All-around protagonist mentor

Lord Luo Hou!

A name that resonated throughout Tianyu Jun's mind struck him, stirring his thoughts and filling him with longing.

As the legends about this name that he had heard in his childhood surfaced in his mind, Tianyu Jun's eyes became unfocused and his expression became dazed, as if his soul had returned to the era ruled by this name.

Wu Jun Luo Hou, the founding emperor of the Great Wu Dynasty. He is also recognized as the strongest person from ancient times to the present, not only by the human race, but by all races under heaven! He is the only one who can be confirmed to have reached the Transcendent Realm in martial arts and the True Immortal Realm in immortality, a supreme master who represents the pinnacle of all cultivators!

His legend, like the festival calendar, is known to everyone in the world, and even three-year-old children can recite it from memory.

His name, like the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, has become a symbol, no longer simply representing a person.

Heaven and earth are supreme over all things, and are symbols of status and power.

Rahu was invincible, sweeping across the world, and was a symbol of absolute power.

Whether it's a cultivator in the Taoist world or a mortal in the mortal world, the highest praise for someone's martial prowess and profound cultivation is: "Brother, you are mighty, as powerful as a martial lord."

Qingxuan seemed to recall the past as well, and a look of emotion appeared on his face: "With Luo Hou's martial prowess and deeds, he is worthy of the title of 'Lord'. The current powerhouses are far inferior."

"However, we can't entirely blame them. That's just how things are now. Since the Martial Dynasty, both extraterrestrial demons and powerful alien enemies have been lying dormant. The Five Realms have been peaceful for too long, and people inevitably become complacent. Their desire to cultivate the Dao is not as urgent and firm as before. Even if the Holy Lord starts a war and tries to unify the Five Realms, in the eyes of the world, it's just an internal strife among humans. This world still belongs to humans."

"Those masters rarely encounter opponents in their lives, and are invincible, so they naturally become arrogant."

"Alas, in this situation, all I can say is that the world is frivolous and people's hearts are restless. This is not a problem for just one or two people."

Tianyu Jun also sighed heavily, and said with shame, "Only after hearing what Xuan Ge'er said today do I realize how arrogant my Wujiang Dao was in the past. Now I feel extremely ashamed."

Qingxuan laughed and said, "It's not your fault. It's a rule set by your elders. Just be careful."

Qingxuan then took a sip of wine and sighed again, "However, even with the power of a Martial Lord, the Great Martial Dynasty he established ultimately collapsed and disintegrated, and has not been unified for two thousand years. A thousand generations—it sounds simple, but how difficult it is to achieve. Even if that Holy Lord successfully unifies the Five Realms, who knows how long his Great Holy Dynasty can last?"

Tianyu Jun couldn't help but become interested and asked, "I wonder what Xuan-ge'er thinks about this change of dynasties?"

Qingxuan said lazily, "Ah~, this is a big topic. I'm just a rough mountain man, I can't offer any profound insights."

"I can only say that there are too many reasons for the collapse of a dynasty, including both natural disasters and man-made calamities. But over the past ten thousand years, people have been constantly moving forward and exploring, continuously improving their society. Perhaps one day in the future they will be able to create a dynasty that lasts for thousands of generations."

"Oh?" Tianyu Jun asked curiously, poured Qingxuan a cup of wine, and humbly said, "Please tell me more, Brother Xuan."

Qingxuan laughed heartily, picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "Alright, alright, let me tell you about the history of the three dynasties of the human race. In the primordial era, when heaven and earth were first created, all kinds of races existed, and the human race was just one of them."

"In this era, all races fought and killed each other. In order to gain greater power, each race constantly explored the Dao of Heaven and created various cultivation methods. It was the era when martial arts and immortality were just beginning to rise."

"Because of their inherent weakness, the human race is at a disadvantage in this war between various races. In order to resist the invasion of other races, some wise people have proposed that all human tribes should unite and fight together against the enemy."

"Under the leadership of these people, all human tribes united as one, pooling their strength to defeat the disorganized and fragmented alien races one by one, gradually gaining the upper hand. In the end, the human race defeated all the alien races, seized the great destiny of heaven and earth, and became the chosen ones of heaven and earth."

