Chapter 80: Ni Yu's Path to Immortality

The white porcelain spoon gently scooped up the clear porridge from the bowl. Crystalline grains of rice trickled down the sides of the spoon, trailing a silken stream of starchy broth. Yet Lu Fan still found himself unable to eat. A pair of wide, pleading eyes stared at him—and at the porridge—making it difficult to enjoy even the simplest meal.

"Girl, what is it exactly?" Lu Fan cast a sidelong glance at Ni Yu, who was crouching before his wheelchair.

Ni Yu reluctantly tore her gaze from the porridge, swallowed hard, and looked at Lu Fan with eager, shimmering eyes. Her tiny fists suddenly pounded her chest in dramatic determination."Young Master, I, Ni Yu... I want to cultivate immortality!"

Lu Fan's mouth twitched. "You've said that before."

Ni Yu continued pounding her flat chest, teary-eyed. After the harrowing events of last night and witnessing the cold bun being dissolved by bloodworms, Ni Yu realized—she must become stronger. Only then could she protect the food—no, protect the Young Master.

"Young Master, is there a way to grow stronger through eating and drinking?" she asked hopefully. "You once said you'd let me eat while cultivating… You can't go back on your word!"

Lu Fan's face darkened. Had he truly said that? It seemed... vaguely familiar. But could there really be a cultivation method that involved eating one's way to power? Unless he fabricated a "Gluttonous Beast Manual" or something? Transform into a gluttonous beast, become a beastman. Beastmen never serve… unless there's food and lodging included?

He rested his palm against his chin, fingers tapping lightly. Then, as if recalling something, his eyes lit up faintly. He immersed his consciousness into the system panel and soon retrieved the Notes on Qi-Gathering Pill Refinement.

Eating while cultivating... upon closer thought, it might just work. If Ni Yu became a pill tester—or better yet, an alchemist—she could ingest pills like candy and enhance her cultivation at a remarkable pace.

Lu Fan's eyes cooled slightly. He looked at Ni Yu, the corners of his lips lifting in a subtle smile.

Ni Yu felt a chill creep through her body. That look in the Young Master's eyes filled her with dread."Y-Young Master… I've changed my mind. I no longer wish to cultivate..." She was nearly in tears. Was he being petty again? Wasn't it enough if she gave up this immortal path?

"Don't be afraid. Go gather a few things. Didn't you want to cultivate through eating? I'll grant your wish." Lu Fan spoke with gentle warmth.

That warmth only deepened Ni Yu's unease.

He raised his hand, his long forefinger tapping between her brows. A ripple of spiritual energy burst forth, spreading outward in waves. Ni Yu froze. In that moment, her mind flooded with unfamiliar knowledge, and her body filled with a twisting stream of energy like a slithering serpent.

"Ah…" Her eyes widened in surprise, and soon an irrepressible joy bloomed on her face."Young Master! I can feel the spiritual energy!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement.

"One hour. Prepare everything I've just passed to you. Fail, and you go without food for two days," Lu Fan said gently. "Spend silver as you please."

Ni Yu's jubilant bouncing came to an abrupt halt. She turned and bolted out the door like a frightened rabbit.

The Notes on Qi-Gathering Pill Refinement detailed the method for crafting Qi-Gathering Pills, requiring a variety of alchemical ingredients, all of which had to be specially processed. What Lu Fan passed to Ni Yu was a list of materials and tools necessary for the task. Naturally, those ingredients would still need to be catalyzed with spiritual energy before they could be used in true pill refinement.

Lu Fan even contemplated opening a medicinal field on Heartlake Island, dedicated to cultivating herbs for alchemy.

After musing for a while, Lu Fan picked up his bowl of porridge once more, gently blew on the rising steam, and slowly took a spoonful. This time, the porridge tasted pleasantly smooth.

Imperial Capital. Second Floor of the Book Pavilion.

Yu Wenxiu's anxious heart calmed the moment he stepped into the pavilion. The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air. The national preceptor, his hair silver as frost, reclined on a rocking chair. Mo Tianyu perused ancient scrolls, while Kong Nanfei meditated with eyes closed, his body shrouded in spiritual aura.

Yu Wenxiu knew of Kong Nanfei's fortuitous encounter in the Immortal Palace at Wolong Ridge, so he wasn't too surprised.

"Master, urgent reports from the Six Guardian Cities," Yu Wenxiu said solemnly. "The Mohist heroes have joined forces with the Yin-Yang and Mechanist factions. They launched a nocturnal assault. The city lords of Yuan Chi and Tong An have been slain… the cities have fallen."

Mo Tianyu set down his scroll, and Kong Nanfei slowly opened his eyes. A heavy silence settled over the pavilion.

