Chapter 359: Chapter 28: The First Emperor Has Arrived at Taishan, the Fengshan Commences

Liu Bang was clearly taken aback.

"You know each other?"

But no one paid him any mind. Yan Huang and the other two were staring at each other, all of them stunned and dumbfounded.

It was Old Nong, reclining on a lounge chair inside the house and waving a cattail fan, who spoke first.

"Guests who have traveled far are always welcome. Please, have a seat. All of you."

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Lu Xuan, who was standing by and watching the excitement, and called out to him.

"Fetch a few bowls of herbal tea to serve our guests."

"Alright."

Lu Xuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and readily agreed. He strode into the thatched hut, and the scorching sensation that had been forging his Physique immediately subsided.

By the time he returned from the back of the house with three bowls of herbal tea, Wang Zhiyao and the others had already found small stools and sat down, and were discussing something with Yan Huang.

"Guests, your herbal tea is here." Lu Xuan placed the tea on the table, marveling inwardly at the coincidences of the world, at the workings of fate and destiny.

He then turned back to Old Nong and said,

"I’m going back to hoeing the field."

"Go on," Old Nong replied with a smile.

Lu Xuan didn’t linger. He walked out of the thatched hut and stood on the patch of farmland once more. Inside, Old Nong nonchalantly waved his hand.

The blazing sun above Lu Xuan’s head grew even more intense. Every ray of sunlight that fell upon him felt like a Great Sun, searing both his body and Soul. A terrifying weight pressed down, making his muscles ache and his bones feel weak as sweat streamed down his back.

Lu Xuan wiped away his sweat and resumed hoeing, his mind filled with thoughts.

’Zhang Jifeng and Wang Zhiyao are here too...’

’Just how many people have come to this era? And what exactly is that Taiyi trying to do?’

As Lu Xuan bore the weight of hundreds of sunbeams, hundreds of Great Suns, the conversation continued inside the hut.

Liu Bang looked at the three people staring at one another and asked curiously,

"Is this Brother Yan also from a place isolated from the world?"

Wang Zhiyao, who was beside him, nodded and quickly answered,

"He’s one of our elders..."

Yan Huang cut in,

"Xiaoyao, Xiaofeng, and I all come from the same village. But I spend most of my years cultivating in the mountains and only occasionally return... To be honest, I’m a few thousand years older than them."

PFFT!!

Liu Bang spat out a mouthful of tea, shot to his feet, and exclaimed in shock,

"A few thousand years old... Are you an Immortal?!"

Yan Huang smiled nonchalantly.

"I suppose so. By the way, may I ask your name?"

He said this while sipping his tea slowly.

"This humble one is Liu Bang, courtesy name Ji, from Peixian County. I was not aware I was in the presence of an Immortal just now. If I have caused any offense, I hope the Immortal..."

PFFT!!

Yan Huang spat out a mouthful of tea and looked up in shock.

"You’re Liu Bang??"

Liu Bang blinked in confusion, bewildered.

"This humble one is indeed Liu Bang... Does the Immortal recognize me?"

Yan Huang coughed violently for a moment, then shot a strange look at Zhang Jifeng and Wang Zhiyao.

’These two kids are pretty lucky, running into this guy of all people...’ he muttered to himself.

After a long moment, Yan Huang chuckled.

"I had an old friend who was also called by this name, so I was just a little surprised."

He paused, then gestured gently.

"Please, sit. Since we are both just temporary guests here, there’s no need for such stiff formalities. This is our host."

As he spoke, Yan Huang pointed to Old Nong.

Hearing this, Liu Bang quickly bowed, sat down gingerly, and didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

Beside them, Zhang Jifeng and Wang Zhiyao exchanged glances. ’If this is really the ’Han Gaozu’ from the history books, then it seems history wasn’t wrong. In his early years, Han Gaozu was nothing more than a common local ruffian, with no presence and no courage...’

After a moment, Yan Huang shot the two a look, then changed the subject.

"Old Li, aren’t you going to let Xiaoxuan come in and rest? It’s a hot day, and he’s been out there tilling the fields for a long time."

Old Nong, who had been watching everything with a broad smile, let out a hearty laugh.

"No need. Let the boy temper himself some more. He’s been improving too quickly, and his foundation is not as solid as it once was."

"Is that so?" Yan Huang asked, puzzled. "He hasn’t even officially started cultivating the Body Tempering Skill I taught him... Say, Old Li, do you even know what a foundation is?"

He added teasingly,

"This ’foundation’ business isn’t something you get from sunbathing and tilling fields."

Old Nong gave a bashful smile.

"I’m just a farmer. What would I know about cultivation? I’m just making assumptions."

