I intend to refuse, but my Demon Ape Mountain has not been peaceful recently."

    Speaking of this, he told Luis the story of the Green Water Ape n spying on the Demon Ape Mountain.

    "It''s OK. It won''t take me more than a few days to build my foundation. It can''t be such a coincidence that the Jade Water Ape n came to my door just when I was building my foundation, right?"

    When he said this, Luis himself startedughing.

    The two tribes were fighting, especially the mermaids and the green water monkeys, which were both ruled by Foundation Building Cultivators.

    It''s impossible to just attack them without thinking!

    Just like when the mermaids attacked the water demon apes, they also tried for a long time before deciding tounch a general attack.

    Even if Luis is unlucky.

    During the foundation-building process, the Green Water Monkey n attacked.

    Mermaids will show them that their ancestors are humans. They are armed with weapons too.

    In terms of strength in the Qi Refining Stage and the Foundation Establishment Stage, they are much stronger than the unarmed Green Water Ape n.

    Luo Xiuyuan heard this and nodded in agreement.

    In his opinion, even if the Green Water Ape n attacked Demon Ape Mountain today, they would suffer huge defeat.

    It would not disturb Luis.

    Thinking of this, Luo Xiuyuan looked at Luo Li who had entered the cave with Luis, and said, "Li''er, take the master to the main spiritual eye of Demon Ape Mountain, and give orders that our people are not allowed to use spiritual energy to practice these days, so as not to affect the Boss foundation building."

    "Yes, Daddy."

    Luo Li bowed and said.

    Luo Li took Luis and headed straight for the main spiritual eye of Demon Ape Mountain.

    After a moment.

    Between the mountains of Demon Ape Mountain, a hugeke of spiritual liquid appeared in front of him.

    Seeing a spiritualke in the underwater world sounds a bit strange but Luis could only describe the scene before him as a spiritualke.

    Due to the influence of sea water, the spiritualke here is different from the spiritualke on the ground.

    Looking down from above, the Spirit Lake of Demon Ape Mountain is a huge ball of spiritual liquid that floats on the main spiritual eye of Demon Ape Mountain.

    It looks quite shocking.

    Luis stood in front of this sacredke, as small as an ant.

    "Is this the main spiritual eye of the third-level spiritual vein?"

    "Yes, that''s it."

    Luo Li nodded, "With it, you don''t have to worry about not having enough spiritual energy to temper your body when you build your foundation."

    This is not enough, this is more than enough!

    No wonder the third-order spiritual vein can support the foundation-building cultivator to break through the Golden Core Realm.

    Isn''t it normal that such a hugeke of spiritual liquid can support a foundation-building cultivator to break through to the Golden Core Realm?

    It would seem a bit extravagant to use this spiritualke to build his foundation.

    However, the foundation built by Luis is different from that of other Qi Refining cultivators, so it is understandable that it is a bit luxurious.

 Chapter 168 Foundation Building

    Southwest of the Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    Amon Yang family cargo ship was sailing in Guang''an Prefecture, cutting through the wind and waves.

    On the deck of the cargo ship.

    Two cultivators who had just established their foundation weremunicating with each other through voice transmission.

    "Brother, this battlefield of Izumo is truly a treasurend for independent cultivators like us. If we obtain the inheritance of the God Killer Mansion this time, we will return to the battlefield of Izumo, and then..."

    The rough-faced man paused, with a hopeful look in his eyes, "Not to mention the Golden Core, even if it''s the Nascent Soul, it''s not beyond our reach for you and me!"

    Hearing this.

    The middle-aged monk with a pale face and no beard, whom he called "big brother", was wearing a green robe and looked like a schr.

    He was seen with his hands behind his back, looking at the sea and saying calmly: "This trip to the God Killer Pce is uncertain. You and I have just established our foundation. We must be careful and don''t be careless."

    If Luis were here, he would definitely recognize that this rough middle-aged cultivator was the cultivator named Sun who had tricked him into buying the treasure map of the God Killer Pce.

    "Yes, big brother, I will listen to you, hehe."

    The rough-faced man said honestly.

    Seeing his brother''s honest look, the white-faced monk smiled and shook his head.

    ----

    The underwater world of Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    In the spiritual eye of the Demon Ape Mountain Lord.

    Under Luo Li''s blessing gaze, Luis stepped into the Spirit Lake.

    The whole body is immersed in the spiritual liquid of the Spirit Lake.

    Inside the Dantian Qi sea, the Vortex energy had already been polished by him into a perfect whole, with no room for improvement.

    Thinking of this.

    Luis first took out a foundation-building potion and swallowed it. This was a new thing created in the territory, that can help in promotion.

    As he swallowed it, the Vortex Energy in the Dantian Qi Sea exploded like sparks entering oil.

    The impact was so violent that it was more than ten or a hundred times more violent than the true qi described in many books of foundation-building experience gained from various channels.

    But Luis knew that this was the price to pay for taking the path of bing the strongest.

    Fortunately, the foundation-building potion that I had taken beforehand came into y at this moment.

    The violent Vortex energy was slightly calmed down by it.

    But soon, the Vortex qi began to transform into Vortex essence.

    This time.

    The terrifying Vortex qi mixed with true essence was running rampant in the Dantian Qi Sea and the Foundation Establishment Potion was no longer able to calm it down.

    Seeing this, Luis silently used the Vortex to absorb the violent energy.

    In the Spirit Lake.

    Countless spiritual energy rushed towards Luis body.

    A small portion of this spiritual energy was absorbed by Luis body to temper his body, while the otherrge portion flowed towards his Dantian Qi Sea.

    With the support of endless spiritual energy.

    The Vortex Qi seemed endless and was constantly transformed into Vortex essence.

    This moment, the transformed Vortex energy began to rapidly expand the Dantian Qi Sea.

    This time, with the help of the Vortex. The speed at which Luis expanded his Dantian Qi Sea slowed down significantly and returned to a rtively stable state.

    Seeing this, Luis breathed a sigh of relief.

    In fact, what cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage fear the most when building their foundation is that after their true Qi is transformed into true essence, it will suddenly impact the Qi Sea in their Dantian and burst it.

    After all, the true essence belonging to the Foundation Establishment stage is something that the dantian and qi sea of the Qi Refining stage cannot withstand.

    The purpose of the Foundation Establishment Pill or his potion is to calm the transformed true essence, preventing it from bing too violent.

    However, at this moment¡ª

    For Luis, the Foundation Establishment Potion, aside from initially soothing the violent true essence, now has no further effect.

    What is truly helping him now is the Vortex.

    "Hold on, I have to endure this!"

    Luis silently encouraged himself.

    In the Spirit Lake¡ª

    A terrifying vortex of spiritual energy had formed around Luis. At the vortex''s edge, massive amounts of spiritual liquid were being transformed into spiritual energy and absorbed by him.

    At the same time¡ª

    New spiritual liquid continuously flowed in, replenishing the energy consumed by Luis Foundation Establishment process.

    It wasn''t just the transformation in his dantian and qi sea.

    Under the tempering of such an enormous amount of spiritual energy, Luis physical body was also gradually strengthening bit by bit.

    Fortunately, Luis had long practiced body refinement techniques, giving him physical strength far superior to that of an ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator.

    Evenpared to most Foundation Establishment cultivators, Luis physical strength far surpassed theirs.

    Because of this¡ª

    The first major hurdle in his Foundation Establishment journey, the spiritual energy tempering of his body, turned out to be the easiest challenge for him.

    Luo Li watched Luis in the Spirit Lake. His expression, initially twisted with pain, had gradually returned to calmness. Her heart, which had been on edge, also began to rx.@@novelbin@@

    She knew that Luis must have ovee the hardest part of the process.

    From here on¡ª

    It was just a matter of following the steps to break through.

    Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Luo Li''s delicate face. She quietly sat down on a nearby rock, guarding Luis as he cultivated.

    Time passed day by day.

    In the blink of an eye¡ª

    10 days had gone by.

    This time¡ª

    Luis was fortunate to have chosen to break through in a third-grade spiritual vein. If he had chosen a second-grade spiritual vein, he would have undoubtedly faced the problem of insufficient spiritual energy during his breakthrough.

    The Spirit Lake surrounding him had already dried up by nearly half.

    All of this spiritual energy had been transformed into resources for Luis body refinement and the expansion of his qi sea.

    Of course¡ª

    More importantly, it was the transformation of his soul.

    However, this transformation of the soul was something Luis could neither see nor perceive.

    All he could sense was his expanding sea of consciousness and the gradual strengthening of his divine sense.

    At this moment, he had yet to fully break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but he discovered that the range of his divine sense already exceeded the five hundred-mile radius typical of a firstyer Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    Moreover, this range was still growing.

    This meant that the transformation of Luis sea of consciousness was no less significant than the changes in his dantian and qi sea.

    It was fortunate that his sea of consciousness was guarded by the Vortex; otherwise, this Foundation Establishment attempt would have undoubtedly ended in failure.

    Because the Foundation Establishment stage was far moreplex than he had initially imagined¡ªit wasn''t just about changes in the qi sea.

    The sea of consciousness also underwent significant transformation.

    Other Qi Refining stage cultivators did not encounter such a challenge because their sea of consciousness did not expand to such an overwhelming extent.

    For an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, the expansion of their divine sense from a radius of ten mile to hundred miles during Foundation Establishment was typically the upper limit.

    But as for Luis¡ª

    His divine sense had already expanded to a radius of over three thousand miles.

    This was alreadyparable to the strength of ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator''s divine sense. Even more astonishing, his divine sense was still growing stronger.

    For cultivators¡ª

    Your next read awaits at empire

    Whether it was true essence or divine sense, their enhancement always came with a price.

    For instance, true essence was strengthened by consuming spiritual energy, while the enhancement of divine sense was less obvious in what it consumed.

    Many cultivators were unaware of this.

    In reality, the growth of divine sense was closely tied to the soul.

    The stronger the soul, therger the sea of consciousness, and the more powerful the divine sense.

    And the transformation of the soul was directly linked to the cultivator''s level of cultivation.

    This was why, after most breakthroughs, cultivators experienced a significant enhancement in their divine sense.

    In this way.

    Not only was Luis Qi sea expanding rapidly, but the expansion of his sea of ??consciousness was no less than that of his Qi sea.

    As the space of sea of ??consciousness continues to expand.

    The invisible and intangible spiritual consciousness is also constantly strengthening.

    Outside Spirit Lake.

    Luo Li has always been by Luis side to protect him.

    Suddenly Luo Li, who was resting with her eyes closed, opened her eyes.

    She frowned, looked at the female tribesman walking towards her, and asked, "What''s the matter?"

    "Princess, the Jade Water Ape n has invaded Demon Ape Mountain and is now challenging us outside the main vein!"

 Chapter 169 Attack

    Luo Li nced at Luis in Spirit Lake, and the look in her beautiful eyes gradually became firm.

    She shook her head at the female mermaid who came over and said, "Xiaoqing, go back first. Don''t worry about me."

    "Father will take care of it and Luis has stationed many armies in the water."

    ---

    In the Spirit Lake, Luis''s Dantian Qi Sea seemed to have expanded to its limit. The pace of expansion gradually slowed.

    Seeing this, Luis simply let the Vortex absorb his energy freely.@@novelbin@@

    Suddenly, the expansion of the Dantian Qi Sea surged once more. Finally, it stopped entirely, unable to grow even a fraction further.

    "It''s reached its limit!" Luis thought to himself.

    Not only had the Qi Sea in his Dantian reached its peak, but his sea of consciousness had also expanded to an incredible degree¡ªat least a hundred timesrger than before.

    This seemed almost impossible.

    When a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage begins their practice, the sea of consciousness typically resembles a faint glimmer of light amidst darkness. Except for the small area illuminated by this faint light, the rest of the sea remains shrouded in shadow.

    But now, Luis''s sea of consciousness was filled with light. The illuminated area was at least a hundred times wider than it had been during the Qi Refining Stage.

    This was undoubtedly an abnormal phenomenon.

    For a typical Qi Refining cultivator building their foundation, an expansion of tenfold in their sea of consciousness would already be considered extraordinary. This usually manifests as an increase in the range of spiritual sense, growing from about one mile to ten miles in radius.

    Luis, however, extended his spiritual sense outward and scanned the surrounding area.

    "One thousand miles!"

    Luis took a deep breath and said, "Doesn''t this mean that my spiritual awareness is nowparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator?"

    Thinking of this, Luis couldn''t help but focus on the Vortex at the center of his sea of consciousness.

    That''s it!

    Perhaps this Vortex held many functions he had yet to understand. However, his current cultivation was too low¡ªhe had only just established his foundation¡ªmaking those mysteries impossible to uncover for now.

    For the moment, Luis had discovered only four functions:

    Teleportation between two worlds.

    Infinite energy, which was by far the most crucial.

    A subtle ability to increase the loyalty of those who essed the Vortex.

    Talent Enhancement after travelling between two worlds.

    "Maybe... I can temper my body further," he murmured.

    It was true¡ªonce a breakthrough was achieved, the clouds would clear, and the sun would shine brightly. Right now, Luis felt as though the storm had passed and warm sunlight was beaming down on him.

    Taking another deep breath, he tapped into the Vortex energy within his Dantian Qi Sea to temper his true essence for the second time.

    When he had first refined his Qi, its quality had increased threefold. After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his Vortex Qi transformed into Vortex Essence, enhancing its quality hundredfold.

    This transformation emphasized quality over quantity. Although the amount of energy remained constant due to its connection with the Vortex, Luis never had to worry about running out¡ªhe had infinite energy at his disposal.

    As he concentrated on his breakthrough, changes began to stir in the outside world.

    Just as the female mermaid, Xiaoqing, had expected, the Green Water Ape n sent an elite force from the rear to test the strength of the Mermaid n.

    Although the chief of the Green Water Ape n was aware that the mermaid chief, Luo Xiuyuan, was seriously injured, the extent of the injuries remained a mystery. It was even more uncertain whether Luo Xiuyuan had already recovered.

    Therefore, during this time, the Green Water Ape chief refrained from acting recklessly. However, no matter how long they waited, the leader of the Mermaid n never made an appearance.

    This prolonged absence made the Green Water Ape chief, who had initially been cautious, grow restless.

    Defeating the mermaids would allow them to im thousands of miles ofnd in Demon Ape Mountain. Such a vast territory promised countless resources and treasures, which could be traded with humans.

    With control over Demon Ape Mountain, the Green Water Ape n would rise to prominence.

    Once they became stronger, they could sever ties with their current human backers, the Wu family, and align themselves with a more powerful faction, such as the Zhou family of Guang''an Prefecture.

    Another critical reason for attacking the mermaids was the disparity in strength between the two ns.

    The mermaid chief, Luo Xiuyuan, was in thete Foundation Building stage, nearly at the Golden Core level, while the Green Water Ape chief had only recently advanced to thete Foundation Building stage.

    Continue your journey with empire

    If they did not eliminate Luo Xiuyuan before his injuries healed, the Green Water Ape n would inevitably face retribution once he recovered.

    After all, they had witnessed what had happened to their close rtives, the Water Demon Ape n.

    Ahead, an elite team of twenty Green Water Monkeys soared through the skies, heading from the rear of the Demon Ape Mountains toward the location of the Main Spirit Eye.

    "Um?"

    The leader of the group, an early-stage second-order Green Water Ape, spotted Luo Li and Xiaoqing near the Spirit Lake.

    It gestured to the tribesmen behind it and transmitted amand through spiritual sense:

    "Kill them. Don''t let them ry the message!"

    Monsters in this world were highly intelligent, especially those resembling apes.

    Generally, a first-level monster''s intelligence wasparable to that of a seven- or eight-year-old human child, while a second-level monster''s intelligence rivaled that of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old adolescent.

    For ape-like monsters, their intelligence was even more remarkable. A second-level Green Water Ape possessed a cognitive ability equal to that of an ordinary adult.

    At themand of their leader, the twenty Green Water Monkeys surged forward in a powerful, coordinated charge toward Luo Li and Xiaoqing.

    "Your Highness, be careful!" Xiaoqing warned.

    Luo Li nodded. "You too!"

    No sooner had they spoken than the twenty Green Water Monkeys descended upon them.

    There was no time for words or negotiations¡ªboth sidesunched into battle immediately.

    Luo Li was unfazed by the sudden sh. She was long ustomed to such encounters.

    Monsters were far more straightforward than humans. They feared the strong but showed no mercy to the weak, often exhibiting a level of cruelty beyond human norms.

    In the underwater realm of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, thew of the jungle reigned supreme.

    It was this brutal adherence to the survival of the fittest that allowed Zhenhai Pce to forge an unassable reputation among monsters and alien races through relentless ughter.

    "Kill!"

    Luo Li unsheathed her twin Red Shadow Swords and charged into the midst of the Green Water Monkeys. Xiaoqing nked her, guarding her side.

    The battles between mermaids and monsters were vastly different from those involving humans.

    Monsters possessed naturally robust physiques, and mermaids, who also practiced physical training techniques, preferred closebat. For them,bining true energy with physical strength resulted in far greater power than relying on long-range magical weapons.

    Of course, the Green Water Ape n didn''t have magical weapons to begin with. Instead, they wielded crude iron rods, likely scavenged from some unknown source.

    The group of Green Water Monkeys surged toward Luo Li and Xiaoqing with a ferocious whistle of movement.

    "Swish! Swish! Swish!"

    Luo Li''s form blurred into a series of afterimages, darting through the Green Water Monkeys with incredible speed.

    However, the Green Water Ape leading the group wasn''t fooled. As an opponent of the same cultivation level, it could easily track her movements. Its focus remained on the real threat¡ªthe magical weapon in her hands.

    With her true essence infused into the Red Shadow Swords, the power unleashed was leagues beyond what a typical Qi Refining cultivator could achieve. Together with Xiaoqing, Luo Li systematically injured the Green Water Monkeys, their numbers steadily dwindling.

    The leading Green Water Ape watched the scene unfold, its face twisting into an ugly scowl.

    "Twote-stage Qi Refining mermaids injuring twenty of my nsmen of the same level? Unbelievable."

    Its emerald green eyes narrowed as it shifted its focus to Xiaoqing. A malicious gleam flickered in its gaze as it barked out an order:

    "Kill her first! I''ll deal with the leading mermaid."

    The brief sh had revealed an rming problem: these two mermaids wielded far too much power for their level. If they weren''t dealt with swiftly, reinforcements from the mermaid n would undoubtedly arrive.

    Seeing this, Luo Li felt both anger and anxiety rise within her.

    She watched as the foundation-building Green Water Ape charged toward her, its intent clear.

    Without hesitation, she activated the spiritual armor Luis had given her. Its shimmering surface red to life, forming a protective barrier around her.

    "Your Highness, be careful!" Xiaoqing called out, her voice tinged with urgency.

    Xiaoqing turned to face the iing wave of Green Water Monkeys, their iron rods poised to strike. Her expression hardened, and her eyes burned with fierce determination.

    Meanwhile, Luo Li had no time to look out for Xiaoqing¡ªher attention was entirely consumed by the powerful foe rushing toward her.

    Luo Li made up her mind and immediately activated a forbidden technique.

    With the power of this forbidden technique, her speed increased several times over, and the attacks from the second-stage ape were deflected by her innate spiritual armor.

    Empowered by the technique, Luo Li''s figure blurred into countless afterimages as she evaded the leading ape''s relentless assault.

    Unfortunately, the ape''s thick, durable skin proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. Her sword strikes only managed to scratch the surface of its flesh.

    Worse still, the second-level monster''s recovery abilities outpaced the injuries Luo Li inflicted. No matter how many strikes shended, its wounds began to heal almost instantly.

    As time wore on, the effects of the forbidden technique began to fade.

    Luo Li''s heart sank as she saw countless iron rods descending toward Xiaoqing once again. Despair gripped her chest.

    In that moment, it felt as if time itself had slowed.

    Through tear-filled eyes, she caught a glimpse of Xiaoqing''s face¡ªthere was fear, but also determination. Luo Li thought she even saw a hint of tears forming in Xiaoqing''s eyes.

    "What are you scared about?"

    Just as despair threatened to consume her, a familiar voice echoed in Luo Li''s ears.

 Chapter 170 Zhenhai Palace

    "What are you afraid of?"

    Just as despair gripped Luo Li, a familiar voice rang in her ears.

    Before the words even finished, starlight suddenly burst from the body of a Green Water Ape.

    Momentster, more starlights appeared, connecting together like a constetion.

    In an instant, the twenty Green Water Apes were shredded into pieces by the brilliant light, leaving no trace behind.

    Staring at the familiar figure now standing before her, Luo Li was stunned, momentarily speechless.

    After a brief pause, she eximed in surprise, "Luis, you seeded?"

    "Ugh..."

    Xiaoqing''s groan interrupted her excitement, snapping Luo Li back to reality.

    "Xiaoqing! Are you alright?"

    Without hesitation, Luo Li dropped her Red Shadow Sword and rushed over to Xiaoqing.

    Examining her closely, Luo Li breathed a sigh of relief. "Thankfully, it''s just internal injuries from blunt force trauma. Fighting one against twenty is hard for you at this level."

    Find your next read at empire

    For an ordinary person, such injuries would be life-threatening. But for a mermaid, it was a minor wound at best, thanks to their enhanced resilience and the advantages granted by their teleportation abilities.

    Xiaoqing nced at Luo Li, then at Luis standing nearby. Her eyes brightened slightly as she said, "Don''t worry about me for now. The Green Water Ape n is attacking near the main vein¡ªgo and help them!"

    Her words were directed at Luo Li, but her gaze lingered on Luis.

    The meaning was clear.

    Luis, of course, understood immediately. Her request wasn''t for Luo Li alone¡ªit was a veiled plea for him to take action. After witnessing him effortlessly annihte twenty Green Water Apes, her confidence in his abilities was evident.

    "Little Miss Qing, is it?" Luis asked with a slight smile.

    "My Lord!" Xiaoqing stood and saluted him respectfully.

    Luis nodded in acknowledgment and then asked, "Tell me, how strong is this Green Water Ape n you mentioned?"

    Xiaoqing quickly exined, "The Green Water Ape n is a tribe of ape-like monsters near Demon Ape Mountain. Their leader is only at thete second stage."

    Hearing this, Luis shook his head.

    "This is a problem the mermaids can handle themselves," he said calmly. The peculiarities of this ce allowed the mermaids to slip through unnoticed, and the hidden army beyond the vortex had yet to make a move.

    After a moment of silence, Luis turned to Luo Li with a smile. "Tell me, do you think Zhenhai Pce poses a significant threat to the Green Water Ape n?"

    Luo Li was stunned by Luis'' audacity.

    "Of course it''s a huge threat!" she replied hesitantly. "Even pretending to be an envoy of Zhenhai Pce is a serious crime, especially for a human. I..."

    Luis shook his head, cutting her off. "Why would I ever pretend to be someone like that?"

    "Then what are you nning?"

    Luis smiled enigmatically and simply said, "You''ll see when the timees. Now, let''s get you home."

    At that moment, starlight illuminated Luis'' profile, highlighting his tall and confident demeanor.

    Luo Li stared at the man in front of her, feeling a strange sense of reassurance. She nodded vigorously. "Alright, let''s go home together!"

    ---

    Meanwhile, at the main ridge of Demon Ape Mountain, the Green Water Ape tribe''s chief stood at the forefront, leading tens of thousands of his tribesmen. His sharp, emerald-green eyes glinted as he gazed hungrily at the mermaids guarding the main vein.

    As the two sides faced off, the chief of the Green Water Apes finally spoke. In clear humannguage, he said, "I wasn''t aware the mermaids had migrated to this territory. How rude of me not to know. I''ve chosen a good day to pay your chief a visit. Please, announce my arrival."

    The massive ape, towering several meters tall and wielding an iron rod as thick as a tree trunk, took a bold step forward.

    From the mermaid''s side, a voice replied coldly, "Hmph! Is it really necessary to bring such arge force just to visit our n leader? How about youe alone instead?"

    After a pause, the Green Water Ape Chief continued, "Could it be that your n leader was truly beaten so badly by Zhou Mubai that he died, just as the rumors suggest?

    "If that''s the case, I happen to have a magic pill I acquired from the human race. It might just save your n leader''s life."

    "Enough nonsense! If you want to fight, then fight!"

    The old mermaid at the forefront blew his beard in anger, ring fiercely at the ape.

    Hearing this, the Green Water Ape Chief hesitated, his bravado faltering.

    He leaned down toward one of his tribe members nearby and whispered, "What''s going on? Where are the warriors I sent to test the mermaids'' strength?"

    The trembling tribesman replied cautiously, "I don''t know, Chief. They went around the back of Demon Ape Mountain, but there''s been no word from them since. Perhaps they ran into trouble."

    "Useless fools!" the chief snarled, his frustration mounting.

    At that moment, a white figure emerged from the mermaid camp.

    The figure moved with fluid grace, throwing the severed head of a Green Water Ape onto the ground between the two armies.

    "Looking for this?" the figure said coldly.

    The Green Water Ape Chief froze, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the stranger.

    "A human?"

    The sight of Luis immediately caused the Green Water Ape Chief''s imposing demeanor to weaken.

    In the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, creatures like the Green Water Apes harbored an instinctive fear of humans. That fear stemmed from their terrifying encounters with the Zhenhai Pce.

    As the chief took a closer look, his expression darkened. The severed head on the ground belonged to one of the warriors he had sent to scout earlier.

    "Human cultivator, what do you mean by this?"

    Although rage burned within him, the chief of the Green Water Ape n spoke cautiously, his tone betraying a hint of fear.

    Luis smirked at its cautious demeanor.

    "I want you to leave Demon Ape Mountain immediately!"

    As his words fell, a ray of starlight pierced through the seawater, aiming straight for the Green Water Ape Chief.

    The blinding attack carried an aura of death, and for a moment, panic shed in the ape''s eyes.

    Boom!

    At the critical moment, the chief swung the strange iron rod in its hand, deflecting the lethal blow. The force of the strike reverberated through the rod, sending tremors down the ape''s arms.

    It was clear that the power behind this attack far surpassed that of an ordinary Foundation-Building cultivator.

    For a moment, the Green Water Ape Chief froze, its thoughts racing.

    ''Could he be Guang''an Sword Immortal Zhou Mubai?''

    But no¡ªthis human wasn''t Zhou Mubai. The chief knew the Sword Immortal personally.

    Yet, this young human wielded a power and swordsmanship unmatched by anyone in Guang''an Prefecture.

    "Who... Who are you?"

    Although a possibility lingered in its mind, the chief couldn''t bring itself to believe it.

    Luis''s gaze turned icy. "Idiot, who do you think I am?"

    "You... you''re from Zhenhai Pce?"

    The realization struck like thunder. Confirming Luis''s identity, the Green Water Ape Chief''s bravado shattered.

    Its iron rod ttered to the ground as it dropped to its knees with a resounding thud.

    "I... I have rammed the carriage of Zhenhai Pce''s imperial edict! Forgive me! Forgive me!"

    The ape''s voice trembled with terror as it began to kowtow repeatedly, its forehead hitting the ground with fervent desperation.

    It was a pitiful sight¡ªjust moments ago, the Green Water Ape Chief had exuded arrogance, ready to annihte the mermaid tribe. Now, it groveled like a lowly beggar, its pride stripped away.

    Luis watched silently, a flicker of curiosity sparking in his mind.

    ''What kind of existence is Zhenhai Pce to inspire such fear in even the most arrogant of aliens?''

    Qianyuan Sword Sect!

    Although Luis had heard this name before, it had never struck him with the weight it did now.

    A water ape, once proud and defiant, knelt before him, kowtowing repeatedly¡ªits fear inspired by nothing more than the mention of two words: "Zhenhai Pce."

    And this was just a branch of the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    "Go back to your ce," Luis ordered with a faint smile.

    Hearing thismand, the water ape scrambled away, practically crawling in its haste to leave.

    -----

    Demon Ape Mountain, cave residence of the mermaid tribe leader.

    "Is the Green Water Ape n truly so afraid of the Zhenhai Pce?" Luis asked, his tone tinged with curiosity.

    The question caused the entire cave to fall silent. The stillness was so profound that one could hear a pin drop.@@novelbin@@

    After a long pause, Luo Xiuyuan bowed respectfully and said, "My Lord, you may not be familiar with the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea. It''s not just the Green Water Ape n that fears the Zhenhai Pce."

    He paused briefly, choosing his words carefully.

    "In the underwater world of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, there is no race that does not fear the Zhenhai Pce."

    Luis raised an eyebrow. "Not one?"

    "There was," Luo Xiuyuan replied, his voice heavy with meaning. "But they were all exterminated."

 Chapter 172 Creation Power

    After finishing his talk with the children at the primary school, Luis took Luo Li to visit the Hartmann Sword Factory.

    As they entered the factory, they were greeted by the patriarch of the Blue Goblins, Blogs.

