A bright smile lit Princess Huansha's eyes. Her beauty truly lived up to the title of princess.
She fell short in no way when compared to the glamorous superstars online, and more importantly, she carried an innate grace.
"Then I must trouble you two to show me around Wuyun Pavilion," Princess Huansha said with a radiant smile.
Han Kang offered another stern reminder. "Members of the Wu Religion are lurking in Longtai City, harboring malicious intentions toward Princess Huansha. Even if you two must lay down your lives, you must ensure Princess Huansha's safety."
Han Kang made it sound terrifying, but in reality, there was nothing to worry about.
Wuyun Pavilion had long been staffed with his own people. If the Wu Religion managed to harm Princess Huansha right here in Longtai City, that would truly be absurd.
Still, his words served primarily to impress upon them the importance of keeping her safe.
"Don't bother following along. Having a big crowd is so boring," Princess Huansha said, breezily walking over toward Qi Yuan and Han Xianyun.
Watching this, Han Kang wore a contemplative look.
His younger brother's attitude toward him today was starkly different.
Could it be... that he had heard something?
Han Kang gave a few more instructions, and the ministers from Liulisi Kingdom chimed in as well before feeling at ease enough to let the three enter Wuyun Pavilion.
The princess carried an alarm device; if danger struck, it would go off immediately.
Most importantly, if attacked, the Liguang energy shield on her person would deploy, easily capable of stopping a sniper rifle round.
This time, the three entered Wuyun Pavilion without impediment.
Princess Huansha seemed quite talkative. Looking at Qi Yuan, she said gently, "This gentleman seems rather gloomy. Have you run into something troubling?"
Qi Yuan nodded vigorously. "I'm too poor."
Princess Huansha froze slightly. She had not expected Qi Yuan to be so blunt.
Her impression of him soured a little.
She assumed Qi Yuan was trying to latch onto her status.
It was natural to want social connections, but trying to freeload without offering anything in return was honestly a turn-off.
"I only have a hundred million Qinyuan coins on me." The worry on Qi Yuan's face deepened.
Princess Huansha was utterly stunned.
The assumption that had just crossed her mind now felt utterly preposterous.
"A hundred million Qinyuan coins is plenty." Huansha knew the exchange rate between the two countries; a hundred million Qinyuan coins was a massive fortune, a sum ordinary people could never hope to amass in a lifetime.
"It's not plenty at all. I can't even afford what I want to buy," Qi Yuan said dejectedly.
"Mr. Qi, what on earth do you want to buy that costs over a hundred million? Are you planning to buy a fighter jet?" Han Xianyun asked, baffled.
"I want to buy... Arch Star," Qi Yuan said earnestly. "Just a moment ago, I got slapped in the face and almost couldn't even enter Wuyun Pavilion. I have to buy Arch Star to slap them back. Otherwise... I'll lose too much face."
"..." Han Xianyun was speechless.
"...Is this gentleman joking?" Princess Huansha asked.
Buying Arch Star? What an audacious imagination.
Now she understood completely that she had misjudged Qi Yuan. He wasn't asking for a loan, nor was he begging her for help—he was simply overflowing with humor.
"I just have too little money. A while back, I was scrolling through short videos and came across several twenty-year-old girls—one named An Chuan, another Jing Can—all newly crowned richest moguls boasting eight thousand trillion in assets. Compared to them, I'm dirt-poor. How many bowls of beef would I have to skip just to scrape together that much?" Qi Yuan genuinely felt the disparity between human beings.
He began wondering whether he should follow those accounts sometime and pull off a marriage scam.
If one person had eight thousand trillion, scamming half from several of them would easily gather enough to buy Arch Star, wouldn't it?
However, there was still another problem.
"You're a princess, right? You should have plenty of insider channels. Mind if I ask you about something?" Qi Yuan looked at Princess Huansha with expectant eyes.
