Zhao Liuyun was completely unaware that the Star Luo Imperial Family, after days of deliberation, had chosen to shrink back and compromise, narrowing their target down solely to Zhu Zhuqing.
Measuring human nature by its lowest possible denominator, Zhao Liuyun went to find Qian Renxue.
"Half a year has passed, and you still possess your same elegant demeanor, my brother!"
Xue Qinghe gripped Zhao Liuyun's hand tightly, a hint of relief flickering in the depths of his eyes.
It had been half a year since he had smelled that fragrance!
Who could truly understand the ordeal of diligently handling state affairs by day and forcing a weary body into meditation by night? Yet, the affairs of the nation could not be ignored. To scheme for the throne, one had to be a flawless crown prince.
Nor could meditation be abandoned. With innate soul power at Rank 20, cultivation was the ultimate foundation. It was a difficult balance to maintain.
Zhao Liuyun had tested it before. While the water droplets could soothe mental fatigue and clarify the spirit, they could not dispel the physical exhaustion of the brain. If one lacked sufficient energy and forced meditation, they would eventually collapse in an instant. Even with Qian Renxue's unparalleled talent and Rank 20 innate soul power, she could not escape this human instinct.
Unless she became the Angel Goddess and transcended humanity. Or, if her soul power could circulate automatically—automated cultivation.
The Mysterious Heaven Skill could achieve this upon mastery, as could a Soul Core. Qian Renxue could do neither. She could not practice the Mysterious Heaven Skill. By the time she was truly capable of condensing a Soul Core, she would have already stepped onto the Path of the Gods left by her ancestors, needing only to follow the established steps to ascend to divinity.
There was room for maneuvering here. Zhao Liuyun had a certain plan in mind.
With practiced ease, he summoned that stalk of Moonlit Lotus, and its quiet, elegant fragrance slowly began to diffuse.
"Whew... as expected, it has to be this scent." Xue Qinghe let out a long breath, involuntarily squinting his eyes as a look of intoxication surfaced on his face. In an instant, his body relaxed.
He took a new set of ancient texts from a drawer and handed them over.
"Brother Xue, I have come this time with another request," Zhao Liuyun said, accepting them happily but not flipping through them immediately.
"Bristling with anger for the sake of a beauty, standing against the Star Luo Imperial Family." Xue Qinghe raised an eyebrow with a half-smile. "You truly are in high spirits, my brother!"
Zhao Liuyun rolled his eyes at him. "Brother Xue, you are well-informed. Surely you know it was the third prince of Star Luo who repeatedly provoked me and launched a sneak attack, seeking my life? I am not moved by mere beauty; I simply saw someone in a desperate situation who remained unyielding. It was like seeing my own persistent past self, and I couldn't help but lend a hand to that version of me."
"What a fine way to put it—'lending a hand to your past self'!" Xue Qinghe clapped and laughed, admiration flashing in his eyes. "Do you seek the support of the Imperial Family?"
Asking for a favor was the fastest way to bridge the distance between two people.
Zhao Liuyun shook his head, his tone sincere. "I have my teacher's protection. Once the public ties are severed, the Star Luo Imperial Family will have no reason to target the Ye family. I only wish to ask Your Highness the Crown Prince to take extra care of Teacher Bai Hong and Martial Uncle Huang Xin. The Star Luo Empire cannot kill me, but there is no guarantee they won't act out of desperation and vent their anger on them."
Zhao Liuyun wasn't relying on the Heaven Dou Imperial Family; he was relying on the power of the Spirit Hall.
Meanwhile, through the Spirit Hall's secret lines in the Star Luo Empire, Qian Renxue knew that the Star Luo Emperor had already retreated like a turtle into its shell. However, she did not expose this. She simply followed Zhao Liuyun's lead and accepted gracefully, "Rest assured, this is Heaven Dou. I will arrange everything."
In this way, Zhao Liuyun owed another favor. Each with their own hidden thoughts, both believed they were the winners in this transaction as they looked at each other and smiled.
