Chapter 340: Chapter 228: Vicissitudes Endured, Outcome Decided: I Am the Martial Saint of the Mortal World, Slayer of Demons and Devils

Watching Lu Mingyuan’s aura steadily rise, Lu Yunqing felt no surprise.

He had made plenty of preparations himself over the years.

When he first arrived in this Scroll World, he became a Prince of Great Zhou. To his surprise, it was the same Great Zhou from the previous dynasty.

Despite his status as a Prince, he faced a situation similar to the Nine Dragons Struggle for the Throne.

Numerous princes eyed him, their eldest Imperial Brother, like hungry tigers.

Fortunately, as an outsider, he knew information that was unavailable to those inside the Scroll World. Using his external knowledge, he eliminated many of the other princes.

He used this outside information to learn of numerous battles in advance, successfully repelling the armies of the Flame Country and earning immense prestige in the Court, which allowed him to smoothly become the Crown Prince.

Since this was a Scroll World, killing didn’t weigh heavily on his conscience.

If he hadn’t done so, the one who died would have been him.

At that moment, Lu Yunqing finally understood the truth behind the struggle for the throne throughout history—it had always been like this.

This was the only way to win.

He was well-read in history and knew in advance of the disastrous celestial event known as the "Baleful Star Watching the Heart."

So, he orchestrated a coup ahead of time. Using his influence in the Court, he deposed the decrepit old Emperor of Great Zhou.

And just like that,

he obtained everything he desired.

Lu Yunqing became even more convinced that his Dao was the correct one.

’The Dao... how can one know if it’s right or wrong without acting, without testing it?’

’The very fact that I’ve come this far proves everything.’

He had long heard of the rising star General in the Flame Country. For years, he had been searching for Lu Mingyuan. When he learned of the great name Fang Yuan, his first instinct was to suspect it was Lu Mingyuan’s avatar.

Later, after testing the waters by killing a Grand General of the Flame Country, he received a sworn vow of vengeance from this Fang Yuan, confirming it was indeed him.

This world was tailor-made for the two of them.

Now was the time to decide the victor.

’Sixth Brother calls me disloyal, ungrateful, and unscrupulous. But isn’t he the same?’

’He sees himself as a victim of circumstance, just following the grand tide of events.’

’Little does he know, I too am simply following my great Dao.’

’Throughout this life, how many people have helped Lu Mingyuan? He has been showered with the expectations and admiration of the masses. He is the very child of Destiny described in the ancient texts.’

’But what about me? How many people have ever helped me?’

’I climbed to this position step by step, all on my own.’

’With the Celestial Mandate upon me and the entire nation of Great Zhou at my back, the people only fear and revere me as they would Divine Beings. This has taught me that the Emperor’s Dao is a path of inevitable solitude.’

The great battle was about to erupt.

In Lu Mingyuan’s eyes, everything seemed to stand still. The sun, moon, and starlight; the banners and the dust—all were motionless. He stood tall in the void, like an Immortal who had forsaken the world.

This was the feeling of standing at the apex of the Martial Dao.

He closed in on Lu Yunqing, planning to end this quickly and conclude this life’s Reincarnation.

Suddenly,

between heaven and earth, a Profound Dragon as vast as the sky itself appeared within a vortex. In this world, Great Zhou was associated with the element of water; its Emperor’s Robe and Dragon Fortune were both obsidian black.

This Profound Dragon avatar was the National Fortune of Great Zhou.

Under the Profound Dragon’s deafening roar, the Ending Realm was quickly shattered.

Lu Yunqing was prepared. He had a way to counter the Ending Realm of the Martial Dao. After all, who wasn’t aware of the methods of the Twelfth Realm?

Relying on his National Fortune, he ascended to the Twelfth Realm of the Confucian Dao. His scholarly energy spanned a continent, and the heavens sent down a celestial phenomenon that shattered the frozen time.

Next, their battle shifted into the void. They fought with such ferocity that the sky lost its light and the clouds scattered. Ripples of their power caused the battlefield below to tremble ceaselessly.

In truth, Lu Mingyuan was consistently suppressing Lu Yunqing. However, his opponent possessed the National Fortune of Great Zhou, allowing him to constantly recover from his injuries and replenish his strength. He was essentially unkillable. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

On the ground, the clash of armies resulted in mutual destruction, with no clear winner.

Therefore, Lu Mingyuan sounded the retreat and voluntarily halted the great battle.

He knew that to truly defeat Great Zhou, he would likely need to reach that legendary realm and rely on the power of the Grand Ancestor of Great Yan.

His strength alone was not enough to defeat Great Zhou.

Moreover, Lu Mingyuan had a faint premonition.

’In this life, simply killing the other is not the correct way to pass through the Grand Thousand Canglan Map.’

’The true purpose of the Grand Thousand Canglan Map is the Inquiry of the Heart, to question the Dao. And the object of that questioning is, without a doubt, oneself.’

’It’s not about mindless killing.’

’If it were just about killing, that would be far too simple.’

So, Lu Mingyuan chose to withdraw his troops. He petitioned King Yan, suggesting they take a long-term approach. Excessive use of military force would drain their finances and resources, potentially causing great suffering for the common people.

This time, however, his actions drew suspicion from the Court of the Flame Country.

Someone submitted a memorial to the throne, claiming Marquis Qilin must have been bought by Great Zhou and was therefore unwilling to fight.

Others said that Lu Mingyuan harbored traitorous intentions. As the National Guardian General in command of an 800,000-strong army, his lack of initiative could only mean he was plotting a rebellion to negotiate terms with King Yan.

Withdrawing the army so early created the illusion within the Imperial Court of the Flame Country that Marquis Qilin intended to use his military power for his own ends.

This was a problem that had plagued dynasties throughout history.

Lu Mingyuan could understand. Rather than be dismissed and investigated by his own ancestor, it was better to be direct and resign himself.

In the eleventh year of Great Yan’s founding, the National Guardian General voluntarily resigned from his position as Supreme Commander and retired to his hometown.

King Yan readily approved. Furthermore, he promoted him to a Duke, a rank above Marquis, and rewarded him with a great deal of Gold and beautiful women.

He was clearly pleased with Lu Mingyuan’s proactive resignation.

「Qilin Duke’s Mansion.」

Lu Mingyuan simply spent his days at leisure, studying the Martial Dao and keeping Yun Qinghe company.

’Whether this world is real or fake...’

’...the insights into the Martial Dao I’ve gained in this life are real. No matter what, this trip to the Scroll World has been a net gain for me.’