658 Leaving the Mountain

As ten thousand men from his army were eliminated, and the morale suffered a huge blow, Kun Xie was worried that he would be ambushed by the Xuan nation and suffer a tremendous defeat, thus, had no choice but to withdraw his troops and head back.

The original extermination war between the nations instantly became one that had a strong start but a weak ending, resulting in a loss on both sides.

The Xuan king, Zhang, used this opportunity to immediately organize into a state of combat readiness and train his warriors. He also subdued other forces within the nation and entered a long-term stalemate period with Kun nation.

In an instant, five years flashed past.

Li Rubi rode his high horse and went deep into the mountains, accompanied by more than ten armored guards at his side.

At this moment, he looked like he was more than twenty years old—his skin was like a jade disc, and he was very handsome. The suit of armor that he wore further enhanced his heroic spirit by a few notches.

"Master, it's here… The Tuan mountains is rumoured to have deities residing there, and woodcutters had previously seen a red-crowned crane dancing in the air!"

A warrior walked up to look and immediately reported back.

"Erm, some of you dismount from your horse and follow me into the mountains!"

Li Rubi looked towards the sky and was in deep thought.

These five years, he took pains to endure inside the crevice between the two nations. A new force suddenly arose, and today, a large group under his command called "Mountains," which also had thousands of warriors and was considered to be the third powerhouse.

However, if he wanted to conquer the heavens and the skies, this still wasn't enough. Hence, he needed to be extremely courteous to the worthy people, and upon hearing that there were high-level people living in seclusion in the Tuan mountains, he specially came to pay a visit.

A row of people dismounted from their horses and started climbing. After a hilltop, they saw strangely-shaped pines and weird rocks with billowing mountain mist. It truly was a scene of idyllic beauty.

Li Rubi was incarnated from a flood dragon and naturally had some magical intuition. He briefly inspected the aura and instantly knew the location of the person he wanted to find. "Follow me!"

They walked through a barrier of mist and immediately saw three pine trees that were erected to form the shape of a word. There were even a few small thatch houses beneath it.

A small chair was placed under the pine trees at this moment, and a person sat cross-legged. In the front lay a purple cauldron with a large pile of burning firewood, causing the cauldron to produce a "chi chi" sound.

"A distinguished guest has come from a faraway place. I haven't personally greeted you, it's really impolite of me!"

That person was clothed in black and white, which Li Rubi recognized as the Taoist robe style of the Kun Wu mountains. He also wore a crown and instantly waved his hand, igniting the cauldron. An exotic fragrance entered their nose. "Luckily we still have a few Reinstated Pills that can be used to receive guests. Please!"

Li Rubi naturally sat down in front of the Taoist without restraint and stared at this person.

This Taoist seemed to be around twenty to thirty years old, yet his eyes seemed to have suffered from a great deal of vicissitudes in life. His body carried a pungent medicinal aroma, and his cultivation was so deep that it couldn't be estimated. His heart inadvertently went cold. "Is Sir Taoist the previous Xuan Nation Imperior Advisor… Peng?"

"That's right…"

Peng openly confessed. "I've caused disturbances in your territory for a number of years and still wish that you do not blame me, Magnate! Please eat, this Reinstated Pill can be drank together with the Jade Liquid for better results!"

As he spoke, he also pushed a jade cup over with starch water inside.

"Master?!"

A soldier instantly walked up and wanted to verify the medicine himself. As a master, how could he consume such an dubious liquid?

"There's no need to worry so much. I believe in the Taoist!"

Li Rubi waved his hand casually, picked up the cup, and he drank from it. He immediately felt awakened and picked up a Reinstated Pill.

This Reinstated Pill was roughly the size of his thumb. Its entire body was crimson and emitted a wave of fragrant vegetation like a Lingzhi. After entering his mouth, it could even jump slightly as if it had a life of its own.

Swallowing it in one mouthful, Li Rubi suddenly felt that there was a surge of heat that was rising in his underbelly and coursing through his entire body, spreading to every organ. He inadvertently praised, "Sir Taoist truly is a deity!!"