Princess Huansha felt as if she were riding a roller coaster, her impressions constantly shifting. She said mildly, "Please, go ahead, sir."
"I'd like to know where one can buy Arch Star, and roughly how much it costs." Qi Yuan voiced his question.
He felt he had to start saving up.
When eating beef noodles, he couldn't afford to order an extra serving of beef anymore.
He had to pinch pennies to buy Arch Star.
"That... I really don't know." Princess Huansha offered an awkward smile.
If doing this once in a while counted as humor, behaving like this continuously... was just being sick in the head.
Hearing that answer, Qi Yuan looked quite disappointed.
Han Xianyun, on the other hand, was sweating profusely.
Having interacted with Qi Yuan, he knew his terrifying strength as well as his eccentric personality.
Could Qi Yuan actually be serious?
He did not dare pursue that topic any further and hastily changed the subject. "Princess Huansha, Wugui Kingdom and Liulisi Kingdom don't seem to be at war. Why would the people of the Wu Religion harbor malicious intentions toward you?"
Han Xianyun loved gossip, especially the melodramatic kind involving royal nobility.
Princess Huansha's eyes flashed with anger upon hearing this. "Those people from the Wu Religion claim I am the reincarnation of the Wu God's daughter, and that I must return to the heavenly kingdom to wait upon his side day and night!"
When the princess of Liulisi Kingdom was born, the king had invited a priest from Wugui Kingdom to perform a blessing, a common custom among royal families.
Yet that blessing went awry.
The Wu Religion priest claimed Princess Huansha was the reincarnation of the Wu God's most beloved youngest daughter.
Supposedly, this mischievous little daughter had sneaked down from heaven to the mortal realm and now needed to return to accompany the Wu God.
As for how she was supposed to return to heaven, nothing could be simpler: through death.
Consequently, the Wu Religion had constantly plotted to assassinate Princess Huansha.
The King of Liulisi Kingdom was naturally infuriated. He couldn't bear to let his daughter die out of parental affection, and furthermore, where would that leave the royal family's dignity?
However, because extensive trade existed between Wugui Kingdom and Liulisi Kingdom, the matter was never brought into the open.
"Those Wu Religion zealots are truly shameless," Han Xianyun remarked. "I could just as easily claim their Wu God is my wife. Would they deliver the Wu God to my bed?"
"You have a point." Princess Huansha covered her mouth with a soft chuckle.
Beside them, Qi Yuan gave Han Xianyun a chilly look. "You scumbag. Your wife's blood hasn't even gone cold, and you're already dreaming of a new wife!"
Though Qi Yuan considered himself something of a scoundrel, even he couldn't match Han Xianyun, who claimed someone was his wife without even knowing if they were a man or a woman.
As the saying went, *never let a good girl down, and never let a bad girl go to waste*. Qi Yuan could only manage the first half.
"Don't!" Remembering that drop-dead jaw-dropping "wife," Han Xianyun's legs instantly turned to jelly.
Princess Huansha's eyes widened. Had she just stumbled upon some shocking scandal?
Being clever, she chose not to pry and steered the conversation away: "The Wu Religion merely barks loudly. After all these years, I'm still alive and well. With my father's guards protecting me, the Wu Religion can't touch me at all."
Liulisi Kingdom was a small country, but rich in energy reserves, having amassed immense wealth by selling resources.
The guards surrounding Princess Huansha were exceptionally numerous as well—various gene death-sworn guards willing to lay down their lives for her.
Right now, outside Wuyun Pavilion, an entire squad of such warriors stood watch.
"The Wu Religion really just has big mouths and blows hot air everywhere. Not long ago, martial artists from our Qinyuan Kingdom captured one of their priests outright!" Han Xianyun puffed his chest with pride at the mention of this.
In modern society, this was one of the few notable achievements martial artists could boast of.
Princess Huansha gave a joyful laugh. "Actually, I've admired Qinyuan martial arts since I was little. Regrettably, my royal father wouldn't allow me to practice, claiming he feared I would turn into a muscle-bound woman."
