Chapter 220: Revived

Lu Bai stayed in the Royal Palace in the Capital City for half a month.

During this time, aside from a single visit from the Minister of the Ministry of Justice to inquire about the case, no one else disturbed him.

Since leaving Liuxi Town, his journey had been filled with constant fighting and killing, with danger lurking at every corner. He had never experienced such peaceful, quiet days.

Lu Bai, for his part, enjoyed the peace and quiet, focusing on his cultivation daily.

His Martial Arts Cultivation progressed, and he broke through another Meridian to reach the Innate Seven Meridians.

However, his Cultivation Realm showed no signs of progress.

The Qi Refining Stage had nine layers in total.

The first layer was simply condensing a wisp of Spiritual Qi in the Lower Dantian.

The subsequent eight layers required opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in sequence.

Once all of them were open, one would reach the Perfect Ninth Level of Qi Refining.

But even though Lu Bai had long since comprehended the *Piercing Fire Chapter* and had been cultivating for days, he still couldn’t condense any Spiritual Qi.

‘It seems this path really isn’t for me.’

Lu Bai had been pondering this for the past few days.

Although he hadn’t given up on the path of cultivation, a Mortal Spirit Root combined with a Low-level Cultivation Technique offered little chance of success.

‘Once I reach the First-Layer Qi Refining and can use a Storage Pouch, I’ll put this on hold. If I get the chance to find a true cultivation Ultimate Skill in the future, I’ll give it another shot.’

Aside from this, Lu Bai hid in his room every night to study the Immortal Vine.

He had tried dripping his own essence blood onto the Immortal Vine, but it had no reaction.

But when he placed the Immortal Vine inside the Ancient Mirror and stimulated the mirror by activating his Blood Qi, the vine would continuously devour his Blood Qi!

It seemed there was another power within the Ancient Mirror that was simultaneously nourishing the Immortal Vine.

Fortunately, he had a strong constitution and was able to endure it.

After half a month of being nourished by Blood Qi, the Immortal Vine gradually began to change.

The once grayish-black vine now showed hints of emerald green, revealing a trace of life!

‘Is it alive?’

Lu Bai gazed at the Immortal Vine deep within the Ancient Mirror, lost in thought.

He wondered what use an Immortal Vine capable of making the Ancient Mirror react would be once it was fully revived.

「One day.」

The courtyard gate opened, and Lu Bai looked up.

Mo Tang walked in.

As a key witness in the case, Mo Tang’s appearance here could only mean a verdict had been reached.

“Lord Mo.”

Lu Bai stood and went to greet him.

“Sit.”

Mo Tang nodded slightly and got straight to the point. “Her Highness has already issued a decree. Marquis Jingzhong’s title has been stripped, he is to be confined to the Capital City and forbidden from leaving. Liang Yifan and Yu Weifeng have both been sentenced to beheading.”

Lu Bai nodded.

Beheading a high-ranking regional official and a Demon Suppression Envoy—two True Master Martial Dao—showed King Wu’s immense resolve.

However, she had shown some leniency in her handling of Marquis Jingzhong.

Lu Bai asked, “What about Wu Lan?”

“He’s fine. He just lost his title and has been demoted to a commoner.”

Mo Tang said, “Marquis Jingzhong claimed sole responsibility for all decisions. He took the fall for everything, which ultimately saved his family.

“But don’t worry. With their titles stripped, the Wu Family is no longer a threat. The official appointments in Jingzhou City have been almost completely replaced.

“Furthermore, this case has led to improvements in our dynasty’s laws, providing a degree of protection for refugees fleeing from the various Vassal States.”

At this, Mo Tang’s expression turned serious. “This case has far-reaching effects. I believe that in the future, every refugee who comes to the Wu Country will be grateful for your actions.”

Lu Bai was silent.

‘It’s just a pity that it was bought with the lives of Xue Chen, Shi Tianlei, and countless nameless refugees.’

“And my verdict?”

Lu Bai asked again.

Mo Tang was silent for a moment before saying, “Regarding how to handle you, the majority opinion among the court officials was beheading. In the end, Her Highness made the decision. You are to be exiled to a border town to serve in the army, allowing you to atone for your crimes through meritorious service.”

Lu Bai murmured to himself, “Exile.”

