There is a rumor about the Dragon and Phoenix of the Northern Continent.

It is said that Jin Long possesses unrivaled courage. When he was 5 months old, he started walking; at 2 years old, he began cultivating; he defeated many strong mortals at the age of 3; he reached Rank 1 Warrior at the age of 5 and defeated many top Rank 1 Warriors at the age of 6. He became a Rank 2 Warrior at the age of 10, a Rank 3 Warrior at 20, a Rank 4 Warrior at 35, and a Rank 5 Warrior at 60. By the age of 95, he had achieved Rank 6. Now, at only 130 years old, his strength is unrivaled in Rank 6. His courage is his strength. No matter how strong his enemies are, he never feels despair and never gives up.

As for Jin Huang, she is the personification of wisdom. When she was 1 month old, she could already speak. People say it took her that long because no one chatted with her properly—there weren’t enough words spoken to her, or she would have learned even earlier.

At 1 year old, she could already defeat Rank 5 Warriors in Go. By the time she was 2, she understood all the kingdom’s politics. At 5 years old, her father appointed her as the Prime Advisor of the Golden Crow Kingdom. At 7, she suppressed a civil war while simultaneously handling internal conflicts. When she was 15, her father died in a war. At that time, the whole kingdom was in turmoil. Using her wits, she helped her brother ascend the throne and quietly eliminated all obstacles. She subdued 20 princes vying for the crown and eliminated them all. Everyone knew it was her doing, but no one ever found a clue as to how she did it. Even Jin Long often wonders how she achieved such a feat.

Li Gang, deep in thought, asked, "I just remembered, it shouldn't be possible to judge the wind pressure and water vapor given the restrictions of the world. So how can you deduce the weather accurately?"

Jin Huang looked at him suspiciously. "Even though I knew you had already figured out 'that,' I am surprised that you failed to understand this basic thing!"

She said calmly, "You should have already deduced what kind of axis it is. Let me name it for you, and it will clear your doubt. It is known as the Soul Axis!"

Li Gang immediately realized. "So, that's why the Monarch Inheritance enhanced everyone's talents, and that's why only higher-ranked warriors can sense these parameters, like water distribution in the atmosphere!"

Jin Huang replied calmly, "I don’t know what the Monarch Inheritance is, but some inheritances do enhance an individual’s talents because they exist at a higher level in the Soul Axis and are closer to the Soul Plane."

She glanced at him and continued, "Only those whose souls have reached a high level of cultivation can be aware of the Soul Axis and things beyond this world, within a certain range. Even though the range is limited, it's enough for us to make accurate predictions in most cases. Normally, only Advanced Warriors can do this, but there are always exceptions, like me."

Li Gang murmured inwardly, 'Lin Fan's memory was also messed up because he existed in the same realm as those Immortals. A human brain probably can't process information that exists there. I can only process information limited to this world's restrictions. It's probably because of the limit of my soul cultivation.'

Seeing Li Gang’s silence, Jin Huang suddenly asked, "Who are you trying to expose with your identity as 'Ren Ying'?"

Li Gang was surprised by the sudden question. He smiled and changed the subject, "How about we cooperate? I will help you take down both the Wu and Shu dynasties."

Jin Huang glanced at him and said lightly, "Alright."

Li Gang was shocked inwardly by her decisiveness. At the same time, he became wary. 'How is this possible? How could she agree so quickly? She should have realized it might be a trap!'

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However, he immediately calmed down. 'Anyway, it benefits me. Even if she has realized the trap, she can't do anything about it because of her strength limit.'

Jin Huang asked, "So how long will we be cooperating? And when do you plan to attack the Wu and Shu dynasties?"

Li Gang narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the sky. He said calmly, "My preparations are nearly complete. We can take down the entirety of the Wu and Shu dynasties. You just need to hold off the Wu dynasty while we take down the Shu dynasty. Once the Shu dynasty falls, the Wu dynasty will face attacks from all directions and won’t be able to maintain its defenses."

Jin Huang smiled, "I’m eager to see what formation you’ve designed to take down two great dynasties!"