    Walking through the facility, Luis observed the surroundings. Compared to six months ago, there weren''t many significant changes. The main difference was the addition of more machinery and workers, which made the factory feel busier and more efficient.

    Seeing this, Luis nodded in approval. "It seems you''ve done a good job with the apprenticeship system."

    Blogs smiled humbly, bowing slightly. "It''s all thanks to the Boss''s guidance. Blogs doesn''t dare to take credit for it."

    Luis waved off the formality. "No need for false courtesy. This sess is your achievement."

    As they continued their tour, Luis noticed a furnace operator skillfully removing a depleted spirit stone from a spirit-melting furnace in the production room. The operator ced the spent stone aside and prepared the furnace for its next use.

    Luis pointed to the scene. "Blogs, how many spirit stones does our flying sword factory consume annually?"

    Blogs immediately understood what Luis meant. The spirit stone consumption referred to the power needed for the formations within each spirit-melting furnace to refine spirit ores. The depleted stone the operator had just removed was an example of this resource use.

    Hearing the question, Blogs expression turned slightly bitter. He sighed and said, "Boss, while the spirit-melting furnace is excellent in most aspects, its only w is the high consumption of spirit stones. ording to our calctions, if each furnace operates at full capacity, it consumes one spirit stone in less than three days."

    "That much?" Luis asked in surprise.

    Blogs nodded gravely. "Yes, it adds up quickly. Over the course of a year, a single furnace consumes around one hundred spirit stones. With the number of furnaces we have running, the cost is considerable."

    If various magic tool factories were built in the industrial zone in the future, and arge number of workers were employed, the number of spirit-melting furnaces would grow exponentially.

    For example, if there were ten thousand spirit-melting furnaces operating, the annual consumption of spirit stones alone would exceed 1,000,000. This is equivalent to depleting an entire spiritual vein within a single year.

    "One million?" Luis asked, surprised.

    "Boss, did you forget about the Sun and Moon Spiritual Flowers? Using those can save at least 40% of the energy consumed," Blogs exined. "We''re even working to advance the technology to achieve 100% efficiency."

    Then, with a frustrated tone, Blogs added, "Honestly, using spirit stones as a power source is such a waste. A huge waste!"

    Luis nodded thoughtfully as Blogs continued to borate. Luis was already aware of the issue.

    In fact, whether it was for cultivation or as a power source for soul melting furnaces, relying on spirit stones was an incredibly wasteful practice.

    Although they are called spirit stones, their true value doesn''t lie in the spiritual energy they store.

    To put it simply, the spiritual energy within a spirit stone is likeparing the light of a firefly to the brilliance of the moon when measured against the spiritual energy produced by a spiritual vein.

    The true value of spirit stones lies in the trace amounts of creation power encapsted within the spiritual energy they hold.

    This trace of creation power is what makes spirit stones truly precious. It is also the key to cultivating and enhancing spiritual veins.

    Using spirit stones as a power source for furnaces effectively discards this invaluable creation power.

    In other words, while the furnaces significantly improve production efficiency and generate substantial profits, this wasteful practice is unsustainable in the long run.

    If not for the massive profits and improved efficiency provided by the spirit-melting furnaces, the Hartmann family would not have been able to sustain such wasteful behavior.

    "Boss?"

    After a moment of silence, Blogs cautiously called out.

    Luis snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "Oh, it''s nothing. Let''s continue."

    However, in his mind, Luis had already memorized the issue of energy consumption and began thinking about potential solutions.

    The first idea that came to him was the power grid from his previous life.

    On Earth, electricity was transported using wires.

    Although spiritual energy was fundamentally different from electricity, as a form of energy, it likely required a carrier to store and transport it.

    If such a carrier could be found, the issue of transporting spiritual energy could be resolved.

    He also considered that depleted spirit stones might serve as special materials for storing spiritual energy, making them candidates for such a carrier.

    With this thought in mind, Luis picked up a spirit stone that had already been drained of its spiritual energy.

    Who would have guessed?

    The moment he applied a little pressure, the depleted spirit stone crumbled into fine powder.

    "Powder?"

    Luis frowned as he watched the grayish-white powder scatter to the ground. He crouched, pinching some of it between his fingers.

    Looking closer, he noticed the powder resembled tiny, crystalline grains of sand, much like the sand from Earth. Each particle was minuscule, and a gentle breath was enough to send it floating in all directions.

    Luis touched his chin thoughtfully.

    A momentter, he summoned his fire control technique.

    A white me ignited in his palm, flickering gently.

    Since advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, his mastery over the fire control technique¡ªonce rudimentary at the Qi Refining Stage¡ªhad significantly improved. What was once an unrefined skill now carried a lethal threat to Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

    This demonstrated the immense difference in power between cultivators of varying levels.

    Even a simple technique could be a deadly weapon when wielded by a higher-level cultivator.

    Luis directed the white me toward the grayish-white powder, observing as the mes danced over the particles.

    Soon, the grayish-white powder began to melt under the intense heat, transforming into a white liquid.

    Luis observed closely, understanding this was the result of the powder breaking down under high temperatures.

    Then, using his true energy, he carefully shaped the white liquid into a thin line, about as thick as his little finger.

    Though he referred to it as a "long line," it measured less than twenty centimeters in length.

    There was no helping it¡ªa fist-sized spirit stone, once reduced to powder, could only yield a line this short.

    But for Luis'' experiment, it was more than sufficient.

    Once the line cooled and solidified, Luis began the next phase of his test.

    With precise control of his true energy, he directed the spiritual energy from the spirit pond, channeling it toward one end of the line.

    Under the pressure of his vortex energy, the spiritual energy flowed effortlessly through the line, reaching the other end with minimal loss.

    "It actually works!"

    A satisfied smile spread across Luis'' face.

    He held the gray-white line in his hand, squeezing it gently. To his surprise, it felt soft¡ªnot rigid like the metal wires from his previous life, but more akin to rubber-coated wires.

    "I never would''ve guessed that the powder from a depleted spirit stone would turn into a rubber-like substance after being melted and cooled."@@novelbin@@

    His eyes gleamed with excitement.

    "With this, half the problem of transporting spiritual energy is solved!"

    He emphasized "half" because he knew there was still another critical factor to address.

    For spiritual energy to flow efficiently, a transport carrier alone wasn''t enough¡ªit also required a driving force to propel it.

    On Earth, this driving force was voltage.

    Here, Luis tentatively referred to it as spiritual pressure.

    However, the spiritual pressure he imagined wasn''t the same as the feedback system pressure used in soul-melting furnaces. Instead, it was a force specifically designed to move spiritual energy through awork of aura lines.

    This revtion sparked a flicker of inspiration in Luis'' mind.

    ''Years of school knowledge weren''t wasted after all,'' he thought with satisfaction, as the pieces of the puzzle began falling into ce.

    -----

    The Underwater World of Ten Thousand Star Sea

    After enduring countless hardships, the Sun brothers finally reached the location marked by the ck jade tablet in their possession. It was nestled in a hidden corner of the underwater world in Guang''an Prefecture. Experience new stories on empire

    "Brother, are we there yet?"

    "We''ve arrived!"

    The white-faced monk, Sun Fu, surveyed the surrounding environment with a solemn expression. "The God Killer Immortal Mansion is indeed located in an independent secret space, just as the rumors said.

    "Guard me and don''t let anything disturb me!"

    "Don''t worry, big brother!"

    The rugged man nodded, understanding the gravity of the moment. This was the culmination of their arduous journey.

    If they seeded here, the two of them might soar to unimaginable heights, just like the real God Killer from four hundred years ago. The path to roam the battlefields of Chuyun Kingdom and achieve the Golden Elixir and Nascent Soul stages would be wide open.

    ''Failure is not an option. No, we won''t fail!''

    The rugged man''s resolve hardened.

    The brothers had sacrificed too much for this moment. Over the years, they had endured countless trials, all for this one chance. It had all begun when they stumbled upon the ck jade token by sheer luck.

    From that moment, they had spent nearly twenty years nning and searching. Now, atst, they stood before the fabled location.

    Lost in thought, the rugged man was suddenly pulled back to reality by a change in the air around them.

    Sun Fu''s expression shifted, his white face lighting up with excitement. "Quick Look over there! The God Killer Immortal Mansion is opening!"

 Chapter 173 God Killer Mansion

    It was then that the rugged, middle-aged monk saw a spatial crack suddenly appear in front of his elder brother.

    From the crack surged an immense amount of exceptionally pure spiritual energy.

    This purity was unheard of¡ªnot just in Guang''an Prefecture, but even on the Izumo Kingdom battlefield''s Border City.

    For context, the Qianyuan Sword Sect had established seven fairy cities on the battlefield of the Izumo Kingdom, each supplied by fifth-level or higher spiritual veins.

    This meant that within this secret realm of the Immortal Pce, there was likely a spiritual vein surpassing the fifth level.

    "We''ve done it! It''s a sess!"

    Faced with such unimaginable wealth, even the usuallyposed Sun Fu couldn''t suppress his excitement.

    Without hesitation, the two brothers soared into the spatial crack.

    In the next instant, the crack closed, vanishing as if it had never existed.

    After entering the God Killer Pce, the Sun brothers spent hours exploring the secret realm.

    But as time passed, they began to realize something was amiss.

    "Brother, where is the spiritual vein?"

    "Hmm?"

    Sun Fu, the white-faced monk, also sensed something was wrong. The immense surge of pure spiritual energy they had felt earlier wasn''t emanating from a spiritual vein.

    Instead, it was rootless spiritual energy stored within the secret realm of the Immortal Pce.

    Upon discovering this, the two were immediately filled with disappointment.

    "Forget it. We didn''te here for the spiritual vein anyway. Let''s focus on finding the God Killer''s inheritance!" Sun Fu said firmly.

    The God Killer Pce''s secret realm was vast, almost endless.

    The brothers wandered through the area for days before finally stumbling upon a pce that seemed to be the dwelling ce of the God Killer.

    This pce was breathtakingly majestic, towering hundreds of meters high.

    Standing before it, the Sun brothers appeared no more than ants.

    Cautiously, the two tiptoed forward and pushed open the grand pce doors.

    Inside, they slowly entered.

    Once inside, they were startled to discover a corpse seated within the pce.

    What a corpse this was.

    Silver hair, golden eyes, jade-like bones¡ªits body had remained untouched by time for billions of years.

    The Sun brothers couldn''t discern exactly how many millennia this body had endured, but the moment they saw it, they were utterly awestruck.

    Unconsciously, the two dropped to their knees.

    This was not a forced act but a genuine response¡ªa heartfelt reverence born from the awe of seekers encountering the pinnacle of enlightenment.

    They knelt instinctively, unaware of the subtle movements nearby.

    Not far from the corpsey a silver coffin.

    Now, the lid of the coffin shifted slightly, as if stirred by some unseen force.

    Yet, the brothers remained entirely captivated by the immortal corpse before them, oblivious to the changes around them.

    After a long while, they finally shook off their stupor.

    "Brother, an immortal''s corpse is here. This truly is the Immortal Residence¡ªit truly is!"

    "Hurry! Let''s find the inheritance!" Read new adventures at empire

    The usuallyposed Sun Fu could no longer restrain himself, his voice filled with urgency.

    But before they could take another step, a cold, sinister voice echoed behind them.

    It was a sound so chilling it seemed to freeze their very souls.

    "Heh heh¡­ What are you looking for?"

    "Who''s there?!"

    Sun Fu spun around abruptly, and what he saw almost caused his heart to stop.

    Before him stood a corpse¡ªno ordinary one, but a thousand-year-old Corpse King. Its body radiated a ck aura filled with malevolence and bloodlust, and its emerald-green eyes stared straight at them.

    "You¡­ you¡­ you''re Master God Killer!"

    Even after four centuries, the legendary figure of the God Killer was still unmistakable to Sun Fu.

    But now, the once-revered master had transformed into a zombie!

    "Heh heh¡­ You still haven''t answered me. What are you looking for?"

    -----

    At this moment in Hartmann Ind.

    Luis handed the spiritual energy conduction wire to Blogs and exined some basic concepts of voltage to him.

    After finishing, he left with Luo Li.

    Days passed as Luis wandered around the ind, enjoying the scenery with Luo Li.

    In the days that followed, Luis'' life gradually returned to normal.

    Having recently broken through to the Foundation-Building stage, Luis chose not to rush into practicing Foundation-Building techniques. Instead, he focused on refining and stabilizing his newly formed Vortex energy.

    This approach ensured that his future cultivation speed would remain unaffected.

    However, at the same time, practicing high-level techniques posed significant challenges.

    Techniques that are both easy to master and incredibly powerful exist only in dreams.

    Therefore, after building a foundation, cultivators must be extremely careful when selecting new cultivation methods, as these choices determine their future path.

    For most cultivators, the stronger the technique, the more desirable it is.

    However, not everyone possesses superior talent.

    For those who are less gifted, even achieving Foundation-Building is a stroke of luck.

    Choosing overly powerful techniques at this stage often leads to difficulties in cultivation, leaving them stuck at the initial stages of Foundation-Building with no progress.

    Meanwhile, those who opt for simpler, less powerful techniques may advance more steadily, reaching the middle orte stages of Foundation-Building sooner.

    Even at the same cultivation level, a practitioner of weaker techniques may not match someone using stronger methods in a fight.

    However, those who progress to the middle stage will often surpass those in the early stage, regardless of technique.

    More importantly, they are more likely to break through to the Golden Core stage.

    This distinction is crucial, as achieving immortality is the ultimate goal for most cultivators.

    ---

    Zhou Main City

    In the Hartmann Flying Sword Store, Luis stood beside Zhou Mubai, the prodigy of the Zhou Family and the man who had once injured the Mermaid Patriarch.

    "Brother Luis, congrattions! From now on, your Hartmann Family has gained another Foundation Builder," Zhou Mubai said with a warm smile.

    "It was just a stroke of luck," Luis replied modestly.@@novelbin@@

    As the two continued their conversation, a loud and anguished cry echoed through Zhou Main City.

    "AHH! HOW COULD THIS BE?!"

    Both Luis and Zhou Mubai were startled by the voice and immediately rushed toward themotion.

    The source of the cry was an elderly man, a cultivator at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage. His grey hair and weathered face revealed that he was nearing the end of his lifespan.

    This man was Zhao Yuanhuan, the head of the Zhao family.

    As the crowd gathered, Zhao Yuanhuan suddenly flew toward Zhou Mubai. He bowed deeply and remained in that position, refusing to straighten up.

    Recognizing him, Zhou Mubai hurriedly reached out to help him. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, what''s wrong? Why are you acting this way?"

    At Zhou Mubai''s words, Zhao Yuanhuan slowly raised his head.

    Luis was taken aback when he saw Zhao Yuanhuan''s face.

    It was a face filled with despair and agony, as if he had endured unspeakable torment. His eyes were bloodshot, his eye sockets cracked and oozing blood, adding to the horror of his expression.

    "Senior Zhou!" Zhao Yuanhuan wailed miserably. "My Zhao family is finished! My Zhao family!!! It''s over!!!"

    His final words echoed like thunder, causing an uproar among the cultivators and onlookers from Guang''an Prefecture who had gathered.

    "What happened?"

    "The Zhao family? Aren''t they thergest family in Guang''an Prefecture after the Zhou and Yang families? Their numbers and cultivation strength rival the Wu family''s. Plus, they''re experts in alchemy, highly respected across the prefecture."

    "Yes! What kind of monstrous power could destroy such a family?"

    Zhou Mubai, his expression turning serious, grabbed Zhao Yuanhuan''s arm and urged, "Brother Zhao, don''t panic. Tell us clearly¡ªwhat happened?"

    Zhao Yuanhuan''s anguish deepened. Tears of blood streamed from his eyes as he choked out, "My nsmen just sent me a message¡ªmy Zhao Family''s Lotus Ind was attacked by a group of evil spirits!"

    "Evil spirits? What kind of evil spirits?" Zhou Mubai demanded.

    "I don''t know!" Zhao Yuanhuan shook his head, his voice trembling. "Before he could exin, the connection was abruptly cut off."

    "This is¡­" Zhou Mubai and the others exchanged uneasy nces. "Can you still reach them?"

    Zhao Yuanhuan shook his head again. "I''ve tried repeatedly, but no one is responding.

    Senior Zhou, I beg you, please save the Zhao Family! After this catastrophe, the Zhao Family will willingly pledge allegiance to the Zhou Family!"

    "Let''s set that aside for now. We must act quickly!" Zhou Mubai dered. Without hesitation, he grabbed Zhao Yuanhuan and prepared to take off.

    "Brother Zhou, I want toe too!" Luis interjected, his expression serious.

    He could feel that something was gravely amiss. If such a cmity could strike the Zhao Family, there was no guarantee the Hartmann Family wouldn''t face a simr threat. He needed to uncover the truth and prepare for any eventuality.

    "Alright!" Zhou Mubai nced at Luis, nodded, and with a flick of his sword, a sh of light enveloped them. Carrying Luis and Zhao Yuanhuan, Zhou Mubai soared into the sky, heading toward Lotus Ind.

    The Lotus Inds, which is a group of inds shaped like a lotus with eight inds surrounding arge ind in the middle.

 Chapter 175 Trapped

    After giving Luis the pill, Zhou Mubai paused for a moment and tossed him another one as a backup.

    Luis swallowed the pill in one gulp.

    Immediately, the oppressive presence of the evil spirit ceased, as if a protective barrier now shielded him from its attacks.

    Zhou Mubai also took a pill and said, "Brother Luis, be careful."

    "Don''t worry, Brother Zhou," Luis replied with a nod.

    Although he wasn''t sure how many evil spirits inhabited the ind or how strong they were, he remained confident in his abilities and the vortex behind him. Moreover, with Zhou Mubai around, even encountering a Golden Core-level evil spirit wouldn''t be disastrous¡ªthey could always retreat safely.

    With the pill''s effects taking hold, the two decided not to waste time. They dashed straight toward the Zhao family''s spiritual vein.

    To avoid alerting the enemy, Luis and Zhou Mubai refrained from flying and instead ran on the ground like ordinary warriors.

    However, the speed of cultivators far outpaced that of mortal warriors. To an observer, their movements were almost invisible, leaving only faint traces in their wake. Your next chapter awaits on empire

    Both had mastered the art of concealing their presence, rendering their auras so subtle they were nearly undetectable.

    Meanwhile, in the Zhao family''s territory...

    Sun Fu stood holding a round, mirror-like magical artifact. Within its surface, the images of Luis and Zhou Mubai running appeared clearly.

    "Zhou Mubai!" Sun Fu eximed, his expression shifting to one of tion.

    Initially, he had believed that eliminating a few ordinary Foundation Building cultivators from the Zhou family would already count as a major sess. To his surprise, he had snagged a much bigger fish.

    Still, despite his excitement, Sun Fu dared not act carelessly.

    After all, Zhou Mubai was a sword cultivator, and hisbat prowess far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.

    Even at his current cultivation level¡ªLate Stage Foundation Building¡ªfewte-stage cultivators could rival him. When he defeated Luo Xiuyuan, it had been almost effortless.

    Thinking of this, Sun Fu turned to hispanion and said, "Go check if the three corpse servants are ready."

    "Brother, don''t worry. They''ve been fully refined!"

    The broad-faced man, hisplexion dark and fanged teeth bared, replied confidently, "With the strength of our two Foundation Building Perfection cultivators, along with the ten Late Stage Foundation Building corpse servants, we''ll definitely be able to trap Zhou Mubai!"

    "Even so, we can''t afford to be careless," Sun Fu cautioned, shaking his head. "Zhou Mubai might be defeated, but with the Zhou family''s resources, there''s no way they wouldn''t have given him a life-saving trump card. If he escapes, it''ll cause us endless trouble."

    Hearing this, the broad-faced man nodded seriously. "I''ve already set up the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Formation. With the support of the Yin Evil Qi from the third-level Yin Vein, there''s no way Zhou Mubai will escape!"

    Relief flickered across Sun Fu''s face upon hearing about the formation.

    Even with both of them fighting at full strength, backed by ten corpse servants¡ªtwelve Foundation Builders in total¡ªand the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Formation, defeating Zhou Mubai still wasn''t a guarantee.

    He was that terrifying!

    His actual strength was likely on par with a Golden Core cultivator.

    "Here we are!" Zhou Mubai announced, raising his hand and activating the secret technique of his spiritual pupils. He gazed at the mountains ahead, which were cloaked in a denseyer of ck mist.

    "This is the source of the evil spirit," Zhou Mubai said in a deep, steady voice.

    In that moment, both Luis and Zhou Mubai abandoned any lingering hope that the Zhao family''s cultivators might have survived.

    But where had the mortals of the Zhao family gone?

    Both Luis and Zhou Mubai were perplexed at first.

    After all, in addition to tens of thousands of cultivators, the Zhao family also had millions of mortals.

    Even if all of them had perished, there should still be traces¡ªgraves or mass burial sites.

    Yet the reality was stark.

    Luis and Zhou Mubai scoured all eight inds but found not a single mortal from the Zhao family.

    The only usible exnation was horrifying.

    The mortals of the Zhao family had likely been turned into corpse servants by the evil spirits.

    With the presence of a third-level Yin Vein in the area, refining corpse servants would have been disturbingly convenient.

    Thinking of this, Luis clenched his fists tightly.

    Compared to Earth and even the fantasy world, this cultivation world was far more ruthless and unforgiving.

    Sometimes, Luis felt incredibly fortunate to have been born into the Hartmann family.

    But for ordinary mortals, the reality was bleak.

    Lacking military strength and offering no productivity that cultivators valued, even their right to exist depended on the mercy or whims of cultivators.

    And yet, despite such dire circumstances, mortals in this world lived with resilience and determination.

    At this moment, anger surged within Luis¡ªa raw and unshakable fury.

    Whether cultivator or mortal, we are all human beings!

    Mortals already live humble, fragile lives, and yet they still suffer such unspeakable fates!

    Millions of lives, turned into corpse servants, just like that.

    Luis couldn''t even be certain if these evil spirits were once human or were simply ghosts.

    But in this moment, he silently swore in his heart:

    He would fight these beasts to the death.

    Sensing the strong killing intent radiating from Luis, Zhou Mubai asked in surprise, "Brother Luis, what''s wrong?"

    "Nothing. I just feel uneasy thinking about the fate of the Zhao family''s mortals."

    Hearing this, Zhou Mubai sighed softly and tried to console him. "Perhaps it''s not as bad as you imagine."

    Even as he spoke, Zhou Mubai himself didn''t believe those words. But it was all he could do tofort himself and Luis.

    Millions of lives, gone just like that.

    "Let''s go!" Zhou Mubai said grimly.

    He took out an invisibility talisman, pped one on himself, and then ced another on Luis. With a sh of sword light, he grabbed Luis and flew toward the mountains.

    He needed to see for himself.

    Was the reality as terrible as they imagined?

    Flying over several hills, the pair reached a basin nestled between mountains. What they saw below was a sight that would haunt them forever.

    In the valley basin, corpses were piled like heaps of trash.

    Zhou Mubai activated the secret technique of his spiritual pupils, and his vision sharpened. The corpses, stacked like mountains, were infected with an evil presence.

    Even now, the bodies were being tempered by the dark, malevolent energy.

    "They''re refining corpses," Zhou Mubai whispered, his face pale.

    Beside him, Luis''s hands trembled. His jaw clenched so tightly he nearly cracked his teeth.

    "Whoever did this," Luis growled, his voice shaking with fury, "I''ll kill them! I''ll tear them to pieces!"

    "I''ll stand with you!" Zhou Mubai''s expression was equally grim.

    A cold, mocking voice suddenly broke the silence.

    "Oh? Someone wants to tear me to pieces?"

    Luis and Zhou Mubai whirled around, startled.

    They had been careful¡ªpainstakingly so. They had concealed their presence, refrained from using spiritual awareness, and cloaked themselves with invisibility talismans to avoid detection.

    And yet, they had been discovered.@@novelbin@@

    Realizing their stealth was useless, Luis and Zhou Mubai shed their invisibility talismans and canceled their breath-concealing techniques.

    Hovering in the air before them were the Sun Fu brothers.

    Behind the brothers stood three corpse servants d in spiritual armor that shimmered with silver light. A suffocating, bloody aura emanated from them.

    Zhou Mubai''s sharp eyes immediately identified the corpse servants. They had once been cultivators of the Wu and Zhao families, all of whom had reached the pinnacle of Foundation Building during their lives.

    Now, they were nothing more than lifeless puppets refined by the Sun brothers.

    Still, Zhou Mubai noted that these corpse servants were weaker than when they had been alive.

    Its attack and defense had undoubtedly reached the level of a Foundation Builder.

    If a Foundation Building cultivator believed their many methods would allow them to ignore such an opponent''s attacks, they would be courting death.

    With things as they were, Luis and Zhou Mubai had no choice but to fight.

    However, what they did not expect was a sudden development¡ªa blood-red light curtain shot up from the corpse-refining ground, sealing the sky above them in an instant.

    "Not good!"

    Zhou Mubai immediately grabbed Luis and attempted to escape, his sword light shing as he propelled them upward. But the blood-red curtain blocked their path, forcing them back.

    "How does it feel?" A sinister voice echoed around them.

    It was Sun Fu. He sneered as he watched the two trapped within the formation. "How does the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Demon Formation I prepared for you taste?"

    Though the Sun brothers were also within the formation, the sinister blood energy only served to enhance the strength of their corpse servants rather than weaken them.

    As the bloody evil energy in the formation thickened, the effects of the Evil Breaking Pills Luis and Zhou Mubai had taken began to falter.

    The two were forced to use their true energy and magic power to fend off the encroaching evil energy.

 Chapter 176 Body Transformed into Light

    "No, if we continue like this, once our mana and essence are depleted, we''re done for!"

    Zhou Mubai''s face turned serious. "That Corpse Servant is yours!"

    With that, a sh of sword light enveloped the Sun brothers and two of the corpse servants.

    The Sun brothers, knowing Zhou Mubai''s formidable power, didn''t panic. They were fully aware that Luis and Zhou Mubai were trapped within the formation. There was no need to engage in a direct confrontation¡ªthey simply had to wait. The formation would gradually drain their true energy and magic power, leaving them defenseless.

    At that point, the two would be helpless prey,pletely at their mercy.

    Sun Fu sneered as he thought about Zhou Mubai''s identity as a sword cultivator. ''I wonder, will a corpse servant made from a swordsman be stronger than the others?''

    This sinister thought lingered in his mind, shaped by the moment he and his brother were transformed into zombies by their master, God Killer. That transformation had twisted them beyond recognition.

    Now, Sun Fu''s sole desire was to turn everyone in the world into zombies.

    ''If everyone is the same, what does it matter that zombies can''t feel pain, touch, taste, or even possess a soul?''

    To him, self-awareness was unnecessary for corpse servants. All that mattered was their obedience, their role as puppets for their masters.

    The only reason Sun Fu and his brother retained their self-awareness was because their master needed them toplete the task of conquering Cangzhou.

    Their master, however, was maddeningly cautious, refusing to leave theirir or take risks. Instead, all responsibilities had fallen on the two brothers.

    To achieve this mission, servants without self-awareness were insufficient.

    This tiny concession¡ªbeing allowed to retain their minds¡ªwas the only fragment of fortune the two brothers had left.

    Now, Rays of punches fell like meteors and hit the silver body of the Zombie.

    But this zombie is not only protected by spiritual armor, but also has a strong physical body.

    Luis felt that the opponent''s body was even more terrifying than that of monsters of the same level, and had no sense of pain.

    After Luis punched, the attack power of it definitely reached the limit of foundation building monster.

    His only weakness might be the attack power, there is no sharpness in his punch but more blunt.

    It is not like sword cultivator. Read new adventures at empire

    That''s right, As a sword cultivator, defense once again became their weakness.

    But this is also the shoring of all sword practitioners in the world.

    Because sword cultivation focuses on attacking and emphasizes attacking instead of defending.

    If even the sword cultivator''s attack cannot break the opponent''s defense, it proves that the gap between the two sides is already huge, and it doesn''t make much difference whether to defend or not.

    Thinking of this, He nced at Zhou Mubai''s battle circle.

    As if they were afraid of Zhou Mubai''s attacking methods, the Sun brothers'' fighting style was quite cowardly, trying their best to avoid direct confrontation with the opponent.

    If they really have to fight hard, several zombies will work together to fight.

    Fight till now, Zhou Mubai did cut off one of the hands of the two zombies.

    But as the blood evil energy was replenished, Luis discovered that the zombie''s hand had actually grown back.

    It is like his own power.

    Luis immediately saw the problem.

    Every time Zhou Mubai wanted to kill a zombie to break the bnce ofbat power between the two sides.

    The Sun brothers tried their best to intercept.

    With the perfect strength of its brother, even if Zhou Mubai could defeat them, he would have to work hard.

    Every time there was a dy, the zombie crisis was resolved, allowing the Sun brothers to continue their guerri tactics against Zhou Mubai.