"This small matter isn't worth mentioning! I've observed your body and saw that it had some innate deficiencies. Using this Reinstated Pill to repair your genetics and add a little nourishment could prolong your lifespan by two periods…"

"Haha… Are there any taboos behind the concept of life and death?" Li Rubi was, instead, very easygoing. "It's already sufficient if a real man can set up his own business by the age of forty."

"Mmm…"

Peng nodded and didn't say anything else.

Unbeknownst to all, his heart at the moment was already like the terrifying waves of a stormy flood.

"This person walks with a majestic gait and has a mountain root bred by purple spirits. It really is valuable… Furthermore, why is there an aura that I dread on his body… Could it be that in the conflicts of the human race, he's the future tripartite balance of the three forces!? Even… "

Furthermore, thinking about this person's actions during these past few years, instantly made an unfathomable feeling develop inside Peng.

"What is this item?"

After consuming the Jade Liquid Reinstated Pill, Li Rubi had instead stared at the vertical and horizontal boxes with black and white stones inside on the table and asked with interest.

"This is 'Tai Chi chess,' one white and one black, it is an item that was created from the Yin-Yang technique which I previously understood, and it was passed down by the ancient Gods. Usually, I'll play chess with my left and right hand, and I'm content with it," Peng said with a smile.

"Oh, can I request for Sir Taoist to explain it in detail…" Li Rubi eyes lit, and he asked about the rules of this "Tai Chi chess."

Peng explained everything and said that it was very similar to Fang Yuan's previous world's "Weiqi." However, the position of the pieces are inside the boxes, and there aren't as many positions as the previous world's chessboard.

"Alright, since there's no entertainment deep in the mountains, how about we compete against each other in a round of chess?" Li Rubi rubbed his fingers and asked with some anticipation.

"That's what I desire!" Peng's heart jumped slightly. "How can your honor talk about a chess duel without any stakes?"

"Oh? You want to place a bet?"

Li Rubi took out a few pieces of pumpkin seeds and asked, "How about these?"

"Haha… Your honor, you trick me. The king is confident and has many mountains and rivers, how can it likened with mere gold and silver?" Peng laughed out loud. "How about we bet with these Tuan mountains?"

"The Tuan mountains are under my control…" Li Rubi nodded and said, "Okay! If I lose, I'll present the entire mountain to you!"

"Alright!"

Peng smiled and pushed out the chess box. "The guest goes first!"

…

Li Rubi wore a solemn expression, and a piece dropped and landed in the middle of the chessboard.

His chess abilities were still not known yet, but just this grand atmosphere had already made Peng's heart go cold as he returned a move with a careful, wary expression.

Li Rubi was innately smart and learnt everything quickly. At this moment, he made more than ten moves without hesitation.

Conversely, Peng had to ponder for a long period, every time, before he could make a move. His speed became slower and slower, and at last, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Haha… The Taoist has superior chess abilities. Rubi admits defeat!"

At last, Li Rubi laughed and abandoned the chess pieces in his hand, calmly admitting defeat.

"Whew…"

Peng let out a long sigh before standing and kowtowing. "Your benevolent and generous disposition is the only one of its kind that I've seen in my life. I'm worthless and am willing to greatly assist you, honorable sir!"

"Haha… I have the Taoist who is equivalent to having an army of tens of thousands of soldiers!"

Li Rubi was exuberant and quickly walked up to personally hoist him up. The two of them looked each other in the eye and surely had the feeling of having a good relationship between a monarch and his subjects.

…

Year 50 of the Xuan calendar.

The Xuan Nation's power was flourishing, and against the Kun tribe, they continuously won every battle.

Kun Xie was extremely fearful and united with the Li Rubi's Mountain tribe to form an alliance of the weak against the strong.

In the same year, the three armies fought under the skies of the Giant River plains and instantly entered into an aggressive stage.

…

Kun Wu mountain.

The Shi Sheng, at this moment, had already grown to become a handsome, neatly-dressed teenager with sharp facial features. He collapsed and prayed at Fang Yuan's feet. "I've seen the Holy Elder!"

