Chapter 302: The Marquis

«????

The little white dragon had a head full of questions.

It nearly exploded into violence.

I treat you as my big brother, and you treat me as a sacrificial offering??

Sending it to the Annan Marquis meant it would become like those beasts in the animal pen—mere pets for others to toy with; the proud little white dragon could not accept this.

But the little white dragon did not immediately lash out; instead, it asked:

«Big brother, why?

Li Rui sighed lightly: «Little White, you've been targeted. Even your father may not be able to protect you.

Upon hearing this,

the little white dragon froze, a chill running down its spine.

It knew well that its big brother was never frivolous, and would never joke about something like this.

Its father was a Earth Immortal—yet if even he couldn't protect it, what manner of being sought to strike at it?

«What exactly has happened?

Only then did Li Rui reveal everything about the Crimson Flame Fox.

When the little white dragon heard that the Lord of Jushi City and a demon lord intended to capture it, it broke into a cold sweat.

If not for Li Rui's intervention, it would already have been turned into dragon stew.

«Big brother, thank you for saving my life.

The little white dragon, being clever, quickly understood.

Li Rui: «After much thought, only the Annan Marquis's mansion can protect you. Little White, if you want to live, you must bow your head and endure humiliation—do you understand?

The little white dragon's eyes showed inner struggle.

What kind of being was it?

It was the little tyrant of the Ten Thousand Mountains, its father an Earth Immortal—it had always walked with arrogance, never once endured humiliation.

But as Li Rui said, to live, one must endure.

«Fine, I'll follow my big brother's advice.

In the past, it would have preferred to be boiled than endure humiliation.

But since following Li Rui, its temperament had mellowed, and now that it had glimpsed the hope of becoming a dragon, how could it bear to die?

Seeing the little white dragon agree,

Li Rui finally allowed himself a faint smile.

He had some connections within the Annan Marquis's mansion; once there, the little white dragon would not be treated as a beast pet—it would likely be treated quite well.

But it was still the Annan Marquis's mansion, not Qinghe.

If the little white dragon carried on with its current unruly nature, some high-ranking figure in the mansion might casually kill it.

That was why he hadn't told the little white dragon his plan—he deliberately wanted to temper its arrogance.

The next day,

the little white dragon departed with the Tian Di Alliance's caravan toward Yunzhou.

Yuan Dingting, as Marquis,

was required to send tribute gifts from his territory to demonstrate loyalty—the more precious the gift, the greater the loyalty shown.

Calculating the days, it was nearly time.

Once the little white dragon arrived in Yunzhou, he would arrange for it to be delivered as tribute to the Marquis's mansion.

Half a month passed in a flash.

One day,

Li Rui was tempering the Immortal Blade Zhanjiao in his room.

Zhanjiao had changed noticeably since its initial forging—the pitch-black surface now gleamed faintly, with subtle purple-gold radiance flowing within, its divine aura just beginning to emerge.

This was the result of his daily tempering.

The Immortal Blade was now powerful enough to crush most fourth-rank weapons—it was more than sufficient.

«Good blade.

Li Rui caressed Zhanjiao, utterly enamored.

With Beitianmen's expertise in weaponry, plus this Immortal Blade, it was like adding wings to a tiger—his strength had risen another notch.

He already looked forward to the day Zhanjiao would reach full maturity.

«Too bad, still no spirit awakened.

Li Rui felt a slight pang of regret.

The essential difference between an Immortal weapon and an ordinary Spirit weapon was whether it possessed a spirit—only when Zhanjiao gained a spirit could it truly become a genuine Immortal Blade.

He had once asked Tie Kuang.

According to Tie Kuang, it would take at least several years, possibly decades, to awaken a spirit.

The time was long,

but worth it—after all, even some Earth Immortals lacked Immortal weapons and had to settle for Spirit weapons; for a fifth-rank Observing Sea cultivator like him to possess one was already astonishing, so spending extra time was only right.

As he tempered Zhanjiao with Xuan Qi,

Wang Zhao's voice sounded outside the door.

«Master, someone's here to see you—they say they're from the Annan Marquis's mansion.

Li Rui immediately retracted his true qi.

He sheathed the long blade and opened the door: «Someone from the Marquis's mansion?

Wang Zhao nodded: «Yes, they say they've come regarding the tribute gift.

Li Rui raised an eyebrow slightly.

The tribute gift, of course, referred to the little white dragon.

Since the little white dragon had gone to Yunzhou, there was no longer any need to fear being targeted—yet now the Marquis's mansion suddenly sent someone over it—had the little white dragon caused trouble inside?