"Thus, the first dynasty of the human race was established, namely the Great Xing Dynasty. Those who initially advocated the alliance were honored as human emperors and ruled the world."

"However, due to the limited knowledge people had at the time, this so-called Great Xing Dynasty was actually just a very loose alliance with almost no systems or laws. Everyone just made verbal agreements. When there was a powerful enemy outside, everyone could still unite and fight against it. But once the powerful enemy was eliminated and the environment stabilized, all sorts of problems immediately surfaced."

"Human hearts are most fickle, filled with all sorts of selfish desires, and conflicts between the various human tribes in the Great Xing Dynasty were increasing. At that time, although the several human leaders were nominal emperors, they did not actually have much control over these tribes. While they were alive, they were able to keep the situation under control. But after they reached the end of their lifespan and passed away one by one, the tribes immediately began to attack each other, and war broke out everywhere."

"The Great Xing Dynasty lasted only three hundred years before it was destroyed in the internal strife of the human race, followed by three thousand years of chaos."

Tianyu Jun said thoughtfully, "In this light, the downfall of the Great Xing Dynasty was due to its flawed system."

Qingxuan chuckled: "The Daxing Dynasty didn't have an imperfect system; it didn't have any system at all. The so-called 'Daxing Dynasty' name was given to us by later generations. I guess people at the time didn't even know what that loose alliance was called."

"The stability of this alliance depended entirely on the self-awareness and character of the tribal leaders at the time. The Daxing Dynasty was able to last for three hundred years because people in ancient times were simple and honest, without so many evil thoughts and schemes. If it were today, such an alliance wouldn't even last thirty years."

Tianyu shook his head and sighed, "Human hearts are unpredictable."

Qingxuan continued, "After three thousand years of chaos, the human race's strength has greatly diminished, the world is in ruins, and the world is in turmoil. Other races are also eager to make their move. At this time, a group of far-sighted and wise people have united to learn from the lessons of the previous dynasty, compile various laws, promulgate articles, and establish a social framework."

"With these systems and laws in place, the human race's strength was quickly consolidated, and the various tribes operated in an orderly manner, beginning to strive for progress and accumulate strength."

Against this backdrop, humanity flourished once again, developing rapidly and achieving great civilization. Talented individuals and powerful figures emerged in great numbers, leading to a qualitative leap in social structure. Ultimately, a powerful tribe conquered the south and north, unified the five realms, and established a new dynasty named "Qian".

"Qian means Heaven. The Great Qian Dynasty adopted this name to signify that Heaven favors humanity and that humankind will never decline."

"After the establishment of the Great Qian Dynasty, the tribal system of the past was abolished, making all people in the world one family, and there were no more tribal barriers. Then, based on the previous system of etiquette, reforms were carried out again, power was centralized, the world was divided into regions, and various official positions were established, with control at all levels. In this way, the social structure was clear, people behaved in a proper manner, acted in accordance with the law, and spoke with evidence, and the world naturally became stable and prosperous."

"These reforms were extremely effective, allowing the Great Qian Dynasty to rule the Five Realms for a thousand years without decline. During this thousand-year period, society was stable, developed, and prosperous, marking the most prosperous period for the human race."

"Unfortunately, at this very moment, extraterrestrial demons invaded, launching a massive attack on the Five Realms. Humanity, encountering such anomalies for the first time, was at a loss as to how to deal with them and suffered heavy losses, with the Great Qian Dynasty in dire straits."

"Although the Great Qian Dynasty later found a way to deal with the situation, it was already in a precarious state. At this time, the ancient alien races took advantage of the situation, looted and plundered, entered the world and caused chaos, and attempted to dominate the world."

"Under the combined might of the extraterrestrial demons and the ancient alien races, the Great Qian Dynasty struggled for nearly a century before finally collapsing. As a result, the power of the human race was greatly diminished once again, and they could only retreat to the center of the Five Realms, the Great Thousand Realms."

"This era was the darkest and most chaotic era for humankind. Extraterrestrial demons, ancient alien races, and the human race as emperors fought a three-way war that plunged the heavens and earth into darkness, shattered mountains and rivers, and caused countless deaths and injuries to each of the three races."