    Luis finally pieced it together.

    The two zombie brothers working together could barely fend off Zhou Mubai''s attacks.

    This exined why they had chosen to ambush Zhou Mubai¡ªthey knew a single strike from his sword could end them. It was likely they would have fled the moment they sensed his presence if not for the trap.

    Understanding this, Luis made up his mind. Dodging a zombie''s attack, he shouted, "Brother Zhou, I''ll hold off one of the brothers. Focus on the other zombies!"

    Zhou Mubai was initially surprised but quickly realized it was their best option. With no time to hesitate, he nodded.

    "Alright!"

    In the next moment, Luis turned into a blur, charging toward Zhou Mubai''s battle circle with the zombie he was fighting.

    Zhou Mubai seized the opening. A brilliant sword beam sliced through the sky, stretching hundreds of feet and blinding everyone with its brilliance.

    For a moment, nothing else in the world seemed to exist¡ªonly the radiant sword light.

    Even the bloody miasma of the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Array was pushed back by the sheer force of the strike.

    The sword light finally collided with the blood-red barrier of the formation, creating ripples before fading away.

    Seeing this, Zhou Mubai''s heart sank slightly, but he remained resolute.

    He had achieved his objective.

    The massive sword strike forcibly separated the Sun brothers, who had previously been inseparable.

    Sun Fu hesitated for a moment before flying upward, attempting to reunite with his brother.

    But Zhou Mubai wasn''t about to let that happen.

    With a swift sh of sword light, he rejoined the offensive, drawing the zombie that had been fighting Luis into his attack range.

    "Here you go!"

    Luis''s face lit up with determination. Without hesitation, heunched a devastating punch at the broad-faced zombie attempting to reach Sun Fu.

    BOOM!

    The zombie''s head shattered instantly, destroyed by the sheer force of Luis''s blow.

    "Um?"

    Sun Mang looked at Luis, surprised to see him attacking. He grinned, revealing a bloody mouth full of sharp fangs. A golden light flickered deep within his pupils, exuding tyranny and cruelty.

    "Hehe! You''ve killed so many, and now you think you can stop me? Just you?"

    Hearing this, Luis took a deep breath and nodded. "Just me!"

    "How brave!"

    Sun Mang roared, immediately throwing a punch at Luis.

    Matching his aggression, Luis retaliated with his own punch, as he had done with the zombie before.

    "Not bad!"

    Sun Mang''s expression darkened as he felt the force of Luis''s blow. Though his zombie body felt no pain, the impact left an impression. The two exchanged a flurry of powerful strikes.

    But Sun Mang quickly lost interest. "No, I can''t waste my time on you, kid."

    His eyes darted toward Sun Fu, who was struggling under Zhou Mubai''s relentless assault.

    Forming a hand seal, Sun Mang''s aura surged dramatically, nearly reaching the level of a Half-Step Golden Core.

    Now, Luis faced not only Sun Mang but also three additional zombies surrounding him.

    Luis''s mind raced, calcting his next move.

    Suddenly, Sun Mang let out a sinisterugh. "Hehehe! I''m stronger than ever now. Go to hell!"@@novelbin@@

    With that, his body shot forward like a bolt of lightning, moving three times faster than before.

    At that moment, Luis appeared frozen in ce, as though paralyzed with fear.

    "Boom!"

    Sun Mang''s ws tore through the air with a deafening explosion. The ck, ink-like ws were as sharp as swords, slicing through Luis''s body in an instant.

    But there was no blood.

    "An afterimage?"

    Sun Mang snarled, spinning around. His golden eyes scanned the area, and he froze.

    In the rain-soaked battlefield spanning thousands of feet, countless figures of Luis appeared before him.

    "This..."

    Sun Mang was momentarily stunned. As a zombie devoid of a soul, hecked spiritual awareness. He couldn''t distinguish which of the "Luis" was real.

    To make matters worse, some of the "Luis" flickered and vanished, while new ones appeared in their ce, further confusing him.

    So frustrating!

    This was a short-rangebat technique Luis had created after bing a Foundation Builder.

    The technique was not only lightning-fast but also incredibly effective at confusing opponents.

    Just like now.

    The hundreds of "Luis" figures before Sun Mang left him utterly irritated. He couldn''t discern which were real and which were illusions.

    However, the technique came at a cost¡ªit required immense physical strength. Fortunately, Luis had practiced body-strengthening exercises extensively, enabling him to master this demanding movement.

    He called it Body Transformed into Light.

    As Sun Mang swiped and tore through figure after figure, he realized none of them were real. Meanwhile, Luis''s illusions multiplied, their movements blending seamlessly into the rain until it seemed like the very downpour had turned into sword energy clinging to Sun Mang.

    "How ridiculous! How ridiculous!"

    Sun Mang roared in frustration, his voice echoing across the battlefield. Luis''s "shameless" fighting style¡ªusing speed and deception¡ªinfuriated him to no end.

    Though Luis''s raw strength was far inferior, he was effortlessly toying with Sun Mang. The humiliation burned deeply.

    In this moment of anger, Sun Mang found himself yearning for the spiritual sense he once possessed as a human cultivator.

    "If I still had my spiritual sense, how could I be tricked like this?" he thought. "I''d see through this nonsense in an instant!"

    But what Sun Mang didn''t realize was that even spiritual sense wouldn''t have guaranteed sess against Luis. Luis had honed the art of concealing his presence to an exceptionally high level. Even cultivators with keen spiritual senses would struggle to discern reality from illusion in his technique.

 Chapter 178 Escape

    The two zombies vanishedpletely, leaving no trace behind.

    At the same time, the light from the Soul-Fixing Divine Pearl enveloped Luis.

    In that instant, Luis felt a strange energy invading his sea of consciousness, attempting to imprison it.

    But then, the mysterious vortex within his sea of consciousness stirred slightly.

    With just that faint tremor, the restraining force dissolved instantly, as though it had never existed.

    To the outside world, it appeared as if the Soul-Fixing Divine Light had no effect on Luis.

    "How is this possible?!" Sun Fu''s expression twisted in disbelief.

    His master had assured him that even though the Soul-Fixing Divine Pearl was a replica, it could immobilize a Golden Core cultivator for at least three breaths of time.

    Luis, being merely at the Foundation Building stage, should have been frozen without resistance.

    Stay connected through empire

    "Was my master lying to me? Impossible!"

    Sun Fu quickly shook his head. His master had no reason to deceive him.

    That left only one exnation:

    Luis must possess an extremely rare treasure hidden within his sea of consciousness, one capable of negating the Soul-Fixing Divine Light.

    Realizing this, Sun Fu cursed his own misfortune.

    "If I''d known, I would''ve used the Soul-Fixing Divine Light on Zhou Mubai instead!"

    He had avoided targeting Zhou Mubai out of fear that Zhou might possess a treasure to protect himself. Luis, on the other hand, had seemed like an easier target.

    But now, it was clear he had made a grave mistake.

    Meanwhile, Zhou Mubai struck again, dispatching two more zombies with a single sword.

    His cold gaze then turned to Sun Fu, whose face paled in terror. Without hesitation, Sun Fu turned and fled.

    Zhou Mubai made no move to pursue him.

    Instead, he raised his head to the bloody light curtain hanging ominously in the sky.

    Taking a deep breath, he summoned all the magic power within his dantian.

    A gleam appeared in his eyes¡ªa sign that he was activating a spiritual pupil secret technique.@@novelbin@@

    "Found it!" he muttered under his breath.

    Through the haze of the blood-red barrier, Zhou Mubai pinpointed a weak spot in the light curtain.

    Without wasting time, he raised his hand, and a massive green lotus materialized above him.

    The lotus floated for a moment, its petals shimmering with power, before it descended upon the blood-red light curtain.

    "Ka-ka-ka!"

    The blue lotus petals continued to bloom, and the blood-red light curtain groaned under the immense pressure.

    Cracks spread across its surface like spiderwebs, the sound of shattering growing louder with each passing moment.

    "Bang!"

    With a thunderous explosion, the blood-colored light curtain broke apart, leaving a massive gap in its once-imposing barrier.

    Seeing this, Zhou Mubai''s face lit up with joy. His eyes scanned the battlefield, and with a sh of insight, he pinpointed Luis''s true location amidst the chaos.

    Realizing Zhou Mubai had found Luis, Sun Mang, his eyes bloodshot with rage, charged recklessly toward the two of them.

    "Roll!" Zhou Mubai roared, his voice like a de slicing through the air.

    With a single swing of his sword, a beam of light hundreds of feet long shed toward Sun Mang.

    The attack was devastating.

    Sun Mang was sted over ten miles away, tumbling like a ragdoll.

    The sheer force of the strike left the once-mad Sun Mang stunned. For the first time, a flicker of fear entered his crimson eyes as he looked at Zhou Mubai.

    Too powerful!

    If that sword strike had been slightly stronger, it would have shattered his corpse pill¡ªthe very core of his existence.

    Unlike broken limbs, which could be regenerated, a shattered corpse pill meant certain death.

    "Leave!" Zhou Mubaimanded.

    He didn''t waste time chasing Sun Mang. Instead, he grabbed Luis, and the two of them flew toward the gap in the blood-red light curtain.

    Finally, just as the curtain began to close, Zhou Mubai and Luis slipped through the opening and escaped.

    Outside the formation, Luis turned to look at Zhou Mubai and noticed his pale face, drained of all color.

    It was clear that the powerful techniques Zhou Mubai had unleashed came at a great cost.

    It wasn''t surprising.

    First, he had ughtered countless zombies with his sword. Then, he broke through the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Formation, a feat said to be impossible even for Golden Core cultivators.

    And before leaving, he delivered a devastating blow to Sun Mang, a being who had nearly achieved the Half-Step Golden Core stage.

    After this outburst, even with Zhou Mubai''s cultivation level, his magic power was nearly depleted.

    To make matters worse, the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Formation constantly drained both their true essence and magic power.

    "Brother Zhou, are you okay?" Luis asked, concern evident in his voice.

    Zhou Mubai shook his head, a faint smile of relief crossing his face. "I''m fine, thanks to you. If I hadn''t brought you along this time, I might not have made it out alive."

    He paused, his expression darkening as he recalled the battle.

    "The situation earlier¡­ Even an early Golden Core cultivator might have fallen to the Sun brothers. Inside the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Formation, as long as you can''t kill them instantly, they recover almost immediately using the power of the blood evil. It''s as if they''re immortal."

    He sighed heavily.

    "With the support of those zombies and the array weakening the strength of human cultivators, they might actually be able to grind an early Golden Core cultivator to death. If I had been alone, my chances of survival would have been less than thirty percent."

    Zhou Mubai looked at Luis, his expression softening.

    "Fortunately, you distracted the one of the brother for me. Without that, we would''ve faced near-certain death. This was the closest I''ve evere to disaster."

    He shook his head grimly.

    "In the cultivation world, countless powerful cultivators have been trapped by formations like this¡ªworn down and killed by groups of weaker enemies. I never imagined I''d find myself in such a predicament."

    Meanwhile, on a small ind near Lotus Ind, Zhao Yuanhuan was pacing anxiously. He knew there was nothing he could do to help and could only wait for news of Zhou Mubai.

    The current situation was clearly beyond his abilities.

    Just then, a streak of light appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching.

    Before Zhao Yuanhuan could react, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him.

    Thest word he heard before losing awareness was, "Go."

    When he regained his senses, he realized he was already standing on Zhou Mubai''s flying sword. The two of them were soaring through the skies, thousands of miles away from danger.

    Zhou Mubai finally exhaled deeply, a sign of relief breaking through his tense demeanor.

    "Senior Zhou," Zhao Yuanhuan began, his voice urgent, "what is the situation within my n?"

    Hearing this, both Zhou Mubai and Luis fell silent, their expressions dimming with sorrow.

    Zhou Mubai ced a hand on Zhao Yuanhuan''s frail shoulder and said solemnly, "Friend Zhao, please ept my condolences."

    Zhao Yuanhuan''s body stiffened as if struck by a heavy blow. His voice trembled with desperation. "Senior Zhou, what do you mean by ''condolences''? Are all the cultivators of my Zhao family¡­"

    Nearby, Luis spoke softly, yet his tone carried the weight of the tragedy. "It''s not just the Zhao family cultivators. Even the ordinary members of your n¡­"

    "No!"

    The word tore from Zhao Yuanhuan''s throat, raw and anguished. His body convulsed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Despair filled his eyes, and his face turned ashen.

    He was thest surviving member of the Zhao family.

    A once-thriving n of millions had been annihted in a single day.

    Seeing Zhao Yuanhuan copse into despair, neither Zhou Mubai nor Luis knew how to console him.

    Or perhaps, they realized, no words could offerfort to a man whose entire family¡ªhis entire world¡ªhad been destroyed.

    For Zhao Yuanhuan, the only sce would have been vengeance: to hunt down and destroy the murderers of his n. But cruelly, hecked the strength to do so.

    At this moment, Zhao Yuanhuan''s will to live crumbled.

    His eyes grew increasingly lifeless, the spark of hope extinguished.

    By the time they arrived at Lingbei Ind, Zhao Yuanhuan sat rigidly on Zhou Mubai''s flying sword, unmoving.

    Luis leaned closer, his voice tentative. "Daoist Zhao?"

    Zhou Mubai shook his head. "He''s gone."

    Luis stared in disbelief. "Dead?"

    "Not from exhaustion," Zhou Mubai said grimly. "From despair."

    Luis''s thoughts drifted to the mountain basin filled with corpses. A surge of uncontroble anger burned within him.

    Kneeling in front of Zhao Yuanhuan''s lifeless body, Luis whispered with quiet determination, "Friend Zhao, rest assured. We will avenge your Zhao family."

    Behind him, Zhou Mubai remained silent, lost in thought, his expression unreadable.

    After flying for some time, they finally reached Limbe Ind¡ªthend of the Zhou family.

    This was Luis''s first time stepping into the Zhou family''s territory.

    He had always heard that the Zhou family''s domain was like an immortal paradise, a perfect haven for spiritual practice.

    But seeing it in person today, he realized it was even more breathtaking than the rumors had described.

 Chapter 179 Message To Qianyuan Sword Sect

    I had always heard that the Zhou family''snd was a haven for spiritual practice, akin to an immortal paradise.

    But seeing it today, I realized the rumors didn''t do it justice¡ªit was far more magnificent than I could have imagined.

    The spiritual energy emanating from the fourth-level spiritual vein wasn''t just abundant; it was pure, akin to the spiritual energy Luis had once filtered using the Water Spirit Pearl.

    What was even more astonishing was that this purity had not been artificially enhanced by the Water Spirit Pearl. This meant that if the Zhou family cultivators chose, they could further refine the spiritual energy using the Pearl, achieving unparalleled cultivation results.

    And this was without even mentioning the other cultivation resources the Zhou family possessed. The fourth-level spiritual vein alone was unique in the entire Guang''an Prefecture.

    Inparison, the other three major families¡ªthe Yang family, the Wu family, and the now-exterminated Zhao family¡ªeach relied on third-level spiritual veins for their cultivation needs.

    Within the Zhou family''s domain, atop the tallest mountain in the grand Lingshan Pce, Luis and Zhou Mubai stood before the family patriarch, Zhou Minghao.

    Inside the pce, Zhou Minghao listened intently as Zhou Mubai narrated the events.

    "Are you saying that the annihtion of the Zhao family might have been orchestrated by Master Shen Jue?" Zhou Minghao asked, frowning deeply.

    Zhou Mubai nodded firmly. "It''s not just possible; it''s highly likely."

    He paused, then added, "The Soul-Fixing Divine Light is a unique magical ability passed down to Shen Jue from the immortals of the upper realm. No one in the entire Ten Thousand Star Sea possesses this ability, not even the Qianyuan Sword Sect."

    Zhou Minghao considered this, then nodded. "That makes sense. The Qianyuan Sword Sect is known for trading its core martial arts, including the Qianyuan Sword Scripture, for military merits. It''s unlikely they would hide an ability as extraordinary as a divine magical power from the immortals."

    Luis asked, "Is it possible that these two zombies stumbled upon the God Killer Mansion by chance, inherited its legacy, andter turned into zombies due to unforeseen circumstances?"

    "It''s not impossible," Zhou Mubai replied thoughtfully, "but it''s highly unlikely. Typically, when people be zombies, they lose their intelligence entirely. For a zombie to regain any semnce of consciousness, it must at least reach the Golden Core stage.

    "To achieve this, a zombie must endure a thunder tribtion that is ten times more intense than the one faced by human cultivators. This is one of the reasons why evil entities rarely be truly formidable. Thunder tribtions act as a natural deterrent."

    He paused, his brows furrowed in contemtion. "However, these two zombies, despite only being at the Foundation Establishment stage, still possess consciousness. This suggests they were deliberately refined to retain their intelligence. The one responsible for their refinement is most likely the God Killer from four hundred years ago."

    For a moment, Zhou Mubai seemed to have pieced everything together.

    With just the presence of a replica Soul-Fixing Divine Pearl, it became evident that Master Shen Jue was still alive.

    This revtion was nothing short of shocking.

    Zhou Minghao and Zhou Mubai''s faces turned grave.

    Luis, however, appeared rtively calm. Given his limited understanding of the Shen Jue Rebellion, he didn''t grasp the full gravity of the situation. In his mind, no matter how powerful Master Shen Jue might be, he posed no real threat to him.

    "Patriarch, should we report this to the Qianyuan Sword Sect?" Zhou Mubai asked, his voice tinged with worry as he bowed respectfully.

    For a long moment, Zhou Minghao remained silent, deep in thought. Finally, he sighed and said, "Yes, report it. This matter exceeds the Zhou family''s ability to handle alone."

    Hearing this, Zhou Mubai visibly rxed. He was relieved that the patriarch didn''t intend to face this threat using only their family''s strength but had chosen to seek the Qianyuan Sword Sect''s assistance.

    Later, Luis witnessed the Zhou family''smunication formation for the first time.

    He marveled at its intricate design, realizing that in this world, if a power wanted to govern its territory effectively, it needed not only military might but also robustmunication capabilities to manage the forces within its domain.

    Transportation andmunication are two critical aspects of maintaining control over a territory.

    In terms of transportation, the higher a cultivator''s cultivation level, the faster their movement capabilities be. For instance, if Luis had traveled to this location by boat in the past, the journey would have taken about a month. However, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had learned how to fly using light energy, drastically reducing travel time.

    The speed of higher-level cultivators is even more astonishing. Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators can cover immense distances in a fraction of the time. Even though Guang''an Prefecture is millions of miles from the territories directly governed by the Qianyuan Sword Sect, a Nascent Soul cultivator flying at full speed could make the journey in less than a day.

    The second critical element of maintaining control ismunication.

    After witnessing Zhou Minghaomunicate with the Qianyuan Sword Sect using amunication formation, Luis realized how advanced this system was. Compared to the green scale Luo Li had left him¡ªwhich allowed for sensing andmunication within a limited range of ten thousand miles¡ªthe Zhou family''smunication array enabled real-time textmunication over much greater distances.

    The system worked seamlessly: one party would send a message, and the recipient could quickly respond. Of course, the response speed often depended on how quickly decisions were made on the other end.

    For instance, after Zhou Minghao sent a message to the Qianyuan Sword Sect, it seemed as though the message had sunk into the depths of the sea¡ªno response came immediately. However, both Zhou Minghao and Zhou Mubai were well aware that the leaders of the Qianyuan Sword Sect were likely deliberating on the issue.

    Whether they decided to send a Nascent Soul cultivator to oversee Guang''an Prefecture or took other actions, a response from the sect was inevitable. It was merely a matter of time.

    ------

    Qianyuan Sword Sect

    Within a serene celestial cave brimming with spiritual energy, a solitary figure sat in a magnificent pce perched atop the clouds.

    Dressed in a simple cotton and linen robe, the woman exuded an aura of elegance. Her long, lustrous hair cascaded to her waist and hips, tied casually with a gold thread. She sat upright, her gaze fixed on the cranes gracefully dancing above the sea of clouds outside the window. Her expression remained calm, though her thoughts seemed far away.

    At that moment, the space behind her rippled like water. A young Taoist priest, d in a pristine white robe and bearing an air of unruliness, stepped through the shimmering portal with ease.

    "Senior Sister, you called for me?" he asked.

    "Hmm," she responded, her voice steady andposed. "The little mouse in Cangzhou has been hiding for four hundred years. It has finally made a move."

    Hearing this, the young man''s impatience vanished, reced by a sharp intensity.

    "Oh? That little mouse finally showed itself?" he said, a sly grin forming on his face. "Hiding in that barren secret space for four hundred years¡ªwasn''t he bored out of his mind?"

    The young man''s face lit up with a smug grin. "If it were me, I''de out to breathe even if it killed me. That lowly creature."

    The long-haired woman frowned slightly at his words.

    Noticing her displeasure, the young Taoist quickly begged for forgiveness. "It was a slip of the tongue, Senior Sister! You know how it is. Those beasts in the Ten Thousand Star Sea are nothing but a pack of lowly creatures. If you don''t keep them in check with a firm hand, they''ll cause chaos."

    After a moment, he chuckled and said, "Well, I''m off to catch that mouse. Goodbye, Senior Sister!"@@novelbin@@

    With that, the young Taoist tore through space once more, stepping into the shimmering rift and vanishing from sight.

    As the disturbance settled, the long-haired woman turned her gaze back to the sea of clouds outside the window.

    "Once we catch this rat, we''ll put everything into reiming the Izumo Kingdom," she murmured, her toneced with sorrow. "Master, I will fulfill your wish. Do you see it?"

    Her voice hung in the air, soft and somber, before fading into silence.

    Inside the Zhou Family''s Meeting Hall

    For the Zhou family, this was the first time an outsider like Luis had been invited to participate in a trial.

    Luis was fully aware that his presence here was due to the strength and potential he had disyed earlier.

    If Zhou Minghao, the head of the Zhou family, had not heard Zhou Mubai recount how Luis had held his own against a zombie with the strength of a Half-Step Golden Core in the Ten Thousand Corpses Blood Evil Array, he would never have taken him so seriously.

    In Zhou Minghao''s eyes, Luis'' talent was even more remarkable than that of the Zhou family''s own prodigy, Zhou Mubai.

    After all, when Zhou Mubai was in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, he would never have been able to contend with a Half-Step Golden Core opponent¡ªlet alone face one head-on ande out unscathed.

 Chapter 181 Yang Family Apology

    Luis had a hunch that confronting the God Killer Shen Jue would not be resolved in just a day or a night, even with the hidden preparations made by the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    The fact that this man had managed to remain hidden for four hundred years was proof of his cunning and despicable nature.

    Without absolute certainty, Luis would never confront him personally, nor would he risk his family. After all, the target was a Golden Core Cultivator.

    A Few Hours Later

    Luis''s escape light descended outside Lingzhou City.

    As he approached the city gates, a cultivator from the Yang family, who had been waiting there, immediately recognized him.

    The man appeared middle-aged, with a handsome face and a demeanor that was quite pleasing to the eye.

    "Are you Luis Hartmann from the Hartmann family, Fellow Daoist?" the man asked.

    "And you are?"

    Luis didn''t recognize the man at first but noted from his attire that he was likely from the Yang family.

    The middle-aged cultivator cupped his hands and smiled politely. "Fellow Daoist, please don''t misunderstand. This is our first meeting. I''ve been waiting here on the orders of our n leader."

    "Oh? An order from Patriarch Yang?"

    Luis''s curiosity was piqued.

    "That''s correct, Fellow Daoist. Please, follow me."

    The man gestured invitingly.

    Luis nodded. "Lead the way, Fellow Daoist."

    This was Lingzhou City, a rtively safe ce. Besides, with his skill and confidence, Luis wasn''t worried about anyone impersonating a Yang family cultivator to harm him.

    One Stick of Incense Later

    The two escape lights stopped outside the Yang family''s estate.

    This was Luis''s first visit to their territory, and as he stood there, he couldn''t help but form some guesses about why the Yang family wanted to meet him.

    Most likely, they had taken notice of him¡ªa rising powerhouse in Guang''an Prefecture¡ªand were looking to invest in him early or establish ties with the Hartmann family.

    The reason why prominent families manage to maintain their standing for generations isn''t just due to their heritage. Invisible personal connections are another critical factor in ensuring their legacy endures.

    For example, Luis and Zhou Mubai shared a life-and-death bond. If the Zhou family were ever in trouble and Zhou Mubai sought Luis''s help, could he simply turn his back?

    Obviously not.

    This was precisely what the Yang family was aiming for at the moment.

    Although it might be a littlete to invest in Luis now, it was still better than doing nothing, right?

    With Yang Linyuan''s intelligence, how could he not understand this principle?

    Shortly After

    Luis found himself standing before the head of the Yang family by Linghu Lake.

    What surprised him, however, was that in addition to the white-haired Yang Linyuan, a middle-aged man was also present, engaged in a close conversation with him.

    Beside the two men stood a strikingly beautiful woman, her demeanor suggesting she was more than just a maid.

    Luis immediately recognized her as Yang Gongwan, the talented cultivator of the Yang family.

    "Uncle Oliver!"

    From a distance, Luis called out.

    Hearing the voice, Oliver turned his head, nced at Luis, and smiled. Turning back to Yang Linyuan, he said, "Brother Yang, I was just speaking of my nephew, and here he is."

    "Hahaha!"

    Yang Linyuanughed heartily, stood up, and bowed slightly toward Luis. "Fellow Daoist, how are you?"

    "Thank you for your concern, Senior Yang. I am doing well," Luis replied calmly.

    "Since the young master of the Hartmann family is here, Wan''er, why don''t you apologize?"

    As he spoke, Yang Linyuan gave Yang Gongwan a meaningful nce.

    At this, Yang Gongwan bit her lip lightly before bowing her head. "Wan''er acted improperly a few days ago, attempting to sow discord between the Hartmann and Wu families. It was a truly shameful act. I beg for your forgiveness, Fellow Daoist Luis."

    She raised her gaze, her eyes brimming with a pitiful expression as she looked at Luis.

    Luis, momentarily confused, turned to Uncle Oliver for rification. Oliver met his gaze and exined the situation through spiritual consciousness.

    Finally, the context became clear to Luis.

    From Yang Gongwan''s perspective, it was understandable why she wanted to sow discord between the Hartmann and Wu families.

    Lingzhou City was dominated by the Yang family, but the supply of magical instruments was primarily controlled by the Wu family. This effectively gave the Wu family a stranglehold on one of the city''s vital lifelines.

    Naturally, this made the Yang family uneasy. They were desperate to find a new force to counterbnce the Wu family''s monopoly over Lingzhou City''s magic weapon market.

    The Hartmann family was the ideal candidate for this role.

    By creating conflict between the Hartmann and Wu families, Yang Gongwan aimed to prevent any potential alliance that might lead to a joint monopoly over the market.

    However, from Luis''s perspective

    Yang Gongwan''s actions appeared childish and shortsighted.

    Both the Hartmann and Wu families were renowned for their weapon-refining expertise. The absence of major conflict between the two was primarily due to their specialization in different market segments.

    The Hartmann family focused on the low-end magic weapon market, while the Wu family catered to customers seeking high-quality first-grade and second-grade magic weapons.

    Additionally, the Wu family''s customer base consistedrgely of other influential families, while the Hartmann family served broader, less elite clientele.

    Still, as the Hartmann family''s weapon-refining skills improved and their number of refiners grew, a sh with the Wu family seemed inevitable.

    The only way to avoid such a conflict would be for both families to expand their markets beyond Guang''an Prefecture.

    Expanding outside Guang''an Prefecture, however, required more than just exceptional products¡ªit demanded an impable family reputation.

    Without such standing, entering another family''s territory could lead to suppression or outright hostility.

    Currently, only the Zhou family in Guang''an Prefecture possessed the influence and resources necessary to expand their business across the entire Cangzhou region.

    Even the Yang family, the secondrgest family in Guang''an Prefecture, had limited their business to monopolizing shipping within the prefecture, unable to expand into other regions.

    "It''s just a small matter. Since you have apologized sincerely, don''t worry about it," Luis said calmly.@@novelbin@@

    Hearing this, Yang Linyuan chuckled and added, "Yes, grudges can often be resolved through open dialogue. However, my Yang family was at fault, and a simple apology would be insufficient."

    He turned to Yang Gongwan and said, "Wan''er, bring out the gift."

    "Oh," Yang Gongwan responded yfully. Without hesitation, she retrieved a sword case from her storage bag.

    She opened the sword case in full view of everyone.

    A surge of sword energy erupted into the air, dazzling those present. As the energy gradually subsided, a radiant flying sword with overflowing spiritual light emerged.

    "A Level 3 flying sword!"

    Luis''s eyes widened in shock. Turning to Yang Linyuan, he sped his hands respectfully and said, "Senior Yang, forgive my bluntness, but this apology is far too valuable. I cannot ept such a treasure without merit."

