"Foster father, I want to go down there!" Ashi Yuanba suddenly came before Lanling.

Lanling said, "Do you want to abandon martial arts for literature?"

Ashi Yuanba said, "I’m still going to pursue martial arts, but I feel that from now on, the impact of individual martial arts will become increasingly small. Plus, you are a Plane Overlord, able to freely grant Bloodline Energy. This makes martial arts cultivation lose its goal, although it still holds significance; I believe contributing to the evolution of world civilization holds greater importance."

Lanling said, "Keep talking."

Ashi Yuanba said, "With you around, there won’t be any real wars on Dragon Demon Planet for a long, long time. Although we still have enemies—that’s Lunar Holy Palace—but if we go to war with them, the victor will surely be decided by new energy civilization and energy weapons; individual martial power is barely relevant. Because the surface energy of the world is limited, the number of martial arts masters that can emerge is also limited. To acquire greater and higher energy, we must advance in new energy civilization."

"Well said," Lanling said. "Why don’t you delve into energy civilization research?"

Ashi Yuanba said, "That’s the work of scholars and priests; I don’t believe I have that talent. So, I think my significance lies in helping you perfect the empire’s order, enabling everyone’s productivity and talent to be utilized. I sense that the advancement of energy civilization might come from the sudden enlightenment of one or two geniuses, but it must be rooted in the contribution of countless people. It’s a struggle requiring hundreds of millions, even tens of billions of efforts. Hence I believe my mission should be to assist you, liberate everyone’s productivity."

Lanling proudly patted Ashi Yuanba’s shoulder and said, "At Sky Academy, you weren’t harmed psychologically or mentally. I must thank those from Gu Ban, though they took you as a hostage, at least they didn’t hurt you."

Ashi Yuanba said, "So, foster father, you’ve pardoned most of Sky Academy’s priests and instructors, also all its students, which is your supreme benevolence."

Lanling said, "Where do you want to go?"

Ashi Yuanba said, "I want to go to Xiliang Kingdom, where the land is relatively barren, and the people are relatively sturdy."

Lanling said, "Not going to Rou Ran Province? That’s your homeland. Don’t shy away from Zhi Yu; although he is King of Nu Wave, his ruling power depends on his own capabilities. If you do well, you will receive whatever Zhi Yu, Zilin, Lan Suo could have. Because you are not only my student but also my son-in-law, and you’re my son. Your mother is now my wife, and your biological father is now my Hell Knight, Demon Race Prince."

Ashi Yuanba said, "I’m not avoiding it, just familiar with Rou Ran Province too much. I want to go somewhere completely unknown. Moreover, I don’t want to give that bunch of fools in the Ashi Clan any chance, nor even open up any space for their imagination."

Ashi Yuanba’s words were heavy because during the incident with Demon Emperor Lanling, the Ashi Clan indeed acted disgracefully, including Ashi Luo’s mother, Ashi Yuanba’s grandmother.

If it weren’t for considering both Ashi Yuanba and Ashi Luo, the Ashi Clan would have long been exterminated. At the time, when Turing Chen crazily smeared Lanling, many fictitious dark materials were provided by the Ashi Clan.

Lanling smiled, looked at Ashi Yuanba’s knee and said, "Do you have any impediments in your leg? Need me to grant you powerful bloodline for complete recovery?"

Ashi Yuanba’s legs were once cut by Fu Lingxi and were reattached after being taken to Sky Holy Palace. Regular walking doesn’t show much, but they bend unnaturally at increased speed.

Ashi Yuanba said, "I haven’t accomplished any achievements yet, so I shouldn’t. Wait until I achieve enough merit and feel a bottleneck in martial arts, then I’ll ask you for a stronger bloodline."

"Good, it’s a promise then." Lanling laughed. "How large a territory do you want to manage, how many people, how large an army?"

Ashi Yuanba pondered for a while and said, "I want to choose one hundred people from Sky Academy’s captives, and then be given a territory like a county. As for the army, not necessary for now, I want to establish an elite security force locally."