"That’s true," Yan Huang laughed. Meanwhile, Zhang Jifeng and Wang Zhiyao both cast curious glances toward the figure outside the hut.

Wang Zhiyao spoke thoughtfully,

"Uncle Yan, are you perhaps planning to take him on as a disciple?"

"I don’t plan on it. I’m just giving him a fortuitous opportunity, opening the path of cultivation for the boy. Whether he can ultimately glimpse the road to becoming an Immortal and attain Longevity will depend on his own future."

"Is that so?" Zhang Jifeng nodded.

The group chatted idly. Before long, the sun had set completely and a bright moon hung in the sky. The thatched hut grew quiet.

Only the young man wearing the Bronze Mask was still outside, swinging his hoe.

At some point, Old Nong had appeared beside him and said softly,

"After the Great Sun presses the body and the blazing sun scorches the flesh, comes the bright moon to wash the heart and the moonlight to carve the form."

"Okay," Lu Xuan responded softly, then let out a muffled groan.

He felt the bright moon in the sky suddenly turn perilous. The gentle moonlight transformed into sharp blades that drilled into his body, scraping his bones and tearing his flesh. The blades even sliced every single one of his cells in two, but everything would instantly and naturally heal, only to be torn apart again in a repeating cycle.

Intense pain swept through his entire body. Lu Xuan clenched his jaw and made no further sound, simply continuing to swing the hoe that felt heavier than all of Mount Taishan.

Then, he felt the moonlight turn into a stream of water, pouring into the depths of his spirit. The stream swelled into a great flood, scouring his Soul and True Spirit.

The dual agony of body and soul intensified, but Lu Xuan endured it silently, without a word.

"Good." Old Nong nodded. "As I said before, you’ve progressed too quickly, and your foundation is not as solid as it was. This time, I am solidifying it for you. You must be more careful in the future."

"Thank you, Teacher." Lu Xuan’s voice was faint. Without using any Magical Power or principles, he used every ounce of his strength to lift and drop the hoe that was heavier than Mount Taishan, again and again.

And just like that, another entire night passed.

「The next morning.」

Wang Zhiyao walked out of the thatched hut and looked at the young man hoeing under the morning sun, asking in confusion,

"Young man, why have you been hoeing all night? That’s not how you cultivate."

"I’m fine," Lu Xuan replied with a smile.

Wang Zhiyao thought for a moment, then walked up to him and said with a smile,

"Uncle Yan taught you a Body Refining Technique. Since I’m staying here as well, let’s call it fate. How about I teach you a Qi Cultivation Skill?"

"Then how about I teach you a Refining God Skill?" Zhang Jifeng chimed in, also walking out of the hut with a smile. He sized up the young man with great interest.

"That way, young man, you’ll have the three skills for Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and you can be considered to have truly set foot on the path of cultivation. From what I can see, your fortune is quite good. You might just make something of yourself in the future."

Zhang Jifeng spoke with sincerity. In his view, this young man, who might have otherwise spent his entire life hoeing fields, had instead met them one after another, received a Cultivation Skill, and gained the opportunity to leap the dragon gate. This was a sign of extraordinary fortune.

Wang Zhiyao chuckled and nodded, then, as if remembering something, asked curiously,

"By the way, young man, what’s your name?"

Lu Xuan endured the pressure of hundreds of Great Suns, lifted his hoe, and answered with a smile,

"My name is Xuanhuang."

Wang Zhiyao and Zhang Jifeng were both stunned. ’Xuanhuang? Is his surname Xuan?’

The latter clicked his tongue in amazement.

"That name carries a lot of weight... Young man, you might not be able to bear it. It would be best to change it in the future."

Lu Xuan just smiled.

"There’s no need..."

Before he could finish speaking, suddenly—

WOOOOOOOO!!!

Layer upon layer of horn blasts echoed from the distance, so powerful they stirred the clouds and mist, rolling across thousands of miles.

Yan Huang and Liu Bang rushed out of the thatched hut. Together with Wang Zhiyao and Zhang Jifeng, they all gazed into the distance.

"They’re here!" Liu Bang’s eyes shone brightly.

In the distance, soldiers in Black Armor formed a continuous line like a long dragon. An Emperor Chariot led the way, accompanied by sky-shaking horn blasts and a sky full of auspicious Qingyun canopies. One after another, Profound Black Dragon Banners snapped in the wind!

The great procession moved like a surging tide, endless and powerful. The Emperor Chariot was profound and filled with a dense, majestic aura.

On the tenth day, the First Emperor had arrived at Taishan for the Feng Shan ceremony.

The young man in the Bronze Mask also lowered his hoe at this moment. He let out a slow breath, seemingly in reflection, as he gazed at the Emperor Chariot.

’Xiaozheng, you’ve grown up.’