"Those without roots..."
The words floated silently beneath the Ancient River Cultivation Fragment.
Faint.
Ancient.
As though they had been buried beneath countless years and only now surfaced once more.
Wind moved softly across the training grounds.
Military banners rippled overhead.
Lián Xù stared at the glowing text without blinking.
The blood in his body seemed to slow.
"...What? What about those without roots..?"
The fragment pulsed once.
Then the hidden text vanished.
Gone.
Like it had never existed.
Lián Xù immediately panicked internally.
WAIT.
COME BACK.
YOU CAN'T JUST DROP LORE AND LEAVE.
That's illegal.
He mentally clawed at the system interface.
Nothing responded.
No explanation.
No additional text.
Prototype system behavior.
Absolutely shameless.
Nearby, Lián Hào frowned slightly.
"Your Majesty?"
Lián Xù abruptly looked up.
"...Hm?"
For several seconds, Lián Hào studied his expression quietly.
The cold wind stirred strands of dark hair across his forehead. Sunlight reflected faintly off the azure armor wrapped around his body, yet the sharpness surrounding him earlier had dimmed somewhat.
Now—
he simply looked concerned.
Lián Hào spoke slowly.
"You really are weak."
Lián Xù's face stiffened.
Emotional damage.
Direct critical hit.
Then—
Lián Hào extended a jade bottle toward him.
"Drink this."
Lián Xù blinked.
"...What?"
"Body Refinement Elixir."
"...Oh."
He accepted the bottle cautiously.
The liquid inside shimmered faintly crimson beneath sunlight.
Warm medicinal fragrance drifted upward the moment the cork was removed.
Lián Xù hesitated briefly before drinking.
Heat spread instantly through his stomach.
Not violent.
Gentle.
Like warm water flowing through frozen veins.
The soreness lingering in his limbs eased slightly.
Lián Xù looked upward.
"...Brother."
Lián Hào crossed his arms.
Cold expression.
"Mm."
"...You're really bad at this."
Lián Hào's brows twitched faintly.
Nearby guards immediately lowered their heads.
None of them wished to die today.
Lián Hào coughed lightly.
"I am strict."
Lián Xù stared at him silently.
Five minutes earlier:
You are weak.
Five minutes later:
Drink this.
At this point, even blind people could see through him.
Unfortunately—
Lián Hào himself could not.
Training continued.
The morning gradually deepened toward noon.
Sunlight spread across the palace grounds in broad golden layers while cold wind slowly faded into lingering warmth.
Lián Hào truly began teaching him.
Not carelessly.
Not symbolically.
Seriously.
Very seriously.
"Again."
Lián Xù punched forward.
Too slow.
Lián Hào moved beside him instantly.
"No."
A hand pressed lightly against Lián Xù's waist.
"Force begins here."
Then his fingers tapped Lián Xù's shoulder blade.
"And travels upward."
Lián Xù blinked.
The correction was precise.
Practical.
No wasted words.
Lián Hào stepped back.
"Again."
Lián Xù repeated the motion.
This time—
the punch felt smoother.
A subtle burst of force traveled from his legs into his arm.
Bang.
The air actually made noise.
Nearby guards exchanged glances.
Lián Hào's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hm.
Not bad.
Lián Xù nearly became emotional.
WAIT.
I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL IT.
Maybe he really did have talent.
Or maybe the system was simply violating common sense again.
Honestly, both were possible.
Hours passed.
Sweat soaked through Lián Xù's robes.
His breathing became heavier.
Yet unlike earlier, his body no longer collapsed after every exercise.
The Body Tempering enhancement gradually revealed its effects.
His movements became steadier.
Cleaner.
The Imperial Fist Art settled deeper into his muscles with every repetition.
At one point, Lián Hào suddenly stopped speaking.
Lián Xù glanced upward.
"...Huh?"
Lián Hào stared at him for several moments.
Then quietly spoke.
"Your foundation is improving quickly."
Lián Xù immediately became suspicious.
Wait.
That sounded dangerously close to praise.
The First Prince of Azure River Kingdom was famous for many things.
Merciless warfare.
Cold discipline.
Monster-level cultivation talent.
But one thing he absolutely lacked—
was the ability to lie.
Lián Xù narrowed his eyes.
"Brother."
"Mm."
"Are you secretly proud of me?"
Lián Hào froze for half a second.
"No."
Too fast.
Way too fast.
Lián Xù almost laughed.
Amazing.
His brother genuinely had terrible acting skills.
By afternoon—
the training grounds had nearly emptied.
Only several guards remained nearby.
The air carried the lingering scent of dust, sweat, and medicinal herbs.
Lián Hào stood across from Lián Xù once more.
"We'll spar again."
Lián Xù immediately became alert.
Mission progress.
One more victory.
One more.
Lián Hào calmly loosened his shoulders.
"No cultivation."
"Use what I taught you."
Inside his mind—
Just enough this time.
Not too obvious.
Xu'er must build confidence naturally.
Meanwhile—
inside Lián Xù's head—
HE'S THROWING THE MATCH.
I CAN FEEL IT.
OH MY GOD.
THIS IS BASICALLY FREE POINTS.
Lián Hào moved first.
This time faster than before.
A palm strike cut through the air toward Lián Xù's chest.
Lián Xù instinctively shifted sideways.
The movement was clumsy.
But correct.
Lián Hào's eyes flickered slightly.
He learned that quickly?
Lián Xù punched awkwardly in return.
Lián Hào intentionally slowed half a beat.
Bang.
