Longzang

Chapter 653 Paid Content
Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head and saw the Dream Eater standing beside him, chuckling softly while covering his mouth. Wei Yuan's face darkened. He asked, "What happened next?"

"The following content is paid content."

Wei Yuan was stunned, then anger rose in his heart, and he prepared to kill this unscrupulous demon. Suddenly, a rapid running sound came from the side. Wei Yuan turned his head and saw Ji Liuli in her youth running towards him. The two were caught off guard and collided.

Seeing that he had knocked the girl Ji Liuli away, Wei Yuan pulled her back and gently placed her on the ground. Ji Liuli looked around blankly, her gaze passing over Wei Yuan, but her focus was not on him, and she ignored him.

Wei Yuan reached out and tried pressing her nose. Sure enough, when he pressed down a little, there was nothing unusual to the touch.

The young girl, Ji Liuli, cried out in alarm as a sharp blue light flashed before her, slicing down just short of her nose. The attack came without warning, but fortunately, Wei Yuan's physical body was incredibly strong, and his reaction was extremely fast; he withdrew his hand in time, avoiding being cut.

The young girl Ji Liuli's eyes flashed with various colors as she looked around and muttered to herself, "They're here again! You void demons, come out and die!"

However, even after using various techniques, she couldn't see Wei Yuan's presence. Seeing her sullen expression, completely different from the fierce and invincible senior sister she knew, Wei Yuan couldn't help but reach out, grab her face, and tug at it.

This time, countless magical blades and swords suddenly appeared around Ji Liuli, slashing and stabbing wildly, but Wei Yuan had already retreated more than ten feet away. He was extremely pleased with his successful sneak attack, and his Dao heart instantly became much clearer. Just as he was about to laugh loudly three times, he suddenly remembered that Shi Meng was right next to him, so he quickly composed himself and picked up the food again.

The screen changes again.

Ji Liuli stood atop the precipice, gazing at the boundless天地 (heaven and earth) before her. The mountain wind was biting, causing her clothes to flutter wildly, as if she were the only person left in the world.

For some reason, Wei Yuan felt despair and loneliness from this scene.

Loneliness is one thing, but geniuses are often lonely. Looking at Zhang Sheng's life, most of her time was spent either reading or practicing swordsmanship, and for the first ten years she worked odd jobs to support her apprentices. She was, of course, lonely.

As for Wei Yuan himself, he showed none of the demeanor or self-awareness expected of a genius cultivator. He simply enjoyed the excitement and would often go to see what the Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chicks were up to, keeping a clear grasp of the movements of all the rebels.

When he has free time, he often writes letters to his former classmates, but he writes more than he replies, and in recent months he hasn't received a single reply.

But what Wei Yuan couldn't understand was where Ji Liuli's despair came from.

At this moment, Ji Liuli remained standing motionless on the precipice; this was her current dream.

Wei Yuan looked at it for a while longer, then called out to Shi Meng and asked, "Where is her heart's tribulation? Is this all?"

"I'm not a demon, how would I know where her inner tribulations lie? Or should I introduce you to a demon?"

"No need, thank you!" Wei Yuan immediately refused. If he allowed the inner demons to enter his dreams, he didn't know when he would be able to get rid of them.

"That's all that might be related to the mental tribulation. There might be others elsewhere, but I can't see them. If you want, you can take your time to look."

Wei Yuan shook his head and said, "I'll save this for later and look at it slowly when I have time. Is there anything else you want to see?"

"There are no 'Heart Tribulations' content, but there's plenty of paid content. Would you like to reconsider?"

Wei Yuan immediately refused, his words particularly righteous and stern.

Wei Yuan felt ashamed just thinking about those paid contents, let alone watching them. He was currently thinking that perhaps he should find an opportunity to secretly refine the Dream Eater. It knew far too much now.

Wei Yuan exited the dream and saw the Dream Eater floating in front of him, scrutinizing him. However, Wei Yuan knew what its true form looked like and understood that those beautiful eyes were just an ornament.

Why can't we find the source of her inner turmoil?

"She's probably subconsciously avoiding it. My dream isn't complete yet; she needs to construct it herself. Only after experiencing enough dreams will the dream world become more vivid and realistic, and her inner turmoil will gradually emerge. This takes time."

"If you want to speed things up, there's a way: put her in an extremely dangerous dream and see what she does. For example, throw her into the lair of some cult..."

Wei Yuan immediately shook his head, "Let's forget it. No rush, take it slow. Call me if she makes any unusual moves."

Dream Eater called out to Wei Yuan's retreating figure, "Don't go! You can be the leader of a cult... Remember to consider my suggestion!"

Wei Yuan ignored him, left the Netherworld, and returned to Qingming.

The opening ceremony of Qingming Military Academy had ended, and the students were leaving the training ground in twos and threes, heading towards their quarters. This was their last moment of relaxation; evening classes would begin after dinner.

Cui Yubao and the others were studying the teaching and training content for the next few days. Wei Yuan did not disturb them, but instead went to look at the memories of the Dao Foundation Warriors he had left here. He was surprised to find that it was not Cui Yubao who was speaking to the students, but Chuhe Zhenren.