    "Well," Yang Linyuan sighed deeply, shaking his head. "It seems the Hartmann family is still unwilling to forgive my Wan''er."

    "This..."

    Luis hesitated. Rejecting the gift felt almost impossible now.

    This was a third-level flying sword¡ªa top-quality one at that! If sold at auction, it would fetch no less than a million spirit stones.

    That the Yang family would offer such a treasure as an apology was staggering.

    Forparison, even Zhou Mubai''s renowned flying sword was merely a third-grade upper-tier weapon.

    Luis''s thoughts raced. He knew that while the value of this sword was immense, it wasn''t just about the money. Such treasures were exceedingly rare and required immense luck to obtain, even if one could afford them.

    Though tempted, Luis struggled to make a decision, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

    Seeing Luis remain silent, Yang Linyuan quickly recognized his hesitation.

    Cupping his hands respectfully, he spoke with a solemn tone, "Fellow Daoist Luis, please don''t worry. Our Yang family is offering this gift for two reasons. First, Wan''er acted recklessly a few days ago, and we owe you an apology. Second, we genuinely wish to establish a good rtionship with the Hartmann family. There are no ulterior motives."

    "Just to establish a good rtionship?" Luis asked, his tone skeptical.

    Yang Linyuan nodded firmly. "That''s all."

    He had said all he could. If Luis refused again, he truly wouldn''t know how to proceed.

    After all, thest thing he wanted was to be subjected to another threat from that imposing Oliver standing nearby.

    Luis nced at the sword case, which Yang Gongwan now held out respectfully with both hands. His gaze lingered as he reached for the third-grade, top-tier flying sword, its spiritual light radiating magnificently. For a moment, he studied it carefully, awestruck.

    Although he wasn''t a sword practitioner, Luis had a deep appreciation for swords, particrly after watching Zhou Mubai''s fights.

    This flying sword was undoubtedly the finest he had everid eyes on.

    Whenpared to the two flying swords crafted within his barony, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth.

 Chapter 183 Modern Alchemy

    Of course, once war breaks out, there is no such thing as absolute safety.

    After all, this is the Sea of Ten Thousand Stars.

    These zombies are not ordinary enemies¡ªthey can fly, burrow underground, and adapt to almost any environment. They are capable ofunching aerial assaults or infiltrating the underwater territories of the major families.

    That said, such tactics are umon.

    The reason is simple: like the wars fought by cultivators, a structured and strategic approach is essential.

    When cultivators wage war, they build immortal cities as they advance. These cities are not just fortresses¡ªthey provide spiritual energy to sustain the cultivators'' armies and act as logistical hubs.

    Logistical support includes magical instruments, spiritual armor, talismans, and a variety of elixirs. Without these, thebat effectiveness of a cultivator''s army would plummet to dangerously low levels. Forget aboutunching invasions¡ªthey would struggle just to survive against an enemy attack.

    The same principle applies to these malevolent beings.@@novelbin@@

    Read exclusive adventures at empire

    Zombies, too, require resources to maintain their fighting capabilities. For them, the key resource is corpse qi, stored in their corpse pills.

    And where does corpse qie from? It is derived by refining the surrounding evil qi.

    As such, the tide of corpses must advance methodically, much like an army of cultivators. They require a foundation, such as the Zhao family''s third-level Yin Vein, to draw upon for continuous attacks. As they spread, they convert surrounding spiritual veins into Yin Veins, further fueling their advance.

    From this perspective, the first to be affected will likely be the Wu family and the Zhou family, given their proximity to the Zhao family''s territory.

    Of course, there''s always the possibility that the zombie horde will bypass Guang''an Prefecture entirely and head straight for Cangzhou Fairy City.

    However, Cangzhou Fairy City is the ancestral home of the Ye family.

    The Ye family is the most powerful family in Cangzhou. For just two zombies to attempt to cause trouble for them would be nothing short of courting death.

    Even if Master Shen Jue had left sufficient backup ns for the Sun brothers, it would be nearly impossible for them to disrupt Cangzhou Fairy City from the outset.

    If Luis were in their ce, his strategy would be different. He would focus on gradually swallowing up Guang''an Prefecture, converting all its spiritual veins into Yin Veins. Then, with a refined army of zombies, he wouldunch a decisive attack on Cangzhou Fairy City.

    Only through such a step-by-step approach could all of Cangzhou be transformed into a zombie nation.

    Thus, the next target for the Sun brothers is most likely the Wu family.

    The Zhou family is too strong for them to contend with. On the other hand, the Wu family presents an ideal target¡ªthey have arge poption butck the strength to pose a significant threat.

    Of course, the Zhou family won''t sit idly by. They will likely rally their allies in Guang''an Prefecture to form a coalition and prepare for an assault on the corpse-refining base at Lotus Ind.

    As Luis and Oliver descended onto Hartmann Ind, the familiarnd beneath their feet brought a sense of security and fulfillment.

    "Go ahead and take care of your tasks. I''ll meet with my brother to discuss this situation," Oliver said, turning to Luis.

    However, Luis stopped him, a serious expression on his face.

    "Uncle, I believe the situation has changed," Luis said. "I''m afraid we need to reconsider the step-by-step n we originally devised."

    "You mean?" Oliver asked, his brows furrowed in thought.

    "This is both an opportunity and a danger," Luis exined. "We have the chance to expand outward."

    He knew that with the zombie tide erupting, Hartmann Ind could face imminent danger. The days of slow and steady development were over.

    "We need to move forward boldly and decisively," Luis concluded.

    Luis knew that a disaster would erupt in Guang''an Prefecture and spread across the region.

    Although the Zhou family would likely form a coalition to destroy the corpse-refining site on Lotus Ind, Luis remained skeptical.

    Based on what he had learned about the Shen Jue Rebellion from ancient texts, the zombies created by the God Killer Shen Jue were not so easily eradicated by the cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture.

    There was a high likelihood that the conflict would devolve into a prolonged war.

    The Hartmann family had no choice but to strengthen their position at all costs.

    As for keeping a low profile and hiding their strength, Luis dismissed such notions entirely.

    Now was not the time for caution. If the Sun brothers dared to attack Hartmann Ind with their corpse servants, the vortex might protect a select few, but the losses to others would be catastrophic.

    In a moment of life and death, there was no room for hesitation or subtlety.

    Luis had no illusions about hiding Hartmann Ind''s location from the Sun brothers. That would be as futile as trying to cover one''s ears while stealing a bell.

    Oliver, understanding the gravity of the situation, immediately agreed with Luis'' proposal.

    "Luis, you''re in charge of all family affairs in this world. Leave the matters of the other world to your father for now," Oliver said firmly.

    When Luis opened his mouth to respond, Oliver raised a hand, cutting him off.

    "Don''t worry too much. Everything is progressing well there," Oliver assured him.

    "Uncle¡ª"

    "There''s no need to say more," Oliver interrupted. His tone was serious as he continued, "Just remember, you are now the young head of the Hartmann family. The safety of everyone depends on you."

    Hearing those words, Luis couldn''t help but recall the tragic fate of the Zhao family, whose entire n had been wiped out.

    With a solemn nod, he replied, "I understand, Uncle."

    ------

    Five days passed.

    Luis held the strange, cylindrical magic weapon in his hand, his face glowing with excitement.

    "It really works!" he eximed, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

    Around him, a group of researchers shared his excitement, their expressions mirroring his.

    In the world of immortal cultivation, there are several methods for refining elixirs.

    The mostmon approach is fire alchemy, where alchemists use both civil and martial mes to remove impurities from the ingredients within an alchemy furnace. This process extracts the essence of the materials, which is thenbined to form a pill.

    To simplify, the process of refining elixirs can be broken down into two main steps:

    Removing Impurities: This involves meticulously purging unwanted elements from the ingredients.

    Forming the Pill: Once the essence is purified, it is carefullybined and shaped into a pill.

    Unlike crafting magical tools, these steps are extraordinarily challenging.

    Whether it''s removing impurities or refining the essence into a final product, the process demands extreme precision, with the cultivator relying heavily on their spiritual awareness and true energy.

    Even a minor mistake can lead to failure. If impurities are not thoroughly removed, the resulting elixir will be wed.

    While such wed pills may still retain some medicinal properties, the harmful toxins within can outweigh the benefits¡ªsometimes even proving fatal.

    Simrly, even if the impurities arepletely removed, failure in the final stages can ruin everything. For instance, improper temperature control during the process can cause the mes to burn the ingredients, leaving nothing but ash.

    In short, the failure rate in pill refining is often higher than in artifact crafting.

    Theoretically, a single batch of elixirs can yield up to ten pills.

    However, even the most skilled first-grade alchemist would struggle to achieve this. A few pills are almost always wasted during the process.

    This isn''t due to negligence orck of skill¡ªit''s simply the nature of the craft.

    To divide the elixirs into ten perfect portions, the alchemist must focus on each part simultaneously, ensuring all impurities are removed while refining the essence of each portion into a cohesive pill.

    There''s no room for error at any stage of this intricate process.

    Such an abnormal request is challenging, even for experienced alchemists.

    Luis''s sudden idea, inspired by Earth''s technology and the work of researchers, has paved the way for a groundbreaking solution.

    This marks the first step in alchemy¡ªusing a special tool called a centrifugal wall breaker to remove impurities from the elixir.

    The working principle of this magical device is straightforward yet ingenious. It utilizes the varying densities of ingredients within the elixir. By spinning at high speeds, the centrifugal wall breaker separates theponents into distinctyers.

    Impurities are isted into oneyer.

    The essence of the elixir is concentrated in anotheryer.

    Once the separation isplete, gravity is used to extract the purified essence of the elixir.

    With this tool, alchemists no longer need to divide their focus between controlling mes and removing impurities. They simply wait for the centrifugal wall breaker to release the essence, which can then be refined into a pill.

    Additionally, the device offers flexibility in controlling the process.

    Alchemists skilled in rapid pill-making can adjust the valve to increase the speed at which the essence is released. For those who take a more methodical approach, the speed can be slowed down, making the process adaptable and user-friendly.

    This innovation ensures that no elixirs are wasted, providing a more efficient and reliable method for alchemy.

 Chapter 185 Defense Zone

    Even with the most basic form of true essence, Luis''s true vortex essence was far superior in quality to that of ate-stage foundation-building cultivator.

    And that didn''t even ount for the added strength he gained from his ancient body-building technique.

    For various reasons, Luis had now reached the level of a half-step Gold Core cultivator.

    As he reflected on this, a Zhou family cultivator approached, trotting briskly. The man bowed respectfully and said, "Senior Luis, your seat is over there."

    This Zhou family member, an early-stage foundation-building cultivator, had addressed him as "Senior."

    Luis understood that this change in how others treated him was solely due to his strength.

    If he were still just an early-stage foundation-building cultivator, he would be no different from the rest of the cultivators in the hall. He certainly wouldn''t have been invited to sit on the high tform in the main hall.

    It was clear to anyone with a discerning eye that only those with significant power or profound family backgrounds were given a ce on the high tform.

    Scanning the people seated there, Luis recognized several familiar faces: Zhou Minghao, head of the Zhou family; Yang Linyuan, head of the Yang family; and Wu Guangyi, head of the Wu family.

    There was also one unfamiliar cultivator, likely a casual cultivator at thete stage of foundation building.

    It was rare for casual cultivators to reach the peak of foundation building, at least in the Cangzhou region. However, on the battlefield of the Izumo Kingdom, such strength was far moremon.

    The unfamiliar cultivator in question appeared to have recently returned from the Izumo Kingdom battlefield.

    Luis could sense an aura emanating from him, one that felt strikingly simr to Zhou Mucheng''s¡ªa murderous and sinister energy left behind from prolongedbat.

    With such an aura, a mere re from him could make an ordinary foundation-building cultivator''s knees buckle.

    However, the murderous aura had no effect on Luis.

    He was a man who had battled even the most powerful zombies.

    If he could withstand Zhou Mubai''s aura, this casual cultivator''s presence posed no threat at all.

    The casual cultivator, dressed in a red Taoist robe with a head of fiery red hair, carried himself with a wanton and arrogant demeanor. ncing at Luis, he chuckled and said, "It''s said that Guang''an Prefecture now boasts not one but two truly strong cultivators. Aside from Mubai, we have another rising star. After seeing him today, I must say, the rumors don''t do him justice!"

    "Brother Zhang, you''re absolutely right," Zhou Minghao replied with a smile.

    "Of course, I am!" Brother Zhang¡ªso named by Zhou Minghao¡ªshook his head and continued, "Ancient cultivators and sword cultivators vary greatly in strength. While sword cultivators are often considered unmatched in offense at the same level, they''re not invincible. The same holds true for ancient cultivators.

    Take us, for example. Even as casual cultivators, some of us can rival sword cultivators at the same level!"

    He paused, his tone turning darker. "And isn''t that fellow Shen Jue a perfect example?"

    At the mention of God Killer Shen Jue, the room fell into an uneasy silence.

    It was clear that Shen Jue''s name was a taboo topic. The devastation he had once brought to the families in this hall was etched deeply into their memories.

    Luis stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Luis greets all the seniors."

    "Take your seat!" Zhou Minghao said with a weing smile.

    Luis bowed once more before taking his designated ce. His seat, the second from the front, was positioned between Wu Guangyi and Zhou Minghao.

    As he sat on the high tform, looking down at the rows of cultivators below, a peculiar feeling stirred in Luis''s heart.

    This seat wasn''t just about strength; it was a deration of status.

    In the future, it would reflect the standing of each family in Guang''an Prefecture.

    Before long, the Hartmann family had ascended to an exceptionally high position.

    "My fellowrades!"

    The voice of Zhou Minghao, head of the Zhou family, resonated throughout the grand hall, instantly silencing the buzzing discussions among the gathered cultivators.

    Luis sat on the high tform, his gaze sweeping across the dark sea of people below. He remained silent, observing the scene unfold.

    As the chatter died down, Zhou Minghao nodded in approval and continued, "You are all aware that the entire Zhao family was annihted six days ago. Today, my Zhou family, along with the Yang family, the Wu family, and the Hartmann family, has invited you here to discuss how we can resolve the corpse chaos on Lotus Ind.

    If anyone has suggestions, now is the time to speak."

    His words fell like a stone into water, stirring another wave of murmurs among the crowd.

    "Ahem!"

    The subtle release of magical power rippled through the hall, making everyone tense slightly. Themotion subsided, and the hall returned to an uneasy silence.

    "Ancestor Zhou," ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator stood and spoke with deference, "since we cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture have gathered here today, it''s clear that we''re willing to follow the Zhou family''s guidance.

    What should we do next? Just give us your instructions, and we willply."

    "That''s right. The Zhou family leads, and we''ll follow."

    "Exactly!"

    A chorus of agreement erupted from the hall, voices echoing in unison.

    Zhou Minghao surveyed the crowd, clearly pleased with their response. With a satisfied nod, he dered, "In that case, I propose that the cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture form a coalition army, led by my Zhou family.

    We will also invite a powerful monk from Guang''an Prefecture tomand this army and eradicate the corpse chaos on Lotus Ind once and for all!"

    "Excellent! A brilliant n!"

    "Agreed!"

    "That''s the right decision!"

    Voices of approval filled the hall as the cultivators nodded in agreement.

    Luis, seated on the tform, observed the scene with a calm demeanor. He didn''t need to look closely to know that the Zhou family had nted individuals among the casual cultivators to lead the cheers and steer the discussion.

    Still, at its core, most of the gathered cultivators genuinely hoped to follow the Zhou family''s leadership to survive this crisis.

    The monks of Guang''an Prefecture weren''t fools. Blind allegiance couldn''t be earned by a few strategically ced voices¡ªit was the Zhou family''s strength and position thatmanded this unity.

    "Since everyone agrees to form a coalition, I hereby dere that the Guang''an Prefecture Coalition is officially established from this moment!"

    With that deration, Zhou Minghao continued, "Cultivators interested in joining the coalition can sign up with our Zhou family cultivators after this meeting. While we may not be fighting zombies on the Izumo Kingdom frontlines, we can still earn military merits!"

    As he spoke, Zhou Minghao gestured toward the red-haired Taoist priest beside him and announced, "This is Taoist Zhang, recently transferred from the front lines by the Qianyuan Sword Sect. He will be responsible for recording everyone''s military exploits."

    Hearing this, murmurs of recognition and intrigue spread among the independent cultivators present. Many had experience on the Izumo Kingdom battlefield and were familiar with the Qianyuan Sword Sect''s military merit system.

    This system was widely regarded as the key to the rapid rise of the Ten Thousand Star Ind cultivators within just four centuries. Without it, the immortal cultivation families would have continued monopolizing cultivation resources, leaving independent cultivators struggling to ess even the spiritual energy required for basic cultivation¡ªlet alone achieving any significant progress.

    As Zhou Minghao finished, Taoist Zhang rose from his seat, bowed to the crowd, and sat back down.

    The audience regarded him with curiosity for a moment. As a cultivator who emerged from war, Zhang was clearly powerful, yet he was unfamiliar to most present. After a brief exchange of curious nces, attention drifted back to the meeting''s proceedings.@@novelbin@@

    Despite his unfamiliarity, the crowd ced their trust in the Qianyuan Sword Sect''s reputation for fairness in recording military achievements. This trust formed the foundation of the sect''s sessful campaign against the Izumo Kingdom¡ªsomething no one dared to doubt.

    "Now, everyone, take a look."

    Zhou Minghao waved his sleeves dramatically, and a vivid light-and-shadow map materialized in the air above the hall, capturing everyone''s attention.

    Luis''s eyes focused sharply, immediately recognizing the light-and-shadow projection as a map of Guang''an Prefecture.

    At the map''s center was Lingbei Ind, the very ce where everyone now stood. The ind was highlighted prominently, drawing attention to its significance.

    Beyond Lingbei Ind, the map depicted the surrounding territories. To the easty Lotus Ind, now overrun by zombies. Northwest of Lotus Ind was Fengwu Ind, the stronghold of the Wu family.

    The map revealed a distinct T-shaped terrain formed by the Zhou family''s Lingbei Ind, the Wu family''s Fengwu Ind, and the zombie-upied Lotus Ind.

    To the north of Lingbei Ind, the Yang family''s Jinwu Ind marked another strategic location.

    Farther away, directly west of Lingbei Ind and at the rear of Guang''an Prefecture,y the Hartmann family''s Hartmann Ind¡ªthe most distant of all.

    In theory, if the zombie horde on Lotus Ind intended to reach Hartmann Ind, it would have to break through three critical lines of defense: the Wu family''s Fengwu Ind, the Zhou family''s Lingbei Ind, and the Yang family''s Jinwu Ind.

    Given the current circumstances, this seemed an improbable feat for the zombie tide, especially with the Sun brothers''bat powers capped at the Perfect Foundation realm.

    Inside the main hall.

    Zhou Minghao continued: "ording to the terrain, I divided Guang''an Prefecture into five defense zones, namely the Central Defense Zone, the Eastern Defense Zone, the Southern Defense Zone, the Northern Defense Zone, and the Western Defense Zone."

 Chapter 187 Hundred Of Millions

    Lei Zhen frowned. "What do you mean by this?"

    Luis''s expression remained calm. "It doesn''t matter. Do you want to fight or not?"

    Without waiting for a response, Luis floated to the center of the hall. He unsheathed his natal flying sword, letting it circle effortlessly in front of him.

    "Fine! Let''s do this!"

    Agitated by the provocation, Lei Zhen forgot that they were still inside the hall. Without hesitation, he sent his flying sword hurtling toward Luis.

    However, to his shock, the sword pierced through Luis''s figure¡ªand nothing happened. Not a single drop of blood spilled.

    "Not good!"

    Lei Zhen''s face darkened as rm bells rang in his mind. He quickly heightened his spiritual awareness to its peak, scanning desperately for Luis''s presence. Yet no matter how hard he searched, he couldn''t sense him.

    The next moment, a calm voice whispered into his ear.

    "Too slow."

    Before Lei Zhen could react, a sh of light appeared before him. A flying sword now hovered dangerously close to his neck, and a strand of his hair drifted to the ground.

    Luis stood less than three meters away, unbothered andposed.

    This was sh!

    When Luis had previously used this technique to battle zombies, its impact was limited due to their sheer resilience. But against Lei Zhen, the result was overwhelming.

    Lei Zhen hadn''t even registered the move before the flying sword was at his throat. If this had been a real fight, Luis could have killed him in a single stroke.

    The realization sent a chill down Lei Zhen''s spine.

    He had always considered himself among the strongest of the Foundation Building cultivators¡ªperhaps not the absolute best, but certainly in the upper echelon. Yet here he was, utterly outmatched by Luis with a single, decisive move.

    What made it worse was the lingering question: had Luis even used his full strength?

    The gap between them might be far greater than Lei Zhen dared to imagine.

    Luis casually withdrew his flying sword, storing it back into his ring. His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable authority. "Are you convinced?"

    Lei Zhen hesitated briefly, then lowered his head in a respectful bow. "Commander, your swordsmanship is unmatched. I am convinced beyond doubt."

    -----

    The Zhou family was exceptionally efficient.

    It didn''t take long for them to handle the matters concerning the Guang''an Prefecture coalition.

    The registration process for monks from Guang''an Prefecture to join the army was also proceeding in an orderly fashion.

    At the Zhou family residence in Guang''an Prefecture, within a uniquely designed fairy pce, the temporary headquarters for the coalition forces had been established.

    Inside the pce, the leaders of the five major defense zones and a cultivator named Zhang¡ªtasked with recording military achievements¡ªgathered to discuss the coalition''s specific affairs.

    Sitting at the head of the table was Zhou Minghao, head of the Zhou family and themander-in-chief of the Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces.

    Zhou Minghao surveyed the room, his expression grave. "This coalition may look impressive on the surface, but the problems it faces are far greater than we initially anticipated."

    He paused briefly before continuing. "Although we haven''t finalized the exact number of troops, the military expenditure is going to be astronomical."

    Like mortal wars, a monastic army also demanded extensive resources.

    The required expenses included personal magical tools, elixirs, talismans,rge-scale war tools, formation materials, spiritual vein bases, and more.

    Although the Qianyuan Sword Sect had introduced a military merit system that could offset some of these costs, the major families in Guang''an Prefecture were still expected to bear a significant burden¡ªespecially the Zhou family, which was leading the effort.

    This was to be expected.

    During times of peace, the Zhou family had reaped the most benefits in Guang''an Prefecture. Now, in the face of disaster, they were naturally the ones shouldering the heaviest responsibility.

    After all, if Guang''an Prefecture were to fall, the Zhou family would lose far more than just the spirit stones used for military expenses.

    After Zhou Minghao''s statement, Yang Linyuan, seated nearby, asked, "May I ask how many spirit stones the Zhou family is prepared to contribute?"

    Zhou Minghao met his gaze, pausing for a moment before responding. "The Zhou family can allocate 400 million spirit stones to cover the military expenses."

    The room fell silent for a moment.

    Yang Linyuan''s hand trembled slightly before he let out a soft sigh. "In that case, the Guang''an Immortal Alliance is willing to contribute 100 million spirit stones toward the cause."

    He stood, bowing respectfully to the others. "We''ve already invested heavily in building Lingzhou City. One hundred million spirit stones is the absolute limit of what we can offer. I hope you won''t look down on our sincerity."

    He bowed again, apologizing as he spoke.

    Luis, who had been quietly sitting with the group, suddenly found the chair beneath him growing increasingly ufortable. A sense of unease crept over him, and he shifted restlessly in his seat.

    How could he even respond?

    One family contributed 400 million spirit stones, while another contributed 100 million.

    Since when did spirit stones start being measured in hundreds of millions?

    Luis finally understood why the big families looked down on the low-end magic tool market.@@novelbin@@

    If his Hartmann family had ess to such vast amounts of spirit stones, they too would dismiss the low-end magic weapon market as insignificant.

    Making money from that market? What a joke!

    It''s practically chump change.

    Lowering his head, Luis couldn''t help but feel out of ce among the people in the room.

    It was clear to him that leaders ofrge families in the Ten Thousand Star Sea weren''t short-sighted individuals.

    Zhou Minghao wasn''t one, and Yang Linyuan was certainly not either.

    They both understood something vital: Luis''s achievements in the future would undoubtedly surpass anything they could imagine now.

    Whether it was the Zhou family or the Yang family, their goodwill towards Luis and the Hartmann family wasn''t mere courtesy. It was a calcted investment in the future.

    In the world of great families, investing in the future was crucial.

    Connections, which might seem irrelevant in ordinary times, could be the lifeline that saved a family during moments of crisis.

    Take the chaos of the gods, for example.

    Countless families were wiped out during that catastrophe. Why was it that the Zhou family alone received timely aid from the Qianyuan Sword Sect? Was it simply luck?

    Not necessarily.

    Yang Linyuan''s pledge drew a nod of approval from Zhou Minghao, who said, "In that case, we now have a total of 500 million spirit stones in military funds.

    Although this amount isn''t particrlyrge, it''s sufficient to sustain us for some time."

    Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

    Zhou Minghao continued, "With that settled, I will now allocate the military funds."

    At this, everyone''s attention sharpened.

    Luis, in particr, sat up straighter. As themander of the Western Defense Zone, he was responsible for security inspections and defense operations in a vast area of western Guang''an Prefecture.

    He was certain his zone would receive a share of the funds, but how much? Could he expect as much as 10 million spirit stones?

    Luis wasn''t naive, though.

    He knew that in this operation, the Eastern Defense Zone, led by Zhou Mubai, would undoubtedly receive the lion''s share of the military funds.

    In the early stages, only the Eastern Defense Zone had to engage directly with the zombies on Lotus Ind.

    The other defense zones were primarily tasked with ensuring that the zombies didn''t be desperate and attempt to escape through the underwater passages of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, causing chaos throughout Guang''an Prefecture.

    Their role was to prevent widespread instability within the region.

    In other words, the Eastern Defense Zone, under Zhou Mubai''s leadership, was the only one actively involved inbat.

    The remaining defense zones acted as reserve forces. Luis''s Western Defense Zone, in particr, served primarily as a security force.

    If he could secure 10 million spirit stones in military funding, he would already consider it a win.

    As Zhou Minghao noticed everyone focusing intently, he began the allocation:

    "Mu Bai''s Eastern Defense Zone will receive 250 million spirit stones, as they are responsible for the direct confrontation with the zombies on Lotus Ind.

    Fellow Daoist Yang''s Northern Defense Zone is backed by Lingzhou City, where the garrison''s spiritual veins eliminate the need for additional funding. Thus, they will be allocated a smaller sum¡ª70 million spirit stones.

    As for my Lingbei Ind, we already haveprehensive defense measures in ce, so our expenses are rtively low. Fifty million spirit stones will suffice.

    Mingyan''s Southern Defense Zone is located in the hearnd of Guang''an Prefecture, where the likelihood of exposure to war is minimal. Therefore, they will also be allocated 50 million spirit stones."

    At this point, all eyes turned toward Luis, their expressions filled with subtle curiosity.

    Zhou Minghao continued, "Regarding the Western Defense Zone..."

    He paused for a moment, heightening the anticipation in the room.

    "As far as I understand, the area where Fellow Daoist Luis Hartmann''s zone is locatedcks sufficient spiritual veins. To station troops there, a significant investment would be required to establish spiritual veins, in addition to covering other operational costs. Considering these factors, the allocation for the Western Defense Zone will be set at 80 million spirit stones."

 Chapter 188 Beginning

    Zhou Minghao spoke calmly.

    Who would have guessed that Luis''s eyes would widen in surprise upon hearing this?

    Although the allocated spirit stones were for military expenditures and not his personal fortune, as themander of the Western Defense Zone, he had the authority to decide how the funds were spent.

    Ultimately, wouldn''t most of this money gradually flow into the Hartmann family''s pockets?

    If not for the looming threat from Master Shen Jue, the wealthy families of Guang''an Prefecture would never have agreed to spend such an enormous amount!

    Luis felt as though he had just stumbled upon an unexpected windfall.

    His impression of Zhou Minghao, who had firmly supported his appointment as themander of the Western Defense Zone, instantly improved.

    Compared to the third-grade, top-tier flying sword that Yang Linyuan had gifted him, the favor Zhou Minghao had granted was monumental!

    What made it even more remarkable was how this favor had been given with such an air of righteousness that no cultivator in Guang''an Prefecture could object. Find exclusive stories on empire

    Not long ago, during a council meeting, there had been monks who opposed Luis''s appointment asmander of the Western Defense Zone.

    However, their objections had been silenced when Luis defeated them with a single strike of his sword.

    Since then, his leadership had been acknowledged by all the cultivators.

    As Luis''s gaze reflected his gratitude, Zhou Minghao returned the look with a knowing smile and a nod.

    Smart individuals didn''t need to exchange words; even a brief nce conveyed meaning.

    This silent interaction marked a mutual understanding: the Hartmann family now owed the Zhou family a favor.

