Chapter 1090: Chapter 72: Eighty-Two Years Cultivating the Mountain, The Young Emperor Wu (End of Volume)
Zhao Xing nodded slightly: "Do you have any other wishes?"
Xue Wenzhong nodded, then shook his head.
Zong Shichang became anxious: "Old man, just say it, how many years has it been, why are you still keeping it a mystery like during lectures?"
"Yes, teacher, don’t keep us in suspense this time." Zhao Xing also laughed.
Xue Wenzhong chuckled: "Alright, alright, you guys have grown and have no patience anymore. Can’t an old man catch his breath?"
Zong Shichang was left speechless, worried that the old man might take his last breath.
Xue Wenzhong smiled: "Actually, you’ve already helped Xue Bai a lot. He hasn’t amounted to much over the years."
"I have already helped my grandson, am I still supposed to care for the wealth and status of my great-grandson?"
"Seeing you two before I leave is enough for me. Let the children find their own fortunes."
"I want to continue sleeping, don’t disturb me."
Xue Wenzhong chased the two away.
Zhao Xing and Zong Shichang reluctantly left the courtyard.
Although Xue Wenzhong didn’t say anything, Zhao Xing still walked toward Xue Bai, who was waiting in the outer hall.
"What’s his name?" Zhao Xing asked, looking at a young child next to Xue Bai.
Xue Bai immediately nudged the shoulder of the seven-year-old child in front of him.
"Xue Ren, nickname Rong’er, quickly, go kowtow to your uncle-grandfather."
Well, Zhao Xing had now reached the status of being an uncle-grandfather.
However, since Xue Wenzhong was his teacher, and Xue Bai was Xue Wenzhong’s grandson, it wasn’t inappropriate for Xue Ren to call Zhao Xing uncle-grandfather.
"Uncle-grandfather." Xue Ren walked over sincerely, knelt, and performed a kowtow.
Zhao Xing raised a gust to lift Xue Ren, then nodded toward Xue Ren: "I will find him a teacher, to be a Daoist child at the Daoist Academy, how much he achieves will depend on his own fortune."
"Thank you!" Xue Bai immediately knelt down.
A month later, during the Grain Rain of the 59th year of Da Zhi, Xue Wenzhong passed away.
In the 60th year of Da Zhi, two more old acquaintances passed away.
Fan Zhaoli, who was once the director of the Geography Institute at the Ten Suns Grotto Heaven, passed away peacefully.
The owner of the Wanxing Palace, ’Gong Tiansi’, passed away; his Ten Thousand Forms Palace Technique once led Zhao Xing to comprehend ’Divine Movement Protection.’
As some grow old, others are born anew.
At the end of December of the 60th year of Da Zhi, Emperor Jing gave birth to a daughter, named Ji Yingluo.
Ji Yingluo was quite favored by Emperor Jing, and his affection for her seemed to surpass that for Princess You Ruo.
She was immediately titled Princess Yingluo upon birth.
In the year 4417 of the Xuanhuang Calendar, the 13th year of the epoch, Emperor Jing also changed the year title to Yongzhi.
The birth of Princess Yingluo brought joy to numerous civil and military officials.
Because Emperor Jing’s purge ended following her birth.
Qitian Mountain, peak.
Upon hearing this news, Zhao Xing couldn’t help but open his eyes.
"Just like in a previous life, Princess Yingluo was born at this time."
The birth of a princess usually wouldn’t catch Zhao Xing’s attention.
But Ji Yingluo was different, it seemed Emperor Jing greatly favored her, evident from her being named princess as soon as she was born.
The timing of her title princess was even earlier than Princess You Ruo.
Princess You Ruo was titled princess only three years after her birth.
"Ji Yingluo also has a nickname, ’Thousand-year-old Princess’."
"Because she lived for a full thousand years, even longer than Princess You Ruo."
"The reason for this, apart from the Primordial Qi Tide during Emperor Wu Period, is related to her being a core member of Creation Dao College."
The main reason Zhao Xing remembers her is because Ji Yingluo conducted some twisted research at Creation Dao College.
She wanted to create an immortal army for Emperor Wu, thus capturing many strong individuals and exotic beasts for experiments. Collaborating with the deviant doctors of Creation Dao College, she eventually created a type of parasite called ’Baku Worm.’
The Baku Worm is a soul and spirit twin parasite. After it infects the human body, even if the soul is eradicated, it can still control the flesh of the strong to continue fighting.