She spoke breezily, though a touch of regret lingered in her voice.
Han Xianyun nodded in agreement. "I think your father was right. If you practiced martial arts, the world might very well lose an exceptional beauty. Besides... you've probably taken gene medicine, right? Your combat prowess might even exceed mine. There's no need to force yourself down the martial arts path."
"Gene medicine is indeed effective, but I possess almost no real combat capability. Otherwise, they wouldn't have insisted on having you two protect me when coming in." Princess Huansha smiled radiantly, like a warm winter sun.
"Don't worry. With us around, even if the Wu Religion's entire Nether Shadow Regiment showed up, they wouldn't be able to lay a finger on you!" Han Xianyun glanced at Qi Yuan beside him as he spoke.
He had witnessed Qi Yuan's strength firsthand.
A ruthless man capable of annihilating an entire military barracks could well be called an earthly immortal!
The strongest force under the Wu Religion was the Nether Shadow Regiment, composed entirely of zealots who frequently launched suicide attacks.
Yet they were mortal men in the end. Even enhanced by gene medicine, how could they compare to an immortal like Qi Yuan?
If one came, one would die; if two came, a pair would fall.
Princess Huansha caught his glance and paused slightly.
Though she admired martial artists, she knew their strength had its limits. Why did Han Xianyun harbor such profound confidence in Qi Yuan?
"May I ask how the two of you plan to protect me?" Princess Huansha asked with a smile, fixing her gaze on Qi Yuan.
As long as it wasn't scandalous gossip, she was quite keen to investigate and uncover people's little secrets.
Qi Yuan looked at Princess Huansha, appearing to ponder her question with utmost seriousness. "That depends on what tricks the Wu Religion has up their sleeve."
"The Nether Shadow Regiment has thousands of operatives. They're proficient with all kinds of firearms and bladed weapons, skilled in assassination and hacking. If necessary, they can even call in air support. Ordinary martial artists... stand no chance against them," Princess Huansha answered truthfully.
Han Xianyun nodded. "Frankly speaking, if I ran into the Nether Shadow Regiment here, I'd have no way out alive."
Every combat squad of the Nether Shadow Regiment was dosed with gene medicine, and a specialized formula at that.
This proprietary gene medicine vastly amplified the user's prowess, but it wrecked the body's internal balance. Operatives in these squads rarely survived past ten years.
Such gene medicine was officially banned across all nations, but Wugui Kingdom didn't even bother pretending to care.
And zealots worshiping the Wu God were dime a dozen, meaning the Nether Shadow Regiment's combat squads never lacked recruits.
"That does sound rather troublesome. Back on Blue Star, they could easily rival the Dragon Squad. Barring the crooked-mouthed Dragon King or a Soldier King God of War, almost no one could stand against them. It seems you're in grave danger, Princess Huansha," Qi Yuan muttered to himself.
Han Xianyun stared in utter confusion. "What Blue Star? What Dragon Squad?"
"Let me let you in on a secret: I'm actually an extraterrestrial human, while you lot... are a bunch of foreigners!"
"You're the foreigner!" Princess Huansha naturally took Qi Yuan's words as a jest and didn't believe him in the slightest. "Since I'm in such danger, how do you plan to protect me?"
"Very simple. As long as they can't find you, all will be well."
"Huh?" Princess Huansha blinked, failing to grasp Qi Yuan's meaning.
"If the Nether Shadow Regiment can't find you, they can't kill you. Therefore, the best way to protect Princess Huansha is to turn you into... a paramecium!" Qi Yuan said calmly.
Princess Huansha was stunned.
Han Xianyun was dumbfounded as well, completely at a loss.
"Transform!" Qi Yuan pointed a finger, and the princess vanished into thin air.
Han Xianyun's eyes bulged. "Where's Princess Huansha?"
