Memories are like a knife, always stabbing when least expected.
After the day his Spiritual Root Aptitude was tested, Zhou Fan was in a daze for a long time.
Having lived two lives, Zhou Fan had never been as down and out as he was during that period.
The former number one became a joke in the mouths of most people.
His originally caring parents also ignored Zhou Fan and began to focus on raising their younger son.
Even the one he once deeply loved quickly cut ties with Zhou Fan and went with other Cultivator seeds from the Zhou Family to a Immortal Sect for cultivation.
During those dark days, if Zhou Chenxi hadn't silently stayed by Zhou Fan's side, cheering him on every day, the former Zhou Fan might have truly given up on himself.
Zhou Chenxi was that Genius girl from a branch of the Zhou Family.
After emerging from his daze, although Zhou Fan was very grateful to Zhou Chenxi, he ultimately didn't end up with her.
Because the former Zhou Fan knew that he was no longer worthy of her.
However, Zhou Fan, after all, possessed memories from his previous life. He regrouped at that time and made a three-year pact with Zhou Chenxi.
Within three years, if he could become a Cultivator, Zhou Fan would return to marry her.
Not long after making the agreement, Zhou Fan was dispatched by his Family to the Zhou Family's subordinate Fan Realm to learn how to manage the Zhou Family's Fan Realm industries.
But after passing through the teleportation array, Zhou Fan was not teleported to the world where the Fan Realm Zhou Family was located.
Instead, he was teleported to the desolate wilderness of this Fan Realm Small World.
Zhou Fan no longer wanted to recall the subsequent story.
Three years had already passed.
The Chenxi who once accompanied him through the darkness and helped him rediscover light had probably already married someone else.
The Zhou Family never owed him anything.
It was I who owed Chenxi a promise.
Zhou Fan let out a light sigh, and the smiling faces of Yaya and Qingzhi suddenly appeared in his mind.
Recalling the little moments he shared with the two, Zhou Fan's originally profound eyes softened.
Sons of Destiny, I apologize.
I, Zhou Fan, also have things I bear.
Whether for my younger self or for everything I cherish.
I will do my best to climb and to surpass.
Until I stand at the Peak of power.
Until Heavenly Dao prostrates at my feet.
“Host, you have comprehended!” Just as Zhou Fan felt his entire being, mind and body, undergo a transformation, the System's voice suddenly rang out in Zhou Fan's mind.
Zhou Fan: “...System, were you peeking at me just now?”
“How could that be? No such thing,” the System said, changing the subject as if guilty.
“Congratulations to the Host for officially possessing the heart of a strong person who dares to contend with the Dao and reach the absolute Peak. You are indeed the Host chosen by this System.”
“Is there a reward?”
“Reporting to the Host, no.”
Zhou Fan: “...”
Just as Zhou Fan was thinking about how to discipline this constantly mischievous System, the old man finally walked back, holding a large stack of documents.
Zhou Fan looked at the large pile of bamboo slips and didn't find them excessive at all. After all, the more one understands about an enemy, the better.
After delivering the documents, the old man left the private room, leaving Zhou Fan alone to examine the materials.
Three hours later, Zhou Fan put down the last bamboo slip, carefully pondering the detailed information about the Son of Destiny, Jiang Wudao. A rough plan gradually formed in his mind.
Jiang Wudao Transmigrated about a year ago.
His Golden Finger is most likely advanced knowledge that came with his Transmigration, with a small probability of him possessing a System.
He is astute but likes to show off at some critical moments.
This is normal, after all, Jiang Wudao probably still thinks he is the only Transmigrator in the entire world.
At the same time, the Tianji Tower's information confirmed that Jiang Wudao is a natural eunuch, and these materials even boldly speculated.
The reason Jiang Wudao is so eager to send troops to sweep away the barbarians around Da Qian is because there are things in these barbarian tribes that can solve Jiang Wudao's natural eunuch problem.