    It could be said that this substantial military expenditure hade at the perfect time.

    With 80 million spirit stones at his disposal, Luis could aplish a great deal.

    While these spirit stones weren''t his personal wealth, he could channel them into strategic investments.

    One such investment was in spiritual veins, a cornerstone of growth in the cultivation world.

    Investing in spiritual veins was widely regarded as a sure path to wealth and stability.

    The Yang family''s extensivework of spiritual veins within a thousand-mile radius of Lingzhou City was proof of this.

    With this significant funding, Luis envisioned replicating their sess.

    His n was ambitious: to establish a vastwork of spiritual veins spanning a radius of ten thousand miles, with Hartmann Ind as the central hub.

    Of course, how the constructed spiritual veins would be utilized specifically depended on the actual situation.

    However,pared to the Yang family, the Hartmann family had a tremendous advantage: the ability to quickly process raw materials such as spiritual ores and spiritual medicines into finished products.

    This advantage was unmatched across the entire Ten Thousand Star Sea and even the broader world of immortal cultivation.

    In Luis''s eyes, this world was overwhelmingly powerful due to the strength of its cultivators.

    But this strength came with a w: cultivators had be overly reliant on their own abilities, to the point of neglecting the potential of machinery.

    Luis, however, was different. As a transmigrator, his worldview and understanding were vastly different from the norms of this world.

    He recognized the strengths and weaknesses of both worlds.

    What Luis aimed to do was bridge the gap¡ªleveraging the technological advancements of his previous life to address the shorings of this one, while integrating the unique advantages of his current fantasy world.

    The deficiencies of this world extended far beyond mere productivity.

    They permeated its institutions, economy, and even cultural aspects.

    However, achieving such change required a solid foundation of power. Without it, all ns would remain empty talk.

    History provided a stark reminder: families like the Zhao family had vanished into oblivion with just a single misstep amidst external pressures.

    As Luis left the Allied Forces Headquarters Hall, he felt as if he were walking on air.

    "Brother Luis!"

    A familiar voice called from behind.

    Luis turned to see Zhou Mubai approaching.

    "Brother Zhou!"

    Luis''s face lit up, his joy unmistakable. At that moment, he felt an almost familial bond with Zhou Mubai¡ªnot only because they were life-and-death friends, but also because of the generous military funding the Zhou family had just "gifted" him.

    This windfall made Luis feel a newfound closeness to anyone bearing the Zhou name.

    Seeing Luis''s exaggerated reaction, Zhou Mubai smiled and shook his head. With a teasing tone, he said, "I didn''t expect you to have such a money-loving side."

    Luis frowned in mock displeasure and replied, "Brother Zhou, you were born into a wealthy family. How could you possibly understand the struggles of monks from humble families like mine?"

    Then, shaking his head, he added more seriously, "Brother Zhou, do you have any specific ns for the uing attack on Lotus Ind?"

    Hearing this, Zhou Mubai paused for a moment, his expression turning thoughtful.

    "My n is quite simple," he finally said. "Fortify the walls and clear the fields."

    "Fortify the walls and clear the fields?"

    Luis couldn''t help but frowned, "Why, don''t you just attack Lotus Ind?"

    Hearing those words, Zhou Mubai shook his head.

    "Although the zombie tide currently upying Lotus Ind isn''t particrly strong, the real problem lies with God Killer Shen Jue lurking in the shadows. Additionally, we have no way of knowing whether Shen Jue has left any backup ns. Attacking Lotus Ind rashly would be unwise."

    Luis frowned. "But ording to ourst investigation, there should only be two zombies with real consciousness on Lotus Ind."

    "It''s not that simple," Zhou Mubai said as he walked. "Did you notice something else? Most of those mindless zombies used to be cultivators from the Wu and Zhao families."

    "You mean¡­" Luis prompted, waiting for him to borate.

    "In such a short period, the corpses of Foundation Establishment cultivators were forcibly refined into zombies. This suggests that Shen Jue has the ability to mass-produce Foundation Establishmentbat power."

    Hearing this, Luis felt a chill run down his spine.@@novelbin@@

    The Qianyuan Sword Sect wanted the cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture to lure Shen Jue out of hiding. But if anything went wrong, the entire monk poption of Guang''an Prefecture could be wiped out!

    Faced with this dire situation, the monks of Guang''an Prefecture were understandably reluctant to act as the first line of offense.

    In response, the Zhou family proposed a solution: withdraw all cultivators from Lotus Ind and its surrounding areas near Guang''an Prefecture.

    Fortunately, the inds surrounding Lotus Ind were mostly popted by independent cultivators and minor families. There were few spiritual veins of value, which made evacuation somewhat manageable.

    However, the inds also housed a significant number of mortals.

    To transport these mortals, the Zhou and Yang families expended considerable effort, relocating them to spiritual veins thousands of miles away on Lingbei Ind.

    Once the mortals and low-level cultivators were safely evacuated, Zhou Mubai nned to construct several strong defensive lines on the inds stretching from Lotus Ind to the territories of the Wu and Zhou families.

    These defenses were intended to contain the zombie tide, preventing it from spreading into Guang''an Prefecture.

    By increasing the pressure in the region near Guang''an Prefecture, it was likely that the zombie tide would shift in the opposite direction¡ªaway from Guang''an Prefecture.

    And the direction opposite Guang''an Prefecture?

    That led toward Cangzhou Fairy City¡ªthe ancestral home of the Ye family, the most powerful family in Cangzhou.

    This was the true n of the Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces¡ªto divert the disaster to the east.

    Whether the Ye family chose to block the zombie tide, as Guang''an Prefecture had done, or to directly send cultivators to eliminate it, was no longer Guang''an Prefecture''s concern.

    Zhou Mubai''s priority was to hold the defense line of Guang''an Prefecture firmly.

    As for whatever disaster befell the Ye family, Zhou Mubai had no sympathy to spare, let alone the inclination to send an army of cultivators to assist them.

    Moreover, Zhou Mubai doubted that the Qianyuan Sword Sect would remain indifferent if the Ye family found themselves in trouble.

    Hearing this exnation, Luis and Zhou Mubai exchanged a knowing smile.

    The Ye family had too many enemies.

    The Zhou family bore a grudge against the Ye family, as did the Wu and Yang families. In Cangzhou, there were likely few families without grievances against the Ye family.

    In the days that followed:

    After selecting soldiers for the Western Defense Zone, Luis led his troops back to Redwood Ind.

    To support the Western Defense Zone, the Zhou family dispatched ten Lingxu warships.

    Each Lingxu warship carried one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators. Altogether, this meant 1,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in the Western Defense Zone, not including ordinary soldiers in the Qi Refining Stage.

    In total, the Western Defense Zone''s monk army consisted of nearly 100,000 people.

    This was only the smallest defense zone.

    There was no other option; to counter the zombie tide and the threat of Master Shen Jue, the cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture had to band together.

    The 100,000-strong force was just the temporary deployment and did not ount for the number of mortals involved.

    It should be noted that in Guang''an Prefecture, every cultivator had arge group of mortals serving them.

    This was true whether they belonged to a family or were independent cultivators.

    Family cultivators naturally had vast ns supporting them.

    Even casual cultivators were surrounded byrge numbers of mortals. These mortals built cities, reproduced, and thrived under the protection of the independent cultivators.

 Chapter 191 Get The Resources

    Just a few days ago, Luis had publicly defeated Lei Zhen, a renowned rogue cultivator, with a single sword strike, leaving everyone stunned.

    Lei Zhen''s fame among independent cultivators wasn''t just due to his altruistic nature but also because his strength was exceptional, ranking among the top foundation-building cultivators.

    Yet despite his formidable reputation, he had fallen to Luis¡ªa mere early-stage foundation-building cultivator¡ªin just one move.

    Wei Lidao couldn''t help butpare himself to Lei Zhen. As a mid-stage foundation-building cultivator, he knew he was no match for someone like Lei Zhen, who was at thete stage of foundation building.

    The disparity between his own strength and Luis''s was ringly obvious.

    Among cultivators, status is determined primarily by cultivation level because, under normal circumstances, higher-level cultivators hold overwhelming strength over their lower-level counterparts.

    But geniuses like Luis and Zhou Mubai are the exception to this rule.

    Theirbat power defies conventional expectations, making it routine for them to defeat opponents across levels.

    Faced with someone like Luis, Wei Lidao naturally didn''t dare to show disrespect.

    If Luis''s request hadn''t been so oundish, Wei Lidao wouldn''t have dared to voice any objections. After all, this was themander''s first official order since arriving at the base.

    "Very good!" Luis said with a nod, his sharp gaze fixed on Wei Lidao.

    "Let me ask you¡ªwill your Wei family choose to remain in your original nnd or migrate to Redwood Ind?"

    Hearing this, Wei Lidao frowned slightly and folded his hands in a respectful gesture.

    "Of course, we will migrate here with my subordinates," he replied.

    "How many people do you have?" Luis asked.

    "Your Excellency Commander, my Wei family has over 300,000 members!" Wei Lidao dered with pride.

    "More than 300,000 people," Luis repeated, his tone calm but pointed. "Tell me¡ªwhere will they live when they arrive on Redwood Ind?"

    "Uh¡­" Wei Lidao hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words.

    The question hit hard. Indeed, amodating such arge number of people was no trivial matter. Where would they all live?

    Mortals and monks live vastly different lives.

    For a monk, constructing a pce or a cave is as simple as waving a hand,pleting the task in just a day or two. Their ability to adapt to harsh environments is unparalleled; surviving on wind and dew is mere child''s y for them.

    But ordinary mortals cannot do such things.

    Without proper shelter and food, they would either freeze in the cold or starve to death. Compared to monks, mortals are far more fragile.

    Moreover, the members of the Wei family represent just a fraction of the mortals migrating here. More families and independent cultivators will continue to arrive in the future.

    There is no other choice.

    To fend off the zombie tide and prepare for Master Shen Jue''s impending threat, everyone must band together for mutual protection.

    If a single family or lone cultivator were to face a zombie invasion, it would be no different from courting death. Even the mighty Zhao family couldn''t survive the chaos of the corpse uprising; their entire n was wiped out. What chance would weaker families stand?

    Seeing Wei Lidao rendered speechless, Luis pressed on.

    "The first wave of mortals will arrive in less than a month. If we don''t build the necessary houses before then, they''ll freeze to death!"

    Luis swept his gaze across the room, folding his hands.

    "Tell me¡ªdo you really want to see your own people, or the mortals under your care, freeze to death?"

    Under his sharp gaze, everyone averted their eyes, lowering their heads in silence.

    Noticing this, Luis exchanged a look with Zhou Mucheng. Understanding hismand, Zhou Mucheng stepped forward and dered, "In this time of crisis, I am willing to take the lead in building a city for the mortals!"

    The others nced at each other before following suit.

    "We are willing as well!" they said, bowing.@@novelbin@@

    "Good," Luis said with a smile, though his tone held a stern edge.

    "Not only must you be willing, but as captains of my Western Defense Zone, the ten of you are also responsible for ensuring that the soldiers under yourmand understand the importance of this task. All of you must work together to help the mortals build this city!

    "Guang''an Prefecture is facing its darkest hour. Whether monk or mortal, we must unite to ovee these challenges.

    "And let me make this clear¡ªif I hear about any monks oppressing mortals, they will answer to me.

    "I might recognize the person, but I won''t hesitate to recognize the sword in my hand!"

    The chilling murderous intent in Luis''s tone silenced the room.

    At that moment, the monks fully grasped the nature of theirmander¡ªnot just a young Foundation Establishment cultivator in his twenties but a member of the renowned Hartmann family, famed for supplying weapons.

    Those who had served on the front lines of Izumo Kingdom understood what this meant. If someone like Wei Lidao had defied orders there, he would have been executed on the spot for insubordination.

    Now, with Guang''an Prefecture designated a war zone by the Qianyuan Sword Sect, the same strictws applied.

    Realizing how close he hade to disaster, Wei Lidao broke out in a cold sweat.

    Seeing the silence in the room, Luis nodded in satisfaction.

    He continued, "The second matter concerns the supply of magical weapons for the western defense zone. Does anyone have reliable channels to procure them?"

    Everyone immediately understood that this was an opportunity to earn favor with their newmander.

    Lei Zhen was the first to step forward. His voice, deep and resonant, boomed through the hall as he spoke.

    "Commander-in-Chief, the magical weapons we need are primarily for Qi Refining soldiers who currentlyck them.

    "In my opinion, first-grade low-quality and medium-quality magical weapons are sufficient for most of our forces. While first-grade high-quality weapons are undoubtedly superior, they are too costly and should be reserved for elite Qi Refining cultivators.

    "As for sourcing, it''s well known that the Hartmann family produces the best low-grade magical weapons in Guang''an Prefecture."

    Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement, recognizing the opportunity to align themselves with Luis.

    Luis was pleased by their quick understanding and the show of loyalty. For the first time, he truly felt the weight and privilege ofmand.

    "Since you all agree that my Hartmann family crafts the best low-level magical weapons, then this military supply order will naturally be entrusted to us!" Luis dered confidently.

    He added with a wry smile, "Given the size of this military order, my family will require a deposit. Without it, I''m afraid even we might face financial copse!"

    Hisment drew heartyughter from the room.

    "Hahaha! Of course, of course!"

    "As expected!"

    "Well said!"

    The practitioners echoed their agreement enthusiastically.

    Luis continued, "For the first batch of supplies, I n to order 50,000 flying swords. This will include 30,000 first-grade low-quality flying swords and 20,000 first-grade medium-quality flying swords.

    "Based on the current market price, this order will cost 3.5 million spirit stones. The Hartmann family will require a deposit of half that amount¡ª1.75 million spirit stones. The remaining bnce can be paid in installments as agreed.

    "In return, the Hartmann family guarantees delivery of this batch of flying swords within three years!"

    As Luisid out the terms, everyone nodded in approval. The arrangement seemed reasonable and fair.

    However, one question lingered in their minds.

    "Commander," one of the captains finally spoke, "why only 50,000 flying swords? Shouldn''t we prepare at least 100,000?"

    Hearing the question, Luis exined, "If we buy too much at once, I fear my Hartmann family won''t be able to manage it all. Let''s take our time with it!"

    Of course, he will swallow this resource slowly and sustainably.

    Everyone nodded in agreement.

    At this point, anyone with a bit of sense understood that magical weapons, special elixirs, and talismans would soon be scarce resources.

    In any war, logistics are key.

    The same applies to conflicts between monks. However, unlike traditional wars, in monk battles, besides the logistical resources, the numbers and formations of the forces, the difference in cultivation levels between the monks ys a crucial role.

    For example, a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, no matter how powerful their magic weapon, can''tpare to a Foundation Building cultivator, even if thetter has no magical weapon or external items.

    When the gap in cultivation level is significant enough, external resources won''t make much of a difference.

    By taking on thisrge military supply order, the Hartmann family did very little but immediately earned 1.75 million spirit stones.

    This was just the first deal. In the future, with an estimated 80 million spirit stones¡ªminus the cost of building spirit veins¡ªthe majority of this would end up in the Hartmann family''s pockets.

    If Luis couldn''t aplish this, all his years of effort would have been wasted.

    Moreover, the constructed spiritual veins would eventually belong to the Hartmann family, effectively bing their own spiritual veins.

 Chapter 194 Set Fire In Backyard

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    "Commander," Lei Zhen began cautiously after some thought. "Part of our military expenditure goes toward the soldiers'' sries."

    "I know!" Luis replied, ncing at him with a smile. "Don''t worry¡ªI''ll ensure the soldiers are paid in full."

    In both the Izumo Province front line and the current Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces, monks who enlisted in the army received military pay.

    However, there was a distinction: on the Izumo Province front line, military pay was issued as military merit, while in the Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces, it was distributed in the form of spirit stones.

    Although the pay wasn''t particrly high, with 100,000 soldiers in the Western Defense Zone, the total cost was staggering.

    Still, the idea of embezzling military pay never crossed Luis'' mind.

    To him, even if the money ended up in the hands of independent soldiers, it would eventually circte back to the Hartmann family through purchases. Why tarnish his reputation and give others a reason to take advantage?

    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

    At Sea View Pavilion on Redwood Ind, waves crashed against the stone benches, creating a rhythmic, thunderous sound.

    A figure, her upper body human and her lower half a shimmering fish tail, emerged from the water.

    With her alluring upper body exposed, she gazed at the bustling harbor, where ships constantly sailed in and out. She sighed, "I never imagined this ce could change so much in such a short time."

    Luis followed Luo Li''s gaze toward the distant harbor.

    White sails dotted the horizon, most belonging to ns and families from across the region, all flocking to Redwood Ind. As the headquarters of the Western Defense Zone, it was regarded as one of the safest ces in Guang''an Prefecture.

    In just half a month, with the collective effort of the monks, the prototype of a thriving city had begun to take shape on the ind.

    As mortals began to arrive, the city buzzed with life, its streets bing increasingly vibrant and lively.

    Luo Li continued to study the growing port city. After a moment, she turned and asked, "What''s it called?"

    "Sea View City," Luis replied.

    "Sea View City," she murmured, rolling the name on her tongue as though testing its weight.

    Her gaze shifted to the modest pavilion they stood in. Amusement danced in her eyes as she chuckled, unable to contain herughter.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Luis gave her a curious look.

    "Nothing, just thought of something interesting," Luo Li replied, shaking her head. Then, with a hint of reluctance, she added, "I think I should leave. It seems I can''t trade with you here anymore. There are too many people now."

    As she spoke, a sh of fear crossed her eyes.

    Luis smiled and said, "Why can''t you trade with me here? I''m not afraid, so why should you be?"@@novelbin@@

    Luo Li frowned and replied unhappily, "It''s not about you. I don''t want to cause you trouble."

    "Trouble? What trouble?"

    Luis'' tone was calm as he continued, "The so-called ''trouble'' is just an excuse forck of strength. Since all the major ns have subordinate races in the Ten Thousand Underwater World, isn''t it only natural for my Hartmann family to have one as well?"

    "But..." Luo Li hesitated, unable to find a counterargument.

    Seeing her uncertainty, Luis smiled and asked, "Who do you think built that city?" He gestured toward Sea View City in the distance.

    "Your Hartmann family?" Luo Li asked, her pretty face full of doubt.

    Though the mermaids didn''t know the full extent of the Hartmann family''s strength, they had heard enough rumors to recognize its unfathomable power, bolstered by the existence of a mysterious world behind them.

    In Guang''an Prefecture, apart from the Zhou family, only three other families¡ªthe Yang, Wu, and Zhao families¡ªwere considered major powers.

    Luis smirked. "Let me tell you something about the Zhao family."

    "What about them?" Luo Li asked, still skeptical.

    "They''re gone."

    "Gone?" Luo Li repeated, her expression nk for a moment. "What do you mean by ''gone''?"

    Luis exined what had happened on Lotus Ind.

    As she listened, fear spread across Luo Li''s face.

    "Are you saying that Master Shen Jue is not dead?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

    "Right," Luis confirmed with a frown. "Does Master Shen Jue scare you that much?"

    Luo Li took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. She then said seriously, "You don''t understand. ording to my n''s records, Master Shen Jue didn''t just cause chaos in the nearby states; he also brought destruction to our underwater world.

    "Back then, the monks from Cangzhou, Taizhou, and Jingzhou formed a coalition army to take him down, but they couldn''t kill the True Man Shen Jue. In the end, it took the Qianyuan Sword Sect sending three Nascent Soul True Lords to suppress the Shen Jue Rebellion."

    Luis frowned deeper. "Is ate Golden Core cultivator really so difficult to deal with?"

    Luo Li nodded. "The most difficult thing about Master Shen Jue isn''t just that his strength far exceeds other cultivators of the same level¡ªit''s his ability to escape."

    "Oh? How did he escape?"

    Luis had read in the Zhou family''s ancient books that Shen Jue was exceptionally skilled at evasion, but the details of his methods were never recorded.

    "You know that Master Shen Jue inherited the legacy of an immortal from the upper realm, right?"

    Luis nodded. That rumor was widely known.

    The reason casual cultivators were so fascinated with Master Shen Jue was his legendary story.

    An ordinary cultivator who stumbled upon an immortal''s inheritance rose to dominate the world.

    In many ways, Shen Jue''s story was the archetype of a protagonist in an online novel.

    Of course, his defiance of the heavens ultimately failed. He was killed by the three Nascent Soul True Lords sent by the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    But the devastation caused by the Shen Jue Rebellion in Cangzhou and the surrounding states was unparalleled.

    Luo Li, unaware of Luis'' thoughts, continued, "Legend has it that Shen Jue obtained the immortal''s inheritance in a secret cave created by an immortal."

    "A cave?"

    "Right!" Luo Li nodded. "A cave opened up by an immortal!"

    She paused briefly before adding, "In this immortal''s cave pce, Master Shen Jue acquired several key inheritances and magical artifacts. One of them was called the Mi Chen Banner, which could instantly carry him 100,000 miles away."

    "One hundred thousand miles?"

    Luis stared at her nkly, almost wondering if she was joking.

    What does it mean to travel 100,000 miles in an instant?

    Even if Luis flew with all his strength, it would take him nearly a full day to cover such a distance.

    For a Nascent Soul cultivator, it would still take nearly half an hour.

    In other words, even for a Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be almost impossible to catch Shen Jue if he was wielding the Mi Chen Banner.

    "I wonder how the three Nascent Soul True Lords from the Qianyuan Sword Sect managed to trap Shen Jue," Luis murmured, still pondering the artifact''s power.

    But on careful thought, it''s likely nothing more than using formations or special magical tools to block the space, leaving Master Shen Jue with nowhere to escape.

    "Not only that," Luo Li added, "it''s said that Master Shen Jue''s Michen Banner can pre-set space nodes for transmission."

    "You mean he ced the transmission node in the Immortal Cave Heaven?"

    "Exactly!" Luo Li nodded.

    What a cowardly move!

    Luis finally understood why the Qianyuan Sword Sect had to send hidden forces to deal with Master Shen Jue.

    To some extent, the Immortal Cave Heaven was nearly untouchable. As long as Master Shen Jue didn''t reveal its location, no one in this world could discover its spatial coordinates.

    The Qianyuan Sword Sect might have known he was hiding in that cave, but they were powerless to do anything about it.

    Moreover, Shen Jue was extremely cautious by nature. Instead of acting directly, he sent a group of corpse servants to cause chaos while keeping himself hidden behind the scenes.

    It seemed that his failure four hundred years ago had taught him a valuable lesson: there is always someone stronger.

    For the Qianyuan Sword Sect, this wasn''t good news.

    Indeed, with Shen Jue''s current strength, he posed no direct threat to the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    But having someone like him constantly lurking in the shadows was unsettling.

    Even if they couldn''t eliminate him, his presence would force the Qianyuan Sword Sect to remain on guard, unable to focus their full strength on attacking the Izumo Kingdom.

    Shen Jue could ignite chaos in the Qianyuan Sword Sect''s backyard at any time.

    As Luo Li left, Luis sank into deep thought.

    He was now certain that the war with the corpse servants on Lotus Ind was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

    Neither Shen Jue nor the Qianyuan Sword Sect likely cared about the oue of this conflict.

    For the Qianyuan Sword Sect, the top priority was capturing Shen Jue.

 Chapter 197 Merits

    There was another reason for the shortage.

    In general,rge families might stockpile Qi-recovering pills, as they are always in demand. But who would stockpile detoxification pills or evil-breaking pills without a pressing need?

    If not for the ongoing corpse chaos, the demand for these two types of pills would typically remain very low¡ªfar lower than that for cultivation-aiding elixirs.

    Seeing the others so excited, Luis feltpelled to temper their enthusiasm. He said, "But my Hartmann family currentlycks sufficient spiritual medicine for alchemy."

    Before he could finish, Yang Linyuan and Zhou Minghao exchanged knowing smiles.

    "Don''t worry, Fellow Daoist Luis," Zhou Minghao reassured him. "We can supply as many spiritual herbs as you need. Just focus on refining the pills!"

    "Exactly!" Yang Linyuan added, nodding in agreement.

    Both Lingzhou City and Guang''an Prefecture''s Fairy City had built extensive spiritual veins spanning thousands of miles.

    Over the years, independent cultivators living along these veins had cultivated countless spiritual herbs.

    Because of this, Guang''an Prefecture currently had no shortage of magical herbs.

    If the Zhao family hadn''t been destroyed, this abundance might have even led to an increase in the number of alchemists within the prefecture.

    Reflecting on this, Yang Linyuan felt a mix of emotions.

    Initially, his goal in establishing the spiritual veins was simply to gain a financial edge over the Zhou family. He hadn''t anticipated that it would result in such a surplus of raw materials, now proving essential for producing the pills needed on the front lines.

    Without this abundance, they wouldn''t just be facing a shortage of elixirs¡ªthe supply of raw materials for refining pills would also have been critically low.@@novelbin@@

    Luis felt a wave of relief upon hearing this.

    With the Hartmann family able to solve the pill production issue, the next step was to discuss pricing.

    Currently, due to the destruction of the Zhao family and the ongoing corpse chaos, the medicinal market in Guang''an Prefecture had be highly vtile.

    Several low-level elixirs crucial for the front lines were not just expensive¡ªthey were nearly impossible to buy, even with spirit stones.

    "Fellow Daoist Luis, I wonder how much your elixirs will cost?" Zhou Minghao asked.

    Rtionships were one thing, but business was another. Without sufficient profit, the Hartmann family wouldn''t be able to sustain pill production. Zhou Minghao and Yang Linyuan both understood this simple reality.

    However, if the elixirs were sold at the current inted market prices in Guang''an Prefecture, even the wealth of the Zhou and Yang families would struggle to keep up. After all, no one knew how long this war wouldst.

    Hearing the question, Luis paused to think before replying. **"Logically, as a member of Guang''an Prefecture, my Hartmann family should contribute to the war effort. However, the truth is, we''re also short on funds.

    "So, for this supply of elixirs, we''ll sell them at the previous market price."**

    Upon hearing this, both Zhou Minghao and Yang Linyuan visibly rxed.

    They had judged Luis correctly¡ªnot only was he extraordinarily talented, but he also knew when to prioritize the bigger picture over immediate profit.

    Indeed, Luis would lose a significant amount of profit with this decision. But as long as Guang''an Prefecture held strong, the Hartmann family would reap even greater rewards in the future.

    With the Zhao family gone, the Hartmann family had the perfect opportunity to fill the vacuum in the elixir market. However, all of that depended on the survival of Guang''an Prefecture.

    "The original market price for the three elixirs¡ªDetoxification Pills, Evil Breaking Pills, and Rejuvenation Pills¡ªwas 10 spirit stones each," Luis said after a brief pause. "That''s the price my family will charge. But I do have one small request."

    "Fellow Daoist Luis, please speak frankly," Zhou Minghao said with a smile.

    "I''d like to use part of these elixirs to settle the battle merits of the Qianyuan Sword Sect. Would that be eptable?"

    At this, everyone turned to the red-haired cultivator, Zhang, who had been quietly listening throughout the discussion.

    Feeling their gazes, Zhang opened his eyes and said, "As long as the soldiers on the front lines have no objection, we can trade your elixirs for military merits anytime."

    Luis''s excitement was hard to hide.

    Compared to spirit stones, what his family needed more urgently were items that could strengthen their foundation¡ªalchemy manuals, weapon-crafting techniques, martial skills, sword techniques, and simr treasures. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire

    Not to mention anything else.

    Take the Foundation Building Stage exercises, for example. Since Luis broke through to this stage, he has never switched to practicing new techniques.

    It''s not that Luis didn''t want to; he simply doesn''t have a suitable Foundation Building technique.

    Although his family purchased a technique at an auction before, it turned out to be mediocre¡ªfar from what he envisioned.

    When a cultivator chooses a technique during the Foundation Building period, it represents a rare opportunity to enhance their true essence. Naturally, Luis didn''t want to make a casual choice.

    The techniques bought at auction houses often pale inparison to the ones exchanged for military merits in the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    -----

    Hartmann Ind Industrial Zone

    Pharmaceutical Factory

    Inside the brand-new factory, cylindrical machines hummed, filling the space with a mechanical roar umon for this era.

    From the valve beneath the centrifugal wall-breaking machine, wisps of elixir essence flowed steadily.

    Trained knight cultivators skillfully caught the essence and refined it into pills with practiced precision.

    After half a month of continuous practice and countless refining attempts, most of the knight cultivators had mastered the process. Now, they could refine pills almost effortlessly, even with their eyes closed.

    Once refined, the pills were packed into jade bottles by female workers, who then stored them in golden wood boxes.

    This seamless teamwork transformed the alchemy process. The alchemist''s primary role becamebining ingredients to initiate pill formation, while the rest¡ªloading elixirs into machines, regting flow speeds, and packaging pills¡ªwas handled by the ordinary workers of Hartmann Ind.

    The result? Alchemy efficiency soared.

