Everyone in the Jewel Kingdom felt a profound fear because their enemy kingdom had been blessed, worrying that the Wolf King would grow stronger and surpass the Jewel Kingdom's power, creating a serious problem. War could erupt at any moment ??.
The Grand National Master (??i Qu?c S?) himself was concerned about this matter. He was the teacher of many kings, a crucial official of the Kingdom, and an esteemed elder in the 'Profound Ice Sect' (Huy?n B?ng), with his power level having reached Core Formation (K?t ?an) and having lived for over 300 years. His responsibility was to maintain the balance between the kingdoms, preventing a full-scale war that could result in the death of millions. Therefore, the Grand National Master acted, partly out of responsibility to the Kingdom, and partly out of curiosity about the new Prophet. Whether this Prophet was a blessing or a curse for the Kingdom remained to be seen.
?? CHARACTER PROFILE: GRAND NATIONAL PRECEPTOR (??I QU?C S?) (Lv 699)
CULTIVATION REALM: Golden Core (K?t ?an) - Maximum Stage
But he understood clearly: a Prophet needed to be specially protected and cared for ???, just like an envoy from another kingdom. Since the Prophet was the envoy of the Celestial Realm (Thiên Khu), he was even more precious and important. If anything happened to the envoy, it would be equivalent to a declaration of war from the kingdom that sent them. He hoped this Prophet would side with the Jewel Kingdom, not the Western Lang Kingdom.
The King immediately agreed and prepared rare gifts: gold, silver, Spirit Stones ??, precious elixirs, and beautiful women to present to the Prophet, hoping to win favor. The Grand National Master accepted all the gifts but had other thoughts: a person chosen as a Prophet must be, at the very least, not greedy or lustful. Bringing these gifts would only make them angry.
The Grand National Master left all the gifts and tributes in the capital, only requesting permission to bring Doanh Th??ng Quan ?? along, knowing the boy was Noe's student. Turning the journey into a seemingly ordinary visit for Doanh Th??ng Quan, or more accurately, a hunting trip, the Grand National Master brought along several generals from the Tiger-Leopard Army who had previously met Noe. Upon reaching H?u Thành, the Grand National Master also invited H?u Thành Danh ?? to join them, making it an enjoyable and fun camping trip.
The Grand National Master, riding a majestic winged Golden Lion ??, appeared before Doanh Thành, much to the surprise of the Garrison Lord (Doanh Ch?). The Garrison Lord's welcome was awkward, as the Grand National Master's purpose was to meet Noe, but Noe was currently upset about something and did not want to see anyone. The Grand National Master let Doanh Th??ng Quan and H?u Thành Danh go find Noe, while the rest, along with the Garrison Lord and H? V? Rau B?c (Silver Beard Guard), crossed the river to the Monster Zone, the permitted hunting area.
The Grand National Master and the Garrison Lord had quite an exciting hunt. The Garrison Lord had reached the Foundation Building (Trúc C?) level, placing him in the medium-high power group on this Mu Continent. He also had a Golden Dragon Scale Armor hidden beneath his outer clothes and a mid-grade Spirit Fire Sword ??, enough to make a Core Formation expert cautious. But the Grand National Master was different; he could defeat ten Core Formation experts simultaneously and, being ranked in the top 10 of the 'Profound Ice Sect', power was not an issue for him. Even shirtless and unarmed, he disciplined the monsters, making them cry out in fear, his presence overwhelming. The accompanying Tiger-Leopard Army commanders felt useless, merely watching while the Grand National Master and the Garrison Lord hunted.
By evening, the two had brought back enough giant prey. The Tiger-Leopard Army commanders busied themselves cutting the meat, stripping the hides, and seasoning it, while the Grand National Master grilled the meat and the Garrison Lord controlled the fire ??. Only the powerful fire created by the Garrison Lord’s magic could thoroughly cook the meat. They cooperated quite harmoniously.
While working, the Grand National Master asked:
Grand National Master: "Are you enjoying life, Chau Ng?c Tú?"
The Garrison Lord was startled to hear that name; it was his old name. He stammered, then forced himself to say: "Yes, yes, I'm well, sir."
Suddenly, a heavy pressure weighed down on him. It was the pressure of an ultra-powerful being right above him, making him feel like an ant underfoot; although the Master had no intention of crushing him, the pressure was enough to make him tremble ??. The Grand National Master realized he had been too harsh, retracted his energy, and said:
?? CHARACTER PROFILE: DOANH TH??NG NH?N (Lv 550)
Grand National Master: "Forget that name. You are Doanh Th??ng Nhan now, not a descendant of the Jewel Royal Family. You are not alone anymore; your wife and children need your protection." ???????????