Zhou Fan temporarily held a skeptical attitude towards this.
However, through these materials, Zhou Fan could see that Jiang Wudao was indeed very eager to conquer the barbarians, and the date for Jiang Wudao's selection of imperial concubines was set after the conquest of the barbarians. It was not surprising that Tianji Tower had such a guess.
Currently, there are still 15 days until Jiang Wudao dispatches his troops. No wonder Jiang Wudao is in such a hurry to raid the Kang Wang Residence. It seems that the grain and fodder in the national treasury are insufficient, so he is preparing to slaughter a few fat sheep.
Just recently, Ye Fan ran to the capital and informed the Great Qian Dynasty that Kang Wang Jiang Linfeng was bedridden and that Kang Wang's wife, Murong Qing, was having an affair with Zhou Fan. Jiang Wudao then prepared to make an example of the Kang Wang Residence.
Of course, it's possible Jiang Wudao also had ideas like reclaiming fiefdoms, centralizing imperial power, and killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.
However, these are not important. In this world where the strong prey on the weak, strength is ultimately supreme.
If it weren't for the Great Qian Dynasty's Cultivation World background, and the grand array in its imperial palace that could detect and confine Cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Stage, Zhou Fan would have long since snuck into the imperial palace to favor the Great Qian Empress, who had not yet been touched.
And after System calculations, if Zhou Fan cultivates both body and Qi, then as long as his Qi Refining Realm also Breaks through to Qi Refining Late Stage, his comprehensive strength will definitely reach the Foundation Establishment level.
After discussing with the System, Zhou Fan found that to Breakthrough to Qi Training Late Stage, he first needed to exchange 9,000 Luck points for an Inferior Yin Spiritual Root.
Then, he would only need to consume a total of 3,100 Luck points to Breakthrough all the way to Qi Training Late Stage.
Among them, consuming 100 Luck points to guide Qi into the body and enter Qi Refining Early Stage; consuming another 500 Luck points to Breakthrough to Qi Refining Middle Stage; and finally consuming 2,500 Luck points to reach Qi Refining Late Stage.
A total of 12,100 Luck points would be consumed.
Calculated this way, in this Fan Realm, it is more cost-effective to have both martial Dao and Qi Refining Cultivation reach the world's limit, and the strength would even be stronger than simply reaching Foundation Establishment through martial Dao alone.
The only remaining problem now is where to get 3,600 Luck points.
After carefully studying the people around Jiang Wudao, Zhou Fan finally found a suitable target.
The Fairy of Luoyun Temple — Shen Yufu.
Shen Yufu is the head of Luoyun Temple and also the Imperial Advisor of the Da Qian Dynasty, deeply valued by Jiang Wudao.
According to the Tianji Tower's information, Jiang Wudao has always had the idea of bringing Shen Yufu into his harem and honoring her as a noble consort. He even publicly declared multiple times that Shen Yufu was his woman.
However, Shen Yufu is aloof and detached from worldly affairs, a Qi Refinement Cultivator who usually only enjoys studying ancient texts and meditating in peace.
According to the intelligence from Tianji Tower, Shen Yufu is under thirty years old and is already a Cultivator at the Peak of Qi Refining Middle Stage, and she is suspected to have Broken through to Qi Refining Late Stage not long ago.
And Luoyun Temple also has a Cultivation World background; its forces within the Cultivation World have always had close ties with the Cultivation World forces behind the Jiang Family.
This Fan Realm Small World is primarily governed jointly by the forces behind Luoyun Temple and the forces behind the Jiang Family.
As for the Cultivation World forces behind Tianji Tower — Tianji Pavilion — they have branches in most Fan Realms.
After reading the materials the old man gave him, especially the parts concerning the Cultivation World background, Zhou Fan walked out of Tianji Tower with satisfaction.
Gazing at Luoyun Peak not far from the capital, Zhou Fan's Extreme Overlord Body was already stirring.