"She's right before your eyes. I've turned her into a paramecium. From now on, you should call her Princess Paramecium."
Qi Yuan waved his hand back and forth beside Han Xianyun. "See that? Princess Huansha is right here."
Han Xianyun blinked hard, but saw absolutely nothing.
"Wait, brother, are you near-sighted? Such a huge paramecium, and you can't see it?"
Qi Yuan looked utterly exasperated.
To keep this paramecium from dying, Qi Yuan had even thoughtfully wrapped a protective barrier around it.
"I can't see it," Han Xianyun said, shaking his head.
"Looks like you need a pair of microscope glasses." Qi Yuan flicked his wrist, and the paramecium drifted down into a crack between the floor tiles.
"All set. I've placed Princess Huansha in a safe spot. Once our tour is over, we'll bring her back. Right now, the Nether Shadow Regiment can't see her, so she's perfectly safe." Qi Yuan stretched and yawned.
Han Xianyun stood frozen, his brain thoroughly scrambled.
Protecting the princess... by doing this?
Turning the princess into a paramecium?
What sane person protects a princess like that?!
He realized that whenever he spent too much time with Qi Yuan, his head would end up dizzy and incapable of functioning properly.
Then a sudden thought struck him, and he blurted out, "Mr. Qi, now that the princess is a paramecium, what if... what if we can't find her when we come back?"
"Isn't that simple? Just go borrow a microscope to look for her," Qi Yuan replied without a second thought.
"But... while searching, what if I accidentally step on her and crush her?" Han Xianyun fretted.
The princess was now a paramecium, an organism so tiny and frail that a single drop of spit could probably drown her.
"Then I'm terribly sorry, my friend. You'll be a murderer who assassinated the princess."
Qi Yuan shrugged and walked straight toward the interior of Wuyun Pavilion.
Han Xianyun hesitated for a moment before scurrying after him.
His heart was pounding wildly in his chest.
He could only pray to the gods that the princess had good luck on her side.
Neither of them paid any more mind to Princess Huansha.
After all, weren't they supposed to protect her? Could turning her into a paramecium be called anything but protection?
Before long, the two arrived deeper within Wuyun Pavilion.
Ahead stood a wooden pagoda soaring thirteen stories high.
By now, Han Xianyun had somewhat recovered his wits, his mind no longer completely overwhelmed.
"Wuyun Pavilion was originally built thirteen hundred years ago. The structure before us is a modern reconstruction. Across this entire tower, only one piece has survived from thirteen centuries ago down to this day, and it is the most precious artifact of Wuyun Pavilion: the Wuyun Inscription.
"The Wuyun Inscription was crafted from specially treated Thunder Yin Wood, submerged beneath mountains and mighty rivers for a century before being brought forth, making it imperishable for a thousand years. Over the millennia, more than a thousand martial artists have left their marks on it for posterity to admire and study."
Whenever the Wuyun Inscription was mentioned, reverence filled Han Xianyun's eyes.
"Why is it called Wuyun Pavilion instead of Wuyun Tower?" Qi Yuan's peculiar focus caught Han Xianyun off guard yet again.
"Maybe... the person who built it just liked the word 'pavilion,'" Han Xianyun bluffed casually.
The two rode the elevator and swiftly reached the highest floor of Wuyun Pavilion.
Resting upon the top floor was the Wuyun Inscription.
The inscription was roughly ten square meters in size.
The entire wooden block gleamed with a golden-yellow hue, underlaid with faint purple veins that carried an air of nobility.
Wood of this quality looked wonderfully suited for making coffins.
All manner of marks were preserved across the Wuyun Inscription.
There were finger indentations, sword and blade scorings, and even the imprint of a giant bare foot.
"The martial prowess of these forebears was truly terrifying, to the point of sinking finger imprints directly into the Wuyun Inscription. Even though I have reached the martial arts limit, I could never leave such an impression with my fingers alone. In terms of raw strength, those forebears were likely on par with warriors dosed with high-grade gene medicine. To possess such power without even breaking past the martial arts limit... what kind of realm must it be once that limit is shattered?" Han Xianyun sighed in awe.