With curiosity,

Li Rui walked into the main hall and saw a middle-aged man already inside.

The middle-aged man rose and bowed to Li Rui: «Master Li.

Li Rui returned the bow—he recognized the man as one of Yuan Marquis's stewards, named Hou Tian.

They had met before at the Qinghe hunting grounds.

Since it was an acquaintance, he asked directly:

«Brother Hou, is the Marquis dissatisfied with the tribute gift?

Hou Tian chuckled: «Not at all. The Marquis has received the gift you sent—Little White is gentle and well-behaved, greatly favored by the Marquis. He has already reported it to the court as an auspicious omen, and the Ministry of Rites plans to enshrine Little White as the River God of Qinghe.

«Since you recommended it, the Marquis has specially sent me with a return gift.

Auspicious omen, River God??

Li Rui blinked.

He hadn't expected the little white dragon to be such a talent.

By his calculations, it had only been seven or eight days since entering the mansion—yet it had already won Yuan Marquis's favor and been named River God of Qinghe.

Imperial enshrinement was extremely strict.

Beyond requiring strength, it demanded impeccable character.

Those beasts with a history of chaos and misdeeds had no chance of becoming Mountain or River Gods.

For Little White to be enshrined as a River God was a tremendous blessing.

«From now on, Little White is a celestial beast on the imperial payroll.

Li Rui couldn't help but smile.

He had sent Little White to the mansion to escape danger—he never expected it to give him such a pleasant surprise.

As for the return gift,

according to Yu Kingdom's customs, return gifts were typically only given to vassal state ministers who paid tribute; for officials of the empire itself, merely receiving praise for their tribute was already a great honor.

Why would there be a return gift at all?

But since Yuan Marquis offered it, he would accept it.

He grew curious—what could the return gift be?

Spirit pills?

Spirit weapon?

Hou Tian cleared his throat: «The Marquis has appointed you as the Inner Courtyard Instructor of the Marquis's mansion.

Li Rui was stunned.

Inner Courtyard Instructor of the Marquis's mansion.

The title sounded unimpressive—compared to titles like "Instructor of the One Hundred Thousand Imperial Guards," it was vastly inferior.

But in terms of status, it was actually quite high.

Who lived in the Inner Courtyard of the Marquis's mansion?

The Marquis and his wife, his eight adopted sons, and a few trusted retainers—only they could enter freely, and the Inner Courtyard Instructor was among them.

A mere trainer of guards was ordinary—but when combined with unrestricted access to the Marquis's inner quarters, it was extraordinary.

It was a tremendous favor.

This meant Li Rui had truly entered the core of the Marquis's household.

Li Rui let out a soft hiss.

'Why does the Marquis value me so highly?' But since this was a return gift, there was no possibility of refusal.

He bowed deeply: "Thank you, Marquis."

Hou Tian accepted it calmly, for this bow was meant for Yuan Dingting.

"The Marquis also said that Qinghe is a vital northern gateway for Wu Country; Lord Li must prioritize military affairs and need not visit the Marquis's household."

"Understood."

Li Rui had originally intended to strengthen his relationship with Hou Tian.

But it turned out—

Hou Tian delivered the message and left immediately, returning straight to Yunzhou without delay.

Such decisiveness caught Li Rui off guard.

Just as he saw Hou Tian off—

A line of small characters appeared before Li Rui's eyes.

No mistake: one word, one phrase, one detail—all clear!

【Congratulations, Host! Achievement Completed: "Out as General, In as Minister" — Intermediate Plot: Inner Courtyard.】

【The imperial palace and noble inner courtyards are places every loyal minister must enter; stepping through the gate reveals the vastness of heaven and sea. Congratulations—you've served for years and finally entered a noble household. This is a qualitative leap. Keep striving.】

【Task "Inner Courtyard" completed. Reward calculation in progress.】

【Task rating: C.】

【Obtained 20 Achievement Points!】

【Achievement Points reached 100. Reward acquisition in progress.】

【You and your friend You Shan Wenda encountered a transcendent on the road, who bestowed upon you divine insight.】

【Obtained the Spirit-Enhancing Book!】

【Young Hero, begin your perfect cultivation journey!】

【Age +5】

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 15】

【Talents: Martial Bone, Extraordinary Comprehension, Insightful Eyes, Dream Wanderer of Immortals, Demon-Slaying Victory】

【Techniques: Changchun Art, Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens, Dragon-Elephant True Qi Force】

【Items: Spirit-Enhancing Book】

【Achievements: 0/100】

Reward acquired!