It must be said that as long as the old Taoist priest wasn't fighting, his appearance was excellent, and his eloquence was first-rate. He started by talking about his personal path to cultivation, then about his family and country, and finally about the world, speaking eloquently and vividly, giving the trainees the illusion that joining the army was their destiny. New uniforms, new armor, brand-new high-level cultivation methods, the privileged lives of their families, and their superior status and treatment made the officer's profession seem incredibly radiant, second only to the Creator Immortal. No, even the Creator Immortal couldn't compare; the Creator Immortal created the world to serve all living beings.

Moreover, with its sturdy shield, powerful cannons, and excellent equipment, coupled with the power of its domain and numerous professional physicians in its clinic, it would be difficult for anyone to die on the battlefield.

Even if one truly sacrifices their life for the realm, as long as their merits are enough to enter the Hall of Heroes of Lingxiao, there is a slight possibility that their primordial soul will be revived and reborn in a divine way.

In short, serving as a soldier in Qingming is like a centipede that dies but does not fall down.

The old Taoist's eloquence is truly exceptional. He's able to befriend the weasel-cat-snake pair through genuine skill.

At this point, some students asked why Wei Yuan was not listed as a lecturer on the schedule, as they wanted to learn how to fight from him.

Wei Yuan immediately felt a sense of kinship, realizing that this kid was truly a talented individual.

At this moment, the old Taoist said that the Realm Lord was not suitable to teach them, and that Cui Yu and others would be better.

The students were mostly in an uproar, but the old Taoist remained calm and said, "Sages are born with knowledge, how can it be learned? The world lord's use of troops is unpredictable and depends on one's mind, that is an innate ability that cannot be learned at all."

For example, when a realm lord defeats an enemy, it's usually just one sentence: "Charge with me!" and then they charge straight through. Try shouting "Charge with me!" when it's your turn? You'll guarantee you'll run headfirst into a brick wall!

The students all agreed with the old Taoist's words, and Wei Yuan also thought that the old Taoist was right. No wonder he was highly regarded by True Lord Huang Yun.

At this time, Qingming was thriving and everything was going well. Wei Yuan was taking in refugees, clearing land and mining, and was preparing to enjoy a rare period of peace. In his spare time, he could also lend a helping hand to his senior sister.

Outside the capital of Zhao, nestled atop a mountain, lies a courtyard, simple yet not shabby, quiet yet not lonely. Here, one finds joy in the mountain breeze and flowing springs, and companionship in birds and foxes.

Two people were playing chess in the courtyard. One was an old man who seemed to have the world at his fingertips; the other was a middle-aged man with a dignified air, but his temples were already gray.

The chessboard between the two was quite peculiar; it was neither the nineteen-line board commonly used by chess players, nor the rare but equally popular twenty-one or twenty-seven-line board.

The chessboard is irregularly shaped, somewhat resembling the area surrounding the State of Zhao. The two players place their pieces on it; some areas are peaceful, with pieces easily taking root, while others are extremely difficult, where a single move can cause ripples on the board, causing the piece to disappear. Several moves in a row are needed to establish a foothold.

The middle-aged man suddenly turned around, ignoring the more intense fighting in the south, and placed a piece in the northwestern part of the area. This area was empty, with only a few scattered pieces.

The moment the piece was placed, the chessboard trembled and took root.

The middle-aged man's eyebrows relaxed, and a smile finally appeared on his face. He said, "The fruit is ripe. I should go and pick a few."

The old man was somewhat taken aback. He stared at the northwest corner for a long time and muttered to himself, "That's not right. I clearly calculated that this place was fraught with danger and that one could not gain a foothold without great perseverance and skill. How did it suddenly become so easy?"

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Although you have a broad understanding of the secrets of heaven, these secrets are ever-changing and are subject to the influence of human fortune. At least in the western frontier, my decision is, to some extent, in line with the prevailing trend."

The old man's brows furrowed even more as he said, "This is strange. I have observed the heavens for five hundred years and have never encountered anything like this before. Could it be that an immortal has intervened to conceal the secrets of heaven?"

The middle-aged man laughed and said, "My Li family is not without its own immortal ancestors. If other immortals were to make a move, how could I not know?"

“This move is very risky. Just watch, I’ll attack your heartland…” The old man then placed another piece in the south. The two sides were already fiercely fighting in the south, but the old man’s addition of another piece immediately turned the tide.

But once this child was born, he simply disappeared without ever establishing himself.

The old man was taken aback and exclaimed, "Is the State of Ji about to descend into chaos?"

The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "That's why I made this seemingly insignificant move at this time. Although the Western Regions are barren, they are still a vast land, and we can't let anyone block our way out."

"But……"

"Rest assured, sir. Who am I, Li Shenji? I will know my place and won't let the historians gossip. He has just achieved a great victory over the Wu tribe and his reputation is soaring. If I were to attack directly, I would inevitably be criticized. But if I occupy unclaimed territory, who can say anything about me? For example, like this..."

He placed another piece, snapping it against the one already occupied, pressing it tightly against it. Suddenly, the chessboard shifted dramatically, the existing piece becoming uncertain in its appearance.

The old man looked carefully, but he couldn't see the secrets hidden beneath the clouds.

Looking at the cloud-shrouded Western Regions, the middle-aged man laughed and said, "If one cannot prevail when the heavens are in chaos and the situation is unclear, what kind of wise ruler is he?"

(End of this chapter)