Chapter 577 - 344: Refining the Insights of the Third and Fourth Lives, Mastering the Mysterious Realm Form, Mu Xue Is Pregnant

Of course, it was still a far cry from the million-zhang Dharma Aspects of figures like the Yuqing Ancestor Master and Bai Ze.

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath and continued to absorb the insights from his fourth life.

In his fourth life, Lu Mingyuan had been born into a fallen Noble Family. With his outstanding martial arts, he became a Knight who healed the wounded and helped the dying, wandering the Mortal World. Though beautiful women and great power beckoned to him, Lu Mingyuan maintained a pure heart, fulfilling his path of chivalry.

He enjoyed a stellar reputation throughout the Jianghu.

Lu Yunqing, on the other hand, had become a cold and ruthless Assassin of the Jianghu. Her ultimate goal was to kill Lu Mingyuan, but unfortunately, she was defeated by him time and time again.

Yun Qinghe became the young mistress of a Noble Family that had been annihilated. So frail she couldn’t even truss a chicken, she had never practiced martial arts or Cultivation. After being rescued by Lu Mingyuan, a desire to learn martial arts was kindled within her, but she was hindered by her own weak will.

Fortunately, Lu Mingyuan successfully guided her, helping her pick up a sword once more and regain her confidence. After she was on the right path, he disappeared before her very eyes.

Yun Qinghe could not get over this, as she had realized she had fallen in love with the great Knight renowned throughout the Jianghu.

In reality, this was a test Lu Mingyuan had left for her.

He needed Yun Qinghe to rediscover her Daoxin within the Scroll World.

Fortunately, Yun Qinghe did not disappoint him.

In the end, following his past teachings, she became a Female Knight revered by everyone in the Jianghu, while Lu Mingyuan watched over her from the shadows, witnessing her grow old.

From this life, Lu Mingyuan felt he had gained something more: the pure heart of a chivalrous knight dedicated to aiding the common folk.

’He was no longer living just for himself.’

’He had become a Knight.’

’To see injustice and draw one’s saber to help, to rid the world of all its wrongs.’

Few people could ever possess such a pure heart.

Most people pursued Cultivation only for their own benefit and enjoyment.

But there were always some who did it for others, putting their own safety second.

The greatest of knights serve their country and its people.

This very point patched a hole in Lu Mingyuan’s Daoxin. It was similar to the spark of the Human Emperor and gave him considerable inspiration.

"Comprehended the heart of a Knight. Triggered ’Observing the Micro.’ Your Sword Dao has greatly benefited. Mastered the Mysterious Realm Form of the Sword Dao’s Profound Techniques."

"Emperor’s Orange Life Chart—Innate Dao Fool: Refinement Level increased to 45%."

Golden text floated before his eyes again, and Lu Mingyuan sensed an invisible barrier materialize around his body.

It was different from the Saber Astral formed by Sword Intent.

It was an invisible domain; the area within a ten-zhang radius was entirely his.

This barrier was the very essence of the world’s underlying principles.

A domain formed by the Profound Techniques of the Sword Dao.

For anyone standing within this ten-zhang area, he could unleash his Saber Technique with a hundred times its normal power, even without using Divine Techniques or Magic.

This was the next stage after comprehending Profound Techniques, a new level of enhancement.

Within ten zhang, he was invincible against anyone in the same realm. Even a Fourteenth Realm cultivator would find him a headache to deal with.

However, his current Mysterious Realm Form was still too small, spanning only ten zhang.

If a Mysterious Realm Form were large enough, it could be used to shape heaven and earth; in essence, it was the power closest to the Power of Creation.

The Ancient Great Gods could use these Profound Techniques to reshape the world.

Take the Yuqing Ancestor Master, for example. His Taoist Family’s Mysterious Realm Form likely already covered a radius of ten thousand li.

Anyone who stepped into his domain could be slain at any moment.

Back then, even someone as mighty as the Eternal Emperor, while possessed by an Evil God, was beaten into submission upon stepping into the Taoist Family’s Mysterious Realm Form.

Elder Yuqing could destroy a Little World with a mere wave of his hand; his power was simply terrifying.

Even a peak Fourteenth Realm Great Demon like the Seven Thrones Rain Master had a Mysterious Realm Form that manifested as a sea of flowers spanning a thousand li.

That was why a shower of flower petals would fall whenever she appeared.

These terrifying phenomena were all created through the Mysterious Realm Form.

As for Lu Mingyuan, his True Form of Secret Technique was still a chaotic expanse, only ten zhang in size.

The main reason was that he had been Breaking Realm too quickly and hadn’t delved deeply enough into the Great Dao.

Only after comprehending the True Form of Secret Technique did Lu Mingyuan finally understand the immense gap between the Fourteenth Realm and the Thirteenth Realm.

It was like the difference between heaven and earth.

A single Fourteenth Realm cultivator could take on a whole legion of those in the Thirteenth Realm.

If Twelve Thrones Gangzhu hadn’t had the help of the Three Thousand Ruishui Rivers to break through the True Form of the Chess Dao, he would have been utterly thrashed by the Chess Saint.

Lu Mingyuan closed his eyes and began to shape his own True Form of Secret Technique.