"However, times create heroes, and chaotic times produce strong individuals. Amidst frequent wars, exchanges between different races increased dramatically, people's horizons broadened, and each race absorbed the advantages and strengths of other races' cultivation methods to improve their own. Unprecedented new cultivation methods and magical treasures appeared frequently like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Under the immense pressure of brutal war, the people of each race were eager and determined to cultivate, breaking through layer after layer of limits, and supreme masters appeared one after another."

"That era can be said to be the period when martial arts and immortal cultivation developed the fastest, with earth-shattering experts everywhere."

"Unfortunately, the more powerful the beings, the greater the damage caused by war. This chaotic world has lasted for five hundred years, with war raging in every corner of the Five Realms, and the entire world on the verge of collapse. If the fighting continues, the final outcome will likely be the destruction of the Five Realms, with everyone perishing together."

"And just when the world was on the verge of collapse, a man emerged out of nowhere and ended this chaotic era."

Qingxuan squinted at Tianyujun and smiled, "You should know who this person is."

Upon hearing this, Tianyu Jun's blood boiled, and he exclaimed passionately, "Martial Lord, Luo Hou!"

Qingxuan laughed heartily and said, "That's right, it is indeed Martial Lord Luo Hou."

"No one knows where Luo Hou came from. His past is a blank. It's as if he fell from the sky, sent by the will of heaven to end this chaotic world. With a Jidu sword, a golden armor, and the 'Fallen Star Slaying Technique,' he was invincible. With his overwhelming power, he reigned supreme, intimidated all races, forced them to bow down, and reached a reconciliation."

"The extraterrestrial demons once gathered the strength of their entire race to fight against Luo Hou, but Luo Hou wiped out eight or nine out of ten of them with a single strike, leaving them with no fighting power. The ancestor of the demons immediately submitted."

"When those ancient alien races saw Luo Hou's strength, they didn't even dare to fight him and surrendered immediately."

"In just one year, he single-handedly ended the five-hundred-year-long chaos among the three races."

"But Luo Hou is really strange. As a human, he can tolerate those extraterrestrial demons and ancient alien races. As long as these two races acknowledge that humans are the children of heaven and earth, they are allowed to live with humans and are even given territory."

"After unifying the five realms, Rahu had no intention of establishing a new dynasty. He simply divided the three races into their respective territories and then left the world to his own devices, going to the Void Realm in the center of the Great Thousand Realms to cultivate in seclusion."

"Those followers who were impressed by Luo Hou's overwhelming martial prowess established the Great Wu Dynasty based on Luo Hou's fame, honoring him as the founding sage emperor. And this dynasty, established solely on personal prestige, was unprecedentedly stable. For a full century, there was no war. All three races lived peacefully and focused on developing themselves. The prosperity of the world even surpassed that of the Great Qian Dynasty at its peak, creating another glorious era for humanity."

"A century after the establishment of the Martial Dynasty, Luo Hou ended his seclusion and went to the Outer Heavens, where he fought a great battle with an unknown being. Although no one knows the details of this battle, judging from the fact that Luo Hou's aura after the battle was even more powerful and majestic than when he first emerged from seclusion, as if he could suppress all the heavens, Luo Hou should have won."

After returning to the capital of the Martial Dynasty after the battle, Luo Hou left his followers with only the words, "This place is meaningless now. You should cultivate diligently. I look forward to fighting with you again in the world." Then he drifted away and disappeared without a trace.

"It's a pity that Luo Hou's followers failed to live up to his expectations, being tempted by power. They all claimed to be the rightful successors of the Martial Lord, and fought each other for the power of the Great Wu Dynasty. In just a few years, the once glorious Great Wu Dynasty fell apart."

"Luo Hou single-handedly ended the five hundred years of chaos, saved the five realms from destruction, saved countless lives from war, and then brought about a hundred years of prosperity. Such achievements are worthy of being called great merits that benefit all living beings in the world."

