Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Life-Saving Item

"A trial?" Zhu Ge’s brow furrowed slightly.

Hongmi Immortal nodded, his gaze passing through the window lattice to the churning poisonous clouds in the distance.

"The great ones of Nanyue Mianhuang have all been annihilated, leaving the Third Realm a headless dragon. The land is rich with Spirit Veins, mineral deposits, and fields of Spirit Medicine. There are Ancient Ruins, the remains of Divine Beasts, and countless other resources."

"If no one steps up to guide things, all of it will be snatched up by the Demon Race and the Barbarian Race. But if a prodigy of the Human Race takes advantage of this opportunity to enter the fray..."

Hongmi Immortal gave Zhu Ge a meaningful look. "They could single-handedly establish the landscape for the next hundred years."

"So you think someone is pulling the strings from behind?" Zhu Ge frowned. "Is True Monarch Minmian just a pawn?"

"I don’t think. I’m certain." Hongmi Immortal turned to face Zhu Ge. "That sword strike from True Monarch Minmian didn’t just slay the great ones of Nanyue Mianhuang. It shattered the shackles of an era."

"All those prodigies who were suppressed by the great ones are now free to fight for their chance. And whoever emerges victorious from this struggle will be qualified to stand in a higher position in the future."

"That makes sense..." Zhu Ge said thoughtfully. "You mean I should treat the battle for Yuan Yang City as a trial as well?"

"You’re already a prodigy," Hongmi Immortal said with a smile. "Killing a Third Realm expert while in the Second Realm, subjugating four Third Realm Demon Beasts, and lifting the siege on multiple cities... Someone like you, I estimate, would rank at least in the top thirty on the Sheji Chart’s winter Raccoon Fur List."

"But the top thirty isn’t enough. Palace Master Zhu, I believe what you need to do is make sure even those in the top ten see your name."

The top thirty...

Zhu Ge fell silent.

He recalled what Yan Liyuan had once said.

The top ten on the Sheji Chart were all figures who could dominate an entire era.

Lin Zhi, Mingxing, and Yuan Shentong... those three were prodigies among prodigies, formidable existences on par with the great sages of antiquity.

"I’m willing to give it a try," Zhu Ge said, his expression solemn.

"I know. That’s why I’m willing to pledge my allegiance to you."

After saying this, Hongmi Immortal picked up his teacup and took a sip, a hint of relief in his eyes.

Zhu Ge, however, didn’t rush to respond. He sat back down in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"City Lord, since we’re being this candid, allow me to ask a few more questions."

"Please, go ahead." Hongmi Immortal set down his cup.

"Yuan Yang City has been under siege for five months. How many supplies are actually left in the city? I’m not asking about food. I’m asking about weapons, array materials, Spirit Medicine, and usable Spiritual Artifacts."

Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat. Right now, what Zhu Ge needed to do was know himself.

"As for supplies..." Hongmi Immortal mused for a moment, then took out a ledger from his sleeve and handed it to Zhu Ge. "See for yourself."

"Alright." Zhu Ge took the ledger and opened it.

It was densely packed with records of the city’s inventory. As he turned the pages one by one, his frown deepened.

In the armory, there were fewer than three thousand usable swords and sabers, only eight hundred crossbows, and less than twenty thousand arrows.

The array materials were almost completely depleted, and there was hardly any Spirit Medicine left. The healing Elemental Level pills had been used up long ago, with only some topical Low-Grade Spirit Level Ointment remaining.

The Spiritual Artifacts were in even worse shape. The city originally had twelve Elemental Level Spiritual Artifacts, but now only three were still functional. The rest were either damaged or had their Spiritual Qi exhausted.

"This is even worse than I imagined." Zhu Ge closed the ledger and handed it back to Hongmi Immortal.

"It’s a miracle we’ve held on this long," Hongmi Immortal said with a bitter smile. "Any of the city’s common people who could leave have already left. The ones who couldn’t—the women, children, and elderly—are all just waiting to die."