The Garrison Lord nodded, filled with deep gratitude: "I understand." ??
Grand National Master: "My purpose for coming here is to find out about Noe, your subordinate. What kind of person is he?" ??
Garrison Lord: (Firmly) "No, no, he is not a subordinate, but a friend. I met him while seeking refuge in Atlantic."
Then the Garrison Lord began recounting stories about Noe. Interesting tales, Noe's solutions to seemingly impossible problems. The stories were so fascinating that all who listened laughed and wanted to send their own sons for Noe to teach. The conversation and the meal nearly broke down all ranks and status, turning into a gathering of fathers "speaking ill" of their sons, but their words were full of love, wanting to spend more time with their children, chat with them, and share meals.
The next morning, as the sun rose, Aeris ???♂?, the Garrison Lord's disciple, arrived on the majestic Black Pegasus ?? to meet his teacher. The Grand National Master was highly impressed with the Black Pegasus and reached out to pet its head, but the Pegasus refused, spitting a light flame as a warning ??. He did not retreat, but deliberately tried to stroke its tail. Immediately, the Black Pegasus delivered a powerful kick to the Grand National Master's abdomen, sending him flying dozens of meters away! ??
But no one was worried; they laughed heartily. The Grand National Master, kicked as he was, also burst into laughter: "That's it! It is no other! A hundred years ago I searched for it to tame, but failed. I can't believe I found it here!" ??
The Grand National Master looked at Aeris and said: "You have potential. Your future is quite promising." ??
Aeris didn't understand, but everyone in the Tiger-Leopard Army laughed. The Grand National Master's winged Golden Lion ??, seeing its master pay attention to the winged horse, became jealous and wanted to bite the Pegasus to vent its frustration. But the Grand National Master signaled it to stop, fearing the lion might lose and be embarrassed.
The hunt continued, but it went deeper and deeper toward the West, into the territory of the Lang Kingdom. No one paid much attention. Aeris was quite familiar with the area, having come here many times with Noe to meet the Forest Gods ??. This was the intersection area between the Lang Kingdom and the Forest Gods.
Suddenly, a Western Lang army ?? appeared. The commander was a half-human, white-wolf head ??, along with 100 soldiers. Some were ordinary men wearing wolf-head helmets, a few were half-human wolf-heads, and every soldier was accompanied by one or two wolves. They found this group strange: dressed like commoners, but riding extremely dangerous beasts, and only about 10 people—they showed no signs of being merchants or being robbed. So, they immediately set up a formation for a surprise attack to secure a swift victory.
Each person in the Grand National Master's entourage had to fight 10 soldiers and 20 wolves simultaneously, but no one feared or retreated. The Grand National Master and Aeris took the initiative, mounting their steeds and charging forward, their two mounts competing with each other, both spewing fire ??.
The Grand National Master struck forward with his hand, unleashing the fiery "Scorching Flame Palm" (Li?t H?a Ch??ng). Aeris held a golden Trident (?inh Ba) ??, powerfully sending all opponents flying. The Tiger-Leopard Army used energy to envelop their bodies and weapons, swinging their swords, sending men and horses flying dozens of meters with immense power. Every wolf that approached was instantly cut down, blood soaking the ground ??. The battle cries and the smell of blood ?? only energized them further, their speed increasing.
At the very rear were H? V? Rau B?c ?? and the Garrison Lord. Rau B?c, a tall man with ruddy skin and a silver-white beard, wielded a large Great Saber ???. The first man and horse to approach him were instantly cleaved in two from top to bottom. Rau B?c used magic to envelop himself in earth and stone, briefly transforming into a gigantic Stone Man ??. The large Great Saber was now just a small knife in his hand. The Stone Man waved his hand, sending two or three wolves flying to smash into trees and die. The Garrison Lord was more cautious, lightly stepping onto the Stone Man’s shoulder. He pointed his sword forward, creating fireballs ?? that flew straight at the opponents.
The battle soon ended. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere ??, a sight that would make anyone who hadn't seen war vomit. The 100 soldiers of the Western Lang army lay dead on the ground. The smell of smoke, burnt flesh, and other terrible odors did not bother the veterans. They followed the rules of war: digging a pit and burying everyone inside completed their duty. The Grand National Master even performed some magic for salvation, preventing the corpses from turning into Zombies or Undead.