After leaving the Crown Prince's mansion, Zhao Liuyun informed his teacher and headed straight for the Sunset Forest. With his current strength, he was capable of self-preservation in this peril-filled forest of soul beasts; it was time to plant Ah Yin.
With the movement speed bonus from "Light as a Swallow (Lv2)" combined with the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, Zhao Liuyun's figure moved like the wind, flashing across the landscape like a shadow.
Shrouded in Psychological Invisibility, he was like a person who did not exist. Even when facing soul beasts directly, they could not perceive him.
At the core of the Sunset Forest lay the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Amidst the swirling mist, Zhao Liuyun stepped on several small protrusions on the rock wall and leaped down lightly. Within a few breaths, he landed steadily on the ground. After many days, returning to this place, the intersection of the icy and fiery springs still bubbled with steam. The surrounding immortal herbs and spiritual plants emitted a faint, shimmering light; various rare medicinal herbs grew lush and green, still brimming with vitality.
As the medicinal fragrance permeated the air, Zhao Liuyun took Ah Yin out of the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse.
His Demon Dragon Silver Eye opened, quickly locking onto a spot where the elements were balanced—the most suitable location for a Blue Silver Empress to grow.
"Set professional goal: [Farmer]."
With a thought, Zhao Liuyun leaned down to clear away the soil. Then, he bit his index finger, offering blood for nourishment.
He lacked the Blue Silver Empress bloodline as a catalyst, but having been baptized by the Blue Silver Empress right leg bone and having fused numerous body-refining immortal herbs into himself, his blood was extraordinary. It was enough to help Ah Yin adapt to this environment more quickly. Zhao Liuyun had read extensively and knew that blood infused with the essence of immortal herbs was a superb nutrient for plants.
As the blood dripped, the blades of grass immediately absorbed it. A hazy blue halo instantly appeared around the Blue Silver Empress.
Doing all this—even nourishing her with his own blood—was not just to repay the favor he owed Ah Yin, but also an attempt to find a shortcut for changing professions to a planting-related class. If his hypothesis worked, he could rapidly accumulate planting experience.
Nourished by the blood, the blades of grass stretched out quickly. Their original length of barely a foot grew to over two feet in a short moment. The golden lines between the veins of the leaves seemed to come alive, rising and falling slightly like ripples on water, pulsing with life.
[You are planting a precious plant with great effectiveness. Significant growth observed. Farmer Experience +1]
Notifications rang out in his mind in quick succession. In a short time, his Farmer experience had grown by dozens of points.
Even though her soul was still dormant—quiet and peaceful like a sleeping beauty—a gentle curve appeared at the corners of her mouth. Two slender blades of grass lightly wrapped around Zhao Liuyun's finger. This was instinct; she had not yet awakened.
"I really can exploit a bug here!" Zhao Liuyun clenched his fist.
The blood feeding was meant to let the medicinal power of the immortal herbs stimulate Ah Yin's growth and help her adapt to the environment faster. Over time, the rate of experience gain gradually slowed, ticking upward only every once in a while. Even so, this progress was already quite startling.
By a rough estimate, in about a month, Zhao Liuyun would be able to complete the first profession change for [Farmer]. Normally, starting from a seed, a Farmer would have to worry about nutrients and water, and each plant would provide meager experience, requiring quantity to win. But this was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where the growth rate was ten times faster.
The Blue Silver Empress was also a special case; she was once a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that turned back into a seed after death. Waiting for the soul to awaken, the plant could grow, and with the guidance of consciousness, her growth would be even faster. This meant experience would pile up quickly.
[Farmer] could reach its first change rapidly. And perhaps even its second!
The thought made Zhao Liuyun feel cheerful. He lightly stroked the flexible blades of grass, a warm touch greeting his fingertips. He pulled his hand away and then removed his clothes. Placing his soul tool carefully to the side, he plunged into the lake where cold and heat intertwined.
He had one more purpose for coming here—to verify to what extent the enhancement of cultivation speed in this place would reach after the qualitative change in his soul power. If the boost was significant, living here long-term would not be out of the question.
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