‘If it’s only exile, it’s far better than being imprisoned in the Celestial Prison, never to see the light of day.’

Mo Tang said, “This result is already quite a fortunate one. After all, you ignored the laws of the Wu Dynasty and killed several hundred people. Anyone else would have certainly been beheaded.

“I heard from my master that Her Highness greatly appreciates you, which is why she went against the consensus to save your life…”

At this point, Mo Tang seemed to have more to say but hesitated.

“What is it?”

Lu Bai asked.

Mo Tang said gravely, “You’re being exiled to a southern border town. That area is separated from the Great Li by the Longling Mountain Range, and conflicts often break out between the two nations’ Border Armies.

“For you, it’s an opportunity. As long as you seize it, you can definitely earn merits and atone for your crimes.”

“Has the Peace Alliance failed?”

Lu Bai asked.

Previously, Mo Tang had mentioned that eight hundred years ago, an Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor had emerged, descending upon the Celestial Divine Land and forcing the major Vassal States to form an alliance and swear an oath to cease all warfare.

“It hasn’t failed yet.”

Mo Tang explained, “One of the clauses of the Peace Alliance prohibits experts at the Golden Core Realm and above from taking action. In wars between nations, the highest level of combatants is limited to Innate Martial Artists.”

In a flash, Lu Bai understood the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor’s intent.

Completely ending war was unrealistic. Where there were people, there would be grievances and endless disputes. This was even more true between the major Vassal States, where conflicts over resources and interests were hard to avoid.

With this restriction, the strongest combatants were merely Innate Martial Artists, drastically reducing the potential for destruction and casualties.

In a sense, it was another form of protection.

“It’s just…”

Mo Tang hesitated for a moment, then said, “The Duke of Chen is stationed year-round at the southern border town. He controls our dynasty’s two most elite armies, the Longxiang Iron Cavalry and the Huben Army, to defend against the Great Li.”

Hearing this, Lu Bai vaguely sensed something was wrong.

‘The Duke of Chen… controls military power, commands the Wu Dynasty’s elite troops, and is stationed far from the capital year-round…’

During this time, Lu Bai had gained a general understanding of the situation in the Celestial Divine Land.

‘This place isn’t like any dynasty from my past life. Although the title “Martial Emperor” exists, it’s an honorific for someone who has cultivated the Martial Dao to its absolute peak. The Celestial Divine Land has evolved from the great tribes of the distant past, to the great clans of Ancient Times, and now to the warring Vassal States of this era… Dynasties rise and fall; it’s a common occurrence.’

‘In a situation like the Duke of Chen’s, if there isn’t a force of absolute martial power to keep the Wu Dynasty in check, it’s entirely possible for him to declare himself king or even usurp King Wu’s throne!

What’s more, King Wu is a woman.

That in itself is a potential weakness.

For one, she is the only female ruler among all the Vassal States.

For another, the succession of the Wu Dynasty presents a huge problem.’

Lu Bai asked, “This Duke Chen, how does his combat power rank within the Wu Dynasty?”

Mo Tang gave Lu Bai an appreciative look.

Lu Bai’s question showed that he had already grasped the subtleties of the situation.

“He’s generally acknowledged to be in the top five.”

Mo Tang said, “However, according to my master, this Duke Chen is very likely in the top two. It’s hard to say whether he or Duke Wei is stronger.”

‘Never mind the top two—even being in the top five makes Duke Chen a massive threat to King Wu.’

Lu Bai felt a headache coming on.

‘Being exiled to the army to atone for my crimes is one thing, but if this Duke Chen suddenly decides to declare himself king, I’ll probably be dragged into the conflict.

There’s another potential problem.

If Duke Chen is a threat to King Wu, they must be mutually suspicious.

At a time like this, Her Highness is exiling me to serve under him. Duke Chen will surely be wary and won’t make things easy for me.

It feels like I’ve escaped the tiger’s den only to enter the wolf’s lair.’

“The things about Duke Chen are just rumors.”

Mo Tang said, “Regardless, once you get to the border town, find a way to accumulate military merits and return as soon as possible.”

Lu Bai nodded.

Mo Tang said, “I’ll take you out of here first. Someone is waiting for you outside. You’ll meet them, and then you must depart for the border town immediately.”