’Every little bit helps,’ he thought. ’Even if the True Form is small, it’s still a True Form.’

As he visualized, one Treasure Saber after another condensed in the air around him.

From one saber, to a hundred, and then more...

Lu Mingyuan, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath.

For now, this was the extent to which he could maintain his True Form of Sword Ruins.

One day, he would be able to expand his True Form of Sword Ruins to the scale of the Sword Tomb Sacred Mountain.

KNOCK KNOCK.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."

Suddenly, the voice of a eunuch from outside the hall caught Lu Mingyuan’s attention.

"What is it?"

Having just finished his Cultivation, Lu Mingyuan stood up and opened the door himself.

He was greeted by the sight of a bashful Qi Muxue. She stood outside the hall, dressed in a snow-white, semi-sheer gauze dress that highlighted her slender and graceful figure. Her smooth, jet-black hair was held up by a single agarwood hairpin, and her unadorned face possessed a unique charm.

"My husband, I have something to tell you..."

"What is it?"

Lu Mingyuan had a feeling what it might be, but his voice still trembled as he asked.

"I’m... with child."

Qi Muxue squeezed out those three words in a voice quieter than a mosquito’s buzz.

"You’re really pregnant?"

Lu Mingyuan was overjoyed at her words. He pulled her into a surprised embrace, his eyes filled with excitement and joy.

"Yes. I felt a strange stirring in my abdomen during my Cultivation recently, so I had the Imperial Physician take a look."

A blush of shyness crept onto Qi Muxue’s fair cheeks, but her expression was also one of joy. It was clear she had only just received the news herself.

"Just try not to be nervous."

"I’m not nervous. I’m just excited. And happy,"

Lu Mingyuan said with a smile, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

His gaze then grew distant, and he murmured in disbelief, "I’m going to be a father... It seems this vast empire will have an heir after all."

Qi Muxue stifled a laugh at his attempt to sound so formal.

"Your Majesty..."

"Wait."

Lu Mingyuan immediately cut her off. He took her by the wrist and said with a serious expression, "I much preferred it when you used to call me ’Your Highness’."

Qi Muxue paused for a moment, then smiled softly. "Very well, Your Highness. Would you prefer a girl, or a boy?"

"A boy or a girl, I’ll love them either way."

Lu Mingyuan’s eyes shone as he said, "A girl can inherit the Emperor’s Throne, too."

After all, how many reigning Empresses were there in the world?

The Golden Crow Country, the Nanli Dynasty, the Great Nether Saint Dynasty—in which of these did a woman not inherit the Emperor’s Throne?

"At least I won’t be like my imperial father and risk letting the Great Yan Dynasty be torn apart again."

Qi Muxue said with concern, "But the Three Religions will never be able to agree..."

As far as she knew, the catalyst for the Nine Dragons Struggle for the Throne had been that the Three Religions each supported a different candidate, which led to the crisis.

"What does it matter what the Three Religions think?" Lu Mingyuan said confidently. "Just because my imperial father couldn’t handle them, does that mean I can’t?"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Just then, a massive black shadow swept across the sky outside the hall.

Instead of being alarmed, Lu Mingyuan smiled. "I didn’t expect that Gu Diao to have grown so large."

A thirty-meter-tall behemoth was circling high in the sky above the Capital City.

He remembered how small the Gu Diao fledgling had been.

Now it was a behemoth, but it was still just as affectionate.

The Gu Diao served as a scout for the Imperial Capital. It lived in the mountains behind the Imperial City and patrolled the Great Yan Dynasty daily. If it ever discovered a Demon, it could inform the Three Academies at a moment’s notice.

It was a pleasant diversion from his otherwise monotonous daily life.

"Your Highness could think of a name in advance," Qi Muxue said with a gentle smile.

Lu Mingyuan laughed heartily. "I’m terrible at picking names. You’re the one who’s well-read; you should choose."

Qi Muxue chuckled and shook her head. "Knowledge from books alone is superficial."

"How about this: I’ll name her if it’s a girl, and you’ll name him if it’s a boy?"

Lu Mingyuan suggested.

"Alright."

Qi Muxue was deeply moved that Lu Mingyuan respected her opinion so much, and her eyes filled with bliss.

Lu Mingyuan pondered for a moment before saying, "If it’s a girl, let’s call her Lu Yunzhi."

"Is there a special meaning?"

"No, I just think it sounds nice," Lu Mingyuan said with an embarrassed smile.

Seeing how casually he’d chosen it, Qi Muxue chided him with a laugh, "If there’s no meaning, aren’t you worried people will make fun of her when she’s older? You have to be able to explain it."

"The characters ’Yunzhi’ refer to a medicinal herb, which implies longevity," he began, thinking on his feet. "And there are sayings like ’the ambition of wind and cloud’ and ’an orchid of a jade tree.’ Our daughter will surely grow up to be beautiful, clever, and talented. It’s a good name."

Lu Mingyuan then asked, "And for a boy?"

Qi Muxue thought for only a moment before replying, "Since he’ll be a boy, it’s more important that he be a good person with strong moral character. The character ’Jin’ means ’fine jade,’ symbolizing virtue. A boy should also have a brilliant future, with prosperity ’year’ after year. So, how about Jinnian?"

"Lu Jinnian."

...