    After more than half a month of coboration, both workers and alchemists had developed a near-perfect understanding. Each working alchemist could now produce an average of 150 pills per day¡ª1.5 times more than the initial 100 pills.

    ----

    Hartmann Flying Sword Factory

    The heat wave inside the factory was stifling. Furnace operators and apprentices worked tirelessly, sweat streaming down their faces.

    Although cultivators were physically powerful and didn''t sweat easily, the prolonged, high-intensity task of refining flying swords drained their mental energy.

    Everyone was aware of the crisis facing Guang''an Prefecture.

    Even though they couldn''t fight on the front lines, their work¡ªproducing magical weapons¡ªwas just as vital as the soldiers'' efforts.

    Compared to the Hartmann Pharmaceutical Factory,

    The Hartmann Flying Sword Factory offers a much broader range of magical instruments in both type and grade.

    Hartmann No. 1 Primary School

    Luis stood before the newly enrolled students, exining the key points to keep in mind while practicing.

    Hearing the birds chirping outside the window, he couldn''t resist ncing out, his thoughts drifting far away.

    "Sir!"

    A young boy noticed Luis''s distraction and called out softly.

    "I''m fine!"

    Luis smiled and said, "Let''s pick up where we left off. Yes, the technique for refining spiritual energy."

    A Bird''s Eye View

    From the sky, Hartmann Ind appeared vibrant and flourishing.

    Yet,pared to Hartmann Ind, the prosperity of Sea View City on Redwood Ind was unparalleled.

    Thanks to the collective efforts of the monks, most of Sea View City was nowplete. The city continued to expand outward as the poption grew.

    Mirroring the urban structure of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, the inner city of Sea View City served as the heart of the immortal city.

    For now, this so-called fairy city was more like arge market town. But no one doubted its potential¡ªeventually, as more monks gathered on Redwood Ind, the town would evolve into a true immortal city.

    Immortal cities inherently attract monks. Built on spiritual veins, they offer the vital spiritual energy independent cultivatorsck.

    This exins why the Yang family constructed spiritual veins for independent cultivators, causing such excitement among them.

    Limbe Ind

    ----

    Main Hall of the Guang''an Prefecture Allied Forces Headquarters

    "I''ve confirmed it¡ªthe soldiers in the East Defense Zone are willing to exchange their military merits for elixirs," Zhou Minghao reported after another round ofmunication.

    Luis turned to Zhou Minghao and asked, "How will the ounts be settled based on military merits?"

    "Let Fellow Daoist Zhang exin this part," Zhou Minghao replied.

    The red-haired monk named Zhang nodded and said, "ording to the rules of Qianyuan Sword Sect, there are two types of frontlinebat merits: minor merits and major merits. One hundred minor merits can be exchanged for one major merit.

    On the front battlefield, a small achievement can be exchanged for a spirit stone.

    But the spirit stones cannot be exchanged for small merits."

    Luis nodded in understanding, it was a unteral exchange.

    After a moment''s silence, Luis said, "So, ten small merits can buy one pill?"

 Chapter 198 Merits II

    Hearing this, The red-haired monk named Zhang looked at Luis thoughtfully and smiled. "Although the Qianyuan Sword Sect doesn''t allow the exchange of spiritual stones for military merits, privately, among the soldiers, the exchange rate is about 10 small merits for 12 spiritual stones."

    Zhou Minghao, standing to the side, waved his hand dismissively. "Let''s go with the price Fellow Daoist Luis suggested."

    Turning to Luis, he asked, "How much military merit are you nning to exchange?"

    "I n to exchange 50% of the elixirs supplied by the Hartmann family for military merits."

    "Fifty percent?" Zhou Minghao nodded. "Alright, no problem. On behalf of the Guang''an Prefecture coalition, I agree to your Hartmann family''s request!"

    "Thank you, Senior Zhou," Luis said respectfully.

    "No, I should be the one thanking you."@@novelbin@@

    Zhou Minghao''s expression turned solemn. "If we win this battle, your Hartmann family will have made an invaluable contribution!"

    Luis waved his hands quickly. "I don''t deserve such praise!"

    Still, he knew in his heart that the Hartmann family''s support was critical to shoring up the fragile logistics of the Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces at such a crucial time.

    Next Steps

    The Zhou family immediately dispatched two flying warships to apany Luis back to Hartmann Ind to retrieve the elixirs.

    One Day Later

    Luis returned, apanied by the two flying warships.

    From a distance, he saw Zhou Minghao waiting anxiously in front of the headquarters'' main hall.

    As boxes of elixirs were unloaded from the Flying battleships, Zhou Minghao eagerly stepped forward. He opened one of the wooden boxes and inspected the neatly packaged bottles of elixirs inside.

    A smile spread across his face.

    "Good! Good! Good!"

    He picked up a bottle, broke the seal, and inhaled deeply as a wave of medicinal fragrance filled the air.

    These were the detoxification pills that were in high demand on the front lines.

    Seeing Zhou Minghao personally inspecting the pills, Luis bowed slightly and introduced them: "This time, my family has brought a total of 540,000 detoxification pills, 300,000 evil-breaking pills, and 230,000 energy-recovering pills¡ªa total of 1.07 million elixirs."

    Zhou Minghao quickly scanned the contents with his spiritual sense, confirming Luis'' statement.

    He nodded and said, "ording to the price we agreed upon, 50% of the elixirs will be paid in spirit stones, and the other 50% in military merits. The East Defense Zone Allied Forces owe your family 5.35 million spirit stones and 53,500 great merits.

    "I''ve already prepared the spirit stones; you can withdraw them at any time. As for the military merits..."

    He turned to the red-haired monk beside him.

    The monk nodded and said, "Since the frontline soldiers are willing to exchange their military merits, I can transfer the East Defense Zone coalition''s merits to your family."

    With that, he took out a disc-shaped magical instrument and tapped it lightly.

    A projection of light appeared before them.

    "This is the Arc Shadow te, a magical device crafted by the Qianyuan Sword Sect specifically for recording military exploits."

    The red-haired monk began sliding his fingertips across the light projection, performing a series of operations.

    Watching the scene, Luis suddenly felt like he was seeing a holographic projection from a high-tech movie.

    Unaware of Luis'' thoughts, the red-haired monk finished his task, nodded, and said, "All 53,500 military merits have been transferred to your name.

    "You can now use these merits to exchange for any resources offered by the Qianyuan Sword Sect."

    He handed Luis a jade slip, adding, "This contains the full list of resources avable for exchange, along with their prices. Take it back and review it at your leisure."

    As he spoke, a subtle smile appeared on his face. "It''s rare to see someone earn so many military merits without stepping onto the battlefield."

    Luis'' expression stiffened slightly at the remark.

    Sensing a possible misunderstanding, the red-haired monk quickly waved his hand and said, "Fellow Daoist Luis, please don''t misunderstand me. I only meant that the monks in your family must be truly fortunate."

    "Thank you for thepliment," Luis replied with a smile. "The monks of my family have always been lucky."

    The red-haired monk said no more after that.

    Deep down, Luis understood.

    As a frontline cultivator who had started as a casual monk, the red-haired monk must have endured countless battles to achieve his current standing.

    Despite his years of experience on the battlefield, the red-haired monk couldn''t help but feel a twinge of unfairness when he saw the massive benefits Luis had gained from his business dealings.

    However, he quickly reminded himself that these military merits were not solely Luis'' aplishment. They were the result of a year''s hard work by hundreds of alchemists in the Hartmann family. With this understanding, his feelings of envy faded.

    Back in the spiritual residence prepared for him by the Zhou family, Luis eagerly took out the jade slip from his storage bag and began reading it carefully.

    The resources offered by the Qianyuan Sword Sect were incrediblyprehensive.

    In general, they could be divided into two main categories:

    Knowledge Resources

    Material Resources

    The knowledge resources included skills, spells, alchemy techniques, weapon refining methods, talisman-making practices, formation techniques, and puppetry arts.

    The material resources consisted of treasures such as unprocessed spiritual minerals, herbs, spiritual nts, and other rare spiritual items. There were also processed treasures like magical instruments, elixirs, talismans, and formation tes.

    After skimming through the list, Luis noticed a trend.

    It was far more cost-effective to exchange military merits for knowledge resources. On the other hand, exchanging military merits for material resources was less advantageouspared to purchasing them directly with spirit stones.

    The variety of resources recorded in the jade slip was overwhelming, leaving Luis unsure of what to prioritize.

    Fortunately, he had already set his goals for this exchange.

    The first priority was to acquire cultivation techniques for the Hartmann family.

    At present, the family possessed only one foundation-building technique: the Red Yang Gong, which had been purchased at an auction.

    While the technique wasn''t inherently bad, it was rather ordinary and offered limited options.

    The Hartmann family couldn''t rely on a single technique indefinitely. If, for example, a cultivator with a water-attributed spiritual body were to appear in the family, they would have no suitable technique to practice.

    Therefore, it was essential to secure at least one foundation-building stage or golden core stage technique for each of the Five Elements. Ideally, these techniques would have a high potential for growth.

    Luis'' attention was drawn to the Qianyuan Sword Sutra, the foundational technique of the Qianyuan Sword Sect. This technique was renowned for its exceptionally high upper limit.

    "I heard that the Qianyuan Sword Sect made all their sect-protecting techniques avable for exchange on the front lines. Seeing it listed here confirms it," Luis thought.

    As he studied the details of the Qianyuan Sword Sutra, he noticed some intriguing differences.

    The Qianyuan Sword Sutra could indeed be exchanged by frontline cultivators, but only the Foundation Establishment portion of the technique was avable.

    To ess the subsequent stages, a cultivator would have to travel to the Qianyuan Sword Sect in person toplete the exchange.

    This limitation was designed to prevent Izumo''s enemies from infiltrating the Ten Thousand Star Sea and stealing the sect''s core techniques.

    "There are indeed some restrictions," Luis mused, nodding in understanding.

    He had expected this. If there were no restrictions, he would have been genuinely surprised.

    The Qianyuan Sword Sutra was, after all, said to have been created by Qian Yuanzi, the founder of the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    Qian Yuanzi was a Mahayana cultivator, a powerful figure who eventually ascended to the upper realm. The skills he left behind were widely spread by his descendants, a testament to his legacy.

    At this moment, Luis couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of curiosity about the leader of the Qianyuan Sword Sect. What kind of person could exhibit such immense courage and generosity?

    To openly share the sect''s treasured martial arts with the world required an extraordinary level of vision and selflessness.

    At least, Luis thought, it was far more selfless than he could be.

    For example, he couldn''t imagine sharing the Hartmann family''s industrial alchemy and refining techniques with the world, even if doing so would significantly enhance the strength of the entire Ten Thousand Star Sea.

    Whether it was due to short-sightedness or simply his focus on protecting his own family, Luis knew he wasn''t capable of such selflessness.

    In his heart, the only people he truly trusted were those connected to him through his vortex.

    "The Foundation Establishment portion of the Qianyuan Sword Sutra requires 30,000 great merits..."

    Luis couldn''t help but draw a sharp breath.

    This was merely a technique restricted to personal practice, yet its value was equivalent to that of a third-level spiritual vein.

    Although Luis had thought himself quite wealthy with 53,500 great merits, seeing the exchange price of the Qianyuan Sword Sutra made him realize just how "poor" he still was.

 Chapter 203 Preperations

    Although the Western Defense Zone is one of the five major defense zones, most cultivators¡ªexcept those whose ancestralnds or training centers are near Redwood Ind¡ªstill prefer to go to Zhou Main City.

    After all, Zhou Main City is guarded by Golden Core cultivators.

    While the cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture acknowledged the Hartmann Family''s strength, in their eyes, a Foundation Establishment expert was nowhere near as formidable as a Golden Core cultivator.

    Moreover, with the Eastern Defense Zone securing one victory after another, the dark cloud of war that once loomed over everyone had gradually lifted.

    Naturally, this left even fewer reasons for cultivators to relocate to the so-called "backward" Sea View City.

    As a result, aside from the 100,000 stationed soldiers and monks, the number of independent and family-affiliated cultivators in Sea View City was fewer than 300,000.

    In contrast, Zhou Main City housed millions of cultivators within its sphere of influence, while Lingzhou Immortal City had gathered more than a million.

    Even the Southern Defense Zone''s city gate garrison saw more independent cultivators gathered than the entirety of the Western Defense Zone.

    Luis remained unfazed.

    He understood that prestige and support were built upon strength.

    Neither he nor the Hartmann Family had yet proven themselves worthy of absolute trust. Naturally, people hesitated to entrust their futures to the Western Defense Zone Coalition.

    Returning to the Western Defense Zone base¡­

    As soon as Luis entered the headquarters hall, a monk d in spiritual armor strode in briskly, his steps quick as the wind.

    Upon seeing Luis, his eyes lit up.

    "Commander-in-chief," the monk said, his tone carrying a hint of urgency. "It''s time to distribute this month''s military sries."

    Then, after a brief pause, he nced at Luis nervously.

    The decision to build an immortal city on Redwood Ind had been controversial.

    Many within the Western Defense Zone Coalition had opposed it. But as Luis'' subordinates, they had no choice but to follow his orders.

    Now, the very issue they had feared had finally arrived.

    The coalition forces in the Western Defense Zone were struggling to pay their soldiers.

    Since the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces stationed on Redwood Ind, money has been flowing like water.

    If it weren''t for Guang''an Prefecture Allied Forces Commander Zhou Minghao''s attempt to win over the Hartmann Family¡ªand the Hartmann Family''s strong logistical support for the Eastern Defense Zone front line¡ªanyone else who dared to "misappropriate" the military funds of the Western Defense Zone so openly would have already been arrested for corruption and malfeasance by the Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces.

    Since stationing troops on Redwood Ind, the Western Defense Zone has not only built a third-level spiritual vein but has also developed over ten second-level spiritual veins on nearby inds, using Redwood Ind as the core.@@novelbin@@

    This strategy mirrors the Zhou Family and the Guang''an Prefecture Immortal Alliance, providing independent cultivators and smaller families with cultivation resources.

    Additionally, the Western Defense Zone is responsible for patrolling and maintaining flying warships.

    The cost of constructing the spiritual veins alone exceeded 20 million spirit stones.

    The massive order of magical instruments ced with the Hartmann Family cost several million more.

    Later, the construction of Sea View Fairy City consumed the bulk of the Western Defense Zone''s military budget¡ªnearly 50 million spirit stones.

    Logically speaking, Sea View City, built with military funds, should belong to the Western Defense Zone Coalition Forces.

    Yet, anyone paying attention could see what had really happened.

    Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire

    The Hartmann Family had transferred taxation rights to themselves.

    This was tant misappropriation of military funds.

    Had the funds been squandered for personal luxuries, there might have been an uproar. But now, after such heavy spending, only a fraction of the original 80 million spirit stones remained.

    At this rate, even paying the soldiers'' sries was bing difficult.

    Inside the Western Defense Zone Headquarters

    Luis sat in the grand hall, gazing at Lei Zhen, who stood before him with a nervous expression.

    Seeing his unease, Luis chuckled and said, "Why are you so nervous? My Hartmann Family is on Hartmann Ind, hundreds of miles away from Redwood Ind. Are you worried that we''ll just disappear?"

    Shaking his head, he added, "Don''t worry. The military sries will be paid this month as usual."

    With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Lei Zhen.

    Lei Zhen hesitated for a moment before bowing and slowly exiting the hall.

    As he left, Luis murmured, "Arthur should be back soon."

    Just then, a flying warship descended from the sky.

    A figure leaped down from the ship¡ªArthur.

    Seeing Luis, he grinned.

    "Brother!"

    Walking up, he stretched his shoulders and sighed, "Doing business is exhausting. You always have to keep a smile on your face."

    Luis looked at Arthur, now a grown man, and couldn''t help but feel a wave of nostalgia. Although not much time has passed.

    Luis had watched Arthur mature over time.

    Patting Arthur''s shoulder firmly, Luis said with emotion, "You''ve worked hard. Thank you!"

    Arthur smiled silently, shook his head, and replied, "It''s for the family. My hard work is necessary."

    "Come on, let''s go inside and talk."

    "Yes!"

    Arthur nodded and followed Luis into the hall.

    They sat down, and Luis personally brewed a pot of spiritual tea. As they drank, they chatted for half an hour.

    By then, Arthur finally understood why Luis had transferred him back to Sea View City.

    Compared to the magical instrument market in Guang''an Prefecture''s Immortal City, what the Hartmann family was building in Sea View Fairy City was far more crucial to their long-term foundation.

    "But what about the flying sword shops in Zhou Main City Market?" Arthur asked, frowning.

    The Hartmann family already owned seven shops in Zhou Main City Market, covering all the major blocks. Among them, more than five specialized in flying swords.

    The inventory had expanded significantly. Initially, the shop only sold Red Shadow Flying Swords, a first-grade, low-quality weapon. But now, it carried a variety of first-grade low-grade flying swords, as well as mid-grade and even high-grade ones.

    Of course, few casual cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage could afford a first-grade top-quality flying sword. Even those with 500 spirit stones in their pockets would likely prioritize renting a better cave or buying elixirs over upgrading their weapon. For them, switching from a first-grade low-grade sword to a high-grade one was a luxury.

    After a brief moment of thought, Luis looked up and asked, "Who is currently managing the flying sword shops in Zhou Main City Market?"

    "Senior Weston."

    "Weston, huh."

    Luis nodded. Weston was Biggs'' disciple.

    After a pause, Luis exined, "The Flying Sword Shop was once the Hartmann family''s main source of ie, but that is no longer the case.

    Our elixir and magic weapon business with the Guang''an Prefecture coalition now far exceeds the revenue from the flying sword shops."

    Luis took a sip of tea and continued, "More importantly, our true foundation is now in Sea View Fairy City. Only by ensuring its prosperity can the Hartmann family establish itself as a true powerhouse."

    Compared to doing business in someone else''s fairy city, running your own offers far greater benefits.

    If the Hartmann family can sessfully develop Sea View Fairy City, they won''t even need to say a word¡ª the tax revenue alone will be enough to make them wealthy.

    Why is the Zhou family so rich?

    Their wealth doesn''te solely from their various industries. More importantly, they owned a massive fairy city¡ªZhou Main City¡ªone of the most prosperous in all of Cangzhou.

    The Guang''an Immortal Alliance established Lingzhou Immortal City because the Yang family and other influential ns in Guang''an Prefecture refused to let the Zhou family monopolize the region''s wealth. By forming an alliance, they bnced the distribution of power.

    If the Guang''an Alliance could do it, why couldn''t the Hartmann family?

    If not for the corpse tide on Lotus Ind, Luis wouldn''t have made this decision so quickly.

    But now, with a zombie outbreak threatening Guang''an Prefecture, stability is the priority. To maintain order and unite against external threats, the Zhou family has no choice but topromise and relinquish some of their control.

    The so-called division of the five major defense zones is, in reality, a redistribution of Guang''an Prefecture''s spheres of influence.

    The western defense zone of Guang''an Prefecture will belong to the Hartmann family.

    So why shouldn''t they establish their own fairy city within their territory?

    Of course, building a fairy city is one thing¡ªdeveloping it into a thriving hub is another.

    Lingzhou Immortal City had a strong start, thanks to Yang Lingyuan, who first established spiritual veins around the city, allowing casual cultivators to cultivate spiritual fields and grow medicinal herbs.

    But soon, the Zhou family imitated this strategy.

    And now, Luis is doing the same.

    In this aspect, the Hartmann family holds no special advantage. In fact, they are at a disadvantage due to theirte entry into the game.

    Moreover, just like the Guang''an Immortal Alliance, the Hartmann family faces a major challenge in building Sea View Fairy City¡ªack of working capital.

    In other words, they don''t have enough spirit stones.

 Chapter 205 Lei Zhen

    The integration of the array pattern meant that this seemingly ordinary banknote was actually a magical weapon.

    Without specific refining techniques, who else could possibly forge it?

    "Boss, listen to me." Blogs spoke earnestly. "Although this banknote is a special magical instrument, the array pattern itself is simple. Any cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, as long as they are proficient, can engrave it in an instant."

    "That''s right!"

    "Yes, it''s really simple!"

    "..."

    Luis listened to the crowd''s enthusiastic responses but remained unconvinced.

    "How simple are we talking about?" he asked.

    Hearing this, Blogs quickly handed him a jade slip.

    Luis took it and immersed his spiritual consciousness inside.

    The next moment¡ª

    A strange expression shed across his face as he withdrew his consciousness from the jade slip.

    The formation pattern was indeed shockingly simple.

    If Blogs hadn''t explicitly stated that this was a formation pattern, Luis would have doubted such a basic design could even be considered an array.

    However, no matter how simple an array pattern was, once integrated into a weapon, even the most powerful cultivator wouldn''t be able to see its true structure.

    Otherwise, wouldn''t family cultivators be able to reverse-engineer the refining techniques of high-level spiritual armor just by purchasing one?

    That was obviously impossible.

    "With our research team''s efficiency, we can convert these semi-finished banknotes into finished ones at a rate of one hundred per cup of tea."

    A cup of tea for a hundred banknotes.

    If they worked five hours a day, that meant producing 6,000 banknotes daily.

    At a face value of 100 Spirit Coins per banknote, the total would be 600,000 Spirit Coins per day.

    That was a staggering 18 million Spirit Coins per month.

    And if they expanded their workforce, the production speed would increase even further.

    With the current cirction demand of Sea View City, approximately 30 million Spirit Coins were needed to sustain normal operations.

    Of course¡ª

    The denomination of Spirit Coins couldn''t be limited to just one hundred.

    Based on his past-life experience, Luis had divided Spirit Coin denominations into thirteen different types.

    There were thirteen denominations of Spirit Coins:

    1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 SC (Spirit Coin), 2 SC, 5 SC, 10 SC, 20 SC, 50 SC, and 100 SC.

    Some people might wonder¡ª

    "Can a single cent, just one-hundredth of a Spirit Stone, actually buy anything?"

    The truth was, The purchasing power of Spirit Stones was incredibly strong.

    The reason it seemed like Spirit Stones were hard to spend was because Luis usually bought precious treasures¡ªitems that were extremely valuable to cultivators.

    However, if Spirit Stones were used to buy bulk supplies for ordinary people, even a single Spirit Stone could purchase a massive quantity of goods.

    In fact, It was difficult to estimate exactly how much food a single Spirit Stone could buy for an ordinary person.

    That''s why using cents as the smallest unit of currency made sense.

    Even independent cultivators had many ves and servants under them. These ordinary people needed food, water, shelter, and other essentials, which consumed resources.

    When these bulk resources were traded, they were purchased using Spirit Stones.

    While small transactions among mortals still used gold, silver, and copper,rge-scale trade between cultivators did not recognize these metals as valid currency.

    For example¡ª

    The Zhou family, responsible for feeding millions of people, relied on independent cultivators in Guang''an Prefecture to grow their food using vebor.

    And the currency used to purchase this grain? Spirit Stones.@@novelbin@@

    No cultivator would farm for the Zhou family in exchange for a handful of gold or silver¡ªthose metals were worthless to them.

    The Next Step: Currency Implementation

    If Luis wanted to mass-produce all thirteen denominations of Spirit Coins, the time required would increase several times over.

    But, He couldn''t afford to wait.

    So, he would mobilize more people and elerate production.

    By the end of this month, his currency recement n would begin.

    The Evolution of Currency

    Anyone familiar with economics understood that currency developed in stages.

    From a geographical perspective, it would start as a pilot program, expand regionally, and eventually achieve full-scale adoption.

    From an international perspective, currency went through four major phases. The first phase?

    Free convertibility for international payments under the current ount.

    Simply put In the future, Spirit Coins would be freely exchanged in trade among the major forces in Guang''an Prefecture.

    And that was only the first step.

    If one day, Spirit Coins fully reced Spirit Stones and became the sole currency in cirction throughout the cultivation world. It would mean that Luis had unified everything.

    A true unification¡ªEconomically, Militarily, Culturally.

    Now, Luis needed tounch a pilot currency injection¡ªthe simplest step for any sovereign government.

    In other words, Spirit Stone Coins would first be introduced within Sea View Fairy City.

    To make this happen, several key factors were essential:

    Public eptance of the currency

    Mary security

    Military support

    Cooperation from the major families in Guang''an Prefecture''s Immortal City

    The backing of the Western Defense Zone Coalition Forces

    So far¡ª

    Luis had already solved two problems:

    Public eptance of Spirit Coins

    Ensuring the currency''s security

    Now, he needed the major families of Guang''an Prefecture to cooperate with him in implementing this n.

    But before that¡ª

    He had to fully conquer the Western Defense Zone Coalition and turn it into his private army.

    In truth¡ª

    Luis had been nning this from the very beginning, ever since the Western Defense Zone Coalition was established.

    Anyone paying close attention would notice¡ª

    Among the high-ranking officers of the coalition, very few came from noble families.

    Luis had ten directlymanded captains stationed in the city.

    The rest?

    They were all Foundation Establishment cultivators recruited from independent cultivators.

    This was no coincidence.

    Luis had deliberately chosen independent cultivators to fill key leadership positions within the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces.

    His goal?

    Topletely take control of the army and make it a private force under the Hartmann family.

    ----

    Redwood Ind ¨C Sea View Fairy City

    Western Defense Zone Allied Forces Headquarters ¨C Main Hall

    A streak of light shot through the sky, heading straight for the grand hall.

    The figurended.

    It was a middle-aged cultivator d in armor. Tall and broad-shouldered, his imposing frame made him look more like a seasoned warrior than a monk.

    He pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

    Standing within the hall was a Taoist priest dressed in a green robe, a jade crown atop his head. His hands were sped behind his back as he gazed into the distance.

    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

    This man was none other than Luis, his direct superior.

    Luis turned, his eyes settling on the armored cultivator.

    "Lei Zhen, recruited in the 957th year of the Qianyuan Calendar, served as a captainmanding a hundred soldiers at Yunmeng Pass, on the front lines of Izumo Kingdom. After five years, you retired and returned."

    Luis smiled.

    "General Lei, when you were doing so well on the front lines, why did you choose to return to Guang''an Prefecture¡ªa ce where progress has long stagnated?"

    Lei Zhen''s Response

    Lei Zhen fell silent.

    A long pause followed.

    Then, he stepped forward and bowed.

    "Commander, most of the troops stationed at Yunmeng Pass are from Jingzhou. I am a cultivator from Cangzhou. Over time, I was ostracized. I appealed to the higher authorities many times, but they always sided against me. Frustrated and disheartened, I chose to return."

    Luis studied him closely.

    He could tell¡ª

    Lei Zhen was telling the truth.

    Ever since the fall of Zhennan Pass, cultivators from Cangzhou had no choice but to serve in garrisons stationed in other regions.

    And ever since the news of Cangzhou''s defeat at Zhennan Pass had spread¡ª

    The cultivators of other states looked down on them.

    Serving as a soldier in another''s territory is humiliating enough.

    On top of that, Lei Zhen''s personality isn''t particrly likable, making him more prone to exclusion.

    Hearing this, Luis felt a heavy weight in his heart.

    The fall of Zhennan Pass remained a deep wound for all cultivators of Cangzhou, one that had not faded with time.

    On the contrary, it had only worsened due to the continued decline in their reputation and interests.

    Luis took a few steps forward, patted Lei Zhen on the shoulder, and said, "General Lei, don''t worry. We Cangzhou cultivators will reim Zhennan Pass!"

    Lei Zhen''s eyes reddened as old memories resurfaced. He nodded silently.

    Sensing the somber atmosphere, Luis reached out and sped Lei Zhen''s hand. After they both took their seats, he spoke again.

    "General Lei, let''s not dwell on unhappy matters. If I recall correctly, you''ve been with my Western Defense Zone Coalition for nearly a month now, haven''t you?"

    Lei Zhen thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes."

    Luis smiled, his tone calm. "The zombie tide on Lotus Ind has weakened, and the Western Defense Zone coalition won''tst forever. Have you thought about whates next, General Lei?"

    Lei Zhen hesitated, opening his mouth as if to speak but falling silent.

    After a while, he sighed bitterly. "Maybe I''ll return to my ind and teach the mortals how to farm.

    Besides cultivation, I don''t know alchemy or crafting. I suppose the only option left is to grow food for the great families and exchange it for a few spirit stones."

    Luis was taken aback.

    "With your cultivation level, General Lei, is there truly no noble family in Guang''an Prefecture willing to invite you as a guest cultivator?"

 Chapter 206 Invitation

    "Yes, of course."

    Lei Zhen nodded, then gave a bitter smile. "But ''guest cultivator'' is just a fancy title. In reality, it''s nothing more than being a dog for a great family. I may be down on my luck, but I, Lei Zhen, refuse to stoop so low."

    Hearing this, Luis gently tapped his fingers on the seat, the rhythmic sound echoing softly.

    Lei Zhen appeared honest, but in truth, he was quite shrewd. Before Luis could even finish speaking, Lei Zhen had already cut him off.