"The several hundred thousand who remain are mostly people with relatives in the city guard, or they’re the families of Soldiers themselves. They haven’t left because they believe we can hold the city. Of course, they also have no way to leave."

"Then we’ll hold it," Zhu Ge said, his expression growing somber. "If not for ourselves, then for these hundreds of thousands of people."

They weren’t just numbers. They were living, breathing people.

"Not for yourself..." Hongmi Immortal looked at him, a complex glint in his eyes. "Palace Master Zhu, how old are you this year?"

"Not yet twenty." Zhu Ge stated the original owner’s age.

"Not yet twenty..." Hongmi Immortal repeated in a mumble. "When this old man was twenty, I was still picking herbs in the mountains, not even having reached the First Realm. And look at you, already planning how to save a city."

"The times are different," Zhu Ge said, shaking his head.

"The Holy Emperor is dead and the world is in chaos. If you don’t fight with your life on the line, you die. I’d love to just cultivate in peace, but the Demon Beasts won’t give me that chance."

"When prosperous, one should benefit the world. When in poverty, one should focus on self-improvement."

"Besides, I’m not doing this entirely for the common people. I’m also doing it for myself, aren’t I?"

At this, Zhu Ge smiled. "This is a trial, after all. If there are deities three feet above my head, then this is the perfect chance to let them see my performance."

Zhu Ge’s expression was frank.

’That’s right. He was a selfish person. Sacrifice? That was something for other people to do. He wasn’t doing this for the people. He was doing it for the trial, to leave his mark on the Historical Records, and to win the favor of True Monarch of the Lantern and True Monarch Minmian. To use this to build connections and curry favor with the powerful. Yes, that must be it.’

"Is that so?" Hongmi Immortal asked.

"It is," Zhu Ge affirmed.

Hongmi Immortal was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Do you know how to set up battle formations?"

"A little," Zhu Ge nodded. "I’ve read through the Eight Armored Arrays a few times and have used the Round Array, Pyramidal Array, and Xuanxiang Array in actual combat. But I can’t help with the city’s large-scale arrays. That’s a job for an Array Master."

"An Array Master..." Hongmi Immortal shook his head. "We don’t have one in the city. And even if we did, there’s not much they could do. However, I have something that you might be able to use."

He stood up, walked over to a cabinet in the corner, opened its door, and took out a small, palm-sized wooden box.

"This is something I obtained in my younger years while traveling. I’ve never had a use for it. Take a look."

"Oh?" Zhu Ge took the wooden box and opened it.

Inside lay a pale-cyan jade tablet. Its surface was engraved with complex Array Patterns, from which a faint Spiritual Qi seemed to flow.

"What is this?"

"An array foundation," Hongmi Immortal said thoughtfully. "To be precise, it’s the core of a mobile defensive array."

"As long as you infuse it with your Blood Qi or Literary Energy, it can generate a defensive array with a diameter of ten zhang. It can block any attack below the Third Realm and can weaken attacks from the Third Realm and above by thirty percent."

"This is a life-saving item. You should take it. Consider it a greeting gift for my pledge of allegiance to you."

"A fine item!" Zhu Ge’s eyes lit up. He didn’t refuse; he was in dire need of such a life-saving treasure.

"Unfortunately, it can only be used three times," Hongmi Immortal sighed. "After the third use, the jade tablet will shatter. I had intended to save it for my descendants, but they are all untalented. It’s better that you have it. Perhaps it can save your life at a critical moment."

"Thank you, City Lord." Zhu Ge carefully placed the jade tablet into his grass bowl.

This was indeed a fine item.

A trump card that could save his life at a critical moment was always welcome. The more, the better.

Unfortunately, it was clear that even if Hongmi Immortal had more of these, there wouldn’t be many.

And Zhu Ge couldn’t possibly ask the man to hand all of them over.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.