"And Luo Hou has another achievement, which is that he made the people of this world understand the higher realms of martial arts and immortality. Before Luo Hou's birth, people believed that the Three Refinements of Heaven and Man was the ultimate in martial arts, and the Tribulation Refinement Realm was the pinnacle of immortality. However, Luo Hou's appearance made them realize what it means to have no limit to the Dao."

Above the celestial beings, there is transcendence. At the pinnacle of tribulation, there are true immortals.

"With such strength and achievements, Luo Hou deserves the title of Martial Lord."

After Qingxuan finished speaking, Tianyu Jun, his face flushed, gripped his wine cup tightly, his arm trembling slightly, clearly indicating that he was extremely agitated. Suddenly, Tianyu Jun threw down the wine cup, picked up the wine pot, and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

Whenever the story of Lord Luo Hou is recalled, not only Tian Yu Jun, but any martial artist would be thrilled and unable to contain their excitement, wishing they could return to Luo Hou's era and fight alongside him to conquer the world.

Seeing Tianyu Jun drinking so heartily, Qingxuan laughed heartily, then reached out and patted Tianyu Jun's shoulder, saying in an annoyed tone, "Hey, leave some for me, don't greedily drink it all by yourself."

Tianyu Jun put down the wine pot, smiled somewhat embarrassedly, and hurriedly poured wine for Qingxuan, only to find that there wasn't a single drop left. He was immediately filled with embarrassment: "Uh, Xuan-ge'er, I'll go find Manager Wang and ask for a few more pots."

Qingxuan snorted unhappily, glanced at the sky outside the window, and stopped her, saying, "Oh well, it's already noon. Manager Wang will be here to deliver lunch soon, so there's no need for him to make another trip."

"Crunch~~~"

As soon as Qingxuan finished speaking, the door to the private room opened, and Manager Wang walked in with a plate of food and a pot of wine, his face beaming.

Qingxuan smiled smugly at Tianyu Jun: "See? What did I tell you?"

Tianyu looked at Qingxuan in surprise, and couldn't help but admire the tacit understanding between Qingxuan and Manager Wang. He then quickly got up to greet Manager Wang, took the food and dishes, and poured a cup of wine for Qingxuan.

Looking at the empty cups and plates on the table, Manager Wang chuckled and said, "How was it? Xuan-ge'er, did you enjoy the drinks today?"

Qingxuan picked up her wine glass, shook her head and chuckled upon hearing this, "Hey~, I say, Lao Wang, what age are you? Still trying to act cute? You just want someone to praise you, don't you? Fine, I'll praise you. Your wine is truly... 'This flavor should be found in heaven, rarely tasted on earth.' How about that? Is that enough?"

With that, Qingxuan downed the wine in one gulp, and Manager Wang clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

"Huh~?"

Qingxuan frowned as soon as she took a sip of wine, then squinted and savored it for a moment. A strange look appeared on her face as she said to Manager Wang, "Hey, Old Wang, how come you've let me down so soon after I praised you? This wine isn't right; the taste is quite different."

Manager Wang's smile instantly turned into a wry one. He shook his head and said, "Alas, the reason I came to deliver this meal in person is to tell you this. Xuan-ge, our Chunyu Workshop may not be able to brew the wine we used to have for some time now."

"What?!" Qingxuan stood up in surprise and asked, "What's going on?"

Manager Wang's face showed a look of regret and sympathy. He sighed and said, "Xuan-ge'er, as you know, our Chunyu Workshop needs to add some special medicinal herbs to brew this kind of fine wine. It's just that the Du family of Yazhou, who have been supplying the herbs... has run into trouble."

Qingxuan was taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but recall information related to the Du family.

Yazhou is located on the edge of Dongtianyuan and is an important transportation hub connecting Dongtianyuan with other regions of Yuxiao Realm. The Du family is one of the most famous and powerful clans in Yazhou. They made their fortune by selling various medicinal herbs and treasures, and their business extends throughout Dongtianyuan, the entire Yuxiao Realm, and even the other four realms.

Qingxuan couldn't help but ask curiously, "What happened to the Du family?"

Shopkeeper Wang's expression turned to one of trepidation, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. He lowered his voice and said, "The entire Du family has been wiped out! Every single one of them, young and old, over a hundred people, is dead!"