"Your Majesty, shall I divine the fates of the two fallen cities?" Mo Tianyu offered.

Yu Wenxiu was speechless. Mo Tianyu's reputation for "poisonous divinations" had long been infamous across the capital. His three most recent readings ended with himself buried in the earth for a full day and night. If not for the national preceptor's intervention, he might have perished for his predictions.

Could he, Yu Wenxiu, dare entrust such a reading?

"This aligns with Mo Beike's usual methods. Compared to his predecessor, he is far more ruthless and unprincipled," Kong Nanfei said.

"With two of the Six Guardian Cities lost, the Northern Command Army may very well press through the breach and march straight for the capital, posing a grave threat to our empire."

The national preceptor's words deepened Yu Wenxiu's distress.

"Do not panic, Your Majesty. There are two possible courses of action," the preceptor said slowly.

Yu Wenxiu seated himself cross-legged on a cushion, eyes narrowing. "I humbly ask for your guidance."

The preceptor rose from his chair, hunched over, hands clasped behind his back. He strolled to the carved wooden window, gazing at the sunlight spilling across the land, his eyes veiled in thought.

"Your Majesty could issue an edict to summon the young master of Beiluo to the capital. With him overseeing the city, the imperial capital will be safe."

Yu Wenxiu was stunned, then drew in a deep breath. The preceptor's praise for this young master seemed… rather excessive. However, rumor had it that the young lord was a cultivator of profound skill. Having such a person defend the city might indeed be beneficial.

"But cultivators are unpredictable by nature… This course of action carries great risk," Yu Wenxiu countered.

The preceptor only smiled, offering no rebuttal, and continued.

"Second, Your Majesty could dispatch reinforcements to Drunken Dragon City and order City Lord Jiang Li to defend Yuan Chi and Tong An."

Yu Wenxiu frowned. "Jiang Li…"

Jiang Li had been the late emperor's confidant. The world praised: "Externally, Jiang Li; internally, Kong Xiu." A testament to Jiang Li's strength.

Yet in his heart, Yu Wenxiu had always harbored doubts. The late emperor's sudden death—could Jiang Li have had a hand in it?

As if reading Yu Wenxiu's mind, the preceptor smiled.

"Your Majesty, should the empire truly collapse, who would shed blood and guard it until their last breath? Only Jiang Li."

"Besides, we've not yet reached the brink. Mo Beike's calculations are meticulous, but…" The preceptor turned, his face pale, coughing softly, yet his eyes shone with a piercing light."But there is one flaw in his plans."

"He has underestimated the strength of cultivators."

"And... he thought himself victorious. He leaked the whereabouts of Xiang Shaoyun, directing Governor Liu He of Pingyang to ambush him with five thousand troops in the mountains. He believed the Overlord to be doomed. Yet…"

"The Overlord survived. Not only that, he annihilated all five thousand troops and slew Liu He, returning triumphantly to Western Command."

Yu Wenxiu's gaze sharpened. He recalled seeing a similar report in the urgent dispatches yesterday, though at the time, he thought the account exaggerated. His attention had been captured by the fall of the guardian cities.

"To stand alone against five thousand—blood flowed like a river."

"In this world, aside from Beiluo's young master, only the Overlord himself can defeat the Overlord," the preceptor declared.

Not only Yu Wenxiu, but Mo Tianyu and Kong Nanfei also drew sharp breaths.

"The Overlord lives. For now, it is Mo Beike who must worry."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. The empire is not yet at its end," the preceptor murmured.

As the last tendrils of sandalwood smoke dissipated, Yu Wenxiu departed.

He returned to the Purple Gold Palace and personally drafted the imperial edicts. After some time, the gates of the royal palace swung open. Two swift riders galloped forth, dust billowing beneath their hooves, shattering the sunlight as they sped ten miles beyond the capital—then split, one heading north to Beiluo, the other to Drunken Dragon.

Western Command.

A horse-drawn carriage rumbled forward at a slow pace. The Xiliang warriors stood aside with blazing eyes, silently clearing the path.

At the front, the Overlord sat upright, bloodstained and holding his riding whip. A palpable aura of dominance radiated across the entire camp.

At last, the carriage halted before his command tent. Xiang Shaoyun stepped down and helped Luo Mingsang out, ordering his men to see her safely inside. He turned, his gaze sharp, and addressed the gathered warriors of Xiliang.

"I, Xiang Shaoyun, have returned over a path paved with corpses."

"They tried to kill me, to crush me, to erase me… A hundred brothers shielded me with their lives, defending the honor of Xiliang with their blood."

His eyes burned red. He raised a bloodstained fist, thudding it against his chest as he scanned the hushed crowd.

"The fallen…"