Chapter 337: Chapter 227: First Life, Dynasty in Turmoil, Wife from Humble Beginnings, Martial Cultivation to Guard the Nation

Zhou?

Flame Country?

Lu Mingyuan was suddenly taken aback.

He sensed something was off and cautiously asked,

"Pardon me, General, but what year is it? We’ve been on the run for so long, we’ve lost all track of time."

The middle-aged General wasn’t suspicious. He recalled, "It’s the fourth year since the founding of the Flame Country. But most people still use the Great Zhou era name, so it’s the Eighth Year of Yongming."

Hearing this explanation, Lu Mingyuan’s eyes went blank, his heart reeling with shock.

"Thank you, General. I can’t believe so much time has passed."

After speaking, Lu Mingyuan did not reveal his identity as an outsider. He simply bowed in thanks.

Afterward, the middle-aged General gave them dry rations and water, which served as a simple lunch.

Then they prepared to ride toward the Flame Country’s territory.

On the road, Yun Qinghe finally asked, "What was that just now? Did you figure something out?"

She had noticed the change in Lu Mingyuan’s expression and, now that they had a moment, couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Mingyuan glanced at her. "Miss Yun, have you never read the Great Yan Atlas? You haven’t even read the history books?"

Yun Qinghe shook her head. "Why would I read that stuff? What does the history of Great Yan have to do with me?"

"The way you said that... Don’t tell me your original life was connected to Great Yan?"

Lu Mingyuan glanced around to make sure no one was near, then whispered, "That’s right. It’s not just related, it’s *closely* related."

"The Eighth Year of Yongming. This is the time before Great Yan was established and before the Great Zhou Dynasty had fallen. Back then, the Grand Ancestor of Great Yan hadn’t unified the Central Plains yet. He could only be considered one of the Dukes and Kings, which is why he called his territory the Flame Country. The Celestial Mandate of Great Zhou hadn’t ended."

"The Grand Ancestor of Great Yan?"

Yun Qinghe’s expression was strange. She never would have thought the two of them would have arrived more than three hundred years in the past.

Lu Mingyuan nodded gravely.

"What are you planning to do next?" Yun Qinghe asked.

"Right now, I still don’t know where Lu Yunqing is. I’ll just take it one step at a time."

Lu Mingyuan had no idea how this so-called trial was supposed to proceed.

He could only move forward and see what happened.

Over the next few days, Lu Mingyuan built a good rapport with the Flame Country’s General. Through their conversations, they became acquainted.

He was the Supreme Commander of the Flame Country’s Personal Guard Dragon Soaring Camp, and his name was Pei Ming.

The Pei Family served in the Grand Ancestor’s Personal Guard.

Lu Mingyuan remembered this.

’Who could have known that three hundred years from now, the Pei Family would be executed to the last person for treason?’

"Fang Yuan, you have excellent bone structure. You’re prime material for practicing martial arts. Are you sure you’ve thought this through and want to join the army with me? I’ll tell you this now: once you enlist, there’s no turning back."

Pei Ming, his face covered in thick stubble, sat inside the Commander’s Camp and spoke seriously to the thirteen-year-old boy before him.

As for his identity, Lu Mingyuan had chosen a simple name. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Fang Yuan.

Lu Mingyuan’s gaze was firm as he said, "Yes, I’ve thought it through. I can’t go on being so weak. My parents died when I was young, so I have no one to tie me down. I want to be like you, General, and serve the Flame Country. I don’t want to see the common people displaced and homeless."

"If you will have me, General, I wish to take you as my adoptive father."

He had fabricated this identity specifically so he could follow Pei Ming and learn martial arts.

Because he discovered that even though his Cultivation had vanished, the memories in his mind had not.

His memories of martial arts Cultivation Techniques were all still there!

Even his Fate Grid and everything else was still present.

It was just that this body had returned to square one.

As long as he was given enough time, he could cultivate back to his original Realm, and perhaps even surpass it.

His current goal was simple: to figure out everything about this Scroll trial and to find Lu Yunqing.

Pei Ming had never seen a young man so determined, so pure of heart, and with such lofty ambitions.

Throughout their journey, he had found the boy to be quite agreeable.

The kid was very clever, and many of the soldiers in the camp liked him.

’I might as well take him in.’

So, Pei Ming nodded. "Alright. From this day forward, you are my adoptive son." He took a yellowed booklet from his sleeve and explained, "This is the army’s basic Fist Technique. You can take it and start learning. Since you’re going to practice martial arts, I’ll also make arrangements for your meals."

"Thank you, Father!"

Leaving the Commander’s Camp, Lu Mingyuan saw Yun Qinghe waiting outside with her arms crossed. She had clearly been there for a while. She asked in surprise,

"You’re going to practice martial arts?"

"Mhm. What about you?"

Yun Qinghe pondered for a moment. "This body is too frail. It has a Mixed Spirit Root, and its meridians are severely blocked. The path of a Qi Cultivator probably isn’t suitable. I’m also trying to figure out which path would be right for me."

In the outside world, she had been a natural seed of the Sword Dao, born with a Sword Embryo. From birth, she was a once-in-a-century Sword Dao genius who was acknowledged as the master of the Sword Pavilion’s Immortal Sword. She had long ago resolved to become the world’s number one Sword Immortal.

Now, in this Scroll World, she was mediocre and unremarkable. With her lack of talent, she had no way to even step through the gates of a Qi Cultivator.

It was a reality she couldn’t accept, at least for now.

Over the following month, Lu Mingyuan and the others finally arrived within the borders of the Flame Country.

Lu Mingyuan stayed in the military camp, practicing martial arts.

With the experience already in his mind, good food from the army, and the occasional hunting trip in the mountains, he quickly stepped through the gates of the Martial Dao.

He began Body Tempering.

It took half a year.

Without consuming basically any Treasures, he naturally and effortlessly broke through to the Martial Arts Fourth Realm of Rebirth, relying solely on his own talent.

In fact, this body was truly a genius of the Martial Dao.

Its talent for the Martial Dao was countless times stronger than his original body’s.

If it weren’t for the numerous Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects in the outside world, his original body’s cultivation speed probably wouldn’t have even matched this one’s.

Lu Mingyuan was finally getting to experience what it felt like to be a genius.

But after all this time, Yun Qinghe was still a mere Mortal.

In the time that followed, she was constantly searching for a Cultivation method. However, she truly looked down upon Martial Dao cultivation and simply couldn’t adapt to it.