The lineage of martial arts had grown steadily weaker through the ages.
According to historical records, two thousand years ago, martial artists on Arch Star emerged in droves, and those who shattered the martial arts limit were as plentiful as carp crossing a river.
Yet over the past millennium, aside from Luo Bufan, not a single person had broken past the limit.
"You foreigners have quite a mixed bloodline. Let's see: chickens, ducks, geckos, birds, dung beetles..." Qi Yuan remarked casually as he examined the engravings.
"It seems every single one of your ancestors was a Xu Xian."
Saying this, Qi Yuan turned to give Han Xianyun a serious look.
"It turns out your fond taste for that astonishing wife isn't your own fault—it's an inherited trait from your ancestors' bloodline."
Qi Yuan's eyes were capable of seeing hidden information.
Through the Wuyun Inscription, he could discern the bloodlines contained within the bodies of those who had left their marks on the wood back then.
All kinds of critters were represented.
Yet as he said this, Qi Yuan's expression shifted slightly.
A boomerang had just flown back to strike him.
Ning Tao's past life was a canary from Mount Jiupan.
If he were to marry a canary and have children, wouldn't that mean... their offspring would also look somewhat like these foreigners?
Han Xianyun remained thoroughly bewildered, his head sinking back into a daze.
Once again, he couldn't understand a single thing Qi Yuan was saying.
"Mr. Qi, what you said about bloodlines... is it true?"
"Yes. You are a descendant of the breeding rat. Absolutely authentic," Qi Yuan answered honestly.
"Huh? Evolution is a lie! Qin-erwen's coffin lid can't hold him down anymore!" At this moment, Han Xianyun still chose to believe Qi Yuan.
After all, Mr. Qi was an immortal.
It was only natural for an immortal to be vastly knowledgeable.
"History books never recorded where you all came from anyway, so... it's entirely possible you're a breeding rat's descendant."
Qi Yuan felt free to fabricate rumors as he pleased.
Unofficial histories were wild tales anyway; people could say whatever they wanted.
Some had wondered why Sima Zhao didn't just slaughter the royal historians after murdering the emperor, so that no record would remain and he wouldn't bear the eternal infamy of regicide.
To that, someone in unofficial lore responded that Sima Zhao had a penchant for male lovers; he had taken a fancy to the emperor on the open street, and when the emperor refused him, Sima Zhao flew into a rage and slew him.
"Am I really a rat's descendant?" Han Xianyun pondered for a moment before deciding to drop the matter.
Even if it were true, was he supposed to abandon his luxury mansion and sleep in a dirt burrow?
Was he supposed to eat rat poison instead of medicine when falling sick?
"Which of these was left by Luo Bufan?" Qi Yuan asked.
Truth be told, among the marks on the wood, Qi Yuan had already spotted no fewer than ten traces that exceeded the power of the martial arts limit.
Evidently, people in ancient times who broke past the martial arts limit did exist; they had simply concealed their identities and kept a low profile.
"This one." Han Xianyun pointed to a slender fingerprint.
"This fellow... had six fingers?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise.
Han Xianyun grew even more baffled.
There was only a single fingerprint there. How could anyone tell the man had six fingers?!
Qi Yuan gazed intently at the fingerprint, his expression settling into calm.
"It seems the key to breaking past the martial arts limit lies primarily in the bloodline."
That single fingerprint provided Qi Yuan with a wealth of useful information.
This Luo Bufan had been a ruthless character.
To shatter the martial arts limit, he had even...
However, Qi Yuan's identity in this game was an orphan, and he could never bring himself to consume anything and everything like Luo Bufan had.
Thus, his opportunity for a breakthrough lay in the ocean—with the mutated sea monsters.
Chapter 311