"My Kun Wu mountain has been sealed til now and has reached the point where we are about to reopen the mountains… However, seeing the humans in a state of misery made me unable to bear it any longer!" Fang Yuan spoke at an appropriate pace, "You should go down the mountain and assist the emperor. This can be considered as a way to accumulate commendable deeds!"

"Yes!"

The Shi Sheng repeatedly prayed.

"I have two treasures here—one Celestial Sphere Streamer and one Spirit Slaying Knife—that I'll gift to you. Go out and do some virtuous work!"

Fang Yuan waved his hand, and two brightly shining treasures landed, causing the Shi Sheng to inadvertently stare in amazement.

Seeing that the Celestial Sphere Streamer was in the form of a small green streamer, which produced the Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water elements when it was slightly shaken, it's a precious commodity that's proficient in both offense and defense.

And the Spirit Slaying Knife doesn't match up to its name and instead looked like a gourd.

"When you shake and open this Celestial Sphere Streamer, the Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water will drop. Its power is majestic and nobody can resist it… As for the Spirit Slaying Knife, it's the accumulation of the 'killing spirit' collected within the boundary between the Heavens and the Earth. It's swift and fierce, unlike anything else, and needs time to nourish within the gourd. When you want to use it, just kowtowing and saying, 'Baby, please transform' would be enough."

"Thank you Elder, for bestowing these treasures upon me!"

Despite the Shi Sheng's temperament, he was elated when he obtained these two treasures and immediately asked with some uncertainty, "Who's the emperor that Elder is referring to?"

"I cannot say! I cannot say!"

Fang Yuan shook his head and smiled mysteriously. "There is another matter. That Yuan Hong child went down the mountain a few days ago as well. If you see him, don't be overly cautious, and you must understand the principle that everyone has their own master!"

"Yes, Master!"

The Shi Sheng kowtowed and walked out, and he suddenly had a spark of inspiration. "What the elder said, could it be that you still think that I will retaliate against Brother Yuan Hong?

"Also… That evil dragon that escaped last time, why hasn't the elder mentioned it."

With uncertainty in his heart, he rode a cloud and left the Kun Wu mountain, returning to the human realm.

Just by briefly asking about it, he already knew about the current situation. The Xuan Nation dominated the land, while the Kun and Mountain tribes were collaborating to content against it.

Furthermore, the three parties were already fighting in the Giant River plains. The Shi Sheng quickly ran over, and he instantly saw banners and flags covering the skies and the militaries' hostility piercing the air. This was the scene of a tripartite stalemate.

However, his cultivation was intricate, and he saw something different.

"In the Xuan Nation, there is a prevalence of demonic spirits. It seems that there are a lot of demons assisting them in the fight! Oh? Why does it appear that Yuan Hong is lurking amongst them? There are many cultivators in the Kun Nation—this should be the human deity path that the elder has mentioned… as for the Mountain tribe…"

He lightly exhaled as his facial expressions instantly changed. "Good! It really is you!!! This carp actually ran here and blended amongst them as a faction leader?"

He immediately pressed on the cloud and landed amidst the army camp of the Mountain tribe.

"Who's that? Release the arrows!"

At this stressful moment when the three armies were locked in a stalemate, the Shi Sheng descended from above and was an obvious mutant. When he landed, he obtained a flurry of arrows.

However, he wasn't anxious and took out his Celestial Sphere Streamer. With one shake, a gust of strong winds appeared and instantly deflected the flurry of arrows with a whirl of air, without exception.

"This fellow…"

In the camp, Peng looked on at the Shi Sheng and immediately struck dumb with amazement. "I can't see it clearly, and I'm afraid that his cultivation is superior to mine! And that magical weapon… If it's an assassin dispatched by the Xuan Nation, the Master is in a precarious state."

"Don't worry!"

Li Rubi's expression was a little weird as he suddenly commanded, "Bring this mutant to the large tent. We must be polite and respectful to him."

Peng saw this scene and immediately fell silent. He had a hunch and knew that this person was perhaps the Master's old friend.

If they could obtain his assistance, there would be more assurance in being able to defeat their enemies.