Mythical Three Kingdoms

As for Yuan Shu's side, although the Jade Seal had activated the fortune of Chu State contained within, its unstable foundation meant that after its eruption, it reverted to its original state once more.

However, this incident allowed Yuan Shu to escape a calamity. Otherwise, even with Zixu and Yu Ji teaming up to assault the immortals hiding in the South Blue, the Jade Seal would have inevitably been taken by those outsiders.

"Hmph, Yu Ji, I didn't expect you to actually help block those rabble. I thought you'd be vying for the Jade Seal yourself." Zixu, seeing Yu Ji flying toward Jiangnan once the oppressive pressure dissipated and beginning to arrange the Jade Talisman, was momentarily stunned before sneering sarcastically.

"Hah, even if I wanted the Jade Seal, it would only be for studying fortune. I am fundamentally different from those scum who disregard the lives of the common people!" Yu Ji's tone was entirely distinct from Zuo Ci's, decisively separating himself from those trying to refine national fortune. He clearly had his own moral line.

"But your methods are far too extreme," Zixu said after a brief silence. "Why do you insist on plotting to harm the Feudal Lords?"

"For research!" Yu Ji retorted with a cold laugh. "I used Talisman Water to save countless lives. While it doesn't offer complete cures like Hua Yuanhua's techniques, unless it's a terminal condition, my actions are unquestionably saving lives. What I don't understand is why, despite saving so many, the resulting fortune still produces adverse outcomes. I can't comprehend this!"

"Don't you see what consequences arose from saving those people?" Zixu looked at Yu Ji, countering sharply.

"All I know is that I saved them, spared their wives and elderly parents from the pain of losing sons, husbands, and fathers, and kept their families from crumbling. Have I done wrong?" Yu Ji shouted at Zixu in return.

"And how does this relate to your plans to assassinate Sun Ce? We're merely following the Mandate of Heaven. We made our choice when we sought immortality," Zixu said, looking at Yu Ji. After a long silence, he added earnestly.

"If saving the people brings adverse outcomes, and Wang Ba's actions disregard morality—with the praise of his subjects deemed good and their curses deemed evil, personal virtue unaccounted for—then I'll replace the Feudal Lords entirely, realizing my vision of an idyllic utopia!" Yu Ji did not look at Zixu but gazed longingly toward the south as he spoke.

Zixu said nothing in reply. He found he couldn't adjudicate Yu Ji's right or wrong. That he stopped attacking Yu Ji and began preparing to fend off the intruders from the South Blue spoke volumes, at least proving they weren't as heartless as Zuo Ci proclaimed, nor as committed to obeying fate as Zixu himself claimed.

Zixu believed in fate—indeed, Zixu trusted destiny. Yet, why did Zixu pursue uncertain destinies? The fate he trusted belonged to himself, not the Mandate of Heaven!

"What a nuisance!" At that moment, a slender man in silk garb, wearing a straw hat and carrying a sword, suddenly appeared next to Yu Ji. "I originally came to kill you, but now I've decided not to get involved in this matter."

Speaking, the man removed his straw hat, revealing a face so beautiful it could make women jealous. He glanced disdainfully at Yu Ji beside him, saying, "Watching your farce for so long, I finally realized your performance isn't nearly as entertaining as the Beautiful Lady from Mount Tai. A complete waste of my time."

Instantly, Zixu and Yu Ji glared at the man furiously, only to find him standing there calm as ever, wholly ignoring them. "Those South Blue rabble planning to seize the Jade Seal—they'd better ask my sword's permission first."

As he spoke, a streak of green light flashed from the White Sharkskin Scabbard at his side, followed by a streak of blood in the void. A hidden barbarian spying on them was instantly slain.

"Let's split up. It's better for everyone," Zixu mediated, playing peacemaker. He couldn't stand Yu Ji, even if Yu Ji's reasons were sound. His conflicts with Yu Ji would inevitably lead to a fight, and as for the new arrival—that man was trouble through and through. Zixu recalled seeing him disrupt the White Snake legend during his time at Mount Tai.

Yu Ji snorted coldly and flew toward Jiangnan. The straw-hatted man also glanced at Zixu with interest before flying westward, leaving Zixu to handle the East Side.

Speaking of Zixu, Yu Ji, and the Qu'e Local Tyrant, while all three were powerful, only Yu Ji at full strength could reach the pinnacle of contemporary power. Zixu and Nangong Xue (homage to Xiè Yǐng) were strong but nowhere near the likes of Guan Yu or Zhao Yun. They could handle three ordinary challengers, but faced with ten, Nangong Xue could only stall with her Sword Dance, and Zixu would have to run away.

Each man blocked their respective challengers, yet the sheer number overwhelmed them. While Huang Zhong used his Ultimate Mastery to pick off Baiyue Barbarian Immortals emerging from the deep Southwest mountains beyond visual range, numerous barbarians still appeared. In just thirty short years, increasing Heaven and Earth Essence had produced more formidable opponents.

Nonetheless, with those few stalwarts holding the lines, by the time the intruders reached Shouchun, Jii Ling had already rallied troops and prepared defenses.

The primary difference between the Jade Seal and the Xuanyuan Cauldron is this: the Xuanyuan Cauldron retains minor pressure even after its major pressure fades, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. The Jade Seal, conversely, loses its oppressive presence entirely—proof of its discreet nature as a Divine Artifact.

As such, the intruding immortals who reached Shouchun ended up falling into a trap. Jii Ling conjured Cloud Qi and unleashed devastating strikes, killing them one by one.

Yuan Shu personally inspected the Jade Seal but quickly lost interest. Since it couldn't resurrect his son, it held no meaning for him. He casually tossed the Jade Seal to Sunx Quan and then departed.

Yuan Shu's actions baffled the young Sunx Quan. From his mother's teachings, he understood the Jade Seal symbolized supreme worldly authority, and its prior eruption of power confirmed his mother's assertions as truth.

Yet Yuan Shu's casual attitude toward this supposedly world-shattering artifact sparked other thoughts in Sunx Quan's mind. Clearly, Yuan Shu did not care for what supposedly represented the utmost authority in the land.

Reflecting on his brother and Zhou Yu's behavior, Sunx Quan now wondered if this object mattered at all. If it did, why wouldn't his brother carry it with him at all times? Instead, it was left forgotten on a dust-covered bookshelf.

[Perhaps my brother hasn't realized how incredible this thing is yet—it can emit a pressure that terrifies everyone. From any perspective, this isn't an ordinary relic. Maybe it really does symbolize supreme power across the land. I'll ask him when he returns…]

Sunx Quan tiptoed to place the Jade Seal on the highest shelf of the bookshelf, then took a few steps back, gazing at it with curiosity. For some reason, his interest in the Jade Seal was extraordinary.

"Fools!" Zhang Fei roared close-range, his deafening shout causing several immortals who had been fighting him evenly to bleed from all facial orifices. Laughing wildly, Zhang Fei thrust the Serpent Spear forward, skewering a row of immortals together like candied hawthorns on a stick. Then, with a brutal swing, he flung the skewered immortals away with monstrous force. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)