Even without a physical body, it can still parasitize within a ghost, continue to control combat, and can even change Xi into a Jiao, and Jiao back into a ghost.
This is because one of the materials she used to create the ’Jiao Worm’ is the ’Heavenly Soul Fruit’ from Shangluo Academy!
The Southern Barbarians’ Insect Witch praised her for this skill.
"This is truly a case of mastering foreign skills to control foreign entities." Zhao Xing recalled memories from a past life where the Jiao Worm was devastating against the Corpse Puppet Sect, which favored carrying a perfect physical body.
"However, the research later spiraled out of control, parasitizing even fellow allies, causing horrific damage."
Zhao Xing shook his head helplessly: "Why is there not a single normal princess in the royal family?"
...
Starting from the first year of Yongzhi, Emperor Jing frequently had children, but only princesses were officially announced; princes were not disclosed to the public.
"If I remember correctly, Emperor Jing had a total of seventeen descendants, but I don’t know up to which number he reached."
"Have any princes already begun their inheritance training?"
Zhao Xing pondered.
However, he didn’t think too much about it, as he had done all the preparation he needed.
"Emperor Wu will certainly spend his childhood at Princess You Ruo’s mansion by the East Sea."
"I need only wait quietly." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Then he closed his eyes and continued training.
His mind steadily spread out, he seemed to become a part of Qitian Mountain, every grain of sand was under his control, and every flower, grass, and tree was within his dominion.
During the growth of the flora, they would experience wind and rain, and the changes of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
As more and more primordial energy was absorbed, the mountain became increasingly robust.
In the tenth year of Yongzhi, the height of Qitian Mountain finally exceeded four thousand meters, and Zhao Xing entered the Middle Stage of Heavenly Destiny.
In the twentieth year of Yongzhi, the mountain reached over seven thousand meters, and Zhao Xing arrived at the Late Heaven’s Fortune.
In the thirtieth year of Yongzhi, the mountain height reached 9999 meters, unable to go further, and he reached the Perfect Heavenly Fortune Realm.
At this time, Zhao Xing was stuck in a bottleneck, and everything on the mountain was already desolate, all things withered, snowflakes fluttered down.
Zhao Xing sat at the mountain’s peak, his entire body already buried under stones and snowflakes, with only his eyes exposed.
The mountain skill nurtures the Heavenly Fate, there is no shortcut, and now he could only endure bitterly.
In the forty-sixth year of Yongzhi, East Sea, Bixian County.
Princess Mansion, Heavenly Horse North Garden.
Zhao Xing’s incarnation was staring at the Heavenly Horses by Heavenly Horse Lake in a daze.
Ever since the mountain skill entered a bottleneck, his thoughts seemed to slow down, and his incarnation’s activity also decreased. In his home, this incarnation often quietly watched the lake, maintaining a state similar to his true self.
"Chen An, Chen An, wake up." Suddenly, Zhao Xing felt someone tapping his shoulder.
"Who is calling me?" Zhao Xing’s incarnation’s thoughts gradually revived, and he turned to look.
"It’s me." Liu Wanliang said, and he was the Chief of Princess Mansion, the chief steward of Princess You Ruo.
"Director Liu." Zhao Xing quickly rose to his feet, noting the three or four-year-old child beside Liu Wanliang, causing his eyes to narrow slightly. "Director Liu, who is this?"
The child made a ceremonial gesture toward Zhao Xing.
"He is a relative of mine." Liu Wanliang led the child along, "He’ll be staying at the mansion for a while."
"Oh." Zhao Xing directly ignored the little child, "What brings you to me?"
But the child extended his chubby finger, pointing at Zhao Xing in a small, childish voice: "You, sir, behave rudely."
"I greeted you just now, and you ought to return the courtesy."
Zhao Xing paused, looking at the child a second time, feeling a tremor in his heart far away from his true self.
"I apologize for my rudeness." Zhao Xing adjusted his attire, bowing to the child. "My name is Zhao Xing, may I know your name, little brother?"
"Hmph, I’m annoyed, I won’t tell you." With that, the child ran off swiftly.
His speed was quick, vanishing in the blink of an eye, leaving Zhao Xing unsure how he ran so fast.
He looked at Liu Wanliang, who smiled and said: "This relative’s child doesn’t have a formal name yet, but his nickname is ’Zhi’er’."
"Oh." Zhao Xing nodded with a smile, "Indeed, he runs somewhat like a little pig."
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