    If he refused to be ackey for a great family, then why would he willingly serve the Hartmann family?

    After all, while the Hartmann family was acknowledged by the influential ns of Guang''an Prefecture, there was still a gap between them and the truly powerful families in terms of strength and foundation.

    To outsiders, the Hartmanns were formidable, but still inferior to the Zhou and Yang families.

    Since Lei Zhen had rejected offers from those two families, why would he consider joining the Hartmanns?

    Realizing that recruiting him would be difficult, Luis didn''t seem bothered. Instead, he smiled and asked, "May I ask, General Lei, how old are you this year?"

    Lei Zhen''s expression darkened slightly, but he still sped his fists and answered, "I am 87 years old this year."

    Eighty-seven years old. Eighth level of Foundation Establishment.

    Luis'' expression turned serious. "Are you a cultivator with a natural spiritual root?"

    "Yes," Lei Zhen nodded. "Butpared to you family cultivators..."

    He shook his head in disappointment.

    So what if he had a natural spiritual root? They were rare¡ªonly one in a million¡ªbut with millions of cultivators in Guang''an Prefecture, there were still at least hundreds of them.

    Across all of Cangzhou, the number of cultivators with natural spiritual roots had increased tenfold¡ªperhaps even dozens of times.

    In the vast expanse of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, which spanned dozens or nearly a hundred states, such cultivators were considered gifted. However, they were far from being called true prodigies.

    Only sword cultivators like Zhou Mubai could be considered true geniuses. Not only were they unrivaled among their peers, but they could even fight across realms, their strength almost inhuman.

    Luis finally understood why Lei Zhen was so proud and refused to serve as a guest cultivator for any great family.

    He had reached the eighth level of Foundation Establishment at eighty-seven. In less than ten years, he would likely reach the ninth level.

    By then, he would need to refine his true essence and prepare for the breakthrough to Golden Core.

    Given that Foundation Establishment cultivators could live up to two hundred years, Lei Zhen would still be under one hundred and ten when he perfected his true energy¡ªleaving him with ample time to attempt a breakthrough.

    If he returned to the front lines and umted enough resources, he might truly have a shot at reaching the Golden Core Stage.

    The only drawback was that Lei Zhen had no family backing. He had to earn every resource himself.

    Had he been born into a great family, he would have been nurtured as a core member long ago¡ªjust like Zhou Mubai and Yang Gongwan.

    With this in mind, Luis no longer hesitated.

    He smiled and said, "If my Hartmann family is willing to provide all the resources you need to break through to Golden Core, would General Lei be willing to serve as a guest cultivator for my family?"

    "You mean¡­ all the resources needed for the Golden Core Stage?"

    Lei Zhen was so shocked that he even forgot to use honorifics.

    "That''s right!"

    Luis nodded. "Not only that, but in the future, my family is willing to help you establish your own immortal cultivator lineage, ensuring that your Daoist tradition is passed down for generations."

    Lei Zhen''s breathing quickened. He cupped his fists and asked, "Commander¡ªno, Lord Luis, are you serious?"

    "How could I be lying? If you doubt me, I''m willing to swear an oath."

    "No, no need!"

    Lei Zhen waved his hands frantically. "I, Lei Zhen, trust Lord Luis'' word!"

    Without another moment of hesitation, he suddenly stood from his seat, straightened his back, and in a swift motion, knelt before Luis.

    With a deep bow, he dered, "From this day forth, I, Lei Zhen, pledge my loyalty to the Hartmann family¡ªuntil death!"

    "Good!"

    Luis was overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward, lifting Lei Zhen up with both hands,ughing.

    "General Lei, please rise!"

    He had intended to win Lei Zhen over gradually, but he hadn''t expected the man to swear allegiance so suddenly.

    Now, he was connected to the vortex.

    Once Lei Zhen stood up, Luis smiled and said, "With General Lei''s support, my family is like a tiger growing wings."

    "My lord, I dare not ept such praise."

    Lei Zhen replied humbly.

    Though he was a proud man, he dared not show the slightest arrogance before such a young genius.@@novelbin@@

    In terms of talent and potential, Luis was far beyond him.

    He had understood this deeply when Luis defeated him with a single sword strike at the Zhou family''s residence.

    Today, he willingly pledged loyalty to the Hartmann family, not only because of the generous conditions Luis had offered¡ªones he simply couldn''t refuse¡ªbut also because of something else.

    His admiration for the strong.

    Humans naturally worship strength. And the strong only respect those who are stronger.

    Lei Zhen was a prime example of this.

    After securing Lei Zhen''s allegiance and watching him leave, Luis let out a breath of relief.

    Outside the Door.

    Biggs stood waiting, alongside a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining. When he saw Lei Zhen push the door open, he greeted him with a warm smile.

    Lei Zhen knew that Biggs held a high status within the Hartmann family. Despite Biggs'' lower cultivation level, Lei Zhen did not dare to show any disrespect. He quickly returned the gesture with a polite bow.

    Once Lei Zhen was gone, Biggs pushed the door open and stepped inside.

    "Boss!"

    He greeted.

    Luis watched Lei Zhen''s departing figure. This wasn''t the right time to reveal everything.

    He would slowly bring all the independent cultivators under his control first.

    "Hmm."

    Luis finally shifted his gaze to Biggs and asked, "Where is the person I asked you to bring?"

    "Waiting outside the pce."

    Biggs grinned. "Over the past few days, I''ve managed to subdue seven of the eight independent cultivators in the Western Defense Zone coalition and bring them under the Hartmann family''smand."

    Luis nodded. "Lei Zhen is also on our side now. He''s already connected to the vortex."

    Hearing This.

    Biggs'' face lit up with joy.

    "Congrattions, Boss!"

    "Now, the only ones left are Zhou Mucheng from the Zhou family, Wei Lidao from the Wei family, and that stubborn independent cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment."

    When he mentioned Captain Wan¡ªthe tactless wandering cultivator¡ªBiggs'' expression darkened.

    Biggs reported the situation to Luis.

    In other major ns, independent cultivators were also recruited as guest officials. However, those ns would simply send people at random to handle the task. No one did it the way Luis did¡ªoffering genuine benefits to secure their loyalty.

    Yet, the most surprising part was that the man actually refused.

    This made Luis feel uneasy. At the same time, he was vaguely confused.

    ''Is he really that proud?''

    It was hard to believe that someone could turn down such immense resources.

    Luis was confident that the conditions he offered were already generous enough. But since the man was unwilling, he naturally couldn''t allow him to continue holding the position of captain in the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces.

    If he couldn''t use him, then having such a person under hismand would only be an eyesore.

    As themander of the Western Defense Zone, Luis had every reason to dismiss him.

    The Allied Forces Headquarters wouldn''t make a fuss over such a minor matter. Otherwise, all the investments Zhou Minghao had made in him would be wasted.

    Taking a deep breath, Luis nodded and said, "Let him in."

    "Yes, Boss."

    Biggs bowed, then sent a message to the person waiting outside, instructing him to enter.

    A Closer Look.

    Luis quickly recognized the ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator standing before him.

    An old acquaintance.

    It was the same ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator Luis had met during his first visit to Zhou Main City.

    "Zhang Daoyou,"

    Luis stood up with a smile. "It''s been a long time since west met. I hope you''ve been well, Brother Zhang."

    The man before him had a handsome face, a tall figure, and an imposing presence.

    Zhang Zhixian felt an invisible pressure weighing on him.

    It was hard to believe that this was the same person he had met months ago¡ªa mere low-level Qi Refining cultivator at the time.

    And yet, in just a few months¡­

    The young man had not only broken through to Foundation Establishment, but he had also risen to be the master of this vast and majestic city.

    How could Zhang Zhixian possibly process such a drastic change?

    "Junior Zhang Zhixian greets Senior Luis!"

    Despite their past encounter, Zhang Zhixian did not dare act casually. He quickly bowed, showing utmost respect.

 Chapter 208 Take An Oath

    The Hartmann family had undoubtedly spent a fortune building this fairy city. Just constructing a third-level spirit vein alone would have cost more than 10 million spirit stones.

    On top of that, they had developed over a dozen second-level spirit veins around Redwood Ind, providing space for independent cultivators and small families to cultivate spiritual fields and medicinal herbs.

    That was another massive expense.

    And yet, the biggest cost of all was the city itself.

    Zhang Zhixian could hardly imagine how much the Hartmann family had poured into its construction. Even now, the city was far fromplete.

    This only reinforced his suspicion¡ªperhaps the Hartmann family had exhausted their entire fortune and were now resorting to this crude method of extracting wealth from the major families in Sea View Fairy City.

    Realizing this, Zhang Zhixian quickly saluted and said, "Since this is thew of Sea View Fairy City, my Zhang family will naturallyply."

    Seeing his tactful response, Luis nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Brother Zhang is truly straightforward."

    "Heh-heh."

    Zhang Zhixian breathed a sigh of relief, and the two exchanged smiles, creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding.

    After chatting for a while longer, Luis personally stood up to see him off. The gesture alone was enough to leave Zhang Zhixian both ttered and uneasy.

    As he watched Zhang Zhixian depart, Arthur, who had been waiting outside, stepped in and murmured, "Just like that? The Zhang family is really willing to pay that many spirit stones?"

    Luis smiled. "Willing or not, does it matter?"

    "This is my family''s territory. The Hartmann family''s word is thew here. If they want a foothold in this city, they have no choice but to follow our rules. It''s about knowing where you stand."

    Arthur nced at themanding presence Luis exuded and found himself at a loss for words.

    The next few days,

    Every day, Luis summoned representatives from various families settling in Sea View City, as well as independent cultivators opening shops, to promote the use of spirit coins.

    Sea View City was newly built and still under construction.

    Even so, many businesses had already moved in.

    While the city wasn''t as bustling as Lingzhou Fairy City yet, it was steadily growing more prosperous.

    In the world of cultivation, resources were essential. No cultivator¡ªno matter how powerful¡ªcould produce everything they needed on their own.

    Evenrge families and sects were no exception.

    Because of this, trade was vital to every cultivation force.

    In fact, the more prosperous a sect or city became, the stronger its cultivators tended to be.

    After all, a thriving economy provided the necessary resources to nurture powerful practitioners.

    This was no different from the world Luis had lived in before. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

    Just as he expected, under his authority, no family or individual cultivator dared refuse the use of spirit coins in their transactions.

    Of course, this method of forced implementation made the Hartmann family seem tyrannical, overbearing, and greedy in the eyes of many.

    But Luis didn''t care.

    Once a currency takes root, people begin to see its benefits.

    For now, they might resist, feeling pressured into using spirit coins.

    But after some time, once they experienced the convenience, they woulde to prefer them.

    In Luis'' view, using raw spirit stones as currency was even worse than using gold and silver in ancient times.

    At least gold and silver had fixed reserves and wouldn''t suddenly vanish without warning.

    However, spirit stones were different.

    Beyond their use as currency, they yed a crucial role in cultivating spirit veins.

    Whether it was the Guang''an Immortal Alliance or the Zhou family, building spiritual veins required an enormous amount of spirit stones.

    As a result, therge-scale consumption of spirit stones led to a severe shortage in the Guang''an Prefecture market.

    This shortage triggered a cash crunch across the entire region.

    Many cultivators, unable to acquire spirit stones, were forced to rely on bartering.

    But bartering was inefficient¡ªan outdated economic system that belonged to primitive societies.

    There was another key reason why Luis insisted on promoting spirit coins as paper currency: the industrialization of Hartmann Ind.

    As productivity leaped forward, the introduction of industrial goods into the market would only worsen the shortage of spirit stones.

    Currently, the Hartmann family''s industrial production remained at a moderate level, so the issue wasn''t yet obvious.

    But if Hartmann Ind''s industry expanded a hundredfold, even if every spirit stone in Guang''an Prefecture was funneled into trade with the Hartmann family, it still wouldn''t be enough.

    At that point, industrial growth would be severely hindered.

    If industry relied on trade, then currency was the foundation of that trade. But if the currency itself was unstable, economic progress would inevitably stall.

    To outsiders, Luis'' actions might seem reckless, but in reality, he was preemptively removing obstacles for Hartmann Ind''s industrialization.

    A few dayster.

    Inside the main hall of the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces Headquarters.

    Ten captains, eachmanding ten thousand soldiers, sat with Luis in the hall.

    For a long while, no one spoke.

    Finally, Wei Lidao of the Wei family stood up and said hesitantly, "Your Excellency Commander, tomorrow is the day to distribute military pay, but¡­ our army''s spirit stone reserves seem to be..."

    He trailed off, feeling the pressure from Luis but not daring to finish his sentence.

    Luis lifted his gaze slightly, a faint smile on his lips.

    "Since tomorrow is payday, I suppose I should say a few words."

    His tone was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it.

    "Everyone knows that while our Western Defense Zone has a military budget of 80 million spirit stones, that number¡ªthough it seemsrge¡ªdoesn''t stretch as far as one might think.

    Weapons for soldiers, cultivating spirit veins, constructing fairy cities, distributing sries¡ª

    Military funds are already tight.

    And yet, even in this situation, some people still have the audacity to embezzle military funds."

    Luis'' voice grew heavier.

    "Tell me, can our Western Defense Zone coalition¡ª

    From the highestmander to the lowest soldier¡ª

    Tolerate such corruption?"

    Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their gazes, remaining silent.

    But they all understood¡ªsince Luis had spoken, someone was bound to face consequences.

    Suddenly, Lei Zhen stood up and shouted, **"Our soldiers in the Western Defense Zone have worked tirelessly to build the Immortal City and patrol the entire region. We barely sleep at night, and our own cultivation is dyed!

    And yet, despite all this, such scum still exists in our ranks? How could we tolerate such corruption?"**

    "Yes! General Lei is right!"

    "We can''t let this go unpunished!"

    "This must be stopped immediately!"

    The hall erupted with agreement.

    Zhou Mucheng remained silent, while Wei Lidao looked visibly uneasy.

    Then, Luis'' voice boomed through the hall.

    "Xia Hong, step forward!"

    The words struck like thunder in the ears of a mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator.

    Xia Hong''s face darkened.

    He slowly stood up and asked, "Commander, may I ask what you want from me?"

    Luis sneered. "Do I need to list all the ''good deeds'' you''ve done in front of everyone?"

    Xia Hong''s expression shifted again. His hands trembled slightly, and resentment filled his eyes as he spoke in a shaky voice.

    "I hope themander will rify his usations."

    Luis ignored him and instead asked, "ording to the militaryws of the Guang''an Prefecture coalition forces, what is the punishment for embezzlement of military funds?"

    Zhou Mucheng, a fellowmander of ten thousand soldiers, finally stood up.

    "ording to the coalition''sws," he stated, **"punishment varies based on the amount embezzled.

    Those who steal less than 10,000 spirit stones are dismissed from their posts and punished with flogging and branding.@@novelbin@@

    Those who embezzle over 100,000 spirit stones face dismissal and the nailing of their bones.

    And anyone who steals more than one million spirit stones... is sentenced to death."**

    The hall fell silent.

    Luis waved his hand, sending a signal outside. "Bring it in."

    Momentster, a squad of soldiers entered, carrying fifteenrge boxes¡ªeach as tall as a man.

    A soldier stepped forward and saluted. "Commander, these are the spirit stones found in General Xia''s spirit pce."

    Luis nodded. "Understood. You may leave."

    "Yes, Commander!"

    As the soldiers exited, Luis walked to the first box and casually waved his hand.

    The lid flew open.

    Inside, the box was filled to the brim with spirit stones.

    Luis turned to Xia Hong. "Do you have anything else to say?"

    "Framed! This is a setup!"

    Xia Hong''s face twisted in rage. His eyes turned red, and his body tensed like a beast ready to strike.

    "You did this! You couldn''t recruit me, so you resorted to this filthy trick to frame me!"

    Luis chuckled coldly. "Oh? You''re just a mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator. Why would I personally bother to recruit you?"

    His gaze sharpened. "You im this is a setup? Then swear an oath¡ªif you''re innocent, let the heavens bear witness. Take an Oath"

    Xia Hong''s expression changed again, his heart beat like thunder, but the resentment on his face became even stronger, and he refused to swear, as if he had suffered a great humiliation.

 Chapter 210 Pay Salary

    Wei Lidao finally let out a breath of relief.

    In the end, this move was nothing more than shifting the payroll of the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces to the Central Bank in Sea View City.

    It was a minor inconvenience for the soldiers, nothing more.

    And for something this trivial, would Qi Refining Stage soldiers really dare to challenge Foundation Building cultivators or noble families?

    The Next Day

    At the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces'' military camp, soldiers lined up in long, orderly queues, waiting for their pay.

    From above, six snaking lines stretched out in front of the six designated pay distribution points.

    Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out.

    "What the hell? Where are the spirit stones? Why are you handing me a piece of paper?"

    A hot-tempered soldier exploded in anger after receiving five Spirit Stone Coins, each with a face value of 100.

    The officer in charge of distributing wages¡ªan early Foundation Building cultivator¡ªnced at him coldly.

    "What are you yelling about? Don''t you have eyes?"

    As his aura red, a crushing Foundation Building presence descended upon thete-stage Qi Refining soldier, nearly knocking him to his knees.

    The soldier instantly snapped out of his outburst.

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    He hurriedly bowed and stammered, "Please forgive me, sir! I didn''t mean it¡ªI was just caught off guard."

    Seeing that the soldier had calmed down, the Foundation Building cultivator nodded slightly. He then pointed to arge noticeboard nearby.

    "Learn to read. The exnation is right there."

    Without another word, he turned away and resumed handing out payments to the soldiers behind him.

    Nie Zhong was ate-stage Qi Refining casual cultivator from Guang''an Prefecture.

    Originally, he had worked as a spirit nter on one of the many spirit veins controlled by the Zhou family¡ªnothing more than a tenant farmer cultivating spiritual fields for them.

    In reality, despite his cultivation, the spirit stones he earned in a year were far less than what some roaming cultivators could make by forcing mortals to farm for them.

    Later

    The Yang family took the lead in establishing the Guang''an Immortal Alliance, developing numerous spiritual veins on inds within a thousand-mile radius around Jinwu Ind.

    They also invited cultivators from other regions to settle on these inds, cultivating spiritual fields and growing spiritual medicines.

    For Nie Zhong, who had long suffered under the Zhou family''s oppression, this was a golden opportunity.

    Without hesitation, he packed his belongings and rushed to the Guang''an Immortal Alliance''s territory.

    Unfortunately, his good days didn''t evenst very long.

    A zombie tide erupted on Lotus Ind, and the once-powerful Zhao family¡ªa renowned family in Guang''an Prefecture¡ªwaspletely wiped out.

    This tragedy sent waves of fear through all independent cultivators in the region. For Nie Zhong, a merete-stage Qi Refining cultivator, the threat felt insurmountable.

    During that time, he could barely focus on cultivation. Every rustling leaf, every shadow in the night made him uneasy, fearing that his ind would be the next to fall to these monstrous creatures.

    Luckily, the Zhou family took charge, organizing the Guang''an Prefecture Coalition and establishing five major defense zones to stabilize the region.

    With that, the scattered independent cultivators finally had a backbone to rely on.

    Nie Zhong was among the first to enlist.

    In his mind, the coalition forces were the safest bet¡ªafter all, they were led by Purple Mansion cultivators, whose power alone could deter most threats.

    For low-level cultivators like him, safety was the ultimate priority.

    The only regret?

    He wasn''t assigned to the Central Defense Zone¡ªthe Zhou family''s stronghold¡ªwhich was, without question, the safest ce in all of Guang''an Prefecture.

    Still, the Western Defense Zone had its own advantages.

    Although it was weaker, it was the farthest from the Eastern Defense Zone, meaning it was less likely to face direct attacks from the Lotus Ind zombie tide.

    Moreover, the Hartmann family, which controlled the Western Defense Zone, had been developing spiritual veins on inds near Redwood Ind, offering independent cultivatorsnd to establish spiritual fields and cultivate spiritual medicines.

    For Nie Zhong, this was an opportunity he couldn''t ignore.

    Atst, he felt a sense of stability return.

    His n was simple: serve in the Western Defense Zone Coalition, survive, and save up enough spirit stones.

    By the time his service ended, he hoped to have umted enough wealth to carve out a better future.

    He went to rentnd on the spiritual veins around Redwood Ind to cultivate spiritual fields. With his skills as a spiritual farmer, developing these fields was an easy task.

    From what he knew, the Hartmann family''s spiritual veins around Redwood Ind were not only second-grade but also of the highest quality. On top of that, the cost of rentingnd was much lower than in Guang''an''s main cities.

    If his calctions were correct, he wouldn''t just be able to open up spiritual fields¡ªhe would also have enough spirit stones to grow high-value spiritual medicines.

    Just as he was looking forward to receiving his first military pay, he was shocked to find that he had only been given five banknotes.

    Banknotes?

    No, these were just five pieces of talisman paper!

    Although he wasn''t sure what materials they were made of, years of handling spiritual nts had given him a keen sense of smell. He could tell that these papers carried the scent of spiritual nts.

    Were they really trying to embezzle his hard-earned military pay with just five pieces of paper?

    At that moment, all the anger and humiliation he had suppressed from being oppressed by powerful families over the years came rushing out.

    But it onlysted a few seconds.

    The overwhelming pressure of the Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge of payments quickly crushed his defiance, forcing him to back down.

    Following the official''s instructions, he turned to read the notice beside him. That''s when he finally understood what these banknotes were for.

    "So... I can exchange them for spirit stones at the Central Bank in Sea View Fairy City? And I can even use them directly in shops there? Is this real?" Nie Zhong muttered.

    "Hurry up! If we''re toote, all the spirit stones at the bank might be gone!"

    "Yeah! The higher-ups must have introduced this paper money because they don''t have enough spirit stones for military sries. This is just another trick!"

    "Quick! Let''s go before it''s toote!"

    Hearing this, Nie Zhong had a sudden realization. Without hesitation, he activated his Wind Control Technique and rushed toward Sea View Fairy City.

    Unlike Lingzhou Fairy City or Zhou Main City, Sea View Fairy City had no entry tax.

    Monks from the entire Ten Thousand Star Sea could enter freely without paying a single spirit stone.

    Rather than relying on entry fees, the Hartmann family focused on the profits and taxes generated by trade.@@novelbin@@

    The city itself was vastrger than Zhou Main City¡ªbut most of itsnd was still undeveloped. Thepleted sections made up only about one-tenth of Zhou Main City''s total area.

    Even so, more than 200,000 cultivators had already gathered in this small fairy city, making it lively and bustling with activity.

    Today was payday for the soldiers.

    Arge number of them took their spirit stone coins and headed to the Central Bank in the heart of Sea View Fairy City to exchange them for actual spirit stones.

    The bank had a total of sixteen working windows.

    However, with tens of thousands of soldiers arriving to exchange their sries, the long queues stretched across the street, causing aplete blockage.

    Inside the Central Bank

    Apanied by Lei Zhen, Xiao Wei observed the bustling soldiers exchanging their spirit stone coins. A vague sense of unease crept over him.

    "General Lei, do you think the soldiers will ept the spirit stone coins issued by our city?"

    Lei Zhen thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don''t know."

    "Luis said that the value of currency depends on the goods it can buy. As long as the spirit stone coins we issue can actually purchase elixirs, magic tools, talismans, and othermodities, they should hold value, right?"

    Hearing this, Lei Zhen hesitated before replying. "Like the Qianyuan Sword Sect''s military merit system?"

    "It''s a vividparison, but still different from military merit," Xiao Wei responded.

    After nearly a month of training under Luis, Xiao Wei had gained a deep understanding of the nature of money.

    He now realized that the industrial development of Hartmann Ind couldn''t progress without a widely circted currency.

    Spirit stones were widely used, but their supply was limited¡ªat least in Guang''an Prefecture, there simply weren''t enough of them.

    In the Crowd

    Nie Zhong waited in the long line until, finally, it was his turn.

    Stepping up to the counter, he spoke loudly, "I''d like to exchange five hundred spirit stones."

    As he spoke, he handed over five spirit stone coins, each worth 100 spirit stones.

    The bank teller looked at him and asked, "Are you sure you want to exchange 500 spirit stone coins for 500 spirit stones?"

    "Yes, yes! Please hurry!" Nie Zhong urged.

    Through the window, he could see mountains of spirit stones stacked inside the bank. If not for the faint but overwhelming pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator filling the hall, he might have done something reckless.

    For a brief moment, the thought of taking a risk shed through his mind.

 Chapter 211 Everyone Will Die

    Suppressing the reckless thought in his heart, Nie Zhong smiled happily and reached out to take the five hundred spirit stones.

    A panting, chubby cultivator rushed to the counter, pulling out a pile of spirit stones from his storage bag and stacking them up.

    Nie Zhong took a quick nce¡ªthere had to be at least a few hundred.

    "Quick, exchange all these spirit stones for spirit stone coins!" the fat cultivator huffed in frustration. "Are all the shop owners crazy? They won''t ept good spirit stones, only these damn spirit stone coins!"

    Before long, more people in the queue began pulling spirit stones from their storage bags, exchanging them for spirit stone coins.

    "Hello, do you still want to exchange for spirit stones?" the bank teller asked, noticing Nie Zhong''s hesitation.

    "Wait a moment," Nie Zhong replied, looking uncertain.

    After a brief pause, he took back the five spirit stone coins from the bank staff.

    ''Can this really be used as money?''

    Leaving the Central Bank, Nie Zhong was filled with doubt.

    As he walked, he spotted a shop selling spirit seeds. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

    "Shopkeeper!" Nie Zhong called out.

    A rosy-faced old man, likely in his sixties, greeted him warmly. "Ah, honored customer! What would you like to buy?"

    "Our shop has all kinds of spirit rice seeds, spiritual medicine seeds, and even rare spiritual nt seeds."

    With that, the old man handed Nie Zhong a jade slip.

    "This contains our full catalog of spiritual seeds, along with their descriptions and prices. Feel free to take a look, honored guest."

    Nie Zhong took the jade slip, ced his spiritual consciousness into it, and began scanning through the contents.

    Upon hearing this, Nie Zhong took out a 100-spirit-stone coin from his storage bag and said, "Shopkeeper, please take a look. Is this the kind of note?"

    The old man took the spirit stone coin from Nie Zhong, gently shook it, examined the patterns carefully, and then brought it to his nose for a sniff. Finally, he smiled and said, "Yes, this is the currency."

    "Just this one piece of paper is worth a hundred spirit stones?" Nie Zhong asked, still doubtful.

    "Yes, it''s worth one hundred spirit stones. You can exchange it for spirit stones at the Central Bank, so what are you still doubting?"

    Nie Zhong shook his head. "I really don''t know what this Sea View Fairy City is trying to do."

    "Who knows?" The old man sighed.

    "Sir, are you nning to buy something?"

    Nie Zhong took back the spirit stone coin and smiled. "Please forgive me, shopkeeper. I''m a soldier in the coalition army, so I can''t buy your spirit seeds just yet. But after I retire in two years, I''ll be sure toe back and support your business."

    Hearing this, the old man was not upset. He simply smiled and said, "Sir, I wish you well. I''ll be happy to serve you in the future."

    "Of course, of course." Nie Zhong bowed and left the shop.

    Next, he visited several other stores and discovered that spirit stone coins were widely epted. Even more surprising was that most shops in Sea View Fairy City no longer epted regr spirit stones.

    "Apologies, sir. Our Zhang''s Talisman Shop cannot ept spirit stones. You can exchange them for spirit stone coins at the Central Bank and then use those to purchase talismans from our shop."

    Nie Zhong frowned. As he moved from store to store, he noticed that some shops still secretly epted spirit stones, but they were quickly caught by patrolling soldiers and heavily fined.

    Before long, he rarely saw any stores willing to risk viting the city''s regtions.

    It seemed that overnight, the currency of Sea View Fairy City had changed from spirit stones to the paper money in his hands.

    Shaking the spirit stone coins, he listened to their rustling sound.

    "That''s really interesting," he murmured.

    The Western Defense Zone Allied Forces Base

    In a dark dungeon.

    Since its construction, this ce had rarely been used¡ªexcept for the asional imprisonment of soldiers who vited military discipline.

    Luis walked step by step toward a cell engraved with formation patterns.

    He turned to the soldier beside him. "Open the door."

    "Yes, my Lord Commander."

    The soldier bowed and quickly unlocked the prison door.

    Inside the dimly lit cell, a middle-aged monky on the ground, his face pale. His hands and feet were shackled. Who else could it be but Xia Hong, the former captain of ten thousand soldiers?

    "Alright, stop pretending," Luis said, his voice calm. "I only shattered your Qi Sea. Your body is fine. You won''t die."

    Hearing this, Xia Hong suddenly opened his eyes and roared, "Luis Hartmann, you abused your power for personal gain! You''re despicable and shameless! You tried to recruit me, and when I refused, you framed me!"