Li Rui's expression sharpened.

Almost the instant the small characters appeared, unfamiliar information surged into his mind like a tidal wave.

Spirit-Enhancing Book!

【In this world, cultivators rely on spiritual roots; only those with top-tier roots can glimpse the path to immortality. Those with supreme roots walk an unobstructed path. The Spirit-Enhancing Book records nine methods to elevate one's spiritual root, for future generations to emulate.】

Methods to elevate spiritual roots!

Li Rui was instantly overjoyed.

"At critical moments, the system is still reliable!"

He had searched endlessly for ways to elevate his spiritual root—yet in the end, the system delivered it to his hands.

The Spirit-Enhancing Book was truly an exceptional treasure.

Just as he rejoiced—

The small characters on the panel reappeared.

【Detected: Host has completed all "Out as General, In as Minister" Beginner Plots. Reward enhanced once.】

【Spirit-Enhancing Method is an ancient technique for elevating roots. Detecting host's current environment with depleted spiritual energy. Technique improving.】

【Obtained Improved Spirit-Enhancing Method.】

Li Rui's eyes widened.

"I should bow my head in thanks."

It was as if the heavens heard his thoughts—this reward enhancement erased his last doubts.

Li Rui closed his eyes.

He carefully absorbed the nine methods recorded in the Spirit-Enhancing Book.

【Master three methods to reach mid-tier spiritual root; six methods to reach top-tier; all nine together unlock supreme spiritual root!】

The path to supreme spiritual root.

It was simply miraculous.

Yet Li Rui looked at the nine methods in the Spirit-Enhancing Book—each required rare, almost mythical ingredients.

Gathering all nine would be no easy task.

But this was precisely what Li Rui had expected; elevating one's spiritual root was a law-defying art—only fools would expect it to be simple.

Soon—

His spirit was drawn to one of the nine methods.

"Use immortal qi to nurture a Spirit-Testing Stone, then grind it into powder and swallow it raw to elevate the spiritual root."

His eyes lit up.

He himself possessed exactly one Spirit-Testing Stone.

"Immortal qi to nurture it—my Immortal Xuan Qi should be nearly identical. I can try it."

Following the Spirit-Enhancing Book's instructions—

The Spirit-Testing Stone must be nurtured by immortal qi until it becomes golden stone. Only then is it complete.

Li Rui hadn't expected to put the book's method into practice so soon—it was truly fortuitous.

"Perfect."

Immediately—

He returned to his room and began nurturing the Spirit-Testing Stone.

Immortal Xuan Qi was truly boundless in utility—capable not only of nurturing immortal weapons, but also of elevating spiritual roots.

It was his second great blessing.

Wu Country, Jushi City.

City Lord's Mansion.

Deep beneath the grand palace lay a secret chamber.

Only the City Lord of Jushi knew of this chamber.

Now—

The chamber was occupied by a massive, scarred great dragon, whose enormous body made the spacious room feel cramped.

The great dragon grew restless:

"Damn it! Why is Yuan Dingting's True Intent so powerful?"

Demonic beasts recover swiftly.

These wounds should have healed within a month—but Yuan Dingting had left his Martial Saint True Intent inside it, constantly destroying its vitality. Despite prolonged rest, it had not recovered; its condition had only worsened.

"Only by crushing this True Intent with dragon qi can I fully erase Yuan Dingting's handiwork."

The great dragon thought of Yuan Dingting—

Its eyes burned with deeper hatred.

Had Yuan Dingting not interfered, it might have already entered Rank One—why should it suffer such humiliation?

"Kill, kill, kill!"

At that moment—

A man entered the chamber.

The City Lord of Jushi bowed respectfully before the great dragon: "Dragon Master, there's trouble."

"Speak!"

The great dragon, irritated by the City Lord's timid demeanor, snapped.

The City Lord continued: "The little white dragon has been found—but it has already been sent as tribute by the Assistant Regional Commander of Qinghe's Peace Guard to the Annan Marquis's household, where it now serves as a guardian spirit beast."

The great dragon narrowed its eyes:

"The little white dragon went to Yuan Dingting's home?"

"Yes."

The City Lord spoke with gritted teeth.

In the next instant—

The great dragon erupted in fury, its roar shaking the earth of the mansion, making the ground tremble as if a subterranean dragon had turned.

After a stick of incense burned out—

The City Lord of Jushi emerged from the chamber, his face dark.

'Whoever thwarts the Dragon Master's plans must pay the price!'

(End of chapter)