The fist landed against his shoulder.
Not heavy.
Barely enough to hurt.
Yet Lián Hào still staggered backward dramatically.
Nearby guards stared in horror.
Again?!
Lián Xù almost burst out laughing.
Brother.
Please.
At least pretend slightly harder.
Lián Hào steadied himself before giving a slow nod.
"...Good."
Inside his mind—
YES.
MUCH BETTER THAN EARLIER.
HE REALLY IS IMPROVING.
Lián Xù grinned unconsciously.
Ding.
[Mission Progress Updated.]
[Defeat Lián Hào]
[2/3]
Ding.
[Misjudgment detected.]
[Source: Lián Hào]
[+700 Misjudgment Points]
Lián Xù inhaled sharply.
This system really rewarded literally everything.
A second notification appeared immediately afterward.
Ding.
[Reward Granted.]
[Military Chest]
Golden light unfolded before his eyes.
Ancient patterns spread across the interface like flowing rivers of molten gold.
Then the chest opened.
[Rewards:]
[Imperial Guard Body Refinement Technique]
Information poured into Lián Xù's mind instantly.
A cultivation technique.
Not designed for geniuses.
Not designed for sect disciples.
Designed for soldiers.
For warriors who cultivated in groups.
Simple.
Stable.
Efficient.
Most importantly—
compatible with large-scale military cultivation.
Lián Xù's eyes widened slightly.
The Long Wǔ Guards.
This technique could strengthen them further.
And unlike ordinary cultivation methods—
this one focused almost entirely on body refinement and battlefield endurance.
Perfect for assassins.
Perfect for hidden imperial forces.
Lián Xù slowly lowered his gaze.
For the first time—
he felt the shape of something larger beginning to form beneath the surface.
Not just personal survival.
Not just misunderstandings.
Power.
Kingdom-level power.
********
Meanwhile—
far beneath the imperial palace—
ten silent figures knelt within darkness.
The Long Wǔ Guards.
No voices echoed underground.
Only silence.
Then—
one of them suddenly raised his head.
A faint pulse moved through the Authority Fragment connected to Lián Xù.
New knowledge flowed directly into their minds.
Body refinement methods.
Breathing cycles.
Techniques for strengthening flesh and bone.
The ten guards simultaneously stiffened.
Their eyes widened slightly beneath shadowed masks.
One whispered quietly,
"An imperial technique?"
Another slowly clenched his fist.
The air around him trembled faintly.
Deep underground—
the first steps of a hidden army quietly began.
*******
Aboveground—
Lián Xù remained completely unaware of the storm quietly forming beneath his feet.
He sat heavily upon the stone steps near the training grounds.
His entire body ached again.
Lián Hào walked over silently before handing him another medicinal bottle and a packed lunch from the Imperial kitchen.
"Eat."
Lián Xù looked upward.
"Is this what you mean with being strict?"
Lián Hào frowned slightly.
"... it's lunch break."
Lián Xù stared at him for several long seconds.
The afternoon wind drifted lazily across the training grounds, carrying with it the smell of dust, sweat, and heated stone left beneath the sun. Military banners shifted overhead with soft rustling sounds while distant weapons continued striking wooden practice dummies in measured rhythm.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Then Lián Xù's gaze slowly moved past Lián Hào.
Toward the soldiers.
Rows of imperial guards still stood within the training grounds.
Some were practicing sword forms.
Some were carrying heavy stone weights across their backs.
Others remained in horse stance beneath direct sunlight, sweat soaking through their uniforms and dripping from their jaws onto the ground below.
No one was eating.
No one had even stopped.
Lián Xù paused.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Wait.
It was already noon.
Actually—
it was way past noon.
Then he remembered what he had heard earlier.
"Let's rest."
"Eat first."
His gaze slowly shifted back toward Lián Hào.
Then toward the soldiers again.
Then back toward Lián Hào.
Several nearby guards had also heard it.
Judging by their expressions, they looked even more disturbed.
One young soldier had somehow lost focus halfway through his spear form and nearly stabbed empty air before awkwardly catching himself.
Another carrying stone weights stumbled and almost planted his face into the ground.
Their eyes carried visible disbelief.
After all—
their commander was Lián Hào.
The same Lián Hào who believed food was a reward after training.
The same Lián Hào who once made soldiers finish an entire mountain route before allowing lunch.
The same Lián Hào who had calmly said:
"Pain is merely your body reminding you that you're alive."
And now—
that same man had interrupted training halfway...
for lunch.
For one person.
Lián Xù slowly looked back at his brother.
Lián Hào remained standing there with folded arms and his usual cold expression.
Perfect posture.
Perfect military bearing.
As if nothing unusual had happened.
As if reality itself wasn't collapsing around him.
Silence.
A breeze swept through the training grounds.
Then Lián Xù let out a quiet sigh.
"...Brother."
Lián Hào looked over.
"...Mm?"
Lián Xù stared at him with complicated eyes.
"...You really are terrible at hiding things."
Adorable.
Terrifying.
But adorable.
The wind moved softly through the palace grounds.
Sunlight slowly descended westward.
And inside Lián Xù's mind—
the system screen still floated quietly before him.
[Defeat Lián Hào]
[2/3]
One victory remained.
Only one.
Lián Xù slowly narrowed his eyes.
Then looked toward his brother.
Then toward the mission again.
Then back toward his brother.
"...I suddenly feel guilty."
Far away—
deep beneath gathering storm clouds—
someone quietly opened their eyes.
And the winds around Azure River Kingdom began to change.