Li Gang glanced at her, no longer impressed. He had already realized how terrifying her ability was to see through words, thoughts, and situations.

"Don’t worry, it won’t harm the Golden Crow Kingdom," he assured.

Jin Huang replied lightly, "I know; otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked for cooperation."

Li Gang thought of something and stood up.

Jin Huang chuckled. "It seems you've achieved your goal in coming here."

Li Gang nodded. "Yes, I have."

As he began to leave, he heard her say, "Sometimes, circumstances force you to do things you don’t want to. You should move forward and make those circumstances bend to your will. Focus on the goal you’ve set, and only then can you achieve what you truly want. That’s all I can tell you for now."

Li Gang paused, a smile forming on his face. "It seems I’m on the right track, then."

"If you want peace, you can come again," Jin Huang added.

Li Gang left without looking back, murmuring to himself, "I will."

Jin Huang’s eyes remained calm as she dipped her snow-white legs into the lake and smiled. "How interesting. You want to use the Golden Crow Kingdom as a means to handle your enemies! It seems you can't use your Rank 8 battle strength anymore, or perhaps the consequences are too severe. But this benefits me. Who knows, I might gain a powerful ally by sacrificing you. Though, I don't want to sacrifice you. Your value is much greater than any ally I can have, and your danger is equally great as an enemy!"

Wei Dynasty

The Wei Dynasty has seen significant growth in formation, alchemy, and forging over the past two decades. It has also expanded its business throughout the Northern Continent, particularly due to its neutral position amidst the conflicts between the Wu, Shu, and Golden Crow Kingdoms.

The Wei Dynasty is known for its peaceful stance and has never initiated a war to harm neighboring nations. It has never had such ambitions.

Wei Han, the ruler of the dynasty, is a mid-stage Rank 5 Warrior. He holds the second-highest cultivation level in the dynasty, second only to Gu Zhen. Gu Zhen, the army general, is a late-stage Rank 5 Warrior, fiercely devoted to the country and sworn to serve until death.

At this time, both Gu Zhen and Wei Han were in the same room.

Gu Zhen glanced at him and asked, "Your Majesty, are you sure about attacking the Shu Dynasty?"

Wei Han sighed. "You know I have no choice."

Gu Zhen gritted his teeth and, trying to calm down, said, "If you give the order, I can torture that bastard and force him to hand over the antidote for the poison!"

Wei Han looked at him calmly and said, "Do you think I haven’t thought of that? He’s too cunning. I planned this months ago, but he disappeared, leaving only this letter. I will run out of the antidote in 3 months. If he doesn’t return, I may not survive the next 5 months. This hasn't been the first time. Every time I plan something to deal with him, he always escapes my clutches, and my plan always backfires. He is too cautious."

Saying that, he took a letter from his space ring and handed it to Gu Zhen.

Gu Zhen glanced at it, his anger rising. "That bastard! If I get my hands on him, I’ll kill his entire family."

The content of the letter was:

"Your Majesty, I suddenly feel uneasy, so I’ve gone to clear my mind. I’ll return when things have calmed down. I hope the shields we’ve been developing for the past 10 years will be properly imbued with the formation I provided by the time I return. I may be gone for a month or a year. If the antidote is unavailable, you’ll just have to endure the pain. Perhaps it will help you reflect on your actions."

Wei Han sighed. "Forget it; it’s our bad luck to have crossed paths with someone like him."

How could he not understand the hidden meaning? He is clearly saying he is aware of Wei Han's plan, and thus he left. He will come back once there is no more threat to him in the palace. Wei Han should also repent for his mistakes, and the pain he will feel due to the lack of antidote is his punishment.

He recalled their first meeting and said, "I still remember when I invited him to join us."

Gu Zhen nodded. "He was talented, so we let him flourish. But who would’ve expected him to be so ambitious? He stabbed us in the back when we least expected it. It's a pity that we couldn't find a single poison master who can recreate the antidote. It appears we have to go to the Central Continent and get help from some strong Warriors."