    He struggled against his shackles, the metal rattling loudly. "Just wait! The Guang''an Prefecture coalition will see to it that justice is served! And the Qianyuan Sword Sect¡ª" he red at Luis, his voice filled with hatred, "¡ªthey will never let a scum like you get away with this!"

    Luis ignored his outburst and instead put on an exaggerated look of deep thought. "Hmm¡­ When a Dantian''s Qi Sea is shattered, there''s a certain pill that can repair it¡­ What was it called again?"

    Then, as if suddenly remembering, he snapped his fingers. "Ah! The Bu Tian Dan! Yes, the Bu Tian Dan of the Qinghui Taoist Sect!"

    Xia Hong stiffened, his expression changing instantly.

    Luis smirked. "Why so tense? What''s wrong?"

    Xia Hong took a deep breath, then asked in a low voice, "What are you trying to say?"

    Luis leaned back slightly. "Actually, I''m just curious. The conditions my Hartmann family offered to recruit you were better than anything you''d get from any other family in the entire Ten Thousand Star Sea. And yet, you refused. That''s fine. Maybe you''re a proud man."

    He paused, his gaze sharp. "But what I don''t understand is this: when I used you in front of everyone yesterday, you didn''t even try to defend yourself. Was it really that hard to prove your innocence?"

    Luis chuckled. "The Oath of the Great Dao, the Mirror of the Heart¡ªboth could have cleared your name instantly. But you didn''t use them."

    He tilted his head. "Oh, right. To pledge loyalty to my Hartmann family, one must swear an oath as well. Could it be that you''re afraid of the Oath of the Great Dao? What exactly are you hiding, Xia Hong?"

    Xia Hong trembled, his face ashen.

    Luis smiled. "Yesterday, you wanted to die. But I didn''t kill you¡ªI merely crippled you. And now that you''re alive, you suddenly want to die again. Don''t you think it''s a little toote for that?"

    Even with his Qi Sea destroyed, Xia Hong was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he truly wanted to end his life, he had the means to do so.

    But now, he couldn''t move.

    His entire body¡ªno, even his consciousness¡ªwas frozen.

    This man¡­ he''s too strong. Too terrifying.

    Xia Hong''s heart pounded. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    Luis slowly crouched in front of him, meeting his eyes. "Xia Hong, a survivor of the Zhennan Pass Battle. Am I right?"

    Xia Hong''s breathing grew heavy.

    "Tell me¡­" Luis''s voice dropped to a whisper. "How did you make it back?"@@novelbin@@

    Xia Hong clenched his fists, his face turning red. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

    Luis formed a seal with his hands and pressed it against Xia Hong''s body. A powerful force surged out, sealing himpletely¡ªleaving only his mouth able to move.

    "Heh¡­ heh¡­"

    Xia Hong let out a chillingugh. His lips curled into a twisted grin as he locked eyes with Luis.

    "Luis Hartmann," he whispered, his voice filled with eerie amusement. "Do you really think you can survive? You''re all going to die. Everyst one of you. I''ll be waiting for you¡­ down there. I''ll be waiting for you!"

    Not good!

    Luis'' expression changed. He instinctively reached out to stop him, but an immense force repelled his hand. By the time he looked again¡ªXia Hong was already dead.

    Silence filled the dungeon.

    Luis narrowed his eyes, staring at the lifeless body.

    Xia Hong''s final words lingered in the air, pressing down on him like a heavy stone.

    The Battle of Zhennan Pass. The zombie tide in Guang''an Prefecture. The Qianyuan Sword Sect''s strange, indifferent attitude toward Cangzhou all these years.

    Everything felt like a thick fog, concealing an unseen truth.

    If his suspicions were correct, Xia Hong was likely a hidden agent nted in the Ten Thousand Star Sea by the Izumo Kingdom.

    It wasn''t umon for major forces to infiltrate each other''s territories with spies. If Izumo Kingdom could nt their people here, then naturally, the Qianyuan Sword Sect could do the same in Izumo. It all depended on who had the better methods.

    Luis turned to one of the guards and gestured toward Xia Hong''s corpse.

    "Send his body to the wizards."

    In his ce, wizards had the ability to extract memories from the dead.

    But that wasn''t what troubled Luis the most.

    Xia Hong''s final words¡­

    "Everyone will die."

    Luis lifted his head, deep in thought.

    "Was he referring to the corpse tide in Guang''an Prefecture? Or¡­ was he talking about Shen Jue?"

 Chapter 213 Jiuxu Linglong Tower

    Time flies.

    In the blink of an eye, three weeks had passed. During these three weeks, thanks to the Hartmann family''s rear support in supplying elixirs and magic tools to the front lines, the East Defense Zone scored victory after victory against the zombie horde on Lotus Ind.

    The enemy was pushed back to the main ind of the Lotus Inds¡ªthe very corpse refining site that Luis and Zhou Mubai had explored.

    However, after months of management by the Sun Fu brothers, the ind became abyrinth of densely packed formations, and the air was thick with evil spirit.

    Even ordinary Qi Refining cultivators taking the Evil-Breaking Pill could not withstand the oppressive, overwhelming presence of that evil energy.

    Faced with this situation, Zhou Mubai had no choice but to adopt a blockade strategy: he surrounded the ind on three sides and left one side open.

    That gap was aimed directly toward Cangzhou Fairy City. Zhou Mubai''s n was simple¡ªlet the zombies from Lotus Ind spill out and wreak havoc on Cangzhou Fairy City.

    The battle between the two sidessted for a long time. Although millions of zombies on Lotus Ind were wiped out, the remaining numbers likely still approached tens of millions.

    With such a massive force of corpses,bined with the third-level Yin Vein, even if Guang''an Prefecture managed to eliminate this zombie tidepletely, it was estimated that hundreds of thousands of cultivators¡ªor even more¡ªwould be killed.

    Fighting on the main ind of Lotus Ind was very different from battles fought on the smaller city-gate inds. Lotus Ind was the home ground of the zombies; if a cultivator went there to fight, his true energy and essence would be greatly suppressed.

    In such conditions, one side would lose strength while the other side gained ground. The gap between the Qi Refining cultivators and ordinary zombies would narrow, inevitably leading to heavy losses.

    Zhou Mubai certainly did not want to suffer such losses. Even though the casualties were not all members of his own Zhou family but mostly independent cultivators from Guang''an Prefecture, these independent cultivators formed the backbone of the major families in Guang''an Prefecture and were very important to the Zhou family.

    -------

    Zhou Main City.

    Zhou family residence.@@novelbin@@

    A beam of light shed across the sky. As the fading light descended, a human figure appeared. I saw a handsome monk wearing a white Taoist robe and a jade crown on his head, walking confidently toward a hall in the Zhou family''s residence.

    Inside the main hall, a red-haired monk was secluded, practicing. His consciousness stirred slightly, and when he sensed someone approaching, Zhang Yu opened his eyes.

    He then stood up and stepped out of the hall to greet the visitor.

    Luis''s cultivation had just advanced from the first level of Foundation Building to the third level. The changes in his cultivation were evident.

    Zhang Yu raised his fiery red eyebrows and said with a smile, "It has been such a short time since west met. Daoist Luis, you have made great progress in your cultivation."

    "Senior Zhang, you are too kind," replied Luis, bowing.

    Luis continued directly, "I havee here for the Jiuxu Linglong Tower this time."

    "It has already been prepared for Fellow Daoist Luis. Please follow me," Zhang Yu replied.

    At the mention of the Jiuxu Linglong Tower, Zhang Yu''s expression turned serious. The Jiuxu Linglong Tower is the most valuable magic weapon that the Hartmann family exchanged for their military merits from the Qianyuan Sword Sect.

    Although it is ssified as a third-tier magical weapon, its special functions and high price make it almostparable to a fourth-tier weapon. To purchase this magical weapon, the Hartmann family spent nearly all of the military merits they had umted over the past few years.

    You see, as the production capacity of the Hartmann family''s elixir and magic weapon factories steadily increases, the military merits earned on the front lines have grown noticeably.

    In terms of military achievements, in the entire Guang''an Prefecture, only the Zhou family falls behind. The Zhou family not only fought on the front lines but also provided various resources at the rear.

    A million great merits, when converted into spirit stones, would equal about 100 million spirit stones. You can imagine the wealth the Hartmann family has umted recently from arms trade.

    It is said that making money from war is the fastest way to umte wealth.

    After the war between Guang''an Prefecture and the zombie horde on Lotus Ind, Luis finally began to experience a taste of that wealth.

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    Even the small-scale conflicts between Guang''an Prefecture and the zombie tide on Lianhua Ind were enough to make the Hartmann family very wealthy.

    What a vast market will be created for all kinds of elixirs and magical instruments consumed in the war between the Ten Thousand Star Sea and Izumo. Luis could hardly imagine such an opportunity.

    Of course, although the Hartmann family is envious of these profits, they currently have no way to get involved. From now on, the Hartmann family will focus on the Fantasy World¡ªwar is about to start.

    Facing such a vast market, Luis could only watch with envy.

    Following Zhang Xu, the two walked into the hall.

    In the center of the hall stood a small green tower, quietly sealed within a forbidden area. Luis took two or three steps forward, gazing at the floating tower, and said excitedly, "This is the famous Jiuxu Linglong Tower that the major families use to train their descendants."

    "Exactly," Zhang Xu replied as he stroked his red beard with a smile. "It is this tower."

    After a moment, Zhang Xu waved his hand, and the restrictions around the outer perimeter of the Jiuxu Linglong Pagoda were lifted. The green pagoda broke free and flew directly into Zhang Xu''s hands.

    He then handed the Jiuxu Linglong Tower to Luis and said, "Fellow Daoist Luis, please have a look."

    Luis epted the small green tower, his face filled with curiosity. As he examined it, he remarked, "The way this pagoda employs its spatial array is truly exquisite. Whoever refined this tower must be an outstanding master."

    It was clear at a nce that this tower was extraordinary.

    "Indeed," Zhang Xu nodded.

    "Now, the Jiuxu Linglong Tower has been delivered to you, Fellow Daoist Luis. The transportation fee you prepaid to us and the umted military merits are all written off."

    "It should be, it should be," Luis replied as he bowed repeatedly. "I''ll let Senior Zhang take the me."

    Zhang Xu smiled and shook his head. "It''s just my duty. In the whole Guang''an Prefecture, your Hartmann family is only the second to own this tower. That is no small feat."

    After saying this, he looked at Luis with a meaningful look.

    "It was a stroke of luck. If it weren''t for this battle with the zombies on Lotus Ind, my family wouldn''t have made such a fortune."

    Luis smiled, his face full of humility.

    "So, war is the best way for small families and independent cultivators like us to rise."

    Zhang Xu sighed meaningfully. "Senior Zhang is right."

    Luis replied, "In that case, I won''t disturb your meditation. Goodbye."

    "Goodbye¡ªI won''t see you off," Zhang Xu said with a nod as he watched Luis leave, murmuring, "Hartmann Family of unknown origin, I wonder if you can one day truly be one of us."

    On his way out, Luis intended to stow the small green tower in his storage bag, only to find that it wouldn''t fit at all.

    "Of course," he mused, "two magical instruments that use a spatial array will conflict with each other and arepletely ipatible." He smiled and shook his head. If that weren''t the case, nesting storage bags within storage bags could create infinite space¡ªwhich is obviously impossible.

    By the time Luis''s cultivation had advanced to the third level of Foundation Building, the true energy within his Dantian Qi Sea had reached the limit described in the "Qianyuan Sword ssic."

    In other words, at the Foundation Building stage, no matter how much he practiced, he could not improve the quality of his true essence; he could only increase the quantity of his true energy.

    Yet his energy is infinite.

    Aside from the sword realm and secret techniques, the only other means to significantly enhance his strength were external objects¡ªspecifically, various magical instruments.

    These included high-level flying swords, defensive spiritual armor, auxiliary magical weapons, and so on.

    For example, he possessed a high-level flying sword called the Rainbow Sword¡ªa third-level top-grade flying sword gifted to him by Yang Linyuan, the ancestor of the Yang family.

    His defensive spiritual armor was a bitcking, but he also had a set of second-level top-grade spiritual armor custom-made for him.

    Indeed, the Hartmann family had exchanged military merits from the Qianyuan Sword Sect to acquire their second-level spiritual armor inheritance.

    This inheritance cost them a full 100,000 great merits¡ªalmost equivalent to one-fifth the price of the Jiuxu Linglong Tower.

 Chapter 215 Testing

    "What is the illusion of the first level?"

    "Master, please look."

    As soon as those words were spoken, the scene before everyone''s eyes suddenly changed. In Luis''s sea of consciousness, the vortex trembled slightly.

    He realized that he could dispel the illusion at any time if he wished.

    However, others did not have this ability. They watched in shock as the environment shifted from the quiet, peaceful interior of the pagoda to a bleak, murderous atmosphere at the foot of the city gate.

    Some remained calm, but others were simply terrified by the scene.

    "Kill!" shouts erupted before anyone could regain theirposure. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

    A group of enemy monks from the Izumo Kingdom¡ªabout a hundred in number and d in spiritual armor¡ªcharged toward the crowd. Almost immediately, a sword formation consisting of hundreds of flying swords sted toward everyone.

    "Aah!"

    Screams filled the air as some people were so frightened that they fell to the ground.

    Even Chen Fusheng, the oldest among them, felt his mouth go dry and began trembling uncontrobly in the face of this desperate situation.

    There were a hundred cultivators in thete stage of Qi Refining, wearing first-grade superior spiritual armor and experienced in countless battles.

    They knew how to form coordinated formations. Facing such an opponent, even someone like Luis¡ªstill in the Qi Refining Stage¡ªwould have been forced to retreat immediately.

    Despite his fear, Chen Fusheng managed to p the storage bag on his waist, and his innate spiritual armor quickly enveloped his entire body.

    Under the special care of the Hartmann family, Chen Fusheng''s cultivation had been promoted to the sixth level of Qi Refining¡ªa pace that set a precedent for all Qi Refining cultivators in Guang''an Prefecture.

    Considering all the resources invested in him, it was clear that none of the major families in Guang''an Prefecture wouldmit to such an expense.

    Not even the Qianyuan Sword Sect would be so arrogant as to invest so heavily in a mere Qi Refining cultivator¡ªunless that cultivator were a direct descendant of a high-ranking figure in the Qianyuan Sword Sect. In all likelihood, the senior executive had paid for it out of his own pocket.

    Therger the force, the more formalized and institutionalized the training of its disciples bes. It was impossible for them to train disciples in the unconventional manner of the Hartmann family.

    Besides, building the foundation a few years earlier orter does not significantly affect a cultivator. Many cultivators invest resources frantically in the early stages and see rapid improvement in their cultivation levels.

    Yet, countless examples show that after building a foundation, some individuals are limited by their natural talents and understanding¡ªtheir progress slows dramatically, creating a huge gap from which they cannot recover.

    Sometimes elerating one''s cultivation too quickly during the Qi Refining Stage is not beneficial; it can even cause the cultivator to lose himself.

    In this regard, the Hartmann family''s training model is a clear example of forcing growth. Moreover, thanks to the vortex''s function, the risk of intentional injury or exhaustion is almost zero.

    Chen Fusheng''s strength far exceeds that of other Qi Refining cultivators at the same level.

    Additionally, each of these cultivators is equipped with the best first-grade flying sword, innate spiritual armor, and the Hartmann family''s unique healing body. As for external items like talismans, they are in abundant supply.

    In short, they are much stronger than the one hundred enemy monks from the Izumo Kingdom standing before them.

    However, in terms of actualbat experience¡ªand more importantly, the mentality required to fight¡ªthey stillg behind. Everyone there, except for Chen Fusheng, was visibly frightened by the murderous aura of the Izumo cultivators.

    None dared to fight back; they simply stood there, dazed.

    Luis stared coldly at the scene. He knew that this was a hurdle the group of young cultivators had to ovee.

    If nothing unexpected happened, they would all eventually join the Hartmann family''s military department¡ªa key force for protecting the Hartmann family.

    Their strength may not be the absolute strongest, but they must never be weak or afraid of the enemy.

    Otherwise, no matter how high one''s cultivation is or how powerful one''s abilities might be, if one cannot disy those abilities or is too frightened to move forward, one will ultimately be wasted¡ªjust like Ye Wudao, the ancestor of the Ye family.

    "Kill!"

    Chen Fusheng''s youthful voice shattered the silence. A flying sword with a green glow burst forth, its nine-foot-long de streaking toward the enemy army at lightning speed.

    The sword formation of the Izumo Kingdom monks was quickly torn apart by Chen Fusheng''s flying sword as he cut down the enemy.

    However, even though Chen Fusheng was strong, the enemy''s sword formation had beenunched by a hundred cultivators.

    As soon as his sword light tore open a gap, it was immediately blocked by a barrage of subsequent flying swords.

    Chen Fusheng''s flying sword suddenly fell into the quagmire. Facing one against a hundred¡ªespecially against elite cultivators proficient in sword formations¡ªeven with his superior strength, he found the battle to be quite tricky.

    How could he ovee such odds?@@novelbin@@

    At that moment, the other young fighters finally came to their senses. They all drew their flying swords and attacked the monks from the Izumo Kingdom.

    There were more than fifty enemy monks of the Fu generation, whose swordsmanship far exceeded that of monks of the same level; in fact, the power of each enemy''s flying sword was at least twice that of their peers.

    With thebined efforts of these fifty fighters, the sword formation of the one hundred Izumo monks was torn apart in an instant.

    It turned into a one-sided massacre. In less than a few moments, as thest monk from the Izumo Kingdom was killed on the spot by the Fu generation fighters, everyone stepped out of the illusion.

    "Hoo, hoo, hoo!"

    "Hahaha, we win, we win!"

    "They''re not as strong as they appeared¡ªtheir flying swords are so weak!"

    "Yeah, I was terrified at first!"

    The group of young fighters were secretly delighted, but they hadn''t noticed that Luis''s face had turned ashen. He let out a long sigh, forcing back the curse words that nearly escaped him.

    He reflected on the battle: this was the first time these kids had participated inbat. Wasn''t it normal for them to perform this way? After all, he remembered his own excitement during his first battle.

    Gradually, Luis''s mood calmed. Everyone then exited the Jiuxu Linglong Tower.

    Noticing Luis''s unfriendly expression, the young fighters suppressed their smug smiles.

    Suddenly, Oliver addressed them. At his call, everyone stopped and looked up.

    "Fusheng."

    "Yes, sir!" Chen Fusheng stepped forward and bowed.

    "Starting tomorrow, you wille to the Jiuxu Linglong Tower for daily trials. Begin at the first level and gradually increase the difficulty of the trial illusions."

    "Yes, Sir!"

    Chen Fusheng understood that the Boss and Knight Commander must be dissatisfied with their performance just now.

    How can their performance today be worthy of the Hartmann family, which works so hard in both the flying sword factory and the pill factory?

    How can they live up to the Boss''s daily teachings? Thinking this over, Chen Fusheng silently swore that he must pass the Jiuxu Linglong Tower illusion trial as soon as possible¡ªand at the same time, he must quicklyprehend the sword intent to be a true swordsman.

    He knew that with his current cultivation level, only by breaking through the foundation-building stage and bing a sword cultivator could he truly be a pir of the Hartmann family.

    The difference between the Boss and ordinary foundation-building cultivators was already clear.

    Just when Luis was feeling down, Blogs brought him some good news that lifted his spirits.

    At the Instrument Research Institute, Luis found Blogs deep in discussion with a group of monks. In theboratory before them were a brand-new soul melting furnace and a centrifugal wall breaker, both of which had been significantly improved.

    Luis examined these two unfamiliar magical weapons with great interest. Clearing his throat lightly to interrupt the argument, he called out, "Boss!"

    Blogs turned around and, upon seeing Luis, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes. He stepped forward a few paces and bowed to Luis. The other monks followed suit, saying, "Greetings, Boss!"

    Luis waved his hand dismissively. "No need to be so polite."

    Then, pointing at the two instruments in theboratory, he asked, "Is this your improved Soul Furnace?"

    "Right!" Blogs nodded enthusiastically. "Young Patriarch, look."

    He pointed to one end of the Soul Melting Furnace and saw a transparent wire connected to one end of the Soul Melting Furnace. Moreover, this Soul Melting Furnace had no spirit stones.

    See this.

    Luis was overjoyed and asked excitedly, "You seeded?"

    "Fortunately, I have aplished my mission."

    Blogs cupped his hands.

    Unexpectedly, in more than three weeks, Blogs not onlypleted the transformation of the new spirit-melting furnace, but also integrated the spiritwork that Luis had notpleted at the beginning.

 Chapter 216 Who Supplies You Pills?

    At that time, Luis nned to use a spiritual thread made from spiritual stone powder to transport spiritual energy and effectively rece the use of spirit stones to power these two special magical instruments.

    Back then, he was constantly troubled by issues rted to spiritual pressure. Later, as Luis encountered more challenges, he eventually put that matter behind him.

    However, with the continuous expansion of the Hartmann Ind Industrial Zone, the consumption of spirit stones was on the rise.

    The Flying Sword Factory and the Pharmaceutical Factory had been expanded several times, and their current scale far surpassed what it had been originally¡ªa direct result of past development.

    Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

    As the number of monks increased and growth became explosive, the scale of the Hartmann Ind Industrial Zone expanded at a simr pace."Boss, look¡ªthis is the spiritual pressure device we invented," Blogs said, pointing to a ck, box-shaped magical weapon.

    "This is a small experimental unit. When we build a spiritual linework covering the entire industrial zone, we''ll need to construct a giant spiritual pressure device that''s at least a hundred timesrger than this one."

    Hearing this, Luis nodded and asked, "How did you solve the spiritual pressure problem?"

    "Formation!" Blogs replied enthusiastically. Then he handed Luis a jade slip.

    "It''s a bitplicated to exin verbally, Boss. Please read our technical information."

    Luis took the jade slip from Blogs and immersed his spiritual consciousness into it. It took him about the time it would take to drink a full cup of tea.

    When he finally withdrew his consciousness, he had a rough understanding of the working principle behind the device.

    Simply put, the spiritual pressure device uses a formation to generate high-intensity spiritual pressure in a section of the spiritual line, forcing the spiritual energy to flow along that line.

    The other end of the device can be connected to the spiritualke of a third-level spiritual vein, converting the spiritual liquid there into energy, which is then infused into the spiritual line.

    In this way, the entire spiritual linework can be activated. The power source for the Hartmann Ind Industrial Zone has now shifted from spirit stones to the Hartmann family''s third-level spirit vein, supplemented by spiritual sunflowers and moonflowers.

    Seeing this, Luis couldn''t help but give a thumbs up to Blogs'' brilliant idea.

    Really, no matter where peoplee from, they all possess a spirit of innovation. What they oftenck is proper guidance during their growth. Blogs, having been influenced by Luis since childhood, naturally thinks differently from others in this world¡ªhis mindset is closer to that of people from Luis'' previous life.

    Luis has also clearly recognized Blogs'' talent in magical instrument research. In less than a year, Blogs has be a second-level top-grade weapon refiner.

    In a timeframe of at least one year, and at most two, Blogs could be promoted to a third-rank weapon refiner.

    This kind of talent in weapon refining is rare, even within the Qianyuan Sword Sect. Of course, this achievement is built on his inherent talent as a blue goblin; otherwise, he would merely be considered a weapon-refining genius at best, far from being the best among his peers, as blue goblins naturally have extraordinary talent.

    It seems the issue of the Reikiwork has finally been resolved. Overjoyed, Luis asked, "Is there enough spirit stone powder?"

    "Don''t worry, Boss. Over the years, whether from the spiritual veins cultivated by the family or from the third-level spiritual veins of Sea View Fairy City, all the spirit stones that have exhausted their spiritual energy have been stored by us," replied Blogs.

    Luis nodded. "Even though we have enough spirit stone powder now, we must prepare for a rainy day."

    After a moment of thought, he continued, "Forget it. I''ll assign someone to handle this matter. I''ll have them go to Zhou Main City and Lingzhou Immortal City to buy up all the spirit stones that have exhausted their spiritual energy. You don''t need to worry about that part.

    Your current task is to rece all the soul-melting furnaces and centrifugal wall breakers in the Hartmann Ind Industrial Zone and to build a new spiritual energywork. It''s a heavy task!"

    Then he nced at the crowd and asked, "There are fewer than 300 of you. Can you do it?"

    Hearing this, Blogs looked a bit bitter and said, "There are thousands of magical instruments that need to be reced in the two factories, plus theying of the entire spiritual energywork. I''m afraid it will take at least a week."

    Luis nodded in understanding.

    "That''s eptable, but make sure it''s done perfectly." The Reikiwork is integral to the foundation of Hartmann industry, and Luis had to take it seriously.

    In the following days, the Hartmann Ind Industrial Zone entered a period of vigorous reconstruction. This reconstruction might not fundamentally improve the industrial production capacity, but it solves the industrial power problem.

    It''s like switching from battery power to grid power¡ªit not only saves costs further but alsoys a solid foundation for future industrial expansion.

    -------

    Just as Hartmann Ind was undergoing a transformation of its Reikiwork, ten thousand miles away at the corpse refining ground on Lotus Ind, new changes were taking ce.@@novelbin@@

    Within the third-order Yin meridian, inside a gloomy, terrifying hall filled with a strong evil aura, a young monk suddenly sat up from the cold ground.

    "Hehe, brother, he''s awake," said his younger brother, Sun Mang.

    Hearing this, Sun Fu turned his head and fixed his dark golden eyes on the Qi Refining cultivator before him, his gaze cold and eerie. To the young monk, the scene looked like hell.

    The Zhao family''s hall, once imbued with a fairy-like atmosphere, had long since be eerie and terrifying.

    Outside the main hall, the lingering presence of corpses made the young cultivator feel weak in his hands and feet.

    "Boy, in order to bring you back alive, I sacrificed one of my foundation-building corpse servants. Tell me, how should this ount be settled?" Sun Mang said as he gradually approached the young Qi Refining cultivator.

    A disgusting stench of decay emanated from him, and the young monk felt dizzy and unsteady after just one whiff.

    "So fragile," Sun Mang murmured, frowning as he said, "Brother."

    Sun Fu nodded in agreement with a low, sinister chuckle.

    After receiving Sun Fu''s approval, Sun Mang smiled cruelly and lightly scratched the air with his inky ck nails, causing a hissing sound.

    "What? You''re not talking. Are you dumb?" he sneered. As he spoke, he gathered corpse poison on his fingernails and gently scraped the young monk''s skin, causing ck blood to immediately seep out.

    "Ah!" the young Qi Refining cultivator cried out, but he refused to speak.

    Then, Sun Mang ruthlessly grabbed his legs and began tearing them apart bit by bit with force. "This feeling is sofortable, hehehe," he murmured with sadistic delight.

    The young monk''s cries grew fainter and fainter until, finally, he could no longer breathe. After literally tearing the monk in two, Sun Mang hoisted half of his body and dragged him over to another middle-aged monk lying on the ground. With a grim tone, he said, "Now that you''re awake, stop pretending.

    "The middle-aged monk, startled, suddenly sat up.

    Pointing at Sun Mang, he backed away while trembling, stammering, "You¡ªyou..."

    "Brother, this guy is finally willing to speak. It''s really boring," Sun Mang remarked with contempt.

    As he spoke, Sun Mang hurled the severed half of the young monk''s body next to the monk who had just awakened. The sight terrified the newly awakened monk, who let out a scream."

    With such courage, you dare to attack us?" Sun Mang sneered.

    "The weak will always be weak¡ªeven if they embark on the path of cultivation."

    Faced with Sun Mang''s ridicule, the middle-aged monk, already on the brink of copse, merely lowered his head and trembled.

    However, when he saw the torn half of hispanion''s body lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood and internal organs, his fear intensified.

    "I''ll ask you a question. If you''re willing to answer it, I''ll let you go."

    After a moment, the middle-aged monk mustered his courage and, trembling, asked, "How do I know whether what you say is true or false?"

    "You can only choose to believe or die!" Sun Mang replied, stroking his sharp, ink-ck nails.

    The middle-aged monk struggled violently, and after a long moment, he finally nodded.

    "Let me ask you: where do you, the cultivators of Guang''an Prefecture, obtain your elixirs? Didn''t all the Zhao family members die? Could it be that other prefectures are providing you with elixirs?"

    Hearing this, the middle-aged monk lowered his head, unwilling to answer. Suddenly, with a cry of pain, one of his legs was torn off alive.

    "Not tactful."

    Sun Mang shook his head and seemed ready to kill him outright. But the middle-aged monk''s fierce will to survive broke through.

    He copsed to the ground and roared, "I say, I say! Don''t kill me! Don''t kill me!"Sun Mang paused, his ws outstretched. "Go ahead," he said coldly.

    Finally, the middle-aged monk managed to cry out, "Most of the elixirs on our front line are supplied by the Hartmann family¡ªthe Hartmann family of Hartmann Ind!"

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