"Good!" Lanling nodded and said, "I’ll have the cabinet assign you a county, and you go be the county magistrate and hide your identity. You can use any means, treat the county as your test ground. Don’t fear failure, if you fail, just start over."

...

After Ashi Yuanba left, Lanling continued his research on Emperor E Tian’s Wordless Heavenly Scripture.

"Master, is it difficult?" Ye Jingyu asked behind him.

She gently massaged Lanling’s temples.

"By the way, Mrs. Yan Chuo has been found," Ye Jingyu said. "On a remote island in the East Sea, a flying ship has been sent to bring her back."

Lanling said, "Why did she go to a remote island in the East Sea?"

Ye Jingyu said, "I don’t know, but the island she was on is within Demon Race waters. So I feel she originally planned to head south to find you, but stopped on the way."

Lanling said, "What did you and Jing Feng do at Sky Academy?"

Ye Jingfeng lay idle at the side, reading a book, said, "Managing those female students, sort of their living caretaker; it’s driving me crazy, each of them acting high and mighty, looking at people with the corner of their eyes."

Lanling looked at Ye Jingyu, who remained innocent and romantic, not having changed much over the decade.

...

"Your Majesty, Zhi Yan said she has something important to report." Gou Li said.

Thus, Lanling went to the cell once again.

Zhi Yan appeared very dejected, never seen her like this, her eyes even looking lifeless.

"What is it?" Lanling said.

Zhi Yan lifted her head and said, "Turns out, I’m truly the observer placed by Lunar Holy Palace on Dragon Demon Planet."

"And then?" Lanling said.

Zhi Yan said, "I truly turned into an observer just now, as if watching myself with a third eye. It seems like everything is unrelated to me, then... what is the meaning of my life?"

Lanling said, "What do you want your life to mean?"

"I don’t know," Zhi Yan said. "I’ve been searching; when my father called me back from Sky Academy, I thought maybe revitalizing Rage Wave Kingdom was my life’s meaning, even though I wasn’t very interested, it was better than having none. After marrying you, I thought protecting you, revitalizing Rage Wave Kingdom, expanding it, even liberating the whole Human Kingdom was my life’s meaning. Although still not very interested, it gave me a slight goal, made it somewhat more fulfilling. But you know, I quickly ended up killing you. I lost life’s meaning again, and my path turned vague. But vagueness means unknown, and the unknown can still have anticipation. However now, confirmed I’m merely just an observer. I’m merely a pair of eyes, a conduit, what meaning does my life have then? Completely and utterly meaningless!"

Zhi Yan stared at Lanling and said, "Maybe through my eyes, Sky Holy Palace views everything? Then I’m merely a tool, a camera?"

"You know about cameras?" Lanling was astonished.

Zhi Yan said, "You have no secrets from me, because when we were intimate, we entered each other’s brain realm. Your memories about your world, I saw them all. The image that stirred you was the occasional video chat with your sister, so of course I know about cameras."

Lanling said, "What did Lunar Holy Palace notify you just now?"

Zhi Yan said, "They no longer bothered to hide it. Earlier, they’d blur my will and nerves, letting me receive some information in a dream-like state, disrupting my intent. And now, they’ve directly transmitted the information."

Lanling said, "What information?"

Zhi Yan said, "The messenger from Lunar Holy Palace, ’October’, will descend on Dragon Demon Planet seven days from now, inviting you to meet her at Dragon Demon Island in the East Sea."

Seven days later, the East Sea, Dragon Demon Island!

Lanling remembered the information and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Zhi Yan from behind said, "Suo Lun, why don’t you kill me?"

Lanling said, "You’re deeply disappointed with this observer’s identity and role?"

"Yes, very disappointed," Zhi Yan said. "I thought I’d be very important, influence outcomes, play a crucial role. Yet... merely just an..."

Lanling said, "If you want to die, take care of it yourself, and preferably wait until after I meet the Lunar Holy Palace messenger ’October’."

...

Note: The second update is bringing you, asking for your support, asking for monthly votes, thank you all!