The group continued westward, going further and further. Many of the Lang Kingdom's reconnaissance scouts were killed, having assumed this was just a group of ordinary people from the Jewel Kingdom wandering through. However, some were deliberately spared by the Grand National Master to carry a message to the "H?c H? Pháp Th?n Khuy?n V??ng" (Black Protector Divine Dog King) ?? that they had arrived.
The Black Protector Divine Dog King heard the news and immediately left the city, bringing 20,000 elite soldiers and 50,000 reserve troops. The Black Protector, wearing full majestic armor, appeared with his large three-headed Spirit Dog ?????, ready for a life-or-death battle with the opponent.
Black Protector: "Did you come here to declare war?" ??
Grand National Master: (Holding out his empty hands) "Declare war with empty hands? Where are the banners? The drums? I'm not even wearing armor. Ask them, why did those men die, and what did they do to my commoners?" ??
The Black Protector asked the scout who had been spared and immediately understood. His heart was relieved that he wouldn't have to risk his life today. He ordered his soldiers to organize a banquet and set up camp right where they stood, inviting everyone to the table, like a host inviting guests into his home. The two sides chatted happily, the subject revolving around the Prophet Noe.
After a day and a night of feasting ??, the two sides returned. The Grand National Master went straight back to the Jewel Kingdom capital. The Garrison Lord returned to Doanh Thành with Rau B?c and Aeris.
On the way back, the Tiger-Leopard Army commanders asked the Grand National Master the purpose of the trip, wondering why they didn't meet the Prophet Noe.
Grand National Master: "The purpose has been achieved. We should return. I've understood quite a lot about this Prophet now." ??
Commanders: (Shaking their heads in confusion) "We didn't meet the Prophet, so how did you understand?"
Grand National Master: "Look at a person as a painting; every relationship—friends, siblings, family, or students—is a piece of the puzzle. We just need to gather enough pieces to understand that person."
Commanders: "Don't you see many details that contradict each other?"
Grand National Master: "Have you heard the story of the blind men and the elephant? Each blind man touched a different part of the elephant and described it differently. The people we met are the same—they are blind, having only brief contact with Noe, and then judging and arguing about what kind of person Noe is." ??
Commanders: "So why didn't you meet the Prophet directly?"
Grand National Master: "I guess the Prophet himself doesn't understand what he wants or who he is. Now is not a good time for a meeting; perhaps another time." ??
?? Heavenly Scroll Records and Power Ranking
From the time he was made the Prophet of the Celestial Dao, Noe developed a habit of opening the Heavenly Scroll (Thiên Th?) ?? every day to check information about those monitoring him, ranked by power from S to E:
?? Heavenly Scroll Records Update
- Date: [Current Date]
- Event: A Level A character, the Grand National Master, has begun monitoring and investigating Noe.
- Impact: Noe's position in the Jewel Kingdom has changed. He is now a critical factor in maintaining peace between the two kingdoms.
?? Merit Update (C?ng ??c)
The Heavenly Scroll collected and analyzed notable Merit streams during this time:
- Courage and Integrity (Positive): The Garrison Lord spoke the truth and protected his friend in front of the Grand National Master.
- [Yang Merit Resonance (D??ng ??c c?ng h??ng)]: +150
- Wisdom and Moderation (Positive): The Grand National Master skillfully turned a dangerous journey into an opportunity for peaceful investigation and problem-solving.
- [Yang Merit Resonance]: +300
- Hospitality and Goodwill (Positive): The Black Protector chose reconciliation over fighting, contributing to peace between the two kingdoms.
- [Yang Merit Resonance]: +200
- Peace (Positive): Maintaining peace between the two kingdoms saves millions of lives from war.
- [Divine Merit Resonance (Th?n ??c c?ng h??ng)]: +1
?? Character File Update
The Heavenly Scroll collected new data and updated the character files:
- Grand National Master: A powerful character with high wisdom, possessing far-reaching vision, and one of the leaders of the Profound Ice Sect.
- Black Protector Divine Dog King: Promoted. A half-human, dog-headed general with high compassion and prestige.
- Garrison Lord (Doanh Ch?): Promoted. He showed loyalty to his friends and skill in handling the situation.
- Aeris: Promoted. A good student with great progress in cultivation.
- Doanh Th??ng Quan: Promoted. The boy has made great progress, but has not reached Level C.
- Black Pegasus: Promoted. An extremely powerful spirit beast, comparable to Level B Immortals.